#Stephen Martin wife

[moonstruck-poet]

Survive

Pairing - Carlos Sainz x wife!reader

Summary - Because of your job as a crime officer, a particularly dangerous mission has both you and your husband on the edge.

Warnings- none!

"Is everybody absolutely clear with the plan? No questions? Any doubts at all?" Your leader asked again, scanning the faces of each of his members.

"None sir," they replied in a chorus. Though their stance was full of confidence, nobody could miss the apprehension that was layered on their faces. The incessant thumping of their heart as it seemed to grow steadily louder.

"You have everything prepared?" Stephen asked you, his eyes focused on yours.

"Yes sir," you nodded firmly. "Everything is in order and we're just waiting for tomorrow". The other members murmured in agreement, their faces tensed yet strong.

"I haven't arranged and brought together my best crew for nothing," he smiled slightly. "Though I want this mission to be 100% successful, it is also equally important that all of you pay attention to yourselves too. No rash decisions, nothing that can impact your or your teammate's life".

"And also, thank you," he chuckled a little at their confused faces. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not a sadist," he replied and everyone laughed. "It's not easy and I'm glad to have all of you with me. Now all I want is for everybody to go home and spend the rest of your time with your families yeah?"

"We'll be alright," you spoke, not a quiver in your voice. "Everyone will be back here tomorrow, safe and sound. I promise you".

"Exactly why I chose you to lead the operation," Stephen muttered, pride filling his eyes as he looked back on just how much you had grown the past years. From rigorous training to complicated practicals, you had given your all to achieve this position and he couldn't think of anyone who had so much dedication for their job.

"We'll be okay," Jess, your software genius reassured with a grin and brought jer hand forward, palm up.

"Absolutely," the two boys, Chris and Elijah chorused with smirks and placed their hands on hers.

"No worries then, eh?" Stephan said good naturedly, loving the enthusiasm of the youngsters. "See you tomorrow then, all geared up and ready".

"Definitely," you nodded, finally placing your palm on the top, a fierce fire blazing in your eyes that was soon reflected in the others too.

====================================

The drive home was made in silence. No music playing on the radio, which was a testimony to the fact that your mind was unsettled.

And why wouldn't it be. You had a huge responsibility on your shoulders. Not only were you responsible for the success of the mission and bringing the abducted children home safely, but you also had to see to it that no casualties would occur.

And on the other hand there was the matter of discussing this with your husband, Carlos. He obviously wouldn't deny you from going, but his sensitive and loving side would be hurting.

You had to tell him very gently.

And you sighed, parking your black Aston Martin and making your way home. Your mind flicking through every possible outcome that may happen tomorrow and torturing you in the process.

You opened the door and were greeted by him sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone and the sight looked so cozy that you couldn't help the smile from adorning your lips.

"Hola amor," he greeted you immediately, sitting up and excitedly walking closer to pull you in his arms. You laughed, keeping your bag down and threading your fingers through his hair while breathing in his comforting scent.

"Hey," you whispered back, resting your head on his shoulder and squeezing him tighter, not wanting to pull away in the least.

"I see someone has missed me," he smiled lovingly and the two of you swayed, almost stumbling down and yet you made no effort to break the hug.

"I did," you finally lifted your head up with a grin and pressed your lips against his, catching him by surprise as your arms went around his neck. His palms instantly held onto your waist, fingers softly digging in the skin and he kissed you back, a small smile forming on his face.

"I missed you too, love," his hand cupped your cheek, gazing intently into your eyes. "Should we have dinner now? I'm starving".

Dinner was a quite chaotic chaotic affair as Carlos told you about the latest gossip roaming around in the F1 world making your eyes widen as he shared the most unexpected details. Without even knowing, your husband had managed to empty your mind of all the negative thoughts and the only thing running through your brain was when will Daniel reveal that he's been married to Max since ages.

"You want some ice cream? I got your favorite flavour too".

"Oh no thank you," you shook your head, your gaze trained on some random point as you zoned out.

"What's wrong, cariño?" Carlos, ever the observant picked up on your changed attitude quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched you sigh deeply and fiddle with your fingers.

"There's um- I want to talk to you," you stuttered slightly, not sure on how exactly to start this conversation while he nodded, sitting beside you and giving you his full attention.

When you didn't say anything he shifted closer, your knees brushing and he held your hand, rubbing soothing circles to steady your erratic breathing. "I'm right here".

"We have a mission tomorrow," you then got straight to the point. "It's about those children that I had told you about".

"Yeah I remember. So you'll be going tomorrow?"

"Yes, I have to lead it. It's- It's only a one day operation so I'll be back by night at the latest. But-"

"But?" He cut you off, his face shifting from relaxed to a tense expression. His heart started to take up its pace as he felt the quick rush of blood.

"It's dangerous," you broke it down gently, moving closer to him and enveloping his hand in yours.

"What do you mean dangerous?" He asked urgently, his eyes searching yours, mind racing with all types of conclusions that this mission might end on.

"Let's say it's a little risky," you answered, rubbing your thumb on the back of his hand. "And there is a small possibility of- of casualties," you frowned, not wanting to say it but he deserved to know the truth.

"Casualties," he repeated, staring ahead now and you could see the various scenarios being conjured. "You have to go?" He asked, voice beginning to shake as he grasped your hand tightly

"I'm leading it, amor," you addressed him softly watching as he buried his face in his hands, contemplating the entire thing as you bit your lip for his reaction.

"Nothing I say is gonna change your mind, right?"

You opted to not say anything, giving him an apologetic and downcast look making him mumble incomprehensibly as he grabbed you by the shoulder, pulling you against his chest. His arms completely enveloping you while he tried to swallow the lump hurting his throat.

"I can't- I don't want you to-" he broke off, inhaling sharply and trying to control himself.

"I'll be okay," you tried, burying your face deeper into his neck as a wave of emotions flooded in.

"You don't know that," he insisted, not wanting to be pessimistic but he couldn't help it. "You don't know what's going to happen there tomorrow".

"But I can hope for the best right?" You reasoned with a small smile and felt him nod a little. "I should have faith that everything will be okay".

"I'm worried for you," he said quietly, lips brushing against your ear and your heart ached on hearing the tremble in his voice.

"Oh baby," you simply tightened your hold around his torso, wanting to be as close as possible. "Honestly? I'm worried too. I'm so scared that something might go wrong, or that someone else will have to face the consequences of my decision".

Carlos pulled back on hearing that, his hands finding your cheeks as he wiped a lone tear that had escaped your stubborn hold. "You are the strongest and the bravest person I know, hermosa. Not everybody can say their wife captures criminals on weekends for fun".

You laughed at that, your heart feeling considerably lighter as you looked at his smiling face. You really lucked out didn't you? To have a husband like him? You had no idea of what you had done to even deserve having a person like him in your life, much less being married to him.

"What did I do to deserve you?" You questioned no one in particular and stared at him in adoration.

"Oh I have no idea but you must have done something incredible to have me as your best friend," he said seriously and you burst out laughing, enjoying his faux annoyance.

"Gracias," you mumbled after quietening, leaning your side sideways on his shoulder and he pulled you closer by one arm.

"Siempre cariño," his hand rubbed your arm, resting his head on yours and merely holding you close. Understanding that all you wanted was his company, to feel him against you, to know that he wasn't going anywhere that he was right there beside you.

====================================

Despite your best intentions, the alarm rang, signalling 6 am and the start of a new day, one that you had tried to avoid.

Unwillingly your eyes fluttered open, staring at the dark ceiling for a moment before turning to your right and internally laughing at the mere centimetres of distance between yours and his face. His nose brushed against your neck as he scrunched it and you shifted slightly to properly look at him.

Couldn't help yourself from raising a gentle hand to rest on his cheek, watching him pout a little as he slept peacefully. His eyelashes shining white in the dark, catching the light of the moon outside. On your own, your lips leaned forward to kiss his forehead. You closed your own eyes, wanting to imprint this memory for the whole day.

And surprisingly enough you were quite calm, no trouble plaguing your mind as you watched your husband. A smile on your face as you realised he was probably the reason for your serenity.

Carlos wasn't too much of a heavy sleeper and you were trying really hard to resist but your control slipped as you gently began placing soft kisses on his face, scanning his every feature while doing so.

Taking a last, fond look, you got up from the bed and hurried off to take a shower and gear up.

You donned on a simple light blue shirt tucked into black pants and an easy braid to not feel any headaches throughout the day. You had just pulled on a black leather jacket when you heard your husband call for you.

"Cariño?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes and squinting them as he tried to locate you, still drowsy from the early hours.

"Morning sleepyhead," you replied, smiling when he blindly extended an arm which was beckoning frantically for you to come closer. And as soon as you sat near him, he pulled you by the waist and laid his head on your lap.

"Morning," he grinned mischievously, eyes still closed as he snuggled up to you.

"Are you planning to trap me here, Mr Sainz?" You asked, trying to have an authoritative tone as your fingers combed through his wild hair.

"Yes I am. But I doubt it would be considered a trap if I'm just holding my wife, Mrs Sainz," he retorted cheekily and you laughed at his antics. You understanding that he was simply trying to lighten up your mood.

A calm silence settled over the couple and Carlos finally opened his eyes, turning his face to face you while still laying on your lap. "When do you have to leave?" He played with the ends of your braid.

