#adelaida ask

[ofgreatart]

'the Dostoevsky woman (as distinctive as a Rembrandt woman) with her mysterious face, whose engaging beauty changes abruptly, as though her apparent good nature had been but make-believe, to a terrible insolence.' (Marcel Proust)

+ Terrence Malick, Olga Kurylenko: 'He wanted me to combine their influences—the romantic and innocent side, with the insolent and daring side.'

Nastasya Filippovna - Dostoevsky (The Idiot)

“I know that once when your sister Adelaida saw my portrait she said that such beauty could overthrow the world. But I have renounced the world. You think it strange that I should say so, for you saw me decked with lace and diamonds, in the company of drunkards and wastrels. Take no notice of that; I know that I have almost ceased to exist. God knows what it is dwelling within me now–it is not myself. I can see it every day in two dreadful eyes which are always looking at me, even when not present. These eyes are silent now, they say nothing; but I know their secret. His house is gloomy, and there is a secret in it. I am convinced that in some box he has a razor hidden, tied round with silk, just like the one that Moscow murderer had. This man also lived with his mother, and had a razor hidden away, tied round with white silk, and with this razor he intended to cut a throat.

All the while I was in their house I felt sure that somewhere beneath the floor there was hidden away some dreadful corpse, wrapped in oil-cloth, perhaps buried there by his father, who knows? Just as in the Moscow case. I could have shown you the very spot!

He is always silent, but I know well that he loves me so much that he must hate me. My wedding and yours are to be on the same day; so I have arranged with him. I have no secrets from him. I would kill him from very fright, but he will kill me first. He has just burst out laughing, and says that I am raving. He knows I am writing to you.”

Dostoevsky’s Nastasya Filippovna from “THE IDIOT” (Snegovski _)

“but when he was two rooms distant from the drawing-room, where they all were, he stopped as though recalling something; went to the window, nearer the light, and began to examine the portrait in his hand.

He longed to solve the mystery of something in the face of Nastasia Philipovna, something which had struck him as he looked at the portrait for the first time; the impression had not left him. It was partly the fact of her marvellous beauty that struck him, and partly something else. There was a suggestion of immense pride and disdain in the face almost of hatred, and at the same time something confiding and very full of simplicity. The contrast aroused a deep sympathy in his heart as he looked at the lovely face. The blinding loveliness of it was almost intolerable, this pale thin face with its flaming eyes; it was a strange beauty.

The prince gazed at it for a minute or two, then glanced around him, and hurriedly raised the portrait to his lips. When, a minute after, he reached the drawing-room door, his face was quite composed.

…

Mrs. Epanchin examined the portrait of Nastasia Philipovna for some little while, holding it critically at arm’s length.

“Yes, she is pretty,” she said at last, “even very pretty. I have seen her twice, but only at a distance. So you admire this kind of beauty, do you?” she asked the prince, suddenly.

“Yes, I do—this kind.”

“Do you mean especially this kind?”

“Yes, especially this kind.”

“Why?”

“There is much suffering in this face,” murmured the prince, more as though talking to himself than answering the question.

“I think you are wandering a little, prince,” Mrs. Epanchin decided, after a lengthened survey of his face; and she tossed the portrait on to the table, haughtily.

Alexandra took it, and Adelaida came up, and both the girls examined the photograph. Just then Aglaya entered the room.

“What a power!” cried Adelaida suddenly, as she earnestly examined the portrait over her sister’s shoulder.

“Whom? What power?” asked her mother, crossly.

“Such beauty is real power,” said Adelaida. “With such beauty as that one might overthrow the world.” She returned to her easel thoughtfully.

Aglaya merely glanced at the portrait—frowned, and put out her underlip; then went and sat down on the sofa with folded hands.”

“The prince declares, upon marrying Nastasya Filippovna, that it is better to resurrect a woman than to perform the actions of Alexander of Macedonia.”

“The prince. Essential social conviction: the economic doctrine of the uselessness of individual good actions is absurd. On the contrary, everything is based on individual action.”

Dostoevsky, The Idiot’s Notebooks

Photo via X/Twitter

“All we Karamazovs are such insects, and, angel as you are, that insect lives in you, too, and will stir up a tempest in your blood. Tempests, because sensual lust is a tempest—worse than a tempest! Beauty is a terrible and awful thing! It is terrible because it has not been fathomed and never can be fathomed, for God sets us nothing but riddles. Here the boundaries meet and all contradictions exist side by side. I am not a cultivated man, brother, but I’ve thought a lot about this. It’s terrible what mysteries there are! Too many riddles weigh men down on earth. We must solve them as we can, and try to keep a dry skin in the water. Beauty!

… Yes, man is broad, too broad, indeed. I’d have him narrower. The devil only knows what to make of it! What to the mind is shameful is beauty and nothing else to the heart. Is there beauty in Sodom? Believe me, that for the immense mass of mankind beauty is found in Sodom. Did you know that secret? The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there and the battlefield is the heart of man. But a man always talks of his own ache.”

The Brothers Karamazov - Dostoevsky

Marcel Proust: “Well, then, this novel beauty remains identical in all Dostoevsky’s works, the Dostoevsky woman (as distinctive as a Rembrandt woman) with her mysterious face, whose engaging beauty changes abruptly, as though her apparent good nature had been but make-believe, to a terrible insolence (although at heart it seems that she is more good than bad), is she not always the same, whether it be Nastasia Philipovna writing love letters to Aglaé and telling her that she hates her, or in a visit which is wholly identical with this — as also with that in which Nastasia Philipovna insults Vania’s family — Grouchenka, as charming in Katherina Ivanovna’s house as the other had supposed her to be terrible, then suddenly revealing her malevolence by insulting Katherina Ivanovna (although Grouchenka is good at heart); Grouchenka, Nastasia, figures as original, as mysterious not merely as Carpaccio’s courtesans but as Rembrandt’s Bathsheba.”

“This radiant, dual face, with sudden bursts of pride that make the woman appear other than she is (‘You are not such,’ Muichkine says to Nastasia in the visit to Gania’s parents, and Alyosha could say it to Grushenka in the visit to Katherina Ivanovna).”

Photo: Olga Kurylenko: Marina, To the Wonder, Terrence Malick

“Terrence Malick recommended that Olga Kurylenko read The Idiot with a particular eye on two characters: the young and prideful Aglaya Yepanchin, and the fallen, tragic Nastassya Filippovna.”

Olga Kurylenko: “He wanted me to combine their influences — the romantic and innocent side, with the insolent and daring side. ‘For some reason, you only ever see that combination in Russian characters,’ he said to me.”

“Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov, and The Idiot: Those books were, in a way, his script,” Olga Kurylenko says”. - BEHIND THE SCENES: https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/how-terrence-malick-wrote-filmed-edited-to-the-wonder.html

…

“In To the Wonder (Terrence Malick), Marina (Olga Kurylenko) has a predisposition to melancholy,” Kurylenko says. “She’s a very unstable woman. She’s suffering. So when she meets a man, she sees him as the ending of all her suffering. But it’s just an illusion.” To prepare, Terrence Malick directed the actress to the bricks of Russian literature – Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy), The Brothers Karamazov, and The Idiot (Dostoevsky). Olga Kurylenko: “I didn’t even need the script after that. Those were my script. I built the character as a combination of the different female characters in those books.” https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/olga-kurylenko-talks-russian-literature-and-terrence-malick-181787/

"Terrence Malick asked me to reread Anna Karenina, The Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot. All the three of them are that thick!" Olga Kurylenko, 'To The Wonder’, Terrence Malick

“Because life is not a thin book. It is terribly long, and tangled, and dense. Tolstoy didn’t even want to stop War and Peace. Two epilogues, eight new chapters… it was like Time itself in motion. And Dostoevsky, writing these gigantic books precisely because he always wants to start reality anew.” George Steiner, translated from French

[kakairuficfinder]

Personal Favorites

These are the KKIR fics that really resonated with me. I hope you love them as much as I have.

The Last Mission by Flailinginlove [M, 69K]

When a badly burnt body wearing Iruka's dog tags is found just inside Fire Country's borders, Tsunade demands answers. Kakashi's tags are a heavy weight against Iruka's chest as he tells her about the relationship they've kept hidden for years, the one he'll have to start referring to in the past tense. It isn't until he gets home that he notices something engraved on the charred metal of his tags: a coded, one-word message meant just for him. It's the only clue he has, not much to go on, but that won't stop him from doing everything he can to bring Kakashi safely home.

Icha Icha Nights by Adelaida, anniemaar, flailinginlove [E, 50K]

A foolish bet is going to get Iruka and his friends killed if he can't find a way to save them from the ruthless king who has imprisoned them. Each night he tells the king stories to buy them more time, but in between the lewd tales he spins, he discovers that not all of his friends are what they seem and neither is the king.

Anata by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds [E, 55k]

Kakashi has decided to stealth date his way into Iruka’s future. … Snapshots of Kakashi and Iruka being totally married even though Iruka doesn’t exactly realize that they’re totally married. Neither does the rest of Konoha. But Kakashi does.

My Yakuza Boyfriend by decaf_kitty [E, 55k]

Kakashi Hatake is a disgraced cop with no options left. So he joins the local yakuza family. His boss, Iruka Umino, is beautiful and dangerous. Of course, Kakashi falls in love with him the instant they meet.

The Shinobi Bachelor by PerfectNezumi [T, 66K]

The Elders want Kakashi to produce a heir to his bloodline, so Tsunade sets up a competition for him to find his soulmate.

Uncomplicated by wizardinblack [E, 63K]

After a rough break up Iruka turns to the world of online dating in a desperate attempt to get laid. He meets Kakashi and things are totally great and not complicated at all!

(Run) Far Away from Home by chuchisushi [T, 31K]

A Princess Mononoke AU: It's a long journey west for a cursed former-prince, and he finds nothing for his troubles except a bloody war, a beautiful man raised by wolves, and a new beginning.

Love, Karate, and the Things We Lose to Find Ourselves by nbdweeb [M, 49K]

After years of working as a child and family social worker, Iruka Umino decided he was ready to start a family of his own, and his college sweetheart turned husband Mizuki Touji was cautiously along for the ride. When an emergency case came across his desk one day, Iruka knew he'd met his son. That's how two year old Naruto found his way into their lives, and for a brief moment, Iruka held everything he'd ever wanted in the palm of his hand. Or so he thought. Before he knows it, Iruka has a rambunctious 7 year old on his hands. Parenthood isn't easy, neither is his marriage, but he always manages to maintain his carefully constructed life. But when Naruto starts acting out at school and at home, Mizuki's already thinning patience runs out and things take a turn for the worst. Caught between an angry spouse and a distressed child, Iruka is at a loss for what to do until he stumbles across a newspaper ad for karate classes. He thinks he's found the perfect solution; an outlet for Naruto and a reprieve from the trouble at home. When they enter Konoha Martial Arts Studio for the first time, Iruka has no idea how the handsome and kindhearted instructor Kakashi Hatake would change their lives forever.

