#ch: elizabeth of york

[rosaliehale]

wedding gowns in period dramas [3/?]

jodie comer as elizabeth of york in the white princess (2017) emma corrin as lady constance chatterly in lady chatterley's lover (2022) claire foy as queen elizabeth in the crown (2016 - 2023) emily blunt as queen victoria in the young victoria (2009)

[lizdonnelly]

Second Circle, Ch. 1

Pairing: Elizabeth Donnelly x f!reader, shades of Alex Cabot x Olivia Benson Warnings: Smut, violence, references to alcoholism Summary: “We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.” Based on a request for Liz/f!reader's first time, and my own desire to write a series about Liz navigating romance amidst chaos. Loosely inspired by the events of 2x21 'Scourge' and a few details from 10x8 'Persona'.

---

Although the wind rattled against the windows of the banquet hall and the pinprick lighting of the chandeliers overhead flickered, the murmur of the gala continued on.

The air vibrated, alive with the weight of the tension that had wracked the city in the past few weeks and no doubt fueled by the media machine cranking out headline after headline, each more sordid and gruesome than the last.

Melinda's grip tightened on your elbow as another group approached. Your heart quickened at the sight of short, gelled back blonde hair and the heady perfume that wafted over. Anxiety tore at your stomach with molten claws.

"Doc Warner, glad to see you've made it," a bloodhound of a man said, leading the pack. He gestured towards you with his whiskey glass. "Elliot and Olivia give you enough time to make friends outside the morgue? I must not be pushing them hard enough."

Melinda patted your back. Heavily lined brown eyes scoured you from behind the bloodhound, appraising the manner in which Melinda had touched you. A cold bead of sweat slid down the back of your neck.

"Always glad to see you on the right side of the concrete, Captain," The medical examiner teased. "Especially these days. But yes, believe it or not, I do have time to run in other circles." A man with a voice as calm as the creek that ran beside your childhood home piped up. "Pleased to finally get the chance to meet you," he said with an easy smile and a tip of the head. This man carried himself with a centeredness that was hard to come by, even across the crowd of New York City's top professionals that had congregated that evening. "I've heard about your efforts at Mercy General. I can't imagine what you've had to deal with as of late." It was a line you'd heard plenty of variations of recently, but his sincerity seemed completely genuine. Although his eyes were warm, inviting pools of black ink, you couldn't shake the feeling that somehow he knew. Melinda turned to you with a smile, oblivious. "As you can probably tell, Dr. Huang is our resident psychiatrist," she said. "And a fed, at that," came that harsh, staccato voice you had become attuned to. You bit at the inside of your cheek. The psychiatrist-fed's gentle smirk grew. Thankfully, a pasty, bird boned blonde intruded, reaching out past Huang. "Alexandra Cabot, assistant district attorney," she said, wasting no time.

You shook her hand, surprised at the strength of her grip. Studying her gaze, you got the sense that events like this were easier for her to navigate than they were for other members of the party. She sipped at her champagne lightly and looked around, her stare lingering on the elevators as if she either wanted to leave or wished for someone else to arrive.

"Can't forget her royal highness," the bloodhound Captain joked, gesturing to the woman you'd been struggling not to address.

Dr. Huang spoke again in earthen tones and an air of alacrity. "There's no need to bother, Melinda. The only reason the Bureau Chief wouldn't have led the introductions," he paused, "is if this isn't a stranger to her." Liz rolled her eyes. You subconsciously tugged at the sleeve of the sweater that hung a little past your fingertips. "If you're so perceptive, Agent, then why did a sixth girl show up gutted like a fish at Grand Central this morning?"

---

Liz Donnelly hated courtroom restrooms. She had since the 70's, in fact.

On this occasion, though, she tolerated the lavender soap and the lukewarm water as she used the mirror to study the other woman.

The younger woman next to her scrubbed underneath her nails with a precision so adroit it had to be practiced. "If you're trying to scrub away evidence," the Bureau Chief piped up, "do me a favor and be less obvious." The woman's eyes widened, eyebrows rising. Liz leaned over and tugged playfully at the name tag dangling from the pocket on the woman's scrubs. The woman paused. "If you're trying to flirt with me," she finally whispered, "do me a favor and be more obvious."

The bathroom door swung on its hinges and in strode Olivia Benson, the SVU detective clearly in a tizzy and blind to the way the Bureau Chief and her conversation partner jumped apart like two opposing magnets. The strands on the back of her glossy brown pixie cut stuck up. As the detective ran a nervous hand through them again, Liz understood why.

"Got tired of listening to Cabot try to grill a child? Don't tell me she needs me back in there." Benson shook her head, slumping against the paper towel dispenser. "He got another one."

The detective muttered a quick apology, shifting aside to let the woman in scrubs dry her hands. Liz swallowed thickly.

"Sexually assaulted as well, I take it?" Benson eyed the prosecutor. The detective nodded exasperatedly. "She was an architect. Single, wasn't a user, friends are all model citizens." Benson sucked in her bottom lip and bit at it. "No vengeful ex-boyfriend, at that. Seems she had a gambling habit, but I've know plenty of girls who play the ponies, and all of them are still very much alive."

"However disparate these murders seem, there has to be a connection. Better make good use of that overtime, or you'll have more blood on your hands," Liz jabbed, gesturing towards the sink. The detective's brow furrowed.

"So this is the support we're going to get from our new Bureau Chief? How the hell are-"

Benson paused awkwardly as the woman in scrubs shuffled out the door, paying no mind to the quick finger waggling wave she threw at the prosecutor.

Liz managed a brief smile.

Benson looked towards the door, then back at the wiry woman before her in the starched black pantsuit.

Had there been a window in this particular courtroom restroom, Liz had half a mind to climb out it herself.

---

The bloodhound, whom you now knew as Cragen, thumbed the facets of his whiskey glass at the sound of the announcement.

A gentleman in a well-pressed suit and white gloves had called out across the banquet hall. The gala wouldn't be ending at its scheduled time, due to "inclement weather conditions", meaning the whole ordeal was to proceed for who knows how long. Fortunately, the waitstaff were headed back with fresh bottles and hor d'oeuvres as an apology for the inconvenience.

"I don't mean to pry, but does this have anything to do with-"

He cut you off with a somber shake of his head. He turned to face you, the capillaries webbing along the corners of his eyes swollen.

"This is news to me."

Cragen turned and headed back to the bar with a sniffle.

"They're doing a reasonable job of keeping everyone occupied, at least," came an even voice from behind you. Huang joined your side. Jet black pools still held a mirthful twinkle.

"Tell me something. How long have you and the prosecutor been involved with each other?" "This is the first time Ms. Cabot and I have met," you stammered. "You know that's not who I meant," he countered with a soothing grin. "Forgive my intrusion. You don't have to answer, if you don't want to."

The psychiatrist's musings were an unexpected relief to you. You felt the dam within your chest begin to burst, allowing you to finally speak on something you had kept locked up to yourself these past few weeks. "I'll forgive you, but only if you tell me how you knew," you laughed, tension evaporating from the edge of your voice. Huang nodded to himself.

"That's not your sweater."

You lowered your glass. "It's too long in the arms," he said, gesturing freely. Huang was one of the few who had not been drinking.

"It's not like I have much time to see a tailor," you tried to riposte. "True, but the odds that you and Donnelly wear the same perfume are not favorable," he said with an air of one revealing a royal flush. "My guess is that either she gave the sweater to you, or you're wearing it out of convenience. Alternatively, she could've asked you to wear it, knowing you'd cross paths tonight. She appears to be rather domineering, so that would not surprise me if it were the case."

It took everything in you to fight back the heat that rose in your cheeks at the bounce of his eyebrow.

"You make a hobby out of judging women's perfume?"

"I was a profiler in another life. It was more than a hobby to judge everything about a person." Huang's gaze followed Cragen as he made his way through the crowd across the room.

"Makes for a good party trick, I'll give you that."

Huang paused before turning back to you. His expression held an odd seriousness to it now. "I get the sense that I'm not the only one playing party tricks tonight."

---

Alex Cabot hadn't known Elizabeth for long, but she already didn't care to know the woman much longer.

The younger prosecutor checked her Cartier watch once more, eager for any distraction at this point. Somehow, neither clock hand had so much as budged. She squeezed her eyes shut amidst the bubbling conversation of the crowd in the godforsaken hall and thought of wide, chocolate brown puppy dog eyes and pixie cuts, of handcuffs and coffee cups.

"Alexandra, that look is not becoming on someone like you," an airy tone wafted over.

Lena Petrovsky, New York Supreme Court judge. Fuck. At this rate, she half expected Barry Moredock to round the corner and lecture her about some constitutional disservice she also happened to be encouraging this evening.

"Running all-nighters with the SVU shouldn't be taxing on someone from Harvard Law. But really, you look like hell, try to get some rest after this circus," Petrovsky said, gesturing around them. "You won't be of any use to the city if you keep burning the candle at both ends."

Alex opened her mouth to speak, but a harsh voice speared through her.

"From what I've seen so far, Ms. Cabot is no stranger to circuses," Donnelly jeered.

Alex was certain some snide joke about her courtroom performances was incoming, but she paused, shrieks cutting through the crowd behind them.

---

"This just in: at approximately 11:07 tonight, NYPD discovered the body of a young woman in Central Park. The cause of death? A large wound along the victim's neck, a similar M.O. to the recent string homicides that have shocked the city this past month. Although signs of sexual assault were present, no information is available yet as to the identity of the perpetrator. Investigators have identified the victim as local self-portraitist..."

Liz looped her arm around your shoulders, tugging you out of the bar and onto the street.

"I am not ruining one of the rare nights we both have to ourselves with more of that fear-mongering," she said. You shifted under the weight of the fur coat she shared with you, pressing yourself against her side. Although her voice was firm, you could tell she was rattled. She led you past throngs of men and women in pressed shirts and cocktail dresses, club promoters, and a man stumbling toward you with a box of pamphlets.

"They didn't call me in," you mused. Your brows knitted in confusion. Liz grabbed hold of your chin.

"And they won't," she seemed to command into reality through sheer force of will alone. She brushed her thumb across your lips. Rain gently began to fall overhead. The lights of the cabs clogging the street blurred.

You leaned forward, slipped her thumb into your mouth, and lightly sucked on it.

The prosecutor smirked. You were pleased with the fact that she appeared slightly taken aback by your boldness.

"Come on," she said with a gaze that told you she was a thousand miles away already.

You felt her breath hot against your ear as she tugged you into the back seat of a nearby town car.

"I have something else for you to suck on."

---

"Top her off," Cragen said to the bartender, tilting his glass across the counter.

Across the room, the band still played. The peeling notes of the saxophone reverberated across the inside of his skull. A dull throb continued to pound at the back of his eyes.

Looking down into the amber liquid, Cragen studied the panes of glass that stretched across the ceiling. More rain, more wind.

He couldn't kill in this.

Cragen took a swig.

Elliot and Olivia were still at the station, sifting through tips and folders full of supposed eyewitness accounts. Munch was no doubt trying his best to hold down the fort, but even his endurance, battle-tested over years in Baltimore homicide, was waning.

The brass thought maintaining appearances would comfort the public, although the Captain wondered how all of this pomp and circumstance could reassure anyone but those New York elites with the most fragile of egos.

He took another sip, turning back to watch ADA Cabot and Dr. Huang engaged in what appeared to be a heated argument. At least, heated on the blonde's end. Nearby, Doc Warner was caught in Judge Petrovsky's line of fire. He chuckled into his glass, thankful not to be in the good doctor's shoes.

Further off, Donnelly and the woman Melinda had introduced the group to were headed towards the restrooms. Cragen squinted. The Bureau Chief, with all five foot something's worth of bluster, was leading the other woman hand in hand. Something Arthur Branch had told him once made him chuckle.

Cragen went to take the final swig of his whiskey to finish off the glass, but noticed it was still full.

---

You stumbled through the doorway of Liz's brownstone, her hands quick to pull down your skirt. The door slammed shut. Her mouth pressed hot kisses up the side of your throat. Deceptively strong hands gripped at your ass.

"Upstairs," she husked.

Something fluttered in your stomach. Although you had gotten used to the feeling of the prosecutor's clever tongue in your mouth after a couple coffee dates, the two of you had yet to cross the threshold, so to speak.

Her hands guided you around the corner and up the flight of stairs, toying at the back of your bra. The sensation of her fingers trailing down your spine broke your brain. There could be no anxieties at this point, no thoughts for that matter, only Elizabeth Donnelly and her teeth at your throat and her pillows now pressed up against the back of your head.

The prosecutor leaned over you, nudging your legs aside. She began to drag her knuckle up and down the rapidly dampening fabric that clung to your slit. Heavily lidded brown eyes met yours.

"God Liz, I need you...I need it..."

You were embarrassed at the whine, embarrassed with how wet you already were for the woman.

"Need what?" her voice came coolly. She paused her ministrations to press a finger up against your hole. "This?"

You squeezed your eyes shut. "Please..."

Liz chuckled and hiked up the sleeve of her blazer.

"Since you beg so pretty," she said, "I guess I'll have to oblige."

You felt her tug your panties to the side, the sensation of her pressing a few quick kisses all across your mound and lips sending your heart into a spiral. Shortly afterwards, she helped you kick out of them, and her hands slid up to caress the insides of your thighs. Liz dragged her tongue up through your folds, praising how good you tasted. You moaned unabashedly now, desperation rising to a fever pitch.

"So impatient," she teased from between your legs as she lapped at you. You fought back another whine, the cry dying in your throat as you felt her climb up the bed and tug your body against her. She snaked a hand between your legs and slid a finger into you.

"Fuck, you're tight," her voice strained against a few strands of hair matted against your ear.

Your chest rose and fell rapidly as you tried to reply. "Speak up, sweetheart," she cooed, easing another finger into you.

"I want you to stretch me," you panted, clinging to lucidity.

She bit at your earlobe with a growl, a third finger slipping inside you now. Your head spun at as you felt yourself adjust to take even more of her. The air was now thick with the wet, wanton sounds of her pumping inside you. With each thrust, she stroked at a spot inside you that brought you closer and closer to your peak.

"I-I can't last much longer," you sputtered. You pressed back against her, hips rocking up into her palm. She sucked at a patch of skin underneath your jaw.

"Then cum for me," Liz said, beginning to stroke her thumb along your clit. She curled her fingers inside you and allowed you to roll your thighs against her hand.

The tension gripping your body snapped, your mind careening into the darkness as waves of pleasure rushed over you. Liz kept up her pace, pressing light kisses across your face. She talked you through your orgasm in crisp, honeyed tones in a manner you'd spend the next few days dwelling over.

When your heart finally calmed, she withdrew her hand, savoring the taste of you as she rose up off the bed. You watched her with a confused look, eyes straining against the shadows that cloaked the bedroom.

Her hand threaded into your hair, cupping the back of your scalp. Suddenly, she met you from the side of the bed.

You felt her pull you towards her, your face soon nuzzling up against the fabric of her slacks.

She tugged her zipper open with her free hand.

You wasted no time in starting to cover her panties in kisses, rewarded with a groan as she lolled her head back.

