#She reminds me of like Catherine Howard

[burry-penguin]

WAKE UP BABE, CIRCE SAGA JUST DROPPED!

[blackcat419]

Alicent, Elia, and Sansa’s stories remind me a lot of women like Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Howard.

Their stories reflect the real suffering women went though in history when they did not have men around them to protect them.

Alicent has her father sent away and has a husband actively setting up a succession crisis. Her and her children’s safety is being undermined and threatened by those around her and in the end she’s punished for trying to keep her family safe.

Elia has her husband abandon her, her father in law actively threatening her, and her only family miles away. She’s a pawn used by those around her to keep her family in line and in the end her and her children are violently murdered.

Sansa looses her father and has her betrothed actively abuse her. She does nothing to those in the red keep yet they stand by and let jeoffrey have her beaten.

While they are fictional, they draw on real world women who suffered because the men around them decided they weren’t worth anything.

Catherine of Aragon, despite being a princess of Spain, her nephew being the holy Roman emperor, and the queen of England. Was locked away in a damp castle to die never seeing her only child ever again.

Anne Boleyn, despite being the woman Henry fought for years to marry, was accused of incest and witchcraft and murdered along with her brother.

Katherine Howard, despite being queen of England, was murdered because Henry found out she had been groomed and assaulted by men in the past and was being actively blackmailed by one of his friends.

Their stories reflect the suffering women have gone through for generations. They don’t have swords, dragons, or armies ready to die for them. Despite their high statues, they are disposable to the men around them.

And they ask us to look with sympathy upon them and women in the past. To see through the lies and slander to see the real person underneath. Despite doing everything their society asked of them, they still suffer.

I ask you, dear reader, to see these often hated and sidelined characters as not the monster in the closet, the hag keeping lovers separated, or a whiny child who needs to learn their place. But as women who are placed in a world where perfect is never enough, where your duty will never secure safety, and where fighting back as best will have you condemned as hysterical and at worst killed.

[ride-thedragon]

I know I'm the #1 dick rider for trying to make the hotd writers' intentions make sense but I'd rather play into Homelander's lactation kink than make a US politician into an archetype for one of the dragon incest spawn (Rhaenys is the loml, dont get me wrong) to fit into. So here are a few women that Rhaenys Targaryen reminds me of:

1. Aunt Elizabeth from the Great.

Yes she's in the great so she's sex crazed, a bit odd and violent but she also loves the kids she raised fiercely, does what will benefit others even to her detriment and carries the memories of those before her. She also leads Catherine to good decisions and not much goes past her. She can read into your soul with one look.

2. Lady Danbury from Bridgerton

Both women have been through a lot and have found strength in the young girls around them that bring them into a larger role within the family. Both strong women with witty remarks who play the game as best they can.

3. Barbara Howard from Abbott Elementary.

She's holding together the younger people most of the time. Always there with a guiding word that most people don't like the first time. More oftent han not people learn from their words.

4. Last one and an actual historic (kinda) figure and myth based comparison because it's not hard.

Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, War and Crafts.

She's strong, wise, and courageous. There are a lot of qualities that Rhaneys has in common with her.

Rip to the Queen who should've been. You deserved so much better.

[starteller-7]

I just kinned the Bg3 companions with my little pony characters (it was relevant to thr post I reblogged I swear) which has reminded me of my love of kinning.

So.

Bg3 companions as SIX queens.

Apparently my blog is just Bg3 + musicals now.

Okay!

These don’t fit perfectly but whatever.

Also spoilers for backstories and character quests.

Lae’zel is Catherine of Aragon, and No Way is her talking to Vlaakith. She was perfect and devoted and then turns out Vlaakith sucks and now hates her even though she was the perfect devoted follower. Also low key the drum breakdown is giving military to me, idk why.

Anne Boleyn is Gale because 1. Confident, 2. I just want him to be silly. As a treat. Lose Your Head is him talking about his relationship with Mystra and how not feeling good enough for her drove him to do reckless things that ended up getting him banished/basically sentenced to death.

Jane Seymour is Shadowheart because she put up with the abuse for a long ass time and also emotional repression, and grief of her parents paralleling Jane’s grief for herself and her son.

Anna of Cleves is Karlach. She has the best attitude out of all of them and the most self-confidence, and even though her good times are cut short (regardless of which ending she gets) she’s having a great time while she’s here.

Katherine Howard is Astarion. Because… yeah.

Catherine Parr is Wyll. Voice of reason, wants to be known for who he is outside of his abuser (Mizora, maybe his dad too idk) and has tons of accomplishments unrelated to his abuse. I also feel like without Tav he’d be the voice of reason and the one to help everyone through their shit.

[sovvannight]

Potential Covers Playlist #1

After the Bereny Show (in my Season 2 series), Andi suggests the Phantoms add a few cover songs into their set list. In the following scenes the band does discuss possible covers, but I never actually confirmed what songs, if any, they end up covering.

That's plot relevant for the next scene, so here's a playlist of possible I listen to all the time at work. A lot of these come from a larger list, "The Positive Mix," songs I pulled for a playlist for a road trip with Mom a while back, so it's probably a little too heavy on older songs.

Jimmy Eat World - The Middle - This is a song Reggie mentions discovering during his attempts to catch up on all the music he missed. It's more like a Sunset Curve song than a JATP song, though.

Little Mix - Wings - I LOVE this pick for them; I generally favor covers where the covering band really makes the song their own, so a genre switch like this would really work for me. And I can just imagine how it went: Julie played the song for them, Luke immediately said, "What? No!," and then at the 20 second mark when the percussion line kicks in, Alex is like, "YEESSSS!" Anyway, lots of room for different band members to take a line, and I'm assuming some of the brass/synthesizer sounds get converted to guitar.

Gloria Estefan - Get On Your Feet - not sure if this is a Julie pick, a Reggie pick (since I headcanon him as having the most mainstream musical taste out of all the band members), or you could argue it's a Luke pick and he has a thing for singers with dark curly hair. Anyway, I like the guitar line, and I'm assuming Julie is handling the brass via synthesizer.

Journey - Be Good to Yourself - I feel like one of the band members would suggest Don't Stop Believin' and then Julie would have to explain how that's a meme song now, and what a meme song is, and they'd work their way around to this as an alternate option.

