#middle sister also is popular with the ladies

[kankuroplease]

It is indeed funny that all of Chiha’s friends agree her brother is hot.

He’s not Michi’s type, but she still thinks Naruto is a cutie 🖤

[avtrbee]

dragon blood

✢summary: daemon doesn’t often love, and when he does he deals with it in the worse ways possible

✢tags: daemon targaryen x reader

✢tw: reader is implied to be a targaryen so typical incest

✢a/n: ik i don’t write things with reader bring preggy and kids because the very thought of it disgusts me, but seeing as the story is set in the game of thrones universe i doubt any woman can refuse to have children especially if they are highborn.

Daemon loves many things. He loves his girls down in Flea Bottom where every whore would approach him like flies to honey at the sight of his white hair for a chance to sleep with a Valyrian prince. He loves his role as the commander of the City Watch and his gold cloaks who are loyal to his demands, he loves the violence, the blood that slicks his hand red when he slits the throat of a criminal or the painful look of a rapist’s face when he cuts his cock off. Daemon loves war, this war for the Stepstones is something he has craved for a long time. The weariness of it, the frustration, the battles and the sword fights- Daemon loves every bit of it.

Daemon loves his ancestry, his Dark Sister who fights with him in every battle, his Caraxes, his pride and joy, whom he rides on to war like a god as cold wind wooshes through his hair in the sky. Daemon also loves his brother, despite popular belief. Viserys who was there from the start, a peacemaker to his violence, someone soft to Daemon’s harsh lines. Viserys, who Daemon bends every rule and law for his attention. Viserys just makes it so…hard to love him sometimes.

Viserys has also given Daemon a wife, who he does not love.

Viserys did not realize that Daemon wanted to choose his wife, not to be given another as soon as his previous marriage was annulled. He does not love his wife, but the Lady Y/N Targaryen is far easier to look at than his old bronze bitch. They both have the blood of the dragon in their veins, strumming chaos and fire in their blood, making it enjoyable to bed her. And so Daemon did, over and over again, until her screams rang across the Red Keep, eating his lovely Targaryen wife until she fainted but even then Daemon did not stop- until her peaks were just short shivers, until she was heaving heavily with no thoughts in her head but his name.

Daemon likes the way the court averts their eyes every time he sees his wife, yanking in her hair to expose her neck to him. He likes the way her neck feels in his hands, so soft and delicate, but he likes the sultry gaze Y/N Targaryen gives him more.

There was only one moment where the thought of loving his wife came up in his mind was when he had held his son in his arms, still freshly birthed and red from blood. “Jaehaerys,” she whispered, taking his attention away from the babe to her. “A name of a great king to a great babe.

Daemon merely nodded and drunk in the sight of her. Y/N’s cheeks have sunken and eyes have darkened after long hours of labor. Her hair was tied to her back by a handmaiden in the middle of her labor but some strands had managed to escape. She was wearing nothing but loose robes with no jewelry on her neck or hair, a far cry from the the Lady Y/N Targaryen of the Viserys’ court. Daemon had never seen her so beautiful. And now, she had given him his son.

Before he could even stop himself, Daemon leaned over and pressed a kiss on her sweaty forehead. “Thank you.”

Y/N have him a surprised look.

Perhaps this was it. Perhaps he could stay here, in Dragonstone, with his wife and Jaehaerys without a thought of the world. Perhaps he could love her as he already loves his son. Kings Landing could die and he would not care, but…

Second sons must make a name for themselves, Daemon’s head echoes the words of Corlys Velaryon upon his summons at Driftmark.

Daemon gives Jaehaerys one last kiss before giving him back to his mother. He had ridden Caraxes to the Stepstones by sundown.

-

You had barely even finished your fast when you were suddenly rushed by your handmaidens to dress quickly. “The King has called for an audience, Princess,” said Mhyra, gently guiding you to your vanity as you sit down before it.

Alys, your other handmadien, scurried to you from your closet with a red and black dress in hand. Your eyes squinted on her bold dress of choice. It was one of your ‘strong’ dresses that boasts your house with two dragons on your shoulders while rubies are bejeweled to the embroidered third dragon on the back. “Audience for what?” You asked.

Behind you, more of your ladies in waiting scurry around in a flurry. “Get the Price Jaehaerys!”

You turn at the mention of the prince, watching as three of Jaehaerys’ maids walk briskly out of your chambers. “Wha- what is happening?”

“Prince Daemon has returned with victory from the Stepstones, my lady.” Mhyra answers, as you immediately tense.

You almost fail to hide your displeased grimace.

Within minutes you are dressed in your best dress directly below the Iron Throne as is your right. You watch as the Kings Guard fill Viserys’s court first, then sworn shields, then the lords and ladies of Kings Landing flock to the hall until it was full. Chatter and whispers fill up the hall of the Iron Throne with rumors of Daemon’s victory, Daemon’s defeat, or god forbid- Daemon’s rebellion from the Iron Throne.

From the corner of your eye, you spot Rhaenyra’s platinum head among the chatty crowds. You give her a questioning raise of your eyebrow as she should have been in Dragonstone while she sheepishly smiles in response.

Silence holds the room immediately as Daemon finally walks through the halls. He walks slowly, taking his time like he was strolling through a garden. He is still arogant, it seems. Though the crowd wa already split into two, you think that Daemon was like a shark swimming through schools of fish as the crowds take a step back when he passes by as he walks towards the throne.

The first thing you notice him was he was wearing a crown of white bark held together by a dark strings. You raise your head up to the Iron Throne and almost immediately, Viserys’s purple eyes return your worried gaze.

You turn your head back to the exiled prince. The second thing you notice- his hair. Gone was his flowing white locks of hair that passed by his shoulders. His hair was now sheared short that ends before his nape. He looks as handsome as ever.

Before he can take another step towards the Iron Throne, Daemon is stopped by a sword. The crowd hold their breath as Daemon raises his own sword to the King before dropping it to the ground. “Add it to the chair.”

The sword echoes as it falls to the ground.

“You wear a crown,” starts Viserys, looking down at Daemon with the legendary sword of Aegon the Conquerer rests sheathed on his hands. “You also call yourself king.”

“Once we smashed the triarchy, they named me King of the Narrow Sea,” Daemon shrugs in explanation. A wave of tense anticipation rolls to the shores of Viserys’s court. You do not fail to see the Kingsguard slowly grasp their sheathed swords. Beside you, your own sword shield has moved from your side to your front, ready to defend you if chaos arrives.

You do not blame them, as you yourself had already calculated an escape plan. You would hand Prince Jaehaerys to your shield, and run towards fastest way to the dragonpit to mount your dragon. Lords and ladies flicker their gazes back and forth to the King and his brother, waiting in anticipation of his next words. Would this be a surrender or Daemon’s rebellion?

“But I know that there is only one true King, your Grace,” Daemon’s words were sweet as honey as he kneels in genuflect infront of his brother. Viserys turns to his Otto Hightower in silent contemplation, then he turns his gaze to you.

Viserys cranes his neck to the crowd as he searches for his former Master of Ships. “Where is Lord Corlys?”

“He sailed home to Driftmark.” Answers Daemon, still on his knees.

“Who holds the Stepstones?”

“The tides, the crabs, and 2000 triarchy corpses stakes to the sand to warn those who might follow.”

Viserys descends down the steps of the Iron Throne and takes Daemon’s wooden crown. He looks at it in discontent before passing it to one of his Kingsguard, as it pales in comparison to his own crown and all the riches House Targaryen has to offer. “Rise.”

Viserys holds a hand to Daemon’s shoulder as a fond look appears on his face. As if he was weak to his brother’s touch, Daemon’s head immediately falls to Viserys’s shoulders.

The court finally breathes free as a thundering applause echoes across the hall. Any rumors of Daemon’s rebellion has now faded away to praises of ‘King Viserys’s mercy’ and the brothers’ love for one another.

But the clapping soon faded as soon as Daemon soon removed himself from Viserys’ loving embrace to face you.

“My lady,” he starts, and the crowd goes silent again. “I have won the war at the Stepstones for you and out King.” Daemon walks to with a smile that you can’t decide is charming or apologetic. Your face is stone as you remember how Daemon left so abruptly, the ladies that whisper at your back in court, the pitying stares Jaehaerys gets when he walks down the halls of the Red Keep.

You see Daemon’s eyes pan to you, then down to your dress to look at the boy who looks so much like his father, who has been clutching your skirts like it was a shield. For a moment, you see Daemon soften infront of his son like he did three years ago when he held him first.

“And who might this little prince be?” He breathes so reverently that you have never heard Daemon sound so gentle before. There was no question as to who the father was. Jaehaerys’s Valyrian looks hav attested to that. Jae’s tiny fists curl tighter around your dress as Daemon kneels infront of him.

“I’m Jaehaerys,” came the little voice from behind your skirts. Normally, Jae would be a cheerful child, a far cry from the shy on that Daemon sees now. Jae is a ball of restless energy, eager to please and talk. But this stranger is someone else.

“And do you know who I am, little Jaehaerys?” Daemon’s head tilt at the child.

Immediately, you regret telling your decision to tell Jaehaerys’ stories of Daemon- of his brave acts in battle, and how he is strong as he is brave. You remember his sad words as Jae asks why Daemon isn’t here when his Aunt Rhaenyra’s father is with her like how his cousins Laena and Laenor has Lord Corlys by their side. You regret telling him that he has sadly left to defend the realm when in reality he had left Jaehaerys as soon as he was born at the first mention of a war.

“You’re my father.” Jae answers bravely. “Isn’t that right, mother?” Your hand instinctively moves to rest on Jae’s head as he looks up to you in confirmation. You look down at Jaehaerys’s purple eyes that looks at you to innocently, but you also feel the gaze of hundreds of people at court.

A nod from you was all it took before a wide smile appeared on his face. His shyness was tripped away as he let go of your skirts and jumped to Daemon’s arms with no fear. Applause filled the room again as the court adored the sight of a loving father-son reunion, paying the scorned wife no mind.

if you like this, check out my masterlist!! as always, please don't hesitate to leave your throughts through comments. they keep me going :))

[sl-vega]

meet the bands!-introducing: C✧LESTIA

☆ y/n-the guitarist and founder of the band. Ever since you picked up a used guitar at your local music shop, you haven't been able to stop playing. You're completely self-taught, but you've managed to make it this far with only YouTube tutorials and improv so you must have some talent (of course a certain purple-haired bastard would beg to differ)

✯ lumine-the vocalist and co-founder of C✧LESTIA (not to mention your childhood bestie!). Her and her brother both took singing lessons when they were younger so she was the first (and only) person you went to when you needed a vocalist. She's the big sister of the group, and when she's not rehearsing for a gig or tuning her instrument, you can find her nagging her brother.

𓄼 furina-C✧LESTIA's bassist and former president of the drama club. She's the most recent addition to the band. Furina got into music after losing her passion for acting and she's proven to be an amazing asset to the band, and an amazing friend. Due to her former acting career, she can usually pull some strings to get you guys into certain venues.

❥ kokomi -C✧LESTIA's keyboard player, and proud member of the chess club. Despite her cute and lady-like demeanor, Kokomi adores war-games and anything involving cunning strategy. She joined when you caught her playing piano in the music room alone. Kokomi is also incredibly popular among your peers, so her joining the band immediately gave you guys a surge of popularity.

