#1780s au

[lil-gae-disaster]

*emerges from the abyss*

hallo >:]

here and there i've heard smth about Frederick adopting some kids? could i get some info on that? like, how and why, who's kids they were?

hal-lo 😊

Ofc you can get info on that

Frederick adopts two girls in 1788. One is 17 and the other one is a newborn.

They're the kids of Anna (@schnitzelsemmerl s oc), who died in childbirth.

Freddie and Anna had a compromise that if Anna should die, Freddie is fhe caretaker of her kids (basically what my country considers god parents to do (take care of the kids if the parents can't))

Yeah, Freddie is a girldad! :D

[froguemorgue]

We, the Greatest Pawns of Time masterpost so *I* can keep it all straight.

"We, The Greatest Pawns of Time" on AO3

Bonus Time Travel ficlet that has nothing to do with WTGPOT - "Rebirth in the Age of Glam Metal" in which shared dreams(?) lead Ham and Laurens back together

Characters:

Alexander and Gilbert fitspo

Laurens fitspo

The boys' hairstyles

Ms. Aguilar fitspo + hair

Mattie fitspo + hair

Setting:

Alex's apartment layout

Bonus:

Wizard of Oz weirdness

Martha Manning + chap 5 and chap 11 art!

[mercurygray]

I am, as I have perhaps mentioned, back on my 18th century bullshit this week while I'm on vacation.

It felt like winter would never end.

There was very little entertainment in a winter camp - daily drill, and make and mend, and then the monotony of keeping warm and keeping fed and keeping busy, all while General Washington up at the house read his letters and marked his maps and planned the spring campaign. Nix had his meetings with the Intelligence committee, of course, but intelligence was hard to come by, some days.

Same, and same, and same again - all the days stamped from the same plate.

Which was why she was so…singular.

They were all just sitting down to lunch after the morning parade when the two riders came through - the first a woman of an age with them, wearing a green habit in a military style that already showed signs of a hard ride at the hem. Behind her, another officer pulled his horse up short, the blue of his uniform marking him a Frenchman. Dick stood up, partially out of habit, studying the pair as they, in turned, studied them.

"You've not seen a cavalry officer come through here? He'd have been in a New York coat, riding a gray."

"No, ma'am."

The young Frenchman said something that made her laugh, and she wheeled her mount around, taking another look at the soldiers around the campfire. Her eyes briefly met Dick's, and, then, sliding to Lew, lit up.

"Captain Nixon, you should have said something! I didn't see you there."

Lew smiled and gave a very courtly bow. "I was in raptures for seeing you. And Monsieur le Marquis," he added, nodding a greeting to the Frenchman.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Well, thank you for your time!" And then, with a flick of her boots, she was off, the Marquis coming quickly behind her.

It had been like seeing a vision from a different time. "Who was that?"

Lew realized everyone at the fire was looking at him for answers and grinned. "Who, Lafayette?"

The groans were heavily implied. We know there's only one Marquis with the army - but who was she?

Lew preened a little. "Oh, but you're not up at headquarters. You won't have met Miss Warren. She came to winter quarters to keep house for her uncle - he's one of those old Prussians with a name no one can pronounce. She translates for the Frenchmen - and, as you can see, is unmarried and lovelier than May, which might be why everyone on staff is in love with her."

Dick raised an eyebrow, thinking of the lock of baby hair in Lew's writing chest, the letters from Katherine that sometimes went unanswered. "Including you?"

"Me, hah." Lew made a show of frowning at his friend. "I'll remind you I'm married, Captain Winters. No, we have an understanding, Miss Warren and I. I make jokes about the situation and she is allowed to laugh at them. She has an understanding with a fellow from New York. Dutch patroon family - loads of money. They were probably looking for him." He looked at Dick, who was still watching the space where she'd been, and his smile turned almost shifty. "I'll introduce you sometime."

But they had little time for speculations - another rider came through the thicket and pulled up short - an officer in the uniform of the Dragoons, riding a gray horse, his blue jacket and plumed helmet making him look quite the thing in the midst of the muddy spring weather.

"Have any of you chaps seen a woman come through here? Green habit - probably with a Frenchman?"

"Miss Warren, you mean? Came through perhaps ten minutes ago, Captain Havermeyer - went that way." Lew pointed in the opposite direction.

Havermeyer touched a hand to his horse-hair plumed dragoon's helmet. "Many thanks, Nixon," he said, and galloped off exactly where the pair he was searching for was not.

Dick could only stare. "Nix."

Lew looked at his censure and rolled his eyes. "Did I not say he's a terrible bore? And he's awful for her. A decent fellow's got to get a chance in."

---

The woods reminded Gilbert of home.

He was allowed, he thought, to be homesick, even if it was only for a little while. He had no regrets about his decision to come here, even less about his decision to stay, but still - it was lonely, sometimes, to be in a room and not understand all of the jokes the other officers were making.

Joan made him less lonely. He could still remember the meeting with her uncle, sitting in a chair to advise the General, and the mention, in schoolboy French, that his niece spoke the language. After so many gasps at English, she was like a breath of fresh air - able to explain words, military terms - to translate jokes. (Some of them were very dirty jokes. He regretted that, though he knew she didn't. It's better to know, she'd say, her shoulders squared. To be prepared.)

They could ride more, now that the ground was even. A way to get away from the others, to talk in private - to tease, even, if he thought it was warranted. "I think you have a new admirer," he said with a smile, as they walked their horses back to the house. "That tall redhead with Captain Nixon."

Joan scoffed. "Don't say that, Gilbert, I don't need any more of those."

Only if they're the right one, he though to himself. "Perhaps I should steal a handkerchief for him to return."

The look she gave him was pure amusement. "Perhaps I should start giving Ham's laundrymaid lessons in French."