"That's a good girl," she said, voice straining. "Keep it up."

You reached up and tugged them down, lips wrapping around her clit. She laced both hands in your hair, pulling you closer. You leaned up, catching a glimpse of her through heavy lashes.

A thumb caressed your cheek.

"I can't wait to cum all over that pretty face."

You sucked harder.

---

Liz led you towards the restrooms, which were just outside the banquet hall in a hallway not so generously lit. The darkness served the mood well, though. Her mind wandered to thoughts of herself draped over your back, your legs parted wide enough for you to try taking her strap, her hips rutting into you with a ferocity that'd leave you with bruises she was proud to give you.

She wasn't sure if it was the booze or the fatigue calling the shots at this point, but neither prevented her from noticing your hand tugging free from her grasp.

The prosecutor turned in time to catch sight of a white glove cover your mouth.

[bethanydelleman]

Northanger Abbey Readthrough, Ch 9

Part of what I love about Catherine is the way she bounces back from disappointment:

It appeared first in a general dissatisfaction with everybody about her, while she remained in the rooms, which speedily brought on considerable weariness and a violent desire to go home. This, on arriving in Pulteney Street, took the direction of extraordinary hunger, and when that was appeased, changed into an earnest longing to be in bed; such was the extreme point of her distress; for when there she immediately fell into a sound sleep which lasted nine hours, and from which she awoke perfectly revived, in excellent spirits, with fresh hopes and fresh schemes.

Her plan for the day is to meet Miss Tilney again, but alas! John Thorpe has showed up to take Catherine away in a carriage. He has many, many things to say about the carriage that James has hired, probably none of them the real truth:

We could not come before; the old devil of a coachmaker was such an eternity finding out a thing fit to be got into, and now it is ten thousand to one but they break down before we are out of the street.

“Break down! Oh, lord! Did you ever see such a little tittuppy thing in your life? There is not a sound piece of iron about it. The wheels have been fairly worn out these ten years at least—and as for the body! Upon my soul, you might shake it to pieces yourself with a touch. It is the most devilish little rickety business I ever beheld! Thank God! we have got a better. I would not be bound to go two miles in it for fifty thousand pounds.”

“Unsafe! Oh, lord! What is there in that? They will only get a roll if it does break down; and there is plenty of dirt; it will be excellent falling. Oh, curse it! The carriage is safe enough, if a man knows how to drive it; a thing of that sort in good hands will last above twenty years after it is fairly worn out. Lord bless you! I would undertake for five pounds to drive it to York and back again, without losing a nail.”

Catherine listened with astonishment; she knew not how to reconcile two such very different accounts of the same thing

John Thorpe is just, the worst, but it's almost impressive how quickly he can produce bullshit...

Anyway, I encounter a lot of discussion online about propriety of the open carriage rides in both Northanger Abbey and Sense & Sensibility. It can quickly be noted that neither carriage ride ruins the girls reputation, and both times it's an open carriage, something like this:

With the obvious implication being that you can't get up to hijinks because everyone can see you, unlike a closed carriage. The issues laid out by Mr. Allen later and by Elinor Dashwood seem to be the fact that Willoughby and Marianne went alone and left the rest of the party (John and James always go out together) and going out to often with the same man. (We will set the visit to Allenham). So an open carriage ride with a young man is fine, but you should go in a group and not be seen with the same man all the time. This accords with basically everything else, like the fact that Elizabeth walks in the open with men occasionally and the rules around dancing. Don't be caught too often together, but it's not like a girl can never be alone with a gentleman.

Here we have the first vulgar hint of the Thorpe's true motives with Catherine:

“Old Allen is as rich as a Jew—is not he?” Catherine did not understand him—and he repeated his question, adding in explanation, “Old Allen, the man you are with.”

Thorpe then tries to discover if Catherine is the Allen's heir, which she does not in any way confirm, but to John Thorpe "to wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect. (Sense & Sensibility) clearly.

John Thorpe then suggests that everyone should be drinking a bottle of wine a day... just like the young Lucas boy in Pride & Prejudice:

I am sure of this—that if everybody was to drink their bottle a day, there would not be half the disorders in the world there are now. It would be a famous good thing for us all.

“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters, “I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine every day.”

“Then you would drink a great deal more than you ought,” said Mrs. Bennet; “and if I were to see you at it, I should take away your bottle directly.”

The boy protested that she should not; she continued to declare that she would; and the argument ended only with the visit.

Source

And Catherine discovers that there is indeed a good deal of drinking going on at Oxford. I love her conviction that her brother isn't drinking that much, I have my suspicions, Catherine!

Catherine's family just sounds great, if slightly boring:

Her own family were plain, matter-of-fact people who seldom aimed at wit of any kind; her father, at the utmost, being contented with a pun, and her mother with a proverb; they were not in the habit therefore of telling lies to increase their importance, or of asserting at one moment what they would contradict the next.

But we see that the wheels in Catherine's head are turning, she realizes that the truth cannot be obtained from John Thorpe. Also, this is just so funny:

He told her of horses which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums; of racing matches, in which his judgment had infallibly foretold the winner; of shooting parties, in which he had killed more birds (though without having one good shot) than all his companions together; and described to her some famous day’s sport, with the fox-hounds, in which his foresight and skill in directing the dogs had repaired the mistakes of the most experienced huntsman, and in which the boldness of his riding, though it had never endangered his own life for a moment, had been constantly leading others into difficulties, which he calmly concluded had broken the necks of many.

This man is sure... something.

Now it's interesting that Catherine really dislikes John but loves Isabella, when they both kind of do the same thing. I think what John is really lacking is the ability to flatter. He spends most of his time showing off, while Isabella spends far more time complimenting. They are both insincere, but I can see why she is far more endearing.

Here is a great video on Isabella's speech about time:

After this rather horrible carriage ride, Catherine must learn that, horror of horrors, Mrs. Allen did what Catherine was hoping to do herself and met Mr. and Miss Tilney. Then we have a hilarious conversation where Catherine cannot get any useful information out of Mrs. Allen, who really only cares about clothing. It reminds me a lot of the conversation between Marianne and Sir John about Willoughby in Sense & Sensibility:

But Marianne could no more satisfy him as to the colour of Mr. Willoughby’s pointer, than he could describe to her the shades of his mind.

Mr. Tilney's parents are either both dead or one is dead and he might be the eldest son, but maybe not? What Mrs. Allen is 100% sure of is that Miss Tilney had a very handsome spotted muslin. Catherine is left to regret the entire carriage ride and wish she had stayed home!

[eccentrickleptomaniac]

you mentioned having a human au, so how does it generally work? or like a specific character from it you wanna talk about :)

the human au is pretty much completely disconnected from the countryhumans.. the only similarity really is the initials of the human's full names and the countries' usernames.

all countries in this au live (almost) normal lives in new york city. the primary reason i chose the location was due to it's history of being an ethnic melting pot and therefore being a reasonable location where so many different people with different backgrounds could meet up and interact with eachother on a semi-daily basis. i also know a lot the city and it's history which makes the whole thing easier for me to write about.

countries aren't assigned to boroughs like the are to continental cities in the ch world and are instead placed in locations with large populations of the countries' primary ethnicity; i.e poland lives in greenpoint (i almost wrote greenport sorry. she does not live in long island), ussr and his 2 children live in brighton beach, and so on and so forth.

obviously major events like whole wars can't happen (aside from like, street wars and whatever but i don't get into those for my own sake) so major events such as those get scaled down heavily to city-wide crime sprees and whatever. i still try to make events semi-parallel to the ch versions so LOL. some major things do change though. including the fact that italy is not in the picture at all due to being in witness protection lmfao

character's personalities are also different due to the differences in culture between ch and people. like, poland is much kinder in the au due to the fact that she actually had to get a diagnosis for gender dysphoria and due to that kinda also had to work through her personal problems.

the years of the au is probably between the late 90s to now? im not sure the details. however the time period in history in which the au is currently in is.. I'd say around mid-70s or something like that. instead of being actively hostile eg and wg straight up don't know eachother. they don't live near eachother (completely different boroughs actually. wg lives on the upper east side and eg lives in. i already said it but brighton beach. aka the far side of brooklyn) and their schools, while much closer, aren't to the point where. Well they'd actually see eachother a lot. also they'd continue living separate lives instead of reunification.

countries with different cctlds that are still children have their first and middle name be the cctld instead of first and last. also some don't use their cctlds at all.. i use the "eg" acronym instead of "dd". eg's name is elizabeth lol

hope this explains some stuff. feel free to ask questions!

edit: also certain things dont happen or just. are edited severely. some countries while annexed move out of nyc and come back after a few years to represent being un-annexed

[brookston]

Holidays 7.18

Holidays

Anti-Bigot Day

Billy Joel Day (New York)

Boxer 718 Day

Chrysanthemum Day

Constitution Day (Uruguay)

Global Lifting Awareness Day

Hug a Fat Bald Person Day

Insurance Nerd Day

International Day of the Vaquita Marina

International Laquita Marina Day

Jane Austen Day (Indiana)

Lollapalooza Day

Make A List of the People You Love Day

National Hamiltons Day

National Black Men’s Mental Health Day

National Dapper Your Data Day

National Emma Day

National Hamiltons Day

National Monica Day

National Mortgage Brokers Day

National Peyton Day

Nelson Mandela International Day (a.k.a. Mandela Day; UN)

Perfect Family Day

Perfect 10 Day

President’s Day (Botswana)

Pyramids Day

718 Day (New York)

Shawm Day (French Republic)

Tony the Tiger Day

Weinermobile Day

World Listening Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Brewers Day

National Caviar Day

National Sour Candy Day

National Tropical Fruit Day

St. Anou, Bishop of Metz's Day (patron saint of brewers; a.k.a. St. Arnulf, Arnould, St. Arnold)

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Uruguay; 1830)

Prsänëa (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Vietnam (Becomes U.N. member; 1977)

3rd Thursday in July

Get To Know Your Customers Day [3rd Thursday of each Quarter]

Latitude Festival (Suffolk, UK) [3rd Thursday thru Sunday]

National Dole Whip Day [3rd Thursday]

Protect Swimmers Day [3rd Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning July 18 (3rd Week of July)

Restless Leg Syndrome Education & Awareness Week (thru 7.28)

Festivals Beginning July 18, 2024

Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival (Chincoteague Island, Virginia) [thru 7.20]

Cookin' on Kampeska (Watertown, South Dakota) [thru 7.20]

Delaware State Fair (Harrington, Delaware) [thru 7.27]

Durban International Film Festival (Durban, South Africa) [thru 7.28]

Fantasia International Film Festival (Montreal, Canada) [thru 8.4]

Jazz in Marciac (Marciac, France) [thru 8.4]

Jerusalem Film Festival (Jerusalem, Israel) [thru 7.27]

Johnson County Peach Festival (Clarksville, Arkansas) [thru 7.20]

Lexington Restaurant Week (Lexington, Kentucky) [thru 7.28]

Miami Valley Steam Threshers Show (Plain City, Ohio) [thru 7.21]

N.C. Peach Festival [Candor, North Carolina) [thru 7.20]

New Horizons International Film Festival (Wrocław, Poland) [thru 7.28]

Picklesburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) [thru 7.21]

Porter Peach Festival (Porter, Oklahoma) [thru 7.20]

Port Fish Days (Port Washington, Wisconsin) [thru 7.20]

Riverfront Food Truck Festival (Hartford, Connecticut) [thru 7.20]

Taste of Galesburg (Galesburg, Illinois)

Taste of Park Ridge (Park Ridge, Illinois) [thru 7.20]

Venice International Festival of Contemporary Dance [Biennale Danza] (Venice, Italy) [thru 8.3]

Verbier Festival (Verbier, Switzerland) [thru 8.4]

Feast Days

Arnulf of Metz (a.k.a. Arnoldus; Christian; Saint) [Belgium; brewers] *

Bernd Fasching (Artology)

Bobby Henderson Day (Pastafarian)

Bruno of Segni (Christian; Saint)

Camillus de Lellis (optional memorial, U.S. only)

Day of Arstat and Copper Woman (Everyday Wicca)

Eadburh (a.k.a. Edburga) of Bicester (Christian; Saint)

Eid-e-Ghadir (Iran)

Elizabeth Ferard (Church of England)

Feast of Saint Arnoldus (Belgium)

Feast of Teneu

Fionn Mac Cumhail (Celtic Book of Days)

Frederick of Utrecht (Christian; Saint)

Giacomo Balla (Artology)

Hunter S. Thompson (Writerism)

Hyacinthe Rigaud (Artology)

Jabotinsky Day (Israel) [29 Tammuz]

Leroy (Muppetism)

The Lunch of the Forward Goblins (Surprisingly Fairies Only; Shamanism)

Marina of Aguas Santas (Christian; Saint)

Maternus of Milan (Christian; Saint)

Nebet-Het (Birthday of Nephthys, Egyptian Goddess of Beer)

Nephthy’s Day (Egyptian Goddess of Death; Pagan)

Odulph (Christian; Saint)

Pambo (Christian; Saint)

Philastrius (Christian; Saint)

Rabelais (Positivist; Saint)

Symphorosa and her Seven Sons (Christian; Martyrs)

Theneva (Christian; Saint)

Theodosia of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Thomas Morton Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Vitulatio (Feast to Vitulatio, Ancient Roman Goddess of Exultation, joy & life)

Water Pistol Day (Pastafarian)

William Makepeace Thackery (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Day of Bad Omens (Ancient Rome) [1 of 2]

Prime Number Day: 199 [46 of 72]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [41 of 57]

Premieres

Aliens (Film; 1986)

Arachnophobia (Film; 1990)

Bad Boys II (Film; 2003)

The Betty Boop Limited (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1933)

Bosko’s Holiday (WB LT Cartoon; 1931)

The Bowling Ally-Cat (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1942)

City Kitty (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1952)

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess (Novel; 1962)

Closer, by Joy Division (Album; 1980)

Consider the Oyster, by M.F.K. Fisher (Food Essays; 1941)

Copy Cat (Animated Antics Cartoon; 1941)

The Dark Knight (Film; 2008)

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (Film; 1956)

Day Nurse (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Don’t Bother to Knock (Film; 1952)

Entourage (TV Series; 2004)

Eureka (TV Series; 2006)

Friends with Benefits (Film; 2011)

George of the Jungle (Film; 1997)

God Only Knows, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

I Love to Sings (WB MM Cartoon; 1936)

Johnny English (Film; 2003)

Jurassic Park III (Film; 2001)

The Mahagonny Songspiel, by Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill (Song; 1927)

Mamma Mia! (Film; 2008)

The Minute and a 1/2 Man (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1959)

Mrs. Brown (Film; 1997)

The Nun’s Story (Film; 1959)

Pink Blue Plate (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1971)

Planes: Fire & Rescue (Animated Film; 2014)

Porco Rosso (Studio Ghibli Animated Film; 1992)

RWBY (Anime Series; 2013)

Sex Tape (Film; 2014)

Sketches of Spain, by Miles Davis (Album; 1960)

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas S. Kuhn (Science book; 1962)

Symphony No. 8 in D Minor, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (Symphony; 1956)

Tweet and Lovely (WB MM Cartoon; 1959)

