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mangoshorthand · 8 months

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Arrow of Time: Chapter 5 [Five Hargreeves/ F Reader]

(Hard Feelings Part 5)

SUMMARY: When the mother of all teenage tantrums causes time itself to fracture, Five has to travel back to 1831 to repair the damage. But will he be able to cope with what he finds there?

Chapter 6 >> << Back to Chapter 4

A new face and and old one.

Chapter 5: Sir Lewis Danforth

As always after the ladies withdraw, the men stay at the dining table to enjoy a drink. It’s a particularly unusual dining room, and the owner of the house at Lafayette Place does as much as possible to show it off to his guests, although they almost always leave it feeling slightly bemused.

The room is dominated by an immense crystal chandelier overhanging the dining table. It hangs by brass chains from a gold-leafed peacock in flight affixed to the ceiling. The body of the immense light-fixture takes the form of a lotus flower in full bloom off which sparkling cut-crystal festoons hang, catching the light attractively.

The rest of the room is equally striking in a way that, if not quite offensive to the eye, is at least highly bewildering: the jade-colored velvet curtains, (held back by gilded snakes wrapped around them), the painted walls adorned with marble pilasters and arched alcoves…it’s as if somebody who once heard the interior of the taj mahal inaccurately described decided to try recreating it in 1830’s Manhattan.

At the head of the long dining table, Sir Lewis Danforth sits splayed in the high-backed mahogany chair, a cigar in one hand and a glass of brandy in the other. Rather like his dining room, Sir Lewis has a look of opulent anatopism about him. Unknowingly, he is around thirty years ahead of his time in wearing a smoking jacket, but his descendants would be unlikely to choose a silk Sherwani to serve as one. His broad, slightly flabby face is currently ruddy with the drink, and he laughs along amiably enough with the other men.

Mr Wilson, a mousy lawyer at the other end of the table, (largely invited for the sake of his much more fashionable wife), ventures a compliment:

“I admired the food today. Most unusual. Quite the culinary experience.”

Sir Lewis smiled with satisfaction. It seemed Wilson had his uses after all. He was desperate to show off a particularly unusual acquisition and Wilson had given him the perfect opening to do so.

“I have not visited the Indian subcontinent myself,” continued Wilson, “but my good friend, Sir Henry Lytton has, and the food we sampled today seemed quite authentic to the flavors he described. Do you keep a Hindoostanne cook?”

“Lord no,” Sir Lewis chortled, “though not for lack of trying. Lady Anne won’t have anybody browner than a pail of milk on the household staff. She nurses unfortunate prejudices, I'm sorry to say.” he swilled down another swallow of liquor, cleared his throat and continued, “No, I had quite the remarkable little find. Ring the bell for me, won’t you, Smyth?”

The visitor at the other end of the table crossed to the bells to summon a servant. When the footman arrived, he was instructed to fetch the cook.

“Now just you wait here, gentleman, and tell me what you think of my special cook. Spent a year on the subcontinent at nineteen years old: India, Ceylon, Bengal and came back with capital knowledge of curries, spice blends, oriental herbs: all you could want.”

“Remarkable. His name, Sir Lewis?” asked Smyth, retaking his seat at the table.

Another chortle rumbled from Danforth as if traveling up his body from his toes, wobbling in his belly before bubbling out of his mouth.

“ Her name, Smyth.”

“A woman?”

“Precisely! And that’s the best part- she commands less of a wage than a man and she provides other… compensations , if you take my meaning.”

Other men around the table joined him in his lascivious chuckle.

“I’ve had her for nearly a year now and I’m perfectly satisfied with her. Hargreeves, she’s called: Mrs Hargreeves. No relation, I hope,” he looks laughingly at one of his guests and then tilts his head as if suddenly struck by his appearance:

“That’s a curious eye-piece you have there, Reginald. A single spectacle?”

“It's called a monocle,” said Hargreeves, shortly, adjusting it slightly, "my own design.”

“And an excellent piece it is too,” said Sir Lewis, “I say, you’ve visited the subcontinent: what do you think of my Mrs Hargreeves’ work?”

“Quite authentic,” he said, simply, “I should have guessed she wasn’t a native but she is, nevertheless, extremely capable.”

To go upstairs to the dining room, it's necessary to wash and change into a clean apron and cap. Why you couldn’t simply take off the apron was still a mystery to you. So many social conventions seemed bizarre, but blending in and keeping in your employers’ good graces was a matter of necessity. Your wages provided you with what felt like your only chance of getting home. Posing as the wife of a missing and presumed dead husband had been your only claim to respectability in this world.Sir Lewis found you on the street one night and assumed you were a prostitute. By then, you had managed to scrape enough money together to buy a cheap dress but not enough to afford room and board any longer.

After you’d refused his offer of payment for your ‘company’, he’d taken pity on you and offered you a meal. From there, conversation had flowed; your tale of woe had appealed to romantic ideas he had held as a very young man and your way of conducting yourself gave a ring of truth to what you told him.

He also mentioned in passing his interest in the Indian subcontinent and you’d leapt upon the commonality: describing the dishes you enjoyed cooking at home and what you knew of the geographical and cultural influences on each region’s cuisine, embellishing your knowledge with well-placed inventions. He’d been easily impressed: it soon became clear that he actually knew very little about the area.

Lady Danforth, however, had been less easy to impress. Although living in New York, she ran the household as if she still lived in England, underlining Sir Lewis’s aristocratic roots as much as possible as an attempted claim to prominence in this alien world.

You knew your presence was a constant annoyance to her. Although the domestic arrangements were her domain, Sir Lewis had imposed you upon her, insisting that she hire you after he had sampled a simple curry you cooked at his request. You’d tried to ingratiate yourself with her but with no luck. You could hardly blame her: like most women of this era, she accepted her husband’s dalliances as a matter of course. She could have probably turned a blind eye were he pursuing a buxom young maidservant, but to have him hankering after a middle-aged cook only a year or two younger than herself was an insult she couldn’t be expected to ignore.

The injustice of this rankles: while you've successfully avoided Lewis's sexual overtures, the entire world (including himself) behaves as if you're actually sleeping together.

The powerlessness is (and has long been) excruciating. For the first few days, you'd expected Five every moment, only leaving the vicinity of alley you arrived in briefly to find the site where the academy buildings would stand, several decades from now. You’d asked shopkeepers to convey a message to any frantic man who arrived but soon necessity had driven you to find this work. It wasn’t the nearest to where you arrived but trying to alert Five to your whereabouts cost money. Five knew what Viktor had done in Dallas when in a similar situation and trying to trace his family. Surely he’d check the newspapers?

That he’d do everything in his power to come was certain. That he hadn’t come yet was your major worry. You missed them both with intensity that had not waned over the months. Thanks to Sir Lewis’s favor, you were treated as an upper servant and this meant having your own small room in the basement servants’ quarters. Although you were suspicious of his reasons for this maneuver, (the hope of a private spot in which to visit you after dark), you hadn’t resisted it: the seclusion of your bedroom allowed you the space you needed to cry yourself to sleep virtually every night. Aoife’s smile and the memory of Five’s caresses were a toxic sustenance in your lonely existence: they formed the anchor to your real life. Too bad if that anchor’s prongs dragged and dug in your gut as if searching for purchase in a too-soft seabed.

Standing outside the drawing room now, listening to their manly, drink-addled chuckles, you take a deep breath and knock.

“Come.”

You open the door, advance a little way into the room and bob a curtsey to the gentlemen still around the table.

“Come in, Mrs Hargreeves. Mr Wilson here was just complimenting our good table.”

“Thank you, sir.” you nod demurely first at Sir Lewis and then at Mr Wilson.

“Very impressive indeed.” said one of the guests in another, clipped British accent. “Under whom did you study?”

The face of the man makes your stomach drop. You’ve seen that face, though older, in portraits and photographs around the Academy. The monocle firmly in place, the mustache, the goatee. Hair fuller and darker than you’d ever seen it pictured. As if to confirm your impossible identification, Sir Lewis says,

“Oh Reginald, you’ve and your odd ‘monocle’ seem to have scared my Mrs Hargreeves. I hope you don’t do the same to your own Mrs Hargreeves?”

He puts a flabby arm around your waist and slaps your hip bracingly and he chortles, pulling you a little closer towards him. As you regain your balance, you answer the alien in a skinsuit who is your father-in-law, for now pushing aside the fact that he’s appearing here nearly one hundred years earlier than any of his children estimated.

“Um…nobody in particular. I traveled and picked up what I could from local women…sir.”

Reginald eyed you with what your paranoid mind was convinced was suspicion as Sir Lewis began to rub firm circles into your hip. You extricated yourself smartly but politely to stand beside the intricately-carved mantle. He chuckled low in his throat. This, in his eyes, was you ‘playing hard to get’.

“You have talent,” Sir Reginald stated, taking a sip of his drink.

“You most certainly do,” concurred another guest.

“But this is a most extraordinary story,” Hargreeves said, speaking over him, “under what circumstances does a nineteen-year-old born and bred American female have the opportunity to explore the Indian subcontinent?”