He could only laugh at that. Always your balance, your even things! Perhaps I will. Columbine will speak lovely French.

---

Kurt as a dragoon is a look, guys. If none of you know what an 18th century dragoon's helmet looks like, can I recommend the show TURN? Seth Numrich makes it look very good.

[sortanonymous]

Uuuhhhh thanks so much for 500 REAL hits on Meta Knightmare III! I don't care how many people that really is, it just makes me so happy seeing so many people enjoy and want to keep up with (or maybe revisit) my weird-ahh Kirby story that I'm not even writing out in full. You guys are, bare minimum, half the reason why I'm devoting the next couple of months to making Meta Knightmare IV as spectacular a finale as I can!

Oh, and an early thanks for when Our Little Miracle reaches 100 hits, as well as having such a positive response to If Only All Dreams Could Come True in week 1! (No, I'm not screenshotting that one too.)

[gammija]

idly thinking about an AU where Jon and Martin do manage to land in the same world, in roughly the same location, but separated by time.

Lots of time.

Jon arrives in Britain, in 1988. Martin also arrives in Britain, also in the 80's - the 1780s. Maybe it's the Web putting the pieces in new starting positions, maybe it's just happenstance. Who can say.

The first thing Martin does is look for Jon, of course. Unfortunately, he realizes pretty quickly that, if Jon is here, he's not anywhere near him. But Martin's not giving up that easily. If he's going to find him, he needs resources. So, with a knack for lying to wealthy old men, and using a minimal amount of historical knowledge, he makes a modest name for himself. Hopefully enough so that Jon will be able to find him, when he looks for him -

Because Martin hasn't been able to find a trace of him yet. Not as a real person in the world, and not as a reference in any old texts or stories about odd appearances of men with alien clothes, lots of scars, or piercing eyes.

A few years pass, without Martin finding any sign of Jon. Slowly, he has to come to terms with a few facts:

Firstly, that the Fears are definitely also in this world. In his search for Jon, he's come across far too many accounts that sound eerily familiar. Though they seem to have popped up in the world around the same time he did; He doesn't have any earlier records that consistently line up with the patterns he's familiar with. Which most likely means that they - he - are responsible for their existence in this world... Martin tries not to think about it.

Secondly, thankfully, this must mean that Jon didn't arrive centuries before he did, living and dying without anyone taking notice, which Martin had gotten more and more worried about. He wouldn't have arrived without the Fears being there too. No, if Jon is going to appear in this world, (and Martin is not going to think about the alternatives), he'll arrive in his future.

Maybe so far into the future that Martin won't even live to see him. In which case, however much he'd like to avoid thinking about it, Martin has to create something here and now. Something that will last beyond his lifetime. Something Jon will be able to find as soon as he looks for Martin, so at least Jon won't have to wonder what happened to him, will know that he did not arrive completely alone, that Martin did not abandon him.

Thirdly... through his search for Jon, Martin has amassed quite a little collection of esoteric and weird stories. And, though he did it 200 years in the future, he does have some experience running an organization that ostensibly researches the supernatural, which would also be a good way to keep track of any potential new Jon leads. He thinks of naming it after Jon, of course, but it's not like Jon is going to look for his own name first, is he? And it'd raise more questions than if he named it after himself.

Cue the bittersweet ending where Jon falls out of the sky on a sunny day in the middle of London, asks for someone named Martin Blackwood, and finds Blackwood Organization, a public collection of ghost stories dating back to the 1800. He is given a set of personal letters from the founder, to be hand delivered only to a man called Jonathan Sims as soon as he would walk in the door.

...Or -

After yet another few years, in which Martin has set up his organization and is part of a decent network of people with similar interests (though he dislikes most of them), he bumps into someone. Jonah Magnus. It's an incredibly odd experience, though in hindsight, it was bound to happen, considering the information he's after. Martin has the urge to kill him right there, but the man doesn't seem to be from the future. He's just a creepy guy. Younger than Martin, too, which is also weird. But he manages to shake it off, and doesn't see him again.

Though he does keep tabs on him. Seeing him has set Martin thinking. He's been getting older, and his modern constitution isn't faring great in Georgian times. The organization is doing okay, but he's not sure yet if it's really going to survive after he's, well, gone, which would defeat the whole point. With a few more years, could he make it stronger? Could he maybe even reunite with Jon in person?

Furthermore, with the Fears being now well established, it's only a matter of time before someone tries a ritual. No, Martin isn't going to try and do one first, that'd be really stupid, not to mention evil. He just has to make sure that the world actually survives for Jon to appear in it.

A plan begins to form. One he really doesn't like. But one that, the more he considers it, is very possible. He's quite sure now the Fears mostly operate on vibes. Sure, he's maybe not a full avatar, but through letting the public read stories about the fears, hasn't he kind of spread awful knowledge? Hasn't he seen a lot of terrible things in turn? The Eye was already fond of him, according to Jon.

And even if it were to go wrong... Martin would die in either case, and the only other person suffering would be Jonah. He can't find it in himself to feel too awful about that.

Jon falls out of the sky on a sunny day in 1986. After a short and panicked search, he walks through the doors of the Blackwood Organization, Hilltop Lane 148, Oxford. The receptionist greets him. She seems somewhat shocked as she does so, tells him to take a seat as she makes a call. He doesn't know what else to do, so he sits. The chairs are surprisingly comfortable.

A few minutes later, someone he doesn't at all recognize enters the foyer. He looks at Jon, stops, freezes. Jon stills as well.

The man is unfamiliar in every way. He's short, for one, his skin a darker complexion, hair curling in a way his never did. But those eyes, as soon as he sees them, he recognizes. Those are the eyes of the man he trusted to kill him.