"I've still got time," you answered and he nodded, grunting before getting up and stretching his arms. Your eyes darting down from his shoulders to his abdomen muscles that contracted with every move.

He saw you staring and smirked making you turn red immediately as you got up from the bed, possibly underestimating your husband's agility because that man was up in less than a second, grabbing your arm and twisting you around so you fell perfectly against his chest.

"Todos estos años y todavía puedo hacerte sonrojar?" He whispered, his voice teasing which obviously didn't help in calming your insides.

"Te has visto?" You raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on his bare chest as you brushed your lips against his, biting back a smile on hearing him inhale sharply.

And he merely gave you a look full of utter passion before kissing you deeply, one of his hands holding your hip firmly while the other being behind your head, holding you close. You both pulled away slightly breathless, cheeks flushed as you stared at each other before laughing at the pair of you being complete simps.

"I'll make you some coffee," he didn't take no for an answer and set to work, while you smiled appreciatively at him and picked up the newspaper.

Neither of you spoke until both of you had drained your mugs, the caffeine giving you a much needed boost as you felt your focus improve.

Your phone rang and it was Elijah, "Hey 'Lijah. Yes I'm all ready. Okay," you nodded as he shared some details with you. "Yeah I'll leave in 10. Alright see you soon. Yes thank you".

You started at the screen before releasing a deep breath and glancing at your husband whose eyes were fixed on the mug as he played around.

"Carlos," was all you managed to say before you were tackled in a warm hug.

"Oh god hermosa, I was trying to be normal but I can't stop the worry," he groaned, beating himself internally and you were quick to shake it off.

"Hey no," your arms held him tightly. "I'll be back before you know it, querido".

He nodded, regulating his senses and trying to focus on you, your scent, letting it be his anchor. "Por favor- por favor ten cuidado, mi amor".

"Sí.. Siempre".

You stayed like that, basking in his presence and enjoying him as he was.

"My phone will be on silent," you informed softly. "So don't worry if I don't reply. I'll text you when we're done".

He nodded looking down for a second before meeting your eyes, you saw those big brown eyes that you loved to death starting to water. But he quickly wiped them off, not wanting to add to your list of worries.

"Te quiero mucho, cariño," he whispered shakily, pressing his lips together and failing as a few tears escaped his hold.

And as expected you didn't waste a second before wiping them off, placing your hands on his cheeks and offering him a gorgeous smile, "Yo también te quiero, mi corazón".

====================================

Thank you so much for reading! Part 2 will surely be out soon <3

[f1girliefics]

Hearts in Conflict

Lance Stroll x Mob!Reader

Warnings: Arranged marriage, Mob stuff (violence, murder, blood and guns) angst with a happy end

Summary: Your arranged marriage was something you never wanted, but much like with anything in life, you will deal with it one way or another.

A/N: People like to say how Lance's father is like a Mobster/Gangster, well I turned the tables.

You were supposed to take over your father's empire, not marry a rich boy.

You were supposed to become the next boss, not the wife of a spoiled brat.

And yet, your father decided to marry you to a Stroll.

Lance Stroll, is a Canadian and Belgian racing driver competing under the Canadian flag in Formula One. He has driven for Aston Martin since 2021.

According to Wikipedia at least.

But in your eyes, your father's latest attempt to have you marry someone.

You made 3 boys run already, you don't know why he insisted on this stupid idea.

"You will marry Stroll and it is final."

But you also didn't want to play the part of the spoiled princess who refused to get married.

You let out a long sigh as you entered the restaurant.

You tried your best to put a smile on as you sat down at the table, Lance wasn't here just yet.

But he arrived only two minutes later.

"Hi," he said and you smiled.

"Hello, I'm Y/N Y/L/N."

"Lance Stroll, please call me Lance."

He was respectful, a gentleman. But even so, you didn't want a husband, you didn't need one.

"How do you feel about what our fathers arranged?" you asked him after long conversations. You wanted to get to the point.

"I'm not going to lie, I didn't like it. I thought you would be a brat who just wanted my family's money. But now that we spoke, I realize that is not the case, and I assume from your question that you didn't want to marry me either."

"I wanted my father's company, not yours. But he is relentless about me needing a husband."

"I heard you drove away 3 potential candidates."

"Christopher Crooke, a playboy wannabe with a cocaine addiction. Stephen Fringo, a Spanish asshole who thinks women belong in the kitchen and just last month, Alfred Smith, an American asshole with three baby mamas and millions in credit card debt. I wouldn't really say they had potential."

"And what about me? What do you think about me? Be honest and I shall do the same."

"You go first," you said hoping he would do it so you would know how hard to go in on him.

"Alright, if the Lady wishes. I think you are stunning, that is the first thing I noticed, you are beautiful and smart. Very smart. I'm trying to figure out what the problem is with you, you are strong, independent and clever. There has to be a but. I'm looking for that. So, you go then, what do you think of me?"

"My first impression was almost the same as yours. Handsome, but the moustache does nothing for you. I thought you would be a spoiled brat and to a certain degree, I was correct. But I'm the same, I'm riding on my father's name just as much. I know you don't do drugs, you wouldn't be able to be an F1 driver. No baby mamas or recent girlfriends. Your lisp is annoying and cute and the same time. For me, your but is that you are way too normal. Rich, yes, but way too normal. For you, my but will be when you realize what my family business is because it is not cars and corporations." you smiled as you stood up. "I'm looking forward to our next meeting. I have to leave now as I have another meeting to attend. Good day." and with that, you left.

Leaving Lance sitting at the table, stunned.

He liked you.

And he had to call his father.

---

"Mobsters?! Are you kidding me, Dad? You want me to marry someone that kills people?"

"They don't kill people. They just blackmail them."

"That's even worse!"

"Her family is rich and influential. Just the mention of their name brings fear and respect in people. Word about your marriage with her will spread like fire and then our name will become one with theirs. This is a chance you won't turn down, Lance." Lance looked at his father in disbelief.

---

"So, how was your meeting with Lance?" your father asked as your order arrived. You waited until the waiters were gone.

"He is my type, Dad, you know that. He has a certain boyish charm."

"So? Will you marry him? I mean you did check his background already. He is clean. No baby mamas, drug addictions or prior arrests.”

“He is a brat. Rich. And handsome.”

“You must like him. You called him handsome twice already.” Unfortunately, your father did have a point.

You hated it when he had a point.

—-

Your next meeting with Lance was set for Saturday. You told your assistant to set a date, but you were informed that Lance will have a qualifying race. So, you decided to fly to Australia and meet him, well truly, it would be a surprise for him.

His father knew about and encouraged you to meet with Lance, so he gave you an all-access VIP badge.

You even got yourself a guide who showed you around.

It was all very interesting, you got to see the Ferrari paddock closer and even caught a glimpse of Max Verstappen himself.

And you got to ask many many many questions.

But soon, you found yourself in an air-conditioned room with a cold drink in your hand as the qualifying began.

You were lucky enough to be in a good spot where you could see the start line.

You wouldn’t say you were a fan, but you did enjoy it.

Even if Lance didn’t qualify high on the board.

You enjoyed the vibes. It was all so fast, everyone in there.

But you also noticed the smug behaviour of many people.

Influencers were invited to advertise the event and F1 as a whole.

You did not like that part.

Pretending to be interested only to receive free tickets? You paid for your own even if you got it as a present.

You smiled when you saw Lance enter the room you were in.

"Why are you here?"

"Harsh. Your father invited me." technically you weren't lying per say.

But it was also not the truth. "And I did want to see you."

"I know about your family business."

"Why did you say it like that?"

"Because you are a murderer."

"Harsh, again but also false. I have never killed anyone."

"Then you ordered someone to kill them, don't play with me. I can't believe my father set me up for this!"

"Well, believe it or not, we will be married by the end of the summer break."

"Over my dead body." his voice was cold, it excited you. You liked it possibly way too much.

There was a fire in him.

"You can either continue to deny the facts or accept them. Believe me Lance, I will not leave just because you wish it. The decision is out of our hands."

"My father will hear about this."

"Alright Malfoy, do as you please." You put your sunglasses back on and continued to sip your drink.

---

You went wherever Lance went, following him almost like a shadow, all part of his father's plan.

He told you to just keep trying and be stubborn because his son is a very stubborn man as well.

No matter what Lance threw at you, you simply smiled and continued.

You didn't give up but you did start to notice changes in your future husband.

Lance slowly but surely warmed up to you.

You even had dinner one time. And it was very nice.

It started to feel like Lance was slowly accepting the fact that you two were to marry. And so every effort you made didn't meet with a brick wall.

You asked him on dates and he did the same. He showed you his hobbies.

One time, he asked you to go biking with him.

It wasn't really your thing, but you did end up going.

He fell. And he fell hard.

And it was all your fault.

You were being playful and it caused him to lose balance. You didn't push him or run into him.

But it was your fault still.

You sat in the corridor of the hospital waiting for his doctor to get you when your phone rang.

It was his father.

"Sir?" you tried to hide it, but it was obvious from your voice that you have been crying.

"Y/N, what happened how is he?"

"It was my fault. He fell during a bike ride, he hurt his hands... The doctor is in there with him, I don't know what's going on." you took a deep breath. "I'm so scared."

"Darling, it will be fine, I'm going there right now, please call me as soon as you hear something."

"I will." you ended the call just as the doctor came to get you.

