#madame charlie

[huntressofartemis001]

cinematic parallels

#has anyone done this yet #it came to me in a vision and it wouldnt leave my mind until i did it #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #good omens season one #go #good omens s1 #good omens season 1 #madam tracy #gomens 1 #gomens #hazbin hotel #hazbin lucifer #hazbin spoilers #hazbin charlie #hazbin hotel lucifer #lucifer morningstar #charlie morningstar #hazbin hotel charlie #aziracrow #ineffable husbands #ineffable spouses #ineffable idiots #good omens aziraphale #good omens crowley #good omens aziracrow #cinematic parallels #og post

[hellsite-hall-of-girlfriend]

Madame Curator just informed me that she has never seen ANY Peanuts shorts. yes, this includes the masterpiece that is “The Great Pumpkin”

quite frankly i am shocked and appalled at this revelation

#i am going to force her to watch all of the peanuts shorts with me #she didn’t even know that charlie brown says ‘AAAARGH’ #SHE ALSO DOESNT KNOW HE SAYS GOOD GRIEF #good grief indeed #hellsite hall of fame #hellsite hall of girlfriend #madame girlfriend’s bullshit #charlie brown #peanuts #the great pumpkin #it’s the great pumpkin charlie brown

[klein-sodor-bahn]

Just stupid ass memes about my canon characters and OCs

#ttte shitpost #ttte meme #akagi’s ocs #thomas and friends #ttte #ttte henry #ttte gordon #ttte james #ttte edward #ttte sir topham hatt #ttte mallard #ttte oc #charlie the onyx engine #Madame Eugénie the Carnforth Frenchman #Otto the rude engine #Heinrich the pride of the DR #Just some brain dead memes #Just trying to be funny ig

[kiragyun]

꒰⠀ ⠀⠀ ೀ⠀⠀ #RANDOM ⠀⊹⠀⠀⠀୧⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀﹗ ׅ ⠀⠀︵⠀

#reverse 1999 icons #reverse 1999 icon #reverse 1999 #the fool #the fool icon #the fool icons #icon #icons #constantine #madam z #z #necrologist #ballon party #satsuki #twins sleep #charlie

[bumblingbabooshka]

Hi welcome backk :] I’m currently hyperfixating on art history + Tuvok so here’s some Renaissance - 19th century paintings that I think Tuvok (especially Tuvok the way you characterize him :) would serve cunt in: Fra Fillippo Lippi - Madonna With Child Enthroned With Two Angels, Georges de La Tour - The Penitent Magdalen, John Singer Sargent - Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau) (bonus points cuz of the history of the painting) Thank you for your time :)

Sketches! Thoughts on each Below (I don't know art history)

Madame X: The difference between the woman's very pale skin and the deep black of her dress is striking. She's also the only thing really in frame - even the background is just a color. Looking back on it I wish I'd chosen a different color for the background so Tuvok's skin looked more striking. If I redo this I definitely will since her skin being the only 'pale' thing is part of what (to me) makes her so immediately striking. Currently in my piece that 'point of interest' has become the white robes which wasn't my intention. But the fact that they're so fancy makes it seem like it might be, hehe...if this was an assignment for a class or something I'd definitely lie and say it was. Anyway since Tuvok has dark skin I didn't want to keep the clothes black since to me it wouldn't have the same 'Madame X' appeal. So I changed his robes to be white to contrast his skin and also made them less revealing because I don't think Tuvok wears very revealing outfits....usually very covered up and layered. So again I wanted to change the appeal - you can't really see any part of his body so you focus on the face instead, even though the face isn't focusing on you. I picture this as a younger version of Tuvok at some sort of function. The 'bunny ears' at the top of his head mimic Madame X's hairpin(?) but also bring to mind a Vulcan Priestess.

The Penitent Magdalene: Tuvok's most associated color (to me) being purple made this drawing again a bit ... mmm -tilts hand so so- The red in the originally really warmed the piece and was very eye catching. There was more of a sense of the candle's glow. I thought about using his security yellow but I thought it'd be too samey with the golds and browns and I wanted to signify that this is a private, personal moment. I drew this while thinking about the scene where Tuvok places a candle in his window for Kes after her ascension. Quiet mourning. We don't see his face because he's Vulcan and it's assumed he's struggling with emotion. Even the mirror doesn't show his face - it shows the candle, symbolic of his affection for Kes and his grief at her having gone. It burns bright. On the floor is his Starfleet badge, pointing him out but useless. This visage of dark and quiet sorrow is cut through slightly by light from the next and last piece. Madonna with Child, Two Angels: Of course Tuvok's angels and his children are one in the same. In the original piece, the child is able to touch its mother but in this one she's just out of reach. Tuvok is similarly not looking at or embracing the child - in this piece it's because he cannot. He's too far from her, from all of them! He is instead praying (as they do in canon) to return safely to them. Tuvok looks more tired in this one and he's wearing the neck ruffle thing that the monk he was sent to as a teenager wore. I'm using it here as like a nun's habit but also as like 'he's remembering another time his faith was utterly destroyed and he was able to rebuild it'. Forever thinking about the throwaway line in 'Innocence' where he says he USED to believe in katra but RECENTLY struggles to. I wonder if this is because he's alone, without family. To believe in katra would be somewhat frightening under those circumstances. You can say 'Janeway would just take it' but I'm sure it's more complicated and fraught for Tuvok himself. Anyway, I turned the halo into a part of the headscarf he's wearing (some sort of ornate accessory) and the mischievous/joyful angel in the original is now Elieth who looks accusatory, as if we're keeping him and his siblings from their father. The spark in the middle of the drawing is ... well it's their connection and all that stems from it. Both joy and sorrow at remembering, having had. This is why it also 'cuts through' them - separating them. It's also why I incorporated it slightly into the above piece as they deal with similar themes. I hope this was satisfactory! Thank you!

#very good choices - I loved all of these~!!! #I don't really know how you all think I characterize Tuvok but these paintings were right on the money soooo <3 #tuvok-enjoyer #I'm still kicking myself about the madame x background. AAAGH. <- Charlie Brown Scream #Tuvok #Q&A #bee doodles #Thank you again~!! I love Tuvok~!! I'm something of a Tuvok Enjoyer mys- (pulled away via large cane)

[growingstrong2019]

Never mind bring back Luke, Jessica or Danny. Bring back Madame Gao! The only person Kingpin wouldn’t fuck with.

#daredevil #marvel netflix #mcu #mcu netflix #the defenders #iron fist #luke cage #jessica jones #the hand #charlie cox #the kingpin #Madame Gao #foggy nelson #karen page #the punisher #marvel #marvel cinematic universe

[the-al-chemist]

The Lights That Never Go Out

Chapter 7: About Time

A/N: It wouldn’t be a proper British Christmas Eve without a trip to the pub. This chapter is for @thethreebroomsticksfic’s Yule Bash prompts ‘Hogsmeade’ and ‘mulled mead’.

Warnings: alcohol and references to war/character death.

24th December, 1998

There always was something special about Hogsmeade at Christmas; the thick blankets of snow that covered the roofs of its buildings and the twinkling lights that shone from their windows, the sound of carollers somewhere in the distance, and the smells of hot sugar and mulled wine wafting through the air from Honeydukes and The Three Broomsticks.

The snow crunched under Artemis’ feet as she made her way down the cobbled village street in the direction of the inn, which had been decorated in boughs of greenery. A wave of warmth from the hearth washed over her as she opened the door, and behind the bar, Rosmerta put down the tankard of Butterbeer she was halfway through pouring.

“Merry Christmas, love,” she said to Artemis. “You look half-frozen. Let me just serve this and then I’ll get you something to warm you up. You like mulled mead, don’t you?”

Artemis was not going to say no to mulled mead, not when her fingers were as cold as they were now. She gratefully accepted the mug Rosmerta offered her, holding it in her hands to heat them before she took a sip.

“So,” said Rosmerta, leaning on the bar to talk to her, “is this a flying visit, or have you decided that you do want to stay here for Christmas after all?”

“I’m just dropping in to give you your present and say hi. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. It won’t be a very relaxing Christmas here, it rarely is. Too much work.”

“I know, and I would have helped, but Charlie asked me to go to theirs,” Artemis said, raising her mug to her lips. “I get the feeling he sort of needs me there more than you need me here.”

That feeling might have been wishful thinking on Artemis’ part. With the way things were between her and Charlie at the moment, she wasn’t entirely certain that he needed her at all anymore. To others, their friendship must have looked the same as it always had, but it was obvious to her that something had changed. Their conversations had become stilted and their pauses awkward, the easiness they had always felt in one another’s presence replaced with something fraught, something tense and self-conscious. And it was her fault. It was all her fault.

Rosmerta smiled kindly. “Don’t you worry.” She conjured a cloth from thin air and started to wipe down the bar as she spoke. “I’m not surprised you want to be there for him. It’s only fair, all those times he’s been there for you when you needed him.”

That was true. Artemis had lost count of the times Charlie had been there for her when she needed it — when she needed him — most. On every path she took through the world, no matter how far from him she had been in distance, he had somehow been at her side each step of the way, stoic and solid and sure, making her feel like she belonged, like she mattered, like she was worthy of care, of…

“Love?” Rosmerta’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Is everything okay?”

Artemis wasn’t sure how to answer that question. The truthful answer was ‘no’, everything was not okay. Her memories of the war continued to haunt her, she panicked whenever she entered a room and the door closed behind her, Tonks was gone, Fred was gone, she couldn’t stop thinking about those too-few kisses she had shared with Charlie, and she couldn’t bring herself to start thinking about what that might mean. Thinking about it was too hard. If Artemis was being honest, it scared her.

It was easier not to think, and it was easier to lie.