UHF, by Weird Al Yankpvic (Soundtrack Album; 1989)

Used Cars (Film; 1980)

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Answer, Arnold, Arnulf, Friedrich, Ulf (Austria)

Emil, Emilian (Bulgaria)

Bruno, Emilija, Frederik, Ljuba (Croatia)

Drahomíra (Czech Republic)

Arnolphus (Denmark)

Eerika, Erika (Estonia)

Riikka (Finland)

Frédéric (France)

Arnulf, Friedrich, Ulf (Germany)

Aimilianos, Emilianos (Greece)

Frigyes (Hungary)

Calogero, Giusta (Italy)

Rozālija, Roze, Rozīte (Latvia)

Eimantė, Ervinas, Kamilis, Tautvilas (Lithuania)

Arnulf, Ørnulf (Norway)

Arnold, Arnolf, Erwin, Erwina, Kamil, Karolina, Robert, Roberta, Szymon, Unisław, Wespazjan (Poland)

Anna (Russia)

Kamila (Slovakia)

Federico, Marina (Spain)

Fredrik, Fritz (Sweden)

Alfie, Alfred, Avery, Federica, Federico, Fred, Freda, Freddie, Freddy, Fréddy , Freed, Frederic, Frédéric, Frederich, Federik, Frederick, Frédérick, Frederico, Fredrick, Fredy (Universal)

Fred, Freda, Freddie, Freddy, Frederica, Frederick, Frederico, Fredrick, Fredy (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 200 of 2024; 166 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of Week 29 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 12 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Xin-Wei), Day 13 (Guy-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 12 Tammuz 5784

Islamic: 11 Muharram 1446

J Cal: 20 Red; Sixday [20 of 30]

Julian: 5 July 2024

Moon: 90%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 3 Dante (8th Month) [Rabelais]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 29 of 94)

Week: 3rd Week of July

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 28 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.18

Holidays

Anti-Bigot Day

Billy Joel Day (New York)

Boxer 718 Day

Chrysanthemum Day

Constitution Day (Uruguay)

Global Lifting Awareness Day

Hug a Fat Bald Person Day

Insurance Nerd Day

International Day of the Vaquita Marina

International Laquita Marina Day

Jane Austen Day (Indiana)

Lollapalooza Day

Make A List of the People You Love Day

National Hamiltons Day

National Black Men’s Mental Health Day

National Dapper Your Data Day

National Emma Day

National Hamiltons Day

National Monica Day

National Mortgage Brokers Day

National Peyton Day

Nelson Mandela International Day (a.k.a. Mandela Day; UN)

Perfect Family Day

Perfect 10 Day

President’s Day (Botswana)

Pyramids Day

718 Day (New York)

Shawm Day (French Republic)

Tony the Tiger Day

Weinermobile Day

World Listening Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Brewers Day

National Caviar Day

National Sour Candy Day

National Tropical Fruit Day

St. Anou, Bishop of Metz's Day (patron saint of brewers; a.k.a. St. Arnulf, Arnould, St. Arnold)

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (Uruguay; 1830)

Prsänëa (Declared; 2012) [unrecognized]

Vietnam (Becomes U.N. member; 1977)

3rd Thursday in July

Get To Know Your Customers Day [3rd Thursday of each Quarter]

Latitude Festival (Suffolk, UK) [3rd Thursday thru Sunday]

National Dole Whip Day [3rd Thursday]

Protect Swimmers Day [3rd Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning July 18 (3rd Week of July)

Restless Leg Syndrome Education & Awareness Week (thru 7.28)

Festivals Beginning July 18, 2024

Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival (Chincoteague Island, Virginia) [thru 7.20]

Cookin' on Kampeska (Watertown, South Dakota) [thru 7.20]

Delaware State Fair (Harrington, Delaware) [thru 7.27]

Durban International Film Festival (Durban, South Africa) [thru 7.28]

Fantasia International Film Festival (Montreal, Canada) [thru 8.4]

Jazz in Marciac (Marciac, France) [thru 8.4]

Jerusalem Film Festival (Jerusalem, Israel) [thru 7.27]

Johnson County Peach Festival (Clarksville, Arkansas) [thru 7.20]

Lexington Restaurant Week (Lexington, Kentucky) [thru 7.28]

Miami Valley Steam Threshers Show (Plain City, Ohio) [thru 7.21]

N.C. Peach Festival [Candor, North Carolina) [thru 7.20]

New Horizons International Film Festival (Wrocław, Poland) [thru 7.28]

Picklesburgh (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) [thru 7.21]

Porter Peach Festival (Porter, Oklahoma) [thru 7.20]

Port Fish Days (Port Washington, Wisconsin) [thru 7.20]

Riverfront Food Truck Festival (Hartford, Connecticut) [thru 7.20]

Taste of Galesburg (Galesburg, Illinois)

Taste of Park Ridge (Park Ridge, Illinois) [thru 7.20]

Venice International Festival of Contemporary Dance [Biennale Danza] (Venice, Italy) [thru 8.3]

Verbier Festival (Verbier, Switzerland) [thru 8.4]

Feast Days

Arnulf of Metz (a.k.a. Arnoldus; Christian; Saint) [Belgium; brewers] *

Bernd Fasching (Artology)

Bobby Henderson Day (Pastafarian)

Bruno of Segni (Christian; Saint)

Camillus de Lellis (optional memorial, U.S. only)

Day of Arstat and Copper Woman (Everyday Wicca)

Eadburh (a.k.a. Edburga) of Bicester (Christian; Saint)

Eid-e-Ghadir (Iran)

Elizabeth Ferard (Church of England)

Feast of Saint Arnoldus (Belgium)

Feast of Teneu

Fionn Mac Cumhail (Celtic Book of Days)

Frederick of Utrecht (Christian; Saint)

Giacomo Balla (Artology)

Hunter S. Thompson (Writerism)

Hyacinthe Rigaud (Artology)

Jabotinsky Day (Israel) [29 Tammuz]

Leroy (Muppetism)

The Lunch of the Forward Goblins (Surprisingly Fairies Only; Shamanism)

Marina of Aguas Santas (Christian; Saint)

Maternus of Milan (Christian; Saint)

Nebet-Het (Birthday of Nephthys, Egyptian Goddess of Beer)

Nephthy’s Day (Egyptian Goddess of Death; Pagan)

Odulph (Christian; Saint)

Pambo (Christian; Saint)

Philastrius (Christian; Saint)

Rabelais (Positivist; Saint)

Symphorosa and her Seven Sons (Christian; Martyrs)

Theneva (Christian; Saint)

Theodosia of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Thomas Morton Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Vitulatio (Feast to Vitulatio, Ancient Roman Goddess of Exultation, joy & life)

Water Pistol Day (Pastafarian)

William Makepeace Thackery (Writerism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Day of Bad Omens (Ancient Rome) [1 of 2]

Prime Number Day: 199 [46 of 72]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [41 of 57]

Premieres

Aliens (Film; 1986)

Arachnophobia (Film; 1990)

Bad Boys II (Film; 2003)

The Betty Boop Limited (Betty Boop Cartoon; 1933)

Bosko’s Holiday (WB LT Cartoon; 1931)

The Bowling Ally-Cat (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1942)

City Kitty (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1952)

A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess (Novel; 1962)

Closer, by Joy Division (Album; 1980)

Consider the Oyster, by M.F.K. Fisher (Food Essays; 1941)

Copy Cat (Animated Antics Cartoon; 1941)

The Dark Knight (Film; 2008)

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (Film; 1956)

Day Nurse (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Don’t Bother to Knock (Film; 1952)

Entourage (TV Series; 2004)

Eureka (TV Series; 2006)

Friends with Benefits (Film; 2011)

George of the Jungle (Film; 1997)

God Only Knows, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

I Love to Sings (WB MM Cartoon; 1936)

Johnny English (Film; 2003)

Jurassic Park III (Film; 2001)

The Mahagonny Songspiel, by Bertolt Brecht & Kurt Weill (Song; 1927)

Mamma Mia! (Film; 2008)

The Minute and a 1/2 Man (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1959)

Mrs. Brown (Film; 1997)

The Nun’s Story (Film; 1959)

Pink Blue Plate (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1971)

Planes: Fire & Rescue (Animated Film; 2014)

Porco Rosso (Studio Ghibli Animated Film; 1992)

RWBY (Anime Series; 2013)

Sex Tape (Film; 2014)

Sketches of Spain, by Miles Davis (Album; 1960)

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas S. Kuhn (Science book; 1962)

Symphony No. 8 in D Minor, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (Symphony; 1956)

Tweet and Lovely (WB MM Cartoon; 1959)

UHF, by Weird Al Yankpvic (Soundtrack Album; 1989)

Used Cars (Film; 1980)

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1966)

Today’s Name Days

Answer, Arnold, Arnulf, Friedrich, Ulf (Austria)

Emil, Emilian (Bulgaria)

Bruno, Emilija, Frederik, Ljuba (Croatia)

Drahomíra (Czech Republic)

Arnolphus (Denmark)

Eerika, Erika (Estonia)

Riikka (Finland)

Frédéric (France)

Arnulf, Friedrich, Ulf (Germany)

Aimilianos, Emilianos (Greece)

Frigyes (Hungary)

Calogero, Giusta (Italy)

Rozālija, Roze, Rozīte (Latvia)

Eimantė, Ervinas, Kamilis, Tautvilas (Lithuania)

Arnulf, Ørnulf (Norway)

Arnold, Arnolf, Erwin, Erwina, Kamil, Karolina, Robert, Roberta, Szymon, Unisław, Wespazjan (Poland)

Anna (Russia)

Kamila (Slovakia)

Federico, Marina (Spain)

Fredrik, Fritz (Sweden)

Alfie, Alfred, Avery, Federica, Federico, Fred, Freda, Freddie, Freddy, Fréddy , Freed, Frederic, Frédéric, Frederich, Federik, Frederick, Frédérick, Frederico, Fredrick, Fredy (Universal)

Fred, Freda, Freddie, Freddy, Frederica, Frederick, Frederico, Fredrick, Fredy (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 200 of 2024; 166 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of Week 29 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 12 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Xin-Wei), Day 13 (Guy-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 12 Tammuz 5784

Islamic: 11 Muharram 1446

J Cal: 20 Red; Sixday [20 of 30]

Julian: 5 July 2024

Moon: 90%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 3 Dante (8th Month) [Rabelais]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 29 of 94)

Week: 3rd Week of July

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 28 of 31)

[raisab332012]

Answer to Would King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York have been displeased with King Henry VIII had they known what became of him? by Carter Allen

Answer to Would King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York have been displeased with King Henry VIII had they known what became of him? by Carter Allen https://www.quora.com/Would-King-Henry-VII-and-Elizabeth-of-York-have-been-displeased-with-King-Henry-VIII-had-they-known-what-became-of-him/answer/Carter-Allen-14?ch=15&oid=1477743634981972&share=e430e5b4&srid=7KVRc&target_type=answer

[spindleprick]

She was restless. She drove a little too fast, swam a little too far offshore. She hitchhiked. She skied recklessly. While [her] rabid perfectionism was very real, she was far from the good-girl persona she worked so hard to cultivate.

Elizabeth Winder, Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953

[storiesofsvu]

Hidden Desires Ch 12

Alex Cabot x reader Warnings: language, angst, lots of it.

The entire night had been spent at the precinct, exhausting every last resource the squad could to try and get any information about what had happened. Since Liv and Elliot had been on the scene they knew there were no street witnesses, but a canvas was sent out to see if any of the neighbouring apartments had seen anything, heard anything. They checked for street cams, staring at countless hours of surveillance tapes trying to find the same car from the scene, try to get a clip of even one letter from the plate. Ballistics was on hold until the lab opened in the morning, as was talking to the various prisoners that had already put threats out against Alex.

As the hours went on you were let on to more of the information Alex had kept from you, that these guys had your address, had her mother’s address, that Zapata had basically threatened her when she’d made a sassy remark during an interview. Olivia quietly reassured you that she was sure Alex wasn’t trying to keep secrets from you, but just wanted to keep you safe and as far away from the danger of the case as possible.

You only managed to drag yourself away from the 1-6 when your alarm went off on your phone. That and…every lead was exhausted that they could get a hold of. You made sure Liv knew that you needed to know the second anything came in involving the case before traipsing down to Hogan Place.

*

It was just before your stomach began to grumble for lunch when you heard the door to your office open. You had your head down in your arms, you’d almost been asleep before the vision of Alex bleeding out in the street began to invade your imagination, forgoing the exhaustion seeping through your bones.

“Shouldn’t you be in court?” Donnelly’s voice broke through your thoughts. You didn’t move, simply mumbling a reply against your arm.

“Made a deal.”

“Don’t you have about four other cases you should probably be working on then?” You felt a folded paper drop onto your head, letting it slide off as Liz took a seat in front of your desk, just out of your eyeline.

“Made deals on all of them…don’t have any fight left in me…” you let out a heavy sigh, knowing you weren’t about to get out of this conversation. Shoving yourself up you moved through your office, pouring a fresh cup of coffee, offering one to Elizabeth.

“You look like crap.” She returned, “your girlfriend let you walk around this place in sweatpants?” You gave a watery laugh as you fell back into your chair, running your hands through your hair, “she wasn’t in her office, and I can’t find Paxton.” You barely heard her second sentence, brain still wrapped around the ‘your girlfriend’ part.

“She’s not exactly my girlfriend anymore.” Liz sighed at the way your eyes began to glass over at your words, shaking her head as she put her coffee mug down.

“This is why I should’ve said no when you two disclosed, you can’t bring your personal bullshit into work just because you broke up.” You raised your head to your boss, brows furrowed, lips slightly parted in confusement and disbelief.

“Have you been living under a rock all morning?” Your voice nearly shook with your words and it was Liz’s turn to be confused, you were a great lawyer and a strong woman at that, why was something so trivial bothering you this much.

“I took the morning off, thought I was coming down with something so I slept in. I just got here.”

“You haven’t seen the paper…” now the shake was gone from your voice but it was so quiet it barely echoed through the room. Your hand grabbed the New York Times that sat on your desk, tossing it to Liz. You’d had to flip it over, the image of Alex’s face staring back up at you too hard for today, especially with you running on zero steam.

“This…this can’t be true…” Liz’s gaze shot up to yours. You sniffled, taking a deep breath,

“Benson and Stabler were with her when she was hit, outside some bar.” You were surprised to feel a tear burning its way down your cheek, quickly brushing it away, “I was at the precinct all night with them trying to get anything but there’s no leads aside from knowing it’s somehow linked to Zapata…but we can’t prove it…”

“Oh God…” She dropped the paper down onto a free chair, “are you okay?”

“No…” you nearly laughed, “I will be once this bastard’s behind bars.” She gave you a stern look that you knew was a warning of you being too close to the case to prosecute, but you simply turned your attention to your coffee, “I was gonna go through her case load this afternoon but I can’t bring myself to go into her office…”

“Oh sweetheart…” Liz’s hand reached out, squeezing at yours, “I’ll go through it with Branch, you don’t worry about that okay?” She mustered up the best of a smile she could while you nodded, “how’s Sonya taking it?” You snorted.

