#Caroline's Plan

[aristocraticvision]

Chapter 348: A Pawn Advances

“Congratulations,” Miles Bixby said. “You have successfully completed the background check and security interviews, and I’m quite comfortable with your abilities."

"Thank you, sir," the man said from across his desk. "I have done my best to prepare myself for a position like this throughout my career."

"You have done very well, then," Bixby replied. "In fact, in many ways you’re even better qualified for this position than I – though I like to think my experience counts for a great deal.”

“Of course, sir,” the man said, nodding. “I shall be fortunate to do half as well as you have in the role.”

“We shall see,” Bixby said. “If you can start on Monday, we’ll begin your training and evaluation period. So long as Prince Stephen is satisfied with your performance, we can begin discussing a transition of duties. My goal would be to leave service by September at the very latest.”

Bixby leaned forward and studied his proposed successor.

“I’m placing a great deal of trust in you, young man, and I sincerely hope you do not disappoint,” Bixby continued. “The duties you will be assuming will, in time, make you one of the most important men in Weston. But with that power comes great responsibility, and I expect you to live up to my – and, of course, Prince Stephen’s – expectations.”

Bixby pressed the hidden button under his desk and his aide entered through the office door.

“Take Mr. St. James to the chancellor’s office, Bryce,” Bixby said, rising. “He’ll need to fill out payroll information and sign a confidentiality agreement before he can start work.”

He stepped around his desk and extended a hand.

“I will see you Monday morning at 5 a.m., Mr. St. James,” he said. “I look forward to getting better acquainted.”

St. James stood and shook Bixby’s hand.

“As do I, sir,” he said. “As do I.”

CHAPTER 1 | BEGINNING OF PART 4 | PREV | NEXT

Continent of Oceana | History of Weston | History of Corwyn | History of Torenth | History of Allycia

[leonardburton]

the thing is. juno & nureyev's relationship has been such a major guiding thread throughout the podcast and the major drive of season 5, and the fandom has built itself so much (as fandoms often do) around shipping the two of them.

and yet nureyev doesn't show up at all in the last episode! or, he does, but it's only implied (for all we know it could be like. alessandra strong)(i know it's not but it would be really funny) and we don't hear his voice.

and it's so important to me that despite the room that their romance has taken in the plot and in our hearts, his absence reinforces that the point of juno steel's story wasn't a lady getting his man, it was about learning to grow as person for himself and for his friends (and not just his love interest), and it was about finding his footing in life and being at peace with himself and his place in the world. and he did! his growth and relative serenity is so apparent and just. a balm to the soul

and the fact that his man is back is just a nice add-on, not a necessity for his happiness

[arachnidcakery]

tosses these near you like pamphlets and runs away <3

[superbell64]

I did this on insta and twitter, let’s try here too! l wanna make like a doodle page/post kinda thing later with the animation im working on! (dw it's gonna be messy like hell imma polish that 😭 imma try my best)

Can be silly, cute, angst! gimme ideas and I’ll add it to the doodle page along with the animation I’m doin!

[softpine]

you left me with a lingering soul how little you know, how little you know

[transcript]

bonus mac screaming at nothing as usual

[petruchio]

harry potter is so funny honestly bc ultimately yes it’s just a fairly run of the mill middle grade mystery fantasy series but the thing that really sets it apart isn’t the magic, it’s that it’s a series starring only jocks.

like there was a whole house for the smart kids and not a single one of the main characters was in it. blows my mind that there’s a whole bit in one of the books where harry is gifted a mysterious potentially dangerous enchanted broom while there is a suspected murderer who is thought to be actively trying to assassinate him and when hermione is like idk maybe don’t just immediately use the potentially cursed mystery gift he low key goes ballistic on her bc he cares more about getting to play with cool sports gear more than he cares about, like, being alive. and the book fully supports him in that!! the narration is like, isn’t hermione so crazy for that. she should’ve just let him play with his new sports stuff. how dare she imply that this mysterious object that was given to him from an unknown sender might be tied to the larger plot against harry’s life despite the fact that that’s the main conflict we’re dealing with rn.

idk it’s just so funny to me that hp got such traction with nerds when the entire series is actually just about exploring the question “what if the meathead star athlete of your high school tried to solve mysteries. and also there was magic.”

[starlightcleric]

Knight Commander Caroline Gemsledge

After finishing Wrath for the fourth time on my Azata->Legend game, I tried to finally play Lich, the last one I hadn't unlocked, but wound up not enjoying it that much. So I decided to return to my roots, my first and favorite path, Angel, but with the merged spellbooks this time. Out of this was born Caroline, a dwarven Cleric of Torag with the Artifice and Protection domains. Despite my username, Pathfinder 1e Clerics are not my favorite of the divine casters, but I'm having fun so far with her and her warhammer! She's tentatively going to be romancing Ulbrig :) (picrew here)

Caroline Gemsledge A Relic Out of Time

Race | Dwarf Class | Cleric of Torag Alignment | Lawful Good Pronouns | she/her Professions | bartender, smith, priest, crusader Skills | athletics and lore (religion), smithing, hitting things with a warhammer

Appearance | A pale skinned dwarven woman, slightly on the shorter side, with bright green eyes. She wears her pinkish-red hair half-up, half-down, usually with a golden ornamental circlet. When not in armor, she favors practical clothing in grey and gold, the colors of Torag. When making the effort to dress up, she prefers makeup in pink to match her hair, and golden rings and earrings.

