#it's interesting he dislikes the countryside

[charliemwrites]

I had a BRAIN BLAST on the way home today. So!

In the category of Readers Who Get To Do What They Want:

(CW for dark Simon, johnny, and “reader” with unhealthy relationship dynamics, gaslighting - not from who you suspect - and threats of violence)

A pair of identical twins who are basically opposites from birth. Twin 1 is obviously favored by their parents for being the “easy” twin that tries to appease them and keep the peace. Twin 2 a little hellion from birth, they think this kid is basically broken. Try to test for psychopathy but nope, their own kid has just picked up on the accidental favoritism from birth and just seems to dislike their own parents. But they still love their twin.

The twins grow up as complete opposites. Different social circles, hobbies, interests, clothes, attitudes. They’re incredibly close, but twin 2 will (and has) gotten violent on twin 1’s behalf because their parents are raising them to be “well behaved”.

By teen years, twin 2 is being sent to the countryside most summers to be handled by the grandparents. (Jokes on them, farmlife is nice and the grandparents aren’t exactly strict - mostly because twin 2 actually likes them and doesn’t see much need to rebel).

Meanwhile twin 1 is doing summer programs and learning arts, developing this intense aversion to conflict and has trouble standing up for themself. Especially without twin 2 there to lean on.

Come university, their parents insist on twin 1 staying close by for uni, essentially make the choice for them. Twin 2 decides to ship out of the country and plans on breaking off all contact. (Maybe due to some sort of unforgivable drama at the grandparents’ funeral?)

Before leaving, twin 2 gives twin 1 a burner phone with one number programmed in. Promises that if twin 1 ever needs to disappear, to be free of it all, they can call and twin 2 will be there in a heartbeat with bolt cutters for those chains. And then they just sort of… disappear.

Twin 1 doesn’t see them for *years*. Never uses that phone but keeps it.

So twin 1 lives their quaint pre-determined life with their acceptable job and it’s all mostly okay. Not bad at all. Quiet, if lackluster.

And then Simon comes along. Simon, who takes one look at this little angel and decides they have to be his. Theyre too good, too soft, unable to take care of themselves properly in this big scary world. And after all he’s suffered, doesn’t he deserve something sweet to protect? And hell, Johnny could use a kind touch every now and then too.

So he “seduces” twin 1 (aka, the dark!Simon move of just deciding someone is his and acting like it whether they like it or not). Manipulates them into stepping right into their own collar and leash, with him at the other end.

It’s too late by the time Twin 1 realizes what they’ve become - this man’s pretty pet. An agreeable little doll for him and his teammate to play house with. It’s not always bad, but it’s suffocating and scary. They feel trapped; they are.

It takes months until they get enough privacy to dig the old phone out of the place they nearly forgot about it.

Twin 2 picks up on the third ring.

In the intervening years, twin 2 has gotten into all sorts of trouble and mayhem. Become the demon their parents always accused them of being. Has, somehow along the way, joined up with KorTac and gotten all their files scrubbed. “Twin 2” no longer exists to the world at large. Nothing that anyone, even Kate Laswell, could dig up.

They get the call from their twin and break their contract on the spot. Get on a flight within hours. Sneak their twin out of the homey prison they’ve been locked up in.

Take twin 1 to a sunny, public cafe and get the story through their sibling’s nervous stuttering. Gets angrier and angrier with the more they hear, eyes fixated on the thin leather collar around their twin’s throat.

“Please just… I know it’s selfish and I’m sorry, but-”

Twin 2 already has a plan. They have a quiet, cozy cabin with comfortable funds in a rural part of Canada. Twin 1 will go there, rest and recover and be free. Twin 2 will take their place with Simon and Johnny to throw off suspicion and searches.

The scars from living the life they have? No worries. twin 2 will stage a car accident, reopen some of them to make it seem legit. Lie about head trauma to account for any lapses in their twin 1 act.

It’s decided within three hours. Twin 2 sends their sibling off to the airport and sets everything into motion. They’ve been dying to do something like this for years, after all the times their sibling stuck by their side and tried to stick up to them, to no avail.

Twin 2 instantly hates that fucking collar. Lets Simon put it on but not without the most dark look at the wall, thinking of all the ways to break his hands. Fingers twitching by their side.

The boys sit them down to watch scary movies because they always think it’s fun to spook twin 1 and fuck them while they’re all tense and shivery and but twin 2 is just watching, almost bored. Makes a few attempts to fake jump but keeps forgetting because all their focus is on not slamming a hand into someone’s dick for grinding on them.

Pretends to be asleep in the big bed they’ve been herded into when they kick Johnny or Simon off in the middle of the night. Purposefully aims for soft spots and bruises.

They try to act like twin 1 for a bit but the persona is so difficult to keep up when every little condescending comment from Simon or Johnny makes them want to start stabbing. The inside of their mouth is all torn up from biting onto their cheek and running their tongue over their teeth to resists snarling and snapping.

One day they’re going to snap… and it’s going to be so good to see these bastards bleed.

[narumi-gens]

From the Ashes | Part One

Mei Mei x f!Reader

summary: Mei Mei arrives at your uncle's estate as a con woman. She leaves it as your savior.

warnings: 18+ minors/ageless/blank blogs dni, angst with a happy ending, historical (1920s) au, gothic romance, total rip-off of park chan-wook's masterpiece the handmaiden, con woman!mei mei, sexually and emotionally repressed reader, reader seems to be losing it a little at times, mentioned suicide, minor references to early 20th century japanese politics and colonization (for the history nerds)

words: 3k

notes: after two years, we're finally here! go watch the handmaiden if you've never seen it. it's maybe one of the most romantic movies of all time.

series masterlist

Before deciding to take on a job, Mei Mei always makes sure that she knows everything she possibly can about a potential mark. She learns their history, their routines, their likes and dislikes, as well as what skeletons are hidden away in their closets.

She bribes maids and chauffeurs and everyone else working in service who are treated as if they’re invisible. She digs into every record she can access through any means necessary. Whatever it takes to uncover every dirty secret the mark in question is hiding, she does. 

It’s only when she’s sure that she’s left no stone unturned that she decides whether or not to go through with the job.

So, when word reaches her about the pretty little heiress sitting on top of a massive fortune, she finds herself intrigued and begins her discovery process. The picture that begins to form as she does so isn’t anything that she finds all that surprising or interesting. 

You were orphaned at a young age and put in the care of your aunt and uncle. Your aunt died only a few years later, leaving your uncle behind as your sole guardian. From what she can gather, your life has been a sheltered one, as is usual for a woman of your status. You don’t seem to have many — if any — friends. The only people you spend any significant amount of time with are the staff working on your uncle’s estate and the man himself. 

She’s almost certain that the remote location of the estate, which is nestled deep in the countryside, only contributes to the isolation. But it leaves her with a problem. With so few people who interact with you on a regular basis, she’s left with fewer sources of information than she would like. 

However, what she is able to do is intimately familiarize herself with the terms of your inheritance. To inherit, you must marry and until you do, your entire fortune is locked away in a trust. The only funds accessible are the generous annual allowance provided to your guardian — your uncle. 

Your inheritance is large enough that she decides to move forward with her con despite the gaps in her research on you. After all, big risks warrant big rewards.

So, she turns her time and energy into crafting her plan: under the guise of a lesser noblewoman, she’ll earn your uncle’s attention and an invitation to his lavish estate. Once she’s there, she’ll prey on your innocence and naivete, seducing you until she can sneak you away in the middle of the night and marry you, only to then cash out your inheritance and do away with you. 

And then she’ll laugh without looking back as she makes off with your entire fortune. 

When the time comes to put her plan into action, the first part goes as smoothly as she anticipated. Your uncle makes regular trips to Tokyo for business and Mei Mei ensures that when he does, they cross paths. Japan’s imperial ambitions in the region and colonization of Korea have only benefited the man’s financial status over the years, yet he’s still always looking for ways to grow his obscene amount of wealth. 

All it takes are a few vague allusions to her being interested in both a new investment opportunity and a new husband for him to take the bait and she’s secured herself an open invitation to his estate to stay for as long as she desires.

She arrives in the countryside and at your uncle’s manor a week later and finds herself thankful that the car that was sent for her has a small glass window that separates the backseat from the driver. The partition allows her a moment to herself to scoff at the sight of the large house, which consists of two massive wings — one in the traditional Japanese style of wood and paper, and the other a Western-style multistory building of brick and stone. 

The house reflects the country’s vast and hurried ambitions to Westernize over the past fifty years. Mei Mei has no fondness for tradition. But likewise, she looks equally down upon the uncritical admirers of the West. Everything she detests about the men who have led this country through the past two eras can be represented by this monstrosity of a house.

Of course, when the car comes to a stop in front of the entrance, she makes sure that it’s the awed noblewoman who greets your uncle and not the derisive criminal. The staff are lined up in two neat rows to welcome her, and standing right in front of them is you. And you’re everything that she’s pictured. 

You’re prim and proper, your posture perfectly straight and your head respectfully tilted down. Your outfit is fashionable and undoubtedly expensive, but also much more conservative than what’s being worn in Tokyo. Yet when your uncle introduces the two of you and you lift your chin, it’s all she can do to keep a delicate eyebrow from quirking. 

