#circa victorian/edwardian times

[fandomsbyladymelodrama]

@salzrand​ - annnnnd we’re back <3 Did you miss us?  Well, hopefully not as much as Edmure’s currently missing his luck XD

[gggoldfinch]

Genuine questions I have about my dear Swedes, and I think you're the best with the headcanons about them.

• How were they recruited?

(I wondered about that.)

• What era are they from?

(They look old-fashioned for even the 60s, they seem to have come from a much older time considering the family photo and also the outfits and the "strangeness" they have with the 60s and America.)

MY FRIEND YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PLACE for I am the keeper of the Elder Knowledge and the Mind-Vault of Fanon (aka I've been rotting about these guys since the ikea fam was live and kicking circa 2020 and haven't let go). I am TICKLED to finally be asked about them because they are My Guys and i love writing exorbitant amounts of information about them!!!! Especially their clothes!!! Needless to say I will not be brief, so strap in 😁

(PS Tumblr ate my first draft of this after hours of research and paragraphs of writing so I had to rewrite all of the content here from memory 🥲) (PPS I used this as an excuse to talk about their clothing for 3 hours. this is the most deranged I've been in ages ! )

First off: there is no canon information regarding either of your questions. So let's just put that out there. They are tragically underdeveloped for being potentially some of the most interesting characters on the show (or maybe i'm just biased because I prefer the Commission characters lol). Basically everything we know about them is based off inferences and vague canon implications, and everything aside from that is widely-accepted fanon that we discussed way back when + my own personal headcanons (which are basically canon to me). I might have to do some deep-diving into the tumblr archives of my old blog or my mutuals for the information I'll get into here, but all of it will be stuff I either came up with myself or bore witness to the research of & agree with.

1. How were they recruited?

Generally, the accepted theory is that the brothers were recruited young, likely after some sort of event which resulted in their first kill. From what I recall, several fandom authors (myself included) have incorporated this storyline into our own work, roughly following the same theme of capable woodsmen Axel & Otto protecting Oscar and killing someone as a result, hence inviting attention from Commission recruiters who trawl the timeline for skilled individuals.

Also, I believe it is fairly accepted within the fandom that the Commission seeks out and hires people who are down on their luck or in otherwise bad circumstances, then organizes them into employment statuses from there (office workers, hitmen, etc.). I tend to think Axel & Otto were recruited first, then Oscar was roped in later on, playing into my theory that they are triplets, just separated by large periods of time-travel.

2. What era are they from?

YIPPEEE you came to the right ! person ! because actually lowkey I kinda perpetuated the headcanon that the Swedes are Victorian-Edwardian back in the day (on a prev blog). I personally hc they were born ca. 1880-ish, with their “natural” timeline falling somewhere around 1901-1910 (Edwardian period), and picked things up from different decades along the way, as is the way of time-travel. However, I know others preferred the idea that they were from ca. 1930-1950, which is also fairy plausible.

Now, time for me to be insane:

I have a copious amount of proof that they are from the early 1900's ! based on their clothing + the photograph Axel carries. It’s also worth nothing that their clothing is visibly that of working class men, which makes it slightly more difficult to research (because the working class always gets the short end of the stick). I base most of my research & beliefs on cross-examining Edwardian photographs of workmen, as well as my own knowledge of historical fashion. I won't delve that much into their culture as Swedes and the fashion implications of that, since it honestly wasn't taken seriously enough in canon to be visible past Otto's haircut.

Proof in their regular clothing:

Trousers: Otto’s high-waisted trousers & suspenders are Edwardian, down to the very patterning. Oscar’s too, to a less obvious extent. It’s also worth noting that according to bts images, Axel also wears suspenders. His pants with the laces at the shins are baffling though...

Shirts: Oscar's turtleneck isn't not Edwardian; men have been wearing collared knit shirts like that as winter wear for a long time. Otto's green shirt, though it has those odd clasps, is somewhat reminiscent of arrow collar shirts worn in the Edwardian period. I have also found proof of three-button wool undershirts similar in style to Axel's henley, though these were more popular towards the 20's

Shoes: While Otto and Oscar's steel-toed boots weren't invented until the 1930's, Axel's boots are at least somewhat more reminiscent of those worn by workmen in the 10's. Though, the side zip and weird flap are… not.

Outerwear: Axel's blue vest is more akin to a double-breasted waistcoat, though it doesn't have lapels and the buttons are too large; it is... an outlier. Likewise, his canvas duster has a zipper and no lapels, and the pattern cut of it makes me think it's fairly modern, just like Oscar's canvas/corduroy jacket which is practically a Carhartt. Oscar's vest is baffling bc it looks different in every shot of it I analyze. Otto's trench coat is the oldest style. (Fun fact, the modern zipper was invented by a Swede in 1913)

Misc: The union suit was popularized in the 1860's (as women's wear, actually!), so Otto's wearing of it would be believable for the period. All their clothes are patched up, implying years of wear and tear.

Misc Pt 2; Weaponry: Though ofc I'm a gun girl, I have already spent 3 hours writing about clothes and cannot make myself research weird weapons. So if you're interested in their guns, PLEASE read this post by my old fandom pal!!! It's much a more intelligent and in-depth analysis than I can manage rn, and also discusses the context of weaponry within the Commission.

