#1900 followers celebration

[enbysiriusblack]

i cannot for the life of me remember who made that post with the headcanon about the black family losing a lot of their wealth.

but i've been thinking about it a lot. and in england from early to mid 1900s, the aristocracy changed fundamentally as a class, they lost a lot of their previous held power as well as a lot of their money. and because of this, they either had to get a job (the aristocracy is the leisure class. they don't work), which means leaving behind the traditions of your class and your family in order to modernise and keep your money/power, or they could sell off their large estates/lands/artworks in order to keep tradition of the aristocracy as much as they could, but it meant losing a lot of money/power.

there's this quote describing this change in the aristocracy actually- "less power, more prestige". in staying with the traditions of old money, they lose the power they had in government/economy/whatever, but gain lots of admiration and respect from society- like they still have honour and integrity despite losing their money and power, which then becomes their primary tool in still being seen as an influential family.

and with the black family being known as "the noble and most ancient house of black", that definitely could show they chose that pathway. they're clinging onto their lineage of nobility in a time when the aristocracy as a class and the idea of high society is very much falling apart. and unlike quite a lot of these families, they don't modernise but instead keep their heads high and very much make it known that they are nobility and an ancient family, and have no intentions of disrupting this and losing the meaning of what being an aristocrat and a noble used to mean.

[bingwriterxo]

a clingy drunk

pairing: amber freeman x reader

summary: in which you get a little too drunk at one of amber's parties

warnings: implications of sex, mentions of alcohol poisoning

word count: 1900+

author's note: this was a request (find here!) hope yall enjoy :D

“So, is tonight just the group or is it the whole school?” you asked, your eyes trained on your own reflection as you tried to do your hair in the style that always drove Amber wild. You glanced behind you in the mirror, catching sight of your girlfriend as she looked through her closet for something to wear.

“The whole school,” Amber answered, pulling a cropped shirt from its hanger and holding it up for you to see. “Thoughts?”

You gulped, nodding quickly. “Definitely. Wear it with those low-waisted jeans you got the other day.”

She hummed as she crossed the room, shirt in hand, and leaned down, her chin resting on your shoulder. Her eyes locked with yours in the mirror, and she asked, “Making yourself all pretty for me?”

You shivered at her words, her warm breath fanning against your cheek. “Yeah, Ambs,” you agreed, turning your head to peck her on the cheek. “All pretty for you.”

Amber grinned, leaning in to kiss you. “My pretty girl,” she mumbled against your lips, and butterflies circled your stomach, making you beam with joy. She stood and left your side, going to dig through her dresser for the pants that you had mentioned earlier. 

You carried on with styling your hair, humming along to the quiet music that was playing in the room. You loved when things were like this--both of you existing in the same space yet doing your own things; it was pure domesticity.

Amber’s voice cut through your concentration, drawing your eyes back to her through the mirror. “Baby?” she began, her voice soft and lulling. You swore up and down that you could fall asleep to it. 

“Yeah?” 

“Try not to drink too much tonight, alright? I don’t want to have to call the ambulance again.”

You shuddered at the memory of what had happened at Amber’s last party nearly a month prior. Chad and Mindy had egged you into trying your first keg stand, and, upon successfully completing it, they decided to celebrate by feeding you shot after shot of tequila. Needless to say, the night had ended with you being rolled out on a stretcher, Amber following behind with wide, worried eyes, and having your stomach pumped. 

“I definitely won’t be drinking that much tonight,” you promised. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

She smiled, and your heart fluttered at the sight. “Good.” She pulled the jeans from her drawer, a mischievous smirk on her lips and a familiar spark in her eyes. “Wanna help me get changed?”

You leapt from your seat and rushed toward her, giggling the whole time. 

* * *

For a good hour, you kept your promise to Amber. While people were still filing into her house, you simply wandered around, offering half-assed greetings to your peers and sipping at your beer; every so often, you’d pester your girlfriend for her phone so that you could change the song, or you’d just walk right up to her and plant a kiss on her lips--she never complained about either. 

However, when your friends arrived, your night was quickly turned around.

“Y/N! My favorite girl!” Chad cheered as he walked through the front door, a six-pack of beer dangling from his fingertips. He pulled you into a tight hug, ignoring as you deftly swiped a drink from the case. “How you doing tonight? You ready to get fucked up?!”

“Not too fucked up, Chad,” Mindy interjected as she sidled up beside him, grinning at you. “Can’t have you in the hospital again, can we? Took me days to get that smoothie out of my hair.”

Unfortunately for the twins, at school the day after your little…incident, Amber had taken it upon herself to avenge you, resulting in both Meeks-Martin kids going home early with smoothie dripping from the tops of their heads.

“Definitely ready to get mildly fucked up,” you said, laughing.

Chad frowned. “We can do better than mildly.”

You looked around, making sure Amber wasn’t within earshot, and said, “As long as Ambs isn’t watching, then I’m all in.”

It didn’t take much time for the twins to get you more than mildly drunk. Within half an hour, you were slurring your words and swaying where you stood, your cheeks flushed a bright red and your eyelids drooping. 

“Oh, we’re fucked,” Mindy stated when she realized just how intoxicated you were, her eyes flitting from person to person to see if your girlfriend was anywhere in sight. 

Chad shook his head, taking a sip from his beer. “We’re only fucked if Amber notices,” he said.

“Amber!” you gasped suddenly, your eyes going wide at the mention of your girlfriend. You whipped your head around, stumbling backward and into Mindy’s arms at the force, searching for the raven-haired girl. “Where is she?”

“Uh, I’m not too sure,” Mindy said, glancing at her brother. “Do you need her?”

You twisted around and nodded furiously at Mindy, your face taking on the most serious expression she had ever seen. “Yes. Need her now.”

Chad furrowed his eyebrows, placing his drink down on the nearest surface he could reach. He put his hands on your shoulders, forcing you to face him. “And why do you need Amber?” he asked.

You sighed dreamily, pulse speeding up at the thought of the girl. “‘Cause I love her,” you slurred. “Love her so much. Just want to squeeze her little cheeks.” You mimicked the action with your hands, scrunching your face up as you did. 

Mindy chuckled. “As if Amber would let you squeeze her cheeks.”

“Oh, she does,” you said, your voice convincing. “All the time. She likes it.”

“Are we talking about the same Amber?”

“Why would I want to squeeze a different Amber’s cheeks?” you asked, dead serious, and Chad barked out a laugh. You looked at him, confusion painted on your face. “I only love my Amber. I promise.”

“Oh, I know, champ.” He patted you on the top of your head. “Everyone knows. But, right now, you can’t have Amber because--”

“Because what?” Amber asked, and you squealed at the sight of her standing behind Mindy. You pushed yourself out of Chad’s grip and hurried toward her, immediately wrapping your arms around her waist and burying your face into her neck. She was left a little disoriented but no less loving as she quickly hugged you back.

“Baby!” you exclaimed, and she flinched back at your voice so loud in her ear.

“Hi, pretty girl,” she cooed quietly, running her fingers through your hair before settling her sight on the twins. “Why is she so…excited?”

“She’s a little drunk,” Mindy said. 

Amber’s eyes narrowed. “How much is ‘a little,’ Mindy?”

“Four beers and three shots,” Chad offered, cringing when Amber’s jaw clenched. 

“I thought I told you guys not to let her drink that much tonight!” Amber chided, her hold on you tightening. You nuzzled further into her. “You remember what happened last time, don’t you?” There was a threat in her voice as she spoke, her tone sharp and demanding, and both twins squirmed beneath her glare.

“She’s fine, Freeman. She’s just…really set on being with you right now, that’s all,” Mindy told the other girl. 

Chad nodded. “Yeah. She’s at about that point in the night where if you leave her alone, she might cry.”

