#i'm. glad it's the marquis one. like whatever

[sydney-carton-of-sour-milk]

The Many Illustrators of A Tale of Two Cities 6: Max Cowper

...& some frustration from faulty sources...

"Lucy (sic) Bids Farewell to Sydney Carton"

As we've come to see here, not all sources for these many illustrations are, put simply, all that great or reliable.

To start off, the ↑ above illustration is excellent example: A) Obviously, the name of this illustration doesn't match up with any scene in A Tale of Two Cities! My guess is that it's actually depicting Charles being taken away in "Dusk" (pretty major thing to get wrong!). Multiple online sources cite this as the name, but is that really what Max Cowper himself named it? B) I honestly didn't know until recently that this was, in fact, by Max Cowper! I've had this illustration stored in the archives for years and was only able to confirm it by - you guessed it - looking at that faint signature below the main character's feet and checking it off another color illustration by him (poetically, for Barnaby Rudge).

This is something that happens often in my research: Many illustrators for this novel will have a one-off piece not necessarily related to the work they did for the novel itself, and it's usually much more difficult to connect that piece to their book illustrations (when we get to Fred Barnard eventually...oof!). Oftentimes, the image just gets passed around over decades of republication - sometimes even traced / redrawn - and used as a cover or frontispiece without credit.

There are other forms of unreliability, though - including one I just encountered for the first time: Here are Cowper's eight 1902* illustrations for the novel. One of these is not like the others - see if you can tell which!

If you guessed the fourth ("Monsieur le Marquis"), you'd be correct!

Basically, when I originally downloaded this set from the Internet Archive, I hadn't downloaded them as individual images but rather the entire book as a PDF which I then picked the images off of - and what I hadn't realized until recently was that this compresses the images in a strange way.

Here is what the PDF compression looks like:

See how much beautiful linework and detail gets crunched?

And so, today, to make this post, I went out to that source again and downloaded each individually - only to find that this exact source no longer had the Marquis illustration! Basically, I think that someone working at the Internet Archive rescanned the exact same copy of the book - accidentally skipping one of the illustrations in the process - and then replaced the old scan with this new (honestly really nice) one. Human error strikes again, both on my part and on theirs!

Ultimately, I decided not to try to find these from any other source and to just include the one with the compression error that doesn't quite match the quality of the rest - which will tie in well with the next edition of this series anyway (you'll see)!

And regardless, I'm grateful we have access to these beautiful, humanistic character designs and illustrations at all, no matter the image quality🖼️

*To round it all out, the copy from which I downloaded these is from 1904, but I also read a source that said the first version of this edition was maybe from 1902, so, once again, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

& the standard endnote for all posts in this series:

This post is intended to act as the start of a forum on the given illustrator, so if anyone has anything to add - requests to see certain drawings in higher definition (since Tumblr compresses images), corrections to factual errors, sources for better-quality versions of the illustrations, further reading, fun facts, any questions, or just general commentary - simply do so on this post, be it in a comment/tags or the replies!💫

[slackerlifewhere]

In defense of Deruth

Fair warning, there will be some SPOILERS so if you haven't finished the first novel or you care about spoilers, I suggest you don't continue reading. Thanks!

I'm a reader of fanfics, manga, manhwa, manhua, and novels. I basically consume different stories whenever I'm bored (which I usually am).

But the things I've read most often involve parents, which I'm not really looking for but it's there so whatever.

I had to read stories with basically the same plot but different...ingredients but the thing I notice is that most stories involve abusive or neglectful parents. And it's weird to me. Like can't heroes or villains have good parents and they turn out the way they are because of other circumstances? Obviously, it's because authors want us to root for the character but for me, it's just lazy writing.

So imagine my annoyance when, after reading the first volume of TCF, I see several fics hating and trashing Deruth Henituse and saying he's the worst father in existence.

I get it. He's not the best father. His wife, who he loves very much, died and left him as a single father. He has responsibilities as a count and soon marries Violan who has Basen by then. They have another kid soon after, which is Lily. He seems to entrust the responsibilities of the heir to Basen after OG Cale's reputation took a nosedive. In a sense, he appears as if he doesn't care about OG Cale's feelings and reputation and looks like he's focusing on his other children.

BUT he's not the worst father either. Listen, you may hate him for whatever reason, whether you've consumed too many stories with bad parents or you see yourself in OG Cale, BUT he's an okay parent.

Let me list the top three fathers that are absolutely disgusting compared to him before I explain why I think he doesn't deserve all the hate he's getting:

1. Marquis Stan

We all know what happened to Taylor Stan and while we can blame it on Venion, it's also because of their father. Their father is basically an asshole who wants to see his children fight for the heir's position. And he doesn't care if they end up killing each other for it. It's basically like watching sports for him at this point. He's mainly the reason why Venion grew up into a twisted bastard. While yes, Venion is not innocent in any shape or form after what he did to his brother and Raon, it's obvious he became that way because of his father.

In fact, Taylor is also a victim of Marquis Stan's abhorrent parenting. He's not evil like his family but he learned to be independent and to fight back because he doesn't want to become like them. He died in the original story.

So yeah. Marquis Stan is absolutely disgusting and no one can change my mind that he's the worst existence among all the fathers in the story.

2. White Star

The only reason why he's not number 1 is because he's not a literal father but he does pose as one for DHB. If you know what he did to dragons, then I don't need to summarize it for you. For those who don't, you need to read the novel because it's going to be a long explanation. All I can say is that he's also the reason why DHB became so crazy. And honestly, I'm glad that even if Cale is very guarded at DHB, he still gave him the freedom to choose and repent later on.

3. Zed Crossman

He's the lesser evil of the two but he's kind of like Marquis Stan but tamer.

He basically has his three kids fight for the throne while ignoring or favoring one over the other. And he doesn't even try to hide that he doesn't care too much unless it involves his plans.

He basically wants to see who is more fit for the throne but he doesn't stop them from sabotaging one another.

Honestly, I put all the effort on Tasha and Obante's part that Alberu became a better person. Zed is completely useless.

---

So...is Deruth a bad father?

Before I answer that, here's the thing about OG Cale. He's a complex character who is grieving most of his life and wants to protect his siblings in his own twisted way. In order to do that, he needs to act like he's trash and push everyone away. But is that Deruth's fault? Eeeeh kinda but not really???

They both lack communication as father and son. In fact, the moment KRS, now Cale Henituse, was forcefully transmigrated into OG Cale's world, it's shown that Deruth is trying to communicate with his son.