Take Me Home by masc_malfunction [M, 44K]

Ask around, and anyone would tell you the same: Kakashi Hatake is bad news. He's cocky, he's brazen, and his gang is infamous for being impossible to take down. Rumors are always flying around town, about his age, his looks, his more unsavory behaviors…frequently, about if there was anyone who could be a match for him.

Tunnel Vision by demonofabove [NR, 24K]

Kakashi is asked to look after Iruka, who has amnesia. It would ordinarily be an easy mission; but things are much more complex than he expects… Because apparently, Iruka thinks they're dating.

Perfect Storm by aoiandplayer3 [E, 38K]

Stuck together because of a storm, two teachers fall for each other. Kind of fluffy.

Strange by decaf_kitty [E, 86K]

Iruka Umino is a lone werewolf without a pack; he spends most of his time working downtown cleaning hotel rooms and taking care of Naruto, a youkai fox. But he's recently started to notice a soft strange scent in the city, and he wants to know its source. After hunting it down, Iruka finds a silver-haired man with a scar on his face, and he unpredictably loses himself in lust.

You Are by OneSaltyLeo [E, 11K]

Iruka hasn't felt well in a long time, not since the scar was applied to his face. What he's contemplating has been building for years, but just when it all reaches its climax, just when he's ready to hit delete on everything, something strange shows up in his Inbox.

There You Are, There You Are by CountingNothings [M, 94K]

Sometimes, when you don't believe you deserve the good thing that’s coming for you, you spend a lot of time trying to jump out of the way. Kakashi and Iruka are shinobi. Evasion is almost second nature. (It begins with a long weekend onsen meet-cute, and then, as is only right for two people who love romance novels as much as they do, it takes ten years for them to figure out that they're in one.)

A Liar in Babel by surveycorpsjean [E, 35K]

Iruka narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. “Tell me why I’m here.” “You need the money,” Kakashi says, brunt and cruel. “And I need a sugar baby.”

I'll Fall, If You Do by ladyxdaydream [M, 89K]

College was rapidly coming to an end and Iruka had his whole future planned out. Or, well, at least he thought he did. But how could he account for the stranger who would veer him so desperately off course?

One More Light by tmo

How time traveler Kakashi met the love of his life. Romance Trope 5: A character is constantly misplaced in time, but still attempts to lead some semblance of a normal life with their loved one (source: The Time-Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger)

The Bijozakura Seal by megyal [M, 38K]

Kakashi and Iruka are bonded together, entirely against their wishes. While Iruka begins to deal with it, Kakashi still has… doubts.

I Kissed a Boy (And I Liked It) by My_private_tsukuyomi [T, 15K]

Kakashi Hatake was sixteen and never been kissed, a fact that, according to some of his friends, was a travesty. However, girls just never appealed to him, and he didn't know why. He finds out when an everyday act suddenly causes his entire world to tilt on its axis.

The culprit? A tube of cherry chapstick.

Catch A Falling Star by My_private_tsukuyomi [E, 44K]

After the things he's suffered, Kakashi was convinced that, outside of the dance that had always been his solace, feelings were something best left to others. Feelings, especially love, were dangerous and only brought pain. Then a chance encounter and a single dance with a handsome stranger threatened to tear all of his carefully constructed walls to shreds. Was it even possible to allow himself to trust after all this time? What is it about Iruka Umino that makes him want to try?

[gxldencity]

I GOT to learn more about Dolores!

@allyennah also asked this lmao

Full Name: María Dolores Adelaida Alvaros y Marasigan

Gender and Sexuality: bisexual (cis) woman

Pronouns: she/her

Ethnicity/Species: Half Drow/Half Human

Birthplace and Birthdate: 10th day of Ches 1464 in a small barangay (town) in Cupang, Sina Una :)

Guilty Pleasures: Kids. She would never have them and had nightmares about being a parent but she's fond of them on their own. Like she's so weak to kids. The one time she got utterly mad so far was when Kagha was threatening to imprison and torture a child (like...the eldritch powers truly came out when Dolores was intimidating her to spare the kid)

Phobias: spiders lmao. She would not last a day in her father's homeland in the Underdark. Kar'niss would be an interesting person to meet.

What They Would Be Famous For: She already is (in)famous in the islands of Sina Una for nearly destroying an entire town :).

What They Would Get Arrested For: Murder :) and bc of her pact (which IM still trying to figure out the full conditions) she has been almost arrested in every town she's been in but thanks to the "kind" mercy of the eldritch creature she has a situationship with, she almost always gets away.

OC You Ship Them With: None tbh :) she truly zoomed in at the one person who has been appreciative of her efforts this entire time and has planned out their life together lmao.

OC Most Likely To Murder Them:

Also none. If anything Dolores would probably adopt them.

Favorite Movie/Book Genre:

Comedic plays I'd say. Anything to make her laughs.

but okay okay assuming this in the modern day and they share the same media as we do, she'll be a Romance novel and movie lover! She's a perpetually tired eldest daughter. She'll love the escapism and unabashed joy of a good Romance novel. The Brown sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert would be her favourite.

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche:

Same idea as the last question...assuming this is in the modern day and we share the same kind of media as they do then she generally won't be a fan of doorstopper books and incomprehensible movies. She can appreciate the artistry of them but that's it lol.

Talents and/or Powers:

Aside from the powers given to her by her patron, Dolores is good at weaving and has knitted shawls and scarves for the camp. (Withers is fond of the hat she made him)

She's also highly organized and good at most housework thanks to her parentification :)). Not that she likes doing them. She still hasn't cooked for the camp because she finds no joy in cooking.

Why Someone Might Love Them:

Dolores is fiercely loyal and wears her heart around her sleeve. She has a lot of love to give. She's also compassionate and a good listener, an open shoulder to cry on.

A lamplight left on in the darkness, leading them home...so to speak :)

Why Someone Might Hate Them:

She can be overbearing, thanks to her wanting to find fulfillment with being needed. It's like something that she clashed with nearly everyone in the party early on bc like...just bc they have problems doesn't mean she has to solve them or god forbid use her illithid powers to read their minds (Gale and Wyll did NOT like that at all). She can be nosy as well and it is something she struggled with Shadowheart at the initially as u know Shadowheart prefers to keep things a secret as part of her calling to Shar.

How They Change:

She learns that it's okay to be selfish from time to time and not to sacrifice herself constantly. She also learns to channel the deep-seated anger she had for her family into something more healing. Like finding peace doesn't necessarily mean forgiving and forgetting the person who has harmed you.

Why You Love Them:

Dolores is like...my answer to most eldest daughter stories I've encountered :)). They almost always are too fluffy and ends with the daughter forgiving and reconciling with her parents after years of neglect and/or abuse. And that is fine I guess but I hate how most of the narrative around eldest daughters is basically that.

Sometimes your parents are abusive and they suck ass. Sometimes siblings also perpetuate the same kind of abuse your parents and living in the same abusive environment does not excuse or forgive their actions. And it's totally okay to have a negative reaction to this, to be utterly pissed off and angry about your situation.

It's fine to be resentful and hate your family. If they didn't want to be hated then they could've spent the entire time you're alive not being...abusive.

And there is absolutely No Need to dress eldest daughter obligations as "a way to show love to the people she cares about." Fuck that lol. Dolores can love and want to care for her family without being forced to give up her freedom to care for her siblings bc her parents suck at being parents.

Without getting too deep into it, Dolores is the most personal OC I've ever made. Moreso than the Ryder twins who were already very personal OCs (but for a different time period in my life and a different set of trauma lmao). There are some parts in her backstory (which I shall eventually post) that are similar to things that happened to me irl. While my family isn't That bad compared to Dolores' own family, a lot of the feelings are still there lol.

[whitecrownsblackthrones-archived]

“Plenty of good matches tonight, don’t you think?” Says Nina as she observes all the dancing couples. Meanwhile, this winged princess has no one to dance with, but was too shy to really ask anyone, and so she observes from off to the side. (for anyone you feel the muse for best!)

At A Royal Ball

"Depending on how you look at it." Britany-Adelaida’s ever loose lips began running again. Sometimes it was hard to tell if she was a gossip girl, or if she was just an idiot that liked talking too much.

“Many of the people here aren’t actually couples, their just looking for their latest interest for the night, a temporary interest. Like him, you see that blonde man over there, with the ribbon tie?” Marchioness Marsh leaned a little closer to Nina, pointing at a blonde haired, yellow eyes man. “That man recently broke the heart of a foreign Viscountess, & is looking for his latest fling. There are plenty of men here like him, you must be careful who you show interest in, ma’dam.”

[heavymetalzen]

hu-whooooaaaaa i'm hungry

first i miss kimbap

whooooaaa i miss crispy

whooooaaaa i miss crunchy

nagsinungaling po si adelaida na madre siya.

crunch whoaaaa

huwwwwooowww may meat

huoaaaaa fruits and veggies

huoooooaaaa chicken katsu

huwoooowwww burrito

why am i volvo? then ask any teenager

huoooooaaaa crunchy sushi

huwwwooowwww crunchy sushi

soooooooooobrang swing si adelaida

[maggicktouched]

In my long tradition of posting drabbles that have nothing to do with anyone but my characters and being entirely self serving I've written... this. I mean I think it's interesting bc I don't get to write Linnea much and I've been fixated on my HP verse with @bokketo. So this is what that's set in. I wrote something.... I can at least be proud of that.

.

She had known this conversation would go poorly. At first she’d had every intention of letting Fenris hang himself with it. She had told him the day he’d informed her of the arrangement that he’d be doing this himself. But, eventually, she had thought better of it. No matter how much power he had amassed personally, no matter how strong his birthright, if their grandmother decided to reclaim her position at the head of the Fox Clan, there would be little he could do to stop it—short of starting a war. Linnea Tandy was a warrior, a shrewd politician, and a lady from the old blood. Her old allies would pop up all over the globe and Fenris would be cast back to the Wolves. Beck would be forced to stay with the Foxes, with their grandmother, and conflict would ensue; people would get hurt, blood would be shed, and somehow even worse than all of that—despite how angry or frightened he made her—she feared they’d be separated forever. 

“I want to marry him.” She asserted, keeping her tone as light as she could. Be sincere. She told herself. Do the things she likes. Smile. Sit up a bit straighter–but not too straight. That looks tense.

Her grandmother was sitting opposite at a little round table made of green wrought iron, frowning and fiddling with the ring of her golden cigarette holder as she listened. Her face was mostly hidden by her sunglasses, but Beck could feel the anger gushing out of her like a wild ocean. And there she was, lost at sea, desperately trying to keep everything above water.

“You’re lying.” She finally said. It was even and tense, and Beck could never remember her talking to her in that sort of tone. Their grandmother was more lenient on her than most, bordering on indulgent. She addressed Beck often with the same cool politeness that she did everyone else, and occasionally with exasperation. Once, when she’d done something very foolish, her grandmother had scolded her properly, but that was alive with the hot, buzzing undertone of fear and embarrassment. She hadn’t heard her use this tone since that night when she was seven, and her mother and grandmother had fought.