"How is he?" you asked, desperate for any answers.

"The scans showed I had a fracture and displacement in my right wrist, a fracture in my left wrist, a partial fracture in my left hand and another fracture in the big toe on my right foot. He will have to undergo surgery."

"Fuck." you said and took a deep breath. "Can I see him?" the doctor only nodded and left you alone.

"Lance?" it was terrible seeing him in hospital. Your heart broke into a million tiny pieces.

"Why are you crying?"

"This is all my fault. I was so stupid." you admitted as more tears fell. "I ruined your life, your career. I will speak with my father, arranged marriage or not."

"Slow down. This wasn't your fault. I ran into that curb and fell. I should have been looking where I was going. You didn't ruin anything, Y/N. And secondly, why would you talk to your father?"

"I feel so bad. I made you fall." he rolled his eyes as you continued to cry.

"Please, don't cry. You were laughing so beautifully only a couple of hours ago."

"How can I laugh at this, Lance?"

"Come on now, I will be fine! The doctor said it will all be good, I will have the surgery tomorrow. Please calm down, everything will be fine."

"Your father is on his way, he will be soon. I'll... I'll get myself something to drink." you said and he nodded.

Hoping you would be back soon, but your pain and guilt took you over. Instead, you wrote a small letter and asked a nurse to give it to him in about three hours.

And you left.

You walked out of that hospital with the guilt of ruining a life.

---

What's better than a pity party?

Being alone, with an ice cream and Bridgett Jones playing on the TV.

Running away was not your style. But what more could you do?

You left for Greece, got on one of your father's many yacht and cried yourself to sleep every night.

They tried to call you, look for you but couldn't find you.

You only picked up the phone for your father.

"Lance was here today. His surgery went well but he is looking for you. He says he won't give up."

"How he used to hate me. He should be happy the wedding is off."

"I really don't think the boy will give up, Darling."

"Okay, can you set up a date for me?"

"What's your plan?"

"Show him the real me."

"Poor boy." your father said before he hung up the phone.

---

Throughout your entire life, you looked up to your father.

You never knew your mother but it was okay. Your father was enough.

Even as a young girl, he taught you stuff no one should know let alone a 5 year old. He always had a plan and he loved you.

But no 5 year old should have a panic room attached to their bedroom in case her father's enemies found him.

But it was your life.

When the idea of marriage came to play your father had a lot of options for you.

He allowed you to choose.

Lance Stroll caught your eye. He was so different, yet similar to you.

Many people didn't like him, thinking he was only an F1 driver because of his father. Something you could relate to. People often said how you are leaning on your father too much.

Not exactly the words they choose.

He was handsome and the world of professional drivers excited you.

And so, you went on a date with him.

That stupid date now turned your life upside down.

Falling in love was the goal. But after you ruined his life, you knew better than to keep going.

So, you set him free. No arranged marriage.

And yet, he kept looking for you.

Much like now, as he entered the restaurant, looking everywhere for you and he finally found you.

He wanted to run to you but one of your bodyguards stopped him and made him sit before they left you alone.

"Why are we here? I was hoping you would come home." he said as a waiter placed your drinks in front of you.

"Lance, I know you didn't want this marriage. So, I made it... dissapear."I know this is all because you feel guilty about my injury but it wasn't your fault and I'm fully healed now. You didn't ruin my career."

"But I could have. I could have and it was just such a simple moment, Lance. Such a tiny mistake on my part and-"

"I'm not a child! I'm sick of you, my father and the entire world pretending that I am one! I fell because of my own stupidity. I was watching you when I should have been watching where I was going. All because I fell in love with you and your smile just... It just made me so happy. Because in that moment, on that small country road, I wasn't a rich kid who drives in F1 and you weren't the daughter of a powerful Mobster. We were simply a man and a woman in love." you felt a tear run down your cheek as he let out a long sigh. "How dare you spend all those months smiling at me and then during the first problem you run away?"

His words hurt, but only because you knew he was right.

"One night when I was only fourteen, I thought it would be fun to sneak out with my friends. There was a boy I liked, Jake, he was older as well. He was nothing like you, Lance. He was... aggressive. I didn't see it then, but during that night, he tried to drug me and kill me. Apparently, my father was the reason his father died, so he decided to kill me to hurt my father. Everyone I ever knew only cared about me for my money. I know you understand that. I never knew love and it fucking scares me. Of course, I ran Lance. The first time I have ever felt love and I ruin it? Scares me so much. I rather lose you than have you hate me like others do."

"We are in the same boat, you just didn't notice me yet. We do have a lot to talk about but please, do not push me away. I'm only here to beg you to not leave me, we don't need marriage in the mix. Just please... give us a chance. I love you."

"I love you too. Fuck I do..."

You looked into his eyes and all of the plans you had for the night went out the window.

Your pity party was long over.

You wanted this man.

And you always got what you wanted.

[selkiesstories]

[Would it have made a difference if Rhaenyra and Aegon were full siblings, only a year apart? If they were full siblings, regardless of age, the son have inherited rather than the daughter. I had to make it more complicated than that. Two children by different mothers, different wives? First wife and second wife? I always look to history for inspiration, and if you look at Henry VIII and his six wives, he had a daughter by his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, and that was Mary Tudor, Queen Mary I. And then he had a daughter by his second wife, Anne Boleyn, and that was Queen Elizabeth. Then by the third wife, Jane Seymour, he finally had a son, Edward VI. He was third in line, but he was the first to become king. History is full of these kinds of conflicts.]

I needed to read this twice.

Edward wasn't third in line!!!!!!!!! He was the youngest of Henry's three surviving children, but since England followed male preference primogeniture until very recently, he was FIRST in line after his father died and if he had sired a child before his death, that child would have been his successor. The potential problem with the succession was that if Henry's marriage to Catherine was valid, then Elizabeth was illegitimate, but if their marriage was invalid then Mary was illegitimate.

As @duxbelisarius pointed out if Martin really wanted a Matilda/Stephen analogy Rhaenys and Viserys are right there. But that would require painting his beloved Daemon in a negative light.

[seph7]

J.T. Walsh Roles - Scumbag Scale Edition!

Let's face it, he played a lot of 'scumbag' characters, so I thought I'd collate where I would place some of them on a scale of worst to... least worst!

Starting with who I think was the best of a bad bunch - Ins. Terence Niebaum - The Negotiator (1998). Niebaum took bribe money to help cover up some dirty cops stealing from the collective police pension fund.

Next, Martin Swayzak - Backdraft (1991). Shut down some fire stations, reducing the numbers of paid firefighters, meaning fewer available fighters which resulted in some unnecessary deaths. Again, I think there was money involved.

Then we have Sgt. Maj. Dickerson - Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). A man wound so tight that Robin Williams' character described him as 'in more dire need of a blowjob than any man in human history'. He was just an overall arsehole and his commanding officer called him mean and shipped him off to Guam!

Now we're getting to the larger ego characters - Charles F. Drucker - Crazy People (1990). A man with command and charisma, and very little moral compass as he takes advantage of mentally ill patients who are making him money with their 'honest ads' campaign and getting very little in return.

It was scary how well he was able to play creepy characters, and Cake - Persons Unknown (1996) was definitely a bit of a creeper! Seemed to be playing all angles at once, even going so far as to attempt to assault a woman in a wheelchair.

I wasn't sure where to put Danforth Keeton III - Needful Things (1993) initially, but, he does have a terrible gambling addiction and kills his wife... He's a fabulous character though! This first scene is my favourite!

On the face of it, Wayne Brown - Red Rock West (1993) doesn't seem too terrible, but he does plot to have his wife murdered and did embezzle $2 million...

Lt. Quinn - Black Day Blue Night (1995) starts off by appearing to be chasing down a bunch of bank robbers, only for it to be discovered that he was one of them and has been stiffed of his share! Uses anyone and everyone to track down the money, killing multiple people along the way... Definitely a dirty cop!

Stephen Seldes - Defenseless (1991) starts off as a businessman who unknowingly lets out a building to an adult entertainment company who hires underaged girls to star in their films. It is quickly discovered that not only did he know about the company, he was taking money directly from them and was grooming and pimping out his own underage daughter. Definitely up there in the scumbag rating!

Lt. William Eyler - Gang in Blue (1996) was scummy on a whole other level. He actually starts a baseball team with his partner at some point in the late 60's, early 70's called The Phantoms, using it as a cover to hide racist extracurricular activities against people of colour. His entire department is part of the club and falls under FBI investigation.

Second to last, we have Charles Bushman - Sling Blade (1996). A seemingly sex-obsessed murderer who loves nothing better than to tell anyone who will listen about his exploits before he was caught. The only reason he isn't number one scumbag is largely down to whether any of the stories he told were genuinely true, or if they were embellished...

And, our number one scumbag is... Warren 'Red' Barr - Breakdown (1997). Do we really need to say why?! Kidnapping, extortion, theft, murder... You begin to wonder if there was anything he wouldn't do! He has very few redeeming features, other than the fact that his son seems to idolise him... Which, given what he was spending his time doing, wasn't exactly a good thing...

[lyledebeast]

Dirty Fighting and Slanted Storytelling

I would venture to say that one of the most aggravating things about The Patriot for Jason Isaacs fans is the narrative's refusal to acknowledge what we can all see: Tavington is objectively the best fighter in the story. He just is. He defeats every foe who crosses his path in the river scene, including the one who shoots him. He beats Benjamin Martin to his knees after being wounded by him numerous times. Martin only wins because he's the hero (and because he is nearly pelted with helpful props!)

