The Fantasie Of A Stepmother - Tumblr Posts

obligatory redraws of memes with asm characters

I don’t think it’s meant to symbolize him seeing someone in the water, actually. Instead, I think it—and the ribbon—are meant to represent Richelieu’s faith in God, and how he believes himself to be the only priest free of sin.

(my brain didn’t want to word correctly so my apologies if this feels too stilted or disjointed, I just couldn’t seem to get my thoughts out correctly. If you need clarification just ask and I’ll happily answer)

Quick recap of the chapter for anyone who doesn’t have immediate access to it: Richelieu accidentally stumbles across some old passages underneath the Vatican, and starts exploring them. He discovers hidey-holes that allows him to spy on other priests and see just how corrupt they are. As he wanders, he believes God guided him to the tunnels and questions what God wants him to do about all this (which is where that panel occurs). He comes to the conclusion that he must cleanse the Church of corruption, and starts taking steps to do so (becoming Theobald’s teacher, turning Wolff into his right-hand man). Chapter ends with Richelieu and Theobald in present time, going into a room to talk after Theobald has returned from the gambling house.

While researching, I found a short passage in the Bible called “The Parable of the Pearl”:

Basically it means that if you aren’t willing to stake your entire future on getting into Heaven, then you were never worthy of it in the first place. Another popular interpretation is that material possessions can never measure up against the beauty and wonder of Heaven. Both interpretations line up pretty well with some of Richelieu’s thoughts in this chapter:

Pearls have always been extremely valuable, especially in ancient times, and are still often used as a symbol of wealth. I think that’s why Richelieu is shown as separate from the whole strand of pearls; he is the one “good” pearl connected to Heaven while all the other pearls (the priests) chase after their riches. Plus pearls symbolize purity, wisdom, and faith. And yet the strand of pearls looks like it’s stained with something (perhaps blood because the Church plotted Shuri’s murder and then started a Holy War?), which again I thought related back to “chasing after riches and immorality instead of wisdom.”

And Richelieu even goes on to state just how faithful his family has always been:

They don’t cling to material possessions but instead their faith. It took Richelieu longer to find that faith, but when he did, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to it.

Also, apparently when Eve cried as she was kicked out of the Garden of Eden, her tears fell into the ocean and became pearls. Holy figures falling from grace and being associated with pearls…you get the gist. And yes, I do find it a little odd that pearls are both associated with Heaven but also being kicked out of Paradise, but whatever.

The only really mention of ribbons I could find in the Bible was when God ordered the Israelites to wear blue ribbons as they left Egypt to show that they were people of God, but the color white is associated with purity and being free of sin. Ribbons/knots in general tend to symbolize loyalty and eternal bonds. Except the ribbon in the panel isn’t tied or bound to anything. Richelieu may be loyal to God and believe himself to be pure, but nothing he does for atonement can ever justify the sins he’s committed in God’s name. God is not with him after all he’s done.

Mystery Pearls

So there's this strange panel I want to draw your attention to. Specifically this scene in Ch. 106 where a teenage Richelieu has a symbolic flashback to the day he was "reborn."

Now the drowning memory isn't very strange on its own but the really weird thing was that he saw bloody(?) pearls and a white ribbon in the water with him. (and no, Richelieu was not wearing pearls in this scene, doesn't wear pearls in the original drowning scene, and they don't seem to be rosary beads) It only appears in this single panel but it's confusing me so much??

I was wondering if this was a reference to Shuri's death and her own revival, but I couldn't find any proof of her wearing pearls on that fateful day. Just who was it that he saw in the river?

Mystery Pearls

So there's this strange panel I want to draw your attention to. Specifically this scene in Ch. 106 where a teenage Richelieu has a symbolic flashback to the day he was "reborn."

Now the drowning memory isn't very strange on its own but the really weird thing was that he saw bloody(?) pearls and a white ribbon in the water with him. (and no, Richelieu was not wearing pearls in this scene, doesn't wear pearls in the original drowning scene, and they don't seem to be rosary beads) It only appears in this single panel but it's confusing me so much??

