#campbell parish

[alwaysthecarcrash]

In honor of the end of pride month… this

I tried to keep the essence of the original text

Also maybe the gay forest was the punk boyfriends we gained along the way…..

[almost-emerald-eyes]

any song can be about the raven cycle if i listen to it while staring into space enough times

[lupeintheclouds]

I cried my fucking heart out while reading greywaren but I wouldn't change it one bit 😭❤️‍🔥

[zablife]

Keep Us Safe (Part 2)

Tommy Shelby x wife reader 

Summary: Family history repeats itself when your daughter is taken by parish authorities. This time Tommy won't let them get away with it.

Author’s Note: I have rearranged certain events from S1-2 canon to suite my purposes. Part 2 was getting too long so I split it up. Part 3 will be the conclusion.

Warnings: language, ethnic slur, kidnapping, sexual assault (not graphic), mention of blood

Part 1

Tommy startled at the sound of the phone’s shrill ring, bringing him back to reality. “Mr. Shelby, it’s done. Stanley Chapman was picked up this morning. Inspector Campbell is questioning him now, but he appears to be who you say he is.”

“Thank you,” Tommy said, dropping the receiver and exhaling in relief. The bait he had dangled in front of Campbell had worked and he could once again concentrate on the upcoming race. He would approach Kimber there and everything had to be perfect. 

“Arthur!” he yelled. “Arthur, get in here!”

Arthur peered around the frosted glass door asking, “What’s all the shouting?”

“I need you to talk to that barmaid, Arthur. And get a haircut! We’re going to the races!” he proclaimed happily. 

————————————————————

Nora played quietly on the rug with her teddy bear as you kissed Tommy goodbye in the kitchen. Placing his hands at your hips to quell the nervous anticipation of the day, he said, “Kimber will accept. He won’t have any other choice.”

Unlacing your hands from his neck, you ran your fingertips over the shorn hair at the back of his head absently, biting your lip as you asked, “Are you sure about this?”

He fixed you with a reassuring gaze, promising, “Things are going to change for us after today, love. It’s all going to be different.”

You nodded, placing complete faith in him when he set his mind to something. However, you still worried for him and his brothers. “Please be careful, Tommy,” you begged, placing a tender kiss to his lips. 

“Don’t worry about me. The most important thing is to look after yourself and Nora. Remember what I told you about staying inside. You’ll have men at the door-“ he said, repeating the information he’d told you the night before.

He hadn’t allowed Esme to take Nora to the park since that unsettling revelation you were being watched and he didn’t let you go anywhere unaccompanied nowadays. Your safety was his greatest concern. He knew his part of the deal with Campbell had been fulfilled, but there was something about the crooked policeman that didn’t sit well with him.

You placed a finger to his lips as you smiled. “We’ll be fine. I love you, Thomas Shelby. You keep us safe.” His heart swelled with pride as he caressed your cheek with his thumb. 

“I’ll be back in time to put Nora to bed,” he said, turning to watch his little girl. He broke away from you to kneel down to her on the rug, kissing her curls as he patted her little head. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear. She turned from her game of make believe to hand him her teddy bear and place a kiss to his cheek. Tommy could only stare at the brilliant blue of her eyes so much like his own, yet holding an expression of love and warmth she’d clearly learned from you. The look of unconditional love for him took him aback. 

He cleared his throat of the lump that had formed, handing her teddy back to her gently and standing to leave, he pulled his cap over his brow with a sharp tug. It was time to get on with the business of the day.

—————————————————————

Having tired her with games and songs after lunch, Nora collapsed onto the carpet without warning, overcome by the need for sleep. You chuckled to yourself as you remembered her last feisty words to you, “No nap, mumma!”  She could be just as stubborn as Tommy at times, but how angelic she looked as she slept. You put the dishes aside, wiping your hands on your apron as you moved to collect her, but a sharp whistle broke the peaceful silence. 

Before you could make your way to the window, more of the same piercing noise could be heard up and down the lane. The sounds of horses and stomping boots became louder and you swore you felt horse hooves in your chest, beating at your rib cage as the pounding at your own door began. Despite the protection of the blinders posted at your door, you ran to Nora, sweeping her up into your arms as she whimpered at the interruption of her rest. You heard the men at the door being asked to stand aside for the police and you strained to listen for their reply. The men dutifully denying the residence was occupied, saying you’d moved weeks ago.

You bowed your head to Nora's pleading, “Shhh, my darling. Please don’t make a sound. Mummy needs you to be very quiet.” However, the feeling of your racing pulse against her and the nervous tone of your voice only served to frighten her. When another round of knocking began, she let out a long wail and you held your breath as you listened to the sounds of a scuffle on the other side of the threshold. As shots rang out, you ran and ducked behind the sofa, covering Nora with your body, praying the blinders had kept you safe.

A brief silence lulled you before your front door swung open slowly, the hinges creaking as boots thudded across the floorboards. A blinder would have called out to you, making his presence known. This was an intruder and your body shook with uncontrollable tremors, knowing you were without a weapon to defend yourself and your child. You kissed her forehead as she sobbed, listening to the terrible sound echo off the walls and feeling utterly exposed. 

A policeman towered over you suddenly, observing you with a sour expression. “Just here,” he said, pointing out your position to someone you couldn’t see. “You can begin,” he ordered. Two more men marched in behind him, turning the house upside down with violent force, smashing dishes and overturning chairs. 

You were hauled to your feet, still clutching Nora to your chest, as you asked, “What’s happening?”

No one answered you, but a fourth man joined the fray soon after. He was much older with graying whiskers and a bowler hat which he removed as though conducting civilized business as his men continued vandalizing your home. “Mrs. Shelby, are you aware of the criminal empire your husband is running right here in this city of hardworking, decent people?” he asked, softy at first, but his voice growing in anger and insistence. You stood motionless, tracking his movements with your eyes as he continued his tirade. You rubbed Nora's back to soothe her and she sucked her thumb against you, letting out hiccuped sobs.

“My name is Inspector Chester Campbell and it’s my job to see that men like Thomas Shelby don’t upset the rule of law. I’m sorry to say that he has and for that he will have to be punished,” he said with a stern look. You gulped, fearing the worst for your husband’s well being, but you stayed strong. Adjusting Nora on your hip, you stood tall, head held high.

“My husband has done nothing wrong,” you said, finding your voice in defense of Tommy. “He’s a respectable business man who only wishes for a peaceful city in which his business can thrive.”

Campbell laughed at the notion. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to stay with a cutthroat mongrel gangster, but understand there will be consequences.” As the hateful vitriol spewed from his lips, his men approached with various items including guns, blades and opium. Campbell scowled at you, shaking his head as he scoffed loudly, “I wouldn’t call this respectable. In fact, Mrs. Shelby, in my professional opinion, I would say this home is clearly unfit for children.” 

Your stomach dropped and you knees went weak as he motioned to one of his men uttering an emotionless order, “Take the child.” On instinct, you backed away from the man who came toward you, begging him, “No, please. She’s just a baby. You can’t take my child from me. This isn’t right!” The more you talked, the more desperate you became, kicking at his shins.

In a flurry of movement, you were restrained and Nora was ripped from your arms, screaming for you with deafening cries. “Mumma! Mumma!” she shrieked, face contorting in agony. You reached out for her, thrashing against the men who held you, cursing at them and finally spitting at one in an attempt to break free. In a fit of anger, one of them grabbed your throat, slamming you against the opposite wall. The back of your skull connected with a sickening thud, vision going fuzzy as you watched Nora being carried away and you willed yourself to stay awake. 

Campbell’s dark form came back into your line of sight and he dismissed the policeman holding you, watching you tilt forward and heave for breath with an unsettling hunger in his gaze. You bit back tears to prove he had not broken you, trying to hold your composure as best you could. Nora was just beyond the door and though he stood between you, you still held out hope you could get to her.