It's especially grating when the heroes are held up as martial paragons in spite of their conduct. It seems the audience is meant to judge their combat tactics by their morality even when those tactics are dirty. During the fight in the woods after the British take Gabriel, Martin knocks a British soldier down and tomahawks him in the face while he's trying to get up. After he stabs Tavington's horse out from under him, he fires a shot at him while he's disoriented and empty-handed. But when Tavington sucker-punches him during hand to hand combat, the camera moves in on Martin's pained expression, inviting the audience to sympathize with him. Poor man. Who could've guessed that choosing violence would put him on the receiving end of it?

A particularly good example of this reading is the river scene in Stephen Molstad's novelization, which is as much an interpretation of the film as this meta. He describes Tavington as being so rattled that the priest is reloading his weapon as fast as he is that he spills his powder and later fleeing on his horse in terror after he stabs Gabriel, looking over his shoulder in expectation of being pursued. And yet between the moments so described we have Tavington, wounded in the side, lying perfectly still with his back to his assailant waiting for him to approach so he can flip over--from the ground, mind!--and stab him, like this is something a jumpy coward could manage. Tavington has balls of steel to match the buns the camera so lovingly frames in these shots.

Of course, Molstad does not write this scene from Tavington's perspective. He describes this part in third person as follows:

Tavington suddenly flipped himself over and drove the point of a sword into Gabriel’s gut, stabbing upward toward the heart. It happened so suddenly, the young man never had a chance to defend himself.

This sentence immediately follows a paragraph from Gabriel's perspective where he contemplates whether he should butcher Tavington alive the way his father did the Cherokees and French at Fort Wilderness. He briefly considers that he may be "too good a man" for this, but when he considers what his wife must have felt perishing in a burning church with her family and community, he decides he's justified. This scene not only frames Gabriel's choice as Tavington's fault but suggests that blame for Martin's gruesome actions also lay with his victims. That Tavington is framed as the aggressor for defending himself from such a fate is the cherry on top of the reality-averse sundae.

Gabriel and Tavington's deaths are often connected by people who see the second as making a right out of the wrong the first represents, but what we see on screen indicates that Tavington wins both of these fights by being stronger and more resilient than his opponents. But that does not matter because he's a bad man. That Martin regularly brutalizes men who cannot defend themselves, and Gabriel attempts to follow in his footsteps, is treated as equally irrelevant to their status as good men.

What this reading fails to account for is how satisfying it is to see Martin's dirty tactics fail. When we compare his first fight to his last one, Martin looks less like the noble hero and father and more like a high school bully who has been beating up seventh graders to take their lunch money and now has to fight the captain of the boxing team. It is euphoric!

[docholligay]

Books read 2024

~ = denotes reread

 * = denotes A Big Rec of The Year (Nothing I reread was allowed a Rec note. If I’m rereading it, I probably think it’s pretty good)

#–denotes Follower Pitch

^–Denotes Commissioned Read

♪–denotes Pitchless Draw

&– denotes Holligay Book Club Pick

%--denotes Patreon Pick

Affinity by Sarah Waters~

Wintering by Peter Geye

Hood by Emma Donoghue (my wife made me)

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters~

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix#

Pine by Francine Toon 

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters ~

Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco~

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters~

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle#

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir^

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters~

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch ♪

Redwall by Brian Jacques%

Sing Her Down by Ivy Pochoda#

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte&~  (book club Apr 28th)

Broken Harbor by Tana French%

Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

The Shootist by Glendon Swartout~

Think Again by Adam Grant*

Mrs. S by K. Patrick

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

The Hamburger: A history by Josh Ozersky~

Wicked by Gregory Maguire~

Shattered by Lee Winter#

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice ♪

A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons 

The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh~&

 A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine% 

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix#

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

The Fox and The Hound by Daniel Mannix

Forest Dark by Nicole Strauss* (with caveats)

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Invited by Jennifer Mcmahon

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi  

Currently reading: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (I’ve been invited to a book club!) 

On Deck:  The Echo Wife by Sarah Galiey ♪

[littlequeenies]

Carmen Jane Plant

Carmen Jane Plant is the daughter of Maureen and Robert Plant. She works as a professional dancer and teaches belly-dancing and ethnic dancing. She produced the 2018 show ‘The Serpent Slayer’.

Early Years and Family

[Robert, Maureen, and little Carmen at the family's farmhouse near Kidderminster, Worcestershire, 1970]

Carmen Jane Plant is the eldest children and the only daughter of Led Zeppelin's frontman Robert Plant and his wife Maureen née Wilson. She was born on 21st October 1968 in Birmingham, England and has two younger brothers, Karac Pendra Plant and Logan Romero Plant. She has a younger half brother from her father's side, Jesse Lee Plant aka Jordan Plant.

Carmen is of Indian descent from her mother's side and of Romani descent from her father's. The 1972 Led Zeppelin song, “The Ocean,” actually references Carmen in one of the lyrics: "‘I’m singin’ all my songs to the girl who won my heart/She’s only three years old but it’s a real fine way to start".

[Robert with his children Karac and Carmen at their farm, filmed in 1973 and seen in Led Zeppelin film's "The Song Remains the Same", released on 1976.]

During the 1970s, she attended the Elmfield Rudolf Steiner School in Stourbridge, West Midlands.

On October 2007 Robert admitted he regrets staying on tour throughout the 1970’s because he feels his daughter grew up without knowing who he was. Robert claimed she once mistook him for a burglar after he came home from a particularly long tour: "What I recall for the first two years is my daughter not really knowing who I was and getting rather agitated when I came back off tour, as she thought I’d come to rob the house."

In an interview for the People magazine (December 20 1976) Robert explains: "Carmen used to think she had two fathers—the one whose singing she heard through the speakers and the one on whose knee she was sitting. They [Carmen and Karac] love it when I come back to tell them tales."

Car accident and Karac's death

[The Plants with Scarlet Page (C) in 1976]

Carmen was also a passenger in Robert and Maureen Plant's car involved in a road accident on the Greek island of Rhodes on 4 August 1975. Maureen was driving a hired Austin Mini with her husband and their children plus Scarlet Page. The Plant family were seriously injured when the car skidded off the road and collided with a tree but Scarlet Page was unhurt. In the back-seat, Carmen suffered a broken wrist, cuts and bruises. Scarlet's mum Charlotte Martin and Maureen's sister Shirley Wilson, who were following in the car behind managed to get medical help.

In 1977, Carmen also became ill with the same stomach enteritis which took the life of her younger brother Karac Plant, aged only 6.

Personal Life

[Carmen and Robert in 1988]

On 21 November 1989, Led Zeppelin reformed with Jason Bonham on drums, for Carmen's 21st birthday party at Hen & Chickens public house in Oldbury, West Midlands. They performed 'Trampled Under Foot', 'Misty Mountain Hop', and 'Rock and Roll', with Chris Blackwell and Phil Johnstone in support. The Nashville Teens and Jimmy Page's daughter Scarlet Page, were also in attendance.

[Carmen with Charlie Jones]

Carmen Plant got married to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's bass player Stephen Charles "Charlie" Jones (born 13 Oct 1965), at St. Peter's Church, on 18 May 1991. Their wedding reception was held in a series of marquees at Robert's farm at Kidderminster. Roy Harper's song 'Evening Star' was written for Carmen for the occasion.

Carmen and Charlie Jones have three children, their eldest a daughter named Sunny Plant-Jones (born 1993). The family lives in Bath, Somerset.

Professional Career and Recent Years

Carmen Plant Jones works as a professional dancer and teaches belly-dancing and ethnic dancing. She was tutored in belly-dancing by Serena Ramzy, wife of Hossam Ramzy who performed in Page and Plant's "No Quarter Middle Eastern orchestra". Carmen Plant has appeared at the Rivermead Womad Music Festival, Glastonbury Festival, and with the Babylon Arabic Ensemble.Carmen continues to carry on the family’s musical legacy through Middle Eastern-inspired performing arts. In a 2018 article about her dance production ‘The Serpent Slayer’, Carmen Jane Plant acknowledges her fortunate upbringing: “I come from a musical family, obviously through my dad, my husband, and my children as well. Thanks to my dad, I grew up listening to an alternative and eclectic range from a young age and that really provided the inspiration for me to get involved with all kinds of music. It’s all that I’ve known really, so it’s great that I can put this all in to practice.”

*CHECK OUR CARMEN PLANT PHOTO ALBUM HOSTED AT GOOGLE PHOTOS*

[thiefbird]

Need to know about Hornblowergenderflu because this idea has also crossed my mind and I'm very curious about other people's takes on it 👀

Hornblowergenderflu is currently a collection of notes without anything solid really written so here are some bullet points!

We have moved up the timeline of Genderflu from One Of The 1813s to about 1803/1804, bc I have only seen the show and read the first 3 books chronologically, and also bc I love Lt Bush with all my heart

Hornblower is one of the early cases, before the general public is made aware of what's going on

Stephen Martin cameo maybe??