I was wondering if this was a reference to Shuri's death and her own revival, but I couldn't find any proof of her wearing pearls on that fateful day. Just who was it that he saw in the river?

None of these are likely to happen, but what if... we got another vacation-style epilogue arc in Season 3?

I loved the hot spring vacation mini story in Season 1's epilogue, but it was a shame that all the characters were still so young (we really missed out on topless adult!Nora official art).

Full picture of Shuri in the streiffe (not sure how it spelled) jacket, given by her boyfriend 🤭

You know, I actually had the same thought myself, but in my head, Nora actually tries to use the Nuremburg name to get close to Shuri. Like, the Neuschwanstein and Nuremburg families have been close for years, and Jeremy is around his age and skilled with the sword so perhaps Nora could visit them to be a friend to Jeremy and the kids, help them through their grief.

Or that’s the general reasoning Nora gives his parents, at least. I think Heidi and Albrecht would believe that Nora is finally being “tamed”, becoming a bit more mature, and would agree fairly easily. Both to help Shuri and in the hopes this might get Nora to mature even more.

Except, whoops, someone just insulted Shuri and Nora does not hesitate in going feral to protect her.

But what if Nora was the one who regressed instead?

Imagine Streife!Nora, in all of his tortured glory, going back in time to protect Shuri from evil. It'd be so violent but also so romantic like-

What would his first re-encounter with Shuri be like? He would probably be the one to seek her out, since they never officially met if Shuri hadn't gone shopping or organized Johannes' memorial party. Would he ever formally introduce himself? I'm kind of imagining a "lady and the tramp" situation, where Nora runs away from his family and starts a life on the streets. And he becomes the mysterious scamp that appears like the wind on Shuri's balcony window.

He'd appear at a moment's notice, somehow knowing exactly when and where Shuri needs his help. Effectively getting rid of obstacles before they even become a threat. Theo and the church would actually stand no chance.

Nora would keep remembering his promise to Shuri at her grave. Knowing that God gave him the chance he always prayed for, he would never let it go to waste.

But what if Nora was the one who regressed instead?

Imagine Streife!Nora, in all of his tortured glory, going back in time to protect Shuri from evil. It'd be so violent but also so romantic like-

What would his first re-encounter with Shuri be like? He would probably be the one to seek her out, since they never officially met if Shuri hadn't gone shopping or organized Johannes' memorial party. Would he ever formally introduce himself? I'm kind of imagining a "lady and the tramp" situation, where Nora runs away from his family and starts a life on the streets. And he becomes the mysterious scamp that appears like the wind on Shuri's balcony window.

He'd appear at a moment's notice, somehow knowing exactly when and where Shuri needs his help. Effectively getting rid of obstacles before they even become a threat. Theo and the church would actually stand no chance.

Nora would keep remembering his promise to Shuri at her grave. Knowing that God gave him the chance he always prayed for, he would never let it go to waste.

every time someone mentions about how much leon resembles jeremy, take a shot. every time someone mentions how much jeremy resembles johannes, drink the entire bottle.

Jeremy Von Neuchwanstein and Shuli Von Neuchwanstein || On the quiet, all-consuming loves that toe between companionship and romance, grief and simple happiness, looming tragedy and guilty pleasures, and thus shouldn't be acted upon.