The first few chapters show that he cares for his son in his own way when Cale sits down to join them in breakfast. He attempts to talk to Cale even though he was hesitant. He seems surprised but happy when Cale answered. Yeah, it's shitty that OG Cale's family and Ron didn't notice he got switched but in all honesty, it'll be hard for a normal person to come to the conclusion that a God was involved. If I were in their shoes, I would find it suspicious (probably thinking that something happened that changed that person's actions and personality) but I wouldn't think of transmigration or God of Death. Conspiracy theories aren't the first thing I'll think of. That's just dumb to use as an excuse for hating the Henituse family.

People, fans, want family drama but in all honesty, they're just ruining OG Cale's character in the way they do it. It's actually disrespectful to his sacrifice for his family. He made that deal with God of Death not only because he wants to see his mom but also because he wants his family to live after they all died in the war against the White Star. He lived through that war with him as the sole survivor of the whole family. That sucks. He could've stayed but he didn't want to and also because he already died in the future anyways. If he wants to help them as himself, I doubt he'll shut up about it to the God of Death, regardless if it's a literal god he's gonna argue with. Let me remind you that this guy is so stubborn, he made a trashy reputation to help his brother.

Instead of doing it himself, he chose to let KRS (who didn't know he's going to be involved in a war in another world btw) save his world and family in exchange for seeing his mother. He chose to leave not because of Deruth (not completely, at least) but because he simply wants to. And he's content with his decision, regardless of his regrets.

By the way, his mom, Jour, is also not pretty great if you think about her decision before she died (my unpopular opinion but whatever). I do think her final conversation with him and her following death traumatized him in a way that I can't help but feel angry for him. It's mainly the reason why he hates the Harris Village that Choi Han ended up in. It doesn't excuse his reaction to the village later on but it does explain why he hates the place, even if it's not their fault his mother died. So yeah, I don't like his mother (I'm not talking about her reincarnation btw. She's a kid). That's not the way to care for your son, ma'am.

Deruth is obviously trying but a relationship needs to work between two people and not just one. That's what you call a one-sided relationship, guys. It's why OG Cale and Violan are not close. Both of these characters don't try to be close, maybe not because they dislike each other but maybe because of a misunderstanding or whatever (who knows).

Cale only got close to her because he actually treats her with respect (also because...you know...he's an orphan and was abused as a kid so deep inside, he thinks Deruth and Violan are good but not the best parents). And whenever Cale gets hurt or is in a bad situation, we sometimes get their reaction. They're worried and angry for him. They want him to stay away from danger. In fact, the last few chapters are basically Deruth getting angry at Cale for endangering himself (completely understandable).

You can also argue that Deruth didn't try hard enough. Well, let me just tell you as someone who's been depressed since I was a kid that whenever my parents try to ask me what's wrong, I usually reply with "nothing" or "I'm fine." So for parents to try harder doesn't usually end up with a heart-to-heart talk unless the other wants to talk.

So yeah, I think KR novels and manhwa are basically the reason why some readers immediately jump in defense for the character they like because of possible abuse and neglect from parents. Without thinking about it properly. Like please, if you hate a character, at least try to understand them first and list down the other worst characters before you actually say that they're the worst.

Side note: The worst thing that I also notice is fans also target Basen and Lily. They include the whole Henituse family and write a fanfic about how abusive or neglectful all of them are. BASEN AND LILY ARE LITERAL KIDS. WTF ARE YOU GUYS THINKING. They didn't do anything to OG Cale??? They're just there?

Did I just create an account to rant about how stupid some fans are? Yeah, pretty much. You can hate on Deruth but don't include the kids. They're kids??? Without any involvement with OG Cale and Deruth's drama?

Reminder: I haven't read the second volume because I'm planning to read it when it's completely translated. That way, I won't have to wait too long for the next chapter.

[malsfefanfics]

Yooo, your ocs profile is so cool!!! I wonder, how does Hubert act with his siblings? I actually wish they were in the game now, they're so well written! Good job!

Thank you!!! I'm glad you like them! :D I've been fleshing these characters out with a good friend of mine, and it's been fun getting to explore what kind of people they are.

Regarding how Hubert acts with his siblings, there's one word that definitely comes to mind; protective. He keeps their existance hidden from the world so they don't "become a liability" (as quoted in his Hopes supports with Lysithea). The fact that he sees them being turned into pawns against him (and by extension Edelgard) as a real risk, I think, shows just how much he actually cares about them. They're his weakness, and a very relatable one at that.

When it comes to interactions though, Hubert and Rosamund definitely have a more traditional sibling dynamic. They'll make jabs at each other, tease each other, and occasionally argue. But Hubert dotes on her quite a bit and treats her with a good level of respect, and Rosamund just wants to make her brother proud. I like to think she finds pride in being a Vestra and in service of the Emperor because of him.

One of my favorite headcanons for them is that, while Edelgard was in the Kingdom, Hubert returned to the family, and Rosamund used the opportunity to reestablish a connection with him....by telling him to treat her as he would Edelgard. Claims it's to help him prepare for Edelgrd's return (and she meant it when she said it, can't let those retainer skills get rusty), but really, she used the chance to have him sneak her extra slices of cake after dinner. He saw right through her schemes, but still did it anyway. He also had to chide her for running with sharp objects in the house, too.

As for Tancred? Hubert is dad. Iason may be the biological father, but Hubert was more of a dad to him that their father ever was, so when Tancred hears the words "father" or "dad", he immediately thinks of his brother. And it definitely shows in their interactions. Tancred really looks up to him, and doesn't mind the constant comparisons, as he thinks it means he's going to be "really tall and smart and strong just like him" when he gets older. The few times Hubert managed to come see him were always a treat, and he grew a love of magic study because of the spells he learned from his brother. Due to Tancred's poor health and unstable magic power, Hubert is especially protective of the little one.

My favorite headcanon for Tancred and Hubert is built on some headcanons of Vestra family customs (because we were ROBBED of the chance at prime lore behind this family). Basically, the headcanon is that usually the Marquis is the one to name the children born into the family, but for whatever reason, their father passed over Tancred, and wouldn't even come see him let alone name him. So Hubert ends up naming him, at the recommendation of their mother and sister. He chose the name "Tancred" because it means "wise/thoughtful counsel", and thought the name would give him the confidence to prove to the old bastard that he's worth more than he realizes.

