#Edward Lucie-Smith

[kiki-de-la-petite-flaque]

Growing up between Cornwall and London, Riley studied at Goldsmith's and the Royal College of Art. Like many artists, she explored different painterly styles, including impressionist and pointillist painting. The latter led her to work part-time as an illustrator for an advertising company. ⁠

In the 1960s, Riley started exploring the potential of optical illusion in art. Inspired by Seurat's pointillist style, in which he created an image through small dots of colour, Riley developed a different, more dynamic approach through patterned works comprised of lines and dots. Working initially in black and white, she only introduced colour in 1967.

Her solo exhibitions and a series of overseas shows in 1964 secured an international reputation. She won the International Prize for Painting at the 1968 Venice Biennale and had retrospective shows at the Hayward Gallery (1992), the Tate (1994) and the Serpentine Gallery (1999). ⁠

Ph Bridget Riley by Edward Lucie-Smith, circa 1970 © Edward Lucie-Smith / National Portrait Gallery, London

[the-cricket-chirps]

Bridget Riley, Study for Movement in Squares, 1961

Bridget Riley, Movement in Squares, 1961

Edward Lucie-Smith, Bridget Riley, circa 1970

[hitchell-mope]

Good movie. It should’ve been at least 95 minutes shorter. But still. Good movie.

[corallapis]

i can't believe pamela wyndham met and started being courted by edward tennant because she was sent to india to get over harry cust (whose married mistress violet rutland used her unwitting cousin nina to execute a baby-trap-by-proxy so that he'd have to get married to nina and couldn't marry pamela & thus would remain violet's lover) & tennant was there in the first place to check up on his sister lucy... who had also been sent to india..... to get over harry cust.......

[kevinthescoutblogger]

Serving in Nauvoo Homes and Shops

Elder Kevin and Sister Lou Dene Hunt are enjoying serving in Nauvoo homes and shops. We are pleased to be serving in Nauvoo as “Site Missionaries” in the Illinois Historic Sites Mission (that includes Nauvoo and Carthage).  This is a great blessing and privilege. As noted earlier, Sister Hunt’s parents, Elder E.H. and Sister Verna Belcher served in Nauvoo from 1979 to 1981.  They spent their…

[granstromjulius]

Edward Lucie-Smith

[milksockets]

bed + settee in the art of albert paley: iron, bronze, steel - edward lucie-smith (1996)

[thatscarletflycatcher]

The problem with discussions about Henry Crawford is that there are two different questions being asked at the same time: 1) Can Fanny reform Henry? and 2) Can Henry reform?

Austen answers negatively to the first one, but I'd argue she's very ambivalent in her answer to the second.

Austen is not in the habit of "punishing" her villains; none of them are struck by accidents of fortune or anything the like, but we commonly perceive the downgrade between what they could have had and what they end up having. Edward Ferrars is an infinitely preferrable husband to Robert Ferrars, but Lucy Steele never seems to become aware of that fact. Isabella tries to get Captain Tilney over James Morland. Mr. Elliot is not crying by the corners over the fact that he lost Anne Elliot. Even Willoughby's regret is not about Marianne's actual goodness, but his personal convenience. Austen's "villains" as a rule are morally stupid people.

When Aristotle says that no one can be good who is stupid, he doesn't have in mind things like being good at Math or being well read or quick-witted; he's thinking of a certain intuition, clear-sightedness about what is good, what contributes to human flourishing, and this seems to be a strong component of what Austen calls sense. Sense is almost convertible (if not completely) with prudence, and prudence is a rather intuitive virtue, as it regulates the when, the how, the how much, etc of the other moral virtues. (and there goes my first thesis topic that I never did!).

In that way it is interesting that only 4 characters are said to possess sense in Mansfield Park: Edmund, Fanny, Henry, and Tom (and Tom doesn't even fully count, because his is expressed negatively: instead of having sense, he doesn't lack it). Here are the Henry instances:

"He did not want them to die of love; but with sense and temper which ought to have made him judge and feel better, he allowed himself great latitude on such points." "Henry Crawford had too much sense not to feel the worth of good principles in a wife, though he was too little accustomed to serious reflection to know them by their proper name; but when he talked of her having such a steadiness and regularity of conduct, such a high notion of honour, and such an observance of decorum as might warrant any man in the fullest dependence on her faith and integrity, he expressed what was inspired by the knowledge of her being well principled and religious." "That punishment, the public punishment of disgrace, should in a just measure attend his share of the offence is, we know, not one of the barriers which society gives to virtue. In this world the penalty is less equal than could be wished; but without presuming to look forward to a juster appointment hereafter, we may fairly consider a man of sense, like Henry Crawford, to be providing for himself no small portion of vexation and regret: vexation that must rise sometimes to self-reproach, and regret to wretchedness, in having so requited hospitality, so injured family peace, so forfeited his best, most estimable, and endeared acquaintance, and so lost the woman whom he had rationally as well as passionately loved."

(I'm not counting the one time Edmund calls him a man of sense, and the one time Sir Thomas does the same, for obvious contextual reasons).