Noisettes - Don't Give Up - a Julie pick - probably too heavy for JatP, but I like the idea of her playing it for them, the guys looking at her, surprised, and she's like, "What? My mom was in punk bands!"

The Kinks - Better Things - absolutely a Luke pick. I've just googled and apparently this is actually a breakup song? But I still really like this song for them: the lyrics are positive, there are already built-in keyboard and guitar parts, and I like the harmony on the chorus.

Let's Active - Every Dog Has His Day - probably a Luke pick, because it's a rock nerd pick, although the drum line is cool so you could make the case that it's an Alex pick instead. Lyrics might be a little less JatP-style positivity and veering toward Dirty Candyish-(over)confidence.

Anathema - Dreaming Light - would also satisfy Andi's request for a ballad.

Bonham - Dreams - definitely an Alex pick, since this is the band formed by the son of Led Zeppelin's late drummer.

Tommy Shaw - Girls With Guns - OK, I get that this might seem out of place, but there's that part of the chorus, "Stand tall, don't think small, don't get your back against the wall."

Catherine MacLellan - Everything'll Be Alright - another ballad. Way too many instruments, but we're ignoring that.

Tim Cappello - I Still Believe - from The Lost Boys soundtrack, which the guys absolutely rented on VHS back in the day.

Gotye - I Feel Better - I actually don't love this song, but I was feeling like there weren't any modern songs on the list so I added it. And I do like the lyrics.

The Call - Let the Day Begin - this song... technically it's kind of monotonous, but it still gets stuck in my head sometimes 35 years later. I wonder if Julie's like, "What wall? What are they talking about?" and the guys are suddenly reminded of that 26-year age gap.

Howard Jones - New Song - Alex suggests this song in The Alarm. Obviously Luke would have to convert some of the keyboard parts to guitar.

Brendan James - The Lucky Ones - look, I'm a simple girl: I just want Julie and Luke sharing a mic, looking into each other's eyes as they sing, "This moment is yours, this moment is mine, and we're gonna be fine."

Amy Grant - Takes a Little Time - probably an Alex pick, since she's a Christian singer going mainstream. Let's pretend Reggie can play the harmonica and that he can handle both that and the bass part.

U2 - Some Days Are Better Than Others - definitely a Reggie pick - listen to that bass line! I see them getting to the line, "Your skin is white, but you think you're a brother," and Julie making the same face she made when Alex complained about having a wedgie.

The Bravery - This is Not The End - maybe a little too afterlife-focused? I like it, though.

Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says - I mostly avoided body positivity songs, but the 'na na na na's' are just too fun.

Sam Roberts Band - We're All in This Together - I just like it.

Delta Rae - Dance in the Graveyards - OK Delta Rae is 6 people so there's no real way a 4-person band could play this, but, c'mon, "When I die, I don't wanna rest in peace, I wanna dance in joy" - tell me that's not the guys? And "And while I'm alive, I don't wanna be alone, mourning the ones who came before, I wanna dance with them some more" - tell me that's not Julie?

At any rate, try to imagine Julie and the Phantoms covering these two songs at their show at Drake's and in the future:

[pardonmydelays]

your mutuals as queens from six the musical? (I better be a part of the list..kurwa.)

ok, first of all: this is extremely hard. second of all: there are six members of prison gang (including me), so i'm gonna include myself as well. & a little note before we begin: all of them are one big slay in my eyes (just like my moots) so please don't be mad at me or anything, i was trying my best! (i'm gonna make this all about quotes oops sorry not sorry)

catherine of aragon - @measuredmotion, cause i must agree that baby in all the time you've been by my side (also, she's the first wife & you're my first moot here - but unlike henry, i would NEVER divorce you, i love you too much!)

anne boleyn - @anixknowsnothin, you'd probably also break england from the church cause you're that sexy (just please don't lose your head, ok? also i might be wrong but i think you said once that she's your favourite)

jane seymour - @timemaychangetheshoreline, they can all try to tear you down, but you're unbreakable (i have a spotify playlist with all the sad songs you recommended to me once & heart of stone is definitely there & it reminds me of you so much)

anna of cleves - @redwidow616, cause you are definitely the queen of the castle & also you profile picture always looks to me like something you could hang up for everyone to see (& absolutely not because anna was german)

katherine howard - me, cause he said we have a connection & i thought this time was different but it's never ever different (lol i'm having waaaay too much fun with this sorry for including myself)

catherine parr - @noproof-youjustknow, cause i'm pretty sure you'd be the one to survive & you would definitely fight for female education (you both give me that mom friend vibe!!!)

but to be fair, we're one of a kind, no category, i love you guys & sorry don't kill me hahaha ❤️

[oddsapphic]

Okay, so after watching Six the Musical for the 507th time, I decided to share which wrestlers I'd cast as each queen

Catherine of Aragon = Toni Storm

They're both very dramatic, and let's face it, ✨️timless✨️

Anne Boleyn = Nyla Rose

Both are chaos gremlins with and absolutely petty.

Jane Seymour = Willow Nightingale

Don't ask me why. They just give off a similar vibe.

Anne of Cleves = Athena

Let's be honest. Athena wouldn’t just tell you to get down. She would push you down, several flights of stairs.

Katherine Howard = Harley Cameron

Again, don't ask me why, they just give off the same kind of vibe

Catherine Parr = Ruby Soho

Just the whole thing with her realizing "Oh shit maybe Saraya is kind of an asshole" thing and her just like trying to like get away from Saraya to be with Angelo reminds me of Cathy and her whole thing with Henry basically stealing her away from her man.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. <3

[floralcrematorium]

you got me thinking about Henry marrying Nyo England and getting mad when she kept coming back after he beheaded her because she can't bear children.

*reawakens from my Tudor queens hyperfixation*

I AM HERE

Get ready for the longest nonsensical ramble nobody asked for. Does this make sense? I don’t know, let’s find out together.

My personal headcanon is that Nyo!England, or Alice, wasn’t married off to other royalty but instead powerful nobles. In the 1600s after the fall of the Tudor dynasty specifically.

She hated it for obvious reasons.