Personality | Caroline is outwardly reserved and a follower of tradition, but deep inside she has a streak of free spirit. The homeland of the dwarves was too stifling for her, and so she set off to become an adventurer. She is outwardly kind, if not warm, and it takes a lot of effort to get to know her well. She values justice over mercy, but is not particularly stubborn, and can be talked around on an issue. Her way of showing affection is to make things, usually with her smithing skills, for those she values highly.

History/Hooks | Born to a miner and a homemaker in Gildside, Druma, Caroline grew up close to, but slightly removed from, the legacy of the dwarven homeland. Her mother was a devout follower of Torag and attempted to instill this reverence in her eight children. As a middle child of eight, her upbringing was loving, even if she was slightly overlooked for her more rambunctious siblings. On the cusp of adulthood, her world turned upside-down as her mother walked out on the family in a search for greater meaning in her life.

Her father turned more strongly to drink, and in an attempt to support her younger siblings, Caroline traveled north to try to find work. After some wandering, she secured a bartending job at a pub in Peddlegate, the major point of contact between Druma and the Five Kings Mountains. She worked there for some years, sending money home, but she looked wistfully toward the mountains. When she received news of her father's death, she decided it was time to start living for herself and set off for Highhelm.

Caroline found her calling in the clergy of Torag, learning the prayers and the ways of the forge, but never felt quite at home in the insular Highhelm. Society was highly stratified, and it bothered her that if she had been born in the capital, she never would have been able to become a priest due to the entrenched social immobility. So when her training was complete, she set out to begin a life of an adventurer.

After hearing of the horrors of the Worldwound, she traveled even farther north to join the Crusades. The Second Crusade. The next thing she knows, she finds herself in Kenabres in 4715 AR with muddled memory. But the front line is where her skills as a Cleric are needed most, so she throws herself into repelling the demons, without too much time to wonder at her situation. Torag has not forsaken her, so everything must be fine, right?

[thepinkjupiter]

i feel soooooo connected to my tvd dr!! idk why i threw a tantrum last night lmao sorry about that 💀

anyways, i can't wait to see caroline tn <333

[the-dangerous-mute-lunatic]

Caroline with a gun hell yes! Go off, Caroline 👏🏻

If I had a nickle for every time I've drawn Caroline with a gun, I'd have two nickles. I'm aiming for a dollar- Girlboss girlboss girlbo

[boasamishipper]

Last Line Challenge

Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you feel like).

tagged by @lichfucker - thanks tess 🥰

“You didn’t lose me, Athena. You’ll never lose me. As long as there’s breath in my body, I will always, always come back to you.”

tagging @onekisstotakewithme @hacash @icemankazansky @academicgangster @bornforastorm @saltyfilmmajor @lookforanewangle @apartmentsmoke and anyone else who wants to do this

[rrotostap]

im back on my bullshit with this au so here's a 6:30am doodle

[bethanydelleman]

Caroline: But I would really advise you to make your purchase in that neighbourhood, and take Pemberley for a kind of model. There is not a finer county in England than Derbyshire.

Charles (wise on his sister's shenanigans): Oh I'll just buy Pemberley then.

Caroline: *affected laugh* He'd never sell it. (in harsh whisper) That's where I'm going to live!

Charles: *smug sibling face*

[townsenddecades]

1327 – Day 2 – Elbenhawke Hall

Usually, visiting Elbenhawke Hall is a joyous occasion for the Crawley women, but Anna can’t help being anxious when she arrives there with her daughters in late May. Instead of the usual invitation to spend a few pleasant days with her and her family, Caroline has summoned her urgently – although she had beseeched Anna in her letter to not let anyone in the family know that it is not a regular visit.

They are greeted at the door by Caroline’s stepson, the young Baron Elbenhawke, and Caroline’s son, David. Anna studies both intently, but Lord Elbenhawke looks calm, while David appears downright bored.

“My dear Aunt Crawley”, Lord Elbenhawke greets her. “Be welcome. I’m pleased that you could follow my stepmother’s invitation.”

“You are very kind to greet us yourself, my lord.”

The young baron smiles. “Of course. You are family, after all. And I’m pleased that my cousins could accompany you.” He smiles at Annette, who curtsies in response, and at Theodora, who follows her sister’s lead. At twelve, she is still a girl, but she will be a young woman soon. And young women should know their manners.

Anna makes pleasant conversation with Lord Elbenhawke for a little while, with the girls mostly keeping silent, before asking whether the lady of the house will be joining them.

Lord Elbenhawke shakes his head. “She asked me to send you upstairs to the sitting room, and to entertain my cousins in the meanwhile.”

