Is there ANYTHING Athalie likes to do other than abusing children? Anything?? I know she only cares about maintaining Severin traditions but come on, she’s gotta have at least one hobby right? What does she do in her spare time, when she doesn’t have any Matriarch Work? Sew? Does she even like movies, and if she does, what’s her favorite movie? If she likes books, which genre does she like? Sorry if I’m bombarding you with questions. Athalie is one of my favorite Muted characters after Camille and Avaline (even if I hate every moment with her because she keeps stirring shit up and hurting Cam/Avi) because she’s a great villain and she’s not a villain because you say she is. She’s a villain because in her eyes, she’s the only right and sane person in the Severin family, and since no one else gives a shit about their traditions, she has to do all this to make sure they are upheld. Athalie’s a very interesting character even if I love to hate her (like Rachel from Tower of God) and I wanna know more about her!
This is gonna be a long post lmfao
The Severin family is pretty big at this point, and more scattered than most other NOLA families (Save for maybe the dupre, but the dupre are naturally more independent of each other in general and dont have this system) And while she isn’t as controlling to them as she is to Avaline/Camille she still manages them.
Putting up a Read More for this Essay lol
Beginnings of the month are the areas that take the most time because that is when she’s handling making sure everyones monthly allowances are getting to them. And then over the course of the month she also is taking requests for any additional funds a Severin might need
For example - if they want to go to college or something. That will be a big investment on the family banks part since obviously she doesn’t want to take out a loan so its a long process that would allow that severin to have their school paid in full. But obviously they have to prove that its “worth” the trouble, which would involve a series of tests and interviews and discussions on how that would benefit the family.
She also organizes family events and reunions.
To everyone else in the family on the outside she doesn’t seem /friendly/ but she does seem /giving/ and they view her as “firm” but not cruel. (The way that everyone else admires her work is another thorn in the side for Avaline given how she is treated. Which is also common. Most abusers have a nicer outer face)
Athalie is very thorough about her job and taking care of the general needs of the family. She was very much put in the mindset of “My personal needs and wants aren’t important so long as the family is secure and put together” which is why she considers Abrielle/Camille/Avaline so selfish. (You’ll see that is the insult she uses most often. Because to her, if you’re in the matriarch line that’s it. that is your role. that is what you do.)
Most Severin’s like her MORE than Abrielle since she was trying to basically strip everything down and then build it up again new. Which would obviously mess with their money. she is very involved in her work even if most of her work is just... arranging people like they are on a chess board.
She enjoys going to the theater - like for ballets or operas or classical music orchestras - which is another reason why she had Avaline signed up for ballet. (But her disdain for having to take care of a child that she didn’t want is what kept her from actually going to see a majority of Avaline’s practices)
She plays the violin, she likes black coffee, she likes steak that is VERY bloody and doesn’t really care for any vegetables at all. She hates absolutely hates sweets. She also enjoys reading.... but only reads old locked up books full of forbidden spells lmfaoooo and experimenting with said spells if she likes them enough.