“Mormor-”

“Do not lie.” She said, and Beck sank down a bit in her chair. Beck looked down at her cup of tea, and tried to keep tears from stinging in her eyes. Tears would only affirm her grandmother’s fears, she wouldn’t realize they weren’t from sadness but from fear of the rising ire in her tone. Her grandmother’s nails drummed slowly, irritably against the metal of the table, making the fine, shimmering china rattle quietly as it shook; mirroring aloud how she felt inside.

“Daliah Adelaida Tandy. Look at me this instant.” 

Beck winced, but she did as she was told. In the blackness of her sunglasses, Beck could see her own frightened expression reflected back on her, and it made her a little sick.

Her grandmother did not soften in light of the fear in her eyes. “Give me one reason.”

“What?” Beck instantly regretted asking it as her grandmother’s lips thinned into an angry line. She apologized reflexively, but that only made it worse.

“Give me one single reason that you want to marry that boy.”

“I-” Don’t have one. She thought. Draco wasn’t mean to her. There were times when they were alone, usually in the late hours of the night, where Draco would read and she would sit and knit nearby, one of them would say something and somehow, in the amber glow of the crackling fire, the awkwardness would escape both of them. In those moments they would actually talk, sometimes even laugh, and she thought that maybe someday that could be their life—maybe someday it could be more. But even if the light of the next morning didn’t bring back all of the discomfort and difference that had been cast aside the night before, those were not the sorts of things her grandmother would care about.

So she tried to think of something that would matter to her.

“He’s from a good family, among their sort, I mean. Old blood. Respectable folk.” Beck tried, when her grandmother didn’t so much as raise up a brow, she began to pick her fingers nervously and carried on. “He’s good at quidditch—it’s a sport—and he’s second best in potions class! Handsome too.”

“Second best. Precisely what I want for you.” She said flatly, mocking him. She was glad she’d convinced Fen to let her do this alone. Her grandmother shifted in her seat and Beck couldn’t take the eye contact anymore; she looked back at her fingers. A hangnail was starting to bubble with blood, but she couldn’t make herself stop picking it.

“And those things matter to you?” She finally asked, picking up her tea and taking a sip. When Beck didn’t respond, she chided her. “Dahlia! Enough of that foolishness. Wipe those hands and fold them on the table, and then you look at me when I speak to you.”

Oh she hated that name. There was bile rising in the back of her throat, but she couldn’t refuse her. She was too frightened. Beck looked up through watery eyes to see a handkerchief being extended to her; her hand shook when she reached for it.

“Please, mormor I just want-”

“You’ll answer my question this instant.” If the tears that started to fall had any effect on her, it didn’t show. “You’re concerned with his money? His status? His academic and athletic prowess?”

No. What did she care if Draco owned half the world or lived under a bridge like a field troll? She didn’t care about potions and the only reasons he had even bothered to learn what quidditch was, was for Draco, because he loved it.

There was a scraping of metal on the stones of the patio as her grandmother stood. Her heels clicked with each hurried step she took, and Beck flinched before she could stop herself, terrified she was about to be struck. But her grandmother didn’t hit her, and when Beck looked up, she realized that she hadn’t even seen her cower. 

“This is your birthright. Maybe you could not inherit my seat but you are to inherit this place. You do have my name, even if it displeases you. What status or wealth can tempt you? No. No you’re still trying to lie to me and I’ll not have it. I’ll not suffer this disrespect in my home.” Her grandmother wheeled around on her then, hand on her hips. And then even quieter than before she demanded. “You tell me the truth.”

“... You’ll be angry.” She whispered, biting into the inside of her cheek but too afraid to pick her nails again.

“Yes.” Her grandmother replied, as if it were obvious and she was being a fool. “But I’ll find the truth one way or another, and if it isn’t from you, if it isn’t this moment when I’m asking it of you, then I’ll be much angrier.”

“Fen arranged it.” She said quickly, and before anything else could be said, she went on. “He didn’t mean it like that, mormor. He didn’t mean to-”

“How dare he!” She ripped her sunglasses from her face and tossed them onto the table as she began to pace. Beck was frozen in her seat. She wanted to curl into a ball, to run into the woods, to shut her eyes and peel off every bit of skin through her nails and chew through her cheek, but she couldn’t. She was terrified that any tiny act of defiance would turn that rage on her.

“After everything I’ve done for him. I had every right to cast him back to his own sort. Back to the Wolves. Maybe they could have taught him some damnable respect. I took pity on him. I was soft because I was guilty—because of that heinous creature that I brought into this world and all she did to you. I gave him everything he could have wanted and he does this to me?”

This was why she had sent Fen away and told Draco to let her handle it. She could cry and bow her head and take whatever came from her grandmother’s first initial waves of anger where they couldn’t.

“He’s your grandson.” She defended quietly, but she knew it was a mistake the moment she opened her mouth. 

“Is he? Because he seems to think he’s my master and I’m his bitch.”

Next to her, a beautifully groomed miniature tree with amber leaves and blonde blossoms twitched as she passed. It was one of her favorites in the garden, and supposedly over a century old. Its rich bark went ashen as she got close to it, and it curled unnaturally as it turned an ugly black. The blossoms began to drip with rot, and the leaves shriveled up and fell away. A heartbeat later, the metal pot shattered. And she hadn’t even looked at it.

“Mormor, listen to me, please.” She begged. If her panic grew any stronger she was afraid she would actually bolt.

“To what? More lies?" The old witch whirled around to face her again and her expression was sharper than an ax. "How long have you hid this from me? How long have you lied to me? And why? To protect him?!”

“He’s my brother…” And that was the last of her strength gone. She cried in earnest then. No matter what he did, she couldn’t hate him. How many times had he defended her? Saved her? Patched her up? He had learned to brew healing potions stronger than anything she’d seen at Hogwarts when he was just a child, and he’d done it for her. He had gone hungry and risked beatings to try and get her food when she had none. For so long he had been all that she had, and even if it felt like she was losing him now, even if he frightened her or hurt her, she couldn’t help but defend him.

“I didn’t.” She swore, shaking her head. “I didn’t hide it. I promise I didn’t please…”

She wasn’t sure what she was begging for. Perhaps for her grandmother not to hurt her, or for her not to hurt him. Perhaps both. She put her head in her hands, trying to calm her rapid breathing.

For a long moment her own crying was all she could hear. No sound of glass or metal shattering, no chittering china, no heels on cobblestone. Finally, as she regained control of her panic, she heard the quiet groan of metal as her grandmother sat back down.

“I’m sorry.” She said gently. Beck wiped her eyes cautiously, and dared another look. The anger was still there, and that didn’t make Beck feel any better. Their eyes met, and her grandmother’s expression fell even further as shame crept in. “I scared you. That was wrong of me.”

Beck watched her reach over and take the handkerchief from the table. Carefully, she reached for Beck’s hand, and the young witch let her have it without argument. She tsked at the sticky red splotches of blood that had smeared over the skin from the hangnail and began to dab them away. The cloth was surprisingly cold and damp in a way Beck was certain had nothing to do with her tears or the blood. It also kept cleaning itself every time she pulled it away.

“I’m not angry with you.” Her grandmother finally said, but she was still angry. They lapsed into silence again, and the cloth fell away but her grandmother kept gently stroking her hand. “...Do you want to marry this boy, Dahlia?”

Beck shrugged and tried to think of a response that wouldn’t come back to bite her. “It’s fine. He’s not mean to me.”

Her grandmother let out a tired sigh and let her go so she could sit back. “I cannot believe he would overstep like this. This is my right. This is my place in this family. Do you know how this will look to our people? You haven’t even submitted yourself to the Order of the Nine before. We were meant to make that decision, you and I, after you’d submitted yourself and I’d found suitable matches. Then once you’d made up your mind I would negotiate with the parents and… This—this isn’t done. I cannot believe he’d make such a fool of me. I’ve never even seen this boy.”

She could take this sort of ranting. It was irritated, but the heat behind it did not burn. She wasn’t going to be hurt. That was a relief. 

“I made Fen promise-” She swallowed thickly, and reached for her tea even if it had gone cold. “I made him swear everything that comes after would be done by the book. I’ll go to the priesthood. I’ll arrange a meeting with his mother.”

"You'll do no such thing." Her grandmother chided. "Your brother has already made enough of a mess of things. If I choose to allow this madness to continue at all, I'll be the one to make the arrangements."

If she allowed it. She was still considering fighting this. The fear bubbled up inside her again. Beck tried to push a bit more. “If you’re worried about him it’s—fine. I could love him, probably.”

Her grandmother scoffed. “You don’t marry people because you love them, my flower. You marry for obligation, for power, maybe even money, if you’re lesser off. But you were born into the priesthood, and you’re my heir; you’ve no option for power and no need for money.”

That only left obligation. And she didn't love how that word made her feel.

“Shouldn’t Fen be your heir?” She asked cautiously. She wasn’t sure why, but that felt like a dangerous question at the moment.

“No. He’s the eldest. He’s a man. He is your father’s heir, and you ought to have been your mother's. But the circumstances of her death nullify that disgraceful excuse for a will, and all she had came back into my possession. That makes you my lawful heir.”

Beck winced. “But dad split everything between us. He-”

She stopped herself. That ugly look of rage was coming back to her grandmother’s face.

“Your father’s lack of propriety has nothing to do with me. And that entire marriage is a prime example of why we do not allow teenagers to arrange marriages. As much as I respect Alma, I can’t abide by it. She should have put her foot down like I did. Maybe then…” She didn’t finish. Likely because they both knew anything that she said after that was likely to hurt the both of them. “This only stands to benefit him. No one else. That is not how our people arrange marriages.”

Beck nodded at that. It was true. He wanted her to marry Draco because it gave him a foothold in the Wizarding World, and Draco had agreed because it gave him the same in theirs. Marriages were stronger than handshakes or contracts or even unbreakable vows. Having her in his home gave Draco leverage if he ever needed to use it—even if he would never say that out loud—and having her married to Draco would give Fenris a means to judge his new ally’s dedication to their alliance. If he hurt her too badly or worse (in Fen’s mind at least) let her escape, it would give him reason to rally even his enemy clans against the Wizards.

“I will fight for you, you know.” She said, sitting straight in her chair and looking out over the gardens. Her jaw subtly clenched and unclenched. “If you tell me you don’t want this, if you even say you aren’t certain, or if, spirits forbid, that boy raises a hand to you. I will fight for you. I will pay any price. I’ve done it for my family before, and I will do it again.”

Beck wasn’t sure if that promise made her feel protected or frightened. A little of both, she supposed.

“I don’t think the Malfoys are the sort that beat their wives. They’re too-” She didn’t like the term, but wasn’t sure how else to put it. “Well bred.”

Her grandmother made a little grunt, still frowning. “So was Elea. And that kind of thinking is exactly why she got away with it.”

Beck grimaced and wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing them to warm the cold flesh. The sun was sinking, and she’d only been allowed off Hogwarts grounds on the promise she’d be back before curfew via the floo network. It was an hour or so ahead here, but she’d have to get back soon.

