* goddamn ingenue

[madingenuess]

#MADINGENUESS  :  𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔  𝐼  𝒹𝑜  𝒾𝓈  𝒻𝑜𝓇  𝓉𝒽𝑒  𝑔𝒶𝓏𝑒.  a  selective,  independent  &  low-activity  𝑀𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒  𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓉𝑜𝓃  from  death  becomes  her.  heavily  influenced  by  the  broadway  musical.  brought  to  you  by  Lila  —  crafting  controlled  chaos,  one  sentence  at  a  time.

CARRD.   INBOX.

[madingenuess]

what if i just....

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@drmenville

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what if i just....

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Hey hey hey <3 for a starter

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today is a good day to remember that madeline loves helen

[madingenuess]

madeline: hel? i completely forgot she was coming tonight! also madeline, on the night helen is coming:

[fa11ingup]

it hurts, to hear her talk about herself like this. acting like she was anything less than utterly perfect. years ago, ernest would be hard - pressed to suggest that there was such a thing as perfect, but madeline ... oh, she just is. IF ONLY SHE COULD SEE THAT. but madeline is crafty, and ernest is weak, especially with her using that voice, the one that makes his heart skip a beat, and makes him go weak in the knees ... his hands find her face, fingertips soft against clear, flawless skin. ' i don't think that's a good idea, ' he says, honestly. ( he knows it's not. ) soft, he brushes blonde locks away from her eyes, sweet and lovely. ' you don't need it — you look divine as is. '

[madingenuess]

hook,  line,  sinker.  she  would  get  exactly  what  she  wanted.  (not  that  that  was  unusual.)  or  so  she  thought.  why  did  he  always  look  at  her  like  that?  like  she  was  enough.  it  made  her  skin  prickle  with  anxiety.  she  had  been  with  men  before,  men  who  said  she  was  beautiful,  who  compared  her  to  models,  goddesses  and  stars  but  no  one  seemed  as  earnest  as  ernest  was.  it  was  new  and  the  insecurity  that  always  lingered  deep  inside  of  her  chest  blossomed.  why  did  he  make  her  feel  like  she  wanted  to  be...  better?  "ernie, please"  she  did  not  plead,  at  least  not  with  her  voice  but  her  eyes  spoke  for  themselves.  "i won't ask you again, just a little botox? do you see this wrinkle?"  her  nail  tapped  over  the  small  wrinkle  that  had  formed  between  her  eyebrows.  it  was  barely  there  but  madeline  had  felt  it,  seen  it  and  she  wanted  it  gone.  "you're so sweet to me but this would make me better"

[chancestook]

“ HONESTLY, AUNTIE MADS, it was kind of embarrassing. ” her tone suggests she's annoyed just reliving the memory. her drink is swirled around in its disposable, plastic confinement. after the week regina has had, a shopping spree with @madingenuess was completely & utterly needed. “ she tries to keep up with us, but we're years ahead. how could her parents never teach her the basics of girlhood? she managed to get two feet in those heels before tripping & spilling her drink all over me. ”

the girl is genuinely distraught, “ she ruined one of my favorite pairs of manolo blahniks. ” a hand is pressed to her chest, resting just over her heart. “ it's seriously like training a really dumb puppy. ” / sc.

[madingenuess]

the  girl  that  her  niece  was  speaking  of  reminded  her  of  helen.  not  that  helen  had  been  this  much  of  a  disaster  but  madeline  had  tried  to  teach  her  as  much  about  girlhood  as  she  could.  "some  people  aren't  lucky  enough  to  have  an  aunt  that  makes  sure  they  are  educated  in  such  things"  a  playful  wink  before  the  blonde  continued  to  walk.  regina  could  teach  the  girl  couldn't  she?  with  some  time,  everyone  could  become  a  girl's  girl,  perhaps  not  with  as  talented  as  her  niece,  but  looks  could  improve  from  a  two  to  a  four  at  least.  the  older  actress  stopped  in  her  tracks  at  the  mention  of  manolo,  a  horrified  gasp  passing  her  as  her  own  hand  met  her  chest.  "please  tell  me  it  was  not  the  satin  fuchsia  ones  i  got  you  for  Christmas  last  year?"  madeline  shook  her  head,  slowly  reaching  out  and  stroking  some  hair  out  of  the  younger  girls  face.  "i  had  a  friend  in  college  i  looked  after  like  a  puppy,  it's  hard  work  but  someone  has  to  do  it...  see  it  as  being  someones  mentor,  sweetheart"

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Madeline Ashton will not fall apart.

