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yermes · 1 year

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PAC: 🚬

Achieving my bimbo vampire step mom aesthetic by: sleeping all day, picking up one of my besties even tho i’m so sick the sun hurts my eyes, cannot see, cannot hear so I am just playing all my shows and music on MAX volume as I slowly decay in the background. I GOT SICK AGAIN THIS TIME WITH AN EAR INFECTION 😭 and head cold. But hey theres going to be a super blue moon and a visible Saturn. What a vibe. Ruler of both Cap and Aqu it really depicts the veil which so gently divides the as above so below. It also has a great many other of Correspondences but in MY working on the 30th thats what my focus is on. To me saturn is like the collab between Bauer and Lululemon. Lets see how you as an individual represent duality in your own life.

Pick a meme

The cards

The Hierophant 🪦

Magus of the Eternal Gods, Vau, Nail

Honestly such a great card which represents both physical strength and none physical strength. As well as the macrocosm and microcosm. The microcosm which is reflected in man is just a small ecosystem of the divine which we can pick apart and associate with small aspects of the universe. Aka. Magic kinda. However with the divinity in man comes the primal in man. And while this card celebrates the divinity it reversed also represents the unorthodox vulnerable aspects of the individual. Connect the two. They do not have to be strangers.

Princess of wands 🚰

Venus in fire, firey aspect of earth, earth in the fires of aziluth, malkuth

The line between self love and self destruction is a FINE LINE and your ass is cutting it CLOSEEEEE. If you have to ask yourself: when does passion turn into arrogance. When does your zest for life make you broke asf and lead you to realize your zest may not have been so real at all but a delusion you under took for survival. When does the real and the fake collide and when do you recognize it?

The lovers 🕯️

Children of the Voice Divine, Zain, Sword

This card kinda sends me because it depicts Perseus saving Andromeda which yeah thats a cute love story. But are they in love or is that shit Stockholm syndrome. This card also has a strong connection to its opposite- the temperance. Basically big dawg love can go in any direction. You may be a stockholm syndrome delulu baddie who grows into love or it goes into disunion discord and all that ugly shit. Love can both create and destroy.

Princess of swords 🪜

Venus in air, earth in the air of Yetzirah, malkuth

Well it is human nature isn’t it? You can make and you can break and its all kind of the same when you think about it. When you put to much logic into it you almost lack that moral understanding because feelings almost cannot fit into your logical one track minded world view. While being free and creative you could also be stubborn and harsh which in time will dwindle your creativity. At your best you have many skills, talents, ideas. At your worst you are the conflict between earth and air. Insecure and at times not compatible with yourself. Open yourself up do not keep shutting yourself down.

Extras: I may have posted that extra ass thing abt piercing the veil but that is a lie I’m fr just trying to manifest some dick and get you an extra step daddy be blessed.

Tip Jar

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autumnslance · 1 year

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FFXIV Write 2023 Day 12: Dowdy

Since the moment she was put into clothes for the first time as a newborn infant, Aeryn Striker had Opinions about what she wore.

From the feel of the fabric to its color to the number of buttons or hooks or strings, to the patterns and designs, cut and quality, the child was pickier than her parents often knew what to do with. Her elder brother was the first to realize the baby’s fuss came from disliking certain clothing items.

Unfortunately for tiny Aeryn, her parents were not wealthy, and clothing for an active, fast-growing child in a farming community needed to be economical above all else. So hand-me-downs from her brother and other village children, and cheap, sturdy fabrics that could take the wear and tear and staining, and could be let out for a time until she entirely outgrew them.

There were tears and pouts, shouts and crying, when she didn’t like her outfits. One summer morning everyone had a good laugh as Corran tried to catch an entirely naked three-year-old racing through the village.

In the end, Zaine could usually, mostly, get Aeryn to acquiesce for a time, distracting her with treats or toys or exploration or other childish games. Her natural inquisitiveness and sense of adventure could make her temporarily forget the uncomfortable, the shapeless, the ugly.

And she would “lose” things she particularly hated, in convoluted ways that left them unsalvageable. Otherwise Zaine would just find them and make her wear them again.

Finding outfits Aeryn did like came with their own problems of her wanting to wear them always, until entirely stained and discolored, and worn all the way through; they rarely lasted long enough for her to grow out of, and there was no handing them off to someone else’s child.

“She’ll eat everything put in front of her, listen to long sermons politely, be quiet when asked—and given a ‘good’ reason, sure, but still,” Emelia sighed. “I do not know what we are going to do if she ‘loses’ another pair of shoes, let alone this year’s winter coat.”

These habits only changed slightly on the family’s move to Thavnair.

The lighter fabrics felt better, and the patterns and designs, the colors and embellishments, all pleased Aeryn greatly. Some of it was the novelty at first, but even once she was used to the Hannish styles, she found…less to complain about.

She was old enough to no longer streak through the neighborhoods in fits of toddler petulance, for which Emelia thanked every divinity, and hoped the worst of this particular difficulty finished.