[eggluverz]

hello!! would like to request a modern au with blade, where he’s a idol and due to him being busy with work, he didn’t have the time to visit/spend time with the reader (can be gn! or fem!). hence, he took it upon himself to surprise his s/o

bonus points if they are in a secret relationship and let’s say the reader works as a barista, so imagine the chaos the cafe will be if they see idol! blade having a lover SHSHDHDH

take ur time to write it hehe :3

— EVERYTHING I NEED

In which you’re feeling down about not seeing your boyfriend in a few months and Blade takes time out of his busy tour schedule to surprise you.

PAIRING. idol!blade x barista!reader

WORD COUNT. 1780

GENRE. modern au, idol au, fluff

NOTE. thank u for the request !! <3 i chose gn reader btw :) this was soooo much fun to write ٩( ᐛ )و i enjoyed this sm but warning it’s so very cheesy heh if u don’t like fluffy romcom cringe look away :3 hope y’all like it xx sof

It wasn’t always easy having a long distance boyfriends of sorts. A busy long-distance boyfriend who you sometimes didn’t see in person for months on end. 

You knew he was busy, but you also knew he dedicated most of his free time talking to you. The relationship was important to the both of you— There was no doubt in your mind about that. Still, there were times the sadness and loneliness crept in. 

Today was one of those days. 

It wasn’t a “special” day as one would say. It wasn’t your birthday. It wasn’t Blade’s birthday. And it wasn’t even an anniversary. But still, you missed him so much. 

You had gone months without seeing him. Your only solace was knowing Blade has gone just as long without seeing you and missed you just as much. He has been in and out of the recording studio whenever he had time in between performances, which limited your ability to call or even text each other even more. 

You were aware the life of an idol could get hectic at times, you knew that well before the two of you started dating. But at times, it took more of a toll on you than you would expect. 

“What’s gotten you so down in the dumps?” The voice took you out of your negative thoughts.

You turned to look at your close friend and coworker, Serval. You sighed, thankful afternoon rush hour had just died down so only few customers were at the coffee shop. “Nothing, really. Just missing Blade.”

She patted your back sympathetically. “I can only imagine. It’s hard enough barely seeing my brother because of military service.”

“How is Gepard, by the way? I haven’t seen him in ages!” 

“He’s coming back for a bit next month! We’re having a little party if you want to come,” said Serval excitedly. “But back to you and Blade. When is the last time you saw him?” 

“Over two months,” you said with a pout. You knew some people in long distance relationships would view that as nothing— Some would even be grateful that a month of not seeing their partner was a long time. But that wasn’t you and you felt yourself growing more dejected each day. “We haven’t even video chatted or called for longer than ten minutes in the last few weeks.” You tried to look on the bright side. “But at least I know he’s doing what he loves. I just hope management isn’t pushing him too hard.” 

“That’s a big ask for money-hungry corporations,” Serval said dryly. “Poor boy is definitely overworked. Have you seen their back to back show dates? It’s all over social media. I’m sure he’s using any possible moment he can to spend time with you without being too obvious and letting the press know about your relationship.” 

You nodded, trying to cheer yourself up the moment you saw a group of customers walk in. It was the end of work hours for most office workers around here so you mentally prepared yourself to give your best customer service smile. “I know he is doing his best. I just get sad about it sometimes, but I know it’s all worth it.”

“There you go.” She smiled. “And you’ll see him in no time, I’m positive. But for now, get ready for the evening rush!”

“One step ahead of you,” you sang, already at the cash register prepared to take the orders. 

As you greeted the hoard of customers and helped your coworkers make drinks if they needed extra hands, you realized the rush lasted longer than normal. 

“Is today international coffee day or something?” you asked as you passed by Serval. “It’s crazy busy right now.”

She shrugged, placing two drinks down at the ready table. “Not that I’m aware of. But this has been more than a rush hour. The sun isn’t even out anymore.”

“And people are coming in without buying anything or sitting down?” 

As you wondered what was going on, you heard a loud, high-pitched scream coming from outside. The sound was followed by more and more squeals of excitement. 

You and Serval looked at each other. 

“Speak of the devil,” she said, shaking her head with a grin. “What a grand entrance.”

All reason left your mind as you were filled with hope and joy. You looked back at Serval, asking for permission to leave the cash register. 

“Go,” Serval laughed. “I’ll cover the rest of your shift.” 

“Thank you! I love you!”

With a big smile on your face, you rushed out of the coffee shop and pushed through the crowd outside. Standing tall above the group of fans, Blade stood there with black sunglasses and a face mask— A poor disguise that did little to nothing to protect his identity. 

You lifted your hand up and waved from the back of the crowd, unsure if he would even be able to spot you amidst all the people. You wondered, even, if you should acknowledge him like this in public. You knew the press was crazy and the fans could be even crazier. Blade’s manager thought it was for the best he keep your relationship away from public eye. 

But he was right here. And you didn’t want to wait another second before running up to him and giving him the biggest hug. Still, you refrained. 

You did not want to jeopardize his image, no matter how much you wanted to give him a kiss right now.

Blade looked around the crowd before his gaze landed in your general direction. He lifted his shades to expose his captivatingly red eyes. When he saw you, he gave you a crooked smile. 

“There you are,” he called, his deep voice rumbling over the muffled chatter of his fans. “It’s been too long.”

He maneuvered through the crowd, ignoring all the photos his fans were taking of him. The only thing Blade was paying attention to was you. Not caring you were in front of a large crowd, Blade immediately takes you into his arms. Time stops as you feel yourself melt into his embrace. The scent of his expensive cologne filled your senses, your face warm as it laid flushed against his chest. 

“I missed you,” he murmured into your hair. 

“I missed you, too,” you said. “But when did you get here? I thought you were in another continent? And are we allowed to be like this in public?” 

As happy as you were to be with him, you didn’t want to get him in any sort of trouble with his management company. 