[helldustedstories]

@madefate asked: ❝ Hey. ❞ Blitz doesn't feel the pavement beneath his knees when he slides to a stop, or the force at his back when he drapes himself over Stolas, still kneeling, palms slamming to the other side of him, determined to provide cover no matter what. His eyes close for a second until the dust settles, and when they open again, his expression is proud. It's protective and fierce and completely determined, and he wastes no time getting an arm around Stolas' middle to get them both the fuck out of dodge.

❝ Like I said - never again. I'm never leaving you alone again. ❞

unprompted // always accepting

He should have known that Andrealphus had been manipulating all of this behind the scenes; he'd always been hungry for power, and Stolas' divorce to Stella had set back his own ambitions. But if he could vacate Stolas' seat, then maybe he could convince Paimon that he was the logical next step to take the throne, instead of Octavia. And failing that, he would try to get his niece on his side, so that he was the real power, the one making the decisions.

Andrealphus wasn't like Stella; his schemes were subtler; he kept his hand close to the vest until it was far too late to do much to stop him. Despite not being much older Stella herself, he had had some input on their marriage, for one thing. And now he had managed to turn most of the Goetia family against Stolas.

When the prince had stood up to him this time, refused to allow him to influence Octavia, to get her under his thumb as well, the peacock had made a case that he was a traitor to the Goetia, to all that they stood for, and that he should be excommunicated, something that hadn't happened in eons. But when everything had gone wrong, Stolas had ended up on his own, trying to keep his daughter safe when almost everyone he knew seemed to be against him.

And then Andrealphus had shown up, had caught him off-guard, and hit him with something that kept him from accessing his powers. He could still feel them, but it was like they were locked behind a wall, as though he couldn't reach them. But even with that obstacle, there was no way he was going to let the bastard get away with this, not when he'd threatened the only people Stolas cared about.

Stolas thought he'd managed to get a message to Blitz, using the connection they now shared: a way for them to communicate in emergencies, especially if they couldn't access their phones. He was very glad Blitz had insisted upon using the spell he'd developed; he just hoped he'd gotten through before whatever Andrealphus had shot him with took hold. It was hard to tell much of anything with his magic as inaccessible as it felt, which meant he was going to have to fight a different way.

He'd held out as long as he could, doing what Blitz had taught him, taunting his former brother-in-law, trying to get him to slip up and make a mistake. But Andrealphus was not Striker, and all he'd done was manage to make him mad.

While the marquis had seemed content to play with his food, when Stolas struck a nerve, ice-blue eyes narrowed, and a spear of ice shot towards Stolas, who managed to twist enough out of the way that it only grazed him, leaving a trail of black blood in its wake. There wasn't even anything for him to take cover behind, not with where Andrealphus had herded him.

He was going to have to make his stand here in the drive, mostly powerless, on his own. But just as Andrealphus started to approach once more, as Stolas was about to get to his feet, he heard the voice he'd both been hoping for and dreading. Because it meant that Blitz was here…., but it also meant that he was here. That just meant that he was going to fight even harder, that he couldn't give up, not that he'd been inclined to, not anymore.

Blitz throws himself in front of Stolas, using himself to protect the prince, and he can feel his heart leap into his throat at the idea of him getting hurt. But he was here, and Stolas would not let anything to happen to him.

Stolas feels Blitz's arm around him, and he practically clings to him, looking around for Andrealphus.

"I wasn't sure I got through," he admitted, but then his eyes widen, pupils pinpricks in crimson depths, displaying just how serious this situation is. "We have to get out of here; Andrealphus--"

But before he can finish that statement, the Goetia in question seems to glide slowly down the drive of the palace, leaving shards of ice in his wake.

"Do you really think you're going to get out of here?" the peacock sneers, tail feathers fanning out behind him, even as ice begins to gather around him.

And Stolas laughs at him, even from his position on the ground, Blitz's arm still around him. "I've never been afraid of you, Andrealphus…., but clearly you can't actually face me, without trying to make me powerless." His words, though directed at Andrealphus, are carefully chosen to let Blitz know what's happening, why he wasn't fighting the way Blitz knew he could.

[theliterarywolf]

RE : Welcome Home r34.

My position is that disregarding Clown's wishes is shitty, but also this is the internet and porn of things that get popular is kind of inevitable. You can mitigate it by politely asking not to, and most will listen. But R34 artists are kind of a stubborn contrarian bunch (especially if they hang around places like 4chan) and telling them no even in the tactful way Clown did would probably just spur them to go "Nyeeeeehhhh fuck you I won't do what you tell me" And what makes it worse is that such a position becomes easier to justify if you're someone who's had to put up with a decade plus of "RULE34 IS BAD!!!!! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!1!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU TAG IT SO THAT I CAN'T SEE IT JUST BY STUMBLING UPON IT, IF YOU SEXUALIZE MY BLORBO YOU'RE A PEDOPHILE!!!1!!11 BRONIES ARE RAPE APOLOGISTS WHO ARE ALSO PEDOPHILES AND STOLE A LITTLE GIRLS SHOW AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE MUH SOGGY KNEES!!!! ANIME FANS ARE EVIL ALT RIGHT PEDOPHILES!! FANS OF JAPANESE MADE VIDEO GAMES ARE PEDOPHILES!!!!1 PEDO PEDO PEDO PEDO PEDO REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Like I don't think it's *okay*, I'm just saying that this is highly disappointing, but unsurprising.

See, so this is the exact mentality I was thinking about when I answered those first few asks.

Because, you know what? You're right: the internet is the internet and certain people are just going to do whatever the hell they want either way.

However, I'm going to bring up a few portions written by myself and others that kind of lean into my ultimate attitude on situations like this.

'Read more' because this turned into a doozy.

First and foremost, this portion from Absolmon's reblog of one of the earlier posts:

"I also think there’s a world of difference between a small time creator wanting to retain some control of their characters vs a billion dollar corporations character. I remember when JaidenAnimations made an statement saying she was upset by all the porn made of her avatar character, especially with her collaborators and people rushing out to make even more of it. The fact that Jaiden is ace and has a well known history of body image issues just makes it even more skeevy. "

This portion from a conversation I was having with Marquis de Glad:

Marquis - I dunno... Is it any different than all the people who make Rule34 of Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite despite the creator not liking it? Or is that something you dislike as well? Mind you, I know basically nothing about this entire thing other than what you've posted, so it's possible I'm missing some context

Me - Well, I'm of the mindset that 'not liking' =/= 'please don't do this' I'm sure that Hasbro doesn't like all the MLP smut out there, but they never actually said 'please don't create this'. Another example would be how Martin Freeman's wife was talking about how she didn't like all the porn of her husband's characters people made that she kept finding when wanting to show their kids their dad's work... But she never said 'please don't do this'

And then, finally, from an ask I just answered:

"No one wants to think about the creators of their favored IPs anymore. They just want to be given the shiny new ball to treat (or mistreat) in any way they see fit for a while before dumping it to the wayside a month or so later to do it to something else. And if, heaven forbid, you get a creator who dares to want to have some matter of agency with how people engage with their creation, well...

