#✦ ・ {{ ambrose }} BIOGRAPHY

[ruleof3bobby]

BLACKBERRY (2023) Grade: B-

Entertaining& informative. Matt Johnson, who also directs, has some good scene stealing moments. Good to see a movie about main characters that fail spectacularly.

[lostwcnderlands]

" The fey are magical, capricious, illogical, and unexplainable. "

𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖆𝖒𝖇𝖗𝖔𝖘𝖊, 𝖚𝖓𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊 . . .

inspired by tinkerbell's secret of the wings && the iron fey series by julie kagawa. an exclusive pair with @storybooklcve's ariella dawn.

. . . . you knew there was a home for out there somewhere. it never felt like yours in the pillars of ice. love is an unknown touch until fingers grasp your own. an unwilling throne, a crown thrown with sweaty, empty hands - the heart will never ache the way it does for the pirouettes of summer . . . .

as the eldest of three, pressure was not uncommon for the young fae prince as he grew up in the winter woods, where the home of the unseelie royalty were kept apart from the rest. queen mab, mother && ruler of the realm, was not known for her kindness; but rather, her fearsome nature and wild antics. she had come to the throne young - and her mistakes along the way had caused the unseelie court to suffer even beyond her walls of steely ice.

from birth, he had been betrothed. queen titania of the seelie court had, mysteriously, become pregnant at the same time as the young queen mab - creating the most fitting opportunity to create a treaty of (hopefully) lasting peace between kingdoms. one unseelie prince for a seelie princess. with true love out of the question for ambrose; he found his sense of purpose in other ways. he tried not to think of how he'd never met his bride-to-be... or how, they would always live apart; how if he dared cross too far into her world or she into his, then harm would befall their wings.

the brothers were inseparable - as the fae of their court && from the summer realm were assigned talents && duties, it was them who took on the role of repairing their mother's mistakes. for ambrose, he shied away from the spotlight, taking to quieter hobbies and tending to his meticulous collections. with tensions low between the courts, morale between the realms was at an all-time high, and it was not uncommon for unseelie && seelie alike to intermingle, and grow bonds together.

of course - not for ambrose, this was forbidden. queen mab still hated the seelie queen, despite the peace treaty, forbidding any of her sons to interact beyond the line beyond absolute necessary. an odd rule to give someone betrothed into the summer royal family, but it made for an easier time to avoid the knowledge of his doomed betrothal. until... someone made it impossible to ignore.

in the end, it was a summer fairy after all that caught ambrose's attention; but she was not of royal blood, no, simply a performer with dance moves that could mesmerize even the coldest souls. he'd had no choice but to pursue her, falling further in love than he ever thought possible. like her name, ariella was the dawn - sun, stars, moon, and more.

but queen mab found out. in order to protect the secret, and end the affair quickly, she ordered him not to see the summer dancer again. it became harder to see ariella, but ambrose never gave up. he would grow more && more daring with his attempts to extend their time, increase it's frequency... pressing the boundaries between sensible && safe until he flew too close to the sun. wings of frost had cracked, leaving his right wing torn and fragile.

for a time, ambrose managed to hide the injury. he thought, perhaps, it would heal - with rest, with ice, with pixie dust. when no improvements were made, and the damaged parts of the wing began to chip off like thawing ice, ambrose knew he had to accept his new reality. with a torn wing, he would never fly again. when he refused to tell his mother what had happened, queen mab's hatred clouded her judgment, and she assumed that the seelie court had broken the treaty of peace.

a wall of ice, unbreakable && thick, was erected between the realms, and a new law was ordered to all. no one crosses the border. no one goes in... and no one goes out. the betrothal broken, ambrose finally had everything he'd dreamed of; the freedom to love who he chose, and roam without pressure to return. without wings, he was useless as a warrior or an icon of power, especially until it was his turn to rule. queen mab cared little about what he did now, as long as it stayed within the unseelie realm, and he caused no further harm.

but without ariella, it was empty && unsatisfying. taking to the workshops, ambrose devised a new purpose. he would find a way to break his mother's ice - and to make living in both worlds possible, once and for all.

“ The faery lords are immortal. Those who have songs ballads and stories written about them never die. "

[milliondollarbaby87]

BlackBerry (2023) Review

The story around the incredible rise of the world’s first smartphone, BlackBerry but the even quicker fall from grace! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Continue reading Untitled

[therepublicofletters]

I’ve been reading a biography of St. Augustine and I’m really struck by the lack of oversight on his philosophical and religious “conversions” and epiphanies. Of course he questioned a lot but in the end it seems that he came to a lot of conclusions on his own which otherwise would have been “corrected” (as Ambrose later would do)—and in the end he became an important philosopher and theologian. I suppose the lesson is not to rely so much on authority. But for a person so obsessed with books (like myself), my immediate reaction to a question about the nature of the soul or the universe would be to read on it, rather than to go down some winding philosophical path that leads to some wild ecstasy in a garden. But then again, times change, I suppose.

[brother-emperors]

normally the biography on Theodosius costing $50 (making it out of my price range for something that’s currently a casual curiosity) and not available through other means would have me go ‘alright! We’re done here, back to Valens!’ however the Subleyras painting with Theodosius and Ambrose has me feeling some kind of way and what is usually an insurmountable obstacle is like. nbd. improvise, adapt, overcome. I will simply have to eat Theodosius.

[deadpresidents]

HERBERT HOOVER •An Uncommon Man: The Triumph of Herbert Hoover by Richard Norton Smith (BOOK) •Herbert Hoover: A Biography by Eugene Lyons (BOOK) •Herbert Hoover in the White House: The Ordeal of the Presidency by Charles Rappleye (BOOK | KINDLE) •Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times by Kenneth Whyte (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT •Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Traitor To His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by H.W. Brands (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom by Conrad Black (BOOK | KINDLE) •Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life by Robert Dallek (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

HARRY S. TRUMAN •Truman by David McCullough (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year That Transformed America by David Pietrusza (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Plain Speaking: An Oral Biography of Harry S. Truman by Merle Miller (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Off the Record: The Private Papers of Harry S. Truman by Harry S. Truman, Edited by Robert H. Ferrell (BOOK) •Harry S. Truman by Margaret Truman (BOOK)

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER •Eisenhower by Geoffrey Perret (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Eisenhower, Volume I: Soldier, General of the Army, President-Elect, 1890-1952 by Stephen E. Ambrose (BOOK | KINDLE) •Eisenhower, Volume II: The President by Stephen E. Ambrose (BOOK | KINDLE) •The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower by Stephen E. Ambrose (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

JOHN F. KENNEDY •An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (BOOK | KINDLE) •Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency by Mark K. Updegrove (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 by Fredrik Logevall (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) •Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy by Vincent Bugliosi (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO)

[compacflt]

Do you have any nonfiction that you would recommend if someone was interested in the US Navy/military?

im probably not the right person to ask this bc most of my military knowledge hyperfixation is centered on the ARMY in the American Revolutionary War & World War II. It’s only pretty recently that i got into modern warfare as a topic, so let me just give some indiscriminate recs

Can’t go wrong with David McCullough‘s 1776, which is a great overview of the first year of the revolutionary war + the extremely fraught politics of trying to start a new nation’s military—really illustrates where a bunch of lingering schools of thought in our military originated from.