❋ yoimiya-the drummer and self-proclaimed "comedic relief" of the group. She went to middle school with you and Lumine, so when C✧LESTIA hosted auditions for a drummer, she was quick to try out. Despite having no prior music experience, she's surprisingly good at playing the drums. Her family also owns a fire-work company so she's accustomed to loud bangs and booms.

✧ mona-C✧LESTIA'S amazing manager. She claims that she only sticks around 'cuz you guys feed her, but she actually enjoys the band's company. (She won't admit this but) You guys are the first group that she's truly felt at home with, so she always risks life and limb when it comes to getting you guys gigs (even though she always plays her efforts off).

additional notes: 

-FIRST PROFILES DONE

-so proud of myself

-editing the html for this took FOREVER

-but it's worth it

-not much else that i wanna say

-just proud of this :3

masterlist

<prev ll next>

.° ༘🎧⋆₊˚ෆ-MY HEART BEATS FOR YOU

Pairing: [BASSIST!] Scaramouche x [GUITARIST!] Reader

Genre: rivals/enemies to lovers, rivals to friends to lovers, fluff, crack (?), comedy, angst (?), slowburn, high school au, band au, modern au, social media au, smau

Synopsis: You're the lead guitarist for your band, C✧LESTIA and Scaramouche is the bassist of 5WIRL. The two of your bands have a friendly rivalry, but you and Scaramouche don't. On top of being academic rivals, you and him have never been on good terms. Always one-upping each other in grades and in music. Even your bandmates have grown tired of your constant bickering with each other. But when your usual practice hub gets flooded, you and the rest of C✧LESTIA are forced to find a new place to rehearse. So when 5WIRL offers to share their studio with you who are you to refuse? Of course, this forces you to spend time with your sworn rival whether you like it or not. But maybe the two of you can overcome your differences and actually be friends?

Or maybe even more?

(OPEN) TAGLIST: @featuredtofu, @levianamor, @danfelions, @thatoneswordgirl, @lolmeowing, @bananasquash, @xiaosantenna, @glxssmemories, @kaitfae, @mujiwuji , @peaceindreams, @peaceindreams, @freyao7, @rinquin, @justpeachyteastea , @ladyninggs, @b2ne, @skyoverkill1, @scaradooche, @morallyrainyday, @adres-tia, @justadvena6, @agaygothicmushroom, @huanator, @seaofdata, @kyon-cherri, @aether-darling, @ukinya, @sketcheeee, @ibawa, @shutingstar, @eutopiastar, @kunimix, @wonderful-worlds, @ectomotive, @yourfavoritefreakyhan, @b4tm4nn, @h3xi2g0n3

[fishfingersalad]

Rvb bbc ghosts x buzzfeed unsolved au Leonard “Alpha” Church III and his older sister Carolina Church inherit a creepy manor in the middle of nowhere halfway across the country after their great grandfather Leonard “Epsilon” Church dies of old age (yes Epsilon being their great grandfather is odd, it's for lore reasons).

Church’s college roommate Tucker has a ghost hunting youtube channel (Church edits his videos for him) and decides the manor seems spooky so he tags along to check it out with his co host (Kai) and camera/audio guy (Caboose) as well as Junior. Tex (Churches on again off again gf) comes along to bully them for getting scared, whenever she ends up on the show their views go up so they don’t complain. Carolina doesn’t wanna be stuck alone with Church’s friends so she invites her workout buddy Wash.

Unbeknownst to them, Tuckers “rival” youtube channel (the reds, Simmons is video and editing, Grif is audio, Lopez is in charge of their other equipment) catch wind of their plan to investigate the manor (Kai told Grif who accidentally let slip to Sarge) and they (literally just Sarge) take it as a challenge and they decide (are forced by Sarge) to follow the others to the manor to do their own investigation (Donut flirts with Locus the gas station attendant. This is important to me for some reason). Doc is unofficially part of the red team crew as first aid aka he follows them around bc he's worried about them going to all these abandoned buildings with no medical knowledge

Cw: talk of deaths in some detail, especially fires.

The Manor is actually haunted, by fifteen different ghosts:

Wyoming: 1840’s, fell out a window onto a weathervane

Florida: 1960’s, aspirin overdose 

York: 1980’s, car crash, has poltergeist abilities

North: 1850s, arsenic poisoning

South: 1850s, arsenic poisoning

Maine: 1910s, hunting accident, can sometimes be seen as a looming shadow in the dark

Ct: 1940s, military spy, shot

479er: 1960s, pilot, small aircraft crash

AI: 1920s, Children of a rich man who burned his house down while his wife was away with their youngest son, Leonard “Epsilon” Church (age 2 at the time). Delta (17), Theta (7), Eta (11), and Iota(11) died from smoke inhalation,  Gamma (15) and Omega (14) were burned,  Sigma (18) escaped the fire but succumbed to infection while still on the manor grounds. All of the ai ghosts carry a smell of smoke wherever they go (I have a drawing of them somewhere)

The only ones who can see the ghosts without outside influence (cameras, sensors, that stuff) are Church, Carolina, Wash, Donut, and Caboose, due to all five of them having near death experiences in their pasts, and later Doc after he’s possessed by Omega. Junior is also able to see ghosts though no one is sure why. 

Most of the au’s “story” is just silly interactions with the ghosts pranking the youtubers and various shenanigans. Wash deadpan pretends there are no ghosts to annoy both York and Tucker. Junior befriends Theta, Eta, and Iota, which concerns Tucker to no end especially since he tends to act like a horror movie child, all “Daddy, the lady with the hole in her head is in the corner again, daddy my friends with no faces wanna go play outside”. Sarge has a holy water super soaker that he carries everywhere incase of “ghouls”. South takes great joy in tormenting Simmons specifically. York follows the youtubers around and throws things at them, he only uses his poltergeist abilities for mischief. Ct finds a secret joy in sneaking up on Church to make him jump. Donut keeps telling his friends that the ghosts are there and real but none of them really believe him despite York pelting them with random objects. Wash finds a stray kitten and the ghosts are all immediately infatuated and begin following it around. Florida and Donut gossip together. Doc has to figure out how to deal with a rage fueled fourteen year old taking over his body. Tex punches Tucker on camera and it becomes their most popular video to date. Their second most popular video includes Tucker being attacked by Sarge with his holy water super soaker.

I just have so many little silly ideas about them...

[class-1b-bull]

What do you hc for class 1b's backstories? Also this blog is literally giving me a supply of 1b crumbs and I thank thee 🛐

Thank you so much <3

Not proofread we die like men

Awase - he grew up in a small town that was 90% men. Probably fisherman. Also I think he has an older sister that he calls a bitch all the time but he would die for her. Pretty basic past.

Sen - ya know those basic ass dudes that get 20+ love letters a day. That was him in middle school. Other than that he had a normal past with a normal family (including his 'annoying' little siblings that think hes the coolest person alive <3)

Kamakiri - hes either an only child or the oldest of like 12 kids. He always had to take care if his younger siblings since his parents stayed at work all the time

Kuroiro - he was the only goth in a small ass town. Everywhere he walked old ass farmers would judge him for the way he dressed but now that hes at UA with a few other goths he doesn't care about being judged as much (bro is forklift certified btw)

Kendo - she had a very supportive family and was always praised for her good deeds which made her want to become a hero. Nothing to exciting shes pretty much always been surrounded by love and affection.

Kodai - other than maybe being teased when she was younger for being so quiet shes always been the same as she is now. Normal family and home life lol. I do like to think he family is loud asf tho (not like always yelling but they just have booming voices yk)

Komori - she was probably an only child. And while she was more popular in school than some she preferred to stay home with her parents or walk around in the woods to find mushrooms

Shiozaki - she definitely went to some christian private school her whole life and was probably really sheltered so thats why I think she would be a little akward when meeting new people

Shishida - lives with his rich ass grandma. Idk what happened to his parents but they aint in the picture so he was raised by this sweet little old lady instead and it shows

Shoda - idk why but I think he was raised by one of those hella social single moms. She always went out to partys and had friends over. Having so many new people around him all the time scared little him ngl

Pony - we all know most of her life she lived in America (i think California) so she spent a lot of her life by the ocean. She probably knows how to surf lol. Other than that tho she has a little brother and her parents that lived with her til she transferred to japan

Tsubaraba - his past is 50/50. Either he had a normal life with loving parents in a stable home up til UA or it was fucked up. No in-between (Ya know how class clowns almost always have fucked home lives.)

Tetsutetsu - bros biggest problem in life is having a hot mom. Hes an only child raised by a single mom and though most of his life is normal he cant have friends over because they just talk about how strong his mom is lmao. (She works out often and is the reason tetsu wants to be so strong)

Tokage - if she does have siblings its 2 older brothers and she was raised by her dad after her mom died when she was too young to even remember her. She doesn't mind not having a mom because her 2 older brothers gladly fill in that role for her lmao

Manga - yk how the mha universe is biased against people with mutation quirks. I think mangas birth parents put him up for adoption after seeing his quirk but in less than a year he was adopted by two artists after they saw his love for art <3 he had a normal and happy life since (this is also why his main goal is to make all the kids in the world smile)

Honenuki - Honestly he had an alcoholic single mom or something. She would always come home tired and with bad headaches so thats why hes so good at most house tasks (cooking, massages, cleaning, ect.) Kinda neglected so he matured earlier than he shouldve but he still loves his mom

Bondo - he was adopted by lesbian moms and they raised him to be the gentlemanly giant he is today. He loves his parents so much for how they raised him. His past is pretty normal and the only reason he was put up for adoption was because his birth mom not being financially stable enough or something of the sort. (She does visit him every so often tho)

Monoma - we already know he was bullied for his quirk most of his life but did you know he also lets you save 15% or more on car insurance? (Idk what to put here we already know his past rip)

Reiko - her parents divorced when she was around 8 and her dad won custody of her and she honestly couldn't be happier. Her dad looks cool asf but hes nice as hell to anyone and everyone. He also loves spooky stories and is the main reason reiko loves spooky things. Pretty normal past other than having a cool ass dad.

Rin - he transferred to Japan for two reasons. To go to UA and to get away from his parents. Dont get me wrong his parents were good people but they were kinda disappointed when rin said he wanted to be a hero. That disapproval only made him more determined to prove them wrong tho.