Because where she’s expecting to find a shy, innocent, and naive flower that's ripe for picking, she instead finds a cold, sharp ice princess looking back at her in return.

All you offer is a polite bow and a courteous, “It’s nice to meet you, Mei-san.” 

However, it’s more than enough to pique her interest, leaving her curious about what lies hidden beneath your thick, hardened exterior.

And just as she’s planned, Mei Mei has ample time to find out. While she does have to spend her evenings with your uncle, entertaining his pathetic flirtations and dreams of acquiring her fictional fortune, business occupies his days, meaning that she can fill hers with you. 

The two of you share tea in the sitting room and afternoon walks through the estate’s sprawling grounds. You sit alongside one another and read in the library. She watches as you sketch in a book beneath the towering sakura tree in the garden, although she hasn’t been able to catch a glimpse of what fills its pages.

As she spends more time with you, she begins to take notice of how your hands are always clothed in a pair of gloves that never extend past your wrists. The gloves are rarely ever the same set — sometimes they’re silk with a lace cuff, sometimes a rich leather that creaks with every absent movement of a finger, sometimes they’re the same shade as your skin tone and don’t stand out at all. 

There’s something about the way that she never sees you without them that makes her think they’re more than a mere fashion accessory, but she can’t say for certain what the reason could be. 

Your uncle encourages her to get to know you better, telling her that he hopes she can soften you with a woman’s touch. One night, with a glass of whiskey in his hand and a cigarette perched between two fingers, he mentions that it’s something that you’ve been without since you were young and your aunt tragically took her own life. 

“There’s a touch of madness that runs in that family. My late wife suffered from it and I’ve spent all these years wondering whether my niece escaped it,” he says with a sigh of pity. “At times, I find myself unsure if she has.”

The man demurs to provide any more details, insisting that doing so would be too ghastly for the sensitive ears of a woman, particularly a pair as fine as hers. 

His refusal to speak further on the matter to protect her propriety is one of the many things he gets wrong as she’s not only heard much worse, but she’s seen much worse. She’s done much worse. 

None of it matters though as she’s already aware through her research into the family that your aunt’s body was found one morning hanging in the garden from the same sakura tree where you spend so many of your afternoons. What your uncle does let slip is that you were the one to find the body. 

Finally, Mei Mei has at least one piece of the puzzle that is you. 

Another piece is quick to come as it doesn’t take long for her to realize that for all of her scheming and plotting, you’ll never fall prey to whatever trap she manages to set. You’re much too sharp and distrusting for that, keeping her at a distance no matter how much she tries to close it. For all of the hours that you’ve spent together, you’ve never offered her more than cool formalities. 

As she contemplates how to adjust her plan in light of this, the seeds of an idea are planted one day as she strolls around the house’s exterior, committing to memory every entrance and exit and window under the guise of appreciating the building’s unique architecture. Just as she rounds a corner of part of the Japanese-styled wing, she stops at the scene that she stumbles upon.

Three housemaids stand in a row facing her, although with their heads shamefully tilted down and gazes fixed firmly upon the gravel path, her sudden presence goes unnoticed. She takes a few steps back, peeking out from the side of the building to watch you as you go down the line, striking each of them harshly across the cheek one by one. 

Despite the distance, she can hear the crack of your gloved palm meeting each of their faces and the cries they let out in return. However, she misses whatever scathing words you spit that have the maids looking so fearful. Suddenly, your hand darts out to grab the braid of the girl standing on the right, yanking it so hard that Mei Mei can hear her pained yelp clearly as you force her to the ground. 

When you look down at the cowering girl at your feet, continuing to direct your vitriol at her, she’s finally able to catch a glimpse of your face. Across your pretty features, she finds the same coldness that she’s spent the last weeks becoming familiar with since she arrived. You then turn back to the other maids who flinch despite your hands remaining at your sides.

As much as she wants to stay and watch the rest of the situation unfold, Mei Mei decides to make her retreat. She can’t risk being discovered. This new piece of information is something to be tucked away for use when it serves her best.

Knowing that every set of eyes and ears on this estate belongs to your uncle, she wonders what the man’s reaction will be when word inevitably reaches him about your treatment of the staff. 

However, dinner passes as it always does without any incident. Your uncle discusses his business in an attempt to impress Mei Mei. Mei Mei acts coy in return. And you speak only when spoken to — which is rarely. 

The only proof that anything happened at all that afternoon is the red and slightly swollen cheek of the maid who fills your water glass and the line of tension in her frame as she does so. Mei Mei sees the way your uncle’s eyes barely pass over the maid’s face and realizes that the man already knows about this streak of cruelty in you, this hint of madness in you. He just doesn’t care.

As she watches you eat one grain of rice at a time, bringing your chopsticks back and forth to your plush lips in a delicate motion, she begins to recognize the darkness she sees in you. It’s similar to the darkness she sees in herself.

The next afternoon, she decides to confront you about the incident over tea, curious to see how you’ll respond.

“Why were you disciplining the maids yesterday?” she asks. She hopes to catch you off guard by both the knowledge that there was another party present for the maids’ punishment and by how suddenly she’s broached the subject.

However, you continue to defy her expectations. 

“They were gossiping,” you answer simply, your temperament calm and undisturbed as you continue to lightly stir your tea before setting down the small spoon.

“Is that enough of an offense to warrant a slap to the face?” There’s no judgment or criticism in her tone, only pure curiosity. But the question is enough to have you lifting your gaze to meet hers, a cold look in your eyes as you do.

“I want them to be miserable,” you tell her indifferently as you lift your teacup to take a small, ladylike sip. It’s Mei Mei who now finds herself slightly surprised by your blunt response. “It makes life just a bit more bearable.” 

She knows how to read people. And she can see what it is that you’re not saying. It’s not just that you want them to be miserable. It’s that you want them to be as miserable as you. 

It’s the final piece she needs to solve the puzzle and she hides her satisfaction behind the teacup she brings to her own red-painted lips. A con woman’s greatest asset is her ability to improvise and she has always prided herself on her ability to think quickly, so the solution to her problem comes quickly.

Despite the risks, she’ll include you in her plan and turn you from unknowing target to willing accomplice.

The next afternoon when you both are alone on a stroll deep in the gardens and away from any unwanted ears, she makes her move.

“The terms of your inheritance are rather strict,” she casually remarks and there’s a slightest pause in your step that betrays your surprise at the deviation in perfunctory small talk and she can’t help but feel satisfied with how she’s finally caught you unawares. “You need to marry in order to inherit.”

It’s not posed as a question but as the statement of fact that it is. You remain silent by her side, seemingly unsure of where this topic of conversation will lead.

“Would you like to marry me?” she asks, a coy smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. It’s a question that provokes an immediate reaction from you.

“I have no plans to marry. Ever,” you’re quick to tell her. There’s a forcefulness in your tone that leaves little room for doubt and Mei Mei can feel the urge to giggle threatening to bubble up. It reminds her of the way spoiled children refuse to eat what’s been put before them at dinner.

“Yes, for us, marriage is just another cage,” she muses, settling for a thoughtful hum instead of outright laughter. Any lingering humor dissipates as she poses her next question, knowing how important it is that you don’t misread her or her intentions. “But what if I said that this one would set you free?”

You come to a stop so suddenly that it takes her a few steps before she realizes that you’re no longer beside her. When she turns around, she finds you watching her with a guarded expression. Your posture is perfectly straight, but she can see that it’s due to the line of tension in your shoulders rather than the etiquette lessons she knows were drilled into you as a child.

“I arrived here with a plan: to seduce you, steal your fortune, and then get rid of you.” With each word, she takes a step towards you until only a few feet separate you. 

Your gaze remains locked on hers despite how you bristle with the visible urge to put a respectable distance between you once more. Mei Mei can’t help but smirk yet again, despite knowing that doing so will only feed into your distrust.

“But as soon as I met you, I knew that you would never fall for such a ploy.” She then takes on an air that’s only slightly more serious. “So, I’ll make a proposal of a different kind. I’ll spirit you away from your dull life in this country estate and give you your freedom. In return, we’ll split your inheritance right down the middle.”

While she doesn’t expect you to leap at her offer, she at least hoped for a hint of awe in your eyes at the idea of a life without the restrictions placed on you by both your status and society. Instead, you continue to give her nothing. 

As the silence stretches on, she prepares herself to mention that fifty percent is more than what she would normally offer an accomplice. But before the words can even form on her tongue, you turn your back to her and begin to walk back in the direction of the house. 

Part of Mei Mei expects to be hauled away by the police in the next few hours, but there’s something about your demeanor that keeps her from cutting her losses and running. For how unreceptive you seemed to be towards her proposal, it was your reaction to being offered your freedom that gives her pause.

The tension you carried didn’t stem from outrage, but from self-restraint.

That evening at dinner, you act as if nothing happened. You give your uncle the same perfunctory greeting, you bow lightly to her, and then you take your seat at the table. 

She wonders if you just haven’t had a chance to be alone with your uncle and reveal her treachery, but when breakfast proceeds the same way, she realizes that you don’t intend to do anything with this new information. You’ll keep her nefarious secret to yourself, which gives her time to adapt.

Since her plan requires you to be a willing accomplice, there’s a fine line that needs to be walked so as not to scare you off. So, she decides to default to part of her original plan – she'll seduce you.