“Nothing’s wrong, Ros. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

Unfortunately for her, she had never been a good liar, and Rosmerta had always been good at discerning what was true and what wasn’t. Artemis could tell from the way the landlady put down her cloth and stared at her that she didn’t believe her in the slightest.

“You know,” said Ros, summoning another cup and filling it with more mead, “they say that if you have something on your mind, the best person to talk to about it is either your bartender or your hairdresser.”

Artemis wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have a hairdresser.”

“That’s a shame.” Madam Rosmerta picked up the second mulled mead and carried it with her as she walked out from behind the bar to the stool next to Artemis’ own. “Looks like you’ll have to make do with me, then.” She sat on the stool and took a sip of her drink, before placing it down on top of the bar and raising her eyebrows at Artemis. “Spill.”

The look on her face made it clear that Artemis wasn’t going to be able to avoid this conversation. Still, she couldn’t tell Rosmerta everything, after all, it was not only her secret to share. She sighed heavily, her breath rippling on the surface of her drink.

“I dunno,” she said eventually. “I just thought that with the war being over, everything would be sort of simple again. Easier and less scary, but that’s not how it is at all. Everything is just as hard, and everything keeps changing.”

“Things do change. But that’s not a bad thing. Change can be good.”

“It can be, but it isn’t always. And there are some changes, even if they are good, that are just…” She swallowed, despite the fact that she had barely touched her mead. “I’m still so frightened, Ros.”

Rosmerta’s eyes were wide and sympathetic. “What are you frightened of, love?”

“Lots of things. More things than I ever even thought to be frightened of before. Maybe it’s just me that’s changed. Maybe I’m just not brave anymore.”

Artemis was being serious, but Rosmerta chuckled.

“Now, that I’ll never believe,” she said. “You, love, are the bravest person I’ve ever met.”

Her words should have made Artemis feel proud, but instead they only made her feel like a fraud. They echoed in her ears, acutely familiar.

“That’s what Charlie said,” she told Rosmerta.

“Well, he’d know.”

But Artemis shook her head. “He’s wrong. Maybe I used to be, when I was younger. I hardly even got scared at all back then.”

“I remember. You were fearless,” said Ros. “But fearless doesn’t mean brave. I’d say that being afraid and still carrying on and doing the right thing is braver than not being afraid at all.”

“Yeah, I know. And I know I was probably a bit too bold and reckless, and I got into all sorts of trouble because of it, but… I miss it. Being fearless, I mean. I want that back.”

“You can’t get that back. I’m sorry. Everyone loses their fearlessness when they get older. It’s just one of those things that happens with time.”

“I’d rather be fearless than brave. Fearless is easier.”

Slowly, Madam Rosmerta raised one hand, using it to tuck a loose strand of Artemis’ hair behind her ear. Artemis looked down at her own hands.

“The things you’ve done and seen and been through… It’s no wonder you aren’t fearless anymore. You’d be mad if you were. But you aren’t mad, you’re just bold. Bolder and braver than anyone I know.”

“But—”

“You can take it or leave it, love, but brave is what you have now.” She leaned forward and gave Artemis a conspiratorial smile. “It’s good, I promise. Much better than fearless. Give it time, and you’ll think so, too.”

Artemis didn’t feel like she’d ever think that. Then again, she never had been much good at thinking. She still wasn’t good at thinking, even now.

She left the Three Broomsticks despondent. The snow was falling thick and fast, the way it rarely did in Ottery St Catchpole. She walked through the village without purpose, and before she realised it, she reached the fork of the path where a signpost pointed in the direction of Hogwarts School up the hill and Hogsmeade Station down it.

She looked up at the castle that stood watching over Hogsmeade, the castle that had been her home for almost seven years during her youth and a hell on earth for over seven hours earlier in the year. She had loved and she had lost, found friends and fought foes, had been challenged and been changed, all within its walls and on its grounds. Now, the castle itself had changed, had been half-destroyed and rebuilt again, and yet, it was still recognisable as Hogwarts, right down to the Thestrals she could just about see in the distance, frolicking in the snow in the shadow of the turrets and towers.

For a moment, she considered walking up there to get a closer look, but instead, she followed the path downhill, towards the station. The platform was empty, almost eerily quiet. The station clock read ten past ten, the way it had done for years. It was as if the station were…

Frozen in time.

Tears pricked at Artemis’ eyes. Years ago, when she was young and bold and reckless, she had stood here with Rowan, her best friend, even now that she was gone.

Now, Artemis was Charlie’s best friend. If it weren’t for her lingering love for Rowan and out of respect for her memory, perhaps she would call Charlie her best friend in return. She cared about him enough. He meant enough to her.

So, why couldn’t she just do as he asked and think about what it meant to kiss him, to want him to want her, to feel this new pull towards him that had never been there before?

Because, thought Artemis, she wasn’t ready to open the door to the truth of what she was feeling. She was afraid of what those feelings might mean, and what might change as a result. Facing that required bravery, but she had never needed to be brave before. She had only ever been fearless. Could she ever be that brave, as brave as Charlie and Rosmerta believed her to be? Could bravery really be better than fearlessness?

The sound of a train whistle echoed down the tracks, piercing through the cold air. Artemis jumped, and hastily rubbed her damp cheeks with the heel of her hand as the Hogwarts Express pulled into the platform. But though the doors opened, no one disembarked.

She was still entirely alone. The clock still read ten past ten.

Perhaps, if Artemis had been brave instead of fearless, Rowan would still be alive, would still be here, still with her.

Her breath caught in her throat. Once upon a time, she had lost her best friend to thoughtlessness. She couldn’t afford to let that happen again.

Turning her back to the station clock, Artemis walked down the length of the train, peering through each and every open door as she passed by the carriages until she saw the ticketmaster.

“Is this one going back to London?” she asked him. He nodded in response. “How long does it take?”

The ticketmaster hummed before relying, “Eight hours, give or take.”

It was nearly sunset. By the time that the train reached its destination, it would be gone midnight. It would be Christmas Day.

“It’s a Sickle for a single journey,” the ticketmaster told her. “You want a ticket or not?”

It took longer for Artemis to find a Sickle in her pocket than it did for her to answer. Once she had been handed her ticket, she found an empty compartment and opened the window. She took the seat nearest the open window and leaned against it, her breath fogging up the glass in front of her face.

Another whistle, and the train pulled away from the station, the tracks leading it away from Hogsmeade village and into the vast, snow-driven wilderness, the sound of the engine steadily chugging away. Artemis closed her eyes and took a breath of the cold, smoky air.

It was time for her to be brave. It was time for her to think.

#artemis hexley #charlie weasley #madam rosmerta #the three broomsticks #harry potter fanfiction #hpff #hphm fic #the lights that never go out #charlie weasley x oc

[raining13]

i missed drawing these little bitches.

bonus:

#charlie's head is in the hatbox #hatbox ghost #constance hatchaway #madame leota #my art #sketch

[hphm-jeniferltheman]