On top of that, I have a feeling that she’s somewhere on the ace spectrum and is demiromantic. If she were ever to fall in love it would be the slowest slow burn of all. I also don’t see her having a gender preference, but I digress. She’s always been a bit of a prude regarding nudity and “risqué topics.”

In regard to the Tudor period, I think this is abouts when a lot of personal changes happen for Alice because of the English Reformation, her life at court, and subsequent arranged marriage(s).

As far as her relationship with the king, I don’t think Henry VIII would’ve pursued Alice as a romantic partner, but the thought of Alice continuously popping back up after being “executed” is an interesting thought.

I see her being a well respected lady at court, in rank nearly equivalent to Anne of Cleves’ following her divorce (Anne of Cleves was the highest ranking English woman after the Queen Consort and Henry’s daughters, who had by this time been reinherited. If I’m wrong, then at least Mary was reinherited thanks to Jane Seymour). Imagine whatever Arthur’s rank would be at court, but the feminine equivalent for the early 1500s. Alice relished being at court, it gave her a feeling of power she hadn’t felt growing up. She had more freedom in her adolescence, but this was the first time she had political sway (she was part of the Queen’s household).

She would have had a rather positive relationship with Catherine of Aragon. I think they’re actually both very similar; Well educated for women of the time, smart, enduring, and headstrong. Alice also would have been Catholic, seeing as how England largely practiced Catholicism until Henry VIII formed the Church of England and mandated the practice of Protestantism.

I think the English Reformation shatters Alice on a variety of levels; Her relationship with religion becomes difficult, she is reminded yet again that women are not safe regardless of their social rank (albeit royal and noble women had it far better than the average person — Tudor England had the highest rates of educated women among the nobility in Europe), and finds herself endangered as well.

The Wars of the Roses had been a tumultuous time politically and I haven’t figured out Alice’s role before the 1490s other than the ye ol’ horse girl to court gossiper pipeline.

This is when a lot of things click for Alice. This is when she’s no longer the perfect “English Rose,” an ideal lady of the court. I think this is when she starts to become more cynical, especially as she’s probably near reached physical adulthood (I haven’t figured out how she ages yet smh). She honestly probably would have gotten executed at least once for having a similar attitude to the progression of England’s governing and religion that Catherine of Aragon and Mary did. Clearly seen in Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, and other high ranking women’s case, nobody was safe from the executioner’s block.

I don’t think she would have been unkind to Henry’s future queens (my personal bias), but there may have been some resentment. I have a soft spot for young Katherine Howard, though I feel like she would’ve been Alice’s least favorite.

Following the death of Henry, Alice would’ve fared alright during the reigns of his children. I have no clue what she was doing during Edward’s reign. She would’ve been fine during Mary’s reign considering her support for her mother. I also think she would’ve been fine during Elizabeth’s reign.

Admittedly my knowledge about English history and royal history fizzles out when the Stuart dynasty comes into play (1603 w/ death of Elizabeth I), but it’s around this time when Alice is used as a political pawn in marriage.

I could see her having formed some sort of deep connection with a human who is a constant presence in her life, or maybe another nation (you can take the person (me) out of Hetalia fandom, but you can’t take the FrUK out of the person). This is ripped away from her when England tests the waters with marrying Alice off for the first time. She’d had brief arranged engagements before, but they’d never gone through.

This one did and he was terrible.

He’s some made up man and all I know is that he’s terrible enough that Alice is willing to consider killing him to get out of the marriage and inherit his land.

Alice convinced her husband to have a nice countryside vacation, she studies some plants because she likes gardening, and one thing leads to another — he’s been poisoned and Alice is being tried for witchcraft in the 1660s/70s.

She gets put through ordeal by water.

She is very, very reluctant to return to court life, seeing as how the last time she was there she was treated like property. I’m unsure if she would retain her ex-husband’s estate after her second attempted execution.

She eventually does return to court because it’s a. her only choice and b. the allures of the potential for personal power and greed (enter the colonial period and imperialism).

Alice leaves the 17th century with newfound fears of arranged marriage (marriage at all tbh) and being fully submerged in water, a desire for some sort of control, and a discomfort living in rural areas despite her upbringing having been in small villages.

If she’s ever to marry again, it wouldn’t be until the late 20th century or beyond.

I also feel like her relationship with Arthur is. Difficult. They coexist but he will always be the main personification of England. They’ve had similar experiences, with both being immortals who age so slow that they don’t seem to age, but they can’t ever fully understand each other. In my head they’re related in some vague way, but have a strained sibling sort of relationship.

Admittedly I have a lot of research to do before I can feel comfortable with using my canon-divergent Nyo!England for anything. Most of my knowledge regarding English history comes from my AP European and World History classes in high school or my personal research into the royal family (Tudor and Victorian-Windsor period specific). My knowledge more so comes in the form of factoids about various English royals and not politics or culture, so I have a lot of blind spots. I’ve done my fair share of research into Tudor court life, but even then I’m not even sure if anything I’ve said above is valid.

Anywho, that’s the end of my ramble. Alice is a WIP because I have a lot of work to do regarding her role as a nation through each century. Hopefully when I’ve done the proper research I can do something with her, but my focus is on the Margaritaville AU right now. I’ll come back to her, though!!

[katharinepar]

Do we even do dream casting anymore? Is this a thing? Anyway, here’s my (ever changing) casts for this six wives ✨

Catherine of Aragon as Amy Adams, I’m not fully set on this (I’ve never really been able to pinpoint someone and go ‘that’s Catherine!’) and obviously she’s a bit older now to play her, but back in the day I think Amy would’ve done an amazing Catherine. On the flip side, I liked Natalia Rodriguez from Isabella TVE as CoA as well.

Anne Boleyn as Eden Epstein, I’ve never seen her act but I think face-wise she could be a dead ringer for Nan (I’d want her to wear dark contacts tho)

Emma Corrin as Jane Seymour, I think Emma could pull off the ‘outwardly mousy but psychologically traumatized’ look perfectly.

Either Saoirse Ronan or Julia Garner as Anna of Cleves - I’m not too picky. This could either be a big brain moment or a major flop.

