#Lord Stirling Park

[aisling-saoirse]

Pond at Lord Stirling Park, NJ - September 10th 2024

[strangedreamings]

S3E3 (spoilers abound)

I knew that was a dream, it was too romantic. But good, Colin needs a wet dream or two about Pen. It's sad that it takes this to get him to realize he's attracted to her but hey, whatever works.

So Gregory didn't break his arm from being in the balloon like everybody guessed, interesting. Still chaotic, but not in the same way.

Colin, please, promise me you'll never play poker -- you couldn't bluff convincingly if your life depended on it. I'm glad Hyacinth is supportive of Pen, even if Eloise isn't.

"Must be rich, must be handsome, and he must be of high rank." John Stirling is an earl, one of the upper ranks of the nobility. Just saying...

Philippa really is dim. Let's hope that in her and Prudence's case, intelligence skipped a generation and any kids they have inherit Portia's brain. She's not perfect but she's leagues smarter than those two.

Mrs. Varley says Pen has a visitor and I assume it's Colin or Debling. It's El and my response? An out loud "What the fuck?"

Oh, El. She's maturing (slowly) but she's not ready for them to be friends again yet. Maybe by the end of E4? And can I just say that I LOVE that blue dress Eloise has on? She looks lovely AND SHE HAS HER FLOWERS BACK! So, the show's costume designer was holding back her flowers until she became more herself, got it.

Pen in a park and everyone's talking about her. Ugh. Honey, none of them are worthy of you. Take note of who's talking down about you now and when you're on top, see which of them kisses your ass. They're the ones to avoid like the plague.

God, I love weeping willows, they're like natural gazebos. And this one is HUGE.

Sorry, Pen, but the tulle in your hair looks stupid. It looks too much like you accidently left a curling rag in.

So now they're both nervous, so cute. Colin's world has been rocked to its foundations and he needs to find his footing all over again.

So, Debling is a vegetarian and a naturalist. He seems to prefer animals to people. Considering the ton, I can't say I blame him. Lady Cowper is threating to arrange a marriage for Cressida if she doesn't get married this season. No unconditional love there, that's for sure. Cressida, get yourself a husband whose estate is far from your father's and tell your parents the roads are bad, so they can never visit. That should keep contact with them restricted to letters and the Season.

I really hope this earl who just introduced himself to Francesca isn't John.

God, I love Alice. She's a sweeter person than the ton deserves. She's right about Colin being gallant, too bad he's only just starting to realize how badly he messed up.

Debling uses odd animal metaphors and his humor is a little whack but I like the guy. As long as he's honest about why he wants a wife, I'll support him. He's cute too. Beards were unfashionable during this era, so it's another sign that he doesn't care about what other people think.

Aww, Cressida. Yeah, your family doesn't support you at all. I'd ship her with Debling if they weren't so obviously wrong for each other. She does need a good man to marry her but I don't think she'll find him this season.

Oh, Colin, you are so far gone for Pen. Do something about soon, please, before you lose her forever.

I do not like Eloise's outfit. It looks like a modern business suit with an extra-long skirt.

I take it back, I think I do ship Debling and Cressida, but if what he's after is just someone to watch his estate while he's gone, I think she can do better. Still, isolation might be what she wants, who knows?

Eloise is third- and fourth-wheeling. I'd feel sorry for her but hell, she deserves this.

I just had to look it up -- yeah, "marriage whisperer" is a phrase that could have been used back then since "horse whisperer" was a phrase that was already in use. Still, it sounds too modern.

So, Lord Samadani's a marquess, not an earl. Is his first name John? Does he have a first cousin named Michael?

Debling, you're the one who insisted on this three-way conversation, figure out how to end it politely. Colin is so jealous. Do something about it.

Prudence's husband really is dim. She married him for his looks, didn't she?

Rescues all around. Debling's going to have to make his decision soon, this is getting ridiculous.

Another ball. A handsome man gives Violet her accidentally dropped glove. I assume this is the "unwanted" visitor Agatha was complaining about. Blood relative? Widowed in-law? He's the right age bracket for Violet, so that's good.

Cressida looks ridiculous and miserable. I have to wonder whose idea these gowns are -- hers? Her mother's? The modiste's? Whoever, they have no idea what they are doing. This one looks more like modern haute couture, and ugly haute couture at that.

Pen and Cressida in a literal race to Debling, good lord.

Okay, so Samadani is apparently not John. Good, he doesn't understand what Francesca's after.

BROTHER?! Interesting. He's hot. I love his voice and his thoughts on having grown children. Wow, if this is Violet's "gardener," she'll be fucking the brother of the woman who fucked her father. England really is a small country.

Who took a bunch of spoon handles and put them in Agatha's hair?

Agatha is in her own personal hell, I love it.

Is THIS John? He's not Scottish, going by what little he's said. Disappointing, but not the end of the world. Loves the quiet, understands that people need quiet, he's perfect for Frannie.

Shonda, Shonda, Shonda. Yes, a Lady can be a married woman HOWEVER, the daughters of dukes, marquesses, and earls are also addressed as Lady, so Benedict assuming Tilley is married is wrong.

This dance Tilley and Benedict are dancing looks like a cross between a waltz and a tango. I'm sure the choreographer was told to just give them whatever moves look best on camera.

Cressida really looks like she's going to cry. Ugh. I don't want her to suffer her book counterpart's fate.

Colin looks like he's about to kiss Pen in the middle of a crowded ballroom then in comes Debling to steal her away for a dance. Colin, please, move faster next time.

[forasecondtherewedwon]

🪻🐝Bridgerton-Themed Fic Prompts🐝🪻

Send an ask with one or more numbers to request a Bridgerton fic! Some prompts are specifically inspired by season 3 of the Netflix series, but there's plenty of room to go wherever you'd like with them!

Ship

1) Penelope x Colin

2) Francesca x John Stirling

3) Cressida x Eloise

4) Kate x Anthony

5) Will x Alice

6) Violet x Marcus Anderson

7) Penelope x Lord Debling

8) Cressida x Lord Debling

9) Benedict x Tilley Arnold

10) [solo character] OR [other pairing] OR [OT3] OR [other character(s) specification] (please note it in your ask!)

