#Is that the ship name for Nightmare and Frederick??

[speakeasierr]

Orpheus and Frederick have made a home in my mind and I can't get them out

[transbianmuffin]

Memories pt. 2

cw hopefully last transphobia, slurs, ptsd, bullism, death

********

[Sergeant] "Ok you bunch of pussies. In two hours we will make contact with the weed vessel. I want to see them burn. I want to know if they can scream and how high. No mercy, no POW. This is the day for which you've trained your whole life and..."

"Those wouldn't be POWs..."

[Frederick] "Oh my fucking god."

[Neil] "Told you that she wants to be fucked by weeds."

[Sergeant] "I'm sorry princess, my terminology doesn't appeal to your taste? You're right. Those weeds wouldn't be POWs. Those are fucking monsters that deserve to die."

"What I meant is that there is no war. They already won it...that's why we are the 'resistance' right?"

[Frederick] "Weed-fucker..."

[Sergeant] "You leave me no choice. You've crossed the line one last time, princess. You are exonerated from this mission. You will wait in the ship..."

[Frederick] "Yeah even because, can you imagine her actually shooting? She will start to cry and miss at best., if not hitting at us"

[Sergeant] "...and when we are back you can say good bye to your meds forever. I don't fucking care about the doctor's orders or whatever. I WILL make you a warrior. I don't care how much I have to BREAK you."

I don't care.

I hate you.

I hate you all.

We could be at peace and you strive for war again and again and again.

********

"Who would ever thought that those memories were so rooted within her that even Class-B would fail. I hope the variant that Psylocra gave me will work better."

"M- Mist..."

"Sleep my floret. Sleep. I'm here, everything is fine."

"I kil- I killed t-"

"Hush my beloved. You didn't do anything, those nightmares aren't real. You've always been with me, remember? I found you on a field of tulips and I've never left you. Now make your Mistress happy and sleep."

"I- happy... I goo- floret."

"You are the best floret an Affini could ever wish for, Deena."

********

Smoke.

Smoke everywhere.

Mask.

Fuck fuck what did I do fuck fuck shit oh god oh god oh god

Air.

I need air.

I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die I don't want to die

...

...

...

Light?

Where am I?

An Affini what the hell god it's eerie I'm scared I'm scared fuck fuck fuck

"Hello little terran, do you remeber your name?"

"Y- yes, I'm Deena."

"Mh, this doesn't seem correct. Oh wait. Yes it is. Roots you terrans really have to format your documentation better.

If that's your actual name why is it's only stated in a footnote?"

"I- "

My god she's so tall towering imposing and her stare I'm scared fuck fuck fuck

"It doens't matter. Now little terran, I have a most troublesome situation for which I think your help would be extremely valuable and much needed. Would you want to help me untangle this little mistery?"

"W- where..."

"Where are you? Oh yes, sorry. You are safe with us, with me. You have nothing to fear or worry about."

"..."

"I know that trust is a hard thing to concede for you little ones. So I'll introduce myself first and after that I'd love for you to do the same.

I am Sinea Chloratea, second bloom. I am a senior investigator officer for the Affini Compact dispatch in the Jupiter area. I don't mean any harm to you. In fact I find you extremely cute.

Your turn, dear."

"I- I am Deena. I am. I am. Scared."

"That's understandable, darling. Let me help you a bit here.

One day ago an unidentified terran vessel literaly crashed against one of our vessels.

A vessel which was carrying a very important scientist of ours. Now the terran vessel was more than expected. You are so cute when you think that our intelligence can't break through your, hehe, 'encrypted' communications.

Fact is that the vessel crashed against ours, we were expecting eight terrans, pretty well equipped trying to breach our hull and break in, but..."

"B-but?"

"But nothing happened. So, after a while, WE had to break in.

Now here's the funny part: a pretty thick smoke had oversaturated the inner cabin and we found seven corpses lying around.

All of them armed and presumably ready to attack.

We also found a curious amount of triggered smoke grenades.

Seven death terrans. We expected eight."

"Y-yes."

"Yes and we found the eight one. We found you lying almost lifeless, with a gas mask on. The only one with a gas mask on."

"I- "

"My dear, you seem pretty stressed. Maybe you want something to relax? Here, you can drink it if you want it. I promise it's nothing harmful, it will just... help with the memories."

Water?

No.

One of their drugs.

Don't care, I'm probably already dead.

I'm thirsty at least if I'm dying I will be high as fuck.

"Yes, good girl. Now I would love to hear this story from your point of view. Could you do that for me?"

Dizzy I feel so dizzy I must tell her no she's an Affini I must she seems so kind so kind finally kindness finally finally finally peace

"I killed them I killed them all they were cruel with me I never wanted to join them but I was an orphan I had nowhere to go and they took me in they treated me bad so I killed them I killed them all they wanted to kill you but I killed them I- I- I- I want kindness."

"Kindness? Oh I can certainly provide that. Stars you poor thing went through a lot. You don't deserve that, as cute as you are. You did good in telling me, you've been a good girl."

A good girl yes thank you thank you thank you finally kindness finally kindness

"Now, you're doing a wonderful job here, dear.

Unfortunately I need a last bit of information.

We understand that your vessel, well, former vessel central command control was connected to a bigger intranet. We could break the encription key but it'd take at least a couple of days and it's all wasted time, I think you can understand that.

"Yes. You need the key."

"I don't really need it but I'd like to not waste time, and besides it will prove that you truly are a good girl. A very cute one, I may say."

I am a good girl, yes yes thank you thank you thank you good girl I am a good girl

"The oldest one the Sergeant he had an implant behind his left eye that implant contains a genetic password that will grant you access to the rebel intranet I know it please please please tell te- sorry it's a bit hard to think straight.."

"Tell what?"

Tell me I'm a good girl tell me I'm a good girl tell me I'm a good girl tell me I'm a good girl tell me I'm a good girl tell me I'm a good girl

"..."

"My dear you're safe here, you can trust me, tell what?"

"T- tell me I'm a good girl."

"Oh sweetie. You are the goodest of the girls."

"..."

"Are you crying? Dirt, you are so extremely cute. Now you've sustained pretty big injuries to both your respiratory and limbic system. Nothing we can't take care of obviously and we will take care of you. Great care of you. You'll need some more time resting here in the xeno infirmary..."

"Th- thank you."

"...no need to thank me, little one. It's me who's thanking you. You've been so good.

I was saying: when you're done here would you mind to spend some time with me? I'd love to show you around our main vessel."

"Yes, yes please."

"Such a good girl. Rest now, soon we'll be together again."

Finally kindess finally peace

********

[jils-things]

haii :D out of curiousity if irene was a canon survivor what other skins would she have? which of the survivors (or even hunters if she has a connection to them) would she match with? O:

HELLO!!!! EEEEEE IDV QUESTIONS MY BELOVED YEYSYEYWES TY FOR COMING 💚💚💚💚 im gonna answer the lore related question first and then answer the skin question behind readmore (its very long. i like Talking.)

OKAAAAY so so ngl... i actually thought that having nort.on, irene, na.ib and emma in one manor game group is really plausible cuz they're part of my fo list (and are very much included in lore) but omg i cant handle the heartbreak naur i don't wANT THEM TO FIGHT AJWKWKENDJSJSKS🥹🥹🥹 TO BE HONEST... i can kinda see her being associated with the da ca.po group (nor.ton, me.lly, orp.heus, alice and frederick) because irene actually is connected to nor.ton and orp.heus (she does not like him). and i think the drama would be so fuckin insane here lets be real

in that same train of thought - i think that would mean she would also have to fare off against foo.ls gold and nightmare (MORE DRAMA) and that is gonna be so fucking sick . also they look like this to me i don't care (ignore the ship mention wkwkwkwkwkw) LMFAOOAOWUSHRK

ok so, irene's skins are meant to match with nort.ons skins and like 90% of my artwork consists of just them in those costumes tbh HAHAHA BUT ID BE HAPPY TO SHOWCASE THEM HERE EEEE

so i don't really care about her skins being classified as a tier, b tier etc etc, dont matter as long as shes matchy matchy with him HEHEHE

let's go off with my most recent art of it:

1) this is eidolon! she is paired with soul catcher. she's a half alive (undead?) and half dead (ghost). she appears alive in the daylight and appears dead in the nighttime :3 the drawing in the middle is my best depiction of both mixed!

2) I don't have a name for this (help me /hj), but this is meant to pair with his troubadour skin! this to me is their peak of "good life" era :3 (together and married)

3) again i dont have a good name for this either EKWKEKEKEJ but this one's meant for an alternative universe called the constantine siblings au where irene and naib are adoptive siblings (and uses the spring hand skin) and she is also paired with mr. mole! (emma also appears here, in her boudoir dream skin)

4) this one's a current work in progress but this one's meant for ronal.d of nice! ive currently settled on calling her "dame of gold", its not final but its a decent placeholder name :]

5) lastly, this one's definitely a c tier kinda skin and its meant to match his cordierite skin. fun fact, this color scheme of hers was actually her original color palette but i changed it to green and made this an alt skin~ i named it royal blue!

and that's it! i plan to do more in the future (like black tulip, cornerstone and maybe some outfits based off merchandise hehe)

BUT YE!!! THIS TOOK AWHILE TO ANSWER BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CURIOSITY AHHH 💚💚💚💚

[dev-nxbody-h3re]

Deep Dive #5: James Watson!

(Note: Unlike previous installments, this character is primarily an OC. This is NOT canon!)

hey fuckos and bitches it's me. idk why I still keep making these but hey here we are.

so, actually, for this one we gotta go back farther than his creation. Allllll the way back to the very first Non-Canon AU I made, the DID AU. Before you murder me, it will Never see the light of day (it was literally Michael angst hour for no reason and as a young lad I was like "heeheehoo d.i.d. funnie" but hey I learned from my mistakes yee)

Back then, in the before times, I was solidly in the bandwagon that "tormentors EVIL" and so, because I wanted to be original, I wanted to create new tormentors to torment Mike with. I didn't want to use the regular Frederick, Mark, and Simon. Bleh, Boring!!!!