'Why do you hate people having fun?'

'Well, I'm just going to do it anyway.'

'So... Anyway, these characters are now mine because the creator is obviously shitty and doesn't know them as well as I do'"

However, one other thing that I think a lot of people aren't remembering in the conversation around this issue is the notion of boundaries. And not just the boundaries creators are justified in setting for themselves, but the boundaries within fandom itself.

Because, going back to the whole rhetorical reenactment you had up there, there was a time when NSFW creators used to be able to lock up their work behind certain tags so that creators and minors wouldn't have to see it unless they took it upon themselves to sniff around. Remember things like Steven Universe smut being tagged as 'Stephen Galaxy', MLP smut having the nickname of 'Clop', or even people trying to recreate that effect in the Cookie Run fandom with tags like 'NotSafeforCookies'.

On the opposite end of this (the boundary established for NSFW to exist in so that creators and minors wouldn't have to see it), then, it would be understood that Creators and Minors wouldn't engage with said content.

Is the picture that I'm trying to establish here clear? Because while we can talk about 'respect a creator's boundaries' until the cows come home, some people will just not want to do that. Especially in the current fandom-space where NSFW is being demonized more and more. However, we are currently suffering a pandemic of people either refusing to tag properly or purposefully tagging their work with the most popular tags so that it is basically guaranteed to go outside of its intended audience.

And that is why, in a conversation that should only center around a creator becoming overwhelmed by how people are treating and feeling justified to their creation, you keep having people bring up fanpol and proshippers. Because that boundary being trampled on by both sides of the equation is what will continue to cause situations like this.

[cicaklah]

picard thots 3x05

wanging on about star trek under the cat

🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈

poor picard, forever alone until the last two weeks when TWO lady loves come back into his life and say 'oh yeah turns out we could have been in love but you fucked it up without realising it'. (not to ignore his current lady love who is the only one with the spine to let him NOT fuck it up without realising he is fucking it up).

(I can't believe we are STILL paying for patstew feeling emasculated in the early 90s. the male ego: not even once.)

Ensign Ro is one of those characters that TNG fans have Strong Feelings about, and I am one of those, because I love Bajorans and Cardassians as the true ds9 stan I am. I love seeing Michelle Forbes in things. I hope she was paid a lot to come reprise the character she's seemingly spent her whole career running away from. I suppose that, and the fact that this is a show named after Picard, that the focus will always be on her relationship with Picard. It was the most interesting part of what we got about her, along with our general introduction to the Bajoran faith and people, but we had 7 years of development of them and none of her, I always assumed she was killed when the marquis were slaughtered by the dominion as a favour to the cardassians. Lucky escape, though of course she got killed off. she had her story beat: time to die. (cash that cheque, never look back).

Anyway, not that Picard would have ever done anything with her, due to being Noble Space Coastguard Man who outranks her by about 40 years, but I quite pruriently like the wow wrong bad hot of that dynamic, in a dead dove way. Like as usual I wish we could spend more time in these characters' heads, because god I love people who fail at starfleet more than anything, they are my favourite characters in any show. The dysfunctional relationship between starfleet and those within it is fruit ripe for picking. Picard breaking the rules to sleep with Ro would be absolutely out of character in the most delicious way, to the point I kind of want to write it. Like that is tragedy, highest nobility and loyalty to an institution vs the desires of the human flesh. Genuinely the best. Awful dysfunctional relationship between man who projects wildly onto a younger woman and the younger woman who clings to older man in authority as symbol of the authority she is a bad fit for. Neither of them ever actually engaging with each other as people, therefore doomed to failure.

At the ~ revelation ~ that omg changelings are EVERYWHERE, when Ro says starfleet is corrupted to the highest level I went "what, AGAIN?" Its been 2 years since Romulans took over the top level of starfleet, and now its changelings. I mean, I still think the changelings have been there for twenty years, since the attempted coup in homefront/paradise lost.

I wish this series was...25% less ambitious prestige tv.

Anyway, glad that Jack said something to his mum that he's fucked and seeing things, but all this red and doors and stuff is synth-as-fuck, and honestly it makes no sense for Jack to be a synth even in this series. They can't do synth stuff without agnes and they ruined agnes by making her borg. it makes me miss narek, my problematic fave though. god, remember season 1? seems so long ago.

(IMAGINE IF SEASON 2 HAD BEEN ABOUT REINTEGRATION OF SYNTHS INTO SOCIETY AND EXBORGS AND JUST IN GENERALY NOT WHATEVER IT WAS GDI)

all these close ups of Jack's eyes is really highlighting that he is DRAMATICALLY miscast as a 23 year old, its just funny now. Man has more eye wrinkles than I do and I'm 36.

as we are introduced to more older characters the more I am changing my mind on gates mcfadden's face lift, I think its so uncanny it keeps throwing me out of her scenes because I keep analysing her face. can't do anything about it, and she does look good...if REALLY uncanny.

Worf and Raffi continue to be good, if a little boring. The timelines are converging. It was nice to see Charlie from Fringe as a Vulcan gone bad though. Been a little bit of a fringenaissance on TV this year, with anna torv in tlou and Charlie in this. more of that please. they deserve better.

I still like Shaw, but I like the bad apple captain trope best of all. Remember when we had Lorca and I got so excited about how Disco was going to be a show about actually working under one of the Bad Captains of the Week from TNG era?! Maybe I'm getting it.

(I also think that there's interesting things to unpack about Shaw and Seven's relationship that PERHAPS I might also write something about because mmmm he's a dick, she's bullheaded, what the fuck is she even doing in starfleet other than falling into the trap that so many failed fleeties have before, deconstruction of the protagonist hero trope, seven deserves better but how can she get better when she is in the military, which cares not for individuality?! Like the dichotomy of man who after trauma finds peace in conformity and playing by the rules, vs the woman who knows that conformity is seductive and ends up seduced by it again, and ends up in this job that she is ill-suited for even if she is technically good at it, because she is essentially self-harming by joining the military, the acceptable collective????

failed fleeties, my absolute fucking favourites. Right in the vein, please.)

anyway are we half way through? I think we're half way through. Wonderful.