Location

11) a ballroom

12) the Featherington gardens

13) the Modiste

14) the park

15) Will Mondrich's club

16) Queen Charlotte's palace

17) the art gallery

18) the Bridgerton drawing room

19) a carriage interior

20) Aubrey Hall

Item

21) a quill

22) a ring

23) a bumblebee

24) a fan

25) a candle

26) sheet music

27) a letter

28) a diary or journal

29) a hot air balloon

30) a teacup

Scandal

31) mentioned in Lady Whistledown's Society Papers!

32) made a disadvantageous match!

33) defied the Queen's wishes!

34) reputation as a rake!

35) caught unchaperoned!

36) seen holding hands! BARE hands!

37) broke off their engagement!

38) public drunkenness!

39) secret pregnancy!

40) danced too closely/too many times at a ball!

For impeccable Tumblr etiquette, remember to send a prompt to the person from whom you reblog this post! Readers, remember to reblog when the author posts the fic! Happy writing and reading!

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : SEPTEMBER ✧• ─

7 SEPTEMBER - William visited Pret a Manger in Bournemouth. Afterwards he was received on arrival by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset (Mr. Angus Campbell) AFC Bournemouth. 8 SEPTEMBER - William and Catherine undertook engagements in St. David's and were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed (Ms. Sara Edwards). They attended a Memorial Service for Queen Elizabeth II in St. David's Cathedral and afterwards met members of the local community. Later, they visited Câr-y-Môr Seaweed Farm. Subsequently, they met volunteers from the RNLI at the RNLI St. David's Lifeboat Station. William wrote a letter to Mr. Gear about the memorial of her grandfather who was a WWII veteran. 9 SEPTEMBER - William joined Catherine and Princess Anne for an episode of 'The Good, The Bad and The Rugby' Podcast. 10 SEPTEMBER- William attended the Wales Vs Fiji Rugby World Cup pool match in Bordeaux and was received upon arrival by His Majesty's Ambassador to the French Republic (Dame Menna Rawlings). 13 SEPTEMBER- William was received by Colonel Jane Davis (Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London) as he visited Mates in Mind at a construction site. 14 SEPTEMBER - William and Catherine visited Stirling Lines in Hereford. Afterwards, they were received by Mr. Patrick Wrixon (Deputy Lieutenant of Herefordshire) at Madley Primary School's Forest School. Subsequently, met Members of We Are Farming Minds at Kings Pitt Farm. 18 SEPTEMBER - William departed from Heathrow Airport for USA and was received upon arrival at Newark Liberty International Airport by His Majesty's Consul-General for New York (Ms. Emma Wade-Smith) as he kicked off his Trip to New York. He visited the Billion Oyster Project at Governor's Island and met schoolchildren at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Afterwards he called upon Mr. António Guterres (Secretary-General of the United Nations) at the UN Headquarters. 19 SEPTEMBER - On his second day in New York, William held and audience with The President of the Republic of Ecuador. Afterwards, he attended the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit. Later, he visited FDNY Firehouse Ten and was received by His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States of America (Dame Karen Pierce). Finally he attended a Dinner for the Earthshot Prize at Tavern on the Green and later departed NY from John F. Kennedy International Airport for the UK. 20 SEPTEMBER - William arrived at Heathrow Airport, London, from the United States of America. 21 SEPTEMBER - William wrote the Foreword to London Air Ambulance Charity's bereavement booklet. 22 SEPTEMBER - William and Catherine were spotted at Prince George's Football Game. 27 SEPTEMBER- William and Catherine hosted a Charities Forum in London. 28 SEPTEMBER - William and Catherine received Mr. Timothy Cook (Chief Executive Officer, Apple Incorporated) at Windsor Castle. 29 SEPTEMBER - He was received by Mrs. Clare Garrett (Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire) as he visited BEST - Be A Better You in Swindon.

[amber-lucca44]

Welcome to my music moon :3 💖

Or whatever it's just my music journal thingy lol. ♥️

As the header said, I'm Vonnie, a poc transgender woman in her 20s. I'm absolutely obsessed with music, and this blog is just my journal of how I've been enjoying it hehe. 💕

About my ratings:

They are 100% based on how much I enjoyed listening to the song/album, not based on like quality or impact 😗

Anything over 5/10 means I liked it, so 5.5/10 and 7/10 are both good. Below 5/10 means I mostly didn't 😅💔

My average rating of their albums won't be equal to their position on my favorites. I also think of singles, EPs, their most recent work, and just them in general as artists, as well as the impact they might've had on me. Of course I take that into account too, but it wouldn't be fair to place Metallica way lower because of St. Anger yk 😂😭

YES I TAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. 💖

I listen to at least one album on every weekday (usually ♥️)

Tags:

Artist of the Month

Vonnie talks 💕

Vonnie reviews 💕

Vonnie rants 😗

Masterpost (working on those 😭)

Music polls

Music list

Reblog ♥️

Not music

My 100 favorite artists (and their average album rating, working on those) 💖⭐⭐⭐

I'll keep updating this list as long as it's here :3 ❤️

Kendrick Lamar 8.9/10

Alesana 8.9/10

Chvrches 9.3/10

Eyes Set To Kill 9/10

Renee Phoenix 9.5/10

Bring Me The Horizon 8.5/10

From Autumn To Ashes 8.6/10

The Devil Wears Prada 8.2/10

A Day To Remember 8.3/10

Sleeping With Sirens 8.3/10

I See Stars 8.7/10

Escape The Fate 8.6/10

Senses Fail 7.7/10

Nine Inch Nails 8.5/10

Asking Alexandria 8.1/10

Saosin 9.3/10

Funeral For A Friend 8.2/10

Architects 8.2/10

Oceans Ate Alaska 9.2/10

PVRIS 8.8/10

The Number Twelve Looks Like You 8.5/10

Lindsey Stirling 9/10

Blessthefall 8.3/10

Slayer 8/10

Beartooth 8.7/10

Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! 8.5/10

Pearl Jam 8.1/10

Underoath 7.9/10

Hayley Kiyoko 9/10

Fall Out Boy 7.9/10

BTS 8.6/10

Rise Against 8.3/10

Motionless In White 8.4/10

The Used 8.1/10

Avenged Sevenfold 8.5/10

Against The Current 8.8/10

Nirvana 9.2/10

My Chemical Romance 9/10

Pierce The Veil 8.2/10

A Skylit Drive 8.4/10

Emery 8.1/10

From First To Last 8/10

Trivium 8.4/10

Tonight Alive 8.4/10

Lacuna Coil 8.2/10

The Pretty Reckless 8/10

Deftones 8.2/10

OutKast 8/10

Blink-182 7.7/10

Carcass 7.7/10

Miss May I 8.1/10

Slipknot 8.3/10

August Burns Red 8.1/10

Taking Back Sunday 7.8/10

Lamb Of God 8.1/10

Garbage 8.1/10

Nas 6.8/10

You Me At Six 7.7/10

Linkin Park 7.6/10

Parkway Drive 8.1/10

Paramore 8.3/10

Squarepusher 7.3/10

Siouxsie & The Banshees 7.5/10

Janelle Monáe 8.1/10

Metallica 6.9/10

Lorde 8.5/10

Deicide

Meshuggah

glass beach 9/10

Anathema

American Football

Mayday Parade

Taylor Swift

Four Year Strong

Green Day

Against Me!