[pynkhues]

https://x.com/snow_droplet/status/1836806686041944275

lots of people see this scene (louis reading madame bovary) as a one more confirmation of louis = housewife = mother. just as the yellow painting depicting mother and child. why do you think he relates to these works so much? and what do you think it says about writers' intent wrt his character?

Mm, I can see the thought process, but having read Madame Bovary a number of years ago, I'm a little surprised at the interpretation of Louis as Emma, who cheats because she finds monogomy boring, provincial life even more so, and dislikes motherhood - three things that I'd associate a lot more with Lestat than I would with Louis given a) Antoinette, and the fact that Louis never cheated on Lestat given he only had sex with Jonah when the relationship was opened up, b) Lestat spent most of his mortal life trying to escape the French countryside when Louis has only ever lived in cities, and c) his Whole Deal with Claudia.

I do think that it's worth noting too that the copy of Madame Bovary Louis' reading is actually Lestat's, not Louis':

It also shows I think a real sense of taking Louis' self-assessment when he's at one of his lowest points of depression across the course of the series, as an actual representation of himself? Claudia calling Louis a housewife was pretty specifically about trying to emasculate him into action, and we're sitting with Louis here where he does feel emasculated. Louis does find purpose through work - he's an ambitious man and a capitalist from the moment we meet him - and him being forced out of the upper echelon of earning capacity due to his race is both, of course, racist, but I think also is something he does find emasculating.

Louis always took his role as provider seriously with the du Lac's, I think both as eldest son and patriarch (and I kinda touched on it in my post about Grace, but the show flirts a little with gothic themes of a perverted family structure there in that Louis is both father and brother to Grace and Paul, and son and husband to Florence), and I think even having the illusion that he was providing for at least Claudia, if not Lestat (who of course is cashed-up from Magnus), was still a crucial part of his identity. It's why it's easy for him to fall into a (again, perverted) version of that role with Armand.

That's even without getting into the Capitalism of it all, haha. I actually forgot this and just caught it again on my (very slow) re-watch, but The Azaelia isn't Louis' only business at the time when it starts getting targeted. He's invested in, at the very least, grocery stores and millineries, which Lestat points out to him when Louis' making his No Whites Allowed sign:

This - - again - - is emasculating. Grocery stores and hat makers are very specifically pink-collar industries, and Louis' been making a fortune not off women's quote-unquote 'interests', he's been making it off women's bodies. And again, one day, I'm going to write my Louis-is-a-misogynyst post, but for now, my point is that it's the insult of this that fuels Louis' (rightful!) anger, not his relation to it.

The painting I do think is a bit different, but that's kind of harder to talk about given visual art is so subjective (and honestly I know less about it / can speak to it less). I do think it's significant though that the artist is a Black man, and someone who's still pretty up and coming. The maternal side there I can see, but I don't think it's as absolute as others, just personally.

[shelbeetaylor]

Character Introductions (Part 2)

-> story masterpost

moodboard by @singingslayingsoprano

Genevieve Santira

Most of her life, people have only called her Genevieve, but Evie’s calling her Gena has begun to stick.

Genevieve uses she/her pronouns.

Genevieve is 20 years old at the beginning of the story, and her birthday is on May 16 which would make her a Taurus.

Genevieve is known as the Crown Princess’s maidservant to those outside the palace, but those inside know her as one of Cassandra’s best friends.

Likes: working with her hands like sewing and embroidery, helping her father in the smithy, and taking care of her friends

Dislikes: playing mother to the chaotic individuals she happens to be friends with, her inability to read or write, and Cassandra only when the princess doesn’t listen to her

Genevieve often frequents the taverns of Vale Serine not to drink but to listen to the songs played by the traveling bards. Since she cannot read or write, the lyrics of the nomadic musicians provide her with stories she wouldn’t be able to know of otherwise.

If Genevieve lived in our world, her playlists would probably be filled with songs by artists like Rihanna, Selena Gomez, and SZA.

Genevieve, though quite confident in her ability to perform her job adequately, she struggles a lot with her life at home. Her parents were forced into marriage and out of their village after having her brother--who she hates talking about-- out of wedlock. Genevieve was very young when her brother disappeared, and her home life took a turn for the worse. Now she relies on her time away at work and the adventures Cassandra drags her on to grant her reprieve.

Face Claim: Angel Coulby as Guinevere in BBC Merlin

moodboard by @singingslayingsoprano

Wesley Moonbourne

A lot of people often refer to him as Wesley, but Evie has deemed it more appropriate to call him Wes.

Wesley uses he/him pronouns.

Wesley is 20 years old at the beginning of the story, and his birthday is on October 14 which would make him a Libra.

Currently, Wesley holds no official title, but by training in Vale Serine under the instruction of Theo he hopes to earn himself a spot as one of the knights of Nevernia.

Likes: dogs, hunting, and playing chess

Dislikes: feeling like he doesn’t belong, Evie feeling bad, and being without his dog Ranger

Wesley grew up in the outskirts of Bellbury, a city surrounded by farmland, so one of his odd interests is agriculture. Most of his days in Bellbury were spent voluntarily helping around the nearby farms, much to his family’s chagrin. If Wesley wasn’t able to become a knight, his dream would be to move out into the countryside and live on a farm with his animals, his dog Ranger, and the love of his life.

If Wesley lived in our world, he would listen to a variety older music like songs by Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles.

Wesley, having just moved to Vale Serine, is really struggling with trying to fit in. He wants to be accepted by the knights and especially by his idol, his cousin Theo, and he’s trying his best to become friends with them whether it’s by acting cool or sneaking along on their adventures. Hopefully his newfound friendship with Princess Evie will lead him in the right direction.

Face Claim: Noah Beck

moodboard by @singingslayingsoprano

Terran Willows

People usually just call him Terran, but the knights are also partial to Terr-man or giving him briefly-used, more colorful monikers… Sir Enoch’s favorite at the moment is Bog Man.

Terran uses he/him pronouns.

Terran is 20 years old at the beginning of the story, and his birthday is on June 20 which would make him a Gemini.

Terran is currently studying as an apprentice to Galen, the Court Physician, and he has been working under Galen for about five years.

Likes: his mother’s yearly visits, reading, and practicing magic in his room

Dislikes: Galen’s intense exams, getting scared, and Galen’s overprotective rules about magic and going out

In the spirit of helping people, Terran dedicates as much of his time and energy into improving the lives of others. While he is working towards becoming a physician full-time, Terran volunteers around Vale Serine helping those who need it. Sometimes the knights will even tag along to help and protect him, especially if he’s making a trip into places like Serine’s Hope to hand out food, provide free medical care, or distribute clothes.

If Terran lived in our world, he would definitely be a big fan of Maude Latour, but he would listen to mostly folk music like Hozier, Lord Huron, and Noah Kahan.

While Terran is quite proud of who he is as a person, there is still a lot of turmoil inside his head about it. He grew up in the outlying villages of Nevernia where it isn’t uncommon to see friends string up friends for being queer or possessing magic. Terran managed to escape that environment with his secrets intact, but the inner demons spawned in that hell have followed him to the big city, though he’s lucky to have Galen there reminding Terran every so often that he is not a monster for the way he was born.

Face Claim: Colin Morgan as Merlin in BBC Merlin

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

I LOVE YOUR WORKS SO MUCH ITS INSANE RAHHH… where does one find your ‘a wolf in chase’ fic??

aww thank you! that's so kind of you to say!

I took Wolf in Chase and Pale Before the Fall down because for a time there was an iteration of them (very, very different I will say) being shopped to publishers but that is now on the back burner.

Please find the Woodford Series PDFs below (I also included the few on AO3 so you have a sense of the proper order of things):

Pale Before the Fall

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings (e.g., Wellesley/Kitty, past Napoleon/Josephine etc.) Rating: T to M(ish) Summary: After Waterloo, through a cunning lawyer and some finagling, Bonaparte manages to end up in England instead of St Helena for his final exile. Of course things don't stay quiet. There's an old murder. A stodgy Duke newly returned from France. A disintegrating marriage. And a couple of ghosts to top it all off. (and full of pretentious chapter titles and what not) Published: 2013-09-27

A Wolf in Chase

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: T to M(ish) Summary: Sequel to "Pale Before the Fall" though I don't think it's too much a necessity to have read the first one. A continuation of something like a friendship. If one may be so liberal as to call it that. Mostly, there are mysteries and a bored (former) emperor who has nothing better to do than drag a certain duke along on his adventures. Published: 2015-07-07

An argument for the wise use of blankets, or, Napoleon dislikes Canova's interpretation of him as Peacemaker (AO3)*

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: G Summary: For an anon on tumblr who requested the following: I have only one Napollington suggestion and it is anything including Napoleon being ridiculously angry about Arthur having that naked Napoleon statue in his house. Published: 2019

*I wrote a second, newer version of this fic at the request of someone on here. So that version is also on AO3 as A Kindness Interrupted. Same premise, a little more angsty. Published: 2024

Unsent Letters**

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: T(ish) Summary A child has gone missing out in the countryside. Wellington investigates. Napoleon is pissed that he's not invited along for the ride. It is a series of letters between them as shit gets weird. Published: 2018? I think?