Sadie Sink as Katheryn Howard, especially since she reminds me of the absolutely ✨indelible✨ Lauren McQueen who portrayed KH in the Six Wives w/Lucy Worsley.

Charlotte Spencer as Katharine Parr, do I even need to back this one up? I think the fandom would go nuts if she were to play Katharine.

[ml-typhonverse]

As someone who loves Six, here is how I would place everyone. Catherine of Aragon: I'd go with Jake here. The part where Catherine says that if Henry can say one thing that she did wrong and she'll leave feels a lot like how Jake operates with authority figures, especially since she knows Henry has nothing to say. And we know once Jake decides something, nothing can really change his mind. Anne Boleyn: Marco. Marco 100%. Flashy, flirty, letting their mouth get the better of them and getting in too much trouble the one time they can't keep quiet when they really should have? Yeah, that's Marco.

Jane Seymour: Probably Tobias. Obviously not a perfect fit, but Tobias does have that more introspective personality that I feel fits best with Heart of Stone. There's an enduring quality to Jane that fits with Tobias as a hawk, while her delicacy reminds me of pre-war Tobias.

Anne of Cleves: Rachel. You can't tell me Get Down isn't a Rachel song. Rachel having to deal the least with Henry and getting a pretty dang awesome life also feels fitting to me.

Katherine Howard: Ax. Again, not a perfect fit for obvious reasons. But Ax's human morph is considered the prettiest of the group, Ax does show that combination of naivete and experience that Kate Howard does in her song. And Kate's desperate search for love reminds me of Ax's desperation to cling to an authority figure during the earlier books, hence making Jake his prince.

Catherine Parr: Obviously the 'Survivor' of SIX is Cassie, one woman army. Life didn't end as part of the six, fought for the rights and education of others in that time period, it's Cassie. And she's the one to keep her head as things get worse, which also feels fitting to the final books.

So, that's my take on things. Feel free to rant at me in comments on why I'm wrong!

Animorphs but it's six the musical? I would love to see 5 of them trying to rip each other apart and the one person trying to have everyone stay calm.

I haven't seen Six. Anyone who has (and knows Animorphs) willing to weigh in?

[averlym]

okay you know what i’ll probs not finish colours and i want this posted by december so- here’s a silly little birthday comic, a few days late! (@holiday anon!)

[thewhizzyhead]

ANYWAYS HERE'S ME CASTING THE WATT ACTRESSES IN SIX BECAUSE WHY THE HELL NOT WOO also expect ties cause I wanna include all the principal actresses on here

ARAGON: Wonu Ogunfowora. the RIFFS. THE ENERGY. THE ENERGY IN THOSE RIFFS. ALSO THE FREAKING CLIMAX IN DEFENSE IS PROOF THAT SHE'D KILL IT AS ARAGON AAAAAA

BOLEYN: a tie between Cathy Ang and Zoe Jensen. Yup i know, those two would make two very different boleyns (I feel like Zoe would legit channel Farrah's spirit if she were to ever play Boleyn) and i really wanna see both so yay oh and also fun fact: prior to watching the WATT boot for the first time, I legit thought that Andrea Macasaet was Mattie in WATT so um yea there's that djsjs

Seymour: CELESTE ROSE. I THINK SHE AUDITIONED FOR SEYMOUR AT ONE POINT I DUNNO I THINK THE VID IS SOMEWHERE ON VIMEO BUT EITHER WAY I WANT HER AS SEYMOUR oh and also i personally think Wonu would also be amazing as Seymour (Exhibit A: the Defense climax)

CLEVES: MiMi Scardulla. HER ENERGY. THE AUDIENCE WILL FAWN OVER HER. CASE CLOSED NOW I WANNA SEE HER PERFORM GET DOWN AAAAA

HOWARD: sorry guys I'm indecisive as fuck so it's a four-way tie between Zoe Jensen, Lauren Zakrin, Kaitlyn Frank and Jenny Rose Baker. All three of them have extraordinarily powerful voices so um yea I'm stuck (I'm very curious on zoe and jrb's takes on k howard tho like I'm legit really interested to see how they'll both act as howard - I'm pretty sure that both takes will end with me bawling at the end of aywd tho)

PARR: SYDNEY PARRA. DO I EVEN NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS. wait hold on HOLY FUCK THIS IS A THING THAT ACTUALLY KINDA NEEDS TO HAPPEN I MEAN GUYS YOU'VE ALL HEARD HER VOICE RIGHT JDJSJF SYDNEY PARRA WOULD ROCK AS PARR WOO YOU CAN PRY THIS DREAMCAST FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS oh and also "Parr" is literally in her name so-

[historicallyinaccuratejomarch]

I drew Katherine Howard, which means that I only have Catherine Parr left to draw.  I’ve gone back to taking inspiration from both the musical and art of her (which I kinda did for Anne of Cleves but Anne of Cleves wasn’t as good).  

[autistic-sylvester]

What I think each queen's pet would be :

Catherine of aragon-

Chinchilla

I have no reason for this other than she likes their playfulness :)

Anne boleyn-

Rats

She likes how smart they are and how interactive they are, she also enjoys how social they are

Jane seymour-

Hamster

I also have no reason other than she likes to watch them burrow and how they interact with their environment

Anna of cleves-

Dogs

She just loves dogs. She used to have dogs and she just loves how playful they are and would take it out for morning walks when she would run in the morning and lives how affectionate they can be

Katherine howard-

Cat

Obviouse reasons. But she enjoys how they are, they have boundaries and set them, their noises, the calming nature of cats just puts her at ease, she also finds them very fluffy and a good calmer if she gets spooked

Catherine parr-

Parrot

I have no reason other than I'm hyperfixited on both six and parrots. She would 100% either have a conure or a cockatiel, she likes having something there in her room constantly and having a reminder to take care of herself and the animal, she likes the noises they make. While the screams aren't pleasent. They also help her stop dissociating, she likes the idea of having someone to be around without human interaction and because I'm autistic and I say she's autistic, her special interest is mine :) parrots:)

Some people will agree or disagree, but this is me, and what I think, so ha!