Anthrax

System Of A Down

Volumes

Sunny Day Real Estate

Bad Religion

Threat Signal

Coheed and Cambria

Run The Jewels

Avril Lavigne

Bury Tomorrow

Suicide Silence

2Pac

Haste The Day 7.7/10

Hatebreed 7.7/10

Alexisonfire 7.6/10

Marina

Iwrestledabearonce

In This Moment

Cannibal Corpse

Charli XCX

Aiden

Boys Night Out 7.7/10

Hawthorne Heights

Atreyu 7.7/10

Me on YT and a playlist with my favorite songs!

10/10 albums (so far ♥️)

Artemis (Lindsey Stirling)

Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation (Funeral For A Friend)

The Cleansing (Suicide Silence)

Disgusting (Beartooth)

The Downward Spiral (Nine Inch Nails)

Every Open Eye (Chvrches)

From Under The Cork Tree (Fall Out Boy)

Let It Enfold You (Senses Fail)

Nevermind (Nirvana)

New Demons (I See Stars)

On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax (Alesana)

Reach (Eyes Set To Kill)

Reign In Blood (Slayer)

Saosin (Saosin)

Stand Up and Scream (Asking Alexandria)

Steady Damage (Fit For Rivals)

Tell All Your Friends (Taking Back Sunday)

They're Only Chasing Safety (Underoath)

Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge (My Chemical Romance)

To Pimp A Butterfly (Kendrick Lamar)

Too Bad You're Beautiful (From Autumn To Ashes)

[scotianostra]

Edinburgh Park, Poets busts.

Each bust along Lochside Avenue has a short biography of the poet, on one side and one of their poems on the other.

Norman MacCaig was born as Norman Alexander McCaig in Edinburgh on 14th November 1910. He was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh, and the University of Edinburgh (MA with Honours in Classics, 1932). In 1940 he married Isabel Munro and they had two children. He won the Cholmondeley Medal in 1975 and in 1985 he was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry.

He made his living as a primary-school teacher. He was a lifelong pacifist and during World War II served a term in prison for his beliefs. There is a suggestion that this became a shadow over his subsequent career and that advancement was blocked because of it, if so it is an indictment of the aptitudes held then which are alien to many of us nowadays. He was one of the post-war Milne’s Bar crowd along with Tom Scott, George Mackay Brown, Robert Garioch and others including Hugh MacDiarmid, who became a close friend and with whom he had many an enjoyable flyting. He eventually left teaching and was appointed Edinburgh University’s first Writer in Residence in 1967.

. In 1970 he joined the English Department of Stirling University, becoming Reader in Poetry. He retired in 1978 and enjoyed a long period as a freelance poet. He died on 23rd January 1996.

The poem on his plinth is Notations of ten summer minutes, but of the poems I know of his I like one called Assynt and Edinburgh best.

Notations of ten summer minutes Norman MacCaig, April 1976.

A boy skips flat stones out to sea – each does fine till a small wave meets it head on and swallows it. The boy will do the same.

The schoolmaster stands looking out of the window with one Latin eye and one Greek one. A boat rounds the point in Gaelic.

Out of the shop comes a stream of Omo, Weetabix, BiSoDol tablets and a man with a pocket shaped like a whisky bottle.

Lord V. walks by with the village in his pocket. Angus walks by spending the village into the air.

A melodeon is wheezing a clear-throated jig on the deck of the Arcadia. On the shore hills Pan cocks a hairy ear; and falls asleep again.

The ten minutes are up, except they aren’t. I leave the village, except I don’t. The jig fades to silence, except it doesn’t.

[silverhallow]

Could you share with us an excerpt from Hope for the Hopeless, preferably a scene where we have a Benedict at the height of his jealousy with Sophie dancing with a "valuable" suitor in the matchmaking market, perhaps Michael... PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

So Michael isn’t in this… but we do have an Earl of Kilmartin making an appearance …

But I do have some jealous benni that I can share…

It’s below the cut for spoilers

“Surely you’re not considering Roger for a husband” he’d asked her.

“No I'm not but he was here early enough to ask for a dance and I am not so rude as to decline…” Sophie said as they’d twirled

“Why are you so intent on cutting me out Soph. What have I done wrong? Just tell me and I'll make it right…” he said to her, almost begging.

Sophie had wanted to tell him, tell him and rant at him as to what the problem was but he didn’t want her… that much she knew.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. But as I said. I am looking for a husband, I wish to marry. I want to have my own family… you are a friend not a suitor. I do not need people thinking I am considering you, or that you want to marry me when we know it is not true…” Sophie had explained

“People are not so stupid as to think that…”

“Yes but coming to the house when I am getting callers, being in the park when I am trying to promenade…” Sophie said.

This had been true. The last two mornings he had tried to come to see Sophie only to be turned away by Charlie due to the number of callers she’d received.

He’d gone to Will’s and White’s afterwards and tried to get drunk. He had no idea why this was bothering him so much.

They’d been in the park the day before, Lord Gordon had been walking with Francesca, and Lord Stirling had walked with Sophie before they had swapped and whenever Benedict had tried to cover to speak to Sophie, to ask if she wished to walk with him, or perhaps if she wanted to sit with him by the lake and paint together, one of their favourite pastimes… his mother had squawked him not to disturb Sophie whilst she’s being courted…

[streetslost]

𝟓 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄

disclaimer: these songs might not actually relate to cat they just. get the vibe lol.