Bringing your attention back to him, the inspector cruelly taunted, “Not going to cry?”

“You’ll be the one crying when Tommy finds out what you’ve done, you pathetic old man,” you spat at him.

He slapped you across the face hard enough to turn your head, his ring splitting your lip open in the process. Distracted by the taste of blood in your mouth, you inhaled sharply at the sudden, rough drag of his stubble against your cheek as he hissed in your ear, “And you’re nothing but a gypsy fenian slut.”

He grabbed your chin to force you to look at him as he ran a hand up your skirt. He noticed the tears welling in your eyes, giving you a sickening smile. “I have to admit, I do have a great curiosity though. Like a magpie who sees something shining in the mud,” he said, moving his hand up your thigh toward your apex. “He has no need for the silver, but he takes it anyway.”

“Why are you doing this?” you asked as the first tear slipped down your cheek. Campbell caught it, wiping it away with the pad of his thumb.

He shook his head as he replied with condescension dripping from his voice, “I’m not the one responsible for this unfortunate chain of events. No, my dear. It would be best to remember that your husband did this to you.”

—————————————————-

John and Arthur badly wanted a drink after the long day at Tommy’s side, but they had promised to look in on Y/n on their way to the Garrison as Tommy took the important papers and earnings to the safe. Trudging along Watery Lane, they indulged in a quick drink, swigging from Arthur’s hip flask as they recounted the day’s events, laughing and boasting to one another. However, they both stopped short when they came to Tommy’s house, a peculiar sight catching their eye. A pair of boots stuck out at an odd angle from the alley and as Arthur went to investigate, John heard him mutter, “No, no, no…” John rounded the corner to find a blinder dead of a gunshot wound, one of the same men tasked with protecting Y/n and Nora.

John’s feet fell fast along the cobblestones as he rushed to push open the front door of the house. Once inside, he found it shrouded in darkness. He lit the lamp on the kitchen table as he called out for you and Nora, but received no response. Arthur quickly followed and ran his hands through his hair in distress as he took note of the wrecked house, John still searching for any sign of you. Then as he came to the foot of the stairs, he heard an unsettling sound, quiet whining like the sound of a wounded animal. He gulped as he turned to find you, huddled in the corner clutching a knife. 

“Y/n, oh, my God,” John said, kneeling to where you sat, staring ahead of you. He raised the lamp to your face and was horrified to find you beaten and bleeding, the state of you worse as he lowered the light. He took in the sight of your torn dress and stockings, covering his mouth with his hand to hide his reaction. Then he quickly got hold of himself reassuring you, “You’re going to be alright. Tommy’s on his way,” but you didn’t seem to hear any of it. He wrenched the knife from your hands, as Arthur came to stand over you both.

Although he was afraid of the answer, Arthur asked, “Where’s Nora, love?” At the mention of your daughter’s name, you came back to reality for a moment, breathing sharp ragged breaths to push the words out, “Gone…she’s gone. They took her,” you said as you began to shake.

John removed his jacket and placed it around you carefully. “Can you tell us who it was?” he prodded gently.

Before you could answer, Tommy was storming through the open door, looking about wildly at the destruction of his home and possessions. Arthur held him back suggesting, “Tommy, it’s bad. We should get Pol.” Then Tommy heard John talking to someone and his head snapped toward the sound. You were here and alive!

Tommy shoved his brother aside without thought, needing to be with you and Nora. However, he was immediately confused. Someone was crying, but it wasn’t his daughter's tiny whimpers. Had she gone to sleep, he wondered? He was supposed to put her to bed tonight, he remembered suddenly and a tidal wave of dread washed over him. He followed the dim light slowly then, crossing the floor as though weights had been tied to his feet. He realized he didn’t want to know the truth.

And then he was upon you, the light not strong enough to illuminate all of you at once and yet, allowing him to see far more than he could bear. With your arms wrapped tightly across your body you whispered, “Campbell,” into the silent room. 

“What did she say?” Tommy asked, throat suddenly too dry to swallow.

John looked up at his brother with hesitancy, then explained, “I asked who did this to her. Who took Nora.” That’s when Tommy’s heart caved in.

——————————————————-

Tommy placed the heels of his hands to his eye sockets, attempting to ease the exhaustion he felt behind his eyes. In the two months since the attack, he couldn’t remember the last time he had slept. When he wasn’t working to find Nora, he was watching over you, trying to get you to eat or sleep. It wasn’t easy because you’d withdrawn into yourself, sick with grief and the lingering effects of your trauma. Your wounds had healed, but now headaches and nausea incapacitated you. You no longer ventured outside the house and Polly was doing most of the shopping. She also took it upon herself to look in on you both again in the evenings for added measure.

“Pol, she can’t go on like this,” Tommy said one night after begging you to rest. 

Polly pulled a cigarette from her pocket and lit it, turning away from him. 

“Polly, I said Y/n is sick. Something has to be done or I’m going to lose my wife,” Tommy said with greater insistence as he made a desperate plea to the one person he thought might be able to help.

Tapping her fingers against the table for a moment, Polly thought about whether she could betray your confidence. As she stole a glance at her nephew, she braced herself for a difficult conversation. Taking his hand in hers, she confided, “She’s pregnant, Tommy.”

Cont reading Part 3

----------------------------

Tag List:

@peakyswritings

@evita-shelby

@shelbydelrey

@alanadetigy

@wandawiccan60   

@severewobblerlightdragon

@lovemissyhoneybee

@theshelbyslimited

@kittycatcait219

@callsign-fangirl

@christinasyellowflowers

@notyour-valentine

@theshelbyclan

@areyenotfondofmelobster

@polishcrazyone

@elenavampire21

@little-diable

@cillmequick

@raincoffeeandfandoms

@moral-terpitude

@dreamlandcreations

@look-at-the-soul

@kpopgirlbtssvt

@celticmelody

@floraroselaughter

@dandelionprints

@midnightswithdearkatytspb

@midnightmagpiemama

@l1-l4

@rangerelik

@kmhappybunny240

[ollieoliveoboelo22]

Benjamin Tallmadge is a Pretty Boy

Because I have nothing better to do with my time, I have tracked down as many quotes mentioning Tallmadge's appearance. These come from months of research, and I know I definitely missed a few. I'm not trying to start another TURN sexy man war, I just have to share these because some of them are funny.

"Tallmadge is one of the most attractive and dashing figures of our revolutionary history… A sketch of him by Colonel Trumbull, shows, under the plumed helmet of the Dragoon, a high-bred sensitive face, clear-eyed, confident and gallant.” -The History of the Town of Litchfield, Connecticut by Alain Campbell White. Page 86

"The picturesque figure of Col. Tallmadge directs attention to him in particular. Henry Ward Beecher wrote of him: ‘How well do we remember the stately gait of the venerable Colonel of Revolutionary memory!’… Col. L. W. Wessells has also left us a boy's impression of him: ‘When a small boy, I have often seen him on horseback, a remarkably handsome figure and splendid horseman.’” White, Pages 135-136

“When Lyman Beecher came to Litchfield in March, 1810, he was entertained by the leading members of the parish. ‘Colonel Tallmadge has just arrived from [Washington],’ Beecher wrote to his wife, ‘to spend a few days. I was invited to take tea with him, and had an agreeable evening. He is over six feet in height, and large in proportion; in countenance and bearing resembling Washington. He is polite and acquainted with men, and his wife and daughters are pious and accomplished.’” -Benjamin Tallmadge by Charles Swain Hall. Page 262

" Col. William Smith Livingston possessed great physical strength, and with Col. Benjamin Tallmadge, had the reputation of being the handsomest man in the Revolutionary Army. They were second cousins” - The Talmadge, Tallmadge, and Talmage genealogy. Page 88

