#Pritchard has at least one son

[flowerfletching]

I have two views of Pritchard's thoughts on Halt and Crowley and it all just depends on how I'm feeling:

Version one: I have two sons and both of them are very chaotic and very traumatized, they just have different ways of showing it.

Version 2: Despite popular belief, I don't have two sons. I have one grumpy son and one redheaded son-in-law, or at least, that's how it would be if one of them decided to just make a move already.

[mudpuddless]

I saw a couple tags with king Halt AU and I am interested now 👀 (if you need someone to blab to about this)

okay. listen. i was rereading the early years and halt rescues duncan but refuses to call him highness and duncan gets mad, the canon dialogue is pretty much just,

halt: you-

duncan: YOUR HIGHNESS

halt : i preffer to be called halt, actually

(this is the base idea: this scene is doubly funny if halt were also crown prince)

so picture halt swimming back to shore after ferris tries to kill him and deciding actually he doesn't want this idiot in charge of his country.

halt has had about four years of ranger training on top of royal battleschool at this point and ships ferris of to the countryside, names Caitlyn as his successor to the throne and convinces his father that he should aide araluen (read: the rangers who kept pritchard informed) for diplomacy reasons.

his father thinks this will be a good lesson in war craft for the crown prince and sends him on his way.

halt and Crowley meet in the inn just like in canon while pritchard, who travelled with halt to araluen, makes his way to berrigan who was his main contact and then the plot kicks off (canon slightly to the left) halt is still halt but with the full authority of the clonmel crown behind him. he just doesn't tell people. surely this won't result in any silly situations.

big change might be that daniel, who still dies, asks halt to look for his wife, who is heavily pregnant and halt goes to find her, but presented with a baby who has no living relatives he knows of he just takes baby will and disappears him to Hibernia? Caitlyn loves her nephew. halt insist that will is not his son. will is absolutely his son and no one will be convinced otherwise.

halts father/ the king of clonmel declares Will fourth in line to the throne bc what else are you supposed to do when your heir goes to fight a war for eighteen months and returns with a baby. the king isn't an idiot, halt.

i want at least one scene where an invitation is extended to the Hibernian kings for princess Cassandras first birthday and Caitlyn shows up to represent clonmel and bonds with crowley bc they have a similar sense of humour (compatible with halt). crowley refers to halt only by "Arratay" and Caitlyn only by "my brother". they think the two should meet though crowley thinks halt doesn't know how to behave in the presence of royalty.

this would be even funnier if it was cralt/craltine (geometrically accurate love triangle my beloved) bc crowley is fawning over halt and Caitlyn unknowingly sets them up by encouraging crowley to tell his friend how he feels.

at least one scene would be halt and crowley visiting Crowleys family which is big and loud. halt is immediately a favourite of Crowleys kid sister who thinks he is the funniest person who ever lived. halt is stumped by this

the rangers are also 100% the queerest group of people in the entire country. berrigan and Leander are established and not subtle about it. at least one person is only referred to by ranger, never by any pronouns. this is never remarked upon.

the problem im still trying to figure out is how I can merge canon post TEY. halt returns to clonmel bc he has to check on his family and also bc, yk, the infant he now cares for and virtually disappears from araluen. crowley and pauline are upset bc they dont know what happened. this would be even funnier if this was craltine and they just had a highly emotional moment and then the final battle happens and suddenly halt is gone and no one knows where.

if this was really cracky they would tag along as security/diplomacy detail for duncan when he is invited to halts coronation but then again, we're not catholic so I might as well. could be fun

feel free to add anything you might find funny/devastating etc.

[miraculousmitzi]

Hetalia headcanon time! Here are some potential names I think the UK bros (aside from England, who has a canon name) and Ireland could have. Please note, these are also on my X account.

1. Scotland first names:

Alistair/Alasdair (gaelic spelling): meaning "defending men," which can relate to Scotland's strength and the battles throughout his history, most notably with England. It could also relate to his desire to protect his younger brothers as an elder sibling (though he'd never admit this outright, of course).

Hamish: meaning "supplanter" and "replacement." This name could be related to Scotland's desire to gain independence, taking the reigns for his own people from Arthur and ruling over his lands, thus replacing Arthur's control in this regard.

Scotland surnames:

MacDougal/Mac Dubhghaill (gaelic): meaning "son of Dougal" and "dark stranger." This can be tied to Scotland's outward appearance. On the outside, he looks stern and almost unapproachable but is actually noted to be rather sociable.

Robertson: meaning "son of Robert" and "bright fame." This surname could be used as a reference to Robert the Bruce, a former king of Scotland known from freeing Scotland from English rule at one time.

2. Wales first names:

Medwyn: meaning "strong friend," which relates to his friendly personality and his close relationship with England (it is noted he believes that he understands Arthur best due to the time they've spent together over the years).

Arwyn: meaning "very fair" which could be used to describe the colour of his hair and how, well, at least I envision, he acts as a mediator in many arguments in the UK household.

Wales surnames:

Davies: meaning "son of David" and one of the more common surnames in Wales. This could also be used as a reference to St. David, Wales's patron saint.

Pritchard: meaning "son of Richard", a somewhat common Welsh surname in Wales.

3. N. Ireland first names:

Cian: meaning "ancient" or "enduring." It could be used to refer to his land's rich history and how much he and his people have endured over the years.

Eoghan: an Irish name which can mean "youth", which would directly relate to his age as a relatively new nation (particularly if his birth is pin pointed as taking place during the Ulster plantation).

Oliver: meaning "olive tree," which is long thought to be a symbol of peace. This could be used as a reference to Northern Ireland's longing for peace.

N.Ireland surnames:

Wilson: Taken from the name 'William' and can be used as a reference to William of Orange, a further reference to Northern Ireland's protestant history - the Orange order is named after him.

Smith: Refers to someone who "works with metal", which can be used as a reference to Northern Ireland's shipping industry (think the Titanic) and how one of Northern Ireland's exports is machinery.

4. Ireland first names:

Cathal: meaning "battle" and "rule," which can be used as a reference to Ireland's fight for independence and his turbulent history with England.

Dáithí: meaning "swiftness" or "nimbleness," which can be used as a small reference to his physicality; I envision him to partake in a lot of dancing and to be quite capable in physical combat.

Ireland surnames:

O'Callaghan: meaning "lover of churches," referring to Ireland's strong religious history and how religion is still a strong presence in modern Ireland. It can also mean "bright headed," which can be a reference to his intelligence.

McCarthy: meaning "loving," which, judging on his emotions and actions so far, I'd say Ireland has a lot of love in his heart.

[pjshermann]

Why does Lucien's daughter hate Jude? When they meet, I think it is at the hospital, she says something like "Look who it is, Daddy's pet" and Jude is embarrassed. The other daughter tells her off and is friendly toward Jude. Did Lucien over praise Jude? Brag of him during family dinners because Lucien was Jude’s workplace law mentor/boss ? Jude is, of course, disabled and did this make Lucien over protective? Lucien's narky daughter has attended rehab and isn't a lawyer like her sister, so perhaps she sees Jude as some kind of family interloper, a cuckoo, the 'son' her dad wanted (and Harold feels a ping of jealousy when Lucien visits Jude in Greene Street after Caleb's attack). Using the word 'pet' too in a negative way feels like she is mocking Jude and giving him a low status. Just thinking of this brief scene.

I was very confused by this passage as well, especially since it just felt like it came out of nowhere. But I think you’ve answered your own question already haha there are certainly two scenarios for why Portia hated Jude in this scene

We all know Lucien and Jude had a very close relationship that went beyond just a simple boss-employee or mentor-employee bond.

Lucien was always the one to tell Jude how proud he was or how significant his case winnings were. He was the one who recognized Jude’s extraordinary abilities and recruited him to Rosen Pritchard. He was always telling Jude to take care of himself, to go eat or sleep after a long day of work. Lucien came to visit Jude after Caleb nearly killed him, and Lucien often visited him in the hospital after his suicide attempt. He called multiple times just to talk to him, just to chat. He cared for Jude’s health a lot, but he never treated Jude like a child or as someone to be babied. He recognized Jude’s want to prove himself capable and to be treated as an adult and respected that as much as he could.

But even as much as he respected Jude’s independence, he still took on a very parental role towards him. Before Jude begins dating Caleb, he’s one of the people who pester him about being single. He even says to Jude “I just think that I’d like to see you settled down with someone.” which is very similar to Harold’s own words of “We’d like to see you with someone.” Now that’s sort of abnormal for a boss to care about, isn’t it? But Lucien and Jude were close, and Lucien saw Jude as a responsibility of his, possibly even saw him as a son. Lucien’s admiration and care for Jude was so obvious that Harold even noticed and felt a little jealous that someone else had taken on such a parental role towards Jude.

So yes, one possible reason for her attitude towards him is Portia is jealous of Jude, or jealous of her father’s relationship with Jude/how much her father admired him. She could even see Jude as being an intruder of sorts, poking in on what is meant to be a family affair when he isn’t family.

But I also think that perhaps Portia was just feeling upset that day. After all, her father is in the hospital after suffering a debilitating stroke. Not to mention her own life doesn’t seem to be going well, seeing as she’s constantly going in and out of rehab. Jude mentions that he’s met Lucien’s daughters before, and even the younger one obviously recognized him enough to call him by name and express her condolences for Willem. He is surprised when Portia looks at him with hatred, which could possibly indicate that she’s never held animosity towards him before, at least not outwardly. She might’ve just been snappy that day and found a target to take her anger out on. Maybe her words were what she actually feels towards Jude, maybe she just wanted to be snarky. We just don’t know enough about her character to make a certain conclusion.

This ask reminds me of how I was thinking just the other day about how much I love the background characters of A Little Life, the ones who show up for just a split second or so. Shout out to Felix i love u and your punk rock band ! Shout out to Judge Sullivan for being a fat fuck !

[organchordsandlightning]

Speckled Band Part 3

"Can I be of assistance?" "Your presence might be invaluable." "Then I shall certainly come." "It is very kind of you."

extremely soft over this dialogue. watson is his partner, and holmes is still like ‘look, you can wait in the hotel if you want’

"Subtle enough and horrible enough. When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession.

as someone with a hobby knowledge of the history of toxicology, it really is fascinating to see this as written in 1892. at this point, we have an okay-ish knowledge of what household things are poisonous (at the very least, the UK at this time was much better about banning stuff like arsenic in candy than the US) but we’re still about ... like, thirty-forty years out from being able to reliably identify non-plant-based poisons (like arsenic, etc etc) in the human body after death. a lot of poisonings got away with it because, frankly, a lot of people were getting accidentally poisoned all the time anyway, and if you couldn’t identify arsenic or what-have-you in a corpse ... no case!

Holmes was for the moment as startled as I. His hand closed like a vise upon my wrist in his agitation. Then he broke into a low laugh and put his lips to my ear.

"It is a nice household," he murmured. "That is the baboon."

“It is a nice household” mixed with watson’s “MY GOD!? A CHILD!?” is so funny

I do love that Watson is writing these stories down for publication, but he’s freely admitting to burglary here

How long they seemed, those quarters! Twelve struck, and one and two and three, and still we sat waiting silently for whatever might befall.

god I’m remembering how well-done this scene is in Granada, and you can really feel the tension here

I could, however, see that his face was deadly pale and filled with horror and loathing.

oh holmes is SCARED scared “you won’t inject my body with an undetectable non-plant-based poison you son of a bitch”

"It is a swamp adder!" cried Holmes; "the deadliest snake in India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.

such a good reveal

Some of the blows of my cane came home and roused its snakish temper, so that it flew upon the first person it saw. In this way I am no doubt indirectly responsible for Dr. Grimesby Roylott's death, and I cannot say that it is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience."

(a) snakish lmao (b) this brings up an interesting legal question of whether holmes is guilty of murder.  while I don’t think this falls under the legal definition of murder (no pre-intent) or manslaughter (frankly, it’s more self-defense than anything - you see a snake hissing at you, you gotta hit that bad boy with a cane, that it went back to its master and bit him is none of your business as far as you’re concerned) however, i did look up to see that the felony murder rule was still in place in the UK at that time (called constructive malice) -- essentially saying that the courts could attribute malice aforethought (’i’m gonna go kill that guy) to you if a death was caused during the commission of another felony (say .... burglary) EDITED WITH FURTHER LEGAL THOUGHTS -- HELEN INVITED THEM INSIDE THE HOUSE, I DON’T THINK IT COUNTS AS BURGLARY ANYMORE, SHERLOCK HOLMES IS MURDER-FREE

[mariacallous]

The first signs of a new remake of The Forsyte Saga appeared on production listings at the beginning of April 2024. While there had been rumors before about the series returning to television, the pre-production announcements were the first sign the project was getting off the ground, with Mammoth Productions most likely behind it. However, it was unclear if the show was a BBC series, an ITV series, or a series made for PBS or Masterpiece, or a combination thereof. But with filming now about to get underway, details are out, and Masterpiece is the one taking the lead on the project, with a stellar cast lined up to star.

The Forsyte Saga is considered the British period piece that allowed the WGBH folks to launch the Masterpiece anthology series as PBS launched nationwide. The series was first aired in the U.K. on the recently launched BBC 2 in 1967, a network most TV viewers did not have yet. It proved so popular that it was rerun on BBC One a few months later, making it technically the first show to make the jump from network to network due to rising ratings. The series then transferred to the U.S. and aired on local PBS stations across the country (which were at that point not under a national umbrella as yet) and proved a massive hit, bringing in numbers that beat out the "Big Three" networks of NBC, CBS, and ABC. Its success proved an appetite for the best of British programming, presaging Masterpiece's launch two years later.

It's now 55 years later, and though Masterpiece aired a new version in 2002, nowadays, it is no longer just an importer. The streaming wars have made it so that the anthology series must co-produce and sometimes take the lead on commissioning shows. The choice to make its own The Forsyte Saga is unsurprising, considering the show's history and its reputation, which means that it has pulled in quite an impressive cast.

One reason Masterpiece has taken charge of the project? This way it can dictate how many seasons there are and when it is renewed. Make no mistake, this is planned as a multi-season venture. Here's the series logline:

The first season of six episodes follows the lives of the wealthy Forsyte family in 1880s London and is based on John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning tale of love, loyalty, ambition, and betrayal.

The series cast stars Francesca Annis (Flesh & Blood) as formidable Forsyte matriarch Ann; Stephen Moyer (Sexy Beast) as her eldest son, Jolyon Senior, head of the family stockbroking firm Forsyte & Co.; and Jack Davenport (Ten Percent) plays Ann’s competitive younger son James. The next generation down features Danny Griffin (The Gentlemen) as Jolyon Sr.'s bohemian son Jo, Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey) as Jo’s status-driven wife Frances, and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark) plays Louisa Byrne, a Soho dressmaker and Jo’s first love. Joshua Orpin (Titans) plays James’ shrewd and sometimes ruthless son, Soames; Millie Gibson (Doctor Who) is Irene, the dancer whom Soames falls in love with, and Tom Durant Pritchard (Miss Scarlet) plays Monty Dartie, James’ son-in-law.

Outside of the titular family, Josette Simon (Broadchurch) will play Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington, a wealthy heiress and friend of the Forsyte family; Jamie Flatters (Liar) is architect Philip Bosinney, Owen Igiehon (Disclaimer) plays lawyer Isaac Cole, and last (but certainly not least), OG 1967 The Forsyte Saga star Susan Hampshire OBE plays Lady Carteret.

Debbie Horsfield (Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale) will pen all six episodes, with directors Meenu Gaur (Murder Is Easy) and Annetta Laufer (Get Millie Black) splitting helming duties and Sarah Lewis (The Long Shadow) producing. Horsfield and Gaur executive produce along with Sheena Bucktowonsing, Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, and Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece. 

The Forsyte Saga Season 1 is expected to debut on most PBS stations in 2025.

[burnin0akleaves]

For the character ask thing, how about halt?

Would you believe me if I said I wrote all of this already but then exited out of the tab without finishing. Anyway

First impression: Oh I thought he was so cool. I said Horace was my first favourite character a few asks ago, but now that I think about it, it might have actually been Halt.

After finishing the series for the first time I also read all the books again to my dad. His favourite character was Halt, so we made lots of inside jokes about him. Me reading the books out loud to him is one of my favourite memories, so Halt has a special place in my heart for it as well.

Impression now: I still love him! Halt is honestly such a great character, and I totally get why he is the fan favourite. My interest in him has sliiightly gone down over the years, but thats mainly because he is talked about a lot in fandom spaces already so I don't really feel the need to add anything else.

Favorite moment: The part where he gets the shit beaten out of him in Erak's Ransom is funny, lmao, but also I do think its a genuinely good moment for the narrative. Until that point, we never really get to see Halt get defeated.

Sure he needs help with the Kalkara and he has his struggles in books 3-4, but he is still being as badass as a person can possibly be in his situation. We see him truly lose control of whats happening for the first time in book 7, at least to the degree of getting punched. Him having complete faith in Will returning and saving them is also a really good moment in their relationship.

Also, the way Halt reacts after Pritchard's death has always stuck with me. I think it should be talked about more often.

Idea for a story: This is about to be more of an angsty one-shot, but remember the headcanon I gave for Will?

A young Halt who has barely found his place in the world, fighting in a war that threatens to ruin the home he tried so hard to build. A man he has never known, and would never get to know anything about other than his name, choosing to die protecting him. "Take care of my son." the man wishes, and so Halt does.

He looks after Will to repay his debt at first. The man and his wife had died protecting him, so he would protect their son in return. He sees Daniel's willpower and his wife's bravery in Will everyday. Soon, it stops being a matter of debts entirely. Will is his son too now.

He gets to watch as the scrawny boy of fifteen grows up into a fine warrior under his guidance. He gets married. His parents would have been so proud, a part of Halt thinks. I am proud, he realizes.

Then Will loses his wife, and Halt gets dangerously close to losing him in return. But his son is stronger than that, he seems to be stronger than Halt thinks every single time. Stronger than any one man should forced to be. Will builds himself back up again and so, Halt is there to steady him.

Over four decades later, Halt looks at the scene that has haunted his nightmares for years. Fighting in a war that threatens to ruin the home he tried so hard to build. Except a man he knows very well this time, the man he raised himself, choosing to die protecting him. The willpower of his dad and the bravery of his mother shining in his eyes as he fights. Will is faster than his dad, but not fast enough to avoid his fate. Halt on the other hand is slower than he has ever been.

First a man fighting on the battlefield, then a woman defending her home, and at last their son. His son.

A family of selfless people and their blood on his hands.

Unpopular opinion: I feel like some people portray him as too mean. Sure, Halt is stoic. He doesn't warm up to people easily and when he finally does, he is still straightforward with them. But he is never mean. He doesn't insult anyone for no reason or actually say anything hurtful to those around him.

Favorite relationship: A bit too obvious, but Will and Halt. I really like the way their relationship develops.

Favorite headcanon: Freckles. My boyfriend got me into this one, and if you really zoom into my last drawing of him, you can see them on his face.

[northernindigenousbeautyhailey]

REGINA SASKATCHEWAN CANADA — Retired police corporal Jim Pratt remembers standing on a road on the outskirts of Regina as a team of searchers walked through a yellow canola field.

They were looking for a missing Indigenous girl, five-year-old Tamra Keepness. Elders had told police they had visions of the child near rocks, water and trees.

Pratt says a car with two older white women pulled up beside him, and one peeped out a window.

“Did you find our baby yet?” she asked.

No. And fifteen years later, Tamra still hasn’t been found.

Pratt gets emotional thinking about that day, that unsolved case and the girl so many worried about.

“Race was thrown to the side,” Pratt says. “That little girl became everybody’s baby.”

Tamra and her toothy smile were well-known across Canada in 2004, and the search for the missing girl grew to one of the largest in Regina’s history.

She was last seen about 10:30 p.m. on July 5 of that year as she was going to bed in her home in Regina’s core, where she lived with her mother, stepfather, twin sister and four other siblings.

She was noticed missing the next day about noon.

“No matter what we did, no matter how many people we talked to, no matter where we searched, we were no closer at the end of that than we were the day that she was reported missing,” says Marlo Pritchard, a staff sergeant in charge of the major crimes unit at the time.

Now chief of police in Weyburn, Sask., Pritchard recalls the force was consumed with an urgency to find the little girl.

About 2,000 tips came in and, like a grenade going off with fragments flying everywhere, each one needed to be looked at as a potential lead.

It’s frustrating no one was able to find her, he says.

“It pulls at your heart. It hurts.”

Retired officer Ron Weir, who was called in to set up the search and rescue operation just as he was heading out on holidays, remembers working 20-hour days on the case.

Police were “behind the eight ball,” he says, because hours had passed between the time Tamra vanished and they began searching.

He brought in volunteers to help.

“These people were out there daily with us for months and taking time off their work,” he says.

Police and hundreds of volunteers scoured neighbourhoods, combed through yards and garages and, assuming the worst, looked in trash bins and a local landfill. The search also expanded to Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation and Pasqua First Nation based on tips from the public and visions from elders.

Regina police did not respond to a request for an update on the case. But this week they released a short video saying investigators continue to search for answers.

The old brown-and-white house from where Tamra vanished still stands on Ottawa Street. Some residents say the neighbourhood has its issues: property crime, women working street corners at night and people in dark clothing walking around looking inside vehicles.

Posters of a missing Indigenous woman, Jenaya Wapemoose, who hasn’t been seen since March, are taped to lampposts along the block.

Tamra’s cousin, Honey Watetch moved in across the street a few months ago. Having Tamra’s old house so close is hard, Watetch says, and she doesn’t like to talk about it.

Troy Keepness also visited the neighbourhood this week.

Tamra’s father says he feels like crying and harbours guilt over losing custody of his children in the years leading up to Tamra’s disappearance.

The last time he saw Tamra — the brave, giggly, energetic girl who looked most like him, Keepness says she told him she wanted to be home with him.

He’s numbed the pain over the years with alcohol and drugs, he adds, and has also had interactions with police.

“I feel awful about how I’ve been living to deal with issues around my life.”

Keepness has 10 other children who are mostly now grown, he says. He’s proud of his kids. One son recently graduated high school. Tamra’s twin is now in university.

He knows Tamra would be doing well now too, he says, and hopes to one day find her — or at least find out what happened to her.

It’s something he has prayed about.

“I prayed whoever has her would keep her safe and not hurt her,” he says. “And if she’s already an angel, then I said ‘hello.'”

Pratt still advises police on the case, and says he also thinks about Tamra all the time.

“Some day we’ll see her in the spirit world or some day she’ll walk down the street in real life and say, ‘I’m here,” Pratt says. “That’s how I have to look at it.

“We’re not going to give up hope.”

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press

[just-a-poor-boy-queen]

I'm sorry to hear you've had a bad day. I hope this makes you feel a bit better 💜

Part 20 of Jimercury Kid series

‘I’m going to die.’ Freddie whined dramatically from the sofa, arching his back as Jim walked through the door with a tray of tea and biscuits, carefully setting it on the coffee table in front of the singer. ‘I’m not sure how much more of this pain I can take, darling.’

‘I know, love.’ Jim replied softly, placing another pillow under Freddie’s head. ‘But that’s what happens when you decide to do acrobatics on stage when there are wires lying around.’

‘It was entirely Roger’s fault.’ Freddie huffed. ‘He could have warned me that his drumkit was a danger zone.’

Jim chuckled and kissed his husband’s forehead. ‘The doctor said you’ll be right as rain in a few weeks, so long as you get plenty of rest and keep up the physio.’

The Persian grumbled, ‘I hate rest.’ Then he looked up at Jim with an accusatory glare. ‘And I can’t believe you’re abandoning me to galivant off and cut people’s hair! The audacity.’

Freddie hadn’t been all that pleased when Jim announced that he had accepted a weekend job at the barber shop down the road. The Irishman had befriended the owner, Carl Pritchard, in a bar a few months ago and while he had declined the offer of a full-time job (he still had the garden to think about and Khaleel to look after when Freddie was at the studio,) he was more than happy to lend Carl a hand every Saturday, when the shop was at its busiest.

Khaleel hadn’t been too happy about it either; he was used to Jim being around 24/7 and the sudden change of routine caused him a great amount of stress. Jim was almost late on his first day of the job because his son had cried and refused to let go of his leg. But eventually, the boy begrudgingly accepted it and Jim was able to pacify his separation anxiety with the promise of bringing home a treat when he was finished at work.

‘You’re just saying that because you’re jealous.’ Jim teased, dodging as Freddie attempted to swat his backside. ‘You think I’m going to fall head over heels for Carl’s dashing good looks and run off into the sunset with him.’

Freddie pouted like a child and crossed his arms. ‘So, you do think he’s good looking.’

Jim chuckled and dropped a kiss into his husband’s dark head of hair. ‘I’m old enough to be his dad, sweetheart. Besides, he’s really not my type.’

‘I wasn’t your type either and you still went for me.’

‘Well, how could I possibly resist? Have you seenyour arse?’

He roared with laughter as Freddie attempted to swat him again, but this time the singer grabbed his hand and pulled him down to kiss his lips.

‘Do you love me?’ he whispered once they had parted, brown eyes staring into Jim’s own almost fearfully. They had been together for almost ten years now, and yet he still needed that reassurance.

‘To the moon and back.’ Jim replied, leaning down for a much deeper kiss. He could have stayed like that all day, but a quick glance at his watch told him that he was already pushing it for time.

‘I’ll be back about six.’ He placed one final kiss against Freddie’s forehead before heading to the hallway to grab his coat. ‘I’ve left the shop’s number by the phone in case there’s an emergency. Try not to have too much fun without me.’

‘Very funny.’ Freddie sniggered as Jim blew him a kiss and turned the keys in the door. ‘Have a good day, darling. Don’t snip any ears off.’

The last thing he heard was Jim shouting goodbye to Khaleel up the stairs – which was quickly followed with a cheerful, ‘bye Daddy!’ – before the door was pulled shut. Freddie sighed and stretched his sore back, wishing he could at least hobble over to the piano and belt out a few show tunes to take his mind off the pain. He hated being alone; Phoebe was in town with friends and Khaleel had been colouring upstairs for most of the afternoon. He knew that colouring was one of the ways his bijou coped with Jim’s absence, so he didn’t want to disturb him.

Well, since he was bedbound (or in this case, sofa bound) he might as well catch forty winks. After finishing his tea and munching on a biscuit, he plumped up his pillows, propped his feet up on the armrest and did his best to ignore the constant throbbing in his lower back as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

--

Freddie was awoken by the sound of the phone ringing in the hallway, and he groggily rose from the sofa to go and answer it.

‘It’s Bernie, Bernie Morris.’ Said the voice on the other end of the line. ‘I know you usually have your physio on Sundays, but my 2 o’clock just cancelled and I don’t have any other appointments today. Would you like to take the slot?’

‘Oh darling, that would be wonderful.’ Freddie sighed in relief, rubbing his back as he spoke. ‘It’s really acting up today. I could use your magic hands.’

Bernie chucked jovially. ‘Alright then, see you in twenty.’

Bernard Morris was a tall, broad, cheerful man, recommended to Freddie by Doctor Atkinson after he had his accident. The vocalist had been apprehensive at first, thinking he could simply deal with the pain on his own; but he eventually relented when it became unbearable and had agreed to six weeks’ worth of sessions, so long as he could do it in the comfort of his own home. So far, Bernie’s methods had proved remarkably effective; Freddie’s back still hurt like hell, but he always felt slightly more relieved once he had been stretched and bent over a few times by a handsome looking man.

‘Thank you so much for this, darling.’ Said Freddie, as Bernie laid the exercise mat out on the floor and shifted the coffee table over to give them more space. ‘I was doing well for a couple of days but last night it started hurting like a bastard. I made the mistake of lifting Khaleel up too quickly during playtime.’

‘It’s no bother at all.’ Replied Bernie. ‘How’s the family? I still have yet to meet your little man.’

‘He’s very shy, our Kenny.’ Freddie chuckled fondly. ‘He’s been a bit clingy lately because of this new job Jim has taken up. He’s not used to him being away and he’s finding it hard to understand.’

‘Poor thing.’ Said Bernie sympathetically. ‘My little girl was the same when I started working full-time. But they get used to it eventually. Now,’ he cracked his knuckles, ‘shall we get started?’

‘Abso-fucking-lutely.’ Freddie said with a laugh and carefully laid himself down on the mat.

--

Khaleel let out a soft yawn as he finally finished colouring in Goliath’s bright yellow eyes and carefully added the picture to the pile of cat drawings he had been working on all afternoon. He didn’t like it when Daddy went to work; he was used to Baba being away, even though he missed him, but Daddy was always there and suddenly not having him around all day made Khaleel confused and scared.

His tummy began to rumble, so he hopped off his bed and carefully climbed down the staircases to tell his Baba that he would like a snack. But when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a strange noise coming from the lounge. The door was open a crack, so Khaleel peeped through curiously.

Baba was lying on the floor and a strange man was sitting on top of him, pulling on his leg. Baba was moaning in pain, his arm flying up to cover his eyes as the strange man continued to push on his leg until his knee reached his chest, before stopping and doing the same with the other one. Baba started to cry a little, and the man said something, though Khaleel couldn’t hear what it was. The boy felt his tiny heart racing. There was a strange man in the house, and he was hurting his Baba. Daddy and Uncle Phoebe weren’t here to protect them. He wanted to run into the lounge and jump on the horrible man, but his feet were frozen to the floor, unable to move.

Then he remembered the phone. Daddy and Baba had taught him how to use it, though he was only supposed to use it in emergencies, and he was never to call 999 unless he really needed to. Daddy had left his work number beside the telephone in the hall, so Khaleel quickly hurried to it and stood up on his tiptoes to grab the handset. He stared hard at the numbers on the little piece of paper and slowly began pressing the buttons. (1/2)

Jim had to admit that it felt good cutting hair again.

Pritchard & Sons was nothing like the Savoy; it was small and intimate, with a far more welcoming atmosphere and friendly regulars who were always happy to make conversation. He instantly felt at home in the place and found himself actually looking forward to working on a Saturday; despite his full-time commitment to the garden, he had been longing for a change of scenery as of late, and this job offer was exactly what he needed.

He was busy brushing away the stray hairs from the shop floor when the telephone at the front desk began to ring. Carl was nowhere to be seen and his two co-workers, Simon and Neil, were busy with clients, so he set his broom against the wall and crossed over to the desk, picking up the handset before it could ring off.

‘Pritchard & Sons, how can I help you?’

‘Daddy?’ Came a small voice from the other end of the line.

Jim was taken back a second, as if he was hearing things. ‘Kenny? Is that you? Kenny, you shouldn’t be calling Daddy at work, he’s very busy.’

‘Daddy, I need help.’ The little boy whimpered in response.

‘Sweetheart, if you need help with something, ask your Baba-’

‘There’s a strange man in the house.’ Khaleel started to sob, his voice a terrified whisper, as if he was worried about being heard. ‘There’s a strange man and he’s hurting Baba.’

Jim felt his blood run cold. ‘W-what do you mean? Where’s Baba, Kenny?’

‘In the lounge. The man is on top of him, and Baba is crying.’

Oh Jesus. Jim began to shake, sweat beading his forehead as a million images flashed before his eyes. He knew he couldn’t let Khaleel hear the fear in his voice, otherwise it would just panic the little boy further. ‘Sweetheart, listen to me. I need you to go upstairs into your bedroom and hide under your bed, okay? Daddy’s coming, everything’s going to be okay.’

Khaleel continued to sob. ‘Daddy, please hurry.’‘

‘Please, Kenny, do as I say. Hang up the phone and go upstairs as quietly as you can. I promise I’ll be home soon.’

There was a loud sniff, before Khaleel mumbled, ‘hurry, Daddy,’ and the line went dead.

‘Tell Carl there’s been an emergency!’ Jim yelled over the counter to Simon, as he raced to the hat stand and grabbed his coat, racing through the door before he even got a response. He cursed as he fumbled with his car keys, almost dropping them into the gutter as his hands trembled violently; as soon as he was in the driver’s seat, he slammed his foot on the accelerator and sped down the road.

-----

As soon as he reached Garden Lodge, Jim immediately went around the back entrance, not wanting to alert the intruder by ringing the bell. As soon as he had turned the key in the back door, he immediately called for Freddie, feeling his heart sink when he didn’t receive a response. He slowly walked down the hallway, glancing into every room in case someone leapt out and attacked him, until he reached the kitchen and quickly armed himself with a large knife that had been left sitting on the counter. He prayed that he wouldn’t have to use it.

‘Freddie!’ he cried out again, almost in tears, the hand holding the knife shaking so hard it was a miracle he didn’t drop it.

The kitchen door suddenly swung open behind him, and he yelled in surprise, whipping round, knife clasped in both hands and pointed straight at his would-be assailant.

There was a high-pitched shriek and a crash, and only then did Jim realise it was Freddie, clad in one of his silk kimonos and surrounded by broken teacups. They both stood there, frozen, as Jim looked his husband up and down; Freddie appeared unhurt, though shell-shocked, the tray he had been carrying now lying at his feet amongst shards of china.

‘Jim!’ Freddie screamed, once he had overcome his initial shock. ‘What the bloody hell are you doing?!’

Jim didn’t respond. He dropped the knife immediately, letting it clatter against the kitchen tiles as he ran to Freddie and scooped him into his arms, hugging him fiercely. His husband let out a surprised squeak as he was suddenly lifted off the floor and he quickly wound his legs around Jim’s hips before the younger man dropped him on his arse. It felt like Jim stood there forever, holding onto Freddie tightly, swaying back and forth like he did when soothing Khaleel to sleep.

‘Darling?’ Freddie finally whispered into Jim’s flushed ear. ‘Darling, what’s going on? What was all that about?’

Jim finally released his husband, brushing away the tears that had fallen down his cheeks as he cupped Freddie’s face and looked desperately into his eyes. ‘Are you alright? Are you hurt?’

Freddie looked baffled. ‘Hurt? Of course not! Why would I be hurt? And what are you even doing here? I thought you didn’t finish work until six.’

The Irishman’s heart finally began to relax as he took a moment to process this information. ‘Khaleel called the shop. He said there was a man in here and he was hurting you. I got here as fast as I could.’

Freddie stared at him with wide eyes, looking like a deer in headlights. ‘Oh my God…Jim, that was Bernie. Bernie Morris, my physiotherapist. He’s in the conservatory, I was just about to make us some more tea.’

Jim looked like he was about to collapse to the floor. He leaned back against the counter, colour finally returning to his face as he realised that Freddie and Khaleel had never been in any danger. All the horrifying scenarios that had been playing in his mind finally ceased to be.

‘Oh God…’ he covered his eyes with his hands, taking deep, uneven breaths, ‘I thought some psycho had broken in, I thought…’ He cut off, not wanting to even consider what could have happened.

Freddie carefully stepped over the mess on the floor, careful not to cut his bare feet as he approached him and put his arms around Jim’s neck, gently kissing his forehead. ‘You really would have killed a man just to protect me?’

Jim removed his hands from his eyes and replied without any hesitation. ‘Absolutely. The bastard wouldn’t have known what hit him.’

Freddie chucked softly, ‘my knight in shining armour.’ Then suddenly his eyes went wide. ‘Kenny! Where’s Kenny?’

‘I told him to go upstairs and hide under his bed.’ Replied Jim. ‘Come on, let’s go and get him. He’s scared out of his wits.’

-----

It had taken a while to coax Khaleel out from underneath his bed. But his parents eventually managed to convince him that the mean man downstairs was actually a very nice man, who was helping Baba get better, and the only reason Baba had been crying in the lounge was because his back hurt so much. They praised him for being such a brave boy and using the phone to call for help when he thought it was needed. Khaleel eventually crawled out and let Freddie carry him downstairs.

He hid in face in Freddie’s shoulder when he saw Bernie, his body trembling in fear. But he gradually looked up when Bernie started chatting to him, realising this strange man wasn’t really that scary up close. By the time Phoebe arrived home from town, Kenny was sitting on Bernie’s lap, giggling as the man held one of his soft toys, pretending to make it talk in a deep gruff voice.

‘What happened here?’ Phoebe asked as he walked into the kitchen to see Jim sweeping up the broken china into a dustpan.

‘Long story.’ Was all the Irishman said in reply. (2/2)

--------------------------------------------------

Aww an extra long update! I loved it😊 It was exactly what I needed after the exhausting day I've had, thank you for making me smile with this part (and all your stories everyday).

I was happy to see Jim take up a part time job of a hairdresser. I've often wondered about that in Freddie!lives scenarios. I think one of the reasons why Jim took up the job of the gardener at GL is to be close to Freddie who had received his diagnosis by that time, if I'm not wrong.

And aww, baby Khaleel being so smart and calling up his father when he saw that his baba was in danger. And ofc, Jim being ready to do absolutely anything to keep his family safe... my heart.

And lol, I can see Phoebe rolling his eyes in the kitchen like, "I take one day off..."

(More drabbles by writer anon)

[sussex-nature-lover]

Sunday 8th August 2021

Touching Base

The 8th of the 8th, that was our ‘son’s’ birthdate. Our son being Charlie, the first pet that Crow and I had together. A gorgeous looking liver and white English Springer Spaniel, who was an absolute mad cap until he turned two and calmed down. Very intelligent and obedient when he decided he would be and very loving. He was a huge character and a massive joy in our lives - just like our actual, human children are.

It hurt so much when we lost him that we never had another dog.

our son in Mexican mode

The girls had rabbits when they were young and there was the famous occasion when Ms NW tY smuggled mice into the house despite knowing my total aversion to them. Dennis ended up with us for a long, long time, and a succession of various foster cats along the way...despite not being ‘cat people’ AT ALL, but from here-on-in, we really don’t want to be responsible for a bonefide full time pet, so we stick to the outdoor wildlife and put our energies into them. Speaking of them, latest news is that I saw a Wood Pigeon fly in to the Wisteria a couple of days ago, so I must go and check and yesterday we discovered that Pritchard likes radishes. Crow’s just told me that he’s also had some left over ratatouille. So there you go. If we ever opened a bistro (we won’t) I think we’d call it Pritchard’s!

The Lord High Admiral, Sir Dennis Horatio Amazing Wonder Cat of Bradshaw following his ‘drive-by knighting’ when HM Queen was enroute to a visit to Newhaven Port, 31 October 2013 - which by sheer coincidence happened to be his allocated birthday. How fortuitous! **no pictures please**

At this juncture I have to clarify that the above visit was factual, however, our home is not actually enroute. The story I have told is accurate as I recall from the information given to me by Crow, who may (possibly) be prone to occasional flights of fantasy - not least the Bradshaw part of his nibs’ title, which is in homage to the Bradshaw Railway Guides. A modern copy of this book has pride of place on our bookcase in memorium - not to George Bradshaw obviously, but to our own Head of Transport and (Non) Communications. Miss him too.

As per usual I have digressed, so speaking of Ms NW tY, as I was, we saw her on Friday - twice in two weeks hey?  She commented that we’re being enveloped in greenery and so I had to explain about the Pigeon nest and about not disturbing the hedges and trees and shrubs that need hacking back until we’re sure nesting is over.

As I write (from upstairs) a new juvenile Robin has just flown on to the roof. I know it’s new because the ones I’ve seen around the last few days all have the start of their red breasts and this one doesn’t at all. 

I got a few photos of birds in the rain. This Robin was enjoying seed from the dish of the bullrush fat ball feeder. Because we’ve had it wrecked so many times by either Starlings, Jackdaws or the Squirrels, every now and then we take it away and just leave a bit of seed on top. The Robins find it easier to perch on there.

We’ve got some more fledglings

We’d been watching babies being fed and wandering around the decking looking a bit lost. I’d assumed they were Sparrows, but looking at these, are they Dunnocks I wonder? That would be nice and we do have a healthy population of adults here.

UPDATE: My Nature Guru confirms that they are House Sparrows. So I’m no wiser about what the Dunnocks have been up to (or not)

The chirping from the side nest box is getting stronger and stronger. We can hear the nestlings through double glazed windows and over the noise of the TV. I have no idea how long they’ve been so vocal and when they may fledge.

I’ve got to admit I’ve really lost track of time. Friday was a complete haze and there was a reason for Ms NW’s presence. Everything was going ok and then Crow had another medical episode and we had to call an ambulance again. I’ve had more men in my bedroom this past 17 weeks than the rest of my life added together! Better news in that he was discharged after another raft of tests, but he’s still awaiting a face to face consultation from the first problem back in March. Apparently he’s a mystery as his MRI didn’t offer any answers. A medical mystery and not for the first time either. Family and neighbours rallied around and we’re both really grateful for all their love and support.

I’m going to be wrapping him in bubble wrap for the foreseeable.

Wet! Wet! Wet! The weather has been pretty appalling. Pritchard finds shelter under the Hazel.

I’m keeping my eyes peeled for this little one above. I’ve not seen growths like that in such a position before. Early stage Avian Pox?

The Olympics Tokyo ends today. This is the medal table this morning, whatever few results are still due in, the top ten aren’t going to be affected apparently. If they are, I can update the graphic.

There you are, a bit of a mixed bag, but you can see why I’m otherwise engaged lately. Forgive any errors, I’m not much in the mood for proof reading and if I were to read back, I’d be deleting half of this at least. That would be a shame as if nothing else, it serves as a good diary for me, because time’s running away with me and I’ll never have a fair picture of what’s happened this past 18 months if I don’t have something tangible to look back on.

Signing off now to head for the kitchen and more gloomy news about rain and no cricket. Take care.

[mythicallore]

The Black Monk

Hauntings and poltergeist acitvity are nothing new, and the lore of paranormal research holds countless examples. Yet, every once in a while a case will truly bubble up from the rest to present an extremely strange and strong account. Lying within the country of England is an unassuming, normal looking house, which nevertheless has managed to go on to accrue a reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the nation. Here at this abode we have a rather volatile, frightening, and violent entity that has come to be known as the Black Monk.

The year was 1966, and a family consisting of Jean and Joe Pritchard and their two children, Phillip, 15, and Diane, 12, moved into a quiet house on 30 East Drive, in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It was not long after they had settled in that strange things began to happen around the home, starting, as these things tend to, rather innocently enough. The first main incident started on September 1, 1966, when the son Philip was staying at the home with his grandmother, Sarah Scholes, while the rest of the family was away on a trip to Devon. One day they they felt a strange gust of cold wind pass through despite the summer heat, shortly after which they witnessed what seemed to be a white powder or mist snowing down from the ceiling as the sounds of footsteps echoed from above. When they went to investigate, along with Scholes’ sister Marie Kelley, there were found to be inexplicable pools of water spreading on the floor of the kitchen, and even as they stared at this new development that bumping noise continued from the next floor up and that dust rained down upon them.

30 East Drive

At the time it was thought that the water was merely the result of a broken pipe, and a repairman from the water company was called in to take a look. However, after a thorough inspection of the kitchen there was found to be no sign of anything amiss, and the repairman had no idea of where the water could be coming from, even as it seemed to pool up even more as he was there. The pools would eventually stop, but everyone present was left completely baffled as to what was going on.

Later that same evening, the pools began to form again from nowhere, and this time this phenomenon was joined by a violent, jolting rattling of various cutlery and pots and pans around the kitchen. In addition to this, the whole area was sprayed with tea as some unseen force repeatedly depressed the button on the tea dispenser with great force and increasing speed. The cupboards and furniture of the kitchen also began to vibrate and move about without explanation or apparent cause. This was all followed by a thunderous bang from the outside hallway, but when they looked to see what it could be nothing was there, even though the hallway light began to turn on and off by itself even as they surveyed it. It was further noticed that a plant that was normally positioned at the foot of the stairs was now inexplicably sitting at the top of the stairs, and neither of them had moved it.

As they examined the hall, the crockery and cupboards in the kitchen began to vibrate again with greater vigor, and Kelley was once again brought over to observe the frightening show for herself. The activity once again died down, but when a heavy chest of drawers began to sway on its own volition later that night, both Philip and his grandmother packed a few things and headed to a neighbor’s house for the night, terrified of what was going on. Interestingly, by the time the rest of the family returned from their trip the strange phenomena seemed to have stopped. At the time they all thought that there had to be some normal explanation for what had happened, especially as there were no further disturbances. Indeed, it would not be for another 2 years that anything else out of the ordinary would happen on the premises, but when it did it did so with a vengeance.

Interior of the house

The long period of silence made it all the more shocking when pools of water started forming again all over the house, furniture was moved or rattled on its own, odd green foam would seep out of water taps, loud thuds and bangs would sound out from all over the house, doors would slam open or shut by themselves, and more ominously, family portraits and furniture would be found demolished or slashed and disfigured as with a knife. There were also unidentified sickening odors that would waft through the home, as well as anomalous noises including heaving breathing and, oddly, the sound of barnyard animals. Such things happened nearly everyday, and it all became so commonplace that the family took to calling the invisible entity “Fred,” putting an innocuous nickname to the faceless and gradually threatening intruder.

All of this steadily graduated in intensity, with things being smashed or broken by unseen hands, or objects flying across the room even in the presence of guests. Indeed, whenever people came over the phenomena seemed to actually get worse and more violent, and this apparently even happened in the presence of local police officers and the town vicar, leaving everyone dumbfounded and authorities unable to find any rational explanation. In particular Dianne seemed to be targeted, often waking up to the sound of heavy breathing or undefined voices in her ears, and there were times when she was allegedly downright physically assaulted by the entity, such as being pushed, having her hair pulled, and even on several occasions being dragged across the room. The entity was not above lashing out at others as well, and reports of being held down, pushed, slapped, or punched by the specter were common, even from those just visiting.

The phenomena seemed to work in cycles, with times when this would happen on a daily basis interspersed with long absences, sometimes for weeks at a time, but return it always did. In the face of the escalating malevolent activity, the Pritchard family reached out to the Church for help, and there were several exorcisms performed on the house, all of which seemed to just make the spirit even angrier. During these attempted exorcisms crucifixes were supposedly knocked out of hands or smashed to pieces, and inverted crosses were sometimes found painted or scrawled upon the walls in red and black ink, neither of which were kept in the house. In one particularly frightening incident an invisible force picked up a candlestick and held it in front of the priest’s face, which was enough to send the man of the cloth running away to never come back.

In addition to this, the malicious spirit began to make itself known and visible as a full apparition. At first these visitations took the form of Jean and Joe waking in the middle of the night to see a dark shape standing at the foot of their bed staring at them, which would then blink out of existence. On another occasion, Joe claimed to have awoken to see a figure in flowing black robes hovering over his bed. This strange entity was more often than not described this way, as dressed in black robes and with a hood covering his face, not unlike what a medieval monk might wear and which would earn the wraith the nickname “The Black Monk.”

Before long the Black Monk was seen lurking about by everyone in the family, and was even claimed to have been spotted prowling the property by neighbors and other locals. To make it all even creepier, the phantom would sometimes change things up by appearing wearing women’s fur gloves. Through this all it seemed to still have it in for the daughter Diane, and its attacks on her grew in ferocity. The girl would sometimes wake up with scratches and bruises on her body or be completely thrown from her bed, and on at least one occasion was actively choked and slapped around by an unseen force in full view of witnesses, who were often themselves not immune to these outbursts. Perhaps the scariest incident happened when Diane’s hair was seen to stand up as if someone were pulling and yanking on it, after which the girl was forcefully dragged up the stairs screaming.

The desperate family had paranormal investigators called in, and some interesting things were found out on the history of the land the house sat upon. For instance, investigator Tom Cuniff found that not only had the area once been the site of a battle, but also that it had once been used as the town gallows, and that hundreds of people had been executed here. In particular, there was supposedly a Cluniac monk who had met his end by hanging here, after being found guilty of raping and killing a young girl around Diane’s age back in the 16th century, and Cuniff believed that this was the spirit haunting the home.

Strangely, despite all of the intense paranormal activity that permeated this home, it would all one day suddenly cease just as abruptly as it had started. The weeks would go on with the family bracing for the Black Monk to rear his sinister head yet again, but it was completely quiet for no apparent reason, as if he had just gotten bored and stopped. The Pritchards would nevertheless eventually move out, and the house would go on to be a popular destination for paranormal investigators, several of whom would apparently uncover the fact that indeed the Black Monk was still around and as active as ever, perhaps perturbed by new trespassers to his domain.

A very well-known and harrowing investigation of the premises was carried out by seasoned paranormal researchers Nick Groff and Katrina Weidman, of the TV series Paranormal Lockdown, who recklessly decided to actually spend a few days locked up inside of the home, and almost as soon as the doors closed there were purportedly strange goings on. It started with a sense of an indefinable dread and a door being slammed shut almost immediately, which could have been attributed to a draft if it weren’t for what would transpire over the next 100 hours. Groff would say of his initial impression of the house thus:

Right when we stepped on the property it felt different. There’s an energy about it. When you take a step into that location it’s haunting, it really is, without anything really even occurring you just feel it, you feel the energy and the sense that something is there lurking in the shadows.

They would go on to be woken by slamming or banging noises in the house, and the next day they actually reached out to the entity, called it Fred, and asked if it would move a ball. Sure enough, the ball apparently began rolling across the floor of its own volition. It all almost seemed rather playful at first, but then things started to get knocked off of stands, thrown across the room, or broken, and a clock dropped off the wall. When Groff reached out to ask the spirit “Do you need a lot of energy [to move things]?,” it was captured in an EVP recording saying in Latin “desperata,” meaning “hopeless.”

On top of this, whenever the team asked the entity something it would remain silent, but the room temperature would drop dramatically. In addition, a shadowy figure was allegedly filmed moving across a room, and the nighttime noises occurred with increased amplification. To make it all even more menacing, a knife was inexplicably left on the stairs, and the crew began to complain of being pushed or shoved by something, with the co-host Katrina actually claiming to have been held in place, attacked, and scratched. Groff would say:

We’ve captured this solid figure moving past one of the doors, things moving on their own. My co-host Katrina, she got scratched too at one point so it got really scary as it escalated through our investigation of a hundred hours. When I was living there for 100 hours there were moments when I was terrified, like when I was sleeping and I was really deep in sleep. And anybody, I don’t care how strong you are or how big you are, you will be startled in the darkness, and you’re all alone, and something bangs really loud in the room and the door opens on its own, and you see an apparition – you’re going to get startled.

Other researchers have had similarly bizarre experiences on the property, with numerous instances of the ghost’s voice caught on tape and quite a few pieces of photographic evidence as well. Many of these investigators have expressed shock at the sheer magnitude of sinister paranormal activity at the residence, with some even claiming that they actually feared for their lives while there, and the Black Monk has earned a reputation for being one of the most violent and evil poltergeists around. Another pair of investigators from the TV show Ghost Dimension said:

When we arrived at the house I had been so excited to finally be filming at 30 East Drive. I had heard so many stories about what went on here through the 60s and seen so many photos of monk-like figures. We had never experienced so many paranormal happenings going in one place and in such quick succession.

The house itself was purchased by a man named Phillip Pritchard and later sold to the British advertiser and film producer Bil Bungay, who turned it into a sort of macabre tourist destination. He would later have the story made into the 2012 horror film When The Lights Go Out, directed by Pat Holden, and which is loosely based on the real events. The film crew apparently had quite a few paranormal experiences making the movie, which was supposedly partly filmed on location, and to this day it has remained a hotspot for debate, discussion, and investigation.

There have of course been plenty of allegations that this was all a hoax or a publicity stunt, and that there was never any haunting at all. However, this ignores the fact that the whole town knew of this haunting, and it was witnessed by numerous people, including neighbors, friends, police officers, and at least two priests. So concentrated was the haunting and so violent, that the case of the Black Monk of Pontefract has gone on to become one of the most well-documented and aggressive hauntings England has ever seen, with the house this day said to be ground zero for all manner of strange happenings. Whatever is going on here, be that an expansive hoax or a very angry and vehement spirit, the case has never been solved.

[somar78]

A Brief History of the Austin-Healey Sprite – Everything You Need To Know

Introduction

The Austin-Healey Sprite’s most famous and perhaps most endearing feature was its uncanny resemblance to Kermit the Frog: and in fact both the car and the puppet were created around the same time with Kermit making his first appearance in 1955 and the “Frogeye” Sprite entering production and making its first public appearance in 1958.

Despite the sports car and Kermit sharing a similarly cute “Frogeye” character to the best of our knowledge Kermit has never owned or driven one, but perhaps he will one day.

The Background to the Austin-Healey Sprite’s Story

In 1952 a number of British car makers, including Austin, Morris, Wolesley, Riley, and MG, were merged together to form the British Motor Corporation. This merger pretty much ensured the survival of a number of British car names that would otherwise have quietly disappeared but also came at the cost of a merging not only of the companies, but also of designs.

This essentially meant that BMC would make a number of pretty much identical models but put different name badges on them along with different grilles and trim, thus rationalizing production and new model development costs. It was into this environment that the Austin-Healey Sprite was created, but in its first iteration it was created as a unique model, only to be “badge engineered” for the Mark II and subsequent models.

The Austin-Healey partnership also occurred in 1952 beginning at the London Earls Court Motor Show of that year. Leonard Lord of Austin was trying to find the right car for Austin to build and export to the United States to make lots of lovely money with while independent sports car maker Donald Healey had rather sensibly created a sports car based primarily on commonly available and affordable Austin parts.

Donald Healey’s car was called the “Healey 100” and when Leonard Lord saw it and realized the potential he and Donald Healey got together over dinner and entered into a partnership to build the cars under the Austin banner as the Austin-Healey 100. It was this partnership that paved the way for the creation of the smaller and much cheaper Austin-Healey Sprite.

Image: Leonard Lord (left) and Donald Healy sitting in an Austin-Healey 100/4.

Although the Austin-Healey 100 was a beautiful high performance car it was also expensive and BMC management understood that they needed a budget model which would sell in much greater numbers.

To this end, Donald Healey’s team were involved in creating a smaller sports car based on parts available from existing Austin and Morris models. Not only were they to create a new low cost small sports car but also to pioneer unibody construction rather than using a body on chassis design like the Austin-Healey 100.

The Austin-Healey Sprite’s Story Begins -1958 to 1961

The mechanical components that the Austin-Healey Sprite was to be built around began with the Austin “A Series” engine of 948cc capacity and fitted with twin SU 1⅛” carburetors producing 43hp @ 5,200rpm with torque of 52lb/ft @ 3300 rpm.

This engine was the same one as used in the diminutive Austin A35 which might not seem to be an inspiring vehicle unless you realize that the A35 van was a favorite of Formula 1 legend James Hunt.

The gearbox was a stock four-speed BMC unit with synchromesh on the top three gears while the excellent rack and pinion steering came from the Morris Minor 1000.

The suspension came from the Austin A35 which had a fully independent front with coil springs and lever shock absorbers and a half-elliptic leaf spring live axle at the rear, which for the Sprite was to have top links for stability.

These mechanical parts were the foundation handed over to Healey’s body and chassis designer Barry Bilbie. Bilbie was tasked with creating a rigid open sports car unibody, and with making it affordable.

His design was to be the first mass-production sports car with a unibody and his basic design was used for the Austin-Healey Sprite (and its badge engineered sibling the MG Midget) right up to the end of production of the last model.

Image: The Austin-Healey Sprite unibody chassis.

Barry Bilbie’s unibody design was based around front and rear bulkheads joined by “Top Hat” sill sections, reinforced by body stiffeners and the central transmission tunnel, all mounted onto a floorpan. The rear suspension forces were directed through the floorpan while the front suspension and engine/transmission were supported by two front chassis legs (meaning the design was not a full monocoque).

To obtain the right levels of stiffness the unibody was designed without an opening boot lid, so access to the boot was obtained by lifting the driver and passenger seats forward and then reaching into the luggage space.

This was somewhat inconvenient but at least meant that there was no boot lid for thieves to prise open, although unless the car was fitted with a hard top it could not be secured in any event. The bonnet/hood was the complete opposite with the wings and bonnet made as one piece and hinged at the rear so the whole thing lifted up to make access to the engine as easy as it gets.

The styling of the Sprite was done by Healey’s body designer Gerry Coker and the little car was made as aerodynamic as possible, complete with retracting headlights that would fold flat when not in use. As originally conceived the Coker styling was impressively clean and aesthetic.

Unfortunately the retracting headlights were one of the first casualties of BMC cost cutting and so the Sprite was given its Kermit the Frog lookalike “eyes” along with a nice friendly smiling front grille. Americans seem to have decided that the car looked rather like Jiminy Cricket from the movie “Pinnochio” and so they decided to call it a “Bugeye”.

BMC’s other effort at cost cutting involved reducing the thickness of the steel in structural areas of Barry Bilbie’s design for the first prototype. Upon testing the prototype at the Motor Industry Research Association facility however it was discovered that the prototype made with thinner than specified steel suffered from deformation and so the BMC engineers had to concede that Bilbie had got it right and they restored his original design specifications.

The little Austin-Healey Sprite was first made public on the 20th May 1958 in Monaco, in the wake of the Monaco Grand Prix. The car was made to be a modern successor to the Austin 7, a car that such notables as Bruce McLaren (of McLaren Racing Team) and Graham Chapman (of Lotus Cars) had both begun their motorsport careers with. The Sprite was said to be sufficiently small that “A chap could keep one in his bike shed”.

While the performance was not earth shattering, with its low seating position and diminutive proportions the Sprite felt fast and sounded fast, making it rather a lot of fun to drive. Its top speed was 82.9mph and it could accelerate from standing to 60mph in 20.5 seconds, so acceleration was not exactly neck snapping. The Sprite was quite miserly on fuel delivering no less than 43 miles to the imperial gallon (36 mpg US, 6.6 liters per 100 km).

While these performance figures might not be impressive by comparison with expensive high powered sports cars the little Sprite was an affordable way to get into motorsport at a club level just as the Austin 7 had been.

A bit of an industry was established making performance parts for the Sprite, notably by people such as John Sprinzel, Speedwell Motor Company and WSM. BMC were very quick to promote the car for motorsport by entering the 1959 Alpine Rally and achieving a class win. Following on from that was a trip “across the pond” to the United States where they achieved a first, second, and third trifecta class win at Sebring.

The Sebring Sprites

The 1959 Sebring Sprites were specially prepared by Donald Healey’s son Geoffery at Healey’s Cape Works in Warwick. the cars were fitted with larger SU 1¼” carburetors and prototype Dunlop disc brakes all around along with wire wheels.

The gearboxes for the cars were racing close ratio straight cut crash boxes and the cars were fitted with dual plate clutches. All this effort paid a handsome dividend in terms of publicity for the Austin-Healey Sprite in the United States and elsewhere.

Following on from the demand created by the Sebring success Donald Healey began offering a special “Sebring” modification package for the Austin-Healey Sprite targeted at those who wanted to use their car in competition.

These cars were fitted with a new Girling hydraulic braking system with “Type 9″ 8½” front disc brakes and 8″ drums at the rear. From 1960 onwards this work was being done by the Healey Speed Equipment Division at a small London workshop in Grosvenor Street.

A variety of kits and special equipment for the Sprite was made such as the Speedwell GT version which featured an aluminum coupe body created by aerodynamicist Frank Costin and made by Williams & Pritchard.

John Sprinzel featured prominently in these cars having been joint partner with Graham Hill in Speedwell Performance Conversions Ltd. before he went to work for a while in charge of the Healey Speed Equipment Division before leaving them and setting up his own business located in Lancaster Mews in December 1960.

The Sprinzel Sebring Sprites became much sought after at that time and have become a rare collector’s item in the decades since.

The Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II and MG Midget – 1961 to 1964

The Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II was introduced in May 1961 and although it was not mechanically greatly different to the original Sprite it was given a significantly different appearance, an appearance that the Sprite would keep until production ended in later years.

The Kermit the Frog look was gone and the Mark II was given conventional front wings/fenders with the headlights mounted in them, and a separate bonnet/hood. This made access to the engine less easy but made the look of the car much less controversial.

At the rear the car had conventional rear wings and a boot lid, making the process of stashing and retrieving things from the boot much easier and not at all like descending into a small dark cave as had previously been the case.

The provision of an opening boot required some structural changes including squared off rear wheel arches to provide enough steel for adequate stiffness of that rear part of the car. Front brakes were discs while at the rear were drums, and wire wheels were available as an optional extra.

The engine was kept the same except for the fitting of larger 1¼” SU carburetors and delivered 46hp @ 5,500 rpm with torque of 53 lb/ft @ 3,000rpm. This engine was only fitted until October 1962 when it was changed to a 1,098cc version of the Austin “A Series” producing 56hp @ 5,500rpm and torque of 62lb/ft @ 3,250rpm.

For the Mark II the four speed gearbox was changed and the new one was fitted with “baulk ring” synchromesh on its top three gears, first being left without back in those days when the British were rather averse to giving a driver synchromesh on first gear.

From its inception this version of the Austin-Healey Sprite was also sold “badge engineered” as the MG Midget, resurrecting a name that had been used on MG models since the 1930’s. The MG Midget would go on to outsell the Sprite by a significant margin despite the fact that the two cars were pretty much identical except for the badges on them.

The Mark III Sprite and Mark II MG Midget  – 1964 to 1966

The Mark II Austin-Healey Sprite and its near identical sibling the Mark II MG Midget were subject to subtle changes and were manufactured from 1964-1966. The windscreen was changed and given quarter lights to go with the wind-up windows and external door handles with locks were also fitted.

The suspension of the car remained mostly the same but with the change to semi-elliptic rear leaf springs for the rear axle and elimination of the top links. This gave the car a more comfortable ride although possibly at the cost of some of the directness in the handling.

Engine power was slightly improved being 59hp @ 5,750rpm with torque of 65lb/ft @ 3,500rpm.

The Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite at Le Mans 1965

BMC was very active in motorsport during the 1960’s with the Morris Mini becoming a dominant force on the international rally circuit. Even the ponderous Austin 1800 was rebuilt into a rally car for the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon (Australia) rally and achieved second and fifth places despite being up against Australia’s V8 “supercars” in the form of a few GM Holden Monaros and Ford Falcon GTs.

But neither the Morris Mini nor the “land crab” Austin 1800 were suitable candidates for a crack at the 24 Hours Le Mans, for that job BMC decided to create a special version of the Austin-Healey Sprite (aka the MG Midget).

The bodywork for the Le Mans cars was created by Barry Bilbie using the new wind tunnel facility at Austin’s Longbridge factory. The sleek little aerodynamic body was made at Healey’s Warwick workshops in best of British “Birmabright” aluminum alloy, an alloy that was used on everything from the humble Land Rover up to the James Bond Aston Martin.

The engine of the Le Mans cars was increased in capacity to 1,293cc and rather substantially tweaked by the mavens of BMC’s Courthouse Green workshop so by the time they were done it produced almost double the power of the factory road car at 110 hp.

This engine was mated to a purpose-rebuilt MGB gearbox, some of which were fitted with an external fifth gear overdrive. The end result of all this boffin creativity was a car that could make 150 mph on Mulsanne Straight and that could keep up its performance for the full 24 hours of the Le Mans race. The Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite, driven by Paul Hawkins and John Rhodes, achieved a 12th place outright at the 1965 Le Mans.

Competition prepared Austin-Healey Sebring Sprites would go on to achieve class wins at Sebring driven by such notables as Steve McQueen, Sir Stirling Moss, and Bruce McLaren. The would also compete in many other events such as the Targa Florio.

The Mark IV Sprite and Mark III MG Midget – 1966 to 1971

The Mark IV Austin-Healey Sprite and its Mark III MG Midget stablemate were introduced in October 1966 at the London Earls Court Motor Show and had some substantial changes from the previous models. One of the most welcome was that the removable soft top was replaced with a folding soft top that did not need to be removed and stowed in the boot/trunk. The interior was also upgraded and gained the luxury of reclining seats.

The engine was changed to the same basic engine as used in the high performance Mini Cooper but in a slightly down-tuned version, which BMC said was to ensure better reliability. Many enthusiasts would of course have had their cars brought up to a higher state of tune as an aftermarket improvement.

The new engine was still an Austin “A Series” but with a capacity of 1,275cc producing 65hp @ 6,000rpm and torque of 72lb/ft @ 3,000rpm. At this stage of automotive history however the US was regulating emissions and so that larger engine was to be fitted with power sapping smog pumps etc.

Also in response to regulatory moves in the US the brake and clutch hydraulic systems were improved. In 1969 the car’s electrical system was changed from the dynamo and 12 volt positive earth system of the previous models to having a much preferable alternator and 12 volt negative earth electrical system. The cars were also fitted with reversing lights. This was the last year the Sprite would be exported to the United States.

1968 saw the merging of BMC into the British Leyland aglomerate with the result that the Mark IV Austin-Healey Sprite and Mark III MG Midget were given some stylistic changes in 1970. The appearance of the Sprite and Midget was brought even closer together so they really were best described as “Spridgets”. These cars had new badge work and the body sills were painted matte black, something that actually gave the car an even more eye catching stylishness. The 1970 cars were also fitted with new steel wheels made to look a bit like alloy wheels.

In 1971 the agreement between Donald Healey and Austin expired and so cars made after that time ceased to carry the Austin-Healey name, but were instead branded as the Austin Sprite for the last 1,022 cars manufactured. The MG Midget would continue in production until 1980.

Conclusion

The Austin-Healey Sprite was a “Little car that could” and it proved to be an unpretentious truckload of fun, an affordable entry into the world of motorsport, and an affordable sports car that a chap could not only keep in his bike shed, but a car that he could get a great deal of enjoyment from tweaking and fixing.

This was a car that really gave an owner a portal into customizing and personalizing their car to really make it everything that their imagination, and wallet, could accommodate. Over the years this hasn’t changed and the Austin-Healey Sprite, whichever model is chosen, still provides the same potential for simple enjoyment whether you just want to drive it, or personalize it, or use it for motorsport in club or higher level competition.

The old saying says “Good things come in small packages”, an Austin-Healey Sprite is a lot of car in a rather small package.

Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s, BMC, and British Leyland.

  The post A Brief History of the Austin-Healey Sprite – Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Silodrome.

source https://silodrome.com/history-austin-healey-sprite/

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

LGBTQIA+ Historical Romances for Valentine’s Day

Rainbow Bouquet: an anthology from Manifold Press (Released on 2/14/19)

- Authors featured are Harry Robertson, Edward Ahern, Victoria Zammit, Erin Horáková, Cheryl Morgan, Sarah Ash, Kathleen Jowitt, Sean Robinson, Garrick Jones and MJ Logue, and the settings vary from a mediaeval monastery to the 'final frontier', give or take the odd supernatural realm along the way. Stories of love in the past, present and future - all as fascinating in their variety as love itself.

The Auspicious Troubles of Chance by Charlie Cochet (An MC named Valentine is cheating, but…)

- The Auspicious Troubles of Love: Book One Chance Irving is a young man with a gift for getting into trouble—not surprising, as trouble is all he’s ever known. After losing everything he held dear one fateful night, he decides to leave New York and his past behind, and joins the French Foreign Legion. But even in Algiers, Chance can’t seem to shake his old ways, and he ends up being transferred to a unit made up of misfits and rabble-rousers like him—a unit he finds just in time to be captured and thrown into a cell with his new commandant, Jacky Valentine. A highly respected commandant with a soft spot for hard luck cases, Jacky is the kind of guy who would go to war for you, and the three equally troubled youths from his unit he’s more or less adopted feel the same way about him. Suddenly Chance starts to think that his life doesn’t have to be as desolate and barren as the wastelands around him. But even after their escape, with the promise of a future with Jacky to buoy his spirits, or maybe because of it, Chance can’t stop making mistakes. He disobeys orders, lashes out at the boys in Jacky’s care, and blazes a trail of self-destruction across the desert—until someone makes him realize he’s hurting more than just himself. A Timeless Dreams title: While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma.

Will and the Valentine Saint by Summer Devon and Bonnie Dee (Victorian Holiday Hearts Book 2) (This is possibly the sweetest story in the series, though they are all charming.)

- A Valentine bonbon from Devon/Dee. Will Andrews wishes to escape the craziness of his bohemian family and create some order in his life. Hiding his eccentric theater background and presenting false letters of recommendation, he interviews for a position at a legal aid society. The last thing he expects is to fall hard for his genteel employer, Hugh St. John. When Hugh needs a secretary, one magnetic candidate draws him. Will Andrews shares his vision for the Society and is also the most attractive man he’s ever met. But Hugh has never even kissed a man and would never throw himself at an employee. As the pair plans a Valentine charity dinner, they grow ever closer to surrendering to Cupid’s arrow. But when Will’s false credentials and true background are revealed, can Hugh forgive his lies and omissions? Can fragile romance blossom into true love after trust is broken?

Aunt Adeline’s Bequest by Amy Durreson (Part of the A Valentine Rainbow series)

- One snowy evening, wounded WWI veteran Jasper Pritchard arrives at Valentine Nugent’s sweet shop with an unusual request. Jasper’s deceased great-aunt has left him a fortune, along with a box of indiscreet letters she wants returned to the writer, and the only clue is a tin sold in Valentine’s shop over twenty years ago. As they search the shop’s records and uncover a love story from long ago, they find far more than the answer to the mystery. A part of the “A Valentine Rainbow” set of 14 holiday stories.

How to Talk to Nice English Girls by Gretchen Evans (Releases on 2/14/19)(f/f!)

- In the aftermath of The Great War, everything is changing. But not for Marian Fielding. Marian’s life is quiet and predictable in the solitude of the English countryside, where she plans to remain and care for her parents. But Marian’s world is turned upside down when she meets brash, confident Katherine Fuller. Katherine arrives at the Fieldings’ estate for the wedding of Marian’s sister and immediately shakes things up. Instead of keeping an eye on the ill-mannered American girl and keeping her out of trouble, Marian finds herself magnetically drawn to Katherine’s vivacious nature, and they are swept into a whirlwind romance that will change both of their lives. But will Katherine’s unconventional behavior ruin their chance at happiness? Can Marian leave her old life behind? Will two women from different worlds find a way to be together against all odds and expectations?

The Princess’s Valentine by KT Grant (Pirates of Flaundia #2.5) (f/f!)

- Daisy and her ex-pirate wife of one year have created a wonderful life together on an island paradise, after many years of separation and heartache. Daisy worries that Chelsey has become bored and misses her life on the open seas. When she catches Chelsey in the arms of another, she runs away with a broken heart. Chelsey made the mistake of trusting an unscrupulous individual who ended up playing a cruel joke on her. Now she must regain Daisy’s trust before their relationship is ruined forever. She uses abduction and seduction to claim her princess’s heart and soul again.

Eidolon by Jordan L Hawk (Whyborne & Griffin 1.5)

- Griffin Flaherty wants nothing more than to create a perfect Valentine’s Day for his lover, Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne. Dinner at a fancy restaurant, an evening at the theater, and a romantic interlude at home should do the trick. But a new client with an urgent case puts Griffin’s plans in jeopardy. A magic talisman has been stolen, and if it isn’t returned by sundown, it may unleash disaster not only on the thief but the innocents around him. Can Whyborne and Griffin track down the thief and return the amulet by nightfall, or will dinner reservations become the least of their worries?

In Trouble with Angels by Felicity Ivey (Part of the A Valentine Rainbow series)

- With the increasing commercialization of Valentine’s Day in the 1950s, the Pagan deities of Love, led by Eros, gather to make sure everything runs smoothly. Shy, quiet angel Shateiel offers help, and Eros is quite taken with the cute angel, though he keeps his lust to himself. When the higher-level angels discover Shateiel’s little rebellious streak and how he’s been spending his time, they intervene to keep him from falling from grace. Now, Eros may wish he’d admitted his feeling before it was too late.

Paper Valentine - by AJ Llewellyn

- London, 1840. At the height of Victorian hypocrisy, two men meet and fall in love. Their romance is forbidden, punishable even by death, but their passion blossoms thanks to a paper Valentine.Saint Valentine s Day has become a new and very popular day for lovers. Thousands of Londonites are clamouring for the ideal romantic gift. While men buy chocolate and posies, they yearn for something more unusual, more personal. Enterprising brothers Aldon and Samuel Barnaby hit upon the idea of paper Valentines, creating lavish presentations decorated with silk, lace, and paper flowers.Aldon is fortunate to have his perfect valentine going to his expectant wife, Geneve, but Samuel still longs for his own true love, pouring his heart and soul into his beautiful creations. Samuel s romantic verses inside his paper Valentines are in huge demand, yet not a single local girl can lay claim to his heart because his passion lies not in a woman, but another man Jude, a handsome but shy widower.Jude’s heart, haunted by grief, hasn’t been ready to consider marriage again. But slowly, through his inclusion in the Barnaby family’s lives…and his frequent excursions to stop and stare at the Barnabys shop window…he begins to wonder in what direction his future lies.Can Samuel possibly allow his heart to explore love with another man? Could Jude ever love him in return? He sends Jude an exquisite, anonymous paper Valentine, not suspecting that his entire world is about to be turned upside down.

Rooks and Romanticide by J I Radke (Turning Valentine’s Day theme upside down with this one!)

- In an alternate world, Romeo and Juliet are gunslingers. Verona gives way to a steampunk Victorian London. The victims of turf wars are dumped in an alley they call Lovers’ Lane, and the moment the son of his family’s enemy touches his face, Cain’s revenge is poisoned by love. Fate would have it no other way.

Levi Ruslaniv is the heir to the Ruslaniv family gang, but ridiculous ancient feuds do not interest him. Cain Dietrich’s vengeful hatred for the Ruslaniv family is rooted deep, since he believes the Ruslanivs arranged for the murder of his parents. But his encounter with Levi pierces him deeper than hatred ever could.

With bullets and blazes of glory, schemes, spies, and pack mentalities, loyalty runs as deep in the veins as passion or revenge, and there is only one way to end the fighting. From the start it was inevitable—a bloodstained fate for children with bloodstained hands, and the streets of New London will never be the same.

Madcap Masquerade by Persephone Roth (The MC is Valentine, but this is such a sweet read, I had to include it on this list. Val is naive is some ways, but has a lot to teach too, in this May/December staple of the genre.)

- The Randwick family is as noble as any but lives in greatly reduced circumstances. When Loel Woodbine, Duke of Marche and heir to three fortunes, makes an offer for Miss Valeria Randwick’s hand, it seems like a godsend, but the young lady has already promised her heart to another—and a commoner, at that.Desperate to avoid the marriage, Valeria concocts a wild scheme that depends upon the good graces of her monastery-raised brother, Valentine. When the prospective groom sees through the ruse, he surprises Valentine by agreeing to cooperate. But can Marche and Valentine fool London society while dealing with an accusation of murder and the distracting fascination between them?

A Timeless Dreams title: While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma.

The Winter Triangle by Nikki Woolfolk (Novella prequel to Sweet & Steamy series)(f/f)(POC MC)(Wonderful piece, with some comedy and flirting, as well as a dose of intrigue in an alt steampunk version of Victorian WV.)

- In the town of Stubborn, West Virginia, 1880, happily single Cassandra Holloway has decided to come out to her father, Walter, on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Before she can reveal being a woman of “two-spirits” her well-intentioned, but offspring obsessed father has set her up on another blind date with someone named Morgan. When Cassandra attempts to cancel the date she is faced with a first. She must choose between a beautiful, deaf Astronomy Professor at the local University or the Professors’ handsome sign-language interpreter— both named Morgan. With a comedy filled evening that Cassandra’s cupid playing father could not have planned, she must make a choice as the sun rises on Valentine’s Day. Which Morgan will be her Valentine? 

[colleydogstar]

Question 500, Rhodie. You've come a long way since starting here, but tell us what did you do after leaving Pritchard's side following your reconciling in the showers?

A Letter Home

“And they made it just like he told them to this morning? Thanks,” Rhodie told the servant before closing the door to her guest room. She walked across the room, sitting down at the small table, and setting her coffee next to the stacks of drawings and rough draft maps she had spent the previous night working on. Rhodie had stayed with Pritchard for a couple minutes after the hug, but left to give him some privacy as he showered and cleaned up.

She buried her face in her hands, part of it at least. It was harder to cover your entire face when part of it stuck out so far from the rest. How had the morning started off so… simple.. and yet got so insane in such a short span of time? First the argument in the dining hall, and everything leading up to that fight. The things she said this morning, the anger she felt, she thought she had been able to wrangle in her frustrations. Clearly, that was not the case.

Rhodie sat with her thoughts, she wasn’t really sure how long had passed when she finally reached for the coffee, but it was clear it had been long enough for it to start to cool. Still, damn fine coffee. She looked at the papers in front of her. Pulling one over, she grabbed a pen and began to write…

Dear Mom,

It’s been a while since we last talked, but I wanted to let you know that I am in fact OK. I’m not dead, or mangled, or anything like that. The last month has been crazy, and I mean in ways that you would not even be able to imagine. But I wanted to let you know I’m fine, I’m still alive and kicking. Just not where you think I am.

A little over a month ago I woke up here, wherever here technically is in the grand universal scheme. Maybe it’s another dimension, reality, timeline, I’m not sure. But it’s… here. This place. Sort of like someone took Earth’s Industrial Age and poured a bucket of Tolkein on it. Sounds kinda awesome from that aspect, and maybe it is a little, but it also really freaked me out first. Still is a little, I think. I’ve been trying to adapt, and it’s taken some turns I wouldn’t expect. Good chance you wouldn’t recognize me right now. Heck, I’m just getting to where I recognize myself, to be honest. 

I’m not alone, so don’t worry there. I’ve made friends here, really damn good ones.

First off, there’s Sgt. Donnel. Old, gruff, leader-dad type. You know the military guy you used to do work for back when we first moved to California? Kind of like him, but way harrier. Keeps things running smoothly when possible, looks out for the rest of us. He’s stern, but you can start to see under that shell the more you get to know him. He’s teaching me, a lot, maybe more than he realizes at times. He’s a good guy, I think dad and him would have gotten along well.

There’s Salicia, and I know for a fact the two of you could talk plants and nature for hours together. Friendliest person I’ve met here, and someone I’ve come to rely on to help keep me grounded when I start feeling out of sorts. She seems to show up at the right moment, or have something encouraging to say. Sort of like having a big sister around, which I have to admit I am really growing to enjoy. I think she’s liking have someone new around as well.

Then there’s Pritchard. Pritchard is… 

Rhodie stopped writing for a moment, biting her lip as she thought.

Wonderful. Absolutely, positively, wonderful. His patience, his wisdom, willingness to teach and listen when I have questions, the things he has done for me, mom, you couldn’t imagine. I like him. I like him in a way I haven’t felt about someone in a good while. It’s a nice feeling, and maybe if I play my cards right, something nice may happen in the future. I really wish I could introduce you to him.

There are some others, Ember, still getting to know her, but she and I have already realized we have a lot in common. More so than a lot of people here. She’s been doing this a lot longer, knows the ins and outs, but has been giving me what advice she can. She understands me a lot more than the others, and I’m glad to at least be able to talk with her when the chance allows.

Then there’s the Meister Silberschmidt, whose home we’re staying in right now. Most of my friends work for him in some capacity, and it seems that I might be doing so as well if I stick around with them. In a good way though, so I’m not too worried. He is not what I expected him to be. Honestly, I’m not even sure where to start with him. He’s sort of that in-between area where you’re not sure if you’re pissing him off, or he’s just going over a thousand different things in his mind. His methods are… questionable… but they seem to get the job done. The region he runs seems prosperous, and the people of the town we’re in seem happy. So there’s that at least. It will definitely be the most interesting employment I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.

We butted heads a few too many times these past days, but that might be more my fault than anything. Still, the conversations I’ve had with him have been rather enlightening, and I hope to get his council in the future should I need it.The thing is, he said something the other night that’s been sticking in my mind. 

“You’re struggling.” Now he meant this in regards to something else, but he isn’t wrong. I am. I have been since day one arriving here. Any time I think I’ve had it under control though, I seem to just lose it in a spectacular way. The changes, and there have been amazing ones, I’ve come to terms with. I can accept who I am at the moment, even if I don’t fully know what all that means just yet. I’ll get that in time.

I keep thinking about you, the family, my friends back home, and wondering how you all are doing. What did you all think happened to me? I keep thinking about what you might be going through. First you lost dad, now your only son, and every time I start going that route, I start to panic and freak out. And I can’t keep doing that, not when it causes me to want to curl into a fuzzy red ball until the panic passes.

So this is is me saying, I’m letting go. I’m going to have to have faith that you and everyone else are going to be OK, that you are going to move on. That all of you will find joy and happiness, and live out great days in the rest of your lives.

I will always miss all of you, but I have to change. Silberschmidt said that an Errantblood’s birthright is change, and this is one I have to make starting now. If I don’t, I will never be able to move forward in my new life, whatever may come in it.

Heh, you know, mom, it’s funny. The first proper letter I’ve sent you since college, and I know you’ll never be able to read it…Love,Rhodie

Rhodie put her pen down, and looked over the letter, rereading it. Carefully she folded it in half, and again, before she began to crumple the paper up into a ball in both hands. She held her knuckles against her forehead as she let out of yell, before throwing the crumpled paper into the trash can. Cupping the front of her muzzle with both hands, she took a series of steady breaths and got up from the table. She walked toward the door, she needed to get outside and get some fresh air.

[wariskind-rpg]

Sturgis Podmore

Age/Year: 22; Slytherin 1975 Affiliation: Order of the Phoenix Blood Status: Half-blood Occupation: Curse-Breaker FC: William Moseley

TRAITS

+ ambitious; resilient; resourceful – inhibited; methodical; self-centered

BIOGRAPHY

As an only child, Sturgis grew up under the watchful eyes of his half-blood mother and father. Since his birth, Lavinia and Patrick Podmore fostered a sense of self-awareness and responsibility in their son. They taught him to take charge of his life, and push his potential to the furthest point, but remain cognizant of his surroundings—what they were and who they were. Raising a child during the Knights of Walpurgis’ rise to power meant a natural worry. Despite Sturgis’s half-blood status, he was not safe; his safety was never guaranteed so long as these threats gained more fire. Thus, the Podmores encouraged their son to play the field, realize the cards dealt to him, and always think before he acts. As Sturgis aged, these qualities refined into cleverness, determination, and resiliency.

His sorting into Slytherin, and sharing a dorm with the likes of Walden Macnair and Rabastan Lestrange, tested Sturgis. Opportunities to join a mindless posse of Death Eater wannabes presented themselves to him frequently, and the potential to fall victim to their manipulative ways would have been easy. But Sturgis resisted. Although he never formally announced he despised these housemates (he considered himself too smart to be that hot-headed), his avoidance of them displayed clearly that he did not share their blood purist values. Despite the constant jabs and mockery that turned to threats, he grew firm in his beliefs. In Sturgis’s mind, he could only be as good as he pushed himself to be, and that had nothing to do with his blood status.

While his time at Hogwarts protected him from the brunt of war tension, the Podmores made efforts not to shield Sturgis from the growing terrors. They never believed in hiding him from reality; making him aware and mindful was protecting him, because he could then prepare for anything to cross his path. As Sturgis matured, his beliefs turned to anger—exasperation that people could hurt (or worse, kill) others from something as inconsequential as blood status. He felt irritated knowing there was little to nothing he could do to help. Sturgis knew his strengths, and in the unlikely chance the Department of Magic Law Enforcement would actually want him, he would certainly flounder. Moreover, his childhood pipe dream lay with curse-breaking, which surprisingly became his reality.

With an offer to become the mentee of Egypt’s preeminent curse-breaker, Sturgis considered it foolish to decline the offer; however, it also meant leaving behind his parents and friends with a war. While he doesn’t regret seizing the opportunity, Sturgis departed anxiously. His parents kept him informed as best they could, and he consumed the information as he dove head first into trainee curse-breaker work. He learned of ancient spells, old magic, how to unlock treasures riddled deep within spells, and how to break through anything deemed by most as impenetrable. There wasn’t a puzzle he couldn’t solve, nor a web of dark magic he couldn’t reverse. Within a year, he passed all examinations, and the organization qualified Sturgis as a full-fledged curse-breaker.

After a couple of years spent traveling to various locations (such as China, Latin America, and other parts of Africa), and calling home wherever he opened his tent, headquarters finally authorized Sturgis’s transfer back to the U.K. in late 1977, and arranged for his commute to various sites via portkey. Since returning home, he sees a much darker world, more than he ever imagined possible in such a short time span of being away. His surroundings scare him; he isn’t afraid to admit that. However, true to his nature, Sturgis remains constantly aware of his surroundings, which eventually resulted in him catching wind of suspicious activity in early 1978. Along with reporting the information to the DMLE, Sturgis made it his personal mission to uncover any information he could find. His dedication discovered a planned Death Eater attack involving nasty Runespoors, and he potentially saved the lives of many innocent witches and wizards. Not soon after, Alastor Moody offered him a place in Albus Dumbledore’s Order of the Phoenix. Sturgis accepted without a moment’s hesitation.

PLOT POINTS

I. While Sturgis’s knowledge of magical creatures isn’t incredibly impressive, his ability to uncover anything—be it relics, objects, and so on—is one of his strengths, considering his years of work as a Curse-Breaker. Admittedly, searching through the endless coasts of Britain for Murtlap late last year wasn’t high on Sturgis’s list of desires; however, Dumbledore believed that obtaining these beasts and having Order members, well, pickle and eat them could improve their resistance to jinxes. Now with jars full of captured Murtlap, his partner for the mission, Briar Pritchard, is attempting to safely pickle the creatures and use their tentacles to concoct Murtlap Essence. This could remedy members’ future wounds and avoid suspicious trips to St. Mungo’s. Despite Briar being the one with the potions expertise, and Sturgis’s part in this mission being essentially over, he still finds himself checking in rather regularly. It’s for the sake of the mission, of course, and the fact that he enjoys watching a project from start to finish. (It only has little to do with the company, of course.)

II. Although Sturgis assumed his frequent run-ins with Millicent Bagnold to be a result of similar schedules and dining preferences, he learned quickly that their encounters were quite intentional. As the witch revealed, she has been studying Sturgis for quite some time, evaluating his abilities and capabilities, and strengths and weaknesses. The Ministry bestowed upon Millicent an opportunity to head the DMLE’s new division, the Dark Force Defense League, and over the past few months she has investigated the most qualified witches and wizards to join. In particular, she invited Sturgis to join as the League’s personal curse-breaker, one who would battle and destroy some of the darkest magic created by You-Know-Who and his followers. While Sturgis is flattered and incredibly interested, he has his hesitations. For starters, it would mean leaving the Curse-Breakers—an organization that has treated him very well. Seldom would he travel, too. He also has strong concerns about working for the Ministry. Nevertheless, the opportunity could be incredibly advantageous for Sturgis’s career and involvement in the war.

OTHER CONNECTIONS

Algernon Flint: At an Order meeting a couple of months ago, Dumbledore broached the subject of recruiting another Squib, which followed with a suggestion to consider Algernon Flint. Although Sturgis had never met the man before, he had heard of him—quite frequently, actually, from his parents. As regular patrons of Wyvern’s Eye in Holyhead, where Algernon works as a chef, Lavinia and Patrick Podmore had become familiar with the Squib and regularly chatted at some point during their dinner. Naturally, Sturgis volunteered for the task, and has been joining his parents for their regular dining at Wyverns. While Sturgis feels he has a good sense of Algernon, and nothing appears alarming, he doesn’t know enough yet to report back to the Order. Currently, Sturgis is trying to devise a way to have casual “run ins” with Algernon, and hopefully get the information the Dumbledore needs.  

Briar Pritchard: Sturgis’s reputation for sharing the company of many, many witches precedes him. His methods hardly fail, and seldom does he endure a lonely night. Despite going through women quickly, he never lies to his conquests, nor tricks them into bed. Rather, Sturgis remains incredibly upfront about his disinterest in monogamy, and makes it clear that he only seeks a good shag, nothing more. Sure, there’s a few disgruntled former flames, but he reminds them of what he said when they first met: he’s a no-strings-attached sort of bloke. Always has been, always will be. At least, that’s what he thinks. The fact that he’s spent the better part of year shagging Briar Pritchard shouldn’t change his belief, and neither should the fact that he feels something for her that’s rather, well, complicated. It’s not love, no (albeit Sturgis has never been in love, so he certainly wouldn’t know the difference). It is, however, a fondness of some kind. It’s a feeling that both terrifies and excites Sturgis to his core.

Dorcas Meadowes: Since joining the Order last year, Sturgis has spent much of his time proving himself. There was a few members with concerns about where Sturgis’s loyalties lie, considering his former house and housemates. Instead of angrily denouncing their fears, he believed actions spoke louder than words, and he spent much of 1978 and 1979 volunteering for any and everything. He feels like his efforts have made a difference, and that fellow members of the Order value his opinion, which is why Sturgis plans to broach the subject of recruitment. Dorcas Meadowes has not only been his closest friend since childhood, but she is also a dignified, talented, and particularly fierce witch—one the Order would be lucky to have. Now his current mission is to relay to the members how recruiting Dorcas would be wildly advantageous.

FATE

Sturgis SURVIVES the FIRST WIZARDING WAR.

Sturgis Podmore is TAKEN.

[nightingveilxo]

Why Love Sherlock?

With all the recent posts about who really loves Sherlock, and what ship makes sense, I’ve been thinking of the main character himself. Besides the point that he is the central character, why does everyone want him in their ship?

Going back to the original template for the character, we were told he was meant to be “Byronesque”. It’s in the official guide, and even Benedict’s own mother questioned her son as being handsome enough for the role. She also said Benedict changes when he is playing Sherlock “I do get affected by it. There's a sense of being impatient. My mum says I'm much curter with her when I'm filming Sherlock” and "She sees a lot of me in Sherlock," Cumberbatch said, "which both makes her laugh and is slightly embarrassing. I suppose it’s my rushing around, my impatience." ( x )

Claire Pritchard-Jones:

"All Steven and Mark said to me was Byronesque. [She refers to Lord Byron]  They wanted him to look like a poet. […] he was a creature of the night, so he [Mark] wanted his complexion very pale.” Benedict’s rough time schedule didn’t make it easy for Claire. And for each new series she had to deal with what previous productions had left over. Moreover, Benedict’s hair had grown again for each new series to get the length everyone loves with Sherlock. ( x ) Because, of course Benedict is always fighting the curls.

In the pilot, we get the rooftop scene (complete with the gothic moon), and this close-up. We also get John’s fascinated response. Which he either looks around to make sure no one else sees him appreciating before succumbing to it or he looks around to see if anyone is sharing in it with him. You decide.

For the actual series, this was scaled back though, and the scene where Sherlock conversationally explains to Lestrade to put a blackout on the information revealed is removed, with the series version having Sherlock just making fun of NSY and dashing out to find the suitcase. Sherlock is portrayed as being more abrasive, and in both versions, John is left behind.

In the pilot version, John delays in going to meet back up with Sherlock at 221B, but when he finally gets into the cab to do so the driver asks if he’s in a hurry, and comments about how John looks “a bit wired”. John gets defensive about it, even as he rocks back and forth in need of the fix.

TRF Rooftop

Sherlock: No, stay exactly where you are. Don’t move. John: Alright. Sherlock: Keep your eyes fixed on me. Please, will you do this for me?

TSoT

Sherlock: It’s always you. John Watson, you keep me right. *Sherlock paradigm shift where he ignores Mycroft’s method that involves solving a puzzle, and uses John’s human attitude to save a life, so now the guests have TARGET written on them*

T6T

Lestrade: Yeah; and this one to a Doctor Barnicot in Holborn. Three in total. God knows who’d wanna do something like this. John: Yeah, well some people have that complex, don’t they – an idée fixe. *pointed look at Sherlock* They obsess over one thing and they can’t let it go.

Everyone gives up after three, but Sherlock is more concerned with why the culprit is only breaking the busts, not all images of Thatcher.

His Last Bow

Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age. There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind none the less, and a cleaner, better, stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.

John’s blog:

TRF

John: Um... Mmm, right, you... You told me once... that you weren't a hero. Umm, there were times I didn't even think you were human but let me tell you this, you were, uh, the best man and the most human... human being that I've ever known and no one will ever convince me that you told me a lie. That so... there. *pause* I was... I was so alone. And I owe you so much. *starts to leave, but then turns to add* Oh, please, there's just one more thing, right? One more thing. One more miracle, Sherlock, for me. Don't... be... dead. Would you, just for me, just stop it? Stop this.

Right, but how far does the Sherlock being based on a Byron template, actually go?

Byron might have been physically handsome, but he wasn’t a very nice person at all.

‘LORD BYRON, the poet who scandalised England with his hellraising exploits, was actually a psychopath, according to new research by a leading psychiatrist.

George Gordon, the sixth Baron Byron, was famed throughout Europe for the dramatic personal style of his poetry and his biting satires. He also became notorious for his dissolute way of life, propelled by drink and drugs, which led to a broken marriage, claims that he slept with hundreds of women - and debts equivalent to at least £600,000 today.

Literary scholars have argued that Byron was a tortured genius, struck down with regular bouts of depression. Now, a detailed study of his behaviour has led to a less romantic diagnosis: that the poet exhibited so-called anti-social personality disorder - the technical term for a psychopath.

Professor Michael Fitzgerald, a psychiatrist at the Beside Health Centre in Dublin, reached his conclusion after examining accounts of Byron's life. Born in 1788, the poet had an unstable upbringing - seen as a key factor in the development of psychopathy.

The abandoned son of John "Mad Jack" Byron, a wastrel who fled to France to avoid debts, Byron was raised by his emotionally volatile mother Catherine Gordon, and appears to have been denied emotional warmth at a critical stage in his development. As a child, he showed symptoms of emerging psychopathy: habitual lying, a callous disregard for others, truanting and random acts of cruelty - including sticking pins into his mother as she prayed in chapel.‘ ( x )

Hmm, who does this sound like?

Molly’s blog:

By TSoT, she seemed to have been doing a good job of moving on, aware that Sherlock wasn’t good for her. Which begs the question of what exactly was happening in TFP, and is it healthy to continue carrying a flame for someone that years earlier you said you know you should tell “to stop...but don’t”? For that matter, is she still carrying a flame or was it just having an old wound reopened that caused her to delay answering the phone, and then act as she did?

As for Irene, we don’t have much to go on, other than being told she became emotionally invested during ASiB and she still texts Sherlock by TLD. From her side the dynamic might have shifted, but we have nothing to go on.

Sherlock does develop over the course of time, and we see he isn’t the psychopath that Anderson and Donovan harp on for two seasons, but it doesn’t mean he’s easier to love. Get along with perhaps, depending on which character you are, but not necessarily love. He’s still demanding, rude, arrogant, and prone to being exasperated when he comes across the intellectual shortcomings of others. He does not seem emotionally drawn to people like him though, perhaps aware that he needs a balance.

I saw someone mention yesterday that every other character in the show is a plot device for Sherlock, because he is the main character. It’s a show actually named after him. But, is this true? We know John was given a larger role than Watson had in canon, and Molly was originally only supposed to be in one episode, but her role was also expanded. So, then it becomes a matter of contemplating what those characters do regarding Sherlock with the amount of time they are given. In S4, they both seemed to have regressed until the last possible moment, and then had growth about themselves. Open to debate how much that internal growth involved their understanding of their love for Sherlock.