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miss-atena · 5 months

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After a while of trying, I ended up uninstalling Twitter again. That app is not for me lmao.

On the other hand, though, I am feeling quirky and want to make a new HCs post of creepypasta. So...

Creepypasta characters soft spots*

Featuring: Jeff the Killer, Jane Everlasting, Nina the Killer, Homicidal Liu, Sully, BEN, Eyeless Jack, Laughing Jack, Laughing Jill, Candy Pop, Jason the Toymaker

* bear in mind I make them a tad bit fucked up in the head, so beware (though it IS Creepypasta)

Tw: slightly graphic canibalism description, mentions of abandonment trauma, canon like control freakiness on Jason's part

Jeff The Killer - expressiveness and not being easily intimidated

Jeff is a pretty... Expressive guy, to not say a huge asshole with a big ego. And even though he might not say it, he does admire someone being expressive. It took him a long time (and a mental breakdown) to start expressing himself how he wanted to. If he meets someone that is expressive be it verbally or physically, he will end up circling around them more often than others.

Hand in hand with that, if the person is not easily intimidated and has the courage to talk him out of his mean comments, he might as well ask to be friends with them. As much as he denies it, he enjoys not scaring someone by being himself from time to time.

Jane Everlasting - housekeeping skills and good music taste

Jane is not the easiest person to get along with. However, if you know how to work a stove, and knows that x product is better at cleaning windows than y, she finds than entertaining. She misses Mary so much, and having someone that reminds her of Mary, it warms her on the inside.

This is more of her being a bit of a nitpick, but she despises having to deal with screamo or those techno songs. She deals with it too much from the others, so having the chance to listen to classic romantic ballads, or some soft Jazz while reading a book, by her fave person's side, and not having a complaint at all? That's a dream. One that seems so far away to her reality, being near so many emos

Nina the Killer - foot on earth and alternative fashion

If you stayed even 5 minutes with Nina, you would understand why she appreciates someone hard on reality. Nina is easily enthusiastic and also impulsive as fuck. So having someone to keep her from breaking the whole house down, or to make sure she doesn't throw someone out of the second floor window, it really helps her out in the end, and she knows it.

Nina, although she is slowly getting better at keeping this down, is still a bit obsessed with Jeff, so alternative styles like emo and her beloved Scene style, it makes her feel like she is right up her alley. She would pick matching fits for you two, and also make a whole blog just for pictures of you two with very 2000s core stuff. Plus: hot topic dates.

Homicidal Liu - respectfulness and good cooking skills

Liu has gone through a lot of traumatic events, all his life. Some he holds the memories, after alter fusion, and others... Not so much. But what he does know is that disrespect towards his person, and what he has gone through, is something he doesn't want to go through never again. So being respectful, in the sense of not narrowing him to DID guy, or to murderer, it makes him genuinely happy.

Liu misses his family, even though it wasn't the best family. It's been 11 years since he lost all his family, so sometimes he will try cooking food that his parents used to make. However he... Is not the best cook. He tries, he really does, but it's not his thing. So having someone put the time and effort to do this small act, of cooking him the food that he misses since a teen, it makes him have butterflies. Plus, seeing his lover in an apron sounds cute in his mind.

Sully - strong morals and dark humor

Sully may share a body with Liu, but he is still his own person, as an alter. And most importantly he is the system protector. It is his role to make sure no more trauma is suffered. So, having a lover that understand that and agrees with him, it is a sight to behold to him. And most importantly, having someone that understands and respects the boundaries he puts, which are many, is important for him.

Now... The system is rather small, and so Sully is a trauma holder alter. But... His method of coping with that trauma is mostly through dark humor. Jokes about his trauma done by him or the body, is the way he knows how to cope and, in his eyes, not turn into a monster like Jeff, which he despises. Having someone letting him indulge in his not healthy but necessary coping mechanism, and even joking around with their own problems, it ends up in a great pair for him.

B.E.N._drowned - Sass, nerdiness and night owl

BEN is not really a human, and although he sometimes can be very human like due to the Moonchildren Souls, the one in control is still the Behavioral Environment Network. So he has the power to be as mean as he wants and not feel remorse. Though as a behavioral AI, he can react in many ways depending what his code finds most fitting. He didn't start liking sass, but after being around Jeff and collecting data to act based on that, besides the souls, he ended up sassy, and enjoys now having sass thrown back at him. It is a familiar environment, which is something he sometimes need.

He is based around on TLOZ, and his souls had that common interest besides other games, so of course he wants a gamer to fit with him. He doesn't sleep, so having someone also be a night owl and stay the whole night spending time with him, letting him learn their functions and behavior, it makes him enthusiastic, as much as malevolent code can be.

Eyeless Jack - Patience and a hard stomach

Jack, different than a lot of the others, didn't want to be here at first. And as such he isn't the easiest to approach, sometimes being plainly reclusive, and others being aggressive. Having patience but still perseverance to approach him at his own time, and let things go in his time, it makes him trust you even more.

Jack, as we all know, is a human eating being. Not sure cannibal is the right term since he isn't a human anymore, but I'll use it for now. As a cannibal, it is not easy to be around him sometimes. He is not afraid to eat in front of others if needed, or to harvest organs out of a human carcass. If you can endure at least the putrid smell of organs and blood, than you will find EJ to not be he worst to be around.

Laughing Jack - playfulness and clingyness

LJ is, as we all know I assume, a clown! So what would I clown like to be around? People who know how to have fun, of course! Playful battering, joking around, a good sense for a performance, this are all things that, summed by playfulness, make Jack feel alive. The feeling of succeeding at making his lover laugh till their cheeks turn red, it is a sight to behold to him, so having a good sense of playfulness makes things a lot easier.

On the other hand, Jack was once abandoned for years in his toy box. He grew to feel lonely, sometimes even around others. Having someone being close to him, even when not the best option to do so, and the feeling of being wanted all times. It does magic to the clown.

Laughing Jill - good sense of humor and optimism

Jill, like Jack, is a big clown lady and as such, she loves to make people laugh and have fun! She isn't the fondest of the more mean plays, but she does love striking jokes around, so having a good sense of humor is the best option of a pair for her!

Although she was made to be happy and make others happy, she can have negative emotions too. But having someone that will make sure to let her know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and give her the care she gives to others, it is truly special for her.

Candy Pop - chaotic nature and being laid back

Candy is to an extent a genie like entity. And as such, they love to bring chaos, and distort stuff to their amusement. And as such, having someone that matches their personality is what they want. C'mon, who doesn't want to see what can happen if they inflate their head like a balloon? I do.

As such, someone strict to the rules, and someone that wants them to be in line at all times bore them if not anger them. They need some semblance of freedom. Being laid back, doing your stuff when they do theirs, and uniting forces to end get out of trouble, that's love to them.

Jason the Toymaker - size difference and art appreciation

Jason is someone that likes to feel in control of any and all situation. He is a manipulators, so making sure he is the one up top, it's what he wants ever and ever. Having someone smaller than him, it gives him a semblance of control, even if only illusory. It plays in his control freakiness.

As a toymaker, he is an artisan. He loves to create intricate toys, which are pieces of art in itself. Having someone that appreciates it and praises him for it, it boosts his already inflated ego. He might plainly squeeze you for your praises, as a thank you.

That's all I got for now, might do some others plus the proxies on another post.

Reminder that it is cool if you don't agree or like these, y'all can have your own opinions and it is very valid! This is how I like the characters (aka sick in the head).

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bethanydelleman · 27 days

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I have a very specific question and I hope you know the answer (or where to look 😅): If I remember correctly when Fanny originally was sent to Mansfield she was first accompanied by a servant and joined by Mrs. Norris on the last part. Was this the normal, proper way for children to travel or would a parent / guardian come and pick them up instead of sending a servant?

Let's say it's the beloved child of Lord and Lady X, they're 8 years old and have a long journey ahead of them to go home. Would loving Lady X travel to her child and bring them back herself or was that seen as overbearing and unnecessary when you have trusted servant Y who will keep the child safe and spare you the hassle?

Thank you so much for your work it's always so insightful!

Thank you!