✧ Year 5 Chapter 12 ✧

My own version of this chapter where Rowan still holds on to her anger and loneliness in 5th year. Rowan may have apologized after being honest about her feelings but it still aches her heart

~~~~

I just like fights between friends that I ended up making a whole comic of this chapter. Because in this moment, they are being honest to each other. Well also to highlight that not all friends gets along all the time like Jeniferl and Rowan in this chapter for example.

After Jeniferl learned about Rowan's feelings, she couldn't pick the right time to talk with Rowan alone because she's still occupied and Rowan seems to be avoiding her. But soon, the time will come that they finally talk this out... when a certain someone can't bun her hair right~✨

#the pink book that jeniferl was holding is now on the floor 🤣 #too many characters in this one comic lmao #hphm #hogwarts mystery #hphm fanart #hogwarts mystery fanart #hphm mc #jeniferl theman #rowan khanna #ben copper #bill weasley #charlie weasley #tulip karasu #nymphadora tonks #barnaby lee #andre egwu #penny haywood #jae kim #madam pince #hphm rowan #hphm ben #hphm bill #hphm charlie #hphm barnaby #hphm tulip #hphm tonks #hphm andre #hphm penny #hphm jae #hphm jacobs sibling

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward to in February

Can't believe we're now into the middle of the first quarter of 2024. In addition to Black History Month (2/1-2/29), Groundhog Day (2/2), Lunar New Year (2/10), Valentine's Day (2/14), Ash Wednesday (2/14), Presidents' Day (2/19), and Leap Day (2/20) here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

Orion and the Dark

What got my attention about this animated feature is that it is written by Charlie Kaufman. Yes - the writer of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind wrote this! Premieres on Netflix on 2/2.

Lisa Frankenstein 

This horror comedy from director Zelda Williams (yes - the daughter of a legend) and writer Diablo Cody looks promising. Opens 2/9 (review to come).

Madame Web 

The newest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is also the next installment of the Spider-Man Universe as this gets into multiple Spider-Women and they filmed in Boston too. Color me curious! Opens 2/14.

Kiss the Future

During the Zoo TV Tour in 1993, U2 shined a light on the crisis in Sarajevo in an effort to support the besieged Sarajevans. This documentary about their efforts was produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. After playing festivals last year, it is being released exclusively by AMC Theaters on 2/19.

Drive-Away Dolls

I was a huge fan of the Coen brothers, but after The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they began working solo. After Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, I’m excited to see Ethan Coen’s solo feature, an action comedy about inept criminals, which is his wheelhouse. I first was looking forward to this in September 2023 and I still am. Opening 2/23.

Music:

Paul McCartney & Wings Band on the Run 50th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Paul McCartney's greatest non-Beatles album, a new special edition is being released. The timing happens to be a few weeks after the passing of Wings guitarist Denny Laine as well. Re-release drops on 2/2.

J. Mascis What Do We Do Now

In addition to Dinosaur Jr., J. Mascis has done some great solo work. His last solo album Elastic Days had some bangers and I was lucky enough to see him do a live solo show in 2019. Looking forward to his newest solo album, which drops 2/2.

TV:

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 premiere

The 12th season of one of the most brilliant TV comedies of all time is going to be the final season (or so they say). Even though it's only at season 12, each season has been spaced out over the past 24 years. I named Season 11 my Best TV Show of 2021. Hopes are high for Larry David's social assassin going out on a high note! Season premiere on 2/4 on HBO.

Awards Season:

We're in the midst of awards season now! This month we have Grammy Awards (2/4), DGA Awards (2/10), SAG Awards (2/24), and Independent Spirit Awards (2/25). Not exactly an awards show, but the biggest competition of the year is the Super Bowl (2/11) as well.

#stuff i'm looking forward to #orion and the dark #charlie kaufman #lisa frankenstein #zelda williams #madame web #drive away dolls #ethan coen #paul mccartney #wings #j. mascis #curb your enthusiasm #film geek #music nerd #tv #kiss the future #U2

[madelineorionswan]

The Royal Queen: The Journey of a Young Duchess.

Chapter 5: Meeting Charlie Weasley.

Summary: With a whirlwind start to her reign, things are finally starting to wind down in the country, the palace and her personal life. But as she discovers the world of politics, she realises that it might be a bit more complicated than she anticipated. So she hires a professor who teaches law and politics, as her tutor, who goes by the name of Charles Weasley, more commonly known as Charlie by his friends and family. Madeline confronts her parents about her education and later goes to a county fair and dance, where she dances the night away.

Warnings: fencing(?) a pinch of angst and a ton of fluff, swearing(like once)

A/N: The exciting part has officially arrived, and the much anticipated Charlie Weasley has entered the scene!!!!!! I'm internally screaming as I wrote this chapter, cus this is way too exciting !!!!! Hope you enjoy this chapter guys!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All of the characters in mention (Except the ones from history) are fictional. The relationships mentioned among these characters aren’t real. I respect all of the characters from history mentioned in the story; the story is in no way written disrespectfully. I am not an expert on history and politics hence the mentions and portrayal of these two subjects are based on my imagination and are not real.

Some time had passed since the coronation and the opening of Parliament. Slowly but surely, the royal household slipped back into the normality of its daily routine at Eallesborough Castle.

Madeline had been rather desolate, always busy with the many new duties her day had been flogged with, never getting a moment for herself. But whenever there were days when she had to only affirm and sign documents or meet the prime minister, Madeline was left to herself, in the eerie silence of her bedroom or office room, where only the scratching of a pen against paper or the rustle of sheets at 11 pm could be heard.

This silence would consume her in depression, like an ominous and dark storm cloud which engulfs every inch of the sky in darkness in its wake. Nights went by without Madeline getting a wink of sleep, staring at the ceiling fan, driving her mad internally, but her face didn't give a single emotion away. After weeks of sleepless nights, Madeline conceded to Rowan's pleading to visit a psychologist for at least one consultation.

Madeline met up with the so-called "Headshrinker" (her words, not Rowan's), with whom, she thought, the meeting would be an absolute waste of time. But surprisingly, it proved to be quite likeable. The doctor diagnosed her with anxiety and depression, prescribing her some medication, and for a while, life went on well.

It was early in the morning when Madeline got up. No one knew where she went, but the moment the staff member, who came with her coffee, was flabbergasted to see her bedroom empty, the whole palace went into panic mode.

---

Rakepick got up from her desk abruptly as the head of the household, Mr Hudson, confessed about the missing queen. She immediately ordered Rowan to look around the front entrance of Eallesborough, along with the extra apartments, while she searched around the castle, followed by a bustling group of staff.

Rakepick rolled her eyes, annoyed as she tried to shoo away the annoying staff, whom she found to be like a comb of noisy bees. The staff were quick to scurry away when they saw her furious expression. Rakepick let out a sigh and returned back to search for the missing queen.

While searching around the back hallway leading to the backyard gardens, she abruptly stopped when she heard grunts and the sounds of a sword's movement. Rakepick opened the door and sighed with relief and annoyance when she saw Madeline fencing with a wooden mannequin.

As the tall redhead approached the queen, she quickly ducked away as Madeline made a feint with her sword. Madeline smirked to herself from inside her helmet.

"Care to join me for a round of fencing, Madam Rakepick?" Madeline quirked a brow. She used the tip of her sword to pick up another fencing sword by the handle, spinning it around the tip and then tossing it over to the older woman, who caught it skillfully.

Rakepick quirked her brow at Madeline, who just shrugged and spun her sword in her hand. Taking the opportunity, Rakepick smirked to herself and charged forward with her sword. Madeline quickly blocked her attack and twisted her blade to turn the charge on Rakepick. But Rakepick too proved to be skilful at the sport as she deflected the attack. The two women went on for a couple of minutes, only focused on the other and the movement of their Epee.

In under fifteen minutes, Madeline had gotten a lead, lunging forward with her sword. But Rakepick, taking advantage of the flexible blade, flicked it in such a manner which disarmed Madeline, declaring her the winner.

Madeline gasped as her sword flew out of her hand and fell beside her, the pointed blade sticking to the ground, making the sword stand as straight as a stick. Rakepick smirked to herself as Madeline sighed, but with a smile on her face nonetheless.

She took off her helmet and mask, placing them on the table beside the mannequin and dropped her sword into a bin full of swords as Rakepick did the same with her sword. The pair quietly walked back inside, not quite sure how to start a conversation. When Madeline shut the door to the back yard she let out a soft breath and turned to face her secretary.

"I'm assuming you didn't just come to have a round of fencing Madam Rakepick," Madeline said. Letting a sigh escape her lips, Rakepick cleared her throat.

"Your majesty, it is simply not acceptable that you leave the household for such a long time without anyone's knowing. You have no idea how much it delayed our schedule," she said with a stern voice.

Madeline scoffed, "I'm sure it wasn't as huge of a problem as you make it sound. Besides, I hadn't left the castle. Is it really that hard for the castle to function for at most an hour without me?"

By this time, the two women had started walking, Madeline walking ahead of Rakepick. The latter frowned at the young queen's disregard and sped up her steps to walk beside Madeline, who pretended as if she wasn't annoyed by the women.

"Your majesty, I do hope you remember that you have a meeting with the prime minister in an hour," Rakepick reminded Madeline. She smirked internally knowing full well that the queen had been too busy in her musings to actually remember the meeting.

Not that she cared about her mental state anyway. She only bothered about getting the work done.

Shit, Madeline thought to herself, why does she always end up forgetting meetings? But she didn't show it. As they walked into the main corridor, Madeline sped up her pace and turned to go to the breakfast hall. Before going inside, she turned to speak to Rakepick.