(More on koseis in tomorrows post)

[wormswurld]

hii!! do you have any headcanons/thoughts/woteva about transfem felix? also your blog is incredible, peace and love <3

of course i have thoughts about transfem! fem + thank you so much for liking my blog!!!! you’re so kind,, peace & love sent your way as well 💕🌟

- has always felt dysphoric about her height since she’s so tall and she’s always been the tallest person in her class though once college started she kinda just accepted her height& how it won’t change lol

- first started realizing signs of her feeling “different” from all the other boys in her class when she would gravitate towards hanging out with the girls in her classes, playing with different toys (literally throwing temper tantrums if she didn’t have the same toys / ability to play dress up with venetia), etc

- dysphoria really started hitting when puberty & middle school started…was always popular and thought to be a “ladies man” by his peers and teachers even though she would only hangout with girls / talk to them about typical “girly things” + having small little crushes on boys she would keep to herself

- venetia was the first person she came out to!! they’ve been close since birth so it was kinda impossible not to tell her,, probably told her after coming home from school (first time she was ever ridiculed for being “too feminine” or a “fairy” etc) and of course venetia listened and comforted her like a good sister would + she always wanted a sister anyway

- as time progresses felix starts growing out her hair a little longer, not thing too long, but shoulder length so she could start tucking hair behind her hair + wear headbands whenever it got too hot outside (no one in her inner circle really questioned it that much, of course there were some bad people though venetia taught felix to really start standing up for herself not letting “those” comments get to her”

- sometimes when it’s late at night (during the summer before meeting ollie) felix sneaks off to venetia’s room where she can snoop around and play with her makeup and clothes,, of course the clothes don’t really fit properly but being able to see herself in something she truly feels more comfortable in helps a lot

- starts to go out shopping with elspeth for more flowy linen shirts, maybe even snagging some from the women’s section to try things out in the name of “fashion” and of course elspeth is fine with it, she was a “fashionista” back in her day, and would ultimately kill felix if she dressed in anything “ill-fitting / drab” (aka no poor people clothes LOL) also felix’s gender isn’t really questioned by his parents all too much?? elspeth knew felix was always different but never felt any sort of way once she started noticing her “son” isn’t really her “son” if you know what i mean

- also (if this wasn’t obvious) felix is fine with her birth name! she doesn’t really get dysphoric from it, only ever really feeling insecure about her body hair & muscles (but i mean the people around her aren’t really complaining about how nice her body looks so she’s kinda okay with it,, she is felix catton after all lmao biggest attention whore of all time)

- manages to dress femininely without being “clocked” for being trans if that makes sense?? like ever since venetia helped her with standing up for herself she doesn’t really take shit from anyone plus no one can really say anything about her because of her status.. for example flowy women’s shirts, button ups etc are always in rotation in her wardrobe same with baggy pants because she really couldn’t be bothered lol though dressing up for dinner is quite literally the bane of her existence

- when first meeting ollie she is essentially head over heels (converse lol) because how could she not be? like ollie is the perfect example of a “save me” “my life is so tragic” story felix essentially gets off on it + she finds him extremely cute

- big jump to when it’s the summer of saltburn and the two are extremely close ollie discloses how he’s trans and felix feels so comforted!! because finally! FINALLY! she’s met someone else who is like her and really can understand what it’s like (to an extent since she’s more of a social butterfly than ollie is)

- cue felix properly trying on a well fitting dress in front of ollie for a party that’s being hosted at saltburn (i don’t know the theme though i know i want to see felix in a dress experiencing the biggest gender euphoria moment known to man) and she is just over the moon!!!!! her and ollie probably sneak off somewhere (even though everyone wants to be with felix) to talk more abt their experiences with gender, getting drunk, and ultimately making out against some wall of some kind)

- loves the way how ollie makes her feel when they are making out,, just treating her so gently yet not feeling scared to take control and hold onto felix’s waist & bite her lip and she’s never EVER had an encounter like this with someone else so being able to share it with ollie is just so special…ollie probably slots his leg between felix’s as they grind on each other making the most delicious sounds everrrrrrrrrr

I LOVE T4T CATTONQUICK !!!!!!!!! TRANS LOVE FOR THE WIN! 😵‍💫⚧️

[lego-man-speer]

Nuremberg Defendants: Part 2, Joachim von Ribbentrop - Nazi Foreign Minister

Continuing my Nuremberg Defendants series. Check links to see posts I've made on previous defendants (Hess wasn't part of the series, but I've already made a post about him):

Rudolf Hess

Alfred Rosenberg

-Joachim von Ribbentrop was born as Ulrich Friedrich Willy Joachim Ribbentrop on the 30th of April, 1893. He was not born into aristocracy (his father did not have the “von” in his name), Joachim grew up in an average middle class family with an older brother and a younger sister.

-Ribbentrop's mother died from tuberculosis when he was still very young. This event undoubtedly had an effect on him for the rest of his life (and I will explain in detail as we go further).

-He had no formal education after the age of fifteen. In school Ribbentrop was an underachiever and showed no signs of being an academic. His father had paid for French and English language tutors to teach him both languages.

-At seventeen, Joachim and his brother were sent to London for a year to polish up their English. After that year they both moved to Canada.

-Ribbentrop's life in Canada seemed to have been a happy one. He was popular, invited to many parties and was argued to have been sort of a ladies man. He worked as a banker and also as a construction worker, going on to help the reconstruction of the Quebec Bridge. Ribbentrop also had a passion for dancing and ice skating. he was even a member of a Canadian ice skating team.

-It was during this time that both Ribbentrop and his brother came down with tuberculosis. Ribbentrop's brother died, however Ribbentrop fortunately survived but had to have one of his kidneys removed. The effects of having his kidney removed were very clear. His left eye would sometimes droop, giving the effect of him looking tired. As a result he had a crippling inferiority complex.

-When the Great War broke out, Ribbentrop carefully returned to Germany to fight for his nation. It was during the war when Ribbentrop first met Franz von Papen (who will be the topic of a future post), a man that went on to become Chancellor under the Weimar Republic.

-After the war, Ribbentrop made a living out of his champagne business, which involved smuggling champagne from other countries. At this time, Ribbentrop was friends with Jewish people, even doing business with them. Ribbentrop was the only member of the inner circle that had previously moved around Jewish circles prior to joining the Nazi Party. He had no strong opinions at the time, people knew him as a moderately conservative monarchist. At elections he would vote for the DVP.

-Gradually Ribbentrop's personality began to change. Gone was the polite and somewhat shy young man, now he was becoming more insufferable as he went on long rants on the dangers of communism. What's more is that Ribbentrop had asked his aunt to adopt him aged in his early thirties so he could add the 'von' (a sign of German nobility - his aunt was a 'von Ribbentrop') to his name. His aunt agreed but was required to pay her a regular sum of money. When he stopped paying, his aunt took him to court and forced him to continue paying.

-In 1920, Ribbentrop married Anna Elisabeth Henkell (Annaliese to her friends). Anna's parents were not fond of Ribbentrop and considered him to be an idiot. The marriage produced five children, and Ribbentrop's eldest (Rudolf von Ribbentrop - born 1921) went on to serve in the Second World War as well as writing a book about his father post-war. Anna was a very ambitious woman and often pushed Ribbentrop around in all matters, including political. Hitler noted that it was clearly her who wore the trousers in the relationship.

-Fascinatingly, Ribbentrop didn't join the Nazi Party until 1932, which was around the time that Hitler was starting to get desperate for power. In late 1932, Hitler was using Ribbentrop's house to hold talks with Franz von Papen (as Papen was an old war friend of Ribbentrop's - and at this time Papen had lost his job as Chancellor of Germany, he was looking for a way to return to power. This moment in history is often referred to as the “Backstairs Intrigue”.)

-For the first few years of the Nazi regime, Ribbentrop had no government role. He mostly spent time in Britain and France, trying to establish connections for Hitler. In 1936, he was made Ambassador to Britain after the incumbent had died suddenly of a heart attack. Ribbentrop's appointment was unexpected, nor did he want the role. Prior to becoming ambassador, Ribbentrop was fond of holidaying in Britain and had hoped to one day retire in St Ives in Cornwall.

-He had a very bad reputation as ambassador and was dubbed 'von Brickendrop' due to his multiple gaffes while in this role. His most famous was when he almost knocked over King George VI by doing the Nazi greeting when the King had reached to shake Ribbentrop's hand. He was not well liked by the British Press nor the British public. Throughout his position (which lasted just over a year) he spent no longer than just a few weeks in London, mostly to stay close to his beloved Führer back home. Overall, his experience as Ambassador turned Ribbentrop from being an Anglophile to an Anglophobe.

-In 1938 Ribbentrop was made Foreign Minister, succeeding Konstantin von Neurath (who will be the topic of a future post). This was the position that Ribbentrop had dreamed of (and a position that his long-term enemy, Alfred Rosenberg, had also hoped for). In this role, Ribbentrop had significant influence over Hitler in the early years of World War 2, even encouraging Hitler to invade Poland despite threats from the British as he claimed “they would not fight seriously.” In this post, Ribbentrop's proudest achievement was his Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (also referred to as the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact). After the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Ribbentrop gradually lost influence in his role as Foreign Minister.

-Ribbentrop's role in the Final Solution was fairly ambiguous, but he was most certainly aware that atrocities were taking place. Ribbentrop preferred to look the other way and have someone else do the work. From August 1941, Ribbentrop ordered all future communications sent to the Foreign office to be directed to the office of his subordinates. There is no evidence that Ribbentrop intervened in the exterminations, except on one occasion which was purely on the issue of jurisdiction, rather than humanity. Ribbentrop had involved himself in other war crimes, such as legalising and encouraging the lynching of captured Allied bomber crews in Germany. Although the likes of Göring opposed such measures, and the army favoured it in only a few circumstances, Ribbentrop wished to Lynch the perpetrators of 'every type of terror attack on the German population”, despite this being a violation of international law. This was the main charge against him on count 3 of the Nuremberg indictment (war crimes).

-From 1945, Ribbentrop was essentially powerless. After the suicide of Hitler on the 30th of April (ironic because that's also Ribbentrop's birthday), Ribbentrop fled to Flensburg in an attempt to secure a role in the Dönitz government. Ribbentrop was quickly turned down and so fled to Hamburg, where he went by the alias Johann Riese. He was captured by the British after his whereabouts had been exposed. Ribbentrop was discovered asleep, wearing pink and white pyjamas and a small tin of poison attached to his genitals. Upon being woken up, he began to mumble nervously in German, but as soon as he became conscious of the situation, he spoke in perfect English a prepared speech: “The game is up. I congratulate you. You know who I am. If you had come two days later, I would have already given myself up voluntarily.” The British had also discovered a letter written by Ribbentrop to “Vincent Churchill” (not a spelling mistake on my part, that's Ribbentrop's mistake).

-At Nuremberg, Ribbentrop was a depressed and broken man. So much so that his lawyer (Dr Martin Horn) feared he was close to a psychological breakdown. In fact, Ribbentrop was considered one of the worst suicide risks at Nuremberg, and prison Psychiatrist Dr Kelley was instructed to keep a close eye on him. Ribbentrop's first lawyer was Dr Fritz Sauter (who was also acting for Baldur von Schirach - a subject of a future post), however at the start of 1946 he ceased to be his lawyer either because Ribbentrop dismissed him or he resigned out of exasperation (sources differ on this). Ribbentrop was therefore represented by Dr Martin Horn. On the witness stand, Ribbentrop was a mess and had a tendency to ramble and contradict himself.

-Ribbentrop was found guilty on all four counts of the Nuremberg indictment and was sentenced to death by hanging. He spent his last few days closely studying his Bible. After the unexpected suicide of Göring on the night of the executions, Ribbentrop was the first to be hung. On the scaffold his last words were: “God protect Germany, God have mercy on my soul. My final wish is that Germany should recover her unity, and that, for the sake of peace, there should be understanding between East and West.” He then turned to the Protestant Pastor Gerecke and said “I'll see you again.” Ribbentrop's hanging was badly botched, his neck didn't snap when falling through the trapdoor, therefore strangling him to death. Ribbentrop took around 10-20 minutes to die.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC interaction game

Thanks @willtheweaver here and @illarian-rambling here!

Rules: describe an OC and pair how they would interact with the given OCs from the people who tagged you!

Will's OC Fen

Fen is a crow. But he does not act like one, having grown up among the foxes of the forest. All his life, he has had to keep his identity a secret. For obvious reasons, Fen does not let too much of himself be known. What he does show is an understanding nature ,and a knack for bringing out the best in others. Storyteller, a good fighter, tracker, and cook, he is skilled in many arts, though you’d never know that from the way he stays humble and modest. He values friendship, and will support those he trust.