So I created the Evil Tormentors! I named them Trevor, Alex, and Kaden.

For this one, we'll be focusing on Kaden. He was the Bonnie Mask Bully and idk why but he handcuffed Michael to a chair. While Trevor and Alex murdered Evan (known as Chris). Fun times lol.

Anyway, I made my Percy Jackson AU and I decided I wanted Michael to have good pals for once.

So, as one does, I created a second version of the Tormentors. One that was dedicated to Evil and one dedicated to Good.

James was a part of that. Wowww!! His name was almost Andrew, actually.

I was originally just going to have them be Michael's previous friends, but...

guess who got attached????

James was largely the same as he is now. A dorky, gay disaster so deep in denial he's having tea in Narnia.

Y'know, while I was creating the tormentors I debated on having all of them date Michael or just one of them. It was a difficult decision, but I decided to have him date just one. It was either between Matthew or James, but I picked James just because I hadn't seen anyone on YouTube ship Mike with Bonnie Mask.

Just think... It could've been Michael x Matthew...

Anyway, I got so attached to James and the rest I decided to kill the Evil Tormentors off. They don't appear again EVER.

Then I made the Old AU, and James was actually Nightmare Bonnie. He didn't do much, but he and Michael actually had a sort of rivalry.

Yadda yadda yadda, fuck the Old AU, blah blah blah. Figment AU came around and I rewrote James' story. That was actually where I got the idea for James to drown and possess his mask. Figment James looked like:

This is... Old. And ew. This was in my amongus oc phase so obviously this isn't me now... I've grown...

When I rewrote the Old AU to make my current AU, I killed off Fritz Smith (who previously was separate from Michael and DATED HIM AHH-) and replaced him with James :)

Instead of a ditzy softboy, James became a manipulative, jealous bitch not afraid to get his hands dirty. But still, he's a twink femboy. I don't know how that happened but just look at him and tell me he's not a TWINK FEMBOY???? you can't. I don't make the rules.

I don't have any art of present James, which is frankly a crime, but this is what Past!James looks like now:

Look at this man... His arm is a bit short but we don't talk about that lol ok??

Anyway, thanks for reading, and join me next time for the deep dive into Matthew Bennett!

[fruk-and-usuk-soliditary]

Wowie wow that's a lot!

England

Favorite thing about them

I really love his character so much!!! Based on his past and history, he's a very realistic character. Being harassed for most of his life by his older brothers pushed him to be power hungry and conquer most of the world. I just think he's really smartly written and I could go on and on hakdbdj

Least favorite thing about them

Maybe the fact that if he's pretty overrated when it comes to the fandom? Idk I love this character a lot but the fandom is kinda overboard

Favorite line

Uhhhhhhhhh there's a lot but I might have to go with "why you cheeky bloody moron-face!"

BROTP

Hmmmmmmmmm I think him and Japan have a really nice friendship.

OTP

FrUk and UsUk!!

NOTP

Can't think of any :/

Random headcanon

His hair feels like straw!! Kind of coarse, but oddly pleasing.

Unpopular opinion

Can't think of any!! Maybe he's overrated?? Idk

Song I associate with them

Too many!!! "Castle on the Hill", "Anarchy in the UK", and "Sick of Losing Soulmates" to name a few!!

Favorite picture of them

O no I slipped and now there's four

Prussia

Favorite thing about them

I love his character so much too!!!!!!! He's so entertaining and well-developed. I also love how close he was to Frederick the Great and that he plays the flute because I do too. His design is also really cool and I love how his face almost always asymmetrical!!

Least favorite thing about them

When the fandom characterizes him as a sex lord/maniac when he's just a 20-something virgin living in his little brother's basement

Favorite line

The whole bit of him sticking a leg on a chair to bring all the boys to the yard

BROTP

Him and Hungary have a really nice dynamic!!!

OTP

PruIta, PruAus, PruHun, or frying pangle

NOTP

Uhhhhhhhhh ig him and Germany

Random headcanon

He played the flute for baby Germany/Holy Roman Empire for a concert or as a lullaby!!

Unpopular opinion

He can be overrated at times

Song I associate with them

"Emporer's New Clothes"

Favorite picture of them

This image haunts my nightmares so it's gotta be my favorite

Russia

Favorite thing about them

His design is really unique, especially compared to your average anime character. He has a very prominent nose and is noticably overweight, I think it's really interesting!

Least favorite thing about them

Uhhhh his violent tendencies are not my fave. I think it's appropriate for his character, but when it comes to enjoying the character that's something I'm not a fan of.

Favorite line

Probably the scene where he chokes Prussia as a child. I think it's a huge pivotal point for his character!

BROTP

Hmmmmm maybe him and China

OTP

I don't really ship him with anyone :) I do kind of like him and China tho

NOTP

Him and America. I understand not all shippers do and I honestly respect every shipper, but I don't like how their relationship is often portrayed as violent. Plus, I just don't see that kind of connection at all in canon.

Random headcanon

He's really good at ballet!!! Russia is where the most iconic ballets are from so I can imagine him being really good!!

Unpopular opinion

I didn't realize this was unpopular, but I don't think his history justifies his actions at all. He's a sympathetic character, but his behavior against Lithuania and Latvia are never justified in my opinion.

Song I associate with them

"In Summer" from Frozen

Favorite picture of them

Babey

[alistonjdrake]

Of Rust and Gold: Argus & Aayden. Court Observations

Yeah, hi. It’s this again. Here, here, and here for the last three. Main wip intro here. And in this one, we’ll take a look at one of the important relationships in ORG.

Of Rust and Gold is the first book in what I call The Saints Song Series. It’s a multi-pov low fantasy, court intrigue drama with romance and adventure elements.  It follows the stories of Argus and Leo. Prince and pirate respectfully, brought together by the plot of a stolen ship holding dangerous cargo and a secret that shakes what they know about their world.

Argus and Aayden are not friends. But there also not not friends. Their fathers, King Frederick and King Vadik are famous for their friendship and an alliance that changed the course of history, and as such despite the distance, the two of them were always encouraged to build some sort of a relationship. 

As outlined a bit in the last posts, Escan and Oskya have different attitudes and the two of them are almost complete opposites. But they have tried.  

At the beginning of Of Rust and Gold, Aayden appears in Escan to ask Argus for a favor. This is not the first time they’ve met in person, of course, and have a long history of interactions. 

As observed by Luz an’Alberto Frega, a palace servant and Head of Household for Prince Argus an’Frederick Harver. Recorded in his private diary. Year 1780 after the Fall of our Saints.

On the eve of his seventeenth birthday, His Highness woke from a nightmare and demanded I bring him seven bowls of losea from the kitchens as well as a small almond pie. I fetched these things from him post haste and once I returned he’d flung the sheets from his bed, opened the windows, and was snoring with his head stuffed into the pillow. Cautiously, I moved his head into a more comfortable position for fear he’d drown in his saliva in the night. 

The morning he woke looking radiant. He glowed in the sunlight and as I dressed him I noted not a single angle lacking in his grace and ethereal prowess. If such a prince in our history has been as beautiful as the one I serve, I long to know his name. A comparison is necessary. 

His Highness called on me once he finished breakfast, demanding I send a message to His Highness Prince Aayden of Oskya who is currently a guest in Graza Palace. This was not an unusual request. That night there was be a party in his honor and Prince Aayden had planned his visit around the occasion. As my position allows, I personally went to escort Prince Aayden to His Highness’ chambers and I was shocked to see that in my absence every piece of furniture had been removed from the main room. 

His Highness stood at the center of the glittering marble, cheeks pinched pink with glee, and said, “Aayden, you will not embarrass me on my own birthday. I shall teach you to dance before the court gossips about how you stumble along like a three-legged horse.” 

Prince Aayden flushed with rage and he nearly stomped out of the room. His Highness snapped his fingers and guards blocked the doors before he could. And my, did my prince ever throw his head back and laugh. 

“You cannot escape me!” He crossed the room in long, fluid steps. Only then, did I notice the small band set up in the corner. They warmed up their instruments and I felt warmth in my blood. When I am old I can brag about watching two princes dance in privacy. 

Prince Aayden cursed in Oskyi, the insults snapped from his lips. I fear I do not know much Oskyi myself. I know only what I picked up from following His Highness to lessons and while he is talented even he does not flex his tools when Prince Aayden is not here. 

Although he protested and shouted, His Highness dragged him to the middle of the floor. The music began, Prince Argus positioned Prince Aayden a few inches from him, with his hand held out and his palm facing the wall before forcing him into the first step of a tono corro. In such a dance, the partners circle each other, hands barely touching before drawing closer to flow into the next step. Perhaps such tall bodies were not fit for dancing. I have seen Prince Aayden ride a horse, I have seen him shoot arrows at targets with ease, but here he faltered as if he could not use his legs. And Saints, his posture! He bent to lower himself to His Highness’ level and only succeeded in knocking his knees together and falling off beat. 

His Highness was not discouraged. He grabbed Prince Aayden by the waist, as is the next step. I’ve spent days thinking His Highness was tall, and perhaps by our standards he is, but he appears so small next to the Crown Prince of Oskya. Prince Aayden slammed his gloved hands down on his dainty shoulders, and His Highness twisted so greatly in his discomfort that he flung Prince Aayden’s body from him. He would have crashed to the floor, but Prince Aayden is quite resilient and instead, he kicked his too long legs and one wound its way around His Highness’ thigh as his hands ground his shoulders. He held on for dear life, the both of them shaking as their backs bent towards the floor. His Highness is certainly stronger than he looks.

