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spooky-pomegranate · 3 months

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Eyes on Fire (pt 2)

*Enemies to Lovers inspired by the Year Zero music video*

Papa Emeritus II x Reader (18+)Word Count: 3.4k (Part 1) (Read on AO3) (Part 3)

Summary: Hoping to escape the headaches of Imperatrix's life you spend time in a forbidden section of the Abbey. Meanwhile, a sleepless Papa Secondo goes for a walk in the early morning hours to clear his mind.

(Dividers by @wrathofrats)

There was only one place you wanted to be...

A place far away from Papa’s dining room, the bustling great hall, and the dormitories flooded with siblings preparing for a night full of debauchery and sin. You wanted to be in the one place that felt most like home with the people who felt most like family. So you climbed. Stride by stride you moved down ancient and worn stone steps covered in cobwebs and dust as you made your way toward the ghoul dens.

The Abbey had stood on the same grounds for hundreds of years. In that time many improvements had been made. A swimming pool was added in the 1890s, the great hall was expanded in the 1920s, and more recently the kitchens had gone under a total rehaul, with new top-of-the-line appliances and expresso machines flown in from Italy. But the one place the ministry hadn’t touched in all those years was the space below.

The basement of the Abbey was a restricted section for all siblings. Partially because it was a bit unsafe and partially because the ghouls were too much of a handful to be trusted with nice things. There was no electrical power down below. The stone walls in the basement were lit only by candle sconces that threw around long casting and eerie shadows. To those unfamiliar, the basement probably looked more like a crypt than it did a home for hell-spawn creatures. But the ghouls liked it that way and so did you.

At the bottom of the stairs, you snatched a candle from one of the wall scones. For some reason lately, there had been an influx of rats scurrying around the Abbey. The last thing you needed was to accidentally step on one. That might just send you to orbit.

By candlelit, you followed the halls through their maze of twists and turns before stopping in front of a massive set of wooden double doors. A large bronze knocker cast in His image hung from the center. You picked it up and slammed it against the splintering wood door three times.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

“Yeah. Yeah,” you heard a familiar voice call from the other side. “Hold onto your granny panties would ya.”

The door groaned in a heavy sigh as it opened. A scrawny maskless ghoul stood in the entryway. Two white horns protruded from the crown of his head and ashen black skin covered his body. When his orange eyes met yours his spaded tail flicked from side to side.

“Hey! What’s up little snack pack?”

“Hey, Dew,” you sighed. “Can I come in?”

“Sure thing babe.” The fire ghoul bowed with a flourish and waved for you to enter. “Right this way little lady. You look like shit by the way.”

You rolled your eyes as you stepped past the ghoul. The main room of the ghoul den was decorated in what a generous person might call an “eclectic style.” Mix-matched furniture from varying decades was strewn around the room in random places. A few soft carpets were layered on top of one another to confront the cold that seeped into the stone floors during the winter months and much like the stairs leading to the basement, candles burned on the walls basking the place in a soothing warm and yellow light. It wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t even that clean. But maybe because this was the only place in the Abbey that wasn’t dripping in opulence, it felt like being wrapped in a warm hug. And you needed that right now.

In the center of the room, Cumulus and Auoroa lounged on a lime-green sofa. On a small coffee table in front of them, snacks and drinks were laid out. They waved for you to join them.

“Hey guys,” you said, plopping down on the couch between them with a huff. Dew grabbed a guitar from a table by the door and sat in a chair across from you. Aimlessly he started picking at its strings.

“Hey, love,” Cumulus said smiling from your left. Like Dew, her skin was the color of burnt embers but her eyes differed. They were a beautiful soft gray. The same color as the sky before an evening storm or the pebbles on the beach by the lake south of the Abbey. “What are you doing down here? Shouldn’t you be in that shiny new suite of yours? Mountain told us it was real pretty.”

“Honestly today’s been a day,” you answered, sinking further into the couch. “Just wanted to hang out if that’s alright. Unless you guys had plans. Then I can fuck off.”

“Nah. No plans,” Aurora assured you, popping a chip into her mouth before offering you one. “We were just gonna practice for a bit. Unless you wanna talk about your day?”

“God no,” you answered, taking the chip. “Listening to you guys sounds really nice actually.”

“Oh thank Satan,” Dew huffed. Both Cumulus and Aurua shot the fire ghoul daggers and he stopped strumming the black and white guitar in his lap. “What?! Don’t lie you both wanna sing. You have been begginggggggg me to practice with you. ‘Dew please play with us,’” He impishly sang. “’Dew no one plays like you. Please Dew. You’re so talented with your fingers Dew.’”

“No one said that,” Aurura grumbled, throwing a chip at him. It landed squarely in between his eyes.

“Also we don’t sound like that. Plus if she’s having a bad day some humans like to talk about their feelings,” Cumulus added, picking up another chip and throwing it at Dew. “It’s called empathy dipshit.”

Dew stuck out his tongue and you laughed. You were surrounded by idiots. Sweet and loveable idiots. You were feeling better already. After a few more minutes of juvenile bickering, the hellspawns eventually settled down and started to play.

For as long as you’d known Dew he’d been a cocky shit, always bragging about his skills with a guitar. But as you listened to him play you knew he’d earned every brag he’d ever boasted. He was a magician with strings. Plucking and picking with a mesmerizing mastery that had to have been a gift from Satan himself. But the ghoulettes were just as spellbinding. Their harmonizing voices bounced off the high-bowed walls like sirens, lulling you into easy relaxation. At some point, you decided to crawl off the couch and lie on the floor, curling up in a pile of pillows and blankets and letting the music soothe you.

“That’s really pretty…” you murmured half-asleep, during a short break in the music.

“Mhmm. It is,” Cumulus purred from her spot on the couch.