So all the crew of the Hotspur are aware of is that their captain is very sick and been put ashore into quarantine and (once the ship itself goes thru a quarantine period) they now have a jobbing Captain (inoffensive bland OC)

Quarantine lasts a long while, and between that, the active information suppression that the government is doing, and the natural isolation on a man of war on blockade, it is months before Bush even knows what the GenderFlu does, let alone whether Hornblower survived

(important note: Bush is bi and already aware that he's in love with Hornblower before this, just fully accepted the fact that That's Just How It Is and is coping perfectly fine)

Meanwhile Hornblower is having A Doozy Of A Time on land: his wife is pregnant and also possibly not going to be his wife very shortly, as soon as the government decides what they're doing about marriages (France has already declared they don't give a shit, the rest of the majority of mainland Europe has begun dissolving the marriages of The Changed)

He feels immense amounts of guilt over doing this to Maria and his unborn child. He feels immense amounts of guilt over doing this to the Navy and to the Hotspur. He feels immense amounts of guilt and also horror and selfloathing for some reason he cannot even name

Finally information begins to leak to the blockading squadrons of what, exactly, The Disease does, as ships are sent off for supplies or refits: Bush Finds Out. He is extremely concerned for Hornblower bc. The death rate is not negligible, and he hasn't had a single letter since his captain was taken off ship in a stretcher

Dubiously Plausible Shore Leave! Bush very awkwardly calls at the Mason/Hornblower household, privately convinced he is going to be intruding on a widow's mourning but needing to Know. Hornblower answers the door in a dress looking Harried. Bc Baby

And that's what I've got so far! I'm shocked there aren't more HornblowerGenderflu fics out there, tbh... I also have vague ideas of a Terror Genderflu fic, but nothing quite so solid as this!

Thank you for the ask, nonny! <3

[horizon-verizon]

Genuine question, but why do fans on both sides treat who was the wife and mother of Aegon III's children as a "victory"?

If I understand the dance fans (I am almost tempted to say "scholars" because the way and the fanaticism with which some argue I really think they deserve it) have argued that victory consists in having their blood on the throne. So it has been an argument made by TB that with Aegon III sitting as King Rhaenyra and her side are the victors.

Now TG seems to start from this same argument saying that Alicent (somehow) is ancestor of the Hightowers and Tyrells for AsoIaF (she is not) or that Jaehaera SHOULD be Aegon's queen and mother of his children, either because they think that they deserve it as a reward for the victim or because they believe that it is narratively more satisfactory to unite both claims as if it were a parallel to The War of the Roses and not of Anarchy.

I've also seen TB posts talking about how Vaemond Velaryon should feel good from the grave because his granddaughter was queen or TB telling the TG to shut up because his blood still achieved a good status.

My problems with these arguments are:

A. I think no one won the war, that it was a loss for House Targaryen as a whole from which they never recovered. However, I think the narrative pushes us to see Rhaenyra as the right side given the Alicent bloodline being extinct and the stark difference in deaths on both sides.

B. If you're going to use the argument of perpetuity of blood on the throne... Aegon ends up being a dead end and his descendants end up being generation after generation of would-be usurpers.

Actually the descendants of Viserys II and Larra Those who end up sitting, holding and now fighting to regain the throne.

Who Aegon III's queen was matters because: a. It's part of the worldbuilding and consistently that woman was named Danaena Velaryon B. Jaehaera's death is part of the story and the themes that Martin is trying to tell.

Having Jaehaera stay as his queen ruins those two points, but I don't understand how it's a win one way or the other which of the two is the mother of his children with the argument that TG and TB are making.Sometimes I think they don't know that it is Viserys' children who will eventually perpetuate the Targaryen lineage*...

*In that aspect I recognize that Daemon Darkfire He is a descendant of both Aegon III and Viserys II, however he is not officially a Targaryen and never sat on the throne.

Anon, you're just basically repeating why Rhaenyra/the blacks are the ones who end up HAVING THE MOST PRESERVED, thus "winning". It was a pyrrhic victory, in that it was "a win that comes at such a high cost that it resembles a defeat" (google search). why are you making as if your points abt Aegon being a "dead end" and Viserys II (who was RHAENYRA'S SON STILL AND WHO COULD HAVE DIED OR NEVER RETURN TO WESTEROS IF AEGON AND JAEHAERA DIDN'T BECOME ""DEAD ENDS") is some new information and doesn't matter as to how Rhaenyra "wins"? Of course it does and no you are not the one to think of these things.

A)

The point of someone "winning" the Dance was to seat either Rhaenyra or Aegon as the ruler, sure. Though Rhaenyra ruled for a few months, Aegon also only ruled for a few months even though he ultimately killed her. If we took that aspect as the end-all-be-all, neither won. but it isn't the end-all-be-all, because the point of having children/heirs is to reaffirm your own rule and make sure it is you who "lives on"; fighting for the throne is next to meaningless without being assured that your heirs become the next rulers, as we saw when Stephen of Blois (Aegon's real life inspiration in the English war Anarchy) was recorded to feel some type of way when Matilda's reps and the writers' of a treaty that made him king also said that his children would not be his heir. Instead it would be Empress Matilda's son who would be Stephen's heir. Matilda still got soemthing out of that, even if she herself could't rule AND it basically made Stepehen's work futile if he can't even pass on the throne to those he wanted to rule and "continue" his lineage. Thereby, it's obvious that to these people, this ALWAYS mattered.

Here is an example from the text to show how important that was to them/Westerosi nobles (F&B -- "The Sad Short Reign of Aegon II"):

Again, it is not just about who gets to sit the throne, but also, who got to propagate the Targ lineage...bc in a feudal system, who gets to propogate the lineage is the one with the conventional "glory" because, literally, it is your line who goes on to do anything and anything at all, which includes infamous and positively famous things. Which couldn't occur without you (here Aegon or Rhaenyra) existing and passing on surviving heirs. This is just how it works, anon, for this society. Rhaenyra and Aegon both were fighting for themselves AND their heirs to rule/pass down more heirs.

This all began with people in the fandom debating whether or not this story is as "neutral" and balanced in its critique of patriarchal violence, which should have never been the case because it's clear that the greens were the more punished villains AND antagonists no matter how you slice it. They lost the most.

And fans who deny such either never read the books (which can include the main ones and AWoIaF), are lying about it, are sexist, or just very stupid. could be all of the above, whether they read them or not.

B)

Sometimes I think they don't know that it is Viserys' children who will eventually perpetuate the Targaryen lineage*... *In that aspect I recognize that Daemon Darkfire He is a descendant of both Aegon III and Viserys II, however he is not officially a Targaryen and never sat on the throne.

I understand that some fans who aren't TB or TG think that such identifiers mean that both teams equally don't know what's really happening in the orig text from the mere "audacity" to declare themselves as either TB and TG juvenilely. Because they somehow think the Dance wasn't that much about misogyny...even the events before the Dance somehow wasn't about how stupid and destructive misogyny is for the "health" and balance of the entire world, much less Westeros. They have taken Condal at face value or wnat to validate Hotd, or don't understand what colonization vs conquest is or hate Dany and/or don't want her to be azor ahai/the prince that wa promised. Or to admit/see F&B is written to contextualize queenship, leadership, and therefore Daenerys Stormborn's arc, narrative role, and characterization. Which has beena thing for years.

However, they are wrong. As they always have been.

What exactly do you even mean by "Viserys' children...perpetuate the Targaryen lineage"? And? Aegon and Rhaenyra both are his kids and the Dance was about who would get to sit the throne AND be which of these two will be lineage-propogater. It was by itself and by definition something that was supposed to go to ONE of these two....why you trying to make as if someone has said it wasn't a child of Viserys who would and/or got to do this? Are you trying to confuse people on purpose?

Finally, it's Daemon BLACKFYRE, and no one said that the Blackfyres were the ones to rule? He's pointed out bc people said the none of Daenaera xAegon's kids live on or propogate any sort of lineage of current, relevant storyline/"glory"/historical deeds and events....when this is blantantly false because both Elaena and Daena mother still-living scions form house Plumm or the Blackfyres.

Without Jaehaera or Aegon II being involved bloodwise/lineage-wise.

Go back and re-read. Let go of your claim to superior "neutrality", when the fandom has never been fait in its assessments of characters and the writing and the arcs. It's never been objective in this fandom and never will be; there are headcanons and fanons upon fanons about Dany going Mad for god' sake! People believing Brothel queens happened.

ASoIaF may not be didactic, but it does have ideas that sit in moral contemplation and has moral arguments. It's just that, like most fantasy fiction, it's not spelled out for you; it's shown, not told.

[uyuforu]

Celebrity Age-Gap Relationships Astrology Observation 💞A common thing I’ve noticed in a lot of age gap relationships between people in my personal life is the male partner nearly always has Virgo/Scorpio/Libra in his inner planets. Sometimes a combo of two or even all three are present.

My theory as to why this happens goes pretty deep and likely deserves its own post so I’ll just try to summarise: I’ve always had a theory that men with these placements are subconsciously drawn to younger partners. However, most of the time, it is genuinely not in a predatory or nefarious type of way. My theory is that it has to do with a deeply subconscious need to nurture, provide, look out for, and protect their partners. So they may be drawn to younger women because they want to protect them in a “fatherly” type of way. Again: I believe that this is subconscious and many of them may not even realise that they are doing it. I don’t believe that a majority of them are doing it out of malice, I think it’s just part of who they are.