Proof in the photograph:

They're really a ragtag crew, which makes it hard to date any of their garments. Here's some things I've noted though:

Headwear: Newsboy caps (which are what Oscar and Axel are wearing) were at their peak around the late 1910s, especially with working class men. Otto's hat looks like it could be an oilskin fisherman's hat, which were popular in 1880s America, though his looks more like the later 1950's design of the hat. Additionally, workmen in the Edwardian period often wore neckerchiefs, not unlike what Oscar wears around his neck in the photo.

Shirts: Oscar appears to be wearing another knit sweater. Axel's blue shirt appears to me to have a band collar, which was a style popular in the 10's (from what I can tell one of Otto's shirts also has a band collar). Beneath that, his undershirt (likely linen) has a string closure, which was popular even earlier than the Victorian era

The Woman (mother? grandmother?): Historically, older women tended to wear headscarves/ head coverings. The style of her dress/smock/apron is hard to determine because of its concealment beneath her cardigan. She's got a sick rifle tho

Misc: Oscar's workman's gloves aren't inaccurate; leather gloves like that were worn in the Victorian era. So have leather belts. Like I said earlier, from what I can tell from my cursory search (after sifting thru dubious "Viking" hairstyles), Otto is sporting a fairly historically/culturally accurate he-man haircut from the Nordic area. Oscar's hair is the second-most historically relevant, as most men in the Victorian/Edwardian era had short, groomed hairstyles (though perhaps his is a little messier than usual). Axel is the outlier here with a modern slick-back.

ANYWAYYYYYYYYY

yeah. yeah. if you couldn't tell I am. fucking insane ? about them ?

since you're still here, you survived this long, have some bts stuff I dragged from the trenches:

[onyxheartbeat]

Well, I gave up on finding decent modern replicas, and I just I bought a beautiful black blouse from the actual 1890s on Etsy, and was able to score an actual mourning hat circa 1870-1890s at half price discount. I’ll just use a vintage black skirt I have that suits the silhouette of the 1890s fairly well to complete it. I really wanted to purchase a custom skirt from a lady who makes Victorian and Edwardian pattern skirts with trains and large pleats but unfortunately she lives in the UK and shipping on time wasn’t a guarantee. It’ll be more of a working class mourning widow look. Hopefully I can find a black veil I like and some gloves in the next couple of weeks. I’m trying to space out my purchases because actual attire and accessories from that period are so expensive and I used klarna to pay for the blouse and hat. Anyway, I’m sort of excited about it.

[camille-lachenille]

Also, Noldor would go crazy over tea parties and invent a whole dress code and social ritual for proper tea time. Tea parties are very popular for birthdays and engagements, often held outside in carefully arranged gardens.

Also, I imagine so well a noble Noldo rock these lavish Victorian and Edwardian tea gowns, with vegetal patterns and metallic trim and the most luxurious fabrics. Something like that:

MET museum, circa 1900

V&A museum, 1895-1900

Míriel makes incredibly intricate tea-robes for Finwë, with embroidered tea leaves and flowers. Finwë gives them to Fëanor for his wedding.

Vanyar are skeptical of this fashion trend at first but end up adopting a lighter version of these gowns, with many layers of sheer fabrics and lots of lace instead of the bold trims. They have elaborate tea parties neat the Two Trees.

(slams hands on table) who has thoughts about elves' tea culture

[mentallydatingahotcelebrity]

I want to know why the fashion in Crimson Peak is six/twenty years out of style. Edith with her huge puffled sleeves circa 1895 and Lucille with her 1877s bustle skirts.

The year the story takes place in is 1901. THIS is the women’s fashion in 1901:

And before anybody tells me that “nobody was ever exactly able to have their wardrobe be completely “with” the times, especially back in the day” (which by the way is bs because Edith was wealthy and would’ve had the new fashion as soon as the French breathed about it) THIS is the fashion of 1898/99:

NO ONE in that day and age wore fashion that was so many years out of date; not even the poor women wore fashion 6 years out of date.

Edith’s six year disaster aside, why is Lucille wearing fashion 24 years out of style??? If she’s 34 in CP that means she was only TEN YEARS OLD when her clothing was the height of fashion, so you cannot tell me it’s “highly probable” for her to be just wearing some of her old clothes. I know the Sharpes are supposed to be hard for cash but even so she’d at least have TWO DAMN GOWNS (formal and everyday) with pieces she could change-up to wear.

I mean, they murdered 3 heiresses before they got to Edith, SOME OF THAT DAMN MONEY had to have been spent on clothing!