**Note: Takes place ostensibly in the same universe as Pale and Wolf except that I also borrowed heavily from the rewrite that was being shopped around. So some characters who died in the OG are alive in this version. Treat it as an au of an au. I'll note that this is probably my favourite of the lot. Key differences: Georgiana Preston is alive, it's someone from her past who was murdered. Napoleon ended up half-dead on a river bank due to a fairy king trying to slice him open. Mary did some weird fucked up magic to heal him. Is he now like...weirdly sewn into the land? Maybe. Don't worry about it.

Wrack and Ruin (on AO3)

Pairing: Napoleon/Wellington; Historical pairings Rating: T(ish) Summary A letter from Joseph Bonaparte relating to the oft' cited and mysterious Jersey Devil brings Napoleon and an always less-than-amused Wellesley to New Jersey. Published: 2017

Usual disclaimer that these are quite old and absolutely not up to snuff compared to my current writing (I cannot emphasize this enough). But if you're interested, feel free to dive in.

[farmerbebop]

Can you talk more at all about Mcgoohan and The Prisoner, I followed you for the art but now I want the tea. Admittedly, I know zero about Mcgoohan or his work outside of recognizing him from TCM reruns.

Thank you for the question and for enjoying this blog.

McGoohan was an enigma, and so was The Prisoner. Almost everyone who has ever tried to explain The Prisoner ended up saying more about themselves than about its creator.

Generally, everyone agrees that McGoohan was a rebel, but no one really knows when it started. Probably very early, because his daughter once mentioned he got a scholarship to a prestigious school in England called Ratcliffe (he was from a working class background and grew up on a farm in Ireland) and then immediately said "He hated it, but he went, because he had to." The only good thing about it was that he learned boxing there.

The official story always starts with something like: He worked multiple jobs before becoming a self-taught actor (he was the stage manager and one day the actor was sick) when it should start with his childhood in the countryside. Even though he always seemed like someone who could hold the sky up if it fell down, it's also well-known that he was a hopeless romantic, and his childhood was probably responsible for that.

Anyway fast forward to a rainy night in England, when the Lyric Theatre was dead silent after his performance of Brand because the audience forgot how to breathe, or to clap. He got off stage and told his wife his performance wasn't good enough and she agreed. His co-star later said those two people were the only ones in the world who could see something wrong in such a performance.

He soon moved on to TV. He agreed to do this spy show, even though he disliked the whole James Bond thing. The producer realized that too late. He was already changing scripts on the spot. No womanizing, no kissing, no gun (well, in a few cases there were guns but they hardly did anything). Some big boss from the US flew over to tell him they wanted more sex and violence. He told the guy to fuck off.

That was Danger Man. If I get a dime for everytime a woman fainted over John Drake, I would be a millionaire. At some point during my first watch of it, I started hearing music when he walked. Literally.

John Drake was a spy with a moral standard. It was McGoohan's work. He gave the public a hero in every sense of the word. But he made sure John Drake was always interesting. After all, he happened to be one of the greatest actors ever lived.

Then he got tired of it. Of course that was not good for the network. He was the biggest TV star in the UK.

So he told them he could do another show. And it was The Prisoner.

Oh before that, I must mention that he got married early in his life, was in love with his wife until the day he died, wrote her love notes everyday and occasionally got soft meat thrown at him during their fights.

So he made The Prisoner, basically did almost everything. Was very angry at times, probably slept like 4 hours a day, went through several nervous breakdowns. His co-star Leo McKern didn't go through "Once Upon a Time" unscathed either. According to McGoohan: "He'd truly cracked."

The Prisoner was McGoohan's baby. No one in the crew was allowed to mention the word television. He wanted it to be more than that. He made sure it was of the highest quality. It was his vision that carried the whole show.

It was about an ex-spy called Number Six. No one knows what he did, only that he resigned. People still argue whether or not he is John Drake. To me, no one really knows who John Drake really is, and so Number Six could as well be John Drake. After all, what is the difference beside that Number Six has a past and John Drake doesn't?

Number Six was kidnapped to the Village, where the Village authority (the Number Twos) tried everything to extract information out of him. They wanted to know why he resigned. And he wouldn't tell them that.

And then there's Number One, who gives out order to the Number Twos, hires and fires them at will. No one knows who Number One is. But in order to get out of the Village, Number Six will eventually have to face them.

This show gives you complete freedom from the very start. It will ignite your imagination. It was a marvelous feeling.

It doesn't coax you into liking Number Six, it doesn't even tell you who he is. But when you see the fire burning in his eyes, when you hear the thunder in his voice, when you see him walking up and down his room like a lion in a cage, you will understand why you are here with him.

The Village is a mirror of our modern world. The Prisoner predicted so many things we are seeing now. And yet, it feels so new, so strange, so fresh. It was like seeing the inner workings of McGoohan's mind laid out before our eyes, the beauty of its dreams and the horror of its nightmares.

I think you need to watch it completely open-minded, let it change you, and it will let itself be changed by you.

Its conclusion drove some people mad. They couldn't accept it, they wanted a Bond-like ending. They couldn't handle McGoohan's 'absurd' ending. He went from being the highest paid actor in the UK to someone who hid from the angry public in a place with no telephone.

Fame. Money. Status. All of that gone over night. But we know by now that he wasn't someone who cared about that.

But I think he wanted it to reach its audience, to reach future generations. He wanted to leave something behind for eternity.

He was so ahead of his time. And if he was still alive, he would still be ahead of our time.

I could go on forever but I only slept like 4 hours last night so I'd better stop before I start talking more nonsense. All of my followers know they should take whatever I say about McGoohan with a grain of salt. My only motto is: the only ones I shall make fun of on here are McGoohan and myself.

[ladyviolethummingbird]

The Gloaming

An Outlander/Jane Eyre crossover fic

Chapter 1: Alone

Aged three and twenty James Fraser had nothing more than a second-hand suit and an old leather satchel to his name. In contrast to his current state, James’ upbringing was initially one of wealth and prosperity. Nestled in the heather-covered hills of the Scottish Highlands, the Frasers lived on their farm estate, Lallybroch. It was here, on a crisp Spring morning in the year 1821 that James - Jamie to his family - was born. His first few years of life were full of joy; a spirited child with a crop of auburn curls, he was doted on by his loving parents. Spending his days riding his horse and swimming in the stream, he wanted for nothing. Unfortunately at the tender age of eight, tragedy struck; his mother died of scarlet fever, his heartbroken father following mere weeks later. Jamie, now an orphan with no close family nearby, was all alone in the world.

According to the terms of his father’s will, Jamie was to live with his Uncle Dougal and his family in Edinburgh. When he came of age he would then return to the Highlands, taking his rightful place running Lallybroch. Dougal Mackenzie, however, was a greedy man and informed the lawyer managing the Fraser estate that Jamie had died of the fever too, thereby stealing the property for himself and leaving his young nephew with nothing. The worst part of it was that the boy knew nothing of the scheme, only that his beloved home was being taken over by new owners. His Uncle in possession of Lallybroch, Jamie was sent to a workhouse and soon happy days on the family farm were only a memory.

The years that followed were especially tough; fourteen-hour days spent chopping wood and crushing stones. Food was scant, water for washing - when there was any - ice cold. The overseer took a particular dislike to Jamie, frequently caning the child for the merest infraction. Jamie suffered terribly, pining for his parents as well as the fresh clean air of the countryside. He dreamed of the day he would escape the city and be surrounded by rolling green hills once more.

It was quite by chance that Jamie was finally able to leave the workhouse behind. After ten years he’d grown from a gangly youth to a strapping 6’4”; not as well built as he would have been on a proper diet but a man of strength nevertheless. One day he was driving the cart of chopped wood from the workhouse to a local blacksmith when the horse threw a shoe and reared back. Having known the way of horses practically since birth, Jamie brought the animal under control, saving both the cart and its load. The blacksmith - himself quite afraid of horses - was impressed.

“Lad, I’m expanding my business and looking for a farrier. Think ye might be interested?”

It was the first piece of good news Jamie had received since his parents died and he agreed immediately. For the next five years the young Scot learned his trade; making and fitting horseshoes as he cared for horses hoofs for miles around. Although much better than the workhouse, it was still a hard life; early starts and long days for very little pay. Still, Jamie was able to be around horses again which brought some comfort.

Fate however, was not on Jamie’s side. One chill winter’s morning the blacksmith complained of feeling poorly and by that evening he was dead; leaving the Jamie all alone once again. He hadn’t enough money to take on the business himself, so the shop was closed and he was turned out onto the street. With the little money Jamie had saved, he rented a small room above a pub; his funds stretching just enough to allow a roof over his head for one month, afterwhich he’d be homeless. Desperate to not have to return to the workhouse, Jamie was willing to do just about anything so long as it was honest work. With no money or connections to help him, his prospects were slim and helplessness threatened to descend. Finally Jamie hit upon an idea and with his last few pennies he placed an advertisement in The Times.

Young man seeking situation - skills as farrier, care of horses and in manual labour. Willing to work for accommodation.

Initial hope began to fade as the weeks ticked by with no responses. Not for the first time, Jamie wished his Da was still alive to guide him through troubled times. Or his Mam there to offer a comforting hug. Having no one to love him or for him to love in return brought a coldness Jamie worried he’d never escape. Three days before he was due to lose his bed, he received a reply.

