#but Archibald won in the end

[laughinglynx]

Tagged by @wanderingnork!

make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. see which character is everyone's favourite!

Tagging @rainydaydaydreams, @painterofhorizons, @toffyandsalt, @moth-ra, and @candybarrnerd.

[fox-guardian]

[ID: A digital drawing of a lineup of four cats. The first cat, Marsha Mallow, is chubby and white with brown paws, brown on the end of her tail and nose, and little brown dot eyebrows, and large copper eyes. She is sitting politely and smiling. The second cat, Alan Turing Mallow, is a slimmer gray polydactyl cat with large yellow eyes. He is sitting with a mischievous smile. The third cat, Big Man Fudgesicle ChocolateGanache Mallow, is a large solid brown cat with a prominent primordial pouch and rolls on his neck. His eyes are drawn as small dots and he is standing with a vacant expression with his tail raised. The last cat, Duke Archibald Squiggles von Mallow, is a smaller white cat colored like Marsha Mallow, but with brown on his ears, a mustache-shaped brown patch on his snout, and his little eyebrows look angry. He is standing with a wide stance and his mouth is open as though meowing loudly, and his tail is raised. All of them have their names written beneath them, and the background is off-white. end ID]

~~~~

kitty cats won the poll <3 so here's the mallow family all grown up!!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

de Adder

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 16, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 17, 2024

Early in the morning on June 17, 1972, Frank Wills, a 24-year-old security guard at the Watergate Office Building in Washington, D.C., noticed that a door lock had been taped open. He ripped off the tape and closed the door, but when he went on the next round, he found the door taped open again. He called the police, who found five burglars in the Democratic National Committee headquarters located in the building.

And so it began.

The U.S. president, Richard M. Nixon, was obsessed with the idea that opponents were trying to sink his campaign for reelection. The previous year, in June 1971, the New York Times had begun to publish what became known as the Pentagon Papers, a secret government study that detailed U.S. involvement in Vietnam from presidents Harry Truman to Lyndon Johnson. While the study ended before the Nixon administration, it showed that presidents had lied to the American people, and Nixon worried that the story would hurt his administration by souring the public on his approach to the Vietnam War. Worse, if anyone leaked similar information about his own administration—and there was plenty to leak—it would destroy his reelection campaign.  

To stop his enemies, Nixon put together in the White House a special investigations unit to stop leaks. And who stops leaks? Plumbers. 

These operatives burglarized the office of the psychiatrist who worked with the man who had leaked the Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, to find damaging information about him. They sabotaged opponents by “ratf*cking” them, as they called it, planting fake letters in newspapers, hiring vendors for Democratic rallies and then running out on the unpaid bills, planting spies in Democrats’ campaigns and, finally, wiretapping. 

On June 17, 1972, they tried to tap the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington’s fashionable Watergate complex.

The White House denied all knowledge of what it called a “third-rate burglary attempt,” and most of the press took the denial at face value. But two young reporters for the Washington Post, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, followed the sloppy money trail behind the burglars directly to the White House.

The fallout from the burglary gained no traction before the election, which Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew won with an astonishing 60.7 percent of the vote. They took 520 electoral votes—49 states—while the Democratic nominees, South Dakota senator George McGovern and former Peace Corps director Sargent Shriver, won only 37.5% of the popular vote and the electoral votes of only Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. 

But in March 1973, one of the burglars, James W. McCord Jr., wrote a letter to Judge John Sirica before his sentencing, saying that he had lied at his trial, under pressure to protect government officials. McCord had been the head of security for the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, known as CREEP. Sirica was known for his stiff sentences—reporters called him “Maximum John”—and later said, “I had no intention of sitting on the bench like a nincompoop and watching the parade go by.” Sirica made the letter public, and White House counsel John Dean promptly began cooperating with prosecutors. In April, three of Nixon’s top advisors resigned, and in May the president was forced to appoint Archibald Cox as a special prosecutor to investigate the affair.

In May the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, informally known as the Senate Watergate Committee, began nationally televised hearings. The committee’s chair was Sam Ervin (D-NC), a conservative Democrat who would not run for reelection in 1974 and thus was expected to be able to do the job without political grandstanding.

The hearings turned up the explosive testimony of John Dean, who said he had talked to Nixon about covering up the burglary more than 30 times, but there the investigation sat during the hot summer of 1973 as the committee churned through witnesses. And then, on July 13, 1973, deputy assistant to the president Alexander Butterfield revealed that conversations and phone calls in the Oval Office had been taped since 1971.

Nixon refused to provide copies of the tapes either to Cox or to the Senate committee. When Cox subpoenaed a number of the tapes, Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire him. In the October 20, 1973, “Saturday Night Massacre,” Richardson and his deputy, William Ruckleshaus, refused to execute Nixon’s order and resigned in protest; it was only the third man at the Justice Department—Solicitor General Robert Bork—who was willing to carry out the order firing Cox. 

Popular outrage at the resignations and firing forced Nixon to ask Bork—now acting attorney general—to appoint a new special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, a Democrat who had voted for Nixon, on November 1. On November 17, Nixon assured the American people that “I am not a crook.” 

Like Cox before him, Jaworski was determined to hear the Oval Office tapes. He subpoenaed a number of them, and Nixon fought the subpoenas on the grounds of executive privilege. On July 24, 1974, in��U.S. v. Nixon, the Supreme Court sided unanimously with the prosecutor, saying that executive privilege “must be considered in light of our historic commitment to the rule of law. This is nowhere more profoundly manifest than in our view that 'the twofold aim (of criminal justice) is that guilt shall not escape or innocence suffer.'... The very integrity of the judicial system and public confidence in the system depend on full disclosure of all the facts….” 

Their hand forced, Nixon’s people released transcripts of the tapes. They were damning, not just in content but also in style. Nixon had cultivated an image of himself as a clean family man, and the tapes revealed a mean-spirited, foul-mouthed bully. Aware that the tapes would damage his image, Nixon had his swearing redacted. “[Expletive deleted]” trended.

In late July 1974 the House Committee on the Judiciary passed articles of impeachment, charging the president with obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. Each article ended with the same statement: “In all of this, Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States. Wherefore Richard M. Nixon, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office.”

Still, Nixon insisted he was not guilty, saying he did not know his people were committing crimes on his watch. Then in early August a new tape, recorded days after the Watergate break-in, revealed Nixon and an aide plotting to invoke national security to protect the president. Even Republican senators, who had not wanted to convict their president, knew the game was over. A delegation went to the White House to deliver the news.

On August 9, 1974, Nixon became the first president in American history to resign.

Rather than admit guilt, though, he told the American people he had to step down because he no longer had the support he needed in Congress to advance the national interest. He blamed the press, whose “leaks and accusations and innuendo” had been designed to destroy him. His disappointed supporters embraced the idea that there was a “liberal” conspiracy, spearheaded by the press, to bring down any Republican president. 

When his replacement, Gerald Ford, issued a preemptive blanket pardon for any crimes the former president might have committed against the United States, he guaranteed that Nixon would never have to account for his illegal attempt to undermine his Democratic opponent, and that those who thought like Nixon could come to think they were above the law. 