“What’s it mean?”

“You don’t speak Latin?” Dew asked incredulously, before taking a long draw of some water Aurora had passed him.

You propped yourself up on your elbow and looked back at the fire ghoul. “Eh. I’m a little rusty.”

“Through hardships to hell.”

“What?”

“That’s what it means,” Dew answered, setting his water aside. “Per aspera ad inferi. It means through hardships to hell.”

“Oh,” you said shirking back to the floor and into your covers. It hadn’t occurred to you that this song might be incredibly personal to the three ghouls. They had quite literally crawled through hell to be here in this Abbey and serve the ministry. They had come from the real below.

“Did you guys come up with that?” You didn’t know much about their journey. You’d always assumed it wasn’t your place to ask or to know, but the song… it had been so haunting and yet… so strangely familiar. Even though you hadn’t understood the words, the music had clung to you. Like thick sticky syrup, it had swirled into your blood and mixed in your veins. You felt an inexplicable connection that was as old as time.

“No. We didn’t write it,” Cumulus said quietly.

“Who did?”

The three ghouls looked at one another. Seconds passed like minutes.

“Papa.”

There wasn’t much point in staying in the dens after that. You’d come down here to escape thoughts of Secondo only to be reminded of him all over again.

The climb back toward your suite didn’t take long. The Abbey was quiet this late at night. The hallways were empty of their regular hustle and bustle. Most siblings were asleep in their beds or tangled up in the sheets of another. You reached your door in record time. You pulled out your brass key and slid it into the door... but it was already unlocked.

You heard the crackling of your fireplace before you saw him. He was seated with his back to you in one of the tufted leather armchairs across the room. There were no lights on and you couldn’t see his face from the doorway, but none of that mattered. You knew who it was. Only one person owned the tense curve of those broad shoulders. It was him. It was Secondo. He was here in your room.

“Do I repulse you, sorella?” His voice boomed over the fire.

You froze in the doorway. Legs cemented to the ground, heart ready to bound out of your chest. What was he doing here? Had he come to expel you from the church? Was he going to smile as he tossed you out on your ass?

“Speak up sorella,” Secondo commanded. “I will repeat my question. Do I repulse you?”

“N-no, Papa,” you managed to squeak.

“Come here. I want to look at you while we have this conversation.”

Fuck. So this was it. The sadist was going to make you leave right here and now in the middle of the night. You moved across the room and into the dancing firelight.

After what had happened in the dining room you weren’t prepared to meet Secondo’s eye line again. So you delayed it. Slowly you looked him over, starting at his feet and working your way north.

Secondo wore a pair of black Oxfords, buffed and polished so pristinely that you saw your reflection staring back at you. A few inches higher black socks peaked out from underneath a pair of crisp black slacks. And on his steadily rising and falling chest, he’d opted for a button-down of a matching color. A black and emerald Grucifix hung from his neck. Head to toe he was dressed in black.

He looked like an undertaker. You closed your eyes. You weren’t ready to be laid out on his slab.

“You will answer me honestly, sorrella. No lies to your Papa.” It wasn’t a question but you nodded anyway.

You opened your eyes and looked at Secondo’s face. Since dinner, he’d washed away his sacred paints. A pair of dark aviators were perched on his crooked nose. He looked every bit like the Papa the siblings whispered about. An angry, bitter man, full of rage waiting for a spark to ignite his fire.

“You won’t partake in the offerings?” He questioned.

“No, Papa.”

“It is late, sorrella. I will not drag this out. Tell me your reason and do not lie.”

Secondo was right.

It was late. The clock in the corner of your room had finished its 24-hour cycle and the hours had reached into the early morning. But you were sick of having this conversation. You were sick of defending yourself. Fuck it. If Sister Imperator hadn’t told him you would—cards on the table.

“I don’t like to be so casual about who I have sex with.”

For a moment Secondo looked confused before he burst into a fit of laughter. Bending at the hip, he slapped his gloved hands on the arms of your chair. “Say that again sorella. That is the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.”

You wanted to slap him. Anger pooled in your stomach. Your fist clenched at your side. “I believe sex means something more when there’s more than just a physical connection.”

Secondo laughed again and you bit your cheek. “You know you sound like a Catholic when you say these things. ‘Means something more.’ Are you going to tell me that the next sister I sleep with I should marry and that I should make as many babies with her as possible?”

Secondo rose from the chair and stepped toward you. Inches separated you. You could smell his cologne. Rich and deep. Sacramental incense lingered on his clothes. He stared down at you over the ridge of his nose. His brows cast long, and angry shadows over his already glowering features.

“Do not confuse our rituals for something deeper, sorrella.”

“Of course, you would misunderstand me.”

The words slipped from your tongue before you could think twice. But you didn’t want them back. You meant it.

You’d seen Secondo.

You’d watched him as he moved through the Abbey every day and every night. He only ever thought of himself. He was a taker, never minding what others needed. What others wanted. So why would a conversation here and now be any different? Why would he consider any other person’s perspective but his own? He didn’t even remember what he’d said to you. How he’d hurt you.

“Watch your tone diavolessa,” he growled. “I am your Papa.”

Exactly right, you thought. You are my Papa but you are not my owner. My maker. My master. You have no right to claim me or to force me to do anything. I own my destiny. Not you. You took another step closer to Secondo, the front of your habit brushed against his dress shirt. Unafraid you tilted your chin up. Fire blazed in your eyes. Heat emanated from his chest.

“Apologies, your dark excellency. I will ask Sister Imperator to move me back to my former post in the gardens.” You didn’t want to give up your new apartment but you’d rather fight for lukewarm water in the communal showers than deal with him another day longer.