Katie's OC Daedryn

Daedryn is a lady knight with one eye and red hair. She's the divine Chosen of Loqang, god of rivers and loyalty. Due to this, she is fiercely loyal to whatever person or organization she has promised herself to, to the point of following orders for orders sake. Outside of battle, where she is a force to be reckoned with, she's very sweet, a little awkward, and loves to talk about her god, who she sees as her best friend.

My OC Lexi

Lexi is a middle school girl (12-13 in the first book) who's popular, talkative and energetic. She has more acquaintances than she can keep up with (but don't tell her that!!! They're all her close friends who she must hang out with and support!!), and a close circle of companions she may hold on a little too tight to. Metaphorically, as her haphephobia prevents her from wanting physical contact. She has a mini backyard garden and indulges in nerdy pop culture, at first for her sister, then she found out she liked it. Lexi is very organized - she has a color-coded schedule she Will Follow No Matter What and her high anxiety will flare up if things become unexpected.

Edit: I forgot to mention she has teleportation powers because I got distracted trying to be concise

Lexi and Fen

Well, Lexi does not have experience with sentient crows. Not sure if Fen talks to humans or not. If Lexi were to discover his identity, she might find it difficult to keep it a secret, but would feel like she Had To regardless, out of loyalty and being true to her word. Fen's knack for bringing out the best in others would definitely highlight Lexi's compassion and love for those around her, as well as the aforementioned loyalty. His humility and modesty would be a fun contrast to Lexi's self-confidence, which means she would try to make him embrace his accomplishments more, and maybe Fen would open up to her more once he trusted her. Their shared value of friendship and supportive nature would make them good friends I think. Who doesn't love the classic young girl + sentient animal dynamic?

Lexi and Daedryn

As someone who also values loyalty and is respectful of superiors, Lexi would probably idolize Daedryn. Lexi also has trouble recognizing faults in those she values, so I believe they would understand each other. I would like to see Daedryn maybe take Lexi under her wing, making her a force to be reckoned with as well. Lexi is an enthusiastic learner. Lexi would be willing to listen about Daedryn's god, especially why he means so much to her, though Lexi would also be very excited to talk about her friends too! There may be some talking over each other, but I think they would have a cute dynamic.

Alright y'all let's pair people up with Lexi:

Tagging @gracehosborn @mk-writes-stuff @little-peril-stories @buffythevampirelover @elsie-writes @winterandwords @theeccentricraven @theelfauthor @space-writes @jezifster @theprissythumbelina @herrmannhalsteadproduction @i-can-even-burn-salad @oh-no-another-idea @eccaiia @dyrewrites + anyone else who'd like to do this fun tag!

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites + extra tag if you want to :)

[moonshine999]

Aegon and Gold 

Side note : this is a very mixed up “analysis” that sort of combines both show elements as well as some popular fan theories/assumptions since we barely had time with the character (may I remind you all, to possible infuriation, that we never saw Sunfyre up close). So yeah <3

So I do think it is said quite a lot that Aegon would wear gold to honour Sunfyre and what not and I do believe he would happily do that, it’s just he can’t.

Okay so first let’s just get straight what gold can mean for him. 

Yes of course, it’s the colour of his most beloved dragon. They aren’t strongest dragon - rider bond in all of Targaryen history for nothing. Sunfyre was able to kill dragons much larger than him, defended Aegon in crisis and would not go down without a fight even when he was on the brink of death. Looking at the larger picture I think Sunfyre represents a sort of freedom for Aegon. To fly anywhere he’d like, on his own terms, never to be found and be freed from these shackles of duty that he (initially) does not want. Sunfyre also symbolises him finally having bonded with someone. His father acted as though he didn’t exist ; his mother was too young and pressurised to shape him into a worthy heir (and taking whatever means it takes to do so). His dragon is his very first true bond, him claiming the dragon alone is proof enough that he is a worthy Targaryen (in his head) 

Other than Sunfyre however, gold is also the colour of the first dress we see (a grown up) Helaena in. His lady wife and younger sister. Now going off the show alone, sadly we do not have any scenes of them together but in context and background clues alone (Helaena laughing at his taunts at Jace, Aegon getting jealous when she accepts Jace’s offer, Helaena looking at him with pity/worry when he is crowned - knowing what this means for both of them and so on) I do not think that their marriage is a utter disaster (as some fans suggest). Gold is the first impression of his wife, the mother of their three children. Who do you think he had the courage to vent his heart to when he got too drunk in their shared rooms? Who do you think he constantly sends gifts to, as an apology for not being around? Who do you think Alicent brings up first when the Dyana situation happens? (“think of the shame on your wife..on me”). I do believe that Helaena is some source of happiness for him. It may have taken years to develop a strong bond ,as he did with his dragon, with her but they are there. After three kids and six kingdoms to manage, I think it is fair to assume that they get along fairly well.

Now obviously there is a lot more to Helaena and Aegon’s marriage than “getting along fairly well” but for the convenience of the post and the topic at hand, I have had to make it somewhat more concise. 

So Gold is definitely a positive colour for him. But one thing that is not gold is the very symbol of his title, claim and rule. His crown.

The crown of the conqueror is black with the red ruby in the middle. I’ve also heard some people call it a dark silver (which would be the direct contrast to gold). So while gold represents his freedom and happiness, silver (the direct contrast) or black (the title colour representing the opposing faction) represent the cage of duty he has to put himself in for his and his family’s safety. During the coronation itself, he does not wear dark green (as he did earlier) or gold (even though he may prefer it) but rather black to represent this in a way. 

In comparison, the crown worn by Rhaenyra (the key figure of team black) is gold. And I think arguably Rhaenyra (even as a Royal woman in Westerosi society) has more freedom than Aegon.

Also the gold crown of The Old King was also worn by Viserys. I do not think that in Aegon’s perspective, his father was a source of happiness in any way. But what could have been, was his crown. Gold and the symbol of King Jaehaerys I, someone who had a long, relatively peaceful reign over Westeros. Since the idea that he was to inherit the throne was put in his head so early, he must have thought about it quite a bit. He did not want it of course but if it had to be done then perhaps, he would have desired a reign like the Old King’s. (Not to mention, he and Helaena named their first borns after Jaehaerys.)

A few comparisons to my Alicent “analysis” : 

So similar to Alicent leaving her childhood memories with Rhaenyra behind when she became queen (abandoning the colour blue), Aegon also leaves his freedom behind when he becomes king (not wearing gold or green but black)

Both her eldest children and now king and queen (Aegon and Helaena) are following her patterns and reaching their breaking points and have had a shift in their wardrobe to symbolise as such.

[marzipanandminutiae]

Who would you consider the most GNC character in Crimson Peak?

Interesting question!

Aesthetically none of them are, really. Thomas and Lucille are outdated in their wardrobes, as Edith notices, but they're right on target for their expected gender presentations. Edith, too- the suit she wears to her publisher's office may have menswear inspiration, but it's a style that was quite mainstream and popular for women in the era she's portraying (c. 1895- 6 years before the movie is actually set, but we'll let it slide because the costumes are so gorgeous).

Now, if you get into gender roles, everything is on its head. One thing I believe Del Toro did intentionally was playing with gendered archetypes in Gothic stories. Thomas takes on the "femme fatale" role, seducing the hero(ine) into a trap before ultimately regretting his actions too late and trying to make it right. And he's been occupying a conventionally feminine space in his own life since childhood, too, with his sister protecting and quite literally saving him since they were children. His sole contribution to the murders is also unusual for a male character: poison, normally considered a "feminine" weapon. All the brutality and direct violence is Lucille's doing.

Speaking of Lucille, she's all over the place re: gendered behavior. On the one hand, taking on the protector role for Thomas is definitely outside the norm for Gothic female leads. On the other, by the standards of her time, she slots perfectly into the Angel In the House archetype: a woman who acts as an emotional rock for her man, has no ambitions outside the home, controls the domestic sphere absolutely, and gives of herself endlessly for others. Self-sacrifice was a much-lauded "feminine virtue" in the Victorian era, and I think that's an important lens through which to view Lucille's actions, in terms of gender roles. There are layers here- as I said, she takes on the more active "masculine" role in her relationship with Thomas, but at a deeper and more historically-informed level, she's a dark mirror of a Proper Victorian Lady. For Gothic literature, she breaks gender roles; for the context of her era, less so.

(Even her hobbies are feminine-coded for the time period: natural sciences like lepidopterology were considered appropriate for a lady, if she had no intent towards a career; reading and playing the piano and writing poetry doubly so.)

Edith stands on the uncertain ground of the New Woman, a lady of the 1880s-1900s who broke with conventional gender roles in some ways while upholding them in others. The New Woman was usually feminine in appearance, but she worked outside the home, had sociopolitical opinions and publicly voiced them, and embraced "daring" activities like riding bicycles or smoking (Edith does neither, but one unused costume sketch featured her in cycling bloomers standing next to a bike). Media of the day lauded and ridiculed women like this by turns. And Edith very much lives the contradictions. She's attempting to publish a novel, but she acts as her widowed father's hostess- normal for an unmarried adult daughter back then -and shows evidence of expecting to take on a domestic role at Allerdale Hall once she marries. She is described by her character bio as being a suffragist, but hating politics in general.

In the story, she takes on a role conventionally filled by a man for all her nightgown and candelabra are iconically Gothic Heroine: unraveling the mystery, saving one male "damsel in distress," and violently taking down the final villain standing. So she's sort of there in the middle, in a lot of ways.

(Alan, of course, is just very unhappy to be here. And pretty much Clever, Dashing Victwardian Hero Classic, in the wrong story.)

tl;dr- In terms of presentation, none of them. In terms of behavior and interpersonal roles...probably Thomas. Poor little meow meow, weak-willed and always in need of saving. He's a fainting amoral damsel, Your Honor, and we love him for it.

[hel-the-growl]

Nezha Reborn annotations - Part 1

Since New Gods: Yang Jian is about to enter NA theaters this week, and before I do a huge information dump about that movie, I wanted to write about its prequel - Nezha Reborn.

I've already seen Yang Jian twice in cinemas here in Australia, and the animation has markedly improved in the one year since Nezha came out - it's definitely worth seeing on the big screen. You don’t need to watch Nezha before Yang Jian but if you’re interested in the lore, then you should lol. It's on netflix.

My original thread on twitter.

Background

Nezha is one of the most well-known characters from the 16th Century Chinese Novel Investiture of the Gods (IOTG), with countless adaptations based on his legend.

New Gods: Nezha Reborn is one of the latest portrayals of the character, and is the first move in Light Chaser Animation Studios' attempt at establishing a New Gods cinematic universe.

Nezha’s origin story

Nezha was born as a round ball of flesh after his mother Lady Yin was pregnant for three years. His dad Li Jing thought he was demon spawn, so tried to kill him but was spared by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren who became his master. At seven years old, he caused a lot of trouble like accidentally killing a demon from 1000 miles away and killing the dragon king Ao Guang’s third son Ao Bing as well as his right hand man the Yaksa Li Gen. When Ao Guang demanded retribution from Li Jing, Nezha chose to sacrifice himself instead. His master later resurrected him using lotus roots to construct a human body, and he came back more powerful than ever. 3000 years later...