“You will unhand me!” shouted Prince Aayden. He was ever so red. I swore I saw the wisps of his mustache tremble. 

“Very well.” His Highness dropped his hands from his waist with a snicker and the sound Prince Aayden’s body made when it hit the ground was as loud and sickening as when lightening cracks a tree. He roared and jumped to his feet. His Highness could not stop laughing and he ran as Prince Aayden chased him. I do not know if they noticed, but the band increased the pace of their song as the two made circles around the room. 

When His Highness ran out of breath he turned, still smiling, and laced Prince Aayden’s fingers with his own before he could protest. They spun, lead by His Highness naturally. He seemed so joyous, those glorious spools of gold flying all around his head. He’d kicked off his shoes and his silk socks slipped over the polished floors. They spun and they spun, and I do not know who started it but they started to sing what I know to be an Oskyan folk song. 

Perhaps he will not say it. But Prince Aayden was smiling too. 

[anthonybrxdgerton]

Lily Sparks OUAT recaps masterpost.

So, @sieben9 I don’t believe you had a pleasure to meet Lily Sparks yet? She’s a tv.com journalist who happens to make pretty damn ouat recaps.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN THE LINKS TO EPISODES YOU HAVEN’T SEEN YET, BUT DON’T WORRY, THOSE EPISODES ARE NOT TITLED SO YOU WON'T ACCIDENTALLY BE SPOILED.

ALSO: I CAN’T FIND ANY MORE RECAPS PAST 6.11 SO IF ANYONE KNOWS WHY/HAVE ANY MORE LINKS (IF THEY EXIST) PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND DON’T SPOIL ANYTHING FOR SIEBEN)

She is funny,

sarcastic,

and she’s always brutally honest.

Emphasis on brutally.

Of course, the photos are not the only thing you might enjoy, Lily’s recaps really are something else, and besides being sarcastic little shit, she’s very often on point. Here’s one paragraph from 1x06:

Snow and Prince Charming have mixed DNA, so for him to look at a windmill and decide to go back to his fake wife is not piquing my interest in their relationship so much as punishing me for caring about them in the first place. It doesn't help that Josh Dallas might seriously be into Ginnifer Goodwin. I mean, if the acting he's doing opposite his fairytale mom is any indication, I don't think that crackling energy in his scenes with Ginnifer is acting. #StartingRumors

About year later Josh and Ginny got married.

Links are under the cut!

Season 1:

1.01 Pilot (aka. Too Crazy Not to Root For)

1.02 The Thing You Love Most (aka. Curses!)

1.03 Snow Falls (aka. Kiss and Wake Up)

1.04 The Price of Gold (aka. Assassination of (Fairy Tale) Character)

1.05 That Still Small Voice (aka. Pulling the Strings)

1.06 The Shepherd (aka. Snow Job)

1.07 The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (aka. Crying Wolf)

1.08 Desperate Souls (aka. Kiss My Boot!)

1.09. True North (aka. Who's Your Daddy?)

1.10 7.10 AM (aka. When Doves Cry)

1.11 Fruit of the Poisonous Tree (aka. Genie in a Bottle)

1.12 Skin Deep (aka. Deeply Disappointing)

1.13 What Happened To Frederick (aka. Real Love)

1.14 Dreamy (aka. Rotten Dwarf Eggs)

1.15 Red-Handed (aka. Time to Transform)

1.16 Heart of Darkness (aka. Straight to the Heart (of Darkness))

1.17 Hat Tricks (aka. A Tip of the Hat)

1.18 The Stable Boy (aka. Mother Knows Best)

1.19 The Return (aka. Sonny-Side Up)

1.20 The Stranger (aka. A Heartwarming Nightmare)

1.21 An Apple As Red As Blood (aka. Snackrificies)

1.22 A Land Without Magic (aka. There’s A Cloud Hanging Over Us)

Season 2:

2.01 Broken (aka. (Literally) Falling Into Place)

2.02 We Are Both (aka. The Un-Evil Queen)

2.03 Lady of the Lake (aka. A Million Little Pieces)

2.04 The Crocodile (aka. Never-again Land)

2.05. The Doctor (aka. A Patched-Together Abomination)

2.06 Tallahassee (aka. No Honor Among Thieves)

2.07 Child of the Moon (aka. Pack Mentality)

2.08 Into The Deep (aka. Bedtime for Bonzo)

2.09 Queen of Hearts (aka. New Conflict Ahoy, Me Hearties!)

2.10 The Cricket Game (aka. Can People Change? Who Cares?)

2.11 The Outsider (aka. For Whom the Belle Tolls)

2.12 In the Name of the Brother (aka. Multi-dimensional Storytelling, Literally)

2.13 Tiny (aka. Take Us to the Beans!)

2.14 Manhattan (aka. In the Name of the Father)

2.15 The Queen Is Dead (aka. Birthday Girl)

2.16 The Miller’s Daughter (aka. Sympathy for the Devil)

2.17 Welcome To Storybrooke (aka. Open Your Heart to Me (Also Can We All Start 'Shipping Emma and Regina?))

2.18 Selfless, Brave And True (aka. Bait and Switch)

2.19 Lacey (aka. The Lacey Is a Tramp!)

2.20 The Evil Queen (aka. This Show Just Keeps Bagging on Regina/the Evil Queen)

2.21 Second Star To The Right (aka. The Diamond Goes Pear-shaped)

2.22 And Straight on ‘Til Morning (aka. Straight on 'Til Season 3)

Season 3:

3.01 The Heart of the Truest Believer (aka. U Start Believing in Me & I'll Start Believing in U)

3.02 Lost Girl (aka. Breaking the Cycle)

3.03 Quite A Common Fairy (aka. Watching With Hope, Not Anger)

3.04 Nasty Habits (aka. Nasty Messages)

3.05 Good Form (aka. Bromance, Romance, and Hook-ups)

3.06 Ariel (aka. Part of Which World?)

3.07 Dark Hollow (aka. How Darling)

3.08 Think Lovely Thoughts (aka. Dusthead Deadbeat Dads)

3.09 Save Henry (aka. I Regret Nothing)

3.10 The New Neverland (aka. A Familiar Story Device)

3.11 Going Home (aka. Over the Borderline)

3.12 New York City Serenade (aka. Pawed by a Flying Monkey)

3.13 Witch Hunt (aka. A Mother's Touch)

3.14 The Tower (aka. Once Upon a Freudian Slip)

3.15 Quiet Minds (aka. Lumiere Arrives and an Old Flame Gets Snuffed)

3.16 It’s Not Easy Being Green (aka. Once Upon a Repetition Compulsion)

3.17 The Jolly Roger (aka. Your Curse Is On My Lips)

3.18 Bleeding Through (aka. What Ghost Around Comes Around)

3.19 A Curious Thing (aka. Give Your Heart a Break)

3.20 Kansas (aka. Ding, Dong, the Witch Is... Something)

3.21/3.22 Snow Drifts/There’s No Place Like Home (aka. Twice Upon a Cash Grab) 

Season 4 (titled up to episode 3):

4.01 A Tale of Two Sisters (aka. Not Cool, Bro)

4.02 White Out (aka. More Like Wig Out!)

4.03 Rocky Road (aka. A Hot Mess of a Sunday)

4.04

4.05

4.06

4.07

4.08 (those two epiodes are treated as one)

4.09

4.10

4.11

4.12

4.13

4.14

4.15

4.16

4.17

4.18

4.19

4.20

4.21

Season 5:

5.01

5.02

5.03

5.04

5.05

5.06

5.07

5.08 (two episodes as one gain)

5.09

5.10

5.11

5.12

5.13

5.14

5.15

5.16

5.17

5.18

5.19

5.20

5.21

Season 6:

6.01

6.02

6.03

6.04

6.05

6.06

6.07

6.08

6.09

6.10

6.11

[zephyrvos]

Claudia, Leena, Five, and Elle for the ask game? :)

under a readmore because this is bound to get long:

Claudia:

Why I like them: badass nerd girl, tragic backstory, young and hip and relatable. she’s super smart but has been through some shit and therefore hasn’t been able to ‘reach her full potential’ or whatever. also her fashion sense and that it’s Allison

Why I don’t: not canonically queer when dear god she should be. also gets mad at Leena for actions that were not Leena’s fault

Favorite episode (scene if movie): from the two seasons I’ve seen so far - Claudia, of course

Favorite season/movie: season 2? she’s more accepted into the gang

Favorite line: this is hard because I’m not caught up. possibly “He was a genius, and he put his life on hold for me. Damn it Artie, I owe him.” but honestly I’m forgetting something fabulous

Favorite outfit: I truly cannot pick. She always dresses fucking amazing. That’s like asking me to pick a favorite Kenzi outfit.

OTP: Cleena, ofc

Brotp: Honestly, equally fond of her with Myka and with Pete. Chances are both will be beat when Jinks shows up

Head Canon: she still deals with a lot of internalized shit from when she thought she was crazy, and a lot of that makes her not want to have kids of her own, because she doesn’t want to pass on the crazy. also, she crawls into Myka’s room after nightmares frequently

Unpopular opinion: Claudia/Fargo is cute?

A wish: let her date girls

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: no more messing with her mind, and no hurting Joshua

5 words to best describe them: Brilliant, Sassy, Young, Silly, Loyal

My nickname for them: Claud

Leena:

Why I like them: total sweetheart, heart too big for this world, emotional caretaker to the warehouse fam

Why I don’t: doesn’t get fleshed out beyond ‘emotional caretaker’ and she deserved to be more than that

Favorite episode (scene if movie): honestly, no idea yet. the one post-MacPherson where she and Claudia try to work through it?

Favorite season/movie: season 2?

Favorite line: no idea, sadly. none are coming to mind :( 

Favorite outfit: honestly, her style is not my thing. when she wears the pretty white dress with flowers?