[mistydear]

soften me now, let me take as is given (ii)

billie dean howard x reader

summary: You meet Billie in mourning. She’s too professional, and you’re too angry, and it takes too long to see her again. And again. And again as your lives tumble together.

w/c: 3.5k

notes: let me know if you want to be tagged in future chapters!

chapter one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen

“I think you’re being impulsive and irrational,” Margot says through the electronic crackle of the phone. Her concern has always been firm and unyielding, more akin to irritation than worry. You sigh, propping your forehead up with your palm.

“It’s not impulsive,” you persist as you grind your aching head into your hand, eyes squeezed shut. “I’ve been thinking about this for months.”

“It hasn’t even been a year since Catherine died, Y/N,” she reminds you, and the words sting and burn under your skin. “You aren’t thinking clearly. Less so since I brought in that medium.”

You grind your teeth, nostrils flaring as you lean back in your chair. “Yes, thank you for that,” you reply sarcastically. After the Billie Dean Howard incident, Margot became convinced she could feel Catherine’s presence around the house whenever she came to visit. The way she’s begun fixating on the dead instead of caring for the living makes you feel used. Though, in all fairness, you’ve been the same lately. And while it makes Margot obsessive, it just makes you depressed.

“If you would just talk to her, maybe she could move on. We could all move on,” Margot insists, exasperated. That’s often how it is when you talk now—clipped and upset. Catherine’s supposed ghostly presence has driven a wedge between the two of you, grief and frustration wearing you both thin. When you’re particularly angry, you consider cutting Margot off completely. You’re not sure her sister in law status holds up beyond the grave, legally speaking.

“I’m not going to talk to an empty house! She’s dead, Margot. Besides, how am I supposed to move on when you’re barging in every other day talking about how you felt her ghost in the kitchen?” you burst, your headache spiking. Margot is silent on the other end, both of you fuming. “It’s my house. I can do whatever the fuck I want with it. And I want to sell it.”

“You’re sleeping at the store most nights, babe. Barely eating. You’re not in any state to be making life changing decisions like this,” Margot replies, urgent but gentler now, like talking to a child. You exhale, your eyes closing as you fight the urge to throw something. Instead you check your watch.

“I have to go,” you sigh, thankful for the convenient excuse. “Thank you once again for the advice. I’ll take it into consideration.” You end the call before Margot can protest, slamming your phone into your desk drawer and standing up, trying to shake off the conversation as you stride out down the hall. Ever since Margot found out you’re only fixing up the house so you can sell it, she’s been threatening to call Billie Dean Howard back and force you to sit down with Catherine. The thought bewilders you so much it’s nearly incomprehensible. Distracted, you run into one of your employees—Jenny—on your way to the front of the store.

“Oh, hi. I was just coming to get you. Mr. Fields is here,” she offers, brushing long brown hair behind her ear. She’s still in high school, a bit shy but a competent employee, and you thank her with a brief squeeze to her shoulder as you walk by. A few of your other employees are setting up folding chairs while Elijah Fields and your emcee for the evening talk by the display table. His book is stacked in neat piles, two chairs set up behind it, microphones already on the tablecloth. It’s a half hour before the reading, and customers are starting to trickle in, wandering the stacks or ordering drinks as everything is finalized.

“Mr. Fields,” you call as you approach, “it’s nice to finally meet you.” He’s in slacks and a sweater, well groomed and graying, and he smiles warmly at you, giving your hand a firm shake.

“Please, just Elijah is fine,” he dismisses then glances appreciatively around the store. “This is a lovely space you’ve curated here. It certainly lives up to all the talk.”

“Talk?” you ask, feeling yourself flush. The owner of Corner Store Books is some wealthy landlord who wanted to try his hand at running an actual business. What he does instead is spend most of his time in Malibu, letting you handle the day to day as general manager while he sits back and collects the money. Since you started here a few years ago, sales have certainly gone up, but you aren’t sure what Elijah means by talk.

“Corner Store is up and coming in literary circles. Keep it up and you’ll be hosting authors much more prestigious than me,” he says with a wink. You swallow, not used to praise and unsure of what to do with it.

“Thank you. That means a lot,” you dismiss with a friendly smile, shoving your hands into your pockets as your eyes flicker away. “I see you’ve met Norah Yang, our emcee tonight.” Norah is the first person you met when you started at Corner Store and the first person from work to find out about your wife’s death. She has dark silky hair and a flair for colorful eyeshadow. She’s blunt and deceptively funny, and you love her half to death.

“I was just asking Elijah about his thoughts on how to distinguish between a legitimate haunting and an overeager imagination,” she offers, making very pointed eye contact with you. Of course—her being your closest friend—you told her about Margot and the insanity of the Craigslist psychic a few months ago over a six pack of Tsingtao Norah picked up from the Chinese market down the street. You were tipsy and loose lipped and a few tears fell on her balcony overlooking Los Angeles. You glare right back at Norah as she smiles pleasantly, ignoring you.

Usually, as general manager, you were in charge of hosting, but Norah booked Elijah Fields before you could say no, and in a petulant fit you refused to even read the book. Norah, on the other hand, devoured it. She isn’t a particularly spiritual person. Her interest lies more so in the theoretical, the symbolic, and she’s convinced that your denial of Catherine’s ghost is a repression of your grief. So, naturally, she reached out to Mr. Fields as a way to indirectly reach out to you.

“Well, I’m not sure there’s a clear cut answer to that. First, we must ask what constitutes a real experience. Are the emotions—the feelings—that accompany a hallucination or a delusion any less real because others are incapable of perceiving it? Objective reality is less so the issue. It’s how we receive and process the spiritual guides in our life that matters. I think in this case, chapter three of my book would be particularly helpful in answering your question,” Elijah explains, tapping the dust jacket of Signs Unseen: Spirits in a Modern World. Norah smiles politely at him, giving you a pointed side eye. You grit your teeth but smile back, astounded by Norah and Margot’s ability to gang up on you from opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum.

Later, when everyone settles in and Norah taps the mic to begin, you take a seat in the far back corner, the room filled with more chattering people than you expected. It’s a good crowd, and frankly you’re shocked by it.