"His person was rather above the ordinary stature, well proportioned, dignified and commanding. His step even in last years was firm and elastic, his body erect, and his whole carriage possessed a military dignity, in which was combined the model of both the soldier and the gentleman.” - Sermon on Tallmadge's funeral. Found in Memoir of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge edited by Henry Phelps Johnston. Page 145

“Tallmadge a bold and dashing officer, would run what today would be called a department of military intelligence. Tallmadge, according to one of his soldiers, ‘was a large, strong, and powerful man and rode a large bay horse which he took from the British. He was a brave officer, and there was no flinch in him. He was a man of few words, but decided and energetic, and what he was to the purpose.’” - George Washington, Spymaster by Thomas Allen. Pages 50-52

“He [Tallmadge] was over six feet in height, and large in proportion; in countenance and bearing resembling Washington, with whom he was a favorite.” - The autobiography of Lyman Beecher. Page 148

“In 1810 the spirit of '76 was not seriously dimin ished, and many of the principal actors in the stirring scenes of the Revolutionary struggle were still alive. Colonel Tallmadge, one of the most dashing and able cavalry officers of the army." - A biography of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. Page 35

“A young, handsome officer, attired in a dashing dragoon’s uniform, renowned for his combat exploits, Tallmadge was highly popular with the young women of Patriot disposition.” - General Washington's Commando by Richard Welch

“Tallmadge’s interests in women extended far beyond the issue of their education. Affable, good-looking and flirtatious, he had a keen eye for female beauty, and was attractive to and attracted by many young women, whose names, or descriptions, appear frequently in his letters.” ^ I don't have page numbers for these two because kindle is weird

“Benjamin Tallmadge, a gallant young major whose curls always seemed to be escaping beneath his sharp dragoon helmet, was still rather green, but his keenest of mind was apparent to everyone who met him.” - George Washington’s Secret Six, by Brian Kilmeade. Page 35.

In addition, are several novels and historical fiction that include Tallmadge and also call him pretty. I'm only going to put one here, but there are a few.

“Benjamin Tallmadge. A youth of seventeen years, six feet one inch in height, strong and well built.… His face was attractive” - Brinton Eliot: From Yale to Yorktown by James Farmer. Page 16.

And here are the links to Internet Archive

https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofl1920whit/page/86/mode/1up

https://archive.org/details/benjamintallmadg0000char/page/262/mode/2up?q=six

https://archive.org/details/talmadgetallmadg00intalm/page/88/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/memoirofcolonelb027409mbp/page/n239/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/georgewashington00alle_0/page/50/mode/1up

https://archive.org/details/johnharvardlibra0000barb/page/148/mode/1up?q=Tallmadge

https://archive.org/details/biographyofrevhe00beecuoft/page/35/mode/1up

[scotianostra]

Scottish pop singer/songwriter Dean Ford was born as Thomas McAleese on 5th September 1946 in Airdrie.

You wait all year for a Scottish singer/songwriter to appear, and two come along at once. Dean Ford was one of the most underrated artistes Scotland ever produced.

Tom, as he was still known as back then first began singing in public accompanying a jazz ensemble at the local Whifflet parish church dance hall. He formed his first musical group The Tonebeats at age 13, one of several he hooked up with during his teenage years. By the time he left Clifton High School in Coatbridge at age 15, he had been gaining more exposure as a featured singer. His break came after a performance with the Monarchs at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow in 1963, where he was seen by members of the popular east Glasgow band The Gaylords and subsequently invited to join the group.

McAleese adopted his stage name (a moniker he coined by combining the names Dean Martin and Tennessee Ernie Ford) and The Gaylords were re-christened Dean Ford and the Gaylords. With hopes of achieving more commercial success, Ford and the band relocated to London in 1965. The bands name came from a notorious post war Chicago Gaylords street gang.

Although the band were very popular and despite being crowned ‘Scotland’s Top Group’,they struggled to break through into the big time. The band changed their name in 1966, but although they were well received , they still struggled to make progress, this was despite Jimi Hendrix describing their 1967 song I see the rain, as the 'best cut of 1967, it did however make it to the top of the charts in The Netherlands!

Things started to go their way that year though when they played as Pink Floyds support at London’s Marquee Club, they started mixing it with the likes of The Who, Joe Cocker, Traffic Gene Pitney and The Tremeloes.They still lacked that chart success and CBS threatened to drop the band if they didn’t deliver soon, they famously rejected the song, Everlasting Love in 1967, Love Affair took the song to the top of the charts! Eventually the band had a hit with Lovin’ Things the following year, their follow up fared less well but in 1969 Marmalade became the first Scottish group to ever top that charts with Lennon and McCartney’s Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.

Marmalade went on to have 8 more top 40 hits over the years, my favourite was written by Ford and band member Junior Campbell, Reflections of My Life. Marmalade continue to show up at these 60’s shows but as far as I am aware none of the original band remain.

Dean lived in Los Angeles for much of his later life, but never forgot his routes, recording and releasing his final album, This Scottish Heart just two months before his death, the album of course having a Scottish theme with tracks like Glasgow Road, Bonnie Mary, Made in Scotland and For MacDougall included in the 30 songs, which also featured a remake of my fave Marmalade song, Reflections of my Life.

In 1998 Dean and Campbell were awarded a Special Citation of Achievement by BMI for attaining radio broadcast performances in excess of one million in the U.S. alone.

Dean, Thomas McAleese passed away suddenly on Hogmanay 2018 in Los Angeles, at the age of 72.

The song is Bonnie Mary by Dean, a song about our tragic queen, Nary Stuart.

We'll remember Bonnie Mary Queen of Scotland and Queen of France All the poets spoke of her great beauty And they say, she loved to dance

She married Darnley and they had a baby Oh, too soon, they took wee James away Then they chased our Mary out of Scotland Never to come back again

So they took a boat across the Solway Stepping on to England's northern shore She wasn't safe with Elizabeth in London Her fate was sealed forevermore

So it was to be, she was held a prisoner For eighteen years They shuttled her around Then one day, she called out to her maker Mary's head fell to the ground

So we remember Bonnie Mary Through it all, her dignity still shows All the poets spoke of her great beauty And our love for Mary grows Oh, oh, our love for Mary grows

[lifeofkaze]

Stars Above

A/N: This story was written for @hp-12monthsofmagic November prompt "Remember, remember." Warning: dealing with grief, death of a family member

Castle Combe, 1979

“Orville, Gregory. Parish constable. 1671 - 1715.”

“Okay, how about this one?”

“Weaver Penelope. Seamstress. 1748 - 1782.”

“And this?”

The voices of the two children carried clearly through the older part of the Castle Combe graveyard. It wasn’t the most common place to play but people passing them by on their way into the old church of St Andrew's hardly took notice of their presence. The Campbell children had always been odd; no one really questioned them. 

“Franklin, Edmond. Cheesemonger. 1815 - 1835. Struck dead by a cheese wheel falling onto his head.”

The little girl walking behind the rows of weathered graves stopped short in her tracks.

“You can’t possibly know that.”

“But I do.”

“How?”

The older boy, with the same gold-blond hair as his sister, drew his lips into a patient smile. “It’s called research, Ava.” 

Ava made a frustrated noise. They had been playing for the better part of an hour now, and Jamie was five correctly guessed - no, not guessed; remembered - historical dates ahead of her. Her count had been better than average but she had messed up the baker’s daughter and the old vicar. Frustrated, she sank into the grass in front of Miller, Adelaide, 1813 - 1878.

“Why must you always be so clever?” she asked Jamie with a wrinkled nose. 

“Runs in the family, I believe,” Jamie laughed, but not unkindly. “Maybe some of it will rub off on you eventually.” 

“Sometimes I’m not so sure about that.” Ava paused. Quietly, she said, “It’s going to be lonely without you, once you’re back at school.” 

“First term is only until Christmas. I’ll be back before you know it.” 