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Hey, Helen What? I think I'm your person Oh, no Admit it, Helen! You need me Oh, God You like me I'd like you to stop You love me

featuring : @h0lyhel

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003: madeline & ernest

so what follows here is a few different headcanons that has stuck with me, there is so much to say about them. i don't think that madeline married him out of love, i don't think ernest married her out of love but along the way they started existing together. it wasn't just two time oscar nominee madeline ashton. it was not just dr ernest menville. it became two time oscar nominee madeline ashton and dr ernest menville. in difference from madeline and ernest in the movie, i think there were part of each other that they respected and in some cases loved.

madeline married ernest because hurting helen had to be worth something. she didn't mean it for get as far as it did. ernest called her and said he had left helen and madeline dropped everything she was holding. she had no interest in marrying ernest she just wanted to make helen jealous, she wanted helen to envy her. then she realised she ruined helens life and had to punish herself somehow so she married a man she didn't really love.

madeline always says they are mr & mrs ashton. ernest say mr & mrs menville. they can never agree.

for the verse, I swear I'll make my comeback, madeline and ernest has two children. twins. celeste and julian was a complete surprise and accident. madeline didn't really want children, she was too unsure of her own capability of being a mother. meanwhile ernest really wanted children and they have discussion about children in canon verses too. for this verse however, madeline realises she's pregnant and ernest is over the moon with joy. it takes time but madeline gradually warms up to the idea of a baby, her insecurity heavily laid in not wanting to disappoint ernest. ernest said he just wanted the baby to be healthy but madeline didn't believe him, she was sure he wanted a boy and was incredibly anxious about it until they could go to sonograms and there it was two heartbeats. that the baby that madeline had started to accept as a part of her life would be babies terrified her but she and ernest showed up for another sonogram a few weeks later to see what genders their babies had and finding out that they were having a girl and a boy calmed madeline a lot. she couldn't give ernest the "wrong" thing and she was especially excited of getting a girl. celeste is a lot like madeline but she's very analyzing like ernest. she has both madeline and ernest wrapped around her little finger but ernest is especially taken with her. julian is more quiet than his sister, he likes to play operation and pretend he is ernest at work and he has a musical talent that madeline isn't sure where he got it from. ernest and madelines marriage became stronger from the babies but madeline couldn't work the same way she had anymore and gradually that is what started to tear their marriage apart too. ernest and madeline decided to keep the children out of the public eye, no press, no pictures on social media, hidden identities. they didn't want to risk putting their children in danger. the children are present, however, when helen shows up to seduce ernest. they are around 7 at the time, watching closely from the top of the stairs and when they hear madeline come home they immediately run down the stairs and wrap themselves around her, revealing themselves to helen.

madeline reads vouge and gossip magazines at breakfast. ernest reads the new york times and other imported newspapers from around the world. he however always pics out the culture pages and slides them over to madeline. they are always neatly folded and sometimes he has circled things that he think will interest her like new broadway shows, art gallery openings and such. she doesn't say thank you but she does trail her thumb over his knuckles and lean over to give him the answer he needs for his crossword puzzle.

ernest knows that madeline is terrified of the dark. she has never told him openly but he noticed how she always sink her nails into his shirts when she follows him into the basement or up the attic. two days later madeline found small nightlights conveniently placed around the house. she was especially grateful for the one he placed in the bathroom. there was a silent agreement between them to not talk about it but whenever one broke a new one would appear the same day, almost like ernest had a secret stash somewhere.

whenever ernest works late madeline pretends to be annoyed. she doesn't really mind that he works late, especially not when he worked with children and burn victims. she always made sure that stefan put a plate with dinner in the oven so ernest could just turn it on when he got home and have dinner. when he stops working with children and specify in turning rich women into poor starving children, madeline door dashes food to his office when she knows he hasn't packed lunch or dinner. there is no note but ernest knows it's from her.

speaking of work. madeline was very proud of ernest for working with children, she really respected that he wanted to make a difference for children and adults. it was mostly madelines fault that he fell into being a boob doctor, he would do minor things on her if she pleaded and pouted long enough. her hollywood friends started to ask for things too, fillers, chin implants, a new nose and ernest realised quite quickly that he got a lot of money and could open his own practice.

they started to sleep in separate bedrooms four years into their marriage. it happened after a fight on their wedding day. madeline said things she regretted. ernest said things he regretted. they were both too stubborn to apologise so ernest took his pillow and slept in the guest room downstairs. madeline realised she didn't quite like having a husband who slept downstairs because she was used to him close to her at night. ernest realised he missed sleeping beside his wife when he couldn't sleep without her snoring.

moving into seperate bedrooms was truly a turning point for them. they started to argue more. ernest started to drink. madeline started to see pool boys. a lot of it stemmed from madelines insecurities. she hadn't had a good job in forever and ernest was thriving at work. jealousy is a dangerous thing and it really made things turn sour between them.