—

It could be said that Nani Shaila didn’t really get along with anyone, but she particularly disliked Zaine and Aeryn. The mother of Tanzel Eadir’s late wife, Nani Shaila resented his marriage to Emelia, feeling her own daughter was being replaced, regardless of her grandchildren assuring her otherwise.

She stayed under Tanzel’s roof for them…and also because none of her other children wished to deal with her. Tanzel was a man of patience and a firm enough will to mostly keep his first mother-in-law in line. His own mother, and new mother-in-law, helped.

But Tanzel was also a busy man and important to their Coooperative’s business dealings. So of course, the first time back in Radz-at-Han since her mother had married Tanzel (whom Aeryn liked quite a lot, but still felt painfully shy around), it was Nani Shaila minding the younger children as they went shopping in the Bazaar. And Aeryn being the youngest of all the Eadir children, Nani Shaila felt she had to keep the little girl at her side the whole time.

“I’m eight, Nani,” Aeryn tried to remind her. “I’m big enough to go ‘round by myself. I’ll even run errands for you!”

“Hrmph,” Nani Shaila looked down her nose. “You’re scrawny for eight,” she said again. “And tend toward trouble besides. Oh, you’ll complete the errands—in your own time and way, and I shall be left to clean up after you.”

“Or send Rashae to do it,” Aeryn said, before thinking. She winced, and then winced again when Nani Shaila gave her cheek a finger-flick.

“Mind that impudent tongue, girl,” her step-Nani said. “Just for that, the book stall’s where we shall visit last. Now take my hand; it’s far too busy today and you’ll get stepped on by an Arkasodara otherwise.”

Aeryn doubted that, but slipped her hand into Nani Shaila’s iron-claw grasp and hurried after her longer stride. She said nothing else, paying half-attention as Nani Shaila visited various shops and stalls, many of them wholesalers, haggling for prices, and having her goods packaged and delivered to the Cooperative’s building.

“Almost done,” Nani Shaila said over three hours later. The sun was well past noon, it was hot and sticky-humid, and Aeryn was tired, hungry, and bored. Her arm seemed nearly pulled from its socket, drug about by Nani Shaila all afternoon. It wouldn’t be so bad if it were her own Nani Zahra, or even Dodi Anya. But they wouldn’t have kept her at their sides and then complained about her being underfoot all day, either.

Still, Aeryn perked up when she saw where they were headed next; a dress shop, yalms of colorful, silky fabrics on display out front.

“Hrm. I hear they’ve come under new management,” Nani Shaila said. “Behave yourself.”

Which meant “don’t touch anything,” which was quite possibly the worst thing ever.

The Hyur shopkeeper behind the counter had a mustache, so Aeryn supposed he was grown up despite how roundly soft and smooth his face was, and that he was only as tall as her Nani. He smiled too broadly and greeted them. “Welcome, madame, welcome! What might I do for you and your grandchild on this fine day?”

Most of the other shopkeepers had immediately recognized Nani Shaila as a Cooperative representative. Many of them had known her (unfortunately) for years, but others had taken one look at how she wore her jewelry, turban, and dress and knew.

But this man was young, and new, so maybe he didn’t know how to tell yet. Aeryn watched him, since she was allowed to do little else.

“We had a deal with your predecessor, and I mean to see if that might continue.”

“Mmm, yes of course. I cannot honor any prior bargains, of course; times change, prices go up, and if one doesn’t keep up, well one doesn’t keep a shop. But I’m sure we can come to an equitable arrangement.”

Nani Shaila’s eyes narrowed. “Hmph. We’ll see. To start, young man, I want to check on bolts of Doman silk.”

“Ah, yes of course. Just a moment, let me go find those for you…” He turned and began checking the stacks behind him.

“They’re right there,” Aeryn said, pointing to a rack covered in a brilliant rainbow of bolts. She was fairly certain an adult should have been able to see it from the counter.

“Why yes, good eye, little one!” the clerk said. “If it had been a bhujamga it would have bit me. So many things to keep track of.”

Nani Shaila squeezed her hand in a warning, but Aeryn really was trying to be helpful, and the clerk seemed glad for it.

“Here we are then, madame, the finest and newest of Doman silk!” He lifted up one of the bolts. Aeryn saw dust on the cloth when it caught the light. “Perfect for a new sari, or even just something to spruce up an old market dress, eh?”

“This is a new dress,” Nani Shaila said coolly, checking the edge of the silk. “But I see your meaning.”

“I perhaps misspoke to say ‘old’ when I meant more…classically styled.”

“You’re wearing last season’s style,” Aeryn said. “And it’s not even fit right.”

“Aeryn.”

“But Nani—”

The clerk frowned now. “Your grandchild doesn’t know when to stay quiet, I take it?”

“She does unfortunately tend to be honest,” Nani Shaila said. It took both Aeryn and the clerk a moment to realize what she had just said. “I believe we’ll be shopping elsewhere. Good day.”

She turned, dragging Aeryn along as she strode out of the shop.