“Promise?”

Jamie raised his hand towards Ava, little finger outstretched. “I’ll always be there for you, Ava. I’m your brother, am I not?” 

Smiling, Ava hooked her little finger beneath her brother’s. “Forever?”

“For as long as there are stars above.” 

1987 

Castle Combe had gone dark. The wind had picked up earlier and was chasing heavy clouds over the sky. It lifted Ava’s hair off her shoulders as she slipped from her parents’ house unnoticed. Quietly, she walked through the deserted village streets. When she reached the graveyard, Jaime was already there. 

He stood in front of the grave of Miller, Adelaide, pensively watching the stone that had only crumbled more and more since the last time he and Ava had visited the graveyard together.

“You’re back.”

Ava had stopped a good deal from her brother, having to raise her voice not to be drowned out by the hissing of the wind. It didn’t matter. Jamie had known she was there from the moment she had stepped foot onto the leaf-littered grass. He turned, a solemn expression on his face. 

“I felt like there were some things I needed to explain.” 

“Go on then.”

“I don’t think you understand what it meant to me, Ava,” he said, taking a step towards her. “The Vaults are a mystery, a myth, to all of our kind. This was my chance to find out something nobody has before, to be looked up to for what I’ve achieved.”

“I’ve always looked up to you.”

Jamie’s rush of words ceased. He fell quiet, until eventually he said urgently, as if he wanted desperately for Ava to believe him, “I never thought it would blow up like it did but I couldn’t stop. I needed to keep everybody safe.”

“You didn’t keep Olivia safe.”

She didn’t raise her voice but her words hit home regardless. The fire that had burned behind his eyes went out.

“No,” he echoed tonelessly. “No, it didn’t. But the toll needed to be paid. There was no other way.”

“Hadn’t you meddled with the Vaults to begin with, there would have been no need.” 

“Why don’t you understand? I needed to know!”

He had moved forward, extending his hand toward Ava, who recoiled from him. 

“There are more important things than what we want, Jamie.”

“Is there?” His eyes were flashing angrily. “As if you didn’t meddle. You followed all the clues, just like I did, and —“

“To find you, to save you! Because I thought you were my brother!”

“I am your brother, Ava,” Jamie said. His gaze had an intensity to them that would have made Ava shiver if not for the sheer force of her own will. “Believe what you will, but we’re alike, you and I. I will always be your brother…”

Ava closed her eyes, not wanting him to say the words.

“… for as long as there are stars above.”

She took a shuddering breath, making herself look the boy - the man - who had once been the centre of her world and was now a stranger in the eye. Her voice was icy as she spoke.

“You are no brother of mine.” 

1988

As if to mock their grief, the sun shone down brilliantly and bright on the graveyard and the small group of mourners clad in black. 

Not many people had come. It was mainly family who had gathered, some distant relatives and the odd person from the village but Ava was fine with it. Not like there were many people left to mourn her brother’s death. 

The service in the cool shadows of St Andrew’s passed her by. Then they went outside, where the vicar continued droning on next to the hole in the ground that would soon harbour Jaime’s dead body. Ava kept her eyes fixed on it, as much to keep herself from snapping at the old man in front of her as to not look at the coffin waiting to be buried in the earth. 

When the draw of the polished oakwood became too overwhelming she shifted, letting her eyes wander over the assembled mourners. Her relatives were there, Carolyn Pendleton with Ava’s aunts and uncles. Their - her - cousin Mina had tried taking her hand during the service earlier, but Ava had drawn away from her sympathy and pity.

Behind her, Ava’s parents were standing arm in arm, looking aged beyond their years. There was an almost physical tension extending from them towards her, burning with the need to hold her, hold onto their only remaining child, but Ava remained at a distance, just far enough to not seem strange and still be out of reach. She couldn’t bear to be touched; not by anyone, but especially not by them. 

Not when it was her fault.

Everything was her fault. 

Her uncles stepped forward to help lower the coffin into the ground as the mourners sang a solemn song, and Ava closed her eyes not to watch her brother’s remains disappear. Pictures flashed before her inner eye, of a dark, dark forest looming around her, and her brother’s voice telling her not to go there alone. She had thought she was clever enough, as clever as him, that she could handle finding the last Vault by herself, that she could handle the Vaults by herself.

She had been so wrong.

Rakepick had found her in a clearing, had stepped from the shadows as if she’d been a part of the darkness pervading the trees. She had drawn her wand and pointed it at Ava, eyes hard and gleaming. She had told her something about a curse, a blood toll that needed to be paid. That was what had been agreed; that was what needed to be honoured.

She had said more but Ava hadn’t understood a word. All she had seen was the glowing tip of Rakepick’s wand, aiming for her heart. 

She hadn’t even known Jamie was there. She never heard his footsteps, or him shouting her name when he suddenly appeared, flinging himself between her and the curse, crumbling to the ground like a broken ragdoll. 

Ava and Rakepick stared at each other, then at Jamie’s body lying on the ground. Hoarsely, Rakepick whispered, “The toll has to be paid, one way or another.”

Then, she disappeared. 

She left behind deafening silence, only broken by a shuddering gasp as Ava moved forward. The gasp turned into a scream as she collapsed onto her brother’s dead body, crying, cursing, wanting him to come back, begging him to, but he didn’t, he couldn’t, he would never, never again.

Night had fallen when Ava snuck from her room and back toward the graveyard. There were flowers everywhere, left by the mourners and others who had come after the service had concluded. Ava stood over the colourful sea of petals and ribbons decking the freshly upturned earth, thinking how obscene it was to celebrate Jamie’s death in a way that his life never had been. 

She sat down before the tombstone, drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. She stared at the letters etched into the stone without really seeing them, just looking, before finally - finally - the tears were starting to fall. 

1999

The night was dark and drenched in rain. It fell from protruding roofs and hanging branches, cloaking the small village and its graveyard in a shroud of rainfall. Many fresh graves had been dug here lately but the one Ava was drawn to was older. She walked past the rows of crosses and stone angels like in a dream, her feet taking her on familiar paths, past memories of different times, a different life.

Orville, Gregory, parish constable. 

Weaver, Penelope, seamstress.

Franklin, Edmond, unfortunate cheesemonger.

Then, Miller, Adelaide. 

She stood, swallowing hard.

Campbell, Jamie. 

It had been years since she’d been here. She stared at the grave in silence, barely recognising the plants and candles that had been set into the pitch-black earth. The cold wind coming from the East hit her bare neck, making the pendant resting against her skin feel like a lump of ice. Shivering, Ava wished for something to keep herself warm but there was nothing that would help. She covered the big red scar spanning her abdomen; she hadn’t felt warm in weeks. 

“Things have changed,” she told Jamie’s gravestone. Her words rang through the silence of the graveyard, dropping to the ground with the rain still falling around her, heavy and cold. “I understand what you did now, and I’m sorry. For everything.” 

She was met with silence. Ava closed her eyes, conjuring the memory of this same graveyard filled with hers and Jamie’s laughter. The pang of longing that hit her was so sharp that it almost made her gasp. 

“I’m going to leave,” she continued quietly. “I have found a way to end it, once and for all. I have to, you know that. You always knew. It has to end. But I’m not sure if I’ll come back.” She paused. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to.”

Reaching out, Ava touched the tombstone, fingers barely grazing its surface. Tears were burning in her chest but there weren’t any left to shed.

“I’m sorry, brother,” she whispered, words picked up and scattered into nothingness by the wind. “I’ll always remember you… as long as there are stars above.” 

She took out her wand, her spell barely more than a breath. Then she turned and walked away without looking back, leaving behind a single amaryllis flower bowing its head to the rain falling from an ink-black, starless sky. 