1 - would anyone care by citizen soldier ( extremely depressing song for the first bit warning but with hopeful outlook at the end so please listen all the way through if you're sensitive to that )

2 - when a child decides to die by nights amore ( now this is straight up depressing with no hope please do not listen if you are sensitive to that, i'm just being honest because the music and vibes are like... weirdly very focusing to me. not even going to link it because i know tumblr, but i can handle it 8'D )

3 - honest by kyndal inskeep ( homeward bound verse based, her with scott. shout out to melody for this recommendation )

4 - figure 8 by ellie goulding ( so... honestly this song really doesn't fit cat but i was OBSESSED with it around the time i was first developing cat so i just strongly associate it with her. my blood and halcyon are also a good ones but this one was my fave )

5 - breathe me by sia ( ...the vibes )

other shout outs: natural ( imagine dragons ), monster ( also imagine dragons lol long story to this one ), walk me home ( said the sky ), stars and moon ( breathe carolina - scott and cat song ), surrender ( cash cash - also a scott and cat song ), parachute ( kyndal inskeep ), don't let me go ( reign ), human ( christina perri ), i am the fire ( halestorm ), the last of us ( gustavo santaolalla ), rewrite the stars ( greatest showman soundtrack, yes it's a scott and cat song ), royals or team ( lorde ), safe and sound ( t swift and the civil wars ), shatter me ( lzzy hale and lindsey stirling ), orchard of mines ( globus ), remember me ( ivan torren ), no man's daughter ( blackwell and crane ), i think some billie eilish songs but tbh i don't actually know them i just know some of them vibe, like most linkin park songs lol

...i've had cat for a while, i've made a lot of songs work with her in some way sajklfd;saj there's way more than this in some fashion

...i went through an ellie goulding phase when i made cat so even though her songs don't fit i also like. the halcyon album still gives me the zone.

tagged by: @littlebadger ( thankies! )

tagging: @storybounded ( scotty! ) and then all you other people who actually still like cat lol

[intheshadowofwar]

20 June 2023

A Royal Fellowship of Death

London 20 June 2023

Sometimes a memorial becomes so ubiquitous in the landscape that you forget its a memorial. Take the Arc de Triomphe. It’s as ‘top down’ as a memorial ever was, but it is technically a war memorial, commemorating Napoleon’s battles and marshals. Arguably the Washington Monument is the same. And so, of course, is the Wellington Arch. In fact, the Wellington Arch doesn’t just commemorate Old Nosey’s victories in Flanders, Portugal and Spain, it serves as the epicentre of a small cluster of war memorials, just down the road from Buckingham Palace.

We started today at Victoria Station, visiting the memorial to the war dead of both the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway during the First World War and the Southern Railway of the Second. (For the uninitiated, the LBSCR was amalgamated with several other south coast railway companies to form the Southern in 1923, as a direct result of the war.) We then proceeded one stop up the Victoria Line to Green Park, and walked from there to the Bomber Command Memorial, the newest member of this little community of memorials.

The Bomber Command Memorial was always going to controversial, even divorced from it’s commention to Tory political operator Lord Ashcroft. For seventy years after the war, RAF Bomber Command existed in between the moral necessity to commemorate its more than 55,000 dead, and the politicial impossibility of raising a monument to the men who destroyed Hamburg and Dresden. Proportionally, both for Australia and the Empire generally, serving in Bomber Command was the most dangerous and deadly occupation of either world war, with a staggering 44% death rate. (Not casualties. Deaths.) To fly a Lancaster (or a Halifax, a Wellington, a Stirling or any of the other less fashionable bombers) took immense courage. Yet this courage was used to pursue what Arthur ‘Bomber’ Harris called ‘dehousing’ - the deliberate targeting of civilian areas. This was controversial at the time, to the point where the Americans took it as a point of moral pride that they didn’t bomb in the British fashion (until towards the end of the war, where the gloves came off, particularly against Japan.) Today, it’s a huge issue that a lot of people are very sensitive towards.

I think the Bomber Command Memorial does it’s job as tastefully as is possible to do so - bearing in mind that it is not possible to do this in a way that would be tasteful for everyone. Yes, the men on the pedestal are elevated, and we look up at them, but we look up at figures with a distinct sense of weary resignation to doing an awful job. It is the statues that turn what could be seen as - and what Ashcroft probably intended to be - a blandly nationalistic piece. They give it a human quality. It’s also worth noting that once a memorial, like any other piece of art, is finished, the interpretation of the beholder becomes just as valid and important as that of the artist.

I won’t get into whether or not I think strategic bombing was tactically or strategically justified, although I will say that for a long time there weren’t many other ways to prosecute the war, and I’m hestitant to judge Harris or Churchill too harshly.

We crossed the road to the Wellington Arch, and here split up so that each group could examine a chosen war memorial. I’m not in a group, so I got to wander around and look at whatever took my fancy, so instead of the insightful commentary of my cohorts about WWI memorials, you get to hear me moan about a Napoleonic statue. Specifically, there’s a statue of Wellington that faces Aspley House, and a handsome statue it is, but there is something about it that bothers me intensely. On the base, standing guard at each corner, are soldiers from various regiments of Wellington’s Army - probably intentionally, they represent England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. This is good - what bothers me is their choice of representatives. The Scots soldier is an infantryman of the 42nd (Black Watch) Foot, as is good and proper. The Welshman is of the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers, the Englishman is of the 1st Foot Guards, and the Irishman is of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. And therein lies the problem - they’re all from elite regiments. (Additionally, the Fusilier is a sergeant.) Were it up to me, I’d swap the Foot Guard for, say, one of the light infantry regiments - let’s say the 52nd Foot, just for an example - and the dragoon for the 28th (Inniskilling) Foot. Both of these regiments deserve recognition, and neither of them are part of the social elite of the army.

Some might say this leaves out the cavalry. Well, bugger the cavalry. It’s the infantry and the artillery that win wars, and the cavalry that take the credit.

As for the other memorials, most of them were handsome enough. The Australian Memorial is a clever design; a wall in which, from a distance, one sees the name of battles, and when one comes closer they can see the small names of towns across Australia. The Machine Gun Corps Memorial is classical to the point that nobody would ever know what it was a memorial to unless they took a close look - it just looks like a naked Achilles making a jaunty pose. The New Zealand Memorial looks like somebody left their giant tent pins sitting in the side of a small rise, while the memorial to the Indian, African and Caribbean troops of the world wars is handsome but a little generic. It’s the Royal Artillery Memorial that really stands out, with it’s stone 9.2in howitzer and the weary figures of artillerymen standing sentinel around it. At the back is the stark image of a dead gunner, his body covered by his cloak and helmet. Below this anonymous casualty is an inscription - ‘here was a royal fellowship of death.’ It’s an outstanding memorial, and one of the standouts of the tour so far.