Illustrations from A Stepmother's Marchen / Hedgehog's Dilemma, Wikipedia / Waiting Room by Phoebie Bridgers / A Poem From The Adult Daughter To The Narcissistic Mother by Katherine Fabrizio / People Will Say We're In Love, Oklahoma! / Twilight by Stephanie Meyer / tumblr post by starpeace / The Cart, Mary Reufle / Haiku [for you] by Sonia Sanchez / Spend Some Time by Eminem / Every Day by David Levithan / Unknown / In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive by Clementine Von Radics / Anchorite (Love You Very Much) by Car Seat Headrest / Unknown / Biotherm (for Bill Berkson) by Frank O' Hara / New and Selected Poems Volume 1 by Mary Oliver / tumblr post by chateauofmymind / Unknown / Kate McGahan / Waiting by Caitlyn Siehl / P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han / Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs / tumblr post by poetrylovesongs, / The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks / song for a lover (of long ago) by Bon Iver / please don't forget me and all the things that we did by Isaac Love / The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch / The Winner's Kiss, Marie Rutkoski / In another universe by Dana Lee / The Crucible: A Play in Four Acts by Arthur Miller / Two Slow Dancers by Mitski / Maybe In Another Universe, I Deserve You by Gaby Dunn / Next Time by Team StarKid / Jonathan Carroll / The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives / Pyrrhic Victory, Wikipedia / Raushan Ranjan / All My Pretty Ones by Anne Sexton / Your Best American Girl by Mitski / twitter post by fran (galacticidiots) / War of the Foxes by Richard Siken / Crush by Richard Siken / The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway / twitter post by mountain. (sainticide) / The Unabridged Journals Of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath / Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick / SANDARAFREEDOMPARK / Unknown / Unsent Project / twitter post by aiman (dumbsoftheart) / there is no absolution for the fallen, only the dying by p.d / Unknown / Someone New by Hozier / Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays by Christa Wolf / A Self-Portrait in Letters by Anne Sexton / Unknown / “I get so jealous of euthanized dogs” by June Gehringer / Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

Let me know if some of them aren't actually unknown!

Happy birthday Shuri (24/8)

Happy Shuri Day!!!

It's Shuri's official birthday! (8/24) As of the end of Season 2, Shuri is 19 years old!

August 24 is also known as National Waffle Day AND National Pie Day which makes sense because Shuri is just that sweet.

A stepmother's marchen new cover is Ohera 🥺💜 she is wearing the same dress from the early chapters!

I’m actually really curious about what kind of gem is supposed to be on Ohara’s cover. To my knowledge, there’s never been any sort of connection between Ohara and a specific gem in the manhwa, so I’m curious. I did do some quick searching for pink gems, and it seems the most likely candidates would be pink sapphire (left) or pink topaz (right).

I’m kind of leaning more towards the sapphire, because while both gems symbolize love, the pink sapphire can symbolize fidelity. And, well, the root cause of Ohara’s trauma was her father pretending to love her mother, only to cheat on her. It’s also supposed to help with emotional stability and harmony, while the pink topaz helps with emotional healing. Both gems work well for Ohara, in my opinion.

Also, all that red shading on her dress might be due to the fact that Ohara (unintentionally) caused Shuri’s death in TL1. If she hadn’t lied to Shuri about Jeremy wanting her at the wedding, then the church wouldn’t have gotten the opportunity to assassinate her in the middle of nowhere.

I have three different explanations for Elias facing away from Ohara:

The easiest explanation would be that they’re just not super close yet. They’re friendly with each other but not quite truly friends yet. So they’ve got their backs to each other. Though as you said, Elias is one of Ohara’s allies, so this could be them “having each other’s backs.” They listened to and comforted one another during the Hunting Competion, so there’s definitely some level of trust.

Two characters facing in this position can be used to show how they are mirrors of each other in some way. In this case, I think it could be because Elias and Ohara both felt lonely and unloved by their family. While Elias eventually learned to see that his family really does love and support him unconditionally, I don’t think it means Ohara’s father will be revealed to actually care for her. Rather, Ohara has to learn to open herself up to the Neuschwansteins, and learn how to be part of a family. To give love and receive love back. Just like Elias is still trying to figure his own position within the family.

This position can also show two characters that are on opposite paths from one another. Ohara is still clinging to that promised future with Jeremy (which might explain why he’s not completely turned away from her) but a future with Elias would be the opposite of what Ohara’s father wants for her, what she believes she wants. If she’s not careful, Elias will end up passing her by and she’ll lose him forever.