“I’m going to be ok, mormor.” She said, trying to make that sound sincere, but she was tired. Ever since Dawnbreaker had died she felt like there was little but suffering to her existence. Every time she thought she had something, imagined she’d won some victory, it was ripped away. Her prolonged survival felt more like cosmic mockery than living. But through all of the choking darkness, spots of bright light shone golden in her mind; good moments that promised that happiness was not entirely out of her reach. She’d fought to survive for so long, what was the point if she just gave up now?

“I’m tougher than I look.” Her voice was back to a whisper, and she thought she heard a small, anguished sound from her grandmother, but when she looked up, the old witch had not moved an inch.

“You shouldn’t have to be.” She said finally. Now it almost sounded like she might cry. “You shouldn’t have ever had to be. You should have lived here and grown up listening to fireside stories with the other children at the temple and playing in the gardens. You should have had every toy you touched in a shop and been tucked into a warm bed with gentle hands. You should have every sweet under the sun and more food than you could stomach. Oh—oh my ancestors, forgive me. I’ve failed you so much, and I won’t do it again.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, so she kept quiet. Beck shed her human form silently, and a half second later she was a fox, trotting along the grounds and hopping into her grandmother’s lap. She put her paws on the old witch’s shoulder and laid her head down on top of them, nuzzling into her neck. Her grandmother always smelled like lavender and fine perfumes.

Hands began to stroke through her fur, and her grandmother’s cheek rested on top of her head.

“I can do this.” She promised, shutting her eyes tight.

Again, the old witch sighed tiredly, but hugged her tighter. “Then I’ll be right beside you, my flower. I’ll be right here.”

Beck still wasn’t used to floo powder. She came through the fireplace in Dumbledore’s office sputtering and coughing. He smiled at her, but she was too exhausted to smile back.

“Are you alright?” His voice was so soft, and yet it filled every inch of the office.

Beck tried again to smile, but it turned to a grimace. “Thank you for letting me use your—fireplace.”

“That’s not really an answer, is it?”

“I’m always alright.” She said, rolling her shoulders and giving him a nod as she walked out.

She was too worn to eat, but as she passed the Great Hall she saw Fenris look up from where he was sitting and catch her eye. He abandoned his plate and followed after her as she walked toward the Slytherin common rooms. She wished he’d give her a moment to collect herself, but she knew it wouldn’t happen.

“How did it go?” He asked, catching up to her, and Beck tried not to glare. She couldn’t take a fight with him tonight.

“I tried to tell her this was my doing, but she knew I was lying. It only made her angrier. So I told her the truth.”

“I’m guessing I should stay here over Christmas holiday.” He tried to laugh, nudging her with her shoulder, but quickly stopped when she didn’t perk up.

“Where’s Draco?” She asked, dreading the answer a little. He wasn’t one to come looking to bother her, but if she bumped into him he’d likely ask, and she was tired of talking for once.

“I dunno.” Fen shrugged. “The astronomy tower, maybe? You know how he disappears lately. I could ask Potter. He’s always trotting behind him like a lovesick puppy.”

Beck made a face. “Lovesick is a poor way to put it.”

“Jealous, eh?” He nudged her again. This time the look she gave him made him back away and clear his throat.

“It just feels like a poor choice of words. Anyway, if I meant to find him I could. I want to avoid him. And you. I’m going to sleep.” She picked up her speed then, clearly trying to leave him behind, and Fen let her, stopping and watching as she left.

“Are you alright?” He called. When she looked over her shoulder again, he looked worried.

“I’m always alright.” She said blandly. Then she turned a corner and disappeared.

[i-like-to-look-at-your-back]

your artworks are so CUTE!!! i’m so in love, i happened to come by them because of kakairu fest and now i’m in love 😍 am so excited to see your works for the next few days 💕💕

Thank you (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ 

I hope you will like what I’ve prepared!

[cuntylittlesalmon]

1 and 3 for adelaida?

1: Who was their first kiss?

definitely ashton! i feel like they were a lot of each other’s firsts, since they met when they were fairly young

3: Where would they go on vacation?

she absolutely loves a good beach trip!!

[farmcontent]

“Farm workers are out in the fields now making sure we have food on our supermarket shelves. Farm workers are worried, just like all of us. It's scary out there. Non-union farm workers are especially worried. At least workers under UFW contract are getting informed about COVID-19, what to do and steps their company is taking to protect them. But most non-union farm workers we're talking to, especially those under labor contractors, are not getting any information. We've been reaching out to farm workers digitally, via the phone and text, and site visits to workplaces. We're concerned--very concerned.

Farm worker Jesus Zuniga told us, “As of yet, we have not been informed about the coronavirus. We are working like we normally do. I am very concerned because at this company they don't care about us, they don't give us any information, no training. Schools have closed their classes. In our city, several events have closed, everyone is taking precautions to help combat this pandemic and here where we work we continue as if nothing is occurring. If I get sick, I stay at the will of God because they don't offer us a medical plan or other benefits.”

Strawberry worker Marcelina Gonzalez shares, “In my company they gave us a hygiene meeting on how to keep clean, but they never mentioned anything about the coronavirus -- they only mention we should wash our hands before picking up the product. Not having information from our employer about this virus can be a big risk for us to take the virus home.”

Things are different at companies with a UFW contract. Wine grape worker Adelaida Mendoza works at Washington state's Chateau Ste Michelle. She says, “When we started hearing about the coronavirus, the company gave us a special training about how to protect ourselves from this virus. The company is worried about our health and they made a safety plan for us. They have put out hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes in the lunch rooms. The company is going to implement social distancing practices to try to avoid the spread of illnesses. They always have soap, water, and paper towels to clean our hands and disposable cups to drink water. I feel safer because I have the RFK medical plan, sick leave and personal hours to take time off in case I get sick.”

We are receiving reports from other UFW contract companies outlining the plans put in place. But there is more that needs to be done. We are taking every step to make sure ALL farm workers are protected. We sent a letter to all growers and ag organizations asking that they take proactive steps to ensure the safety of farm workers, who are laboring through this crisis to keep supermarkets stocked and America fed. Your donation will help us continue to safeguard the men and women doing this essential work.”

- from the United Farm Workers website. Please, please consider donating.

https://ufw.org/covid19donations/

[dragons-and-skulls]

ok so i finally decided to share my ocs and ships (i am comfortable sharing all my f/os). but this post is long, so hope you like reading lol. also you are more than welcome to interact with this post, PLEASE don't hesitate to ask any questions about them. i can ramble all day about my ocs!

so without further ado.....

*cracks knuckles*

~OCs of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure~

Iris Miguel

my bratty wife who realizes that the journey is not a game and gets humbled on the way

Part - Stardust Crusaders

D.O.B. - October 13, 1970

Zodiac Sign - Libra

Age - 18

Namesake - Amanda Miguel, Argentine ballad singer

Residence - Albany, New York (later Japan)

Stand - Moonchild

Stand Namesake - Song by Iron Maiden

Love Interest - None

Iris Adelaida Miguel was born in Brooklyn to an Uruguayan family that started from the bottom up after their immigration to New York. They later moved to Albany when she was eleven. She is the youngest of five children and was definitely spoiled along with the rest of them. All her life, she and her siblings believed that they were better than the rest of the children due to being well off, and only made friends with people that were like them.

However one day, she was almost robbed of her purse and money thanks to a pickpocketer. This had awakened her stand and she managed to grab her belongings and escape without incident; but by coincidence, a member of the Speedwagon Foundation that was off duty saw the whole incident and reported it. Later on, the foundation find out her location and Iris soon gets drafted on the journey to Egypt against her will. Because of this, she is insufferable at first sight.

In the beginning, Iris was intolerable; acting like a rich and spoiled brat who didn't want to get her hands dirty almost 24/7. But this is a front, as she is afraid to get close to the other Crusaders and afraid of the whole journey itself. The only one who saw through that act was Avdol, whom quietly let the others know. After Avdol's first "death", she reveals that she has a caring side when the rest of the group witness her shed tears for him. After Kakyoin calls her out on her behavior later on in private, she becomes more humble and nicer as she lets her guard down.

Anzu Shimatani

the apricot nerd baby who has a temper, but not as bad as Fugo's

Part - Diamond is Unbreakable

D.O.B. - February 5, 1984

Zodiac Sign - Aquarius

Age - 15

Namesakes - "Anzu" meaning apricot and Hitomi Shimatani, Japanese pop singer

Residence - Morioh, Japan

Stand - Da Funk

Stand Namesake - Song by Daft Punk

Love Interest - Keicho Nijimura

Anzu Shimatani was born an only child to parents in Morioh that always loved and supported her on every activity she did. She was an honor student that tutored kids and her fellow classmates every now and then. Even though some were frightened by her small temper sometimes, albeit it rarely showed up. Which is how she met Keicho and Okuyasu, as the latter needed some tutoring.

After the first couple of sessions went successfully well, Anzu began to get along with Okuyasu and Keicho; though slowly but surely. Unbeknownst to her, Keicho had been keeping an eye on her, finding her a good subject. While she walked home one day after tutoring, she was struck by an arrow. This brought much horror to Okuyasu, who was with his brother at the time. A day later he sent an anonymous note to her locker, apologizing for the incident. However, Anzu recognized his handwriting and interrogated him after school. Okuyasu apologized again as she was nice to him and never judged him.

Soon after meeting the Duwang Gang through Okuyasu, she is asked to join them to solve the murders but refuses the first time. Only after the death of her neighbor Yayoi, whom Anzu saw as a grandmother, does she join them and help out in anyway she can.

Regina and Cassata Ferrera

the sweet but slightly feral twins who might be my most developed ocs out of everyone here for some reason

Part - Vento Aureo

D.O.B. - May 18, 1980

Zodiac Sign - Taurus

Age - 20

Namesakes - "Regina" from "Biscotti Regina" and "Cassata" from the traditional Sicilian cake

Residence - Naples (Napoli), Italy

Stands - Black Hole Sun and Living Color

Stand Namesakes - Song by Soundgarden and American rock band

Love Interests - Guido Mista (Regina) and Leone Abbacchio (Cassata)

Regina Ilaria and Cassata Saveria Ferrera were born to an Italian mother and Nicaraguan father in Managua, Nicaragua. Lilliana is their older half sister and all three were very close to each other. When the twins were five; the family moved to their mother's hometown, which was Bari. They later moved to Napoli after their high school graduation. But one day, the family was unable to pay their utility bills on time and eventually seeked the help of a loan shark. Meanwhile the sisters decided to help out in their own way: fight, steal, etc. All to help their family.

However, the loan shark took an interest in the girls and all three were forced to take Passione's initiation test. While they survived/passed the test, their celebration was unfortunately short lived as they were separated soon after. Lilliana was placed into La Squadra, Cassata in the data/information team, and Regina in Team Bucciarati. She was the third to join after Abbacchio.

She got along with the team members who were there when she joined and the ones that joined after her. They all became her new found family and she saw them as her younger brothers (for Abbacchio he became an older brother figure but moodier). As for the newcomer Giorno, she was polite but was very suspicious albeit not Abbacchio-level suspicious. For her current mission, she not only wants to protect Trish and help take down the boss, but to reunite with her sisters.