It's not only interesting that he is the only rake to be called a man of sense by the narrator (Mrs. Smith calling Mr. Elliot a man of sense in Persuasion is clearly not meant to be taken straight), but that it is always specifically tied to moral perceptiveness; he was morally perceptive enough to know he shouldn't have played the way he did, and he chose to ignore it. He perceives Fanny's moral worth, and it is the core reason why he wants to marry her.* He also perceives William's moral worth as something both good and desirable:

"To Henry Crawford they gave a different feeling. He longed to have been at sea, and seen and done and suffered as much. His heart was warmed, his fancy fired, and he felt the highest respect for a lad who, before he was twenty, had gone through such bodily hardships and given such proofs of mind. The glory of heroism, of usefulness, of exertion, of endurance, made his own habits of selfish indulgence appear in shameful contrast; and he wished he had been a William Price, distinguishing himself and working his way to fortune and consequence with so much self-respect and happy ardour, instead of what he was!"

Both here and at the end of the novel, Henry's moral perceptiveness leads to remorse for his own moral wrongdoings. Compare this to Willoughby's regret over Marianne:

"Willoughby could not hear of her marriage without a pang; and his punishment was soon afterwards complete in the voluntary forgiveness of Mrs. Smith, who, by stating his marriage with a woman of character, as the source of her clemency, gave him reason for believing that had he behaved with honour towards Marianne, he might at once have been happy and rich. That his repentance of misconduct, which thus brought its own punishment, was sincere, need not be doubted;—nor that he long thought of Colonel Brandon with envy, and of Marianne with regret. But that he was for ever inconsolable, that he fled from society, or contracted an habitual gloom of temper, or died of a broken heart, must not be depended on—for he did neither. He lived to exert, and frequently to enjoy himself. His wife was not always out of humour, nor his home always uncomfortable; and in his breed of horses and dogs, and in sporting of every kind, he found no inconsiderable degree of domestic felicity."

This sense/moral perceptiveness of Henry Crawford, and his experiencing remorse for his own wrongdoings sets him apart from the other Austen rakes. He's also not a drinker or a gambler; he does take at least minimal care of Everingham ("Everingham could not do without him in the beginning of September. He went for a fortnight") and did some modifications to it as soon as he got it. The same way Darcy's character is revealed as we see Pemberley, so the inflexion point of Henry's redemption attempt is his trying to become a better master of his estate:

For her approbation, the particular reason of his going into Norfolk at all, at this unusual time of year, was given. It had been real business, relative to the renewal of a lease in which the welfare of a large and—he believed—industrious family was at stake. He had suspected his agent of some underhand dealing; of meaning to bias him against the deserving; and he had determined to go himself, and thoroughly investigate the merits of the case. He had gone, had done even more good than he had foreseen, had been useful to more than his first plan had comprehended, and was now able to congratulate himself upon it, and to feel that in performing a duty, he had secured agreeable recollections for his own mind. He had introduced himself to some tenants whom he had never seen before; he had begun making acquaintance with cottages whose very existence, though on his own estate, had been hitherto unknown to him. This was aimed, and well aimed, at Fanny. It was pleasing to hear him speak so properly; here he had been acting as he ought to do. To be the friend of the poor and the oppressed! Nothing could be more grateful to her; and she was on the point of giving him an approving look, when it was all frightened off by his adding a something too pointed of his hoping soon to have an assistant, a friend, a guide in every plan of utility or charity for Everingham: a somebody that would make Everingham and all about it a dearer object than it had ever been yet. She turned away, and wished he would not say such things. She was willing to allow he might have more good qualities than she had been wont to suppose. She began to feel the possibility of his turning out well at last; but he was and must ever be completely unsuited to her, and ought not to think of her.

I have half an idea of going into Norfolk again soon. I am not satisfied about Maddison. I am sure he still means to impose on me if possible, and get a cousin of his own into a certain mill, which I design for somebody else. I must come to an understanding with him. I must make him know that I will not be tricked on the south side of Everingham, any more than on the north: that I will be master of my own property. I was not explicit enough with him before. The mischief such a man does on an estate, both as to the credit of his employer and the welfare of the poor, is inconceivable. I have a great mind to go back into Norfolk directly, and put everything at once on such a footing as cannot be afterwards swerved from. Maddison is a clever fellow; I do not wish to displace him, provided he does not try to displace me; but it would be simple to be duped by a man who has no right of creditor to dupe me, and worse than simple to let him give me a hard-hearted, griping fellow for a tenant, instead of an honest man, to whom I have given half a promise already. Would it not be worse than simple? Shall I go? Do you advise it?” “I advise! You know very well what is right.” “Yes. When you give me your opinion, I always know what is right. Your judgment is my rule of right.” “Oh, no! do not say so. We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.

This is even more hammered in by the narrator: "Had he done as he intended, and as he knew he ought, by going down to Everingham after his return from Portsmouth, he might have been deciding his own happy destiny."

All these elements seem to point towards his being redeemable; he almost managed it! If only he'd gone to Everingham instead of London, catastrophic failure would have been averted! And yet at the same time we are told this:

Henry Crawford, ruined by early independence and bad domestic example, indulged in the freaks of a cold-blooded vanity a little too long. Once it had, by an opening undesigned and unmerited, led him into the way of happiness. Could he have been satisfied with the conquest of one amiable woman’s affections, could he have found sufficient exultation in overcoming the reluctance, in working himself into the esteem and tenderness of Fanny Price, there would have been every probability of success and felicity for him. His affection had already done something. Her influence over him had already given him some influence over her. Would he have deserved more, there can be no doubt that more would have been obtained, especially when that marriage had taken place, which would have given him the assistance of her conscience in subduing her first inclination, and brought them very often together. Would he have persevered, and uprightly, Fanny must have been his reward, and a reward very voluntarily bestowed, within a reasonable period from Edmund’s marrying Mary.