Breakdown

Donghai (East Sea). It was the mythical underwater city that Nezha once conquered, now depleted of all its water resources. Set design is inspired by Republican-era Shanghai and Manhattan in the 1920s and 1930s. The poor Chinese style backdrop is contrasted against the glitz of the Western style architecture in the rich area. Rickshaws were commonplace on the streets.

Fashion is also blend of east and west, like the guy wearing kung fu shoes with a denim jacket.

The qipao was a favored dress among women at the time, popularized by Chinese socialites and high society women in Shanghai. Flapper fashion also influenced Kasha’s outfit, blending eastern and western styles.

Li Yunxiang shares the same surname as the original Nezha. His brother Jinxiang’s name is also similar to Nezha’s eldest brother Jinzha. Jinxiang’s look is very typical of the republican era - complete with his center-parted hair and round glasses.

Old Li has the same temperament as Nezha’s dad, The Pagoda Bearing Heavenly King Li Jing.

Who is Yunxiang’s adoptive sister Kasha? She’s an orphan of Belarusian descent, however not much else is known about her past. Her name means porridge in Belarusian. It might be a corruption of Katyusha (喀秋莎) with middle character removed in order to follow Chinese naming conventions idk.

If you know the history of the Republic of China, there were many girls like Kasha in that era. Her father was a soldier and left Kasha and her mother after the war.

✨Princess✨ Ao Bing～～ and the Yaksa Li Gen. Ao Bing is the third son of the Dragon King of the East Sea. The Yaksa Li Gen is the dragon king’s right hand man.

The four big clans - De, Li, Shun, Song (德家、利家、顺家、松家) - actually corresponds to the titles of dragon kings of the four seas. King De, Dragon King of the East Sea; King Li, Dragon King of the South Sea; King Shun, Dragon King of the West Sea, King Song, Dragon King of the North Sea.

A netizen looked this up and really wanted to kneel to Light Chaser for their worldbuilding.

Fun fact: the white horse from Journey to the West is the third son from the Song family.

H*rley-D*vidson Darrley-Hudson product displacement on the arm of Kasha’s jacket:

Actually the film has left some hints about her past. There are some Soviet-style badges pinned to her jacket, along with some small badges that Kasha herself added as well. Since this jacket is huge, it can be assumed that it was left to Kasha by her biological father.

The giant buddha statue is reminiscent of the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan.

Daddy! Ao Guang, the dragon king of the East Sea.

Art deco details on the hood ornament, decals and invitation card.

Monkey’s suit is basically a hot pink version of the Zhongshan suit, a style of menswear introduced by Sun Yat-sen during the republican era, adapted from Japanese student wear. The four pockets are said to represent the Four Virtues of propriety, justice, honesty, and shame. He's blinged up his prayer beads too.

Does this mean Dr. Su is a descendent of Su Daji, the femme fatale of IOTG? Or could she actually be Daji’s reincarnation? Now I don’t know whether to trust her or not.

All these sea creature demons. Why? Chinese dragons are aquatic. They live underwater, and command water-based attacks, unlike western dragons who breathe fire. So it makes sense for them to control an army of demons that came from the deep.

So this is the crystal palace.

After Nezha’s death, Li Jing found out that Nezha’s mother had built a temple in his honor and burned it down because he was still angry at his son for all the trouble he caused to the family. The soul of Nezha was pissed and after his reincarnation, began to pursue his dad with the intent to kill. It took several parties to step in before matters were resolved.

Looks like monkey likes to listen to Peking Opera.

The Pukui fan, commonly known as the cattail fan, is a fan made from palm leaves and stalks. Lightweight and cheap, it is the most widely used fan in China.

Part 2｜Part 3

[cleolinda]

Mitsouko (Guerlain, 1919)

Guerlain, 1919, Jacques Guerlain. Post-2014 formulation; eau de parfum concentration; 2002 decant from the Perfumed Court.

(To discuss: what it smells like, why it smells like that, and the struggle to describe this legendary heritage throwback.)

Trust me, these specifications make a difference. A year ago, I read reviews of different versions and took notes on what I wanted:

Do not get samples from 2007 - 2013, pre-2007 will have real oakmoss. Every concentration has different focus. EdP is mellower than EdT. Extrait is "truest."

You see, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) restricted oakmoss in 2001, and then more tightly in 2009, from what I can tell. Mitsouko is considered a "reference chypre," a textbook example of the genre, and chypres are, by definition, citrus (usually bergamot), labdanum, and oakmoss. (The Perfume Society adds patchouli to this trio.) Like, you gotta have those for it to be a chypre. But Mitsouko is not THE chypre:

Bois de Jasmin: Guerlain Mitsouko : Fragrance Review (New and Vintage):

Created by Jacques Guerlain in 1919, Mitsouko was a variation on the avant-garde fragrance of the period–Coty Chypre. Chypre was based on the startling contrast among the bergamot top notes, the jasmine heart and the richness of oakmoss. Though undoubtedly beautiful, Chypre was brutal in its impact. […] Mitsouko is a kiss to Coty Chypre’s slap in the face, and for this reason, its popularity endures to this day.

So when oakmoss was restricted as an allergen in the 2000s, perfumers industry-wide scrambled to come up with a facsimile; for Guerlain, with a fragrance this storied, failure was not an option. Reformulations everybody hated were, though. Edouard Fléchier took a crack at it somewhere around 2007, and in 2013, Thierry Wasser reformulated the whole thing to recapture the scent everyone remembered. People seem to have been satisfied with that version since.

So I've worn that new Mitsouko on and off, when I feel fancy, for about a year now. I put a little on a card for my sister to smell the other week, and she said, "It smells old." (She'll be the first to tell you that she’s learning what individual notes smell like.) Being crushingly literal, I don't understand what "smells old" or "smells like old ladies" means. Powdery, she said, struggling to explain. "Old." Maybe I haven't smelled enough old ladies.

Mitsouko does smell… weird, by modern standards. Generally, people either love it or hate it, and Results May Vary in a big way; it's worth getting a sample just to take it for a spin (kind of like Not A Perfume or Glossier's You, in that one regard), and to see what a piece of history smells like. Expert-of-experts Luca Turin says it's the one perfume he'd take to that proverbial desert island, but I am but a gentle woodland creature, a basic vanilla bitch; I would be more likely to take something that cost $10 instead of $145. But I still kind of love Mitsouko. Users who review it positively often speak of not liking it at first, then going back to it again and again. They also speak of a "pissy" stage in the middle that might be civet or oakmoss (or whatever represents those notes now); I know what they're talking about, but it doesn't read as anything so unpleasant to me. It's not easy to wear like the simple scents I usually go for, but the drydown is absolutely gorgeous. That's one of the things that makes Mitsouko so interesting to me: it's like two completely separate perfumes were mingled, and the first gradually recedes to let the Guerlinade take center stage.

But what’s in it? “La Guerlinade,” for starters, is a complex foundation that the historical Guerlains have—a house accord. (You could buy it unto itself for a while.) The exact formula is super secret, of course, but it's said to (possibly) include bergamot, jasmine, rose, orange blossom, orris, vetiver, tonka bean, vanilla, and lilac. The lilac—a note I didn't even know I would like—is what shows up on me with both Mitsouko and Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue (1912); it's a soft light purple note that peeks through from the very beginning, and gradually becomes the glass slipper that Cinderella leaves behind.

Over on the official Guerlain site, they tell us a bit more about the reformulation:

A masterpiece in balance and originality, Mitsouko combines a fruity peach note with jasmine and rose centifolia (May rose) flowers. Its mysterious base combines spicy notes with notes of undergrowth and vetiver.

Warm spices such as black pepper mingle with cold spices like cardamom and pink [pink pepper?] berries.

Patchouli essence features many vegetal, woody and earthy olfactory facets. Combined with rose, moss, and bergamot, patchouli forms the base of the chypre accord.

Hilariously, Guerlain also straight up tells you what Thierry Wasser actually put in New Mitsouko:

ALCOHOL

PARFUM (FRAGRANCE)

AQUA (WATER)

LIMONENE

LINALOOL

EUGENOL

HYDROXYCITRONELLAL

EVERNIA FURFURACEA (TREEMOSS) EXTRACT

CITRAL

BENZYL BENZOATE

ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE

CITRONELLOL

GERANIOL

BHT

HEXYL CINNAMAL

CINNAMYL ALCOHOL

ISOEUGENOL

BENZYL ALCOHOL

BENZYL SALICYLATE

TOCOPHEROL

CI 14700 (RED 4)

CI 19140 (YELLOW 5)

CI 60730 (EXT. VIOLET 2)

FARNESOL

Yeah. There's the famous Guerlinade… in there somewhere. They gave that secret away, hidden under a tiny link, because it means fuck-all without proportions or a way to separate it from the composition as a whole. Well played.

A Basenotes user posted a suggested Mitsouko formula that's somewhat more indicative of what those chemicals would smell like (deep breath): sweet orange, lemon, bergamot, elemi, celery seed, tarragon (a component of oakmoss reconstitution), coriander, chamomile, lavender, geranium, ylang, jasmine, clove, anise, castoreum, civet, labdanum, tonka, patchouli, cinnamon, peru balsam, benzoin, vanilla, violet, rose, costus, vetiver, musk, and the famous "aldehyde" C-14: a peach-scented lactone from 1908.

Logically, Mitsouko (1919) must not have been the first fragrance to use gamma-undecalactone, but I'm not sure any other has survived the ages like this one. Carter Burr (another top expert) writes that Jacques Guerlain most likely got it from the supplier Firmenich, via their Persicol peach base:

C-14 was a marvel, a fruity, aromatic, delicious scent that gave ripe peach skin. Guerlain plugged C-14 into the equation perfectly (the rumor is, actually, similar to Chanel 5, that he in fact accidentally overdosed the stuff; who knows), and Mitsouko became a thing of subtle opulence, strength and balance and silken twilight.

Sidebar: peach is one of my favorite fragrance notes. It's in Tamora, one of the first BPALs I ever tried twenty years ago; I don't know what the actual peach accord in that oil is, but it's still probably my favorite Black Phoenix. No matter how weird people said Mitsouko was, I was GOING to try it for that landmark peach lactone. And that's what shows up at first for me. I do get that Guerlinade lilac peeking through, but the opening as a whole is a spicy autumnal peach lying on the dead-leafed forest floor, more velvet than flesh, Octoberish and unseelie. That first sequence is intriguing, and then it warms up into that unpleasant stage; then that uneasy note fades and the Guerlinade comes fully out, a soft pale purple-blue siren song floating by on a powdery cloud. Those are the two perfumes that seem to be twined: bewitchingly different, each one blended so smoothly that I can't distinguish all the notes within them, yet not quite blended together.

And that's just my own reaction. Watching Fragrantica reviewers describe Mitsouko is a pastime unto itself. It smells like power, sex, domination, old money, "strangely nutty," depressing, elegant, fascinating, bitter, ripe, like oil paint, "an old medicine cabinet," pungent, tangy, moldy, intoxicating, alienating, feminine, masculine, unisex—to quote frugally:

User Aerides: "Mitsouko is gloomy Sundays, walks in the woods after it rains, and empty auction rooms. […] It's incense and burning candles, and waxy floor polish. It's cinnamon peach jam. It's a bouquet of lilacs on the dining room table. It lasts so long it's like a ghost in the room."

User Amararata: "There is something vampire-like about this fragrance. It's the sort of scent a woman leaves behind after she's conquered a man, or a kind of lascivious tryst in the middle of the day."

User querty988: "For some reason, those stinky little [camphor-clove] whiffs endeared it to me. It was like the baby from Eraserhead whispering in my ear, 'yes, I am the most revolting thing you've ever smelled, but I'm here with you in public today, and it's our little secret that I belong to you.'"

User KingRidesBy96: "Can't explain it. Don't want to. She's a witch, it's magic."

Mitsouko is weird as hell, and yet, thanks to the “waxy floor polish” review, and (I swear) a review someone wrote that I can't find now that mentioned linseed oil, furniture, paint, and his wife, I knew exactly what Mitsouko was going to smell like. And I was right. And I think that the mental preparation is incredibly important here. Not to be snooty about what it takes to "appreciate" a perfume like this, but to frame for you where this being of times past is, at least, coming from. Mitsouko is Aslan, present when the Deep Magic was written in 1919, whether the Deep Magic smells good on you or not.

Further reading linkspam

Bois de Jasmin: What Does The Word Mitsouko Mean?

It’s the French spelling of a female Japanese character’s name (Mitsuko, “child of light,” “shining child”) from the 1909 French novel La bataille (“The Battle”); Jacques Guerlain was friends with the author, Claude Farrère, so this is thought to be the most likely namesake. Wikipedia:

The novel is set in Japan during the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, and chronicles a fictional amour fou between a British Navy Officer and one "Mitsouko", the wife of Fleet Admiral Marquis Yorisaka. Both Yorisaka and the British officer sail to war, and Mitsouko awaits with reserve to see which of the two will return alive to her.

Maybe this is reflected in the duality I’m getting from the perfume, I don’t know.

Isn’t all this very orientalist? Why, yes! Our antique faves are as problematic as ever!

Ayala Moriel: Olfactory Orientalism

Arts of the Working Class: Journey with Mitsouko and Mitsuko

More technical discussion:

Persolaise Review: Mitsouko from Guerlain (Jacques Guerlain; 1919 [and Thierry Wasser; 2013/14]):

Suffice it to say that whether it’s because [Wasser] increased the dosage of vetivert in the base, or he revitalised the citruses at the top, or, most interestingly, he created a special ‘oakmoss-like’ accord to compensate for the shortcomings of synthetic substitutes, the result is that the current Mitsouko feels like it has just emerged from the fountain of youth.

The Empress of Moss: Mitsouko

A look at the current state of the chypre: IFRA, Oakmoss, Chypres & Perfume Houses (2022)

Late breaking news: right after I fell down the stairs and injured myself rather thoroughly yesterday, my vintage pre-oakmoss-ban Mitsouko sample arrived in the mail. I’ll update once I can smell it. I also have a 2022 decant of L'Heure Bleue and, uh, about three drops of Samsara from around 1989, so stay tuned for more Guerlain at some point.

[presidenthades]

I am doing very minor revisions of Daemon’s Handbook (mostly formatting and continuity errors), and I wanted to do some behind-the-scenes commentary before too much time passes and I forget my original thoughts. Here’s Chapter 7!

(Note that these commentaries aren’t canon to the verse until/unless the author writes them into the series. I might change my mind on a few points later, but these are the thoughts I had while writing.)

If I had to pick a favorite chapter to write, it’s this one. It’s the first post-time skip chapter, so we get to behold all the children (now young adults) in full horny mood.

Also, Alyssa develops a personality, and BOY is it a personality. I originally planned to make her a female version of Aegon III, who is very quiet, but it occurred to me that a hellion would be more fun (and torturous for Daemon, which is the real goal in this fic).

Aegon and Aemond are supposed to return directly to King’s Landing and wait with their family to receive the Dragonstone party, but Aegon decided he couldn’t wait to see Jace again and Aemond only required mild convincing to go along. And yes, the boys took a bath first in some river so they look nice and groomed~

One of Jace’s biggest character quirks is anxiety. She has ALL the anxiety. Comes with being an eldest sibling and second in line for the throne. I don’t consider her shallow, but she perceives her appearance as an important part of her political and social toolkit because the society they live in puts a lot of stock in appearances, especially women’s. So she’s finicky about looking the right part for every occasion. (Also she wants to look nice for her husband whom she hasn’t seen in three years, nothing wrong with that.)

I made Luce a knitter, partly because I’m a knitter and I like incorporating my interests, and partly because I wanted to give her a textile craft that wasn’t embroidery. I hope I’m not being too biased when I say that in this era, knitted products (like socks) are more useful than embroidered products (like fancy handkerchiefs). The practical value of knitting, and it being an acceptable craft for ladies even if it’s not as popular as embroidery, seemed fitting for Luce, who isn’t super conventional but also not a complete rebel. I also really like the imagery of her sending flowery socks to the Stepstones for Aegon and Aemond and Grandpa Corlys to wear.

Daemon is fit for his age, but he’s in his 40s and he’s got a lot of old battle wounds, so chasing around toddlers is fairly strenuous. Also, toddlers are FAST. Alyssa is closer to three than two, and she’s spent her entire life trying to keep up with her older sisters, so she’s got a fairly good sense of balance and isn’t stumbling around as much.

“Pretty girl” is 100% Aegon’s pet name for Jace, and I’m using it gratuitously in one of the sequel fics, which is Jace and Aegon-centric. (I’ll have an update soon on what I’m writing next, but I’ve decided to break down the epic longfic idea into multiple, more manageable mid-length fics.)

Aemond thinks Alyssa is spooked by his eyepatch and scar at first, but she’s actually falling in love at first sight. 😂 She’s got heterochromia so she probably *likes* that his eyes aren’t symmetrical either.

Aegon and Aemond are no longer afraid of Daemon! They’ve seen a lot of shit in the Stepstones, so their middle-aged uncle seems like less of a big deal now. Poor Daemon.

Aegon and Aemond are currently 18 and 16, so I made their stomachs black holes like most teenaged boys. They also have been eating a lot of rations at the Stepstones, even as royal princes, so a “plain” meal at Dragonstone seems awesome.

I have nothing to say about the melons, except that I’m very sorry for Lucera 🥲

Idk why but there’s something about Jace being very dutiful and proper that attracts messy rebels like Aegon and Baela. Opposites attracting, maybe? Kinda like how Luce is on the wilder side but Aemond is super put-together. I’ve thought about a crackish scenario where Viserys messes things up (as usual) and betroths Jace/Aemond and Luce/Aegon. I think Jace and Aemond would get bored with each other while Luce and Aegon might accidentally kill each other.

Jace and Aegon know their siblings are being stupid about their feelings for each other. Jace tries not to meddle (she doesn’t like it when Daemon meddles so she resists the urge), and Aegon makes fun of Aemond in the half-hearted hope it’ll goad Aemond into doing something.

I like to imagine that Luce eventually invents double-entry accounting in this universe. I also think she’s a big fan of the abacus, which is a more visual way of keeping track of numbers. She also likes charts and graphs in general.

The three dragonglass daggers that Luce orders from the blacksmith are for her, Jace, and Joff. (Luce loves all her sisters, but she has a special place in her heart for the three of them who are full-blooded sisters.) Purple for Jace (royal color for the future queen), green for Luce (like the sea and Velaryon colors), red for Joff (Targaryen color, nice and bloody). She isn’t expecting her sisters to use them as weapons; she wanted to make a gesture before Jace’s official wedding, since it marks a huge change in their lives.

I keep describing Luce and Aemond’s relationship in this fic as Pride and Prejudice-esque, and I stand by it. Miscommunication, ego issues, awkward flirting, a failed first proposal. One commenter described Daemon as the anti-Mrs Bennet, trying his best NOT to let the girls marry. 😂 And if we keep the analogy going, Clement Celtigar is Mr Collins while Otto is the closest thing we have to Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

I established in the beginning that Daemon is very bad with feelings. This scene where he tries to comfort Baela is part of his character arc and emotional growth, but he stumbles a few times more before the end of the fic.

I am very pleased that so many readers pinpointed Joff/Daeron as black cat and golden retriever energy, because I was definitely going for that. Daeron spews a lot of word vomit in his one line of dialogue, but you might notice he mentions “I got that thing you really wanted.” See the final scene in Chapter 11 for “that thing.” 👀

Jace is making PR a priority in her reign (and before her reign). She’s observed how loyal the Dragonstone smallfolk are to the Targaryens and wants to spread that loyalty to the realm’s smallfolk in general. This is why she and Aegon do the flight into the city, and why she has her Princess Diana moment on the way to the wedding.

[princesssarisa]

As long as we're discussing different filmed performances of The Nutcracker, I'd like to mention a very interesting one that I just discovered on YouTube: the Royal Swedish Ballet production.

I would share the link, but it's blocked from being shared on other sites besides YouTube.

It dispenses with the ballet's traditional characters (Marie/Clara, Godfather Drosselmeyer, the Sugar Plum Fairy, etc.), and combines the plot with that of a popular Swedish children's book, Peter and Lotta's Christmas by Elsa Beskow.

As it happens, I grew up with Elsa Beskow's books despite not being Swedish, because my mom discovered them in English translation and fell in love with them when I was in kindergarten. The Peter and Lotta series is about two little orphaned siblings who live with three middle aged sisters, Aunt Green, Aunt Brown, and Aunt Lavender; the other major character is their family friend, Uncle Blue.

In this Nutcracker production, Lotta starts out in the Marie/Clara role while Peter replaces Fritz, but they both go through the magical adventure at night rather than just Lotta. Uncle Blue replaces Drosselmeyer, while the three foster aunts provide comic relief, and the role of the Nutcracker Prince is taken by a friendly charcoal-burner from the Peter and Lotta's Christmas book. During the Act I Christmas party, the charcoal-burner and Uncle Blue's housemaid share obvious romantic feelings, which Peter and Lotta encourage them to act on. Then, in the battle, the maid is the one who saves the day by squashing the Rat King with her broom. Thus she becomes the Nutcracker Prince's lady-love, sheds her plain serving clothes to reveal her true beauty, and becomes the Act II prima ballerina who dances the pas de deux with the Prince.

This staging also incorporates aspects of a traditional Swedish Christmas that obviously aren't seen in most productions. Instead of the traditional soldier, the nutcracker is shaped like the Yule Goat!

I'm not sure anyone who didn't grow up with Elsa Beskow's books would fully appreciate this production, but it is a very interesting one.

It makes me want to come up with my own Nutcracker production concept based on some other children's book series. Madeline, for example: I think a Madeline-themed Nutcracker could be fun...

@themousefromfantasyland, @ariel-seagull-wings

[ippolita324]

Narcissa Black (Malfoy) Headcanon - Noble House of Black - Black sisters

As the baby of the family, Narcissa was spoiled at a young age by her sisters and parents and given the best of everything.

She wasn't given as much pressure as the eldest sister Bellatrix, nor sidelined like the middle sister Andromeda, and had a relatively blissful childhood.

Being naturally lady-like and elegant, she was very popular among the pure-blood circles and considered an eligible match for many young heirs.

She bore a physical resemblance to her mother Druella and was favored by her.

The most feminine of the three sisters, she delighted in choosing clothes and makeup, learning dancing, and was often mocked by Bellatrix.

However, like other Blacks, she was also not free from the stringent expectations placed on her to uphold her pure lineage.

Luckily for her, she found a love match in the wealthy Lucius Malfoy, much to the pleasure of her parents, and they were a couple since their Hogwarts years.

She wasn't as gifted in magic as her older sisters but had a more personable, smooth personality that endeared others.

She was also a Slytherin through and through, loyal to her family, cunning and self-serving, and a true pure-blood at heart.

She aligned with the Death Eaters mainly due to her husband Lucius, but disliking violence, never became a Death Eater herself.

She was always a bit awed by her sister Bellatrix's prowess, but Lucius told her Bellatrix was honoring their cause and upholding the glory of pure bloods.

She did not aspire to a glamorous career but instead chose to be a loving wife and mother.

She was very prominent among pure-blood circles, and often had tea and socialized with other pure-blood women.

She was embarrassed by the scandal her sister Andromeda caused and stopped talking with her after her marriage to Tonks.

She was occasionally also intimidated by Bellatrix's extreme behavior, as she no longer recognized the sister she once knew.

She was as bigoted as her sister and husband and viewed Sirius and Andromeda as traitors to their family.

Despite not being physically the strongest, she had a hidden inner strength, that came from her love for her family, and her status as a proud Black and Malfoy.

Like her husband, she was elegant and refined, relishing the finer things in life and placing a great deal of emphasis on wealth and status.

Her signature color was green, the color of her Hogwarts house that perfectly matched her sleek, blond hair.

Her wedding was the happiest day of her life, and many prominent figures across the wizarding world came to attend.

She couldn't understand why Bellatrix wouldn't want to be a mother, or why Andromeda threw her life away for a Muggle-born Hufflepuff.

As time went on, she grew apart from her sisters, focusing more on her new family, particularly her son Draco, who she doted on.

Initially, she didn't know the full extent of what Death Eaters did, and thought Voldemort treated his Death Eaters with respect and rewarded them with glory.

Lucius kept many secrets of Death Eaters from her, and she thought aligning with Voldemort was the best way to keep her family safe.

She was a good Occlumens, being subtle and good at masking her emotions, so it was very hard to read her feelings.

[shelleysmary]

#austenread22 / persuasion final thoughts

WELL. It’s been an eventful month for this book, hasn’t it? Reading it right after Northanger felt like a nice little bookend, and made it easier to track the evolution of Jane’s writing style over the course of those 14 years. Jane the Author can never help making her presence known, but in Persuasion she becomes mostly invisible and lets Anne take the lead - which is probably why, out of all her canon, those who value the Austen’s wit and momentum find themselves a bit bored by Perusasion’s sedate and more internal tone.

I’ll be discussing points that stood out to me during my reread below the cut.

This is more of a general observation, but something that really jumps out at me is the way Jane opts for plot simplicity in this case, in favor of psychological complexity. Don’t get me wrong - all of her books evince an understanding of human nature, both as individuals and as working parts in a(n upper-middle-class) community. But S&S and P&P juggle the storylines of two sets of sisters, and Emma, as P.D. James pointed out, could have been a detective novel. They are plot-heavy works; the internal goings-on of her characters’ minds must be parsed and funneled through the domestic dramas of Wickhams and Lady Catherines and Mr. and Mrs. Eltons. As readers, we can choose to overlook the nuances and take the storylines at face-value because there is so much there already. This is impossible to do with Persuasion. What actually happens over the course of 200 pages? Anne Elliot’s family is short on money and must let their home to Admiral Croft; they go to Bath, she stays with her younger sister and cousins in Somserset, where she runs into her former fiancé; they visits Lyme; she reunites with her family in Bath, reconnects with her ex, and in the end they get back together. Sure, she has a nefarious suitor - but Mr. Elliot is no George Wickham, and her rival Louisa Musgrove is no Mary Crawford. There are no subplots to hide behind, no ruinous elopements, no potentially disastrous underhanded trickery - we must invest in Anne.

Comparing her works, I’d say Persuasion has the most in common with Mansfield and Northanger Abbey. Though sizable and full of the ups-and-downs which characterize her other, more popular works, Mansfield’s heroine is as internal as Anne - and she is easier to miss because she is reactive as opposed to proactive, dutiful, her will easier to bend in some respects.

As for Northanger, it’s a straight-forward coming-of-age novel, mostly concerned with the changes occurring within its central heroine. We may think of the coming-of-age novel as belonging to adolescents and/or young(er) adults, but I would say Anne is also coming of age during Persuasion. She is no longer young, the door of possibility seems to be closing on her forever, and we find a woman resigned, trying to find contentment with her situation in life. She isn’t old, exactly. But the bloom of her youth has passed, and like Catherine, she finds herself in an in-between - albeit with the wisdom acquired through age and life experience.

Like Northanger, the subplots are kept to a minimum, and like Northanger and Mansfield Park, Anne has (virtually) no independent fortune and so is dependent on the goodwill of others. But she is old enough to moderate that dependency, at least on an emotional level. She gets to place boundaries and abide by them; she gets to choose to whom and what she owes a duty.

Now jumping into the actual meat of the novel... I was reminded of Emma during one of our introductions to Lady Russell. I remember noticing how Emma Woodhouse was raised in the belief that to be loved, she had to be perfect. She had to live up to the ideal of being the leading lady in Highbury. Lady Russell, on the other hand, loves best those who adhere to her counsel. Of Elizabeth, we are told: “She [Lady Russell] had never received from her more than outward attention, nothing beyond the observances of complaisance; had never succeeded in any point which she wanted to carry, against previous inclination.” Unlike Anne, Elizabeth Elliot is too proud to fall under her persuasion, and Captain Wentworth, having no ties of affection, owing nothing to Lady Russell, not sharing her “value for rank and consequence, which blinded her a little to the faults of those who possessed them,” committed, during his courtship of Anne, the cardinal sin of not being deferent. “He was brilliant, he was headstrong,” we are told, and “Lady Russell had little taste for wit, and of anything approaching to imprudence a horror.” This last bit, “imprudence,” comes after a description of Wentworth’s confidence, his belief in his own abilities and his own good luck, his assurance that life will always work out in his favor. These are the qualities, I’m sure, that allow him to rise in rank and fortune, even after being disappointed in love. It is why Admiral Croft and his military friends admire him. It is also why Lady Russell and every Elliot except Anne seems to disdain him.

Sir Walter’s hatred for social climbing is as insufferable as it is hilarious. He has a bone to pick with the Navy, “first, as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into undue distinction,” and also because the exposure to the elements turns men ugly.

“He had frequently observed, as he walked [in Bath], that one handsome face would be followed by thirty, or five-and-thirty frights.”

And when he’s informed that Admiral Croft is coming to Bath for his gout, he greets the news with an exclamation that never fails to make me laugh out loud - “Gout and decrepitude!” - when earlier in the novel he had declared Croft the best-looking sailor he had ever come across. If given the choice between becoming dirt poor and losing his title, or losing his hair and giving in to “gout and decrepitude,” I’m honestly unsure as to which, in Sir Walter’s eyes, would constitute the lesser evil.

The subjectivity of perceived motives is constantly at play in the relationship between Wentworth and Anne. She believed herself “prudent, and self-denying” in giving him up, partly for his own good; whereas Wentworth believed “she had given him up to oblige others.” “It had been weakness and timidity,” and as a result, “her power with him was gone for ever.” In conversation, he declares “it is the worst evil of too yielding and indecisive a character, that no influence over it can be depended on.” Here, he displays a rigidity to match Lady Russell’s, except in a different direction, and we can imagine how painful it was for Anne during her original courtship to be caught between these two strong personalities, both having full conviction that they are right and that Anne must relent and see things their way, that choosing one would necessitate giving up the other.

Anne thinks Wentworth must have been “either indifferent or unwilling” to reconcile with her. “Had he wished ever to see her again, he need not have waited till this time.” Which, we later learn is actually true, so she’s not being self-pitying or imagining something which isn’t true. It is, lol. He admits to having been proud and resentful, so I think it’s fair to say that Anne’s perceptive powers are a little (a lot) sharper than his.

One of Persuasion’s most famous lines: “She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older.” I think in my earlier readings I took this to mean that prudence and romance exist in two separate spheres, but this time around I’m inclined to believe that Anne learned to stack romance on top of prudence. It isn’t that she gave up or lessened the degree of her prudence; it’s that maturity taught her that one can be romantic and prudent. It’s the Catherine Morland/Dashwood lesson - one must learn to moderate emotion with reason. Like Elinor, experience has taught Anne the importance of letting her heart lead some of the time, and I imagine the pain of disappointed love has worked in her a softening effect. At the very least, she takes special notice of the dynamics between married and courting couples. “She always watched [the Crofts] as long as she could, delighted to fancy she understood what they might be talking of.” She becomes a voyeur of happy (happier?) families, and this is a result of not having one of her own.

It sets my blood boiling in a Mansfield way reading the way Anne is treated by her father and sisters. After letting Kellynch, Elizabeth agrees that Anne should go to Mary instead of accompanying her and their father because “nobody will want her in Bath.”

“Nobody will want her” seems to be the motto for Anne’s family dynamic, and it’s just so sad finding passages in the novel that illustrate how important it is to Anne to feel useful, how she equates usefulness with a greater chance of being loved. She believes that “to be claimed as a good, though in an improper style, is at least better than being rejected as no good at all.” And really, having her capableness acknowledged is the least anyone can do. At Lyme, immediately after Louisa’s accident, everyone is a mess without her guidance! “Anne, Anne,” cries Charles, “What is to be done next? What, in heaven’s name, is to be done next?” Um, idk guys, maybe call a doctor? In the aftermath Wentworth says “...no one [is] so proper, so capable as Anne,” and “the remembrance of the appeal [that she should stay with and tend to Louisa] remained a pleasure to her, as a proof of friendship, and of deference for her judgment, a great pleasure.”

Anne has been so used to having her opinions overlooked, her worth ground into dust, that being admired for her good sense and judgment among the Uppercross set is like a dreamy Hawaiian vacation. By no means is that party without its faults. But it is such an overdue pleasure, seeing Anne acknowledged, especially after sentences such as these, which are specific to her playing but which I contend apply to Anne in general: “She had never, since the age of fourteen, never since the loss of her dear mother, known the happiness of being listened to, or encouraged by any just appreciation or real taste.”

I think it’s important to really dig into these details about Anne, to really imagine her life as an unwanted member of her family. A lot of Austen’s heroines have to battle this foundation of trauma, actually. Even Elizabeth Bennet is her mother’s least favorite child. They all deal with it in different ways, and Anne’s method for coping sheds so much light on her character, her motivations, the reasoning behind her actions. Consider the way her mind works when she starts associating with the Musgroves: “With the prospect of spending at least two months at Uppercross, it was highly incumbent on her to clothe her imagination, her memory, and all her ideas in as much of Uppercross as possible” in order to “become a not unworthy member” of the party. Anne Elliot has trained herself from a very young age to enter a room and assess the ways to optimize her usefulness. She “clothes” her imagination. She is a chameleon, in her own understated way, and once she is aware of the role she is to play on any given occasion, the role becomes her anchor. It gives her purpose; it bolsters her resolve.

Take, for instance, the occasion when Lady Russell and the Elliots ignore Captain Wentworth at a party: “Elizabeth had turned from him, Lady Russell overlooked him; [Anne’s] nerves were strengthened by these circumstances; she felt that she owed him attention.” And she pays it - she gives Captain Wentworth his due regardless of awkwardness or difficulty or his hot-and-cold demeanor towards her. She identifies her duty, and once it is done, once she has had the reward of discovering that Wentworth doesn’t seem all that cut up over losing Louisa, she “[gives] herself up the demands of the party.”

Anne uses this process of tempering her feelings using her logical mind quite often. She’s a quintessential introvert, requiring time on her own to sort out and make sense of what she’s observed and the emotions that arise in her. She judges Wentworth’s behavior “from her knowledge of his mind.” And of her own, “she ha[s] some feelings which she [is] ashamed to investigate” when she begins to suspect Wentworth’s returning affections. She wants to believe, but she is disturbed that she cannot “understand his present feelings” and trying to make sense of them, imagining what a second chance might look like after thinking that possibility was gone, “occupie[d] and flurried her too much to leave her any power of observation.” She completely overloads, and these are the moments which make us - as readers - want to yell in all caps!!!! If we have invested in Anne, if we have believed in her as a heroine as potentially compelling as a Lizzy or an Emma, this is where that pays off.

Comic relief of the moment: Anne wishing Benwick would moderate his feelings and read less poetry 😂 (Sidebar: what would Marianne Dashwood make of Captain Benwick? 👀)

Want some more clownery? Wentworth inwardly swearing that Anne has no more power over him in the same chapter, in the same page I believe, as this: “Anne Elliot was not out of his thoughts, when he more seriously described the woman he should wish to meet with. ‘A strong mind, with sweetness of manner,’ made the first and the last of the description.”

In actuality, Wentworth has no damned idea what he’s talking about. The concept of strength is also discussed quite a bit in Perusasion, using Anne and Louisa, and to a different extent, William Elliot, as different modalities of strong-mindedness. “I am determined I will” is a line of Louisa’s, and I think it sums up her character quite well. Anne and Mrs Croft consider her fall in Lyme as “the consequence of much thoughtlessness and much imprudence,” and it is very hurtful to Anne to feel herself wanting in Wentworth’s eyes over a matter upon which she believes herself deeply misunderstood. Stubbornness is not strength in Anne’s book. Before his treachery is known, she describes Mr Elliot as “never run away with by spirits or by selfishness, which fancied itself strong feeling.” Clearly, Anne has Louisa in mind when she is thinking this, and on another occasion, she defends Benwick to Admiral Croft when he relates his engagement to Louisa: “She...only meant to oppose the too common idea of spirit and gentleness being incompatible with each other.” Anne knows what people think of her. Here, she reminds of me Jane Eyre, who famously said, “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless?” Anne has a whole world inside of her, a strong mind and strong feelings, and though, like her playing, she has had to content herself with pleasing only herself, not counting on others to give her love and validation, she would like to be valued. She would like to be loved. And this is why the loss of Wentworth hurts so much, because Wentworth recognized her from the start. He saw her worth; he fell in love with her, not because of her usefulness, but because of who she is as a person. “Once so much to each other! Now nothing!” “...There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved.”

And so, to win back Anne, Wentworth has to learn “to distinguish between the steadiness of principle and the obstinacy of self-will, between the darings of heedlessness and the resolution of a collected mind.” Anne is not weak. She did not break her engagement because Lady Russell was too strong. Anne broke it because she considered it best. Because her instinct is to do what’s best regardless of the cost. Like Fanny Price, when she is certain of being right, she will withstand all kinds of social displeasure. Anne herself tells us within the narrative that she ended things with Wentworth because the cons outweighed the pros. And then we get to meet her old school friend Mrs Smith and we see with our own two eyes what her future might have been like, how dire is the situation of a woman alone in the world after making the wrong choice of husband. Anne is not a coward, Anne was not being overly cautious. Anne was being prudent, employing that good sense no one of her acquaintance can deny. Is it romantic? Maybe not the way Wentworth sees it. But Wentworth is a man, a man of a particular kind of character. He will never fully understand Anne’s reasons, but Austen herself never doubts them.

Let’s circle back now to one of my favorite Austen Tropes - the dysfunctional family. We’ve already established that the last member of Anne’s family to truly love her was her deceased mother. Her father is a vain snob, and because he is a vain snob, the only daughter he pays attention to is Elizabeth. Elizabeth is beautiful and very much like him, which I’m sure is catnip to a narcissistic personality. The other object of their contempt is Mary, who didn’t marry as well as she could have and is thus unworthy of their attention. Mary is without Anne’s good sense, and so she is often jealous, competitive with her mother-in-law and constantly meddling in Louisa and Henrietta’s prospects. Despite this, I feel quite sorry for Mary and I don’t dislike her, not the way I dislike Elizabeth. Anne serves a big contrast here as well. She observes the marital happiness of the Crofts and the Harvilles; sees the bond of friendship between the admiral, Wentworth, Harville, and Benwick; observes the imperfect but warm contentment of the Musgrove family... and “though she sighed as she rejoiced, her sigh had none of the ill-will of envy in it.” To a number, they are all her inferiors in class and station, yet “how much more interesting to her was the home and friendship of the Harvilles and Captain Benwick, than her own father’s house in Camden Place, or her own sister’s intimacy with Mrs Clay.” She values people for who they are, their character, their treatment of others, and ergo she rejoices in their joy. She doesn’t resent their triumphs. Even when she believes Wentworth’s marriage to Louisa is a done deal, she thinks of Uppercross and imagines it full of “all that was glowing and bright in prosperous love, all that was most unlike Anne Elliot!” Maybe she’s being a little maudlin and self-pitying here, but she never lays the blame on Louisa’s door, never besmirches her as a woman. So, no, Anne is not blind to the follies of others, and she does smile to herself, does remark upon the ridiculousness of her acquaintance, but only in the privacy of her own thoughts, and never to the point of endangering her ability to be civil and proper and all that she ought to be, socially. That isn’t Anne’s way. A woman who has spent her life being subjected to throwaway comments like “Oh, she’s nothing!” knows all too well the power and effect of words.

One of my favorite moments in the novel is when Elizabeth and Sir Walter enter the Musgroves’ room at the inn in Bath and everything goes silent. “Anne felt an instant oppression, and wherever she looked saw symptoms of the same.” Not only does this prove how truly annoying Elizabeth and Sir Walter are, but it’s nice to have Anne’s feelings confirmed by those around her. She isn’t imagining it - her dad and sister are that bad.

Sir Walter is probably the Austen character most concerned with appearances. He spends a lot of lines judging the looks of both men and women, which is why I think it’s no small detail that Anne grows in beauty throughout the course of the plot. Though she’ll never be as attractive as her older sister, we are told that Wentworth once thought her pretty, that he was surprised to see her looks so changed since their last meeting. She goes from looking frail, like a wilted flower past its bloom, to “improved in plumpness and looks.” Regaining hope of Wentworth and the making of new friends - friends who respect and have real affection for her - has done it, and when she becomes certain of Wentworth, when she is sure that his affections still lie with her, “her eyes were bright and her cheeks glowed; but she knew nothing about it.” Her happiness, Austen says, is from within, and it is made of sturdier stuff than mere youth and unlined skin. Even a woman past her bloom may still grow into beauty; all she has to do is find her own definition of happiness. (Meanwhile, the sycophantic Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot will always find themselves an oppressive nuisance despite their good looks.)

Now we move into the plot of Mrs Smith, who rightly said, “There is so little real friendship in the world!” In her, we see one of Anne’s possible futures, a future not uncommon for 19th century women who have fallen out of favor through poor widowhood. Unlike the Bateses in Emma, Mrs Smith has no one to help her until Anne, and her situation is truly uncertain. Nevertheless, Anne observes in her an “elasticity of mind” which Anne also possesses - emotional resilience, as a modern psychologist would say. They have a “disposition to be comforted, that power of turning readily from evil to good, and of finding employment which [carries them] out of [themselves].” Even if she hadn’t reunited with Wentworth in the end, I have a feeling Anne would be okay and Mrs Smith would somehow find a way to continue making it through. Their inner strength is consistent, steady, not overtly optimistic, but reliably practical. Still, through Mrs Smith we have the reminder that Anne (and any woman, really) is wise to be cautious in matters of marriage and love.

Interestingly, despite being snobs themselves, Lady Russell and Mr Elliot do not find fault with Anne for maintaining a friendship with Mrs Smith. On the occasion of Anne’s declining a dinner invitation, and being curious as to what transpited in her absence, her “greatest interest must be, in having been very much talked of between her friend [Lady Russell] and Mr Elliot; in having been wished for, regretted, and at the same time honoured for staying away in such a cause.” Again, we see how much Anne wants to be valued. We also see that in the Scale of Snobbery, Elizabeth and her father are on a whole other level. (Or, it could just be Elliot being a scheming sneak.)

On the subject of Elliot being a scheming sneak, Jane Austen never makes us feel we should condemn Anne, or any of her heroines for that matter, for being fond of male attention. Anne is flattered by Mr Elliot’s interest, until he refuses to take a hint. And she does turn over in her mind the prospect of being of use to her family, and of reclaiming her dear mother’s position as mistress of Kellynch Hall. But ultimately these inducements aren’t enough to make her act against her conscience - which is the same thing she did with Wentworth the first time around. The truth is, she knows she can’t trust William, and she knew it before Mrs Smith reveals the truth of his plan to weasel into the Elliots’ lives to ensure Sir Walter wouldn’t marry Mrs Clay. Anne has always “felt that she could so much more depend upon the sincerity of those who sometimes looked or said a careless or a hasty thing, than of those whose presence of mind never varied, whose tongue never slipped.” Austen herself is wary of appearances. All of her villains are outwardly charming, they all hide their bad intentions underneath the kind of facade that is valued by society at large - good looks, flattery, wit. Our human propensity to fall for such trappings is what makes us ignore the value of a Fanny or Anne, what makes us unwilling to unlock the great goodness found in men like Darcy and George Knightley. Anne is such a skilled reader of people that even when she couldn’t pin down what was wrong, she knew something was. She listened to her gut, she was not guided by either Elliot’s persuasions or Lady Russell’s - though she admits that she might have been induced, I choose to believe that Anne would have stuck to her guns.

Austen makes interesting commentary through Anne and Mrs Smith during this discussion of Mr Elliot. Anne says, “In marrying a man indifferent to me, all risk would have been incurred, and all duty violated.” It seems to me that while Jane condemns mercenary marriages, she does acknowledge uneven unions - the love match is the ideal, the purest form of matrimony, but financial considerations mean that in a lot of cases, marriages will occur between people not in love. And it isn’t the not being in love that Austen objects to, it’s the contracting of marriage for the wrong motive, or marriage where one or both parties is being deceitful. In either case, it is the woman who has the most to lose, and so marrying a man indifferent to her would not only be morally wrong to Anne, but it would also put her in the position of most risk.

Before I bring this eternal compilation to a close, I would like to share two more of my favorite bits of dialogue, the first courtesy of our beloved Captain Fred:

“Now I have done,” cried Captain Wentworth. “When once married people begin to attack me with,—’Oh! you will think very differently, when you are married.’ I can only say, ‘No, I shall not;’ and they say again, ‘Yes you will,’ and there is an end of it.”

MOOD.

And another Laugh Out Loud moment, brought to you by Elizabeth Elliot:

“I really cannot be plaguing myself for ever with all the new poems and states of the nation that come out. Lady Russell quite bores one with her new publications. You need not tell her so, but I thought her dress hideous the other night. I used to think she had some taste in dress, but I was ashamed of her at the concert. Something so formal and arrange in her hair! and she sits so upright! My best love, of course.”

....all I can say to that is -

tagged: @lostandfound922, @thatscarletflycatcher​