#edward vaughan

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Poison Ivy 1992 ,Poison Ivy 2 (1996 ), and Poison Ivy: The New Seduction

[strangestcase]

Helen Vaughan’s simultaneously male-and-female dying body being commented on after she’s coerced into suicide 🤝 Edward Hyde having his crying be called feminine and womanlike right before he’s pushed into suicide

[sinceileftyoublog]

Andrew Bird & Mary Lattimore Live Show Review: 12/5, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago

Andrew Bird & Alan Hampton

BY JORDAN MAINZER

A few songs into this year's first Gezelligheid show--Andrew Bird's annual series of winter concerts at the Fourth Presbyterian Church--Bird mentioned that when he put on an Ella Fitzgerald recording when spending time with his family, his niece asked, "Why are you playing Christmas music?" To her, Bird posited, all old music sounded like Christmas music. It's a fairly easy misconception to understand. After all, the feelings you most associate with Christmas, holiday, or wintertime music in general--warmth, joy, familiarity--are often inherent qualities of songs that clearly are from a distant past. A great classic song can make you feel nostalgia for a time you didn't even experience. It's that phenomenon that Bird took advantage of most on Thursday night.

Bird & Hampton

Accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Alan Hampton, Bird played both original and cover favorites from his recorded catalog. Highlights of the former included Armchair Apocrypha's plucky "Plasticities", the minimal "Pulaski at Night", and the swaying "Alabaster" from holiday album Hark! He culled multiple times from his deep well of tunes by Vince Guaraldi and beloved Americana duo The Handsome Family. Midway through the main set, Bird took advantage of returning home and invited Evanston-based longtime collaborator Nora O'Connor on stage. Though O'Connor has long been a backing vocalist for the likes of Bird, The New Pornographers, and The Decemberists, she and Bird actually played a deep cut she recorded with him, a version of Bob Dylan's "Oh Sister" from Bird's 2007 Soldier On EP. The three musicians on stage broke the song down, a capella style, before Bird built it back up with his violin.

Bird

But it was Bird's most recent releases of covers that ended up perfectly encapsulating the allure of the past. In May, he shared Sunday Morning Put-On (Loma Vista) with the trio of Hampton and drummer Ted Poor, a collection of jazz standards (plus one original) interpreted through Bird's unmistakable aesthetic. Bird knows that stringed instruments best emulate human voice, but on Sunday Morning Put-On, he explores the extent to which applying bow pressure on his violin strings can recall the rich sounds that result from blowing air into the mouthpiece of a horn instrument. Early in his set on Thursday, Bird and Hampton performed the Trio's rendition of Johnny Green and Edward Heyman's "I Cover the Waterfront", a song that's been recorded by the likes of Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Starting with violin, Bird's fluttering followed the original's vocal line; by the time he started singing, his bowing undulated like a tenor saxophone. The performance was eerie, uncanny, and time-bending.

Bird & Hampton

In October, Bird and singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham released Cunningham Bird (Loma Vista), a track-by-track recreation of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks' pre-Fleetwood Mac record Buckingham Nicks. For many in the crowd, even among the pop music aficionados, it was their first time hearing the songs at all: Remarkably, Buckingham Nicks is long out-of-print and not on any streaming services, save for some unofficial uploads to YouTube. Bird and O'Connor duetted a strummed, stripped-down, faster-paced version of "Races are Run". On both Cunningham Bird and on Thursday, for "Crystal", Bird inverted the gender of the lead singer, Cunningham and O'Connor, respectively, singing Buckingham's words, Bird harmonizing Nicks' parts. And there's a fun connection between Sunday Morning Put-On and Cunningham Bird, which is John Lewis' "Django", a song that not only did Bird and his Trio cover on the former but that Buckingham and Nicks covered for their album--meaning Bird also reinterpreted Buckingham and Nicks reinterpreting jazz. The version that led into "Races are Run" Bird played on Thursday was firmly the Cunningham Bird version--after all, Poor's drums are key on Sunday Morning Put-On--but the song's inclusion as a standard that can be adapted in many different ways underscored the very concept of Gezelligheid: conviviality, coziness, fun.