[antiquevanity]

Free historical patterns for stays and corsets

Unknown date:

Valencian Museum of Ethnology’s stays with six pannels (unknown date)

18th century:

Stays from the Textile Museum and Documentation Centre of Terrassa (circa 1730s - 1750s)

Valencian Museum of Ethnology’s stays (1770s)

Victorian:

Godey's Lady's Book’s stays (1857)

The Violetta corset (1886)

The Dahlia corset (1888)

Symington corset #341 (circa 1892 - 1895)

Symington corset #31090 (circa 1892-1907)

Symington corset #23050 (circa 1892-1898)

Symington corset #32730 (circa 1894-1901)

Symington corset style #311 (circa 1894)

Symington corset style #2110 (circa 1896)

Edwardian:

The Tulip Corset (1906)

Please note that this post is just a compilation of patterns I have found online on various websites. Some os these patterns were digitally traced after an original -- please respect those who took their time to do this and never claim these works as your own.

I will be updating this list as I come across other antique patterns

[scotianostra]

Ryrie Bar, Haymarket.

Historic Scotland describe this bar as  s “ 2-storey Baronial public house; main block with panelled Scottish Renaissance entrance and ground floor windows, latter with Art Nouveau stained glass.”

Kirkwood's map of 1817 shows the earlier building on this site as the Haymarket Weigh House. In 1830 David Lawrie occupied this building, otherwise known as ‘The Hay Weights’ as an Innkeeper. A few years later Henry Cochrane is listed as a Spirit Dealer at the same address. In 1842 the Edinburgh Glasgow Railway is completed and terminated behind the building. It is shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map as 'The Railway Inn' and occupied the whole of the current site.

Alexander Ryrie (Snr) was born in Edinburgh circa 1807, married Henrietta Reid and was father to ten children. He appears in an 1842 Street Directory as a Gardener based in Dalry Lane, alongside possibly his mother, Mrs Ryrie. In various documents he is listed as a Market Gardener, and by the 1861 census he is occupying 11 acres of land.

The next year, 1862, he took on the Railway Inn, and the older western part of the building is rebuilt. Sadly he died in 1865 leaving his wife as the licensee. Henrietta died two years later in 1867 and as her daughter Jane was 21, she obtained the license for the premises. Jane married in 1868 and in the 1871 census her sister Margaret is shown as the head of the family for what has now been renamed The Haymarket Inn.

The main part of the building was rebuilt in 1868 with maps showing it as rectangular with a bay window in the east of the north elevation. It is possible that this remained a private house for the family until it’s remodelling in 1906. Alexander Ryrie (Jnr) was born in 1850 and by the 1881 census he is listed as the Head of the family and as Publican of The Haymarket Inn.

The above undated photograph from what is believe to b ecirca 1880′s, showing two gentlemen, one of which is likely to be Alex Ryrie. The other is possibly his brother Henry. Alexander remains the licensee of The Haymarket Inn until the end of 1905, when he dies. By this time he is has whisky in bond at Leith. Unfortunately he does not appear to have seen the building remodelled to what we now know as Ryrie’s.

In 1906 the two parts of the building were linked as private and public bars of one property and the ground floor and interior rebuilt. The client for the 1906 work was Messrs Ryrie & Company, whisky merchants.

The architect for the 1906 refit, Robert McFarlane Cameron, was responsible for a number of fine pub interiors in Edinburgh, including The Guildford Arms, also part of the D M Stewart Ltd group. His practice was medium sized and very varied and ranged from churches and schools at one end to public houses and premises for the licensed trade at the other. He served as a bailie and magistrate of the city and was considered to be 'a firm friend of the Trade' and as such secured a number of commissions for re-fitting pubs. These became examples of what is now known as People’s Palaces.

George Morrison, a director of the nearby New Edinburgh Brewery at Slateford, owned by Thomas & James Bernard Ltd, became tenant. His widow acquired the heritable interest in the property and then her executry sold the public house to the Brewery. In turn, Scottish Brewers Ltd acquired Thomas & James Bernard Ltd in 1960. In the 1980s the large Ryrie’s and W M Younger’s Ales signs were placed on the gable ends of the property.

Further minor interior alterations in 1992 improved access around the bar, but left the majority of the original bar unchanged. Ownership of the property passed between large national Pubcos before being purchased by the Edinburgh family run pub company D M Stewart Ltd, which owns and operates some of the cities finest Victorian and Edwardian pubs.

In 2022, 160 years after the Ryrie family first began operating from the building, it reopened after a thorough restoration was completed, taking the exterior paintwork, which was black and then blue, back to it’s original state. 

[victorianchap]

🔸Victorian / Edwardian era lady with an unusual pose for the time circa early 1900 s #blackandwhitephotography #monochrome #victorianchap #oldphoto #nostalgia #vintage #edwardian #goodolddays #portrait #humour #victorian #cockasnook #retro https://www.instagram.com/p/CRHi6vugaGe/?utm_medium=tumblr

[littlewitty]

hey love what era is marcelle being dressed in?

cause i’ve always assumed ikevamp is set at the end of the regency? due to napoleon dying in 1821? and him only being at the mansion for maybe about 6/7 months? and i know comte is a time traveller but like the huge sleeves thing is very 1830s thing. they didn’t start to get bigger until the later half of the 20s as they were still phasing out from the neoclassical silhouette of the regency? transitional periods am i right?

this is isn’t me being pedantic i’m just interested is all!! also means i can send in some more fashion plates i find 👀

cause i found a very similar plate to what marcelle is wearing from 1821:

personally i’m more partial to late victorian children’s fashion (circa 1870) but the 1830s is one of my favourite decades for fashion in general, especially eveningwear 🥰.