Amber sighed and glanced down at you. “Guess I just won’t leave her alone, then.” She looked back at the twins. “At least, not with you two. Don’t you dare give her another drink tonight. Or else.”

Both twins raised their arms in surrender, taking a few steps back as Amber nodded, satisfied with their reaction. 

“Come on, baby,” Amber said to you. “Let’s go find Tara because I need to get more drinks from the basement.”

Almost immediately, you hugged her tighter, shaking your head. “No,” you whined, and Amber couldn’t help but think it was cute how determined you were to stay with her. She grinned as you emphasized the thought. “Only wanna be with you.”

You looked up, smiling at your girlfriend. You kissed her before raising an arm to squeeze her cheek. She blushed at the action, shooting a deathly glare toward her friends as you cooed like she was a puppy. 

“You’re the cutest person ever,” you said. “I just wanna be with you forever and ever and ever.”

She blushed even harder. “I love you, too, baby,” she said in response, because she’d have rather died than say something so cheesy where Mindy could hear her. “Now, can we please go find Tara so she can watch you while I run to the basement?”

Your face soured. “Depends. How long will you be?”

“Not even a minute.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, stuck in deep thought, and finally decided, “Okay. Fine. But can we cuddle after?”

Mindy tilted her head behind you, mouthing ‘Yeah, Amber. Can we cuddle?’ with a sly smirk. Amber had never been so tempted to tackle her to the ground. 

Through gritted teeth, she said, “Of course,” even though, in reality, she would have loved nothing more, but, again, she couldn’t let Mindy know that. 

“Yay!” you cheered, unraveling yourself from Amber. You intertwined your fingers with hers and let her pull you through the crowds in search for her brunette best friend, her thumb rubbing along the skin of your hand comfortingly as she did. 

It took a few minutes before you finally found Tara. She was sitting on the couch, a drink in her hand as she talked to Wes. Her head tilted when her eyes landed on you and Amber, lips quirking into a smile at your clearly drunk state.

“Did Chad and Mindy get to her?” she asked Amber, who nodded with a huff.

“Unfortunately,” Amber drawled. “Could you keep an eye on her? We’re out of beer. I need to grab more from the fridge downstairs.”

You frowned, like you had forgotten all about the fact that Amber needed to get more drinks. “Can’t I come with you?” you asked hopefully.

“I don’t think you could make it down the stairs like this, baby. Just stay here with Tara and Wes, okay?” She kissed you quickly before pulling away. When your frown deepened, she added "I'll be two seconds."

“Okay,” you grumbled, throwing yourself onto the couch between your friends and watching as your girlfriend disappeared in the direction of the basement.

“So, having a good night so far, Y/N?” Tara asked. 

You sighed, crossing your arms. “Guess so.”

“You don’t sound too happy,” Wes pointed out.

“I miss Amber,” you huffed. 

Tara chuckled. “She’ll be back soon. You’re a clingy drunk, huh?”

“No,” you denied, even though it was obviously the truth. “Just like being around Ambs. She’s so pretty, and cute, and she always makes me laugh, and she’s a really good kis--”

Amber appeared in front of you, a grin on her face, and you cut yourself off, hopping off the couch and right back into her arms. 

“You’re back!” you exclaimed.

She laughed. “I told you I wouldn’t be long.”

You pressed a kiss to the side of her jaw. “Can we go upstairs and cuddle?” you murmured, and Amber nearly melted. 

“Sure, baby. C’mon.” She started to walk away, you close behind, before she stopped and looked back at Tara. “Just…kick people out when it gets late, okay? I probably won’t be back down.”

Tara grinned at her. “Have fun, kids.”

Amber rolled her eyes and started leading you toward the stairs, trying to calm the fluttering of her heart as you chanted, “Cuddles! Cuddles! Cuddles!”

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Remember the 1996 movie Fly Away Home? In it orphaned geese were shown where to migrate as their caretaker flew an ultralight aircraft. Based on a true story, it has since inspired other conservation efforts involving migratory birds, in this case the northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita).

Because migratory birds learn their migration routes from their parents, attempts to simply let a captive-raised batch find their own way by instinct ended in failure. Instead, ibis conservationists allow the newly hatched ibis chicks to imprint on their human caretakers, who then fly along for the aircraft-led migration the following autumn.

The species went extinct in Europe three centuries ago, and numbers have plummeted elsewhere in their range across the Middle East and northern Africa, largely from a combination of a slow rate of reproduction, habitat loss, and overhunting for food. In fact, between 1900 and 2000 the number of northern bald ibis dropped by 98%.

Efforts to protect wild and semi-wild populations in Morocco and Turkey have met with success, while human conflicts in Syria have hampered ibis conservation activities. The reintroduction of ibises from European will help bolster numbers in their historic range. Moreover, there are plans to reintroduce ibises at historic breeding grounds in Morocco. With only a few thousands remaining in the wild and in captivity, any gains in northern bald ibis numbers will be worth celebrating.

[look-at-the-soul]

Hi, Mar!! Following your idea, I'm sending you a question too, to celebrate this anniversary! 🔟❤️

You have the chance to give Tommy one (1) gift. But this gift is from this century, something that not existed back in 1900. What would you like to give him? 🤔

Flor I’ve to start this apologizing for taking forever to reply I’m so sorry!

At first you caught me off guard and I didn’t know what to give him because he already has it all, or he has an easy access to everything (almost) and then time flew but suddenly I had an ide of something that would touch his heart ♥️ Thank you a million times for sending in this ask!

I finally found the perfect gift for Tommy and I turned it into a little story 🎄I got the inspiration from a one shot I did back in the day so this would be like “their present day” “The Photoshoot”

****

It’s not about the gifts under the tree

Y/N stood in a corner next to the fireplace whilst everyone focused on their Christmas presents. They had full house, Ada had her Spotify playlist on, the kids enjoying the moment thrilled about the last adventure of the elf on the shelf and Santa’s presents.

And of course there was the empty chairs, the people who had passed away. And Y/N noticed that ever since Polly wasn’t around anymore it was taking a toll on Tommy, they were one, their bond was so profound, at another level… they understood each other completely.

“I think there was a present missing under the tree.” Y/N whispered presenting her boyfriend a box.

That caught Tommy’s attention, he hadn’t seen that box before, it was wrapped in a delicate deep red fancy paper with reindeers silhouettes as pattern.

“Love you didn’t have to give me anything.” It was strange for him the feeling of getting presents, when he was just a boy his parents didn’t have a lot of money to spend on gifts so he grew up with that feeling that it wasn’t necessary spend money on him, all the contrary because he went above and beyond for everyone.

“I know, but I wanted you to have this, so why don’t you hurry up and open it?” She encouraged softly, eager to see his reaction.

It was a big box with several boxes inside, there was a frown in Tommy’s forehead. Y/N bit her lower lip in an attempt to conceal her excitement.

As he ripped the white and gold paper, Tommy found a portrait that when he turned it around, he found a photograph in color of his beloved mother.

Time froze and his heart returned to normal as his fingers touched his mother’s features.

“How…” a million questions crossed his mind just as tears blurred his vision.

Y/N came around to circle him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Months before passing away, Polly gave me a few boxes of photographs, she thought I’d know what to do with it.

“I remember this photo, but it was damaged and it was in black and white.” Tommy choked, taking a deep breath to try to keep his emotions at bay.

“I edited it love, deleted the stains and colored the photo.” Y/N explained.

“Thank you.” He was fighting hard the lump installed in his throat.

Because as he took another box, he found a small album filled with Polaroids of pictures he had never seen before. His mother appeared in a couple dressed in a light blue dress in what seemed like her birthday celebration.