ASM Volume 7 Cover was released!!

Breaking my hiatus for an important news update!! The Volume 7 (Japanese) Cover that features Ohara has been officially released! I'll be doing a breakdown discussing the symbolism behind the cover below! Here's my breakdown post about the first 6 covers!

the WIP (now deleted from Orka's twitter) below!

Vol. 7 features a young Ohara in her iconic Season 1 yellow dress (above), flooded in an eerily romantic pink glow. Again, we don't know which chapters are included in the volume (and they differ between the English and Japanese releases) but here we go!

Red Ribbon: The first thing that comes to mind is the red string of fate ofc. Ohara is not only strung to Jeremy as his arranged fiancee but also to Shuri. Reminder: we've also seen this in Vol. 1's cover with Shuri.

Red Rose Petals: a symbol of romantic love, passion, or even sacrifice. Which ALSO makes an appearance in Vol. 1's cover. Again, drawing parallels between Ohara and Shuri's symbolism, with Ohara leaning more towards passion and Shuri to sacrifice. In this case, passion may refer more to her relationship with the concept of passion and adultery through her parents' broken marriage.

Heart Shaped Gem: It's unclear what kind of specific gem this is without a dialogue cue but most pink gems have a romantic affiliation, not to mention the literal shape of it. Again, we can draw more parallels with Shuri's peridot.

Jeremy and Elias: Funny how many parallels we can draw from Vol. 1's cover with Jeremy and Nora facing Shuri in her cover and Jeremy and Elias facing away from Ohara here. While Jeremy is tied to Ohara in an engagement, he's disinterested in her but Elias' position is a surprise. Perhaps if we turn around our thinking, we can see this as Ohara turning her back to Elias? Elias is one of her greater allies, but she doesn't quite realize it yet.

Pink Haze: While this is a bit of a stretch, we have seen a pink haze as a symbol of delusions when Johannes was hallucination Ludovika. I don't think it's far off to say that Ohara is drowning in her own insecurities, deluding herself into drawing false conclusions between Shuri and Jeremy.

Bloody Red-Marked Dress: OK. I don't think it's blood because she's not sinister, but I think the red shading is deliberate for a reason. The alternative cover shows this more clearly on the bottom of her skirt. I just think it's worth noting how violent it appears, especially hidden beneath the pink filter of the main cover's version.

BONUS:

Remember this sketch? Looks like it's a holographic extra illustration for the physical print!

The inspirations and their characters

Happy Nora Day!!

It's Nora's b-day (9/12)!! As of the end of Season 2, he was approximately 17 years old!

Quite suitably, September 12 is also known as "Are You Okay Day?" "National Day of Encouragement" and "National Chocolate Milkshake Day."

uhhh i'm back from hiatus? back to our regular scheduled shitposts 🥸

theo totally doesn't bathe. he layers musty cologne like it's nobody's business

you and i both know elias layers his axe body products

yes. that is a pumice stone. richelieu abrades the skin dirt off his body

🗣️🗣️🗣️ WHICH ASM MOMMY IS WINNING THE CUNTY WORLD SERIES!??? (no shuri doesn't count this time. she did not birth nobody lol)

special mention: Rosemary and Lady Bayern (sorry grams)

Manhwas with the same Author [Novel Cover]

Plutus

Who Made Me A Princess

Harley Takes the House / Beware of the Brothers

Alphatart

The Remarried Empress

Men of the Harem

Spice&Kitty

The Fantasie of a Stepmother / A Stepmother's Marchen

How To Get My Husband On My Side

Saha

The Beloved Little Princess / The Youngest Princess

Predatory Marriage [NSFW]

Please Don't Eat Me

Lee Hey » author and artist «

A Good Day To Be A Dog

See You In My 19th Life / Please Take Care Of Me In This Life As Well

click here for -> pt 2