Ruined by early independence and bad domestic example. Mansfield Park is in a way a rather pessimist novel: it is a novel about education, and once your education has "set", your character is fixed, and your fate determined. Much of Maria and Julia's disgrace was also directly caused by their upbringing in a household where all importance was given to superficial qualities, and very little effective affection was shared; one can compare the restrained calm of Mansfield as a reflection of Sir Thomas' own unwillingness to see reality and give himself some discomfort in making others comfortable, with the bustle of the Musgrove household, and connect the dots to what makes the relationship between sisters Maria and Julia so different from the one between Louisa and Henrietta in similar situations.

In the end, it's a bit of a Schröedinger's cat situation. Can Henry reform? Yes, says Austen, he has the qualities needed for moral improvement, but no, his upbringing ruined him, and his character is fixed.

While this idea is the strongest in MP, it is present one way or another in all Austen's novels. Characters reforming is usually more about one specific quality or moral tone not being fine tuned than proper metanoia. Darcy was taught to do right, and did right; what he needed was to add proper humility and kindness to his practice. There is an exception, though, the one thing Charlotte Brontë and Jane Austen agree upon: a close brush with death is the best recipe for moral cure in the otherwise incurable.

Maybe the key is to wish Henry a good pneumonia, or a strong horsefall-induced concussion.

_____________

*On a side note, it's interesting that before he proposes, he considers how attached Fanny is to Mansfield, as undeserving as he thinks the Bertrams to be of her affection, and even draws a plan that contemplates giving her pleasure that way too: "I will not take her from Northamptonshire. I shall let Everingham, and rent a place in this neighbourhood; perhaps Stanwix Lodge."

[fashionbooksmilano]

Liliane Tomasko Beds

Edward Lucie-Smith

Galeria Llucia Homs, Barcelona 2002, 36 pag., Catalan and English

with a postcard signed by the artist

euro 45,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

rare catalogue enrichi d'une carte postale signée et dédicacée

04/06/24

[bethanydelleman]

what do you think would have been the most personally tragic (plausible) outcomes for each of the heroines?

Catherine Morland - She was somehow forced to ride in John Thorpe's gig for a third time.

Now I'll be serious. I refuse to imagine my dear Catherine in a tragedy.

Marianne Dashwood - Willoughby seduces her and she ends up pregnant and ruined. I've written this, twice. Also, she could have died from her fever

Elinor Dashwood - Edward marries Lucy Steele, she ends up resigning herself to a prudent but loveless marriage or never leaves home, occasionally hearing through her family that Edward is completely miserable

Elizabeth Bennet - marries someone she doesn't really respect and becomes a female version of her father

Jane Bennet - never gets over Bingley, eventually settles for a loveless marriage and it kills her inside

Fanny Price - Edmund marries Mary Crawford and Fanny watches in silent agony as she destroys Edmund's (weak) moral core and he becomes an entirely different person. William's ship is lost and Fanny never hears from him again

Emma Woodhouse - kind of cheating since it's in the book: Mr. Knightley does fall in love with Harriet Smith and stops coming to Hartfield as often, leaving Emma loveless and lonely

Anne Elliot - Captain Wentworth marries Louisa Musgrove out of duty, he also realizes his love for Anne but sees no way out. Anne remains within his sphere through her connection to the Musgrove family, she is aware that he loves her but there is nothing either of them can do about it. After a few years and two children, Wentworth confesses and Anne is forced to remove herself to the house of a distant family member. She eventually marries and Wentworth takes on more and more risks as a naval officer, leading to his ship being destroyed and his entire crew dying. He survives and feels so guilty that he eventually hangs himself, leaving his disillusioned wife and kids to fend for themselves (don't worry, Louisa has a great family and a good fortune).

Lady Susan - Sir James refuses to die and escapes all of her attempts like a clueless cartoon character who cannot be killed. Her daughter is also widely reported to be more beautiful than her.

[hollywoodfamerp]

WELCOME TO THE EXCELSIOR HOTEL GALLIA

Right in the middle of Milan, you'll find our home away from home for this trip. The Excelsior Hotel Gallia is a five star luxury escape known for its remarkable spirit and prestigious pedigree. When you're not enjoying our fashion show or the rest of what the city has to offer, our celebrities will be able to relax at the spa and salt cabin, enjoy a plethora of the best Italian cuisine, and take in the sights of the city at the rooftop bar.

Under the cut is the roommates list. Couples have been roomed together and everyone else was randomized by a generator. If you have been roomed with another fc that you play, please message us politely and we will fix it asap! Roommates are subject to change due to unfollows, follows, activity check etc. so please like this post to keep up to date on any changes.

PLEASE LIKE THIS SO YOU CAN KEEP TRACK OF UPDATES!