Lilliana de Lille "Arrabbiata"

the tired older sister™ who becomes an assassin, also i hc la squadra names as codenames

Part - Vento Aureo

D.O.B. - June 3, 1978

Zodiac Sign - Gemini

Age - 22

Namesakes - Marisa de Lille, Mexican singer and "Arrabbiata" spicy pasta sauce

Residence - Napoli, Italy

Stand - Aces High

Stand Namesake - Song by Iron Maiden

Love Interest - Illuso (or Damiano Ventura for my headcanon name for him)

Lilliana Gabriela de Lille was born in Granada, Nicaragua and is the older half sister of Regina and Cassata Ferrera. She knows about her birth father but refuses to go near him as he was absolutely horrible to their mother. When she was about a month old, her mother finally left her father for good. The twins' father raised her as his own and she sees him as her true father. At the age of seven, she moved to Bari with her family. A few days after moving in she met Damiano, who was three years older than her.

Lilliana and Damiano were close and played together along with her sisters and their friends. But one day at the age of eleven, Damiano disappeared after the death of his mother and Lilliana never saw or heard from him after that. Up until she was placed in La Squadra, being one of the last to join the team, she found him again. Their meeting started off rocky but they eventually patched things up. She then acquired the codename "Arrabbiata".

Arrabbiata still hopes to reunite with her sisters one day if it happens. She did run into Regina a year after them being in Passione, but after a short tearful reunion they were again separated. As for Cassata, she also did run into her once but thankfully managed to at least have a long conversation with her before going on her separate way.

Dorinda Speedwagon-Costa

the wimp who pulls a Hot Pants to help her sick mom, and is the total opposite of her canon counterpart. she is still a WIP as she is my "newer" oc compared to the rest

Part - Steel Ball Run

D.O.B. - March 20, 1869

Zodiac Sign - Pisces

Age - 21

Namesakes - Robert E.O. Speedwagon and Mary Costa, American opera singer

Residence - St. Louis, Missouri

Stand - Omen

Stand Namesake - based off of the song "Omen III" and album "Omen (The Story Continues...)" by Magic Affair

Love Interests - Diego Brando, Johnny Joestar in another AU

Dorinda Roberta Speedwagon-Costa was born to horseback riders in St. Louis, Missouri and is the oldest of three, having two younger brothers. She was very close to her mother, an Ecuadorian immigrant who was very kind hearted and sweet. When she became ill one day, Dorinda knew she needed to find a way to help save her. Once she heard about the race, she did her best to steel her nerves and take Ritual, her beloved Andalusian horse, out for a race all the while disguising as a man.

She was not prepared as she became a nervous wreck the whole time that even a few racers from afar can notice that, one being Johnny Joestar. Ritual is the only one who can calm her down, and perhaps maybe another can be the key in doing so too.

[solennitawrites]

WIP & Writeblr Intro!

About Me

You can call me solennita or A.H. or whatever your heart desires. I am in my late twenties, South American, bi, living with ADHD, and you can refer to me using they/them pronouns. I have been writing since I was a child but more or less had to set it aside from high school until last year when the pandemic hit and quarantine gave me an opportunity to finally revisit this novel trilogy idea I began about 15 years ago in a dilapidated, blue composition book and commit to actually completing it.

WIP Intro

Working Title: The Sapphire Room

Inspiration: South American mythology and legends (mostly Venezuela, but also Colombia, Chile, and Peru)

Genre: YA Fantasy, Latinx Fantasy, Adventure, Coming of Age

Status: Writing (Chapters 1-3 are up on Wattpad).

Premise: On the continent of Amasi, where a unique mineral, aranate, and advancements in metalworking have resulted in a highly secular and technologically developed society, two fifteen-year-old, orphaned girls have grown up together in Namina Boarding School, a remote institution situated in the middle of the swamplands at the edge of the Arúni Rainforest. One night, Nina and Adelaida discover a hidden object in Namina’s attic—a golden hourglass filled with diamonds and mysterious engravings. Nina and Adelaida begin to learn that this object is not all that it seems, and that familiar faces in Namina know more than they let on. Roped into a dangerous but enticing adventure taking them across all of Amasi, the two friends must face challenges beyond their wildest dreams and learn who to trust as everything they thought they knew begins to slip away. With dark and powerful forces threatening to destroy all life, can these two young girls learn the truth about Amasi’s mystical history, and themselves, to save the world before it’s too late?

Characters: Zafira Fam (Nina, Adelaida, Noémi, Milaraya, & Zo); Brujxs Fam (Maiara, Irália, Aracéli, Mireia, & Tamaya); Namina Fam (Amara Quila, Sol Acedo, Luciana Quíspe, Aria Nuali, Ortensia Rayena, Úrsula Bira, Valeria Vera, Candé Intira)

Tag Navigation: General TSR; Geography; Characters; Plot; Excerpts

Intro to Amasi Posts: Yanura, Orona, Guayra, Islas Maracainas (Maragua)

About My Writeblr

I hope to use this blog to help me work out world building and plot ideas, as well as character development and all that jazz! I’ll likely post excerpts here and there (many of which may just be background writing exercises for story building rather than actual scenes!) and welcome as much feedback and critique as folks are willing to give!

I'll also reblog writing resources, advice, tips, and of course, others' works and I'm open to tag games, asks/ask games, and just general getting to know each other! I may reblog non-writing posts here and there as well, which I’ll tag as “not writing.” 

I am still very much in early stages and my posting may be sporadic as I am graduating law school soon and then will be taking the bar in the summer, so hope y’all will bear with me :) But please feel free to let me know if you’re interested in being tagged in any of my WIP posts (and feel free to specify -- i.e., only character posts, only excerpts, etc.)!

About My WIP

My current WIP is tentatively titled The Sapphire Room. You can use the navigation links to check out TSR posts (general tag; excerpts; geography; characters; and plot). This is a project that has undergone a lot of revision from when I first had the idea at around 12 years old to now, when I’ve been able to dive more into world and story building.

A huge motivation/inspiration for my is the lack of latinx fantasy in YA fiction. I adore YA fantasy stories, YA coming of age stories, and YA adventure stories, but I’m tired of reading the same adaptations or variations on the very Anglo-centric narrative. Latinx history and culture is so rich and diverse, though much of the cultural stories have been lost today as a result of colonization and its aftermath.

I decided to reach out to my family about this and started collecting myths and legends from my South American country, and researching those from others in the region. There’s a lot of overlap among the stories shared, especially between Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru, as well as Chile to an extent, so this is where the basis for my worldbuilding really comes from.

As a first-gen latinx immigrant who grew up in a pretty conservative, Catholic area, stories like Romina Garber’s Lobizona and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s We Set the Dark on Fire would have changed my life. I want to make sure my story can serve a similar purpose for young, latinx readers who struggle to see themselves represented in stories they love.

I am very intentional about including racial representation (afro-latinx characters), gender and sexuality representation (queer, trans, and NB characters), and disability representation (characters with both physical and mental disabilities). Though I share some identities I will be writing about, I obviously will be going outside of my own experience in many ways and welcome all critiques and feedback on how I can improve in any of these aspects.

I am also being very intentional about writing an escapist and entertaining story where racism, colonialism, and trauma are not fundamental parts of the story. There will be conflict and pain and sorrow, but after seeing story after story that focuses on the toxic machismo in latinx cultures, on racism and colorism in fantasy settings, and other forms of discrimination and trauma in QTPOC fantasy narratives (all of which are really, really important stories to tell!!), I really am aiming for my story to be different and serve as an entertaining escape.

As mentioned, please feel free to let me know if you’re interested in being tagged in any TSR posts and please feel free to send any feedback, questions, criticisms my way at any point!

[mischiefandspirits]

The Third Path

Some new ghost hunters have come to town, but are they really ghost hunters, or something else?

When a human dies, there are three paths the freed soul can take. Most are sent straight to the After. However, some stay behind.

“Excuse me, dear girl, but may I have a moment of your time!”

Valerie frowned at the shout and turned her board around to see a Latina woman staring at her with a curious smile. She had knee-length black hair that, alongside her long white dress, swirled around her from her spot on the edge of a skyscraper’s roof.

The ghost hunter immediately dove down towards the woman, holding up her hands. “Woah, hey now. There’s no need for that. Come down from there and we can talk about this.”

The woman frowned, then smiled again as she climbed down and stepped back until there were a good five feet between her and the edge. “Apologies, I did not mean to frighten you. I simply wished to gain your attention. I did not anticipate you taking my position in such a way.”

“Right,” Valerie said slowly dropping down to the roof and banishing her board. “How can I help you?”

The woman hummed, staring at where her board had been before looking up at her.

A shiver went up Valerie’s spine at the neon blue color of the woman’s eyes, but it was washed away a second later by a wave of contentment that filled her.

“My name is Adelaida. I and my people have come to this town to assist with the demonic presence that plagues you.”

Valerie’s eyes widened. “Demonic? You mean the ghosts?”

“Yes, that is the term you use for them, isn’t it?”

“You’re ghost hunters?” she asked cautiously. More ghost hunters wasn’t exactly a bad thing, but only if they were actually helpful. Most of the ghost hunters Valerie has met were absolutely useless while the G.I.W. did more damage than the ghosts. The Fenton’s at least knew what they were doing, even if they tended to be a little trigger happy and often late to the party.

“In a sense. We hoped to gain information on the demons -- or ghosts -- that most commonly plague you. We have already sought out the matriarch and patriarch of the Fenton family as our research painted them as your town’s best hunters and they spoke well of you. As such, we wished to see if you would have any information that might assist us.”

Valerie straightened up with Pride. It was nice that some people appreciated her efforts. She’d never really spoken to the Fentons in her hunting persona -- too worried they’d recognize her -- and everyone else either opposed her because of her fights with Phantom or was Masters, and Masters was one wrong move away from a face full of ecto-ray.

“They did not inform us that you use demonic relics to fight with, however.”

She flinched. She wasn’t exactly happy to be using ghost-made weapons, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her suit was far and away the best of the best and let her keep up with ghosts in ways no other human could. “Well, fight fire with fire and all that.”

“I suppose.”

She frowned at the disgust in Adelaida’s voice. “It’s not that different from the ecto-weapons the Fentons have created.”

“No, but those are distasteful as well.”

“Well, what do you use?” If Adelaida was another one of those people who thought you could fight ghosts with sage and horseshoes, Valerie was taking off without another word. Where did people even get ideas like that?

“My people have access to an energy that is the polar opposite of the energy used by demons, the matter to their antimatter so to speak. It can be quite painful to ghosts and does not burden us with using such horrific devices.”

Valerie felt her annoyance with the woman’s haughtiness growing, but shoved it down in curiosity at the idea of some sort of anti-ectoplasm. “Really? How did you get your hands on something like that? Did your people develop it?”

“In a way. But that is not why I’m here. Tell me, what do you know of the demons that plague this town?”