So it’s been predicted that ikevamp happens in around 1890-1899 due to a couple of things that people have caught in the speeches of the characters. That’s where I based this off. She’s dressed in a semi-1890s fashion but I feel like Comte would want her to have a more classical feel that’s why she takes some references from older times. Comte said he was a fan of regency fashion. 1820-40s are an amazing time for fashion, I agree as a textiles fashion student!! ☺️☺️ yes that little dress is adorable 😭

These are some model 1890-1899 fashion for young girls that I took inspiration from:

And this is a late 1880s model:

As you can see they still have the puffy sleeves going on too.

The Edwardian period (1901-1910) had a massive use of the ‘puffy’ sleeves or gigot sleeves to achieve an hourglass shape in women. (See picture below) Of course this wasn’t the same for children but children’s wear is always influenced by adult fashion.

These are some early Edwardian childrens wear:

Albeit that their sleeves got shorter, the sleeves didn’t become tight fitting just yet. This is why it was such a shock when the First World War broke out. People needed the fabric to make basic clothes therefore these iconic silhouettes were finished and more tighter-shorter clothing was implemented.

Puffy sleeves as a major part of the fashion in the century. It gave them nice rounded shoulders and flattered the mass of skirts they used to wear. (If you could afford it of course) so yeah marcelles dress is a mixture because whilst we predict it’s based in 1890s but we don’t know for sure. So I went for a typical mid-Victoria look, with more details from the 1890s than other decades, I hope that explains things?? 😅☺️

[oldmaidwhovian]

Quiz Time!

Tell us about a hobby you have or have had:

My first hobby in 1974 was bird watching. My second hobby, around 1977, antique bottle collecting. It was the same as what the British refer to as ‘mudlarking,’ but instead of combing riverbanks, I dug into the mud of some deep ravines near my home. These were created by Ice Age glaciers and used as dumps by folks in the 19th and early 20th centuries. I found my first bottle quite by accident, my mom got a book on antique bottle collecting from a library, I found my bottle...Raleigh’s Liniment circa 1900,  and I was hooked for the next 7 years! I even became a tour guide at The National Bottle Museum in Ballston Spa NY. 

Tell us About A Relative:

My late mom was my heroine, a dedicated village librarian who taught me about the importance of good manners, being open-minded and curious about the world, accepting 'different' people, loving animals and nature, keeping a sense of humor and of course, loving books. She didn't drink or smoke or swear and never-ever wore jeans.

Tell us about your hometown:

I lived in my village from 1960 to 1983. It was incorporated in 1924, named after a famous Victorian / Edwardian era horticulturalist who lived there. Before that it was called West Troy. It is home to a historic cemetery which is the final resting place of a US president. It is also the hometown of a former California governor. In the early 20th Century to the 1950′s it had a baseball stadium--where Babe Ruth played one his final games, an amusement park, a wrestling ring, a public pool---my late dad’s family ran the snack bar-- a hot rod track and hosted big circuses as well as Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show---my late uncle was a performer. It was a popular stop on the Delaware & Hudson rail line back then, It was known as ‘the garden suburb’ of the city of Albany NY. It’s official motto was coined by myself in 1974, Urban-Suburban Village.’ 

[my-mn-girl-kirsten]

So TODAY, I finally bought the “Samantha’s World” book, which means I’ve completed my obsessive collecting regarding her character, at least for now.

I’m kind of weird in that, for each of my historical dolls, I require:

their entire 6-book collection

their accompanying ‘world’ book with all the history from their time period

all of their 'meet’ accessories, including their meet outfit

whatever signature 'doll’ they have that is talked about in their series

[TO SEE PICS OF MY GIRL SAMANTHA LOOKIN’ ALL CUTE N’ STUFF, READ BELOW THE CUT!]

It’s very specific, and compulsive (thanks, OCD), but I have completed this 'collection’ for 4 out of my 5 historical dolls: Kaya, Kirsten, Addy, and now Samantha. This means, that all I need now is Kit’s full series and matching 'world’ book (but not the weird pop-up one, which I’m discovering is MUCH trickier to find at a reasonable price than I had imagined) and all my historical dolls will be 'complete!’

As for my girl Lindsey, I still gotta get her accompanying book (who knows where my original went off to), but my main priority is my historical ladies cause im a cool history nerd with legit OCD (no, seriously. I am not using this as an adjective and I feel I gotta say that, point blank).

My Samantha is a post-Mattel takeover, and is probably circa 2006 or so. She did come with her OG outfit and meet accessories, but I don’t care much about WHEN she was made as I believe my girls come to me as they are needed so new, or old, I love her just the same 🥰 I should mention though, that Samantha is also odd in that she is the ONLY exception to my 'collection’ rule. So, for starters and reference, here she is in all of her glory (Lydia included 😉):

Since I’ve never been a fan of her meet outfit or, quite frankly, most of her outfits, I broke my own compulsions and opted to find an outfit that I personally feel is more representative of the era in which she lived. The Victorian & Edwardian time periods are my absolute favorites of ALL TIME in terms of fashion, but not in terms of children’s clothes because I just don’t like that look at all (or their hair, but I am dumb with hair so Samantha gets to keep her long, luscious locks down)

I shelled out bigbucks™️ for the dress and headband that she is wearing (Samantha’s velvet dress which was retired MEGA quick when she was archived back in 2008). To me, this is one of the ONLY dresses in her collection that represents her era best in my mind. I LOVE the high neck, the lace accents on the sleeves, the detail of that gorgeous headband, and of course, the fabric is super soft because HELLO velvet, but the blue is GORGEOUS and the pictures just dont do it justice.