First a caveat, that was the way that Mrs. Norris proposed that Fanny should travel, but it is not what actually happened:

"...I will engage to get the child to Mansfield; you shall have no trouble about it. My own trouble, you know, I never regard. I will send Nanny to London on purpose, and she may have a bed at her cousin the saddler’s, and the child be appointed to meet her there. They may easily get her from Portsmouth to town by the coach, under the care of any creditable person that may chance to be going. I dare say there is always some reputable tradesman’s wife or other going up.” Except to the attack on Nanny’s cousin, Sir Thomas no longer made any objection, and a more respectable, though less economical rendezvous being accordingly substituted

Mrs. Norris's plan is to send Fanny with a stranger from Portsmouth to London and then with her housekeeper. Sir Thomas clearly did not think this was sufficient. Given what he does for Fanny later, I assume he sent a male servant to fetch her, but we aren't told.

Now as for children traveling, I believe they did often go without their parents. Many children in Austen's and other novels go to boarding school and it doesn't seem like their parents accompany them. However, they would almost certainly send a trusted servant with them. In Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, Hyacinth sends her daughter Cynthia, who is a teenager, to France to boarding school completely alone and is criticized for it. She does arrange for Cynthia to stay with family along the way.

If we look at how dependent women travel, which I believe would be similar to children, a male servant is sent most of the time (Elizabeth & Jane's journey to London for example). Fanny is sent with a male relative, William and then Edmund. It is implied that it would be fine for Fanny to travel with Henry Crawford, a gentleman friend of the family. Georgiana Darcy is with her companion Mrs. Younge and at least one (maybe two) male servants. The Dashwood sisters travel with Mrs. Jennings, who would count as a chaperone, she likely has servants with them as well.

The less well-off Miss Steeles travel with a reputable gentleman but not a servant because they can't afford one. Catherine Morland's shocking journey home was shocking because she was unaccompanied (female and only 17). Jane Eyre was sent alone with just the coachman (she was 10) and the school found that odd, so usually a child would be accompanied by someone. Frederica is picked up from school by her uncle in Lady Susan, though that was also because he had to consult with the schoolmistress.

As for real humans, I have read that Jane Austen herself always traveled with one of her brothers, even when she was a confirmed spinster.

So I think it's fairly likely that Lady X could send her beloved child to travel with a trusted servant or three or a relative. I don't think it would be crazy for her to go herself, since Edmund travels all the way to Portsmouth to fetch Fanny, but it would probably depend on the length of the journey and the social commitments of the parents.

#question response #thank you!#travel #jane austen

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dreaminginsteadofsleeping42 · 2 years

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Jane Eyre is so funny because they both have zero chill about how much they like each other and handle it in the stupidest way imaginable. Like, Rochester yeets out of town and returns with a woman whom he acts like he’s going to marry to see if Jane likes him or not, and in response Jane draws a picture of herself and essentially titles it “ugly. bad” and one of his fake gf and titles that “beautiful. perfect” and btw, she does this based on a description the old lady housekeeper gives her, which is like half a page long and detailed as fuck? Mrs. Fairfax is like “she had a fair neck and I remember how the light shined on it and the length of her curls and how they touched her shoulder blades and she wore a silver dress that twinkled just so with embroidery of this and that” and I’m like??? Okay, girl??? and then when the fake gf shows up, Jane Eyre is like “yeah, she looks exactly like my drawing” and EARLIER IN THE BOOK, Jane couldn’t get a description of Rochester out of Fairfax and she was like “she isn’t one for descriptions” BUT SHE HAD MEMORIZED EVERY DETAIL OF THIS RANDO WOMAN AND CASUALLY TOLD JANE ABOUT IT IN PASSING UNPROMPTED but anyways Jane is like “it’s fine. I’m fine. I’m chill about Rochester. Whatever. When he comes back, I’m going to be chill because I don’t care about him.” Then he walks in the room and she’s like “Reader. I love him. He is not of their kind but of mine etc. etc.” like instantly girl didn’t hold up for a single second. THEN Rochester is like hmm, still can’t really tell if Jane likes me or not. I know! I’ll cross-dress AS A FORTUNE TELLER, and wheedle the info out of her that way! And when that doesn’t work and he gets sort of disconcerted because Jane mentions the brother of the secret wife he keeps locked in the attic has rolled up, Jane is like. “Can I get you a glass of water? I would literally die for you btw” and he’s like no it’s fine bby like what stupidity! What mess! What idiots! I love it!

#jane eyre

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flowerbloom-arts · 7 months

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(this is a reupload of a an ask post that is """mysteriously""" not showing up on my or other people's dashes. The following post exposes the truth about Moominpappa, and after many attempts at reuploading this with screenshots of the post and with the images I used I found that it's the screenshots that are causing problems. The people must know the truth of Moominpappa's lies, and I shall stop at no end to try and educate people on the web of lies that Moominpappa from Tanoshii Muumin Ikka 1991 is created for himself. Tumblr and its agenda to keep 90s Moominpappa's dignity in tact shall not dissuade me any more! Book Moominpappa would be APPALLED BY SUCH SHAMELESSNESS!)

@helshdy asked:

Sorry if this is obvious but how did they retcon the moominpappa backstory? Do Hodgkins, Joxter, Muddler, and Fuzzy just straight up not exist?

Okay so like... let's start with the stuff the episodes actually tell us.

There's one episode where the Moomin family (Sniff, My and Snorkmaiden included) get invited to Aunt Jane's mansion, which is pretty cool to see tbh, we finally get to see what her living situation is (she doesn't even have a housekeeping staff, she's so goddamn lonely)

And in one scene the kids are cleaning a room and they happen upon a photo album, and the album features... a younger Moominpappa living with Aunt Jane at what appears to be a summer house....

[INSERT SCREENSHOTS OF AUNT JANE'S PHOTO ALBUM]

Now, this is an odd discrepancy that goes unquestioned by the kids but it's not unreconcilable with Adventures of Moominpappa, maybe this is just one childhood summer Moominpappa deliberately left out of his story because it didn't contribute to his story and he doesn't like Jane. That's a minor enough piece of lore to make it make sense.

But then there's Return To Childhood, the episode with Wimsy.

After a mishap with the kids except Moomintroll mistaking Wimsy for an intruder, Wimsy and Moominpappa explain the history of their friendship to everyone, and what they say is uhhhh... (checks notes)

Moominpappa would constantly change schools in his childhood and then he and Wimsy were dormmates at the last school he went to.

...

Now that completely throws AoMP out the window.

We also have real tangible proof of this in the episode, Moominpappa and Wimsy try going on a little adventure together and they come across their old school, it even has the initials they carved on a tree and the same principal is still running the school (AND DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE FILLYJONK PRINCIPAL).

[INSERT SCREENSHOTS OF MOOMINPAPPA AND WIMSY'S INITIALS ON A TREE AND THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL]

And based on the kids that currently attend the school it seems that this is a an elementary/middle school?

[INSERT SCREENSHOTS OF THE PRINCIPAL SURROUNDED BY A GROUP OF COSTUMED STUDENTS]

(they're wearing costumes for a festival here)

And that's like. Woah. Holy crap??? Moominpappa like...... actually lied to us. ATLEAST about the majority of his life. And of course the kids don't question this because of Bad Writing BUT WE KNOW NOW.

Though, with all of this I'd have to backpedal and say that Edward the Booble as he was does in fact exist, there's an episode where the characters get Edward so they can use his tears to heal a mermaid tail, although he doesn't seem... quite as big as he was in AoMP (it could just be the animator's horrendous inability to be on model but this is beside the point)

The Ghost, is also real, we all saw him in the Dame Elaine episode didn't we. It's undeniably him, it has all the references we need without a shadow of a doubt despite the very different appearance between that episode and AoMP.