They were halfway down the block when Nani Shaila suddenly laughed. She had a sharp, cackley sort of laugh that Aeryn didn’t hear very often. “I meant to drag that out longer before laying into the poor fool, but his face! Leave it to you to know when something’s wrong concerning clothes.”

“So I’m not in trouble?”

Nani Shaila looked down her nose at Aeryn. “There’s still time in the day,” she answered acerbically, then paused and looked along the road again. “But I suppose it is past time we went to the book stall.”

Aeryn grinned. It may not have been the best day, and there weren’t new clothes nor even bolts of cloth to make any, and she was still stuck with Nani Shaila, but it wasn’t all bad.

#final fantasy xiv #ffxivwrite2023 #Lyn Writing #Backstory #Thavnair #Shaila #Aeryn Striker #Emelia Striker #Zaine Striker

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evycloudberry · 1 year

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* note: I am writing this as (Y/N) being a fire fairy.

* note: I did not name the friends, so all readers can ‘personalize’ this story easily. They are mentioned according to their ability.

Disclaimer: swearing, mention of drinking/alcohol, mention of sexual gestures

Taglist: @slytherinambitious @ellatitanium @untalentedsideoffandoms

Back to the menu chapters

Begin Again (Part 8 )

"Hmm... Mother, I don't quite grasp this. (Y/Bro/N) and Aldrich are getting married?" She wanted to chuckle, but stress and confusion overwhelmed her laughter.

"No, child. You are."

Right then, the calm moment shattered. Stella confronted her mother, her brother argued with their mom, and her dad tried to intervene. Voices escalated, and chaos ensued.

But suddenly, she burst into hearty laughter, seeming a bit mad, yet it silenced the room.

After a sip of water and more laughter, she stood with a serious expression.

"No," she declared firmly, placing her cup back on the table. "I'm retiring to my suite. Aldrich, I apologize for your family's journey in vain. You're surely a fine man, but I'm not the girl for you. Mother, Father, these customs belong to a bygone era. Enjoy the rest of your night here, but be gone by morning. Queen Luna, it is always a pleasure meeting you." She turned towards the exit.

"Stop right there, (Y/N)!" Her mother raised her voice.

"Not this time," she replied as she left.

Her anger kept her warm in the chilly night. She discarded her ridiculous heels as she entered the building.

Inside, it was a stark contrast. People hurried about, the scent of blood and smoke filled the air. Injured individuals were being rushed to the infirmary.

She rushed back to get Stella.

Together, they reached the infirmary, searching for their friends.

(Y/N) spotted them in the crowd, helping out. Without hesitation, she joined in and they explained what had occurred. Burnt ones had breached the protection barriers and they found themselves surrounded.

She scanned the room, clearly looking for someone but without knowing who exactly, yet her instinct told her, that she needed to find a certain person.

“He’s alright” said her friend

Before she could question her, a voice came around “I am indeed”

“Zaine!” She eyed him head to toes “you alright”

“I am aware is not the time or the moment but, woah girl ! You look ravishing!”

“N/N” called a familiar voice from over the crowd

“What happened?”

“Burnt ones.. (Y/bro/N) you don’t have to be here. Mother…”

"Is not someone to be near right now. I'd rather lend a hand," he replied, eyeing Zaine suspiciously.

With everyone helping it took no time to mind the injured, and they soon got send to their chambers, once the medics declared the work manageable.

(Y/N) and her brother made their way back to her suite.

"So, you and Zaine...?" he began.

She smirked at him. "He's nice."

"Nice? Are we talking about the same person?"

"Wait, you know him? How?" She stopped in her tracks.

"Yes, we do. I mean, you probably don't remember; you were very young. His father was a good friend of the family. Father always suspected his mother of having suspicious motives, so he never fully trusted her," he explained.

"You need to be careful about him. His mom is a powerful witch, and not a sympathetic one. Also, I've never seen anyone so obsessed with someone the way he was about you. And back then, it wasn't in a healthy way."

“ What do you mean?" Panic crept into her voice.

"You two were still so young, and Mother found it cute how he'd follow you everywhere, be at your beck and call, always by your side, defending you in arguments, and things like that. But when no one was looking he did some shady and ugly tricks to get what he wanted.. never really thinking about consequences.."

"I don't remember any of that” she said, resuming her walk.

"What's going on between you two?" he pressed.

She flushed red "Nothing... but he's a good friend. He's always kind and funny. He's nice, a good fighter too. Not as good as my friend Riven, but not too bad," she beamed.

"Ah, now! I was wondering when you'd start mentioning him," he continued.

She just smiled. "Why?"

"Last we spoke, you couldn't stop raving about the guy!" He paused. "Did you two have an argument?"

"What? Why would we? And Riven and I are just friends."

"Just friends?" His expression showed confusion and shock. He was at a loss for words.

"What happened?" he asked kindly.

"Nothing happened," she answered, not displaying any specific emotions, leaving him even more puzzled.

They walked in silence for a while. As they approached the building, he stopped her.

