#Wiltshire Creative

[jazzreloaded]

Play On! By Talawa Theatre @Belgrade Theatre 26 / 09/ 24

Review by Vidal Montgomery

The press night performance of Play On! - A Broadway Blues with a twist on "Twelfth Night" - was not undersold in terms of bums on seats ( because it was a full house, and based on this showing it deserves a full house everywhere it goes!), but in terms of spectacle; because for the near-three hours running time, it was thoroughly engaging, spectacularly entertaining and, despite dealing with some serious subject matters ( such as how a misogynistic Harlem resists change, made all the more relevant with the recent revelations around Music Moghul Sean Comb's recent indictment), it was joyful for the audience from start to end, evidenced by the raucous laughter, gasps and applause throughout.

The title "Play On!" may also refer to the four year development process to get a work of this magnitude and depth and craft and intimacy and nuance in front of a live audience; it is no mean feat that this splendid work of Ellingtonian excellence by Liam Godwin and Benjamin Burell is finally in front of an audience, and with a truly magnificent cast from top to bottom:

Although the dramaturgy obviously has its focal characters, the dancers / understudies / supporting cast acquit themselves equally well, and the audience is gifted with over a dozen amazing voices ( of which Lifford Shillingford was my personal favourite ), who perform comparably, shouldering the responsibility of energetic dance, tense drama and soulful song, and carrying the narrative along. This for me is the most captivating thing about this show. Tanya Edwards as Miss Mary and Llewellyn Jamal as Jester deliver stylish and soulful performances late on into the second act just I thought the show had probably reached its peak - boy was I wrong!

The core story of Play On! revolves around the day Duke Ellington loses his muse, and the lengths- and distance! - one lucky lady will go to to help him get it back; Earl Gregory, Koko Alexandra, Tsemaye Bob Egbe, and Cameron Bernard Jones play the four pillars of the love quadrangle that is "The Duke", his old flame ( lady Liv ) , his new muse ( Viola "Vyman" ) and Rev, the manager of the Cotton Club clutching at straws and clasping his hands in his hopes of keeping the four together as exemplars of Ellingtonian Excellence - and also keeping the show on the road...

Sadly the live band - directed by the unassuming Ashton Moore and delightfully driven by the delicate drumming of Empirical's own Shane Forbes - are not featured as characters in their own right - I am sure that later productions in the three month run will attend to this oversight.

Despite this, the mix of moods and blues and beats and grooves from the bandstand become the main character, and for me ( as a musician! ) this is the star of the show: Ellingtonian Classics like Mood Indigo, I got it Bad, It Don't mean a thing, Black Butterfly Rocks In My Bed and In a Mellow Tone are turned inside out and taken back from the trash heap of Abersold Appropriation,and are played in a way that suits the strengths of individual artists, and balances temperaments of their characters as a whole as they play moves towards reaches its climactic reveal; at this moment the only other disappointment was that the band was not as big as, say, the English Touring Opera's for the recent run of "The Rakes Progress" : With this amount of dramatic tension in the stage, and with the audience in the palm of the band's hands the Ellington Big band, really needs to be a BIG band.

As it was, on the night Kaz Hamilton and Alexander Polack acquited themselves very well, making a myriad of moods that were both historically authentic and stylistically de jour. And the commitment to shared seat of Chris Hyde / Josh Vadivello on Double bass ( NO electric big band era please! ) brings gravitas authenticity and sensuality to the greatest american songbook in a way that only a Double Bass can. This show is all about that bass!

Having recently sat through the often turgid and salacious KAOS, a reworking of the mythology of Orpheus and Euridice, ( which was not a patch on Marcel Camus Seminal 1950's classic ) and also attended the afforementioned reworking of Igor Stravinsky's "Rake's Progress" ( often not my sense of humour, albeit markedly less turgid and salacious than Charlie Covell's Netflix Production ) I was far from convinced that , per se, " A reworking of Twelfth Night " was going to as vivacious, contemporary , and nourishing to the soul as it turned out to be. But on this occasion I was rewarded for my bravery ( And by "bravery" I mean only braving the inclement British weather ) , and I will forever regard Play On! as somewhat of a late birthday present - ( or maybe early Christmas gift? )

Ironically, whilst sipping free Prosecco and listening to a(nother) jazz function band in the reception area after the show , I had the good fortune to speak with one the trustees of the Talawa Theatre and we discussed how important it may be to not label Play On! as ( simply ) a "jazz show", because of how many people may miss out on an amazing contemporary socially and culturally relevant human experience, simply because they do not know or have not yet been sold the depth and breadth of the jazz canon.

But Play On! is "Jazz Hands" in safe hands. And I can say with confidence that Talawa Theatre have a winner on their hands; it is Black Joy. And "Black Joy" may turn out to be a better euphemism for the vibrancy we expect "Jazz" to bring to us. Congratulations on the fully immersive experience that Director Michael Buffong brought to the Belgrade Theatre tonight.

PS: As with many theatre shows, the stupidly difficult train schedule doesn't really support the 2+ hour format, but I can only say that on this occasion it was worth missing our last train to catch the "A Train" one more time...

Talawa’s Black Joy season presents:

Play On!

A new Jazz musical

Based on Shakespeare’s

“Twelfth Night”

Conceived by Sheldon Epps

Book by Cheryl L.West

Music by Duke Ellington

Produced by Talawa Theatre Company and The Belgrade Theatre

Co-produced with Birmingham Hippodrome, Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Wiltshire Creative

Artwork by Feast Creative

For the full programme, click or scan the image below:

[myewt]

happy early new year!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR MELTY!!!!!!!!!!!

Drew u a silly chromatic aberration charlotte, as a threat >:3 ur the best moot I love your art

[stuartaken]

A Short Visit to Wiltshire: #3 Salisbury.

[kotori-mochi]

Using Disabled people to justify AI generators.

So I have seen this sooo many times on twitter, AI bros and pro AI people saying that "AI generators can help Disabled people be creative."

Just too tell you all my older sister whom I take care of along with my mother. Is mentally disabled and loves too paint and doesn't care for AI generated images. I even told her about it, how it works, everything and her comment was "isn't that cheating". Literally what she said.

(this is an old photo from the facebook account and the one with the Pink and black hoodie is my sister. Julia)

Also back in California she went to an art class for DISABLED people and even too this day, none of them use AI generated images because they enjoy the process of making art or being creative. If you want to know the school it's called Claraty Arts . I also added the link if you want to check them out and maybe buy some art from their talented artist who didn't allow their disabilities to get in the way of them being creative.

Also too add some well known artist who were Disabled:

Frida Kahlo

Vincent Van Gogh

Yayoi Kusama

Ángela de la Cruz

Ray Charles

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

Django Reinhardt 

Stevie Wonder (blind but wrote music)

Alice Sheppard

Rick Allen

Yinka Shonibare

Ryan Gander

Stephen Wiltshire

Uttam Kumar

Ian Dury

Hank Williams

Gaelynn Lea

Muniba Mazari

Itzhak Perlman 

And the list continues...

So Disabled people don't need AI generators too help them, they can be creative themselves without using a program that does it for you.

If anything AI bros and pro AI people sound more ableist to say that they can't be creative without these programs.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Hi RT, more examples of UK's 2000s creative fascinator/ hat craze on royal/ royal adjacent ladies ( FYI. No need to post if you don't want to as this Is just a fun send for your amusement)

Also, once I googled royal hats from longer period of 2000 - 2012 period, I was surprised at how many 'crazy' hats popped up. 

Camilla attending a wedding in the early 00s

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2CR95TF/britains-camilla-duchess-of-cornwall-r-and-her-former-husband-andrew-parker-bowles-l-together-with-their-son-tom-top-r-leave-after-the-wedding-of-their-daughter-laura-parker-bowles-to-harry-lopes-at-st-cyriacs-church-in-lacock-wiltshire-west-england-may-6-2006-reuterstoby-melville-2CR95TF.jpg

Laura Parker Bowles at Charles and Camilla's wedding 2005

https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-1500w,f_auto,q_auto:best/msnbc/Components/Photos/050409/050409_wedding_heads_vmed_1p.jpg

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G82A3M/royal-wedding-marriage-of-prince-charles-and-camilla-parker-bowles-G82A3M.jpg

Sophie Edinburgh at Charles and Camilla's wedding 2005

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G82A34/royal-wedding-marriage-of-prince-charles-and-camilla-parker-bowles-G82A34.jpg

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G82GNE/royal-wedding-marriage-of-prince-charles-and-camilla-parker-bowles-G82GNE.jpg

Annabel Elliot at Charles and Camilla's wedding 2005

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e6/9a/7d/e69a7d382a38c7828d2437f790ed0f25.jpg

Kitty Spencer WK's royal wedding 2011

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/81/3e/fb/813efb326743d4e6cfb3656f63028948.jpg

https://images.hellomagazine.com/horizon/original_aspect_ratio/1048ff72d3b9-lady-kitty-spencer-william-kate-wedding-z.jpg

Zara Tindall WK's royal wedding 2011

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/12/590x/secondary/Zara-Tindall-wore-metallic-grey-dress-for-Kate-and-William-s-wedding-4711567.avif?r=1682432587756

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/12/590x/secondary/Zara-accessorised-with-a-hat-by-Phillip-Treacy-4711583.avif?r=1682432587774

Sophie Winkleman and The Queen of Belgium wore almost identical hats at WK's wedding

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2011/04/29/fashion/weddings/royal-hats-slide-1PMM/royal-hats-slide-1PMM-jumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/princess-mathilde-of-belgium-hat-1517328710.jpg

Royal ladies at random events 2006 - 2012

Zara Tindall

https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/_archive/Today%20Show/Royals/ss-110222-royal-hats/ss-120619-royal-hats-10.jpg

Sophie Edinburgh

https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/MSNBC/Components/Slideshows/_production/ss-110222-royal-hats/ss-110222-UK-hats-sophie2.jpg

https://media.tatler.com/photos/6141ed059f9d1339639a7862/master/w_320%2Cc_limit/gettyimages-71255119.jpg

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/princess-sophie-of-wessex-1517519704.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5c/3b/36/5c3b361bd340e87125b952c35ed9beb1.png

[coochiequeens]

Oh look ANOTHER Trans Identified Male who started his transition after committing a violent crime against a woman.