“Exactly how you think she is.” You nodded toward the coffee table, “she polished off what was left of the Jack and disappeared after I told her.”

“Jesus..” She muttered, you gave a weary glance to your cell phone.

“The bartender at her usual place has my number…and I’ve been calling her every couple of hours to make sure she’s not choking on her own puke. I checked her schedule to make sure she didn’t have any appearances today, she’s clear.”

“You know you don’t have take care of everything around here. But I do need you taking care of yourself right now, understand?” You gave her a small nod, “why don’t you go home? Get outta here for the afternoon?”

“You really think going home where all of Alex’s stuff is is gonna make me feel better? Where I can still smell her perfume lingering in the air?” Liz stalled at your response,

“You…two were living together?”

“Yeah…” you wiped another stray tear away, God, where were they even coming from at this point?

“I didn’t realize it was that serious.” As much as she needed to know what was going on with her staff, she also respected your privacy and boundaries, she wasn’t about to go sticking her nose into your business when she didn’t need to.

“I wanted to marry her…” your voice was back to that quiet far away tone, your gaze not even latched onto anything in the room while your hand toyed with the gem still linked around your neck.

You didn’t even hear what Elizabeth said next, your brain still processing the fact that you’d finally said it out loud. You’d known it for weeks, you’d felt it for over a month, Alex had always been someone who had made you so incredibly happy, but once she was a solid part of your daily life, you knew you wanted to keep it that way. You said a silent thank your to whatever higher power was out there that you hadn’t wasted money buying a ring…all things considered…

“Y/N?”

“Sorry…” you shook out of it, glancing towards the older woman again, “what?”

“Go home…or…go track down Paxton or something. You can’t sit here all day doing nothing, you’ll drive yourself crazy. At least do it somewhere sweatpants are an acceptable piece of attire.” You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at her words.

“Fine…” You pushed back from your desk, tossing the few things you needed into your bag before turning to the older woman as she stood, “are…you gonna be okay?” You felt nearly embarrassed to ask, knowing Donnelly was, without a doubt one of the strongest and badass women that you knew, but something like this would hit close to home, you knew her and Alex were close, and Alex had always spoken very highly of her.

“I will be.” She sighed, a hand softly clapping on your shoulder, “this isn’t the first time something like this has happened at the D.A’s office…and it won’t be the last. So please…be careful trying to solve this case..I need at least one of my prosecutors in working shape. And you’re the best one I’ve got.”

“Thanks…” you murmured, avoiding her gaze. You were genuinely surprised when she sighed, tugging you into her arms, and even more surprised when you felt her lips hit the top of your head in a maternal fashion. You’d never known Elizabeth Donnelly to be soft, you were honestly surprised she was even okay with sending you home for the rest of the day.  “What if SVU calls?” You asked bleakly as you pulled away from the hug.

“Forward them to me.” You gave a small nod, moving toward the door before you froze, turning back to her.

“Uh- the uh…the funeral’s on Friday…if..you’re interested.”

“Of course…y/n..I really am incredibly sorry.”

“Thanks Liz.”

You managed to give her one last nod before leaving the office, escaping the place you’d spent so many hours with Alex. Not that it helped that you at least needed to stop at home next, you weren’t sure what you were exactly supposed to do there, surrounded by her things. What were you supposed to even do with them now that she was gone? Did you hold on to them? Wear her clothes? Give them to her family? Your brain was a fucking scramble and you had no idea how to fix it this time.

*

The funeral was a fucking emotional disaster, though you weren’t surprised. Alex’s parent’s knew you from college, and you nearly burst into tears when her Mom insisted you sit with them and that she’d been so excited to see the two of you at Christmas that year. She held your hand the entire way through the service, squeezing tightly whenever she heard a strangled sniffle or cry. You weren’t sure why, but Olivia seemed to be avoiding you the entire day, she’d given you a small nod of affection, a few small words of condolences again, but she was far from the woman who’d showed up unexpectedly to your apartment earlier that month. You were glad to see more than a few friendly faces from the D.A’s office and courthouse there, along with the entire SVU squad. You weren’t surprised when you saw Sonya stumbling her way through the repast, doing your best to put her into a cab, keeping her behaviour unnoticed by anyone else. It wasn’t long afterwards that you ducked out yourself without saying any goodbyes, you just couldn’t fucking bare it anymore. You needed to grieve how you wanted to grieve, and that involved burrowing yourself in the blanket on the back of the couch that still smelt like Alex’s shampoo while finally finishing Schitt’s Creek, polishing of the bottle of wine she’d bought for your upcoming anniversary. What you weren’t expecting was the final season of the comedy, the one that had made you realize you could have feelings for someone like Alex, the one that had technically brought you together, was able to make you ugly cry over the soft romantic and family values that it ended up being very capable of. You woke up hungover, very dehydrated, and still on the couch the next morning, hating life even more than you did before.

*

In the following month you started to realize you’d need to start to box up Alex’s personal things, you just couldn’t handle having them around the apartment any longer. Not that you spent much time there, you spent so much goddamn unpaid overtime working thanks to Sonya still being a disaster that you were barely home. You were quick to toss anything like perfume, body wash and the like, things that you wouldn’t use, that you didn’t want the scents remaining in the apartment. Smaller Knick knacks, things that had meant more to her you packed up, stashing into the closet in your home office. You knew she had expensive taste when it came to clothes, managing to convince Liz into coming over to go through her side of the closet, sorting out what you should take to a consignment store versus just donating. You kept a few things, a spare Harvard t-shirt that you already liked to sleep in, a comfy pair of pyjama pants that were softer than yours, but you did your best to get rid of her stuff. It absolutely destroyed your heart to see it go, and you couldn’t lie, you still cried about it on a pretty regular basis, even if it was alone, in the cold bed of your apartment. Everyone at work commended you for keeping it together that someone you worked so closely with had been killed, only Liz kept a closer eye on you, making sure you weren’t about to go off the deep end. You managed to keep everything under control, keeping your job on a good level, prosecuting the crimes you could.

You wouldn’t ever deny it.

The night you found out that you’d never be able to prosecute Alex’s murder, that there was no way to track down the bastard that killed her, that there somehow wasn’t a lick of evidence, you smashed multiple wine glasses on the kitchen floor. You collapsed on the living room floor in a fit of tears, unable to even think of what you were supposed to do with your future. Bringing justice to Alex was all you’d been looking forward to, and now even that bleak option was gone.

You weren’t the only one to take it hard, and honestly, you surprised yourself when you were the one knocking on Elizabeth Donnelly’s office door a couple of days later.

“What can I help with?” You were genuinely surprised when her voice was soft, knowing that you were probably circling back to the first level of mourning due to the recent news.

“I need a new A.D.A.” You sighed, “I can’t keep doing the work of three of us and picking up the slack from homicide…it’s way too much. Liz..I’m at my breaking point…”

“Homicide has a new one starting tomorrow, transferred in from Queens. Branch made personal calls to the precinct to tell them to stop calling you.”

“Thank you…but I meant in SVU.” You hated yourself for what you were about to do, you hated being the person who snitched on a friend, but you were going through enough already, you couldn’t stay as strong as you wanted to.

“Please don’t tell me you’re about to hand me a resignation.”

“No!” You shot back, “but…you need to suspend Sonya…she needs to go to rehab…” you dropped into the chair in front of her desk, daring to meet her eyes.

“What?”

“I’ve been covering for her for weeks Elizabeth…I’ve been doing her case work, writing her arguments for her, cause she’s just too fucked up to do it herself. I’m so sorry…I never wanted to be this person, but..I can’t do it anymore. I just had Liv breathalyzer her in my office and she blew a 1.8…she’s supposed to be in court in an hour.”

“Are you kidding me?” You basically shrunk in your chair at the tone in her voice and she noticed it instantly.

“I’m sorry…” the tears you’d been trying to hold back, especially in this interaction began to threaten to burst from your eyes, “I just..it’s not fair…I mean…Sonya lost a friend sure, but somehow she’s the one allowed to be a complete mess, to show up to work drunk and it just gets blown off?! Meanwhile I’m the one stuck cleaning out Alex’s stuff from our apartment?! I feel like I’m a strand of silly string trying to hold the goddamn department together right now and I can’t keep doing this if Branch doesn’t hire someone else!”

You buried your face into your hands, trying to hold back the tears, trying to not shudder from the cries begging to escape your body in front of your supervisor. You heard a shuffle as she moved through the office, surprised when you felt her hands on your wrists, moving your hands from your face, tilting your chin up to hers.

“Don’t ever sell yourself short. I’ve told you before and I will tell you again, you’re one of the greatest prosecutors that I have, and you always will be. I’m incredibly proud of you for coming to me about Paxton…it takes a lot of guts to do that when it’s not only a friend but someone with seniority over you. I’ll talk to Branch, I’ll see about getting someone transferred into SVU. I know he mentioned there were a few people with paperwork already started. And please…remember you’re not alone in this…”

“Thank you…” you murmured out, taking a breath as you wiped your tears from your face, “and…could you maybe suggest a lateral transfer? Or at least someone that has an idea of what sex crimes entails. I really don’t have the energy to coach some baby lawyer into the world of SVU.”

“I’ll do what I can.” Liz gave you the usual tight smile, “now how about you go home…have a drink..or..don’t..” she grimaced slightly, “just..take care of yourself. I’ll get someone to cover Paxton’s case.”

“Thank you.” You managed to shoot her a weak smile before you left her office.

Things may have not be anywhere near good, but maybe, just maybe they were getting better. You hated that you’d been the one to turn on Sonya, her being one of the only friends you had now, especially since Olivia had been so distant. You figured it was because her and Alex had been so close, that she was just as fucked up as you were now, or there was some weird history you’d never been indulged to. You thought you’d been able to lean on each other, but as things looked, you had Donnelly, and that was much more professional than anything else. You were only thankful when later that evening, after nearly a bottle of wine you’d gotten a text from Liz that the new A.D.A had been secured for your department, and would be starting within the next few days. If everything was going to be a fucking dumpster fire, at least you’d have someone to share the burden with, even if they didn’t know why the fire was lit in the first place.

[tasloveskk]

Some folklore thoughts 💭🌲✨🏳️‍🌈 

Part 1

 I’m going to take it song by song while also tracking key themes in red! Please also feel free to add in your thoughts in the comments, I’m curious to see what else people think folklore is about...

folklore

‘folklore’ is defined as “a body of popular myths or beliefs relating to a particular place, activity, or group of people.” or, by Steve from Taylor’s IC,”the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth.” Taylor herself in her introduction/prologue says  “A tale that becomes folklore is one that is passed down and whispered around. Sometimes even sung about. The lines between fantasy and reality blur and the boundaries between truth and fiction become almost indiscernible. Speculation, over time, becomes fact. Myths, ghost stories, and fables. Fairytales and parables. Gossip and legend. Someone’s secrets written in the sky for all to behold.”

the 1

- firstly, it’s the best opening track she’s ever had! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

- “I’m doing good, I’m on some new shit” = sounds to me like a conversation you have with an ex, like someone is saying “yeah I’m doing great, I’m dating/doing ‘x’” the first time they run into their ex in a while.

-“I thought I saw you at the bus stop” has BIG “this city screams your name” energy but is also very clever by Taylor because Miss Karlie Kloss is ALWAYS on advertisements on bus stops/literal buses around the globe 🚌

- “I hit the Sunday matinee” to me seems like an inside thing, because obviously as the world biggest pop star, if taylor is going to go to the theatre or cinema, she’ll pick the least busy and most filled with older people which would be the Sunday matinee.

- “you know the greatest films of all time were never made” —> the greatest love stories never get told? happen behind the scenes? There’s something deeper here but I’m still forming the cohesive idea!

- “if you wanted me you really should’ve showed” = showed up or showed for the world, either way Taylor wanted KK to chose her not Josh so they could work but that didn’t happen so now she’s left to wonder.

- “roaring twenties” evokes two clear images for me! 1. They were both in their 20s for the entiretyof their relationship, the best years were spent together and 2. The Roaring 20s were a time of independence, pushing boundaries and breaking the rules of prohibition - which is basically what Taylor and Karlie were doing behind the scenes.

- “if my wishes came true, it would’ve been you” = let’s say, ONLY FOR ARGUMENTS SAKE, that Taylor really IS with Toe, that still means that this song is her yearning for someone else who she always loves more AND had to lose at some point. Looking at her past beards “relationships”, there are only two plausible options - Joe (which seems unlikely seeing as they’re still “together”) or CH who she supposedly wrote “you would’ve been the one if you were a better man” about. Either way doesn’t seem like it fits. However, if you look at it as Karlie is the 1, it becomes clear - it would’ve been fun being best friends and lovers for ever baking cookies and dancing around the kitchen, it would’ve been forever if Karlie hadn’t “married” jerk, it would’ve been her and it still is. 💗

- “in my defense I have none, for never leaving well enough alone” & “I know that I went psycho on the phone, I never leave well enough alone” are about the same moment with the same person = she didn’t leave well enough alone because she kept writing about Karlie and re-engaging us Kaylors as well as I’m sure, she kept up with seeing Karlie or keeping tabs on her to the point where it forced someone to reach out to the other.... she can’t apologise or defend her actions because you can’t explain the things you do for true love.

- “I have this dream you’re doing cool shit” aka starting a podcast, expanding businesses, making headway as an entrepreneur and being a highly-paid and respected international model? Seems straight forward 👀

- “you meet some woman on the Internet and take her home” = 1. Karlie is specifically interested in tech and the internet, it is literally her entire business and 2. if Karlie and Tay did break up, then because Karlie is actually NOT married to Josh, she hooked up with someone she met through the internet somehow (probs social media not an app) and Taylor found out this is probably a snarky comment about that from a jealous ex. Could possibly also be about the dream mentioned above. 💔🔐

- “another day waking up alone” = lost her lover, sleeps alone? Bold claim on opening tack.

- “persist and resist” = very famous feminist saying, civil rights/political echo?

- “the temptation to ask you if one thing had been different, would everything be different today” = this what if mentality continues through the album but personally, I think this is about Kissgate.

- “Rosé flowing with your chosen family” = repeats later, your chosen family could refer to Karlie’s group of friends like Derek and Jourdan etc.

- “would’ve been sweet if it could’ve been me” = flipped perspective, wishes Karlie chose her.

- “dragging up the grave another time” = firstly, THAT pin on her EW jacket now makes more sense. second, Taylor has written about Karlie for 4 straight albums now, she hasn’t let their love story die even if they did.

-

cardigan

- “brand new phone” = this is not some story, this is current reality. Taylor hides behind era-specific language and imagery in some other songs but this one is clearly about here and now, and her.

- “sensual politics” to me stands out because only really here and in TLGAD is politics explicitly mentioned and sensual politics to me screams sleeping with someone for political gain or with political connections which certainly sounds like someone...

- “when you’re young, they assume you know nothing” = sounds to me like a lot like a) love story and b) “you don’t know you’re gay, it’s just a PHASE! you’ll grow out of it!” 🏳️‍🌈

- “chase 2 girls, lose the one” = supposedly, when KK and TS met, Taylor was still in love/entangled with Dianna so perhaps she’s reflecting on making the wrong choice?