On May 30, 2024, when a jury of twelve ordinary Americans found a former president guilty on 34 criminal counts, it reasserted the principle that no one is above the law. 

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[syntia13treeman]

Case files 10.02

what I think happened in:

Case 10.02, the case of "The Trapdoor Opens" or "Releasing ancient evil – a guide."

One might say it's cheating, making a file for an event that technically isn't a case yet, in that it hasn't been noticed and recorded by OIAR. (Yet). Buuuuuuut… I don't care. :)

So. What we know: Nearly 25 years ago, in December 1999, a paranormal research facility in Manchester, Magnus Institute, burned to the ground. Reportedly, there were no survivors.

However, this might not have been true. Let's put a pin in it for the moment.

On a dark and rainy night on 09th of March 2024, two OIAR employees (on their own time) entered the ruins and conducted a very soggy and inefficient search.

The instigator of the expedition, Samama Khalid, as a child was part of some (rather shady) program for gifted children conducted here. His hazy-yet-unsettling memories of the place had resurfaced recently, and he was determined to find some answers. The resident voice of reason, Alice Dyer, assisted him by way of holding the umbrella and trying to talk him out of the whole thing.

Before she succeeded, the following things happened:

Sam found a mystery key among the debris.

Sam successfully (eventually) broke through the door to an old office (probably owned by someone named Archibald. Ha ha.)

Sam was not careful enough walking around the rotten floor, and part of it collapsed under him.

Sam did not fall into the hole, thanks to quick reflexes of Alice, who pulled him back.

Sam did, however, drop the hard-won key into the newly created hole.

Sam gave up, and agreed to leave.

And now we return to our pin. Because down below the rotten floor of the office, something did survive. It heard the key falling down. It managed to find it, and fumbled in the darkness to fit it in the lock. It unlocked the padlock. It opened a trapdoor. It breathed free air for the first time in decades.

After 25 years of imprisonment, the Ę̴̊̆R̶̗̟̝̒͛̈́̍R̵̛̯͍̠̗Ö̴̮̤́́R̴̞͍̲̞̐̓́͠ͅ ̸̡̫̣̟̏̊̇̍͜ ψ walks free.

Unnoticed by all, a lonely tape-recorder hidden somewhere in the office keeps spinning its tape.

Thus concludes the thrilling Saturday Night adventure.

I... Have Questions. Not many, but pressing ones.

The most pressing one is WHY did you crazy kids go to explore literal crumbling ruins at night? Urbexers do it for 'vibes' and 'clout' (and they don't always come back with the same number of eyes they went in with), but why would you? What made you think it was a good idea to look for clues in the feeble light of torches? Why? Just… WHY? (And why a work night? Did you take a day a night off? Are you exploring on company time? Couldn't you wait till Sunday morning?)

Another good one: does Alice really believe this is a dead end (haha) and can't be bothered with it, or is she dragging Sam away because she knows something's there, and doesn't want her baby shrimp anywhere near it?

And finally – what did they just unleash on the world? My first thought was "one of those gifted kids did not make it back home," and that's as far as I'm willing to let that thought go for the moment. Another one was: "what magical monstrosity did they create in the Artefact Research"? And another: "holy shit, it's been 25 years. How sane is ERROR after all that time (assuming it was sane to begin with)? (I know there are clues on RQ's backstage page, where the casting calls dwell, but going there feels like cheating, so I won't. Today).

[ahomeartgallery]

Brett Whiteley, Self Portrait, One of a Dozen Glimpses’, 1983, etching and aquatint from Home’s 2019 ‘The Portrait’ exhibition.

Brett Whiteley (1939 – 1992) is one of Australia’s most celebrated artists. He won the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes several times, and his artistic career was bolstered by his celebrity status in Australia and abroad.

Whiteley started working as a commercial artist in 1956, began life-drawing classes at the Julian Ashton Art School and joined John Santry’s sketch club where he became friends with Australian landscape painter Lloyd Rees, who was a strong influence. On weekends Whiteley painted around the towns of Bathurst, Hill End and Sofala, producing works such as Sofala 1958. In 1959 he was awarded the Italian Government Travelling Art Scholarship, which was judged by Australian artist Russell Drysdale at the Art Gallery of NSW. Whiteley remained in Europe for the next decade, exhibiting his work regularly in group exhibitions in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin, establishing an international reputation. He also lived in the USA, staying at New York’s Chelsea Hotel where he socialized with celebrities including musicians Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan.

Returning to Sydney in 1969, Whiteley moved to Lavender Bay and became involved in the Yellow House artists’ collective in Kings Cross. His work became highly collectable; in particular his Matisse influenced large-scale interiors and landscapes. In 1976 he won both the Archibald Prize for portraiture and the Sulman Prize for genre painting. The following year, he was awarded the Wynne Prize for landscape. He won all three prizes in 1978 (the first artist to do so) and the Wynne a third time in 1984. In 1991 he was awarded an Order of Australia.

Brett Whiteley died in Thirroul on the New South Wales south coast in 1992. His last studio and home in Sydney’s Surry Hills is now a museum managed by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Image courtesy of Badger & Fox Gallery © Wendy Whiteley

[terrainofheartfelt]

do you have any headcannons or behind-the-scenes for "it's something new (because of you)"?

oh DO I

for starters i'm sorryyyyyy for letting this sit so long I have no excuse other than life and brain chemistry are Nuts.

BTS-wise, this one-shot within the universe was inspired by a photoset I stumbled across here on tumblr, and I thought: "that could be my blorbos" and lo! it came. I started drafting it while at was at my folks' for christmas, and then it sat in google docs in purgatory before I summoned the spoons to complete it. which at the time I thought was odd, because my general technique with smut is to write it all within the space of a couple days--they just flow differently than things with, ya know, plot, but this one incubated for a while, and I think it served it.

HCs-wise, I've jotted down a few about this universe and specifically the beginning of dair's marriage within it :)

this is how Dan & Blair (mostly Blair) announce the wedding:

Epperly guest writes a post for Blair Necessities covering the event/interviewing Blair

The morning the post goes live, Blair & Dan each post one (1) thing to their accounts

They each pick a photo from what their photographer sent them (both candid, because they look stupidly in love in those)

Dan’s caption is from the Auden Blair quoted in her vows to him: The years shall run like rabbits, / For in my arms I hold / The Flower of the Ages, / And the first love of the world.

Blair’s is a quote of a different kind: Reader, I married him. 

They make their posts from a sidewalk cafe in Firenze then shut off their phones. 

And the internet goes WILD

immediately there’s all these buzzfeedesque articles like “Blair Waldorf, Former Princess of Monaco has remarried,” and “Blair Waldorf’s New Husband Is Hot” and “Who Is Mr. Blair Waldorf?” and “Blair Waldorf Totally Won Her Divorce”

Just to fuck with everyone Blair posts another pic of Dan a couple days later. it's of him sitting at the window in their tuscan villa, pretty much the view Blair wakes up to in the beginning of it's something new. Caption: my huckleberry friend

They don’t see any of it til they check their messages over breakfast the next day. Dan loves the nomer “Mr. Blair Waldorf” and immediately adds it to his profiles (which he only made bc his agent made him). Sherri, said agent, almost makes him change them back before she sees the spike in his book sales. He was doing well enough on a debut, but now he’s doing really well. 

