#November 4 is Elena’s birthday

[kaythefloppa]

EoA Timeline Headcanon:

I am pretty sure I burnt a few brain cells putting everything together, but thesis: Elena of Avalor's birthday/coronation is in June.

According to Elena in The Magic Within, Shuriki's takeover happened during Carnaval season, which is February-March.

I originally assumed that this meant Elena's birthday was before Carnaval, as she was already 16 when the assassination of Raul and Lucia around that time had taken place.

But then Season 3 proved me wrong... twice. Because after The Magic Within, we immediately jump to Flower of Life, Dia De Los Muertos... in fucking November. That leaves only 2-4 months for the rest of the season to take place.

The second think that denies Elena being born before Carnaval is Dia De Las Madres, Mother's Day, which occurs in May, after Carnaval season. Yet her coronation is after Mother's Day.

Meaning that Elena's birthday cannot be in the first half of the year. Carnaval and Dia De Las Madres have to come before, no matter what.

It then hit me. They say Elena was 16 when she was trapped in the Amulet, but perhaps it was her 17th year, but not officially her birthday. So her birthday could be after Carnaval season. It would also still make sense of Ash's "44 years" comment, since it's been 44 years since Shuriki took over (i.e. 3 years since Elena returned) whilst not necessarily Elena's birthday (in which she'd be 19 by that special but I digress).

So to recap:

Carnaval season happens, shortly before Elena's 17th birthday. Elena never biologically turns 17 due to Shuriki imprisoning her in the Amulet of Avalor.

Elena returns to Avalor, still 16. This is during the summertime, according to James, Amber and Sofia, so either not long before, or not long after, what would've been her 57th birthday. Her actual 17th birthday would not occur until sometime after King of the Carnaval. And since her birthday takes place after Mother's Day, we can assume she was born in June, as we start preparing for her coronation right after S3's Mother's Day ep.

Season 1 takes place over the course of a year, ending at Realm of the Jaquins, which takes place one year after Elena was freed from the Amulet and became Crown Princess. So either way, we're in Elena's 17th year (non-chronologically). Though I like to think her birthday has passed, probably by a few weeks or so. It would most definitely have to come after King of the Carnaval anyway you slice it.

Season 2 begins with Dia De Los Muertos: I.e. November. So we're like, almost half a year's away from her birthday, (and in her song she does indeed confirm she's 17.

From Royal Rivalry to A Lava Story, we are now in her 18th year. since there's no way all that shit happens in under one month.

Then comes Song of the Sirenas, which takes place during the summertime, i.e. after Carnaval. I make the assumption that we are exactly 2 years out since Secret of Avalor since everyone celebrates Elena besting Shuriki, and the Flores are on summer vacation, but regardless, both Carnaval, Dia De Las Madres, and Elena's 18th birthday.

The Nueva Vista arc maxes out for over 5 months. We arrive there in the summertime, then in the second-to-last episode of the vacation arc, we're at the 3rd Dia De Los Muertos episode, once again in November. Two episodes later, Snow Place Like Home, Noche Buenos, one month later in December.

The following episodes, from Two Left Fins to Flower of Life, take place in Elena's 19th year.

The Magic Within occurs during Carnaval. Ash states that Esteban served as chancellor for 44 years. The show began 41 years since Shuriki's rule, so we've added an additional 3 years here. Meaning Elena is 18 but in her 19th year.

Flower of Life takes place in November of that year, roughly 8-9 months after Carnaval. Both Dia De Las Madres and Elena's 19th birthday have passed, and we're at the end of her 19th year. And seeing as we later see Hannukah being celebrated, I think that Festival of Lights would take place one month later, (in spite of the episode ordering) as that is when the holiday is celebrated (correct me if I am wrong).

The following episodes after that are in Elena's 20th year.

We get Dia De Las Madres in May. This means we've passed Carnaval season (the fourth one in Elena's reign).

From Heart of the Jaguar to To Queen or Not to Queen, we get heavy emphasis on Elena's coronation being an event that is coming soon. So we can infer that those episodes take place during the early summertime after May. The last 3 episodes are in the same week, so we can assume that they all take place in June, when Elena's 20th birthday arrives. It's also safe to assume her coronation is during the summertime since the Enchancian royal family are able to visit Avalor during that time again.

To sum it up

Elena's birthday is most likely during the summertime: You could frankly chalk it up however you want, June, July, August, or even early September. I go with June because it's somewhat fitting that her birthday is smack dab in the middle of the year, but you could also say it's in August, especially as a meta-reference to how the finale aired in August.

Conclusion #2: Shuriki is SO going to hell for making Elena wait 42 years before she could turn 17.

Season 1 takes place over the course of one full year, including the Sofia crossover.

The Shuriki arc in Season 2 takes place over the course of 7 months: (if you're counting Realm of the Jaquins in S1, as part of the arc, then over the course of another full year).

The Ash Delgado/Takaina arc lasts over the course of 6-9 months (I'm counting the episodes before Ash herself appears in Season 2).

The Esteban story arc lasts for over a year and a half.

I did the math. All of this would add up to roughly 52 months. Four years. Which is canonically said in the show, but this is my interpretation of how those four years went down in terms of a events on a calendar.

Feel free to debate me with this because it is 1 A.M. and I am tired.

[billy-hargrooves]

ten people i'd like to get to know better

I was tagged by  @violaobanion

Thank you so much dear ❤️.

last song: We're Damcing - P.Y.T.

favourite colour: purple and blue

last book: Acient Rome - Overview

last movie: Center Stage 2000 (I think I watched the movie 3 or 4 times during this last week or so. Why? Cause my damn' 😤😭 Internet sucks, I couldn't work and I needed a comfort movie to watch.

last tv show: FBi - International (cause they are shooting the series in Hungary and they speak a bit hungarian in it sometimes. It's also a good crime show.)

sweet/spicy/savory: All of them. If I have to choose then maybe hmmm. sweet

relationship status: single

Last thing i googled: torpedo prawn. I had no idea what these are. @ Lol

current obsession(s): I should probably ad that I get early obsessed with something for a short while a week or too, but if there is something that I really care for or like, I'm going to be obsessed with it for much longer.

For now I'm back being obsessed with Center Stage, who knows for how long 😁

There is my obsession for Anthony Boyle, I can't wait to see him in 'Say Nothing'from mod November. This will be a late birthday present for me 🥰.

looking forward to: my name - day in less then a month cause we will do a big get together online (yes online cause my family is living in Hungary and the US, not really around the corner, too far from Germany to just visit for a day or so. We did one for my birthday on Nov. 1 and for my name - day again.

No pressure tag (oh I like that, will use thag from now on ☺️). But I'm tagging a few of you again:

@violaobanion @springsteens @basilone @marinad3lrey @harritudur @tisdae @emziess @beverlycrushr @letthefairyinyoufly @jakeperalta @staud @rosies-riveters @jesperfahxey @rogue-coyote @cristinasea @isitandwonder @elena-gilbert @rhaenyra-the-gracious @olympain

[inkdreamt]

Muse Birthdays

For my record, and for yours (if you’re interested), here’s a list of my muses’ birthdays:

January

1 - Lilly Holloway

4 - Ruby Hale

22 - Lucy Stillman

30 - Lily Evans

February

5 - Shuri

14 - Vera Hamilton

26 - Amaris Mills

March

3 - Snow White

22 - Diana Prince

April

7 - Rose Tyler

9 - Peggy Carter

28 - Teresa Lisbon

29 - Martha Kaply

May

1 - Lorelei Cosima

5 - Mia Thermopolis

15 - Kara Danvers

25 - Charlotte Jane

June

1 - Gwen Stacy

10 - Noelle Kringle

22 - Elena Gilbert

July

2 - Daisy Johnson

12 - Cleo Sertori

17 - Ondina

August

10 - Alex Russo

11 - Ginny Weasley

19 - Veronica Mars

21 - Clary Fairchild

25 - Anathi Ciya

September

3 - Angela Whitaker

9 - Clara Grindelwald

19 - Zenon Kar

20 - Kassandra of Sparta

27 - Sabrina Spellman

28 - Neri

October

5 - Liv Rooney

6 - Maddie Rooney

13 - Wednesday Addams

31 - Freya Holmes

November

1 - Hippolyta

15 - Carmen Cortez

30 - Asha

December

17 - Sylvie

25 - Viktoriya Engalycheva (Victoria McTaggert)

31 - Mal Fae

[dittomander]

I love your birthday posts on the EOA characters. I know Isabel was born in August and you’ve mentioned that Elena has a summer birthday too. On Twitter, I asked Craig Gerber about the age difference between Elena and Isabel. According to him, Elena and Isabel are roughly 5 years apart, give or take a few months. If that’s the case, wouldn’t Elena’s birthday month be further away from Isabel’s?