I also opted to purchase her some actual time-period appropriate shoes that were originally from a Cecile doll. To top it all off, I also got her this cool stand that, I feel, has that classic early 1900s vibe.

This being said, I DO have her OG meet outfit and accessories, but she doesn’t wear them, except her locket (for obvious reasons). So, yay for Samantha! The newest addition to my historical collection and the latest to be 'completed!’ Cant wait for her world book and then MAYBE, just maybe, I can work on completing Kit next! 🙃🤞🏻

[magicalmerry]

Feather and snowflake please?

Feather: Which mythical creature would you transform into if you could?If I could pick any mythical creature, I would say probably either a Unicorn or a Satyr!

Snowflake: Favorite time period?This one is hard because I love so many time periods, so I’ll just name my top few. Medieval Era, Golden Age of Piracy circa 1800s, Victorian Era, Edwardian Era, 1920s, 1940s, 1970s, and 1980s. Frankly there are too many I love just to pick one since each has its own character and elements that I adore, but I have really been loving the 70s aesthetic lately!Thanks for the ask, and please feel free to send me asks anytime!

[gin-and-chronic-writers-block]

Okay. So i just read your wip description and i need to know everything about Hyacinth and Ambrose like rn!!! Tell me all the things about them, both as individuals and how they interact with each other. I love them both already and your story sounds so gooddd

Ahhh thanks I really appreciate it! I don't have them fully fleshed out yet but I've got a pretty solid idea for both their personalities and their dynamic with each other.

I might have rambled a bit too much but oh well.

Just a note this world is like basically an au of real life so some of the history and things are going to be a bit different.

Okay so for Hyacinth first! Shes a college student (probably. though definitely 20-25 ish I'm thinking like 21-22 rn) who lives in a big city in a her own apartment that's pretty good for a college student (think full kitchen and living room and office but not that fancy). Her mom is dead (she died in an accident that that Hyacinth and her dad were also in when she was pretty young circa 5yrs) and her dad is kind of the detached corporate office worker type that isnt really good at being a parent but tries his best and supports all her needs (I might change him up a bit. But hes the reason she can live in a pretty good apt in a city they have a pretty ambivalent relationship. Not strained just a bit distant) her personality is the take no shit type and she is quite sassy and sarcastic (especially in response to ambrose's antics because god why) and pragmatic but she's also pretty kind and will help people who are in danger/ need help. Some of her character flaws though are that she tends to isolate when stressed, and doesn't maintain relationships (friendships, etc) well at all bc of that. anyways so she gets into an accident (type undefined currently) and nearly dies, cue Ambrose coming out of no where saying if she sells her soul to him she'll live, so she's like f this I want to live take my soul whatever that means, and hes like cool thanks. Ambrose showing up out of every corner god damn it ensues. Shes the level of annoyed of Jenna reacting to Julien doing nasty shit while she's trying to do productive things.

Okay now for ambrose! In this universe demons are kind of more like grim reapers. (When people die they go to the afterlife which is kind of like real life but its basically a holding cell between reincarnations. Also demons dont have access to it.) So demons are basically humans that gave up reincarnation. So for Ambrose he died in approx 1820 and has risen to be a quite high level demon despite that he's only been one for like 200 years. He's also changed history on a whim several times. He has a connection to one of hyacinths previous incarnations. Hes very much a benevolent trickster type and witty (I mean 200 years of wit guys that's a lot) also a bit sarcastic. One thing is that he's definitely a more behind the scenes worker and has definitely missed a lot of opportunities in both his moral and immortal life from being too passive/not wanting to ruin friendships/relationships. He is also way to attached to the British edwardian/early Victorian era fashion that he grew up with though he usually uses modern versions of it or mixes period pieces with modern ones.

Like I said before their relationship is very much a I'm being bothered by an annoying demon regularly but I'm obligated to tolerate him even though it's an inconvenience on Hyacinths side. On ambrose's side its more of a caring relationship with some past motivations and obligations playing into that. (I don't want to go too in depth on this its spoilers)

Anyway that's all I can think of off the top of my head if you have any other questions or need clarification I would be happy to answer but like I said this wip is still very much in the storyboarding/outlining phase!

[shadowyfirekitten]

ELO-Dungeness (resubmission)

When I visited Dungeness, I met an old man who ran a gallery. He had been fascinated by the town for decades and loved it like his own child. However, there was also anguish and conflict. Currently, the town is facing problems related to the acquisition of land by the nuclear power plant, the increase in the number of tourists, and the preservation of buildings. There is a discrepancy between the people's feelings toward the town and the current situation.