“Welcome to Corner Store Books,” Norah says, standing up to address the room. “I’m Norah Yang, and this is the brilliant Elijah Fields, author of Signs Unseen: Spirits in a Modern World.” Elijah smiles politely at the applause that follows, giving the crowd a nod and a quick wave. “Just a reminder, we are serving wine, coffee, tea, and pastries in the café downstairs. Before we start, I also want to thank my dear friend Y/N Hill for making this night possible,” she says, holding her arm out to you in the back. There are a few whoops from the crowd, and you stand up sheepishly, giving the friendly faces a familiar wave. The literary world is a tight knit community, and you’ve made several friends with repeat customers or authors or fellow booksellers that come to support you. As you scan the crowd, however, your eyes fall to an unexpected face. Billie Dean Howard is sitting in a folding chair near the back, her legs crossed, a glass of red wine in her hand. Her eyes lock onto yours, piercing and curious and just as surprised to see you. A smirk teases her lips, and she raises her glass a few inches, a salute, a toast. To you. You swallow, quickly sitting down. Your chest tightens and your mind buzzes as you turn your attention back to Norah and Elijah. Of course, of course, she’s here.

You try to focus on the reading, but it all just sounds like nonsense to you. Spirit guides and ghostly omens and how to make sense of unexplained phenomena that plague your consciousness. Elijah believes that the modern world has diminished our capacity for spirituality—has lowered our ability to hold space for what science cannot explain but what is ultimately essential to our spiritual and emotional wellbeing. You think it’s a lot of fancy words that don’t mean very much except ghosts are real. The Q&A portion is a little more interesting. A few people challenge Elijah’s claims but most are just seeking answers for their own spiritual problems.

Once the reading ends—though you feel her eyes on you—you avoid looking at Billie, insteading weaving up to Norah and Elijah to congratulate them on a successful night.

“You were great,” you say, hugging Norah tightly. “I should let you host more often.”

“Yeah, you should,” she chides playfully as Elijah is quickly swamped with fans. “Come on, let’s get a drink,” she says, leading you downstairs. Your eyes track the crowd for Billie Dean, but she’s nowhere in sight. It’s been a few months since she and Margot ambushed you in your pajamas, and you’re desperate to avoid her. Since then, you’ve gotten a better handle on your grief. Though the only thing that really means is that you’re able to get dressed and go to work now, to put on a good show. Anyway, it’s embarrassing. You wish she hadn’t seen you in such a messy, vulnerable state. And you wish she hadn’t raised her glass to you so easily, like you were old friends.

Norah orders both of you a glass of red wine. You really shouldn’t drink at work, but you’re closing after this, and your nerves are starting to fray at the stress of seeing Billie again. You sweep the café with your eyes as Norah hands you a glass and fiddle with the stem when she takes a drink.

“You know, you’re gonna have to stare at Signs Unseen in the front window for at least a month while it’s in stock. You may as well read it,” Norah muses, nose in her glass. You scoff, shaking your head, and she nudges you, only partly out of frustration. “You didn’t listen to a word he said up there, did you?”

“Look,” you sigh, tearing your eyes from the crowd for a moment. “I understand that you’re worried about me. But I never thought you’d try to get me to process my grief through some guy who believes in past lives.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, it’s not about the ghosts,” she reminds you, exasperated. She’s tried to explain this to you before, but any time Catherine is mentioned you tend to dissociate, the pain sharp and real in your chest. And it makes you angry because if it weren’t for Billie Dean Howard, you’d have been able to move on, to stop thinking about Catherine all the time in that cold, empty house—waiting for her to turn a corner and tell you she loves you. You take a gulp of your wine, and Norah eyes you. “Are you alright?”

You think about just not telling her, like that would prevent it from being real. “She’s here,” you grumble eventually, looking around for her. “The medium. Margot’s medium,” you clarify, and her eyes widen.

“You’re kidding. Is that why you look so shifty? Where?” she asks, her mind running a mile a minute as she looks around like you’d just announced a celebrity.

“Jesus, upstairs at the reading. I’m sure she’s waiting to talk to Elijah.”

“Then what are we doing down here?” Norah asks with a devious glint in her eyes. Without preamble, she drags you through the lingering crowd and back up the stairs. You think she does this just to fuck with you, and your irritation grows when she asks you what Billie Dean looks like. Before you can tell her you’re going home, Elijah’s voice sounds behind you. Norah unhooks her arm from your elbow as you both turn.

“I didn’t expect quite a crowd,” he exclaims happily, almost breathless.

“People love your book,” you offer with a polite smile.

“That they do,” a voice says from the side. You turn to find Billie Dean Howard with a replenished glass of wine and a smirk on her face. She’s in a floral blouse and cream colored slacks, blonde hair curled softly against her shoulders. She looks wonderful in a coral lip and pearl earrings, and her eyes pierce you with such little effort.

“Billie Dean Howard,” Elijah drawls with a smile. “I thought I saw you in the back. Thank you for coming.” He takes her hand and shakes it, and she laughs softly, easily. As they engage in a conversation you find yourself dissociating from, Norah quickly excuses the both of you and pulls you back to listen discreetly.

“That is not a real person,” you hear Norah mutter to you, looking Billie Dean over from against one of the stacks. You blink, turning to her.

“What?”

“Billie Dean Howard could perform a whole ass exorcism on me like I’m the mom from The Conjuring, and I would thank her.”

“Jesus Christ,” you groan, pressing your fingers into your eyes. “You can’t be serious right now.”

“Serious as the dead,” she shoots back, and you consider punching that smug amusement right off her face.

“I will never speak to you again,” you warn as she takes a drink of her wine.

“She can’t be queer,” Norah tries to rationalize, ignoring you. “Did you see her nails? They’re like claws.” You’re reluctant to admit that you had seen her nails, sharp and painted as they curled around her wine glass. “Shit,” Norah hisses, straightening up. You scramble blindly in the wake of her urgency and look up in time to see Billie Dean Howard striding toward you with a uniquely singular aim.

“Y/N Hill,” she says your name like a declaration—buried in a sigh—as she looks you over. “I have to be honest, I didn’t expect to see you again, let alone here.”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t of her own volition,” Norah pipes, and the urge to punch her grows stronger. “As manager, she’s obligated.” Billie raises her brow and glances back at you.