"(Y/N), I hope you know you can talk to me."

"I do, and I love you for that " she replied and hugged him.

"Here. You might want this back," he said as he searched his inside pocket and retrieved a thin chain with an elegant oval-shaped medallion. It was the kind of jewelry you could wear every day without worrying about matching your outfit.

"I figured I'd give it back to you in private. I know how much it means to you."

Her uncertain expression unsettled him. She took the necklace as if it were her first time seeing it.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, as her hand instinctively clutched it tightly to her chest.

They bid each other good night at a path fork.

"Talk about the devil," her brother remarked, nodding towards the figure at the entrance. "That's definitely my cue to leave!"

And he hurried off in quick footsteps.

She approached him, smiling but a bit puzzled.

"I thought I'd check on you after today's events," he began.

Part 9

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starlightparks · 3 months

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AGGGTM Show ~Review~

I've finished the entire show now, I was going to do a huge comprehensive review but ngl I don't think it'll worth it so here's just a small amount of my non-spoilery thoughts.

overall I'd say it's a 3/5 series for a nearly 5/5 book so it's not atrocious, it's just not what it could have been

I really liked Emma as Pip, her accent wasn't perfect but I think she's a really talented actor and did a really good job

Ravi was my favourite part of the show (unsurprising as he is my favourite part of the book) and I'd love to see Zain in more things he's a really good actor

I think that the show needed a few more episodes - 6 episodes left a bit more to be desired (I don't need every detail from the book to be in the show but because I've read a 'fuller' version of the story it's frustrating that the show wasn't as detailed)

I did think some changes were improvements, I can't really talk about them without spoiling things so just know I did think that there were a few elements that were better in the show

It's no where near as funny as the book, I wasn't expecting a comedy show but I do think it is a miss when it comes to humour. There are jokes that are funny but no where near as many as I would have hoped

I generally liked the fashion of the show but those brown shorts Pip kept wearing were just not the vibe - she's a dungaree person and in my mind at least they don't really wear vests with (ugly) shorts

I think that's everything I wanted to say

#a good girls guide to murder #agggtm #agggtm tv show #holly jackson #pippa fitz amobi #ravi singh

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noblogsir · 8 months

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... So I cursed a pillowcase with *your* Zain, now he can pop in my dreams 😶‍🌫️ hope you like it!

OH MY GOD- I'M LOOSIN MY SHIT, LOOK AT HIM, HE'S SO UGLY, LITTLE GREMLIN, I LOVE HIM ABSHSPSHFH

I absolutely adore that, the little stars next to the American?, this is prefect, thank you my great fella

#zain othman #house of noblogsir #best thing ever #embroided muppet zain #he's perfect #look at him go #⭐American?⭐⭐

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angelus-tenebrae · 1 year

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Hey Leviathan?? Would you ever consider re corrupting... Zain?

"Corruption is such an ugly word. I prefer... Enlightening. Showing him his true place and banishing the darkness within. My power is the light that guides all my followers."

"And yes. It could guide him too. As it once did. If Zain wishes to be useful again. To be a knight again. He could become mine~"

#the great beast #leviathan #grey souls

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shamemp3 · 1 year

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ZAIN DAY????????????????????????????/ I FUCKIGN LVOE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU HAYATI HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎉🎉🎉 MY REAL FUCKING HUSBAND WIFE WHO IM MARRIED TO FOR REAL I LOVE YOU MORE THAN ANYTHING....... KISSES YOU KISSES YOU KISSES YOU A MILLION TIMES

HIIIII im literally on my way to spend it with u so we can make out sloppy and ugly. its not zain day for u yet but its the 7th here so 🤭🤭 I LOVE YOUUU LEYLI THANK U SAURRR MUCH (btw you gave me the saur disease i say it so much now.) me n u btw ⬇️

#zeyli for ever. btw #🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦🫦#leyli

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wherethedogsareburied · 1 year

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ok so i think it’s really important to talk about ivan’s struggle with his image and how that’s tied into his arc as a whole

[below the cut || mentions of pedophilia/child abuse/sexual assault, in-depth discussion of body dysmorphia and familial trauma. dead dove. spoilers also ahead.]

so from the very beginning we notice a few really clear things about ivan. initially he’s wearing a bandana over his face (which he resists taking off once prompted by magnolia) and every mention of his hair refers to it as bleach-blonde, occasionally noting black roots. it becomes really clear when he gets upset at magnolia “staring” and doesn’t immediately process being called attractive: he believes that he is, by default, ugly, so much so that he believes he must alter and hide his appearance.

it’s really tragic in my opinion but buried dogs isn’t going to see much of his backstory. he canonically thinks of it as a very touchy subject and therefore is generally unwilling to share it. the most pivotal information is his relation to zaine cross and reverend malakov himself. what i hope to accomplish is a sense of “one” ivan from the past and “another” one in the present, so to speak. and the fundamental splitting point between these two ivans is the incident that he witnessed.

to recap, he‘s harbored resentment towards his father for a long time (to put it simply, he was neglected for most of his childhood in lieu of zaine, as malakov had a decided preference), and he was aware of some sort of cruelty or abuse towards zaine despite not knowing precisely what was happening. the ‘incident’ refers to ivan stumbling into a room where reverend malakov is assaulting zaine. a fight breaks out, primarily between malakov and ivan, and ivan ends up running away despite zaine's protest. eight months later, he is discovered by magnolia, his appearance actively skewed.

what he saw was effectively scalded into his brain. instead of reach out for any help during this time (or speak to anyone at all), he opted to retreat both physically and emotionally. pair this with the resentment he already carried and the feelings he had for zaine throughout his coming of age, he began to resent himself, as well*.