The number is how many years older they are than their girlfriend/fiancée/wife.

Eddie Murphy: Scorpio Moon. | 19 years.

Patrick Stewart: Scorpio Moon. | 39 years.

Richard Gere: Virgo Sun. Libra Mercury, Venus. | 33 years.

Leonardo DiCaprio: Scorpio Sun, Venus, Mars. Libra Moon, Mercury. | 22 years.

Ryan Reynolds: Scorpio Sun, Moon, Mars. Libra Mercury. | 11 years.

Jason Statham: Virgo Venus, Scorpio Mars | 20 years.

Steve Martin: Scorpio Moon. Virgo Mercury. | 22 years.

Sylvester Stallone: Libra Moon. Virgo Mars. | 23 years.

Jay-Z: Libra Moon. Scorpio Venus. | 12 years.

Matthew McConaughey: Scorpio Sun, Mercury. Virgo Moon. Libra Venus. | 13 years.

Humphrey Bogart: Libra Moon. | 25 years.

Adam Levine: Scorpio Moon. | 10 years.

Mel Gibson: Libra Moon. Scorpio Mars. | 35 years.

Jeff Goldblum: Libra Sun. Scorpio Mercury. | 30 years.

Michael Fassbender: Virgo Moon. | 12 years.

David Foster: Scorpio Sun. Libra Mercury. Virgo Mars. | 34 years.

Guy Ritchie: Virgo Sun. Libra Mercury, Venus. | 13 years.

Prince Albert II: Virgo Sun, Mercury. Scorpio Moon. | 20 years.

John Stamos: Virgo Moon, Mercury. Libra Mars. | 22 years.

Stephen Moyer: Libra Sun, Moon, Mercury. Virgo Venus. | 13 years.

*Capricorn & Cancer was also present at handful of times. But they were not as frequent as the other three signs, therefore I decided not to include them.

ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION'S CREDIT GOES TO @corvoidea and I didnt reblog it because i prefer being anonymous.

I am quite an experienced astro girl too but NOT a professional and i read your post on his bpc,it co relates so much with his natal chart and its actually my first time ever seeing that and like you said his fs looks very young could also be that she's younger than him but more mature for her age or than him too,you said that people have this instinct to protect her and the above post also says the same thing about these men wanting to protect their partners so they usually go for younger women.your post was great by the way.

if you've read the info above you'll get the hint of what jks age gap would be with his fs.his natal 7th house ruler is in Virgo(ruled by Mercury which also means that the person prefers younger partners)+he has his moon's ruler in the 8th house too. he has a virgo stellium(sun,moon,nn) (it is also the sign that represents innocence so he'd like someone innocent looking or someone younger)IN 8th house(ruled by Scorpio)+his mars is in scorpio in 10th(ruled by saturn meaning responsible and protective).he has venus in Libra in 9th house(its also the house of foreign things,wisdom,religion, etc).cap risings also tend to marry older partners 50 percent of the time but i feel like his fs would be younger than him and a foreigner too because he has MANY indicators for the so and so stuff I've said above.the shortest age gap is 10 years....NOW IM NOT SAYIND HE'S A CREEPY P3DO OR SOMETHING SO DONT COME FOR ME BECAUSE MY MARTIAN DOMINANT ASS WOULD NOT MIND ROASTING THE F OUTTA YOU.

Tarot readers say his fs would be older than him bit his birth chart doesn't say so and that could also be because he's not ready to take the whole responsibility of his fs as he's a very busy guy who knows that he has a lot of growing to do.its even safe to say that he's never been in love with someone but only with the idea of love,relationships,etc but worry not guys his saturn return will awaken the true daddy in him and he'll be ready to take total responsibilities of a person and know what love is and what he actually needs in a relationship.

So maybe 2 years later tarot readers can also start saying that his fs is younger than him because his views about life would be evolved by then.

Now continuing with the age gap thing....its really trippy but his fs can be really young compared to him but an adult ofc because he wouldn't be sexualizing anyone so young as he knows what it feels like to go through it.

The conclusion for me is that his fs is a foreigner and younger than him(more young than people can imagine👀)

I'd love to read your opinions on this and please reply with a longer text because I've never written so much for any ask and if you do so my cramped fingers will be at ease.if youvdont mind i'd like to be the ✌️anon

Hello Anon!! Wow that was so long and I just woke up but I love seeing people that passionate, I’m the same about what I love (Gemini moon 8H you know 😂)… so!! I 100% agree with you. To be honest this is what I thought:

His spouse IS def younger than him. I don’t wanna make assumptions about the age gap because we can’t really be that precise until it really happens. But already seeing so many signs she will be younger is already a good sign. So I wanted to say she is younger than him but the theory could go two ways: 1. she could appear extremely young compared to her age because it happened to some people already! For ex, I noticed people with cancer placement have these kind of experiences in their life, and his Personal DC is in Cancer so it wouldn’t shock if she had this.

2. OR she could def be younger than him, like wow damn. Haha (I hope not the same as the people there because 39 yrs? JK?!)

To be honest I mostly focused on the BPC last time and I didn’t wanna put things around his Natal Chart or other persona chart because I’m currently preparing a whole analysis about his Future Spouse in his natal chart! I’m studying hard these days haha, but I’ll keep your theory in my notes too!

I’ll also look for it in his Juno PC lol!

Thank you a lot for your devotion!!

Have a nice day ❤️

- uyu

[antebellumite]

president of the united states abraham lincoln is a blorbo. henry clay is a babygirl that's occasionally woobie. jcc is poor little meow meow. daniel webster is a comfort character. stephen douglas is scrunkle scrimble spoingle skrungle scruble or something. so is william seward and anyone else under five-feet six inches. benjamin brown french is glup shitto. i'm sure that somewhere out there is a cinnamon roll smol bean in the antebellumn period but they definately aren't involved in politics. jefferson davis, james buchanan, martin van buren, and the weed man are all plinko. and andrew jackson is wife stinky bastard man kin beloved husbando waifu eeby deeby mipy and what did i just type out.

i hope this clears things up!

[brokehorrorfan]

Sci-Fi Chillers Collection will be released on May 21 via Kino Lorber. The Blu-ray set features three sci-fi/horror films: The Unknown Terror, The Colossus of New York, and Destination Inner Space.

1957's The Unknown Terror is directed by Charles Marquis Warren and written by Kenneth Higgins. John Howard, Mala Powers, Paul Richards, and May Wynn star.

1958's The Colossus of New York is directed by Eugène Lourié (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms) and written by Thelma Schnee, based on a short story by Ray Bradbury. Paul Christian, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway, and Kenneth Tobey star.

1966's Destination Inner Space is directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Arthur C. Pierce. Scott Brady, Gary Merrill, Sheree North, and Wende Wagner star.

All three films have been have been scanned in 4K by Paramount Pictures. Special features are listed below.

Special features:

The Unknown Terror audio commentary by film historian Stephen Bissette (new)

The Colossus of New York audio commentary by film historians Tom Weaver, Larry Blamire, and Ron Adams

Destination Inner Space audio commentary by film historians David Del Valle and Stan Shaffer

The Colossus of New York interview with film historians Tim Lucas and Steven Bissette

Destination Inner Space interview with film historians Tim Lucas and Steven Bissette

The Colossus of New York theatrical trailer

In The Unknown Terror, a millionaire (John Howard) leads a remote jungle expedition to find the legendary “Cave of the Dead” where his wife’s (Mala Powers) brother had disappeared long ago. Instead, they stumble upon a mad doctor who has created a horde of foam-spewing, fungus-covered monster-men. In The Colossus of New York, when a brilliant scientist (Ross Martin) is accidentally killed, his preserved brain is transferred to the body of a giant robot so that it can continue to serve mankind. But when it gains awareness of its own hideousness, this steel colossus embarks on a rampage of destruction. In Destination Inner Space, when an object of unknown origin is detected in the area of an underwater laboratory, scientists investigate and come face to face with the object—an extraterrestrial saucer! They board the craft and discover a mysterious cylinder, which they take back to the lab for closer inspection. It is then that events take a monstrous turn!

Pre-order Sci-Fi Chillers Collection.