Dear Mr Fraser,

We are in need of a riding instructor for the young Master of our estate. Room and board included, the salary offered is £50 per annum. Assistance with the management of the stables would also be required. If you are willing to accept our terms please reply via return post.

Yours sincerely,

Joseph Abernathy,

Wolverton Hall, Shetland.

Beaming at this good fortune, Jamie immediately dipped the quill into the ink pot to write and accept Mr Abernathy’s offer. Such was his excitement that his shaking hands spilled the black liquid across the parchment and he had to start over, but it mattered not. Packing his meagre possessions into his satchel Jamie began the journey northward and toward a meeting that would change his life forever.

[biology-is-not-bigotry]

I am a white female and I live in the Southern Europe, more precisely in Portugal.

I'm a lesbian.

I'm mentally ill and I've been dealing with depression and anxiety for most of my life which has affected me in various ways.

The first time I was exposed to radical feminism, it was back in 2016/2017. I was hate-reading radical feminist blogs and I found out I actually agreed to everything, I was just always afraid to say it out loud. Before that, I was a normie LGBTQ+ transgender ally.

I grew up in a Christian family around a small, rural village. My father was an alcoholic and he was abusive to my mom. In the countryside, abusing women is just treated as normal and nobody usually dares to lift a finger to do anything. I saw my grandmothers, aunts, cousins and my own mother being abused. Fortunately, when I was a younger adult, my mother was able to leave the house with the help of a DV organization and she's happy and free now, far away from my father.

While growing up, I saw the really ugly parts of religion. Religion was really indoctrinated in my village and I was forced to be part of it. That made accepting myself a very, very difficult thing to do because it involved a lot of shame and a lot of guilt. Nowadays, I'm an atheist and I'm anti-religion.

I have the same principles as all radical feminists do: I'm actively anti-prostitution or any form of what they call "sex work", I'm anti-porn, anti-kink and anti-BDSM. I'm pro choice and pro-reproductive rights.

I'm actually a pro-separatism woman and I do think female separatism works because I practice it everyday. I have no male friends and I have no desire to have them, I only donate money to women and I try to support woman-only businesses. I also try to stay very far away from media that sexualizes women and I do everything in my day-to-day to center women and only women.

I dislike pornography because I was exposed to it while navigating the internet by myself when I was very, very young and I became addicted to it. It had a very negative effect on me and my sexuality and to this day, I'm still dealing with the consequences.

As for personal interests, I like reading, I like classic literature and poetry. I also like movies and video games.

If you'd like to know more about my ideologies, please visit this link. And feel free to send me a message anytime, I'm very friendly!

*those are mine and were made by me but my fellow radical feminists can use them if they want.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

Hi there! Thanks again for reaching me out ^^ I'd like to request a matchup for JJK, MHA and Haikyuu please!

Name: you can use Yuno if needed :)

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: I'd like to be paired with male characters

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Appearance: east Asian, slim build, black short hair (two blocks haircut), I wear cargo pants with t-shirts (either black, grey or white) and sneakers. I prefer practical clothes. The simpler the better.

Personality: funny, curious, love to eat and travel, make new interesting friends, discover new activities and new places. I'm also analytical, I understand things people don't say or explain. Loved-ones say I can be blunt, opinionated, creative and love to persuade others. Independent, hard to know and anticipate. I really like to tease people, and even those I do not know well yet.

Likes: spring, summer, dots and cats, eating, traveling, try new activites/dishes, chill out on the sofa, sometimes play video games (Zelda BOTW and TOTK, Okami, Smash Bros, Life is Strange...), watching movies at the cinema, joking around and teasing people, laughing without any restraint, a nice walk in the countryside.

Dislikes: noisy people for no reason, brainless people, people walking too slow, rain, autumn.

Hobbies: writing with people, walking around, eating, going out, cooking, gardening.

extras: I'm a spring/summer person even if I have a hard time standing the heat, I prefer cats but I have a doggo energy somehow. I enjoy writing with others people (never alone because I get bored), discussing about philosophy, joking around and challenge authority.

Thanks a lot!

Hi Juno! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took a while. I hope you like your matchups!

In Jujutsu Kaisen, I match you with...

You and Megumi are both quite blunt and while you might think that would lead to conflict, it actually leads to a very open and clear relationship.

He’s so glad you like dogs. Sure, his divine dogs are there to help him with his curse expelling work but he does have a soft spot for them. He’ll call them out so they can say hello to you from time to time.

I don’t see him as a fan of noisy people either (despite spending so much time around people like Nobara and Itadori). He’s happy to just spend time with you.

Megumi enjoys discussing philosophy with you a lot more than he thought he would. I see him as someone who likes deep conversation but only with a few select people. You fall into that category for him.

I think Megumi would enjoy gardening with you. It’s something relaxing and he can turn his mind off while doing it. Plus he gets to enjoy your presence while you both concentrate on the job at hand.

In My Hero Academia, I match you with...

You and Shoto are a good match since you’re both very different and very similar. You balance each other out in the best ways.

Loves taking walks with you. It really clears his mind and he gets to spend time with you one on one so it’s a win-win.

I think Shoto would also enjoy trying new foods with you. Sure, he knows what he likes but he’s also open to trying new things, especially if you’re trying them with him.

Writing pals! I see Shoto as someone who likes writing down his thoughts and being a bit poetic from time to time. If he gets to write with you and then swap work, he’d have a blast.

Please help him make new friends as well. He’s only got a handful of them and he’d love to make more. He’s just not sure how to go about it without some help.

In Haikyuu, I match you with...

You and Daichi would be rest buddies. He tends to over work himself sometimes so it’s good having you there to make him take regular breaks when he needs them.

I think Daichi would enjoy trying new things with you. He’s got volleyball but he’s always looking to try out new hobbies and broaden his horizons.

He likes that you’re opinionated. Being the captain of a volleyball team means you have to be decisive and have strong opinions. Being with someone who’s the same is good for him.

No need to worry about slow walkers when you’re around Daichi. He’s super tall and takes long strides so he’s a very fast walker. If anything, you might need him to slow down.

I think Daichi would also enjoy travelling and exploring new places so he’d love to tag along with you whenever you go somewhere new. He’d also invite you along whenever the team goes away for a match or a competition.

[zesty-alt]

Thoughts about a prince becoming a dragon knight. Royalty is often special in fantasy settings, and what that means for this is that princes are able to become dragon knights almost immediately after they enter their twenties, and they are very fertile for their dragon mates. While a prince is rarely actually allowed to fight as a dragon knight, too risky, it does grant their kingdom a lot of benefits. It makes the elves happy and dragons won't raid the kingdom's countryside. Now a dragon rider prince isn't as useful as a heir, for they have difficulty producing a human heir or administrating while so large. This means that it's usually the third son that is allowed to be a dragon knight. Now that third son is swollen heavy, and due to a tragic accident he is now the king. This sudden power over a human realm just makes him even more fertile and his dragon children grow large quickly, and now he has to sit in his throne, unable to be seen past his tits and belly.

It was exactly something like this I was workshopping, there are especially powerful high dragons that will only mate with royalty and it's usually the duty of the third or so son to do so, and they start younger than most dragon knights; they don't really have to "earn" the dragon's favor as it's mostly interested in their blood. While they can become especially powerful sorcerers, they're typically not considered knights and not expected to fight, nor particularly demanded to do much of anything but bear dragons for their entire life.

Dragons birthed by knights are actually infertile; it's only the royal dragons that go on to be the partners of dragon knights, so it's a vitally important and highly honored role. All those with royal blood are built for breeding with dragons and tend to bear especially heavy broods, though they carry them with much more grace than even the most stoic knight. Gravid yet poised, not an ounce of struggle showing on their face even as their bellies thrash, always speaking calm and collected.

I also think it's not necessarily unusual for the king to be heavily pregnant, but any who would doubt their ability to rule even while stuck in their thrown and unable to see past their ridiculously bloated fecund body would be wrong. Even the laziest prince is known to become a shrewd and charismatic leader that doesn't suffer nonsense once he takes the throne, with a fierce demeanor not unlike a dragon.

The high dragon is also known to eat people that seriously piss off his mate or seem to have ill intentions. More than one royal advisor who thought to manipulate things their way has found themselves in the jaws of the dragon. (This kingdom's dragons typically dislike human flesh; even the dragons of knights rarely bite into human enemies. Only high dragons are large enough to really bite a whole person, but even then it's a rare occurrence, so it's practically unquestioned when he does it and assumed that guy deserved it)

Actually, a heavily pregnant king doesn't use a throne but lays against his larger than usual dragon, which holds a defensive claw over his pregnant mate at all times, blowing smoke at anyone who ventures too close. All the moreso if a previous monarch's been killed.

And if the dragon suddenly starts fucking the king in the middle of a meeting, well, you have to act like it's not happening, and to his credit the king, though clearly rapturously enjoying himself as the dragon's tongue snakes around inside him, still pays close attention and will contribute.

Or sometimes the council will say "the wise dragon is right we all need a break" and an orgy commences, dragons aren't selfish lovers and indeed a high dragon relishes seeing his mate ravaged by everyone. That's all I got.