“Extraordinary circumstances, sir,” you smile, unable to keep the nervous laugh out of your voice. Sir Lewis joins you, chuckling indulgently.

How to tell him or Hargreeves that your knowledge actually comes from cookbooks, youtube and living in a multicultural future? When it becomes clear that this won’t satisfy him, you tell the already-concocted lie:

“My father worked for a spice trader. When my mother died, he sent for me and I spent a year with him until he could secure a position in New York.”

“Hm.” by his tone, you can’t tell whether the sound expresses approval or doubt.

You bob another curtsey and cast a look at Sir Lewis in a silent appeal to be excused.

He nodded, mustache twitching with his grin.

“Thank you, Mrs Hargreeves. You may go.”

The other servants are starting to talk.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that you were strange, made the servants quarters smell of pervasive, unfamiliar spices and seemingly came out of nowhere, you’re also clearly having an immoral relationship with the master. That private bedroom, those evening visits to his study. (“We might not have much schooling”, said the ladies’ maid to the housemaid, “but we weren’t born yesterday”)

When the butler stumps his way ill-naturedly back into the kitchen, he looks to you with gruff annoyance.

“We ought to give you your own bell. Master wants you in his study again.”

You try to conceal a sigh, marking the page in your book.

“Thank you, Mr Hill.”

“Women of your age should know better than to read novels, Mrs Hargreeves. It’ll give you funny ideas.”

“We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

He doesn’t return your smile.

You know you shouldn’t, but you can’t help but like Sir Lewis Danforth. It’s like being pursued by a horny old bulldog with a penchant for belly rubs. He always accepts your rebuffs with a good grace, perhaps even happier than if you’d given in. Yes, he can get a little handsy, but the thrill of the chase is the only thrill he really wants, even if he can’t admit that to himself. If only all sex-pests were as harmless. You’d learned quickly that 21st century feminist ideals were virtually useless here. It wasn’t a pleasant discovery but it had been a realization that helped you play the part you needed to play. It was no worse than keeping a smile on your face while being talked over in a sales meeting.

“You’re quite the saucy little vixen, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry sir?”

“Don’t play innocent with me, woman,” he said, waving an admonitory finger in your direction, eyes twinkling, “sit down, have a brandy.”

Before you arrived, you’d known little about this period of history, but it hadn’t taken you too long to realize that a sixty-five-year-old knight drinking in his study with his cook was not considered appropriate. These interviews probably aren’t wise but these times with Sir Lewis offer a rare opportunity to be yourself. This, you know, is why he thinks he has a chance of late-night rendezvous in your bedroom but it’s hard to let go of a small source of fun. He’s one of the few people who’s kind to you in this new life and, even more unusually, honest about his intentions.

Now, he wears a silk turban, a nightshirt and pajama pants: in this, like his improvised smoking jacket, he is an early-adopter. In all things, he takes his inspiration from India…or from the strange simulacra of vaguely eastern ideas he’s invented in his imagination. In your time, his cultural appropriation would be enough to get him canceled several times over: in his own time, he’s considered an eccentric sophisticate.

“So,” he says, handing you a glass and raising his to you, “it wasn’t enough for you to bewitch me, you’ve bewitched Sir Reginald Hargreeves too. Isn’t one man enough for you?”

You roll your eyes, letting your guard down,

“My husband is more than enough.”

He harumphs good-naturedly.

“Admirable sentiment, I’m sure. It’s in woman’s nature to be constant and it’s quite to your credit that your feelings are so loyal. But, if your husband lives, (and, for your sake, I hope he does), I can assure you he won’t have such fine feelings. He’ll be taking every opportunity to enter into amorous congress with a game lass. It’s quite normal for a red-blooded fellow. I'm afraid we can’t help ourselves.”

“We’ll agree to disagree there,” you say, swilling the brandy around your glass.

“Hmph. Well, he stumbled upon a gem when he snagged you as his bride. Damn, him. To his good health and safe return.”

He raises his glass in grudging tribute to Five before continuing.

“As I was saying, Sir Reginald has become an unlikely ally to me, even as he tries to court you himself.”

“You’ll need more than Sir Reginald Hargreeves on your side, Lewis. And neither of you will be courting me.”

“That’s the spirit I like,” he rumbled, smiling at your informal use of his Christian name, “but I’ve broken many a wilder mare than you, believe me. But that’s by the by: humor me and take a look at this.”

You’re unsure you believe that he’s broken any ‘wild mares’ in his time, but you take the piece of paper he offers you without comment. He ensures he brushes your hand with his as he transfers it to you.

It was a richly printed invitation inviting him to a party at Reginald Hargreeves' house in only a few days. At the bottom, in a neat, compact hand was clearly a handwritten addition:

Bring that intriguing cook of yours and tell her I'd like to claim her hand in the French waltz.

You look back up at him, a creeping sensation in your stomach. Because you can think of nothing else to say for the moment, you say:

“I don’t know the waltz.”

“I’ll teach you!” he said, clearly overjoyed at the idea of putting his hands on you.

You stare down at the invitation, taking a rather large swallow of brandy in order to give yourself time to think. You knew that trusting Reginald Hargreeves, especially when it came to maintaining timelines, was simply not an option. It was imperative that he learn nothing about who you are and why you’re here. You should refuse, you should stay as far away from him as possible…

But…

If Five’s anywhere in this time, he will sure as hell be paying close attention to anything his father does. Your other efforts have done nothing so far…so why not try a different approach?

“What about Lady Danforth?”

“That’s the best part, my dear. Staying with her niece. She won’t be home until the following afternoon. What Annie doesn’t know won’t hurt her, by God. And to stop tongues a-wagging, I’ll introduce you as my cousin.”

He smiles proudly at his own ingenuity.

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Don’t concern yourself, my dear. I know you ladies can be very particular in matters of dress but will you allow me to select something suitable?”

You hesitate slightly. Knowing Sir Lewis, you’ll probably be turning up to this thing in the 19th century equivalent of stockings, suspenders and titty tassels.

“As long as you promise to keep it decent,” you say, warningly.

“Upon my honor,” he said, raising his right palm as if swearing on a bible, “it’s what’s underneath that counts, eh?”

You sigh again and down the rest of your brandy in one: sealing your decision.

“Then sure. I’ll go.”

After a lesson in the French waltz in which you had to readjust Sir Lewis’s hands several times, you make your way stealthily back to the servants’ quarters. As always, he’d signed off your private audience with him with a hearty: ‘May I come to you tonight, my dear?’ which you, as always, denied him. Expecting nothing else, he’d waved you off genially.

As you avoid the creaky floorboards outside Lady Danforth’s sitting room, you wish heartily that you could blink back to your room. Just as you think you’ve gotten away with it, her cold voice issues from within.

“Mrs Hargreeves?”

You wince and turn around, reluctantly entering the sitting room and bobbing a curtsey to the mistress of the household.

“Yes, Lady Danforth?”

You try to look innocent as she surveys you suspiciously from under her frilled cap. She’s a beautiful woman: what people of this time would call ‘handsome’. About fifteen years younger than Sir Lewis and five years older than you. Her long nose and hard expression added to her formidable demeanor. Her hair is an attractive graying blonde and her eyes a shrewd hazel.

“What are you doing in this part of the house?”

“I was summoned to the master’s study,” you say. Then, to try and ingratiate yourself while forming an alibi, “he was requesting some dishes for your absence next week but I suggested to him that they should be subject to your approval, given that you know the household matters best.”

“You presumed to tell Sir Lewis what was and wasn’t his jurisdiction in his own house?”

“No ma’am.” you say, having accidentally dug yourself further into her bad graces. The old-timey language is easy, the body language is easy, but your understanding of this era’s social dynamics is still constantly wavering. It seems like you can barely breathe without mortally offending someone.

“You were rather a long time,” she says, delicately, “for one discussing meals.”

You waver slightly, needing to come up with a convincing lie on the spot,

“Sorry ma’am. Sir Lewis had questions about my time in Bombay.”

She stares at you in silence for a while, sitting perfectly upright on the sofa, hands and feet primly together. You wet your lips briefly. In the last year, you’ve had to lie constantly; the creativity gets easier but holding your nerve never does.

When she speaks again, she moves her hand to stroke a finger gently across the arm of the damask sofa.

“Do you have children, Mrs Hargreeves.”

“Yes Ma’am. One daughter.”

Lady Danforth nodded contemplatively, “I have a daughter too. Married just over a year ago to a Baronet in England.”

You nod, smiling unsurely, “All the servants speak fondly of Miss Catherine.”

“Hm,” she said, tilting her head in order to look down her nose at you, “my daughter had a housekeeper. A widow, Mrs Fredericks. Or not a widow, as it turned out. She was dismissed recently. It was discovered that she was, in fact, still Miss Fredericks, although she had a grown son. Not only this, she had been stealing from her employer.”

“Oh.” you say, dumbly.

“Can you produce a marriage certificate, Mrs Hargreeves?”

Shit.

“No ma’am. My husband had it about him when he went missing.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, Mrs Hargreeves. How inconvenient for a woman in your position.”

“Yes,” you all but whisper.