“That is…” Secondo paused and you closed your eyes bracing for the blow. Send me away. Do it. Send me back to the land of the undeserving and misguided. Do it now. I’d take them over you. I’d take anything over you. “Thatisunnecessary. I will see you tomorrow.”

Without another word, Secondo brushed past you and walked out your door.

There was no point in going back to his quarters. Secondo wouldn’t sleep. He hadn’t slept well in days. Tonight would be no different. There was too much on his mind.

He needed to clear his head.

So Secondo stepped out into the night.

The air was crisp and cool. Fall would be here soon and the flowers would shrivel. But for now, life still breathed in the grounds and the air still smelled sweet. Secondo followed the dirt path from the south entrance of the Abbey down to the gardens. His older brother had taken meticulous care of them since his retirement, practically spending every waking hour pruning and pampering his beloved piccoli fiori. Primo’s obsession had grown so strong that he’d even moved out of the Abbey’s suites and into a small log cabin on the edge of the ministry’s grounds so he could be closer to his work.

But Secondo hadn’t minded.

It made Primo happy and he could still find his brother for a chat whenever he needed to. If it weren’t for the early morning hour he would have sought out Primo for one of those talks now. The old man was more of a comfort than his father had ever been and his mind had been a mess for weeks. But the sun was almost up. Surely Primo in his old age was sound asleep somewhere. So Secondo chose to stroll the grounds alone and linger in the messiness of his mind.

He wandered through rows of vibrant roses and multicolored hydrangeas, passing various fruit trees and flowering cherry blossoms until he reached something he had not seen before. Underneath a centuries-old weeping willow, Primo had planted something new. In tightly packed rows narrow plots of spectacular white and pink flowers bloomed amongst leathery deep green shrubs. It was beautiful. The shrubbery looked like rhododendrons, but the flowers… Secondo had never seen anything like it. They resembled the cooper bells that hung in the Abbey’s highest towers.

He needed to smell them.

Secondo crouched down on the dirt path and reached for their pretty petals.

“Careful fratello.” Secondo quickly dropped his hand. “She is not so friendly this one.”

Clad in a red robe, Primo emerged from the dark path. His hands were clasped behind his back and he eyed his younger brother with a loving smile.

“Shouldn't you be asleep fratello?” Secondo asked, pushing off the ground with a groan that denoted his age and stood to his full height. “The sun will be up soon.”

“Ah, I was going to ask you the same,” Primo’s smile widened, strolling over to stand next to Secondo. “Do you like the fiori? They are beautiful, no?”

“Si. They are,” Secondo answered truthfully. “New additions?”

“Not entirely fratellino. Many moons ago these flowers used to surround our little Abbey. If you would indulge un vecchio uomo I would like to tell you their story.”

Secondo nodded, “Of course, Primo.”

The elder Emeritus led his younger brother to a stone bench under the willow tree. They sat down together. Secondo looked over the rows of flowers as his brother began to tell his story.

“Before you and I, walked these grounds there was a beautiful sibling who cared for the fiori and impianti. She came to the church with an extensive knowledge of botany and quickly thrived here. From the things she grew, she established the first apothecary in the ministry. She helped many siblings. She was happy and content. Eventually, she fell in love with a brother and he with her. But one day when the sister walked these grounds she witnessed a betrayal. Her mate with another. Her heart was broken. But the sister would not let this indignity stand. She introduced a colony of bees to the garden and let them feed on the nectar of these very beautiful fiori.” Primo’s gloved hand pointed to the rows of pink and white bell flowers in front of them.

“And then the ever-patient sister waited. She waited and pretended everything with her lover was bene, while in the night he continued to be with another. But after a time she returned to the garden and to her bees. She collected their honey knowing their nectar had been poisoned by these beautiful fiori. One evening the sister made her lover a pot of tea and added a spoonful of her wicked honey. As he drank the brother’s lips began to burn. Pain flamed his mouth and throat. He withered and convulsed in pain for hours. The legend diverges here. Some say the brother died. While others claim he recovered but fled the ministry in fear of his beloved’s vengeful wrath. In both versions of the tale these flowers were ripped from our grounds.”

Secondo sat quietly trying to make sense of his brother’s story. Ever since he could remember his elder brother had used longwinded tales to teach him lessons of the world or of the church. But tonight for the life of him, he could not figure out what Primo was to say. What did these poisonous flowers have to do with anything?

He was too tired. A puzzle was the last thing he wanted. He couldn’t hide his annoyance.

“Why are you telling me this brother?” Secondo asked exasperatedly. “You know I don’t care about these plants the way you do.”

“Ahh,” Primo hummed. “That may be true but tastes change fratellino. Things we once thought were insignificant can become valuable to us, no?”

“Primo I don’t under-”

“It’s nice to have beautiful things around, even if we cannot touch, si? Even if we cannot taste?”

Secondo raised an eyebrow. “What have you seen fratello?”

“It should not matter what I’ve seen. You must see for yourself.”

Secondo angered. Standing quickly he spun and stared down at his brother. “How quickly you forget what it is like Primo!” he shouted. “I need guidance. I don’t need this. I don’t know why I bother when you only speak in riddles.”

Secondo turned his back and stormed away from Primo, but before he got lost amongst the roses he heard his brother's voice.

“He has not forgotten you nor have I. Patience fratellino. Plans are already in motion. You will not be denied.”