OTP: Cleena

Brotp: her & Frederick

Head Canon: she came up in the foster system too. she had really great foster parents, and was incredibly loved, but it’s why she doesn’t go by a last name

Unpopular opinion: she was too young to be forced into the mother role the series made her?

A wish: that the thing that will not be named didn’t happen?

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: >:(

5 words to best describe them: Kind, Loving, Warm, Nurturing, Steady

My nickname for them: none? I could see Claudia calling her ‘Lee’

Five:

Why I like them: another badass nerd kid. cool hair. sassy and spunky and who is super autistic and like to hide in vents and is a master with tech

Why I don’t: terrible taste in men. also deserved more seasons

Favorite episode (scene if movie): uh, no idea. haven’t rewatched. possibly the one where they fought a gynoid?

Favorite season/movie: also no idea. probably 1? she was very team kid there

Favorite line: a speech in defense of their Android? how she’s perfect the way she is, and how dare android dude try to change her

Favorite outfit: her cute jacket and bigass gun

OTP: I don’t ship her with anyone on the show? maybe a crossover of Five x Claudia

Brotp: her and Andy, but also her and Two

Head Canon: has inventend and/or upgraded tech while stressed, just from fiddling with it and her subconscious figuring it out. also movie nights with the girls, and Nyx joining

Unpopular opinion: she’s underage, so shipping her with druggie medic dude is a bad idea

A wish: more seasons. more of her

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: honestly? no romo, she’s too small

5 words to best describe them: Young, Techie, Stimmy, Nerd, Spunky

My nickname for them: none?

Elle Greenaway:

Why I like them: fierce and defensive, she’s had to fight so hard to prove herself in this world, and she is so kind and gentle when victims need that compassion

Why I don’t: the show did the thing where it writes her off and never mentions her again, which is bs. also doesn’t make sense for her to totally quit? would make more sense for a transfer or a time off or, I don’t know but not that

Favorite episode (scene if movie): I want to say 2x01? Shot and in that limbo state talking to her father and giving me lots of emotions

Favorite season/movie: lol, s1 since that’s all she was there for all of

Favorite line: ‘the men I hunt are cowards’ or the other one like that, or “Because she’s surrounded by men.” or her heartbreaking delivery of “Here’s to winning.”

Favorite outfit: her brown leather jacket is great, but I gotta go with the red outfit she wears when they go to Mexico

OTP: Elle/JJ is still some good ship

Brotp: Elle & Derek, though Elle & Spencer is wonderful too

Head Canon: still fond of my headcanon where she works at a women’s shelter, keeps in touch with Derek, and the team eventually ends up led to her shelter and they reconnect

Unpopular opinion: I mean, there are idiots who want to characterize her as harsh and angry? that was the trauma and they’re wrong

A wish: more Elle. Lola’s clearly back in Hollywood. bring her back

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: don’t bring her back just to kill her. don’t kill her off screen. don’t bring her up just to badmouth her

5 words to best describe them: Fierce, Feminist, Passionate, Compassionate, Impulsive?

My nickname for them: none? just Elle

[the-book-of-sims]

“So Aurora came with me to my ultrasound check-up since we were gonna go straight to the store afterwards to design the baby’s new room... I figured that maybe this time we would find out the gender! Unfortunately, my baby is a little too good at hiding, lol. 

Once we were finished with the appointment, Scott offered to take us out to lunch, but Aurora had to leave on a surprise errand. Not gonna lie, I was a little bummed since I rarely get to see her anymore... But she promised that she’d see me again in a couple days!

When we returned from lunch, there was a note on the door from Aurora that said we should check out the baby’s room... That’s when I knew something was up! The moment we entered the room and uncovered our eyes, I couldn’t believe it...

It’s gonna be a girl!

It turns out that Aurora wanted to surprise me so she requested my doctor to keep the gender a secret... Even Scott was in on it!

Scott’s job was to distract me while Aurora designed the room for us as a gender reveal! He did a good job too, treating me with lunch at the finest pizzeria... Papa Johns.

What can I say? I’m easy to please, lol.

Needless to say, she did an amazing job... I absolutely love it!” -Catherine

Trigger Warning on the “Keep Reading” below: I know not everyone believes in God, and if you rather not read a story that shares the message of prayer, I understand. Everyone has their own beliefs and I respect that. I made sure to put a “keep reading” bar for those who would like to read it but I also put the bar there out of respect for those who rather not and can scroll past without seeing it. Thank you for your time, I love you and I hope you have a wonderful day. ❤

Dear God,

Please forgive me for doubting you... I’ve been drifting for a while. Instead of keeping my focus on you, I’ve been like Peter. That moment when he came out of the ship during the storm to run to Jesus. He walked on water! However, he let the storms and waves around him consume his thoughts which caused him to sink. If he just trusted you, and kept his eyes on you... I’m sinking in that water, Lord. I need your help to get out of it! I can’t do it myself!

I’m not gonna lie, when I found out my baby’s gender, all I could think about was Frederick Crowe... What if he succeeded? What if Scott never came in to save me? It would have been a girl like the victims... I would have been dead!

The fear and anxiety got to me... I keep thinking about the past, I keep having these nightmares... I’ve been focusing on the storm around me rather than the only one who can keep me safe, the only one who calm those storms... You. 

Thank you for the blessings you sprinkled into my life... Thank you for my wonderful husband, who’s been by my side ever since you brought him home to me again. Thank you for my three amazing sons who’ve been so sweet and patient with me when I need that kindness the most. Thank you for those daily reminders that you’re still with me even in the darkest, most lonely, days... You protected me, you kept me safe, you answered every single one of my prayers... How could I have already forgotten your faithfulness when you’ve shown me your power every single day? 

Please take away these nightmares... Please take away these insecurities and fears... Help me to keep my focus on you, God... So that I don’t sink like Peter did... Thank you again for everything... I love you, God.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

[hadarlaskey]

The 100 Best Films of the 2000s: 75-51

After you’ve read this part, check out numbers 100-76.

75. Chicken Run (Peter Lord and Nick Park, 2000)

Aardman Animations are one of the UK’s greatest contributions to the world of television and film, a truly pioneering studio who did for claymation what Walt Disney did for anthropomorphic mice. While Wallace and Gromit made their name on home shores, Chicken Run catapulted the company to international fame when they pitched “The Great Escape with chickens” to Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks. This story of camaraderie, heroism and romance starring a band of plucky hens has stood the test of time. A witty, slapstick classic which also makes some salient points on the power of unionisation. Hannah Woodhead

74. La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (Frederick Wiseman, 2009)

Having already spent months with the American Ballet Theatre for his 1995 film Ballet, Frederick Wiseman made a rare return to a subject he’s already covered. While the earlier film offered more by way of the institutional investigation we’ve come to expect from the great American documentarian, La Danse hews closer to the performative rigours of the dance itself. Wiseman’s passion for the art form is evinced by the extended ballet sequences, his observational style working its magic by simply letting them speak for themselves. Matt Thrift

73. Liverpool (Lisandro Alonso, 2008)

If the phrase “less is more” is something that floats your boat when it comes to movies, then you’d do well to dive into the playfully philosophical work of Argentinean director Lisandro Alonso. He hasn’t made anything since 2014’s stupendous Jauja, but you’d do well to catch this bleakly funny 2008 film which follows a sailor disembarking a ship and heading on a journey to… somewhere. The film patiently follows his largely uneventful slog until he reaches his destination and… that’s where the magic happens, and you find out why the film is called what it is. David Jenkins

72. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)

Oskar, a vulnerable, bullied, pale child finds both love and an avenging angel in Eli, a hundred-year-old vampire in the body of a girl. The snow-white Swedish landscape really shows up each blood-spill. Tomas Alfredson’s pacing is what makes the film. It’s slow and poised, building to sudden flurries of drama, with Oskar’s fate as the emotional stakes. Sophie Monks Kaufman

71. Le Pont Des Arts (Eugène Green, 2004)

The eccentric French filmmaker Eugene Green had found something of a muse in lead actor Adrien Michaux, who not only bears uncanny physical resemblance to Jean-Pierre Léaud, but also sounds and acts like him too. The film is set in the 1970s, though anachronisms remain in the foreground as an obsessive and emotionally fragile philosophy student Michaux finds a will to live in a classical recording of a famous opera chanteuse. It’s a reference-filled, lightly mocking journey through high-culture and its preening purveyors, and remains one of the most unique and unheralded European films of the decade. DJ

70. Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)

If its horror exports are anything to go by, Japan was in technophobic meltdown as the new millennium dawned, with anything from VHS players to cellphones ripe for supernatural exploitation. It’s the internet that’s the source of futurist and transhumanist nightmares in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Pulse, a film that dishes out supremely atmospheric chills with little recourse to shock tactics. As far as the J-horror cycle goes, this one’s top tier, which is more than can be said for the wretched US remake that came a few years later. MT

69. Jackass: The Movie (Jeff Tremaine, 2002)

In the 1995 episode of The Simpsons ‘A Star is Burns’, Homer delights in a short film called ‘Man Getting Hit by Football’. Five years later, MTV commissioned a television show from Johnny Knoxville, Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze along similar lines. After ending its run on the small screen, a bigger, lewder, cruder beast was born, showcasing all the stars from the series in pranks and pain endurance tests. Is it a documentary? Performance art? Who cares – Jackass: The Movie holds up as a fascinating insight into the rituals of male bonding in modern America, disgusting and compelling in equal measure. HW

68. Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki, 2004)

Connecting private trauma to wide-scale social ills such as toxic masculinity, child abuse and homophobia, Mysterious Skin sees writer/director Gregg Araki abandon the irreverent style of his earlier work in favour of something more caustic and raw. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbet as two teenage friends from smalltown Kansas who reunite and gradually come to terms with a haunting event from their childhood: their molestation at the hands of their Little League baseball coach. Fearless indie filmmaking from one of America’s most vital voices. Adam Woodward