Thanks to his family’s caution (and the NDAs signed by the wedding vendors), no photos of Milo surface, he’s mentioned by Blair in her interview of course, and outside of W he’s only known as “Humphrey’s grade school-aged son”

Nate has a good laugh at it all, which he calls payback for all the good natured ribbing he and Serena got in the summer with “Serena van der Woodsen and Nate Archibald Eloped, Apparently”—a headline that spurred several never-ending phone calls from a horde of van der Bilts, and one—as Serena calls it—“ugly-ass gravy boat” (and yes, she did have to contribute to the swear jar for that)

I actually have MORE mostly about the work after something new, so don't mind me if I share those too ;))))

Speaking of Serenate, they’re on the move a lot and bring Sophie when they can, but she’s old so long haul trips to LA that are only a few days aren’t ideal. So they ask the Humphreys to dog sit a lot. Dan always outright refuses, because he knows that dog-sitting is only one degree of separation from “Why can’t we get a dog, Dad?” and he just cannot have that conversation. Again. 

There’s a lot of anxiety from all parties when Blair gets pregnant. There’s her traumatic history which flares up when it is most inconvenient, plus Dan’s trauma coupled with the fact that  he hasn’t done this part before. He missed almost all of Georgina’s pregnancy, so he doesn’t really know how to be. 

Milo expresses a flicker of concern because he knows on some level that the upcoming baby is genetically connected to his parents while he isn’t and he needs reassurance. 

Dan consults his brother Scott, who lived through a similar situation being an adoptee, and being an adoptee with a younger sibling that was born to his parents, and his perspective helps. 

They move from the loft to a Park Slope townhouse just after the New Year and just shy of the beginning of Blair’s third trimester. She’s not allowed to pick up anything, so she just stands in the center of the first floor and directs the moving until Dan makes her sit on the first chair they bring in (the one from his home office). A joke about a sedan chair is made, and then Dan immediately regrets it when she looks like she’s considering it. Milo’s her assistant when he gets back from school. It’s adorable. 

It’s more house than either Humphrey boy knows what to do with, but they follow Blair’s lead in putting it together. Her nesting instincts kick into overdrive—it’s quite a thing to witness. Dan acquiesces to hiring Dorota full-time so Blair doesn’t do too much. 

The fetus of when everything else changes is male, despite Blair and Milo’s good vibes. After he’s born Blair—hopped up on drugs—is like “A boy? I don’t know anything about boys. How do I raise a boy?” Dan gives her a funny look and reminds her that she’s been successfully mothering a son for a few years now, actually. 

I haven’t an earthly idea what that baby’s first name is (Otis? — I’m KIDDING) but his middle name is Nathaniel. 

Blair and Milo are very precious and anxious and fussy when the baby comes and Dan is much more chill. He jokes that it’s because he’s Blair and Milo’s first baby

Dan becomes a stay-at-home dilf, fulfilling his potential ♥️

Rufus leaves the decision of what to do with the loft up to Dan and Jenny, and they can’t really bear to part with it, so they keep it in the family. It becomes Jenny’s crash pad when she’s in NY, and eventually morphs into her makeshift atelier, where she works while she’s in NY. 

[im-just-a-dumb-gay]

Bayverse timeline: Earth edition Part 1

Basically I summarize the wiki with some additions

4.54 billion years: Earth forms around Unicron

65 million years ago: Quintessa sent her people to activate a Seed leading to the extinction of dinosaurs

17,000 BC: The 7 Primes land on Earth. 6 of the 7 sacrifice themselves to protect Earth from The Fallen.

10,000 BC: Allspark crashes on Earth

2560 BC: Great Pyramid of Giza is built around the Star Harvester

1200 BC: El Deir in Petra built to hide Tomb of the Primes

After 1200 BC: Seekers sent to find the Tomb of Primes. Only a riddle is discovered. 

Before 1000 BC: Sentinel’s ship is shot down and is floatingly endlessly in space. Optimus becomes the new leader of the Autobots

1000 BC: Megatron crash lands on Earth when searching for the Allspark. As he didn’t inform anyone where he went, no one knew where to search for him. Starscream led with his absence. Megatron had left as he believed the war was won and thought it was time to search for the Allspark to help fix their planet. The war, however, continued as the Autobots were not going down. Some Decepticons became disillusioned with the Decepticons and became Autobots. This included Drift, Trench, and Crosshairs. This helped the Autobots get an advantage and this made the war last even longer. 

Before 484 AD: The war killed Cybertron. Near the end of the war, Bumblebee lost his voice to Shockwave.The Knights discovered that Quintessa did not care for them or Cybertron. They took her staff and decided to hide on Earth. They assumed Quintessa would believe they went as far away from Unicron to keep the staff away. They assumed right and Quintessa did not immediately find them. Quintessa sent Lockdown to find the Lower Knights. The Dinobots, who also left Cybertron after being convinced from the Knights, went to other planets. Merlin discovers The Knights. They tell him of their destroyed planet and tell him to keep them a secret.

484 AD: Merlin asks The Knights of assistance against the Saxon hordes. Merlin is given The Staff.

After 484 AD: Merlin dies and most of the Knights protect his tomb. One decides to search for other Cybertronians to give refuge. The Cybertronians brought to Earth get in contact with the Order of the Witwiccans. Some of these Cybertronians include Bulldog, Hound, and Drift. Optimus and his main team, however, did not go to Earth due to them splitting up to try to find the Allspark. Bumblebee was the one who volunteered to go to Earth and search for the Allspark. After losing his voice, Bumblebee became withdrawn and way more violent, barely interacting with the humans on Earth and deciding not to interact with the Order of the Witwiccans unlike Hot Rod. (Hound came to earth around the 1700s. Bulldog and Drift came around the 1800s maybe? Hot Rod and Bumblebee came around the 1900s. Crosshairs might have come around the 1800s too?) 

1897: Captain Archibald Witwicky discovers Megatron

1910s: Bulldog takes part in World War 1

1913: First Seven discover Allspark. The Allspark was dormant at that time so the signature couldn’t be reached to Bumblebee. 

1927: Section Seven formed

1931: Hoover Dam bult around Allspark

After 1931: Megatron was brought over to Hoover Dam. Project Black Knife at some point is dismissed.

1940s: Bumblebee and Hot Rod fight with the Allies in the Devil’s Brigade. Bumblebee is still extremely violent at this time. He barely interacted with humans before this point in time. 

1945: Watch that Killed Hitler…well killed Hitler. 

After 1945: Hot Rod stays in Britain. Bumblebee continues his search for the Allspark. At some point Soundwave makes his way to earth as he learns that some Autobots were there and thought there might be something important there.

