#cressida things

[speedocs]

cressida really likes cult classic films alongside retro science fiction. and as far as retro sci fi goes she really means retro like orson welles.

but her favorite movies are like the iron giant, the big lebowski, rocky horror picture show, clerks, the room, and attack of the killer tomatoes.

[stevita]

I was out for a smoke just now and it hit me that even though denise and cressida are opposites in terms of their modus operandi, they’re much more similar than cressida and lise would ever be--they’re two sides of the same coin, practically. The gaslighting and emotional manipulation, acting sweet to your face while on the inside thinking of nothing but their own selfish agenda, the slipping things into your juice without your knowledge. 

meanwhile lise is the sweetest little angel ever to burn down half a town

[stevita]

What would it be like if Cressida was in a position of power?

She’d...actually probably be a really good ruler. 

I mean yeah, she’s horrible to her lovers, but she’s good with power, as she’s proven time and time again as she seizes her man-of-the-hour’s sway and influence as they all get more sedate and complacent under her ‘tender loving care’ *vomits in own mouth* 

She’d be responsible with her country because if it thrives, she thrives. She doesn’t really care about other people, but she’d be good to her people if only for her own sake. 

Honestly she’s probably a born politician.

[stevita]

I know you talked about how Lise would react to an asshole in the Hogwarts Feedee/feeder group. How would Cressida react?

If this was pre her losing her humanity along with her first boyfriend, she’d probably just be like ‘meh that’s none of my business’ and look the other way. Cressida may have worked her way up from the bottom economically, but she has none of Lise’s sympathy for the underdog, and none of Lise’s righteous fury. To Cressida, it’s every man for himself. She’s still standing because she fought, and if someone else is in trouble, she’s not about to save them from drowning. To her, they oughta suffer like she did. 

If it was after her first boyfriend’s death, when she was already being an asshole feeder herself, she’d probably give them helpful tips and pointers--how to gaslight someone, how to switch the labels on their clothes, sleight-of-hand techniques for slipping stuff into their food, helpful potion formulas, etc--in exchange, of course, for a nominal fee. Because all of Cressida’s motivations are essentially financial. 

[stevita]

If you had to stop writing one of your OC's which would you choose?

Probably Cressida because she’s problematic as FUCK 

I mean I try to give her as much complexity and agency as I can so that she doesn’t just fall into stereotypes but I’m still well-aware that I’m walking a thin fucking line with her

[stevita]

What type of girl would Cressida be attracted too?

She’d want someone strong-willed and intelligent. Someone who, like herself, might otherwise just be a lone wolf. Someone who knows what it’s like to struggle and fight through shit, and if it’s a rich girl, she’d better have fought her way up and become a ‘self made’ woman, because Cressida has no patience for the spoiled aristocracy. 

[stevita]

What's your favorite thing about writing Cressida?

Getting to use her to portray a behavior I personally condemn, and basically getting into her head and hashing out her motivations and demonstrating that, in spite of all her own reasoning, what she’s doing still isn’t okay. 

As you can probably tell, I have a LOT of contempt for people who walk all over other people’s bodily autonomy. And I like getting to write villains like that because, in doing so, I get to write from their point of view, and demonstrate that all monsters are human but that doesn’t excuse them from their actions. 

See also: Antonin and Denise. Cressida can join them at the “sorry some things have sucked for you, but that’s no excuse for telling people you love them and immediately proceeding to ruin their lives” table. 

[stevita]

What was Cressida like with her first love?

Loving. Free spirited. Cheeky and bantering and mischievous and singularly devoted. They each had nothing but each other. And that was enough. Until he died.