She shrugged. “Too much to tell. There’s a ghost for every day of the year and they all show up at random. The short of it though is one ghost. Well, two, but Box Ghost is more a nuisance than a threat.”

Adelaida nodded. “The Fenton’s mentioned the box obsessed demon. I suppose the other you referenced is the one who refers to itself as Danny Phantom.”

“Yeah, him.” Valerie scowled. She still wasn’t sure how to feel about the ghost-boy. Every time she considered going back to hunting him, all she could think about was him pleading for her to let him save Dani and him holding out his hands after so she could capture him once more. She thought about the times they’d worked together and how he’d only ever betrayed her by telling her father her secret to keep her from what she knew was a suicide mission.

The woman must have misread her scowl as she said, “Yes, I understand your frustration. The Fenton’s told us much about the hero act the demon uses to gain favor in the town and we agree that its tie to this plane is likely its need for attention. Given its age, it was likely either an unwanted or neglected child or one who hoarded such attention in life, such as a prince or celebrity. It has clearly come to find that displays of kindness are its best bet to gain this attention and should the attention ever wane, it will undoubtedly return to its early acts of vandalism and violence to satisfy its obsession once more.”

Even though she nodded along, Valerie couldn’t help but disagree as she’d done before when she’d heard such things from the Fenton’s. Phantom didn’t like attention, he had run away from his phans and hidden from news copters enough for that to be obvious. Sure, he was a showboat, but he never stuck around after a fight. If Phantom had an obsession -- which Valerie didn’t buy -- it was probably fighting. Or maybe just Amity Park in general. He’d certainly claimed it as his territory, judging by the fact that a few of the ghosts that could be found skulking about often complained about how “Phantom said we could stay!” and would go cry to him if she tried to capture them.

“Is there anything else you could tell us?”

Valerie considered saying something about Masters, but she was hesitant to reveal the human-ghost hybrid. If someone discovered him, how long until they discovered Dani? She wouldn’t be the reason the girl was in danger again. “Careful with Phantom. He’s a lot more powerful than most of the ghosts we see around here and he’s got allies.”

“Allies?”

“Most don’t know it, but Phantom lets some ghosts stick around. He’ll protect them if we come after them, so I wouldn’t put it past them to return the favor if he needed it.”

“Vassals then,” Adelaida hummed. “That could be promising. The Fenton’s did not mention that. Thank you for your assistance. I will inform my people.” She gave a curtsey and turned to leave.

“Would you like some help?”

The woman looked back at her with a smile as she opened to the door to the rooftop entrance. “We have this under control, young one.”

With that, she was gone.

Valerie frowned as she took back to the air. She briefly wondered if she should reach out to Phantom about this before shoving the thought aside. Even if she wasn’t sure about hunting the ghost-boy, she wasn’t going to help him either. And the woman didn’t give her the same creeps as the G.I.W., so it was probably fine. In fact, the woman had felt warm and comforting.

Although it was admittedly kind of weird that she’d called Valerie young when Adelaida looked like she was maybe in her early twenties at best and the suit made people think Valerie was older than her actual sixteen years. Also, there’d been something off with her eyes. Valerie couldn’t place it, but they’d just felt… uncanny.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“It’s not funny,” Danny muttered, rubbing at his back and scowling at his laughing friend.

“How long until the paint wears off?” Sam chuckled.

“I don’t even know! Young-butt wouldn’t say.”

“What’s going on?” Tucker said, glancing between them as he joined them for their walk home.

“Apparently, Danny forgot to mention that he got ambushed on his way home from his weekend in Olympus,” Sam said, laughter still tinting her voice.

At Tucker’s worried look, Danny elaborated. “Youngblood decided we were going to have a water balloon fight.”

“But instead of water, he filled them with ectoplasmic paint. And now his ghost half is covered in the stuff, even if he transforms.”

“Only my face and hair. Thankfully I was wearing that ceremonial outfit Pandora gave me. I hope she doesn’t want it back before I can figure out how to get the stains out.”

“Ghost OxiClean,” Sam suggested over Tucker’s laughter.

“What color… are… you now?” Tucker asked between chortles.

“A dark purple,” Danny sighed.

Sam pat his head. “Could be worse. You could be red. We’d be forced to make Christmas jokes and then we’d be back to square one with you, Mr. Grinch.”

Danny rolled his eyes and knocked their shoulder together, only to hiss at the pain that shot up his back.

“You okay, dude?” Tucker asked, wiping away tears.

“Yeah, my back just started hurting last night. I thought I’d just pulled something in the fight, but it was even worse this morning. I took some of the pain meds Frostbite gave me, but they wore off.”

“Does your ghost form even have muscles to pull?” Tucker wondered.

“We can head to your house first so we can pick up your pills,” Sam suggested. “It really must be hurting if you actually took them instead of deciding to wait it out.”

It was. It felt like growing pains crossed with the ghost gauntlets, but worse. A throbbing ache that took his breath away with random spikes.

“Thanks.”

They were halfway to his house when Danny’s ghost sense went off and a grey-green arm shot out of an alleyway to drag him in. He braced for a fight, but relaxed slightly when he saw it was Kitty.

She looked rumpled, her hair messed up and her jacket singed with burns littering her skin.

“What’s wrong? Valerie again?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know who attacked us. I couldn’t see them, but I think they were after you. When they captured Johnny and Shadow in a net, I heard one of them say they’d gotten one of Phantom’s vassals, whatever that means.”

“A vassal is someone who is granted land by nobility in return for loyalty, respect, and wartime support,” Sam explained. “It kind of describes the deal you and the others have with Danny, in an archaic way.”

“If you ignore the fact Danny’s not nobility and substitute the loyalty stuff for you guys just not attacking people,” Tucker added.

Kitty’s nose scrunched up at the information, but otherwise ignored it. “Please, you have to help them! We weren’t even doing anything this time!”

Danny gave her an unimpressed look.

“Okay, maybe Johnny destroyed some guy’s car because he was checking me out, but can you blame him.”

“Yes,” Danny said, then sighed. “Fine, but you need to head back to the Ghost Zone as soon as I get your boyfriend out. Try to warn anyone you can on your way. Might be best for everyone to get clear until I figure out what these guys want.”

She agreed immediately and he turned to his friends.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Sam said and Tucker nodded.

“Alright, I’m going ghost!”

Kitty and Danny shot into the air, Danny holding onto Kitty since he was faster while she led him to where she’d last seen Johnny.

They found him on a side street, pinned beneath a net that glowed silver. It certainly didn’t look like anything he was used to. His parents’ tech was all green since it used pure ectoplasm straight from the ghost zone. Valerie’s was a reddish-pink thanks to Technus keeping her aesthetic the same as Vlad’s tech, which was powered by his own energy. The G.I.W.’s was blue due to the purification they did on all the ectoplasm they got their hands on.

Danny looked around as they got closer to the street, but didn’t see anyone. Knowing it was a trap, but with no other choice, they turned invisible and dropped down next to the net.

“Johnny,” Kitty whispered, kneeling next to him.

“Hey Kitten,” he groaned. He looked up at Danny and smirked. “What happened to your face?”

“Shut up.” Seeing the way the net was hurting Johnny, Danny reached out with his energy to pull it off him that way.

The net went flying. Thank you, Pandora! Telekinesis was the best!

“Thanks, kid,” Johnny huffed.

“You know, I’m the same age as you guys now,” Danny said as Kitty helped him stand and Shadow peeled off the ground, looking worse for wear.

“Sure, give or take a few decades,” Johnny snorted.

“Just get out of here befo-” Danny was cut off by a blast to the side that sent him flying. He shrieked as his back hit the asphalt.

“Kid!”

“Go!” he ordered, fighting through the pain to sit up.

Johnny looked conflicted for a moment, then summoned his bike.

As the two rode off, Danny turned to face the direction the blast had come from.

“So you are the one called Danny Phantom?” a man said as he walked out of the shadows.

Danny’s first impression was that the man didn’t look like a hunter. He was taller and thinner than Danny and probably in his late twenties. He wore a tank top and athletic shorts, but no shoes. His dark brown skin was offset by pale gold hair and silver eyes.

Glowing silver eyes.

“You’re a ghost,” Danny groaned. Great, just what he needed: Infighting.

The ghost laughed. “You date yourself, demon. If you can’t recognize me, you must be less than two hundred years.”

“Pretty sure the suit says the same thing, but go off I guess,” Danny snorted as he stood. “Wait, did you just call me a demon?”

The man raised his hand and Danny took to the air to dodge a blast of silver energy.

“What? Not even going to start in on your evil plan. What kind of villain doesn’t monologue?”

“The only evil villain here is you,” the ghost hissed as he shot blast after blast at the flying halfa. “We are here to cleanse this town of you and your demonic vassals.”

“First of all, they're not my vassals, I just don’t bother kicking them back to the Ghost Zone as long as they don’t cause trouble,” Danny said, creating a shield to absorb the blasts. “And second, what’s with all the dem-Wait, we?”

A blast hit him in the back and ANCIENTS! OW! THAT HURT! THAT VERY MUCH HURT!

He barely caught himself before he hit the ground and quickly summoned another shield, this time creating a sphere to wrap around him. He glanced back to take in his new opponent.

For half a second, he thought it was Dani. Then he realized the short, white-haired woman actually looked like she was in her mid-forties, had vivid yellow eyes, and was Asian.

He blamed the pain. The excruciating pain.

“Oh goody, two for one special, must be my lu-”

Something slammed into his shield from above just as the two’s blasts hit it and it shattered.

His back hit the pavement and he must have blacked out because the next thing he knows he’s being held aloft by an angel.

“Maybe next time you fall from heaven, get better aim,” he whimpered.

The black-haired, blue-eyed, winged ghost gave him an unimpressed look and opened her mouth, but was cut off by Goldilocks.

“Adelaida, humans.”

His captor glanced to the side and her raven-like wings turned invisible.

Danny turned to look as well and saw Sam and Tucker running up, looking nervous.

“Divya, take care of them.”

Oh hell no!

“Phantom!” Valerie snarled, flying in to hover over his friends.

Good, she’d protect them.

“Have you really moved on to attacking unarmed civilians?”

Or not.

“Unar-They’re ghosts!”

Valerie looked at her wrist. “My tracker says otherwise.”

“Your tracker doesn’t pick me up half the time!”

“You think they’re overshadowed?” Sam asked.

“They’re glowing!” Danny huffed, gesturing towards Adelaida.

“I don’t see it,” Tucker said.

“It’s alright,” the Asian woman — Divya supposedly — said, walking towards his friends.

To his surprise, all three humans started to relax.

“No.” The halfa scowled. “No. No, we are not having another mayor incident.” He raised his hand and fired.

Adelaida shrieked as he hit her wing and they flickered into visibility.

He kicked her away then fired at Goldilocks and Divya, revealing their pale gold and white wings respectively. “See, ghosts! Now get those two out of here.”

Valerie hesitated, then swooped down to grab Sam and Tucker.

“What? Hey!”

“Put me down!”

Danny turned to the ghosts to see them regrouping.

Adelaida looked furious as she stepped forward. “I am ending this.”