*it’s important to mention that in leaving, he also abandons zaine. he recognizes this and all of its implications and it feeds his self-loathing.

a majority of the simple resentment towards malakov was visual. it was easy for ivan, but any unsavory trait that malakov had would end up hurting ivan’s fragile, teenage boy self-image as a result. after what he witnesses, not only does he believe he shares those traits with a grimy old man and a terrible father, but also with a pedophile. he ends up fucking terrified about what else he could have in common with this man. as a result? he opts to change as much as he can about himself. malakov has dark hair? ivan bleaches his. malakov talks a lot? ivan shuts the fuck up. he also goes so far as to neglect his physical health, believing that someone who is “so similar” to his father does not deserve basic things, food included. this is ultimately the root of his scrawny stature and his difficulty with balance.

he is at this point when the story begins and he meets magnolia. the juxtaposition between their family dynamics is intentional, especially given the history between malakov and oleander. ivan puts all of this weight on how things run in the family and is miserable because of it: by contrast, magnolia is adopted, thinks little about any influence that her biological family may have had on her, and she is content**.

**the positive influence that she has on him will also have to have a negative influence on her. this becomes visible in some of magnolia’s mental processes surrounding ivan’s monologues. for instance, she gets notably more gloomy after thinking in too much detail about her birth parents and what may have run in the family, what she missed out on, etc.

this is also noticeable during the transition between the beast and the beheading when they, effectively, lose both of their fathers at the same time. ivan realizes that they have a very similar reaction to it (see: crying their fucking shit out) despite their different upbringings and viewpoints, which sows seeds of panic into him that won’t be confronted until the smoking scene, where he confesses that he never wanted to have to hate malakov.

the lycanthropy scene, just after this, puts a head to ivan’s subplot. the reason for ivan’s neglect as a child was that he showed no signs of lycanthropy and therefore was a “disappointment” to malakov, to put it simply, and experiencing a transformation just after his father’s death causes him to spiral as it is arguably one of the worse things to have in common with him (this is especially considering malakov’s high regards to the illness and his involvement with the sons of volok). magnolia’s presence during this scene is crucial - despite her initial fear she refuses to leave him, rambling at him and playing guitar while she keeps him grounded. if she had not been there, it would have convinced him further that he was some sort of monster and he would have only grown more distant. but she was, and because of the way she treated him, he was able to stop himself from spiraling.

as the beheading transitions to the burial, the final act, ivan appears to be improving! he's seen working toward healthy eating habits and spends less time worrying about his appearance. however, when zaine comes back into the picture, he is forced to realize how similar he is in behavior to his father, particularly when it comes to zaine. his muddled feelings of attraction and disgust cause him to lash out and behave cruelly and he does not take kindly to magnolia nor zaine pointing this similarity out. he throws what can best be described as a temper tantrum and nearly leaves again, but is halted by zaine.

his reconciliation with his old friend is, unfortunately, cut short when zaine is killed in the finale after his betrayal of both hellen and oleander. in the epilogue, he is seen continuing to toy with his own appearance, but in a way that more closely mirrors zaine's. like a majority of the other important characters he ends up in a fairly bad place at the end, the main difference between “old ivan” and “new ivan” being that he now has a support system. i don’t have a satisfying conclusion for this essay really i just haven’t written in weeks because i’ve been moving and the autism moth in my brain needed something. and i'm editing for a similar reason tbh, this wasn't lore accurate anymore and i haven't written anything apart from shit for class for a while

tl;dr: kid experiences the horrors and dips instead of getting therapy; kethadiogt ‘where is he now’ sequel special

#bd || 🐊#bd || 🃏#bd || 🫀#bd || 🎸#bd || ⚰️#bd || 🐗#bd || 🦣

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big-bad-a-detective-story · 2 months

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Chapter 06

Now that I had the who, the where came naturally. Unlike Larry in my last case, this guy was going to be a breeze to hunt down. Everyone knew the Crooked Man lived in his Crooked House, and crooked houses tended to stand out like a crooked thumb.

But I would need to take a detour first ... a good detective never enters a situation ill-prepared, and this detective needed his trusty tranquilizer gun. And maybe a crowbar for good measure. So upon leaving the bar, I headed back home for a momentary pit-stop.