Allegedly he still lived on the island the Oshun Oxtra were on (but we could also argue that it wasn't necessarily that particular island, or it could mean that Moominpappa did in fact go to That island but the events didn't transpire the way MP said they did)

The fact Moominpappa is lying about his backstory could also explain his utter lack of familiarity with Mymblemamma despite his claims of having been friends with her in his youth (allegedly in the Japanese dub MP didn't actually say she was Little My's mother and that she was just another lookalike like the rest of the parents, but also allegedly in the Finnish dub he did say she was her mom, so which is it??) and we can't chalk it up to the show's lack of continuity because based on the Dame Elaine episode the show was perfectly capable of having continuity that adheres to MP's Memoirs even before they actually adapted it. (Both Dame Elaine and Moomin Builds a House were episodes before AoMP part 1)

And the most damning thing about this whole thing is that if you actually watch the AoMP episodes, Moominmamma explicitly had no way to call Moominpappa out on this, she explicitly doesn't know what his backstory was pre-meeting him. "But surely she'd point something out if she didn't know who the Oshun Oxtra was" WE DON'T KNOW IF SHE'D KNOW, SHE WAS LITERALLY OUT OF THE ROOM WHILE MOOMINPAPPA DESCRIBED THEIR MEETING, AND SHE OBVIOUSLY WASN'T HEARING WHAT MOOMINPAPPA WAS SAYING OR WHAT THE KIDS WERE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE SHE WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THE KIDS STARING AT HER IN DISBELIEF.

IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW

MOOMINPAPPA IS JUST A BAD STORYTELLER AND I DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE UTTER LACK OF CHARACTERIZATION AS REAL

IT'S ALL A LIE

JOXTER AND MUDDLER WERE PROBABLY OLD SCHOOLMATES FROM ONE OF HIS SCHOOLS AND THE REASON WHY THEY WERE LOOKALIKES AND PARENTS WERE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THEY HAD KIDS

WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

#moomins #moominvalley #moominpappa #adventures of moominpappa #moomin adventure diary #wimsy #aunt jane #return to childhood #tanoshii muumin ikka #joxter #muddler #moominmamma #mymble

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fallenstarzz · 1 month

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you can totally ignore this if you want but i'd love to hear more about #5

especially attic wife kevin and miserable gardener jean's relationship before and after jeremy gets there

And I'd love to tell you more about it!

I really really love gothic romance, and due to a personal original project of mine, I have read a ton of classic gothic lit this past year. This au has vary sligth influences from some of my favorite works, namely Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Rebecca (and it's possible original version A Sucessora but that's another can of worms), and a heavy influence of my favorite tropes in general. I also am of the personal opinion that Riko has the makings of a great gothic villain and honestly he deserves the stage to be properly dramatically evil.

The setting is vaguely victorian, but since I love myself and don't want to bother with all the logistics for a silly little au, it is a historical work in vibes only.

Kevin and Jean's relationship is a bit hard to describe without giving the plot away or just rehashing canon, but I'll try. In this AU, Kevin, Jean and Riko know each other since very, very young; Jean was born to servants of Evermore, Kayleigh died in childbirth, and Kengo sent Riko away when he was still being breastfed by a maid because he suspected him of being a bastard. Life in Evermore was not as harsh as it was on canon, but it was still not good. Tetsuji was a very bitter, cruel man, obsessed with legacy. For reasons related to inheritance and his own weird attempt at rewriting the past, he always planned to have Kevin marry Riko when they were of age. What he did not plan on was the two of his servants would rob him and run away, leaving their young son behind and him in charge of a third, commoner, useless ward. Jean was made to work at Evermore as a sort of indentured servant ever since, but when he was a child, the staff took pity on him and put him to smaller tasks, ones that would put him in more direct contact with the other children of the house. Kevin always saw Jean as a friend, but to Riko he was more like a toy, and Jean was often the butt of the jokes and the target of their more cruel games. As they grew up, Kevin and Jean stayed close even as their interactions started to be considered improper. Kevin always mistankely believed that Riko had grown out of his childish distaste of Jean, but that wasn't quite true; Riko had just started tormeting him behind his back, and Jean wouldn't confess for fear of who he'd choose. Tetsuji was just about as cruel and punishing to the boys as he was in canon, he just had less of a reason to keep a close eye on them and so was more of a distance presence in their lives. However, a important distinction is that in this AU, he truly did see Riko as his son and heir and spoiled him a lot in the name of conving Riko to follow his goals. Riko is less obssessed with the father who abandoned him than he is with what he was taught was his birthrightm which includes his perceived ownership of Kevin, who always saw him in more platonic terms even as he knew they were going to be engaged. Jean and Kevin start a secret romantic relantionship when they were around 17, when Jean was moved from doing general tasks to being Riko's personal valet. They are 19/20 when Tetsuji dies and instead of things being better when Riko becomes master of the house, they take a turn for the worse shortly after.

Jeremy arrives at Evermore when he is 25, and Kevin and Jean are 24. In the years since Riko inheriting the estate, the staff has diminished way beyond what was actually necessary to mantain the house in good shape. There remain only his new personal valet, a couple of cooks, the now-groundskeeper Jean, and the chief of staff (who is Thea! I'm unsure wether her function in the house is more like a housekeeper or a butler so she doesn't have an official job title yet. But she does give Jeremy many ominous warnings and clues. The rest of the staf are also gonna be Ravens, but who is who is tbd if any of Riko's goons are properly named in TSC, which I suspect they will). ANYWAY! When Jeremy arrives, Kevin and Jean have not spoken (or exchanged any kind of communication) in years. They only know of each other what Thea thinks is safe to share without risking Riko finding out, which is not a lot. They would like it to be different, but both have lost hope of ever getting out of Evermore by this point. Fear not, however! Jeremy, as expected of a gothic heroine, will not leave well enough alone and will do his best to reunite him and free them. And it might even work out!

As my parting words, I can tell this project has a title (acronymed BNTB), will probably have three to five chapters, and I have made this moodboard for it:

#my wips #asks #anon #kerejean #wymack and some of the foxes (and maybe some trojans) will also have a role here buuuut that would be more of a spoiler #(and I also haven't fully plotted that part)#anyway. RIP Riko and Tetsuji Moriyama you guys would have loved Heatcliff Heatcliff.

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mermaidsirennikita · 3 months

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Any HR with gothic vibes you would recommend?

Yes!

Anne Stuart is known for writing darker, more gothic-y historicals. I've only read A Rose at Midnight so far, but I know her Rohan series is recommended for this a lot. I loved A Rose at Midnight. It's set shortly after the French Revolution (set in England, largely) and the heroine literally begins the book wanting to kill the hero. She does poison him! He just survives lmao. But yeah, the beef is real, it's pretty dark (TW for noncon, dubcon, forced sex work, general Reign of Terror violence) and there's a general sense of violence and mystery and secrets.

Elizabeth Hoyt plays with the Gothic a lot. I'd recommend:

The Raven Prince. Really a sexy Jane Eyre, the heroine is the hero's secretary and ends up putting on a mask and pretending to be a sex worker at a brothel he frequents in order to sleep with him. (To be very fair to her, he was only visiting the brothel because he was avoiding their intense sexual tension.) But yeah, he sweeping around his manor, he's doing the high drama. it's GREAT.

The Leopard Prince. This is more "we're out on the moors, the natural world is here, the are murders and mysterious sheep kilings" Gothic. The heroine inherits an estate and moves there, only to begin an affair with her gruff steward, who's basically on the brink of being framed for murder. It's HOOOOOT.

All of the Dolphin Sex Cult books in Maiden Lane kinda have this vibe, but TW because the cult is heavily involved in pedophilia. The heroes and heroines are trying to stop it. These books consist of:

Duke of Sin. Insane villainous hero, hides in his walls watching the heroine (who's his housekeeper and has been planted in his house in order to steal blackmail material he owns from him) for like... 3-4 months. She doesn't even know he's there. He's truly wild. But he is trying to... avenge his sister... because their father was in the Dolphin Sex Cult? It's complex.

Duke of Pleasure. In this one, the hero is a king's bastard, actively trying to take down the Dolphin Sex Cult. The heroine is a street urchin who's often dressed as a boy in order to stay safe; she's also a vigilante. He recruits her to help him, while also teaching her to pass as a lady. This one involves the infamous "ummmm people are about to catch us, quick suck my dick for cover" and she just doesn't stop when the people go away and swallows.

Duke of Desire. This one is really intense and dark. The hero kidnaps the heroine to prevent her from falling prey to the villains, and forces her to marry him for the same reasons. She's like "I can deal with this, but I want a baby" which he refuses because he has a lot of sexual trauma related to the cult (TW for childhood SA).