After presentations, we caught the Piccadilly Line from Hyde Park Corner to Piccadilly Circus, and from there took the Bakerloo down to Lambeth North. Here was the Imperial War Museum; it almost needs no introduction. Before the Australian War Memorial, before the hundreds of local memorials across the Empire, before the war had even ended, there was the everpresent IWM. Perhaps appropriately, the premises of the IWM used to be the infamous Bedlam asylum. We lunched here, and then looked around.

The IWM is undoubtedly a world class institution, and there was much to like about its famed First World War exhibit - it’s clearly global in scope, pays attention to the civilian as well as the military dimension, and has a number of artefacts one would never find elsewhere. Yet I could not help but see serious problems. A museum needs to keep things simple and accessible to the public, but some of the placards were so simplified that they actually made it more difficult to work out what things were. Take the Ottoman shoe one of our groups examined - it’s fascinating, but would it not be more fascinating to know where it came from? Was it recovered after the disaster at Salakamish, and does it thus have a connection to the ensuing extermination campaign against the Armenians? Or perhaps it came from Gallipoli, Mesopotamia or Palestine? Was the wearer a soldier, or a labourer behind the lines? Was he Turkish? Armenian? Arabian? Knowing where it came from could help us answer these questions and increase our understanding of history, all without making the placard unacceptably complicated.

There was also a giant naval gun standing in front of and obscuring the international uniforms (Italy, the Ottoman Empire and so on), and I just have to wonder what genius came up with that placement.

The Second World War wing had a lot of the same problems, but I can’t help but feel it was just a little better - less cluttered, slightly more context and information. It also had a lot of profiles of ordinary people involved in the wars - very quick blurbs about people to give the objects a more human touch. There’s also a bit on the Australians in New Guinea, complete with Owen Gun, so naturally that’s a big point in it’s favour. Upstairs there’s a temporary exhibit on the Troubles - I saw someone on Twitter who was absolutely infuriated that a British museum was talking about this, and I think they ought to look at it for themselves because I thought it was brilliant. At the top is the Lord Ashcroft Gallery of VCs, and all I’ll say about that is that I find the fact that Lord Ashcroft personally has the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses to be very disconcerting. As a great archeologist once said, ‘it belongs in a museum!’

(Yes, I know technically already in a museum, but the museum should own them.)

We finished around 4.30. I had dinner with mum at the Victoria Wetherspoons (review - it’s a Wetherspoons, you know what to expect) and then headed back in to write this. Tomorrow we get most of the day to ourselves, so I plan to duck down for a cheeky visit to the National Army Museum. But first an early rise, because there might - and I cannot absolutely confirm this - be something special in at Paddington…

[antvnger]

(( Munday questions yay!

So I do listen to music a lot of the time when I write. When I can anyway. As I said in a previous ask, for Tumblr I write anywhere and everywhere. When I’m writing my own projects, I definitely listen to music because I’m on my laptop then.

I enjoy listening to movie/TV original scores while I write. Something to fill the silence without distracting me with more words lol. I listen to a lot of Marvel (especially Ant-Man, Daredevil, and Avengers), Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Lindsey Stirling, the Piano Guys, etc etc. You get the idea.))

@blackjack-ohare

[aisling-saoirse]

Goldenrod Meadow, Lord Stirling Park, NJ - September 10th 2024

[animewolflover18]

Songs I like to Listen too

Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Lorde

Heathens - Twenty-One Pilots

Middle of The Night - Elley Duhe

No Lie - Sean Paul, Dual Lipa

Darkside - Neoni

Heatwaves - Glass Animals

Into Yesterday - Sugar Ray

Pompeii - Bastille

Bones - Imagine Dragons

Faded - Alan Walker

Darkside - Alan Walker

Immortals - Fallout Boy

Carol of the Bells - Lindsey Stirling

Solider, Poet, King - The Oh Hellos

Not Gonna Die - Skillet

Awake and Alive - Skillet

Hymn For the weekend - Coldplay

Hate Me- Nico Collins

The Spectre - Alan Walker

Happier - Marshmallow

Friends - Marshmallow

Pump it - Black Eyed Peas

Let's get it Started - Black Eyed Peas

I am falling for you - Loving Caliber

Ignite - K-391

In the End - Linkin Park

In the End - Tomme Profitt ft. Fleurie & Jung Youth

Neverland - Cry Wolf feat. Charity Lane

Point of No Return - Starset

Demons - Starset

Saints - Echos

Silent Scream - Anna Blue

Stand By You - Rachel Platten

Stick Together - Elijah N

There are so more that I might make a part 2 of it.

[campingbagandstuff]

.22/9.33 {Part 2 of 12}; 12

S11.12

… 1. dancer linkin park breaking the habit, somewhere I belong, what I've done bee gees stayin' alive wynter gordon believer, buy my love, levitate, don't stop me exo love shot namie amuro hero neonlight lipstick nelly & kelly my boo Guchi All Over You owl city fireflies (ft. carly rae jepsen call me maybe) good time, scott pilgrim black sheep flairs trucker's delight michael jackson thriller, black or white, billie jean nero my eyes, guilt, innocence, promises, crush on you, me & you, AVI miss murder nicki minaj your love, pills & potions Tyler Shaw Kiss Goodnight Blackout Crew Put A Donk On It, HAIM pray to God, beyonce hello, duran duran come undone, britney spears everytime