“Adelaida,” Goldilocks warned.

“The humans already know of us, Buhle. It is time to put the demon down.”

He nodded and stepped behind her, Divya following his lead.

Adelaida braced herself with her wings and feet and took a deep breath.

Danny only just had enough time to realize what was about to happen and throw up a shield before her ghostly wail hit. Hers looked much like his own, though neon blue instead of his own toxic green. It also didn’t seem as powerful as his considering he was still standing, even if cracks were quickly forming on his shield. He wasn’t sure if it was a power thing or just that she was holding back.

He hoped it was a power thing as he braced his feet. He let the shield fall just as his own wail rang out.

Green sonic waves clashed with blue, pressing back and forth against each other with the green slowly gaining ground. Then the blue faltered, a bit of shock lacing her voice, and the green waves steamrolled through.

Adelaida, Buhle, and Divya went flying and Danny cut off the wail. He fell to his hands and knees, using every bit of his willpower to hold onto his ghost form.

“Phantom!” Sam shouted.

“Well, that’s one way to remove ghost paint,” Tucker chuckled nervously.

Danny gave a panting laugh, spotting his once more white hair falling into his face.

He tried to look up at the ghosts, but he was exhausted and his back was hurting more than ever before as the adrenalin ran out. He was a sitting duck, just barely holding onto his ghost form.

Wonderful.

He felt something come near and Sam shouted, “Get away from him!”

A hand settled gently on his back and… Oh. Oh! Oh, that felt good. He looked up and was surprised to see Divya standing over him, her eyes glowing the same color as his own.

“So young,” she cooed.

“Impossible!” Adelaida gasped.

Danny turned to see Buhle supporting her, both staring at him with shock.

“None have been born in three hundred years,” the silver-eyed ghost said. “He does not even have his wings.”

“They’re growing in now,” Divya replied. “That is probably our fault. We invaded his territory.”

“He can not be,” Adelaida said, shaking her head. “He works with demons, allows them to harm humans.”

“I don’t let anyone hurt anyone,” Danny huffed. “The others are only allowed to stay if they behave themselves.”

“Demons are selfish creatures. They can not be trusted,” Divya said softly.

“Says you,” Danny huffed. “Johnny and Kitty are fine as long as they’re not fighting since only the tourists are stupid enough to flirt with one of them by this point. Ember likes playing open mic night, Youngblood just wants a playmate, the Casper High shades just like to get egg creams at the old-school diner, and Boxy is harmless usually. Seriously, you guys are ghosts, what’s with the delusional ghost hunter rhetoric?”

“Excuse me,” Valerie growled.

“It’s okay, I know you’ve got your reasons. I still love you,” he said cheekily, winking at her.

She and Sam pretended to gag.

“We are not demons.”

Danny turned to Buhle with a snort. “You glow and have wings.”

“Precisely,” he huffed, stretching out his wings.

“Humans don’t have wings.”

“We are not humans, but we are not demons.”

Divya rubbed the hand on his back up and down. “We are like you, hun.”

“I’m a ghost.” Half-ghost, but details.

Unless…

She shook her head. “Poor thing, so lost and confused.”

“Okay, time to go back to the fighting,” he groaned, but didn’t try to get up. Whatever she was doing to his back was worth the baby talk.

“We are not demons, ” Adelaida spat. “We are angels.”

Danny stared at her blankly. “And I’m an atheist.”

“We are the souls of those who have passed who remain tied to this world by selfless reasons,” Buhle said in a calm voice. “We are the equal and opposites of those who reside in the darker realm, who linger due to selfish desires. We work to protect life from such creatures and bring joy to the humans of this plane.”

“So… a good ghost.”

“There is no such thing as a good demon!” Adelaida snapped. “Are you always this frustrating?”

“Yeah.”

“Absolutely.”

“Constantly.”

“It’s a gift.”

She turned to Buhle. “He can not possibly be an angel.”

“I told you, I’m an atheist. Pretty sure Tu-my friend told me that’s a big no-no in heaven. Speaking of…” Danny turned to Sam. “S-Goth human, aren’t real angels supposed to be eldritch abominations? Six wings and seven heads or something? Constantly on fire? I swear someone once told me that.”

“That-that’s not entirely accurate,” Sam chuckled as Tucker laughed. “But you’ve got the right idea. They’re actually pretty terrifying. That’s why people tend to freak out when they see them in the stories. It’s awesome.”

“Cool.” He turned back to the two angel ghosts to see Adelaida pinching the bridge of her nose and Buhle looking very done. “So where’s the rest of your wings and heads.”

Divya laughed and patted his head. “You young ones are always so entertaining.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This is based on an old story of mine. And by old, I mean really old. I don't think I was even on this site when I wrote it since I can’t find it on my blog. I started getting into some new Danny Phantom stuff and felt compelled to write something along the same lines. This is just a one-shot so I doubt I'll write more for this, but I've got a bunch of ideas for this world so I needed to get some of it out.

[magnustesla]

To the anon asking about kakairu merch, @i-like-to-look-at-your-back sells kakairu stuff in her shop at https://www.redbubble.com/people/AlexAdelaida/shop

She's great, go check her out!!!

Oh gosh I had totally forgotten, I'm such a ditz 😱

Can confirm, Adelaida makes amazing merch, and I have 3 kakairu mugs from her store and prints too!

[monarchwine]

LAW ESTATE WINES

“To Dream the Impossible Dream……to reach the unreachable star.”

These lines from the song “The Quest”, (from Man of La Mancha) describe the dream of Don and Susie Law:  to find a special place, where they could grow ultra-premium, world-class Rhone wines.  Their quest was fulfilled when they found, what they describe as “the Holy Grail,” 400 acres of land, reaching 1950feet of elevation, in Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, surrounded by and overlooking awe-inspiring views.

Land was purchased in 2006, and the architecturally designed modern, welcoming Tasting Room opened their doors in 2013, with the introduction of the 2010 vintage, crafted by Scott Hawley.  Immediately recognized by the wine world, which included scores of 92-95 from Robert Parker, Law was on its way to cementing itself as an elite, ultra-premium brand.

Location, Location, Location

Susie and Don Law know that wine drinking is enhanced by a unique experience, one that incorporated all the senses.  A tasting at Law will provide an elevated appreciation to what it means to sit back, relax, learn, sample, and enjoy elegant, premium wines in an intimate, welcoming venue…. Where your senses will be heightened and enriched.

Begin your adventure driving approximately 15 minutes from Paso Robles.  Meandering on Peachy Canyon Road, surrounded by beautiful vistas, hills, vineyards, and (most of the time) brilliant blue sky, you will unconsciously slip into a relaxed state…in awe of your surroundings.

Turning off Peachy Canyon Road, continuing up the long driveway to the tasting room, breathe in the air and the bucolic hillsides, marveling at the architecturally impressive tasting room upon reaching the parking area.

**Please follow directions to access the upper-level tasting area, as these may change due to current California COVID requirements. There is an outside stairway leading up, but if an elevator is needed, there is one located right inside**

Once you arrive upstairs, one of Law’s personable hospitality team members will escort you to your reserved tasting area.  You will feel right at home with whomever your host or hostess is, as most have grown up in the area, attending Cal Poly SLO, renowned for their agricultural and enology programs.  And, just some fun information, if your host happens to be Adelaida Pitts (hospitality director), you will find this smiling, multi-generational Paso native (named after Paso Robles’ Adelaida wine district) a delight.  There is virtually no one in Paso Robles she doesn’t know, and she also knows everything about Paso Robles!

Once seated (currently only outside tastings are permitted) you will be WOWED by the location and scenery!  Not only will you feel as though you are in a homey, inviting backyard, but the panoramas surrounding you are of unparalleled beauty.  This is one of the most beautiful locations in wine country.

Tasting the Wines of Philipp Pfunder: The Law Way

Prior to joining Law, Philipp Pfunder spent a decade travelling the Southern and Northern hemispheres.  Pursuing his Masters of Wine Science in New Zealand in 2008, Philipp’s on-the-job training included working with some of the most esteemed producers both “down under,” in France, (at the highly regarded Chateau Angelus in St. Emilion), and Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley…. the wine that is credited with starting the “cult” wine phenomenon.  Philipp, literally, soaked in everything he could, and then found his way to Paso Robles in 2016 where he continued his education with LAW’s trendsetting, highly regarded winemaker, Scott Hawley.

From the initial 2010 vintage, Scott set the bar high…and each subsequent year went even higher, as accolades and ratings by the most respected of wine experts such as Robert Parker and Jeb Dunnuck were consistent year after year.

Towards the end of 2018, Philipp took over as head winemaker, as Scott transitioned from Law to devote full time to his own, expanding the TORRIN label, in addition to opening his own tasting room.  Philipp has faultlessly continued the path which Scott began.

Having been trained by the best, Philipp is anxious to “pay it forward,” looking eagerly for the day that life, and travel returns to normal.  He looks forward to being able to hire international interns so that he can give aspiring winemakers the experience of making wine in a different part of the world and working with grapes grown from the unique Paso Robles terroir, influenced by so many different micro-climates…. producing such elegant, world-class wines.

Your tasting experience at Law Estate Winery will awaken your senses as you sip these cutting-edge, innovative wines, in a location that is hard to improve upon.  Prepare to sit back and relax, as though you were at your own, or a good friends elegant outdoor entertaining area.  Depending on the size of your party, when you make your reservation, you may want to request one of the two seating areas with a firepit.

The current tasting consists of five premium wines from the 2017 vintage (rated 95-98).  You will have separate glasses for each wine, and as your wine ambassador guides you through your tasting, take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions, chat and re-visit each one at will. The current menu consists of:

*Sagacious*Beyond*Audacious*Aspire*Beguiling

Once you have the Law experience, you will want to come back again… especially when you are able to tour the inside, being able to sip and sit around the long, elegant conference table, or in front of the fireplace on a chilly afternoon.

Law Estate Winery is just “one of those places” where you arrive, are greeted, get seated, and just want to spend the day there sipping, gazing out at the view, and talking with (any of) the wine emissaries who personally host you.  During your visit, you will make new friends and chances are you will be planning your return trip as you leave.

And, on subsequent visits, you will feel that you have just arrived back at your welcoming home again, as I do each time I visit and enjoy Law’s wines, locale, hospitality, and people.

Once you surround yourself with the beauty of the place and the wines, you will agree that a visit and wine tasting at Law Estate Wines rates a 100-point score.

Please check the website for information and be sure to reserve your tasting experience at Law Estate Wines.

WWW.LAWESTATEWINES.COM

Originally Published Here: https://monarch.wine/law-estate-wines/

[eddbow]

Welcome to Edd Bow!

Howdy! I'm going to give you a little rundown of the AU for all of the new members. Edd Bow is a crossover AU originally started by LuliAnimations between Eddsworld and Fran Bow. It wasn't until later that Draganora had joined the crew and made her first contributions.

Enough about the muns, onto the muses! The name conversion go Eddsworld - Edd Bow - Fran Bow!