"I think, as the monarch, I'm quite aware of my duties. But I appreciate you reminding me of them," Madeline pressed her lips into a thin smile before heading inside.

"Absolutely ma'am, after all, it is my duty," Rakepick commented, knowing she had irked Madeline. She smirked and left to prepare her files at her office.

---

After a hurried breakfast, Madeline was quickly escorted to the study room, where the Prime minister was waiting. She entered the Drawing room, where she saw the Prime Minister sitting with her pet dog, Almond. He was happily lying on the sofa next to Mr Richardson, getting belly rubs from the latter.

When he heard the sound of Madeline's heels clicking on the floor, the dog turned around and looked up at Madeline, launching off the sofa. Madeline laughed as Almond snuggled against her leg. She smiled and ushered him out of the room.

"Good morning, Your Majesty", the Prime Minister, Mr Richardson, said as he got up.

"Good morning, Mr Richardson. I'm sorry for the delay, I was a bit busy earlier", Madeline lied through her teeth and sat down on the single sofa opposite the prime minister, "Now, how about we begin where we left off?"

The prime minister gave a curt nod and brought out a file full of newspaper articles and certain documents passed by the parliament that needed the approval of the Monarch.

The morning passed almost instantly with the discussions of economic fluctuations in the market and diplomatic relations with other countries. While Madeline understood a little of everything, certain aspects of economic disparities and political decisions confounded her.

And she hated it.

She drifted off into her thoughts as Mr Richardson continued talking about financial issues. It annoyed her when she was not sure about all the subjects of discussion. While Mr Richardson had helped her a lot to understand many subjects, Madeline felt it was her duty, as monarch, to be aware of all of the aspects of the political, economic and cultural situations that affected the country, her country.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Mr Richardson closed shut his binder full of documents and pushed it forward to Madeline.

"That's all we have to discuss today. These are the papers that need signing, ma'am", Mr Richardson said.

Madeline smiled and got up from her sofa along with Mr Richardson. She extended her hand towards the older man. He smiled and shook her hand before collecting his files.

"I hope to see you at the Prybush ball this weekend then, ma'am", Mr Richardson said as he was heading out. Madeline sucked in a breath with a smile and replied with a curt nod.

"I'm not looking forward too much about the press coverage, but I definitely am looking forward to a nice evening of dancing and music", she chuckled, making Mr Ricahrdson laugh along.

"It's true. Being Prime Minister has been hard work. Every other day I feel like going to a nice country retreat for a holiday! I can't imagine how hard it is for you, ma'am!"

"Yeah, it's been harder than I... anticipated", Madeline said quietly.

"I'm sure you will do alright", Mr Richardson rubbed the back of her affectionately as he held it in his own. He then bowed before her and left the room.

Madeline left the room with her equerry closely following behind. She went back to her study room with the stack of documents. She sat down behind her desk and started studying them closely. The more she sifted through them, the more she started to get confused.

Prolonged and complex words and sentences all firmed a tangled web of confusion in her head. Madeline groaned and fell back on her chair with a sigh.

It was only the first document.

Having no other choice, Madeline went to the library, followed by her butler. Both of them brought back a stack of dictionaries to her study room. Madeline skimmed the first document, letting the stack of books fall with a dull thump on her desk. She marked some of the complicated terms with a pencil and searched the dictionary for their meanings, eventually piecing together the meaning of the statements.

Even though it took a long time, Madeline eventually finished signing and reading all the documents, although it took her 5 hours to do so. She sighed and fell back against her chair, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly there was a knock.

"Come in," Madeline said. the door opened and Rowan entered the room, making Madeline smile a little.

"Long day?" Rowan asked as Madeline nodded.

"I think I need thirty hours a day now. Half the time I know nothing about what the documents are talking about. They all seem like Hebrew to me", Madeline groaned.

"Hmm. All could be resolved if you could've had a tutor though", Rowan half joked as she sat opposite Madeline.

"Yeah", Madeline muttered, dismissing the thought as a joke.

But the more she thought about it as she and Rowan sat in silence, the thought started to make sense.

A tutor! Why hadn't she thought of this before?!

"You know you're a genius, Rowan", Madeline said, getting up abruptly from her chair and standing beside her friend.

"Uhm, Thank you?" Rowan answered unsurely.

"We should hire a tutor! It would be a great help. They could teach me everything and I'm sure no one could refuse the offer of the Queen of the country.

"You're right. I am a genius!" Rowan exclaimed, agreeing with Madeline's idea.

"But Madam Rakepick would never agree to this", Rowan said, her excitement dying.

"Who says she has to know?" Madeline smirked, "While I'm slowly growing to...trust her possibly, at the end of the day, it is my decision about who gets to know what."

"So, Ro, could you please possibly hire someone appropriate?" Madeline pleaded.

"But... Madie... you know this is very risky..." Rowan tried to refuse. But Madeline's puppy dog eyes finally made her agree.

"Fine", Rowan said, a slight smile creeping up her face as she got up to leave.

"Oh, Rowan", Madeline interrupted before her she could leave, "make sure the tutor isn't too old and grumpy and has a sense of humour at least."

"Go it!" Rowan put her thumbs up and left the room as Madeline started to put aside her documents and get ready for a much-needed hearty dinner.

---

It had been a couple days since that conversation. Madeline waited nervously in one of the many palace living rooms, shaking her leg impatiently. Just as Rowan had promised her, she had contacted multiple tutors who were more than willing to help the Queen.

Needless to say, most of them were grouchy-aged men. But with some scouring, Rowan had found a professor at the Royal Oakland University willing to tutor the young queen.

But when Madeline had asked Rowan about the professor, she had refused to tell her more about him, except that he was the same age as her and taught Law and Political Science.

Today Rowan had arranged for him to meet with Madeline hence her being nervous. But she didn't need to wait much. Within a couple minutes of her wait, her equerry pushed open the door and informed her that a "Mister Weasley" was waiting for her. Madeline let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding and asked him to escort the latter in. Within a couple minutes, Madeline's equerry returned, followed closely by a young man.

The first thing Madeline noticed about him was the fiery red and unruly curls that framed his face. His honey-coloured eyes were warm and friendly with a hint of mischievousness. His smile was honest and charming. All of these features were unfamiliar to Madeline and she was intrigued by them. She had never seen such comfortable and kind eyes save for Rowan and Penny.

Madeline felt her lips tug to form a smile and extended her hand to shake his. He gladly shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Weasley-"

"Charlie is fine, Your Majesty. Charlie Weasley," Charles Weasley said with a smile as he bowed, although awkwardly.

"It's quite alright, Mr Weasley. There's no need for that. And call me Madeline", Madeline said with a chuckle when she noticed that the man clearly didn't know how to properly bow.

"Please take a seat", Madeline said, sitting on the sofa. Charlie sat opposite her, putting aside his leather rucksack.

"Before we begin, I saw these and thought it would be a nice gift for you", Charlie said, bringing out a small chaplet of White Lilies and White Roses.

"Oh, thank you", Madeline said with a smile, pleasantly surprised. She got up and put the flowers in an empty vase.

Once she returned to her seat, she asked Charlie, "Now, where do we begin?"

"Perhaps you can begin with your problems. Which areas do you face issues in?" Charlie suggested. He brought out a notebook and looked expectantly at Madeline.

"Well... where to begin?" Madeline started with a nervous chuckle, "When I enter a room full of ministers and highly educated dignitaries, it feels like I know nothing. Even though I'm of a higher rank, I can't even hold a decent conversation with them about politics or culture or administration, things that I'm expected to know in detail. So if you ask me, I barely know anything."

Charlie frowned a little and put aside his notebook at Madeline's answer.

"Do you know what educational qualifications you have?" he asked.

"As in?" Madeline asked, confused.

"As in, what level of education have you completed? Like junior level, secondary level or senior secondary level? Maybe any equivalent?" Charlie asked.

Madeline felt embarrassed. She understood that these were basic educational qualifications that any person, especially someone holding such a high office, should have. But she shook her head, denying that she had any formal education throughout her entire life.

Charlie nodded carefully. There was a moment of silence between the two as Charlie thought to himself.

"Well, let's start from the beginning then, with political science", Charlie said with a smile as he brought out a thick book from his rucksack. He placed it in front of Madeline and opened up the first chapter.

Madeline was a bit taken aback. She had expected him to judge her or pity her. But all she saw in his face was an eagerness to teach and a friendly smile. Madeline felt herself start to feel comfortable in his presence. Something about his friendliness and warm smile made her feel relaxed. She listened intently to his lesson, noting some of the main points in a notebook.

Charlie was undeniably a good professor. He made the dull lesson enjoyable with occasional jokes and fascinating stories. Madeline was in awe of the complex and intricate world of politics that she had never been able to understand completely, which started to become more and more familiar to her.

Unfortunately, Charlie had to leave to attend a seminar at the university. Madeline got up along with him as he gathered his belongings.

"Uhm, before you leave", Madeline interrupted Charlie just as he was about to walk away. He turned to face her as she continued.

"I wanted to thank you for agreeing to tutor me. I know it was a bit odd but I found myself enjoying your class very much so thank you", Madeline said with a smile, "I hope we can meet again for our classes?"

"With pleasure Madeline," Charlie said with a charming smile, "I hope we can be friends, more than just being teacher and student."

"I would bet on it", Madeline said, making Charlie chuckle.

"Also, Uhm, could this and the future meeting stay a secret?" Madeline said. Charlie signed, zipping his mouth shut. Madeline laughed a little. The two walked to the door, after which Charlie left with a last smile.

After Charlie left, Madeline felt a sense of excitement for their next meeting, which left a permanent smile on her face for the rest of the day.