The Ghost of St. Giles arc in Maiden Lane is also on that wavelength--it's all about this masked vigilante who skulks the night. Turns out the identity is shared by several different guys!

Thief of Shadows. The Winter Makepeace book. Our hero is a schoolmaster/orphanage master guy, and he runs around as the Ghost, while by day a rich society widow tutors him on how to solicit donations from patrons and do polite society right. Said widow catches on to his game, and they begin this intense passionate secret affair while he's also dealing with Ghost stuff.

Lord of Darkness. The next Ghost is a quiet widower who married again a few years ago in order to save a young woman he barely knew from ruin when she got pregnant out of wedlock and her lover died before they could make it legal. She miscarried right after the wedding, and wants a baby now, so she's back in town wanting to finally consummate the marriage. He agrees, but he's withholding the Secret while they try for a baby.

Duke of Midnight. Georgian Batman with heavy Gothic tones. Our hero is a tortured duke whose parents were killed in front of him, and ever since he's desired REVENGE. The heroine is a lady's companion with a dark past who's trying to regain her former station and free her imprisoned brother, and she catches on to his vigilante activities and is like "mmm you're gonna help me or I'm gonna tell everyone thaaanks".

If you want something on the kinkier side, Sierra Simone's Ivy Leavold trilogy (which must be read in order) is a kinky Jane Eyre, basically, with very Gothic overtones. Sierra looooves the Gothic. It's super hot and really fun.

Scarlett Peckham's The Duke I Tempted has a Gothic "I married a mysterious man and he has secrets I must discover" vibe. Of course, his secret is that he's submissive in bed, but there are other things too! The Earl I Ruined has similar vibes, but less so.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs

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420thewritersroom · 12 days

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Got That Cursed Dawg in Him

Whoo-ie, this took slightly longer than intended. I wanted to gift this piece to @averageludwig simply because I LOVE LOVE LOVE their art and their pieces of the Demoman & Soldier makes my heart do backflips AND front flips. This is also highly inspired by @waterwindow art on Twitter that I think about daily, on top of that I love their art and their pieces on Demo & Soldier too.

This is also my first time writing anything involving the TF2 peeps, and I feel like it shows a lot when writing dialogue for the Soldier and Demoman (I didn't bother with doing written accents because...no, not skilled or patient enough to bother with that lol).

Before we continue, just wanted to do a bit of housekeeping, BLU Soldier is named John Doe (full name Johnathan Dodger) and is essentially a BLU Team OC. Same with the BLU Demoman, their name is Harvey (full name Harvey MacLennan). So for those who are confused on why the Soldier is named John instead of Jane, that's why. I also like to interpret the BLU Soldier to be a tad bit smarter (still a massive himbo). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the read!

Characters: RED Demoman (Tavish Finnegan DeGroot), BLU Soldier (John Doe), BLU Demoman (Harvey Maclennan)

Word Count: 2,058

Ships: RED Demoman/BLU Soldier (Boots n Bombs) if you squint

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence (it's not too gratuitous, but it's there), Unresolved Tension, mentions of murder, BLU Soldier is too dumb to not escalate situations to worse heights

John strains to keep himself upright, wobbly staying on his feet as he looks at the RED Demoman across from him under his helmet. Pained breaths escape him as he readjusts the grip on his shovel, having lost his rocket launcher in the fight long ago.

"Tavish," it hurts to talk as John forces himself to try to reach his former friend again, "Tavish, you need to snap out of it!"

He has tried, time and time again, since this fight reignited, to get Tavish to stop this bloodshed he was subjecting both teams to. John said he could talk him out of this blood-frenzied stupor that the RED Demoman was under, that there was no need to trap Tavish in the Respawn system. Or worse, cut him off from it completely. He can be reasoned with. He's one of the most reasonable men with both teams combined.

"You have to let go of that sword, Tavish. You can't let whatever commie trickery that thing is plaguing you with take over. For your sake, listen to me!"

The RED Demoman was slumped forward, arms dangling in front of him while holding on tightly to the Eyelander that dripped fresh blood from its blade. Tavish's remaining eye shone with a cursed green, the outcome of constantly feeding the sword the heads of not only the BLU team but RED as well. The usual rogueish charm that the Demolition Man possessed was gone. In its place, a blood-hungry beast that saw neither friend nor foe, but lambs fit for the slaughter. Despite being wholly empowered by the claymore, the body is still flesh and bone. Tavish, or whomever was possessing him, struggled to keep themselves aloft. They have lost too much blood, and Tavish's body protested any further exertion unless treated.

John, however, looked worse for wear. His uniform was ripped and in tatters, revealing the white tanktop below, which was also showing signs of damage. He lost FAR more blood than Tavish ever did, with multiple cuts that ran deep and oozed his essence all over his attire and on the dirt below. Breathing was haggard and painful for the BLU Soldier to do. Hell, existing was riding him up a wall as hours of fighting and dodging were catching up with him. The only reason he was still kicking was thanks to the few health kits and bottles that were littered about, the dispenser that his team Engineer set up for him (that was now destroyed at this point), and their resident nurse giving him a buff before the confrontation. But his resources were running thin. He practically ran this entire battlefield dry of its health kits and ammo, his rocket launcher and shotgun now only having a single shell and maybe two rockets for him to utilize.

"Heads," a ghostly snarl escapes not from the claymore but from Tavish's mouth, dripping like poison in John's weary ears. "Heads…Heads," the body continued to utter as it tried to inch closer to John. Tavish's body, exhausted from the fight, struggled to place one foot after the other, stumbling here and there as every nerve was demanding that this being stop and let it rest.

John can barely think. He tried talking to Tavish, but nothing was getting through to him. Every plea, insult, and statement was greeted with unbridled violence and horrific screams. Any strategy the war veteran could think of was leaking from his ears (or maybe that's just blood now that he's thinking about it). As Tavish's body lumbered closer, John scrambled mentally on what to do. Shooting Tavish will send him to respawn and will provoke the RED team to damn Tavish to whatever fate they opted to do. But he can't fight him either. Should whatever's controlling the Scotsman gain a second wind, John will be sent through the ringer instead, failing in his mission and pushing both teams to definitely kill Tavish.

Tavish was now within arm's length of the Soldier, scrapping the Eyelander beside him on the dirt ground and ready to swing the weapon at John's head. John isn't sure what compelled him to do this. Perhaps he was hinging on the possibility that their past friendship still lingered somewhere in Tavish's mind. Maybe it was a final distraction tactic he opted to pull out from under the possessed Demoman's feet. Regardless of what the reasons were, John pushed himself to get dangerously close to the deranged Demoman.

And he kissed him.

The kiss might as well be two kids on the playground pressing lips together, thinking this is "how adults kiss" or woeful virgins awkwardly "kissing" each other. The sensuality was lost between the two of them; their lips connected, but the desire that usually comes with it was in the other room.

Yet, John couldn't help but feel his heart flutter a bit. He tells himself that it's just the adrenaline and fatigue that caused his heart to skip a beat, kicking away the dawning fear that he might still harbor the same feelings that he felt all those years ago; before their fallout, before the Demoman betrayed his trust. But despite these affirmations he tried to hammer into his head, his lips still lingered far too long than they should have. But it must be doing something; Tavish has yet to raise his Eyelander at him.

John mentally had to rip himself away from the Demoman, quickly stepping back should the RED fiend decide to take a swipe at him. What he saw before him took him aback as the RED Demoman stared at the BLU Soldier with a wide eye. The color of Tavish's remaining eye no longer glowed a misty green, but it wasn't back to the usual brown that it was before. Instead, his eye was a startingly alluring emerald green.

"…Tavish?" John says carefully.

There's a brief moment of silence between the two, and John decides to take further initiative in this temporary standstill. "Tavish, you have to give me the sword. You're out of control, out of line, even for someone of your expertise."

The Demoman remained still, his face filled with foggy confusion as he seemingly was slowly coming to his senses. John took this moment of uncertainty to his advantage as he leisurely reached for the sword.

"If you don't let go of this communist contraption you found, they'll kill you. You hear me? They. Will. Kill. You, Maggot," despite the insult, it held none of the searing bite that it usually conveys. John silently thanks his helmet for shadowing his eyes as he used the concealment to prevent the RED Demoman from seeing him eyeing his sword.