GloRilla, Cardi B Tomorrow 2, toto africa, , men at work down under, aerosmith sweet emotion, troye sivan got me started, globe anytime smoking cigarette, aesthetic perfection ft. nyxx LAX, banky w capable, Strong Ting, calvin harris & disciples how deep is your love, sevdaliza human, sirens of the caspian, bluecid, ellie goulding starry eyed, alan walker faded, tinchy stryder number 1 avicii wake me up, levels martin garrix animals sydney samson riverside DJ fresh gold dust lindsey stirling shatter me, Masquerade, Love Goes On and On ft. Amy Lee of Evanescence, cash cash we don't sleep at night Coco Jones, Tyler Williams Guardian Angel (from "Let It Shine") VNV Nation nova (shine your light on me) nanka's long version, Ne-Yo (Miss Independent, come closer) She Knows ft. Juicy J, Trey songs love faces, bottoms up {clean}, Skrillex make it bun dem, first of the year (equinox), bangatrang, scary monsters & nice sprites, " [ft. Justin Bieber] where are U now, Luniz - I Got 5 On It, zheani fuck the hollywood cult, skin walker, lava lulu, paramore pressure, aint it fun, still into you, halleluyah, crushcrushcrush, brick by boring brick, only exception, that's what you get, monster, anklebiters, now, all I wanted, careful, emergency, ignorance, daydreaming, last hope, fast in my car, let the flames begin, all we know, Christian+++ amen amen blessings & glory, you are my all in all, above all, miracle worker, covenant keeping God, Adonai, oyigiyigi, blessed be your name, holy holy holy lord God almighty, halleluyah for our lord God, agnus dei, majesty, you are the pillar we the kingdom holy water, vicki yohe mercy seat, because of who you are chris tomlin amazing grace (my chains are gone), the script the man who can't be moved, snow patrol chasing cars, keane (somewhere only we know, everybody's changing), green day (21 guns, wake me up when september ends) daniel powter bad day, the fray how to save a life, oasis don't look back in anger, blink-182 I miss you, joji sanctuary, post malone circles, the smashing pumpkins 1979, sixpence there she goes, coldplay speed of sound, garnidelia kishikaisei, reol…, Alesha Dixon Let's Get Excited, bob dylan like a rolling stone, reve CTRL+ALT+DEL, Pia Mia {https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0it_zMP-EM&list=PLhKzWG0QcgVip6o5Ehtl9sfTRS-aB40RW&index=5}, mr. president,

[sandyhookhistory]

~ William Alexander ~

We have a belated #harbordefensehappybirthday to celebrate!

Today, we honor Continental (U.S.) Army Major General William Alexander, Lord Stirling who was born (most likely) on (Wed) December 4th, 1726 in New York City.

By all accounts, he was quite intelligent and well educated. He was the son of Scottish immigrants who fled Scotland after the Jacobite Rebellion. There was ancestral royal blood in the family, and he sought and held a highly controversial title of Lord Stirling. He lived a life befitting the title - and racked up the bill to go with it. Living in New Jersey and deeply in debt by the time the Revolutionary War broke out, the conflict provided a timely interruption to offload his monetary problems.

He became a Colonel in the New Jersey Militia, using his personal funds to outfit the 1st NJ Regiment; he was promoted to Brigadier General in March, 1776.

At the Battle of Long Island in August, the Patriots were quickly outflanked by the Redcoats. Seeing the disaster unfold, Stirling organized troops from Maryland into a well-executed, collapsing rear-guard action that allowed the majority of the American Army to escape. Scattering his men at the very end, he himself remained to be captured. The action was so successful, even the British acknowledged his gallantry.

Released in a prisoner exchange, Stirling was decisively engaged at Trenton that December. He was defeated at Short Hills, NJ in June of 1777, but won at Brandywine and Germantown, both in Pennsylvania. That winter, by accident, he was able to expose, and stop, a planned coup by General Horatio Gates to take command from George Washington. He’s forever part of New Jersey’s legacy for his part in the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse on June 28th, 1778. The fight was savage and he took heavy casualties, but his troops held their ground.

By 1781, Stirling was assigned to command the forces in the northern frontier as the Continentals moved south to Yorktown. With the war all but over, Stirling, in poor health, died on active duty on January 15th, 1783, age 56. He was buried in famed Trinity Church in New York City.

However, his legacy of service would not be allowed to end there. With War Department General Order No. 194 on December 27th, 1904, he became the namesake to “Battery Alexander,” a two-gun 12-inch caliber disappearing battery at Fort Hancock, NJ. Construction began in 1898, and it was accelerated for the outbreak of the Spanish American War. Completion and transfer to the Coast Artillery was in July, 1899.

Battery Alexander is unique, as it is the two northern emplacements of what is called “9-Gun Battery” at Ft. Hancock. A total of six 12-inch guns and three 10-inch guns were emplaced there between 1896 and 1902. Battery Alexander’s guns face due north, and cover the west into Sandy Hook and Raritan Bay, as well as the approaches to the harbor from the southeast. The Battery enjoyed an exceptionally long service life of 43 years. The guns were finally salvaged for a scrap drive in early 1943. During the Cold War, the vacant emplacement was used as ammunition storage for 90-mm Anti-Aircraft guns until the Nike missiles came online in 1954.

Today, the Battery is in poor shape, with trees and vegetation growing through the concrete. The National Park Service has classified Battery Alexander as a “ruin,” meaning it will never, ever be restored or even preserved.

Although the emplacement may be vanishing, the incredible legacy of General William Alexander, Lord Stirling, the Battery that carries his name, and the service of the US Army Coast Artillerymen that manned it across four decades is in the safest of hands, here.

🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

🇺🇲🇺🇲 ** Please Like & Follow "Sandy Hook History" on Facebook & Instagram for more amazing maritime and military histories of the Garden State and New York Harbor as well as a review of the 80th Anniversary of the Battle Of The Atlantic and World War 2** 🇺🇲🇺🇲

#visitmonmouth #newjerseybuzz #thejournalnj #locallivingnj #journeythroughjersey #centraljerseyexists #discovernj #yesnj #newjerseyhistory #newjerseyforyou #sandyhookbeach #sandyhooknj #sandyhookhistory #forthancockhistory #forthancock #williamalexander #williamalexanderlordstirling #revolutionarywar #majorgeneral #continentalarmy #battleofmonmouth #monmouthcountyhistory #newjerseyhistory #namesake #whatsinaname #12inch #americanrevolution #scottishlord #americanrevolutionarywar

[lacrimosathedark]

RadioApple

Perception Check by Tom Cardy (but specifically the Vicious Mockery part) Your Stupid Face by Kaden MacKay (this is like THE Radioapple song) Not Another Song About Love by Hollywood Ending Love Again by Dua Lipa (I heard this and thought of Lucifer recovering after Lilith) Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner A Lovely Night from La La Land (I more think of this as a RadioRose song, but it works either way) Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) by Usher (SOLELY because Amir Talai is a chaotic gremlin and had it on his Instagram stories with 📻🍎)

for a little spicier... Villain by Bella Poarch Teeth by 5SOS (tbh probably also works for Lucilith) Flesh by Simon Curtis

For toxic/unhealthy Radioapple, Cannibal by Naethan Apollo Living Hell by Bella Poarch Attention by Charlie Puth