[moonfromearth]

200 Followers Celebratory CC Free Sim Dump!!

It's honestly so amazing to me that somehow I made it to 200 followers! You're all so sweet and I appreciate everyone that's taken the time to interact with my posts and I promise I have new stuff in the works that'll be released soon 😉

So, I did this poll to see what everyone would want and it was so fun to hear from so many people thank you everyone who voted! Sim dump was the clear winner!!

Anyway, included are eight cc free young adult sims! They all have set skills and careers because I think it's fun but you can do whatever you want with them as long as you don't change skintones (bonus information about each below the cut as a "guide" because I like coming up with their characters)! I also had too much fun picking out likes and dislikes so... There are a lot 😬

P.S. If in the library it shows up as having cc I swear there isn't any I don't know why my game likes to mark it as having cc even when there isn't I'm sorry for any confusion.

Feel free to tag me if you ever use them and I hope you enjoy!! 😁😁

Download Link [Google Drive]

[Sim info below cut!!]

Parker Daley - Friend of the World, Erratic, Creative, Vegetarian - Bubbly and eccentric Parker is the life of any party! A fashion designer who loves anything "stylish" (which is just anything she likes, pretty much). Parker is completely unpredictable which makes her an interesting companion. A city girl all the way.

Lilah Dumas - Computer Whiz, Cheerful, Geek, Lazy Lilah is a very "you only live once" kind of person. She doesn't spend too much time dwelling on just about anything, and will drop whatever doesn't bring her joy in a heartbeat. As such she was determined to make one of her hobbies into a career, and amassed a decent following for herself as a streamer.

Raj Pandey - Fabulously Wealthy, Perfectionist, Mean, Self-Assured Raj grew up always knowing he'd join the family business, and the atmosphere of wealth and status, as well as the most expensive education obtainable, has turned him into a stuck up character. He appreciates a well crafted insult. In fact, he's not averse to the occasional argument debate (as long as he wins). Despite these traits he's managed to get himself adopted into a group of friends who, though often annoy him, have become an important part of his life.

Sonny Oswald - Friend of the Animals, Socially Awkward, Animal Enthusiast, Neat Sonny is a sweetheart and I love him. Awkward and shy, he's more comfortable around farm animals and plants than he is around people. Only is closest friends get to see how kind and fun he can be. One day he'll move out to the countryside and start is own farm, but for now he's working his way through the gardening career (baby steps, right?).

Lucas Esparza - Nerd Brain, Noncommittal, Bookworm, Adventurous Lucas's two goals in life are to gain infinite amounts of knowledge for himself and leave a trail of broken hearts as he travels the world to get said knowledge. That makes it sound like he's a horrible person which is because... Well he is, but who doesn't need a villain in their game? I'm sure he has his good qualities, however, I honestly love him for being the absolute handful he is.

Keira McDaniel - Painter Extraordinaire, Gloomy, Maker, Music Lover A bit of a "tortured artist" character who enjoys spending hours painting/crafting in her studio with music playing constantly, blocking out the rest of the world. Keira is very sensitive, and feels the emotional weight of everything around her very intensely, channeling it into her art.

Joslyn Lancaster - Country Caretaker, Loves the Outdoors, Athletic, Glutton Joslyn is a very meat and potatoes kind of gal. She lives for the simple things in life, working the ranch, riding horses, and a good meal. It's never occurred to her that there might be more to life, and the world, outside of the ranch, because what more could she need?

Gabrielle "Gabby" Moran - Leader of the Pack, Insider, Snob, Cat Lover Gabby is a fine and polished young woman, growing up in a life of luxury, and the champion English rider in town. She's very aware that she is the best at something, and it's boosted her confidence (*cough* ego) to astronomic levels. Quite the gossip, she loves to be out with friends, gossiping about the latest scandal, but when not there she's tending to her horse and preparing for her next competition. Despite the facade of the popular mean girl she puts up, Gabby cares very deeply about horses and her career, and takes it very seriously. She also loves spending time with the barn cats when they're around.

[adarkrainbow]

Pierre Dubois: An introduction

Have you heard of Pierre Dubois?

If you live in a French-speaking country and have interests in fantasy, you probably have. Else, you might have never heard of the guy.

I discovered Pierre Dubois, like many other people, through a trio of big encyclopedias with bizarre, beautiful and disturbing illustrations - each one centered around a different “type” of supernatural being. The Great Encyclopedia of Lutins (Imps/Dwarfs), The Great Encyclopedia of Fées (Fairies), and the Great Encyclopedia of Elves. This trio of encyclopedias, the product of “twenty years of research”, and released in the 1990s, became a MASSIVE hit present in every library and every bookstore across France. And I will speak of them in relation to fairytales - but we need to talk about the man himself.

Who is “Pierre Dubois”? He is the first and most prominent “elficologist” of France (in French, “elficologue”). This word, which designates the study of elves, was originally a joke-word invented by Dubois during an interview about what he did in life - but it soon became a term everyone used to describe him, as a result he also used it himself, and soon it became official. The “elficologie” (elficology) became the word used to designate all those that studied elves and fairies, the study of what Dubois himself called “Faerie”. 

Pierre Dubois is a story-teller, a writer and a scholar who was always fascinated by fairies, folklore and fairy tales. Before the enormous success of his Encyclopedias, Pierre Dubois was mostly known for his work on both radio and television shows: since he was a collector of legends and folklore from every corner of France (and later every corner of Europe), he put it to good use and brought all the legends and folktales he kept finding to the radio or the television - these radio shows of his went on for nearly thirty years. He also started to do some BD (bande-dessinée, the French equivalent of comic books) work but it wasn’t that successful (his BDs really boomed after the Encyclopedias however). 

With his work and Encyclopedias he really created a true “fairy craze” as he woke up back a passion for all the bizarre creatures and unusual monsters of folklore, and ever since all of his books have been hits - because he wrote many more books and encyclopedias, about trolls, about the folklore of the months, about ghosts... He is even called “the Levi-Strauss of the fabulous”.  Pierre Dubois himself is a very excentric and bizarre man with unusual habits. He likes to write by hand, refusing to use computers or even typewriters. His first true reads, during his teenage years (as his father during his childhood disliked seeing him reading and wanted him to focus on more “useful” things) shaped strongly his view of the world: Jean Ray and Sherlock Holmes. As a kid he collected pirate stories, the Grimm fairy tales and the Bob Morane novels , and while he did read some comic books (like Giffey’s Buffalo Bill) he had to do it in secret due to comics ot being allowed in his family. He had a brief carreer as an illustrator before starting to write - and he was an illustrator for the American magazines “Eerie” and “Creepy”. His first attempt at having a book publish was quite unique as, at fiftee years old, he sent his first book to an editor written with a goose feather on parchment and bounded by leather ; and when he got refused, he sent the manuscript again... WITH ILLUMINATIONS AND BOOKMARKS MADE OF HERBS. During the ten years he spent collecting legends and fairy tales in remote corners of France and countryside areas where witches and medecine-men were still a thing, he took the habit of going around dressed all in black, with a cloak, wearing his hair long, and with his pet raven on his shoulder (pet’s name was Nao by the way) - which actually did intrigue and fascinate people so much it eased a lot his collecting work. Oh yes, and his personal answer to who was Jack the Ripper is that it was Peter Pan - an idea he allowed Régis Loisel to use in his own BD about Peter Pan. 

And to such a strange and unusual man, corresponds a strange and unusual writing style. Pierre Dubois has strong likes and dislikes. He admires Jean Ray that he hails as one of the best writers of all times ; but he actually dislikes Tolkien and prefers to him Lord Dunsany. Despite his huge “fae” work, he actually doesn’t like much fantasy, but is a die hard fan of magic realism. His biggest influences are Bram Stoker, Charlotte Brontë, Mary Webb, Lewis Carroll, Walter Scott and Robert Stevenson. Similarly, his tastes of illustrations draw him towards Arthur Rackham, Richard Doyle and Gustave Doré. As for his writing methods, Dubois in his own words can spend “one hour on one sentence”, and he compares his writing to an “alchemy”, as he tries to create sentences so that they would resonate like “magical incantations” or “beautiful music”. When he writes, he always places himself in a specific ambiance - he surrounds himself with photographs, pictures, objects or natural elements tied to the subject he is writing around, all the while listening to “repetitive” music to place himself almost in a trance (such as Gavin Bryars’ music). 

And he became so famous and important he participates to a lot of folkloric festivals, literary salons, he does public story-telling to children in French castles (children usually like him due to his unusual appearance, as he is a big fat bearded guy with wild hair, he is often compared to “an ogre”, “a giant” or “Hagrid” by kids, while Dubois describes himself as a mix between Captain Hook and Peter Pan) ; and he notably is the chancelor of the “Center of the Arthurian Imagination”, a big cultural association/center of the Bretagne area dedicated to keeping alive the Arthurian legends of France. 

Anyway that’s all for the public image. But to speak of my more personal and prosaic experience with this man, I’ll speak of his Encyclopedias, the peak of his fame. 