"You may not be a red, white, and blue-blooded American, but I know you can fight whatever has plagued your English-muddled brain." John was so close to the sword that he could taste it. Just a millimeter longer, and he'll end this nightmare once and for all-

Tavish's eye suddenly flares in anger, shoving John away from him and placing extra distance from the BLU Soldier. "Then let them kill me. Maybe Heaven or Hell will have more use for me than this wasteland of a state!"

John stares at Tavish dumbfounded, his helmet slightly ajar to glimpse his blue eyes. "Tavish, you don't know what you're saying-"

"I know EXACTLY what I'm saying. Haven't had a drop of scrumpy since I've started this rampage."

So he was aware? All this time?

"What? You think I'm that ill-willed to just LET a dead son of a bitch take me over without an inch of a fight, eh? I fought the goddamn loche, read a cursed book, and lost me eye for it."

Not a single word was slurred or interrupted by an untimely burp. John was lost for words, unsure of how to respond.

"But, why? You're terrorizing both teams consorting with that weapon, letting it whisper Russian nonsense into your ears!"

"Firstly, this sword isn't from fucking Russia; let's put that through your tin-canned skull first. Secondly, I let it take over because I allowed it."

"But WHY?" Soldier couldn't restrain his growing impatience, his tone resorting back to his usual drill sergeant demeanor.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Don't back sass me, you one-eyed Scot son of a bitch. Your whiskey-drinking life is on the goddamn line."

"See, that right there," the Demoman points at the Soldier accusingly, "Maybe if you'd stop with those demeaning jokes, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Jokes? It's what you are, Tavish! You have one eye, and you drink! What else am I supposed to call-" John stops himself, his mind finally clicking back into gear and understanding where Tavish was coming from. "Ah, so drinking wasn't enough, was it? Gotta bully everyone else, all because of your own damn insecurities, is that it?"

"You shut your bucket-wearing trap," Tavish growled, his remaining eye threatening John with a ghostly mist.

"Maybe if you actually faced your own demons instead of trying to drown them out with whiskey and blood, you'd be half the man you wished you were."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Tavish's eye becomes fully enveloped in the same cursed green color as his fury rises to new heights. "YOU HAVE LITTLE ROOM TO TALK FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS PLACED IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL FOR DECIMATING THEIR WHORE OF A GIRLFRIEND!"

Though this should've struck a cord in John, it instead made his spine and skin run cold as a shiver coursed through him. Nevermind that Tavish screamed to the heavens a secret he wished was left buried in its grave, but John completely lost the plot of what he was supposed to be doing. If anything, he reignited and made worse the Demoman's conviction to fucking kill him.

"T-Tavish, wait," John tried to backpedal, kicking himself mentally for letting his emotions run his mouth. But it was too late. The familiar sounds of Tavish's ungodly screams came rushing at him, and he had little time to run. Hell, he even tripped on himself attempting to run away from the bull that was the RED Demoman.

Thank his stars and garters that the Eyelander clanged against steel instead of his flesh and bone.

John is unsure when the BLU Demoman appeared or where they came from, but he was slightly grateful that the demolitionist stood between him and the willfully possessed Tavish.

"We gave you ten minutes, you took an hour, and we waited, John," Harvey's soft voice pierced through John like a hot knife to butter.

John panics as the possibility of Tavish meeting a fate worse than death becomes a painful inevitability in his mind. He scrambles through his words, thoughts not connecting to his lips, "Harv, please, just give me more time-"

"I gave you all the time in the world, Soldier. But something has to be done," Harvey grunts, and his words felt cold to the touch, but he does not raise his voice. Keeping a steady tone that, to an untrained ear, he might as well be as serene as a monk.

The BLU Demoman ends the standstill between him and his RED counterpart, building distance by kicking Tavish away with amazing strength. A prowess even the BLU Soldier didn't know his BLU companion possessed.

The RED Demoman's back slams against the outer walls of one of the buildings. With that previous stalemate, Tavish's body felt a renewed vigor as it slumped forward, and from his mouth, a familiar, venomous hiss escaped his lips, "Heads."

"If there's anything good that came out of your distraction, most of BLU have convened with RED, and they're plotting what to do with this beast once it's down." Harvey tilts his head to look at John, "Either you join them, or you help me keep this monster down."

John, from under his helmet, lingers between the two Demomen, searching through his mind how he can still salvage this situation. Ultimately, he settles on helping Harvey in the moment, and hopes to contain Tavish should they weaken him again. The BLU Soldier gets back on his feet, shovel in hand and stands with his BLU companion.

"I know you both have history, but that can not hold you back from doing what must be done, Johnathan," the BLU Demoman softly says.

"I know," John answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey, you made it to the end of the story, congrats :D

My main inspiration for making this piece, aside from Waterwindow's art piece, was because I have yet to see anyone put Demoman in the "unwillingly or willingly becomes possessed by an entity that takes over their body completely and they're so deep in the possession sauce that they require the power of friendship to save them or have to be put down like a dog for the sake of the world" trope, and I decided to clumsily make this a reality.

I can just imagine, especially when he gains the Eyelander and his friendship with the BLU Soldier is broken, that Tavish goes through a spiral of emotions as he questions his self-worth and feels guilty for betraying his friend all for a cursed sword. And his guilt and self-hatred eats up at him and he becomes vulnerable to the influence of the Eyelander and lets the sword put him on auto pilot, allowing the spirit within to go on a mindless rampage against both RED and BLU team.

#Team Fortress 2 #TF2 #TF2 Demoman #TF2 Soldier #Boots n Bombs

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iamcherryblessed · 7 months

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Rosaline // Alec Volturi: Chapter One

Summary: “How the blood rushed into my cheeks” Rosaline was no stranger to hard work, she’s been working as a maid for as far back as she can remember. Starting off as a scullery maid and ending up as a Lady’s Maid for the fearsome Jane Volturi. She’s just trying to keep her head on her shoulders and her heart beating, what happens when she catches the eye of her Lady’s stoic twin brother? What does Alec Volturi want with a lowly maid? “So scarlet, it was maroon” Series masterlist

Chapter One

A shudder ran through me. A shaky breath escaped my lips as I stared at the elderly woman in front of me.

“Rosaline, it is your duty.” The woman reminded, she was always quite stern. The toll of her work showed on each wrinkle that decorated her face. Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I slowly nodded my head.

“It will be okay,” the woman, Annie, our head housekeeper, attempted to console me, a hand patting my shoulder.

“Yes, Miss.” My voice came out shaky. It won’t be okay, she’s just signed my death sentence.

I could hear the whispers of the other girls, not so quietly taking bets on how long they think I'll last. Even as the new girl I had been warned about the cruel legacy of our masters, heard the gossip of what happens to the Lady’s Maid of the most feared of them all; Jane. Apparently Hattie, the girl before me, had a habit of being quite heavy footed. All it took was stepping a bit too hard onto the floor for her head to be rolled off her shoulders.

Before this assignment I was a kitchen maid for another noble family, I spent most of my time baking complicated recipes and cleaning the cutlery. I had started off as a scullery maid but had managed to work my way up, what I would give to stay in the kitchens. Apparently those kinds of maids are not useful for this family, I am not sure what kind of household does not find a kitchen to be useful. There have been mutterings of the words ‘monsters’ and ‘devils’ but it is not my duty to ask questions, it is my duty to serve. And if that duty is to serve Jane Volturi, then I shall do my best. It seems like my life depends on it.

A gaggle of chambermaids stood by the door, they giggled to themselves as I walked towards them. “No bother to learn your name now,” they laughed. I tried to remain calm, I tried to catch my breath and I tried to show no emotion on my face. It wasn’t working well if their growing smiles were anything to go off.

“Girls, leave her alone!” Annie snapped, “make sure to get a good night's rest” she added on in a much more gentle tone. I nodded and kept my head down as I quietly made my way up to my new chambers.