1960s: The Ark (Sentinel’s ship) lands on the moon. While this was no Allspark, Soundwave saw an opportunity with this discovery and sent some Decepticons there as well as informing Starscream of the situation. USSR finds Pillars being taken by Decepticons. The US has their astronauts investigate the ship. Starscream and some Decepticons start to make their way to Earth so see if the Pillars can be used to save Cybertron. They realize, however, that Sentinel is needed to make them work and that he was in stasis. They stay on earth to see if there is a way to use the Pillars without him and to make earth a somewhat base as well as kill any Autobots hiding on earth.

1970s: Soundwave and Laserbeak manipulate humans to stop further moon missions. 

1980s: Chernobyl disaster caused by fuel cell extracted from the Ark

2003: Beagle 2 Rover reveals alien activity on Mars. This was most likely a Decepticon.

Before 2007: Soundwave gets some information about Sector Seven(perhaps one of his human companions learned about Sector Seven and it’s potential knowledge)

[silverhallow]

Thomas Archibald Bridgerton

Nicknames: Tom, Tommy, Big T

Profession: dentist

Hobbies: snooker, poker, darts, Whiskey Connoisseur, guitar

Thomas is his father in looks but he got his Uncle Benedict’s height, only Ben 2 and William are taller than him out of the Bridgerton Grandchildren.

He has bright green eyes and freckles all over his face which he got from his mothers family.

As a child he got into a fight with Georgiana after he tried to steal her Ewok teddy when they were 10 and she punched him so hard in the face she punched out two of his teeth, it was here that his obsession with teeth came and as he got older it was only natural that he went into dentistry.

As he got older he was close to John and Freddie and they all naturally started to drink Kilmartin whiskey and Tom became a connoisseur and learned all the tastings they would go to.

He learned to play guitar when in secondary school and finds it quite soothing.

He was never really very sporty but he fell in love with Snooker and Pool after a trip to the pub. Darts followed and he goes to the Ally Pally every year for both World Championships.

He got into Poker at Uni and after a very careful word from his mother, after his grandfather's issues, he was very careful and studied the game and learned to be very good.

He and a friend went to Vegas one Christmas to watch the Mosconi Cup and he won $10,000 dollars on a game of Poker, and after celebrating he woke up married to his friend…

It’s how he ended up coming out to his family… by coming home with a husband.

[scotianostra]

On June 15th the Battle of Carberry Hill was to take place.

History still calls this a battle, but I am making a stand - no battle took place, there was a standoff, we had leading nobles on both sides strutting about, on a day much like today, under a baking sun' Mary's hubby, Bothwell challenged The Earl of Morton to, what we would call nowadays a "Square go"

In the end there were some negotiations nobody died and everybody went home, well almost everyone, Mary Queen of Scots surrendered herself into the custody of the Confederate Lords and spent most of the rest of her life either imprisoned or on the run.

Mary awoke in Fa’side Castle, deep in the East Lothian countryside. She had married James Hepburn a month before, to me she fell into the trap that the Protestant lords intended, they had their heir to the throne in the infant Prince James, and could now deal with the bothersome Queen Mary and they met her with Bothwell’s army near Musselburgh later that day.

So the circumstances were, unlike this June, it was a hot sunny day, Mary’s army were on the higher ground and should have had an advantage, should any hostilities begin. The 26 Scottish peers so angered by her marriage, a marriage they had initially seemed in favour of, as the “the Ainslie Tavern Bond” attests to, but that’s a different story, look into it if you want.

The Lords and their army may have been on lower ground and at a disadvantage, but during the blazing hot day, they were sheltered in the shade as the protracted negotiations played out.

As the Lords’ forces watched and waited in relative comfort, Mary’s army cooked in their armour and grew increasingly thirsty. Offers of single combat were given, but Bothwell deemed no-one good enough for his honour. Eventually provisions arrived for those in the baking heat, but instead of the wished-for water, they received wine. Thirst made them drink heavily, but they grew more dehydrated, as well as more and more drunk.

As the day wore on Mary’s army started disappearing dwindling rapidly, eventually combat was agreed between one of the Confederate Lords, the Earl of Morton who must have shat it as he delegated to Patrick Lindsay, 6th Lord Lindsay who girded his waist with his great sword called Archibald-the-Cat, handed down from his ancestors. But it all came to nothing. Note some versions on the events of the day state that William Kirkcaldy of Grange agreed to fight Bothwell, but in the day it was ruled out as he was one of them was only a "Baronet" such was the chivalry of the time. Anyway in my opinion Bothwell should have won the fight – he was a border lord, used to battle and fit – Mary at the last moment intervened. She surrendered on two conditions: that Bothwell be allowed to leave, and that she be treated honourably.

So Bothwell buggered off in the direction of Dunbar Castle, but Mary was not handled honourably, perhaps because she "haughtily "lectured her captors, inspiring their ill will: she was returned to Edinburgh and paraded through streets of soldiers who shouted ‘burn the whore’. From there she was taken to the island fortress of Lochleven, where she was lectured for two solid days by her half-brother and forced to abdicate in favour of her young son, James.

There is contemporary description of what the Queen was wearing on the day, nothing changes eh! It was recorded by William Drury, Marshall of Berwick, who said:

"The Queen's apparel in the field was after the fashion of the women of Edinburgh, in a red petticoat, sleeves tied with points a "partlyte," a velvet hat and muffler. She used great persuasions and encouragements to her people to have tried it by battle. For welcome the Lords showed her the banner with the dead body, which seeing they say that she wished she had never seen him. The banner was hanged out before her window at the Provost's house, wherewith she seemed much offended."

Before he surrender Mary had changed out of her fancy dress with d leaving them at Fa’side Castle, and choosing to wear what were effectively rags that showed an embarrassing amount of her calves

[randomestroleplays]

𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔡: 𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢𝔡 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔞𝔤𝔢 (x)

CONCEPTS:

we’ve known we were betrothed since we were kids and I can’t wait to finally be your spouse

we’ve been best friends since childhood and just found out about the arrangement

we’re part of a high society where every marriage is arranged and today we find out who we’re going to marry

we’ve hated each other since we were babies and now we have to get married

our families were involved in a huge scandal / public falling out and now we have to get married to fix their images

we have to get married to solidify a political alignment for our families

our marriage was arranged and we agreed to just be friends but fuck I think i’m in love with you

we had an arranged marriage and now i’m on my honeymoon in a foreign country with someone I barely know

our first official meeting is at the rehearsal dinner but you’re definitely the person I hooked up with during my bachelor/bachelorette party

we’re meeting for the first time to plan the wedding and I want to hate you but you’re the only one backing me up against our parents

I’m at a resort for my destination wedding and you’re the hot stranger at the bar that I’m complaining to about how much my future spouse probably sucks... oh, you’re my future spouse

our families are at war and our marriage is part of a peace treaty 

one of our families won a war and now we have to get married 

I don’t want to marry you but your family’s wealth could save my family

I was just told that the king / prince chose me as his future bride, but I don’t know that it’s the childhood best friend I once made a marriage pact with 

POSSIBLE STARTERS:

our marriage was arranged and we’ve never seen each other, now we’re meeting for the first time and damn, you are hot

“the love… Well, it will come with time.”