[thethirdromana]

“And now,” says he, “if you have any business, pray be brief and come swiftly to the point. Nec gemino bellum Trojanum orditur ab ovo—do you understand that?” says he, with a keen look. “I will even do as Horace says, sir,” I answered, smiling, “and carry you in medias res.” He nodded as if he was well pleased, and indeed his scrap of Latin had been set to test me. 

I was curious to know just how taxing Mr Rankeillor's test would be for the average Scottish school leaver in the 1750s. And I haven't been able to figure that out, but I did learn a bit about the Scottish education system along the way.

The idea of testing someone based on their ability to understand Latin has some ancient foundations in English law. (Not sure if there was an equivalent in Scottish law). Specifically, being able to read a Latin Bible verse enabled you to claim "benefit of clergy" in an English court from 1351 to 1706, which meant being tried in an ecclesiastical court, where the punishments handed out were usually less severe.

Scotland has a long-standing reputation for high literacy rates from the Reformation onwards. A bunch of paywalled articles seem to dispute that; this article suggested about 65% of Scottish men and 15% of Scottish women were literate in 1800, vs 60% of English men and 40% of English women. (Though this means literate in English - possibly there were people literate in Scots Gaelic who weren't literate in English).

Latin was taught primarily in grammar schools. My guess is that the number of boys who attended grammar schools would be more-or-less the same as the number who could pass Mr Rankeillor's test (plus sons of the gentry and nobility educated at home but that's probably not a huge number either). I don't know what percentage of boys went to grammar school, but it was probably a small minority.

Davie, however, has presumably not attended a grammar school, but instead the usual parish school run by his father. The fact that he has good Latin nonetheless proves what Mr Campbell told us in the first chapter - that his father was "a man of learning as befitted his position; no man more plausibly conducted school; nor had he the manner or the speech of a common dominie".

[angelloverwriting]

Hi darlings, I’m Angel, I’m not a new writer but it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. Here’s some stuff about me to get to know me a little better.

I’m absolutely feral for music. My favorite genre is probably alt rock, punk, or classic rock. My favorite bands are Flyleaf, Deftones, Guns n Roses, Korn, and Alice In Chain. I like some rap like Lil Peep and Linkin Park. I’m also a big baby so I like Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, the Neighborhood, and TV Girl. I love OLD Panic At The Disco.

I loved stuffed animals, idc that I’m too old.

I love real animals too, and I work at a zoo.

I love movies. And acting. And I’m on the road of becoming a film actor.

I love art and poetry and writing.

I’m super friendly and love talking to people, so don’t be afraid to reach out if we share some interests or wanna get to know me more :)

I’m bisexual, so this is an LGBTQ safe place

My requests are always open <3

Characters and people I write for >>>>

Rory Culkin

Jack Thurlow

Charlie Walker

Danny Cooper

Jamie Campbell Bower

Henry Creel

Eddie Munson

Ellie Williams

Joel Miller

Andrew Garfield

Tasm!Peter Parker

JF&DD!Harry Osborn

Jess Mariano

Colby Brock

Sam Golbach

Ben Parish

Evan Walker

Cassie Sullivan

Aaron Warner

[spacenutspod]

Students from Universidad Católica Boliviana prepare to traverse the course at the 2024 Human Exploration Rover Challenge at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.Credits: NASA/Taylor Goodwin NASA announced the winners of the 30th Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) April 22, with Parish Episcopal School, from Dallas, winning first place in the high school division, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville, capturing the college/university title. The annual engineering competition – one of NASA’s longest standing challenges – held its concluding event April 19 and April 20, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The complete list of 2024 award winners is provided below: High School Division  First Place: Parish Episcopal School, Dallas Second Place: Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology, Reno, Nevada Third Place: Escambia High School, Pensacola, Florida College/University Division  First Place: University of Alabama in Huntsville Second Place: Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Third Place: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina Ingenuity Award  University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida Phoenix Award  High School Division: East Central High School, Moss Point, Mississippi College/University Division: North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota Task Challenge Award  High School Division: Erie High School, Erie, Colorado College/University Division: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota Project Review Award  High School Division: Parish Episcopal School, Dallas College/University Division: University of Alabama in Huntsville Featherweight Award  Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island Safety Award  High School Division: NPS International School, Singapore College/University Division: Instituto Especializado de Estudios Superiores Loyola, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic Crash and Burn Award  KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, India Jeff Norris and Joe Sexton Memorial Pit Crew Award  High School Division: Erie High School, Erie, Colorado College/University Division: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina Team Spirit Award  Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Most Improved Performance Award High School Division: Jesco von Puttkamer School, Leipzig, Germany College/University Division: Universidad Católica Boliviana – San Pablo, La Paz, Bolivia Social Media Award  High School Division: Bledsoe County High School, Pikeville, Tennessee College/University Division: Universidad de Piura, Peru STEM Engagement Award  High School Division: Princess Margaret Secondary School, Surrey, British Columbia College/University Division: Trine University, Angola, Indiana Artemis Educator Award Sadif Safarov from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey Rookie of the Year Kanakia International School, Mumbai, India More than 600 students with 72 teams from around the world participated as HERC celebrated its 30th anniversary as a NASA competition. Participating teams represented 42 colleges and universities and 30 high schools from 24 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 13 other nations from around the world. Teams were awarded points based on navigating a half-mile obstacle course, conducting mission-specific task challenges, and completing multiple safety and design reviews with NASA engineers.  “This student design challenge encourages the next generation of scientists and engineers to engage in the design process by providing innovative concepts and unique perspectives,” said Vemitra Alexander, HERC activity lead for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall. “While celebrating the 30th anniversary of the challenge, HERC also continues NASA’s legacy of providing valuable experiences to students who may be responsible for planning future space missions including crewed missions to other worlds.” HERC is one of NASA’s eight Artemis Student Challenges reflecting the goals of the Artemis program, which seeks to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon while establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration. NASA uses such challenges to encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  HERC is managed by NASA’s Southeast Regional Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall. Since its inception in 1994, more than 15,000 students have participated in HERC – with many former students now working at NASA, or within the aerospace industry.     To learn more about HERC, please visit:  https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/home/index.html    -end- Gerelle DodsonNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-4637gerelle.q.dodson@nasa.gov Taylor Goodwin Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034taylor.goodwin@nasa.gov Share Details Last Updated Apr 22, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related TermsSTEM Engagement at NASAArtemisGet InvolvedMarshall Space Flight CenterOpportunities For Students to Get InvolvedPrizes, Challenges & Crowdsourcing

[countyflagchampionship]

On to Round 2!

This is a wrap-up of the current standings. Polls for round 2 will be published starting this Saturday (12/16).

Congratulations to all the counties that progressed!

The state that is standing the strongest is New York, with 39 counties progressing to round 2! Albany, Allegany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Jefferson, Kings, Livingston, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Schuyler, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, and Wyoming.

Next most powerful state is Virginia, which has 36 winning counties. Alleghany, Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Brunswick, Caroline, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Halifax, Isle of Wight, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lee, Louisa, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rockingham, Scott, Smyth, Southampton, Tazewell, Warren, and Wise.

Ohio is also standing strong with 27 advancing counties. Brown, Butler, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Geauga, Holmes, Jackson, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Mercer, Monroe, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Ross, Scioto, Seneca, Trumbull, and Van Wert.

North Carolina is up next with a solid 24 wins. Beaufort, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Camden, Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Granville, Harnett, Henderson, Hoke, Jackson, Johnson, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Mecklenburg, Northampton, Onslow, Person, Robeson, Tyrrell, and Wake.

Only 1 more state has over 20 counties that made won their match-ups and that's my wonderful Washington. Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Cowlitz, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima. Stay strong my soldiers.

A much higher number of states are comfortably in the middle of the pack. They are as follows:

Texas: 19 counties. Bosque, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Fort Bend, Goliad, Hockley, Jones, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, McMullen, Milam, Ochiltree, Orange, Panola, Parker, San Patricio, and Travis.