Individuals beneath the thingy

Alastor

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile by Donald Craig (basically his theme song) Happy Face by Jagwar Twins (absolutely perfect but there's also a great animatic) GOSSIP by Maneskin (mostly because of the bomb animatic but it does actually fit him) Friends on the Other Side from Princess and the Frog (because duh) Down in New Orleans from Princess and the Frog phony by Will Stetson and/or Trickle (it's two different translations of the same song) Gives You Hell by All-American Rejects (the words are perfect but the original doesn't fit his vibe but Django Wallace has an acoustic cover that's nice) Shadow by Livingston Nightmares Never End by JT Music Fais Do Do by Ann Savoy (a New Orleans lullaby I found when researching the city) FRIENDS by Marshmello (@ Vox) NO by Meghan Trainor The Dismemberment Song by Blue Kid Killer in the Mirror by Set It Off Killer by The Ready Set Choke by I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME Fences by Paramore Sad by Bo Burnham (You cannot tell me he wouldn't sing this) Party Like Its 1929 by TAPE FIVE Sinners by Nahu Pyrope Demon Lord by Sena Kiryuin Demons Banquet by Will Stetson Signed & Sealed by HalaCG Whisper Whisper Whisper by Himuimo PSYCHO by AViVA

Lucifer

The Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman (definitively His Song) A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman Fairytale by Alexander Rybak (tbh a Lucilith song but it's so perfect for him with the violin and everything it's His Song in my head) All Eyes on Me by OR3O Look Who's Inside Again by Bo Burnham Shit by Bo Burnham (depression!) Don't You Worry Child by Swedish House Mafia Hell's Comin' With Me by Poor Mans Poison The Mask And The Mirror by Poor Mans Poison overwhelmed by Royal & the Serpent (Anxiety: the Song) I'm a Mess by Bebe Rexha I'm Gonna Show You Crazy by Bebe Rexha Panic Room by Au/Ra I Should Have Stayed at Home by Ryan Mack I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Set It Off Dear Theodosia from Hamilton Daughters by John Mayer Wherever You May Go by The Calling Demons by Imagine Dragons Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol In the End by Linkin Park Numb by Linkin Park Unknown Mother Goose by rachie My Nightmare by Get Scared Sarcasm by Get Scared Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy Heartbreak Feels So Good by Fall Out Boy Song of the Caged Bird by Lindsey Stirling Miss Murder by AFI Circus by Britney Spears INFERNO by Sub Urban and Bella Poarch Lucifer by Trickle House of Memories by Panic! at the Disco Crazy = Genius by Panic! at the Disco Say Amen (Saturday Night) by Panic! at the Disco For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic by Paramore Polkamania by Weird Al Yankovic (I saw somewhere that he likes polka and now I'm stuck with This) Angel With a Shotgun by The Cab (obligatory for any angel character) Angels by Vicetone (more a Vaggie song but also works for him) The Devil Went Down to Georgia (obligatory) Violin Sonata in G minor (aka The Devil's Trill Sonata) composed by Giuseppe Tartini

a couple Lucilith songs because it feels very integral to Lucifer's character

100 Years by OR3O Take Me to Church by Hozier Somebody That I Used To Know by gotye Hopelessly Devoted To You from Grease Church by Fall Out Boy This Love by Maroon 5 Horns by Bryce Fox

And maybe some electro swing to dance to?

Betty Boop by Charlie Puth Posin by Glenn Gatsby Picolo and a Cane by TeknoAXE Tangled Up by Caro Emerald Puttin' On the Ritz by Betty Booom She Wants Me Dead by Cazzette Lone Digger by Caravan Palace

This is all without including fansongs, of which there are...a lot for Alastor in particular. And the lists are still growing lol

asking for a friend does anyone have songs that remind you of radioapple? songs for just lucifer or alastor work too

[afteriwake]

I posted 354 times in 2022

140 posts created (40%)

214 posts reblogged (60%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@strangelock221b

@onthesandsofdreams

@sherlollysecretsanta

@mousedetective

@miz-joelys-sherlollilists

I tagged 351 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#fanfic - 131 posts

#fanfiction - 130 posts

#my stuff - 99 posts

#sherlock - 70 posts

#omg this - 54 posts

#molly hooper - 52 posts

#star trek aos - 27 posts

#answering asks! - 22 posts

#sherlolly - 20 posts

#sherlock holmes - 20 posts

Longest Tag: 73 characters

#so many of strangelock221b's fandoms are ones i haven't gotten to see yet

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

From New York to London ~ A HooperStrange Fanmix (requested for @fandomtrumpshate)

Shirō Sagisu - Soundscape to Ardor | New York Jazz Lounge - All Of Me | INXS - What You Need | Marina and the Diamonds - Lonely Hearts Club | All Saints - Pure Shores | Madilyn Bailey - Something Just Like This | Eddi Reader - Nobody Lives Without Love | Kiris Houston - How Deep Is Your Love | Aphrodite - Be With Me [feat. Miss Bunty] | Lindsey Stirling & Tyler Ward - Some Kind Of Beautiful | Billie Eilish - Billie Bossa Nova | Cher - The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss) | Billy Joel - She’s Got A Way | Bleachers - Alfie’s Song (Not So Typical Love Song) | Linkin Park - In Between | Lorde - The Lourve | Prince with Sheena Easton - The Arms of Orion | Summer Walker - I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby | Bif Naked - Lucky (Guitar Mix)

8tracks | Download

13 notes - Posted April 12, 2022

#4

Fic cover for “The Loskr” by @pkrosche.

Star Trek AOS; Kirk x Spock; rated Teen.

14 notes - Posted September 16, 2022

#3

What Child Is This? -- SanSan

I’m stretching my fandom fingers into a new ship for a fandom I don’t really write much. @lareinadehades, you’ll have to tell me if this is any good. But I hope it is!

Their Christmas Miracle - Sandor Clegane II was born December 25th at 12:35 AM to Sandor Clegane and Sansa Stark, their very own Christmas miracle.

READ @ AO3

Sansa yawned and woke up, not quite comfortable in her hospital bed. She much preferred the bed she shared with her husband Sandor, but she had an excellent reason to be dozing in a hospital bed. She had been through eighteen hours of delivery to give birth to her son Sandor Clegane II at 12:35 on Christmas Day. He was the first child born in the hospital on Christmas, and so they had gotten quite a few gifts from the hospital staff, including things they needed and things they hadn’t thought of. Arya and Gendry had already taken the things they already had to an organization that could put them to good use.