[romanceyourdemons]

i deeply enjoyed david cronenberg’s psychological thriller a history of violence (2005). conceptually, the film reads as a spiritual successor to david lynch’s blue velvet (1986) and an answer to martin scorsese’s goodfellas (1990), films that, like this, superimpose two of the most fundamentally all-american literary worlds, the world of the white picket fence small town and the world of noir-inspired east coast organized crime. as in blue velvet (1986), this film depicts an exaggeratedly innocent small town, with a copland-esque score and cronenberg’s visuals further developing the sense of secluded, venerable, trustworthy cleanliness he used for the stephen king small town in the dead zone (1983). just as goodfellas (1990) uses the brief glimpse of this kind of town to indicate its uniquely romanticized take on the american dream, so does this film use a brief glimpse of the kind of world of crime built up in goodfellas (1990) to indicate its own romanticized take on the american dream. in both cases, two distinct, familiar, and usually utterly segregated romanticized visions of all-american life, and the associated views of masculinity, are laid side by side for the audience’s view. however, whereas both goodfellas (1990) and blue velvet (1986) present the world of noir and the world of the white picket fence as so utterly distinct that the portal between them can only be traversed by one person, this film shows these two legendary, mutually incompatible americas—the america you are supposed to want and supposed to find emasculating, and the america you are supposed to be forced into and supposed to find titillating—coexisting in compartmentalized cognitive dissonance in the film’s characters. the film has two sex scenes between viggo mortensen’s ex-hitman character and his small-town wife; the first (literally) fetishizes the innocent apple-pie high school experience, and the second fetishizes the violence and danger of the world of organized crime. despite their apparent polar differences, both worlds center around clearly parallel fictions of masculinity, where the specter of homosexuality looms large and the capacity for violence is expected—demanded—even though actual displays of violence are met with horror, disapproval, and punishment. due to the messier connection this film presents between the worlds, it does not have the clean, portal fantasy-like ending of blue velvet (1986) or goodfellas (1990); at the end of the film, all the characters are uncomfortably aware of how tenuous and unreal their beloved american dream worlds are, and have no choice but to steel themselves to return to the dream. i deeply enjoyed the story, style, and presentation of a history of violence (2005), and i would highly recommend it

[justforbooks]

Sir Andrew Davis

One of Britain’s greatest conductors widely admired for leading the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Proms

One of the most beloved and highly esteemed conductors of his generation, Sir Andrew Davis, who has died aged 80 of leukaemia, was a familiar presence on the podium, not least through his countless appearances at the BBC Proms in his capacity as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (1989-2000).

After Adrian Boult, his was the second longest tenure of the post in the history of the orchestra. During the same period he was also music director of Glyndebourne Opera (1988–2000), conducting works by Mozart, Janáček and Richard Strauss, among many others.

The sheer range of his repertoire was in fact one of the defining features of Davis’s career. Not only was he acclaimed as an empathetic interpreter of British music from Elgar and Vaughan Williams to Holst and Bliss, but he also had the ability to assimilate contemporary scores such as Michael Tippett’s The Mask of Time, Harrison Birtwistle’s The Mask of Orpheus, Nicholas Sackman’s Hawthorn or David Sawer’s Byrnan Wood, all of which were either introduced at the Proms or recorded. The Birtwistle was named record of the year at the Gramophone awards in 1987.

But as he showed season after season in the BBC post, Davis could bring both vitality and a discerning sense of idiom to almost any music. One recalls, almost at random, a 2015 concert featuring a sensuous account of Delius’s In a Summer Garden, followed by a lithe and muscular suite from Ravel’s erotic Daphnis et Chloé, the ecstatic choral shouts and shuddering climaxes leaving little to the imagination. The concert also included music by Carl Nielsen and a new work, Epithalamion, by Hugh Wood.

One of many highlights of his Proms appearances was his commanding premiere in 1998 of Elgar’s Third Symphony in the “elaboration” by Anthony Payne (effectively a performing version made from the composer’s sketches).

Another was his speech from the podium in 1992, delivered as a patter song to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “I am the very model of a modern major-general”, complete with witty rhymes and repartee with the delighted audience. The trick was repeated on the final night of the 2000 festival, his last as the orchestra’s chief conductor. On his arrival at the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the more truculent members of the ensemble had to be won over, but they were, by his genial humour and charm, as well as his purely musical talents.

He was also popular with soloists, not necessarily offering a radically new perspective of his own, but listening carefully to them to provide an ideal accompaniment. The pianist Stephen Hough said he had “the sharpest ear and the clearest stick”. Both on and off the podium Davis exuded bonhomie and affability. His concern as a conductor was always to create the conditions that enabled musicians to give of their best.

Born in Ashridge, Hertfordshire, he was the son of Robert Davis, a compositor, and his wife, Joyce (nee Badminton). Andrew began to learn the piano at the age of five and attended Watford grammar school. In 1959 he started organ studies with Peter Hurford and subsequently won an organ scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge, where he played under David Willcocks. He then studied conducting at the Accademia di S Cecilia, Rome, under Franco Ferrara, and in London with George Hurst. From 1966 to 1970 he was pianist, harpsichordist and organist with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

In 1970 he made his debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and in the same year was appointed assistant conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He then became principal guest conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (1974–77) and music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1975–88), whose stature he boosted with major tours of North America, Europe and Asia. In 1982, he helped establish the orchestra’s new home at Roy Thomson Hall, and advised on the construction of its organ.

Then came the posts at the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Glyndebourne. His debut at the latter had been in Strauss’s Capriccio (1973) and he was to become a noted exponent of the composer’s operas.

In 1989 he married the soprano Gianna Rolandi, whom he had met when she sang Zerbinetta under his baton first at the Metropolitan, New York, in 1984 and again at Glyndebourne in 1988.

On his retirement from the BBC in 2000 he moved to the US with Rolandi and their son, Edward, to take up the appointment of music director, until 2021, of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he conducted nearly 700 opera performances including Wagner’s Ring cycle (2004–05). A second cycle was planned for the 2019–20 season, but was never completed on account of the Covid pandemic. He additionally conducted orchestral concerts at the Lyric and free concerts at Millennium Park.

From 2012 to 2019, he also held the post of chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, becoming conductor laureate, while continuing to live in the US.

In addition to his conducting, he made an orchestration of Handel’s Messiah, performing it with the Toronto orchestra, and of Berg’s Piano Sonata, op 1, and Passacaglia (Berg was a composer who inspired him, he once said, throughout his life). His own compositions included La Serenissima: Inventions on a Theme by Claudio Monteverdi (1980), Chansons Innocentes for children’s chorus and orchestra (1984) and Alice (2003) – settings of Lewis Carroll for mezzo-soprano, tenor and children’s chorus. At his death he was working on orchestrating some of JS Bach’s organ music.

During the pandemic lockdown he drew on his knowledge of the classics, gained as a student, to undertake an original translation of Virgil’s Aeneid. Though modest about his poetic abilities, he did comment that the experience was comparable to that of making music: “The manipulation of sonorities and rhythms and the search for ways of bringing to life the vividness of Virgil’s imagery and at times his great emotional power struck me as remarkably similar to the search that I have been engaged in all my life on the podium.”

His numerous recordings reflect the vast range of his repertoire, British and contemporary music looming large alongside Stravinsky, Strauss, Berlioz, Ives, Sibelius, Weill and the complete Dvořák symphonies. A 16-CD retrospective collection celebrating British composers on Teldec’s The British Line series was released by Warner Classics.

In 1991, he received the Royal Philharmonic Society/Charles Heidsieck music award. He was appointed CBE in 1992 and knighted in 1999.

Rolandi died in 2021. Davis is survived by Edward, a composer, singer and conductor.

🔔 Andrew Frank Davis, conductor, born 2 February 1944; died 20 April 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[hcfiles]

"Agree. Evidence she showed none. But, maybe there was no time. After the statement that impressed and called attention to the page, someone else could have assumed her place before shutting the page down."

How can someone else have assumed her place? I'm sorry girl but that's a big reach. The Account is gone but if the Woman was real why didnt she make a new account and post EVIDENCE as soon as possible? Was she ever "seen" again on any platform? No she wasn't and there was never a picture or any evidence. I'm trying to stay calm and be nice to you because you have a right to your thoughts but dont you think these thoughts go a bit too far? How many celebrities have to deal with made up accusations? Justin Bieber, Ricky Martin, Johnny Depp, Nick Carter and his brother, Michael Fassbender, Armie Hammer (partly), Drake Bell, Jonathan Majors, Chris Evans and his Wife and so many more, there are "expose accounts" for almost all celebrities....When Warhammer was announced I remember a tweet from a female Journalist, she said "many Journalists will dig deep into Henry's Life now to find something controversial, something they can "expose" him with". Because Warhammer doesn't fit Hollywood's agenda and new woke politics. Nothing was found so far!

Toby Emmerich wanted to get rid of Snyder and the Snyderverse ( including Henry as Superman) since 2017. After the Justice League failure. But Henry had a movie left on his contract...Emmerich offered him a small cameo in Shazam. Dany Garcia declined the offer because she, and that is my personal opinion its not a fact, wanted Henry in Black Adam for years. There was a rumor Emmerich was furious about it, he apparently said " as long as I'm running WB, Henry will never be Superman again". Emmerich is a pos, btw like all Studio Bosses. Warner Brothers used some news outlets to do hit pieces on Zack Snyder, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher ( after Ray accused them of racism). The Superman recast was always a problem for WB because the fans are very passionate about Henrys Superman and the Snyderverse and yet WB, Emmerich, Journalists never found anything on Henry. There was never a hit peace against him from Warner Brothers. After he left the witcher someone (nobody knows who) tried to smear him but why was it done anonym? On a shady platform like demoux? It is proven they post stuff all the time without checking for facts first. If there is something on Henry why has nobody been able to expose it yet? And Im talking about the official way with an actual person behind the accusation not some "anonymous sources". Henry's Team and Management isnt that powerful to prevent something from coming out trust me. Henry may work in Hollywood but Hollywood never liked him because he never fit in. Most of the time he stays in England not in the US. He doesn't attend much Hollywood Events, After show parties, red carpet events and so on. He's getting work in Hollywood but look what kind of work it is, with directors he already worked before. Directors who like him and want to work with him again but he doesnt get a role in a Martin Scorsese movie for example. Henry doesnt belong to the inner circle of Hollywood. He left a "popular" show on Netflix, wants to do Warhammer that is full of everything Hollywood hates, he stood up for fans.....! Do you know Stephen Baldwin follows and likes Henrys posts on IG? He's exposing Hollywood for quite some time now but he seems to like Henry. Long Story short, there are definitely people ( certain WB Executives, Witcher Producers (Lauren)) who would love to see Henry getting cancelled. I think Lauren would do anything to save her show but coming out with an accusation means you need to have evidence of your claim and so far...nobody seem to have anything on him. If the Witcher smear would have been true why was it not stated by Lauren herself or her producers or the writers or even Netflix? Why was cast and crew coming out speaking well of Henry as they did for all these years? He even got a goodbye ceremony with Netflix flying in Henry's Superfan, Rory. Anonymous sources can not be trusted and not be taken as facts thats for sure. Nobody knows if in the near future someone with a face and name will accuse him of something BUT that didnt happen yet and it's more than wrong to hope for it like you do. And please dont deny it, all your posts are clearly hoping he did something wrong and thats why he needs this pr relationship, you desperately want to be right about him. That there is a dirty secret but you dont see that you literally hope hes a bad person, maybe even an abuser just because you can't stand his relationship. Im just a fan, i dont know him personally either but at least I dont hope hes a horrible dude. I want to believe in the good in people and as long as there is no serious accusation with evidence against him I and many other Fans have a right to believe he's a good Person, a right to believe he didnt do anything wrong.