ernest is really good at comforting madeline. you can notice that especially in the doctor/morgue scene. madeline wants his attention, a bit stems from making helen jealous but a lot is also just because she is genuinely crashing out. is she dead? is she alive? is her husband leaving her? is she not pretty anymore? she's pretty now isn't she? ernest falls back into being comforting to her a bit too quickly. maybe because he feels bad for what happened but there is also a routine of him trying to get her to feel better. ernest never wanted a failing marraige, he wanted the american dream and he almost desperately tries to find that with madeline because otherwise he has made a huge mistake. he thinks he has made a huge mistakes but perhaps he can fix it if he just fix madeline.

madeline was sent to rehab at least two times during their marraige. cocaine and no salad dressing in all honour but ernest preferred her with salad dressing and no cocaine. they had huge fights about it. madeline thinks he's a hypocrite because he drinks and that was her way of taking the edge of the world. they could never agree on anything regarding drugs and drinking but madeline is secretly glad he spent time in getting her clean.

a talent madeline has is her marilyn voice. she drops her voice an octave or two, pouts a bit and say "ernest baby". he will do anything. give her anything. especially when they are newly weds. madeline uses it to her advantage a bit too often.

ernest genuinely enjoys most of madelines movies. sometimes when he notices that madeline is a bit upset he asks if they can watch songbird, thrust or love, sex and other inconveniences. madeline happily watch them because she can see that he genuinely thinks she's talented.

despite all their toxicity, Ernest still keeps a photo of Madeline from the early days of their relationship hidden in his wallet. It’s creased and faded, but he looks at it when he’s drunk and mutters about how things could have been. He also has a picture of Helen in the basement, Madeline pretends that she doesn't know he has it but she knows and she checks the drawer where she found it every time she's down there. It fules her to be slightly better towards him for a few days.

every once in awhile, when both are a little drunk and neither is in mood to argue, they just… laugh together. Deep belly laughs about something stupid like a bad wig on TV. Those nights end with them curled up in silence, almost comfortable, sometimes a few deep kisses, until the morning ruins it.

in the beginning of their marriage when things had to be kept exciting and thrilling they established a rule. If madeline was in the kitchen at night, dressed in silk robes and lace and ernest found her whatever madeline was originally doing got to wait. the marble countertop has seen too much of the two of them.

a few times every year, they’ll both be restless at 2 a.m. ernest has been worried about work. madeline has been spirling reading gossip about herself. they throw on coats over pajamas and drive to a 24-hour diner for milkshakes. madeline always gets strawberry, ernest always gets chocolate, and they swap halfway through.

ernest didn't know madeline could handle weapons before they bought their place in LA and she said she needed a weapon cabinet. he watched her shoot in the backyard because she was annoyed he didn't believe she could handle it. the man has never been so scared and turned on in his entire life.

when they fight, Madeline brings up the early days, not with fondness, but as proof of how much Ernest has “fallen” from the man she stole. He retaliates with stories of her fading star power.

madeline genuinely think he is a good kisser. even when they fight and after ernest moved down to the guest room she can appear by his door, dressed for seduction and drape herself in his lap just to get kisses. she's there for attention, at least that's what she tells herself but sometimes she just crave a good make out session.

even if they stop being romantic or maybe didn't ever become romantic they learn things about each other. ernest learns what champagne madeline enjoys. madeline learns what toothpaste ernest wants home. they learn what music, colors and different sodas the other enjoy. ernest knows how madeline wants her iced coffe and she knows how he likes his herbal tea. it's routine but its something they've just learned and do for each other out of habit.

ernest family was sceptical of madeline. madeline craved a family who accepted her so she loosened a bit of the actress facade when she met them. let them get slightly closer to the girl who wasn't named ashton at all. ernest liked that madeline but madeline never allowed him to see or have her like that when they were just them.

madeline keeps a massive mirror at the foot of her bed, claiming it’s for “feng shui.” in reality, she loves catching glimpses of herself during sex, the arch of her back, the glint of jewelry still on her neck and when ernest is allowed into her bedroom she’ll sometimes order him to turn his head so he’s watching them in the reflection too.

madelines dog egot hates ernest. he thinks so at least. he pretends to be all sweet around ernest when madeline is around but the moment she leave the room he is chasing ernest around the house, jumping to bite him in the ass.

she calls him "ernie", he calls her "maddie". they both hate the nicknames equally as much but it stuck and now they suffer.

ernests marriage to sarah wasn't legal. since he was alive he was technically still married to madeline. madeline was also both pissed off that he talked so fondly of his new wife when she was pretty perfect.

i might make a part two of this in the future. i just think mr & mrs ashton are really neat.

[madingenuess]

who did more for the gay community?

Judy

Gaga

Cher

Celine

Two time oscar nominee Madeline Ashton

Voting ended onAug 12, 2025

[madingenuess]

is tonight the night i post all of my Ernest and Madeline headcanons?