By Reduxx Team July 3, 2024

A trans-identified male has been found guilty of rape after sexually attacking a woman during a night out. Lexi Secker, previously known as Alexander Secker, was said to have committed the crime when he was “living as a man.”

The assault is said to have taken place in Blunsdon, Wiltshire, in April of 2023. While details are extremely limited, it is known that Secker began identifying as woman in the period between the assault and his court hearings.

But in a statement on the arrest, Wiltshire Police referred to Secker as a “person convicted of rape,” adding that he was recorded as a male by police but “tried as a woman” in court.

In subsequent coverage by the BBC, feminine pronouns were used for Secker. A photo of the criminal was noticeably absent from reports on the conviction, which had sparse details on the incident beyond noting he had been remanded into custody awaiting sentencing.

But while Secker was “tried as a woman” and referred to only by his “preferred” name in news reports, he appears to have gone before the court without having completed any legal “gender” change at all.

In a publicly accessible database of court records, Secker appears under the name “Alexander.” This would indicate British media outlets chose to utilize the name he preferred, one which may have obscured his identity from other potential victims, rather than report on him accurately.

Under his legal name, Secker has a lengthy digital footprint revealing he has fathered two children and worked with a registered charity.

According to his profile on Creative Pool, Secker had been a Creative Media Practitioner at Digital Writes – a registered charity which receives funding from the UK Arts Council and describes itself as “enriching creative experiences” for youth.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Digital Writes received a substantial COVID Emergency Response Grant and boasted that it enabled them to hire Secker. On a page dedicated to discussing the impact of the grant on Digital Writes, the organization stated that it “meant we could offer employment to a local creative media practitioner, Alex Secker.”

Secker is quoted as saying: “This has been amazing for me, being able to earn a living for me and my family, doing the work I love.”

Describing himself as an “award-winning filmmaker with two feature films widely distributed,” Secker has directed 10 films, most of which were in the horror genre. One of his most recent releases, Follow the Crows (2018), was funded in part using an Indigogo campaign. The year prior, Secker had won a People’s Choice Award at the Swindon Fringe Festival for his debut stage play, a political thriller called The Door.

Reduxx has also found a defunct blog belonging to Secker in which he claimed he appeared “regularly” on BBC Wiltshire to discuss films.

[what-if-queen-camilla]

Chapter 25

Celebrating my 50th entry, posting chapter 25 today... what a journey it's been so far! Thank you all so,very much for (still) reading, liking and commenting my little story - your feedback always means so much to me and I hope you're going to enjoy this little "happy chapter" in between all the drama... please do let me know what you think / wish for!

04th August 1995

Raymill House, Wiltshire

"Can I finally open my eyes now?", Thea asked, more excited than annoyed, as she was guided through an obviously long corridor at a house or place she didn't think she'd been before. It was her 8th birthday today, she was on summer school break, and Mummy had taken her on a very special surprise trip to a secret destination. The car ride from Middlewick House, where they were still living after Andrew had moved out right after New Year's, had only taken a few minutes so, wherever they were, it couldn't be far away, but she had no orientation left with the blindfold Mummy had put on her. "Just a few more steps, darling, we're almost there!", Camilla promised and carefully guided her birthday girl around the last corner and into the beautiful, bright room in their soon-to-be home that would soon be her's. She hadn't shown her the house with which she had fallen in love the moment she had first set a foot in yet; a beautiful, stone manor country house with a huge garden, acres, stables and a swimming pool, it was simply perfect for them, perfectly located at the end of a long driveway, hard to reach for uninvited guests and only just a short 15-minutes drive away from Highgrove. The only catch had been the price. 850,000£ was much more than she could actually effort, but thanks to the help of her father and some good friends she had eventually been able to purchase the six-bedroom house as a new home for her children and herself and she had no doubt that they'd be happy here. The room she had chosen to be Theodora's had a huge window front which offered a breathtaking view over the garden; just what her sweet little angel would love and make her feel comfortable. "Okay, darling, are you ready for your birthday surprise?", Camilla asked, feeling just as excited as the birthday girl herself. Thea nodded impatiently and Camilla solemnly removed the blindfold from her eyes. "Well, my darling… welcome to our new home!", she announced and after a few insecure blinks, Thea's eyes widened in astonishment, enchantedly wandering around the room, along the walls, up and down the ceiling and finally out of the window. "Wooow!", she exclaimed, looking at her mother in complete disbelief. "Is that true?", she asked and Camilla, wiping a few tears of joy away as she was so relieved and moved by her daughter's reaction, nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, darling, it is!", she confirmed. "And if you like it, this could soon be your room." "Oh Mummy!", Thea cheered, falling into her mother's arms. "Of course I like it! It's beautiful! Just look at the view over the garden… can we go down and have a look?"

"Yes sure, come on, I'll show you around!", Camilla said, took her daughter's hand nad happily showed her around their new home; there were six bedrooms on the first floor, one for Camilla, one for Tom, Laura and Theodora respectively, one for a guest and one which Camilla had decided to become the painting room; an entire room where she, and Thea too, if she liked as she was already a much better painter than she herself anyway and Camilla had no doubt that she had inherited that talent from Charles, could store all of their painting equipment and work on their pictures whenever they fancied and wouldn't ever have to worry about tidying it up afterwards, getting the easels out of the way or not to accidentally ruin a precious piece of furniture with a paint brush; an entire room where they could be creative, relax, dream and just do what they enjoyed most. She couldn't wait to get started! Downstairs, on the ground floor, the heart of the house was a huge kitchen which naturally invited to some cosy cooking or baking events and though it would most certainly end in a disaster, like most of her cooking or baking attempts, Camilla was still looking forward to officially inaugurating it with her children. Apart from the kitchen, the ground floor had a huge dining room where they could host the most fabulous luncheons or dinner parties with all of their friends and family, as well as two sitting rooms, one bigger and one smaller one, each with a fireplace, offering maximum cosiness, and wonderfully wide, floor-to-ceiling windows with the same, fantastic view over the garden as the ones in Thea's room. "Do you think we will be happy here, little darling?", Camilla asked as they had finished the little house tour and Thea nodded excitedly. "Yes, Mummy, very much so.", she assured her with sparkling eyes, and Camilla pulled her into her arms. "Wonderful. That makes me really, really happy.", she sighed, before enthusiastically adding: "Oh, by the way, sweetie, you haven't seen the garden yet! Come on!" With that, she took her daughter by the hand again and led her outside, where they toured the huge garden with the beautiful, mediterranean terrace, the pool area and all its wonderful trees and bushes which were all so nicely grown and surely already a home to all different sorts of local wildlife.

"And now let's go and see the stables.", Camilla said, pointing right over there. As if by command, in that very moment a horse neighed passionately, undoubtedly from the stables they were just about to view and Thea looked at Camilla irritatedly. "Mummy…? Did the former owners leave a horse here?" Camilla shrugged her shoulders in innocent unawareness. "Not to my knowledge. Let's just go and have a look!", she suggested and Thea immediately ran off to the stables. Camilla smiled as she knew exactly what was going on and she couldn't wait for her darling to discover the very special birthday present that was already waiting for her at their new home: being just as much of a pony-mad girl as her mother, Thea had been wishing to have her own horse for years and, of course, they had ponies at Middlewick House and she had been allowed to ride on some of Andrew and Camilla's horses but now that she was eight, she was old enough to have her own horse, not only for the fun things, but also to take on the less fun responsibilities that came about with owning a horse, properly looking after an animal, feeding and grooming it, mucking out its stable and all that sort of stuff, of course not on her own, but Camilla thought it'd be good for her, especially after the divorce and now with the relocation, to have something, or rather someone, she could care for and who could care for her, and unsurprisingly, both her men, Charles and Andrew had wholeheartedly agreed. What had taken her by surprise though, was Charles' suggestion to gift her one of the retired Cavalry Blacks who had been helping to guide the Royal Family taking part in huge ceremonial occasions like Trooping the Colour - an incredibly patient, strong, resilient and calm, very special breed that not even Andrew, despite all of his years served in the Household Cavalry, had ever been able to call his own yet. Of course, it was all different for Charles, who had insisted that his daughter should have the very horse that had served himself over several years, before it got too old for all the pomp and circumstances, especially the loud noises and huge crowds, but aged 18, the good-natured gelding was just perfect as a first horse for a little girl like Thea. He had arrived a few days ago and Charles had temporarily sent over someone from Highgrove to look after him for as long as Camilla and the children hadn't moved it yet. His name was Albert and Charles had even commissioned an incredibly noble, royal blue saddle pad with his name embroidered, as well a as very special blanket, also in royal blue, saying "Happy 8th birthday Theodora", which he himself had carefully put on Albert's back once he had heard Camilla’s car rolling up the driveway. "See, old boy, here comes your new owner.", he whispered as he noticed Thea running over. Hopefully it was going to be a success…