California: 17 counties. Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Imperial, Lake, Mariposa, Monterey, Orange, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Yolo.

Pennsylvania: 16 counties. Allegheny, Blair, Butler, Carbon, Dauphin, Franklin, Greene, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montgomery, Perry, Potter, Venango, and York.

Tennessee: 15 counties. Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cumberland, Hardin, Houston, Johnson, Knox, Madison, Maury, McNairy, Obion, Union, Williamson, and Wilson.

Nebraska: 13 counties. Adams, Buffalo, Cass, Cherry, Dakota, Keith, Knox, Nuckolls, Platte, Saunders, Stanton, Thayer, and Webster.

Nevada: 13 counties. Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, and White Pine.

Illinois: 12 counties. Cook, DeKalb, Franklin, Jasper, Kane, Marion, McDonough, McHenry, Morgan, Peoria, St Clair, and Winnebago.

Maryland: 12 counties. Anne Arundel, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Washington, and Worcester.

Michigan: 12 counties. Barry, Berrien, Clinton, Genesee, Gogebic, Kalamazoo, Lake, Oceana, Ottawa, Rocommon, Sanilac, and Wexford.

Iowa: 11 counties. Dickinson, Fayette, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Humboldt, Jefferson, Jones, Polk, Pottawattamie, and Wright.

Louisiana: 11 parishes. Ascension, Bossier, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Jefferson, Lincoln, Natchitoches, St Bernard, St James, and St Tammany.

New Jersey: 11 counties. Bergen, Cumberland, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

Kentucky: 10 counties. Boone, Boyle, Breckinridge, Daviess, Leslie, Logan, Pike, Shelby, Trimble, Woodford.

Many of these poor cute states are barely hanging on. Please wish them luck.

Florida: 8 counties. Alachua, Bay, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okaloosa, Osceola, Palm Beach, and St Johns.

New Mexico: 8 counties. Colfax, Curry, Doña Ana, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Roosevelt, and Socorro.

Georgia: 6 counties. Bartow, Cherokee, Floyd, Fulton, Pierce, and Rockdale.

Indiana: 6 counties. Benton, Elkhart, Jennings, Marion, Marshall, and Starke.

Minnesota: 6 counties. Aitkin, Clearwater, Hennepin, Hubbard, McLeod, and Pipestone.

Wisconsin: 6 counties. Calumet, Fond du Lac, Osaukee, Portage, Racine, and Sheboygan.

Wyoming: 6 counties. Big Horn, Converse, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, and Teton.

Missouri: 5 counties. Clay, Gentry, Greene, Newton, and St Louis.

South Carolina: 5 counties. Anderson, Calhoun, Dillon, Dorchester, and Lexington.

Utah: 5 counties. Beaver, Summit, Utah, Washington, and Wayne.

Alaska: 4 boroughs. Anchorage, Juneau, Matanuska-Susitna, and Wrangell.

Arkansas: 4 counties. Cross, Searcy, Washington, and White.

Colorado: 4 counties. Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, and La Plata.

Oklahoma: 4 counties. Bryan, Payne, Rogers, and Washington.

West Virginia: 4 counties. Fayette, Marion, Monongalia, and Roane.

Alabama: 3 counties. Bullock, Cleburne, and Mobile.

Arizona: 3 counties. Coconino, Maricopa, and Yavapai.

Maine: 3 counties. Androscoggin, Hancock, and Washington.

Idaho: 2 counties. Bannock and Bonner.

Kansas: 2 counties. Atchinson and Johnson.

Massachusetts: 2 counties. Barnstable and Berkshire.

Montana: 2 counties. Gallatin and Silver Bow.

North Dakota: 2 counties. Benson and LaMoure.