The one positive to becoming a Lady’s Maid is being able to move from the servants corridor. The servants quarters were all kept to the left side of the castle, we had a couple of rooms with as many beds that could fit on the ground floor, the rooms were separated by girls and boys. Just above was a small and not very updated kitchen, there wasn’t an area dedicated to eating. We just ate as quickly as we could where we stood. The bathroom was next to the kitchen, there was one toilet and one bath that only produced cold water to share between all the castle servants. Throughout the floors were the servants' halls which allowed us to move as swiftly as we could across all the floors while avoiding being seen by the masters. All of the areas used only by the servants were all dimly lit and held a musty scent but it was the only place where we could speak above a whisper or hold a smile. Not that many people here did.

A Lady’s Maid gets to sleep on the same floor as their Lady, our room is conjoined. Unseen by the Lady but close enough for us to come as soon as we are called. Being a Lady’s Maid is normally a high honour, for most maid’s starting at a scullery maid and ending up where I am now normally takes a lot longer. However, this place, this family, everything is different. Everything feels weird.

From what I’ve heard about Lady Jane she goes through maids very quickly, according to the gossiping chambermaids Hattie was her fourth this calendar year and it is currently only month eight. Of course you send the new girl to be the fifth, why send someone you're familiar with? It’s not as much of a loss when you’ve only been here for less than a month.

My new room was cramped, there was a small bed nestled between the wall and a small chest of drawers. On the other side, behind where the door opened, was a toilet with a sink next to it, above was a dirty mirror. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my lips, it was compact but it was all mine. A room I didn’t have to share with 5 other girls, my own bathroom I didn’t have to share with over a dozen other people. It almost made it worth it. Until I glanced at the piece of paper that was on top of my thin pillow, it was Annie’s handwriting detailing Lady Jane’s schedule for tomorrow and the jobs I will need to complete.

I felt my heart stutter, I need to get my head clear so that I can do my work tomorrow and stay alive. Sleep struggled to come. But soon enough the morning came and I heard Lady Jane calling for me.

#twilight #alec volturi #twilight x oc #alec volturi x oc #alec volturi imagine #alecvolturi #alec volturi fanfic #twilight fanfic #rosaline series #alec volturi x reader

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paperandsong · 2 years

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Is Ancient Magus Bride Gothic?

A story about a vulnerable orphan girl, abused and haunted, who is welcomed into the home of a mysterious older man - this could be the summary of Ancient Magus Bride or Jane Eyre. Rochester’s home is even called Thornfield Hall!

Author Kore Yamazaki set her story square in the ancestral homeland of Gothic literature, but it is not clear that she meant to write a Gothic romance. In several interviews she lists her influences as folk and fairy lore from the British Isles, but she does not make reference to any Gothic novels:

“I grew up reading a lot of fantasy books about fairies. A lot of them took place in England. It was a place that was very close to my heart.” 2017 Interview

“I usually read books on mythology and folklore, and I often have a stock of ideas that I can use in development. Perhaps it's because I don't think of fantasy as something that can't happen in reality, so I create a story where humans meet fantasy in an ordinary way. ” 2021 Interview

(If you know of any interviews in which she does make reference to Gothic literature please let me know!)

Is Ancient Magus Bride Gothic? Some people might say no, it’s not Gothic because it’s Fantasy. I usually see it described as “dark fantasy.” But there are enough traditional Gothic motifs that make the question worth asking.

I used professor John Bowen’s list of Gothic motifs as a guide. Let’s start with ways Ancient Magus Bride is not Gothic and work through Bowen’s list.

Strange Places - It’s not the House

Most lists of Gothic motifs will include a castle or a rotting mansion. Bowen’s list did not specify that the “strange place” motif must be an old house, but even so, Elias’ home does not qualify as Gothic. It is cozy, well lit, the garden is neither secret nor overgrown, and even though his housekeeper is a banshee and its master a mage, it is not a haunted house or even very creepy.

A World of Doubt

Bowen writes “Gothic is … a world of doubt, particularly doubt about the supernatural and the spiritual.” In Gothic novels like the Secret Garden, and the Phantom of the Opera, there is persistent doubt about what is causing the action, something supernatural or something human? But this is not the case in AMB. There is never any doubt that magic and spirits are real and that they do influence the human world. We know from the very beginning what is haunting Chise. Chise has a lot of doubt about Elias, but she knows he isn’t completely human and that doesn’t frighten her.

Crisis

Bowen states that the Gothic is a way “to try to master and understand enormous [political] changes.” Gothic literature written in the nineteenth century often addresses the moral rot stemming from colonialism and slavery. There could be no Thornfield Hall without first a Jamaican sugar plantation. But Elias doesn’t live in a manor house. He isn’t really even British. AMB reads as a love letter to England from Yamazaki. It is definitely not a critique of nineteenth century colonialism.

Those are a few ways Ancient Magus Bride doesn’t fit into the Gothic tradition. Let’s explore some ways that it does:

Power and Constraint/Eroticism

Bowen writes, “The Gothic world is fascinated by violent differences in power, and its stories are full of constraint, entrapment and forced actions.” The subversion of the power dynamic between Chise and Elias is central to AMB. Chise begins the story with no agency at all; Elias has every power over her. While that dynamic shifts with time, the story poses burning questions: What does it mean that he owns her? What does he mean when he says he wants to make her his bride? What is marriage, really?

Bowen writes that gothic plots are “often driven by the exploration of questions of sexual desire, pleasure, power and pain.” Chise is full of questions about how she feels about Elias. While not clearly sexual, the contrained physical relationship - full of face touching and hair stroking - at least presents the questions: What kind of marriage will it be? Can they even?

The obsessive nature of their love is perhaps the most Gothic element of the story. Elias’ jealousy drives him to literal, monstrous hunger for Chise. And it doesn’t even scare her. This is Wuthering Heights territory.

Chapter 31: Forgive and Forget

The Sublime

Bowen credits philosopher Edmund Burke with the concept of the Sublime: “When danger or pain press too nearly, they are incapable of giving any delight, and [yet] with certain modifications, they may be, and they are delightful, as we every day experience.” There are many moments when Chise is overwhelmed or astonished, either by the beauty or terror of the world Elias shows her. Think about the first time she rides a dragon, the first time she uses her wand to fly on her own, the moment she wakes up in the fairy kingdom. These are scenes of fantasy, but they evoke in Chise a sense of fear and wonder. There are darker scenes of the sublime too - when Elias holds her in his jealous jaws or when she holds Cartaphilus in her arms, covered in blood and surrounded by a mesh of thorns.

The Uncanny

Bowen credits Freud with the concept of the Uncanny as seen in Gothic literature, defined as “...that class of the frightening which leads back to what is known of old and long familiar.” The question hanging over Elias Ainsworth is: Just how human is he? Aside from the times he uses a glamor, Elias does not try to hide his skull head. But he does take on the pretense of a man. The way he dresses, the way he holds his tea cup, his talk of marriage, all so very human. But also so very fake. I wrote a little more about this in my comparison of Elias and Erik (Phantom of the Opera).

Oberon & Elias in Chapter 8: The Faerie Queen

The Macabre

Not on Bowen’s list, but on mine. Are Chise and Elias meant to reference the Death and the Maiden motif? Elias’ wolf-skull head does make me think about death and mortality, even if he isn’t meant to embody death. Depressed and suicidal, death is very much on Chise’s mind. She is not afraid of death just as she is not afraid of Elias. Elias does carry fatal power. While he saves Chise’s many times over, he is always ready to destroy anything that gets in his way.

#mahoutsukai no yome #ancient magus bride #gothic literature #gothic #elias x chise #kore yamazaki #john bowen #jane eyre #literature

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cannoliparty · 3 months

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the maid of hope

i LOVE writing about maids, so this was perfect! the hope aspect is also so fun to explore, as its very influential to the morale & even the fate of a session itself ^_^

the maid

here's a snippet on the maid class, taken from my guide to classpecting!