And before he could even ask Y/N how or when she got those, she whispered with a smile. “Found them in one of the boxes, then I learned how to convert film negatives into digital photos.”

Tommy couldn’t find the words to thank her for her thoughtful gift. Those photographs held memories of his loved ones, the only link he had to his keen and his past, and somehow she brought it back to life.

One by one, he revisited his past, his background through each Polaroid. And that was priceless.”There’s something else at the bottom.” Y/N pointed out when she noticed Tommy’s eyes were fixed on his mother portrait.

He blinked and looked at her in confusion. More? As if this wasn’t enough?

To his surprise, there was something else, a frame.

But it wasn’t any frame, Y/N plugged it and it came to life, showing Tommy a digital image of him and his mother.

“I might have used Photoshop a bit.” She explained nervously because of his silence.

The edited image showed him next to his mother and a blurred background, and making it look as if they got their picture taken together. His heart skipped a beat and suddenly another image appeared. It was Polly this time, a fabulous photo of her on her wedding day.

And so on many more images he had never seen filled the screen. He was mesmerized and shocked at the same time.

“This is the best present you could ever get me.” His words were full of gratitude. How could he ever top this?”How did you do that?”

Tommy asked so emotional when he saw an animated version of his mother, she was smiling at the camera, then looked away and finally she looked up in the sky laughing.

“I put together the series of photos I found, turned it into a video and looks like she’s moving.”

“Come here.” He pleaded, not finding the right words to thank her.

This wasn’t their first Christmas together, but it was definitely different. After been living together for almost a year, Y/N deserved the world, she had been so supportive after the sudden passing of his beloved aunt, she had been a wonderful step mother to Charlie, she practically took charge of everything to make this gathering for his family for Christmas to try to make it smoother for everyone specially the children.

Taking her hand, he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles, his eyes saying more than his lips could.

Over the course of their relationship, she had been in charge of immortalizing several family portraits and important events like birthdays, holidays, school milestones… she loved it and to have a piece from his past as well captured in digital photographs was so important to her.

“Rose sent the Christmas card earlier.” Y/N added in an attempt to lighten the emotions he was going through.

“How could I miss it if you left it on my desk?” It was a family photograph Y/N took of her best friend Rose, her fiancé Alfie and their dog Cyril.

A soft giggle escaped her lips, their teasing would never end.

“I also happen to have another present for you.” Tommy added after a minute.

“Dad, Y/N look here.” Charlie interrupted their conversation, he was waving the instant camera she gave him and the kid had been snapping Polaroids of everyone.

“Charlie bring me my phone please.” Tommy asked pointing at the other side of the room. While his son skipped happily moving up and down the photo he took, he returned with a smile and handed the phone. “Show Y/N the wallet app.”

“What’s this?” Y/N was trying to process what she found on the screen.

“We’re going to Scotland tomorrow love, to spend New Year with your grandmother.” Tommy explained running his hand up and down Y/N’s back.

Now it was her turn to feel emotional over the gift she just got. Her grandma couldn’t travel anymore and she wasn’t in position to host a big party, but Tommy organized everything to spend a few days with her.

Leaning on his shoulder, she wrapped an arm around his neck, her free hand inviting Charlie as well. To them it wasn’t about the presents under the Christmas tree, but the people around it.

Thank you again so much for reading! Remember your feedback is the best gift you could give 🎄♥️✨🥰

Blurbs

Master list

Tag list: @lyarr24 @runnning-outof-time @cillmequick @datewithgianni @cloudofdisney

@gretelshelby @garrison-girl-08 @lespendy @onlydeadcells @fastfan

@stevie75 @prettylittlehoneyeyesxoxo @esposadomd @forbidden-forest-witch @ange-thoughts

@moral-terpitude @elenavampire21 @narlytude @winchestergirl22

@zablife @elk96 @blondie-22 @imichelle-l-rigby @allie131313 @already-broken144

@peakyscillian @babaohhhriley @shaddixlife @sloanexx @sydneyyyya @lau219 @cljordan-imperium

@adaydreamaway08 @pono-pura-vida @thomashelbyswife @darleneslane @lauren-raines-x

@everythingelseisextra @kmc1989 @red-riding-wood @lovemissyhoneybee

@mythicalcowboyatheart @jbrownta @outlanderuniverse

[motziedapul]

HI NAY PODCAST MINI-FUNDRAISER GOES LIVE ON DECEMBER 1! 👁️✨

Watch out for our mini-fundraiser because if we don't get to goal, Hi Nay cannot continue in 2025 (because I can't make a podcast if I can't pay rent)

BUT ALSO! Get excited, because this fundraiser means a BUNCH of new episodes for you all to enjoy. More details below (with ID).

IF WE HIT $4000 (USD)

WE'LL RELEASE THE REST OF ACT 3 ALONG WITH THESE BONUS EPISODES!

IF WE HIT $5000 (USD)

WE'LL RELEASE THE DANNY AND CORNELIUS BONUS EPISODE!

-

The fundraiser will drop along with an audio announcement on December 1. Mark your calendars and follow @hinaypod!

Hi Nay, literally translated to “Hi Mom”, is a supernatural horror audio drama about Filipina immigrant Mari Datuin, whose babaylan (shaman) family background accidentally gets her involved in stopping dangerous supernatural events in Toronto — alongside two supernatural detectives, her 6’2 strong-armed lesbian neighbor, and a celebrity conman guru with real magic powers.

Season 1 of Hi Nay follows their mission to stop the Elders, a group of early 1900s rich immortal occultists, from terrorizing innocent people with cursed objects called Foci — especially their mysterious leader, The Benefactor, who is so powerful that nobody is able to remember his face or name.

Now on the Rusty Quill Network!

[onceuponatown]

The history of Christmas traditions kept evolving throughout the 19th century, when most of the familiar components of the modern Christmas including St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, and Christmas trees, became popular. The changes in how Christmas was celebrated were so profound that it's safe to say someone alive in 1800 would not even recognize the Christmas celebrations held in 1900.

Washington Irving and St. Nicholas

Early Dutch settlers of New York considered St. Nicholas to be their patron saint and practiced a yearly ritual of hanging stockings to receive presents on St. Nicholas Eve, in early December. Washington Irving, in his fanciful History of New York, mentioned that St. Nicholas had a wagon he could ride “over the tops of trees” when he brought “his yearly presents to children.”

The Dutch word “Sinterklaas” for St. Nicholas evolved into the English “Santa Claus,” thanks in part to a New York City printer, William Gilley, who published an anonymous poem referring to “Santeclaus” in a children’s book in 1821. The poem was also the first mention of a character based on St. Nicholas having a sleigh, in this case, pulled by a single reindeer.

Clement Clarke Moore and The Night Before Christmas

Perhaps the best-known poem in the English language is “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” or as it’s often called, “The Night Before Christmas.” Its author, Clement Clarke Moore, a professor who owned an estate on the west side of Manhattan, would have been quite familiar with the St. Nicholas traditions followed in early 19th century New York. The poem was first published, anonymously, in a newspaper in Troy, New York, on December 23, 1823.

Reading the poem today, one might assume that Moore simply portrayed the common traditions. Yet he actually did something quite radical by changing some of the traditions while also describing features that were entirely new.

For instance, the St. Nicholas gift giving would have taken place on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day. Moore moved the events he describes to Christmas Eve. He also came up with the concept of “St. Nick” having eight reindeer, each of them with a distinctive name.

Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol

The other great work of Christmas literature from the 19th century is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. In writing the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Dickens wanted to comment on greed in Victorian Britain. He also made Christmas a more prominent holiday and permanently associated himself with Christmas celebrations.

Dickens was inspired to write his classic story after speaking to working people in the industrial city of Manchester, England, in early October 1843. He wrote A Christmas Carol quickly, and when it appeared in bookstores the week before Christmas 1843 it began to sell very well.

The book crossed the Atlantic and began to sell in America in time for Christmas 1844, and became extremely popular. When Dickens made his second trip to America in 1867 crowds clamored to hear him read from A Christmas Carol. His tale of Scrooge and the true meaning of Christmas had become an American favorite. The story has never been out of print, and Scrooge is one of the best-known characters in literature.

Santa Claus Drawn by Thomas Nast

The famed American cartoonist Thomas Nast is generally credited as having invented the modern depiction of Santa Claus. Nast, who had worked as a magazine illustrator and created campaign posters for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, was hired by Harper’s Weekly in 1862. For the Christmas season, he was assigned to draw the magazine’s cover, and legend has it that Lincoln himself requested a depiction of Santa Claus visiting Union troops.

The resulting cover, from Harper’s Weekly dated January 3, 1863, was a hit. It shows Santa Claus on his sleigh, which has arrived at a U.S. Army camp festooned with a “Welcome Santa Claus” sign.

Santa’s suit features the stars and stripes of the American flag, and he’s distributing Christmas packages to the soldiers. One soldier is holding up a new pair of socks, which might be a boring present today, but would have been a highly prized item in the Army of the Potomac.

Beneath Nast's illustration was the caption, “Santa Claus In Camp.” Appearing not long after the carnage at Antietam and Fredericksburg, the magazine cover is an apparent attempt to boost morale in a dark time.

The Santa Claus illustrations proved so popular that Thomas Nast kept drawing them every year for decades. He is also credited with creating the notion that Santa lived at the North Pole and kept a workshop manned by elves. The figure of Santa Claus endured, with the version drawn by Nast becoming the accepted standard version of the character. By the early 20th century the Nast-inspired version of Santa became a very common figure in advertising.

Prince Albert and Queen Victoria Made Christmas Trees Fashionable

The tradition of the Christmas tree came from Germany, and there are accounts of early 19th century Christmas trees in America, but the custom wasn’t widespread outside German communities.

The Christmas tree first gained popularity in British and American society thanks to the husband of Queen Victoria, the German-born Prince Albert. He installed a decorated Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841, and woodcut illustrations of the Royal Family’s tree appeared in London magazines in 1848. Those illustrations, published in America a year later, created the fashionable impression of the Christmas tree in upper-class homes.

By the late 1850s reports of Christmas trees were appearing in American newspapers. And in the years following the Civil War ordinary American households celebrated the season by decorating a Christmas tree.

The first electric Christmas tree lights appeared in the 1880s, thanks to an associate of Thomas Edison, but were too costly for most households. Most people in the 1800s lit their Christmas trees with small candles.

The First White House Christmas Tree

The first Christmas tree in the White House was displayed in 1889, during the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. The Harrison family, including his young grandchildren, decorated the tree with toy soldiers and glass ornaments for their small family gathering.

There are some reports of president Franklin Pierce displaying a Christmas tree in the early 1850s. But the stories of a Pierce tree are vague and there doesn't seem to be contemporaneous mentions in newspapers of the time.

Benjamin Harrison's Christmas cheer was closely documented in newspaper accounts. An article on the front page of the New York Times on Christmas Day 1889 detailed the lavish presents he was going to give his grandchildren. And though Harrison was generally regarded as a fairly serious person, he vigorously embraced the Christmas spirit.

Not all subsequent presidents continued the tradition of having a Christmas tree in the White House. By the middle of the 20th century, White House Christmas trees became established. And over the years it has evolved into an elaborate and very public production.

The first National Christmas Tree was placed on The Ellipse, an area just south of the White House, in 1923, and the lighting of it was presided over by President Calvin Coolidge. The lighting of the National Christmas Tree has become quite a large annual event, typically presided over by the current president and members of the First Family.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

In 1897 an eight-year-old girl in New York City wrote to a newspaper, the New York Sun, asking if her friends, who doubted the existence of Santa Claus, were right. An editor at the newspaper, Francis Pharcellus Church, responded by publishing, on September 21, 1897, an unsigned editorial. The response to the little girl has become the most famous newspaper editorial ever printed.

The second paragraph is often quoted:

"Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS."

Church’s eloquent editorial asserting the existence of Santa Claus seemed a fitting conclusion to a century that began with modest observances of St. Nicholas and ended with the foundations of the modern Christmas season firmly intact.

By the end of the 19th century, the essential components of a modern Christmas, from Santa to the story of Scrooge to strings of electric lights were firmly established in America.

Source

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 19 June 1865, after the US civil war, Union general Gordon Granger gave a proclamation in Galveston, Texas, stating: "The People of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and property rights between former masters and slaves". It then clarified that the relationship between formerly enslaved people and their enslavers should become "that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages… they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere." As news of the declaration spread across the state, large numbers of enslaved people began to effectively go on strike and desert their plantations, returning to states they came from or heading for cities containing Union troops. The following year, Black Texans decided to celebrate Juneteenth on June 19, holding festivities and parades. And in subsequent years the celebrations grew, and spread with Black migration to cities like Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle. Later in the 20th-century the holiday had largely faded from the public mind, but in the 1980s Black activists made a concerted effort to reinvigorate Juneteenth as a public holiday. It was officially recognised in Texas in 1980, and following mass Black-led protests in 2020 was made a federal holiday in 2021, although many employers still do not give paid leave for Juneteenth celebrations. Back in the 1800s, one formerly-enslaved Texan, Felix Haywood, later reflected on his emancipation: "We thought we was going to get rich like the white folks... But it didn’t turn out that way. We soon found out that freedom could make folks proud, but it didn’t make ’em rich.” More: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9111/Juneteenth Pic: Juneteenth celebration, 1900 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=647159507457268&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[amateurvoltaire]

When you get publicly slapped by 4 surrealist poets because you insulted a guy's historical crush

(translation and context under the cut)

Gallantly Defending Robespierre’s Honour

In the conservative daily paper, Le Gaulois, on March 3, 1923, the journalist and man of letters, Wieland Mayr, expressed his pleasure: there would not be, he wrote, a "vile apotheosis" for "that holy scoundrel" Robespierre. On the other hand, Mathiez had the Surrealists with him. Following the article in Le Gaulois, Robert Desnos (1), accompanied by Paul Éluard (2), Max Ernst (3), and André Breton (4), summoned Mayr in a café and publicly slapped him for insulting the memory of "the Incorruptible."

Why did Mayr get Slapped?

In short: studying history in the 1920s was a messy business, especially when it came to the French Revolution….

To explain why Mayr ended up getting slapped, please allow me to briefly dive into the French Revolution's historiography during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Keep in mind, that this is a grossly oversimplified version.

Before 1848, it was pretty standard for French republicans to proudly see themselves as inheritors of Robespierre’s legacy. (If you’ve ever wondered why in Les Misérables, Enjolras’ character is very much channeling Robespierre and Saint-Just, here’s your answer!) However, things start to change with the Second Republic.

In 1847, Jules Michelet brought back the negative portrayal of Robespierre as a tyrannical "priest" and leader of a new cult. This narrative helped fuel an increasing dislike for Robespierre, with radicals like Auguste Blanqui arguing that the real revolutionaries were the atheistic Hébertists, not the Robespierrists.

Jump to the Third Republic, and the negative sentiment towards Robespierre was only getting stronger, driven by voices like Hippolyte Taine, who painted Robespierre as a mediocre figure, overwhelmed by his role. This trend was politically motivated, aiming to reshape the Revolution's legacy to align with the Third Republic's secular values. Obviously, Robespierre, the "fanatic pontiff" of the Supreme Being, didn’t quite fit this revised narrative and was made out to be the villain. Alphonse Aulard (a historian willing to stretch the truth to make his point) continued pushing Danton as the face of secular republicanism. Albert Mathiez, one of Aulard’s students, was not having any of it and strongly disagreed with his mentor’s approach.

The general disdain for Robespierre began to shift after World War I. One reason was that people could better appreciate the actions of the Revolutionary Government after experiencing the repression during the war themselves. Albert Mathiez and his colleagues were actively working to change Robespierre's tarnished image. With tensions high, it's no wonder Mayr ended up being publicly slapped by a bunch of poets who were defending the Incorruptible's honour!

Notes

Robert Desnos (1900-1945) was a French poet deeply associated with the Surrealist movement, known for his revolutionary contributions to both poetry and resistance during World War II.

Paul Éluard (1895-1952) was a French poet and one of the founding members of the Surrealist movement, celebrated for his lyrical and passionate writings on love and liberty.

Max Ernst (1891-1976) was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet, a pioneering figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements known for his inventive use of collage and exploration of the unconscious.

André Breton (1896-1966) was a French writer, poet, and anti-fascist, best known as the principal founder and leading theorist of Surrealism, promoting the liberation of the human mind.

Source: The text in the picture comes from Robespierre and the Social Republic by Albert Mathiez

[wlwcatalogue]

Female Queer Icons of Hong Kong // Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) and Pak Suet Sin (白雪仙)

Photo 1: Promotional photo for 1955 contemporary movie The Model and the Car (玉女香車) (no video available) (Source: LCSD Museum Collection Search Portal)

Photo 4: Photo from Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe's 1958 trip

Photo 5: Photo from a 1962 newspaper feature on Yam, Pak, and others at their (?) summer villa in Central, Hong Kong

Photo 6: Christmas celebrations with Yam, Pak, and their protégés of the Chor Fung Ming Troupe

Far and away the most iconic duo in Cantonese opera, Yam Kim Fai (任劍輝) and Pak Suet Sin (白雪仙) – commonly referred to simply as Yam-Pak (任白) – were famed for their partnership both on and off the stage… Click below to learn more!

Edit on 28/07/2023: Updated to link to a photo of the entrance to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s Pop Culture 60+ exhibit, and to add information regarding Yam and Pak's marriage status.

Iconic? How?

Yam-Pak are the face of Cantonese opera; you can't talk about the latter without mentioning the former. It's to the point where a gigantic picture of them graces the entrance to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum’s permanent exhibition on Hong Kong pop culture’s evolution across the past 60 years (“Hong Kong Pop 60+”) - they are the first thing you see upon entering!

Best known as the originators - with Yam playing the male leads and Pak the female leads - of five masterpieces of Cantonese opera, namely:

1. Princess Cheung Ping (帝女花) 2. The Legend of the Purple Hairpin (紫釵記) 3. The Dream Tryst in the Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭驚夢) 4. The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom (再世紅梅記) 5. Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (蝶影紅梨記) (Note: Princess Cheung Ping, Purple Hairpin, and Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom were made into abridged movie versions, with the Sin Fung Ming troupe members reprising their roles from the theatre productions. Also, the "Fragrant Sacrifice" (香夭) duet from Princess Cheung Ping (movie clip) is one of - if not the most - famous songs in Cantonese opera.)

Yam and Pak were the leading pair and co-founders of the legendary Sin Fung Ming Opera Troupe (仙鳳鳴劇團; 1956-1961), which is widely held to have pushed Cantonese opera forward as an artform due to Pak and scriptwriter Tong Tik Sang’s (唐滌生) emphasis on poetic libretti and adapting source material from Chinese literature and history. (Note: it has been common practice since the 1930's for Cantonese opera troupes to be founded by key actor(s).)

They were also very active in the Hong Kong film industry in the 1950's, being paired in over 40 movies together across roughly 8 years. One of those – the aforementioned Butterfly and Red Pear Blossom (蝶影紅梨記) – is the sole Cantonese opera movie on the Hong Kong Film Archive’s 100-Must See Hong Kong Movies list (IMDB list / archived version of the official PDF). It's a well-deserved inclusion - check out this beautifully-shot dance scene.

Even their post-retirement activities had a significant effect on the industry! In the early 1960’s, they held auditions for prospective students and provided - for free - systematic, hands-on training to those who passed; Yam and Pak even hired other veterans to teach skills they personally were not as familiar with. Prior to this, apprentices were expected to learn primarily from observing their masters, and to pay handsomely for the privilege. Yam-Pak’s methods proved exceedingly effective: the Chor Fung Ming Opera Troupe (雛鳳鳴劇團; 1963-1992) starring their apprentices reigned supreme in the 1970’s-1980’s. Following this success, Cantonese opera institutes - most notably the major 1900s-era guild, the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong (八和會館) - started to offer systematic coaching to young hopefuls in the 1980's.

Okay, so why are they queer icons specifically?

The lazy answer is that they're queer icons because nearly all of Yam's roles were male, so Gender is involved by default, and since most hit Cantonese operas of the time were romances, that means you get to see two female actors performing being in love onscreen (and also on stage, but there aren't any video recordings from back then). So far, so Takarazuka Revue.

Female actors playing male roles in Cantonese opera To give some context, each Cantonese opera performer specialises in one of four major role-types, and Yam was a sung (生) - i.e. an actor specialised in playing standard male roles. Female sung were fairly common in the 1910's-1930's due to women being banned from performing with men during that period, but when the ban lifted in the mid-1930's, many troupes shifted towards cis-casting. Yam was pretty much the only one whose popularity survived the transition. Just take a look at the huge number of Cantonese opera movies produced during the 1950’s-1960’s – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a female sung other than Yam, let alone one with top billing. Happily, thanks to Yam's immense popularity, her profilic film career (over 300 movies!), and the prominence of Sin Fung Ming works in the Cantonese opera canon, there has been a resurgence in female sung which endures to this day. Two noteworthy examples are Yam's protégé Sabrina Lee/ Loong Kim Sang (龍劍笙) - a star in her own right - and Joyce Koi/ Koi Ming Fai (蓋鳴暉), one of the biggest names still active in the industry. (Note: perhaps due to cinema being more "realistic" in nature, Yam's early movies often involved her playing female characters cross-dressing as men, including in some Cantonese opera movies. However, she received increasingly more male roles as her fame grew, and from the mid-1950's onwards she was playing male characters onscreen nearly exclusively-- even in non-Cantonese opera movies! See Photo 1 above.)

What sets Yam and Pak apart is that they were particularly known for their chemistry. Long before Sin Fung Ming's formation in 1956, the advertising copy for their first Cantonese opera movie together - Frolicking with a Pretty Maid in the Wineshop (酒樓戲鳳, 1952) - declared "Only this movie has Yam-Pak flirting on the silver screen" (source - 華僑日報 1952/05/23-26). And indeed, they were popular for their flirtatious duets: their Cantonese opera works invariably contained at least one, and such scenes made it into some of non-Cantonese opera (i.e. "contemporary") movies too. In fact, there are not one but two contemporary movies where Yam and Pak's characters are not paired up and yet still sing a duet together in such a way that their significant other(s) become convinced that the two are in romantically interested in each other - see 1952's Lovesick (為情顛倒) and 1956's The Happy Hall (滿堂吉慶) - a weirdly specific situation which doesn't crop up in the other, non-Yam-Pak movies I have seen.

Speaking of contemporary movies, let's talk about a certain plotline that keeps cropping up in works featuring the both of them and where Yam plays a woman! Six of the eleven movies which fit that criteria involve Yam's character cross-dressing as a man (a common characteristic across Yam's handful of female roles), and Pak's character falling for her. Nothing ever comes of it, of course, but, um. It was certainly a trend. Actually, even their very first movie together - 1951's Lucky Strike (福至心靈) - falls into this category.

Such storylines, and the emphasis on their chemistry, are particularly interesting given that both Yam and Pak remained ostensibly unmarried throughout. This was unusual for female performers of their stature, who tended to wed in their twenties, often to fellow-actors or wealthy men (e.g. Hung Sin Nui/紅線女, Fong Yim Fun/芳艷芬, and Tang Pik Wan/鄧碧雲)... In contrast, by the time Yam-Pak retired from the stage in 1961, they were both over 30 years old and without husbands.

Also, did I mention they were popularly believed to be living together? There doesn't seem to be any conclusive evidence either way... although it's a little strange that separate newspaper pictorials depicting "Yam at home" and "Pak at home" seem to be of the same location... however what is conclusive is that they did spent a lot of time together offstage. Pak has talked about how when they had no guests over, Yam would watch TV by herself while Pak was in the living room (source - p93), and protégé Mandy Fung/ Mui Suet Sze (梅雪詩) has said that Pak would sometimes cook for Yam at home (source - 03:53~). They would also celebrate birthdays, New Year's, and Christmas together (see Photo 6 for an example of the latter).

Shortly after Yam's passing in 1989, Pak set up the Yam Kim Fai and Pak Suet Sin Charitable Foundation (任白慈善基金) to support the arts and provide welfare for the elderly. In 1996, Pak made a large donation to Hong Kong University, resulting in one of the buildings being renamed Yam Pak Building (任白樓) in thanks (source).

Thanks for reading! Please feel free to DM me or send an ask if you have any questions, or are just interested in learning more.

If you made it here, have this bonus piece of trivia - Yam and Pak were also well-acquainted with Hong Kong's preeminent queer icon, Leslie Cheung (張國榮), who was a massive fan of theirs. Sadly there don't seem to be any pictures of them before Yam's passing, but here's one of Pak (centre) having afternoon tea with Cheung (left) and his long-term romantic partner Daffy Tong (唐鶴德) (right) at the Cova cafe in the Pacific Place shopping mall.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

The push and pull between white supremacist rule and a multi-cultural United States is nothing new. But on Friday we saw a first in our nation’s history: A school board voted to restore the name of three Confederate generals to their public schools.  That’s right, in 2024, the right is naming schools after people who fought and killed to preserve both chattel slavery and white supremacy. This is just the latest salvo in the GOP’s campaign to move America backwards to before the Civil Rights movement.

This jaw-dropping event happened on Friday, when the Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia voted 5-1 to reinstate the names Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School to honor Confederate Generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby. This vote to celebrate the traitors who killed US soldiers in the hope of maintaining the barbarism known as chattel slavery was led by the conservative group Coalition for Better Schools. Now the school board will spend an estimated six figures in tax dollars to send a message that this area of Virginia is a place where white supremacy rules. This action is all part of the right’s response to the racial reckoning that was kicked off in the United States after the brutal murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed. In fact, the names of these Virginia schools were changed in that very period.   But this is not simply a “reinstatement” of Confederate names. Rather this is a manifestation of the white right’s desperate efforts to maintain control in the face of changing America. After all, this is exactly what white supremacists did in the past when they felt challenged.

As a reminder, the greatest number of Confederate statutes were erected in the early 1900’s spearheaded by United Daughters of the Confederacy as Jim Crow laws were being enacted across the South.  These racist laws and the Confederate memorials were part of a scheme to both celebrate and preserve white supremacy. The next spike in Confederate monuments came from 1940’s to 1960’s. Why then nearly 100 years after the Civil War? Simple, these statutes were built in reaction to the Civil Rights movement to send a message that white power still ruled that area. It’s no coincidence that in 1956, Georgia redesigned its state flag to include the Confederate battle flag and in 1962, South Carolina placed the Confederate battle flag atop its capitol building. 

When it comes to schools being named after traitors who took up arms against the United States of America to fight for the Confederacy, want to guess when the biggest wave of that occurred? Was it shortly after The Civil War? Nope, it was following the landmark US Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 which ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional.  Between that 1954 court decision and 1970, our nation saw the largest spike in schools being after those who fought to defend slavery. In fact, the schools at issue in Virginia were opened in that time frame, with Stonewall Jackson high school opening in 1960. That’s right. The naming of these Virginia schools was part of the backlash to the Civil Rights movement and Brown v. Board of Education. The white officials in that area of Virginia at the time wanted to ensure that people knew white power still reigned supreme.

Dean Obeidallah gets to the point as usual. The renaming of a pair of schools in Shenandoah County, Virginia by reinstating the name of the pre-2020 names of the schools named after three treasonous Confederates (Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Turner Ashby) is a middle finger to common sense and a win for white supremacist values.

[bipoctober]

Hi Nay - #BIPOCtober Day 8

With a BIPOC majority cast of protagonists (and VAs), Hi Nay is a Filipina-led, international podcast that's now part of the Rusty Quill Network, and created by yours truly (Motzie Dapul).

Originally created with the idea of making the "mystical POC" trope in horror the main character, Hi Nay involves supernatural horror, 1920s occultists, Filipino gods and monsters, and a group of 4/5 BIPOC characters dealing with the horrific magical atrocities of immortal rich White people from a century earlier.

Our BIPOC main characters are Filipina, Jamaican-Canadian, Chinese-European, and Indian-Mauritian respectively.

Hi Nay, literally translated to “Hi Mom”, is a supernatural horror audio drama about Filipina immigrant Mari Datuin, whose babaylan family background accidentally gets her involved in stopping dangerous supernatural events in Toronto — alongside two supernatural detectives, her 6’2 strong-armed lesbian neighbor, and a celebrity conman guru with real magic powers. Season 1 of Hi Nay follows their mission to stop the Elders, a group of early 1900s rich immortal occultists, from terrorizing innocent people with cursed objects called Foci — especially their mysterious leader, The Benefactor, who is so powerful that nobody is able to remember his face or name.

Here's a couple of our reviews off Apple :)

We've covered themes of fascism (with 2 of our immigrant protagonists dealing with Filipino military fascism and Hindu nationalism which killed some of their family members), historical racism, queerness and love both good and bad, and while that all sounds really heavy (and it is), this podcast is also a rip-roaring good time (just look at the memes in the Hi Nay tag!).

If you enjoy a Magnus Archives inspired spooky monster of the week with an overarching plot, told through phone calls and tape recordings, give us a listen! We've got over 50 episodes that you can enjoy anywhere you listen to podcasts. We're currently more than halfway through Act 3, with our Act 3 finale scheduled for April 2025. Now's the perfect time to get into the story!

Site in the replies, as always.

Maraming maraming salamat.

-Motzie

[jewish-vents]

This tokenization of Jews makes me sick.

Watching everyone even celebrities with a lot of power and influence follow and support those famous Anti Zionist Jews who are conservative to the core just because they say what they wanna hear.

They easily write the rest of us off as evil delusional genocidal Zionists. How insane is that?

It really shows how disconnected they are from Jews, though. They know so little about us that it's easy for them to just let these Anti Zionist Jews speak over us and lie about our culture and history. They also don't care about Jews in the first place. Why should they when we're so rich and privileged in their minds?

I also never noticed how gentiles never speak about antisemitism in the present. I saw a video recently saying that Muslims in Europe are treated like Jews in the 1900s. I never knew antisemitism just stopped existing after the Holocaust????

I never realised how much gentiles love to compare everything to us while never ever acknowleding our pain. They talk about us in the past tense, like all of us are white now so life is perfect and we're rich and control the world. They speak as though we just had one bad moment.

.

[my-deer-friend]

Following Foucault and Alan Bray, most historians of this period point to the fact that there were scarcely any prosecutions for sodomy, and those few prosecutions that did take place regard the sodomite as a discursive construct, a symbol of the political traitor, heretic, foreigner, or corruptor of domestic order, rather than as a desiring individual. [...] There was no name for passionate love and desire between men, such as the love that Shakespeare expressed in his sonnets, other than "friendship." The sexual terminology of the day, such as pederasty and sodomy denoted sin, corruption, and inequality, whereas expressions of love between men generally celebrated this love as leading to a higher self.

O’Donnell, K. (2006). “Dear Dicky,” “Dear Dick,” “Dear Friend,” “Dear Shackleton”: Edmund Burke’s Love for Richard Shackleton. Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, 46(3), 619–640.

This. This! THIS 👆

[demansiabites]

Wait wait wait. So if the Seventh City is dated to have fallen by June 22nd, 2023, that means that we're calling it the year 2023, right? Which means that at some point, the Empress's decree was called off, and the year stopped being 1899. Of course, that makes sense, perhaps it was when the Sixth fell. Empress wouldn't have any power if it's not her city, yeah? But then, how many years did people have to suddenly skip forward? No longer marking notes as 1899, but suddenly, for instance, 1922 or something else! Calendar salesmen must hate the Neath!

Unless of course, the much funnier (but also I know this is incorrect) option: The moment the Sixth fell, it instantly become 1900. Finally, after all that time, people got to celebrate the turn of the century! And that means the Neath is constantly decades behind the Surface numerically. I bet that'd make the internet a pain to deal with. "This video came out in 2001." "Surface 2001 or Neath 2001?" "Cave dweller spotted"

I bet the Neath would make some pretty bangin posts btw. A single person would post on Twitter "just came out of Fallen McDonald's and that giant man-sized bat that's been following me around stole my fries, can't have shit in Berlin" and Surface users would be like "HELLO??? ARE YOU OKAY DOWN THERE???" and suddenly every Neath user would have to be like "yeah we're fine, so long as the spiders don't eat our eyes" or some other awful shit and Surface users wouldn't be able to tell if it truly was That Bad down there or if they were being lied to. Mr Pages would want to buy Twitter once it hears about it.

[winterspiderpurrs]

Runaway Bucky who escaped Hydra living in a random forest and staying in an abandoned cabin or something taking care of another runaway Hydra assassin, Peter who grew up in Hydra. Bucky just grabbed him and ran when he fled. Peter doesn’t much or understand the outside world very well and is more quiet than Bucky, but clingy. Just them doing things in the woods and Bucky taking care of Peter

It's been a few months since the asset was able to remove himself and other asset from the facility. Two stolen planes, one helicopter, and hand full of cars. After breaking into a closed mall, they were able to get enough supplies, they hiked for several weeks before coming to a cabin.

The cabin has been abandoned years ago, the stove and sink reminiscent of the early 1900s. It wasn't on any map that he could find, no roads lead to the cabin. He ordered the other asset to secure the place.

Asset known as Spider was younger then him, he was enhanced like himself but his skills set more unique. No limbs amputation, but he did had metal plates secured along his ribs. Each plate had an input slot, where mechanical spider arms could be inserted or where they would hook up the Spider to the chair.

They were trained/ programmed to assess, kill, and survive if they were ordered. Which is why the first seveal days at the cabin they created a protective perimeter around the cabin. Early warning systems of cans and bells to alert them if someone was getting close. Fixed the hole in the roof and fixed the siding in a few places. They cut down a vast amount of trees so they could have firewood. They set traps for food.

But over time, Bucky was amazed at his companion. While he could assess most things, he was confused by others. He was constantly in awe of the nature around them.

" I don't know if I've seen nature like this"

" Asset doesn't sleep on the floor? I get a blanket?"

Bucky knew his companion came to Hydra later and had a young age. He still bore the scars of the early experiments he had to endure. He was a curious creature to Bucky. One time, Bucky brought him back a small trinket. A small lego. And when he saw the bright smile and look of wonder on the Spiders face.

Bucky swore he would do everything he could to protect him. And when the opportunity happened to escape? He did not hesitate in killing the group of men stopping him from gathering his spider up. It was easy to do, as the spider was programmed to take orders and follow the winter soldier at all costs.

" Soldier. What is Christmas?"

Bucky paused mid swing, he was chopping wood with an axe. He frowned and thought

" It is a holiday that gets celebrated in December"

"Oh.... what is a Holiday?"

" It's a day taken to celebrate different occasions"

" Like a birthday?"

" Similar yes."

They worked in silence for a while, the spider placing a log down, Bucky chops it, spider gathers a bundle to stack.

" Soldier"

"Yes?"

" What is a Barnes?"

Bucky drops the axe and turns to stare at the spider. Who looks back at him before his spider points to something on the cabin. Right above the stack of cut-up firewood was a small sign.

'BARNES CABIN'

Bucky stares and stares at the sign. He hears whispers in the back of his mind. Glimpses of images, a younger version of himself, two adults, lots of siblings running around, and a small skinny blonde tagging along. Shaking his head.

" It is... me... my name"

The spider blinks and looks at the sign and then back.

" From before? Before.... the facility?"

Bucky nods.

His spider tilts his head, a look of concentration on his face, before he nods, too.

" I think.... Peter is what I was before... before the facility"

When they first escape, Bucky had to explain to his spider, Peter, now that he was not created in the facility. No, they were both born outside of the facility.

And Hydra... they don't speak the word anymore. There are too many memories triggered by the word. So now they just say the facility. The facility changed them, made them into weapons, and took away their free will.

Took away their names. Took them away and replaced them with The Winter Soldier and much later The Spider.

It started snowing, Bucky walked up to Peter and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.

"Let's get inside... Peter. We need to start a fire."

" And have the chocolate hot?"

Bucky chuckles.

" Yes. We can have the hot chocolate drink"

[emotionallyattachednerd]

Adulation ❙ ES Megatron x Human OC!Rosie ❙ Secret Santa Gift ❙ NSFW 18+

Word count: 1900+

Warnings: Smut ( oral, size difference, interfacing, spark play and robot on human ). NSFW 18+.

Notes: This is a secret santa gift for @spectralquartzafterdark through a discord event. This was a fun experiance. I don't own the OC. Merry Christmas everyone. 💚

Story inspired by At Last by Etta James. 🥰

☕ Coffee

"Megatron?"

Rosie calls out to him after entering what used to be the home base for G.H.O.S.T. and now given to the remaining autobots and decepticons for them to work on the space bridge. The area was quiet, as if no one was around, and this confuses Rosie. Usually there were a few others out and about.

Hearing the soft pleasant music down the hall gains her attention, and follows towards the music, hearing it grow louder before entering Megatron's personal room, only to be confronted by the blue jazz music playing and dim lights that give a soft warm atmosphere. She can't help but smile softly, looking around as she comes into the room and is approached by Megatron, holding his mass displacement.

"What is this?" Rosie loves the romance blooming around her, making her heart flutter with warmth and joy. "Are we celebrating something?"

"Do we need a reason? I only wished for us to spend this evening together. I asked for everyone to keep themselves busy, away from us, so we won't have any disruptions." Megatron answers through a tender purr as he smiles at her.

Rosie's smile turns into a smirk. "Oh really? And what didn't you want anyone to hear?"

Megatron closes the distance between them, caressing her chin before whispering into her ear. "Your howls of pleasure."

A pleasant moan bubbles from Rosie, feeling goosebumps exploding through her body as she feels her legs grow weak simply by his words and touches. That's all it takes.

"That sounds incredible." Stepping closer, Rosie slides her hands over his broad shoulders and rests them behind his helm, bringing him closer and sharing a tender kiss.

Megatron lets out a low purr from his chassis, delighted by her tenderness, something he hasn't really received over his long period of time throughout the war.

"I want to thank you." He says as he breaks the kiss, looking fondly into her eyes, and sadness. "I feared I would lose you, and I don't know how I would manage without you. I'll admit, for a time I thought you were interested in Optimus, you two seemed so close."

"That's because you're the jealous type." Rosie teases him.

"It's my nature, that won't change." Megatron then grows soft again. "Thank you for giving this old fool a chance. Very few have ever shown me kindness, not that I deserve it, but you gave me a chance to be happy again. I'll forever cherish you, my beautiful flower."

His words hit hard, causing Rosie to tear up as she tries to hold them back, not wanting to look like a sobbing mess. "Oh Megs..."

"Tonight, I want you to be happy, whatever you want." His smile turns into mischief. "Any of your desires you would like to undertake?"

Rosie's smile turns wicked, biting her lower lip as she hums in thought. "Yeah, there is. I want you to be creative, to take control and fill me, breed me, that's what I desire from you." She slides her hand up along his chassis earning a low purr from his chassis of approval.

“Let’s get you out of those clothes.”

Megatron is gentle as he removes the clothes from her, purposely going slow and touching her warm skin under the pads of his digits, optics roaming over her body, admiring every inch of her beauty. He likes what he sees, an exotic beauty he's never seen before that has become his obsession.

Rosie relishes just how he maps out her body with both his servos and optics, it makes her feel very special, attractive. She stands still for him while letting him take control over her, waiting for anything he might have to say, or even order her.

"I have an idea." Megatron says while in thought. Once naked he leads her over to the bed, laying down first and pulling her down with him. "Turn around, straddle me, and let us both orally pleasure one another."

That sounded like a good idea to Rosie, and she's more than happy to comply. "Sounds delicious."

Rosie finds herself on top of Megatron, face first at his throbbing spike with her bottom half facing the other way, soaking pussy directly in Megatron's view. Licking her lips early she takes hold of his prized member, giving him a firm stroke before wrapping her lips across his twitching tip.

Megatron lets out a lengthy moan feeling her warm lips wrap around him, hips slightly jerking up against her mouth, before he tugs her legs and opens her pussy lips for him. "A beautiful and eager opening, darling. I want you to always be ready for me like this, soaking wet and dripping. Your smell is intoxicating, almost making me feel dizzy."

She responds by moaning around him, sucking more of his length and pumping his base, hips wiggling with need for him to do something else with this broad glossa of his. Megatron seems to understand and tugs her closer towards his mouth by her upper thighs, and he drags his glossa across her pussy and sensitive clit, earning a muffled mewl as Rosie slowly bobs her head over him.

Smirking he does it again, tasting her sweet nectar that makes him drunk, before he plunges his glossa into her depths and swirls it around her inner channel, vibrations come through his hungry moans against her as he gently moves his waist up against her mouth, drinking up everything she gives with greed.

Rosie responds by gently humping back against him, taking more of his spike and deep throating him with skill. She loves it, his greed for her, lust, whatever she can give he'll take all for himself. Megatron's digits grip into the soft flesh of her ass, massaging each cheek and giving one side an elastic slap, causing Rosie to let out a muffled yelp before moaning more eagerly around him.

"Such a beautiful melody." Megatron moves away from her pussy, licking his lips as he speaks, a broad smile stretched upon his face. "I want you to sing like that for me always, and so many more."

Rosie removes her mouth from his spike letting out a wet pop before glancing behind at him lustfully. "Your tongue is truly extraordinary against my pussy. I feel so empty, please, I want you in me."

Megatron doesn't need to be told twice. He suddenly moves himself, keeping her on her hands and knees as he kneels behind, lifting her waist up to line himself perfectly against her dripping core. Moving his hips, he slides his spike between her pussy lips and across her clit, gently humping her while letting out deep moans that erupt from his chassis.

Rosie keeps herself balanced on her hands and knees, constant soft mewls sounding from her as she humps in sync with Megatron's movements against her. He's being gentle right now, but not for long, and she is ever so eager to be drilled by her lover.

As if reading her thoughts he presses his thick spike against her pussy and thrusts in, stretching her channel as the ridges along his spike stimulate against her inner walls before finding himself pressed fully against her ass, both his and her own uprooted moans filling the room.

"Oh fuck!" Rosie curses out as her hands grip into the sheets, feeling her body quiver through her heated arousal blooming through her. "Megs, you feel so big in me!" His spike creates a swollen bump at her belly and feeling it twitching wildly within her depths.

Megatron lets out a soft chuckle before leaning across her back, tilts her head to the side and shares a kiss with her. "I always enjoy burying my fat spike in you, darling. I want to breed you, fill you deeply, and let us see if we can create a sparkling tonight."

The very thought of having his children causes her to hump back against him eagerly. "Do it, breed me, fill my belly!"

That's all Megatron needs to hear before all self control vanishes. He moves his waist, thrusting back and forth into his human lover, grunting firmly with each thrust given with the sounds of her skin slapping against his metal thighs, digits gripping into her waist as he tugs her back against his movements and watches his thick spike entering her over again. She's a beautiful addiction, and he needed more.

Grabbing a fist full of her hair he tugs her back making her grunt out but moans in delight between clenched teeth as he picks up his movements again, tugging her back repeatedly onto him by her hair, followed by his rugged moans.

"Such a beautiful tight human you are, Rosie." He says between firm thrusts, grunting as he drives right back into her over again. "You're mine, all mine. I'm the only one who can ever fuck you, understood?"

"Fuck. Yes. You...yours!" Rosie squeals out with her head tugged back by her hair and feeling her ass cheeks rippling with each sturdy thrust delivered. She can feel his spike descend down repeatedly against her belly, causing her to let out a heated gurgled moan as she can feel her juices seeping down her inner thighs from her pussy. "Please...I want...to touch your spark!"

It's Megatron's favourite thing, feeling her soft fingers and warm tongue against his pulsing spark, and the very thought makes his spike jerk. Without answering he pulls out and flips her over, tugs her into his broad lap and helps her sink down onto his length again before opening his chassis and revealing his pulsing spark to her.

Rosie doesn't hesitate to lean closer as she grins herself down against Megatron, rocking her waist eagerly, before she gently cups Megatron's luminous spark and drags her tongue across the pulsing orb.

"Primus..." Megatron isn't one to curse out the name often, but when he does, it means something deep rooted has been dug up, and right in the moment it was his Rosie who was making him feel more alive than ever before.

His hips move up against her rocking motions, servos wrapped tightly against her back as she suckles at his glowing spark like a hungry sparkling, sending new pulses of arousal through his frame that swells within his spike throbbing in her clenching depths.

Rosie craves more, greed consuming her as she rubs at her clit, feeling her orgasim approching rapidly and the need to cum screams throughout her mind. The sound of Megatron's heated grunts fills her ears and lets out a delightful hum against his spark, feeling his spike twitch more that says he's close himself.

"Rosie, my rose, my flower!" He can't hold it back anymore and lets himself go, a heavy echoed moan crawling out from his vocals that shakes through the room, everything within him bursting with sparks of energy that also eject out from his spike.

Rosie mewls loudly as her orgasim erupts through her body, feeling her belly fill with his thick fluids and expand out against her, creating a bump that just about makes her look pregnant. What a beautiful thought she thinks to herself. Giving his spark one more kiss she moves away, panting heavily as she looks up at him through lusty eyes. "Fuck, that was intense. Look, I look like I'm carrying your child."

Megatron smirks through his heated vents and touches her swollen stomach under his padded digit. "So beautiful. I wish I could see you like this always, swelled and full."

"Guess you'll have to always fuck me than, darling." Rosie kisses his lips tenderly, making him smile in return.

"No argument there."