(Follow along on AO3 here)

(Part 3) (Back to Part 1)

#secondo x reader #papa secondo #daddy secondo #secondo #secondo emeritus #ghost secondo #ghost #ghost band #the band ghost #ghost bc #ghost the band #papa emeritus ii x reader #papa emeritus ii fanfiction #papa emeritus ii #papa emeritus ii x female reader #papa emeritus secondo

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crocutaborealis · 3 months

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I can't draw but my Redwall OC is Don Salvador, an enormous plate armoured plague rat. After a wicked life of pillage, he is cured of the plague by a vision of Martin the Warrior and guided to the abbey, where he redeems himself by taking up his huge zweihander in defence of the innocent (perhaps from his former partners in crime.). After Redwall is saved, Salvador hangs up his sword to become a quiet, jolly friar, his pockmarked visage and hints of an old mercenary life serving only to ward light-fingered dibbuns from his scones.

#Redwall #rat #oc #zweihander #conquistador

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trivia-polls-daily · 2 months

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No cheating, please! Answer the trivia question to the best of your ability, then check below the cut! Please do not give away answers in comments or tags!

Answer below:

On Christmas Day 1950, Westminster Abbey was broken into by a group of Scottish students, who then removed the Stone of Scone and returned it to Scotland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_of_Scone

#polls #trivia #trivia polls #history #history poll #the 1950s #london

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master-john-uk · 1 year

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The Stone of Scone has now been safely installed on St Edward's Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey.

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thelampisaflashlight · 3 months

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Thinking out loud and dropping some Earth Sprite lore here cuz yeah.

Here's a scone for your troubles.

So unlike other elements, earth sprites aren't free roaming. These guys are bonded to an actual living organism, such as a tree, a certain bush, a flowering plant, ect.

Not every plant necessarily has a sprite. They pop up more commonly in places near sources of magic, whether that be a certain location or a person/ghoul with considerable influence. They like places where the roots can mingle and communicate with the roots of the plants around them. Because of this, we don't generally see sprites that are bonded to potted plants.

The size of an earth sprite is determined by the depth and width of the root system of the plant it belongs to. A smaller plant means a smaller sprite. A bigger plant means a bigger sprite. Which means, yes, those expansive forests that are really a single organism with one massive root system are bonded to one truly gigantic sprite, such as the one that lurks in the huge Aspen grove that's outside the Abbey walls.

Earth sprites are usually pretty elusive. It's not that they're aggressive or disdainful towards people, they're just very shy. They're curious, but from a distance. They do let themselves be seen sometimes, but they prefer to follow you and investigate from a distance until they either decide that you're not interesting anymore, or until they've worked up the courage to come a little closer.

Mkay, I think that's it...for now.

💙

Oooh~ they're a little like dryads!

Also I know you said they don't typically hang around potted plants, buuut I needed to doodle a little something:

They're little rose bush sprouts for the garden, so they're going to grow quite a bit. I just think Bea would be beside herself.

#lamp rambles #mac mac mac #mountain ghoul

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duchessofostergotlands · 1 year

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With the Stone of Scone leaving it is a good time to remind everyone that it was stolen from Scotland by King Edward I and kept for centuries until 1950 when a group of four Glasgow University students snuck in to Westminster Abbey and took it back. It’s an amazing story and a miracle they managed to pull it off given how absolutely terrible their plan was (for example, before they even got out of the Abbey they dropped the stone on the ground and it split in two):

#Scotland #stone of scone #stone of destiny #british royal family #coronation #coronations

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ayeforscotland · 2 years

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what's your thoughts on them taking the stone of scone to westminster abbey for the coronation of the new parasite-in-chief? (and the BBC calling it the stone of destiny? 💀)

I don’t particularly care about it from a “This is a very important stone” standpoint but I absolutely want to antagonise Westminster over it.

Either that or we say we’ll give them it if they give us a referendum lmao.

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scotianostra · 4 months

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On 26th May 1819, the Honours went on public display in the Crown Room in Edinburgh Castle.

The ‘Honours’, our Crown Jewels, were first used together at the coronation of the nine-month-old Mary, Queen of Scots in 1543, the Crown almost certainly dates from before 1540 when it was remodelled by order of James V. It was last worn at the coronation of Charles II at Scone in 1651, the last time a monarch was crowned in Scotland.

Made of solid silver, the Sceptre is surmounted with three figures supporting a crystal globe, a cut and polished rock crystal, with a Scottish pearl on top. A gift from the Pope, possibly given by Innocent Vlll to James IV in 1494, again it was remodelled by James V who even added his initials to the sceptre, the Stewarts were a vain lot.

The Sword of State was presented to James IV in 1507 by Pope Julius II and has a blade a metre long.

Following the Treaty of Union in 1707, the ancient Honours were not seen for a century. Rumours circulated that the English had removed them to London. However Sir Walter Scott asked for permission to seek them out in in 1818. And as he suspected they were found in a chest hidden away.

They have remained on secure display ever since, except for the duration of World War II.

The Honours have since been joined by other royal regalia and jewels of a personal nature – the Wand (found in the Chest in 1818), the Stewart Jewels (presented by William IV in 1830) and the Lorne Jewels (bequeathed by Princess Louise in 1939) – and by the Stone of Destiny (see separate Statement), which was returned from Westminster Abbey in 1996 after it as stolen by Edward I (Longshanks) Scotland ove700 years before.

Below is a lengthy rundown of the Honours as marked down in history, please note though that the earliest dates are only noted in history some of the original Honours were lost by the English.

574: First reference to a royal sceptre, by Cumméne ‘the White’, seventh abbot of Iona, in connection with the inauguration by St Columba of Aédán mac Gabhráin as king of the Scots of Dál Riata.

1097: King Edgar is depicted on his seal wearing a crown, and holding a sceptre and sword.

1157: David I is depicted in a posthumous charter holding an orb in place of a sceptre.

1182: William I ‘the Lion’ is presented with a golden rose by Pope Lucius II.

1296: Edward I of England strips John I (Balliol) of his crown, sceptre and sword and takes them, together with the Stone of Destiny, to England, where they are subsequently lost or destroyed.