“But surely church records are available?”

“Um…no.”

She tilts her head in mock confusion and you gabble out the latest twist in a long and convoluted series of lies.

“The church we were married in burned down. The marriage records were lost with it.”

“Another inconvenience,” she says, raising her eyebrows, enjoying the seconds she leaves you hanging, “very well, you may go.”

You waver for a second, “ma’am?”

“You may go.” she repeats.

It’s almost second nature to curtsey now as you leave the room.

You don’t fall asleep for a long time that night. Your family seems closer than ever tonight, just tantalizingly out of reach. Your complex, intelligent and determined little girl and your Russian nesting-doll of a husband. The adult with a septuagenarian within and, at the deepest level of his precious heart, a scared, neglected little boy.

Tag list: (please comment to be added or removed.) @dilfjohhny , @sunsunhe, @w4stedtr4sh, @nevbrooke-555, @theredvelvetbitch, @td-miley01, @five-hxrgreeves, @rorygi1more, @jamiebower88, @nevillescomslut

On to Chapter 6 >> Masterpost

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biblioklept-writes · 2 years

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Daydream

(Stargirl Part 2 Modern!Aemond x F!Reader)

A/N: Reader lives in India, but no specification of her family or her appearance is there except for her residence in Delhi and Indian food. Reposting because the tags didn't work

Summary: You are back home, but thank gods for the miracle of texting. Later, Aemond gets a little surprise from his professor.

Word Count: 2.6k (almost)

Series Masterlist | HOTD Masterlist

Two days had passed since that party, and you had packed up to leave for home. After an entire year of grilling, you were finally able to go back to see your family. You still hadn’t reached out to Aemond, though, figuring it would be best to wait until you return. Or if he wanted to speak with you, he had your number.

He hadn’t texted you either.

Although, you kept the napkin with his handwriting in your wallet, looking at it as you sat in waiting for the gates to open. You had called your mother to let her know that you had reached the airport on time, and yes there was still a good hour left before the boarding would start. She said to call her once you were boarded before she hung up.

Next you called your roommate, Casey, and Haelena to let them know that you had safely reached the airport.

It wasn’t until the next morning, when you were in the comfort of your bed in your home, that you received a text from Aemond.

Aemond Targaryen: Hello Y/N. I hope you had a comfortable journey. You: Hey, Aemond! I did, I am with my parents now. Aemond Targaryen: That’s good to know. Do you have any plans? You: To sleep away the jet lag and then meet my friends. Do you have any plans for the month-long break? Aemond Targaryen: Nothing much, just a bunch of family dinners and then I have to visit a historical site. You: Ohh, that sounds great. Where are you thinking of going? Aemond Targaryen: I haven’t decided yet. Open for any suggestions. You: Well… what are the places that you haven’t been to? Aemond Targaryen: I have been around Westeros, and seen whatever there is of Essos. I don’t feel like revisiting. You: I am glad I don’t have such ‘rich people problems’. Aemond Targaryen: Is that sarcasm that I detect? You: You tell me, Mister. You: Okay, my mom’s calling. Ttyl!

Later, you went to bed, tired of the jet lag. The next afternoon, as you were in the metro going to meet your friends, you texted him again.

You: Hello

Then you went to scroll through instagram, and found a new follow request: vhagaristhebest, and you smiled as you accepted the request and sent a request back. His profile picture held his side with the lilac eye and he looked down at his lovely doberman, Vhagar. He is dressed in a dark-grey sweatsuit from what you could make out, hair pushed back from his beautiful face. In your mutuals is shows haelenalovesbugs and heyjacaerys and you grin with your teeth despite yourself.

Your phone buzzes again and you check your messages, and you first text your friends that you are on your way and would be there in forty minutes.

Aemond Targaryen: Took you long enough to speak with your mom. You: I fell asleep. Why are you still awake vhagaristhebest? Aemond Targaryen: I was up reading, hotgirlslovetoread. What are you doing right now? You: I am going to meet with some of my friends. Currently in the metro You: sent a photo Aemond Targaryen: You look stunning, as usual. Is that the subway? You: Thank you, and yeah. Anyways, what book were you reading? Aemond Targaryen: Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy You: No way! I love that book. What else does your reading might entail, Mr. Targaryen? Please tell me you love fiction. Aemond Targaryen: I do, actually. And others, you know the basics - the Picture of Dorian Grey, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson yada yada. You: Percy Jackson is like holy scripture to me. Aemond Targaryen: I am a religious man then. What do you like to read, Miss? You: All sorts of things - mostly fantasy though. But I have read a few of the classics. Might I interest you in the Scarlet Pimpernel? Aemond Targaryen: Added to tbr. You: How chivalrous of you. Alright, I should let you off now. Go to bed and get some rest. I am sure you need your beauty sleep for that flawless skin and hair. Aemond Targaryen: Shh… Don’t go about spilling my secrets. Take care.

One of your friends entered the metro, and squealed as you hugged her. “King’s Landing seemed to have been kind to you,” she observed.

“And that is the biggest lie,” You said. “It’s all being-back-home. Man, I missed the food there. No one seems to get the paneer tikka right?!”

“Oh, the menace,” She sighed.

Half-way across the world, Aemond sat for dinner with his family, constantly checking his phone. Everyone was there: his father, mother, grandfather, step-sister, her husband, and their children. It was a mess, and he only found comfort with Haelena, Daeron and Aegon, as miserable as it was. He was quiet most of the time, keeping to himself like he normally did - only speaking to Haelena or Daeron or answering if he was asked something. He looked around the table once more, Aegon was busy stabbing his food and Haelena and Daeron conversed about something.

He looked at your profile picture for a long moment, admiring the way your hair looked as you faced away from the camera. He refreshed his feed once again, and saw that you had updated a story. With an excited heart, he opened it - finding you with your friends from back home. You were dressed in a green dress that reached a little above your knees and your hair was free of any confines. You looked so different from that night - you had been a temptress that night as you were now - but that night you were a storm, and today you were a gentle wind.

Aemond scrolled through the stories, screenshotting the one you had of yourself. The next picture was with a guy with his arm around you, and he looked at you with a soft smile on his face as you laughed at the camera. There was a sudden pang in his chest, but he ignored it. You wouldn’t have made the move on him if you had a boyfriend, would you?

He decided to reply to the story that you had of yourself. I know I said it already, but I’ll say it again - you look gorgeous, he sent, and put the phone down.

Daeron was applying for his subjects, more interested in Computer Science than finance like their mother wished to. Haelena told him that she had a lovely friend in the department and could speak to her regarding any queries that he had.

Jacaerys, who was seated across from them, looked up at Haelena’s mention of “my lovely friend,” and smiled. “Do you mean Y/N?”

“Oh yeah,” Haelena agreed. “She was a part of your project wasn’t she?”

“Yup,” Jace said, nodding dreamily. “She is so pretty – and of course talented too, she made all of us do the work, stayed up till 4 with us to integrate the Artificial Intelligence bit to the moving parts. Daeron, if you want any help for Computer Science, Y/N should be your favoured contact.”

“What did you say about Y/N?” Aegon asked, and Aemond internally groaned. He knew - 3, 2, 1 – there it was “I am sure Aemond knows a lot about her,” Aegon raised his glass as if for a toast, his brow raised and a smirk plastered on his face. “Don’t you brother? Or were you too busy eye-fucking each other to talk?”

“Aegon!” Their mother looked positively repulsed. “This is no manner of speaking for a man of your stature.”

“I am merely speaking the truth, mother,” Aegon said, shrugging. “Ask Aemond if it’s true or not. Don’t you find Y/N pretty?”

Aemond pursed his lips, glaring at his older brother. “Are you ashamed that she called you bad company?” he said, and their cousins snarked.

At that, the glare he received was full of spite, but Aegon seemed to have calmed down enough to sit back in his seat. He returned stabbing at his food, but Aemond was left to deal with a confused Haelena. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“Haelena, it’s nothing.” He attempted to placate her. “I’ve only seen her at the party, and we exchanged phone numbers. We have barely even talked.”

“Because you were too busy eye-fucking?” Daeron added with a laugh. Aemond rolled his eye, lightly smacking his little brother.

“Oh not you too.” Aemond sighed. “And even if I wanted to, I couldn’t. She’s gone back to India to see her family.”

Daeron elbowed him in the ribs, grinning like a fool. “Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Aemond.”

“Come on, don't you have anything better to do than bully me?” Aemond sighed.

“I do, but this is more fun,” Daeron said.

Aemond’s phone buzzed, as he checked the notification to see your message an involuntary smile graced his usually stoic features.

Meanwhile, your group chat with the girls was exploding with messages as you slept the night away in Delhi, exhausted after a day of enjoying with your old friends. You were surprised to wake up to over five hundred messages from the group chat, confused as to what could have happened. Did someone die?

Shaking that thought away, you first did your business in the bathroom and started brushing as you opened the chat. There had been so many tags to you, all of it screaming, “BITCH WHO WAS GONNA UPDATE??”

You spat out the toothpaste immediately as you saw Helaena’s text. She was very, very mad, furious.