I heard the commotion before I even reached the apartment door. Children yelling, screaming, laughing, the sound of something crashing, and Felix’s panicked cries. I threw the door open to see disaster.

Tables turned, vases scattered, and even the writing desk (we apparently had for years) was now pitch black as a raven-- notes littering the floor and ink staining the wood. My own paw almost came in contact with the mess, as I tried to see what the commotion was about.

The living-room was somehow worse than the foyer, and there-- running about as he held onto a wailing child-- was Felix, himself.

“Fatima! Zain! You stop that climbing this very instance!” Felix screeched, as it appeared the children were pretending the floor was lava. Another crash, this time from one of his many ugly porcelain collectibles. (Good riddance.) The panicked man stopped in his tracks when the baby in his arms gave another wail, its needs not being met.

“Oh! Shh shh. Honey, it’s okay. Uncle Fefe’s got you.” he turned to the oldest son, who was on all fours searching frantically for something.The grown man pathetically pleaded. “Asad, please tell me you see Sameer’s pacifier. I’m desperate, child!”

“I don’t see it, Mr. Felix,” was Asad’s equally strained reply.

It was then two other kids ran by, nearly running me over as they played. That was my cue to stop my standing around, as I used the distraction to slink my way past the living room. The door to my room, still thankfully closed, was in sight. I was the Master of Sneak, the Grand Duke of Sly! Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, was keeping me from getting in and getting out unnoticed!

Except for, perhaps, tripping on a lost binky.

“Norman, was that you?”

Ah, great. I could hear Felix rounding the corner as I picked myself up off the floor, and I could hear the pitter-patter of several pairs of cloven feet following after. I scooped up the binky and gave it a good look over: such a small thing, but oh so dangerous.

And it was snatched from my grasp a moment later, and instantly shoved into a wailing infant’s mouth. Yuck.

“Oh thank heavens you’ve found this thing, Norman, you’re my hero! I can finally relax, these children are driving me --”

“I’m not staying, Felix; I’ve only come to collect a few things and then I’m off. I was never here!” I turned abruptly then, I could just feel my roommate getting ready to shoot back a rebuttal, and I did not have time for it. I slipped into my room and shut the door firmly behind me.

“Norman D. Wolf, I swear you are the worst! I can’t believe this.” His words were muffled through the door, and faded slowly as he walked back down the hall. “Zain! You spit that out right now-- Asad, where’s your sister?”

I let out a sigh of relief. That had been close. A little too close. I’ve never had anything against kids, but if you ask me, seven is a little much. How Ms. Meaiz was able to put up with the madness of it all was beyond me.

Speaking of what was beyond myself, I was startled by a sudden ‘birrup’ from within the room. It didn’t take long before my gaze found a big ball of unwelcomed cat laying on my bed-- eyes locked with my own. Ms. Misty, Felix’s pet and absolute menace. She glared at me, I glared at her. It was only once I won our staring contest by the cat slowly giving a long blink that I finally felt it time to voice my grievances.

“Alright, you KNOW you’re not allowed in here!” I stomped towards the bed, where that heathen of a creature simply sprawled out more, exposing her stomach-- no doubt to taunt me with how little she saw me as a threat. “And you got cat hair all over my blanket, great! Just great!”

Ms. Misty made the same annoying noise as before.

“Talking back now, huh?” I growled, as I got on my knees to start searching under the bed.. “You better be glad I don’t have time for this nonsense. Any other time you KNOW I’d kick you out faster than a dishes’ peculiar habit of becoming runaways with spoons.”

After seeing the mess in the other room, it was for the best I had decided against my roommate’s previous hiding place for my weapons. It was too obvious, anybody could have seen through to finding it tucked within a drawer. No, the bed was clearly the answers. Pushing past jars of change and a stack of comics, I finally found just the box I was looking for.

Only to see my tranquilizer gun wasn’t there. Well… that was, admittedly unexpected. And with the fact time was quickly slipping through my fingers, I knew exactly what I had to do.

“FELIX,” I cried, already getting to my feet and heading towards the door. “Felix! Where’s my gun? There isn’t a minute to lose!”

I received no answer, and from the racket down the hall, I wasn’t surprised. I found him in the living room, still doing his best to keep the rambunctious runts at bay.

“FELIX!” I shouted. The look he fixed me with when he spun around to face me was enough to warrant worry in even the bravest of detectives.

“WHAT!” he shouted back. Hm. I got the impression Felix may have been stressed. Too much tea, perhaps.

“Have you seen my dart gun? I need it, and I need it yesterday!”

Felix turned and stomped his way over to the television stand, dragging the two children along as they clung to his right leg. He threw open a drawer and pulled out -- my gun! He held it out in my general direction, with a glare I feel was undeserved, as I gladly snatched it. I was already heading toward the foyer when I heard his shout:

“YOU’RE WELCOME!”

If I was so welcomed, then why didn’t he sound like it? Hmm?

Bah.

Enough of roommates and their incomprehensible sass-- that would have to be a mystery for another time. Now it was about action! Gun in hand, my preparations were finished once I made a stop at the closet. I was pleased to see at least my crowbar was still where it belonged, hanging on the door. I grabbed it and as quick as a flash, was out the door.

Ready for whatever the Crooked Man would throw at me!

#big bad: a detective story #norman d wolf #felix fox #the case of the nanny napped mother #chapter 06

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reluctantjoe · 2 months

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Zain Iqbal: “I’ve already lost my privacy a bit”

Zain Iqbal, one of the stars of BBC’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder talks about mishaps on set and how book boyfriends should be represented on screen

Emma Myers, best known for her role as the quirky werewolf Enid Sinclair in Wednesday, leads as a teenage detective called Pip. The 26-year-old Zain Iqbal stars as Ravi. He teams up with Pip to prove his brother didn’t kill a schoolgirl, and eventually becomes her boyfriend.

Ravi is beloved by book fans for being a different love interest from what’s usually seen on screen. The significance of this isn’t lost on Iqbal: “It’s so important that my character is an Asian boy who’s looked at as such a perfect, cool, handsome, sweet, humble boy,” says the actor.

“People like us are not seen like that. We’re represented quite badly on screen. Now it’s going on Netflix, it’ll be seen by a lot of people in South Asia and East Asia. It’s so good that people who look like me have someone to look up to.”

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder already has a loyal following, mostly of school-age and university-age girls. When I texted my teenage cousin that I was interviewing the actor who plays Ravi, she sent back a long list of questions she absolutely had to know about him.

Iqbal hopes that the TV adaptation of Ravi and Pip’s story will appeal to viewers of all ages and genders. The series goes deeper than a typical secondary school drama. “The show is snappier,” he notes. “There’s more action going on. It’s pretty dark and gritty. I think anyone can watch it.”

Like Agatha Christie adaptations or Hulu’s Only Murderers in the Building, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder can appeal to different generations. The show’s twisty plot is ideal viewing for big groups of friends or family who can speculate on the mystery together. Plus, teenage girls can have the satisfaction of already knowing the real ending while their parents guess incorrectly.

Film and TV is rooted in family for Iqbal. He grew up in a village called Cheadle, near Stockport in north-west England. His father is a film buff, and their house was filled with the stock sound effects of classic Westerns – cicadas and smoking guns and Wilhelm screams. The iconic theme of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was practically the soundtrack to his childhood. His dad first took Iqbal and his younger brother to the cinema to watch Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 2. Iqbal was hooked.

Pip and Ravi are high-achieving students who use their intellect to get to the bottom of mysteries. Pip gets caught up in a murder investigation because she takes her school EPQ project way too far. Iqbal was a less well-behaved student. “I hated school,” he admits, “I was always a quiet kid. I wouldn’t even open my mouth.” He was too shy to sign up for any school plays.

Iqbal made it to university to study economics. He joined in with a few student films, and completed the Young Company programme at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Graphs and finances just didn’t excite him in the same way that movies did. Once his degree was over, he decided to be brave and move to London to give acting a shot.

Work came slowly and steadily – mostly short films for internal use within companies and charities. Iqbal has had so many roles as background schoolboys that they all blur together in his mind. He resents that the media are labelling him as a newcomer, because he has four years of professional, if unglamorous, experience under his belt. Commercial work allowed him to get to grips with the craft without worrying that large audiences would pick apart his performance.

Iqbal didn’t know much about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder until he googled it after his third or fourth audition. The size of the fandom on TikTok and Instagram blew him away. The author Holly Jackson has 280,000 followers on the latter. There are more than 55,000 videos tagged #agggtm.

Iqbal is relieved that he wasn’t aware of the fandom first. “It was a blessing in disguise. If I went in knowing the scale of it, it would have scared me away and I don’t think I would have auditioned as well.”

As soon as Iqbal landed the role, he rushed out to buy the book from the Waterstones on Tottenham Court Road and some wine and chocolates from Tesco to thank his agent. “I didn’t really celebrate. I was just relieved.” Landing a leading role in a TV show proved that pursuing acting was the right call.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was shot over four months in the summer of 2023, mostly in Somerset. The crew redecorated the square in a small town called Axbridge to resemble the book’s setting. One June day shooting in a vintage hotel was so hot that the make-up team had to pour ice cubes down Iqbal and Myers’s necks.

Iqbal had to figure out how a TV set worked as he went along. On the first day of the table read, he wanted to appear organised and professional, so he printed out his own script double-sided. Iqbal quickly realised that there was a reason everybody else’s was single-sided – he lost his place mid-scene. Panicked, he grabbed a script from the actor on his left. Only afterwards, when people went, “Don’t you know who that is?” and “what were you thinking?”, did Iqbal realise that he’d stolen the script from Mathew Baynton, the star of the sitcom Ghosts, the 2023 film Wonka and the CBBC show Horrible Histories. Baynton plays Pip’s English teacher, alongside Motherland star Anna Maxwell Martin, who portrays Pip’s mum.

Iqbal feels grateful that he was working alongside Myers. The 22-year-old already had small roles in the TV shows The Glades and The Baker and the Beauty before she achieved acclaim for her performance in Netflix’s hit series Wednesday alongside Jenna Ortega.

Iqbal has nothing but praise for his co-star. “She’s a f*cking magician,” he gushes. “She’ll go down as one of the greats. She taught me a lot about how to work the camera. I feel very lucky that she was very patient with me. She’s a one-take wonder, while sometimes I’ll need an extra take or two to get what I want across.”

A bonus of working with such a young cast was that somebody was always up for having fun at the end of the day. Iqbal and the other actors would play Mario Kart on Myers’s Nintendo Switch in between takes. He still goes out for dinner frequently with Raiko Gohara, who plays Pip’s neighbour.

Many of the male characters who date the heroines of bestselling books make for compelling reading, but if plucked from their literary context and plonked into reality these men might be seen as troublesome, or just plain sexist. Rhysand from Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series and Xaden from Rebecca Yarros’s Empyrean series behave in a controlling and possessive way.

This might be normal in fantasy realms with fairies and dragons, but in the modern world this behaviour would be labelled as a red flag or as toxic. Cardan Greenbriar in Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air series starts off as the heroine’s bully. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover has been accused of romanticising abusive relationships. Books and social media tell young readers that the relationships in these books are romantic and aspirational.

Among all these domineering alpha males, Ravi from A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder sticks out for being just a genuinely nice guy. He’s the kind of boy that teenage readers actually should dream of dating.

Iqbal was well cast as a character whose biggest virtue is his kindness. He helped lug camera equipment and suitcases full of clothes around his own photoshoot. He kept refastening a faulty button on a jumpsuit worn by the stylist who was supposed to be adjusting his clothes. He repeatedly apologises for having a sore throat which I can’t even hear. He takes every opportunity to thank other people – his younger brother for supporting him, his mates for inspiring his style, the author Holly Jackson for creating the role in the first place.

Iqbal spent a long time figuring out with the director and executive producer, Dolly Wells, how to make Ravi a positive role model for young men.

“The main thing was bringing a sense of vulnerability to the character,” Iqbal explains, “and making him a modern man. Because in today’s world, men don’t really talk about how they feel. Whereas when you watch the show, Ravi does talk about his feelings and there’s some very key scenes where he does open up to Pip. We wanted to make sure we got that right.”

Iqbal’s favourite scene is one of the most emotionally charged. In episode 5, Pip posts something online, Ravi comes round to her house, and the two open up to each other and bond. Iqbal hopes that if the show were renewed for more seasons – there are two further books, and a prequel – that fans will love looking back at these pivotal moments in Pip and Ravi’s relationship.

The actor is as much of a fan of Ravi as teenagers on TikTok are. Despite Iqbal’s enduring love for Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, he’d still pick to play Ravi out of any book character.

Ravi’s clothes are very laid-back – lots of check shirts and baggy jeans and beat-up trainers. “He’s a bit grungy. Chilled. Easy going.” Iqbal, however, is a self-proclaimed fashion obsessive. He lapped up every moment of the shoot at Bankside Yards, telling the team, “I feel like a million dollars” and “I feel f*cking amazing.”

Iqbal is delighted to describe his taste in clothes. “My style is British street mixed with minimalistic Scandi vibes. My favourite outfit would probably be wide jeans, timeless boots and a cropped jacket. Smart, casual, very British.”

He apologises that his look today isn’t up to his usual high standards, since he could only bear wearing shorts on a rare warm day in June – although his immaculate trainers and printed T-shirt look perfectly smart to me.

One of the most beloved moments from the book is when Ravi dons Pip’s mother’s purple flower-patterned gardening gloves so that he doesn’t leave fingerprints while they snoop around somebody’s house. Ravi quips, “Real men wear floral when trespassing.” Iqbal admits that his wardrobe does in fact include a floral shirt. Has he ever trespassed in it? “No comment.”

Iqbal has mixed feelings about the show premiering. After years of commercial work, Iqbal isn’t used to such wide audiences reviewing and criticising his performances.

“I’m a very private person,” he confesses, “I’ve already lost my privacy a bit. It’s scary that once it comes out, I’ll lose even more.”

Even before the show drops on the BBC, some fans who are obsessed with Ravi have made Instagram accounts devoted to sharing every single image of Iqbal which they can find. “I don’t really check them that much. People find pictures of me that my mates have posted, which is quite weird. And it’s only going to get worse.”

However, Iqbal is looking forward to sharing A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder with new audiences. He hopes that the show’s success might open up new paths for him.

“It’s also exciting, because hopefully I can get amazing opportunities after this. And I can go and have the career I want to have, and live my dream of being an actor.”

#zain iqbal #bbc agggtm #agggtm tv show #agggtm bbc #agggtm #a good girls guide to murder #a good girl's guide to murder #a good girl's guide to murder spoilers #rj: interview #rj: a good girl's guide to murder #rj: mathew baynton #rj: 2024 #queue

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