Of course it was a success. Thea was absolutely over the moon with both, her birthday present as such, and the fact that it came from Sir and that he was there. She excitedly ran into his arms and Charles picked her up, twirling her around, both of them happily giggling and laughing. Once more, Camilla had to turn around and wipe a few tears away. It was such a relief to see her little girl, who'd been through quite a lot recently, so happy again, and of course it always made her particularly emotional to see Charles and Thea together like that. If only… - "no, stop it!", she admonished herself, before straightening her shoulders, putting on a brave face, smilingly greeting the love of her life with a firm kiss, while Thea was already bonding with Albert, friendly introducing herself, speaking to him and patting him carefully. "Perhaps he'd like some polos.", Camilla suggested and handed her daughter a box of polo mints, which gave them a few private seconds. "Hello darling.", she whispered, looking at him in pure love and adoration. Sometimes, her feelings for him still overwhelmed her. "It's so nice to see you." Of course, Charles noticed the tears in her eyes immediately, pulled her in his right arm and tenderly stroked her back. "You're alright, darling?", he asked concernedly, looking at her in sorrow. "Yes, yes, darling. It's just that days like this always make me a bit… melancholic.", she said. He didn't reply but instead pulled her even closer and gently kissed her forehead. He understood. And he felt the same. But for him this birthday was an enormous improvement compared to the years before. He still wasn't in her life as her father and probably would never be, but at least he was there as her mother's partner, he could be with his ladies at all, and express his endless love for them both and it almost felt like they were a really, normal, happy family. "Wanna go for a little walk?", he asked, offering her an arm to link and she agreed only too happily.

[potionboy3]

character profile

► basics:

Full name: Brooke Riley Killingbeck

Meaning of name: 

Brooke is a gender-neutral name of English and German origin meaning water or small stream. It is said to be derived from the Old English word bróc, which translates to brook or stream.

Riley is a gender-neutral name of British origin meaning rye clearing, courageous and valiant.

Nickname: B by The Five Club, Brookie by his brother but he dislikes this, Killingbeck by Vanya

Pronouns: He/them

Sexual Orientation: Bi

Nationality: British

Birth date: November 19th, 1988

Zodiac sign: Scorpio Scorpios born on November 19 are likely to keep their own counsel. These self-controlled, taciturn individuals make good leaders yet do not mix well with others. One of their greatest talents is to make others feel good about themselves. Although seemingly aloof, they possess much charm.

Age: 16 during the start of his story

► Physical appearance:

Faceclaim: Mark Eydelstein

Older Faceclaim: Adam driver

Height: 182cm

Eye colour: gray

Hair colour: dark brown/black

Tattoos or Scars: has a big scar on his left cheek after a duel with Vanya Kavinsky at the end of his seventh year in school.

► Personality:

Positive traits: intelligent, fair, independent, creative, reserved

Negative traits: moody, private, anxious, gloomy, uncooperative

Personality type: INTJ

Character’s greatest joy in life: his friends

Fears: spirits that haunt him and his family history, The Other World, losing his friends

Why?

Brooke's family line has a connection to death and he can see spirits who wander in the world and can’t pass to the other side but who are not ghosts either. Sometimes they can hurt him and he can't control this ability.

Brooke has hard time showing that he cares but he loves his friends very much and he doesn’t want to be lonely.

Priorities: his friends, finding a way to get rid of his connection to death and darkness

Character’s soft spot: Darby, Judy

Is this soft spot obvious to others? His friends know that Darby is his favourite out of them all, Judy becomes important to him later on and then it’s obvious to everyone.

Greatest vulnerability or weakness: his family line

Biggest regret: Losing his brother in the dark realm, trusting Vanya Kavinsky

Secrets of the character: His family secret and his love for Vanya

Does anyone else know? Eventually people find out about both.

Drives and motivations: Getting rid of his powers and finding out more about the other world

► Past

Hometown: Wiltshire

Type of childhood: Brooke lost his parents during the second wizarding war and was raised by his grandparents. He doesn’t get along with his older brother Hale. Religion: Brooke's grandparents are Christian but he doesn't identify with their religion that much.

Dream job: Historian

► Present Currently living with: During his teenage years he lives with his grandparents in Wilthshire. In his adulthood he moves in with Judy and they live in Oxford.

Pets: A crow who's part of The Entity follows him from The Other World sensing his energy and connection to death. The crow becomes his companion but bears no name as Brooke mostly fears the being.

► Magical info

Blood Status: Half blood

Education: Hogwarts Hogwarts house: Ravenclaw

Wand: Holly wood with a phoenix feather core, 14 1/2 and reasonably supple flexibility

Holly is one of the rarer kinds of wand woods; traditionally considered protective, it works most happily for those who may need help overcoming a tendency to anger and impetuosity. At the same time, holly wands often choose owners who are engaged in some dangerous and often spiritual quest. Holly is one of those woods that varies most dramatically in performance depending on the wand core Patronus: Russian blue cat (it was his mother’s patronous as well as his)

The Russian Blue is known as a royal cat. Regal in form and frame, they love attention and actively seek it out. They love their humans, often doing small acts of kindness to cheer you up such as patting your face or clowning about to entice a laugh. If any Patronus will chase away a Dementor by staring disdainfully at it, this is the Patronus! *authors note: the patronous is the opposite of him in so many ways that perhaps it will protect him well from evil* Patronus Memory: Spending time with The Five Club, Judy laughing, sometimes moments with Vanya but he hates when that happens. Boggart: When he's younger it’s the first spirit he ever saw but after witnessing the horrors of the dark world he sees the entity of it killing his brother, sometimes he sees Vanya cursing him.   Specialized/Favourite Spells: Expelliarmus Favourite subject in school: History of Magic, Latin, Defense Against The Dark Arts, Alchemy, Arithmancy, Study of Ancient Runes

Special abilities: seeing spirits, has a connection to darkness that can't properly control

► Family Father: Aeneas Killingbeck Relationship to them: Brooke's father had the family lines connection to death but he wasn't sensitive for the abilities that came with it. He has a brother who he was not close with. Aeneas died during The Second Wizarding War. *authors note: i used yardley's middle name for him to honour of him* Mother: Amie Orrell Relationship to them: Brooke's mother was a muggleborn witch. Death Eaters killed her and her husband over her blood status. He has fond memories of the times with his parents though he doesn’t remember them as well as his brother. Grandparents: Riley & Piper Orrell Relationship to them: Brooke was raised by his muggle grandparents who lived on a small farm in plaah. Brooke was always close to both of them and could count on them for advice on many  things. Neither of them understood his abilities and thought he was making them up and for the longest time Brooke thought he just had a big imagination. His grandfather died when he was 13 and the rest of The Five Club attended his funeral to support Brooke. Brooke wears Riley's old coat.

Brother: Hale Demetrius Killingbeck (b. 1984) Faceclaim: Manu Rios

Relationship with him:

Hale is Brooke’s older brother. The two have a troubled relationship. While they attended Hogwarts Hale was very popular and the captain of the Slytherin quidditch team.

After their grandfather passed Hale felt responsible to take care of his little brother and grandmother and he took a more fatherly role which annoyed Brooke. Hale always had strong opinions on how Brooke should behave and  who he should spend time with disapproving his relationship to Vanya Kavinsky and thinking that he's troubled. Brooke was more sensitive to the Killingbeck abilities while Hale tried to ignore his own connection to the dark. He lied to Brooke about his own experiences making Brooke think he was the only one who had them. Eventually the two came by Demetrius Killingbeck's old writings and found out the truth of their abilities. During Brooke’s sixth year at Hogwarts Hale got a job as the assistant of Sasha Kavinsky to Brooke’s great displeasure. He eventually became involved in the five clubs adventures to the other world. During Brooke’s seventh year he saved The Five Club by staying behind in The Dark Realm. Brooke believed him to be dead for a long time and felt guilty over his fate. When Brooke was 28, The Five Club returned to The Other World and Hale was found not having aged a day while being stuck in there. He returned back home with Brooke struggling to cope with his new life. Ancestors: Demetrius and Yardley Killingbeck @cursebreakerfarrier Faceclaims: Noah Saavedra & Barton Cowperthwaite

The Killingbeck brothers were the  sons of Julian and Danica Killingbeck. They experimented with alchemy as young men and caused the death of their sister in the process. Demetrius got connected to the darkness and death while Yardley was connected to the light. Demetrius later sacrificed his own life to save his brother but accidentally offended death enough to cause a sort of curse on his family line. His family members always had at least two sons and the other son was destined to die, may it be as a baby or later in life. Many of his family members were also haunted by death and had special abilities.