Another David McCullough shout-out: his The Wright Brothers is an excellent book about the origins of flight, AND it was the book right next to the picture of Ice and Maverick shaking hands on Ice’s bookshelf in TGM. So we know ice has read that one. I think you can’t go wrong at all with any David McCullough. I own like 5-6 of his books and he hasn’t missed once. (His best is John Adams but that’s not mil related)

Ron chernows biography of Washington goes into his military background (7 years' war) a whole bunch, and kind of elucidates how truly fortunate we were to have our nation’s first leader be a military man who really kinda didn’t want to be there. Some really good takes on leadership. Just beware that chernow does have a reputation in the history community for just makin shit up sometimes. If it sounds too cute/quaint to be true, it really might be.

u may be tempted: DO NOT read Brian kilmeade's Thomas Jefferson & the Tripoli Pirates, one of the few navy NF books I've read. I read it b4 I even knew who kilmeade was--didn't matter. it fucking sucks. he uses like 7 sources in the whole book.

Stephen E. Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers is a great WWII NF book about that generation of infantrymen.

The one big Navy NF book I've read recently is (not to brag but my personally signed copy of) Craig symonds' new biography of admiral Chester Nimitz, who was COMPACFLT during WWII's war in the pacific. I got a SHIT ton of professional characterization for Ice from Nimitz' life and this book--Nimitz also worked 18 hour days, was also separated from the love of his life for long periods of time in Hawaii, was also probably acutely depressed, etc.

okay: THOMAS E. RICKS. The Generals is SUCH a good book. Army leadership from WWII up through Iraq and Afghanistan. Focusing on how the Army used to relieve (fire) commissioned officers who couldn't hack it, and that's a huge part of why we won WWII, but somewhere between WWII and Korea, being fired started being super shameful (macarthur's fault if I'm reading it correctly) so mediocre officers didn't get fired and that's why the army has suffered shit leadership in every war since WWII. It's a HUGE thesis that he backs up so well. Would so recommend. I'm also currently reading his FIASCO about the fuck-up of Iraq. Also incredible so far.

Michael O'Hanlon's Military History for the Modern Strategist-- a post Civil War survey of military strategy on the campaign/operational level. Might be a good introduction to US military history, just giving a pretty broad overview of post-CW warfare, so that way you don't pick up a random book about the Korean War and go "wait what was the Chosin campaign again?" Interestingly written and I got to meet him and he wrote "wishing you the best" in my book after I told him I wanted to steal his job at Brookings someday, so admittedly I'm biased.

Lawrence Wright's The Terror Years: From Al-Qaeda to the Islamic State is not strictly military related, but it is one of the best-written and most illuminating nonfiction books I've ever read and I cannot recommend it enough.

For war fiction, my taste is v mainstream: Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato (imo better than the things they carried), Ahmed Saadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad, Kevin Powers' The Yellow Birds, Cannot Miss Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front if you haven't read it, Hassan Blasim's The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq... For specifically Naval lit: Run Silent, Run Deep is a pretty good classic, and this summer I read the 600-page behemoth The Caine Mutiny, which is about specifically WWII-era naval law... it's a brick. But it won a pulitzer and it's...passable. Kind of interesting at least.

[softguarnere]

hello! :) i'm working on a bob fanfiction right now, and i wanted to know if you had any tips for aspiring bob fanfic writers (or if you had talked about this before?) i'm especially curious what you have to say about balancing the historical accuracy of the story vs deviations from history, as well as how to weave an oc into the original plot of the show while still keeping the content fresh and (somewhat) original

oh! and also how you go about doing your research (if you do any)

your writing is a huge inspiration to me, so thanks so much!! i hope you have a good day :D

Hi Anon! I answered something similar here if you want to check that out

Aside from just going for it and having fun with it, I do have some thoughts (everybody act shocked), but I'll try to keep it concise 🤗

Balancing historical accuracy with fiction

First and foremost, I feel like it's helpful to point out that Stephen Ambrose made some mistakes in BOB. Not trying to disparage his name or anything, just to be clear! Several of the men (Speirs, Shifty) pointed out mistakes he made about them in the book.

Why am I mentioning this? Because I'm a historian and I'm annoying about it lol Because the historical narrative we're drawing our inspiration for fics from isn't a narrative that everyone agrees on -- then again, good luck finding one that people do, but I digress -- I think it gives some wiggle room for bending the story a bit to make it work for the narrative that we as writers are trying to create

Similarly, I feel like it's important to invoke the disclaimer that many of us put on our fics: these stories about fictional representations from a show (though it is based on real people and events)

In the end, we're all taking liberties with the narrative for the sake of our writing. Most people in the fandom probably won't bite your head off if you use plotlines that are alternate histories because most of us are doing them, too -- and a lot of writers here have some very cool ideas and plots with alternate histories that are really good reads!

At the end of the day, don't feel pressured to stick directly to the historical narrative. After all, we're writers -- having imagination is what we do

Weaving an OC into a well-known narrative

Oh boy. I'm not sure if there's a great way to answer this. Personally, I knew who my OC was, what her background, wants desires, etc. were, and then I just sort of . . . set her free into the story? There are moments directly from the show where I wove her in and made her a part of that scene, and then there are interactions and plotlines that I came up with myself.

Honestly, it probably depends on your plot and your character. No one really wants to read a re-write of BOB -- after all, that's why we're all out here writing fics with our own ideas and stories. However, if you feel that a certain scene would further your plot/advance your character, and that you can weave them into it, then go for it! It's all about how you write and what feels right to you for your story.

Research

Have I abused some of my historian privileges during my time in this fandom? Perhaps 👀 But if you don't have university archival access, never fear! There are still lots of good ways to research

In terms of background, I found that reading the memoirs and biographies of the Easy Company men was really helpful when figuring out how to write them. It was also good for learning stories and experiences that did not make it into BOB. Watching interviews with them on YouTube and watching interviews with the actors was also extremely helpful for things like speech cadence, mannerisms, etc.

Definitely branch out, though! I was lucky in that I had to do some projects about WW2 around the time that I joined the fandom, so researching different aspects of the period was helpful for me when I started writing. Don't feel like you have to rush out and read every WW2 book or watch every documentary, but it can definitely help with learning different perspectives and experiences, as well as providing context.

If you ever want book recommendations, feel free to reach out! Especially if you need book recs about paratroopers in general, because I have a whole shelf space dedicated to those haha

Lastly, thank you so much for the lovely compliment, Anon -- and thank you for trusting me enough to reach out! 🥹 Feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat, and I look forward to reading what you write in the future 💕

(Other BOB writers feel free to add on!)