[gbrnth]

❛   caress .   gently  caress  my  muse’s  face .

LOUD & DEAFENING SILENCE

Upon arrival in Archades Judge Magister Gabranth made his way to the Emperor at once; as per request. Having spent the last days in the warm climate of Dalmasca's capital he was glad to return to the more tempered climate of Archadia; leaving the dry heat and endless sand deserts surrounding Rabanastre behind him. At the imperial consul's order he also brought Lord Larsa back to the safety of Archades - picking him up from Bhujerba, where the Emperor's youngest son seemingly managed to escape Ghis' supervision.

His layover in the Skycity was short - a small conversation with the Marquis, taking Larsa under his wing - and off they went. Small part of him longed for a longer stay, Melissa's yearning tales in mind; painting the image of an exotic, fascinating place in his head. She surely knew how to convey the charm of her home perfectly.

Yet he had to head back to the Imperial Palace - if not for the order of Vayne Solidor; the Judge had more urgent matters to attend. Not only he was bound to report his son's doing in Rabanastre to the Emperor, he had also deal with the escape of a war prisoner from the Nalbina Dungeons - as if it wasn't punishment enough he escaped directly under Gabranth's eyes, it also had to be his brother. Shortly after the incident at Nalbina the remorseful Judge faced Vayne, reluctantly confessing his failure. He felt like a child again, standing in front of his father, awaiting punishment for whatever mistake he did. The consul's sharp words rang in his ears, maybe he wasn't eligible for a magistrate armor if he lets political prisoners escape that easily? With relief he recieved the information that the fugitives had been recaptured by Ghis. For once he silently thanked the older Judge for his accomplishments.

After his consultation with the Emperor - which turned out to be less belligerent than his conversation with Vayne - Gabranth finally found time to unwind - at least he tried. Removing the weight of the armor from his shoulders was a straightforward task, yet the burden on his mind stayed; a nagging voice inside his head - his own voice, reminding him of his worthlessness. In the end, Vayne was right.

On any other day he would silence his guilty conscience with work - burying himself in the operations of the 9th Bureau; exhausting himself until he fell asleep on his desk. This particular day he left the familiar walls of the palace, exposing himself to the buzzing life outside. The missing armor offered anonymity, his face unknown to the public - no one would recognize a Judge Magister without their defining armament. Gabranth made his way with a specific goal in mind - Hector Ghis was still out of the city, and that meant Melissa was alone.

He should not visit her like this - imposing on her kindness; exploiting their fragile relationship to calm himself down - but the Bhujerban had a way with people, her words offered the peace of mind he craved so badly. Before he knew his hands knocked on the door of her apartment until it opened; the dancer looking up to him. Wordlessly the Judge entered her home, the closing door seperated the two of them from the rest of the world in an instant. Melissa, reading his eyes like an open book - she stepped closer, raising her hand to gently place it on his cheek; warmth radiating from her skin. He closed his eyes, unsure what to say when she crossed the bound between them, caressing his face with the softness of a lover. He wanted to tell her everything - every secret he kept from her; the root to all of his agony. After what felt like an eternity, Gabranth finally found the courage to speak.

"I'm so sorry, Melissa. But I had no other place to go. I am lost."

[theboysfromaustin]

February 5, 2025

Young Ian sat next to Gav, helping him dig in the dirt.  He liked to garden.  He liked…a lot of things the other boys in his preschool didn't.  And they noticed.  He was different.  He'd been adopted - his dads had explained that to him.  He spent a lot of time with his granddads.  Some of his classmates lived with their grandparents.  Some never saw them at all.

A lot of his classmates did nothing but watch videos on their tablets.  They seemed to speak in their own code.  He spent a lot of time playing alone.  Or reading.  He was the only one in the class reading, and he was on easy chapter books now.

Sometimes he felt like a freak.

His grandpa Kazuo came outside, Martha slowly walking behind him before flopping on the ground with a sigh.  “How's plants?” “Good.  Glad I can keep these alive.” Kazuo settled in on young Ian's other side, “You okay?” “Um…” “School?” “How can you tell?” “I had a bad time at school, and your dad liked to get into fights to defend our honor.  Also, I'm perceptive.”

“Oh.  Uh.  It's…”

Kazuo leaned back on his hand, “Maybe we can help you out.” The boy stared at the dirt.  He'd also heard his classmates make fun of his family.  He knew they were different, but that wasn't bad.  They made fun of his dad Dermot for being fat, they made fun of Kazuo for his scars…

The boy's shoulders slumped, “The other kids don't like me.  I'm not like them.” “Well, everyone's different…” “Yeah, Gav, we know.  You should be happy to not be like all those sticky-fingered booger eaters.” Young Ian giggled at that, “They only play things based on things they watch.” “You can't get anyone to play dinosaurs?” Gav winced as he hit a rock.

“They don't even know the names!” “Buncha scrubs,” Kazuo overbalanced himself and fell over, staring up at the unseasonably warm February sun.  Martha snuffled over, nose guiding her more than her failing vision, settling in behind Gav.  “What about reading?” Gav carefully shooed a spider away from the hole he was digging.

“I'm the only reader in the class.  I like the Magic Tree House books.” “We need another run to Half Price Books,” Kazuo plucked a long blade of grass, popping it into his mouth. “Ooh, yeah!  My dads say we're being overrun with books, though.” “No such thing as too many books, coming from someone who was not encouraged to read.” “I had access to whatever I wanted to read…libraries were in from the cold, and away from my dad.  Maybe shouldn't have been reading stuff by the Marquis de Sade in elementary, but y'know…”

Young Ian sighed, digging in the dirt with hid finger, “The other kids make fun of me…” “About what?” Kazuo struggled to sit up, giving up and splaying out.  “They call dad Dermot fat…” “I've seen some of these kids’ parents at pickup.  They're just mad they don't have a fabulous drag queen dad.” “He's reading at the library this weekend!” “See?” Gav plopped a plant into the hole, “He's kind and smart, doing something nice for the kids.  An upstanding citizen.”