How did Dubois create those encyclopedias? He compiled everything he could find. His own personal collection of folktales and fairy tales, but also a HUGE compilation of various books from different languages and eras (many of them I could’t find back, either because they are THAT RARE, either because they don’t exist anymore - or maybe even never existed) ; and by everything I mean everything. Fairy tales, folktales, folklore, legends of various kinds, from every country of Europe and even from countries and cultures outside of Europe (Asia, America, Australia, Africa...). He also included folk rites, superstitions, actual historical facts and anecdotes, ghost stories, local beliefs, mythologies, pagan religions, monotheistic and “modern” religions, “folk-Christianity” as it developed itself in France though saint cults and unusual tales about angels, demons or the Virgin Mary... 

And this is both one of the greatness and weakness of his Encyclopedia. It is great because by reading them you’ll have a HUGE side of the world’s culture in your brain and you’ll learn TONS of useful things and get tons of references. But on the bad side, he mixes gleefully witches, fairies, gods, ghosts from very different countries and eras in one big mix-mash without clearly defining the differences between them, and blurring the lines between everyone and everything. This is because Dubois has a very unusual way of presenting his research and descriptions: he doesn’t work in a “scientific” approach, he works with a “writer” approach. His texts are always very flowery, very poetic, using all sorts of words from the local term untranslated to old-fashioned names not used anymore, and when he can tell something through a story or an anecdote rather than a blank description or explanation, he will do it. The result is a fascinating reading experience that can conjure up visuals and ambiances like you can’t have anywhere else... but from personal experience, DO NOT TRY READING IT OUT LOUD! While it can be pleasing to read on your own, you really need to get the hang of his unusual phrasing and rythm, and I can tell you that trying to read his books to someone will turn the text into a boring and uncomprehensible mess because while the sonorities will be good in your head, you’ll need an extensive training to make them go out of your mouth in a pleasant way.

And while it is always a pleasure to have a Dubois book in your home because it is a poetic mine of info and stories, you will never actually see a Dubois book being used for any kind of serious folkloric research. Why? Because Dubois, as a true storyteller, likes to flesh out his characters, to invent new angles to explore legendary figures, to twist the traditional fairy tales. And so he will often for example theorize about what led to a monster being what it is, or what happened to a fairy after a given story. He will often add little trivial details in order to create a full “lifestyle” or “culture” of the species he describes. He uses humor or irony to describe the “fae folk” and so you can rarely read him in first-degree. And in his all-encompasing, all-including view of the “legendary” world he will materialize existing relationships between folktales OR invent them to give more “coherence” to his new Fae world. It isn’t uncommon for him to include in his stories other entities he describes in other articles as a background or side detail, thus creating a “fairy history” with its own chronology and an “elven genealogy” with its own magical evolution - these things never actually explicitely spelled out or described, but that the reader has to recreate by collecting the clues scattered throughout his books. 

Because that’s what he does. A lot of re-creation, a lot of re-invention. At least he does that in these Encyclopedias. The result is an insanely fun read filled with discoveries of little-known folklore and a re-discovery of a entire world of the supernatural and a new “world-mythology”... But his claims need to constantly be checked and countered by more serious works if you want to do actual folkloric or historical research. Dubois is clearly a writer and a story-teller first and foremost. I do appreciate the enormous bibliographies he gives in each of his book, but I would love to see one day all the material he collected during his ten years-trip to France (I haven’t found it published anywhere however).

For me, I appreciate his Encyclopedias as an object of art, as a fantasy work and as a discovery/rediscovery of the “fae folklore”. I will never tell anyone to not look at them (especially since the illustrations are WILD). But I noticed that people tended to take his words in a way a bit too literal, repeating some things that are clearly Dubois’ inventions as if they were cultural facts, and so there should be a warning label when it comes to these VERY famous books.

And to end this introduction post, I’ll list there for the sake of the trivia some of the opinions and points of view Dubois defends.

# He is a great lover and defender of fairy tales, but he has a truly “folkloric” approach to them: he defends the idea that fairy tales are a product of popular culture, and that it existed since the dawn of humanity, its characters being inherited from the original goddesses and sorceresses of humanity. He interprets fairy tales as being allegorical stories about the cycles of seasons and the phenomenon of nature, with a cathartic function (such as providing hope and comfort during winter). He considers these tales and legends as being an encouragement to respect nature, and the result of a collective memory that is passed down from generation to generation, alongside the figure of witches that are for him the embodiment of all “our fears and anxieties”. He also explains how fairy tales are initiation tales that warn children of the dangers of the ogres and dragons, and encourages them to become allies and friends of the spirits of nature - though still keeping fairies as ambivalent entities. 

# Pierre Dubois is very happy with the recent passion and success of the “faerie” genres and the “literature of the imagination”, he does believe that the fame of things such as The Hobbit, Harry Potter and role-playing games allows people to find back “the sense of the marvelous, of the epic, of the knighthood and the fairy tale”. However he does express one big regret, that “special effects replace magic and make the fantastical and spiritual disappear” from those stories ; he also likes to remind people that “fairies don’t like when we speak about them” and fears that there could be an over-abundance of fairy-related books and a “commercialization of the fairy”.

# He is a strong ecologist, though he isn’t so much concerned about stuff like climate change but rather believes how you need to listen and respect nature because only contact with nature can “wake up imagination” - he also likes to remind people how in legends fairies warn humans not to cut some trees or build on some lands before taking revenge on those not listening to them through natural disasters - as a result his motto is “If you hurt nature, it will hurt you in return” and he belives that some of the huge floods France knew in his lifetime were “fairy punishments”. 

# He keeps preaching the virtues and powers of the imagination, especially towards children: he believes they should be soaked in drawings, theaters and songs to wake up their imagination, and he dislikes how for a long time in France all those activities were stopped around six or seven years old, the “age of reason”, due to them becoming “useless”. He insists that adults should never deny the emotional or imaginary sides of life, and he also strongly dislikes any kind of children literature that is “educative and realist”. 

# Finally, Pierre Dubois strongly dislikes today’s society and the modern world due to denouncing the over-abundance of “scientism” and “materialism” in the ruling classes, and how modern culture relies on greed and selfishness. He claims that the “waking up” of the imagination and the “revival” of the Faerie was in France a natural extension of the May 68 revolt (I’ll let you search for that on your own), and he has a great interest and kinship with two type of sub-cultures: the gothics, and the punks, due to him sharing with them the idea of an unconventional freedom. Dubois defends the idea that the fairies are the symbol of the “rebelled ones” and of the “wild ones who say no to an established order” ; and he also strongly dislikes how editors like to divide literature into categories and sub-categories. This all results in his strong criticism of television (that “prevents” a natural transmission of countryside and local culture, and “replaces” the stories of the old folks) and of school+monotheistic religions (that for him work to make “all the small gods of nature” disappear). In fact, his wish would be that school taught less civic classes and more philosophy classes and fairy tales - and while he does preach a return to the ancient “rites of passage”, he also says in our modern day we shouldn’t fall into the same excesses as in the past concerning those rites. 

[sxnii]

Hi, this is for a matchup please :) 1. name: yuno.

2. zodiac sign: sagittarius.

3. mbti: result was between ENTP and ENTJ with 51% P / 49% J.

4. likes: spring, summer, dots and cats, eating, traveling, try new activities/dishes, chill out on the sofa, sometimes play video games (Zelda BOTW and TOTK, Okami, Smash Bros, Life is Strange...), watching movies at the cinema, joking around and teasing people, laughing without any restraint, a nice walk in the countryside. dislikes: noisy people for no reason, brainless people, people walking too slow, rain, autumn.

5. hobbies: writing with people, walking around, eating, going out, cooking, gardening.

6. top 3 ideal traits in a partner (example: love languages, height, personality): words of affirmation + quality time, taller than 175cm, someone smart who likes adventure, always curious, courageous, open minded, loves to discover new places and new things.

7. personality: I love to joke around, travel in different countries, try new dishes because food is very important for me. I'm curious and enjoy to prank and tease others. My loved-ones say I can be blunt and harsh with my words and struggle to empathize with others' problems. Since I don't like ambiguous situations, I despise people who aren't sincere/have hard time with being honest in their intentions. I'm very independent even in a group but when I find a mate with I get along well I stuck with them until the end.

8. preferences (female or male chars): male. Thanks a lot :)

hiii!! hope you r having a good day!! here is the matchup for you!!

Your matchup is: Osamu Miya!!

Because of your love of food and discovery i think osamu is a great match (since he is a chef and owns an onigiri store!!).

Osamu is a libra and an intp, he is a great match with you being a sagittarius and an entp or entj (most likely entp since its 51%).

I think osamu would be pretty open minded due to his mbti being intp (i searched it up pls dont quote me😭🙏). I also think he will be okay with the pranking or teasing since he did grow up with atsumu and that guy is a gremlin😭.

I lowkey think its sweet since you would remind him of atsumu and the miya twins is my roman empire(stopping myself here because from a matchup it might turn into a yap sesh of the miya twins😭)

Since one of ur hobbies is cooking, I think you both would enjoy cooking dates where you try out new recipes to cook!!

He also isnt on the loud side (compared to his twin) and is a pretty chill and laid back guy!

In summary, you both are very compatible and would compliment eachother’s interests well, from your love of discovery and food to chill and quiet moments together!!