Helaena (Sweetheart): YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING TO AEMOND AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME! TELL ME WHY I HAD TO FIND IT FROM AEGON OF ALL PEOPLE! (cussing emoji) NEITHER OF YOU DID! Roomie<3: BITCH Y/N WHAT THE FUCK- Helaena (Sweetheart): IFKR? YOU TELL HER, CASEY. I AM FURIOUS WITH YOU Y/N, YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY FROM THIS

Rinsing out the remaining toothpaste, you quickly gathered yourself and thought of the best response that you could give. Perhaps the truth would be just fine.

You: I literally bumped into him at that party and then we exchanged phone numbers and we started texting like yesterday calm down guys, I didn’t tell you because there was nothing to tell. Helaena (Sweetheart): Aegon said that he found you, and I quote, “eye-fucking”. You: Well, Aegon’s an idiot. I literally bumped into Aemond and I would have fallen down the stairs if he didn’t hold me.

Roomie <3: How does that lead to number exchange. AND THEN THIS? You: then what? Helaena (Sweetheart): sent a photo

You gasped and nearly dropped your phone as you saw the napkin with your phone number and the red lipstick stain that was most certainly yours.

You: I WAS DRUNK! AND HE DID IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY Helaena (Sweetheart): What did he do? You: He had written his number on a napkin and gave it to me, and my drunk self thought it was only fair to return the favour. Roomie <3: Spill. Everything. You: *sent a voice note*

The group chat fell silent for a long moment as they listened to you speak, and then the two of your friends started yelling at you through the messages. As you want to have your breakfast chila, you read their commentary, waiting for them to calm down enough to let this go.

Aemond Targaryen: You seem really fond of “The Love Hypothesis”, hotgirlslovetoread. Might I enquire, why? You: Read around and find out ;P

A gasp had left your mouth as you read his text, and now you stared at your risky response to it. I shouldn’t have done this, I shouldn’t have done this. You glared at it in horror, but it was too late and he had already seen the message. Have you gone too far? Stunning him into silence? What if he thinks you are weird and stops speaking to you altogether? Gods, why am I like this?

Helaena (Sweetheart): Tell us immediately if you get any message from Aemond. I would like to know what my little brother is up to these days. Roomie <3: You want to see if you raised him right? Helaena (Sweetheart): Fucking hell I do. Look at him acting all grown up and not telling me that he actually met Y/N. You: Well, we’re just talking about books and stuff. Heleana, you did raise him right with the manners, I must say. Helaena (Sweetheart): Well, I must have gone wrong somewhere with the both of you since both of you met each other and decided not to tell me. You: I was a busy woman this past couple days, if anyone deserves these taunts it’s Aemond, not me.

Helaena sits in front of Aemond Daeron, carefully watching the chess game her little brothers are playing. Aemond moves his black pawn diagonally, taking Daeron's white queen. "Checkmate," He says, face stoic as ever.

"How do you always manage to win?" Daeron sighs, stretching in his chair.

"You missed important observations," He explained. "When you play, all of your mind should be on the board, trying to figure out my next move instead of yours. If you get that fine, you'll win."

"Enough of chess now," Helaena said. "I want to go out with you guys now."

"We can go in half an hour, I just need to be on a short call with Professor Leyland," Aemond says, going to his laptop desk. "Shouldn't take more than 10 minutes,"

"Would it be a problem if we stay here?" Daeron asks, looking at him with big pleading eyes.

"It's fine," He turns to his laptop, putting a finger to his lips to tell them to stay quiet.

"Good afternoon, Professor Leyland." Aemond speaks.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Targaryen." the other voice says. "You said you wanted a new topic for your research, and I was thinking of assigning you Indian history. It's a vast topic and I am hoping that you wouldn't have issues with the travel expenses."

"I am grateful that you think I am capable of covering that topic," He politely smiled, ignoring the burn of the glares being sent his way by his siblings. "Of course, expenses are not an issue."

"Good then, you will cover your project works in the subjects with the same. Feel free to choose any city for your report work." The old voice said. "That’s it Mr. Targaryen, have a good day."

"Good day, Professor." Aemond said as he hung up.

"What was that?" Helaena asked as he closed his laptop, looking at his too still hands. "This is some sorcery that you are doing."

“It’s fate!” Daeron said, clapping his hands together in his little drama queen fashion. “This is a sign from the universe, mate!”

Aemond couldn’t stop the heat that flooded his cheeks, but he cleared his throat as Helaena and Daeron shared a look. “Didn’t we have to go out?” he said instead. “You know what, we should go to the mall. I want to get… a new chain.”

“Sure,” Helaena commented, and Daeron snickered. “I will speak with Y/N,”

“Thank you,” Aemond said, straightening his straight sweater sleeve.

Tags:

@depressedperson88

#aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen #hotd #helaena targaryen #aemond imagine #aemond x you

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richincolor · 1 year

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We have seven new books to share with you this week. It's a great way to wrap up the month. Which ones are on your TBR list?

The Melancholy of Summer by Louisa Onomé Feiwel Friends

Doesn’t she see? I can do this on my own.

Summer Uzoma is fine. Sure, her parents went on the run after they were accused of committing a crime, leaving her behind. Sure, she’s been alternating stays with her friends’ families. Sure, she sometimes still secretly visits her old home. And sure, she has trouble talking about any of this. But she’s fine. She has her skateboard and her bus pass. She just has to turn eighteen in a few weeks and then she’ll really and truly be free.

So it’s extra annoying when a nosy social worker gets involved. Summer doesn’t expect any relative to be able to take her in, so she’s very surprised to hear that she’ll now be living with her cousin Olu—someone she hasn’t seen in years, who’s a famous singer in Japan last she heard, and who’s not much older than Summer.

Life with Olu is awkward for many reasons—not least of all because Olu has her own drama to deal with. But with her cousin and friends’ efforts, maybe Summer can learn to trust people enough to let them in again? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Rhythm & Muse by India Hill Brown Quill Tree Books

Darren Johnson lives in his head. There, he can pine for his crush–total dream girl, Delia Dawson–in peace, away from the unsolicited opinions of his talkative family and showboat friends. When Delia announces a theme song contest for her popular podcast, Dillie D in the Place to Be, Darren’s friends–convinced he’ll never make a move–submit one of his secret side projects for consideration.

After the anonymous romantic verse catches Dillie’s ear, she sets out to uncover the mystery singer behind the track. Now Darren must decide: Is he ready to step out of the shadows and take the lead in his own life? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

You Bet Your Heart by Danielle Parker Joy Revolution

A riveting, swoon-worthy teen romance centered on two high achievers fighting for the title of high school valedictorian and falling in love along the way, from debut author Danielle Parker.

Sasha Johnson-Sun might not know everything—like how to fully heal after her dad’s passing or how many more Saturdays her mom can spend cleaning houses. But the one thing Sasha is certain of? She will graduate this year as Skyline High’s class valedictorian.

At least, she was sure before the principal calls Sasha and her cute, effortlessly gifted ex–best friend, Ezra Davis-Goldberg, into his office to deliver earth-shattering they’re tied for valedictorian and the scholarship attached…

This outcome can’t be left to chance. So, Sasha and Ezra agree on a best-of-three, winner-take-all academic bet. As they go head-to-head, they are forced not only to reexamine why they drifted apart but also to figure out who they’ve become since. With her future hanging in the balance, Sasha must honor her family’s sacrifices by winning (at all costs) or give her heart a shot at finding happiness? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon Razorbill

Sixteen-year-old Bethany Greene, though confident and self-assured, is what they call a late-bloomer. She’s never had a boyfriend, date, or first kiss. She’s determined to change that but after her crush turns her down cold for Homecoming–declaring her too inexperienced–and all her back-up ideas fall through, she cautiously agrees to go with her best friend’s boyfriend Jacob. A platonic date is better than no date, right? Until Saylor breaks up with said boyfriend.

Dumped twice in just two months, Jacob Yeun wonders if he’s the problem. After years hiding behind his camera and a shocking summer glow up, he wasn’t quite ready for all the attention or to be someone’s boyfriend. There are no guides for his particular circumstances, or for taking your ex’s best friend to the dance.

Why not make the best of an awkward situation? Bethany and Jacob decide to fake date for practice, building their confidence in matters of the heart.

And it works–guys are finally noticing Bethany. But things get complicated as their kissing sessions–for research of course!–start to feel real. This arrangement was supposed to help them in dating other people, but what if their perfect match is right in front of them? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

When the Vibe is Right by Sarah Dass Balzer & Bray

There are two things Tess Crawford knows for sure:

• She’s destined to be a great Trinidadian Carnival costume designer like her renowned uncle, Russell Messina, and will one day inherit leadership of the family’s masquerade band, Grandeur. • Her classmate, the popular social media influencer, Brandon Richards, is the bane of her existence. Everything about him irks her, from his annoying nickname for Tess (Boop) to his association with David, her awful ex.

But when the future of Grandeur nears the brink of collapse in the face of band rivalry, Tess finds to her chagrin that she must team up with Brandon in a desperate attempt to revive the company.