- CIWYW links: my baby’s high above the whole scene—> heartbeat on the high line, tidbit:as is clear in both Lover & 1989 New York is a sacred place for TS and KK’s love story, the high line is a) a beautiful NYC icon and b) right in between the girls’ two places...

- as mentioned, miss Karlie ELIZABETH Kloss was the brand model for Levi’s and definitely has worn some sequins and black lipstick on cobblestones sooooo.... 🤷🏼‍♀️

- “you drew stars around my scars” = see Drake’s birthday party and the infamous third Polaroid mystery 👀

- “stepping on the last train” could mean one of two things to me; 1. The last resort for KK was marrying J*sh or 2. the last train could represent some goodbye the girls had where KK chose something/someone else over Taylor.

- “peter losing Wendy” is such an interesting metaphor on so many levels but specifically, Wendy loses Peter because she wakes up (from nearly dying but nvm) and grows up and stops believing in Neverland and magic, basically Wendy loses an attachment to Peter because her reality shifts and that’s what gets remembered especially in the Disney version of the story. HOWEVER, the opposite is also true meaning Peter Pan loses Wendy because he can never co-exist with her again, he can never grow up or bring her back to Neverland without either killing her or ruining her. So this idea that someone wanted to change the ending from peter losing Wendy because he had to do what was best for her because he loved her echoes as Karlie didn’t want to marry Jerk or hurt Taylor but had to in order to protect her. Right? 😅

- “leaving like a father, running like water” = Taylor’s parents got divorced and there’s SOME thoughts Scott left the house and Taylor lives with her Mom in Nashville in her teen years.

- “I knew everything when I was young” - Taylor has always know she was LGBT+ 🌈 and also, baby VSFS vibes because as we all know, “we were both young when I first saw you...” send tweet.

- “I knew you’d come back to me” hopefully, HOPEFULLY foreshadows the girls being together/coming out soon !!!!!!! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

- music video wise, I’ll do a break down soon.

TLGAD

- ‘Rebekkah’ refers to the previous owner of Taylor’s Watch Hill, RI house, Rebekah Harkness. She was a divorcee until marrying Standard Oil heir William (aka Bill) Hale Harkness, a new-money dynasty was formed in this time from their profit. There are MANY wild, whimsical stories about ‘Betty’ (which is obviously an extended metaphor of folklore)  that this song tries to re-create/recapture.  

- Taylor is also known as ‘Becky’ due to the popular meme so this is quite literally a play on her own character as well as the previous inhabitants of the house.

- St Louis is not only Rebekkah’s hometown, but also Karlie Elizabeth Kloss’. 

- “the wedding was charming, if a little gouche” seems like a direct shot fired at Karlie’s woodsy photoshoot of 2018 😂😂(ironically, folklore’s key aesthetic is the woods!!)

- “it must’ve been her fault his heart gave out” refers explicitly to William dying of a heart attack in the house, but subtly I feel like this is a dig at the media who constantly blame women for things they cannot control, as they have done with Taylor too many times to even count. 

- “who knows if she never showed up, what could’ve been” seems like Taylor is stuck thinking about what may have happened for her and Karlie if things had been different, see the 1. 

- “she/I had a marvellous time ruining everything” is such an incredibly provoking lyric on two fronts, 1. obviously taylor buying her RI house had a massive impact on an otherwise sleepy holiday town that is now more famous for Taylor’s july 4 parties than anything else and 2. seems introspective or personal, as if the things that ruined everything for Karlie and Taylor were the best and most marvellous parts of their relationship (big sur, kissgate etc.) 

- “flew in all her bitch pack friends from the city” is not only about the friends and celebs Rebekkah was notorious for hosting but also Taylor’s ‘bitches and model’ girl gang circa 2015 which includes one Karlie Kloss. 

- “blew through the money on the boys and the ballet” refers to Rebekkah’s love of wasting her fortune on things, including a ballet company that went under not long after she created it BUT also refers to Taylor paying so many boys to be her beards and PR stunts whilst also spending her money on a certain ex-Ballerina. Also remember her AMA’s performance of Lover/ bts of Shake It Off? 😉😉😉

- “50 years is a long time” - 50 seems deliberate, a bit of a reach but note it WAS the 50th anniversary of Stonewall last year. 🏳️‍🌈

-  “free of women with madness, their men and bad habits and THEN IT WAS BOUGHT BY ME.” - this clearly shows that ALL the songs are being narrated by Taylor, some of the lyrics are about her, some are about these fictional or fantastical characters she’s created but there is her truth behind all of them too. 

- “the loudest woman this town has ever seen” = Taylor is undoubtedly the most famous woman in the town who regualrly causes uproar there (see the Sea Wall debacle and the Taylor Swift Tax)

- in all, the two famed women owner’s of Holiday House have many overlaps and are forever intertwined. 

exile

- “i can see you standing honey with his arms around your body” as the opening line is LOUD. to me, feels like this is about ALL those staged photos of Josh and Karlie uncomfortable/fake as hell on social media. 

- “laughing but the joke’s not funny at all” is something we’ve all thought about Karlie’s marriage before and is about that moment where if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry at the situation. 

- “it took you 5 whole minutes to pack up ... holding all this love out here in the hall” to me is about someone moving out of a shared home, like Karlie from Taylor’s NYC apartment, after a break up or fight. We know it is MORE than likely that the girls’ broke up, for a while or for good, in 2017/18. 

- “I think I’ve seen this film before, and didn’t like the ending” is a lot like “Cause cruelty wins in the movies, I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you” / “All of my heroes die all alone.” which makes me truly believe that delicate > the archer > exile are all the progression of the same love story.  ❤️

- “now I’m in exile seeing you out” = both of them have lost their home, exiled from the relationship.

- “I can see you staring honey, like he’s just your understudy” has a lot to unpack. Firstly, see this photo. Second, as a beard, Joe is quite literally Karlie’s understudy - stepping in only to fill a public void or play her part when she can’t. 

- “like you’d get your knuckles bloody for me” is basically this tweet

- “second, third and hundredth chances” - hopefully this means the girls WILL be together again soon!!! 

- “those eyes add insult to injury” - Taylor has often made explcit reference to her lover’s eyes, but this could also mean the eyes of the public on her every move and relationship not allowing her to properly grapple with break ups. 👁️

-  “i’m not your problem anymore, so who am i offending?” - homophobes love to say wlw or mlm relationships “offend” them or their beliefs, so who could taylor be offending if she’s publicly in a straight relationship? 

- “you were my crown”, Taylor was/is Karlie’s princess, if Karlie is gone, Taylor doesn’t feel like she’s a princess anymore. Likewise, Karlie is Taylor’s sunshine which makes the moody, misty, dark aesthetics all the more relevant to this album. 

- “so I’m leaving out the side door’ - this side door? the other side of the door?

- “all of this time, we always walked a very thin line” between outing themselves and being happy? 

- “I gave so many signs” - Taylor has queercoded EVERY album since her self-titled, she has been dropping hints and signs for years that she is LGBT+ so it must be exhausting to have to keep hiding who she loves. This is repeated so many times - it means a lot. 

- written with William Bowery who nobody can quite identify, but Karlie and Taylor have been to the Bowery many times together and William is mentioned earlier in TLGAD

- this whole song is a duet, a two-sided conversation between lovers - her and karlie both without each other. 

my tears ricochet

- Track 5 is, as per usual, deeply confessional, personal, emotive and moving. 😿😿

- there are lots of theories and layers to this masterpiece of a song, including that it’s in reference to big machine. I personally think every single song of Taylor’s is made up of layers that reflect multiple things in her life and experience so plausibly it can be about multiple things all at once including Sco** and Scumbag as well as Karlie, who was under Scumbag’s management for the majority of the decade. Another theory which with every new listen I think is more and more possible is that this is alternating between Taylor and Karlie’s perspectives. 

- ‘if i’m on fire, you’ll be made of ashes too” whoever is associated with Taylor will ALWAYS be dragged down with her. If she’s being attacked, they will be too. Big 2016 energy. 

- “even on my worst day, did I deserve babe, all the hell you gave me?” could be directed at a lover, or at Big Machine, or even the public for all the shit they’ve said about Taylor over the years. 

- “I swear I loved you ‘till my dying day” seems a lot like the 1, as well as could be about the music and the label she helped build. 

- “I didn’t have it within myself to go with grace.” Taylor was LOUD about her split from Big Machine, she called them out (rightly) and made noise which is not a ‘graceful’ split. 

- “you’re the hero flying around saving face” very easily is about S+S jackasses but deeper than that, while Taylor was under immense attack and criticism, everyone who actually like her music pretended suddenly to hate it and her to stay ‘cool’ 

- “cause if I’m dead to you why are you at the wake?” this lyric becomes especially important in the final verse but essentially those who publicly distanced themself from Taylor still showed up when she was thriving again and/or because they actually truly loved her *uhmm karlie uhmm* 

- “cursing my name, wishing I stayed” either at Big Machine or with Karlie/Taylor. 

- “some to make a diamond ring” > firstly we still have never understood the ring image from the LWYMMD and ME! videos, it is entirely possible this is a continuation of that same symbol/image. Second, I think this hints to Karlie getting ‘engaged’ while still being with Taylor, the rock for the ring in the song was found by the two people gathering stones after all. 

- “you know i didn't want to have to haunt you” both Taylor and Karlie have big reputations all over the world that follow them everywhere. For either one, they will always be haunted by reminders of each other. 

- “you wear the same jewels that I gave you as you bury me” - on the Big Machine side, Taylor made the label professional and big, she is literally the sole reason it succeeded in the music industry so she handed Sco** his fortune and reputation which he still had when he sold her music to Scumbag and got into a very dirty bed with him. From the Karlie side, many people have noted that not only does she wear her black cartier necklace, which is assumed to be from Taylor, but to her ‘wedding’ wore a necklace she’d worn before with Taylor. 

- “when I’d fight you’d tell me I was brave” could refer to Sco** encouraging her in 2016 to defend herself. Could refer to Karlie supporting her behind the scenes. 

- ‘and I can go anywhere I want, just not home” seems like a continuation from exile, as in she’s lost the place she called home because her lover is no longer there but could also mean she can’t go back to her other albums and the house (see the lover music video) that they created as her musical home.

- “you will still miss me in your bones” could be about Sco** losing his money and label without her there to physically support and carry it or about the fact that the love Taylor and Karlie had is so ingrained it’s in their bones forever. 

- “and i still talk to you when I’m screaming at the sky” this lyric has a lot of possible interpretations (i’ve seen one about cursing out God?) but i think it’s similar to “asking the traffic lights if i’ll be alright” as in, it’s Taylor asking the universe to help her make sense of things. 

- “when you can’t sleep at night, you hear my stolen lullabies” suggests a) sco** + scumbag is still haunted by the music they stole from Taylor because it was literally the backbone of the business which is now practically worthless and b) that Karlie is kept awake by the songs Taylor has written for and about her over the years which again were stolen away by the jackasses at Big Machine.  

- “you had to kill me, but it killed you just the same” again, same idea - big machine will never be profitable without her/while they hold her masters hostage. BUT Karlie wise, breaking up with Taylor broke her too? 

- this is where the song changes. it shifts from Taylor’s story to someone else’s, personally I think Karlie. 

- “you turned into your worst fears” as in she settled for the money and sold her values off by marrying Josh. Also, Karlie was under Scumbag’s management for years (part of Taylor’s hatred of him was him keeping the girls’ from doing as they pleased) so by being completely controlled by him, she turned into this completely fake person. Contrast 2014/15 Karlie with 2017/18 Karlie and it so much more all about PR and money. 

- “you’re tossing out blame, drunk on this pain, crossing out the good years” - sco** and scumbag have made so many false excuses for their behaviour and completely erased the good relationship between the Swifts and sco**. Not sure yet what the Karlie side is here but it’s here somewhere. 

- in conclusion, this is about Big Machine and Karlie. As the first song Taylor wrote for the album, I think it’s clear just how incredibly multi-faceted this album is. ☕☕☕

mirrorball

- first off, we can never forget about this and this look from both girls. ✨✨

- “I’ll to show you every version of yourself tonight”, the public and the private sides to them both. this is big glass closet energy in my opinion 

- “and when I break it’s in a million pieces” is so personal and heartbreaking. 2016 and Kaylor breakup vibes. I cannot elaborate at this time. 

- “when no one is around my dear” = the secrecy, forbidden love motif returns and again, if she’s in a hetero relationship, what’s to hide? 

- “you’ll find me on my tallest tiptoes”, Just an fyi, Karlie, a giraffe, is 6′2″, Taylor is 5′10″ -- thats a big difference. 🦒🦒🦒

-  “i know they said the end is near” = end of the relationship or the end of hiding it, either way, it’s a romantic last private moment together, swaying as the room burns down. 

- “i can change everything about me to fit in” = Taylor when she was starting out was forced to create this all innocent, american-girl image of herself. She has had to hide herself to succeed, as she said in Miss Americana, she was muzzled. 

- “you are not like the regulars, the masquerade revelers” = Karlie is different to everyone else, or any other ex, ‘masquerade’ implies masked or hidden figures at a party, very Love Story 

- “and the called off the circus, burned the disco down” = the ‘circus’ could be the media/public, or all the illusions Taylor has cast in order to appear straight. The ‘disco’, and Taylor is the ‘mirror ball’ to her lover means that this isolated existence of just the two of them. 

- “I’m still on that tightrope, I’m still trying everything” for now, she’s still closeted, she’s still trying to have the best of everything. 

- “I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why” believer in everything working out perhaps, or perhaps believing it’s better if she’s in the closet and it’s only the two of them. 

- “never been a natural” = she has completely created herself through years off trying to be what people want, not who she naturally is. 

seven

- “picture me” implies this is retrospective of Taylor, she’s reflecting on her childhood/youth. 

- “I hit my peak at Seven” could either refer to the age 7 or album 7, ‘Lover’ which many critics argued was her best work. 

- “Over the creek I was too scared to jump in” = fear of jumping is something Taylor has discussed in many songs but this is different, the creek represents something she fears will drown her.

- “High in the sky with Pennsylvania under me” = obviously, Taylor was born and raised in rural PA, so this truly is a childhood memory unearthed and explored. It’s personal to Taylor, it’s her story. 👏🏼

- “Are there still beautiful things?”  Recognizing the world isn’t all daisies and rainbows 

- “cross your heart, don’t tell no other” = again, secret keeping and hiding something is a big queer image, ‘cross your heart’ is a quite childish phrase but it’s adult equivalent in Taylor’s world is an NDA, ie swearing people to secrecy is something she's always known... 🔐

- “Although i can’t recall your face, I still got love for you” = this childhood love has faded with time to memories, this girl simultaneously forgotten and remembered. 