Bird & Hampton

Mary Lattimore

Opening for Bird was harpist Mary Lattimore, a musician who has demonstrated over the past several years that combining classical training with clear experimentation and a sense of humor can, too, result in something fun and beautiful. Lattimore, gifted her harp by Chicago-based factory Lyon & Healy, performed tracks from her dense back catalog, many of which had a story associated with them. She wrote Hundreds of Days' "On the Day You Saw the Dead Whale" after, yes, seeing a dead whale in a coastal California town where she was at a residency. "Wawa By The Ocean", included on her 2017 Collected Pieces compilation, was inspired by her holy routine of buying a hoagie from the Philadelphia-born convenience store/gas station chain and eating it on the Jersey Shore. (Upon finding out about the song, Wawa headquarters sent Lattimore a care package.) "Til a Mermaid Drags You Under" aims to reflect the duality of dark and light in the surf town where it was recorded with Slowdive guitarist Neal Halstead, for 2020's Silver Ladders. On Thursday, hearing the songs' contexts gave crowd members a starting point, either as a lens through which to take in the song or as a challenge to see if they could empty their heads and get lost in the pure sounds emanating from the stage. Lattimore, meanwhile, used synths and looping not to trick and lull you into layers, but to show you how she was manipulating the sounds in real-time, as tangible as her plucks and scratches of the harp. At one point, during Hundreds of Days standout "It Feels Like Floating", ambulances were outside driving down the street, sirens on, but the crowd was subsumed by Lattimore's playing. The harp didn't drown anything out by volume, but like Bird's violin would do later, it enraptured a group of people who had walked through the doors of the church to nestle in the safety of memory and imagination.

Lattimore

Lattimore

[kwebtv]

Siân Phillips as Clementine Churchill and Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill in "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years"

Edward Woodward as Sir Samuel Hoare, Peter Vaughan as Sir Thomas Inskip, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Eric Porter as Neville Chamberlain and Peter Barkworth as Stanley Baldwin in "Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years"

[trans-jon-rights]

Okay so some of you may be familiar with the fact that alchemy heavily relates to The Magnus Protocol, especially with the latest episode.

It's already admitted that Sam Khalid's name is at least inspired by Prince Khalid Ibn Yazid, a famous alchemist from the 7th century. Well I'd like to go a bit deeper, and point out more connections :

Alice Dyer -> Edward Dyer

Teddy Vaughn -> Thomas Vaughan

Colin Becher -> Johann Joachim Becher

Lena Kelley -> Edward Kelley

Celia Ripley -> George Ripley

Chester -> Robert de Chester

I've yet to find anything about Norris or Augustus but this is what I've got. But there's more ! There are connections !

Edward Dyer and Thomas Vaughan were both Rosicruscians (and friends, too), a subcategory of alchemists

Robert De Chester was the one who translated Khalid Ibn Yazid's works from Arabic to Latin

Johann Joachim Becher was German, then travelled to England and resided in Scotland

Edward Kelley worked with Robert Boyle (mentionned in MAGP 19)

I'm not sure exactly what to do with it, but that's what I've got. I'm going insane over that so expect some more over the next few days.

[resident-dumb-fuck]

richard iii dashboard simulator. i thought it would be funny and here we are

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

what if i caused problems on purpose <3

0 notes

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

oh no... i cant believe the king is having my brother killed... oh noooo

#FUCK YOU GEORGE

3 notes

💥ladyanne Follow

man i miss my husband and father in law

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

hey

💥ladyanne

shut the fuck up you literally killed them??? get off my post

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

can i try rizzing you up

💥ladyanne

um. sure?

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE

💥ladyanne

i can't believe i'm saying this but this is kind of working.

🧍‍♂️gentleman-retainer

anyone else in this thread smoke weed

958 notes

🌹lancaster-official Follow

you all suck.

@/elizabeth-woodville your son will die and you will be deposed and youre gonna die SAD and ALONE.