“Well good. Because if you’d had a change of heart in the last few months and didn’t call me I would have been offended,” she says with a smile, playful and careless as she taps a thumb against her glass. It’s a jab at you, certainly, but it doesn’t hurt.

“Frankly, I’m offended for you,” Norah offers as another nod to how attractive she finds Billie. You do elbow her this time, and as her wine jostles in her glass, she shoots you a mild glare. “Anyway, I should get back to the, um, table. To monitor things and whatnot. It was nice meeting you Ms. Howard,” she says, shaking Billie’s hand.

“Likewise,” she smiles, and then Norah leaves you without a safety net, shooting you a thumb’s up over Billie’s shoulder. You aren’t sure what her motives are, but you suspect it has something to do with Catherine again. She’s as bad as Margot. “Your friend was good up there,” Billie says, and you nod, thankful for something non-paranormal to talk about.

“Yeah, she was. Usually, I’m the one emceeing, but she insisted,” you shrug, taking a sip of your wine. Billie hums, looking you over. You’re in better clothes today—jeans and an orange sweater—but her eyes always make you feel self conscious, like you’ve been laid bare in front of her.

“You didn’t read the book, did you?” she asks with an amused smirk, and you feel your ears heat, floundering for an excuse. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell,” she muses into her wine. You swallow, taking a sip of your own as you look anywhere but Billie. “How’s your sister-in-law? Margot?”

“She just got engaged, actually,” you offer with a nod. “This guy Danny. He’s good for her.”

“Congratulations. I’m sure that’s been emotional for her,” Billie concedes, and you hum noncommittally, mildly unsettled by the way she can dig into your life and pull out all the most painful pieces. And it’s true. Margot came over one afternoon soon after Billie’s appearance at your house with a ring on her finger and a grin that split her cheeks. You shared her joy with gushing affirmations and a gentle hand on her cheek, and then you were crying, your chin wobbling like a child. Margot’s sobs followed soon after, and you clutched onto each other in the stormy sea of your empty kitchen.

“They were supposed to be each other’s maid of honor,” you shrug, holding an arm protectively across yourself. Billie’s head tilts, her shoulders falling and her lips tightening sympathetically as she takes a step toward you, her hand coming to rest on your elbow.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I can’t imagine what you’re going through,” she says quietly, her voice low and private amid the bustle of the reading. Her eyes flicker across you, and something twinges inside you. You don’t understand how she can make you feel so raw so quickly, and you tighten against it.

“No, you can’t,” you confirm, swallowing the growing lump in your throat. Billie’s hand tightens on your elbow, and then she lets it go, undeterred by your perpetual rudeness. Part of you wants her to get angry, to not take the high road for once, and you suppose it’s selfish, but you want a fight. “I’m selling the house.”

You don’t know why you say it. It’s abrupt, and you’re surprised to see Billie’s face fill with shock. Something sharp. Something urgent. And for the first time, you see her flounder.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Margot was too. She’s convinced Catherine’s still there waiting to talk to me. She’s acting like I’m walking out on both of them,” you admit, shaking your head.

“Aren’t you?” Billie asks, and your eyes find hers sharply. “You’re still grieving, and grief makes people stubborn, I understand. But I think it would be helpful for you to get some closure with Catherine before you go.” It’s almost urgent the way she says it, firm like she has any control over your actions and careful like you’re a child being impulsive. You find it incredibly condescending, and your blood boils.

“What would be helpful is for people to stop acting like she’s still around. I just want to move on with my life,” you insist, feeling both angry and exasperated.

“So you want to forget,” Billie clarifies, and the suggestion shocks you into silence. The nerve she must have to even suggest such a thing makes you want to tear her apart. You remember you’re at your place of work, and it’s the only thing that stops you from yelling when you say,

“Honestly, Billie, go fuck yourself.” You’re shaking with rage, and you turn away from her, your heart pounding in your chest. Then you find yourself outside on the sidewalk, and you’re too choked to even finish your wine, but you don’t know what to do with it so you hold it and hold it, seething, until it shatters in your hand. Wine spills over your wrist and down your palm, red and purple rolling in rivulets across your skin. “Fuck.”

You’re in the staff bathroom when Norah finds you checking your sliced palm for bits of glass.

“What the fuck did you do? I leave you alone for five minutes,” she sighs, grabbing you and examining your wounds. “Jenny saw you bleeding your way here and pulled me aside.”

“Did Billie see?” you ask, and Norah looks like she might actually slap you. Her nostrils flare.

“I am going to kill you. Give me that.” She takes the towel from you and dabs your palm. “You better hope this doesn’t need stitches.”

“I’m fine.”

“Shut up,” she snaps, and you close your mouth with the force of it. After a long, silent moment, she takes a deep breath. Her shoulders cave, and then she looks you in the eyes. “Billie Dean Howard is not the reason you lose your mind every time you see Billie Dean Howard.” She says it carefully, slowly, and then she doesn’t say anything more until your hand is safely bandaged.

When you summon the courage to go back out there and say goodnight to your customers and your guest author, Billie isn’t there. But Norah’s words stick with you for a long time after.

[harry-cadogan]

THE SEASON SO FAR as told by Henry “Harry” Cadogan

“Now really,” Harry sighed, lifting his eyes to give Primrose a baleful look. She arrived in London in a flurry, and already the parlor was strewn with her affects. Immediately, she had taken to him -- minding her younger brother, goading him, pushing him toward opinion. “You wish me to rate them?”

It was -- as it turned out -- a rhetorical question.

Adelson Jacobs → ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ “A damned fool and an irritatingly good equestrian.”

[ When Harry Met Adelson™... at an outing of the Two-Trot Club, a society for equine enthusiasts. While they immediately bonded over this, their friendship did not last: Adelson is a curmudgeon on the subject of love, and Harry finds this a truly lacking characteristic. ]

Alexandre Mortier → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Dresses well, seems to have an unholy penchant for red wine. Ah, the French!”

[ When Harry Met Alexandre™... they have not yet! Though I presume they have encountered each other at Brooks’s, where Harry is fiendish about oysters and card games. ]

Anthony ‘Tony’ Fraser → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “A true gentlemen and brave to boot! I should like to dine with him any evening.”