As Tess and Brandon spend more time together, Tess begins to wonder if everything she thought she knew might not be so certain after all. . . .

Set in lush, gorgeous Trinidad, this is a novel about finding love in the most unexpected places. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Moonlit Vine by Elizabeth Santiago Tu Books

Fourteen-year-old Taína just learned that she is a descendant of a long line of strong Taíno women, but will knowing this help her bring peace and justice to her family and community?

Despite her name, Taína Perez doesn’t know anything about her Taíno heritage, nor has she ever tried to learn. After all, how would ancient Puerto Rican history help with everything going on? There’s constant trouble at school and in her neighborhood, her older brother was kicked out of the house, and with her mom at work, she’s left alone to care for her little brother and aging grandmother. It’s a lot for a 14-year-old to manage.

But life takes a wild turn when her abuela tells her she is a direct descendant of Anacaona, the beloved Taíno leader, warrior, and poet, who was murdered by the Spanish in 1503. Abuela also gives her an amulet and a zemi and says that it’s time for her to step into her power like the women who came before her. But is that even possible? People like her hardly make it out of their circumstances, and the problems in her home and community are way bigger than Taína can manage. Or are they?

A modern tale with interstitial historical chapters, The Moonlit Vine brings readers a powerful story of the collective struggle, hope, and liberation of Puerto Rican and Taíno peoples.

Also available in Spanish! — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Books of Clash Volume 1: Legendary Legends of Legendarious Achievery by Gene Luen Yang illustrated by Les McClaine and Alison Acton First Second

Based on Clash of Clans and Clash Royale and penned by superstar graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, this first volume of this action-packed eight-volume series brings the characters from everyone’s favorite mobile gaming sensation to life!

SEE! The illustrated exploits of one young Hog Rider and his trusted companion in an unpredictable tale of fantasy and adventure!

READ! Their journey from no-good warriors on the battlefield to true heroes of the Royal Arena!

BATTLE! When danger strikes the village of JazzyPickles and its colorful cast of characters in this heartwarming and hilarious graphic novel based on two of the world’s most popular video games.

In this epic new series set in the world of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale , experience a laugh-out-loud tale of friendship and fun! –– Cover image and summary via Goodreads

#the melancholy of summer #rhythm and muse #you bet your heart #her good side #when the vibe is right #the moonlit vine #the books of clash #new releases

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kavyaindiatours · 3 months

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Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour by Car by Kavya India Tours Company.

Kavya India Tours Company's Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour by Car

Overview of the Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour by Car Take a unique tour with Kavya India Tours Company to witness the Taj Mahal's unrivaled grandeur bathed in the golden hues of sunrise. Combining the tranquility of daybreak with the majesty of one of the most famous monuments in the world, this one-day trip from Delhi to Agra and back promises to be an experience never to forget.

Why Go on a Taj Mahal Tour at Sunrise? A new viewpoint can be obtained by seeing the Taj Mahal at dawn. An attractive scene that is less congested and more peaceful than other times of day is created by the early morning light enhancing the marble's inherent brilliance.

Reasons for Selecting Kavya India Tours Company? Learn why the best option for this fascinating tour is Kavya India Tours Company.

Verified Knowledge Kavya India Tours Company has been in the travel business for many years and is renowned for providing exceptional service and dependability.

Individualized Service Personalized travel experiences are available with knowledgeable experts who offer in-depth explanations of the significance and history of the Taj Mahal and other sites.

Relaxed Journey A smooth and enjoyable trip is guaranteed when you travel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle driven by a professional.

The Sunrise Car Tour of the Taj Mahal itinerary A thorough look at your one-day adventure's schedule is provided here.

Early Morning: Departure from Delhi between 3 and 3:30 in the morning

Get-Up: Your driver will come to your Delhi hotel or place of residence to pick you up. Make your way to Agra in comfort in a chauffeur-driven, air-conditioned vehicle. First thing in the morning: Arrival at Agra At six in the morning:

Arrival in Agra: Get to Agra in time to see the magnificent Taj Mahal at daybreak. In the morning: The Taj Mahal Visit between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m.

Experience the tranquil beauty of the Taj Mahal at sunrise, when the monument is first illuminated by the rays of dawn. Take pleasure in a guided tour that explores the UNESCO World Heritage Site's history, architecture, and love tale. In the morning: Agra Fort and breakfast. 8:30 A.M. until 9:30 A.M.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at a nearby eatery that comes highly recommended. The magnificent Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open for exploration from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Admire the exquisite features and breathtaking architecture while learning about its historical significance. Midmorning: Accompanying the Baby Taj, Itimad-ud-Daulah

Visit the stunning tomb known as Itimad-ud-Daulah, sometimes called the "Baby Taj." Rigorous inlay work and tranquil gardens characterize this smaller but no less remarkable structure. Breakfast and leisure in the early afternoon From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Lunch: Savor a delicious meal of real Mughlai food at a nearby eatery. Retrace your route to Delhi in the afternoon. 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM:

Retire in style in your private vehicle as you head back to Delhi following an amazing day in Agra. Evening: 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM arrival in Delhi:

Drop-Off at Your Location: Your driver will end an amazing trip by dropping you off at your hotel or place of abode. The Sunrise Car Tour of the Taj Mahal's Highlights Examine the main sights and activities that are part of this trip.

The Taj Mahal at Dawn Unforgettable Views: Take in the peaceful, stunning scene as the Taj Mahal is illuminated by the warm light of morning. Examination of the Past UNESCO World Heritage Site Agra Fort: Learn about its magnificent architecture and rich history. Cultural Understanding Explore Itimad-ud-Daulah, a stunning but lesser-known monument, to witness the amazing craftsmanship. regional food Genuine Dinners: Experience a culinary adventure by indulging in mouthwatering regional fare at eateries that come highly recommended. Some Advice for an Unforgettable Taj Mahal Tour at Dawn Use these useful ideas to make the most of your travels.

Put on cozy clothes Put on walking- and exploration-appropriate footwear and cozy apparel.

Remain Hydrated To stay hydrated, especially in the warmer months, always have a water bottle with you.

Remember to Bring Your Camera Take use of a camera or smartphone to record the breathtaking scenery and special moments during your journey.

Consider the weather. Certain seasons make early mornings chilly, so check the weather forecast and make plans appropriately.

To sum up History, culture, and scenic beauty are all perfectly melded together on the Kavya India Tours Company's Sunrise Taj Mahal Tour by Car. This trip offers a remarkable and enriching experience in a single day, from the peaceful sight of the Taj Mahal at sunrise to discovering the rich history of Agra.

FAQ No. 1: How long is the car tour of the Taj Mahal in the morning? Leaving early in the morning and finishing in the evening, the tour lasts roughly 12 to 14 hours.

2. What is covered by the Car Tour of the Taj Mahal at Dawn? Along with breakfast and lunch, the tour includes expert driving, private vehicle transportation, and guided tours of the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Itimad-ud-Daulah.

3. Can families go on this tour? The tour is appropriate for all ages and is family-friendly.

Can I alter the schedule for the tour? Certainly, you are able to modify the tour schedule to fit your tastes and hobby. For further information, speak with Kavya India Tours Company.

What should I bring for the tour, if anything? Sturdy shoes, a hat, sunscreen, comfortable clothing, a camera, and any other personal goods you might need.

Also Read :-

Sky vs Fever: An Exciting WNBA Showdown

Overview One of the most anticipated games of the WNBA season is the matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever. Through exciting performances and fierce competition, this rivalry has gotten stronger over time, enthralling viewers. Gaining knowledge of this matchup’s dynamics can help you understand the WNBA as a whole.

Backgrounds of Teams The Chicago Sky’s past Since its founding in 2006, the Chicago Sky has grown to be a dominant force in the WNBA. The Sky, who are renowned for their explosive playmaking and unwavering team spirit, won their first WNBA title in 2021, which was a huge turning point in the franchise’s history.

The Indiana Fever’s past One of the league’s founding teams is the Indiana Fever, which was established in 2000. The group’s illustrious past was enhanced by their 2012 WNBA championship victory. The Fever have a reputation for being resilient and fiercely competitive.

Seasonal Outcome Chicago Sky’s Performance for the Current Season This season, the Chicago Sky have performed well, continuing their title heritage. They have shown both offensive and defensive strength, maintaining a strong standings position with a well-balanced roster and smart play.

Current Indiana Fever Season Performance The Indiana Fever have put forth a lot of effort to get up the standings despite a difficult season. The team’s youthful skill and seasoned leadership have combined to produce strong performances despite some setbacks, maintaining their hopes of making the playoffs.

Important Players to Keep an Eye on Prominent Individuals on the Chicago Sky Kahleah Copper: A regular player for the Sky, Copper is renowned for her athleticism and scoring prowess. Candace Parker: The seasoned forward is a vital component at key junctures because of her leadership, talent, and experience. Star Players for the Fever in Indiana Kelsey Mitchell: A brilliant guard, Mitchell is a vital offensive weapon thanks to her shooting and playmaking skills. NaLyssa Smith: Smith is a bright young forward who has made a big difference on both sides of the floor with her enthusiasm and ability. Head-to-Head Associations Past Meetings and Outcomes The Sky and the Fever have played close, competitive games in their recent meetings. Although the Sky have always had the advantage, the Fever have managed some noteworthy wins that have maintained the rivalry’s ferocity.