“Huh…yeah…they…they also make fun of you, grandpa Kazuo.” Kazuo rolled over, “Yeah, that doesn't really bother me anymore.  I've heard every jab and insult since I was a kid.  I'm a stinky, one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged weirdo, that's me.  I'm comfortable with that.” “I wish I didn't get bothered by name-calling,” the boy drew up his knees. 

“What do they call you?” Gav's voice was soft, though he expected the usual kid insults.  “They…” Young Ian swallowed hard, “They call me the…” His voice dropped to a whisper, “The faggot kid.” Kazuo and Gav immediately stiffened, not expecting that.  “It's a bad word…right?” “When used in hate, yes,” Kazuo sighed, “And that is hateful.” “I don't know if it's because of you guys and my dads, or because of how I act.” 

“Hard to say,” Gav bit his lip, “There's nothing wrong with you, or with this family.” “Yeah, we're a loving, stable family.  And you…” Gav ruffled his hair, “You're a smart, kind, gentle kid.” “I don't know why that makes them not like me,” the boy wiped his eyes.  “Some kids just aren't there yet.  You being this way means you're on a good path.”

“Hey,” Kazuo struggled into a sitting position, “You know who was a kind, gentle person his whole life?” “Who?” “Your grandpa Ian.” “Hey, yeah…” “He was so sweet.  You've got a good heart, just like him,” Gav smiled.  “You're gonna need that if you want to be a lawyer like he was.” “Yeah! I want to make him proud.” “Oh, he's proud,” Kazuo grinned, “He knows you're gonna do great things.” “I hope to.”

Gav stretched, “Hey, you up for Quack's before your dads come over?” “Yeah!” “Heh,” Kazuo rolled to his feet, “Don't let ‘em know we're spoiling your dinner,” he stood, pitching forward and nearly falling.  “Thank you,” young Ian said softly, “You guys made me feel a lot better.” “You're a good kid.  Things get better.  You have us to back you up.” “Martha!” The boy knelt down, “You coming?” She shut her eyes, tail thumping.

“We'll bring the old lady a vanilla cupcake,” Gav scratched her ear nubs.  “You feeling better?” Kazuo asked.  “Yeah, a lot!” And he really did feel better.  He glanced back towards the house, pausing.  His grandpa Ian stood at the back door.  He waved, before disappearing into the house.

“I'll make you proud,”  he said quietly, turning to take his grandfathers’ hands.  He'd had a needed confidence boost.  He was on the path to becoming a fine, young man -

A man to be proud of.

[fly-like-a-phoenix]

House of Lust (part 16)

Abbé de Coulmier x reader

Summary: Five years has passed since the events of Quills. The Abbé de Coulmier is released of prision by a misterious event. And he will know again those feelings he never thought will meet again: love... and lust.

Warnings: some mentions of violence and wounds, mentions of sex.

Odelle went to the dungeons in the morning, finding François sleeping on the ground, covered with the blanket. She actually thought he was dead for a minute, but he wasn't. He survived the punishment. And she didn't know how.

What she was thinking by now was about that empty bottle and that blanket. Who gave those to him? Was it you? One of the guards? Louis? Claude? One of the guests? No, they didn't know he was in the dungeons.

She opened the cell and approached him. She kneeled beside him and put her hand on his shoulder, moving him to wake him up.

"Abbé. Hey Abbé. Wake up. C'mon."

He started to open his eyes and, at the moment he saw Odelle, he jumped and moved to a corner, scared like if she was the product of a nightmare. He even thought he was dead, and she was a demon from a real Hell.

"Oh, do I scare you that much? That's nice!" She mocked. "Take this. Put them on." She throwed him a new cassock, shirt and trousers, and waited for him outside, smiling. He still had some bruises all over his body, and that made her feel good. But the lashes in his back somehow were cured. And she noticed it. It was impossible he did it alone. Someone must have help him.

Coulmier arrived at her side with new clothes, while he finished zipping the last buttons. He was breathing slowly. He frowned when he saw her standing and waiting for him. He wanted to kill her. It was the same feeling he always had while seeing doctor Roger-Collard.

He thought a lot about him those days in the dungeon. It reminded him a lot of the Charenton cell he made him go into. He thought a lot about Madeline too. And the Marquis. He dreamt about them. And you. He dreamt about you a lot.

"What the hell do you want now, Odelle? What are you going to make me do?" Said he, angry. His nails scratched the skin of his palms.

"I'm not going to make you do anything, Abbé. I'm done with you. I punished you because of what you did. But that's it. Today is the last day of the House of Lust this year. And you'll be free to go."

Was that true? He didn't trust her at all. But she didn't seem to be kidding. Maybe she was going to free him. Maybe it was true. But it was just a maybe. He didn't say anything else. He just glanced at her with hate.

"Now, go to Y/N chambers and clean yourself a little. Fix you hair. You're so handsome, but now you look horrible."

She smiled and left. He heard moans coming from a door next to where he stood. But it was a common thing by now, and he didn't mind about it.

He entered to your bedroom and found you sleeping. He approached to you in silence, sitting at the edge of the bed, extending his hand to touch your hair. You were fine. That was everything he wanted to know.

"Y/N, it's me." He said, and you woke. You scared at first, but then you recognized him.

"Abbé! Oh my God, I was so scared! Are you okay?" You hugged him quickly, not letting him a chance to go anywhere.

"I'm fine, Y/N. I'm... I'm fine. I'm alive." He smiled.

He broked the hug and looked at you im silence, right into your eyes. You kissed him with hunger, surprising him. But then, he continued with the kiss, touching your face and then your neck.

"I've missed you so much, François." You said, and his name in your lips caused something inside of him.

He started to cry suddenly. You didn't understand why, but you hugged him again, caressing his hair with pity. You didn't know what he had been through.

"Why are you crying, Abbé? What is it?"

"I thought your sister was going to kill me, Y/N. She... Let me in that cage like an animal. And, you know what? I didn't care about that. But then I thought about you, and I wanted to survive for you. I'm so glad you're fine! This are tears of joy!"

You hugged each other again, but when your hand caressed her back, he jumped with pain.

"What is it?" You said quickly, noticing he wasn't that right. You cupped his face with your hands. "You're not okay."

"No. Actually, I'm not." He smiled with pain in his eyes, tears still filling those green diamonds. "Your sister tortured me."

"What?! That fucking bitch! I'm going to kill her!" You screamed.