1306: Robert I (Bruce) is enthroned at Scone with a new circlet of gold.

1329: Pope John XXII formally recognises the right of kings of Scots to be formally crowned and anointed, hitherto denied them on account of English opposition.

1331: David II, Robert I’s heir, is formally crowned and anointed at Scone.

1484: Coin evidence (a silver groat) indicates that the crown, hitherto a simple open circlet, has by now become an ‘imperial’ crown (ie, closed with arches).

1486: James III is presented with a golden rose by Pope Innocent IV.

1491: James IV is presented with a golden rose by Pope Innocent VIII.

1494: Tradition has it that the Sceptre was presented to James IV by Pope Alexander VI. However, it is possible that the Sceptre was presented with the golden rose in 1491.

1503: James IV is depicted in the Book of Hours , made to commemorate his marriage, wearing an ‘imperial’ crown. Also, first mention of a crown bonnet.

1507: The Sword of State is presented to James IV by Pope Julius II. A consecrated, or blessed, hat is presented at the same time.

1532: The bonnet is renewed and the crown repaired by Thomas Wood, goldsmith.

1536: The Sceptre is lengthened and embellished for James V by Adam Leys, an Edinburgh goldsmith, perhaps in preparation for his first marriage, to Princess Madeleine de Valois. This enhancement is formally acknowledged when the Crest above the Royal Arms is amended, the Sceptre replacing the Saltire in the lion’s left paw.

1539, the crown is refashioned to its present form for James V by John Mosman, Edinburgh goldsmith. James wears it for the first time at the coronation of his second wife, Mary of Guise, in Holyrood Abbey. The purple velvet bonnet, made by Thomas Arthur, has not survived, but its four delicate ornaments have.

1543: Mary Queen of Scots is crowned in Stirling Castle, the first sovereign to be enthroned with all three Honours. 1

560: Queen Mary receives a golden rose from Pope Pius IV. 1567: James VI is crowned with the Honours in the Kirk of the Holy Rude, Stirling.

1571–73: Substitute Honours are used at sittings of Parliament, because Edinburgh Castle is in the hands of the supporters of the exiled Queen Mary.

1615–16: The Crown Room is created, part of the wholesale remodelling of the Palace in preparation for James VI’s ‘hamecoming’ in 1617. The present Crown Chest is very probably also made at this date.

1633: Charles I is crowned in Holyrood Abbey with the Honours

1638–39: The Honours are taken to Dalkeith Castle for safe-keeping during the conflict between Charles I and those supporting the National Covenant.

1650: The Honours are removed from the castle, possibly to Stirling Castle, for safe-keeping, prior to Oliver Cromwell besieging the castle.

1651: Charles II is crowned with the Honours at Scone. Following the ceremony, the Honours, unable to be brought back to Edinburgh Castle, are taken to mighty Dunnottar Castle, Kincardineshire, seat of the Earl Marischal.

1652–60: The Honours are smuggled out of Dunnottar and buried under the floor of nearby Kinneff Kirk. On Charles II’s return to the throne, the Honours are returned to Edinburgh Castle: all except the Sword belt and Crown cushion.

1687: James VII has the crown bonnet changed from purple to red.

1707: Following the adjourning of Parliament after the passing of the Act of nion.

1790: The Sword Belt is discovered hidden in a wall at Barras, near Dunnottar Castle, by Sir David Ogilvy.

1794: Lieutenant-Governor Major Drummond briefly opens the Crown Room in search of old Parliamentary records but, because he lacks the necessary royal warrant, does not break open the Crown Chest.

1818: Walter Scott and others, with a royal warrant from the Prince Regent, officially break into the Crown Room, break open the Crown Chest and there rediscover the Honours, together with a wand, or baton of office. A second royal warrant appoints the Commissioners for the Keeping of the Regalia (Keeper of the Great Seal, Keeper of the Privy Seal, His Majesty’s Advocate, the Lord Clerk Register and the Lord Justice Clerk). Scott’s friend Adam Ferguson is appointed Keeper of the Regalia, with a ‘grace and favour’ flat above the Crown Room.

1819: The public are invited to inspect the Honours in the Crown Room, on payment of an admission fee.

1822: George IV (the former Prince Regent) formally visits Scotland, and the Honours are taken to the Palace of Holyroodhouse for the duration of his stay.

1830: The Stewart Jewels, bequeathed to George III in 1807 by Prince Henry, Cardinal York, the last Stuart claimant to the throne of Great Britain, are entrusted by William IV into the safe-keeping of the Keeper of the Regalia for display in the Crown Room.

1837: The Turkish Ambassador is denied entry to the Crown Room because he does not have an admission ticket!

1842: The Honours are temporarily removed to an adjacent room so that they may be better viewed by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

1848: The present panelling is installed in the Crown Room by the Edinburgh firm of Charles Trotter, cabinetmakers and joiners.

1871: The Honours are redisplayed behind a cage of ornamental bars, for their better security.

1892: The Sword Belt is returned to the Crown Room from Barras Castle, Kincardineshire, by Rev. Samuel Ogilvy Baker, a descendant of Sir David Ogilvy.

1905: The old Crown Cushion is presented to the State by Sir Patrick Keith Murray, who states that it had been retained at Dunnottar by his ancestor, Sir William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal, after the Honours had been smuggled out in 1652

1911: The Sword is taken to St Giles’ Cathedral for the official opening of the Thistle Chapel. Gyp, the Crown Room dog, dies and is buried in the Dog Cemetery below St Margaret’s Chapel.

1939: Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter, bequeaths the Lorne Jewels, presented to her by Clan Campbell on the occasion of her marriage to the Marquis of Lorne in 1871, to the Scottish nation, and they are added to the display in the Crown Room. Shortly thereafter (1 September), the Crown Jewels are taken down to the basement of the Palace to protect them from aerial bombardment by German planes.