——

thats all, i hope you enjoyed ur matchup!! also i might just start a miya twin fan acc because i cant stop yappi about them i might die😭🙏

some pics of my bb (i mean osamu😊) btw

[nite-puff]

I don’t think Taka has ever shot a gun. I believe you have to be over 20 in Japan to even get a license to use a gun, not to mention the tests and fees associated with it. And with how strict Japan is about gun usage for civilians, I don’t think it’s feasible to even think that Takaaki would’ve been able to train him at the police department’s shooting range (if they even have those located in the city and not further out in the countryside). If they did it illegally and in secret, I don’t think that would’ve sat well with Taka’s morals.

If we’re going with “the DR cast in America” then I can definitely see him learning from his dad.

It was really interesting to think about the concept and whether or not he would! Tell me more about your training headcanons!

Yeah, we kinda went over the logistics of Takaaki being able to train Taka considering gun laws and stuff like that. But I’m considering letting it slide since dangan is already so detached from reality, even before the tragedy, what with the hypnotism, brainwashing, and super complex robotics in what is most likely the early 2000s-2010. Also how there is a member of his class that knows how to use military weaponry despite being the same age as him. So hey, we’ll just say that Takaaki was able to train Taka how to use a gun legally and safely.

There’s been a lot of people under the initial post saying that Taka does know how to use a gun but has never actually shot one before, and to that i say… i mean, sure, i guess, but not really. Because it’s really not that smart to only teach someone the mechanics of gun with the full intention of teaching them how to use one without actually, y’know, using one. Especially if Taka is only meant to use this information in a high stakes situation like extreme self defense. So I do think Taka has handled a gun before, but never outside of their training. If that’s what people meant by “he’s never shot one before,” then i agree.

I don’t have that many training headcanons because, granted, i don’t know that much (if anything) about gun training. But here’s a few:

- Taka has only known how to use a gun for about a year. He’s no expert. He just knows the basic background info (like safety, how to hold one, the specific parts and what they do) and how to simply aim and shoot.

- Because of how Takaaki is disliked at the police station, they don’t use their shooting ranges for training. Mainly to keep his coworkers off of Taka’s back. They used an abandoned one near the outskirts of their town, one that was always fairly empty outside of some teens looking for a place to hang out very sparsely. It’s some sort of strange father-son bonding time between them considering the reasons why they’re doing it in the first place.

- Yes, Taka does know how to use a gun and has shot one before during training, but would absolutely let his nerves get to him if he ever had to use one in a real situation. That’s why he never actually has plans to use one in any situation, no matter the stakes.

- I guess the only bit of humor that could come with this concept is Taka having the knowledge and experience of using a gun. I imagine him bringing up his training one day for whatever reason and his classmates doing a double-take. Like he was the last person they thought was capable of knowing how to use one. They act a little more hesitant to misbehave and are more cautious around Taka. He’s at first happy with the change, but becomes devastated once he learns why they’re acting differently. He’s so genuinely offended that any of them thought that he would actually resort to that level of violence as a form of punishment.

I guess I’ll use this to open the door for more people to share their headcanons on the matter. :)

[animechick2015]

Anime I Watched in 2023, Part 1:

1. God Troubles Me 5/5

This is technically called a donghua but we’ll consider this an anime for this list. This show is the Chinese version of Gintama and I am for it. It so hilariously charming that I got addicted quickly. There wasn’t a single character that I disliked. In fact, there wasn’t a single episode that made me bored. The animation style was godly that it definitely gave a lot of Japanese anime a run for their money. Please, please, please give this one a chance.

2. Mob Psycho 100 100/10

Epic. Brilliant. Heart warming. Those are not enough to describe how much I loved this anime but it’ll have to do. Seriously, this one blew me away. I thought it was just a quirky anime about a middle schooler going psycho whenever he’s pissed but I’m so glad I was wrong. The second season caught me by surprise; it’s definitely my favorite of the three. Mob’s character development happened so effortlessly that I actually had to take a moment to let it all seep in on how much he changed. Also Reigen is the best Master in the anime universe, hands down. His confession to Mob at the end brought tears to my eyes, he truly cared for Mob.

3. Charlotte 4/5

Absolutely loved this one. The reason that this didn't get 5 stars was because the ending felt a bit rushed. Also, I didn't like Kumagami dying. He was such a vital character that I felt like we should've explored more. If I was the MC I would've definitely travelled back in time just to save him. Overall, I highly recommend this anime.

4. Barakamon 5/5

After watching a depressing anime like Charlotte, you definitely need something lighthearted to watch and this was really got me out of my funk. I wasn't expecting this to be so funny, honestly. This was such a warm, funny, slice of life that made me crave living in the countryside.

5. Blue Lock 5/5

Ok I have to admit I didn't start off liking this one. Isagi's whining was grating on my nerves. Thankfully, I have learnt the error of my ways and have now come to realize that Isagi is HIM! Holy crap the development of this boy was crazzzzyy. There are so many interesting characters in this show that I was confused who was the real main character. Also, it was so refreshing to have an anime without the power of friendship; it was every man for themselves and I was absolutely there for it.

6. Play It Cool Guys 5/5

Ahhhh this was such a cute wholesome anime! If you're stressed out with life please just watch these adorkable group of young men try to navigate their lives. It was so nice to see the uncool side of guys for once. The episodes were short and sweet and I really hope we get another season of them.

7. Tomo-chan is a Girl! 5/5

This was such a funny and sweet show. I'm always a sucker for friends to lovers romance so this was right up my alley. This anime also had so many charming side characters that I couldn't but fall in love with them also.

8. Ice Guy and his Cool Work Colleague 5/5

I felt so single watching this. How do I sign up to work at their company? I swear everyone was finding love and being all happy while all I get in my workplace is stress and more stress. It was also so refreshing to have a romance anime with adults and not high schoolers.

9. Demon Slayer Season 3 5/5

Another great season to another great anime. Can I just add that I loved the OP from episode one while everyone was hating on it; it was such a banger! The animation was once again top tier that I can't wait to see what the studio does when animating the last arc. This was a tough season to compete with the flashy brilliance of Tengen's last season but they did wonderfully. I'm glad I got to see my baby girl Mitsuri finally animated.

10. My Love For Yamada -kun is Lv 999 5/5

I watched the first episode right after it aired and I knew I couldn't hold out for another week. I devoured the manga! It was that good. The anime definitely didn't disappoint. This was such a sweet, comforting anime that put my cynical heart at ease. I really hope that we get more seasons because my boy Yamada is the standard!

[nordleuchten]

I’ve read several books about French Revolution, but oddly enough-each of them shows a different characteristic about Lafayette! I mean, in Louis Madelin’ book , he represents Lafayette as a reserved and solemn man while Duncan describes him as ‘excited and excitable’ ( honestly I agree with this one more , as I got the exactly same impression from laf’s own letters).

So what exactly is his character like? (It seems that he was a adorable boy in America and soon became an adult &hero in France lol)

Thank you for your reply! Have a good day !

Hello Anon,

that is a very interesting question, since the questions gives insight into the different perceptions of La Fayette during the American Revolution and the French Revolution.

I think both representations are true and can co-exist, but we have to differentiate a little bit.

The La Fayette of the American Revolution was a young man, a 19-year-old teenager to be precise. He had just embarked on the adventure of his life, run away from home, sailed the ocean, somehow got his rank as a Major-General from Congress and had been wounded early on during his stay in America. He was learning a new language, making new friends, and traveled a new country. He is energetic, optimistic, idealistic, and of course both “excited and excitable”. But times passes, he got older, saw the hardships and miseries of war firsthand, battle after battle, encampment after encampment. He got homesick, his child died while he was far away, he was wounded but survived, dear friends of his were wounded and they did not survive, he experiences that people can have a high command and still be utterly incompetent, that they can fight for the same cause and still betray each other for their own benefit.

La Fayette returns to France, and he suddenly is no longer the awkward teenager from the countryside, but somebody who is revered and respected. People want to meet him and are interested in his opinions. He still is “excited and excitable” but this excitement is expressed in a different manner.

The French Revolution came along, and La Fayette was a very easily kindled flame for reforms. He was still very “excited and excitable”. He took on so many new duties and positions and he could not have gone through with it if he were not excited with the prospects. But the early stages were marked by political and diplomatic maneuvering. Furthermore, he was not as beloved during the French Revolution as he was during the American Revolution.

La Fayette had been liked, admired and respected by the people in America. Think of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, the Laurens’, Knox, Greene, McHenry, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin – they all liked La Fayette and La Fayette liked them. Now think about the French Revolution and Marat, Robespierre, Danton, Saint-Just, the Queen, Necker, Desmoulins – they disliked La Fayette and La Fayette generally disliked them.

In short, I can very well understand both narratives because La Fayette was able of being “excited and excitable” as well as solemn. But his emotions and emotional display was also heavily impacted by the situation and the people around him. The French Revolution was a source of endless frustration for him, and this naturally dampened his enthusiasm. He grew older, matured and simply no longer had the boundless excitable energy of a 19-years-old. But this excitableness was still an essential part of his character.

La Fayette’s portrayal and reception is very much dependent on the time period we are looking at and on the public or personal implications of that time. La Fayette has always been something more complex than “just” the excitable young boy or the stoic general who covered himself with less and less glory as the Revolution progressed.

I hope I managed to get my point across in a sensible way and I hope you have/had a great day! :-)