Treasured Memories from Previous Games Buzzer-beating shots, thrilling overtime ends, and exceptional individual performances that have kept spectators on the edge of their seats are just a few of the memorable moments. These games frequently have dramatic turns and hefty stakes.

Chicago Game Strategy Sky’s Strengths and Playing Style The Sky are renowned for their quick offense, accurate outside shooting, and stout defense. They have a big bench that enables a variety of flexible tactics, and they thrive at transition play.

The Strengths and Playing Style of Indiana Fever The Fever prioritize a forceful offensive approach together with aggressive defense. Their tactics frequently center on managing the game’s tempo and using their physicality to gain the upper hand in paint.

Impact of the Chicago on Coaching Staff Sky’s Methods of Coaching The Sky, led by coach James Wade, have become a cohesive one that emphasizes adaptability and collaboration. Wade’s strategic thinking and flexibility in the middle of the game are essential to the Sky’s victory.

The Indiana Fever’s coaching strategies and their impact Defense resiliency and player development have been prioritized by coach Marianne Stanley. Her expertise and tactical understanding have been invaluable in helping the squad overcome obstacles and realize its full potential.

Fan Interaction How Chicago Sky Support is Maintained by Fans Chicago Sky supporters are renowned for their fervent and boisterous cheers. Because of the team’s success, there is a large fan base that attends home games and fills the stadium, creating an exciting environment.

How Indiana Fever Supporters Participate The supporters of the Indiana Fever are devoted and consistent, sticking by the team through good times and bad. The boisterous shouts and large attendance at Fever games are clear indicators of their enthusiasm and sense of community.

Venue and Ambience Chicago Sky’s Home Court Advantage The Sky’s home court, Wintrust Arena, provides a big home court advantage with its vibrant spectators and state-of-the-art amenities. The team performs better and feels more confident in the familiar surroundings.

#Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour by Car

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annachum · 3 months

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Edwina Sharma back in India

So since it's confirmed that Edwina and her mom did go back to India in Bridgerton S3, here are several of my HCs of what happened after that

. After returning to Bombay , Lady Sharma pulled some strings for Edwina to become a new lady in waiting of Empress Lai Bal, the 3rd chief Consort of Emperor Akbar II of the Mughals

. Edwina was thus sent to Agra to live with her relatives there, all the while getting herself accustomed to the luxurious Mughal Imperial Court

. She also came to meet Akbar II's numerous wives and many children. One of them was Khorshed V, one of the Princes of the Mughals

. Throughout her time in Agra, she takes cues on how to navigate the unpredictable waters of the Mughal Imperial Court, made powerful allies in Agra, and also connecting with her relatives.

. She became gradually closer with Khorshed V, who is a foil and parallel to Anthony Bridgerton. He is a handsome Prince with caramel skin, big caramel brown eyes, thick eyebrows closely knitted together, curly dark reddish brown hair, and a buff physique. He is brave and valiant, yet somewhat arrogant and somewhat spoiled ( especially at first )

. Edwina gave the Prince a window to what a simpler life is like

. The two came to bond over a shared love of poetry and diplomacy, and began courting.

. The House Sharma is one of the Hindu clans in the Mughal Empire, so the eventual marriage of Edwina and Khorshed V is one of the several Hindu - Islamic marriages in the Mughal Empire

. They got engaged in a lavish engagement dinner in that spring ( aka the same year Colin and Penelope got married ), with their relatives in tow at witness.

. The Mughal Royals didn't know much about the heartbreak drama in London then. Edwina's inner circle in India knew, they kept it hush hush about it in the wider public, because in Ancient India, a failed engagement/wedding/marriage can literally risk civil wars between clans.

. Sometime after they got engaged, Khorshed V one evening visited Edwina in her engagement boudoir and asks her about the gossips he heard of Edwina in London. He never blamed her for what happened in London- He just wanted to know the truth

. And Edwina just broke down in sobs and told Khorshed V EVERYTHING. And they tried their damn best to comfort each other and reassure their love for each other

. Next day after thar, Khorshed V's Mughal relatives in tow have a literal argument of that London disaster, and Khorshed V stands up to his relatives that he will marry her and that what happened to her in Londo isn't her fault in the first place.

. Both decided on a monogamous marriage btw

. A few weeks after Colin and Penelope's wedding, the Bridgertons in tow are all invited to attend the Royal wedding of Edwina Sharma and Khorshed V.

. The trip to India is such an eye opening experience to the Bridgertons. They came to find out more of the cultural differences between India and England, got themselves accustomed to sitting on cushioned floors, and also visited Kate's lovely childhood mansion in Bombay before going to Agra.

. Well, Khorshed V and his Mughal relatives didn't trust Anthony at first ( cuz of the whole drama in Bridgerton Season 2 ). But with some help from the Sharma sisters, Khorshed V and Anthony came to vibe with each other as friends/allies, and the Mughal Royals in tow came to trust Anthony more

. At that point, Edwina also has access to the Mughal Imperial harem, and she moved into Khorshed V's lavish private apartment

. The wedding day is a grand occasion. Thousands flocked to get a glimpse at the new Princess of the Mughals, and the happy Royal couple got married in lavish wedding Mughal attires of red and gold. And everyone had a blast at the wedding day

. Going from debutante to Princess has got Edwina to grow so much as a person. She went from a more naive debutante to a wiser regal Princess who is respected by many

#edwina x oc #edwina sharma #historical fiction #bridgerton #mughal royalty #the Bridgertons #the sharmas

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altneuland · 1 year

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Ancient Lovers

Now that I showed you Kingdom / empire of Israel.. I can show you finally THIS SHIP and THIS art that I'm so so proud of...

so buckle up for the wildest ride...

Israel x Ethiopia lore!! Shortly explained, but it’s still long sorry

My interest in this ship has started way back, actually since high school, when we did a work about king Solomon and Queen of Sheba. I’ve learned so much new information that it kept me intrigued about it, and slowly getting more and more information to the point I just knew I’m gonna do it lol.

Now, Israel and Ethiopia case is a special one, because unlike many nations, both Ethiopia and Israel mention in their scripts and culture each other, specifically the Queen of Sheba and king of Israel affair. And both of them are really proud of it, of course biased (and you’ll see how biased it’s gonna get lol), but good biased. It is not dropping-the-other-low kind of biased.

Okay, let’s see where it all started.

Idk the dates (I’m bad with dates and usually don’t agree with them bc long story) but long time ago, there was the kingdom of Israel, ruled by Solomon at that time. Now, let me give you the setting. Israel at that point thrived, and people all around the east from china to Ethiopia heard of Daniel. Of course, some nations couldn’t care less but heard is enough for some to be considered as success lol.

Now, everyone I mentioned here “used” Daniel’s wisdom at some point; Egypt made Israel her best ally, Assyria made Israel his soldier (for a short period of time but he did), and Ethiopia… no spoilers yet. BUT YOU WILL LOVE THEY WAY SHE USED IT.

(Side note; this is also huge evidence that israel was always considered the smart nation around. I believe there was smarter nations but you know, it’s like more of the personality. Omg I sound so arrogant rn but let me cook).

And of course, people talk. And glorify things. Tigist already knew Daniel, but when the story of a Rhino reached her ear it was already a unicorn. Daniel was described as the smartest man alive, most rich, sexiest guy alive and what not lol. Tigist already fell in love before seeing. She thought she must see if it’s true. It was too good to be true to her ears. And, if it’s true; why can’t she have some of that to herself??

She packed the best gems and camels she has (and a lot of them) and headed Jerusalem.

She saw the most beautiful buildings and temple and what not, she tested Dani’s wisdom. And it all came up as true. She said the famous quote; “it is all 1000x better than the stories about you”.

Daniel knew nations don’t come to visit him just to visit him; he asked her. “Ma’am, what is your wish?”

Now, before I continue the story, let me tell you. Daniel was WEAK for her. Damn she was pretty. And hawt. He was ready to give her things she wanted. He assumed; permit to free pass through his place to India. Makes sense? He gave that to her. Why not. She was happy with that.

But here the thing!!! She wanted HIS SPERM. she wanted his dna. She wanted to have s3x with him so she could have some of this!! And I am not making that up!!! Both Israeli and Ethiopian scripts confirm that, and.. apparently it wasn’t just once !!

In the Ethiopian culture, there’s a whole bloodline of jews, apparently they have their own status because according to their belief, since they are around the Ethiopian culture could thrive !