► Love interests

Vanya Kavinsky @gaygryffindorgal Face claim: Felix Sandman

Relationship with him: Brooke and Vanya were both sorted into Ravenclaw and there was a great chance on them becoming friends during the first months. However when Brooke started getting close to the other Five Club members Vanya grew jealous and the two became rivals. Later on, when Brooke was having trouble with his friends the two grew closer again and started to hook up occasionally. Brooke didn’t want to admit to his feelings and Vanya was always unpredictable. Later on Vanya betrayed him because of his fathers plots and schemes and hurt Brooke in the process causing him the scar on his right cheek.

Judy Bones @gaygryffindorgal Face claim: Violet Brinson

Relationship with her: Brooke got to know Judy as Jesper’s girlfriend. During the sixth year the two became friends on their own which led the other members of The Five Club to think that the two were involved with each other in secret. This caused a rift between the friends. Later on during their seventh year after Judy and Jesper had broken up the two started to grow closer again and developed feelings for each other. 5 years from graduation (and Vanya’s betrayal) the two started to officially date.

► Enemies

Sasha Kavinsky, The Dark Entity, later Vanya Kavinsky

► Favourites

Colour: black and blue

Food: his grandmothers dishes

Literature: likes reading and is a fan of horror stories

Most loved possession: his grandfathers old coat ► Habits Spending habits: is thoughtful with using money Smokes: Yes Drinks: Yes Other drugs: Sometimes What does he do too much of? Sulking, spending time with Vanya when he really should not, being obsessed over The Dark Realm, swearing

What does he do too little of? telling people about his issues and talking about his feelings

Extremely skilled at: school, Latin, learning new things, chess

Extremely unskilled at: talking about his feelings, sleeping Hobbies: playing violin, painting, reading

►Traits

How he feels about himself: He loathes himself and often wants to distance himself from others in fear of getting them in danger

How do other people perceive him: Private and mysterious but interesting, people often think of him as Hale Killingbeck's younger brother (which he hates)

Style:

► Relationships with others

Does the character hide his true opinions and emotions from others? He hides his abilities from other people for a long time, though he doesn’t speak that much about his own feelings he is loud about his opinions and plans.

Person character most hates: eventually Vanya but he also loves him.

Best friend(s): The Five Club

The boys of the Five Club met on the first day of school and became inseparable as time went on. They’re called the Five Club because everyone at Hogwarts knows how close-knit their friend group is.

Darby Rosen @gaygryffindorgal Faceclaim: Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Relationship with him: Out of his friends, Brooke is the closest to Darby. Brooke always felt the most comfortable around him and he's the one who Brooke speaks most out of everyone in his life. Darby is also the first one to learn about his secret. When Darby gets affected by The Entity during their seventh year, Brooke  feels strongly about finding the fix for it and saving him.

Harker Hartford Faceclaim: William Franklyn Miller

Relationship to them:

Brooke and Harker get along well though they don’t spend that much time just the two of them. They’re both creative and have feelings they’d like to hide from everyone else. Harker's close relationship to Jesper sometimes comes between the two as Brooke feels like Harker would always choose Jesper's side, even when he’s wrong. The two get to spend more time just the two of them during their seventh year when Harker is keeping his distance from Jesper.

Jude Castellan Faceclaim: Andre Dae Kim

Relationship to them: Jude is the joker of the group and manages to get Brooke laugh if he wants to. Jude has a tendency to jump into conclusions and not thinking before saying things while Brooke is the opposite. They manage to get into a lot of misunderstanding but over all are close. They both have a close relationship with a Kavinsky family member.

Jesper Greenaway @gaygryffindorgal Faceclaim: Sebastian Croft

Relationship to them:

Jesper and his family are the whole reason why The Five Club gets involved with The Other World. Brooke and Jesper are both interested about the place and finding out more about it. In the friend group they have the most difficult relationship. They have their issues with the Judy situation and also come from very different backgrounds. Their personalities don’t really match either which causes them to often argue and disagree on things.

Other friends: Judy Bones, Olga Kavinsky @gaygryffindorgal

Person character goes to for advice: His grandparents, sometimes Darby but most often no one. Person character feels responsible for or takes care of: Hale once Hale returns to the normal world from The Dark Realm.

Person character feels shy or awkward around: Judy at times

Person character openly admires: Sasha Kavinsky is his favourite professor while in school and before they become enemies

► Death

*authors note: more info to be added!*

In the end Brooke chooses to be the one to die so Hale can live. He sacrifices himself for the sake of his friends and closing the way to The Other Realm.

[edwardseymour]

In you other blog you talked about your ideal JS/Seymours tudor adaption.May i ask you if you have some ideas on how to characterize Js and her family?

so! i have unfortunately lost my entire mind writing this. hope you can understand. i’ve just done the parents for now, and will get around to adding thoughts on the rest later!

john seymour

i think it’s interesting that he spent “more than a year in limbo” wrt his title/inheritance — with his father dying in mid may 1492, and there being an inquisition to confirm an heir to somerset a few weeks later. (was there some uncertainty/challenge over succession?) he doesn’t seem to have been granted his whole inheritance (including his mother’s lands) until 20 december 1493. this early instability could lend itself to characterisation; giving john a crucial wound that would propel him within the narrative.

john was the eldest son of his parents, his mother the first wife of his father, yet the potential uncertainty in his claim to somerset could well be characterised as a fundamental insecurity. this would be compounded by the loss of his first born son (in 1510, not even a year later he would be listed as one of the pallbearers and mourners at the funeral of henry’s son in 1511, as well as being listed as one of the mourners), losing another son who dies young, and two more children in 1528 to a pandemic. of course, he had other children — but it’s still the loss of children, within a patriarchal and (late) feudal system.

no doubt it would impact his relationship with his family, and peers. that same sense of instability, within a transactional and increasingly competitive system, would surely define his career. numerous complaints against him can be found in star chamber cases; female plaintiffs brought forward accusations that john, sheriff and justice of the peace for wiltshire, was undermining them. one woman accused john of “orchestrating the disruption to her property [...] her jointure”, and john has been described as a man “who had a reputation for being overbearing”. david loades describes his career as marked by “periodic litigation”. he also potentially had what loades describes as “a falling out with wolsey”, where personal and political perhaps merged — because in mid 1530 john served on the commission to assess what lands and goods wolsey held in wiltshire, and more definitely he had some kind of dispute with william essex in 1528 (the same year two of his children died), describing him to thomas cromwell as “enemy essex” in 1531. then, of course, there's the suggestion that he had a quasi-incestuous affair with his daughter-in-law, katherine filliol, although of course unsubstantiated contemporaneously, and only suggested in the 17th century marginal note (“repudiata, quia pater ejus post nuptias eam congovit”).

so, domineering chauvinism, entitlement, and a deep-rooted insecurity. ambition, but without creativity; this is not a man noted for revelry. he impresses henry vii enough for honours, and is on good terms with henry viii. he’s competent and successful militarily — knighted for valour at blackheath — and he was made knight of the body by the end of henry vii's reign. he was present at the field of cloth of gold in 1520 (where he was permitted eleven servants when the standard allowance for knights was four), and accompanied henry viii to meet emperor charles v in 1520, and was present when charles visited england in 1522. david loades suggests that john might have been something of a father figure to the young henry viii. he was on good terms with thomas cromwell, and in 1532 he was created a groom of the privy chamber, “perhaps at cromwell's intercession, because we know that he was infiltrating his friends into privy chamber positions by that time”. this is the man who built a huge estate, fit to accommodate a king since henry viii visited multiple times, only for wolf hall to be abandoned within a generation. this is the man who dies before seeing his daughter become queen of england. sound and fury signifying nothing.

for me, the seymours truly are the meeting point between the irrational agitation and recklessness that comes with mediocrity and stagnation (they’re gentry but they’re not standouts, everything about them is neatly acceptable but boring and unadventurous/unambitious) and the intense anxiety and paranoia of deep-rooted unsettled instability. all of this is something that festers under a feudal, patriarchal system. this, for me, would be the thematic throughline for the family — but would be exemplified in john seymour.

primary sources: david loades, the seymours of wolf hall

margery wentworth

it’s rather sweet that john was granted wardship to her father, before they were betrothed to each other. following her birthdate being presumed to be in the late 1470s, she would have been in her mid-teens when she married john. so, a young match. it’s not known exactly when her eldest son, john, was born but edward was born around 1500 and the couple have a pretty reliable pattern of annual pregnancies following, so it’s reasonable to assume that john was born around 1599. given that they married in 1494, we can maybe infer that they waited before fulfilling their conjugal obligations. when he died, she never remarried.

she's descended from edward iii, so “it was through her mother that jane seymour was able to claim a drop of royal blood”, as well as kinship to other notable families. the pair would have been raised and educated under margery's parents: her father was henry wentworth, himself the only son and heir of philip wentworth. henry would be taken prisoner (released two years later), and his father philip would be executed, as part of the lancastrian army, in 1464. so, that similar sense of uncertainty carries over to margery's family too, as well as a connection to the war of the roses and the destabilising, disruptive environment that fundamentally exposed the weaknesses of the system they worked within. henry would receive rewards under henry vii, being invested as knight of the bath and knight of the body, and possibly introduced his son-in-law to court and nurtured his early court prospects. it is likewise potentially what established margery at court, where she seems to do well for herself. margery and her husband were on a pardon roll when henry viii succeeded to the throne, for reasons that are unknown, and she would ultimately become the muse of the romantic court poet, john skelton.