@/river-severn @/dorset-sheep and @/billhastings you're gonna get executed

@/halfhearteddickjoke hm. FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU. nobody hang out with this conniving bitch i hate him i hate him so much and i am three seconds away from killing him constantly.

🐦fuckinghim Follow

get off tumblr margaret we're in court

🌹lancaster-official

he's not gonna want you as his boytoy forever

🐦fuckinghim

WE'RE NOT EVEN IN A RELATIONSHIP??????

🌹lancaster-official

i've seen you talk to him. i know what you are

5000 notes

🗼mr-london-tower Follow

just heard george duke of clarence say "snork mimi" aloud i'm gonna [remembers that suicide jokes do nothing for my mental health] request to be moved away from guarding his cell

🗼mr-london-tower

update: so it turns out the malmsey wine is unusable, for related reasons to this man.

#fuckin. dead body in the malmsey. cant have nice things around here #i hate my job so bad

94 notes

eddie-baby-deactivated

yayyy everybody is friends now :)

🐗halfhearted-dick-joke

dude you literally killed clarence??? you cant be having other people making friends youre a murderer

eddie-baby-deactivated

WHAT THE FUCK I THOUGHT I CANCELED THAT ORDER???

🐗halfhearted-dick-joke

you killed that guy man what the fuck. you cant be doing that

764 notes

👗elizabeth-woodville Follow

I regret to inform you all that the king has died.

5 notes

✨cecily-not-sicily Follow

dude my sons GOTTA stop dying. this is so fucked.

3 notes

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

i do so love to cause problems on purpose :)

#sorry to any family members of lords rivers, vaughan, and grey. um. you will not be seeing them anymore! <3

1285 notes

🐦fuckinghim Follow

preteens are so scary for no reason??? had to interact with two for work and like. they suck so bad. "i fear no uncles dead" shut the fuck up you smartass little shit. also had to explain to them the history of the tower of london which. i don't fucking know that shit! i don't know who built the tower of london! it sure as fuck wasn't julius caesar!

7 notes

#️⃣billhastings Follow

SOMEONE has got to stop waking me up in the middle of the night to hear their dreams

#️⃣billhastings

oh what the fuck.

607 notes

🍓bishop-ely Follow

crazy day at work today

#never go outside to get strawberries worst mistake of my life #came back in the room and they were accusing hastings of witchcraft. like sure yeah i guess

20 notes

🐦fuckinghim Follow

richard duke of gloucester should be king because not only are edward v and richard duke of york illegitimate but also so was edward iv. also richard duke of gloucester is just. kind of an all around good guy! as opposed to edward iv who ah. how do i put this in a manner that isn't horribly offensive. yeah okay figured it out. not a great person! unpleasant to be around!

also if you wanna know what was up with hastings he was a traitor don't worry about it.

954 notes

💥ladyanne Follow

RICHARD. RICHARD WHEN I CATCH YOU RICHARD. WHAT DO YOU MEAN KING OF ENGLAND

2 notes

🐦fuckinghim Follow

shit dude that one vine wasn't lying. what the fuck richard

#i have to leave immediately. jesus fucking christ man.

500 notes

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

yay king of england :) i will be very good at this i feel

#everybody's always like "what the fuck richard you can't kill two kids" or "why would you do that" and never like "was it fun having those preteens killed. it looked fun"

0 notes

🌹lancaster-official Follow

@/halfhearteddickjoke FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

submitted by @/elizabeth-woodville

90 notes

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

wow everything is going so bad. what the entire shit @/fuckinghim

2 notes

🐦fuckinghim Follow

ughhh margaret was right. NOT ABOUT THE BOYTOY THING

307 notes

®️henry-twoder-or-something Follow

hi ive been here the whole time. ive done the math and i do technically have a claim to the throne :)

83 notes

🐗halfhearteddickjoke

i cant believe im saying this but i did just have an ebenezer scrooge moment. god i hate it here.