Dungeness is a shingle peninsular that is located in the southern west point of the Romney Marsh of Kent. It has a beautiful sea, and the shingle is use by bird in their migration routes. Also, it is a very dry area and is recognized as the only desert in England. It is like a veritable utopia at the end of the world, with almost nothing but two lighthouses, a nuclear power plant, a steam engine, and a few scattered cottages.

His name is Chris Shore. He is a photographer and runs a gallery with his wife, Helen Taylor who is a painter. The gallery is located between two lighthouses. It is made up of three Edwardian railway carriages that were located on the beach in the 1920s. They have been opened since 1996 and have established a regular client base, both for fine art prints and watercolor originals. They deal with a lot of private collection throughout the world and hold regular joint external exhibitions in Kent and London Galleries. He once visited the town to fish with a friend and could not forget the view of the town at that time, so he moved here. Even now, he often goes fishing.

An estimated one million people visit the town per year. However, there is a problem. He feels that most of them do not respect the people who actually live in the town, their property, and their private property. (In fact, a plan to manage the tourists was proposed in the past but drowned out by the introduction of an electronic power plant, electricity giant EDF.) Therefore, he is extremely averse to social media as a potential source of threat to their livelihoods. In fact, he initially refused to be interviewed. He said that all the people who live here feel the same thing. Some of them even wrote articles in the newspapers rejoicing closure to the town because of Covid-19. (*1)

However, the Prospect Cottage in town, originally a Victorian fisherman's hut purchased by Derek Jarman who is one of the most influential figures in 20th century British culture, is now being preserved with the help of a £3.5million crowdfunding campaign. (*2)

In addition, a railway carriage which was Queen Victoria's entourage's mobile homes needs someone to take on the restoration and preserve. (*3)

Despite the love of the town and the desire of those who prefer an exclusive community there, the town has been forced to need outside support or protection. In other words, the town as a community has collapsed. Will the town ever be able to transition to a society that is more open to the outside world?

References

(*1) Mike Golding, DungenessUK, “Dungeness Closed”, March 28th 2020, https://dungeness.org.uk/uncategorised/dungeness-closed/ungeness

(*2) Mike Golding, “£3.5 Million Required to save Prospect Cottage – Achieved and more!! – Dungeness”, DungenessUK, March 10th, 2020, https://dungeness.org.uk/info/3-5-million-required-to-save-prospect-cottage/

(*3) Mike Golding, DungenessUK, For Sale crica£200,000. UNDER OFFER, March 6th 2020, https://dungeness.org.uk/info/for-sale-circa-240000-00/

[killianmesmalls]

Raising Alice: Historical(ish) Headcanons and Meta

Now, everything here is based on speculation and, though I’d love to spend weeks researching this because I love history, especially the time periods this lends itself to, I’m going open this up to discourse because there’s a lot of conjecture at a certain point with fictional people, fictional realms, and timeline discrepancies. 

However, I do headcanon Killian raised Alice within both the societal ideals of Victorian to Edwardian views of child rearing and what was accessible to him, but was also highly progressive. Part of this is based on when he grew up (clearly late 18th to early 19th century-ish regardless of realm in terms of style and etiquette) and how he adapted over the years, with a key factor being the fashions and beliefs of when he took in Bae for what one can speculate to be a few months as well as how his years of piracy which allowed a high level of democracy, tolerance of different lifestyles, and distaste for stringent authority. Part of this is also based on when their books were published, so 1865-1911. 

I am going to separate my personal headcanons into different categories: toys, lessons, nutrition, and other, the last of which is a catch-all for anything I either forgot to assess or doesn’t fit within the context of the previous categories nor does it merit its own (clothing, schedules, discipline, etc). All under the cut because I feel I may ramble. 

Here is what I cannot help but headcanon about Alice: It is no coincidence her aesthetic is from the time period that first started to truly understand late childhood and adolescence were stepping stones to a human’s development. Killian Jones never got that. We can only infer what his life was like, but I highly doubt a ~10-year-old indentured servant on a late 18th century ship would have lived the sort of life today’s child is gifted with. We can only speculate the abuses he went through, but we can (I hope) all acknowledge it wasn’t a privileged life. 

Then we have Alice. Now, we know she has a lot working against her: trapped in a very tight space, no doors, no indoor plumbing, only one other voice to listen to outside of her own (until she’s almost 11, which we won’t go there...), etc. Though there were some obvious struggles, there is no doubt to me she was raised with an abundance of love. The below, to me, will detail either what we’ve been already told, what I headcanon based on history, or what I headcanon based on what I believe about Killian. 

Toys

I’m not going to lie, I’m in love with some of the toys that started to develop around the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th. It was such an enthusiastic time of development with all sorts of new technologies, cultures intermingling thanks to trains, automobiles, steam ships, the telegraph, music, moving pictures, etc. This also gave rise to what humans are wont to do, which is protect their traditions or “their own” in the face of progression, but this was such a beautiful time of progress in some aspects. Yes, the advancements can arguably be attributed to a causing factor of WWI and, as such, WWII, but let’s stick to the positive in this case? I can discuss WWI for days, but I’d like to focus on the happy and I’ve already detracted enough from Alice and Killian, my true purpose for this. 