surely there must have been something about her, for her to have been singled out as an inspiration for john skelton. compared to flowers (primrose — a symbol of youth, new beginnings, in antiquity a symbol of aphrodite, and columbine — symbolic of doves/the holy spirit), margery is described as “benign, courteous, and meek”, so an idealised sixteenth century woman. he describes her as virtuous (“virtues well comprised”), with “wordes well devised”. that and the fact that she was a muse for john skelton lends itself to her being a successful gentry lady if not much of a court presence — indeed, she doesn’t seem to return to court, even when her daughter becomes queen. but what is charming is the fact that margery was a romantic ideal for the man who would tutor her future son-in-law; bringing it full circle to when margery hosted henry viii at wolf hall in 1535, about to court her daughter jane, would be delicious.

so that is the base of how i would characterise margery: “never a prominent figure […] content [with] supervising the education of her children and running the household” at wolf hall. considering wolf hall would host henry and queen anne boleyn in 1535, it is reasonable to conclude she was confident in this role. beyond this, i think we could reasonably characterise her as stolid, and practical: her daughters received “the solid teaching befitting a future country gentlewoman rather than that of a great lady in the making”, including music, hunting, embroidery and management of the estate. her daughters wrote in (it seems like) secretary hand, with elizabeth seymour’s described as “neat and confident signature in a masculine ‘secretary-hand’, not the usual female sprawling italic” by diarmaid macculloch. so, it would not be unreasonable to characterise her as pragmatic, or sensible. i'd love to tie that into the nature imagery that lends itself to the seymours as caretakers of savernake forest, which is followed up with subsequent allegories between jane seymour and nature (trees, branches, flowers — tudor roses blooming on seymour hawthorn bushes), especially in opposition to the popular idea of the boleyn ‘continental gloss’.

she would ultimately lose four children young, and later outlived jane and thomas. indeed, she endured several losses in quick succession, with two children lost in 1527, her husband dying in 1535, and jane dying in 1537. she witnessed thomas’ disgrace and execution, the loss of her daughter-in-law katherine parr (so reminiscent of jane's death) as well as the early death of her granddaughter mary. she also witnessed edward’s fall from grace. it feels like a very rapid familial rise and fall, not with a bang but a whimper.

it’s not clear what her relationship was like with her family. her will lists her son-in-law, clement smith, as a witness, which suggests that she was living with him and her youngest daughter, dorothy, at the time of her death. her will details that she made mention of several family members. reciprocally, upon her death an act of the privy council details that her son edward proclaimed his “natural love towards [his mother]” in requesting to “honor her funeral remembrance as his own affection might have leaded”, or otherwise commemorate her with a period of formal mourning and a state funeral, which was snubbed out of pettiness towards edward, at this point in disgrace. it suggests genuine affection for his mother, the king’s grandmother. it makes it poignant, then, that edward seymour was not included in his mother’s will. it’s also not clear if edward vi was particularly close to margery, but the council dictated that “private men should reserve their private sorrows to their own houses, and not to dim the gladsome presence of their prince with such doleful tokens”.

primary sources: elizabeth norton, jane seymour: henry viii's true love; william seymour, ordeal by ambition

[scoopertrouper]

ahoy, maties. i return not with a prompt fill, but with a Steve POV companion piece to this post-S2/pre-S3 post-stancy breakup prompt fill because i'm sick in the head. read at your own risk.

3,400ish words (somehow) of nonsense under the cut.

~*~*~*

i'll be alright [it's just a thousand cuts]

He sees her sometimes.

It’s not like he’s, like, looking for her. He’s not, because no matter what Robin says, Steve’s not a maso…a macho…a mecha…okay, like, one of those weirdos who gets his rocks off by getting smacked around or whatever.

He’s not.

It’s just that it’s kinda hard to totally avoid her. According to her brother, Hawkins is, like, smaller than Thor’s thumbnail – and Christ, he really needs to stop hanging around those little dweebs if that’s the kind of shit he’s absorbing – so it’s hard not to see her. Anywhere. Everywhere. 

But it’s usually only just out of the corner of his eye. A flutter of flowery skirt disappearing between the aisles at Melvald’s, or the bounce of perfectly set brown curls right as she’s crossing Main Street, walking with quick little steps that are so purposeful.

(Steve used to spend most of free period making a mess of those curls, tangling them between his fingers, testing how far he could go before she’d swat his hands away. They were soft as one of his mom’s silk scarves, but somehow still not as soft as her lips when they’d curve against his, her little body arching between his hips and the creaky leather of his backseat.)

He doesn’t know if it’s better or worse that whenever their paths cross, she’s always just out of focus, blurred at the edges like a messed up Polaroid. 

It’s no secret that Steve’s no great lover of the language arts (no matter how many long lectures Henderson’s given him – from the front seat of Steve’s car, that Steve drives him around in – about why that’s hurting him with the chicks). 

But he thinks maybe if he did give a shit about similes, or metaphors, or any of that crap that he’d mostly slept through in second period English, that it’d be a pretty decent way to sum up their relationship. A couple pictures that might’ve been pretty if they hadn’t gotten all smudged up.

Oh, and her new boyfriend’s a photographer. How’s that for poetic?

Anyway, Steve would have to be an idiot – more of an idiot – to actually go looking for her. So he doesn’t. Because he remembers how much it had hurt, forcing himself through the last seven months of his own goddamn senior year, seeing her every day and feeling tender as a walking, talking bruise, long after the worst of the damage to his face had faded. It’d been almost fucking unbearable, catching her eye only to see exactly how far he’d fallen reflected in them. 

Back then (a whole two months ago) he hadn’t even tried to play it cool, had figured it was still common enough knowledge that she could step on his neck, no questions asked, and he’d probably thank her for it. Ask her to do it again, if only to keep her undivided attention for just one more second.

But that was then. Now, he’s moving on. 

Mostly. 

Trying to. 

It’d help if the universe would cooperate – if, at the same time he’d lost Nancy, he hadn’t also somehow lost every bit of mojo that made Steve Harrington that guy, especially when it came to the ladies. 

Because it’s definitely gone, and he didn’t need Tracey Wiltshire – who’d rocked full headgear until, like, the end of sophomore year – to stammer out some lame blow-off to confirm it.

It’s painfully evident every time he looks in the mirror, because he doesn’t see Steve Harrington – basketball star, swim captain, somebody who’s somebody – anymore. He just sees some loser in a shitty Popeye costume (which itches, Jesus). A loser who got laughed out of goddamn Tech. 

Whose dad barely throws him more than a dismayed glance over the morning paper – when he’s around to read the morning paper, that is. 

Who constantly finds new and creative ways to get splotches of Rocky Mountain Fudge where Rocky Mountain Fudge should never be, and takes home maybe ten bucks in tips on a good night. 

Of course Na - Tracey wouldn’t want to waste her time on a dipshit like that. Who would?

But he’s not gonna give up, because he knows the only sure way out of a slump is to shoot through it. Besides, it’s not, like, not fun, letting Robin bust his balls nonstop on the days that they’re teamed up. She’s pretty ingenious, like, he wouldn’t be surprised if she goes home after every shift and shuts herself away in her little dork hidey hole until she’s got at least ten new zingers locked and loaded.

(Most of the time it's fun. More fun when she’s not leveling him with big SAT prep words, because then he has no choice but to try to return fire without revealing that he still has no goddamn clue what a charlatan is, no matter how many times Nancy’d drilled him on it last summer. And – surprise surprise – that usually doesn’t end well for him. 

But come to think of it, she has kinda backed off from that lately. So maybe it’s more fun for her the other way, too.)

Anyway, he keeps trying, and ultimately racks up more “You Suck” ticks per shift than Robin has room for on her whiteboard (she’s been talking about starting a ledger, and yeah, that’s exactly what he needs, his failures all neatly leather-bound and cataloged in permanent marker). 

You know what, though? It’s fine. It can’t last forever, right? Steve’s a pretty positive guy. Eventually, some girl’s gonna want to buy what he’s selling, even if what he’s selling isn’t a whole bunch more than a final fling with the homecoming king. One last stop on the Hawkins Express before it’s all frat boys and keg stands at Boilermakers tailgates.

(He can only imagine what Robin would have to say about that.)

On one Saturday in late June, he thinks he might be on the verge of a breakthrough. Thinks he’s maybe a free scoop of mint chocolate chip away from talking Lisa Kurtz into the back row of the 7:15 showing of Cocoon – because he’s always kind of wanted to see if her boobs really are bigger than her hair, and he’s running out of time to find out. 

Things are going well, so according to the current logic of Steve’s life, that means something’s gotta step in to ruin it. And boy, is that something a doozy – all five-foot-four of her, freshly permed and pretty in pink kitten heels.

It’s been two months since Steve Harrington fully laid eyes on Nancy Wheeler. Two months since he’s admired – before he can stop himself – the little dimple in her chin and the delicate curve of her neck and shoulders, today draped carefully in a demure sundress. 

Once upon a time, Steve would have taken great pleasure in wrecking that dainty piece of cotton, fisting it in his hands and bunching it all the way up to her waist.