[andprejvdice]

a rare smile. a perfectly tailored suit. tracing your lineage back through time. the click of fine boots on a polished marble floor. holding on tightly to everything you have. an engraved pocket watch. fastening your own cuff-links. doing whatever is necessary to win. a voice of reason. staying in control. putting family above everything. a glass of scotch at the end of a long day. smoking tobacco and crystal ashtrays. the hardest of hearts.

statistics.

full name:  lord asriel eliad halifax, eighth viscount halifax nickname(s):  none (loathes them) name meaning:  god has helped age:  thirty-five date of birth:  september 19th star sign:  virgo place of birth:  henley-on-thames, buckinghamshire current location:  mayfair, london gender:  cis-male pronouns:  he/him sexual orientation:  bisexual (polyamorous) religion:  jewish (non-practising) occupation:  viscount (politician, landlord, etc etc) family:  ambrose halifax, seventh viscount halifax (father, deceased) dalit eliad (mother, estranged) dowager viscountess viola halifax (step-mother) two younger half-sisters (tba) education level:  educated at eton, followed by cambridge university living arrangements:  splits his time between grayside manor in henley-on-thames, and the halifaxes’ london residence (though he spends significantly more time in london these days) financial status:  wealthy spoken languages:  english, french, latin, ancient greek, hebrew

inspirations.

edward fairfax rochester (jane eyre) sir thomas sharpe (crimson peak) edward lewis (pretty woman) fitzwilliam darcy (pride and prejudice) henry winter (the secret history) the knave of hearts (alice in wonderland) james flint (black sails)

biography. (sudden death tw, heart attack tw)

Asriel Eliad Halifax's conception was an accident. His mother, Dalit Eliad, was the youngest daughter of an Egyptian diplomat, dragged off to freezing Britain at the whim of her father, where she knew no-one and was often left alone for days at a time. It was little surprise, then, that the handsome Ambrose Halifax caught her eye and promptly swept her off her feet when the pair found themselves in attendance at the same debutants ball.

Theirs was a whirlwind romance, two months comprised of secret letters and sneaking out in the middle of the night. When it became apparent that Dalit had fallen pregnant, what else was there to do except rush to the altar? It was one of the few matters on which Ambrose and his new father-in-law were in agreement over - it wouldn't do for his son and heir to be born out of wedlock, after all.

What happiness the couple had was fleeting. Asriel was their pride and joy, really the only good thing to come of their relationship, but it quickly became clear that the newly-minted Halifaxes were never meant to live under the same roof. After four years of marriage defined by frosty silences and blistering insults, the unheard of happened, and Ambrose Halifax petitioned the court for divorce. Dalit returned to Egypt with nothing, stripped of her title and without her son. It was never a question that Asriel would remain in England with his father - it simply wouldn't do for the Halifax heir to be sent abroad, so far from his family and his ancestral home.

For a while it was just the two of them, and it suited them both just fine. Asriel idolised his father, worshipped the ground he walked on and aspired to be a man just like him when he grew up. Together they began to work through the contents of the Grayside Manor’s expansive library, awakening in Asriel a thirst for knowledge that has remained with him ever-after. Dalit's name was never mentioned again, though Asriel often thought of her in quiet moments, wondering where she was and if she thought of him too.

Eventually Ambrose remarried, and to everyone's great surprise, his new wife loved her step-son, and he loved her in return. Viola Halifax was a demure and graceful woman, who had been preparing for marriage and motherhood her whole life, as any proper noble lady would. Asriel’s first little sister arrived when he was twelve, followed by another two years later. He was already too old to really have anything in common with them, but he was absolutely devoted to them nevertheless.

When he turned thirteen, Asriel was sent to Eton, as many young lords are. His time at boarding school passed without incident, being a clever sort that was sincerely dedicated to his studies - an obvious candidate to pursue higher education at Cambridge University, when he came of age.

At the age of twenty-one, Asriel’s world changed forever with the unexpected loss of his father, who suffered a fatal heart attack only a month after Asriel graduated from Cambridge. Suddenly he was the Halifax patriarch, seated firmly at the head of the family and left to replace his father as Viscount, and take his seat in the House of Lords. Everything was left to him, but in spite of his young age, Asriel knew he would not turn his back on his responsibilities - it was down to him to assure the future of his house, and though he doubted he would ever measure up to his father, it was his duty to try.

With his step-mother’s support, Asriel transitioned seamlessly into his duties as Viscount, and in his time at the head of the household has increased his family’s fortunes twice over.

Now a man of thirty-five and well-established in the Ton, Asriel Halifax is the man you call when you need something fixed. He has connections everywhere, more money than god, and the kind of sensible, efficient personality that could make a person believe he’s capable of anything.

His primary concern these days is his sisters. It's paramount that he gets them settled into betrothals at the earliest possible opportunity, in order to secure their futures and make sure they will be taken care of in the event of his own untimely death. In light of this, he is yet to marry himself, as doing so would leave his sisters and step-mother in a vulnerable position, due to some archaic law of inheritence.

other things.

In spite of his not-inconsiderable wealth, Asriel only owns one watch, and is rarely seen without it. It belonged to his father when he was alive, and his grandfather before him, and as such has tremendous sentimental value.

He does not like nicknames, and will only use them for other people at their insistence.

When it comes to those of lower social rank than himself, Asriel is disdainful at worst and indifferent at best. He abhors ‘title chasers’ and ‘fortune hunters’ and finds many of the mamas of the Ton insufferable because of this - though you wouldn’t know it to speak to him.

There has been speculation that the real reason Asriel won’t take a wife is because he has a paramour hidden away somewhere. The truth is slightly more complicated.

Unsurprisingly, he’s not a dessert person.

Asriel has never travelled outside of the United Kingdom. Any desire he had to do so was put to rest alongside his father.

Once you have Asriel’s loyalty, you will have it forever. The only caveat to this is if something you do directly impacts the safety or wellbeing of his step-mother or younger sisters, who he loves more than anything else.

Asriel has always struggled to relax. It feels like there’s always something better he could be doing with his time.

[feastonkings]

avan jogia / they/them/any  ———  no way is that RIVER PATEL.. they’re a 30-year-old HUMAN notoriously known for being INDULGENT  &  NEEDY but there are some people who have seen them being AFFECTIONATE  &  ENTERTAINING.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of waxing poetics in everyday conversation, a crystal for every occasion, bohemian but make it sexier, draping over people and furniture like a cat demanding attention, and a rainbow of chaos, but that could just be because they’re considered the SEER around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

GENERAL.

full name: river celeste halcyon patel nicknames: riv, rivvy, stardust (stage name) classification: enhanced human gender / pronouns: genderqueer, they/them/any age / birthday: 30, february 7th orientations: pansexual, panromantic, polyamorous occupation: co-owner of the broom closet, metaphysical expert, & dancer at the kit-kat club status: open family: luna patel ( mother, deceased ), parthiv patel ( father, deceased ) strengths: affectionate, entertaining, loving, creative, playful weaknesses: indulgent, impulsive, needy, promiscuous, flighty character inspo: ambrose spellman (chilling adventures of sabrina), klaus hargreeves (umbrella academy), eric effiong (sex education), phoebe buffay (friends), mouse (doormouse), nymphadora tonks (harry potter), jules vaughn (euphoria), jesper fahey (shadow & bone), jenny curran (forrest gump), riley blue (sense8), jaskier (witcher), veronica fisher (shameless), ulysses zane (now apocalypse)

BIOGRAPHY.

tw: addiction, death, overdose, abuse, chronic illness

born in new orleans, to two loving and hardworking parents. they lived in the lower ninth ward, in a small two bedroom home. money wasn’t abundant, but there was enough to give them everything they needed.

river was born with type one diabetes and has required insulin to function properly from the start.

their father, worked as a street musician and helped their mother at the metaphysical shop she owned. along with the shop, luna was a well known wiccan and head of one of the many local covens.

with the global environment declining over the years, tropical storm season had become even more dangerous. one particular hurricane hit the city and the big easy didn't stand a chance. over half the city was affected, the lower income areas the worst. hundreds died and among them were river's parents.

they were pushed into the system, foster families that were near capacity with displaced children. river couldn't stand it. hated the clothes they put them in, the way the tried to bring them to church, bringing them to therapy, throwing away their crystals and trying to cut their hair. it didn't take long until they'd run away.

at twelve years old, they were on their own. bouncing from family friend to family friend until their best friend's family got word and took them in as one of their own.

they appreciated everything that family did for them and the strong bond they had with their friend, it was more than they could've asked for. being accepted for who they were and loved made all the difference in helping them survive their teen years.

at the age of seventeen, they decided to get their ged and river said the hardest goodbyes to new orleans and their second hom when they left to go travel the country.

on their own and in their travels, many things were learned. one being how to survive off nothing, as they struggled to find any kind of work. river was not very reliable when it came to day jobs and set schedules, though they attempted to adapt.

the biggest struggle was this constant feeling of emptiness along with rotating periods of random moods that would sometimes come about for no reason at all. it had been there since losing their family and most of the time they just rode it out. in the worst times they turned to substances for help, as they’d done in the past. this lead them down a spiral of abusive relationships, bad run ins with dealers and law enforcement, shady work to keep afloat, etc.

away from home and lacking inhibition, they ended up becoming a garbage disposal for the many options of drugs available in america's underground; using them to fill a void they couldn’t close no matter how hard they tried until it almost killed them.

which is exactly what happened, they ended up overdosing in an all-night diner's bathroom and when they woke up they were in a hospital room with no clue what had happened. it gave them a wake up call for sure, and it was decided that they needed to start over.

after a couple years and many failures, river managed to hitch a ride as far as texas. they had a good feeling about dallas and updated those in new orleans where they were. that was when they were told of the trust money their parents left behind for river to be given to them when they reached the age of twenty-five.

the temptation was there to blow the money on more travels and parties but it was quickly squashed. it was an obvious sign from the stars and they decided to go all in on a new venture, opening up a shop with a close friend called the broom closet.

the new distractions did not shake the vices they picked up on the road but they certainly slowed them down. they are trying their best to kick their many bad habits so that one day they will thrive in the world again.

beyond that they used their natural knack for seduction and flirtatious nature to make money for the shop and meet new people by dancing at the kit-kat club. determined something would come of their life someday.

when they aren’t working at either of their jobs, they can be found writing lyrics or poetry, dancing, partying, or sneaking out of the home of one of their many casual romantic encounters. river is excited for the future and whatever the new start would bring for them in this cyber metropolis.

HEADCANONS.

river has type one diabetes and has a pump to regulate it better. it’s important they are able to see a medical professional regularly. they also wear a medical alert bracelet with this information.

they despise sleeping alone, whether it be from having people around them in close quarters for most of their life or just the loathing of being alone in general, they tend to stick close to people if they can sleep at all.

comparable to a cat they can sleep anywhere and will curl up or drape themselves over people for affection.

they wear their heart on their sleeve and fall in love quite easy, unfortunately their over devotion and wandering eyes have made it difficult to hold any long term relationship except with one person who has always understood the amount of love they have and just because they love someone it does not mean they love another any less.

river has a long history of casual relationships and having a select few they are fully committed to exclusively, however they develop deep feelings for people easily and adore them long after any romance leaves. they are very open with their sexuality and the love of the human body. river has often used casual sex as another coping mechanism and occasional self-destructive tendency.

they love dancing, parties, poetry, and music - they also adore talking to people and will be happy to introduce themselves to anyone and everyone

music has always had a strong place in their life, though they've never had the desire to pursue it professionally. they can play almost any guitar, bass, piano, pan flute, viola, and harmonica.

river can speak spanish, french, creole, american sign language and some hindi besides english

more to come

[adrianxpucey]

🐍🧹INTRODUCTION ❜

⌜ tommy martinez, male, he/him, ⌟  welcome back to hogwarts, ADRIAN PUCEY ! according to your file, you’re a TWENTY-FOUR year old PUREBLOOD. as i’m sure you remember, last spring had its challenges, but i’m confident you’ll take your studies more seriously this year. as a SIXTH year HOUSE, focusing on SPORTS MAGIC, you’ve got a lot on your plate. our records show that you're CHARMING and PERCEPTIVE however, they seem to have left off that you're DUPLICITOUS and CRASS. if i’m correct, you’re siding with THE DARK, which makes sense considering you’re known around the castle for spending hours on the quidditch pitch no matter the weather, empty bottles and a full ashtray, and whispers of old wounds upon his skin let’s hope you make it through the year in one piece.

&. BASICS 

Full Name: adrian gordo pucey 

Nicknames: pucey

Age: 24 

Sexuality: straight

Date of Birth: march 22nd  

Place of Birth: grimsby, lincolnshire 

Gender: cis male 

House: slytherin  

&. MORE BASIC INFO

Languages: english & german 

Religion: atheist

Education: sixth year @ hogwarts 

quidditch position: chaser 

Drinks, Smokes, & Drugs: yes. heavily. 

&. PERSONALITY

Zodiac Sign: aries

Bad Habits: excessive smoking and drinking

Secret Talent:  

Hobbies: quidditch, dueling club, potions club, charms club  

Fears: disappointing his parents.

Five Positive Traits: charming, athletic, venturesome, dutiful, and perceptive

Five Negative Traits: dupicitous, vindictive, possessive, crass, and stolid

&. APPEARANCE

Tattoos: ( x x x x )

Piercings: none  

&. FAMILY INFORMATION

Parent Names: ambrose pucey & iris pucey

Parent Relationship: adrian's parents have always put a lot of pressure on him, to be the best or have the best people around him. their definition of the best. and in some twisted way, adrian will do anything to make them proud, even if it's against what he wants.

Sibling Names: none

Children: none 

Pets: owl ( x )

&. WANTED CONNECTIONS

best friend

drunk friends, aka two people who do not spend time together sober but get along only when drunk

sibling like friends

family friends

flirtationship

one night stand

friends with benefits

project partners

teammates

ex girlfriend

&. BIOGRAPHY

( coming soon )

[meet-you-at-the-north-star]

1, 3, 22 for the HBO war ask game

1. What was the first series you watched and how did you find out about it?

It was Band of Brothers! I’d already heard about it but very vaguely, but I especially found out about it thanks to a dear online friend of mine. It was a longtime favorite of hers so I finally decided to check it out in January of this year aaaaand it got me completely obsessed.

2. Have you read any of the books related to the series?

I’ve read the original Ambrose book, Band of Brothers, Dick’s war memoir (Beyond Band of Brothers) and his biography (Biggest Brother). I’m currently reading Robert Leckie’s Helmet for My Pillow and loving every second of it 🥰

22. If you could make HBO create another series, what would it be about?

Ooh I love this so question. There are so many different interesting angles to WW2 they could tackle with another series, but as an Italian the one I’d be more interested to see is about the various resistance movements that happened all around Europe at the time. The Italian Resistance movement was really instrumental in liberating most of our country from nazi-fascism and the same can be said about many other countries so I think it would be cool if they put more emphasis on that. It would also certainly make for thrilling, tension filled narrative.

[finalgirlmalarkey]

curious because ive read several memoirs and personal accounts but never touched anything like ambrose's work

[impvrities]

˚⋆𓇼˚⊹  𖦹  ⁺｡°  mike  faist,  cis  man,  he/him  ˚⋆𓇼˚⊹  𖦹  ⁺｡°  “  heads  up  ;  if  you  her  BURY  A  FRIEND  by  BILLIE  EILISH  blaring,  it’s  most  likely  PERCIVAL  “PERCY”  CARLISLE  making  their  way  down  the  shore  !  they’re  32  years  old  and  celebrate  their  birthday  on  01/02  -  i  knew  they  were  a  CAPRICORN  !  especially  since  they’re  very  ERUDITE  and  EVASIVE.  they  are  from  MANHATTAN,  NEW  YORK,  staying  in  ARLINGTON  BY  THE  SEA  and  are  currently  working  as  a  NOVELIST  /  SOCIALITE  ,  here  at  asbury  park.  they  always  did  remind  me  of  the  lingering  scent  of  wood  sage  and  sea  salt  whenever  he  passed  by,  computer  strained  eyes  holding  a  tiredness  to  them  and  exacerbated  by  a  mop  of  disheveled  curls,  and  a  well-loved  collection  of  books  marked  with  highlighted  passages  and  annotations.

◎ ◦ ・ . DOSSIER

FULL  NAME:  percival  ambrose  carlisle  .  NICKNAME:  percy  or  perc  .  DATE  OF  BIRTH:  january  2,  1992  .  BIRTHPLACE:  manhattan,  new  york  . PARENT(S):  evelyn  cornelia  winters  (  mother  )  &  elijah  frederick  carlisle  (  father  )  .  AGE:  thirty2  .  SEXUALITY:  bisexual/biromantic  .  OCCUPATION:  author  &  begrudging  socialite  .  ZODIAC:  capricorn  .  EDUCATION:  dartmouth  college  -  double  major  in  history  &  english  (  concentration  in  creative  writing  )  .  HEIGHT:  6’1”  .  EYE  COLOR:  heterochromia  -  brown  &  blue  .  HAIR  COLOR  /  STYLE:  strawberry blonde  /  tousled  .  CURRENT  RESIDENCE:  arlington  by  the  sea  .

PERCY CARLISLE’S PUBLISHED WORKS

◎ ◦ ・ . BIOGRAPHY

THROUGHOUT  THE  YEARS,  THE  SURNAMES  CARLISLE  AND  WINTERS  held  a  heavy  weight  in  the  world  of  new  york's  elite  yet  different  in  the  social  circles  each  ran  in.  appearances  were  kept  up  with  smiles  and  offers  of  dances  at  galas  or  benefits  but  different  enough  to  have  no  interactions  outside  of  any  social  gatherings  that  held  import.  the  winters  family  have  spanned  back  to  the  early  years  of  america's  industrial  revolution,  making  their  name  known  through  winters  consolidated  as  the  united  states  entered  world  war  i  and  provided  the  best  weapons  of  the  time.  it  was  easy  for  the  company  to  rise  in  the  years  to  come  as  a  lead  manufacturer  for  defense  weapons  and  technology  for  the  government.  but  traveling  on  even  the  smoothest  of  roads  for  so  long,  there  comes  a  time  when  a  single  bump  is  enough  to  bring  everything  to  a  screeching  halt.  the  depression  had  hit  the  company  hard,  nearly  closing  its  labs  in  the  months  leading  up  to  the  united  states’  involvement  in  the  second  world  war.  it  was  during  those  years  that  winters  consolidated  expanded  and  soon  became  a  household  name,  settling  its  roots  in  new  york  and  becoming  a  prominent  building  in  new  york  city's  skyline  since  partnering  with  the  government  to  develop  and  manufacture  advanced  weapons  as  well  as  defense  technologies  for  the  military.  however,  with  equal  prestige  and  influence  came  the  carlisle  family  who  stemmed  from  old  money  with  a  specialty  of  leaving  adoring  fans  in  their  wake.  the  carlisle  name  floated  around  the  entertainment  industry  effortlessly,  on  the  tip  of  every  tongue  over  the  newest  gossip  whether  it  be  the  latest  daughter  turning  to  the  small  screen  or  what  brother  was  on  their  way  to  becoming  the  next  successful  businessman  and  entrepreneur.  it  only  made  sense  in  years  to  come  for  the  youngest  carlisle  to  turn  to  news  broadcasting  and  that’s  just  what  anthony  carlisle  did  at  age  twenty-five.  joining  the  abc  evening  news  crew  and  dedicating  twenty-two  years  to  alerting  fellow  americans  about  world  news  before  turning  to  late  night  talk  show.  success  was  expected  of  these  two  families  of  great  power  and  prestige,  and  both  never  expected  anything  less  from  their  children  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  legacies  and  make  their  ancestors  proud.

BORN  AS  THE  RESULT  OF  A  NIGHT  OUT  DRINKING  TURNED  ONE  NIGHT  stand  where  alcohol  loosened  not  only  the  clothes,  but  inhibitions  of  a  girl  fresh  out  of  prep  school  and  a  columbia  junior  celebrating  his  brothers  last  night  as  a  bachelor,  percy  carlisle  was  viewed  as  both  a  blessing  and  mistake  depending  on  who  you  asked.  for  both  his  parents  it  took  a  bit  to  warm  up  to  the  idea  of  having  twins  to  take  care  in  months  to  come;  his  mother,  evelyn  winters,  looked  forward  to  having  children  while  his  father,  elijah  carlisle,  had  doubts  with  the  venomous  words  thrown  his  way  by  parents  on  both  sides.  while  the  two  were  only  expecting  a  single  child  when  they  walked  into  the  doctor’s  office  that  day,  both  couldn't  help  the  smiles  on  their  faces  as  they  left;  a  mutual  excitement  that  neither  expected  but  welcomed.  the  nine  months  passed  fairly  quickly,  a  marriage  let  alone  relationship  between  evelyn  winters  and  elijah  carlisle  never  seeing  the  light  of  day  much  to  the  displeasure  of  the  conservative  winters  clan.  appearances  were  meant  to  be  kept  up  when  you  were  a  proud  member  of  new  york's  elite,  making  david  and  eleanor  winters  worry  what  good  did  it  do  when  they  had  a  daughter,  barely  twenty  with  no  plans  of  college  other  than  to  care  for  her  twin  bastard  sons?  it  was  sure  to  make  a  mockery  of  the  winters  name  and  something  had  to  be  done  when  the  only  agreement  made  was  one  between  evelyn  and  elijah  that  despite  the  lack  of  love  for  one  another,  both  would  present  in  their  sons  lives.  it  wasn’t  until  the  second  of  january,  the  stormiest  evanescent  day  of  new  york’s  winter  that  percy  and  his  twin  brother,  holden,  were  brought  into  the  world.  named  after  elijah  and  evelyn’s  favorite  literary  characters,  the  two  were  ready  to  raise  their  children  with  the  utmost  love  and  care  even  if  it  required  working  out  a  schedule  for�� who  had  the  boys  on  what  day.  the  days  following  their  birth,  the  winters  bought  their  daughter  an  apartment  in  chelsea  to  raise  her  children  without  the  wandering  gazes  and  scrutinizing  eyes  of  their  fellow  elite,  an  act  of  self-preservation  disguised  as  a  kind  gift.

AS  BOTH  BOYS  GREW,  IT  WAS  CONFUSING  AT  FIRST  AS  TO  WHY  their  mother  and  father  lived  separately  while  their  friends  parents  didn’t.  the  puzzle  pieces  came  together  seamlessly  one  day  when  percy  and  his  brother  came  home  with  eager  words  of  their  day  on  the  tip  of  their  tongues  only  to  find  their  mother  introducing  the  brunettes  to  her  new  boyfriend—someone  that  wasn’t  their  father.  uncomfortable  with  change,  percy  spent  most  of  his  time  with  his  father  who  was  a  successful  author  and  had  a  fanbase  larger  than  he  could  count  while  holden  preferred  the  company  of  his  mother.  because  of  press  tours  and  his  father's  constant  traveling,  percy  began  to  permanently  live  with  his  mother  and  brother  as  well  as  the  come  and  go  of  his  mother’s  boyfriend.  it  was  common  knowledge  that  percy  preferred  the  company  of  his  father  since  he  motivated  his  son  to  write,  often  giving  him  pointers  on  how  to  improve  his  own  writing  and  reading  his  favorite  literary  works  to  the  eldest  twin.  the  idea  of  following  in  his  father’s  footsteps  of  becoming  an  author  began  to  take  root  in  his  mind  and  flourished  the  more  percy  spent  time  with  his  father  and  even  more  so  when  the  brunette  picked  up  a  pencil  to  write.  it  didn’t  go  past  his  mother  that  her  youngest  son  found  his  passion,  often  noticing  his  blue  eyes  brightening  as  a  new  story  idea  came  to  mind  and  the  constant  notebook  clutched  at  his  side.

BUT  EVEN  WITH  PERCY  AND  HOLDEN’S  DIFFERENCE  IN  INTERESTS  AS  well  as  parent  preference,  the  two  were  as  inseparable  as  one  could  imagine  two  twins  being.  there  was  no  aramas  without  holden  and  there  was  no  holden  without  percy.  whereas  percy  was  quick  to  discover  his  passion  lied  in  all  things  art  and  literature,  holden  was  beginning  to  show  an  interest  in  the  films  their  mother  often  put  on  for  the  two  to  watch  when  company  was  over  and  the  actors  who  portrayed  the  characters.  despite  it,  the  two  could  often  be  found  hidden  away  in  the  study  where  they  would  be  found  with  both  brothers  curled  around  one  another  as  percy  read  aloud  poetry  or  whatever  book  he  could  get  his  hands  on  while  holden  doodled  aimlessly  in  his  coloring  book.  evelyn  was  delighted  that  her  two  sons  were  finding  things  that  they  loved  and  showcasing  the  carlisle  genes  in  them  when  it  came  to  entertainment.  the  same  sentiment  wasn’t  shown  by  their  maternal  grandparents  who  often  visited  in  hopes  to  bring  their  daughter  back  into  the  limelight  of  new  york’s  elite  and  introduce  their  grandsons  that  they  spent  so  long  attempting  to  keep  away  from  the  public  eye  with  failed  success.  what  good  were  heirs,  albeit  bastards,  when  they  showed  no  interest  in  what  the  winters  stood  for?  it  was  bad  enough  that  their  daughter  was  beginning  to  vocalize  her  feelings  of  leaving  the  new  york  social  scene  and  opting  for  a  quieter  life  for  her  boys  with  her  bartender  boyfriend.  the  only  sane  thing  left  to  do  was  give  their  daughter  an  ultimatum—winters  consolidated  with  preparations  to  whip  percy  and  holden  into  proper  businessmen  or  being  disinherited  with  only  a  bartender’s  income.  the  expected  decision  was  never  the  later  but  that  was  what  evelyn  chose,  leaving  behind  a  trail  of  stunned  gossip  columns  and  soon  moving  her  two  boys  into  a  smaller  apartment  with  her  boyfriend  in  queens.

THE  DRINKING  STARTED  SOON  AFTER  PERCY  AND  HOLDEN’S  eleventh  birthday,  as  did  the  staying  out  late  and  leaving  both  boys  home  alone  until  she  stumbled  in  the  next  morning  too  hungover  to  drive  them  to  school.  out  of  the  city  more  often  than  not,  percy  saw  less  of  his  father  who  wasn’t  aware  that  evelyn’s  boyfriend  was  bringing  out  the  worst  in  her.  and  her  being  dropped  off  the  new  york  elite’s  radar  after  her  disinheritance  didn’t  help  in  keeping  him  up  to  date  when  it  was  as  though  the  blonde  ceased  to  exist.  percy  and  holden  preferred  believing  that  their  mother  who  sang  around  the  kitchen  as  she  made  dinner  and  played  showtunes  while  they  did  their  homework  would  return  to  them  soon  and  her  current  behavior  was  only  temporary.  being  told  both  were  too  young  to  walk  the  hectic  streets  of  new  york  alone  for  school,  it  wasn’t  rare  for  the  brunettes  to  be  late  or  miss  school  entirely—racking  up  a  total  of  thirty-one  absences  in  a  single  quarter.  the  fact  that  they  attended  a  private  school  where  the  carlisle  family  was  generous  in  donations  made  their  attendance  records  hush  hush  with  a  phone  call  never  making  its  way  to  their  father.  with  their  mother  out  drinking  with  her  boyfriend  and  leaving  the  twins  to  their  own  devices,  a  growing  resentment  for  his  mother  took  root  in  his  chest  as  she  denied  her  alcoholic  tendencies  more  and  more  each  day.  instead,  focusing  his  energy  on  his  school  work  and  understanding  most  of  it  that  he  could.  naturally  bright,  percy  achieved  as  high  marks  as  he  could  with  the  number  of  days  he  was  absent  and  discovered  that  learning  new  things  was  something  that  came  easily  to  him.  often  acting  as  a  tutor  to  his  older  brother  and  in  his  free  time,  he  began  to  learn  new  languages  with  the  information  at  his  fingertips.  

MONTHS  PASSED  AND  PERCY  WITHHELD  THE  WORST  OF  HIS  MOTHER'S  BEHAVIORS  to  his  father  in  order  to  keep  the  calm  before  the  storm  but  after  calling  his  father  crying  in  a  taxi  when  his  mother  handed  percy,  holden  and  the  keys  to  the  apartment  off  to  the  driver  so  she  could  go  party  with  her  boyfriend,  that  was  when  his  father  took  matters  into  his  own  hands.  despite  mentioning  evelyn's  alcohol  dependency  and  her  denying  it  on  multiple  occasions,  percy  and  holden  were  immediately  moved  into  their  father's  apartment.  an  intervention  was  quick  to  be  set  up  with  a  professional  interventionist  flying  in  from  philadelphia  to  help  get  evelyn  to  understand  she  had  a  problem  that  was  not  only  affecting  her  but  those  around  her.  after  a  grueling  week  of  threats,  tears  and  drama  that  accompanied  his  mother  in  her  refusal  to  go  to  rehab  out  of  state,  an  order  of  protection  was  issued  that  forbade  evelyn  winters  from  being  within  two  hundred  feet  of  her  now  thirteen  year  old  sons.  it  was  news  that  shook  the  new  york  social  scene  when  it  was  learned  that  the  once  princess  of  manhattan  before  her  disinheritance  was  on  the  verge  of  losing  her  children,  apartment  (due  to  her  unpaid  bills  from  lack  of  work  from  both  her  and  her  boyfriend)  and  those  closest  to  her.  oh,  calamity,  how  far  people  could  fall.  the  pressure  from  not  only  her  family  but  the  media  led  their  mother  to  agree  and  soon  boarded  a  plane  to  chicago  for  rehab.  elijah  carlisle  was  quick  to  gain  custody  of  his  two  sons  and  in  those  two  weeks,  percy  and  holden  were  exposed  to  the  bright  lights  of  new  york's  elite  far  more  than  they  ever  were  initially.

WITH  THE  TIME  SPENT  SETTLING  DOWN  AND  BEGINNING  TO  SEE  THEIR  FATHER  as  a  permanent  figure  in  their  lives  once  his  traveling  was  cut  back,  it  was  then  that  percy  began  to  bloom  in  terms  of  his  interests.  while  holden  invested  his  time  with  films  and  acting  workshops,  percy  often  found  himself  in  his  father’s  study  with  literature  scattered  around  him;  ranging  from  rimbaud’s  poetry  to  essays  showcasing  the  importance  of  romanticism  to  guides  for  learning  to  languages.  art  soon  became  something  that  percy  lived  and  breathed,  often  speaking  fluent  italian  around  the  house  and  having  intellectual  conversation  with  his  father  who  encouraged  his  youngest  son  to  continue  his  interest  in  foreign  languages.  if  there  was  a  single  word  to  describe  percy  it  would  be  passionate  and  upon  entering  high  school,  the  brunette  showcased  it  immensely.  instead  of  reading  more  about  the  techniques  when  it  came  to  shading  or  the  different  types  of  lenses  for  cameras,  percy  decided  to  get  more  hands  on  with  his  interests  and  was  pleasantly  surprised  when  he  found  out  that  it  came  naturally  to  him.  it  was  an  odd  thing  for  him  to  understand,  never  fully  grasping  why  certain  things  came  easy  to  him  even  with  the  few  hiccups  he  experienced  but  he  was  far  from  complaining.  percy  dedicated  his  time  to  bettering  himself  with  interests  that  he  was  passionate  about  and  often  wrote  short  stories  about  his  time  at  the  prestigious  high  school.  he  was  walking  the  halls  his  mother  and  father  did  but  even  though  he  should  feel  proud  or  even  accomplished,  percy  couldn’t  help  but  feel  a  deep  resentment  for  his  mother  in  what  she  put  him  and  his  brother  though  despite  the  time  that  had  passed.

BUT  TIME  WENT  ON  AND  PERCY  CONTINUED  HIS  WRITING  ALL  THE  while  supporting  his  brother  when  it  came  to  his  love  for  theater,  and  holden  supporting  percy  just  as  much.  the  two  were  each  other’s  support  system  and  the  three  carlisle  men  had  a  bond  that  strengthened  with  each  week  through  skype  and  phone  calls  alike.  their  mother  went  through  rehab,  claiming  sobriety  at  last  but  percy  was  skeptical  and  bitter,  opting  to  cut  off  all  contact  with  his  mother  despite  holden’s  open-minded  optimism  that  maybe  she  had  changed  for  the  better.  

FRESHMEN  YEAR  BECAME  SOPHOMORE  SOON  ENOUGH  AND  WINTEr  break  was  upon  them  in  a  flash  where  the  christmas  holidays  took  a  turn  for  the  worst  for  the  carlisle  family.  the  resentment  percy  felt  for  his  mother  held  no  weight  compared  to  the  sinking  sensation  in  his  chest  after  hearing  that  holden  was  involved  in  a  car  accident.  he  remembered  sitting  on  the  couch  with  his  brother  before  he  left,  their  father  telling  holden  that  it  was  best  not  to  head  out  due  to  the  icy  road  conditions  paired  with  the  impending  snow  fall  but  that  meant  nothing  when  his  best  friend  just  got  his  license.  he  remembered  the  silent  ride  to  the  hospital  only  to  hear  blurbs  of  no  seatbelt  to  blunt  force  trauma  to  the  head;  enough  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that  by  the  end  of  the  night,  percy  was  going  to  be  an  only  child.  and  he  was.  

THE  FOLLOWING  DAYS  WERE  HARD  ON  EVERYONE,  PERCY  AND  HIS  FATHER  staying  inside  to  keep  away  from  the  public  eye,  leaving  only  for  the  funeral  before  going  back  home.  christmas  was  a  quiet  event  where  the  days  ticked  by  slowly  and  before  percy  could  blink,  he  was  back  at  school  without  the  moral  support  of  his  father.  it  was  during  this  time  that  he  turned  to  his  interests  as  a  way  to  keep  him  busy.  devoting  his  time  to  his  studies  as  well  as  his  passions  of  art  and  literature,  percy  hoped  that  by  keeping  himself  occupied  with  activities  that  took  up  most  of  his  time  that  it  would  push  away  the  pain  of  loss  to  the  back  of  his  mind,  eventually  ceasing  to  exist.  days  turned  to  weeks  and  weeks  turned  to  months,  and  life  went  on;  percy  remaining  silent  as  the  pain  lessened  to  a  dull  ache  in  his  chest,  one  that  he  learned  to  deal  with  and  ignore.  percy  missed  holden  and  he  was  sure  that  he  always  would  but  life  went  on  and  that  meant  moving  on  despite  how  much  hard  it  was.

YEARS  HAVE  FILTERED  BY  AS  PERCY  LEARNED  TO  ADJUST  to  life  with  only  him  and  his  father.  with  a  flourishing  interest  in  writing  and  history  alike,  percy  pursues  both  in  a  double  major  at  dartmouth  college  where  he  begins  to  settle  into  himself.  his  professors  help  percy  craft  his  tone  in  his  writings,  while  expanding  on  his  fascination  on  historical  stories  peppered  through  time.  it’s  here  in  college  that  percy  begins  to  strengthen  his  craft,  interweaving  intriguing  narrative  into  historical  accounts.  this  will  become  his  trademark  in  years  to  come  with  many  published  books  under  his  belt  and  shining  reviews  to  show  for  them.  percy  views  life  through  a  lens  of  his  next  accomplishment  —  graduation,  getting  a  literary  agent  then  a  publishing  deal,  onto  the  release  date  of  his  book  and  hunting  down  a  physical  copy  at  the  nearest  bookstore.  one  published  book  becomes  two,  becomes  three,  becomes  …  many.  still  living  with  a  hardened  heart  and  a  general  wariness  in  his  approach  to  most  things,  percy  means  well  with  an  amicable  nature,  but  can  also  come  off  as  guarded  and  reticent  when  it  comes  to  relationships.  a  failed  marriage  at  age  twenty-nine  can  attest  to  such  behavior.  while  percy  is  aware  that  he  isn’t  his  mother,  he  prefers  a  sober  lifestyle  while  not  wishing  to  have  children  of  his  own.  this  decision  (  among  his  desire  to  be  left  out  of  his  grandparent’s  scheming  to  get  him  involved  in  winters  consolidated  business  )  is  one  that  continues  to  put  him  on  his  maternal  grandparent’s  radar  of  one  day  taking  the  reins  of  the  company  and  providing  an  heir.  percy  prefers  keeping  to  his  life  of  academia  and  solitude,  away  from  the  judgmental  eye  of  the  public  and  the  press.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Goodnight in....Shakespeare & Company Bookstore in Paris, France that allows you to sleep in the store for free in exchange for 2 hours of working in the bookstore, and a one page biography of your life

+

“I once expected to spend seven years walking around the world on foot. I walked from Mexico to Panama where the road ended before an almost uninhabited swamp called the Choco Colombiano. Even today there is no road. Perhaps it is time for me to resume my wanderings where I left off as a tropical tramp in the slums of Panama. Perhaps like Ambrose Bierce who disappeared in the desert of Sonora I may also disappear. But after being in all mankind it is hard to come to terms with oblivion - not to see hundreds of millions of Chinese with college diplomas come aboard the locomotive of history - not to know if someone has solved the riddle of the universe that baffled Einstein in his futile efforts to make space, time, gravitation and electromagnetism fall into place in a unified field theory - never to experience democracy replacing plutocracy in the military-industrial complex that rules America - never to witness the day foreseen by Tennyson 'when the war-drums no longer and the battle-flags are furled, in the parliament of man, the federation of the world.'

I may disappear leaving behind me no worldly possessions - just a few old socks and love letters, and my windows overlooking Notre-Dame for all of you to enjoy, and my little rag and bone shop of the heart whose motto is 'Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.' I may disappear leaving no forwarding address, but for all you know I may still be walking among you on my vagabond journey around the world."

[Shakespeare & Company, archived statement]” ― George Whitman

[deadpresidents]

If I had to read 1 book about every President from Nixon to Trump (or even Biden), which should I read?

•RICHARD NIXON

Nixon is a really tough one because there are so many great biographies about Nixon, as well as books that either focus specifically on his Presidency -- like President Nixon: Alone in the White House by Richard Reeves (BOOK | KINDLE) -- or on the overall political climate of his era, like Rick Perlstein's books, particularly Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America (BOOK | KINDLE) and The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan (BOOK | KINDLE).

But I'm going to cheat and pick the three-volume series by Stephen Ambrose: •Nixon: The Education of a Politician, 1913-1962 (BOOK | KINDLE) •Nixon: The Triumph of a Politician, 1962-1972 (BOOK | KINDLE) •Nixon: Ruin and Recovery, 1973-1990 (BOOK | KINDLE)

•GERALD FORD

It hasn't been released yet, but you'll have to take my word that nothing comes close to Richard Norton Smith's forthcoming book, An Ordinary Man: The Surprising Life and Historic Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (BOOK | KINDLE). If you can't wait until April, I'd suggest checking out Barry Werth's 31 Days: Gerald Ford, the Nixon Pardon and a Government in Crisis (BOOK | KINDLE). It's not a full-fledged biography, but it's a captivating look at Ford' first month in the White House following the resignation of President Nixon. Donald Rumsfeld's When the Center Held: Gerald Ford and the Rescue of the American Presidency (BOOK | KINDLE) also deserves an honorable mention.

•JIMMY CARTER

His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter (BOOK | KINDLE)

•RONALD REAGAN

Edmund Morris’s Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan (BOOK | KINDLE) is very divisive because of the controversial storytelling technique that Morris used to structure the biography, but I think the extent of his research and depth of detail overpowers any criticism about his writing choices. For those who would prefer a more traditional single-volume biography, you can’t go wrong with Reagan: The Life by H.W. Brands (BOOK | KINDLE).

•GEORGE H.W. BUSH

I can say, without any hesitation, that Jon Meacham’s Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush (BOOK | KINDLE) is the best, single-volume biography ever written about any American President. In fact, in my opinion, it might be the best, single-volume biography ever written about anybody anywhere at any time.

•BILL CLINTON

I don’t think that anyone has written what I would consider the definitive overall biography of Bill Clinton’s life and Presidency yet. The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House by John F. Harris (BOOK | KINDLE) is excellent but focused, obviously, just on Clinton’s Presidency. I look forward to someone eventually writing THE biography of Bill Clinton.

•GEORGE W. BUSH

Much like President #42, I think we’re still waiting for the definitive, all-encompassing biography of 43. There are two excellent books about his years in the White House that I strongly recommend: Robert Draper’s Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush (BOOK | KINDLE), and Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House (BOOK | KINDLE) by Peter Baker, who has long been one of my favorite reporters about the modern Presidency.

•BARACK OBAMA

Like his two immediate predecessors, we’re still waiting for a complete biography about Obama’s entire life and political career. But David J. Garrow’s Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama (BOOK | KINDLE) comes closest. It is meticulously researched and incredibly detailed -- the book is nearly 1,500 pages long and only takes us up through Obama’s election as President in 2008. But it is undoubtedly the definitive book about Obama’s early life and political rise -- there’s nothing else that comes even close.

•DONALD TRUMP

Unlike Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama, there is a full-fledged biography of Donald Trump that encompasses his life as well as his Presidency. Maggie Haberman worked on Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America (BOOK | KINDLE) during her years of reporting on Trump and published her biography of him last fall. Haberman has long been one of the best informed and most relentless reporters about Trump for much of the last decade, so her book is as close to definitive as one can get about a recent President.

•JOE BIDEN

It’s definitely too early for any complete biography about Biden so far. If you’re looking for something about him, I’d suggest Chris Whipple’s brand-new book, The Fight of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House (BOOK | KINDLE). And Gabriel Debenedetti’s The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union of Joe Biden and Barack Obama (BOOK | KINDLE) is a revealing look at their relationship from their brief time serving together in the Senate to the 2008 campaign where they started as opponents and then running mates, through their partnership in the Obama Administration and up to Biden’s 2020 victory and early days in the White House.