“we don’t have to like each other. we just have to pretend.”

it’s been occurring to me I’d like to hang out with you for my whole life 

all’s well that ends well to end up with you

barefoot in the kitchen, sacred new beginnings

it looked alright in the pictures

I was there when you said forever and always

fell in love when I saw you standing there

and isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me?

but I would die for you in secret

tiptoeing past so many stages

we look good in photographs

THEME SONGS:

war of hearts, ruelle

young and beautiful, lana del rey

gold rush, taylor swift

lover, taylor swift

the last great american dynasty, taylor swift

MOST SUITED OCS:

Aisling Greyjoy ( game of thrones / crossovers )

Carlotta Falcone ( the batman / dc / crossovers )

CAROLINE SOMERSET ( original / fandom crossovers )

Finley Rider ( descendants / crossovers )

OPHELIA WAYNE  ( gotham / dc / crossovers )

Peggy Featherington ( bridgerton / crossovers )

Svetlana Novikoff ( grishaverse / crossovers )

MOST SUITED OCS (NOT YET INTRODUCED):

Adhara Black ( harry potter, golden era / crossovers )

Adina Lightwood ( shadowhunters / crossovers )

Ariadne Blackthorn  ( shadowhunters / crossovers )

Charlotte Bridgerton ( bridgerton / crossovers )

Constance Osborn ( the amazing spider-man / crossovers )

Joanna Baratheon ( game of thrones / crossovers )

Josie Archibald ( gossip girl / crossovers )

Rosalind Greengrass ( harry potter, marauders era / crossovers )

Venus Malfoy ( harry potter, golden era / crossovers )

[honorhearted]

Benjamin heard Francesca's outraged cries, which only caused him to run faster. His laughter carried over the wind, and amidst his glee, he nearly ran headfirst into an overhanging branch. Mercifully, he ducked free of the offending appendage at the last moment, and only received a light scraping along his temple.

Knocked slightly off balance, the distraction gave Francesca a bit of a chance, but ultimately, Benjamin managed to reach the watering hole first, panting and laughing as he doubled over to catch his breath. "I won," he said, though he knew his wife wouldn't be impressed.

Straightening again, he touched a hand to the stinging welt on his temple and huffed. "Well...I suppose it will be me who needs the first aid kit this evening," he quipped. "Already, being married to you has proven dangerous."

Turning toward Francesca, he grinned and fondly tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Look at that: I've already made you untidy," he said.

“Perhaps we should get one,” Francesca suggested. “I have never had a dog, but I’ve always been fond of Kate’s corgi.”

"Oh, I have," Benjamin replied, "and they're worth every bit of the love and entertainment. Samuel and I had a really playful mutt growing up, and I remember one time, she caught Sammy by the breeches and ripped a hole right in his seat. He was flashing his right cheek all the way home." Chuckling at the memory, he added, "I also had a goat who'd sleep right at my feet -- father wasn't fond of Archibald, but that's because he'd eat all his ghastly wigs."

Francesca pouted. “Do I not even get to try the whiskey? We could play that drinking game you are so fond of.”

"What, you mean the drinking game you're bound to lose?" he teased. "I'll let you try it, sure, but if you end up knocked flat on your arse, or worse yet, asleep on our wedding night, don't blame me."

"To risk reading your hand meant to risk writing you back…and at the time, I didn’t think I could bear the knowledge of your married life.”

To hear those words and picture her own life at the very same moment all those years ago was such a strange feeling, the memory of telling John all about her wonderful friend and how she wanted them to meet melding with memories of waiting for his letters to arrive, of hearing John’s assurances that he was likely just giving her some space.

”I don’t want space,“ she had told John back then. ”I don’t want space,“ she had written to Ben one evening, furious tears spilling onto the page and she struggled not to tear it. And yet when he came back, when he offered her what she had been so desperate for, Francesca had been the one to run away.

Still, as Ben’s words bordered on offensive on Caleb’s behalf, she could not help but laugh in response. "Well I know a certain few women who would disagree with you there,” she pointed out, thinking on the multiple women the whaler had managed to charm in the months since their reunion. “But I should consider myself lucky that he is not your type – I rather think that Mr Brewster and I are quite dissimilar in every way.”

“Dogs are adorable.”

Francesca scoffed, sparing him a look as though to silently point out that that was hardly the point, and yet she found herself smiling as an errant thought dawned on her. “Perhaps we should get one,” she suggested. “I have never had a dog, but I’ve always been fond of Kate’s corgi.”

“And as luck would have it, we happen to have a medical kit in my father’s house. So should you find yourself with unexpected lumps, bumps or scrapes, I’ll have gauze at the ready to tend to your wounds, as well as a bottle of whiskey – for myself.”

“My hero.” The words were said with an air of mirth, sarcasm laced into the syllables, but her eyes lacked the flash of mischief to be wholly joking. “Do I not even get to try the whiskey? We could play that drinking game you are so fond of.”

Suddenly there was a shift in the conversation, one moment Ben was pointing towards a spot on the horizon and the next he was running away, the spot beside her feeling vastly empty in the brief second it took for Francesca to realise what was going on.

“Wait!” Lifting her skirts ever so slightly, she began to follow him, her legs carrying her as fast as they were able. He had the benefit of height as well as knowledge of where they were headed, and so Francesca held little hope of winning such a race – That didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. “Ben!”

[milesbellingham]

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒.

full name. miles david bellingham   nicknames. mills gender. male pronouns. he/him  age. thirty-two  date of birth. 24th of october 1992 zodiac sign. libra  time in wilmington. roughly two months neighborhood. masonboro occupation. formula one driver pinterest & character inspo. lewis hamilton, lando norris & daniel riccardo (drive to survive), james hunt (rush), alfie (emily in paris), joey tribbiani (friends), nate archibald (gossip girl), roman pearce (fast & furious), jake peralta (brooklyn 99), david rose (schitts creek)

tl;dr: born and raised in london, miles had always been a thrill seeker and risk taker. he began karting when he was young, leading to an incredible formula one career racing with mercedes-AMG where he won four world championships. his parents divorced when he was a teenager, which led to his mom moving to wilmington and starting a whole new life. summers and time off that he could manage were spent in town with her. though as his career progressed, he stopped coming around as much due to the fact she was always against the idea of racing but miles never took it into account. now back in town, he’s feeling some regret that it put a riff in their relationship. personality wise, he’s just a fun loving, lil bit nerdy, car obsessed guy.

BIOGRAPHY:tw: parental death, cancer

From the moment young Miles Bellingham could walk, he was drawn to speed. Whether it be conjuring up an imaginary racetrack to the corner store or a game of who could reach the dinner table fastest–racing was a constant on his mind. The answer to the question ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ was always a racecar driver. His father, Lewis, recognized this fiery passion early on and introduced him to karting. Little did they know that this simple, yet thrilling pastime would be the launchpad for a meteoric rise. By the age of ten, Miles was already leaving his peers in the dust, winning karting championships and catching the eye of Mercedes-AMG Petronas renowned team principal. By the age of fourteen, Miles was signed to the Young Drivers Program with McLaren & Mercedes–a contract that included a guaranteed future seat in Formula One. 