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Josephine Skriver

Adria Arjona and Mason Mount

Akanishi Jin and Lee Sunmi

Alexa Bliss and Joe Jonas

Alycia Debnam Carey and Wong Kunhang

Ana de Armas and Jensen Ackles

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh

Anne Hathaway and Xu Minghao

Anya Taylor Joy and Vanessa Merrell

Ariana DeBose and Miles Teller

Ariana Grande and Emma Mackey

Ashley Fliehr (Charlotte Flair) and Demi Bennett (Rhea Ripley)

Ashton Irwin and Harry Styles

Aubrey Plaza and Renee Rapp

Austin Butler and Beyoncé

Awsten Knight and Renee Paquette (Renee Young)

Bae Joohyun (Irene) and Maxence Danet-Fauvel

Barry Keoghan and David Tennant

Bella Hadid and Troian Bellisario

Benson Boone and Manu Ríos

Bill Skarsgard and Lauren Jauregui

Billie Eilish and Mazz Murray

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Brittany Baker and Cha Eunwoo

Byun Baekhyun and Megan Thee Stallion

Cameron Boyer and Christina Aguilera

Candice Swanepoel and Tom Hardy

Cari Fletcher and Victoria de Angelis

Cate Blanchett and Choi San

Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul (Ten) and Jackson Wang

Chloe Bailey and Josh O’Connor

Choi Minho and Kim Ahyoung (Yura)

Choi Soobin and Jeon Wonwoo

Chou Tzuyu and Lupita Nyong’o

Chris Evans and Naomi Scott

Chris Pine and Sam Claflin

Christian Yu and Kim Jisoo

Christopher Bang (Bang Chan) and Hwang Hyunjin

Cillian Murphy and Jonathan Bailey

Colby Lopez (Seth Rollins) and Rebecca Quin (Becky Lynch)

Dakota Johnson and Sam Heughan

Damiano David and Ethan Torchio

Danny Amendola and Olivia Culpo

Diamanté Quiava Valentin Harper (Saweetie) and Kim Hongjoong

Dove Cameron and Sophie Turner

Dua Lipa and Joseph Quinn

Elizabeth Lail and Jason Sudeikis

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

Emma Stone and Vanessa Hudgens

Georgia Tennant and Liam Hemsworth

Gigi Hadid and Ryan Gosling

Glen Powell and Romee Strijd

Hailee Steinfeld and Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Hailey Baldwin and Luke Hemmings

Halle Bailey and Olivia Rodrigo

Hannah Waddingham and Jenna Lyons

Harry Kane and Momgo Hirai

Isabela Merced and Lily Collins

Jack Grealish and Lily James

Jack Lowden and Saoirse Ronan

Jang Gyuri and Veronica Merrell

Jenna Ortega and Perrie Edwards

Jeon Jungkook and Lucy Hale

Jeremy Allen White and Maika Monroe

Jessica Chastain and Madelyn Cline

Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson

Joe Burrow and Rylee Arnold

Joe Keery and Kelsea Ballerini

Joe Locke and Kit Connor

Jonathan Good (Jon Moxley) and Nick Robinson

Jordyn Woods and Niall Horan

Joshua Hong (Hong Jisoo) and Kim Taehyung

Jung Wooyoung and Taylor Hill

Jung Yoonoh (Jaehyun) and Lee Taeyong

Kang Seulgi and Pedro Pascal

Kathryn Hahn and Shawn Mendes

Kendall Jenner and Sabrina Carpenter

Kim Jongin (Kai) and Lee Taemin

Kim Jungwoo and Lucas Wong

Kim Mingyu and Sana Minatozaki

Kim Minjeong (Winter) and Yoo Siah (YooA)

Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi

Lee Donghyuck (Haechan) and Mark Lee

Lee Felix and Sydney Sweeney

Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin

Lili Reinhart and Zoë Kravitz

Margot Robbie and Sebastian Stan

Matt Smith and Tate McRae

Mercedes Justine Varnado (Sasha Banks) and Pamela Martinez (Bayley)

Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan

Natalia Dyer and Tom Holland

Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez

Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez

Olivia O’Brien and Rihanna

Park Seonghwa and Shemar Moore

Paul Mescal and Zendaya Coleman

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Xiao Dejun (Xiaojun) and Yoo Jimin (Karina)

Vanessa Kirby and Zac Efron

Taron Egerton and Valentina Zenere

Chris Hemsworth and Skeet Ulrich

[companion-showdown]

Family Feud Nominations, Who is the Best Doctor Who Family

If I've missed a character out of one of the families let me know (within reason, I imagine all these families are massive in the EU, so prioritise tv or significant characters)

Currently, the only rule is no families may inculde anyone who is even ambiguously The Doctor, it'll get super complicated super fast imo

Any characters, eg River, who can link up multiple different families to create a single massive family unit will be treated on a case by case basis. If it is possible to pick one of the smaller family units that they are a part of to include them in while not including them in any of the others (in a way everyone will agree at least makes sense) they will be included in that family only, otherwise they will not be included

Please bare in mind when you are nominating that I am hoping to keep the number of nominations under 64 to run this as a mini-tournament. This is not a hard rule so if nominations do exceed 64 its not a big deal, just something I'd like everyone to bare in mind

Nominees

Foreman-Campbell (Susan, David, Alex)

Chesterton-Wright (Ian, Barbara, implied to be married after they leave)

McCrimmon (Jamie, Heather, V.M.McCrimmon, various others)