 At that, both Anna and Annette perk up. It is not the rule to leave young women alone with young men; yes, they are cousins, but only by marriage. Might this be a ploy on Caroline’s side to accord with her mother’s wishes? Mary still wishes to make one of her granddaughters a baroness, but all of them know that they can’t propose such a marriage. If the young lord himself falls in love with one of them, however, enough so to promise marriage without regard to station…

Anna hazards a look at her elder daughter, who is smiling. Annette has confided in her that she still doesn’t like the thought of having her husband chosen for her, but it seems that the notorious Crawley ambition is stronger than her previous outrage.

Inwardly sighing, she relents. “That, too, is very kind of you, my lord. I will go to Mistress Caroline immediately.”

She indeed finds Caroline in the upstairs sitting-room they so often retire to during her visits. Her friend smiles and puts her book aside when she enters, but there is an anxiousness to it that instantly puts Anna on alert.

“Sister”, Caroline greets her warmly and rises, arms outstretched. “It’s so good to see you. I trust your journey has been uneventful?”

“Cold, is what it was, but I couldn’t refuse when you asked for me so urgently. Has something happened?”

“And did you bring Annette and Thea?”

“I did. They are with Lord Elbenhawke now.”

Caroline smiles faintly. “Mother will be glad to hear that.”

“She will. But you avoided my question.”

“Yes.” Caroline takes a deep breath. “I know that this must all seem strange to you, but I needed to see you. I needed to talk to someone. I have…news.”

Anna frowns. Dread is coiling painfully in her stomach. “News?”

“I am married.”

“Married?” Of all news, the last she expected was this. She has heard nothing of any wedding plans. Certainly, Caroline would have consulted with her family before any marriage, especially after a decade of respectable widowhood. “To whom? And when?”

“Only a week ago. To my steward, Thomas.”

For a moment, there is silence. “Well,”, Anna says, still trying to gather her bearings. “Your mother certainly won’t approve of you marrying a lowly steward in secret.”

In fact, she is quite sure that both Mary and Matthew will be furious at not being consulted. As a widow with a pension, Caroline does have a certain independence, and theoretically the right to choose her husband. But secret marriages like this are not what women in her position do. Anna can only hope there were witnesses.

To her surprise, Caroline scoffs. “My father is a lawyer, and I was never a lady. A steward in a grand house is completely suitable for me. But she will see the necessity of it.”

“Necessity?”

“I am not quite sure yet, but I think I am with child again.”

“But if your marriage…” The realization strikes her as she is speaking. She has to resits the urge to drop her face into her hands. This foolish, foolish woman. Even marriage, mother- and widowhood are unable to alter some things, it seems. “And how far along are you?”

“A month or so, I think. But as you can tell, I solved my problems myself this time.”

Anna doesn’t know whether to laugh or to berate her, but her friend is smiling so that she can’t bring herself to be as angry as she know she should be. “Do I want to know how long this man has been your lover?”

Caroline's smile widens. “No.”

Meanwhile, Annette is trying to take advantage of her time with the baron. Her mother is quite right in her judgement; while Annette dislikes not being consulted in her marriage prospects, she is intelligent enough to see that rejecting the possibility of becoming a great lady for spite would be foolish. Besides, as a baroness, she would have far more of the independence she desires than as the wife of a merchant or another burgher.

Her younger sister is soon drawn away to play with their other cousins, while she tries her best to charm their host. She can’t tell if she is successful; he seems pleased to be talking to her, but not more pleased than when he had talked to her mother or Theodora.  

But, she tells herself, they will stay for at least a few days, so there is time enough to make an impression.

Previous: 1327, Day 1 <---> Next: 1327, Day 2, Part 2/3

[mariocki]

Shadows of Fear: Return of Favours (1.6, Thames, 1971)

"And then they got this funny idea. About you. And this room. Almost as if they could read my mind. Anticipating my intentions. Did you hear?"

"What intentions?"

"I thought they told you on the phone?"

"Oh, yes. They thought you'd killed me. But you wouldn't have the guts. It's all dreams. Pathetic lies. I've been living with them for years."

[petruchio]

me when i get advice on my current situation and everyone tells me i need to be the bigger person and talk about it but they forget that im stubborn and self righteous and just immature enough to play the waiting game indefinitely. and i probably will since i wasn’t the one who did anything wrong

[ak-rye-47]

Enzo : *Driving...see's a road sign.... putting on his best Twink American accent

" Road works ahead???? Yeah i sure HOPE it does " *sassy bitoch*

The still teen minded our The girl gang and Jeremy

: *shook*

Damon : *sighs* "Introducing you to 21st century entertainment was a mistake"

Jeremy : " whatchu talkin about he's a Misaiah!!!!!!"

Bonnie : " He THE BITCH! "

Damon : * Ready to fight* " Did you just call my husband a BITCH? "

Enzo : " Nawhh na Day she called me THE bitch..."

Damon : ????

Enzo Bonnie Elena Caroline Jeremy *all at once*

: " Theres a difference "

Damon : * realisation kickin in*

"Am gonna loose my husband real quick real soon amn't i ? "

Stefan : * pats his back *

Ric : * Millennial confusion*

I mean you can't tell me Enzo hasn't gone through each and every single advancement and pop culture reference after makin his 'bad bitch returns' entry

P.S He owns a tumblr account....stefan helped