Miles Bellingham’s career seemed to be on an exhilarating upward trajectory, but his home life was a stark contrast. While Miles focused on building his future and honing his skills, he remained unaware of the growing rift between his parents. His mother, Grace, had always been opposed to her husband’s support of Miles’ passion, deeming the sport dangerous and mired in politics. Unbeknownst to Miles, Grace had issued her husband an ultimatum: pull their son from the training program immediately, or she would leave. Lewis, unwilling to crush Miles’ dreams and recognizing his son’s exceptional talent, chose to support Miles, leading Grace to file for divorce and relocate to a town in North Carolina. As a result, Miles now spent his summers and breaks with his mother in America.

The year 2013 marked a pivotal chapter in Miles’ life. With the roar of engines and the glare of media attention, he stepped into the high-octane world of Formula One, racing for Mercedes-AMG. His debut was nothing short of electrifying. Miles finished third in his very first race and went on to challenge the sport's established stars. Each race was a showcase of his skill and determination, and by the end of the season, he was a heartbeat away from clinching the championship. The following year, Miles Bellingham had become the second youngest World Champion in the history of Formula One Racing. 

The championships continued for three more years, with Miles’ career reaching new heights as contracts, sponsorships, and awards accumulated. However, his relationship with his mother began to suffer. Despite his immense success and Grace’s attempts to be (somewhat) supportive, Miles grappled with the feeling that nothing he did would ever be enough to satisfy her. After all, she had chosen to move to America to start a new life and a new family, leaving him behind.

Fast forward to July 2024, and Grace Bellingham tragically passed away from breast cancer. The disease had advanced beyond detection before doctors could identify it, and by the time the results were available, it was too late to save her. Miles left the racing circuit mid-season, catching the first flight to Wilmington, NC. Although he managed to settle most of her final affairs within a month, he couldn’t bring himself to leave his mother’s home. The pull of returning to the sport she had always disliked seemed overshadowed by the guilt of missed time and the grief he couldn’t seem to overcome.

[markwatkinsreviews]

MATCH REPORT: Reading (1) 1 Leyton Orient (1) 1

EFL ONE : Saturday 27 January, 2024 : 3pm kick-off

An entertaining 1-1 draw. Orient certainly play with some attractive skill, defence & attack - Sweeney & Beckles (at the back) with Archibald (upfront) their nuisance player.

First 10/15 mins passed by quickly and despite nothing much of note to record the (reporting) consensus (and mine) is that Reading were on top.

Orient were a little disorganised but after the penalty (scored by Agyei - 19 mins) for a Holmes hand-ball, and Reading's quick equaliser (Knibbs - 23 mins), the away team in red, sorted out their formation and tactics and settled for pushing higher up the field, which, as the game went on, then denied The Royals a significant amount of possession - where it mattered - in Orient's final third.

Reading's attacks were mainly hard won or engineered from opposition mistakes, whereas Orient were interchanging and skillfully passing the ball through any blue & white barriers.

In the battle of the GK's, Brynn easily came out on top. He kicked long and accurately and with some curve to find his "wingers" and claimed the ball with his hands very well. As things went on, Button improved, making an important save 2nd half , but his kicking and handling remained poor.

Ref, Graham Scott, certainty kept up with play but denied The O's a clear advantage in the first half, about the 20 min mark, but rather than try and balance out his mistake, he then let a few flying tackles go for both sides for the rest of the game, which added to the end-to-end feel of this, at times, robust, but brisk encounter (although only 3 yellow cards were produced).

RDG MOTM = For me, no one player was outstanding, a team effort.

ORIENT MOTM = Omar Beckles, wore the 19 with pride. Tackled, moved the ball on well and with some "spice".

Crowd: 15,972

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 8/10

Mark Watkins, 28/1/24.

[qnewsau]

2023: The Australian queer year in review

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/2023-the-australian-queer-year-in-revew/

2023: The Australian queer year in review

As the year comes to an end, we look back at some of the Australian LGBTQIA+ news, events and queer moments that made up 2023.

January

Midsumma: Melbourne held its annual multi-week Midsumma Festival where former premier Daniel Andrews marched with pride goers. 

Sam Stosur retires: Sam, who won the US Open singles titles plus seven Grand Slam doubles titles, retired at the Australian Open. Sam publicly came out later in her career in 2020. 

February

WorldPride: Sydney became the epicentre of the queer universe when hosting WorldPride. The two-week extravaganza featured an opening night concert, the traditional Mardi Gras parade, a Human Rights Conference, a Bondi Beach party, a pride march over the Bridge and a closing party. 

Big names like Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Sugababes, Agnes, Nicole Scherzinger, Kim Petras, Ava Max, Jessica Mauboy, Courtney Act and Casey Donovan featured throughout WorldPride. However, there was only one true icon of the event: Progress Shark. 

Queerstralia: ABC broadcasts the series Queerstralia. Hosted by Zoe Coombs Marr, it took a deep dive into the queer history of Australia. 

March

Australian Idol: Queer First Nations singer Royston Sagigi-Baira won Australian Idol. Royston is a Thanakwith (Aboriginal) and Wagadagam (Torres Strait Islander) man from Mapoon in Far North Queensland. 

Posie Parker rejected: Anti-trans activist Posie Parker was drowned out by counter-protesters during her tour of Australia. During her visit to Brisbane, hundreds rallied against her hateful views. While in Melbourne she was joined by neo-Nazis which saw widespread condemnation. 

In Our Blood: The musical drama inspired by Australia’s radical response to HIV/AIDS in the 1980s was broadcast on ABC with many scenes shot at Brisbane’s Sportsman Hotel. 

The Wickham reopens: After many months closed for renovations, Brisbane’s iconic LGBTQIA+ venue The Wickham reopened. 

April 

Censorship rejected: The Australian Classification Board rejected a call to ban or restrict a gender and sexuality memoir after a conservative activist complained to Queensland Police.

May

Archibald Prize: Artist Julia Gutman wins the Archibald Prize with a portrait of queer performer Montaigne. While queer musician and artist Zaachariaha Fielding (from Electric Fields) won the Wynne Prize for best landscape. 

Kylie’s back: Long-time queer ally Kylie Minogue released Padam Padam. The song charted in the Top 10 in the UK and the Top 20 in Australia. The first time the singer had achieved this in more than a decade. 

June

Queens Ball: The 62nd edition of the Queens Ball in Brisbane was held at City Hall. More than a dozen Queensland queer community advocates, performers and organisations were honoured in a ceremony hosted by Paul Wheeler and Chocolate Boxx. 

Trans legal win: The Queensland government passed a new law allowing trans and gender-diverse people to change their gender on their birth certificates without having to undergo surgery.

July

Logies: Out actor Tim Draxl was nominated for the Silver Logie as most outstanding actor while RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under received two nominations for Best Entertainment Program and Best New Talent for Kween Kong. 