Waterfield (Victoria, Edward (father))

Lethbridge-Stewart (Kate, The Brigadier, Doris (Brig's wife in Battlefield), Archibald Hamish (TUAT), Gordon (Kate's son in Downtime), Kadiatu, The Great Intelligence, Lucy Wilson)

Grant/Jones (Jo, Cliff, Santiago (Jo's grandson in Death of the Doctor))

Smith (Sarah-Jane, Lavinia (aunt), Brendan Richards, Luke, Sky, Mr Smith, K9 (they are her family and I will not be hearing otherwise), Barbara, Eddie (parents in Temptation of Sarah-Jane Smith))

Leela, Andred, Veega, Rayo

Adric and Varsh (brothers)

Nyssa, Tremas, and Kassia (daughter, father, step-mother)

Jovanka (Tegan, Vanessa (aunt in Logopolis), Colin (cousin in Arc of Infinity))

Turlough (Vislor, Malkon (brother in Planet of Fire))

McShane (Ace, Audrey (mother), Kathleen (grandmother), Liam (brother))

Tyler (Rose, Jackie, Pete, Tony (baby mentioned in Journey's End), no I will not be adding the metacrisis to this list)

Another Smith (Mickey, Rita (grandmother))

Slitheen

Harkness (Jack, Grey, parents, Alice Carter (daughter), Steven Carter(grandson))

Isolas (Fear Her)

Jones (Martha, Francine, Clive, Tish, Leo, Leo has a baby as well, Adeola Oshodi)

The Family of Blood

Redfern-Smith (Joan, John (various), possible dream children and grandchildren)

Shafe Kanes (from Utopia, Kristane, Beltone)

Mott-Noble-Temple (Donna, Sylvia, Wilf, Shaun, Rose)

The Adipose

Pond-Williams (Amy, Rory, River, Brian, Anthony, Amy's aunt and parents)

Owens: (Craig, Sophie, Stormageddon Dark Lord of All)

Gillyflower (Mrs Gillyflower, Ada)

Paternoster (Jenny, Vastra, Strax)

Oswald (Clara, Ellie, Dave (parents), grandmother, and I'm going to say Danny makes the cut, Orson)

Potts (Bill, Mother, Moira (foster mother))

O'Brien-Sinclair (Graham, Ryan, Grace, Aaron (Ryan's father))

Khan (Yaz, Najia (mother), Hakim (father), Sonya (sister), Umbreen (grandmother))

Lewis (Dan, Eileen (mother), Neville (father))

Swarm and Azure

Bel, Vinder and their as yet unborn child

Sunday (Ruby, Carla, Cherry, many many foster siblings)

The TARDIS and Lolita

Little House of Cwej

The House of Lungbarrow (Grandfater Paradox, Qenceus, Inocet, various cousins, Irving Braxiatel, Maggie Matsumoto, Ulysses, Penelope GAte, Anna Joyce)

The House of Dvora (Morbius, The War King, Thessalia, Romana, various others)

Langer (Clyde, Carla (mother), Paul (father))

Jackson (Maria, Alan, Chrissie)

Chandra (Rani, Haresh, Gita)

The Wu Diaspora (Cindy Wu and her clones)

Munmeth and Mutmunna (Medicine Man)

Ada and Alice Obiefune

Who (Susan, Barbara, Louise)

Jones-Davies (Ianto, Rhiannon, Johnny, David, Mica)

Summerfield (Bernice, Issac, Claire, Jason Kane, Peter, Wolsey, Keith, Rebecca, Cousin Eliza, Benedict I-IV, Christine)

Miller (Lucie, Pat (aunt))

Schofield (Hex, Cassie, Hilda)

House of Witforge (Narvin, Lenaris, Helico, Narvin's father, Rexin)

Faction Paradox

Pollard (Charley, Louisa, Richard, Margaret, Edward Grove, The Sound Creature)

Mesh Cos, Lon Shel, Julian White Mammoth Tusk

Cooper-Williams (Gwen, Rhys, Anwen, Geraint, Mary (Gwen's parents))

Chenka (Liv, Tula, Kal, Garlon Rosh)

Sinclair (Helen, Albie, Trev Bailey)

Forrester

Proctor (Cleo, Jordan, parents)

Nominations will be open until Midday Friday (03/05, 12:00 BST (GMT/UTC +1)), I will try and give a more specific time then

[evita-shelby]

Vēnor

Eva’s new course in life all began with a note

or Brilliant Chang was famous for using letters to get women and here's how he used them to woo Eva.

venor taglist: @justrainandcoffee @mischievouslittlecreature @zablife @call-sign-shark @thegreatdragonfruta @hoodeddreams13

The first note had come after she discovered Tommy didn’t like Chinese food and didn’t know about Billy’s shops here. Eva came here to escape Tom, who refused to give up and had grown tired of his interference in her life.

Charlie had been six months old and left in the nanny’s care as Eva met with her cousin Ignacio’s English friend to file a divorce with a good enough custody agreement to be rid of her shackles once and for all.

Eva had given him a chance for the baby. Pregnancy was difficult enough for a couple, let alone a single woman, and he had mistaken her need for support as forgiveness for his cruelty towards her. She had a fear of childbirth, and for that moment, she indulged in the fantasy that Tommy was a man deserving of her.