#maybe i am a bad person

54 notes

®️henry-twoder-or-something Follow

wow richard has died :) i cant believe i am the king now! yayyyy

2 notes

🚣‍♂️resident-dumb-fuck Follow

final message from op! sorry everyone. im so annoying about this forever

[my-midlife-crisis]

THE EPSTEIN LIST

Look at number 77

Ghislaine Maxwell

Virginia Lee Roberts Giuffre [Epstein victim]

Prince Andrew of England

James Michael Austrich

Philip Barden

REDACTED

Cate Blanchett

David Boies

Laura Boothe

Evelyn Boulet

Rebecca Boylan

Joshua Bunner

Naomi Campbell

Carolyn Casey

Paul Cassell

Sharon Churcher

Bill Clinton

David Copperfield

Alexandra Cousteau

Cameron Diaz

Leonardo DiCaprio

Alan Dershowitz

Dr. Mona Devanesan

REDACTED

Bradley Edwards

Amanda Ellison

Cimberly Espinosa

Jeffrey Epstein

Annie Farmer

Marie Farmer

Alexandra Fekkai

Crystal Figueroa

Anthony Figueroa

Louis Freeh

Eric Gany

Meg Garvin

Sheridan Gibson-Butte

Robert Giuffre

Al Gore

Ross Gow

Fred Graff

Philip Guderyon

REDACTED

Shannon Harrison

Stephen Hawking

Victoria Hazel

Brittany Henderson

Brett Jaffe

Michael Jackson

Carol Roberts Kess

Dr. Karen Kutikoff

Peter Listerman

George Lucas

Tony Lyons

Bob Meister

Jamie A. Melanson

Lynn Miller

Marvin Minsky

REDACTED

David Mullen

Joe Pagano

Mary Paluga

J. Stanley Pottinger

Joseph Recarey

Michael Reiter

Jason Richards

Bill Richardson

Sky Roberts

Scott Rothstein

Forest Sawyer

Doug Schoetlle

Kevin Spacey

Cecilia Stein

Mark Tafoya

Brent Tindall

Kevin Thompson

Donald Trump

Ed Tuttle

Emma Vaghan

Kimberly Vaughan-Edwards

Cresenda Valdes

Anthony Valladares

Maritza Vazquez

Vicky Ward

Jarred Weisfeld

Courtney Wild

Bruce Willis

Daniel Wilson

Kathy Alexander

Miles Alexander

[literallys-illiteracy]

Neat thing I noticed while reading through some old notes and loose papers I had regarding alchemy, similar to how the last names of each Magnus Archives assistant is inspired by a horror author, it seems that each O.I.A.R employee (except Boucharde) is named after an alchemist.

Colin goes first because he was the first I noticed, which I then worked backwards from. Colin's last name, Becher, inspired by Johann Joachim Becher, a man who purportedly:

was certain that, given the right materials, he could make himself invisible

Sam on Khalid ibn Yazid, author of the first alchemical text to be translated into Latin "The book on the composition of alchemy"

Lena's name, Kelly, comes from Edward Kelley, a man who claimed to be able to transmute lesser metals into gold, as well as speak to angels.

The next name, Dyer, is a bit dubious as the only time I've seen the name in reference to alchemy is Edward Dyer, who was not himself an alchemist but a firm believer in its truth.

Teddy's name, Vaughn, seems to be an alternate spelling of the last name of Thomas Vaughan, an alchemist from Wales.

finally, Celia. Celia's name is interesting as, should it be a reference, it means that the alchemical basis was planned during season 5 of The Magnus Archives. The surname Ripley comes from George Ripley, one of the most famous alchemists, publishing his works in the early 15th century and being cited by the first modern chemists. Ripley is notable due to two major things, the first being the Ripley Wheel, and the second(s) the Ripley Scrolls, both of which have images below the cut (the scroll is very long so i'm just trying not to clog someone's dash):

Ripley being such an early alchemist is also notable due to one other thing.

I've discussed in the past the Tria Prima in relation to alchemy, see my post with the big amendment at the top for details, but what I did not mention is how that was not always the structure used by alchemists.