---

It was the evening before the Ball at Prybush, the Capital city. It was Madeline's first public Ball which would undeniably be covered extensively by the media.

Madeline was busy practising her speech for the opening of the Ball while Penny helped her dress, so she could charm the crowds. After she helped Madeline get into a chemise and an underskirt, Penny left to find a dress from the selection provided by some designers.

"Which one do you think we should go with?" she asked Madeline, holding up a sleek wine-coloured dress in one hand and a light pink A-line gown in another.

"Uhm... the pink...maybe?" Madeline said unsurely and quickly returned to murmuring the speech under her breath.

Penny sighed exasperatedly and went back to looking through the gowns again. She audibly gasped with delight when she saw a pink floral gown with off-shoulder bell sleeves. It was simple yet romantic, just what the ball needed.

With the dress and a pair of matching flowery gloves in hand, Penny came back, only to see Madeline pacing around in her room, busy memorising the speech. Shaking her head, she approached the young queen and took the sheet of paper from her hand eliciting a groan from the latter.

"You won't be getting that back from me now", Penny said with a mischievous smirk, "Come now, into the dress you get."

After a moment of annoyance from Madeline and some struggling, Madeline finally got the dress on. Penny pushed her in front of the mirror, forcing her to look at herself as she did her hair.

It was gorgeous. She looked gorgeous.

Madeline looked different. The dress was not something she would have picked for herself. It was unlike the darker colours that she usually wore. It added a certain softness to her features which was complimented by the soft smile which had crept onto her face.

"I would say I've outdone myself this time," Penny smiled proudly as she to looked at Madeline's reflection with a proud smile.

"I second that," Madeline said with a chuckle.

Penny then put a dainty diamond chain necklace and matching earrings on Madeline. She then sat Madeline down in front of the vanity. She handed her the gloves eliciting a groan of annoyance from the latter.

"Do I have to put these on? You know how feel about gloves," Madeline protested.

"I do, but it is the protocol that you wear gloves during evening balls," Penny said as she did Madeline's makeup.

"I know, I know. It's just... they're itchy and annoying. And they make me feel more upper class than I'd like to admit," Madeline muttered with annoyance. She begrudgingly put on the gloves as Penny tutted and continued to put on Madeline's makeup.

After a couple minutes, Madeline was ready to go to the ball. She walked down the grand stairs to the entrance of the Palace. There she was met by the ever-serious Mdam Rakepick. They both got into the black cars and set off for the city.

It was only a few minutes until they reached the City Hall. The moment Madeline stepped out of the car, she plastered a smile on her face and turned to face the cameras and media.

For a moment, she was blinded by the constant camera flashes. But after a second to adjust, she focused her eyes on the crowd and waved at them. The throng of journalists and paparazzi cheered for the young queen, boosting her confidence.

She waved one last time at the people before climbing up the stairs and into the City Hall. On entering the hall, she was greeted by the sweet yet intoxicating smell of champagne as the soft ballroom music flowed freely.

The guests inside stood when Madeline walked in. Everyone smiled in awe at the young queen and clapped at her entrance, making Madeline smile too. The Prime Minister, his wife and the Mayor and his wife stood up to greet her.

"Your majesty", The prime minister said with a bow. Madeline smiled and nodded her head curtly in a reply

"Your majesty, it truly is an honour to have you here," the mayor greeted Madeline after the Prime Minister stepped aside.

"It is me who is honoured, Mister Mayor," Madeline said, smiling politely. The mayor bowed and offered his arm for her to take. Madeline accepted and linked her elbow with his. They both walked to the centre of the hall. Everyone clapped as the young queen waved at the guests with a wide smile.

A young waiter handed her a glass of champagne for her to toast. Taking the crystal goblet in one hand, she began her speech.

"Mr Mayor, Mr Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure and honour to be a part of this incredible Ball, which has been hosted in honour of a long line of sovereigns. After today, I hope that I do all of the people proud as sovereign of this country. But for now, I hope everyone enjoys themselves tonight," Madeline finished, raising her glass for a toast. The guests all toasted their glasses in unison before returning to chatting or feasting.

Through the next couple minutes, Madeline was greeted by the nobles and dignitaries who were attending the ball. She made polite small talk with all of them under the watchful eye of Rakepick, although she felt bored and out of place in most of those conversations.

Stepping aside after some time, Madeline decided to munch on some of the locally sourced food. While taking a bite of her food, she saw Madam Rakepick approaching from the corner of her eye. She stuffed the last bite of the ceviche into her mouth before walking up to the older woman.

"I hope you're enjoying the party", Madeline remarked, not exactly hoping to get an answer.

"I've never been one to enjoy parties, ma'am," Rakepick scoffed, "to me, it is a waste of time and words, something which we are already in a deficit of."

Madeline pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "You know," she said, "I don't particularly enjoy these parties and balls either."

Rakepick looked at the young queen from the corner of her eye with a hint of suspicion, not expecting her to agree.

"You don't have to agree with me," she replied emotionlessly, sipping on a glass of champagne.

"I'm not," Madeline replied, "has it occurred to you that we might share the same opinion?"

"... It's not something I expected," Rakepick replied briefly, "but I suppose it is a possibility."

"Look, Madam Rakepick, I know you aren't quite as friendly with me. But I do expect us to at least get along," Madeline sighed, frowning.

Rakepick remained expressionless for a second. Then she nodded, with what appeared to be a small smile.

"I too hope that we can eventually form a friendship, ma'am," She replied, shocking Madeline a little, but she smiled in reply.

"I hope you enjoy this event, ma'am," the auburn-haired lady said before curtsying and leaving Madeline to continue to mingle with the guests

While conversing with some people, she noticed a young man with messy black hair, round glasses and mossy green eyes standing in a corner by himself. Recognising the young noble, she walked towards him, glad to have seen a familiar face. The man noticed the queen approaching him and straightened himself. He bowed before her, making Madeline smile gently.

"Lord Potter, fancy seeing you here," Madeline said, a smirk forming on her face.

"Well, I-I had a free evening, so I decided to stop by," Harry replied sheepishly.

"It's good to get away from duty for a while, you know. Even if it is only for one evening," Madeline smiled. Harry replied with a nod and the pair turned to look at the crowd.

A peaceful silence fell between the two as people danced the night away. Madeline soon noticed Harry smiling, looking at a young red-haired girl dancing away on her own amongst the people, her smile bright and carefree. Madeline smiled to herself. Then an idea struck her.

"Go talk to her," Madeline encouraged Harry. He looked at her with confusion for a moment before refusing. Seeing that he was too shy to approach her, Madeline grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him to the dance floor, ignoring the younger man's confused reluctance.

"Listen to me, go and ask her to dance with you, Harry," Madeline said almost sternly.

"But-"

"No buts, go ahead! She looks to be free now. Go, will you!" Madeline said, ushering him to the dance floor. Harry sighed and looked at the girl he had been admiring. With one last encouraging smile and nod from Madeline, he left to approach her.

From a distance, Madeline saw Harry approach the girl shyly and ask her to dance, to which she happily agreed. She smiled to herself, satisfied, as she saw them dancing away, dreamy smiles on their faces.

"Young love's always adorable, isn't it?" Madeline turned around and saw the warm and friendly hazel eyes with which she had first familiarized herself a few days back.

"Professor Weasley? I wasn't expecting to see you here," Madeline said with a surprised look.

"Please don't call me that, makes me sound ancient," Charlie said, feigning annoyance.

"Then I shall make it my ultimate mission to call you that always," Madeline joked, making Charlie and her laugh.

"You still haven't answered my question though," Madeline pointed after they both recovered from their fit of laughter.

"I actually came along with my family. That's my sister dancing with the young lad," Charlie pointed at the red-haired girl chatting with Harry. He then pointed her to his family who were standing amongst the crowd. From there she noticed Bill Weasley too standing with them.

"Oh, so Bill Weasley is your brother," Madeline remarked with a smirk, "didn't he ever mention meeting me?"

"Actually, he did, but I guess I never knew which "Madeline" he was talking about. He said her identity was a secret," Charlie remarked.

"All good things said, I hope?" Madeline quirked a brow at him.

"Only the best, Madeline," Charlie replied with a playful grin.

The pair continued to watch the crowd of dancers at the ball. Suddenly, the music changed from the merry tune being played earlier to a more slowed and romantic waltz. Many couples started to dance to romantic music.

"Dance with me?" Charlie suddenly asked Madeline, a lopsided grin gracing his face.

Madeline smiled to herself and replied, "With pleasure," as she accepted his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Charlie looked at Madeline for a split second, silently asking permission as his hand hovered beside her waist, to which Madeline nodded and placed her hand on his shoulder as he gently placed his on her waist. Taking his hand in hers, the pair spun in circles, shuffling their feet to the slow, rhythmic music. As she sensed herself getting lost in the rhythm, Madeline's chocolate brown eyes connected with Charlie's hazel eyes, a mix of warm honey and cinnamon with a hint of grassy green.

"So, how did you enjoy our first lesson?" Charlie asked, breaking the silence, a hint of nervousness evident in his voice.

"I actually loved it! It was brilliant learning about this subject from you. I hope we can do it again," Madeline replied with a smile, making Charlie let out a breath he unconsciously held onto and smile. Charlie then spun Madeline in his arms, almost making her trip, but he quickly helped steady her. The two went back to swaying casually to the beat.

"I'm glad you did, cus I did too. I'm looking forward to doing it again... this Thursday maybe?"

"It's settled then. I'll meet you this Thursday." Madeline smiled, "I'm actually surprised you liked teaching me," Charlie frowned with confusion at Madeline, the song playing in the background long forgotten by them.