Patricia Karvelas: Proudly out presenter Patricia Karvelas was named as the new host of one of ABC’s flagship programs Q&A.

Gymnast: Out Australian gymnast Heath Thorpe was controversially not selected for the World Championships despite winning the Australian All-Around title. 

August

Women’s World Cup: Australia and New Zealand hosted the Women’s World Cup with a record 96 publicly out players competing. The Matildas, who had 10 out players including superstar Sam Kerr, reached the semi-finals after a thrilling penalty shoot-out win against France. The Matildas broke attendance and ratings records, becoming the most-watched event in Australia since Cathy Freeman at the Sydney Olympics. 

Honour Awards: NSW’s largest annual LGBTIQA+ community awards were held and presented by ACON. 

September

Brisbane Pride: Brisbane hosted its annual pride event including fair day, rally and march, and other community events across the month. 

Drag Race: The third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under crowned the first-ever Australian winner. Isis Avis Loren from Melbourne took the crown with Ballarat’s Gabriella Labucci runner-up. The show was co-hosted by Rhys Nicholson and included queer Aussie guest judges Keiynan Lonsdale and Josh Cavallo. 

October

Big Gay Day: The Wickham held its annual Big Gay Day with Peter Andre and Rogue Traders headlining. 

Troye Sivan: The Australian queer artist released his album Something to Give Each Other featuring hit singles Rush, Got Me Started and One of Your Girls. It went straight to the top of the charts giving Troye his first Australian No.1 album.

Pride Adelaide: The annual event took place with a march and a celebration featuring artists Ricki-Lee, Crystal Waters, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Samantha Jade.

November 

Gay Games: The 11th edition of the event was co-hosted by Hong Kong and Guadalajara in Mexico. This was the first co-hosting of the games and the first time it took place in Asia. Australian LGBTQIA+ athletes competed in both cities. 

ARIAs: Troye Sivan and G Flip dominated the ARIA Music Awards with four and two award wins respectively. Troye took out Song of the Year for Rush. 

Natalie Bassingthwaighte: The Rogue Traders lead singer and actress known for her work on Neighbours revealed she was in a relationship with a woman.

PrideFest: Perth held its annual pride events with events across the month celebrating the city’s LGBTQIA+ community.

BayPride: Despite protests the inaugural pride event in Wynnum, Queensland took place with a large family-friendly march.

December

Hate Crime Inquiry: The long-awaited Special Commission of Inquiry into LGBTIQ hate crimes in NSW saw 19 recommendations made. Advocates welcomed the findings and called on the NSW Police Force to action the report’s recommendations.

JOY Media: The Melbourne-based LGBTQIA+ community radio station JOY 94.9 celebrated their 30th anniversary.

NT politics: The openly gay MP Chansey Paech made history as the first Aboriginal man to be appointed Deputy Chief Minister in the Northern Territory.

Olympics: Australian climber Campbell Harrison qualified for the Paris Olympics and shared a kiss with his boyfriend to celebrate.

For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[honorhearted]

It was quiet for a long while. In truth, Ben had grown accustomed to bursts of prolonged, uncomfortable silence between them -- so much so that it had almost become comfortable. Glancing over at Francesca, he arched a brow when he realized she was smiling.

"A goat? Yes, I can imagine it -- A little boy and his caprine partner-in-crime creating mayhem."

Unable to help, a slight grin of his own curved the corner of his mouth and he looked away again, sheepish. "Goats can be a mean sort," he allowed, "but Archibald had wormed his way into our family, so there was no way he was being used for meat. Mother had a soft heart -- perhaps that's where I get my fondness for children and the less fortunate -- and we were always ending up with strays at our front door; both animals and humans alike." Rubbing his thumb over his reins, he added, "I wasn't much of a terror until my formative years. I'd like to think I've shaken such poor behaviors, but perhaps you feel differently."

Puck...

"Oh yes, I am a fan of Shakespeare," Ben allowed, chuckling. "Sounds like the perfect name. Though why was your mother so opposed? Then again..." Trailing off, he wondered if he should make such judgments -- if it would be unkind of him -- before he finally concluded, "I suppose with a home of yours, there was far more at stake in regards to what could be broken. Not to mention, all the fur...with our barn cats, you could probably make a coat out of the combined hair they shed."

When Francesca spoke of Caleb and how he was a harbinger of trouble, Ben gave a startled laugh, his head canting in agreement. "Very well," he allowed, "I'm afraid I can't argue with that... Ever since we were boys, Brewster has had a flair for adventure and the dramatic. Were he to be your companion, you might find yourself out on the high seas before it's all over and done with -- though he means well. He's the best of men, in fact. I don't know how I'd be faring in this war without him."

"I do not believe that I am worthy of such credit," she murmured, so let us not speak of debt. Although if you must offer repayment, I shall accept it in the terms of a war won so that I may come home for the celebrations."

The ruddy embarrassment in Francesca's cheeks caused a warm, healthy pink to form in his own, and offering her an almost shy smile, Ben chuckled and agreed, "That, madam, is something I think we can both agree on... For once."

"If there is anything that I can do to help from across the sea, you need only write a letter. I imagine I shall not be all that busy otherwise."

He thought for a moment, long and silent, before finally murmuring, "Perhaps it would be best to live up to your brother's wishes. Anthony wants you to be a lady again -- safe -- and asking you to keep your eyes and ears open in England would go precisely against that wish."

As they set off on the journey, Francesca kept her eyes trained ahead, glad that the spattering of rain seemed to be easing with every passing step as though the melancholy of their conversation was enough to force the grey from the clouds. Francesca could not imagine the burden of knowing that so many had died in your place, certain that the awareness would be enough to drive her to madness -- It was a wonder that it had not done the same to him.

And yet as he spoke of his upbringing, of a farm and a pet goat, she found herself smiling once more, blue eyes bright with wonder as the envisioned such a childhood. "A goat?" she echoed, incredulousness etched into every letter. "Yes, I can imagine it -- A little boy and his caprine partner-in-crime creating mayhem."

It was a sweet thought indeed, and yet it left Francesca with a hollow ache in her chest as she envisioned the man beside her as a carefree little boy. Deep down that was what they all were -- Terrified children playing pretend.

"My mother would not even let us own a cat," she continued, shaking the errant thoughts from her mind. "There was a stray tom that used to come and visit us -- My brother Benedict and I used to feed him, and sometimes we would even let him inside the house to play. Mother was not very happy when she found out." She could still picture Violet's wide eyes as she spied the black and white ball of fur, and a fond grin found its way to her lips. "Puck, we called him, like the fairy. Because he was so mischievous."

"With all due respect, these woods are dangerous in the nighttime or daylight. It would behoove you to take someone along. Perhaps I can offer Brewster?"

She knew that he was right, and yet Francesca found that she wished to argue against it, perhaps out of habit more than anything. Instead she offered a mere shrug, tone displaying the mirth that her eyes could not quite muster. "Maybe so, but would I be much safer with Caleb? He tends to attract trouble like nobody I have ever met." Pause. "But I shall think on it. It might be good to have some company, at least."