“Hi,” she says softly, biting her lip, and Christ, how Steve wishes she’d stayed in the blurry outer rim of his brain. Because he’s looking right at her, and it’s blinding, the way she just fucking glows for no good reason. It’s worse than that time in fifth grade, when he’d maybe (probably) burned his retinas after Tommy dared him to stare straight into the sun for five whole minutes (he’d made it about fifteen seconds). 

“Hey,” he finds it in himself to reply, and he congratulates himself on the way he stays so chill, right up until Lisa’s cup of mint chocolate chip tumbles out of his nerveless fingers and splatters all over the floor and a little bit all over her shoes. 

(She’s not happy. There goes the 7:15 showing of Cocoon, along with his only shot this week at a mark in the “You rule” column.)

Now his date’s gone, stormed out in a cloud of Windsong so thick he can taste it, and gone too are his chances of escaping this encounter with minimal humiliation. Perfect.

(Thank god Robin’s still on her break. At least someone up there is still doing him a solid or two.)

Nancy’s eyes flick once, twice between Steve and the door.

“Am I…interrupting?” she asks slowly, as if this isn’t a public dining establishment, as if she doesn’t have as much right to be here as any other prospective paying customer. There’s a glint in her eyes that he doesn’t even try to decode. He’s not dumb enough to think he can still read Nancy Wheeler. 

(That he’d ever been able to read her.)

“Not a chance,” Steve lies quickly, flipping the ice cream scoop with suddenly numb fingers. “Always room for one more on this flotilla of flavor!”

He’s pretty sure that was the right way to use “flotilla”, the way he’d overheard Robin say it last week. Like, ninety percent sure. Well. Sixty.

Also, what is wrong with him?

But Nancy smiles that little smile she used to give him every time he said something painfully dumb that she found charming in spite of herself, so no permanent damage, he guesses.

Not that it matters anymore. Because it doesn’t.

“A flotilla, huh?” she plays along. “That’s…a lot of flavors.”

“Thirty-two, to be exact,” he replies on autopilot. “They, uh, wanted one more than Baskin Robbins.” Goddamn it. He swears he used to be able to talk to girls. This girl, in particular.

“Oh,” she blinks. “Interesting.” 

Okay, so. The last time Steve and Nancy had spoken for real, they’d just broken up. Billy Hargrove had basically made scrambled eggs of Steve’s brains. And yet somehow, it had still been less of a disaster than the last minute of his life.

Steve has to salvage this somehow.

“It’s…really not,” he admits. “But you’re sweet to pretend.” Without thinking, he moves to drag his hand nervously through his hair and comes away with his cap instead. Oops.

Still, though, they both laugh, and that’s better. Good, even. Getting back on track. He’s not a total lost cause. 

“So, uh, what brings you to Starcourt?” he follows up, and that’s safe enough. Neutral. Boring. “Feels like most of Hawkins has been through here, not that that’s saying much. Haven’t really seen you around, though.”

That’s less safe, but she doesn’t seem offended. In fact, she’s still smiling, and Christ, Steve remembers why he hasn’t gone looking for this. Why he’s pointedly avoiding asking if she’s here alone.

“Well,” she says with a sly little curl of her lips, “I’ve been pretty busy. But – someone told me I was missing out on thirty-two flavors of ice cream.”  It's almost flirtatious, until she steps forward and winces. “Actually, I think one of them’s on the floor.”

The floor…? Crap. Lisa’s ice cream. It’s still splattered all over where he dropped it.

“Oh shit, sorry,” Steve starts, warmth creeping up his collar. “I can - I can get that cleaned up.” 

Ignoring Nancy’s protestations, he scrambles for the mop bucket they have to constantly keep within reach. Of course, it’s nowhere to be found – which means it’s definitely in the back room, which means he definitely can’t get it without drawing Robin’s attention. He pauses, debating.

“No – look, Steve, most of it’s still in the cup, I can just – I can just throw it away.” 

Steve is circling the counter to assess the damage just as Nancy is crossing his path to get to the garbage can, and they’re one perilous step away from unwittingly splitting a hefty splotch of Maritime Mint Choco Chip when his reflexes kick in.

On instinct, his hands wrap around Nancy’s bare shoulders to stop her just before they collide and – oh. Oh.

See, he hasn’t touched Nancy Wheeler in damn near nine months, and now his - his skin is on her skin. She’s soft, and warm, and his palms look so big against the slim curves of her arms. He can feel exactly where goosebumps are prickling against the pads of his fingers.

This angle also gives him a perfect, painful view of the swoop of her neck that he’s never quite been able to put out of his head. There’s a dull flush creeping up her collarbone, and for one unhinged moment he wonders what she’d do if he just buried his face there, pressing his lips heavy against that searing hollow until she’s gasping, like he’s done so many times before.

He catches her gaze. Her eyes are bright under the fluorescents, and he can’t help but picture them glassy with alcohol and resentment, punctuated by a sullen mouth and punch-stained blouse. Staring him down like he’s some kind of Upside Down pond scum. Bullshit.

He has no idea what she sees now, but it probably isn’t much of an improvement.

Steve swallows, and steps back.

“Sorry,” he says roughly, retreating back behind the safety of the counter, heart pounding. Nancy looks relatively composed as she neatly disposes of her trash, but he at least still knows her well enough to notice how her fingers curl tightly around her purse strap, the only sign that she’s a fraction as shaken as he suddenly is. 

Ask her what she wants. Ask her what she wants and give it to her so they can start pretending this conversation never happened as quickly as possible. 

“So, uh, busy? What’s – what’s up in the world of Wheeler?”

For fuck’s sake, it’s like his mouth is completely disconnected from what’s left of his brain.

“Oh, uh.” Nancy looks startled, like that’s not what she’d been expecting him to say. “Yeah. I got an internship at the Hawkins Post with Jonathan.”

So. No tiptoeing around it. Steve gives himself credit for not flinching like he wants to, for nodding his head like that simple statement hasn’t landed like a gunshot.

“Nice. Probably a way cooler gig than dishing out sorbet to all the Jazzercise moms,” he cracks, only half joking.

She doesn’t laugh, though. Her face drops and she kind of hunches in on herself, and he instantly feels like shit even though he doesn’t think he said anything to be sorry for, doesn’t know what could’ve made her react like that. Good one, Steve.

“You might be surprised,” is all she gives him in response. He doesn’t know what to make of that. And honestly, it’s not his job to make something of it anymore, so he lets it go, and they linger in awkward silence for a few seconds. 

For once – this one time only – he wishes that snot-nosed Sinclair brat would barge in, flanked by her entourage of equally snotty, pint-sized little dweeb friends, loudly demanding free samples of every flavor. That would at least give him a way out of this.

“Hey Steve?” Nancy looks at him like she’s steeling herself, and he recognizes that look, used to dread it back when they were dating. Time, he finds, hasn’t really changed the way he feels about it.

“Nancy?” he parrots back, defensive for no particular reason.

“The reason I came here today – that is, I just wanted to see if…” She cringes, trails off uncharacteristically, and he waits her out, with mounting unease. 

Patience isn’t his strong suit, but he’s found that for Nancy Wheeler, he’s usually willing to try to be the things he’s not. For all the good it does. Did.

She sighs, and tries again.

“I just wanted to ask – how, how are you –”

“Hey, honey, if you’re gonna get your ice cream, get a move on. I still need to stop at the dry cleaners.” A bottle blonde perm pops into the shop, and Steve nearly exhales with overwhelming…relief? Disappointment?

Saved by Karen Wheeler. 

She pauses, and Steve sees her notice him in real-time, watches the surprise dawn in her eyes as she identifies who’s behind the counter. “Oh. Hi, Steve.”

“Hi, Mrs. Wheeler.” Karen’s always been nice enough to him, but he’s never been too sure how much she actually likes him. Like mother, like daughter, he guesses.

She gives Nancy an indecipherable look, and honestly, these Wheeler women have got to cool it with all the weird mind reading shit.

“I’ll be there in a sec,” Nancy replies to the question spoken out loud, a tad clipped, before turning back to Steve. “So,” she says, drawing out the “o” and tapping the case. She seems to have set aside whatever she was gonna ask. “I – I guess that’s my cue, then. Any recommendations?” 

Steve’s already mid-scoop, and he’s absurdly pleased to watch her eyes go wide as he slides the cup of strawberry across the glass to her, with just a tiny flourish.

“Oh,” she stammers, “is that –”

“Strawberry,” he interrupts. “Your favorite. If – if that’s still right.” He doesn’t think that much has changed. 

“It is,” she affirms, and there’s a dusting of pink across her cheeks that Steve refuses to believe is anything more than a reflection from the neon sign.

“On the house,” he says when she goes for her purse, and it’s softer than he means it to be, less cheerful – but thankfully steady. He can’t help but smile at her, and she returns it, a tiny, kind thing. 

“Thanks,” she says after a moment. “I’ll…see you around?”

Not if I can help it, is what he thinks.

“Sure,” is what he says instead. “Anytime you need a scoop, I’ll be here.” 

Nancy raises her spoon in a minute, unbearably cute farewell salute, and the swirl of her dress is the last thing he sees of her as she disappears into the food court.

(On her way out, she takes her $2 and drops it into the tip jar, and he pretends it doesn’t smart a little.)

“Well, well. Do my eyes deceive me, or are we looking at another tally for Team “You Suck”?” 

Shit. Robin. Great. He hadn’t even heard her come out from the back.