- “Your braids like a pattern” = definitely about a girl (1996 rural Pennsylvania was not the kind of place where boys had braids), specific use of YOUR pronoun not ‘my’ or ‘our’ suggesting again it’s about a girl. Very obviously about a first girl crush. 🌈 

- “passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long” = firstly, reference to Neruda’s poem Taylor used in the red prologue. second, folksongs change slightly from generation to generation but the heart/melody remains the same meaning that in Taylor’s mind, the story of her first girl love has changed but it’s still the same song/story all the years later. also, clearly a reminder of the setting of the song and the album as a whole being folklore. 💛

- “your dad is always mad and that must be why” feels a lot like Love Story and forbidden love, also again rural Pennsylvania in the mid-1990s was not the most liberal place so I can imagine a lot of homophobic ideas that perforated Taylor’s childhood.

- “I think you should come live with me” is such an innocent image of someone in love and wanting to just fix things by bringing them home, it also is like a baby gay version of uhauling 

- “we could be pirates” = pirates are not just a childhood image/motif but also one historically seen as gay, gangs of pirates often had ‘mateolage’ agreements that basically were like widow’s benefits. See John Swann. ☠️

- “you won’t have to cry, or hide in the closet.” = I think this one is explicitly clear but just to be sure, Taylor could’ve said “hide when he lost it, hide if you wanted, hide in the woods too” etc. Read this for a full understanding of why it such a LOUD image to use.  It is VERY DELIBERATE PEOPLE. 🌈🌈🌈

- “just like a folk song, our love will be passed on” = different from the first bridge but deliberate again. Their story, aka Taylor liking girls from a young age will always be talked about, AND their love lives in this song she wrote.

- “picture me in the weeds before I learned civility” = again, given the homophobic attitude, ‘civility’ and straightness should be read as the same so Taylor is saying when she was a child, free in the grass and herself, she wants to always be. 

- “I used to scream ferociously any time I wanted” = she wasn’t muzzled as a child, she could say and be who she wanted, screaming it aloud for everyone to hear but that changed as she grew up. 

- “pack your dolls and a sweater, we’ll move to India forever” = ‘dolls’ again would imply it’s two girls running away together and India is this exocitc far off place to a child, a place where they can be together without anyone knowing them or controlling them. 

August

- Karlie Kloss is born in August. Karlie Kloss posted yesterday about being a Leo (an August born). August belongs to Karlie Kloss. 🦁♌

- “rust on your door” = image of something well-worn, perhaps someone who’s been here too a few times before?

- “whispers of are you sure?” = obviously there is the sexual connotation, but beyond that, what if it’s about Taylor and Karlie going public etc. 

- “never have I ever before” = see above but also the game ‘never have I ever’ evokes youthfulness and sounds almost like a reminder of a fun night with friends. 

- “I can see us lost in the memory” = implies they’re still together, losing themself in the memory together

- “I can see us twisted in bedsheets” = again, sexual imagery but also the intimacy of sharing a bed with the person you love after sex 

- “Like a bottle of wine” = matures the song a bit, the youthfulness of earlier is now more adult. 21 is America’s drinking age, 20s were mentioned early etc. 🍷

- “Cause you were never mine” = the whole of Taylor and Karlie’s relationship, Karlie has publically been dating Josh so she was never solely Taylor’s. 

- “Will you call when you’re back at school?” = Karlie attended NYU in 2015, the height of Kaylor. 

- “back when we were still changing for the better” = instead of changing to adapt/survive or keep up appearances. 

- “wanting was enough” = wanting Karlie without labels was enough, rather than having to go public etc. Many have said for a long time that Karlie and Taylor fought about coming out or not. 

- “cancel plans in case you would call” = sounds like a very love-sick Taylor Swift thing to do. Also waiting on a lover’s call when they constantly are travelling like both Karlie and Taylor do makes sense. ☎️

- “so much for summer love” = cruel summer echo? Summer 2015 was again, peak Kaylor so this could be a specific reference to that period

- “Do you remember? Remember when I pulled up and said ‘get in the car’” another specific reference, comes up again later in Betty, clearly is something personal. 

- “Back when I was still living for the hope of it all” = back as in the past when everything was happening, hope of it all being the hope they’d still end up together. 

TO SUM UP PART 1:

BENEATH ALL FICTION OR MYTH IS FACT & FEELING. Taylor is no longer hiding. Yes, some of these songs are about stories and people not her but there is so much of herself and her own story layered in too. PAY ATTENTION!!! Obviously, these are just my opinions, I’m not Taylor so I cannot know exactly what these songs are about but I think, after years of analyzing her music, these images/themes and deliberate word choice are well-versed in this part of the fandom. It is entirely possible this is the beginning of Taylor’s full, public coming out journey. 

I’ll be back with Part 2 tomorrow.  Stay Tuned!

[cecilyneville]

the spanish princess: episode 8

“why are people watching this show if they don’t like it???”

me: 

(i mean hating on this show, not actually watching it - nothing about tsp is fun, the whole thing has been mean-spirited from beginning to end)

ruairi was good as prince henry, but as king henry? awful

“i would not come to help you” so how much more of coa being a cunt are we going to get? bc if this episode is called “peace” i assume she has to...idk...start being a bit nicer

god, fucking finally

if they want us to like catherine bc she’s finally paying attention to mary that isn’t “HMM SHE IS NOT A BOY”, they got another thing coming

catherine was horrible to everyone including her ladies and her daughter, but she’s slightly nicer now so it’s ok!!!!

“men of arran and men of hamilton” the writers have finally realised there are more families in scotland than stewart and douglas

WHY has albany kidnapped james? at first i thought it was a ruse b/w him and meg but apparently not. wouldn’t it make more sense for her to return to scotland to find that angus has kidnapped james?

it makes so much sense for ef to just ignore the fact that margaret douglas exists and keep prince alexander alive

ursula where you been all this time???

finally some semi-accurate headwear on maggie. but ONLY on maggie, not on ursula, bc if it’s anything the costuming on all three series have taught us, only old ladies cover their heads

also finally - laura carmichael is getting some decent material to work with! (relatively speaking)

bessie instructing henry fitzroy is very similar to her tudors counterpart doing the same, bc of course

comb ur fuckin hair dude

i’m not gonna lie, this latin standoff between mary & henry fitzroy is hilarious, like a 16th-century spelling bee

“there’s nothing i can give a girl” except, you know, sending her to ludlow as heirs to the throne were before her, but even that level of nuance is too confusing for fraham

“my brother is more sympathetic to her cause than he has been” this week: henry discovers the concept of divorce

“go to the king anne, smile and win his favour” yet another barely-concealed tudors ripoff

thomas more just like “maggie you’re fucked up bc your life has been so shit”

if henry is speaking about this script then he is 100% correct

oh rosa’s here! so not one but BOTH of catherine’s besties will ditch her, delicious

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, THIS IS THE MOST OBVIOUS, CLUNKY WAY TO DO IT LMAO

oh they’re going for a becket/henry ii vibe here with wolsey & henry, don’t mind this

it bothers me SO much that they keep calling maggie henry’s aunt when they never bothered to include elizabeth’s actual sisters after they put cecily on a bus (which, to be fair, was probably for the best)

i kind of recoil when people say “[insert historical figure] would be so offended by this depiction” because if someone like catherine of aragon were shown any modern depiction of herself, her head would probably explode out of confusion and horror. BUT this is so offensive to the real catherine of aragon

i would like to see laura carmichael as elizabeth of york - it’s the big brown eyes

is she doing this out of hatred for her inability to give the king a son??? what does it all MEAN emma

i mean i guess he’s hotter than angus

i know this hunting scene is supposed to reflect something from part one which i didn’t watch, but it just reminds me of the tudors s1 finale when henry and anne fucked in the woods 

also reminds me very much of the great when peter tries to drown catherine

catherine quoting deuteronomy and unwittingly confessing to consummating her marriage with arthur...CONGRATULATIONS YOU PLAYED YOURSELF

soz to sound like a broken record but the fact that people - even some actual critics - watch CH’s performance and think this is actually good acting will never not be funny to me, she’s atrocious. it’s so jarring looking at behind the scenes footage and seeing her smiling, like couldn’t you actually do this on screen? she plays catherine like the woman’s never felt happiness in her life, or any other emotion for that matter

lina’s not gonna sell catherine out and i’m so mad about it, she has treated you like SHIT for YEARS

god, she can’t even cry believingly

HELL YES MEG, DISCO INFERNO

we won’t have time to see meg’s marriage to henry stewart fail spectacularly, which is probably a good thing bc my heart would break

catherine has been absolutely VILE to lina but it’s ok bc she’s said sorry now

“i would speak with you” / “it seems you already are” LOLLLL

so funny that it’s only NOW that they’re getting french hoods of some kind, but not with actual veils because, like i said, only old dowdy matrons don’t get to show their sexy hair

WHAAAAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

i mean, i’m not surprised, given how much fraham hate anne 

“so, you’re playing anne boleyn. congrats! but you’ll only get, like, one line, and you WILL have to get your tits out”

guys she’s so upset can’t you tell

CH got a taste for holding bows on game of thrones it’s the only thing she’s good at

STELLLAAAAAA

of course meg has to actually fire the cannons rather than just train them on angus and his men, but this is very fun

surprised they didn’t point out that one of scotland’s greatest cannons was called “mons meg”

fuck this nice scene between catherine and lina! she doesn’t deserve your forgiveness lina!!!

i guess catherine’s woke levels need to be maintained by keeping her one black friend who was a slave irl

hahahaha i fucking love her

“i will always be your wife, there is nothing you can do to change that” knock knock it’s the reformation

catherine choosing to leave makes no sense for this show or for the history they’re ~supposed~ to be depicting

“you will never take my place as queen of england” KNOCK KNOCK IT’S THE REFORMATION

catherine is an old lady now so we shall signify this by giving her a gable hood

catherine she just asked if the bird was dead jesus

which it should be by now...it’s been around since like 1510??

ah yes, let’s bring back that other metaphor, the imperialism compass 

if all the disgruntled tories had their way this would be on the end credits of every episode of the crown too

and that’s all folks! let’s all be thankful that this show didn’t submit us to an absolute butchery of catherine’s blackfriars speech

[petersasteria]

The Forces of Nature || Ch.4

Pairing: Peter Parker x Superhero!Reader

Summary: “There’s this kid out there that can control the wind or something. I think she’s a great addition to the team. Let’s recruit her.”

SERIES MASTERLIST  ||  PP MASTERLIST

Click the pictures for better quality and I still can’t believe I actually did this chapter with maximum effort lmao bc I actually studied so yeah have fun learning

Today was the day of Y/N and Peter's presentation about Queen Elizabeth I and Y/N wasn't nervous at all. She was confident about their presentation. Plus, their slide designs looked really cute and refreshing to look at. Y/N's outfit that day was a modernized version of a dress from the Elizabethan era. She designed it herself and she was proud of the outcome and that she got it done in time. Eunice helped, of course.

The sleeves were short and slightly puffed. The skirt went until her knees and it had layers underneath to make it puffy as well. The body of her dress was tight fitted because of the corset. The dress had a boat neckline and her only accessory was a pastel choker. In fact, her whole dress was pastel colored and her hair was styled in loose curls.

When Peter entered the room, Y/N was reading her book in her seat. Peter sat next to her and sensing his presence, Y/N turned to him and smiled, "Good morning, Peter."

"G'morning, Y/N." Peter gave her a tight-smile as he set his bag down. Y/N continued reading and without looking up from her book, she said, "C'mon say something about my outfit. I feel like you have something to say about it. You always do."

"How did you know that?" Peter asked. Y/N looked at him and smiled, "I can tell. Just say it. No hard feelings."

Peter cleared his throat and took a good look at her. He didn't have anything insulting to say. However, he said, "You look like you came out of a Melanie Martinez music video."

"She was part of the inspiration for this design." Y/N chuckled. "She's amazing."

Peter didn't get to say anything because Mrs. Johnson walked in the room causing Y/N to place a bookmark on the page she was reading and putting it in her bag.

"Who will present today?" Mrs. Johnson asked. Peter and Y/N raised their hands and Mrs. Johnson smiled, "Ahh, the geniuses. I expect a great presentation. The floor is yours."

Y/N took the flash drive from her pocket and handed it to Peter which was a subtle way of telling him to set it up. Mrs. Johnson walked to the back of the classroom and sat on the chair where observers usually sit. Y/N patiently waited as Peter sets up the whole thing. When it was ready, Y/N mouthed a small 'thank you' to Peter who just smiled and nodded.

"Hi everyone! Peter and I will be talking about Queen Elizabeth I's early life until she became queen. We were told not to tackle her reign as queen because someone else will be presenting that." Y/N introduced and explained.

"Yes, please proceed." Mrs. Johnson smiled.

Peter clicked the next slide.

Peter cleared his throat and racked his brains for what he remembered. He and Y/N agreed that he'd explain the basic ones and would pipe in if he could remember some parts of her life.

"Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7, 1533. She was the only child of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. If you don't know who Anne Boleyn is, she's Henry's second wife and she got executed for treason." Peter said. "Anyway, since Anne Boleyn got executed before Elizabeth's third birthday, Elizabeth was left discarded and removed from succession of the throne."

"It was kind of complicated because Elizabeth and her sister, Mary, were due a certain level of care and they'd be in and out of favor depending on King Henry VIII's mood and marital status. I mean, what kind of father would do that?" Peter said with so many emotions. Y/N was in shock that he actually read everything, but she was also proud that he did so.

"Eventually, they realized that Elizabeth was a 'highly prized potential wife'." Peter said in air quotes. "I air quoted 'highly prized potential wife' because spoiler alert to those who don't know: SHE DIDN'T GET MARRIED. She's not called The Virgin Queen for nothing, guys."

"And because she was a 'highly prized potential wife', she was well educated and her education was first rate. She excelled in languages! She was intelligent, articulate, and open-minded. In short, she was ahead of her time. I mean, that's my opinion, of course." Peter said.

"Why do you think she was ahead of her time, Mr. Parker?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

"Because she was open-minded before anyone else. All of us have already evolved and we all keep evolving and growing as a society and yet there are people who are still so close-minded about things. If Elizabeth was open-minded since the 1530's, why aren't we all open-minded now?" Peter answered which made Y/N smile. It made Mrs. Johnson smile too and nodded for Peter to continue.

"And because she was well educated and stuff, she grew up quickly. It was great that she matured so fast but it suddenly didn't feel great when her brother, Edward VI, became King of England in 1547." Peter started. "Henry's widow, Catherine Parr, married soon after Henry's death. She married Thomas Seymour."

"It was reinstated under the terms of Henry's will that Elizabeth would be Edward VI's successor. She was under the care of Catherine Parr and living in her household. At the age of 14, Elizabeth first attracted male attention." Peter said.

"Not much is to be known about Thomas Seymour except for the fact that he was power hungry and in my opinion, a pedophile. I based that opinion from the fact that Thomas Seymour, in his late 30's might I add, engaged in appropriate behavior with Elizabeth. When Catherine discovered that, Thomas assured her that it was all innocent. One day, Catherine found Thomas and Elizabeth alone together in an embrace and because of that, Elizabeth was sent away in May 1548."

A classmate named Cindy raised her hand. Peter looked at her and said, "Yes?"

"Was Elizabeth okay after that?" Cindy asked. Peter grinned, "Good question."

"Yes, she was okay. Being sent away made it easy for her to move on from all of it, but only for a short time." Peter answered. "It was only a short time because when Catherine Parr died in... October, was it?" He looked at Y/N for help.