Let’s take a couple looks at what she has. 

I’ve discussed this before, but I feel the desire to bring it up again. I cannot begin to count her dolls, she has a parasol, a wooden ship, a baby carriage, obviously the chess set, and so on. These toys do not come cheap, nor do her dresses or nightgown. She is, as far as we can infer, financially spoiled. We can only imagine why this may be, but it’s hard (for me) to not believe Killian kept her well-stocked in toys thanks to her inability to leave her home/prison. These toys all, also, keep with the style of late Victorian pieces. All of her dolls are dressed in late 19th century fashion, circa 1880-1910 if one were to take a guess, and well-crafted. In addition, Noah’s ark toys were highly popular in late Victorian years, as were parasols, and the shape of the baby carriage she is shown pushing is also in the style of this time period. 

If, based on her clothing and other toys (more on the former later....) we’re assuming other objects of a similar time period are around, here are some of toys the I don’t doubt he’d either like to gift her with or already has and they’re stashed away somewhere: skipping ropes, marbles, spinning tops, toy soldiers (because, let’s face it, he didn’t raise her strictly according to gender roles of the time), and my current headcanon favorite, a kaleidoscope.

Why a kaleidoscope I hear you asking silently? Because now I’m just imagining her beside him, pretending it’s a spyglass of her own, playing pirate and seeing all sorts of treasure in the distance. 

Lessons

We know she understands sword fighting enough to defeat a jabberwocky with being the sole survivor in addition to us seeing her having a lesson with her father. She knows stars well enough to know the date based on their location. She’s spent years on her own, traveling realms completely by herself, and surviving based on everything we can believe she’s been taught. Basically, that girl spent almost 11 years with her father’s studious voice speaking to her, and his voice in her head urging her to read and learn different subjects since then. 

Even in her cursed persona, Alice craves the knowledge of a bookstore. She focuses thanks to chess. Everything that makes Alice happy revolves around either her most loving relationships or in academic pursuits. When Henry brings up the idea that he thinks they may actually be cursed characters from his book, she immediately starts perusing through it. 

It’s canon she studied art, there were knitting materials in her cottage when she’s older, we can infer she’s able to bake based on her having the cupcake on her birthday (unless others have the headcanon that the tower magicked it there for her, but I don’t think the tower is that nice). While many young girls stopped learning more “masculine” subjects, such as mathematics and science, as they were expected to marry and align themselves to a more homemaker role, I have many doubts that Alice was raised with this mentality, at the very least due to what was mentioned above. 

While she does see the world in a “special” way, no one can claim that Alice is in any way stupid, and I don’t doubt her curiosity would prevent her from ever being considered truly ignorant. Like her father, if there is something worth knowing, she absolutely will learn it. Again, this is mostly based on some evidence but mostly headcanon, but I have a hard time believing otherwise. 

Based on time period and on what I believe about Killian, I think she’s aware of the etiquette in different realms, knows at least one other language and maybe more, knows some military history, and knows the basics of sailing even if she’s never been. I think he also taught her about the customs and beliefs of different people, though how much this included religion considering all the mixing of religions in the show is a mystery. 

Nutrition

Food at this time period, with a primary focus in this case for Irish and English foods, was heavy in beef, potatoes, pork, eggs, bread, cheese, and, as we know of Alice, various jams. Obviously, we know a bit about Killian’s diet and his aversion to sugar/“junk food” and we know how much Alice craves orange marmalade. In addition, we know they were close enough to a port for her to consider a 48-hour trip using Enchanted Forest methods of transportation to be cause for worry, and he was able to get her various vials of sand for her birthday. So I assume they were able to get seafood easily enough without worry of it spoiling before he could either cook it or get it on ice. 

Food-borne illnesses, gout, and afflictions easily handled these days with a dose of stomach medication was still a concern during this time, so I feel like Killian would have avoided any foods that were at risk of easily going bad unless they had a way of storing it. Though they were not poor, as evidenced by how well-stocked Alice was kept in pristine clothing and toys, there were still a lot of concerns, and I feel like he would have been extremely cautious considering she was unable to go see a doctor. 

Killian likely raised her on a healthy balanced diet with marmalade as a comfort food that was both a treat but also something healthy (guarding against scurvy) and could store well (up to six months). I also love the idea that “I had no idea you could put candy on fruit” is also a carryover from Alice’s time with fruit being the primary dessert and anything high in sugar being a very rare treat, perhaps mostly in the form of sea salt toffee or, on special occasions, cupcakes. 

The trick here is we don’t know how the tower kept stocked with food, let alone how generous it may have been or how well it kept any of it, so we can only speculate how much/how often they had anything that spoiled easily. It’s still worth knowing what may have been a typical spread in the Jones home for those of us that are insane nerds about them and this time period. 

Other

Speaking of Alice’s pristine clothing, we saw at least three different outfits compared to Killian’s one. Her puffy sleeves, embroidery, the fabrics used, and colors used indicate she was dressed relatively upperclass. Her clothing, like her toys, again shows how absolutely well-cared for she was. 