Steve recognizes the dangerous note of glee in her voice, but for once he doesn’t have the energy to try to head it off at the pass. 

“You know,” Robin continues, “Between this and the truly spectacular crash and burn I know you were hoping I wouldn’t see with Lisa, I think that makes today some kind of record-breaking –” 

She must pick up something unusual in his face, though, because she cuts off abruptly. “Steve?” 

“Huh?” He knows he’s gaping at the door like a dumbass, but it’s too hard to find the willpower to tear himself away while he’s also blocking out the trace after-scent of Nancy’s baby powder-soft perfume. 

Robin doesn’t seem to know what to do when they’re not actively playing by whatever rules she’s silently set for the Shit on Steve Variety Hour. After a minute, he feels a nudge to the side of his foot, and he knows instinctively that it’s the toe of one of her battered Chucks. 

He doesn’t look, but he’s pretty sure she’s staring at him like he’s the weirdo.

“You…okay, dingus?” She sounds genuinely concerned, and that’s what jolts him out of it. Because no way in hell is he gonna spill his guts about Nancy Wheeler to Robin-whatever-her-last-name-is in front the sample spoons and a few carved up tubs of hard serve.

Even if Robin’s not, like, totally tragic. Maybe she’s even kinda cute. If Steve squints. Hard.

“Dude, not the shoes,” he finally mumbles, though she’d barely touched him. Her silence is heavy and unimpressed, perfectly matching her face (as Steve discovers once he finally gives in and spares her a glance).

Reflexively, he hitches his shoulders up in a stiff shrug. Arranges his face into a smile that he hopes is more cool and carefree than psychotic.

“Course I am,” he says, and it comes easily. He returns her nudge with one of his own and ignores her scowl. “I’m always okay. I’m…I’m Captain Okay.”

Jesus. He’s glad that one never made it into the yearbook.

Robin seems willing to at least pretend to buy it, though, and as she threatens him with the dry erase marker (though he notices she doesn’t make a single tally), he feels the grin he’s pasted on edge into something more genuine. He almost believes it himself, in fact. He is okay. 

Will be okay.

(He has to be.)

[rabbitcruiser]

National Bacon Lovers Day

It’s National Bacon Lovers Day on August 20. Arguably our favorite in-office holiday, no smell on Earth is as attractive as the thin-sliced bacon sizzling in a pan and served with anything at hand. Bacon is the hero of every meal it’s incorporated into. No wonder it’s been such a massive part of western cuisine since 1500 B.C. This means, for thousands of years, we have relished the sweet-savory smell of bacon frying, and the chewy taste too. One could argue that it’s now coded into our D.N.A., a historic love for bacon.

History of National Bacon Lovers Day

While bacon has been a part of our diet as a species since 1500 B.C., pigs were domesticated from around 8500 B.C., so for seven thousand years, humans had bacon right under their noses, and didn’t know it. The term ‘bacon’ is used more precisely today than it was until well into the 16th century, before which it referred to any cut of pork. The process of curing bacon for human consumption has also been refined over the centuries but has remained relatively the same. The only difference today is that the standards of hygiene have improved, and the scale of bacon production and consumption has risen astronomically.

Bacon was such a desirable cut of pork that in the 12th century, a church in the English town of Great Dunmow challenged the married men to a wager of sorts. If a man could go a complete year and a day without quarreling with his wife, a side of bacon would be their prize. Thus was the birth of the term “bring home the bacon,” widely used today to describe a person who can take care of their family financially.

Fast forward a couple of centuries to when the industrial revolution takes the pork industry to a completely new level of production. Before then, bacon and other pork products were once produced at home. Most people kept private pigs and regularly slaughtered their stock for consumption. Even in urban environments, it was common for people to keep pigs in their basements. However, in the 1930s, this was stopped. The late 1700s saw the rise of commercial pig farming and bacon production. With rising population rates and an increase in available machinery, bacon was one of the first food items to be mass-produced. It is still widely a household favorite to this day.

National Bacon Lovers Day timeline

1490 Cuba Gets Some Royal Pigs

At the insistence of Queen Isabella of Castille, Christopher Columbus transports eight pigs to the island of Cuba.

1539 Pigs in America

Hernando de Soto offloads 13 pigs in Tampa Bay, and many escape from Spanish activity.

1770 Load Up The Trucks

John Harris sets up the first large-scale bacon curing business in the English town of Caine in Wiltshire.

1883 The Pig Industry

Oscar Mayer, an industry leader in bacon curing and production, is established in the United States.

1980 You Had Me At Bacon

Hardees adds bacon to their menu as a topping, one of the first fast-food companies to do so.

National Bacon Lovers Day FAQs

Can I eat bacon raw?

No, uncooked bacon can cause illnesses. Please, prepare your bacon properly before eating.

What’s the best thing to eat bacon with?

There is no right or wrong answer here. It’s up to you because there is no such thing as food that doesn’t pair well with bacon.

What’s the best type of bacon?

Traditionally, back bacon is the best cut, but strictly speaking, the pig determines the superiority of bacon.

National Bacon Lovers Day Activities

Have an English breakfast

Be creative with it

Wrap some bacon, and donate it

It's Bacon Lovers Day, so we have to eat the stuff! Let's not forget where it all started, back bacon with a side of eggs and some pieces of toast, and voila.

Bacon is one of the most versatile meat there is. It makes everything taste better. Would you like bacon with that olive? Yes, please!

Bacon is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat, and it does have decent protein and fat content for a family that might need the calories. Spread a little National Bacon Lovers Day spirit, and give to the less fortunate.

5 Ways Bacon Impacts Our Lives

Living in America

It's breakfast meat

That’s a lot of bacon

We love bacon, it won’t go

The meaning of the word

268.04 million Americans consume bacon annually.

Of all the bacon produced in the United States, 70% is consumed at the breakfast table.

The amount of bacon produced in America each year exceeds two billion pounds.

In the 1980s, health movements attempted to change the story around bacon, and bacon sales took a hit.

Bacon means “meat from the back of an animal.

Why We Love National Bacon Lovers Day

It’s bacon

A chance to have a family meal

Bacon in the office

We don’t care how it's prepared. As long as it's well cooked, we’re in. We just love bacon.

Breakfast is often had in a rush, and not as a family. On National Bacon Lovers Day, you can enjoy a group morning meal that honors one of our favorite cuts of meat.

Any reason to bring bacon to work is a reason to celebrate. Bacon is highly prized, and we can’t wait to share our love for it with our office family.

Source

[mistresslynndramione]

Lynn’s FAQ’s

Bookbinding/Translations/Podfics: 

I’m fine with all non-profit endeavors. 

And there is a podfic of From Wiltshire, With Love up on spotify by the amazingly talented AutumnFoxWrites! Somehow she manages to do different voices/accents for all the characters and keep it up throughout the story.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/autumn-fox2

Where is the title of From Wiltshire, With Love from? 

It’s a play on words from the James Bond spy movie, From Russia, With Love. Malfoy Manor is located in Wiltshire.

Do you have any recs? 

Absolutely! My tumblr is chock full of recommendations and mini-reviews of underrated writers and their stories. Feel free to peruse. The Dramione subreddit also has the What Are You Reading? thread, Self-rec Sunday, the WIP Wednesday thread and the Underrated Fanfic Friday thread which are goldmines.

Where do I post? 

Archive of Our Own and Fanfiction.net, although lately I haven’t posted on ff.net. I posted FWWL on Wattpad, I don’t know if I’ll post anything else there.

What are you working on now? 

I may or may not post that third epilogue to Blackmailed. I’d like to continue Draco’s Body, for another chapter. Long fic: I’m also working on Butterfly, my evil author’s day submission. And hopefully some more fanart for friends.

Are you writing any original fiction? 

No. I love my day job and fanfiction is purely an escapist outlet for my creativity where I am beholden to no one but myself. Writing original fiction would defeat the purpose.

Hey! You make art! 

Yes, sometimes! I post here on tumblr, and I post my art on AO3 and instagram. If anyone would like to use my art for their fic or binding they are welcome to. I only ask that you credit me.

Your parents really read your smut? 

Yes. Yes they did. It was a very wholesome experience and I live blogged it! My kids also know that I write fanfiction, everyone is very supportive. It feels good not to hide my hobby! (that being said, no one at my work knows, that’s a bridge too far)

Why don’t I see you on the Room of Requirement discord? 

Because some of the authors, artists, admins and podficcers there cyberbullied me. When I spoke up about my experience on reddit, I didn’t want to name specific people and I still don’t. But I do think there’s value in warning folks off in a general sense. It’s truly appalling when adult women use their internet clout and lack of consequences to recreate the worst of middle school behavior. Like most moderated spaces, RoR has an anti-bullying policy, but the popular members behave as they choose. None of them have apologized to me or anyone else for their behavior. If you’re wondering why there isn’t much overlap between DHS and RoR, this is why. Their behavior has caused many artists, writers and readers to delete their accounts or leave the fandom. 

On to the happy stuff:

A Guide to My Fics 

Innovation, E, 18K, angry smut and snark. A short story written for @bek48 on her birthday. Full of snark, banter, sexual tension and hate sex. Skewers more than a few fandom tropes. 

Summary: Draco and Hermione make each other miserable. But they come to an arrangement eventually.