There was a moment then, a brief lull in the conversation before Ben began to speak once more, his words startling her speechless as she gazed out at the horizon. Had he not once said that she should not expect his thanks, or some such words? What on earth had changed his tune towards her so?

"I do not believe that I am worthy of such credit," she murmured, although the gratitude that coloured her cheeks was palpable as she turned to smile at him. "So let us not speak of debt. Although if you must offer repayment, I shall accept it in the terms of a war won so that I may come home for the celebrations."

What celebrations indeed. It almost seemed like a pipe dream, the thought of the war ending, of peace finally taking its seat across the lands. "If there is anything that I can do to help from across the sea, you need only write a letter. I imagine I shall not be all that busy otherwise."

[zuko-always-lies]

So, question, because I see people saying it often that Iroh has the right to feel animosity towards Azula because she made fun of/derided Lu Ten's death (or something like that), but does she actually do that in that scene? Or does she express disdain for Iroh's reaction, which considering the culture could easily be interpreted as Iroh being the one to make light of it? (Pretty sure there's at least one instance in _Romance of the Three Kingdoms_ where one character absolutely annihilates an opposing force because his brother/father/friend dies, if we want a real-world example of the mentality. Or, like, all of _The Hagakure_.)

Does Azula call Lu Ten a coward for dying? Or does she say that Iroh is for not "getting justice" or revenge for his son's death? For not finishing the task and abandoning the cause Lu Ten died for?

Because one of these means Iroh's dislike could be justified (nevermind the fact that he wasn't present for this conversation, so if he knew about it, he would have only heard about it from Zuko). But the other is an angry/disappointed/disgusted child calling an adult out.

Good question! I think I should start by talking about what Zuko and Azula actually say about Iroh.

"The Western Air Temple"(featuring 13 year old Zuko!):

Iroh: (Iroh looks on, concerned) Prince Zuko, it's only been a week since your banishment. (Cut to a far back view shot of the 2) You should take some time to heal and rest. Zuko: (turns around and raises his voice) What else would I expect to hear from the laziest man in the Fire Nation? (Cut to a close up of Iroh's slightly appalled face as he looks down and sighs) The only way (Cut back to a frontal shot of uncle and nephew) to regain my honor is to find the Avatar. So I will.

"The Headband":

Zuko: (standing at the bars) You brought this on yourself, you know. We could have returned together. You could have been a hero! (Iroh turns a shade further away from Zuko.) You have no right to judge me Uncle. I did what I had to do in Ba Sing Se, and you're a fool for not joining me. (Iroh is silent.) You're not gonna say anything? (Enraged, he kicks a stool and bends a blast of fire at the wall.) Argh! You're a crazy old man! You're crazy, and if you weren't in jail, you'd be sleeping in a gutter!

Zuko says some pretty negative things about Iroh, right to Iroh's face!

Now, what negative things does 14 year old Azula say about Iroh? Surprisingly little, even though she clearly doesn't like him. She implicitly calls him a traitor a couple times(during times when he is, in fact, a traitor by all reasonable definitions), but never really explicitly does so. Beyond that, there's very little. This is the only thing I can think of:

Azula: So...I hear you've been to visit your Uncle Fatso in the prison tower. Zuko: (standing, incensed) That guard told you.

Which is actually way less harsh than what Zuko says about Iroh! If anything, Azula's behavior in the present suggests that she only rarely criticized, much less mocked Iroh's behavior to his face when she was younger.

Now let's turn to the meat of your question, "Zuko Alone." There are two scenes in that episode where Azula criticizes Iroh. The first comes before Lu Ten's death:

Ursa: "And for Azula, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls." (As Ursa speaks, Azula picks up a doll wearing Earth Kingdom green. The Princess makes a face of disgust.) Azula: If Uncle doesn't make it back from war, then dad would be next in line to be Fire Lord, wouldn't he? (In the background, Zuko runs around practicing with his new dagger.) Ursa: (disappointed) Azula, we don't speak that way. It would be awful if Uncle Iroh didn't return. And besides, Fire Lord Azulon is a picture of health. Zuko: How would you like it if cousin Lu Ten wanted dad to die? Azula: I still think our dad would make a much better Fire Lord than (looking at the doll with disdain) his royal tea loving kookiness. (She holds out the doll and makes its head burst into flame. The screen flashes white and the flashback ends.

There are several things which seem to be driving Azula's actions here. The first is a reaction to the massive favoritism Iroh just showed toward Zuko. The second is a belief, no doubt inspired by Ozai's poisonous statements about his brother, that Ozai, who Azula idolizes, would make a better Firelord than Iroh. Finally, Azula is a confused child who is asking inappropriate questions because she's too young to understand proper boundaries. Nothing she says here is actually that serious, and I would expect a responsible adult(i.e. not Ursa) to either shrug it off, or to carefully reason with Azula in order to explain why what she is saying is problematic.

Now we turn to the other main scene, the one right after Lu Ten's death, and the one you probably actually wanted me to talk about:

Azula: (getting up and walking over to him) By the way, Uncle's coming home. Zuko: Does that mean we won the war? Azula: No. It mean's Uncle's a quitter and a loser. Zuko: What are you talking about? Uncle's not a quitter. Azula: Oh yes, he is. He found out his son died and he just fell apart. (leaning against a nearby pillar) A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground, not lose the battle and come home crying. Zuko: (angry) How do you know what he should do? (looking down, sadly) He's probably just sad his only kid is gone... forever.

You might note that, again, Azula doesn't say anything negative about Lu Ten. You've already noted that Iroh is thousands of miles away at the moment, so having him be "justified" in his hatred of Azula by a conversation he didn't hear doesn't make sense.

Azula is also very angry in this scene, quite possibly the angriest we ever see her at any point. That does suggest that she's taking what's happened, either Lu Ten's death or the abandonment of the siege, very personally. I don't know enough to comment specifically on this, but you are right in that there might be cultural background which specifically proscribes the achievement of vengeance as being of particular importance, and Azula is thus outraged that Iroh failed to fulfill his duty to his son.

But that not at the core of Azula's critique here. What Azula is attacking Iroh for is that he responded to a personal loss by abandoning his duty in the heat of battle, and she is 100% right on this, not only by the standards of Fire Nation cultural but also by the standards of modern western culture. Fun fact: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Robert E. Lee(screw the latter two, but that's another story) all suffered the loss of children they dearly loved in the middle of the American Civil War, yet none of them abandoned their duty. Archibald Roosevelt(another problematic figure) had two brothers die in WWII, yet he continued fighting on the front line. John W. Geary literally had his son die in his arms in the middle of battle, yet he continued commanding his unit well enough to prevail. Hell, we can even turn to Joseph Stalin here, to some extent.

Again, the core of what Azula says here is absolutely correct. Iroh is a "quitter" because he responded to Lu Ten's death by falling apart and abandoning the siege when it seemed on the brink of success, rather than continue the operation until victory. I don't think we need to go further than that to establish that Azula is entirely justified calling Iroh out here. And again, she doesn't criticize or mock Lu Ten at all, instead only attacking Iroh's reaction to Lu Ten's death.