The concept of the Tria Prima was created by Paracelsus, another extremely notable alchemist (who is referenced in Fullmetal Alchemist using his family name Hohenheim), introducing the element of the Salt. Prior to the introduction of the salt, there was instead the Dua Prima, the two primes of Mercury (Quicksilver) and Sulphur (Brimstone).

There is something to be said about the concept of two integral forces, neither good nor evil but both representative of existence when paired being a concept found in many places, for example the concept of Yin and Yang being inseparable balanced natures, but that's not the topic of this.

The important thing is that Celia mentioned the Dua Prima before.

Refer back to the Ripley wheel once again. See the centre wheel, Aer, Ignis, Aqua, Terra; Air, Fire, Water, Earth, the four elements.

Taking a look at another, technically earlier rendition of the wheel

we can see the 7 planets and their respective symbols (the seven planets in this astrology being, in order of furthest ring to closest, Saturn (Lead), Jupiter (Tin), Mars (Iron), Sol/The Sun (Gold), Venus (Copper), Mercury (Mercury/quicksilver), Luna/The Moon (Silver))

Table of the planets, their respective metals, and symbols below.

The planets were present in the first wheel I showed but I couldn't find all of them and I know that many wheels simply had them in order of orbit like the second one I showed.

The interesting thing I wanted to note is simply how Celia seems to mirror George Ripley somewhat, but I'll leave it for you to do some looking into him if you want to find out more for the future.

Always remember, Tis true without lying, certain and most true. That which is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below

As above, so below. As below, so above. You have to keep things balanced, everything must add up or you will be subtracted from the equation.

...

While you wait for more ramblings about alchemy, how about you do some surveys to help with my upcoming project (about the Archives not the Protocol)

[thedeafprophet]

An Uneasy Trust

Anyone slower than Alex wouldn’t have had time to react before the glint of brass came jabbing toward him. He stepped back in an instant, hands flying up in a quick move of surrender as the candlestick hovered inches from his ribs. It was Clarabelle. She stood before him, breathing hard, eyes wide and fever-bright. She was still pale, still weak, her limbs trembling with exhaustion. But beneath the clear and pungent fear was something else. Anger. “Where the hell am I?” She demanded, voice raw.

It’s more than reasonable for Clara to be suspicious of the stranger whose home she’s found herself in. Now, it’s up to the Vitriolic Thief to figure out how to convince her he’s not her enemy.

In which clara threatens Alex with a candlestick-

Teen and up audience, Light Fingers as an ambition is enough of a warning itself, but didnt go too much into the body horror parts of the pregancy.

Word count: 2.3 K

Also on ao3

Alex moved at a quick, heavy pace, the thud of his thick shoes striking the pavement in steady, forceful beats. Irritation simmered beneath his skin, sharpening with every step. He hated going to the university, hated dealing with the sneering academics who always dismissed him without a thought, and finding that this so-called ‘Dr Vaughan’ wasn’t even there was the cherry on this shitty cake. Off in a "here" poked onto a zee map, as vague as a damn dream.

Still, at least he had a lead, a direction. That was something.

He slipped into an alleyway on the far edges of Spite, keeping to the shadows out of habit. Didn’t know if anyone was looking for him after the blaze that consumed the orphanage, but he wasn’t stupid enough to think it’d be let go now. And Poor Edward - well, the fire might not have fully dealt with him either. Eyes could be anywhere. If they caught him now, then everything he’d done would be for nothing.

His hands curled into fists as he walked the final stretch, thoughts tangled in the wreckage of the past few weeks. How the fuck had it come to this? The horrors of the orphanage clung to him, thick as the smoke that had consumed it. Anna was gone, who knew where. And now, somehow, he was the one left to help her sister.

Fuck. 

Clarabelle had barely been conscious when he’d carried her back, his cape draped over her shoulders, her weight limp against him. He’d done what he could, set her on the couch, tried to get her to drink, to eat, anything that might ease the raw pain and discomfort she was in. He’d tried talking to her, of course. But even if she could hear him, even if she could process it, what the hell was he supposed to say?

He wished he had any idea what to do here.

Alex bypassed the many locks on his door with ease, pushing it open with a familiar creak. The few small rooms were a welcome sight after the chaos of the past days. From the damp-stained walls to the creaking floorboards, all of it was familiar and grounding.