Y/N continued where Peter left off, "When Catherine Parr died in September 1548, Thomas Seymour tried to renew his relationship with Elizabeth. Of course, he failed. So, he manipulated Edward VI."

"Why did he do all those things?" Flash asked.

"Well, he was power hungry and he wanted to secure his authority that's why he did what he did. Thomas was arrested in 1549 for his inappropriate behavior towards Elizabeth and plots to overthrow his brother who was the Lord Protector of England. That same year, he was executed." Y/N shrugged as Flash nodded. Peter clicked the next slide.

"Being Edward VI's sister, she caused little trouble compared to her sister, Mary, who went against the King's orders. When Edward VI fell ill in 1553, he went against Henry VIII's wishes and disinherited his sisters. Although his main issue was with Mary because of her very Catholic beliefs, disinheriting her would mean that he'd have to disinherit Elizabeth as well." Y/N reported.

"Well, that sucks." Flash commented.

"Indeed." Y/N said in agreement. "Anyway, when Edward died, Lady Jane Grey became queen... only for 9 days, though."

"A queen for 9 days? Why only 9 days? Did she die too?" Austin asked.

Y/N shook her head, "Nope."

"Who is she, anyway? She came out of nowhere!" Nadine exclaimed. "It's like she came there unannounced or something."

Y/N went to the board and grabbed a chalk and drew a chart of the Tudors for their classmates to understand. Peter stared at her in awe. "This girl knows her shit." Peter muttered under his breath as he crossed his arms out of habit.

Y/N turned to face everyone and started explaining, "Okay so let's start at the beginning. Henry VII and Elizabeth York are married and they had four children, namely: Arthur, Henry, Margaret, and Mary Tudor. Henry VIII and Jane Seymour had a son; Edward VI. Unfortunately, Jane Seymour died during childbirth."

"Anyway, Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor, married Charles Brandon the First Duke of Suffolk. They had a daughter, Frances Grey which makes her and Edward VI cousins. She married Henry Grey and they had a daughter who we all know as Jane Grey, the nine-day queen. In short, Jane Grey is Edward VI's niece." Y/N explained. "I hope that answers your question, Nadine."

"It did, thanks." Nadine said.

"I think it's weird that she's his niece." Allison mumbled.

"Now to answer Austin's question," Y/N said as she put down the chalk and rubbed her hands together to remove the chalk dust. Peter offered her a hand sanitizer which she gladly took and put some on her hands before giving it back to Peter and rubbing it on both of her hands.

"When Edward VI was dying, he disinherited both of his sisters and made Jane Grey his successor. So when he actually died in 1553, Jane Grey became queen. She was only queen for 9 days because the public basically didn't want her, they wanted Mary, Henry VIII's eldest and Edward VI's sister, to be queen instead. When Mary became queen, she wanted Jane Grey to be executed but she was spared upon the wish of the ones in the Holy Roman Empire. She was still a prisoner in the Tower, of course. Then she actually got executed when she refused to convert." Y/N explained. Austin nodded and took notes, "Thanks, Y/N."

"Okay so, now we all know that Mary became queen because the public wanted it. Elizabeth's life changed once again when her sister became queen and she now lived with her sister at court. Mary decided to reinstate the Catholic faith and of course it caused an uproar and such. Then this man named Thomas Wyatt started a revolt against Mary and it all just went downhill from there. In stark comparison to her irrational sister, Mary, Elizabeth became a figure of reason and enlightenment."

"Elizabeth was removed from the throne once more and after the rebellion was quashed, Elizabeth was interrogated because Mary suspected that Elizabeth took part in the said rebellion. There was no proof that Elizabeth had taken part in the rebellion, but she was taken to the Tower of London where she stayed for two months. In there, she was repeatedly interrogated and questioned. She never wavered from the protestations of her innocence and her love for her sister. Then Elizabeth left her prison for Woodstock and she was in house arrest there for nearly a year and the public was beginning to side with Elizabeth because Mary was getting crazy and out of hand. Elizabeth remained under house arrest until Mary came up with something to remove the threat."

"What was the threat?" Angelica asked.

"Elizabeth's ever-growing popularity was the threat." Y/N answered. "That's why she was sent to Woodstock."

"As Mary was thinking of a way to get rid of Elizabeth, she fell pregnant or she was already pregnant. If Mary had a healthy child, Elizabeth wouldn't become queen. But being pregnant is not easy so, this meant that Mary had to find Elizabeth a place for succession if she were to die in childbirth."

"She ended up not giving birth because her pregnancy was just a figment of her damaged imagination. In short, it was just a phantom pregnancy. Mary's health declined and she died on November 17, 1558."

"If Mary didn't bring her back in line for succession, how did Elizabeth become queen, then?" Brad questioned.

Y/N smiled, "Elizabeth became queen under the terms of Henry VIII's will. Now that she's queen, she already knew what to do and what not to do based from her family members. She learned from them and used it as stepping stones to be a great queen."

"Thank you for listening!" Peter and Y/N in sync. Mrs. Johnson and the rest of the class clapped for them. Peter took the flash drive and gave it to Y/N as they went back to their seats. Mrs. Johnson got up from her seat and went to the front of the class, "Thank you, Mr. Parker and Ms. Y/L/N. That was an astounding presentation! Both of you really did you research and I'm proud of both of you. You guys didn't disappoint."

Peter and Y/N smiled at each other and gave each other a high five. The bell rang signalling that class was over. The students put their things away as they prepared to leave the room.

"To the ones presenting tomorrow, my expectations are high!" Mrs. Johnson called out. "Bye class!"

Everyone left the classroom and Y/N left ahead with Peter running after her. "Hey, Y/N!" Peter shouted as he caught up with her. Y/N stopped walking and looked at him. Peter reached her and said, "Thanks for backing me up in there. I have to admit, we were amazing."

"Yeah, we were." Y/N smiled. "We make a great team, huh? I'll see you in the next class. I have to go to the library."

Peter nodded as he watched her walk away. What they did in class was great; they were great as a team. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to include her in the team after all.

After the last class, he went to the compound to report to the rest of the Avengers. When he arrived in the meeting room, everyone was already there and he was late.

"There you are, Peter! Sit." Tony said. Peter didn't hesitate to sit down at the only empty seat. Everyone looked at Peter expectantly.

"So, how's recruiting going?" Steve asked as he looked at Peter intently.

"It's alright. We did a report together and we were great. I have a feeling we'll get a high grade on it." Peter smiled.

"Does this mean that you finally agree to adding her to the team?" Scott asked with a giddy voice.

Peter shrugged, "It doesn't hurt to add one more person with powers, right?"

* * * *

:)))) I hope y'all are proud of my fucking research

𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐆��𝐈𝐒𝐓: @myblueleatherbag @harryismysunflower @buckys-little-hoe @justanothermarvelmaniac @itstaskeen @sandystoriess

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @marvelousell @justasmisunderstoodasloki @rubberducky-jrr @petersholland @osterfieldnholland @miraclesoflove @god-knows-what-am-i-doing @perspectiveparker @hollands-weasley @itstaskeen @call-me-baby-gir1​ @the-panwitch​ @iamaunicorn4704​ @chloecreatesfictions​ @holland-styles​ @halfblood-princess-505​ @spidey-reids-2003​

[didanawisgi]

In wake of George Floyd’s killing and the protests that followed, many colleges and universities have been rolling out new training requirements – often oriented towards reducing biases and encouraging people from high-status groups to ‘check their privilege.’  The explicit goal of these training programs is generally to help create a more positive and welcoming institutional environment for people from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups.

As I have explained elsewhere, there is a long literature on the benefits of diversity on knowledge production. However, many of the approaches to training people how to navigate and utilize diversity were implemented by corporations, non-profits and universities before their effectiveness had been tested rigorously (if at all).

Although the precursor to contemporary diversity training, sensitivity training, actually dates back to the mid 1940s,  diversity training became especially important beginning in the mid-80s to early-90s. Why? Starting in the late 70s through early 80s, universities began enrolling significantly higher numbers of women, minorities, and people from middle-class and lower-income backgrounds. Soon thereafter, employers found themselves with a much more heterogenous labor pool. They had to face, often for the first time, some of the challenges that come along with the benefits of diversity — as people with increasingly divergent backgrounds and perspectives were put side by side and tasked with common goals.

Beginning in the mid-90s, however, it became increasingly clear that, due to their lack of validation, many widely-used interventions could be ineffective or harmful. An empirical literature was built up measuring the effectiveness of diversity-related training programs. The picture that has emerged is not very flattering.

The limited research suggesting diversity-related training programs as efficacious was based on things like surveys before and after the training, or testing knowledge or attitudes about various groups or policies. And to be clear, the training does help people answer survey questions in the way the training said they ‘should.’ And many people who undergo the training say they enjoyed it or found it helpful in post-training questionnaires.

However, when scientists set about to investigate whether the programs actually changed behaviors, i.e. do they reduce expressions of bias, do they reduce discrimination, do they foster greater collaboration across groups, do they help with retaining employees from historically marginalized or underrepresented groups, do they increase productivity or reduce conflicts in the workplace — for all of these behavioral metrics, the metrics that actually matter, not only is the training ineffective, it is often counterproductive.  

Kalev, Alexandra w/ Frank Dobbin & Erin Kelly (2006). “Best Practices or Best Guesses? Assessing the Efficacy of Corporate Affirmative Action and Diversity Policies.” American Sociological Review 71(4): 589-617.

Naff, Katherine & J. Edward Kellough (2007). “Ensuring Employment Equity: Are Federal Diversity Programs Making a Difference?” International Journal of Public Administration 26(12): 1307-36.

Paluck, Elizabeth & Donald Green (2009). “Prejudice Reduction: What Works? A Review and Assessment of Research and Practice.” Annual Review of Psychology 60: 339-67.

Training is Generally Ineffective at Its Stated Goals

The stated goals of these training programs vary, from helping to increase hiring and retention of people from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups, to eliminating prejudicial attitudes or behaviors to members of said groups, to reducing conflict and enhancing cooperation and belonging among all employees. Irrespective of the stated goals of the programs, they are overwhelmingly ineffective with respect to those goals. Generally speaking, they do not increase diversity in the workplace, they do not reduce harassment or discrimination, they do not lead to greater intergroup cooperation and cohesion – consequently, they do not increase productivity. More striking: many of those tasked with ensuring compliance with these training programs recognize them as ineffective (see Rynes & Rosen 1995, p. 258).

Chang, Edward et al. (2019). “The Mixed Effects of Online Diversity Training.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(16): 7778-7783.

Dobbin, Frank & Alexandra Kalev (2016). “Why Doesn’t Diversity Training Work? The Challenge for Industry and Academia.” Anthropology Now 10(2): 48-55.

Dobbin, Frank w/ Daniel Schrage & Alexandra Kalev (2015). “Rage against the Iron Cage: The Varied Effects of Bureaucratic Personnel Reforms on Diversity.” American Sociological Review 80(5): 1014–44.

Dobbin, Frank w/ Alexandra Kalev & Erin Kelly (2007). “Diversity Management in Corporate America.” Contexts 6(4): 21-7.

Folz, Christina (2016). “No Evidence That Training Prevents Harassment, Finds EEOC Task Force.” Society for Human Resource Management, 19 June.

Frisby, Craig & William O’Donohue (2018). Cultural Competence in Applied Psychology: An Evaluation of Current Status and Future Directions. Cham, CH: Springer.

Magley, Vicki et al. (2016). “Changing Sexual Harassment within Organizations via Training Interventions: Suggestions and Empirical Data.” The Fulfilling Workplace: The Organization’s Role in Achieving Individual and Organizational Health. New York, NY: Routledge.

Newkirk, Pamela (2019). Diversity Inc.: The Failed Promise of a Billion-Dollar Business. New York, NY: Bold Type Books.

Training Often Reinforces Biases

Often, when people attempt to do fact-checks, they begin by underscoring the falsehood, and then proceed to try to debunk that falsehood. This can create what psychologists call an ‘illusory truth effect,’ where people end up remembering the falsehood, forgetting the correction – and then attributing their misinformation to the very source that had tried to correct it! A similar effect seems to hold with antibias training. By articulating various stereotypes associated with particular groups, emphasizing the salience of those stereotypes, and then calling for their suppression, they often end up reinforcing them in participants’ minds. Sometimes they even implant new stereotypes (for instance, if participants didn’t previously have particular stereotypes for Vietnamese people, or much knowledge about them overall, but were introduced to common stereotypes about this group through training intended to dispel said stereotypes).

Other times, they can fail to improve negative perceptions about the target group, yet increase negative views about others. For instance, an empirical investigation of ‘white privilege’ training found that it did nothing to make participants more sympathetic to minorities – it just increased resentment towards lower-income whites.

Encouraging people to ignore racial and cultural differences often results in diminished cooperation across racial lines. Meanwhile, multicultural training — emphasizing those differences — often ends up reinforcing race essentialism among participants. It is not clear what the best position between these poles is (such that these negative side effects can be avoided), let alone how to consistently strike that balance in training.  

Cooley, Erin et al. (2019). “Complex intersections of race and class: Among social liberals, learning about White privilege reduces sympathy, increases blame, and decreases external attributions for White people struggling with poverty.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 148(12), 2218–28.

Heilman, Madeline & Brian Welle (2006). “Disadvantaged by Diversity? The Effects of Diversity Goals on Competence Perceptions.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 36(5): 1291-1319.

Kulick, Carol w/ Elissa Perry & Anne Bourhis (2000). “Ironic evaluation processes: effects of thought suppression on evaluations of older job applicants.” Journal of Organizational Behaviour 21(6):  689–711.

Macrae, Neil et al. (1994). “Out of mind but back in sight: Stereotypes on the rebound.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 67(5): 808-17.

Plaut, Victoria  w/ Kecia M. Thomas and Matt J. Goren (2009). “Is Multiculturalism or Color Blindness Better for Minorities?” Psychological Science 20(4): 444-6.

Wilton, Leigh w/ Evan Apfelbaum & Jessica Good (2019). “Valuing Differences and Reinforcing Them: Multiculturalism Increases Race Essentialism.” Social Psychological and Personality Science 10(5): 681-9

Training Can Increase Biased Behavior, Minority Turnover

Many diversity-related training programs describe bias and discrimination as rampant. One unfortunate consequence of depicting these attitudes and behaviors as common is that it makes many feel more comfortable expressing biased attitudes or behaving in discriminatory ways. Insofar as it is depicted as ubiquitous, diversity-related training can actually normalize bias.

For others, the very fact that the company has diversity-related training is proof that it is a non-biased institution. This perception often reduces concerns about bias and discrimination – by oneself or others. As a consequence, people not only become more likely to act in more biased ways, but they also react with increased skepticism and hostility when colleagues claim to have been discriminated against.

Meanwhile, those who are discriminated against become more likely to rationalize mistreatment by others in the institution after undergoing diversity-related training (for the same reason, because they believe the institution must be fair in virtue of its commitment to diversity-related training; indeed, minority employees are often called upon to lead diversity reviews themselves). Consequently, they become less likely to actually report or address wrongdoing.  As a result, problems persist unabated — often leading to higher turnover among the very groups the programs were ostensibly designed to render more comfortable.