"Don't say those things, love." Coulmier cut what you were saying, putting his index finger in your lips. "I share the feeling, but tomorrow we will be free."

"You're right. I'm sorry, François. You're absolutely right. Tomorrow we can go to any place we wish, together."

"Actually, I want to talk with you about a couple of things---"

"Not here. Wait. Come with me to the bathroom. I'll give you a nice bath."

He smiled and followed you to the bathroom. He took off all his new clothes, and you couldn't help but put your hands in your mouth when you saw him naked. His back was all wounded with lashes. He had a stiched cut in his chest above the right nipple. And many bruises all over his skin.

"Josephine helped me." He whispered, in case anyone was outside. "She cured my wounds. You were right. She is not like Odelle."

"I told you she's nice. I hope she can get out of this place soon." You said, helping him enter the bathub, which was full of warm water. You started to clean the rests of blood from his back with care.

"I wanted to talk about that. I'm thinking she can go with us, at least while we go away from here. Do you agree?"

"Well... Yeah. She's my sister. And yes, she's done a lot of bad things, but I love her. It's a good idea. I agree."

You both stayed in silence a couple of minutes, just watching each other. You were washing his back with care and, when you ended, you started to give him a little massage in his chest and shoulders. He moaned a little because of the good feeling. After those days in the dungeons, it was nice to be back with you.

"Odelle makes a party every year when the days of the House of Lust are over." You explained. "We have to go and act normally. If anyone asks why they didn't see you these days, we can say you had a seminary."

"What happened these days I've been in the cell?" He asked with confussion.

"I don't know. I've been in a cell myself, Abbé. Odelle locked me up in my bedroom. Josephine brought me food and some water, and I had a bath just before you arrived."

"That bitch... I can't wait to be out of here, away from her." Said he, with hate. You couldn't blame him. You felt like that since many years.

"I need to ask you something, Abbé."

"Tell me." He responded, closing his eyes to feel your fingers massaging his scalp.

"When we were... You know... About to make love... And my sister found us..."

"Yeah...?"

"You said you had to confess something. What was it?"

François opened his eyes and looked at you briefly. He suddenly remembered how good you tasted, and the sounds you made while he was fucking you with his mouth and fingers just before he was taken to the dungeon. Yes. He had to confess something. Something awful. And surely you will understand.

"Do you know the 100 Days of Sodom? The book, I mean. It's a Marquis de Sade book."

"Yeah, my sisters have it in our library. Odelle reads it since it came out, and uses to practice somethings in here. Why?"

"Did you read it?"

"Some parts, just because she obligued me to do it. What has the book to do with your confession?"

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath, like if what he was about to say was really painful for him. He shocked his head and, with notable shame in his eyes, he talked with low voice.

"It wasn't the Marquis de Sade who wrote it. It was me. Roger-Collard... The doctor who made me be an inmate... When the Marquis died, I started to write as if I was him. I heard his voice in my head, guiding my hand into the paper. When Roger-Collard knew about that, he made me write a long story to print as a book. He told everyone it was the last thing the Maquis ever wrote, but it was me."

"And what about that?" You said, not getting why was that so bad.

"If people is so wicked... If this House of Lust has it existense based in that book, as you said... It's all my damn fault. I... I was so away from God... With everything that happened in those days... My mind was full of demons. And I really understood why the Marquis had to write them."

There was an extended silence in the room, with you finally getting how bad it was for him to write such a nasty, bad and pervert tale as that. Who will imagine it? A priest writing those things!

"Hey. Look at me." You took his face in you hands. "No one has to know. Ever. And I will keep my mouth shout. I promise. It wasn't you who wrote it. As you said, it was the Marquis. But you don't hear him anymore, don't you?"

"No. I haven't hear his voice in a year."

"So, you are you. And that's everything is fine." You said, smiling. He smiled back and kissed you.

"Now, we have to go to the stupid party. This will end soon. And we will be free to do whatever we want."

You helped him to put his clothes again and, back in your bedroom, you brushed his hair with care. He looked at himself in the mirror, and you, standing behind him, approached to him and kissed his cheek.

"You're so damn handsome." You said, waiting for him at the bedroom's door. "And you look so fine... I don't think no one will ask anything odd."

"I'm fine thanks to you and Josephine. And you are magnificent and beautiful too." He responded, smiling, hugging you and kissing you again, as if he didn't spent three days in a cell after a painful and pleasurable torture. "I love you, Y/N."

Guests started to arrive to the dining room from their bedrooms while you smiled at him. It will be a long, weird day. You both knew that. But you didn't imagined what was coming. You had no idea...

Tagging: @darknessisafriend @five-miles-over @yukis-writing @thegirlwho @jokerflecker @missrockabilly99 @luperugorria99 @weirdflecksbutok @skaraboo @starksclown @sgtsavoytruffle @joaquinisart @sophiefleck @the-queen-of-things @ajokerfangirl @bailaycantaconmingo @joaquinphoenixdaily @joaquinfeed @beatlebabe1996

[ihassheepquake]

DC's Batwoman 3.07 "Pick Your Poison" has aired on the CW and I'm here to talk about it

It's the mid-season finale. On one hand, it feels a lot earlier than expected, but also it kind of tracks with how the seasons of Arrowverse shows usually go. Normally the annual crossover around episode 9 of each season is kind of treated as the mid-season finale despite it definitely not being the mid-season. Though there isn't a traditional crossover, I do imagine that this episode is going to end in a way that lets Ryan be able to go participate in the Flash event happening as that seems to be happening in "real-time."

I guess what I'm most interested in seeing, not just from this mid-season but in general, is where this Ivy-Mary thing is going. Is Mary becoming Ivy for real, like full time? Someone was cast as Pamela, an actress named Bridget Regan. Obviously, Mary being Ivy right now doesn't mean that we'll never see Pamela but who knows for sursies. I would guess that Pamela is still in that underground prison it's said Batman put her in and has possessed Mary to go free her. But has somebody been caring for her since Batman vanished? What if she died in the years it's been? Maybe we only see Pam in flashbacks. They have a lot of things they could do with this plot and I'm really excited to see what they do with it.

Enough pre-episode talk, let's get into it.

Starting off strong, Ryan helping Jada basically kidnap Marquis. We love a wild start. Boy is becoming our new Joker, which I don't know if I'm into or not, but whatever.

I forgot Sophie fucked Renee last episode omg.