Many many years later…

The story of Jews in Ethiopia is for another post, but when they came back to Israel Sudan was about to accuse Daniel of kidnapping Ethiopian people. But, before it was “confirmed”, Daniel went to Tigist and gave her everything she wanted!! Education, free tech, literally anything that a first world country can give to a third world country enough to thrive, at least a little more!! He gave her FOR FREE some of his inventions that later made Israel world leader in it, when it comes to water and water tech. He gave her leading tech on agriculture which israel is also leading in! He gave her free schools and to this day Israelis go and volunteer in Ethiopian schools! He didn't wanna feel guilty much for doing stuff under Ethiopian gov you know so he did what I feel like a bribe but you know idm he brought some jews home and the Ethiopia got a lot of good stuff so what can I saaay

Now, as not true as it might seem, Daniel sees Tigits as a poor lady who is in a constant need of charity. Tigist doesn’t seem to mind much tbh? She appreciates the help. She’s one of the only African countries who wants Israel part of Africa culturally ! and constantly asking about Daniel when he’s absent lol… she’s still hot for his ass I can tell u that

I think their relationship nowadays is mostly beneficial… both not seems to be bothered my that… let Dani do the do without feelings.. which is totally against his morals but lets not get into that shall we

Fun fact: in eilat there’s two hotels one next to another, Queen of Sheba and king Solomon, as a tribute to them

btw,

Tigist belong to me, too

#country oc #hws #hws oc #hws israel #hws ethiopia #aph Israel #aph ethiopia #hetalia oc #hetalia israel #hetalia ethiopia #my art #aph oc #country personification

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imperfectorange · 2 years

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Diwali: Pan-Indian in its Truest Sense!

One of the biggest festivals in India, Diwali knows no foundation of the North and South as it is celebrated with great zeal across the country. Diwali falls on the 15th day in the month of Kartik according to the Hindu calendar. Celebrated as a cumulation of various festivals spread over a period of five days, the rituals of Diwali take place on the third day.

The first day of the festivities is celebrated as Dhanteras. It is believed that on this day Lord Dhanwantari came out of the ocean and bestowed Ayurveda to mankind. The second day is celebrated as Choti Diwali/Narak Chaturdasi, the day when Lord Krishna killed the demon Narakasur. On the third day, Diwali rituals are fulfilled and Lakshmi Puja takes place. The puja is done to seek blessings for wealth and prosperity. The fourth day is celebrated as Govardhan puja, attributed to Lord Krishna. The fifth day is dedicated to all sisters as it is Bhai Dooj. It is believed that Lord Yama visited his sister Yamuna on this day and granted her a boon that whosoever visits her banks on this day will be liberated from all of their sins.

The legend behind the culmination of the festival is well-known in the entire region of India. Diwali is associated with the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after vanquishing the demon king, Raavan. It is said that the entire city of Ayodhya was lit up with candles and diyas, so much so that the night appeared to be as bright as day. The tradition of lighting diyas roots in the same legend. The festival is also associated with Goddess Lakshmi’s marriage to Lord Vishnu and also Lakshmi’s birth. Diwali also signifies the harvest festival. As it occurs at the end of a cropping season, it is also believed that Diwali originated as a harvest festival. Following the same notion, many households in urban and rural areas prepare the dish of Poha from freshly cropped rice.

Although the zest of Diwali is unsurmountable and is perhaps one of the most awaited festivals in the country, the rituals differ from region to region. While gurudwaras in Punjab are lit up with candles and fairy lights even though Sikhs are not directly a part of this festival, Goddess Kali is worshipped in Bengal. In Eastern India, in addition to diya and candle lighting, doors are kept open by people to allow entry to Goddess Lakshmi. Western Indian regions mainly associate Diwali with business and trade and the time is considered auspicious to invest in new ventures, land and businesses. In Gujarat, a diya is left burning for the entire night and in the morning the residual material is collected to make kajal and is used by women, which signifies prosperity for a whole year. In Tamil Nadu, Naraka Chaturdasi is the main day of celebration, where the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, and religious symbols are drawn on it, filled with water, and used on the main day for an oil bath. There is a musical act of Hari performed in Andhra Pradesh where there is a common belief that Krishna’s spouse, Satyabhama actually killed Narakasur.

The varied interpretation of the same festival across different states provides a detailed insight into the diversity contained in India. People from different regions, communities, religions, and classes celebrate this festival to the best of their abilities is further proof that Diwali is not restricted to one section of society. The handicraft market booms around this time as diyas, decorative items, and firecrackers (although hazardous) sell like hotcakes, providing employment and some financial stability to the families involved in the same.

- Ananya.

#diwali #indian culture #india #indian #indian dark academia #desi dark academia #indian festival #deepavali #deepawali #indian aesthetic #dark academia #aesthetic #desi #celebration

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sunblonderealtors · 4 months

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Mumbai is a epicenter of real estate properties in India, categorized in top pricing and also in top listing. Blessed by nature, Mumbai has an immersive sea coast of 149 km and approximately 16 km of beaches. From the above facts, we know how precious the land it is. From the month of June, it's the arrival time for monsoon in Mumbai and its suburbs to refresh these area to green & aesthetic colors. Mumbai's monsoon typically begins in early June and lasts until late September. The heaviest rainfall usually occurs in July, which can account for a significant portion of the total annual rainfall and water supply to Mumbai's ground.

Prime Locations For Mumbai Monsoon Lovers

Marine Drive Famous as the Queen's Necklace, the vast circular coastline of Marine Drive is also renowned for its rainy season activities. The immersive view of high tides and waves of the Arabian Sea in the monsoon months is noted as a must-watch once in a lifetime. Properties in this area are popular for offering these beautiful views.

Bandstand & Carter Road, Bandra Bandra is a place of heritage in terms of its beaches and retro Indian-style coastlines, which are preserved and well-maintained to this date. Most of the crowd is seen here during the rain season. An ideal walk in the rains, with the Arabian Sea along with most restaurants, cafes on the side, and top lifestyle amenities provide comfort with views of Juhu Beach. Property in this area has seen a value appreciation of 2x in the last 5 years due to the best natural view of monsoon and beaches.

Powai & Vihar Lake An excellent place to visit in Mumbai during the monsoon for a quiet walk in the rains. Here's a catch: Mumbai's most famous township, Hiranandani Gardens, is situated in the same location. Most of the residents enjoy Powai Lake and its surroundings. Fun fact: This township has many gardens and private hill areas to explore lush greenery during the rainy season. Many small to medium waterfalls at Vihar Lake can be found at the arrival of monsoon.

Worli Sea-Face & New Atal Setu at Sewri Framed by the stunning Haji Ali Dargah, Worli Fort, and Bandra-Worli Sea Link, this area is known for high tides that thrill any visitor and also residents who have lived here for a long time. The monsoon season brings fewer visitors, making it a perfect place in Mumbai for those seeking solitude. The Sea Link, beautifully lit at night, also offers a delightful drive. The property in this area is most attractive for Worli Sea Link connectivity and its monsoon and off-season beauty. The new Atal Setu (Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbour Link Road) is a new attraction in Mumbai. From the nearby locations of Wadala, Sion, and Sewri, people are attracted to this massive build on the sea surface to get views of Elephanta Caves and high tides during the rainy season.

Natural Resilience

Rich Greener The monsoon renovates Mumbai's parks and green spaces, such as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the city's numerous gardens.

Cultural Importance Monsoons are an integral part of Mumbai's cultural landscape, influencing local festivals and lifestyle.

Infrastructure Challenges

Drainage System: Mumbai's aging drainage system struggles to cope with the heavy downpours, leading to frequent waterlogging.

Urban Planning: Rapid urbanization and inadequate infrastructure development exacerbate the impact of heavy rains.

#mumbai rain #mumbai monsoon #mumbai properties #mumbai homes #mumbai real estate development #sunblonderealty #realestateprojects #propertyfinder #luxuryliving

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wheels-of-despair · 7 months

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Worth It Guide: There's Something About Mary | Series Masterlist

(Related excerpts from Worth It under the cut, in case anyone needs a refresher on The Mary Lore.)

You returned to the park every day.

You'd told your mother you were meeting your new friend Mary Lennox, who had just left her palace in India behind for a mansion in London. She was a strange and lonely girl, who knew nothing of city life, so you'd volunteered to be her guide. Mary was very shy, and only comfortable with you for now, but you promised you would bring her home with you eventually. And perhaps your mother would receive an invitation to tea with Mary's exceedingly rich parents one day.

Except there was no Mary Lennox. There was only Ralph Penbury. Mary was the protagonist in The Secret Garden. You had once asked your mother to read it with you, back when you wanted to be close to her, but she never did. The only things your mother ever read were newsletters from her ladies' groups. How boring that must be.

You dared only spend a few hours with him a day, but you treasured every second of your visits. You'd meet at your secret bench at noon, share a picnic lunch packed by his kitchen staff, and discuss everything from books, to philosophy, to what the world might look like in a hundred years.

Your parents had noticed an improvement in your general demeanor since the Valentine's Day dance, but attributed it to your new friend Mary. You'd never had a friend that close before, always holding everyone at an arm's length. They need not know that your arms were actually wrapped tightly around Ralph Penbury.

-My Good Friend Mary (Chapter 3)

You crumple the paper and lift the lid off your box. Inside is a large book about India.

You look at Ralph in confusion. "Open it!" he says eagerly.

You crack open the front cover. Inside is a message, in a woman's handwriting. Leaning closer, you read:

To My Newest and Dearest Friend,

Now you can see the places I tell you about in all my stories!