67. Bamako (Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006)

This ingenious and righteously angry film by the great Mauritanian director Abderrahmane Sissako offers a disquisition on Africa as a hub for global exploitation through the ages. It is, in a vaguely surreal way, a ramshackle courtroom drama in which an outdoor yard in the Malian capital is kitted out for a trial and various locals attempt to determine whether their continent has been exploited by the World Bank and the IMF. As in the real-world situation, the arguments stutter and amble, and ultimately prove themselves to be part of a much broader set of questions. On paper it sounds like a slog, but in reality it is completely engrossing and the work of a master filmmaker. DJ

66. Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg, 2007)

Once seen, never forgotten is the sight of Viggo Mortensen nude, wrestling for his life, after gangsters ambush him as he unwinds in a sauna. (Rude.) Even if the rest of the film doesn’t make quite as big an impression on you, that scene is ample recompense for one’s time. David Cronenberg is a freaky king who rarely lets the side down. SMK

65. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)

I’ve wrestled for years over whether or not Synecdoche, New York is deliberately off putting. It’s not a pretty film – the pervasive browns and greys of the colour palette are distinctly unpleasant – but I suppose it makes sense that a film about an ailing and alienated theatre director would wrong foot the viewer. The late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman is on top form as Caden Cotard, while a supporting cast packed full of incredible acting talent in the form of Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Emily Watson proves there are indeed no small parts. It’s sad, strange, and surreal, but that’s kind of Charlie Kaufman’s whole schtick. HW

64. Dead Man’s Shoes (Shane Meadows, 2004)

Dead Man’s Shoes, already one of the most harrowing British films of the decade, gained further poignancy in 2019 with the revelation of writer/director Shane Meadows’ own traumatic childhood. Set up as a violent, rough-hewn revenge thriller centred around an ex-paratrooper who returns home hellbent on exacting retribution, the film is a tender ode to brotherhood and, above all, a moving lament for lost innocence. Powered by Paddy Considine’s terse performance as the wronged man-turned-avenging angel, it remains Meadows’ most affecting film. AW

63. Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000)

Death-obsessed sisters Ginger and Bridget Fitzgerald (Katherine Isabelle and Emily Perkins) are super close and fairly comfortable in their status as outsiders, until Ginger gets bitten by a werewolf. Gradually, she undergoes a transformation from angsty teen to full-blown were-creature with a bloodlust. Coming well over a decade before the so-called renaissance of female horror, Ginger Snaps is a gruesome and earnest exploration of young women trying to operate in a world where they’re set up to fail. Anna Bogutskaya

62. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007)

All hail Roger Deakins, whose every frame is a painting in Andrew Dominik’s epic and melancholic take on the classical western. Casey Affleck is all sad-eyed, silent-movie-star facial expressiveness as Robert Ford, while Brad Pitt’s Jesse James is full-bodied suave charisma. Deakins’ composition of golden wheat-fields, and train headlights at night lend majesty throughout. SMK

61. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)

Prior to filming her sophomore feature, Sofia Coppola spent a year pursuing Bill Murray for the lead role, leaving him voicemails, sending letters, and even asking Mitch Glazer to pass messages along to him. Eventually she locked him down, and thank heavens she did, because what would Lost in Translation be without him? The melancholy almost-romance between fading movie star Bob Harris and young college graduate Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson, who was just 17 when they shot the film) is the film’s beating heart, as they explore Tokyo together and reflect on their personal frustrations. HW

60. The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006)

Christopher Nolan’s films are designed to feel like a magic trick, puzzles to be repeatedly mulled over. So of course he would make The Prestige, which both deliberately obfuscates the truth behind the protagonist’s actions and hides it in plain sight. Perhaps its best quality is that, amongst Nolan’s fairly self-serious oeuvre, it’s a surprisingly loopy film; David Bowie as Nikola Tesla only being the beginning of its delightful strangeness. Kambole Campbell

59. The Triplets of Belleville (Sylvain Chomet, 2003)

Sylvain Chomet’s animated lark spins a crackerjack adventure from far-flung pockets of pop culture: ’60s Tour de France mania, Tati-esque wide-scale visual gags, the ’20s music hall culture presided over by Django Reinhardt and Josephine Baker. In this unlikely milieu of caricatured homage, a clever crone, her cyclist grandson, their loyal hound, and a trio of found-object musicians bust up a gangster’s kidnapping scheme with maximum whimsy. The toe-tapping soundtrack is just the icing on this exquisite French confection. Charles Bramesco

58. The Beaches of Agnes (Agnès Varda, 2008)

Agnès Varda was, unequivocally, one of the most important filmmakers that ever lived. In what was supposed to be her parting gift to cinema (she’d make Faces Places a decade later), she revisits the places and people that influenced her. Shifting effortlessly through techniques and memories, The Beaches of Agnès is an exquisite meld of an artists’ sketchbook, auto-biography, documentary and a love letter to the small, everyday wonders that had inspired, and continued to, Varda’s work. AB

57. Night and Day (Hong Sang-soo, 2008)

Since making Night and Day in 2008, the South Korean director Hong Sang-soo has averaged about two films a year. Occasionally, such as in 2013 and 2017, he even managed three. This relatively early missive remains one of his finest because it’s a little less oblique than some of his later work, as it sees various expat Korean artists simply tooling around in Paris and trying to find some kind of clue as to the next chapter of their lives. It’s one of Hong’s funniest films, particularly in the way it spirals off into a strange dreamstate by the time of its peerless final reel. DJ

56. Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino, 2007)

Ever the champion of cobwebbed corners of cinematic history, it was only a matter of time before Quentin Tarantino entered a feedback loop of his own design, fashioning – alongside Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror – a double-feature pastiche that harked back to the gory days of the 42nd Street exploitation circuit. With its digitally-added scratches and ‘missing reels’ – in the Grindhouse cut, at least – Death Proof roars onto the screen as a fetish object from American cinema’s foremost fetishist, a fitting marriage of form and content given the kicks Kurt Russell’s villain gets from his modified vehicular viagra. With riches to be found in its seeming structural straightforwardness and possessing a striking female agency in the face of male violence, it’s – whisper it – probably QT’s best. MT

55. Ten (Abbas Kiarostami, 2002)

We already knew from his 1997 Palme d’Or-winner The Taste of Cherry that Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami saw dramatic riches in the concept of filming people driving cars and interacting with people from behind the wheel. His 2002 film, Ten, comprises of 10 vignettes in which an unnamed female driver becomes becomes a therapeutic council for her various passengers – some wanting to discuss domestic issues, others revealing their strenuous spiritual lives, and no less than three times its her feisty young son Amin riding shotgun and giving the driver a piece of his mind. DJ

54. Fantastic Mr Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009)

The mixture of whimsy and darkness of Wes Anderson’s films has never been more ideally balanced than in Fantastic Mr Fox, his almost cartoonish deadpan and formal precision translates all-too-well to stop motion, as do the voices of his star studded cast. The foray into animation feels inevitable, an ideal outlet for the very particular control that the director holds over his live action films, but one that retains empathy and heart. KC

53. West of the Tracks (Wang Bing, 2002)

If you’ve seen Hu Bo’s magnificent 2018 film An Elephant Sitting Still, set in the economic wasteland of Jingxing, you could turn to this monumental study of industrial decimation for context. Ever the documentary maximalist, Wang Bing’s rigorously structured West of the Tracks runs to nine hours, affording him the luxury of a panoramic view of a workforce obliterated by the closing of cable and smelting factories in Shenyang. If a broad overview attests to systemic political failure in the pursuit of productivity, Wang’s essential humanism insistently returns to the personal costs at ground level, finding hope and a seemingly impossible resilience in the eyes of a economically abandoned people. MT

52. The Man Without a Past (Aki Kaurismäki, 2002)

A nameless man steps off a train in Helsinki. He falls asleep on a park bench where he’s set upon by a group of muggers. He awakens, collapses in a toilet, then reawakens in hospital, bandaged from head to toe, with no memory of who he is or where he is from. The man has lost everything, but somehow resolves to start a new life in an empty shipping container, where he seems happier than ever. Welcome to the darkly comic world of Aki Kaurismäki. One of the finest deadpan comedies ever made, The Man Without a Past also contains a sly social critique, laying scorn on the bureaucracy and economic powers that keep people below the poverty line. AW

51. Talk to Her (Pedro Almodóvar, 2004)

Pedro Almodóvar had been making films for over 25 years before he corralled his patiently-accrued mastery, a love of 1950s melodrama and a concerted leap towards maturity into this 2002 opus about two men tending for the comatose women they love. One is a caregiver who gives himself over to his job in a way that verges on the unhealthy, while the other is a man whose lover (a bullfighter) was about to tell him something important prior to being gored. This film is the whole package: a beautifully written, lightly eccentric, juicily tabloid tale of obsession and impossible love. DJ

The post The 100 Best Films of the 2000s: 75-51 appeared first on Little White Lies.

source https://lwlies.com/articles/100-best-films-of-the-2000s-part-2/

[luckylq36-blog]

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied nutritional supplements

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[esprit-de-corps-magazine]

D-Day: Canada’s three services on Operation Overlord

By Chris Charland

The coming storm

In February 1943, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, along with their respective advisors, held a high-level conference in Casablanca, Morocco. They were there to discuss the future conduct of the war.

They decided that plans for the re-entry in to Europe must be given top priority and the concentration of forces and materials needed for the forthcoming invasion began.

In March 1943, United States Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower selected the British Army’s acting Lieutenant-General Frederick Morgan as chief of staff to the supreme allied commander of the allied force that would invade northern Europe. Morgan is credited as being the original planner for the invasion of Europe.

Lingering concerns and differences of opinion on Operation Neptune, the assault phase of Operation Overlord, were addressed at the Quebec Conference in August 1943. It was agreed that the invasion of France would take place in May 1944.

On November 28, 1943, General Eisenhower, affectionately known as “Ike”, was appointed the supreme allied commander. His duty was no less than to enter the continent of Europe in conjunction with all other allied nations, undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and destroy its forces. Taking into consideration a nearly full moon and the Normandy tides, June 5, 1944, was set as the day for an invasion on a scale that had never before been attempted.

The entire daring escapade was a monumental logistics nightmare. In all, more than 7,000 vessels carrying more than 150,000 troops would have to cross the English Channel to France undetected and arrive exactly on time to establish a beachhead. Once the details of invasion were coordinated, the land forces, under Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. “Monty” Montgomery, put forth the logistical requirements. All allied air operations would be under the command of the Royal Air Force’s Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory

The build-up also had to provide for the debarkation of reinforcements without interruption for five to six weeks after the landing . . . any delay would carry heavy consequences.

The initial landing was delayed by 24 hours to June 6 due to stormy weather, which also indirectly caused the sinking of the minesweeper USS Osprey. Additionally, an American tank landing craft, United States LCT2498, broke down and subsequently capsized and sank in the vicious swell.

Mother Nature, not the Germans dealt the first blows against Operation Overlord. Nevertheless, D-Day and the Allied forces arrived at the beaches of Normandy with full force on the morning of June 6.

Canadian Red Devils arrive

The crack 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion led by Lieutenant-Colonel G.F.P. Bradbrooke was part of the tough and tumble 3rd Brigade of the British 6th Airborne Division whose members were nicknamed “Red Devils”. The Canadian Red Devils dropped into France after 1 a.m. on June 6, an hour before the arrival of the rest of the brigade, with the aim of securing the DZ (Drop Zone), capturing the enemy headquarters located at the site and destroying the local radio station at Varaville. They were the first Canadian unit to arrive in France.

After that, the Canadians were to destroy vehicle bridges over the Dives River and its tributaries at Varaville. Having done that, they were to neutralize various fortified positions at the crossroads. Additional responsibilities included protecting the left (southern) flank of the 9th Battalion as the battalion assaulted the enemy gun battery at Merville. Upon completing that, the Canadians were to hold a strategically important position at the Le Mesnil crossroads.

Remarkably, the Canadian paratroopers had accomplished all they set out to do by mid-day on June 6.

3rd Division’s Normandy adventure

The Canadian Army’s 3rd Canadian Division, led Major General R.F. “Rod” Keller, along with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade under the command of Brigadier R.A. Wyman, formed part of General Miles Dempsey’s 2nd British Army.

The Canadians, numbering just over 14,000, came ashore at Juno Beach. The five-mile wide Juno Beach was divided into two primary sectors, Mike and Nan. In turn, each of these was sub-divided into smaller sections denoted by the sector name followed by a colour. Many heroic deeds were performed on the first day at Juno Beach. The Allies had come to expect nothing less. The relentless pursuit of the Canadian Army’s objectives was measured in human currency; of the 14,000 Canadians who stormed Juno Beach, 340 were killed, 574 were wounded and 49 were captured by the defending Germans.

This was a small comfort, considering planners had predicted a much higher casualty rate.

The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division* comprised the following units:

7th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Royal Winnipeg Rifles

Regina Rifle Regiment  

Canadian Scottish Regiment

8th Canadian Infantry Brigade

Queen's Own Rifles of Canada

Le Régiment de la Chaudière

North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

9th Infantry Brigade

HIghland Light Infantry of Canada

Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders

Nova Scotia Highlanders

Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (M.G.)  

7th Reconnaissance Regiment

17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars

Divisional Royal Canadian Artillery

12th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

13th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

19th Army Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

3rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery

4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery  

Divisional Royal Canadian Engineers

5th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

6th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

16th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

18th Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

3rd Canadian Field Park Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

3rd Canadian Divisional Bridge Platoon, Royal Canadian Engineers

Royal Canadian Corps of Signals

3rd Infantry Divisional Signals

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps

3rd Infantry Divisional Troops Company  

Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps

14 Field Ambulance

22 Field Ambulance

23 Field Ambulance  

2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade

6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)

10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Fort Garry Horse)

27th Armoured Regiment (Sherbrooke Fusiliers)

* Units of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps also provided vital support during the landings.

British units that supported the Canadian landing on Juno Beach

48 Royal Marine Commando

4th Special Service Brigade

26th Assault Squadron

80th Assault Squadron

5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers

6th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers

Two detachments of the 22nd Dragoons, 79th Armoured Division

3rd Battery 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

4th Battery, 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment

“C” Squadron, Inns of Court Regiment

“Ready Aye Ready”

The Royal Canadian Navy was extremely active before and during the first day of Operation Overlord.  

A force of 19 corvettes was assigned to provide escort service to the many ships and floating docks heading for assembly points on the south coast of England Eleven frigates, nine destroyers and five corvettes were seconded to the Royal Navy to provide an ASDIC (anti-submarine detection investigation committee) screen around the western approaches to the English Channel one week before the invasion date. This was to guard against the constant German U-Boat threat.

Only hours before the invasion, Canadian “Bangor” Class minesweepers cleared shipping lanes of mines and then ensured that the anchorage swept clear. The last part of their assignment was to sweep the lanes for the assault boats, right to the limit of the deep water. While under a moonlit sky, they crept within a mile and a half (2.4 kilometres) of shore, pretty well under the noses of the unsuspecting Germans.

Fortunately, they were not spotted; German coastal artillery guns would have made mincemeat of them.

The RCN’s two landing ships, HMCS Prince Henry and HMCS Prince David, carried 14 landing craft (LCI or landing craft, infantry) to a point where they could be launched for the run into the beachhead. In the British sector, 30 “Fleet” class destroyers, including HMCS Algonquin and HMCS Sioux, provided direct fire support for the landing craft carrying part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division after they were launched from the landing ships.

Mines and other underwater obstructions were a constant threat to the landing craft and few escaped without some sort of damage. Leading the second wave were 26 landing craft of the RCN’s 260th, 262nd and 264th Flotillas. These flotillas were carrying a combined force of 4,617 soldiers, primarily from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. Six speedy and deadly MTBs (motor torpedo boat) were assigned to patrol the Seine estuary. RCN corvettes would go on to escort additional convoys into Baie de la Seine during the rest of the day. Naval losses were described as “incredibly light”, especially considering how many enemy long-range naval guns and other weapons were still operational at the time of the landings.

The following RCN vessels took part in the invasion of Normandy:

Tribal class destroyer

HMCS Haida

HMCS Huron

V class destroyer

HMCS Algonquin

HMCS Sioux

River class destroyer (British)

HMCS Gatineau

HMCS Kootenay

HMCS Qu’Appelle

HMCS Ottawa (II)

HMCS Chaudière

HMCS Restigouche

HMCS Skeena

HMCS St. Laurent

Mackenzie Class Destroyer Escort

HMCS Saskatchewan

River class frigate

HMCS Meon

HMCS Teme

River class frigate (1942-1943 program)

HMCS Cape Breton

HMCS Grou

HMCS Matane

HMCS Outremont

HMCS Port Colberne

HMCS Saint John

HMCS Swansea

HMCS Waskesiu

Flower class corvette (1939-1940)

HMCS Alberni

HMCS Baddeck

HMCS Camrose

HMCS Drumheller

HMCS Louisburg (II)

HMCS Lunenburg

HMCS Mayflower

HMCS Moose Jaw

HMCS Summerside

HMCS Prescott

Revised Flower class corvette

HMCS Mimico

Revised Flower class corvette (1940-1941 program)

HMCS Calgary

HMCS Kitchener

HMCS Port Arthur

HMCS Regina

HMCS Woodstock

Revised Flower class corvette (1942-1943 program)

HMCS Lindsay

Troop landing ship

HMCS Prince David

HMCS Prince Henry

Bangor class minesweeper

HMCS Bayfield

HMCS Guysborough

Bangor class minesweeper (1940-1941 regular program)

HMCS Vegreville

Bangor class minesweeper (1941-1942 program)

HMCS Kenora

HMCS Mulgrave

29th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla

MTBs 459, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465 and 466

65th Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) Flotilla

MTBs 726, 727, 735, 736, 743, 744, 745, 747, 748

260th Landing Craft Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 117, 121, 166, 177, 249, 266, 271, 277, 285, 298 and 301

262nd Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 115, 118, 125, 135, 250, 252, 262, 263, 270, 276, 299 and 306

264th Landing Craft, Infantry (Large) Flotilla

LCI(L)s 255, 288, 295, 302, 305, 310 and 311

528th Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) Flotilla

LCAs 736, 850, 856, 925, 1021, 1033, 1371 and 1372

529th Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) Flotilla

LCAs 1957, 1059, 1137, 1138, 1150, 1151, 1374 and 1375

Per Ardua Ad Astra

It was a maximum effort for the crews of Bomber Command’s 6 (RCAF) Group on the night of June 5-6, 1944. A force of 190 aircraft, comprising Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax four-engine heavy bombers, flew 230 sorties in support of pre-invasion operations. A large number of targets were struck, with particular attention paid to the German coastal artillery emplacements on the beachhead. In all, more than 870 tons of high explosives were dropped for the loss of one Canadian Halifax.

RCAF fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons went into action providing support to the Canadian ground forces as the invasion kicked into high gear. The aerial activity over Normandy resembled swarms of locusts—the planes seemed to keep coming with no end in sight. An estimated 1,000 aircraft from 39 of the 42 Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons stationed overseas took on the aerial support of the invasion with roles ranging bombing, air superiority, ground attack and photo reconnaissance.

The following Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons were involved in pre-invasion activities and in support of the actual invasion.

For more information about the squadrons involved in D-Day, their aircraft and their roles, visit “Who was in the air on D-Day?”

SECOND TACTICAL AIR FORCE

No. 83 Group

39 (RCAF) Reconnaissance Wing

400 “City of Toronto” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

414 “Sarnia Imperials” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron 

430 “City of Sudbury” (Fighter Reconnaissance) Squadron

126 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

401 “Ram” (Fighter) Squadron

411 “Grizzly Bear” (Fighter) Squadron

412 “Falcon” (Fighter) Squadron

127 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

403 “Wolf” (Fighter) Squadron

416 “Lynx” (Fighter) Squadron

421 “Red Indian” (Fighter) Squadron

143 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

438 “Wild Cat” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

439 “Westmount” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

440 “City of Ottawa” (Fighter-Bomber) Squadron

144 (RCAF) Fighter Wing

441 “Silver Fox” (Fighter) Squadron

442 “Caribou” (Fighter) Squadron

443 “Hornet” (Fighter) Squadron

No. 85 Group

142 (Night Fighter) Wing

402 “City of Winnipeg” (Fighter) Squadron

148 (Night Fighter) Wing (RAF)

409 “Nighthawk” (Night Fighter) Squadron

149 (Night Fighter) Wing (RAF)

410 “Cougar” (Night Fighter) Squadron

AIR DEFENCE OF GREAT BRITAIN

10 Group

406 “Lynx” (Night Fighter) Squadron

11 Group

418 “City of Edmonton” (Intruder) Squadron

ALLIED STRATEGIC AIR FORCE

RAF Bomber Command / 6 (RCAF) Group

408 “Goose” (Bomber) Squadron

419 “Moose” (Bomber) Squadron

420 “Snowy Owl” (Bomber) Squadron

424 “Tiger” (Bomber) Squadron

425 “Alouette” (Bomber) Squadron

426 “Thunderbird” (Bomber) Squadron

427 “Lion” (Bomber) Squadron 

428 “Ghost” (Bomber) Squadron

429 “Bison” (Bomber) Squadron

431 “Iroquois” (Bomber) Squadron

432 “Leaside” (Bomber) Squadron

433 “Porcupine” (Bomber) Squadron

434 “Bluenose” (Bomber) Squadron

RAF Bomber Command / 8 (Pathfinder) Group

405 “Vancouver” (Bomber) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group

422 “Flying Yachtsman” (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

423 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 16 Group

 415 “Swordfish” (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron

RAF Coastal Command / 19 (General Reconnaissance) Group

404 “Buffalo” (Coastal Fighter) Squadron

407 “Demon” (General Reconnaissance) Squadron

Conclusion

All in all, Canadian combatants from all three services gave an outstanding account of themselves on the first day of the battle. They would continue to distinguish themselves by dogged determination and selfless acts of heroism, helping write the final chapter and finally closing the book on the Third Reich’s so-called one thousand-year reign.

[tipsoctopus]

"The men to deliver a shock in north London" - Fan Predictions: Spurs vs West Ham

Tottenham host London rivals West Ham at their new stadium this Saturday in the early kick-off, where both teams will be desperate to go down in the history books as the first side to win this feisty affair inside the glamorous Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Hammers are playing for very little – practically just for the prize money you get for finishing a few places higher in the league – whilst Mauricio Pochettino’s side could do with a win to bolster their current position inside the top four; they are currently four points ahead of fifth-place Arsenal.

Having said that, even if this encounter were just a friendly, both sides will be sure to make it a real blood-and-thunder affair, so it should be a good game.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

This week, we’ve taken the time to chat with resident Football FanCast writers Luke Glanville – a West Ham fan – and Harry Sherlock – a Spurs supporter – to discuss the big talking points and give their predictions ahead of the derby…

Where are the key battles which will win or lose this game for the two sides? 

Harry: “Heung-min Son vs the full-backs. The South Korean will definitely play for Spurs so Manuel Pellegrini has to find a way to counter his threat. He’s suspended for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Ajax, so expect him to play the 90 minutes, and drift from right to left. With Pablo Zabaleta at right-back and either Aaron Cresswell or Arthur Masuaku playing at left-back, Son could find some joy. If Pellegrini instructs his wingers to track back, however, and ensures that the full-backs are never left alone, they could well keep Son quiet. Doing this would go a long way to enhancing the Hammers’ hopes of victory.”

Luke: “I think the right-back/left wing battle will be important for West Ham. If Pellegrini plays Zabaleta, then you feel that Son is going to have some fun, but Ryan Fredericks can match the South Korean for pace and perhaps keep a lid on him. Also, I’m pretty sure the Hammers’ centre-backs would have expected Kane in this match, so to face Fernando Llorente is a bonus although he’s more than capable. If Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop are back together, they’ll fancy their chances of keeping him quiet, meaning that will be an interesting battle.”

Son has recently expressed his devastation at being suspended for the Champions League semi-final, so the Hammers could potentially be facing an angry, fired up version of a player who is already a real talent.

In addition to that, as Harry and Luke touched on, the Hammers’ full-backs are perhaps the weakest areas of their side, so the former Bayer Leverkusen man could have a lot of joy down the flanks on Saturday.

Do you think Spurs perform better without Harry Kane?

Harry: “No. They’re just a different team. Without Kane, there’s greater tactical flexibility because Son and Lucas Moura are multi-functional players. Kane is too, but he either plays up front or drops into a number 10 role and he doesn’t offer the ability to play on the flank. This was evidenced against Brighton, when dsLlorente filled in up top. Spurs struggled to make any inroads because Llorente was unwilling to run into channels or press defenders. Kane is Spurs’ best player and is still underrated by his own fanbase. It’s crazy to think that Tottenham are better without him; they aren’t.”

Luke: “Spurs are not a better team without Kane for me, just look at how easier it could have been on Wednesday night if they had the England captain in their ranks. But they aren’t the one-man team many thought they were becoming; they can certainly do the job without Kane.”

The England international is one of the greatest strikers in world football, and suggestions that Spurs perform better without him are foolish. The only thing giving any credence to the discussion is Tottenham’s win rate without the World Cup Golden Boot Winner – Spurs have only lost twice this season without Kane, to Manchester City on both occasions having won the other seven.

Upon his return to fitness, do you think Jack Wilshere has a future at West Ham?

Harry: “He shouldn’t have a future. Wilshere is a crock, always one game away from the treatment table, and generally not a very good footballer. He moves the ball pretty well but he’s been living off one decent performance against Barcelona for his entire career. West Ham, though, love a big name. And Wilshere does have some value in that regard. But as for his on-pitch contributions? He’s bang-average, and exactly the type of player West Ham should be shipping out. “

Luke: “Wilshere’s potential future at West Ham will depend on what happens between now and the end of the season in my view. He’s fit again and Pellegrini has the chance to give him three starts; if the ex-Gunner can impress in those games, he’ll carry momentum into 2018/2019. If he can’t, his future is still in limbo.”

The decision to sign Wilshere was a huge risk back in the summer, especially having put him on a three-year contract.

The former Arsenal man has made just six appearances all season, which came during the club’s awful start to the campaign in which they lost their first four league games for only the second time in their history.

Which players could be the match-winner in Saturday’s early kick-off?

Harry: “Obviously, Son is the biggest threat on Spurs’ side but the likes of Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli both have the ability to make an impact in the final third. For the Hammers, it’s Marko Arnautovic, particularly if he fancies this game. Arnautovic is a streaky player and has not recovered from his January flirtation with China. But he’s the best attacker they have and he’s a nightmare for defenders when at his best, such is his deceptive pace and strength.”

Luke: “Son has a great record against the Hammers and I’m not thinking for one minute he won’t carry that on in the early kick-off. However, Michail Antonio, Felipe Anderson and Lucas Perez are the men to deliver a shock in north London for the visitors.”

Tottenham appear to be the overriding favourites for this London derby, but only a lack of defensive concentration right at the last stopped West Ham from beating an in-form Leicester side last week.

The likes of Perez and Antonio are looking dangerous, and with a top-four spot still not yet secured, Tottenham need to treat this game with the upmost respect despite a delicious Champions League semi-final coming up on Tuesday.

Finally, what are your score predictions?

Harry: “This largely depends on whether Spurs rotate as much as they did for the Premier League clash with Manchester City but I’ll go 3-0 Spurs.”

Luke: “It’s a tricky one but I’ll have to go with my gut reaction which is Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 West Ham United.”

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2GASl6A via IFTTT from Blogger http://bit.ly/2VrX18d via IFTTT

[likenessofwolf-blog]

1851

“Rob!”

 Frederick stirred and the hold of his arm, looping about the small of her back to clutch a hand at her hip, tightened. He had not dreamt of them in years. Years. With time and practice they were all easier to bear, but those two – they stung. He buried them deep, and tried to forget. Without the trappings and landmarks of modern day as a connection to remind him, that wasn’t so hard to do.

 It was Cora that brought it all back with a few drowsily mumbled words.

 “Rob! Over here!”

 She saw him first. His eyes had been down and he had been lost in thoughts that largely swirled around her, but he hadn’t expected her at the docks. It was no place for a lady; he’d told her so before. He told her again during the slow, continuous stream of correspondence which they exchanged in the months during which he was half a world away anchored off shore in the Black Sea. He would come to her, he’d said. It did not matter at all how much time had passed since her last letter reached him or where her family had taken her off to on holiday this time. He would track her down and they would spend his leave together.  

 It had turned into eight months rather than six and the exchange had never stopped. He had prepared to send the first letter, thinking reasonably she would not know where to post them to without his instruction. His surprise had played on his face so plainly when her letter was delivered to him before he’d ever managed to pen his to her that Bulk, his mate since they were boys as well as a man who lived up to his name, asked if he’d seen a ghost with a look of real concern.