However, as spoiled as she was financially, there is no way in my mind she was spoiled in terms of a schedule. At the very least, for her to know the date by the stars, I feel like she could also look at the sun to know the time, and keeps to it. That, mixed with the fact that she needs help to focus, plus the fact that Killian was shown at times to be stringent on routine, she likely veered very little from the schedule they both adapted for years. Rise at this time, breakfast by this time, lessons by this time, lunch by this time, etc. You get the point. It’s also what, by the time she’s left alone, helps her keep some level of sanity. I also, as I’m writing this, somewhat headcanon part of her mind to be the White Rabbit, fretting about being late and later selling “time pieces”, strictly telling Rogers a time to meet her and only showing late when she had news she didn’t want to give him. 

Even with all this strictness when it came to making sure a schedule was in order, Victorian and Edwardian times could still be pretty tough on some children. They were still expected to be seen and not heard, often not listened to or respected as individuals, had others’ ideals impressed upon them, and were pretty severely dealt with from time to time. With everything Killian dealt with as a child, and how much Alice grew to be an inquisitive person with little shame in how she felt or how she appeared to others, I think he was most progressive in this regard. I am not going to go into too controversial of topics, but I do believe if he were ever firm it was very few and far between. We have to remember, beyond his past abuses, that Killian is aware that he is the only person she is exposed to. While he will make mistakes as he’s only human, and he is still a product of his time period, his hands are the only hands she’s going to hold or be near for a while. I don’t believe that he’d ever risk her fearing them. She was mostly respected in terms of her autonomy and her beliefs, and we know he is shown multiple times in supporting her, building up her self-esteem, and treating her like a smart, capable individual. There may have been slips and slides, but I truly believe with the way they came out of this and how she grew into the person she is, she felt mostly pure love and respect from her father. 

In Conclusion

FFS, did you guys stay through all of this? Wow. Props, guys. 

[mentallydatingahotcelebrity]

I got tagged in a tag game by the wonderful and lovely @we-foundwonderland! 

I love these so much so let’s go. . .

Rules: 15 questions, 15 mutuals

1. Are you named after anyone? I’m named after the song “They Call The Wind Mariah” from the 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon. And my middle name, Jane (hence my nickname “MJ”), is my grandmother’s middle name.

2. When is the last time you cried? A couple weeks ago when I was all up in the wind with hormones and skitzo emotions. I barely cry. It’s my claim to family fame: I didn’t cry when Loki died in IW like everyone expected me to.

3. Do you have kids? To my everlasting grief and longing, no I do not. But I want some badly. I adore kids. 

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yes, it’s not pretty. I can be cruel, but yeah, all the time.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Hands, height, eyes, and temperament. I used to work with horses so I tend to notice body language and attitude first.

6. What’s your eye colour? I have central heterochromia so I have a greenish-golden ring around my pupil and the rest of my iris pigment is bluish-grey. But I call it hazel because it saves time.

7. Scary movies or Happy Endings?

Depends on what someone considers a scary movie. Crimson Peak? boring as hell. The Woman in White? scares the crap out of me and I love it (I mean the good version and not the garbage remake by BBC).

But I really love happy endings too (I’m a hopeless romantic). I’ve loved them since I read Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. 

8. Any special talents?

I consider myself a very good writer. I can play the piano, crochet, draw floor plans/blueprints of Victorian/Regency/Edwardian-circa mansions, and train horses, though I don’t know if those are particularly “special”. Does being able to do a British or Australian accent count?

9. Where were you born?

The Lone Star State of Texas.

10. What are your hobbies?

Writing, reading, crocheting, knitting, researching Victorian/Edwardian/Regency clothing, society, and etiquette. I used to train horses but I got injured pretty badly so my right arm doesn’t work so well anymore so I don’t do that anymore. But I want to buy my own colt one of these days and back him.

11. Have you any pets? When one lives in the country one can’t not have pets. Four cats and three dogs.

12. What sports do you play/have played? Never played sports unless you can count basketball in my own drive and baseball on my own property. I run, but it’s just for recreation and not track or anything.

13. How tall are you? 5′2″. . . I think.

14. Favourite subject in school? History, English, British Literature, Art, and Music.

15. Dream job? To be independently wealthy, of course. lol, no, I jest. I’d like to be a professional author or historian or both. Maybe an English professor? Though honestly the job I’ve wanted since I was 3 is to be an equestrian and horse trainer/riding instructor and advocate for the preservation of the wild horses, better known as mustangs.

I’d like to imagine I’d be a good actress ‘cause I’m great at lying and memorizing stuff (thank you piano lessons), but I’m also really self-conscious because I’m pretty damn introverted (which I’m trying to work out of but it’s a long road, haha). I love making costumes and writing plays though, so I guess I could do that too. . . Who knows?

There are waaaaaaaay too many options to choose from as a dream job.

People I’m tagging: @rachel-angelina @lokis-queen05 @cosmic-loki-trash @cosmicjoke @the-haven-of-fiction @queencfthestarsdrfoster @turniptitaness @turtlasting 

And basically anyone else who wants to participate (because I honestly don’t have 15 mutuals). If you see this, go ahead and do it!