Thank you for being so kind and welcoming to me as I adjust to my new home. I could not do it without you.

Love, Your Good Friend Mary

"I thought it would help sell the story of Mary Lennox to your mother," he explains.

"Indeed it will," you laugh.

-My Good Friend Mary (Chapter 3

"Your mother seems to think you've been sneaking around with the Penbury boy."

You can neither confirm nor deny, so you stare at the floor.

"Is that the one you kissed at the dance?"

"Yes."

"Is he also a friend of Mary Lennox?"

You stiffen, and your father... laughs at you?

"You were obsessed with that book for a year. Did you forget that summer I helped you plant your own little garden out back?"

You're such an idiot. The other side of your face turns a shade of crimson to rival the slapped side.

"You didn't say anything."

"You were leaving the house willingly and coming home happy. I thought it best not to question miracles." You lean forward and bury your burning face in your hands.

He chuckles at your shame. "Tell me about the boy."

-Questioning Miracles (Chapter 11)

"Why are you suddenly interested in attending a pajama party?"

"Because Victoria is going to be my sister-in-law, and I barely know her or her friends."

Your mother takes a bite and chews thoughtfully for a moment.

"Is Mary going?"

You nearly choke. How long had it been since anyone mentioned Mary? You assumed she'd figured it out ages ago. Your father lowers his newspaper just enough to show you that he's watching you with amusement, and will be saying nothing to help you. You stall with a sip of juice and concoct a quick story.

"Mary has returned to India."

"Oh? When did this happen?"

"Not very long ago. She was lured back for a friend's wedding, and decided that she couldn't bear to return to dreary old England."

"And what do her parents have to say about this?"

"They understand. She's much happier there."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear it. It took you ages to finally find a suitable friend, and now she's abandoned you."

"Will Ralph be at this party you're going to?" your father graciously cuts in before you're forced to continue making up stories about your fake friend Mary.

"Probably. But I was told that Victoria's party is just for her girlfriends. I wouldn't put it past her to lock him in the attic for the night."

This was not a lie. Lying to your mother was no problem. But your father, with his eyes narrowed over the top of his newspaper, had you on the verge of breaking a sweat.

-Victoria and I Are Having a Party (Chapter 16)

And don't forget about Our Sweet Baby Mary!

#writings of despair #ralph is worth it #ralph penbury #ralph penbury x you #ralph penbury x reader #ralph timewasters #ralph timewasters x reader

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radical-revolution · 1 year

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More by Accident than Design

Today, we know that Buddha was born in the Himalayas in present-day Nepal, then spent his life wandering through the region of northern India that lies to the south of Nepal. Yet, three hundred years ago, after seven hundred years of Muslim rule, India had all but forgotten about the Buddha. Until, that is, a few eccentric British colonizers and tea estate managers fell under India’s spell and became fascinated by its native languages and culture.

In the course of their Sanskrit studies, they stumbled across the teachings of the Buddha. A British Army officer called Alexander Cunningham famously rediscovered Bodhgaya. Thanks to him, we can now visit the exact spot of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Throughout the nineteenth century, European interest in the Buddha grew as reports of new discoveries in India became available. The first general historical account of Indian Buddhism, Introduction à l’histoire du Bouddhisme indien, was published in 1844 by French scholar Eugène Burnouf.

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer famously described Buddhism as the “best of all possible religions” and even Friedrich Nietzsche became interested in Buddhism, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, wrote:

I have visited the holy places of Buddhism in India and was profoundly impressed by them, quite apart from my reading of Buddhist literature. If I were an Indian, I would definitely be a Buddhist. But in the West, we have different presuppositions.

Migration also played a major part in the spread of Buddhism throughout the nineteenth century. In the 1840s, Chinese Buddhists began emigrating to America; in the 1870s they were the first to take Buddhism to Australia. In the 1950s, Vietnamese refugees fled to America where they set up the first Buddhist institutions in the West.

By the time the Tibetans were relocating to India in the 1960s, Buddhism had begun to attract a great deal of attention, thanks in no small part to the hippies, the ‘hippy trail’, weed (ganj), the Beat Generation, the Beatles, transcendental meditation and the Vietnam war.

For centuries, Christian missionaries travelled to the East to spread the gospel and convert the natives. Asians have therefore never had to seek out the Christian teachings. For westerners it was the other way around. I have heard some very touching stories about the higgledy-piggledy routes Buddhism took to the UK, America and Europe – especially about the hippies who followed The Beatles to India, accidentally bumped into Buddhism, tuned into transcendental meditation and took up yoga. But few of those who took an interest in Buddhism at that time were specifically seeking enlightenment and so they did almost no research or fact-checking. All of which made Buddhadharma’s centuries-long journey to the West haphazard, at best.

Yet, in spite of its chaotic introduction, the results of having the Buddhist teachings in Europe, America and Australia have generally been good. The only real drawback is that quite a number of new Buddhists have been left with some quite hard-to-shake misconceptions and deeply rooted habitual patterns.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse

Poison is Medicine - Clarifying the Vajrayana

Siddhartha’s Intent

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outsourcebigdata · 7 months

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#data extraction services #web crawling services

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pattie-remembers · 2 years

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Pattie Boyd: ‘George and I nearly drowned in a riptide on our Barbados honeymoon’

February 22 2023, 12.00pm GMT

Barbados, where Pattie Boyd and George Harrison were caught in a riptide on their honeymoon

GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY

Pattie Boyd lives in London with her husband, Rod Weston, and their dog, Freddie. A Sixties model and now an acclaimed photographer, she was formerly married to Harrison and Eric Clapton.

I was three years old when my parents moved to Kenya to live with my grandparents. We had a beautiful, big rambling house. The garden went on into the wilderness, it wasn’t unusual to see giraffes and lions wandering in.

Growing up in Africa shaped me. I remember very clearly riding bareback on my horse through woodland. I got used to the unusual. Going to bed one night I heard a noise. Underneath the door was a snake, slowly slithering into my room. I was frozen, absolutely riveted, he was huge. I was nineyears old and I started screaming.

I was sent to boarding school in England when I was ten and it was quite a shock to the system. The other girls didn’t know what I was talking about. Africa was all I knew.

Boyd with George Harrison, in 1966

ALAMY

George and I nearly drowned on our honeymoon in Barbados. We stayed in the middle of the island and explored the north coast. One glorious day we went swimming and to my horror I realised that there was a riptide. I was swimming towards the beach and not moving. I realised that if we were to swim parallel to the shore, we might get away from the current. I was terrified. I remember Mick Fleetwood said to me once, it is a weird thing when you know you’re drowning, you start swallowing water and everything becomes euphoric. George and I finally made it to the beach and sat there panting. The waiters brought us sandwiches and we ate the whole lot in shock.

India with the Beatles was a magical time. We were in an ashram, surrounded by like-minded people. The maharishi kept insisting it was very important for us all to learn meditation, for us and for the world. He said things were going to escalate and get faster and meditation would give us the tools to slow life down.

The Beatles would sit on the ashram steps with their guitars, jamming together and singing. They wrote so many songs there, everything from The White Album. The whole vibe was gentle and calming and inspirational.

● Kenya tours: 19 adventures ● Best cities to visit in India

Touring with Eric was new to me because I never went on tour with George and the Beatles. America was eye-opening. When Eric went on stage, the audience would stretch back as far as the eye could see. I used to sit on the side, drink in one hand, camera in the other. During the encore the audience would lift their lighters into the air and the whole auditorium would be filled with flickering lights in the dark. I love to capture beauty with my camera. It’s like anything fabulous: it’s not going to be there for ever.

Boyd with Eric Clapton in 1978

ALAMY

Eric didn’t really like travelling otherwise. I think when you’re a musician and you tour, then the idea of travelling for a holiday is not high up on your list.

A place I’ll always love is Venezuela. I went in 1994 when I was single and discovering who I was again. I did a day trip to Angel Falls, eventually reaching the top of a mountain that looked down over an incredibly steep edge. The idea was to go hang-gliding, something that had never crossed my mind before. I said, “Blow that! I’m not jumping off this cliff!” Suddenly an elderly Indian lady ran past us and leapt off the mountain as we watched in horror. Well, we had to do it then, didn’t we? Clutching my camera to my chest, I jumped into nothing. I felt like a condor in the air — I was jumping to freedom.

Angel Falls in Venezuela

ALAMY

Peru is a special place. I went there with a female shaman, and I knew I was going to take ayahuasca [a plant-based psychedelic drug]. Greedy me, I ended up doing it twice. It was amazing. We also knew that we would be shedding a lot, both physically and spiritually. Just before we started I noticed a huge snake curled on one of the eaves. Six hours later we walked out and I saw the snake’s skin lying on the floor. The symbolism was clear. I never did ayahuasca with George and Eric, they weren’t adventurous like that.

Growing up in Kenya helped me not to be frightened in life. I am excited because there are more things to see, more adventures, and I don’t like to repeat things, I don’t see the point. There is always something new around the corner.

Pattie Boyd: My Life in Pictures is published by Reel Art Press at £39.95 (reelartpress.com)

#pattie boyd #the times

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