Brady, Laura et al. (2015). “It’s Fair for Us: Diversity Structures Cause Women to Legitimize Discrimination.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 57: 100-10

Dobbin, Frank & Alexandra Kalev (2019). “The Promise and Peril of Sexual Harassment Programs.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(25): 12255-12260.

Dobbin, Frank & Alexandra Kalev (2016). “Why Diversity Programs Fail.” Harvard Business Review 94(7): 52-60.

Dover, Tessa w/ Brenda Major & Cheryl Kaiser (2014). “Diversity initiatives, status, and system-justifying beliefs: When and how diversity efforts de-legitimize discrimination claims.” Group Processes & Intergroup Relations 17(4): 485-93.

Duguid, Michelle & Melissa Thomas-Hunt (2015). “Condoning Stereotyping? How Awareness of Stereotyping Prevalence Impacts Expression of Stereotypes.” Journal of Applied Psychology 100(2): 343-59.

Kaiser, Cheryl et al. (2013). “Presumed Fair: Ironic Effects of Organizational Diversity Structures.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 104(3): 504-19.

Kirby, Teri w/ Cheryl Kaiser & Brenda Major (2015). “Insidious Procedures: Diversity Awards Legitimize Unfair Organizational Practices.” Social Justice Research 28: 169-186.

Leslie, Lisa (2019). “Diversity Initiative Effectiveness: A Typological Theory of Unintended Consequences.” Academy of Management Review 44(3). DOI: 10.5465/amr.2017.0087

Training Often Alienates People from High-Status Groups, Reduces Morale

Diversity-related training programs often depict people from historically marginalized and disenfranchised groups as important and worthwhile, celebrating their heritage and culture, while criticizing the dominant culture as fundamentally depraved (racist, sexist, sadistic, etc.). People from minority groups are discussed in overwhelmingly positive terms, while people from majority groups are characterized as typically (and uniquely) ignorant, insensitive or outright malicious with respect to those who are different than them. Members of the majority group are told to listen to, and validate, the perspectives of people from historically marginalized or disadvantaged groups — even as they are instructed to submit their own feelings and perspectives to intense scrutiny.

In short, there is a clear double-standard in many of these programs with respect to how members of dominant groups (typically men, whites and/or heterosexuals) are described as compared to members of minority groups (i.e. women, ethnic/ racial minorities, LGBTQ employees). The result is that many members from the dominant group walk away from the training believing that themselves, their culture, their perspectives and interests are not valued at the institution – certainly not as much as those of minority team members — reducing their morale and productivity.

The training also leads many to believe that they have to ‘walk on eggshells’ when engaging with members of minority populations. By calling attention, not just too clear examples of harm and prejudice, but just as much (or more) to things like implicit attitudes and microaggressions, participants come to view colleagues from historically marginalized and disenfranchised groups as fragile and easily offended. As a result, members of the dominant group become less likely to try to build relationships or collaborate with people from minority populations.

Anand, Rohini & Mary-Frances Winters (2008). “A Retrospective View of Corporate Diversity Training from 1964 to the Present.” Academy of Management Learning & Education 7(3): 356-72.

Dover, Tessa w/ Brenda Major & Cheryl Kaiser (2016). “Members of High-Status Groups Are Threatened by Pro-Diversity Organizational Messages.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 62: 58-67.

Plaut, Victoria et al. (2011). “’What About Me?’ Perceptions of Exclusion and Whites’ Reactions to Multiculturalism.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 101(2): 337-53.  

Rios-Morrison, Kimberly w/ Victoria Plaut & Oscar Ybarra (2010). “Predicting Whether Multiculturalism Positively or Negatively Influences White Americans’ Intergroup Attitudes: The Role of Ethnic Identification.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 36(12): 1648-61.

Sanchez, Juan & Nohora Medkik (2005). “The Effects of Diversity Awareness Training on Differential Treatment.” Group & Organization Management 29(4): 517-36.

Focus On: Implicit Attitudes

Implicit attitudes are one of the most commonly relied-upon constructs in contemporary diversity-related training. However, there are severe problems with these constructs – as hammered home by meta-analysis after meta-analysis: it is not clear precisely what isbeing measured on implicit attitude tests; implicit attitudes do not effectively predict actual discriminatory behavior; most interventions to attempts to change implicit attitudes are ineffective (effects, when present, tend to be small and fleeting). Moreover, there is no evidence that changing implicit attitudes has any significant, let alone durable, impact on reducing biased or discriminatory behaviors. In short, the construct itself has numerous validity issues, and the training has no demonstrable benefit.

Blanton, Hart et al. (2009). “Strong claims and weak evidence: Reassessing the predictive validity of the IAT.” Journal of Applied Psychology 94(3): 567–582.

Carlsson, Richard & Jens Agerstrom (2016). “A Closer Look at Discrimination Outcomes in the IAT Literature.” Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 57(4): 278-87.

Forscher, Patrick et al. (2019). “A Meta-Analysis of Procedures to Change Implicit Measures.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 117(3): 522–559.

Lai, Calvin et al. (2016). “Reducing implicit racial preferences: II. Intervention effectiveness across time.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 145(8): 1001-1016.

Oswald, Frederick et al. (2013). “Predicting ethnic and racial discrimination: A meta-analysis of IAT criterion studies.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 105(2): 171–192

Focus On: Microaggressions

Contemporary diversity-related training often draws significant attention to microaggressions – small, typically inadvertent, faux pas involving people from historically marginalized and disadvantaged groups. The cumulative effects of microaggressions are held to have significant and adverse impacts on the well-being of people from low-status groups. However, although the microaggressions framework goes back to 1974, there is virtually no systematic research detailing if and how microaggressions are harmful, for whom, and under what circumstances (indeed, there is not even robust conceptual clarity in the literature as to what constitutes a microaggression). There is no systematic empirical evidence that training on microaggressions has any significant or long-term effects on behavior, nor that it correlates with any other positive institutional outcomes.

In fact, when presented with canonical microaggressions, black and Hispanic respondents overwhelmingly find them to be inoffensive – and we have ample reason to believe that sensitizing people to perceive and take greater offense at these slights actually would cause harm: the evidence is clear and abundant that increased perceptions of racism have adverse mental and physical consequences for minorities. In short, not only is there no evidence that training on microaggressions is valuable for improving the well-being of people from historically marginalized or disadvantaged groups, there is reason to believe it could actually be counter-productive to that end.

al-Gharbi, Musa (2020). “Who Gets To Define What’s ‘Racist’?” Contexts, 15 May.

Lillienfeld, Scott (2017). “Microaggressions: Strong Claims, Inadequate Evidence.” Perspectives on Psychological Science 12(1): 138-69.

Mandatory Training Causes Additional Blowback

Although diversity-related training programs are generally ineffective, and often bring negative side-effects, they tend to work better (or at least, be less harmful) when they are opt-in. Mandatory training causes people to engage with the materials and exercises in the wrong frame of mind: adversarial and resentful. Consequently, mandatory training often leads to more negative feelings and behaviors, both towards the company and minority co-workers. This effect is especially pronounced among the people who need the training most.  Yet roughly 80% of diversity-related training programs in the U.S. seem to be mandatory.

If an institution is going to include diversity-related training, it should offer it as a resource for those who want to learn more. To encourage more people to volunteer for the training, its value and purpose should be linked to specific organizational and development goals. Small incentives could be offered for those who take part, rather than the current norm of sanctioning those who do not.

Bingham, Shereen & Lisa Schrer (2001). “The Unexpected Effects of a Sexual Harassment Educational Program.” The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 37(2): 125-53.

Devine, Patricia et al. (2002). “The Regulation of Explicit and Implicit Race Bias: The Role of Motivations to Respond without Prejudice.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82(5): 835-48.

Kidder, Deborah et al. (2004). “Backlash toward Diversity Initiatives: Examining the Impact of Diversity Program Justification, Personal and Group Outcomes.” International Journal of Conflict Management 15(1): 77-102.

Kulick, Carol et al. (2007). “The Rich Get Richer: Predicting Participation in Voluntary Diversity Training.” Journal of Organizational Behavior 28(6): 753-69.

Legault, Lisa w/ Jennifer Gutsell & Michael Inzlicht (2011). “Ironic Effects of Antiprejudice Messages: How Motivational Interventions Can Reduce (but Also Increase) Prejudice.” Psychological Science 22(12): 1472-7.

Plant, Elizabeth & Patricia Devine (2001). “Responses to Other-Imposed Pro-Black Pressure: Acceptance or Backlash?” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 37(6): 486-501.

Robb, Lori & Dennis Doverspike (2001). “Self-Reported Proclivity to Harass as a Moderator of the Effectiveness of Sexual Harassment-Prevention Training.” Psychological Reports 88(1): 85-8.

Training Comes at the Expense of Other Priorities

We are in a period of educational austerity. Creating, implementing and ensuring compliance with diversity-related training programs is expensive. In a world where these training programs consistently advanced diversity and inclusion goals within an organization, or enhanced intergroup cooperation and overall productivity, then these costs could be justified – even during a time of belt-tightening. However, it’s a different dynamic when the training is typically ineffective or even counterproductive. Worse, it often crowds out much more substantial efforts that could be undertaken to actually enhance diversity and inclusion within institutions.

Why do many rely on diversity training despite its demonstrated ineffectiveness? The short answer is that, even if training is expensive and doesn’t work, it is relatively easy to implement – and it allows institutions to show (including, often, in court) that they are doing something to address prejudice, discrimination and inequalities… even if what they’re doing is, in fact, pointless.

This is sort of empty signaling is bad across the board. However, it is particularly egregious for universities – institutions that regularly claim to embody and inculcate such values as evidence-based reasoning, respect for facts, commitment to truth, etc. Schools are doing a bad job at modeling those values for students insofar as they force upon them (and upon the faculty who are supposed to be instructing them!) pedagogical materials that are demonstrably ineffective or even counterproductive.  

Indeed, it seems antithetical to their pedagogical purpose to dump increasing sums of money into these programs, even as many departments are seeing hiring freezes or budget cuts, and contingent faculty are being laid off en masse (disproportionately people from historically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups).

It insults, rather than honors, the memory of George Floyd to offer empty gestures like these in his name. As Cyrus Mehri aptly put it, “When you keep choosing the options on the menu that don’t create change, you’re purposely not creating change. It’s part of the intentional discrimination.”

Musa al-Gharbi is a Paul F. Lazarsfeld Fellow in Sociology at Columbia University. A version of this article was originally published by Heterodox Academy.

[fromtheboundlesssea]

While I’m glad that the truth of Catherine’s marriage to Arthur finally came out, I hate that Henry’s lie about sleeping with Joanna never resurfaced. It was a total double standard. I know TSP never officially confirmed that Henry slept with Joanna, but CH and the producers did in interviews. Yes, Catherine lied about sleeping with Arthur FOR YEARS, but he was her first husband, whereas Henry just slept with Joanna to prove he could do whatever the hell he wanted. 🙄

While Charlotte and the producers did, I wonder if the Henry actor thought that his character did. Similar to Kit not being aware of when Jon supposedly fell in love with D even though the directors did a certain moment was.

It was just bad and weird writing all around.

And it truly is a double standard because they let Elizabeth of York sleep with her uncle before her marriage to Henry VII and it didn’t change the validity of her marriage to him and Richard wasn’t even her husband!

[floatingconcreteoctopus]

Aftermusic Floating Concrete Octopus (mIEKAL aND, Elizabeth Was)

Producer: ASFi Music Works (1990) Homemade instruments combined with Mac & samplers.

Aftermusic Or better: "Before and After Music." Before men started to bottle the vast ocean of aural phenomena into tight square jars with label and rules for proper usage, and after hordes of common noisicians have shattered and spilled the last of this bottled pop to their own sonic delight.The title refers to the gigs we performed during a mini-tour in April 1989, a series of six performances in six cities. Itinerary: The Art Strike Attic in Baltimore, Maryland; ABC No Rio in New York City (of which there was alas no recording made); there should have been a Boston performance but the setting up was screwed up; The Rivoli in Toronto; Mantra Mash Avant X Arts Festival in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois. This was the first time Miekal and I did a series of performances solely as a duo (with a couple exceptions: a) Luigi-Bob Drake joined us briefly in Toronto and fully in the Bloomington show, playing his self-made cell-hole (pronounced "ch", as in "cello"). b) We mostly amounted to crying (which can be heard at the Baltimore gig), sleeping or being taken for a walk by travel companion Speezeric. Zon's "momminess" was a sources of great stress for me, I even wanted to give up the tour half-way through. But listening back, I think the tension aided the music.)This was also the first time we toured and performed with a computer and no drum set and no saxophone, combining the sampling capabilities of the Mac and our old-fashioned Akai S612 sampler with our first invented gourd instruments, and costumes. Again, the before and the after: the primitive and the technological. This first experience with the convenience of the technological world left an impression on us, after years of loading and unloading drumsets, guitars, amps, etc., we packed the Mac, the gourds, one box of whistles and shakers, and a pair of drumsticks.The execution of the piece(s) was based on two things in particular: 1) The idea that the audience would make sounds which we would sample and process. We found that asking the audience to do this, however, was no more effective (whether for shyness, uncertainty, whatever) than using their sounds without telling them. 2) We were to make repeated use of Miekal's booklet of essays on noise entitled Polynoise, the text of which you can hear read throughout the tape. We also handed out copies of the book to audience members at each gig.The Baltimore gig was set up by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE and John Berndt in the Art Strike Attic, a long skinny warm space turned over for performances by its resident whose name I can't remember. The audience jam-packed it sitting on the floor up next to us. Toronto dj/producer/smiler Myka Dyer scheduled us at the Rivoli, a vast black club complete with excellent sound system and engineer. I might note that two different recordings of the Toronto gig were made: one directly off the board, and one recorded with Luigi-Bob Drake's portable deck. Surprisingly, the tapes were of equal but divergent quality and I was able to make use of each. This gig was a triple bill with improvising saxophonists Jack Wright and John Oswald. There were at least 50 people in the audience.At the Mantra Mash, we performed, as we had three years in a row, in Larry's penthouse, a large two-levelled magical performance space which has since burned down along with the rest of Bloomington's Eddy building. With each performance on the tour, I found myself doing more and more movement and maskwork with drumsticks, while Miekal and Luigi made most of the sounds. (Wish we could release an Aftermusic videotape...) We perceive all our work as in progress/in process. Every audio piece, image, etc., whether "completed" or not, always stands ready as material to be altered, added to, mixed with more, etc. Thus side two of this tape extends the Aftermusic tour back to Madison where I carefully mixed together the various recordings of the gigs.

Elizabeth Was

September 1990

via Woodland Pattern Book Center

[raisab332012]

Answer to Did King Edward IV or Henry VIII have any daughters? by Jade Welch

Answer to Did King Edward IV or Henry VIII have any daughters? by Jade Welch https://www.quora.com/Did-King-Edward-IV-or-Henry-VIII-have-any-daughters/answer/Jade-Welch-1?ch=15&oid=408792069&share=83c2b463&srid=7KVRc&target_type=answer