1942: The Honours are secretly taken out of the basement and buried in David’s Tower, where they remain for the duration of WWII.

1953: The Honours are presented to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at the National Service of Thanksgiving in St Giles’ Cathedral that follows the Coronation in Westminster Abbey.

1971: The Sword of State is used for the first time at the ceremonial installation of a Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Scotland’s premier Order of Chivalry, held in the Thistle Chapel, in St Giles’ Cathedral.

1980s: The post of Warden of Regalia is abolished. 1

987: The Sword of State is used alone for the final time, in St Giles’ Cathedral for the tercentenary anniversary celebrations of the Order of the Thistle. Thereafter, in view of its parlous condition, its ceremonial role is restricted to National Services of Thanksgiving

1993: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth formally opens the Honours of the Kingdom exhibition, including the extensively refurbished Crown Room and redisplayed Honours. The present Crown Cushion is made specially for the occasion. The Crown Chest is relocated from the Crown Room to an adjacent exhibition space and displayed alongside one of the original padlocks, broken in 1818.

1999: The Crown is formally taken to the State Opening of the Scottish Parliament, the first in the modern era.

2022; The Crown of Scotland was placed on Elizabeth II's coffin at a service in St Giles' Cathedral.

2023; The Honours of Scotland were presented to King Charles III in a ceremony held in St Giles' Cathedral. The ceremony was formally described as a National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication to mark the coronation of King Charles III.

#scotland #scottish #history #crown jewels #edinburgh #edinburgh castle

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siriusist · 10 months

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+ So I've got a lot of opinions about the latest episode of Season Two of The Gilded Age

First off, this is possibly the best written episode of both seasons. Actually one with an actual twist, consequences, and drama.

My biggest criticism of this show is despite the clear money invested in it, the clear quality of actors they have, and the inherently interesting characters, I think we can all agree the writing is subpar for how well funded the show is. And I was always trying to put my finger on to why.

Despite the jokes I've seen of everyone saying it's an inherently boring series where nothing ever happens aside from "MRS. CRUMBIBLE'S SCONE WARS ARE OCCURRING," I think it boils down to one thing inherently, and it's that up to this finale, actions, for the most part, have not had consequences.

And what I mean by this is this: In a well-written show, say, early season Game of Thrones, or the first episode of Downton Abbey (Another Julian Fellowes production), actions have consequences. If a character does something, there are ramifications for them choosing to do this thing, that reverberate throughout the rest of the series.

For example, in the first episode of Game of Thrones (Spoiler Alert)- Jaime Lannister pushes Brann Stark out of the tower when he sees Jaime and Cersei having sex to protect their secret.

In The Gilded Age, what has been happening with the plots, is a problem presents itself, a solution is quickly offered, and then that is a thing that happened and resolved itself.

So if Game of Thrones was to follow Gilded Age writing logic, Brann would be pushed out of the window, but Brann would hit his head on the way down to the ground, have amnesia, and forget that Jaime and Cersei were sleeping together.

Even within Downton Abbey's first episode, Mary finds the visiting nobility dead in her bed, and everything is an offshoot of them hiding the body, trying to protect her reputation, and dealing with the aftereffects of the issue. In a Gilded Age episode, if someone was found dead in bed, someone would blame it on "the drink," frame that person as a secret alcoholic, and that plot line would be tied up and basically forgotten besides one reference the next episode. They basically treated most episodes like one-off plot lines that are forgotten or barely mentioned next episode except in passing.

This is the first episode where we've had fucking CONSEQUENCES for things that happened two or three episodes ago. Oscar has been constantly trying to scheme young women out of their fortunes, only to find he's the one being schemed- and worse, he used his mother's money and the family fortune to do it with.

This is an action that has CONSEQUENCES. It's not Mrs. Turner trying to fiddle with the food at a dinner, only to be swiftly caught and for nothing really to move the plot forward. The Van Rhijn Family now has several issues to deal with because of this:

They need to go find Maude Beaton (Whomever she is), and get the money back.

Now that they have no money, Ms. Brook has to actually marry wealthier (Probably to her great happiness), if they're to actually garner some of their fortune back.

Do the Van Rhijn sisters now have to work? Will they have to let go of staff? How will they pay people?

Can they afford to "keep up appearances?" How long will it be before the other society folk will notice something is amiss?

The same with Mr. Russell being turned on by the other tycoons- that is something that has a direct effect on him, and his business, but also the safety of his family's position. If the tycoon's efforts are now actively working against him, how long can Mr. Russell hold out at being the "nice" tycoon, even if it is for an ultimate economic profit?

And I don't think it's a question about "small rich person things" being inherently boring. In terms of the soup debacle with Mrs. Turner, what if instead of the spiked soup being given to the British nobility and tasting bad, what if it was something that was given to someone else at the table, and that person had a worse reaction? (Somehow died, etc.?). What if it was someone Mrs. Turner relied on, like her husband, and she was suddenly accused of his murder? Suddenly, instead of her enjoying "labour free" money all in her own hands, she's being blamed for something that she ironically was plotting for, but never wanted to occur, because she effectively killed off her meal ticket and everyone would suspect her first?

My point is, there are SO many better ways to advance these characters, and I'm happy we FINALLY got a solid writer on this episode to help move these plots forward, even if it took two fucking seasons for anything to pay off.

(So please renew it with a proper writing team, HBO- because in short- we're finally actually getting somewhere with consequences for people's actions).

#spoilers #the gilded age #please renew it I do love it though despite my criticisms #it's my guilty pleasure #analysis #personal

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greeneyed-thestral · 11 months

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I'M BACK FROM LONDON!

Hello everyone! So here's what I managed to see/do in these few days: DAY 1 Westminster Bridge Big Ben Palace of Westminster Westminster Abbey Victoria Tower Gardens St. James's Park Buckingham Palace Victoria Memorial The Mall 🍜 spicy noodles and skewers in Spitalfields Market (lunch) 🐟🍟🍺 fish&chips and beer in a traditional pub (dinner) ✔️ took a picture with a red telephone box 💳 bought my oyster card for 7£; to go around for 3-4 days you need to top-up around 15£-20£ 💡tip! download the Tfl Go app, it will help you figure out which line to take if at first you don't understand the map (just consult it before you enter the underground, 'cause there's no signal down there) DAY 2 London Eye Southbank Skate Space BFI Southbank Royal National Theatre Tate Modern Garden Shakespeare's Globe William Shakespeare Mural (❤️) Winchester Palace Golden Hinde Southwark Cathedral London Bridge Monument to the Great Fire of London Tower of London Traitor's Gate Tower Bridge More London Blackfriars Bridge St. Paul's Cathedral Waterloo Bridge West End 🍔🍟cheese burger and chips in Borough Market (lunch) 🍗🍟chicken kyiv and chips in a traditional pub in Covent Garden (dinner) 💡tip! Sainsbury's Local is a chain of convenience store you can find all around the city, so if you forgot to bring something in your suitcase or just need to buy bottled water, you can go there DAY 3 Golden Jubilee Bridges Trafalgar Square Savini | Criterion Heddon St (Ziggy Stardust Plaque) Baker Street (221B) Sherlock Holmes Museum King's Cross The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 ¾ British Museum (went inside) Russell Square Tavistock Square Gardens 🥓english breakfast in our hotel 🍜 roast duck noodle soup and spring rolls in Chinatown (lunch) 🫖 afternoon tea at the Morton Hotel

💡tip! an afternoon tea can be a good alternative to dinner if you have to be somewhere early in the evening (many theatre shows start at 19); mine had a pot of tea, different sandwiches, scones, grapes, macarons, chocolates and a mousse, we were really full after it! 🎭🎫 saw Pygmalion at The Old Vic (loved it, ☆☆☆☆☆) DAY 4 National Gallery (went inside) National Portrait Gallery (went inside) 🥓english breakfast in our hotel 🍕the best pizza ever at a pizzeria near Trafalgar Square 🌡️I was so lucky, it basically never rained the entire time I was there. It was really cold tho (3° at one point!) so if you go mid-october, be sure to pack at least one scarf and a warm coat. I want to thank once again everyone who helped me plan my trip. ^-^ Now I hope this list can help others, feel free to message me anytime you want!

#london #london tips #uk #united kingdom

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lightbluuestars · 1 year

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if Peemo got to be your boyfriend husband for the week, how would you spend it?

A WEEK?!! AN ENTIRE WEEK?!! oh my god i'd simply pass away (of love and happiness)

how should i put this, hm? just a day with this man would be enough!! (until it ends, then i'm empty for the rest of my life)

seven whole days of love and affection and appreciation for one another, oh my god

sunday would be particularly cozy, spending the day inside and just lovin on each other. hugs, kisses, cuddles, fueling each other for the week ahead. he'd have a ghoul tend to his plants, just for that day. preferably an earth ghoul, please.

monday would be kind of busy, having duties to attend to around the abbey and whatnot. inviting me out to his gardens and greeting me with an affectionate hug along with a sweet kiss. he'd show me around his gardens, pointing out specific plants and flowers he liked or thought i would like. the day ends with dinner and reading together in bed. i'd show him the pictures in my books, fascinated. (wwii books, i like them a lot, very interesting)

tuesday would come, and every morning is almost the same. waking up together, showering (depends on what mood we're in, together or alone), dressing, and leaving each other once again to preform our duties in the abbey. occasionally, i'd help him with his paints, but i don't often because i joke i don't trust myself with that kind of job. i simply cannot focus enough for that. this time, i invite him to have lunch with me, and we talk about what we had done earlier in the day, and what we will do. depending on our moods, we might spend the night in bed together pleasing one another, or we might stay outside and look at the stars. he likes to watch the stars, and points out constellations in the sky for me to look at.

wednesday arrives, and the morning is a free one. we shower together, and i attempt to apply his paints but fail miserably and end up a heap of laughter on the floor. he fixes his paints, taps my nose, and then we have breakfast. he brews some of his own tea, and i happily join him in sitting outside and enjoy the morning sun. we spend most of the morning outside, and he watches as i fashion flower crowns out of the clovers in the grass. (with his permission, of course.) i place one on his head, and one on mine. he smiles, and admires the crown i had made for him. the day ends with a nice bath (together, obviously) and doing our own thing before bed. he might finish up some paperwork, and i might end up drawing. a good day.

thursday is here, and he is gone when i wake up. turns out, he was needed somewhere, and left me alone. (sad, i know) i continue on with the day, barely even seeing him. i end up coming back and jumping his bones, and the entire night is spent together, making up for the lost time from the day.

friday, finally, and he's stuck in bed with a bad back. courtesy of last night's events. i take the day off, reassure him that his garden will be fine, because i asked a trusted earth ghoul to care for the garden. i care for him the whole day, brewing him tea and massaging his back. i draw a bath for him, with epsom salts, and leave him be for a while. after he's back in bed, i give him some painkillers and kiss his forehead, telling him to get some sleep. i stay up for a while longer, before retreating to bed and falling asleep next to him.

on saturday, his back is better and he can get back outside again. this time, he goes without the paints. it's a saturday, he can relax. he takes his time out in the garden, and will happily accept my help once i'm out there with him. i had brought him some tea and scones, and we enjoyed the morning together. the afternoon was spent in near silence, just existing together. the occasional turn of a page or the flutter of the curtains in the wind disrupted the silence, but it was well welcomed. we were happy together. the day ends curled around each other in bed, whispering words of affection until we drift off to sleep.

#i've been waiting for this #you don't even understand #primo #lightbluuestars answers #mutuals #would this count as #primo x reader #????#can you tell i'm obsessed #i think you can #i wanna fuck that old man #so bad

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charliethomascoxuniverse · 1 year

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"Stone of Destiny" set to cause a stir

Press and Journal: October 4, 2008

Some say it was the greatest robbery in Scotland's History, others that it bolstered calls for independence. Now cinema audiences have the opportunity to decide for themselves as Stone of Destiny opens next week.

The true story of Scotland’s most daring robbery hits cinema screens on October 10, when Charles Martin Smith’s latest feature, Stone of Destiny, is released.

The all-star cast includes Charlie Cox (Casanova, Stardust) and Kate Mara (Shooter, Brokeback Mountain) alongside Scottish screen legends Billy Boyd (The Lord of the Rings, Master and Commander) and Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) as well as Peter Mullan (My Name is Joe, Children of Men) and Academy Award winner Brenda Fricker (My Left Foot).

Written and directed by Charles Martin Smith, Stone of Destiny is based on the real-life story of Ian Hamilton, played by Charlie Cox, who led a group of four university students to steal back the legendary coronation stone of Scottish kings and queens and symbol of Scottish independence – the Stone of Scone.

Frustrated by political apathy and Scotland’s diminishing sense of nationhood, Hamilton sought to reawaken Scottish national pride and spur his generation into action.

For hundreds of years, the English had jealously guarded the Scottish coronation stone, the Stone of Destiny – an ancient block of sandstone symbolically used in coronation ceremonies which Edward I took from Perth in the 13th century.

Hamilton led a group of university friends to London to make a dramatic gesture to reinstate Scotland’s place on the political map. Despite having little money and even less experience, they hatched an ambitious plan to break into Westminster Abbey in the wee hours of Christmas morning and “liberate” the most powerful symbol of Scotland’s nationhood, the Stone of Scone – otherwise known as the Stone of Destiny.

Hamilton’s daring act was a moment of great Scottish pride.

Based on Ian Hamilton’s book, The Taking of The Stone of Destiny, the movie was filmed in Glasgow and London and, fittingly, had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in June this year.

Among those attending the premiere were Sir Sean Connery, Nairn-based Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton and the entire cast.

While Charlie Cox burst into public consciousness in 2007 with his lead role in Matthew Vaughn’s Stardust, the 25-year-old London-born actor was no beginner.

After making his big-screen debut in 2003 thriller Dot The I, he went on to work opposite Al Pacino in Michael Radford’s lush film version of The Merchant of Venice and Heath Ledger in another film set in the Italian city, 2005’s Casanova. Subsequently acting alongside Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer in Stardust, Cox evidently has no fear of challenging himself to the limits.

However, accepting the role of Hamilton threw up two challenges – perfecting a Scottish accent and coming up against Scottish acting giant Robert Carlyle, who plays Hamilton’s reluctant mentor, John MacCormick.

Speaking of Carlyle, Cox said: “He’s one of my favourite actors; in many ways, more so than some of the big guys because he’s more my generation.

“I’ve grown up watching his films and he’s a jobbing actor who does great role after great role.”

And mastering the accent?

“Absolutely terrified – and still am. There’s no real excuse for it, is there? It’s my job to get it right, and I’m not great with accents. I’m not one of those people that can turn it on. I had to really work hard with it. And I know that I’ll watch the film and hear sounds that are off and wrong, and I just hope that doesn’t take away from the performance, and I hope it’s not too obvious to others.”

Having spent months filming a story he initially knew nothing about, it’s interesting to hear his views on the completed film.

“I loved it. I thought it was incredibly charming,” said Cox. “I felt like I did when I read the script. I thought it was a wonderful story and told brilliantly. And I really feel like Charlie Martin Smith has translated that very well on to film.”

Playing a person who is still alive makes the role that wee bit harder, too.

“It’s a bit mad, isn’t it?” said Cox. “It’s a wee bit more pressure. I feel, with the other characters that I’ve played, anything extra that I bring to it is justifiable because it’s my own invention. Whereas that’s not the case here.

“You’re playing someone who does exist, who was documented, and although what I know of Ian is what he is today, and the bits of information I have from the 1950s and the rest of his life, I don’t have any video footage of him. So I had to make my own mind up, which is more freeing.

“But it’s a pressure. If I don’t do him justice, if I get him wrong, it’s not OK. His son was on the set, who, ironically, is a friend of mine. Ian (Hamilton) has seen it, but not on the big screen, and that makes a big difference.

“If you don’t know much about film, if you haven’t worked a lot with film, you can watch it on a small screen and think that you’ve seen it. But then it’s a different experience.”

Like Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, Stone of Destiny is tipped to stir Scottish blood.

“I read something in the paper the other day. The biggest boost of national pride in Scotland over the last 50 years was the release of Braveheart,” said Cox. “They had more rallies and letters when Braveheart was released than over anything else.”

Although he knew nothing of the story beforehand, having learned it, Cox feels it contributed to the movement for Scottish independence.

“Although it didn’t have a direct impact into the Scottish government, it was certainly a huge catalyst towards all of that,” said Cox. “Ironically, and a lot of this is by chance, filming it now is interesting because the nationalist party are in power. Not only was that not the case back then, it was far from it. It was not even feasible.”

~*~

#just me archiving another old interview 😊#charlie cox #ian hamilton #stone of destiny 2008 #interview #article #baby charlie

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