Swamp Thing name drop?? Hell yeah! Have we seen him in the Arrowverse before? I don't think so but it's been a long time since I watched early Arrow so maybe he popped up there? Did they just put the Swamp Thing show on this Earth now? The CW does technically have that show now and it aired there around Halloween 2019 I believe. Maybe 2020. But I want HBO Max to pick it up and give it new life because it deserves it and HBO Max would have the money to put into it and could let it keep its very R rating.

Yay Ryan, you got it! Alice went with Mary, possibly specifically so you lot can track her but who knows with her. But yeah, definitely not. She's just snatched Mary for her own devilish needs.

Besties what is this method of finding a donor??? Because it's really stupid. Oh I'm so glad they changed Ivy's compulsion powers so she doesn't have to kiss someone to make it work. Was never a fan of that. I wonder if Mary will keep any of these powers after Ivy leaves her system? It's not exactly abnormal for people to keep some powers after possession/temporarily having powers in this universe.

Speaking of, here is Joker 2.0 ladies and gays! This is certainly a plot point. And here he goes killing people.

Can you actually tell someone's blood type like this? Idk what Mary's actually doing but that's wild shit.

How is the show going to backtrack this thing with Ryan resigning? Because they're going to, we all know it.

Ivy-Mary do something to not let Alice get the blood! Take your revenge!! I really don't think you get to qualify as Mary's only family left. It is really interesting hearing Alice and Mary talk about Kate though because really what Alice is saying is mostly fake, Kate did spend most of season 1 legitimately trying to help Alice until Alice made it clear that she wasn't going to accept it. But Mary's kind of right. Kate wasn't great to her and did tend to prioritize Alice over Mary.

Mary going to the dark side!! We love to see it.

Go find the Bat Cave under Wayne Manor perhaps??

This whole Marquis-Joker subplot kinda feels like the Arkham Knight Joker subplot but not as interesting or fun. And even I wasn't a huge fan of the Arkham Knight subplot. Also, is anybody going to recognize and be concerned by the very "let's put a smile on that face" that Marquis just did? Because I feel like that warrants concern.

Loving the suit Ivy. Now we just need to find you a Harley to be gay with.

I've checked out my sources and it doesn't seem like episode 8's title has been revealed yet, which makes sense since it won't air for about a month and a half. And as far as I can see, there really is only 13 episodes this season. That's all I've found listed while looking online. I usually really like the full 22 episode seasons but I have felt like the Arrowverse shows would do better as the 13 episode half seasons for a while. Stargirl does really, really well with the shorter seasons and some of these Arrowverse seasons really feel like they drag at the full length (looking directly at Flash season's 6 & 7).

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest of this season plays out, and I'll see you back in January.

[malsfefanfics]

Ferdinand and Rosamund C-Support

Summary: After finding her in between her busy schedule, Ferdinand tries to engage in conversation with Rosamund. Rosamund is not very interested, and worms her way out of the interaction.

Written in Script Format under the cut.

Rosamund: Who's a good horse? You are.

Horse: [HUFFS]

Ferdinand: [APPROACHES] Ah, Rosamund! I am glad to have run into you.

Rosamund: Oh. Hey, Ferdinand. You need something?

Ferdinand: I was going to take my horse out for a patrol. Would you like to come with?

Rosamund: I'd like to, but I promised to help tutor the kids in Abyss once I'm done here. And then I have to help in the kitchens, go out to gather certain herbs, fishing-

Ferdinand: You are quite generous with your time. Have you been making time for prayer in between tasks? I do not recall you ever coming to the chapel. Not even for choir practice.

Rosamund: I don't need prayer. And I don't need to attend choir. There's far too much to do, so my time is precious to me. If I must spend it doing things, it's things I see as important.

Ferdinand: But you are the daughter of Marquis Vestra, are you not?

Rosamund: Unfortunately.

Ferdinand: Oh, um…nevertheless, as the children of a noble house-

Rosamund: 'We have certain obligations to provide an example for the common folk to aspire to'. Oh, wait. Were you actually going to say 'we have a duty to fulfill on this ever winding path of nobility'.  Or perhaps, you wanted to say 'our parents would be disappointed to hear we are neglecting our noble obligations'.

Ferdinand: Well…

Rosamund: Look, I get that my station means I have certain expectations, but those don't matter to me. There's too much else that needs doing, and to be frank, I don't intend to stay in my station forever.

Ferdinand: You don't?

Rosamund: Nope. I have no reason to. The nobility is rotten. So I intend to use what little good I can of it, and then at the first opportunity, abandon my noble title. Unless something else happens first. Hehehe.

Ferdinand: I…I see. That does seem rather wasteful, though.

Rosamund: I don't see how.

Ferdinand: As nobles, it is our duty to help the common folk. You could do more for others from your current position.

Rosamund: Spoken like a true heir of a Duke. You do realize you're just one step below the Imperial Princess in the pecking order of the noble caste, right? Whereas I am several steps below Lady Edelgard, despite being the daughter of a Marquis, and the Minister of the Imperial House at that. I might be fairly high in the chain, but my position actually does very little to aid anyone other than other nobility. As the second born, I do not have access to the family coffers. My father and older brother do. I just get an allowence. I do not have full control over the house. My father and older brother do. I just do whatever is ordered of me by my brother. I do not have a choice in who to marry. My father and older brother do. If Hubert says to do it, I do it. I have no leverage in politics outside of whether or not I can produce noble heirs, I have no skills that can propel me up the social ladder, and, I'm not sure if you have noticed, but I'm not exactly the most friendly of people.

Ferdinand: Many of those issues could be easily remedied.

Rosamund: Oh my. Are you proposing you'll have my father and brother assassinated so that I may inherit the title of Marquis Vestra and Minister of the Imperial House? Never thought you'd have it in you, kid. Truly. You've got guts. I'm impressed.

Ferdinand: Saints, no! That is not at all what I meant! What I had been trying to convey was that through discussions with your father-

Rosamund: And thus, all the feelings of being genuinely impressed with you have been shattered like glass on cobblestone.

Ferdinand: Rosamund, I do not think you have any sense of what it is I am trying to say at all.

Rosamund: I know exactly what you're trying to say. You think that because I am my father's daughter, I am his property, and thus should be like a doll and just smile and be pretty.

Ferdinand: That isn't at all what I-

Rosamund: I can promise you this. The day you actually impress me again, is the day I take your words to heart. Until then, leave me alone. [LEAVES TO PUT HER HORSE IN ITS STABLE]

Ferdinand: What on earth just happened?