"I mean... I know nothing, and you know so much. All I do is cut ribbons, smile agreeably and wave at people. My life is defined by what dresses I wear and whom I smile at, while yours is represented by the vast world of this incredible and convoluted subject" Madeline heaved a sigh, her emotions unclear from her expression.

"Hey, give yourself some credit," Charlie said softly. He slowly moved his body closer to her and continued, "What you do is something very few can do. It's admirable how you keep yourself so composed after all you've already been through. So I disagree about you being bland because you are one of the most fascinating people I have ever met in my life." Charlie replied with firmness and confidence.

Madeline felt blood rush to her cheeks and a smile form on her lips at Charlie's words. It was true that she barely gave herself any credit for what she did. But hearing Charlie's words solidified how little she gave herself credit for. Yet his words provided her comfort and faith about her work, a compliment, something that anyone rarely told her, let alone actually mean it.

"Thank you for that, Charlie," Madeline replied softly.

"I consider it my priority, my Queen," Charlie winked at Madeline with a playful smirk making Madeline chuckle and shake her head dismissively.

Suddenly, the music changed to a classic Mozart piece, one of Madeline's favourites. The melody was gentle yet romantic, making one lose a sense of reality.

Madeline and Charlie continued to dance the night away in their careless dances. They weren't sure what style of dance they were doing. Between Madeline tripping constantly and Charlie almost confusing the right from the left, it was an absolute mess. But they didn't care. It was the company that mattered. They spent the rest of the evening laughing at random jokes and talking about their lives. It was as if they'd known each other for years. It was a magical night for the start of a new friendship.

And maybe something more.

#royal au #royal fashion #charlie weasley x oc #charlie weasley #madeline orionswan #hphm #hphm charlie #harry potter fanfiction #hphm mc #royalty au #princess diana #rowan khanna #penny haywood #madam rakepick #alternate au #harry potter hogwarts mystery

[carewyncromwell]

“Riff raff -- street rat -- I don’t buy that! If only they’d look closer... Would they see a poor boy? No, siree... They’d find out there’s so much more to me...”

~“One Jump Ahead (reprise)” from Aladdin

x~x~x~x

Despite being very happy in Slytherin, Carewyn didn’t make any friends in her own house in her first two years at school, aside from her best friend, Rowan Khanna. In her own dormroom, she had to rest her head beside Liz Tuttle (who seemed amiable enough, but was painfully shy), Ismelda Murk (a rather sadistic sort who turned Carewyn right off), and Merula Snyde (Carewyn’s school enemy likely for the rest of eternity). As for the boys, most of them seemed like total idiots, prone to drinking faulty potions just to prove they could -- and the biggest idiot of them all seemed to be the one called Barnaby Lee. 

Barnaby Lee was a tall, brawny sort with russet-colored hair, a square jawline, and ears that popped out from his head a bit like a troll’s. A troll was honestly the best comparison point Carewyn could make for him upon first meeting -- when Merula introduced him and Ismelda Murk as her new “friends” at the beginning of their third year, the first thing he said to Carewyn was that if she messed with Merula, he’d vanish all the bones in her body. Carewyn, perfectly unintimidated despite his muscles and superior height, couldn’t help but sass him. 

“If you stay friends with Merula, I won’t have to do anything to you. I reckon that’ll bring you more than enough misery.”

Yet Barnaby seemed to completely miss her point. 

“Not when Merula, Ismelda, and I find the Cursed Vaults!” he said conversationally, as if Carewyn hadn’t just insulted him. “What’s inside those Vaults is going to make me stronger -- Merula said so. And if doing what Merula says is the only way I can get to them, I’ll do what I have to.”

Carewyn crossed her arms, cocking an eyebrow coolly. “Merula told you you’d only get to the Cursed Vaults by following her orders?”

No one could possibly be that stupid. And yet Barnaby, it seemed, was. When Carewyn actually had the audacity to ask if Merula could just be lying to take advantage of him, the way she did with everyone, Barnaby looked so taken aback and confused that he strode away, his face scrunched up in a tight frown. 

“Don’t try to make me think, Cromwell.”

Carewyn put Barnaby Lee out of her mind after that discussion, at least until she met Tulip Karasu. Carewyn ended up helping Tulip ward off Barnaby and Ismelda with a Jumbo Dumgbomb so that Carewyn could get Merula’s key to Jacob’s room, and after Carewyn and Tulip successfully warded off the boggart that had taken over the abandoned room, the two set about looking through Jacob’s old notes for clues. After some investigation, including doing some reconnaissance in the Library with Bill, Carewyn came to the conclusion that the next Vault had to be inside the Restricted Section of the Library -- and that the broken wand and scribble-ridden book that had been left behind in the Ice Vault had to have been left there to help them open it! Tulip was thrilled -- and, as it turned out, she had an idea of dealing with another problem: namely, Merula trying to stop them from entering the Vault. 

“Remember Barnaby Lee?” Tulip asked. 

Carewyn frowned. “Merula’s own personal troll guard? Of course.”

Tulip smirked. “Barnaby might not be that smart, but he is strong. Maybe the toughest wizard in our year. On top of that, he’s someone Merula’s confided in -- he’ll know her really well, and he’ll know what her plans are.”

As much as he can know anything, I suppose, Carewyn thought dryly. 

Carewyn considered this. Barnaby certainly seemed pretty stupid...but at the same time, he didn’t seem half as malevolent as either Ismelda or Merula were. For as comfortable as he was about violence, he’d responded so...well, innocently, upon being confronted with the thought that Merula could be lying to him -- almost as if he himself was so dim that lying wasn’t something he would ever think of doing himself.

He seems really dumb, Carewyn thought to herself, but maybe that’s the problem. Maybe he’s just so dumb that he never even considered doing anything other than what Merula told him to do...

Carewyn’s light blue eyes drifted off to the wall thoughtfully. 

“Hm, well...as much as Barnaby’s kind of brought this on himself, for following along with Merula’s whims, just to try to make himself stronger,” she said at last, “it does seem pretty rotten, that Merula’s able to take advantage of him, just because she can.”

She nodded determinedly. “Okay. I’ll try to talk him around.”

He wouldn’t be able to help Merula stop us, if he agrees to help us instead, after all. 

Tulip gave Carewyn an encouraging nod. “You can do it, Carewyn Cromwell. Just do what you did with me, the other day.”

Carewyn blinked. “What, you mean, be a decent human being?”

Tulip gave a short laugh. “Well, sure! You got me to open up, didn’t you? Still don’t fully know how you managed it...but you made me feel heard. Like you cared.”

Despite the smirk on her face, her black eyes glinted with something a bit more sincere. 

“Just be everything you are that Merula isn’t. Let Barnaby see that you’re the better choice.”

With this advice in hand, Carewyn went to go talk to Barnaby in the Great Hall. His response to her sincerest, kindest attempt to coax him onto her side, however, was not what she had expected. 

And so that was how Carewyn Cromwell ended up on the Training Grounds with Barnaby Lee, dueling for nearly an entire hour until Barnaby was finally beaten down enough to accept defeat.

Once Carewyn had reversed his Full Body-Bind, she immediately took hold of Barnaby’s arm and extended it out toward her. 

“Uh...what are you doing?” asked Barnaby, confused. 

Carewyn shushed him. “Hold still. Ferula.”

She set about bandaging the cuts she’d inflicted on his arm -- then she set about trying to fix Barnaby’s sleeve, which had gotten ripped and burned by the same attack.

“Reparo. Scourgify.”

A couple of delicate sparks of light puffed out of Carewyn’s wand and sealed up around Barnaby’s arm. Barnaby blinked in surprise at his magically repaired, but still blood-stained sleeve. 

“I’m sorry -- I don’t know any Charms strong enough to get rid of those stains yet,” Carewyn apologized lowly, “but at least it’s a little better than it was...”

Barnaby blinked again at Carewyn, looking that bit more confused than ever.  Without paying him any mind, the tiny redhead set about bandaging and cleaning up his other arm and shoulder. By the time she was finished bandaging it, Barnaby finally seemed to have collected his thoughts. 

“...Hm,” he said at last. “I always thought you had to be mean to hurt somebody that badly...”

Carewyn frowned deeply even as she finished cleaning Barnaby’s other sleeve. 

“It’s not nice to hurt people,” she said very firmly. “But you said I had to beat you in order to get you to help me...so I did what I had to.”

Barnaby considered this. “So you did something you didn’t want to do, just to get what you wanted...”

His face then burst into an oddly bright grin. “...Merula was wrong! You do act like a Slytherin."

Carewyn raised her eyebrows coolly. “Merula’s wrong about a lot of things.”

Once she’d finished what she was doing, she tucked her wand back in her robes, looking up at the taller Slytherin critically. 

“So, Barnaby? Are you going to keep your word and help me instead of Merula?”

Barnaby rolled his sleeves back up where they’d been before, that brighter smile still blazing on his face. “As long as we can celebrate our partnership with a Butterbeer.”

Carewyn raised an eyebrow at this, but ultimately decided there was no harm in it and shrugged. She’d honestly prefer a conversation over fighting, anyhow. 

“All right.”

~*~

Once Carewyn had shed her full robes, she met Barnaby in Hogsmeade, right outside the Three Broomsticks. When she arrived, the blood on his sleeves had been cleaned up.

“Madam Rosmerta saw the fresh bloodstains on my sleeves and asked if I’d been in a fight,” Barnaby said brightly. “I told her I was! I had to reassure her that the blood was mine, though -- she’d looked really worried, when she heard I was fighting you...”

Rosmerta did indeed look a bit relieved to see Carewyn, when she brought them each a pint of butterbeer.

“On the house,” she said.

Carewyn immediately tried to protest, but Rosmerta merely smiled and gave her a light tap to the nose.

“No ‘buts,’ young lady,” she said, her smile becoming a bit wryer. “Consider this a bit of encouragement for both of you to settle your differences with words and not wands.”

As she bustled off, Barnaby smiled.

“That was awful nice of her,” he said conversationally as he picked up his glass. “I always like a Butterbeer after dueling -- they say it heals bruises and broken bones.”

Carewyn squinted at him in bewilderment. “Who said that?”

Barnaby’s eyes drifted up toward the ceiling thoughtfully. “...I can’t remember. I’m sure someone probably said it...”

He brushed this thought away as he took a long gulp of Butterbeer. 

“Anyway...thanks for such a great duel!” he said. “I can see how you beat Merula twice...just a shame I didn’t get to see them myself...”

“They really weren’t that exciting,” Carewyn dismissed politely as she too took a sip from her mug. 

She paused. Then, despite herself, she couldn’t help but ask, “How did you even get involved with Merula anyway?”

Barnaby shrugged as he took a sip of Butterbeer. “We have a lot in common, with her parents and mine both being...you know.”

Carewyn frowned. A murky memory returned to her mind -- Rowan in their first year, telling her a terrible secret about Merula’s parents...

She stiffened. “Your parents were Death Eaters?” 

Barnaby lowered his mug with a small frown. 

“Why are you so surprised?” he asked as he wiped the white foam from his upper lip. “Everyone knows Slytherins have the most interesting childhoods. I reckon you probably have some Dark wizards in your family too, right?”

Carewyn crossed her arms uncomfortably. “Not really.”

Unless you count my mum’s father being a total creep.

“So does that mean that you agree with Merula?” she asked, her voice low with displeasure. “That Muggles are inferior, and Muggle-borns like Ben shouldn’t be allowed to go to Hogwarts?”

Barnaby looked thoughtful. “Well, I’ve never met a real Muggle before, so I don’t know about that...but Ben Copper seems okay. Kind of wimpy sometimes, but he’s nice. He helped me with my Charms homework once last year, when I was having trouble,” he added with a smile. “I was misreading the directions in the book, so he offered to read them aloud for me and then showed me how to do the wand movement right. He’s really good at Charms!”

Carewyn couldn’t help but smile a bit at the sincere praise of her friend. 

“He is,” she agreed.

Knowing Barnaby didn’t seem to harbor any prejudice toward Muggles and Muggle-borns either made her relax that bit more. She took another sip of Butterbeer before pressing on.

“Muggles aren’t inferior, for the record,” she said very firmly. 

Barnaby tilted his head to the side. “They’re not?”

“No,” said Carewyn. “My mum ran away from home to live in the Muggle World. She raised Jacob and me the Muggle way too. Muggles aren’t perfect, sure, but wizards aren’t either...and they’ve done a lot of amazing things too, things even wizards haven’t done.”

“Like what?” Barnaby said curiously. 

“Well, they’ve been to the moon, for one.”

Barnaby’s eyes lit up. “Really? Did they meet the man who lives there?”

Carewyn gave a bewildered double-blink. “What man?”

“The Man in the Moon!” Barnaby said cheerfully. “I’ve heard people talking about him before. I reckon he’s got to be some wizard who got stuck up there a long time ago -- were the Muggles able to bring him back to Earth with them?”

Carewyn was so stunned she couldn’t stop herself from bursting into giggles.

“Oh -- no,” she choked out through her laughter. “No, the Man in the Moon -- that’s just an old children’s story, Barnaby! When Muggles first took pictures of the moon, they thought they saw a face carved into its surface...so people used to tell stories about a Man in the Moon!”

Instead of being discouraged by this, though, Barnaby’s eyes were brighter than ever. “I’ve done that before! I once saw a face in my shepherd’s pie, when I was a kid -- my dad smacked the back of my head with one of his shoes for crying while I was eating it.”

Carewyn’s mouth dropped open. 

“He did what?” she gasped. 

“Well, I was crying really hard,” Barnaby said self-deprecatingly. “But it was so tasty that I kept eating it, which kind of made me feel worse...”

Carewyn ignored this. 

“You weren’t hurt, were you?” she demanded concernedly. “When he hit you?”

“Huh? Oh, no -- not that badly,” Barnaby reassured her. “Dad got me light, that time.”

He looked startled when this only served to make Carewyn more upset. 

“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “Dad just wanted to make sure I was strong, that’s all. Grandmum always reminds me of that too -- that only the strong survive and all. She’s not so strong physically, but she’s really good with curses, like Mum and Dad were.”

“Was she a Death Eater too?” asked Carewyn grimly. 

“No -- Grandmum’s not a Dark witch, she really only collects stuff. That’s why I stay with her and Antioch now, over the holidays.”

“Antioch?”

“Grandmum’s crup,” Barnaby explained. He grinned as he added in a slightly lower voice, “I call him ‘Annie’ for short, though Grandmum hates it.”

Carewyn quickly stifled a smile behind her hand. Barnaby suddenly looked incredibly self-conscious and looked down into his Butterbeer.

“...Huh. I don’t think I’ve ever talked this much about myself to anybody before...” He looked up at Carewyn hesitantly. “...This isn’t weird for you, is it?”

“Of course not!” Carewyn said at once. 

“Hm,” said Barnaby. He looked thoughtful. “Well, it is a little weird to me...”

Carewyn’s face became very serious. 

“Barnaby...if there’s something you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to,” she said firmly. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

Barnaby considered this. Then, looking slightly surer of himself, he said, “Does your mother scold you a lot, Carewyn?”

Carewyn frowned. “No.”

“Hmm...” Barnaby looked thoughtful. “What about your dad? Does he call you names? Do they collect Dark artifacts?” 

“No,” said Carewyn, very confused. “My dad’s a Muggle.”

Barnaby looked sheepish. 

“Sorry,” he said. “I was trying to figure out if we have anything in common too -- like Merula and I do. You said you don’t have any Dark wizards in your family, though, and I know you’re not an only child like me, since you have your brother...”

His sincerity again surprised Carewyn. 

It was so strange -- Barnaby had seemed so brutish and stupid, at first glance. Carewyn had followed Rowan’s example early on and seen him as akin to a troll, just stupidly following around after Merula and wrecking things left and right. And yet now, upon being shown basic human decency, he was opening up like a flower hungry for a bit of water and sunshine. 

A prickle of pity flicked at the inside of Carewyn’s heart. She looked down into her own Butterbeer thoughtfully.

“...Well, what about interests?” she suggested. “You like to duel, right? Is Defense Against the Dark Arts your favorite subject?”

Barnaby rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Not really -- I almost got frozen trying to bust our last professor out of the cursed ice last year. And the professor this year’s almost never around...”

Carewyn sighed tiredly. That was true -- the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had been paranoid about getting “taken out” by the curse affecting her predecessors and so had been largely replaced by about a dozen substitutes over the course of the term. No one knew whether her barely being around would protect her from the curse or not. 

“What is your favorite subject, then?” asked Carewyn. “Herbology? Potions?”

Most Slytherins got some favoritism from Snape, after all. 

Barnaby shook his head. “Mm, not really...I prefer Care of Magical Creatures.”

Carewyn’s eyes widened a bit. “Really?”

Barnaby looked rather self-conscious again. 

“Well, it’s just -- all the tough creatures, you know,” he said forcefully. “The dragons, and the manticores, and things...”

Carewyn could pretty easily tell he was putting on airs, though. She smiled.

“I love Care of Magical Creatures,” she said earnestly. 

Barnaby looked encouraged. “You do?”

“Yeah! Remember when Professor Kettleburn showed off that bonfire full of salamanders? I thought they were so beautiful, the way their eyes glowed.”

Barnaby’s eyes lit up as brightly as the salamanders’ eyes had. “Me too! I so wanted to hold one, even if Kettleburn said that they’d burn your hands, if you weren’t wearing the proper equipment...but they were just so cute!”

Carewyn’s face burst out into a huge, bright smile. Almost immediately Barnaby seemed to lose his nerve and he flushed. 

“I mean -- um...”

Feeling some compassion for how uncertain he looked, Carewyn cut his stammers off gently. 

“They were really cute,” she said, and her bright grin broadened further as Barnaby’s ears reddened. “I was so jealous that Liz Tuttle managed to get one to crawl up her arm.”

The light returned in full to Barnaby’s eyes, more excited than ever. “Me too! And that Charlie Weasley got one to roll over for him too -- I reckon the salamander must’ve liked him comparing her to a Chinese Fireball...”

Carewyn beamed. “Charlie’s brilliant, when it comes to dragons. I reckon that’s why everyone on the Quidditch pitch compares him to a Peruvian Vipertooth.”

“Oh, right -- because they’re the smallest and the fastest!” Barnaby laughed. “That’s smart! I don’t really know much about Quidditch...my parents were never really that interested in it.”

“What did you and your parents like to do together?” Carewyn asked as gently as she could. “Like, for fun.”

Barnaby considered this. “Mm, well...they didn’t do much of anything special with me, really, besides have meals and teach me lessons. They dropped me off at Granmum’s a lot of the time, when I was really little.”

He paused.

“...My dad did introduce me to You-Know-Who, once,” he admitted at last, very lowly.

Carewyn’s eyes grew very, very wide.

“You actually met him?” she whispered. 

Barnaby lowered his gaze down to the table between them. 

“I saw him, anyhow,” he said quietly. “My dad met with him at our house when I was little. I’d poked my head in to find out who was in, and that’s when my dad told him who I was.”

Carewyn tried to imagine a tiny Barnaby, eclipsed in the shadow of such a foreboding, monstrous man. It was a chilling thought.

“...You must’ve been so scared,” she said, her voice soft and weak in its horror. 

The memory of her You-Know-Who boggart, and the fear his heartless scarlet eyes had instilled in her, rushed over Carewyn like a cold wave. 

Barnaby shook his head. “Mm, at first, yeah. But my dad admired him. And looking at him closely...well, he looked kind of funny, to be honest. Super pale with these bony, old-man fingers -- no hair, no nose -- it made me think he must have a hard time enjoying any good food, if he can’t smell anything.”

Carewyn was so startled by Barnaby’s utter lack of fear that she gave a very short, strangled laugh. Then she went very quiet again, recalling again just how serious this whole thing was.

“He was the most powerful Dark wizard in the world, Barnaby,” she said very solemnly. “He killed so many people -- terrorized so many more...all with no remorse, and beyond reason...”

“I know,” said Barnaby. “But like I said, my dad admired him. And my dad always said that if I could become powerful like You-Know-Who, then I could do anything. I could do whatever I wanted, because no one would question my strength or try to stop me.”

Barnaby rested his muscular arms down on the table, his bottle green eyes once again falling down to his mug of Butterbeer.

“...Now that my dad’s in Azkaban...I’m just trying to keep doing that, like he said. Try to get stronger, so that I can do what I want to do.”

Carewyn stared at Barnaby, taking in the oddly pensive, melancholy look in his face. There was suddenly such a weight to his shoulders, like he was wearing some really heavy cloak someone else gave him that was way too big for him and didn’t suit him at all. It reminded Carewyn of her mother Lane, when she told her stories of her miserable life at the Cromwell estate...of needing to bury who she was and what she liked, just to fulfill her terrible parents’ expectations of her...

This is the boy I called Merula’s “troll guard?” 

The thought made Carewyn feel sick. All this time she’d merely seen Barnaby Lee as too stupid to go against what Merula told him, but...truly, it seemed how Merula treated him was how he’d always been treated -- by his parents, by his grandmother. Like you had to be cruel in order to make people respect you, like strength and power were all that matter...like his feelings didn’t matter...

He wasn’t stupid at all, Carewyn realized. He just didn’t know that he was being treated so unfairly -- that he deserved better than how the people in his life had always treated him...that that “better” way even existed...

“Carewyn?”

Carewyn blinked, her eyes refocusing on Barnaby after having zoned out. The Slytherin boy’s square face had twisted up in a hesitant, confused expression.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Carewyn looked away at once, suddenly incredibly uncomfortable. 

“I’m fine,” she said at once. “...Why?”

She asked this because Barnaby didn’t look fully convinced. 

“It’s just...your face looked so sad, just then,” he said uneasily. “Like you saw something awful...something no one else can see.”

Her heart had been slowly softening to Barnaby for a while now, but it was these words, and the sight of Barnaby looking up at her with such genuine concern, that finally made it fold. Her blue eyes blazed with a kind of decisive, compassionate fire as she looked down at her own reflection in the glass in front of her.

“...Maybe I did.”

She paused. When she spoke again, her voice was both firmer and warmer than before. 

“...I don’t know if your dad would agree with me, Barnaby...but I think you’re very strong.” 

Barnaby blinked. “You do?”

Carewyn nodded. “Mm-hm. And not just because you’ve got big muscles, or you know a lot of spells. I think you’re strong because you’re loyal, and honorable, and honest too. I think you’re strong because...even if your parents are Death Eaters, you don’t look down on Ben for his heritage...and even if your dad always told you to act tough, you still think salamanders are cute.”

She beamed at him.

“I think you’re strong because you’re you...and that’s all there is to it. I think that’s pretty brilliant.”

Barnaby stared at Carewyn, looking both bewildered and a bit overwhelmed. Then, flushing with embarrassment, he grinned self-consciously. 

“...You really are a very nice person, Carewyn,” he said, his bottle green eyes bright with validation. “I don’t get why Merula doesn’t like you at all.”

Carewyn gave a light huff. “Well, I don’t like her very much either. Or how she treats you.”

I didn’t like Merula taking advantage of Barnaby before, but to know all she’s really been doing is treating Barnaby the way his rotten family’s always treated him...

A surge of hatred toward Merula pulsed through Carewyn, even as she put down her now empty Butterbeer glass and gave Barnaby a more reassuring look. 

“Come on,” she said as she got up from her seat. “Let’s head on back to the castle -- it’s getting late.”

“Do you want me to help you with the Vaults now?” asked Barnaby.

Carewyn was reminded of the exchange she’d had with Tulip, where the Ravenclaw had acted as though she’d fully expected her only to care about the Cursed Vaults, like Merula did. 

“No,” said Carewyn. “I just don’t want us to get in trouble for breaking curfew.”

Barnaby looked sheepish again. “Oh yeah -- right...”

He got up from his chair too and started to follow Carewyn out of the Three Broomsticks. 

“We’ll have plenty of time to deal with the Vaults later, after I’ve hashed out a plan with Bill,” she said reassuringly. “I know Tulip will want to help too, so we’ll have to figure out what time works best for all of us.”

Barnaby’s eyes drifted up toward the cloudy sky as they headed out the front door. “Hm, yeah...reckon Bill Weasley’s schedule’s probably a bit different than ours...and he’s taking his OWLs this year, right?”

Carewyn nodded. “Right. I don’t want to stress him out too much, around his exams...they’re so important, when it comes to his future as a Cursebreaker.”

“I don’t know if I’d want to be a Cursebreaker, myself,” Barnaby said thoughtfully. "But it is pretty cool that Bill’s so sure of himself -- what he wants to do. And he’s really strong too -- I’ve seen him at the Dueling Club, and he almost always wins.”

He grinned. 

“Maybe now that you and I are working together, I could ask Bill to fight me next!” he said brightly.

Carewyn stifled a smile behind her hand. “Maybe you should phrase it as wanting to duel him, rather than fight him.”

She paused. Then her smile spread a bit more.

“I just figured out something we have in common,” she said. “We both think of other people’s feelings before our own.”

Barnaby blinked. Then his face brightened noticeably. 

“...Yeah! Yeah, I guess that’s true!”

His emerald eyes squinted, just to make enough room for his broad smile. 

“Say, Carewyn?” 

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to stop by the Magical Creature Preserve on the way to Kettleburn’s class tomorrow? I found a Knarl in his burrow the other day, and he’s really friendly...I think Hagrid must’ve found him before me, for him to be so good around humans...”

The suggestion made Carewyn’s own smile and eyes brighten that bit more. 

“Yeah,” she said. “I’d like that.”

And that was how Carewyn Cromwell and Barnaby Lee became such unlikely, but good friends seemingly overnight.

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #my writing #barnaby lee #carewyn cromwell #tulip karasu #madam rosmerta #merula snyde #ismelda murk #liz tuttle #charlie weasley #lane cromwell #charles cromwell #rubeus hagrid #fanfiction #aesthetic

[xoxo-gossipgourd]

What do we think about everyone shacking up, bestie?

Oh, so many friends to talk about! Let’s see…

Bob and Megan? Well they’ve been on and off longer than some of these fans have been alive. But throwing a child in the equation might be the glue that adheres them permanently- unless Megan wants Francois to be a child of divorce.

Larry and Petunia really seemed like the “it” couple back when they finally got together. But now with this A drama and a certain papprazzo pepper…things could start shaking up. We’ve already seen Petunia get jealous of Acmetha, and that was in the past. Is Larry a jealous type too? Personally, I can’t wait to find out.

Charlie Pincher and Bartlebey…one of those things that I’m not even sure I want to know. They seemed happy, secure, until, of course, the butler found out the invisible hand Charlie played in the disappearance of Mom Asparagus. But now that moms been found alive and blogging - will all be forgiven? I’m not sure if their relationship is on a strong enough foundation to withstand that.

And speaking of Mom Asparagus - Dad must be thrilled, but a certain famous bowler might be driven to the edge. Who’s to say Mom won’t be murdered for real this time?

Oh, and murdering spouses - did you see Archibald and Lovey talking civilly? Pretty weird given that she’s still sure she burried him.

And we can’t forget everyone’s favorite green girls - why IS Esther acting so shy around Achmetha? They’ve already confessed to having kissed, and I have a feeling their little two girl slumber parties don’t stop with just kissing.

We’ve also had a few newer faces to keep an eye on. The banker seems to have been getting pretty friendly with a certain red headed rhubarb, and I don’t mean the rug. I don’t know them as well as I know the others, but know that I’m watching with baited breath just like you.

XOXO

Gossip Gourd 😘

#bob the tomato #madame blueberry #larry the cucumber #petunia rhubarb #peter pepperazzi #charlie pincher #Bartlebey #mom asparagus #dad asparagus #art Bigotti #archibald asparagus #lovey asparagus #achmetha #Esther #vtbanker #kilt bagpipe #whispered

[klein-sodor-bahn]

Eugénie is just done with Charlie’s shit

Poor Henry he didn’t ask to be lifted that way.

#ttte #ttte human au #ttte humanized #ttte oc #ttte henry #thomas and friends #henry x charlie💚🖤 #henry the green engine #akagi’s ocs #charlie the onyx engine #Madame Eugénie the Carnforth Frenchman #ttte gijinka #Ooooo there’s some tension 🤭

[madamebaggio]

Notes: Previously...

***

“Listen, love…”

“Would you stop that?” Elena huffed. “It’s not cute anymore.”

“But you still are.”

“Oh my god!” She fell back on her seat. “Are you serious right now? The accent won’t protect you forever.”

He smirked at her. “I have a backup plan, love, don’t you worry.”

Elena groaned dramatically. “How’s this my life?”

“You’re the one who’s trying to arrest me. I was fine before.”

“I’m not trying to arrest you.” She frowned. “I’m not with the police.”

“That’s very suspicious, sweetheart.”

“Oh no.” Elena threw her hands up. “That’s my limit!”

“Should I try ‘my lady’.”

#madame baggio #crackship #crossover #gifs not mine #crossover pairings #snippet #au #bullet train #tangerine #charlie's angels #charlie's angels 2019 #elena houghlin #Elena Houghlin x Tangerine

[thefuchsianeko]

SDotM character voice claims

Yep yep, I've done it. More to come in the future, with more ocs, but this set will probably be the shortest just because there are only four reoccuring characters in The Small Dot on the Map.

I'll copy-paste the voice notes under the cut:

Perdita - Claire Corlett (Sweetie Belle - My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) : I've always had a certain voice in mind for Perdy but it's... Idk how to describe it, specific yet still vague? Does that make sense? Well anyway, to put it simply her voice is small and cute. A bit unconfident but not too much. She wouldn't have to be voiced by a child, but it would be fitting. There's a high chance I could do her voice myself (In fact, I did record myself trying a voice to help give myself a better idea of what I wanted, but it's a poor recording done on my laptop so it's not a good example.)

Charlie - PeanutButterGamer (uh... Youtuber) : (ok first I just wanna say it was unintended but I LOVE how well Perdita's part transitions into Charlie's, it sounds like he's responding to her last line XD ) Somehow Charlie's was the hardest to find something for. Again, the phrase "specific yet vague" comes to mind. However some time ago I had voice claims on the mind while watching PBG and I had a revelation, lol. Charlie should sound very adventurous, determined, but also kinda goofy so this voice fits well I think. After all, I have been watching PBG since I was like 14 (Ever since I had first come up with SDotM) and that kind of vibe is probably at LEAST a slight inspiration for Charlie's vibe lol. Before this though, I was tied on that and David Gasman as Rayman (that was also a strong contender since I thought the heroic yet really friendly vibe also fit Charlie well, but I decided that the goofiness in PBG's voice was the better fit. I suppose if you could combine these two voices, it would be the perfect voice for Charlie.)

Chicken - Literally just do an impression of a chicken (anyway here's the Chicken Song from Fable 3) : Literally it is so easy. Buk-bugawk.

Madame Something - Cynthia Jones-Taylor (Madame Charmaine - Voodoo Vince) : Madame Charmaine was always the biggest inspiration for Madame Something (if you couldn't tell by the name alone lol) so in turn, that's always what she's sounded like in my mind. Kind of mystical, you can tell she's very wise, can sound intimidating but also has an air of kindness to her. (Also be happy that I got the audio from my own gameplay where I sped through the game with the music turned off, so I could have clearer audio lol)

#voice claims #sdotm #oc #original character #veez art #perdita the cat #charlie the fox #chicken the chicken #madame something #Youtube #the small dot on the map