Edd - Edd Bow - Fran Bow

Tom - Tomward - Itward

Matt - Malontras - Palontras

Tord - Tormor - Remor

Ringo - Ms Ringo - Mr Midnight

Bing - Christopher Bing (Mr. Bing) - Dr. Oswald Harrison

Paul - Dr. Paul - Dr Deern

Patryck - Dr. Patryck - Nurse Gladys Hannah

Jon - Jon - Philmore (Phil)

Eduardo - Eduardo - Robert (TV Kid)

Mark - Mark - Isabella (Sedated Girl)

Diwi - Diwi - Damion (King Damion)

Hellucard - Hellucard - Annie (Sleepy Cake)

Coco - Coco - Adelaida

Axe Murderer - Axe - Jason

Larry - Larry - Security Guard (Security Guard)

While Fran Bow IS a horror game, this AU still takes in some of Eddsworld's humor! Ever seen an axolotl man eat a fridge? Hilarious! Anyways, we are accepting questions and they will be replied to as soon as possible by one of the AU creators!

Feel free to ask the characters questions, as well! Just be sure to specify who you want to ask what question. You can also submit fanart! Take a few minutes to explore the blog, more references will be added soon!

Cheers!

[wxldchxld]

An updated timeline:

So, I have reworked a couple of things in Beck’s history but I haven’t written them ON Beck’s history page yet bc that’s going to be a bear to deal with. I’m just going to post this as a hc for right now, and hopefully update the pages in a couple of days.

Look this is LONG and there are trigger warnings for suicide attempt mentions as well as abuse and animal cruelty. None of it is explicit. It’s even more vague than my current history has it. So I’m begging you, if you write with me or want to write with me, please look at this updated canon. But I will put it under a cut for the sake of triggers as well as the insane length that it got to.

Birth - 6

The daughter of a political marriage between the Wolf and the Fox clan leaders. Named Dahlia Adelaida Beck by birth. Born at the height of the winter solstice, marking her as a priestess among her people.

Nicknamed Dolly by her grandmother Alma.

Lives with her mother Élea, her father Oskar, her brother Fenris, and her grandparents Alma and Percy on their family owned land in Montana. She gets Ringo, her first familiar here and learns how to ride a horse, and some basic camping/fishing/farm skills from her father and grandfather. Her grandmother teaches her basic knitting/sewing/cooking. Her mother is, in large part, absent during this period of her life. She and Fenris are inseparable. 

At three Beck makes her first shift into a fox, marking her in the eyes of everyone as a feral witch. Whatever meager affection her mother had for her evaporated completely at that moment.

On her sixth birthday she is given a mare who her father has named Dawnbreaker.

Three months after her sixth birthday her father passes. Her mother takes them on a vacation back to her family home in Sweden that lasts the remainder of the year. They stay with her maternal grandparents, Linnéa and Stefan Tandy

7

A month after Beck’s seventh birthday, Linnéa and Elea have a falling out over the way Elea is treating her children. Elea consistently refuses to take care of Dahlia in particular, and she begins to learn to fend for herself, which is deeply concerning to her grandmother.

Her maternal grandparents ask for custody of both Dahlia and Fenris. Elea responds by taking both of her children back to the states to California where she resumes her master’s program.

Shortly after her mother reverts to her maiden name, and forces her children to do so as well. Dahlia, furious and still deeply grieving her father, declares that her name is Beck, and refuses to answer to anything else.

Elea’s abuse of her children gets worse. Fenris, who was a more passive child, rarely got physically punished like Beck, but he still suffers from severe emotional abuse and manipulation. Beck is, for the most part on her own. She stays out of the house as much as she can, sleeping in parks or other abandoned places, and learning to steal for her food, as there is little to hunt for in the city. This is embarrassing to her mother, and she’s frequently punished for it.

Beck meets Cora, an older witch ostracized by the local covens, who becomes Beck’s mentor in everything she can teach her.

Beck finds the city suffocating, and she frequently wanders out into the countryside when she can, and cries when she cannot. Elea finally consents to bringing the horse her father gave her to a stable outside of town, and lets Beck walk to the stable several times a week. In this time, Dawnbreaker becomes her second familiar.

Both Fenris and Beck are homeschooled by coven members at this time. Most of them are apathetic, some downright hostile to her. She is eventually diagnosed with dyslexia, but is given little help with it.

8-9

Beck is able to stand the city less and less. She begins disappearing for longer periods of time. At first days, then weeks, and eventually she begins to take Dawnbreaker away for months at a time.

Elea, who is using Fenris’ birthright to rule both her people and the Wolves, sends men after her. The fights between them grow even more violent and bitter, and Elea struggles to even cast the appearance that her house is in order. She begins to drive a wedge between Beck and Fen, who still loves his sister dearly. But this backfires, and gives Beck even less reason to return home. 

10

Beck’s mother finds her one final time. When they are brought to Elea this time, they are not taken to the family home in the city, but a secluded section of woods. Her mother proceeds to have her bound, and forces her to watch as Dawnbreaker is hanged from one of the old trees in an attempt to keep her from ever running again.

Several months of inconsolable grief, where she scarcely eats or leaves her bed at all, send her brother Fenris into a mad rage. He begins to plan his revenge in secret. At the next coven meet, he reveals her heinous crime and kills her. The witches absolve him of the murder of another witch in light of what Elea did, and they help cover up the crime.

Shortly after Beck moves in with Cora, but Fenris refuses. He tells her he was offered a chance to learn powerful magic from a coven member, a man Beck doesn’t trust. For the first time in their lives, they are truly separated. 

11-13

Fenris and Beck try repeatedly to mend their relationship and get back to where they were as children, but they fail every time. Beck grows more restless, more wild, by the day, and the magic and fear and anger are twisting Fen into someone she doesn’t know.

Before she can even turn twelve Cora’s loving support is no longer enough for Beck. She has no desire to stay in a house, among people, not even someone she loves. She and Ringo leave the safety of Cora’s home permanently, returning only for visits.

On her thirteenth birthday, Beck is attacked by a mountain lion. After a long battle, before the creature makes its killing blow, she catches the animal’s eye. Understanding sparks between the two of them, and this time when she tells it to go, it obeys. Both she and Ringo are nearly killed in the incident, but her familiar manages to limp to the nearest town and bring back help.

She is taken back to California and returned to her brother rather than Cora. Fenris has grown in power and status among the witches there. Her appearance strikes Fenris with a cold terror, and though he is extremely kind to her in helping her heal, Beck feels as if something is deeply wrong.

14-16

After a long recovery, Beck begins to get restless again. She yearns to return to the wilds. The city suffocates her more and more by the day, but her brother refuses to let her go. 

Tensions between Fenris and Beck reach a boiling point, and she is eventually confined to a room until she agrees to stay in the city with him. The change overtakes Fenris as the year drags on, and he’s not the sweet young boy she once knew. She feels as if she’s living with her enemy rather than her brother.

She is enrolled in a coven school, where they attempt to continue her educate while working around the fact she is almost completely illiterate. This is where she meets Harper, just two months after her 14th birthday.

Beck and Harper fall into a quick, extremely heated teenage passion. All of the grief and loneliness they feel slowly evaporates. Beck reconnects with some of her old friends at this time too. When she’s with them, she feels as happy as she can possibly feel living in a cage, but things only seem to get worse and worse every time she goes home.

 17

On her seventeenth birthday, Harper gives her a ring. Harper is anxious to leave home to move to New York, and asks Beck to marry her the second they’re both eighteen and to move away with her. Harper doesn’t know what’s going on between Fen and Beck. She doesn’t know about the healed bruises and the shouting and the threats. Beck refuses to take the ring without being able to tell Harper the real reason why. Even if Fen did let her leave, she would never survive New York. They don’t break up but Harper vows to leave for Juliard the second she can. With or without Beck.

Between life with her brother and the ever looming deadline of Harper leaving, Beck becomes increasingly fragile and hostile. She knows she cannot stay. 

Harper, older than Beck, leaves for New York a few months later, and without her protective presence, things at home get even worse. When she tells another coven witch, the woman either doesn’t believe her, or she’s too frightened to listen.

After several failed escape attempts, and Fenris’ control getting tighter and tighter, Beck eventually attempts suicide. She is taken to a hospital, a place she’d been a handful of times before because of her brother’s wrath, and a woman there offers her help. She accepts and is stolen away.

Beck is introduced to the Sisters of the Holy St. Marciana of Mauretania, a group of humans, witches, and other supernatural beings who masquerade as an order of nuns. They operate in secret under many names and in many places, helping those that no one else will help. After a brief recovery, Beck leaves them, but not without a promise to help if they call on her. 

18

Beck returns home to her family land, despite knowing her grandparents have long since abandoned it. She finds her father’s old VW bus still in (mostly) running order and begins to use it for travel. 

In the early spring, Beck returns to the wild herds of Montana, where Dawnbreaker lived in the months they were separated, and where she was born. She meets a golden stallion and instantly recognizes him as one of her foals. The stallion begins to follow her around tirelessly, and Beck tries again and again to send him away. But the stallion will not be shooed, and eventually Beck lets him remain with her. She calls him Grani, and soon after he joins her, he becomes her familiar.

Beck begins to do odd jobs and magical favors for people in order to gain certain magical objects, slowly building a steady collection in her bottomless bag.

Beck remains constantly on the run, knowing her brother’s men are only a breath behind her at any moment. She has the van enchanted so it can be easily concealed, can travel off-road, and can haul a horse trailer.

19-21

Beck mostly still lives in the wilds, but takes several jobs helping children and adults escape situations similar to hers. Victims of domestic abuse by powerful people that are beloved or feared by everyone else. These jobs are the only time she goes into cities, and often while she’s doing research and laying low, she steals from wealthy nearby homes and businesses.

During one of these thefts Beck steals a kitten after it follows her out of the mansion she’d just robbed. The kitten becomes her final familiar, and when she gains her sentience, she re-names herself Angrboda.

In the fall before her 22nd birthday Beck sees Harper jogging in Central Park while working on a job. Knowing it was a bad idea, she still approached her. Harper was different in almost every way, and yet some how she was still as hopelessly passionate and deeply furious as the day she’d left for New York.

22-24

Beck and Harper fall back into a relationship. Perhaps both of them knew it was a bad idea, or maybe it was only Beck, but dread grew alongside passion. Harper could scarcely stand her absences, and life in the city was hell on Beck.

They dated for two years. Harper even consented to moving out of the city center to a farm near Roxbury. Marriage was a frequent topic between them both, and yet it never happened.

Eventually even Harper’s power on the East Coast wasn’t enough to keep Fenris away, and the fear of the conflict that would ensue between the witch factions and fearing her brother and deeply missing her life on the road, Beck left. She couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye, and it has been her greatest regret.

24-present

Beck lives in the wilds with her familiars, constantly traveling, and for the most part very happy. There are people she misses, and places she knows she can never return to, but she’s free. Even on nights when she’s hungry or the weather is bitter and savage, she’s free. 

She’s mastered several other forms in this time, and I didn’t want to break down their discoveries by age, but they happened over the years, not just after she turned 25.