“I got here just a few hours ago.” Blade rubbed slow circles on your back, not releasing you from his embrace. “I have a show in two days but I needed to see you. And, yeah, I might get in trouble by management but who cares?” 

You pulled back urgently, looking up at him in concern. “You should care! I don’t want you to put your career in danger.” 

Blade frowned and closed to distance between the two of you once more. “Management has worked me to the bone for years, if they want me to keep working for them, then they’ll have to put up with this being public. I’m tired of hiding you.” 

Your arms wrapped around him, a small giggle escaping your lips at how ridiculous this must have looked to the public. You didn’t like being in a secret relationship either. You knew it was for his work, but when you happened to watch his interviews and had to hear him lie and say he was single, it hurt your heart, just a little. 

“Besides, at this point in my career, I’m sure they need me more than I need them,” he said with a cocky look on his face. Even with his mouth and nose covered by the mask, you could see it in the crinkle of his eyes. 

“That’s my Bladie,” you teased, running your fingers through his tangled hair. “Mr. Popular and you know it.” 

“And I also know I want to be alone with you right now,” Blade said with a smirk. “Is your shift almost over? Let’s go back home once it ends.” 

“Serval said she’ll cover the rest of my shift for me. We can go home now.” 

“Thank you, Serval,” he said happily. Blade held your hand as he lead you to his car. “I might have to drive a little fast to lose the fans that’ll inevitably try to follow us. Is that okay?”

You noted his mischievous smile and laughed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the thought of escaping them excites you.” 

“I’m a simple man.” He opened the passenger door for you and gave you a small slap on the ass as you crawled in. “Buckle up, baby.”

“I can’t believe you did that with everyone watching!” you cried as he gently shut the door. You shook your head even though you knew he couldn’t see it. “It’s a good thing I love you.” 

˖⁺‧₊˚❀˚₊‧⁺˖

When you woke up the next morning, your phone was filled with texts from your friends. You opened Serval’s first. 

Serval: LOL guess who’s famous now

Serval: #CoffeeShopASScape #BladieOnTheLoose ... all the trending hashtags are about you and Blade

Serval: I wish you luck LMAO

You stifled a laugh, only mildly concerned about what people had to say. As you shuffled around on the bed, Blade stirred awake. He inched closer to you and lazily draped his arm around your waist. 

“G’morning,” he mumbled. 

“Good morning,” you greeted, kissing his forehead. “Blade… Have you checked your phone yet?” 

“Yeah, when I woke up an hour ago. My manager let me know just how much chaos I caused over voicemail. Then I decided to go back to sleep with you and deal with it later,” he said simply. 

“Blade!” 

He noticed the furrowed crinkle between your brows and he rubbed it away with his thumb. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll get it all sorted out eventually. All that matters is I’m here with you right now.” 

“You’re right. Let’s enjoy this before you have to go back on tour,” you said, placing your phone on your nightstand and ignoring the notifications lighting up your phone. “And if damage control is too hard to deal with, know that I’m always here for you. I’ll answer your call even if it’s in the middle of the night here.” 

Blade cupped your face and softly kissed your lips. “What did I do to deserve you?” 

“I ask myself the same thing,” you said with a smile. “Now, wanna get some coffee?”

[transgenderer]

AU where once we realized jupiter and saturn were huge and gassy (remarkably early! quick google says differential rotation of jupiter (and thus it cant be solid) was discovered 1690, well before uranus, 1780) and earth, venus, mars, mercury were small and rocky we split the category of "planet" (clearly outmoded! "wanderer"? what a silly thing to call them, they dont wander at all! they move in nice neat near-circular orbits) into the four inner terrae and the two outer nebulae (nebulae hadnt been discovered yet), and then the discovery of uranus and neptune slotted in neatly four terrae and four nebulae (when nebulae as we call them are discovered, theyre called maculae), ceres gets labelled a terrae until we discover theres a bunch of little terrae between mars and jupiter so get downgraded (its nice and neat, theyre on the border), then when pluto gets discovered the idea of a terra way out there feels wrong (from what i could tell they knew very early on it wasnt anything like the size or mass of the gas giants) and it immediately gets put in a new category of distant teleterrae

[hdslibrary]

Mystic Monday: Take a Look Around

More from Lutheran mystic Jakob Böhme: Morgenröte im Aufgang, also called Aurora. This is Böhme's earliest (and perhaps his most influential) work, here in a edition produced more than 150 years after it was written. The title describes it as a work of philosophy, astrology, and theology.

The work circulated first as an unpublished manuscript, where it gained its author supporters and detractors. City officials responded by banning Böhme from further writing. (Spoiler: He didn't stop writing.)

This 1780 edition features a red and black title page, with a facing, engraved illustration depicting what appears to be a large sphere made of rows of eyes rising above or past another world.

We sigh to see the ink library stamp applied right smack in the middle of the illustration: Physical and mystical realms collide.

Böhme, Jakob. Morgenröte im Aufgang; Das ist, Die Wurtzel oder Mutter der Philosophiae, Astrologiae und Theologiae, aus rechtem Grunde... Neue Aufl. Berlin, C.U. Ringmacher, 1780.

[divorcedwife]

i feel like the default period for historical AUs is the regency era, but personally i always want to drop people in 1780s france, for maximum drama

[vse-kar-vem]

historical bokris inspired by @ya-boi-joule's 1780s au !!!!

[a-strange-inkling]

so what's the "arranged marriage" au? (i'm always a sucker for that trope)

It’s more in my head than on paper right now, but I absolutely love the concept. Scenarios have just plagued my thoughts.

It’s set in England during the late 1780s, because I just love that era, lots of Poldark/Austen inspiration. Very soft and angsty. Hurt/comfort galore!