Wow! I have a lot to answer:

a) "How can someone else have assumed her place?" - Simple. Once his team got to her (or him - we naturally assume it's a woman, but it could be a man), they could have bought her silence, assumed her page for a while to discredit it until it was taken down.

b) " Why didn't she make a new account" posting evidence? - If her silence was bought, she probably signed a non-disclosure deal. But, evidence...? Of what? The "accusations" she made were related to his Character and attitudes mostly and talked about a supposed freaky sexual taste. There's nothing criminal about it nor to be turned "evidence". Unless, other real lovers come public.

c) "I'm trying to stay calm and be nice to you." - What does that mean? Is that a threat or you just have a short temper? Losing your mind for a celeb you say you don't know? Careful! If you are so convinced of your favourite celeb's perfection as you say you are, why lose your temper with "nonsense" from a stranger in T? I am really surprised how people go so far to defend a celeb they say they don't know based only and exclusively on his public life. Honey, it's Hollywood! Nothing is what it seems. If you don't know the guy there's no way to know anything about him, only what he wants you to know. And these people have a different mindsetting. They don't care for bad publicity as long as they are in the spotlight.

d) "Don't you think these thoughts go a bit too far?" - Not really. Henry Cavill opened the Pandora box when he agreed to be put in this situation. He was always dubious motivating doubts in his fandom and gave us quite a show to entertain. We are just giving him the feedback. Of course, it wasn't the one he expected. You can manipulate the crowds, but there's no guarantee it will react the way you expect.

e) You name a few celebs here saying they had to face "made up accusations". Well some of the ones you named aren't saints and not all the "made up accusations" are actually "made up". Celebs are not God's above good and evil. We have been having many examples of that, lately. And "expose accounts" are part of the deal of being a celeb.

f) You say journalists (I say just curious) said they were going to dig Henry's life to find dirt and that nothing was found. I disagree. To work in this Entertainment Industry you need to be aligned with its mindsetting. If you are not a freak, you, at least, see what goes on, you deal with the freaks, you know who is who and you know who does what, remaining silent, for you don't want to lose your celeb status nor the fame and money that come with it. And being a Hollywood escort promoting promiscuous to boost an image is not exactly an example of dignified professionalism.

g) But, yes! I do believe there are abusers, CEOs in this Industry pissed with Henry, because he doesn't bend easily to them. I know he's a different kind of celeb and that's why he is restricted to action movies and directors he knows and has worked with. That's why he's fighting to become a producer (or, at least, have the title). But, that doesn't mean he's a perfect saint, a God above it all, because it's clear he accepts being subjected to a few ... How to say,... Not very decent stuff in this Industry, for real roles.

h) And, Yes! Agree with your observations on the Superman x BA cameo deal, the resistance of some in production of Supes.

i) Again, I also agree with you about his behavior on the TW set. I really don't believe the rumours about him being offensive to colleagues somehow. He might have flirted with someone, though. He's a man, human. I also think that leaving the series was a decision involving a lot, such as the possibility of making another Superman movie (promise Garcia made him, allowed him to believe and announce without a signed deal).

j) And, yes! There are a lot of absurd rumours about him. But, that doesn't mean every single rumour is a lie. Again, celebs are not above the good and evil, they are not God's. They are humans with flaws, fighting desperately to create and keep a FAKE image to the public. A fake image they come up with to be adored, to gain a fandom that will make them relevant and boost their career. They only show fans what THEY want them to see and know. Their private life can be very different.

k) And the cast and crew will always say good things about colleagues. That's part of the job to promote the production positively and the environment they work in as healthy and cool. That's part of the job. If there's a suspicion of a problem among cast and crew, the production is fated to fail.

l) "Anonymous sources cannot be trusted and taken as facts." I agree. But they can be questioned and discussed. And that's what we're doing here.

m) " Nobody knows if (...) someone will accuse him of something, BUT it's more than wrong to hope for it like you do." - Apparently, you are hoping that doesn't happen, what indicates you are insecure in your beliefs. Don't suppose you know my intentions. You say I hope someone accuses him of something. No! I don't! First, 'cause I doubt there is something that terrible, like a big deal there. But, I do believe he's not the guy he sells. Behind cameras he, by free will, accepts ... Let's say, dubious deals performed as dignified in front of cameras to sell the image of the model Character. What I do believe is that he's a hypocrite, a pretender who used immoral PR strategies against his fans trying to manipulate the media, motivating hate on the internet by exposing a woman to public execration, to avoid accountability and negative exposure, only to protect and keep his fake image. I don't see such behavior as dignified.

n) I don't need to hope for anything. Reality speaks for itself. What's been happening for four years screams what I put here. I don't need to prove anything nor convince anyone. The situation speaks for itself: The woman chosen for the PR, her rep and exposure on the internet versus his rep and the image he sold for years, the immoral strategies used by his PR team, the desperate attempts of damage control, the intentional teasing posts they adopted, their insistence in motivating fans' negative reactions to, later, point fingers accusing fans of their stupidity, his lack of attitude towards it, his participation in this circus (true or false) that HE COULD HAVE KEPT out of social media, out of the tabloids and out of the spotlight to avoid all this, BUT DIDN'T.

o) "You hope there's a dirty secret, that he's a bad person, an abuser just because you can't stand his relationship". You couldn't be more wrong! And, I see you are here as a minion criticizing a page you actually don't follow. If you have read all the posts with an open mind and attention, you would know that's not right. The dirty secret can be a deal he accepted behind cameras that reflects his real Character, the way he thinks and really is, not necessarily a terrible misconduct. And, I don't believe he's a bad person, just a vain dude who put his vanity before his moral standards making bad decisions; that he was corrupted by the Industry he works for, because he was weak. Concerning this relationship, I really believe it wasn't a relationship, just a PR and I couldn't care less. He had gone through PR stunts/dates before and you have never seen me react to them, have you? He is free to date whoever he wants. And I even believe they got sexually involved during these years of shenanigans. After all, he needs to fulfill the escorting contract and it was necessary to be convincing. And, the baby belly was the cherry of the cake. They made so much effort to prove the relationship was real (and they are still trying unsuccessfully, with the help of stans like you, who can't stand the idea it is fake). Why? Don't they believe their own love affair? Why care for what we believe? Yes, because it was quite a show they prepared for us.

p) You are a believer. I'm happy for you. I hope you continue believing and fighting for him as I once did. But, unfortunately, events that were obvious to me, made me change my mind about him. There isn't any serious fact that makes him a bad person or a criminal. But, there's enough to have his Character and image questioned. Henry is not a brave, self-confident man. He's insecure and that makes him avoid being involved in criminal or very bad acts. But, if there's a chance to slip a little to boost his image and sell it as a man he's not for vanity, he will. Such as lying and pretending to be a promiscuous' boyfriend and her baby father, just to avoid exposing the biggest PR mistake in history.

[royalty-nobility]

Kaiser Franz I. Stephan

Artist: Martin van Meytens (Swedish-Austrian, 1695–1770)

Date: circa 1745-1765

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Belvedere, Vienna, Austria

Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor

Francis I (Francis Stephen; French: François Étienne; German: Franz Stefan; Italian: Francesco Stefano; 8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765) was Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Grand Duke of Tuscany. He became the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, Austria, and Tuscany through his marriage to Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI. Francis was the last non-Habsburg monarch of the Empire. The couple were the founders of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, and their marriage produced sixteen children.

Francis was the oldest surviving son of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and the French princess Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans. Duke Leopold died in 1729, and was succeeded by their son. In 1736, Francis married Maria Theresa. In 1738, he left the Duchy of Lorraine and Bar for the deposed Polish king Stanisław Leszczyński in exchange for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, as one of the terms ending the War of the Polish Succession. Following the death of his father-in-law, Charles VI, in 1740, Francis and his wife became the rulers of the Habsburg domains. Maria Theresa gave her husband responsibility for the empire's financial affairs, which he handled well. Francis died in 1765 and was succeeded by their son, Joseph II, who co-ruled Austria alongside Maria Theresa.