In a moment of weakness, she had almost forgiven him. She had been overcome with want and had fucked him only for him to remind her why she wanted him gone when he called her by Lucy’s name in his sleep. After that she barred him completely from her bed and told him he’d be his son’s father and nothing more.

Adding to her ex-husband’s never-ending suffering, she withheld Lucy’s whereabouts from him. The funny thing was Tommy believed Eva was doing it out of possessiveness and not for revenge. He’d forgotten he owed her Lucy’s life in the first place and the Goddess’ wrath was not easily mollified.

Even if by some miracle she could forgive him for doubting her character, there was no way in hell she’d play second fiddle to anyone.

Tommy knew the rules: if he wanted Eva to be exclusively his, he had to be exclusively hers.

And then the first note came a week after Eva made it clear her marriage was over even if the papers had yet to be signed.

Dear unknown,

Please do not regard this as a liberty to write to you, I am truly unable to resist the temptation after having seen you so many times--

She had rejected him, not out of any loyalty to her darling husband, but to see how long she can drag that out for. If Chang was serious in his intentions, he would keep on trying and maybe even try harder to have her.

Then one note became two and eventually they were accompanied with a complimentary tea or whatever had caught her eye but had not purchased at his businesses. Chang was persistent, did not give up even after being told no each time.

And then the letters stopped.

Billy ended their game when he killed Freda Kempton, guilt gnawing at him about the tragic end his former lover had had and refused to leave Campbell any openings to come after Eva. The witch had not known he’d done it to protect her until after they began seeing each other, she had assumed he had lost interest in her so Eva set her cap on other men in the meantime.

She had embraced her infamy in London and by the time 1922 came about, Thomas Shelby was known as the fool ex-husband of Eva Smith. Even Edward of Wales had been quoted saying Tommy must have been the worst businessman in Birmigham if he let Eva slip through his hands.

But then one day, he wrote again. The only man she could desire in this country had resumed his pursuit and all the other hunters had been left behind.

Tommy had not known about it, not until he caught her smiling at the note. Eva had allowed him to join her in looking for something for Polly as an excuse to go to Brilliant’s warehouse. His shopgirl, who always acted as his courier between them, had slipped her the note only for Tommy to take it from her hand.

No other words but a part of a poem by Thomas Wyatt about Anne Boleyn.

And graven with diamonds in letters plain

There is written, her fair neck round about:

Noli me tangere, for Caesar’s I am,

And wild for to hold, though I seem tame.

“Don’t make me write a reply, Shelby. Just because you fucked up doesn’t mean I am not free to do as I please.” Eva had said knowing Brilliant Chang would see the sign of her interest from wherever he was.

Eva wanted the man, but she wanted him to work harder to get her. The next note she rejected him again and goaded him into coming to her instead.

And he did, Brilliant left his private room and claimed the one of a kind doe no other hunter could have ever dreamed of catching.

He let her tie up his hands, learned what she liked in bed with ease and Eva swears she’s not had that great a time in bed as she has had with him. One clandestine meeting became several and before she knew it, the witch had embraced the spring of a new love.

The change in her was so apparent Polly Gray had confronted her about it in London thinking this change was brought about by Tommy ---who had given up on finding Lucy on his own. Polly had been stunned to know Eva had never intended on reconciling with Tommy. Not for Charlie, not for personal gain nor any lingering positive feeling her ex-husband had not already killed.

The older woman had been hesitant and yet had no choice but to accept Eva’s chapter with Tommy had ended and the new beginning Eva’s leaves showed her was a life with Billy.

She kept her secrets, they were still friends despite it all and until the world discovered the lucky woman who took the grand prize from their hands, ensured Tommy remained mostly unaware of who the mystery man was.

They no longer hide, even if the girls continue to mourn their loss and have become a nuisance. But those desperate young women have their uses, they keep Tommy and his brothers away from them as an unintentional human shield.

Leaves them free to be with each other more than they had been before. Like right now that they dine privately with everyone trying to catch a glimpse of them. He had taken her dancing, shopping and often brought her here to the place it all began.

Eva’s usual order has been sold out for days as the waiters peddle the story of how Billy swept her off her feet. A romance for the new age, a divorced woman finding love again in the arms of the handsome and cultured man wrongfully accused of a sad girl’s murder.

She has not been featured on tabloids and other gossip mediums since her great return to Mexico City and subsequent courtship with Leopoldo Carranza. Her six-hour engagement to Venustiano Carranza’s son had been all over Mexico and her aim of ruining the President’s image had succeeded by painting Eva as the poor young woman in love with the man’s son.

This time she is the stunning enigmatic divorcee who’s taken Chang’s heart and has taken England by storm. She’s not Eva Shelby, wife of Tommy Shelby, she is Eva Smith, the lover and perhaps future wife of Mr. Brilliant Chang, the maligned businessman.

“I’m framing it.” The witch tells her lover who is relieved at how well she is taking it. “God, I look amazing.”

The photograph all over the world has Eva dressed finely, an elegant fur coat that matched his, her make up light and the angle just right enough to show off her best assets.

Eva’s sin has always been vanity.

“The luckiest woman in England, but they do not know I am the luckiest man.” Billy whispers as if it were a great secret.

He wants to marry her; he thinks she hasn’t known it since he took her to look at houses in London.

A villa had caught their eye, a wisteria and ivy covered entrance where she sees a little Miss Annie Chang run out of the door and into her father’s arms.

To think this new future started out with a note.

---

the poem is Whoso List to Hunt by Thomas Wyatt

[taocc-updates]

”Oh, you like Taocc? Name every character.”

BET.

edit: I added the vague number of total characters listed. We’re at about 270, and I’m still adding characters.

(*By technicality

**formerly/no longer active/no longer acknowledged by the narrative as existing

***exist as of like ten seconds ago

I will only be including characters recognized as part of Taocc by more than one person. Characters will be vaguely grouped together however the frick I feel like and with only the vague suggestion of transitions. A character must have a tangible role that still has effects at the time of posting to be counted. I’m not counting all the deactivated characters from OG Taocc, for example. I am referencing the updates blog list as well as my following for this, because the challenge is to name them all, not to name them all by memory. Animals barely count sometimes when I feel like it.)

Gangle, Ragatha**, Pomni**, Kinger**, Zooble**, Caine*, Bubble**, S-Gangle, Shadow, Kaufmo, Sproingle, Unnamed Abtractions*, Easton West, Northa West, Lonn Gitud, Lattia Tudor, Felicia, Caleb, Zachariah Woods, Zombie anon, Simon Mallory/Silhouette/Aleksander, Isaac Brennan/Mix, Elida Doyle, Alice Mallory, Nikolai Harrison/Carbine, Artemis/Kepler, Calamity/Cassandra, Remnant, Sami Harrison, Yelena, Daniel, Artem, Charles/Plague Doctor Anon, Dialtone/Drias, Ilas/Amalgam, Trevor***, Archie***, Abigail***, Stella***, Paisley***, Espresso the Cat, Edward/Pharaoh, Abayomi, Clown Anon, Colorbine, Helpful Anon, Waffle Anon, Sparkler Anon, Kumo, Kopi, Violet, Stitch, Chance, Nightmare, Arthur Pendragon, Verie Pendragon, Mercutio, Juliet/Assassin Anon, Aokigahara, Dunite, Rocky, Rusty, Ryan, Dunite’s Parents, Deedee, Usagi/Usa, Icia/Ice anon, Fred, Odette/Odysseys, Samuel, Mytha, Celio, Basso, Vaga, Nova, Hexe, Slynn, Yume, Yume’s Mother and Father, the Protector, Ramona/Rae, Mirobelle, Ramiro, Achilles, Dime, Aklatan, Latte, Alexander (kingdom edition), Mocha, Switchboard, Ace Zeppelin, Damsel, Levi, Nathan, Myau, Nya, Mynou, Dusk, Jessy, Amelia, Jessy’s mother, Fynn, Joy, Ciana, Apollo, Virgo, Aster, Lance, Raina, Flare, Citrina, Citrina’s sisters (the only named one is “Jade”), Nymn, Nymn’s ex, Fae anon, Clara, Chip, Alpen, Unnamed Zodiac Angels, Kade, Feris, Pixel, Vanessa, Unnamed Arcade Worker 2/Mike, Conny, Shairo (deceased permanently), Hans, “John Smith”, Gun Pirate (lol), Unnamed Drunk Pirate, Unnamed Jar Lady, Unnamed third pirate with a gun, Dalia, Mikey, Anderson, Toga, Abstraction Anon, Quin, Blaze (Squiffer edition)/Zephyr, Skeleton anon, Mage Anon/Tanya, Camara, Avian, Sign Anon/Steven, Origami Anon/Octavia, Tea Anon/Kitsune/Katrina, Simon (Bookend), Seer anon/Sarah, Umbra, Arrows anon, Bow Anon, (Other) Bow Anon, Hex, Sun, Moon*, Sigil, Insanity, Dusty, Lantern/Eternal Flame, Eternity, Darkis, Infinity, Entity, Ember, Unknown, Juko, Lilo, Bob, Hammer, Mallet, Fox anon, Teleporting anon, Nuffle, Pyxel, Thanatos, Tiger, Siam, Sabrina (Sun’s daughter), Taika, Sisu, Quest, Tip, Stranger, Radio, Shelly, Astrion, Gaia, Aella, Electricity anon, Conspiracy anon, Bap Anon, Eve.chr, Phoenix*, The Dragon of Abyss, The Dragoness of Sky, Lemonade/Lewis, Reverie/Guidance anon, Unnamed Autumn Season, Unnamed Winter Season, Neb, Cardlan, Minimi, Entity (Backrooms edition), Casper, Manna, Pamela, Eden*, Grif, Trudy, Pen, Paper, Sophronius, Acacius, Milo, Drunk anon (deceased), Scissors anon, Thief Anon, Void anon, Cupcake anon, Chaos Enjoyer Anon, Thyme, Angst anon, villain anon, “Lucy”, Simp anon, Comax, Pickle gifter anon, pickle stealer anon, fish anon, deus ex machinanon, mail anon, foundation anon, lost anon, dropkick anon, Bug anon, Paranoia Anon, Rocket launcher anon, Kyubey, Mimic, Rodger, Ludvic, sunshine anon, anger anon, Frazzle, Wade, Loyal anon, Loyal Servant anon, the cookie run cookies lol, Felicia (top hat edition), Tophat, Greenie, Red(?), The Polygon Bees (TM), Eepy anon, Ethan, Dark, Void/Ollie, DJ, Star, Mercury/Marcus, Elysia/Evangeline Elizabeth Ambrosia, Blaze (Planetquest edition)/Brandon, Jasper, Callista/Leilani, Ursula, Ari, Lumiel/Lark, uhhh…I think that’s it

did I do it do I freaking win

Someone please count how many characters there are (there should be one comma per character if that helps)

Edit: Nevermind, I did it for you.

This is a vague number, the actual number is higher than this, maybe about 270-300

[olderthannetfic]

Haha. Yeah, a lot of these are from similar parts of fandom, so if you don't hang out there, they'd sound very unfamiliar.

Here's a quick attempt at a breakdown. Some of these have multiple media types.

Anime/Manga:

Bakugou Katsuki/Midoriya Izuku - BNHA

Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic - BNHA

Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou - BNHA

Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku - BNHA

Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku - BNHA

Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto - BNHA

Dabi | Todoroki Touya/Takami Keigo | Hawks - BNHA

Bakugou Katsuki/Todoroki Shouto - BNHA

Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya - Bungou Stray Dogs

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Nakajima Atsushi - Bungou Stray Dogs

Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi - Haikyuu!!

Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou - Haikyuu!!

Mikage Reo/Nagi Seishirou - Blue Lock

Getou Suguru/Gojo Satoru - Jujutsu Kaisen

Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto - Naruto

Roronoa Zoro/Sanji - One Piece

Mitsui Hisashi/Miyagi Ryota - Slam Dunk

Other Animation:

Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak - South Park

Kyle Broflovski/Stan Marsh - South Park

Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug - Miraculous Ladybug

Amity Blight/Luz Noceda - The Owl House

Donatello & Leonardo & Michelangelo & Raphael - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Books:

Sirius Black/Remus Lupin - HP

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter - HP

Regulus Black/James Potter - HP

Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy - HP

James Potter/Lily Evans Potter - HP

Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley - HP

Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley - HP

Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort - HP

Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson - Percy Jackson

Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard - All For The Game - Nora Sakavic

Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck - Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo

Kim Dokja/Yoo Joonghyuk - Omniscient Reader - Sing-Shong

BL/Danmei:

Huā Chéng/Xiè Lián (Tiān Guān Cì Fú) - Heaven Official's Blessing

Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn - MDZS/The Untamed

Porchay Pichaya Kittisawat/Kim Khimhant Theerapanyakun - KinnPorsche

Pete Phongsakorn Saengtham/Vegas Kornwit Theerapanyakun - KinnPorsche

RPF:

k-pop:

Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V - BTS

Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin - BTS

Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin - BTS

Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin - BTS

Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know - Stray Kids

Bang Chan/Lee Felix (Stray Kids) - Stray Kids

Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun - TXT

other music:

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson - 1D

minecraft streamers:

Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit

Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson | Philza

Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)

Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)

Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit

Technoblade & Phil Watson | Philza

Video games:

John "Soap" MacTavish/Simon "Ghost" Riley - CoD

Simon "Ghost" Riley/Reader - CoD

Sans/Sans (Undertale) - Undertale

Astarion/Tav (Baldur's Gate) - Baldur's Gate 3

Alhaitham/Kaveh (Genshin Impact) - Genshin Impact

Tartaglia | Childe/Zhongli (Genshin Impact) - Genshin Impact

Cyno/Tighnari (Genshin Impact) - Genshin Impact

Blade/Dan Heng (Honkai: Star Rail) - Honkai: Star Rail

Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) - Legend of Zelda

Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist - Persona 5

Kamishiro Rui/Tenma Tsukasa - Project SEKAI COLORFUL STAGE!

Western superheroes:

Dick Grayson & Jason Todd - Batman

Tim Drake & Jason Todd - Batman

Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne - Batman

James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers - MCU

Peter Parker & Tony Stark - MCU

Steve Rogers/Tony Stark - MCU

James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader - MCU

Miguel O'Hara/Reader - Spiderverse movies

Western live action:

Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) - 9-1-1

Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) - Good Omens

Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens) - Good Omens

Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter - Hannibal

Nicholas "Nick" Nelson/Charles "Charlie" Spring - Heartstopper

Daemon Targaryen/Rhaenyra Targaryen - House of the Dragon

Aemond "One-Eye" Targaryen/Lucerys Velaryon (Son of Rhaenyra) - House of the Dragon

Lucy Carlyle/Anthony Lockwood - Lockwood & Co.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) - Merlin

Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet - Our Flag Means Death

Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Israel Hands - Our Flag Means Death

Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor - Red, White & Royal Blue

Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling - The Sandman

Sherlock Holmes/John Watson - Sherlock

Castiel/Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester - Supernatural

Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester - Supernatural

Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren - Star Wars

Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars

Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson - Stranger Things

Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler - Stranger Things

Will Byers/Mike Wheeler - Stranger Things

Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington - Stranger Things

Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler - Law & Order: SVU

Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski - Teen Wolf

Ellie & Joel (The Last of Us) - The Last of Us

Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen - The Rookie

Wednesday Addams/Enid Sinclair - Wednesday

Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion - The Witcher

[cosmicanger]

pendants, 1973 in the art of albert paley: iron, bronze, steel - edward lucie-smith (1996)