Some states only have 1 county that progressed. They are: Delaware (Kent County), Hawaii (Maui County), Mississippi (Adams County), New Hampshire (Hillsborough County), Oregon (Linn County), and South Dakota (Bennet County).

```

In addition to all the winning counties above, there will be 83 new county flags folded into round 2!!! (Because of math reasoning this had to happen) Get hyped

They are as follows:

Alexander NC, Allen OH, Alpena MI, Alpena MI, Alpine CA, Arapahoe CO, Ashe NC, Avery NC, Baldwin AL, Baltimore MD, Bell KY, Benzie MI, Bernalillo NM, Black Hawk IA, Brevard FL, Camden NJ, Campbell WY, Canyon ID, Centre PA, Charles City VA, Cheatham TN, Chester PA, Clark WA, Clarke VA, Cleveland OK, Cochise AZ, Columbus NC, Coweta GA, Darke OH, Davidson NC, Elko NV, Erie PA, Florence SC, Garrett MD, Goshen WY, Greene VA, Grundy IL, Gwinnett GA, Hidalgo TX, Highland OH, Hocking OH, Holt NE, Hot Springs WY, Howard MD, Huntingdon PA, Ingham MI, Island WA, Kankakee IL, Lackawanna PA, Lawrence PA, Leelanau MI, Lehigh PA, Leon FL, Liberty TX, Lucas OH, Madera CA, Mahaska IA, Manitowoc WI, McLennan TX, Meigs OH, Milwaukee WI, Nashville and Davidson TN, Northumberland VA, Orleans NY, Page VA, Porter IN, Sacramento CA, Salt Lake UT, San Diego CA, Sangamon IL, Sevier TN, Shelby TN, Skamania WA, Spotsylvania VA, Stafford VA, Sussex VA, Terrell TX, Trinity CA, Tulsa OK, Tuscarawas OH, Ventura CA, Wahkiakum WA, Yuma AZ

[almost-emerald-eyes]

Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls / Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Steifvater / the Soldier Poet King UQuiz

[fcundaticnsofdecay]

so this is a starter call for the muses below! please tell me in the comments which one(s) you want or i'm going to throw someone random your way!

Annika Pearson. thirty two. heterosexual. former adult star. margot robbie fc.

Colin Balfe. thirty two. heterosexual. boxer. barry keoghan fc.

Billie Dearden. twenty five. heterosexual. bartender. ella purnell fc.

Everett Grimes. forty. heterosexual. arms dealer. boyd holbrook fc.

Dakota Reed. twenty four. bisexual. collarge student. isabel may fc.

Oakley Coates. twenty eight. ghost writer. tom blyth fc.

Maeve Rowley. twenty nine. ballerina. maddie phillips fc.

Tristan Bishop. twenty seven. truck driver. rohan campbell fc.

Grace Parish. thirty. bisexual. flight attendant. victoria pedretti fc.

Lorcan Belton. forty eight. heterosexual. former forger. cillian murphy fc.

[resolviendolaincognita]

The melody of memory: the ancestral hymn that united two continents

In the summer of 1933, linguist Lorenzo Dow Turner (1890-1972) and musicologist Lydia Parish visited Amelia Dawley in Harris Neck, Georgia. This was a coastal community of Black landowners from the Gullah ethnic group. Turner recorded the song sung by Dawley, which the community had known for ages without understanding its meaning. This marked the beginning of a journey to their roots.

Origin of the Gullah Language

Turner was interested in Gullah culture, which had remained isolated from outsiders, especially white people. The Gullah people were descendants of slaves from plantations in South Carolina and Georgia, comprising individuals from the Mandingo, Bamana, Wolof, Fula, Temne, Mende, Vai, Akan, Ewe, Bakongo, and Kimbundu ethnic groups.

Turner hypothesized that their language was either an archaic or childlike form of English. To uncover this part of American linguistic history, which he would publish in "Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect," he first had to earn their trust. Through his research, he realized that Gullah had no trace of English and reasoned that it could have survived similarly to Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German preserved through relative isolation. The study of their language indicated a common origin with the languages of Jamaica and Barbados, suggesting it originated from some part of West Africa. After years of studying their creole languages and African languages, he narrowed his search down to the Mende and Vai languages.

Among the data he recorded, in chapter 9 of his book, he published Dawley's song, considered the longest known African language song in the United States. Its meaning was unknown, but in 1941, his Sierra Leonean student Solomon L. Caulker recognized the repetition of the term "kambei" ("grave") in the Mende language. Thanks to this revelation, Turner was able to publish a translation of the funeral song:

Ah wakuh muh monuh kambay yah lee luh lay tambay Ah wakuh muh monuh kambay yah lee luh lay kah. Ha suh wileego seehai yuh gbangah lilly Ha suh wileego dwelin duh kwen Ha suh wileego seehi uh kwendaiyah.

Come together, let's work hard; the grave is not yet finished; let its heart be perfectly at peace. Come together, let's work hard; the grave is not yet finished; let its heart be perfectly at peace. Sudden death commands everyone's attention, oh elders, oh heads of families. Sudden death commands everyone's attention, like a distant drumbeat.

Turner's works became reference materials, but general interest in the Gullah people experienced a pause. Anthropologist Joseph Opala, who had lived in Sierra Leone for years and studied the ruins of slave trading centers, was the one who revived the interest.He began with the records from the Ball plantation in South Carolina and the slave ship and auction records discovered in New York, which showed a complete trace from Africa to the present day. In his documentary Family Across the Sea (1989), he gathered Emory Campbell and several Gullah leaders for a trip to Sierra Leone.

The Return of the Funeral Hymn

However, although enthusiastic about the idea, Sierra Leone felt it was not enough. They needed clearer links. That's when they collaborated with ethnomusicologist Cynthia Schmidt to find the origin of Dawley's song. They searched the district where they estimated its most likely origin, but found no one who knew it. This changed in the periphery, in Senehun Ngola, where they found Bendu Jabati.

Bendu Jabati had heard this song sung by his grandmother, who told him it was sung in honor of the ancestors. It was a hymn sung at funerals, associated with a very important ceremony for the Mendé: the Tenjami ("Crossing the River"). Knowing that it was a cultural element that could be lost, his grandmother taught it to him, along with the movements to show her mourning. The custom was for the men to prepare the grave, while the women pounded the rice. It was performed on the third day of a woman's funeral or the fourth of a man's, symbolizing the bridge between the world of the living and the dead. Relatives spent the night and part of the next day at the burial site performing the final rites. After preparing and eating rice, participants completed the ritual by turning over an empty pot of rice, leaving it on the ground as a farewell. This ceremony disappeared after World War I, when soldiers recruited by the British Army introduced Islam and Christianity upon their return.

The meeting took place in 1997 between Mary Moran (1921-2022), daughter of Amelia Dawley, and her family, with Bendu Jabati. They were welcomed by the president of Sierra Leone in Freetown and taken to Senehun Ngola, where they met Bendu Jabati. By that time, they had the full text of the song provided by Sierra Leonean linguist Tazieff Koroma and translated by him, Edward Benya and Opala. In Sierra Leone, the song was slightly different, possibly because of the development of the language over the intervening centuries. When Mary Moran and Bendu Jabati met, it proved that this hymn had survived another generation. This encounter was shown in the documentary The Language You Cry (1998).   

A wa kaka, mu mohne; kambei ya le'i; lii i lei tambee. A wa kaka, mu mohne; kambei ya le'i; lii i lei ka. So ha a guli wohloh, i sihan; yey kpanggaa a lolohhu lee. So ha a guli wohloh; ndi lei; ndi let, kaka. So ha a guli wohloh, i sihan; kuhan ma wo ndayia ley.

Come quickly, let us work hard; the tomb is not yet finished; his heart has not yet grown cold. Come quickly, let us work hard; the tomb is not yet finished; let his heart be cool now. Sudden death cuts down the trees, borrows them; the remains slowly disappear. Sudden death cuts down the trees; let it be satisfied, let it be satisfied, at once. Sudden death cuts down the trees, borrows them; a voice speaks from afar.

Recognizing a Slave Girl

In Sierra Leone, however, they wanted an even more concrete connection: the name of a slave who had left their homeland. Despite the difficulty of the task, Opala found in the Martin family papers the name of Priscilla, a girl who was taken from Sierra Leone to Charleston in 1756. Although it is unknown exactly how she was obtained, contemporary records speak of abductions by other Africans, especially from enemy kingdoms, such as the Fula, Mandingo or Susu. They were kidnapped, prisoners of war, people convicted of crimes or sold to pay debts. In exchange, the British offered them guns, gunpowder, clothes, rum, metal goods and various trinkets. Of the 40 British slave castles or fortified trading posts in Sierra Leone, he would have passed through Bunce Island, the largest and only major castle on the Rice Coast. She would have come from the interior to the coast walking naked or with rags and bound hands. Before traveling by sea, she would have been branded and auctioned off. After surviving the rough voyage across the Atlantic on the ship Hare, she would have stayed 10 days in quarantine, being one of the few people in good condition, and then put to work in a rice field. Although the Hare was a British ship owned by the London owners of Bunce Island, New-York Historical Society records said it was an American slave ship owned by Samuel and William Vernon, two of the wealthiest merchants in colonial Rhode Island, sailing from Newport, Rhode Island.

In America, Priscilla would have fallen in love a decade later with the slave Jeffrey, with whom in 1770 she had three children and, in 1811, after his death, about 30 grandchildren. Her descendants continued to work on the plantation until early 1865, when the plantation was taken over by the Federals. Henry, one of his freed descendants, took the surname Martin and had ten children with Anna Cruz. Of these, roofer Peter Henry Jr. was born in 1886 and had Thomas P. Martin in 1933. At the time of the investigation, he was to have been the one to make the trip, but he died and was replaced by his daughter Thomalind Martin Polite, a 31-year-old speech pathologist at a primary school. Their reunion in Sierra Leone was shared in the documentary Priscilla's homecoming (2005).

In conclusion, although slavery attempted to erase the identity of its victims, they have the power to preserve the customs that connect them to their roots through the centuries. The song itself bridged the gap between the two shores, reuniting through their descendants those who had been separated.

[writingwintermoon]

Fennec.

Fennec Shand is handsome, clever, and rich, and rules the town of Mos Espa alongside her best friend, the Daimyo Boba Fett. Since consolidating their control of the sector, there has been little to distress or vex them.

Fennec-Emma AU, featuring Boba/Fennec, Jo/Drash, Din/Cobb, some slight Fennec/Bo-Katan, and implied Bo/Koska but now that I have the Nitearmor bug that may be included too 🤭 this is just an outline but these are two of my favorite things, Star Wars and Jane Austen lol

I highly encourage anyone who has not yet seen Emma. (2020) starring Anya Taylor-Joy to witness its excellence.

- (This is all because I accidentally put “I’ll dance with you, if you’ll have me” in another fic lmao)

- Fennec as Emma

- Boba as Mr. Knightley

- (they’re kind of both Emma and both Mr. Knightley, and also both kind of Mr. Woodhouse) (Boba moreso though)

- The people of Mos Espa are the broad concept of Mr. Woodhouse? Somehow.

- The Majordomo as Bartholomew the long-suffering manservant?

- Din as Harriet (Because he is The New Girl, & kind of also Jane Fairfax, because he is also Mysterious and That Bitch)

- Cobb as Robert Martin (he already is kind of Boba’s tenant farmer)

- Taanti as Mrs. Martin Senior

- The Tuskens who helped with the Kryat dragon as the Martin sisters

- the Armorer would be Mrs. Goddard…

- Paz as one of the schoolgirls (lmao)

- Drash and Jo as Miss Taylor and “Ms.” Weston

- Boba gives Drash away at the wedding and is beside himself with joy

- though he does do a bit of "poor Miss Taylor"-ing about how Drash is moving to Freetown

- Din asks, “Who cried most?” (it was Taanti)

- (Din wasn't there bc he had to go get the Armorer and Paz) (and I guess Ragnar’s there too)

- Peli as Miss Bates

- (and R5 as Mrs. Bates)

- (I’m thinking like the 2020 version where Mrs. Bates doesn’t talk at all until the very end and then won’t shut up)

- The other gotras would be the Coles etc

- The Modifier as Dr. Perry

- DENGAR AND MANAROO AS JOHN AND ISABELLA

- We can probably throw Bossk in there for no good reason for the Christmas Life Day dinner scene

- Highbury is Tatooine broadly/Mos Espa specifically

- The Palace is Donwell Abbey ... and also Hartfield

- The Parish is like, the abstract concept of (Bo-Katan's version of) the Mandalorian Way

- Brighton (or is it Bath he goes to??) is Mandalore?

- London is Coruscant ofc

- The Churchills’ estates are the abstract concept of the Jedi order

- Ford’s would be Garsa’s sanctuary

- BO-KATAN WOULD BE MR. ELTON (broadly)

- The portrait would instead be Bo-Katan suggesting to Din (& maybe Boba’s there too) that they make Fennec a cuirasse & new helmet (not of beskar, but at least in the Mandalorian style)

- Carriage scene, “I was flirting with Din for political reasons, for the darksaber! I was trying to get you to like me to get close to Boba! I don’t care about any of you, I only care about Mandalore!”

- All her other Mando gang would be Mrs. Elton, being kind of annoying and disrespectful & weirdly familiar to Mr. Knightley but also the best/funniest part of the whole thing

- Luke would also be both Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill… Because he is Also Mysterious and That Bitch

- All the secret Jane Fairfax shit is Luke keeping all the Jedi stuff/his Skywalker backstory kind of secret

- Leia and Han as Miss Campbell and Mr. Dixon!

- the seaside incident = the Sarlacc incident???

- (I mean Han has saved Luke’s ass so many times—“that’s two you owe me, junior”)

- Luke letting Grogu go back to Din would be the pianoforte…

- GROGU IS THE PIANOFORTE

- Everyone (at least Bo-Katan) assumes it’s some kind of rescue mission or ultimatum by Boba but no, Luke let Grogu choose

- Luke did Din a great service!! (rescuing Grogu!!) (LIKE FRANK & HARRIET AND THE TRAVELERS)

- this situation would be the Travelers Incident (=> The Pity Dance) = Hearing Grogu's Call (=> Letting Grogu Choose)

- And then Boba (Mr. Knightley) can get over his dislike of Luke (Frank Churchill) since he helped Din (& Grogu) (Harriet)!!!

- any flirting with Fennec would be all Luke "I'm pure sunshine, charming naturally" Skywalker

- we shall have our ball indeed...

- Mr. Knightley sending his carriage would be Boba going to personally pick up Din, Cobb, Drash, & Jo from Freetown for their little event...

- Still need to include the Mr. Knightley singing with Jane scene

- ....but would this be Luke or Din as Jane?? 😱 THIS WOULD BE DIN, THEY'D BE SINGING A MANDO SONG

- AND BO-KATAN WOULD BE LIKE 😡 that should be me...

- The Strawberry picking outing at Donwell Abbey would be some kind of Mandalorian holiday…

- Boba just hangs out with Din the whole time, ignoring Bo-Katan, who is trying to set Din up as a governess/journeyman for her kind of Mandalorian (maybe even to help take care of foundlings??) so she’s heated

- Luke arrives late and is like 🤷‍♀️ I’m not a Mando, guess I'll leave

- Fennec is like, I’m not either, but Boba invited you to show favor to Grogu & by extension Din

- (He wanted to sit down with Din & Bo-Katan & Boba and explain about Tarre Vizsla, how Grogu can walk the way of the Mandalore while still following Jedi teachings, but the vibes are atrocious)

- He says, when I am missed… tell the others

- Fennec is like, okay fine, leave then

- Luke is like [shocked Pikachu face]

- Box Hill as a pod race instead???

- Fennec says something [unintentionally] nasty to Peli about how junk can still win

- It’s only funny when Peli says that herself…

- Of course Din takes Peli's side, so Cobb does too

- Even the Mods are like, be careful what you call junk...

- Badly done, Fennec!

- she sulks in the tower...

- Boba cheers Peli up by lettering her work on his “antique” (he grits his teeth when he says it ... but for real that ship has been around for a while lol)

That’s all I have for now, but I’ve been stewing on this for like a year.

@daimyosprincess @pickleprickle I feel like we are feeling the same wavelength here!

[scotianostra]

On March 7th 1671 Robert “Rob” Roy MacGregor was baptised, his actual birthdate is lost in the midst of time.

As early as 1690 he became a noted raider; and on the revival in 1693 of the proscription of the name of MacGregor, he adopted his mother’s name of Campbell as a surname. He secured leases of lands between the estates of the rival noble houses of Montrose and Argyll, and for many years was active in buying and selling cattle and also in raiding whenever opportunity offered.

In the Stuart Uprising of 1715, Rob Roy led part of the Clan Gregor in the wake of the rebel army but kept his men out of the battle of Sheriffmuir and other important engagements, although they were alert to participate in any plundering.

For the next ten years MacGregor continually preyed on the estates of the Earl of, Montrose, and although several times apprehended he always managed to escape or secure a pardon through political influence.

Many of his exploits are related by Sir Walter Scott who describes him as a large, broad-shouldered, powerfully built man of great athletic prowess, with such extraordinary length arms that when erect his wrists hung below his knees This was an exaggeration used by the old folk who used to tell the stories of him.. His red hair was very thick, and frizzled and curled short around his face.

Rob Roy MacGregor died 28th December 1734 at his house in Balquhidder, and was buried in the churchyard in that parish where his gravestone is one of the most visited in the country, although there is some debate whether he is actually buried there at all.

T e head of the Clan MacLaren, Donald MacLaren, says the grave in the kirkyard near his home is a “myth” which is part of “McGregor propaganda”. He believes Rob Roy was actually buried in an unmarked grave several miles away, at one point he attempted to have the grave dug up so the remains to be DNA tested. This goes back to an ancient feud with the MacLaren and MacGregor Clans, the latter believing Rob Roy’s clan were “incomers”. The graveyard is also the location of the Old Balquhidder Kirk, burial place of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLaren. The present Clan Chief has said;

“The MacGregors are content for the story to continue that he is buried in Balquhidder because it builds up their claim to be one of the original clans of the glen. That’s not the case, they were incomers much later on and caused a great deal of trouble.

Of course it isn’t as straight forward as this. I said earlier out eponymous “hero” died at his house at Balquhidder, and by most accounts it was a peaceful death, in his sleep-but, another story says he died of his wounds after a clan duel in the field directly south of the church. MacGregor had argued over ownership of some land with his neighbour John MacLaren of Invernenty, Rob Roy lost the fight and died of his wounds, thus ceding the lands to the MacLarens, who still own them today. If this version is indeed true would he have been buried on land sacred to the MacLarens?

Parish records do not record a funeral. A newspaper account in the Caledonian Mercury on 9th January 1735 tells of Rob Roy's death but makes no mention of a funeral. Early Victorian accounts, written a century later, refer to a funeral on New Years Day at Balquhidder.

However, Rob Roy's gravestone is much older, that is the slab covering the plot, the actual headstone and the railings are more recent. A local tradition says that Rob Roy was buried in the MacGregor burial ground on the island of Inis Cailleach on Loch Lomond.

A trail called Bealach nan Corp, or Pass of the Corpses, links Balquhidder to Loch Lomond. This route was often used to carry MacGregor dead to their original homeland, so it makes perfect sense that Rob Roy would have been taken to Loch Lomond rather than be buried here in Balquhidder where he fell. Another tradition suggests that Rob Roy was buried at Glengyle on Loch Katrine.