Thank you! I'm glad you like them.

Re: Craig - uh, he's just flat out incorrect. They're 6 years apart. Elena announces that she's 17 in "Jewel of Maru", and Isabel says that she's 11 years, 3 months, and 2 days old in "Three Jaquins and a Princess" just three episodes later.

Even if we throw out any other clues for their birth dates, look just at those two lines, and assume:

that Elena is as young as she could possibly be for her statement to be true (i.e., she turned 17 that morning)

that Isabel is as old as she could possibly be for her statement to be true (i.e., 3JP happens as early in the show as it possibly can)

...then the minimum possible age gap between the two is 5 years, 9 months, and 3 days, which I'd argue is way closer to 6 years, give or take a few months, not 5. In terms of calendar years, they'd be 6 years apart. To show my work:

"Jewel of Maru" takes place on November 2nd, Día de los Muertos.

"The Curse of El Guapo", one of the episodes between JoM and 3JP, explicitly spans 3 days - Gabe gets the sword and doesn't deliver it (day 1), Mendoza thanks him for delivering the sword "yesterday" and Gabe goes to Mateo for help (day 2), Mateo gives Gabe the reversal potion and says it "took [him] all night" (day 3).

Guapo plus "Royal Rivalry" plus 3JP starting on a new morning (it opens at breakfast) means that the earliest 3JP can take place is 5 days after JoM, or November 7th.

3 months and 2 days before November 7th is August 5th.

Plugging November 2nd, 17 years ago (2006) and August 5th, 11 years ago (2012) into this calculator gives me the above gap.

And again, that's assuming the absolute minimum gap. We can be pretty sure Elena's birthday is in the summer (the show starts during Sofia's summer vacation and ends roughly 4 years later, so presumably summer as well. If nothing else, we know it ends after Mother's Day and presumably before the next Día de los Muertos), which makes the gap even larger. If we use Craig Gerber's own words that Elena is a Leo (technically not 'canon' either, but has at least as much merit as any of his other tweets), then the latest her birthday could possibly be is August 23rd, and using that in the calculator above with August 5th still as Isa's birthday, the gap we get is 5 years, 11 months, 13 days.

(And frankly, we can probably assume Isa's birthday is at least a little later, too. I highly doubt "Royal Rivalry" takes place over the course of one day - they have to send word to Paraíso and wait for Val to arrive, and it's not like they have cellphones or trains.)

So, uh, yeah. They're 6 years apart, roughly. I'm assuming Craig either misspoke, miscounted, or misremembered. He is still, after all, just one guy.

[i-like-yoongi-a-latte]

I posted 3,711 times in 2022

488 posts created (13%)

3,223 posts reblogged (87%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@jung-koook

@yooboobies

@chanstopher

@indigonamjoon

@fangirlinglikealoon

I tagged 3,281 of my posts in 2022

Only 12% of my posts had no tags

#kpop - 2,094 posts

#bts - 1,691 posts

#queue are my universe 🪐 - 1,004 posts

#suga - 553 posts

#jungkook - 536 posts

#elena rambles - 390 posts

#stray kids - 310 posts

#jin - 214 posts

#j-hope - 204 posts

#rm - 198 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#sigh rip to the lovely presentation of nhl finns that i made with iina but it never got finished and now they all are in different teams 💔

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

You're so fine, valentine ❤️ // by me

20 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#4

Me in 2011: omg Mikke 😍

Me in 2022: omg Mikke 😍

28 notes - Posted May 29, 2022

#3

Leebit!

made by me, crocheted the body and knitted the shirt, then sewed the details ^-^

I made this for my sister for her birthday a while ago. I am so proud of this! It's not perfect but it's made with love 🥰

I made up the pattern by looking at photos of Leebit plushies and two crocheted bunny plushie patterns, so I can't ever do a similar one again lol. The shirt was done by knitting the pieces and trying it on and then sewing the pieces together. And there's a button behind so the shirt can be taken off (my sister made a sundress and a hat for it too, how adorable). My sister has called it 'the best Leebit' so you know this might actually be perfect.

I'm tagging @ambivartence and @chanstopher because I want to share this with you and because idk if this could go into your art tags, so I hope you see this someday hehe

See the full post

35 notes - Posted November 25, 2022

#2

IHANAA LEIJONAT IHANAA 🥇

51 notes - Posted May 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Ystävät, pimeä vuodenaika on läsnä, joten

KÄYTTÄKÄÄ HEIJASTIMIA

vaikka olis kuinka katuvalot päällä tai "ei niin hämärää", laittakaa edes yksi heijastin 🙏🏻

148 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[sixty-silver-wishes]

ok because the prev asked so nicely, I'm gonna drop the sources

1- the first one refers to Shostakovich's marriage to Nina Vasiliyevna Varzar and his affair with Elena Yeseyevna Konstantinovskaya. After he found out Nina was pregnant with their daughter Galina, they reconciled. To Sollertinsky, after the affair: "There can be no question of a divorce from Nina. I have only now realized and fathomed what a remarkable woman she is, and how precious to me." (Fay)

2- This refers to the 1936 and 1948 denunciations, both which resulted in steep consequences for Shostakovich. Admittedly, this is a bit of an oversimplification; Shostakovich's denunciations were clearly more political than personal and were primarily concerned with maintaining the standard of Socialist Realism than Stalin's own opinion towards his music.

3- This refers to Shostakovich's position as a volunteer firefighter in 1941 during the Siege of Leningrad, before he was evacuated to Kuybyshev. He wasn't allowed to actually see action due to his cultural prominence, but his image was still used to boost morale. Here are some photographs of him in uniform:

4- This one refers to his opera, "The Nose."

5- From Wilson: "Later that year, at his son’s wedding in early November 1960, Shostakovich suffered a further calamity. His left leg suddenly gave way under him, and he fell and fractured it badly." During the 60s, Shostakovich's health worsened gradually, and he died of lung cancer in 1975.

6- This refers to United States protesters at the 1949 New York Scientific and Cultural Congress for World Peace, a meeting between Soviet and American delegates that Shostakovich attended. While the purpose of the conference was purportedly intended to de-escalate Cold War tensions, many Americans saw it as sympathetic to Communism and protested it. However, some were also sympathetic to Shostakovich, given his harsh denunciation during Zhdanovshchina the year before. Some carried signs reading "Shostakovich, jump thru [sic] the window," in reference to a Soviet schoolteacher, Oksana Kosyankina, who supposedly jumped through a window as a sign of protest and survived. (Spoiler alert: Shostakovich did not jump through the window.)

7- This little-known anecdote comes from the Sollertinsky letters. In 1930, Shostakovich was at a restaurant in Odesa where he met one Rosalia Mikhailovna Baumstein, and they had a short, but very passionate, period of infatuation. However, when Shostakovich, Baumstein, and her friend Zinaida Efimovna (Shostakovich did not recall her last name) planned to go to Batum together, Zinaida Efimovna was detained at the pier due to being a wanted prostitute. Despite being told that Baumstein and her friend were "criminals," Shostakovich nearly married Baumstein but decided to break up with her, saying it "didn't work out." (He also forgot his marriage registry documents. Go figure.) Their relationship lasted only from around August 8-16.

8- This refers to an anecdote by Boris Lossky, a friend of Shostakovich's, as recorded in Wilson's bio, on Shostakovich's first time drinking alcohol on his 16th birthday:

As for such newcomers to the drink as Mitya and myself, one could have compared us to the proverbial siskin, ‘who drank one glass, then another, and lost his head altogether’. Therefore I have a somewhat blurred memory as to how Mitya persuaded the foregathered that he was absolutely sober. This didn’t thwart our high spirits, and we reached an agreement to enter into a sort of stylized ‘united brotherhood’. We had to pass each other three times in various outlandish poses, in imitation of Egyptian and Assyrian reliefs, then we grasped each other and soon tumbled on to the floor, rolling over and over on the carpet until we landed under the piano. I then noticed that Mitya’s face was as white as a sheet, without a fleck of colour on it; it was soon apparent that he had fainted. The anxious Sofiya Vasilyevna came to the rescue, and in answer to my no doubt incoherent explanations and reassurances that everything was all right, she fixed me with a glare that was far from her customary welcoming expression. After this, my brother and I, heeding the voice of reason, forsook the gathering. That was the last friendly contact I had with Mitya Shostakovich.

[linaisbluepancake]

“Feliz Cumpleaños jefita🎂✨”

[make-me-imagine]

Birthday Scenario Game: The Vampire Diaries + Originals

(Link to Scenario Games Masterlist)

Rules/What you do: Just match the month/day/letter to yourself and you got yourself a cute little scenario to imagine lol. And you can also leave in the tags or comments, what your scenario is. **Please consider sharing with your followers friends or mutuals :)

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @caswinchester2000, @imaginesfire

Your Birth Month:

January: Stefan Salvatore / Bonnie Bennett

February: Jeremy Gilbert / Rebekah Mikaelson

March: Kol Mikaelson / Hayley Marshall

April: Alaric Saltzman / Lexi Branson

May: Damon Salvatore / Liv Parker

June: Elijah Mikaelson / Caroline Forbes

July: Matt Donovan / Elena Gilbert

August: Your Choice

September: Klaus Mikaelson / Rose

October: Tyler Lockwood / Freya Mikaelson

November: Kai Parker / Vicki Donovan

December: Enzo / Jenna Sommers

- - - - -

Your Birth Date:

1: Escorts you to a ball/dance... 2: Takes you on a road-trip... 3: Asks you to marry them... 4: Leaves you gifts in secret... 5: Takes care of you when you are hurt... 6: Makes you breakfast in bed... 7: Gives you a token of their affection... 8: Sends you a love letter... 9: Surprises you with your favorite food/snack... 10: Takes you to an amusement park... 11: Kisses you suddenly... 12: Is protective of you... 13: Takes you on a picnic... 14: Surprises you after they've been gone... 15: Takes care of you while you are sick... 16: Gives you their jacket when you are cold... 17: Asks you to move in with them... 18: Surprises you with flowers... 19: Tells you how much they love you... 20: Asks you on a date... 21: Hugs you from behind... 22: Surprises you with a puppy/kitten... 23: Kisses you on the cheek/lips whenever they walk by... 24: Takes you on a romantic dinner... 25: Asks you to be their s/o... 26: Places a kiss on your hand... 27: Hugs you so hard they almost knock you over... 28: Is protective of you... 29: Makes you dinner... 30: Suddenly takes your hand in theirs... 31: Takes you on a walk...

- - - - -

First Letter of Your (User)Name

A, B, C, D: Because they have a crush on you.

E, F, G, H: Because it's your birthday.

I, J K, L: To make you smile.

M, N, O, P, Q: To confess their feelings.

R, S, T, U: As an apology.

V, W, X, Y, Z: Because its your anniversary.

- - - - -

I apologize if your combination does not make sense, it is very hard and time consuming to make sure each combo works.

Please consider reblogging and sharing with others~

[softersinned-arc]

biography — writer.

CURRENT LOCATION Boston, MA. OCCUPATION Novelist.

CHILDHOOD Born 22 AUG 1993 to Veronika Grim and Brennan Donnelly in Venice, Italy. Lived with her mother in Stockholm until age seven, at which point she split her year between both parents, being educated in Dublin, Ireland until 2008. Withdrawn from Hargrove Academy before beginning of Fall 2008 semester. Missing, unreported, from 30 JUNE 2008 until 11 MAY 2009; presumed living with godparents, Elyssa and Evander Vetri, in London, UK. Filed missing persons report, stating that ten days prior, her godparents left her home to run errands and did not return. Medical examination showed evidence of several healed fractures (ribs, clavicle, nose) and active injuries (fracture in left wrist, poorly treated compound fracture in arm recent dislocation of left shoulder), as well as severe trauma likely due to abuse and neglect. After several interviews, and only with parents and paternal grandfather (Aleksi Grim, also acting as her legal representation) present, admitted that she had been abused during the eleven months she was missing. No bodies were discovered, and no evidence of foul play was found. Relocated to Boston, MA to live with maternal aunt (Reagan Townsend).

EDUCATION Completed high school education at St. Coleman’s Catholic Academy, graduated with honors (Spring 2012). Attended Fairford University, a small, Ivy-adjacent liberal arts university in New York, to double major in literature and folklore & mythology (Fall 2012 - Spring 2016), before attending Harvard University for an intensive master’s degree in literature (Fall 2016 - Fall 2017).

CAREER Publishes her first novel under the pen name Elizabeth Vane in November 2018. Her work in general fiction is published exclusively under this pen name, and is known for taking on subjects such women’s anger, trauma, infidelity, and grief with stark and often brutal honesty. Starting in June 2019 she begins publishing under the pen name Elena Hawke, focusing on paranormal romance, and becomes best known for the Allegra Caine series (a series focusing on the titular character, an Italian vampire violinist). With the rising popularity of her books, she forms a handful of related partnerships, all centered around sex positivity — she runs an erotic advice column once a month with a popular women’s magazine, puts out a lingerie line affiliated with the Allegra Caine series (lingerie which she will often help model herself), and partners with a sexual wellness brand to do an educational series on safe BDSM practices. Whenever appearing publicly as either Elizabeth Vane or Elena Hawke, she wears a blonde wig and covers her tattoos in an effort to protect her privacy, and she does not have public social media beyond a blog on her website which updates exclusively on her upcoming books and any public appearances she makes.

NOTES Official criminal record consists solely of two parking tickets and two speeding tickets. Despite her godparents’ connections, Astoria herself seems to have escaped relative unscathed, and without much attachment in Europe.

timeline.

(contains mentions of child abuse and murder. Subject to change by verse.)

22 AUGUST 1993 Astoria Ileana Grim is born in Venice, Italy, to Veronika Grim and Brennan Donnelly. The result of an affair, and Brennan’s second daughter, Astoria spends her childhood from the age of seven onward splitting her time between her mother’s home in Stockholm and her father’s home in Dublin, attending school in Ireland with her older sister, Rowan and spending holidays with her mother, either in Sweden or visiting her grandparents in Venice. Though Astoria begins her schooling a year after her peers, to accommodate for her late summer birthday, her grandparents in particular take an interest in her early education, spending much of the year leading up to her fifth birthday teaching her music and language.

4 SEPTEMBER 2007 Astoria’s grandmother, Ileana Grim, dies after a prolonged illness. Astoria is withdrawn from school for two weeks’ time to go to Venice and stay with her grandfather as they prepare for the funeral service. During this time, Astoria meets her godparents for the first time — her late grandmother’s niece and nephew, Elyssa and Evander Vetri. The three bond quickly, with Elyssa promising to call and write often when Astoria returns to Dublin. They remain in communication for the next nine months, during which time Elyssa begins to recognize the degree of Astoria’s teenage loneliness and begins to manipulate her.

30 JUNE 2008 Astoria is formally removed from Hargrove Academy to spend a year with Elyssa and Evander, who have promised to oversee her education themselves while allowing her to travel through Europe, beginning in London. This soon proves a flimsy excuse, as Elyssa and Evander simply ramp up their abuse and manipulation of Astoria in order to fully isolate her from her friends and family, and to utilize her in their own criminal enterprise.

SUMMER 2008 – SPRING 2010 During the next ten months, Astoria is repeatedly used both as a distraction and as bait, and at one point is forced to witness torture and a subsequent murder. If she resists, she is punished — first physically, by Evander, and later psychologically, by Elyssa. Realizing the severity of her circumstances, and that she is far more valuable to them alive and cooperating than dead, Astoria begins to make an effort to appear too fragile and frightened to pose a threat, often before picking a fight that prompts outbursts of Evander’s violence in the hopes that someone will hear, or see the injuries in the aftermath.

1 MAY 2010 When Astoria’s cries for help go unheard, she takes matters into her own hands. She calls an old family friend for help in the aftermath.

11 - 13 MAY 2010 Astoria contacts the police and reports the Vetris missing. When the police arrive at the house, Astoria is seriously injured and showing signs of intense fatigue, as well as some dehydration and malnourishment. She explains that her godparents left a few days before and that she hasn’t been able to get in touch with them since, and that she’s frightened for them; when asked why she waited so long to call, Astoria tells them that her godparents sometimes disappeared for days on end, but that they usually called. After a sweep of the house turns up evidence of the Vetris’ involvement in crime, Astoria is brought in for questioning, at which point the extent of the abuse she suffered is made obvious. Her grandfather and parents are called, and under the instruction of her grandfather, acting as her legal counsel, Astoria tells the detective inspector the (abridged) truth about her time with the Vetris. She is released, clearly one of her godparents’ victims, and warrants for the Vetris’ arrest are released. The Vetris are never found, and Astoria is returned to her father’s home in Dublin.

30 JUNE 2010 Two years to the day after she left Dublin the first time, Astoria leaves again, this time to live with her aunt in Boston following a failed suicide attempt. She enrolls in St. Colman’s Catholic Academy to begin tenth grade the following fall, despite teachers urging she be placed a year ahead due to the extent of her education during her year away. Despite her stepmother’s urging her to return home, Astoria refuses, instead choosing to remain in Boston indefinitely. Astoria becomes a model student, a member of the National Honor Society and the cheerleading squad, winning Homecoming Queen and serving on student government in her senior year. During this time she begins a relationship with one of her classmates, Iain Blackwood.

17 JUNE 2012 Graduation from St. Colman’s as valedictorian, cheer captain, class president, and reigning prom queen.

6 SEPTEMBER 2012 The start of Astoria’s education at Fairford University, where she completes a double major in English literature (focused in Victorian England and Ireland) and folklore and mythology (focused in witchcraft, magic, and demonology), and a minor in Italian.

28 APRIL 2014 Astoria and Iain break up after nearly four years together, a pregnancy scare, and a two-year-long engagement. The four months that follow are among the most reckless of Astoria’s life, though she escapes relatively unscathed — save for a glimpse of her unidentified face on a tabloid cover in Paris when she is the mystery woman linked to a married Italian politician whose affairs and cocaine dependency have just been uncovered.

20 MAY 2016 Graduation from Fairford University’s undergraduate program with a double major in history and political science and a minor in communications.

19 AUGUST 2016 Astoria begins an intensive course of study at Harvard to complete her master’s degree in political science.

18 DECEMBER 2017 Graduation from Harvard University’s master’s program.

social connections.

Iain Blackwood. High school boyfriend and ex-fiancé. The two first get involved in May 2010, very shortly after Iain’s breakup with Astoria’s close friend, Emily Calvert. They keep their relationship under wraps for more than a year, and maintain the relationship long-distance while Iain attends college at Dartmouth. In December 2013, after completing an accelerated course of study and graduating a semester early, Iain moves to New York to be with Astoria in the aftermath of a pregnancy scare, and proposes; she accepts, but their relationship starts to deteriorate once they’re regularly in the same place, and they break up at the end of April 2014. They reconnect about a year later and develop a pleasant but largely unattached friendship.

Freddie Dawson. Close friend and confidante, often thought of as a sister. They meet in California shortly after Astoria and Damien’s breakup, when Astoria arrives in the hopes of going on a bender, and develop a fast and close friendship. They stay in contact, visiting one another whenever the opportunity presents itself. Fred appears as a bartender and ally to the main character from the third Allegra Caine book onward. As Fred’s personal life descends into chaos, Astoria tries to offer her some measure of safety and support, determined to take care of the woman who took such wonderful care of her.

Jess Mariano. Good friend, colleague, editor. Astoria and Jess meet through her publisher, and the two of them develop an unexpected but strong friendship, fueled in no small part by caffeine, snark, and being judgy about the same things. Jess’ shocking interest in her romance novels leads Astoria to pursue a partnership with Jess when her editor retires; he takes on editing the Allegra Caine series, proving to be the logical anchor she needs to produce her best work. When the ten-year anniversary of her first novel comes out she asks him to write the forward, as she respects Jess’ opinion of her and her work a great deal.

Rory Gilmore. Good friend, colleague. Jess introduces Astoria and Rory and regrets it fairly quickly; their friendship is built on a solid foundation of bad jokes, commiserating over their chosen professions, and questionable moms. One of Astoria’s favorite people to see when she’s in New York, Rory becomes a comforting and inspiring presence, and between their friendly competitions (in word count, in irritating Jess, in racking up a bigger bill in coffee and baked goods at their favorite diner) they inspire one another frequently.

[swynlake-rp]

“Grow up! They hate our kind and always will.”

FULL NAME: Prince Marzel Soto of Coronado BASED ON: Marzel (Elena of Avalor) FACE CLAIM: Peter Gadiot PRONOUNS: He/Him BIRTHDAY: November 4, 1990 CURRENT STATUS: Closed

Character Information || cw: drowning ||

A siren’s legend has always been the sinking of travelers ships. Innocent people drowned and taken from their families. But that legend was written by humans who feared for their lives. Who tried to warn their children from going too far out to sea. If you asked a siren their legend was their voices used to save themselves, to protect those that couldn’t.

As the Prince, Marzel always felt like it was his duty to protect his kingdom and even as a troublemaking teenager he had sunk his fair number of ships and it never bothered him. It never made him stop. To him they always deserved it. Humans were dangerous. Humans would always choose money over life.

Well into his early twenties this view continued. It wasn’t until a shipwrecked near their home and his parents witness the tragedy of lost ‘innocent’ lives that they decided that they would stop being ‘proactive’ in fighting against the humans they would only fight against those that proved to be a danger to them. In that time they would attempt to live peacefully under the water.

It caused a lot of controversy in their Kingdom but most went along with it and so did Marzel. It wasn’t his duty to take over the crown anyway. His only duty would be to continue to protect his family and his Kingdom. If that meant sinking ships then he would still do it. No one would stop him from that.

Not when he had already lost friends and even a lover to the poachers. Marzel was tired of losing people he cared about.

In an attempt to change their children’s minds or at least Marzel’s his parents requested her sought out sometime in the Mundus world. To keep an eye out on his sister since she was the one who originally wanted to do this and had even brought it up to their parents. Which meant Marzel was stuck going through with this.

Landing in Sywnlake wasn’t an accident, word of mouth spoke of the town being friendly to magicks and while they could share their secret they could hopefully be somewhere, where people were accepting of them.

Marzel is betting his view won’t change and he’ll head home the same as ever.

Maybe though he would be able to leave an impression on some people and that’s why he has put the time and effort into having his degree faked to Mundus standards. Because mind you Marzel was fully qualified in Coronado and it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t tell people his ‘degree’ was from his own Kingdom.

Stupid Mundus Humans.

✓  Respectful, Clear-headed, Independent

✖  Prejudice, Stubborn, Manipulative

Character Suggestions

Latinx

Current Relationships

Princess Marisa Soto of Coronado (twin sister)

Possible Relationships

click here!

Magical Abilities

Merperson – specifically a siren

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

EMILY OSMENT AND CASEY DEIDRICK STAR IN ‘A VERY MERRY BRIDESMAID,’ A NEW, ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERING DECEMBER 4 ON HALLMARK CHANNEL

Part of the Network’s Annual “Countdown to Christmas” Programming Event

STUDIO CITY, CA – November 12, 2021 – Emily Osment (“The Kominsky Method”) and Casey Deidrick (“Days of Our Lives”) star in “A Very Merry Bridesmaid,” a new, original movie premiering Saturday, December 4 (8 p.m. ET/PT), on Hallmark Channel as part of the network’s annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming event – your home for the holiday.

Leah’s (Osment) 30th birthday is Christmas Eve but this milestone takes a back seat when her future sister-in-law claims Christmas Eve for her wedding and asks Leah to be one of the many bridesmaids. But the return of Leah’s childhood crush Drew (Deidrick) may be exactly what she needs to push her to the forefront of the overlapping festivities and determine a new direction in her life.

“A Very Merry Bridesmaid” is from Unity Pictures. Kristofer McNeeley is executive producer. Ron French and Steve Harmaty are producers. David Strasser directed from a script by Tracy Andreen and Elena Valdez. 

LINK

[ao-anonymousobsesser]

We Remain "Previously On" Timeline

NEXT

I've decided to move the timeline up for... well, mostly for convenience to be honest, but also to help match up the Moon Phases. Apologies for any inconvenience/misunderstanding! (ALSO THIS IS 100 PERCENT NOT GOING TO INCLUDE ANY REAL-WORLD EVENTS FROM THE LAST 5 YEARS SO DON'T EVEN WORRY ABOUT THAT)

Previously on... Vampire Diaries...:

2017 AD:

26 May (Fri, New Moon): Delena meet, Grayson and Miranda die

4-8 September (Mon-Fri, Full Moon-Waning Gibbous): S1E1 “Pilot”, S1E2 “Night of the Comet”

11-15 September (Mon-Fri, Last Quarter): S1E3 “Friday Night Bites”

16-17 September (Sat-Sun, Last Quarter): S1E4 “Family Ties”

21-23 September (Thurs-Sat, New Moon): S1E5 “You’re Undead to Me”, S1E6 “Lost Girls”

30-31 October (Mon-Tues, Waxing Gibbous): S1E7 “Haunted”

1 November (Wed, Waxing Gibbous): S1E8 “162 Candles” (which is already incorrect even if the episode took place in 2009 because Stefan was born in 1846 so he would be 163 not 162, so I’m just changing it to be “171 Candles”)

27-30 November (Mon-Thurs, First Quarter): S1E9 “History Repeating”

30 November-3 December (Thurs-Sun, Full): S1E10 “The Turning Point”, S1E11 “Bloodlines”

7-9 December (Thurs-Fri, Last Quarter): S1E12 “Unpleasantville”

16-17 December (Sat-Sun, New): S1E13 “Children of the Damned”, S1E14 “Fool Me Once”

2017-2018 AD (transitioning/new year):

27 December-2 January (Wed-Tues, First Quarter-Full): S1E15 “A Few Good Men”

2018 AD:

12-13 January (Fri-Sat, Waning Crescent): S1E16 “There Goes the Neighborhood”, S1E17 “Let the Right One In”

30 January (Tues, Full): S1E18 “Under Control”

9-10 February (Fri-Sat, Waning Crescent): S1E19 “Miss Mystic Falls”

16-17 February (Fri-Sat, New): S1E20 “Blood Brothers”, S1E21 “Isobel”

22-25 February (Thurs-Sun, First Quarter): S1E22 “Founders Day”, S2E1 “The Return”, S2E2 “Brave New World”

2-4 March (Fri-Sun, Full): S2E3 “Bad Moon Rising”, S2E4 “Memory Lane”, S2E5 “Kill or Be Killed”

7 March (Wed, Waning Gibbous): S2E6 “Plan B”

11-13 March (Sun-Tues, Last Quarter): S2E7 “Masquerade”, S2E8 “Rose”, S2E9 “Katerina”

19 March (Mon, New): S2E10 “The Sacrifice”

30 March-2 April (Fri-Mon, Full): S2E11 “By the Light of the Moon”, S2E12 “The Descent”, S2E13 “Daddy Issues”

3-4 April (Tues-Wed, Waning Gibbous): S2E14 “Crying Wolf”, S2E15 “The Dinner Party”

9-10 April (Mon-Tues, Last Quarter): S2E16 “The House Guest”, S2E17 “Know Thy Enemy”

13-14 April (Fri-Sat, Waning Crescent): S2E18 “The Last Dance”, S2E19 “Klaus”

28-30 April (Sat-Mon, Full): S2E20 “The Last Day”, S2E21 “The Sun Also Rises”, S2E22 “As I Lay Dying

22-30 June (Fri, Waxing Gibbous-Full): S3E1 “The Birthday”, S3E2 “The Hybrid”, S3E3 “The End of the Affair”

31 August (Fri, Waning Gibbous): S3E4 “Disturbing Behavior”

2-5 September (Sun-Wed, Last Quarter): S3E5 “The Reckoning”, S3E6 “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, S3E7 “Ghost World”

15 September (Sat, Waxing Crescent): S3E8 “Ordinary People”

21-22 September (Fri-Sat, Waxing Gibbous): S3E9 “Homecoming”

30 September (Sun, Last Quarter): S3E10 “The New Deal”

10-11 October (Wed-Thurs, New): S3E11 “Our Town”

20-21 October (Sat-Sun, Full): S3E12 “The Ties That Bind”, S3E13 “Bringing Out the Dead”

22-24 October (Mon-Wed, Full): S3E14 “Dangerous Liaisons”, S3E15 “All My Children”, S3E16 “1912”

27-28 October (Sat-Sun), Waning Gibbous): S3E17 “Break On Through”, S3E18 “The Murder of One”

3 November (Sat, Waning Crescent): S3E19 “Heart of Darkness”

9-12 November (Fri-Mon, New): S3E20 “Do Not Go Gentle”, S3E21 “Before Sunset”, S3E22 “The Departed”, S4E1 “Growing Pains”

17-18 November (Sat-Sun, Waxing Gibbous): S4E2 “Memorial”

26-28 November (Mon-Wed, Waning Gibbous): S4E3 “The Rager”, S3E4 “The Five”, S3E5 “The Killer”

29-30 November (Thurs-Fri, Last Quarter): S4E6 “We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes”

8-11 December (Sat-Tues, New): S4E7 “My Brother’s Keeper”, S4E8 “We’ll Always Have Bourbon Street”

12 December (Wed, Waxing Crescent): S4E9 “O Come, All Ye Faithful”

2019 AD

5-8 January (Sat-Tues, ~New): S4E10 “After School Special”, S4E11 “Catch Me If You Can”, S4E12 “A View to a Kill”

Recent Events: TVD Season Four (2019 AD)

9-10 January (Wed-Thurs, New Moon): S4E13 “Into the Wild”

11-12 January (Fri-Sat, New Moon): S4E14 “Down the Rabbit Hole” and S4E15 “Stand By Me”

12 Jan: Elena flips switch / burns house down

20 January-15 February: S4E16 “Bring It On”

20 Jan (Sun, Full Moon): “it’s only been a couple days” convo

15 Feb (Fri, Waxing Gibbous): “going back to school” convo / adventure, Elena’s party, Carolena fight, Klayley get “close”, Delena go to NYC

16-17 Feb (Sat-Sun, Full Moon): S4E17 “Because the Night”

16 Feb: Elena / Damon explore NYC, Bonnie completes Expression Triangle

17 Feb: Klaroline spat while burying bodies, start of Beklena road trip

5 March (Tues, New Moon): S4E18 “American Gothic”

Beklena were on the road for about 2 weeks before Willoughby

Beklena find Katherine / interrogate her

Elena goes to meet “em” at the gazebo

NEXT

[infinitestarsintheskye]

Christmas at the Abbey (A Lady and the Chauffeur Story)

A FitzSimmons Downton Abbey AU

Christmas 1929 - Ten years after Lady Jemma Simmons’s wild runaway marriage to the family chauffeur, Leo Fitz, they are back to spend Christmas with her family, and it is set to be the most memorable one yet.

One Shot, Rated T, 14k+ words

Ao3 Link

Guess who’s back, back again, Skye’s Downton Abbey AU is back, tell a friend. HOORAY it is my most beloved fic’s FIRST BIRTHDAY (can you believe it) and I just had to mark it in some way. Downton is fairly well known for its Christmas episode, and so I thought ah hell, Christmas in September! 2020 has already been insane why not just bump up christmas a few months! This is an ENTIRELY original story, I have brought in elements of the Downton plot to suit me, but for the absolute majority this is my own work, just within the realm of that same Downton AU world. It was so lovely revisiting this world, I really do love the little universe that I’ve built up here and god it was just so nice to come back to it. I also want to mark my utter astonishment at how well the two worlds come together?? Like even when I was first writing TLatC last year it was just so easy to combine these worlds of modern day spying and tech and espionage and early 20th century england??????? Anyway, I will stop my normal rambling and let you get to the reading!

Also I have created a timeline of events for this universe, which I’ll put under a read more bc it contains some spoilers! 

The Lady and the Chauffeur Universe Timeline

19th August 1893 - Fitz is Born

11th September 1896 - Lady Jemma Anne Simmons is born

August 1913 - Fitz arrives at Busse Abbey

July/August 1914 - Start of WW1

August/October 1916 - Jemma goes to train as a nurse and Fitz confesses his feelings for her.

November 1918 - WW1 ends and FitzSimmons try to elope

6th April 1919 - FitzSimmons get married

12th September 1919 - Daisy and Lincoln get married

12th December 1919 - Eilidh May Fitzsimmons is born

August 1921 - Original Epilogue takes place

2nd October 1921 - George (Georgie) Lincoln Campbell is born.

2nd October 1921 - Lincoln Campbell dies in a car accident

6th January 1922 - Hamish Philip Fitzsimmons is born

2nd April 1925 - Sir Alphonso Mackenzie and Elena get married

30th May 1925 - Kathleen (Kathy) Skye Fitzsimmons is born

30th June 1925 - Daisy and Daniel get married

14th October 1926 - Hazel June Sousa is born

28th May 1927 - Finley (Flint) Alphonso Mackenzie is born

12th October 1927 - Emily Lorna Fitzsimmons is born

14th August 1929 - Arthur (Archie) James Fitzsimmons is born

24th December 1929 - Eve Margaret Sousa is born 

6th April 1930 - Violet Faith Mackenzie born

1st December 1932 - Edward (Teddy) Donald Fitzsimmons born

At the start of THIS fic:

Fitz is 36

Jemma is 33

Eilidh Fitzsimmons is 9 

Georgie Campbell is 8

Hamish Fitzsimmons is 7

Kathy Fitzsimmons is 4 

Hazel Sousa is 3

Flint Mackenzie is 2

Emily Fitzsimmons is 2 

Archie Fitzsimmons is 4 months

I have full explanations as to why every single child has the name they have but if I wrote this here I would honestly be here ALL DAMN DAY. If you would like me to explain the names of all 11 (why why did I do that, why did they not have reliable birth control in the 1920s i ask you) I will happily do so in another post. I genuinely have many many many pages of notes of me trying to work out this timeline. It took so long but it was so worth it bc I like to keep track of ages and events, ESPECIALLY in a fic like this where I have given everyone 10000000000 bairns each. 

[his-catness-tchalla]

Challenge: 30 Questions Tag

Tagged by @demonic-intervention. Very late response because work has been hectic lately and I’m barely online.

(actually, did that one a while ago - let’s see if something changed)

1. Name/nickname. Elena is my real name, but I don’t mind if someone has a nickname for me 

2. Star sign Taurus

3. Height 164 cm

4. Birthday April 22

5. Favorite bands Placebo, Depeche Mode, Marylin Manson, Queen.

6. Time 23:29.

7. Favorite solo artists David Bowie, Miyavi, Zhou Shen

8. Song stuck in my head Maneskin - Caroline

9. Last movie I watched Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

10. Free space I’m lazy and uncreative leave me alone 😂

11. Last show  finished Court Lady. Very decent and enjoyable, but doesn’t spark anything in me in a fandom way. Watching Loki now, surprisingly I like it! Doesn’t mean I’ll ever forgive Marvel for IW tho 😆

12. When I created this blog november 2011 I think

13. What I post currently mostly cdramas

14. Last thing I googled  Overton window

15. Other blogs nope we throw all our fandoms together like men 😆

16. Do I get asks? sometimes...

17. Why I chose my url first marvel-related thing that I come up with and was available 

18. Following 228 

19. Followers 1090 WHAT Y’ALL DOING HERE I’M NOT EVEN COOL

20. Average hours of sleep 8-9 on day off, 0 to 5 hours on work days, Yes my sleep schedule is a mess

21. Lucky number I don’t believe in that stuff

22. Instruments only someones nerves 

23. What am I wearing payama pants and Sopor Aeternus t-shirt

24. Dream job anything that pays decently and doesn’t get on my nerves. I’m lazy and uncreative, remeber? :)

25. Favorite food sushi, phad thai, all kinds of pasta, roasted chicken, steak.

26. Tea/coffee Tea

27. Nationality we don’t talk about my nationality

28. Favorite song currently Zhang Zhehan - 环绕 Surround

29. Last book Weeell, I’m that person that read awfully lot in child/teenage/YA years, but barely manages to finish 10 books in a year in adult life. I believe that last book I finished and enjoyed was Lord Seven by Priest and it was in march... Since then I tried to read Silent Reading (Priest’s novel too), but it is not my cup of tea so I kind of skimming thru last 1/3 now. 

30. Top three fictional world I'd like to live in 1. Middle-Earth 2. Star Trek Prime 3. post-canon Shapolang

[scarlettrhettelizabethrichard]

Chapter 4. The Boutique Robillard, my GWTW fanfiction

Atlanta, May 1876

Scarlett stood on the pavement, checking the wrought-iron sign that had just been installed above the freshly painted storefront. "The Boutique Robillard", a simple name, a French touch, easy for the customer to remember. She had set her sights on this building, whose vast spaces had just been vacated. With its large display windows, ist Corinthian columns separating the exhibition areas, and four small private fitting rooms, the shop was reminiscent of the splendour of a plantation reception hall of the past. The lighting was provided by beautiful gilt bronze wall lights with cut crystal tulips. Three large, finely chiselled bronze and brass arms with gas spouts hidden under crystal cups, surrounded an impressive white milk glass lampshade. They enlightened the cream burlap-covered walls and made the flamed mahogany veneer of the shop furniture glisten. Elegance and femininity, that's the atmosphere Scarlett wanted to create in her new business. Clearly, the gamble paid off. "Mrs O'Hara, could you tell me where the fans should be placed?  "Emma Whising interrupted Scarlett in her contemplation. This dynamic young widow was delighted to have been hired. Another saleswoman, a seamstress, a retoucher and a delivery man completed the staff brigade. "The three glass cabinets are for fashion accessories. Place fans, umbrellas and parasols in the first cabinet. Highlight silk gloves and mittens. Hair accessories, brushes, silver combs, hairpins should also be displayed there. Devote an entire display case to leather purses, pearl reticules, and embroidered ball pouches. The largest glass cabinet is for hats, bonnets and capelines." Scarlett sighed with contentment. What a rebirth in her life since that fateful day in November 1873! She had decided to stop dwelling on the past. A few minutes of introspection would be enough for her to sweep away almost three years.     First the shock of the divorce. The clean and frank break with Rhett, the love of her life, well, of her old life. It is true that he had greatly facilitated her task to turn the page: by crudely mocking her physical appearance deteriorated by lack of appetite, alcohol abuse and the absence of her husband, Rhett had brilliantly succeeded in making her feel ashamed. She, Scarlett O'Hara, had become uglier than the least of the whores, he had made her understand. "What the hell !" The affront had to be addressed. Solange Robillard's little girl was going to straighten her head, and quickly!     The day after Rhett left, she ordered Dilcey to throw out all the liquor bottles in the house, the wine cellar and the kitchen. A strict schedule of meal times in the dining room with her children was put in place. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners were calibrated to ensure balanced meals with fresh vegetables and fruits. As in Tara during the war, there was no question of leaving the table before finishing one's plate. This had always been the rule for Ella and Wade. To the surprise of her children, this was now also the rule for their mother.

Thanks to this diet cooking, her graceful curves started to be restored and her figure slowly sculpted. To gain back her skin's elasticity, Scarlett took a daily walk with her children. Ella Lorena was reluctant the first few days, not being used to long walks. But soon the outing was a time of discovery, play and laughter. The O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy family was coming back to life. The two children's faces were slightly tanned by the sun. Scarlett took care to bring an umbrella to preserve her pearly complexion. Her cheeks were flushed with physical exertion and fresh air.     How sweet it was to take care of one's body again! The relaxing scented baths were followed by the application of regenerating creams and ointments. The texture of her skin became softer and smoother. The beautiful hair that Rhett used to like to wrap around his neck at night at the beginning of their marriage had become dull, the tips brittle. It took Prissy's careful handling to untangle the long tresses and massage them with castor oil. Her nails were treated in the same way to strengthen them. The physical discipline she had been practising for many months was eventually rewarded when, on a sunny morning, Scarlett gazed at her reflection in the large mirror in her bedroom. The young woman in front of her radiated health and beauty. Her first battle was won!

"Mrs O'Hara, should I sort the clothes by colour or size? "Emma asked. "Choose one of each item from the display shelves. You will carefully arrange the other sizes inside the drawers of the counters. Above all, don't forget to protect each piece with tissue paper. » Emma set about her task, marvelling at the quality of the interior design of the furniture, which was covered in bird's eye maple veneer. The rich purple hues of the sideboards and wardrobes contrasted beautifully with the golden sheen of the wood inside. At first glance, the clientele was assured of the presence of luxury in every detail. Scarlett resumed her rambling. Her biggest battle, of course, had been to fight the infamy of divorce. News of the Butler couple's scandalous separation had spread like wildfire through the good society of Atlanta and the surrounding counties. How could they not be offended? It was the first divorce to occur in this Georgia city. Two camps were facing each other: the ladies of the Sewing Circle - headed by Mrs Merriweather, Mrs Meade and Mrs India Wilkes - had welcomed Captain Butler's decision. „The good man had loved his little Bonnie so much! For years he had endured his wife's disgusting attitude towards Ashley Wilkes without flinching.“  "Serves her right," said Mrs. Easling. "This will bring the arrogant, pretentious Scarlett down from her pedestal. » These well-born ladies agreed that, sadly, her offspring could no longer be invited to their grandchildren's parties and birthdays. "It's a shame about poor Wade Hampton Hamilton and Elena Lorena Kennedy, but it's all about the goodwill of our society. » Yet a minority had sided with Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy. How could such a boor as Butler dare to abandon his wife and children? All of Atlanta knew of this vermin's degrading association with Belle Watling, the most notorious brothel keeper in the state of Georgia. If Ellen and Gerald O'Hara had been alive, they would never have accepted the misalliance of a Robillard with a banished man from his native Charleston. The first to be scandalised by the news was, of course, Scarlett's solicitor who had to deal with the formalities of the divorce. Henry Hamilton, Wade Hampton's great uncle, was incensed that this Scalawag could jeopardise the future of Charles Hamilton's heir by damaging his mother's reputation. A divorcee's son! How was this brave little boy going to endure the offence? "Butler gone? Good riddance! "Ashley Wilkes was the first to think so, and to say so loudly. He had taken the time to analyse his cowardly behaviour when India had created the scandal on his birthday. Instead of defending Scarlett and assuring everyone that nothing had happened between them two at the sawmill, he had taken refuge, as usual, behind the fragile figure of his wife. Melanie had proudly protected her dear sister until her last breath. Since the war, Scarlett had bravely helped the Wilkes family. When his beloved Melly died, she took charge, as she had in the past. She organized a funeral worthy of the greatest lady Atlanta had ever known. Today, it was up to him to protect 'his' delightful Scarlett who had had the misfortune to meet this sad sire at Twelve Oaks. Scarlett, so full of passion, whom this Butler had broken. Ashley's support warmed his childhood friend's heart. She had been delighted to find that he had defended her against her sister India at a meeting of the ladies of the sewing room in his house. "This is my home, India. In my presence and under my roof, I forbid anyone to criticise the sister my Melly loved so deeply. "His unexpected tirade and determined tone had stunned those present at the meeting. His words were widely reported among their friends and acquaintances. What had hurt the former Mrs Butler most was the disastrous impact of the divorce on Wade and Ella.  „Divorce". It was a word Wade had already heard spoken in hushed tones around him, like a threat hanging over Peachtree Street. More than once, the young boy had had to raise his voice at a classmate who had made fun of his mother. He had even come to blows, much to Scarlett's dismay. For Ella Lorena, the word 'divorce' meant nothing. She just noticed that her friends Bridget and Karen had not invited her to their birthday parties. Above all, they missed Uncle Rhett. He had always told them that he considered them his children. Finally, he had abandoned them, without any explanation, simply by bringing them presents in November. As if the two children were no more valuable than two packages. This drama brought the mother and the two children together. A valve had fallen off. The little girl with the red curls was no longer afraid to tell her mother about her daily activities and games, without her mother scolding her for being too noisy. As for Wade, he tried to anticipate his mother's every wish. He would bring her a glass of water before she asked for it. He would carry her parasol when she didn't need it in the street. And above all, he would hug her tenderly. In gratitude, his mother would stroke his hair gently, sometimes slipping a kiss in. Yes, the divorce was finally good for their family. For her children's sake, and because Scarlett O'Hara had never given up in the face of adversity, she put all her newfound energy into her "redemption" with the Old Guard. Oh, how hard it has been! The Merriweather ladies and other paragons of virtue blocked her first gestures of peace. Scarlett pretended not to notice. Remembering her past experience in Bonnie's time, she was aware that her money would not be enough to secure their good graces. She volunteered to buy and transport the raw materials needed to distribute meals to the needy affected by the financial collapse of 1873 which was beginning to distress the middle classes. She made a point of sharing the Old Guard Ladies’ long embroidery sessions to supply the charity stall at Christmas. Magically, some debts pending at Kennedy's shop disappeared from the shelves, 'through accounting errors'. At other times, prices of items coveted by the ladies were abruptly lowered, 'due to end of stock'. This was never openly mentioned.

Scarlett's good deeds combined with an apparent less stormy behavor slowly began to bear fruit. Until one day, a blue hand-decorated cardboard card invited Ella Lorena Kennedy to share the Merriweather grandson's birthday cake. The child was overjoyed. Her mother had tears in her eyes. Her biggest battle was won!

With a clearing of her throat, Emma allowed herself to interrupt her boss's reverie once again. "Peter arranged the rolls of fabric on the scroll racks. He placed the most precious silk textures high up to protect them from soiling. He did well, didn't he? On the other hand, I arranged the lace rolls, ribbons, buttons and thread spools in the beautiful haberdashery cabinet, as you asked me to. I love its little drawers with glass knobs!" Scarlett smiled at the enthusiasm of her young saleswoman. "Let's hope that she will show the same smiling look to the most reluctant customers!" said the new owner of "The Boutique Robillard". She had been dreaming about this shop for three months. When her body regained its beauty, when her reputation was restored, she finally took the time to think about her future. How could she continue to live without passion? Her bank account was now well filled. Thanks to the terms of the divorce settlement. As soon as the funds were transferred from Charleston, she opened two savings accounts for Wade and Ella. This would come in handy when they decided to embark on life's adventure. „"Uncle Rhett," who always boasted that he considered my children his own, will ultimately leave only a trace in Ella and Wade's lives, dollars to make them forget his abandonment." With her children's financial security assured, she could now move on from the Kennedy shop. It no longer gave her any excitement. Hugh Easling bought it. After many years, and thanks to the constant supervision of his boss Mrs Butler, he had finally learned to manage it properly. To please the Old Guard, she gave him her "first child" with easy payment terms. The land belonging to her first husband Charles Hamilton, including the houses she had built, was also sold at a comfortable price for Scarlett. She also sold the second sawmill. Her first sawmill, Ashley now owned it. It had hurt so much that she had given it up on Rhett's advice. It was her baby, the one that had allowed her to support her family. How long would it take Ashley to destroy what she had worked so hard to build? Poor Ashley, she would always have to be a protective and discreet support. She had promised Melly that. As for Beau, a third savings account was already reserved for him. Scarlett was amused that Rhett would finally contribute to the cost of raising his former rival's son. This money would be managed by Ashley, providing Melly's child with all the comforts a member of Southern society had a right to expect - a pony, Melly had made him promise on his deathbed - payment for his education, his future Grand Tour in Europe. Melly, from Heaven where she was watching her together with her dear Bonnie, could be satisfied. "Of course, theoretically I would not need to work anymore. But will I become a matron devoted to her good works? What a horror! I have to find a new passion that makes me want to fight every morning. » ********************** Fate was waiting for her in Savannah. Savannah, February 1876 In February 1876, she made an emergency visit to her mother's hometown upon learning of the sudden death of her grandfather Robillard. The same man who had broken young Ellen's heart by preventing her from marrying her cousin and only love Philip. Scarlett had no reason to mourn the death of the cantankerous old man who had refused to help her financially during the war, when they were struggling not to starve in Tara. She had visited him several times, accompanied by two of her children - not Bonnie, Rhett wouldn't have wanted her to deprive her of his father, even if only for a week. The meetings between the French aristocrat and the Franco-Irish descendant were... interesting. Two beasts gauging their strengths: Pierre Robillard, full of himself, a master of pithy phrases, scornful of those around him, and amusing himself by persecuting the two daughters he had left, Aunts Eulalie and Pauline. Opposite him was his granddaughter, Scarlett, the eldest daughter of his beloved child, Ellen. Ellen who had betrayed him by marrying an Irish peasant. Indomitable and fierce Scarlett, whose beauty and temperament reminded him with a twinge of his only love, his wife Solange Robillard. After several explosive confrontations, Scarlett had become convinced that her grandfather hated her. In a final "thumbing of the nose", he ended up leaving her his entire fortune - an opulent one - simply by giving his two daughters a comfortable monthly pension that would protect them until their death. This was fair, because until now it had been Scarlett who had supported her ungrateful aunts, even during the war, while she had struggled to keep everyone in Tara alive. Family had always been sacred to this Irish descendant. Pierre Robillard rewarded her for this. This unexpected generosity allowed her to reject Rhett's money out of hand. Her departing husband had carelessly boasted that he would 'generously' give her a pension for five years to thank her for getting rid of her. As soon as the Robillard estate was settled, Scarlett informed Rhett Butler's solicitor of her decision to refuse the pension. The money that had already been paid since the day of the divorce was returned to him in full. "Free, I am free, Rhett, and I don't need you!" The last link between the two former friends - spouses - lovers - was definitely cut.         On the last day of her stay in Savannah, she treated herself to a visit to the city's fine shops. The coquettish Scarlett suddenly stopped in front of an ocher painted antebellum shop, with the sign  "La Mode Duncan". In the display windows, wooden mannequins wore the prettiest dresses the elegant Atlanta woman had ever seen. She pushed open the sandblasted glass door, engraved with the sign "Duncan Vayton". The manager of the establishment greeted the beautiful young lady with respect, quickly understanding that she was not going to be satisfied with buying a single item. He explained that the owner was a young fashion designer based in Paris, Rue de la Paix. Back in his native South, he had decided to give the Ladies of Savannah the benefit of his best creations. "I am a business owner myself, back home in Atlanta. I have a hunch that the rich people of Atlanta would quickly fall in love with such quality clothing. Would it be possible for me to meet with your landlord to discuss my project? » "With great pleasure, Ms. O'Hara. Mr. Duncan Vayton will be delighted to meet you. » That day Scarlett knew that, eventually, she had found her new 'baby' - a fashion shop. It also marked the beginning of a the relationship between two enthusiasts, Scarlett O'Hara and Duncan Vayton.

"Yes, it has taken courage to get through the past 31 months. There have been many shocks, disappointments, pain and tears too. « I, Scarlett, had to show humility - Rhett would have laughed about it, in another time - courage and resilience. But it was worth it. Almost three years later, I have survived. Rhett, you didn't get me down! Scarlett O'Hara is up and ready to fight! »

#GWTW fanfiction, #GWTW, #Gone with the Wind, #romance, #Savannah, #Scarlett O'Hara, #Atlanta, #roman historique, #écriture, #littérature

[buildarocketboys]

Books read 2020: Reviews (1-20)

Decided to write a little review/overview for all the books I’ve read this year. Mostly just for personal record but please feel free to message me about any of these books!

1. Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly (Jan 6th – Jan 13th) 8 days 400 pages

I loved this whole trilogy, but this might have been my favourite of all three. I loved the setting (the main reason, apart from the queer characters, why I wanted to read this book) which is a fantasy setting based on the dying days of Berlin during the Weimar Republic. Loved this setting (especially the cabaret/music hall part) and it’s the only book that really features it. I also enjoy (or…find compelling, enjoy might not quite be right since there’s some very ‘yowch’ descriptions regarding torture/being beaten up) the story/plot most in this one, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next…

2. Maurice by E.M. Forster (Nov 17th – Jan 21st) 256 pages

This is the only kind of cheat I have in here, because yes I did start reading it in November 2019, but I read the vast majority of it in 2020. I’d wanted to read it for ages because it’s such a gay classic and there were many sections (sentences, paragraphs) that I related to heavily, not even always as a queer person, but in that way that the best books get at the heart of something about the human experience in a way that’s intensely relatable to the reader. I think I found the romance elements kind of anticlimactic overall but maybe that’s kind of the point? It’s a happy ending, but in a very quiet way. (I think, it has been nearly a year since I read it!)

3. East, West by Salman Rushdie (Jan 17th – Jan 24th) 8 days 224 pages

I started reading this to compare it with its Spanish translation for my Postcolonialism in Translation essay lol. Some pretty interesting stories in here, also pretty sure this is the only collection of short stories I read this year, so it has that distinction. Not super my thing but acted as an enjoyable reading break in the local park while I was slogging my way through essays (and God do I miss that life now).

4. Affinity by Sarah Waters (Jan 24th – Jan 31st) 8 days 352 pages

This was the first of three Sarah Waters books I read this year. I have now read all of her work, and I enjoyed this one a lot – very much a ghost story. It wasn’t my favourite, but definitely sits nicely in the middle.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Jan 31st – Feb 5th) REREAD 6 days 500 pages

Reread this while on a trip to York, when stuff like that was still possible. As good as ever. I love Time Traveler’s Wife not for the romance (which is…interesting, but personally I don’t find it exactly enjoyable and the characters aren’t particularly likable or relatable for me) but for the prose and the structure. The back-and-forth structure of the book (travelling through time, Henry – and Clare – at different points in their life) makes for a breathtakingly constructed plot and I love it more every time. Some of the prose and stuff the characters talk about are kind of pretentious but I’m kind of pretentious myself (I discovered  Rilke through TTW) and a lot of it has stuck in my brain, to the point that 10 months later I keep thinking about it and kind of want to read it yet again.

6. Armistice by Lara Elena Donnelly (Feb 5th – Feb 9th) 5 days 400 pages

I really enjoyed this sequel, I loved exploring the rest of the world, I loved the interaction between characters who either hadn’t met before, hadn’t seen each other in years (there’s a time jump between Amberlough and Armistice) and brand new characters (who were mostly equally as compelling/lovable). A worthy sequel.

7. Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson (Feb 13th – Feb 24th) 12 days 327 pages

My thing (at least non-fiction-wise) this year has been books about food and food history, and this is the first of those on this list. It was pretty good, very interesting. I have trouble retaining information from non-fiction books so I only remember it in the broadest strokes (and remember reading it in the Hygge café in Sheffield which was really cool and I hope it’s survived the pandemic) but it was a really eye-opening look into different appliances/tools/processes/spaces used throughout history and in different parts of the world when it comes to food and cooking.

8. Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution by Shiri Eisner (Feb 25th – Mar 11th) 16 days 352 pages

I read this in the period just before everything started shutting down and the day I finished it (incidentally my girlfriend’s birthday) was more or less the start of the lockdown for us, so that’s my prevailing memory of this book. It was a very good, enlightening look into bi politics and what we (I, as a white gentile especially) could do better. But again, I don’t remember it in great detail because I was more preoccupied with what was happening around it.

9. Solitaire by Alice Oseman (Mar 14th – Mar 16th) 3 days 392 pages

This was pretty good but I definitely read most YA (well, reality-based YA) as an easy, quick read that doesn’t challenge me too much, so I don’t have too much to say about it. It was nice to read about the Heartstopper characters

10. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera (Mar 17th – Mar 20th) 4 days 437 pages

Again, early lockdown YA so basically brain popcorn for me. That’s not a bad thing though.

11. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Mar 20th – Mar 30th) 11 days 512 pages

This was my least favourite of the Sarah Waters books I read this year, and probably not coincidentally, the only book of hers without explicit queer characters. But still a pretty good scary story.

12. Amnesty by Lara Elena Donnelly (Apr 1st – April 6th) 6 days 384 pages

The last in the trilogy. I still liked it very much, but not as much as the first two books. I think endings to a trilogy are hard to get right. I feel like there was too much focus on one character and his predicament (and while I enjoyed his ending and happily ever after with probably m favourite character of the series), I wasn’t as compelled by this one as I was by the other two.

13. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King (Apr 6th – Apr 15th)  10 days 513 pages

My first Stephen King! I actually really enjoyed this, especially the scary fantasy dream world thing. It wasn’t too scary for me (I am a big scaredy cat who’s just dipping my toe into horror novels since I figure reading horror is moderately less scary than watching it) and just overall pretty good.

14. This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Apr 16th – Apr 20th) 5 days 209 pages

Loved this! The meandering almost poetry of it, the epic enemies to lovers, the weird admixture of sci fi and larger than life fantasy concepts (and beings!). Will definitely return to this one again.

15. Five Hundred Mile Walkies by Mark Wallington (Apr 21st – Apr 25th) REREAD 5 days 224 pages

I read this as a young teenager and found it hilarious. It was one of my dad’s books (he might even have recommended it to me, although I did have a habit of reading anything and everything that was in the bookcase – Memoirs of a Geisha at about 13, anyone?) and I laughed out loud practically every page. The gist of it is that Mark takes his sister’s (or sister’s ex??) dog, Boogie and goes to walk the entire 500 miles of the South West coast path. I loved this anyway because I loved the South West (especially Cornwall) and love seeing it through someone else’s eyes. So I reread it and I still enjoyed it, but didn’t find it as rip roaringly hilarious as I used to. Guess your sense of humour changes as you grow up, who knew?

16. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café by Fannie Flagg (Apr 27th – May 10th) 14 days 416 pages

I’ll be honest, I struggled with this one. I’m not sure if it was the setting (historically, geographically, linguistically) that put me off or the way it was written or what. I enjoyed the story but it just wasn’t really my thing.

17. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (May 11th – May 17th) 7 days 528 pages

My final Sarah Waters book (until she writes more! *fingers crossed*) and definitely my favourite of the ones I read this year. Set during the Blitz in London, it’s pretty much straight up historical fiction, and I enjoyed it very much. I think part of it was I related heavily to the characters going through this dramatic time in history, because, you know, pandemic! There were certain passages that really connected with me/felt like an echo of today in a way that was sort of comforting, I guess.

18. Doctor Who: The Maze of Doom by David Solomons (May 18th – May 19th) 2 days 272 pages

A fun, quick and easy Doctor Who romp. Not much to say about this one.

19. Room by Emma Donoghue (May 19th – May 20th) 2 days 321 pages

Possibly the opposite of the previous. If you know anything about Room (the book or the film, which I actually watched years ago) then you know the subject matter is pretty dark and harrowing. Because it’s told through the eyes of a child however, I found it pretty easy (in terms of speed rather than subject matter) to get through and read it in about 24 hours. It’s super compelling too.

20. The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas (June 6th – June 11th) 6 days 372 pages

This, as far as I remember, was just a random one that I managed to pick up (metaphorically since I read this as an ebook) but it was pretty good. Possibly my favourite random discovery of the year, an interesting look on time travel and its consequences, based around the discovery/invention of time travel by four women scientists in the 1960s (I think) and how it affects the rest of their lives.