 Both men were new to their roles and moved into them in part by necessity. Robert had only known he was to be Captain days before meeting her. Both he and Bulk (First Lieutenant Bulkeley from then on) had given a curt ceremony below deck in the prior Captains private cabin and issued new uniforms. He’d been handed a horse shortly thereafter with little regard for how he felt about the creatures and told to get to the business of preparing (now) his ship to set off.

 It was never a question of if he was ready or what would come of him and his men if he was not. He had his orders; his future was set. Robert – Rob only to those closest to him – was comfortable with that. He had been working towards that moment, impromptu as it turned out to be, for the entirety of his adult life. Captaining his own ship directly into the fray was the reward. It was not until the day that Lady Charlotte Spencer trembled with fury at him and stomped her feet in the mud.

 The spent the evening together first on the beach and the on the long walk to Holkam Hall. He stumbled through asking if he could see her again, and her earnest, bright eyed acceptance left him floating the entire way back. The following morning was Sunday. He never attended services, but made an exception to sit in the pews behind her and her family. They stole looks at each other with her blushing and grinning beneath her bonnet and then shared a few furtive moments speaking in close quarters in the grassy courtyard behind the rectory where the skies opened up and all the rain which he’d promised was coming arrived at once to her shrieks and giggling surprise. In another day he was off. They’d made plans to write, but he knew too well how fleeting affection of a woman could be when there was an ocean in the way to expect.

 Her letters came were drenched in poetry written in girlish script. Even the paper smelled of her. Often there would be pressed flowers folded into the pages. Limonium vulgare was a frequent star. She spoke unreservedly of great emotional depths and then turned on a dime to speak excitedly about seeing a hare bounce across her path on her walk instead. He could read every word in her voice, which was the greatest comfort.

 His penmanship was practiced to the point of nearly mechanical and he was quicker to the point, but she said it had a sort of poetry too. In the first few exchanges, he spoke of everything but the imminent conflict which had drawn the Navy into that part of the world to begin with. When the conversation did turn, he was surprised by how easily it came. She took it all in stride and with an open, disarming interest. It was strange, and wonderful. He said more to her than he had to anyone to that point.

 His evenings were spent writing at his desk by candle light after most of the crew was asleep. She preoccupied his mornings too. He had less interest letters coming from distant commanders than he did waiting for another one of hers to arrive in the rowboat of deliveries from shore. The months passed so slowly and mail was intermittent. He kept every one, folded with clinging petals still preserved against the paper, in wooden chest from a long ago Indian voyage which was carved with intricate patterns of paisley swirls and blooming jasmine – and that lived with him in the sleeping quarters of his cabin where the letters would be within reach on those nights where nightmares and dreamscapes left him restless. He passed the time by reading and re-reading what she’d written, pining. For the first time, his future felt less than certain. Sailing no longer felt like the most important thing.

 “Rob!”

 “Rob! Over here!”

 He was in full regalia. Wool uniform, gold epaulets, and tricorn on legs stiff from too much time on open waters. She was in a periwinkle dress that made him think of flowers on a gray morning. He knew the sound anywhere and locked on eyes while still coming down the wood planks to the dock. She was hopping in place to be seen above the crowd and waving an arm over her head, beaming. The young Captain tried, but he broke into a run when she did and swept her into his arms, taking her right off her feet. The pale scarf drawn modestly over her shoulders caught in the seaside wind. She gasped, but snatched it before it could escape in a stream flying over past his shoulder. His head snapped to follow the motion, and when he turned back he was nearly nose to nose with her smiling face.

 “I know told you not to come, but I’m so relieved you are here.”

 Rob felt the looks their public display was drawing, ignored them, and drew whispers to ignore as well. There were more important things. Namely, the compression of their chests breathing together, the blue of her eyes paler and more mercurial than his, and the big, lit up and satisfied spread of a grin his admission received. So much of those first few months was spent at a distance that it was hard to trust the sensation of holding her to him.

 “I’ve been here!” She laughed, shaking her head at how very silly he was. Robert could not be sure if she only meant waiting at the docks for him to disembark. “It’s about time you are too.”

 This is another dream, he thought, until she leaned forward bolding to kiss him and he could taste her breath on his tongue before their lips brushed. His heart seized. This was real.

 “Lady Spencer.” The voice was refined, but under lain with what Robert recognized immediately as false domesticity. A lion posing as a housecat. He stopped short of the lip-lock that the better part of him ached to be part of to look its way, and then so did she.

 The man was not dressed like a coachman and carried himself with a barely conceived air of authority that did not speak of a page. He had dark, sharp features and stood eye level with the Captain still and unflinching irrespective of the silent appraisal he received in return. The white, starch collar shirt he wore made his suit seem truer coal black. Though he was in a crowd full of people and he drew deeply from a thin, hand-rolled cigarillo which smelled of clove and other, fainter floral scents Robert could not identify.

 “Godfrey!” Charlotte was surprised. She had not expected him to be there, prowling out like a stalking predator through the reeds. Reluctantly, Robert Let her to her feet and loosened his hold. She remained at his side. Refusing for the moment to show she was shaken. He could hear the attempt for sunniness in her voice, despite the surprise. “Did you follow me here?”

 “My lady, your father sent me to retrieve you.” Curt. Correcting in its cut without raising his voice. He used the proper language, but the meaning shifted beneath his influence. “You’ll follow me. The coach is waiting.” And he exhaled a plume of pale smoke. It was as if Rob was not there, or it didn’t matter that he was.

 “Now see here…” The Captain put booted foot forward and out ahead of her, inserting himself and suddenly defensive.

 “Rob, dearest.” Charlotte’s hand steadying hand was on his arm and sliding down to take hold of his hand. He stopped. “This is Godfrey, my father’s steward.”

 “Captain Wright.” The man’s eyes had a faint, sickly yellow muddled in with their green. He nodded, bowing head and shoulders as he spoke Robert’s name and confirmed he knew he was there, and knew him, after all. Robert extended his hand instead. Godfrey, to his credit, concealed his surprise. Lord Spencer of Holkam Hall was stratospherically above such gestures with a servant, but he and Rob came from different worlds. A moment after their palms clapped together he was glad for his gloves. He had the odd thought that he was shaking hands with the devil.

 “Godfrey, is it?”

 “Yes, sir.” He sounded annoyed. Good, thought Rob.

 “And Lord Spencer, he is back at Holkam Hall anxiously waiting for Lady Charlotte’s return? Let’s all go then, shall we? I’d like a word with him myself. It’s past time.” He could feel Charlotte’s look, but kept his gaze fixed forward on the steward.

 “Very well. Let’s.” Tension masked as polite agreement or amusement. Another falsehood.

 In the coach, they sat side by side while Godfrey rode up front with the driver. He removed his gloves, pocketing them in his coat before closing his hand over hers. She had not fought him on it while they were in mixed company, but he could feel the nerves radiating from her then. Their sides were molded together in a manner that was not strictly proper and it did not matter at all to him. It had been too many bloody long months. He had to be close to her more than he felt he had to keep in the good graces of his father’s man.

 Charlotte was even talkative in letters. She could prattle on at length about anything and took as much pleasure in sharing it all with him as he had come to with her. That was love, he supposed, smiling a bit her way despite the tension. It’s going to be alright, the look said, reassuringly to the angel in golden ringlets at who held his hand with the same care she did his heart. She could talk about anything and she told him everything. He thought. Robert knew the name of their housekeeper and cook. He’d known about the nanny who had more of a hand in her raising than her mother ever had and how she still missed the woman after she’d moved on to care for the little ones of another household. He even knew about the scullery maid who she caught smuggling stale bread from the kitchen and had since been slipping apples and trinkets alike with conspiratorial grins.

 He’d never heard Godfrey’s name until that day.

 “He means well,” Charlotte explained at a whisper, not wanting to be overheard above the noise of the horses and traffic. “It’ll be fine. They will absolutely love you. Who wouldn’t love you?”

 Did the duties of stewards normally include chasing after wayward children? He supposed they could though he sensed something discomfortingly familiar about the interaction. If he knew her father, he would have felt better about voicing his distaste. As it stood, it did not seem like his place. He nodded, looking to the narrow window up to the driver’s seat. The hairs along the back of his neck stood on end.

 “I don’t think he does much.”

 Frederick Kennelly stirred and made a face of disgust. The part of him still consciously aware of the wrap of his arm and her breath against his neck had faded back. They’d been asleep nearly the entire hour and most of it had been peaceful. When the darkness came to settle in, its cold shadow could be felt by both of them.

 Holkam Hall was beyond grand. It was practically a palace that stretched grand staircases into labyrinth twists lined with more flowers than he’d ever seen and massive chandeliers in nearly every room. Miss Seidel - he had been told during the carriage ride - had succumbed to Cholera and was in her sick bed. The family doctor had seen to her and confirmed the symptoms, He’d said the prognosis was grim. How did a governess in a clean and well-appointed estate manage to contract such a thing? 

A new girl in tight bun and white apron had whisked Charlotte off the moment they were through the doors. Rob was passed off to another servant and lead in the opposite direction. As it turned out, Lord Spencer had his mind set on keeping him waiting. He stood alone in a cavernous study with hands clasped together behind the deep blue jacket of his uniform. He mapped the stars to keep his mind busy. Even with all the advantages of modern naval cartography, he fell back on them during more voyages than not and found the practice soothing when his nerves were frayed.

 Frederick flinched and his breathing fell into shallow draws. He did not cast her off with a toss, but his entire body went taut in anticipation. Some part of him knew what was coming even if the him in his dream did not. It was the first in a long series of hostilities, but one Robert Wright never forgot.

In his own sprawling office with Cora still serenely resting against him, he was reciting the stars out loud a crisp argot that was not his own.