He exhaled, rolling the tension from his shoulders. His muscles ached from running around the city all day. For a brief moment, he let himself take in the dim flicker of firelight against the chipped wooden walls, the lingering scent of old wood and smoke. He wondered if there was any time to take to put on the kettle. He was aching for a cup of tea right now.

It was only then he noticed what was off.

Clarabelle was not on the couch where he’d left her; The ragged blanket he’d tossed over her lay crumpled on the floor, the partially glass of water still on the table beside it.

Alex’s thoughts spun as he scanned the room. Had someone found them? Had she been hurt? 

He noticed belatedly the heavy brass candlestick from the side table was missing too, before something moved in his periphery.

Anyone slower than Alex wouldn’t have had time to react before the glint of brass came jabbing toward him. He stepped back in an instant, hands flying up in a quick move of surrender as the candlestick hovered inches from his ribs.

It was Clarabelle.

She stood before him, breathing hard, eyes wide and fever-bright. She was still pale, still weak, her limbs trembling with exhaustion - But beneath the clear and pungent fear was something else: Anger.

“Where the hell am I?” She demanded, voice raw.

“Hey, how’s about we talk this through?” Alex said cautiously. He didn’t take well to being threatened, even by someone in her state. His body had already half-shifted into the motions to disarm her before his mind caught up. Probably not the best way to handle this. “I’m tryin’ to help, okay?” 

He took a slow step back. She didn’t follow. That alone told him how weak and disoriented she still was.

She was afraid. Not just afraid, but cornered too, alone and uncertain. Alex knew exactly how reckless that kind of fear could make you be. 

She jabbed the candlestick in his direction again "Where. Am. I?"

"Uh...my house?"

Clarabelle’s eyes flicked around the small room - the leaky kitchenette sink Alex still hadn’t fixed, the dresser cluttered with marked-up maps and scattered newspapers in no clear order, the couch half-buried under a mismatched mess of pillows and blankets.

".... Your house? " Her tone was incredulous, either at the answer, or with the questioning way Alex spoke it.

"Well, more of a flat, I s’ppose." Alex shrugged as much as he could with his hands still raised. It wasn’t a house, technically. Just a couple of rooms sectioned off in a building. But it was his.

The answer only seemed to confuse Clarabelle more, her expression twisting with suspicion and pain.

Alex saw the tremor in her legs as she struggled to stay upright, barely able to hold herself together. The strain of whatever the hell was happening with her body was obvious.

He stepped a little closer, his voice softer than usual, careful. "You might wanna sit down..."

Clarabelle didn’t answer right away, breathing heavily, eyes unfocused, body swaying like she might collapse any second.

"Please," Alex urged, his voice softer than he intended. He took a slight step closer as he spoke, half-expecting her to lash out again. But quickly after, the candlestick slipped from her grip, hitting the floor with a dull thud as she slowly sank onto the couch.

For a moment, she sat there, dazed, like she didn’t quite know where she was or what had just happened. The silence in the room was thick, broken only by her shallow breaths.

Alex hesitated before he moved a little closer, just enough that she’d know he was still there.

Clarabelle’s gaze flickered up to him. Her eyes were unfocused, but there was still a sharpness behind them, a fierceness in her disorientation.

"Who are you?" Her voice was soft and weary, yet demanding.

Alex crouched near the couch, trying not to startle her but staying within her line of sight.

"M'name's Alex. I know your sister, and I’m trying to help."

"I’m Clara- Oh, but I think you already knew that.” Clarabelle blinked, her mind clearly still in a fog. “We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

“We did.”

The room fell into a brief, false quiet as she took it in, her eyes still distant. Then, suddenly, her expression shifted, and her eyes widened in panic.

"My sister, she was-where is she?"

Alex's stomach dropped, the worry he'd kept buried under a layer of adrenaline threatening to claw its way up.

"I... I don't know."

Clara sighed, the sound laced with frustration and fear. "Well, hell of a lot of good you are right now."

" