#ss camille’s story

[marjaystuff]

Interview with Renee Ryan and The Paris Housekeeper

Love Inspired Pub Dec 26th, 2023

The Paris Housekeeper by Renee Ryan is very relevant today.  After the October 7th Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians that included the raping of women and children, burning babies alive, and brutal torture, readers will understand why people have dubbed this the Holocaust of the 21st Century.  Ms. Ryan has a knack for getting into the minds and hearts of her readers. 

In this story there are three main characters who become connected through the world-famous Hotel Ritz after the Nazis occupied Paris in 1940. It is a multi-narrative story where readers can see events from several different views. Three women from different socio-economic backgrounds are thrust together. Vivian Miller, a glamorous American socialite widow is chosen by the SS officer Gunther Von Bauer to be his mistress. Both she and he are residing at the Ritz. She appears to be a Nazi sympathizer but is working behind the scenes to help French Jews escape.  Camille Lacroix, a chambermaid at the Ritz, becomes his household maid to support her family back home in Brittany, especially her sister Jacqueline who has emotional issues. Rachel Berman is Camille’s Jewish co-worker and needs her help to survive. Knowing that Vivian can help, Camille turns to her to help save Rachel and her mother. 

The plot is very powerful and moving.  There is suspense and tension as readers take the journeys with the characters.  Some of them are brave, resilient, courageous, while others are self-absorbed and cruel.  The twists and turns enhance this very captivating read.

Elise Cooper: Just as with the characters in this book many people, after October 7th, feel helpless, scared, and angry.  They can find solace in some of the characters’ quotes.  The first quote by the Jewish character, Rachel, “This enemy, these new Germans are hardened, angrier, and more ruthless. Hate lives in their heart.  Hate for people like us.”  Her father says, “We are French citizens.” Rachel responds “No papa. We are Jews.”

Renee Ryan: For me, that quote summed up the Holocaust with the evil of how people looked the other way and rationalized and pretended that nothing was happening. I thought when I wrote that quote about the 1940s, ‘what is wrong with these people. How are you missing this.’  Even though I am not Jewish I wondered why did so many just look away. Today it is happening all over again, where people just turn and look the other way. History is repeating itself.  People are saying it is a two-sided conversation and this is so untrue. It is a one-sided conversation. Everyone should be supporting our Jewish allies and our Jewish people in this country. We should not allow genocide to happen again. We should not be looking away.  It is about people who are our friends, colleagues, and I wonder why we are not standing next to them shoulder to shoulder.

EC:  Can you explain the other quote, people are “clinging to a lie and calling it hope.”?

RR:  I wanted to show in the book how people thought it will not happen to me.  It will only happen to those who are not French born, or it will only happen to the poor, not the wealthy, or it will only happen to people without connections, not us. The goalpost kept moving. Laws in France kept changing during the occupation. It was not the Germans, but the French that were doing the roundups of the Jews and passed the harsh laws towards them. 

EC:  Do you also agree that these quotes are very relevant today?

RR:  Yes.  I wrote this book a year ago. I thought I was writing these quotes about what happened fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty years ago during the Nazi reign. I cannot comprehend that these quotes can be applied to October 7th. It is so heartbreaking. Have we not learned anything. It is very similar to what happened. It is the same rhetoric, the exact same things said in the 1930s, 1940s.  It led to all the antisemitism and for people to look away. People do not want to educate themselves. They only listen to the propaganda about the Jews. I have a quote in the book, “Good people should stop looking the other way and stand up to evil.”  People should stand up with Israel.  Nothing can be justified.

EC:  Where did you get the idea for this story?

RR: There was a news article about Irene Gut.  She had a tragic life. She became a housekeeper for a Nazi official in Poland.  She hid nine Jews in his basement, and they all survived two years of hiding. This was the jumping off point. What would it be like for someone working in a home and hiding Jews right under the nose of someone trying to wipe them out. 

EC: How would you describe Camille?

RR:  Trustworthy, loyal, decent, guilty, and courageous.  She was relieved to be in Paris away from the stress of her family. She felt guilty of being relieved that she was not guilty. She struggled with it. She was conflicted and eventually decided to take a stand.

EC:  What was the role of Jacqueline, Camille’s sister?

RR: She represented the mentally ill. There is a scene in the book where Camille discovers the German euthanasia program with the mentally ill. It was refined and then applied to the Jews.  The sister represented that part of the German history.

EC:  How would you describe the Jewish character, Rachel?

RR:  Innocent, helpless, sweet, not a complainer, has a sense of powerlessness because she is scared and bitter. She also feels humiliated, angry, and is being persecuted. Her anger is her saving grace because without it she would not have survived.  The anger is what drove her. While she was fearful and felt helpless, she was also very angry that had her trying to figure out how to escape.

EC:  Was Vivian a complex character?

RR: She is responsible, direct, lonely, and at an earlier age suffered mental and physical abuse. She was also confident and passionate yet could be very selfish and self-centered. In some ways she was the villain yet at the same time she was an anti-hero.  I would not call her a hero. She represents those people today who say if I do a little bit then I am still good. She justifies rotten behavior by a few good acts. She wanted to believe ‘if I do a few good things that erases all the bad.’  Although deep down she knows that is not true.  She also makes a really bad decision.  

EC: How would describe Nazi SS officer Von Bauer?

RR: He is controlling, an opportunist, ambitious, driven, and possessive.  Regarding Vivian he is obsessed with her, likes to steal her dignity, cruel, and demanding.  He represents the abusers of woman. He was to Vivian the ‘devil you know.’ At times she saw in him comfort and familiarity. He was bad because he was a Nazi.

EC:  Why did Vivian get the nickname The Snow Queen versus Von Bauer’s the Raven?

RR:  It comes from the Nordic folklore fairy tale.  They were always in battle.  I think it was a perfect metaphor for their relationship.  They were going to battle until one survived.  Both characters in the fairy tale are evil. Their relationship was based on a tug of war, like a weird chess game. 

EC:  Did the American government really freeze accounts of Americans overseas?

RR:  Yes. Laura Mae Corrigan was a real person they did it to.  It was very much justified. She was very much a Vivian type character, an ex-Patriot living in the Ritz. She left the Ritz because they took her money.  But Vivian stayed at the Ritz because she had a plan.  The Ritz was not shut down because they remained neutral. 

EC:  Was there an interconnection between the relationship of Vivian, Rachel, and Camille?

RR: The Ritz brought them together as three people trying to survive the war.  They are not really friends.  Rachel and Camille are more friendly. They need each other. Camille and Rachel see their families as number one, while Vivian has no family. Vivian is number one to herself. They help each other but always will consider their family first.

EC:  Next book?

RR: It is titled The Last Fashion House in Paris and will be out this time next year. The setting is occupied Paris.  The character from my first book, The Widows of Champagne, Paulette, has her story on what happened to her during the banishment to Paris, the final two years of WWII.  She must redeem herself.

THANK YOU!!

[shesthespinstersimmer]

Holiday in Sulani (Pt1): Mao & Camille regretfully wrap up their holiday vacation with best friend Virginia. They really have to do this more often.

[spinstersimmer]

Third wheel (Pt 2)?? Sally moves in with her friends Mao & Camille - and learns a little bit more about their home life

(Shout out to @bobur-tsr @obscurus-sims @peachiesims @lynxsimz and more for helping to bring my beings to life 🖤🤘🏾)

[usnatarchives]

LUEDELL & LAVADA THE RIVETERS Luedell Mitchell and Lavada Cherry rivet at Douglas Aircraft’s El Segundo Plant, CA, NARA ID 535811.

Poster for Invisible Warriors, online here.

We honor WW2's #InvisibleWarriors!

By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

Why does Rosie get all the credit when Black women ALSO served overseas and on the home front? In recognition of Black History Month (Feb) and Women's History Month (March), we honor the hundreds of thousands of Black women who worked at factories and shipyards during World War II, but whose contributions were largely unrecognized - until now. Invisible Warriors, the new documentary by historian Gregory Cooke, tells the stories of the first Black women to work in industry and government administrative service.

National Archives images from the Office of War Information’s Domestic News Branch show some of the many ways Black women contributed to the war effort.

See more images from African American Activities in Industry, Government, and the Armed Forces, 1941-1945).

Read more in  “African Americans and the War Industry,” The Unwritten Record blog post by archives specialist Alexis Hill.

Check out the “I too, am Rosie" Rediscovering Black History blog post by Dr. Tina Ligon, archivist.

See also: Women's History Month and African American History National Archives News special topics pages.

At one location alone – Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, CA – nearly 1,000 Black women worked as burners, welders, and scalers to help build the Liberty Ship, SS George Washington Carver. “Meet” some of those women below.

JOSIE THE WELDER

Welder-trainee Josie Lucille Owens works on the Liberty Ship SS George Washington Carver. NARA ID 535803.

ALIVIA, HATTIE & FLOSSIE THE WELDERS

Welders Alivia Scott, Hattie Carpenter, and Flossie Burtos prepare to weld their first piece of steel on the SS George Washington Carver. NARA ID 535800.

EASTINE THE SCALER

Eastine Cowner works as a scaler on the SS George Washington Carver. NARA ID 535802.

See also:

"Insignia for military police are being turned out in an eastern quartermaster corps depot where this young worker has obtained war production employment." NARA ID 535807.

Original caption: “The nimble fingers of many American women are now contributing to the war effort in various quartermaster corps depots. This elderly woman worker is handstitching sleeves on an army overcoat.” NARA ID 535808.

"Miss Clara Camille Carroll..., contributes her bit to the war effort in her daily work. She is one of the thousands of Negro girls now filling clerical positions in the Nation's Capital." NARA ID 535813.

Bertha Stallworth, age 21, shown inspecting end of 40mm artillery cartridge case at Frankford Arsenal. NARA ID 535805.

[daydreamrry]

If Holivia isn't real then explain these pics...

https://www.google.com/search?q=harry+styles+and+olivia+wilde+italy&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&prmd=nivx&sxsrf=AOaemvLBmXfd4AfoMRwmXe1yPRzrTGGh7A:1641277753563&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjc5-mLvJf1AhWST8AKHR0RCtQQ_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=360&bih=667&dpr=3#imgrc=XRHhpegDB0tS_M

https://www.google.com/search?q=harry+styles+and+olivia+wilde+italy&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&prmd=nivx&sxsrf=AOaemvL3IVDvn_OBen667HECztneuy_Mkg:1641277823798&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjp2aitvJf1AhVQZcAKHTK6BVoQ_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=360&bih=667&dpr=3#imgrc=dYgopwV0iEDRGM

https://www.google.com/search?q=harry+styles+and+olivia+wilde+italy&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&prmd=nivx&sxsrf=AOaemvL3IVDvn_OBen667HECztneuy_Mkg:1641277823798&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjp2aitvJf1AhVQZcAKHTK6BVoQ_AUoAnoECAIQAg&biw=360&bih=667&dpr=3#imgrc=mc3ctpNevO9ryM

Two of those pics weren't even papped they were pics spotted by fans.

usually i’d delete asks like this because there’s no point in me wasting my energy on them, but i’ll gladly respond to this and explain the story behind these pictures, and i’m sure my lovely anons will do the same!

first and foremost, the fact that this is the only “proof” being used to go against the PR narrative is hilarious.

second, the first and third pictures were taken in public places. were they taken by fans? yes, but that’s the whole point. although, the idea of someone that they know taking an “organic” picture of them isn’t so far fetched but anyways, they wanted to be seen. and no, don’t even try the “Harry and Olivia are both famous, of course people are going to spot them,” excuse. i would agree with that statement if they weren’t spotted every single time that they went out together. this man knows how to not be seen. this man can publicly go out and enjoy his day with himself, friends, or family and not be seen. for example, we didn’t even know that he was in the UK until those pictures of him on the MP set were released. another example, we wouldn’t have known that he was in italy if miss girl wasn’t stunting in her LOT jacket, so if he truly wanted to spend a quiet day with olivia, he damn well could. i mean when he was with camille, they were barely ever spotted in public so....

and the second picture is self-explanatory. it was apart of the yachtgate... the biggest stunt move in history dude 😭. if you’re not aware of how obviously staged every single one of those pictures were, please go back and look at them. they had to look “in love,” they had to look “happy.” no, the paparazzi in a european country weren’t looking for harry and olivia and randomly found them on a yacht, that entire yachtgate was planned and every single one of those pictures were staged. why else do you think the camera is so zoomed in to capture them kissing (more like harry planting his lips on her chin)?

so in conclusion, holivia is fake. ❤️ and “organic” sightings, such as the first picture, is a very common tactic for PR relationships. don’t believe me? deuxmoi is proof of this. but i hope that i explained it well, have a good night!

[skepticalarrie]

I was wondering about canyon moon wasn't it named after a thing associated with camille (we larries don't buy that the song or the album is about her) but I thought they tried to seed other things in to make the songs seem to tie to her like her pineapple tattoo on the back of the album cover or canyon moon. I learned about this supposed story back when FL came out so I could be remembering it wrong. A bunch of solo harries were my guide showing ss of her insta captions so says a lot lol

Oh yes, the entire album follow that same narrative about being about Camille. This was a very well executed stunt in my opinion. Still fake though 🤷‍♀️

[camrensrealbish]

it's going to be really difficult for her to rebuild her solo image again when all her team/accounts/fans have literally turned her into a duo. Also the lack of intelligence of her so called fans who believe she has the power to chose which songs to release, have full creative/productive control and everything she is doing is by herself not her team doing is mind blowing. Espicially if they ain't even teens they are in their 20/30 believe she has power in that industy. Cnizers/camilizers/ss. 🤡

It surprises me every day, how little people know about how fabricated everything is and how they believe in the stories they sell us

We are so easy to manipulate

[mentesimploria]

mente can you please find out what's the real story behind ale deactivating his ig. ss are spreading rumours on twitter that cs harassed ale and sinu called them homophobic and that's why. but the rumours has reaches camilizers now. I feel like if its true it was actually ss are behind this to attack cs. probably there way to change the subject of people making fun of the pr or whatever. funny how they asking that girl who runs ccnews to get in touch with gian and tell him to block the cs.

wait, i didn't even know about that. on twitter they're saying cs were comment stuffs on his posts. like "free camila" where are the screenshots then maybe ale was just tired of having to like shawn's pics. [but i'll try to find out who started to say it was cs fault]

[viktcria-blog]

stellaluna • viktoria “vik” • aaland s u l l i v a n

icy breezes float across naked flesh as melodies coated in melancholia float across stale air. useless factoids trail across their mind, she traces patterns against florals sitting in tepid water. she strokes the neck of an empty champagne bottle, shatters it against marble. they say it’s all too much, the thought beckons bumps to rise against her skin.

d e m o g r a p h i c s

full name: stellaluna viktoria “vik” aaland

age: twenty-one 

sexuality: bisexual 

gender: demiwoman / she & they

major & minor: psychology ( major ) & anthropology ( minor )

♪ icy — kim petras

family • history • connections • plots  under the cut & exhaustive

f a m i l y

                father ( adoptive / deceased )                                   mother ( adoptive )                    peter aaland ( sol invictus )                             camille aaland ( née bordelais )

                                                    grandmother ( adoptive )                                      vikoria “angelique” bordelais ( née eriksson )

( cancer / death tw for everything below this warning )

• their father was a musician who went by the alias “sol invictus” ( after the roman sun god ), his band, invincible, was extremely successful in the late eighties / early nineties and has some classics ( the most helpful comparison i have for sol is kurt cobain mixed with alex turner and flung back to the 90s. )

he was diagnosed with cancer when vik was a child, and became involved with a faith healer and his cult ( the sun’s chosen children ) before his death. after his death, there was a vicious battle over his estate, as he left everything to the cult and its manipulative leader. this is a dark chapter of vik’s life, and she didn’t entirely understand what was going on due to her young age, just that her father was dead and it ruined her mother. sol’s involvement with the chosen children was the subject of much tabloid gossip, and so was the legal battle.

• her mother was a model and the daughter of a swedish-french film star ( the original viktoria ) who married an “english screenwriter with a french name.” camille is very fond of horses and horse racing and has spent large parts of her life on stud farms ( including her own parents’ stud in england, where her mother retired to ), and currently lives on one in mexico, somewhat close to mexico city.

• viktoria is adopted, she was born in sweden  ( which both of her adoptive parents had a connection to ) and placed for adoption by her birth parents shortly after. they don’t particularly care to know anything about their birth parents, and haven’t made any effort to seek them out. they were adopted when they were two years old, so they retain some vague memories of the orphanage, but they can’t speak swedish anymore.

h i s t o r y

places lived

stockholm ( childhood )

tokyo ( childhood )

los angeles / new york city ( childhood )

oxfordshire ( childhood / as a teenager )

mexico city / valley of mexico ( as a teenager )

paris ( to attend the paris opera’s ballet academy, as a teenager )

important / helpful information

being a rockstar’s child had its difficulties and successes. vik was always the coolest child in any given room ( at least, by default ) but she spent most of her childhood in impermanent places: tokyo ( two years while sol & invincible were recording a reunion album ), los angeles and nyc ( whenever her father’s profession demanded it ), oxfordshire with her mother and grandmother, stockholm for a few years post-adoption. they never made many real friends, and cultivated a reputation for being just like silk ( pretty and difficult to hold onto ) over time. they’re used to being alone.

dancing, particularly classical ballet, was their first love. they took their first class in tokyo when they were still very young, and they were good. when she was dancing, vik wasn’t someone else’s child, she was her own person, with her own passions. after their father’s death, their mother became despondent ( especially as the legal battle was lost ) and they needed to get away, so they used some of their talent and a lot of nepotism to audition for the paris opera’s ballet academy ( one of the best in the world. ) not that they’ll admit to the nepotism. from age 12-17 vik lived alone in paris, attending the academy and going by her mother’s maiden name ( bordelais ) in order to deny any connection to their father. 

vik stopped dancing when she was 18, after she moved back in with her mother after her grandmother’s death ( without her, her mother would have been completely alone, so it was necessary, and repayment for the five years of freedom she had been afforded. ) but dancing remains their first, and currently only, love, and she still does it. just not under the eyes of any teacher.

their gender expression is hyper feminine ( lots of glitter and neon ) but this doesn’t mean they’re a woman. vik identifies as demigender ( specifically a demiwoman / demigirl ) and came to the realisation that she was not fully comfortable with her identity was a girl for the first time after her father’s death. they don’t particularly care to explain it more than “you can be feminine without being female.” anyone who comes into proximity of her is aware of her pronouns and identification. 

they didn’t want to go to providence. when they were applying, they were disgusted by the enormous wealth and privilege that surrounded them ( nevermind how often she uses hers ) and found it repulsive. but providence was the best school and the easiest to bribe, and in the end, the college was very, very far from mexico city.

in their first semester, they mostly kept to themself, keeping their head down so no one would ask questions about who they were or where they came from. but in her second semester, vik started performing again: she had a third story window, a highly fuckable toned body, and she missed ballet. egged on enough times by partygoers struggling through snow or melt, they would take to their window, a silhouette of a person, smooth bare skin and mystery. performing became parties. parties became more parties. being a partygoer became being sol invictus’ child.

they’re in a constant state of reinvention. are they a good student, or just rich and the child of someone famous ? does she like the endless bacchanalia and orgiastic weekdays, or is it all she knows at this school ? what the fuck is vik going to do with themself after graduating with the degree they don’t care about ? don’t ask.

tldr no one understands what she’s doing, let alone her. & they have a reputation as the person to go to for a party.

c o n n e c t i o n s  ( q u i c k f i r e )

champagne prince(ss): someone vik parties with, possibly a procurer of illicit substances, they have a soft spot ( possibly romantic ) for them

twisted sibling: horribly toxic relationship that consists mostly of egging each other on and fucking each other up 

cheat sheet: vik doesn’t like to study, so they’re her go-to “study partner.” aka, the person she bribes to help her ( aka.... write her papers for her )

invincible ? don’t know them: someone who’s a fan of vik’s father’s band / knows all the gossip and is intrigued by why it was like to grow up as sol’s child

no danes allowed: international kids club ? ( aside: idk what citizenship vik even has lol ? i just realised this ! )

p l o t s 

cause of you, now my heart is so icy ( former lover / enemy / angst / pining / fuck it )

vik’s first real relationship, started at providence, probably in second year ? very intense, ended really, really badly ( think public shouting matches. ) occasionally, always, in moments of weakness, they miss this person immensely, and considering going back / taking them back. she doesn’t even remember why it ended in the first place, at this point. ( but some part of vik also knows it will end in the same fiery crash if they try again. )

this could also be platonic because losing friends ? painful.

gave me something to believe in  ( member of or close to / fascinated by the sun’s chosen children cult )

for the most part, the cult that their mother is certain played a role in killing their father hasn’t played a role in vik’s life in years ( beside camille aaland’s refusal to say its name of the name of its leader. ) but new york is a big place, and the internet is strange and vast, so this plot involves someone who is a member of, or close to someone who is a member of, or is interested in the sun’s chosen children ( a “self help group” dedicated to spiritual healing and the abandonment of modern medicine, in actuality a cult. ) vik still carries a lot of resentment for what they did to her mother and some small part of them fears the chosen children. so living / partying / studying in close proximity to someone who is involved with them is probably not going to end well.

don’t search me in here, i’m already gone baby ( “perfect match” / counterpart / mystery )

someone vik is highly interested in ( platonically / romantically / sexually / whatever, 22 year olds are dumb ). they feel like every time they try to get close to this person, they slip away, which is something vik has a lot of practice doing herself. she doesn’t like it being turned back on her, and she’s starting to run out of patience for them.

... but not yet. 

i ain’t ever gonna settle ( patron / private shows / throwing parties so one person will come / ideal / disaster in the making )

dancing is such a big part of vik’s life, and stopping their dance career may be one of the few things they actually regret. this person is vik’s “dance partner” and “patron”, someone who always encourages her to dance for / with them ( sometimes in private, wink, but as always this could be platonic ) and whose approval she craves for no reason she could name. they’re stumbling towards being dependent on this person, and it’s not going to end well, but for right now, it’s passionate and full of feelings and admiration and divine adoration. 

[shesthespinstersimmer]

Holiday in Sulani (Pt3): Mao & Camille regretfully wrap up their holiday vacation with best friend Virginia. They really have to do this more often.

[spinstersimmer]

Third wheel (Pt 1)?? Sally moves in with her friends Mao & Camille - and learns a little bit more about their home life

(Shout out to @bobur-tsr @obscurus-sims @peachiesims @lynxsimz and more for helping to bring my beings to life 🖤🤘🏾)

[gojaimas]

Chapter 35 Comment Replies

csgt: “Oh, I forgot to mention it in the past chapter, but I definitely got the feeling that Ben having a new normal watch and Gwen replacing the charm with a normal locket means the definitive end of the ‘hero’ part of their story”

Yeah, pretty much. They’re moving on to new stages in their lives as they grow up.

csgt: “So Lucy is now developing real feelings for both Ben and Gwen? Ohhh, that complicates things… Maybe she will find someone else and get over them? Even though now I’m seeing the chances of ‘Bwenucy’ happening raise a little (maybe 5 percent now instead of 1 percent?)”

Things are a little more complicated now. People have been noticing for a while that there is a chance of the story going in the Bwency direction, so this probably made it seem more likely to everyone. You’ll just have to see how it plays out over the rest of the year.

Davidscrazy234: “If this was made into a live action show, like Arrow and The Flash which cast person would u choose for Ben, Gwen, and Lucy?”

Ooh, there’s a fun question! Let’s see…

For Ben, I’d go with David Mazouz, AKA young Bruce Wayne in Gotham. The scenes where he’s partying and pretending to be a spoiled rich kid makes me think he could totally pull off Ben, plus beating the crap out of bad guys is right up his alley.

For Gwen, I’d say Sadie Sink, AKA Max from the second season of Stranger Things. I’ll admit it’s mostly because she’s a fierce redhead, but she seems talented enough to pull off a character who’s pretty much the exact opposite of Max as well.

And then for Lucy, I’d pick Elsie Fisher, AKA the voice of Agnes in the Despicable Me movies. She did a live action film with Bo Burnham recently too. She’s such a sweet girl and just seems like a constant ray of sunshine, I think she’d be perfect for Lucy.

These actors are 15-17 years old now, so I guess it could only work as a sequel to my story at this point, but they would’ve been perfect for it if the series had started like 4 or 5 years ago.

Guest: “I have a question- is Gwen shorter than Ben in this story? Otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to lean into his chest without having her butt stick out awkwardly.”

Haha, yes, Ben is the taller one now. Gwen used to be taller than him, but he hit his growth spurt and surpassed her, which I sort of eluded to a couple times in Year 3. I remember Ben Ten Thousand being really tall, so I figured this was how they would turn out. The drawing I did of them for the story image is a little closer to what I imagine their current relative heights are now.

Guest: “I’m like the track you’re heading with. Lucy was only featured in one episode in the original and she had so much potential, I always kept an eye out for her. Her characteristics stood out. The wedding when Ben danced with Gwen and then Lucy were really sweet moments. Came for a Bwen fanfic but I’m also in love with Lucy.”

You and me both, my friend. Lucy wasn’t even in the character list for Ben 10 fanfictions until I started this story. If nothing else comes from it, I hope people start to like her a bit more.

Jagcity: “Just a little side inquiry, it seems that Frank loves his daughter (or at least checks up on her) more than Natalie does; I guess Gwen’s mom is simply the stern and frowny type.”

Gwen’s dad is a softie, sort of a typical doting father. Her mom is much more strict, but she’s definitely the one who pushes her to succeed more, which Gwen is mature enough to be thankful for. Ben still finds Natalie mean and scary, and it confuses him that Gwen doesn’t seem to see her that way at all.

Guest: “that bathroom scene was the first time we’ve seen Lucy expressing her true intentions and emotions behind her cherrful happy go lucky mask and she seems to be conflicted… she cares for others which is why she wants Ben and Gwen to be there for each other but at the same, even though I can’t say she’s human, she’s got emotions. She’s just better at hiding it like Ben.”

We have seen her “mask” slip before, which I think is a good way to put it. Back in the summer of Year 2, she broke down because Joel and Camille were missing. That was an unrelated matter, but I hope it effectively foreshadowed how Lucy might not always be the cheerful, happy go lucky girl she appears to be.

Guest: “This was a really effective chapter and it only was that way because of the events and progression leading up to it.”

THANK YOU! Yes! Now you all know why I had to write a story the length of a Harry Potter book before reaching this point. I hope the payoff was worth the wait.

Guest: “I don’t know how to root for right now, it’s like Toradora all over again.”

I’m really glad you brought up Toradora, which is hands down one of the best romance anime out there. It wasn’t one of the biggest inspirations for my story (which would probably be Oreimo in addition to Little Moments), but I can definitely see the similarities.

Guest: “Since you mentioned you’re in college, what’re your aspirations and plans for the future? You’d do great as a author, writer for animes, characters and novels judging by what I’ve seen from you. You seem to have an interest in gaming so you could have a certain paths on that or just take it as a way to kill time. Whatever you’re gonna be in the future you sure as hell are gonna be successful”

Thank you for saying so! I actually graduated about a year ago, but I started writing this story while I was still in college. I’m currently working as an engineer at a medical device company. I have no real training or experience as an author, so I’ll probably just stick with fanfiction as a hobby for now. I’m also learning to draw in the anime art style, so maybe I’ll try making a fan manga at some point as well. In the past, I’ve competed in really low level Super Smash Bros and Magic the Gathering tournaments, but I couldn’t see myself making a career out of it. In about a year or two, I plan to decide if I wanna stick with what I’m doing or go back to school for a bit to transition into something else. I have a friend who got into the game design industry after he graduated, which is something I would love to do as well. Becoming a teacher is another option since I like working with kids and I used to tutor other students in math, science, and programming, plus my aunt is a middle school math teacher. I also have a friend who got into writing for television after he graduated. I was mostly joking, but I already made him promise that if he ever somehow makes it big and gets his own cartoon, he’ll let me voice the villain since I’m “basically already the villain in his life.” I know a lot of my readers are in college, so I just wanna say to all of you that life can be pretty cool after you graduate, and I hope you all do as well as my friends and I have.

Guest: “Do you think Joel is dead in the Last of Us Part 2”

I don’t think so. Wasn’t he in the trailer? Either way, I know I’m gonna play the shit out of that game the second it comes out.

Guest: “God. Been reading from December and this story’s at the TOP of the Ben 10 fanfic section, well deserved. Gosh bless”

Is it really? Awesome! Also, I thought it was funny how you start the comment with “God” and then switch to “Gosh bless” at the end. Lucy prefers “Glob” because she’s a fan of Adventure Time.

Guest: “‘Shut up and put your hands around me’ Gwen is such a tsundere lmao”

Haha, absolutely! I love tsunderes. Totally my type.

Guest: “Since you haven’t seen Alien Force... did you by any chance check out Omniverse since some flashbacks involve the friendship Gwen, Lucy and Ben.”

I only watched a few episodes of Omniverse. I even specifically sought out the episodes that had Lucy in them because I wanted more of her. The show didn’t really appeal to me, but I enjoyed the episodes I saw and the Lucy ones were helpful for crafting her character in my story.

Guest: “We all know Ben and Gwen are gonna end up together and you also mentioned you might write epilogue one shots would it be possible to also write a optionn B) alternative ending where Ben and Lucy got together or would that not fit with the course of the story you’re taking in? Just like how they did Amigami SS, in each 5 episodes, they pair the MC with a girl in alternative ways and timelines of course to see how it would’ve played out. I feel bad for Lucy to be left out and as much as I love Bwen as she does, wish she had her chance too.”

The Bwen ending and the Bwency ending are the only ones that are really on the table right now. I will say that the ending is one of those two options, but I am willing to write an alternate ending for the other one. It’s hard to imagine a Ben/Lucy ending that wouldn’t be completely soul-crushing for Gwen, but I might consider giving it a shot.

Guest: “‘Beeeeeeeen! You...you...You're doing it wrong!’ ‘Give it a rest Dweeb, I'm doing the best I can.’ ‘Ahhhhhhh...Ouch! Wrong hole, Doofus! Do you even know what you're doing down there!?’ ‘Maybe I should've just asked Lucy for help...’”

Hey! How did you get my manuscript for Year 5?? I mean, uh...get this filth out of my Christian Minecraft server.

Guest: “Just wondering, but is this a purely Bwen fic? It seems kinda sad that I read 200K words thinking that Lucy doesn't really stand a chance. I was wondering how much of a jump it would take for all three of them to get together but it doesn't really matter anyways since you already finished writing this work. I just found this piece about 3 days ago and I gotta say I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I look forward to reading what kind of ending you have in store for these characters.”

It’s not purely a Bwen fic. It was my intention for everyone to know Ben and Gwen were going to end up together from the start, but for it to be unclear at this point if Lucy will be involved with them as well. Some of my readers are more convinced it will happen than others, but like I said earlier, I am willing to write both endings. Only one of them is written right now though.

[psmith73]

Malec & s2 fairy tale tropes

It’s not a secret that fairy tale AUs are quite popular in fandom, but what is more interesting is that the canon too played with this trope in season 2.

I’ve counted at least three fairy tale references / reimaginings – the first two are the most obvious ones – the Sleeping Beauty’s kiss (2x03), and the Beast’s wilting rose (2x18); the third one is probably a bit harder to recognize at first sight since it wasn’t yet adapted by Disney – the myth of Cupid and Psyche, which was also used in the TMI books (as far as I can see from the book spoilers). [And also little bonus: Malec vs. the demon!dragon]

1) Imo, the elements of the “Sleeping Beauty” fairy tale were not just used for one episode only, as it seems the tale’s narrative was, broken into two parts – the aforementioned 2x03 and, later, it resurfaced in 2x08.

From what I saw in tags, the Malec part of the fandom didn’t really like that trope in 2x03 much, for one - some thought it was a bit problematic because there was no consent for the kiss (which again, is the problem of the original fairy tale, most folkstales and myths in their original form are kind of problematic), the others didn’t like it because the kiss didn’t work, and thus was not of much use in the plot (also, the-ship-that-shall-not-be-named used it for its own incest-y purposes).

But, as the 2x18 “The Beauty and the Beast” reimagining showed, that probably was the point – they were not adapting the trope in its original form, but were subverting it.

The kiss did not work... but, in all fairness, it wasn’t the “true love’s kiss” that had awoken the Princess in the fairy tale (the Perrault’s version, not the Disney adaptation). The kiss, or, better yet, the Prince, was merely the part of the curse’s solution. True, Magnus is not the “Prince” in this scenario, instead, he acts as the “Good Fairy” - again, from the Perrault’s version, who saved the “Princess” and altered the evil prophesy.

The seventh fairy, who hasn't yet given her gift, attempts to reverse the evil fairy's curse. However, she can only do so partially. Instead of dying, the Princess will fall into a deep sleep for 100 years and be awakened by a kiss from a king's son... [After the curse is fulfilled] the good fairy who altered the evil prophecy is summoned. Having great powers of foresight, the fairy sees that the Princess will awaken to distress when she finds herself alone, so the fairy puts everyone in the castle to sleep. The fairy also summons a forest of trees, brambles and thorns that spring up around the castle, shielding it from the outside world and preventing anyone from disturbing the Princess. (x)

And here is why 2x08 also is part of this fairy tale narrative – we have the party and uninvited old fairy warlock – Iris, who curses the guests, and Magnus again, works as the “Good Fairy”, reverses the spell and saves the “Princess” along the way.

In the original fairy tale (the first part of the tale at least, not the second one about creepy cannibalism) it was the Good Fairy, who was the real hero of the story – the one who didn’t let the Princess die, who reversed the spell, who made sure that the Princess won’t be alone, when she wakes up 100 years later, who made sure that no creep or pervert would disturb the Princess’ and her people’s slumber. Whereas, the Prince was more like a device – a guy who just happened to be at the right time in the right place. And same in 2x03 – it was Magnus, who kept Alec alive - without his magic Alec would’ve been dead long before Jace could come.

Eta: The Malec vs. dragon!demon scene from 2x20 looks very similar to the Prince Phillip and the fairies fighting against dragon!Maleficent.

2) The wilting rose and “the Beauty and the Beast” narrative was established in 2x18, but in fact, started earlier, in 2x15, when Magnus metaphorically “recognized” himself as the “Beast” via his confession to Alec about his mother and stepfather - “He called me an abomination. He was right.” As in the tale, Alec (the “Beauty”) wasn’t repulsed by his “ugliness” but saw his real “beauty”.

In 2x18 the writing yet again subverts the fairy tale trope - the “Beauty”, despite true love, can’t save the “Beast” from what he is, the “Beast” can’t turn into a “prince”, because there is no curse to begin with. The “Beast” has to defend the people in his castle from the angry xenophobic mob (the Clave and Valentine); he has to choose between the safety of his people and his love for the “Beauty”.

3) Now, the last, but not the least fairy tale trope that we have in season 2 – the myth of Cupid and Psyche. The main distinguishing element of this trope is the violation of trust between the two lovers, which leads to their break up and later reunion.

From what I know about the books, the variation of this myth was at the basis for the book!Malec break up as well.

“Cupid and Psyche” is travelling myth that has numerous variations in folklore and fairy tales (for example “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”, “White-Bear-King-Valemon” etc. etc.).

In the TMI books, similar to the myth / fairy tales: the book!Magnus (“Cupid”) holds the book!Alec (“Psyche”) at arm’s length, and doesn’t tell the whole truth about himself, so Alec is manipulated by the evil sisters Camille to go behind Magnus’ back, and thus unwittingly betrays him. Which leads to the breach of trust, and eventual break up between the two, even though they do love each other (similar how it was in the myth / fairy tales).

The show, however, turned this trope on its head, when they added political and racial aspects to the betrayal. Again, despite loving Alec, Magnus breaks up with him, but not because he has a wounded ego to heal, or because of some curse, like in fairy tales, but because, although Alec was oblivious of it, his betrayal of trust bore heavy racial connotations and could have had serious repercussions for the entire Downworld race.

Here we have, on one hand, the Clave act as the “jealous sisters” in the plot, except it’s not jealousy, but systematic racism that is the cornerstone for the betrayal. On the other hand, we have the Seelie Queen act as “Venus / the Troll Princess / the Evil Witch”. In the myth and fairy tales, when Psyche / the Princess comes to Venus’ / the Evil Witch’s palace, she can’t talk to the Cupid / the Prince either because he’s in some enchanted sleep, or can’t recognize his beloved because of the spell. Compare this arc to 2x19, where Magnus couldn’t interact with Alec at the meeting, because his deal with the Queen didn’t allow him to speak there.

It really is interesting how the writers subverted the elements of the “Cupid and Psyche” myth and gave it a racial and political subtext, which makes a lot of sense, considering that Malec is not only an LGBT couple, but an interracial couple in the middle of a racially charged war.

But on the other hand, this same element of trust from the C&P myth was overplayed in 2x12 - in the myth Psyche, in the beginning of their relationship, couldn’t see Cupid, because he never showed her his true appearance. In folklore fairytale versions like “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” or “White-Bear-King-Valemon” he was disguised as some beast (bear), due to the Evil Queen’s curse. In the book the jealous sisters manipulate Psyche / the princess to betray Cupid’s / the prince’s trust and take a look at him while he’s asleep. The drop from the burning candle wounds and wakes up Cupid / the prince and he leaves Psyche. – thus the breach of trust element.

Compare to Valentine / Magnus switch in 2x12, due to Azazel’s meddling. Magnus, like Cupid is “disguised” from Alec. He tries to assure him of his true identity but Alec doesn’t believe him because of Jace’s and Imogen’s persuasions - here the later two function in the plot as the “jealous” sisters of Psyche. Like Psyche and Cupid, Alec and Magnus are in the beginning of their relationship, so that’s why Psyche and Alec listen to other people, but not their loved ones (Cupid / Magnus). Plus the parallels between the burned wound and the agony rune.

Also, if we really want to overanalyze it “Cupid” (Latin: Cupido, “Desire” or “Amor;” Greek: “Eros” or “Love”) and “Psyche” (Greek: “Soul” or “Breath of Life”) represent allegorical unity of soul and divine love. Alec represents “Soul” and Magnus represents “Love”. A Soul cannot live without Love.

And yeah, maybe I’m overanalyzing and these are just random coincidences (save for the SB kiss and BatB wilting rose - these were intentional references), but it’s worth noting how Magnus in all of these scenarious represents a magical character whether it’s the “Good Fairy”, or the “Beast”, or “Cupid”... after all, Magnus is quite magical. 

Malec + Disney gifset

Malec + Cupid & Psyche parallels

Madzie saved Magnus’ life

Magnus + unreliable narrator trope in 2x15

[shesthespinstersimmer]

Welcome Home (Pt1): Mao & Camille return to Britechester to their eagerly awaiting roommate Sally

[shesthespinstersimmer]

The Adventures of Mao & Camille (Pt4): Time to break the news to Sally. Oh boy.

[shesthespinstersimmer]

Holiday in Sulani (Pt2): Mao & Camille regretfully wrap up their holiday vacation with best friend Virginia. They really have to do this more often.