"as the active creation class, maids "prepare the others in their session through their aspect and serve/take care of their aspect” their job is to prepare other people of note for what lies ahead. they must also take care of the housekeeping of their aspect (like a real maid) making sure that it does not go to chaos in their session. this "housekeeping" is their challenge, where the maid must learn to rely on themselves and their aspect."

the maid takes the utmost care of their aspect in a session. hussie also used the play on words "maid/made of ___" to dictate that maids also closely embody or harness their aspect. maids are guaranteed to end up in great control of it, creating and therefore "cleaning up" their aspect to their will. but maids will start out in a session lacking in their aspect. this is part of their challenge to learn to rely on themselves for their aspect, therefore putting that "made"-part to use. theyll often consult others for aid in this aspect, or be at a loss of how to use it. but eventually they find a way to become greatly self-sufficient through the overcoming of outer and/or inner conflicts & doubts.

a great example is aradia, maid of time. she starts out lacking time, and is basically frozen in death, away from the flow of time itself. but with the help of outer forces and godtiering, she is able to become alive again and therefore made of time. her demeanor is patient and on the cheery side, as if she has the utmost faith in how time resolves all, and finds comfort in its forever presence. other instances where aradia is harnessing time is when she floats around through dream bubbles and centuries worth of doomed timelines, now being immortal through godtiering, she is further made of time and uses this to her utmost advantage (more than other godtiers). aradia is adamant on staying alive, but she is still aware of time's unwavering certainty. when she tells john shes sticking around to "watch this whole place break apart", she is saying "what's another death?" because to her and her long history of mortal torment, mortality and immortality are the same. as long as her death is neither heroic nor just, aradia remains. on a more physical standpoint, aradia's powers included freezing/harnessing time and being able to travel through different timelines whenever she pleases, and for however long she wants. she could also possibly have her own sort of created way she travels about time, as centuries of travelled doomed timelines was just a few years to everyone else until aradia was back.

hope

hope is a morale-based aspect. it's based on the belief in a positive fate, with a great acceptance and diligence towards achieving it. no matter how they go about it, hope players can be adamant on their beliefs.

jake english, page of hope. he always managed to look on the bright side, and was cheery as ever. his potential abilities in hope shone through his belief in his friends and their powers, but as a page, this hope lacked a lot of substance at first. pages do not start out strong in their aspect at all, and jakes constant berating of positivity often brought his friendships to disarray, for he lacked in actual foresight for his hoped outcomes. lets present this thought through an example, jake and janes friendship and one-sided romance. though jake believed in jane and how great of a friend she was, he failed to actually put that hope into their actual conversations, as in he was completely clueless on how uncomfortable jane was. in short, he was positive but it lacked structure/something to be built off of, there was nothing very positive in his relationship with jane. but often whats forgotten is the immense potentiality in pages. at their full power, they might have some of the strongest levels of raw ability in their aspect across all the classes. jake's untapped abundance of hope allowed him to accumulate a self-made dirk, through his sheer hope and belief in his friend. this hope, in a more raw form, is so strong that its a blinding and unwavering light (see aranea forcing jake to reach his full potential!)

a more moral-twisting example is eridan, prince of hope. a prince destroys/destroys through his aspect. what eridan hoped for was romance of his own, but his destructive hope-related tendencies made him helpless. his own class turned him over, and even if he didnt necessarily give in to destroying his own hope/himself, eridan basically destroyed any hope he had of a single quadrant! he also destroyed a lot of the hope in his session by killing feferi, blinding sollux, and overall just dragging the trolls' morale down. through a magic wand, eridan harnessed raw hope (again with the blinding, unwavering beams of light) to destroy his aspect.

the maid of hope

a maid of hope would start out negatively stubborn (though hope players tend to be stubborn, this wouldn't be in a good way T_T;). they might depend on others for their own morale-boosting, and could be driven to giving up easily.

but after overcoming their challenge, the maid would be practically unstoppable. imagine being MADE of hope! nothing but the utmost belief in yourself and your team, just an unwielding force of faith in what the maid believes will happen, or what they wish to happen.

and this maid can create hope, both for themselves and the people around them. itd be a super useful morale booster, and they can even just harness hope, twisting it from the enemy and further drive the maid's willed/wished fate into existence! the maid will be self-sufficient and highly confident in their beliefs, especially in the abilities of themselves and the forces around them can very easily end up in their favour. even out of godtier, theyd be useful!

conclusion

omg.... sorry for the super lengthy character explanations!!! i got carried away but overall im happy with how i explained the maid of hope. i just loove the classpect itself, it was soso fun to explore! let me know if you have any analysis requests, classpect questions, or your own insights on this classpect/classpecting in general! toodles!! ^_^

#cannoliblabbing #homestuck #classpect #classpecting #the maid of hope

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sean-kuraly · 1 year

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hi guys!!! i missed all of you tons <3 sorry for going m.i.a. for like months, consistency is key but somehow i've yet to figure that out lol

but it's time i make a reappearance! i've really missed being active on here so i'm going to take a few days to do a little revamp and then i'll hopefully be back to writing soon!!

i can't wait to be back <3

#jane does: housekeeping

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unsociableandtaciturnbarbie · 6 days

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I have a confession to make (or maybe it’s not a confession because I’m not super subtle about it), I read Jane Austen and her associated works for romance; sue me! This semester I feel as if I’ve been very focused on class dynamics, stylistic choices, and historical accuracy, but somewhere in there I lost the reason why I even picked up Jane Austen in the first place: the love stories. Sitting in class today while listening to myself analyze why it’s socially acceptable for a servant to kiss someone instead of talking about why I think it’s really exciting that they were kissing, I came to this realization that I had completely lost some of the simple joy in Austen while analyzing it. Reading Longbourn has been really fun for me, and while the cool and smart reason would be because of the interesting ways in which different worlds (the world of the rich and the world of the servants) are created and traversed by different characters, the real reason is because I NEED to know if James and Sarah are going to end up together. Reading Longbourn has reminded me that, yes, romance can exist in the bounds of Jane Austen, and it’s okay if I spend most of the book living for the slowburn of James and Sarah because they’re really cute together and I’m always a sucker for a grumpy-sunshine trope.

As such, I decided to create a meme really going back to my roots. It’s based on the sad hamster memes where first someone states something and then the sad hamster is supposed to be your disappointed reaction to it. I decided to create this meme where someone, perhaps a real historical accuracy Jane-ite, is saying that romance can’t exist within the bounds of Jane Austen, and then I’m reacting to it in front of Pemberley because it’s THE place for me in Austen, holding Longbourn because it’s the book that fills my romance-loving soul and reminded me of my Austen roots, Ao3 because it’s the place to really get the mushy gushy romance content for Austen that I want, a tote bag with the hand flex and “you have bewitched me body and soul” quote to represent my favorite movie of all time which gives both the Austen content and mushy romance content (I love the US ending and will die on that hill), and a letter that has the first proposal from Darcy to represent that romance does exist in Austen and it’s legal to like those parts of the book best. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good analysis, but I think sometimes it’s okay to enjoy a piece of fiction and not tear the romance to shreds for the sake of historical accuracy or making a point about Austen’s motivations which I have definitely been guilty of.

On that note, I have a confession to make about a discussion we had in class like a month ago and brought up again in class today as a fact that we agreed on, but I actually have disagreed with it this whole time and I need to put it out there. I do not agree that Elizabeth fell in love with Darcy because of his owning Pemberley. I think Elizabeth fell in love with Darcy because of the Darcy he is at Pemberley. When she arrives at Pemberley she makes some comments about how lovely it all is, but she still doesn’t want to see him. She starts to feel a bit more amiable towards him only after the housekeeper tells stories of him, but up until she runs into Darcy, she’s reflecting on how glad she is that he’s not coming back until the following day. It’s easy to attribute her love of him to Pemberley, but it’s more complicated than that. After the visit with Georgiana, we get this quote: “As for Elizabeth, her thoughts were at Pemberley this evening more than the last; and the evening, though as it passed it seemed long, was not long enough to determine her feelings towards one in that mansion; and she lay awake two whole hours, endeavouring to make them out”. Her thoughts were not “of” Pemberley, they were “at” Pemberley which I think is a really important distinction because the paragraph would still function with “of Pemberley”, but Austen specifically doesn’t write that here. Also, the rest of the passage goes on to list off his qualities that she’s beginning to fall for and not once does she mention his riches, even in a like, “What a good bonus!” way.