Her family had crowded in the hospital waiting room and they had ooohed and ahhhed over Sandor II for hours before leaving her to get some well-deserved rest. Her husband had been allowed to stay in the room with her and the baby, and it was because of that that she woke up to Sandor softly singing “What Child Is This?” to their son. A smile crept on her face but she stayed quiet, taking in the sight.

When he was done singing, he noticed Sansa was awake and brought the baby to her. “Our Christmas miracle was a little fussy,” he said.

“You’re going to refer to him like that for the rest of your life, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Well, I was told as a lad I would never have children. He is a miracle.”

“Are you sure he’s not someone else’s?” she teased. He had never suspected her of cheating, even when she had shown him the pregnancy test. And she never had; she loved this mountain of a man far too much to go looking elsewhere for anything she might be missing.

“Sansa, I had low sperm count, not a vasectomy. It was always possible. We just had to try often enough.”

“And when I’m discharged and feeling better, we can try and give him a little sister.”

“I think I would enjoy that very much, Little Bird.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead before she got one of the prepared bottles to supplement with breastmilk to feed her son. Sandor sat on the edge of the bed and looked down, brushing back his son’s dark hair. She rather had hoped it would be red, but the nearly black hair suited a child who already looked so much like his father.

Sandor began humming the song he had just finished while she fed Sandor II, and she leaned back into the bed, comfortable and happy and knowing Christmas would be just a bit more special every year from now on.

16 notes - Posted July 7, 2022

#2

Teach me how to love ~ A The Hunger Games Fanfic Inspired Fanmix

Alan Walker - Faded | Billie Eilish - everything i wanted | Camila Cabello - Crying in the Club | Tal Bachman - She's so High | Ava Max - Take You To Hell | Coldplay - Hymn For The Weekend | Prince - Lemon Crush | The Glitch Mob - Between Two Points (feat. Swan) | Alessia Cara - Scars To Your Beautiful | John Legend - All of Me | Hannah V and Joe Rodwell - Diamonds | Tyler Ward & Lindsey Stirling - Some Kind of Beautiful

Download | 8tracks (TBA) | AO3

16 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

15. “My horoscope told me I would meet the love of my life next year.” “Then let’s meet up again after midnight.” -- Darcy/Loki

And a longer fic for my "Just Pieces On The Board" series, set more towards the beginning but after Darcy and Loki meet in the series.

Reunited (And It Feels So Good) - After nearly six months from their introduction, Loki returns to Darcy's life at Tony's New Year's Eve party.

Read @ AO3 | Buy Me A Coffee?

Darcy had to admit, even though it was just for the Avengers and the rest of those who lived in the tower, Tony Stark spared no expense for a party. She just wished things had been looking up for her and she wasn’t set to have a miserable year being alone. There had been a...thing with Loki in London, when the Avengers had chaperoned the politicians on the trip to Asgard. It was damn good sex, she’d freely admit it, but it was almost six months later and...nothing. Not that he had left her in bed alone, but he had left a few days later, ostensibly to go back to Asgard to take care of things with Thor.

Thor made trips back to see her and Jane. Loki didn’t. That was the difference.

What was it about him that drove her nuts, anyway? She couldn’t stop thinking about that week no matter how hard she tried. It was like he haunted her dreams or something.

She knocked back her glass of champagne and turned to get another one when she saw him and he saw her. It was like a homing missile; he made a beeline for her. “Loki…” she said.

He took her in his arms and kissed her as she’d never been kissed before: desperately, like she was nectar from the gods and he needed to taste her now. And she kissed him back...what else could she do? The kiss made her weak in the knees.

Finally, when she was almost on the brink of running out of breath, he pulled away, “I am sorry, Darcy. For everything.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” she said, wrinkling her brow.

“No, everything I did. Leaving without seeking you out again. Disappearing. But I can explain.”

“And you should. But you think you can let me stand up straight for a minute so I can get my bearings?”

He looked sheepish but he helped right her and then let go. His touch had been like fire, even though she knew he was part Frost Giant; the week they spent together just hadn’t been about great sex. It had been talking, too, and secret sharing, and maybe that was why it had hurt so much that he’d left her alone for so long.

“My apologies,” he said.

“It’s okay,” she replied. “Are you planning on staying for more than tonight?”

“Yes. Thor has arranged for us to stay here while Mother leads the Asgardians from Norway. Thor was taking care of most of the political discussions with her, while I was otherwise occupied.” He looked down. “I was traveling the realms, readying them for the disappearance of Asgard once the move to Earth has been completed, and with Sif’s help, making sure Earth remains neutral in dealing with those realms. The politician Mother has taken a shining to was traveling with us.”

“That’s news to me,” Darcy said.

“He’s...interesting, I suppose. Mother still mourns Odin Allfather, but I believe she may make the politician her consort in the future.”

“Which politician was it?”

“Mycroft Holmes,” Loki said. A waiter came by with a tray of champagne and Loki took two flutes, handing one to Darcy. “Yes, I realize that will make me related to an Earth family if it happens, but he is not the worst person. His brother came with us, as did the S.H.I.E.L.D. member of the family. It was an interesting time.”

“Well, that explains why Coulson was here so much,” she said, taking a sip of her champagne. “I just figured he missed Thor’s witty repartee.”

“No, we were traveling in less civilized realms, and also less technologically advanced ones. Passing details to Thor and Mother took time and effort. But the business is finished, and I can start my life here on Earth and in New York City soon. My apartment here should be ready tomorrow, Stark said.”

“Wait. You’re staying here here? In Avengers Tower?” He nodded and she grinned. “I’ll have to bake you a welcome home gift.”

“You could just stay in bed with me for another week,” he said. “Unless my absence quelled those flames?”

She set her glass down and pulled at Loki’s tie. “I haven’t really stopped seeing you in my dreams. I just thought it meant less to you.”

“Darcy, it meant more to me than you could have realized,” he said, sliding his hands to her waist as the host of the party said it was five minutes to midnight. “You haven’t been far from my thoughts as well.”

“I really should slap you for going so long without contacting me, but my horoscope told me I would meet the love of my life next year.”

“Then let’s meet up again after midnight,” he said.

“Or we could just leave the party and bring in the new year in the privacy of my apartment,” she murmured.

See the full post

18 notes - Posted January 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →