#Scone Abbey

[scotianostra]

On August 9th or 9th 1296 the Scottish Coronation Stone was removed from Scone Abbey.

The Stone of Destiny was taken on the orders of King Edward I of England, and was transported to Westminster Abbey, where it was used to crown English monarchs until it was returned to Scotland in 1996.

The Celtic name of the stone upon which the true kings of Scotland have traditionally been crowned is Lia Fail, “the speaking stone,” or the stone which would proclaim the chosen king.

Originally, the stone played a part in the crowning ceremonies of the Scots kings of Dalriada, in the west of Scotland, an area just north of Glasgow now called Argyll.

Kenneth I, the 36th king of Dalriada, united the Scots and Picts kingdoms and moved his capital to Scone from western Scotland around 840 AD. The Stone of Destiny moved there too. All future Scottish kings would henceforth be enthroned on the Stone of Destiny atop Moot Hill at Scone Palace in Perthshire.

The stone in question is no ornately carved megalith; just a simple, oblong block of red sandstone. It measures 650 mm in length by 400 mm wide, and 27 mm deep, with chisel marks apparent on its flat top.

So where did this magical or mythical stone originate from, and why was it held in such reverence by the kings of old?

One legend dates back to biblical times and states that it is the same stone which Jacob used as a pillow at Bethel. Later, according to Jewish legend, it became the pedestal of the ark in the temple. The stone was brought from Syria to Egypt by King Gathelus. He then fled to Spain following the defeat of the Egyptian army. A descendant of Gathelus brought the stone to Ireland, and was crowned on it as King of Ireland. And from Ireland, the stone moved with the invading Scots to Argyll.

What is sure, however, is that the Stone of Destiny remained at Scone until it was forcibly removed by English King Edward I (“Hammer of the Scots”) after his Scottish victories in 1296, and taken to Westminster Abbey in London.

Still another interesting legend surrounds this mystical stone. This one suggests that as King Edward I approached the Abbot of Perth, the monks of Scone hurriedly removed the Stone of Destiny and hid it. He replaced it with a drainage cover stone of similar size and hid the real stone on Dunsinnan Hill. It was the drainage cover which the English king carried off in triumph back to London.

Perhaps this legend is not so far-fetched. It could help to explain why the coronation stone is so geologically similar to the sandstone commonly found around Scone.

On St. Andrew’s Day, on November 30th, 1996, ten thousand people lined Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to witness the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland. It had been away for 700 years.

[gaylittleguys]

after careful research the best places to get really good cheese scones seem to be cathedrals and abbeys

[abbeykitchenmouse]

The abbey poetry circle has declared that my poems lack proper structure and any semblance of a reasonable meter. I say they're a bunch of overstuffed plagiarists with hardly a drop of creativity in their ale addled heads. I certainly won't be letting them read my recipe books anymore and if I catch another one of them stealing my scones I'll sell their sinew to the bandits as cord and render their fat for breakfast in the morning.

[death-andtaxes]

As funny a concept as this may be. I'd much rather we became a republic but continued to use the Stone Of Destiny to ceremonially legitimise the appointment of our First Minister. This has the added benefit of never having to loan it out to another fuckng english monarch ever again.

it’d be fucking hilarious if Scotland went rogue and invited Harry to be its king. 

[spooky-pomegranate]

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)

[whencyclopedia]

Alexander II of Scotland

Alexander II of Scotland reigned from 1214 to 1249 CE. Succeeding his father William I of Scotland (r. 1165-1214 CE), Alexander supported the northern barons in England against the unpopular King John of England (r. 1199-1216 CE) and so contributed to the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 CE. The Scottish king ruthlessly tightened his grip on Scotland's border regions and restored peaceful relations with his southern neighbour when he married the sister of Henry III of England (r. 1216-1272 CE). Alexander died in 1249 CE while campaigning to wrest the Western Isles from the Norwegian Crown, and he was succeeded by his son Alexander III of Scotland (r. 1249-1286 CE).

Early Life

Alexander was born on 24 August 1198 CE at Haddington in East Lothian. His father was William I of Scotland and his mother was Ermengarde de Beaumont (d. 1234 CE), an illegitimate descendant of Henry I of England (r. 1100-1135 CE). Aged just 11 and already being groomed for his future role, the young prince participated in a campaign against rebels in Ross. In addition, he was sent south to Westminster in England in 1212 CE where he was knighted by King John. William I died on 4 December 1214 CE at Stirling Castle and so he was succeeded by his son, then aged just 16, who became Alexander II of Scotland. Alexander was inaugurated as king at Scone Abbey one day later on 5 December.

Continue reading...

[crocutaborealis]

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.

[trivia-polls-daily]

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

[master-john-uk]

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

[wonder-worker]

"There are indications that [King William the Lion of Scotland] relied on Queen Ermengarde and allowed her to play an increasingly influential part in public affairs. A resentful Glasgow canon was to allege that in 1207 Walter, a royal chaplain, obtained the position of bishop of Glasgow after bribing not only the King’s chamberlain but the Queen herself. There are signs that her relatives also profited from their relationship with her: Richard de Beaumont, possibly a brother or nephew, acquired a sizeable estate in the Crail area. Ermengarde appears to have acted as mediator when William was negotiating with King John of England in 1209, and she certainly did so with great aplomb when her husband met John at Durham in February 1212. According to Bower, she showed herself in their discussions to be ‘an extraordinary woman, gifted with a charming and witty eloquence’. As a result of her efforts, the peace between the two countries was renewed, and it was agreed that her son Prince Alexander should be given an English wife.

That same summer, William fell ill, and there are signs that Ermengarde exercised considerable influence during his sickness. The King was nearly seventy by now, and although he recovered, his health remained poor. He was well enough to travel as far north as Elgin in the summer of 1214, but the lengthy journey brought on some sort of collapse and he was taken south again to Stirling by very easy stages. Ermengarde was probably with him when he saw his lords for the last time and urged them to accept his sixteen-year-old son Alexander as king. He died in Stirling Castle at the beginning of December 1214.

Next morning, the prelates and nobles urged the Queen to supervise the arrangements for the funeral, but she was ‘in a state of extreme mourning and worn out with grief’. Try as they might, they could not rouse her from her sorrow and so they hastily took Prince Alexander to be crowned at Scone while Ermengarde remained with her husband’s body. William was then buried in his abbey of Arbroath. Ermengarde lived for another twenty years, devoting her considerable energies to raising money to found a Cistercian abbey at Balmerino in Fife. She purchased the necessary land for a thousand merks and oversaw the construction of the building, which was made of local red stone. Monks from Melrose settled at the abbey on St Lucy’s Day, 13 December 1229 and both Ermengarde and her son Alexander frequently stayed there. When Ermengarde died on 11 February 1233, she was buried before the high altar at Balmerino. It is a pity that the records do not tell us more about this effective and influential Queen Consort."

-Rosalind K. Marshall, Scottish Queens 1034-1714

[thelampisaflashlight]

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.

<3

[scotianostra]

On St Andrews Day 1996 thousands lined The Royal Mile in Edinburgh to see the Stone of Destiny, stolen from Scone by King Edward I of England in 1296, returned to Scotland and installed in the Castle.

At first, the Stone of Destiny appears to be little more than a simple stone, but no other stone could carry so much history and tradition than this one. Despite its simplicity, it has quite a colourful and surprising history.

The Stone of Destiny goes by many names, sometimes called the Stone of Scone, The Coronation Stone , An Lia Fàil or Jacob’s Pillow. It is a simple block of red sandstone that measures about 26 inches by 17 inches.

Both Scottish, English and British monarchs have been crowned on this stone since the ninth century.

Legend dates back to biblical times; the stone is said to have been the pillow Jacob used, where he dreamed of Jacob’s Ladder. It was seen as a sacred object and first went to Ireland and then to Scotland.

No one can pinpoint exactly where the stone came from, with origin stories mentioning biblical stories or the stone being quarried in Scotland. However, geologists proved that the stone was quarried somewhere around Scone, the historical site of the Scottish Kingdom. There is a theory that the Augustine Monks, learning that an English Army was on it’s way to Perth and fashioned a replica from a block of stone quarried nearby, the real stone was either hidden in the River Tay or Dunsinane Hill, my subject of last weeks post, Nigel Tranter himself believed the object Edward took to London was "a lump of Scone sandstone".

As I mentioned in a previous post today, the last Scottish King to receive his coronation on the stone is John Balliol, who is said to have lost the stone to Edward I “Hammer of the Scots” when he invaded Scotland in 1296 The stone was taken as spoils of war where Edward fitted it to his chair in order to try and secure his role as Lord Paramount of Scotland.

In 1328 England promised to return the stone to Scotland. However, angry English crowds stopped it from actually leaving Westminster Abbey. It remained in England for another six centuries.

The stone was liberated by four nationalist students in 1950, during the theft, they broke the stone into two pieces. Despite this, they managed to bring it back into Scotland when they passed both halves to a senior Glasgow politician; the stone was then repaired by a stonemason.

The government ordered a search for the stone, and the search was unsuccessful. The custodians left the stone in Arbroath Abbey in April 1951. When it was discovered, it was returned to Westminster.

In 1996, the government returned the stone to Scotland. A handover ceremony took place in November 1996 between the Home Office and the Scottish Office. It arrived at Edinburgh Castle to a crowd of around 10,000 people. To this day it sits alongside the crown jewels of Scotland when not used in coronations.

Doubt surrounds the stone all throughout its history, and it is said there are many points in which the stone could have been swapped or lost.

Another belief is that the stonemason who repaired the stone after its damage made several copies and the one returned was, in fact one of his forgeries. The big thing, in my opinion that lets this theory down is would a typical Glesga stonemason take the trouble top venture north to Perth to find a lump of stone?

The true history of the stone and whether or not the one in Edinburgh Castle is the correct stone will never fully be known. I myself tend to believe the story, that the Monks hid the original stone.

The Stone is now in it's new home, not far from it's former home, Scone in Perth Museum.

[duchessofostergotlands]

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):

[ayeforscotland]

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.

[daydreamsandafternoonteafics]

Let's Pretend It's Love- Chapter 4

banner by ren

When I was a small girl I remember spending many summers at my Nan and Poppy’s house in the English countryside. My grandparents preferred to live the old-fashioned way, san electricity so as soon as the sunset it was bedtime for Penny and me. I remember being terribly upset as she called us inside from our day of play, almost on the brink of crying tears.

“Don’t worry love,”

Nan would say as she’d scoop me up in her arms.

“the sun will come out tomorrow and then you can play.”

From that day on, I’d developed a strong anticipation for morning. Morning time meant waking up to help Nan make scones and clotted cream and being able frolic outside with Penny all day.

But as summers with Nan and Poppy diminished and I grew older, mornings lost their magical appeal. Especially mornings that I knew would be spent nursing a hangover and regretting my actions from the previous night.

I woke to a an endless stream of sun pouring through my bedroom window and a splitting headache. As soon as I opened my eyes, I regretted it. I just wanted to curl into a ball under my duvet and never come out of my room ever again. I felt terrible physically and emotionally. Even though I’d consumed a bazillion shots of alcohol last night, I still vividly remembered the scene I’d made last night at the pub. I can’t believe I made such a fool of myself. Every time I thought I was getting things done smoothly they always turned out to be a massive mess. Now I bet I’ve creeped Harry out to the point where he’ll never want to go out with me again, better yet, even come into the shop again. Damn it, he would have made such a good fake boyfriend too.

Maybe I can just strangle myself with this duvet to save myself from the embarrassment I’ll feel the next time Harry comes into the shop and I have to admit to Mum and Penny that my boyfriend doesn’t exist. Or maybe Jessa will kill me when she hears I’ve driven her favorite curly-haired customer away.

Ollie, who’d been comfortably curled up in his bed in the corner of my room pounced on the bed and playful pawed at my face, his way of telling me good morning and his nice way of demanding breakfast. I lazily reached over and scratched behind his ears. He purred happily.

“Mummy’s a bloody idiot who’s going to die lonely.” I groaned.

Ollie just stared at me with those adorable blue eyes I fell in love with and crawled on my lap curling himself into a ball. If I embarrassed myself last night, there’s no telling how I made Harry feel, maybe I should call him and apologize? It’s the least I can do after acting like such an idiot.

I rolled on my side much to Ollie’s dismay and retrieved my cell phone from my night stand. Unlocking my phone, I realized I had three missed text messages. One last night from Jess catching me up on the events of Downton Abbey that I couldn’t care less about, another one last night from Penny about how she and Liam were still up in the air about their wedding date and did I have any suggestions and another one this morning from an unknown number. Generally unknown numbers didn’t text me so that was the message I focused my attention on first.

I think we need to talk. How about cuppa ? H x

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Who the hell is H? Couldn’t they at least leave a name like the proper, courteous person would. My hangover headache seemed to be getting worse just out of sheer annoyance.

Look mate, I’m hungover and my head’s killing me. Who the bloody hell is this?

I stared blankly at the screen. It waited for about a minuet before I got a reply.

This is Harry. Sorry, I thought you had my number H x

It was almost as if that one little text was the cure to my hangover. So I hadn’t scared him off after all! He still wants to talk! Probably about the stupid things I said last night but either way he still want to talk to me and he wants to have tea. I quickly sat up in bed which was a huge mistake on my part and replied back.

No, no. I’m sorry! When do you wanna meet?

I bit my lip anxiously waiting for his reply.

Whenever you’ve gathered up enough strength to get out of bed, love. H x

I didn’t even hesitate to reply.

Getting out of bed now.

I threw the covers off of my body as if Harry could see me. Might as well get a head start.

Great. See you at coffeehouse on Pentonville? H x

It’s a date. See you there.

Looks like I might have a chance to sort my shit out after all.

******

It was nearly twelve by the time I’d arrived at the coffeehouse. Since it was a Sunday, business was rather slow and I easily spotted Harry sitting at a table scrolling through his phone. To my surprise he was wearing a plain white t-shirt, a shocking change from the wild patters he usually wore and his wild hair that usually fell around his shoulders was pulled back in a neat bun. This was probably the first time I’d ever seen Harry look so…normal.

I approached the table feeling nervous as ever. The embarrassment was still there. Even though Harry was meeting up with me again I had no clue how he’d react.

“G'Morning.” I spoke softly as I took my seat across from him, perching the dark sunglasses I wore to cover my blood shot eyes on my head

Harry looked up from his phone and gave me a small smile that revealed his dimples.

“More like afternoon. Coffee or tea?” he asked.

“Tea’s fine, thanks.” I replied before Harry left the table to order our drinks.

I nervously studied the groves in the table, trying to find a way to keep myself occupied. If things had been awkward between us before, after last night they were only to get worse.

“Here you are.” Harry announced sitting the tall paper cup in front of me.

“Thanks.”

He took his seat across from me on the other side of the table.

“So, how’d you sleep last night?” he asked.

I sighed. “Just as good as any drunk person.” I replied.

“So, last night. It was fun. Things got very awkward toward the end, though.” Harry announced casually before taking a sip of his drink.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “

It wasn’t exactly the best idea to have shots before going to the pub, yeah? I’m sorry. Did I make you feel uncomfortable?”

Harry shook his head as a slow smile crept over his face. “

No, I thought your obsession with cats was cute. You did sort of creep me out when you started talking needing me to me your boyfriend. What was that about?”

My heart dropped. This was the exact conversation I was dreading.

I sighed. I might as well give it up now. Harry’s too nice of a lad for me to keep torturing him like this.“

Well Harry, I was really drunk and-” I was interrupted by my mobile ringing loudly. “

Uh sorry Harry, I’ve gotta take this call.” I replied sheepishly.

Harry nodded understandingly. I looked down at the caller Id and noticed it was Penny. I rolled my eyes before answering.

“Hey.” I greeted.

“Hi Presley!!” She chirped in her usual cheery tone.

I could hear Liam talking softly somewhere in the background.

“Listen, Mum wants to have family dinner tonight and she wants you to bring your boyfriend so we can all finally meet him. I know I’m anxious to!”

My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

“Hellooo, are you still there, Presley?” She asked. I was in such panic about Mum’s request I hardly realized I wasn’t talking anymore.

“Huh, what?” I asked.

“We want to meet your boyfriend. I mean, unless of course he’s not real or something.” She replied with a laugh.

I didn’t know whether to take that as a joke or an off hand comment. I narrowed my eyes. They will not make a joke out of me.

“What time?” I

“6:30, don’t be late.” she warned.

“We’ll be there.” I declared.

“Good. See ya then.” she replied.

“Yeah, bye.” I hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh.

“You okay?” Harry asked, his green eyes filled with concern.

I sighed. “Harry, I need a massive favor from you. ”

“Sure, why not?” He asked.

Oh, Harry. You’re way too nice.

“I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” I replied.

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.

“I think you just got yourself a boyfriend.”

[daisy-the-wild-flower]

Like Us - Upcoming Book/Character predictions

Headcanons for the newest and most likely characters to appear in upcoming books! (colored by relationship/pairing) LONGGGG af so read at your own risk

Ben Cobalt: His book is definitely gonna show alot more of his insecurities, HOCKEY GOD, hopefully gonna cover his relationship with Charlie, probably one of the funnier/more relaxed cobalts and I think we'll see that, can't wait to see him and Harriet fall in love

Harriet Fisher: drummer queen, science nerd, I really wanna see her and Spencer/her and Xander interact. More Luna interactions. I think Ben is gonna bring out a less shy version of her, she seems kinda reserved and like moody (kinda like Kinnie I guess), can't wait to see if she actually ends up in Tom's band or if she joins one/makes her own music, I really hope their love story is friends to lovers because they are so cute.