Eddie’s scoundrel father has squandered nearly all of his inheritance and his uncle is desperately trying to find him a wealthy family to marry into so that they may keep their lands and estate. Money and a title in exchange for land. It’s very difficult with his family’s reputation.

However, an agreement is eventually made with the Cunninghams after Chrissy’s fiancé breaks off their betrothal. Chrissy was the most sought after debutant in London, but two years prior she and her lady’s maid (Max) were attacked and held captive by the criminal Henry Creel for several months. Since their retrieval, she has not uttered a single word. She has abrupt fits and episodes and her already poor health has begun to decline even further. Her engagement with Jason is broken as a result and no other noble families want anything to do with such a strange, fallen young women. In desperation, her parents agree to the arrangement that Wayne offers them as she has no other prospects other than to slowly perspire.

When Eddie meets her, she’s very shy and guarded, though she seems quite relieved to get out of London and away from her vile mother. He’s smitten right away despite himself. She’s just so sweet and gentle. All he wants to do is take care of her, make her smile. They communicate with letters and she teaches him to use his hands to sign. There’s this little spark inside her that seems to grow stronger by the day as their relationship blossoms. He can see her getting better, but her past still haunts her and she keeps him at arms length in that regard.

[saunne]

HSR THEORIES - PENACONY ANALYSIS

I guess I'm late to the game, but I'm normally a lore gremlin for Xianzhou lore, not Penacony lore. Anyways, don't expect something very elaborate, but you'll be able to find :

Reflection on the period based on history (Penal Colony)

Reflection on the period based on fashion (NPC in trailers)

Reflection on the period based on architecture (Art Deco)

Reflection on the period based on cultural shift (Railway Mania, Department Stores)

Reflection on lore based on Literature (Jules Vernes, Herman Melville)

Reflection on lore based on Philosophy (Idealism, Utilitarianism, Transcendental Idealism)

Everything under the cut as always since I tend to babble.

The name "Penacony" possibly comes from the phrase "penal colony".

I'm certainly not the first to make the connection, but "Penal Colony" inevitably brings to mind Australia. This idea of "Space Australia" is also reinforced by the names for the characters we know at the moment, with a very clear English etymology : Sunday, Robin, Gallagher, Firefly.

The use of Australia as a "penal colony" by England took place after the American War of Independence, so we start with a period around 1780 to ~1870.

We didn't get to see a lot of NPC outfits in this very short clip, but what little there is could actually correspond to a period like this. However, we had a little more hints in Honkai Star Rail - Penacony Trailer | Game Awards 2023, where we see Acheron at the reception of the Reverie hotel :

This NPC in particular is interesting, because of her gloves. It's called "evening gloves" or "opera gloves". They were popular during the Napoleonic period (1800-1825) but were also very fashionable in the last two decades of the 19th century, i.e. 1880-1900 and before WWI, i.e up to 1910.

In terms of temporality, it is also important to note what concerns the architecture of Penacony.

It was noted on Reddit that the style of architecture could be reminiscent of the French Art Deco style, an architectural movement predominant in the 1910s to 1920s. Art Deco is said to have represented "luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress", so quite fitting for Penacony. Key features were : geometric/sleek designs, bold colors, luxurious materials, things that we find in the previews.

We'll have to wait to see more from Penacony, but it might be interesting to see if there is also any inspiration from the previous movement, Art Nouveau 🤔

Another architectural thing :

Look up and see the metal tracks crisscrossing the skyscrapers and the Spheroids rapidly rolling along them. They are the most visible means of transportation in this dreamscape metropolis and guide guests to each and every place around the city. [x]

This part about the Spheroids is interesting, because during this period (starting from 1825, with a peak in the 1840s), there was in France and England what we called the Railway Mania.

This is a point of interest because the Railway Mania saw the the arrival of the railroads in Paris. When it happened, this caused another major cultural shift : the rise of Department Stores. There is even a well-known french novel on the subject, called Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies' Delight) by Emile Zola.

The end of the 19th century is also the period of birth of modern advertising and given the number of things that we see plastered all over Penacony, I think I can say that we are on the right track/period.

So, in terms of rough "era", we can go from 1780 to ~1920, so mostly the 19th century (1800-1900).

Speaking of period culture and Penacony in general, we currently have a Relic Set which I will use for the rest of the post: Penacony's Dream-Seeking Tracks

Opening a window no longer show a view of the stars in the deep sky, but of the city's shifting streams of light and shadows, holding up the constant echoes of giant clocks and theaters.

Okay, let's start with some details that I only noticed because I come from a literary studies background. I'm not going to lie to you, it's far-fetched, but stay with me, I promise it's interesting.

Giant clocks and theaters made me think "steampunk" works, whose setting are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era (~1837 to 1900, so right in our period). One of the pioneering writers of the genre, “proto-steampunk” so to speak, is Jules Vernes, considered one of the "father of science fiction".

Remember Spheroids ? : "Spheroids are regarded as both vehicles and as toys in the land of dreams. However, few remember that the Spheroids are actually imprisonment cages — the vehicle towards dreams are tools originally used for locking up prisoners."

One of Jules Vernes' best-known novels is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, a science-fiction aventure novel the majority of which takes place aboard the Nautilus, a submarine belonging to Captain Nemo. And interesting thing, "he also tells his new passengers that his secret existence means he cannot let them leave — they must remain on board permanently" ; They are prisoners in the Nautilus.

On another point, Jules Vernes is also considered as having had a strong influence on the surrealist movement "in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to leader André Breton, to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality", or surreality"." Quite fitting for our dream planet.

For the next one... Well. I have no excuse for this one, it's even more far-fetched. But so, we remain in the literary universe.

The water from the spring turn into a giant whale and swim through the halls.

Giant whale made me think of one thing almost immediately : Moby Dick, by Herman Mellville, published in 1851 (once again in our era of interest). Moby Dick is a "sea novel" centered around the figure of the hunt of a whale. It's main themes are the limits of knowledge, fate and free will, nature and man, race, fellowship, and enslavement, madness and religion [x].

I wont copy and paste the whole shtick but I send you check again The Family description from the Data Bank.

With that, we're done with literature... so it's time to move on to something else wonderful and terrible, the greatest enemy of my high school years (when you have to do it for 8 hours a week, it quickly becomes tiring), I named: PHILOSOPHY.

For a transcendent experience, for an inspirational excitement, for the soothing of worries and wounds — guests of the highest caliber come to surrender their pain in exchange for peace and tranquility

I'm not going to dwell on that for too long, quite honestly. I'll just... put that here for you to do whatever the fuck you want with it.

Idealism : "Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical idealism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, spirit, or consciousness; that reality is entirely a mental construct; or that ideas are the highest form of reality or have the greatest claim to being considered "real"

At some unknown point in time, the small cells cut off access to reality, but people's consciousnesses became linked in dreams. In the midnight bell, that shared dream seemed so real, reflecting the sheer hypocrisy of reality.

Utilitarianism : "a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the affected individuals. In other words, utilitarian ideas encourage actions that ensure the greatest good for the greatest number."

Those who follow the "Harmony" Path admire understanding, support, and cooperative behavior.

In addition to all previously "said", one of the greatest thinkers of the time, who is also the one at the origin of the definition of transcendent, is Immanuel Kant. His best known work is Critique of Pure Reason (1781), with which "he aims to reach a decision about "the possibility or impossibility of metaphysics".

Metaphysics "is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality. This includes the first principles of: being or existence, identity, change, space and time, cause and effect, necessity, actuality, and possibility."

This work was the founding work of a philosophical doctrine known under the name of Transcendental Idealism. I'll spare you the convoluted explanations but look at that :

The scenery gradually becomes more and more incredulous, and the senses feel as if one has been lifted by silk. [...] The guests finally realize that they were never awake, but are instead witnessing Penacony's true nature in a dream — a place where time stops in a neverending dreamscape.

"Kant means that his philosophical approach to knowledge transcends mere consideration of sensory evidence and requires an understanding of the mind's innate modes of processing that sensory evidence".

"Kant outlines how space and time are pure forms of human intuition contributed by our own faculty of sensibility. Space and time do not have an existence "outside" of us, but are the "subjective" forms of our sensibility".

[addsalwayssick]

Marauders Night At the Museum Au part 1

Remus pressed his lips into a line a quirked his eyebrow. James, on the other hand, smiled. “Thank you, sir.” James said, patting his back.

“You start tonight. There are rules in the cabinet.” Albus said, waving them out of his office door for the night.

Albus soon packed up, leaving both Remus and James behind in the sunset.

Remus pulled out a book, starting to read. “You’re so boring. We should be exploring.” James sighed, spinning around in a spinny chair.

Remus rolled his eyes. The sunset drew to a close, as a curtain of darkness fell upon them. James, now sleeping in a chair, only awoke when Remus screamed. Now, James was expecting a robber, or a burglar or something. What he was not expecting was a skeleton dog trying to get behind the circular desk that James and Remus were sat at. James was wide awake now. “Holy crap! What do we do?” James yelps.

“Get the rules!” Remus says, his voice rushed.

James tries to open the cabinet Albus said it would be in, failing to. “It’s locked!” James said.

“Try again!” Remus shouted.

“I can’t!”

They heard a piercing whistle throughout the museum, and everything stopped. A man wearing tight pants, and a complicated top came out. The skeleton dog rushed to him, sitting by his side. “What are we doing chasing the new night guards?” He asked the dog. The man was gorgeous. With his long dark hair, eyes silver yet warm, and a smile radiating through the cold air of the museum.

Remus thought he was beautiful. Remus had never thought of anyone like that. “Who are you?” Remus said, coming to his senses.

“I am Prince Sirius Orion Black the lll of France. Well, previously I suppose. It is…2024, non? Well I was disowned in 1775, so I suppose that’s that. I was killed in 1780, though, so it didn’t matter.” He said, his black hair swishing elegantly, despite his sad story.

“Are you alone?” Remus asked carefully, his mind swimming with questions. “Are you real?”

Sirius laughed. “No, i’m not alone. I have my brother Regulus. He got disowned and guillotined in the same day. He technically died before me. Only by a month, though. And no, i’m not real. I’m made of wax.”

“Where is Regulus?” James found himself clearing his throat and asking.

“Well he got sent out for enjoying men’s company and guillotined for having no desire to be a woman, so most likely changing. They’re awful here, they put him in a corset every day. He changes, every night though.” Sirius told them.

Remus and James’s mouths dropped. At the stunned silence, Sirius groans. “Please don’t tell me you don’t like the fact we prefer men over ladies. Ladies are lovely, I just don’t like them. The last night guards were like that and-“

“You like men too?” Remus chokes out.

Sirius nods carefully. Remus gets up out of his seat, patting Sirius in the back. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I promise James and I don’t care. I’m bisexual and James is Pan”

Sirius furrows his eyebrows. “You speak two languages? As do I. What does that have to do with anything. And James is a pan? He doesn’t look like one.”

Remus laughs. “I like men and woman. James likes everyone.”

Sirius frowns. “Oh. That’s nice. So what am I called?”

“You just like men, right?” Remus asks, taking him to the seats. The dog follows. Sirius nods. “Then you’re gay, probably.”

“Gay? As in happy? Well, I suppose I am happy with men.” Sirius thinks aloud.

Remus laughs, brushing his hair out of his face.

James, on the other hand, is nearly banging his head against the desk. He truly didn’t think life could get any crazier after his boyfriend of 2 years broke up with him, kicking him out, with no job. But of course, wax statues, skeleton dogs, animals, and is that a talking statue of George Washington? are coming alive. James was not having the best time. He was happy his best friend, Remus, finally met someone (even if it was a wax statue) and thought that was awesome, except for the fact they were talking wax statues that are now alive. Wasn’t Remus supposed to be the logical one?

But then again, all his logic apparently flew away when a man walked down the stairs with James’s clothes on. James coughed. “Those are my clothes.”

The man turned to him and frowned. “Hm. Sorry. Yours must have been the locker I nestled into. I have to steal these clothes you see, because apparently committing so called treason and getting executed isn’t enough for me to be put in men’s clothes.”

“Oh, no! It’s totally okay, just a bit of a shock. Considering it had my name on the back and things.” James choked.

James had walked in wearing a spider-man t-shirt, black jeans, and a letterman jacket from high school that said ‘Potter 03’ on it. He had to change into his uniform, so the clothes went into the locker.

It seemed wrong that someone as elegant as this man before him was wearing something so casual. He looked as if he belonged in a painting.

He smiled. “Thank you then.”

“Are you Regulus?” James asks, fascinated by this new man.

Regulus nods. “I suppose Sirius had told you our entire life story?” James nods. “Thought so.” When James looked confused, Regulus sighs. “He tells everyone.”

i haven’t posted any writing in literally forever so have this unfinished scrap xx

[mercurygray]

A very small (and very late) amuse-bouche for @junojelli, who had a birthday recently and deserves all the nice things for it, including her favorite characters in compromising positions and alternate timelines!

Scene: 1777, Philadelphia, in the house of Mr. William Mitchell, a merchant of that city and a loyal subject of his Majesty King George.

She'd never intended to be caught.

It was all well and good that during a war a man could put on a coat and carry a gun, but what did that leave the women to do? Especially women who were trapped in their fathers' houses, hoping for the other side to win?

William Mitchell would say it was willful of her, a daughter of his wishing for the rebels to win, but what did he know about it? Freedom was a fine word when you already had it. And Billie so wanted freedom - to be free of this house, of her mother and her silly and specific social obligations. It was a prison to her - until it became a lodging place for King George's officers. And then one night, after dinner when they were deep in their port, and discussing troop movements, and she thought of what Molly had said, about how wars require intelligence to be run, and intelligencers to gather it.

She nearly flew to writing the letter, pressing it into Molly's hands the next time they met. She knew Miss Warren - her uncle was with Washington. Could they not arrange something between them? A woman's letters, filled with gossip to an old school-friend, would not be read.

Miss Warren wrote back - would be delighted to cultivate an acquaintance, desperate for news from a friend, should introduce her to another, whose name she now enclosed. And that began it - codes and counter-codes, plans and plots and listening at doors - until tonight, that is.

"Now, Miss Mitchell, what have we here? What would your father say?"

Billie straightened up quickly and smoothed her dress. He was new here, this one - dark hair and deep eyes she could not fathom out. Family in Scotland, it was said, though he hardly sounded it. Not that he'd say why - he didn't talk in the same free and easy way the rest of the officers did, kept himself to himself. The girls who came to take tea with her mother found him handsome - but then, that seemed to be the condition they found everyone wearing an epaulette. "Say to what, Captain Speirs?"

"You, listening at doors." He drew in a little closer. "Is he aware that his daughter is a rebel spy?"

Her breath caught. "I've done nothing of the kind."

"You're going to tell me you were peeping at keyholes to - what, admire the cut of Major Andre's legs?"

"Why shouldn't I? Every other girl in Philadelphia seems to be."

"You're not every other girl in Philadelphia."

Was it a compliment or an accusation? She couldn't tell and didn't wish to. "Are you trying to flirt with me, Captain?" she shot back, changing tactics. "I could scream. What would my father say to that? Me, alone with an officer who's billeted in my house?"

"Would you like that?" He stepped closer to her, pinning her between his body and the wall. "Would you like us to be flirting?"

"Don't think I won't," she threatened again. But there was something in the way he watched her that made her wish, just for a moment, that what she suggested need not be suggestion only, a tendresse rather than a threat.

"I have every confidence you would," he assured her. "But it won't help either of us. Or our mutual friend John Bolton."

Billie's eyes widened. No one in this house - in this city, even! - knew that name, spoken only once in Joan Warren's letter, the alias for Washington's intelligencer. Even Andre, for all his powers, would not possess it. No, no one would know it except -

Speirs' smile widened. "Now she understands. We'll need a cover of some kind, if we're to continue meeting like this."

"Weren't you just saying something about flirting?" She gestured with her eyes to the space between them, his body pressed to hers. "Unless you find that objectionable," she hastened to add, trying to catch him out the way he'd caught her.

But he, it seemed, would not be caught. He smiled, and she thought of hungry wolves, the licking of his lips heavily implied. "The least objectionable thing in the world." She must have made a face, for he smiled even wider. "Cheer up, Miss Mitchell," he added softly. "This could serve a second purpose." He leaned in, his lips almost brushing her ear. "I think your mother likes my prospects."

She wasn't sure which prospect she disliked more - that her mother found him suitable for marriage, or that he did not seem to disagree.

[charlesdesvoeux]

vampterror au-- some people and when they were turned:

crozier: sometime in the mid-to-late 1500s and early 1600s. need to do more research on irish history but rn i feel strongly about this time-frame. his maker probably died in the 1600s.

fitzjames: georgian vampire, maybe 1750s-1760s. MAYBE made by lady jane. him and crozier are often drawn to one another; essentially an on-and-off couple. but they are NEVER 100% quitting one another. might spend a century apart but always come back to the other.

james clark ross: made by crozier in the late 1600s; crozier's first companion. probably remained together as pretty much husbands until the late 1700s; had a more-or-less amicable break-up (although crozier was kind of devastated) and are still cordial/come together occasionally.

ann coulman ross: made by jcr in the 1770s-1780s. at first crozier was very cold to her and resented her "coming between" him and jcr but eventually warmed to her and they became friends.

john franklin: ooooold vampire. like late 1400s-early 1500s vampire. made by lady jane who is probably at least 100 years older than him. she made him after the death of his first wife. died in the late 18th century maybe.

sophia cracroft: lady jane's human niece from the 1300s, the first vampire made by her aunt. spent some time as crozier's companion i think during 1800s-1820s or 30s maybe but then left. 2nd oldest vampire in britain ie very powerful.

lady jane franklin: 1300s vampire. very old and very powerful. by this point probably the oldest vampire in the british isles???

eleanor franklin: john's daughter by his human wife, made into a vampire by her father (late 1400s-early 1500s). difficult relationship with both him and lady jane, but close to sophia. dad's death in the late 18th century sends her spiraling. a great vampire, in the same way that hickey is a great vampire (see below). i can see her becoming friends with hickey eventually.

hickey: made by crozier in the mid-1830s. a prodigious killer who relishes in his nature. crozier thought he was an interesting, downright fascinating guy at first but then eventually came to find him wearisome and dumped him and hickey will be forever pissed off about it, it's like being abandoned by your father.

billy: made by hickey circa 1848. the thing is though, both bc billy was sick when he turned and also hickey didn't really know what he was doing he "came out wrong"-- essentially, it's like he's suspended in a dying state for all eternity: moribund but unable to die. it's pretty rough and he resents cornelius for it. some days are better and others are worse; sometimes he can leave the coffin and hunt and all that, but a lot of the time he can't really do all that much. resents hickey, but loves him too.

tozer: made by hickey circa 1850s-1860s, a very good hunter and for a long while hickeygibson's "third" which he resents but also he simply cannot quit hickey. like maybe he'll go away for a couple years or something but he WILL eventually come back to hickey and coming back to hickey also means coming back to gibson so.

armitage: also made by hickey circa 1850s-1860s. was already friends with/looked up to tozer before he became a vampire, and tozer essentially refused to quit his friendship with tommy after he was turned but he was also ADAMANT that he did NOT want tommy to be a vampire!!! he's too good he doesn't deserve our wretched existence!!! i think one day tozer really pissed hickey off and he turned tommy out of spite.

pilkington: made by tozer after tommy BEGGED him to turn him, prob in the 1910s or 1920s, ww1 vet. tommy essentially said "you will never love me like i love you, i have spent more than 40 years being the one you only turn to when hickey disappoints you, I WANT ONE PERSON WHO IS FOR ME". i think him and tommy are very devoted to one another. but also tommy still has very complicated romantic feelings towards tozer that frustrate pilk.

jopson: made by crozier in the 1850s. was crozier's extremely devoted human servant before getting turned. where hickey was a disappointment jopson was (in crozier's opinion) an astounding success. gets a monopoly on crozier's love for a good decade at least but then OOPS fitzjames comes knocking and he's feeling kinda jealous and insecure. which leads us to...

little: a human who managed crozier's business interests, knew about the vampirism and was desperately in love with jopson. after fitzjames comes back jopson turns him out of jealousy and feeling betrayed by his beloved crozier. poor little. initially his love is not enough to heal jop's broken heart but i do think eventually jop comes to actually love him and they become long-term companions. prob made in the 1860s.

le vesconte: regency-era dandy, made by fitzjames in the 1810s. very devoted to jfj but knows that once james gets with crozier he's pretty much kicked to the curb for a while, and it hurts him. still revels in being a vampire. fun guy. on-and-off with fitzjames for all of eternity but a second-choice forever.

hodgson: made by le vesconte in the 1830s-40s. they have a good time but i wouldn't call their bond necessarily super deep. like friends who are roommates.

irving: made by hodgson in the 1850s. struggles immensely with religiosity and vampirism and the like; i mean SEVERE emotional and mental health struggles. hodge is extremely devoted to him; irving does love him in a way but also resents him for turning him into a monster. being a vampire also means a permanent rift with william malcolm, who is a human; he considers turning him but decides he cannot curse him with this horrible burden, and malcolm dies a human. i think it's possible that he meets and connects with gibson over their ambivalent (to say the least) feelings on vampirism and maybe finds a new purpose in becoming gibson's "keeper" and taking care of him (prob during a time when hickey and gibson are broken up)

henrietta lefeuvre: made by dundy in the 1860s-1870s. they do spend quite a while being fairly happy companions but eventually she was like "i'm only a substitute for when fitzjames isn't here and i can't handle that anymore" and eventually decided to travel alone out there and find who she is outside of dundy etc. i think eventually lady jane and sophia take her under their wing.

stanley: turned by fitzjames in the 1850s-1860s, were companions for a while but jfj got bored and dipped. which made him very mad. a pretty good vampire, keeps his kills clean. very discreet.

des voeux: turned by stanley in the 1910s. relishes his nature but is not very controlled with his kills; obsessed with stanley, who's always leaving and coming back and leaving and coming back etc. eventually falls in with hickey's little "coven" ie hickey, gibson, tozer, armitage and pilk. him and stanley are on-and-off forever but they're absolutely never quitting the other for good. i could see him dying in the 2020s which throws stanley into a spiral.

trying to place silna and goodsir in this au but I'm still not sure. might come back to it later

[thatswhywelovegermany]

In so gefährlichen Dingen, wie der Krieg eins ist, sind die Irrtümer, welche aus Gutmütigkeit entstehen, gerade die schlimmsten.

In such dangerous matters as war, the errors which arise from good nature are precisely the worst.

Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz (1780 – 1831), Prussian general, army reformer, and military theorist