What Would Serena Say?

Yet another attempt for me to spend more time in Serena Joy Waterford's head. She's always quoting the Bible, but she's expanding her range on this blog. #serena joy waterford #the handmaid's tale #Serena Waterford #Gilead's Postergirl

[whatwouldserenasay]

Today’s thought, from Serena...

[jaeausten]

Charlotte Wells in Harlots, 1.07.

[mournfulroses]

Sylvia Plath, from a journal entry featured in "The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath,"

[mournfulroses]

Sara Teasdale, from The Collected Poems of Sara Teasdale; "Song,"

[whatwouldserenasay]

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.

Mary Oliver

[anti-anticheese]

Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs performing Fast Car at the Grammys

[tughrul]

A woman in power goes against nature itself. Men will never willingly bower to the weaker sex. And they will suffer greatly for it. REIGN — 04x16: All It Cost Her

[witch0000]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 53/? Fandom: Harlots (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Isabella Fitzwilliam/Charlotte Wells Characters: Isabella Fitzwilliam, Charlotte Wells, Nancy Birch, William North (Harlots), Fanny Lambert, Lucy Wells Additional Tags: Forgiveness, Femslash, Historical, Not Canon Compliant, Love, Bathing/Washing, Napping, Tea, Love Letters, Fine Dining, carriage ride, Affection, making amends, Wine, mention of violence, Oral Sex, Fucking, Lesbian Sex, Cunnilingus, Emotions, Emotional Sex, Intoxication, Dissociation, Anger, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma Summary:

It’s a typical morning at the Greek Street house of pleasure. Charlotte and Lucy are spatting, there are culls that need servicing, and Charlotte is in a very bad mood. She doesn’t care for the life of a bawd, she has too much responsibility, and there is no fun in her life. She’s very, very tired and wishes she could take a few days to herself. Nancy tries to talk to Charlotte to get her to face her feelings and her fears. She can’t hide away from her feelings for Isabella for ever. Charlotte decides she is absolutely right and takes steps to resolve that ‘thing’ between her and Isabella that was vexing her days and tormenting her nights.

Context wise, Margaret Wells has been shipped off to America, Dame Death is in Beldam, Harcourt has been neutralized, but Charlotte and Isabella have not spoken yet. This story fits into the in-between time from S2 E8 and S3 E1. I find it hard to believe that Charlotte would just forgive Isabella so quickly and easily, however, since she does, it speaks volumes to the love that they shared.

[witch0000]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

I know–I know! It’s been forever. The stars aligned and I squeeked out another chapter for these two lovebirds–enjoy!

Chapters: 26/?

Fandom: Good Witch (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Stephanie Borden/Abigail Pershing, Cassie Nightingale/Sam Radford Characters: Stephanie Borden, Abigail Pershing, Cassie Nightingale, Grac Russell, Sam Radford, Nick Radford Additional Tags: Friendship/Love, Spirits, I Ship It, I love these two!, Fluff and Smut, Dirty Talk, Oral Sex, Don’t Judge Me, I Don’t Even Know, Smut, Sex, Lesbian Sex, Heterosexual Sex, mediumship, Psychics, Supernatural - Freeform, metaphysical Summary:

Abigail struggles with revealing her true self to her best friend for fear of losing her forever. Until the spirit of her mother appears and gives her the advice she’s been longing for.

[derangedrhythms]

Your silence has been with me and I have let it have its say.

Anne Sexton, from ‘A Self-Portrait in Letters’ ⁠— Brother Dennis Farrell, 2nd August 1963

[onceness-deactivated20240321]

Simon Van Booy, The Presence of Absence (2022)

[latibule-e-deactivated20231012]

— Hao Jingfang, from “Invisible Planets.”

[weltenwellen]

Kay Redfield Jamison, An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

[dk-thrive]

A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor- such is my idea of happiness.

— Leo Tolstoy, The Book of Life (1896). (Posrednik. The Intermediary. Patriotism or Peace. A Letter to Manson, January 2, 1896). (via Make Believe Boutique)

[latibule-e-deactivated20231012]

— Stéphane Mallarme, from “Collected Poems and Other Verse.”

[memoryslandscape-deactivated202]

One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment.”

— Hart Crane, from a letter quoted in Hart Crane: The Life of an American Poet by Philip Horton (Norton, 1937)

[dumb-dumb-again]