I’m going to plug the musical below here again (it’s really good), so if you start at 1:24:04 and watch to 1:28:13 there’s a song called “That’s Not the Man That I Know” that I think really captures this whole idea. The tone of the song starts very combative, like Lizzie is battling with the idea of the Darcy she knows and that of the Darcy she’s hearing about. She softens a bit for a second where we get the “oh he has a nice house” but she goes right back to the combative tone upon seeing him. If it had truly been the house, she would have completely softened to him the moment she recognized that Pemberley is quite nice. However, the tone doesn’t soften to a real affectionate tone until he’s conversed with her aunt and uncle and invited her to dine with Georgina, real evidence that Darcy at Pemberley really isn’t the man she *thinks* she knows and this to me shows that the real Pemberley effect is that of Darcy at Pemberley, NOT the riches which Pemberley represents.

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#jane austen #pride and prejudice #fitzwilliam darcy #ao3 fanfic #longbourn #pride and prejudice the musical #elizabeth be #elizabeth bennet #Youtube

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bethanydelleman · 8 months

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Your evaluation of Pride and Prejudice 2005?

Things it got right, things it didn't, things it could have done better/differently, and your overall impression of it as an adaptation of the book.

P&P 2005 was my first introduction to Jane Austen so it has a special place in my heart. I really like the way scenes are set up like tableaus, I liked the attempt to humanize Mrs. Bennet, Mary, and Mr. Collins, even though it's somewhat out of character, and I really really REALLY love the song that is played at various levels of skill. The one that Mary, Elizabeth, and Georgiana all play, but Georgiana plays the best (Mary at the intro, Elizabeth at Rosings iirc and Georgiana when Elizabeth meets her). I also was very into Orlando Bloom at the time the movie came out and I thought Wickham was hot for that reason.

However, there are some things that I am just like, why??? Why are the styles such a mess? Why aren't those girls wearing bonnets? Why is Darcy a complete ShyBoi? Why is Mr. Collins so short? Why did Bingley just swear during his proposal? Why would Elizabeth be snooping around unaccompanied at Pemberley? (like the whole job of the housekeeper was to keep the guests from getting into mischief!) Why in the world would they put in that almost kiss after Elizabeth verbally drop-kicked Darcy? Why are the Bennets so messy looking and poor seeming? Why is Georgiana like that?

Overall, I think it does a decent job, it got me to read the book at least. It's nowhere near the disaster that is P22. The modern bits of language are clearly designed to help modern audiences understand the story better and they are quotable. It is generally well cast. There are changes and compressions that must be made when a long book is turned into a movie so I can easily forgive the exclusion of Louisa, for example. I honestly think it's a pretty decent adaptation even if it gets Darcy wrong.

#p&p 2005 #Darcy isn't a Shyboi #but otherwise it's fine #adaptations #question response

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grelleswife · 11 months

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I get the feeling some of the staff have no idea what goes on with those kids too tbh 💀 like someone lied to them too.

Hi, anon! Based on the pattern established by the previous two mission arcs, my guess is that the F.O.L. staff are at least partially aware of the orphanage’s true purpose, even though most of them probably don’t know the full details.

During the maid arc, Jane wasn’t privy to why Heathfield manor was collecting blood, but she knew those illicit activities were going on as soon as she stepped through the door, since she was hired to act as a bodyguard and keep the operation under wraps. Other servants were also active participants in the scheme, including Abbie the housekeeper, depicted below showing Jane where the unconscious maids were held.

Likewise, Ada was complicit in drawing blood from her patients, even after making the connection between the dark underbelly of Sphere Music Hall and Athena Sanatorium. Of course, unlike Jane (who didn’t give a damn about the victims and only had her own pecuniary interests in mind) Ada sincerely cared for her patients, only continuing to collect blood under threat of losing funds if she disobeyed orders.

Based on the events up to Chapter 200, I think the F.O.L. staff acknowledge that there’s shady business afoot but keep their heads down and focus on the job—if the orphans are hurt in the process, that’s not their problem. 🤷‍♀️

As Theodore told Finny, “the forest that surrounds F.O.L. Orphanage is filled with countless traps, the guardhouse is always staffed, and they’re on watch twenty-four hours a day to keep an eye on us.” Even if the adults were kept completely in the dark, surely some of them would find these excessive defenses and constant surveillance a little suspicious (Assuming Yana isn’t making them obtuse for the sake of plot convenience 🤪)!

There’s also an undercurrent of tension (not the fun kind) among the ladies that occasionally rears its head. For example, when Doll begs these characters to let Snake stay at the orphanage just before Finny and him are booted out, their discomfort is obvious. This doesn’t look like annoyance at a child’s whims, but apprehension about crossing someone with a degree of power over them.

Later on, when a minor change is made to the menu for the Pomeranian class’s afternoon tea, the staff flies into an all-out panic. And when Snake has the temerity to question their overblown reaction, one of the workers is so shocked that she involuntarily drops the plate she’s carrying. It’s almost like the grownups have the threat of dire consequences looming over their heads if they put a toe out of line. 👀

Also, consider how sinister the paneling is when the chief of staff informs Susan of Ginny’s fledging day. Pitch-black backgrounds, shadowed faces. Not the reaction you’d expect from blissfully clueless women who assumed they worked for a Nice Normal Orphanage that Definitely Does Not Kill Kids.

Speaking of fledging day…anyone with an ounce of common sense would hear alarm bells ring when all the orphans who attempt to escape or fail to meet the class system’s rigid expectations are sent packing. Again, the workers are either blind to what’s right in front of their noses, or they’re in on it.

Moreover, the staff make it their prerogative to keep the children ignorant. The newspapers given to the orphans are regularly censored to filter out any information—such as the uncovering of Sphere Music Hall’s crimes—that might clue the kids in to the grim reality in which they’re trapped. It’s possible that the adults are told they’re removing such content for the kids’ own good, to avoid upsetting them…but why be so assiduous in controlling the orphans’ perspective of the outside world unless you know there’s something to hide?

While it’s unclear if they’ve been told who (and what) Doll actually is, they apparently know enough to cover for her when those pesky bizarre doll traits start peeking through. After Doll has to excuse herself following a woozy spell, Susan rushes to placate Snake with a bullshit excuse about her period (because everyone with a uterus turns into a fragile fainting flower when that time of the month rolls around. Didn’t you know? 🤡) and quickly changes the subject before they can ask too many questions. To me, at least, this read like a blatant attempt to conceal Doll’s episode from Finny and Snake, even if Susan isn’t completely aware of what these occurrences entail.

And finally, there’s no way these workers sincerely believe that they shave orphans’ heads on their fledging day TO “GET RID OF LICE AND FLEAS” when F.O.L. Orphanage is supposedly such a prestigious establishment. You’re lying through your teeth, Susan. (If those poor babeys aren’t having their hair clipped for surgical purposes, I’ll eat my shoes)

While I doubt the workers have the whole story, they’re far from innocent.

#kuro asks #kuroshitsuji #jane #ada #doll #snake #finnian #finny #the f.o.l. kids #i’m sure they don’t know the gory details but they sure as heck don’t have the kids’ best interests in mind #sorry for the rambling but i do not control the brainrot #i simply do its bidding

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flowerbloom-arts · 7 months

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Sorry if this is obvious but how did they retcon the moominpappa backstory? Do Hodgkins, Joxter, Muddler, and Fuzzy just straight up not exist?

Okay so like... let's start with the stuff the episodes actually tell us.

And in one scene the kids are cleaning a room and they happen upon a photo album, and the album features... a younger Moominpappa living with Aunt Jane at what appears to be a summer house....

But then there's Return To Childhood, the episode with Wimsy.

Moominpappa would constantly change schools in his childhood and then he and Wimsy were dormmates at the last school he went to.

...

Now that completely throws AoMP out the window.

And based on the kids that currently attend the school it seems that this is a an elementary/middle school?

(they're wearing costumes for a festival here)

IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW

MOOMINPAPPA IS JUST A BAD STORYTELLER AND I DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE UTTER LACK OF CHARACTERIZATION AS REAL

IT'S ALL A LIE

JOXTER AND MUDDLER WERE PROBABLY OLD SCHOOLMATES FROM ONE OF HIS SCHOOLS AND THE REASON WHY THEY WERE LOOKALIKES AND PARENTS WERE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THEY HAD KIDS

WOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

#moomins #moominvalley #moominpappa #adventures of moominpappa #tanoshii muumin ikka #moomin adventure diary #fb answers #aunt jane #wimsy

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