Beckett Cobalt: I don't really know if I like the poly thing they have going for him, I loved it with Sul and the boys but this one seems a little forced, hope it's more of a "whose he gonna pick" kinda thing, and I hope he picks Jo. It gives me large amounts of Con and Rose, that isn't to say I wouldn't love that same back and forth with the ballerina dude (can't think of his name) because I probably would, can't wait to see more of his personality since the fuck boy attitude is probably not the real one, I wanna know more about his trauma and addiction and how it all works in his mind, want lots and lots of twin interactions. (I won't be doing Jo or the ballerina guy because we still don't know much about that Love Triangle/relationship)

Charlie Cobalt: Love him, can't wait to see what he becomes and how he learns to battle a lot of his insecurities, really strong character and I think his growth will be good, keeping the "he fell first" trope alive in this fandom, Roxanne is gonna break him and then save him, he will definitely think he isn't good enough, which will probably end up hurting her in the end, would love more Janie/Moffy interactions with him, Beckett and him <3

Roxanne Ruiz: She is definitely getting fired from the company, otherwise Charlie won't go after her, if they don't do that I would like to see the betrayal that Beckett feels from both of them, her and Charlie will definitely smoke together, Paris, France trips, he's definitely gonna take her somewhere alone, she's gonna end up saving him from himself, I want to see her and Jo interact, also her and Janie <3

Xander Hale: This boy is going to kill me, I need to see more of him and know more of how he feels, especially about the way people protect him, at some point that has to get old, because he is doing the best he can to be healthy, and I feel like the constant checkins and worrying will get to him at some point, him and Spencer are adorable, he is definitely going to love like Lily, all in it for spence, gonna be real similar to Lily and Lo choosing not to continue their addictions, gonna choose to live and not hurt himself for Spencer at some point, Ben and him need to reconnect <3, will take over superhero and scones and some point.

Spencer Sadler: Defenitly gonna be alot like Lily, sweet, shy, keeps to herself, really strict and hard on herself to be the best she can, I don't think her family will necessarily be that bad, but I think they have said or done things to lead her to be like that, they only mention it like once but definitely obsessed with art, like really into it, can see her designing things or becoming an artist for books (comic books?), Xander and her are gonna be either fake daters or friends with benefits until they fall in love, he fell first and then she fell harder trope.

Vada Abbey: Biker girl, probably going to get hurt at some point, video games constantly, I think school would be really easy for her, don't think she'll go to college, probably an graphic/digital art major if she does, can see her making games with her dad, her and Easton are gonna be friends to lovers, he's definitely gonna sweep her off her feet once they start dating, she isn't shy but she isn't as blunt as Winona or Kinnie either, definitely kinda awkward like Willow, Her and Nona <3, would love to see something between her and Ben when they were little, maybe just like her having a crush and she has to get over it now kinda thing.

Easton Mulligan: He is probably gonna go to college for like finance or something, We don't know much about him yet, brown hair, green eyes, will always support and protect Xander, Garrison and him will definitely be similar to Donnelly and Loren, plays video games with Vada, falls in love with her but doesn't realize it/doesn't want to upset Xander by dating his cousin.

Winona Meadows (my favorite character): Would really like to see something with addiction in her, I think she has a lot of the same tendencies as Ryke mentioned he did early on, and we didn't get to see much of Sully's addiction problem, definitely works at the camp or helps her mom with it in some way, can see her taking a "gap year" to figure herself out and then never going to college, I think she'll go to Californina and see Jesse and that will probably spark the romance they have, he fell first obviously, she's really sweet but I think at some point we'll see her get aggravated with being left out, we know she already feels that way because Luna heard her say it, but I think in the upcoming books especially with everyone kinda moving on from Highschool and beginning their own lives, she'll definitely have a similar story to daisy, her and Sully need more moments, actually any of them with her because I miss the Meadow family, her and Vada <3, her and Kinnie <3, her and audrey <3, the girl squad <3.

Jesse Highland: Surfer, will definetly become a professional filmographer (I think that's the right word), would really like to see him do something with Winona, Ben, Vada, and Xander - Kinda like their own TV show or interview, definitely gonna be the one that fims Nona for the Calloway show, I think that's all she'll be comfortable with, I think he'd do anything for Nona, including beat up Tate, I wanna see him find out about her passing out because of him, that would probably rival Ben's reaction, he really loves her and I think Ryke and him will get along, I think he'll be more worried about winning Daisy over, which will earn him brownie points with Ryke, him and Jack need more time <3, would also love to see Oscar be a big brother to him <3.