[ When Harry Met Tony™... at Brooks’s! With oysters! Harry immediately took to Tony’s cheerful attitude and foreign flair, and he thinks they are two kindred spirits, galavanting around the Ton in search of love. ]

Archibald Howard St. John → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “Quite reformed, once out of Beatrice’s clutches. We are a complimentary pair.”

[ When Harry Met Archie™... Archie came to 131 Kean Street in search of his elder sister, Beatrice, with whom he had a friendship. What luck -- instead, he found Harry! Harry considers him an odd fellow with a good outlook upon the world. He enjoys their conversations and confides in him. ]

Atticus ‘Kit’ Thorne  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Absolutely capital! A rake, a riot, and really quite dreadful at paper-projectiles.”

[ When Harry Met Kit™... at Oxford! They were troublemaking lads who seemed to egg each other on to further adventures. He’s glad to find him in London, though their objectives seem different. ]

Aurelia Merchant  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ "Quite lovely of face, though we have not yet met.”

[ When Harry Met Aurelia™ ... they haven’t yet! Though I am sure Harry noticed her at the Regatta. ]

Caroline Hale  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Attractive and useful! Though she did side with the modiste’s assistant quite readily. Women.”

[ When Harry Met Caroline™... at Mrs. Bell’s modiste! The assistant was refusing to hand over a package to him for lace, and Caroline kindly intervened to assist him. ]

Catherine Lockhart  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Reminds me of a songbird, all chat and bright smiles.”

[ When Harry Met Kate™... they haven’t yet! Harry surely noticed her at the Regatta, or Margate thereafter. He finds her youthfulness charming. ]

Conrad Mowbray  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “A capital lad, surely!”

[ When Harry Met Conrad™... they haven’t yet! But when they do: this star rating might change. ]

Dulcinea Hallivand 🦉 → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “Bless a woman who knows what she prefers.”

[ When Harry Met Lady Hallivand™... Harry sat through one of Lady Hallivand’s lectures on maritime birding in the spring. He found it interesting, though her affectation 

Diana Bartlett  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “A marvel.”

[ When Harry Met Diana™... at Pleasant Pairings, a blind-date event held at Gunter’s Ice Cream Shop. They immediately engaged in a game of mystery identities, and Harry has been captivated ever since. ]

Emmeline Thorne  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “Excellent taste in lace and weather events.”

[ When Harry Met Emmeline™... at Mrs. Bell’s, again! She entranced him with lace selection, a vision of the future, and her pretty smile. ]

Frances Fitzroy  → ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ “It is amazing that such an icicle can dance.”

[ When Harry Met Frances™... at the Queen’s Ball! He found her quite attractive, but she laughed at exactly zero of his jokes. Off the list. ]

Henry ‘Harry’ Cadogan  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “The best lad.”

Henrietta Fortescue  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “All I know, I’ve heard in rumor. Seems she’s quite a popular one.”

[ When Harry Met Henrietta™... they haven’t yet! He’s heard some stories of our Coquette, though. One wonders which are true. ]

Jeremiah Ackerley  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “One wonders how he’s managed this far, really, being so poor at badminton.”

[ When Harry Met Jerry™... at the badminton courts! Harry now considers their weekly matches an unbreakable appointment each Saturday morning. ]

June Croft  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “How curious a name. What will they think of next? September?”

[ When Harry Met June™ ... they haven’t yet! But soon. One hopes. Particularly as she’s familiar with one of his best lads, Kit. ]

Lucy Herzog  → ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ “For a princess, she has abhorrent taste in men.”

[ When Harry Met Lucy™... only in gray matter! He knows that she is friends with Adelson, which he finds baffling. ]

Margaret Mulgrave  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “Quite foolish in her beliefs, though she manages to be enrapturing all the same. Keep her away from a mallet, for cert.”

[ When Harry Met Margaret™... at Margate, playing croquet! He is rather fascinated by her, and almost protective in a brotherly way -- which suits, for they shall soon be cousins-in-law. ] 

Nicholas Brooksbank  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “Prefers not to have fun, but can be coaxed into doing so. Capital.”

[ When Harry Met Nik™... at Oxford! Harry and Nik are polar opposites at times, and had a way of clashing while in school. It will be fun to see how they get on now that they are proper adults. ]

Ophelia Vane  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ There is no comment here, save for a lifting of brows and a sudden interest in his fingernails.

[ When Harry Met Ophelia™... in their adjoining courtyards, one perfectly lovely May morning. Harry had lost his hat in the petunias the night before and Ophelia returned it to him. He has been her captive ever since. ]

Richard Harcourt  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “Upstanding, decently decadent, and sporting a much better haircut than when I saw him last!”

[ When Harry Met Richard™... in childhood! The boys have been distant cousins for some time. ]

Sarah St. John  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ “An excellent lady of commerce, though she is dreadfully distractible.”

[ When Harry Met Sarah™... buying a cream-salve for his skin after a particularly disastrous encounter with a dull razor. He’s indebted to her supplier. ]

Sebastian Herzog  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Can one even speak poorly of a prince, much less one in absentia? He seems quite strapping and built for sport. A shame he left.”

[ When Harry Met Sebastian™... they haven’t! Though I am sure Harry made his acquaintance at one function or another. ]

Sidney Wyatt  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Appears to be a person, yes.”

[ When Harry Met Sid™... they haven’t! All Harry needs in his life is Jerry. ]

Sophia Weston  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “I thought widows were meant to wear bl-- ouch, Primrose! That was my ear!”

[ When Harry Met Sophia™... they haven’t! Though he’s surely noticed her presence at the Queen’s Ball and Regatta. ]

Victoria Howard St. John  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Effingham’s lady-wife. Always seems to be glowering at an angle. Perhaps it is unhappiness at home? I know I could not bear Effingham’s chat all day.”

[ When Harry Met Victoria™... they haven’t! CAL YOU HAVE TOO MANY CHARACTERS. ]

William Hastings  → ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ “Good man, good man. Bit hard to pick out of a crowd, though. Is he Irish? He’s mastered a clever goodbye.”

[ When Harry Met Will™... they haven’t, formally. But Harry has noticed him, particularly as a fellow gentleman at the Regatta amidst all of the fanfare. ]