Escape From Malfoy Manor, E, 70-100K, Choose Your Own Adventure, war AU. An art/fic collaboration with @goodnight-fraublucher, @mysteriouscatstellation, @photonzeroinfinity, @efinna, @misdemeanor1331 and @bek48​

Summary: Hermione wakes up in a prison cell with no memory of how she got there. Will she make it out alive? A fic/art collab with some friends designed to make you laugh, shriek in terror, bite your nails, cringe, and ponder your life choices. With over 35 delightfully gruesome ways for our favorite protagonists to die, this is a great Halloween read.

From Wiltshire, With Love, E, 350K, spy/handler war AU

Summary: Hermione convinces Draco to spy for the Order and she becomes his handler. But what are his true motivations? Hard to say when he's still figuring that out himself.

WINNER: 2022 Top Dramione Fics on Reddit 4th Place Wartime 2nd Place BAMF!Hermione

Shivering With Antici - SAY IT! - pation, E, 20K, smut and snark, an AU in the FWWL universe

Summary: Spying for the Order is taking its toll on Draco. To cheer him up, Hermione brings him to a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show to participate in the virgin induction ceremony. 

Draco is not amused.

Blackmailed, E, 48K, smut and snark, 7th year, a surprising plot and gut punch at the end

Summary: Draco finds out something pertaining to the war that Hermione would do anything to prevent from getting out. How far is she willing to go to protect her secret?

WINNER: 2022 Top Dramione Fics on Reddit 2nd Place Dom!Draco (but he's totally a switch here, as is Hermione)

Draco’s Body, E, 11K, demon!Draco, war AU, co-created with art from the amazing @doodleladi 

Summary: The war rages on and changed Draco into something evil.

They All Taste the Same, E, 77K vampire war AU, this one has two endings, based on Hermione’s decision to become a vampire or not. One is MCD, one is HEA. Written in 2010, finished during the pandemic.

Summary: Draco has always wanted Hermione, but a recent change has him wanting her even more.

A Dish Best Served Cold, E, 56K, 8th year, smutty, trope-busting whodunnit, my first ever fanfiction, written in 2010. 

Summary: Somebody is out to get Hermione. Draco gets caught in the middle, and doesn't mind at all!

The Gods Must Be Crazy, drabble collection for the Last Drabble Writer Standing Competition, Greek God prompts, each drabble has a different theme, plot, topic, genre. I highly recommend this competition. It’s good for meeting new friends, and improving your writing!

[memorableconcerts]

The Bolshoi - "Away"

The Bolshoi were an English London-based music group prominent mostly in the mid to late 1980s. They are best known for the hits "Sunday Morning" and "A way" or "Away" (the name is interchangeable and has been noted as both on different albums/singles).

The band formed in 1984 in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. The original lineup consisted of singer/guitarist Trevor Tanner, drummer Jan Kalicki, and bassist Graham Cox. Tanner and Kalicki had previously played together in the short-lived punk band Moskow, where Trevor performed as Trevor Flynn (his mother's maiden name). Early gigs supported the likes of the Cult, the March Violets and the Lords of the New Church. After eight gigs bass player Graham Cox was replaced by Nick Chown. In 1985, the band released their debut single, "Sob Story", followed by the mini-album, Giants, and their hit song "Happy Boy". Word of mouth was such that the Bolshoi were able to sell out many of their early headlining performances.

The band moved to London in 1985, and their line-up expanded to include Paul Clark on keyboards (born 12 June 1962, Leeds, Yorkshire). In 1986, they released their first full-length album, Friends, and expanded their touring schedule to the U.S., South America and Poland. It was followed in 1987 by the album Lindy's Party, on which the sound was more pop-oriented. TC Wall, reviewing the album in Underground magazine, described Lindy's Party as "completely confident, commercial, professional, and dangerously catchy" and "a fine album that'll be caressed for generations."

Stylistically, the Bolshoi were difficult to categorize. The band has been described as a proto-goth band, similar in their live act to fellow Beggars Banquet signees, Bauhaus. Tanner was recognized for his dark, pensive lyrics that belied a social responsibility and awareness.

After the release of Lindy's Party, the band recorded a fourth album, but problems with their record label management impeded its release, and they disbanded as the 1980s drew to a close. The previously unreleased fourth album, titled Country Life, had been lost for years, but has now been resurrected by Beggars Banquet with extensive help from Tanner's current record label-head and Creative Director, David Paul Wyatt Perko. This new release is now available as one of five CDs in Beggar's 5-CD box set, put out via Beggar's imprint, Arkive.

In December 2018, the Bolshoi's official Facebook page announced that Bolshoi frontman, Trevor Tanner, and Bolshoi keyboardist, Paul Clark, were developing a new project, tentatively titled, The Bolshoi Brothers.

[stuartaken]

A Short Visit to Wiltshire: #5 Old Sarum

[frank-olivier]

Anthony Thorley

Anthony Thorley has been researching landscape energies, myths and traditions for over thirty years. In 2006, Anthony graduated with an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at Bath Spa University and in summer 2008 he commenced a PhD at the University of Kent on the conceptual basis of landscape zodiacs as sacred space. Thorley is particularly interested in the idea that landscape ‘speaks’ to those who live close to the land and that sacred landscape is the product of a complex co-creative dialogue in which man is only a single participant in a crowded theatre of animate activity which often seems to create more mystery than meaning. Thorley argues that crop circles are a way for the land itself to express its inherent "deep wisdom", but that this expression requires human consciousness and a sense of responsibility to engage in a "creative dialogue" with the land. He views crop circles as the physical manifestation of this dialogue between the land and human beings. British ancestors had chosen pilgrimage and ritual journey as a way of exploring and honouring the fundamental healing and transformational process present in the human connection to the land and sky and their changing energies through the seasons. Thorley considers that a focussed journey in the sacred landscape can facilitate personal growth and fundamental transformation if we accept not only that seeing is believing but that believing is seeing. He hopes to raise awareness in a wider ecological and spiritual context about the importance and significance of placing sacred landscape in the centre of effective environmental policy.

Anthony Thorley: Crop Circles & the Spirit of Place - A new look at old ideas (Circles of Knowledge Conference, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK, 2012)

Sunday, April 28, 2024

[warningsine]

Indie music hub Bandcamp has laid off half of its employees, less than a month after the announcement that music licensing company Songtradr had purchased the platform from video game publisher Epic Games.

Founded in 2008, Bandcamp is beloved by musicians for its artist-friendly revenue sharing and active fan community. In March 2020, the company launched Bandcamp Friday, which gives artists 100% of profits for sales occurring on the first Friday of every month. Bandcamp Daily, the company’s music blog, spotlighted curated new releases and offered features on emerging, independent artists. A number of the site’s writers and editors shared news of their dismissal on X (formerly known as Twitter).

“I had 3 years of having my dream job helping artists make records and making vinyl more accessible,” said Ava Mirzadegan, a former Bandcamp vinyl representative, in a post. “I’m proud of myself for getting here even if all ended like this.”

“Unsurprisingly there has been no humanity extended in this process. Our union will prosper though,” wrote Atoosa Moinzadeh.

Bandcamp had operated as an independent company until Epic Games acquired it in 2022. On Sept. 28, Epic Games laid off about 830 employees, or 16% of its staff, and announced it had sold Bandcamp to Songtradr. In an internal email announcing the sale, Epic Games said Songtradr would offer positions to some, but not all, Bandcamp employees.

Jordan Opre, 27, a Bandcamp support specialist based in Seal Beach, said when he and other workers received the internal announcement of the sale, they were caught off guard.

“I think overall the collective reaction has been surprised,” Opre said in an interview a few days after the sale was announced. “There’s just a lot of uncertainty. There hasn’t been clear or definite communication in terms of who’s getting laid off.”

The Bandcamp staff reductions were part of the September layoffs initiated by Epic Games. A representative for Songtradr told The Times that 60 of Bandcamp’s 118 employees were offered the opportunity to retain their position, and that 58 workers had accepted.

Additionally, the representative told The Times 50% of the core editorial staff would remain on board.

“Over the past few years the operating costs of Bandcamp have significantly increased,” said the Songtradr representative. “It required some adjustments to ensure a sustainable and healthy company that can serve its community of artists and fans.”

Bandcamp United, a union represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union, formed soon after the sale to Epic Games, as the acquisition sparked internal worries around Bandcamp’s future.

The union was recognized in May 2023 and had begun negotiating its first collective bargaining agreement with Epic in August.

“[Bargaining with Epic Games] was actually going all right, compared to some other places we’ve been bargaining with,” said Sandy Pope, OPEIU bargaining director. “It makes you wonder if they knew something was coming and decided it wasn’t worth putting up a big fight. You can’t sell a company overnight.”

Songtradr has not officially recognized the Bandcamp United union, which had been demanding Songtradr extend an offer to all employees and provide severance packages to those who declined to stay on board. Because the transaction was an asset sale, Songtradr had no legal requirement to retain employees or recognize the union.

After initial messaging from Songtradr stressed that it would remain “business as usual” in the wake of the sale, however, Pope expressed a feeling of betrayal.

“We got the email from [Songtradr CEO] Paul Wiltshire, saying they intended to keep everything the same, but then you get rid of the people who do the creative and who started it?” she said. “People loved working for Bandcamp. They were gutted by the news today.”