[engarde-bitch]

Megan Hilty as Laney in Sweet Mountain Christmas (2018)

[madingenuess]

002:  the  straton  family

madeline  “mads”  straton  was  born  august  9th,  the  youngest  of  three,  with  two  older  brothers  matthew  and  matt.  their  parents,  robert  and  louise  straton,  had  been  married  for  years  when  the  kids  came  along,  and  the  whole  crew  settled  into  a  modest  home  in  newark.

right  from  the  start,  it  was  obvious  robert  and  louise  had  favorites  though  they  never  acted  like  it  was  a  secret.  louise  spoiled  her  boys  silly,  showering  matt  and  matthew  with  praise  and  attention,  while  robert’s  eyes  sparkled  only  for  his  little  girl.  to  him,  madeline  was  a  princess  the  moment  she  opened  her  eyes,  and  she  ate  that  up,  sure  no  one  on  earth  was  as  special  or  as  important  as  her  father.  matthew  and  matt  became  her  personal  bodyguards,  whether  lugging  her  when  she  got  tired,  shielding  her  from  playground  bullies,  or  playing  along  with  her  wildest  make-believe,  they  had  her  back  without  question.

robert  grew  up  deep  in  the  indiana  woods :  fishing,  hunting,  gun  in  hand.  when  he  became  a  dad,  he  was  determined  to  teach  madeline  everything,  no  exceptions.  while  the  boys  were  all  in  for  fishing  trips  and  hunting  weekends,  robert  never  once  considered  letting  madeline  sit  them  out.  so  there  she  was,  right  alongside  matt  and  matthew,  learning  to  load  a  gun,  steady  her  aim,  clean  the  day’s  catch.  madeline  genuinely  loved  these  moments,  but  her  heart  was  always  chasing  something  bigger,  brighter,  places  where  trees  gave  way  to  shining  stages.  what  made  those  dreams  feel  real  was  robert’s  unwavering  support.  no  matter  how  rugged  his  upbringing,  he  never  tried  to  clip  madeline’s  wings.  instead,  he  became  her  fiercest  cheerleader,  front  row  at  every  recital,  play,  and  school  show  since  kindergarten,  his  applause  always  the  loudest  in  the  room.

louise  came  from  louisiana  where  traditions  ran  deep  and  expectations  ran  even  deeper.  buried  beneath  her  polite  smile  was  a  quiet  disapproval  of  madeline’s  big  dreams  and  flashy  ambitions.  louise’s  disapproval  wasn’t  loud  or  obvious,  she  was  too  good  at  keeping  up  appearances  for  that.  it  simmered  in  sighs,  sharp  silences,  a  glance  that  said  more  than  words.  friends  whispered  it  was  jealousy,  envy  of  how  effortlessly  madeline  stole  their  father’s  attention  and  affection,  something  louise  could  never  quite  claim  for  herself.

everything  changed  when  robert  fell  ill  shortly  after  madeline  started  college.  his  sickness  came  fast  and  hard,  and  when  he  died,  the  family  fractured  in  ways  no  one  could’ve  predicted.  with  robert  gone,  the  delicate  balance  tipped.  grief  and  louise’s  bitterness  crept  in,  twisting  matthew  and  matt’s  minds.  louise  began  whispering  doubts  in  their  ears,  painting  madeline  as  selfish,  manipulative,  even  cruel,  someone  unworthy  of  their  love  and  loyalty.  the  brothers  who  once  guarded  madeline  now  treated  her  with  suspicion  and  cold  distance.

madeline  made  a  choice  then.  she  wouldn’t  be  a  straton  anymore.  there  was  nothing  left  to  hold  onto  in  that  family,  no  warmth,  no  safety,  just  coldness.  she  changed  her  last  name  to  ashton, borrowed  from  an  old  movie  actress  she  admired  and  cut  her  family  out  of  her  life.  the  nickname  “maddie,”  once  her  dad’s  tender  term  for  her,  became  a  reminder  of  everything  she’d  lost  and  everything  her  mother  used  it  to  hurt  her  with.  maddie  was  gone.  it  was  “madeline”  or  “mads”  never  “maddie".

even  after  the  distance,  the  family  never  quite  let  go.  when  madeline’s  fame  and  fortune  started  to  take  off,  they  tried  to  worm  their  way  back  in.  but  she  stayed  firm,  locked  down  as  an  ashton,  her  own  person,  her  own  story.

[madingenuess]

I’ll elaborate later but Madeline has won one Tony and it was for playing Sally in Cabaret

[madingenuess]

[ernest] You  meet  the  perfect  woman And  you  build  the  perfect  life And  even  when  that  shatters The  only  thing  that  matters Is,  you  vowed  she'll  be  your  wife

[madeline,  screeching] Ernest!

ernest  being  terrified  of  his  wife  core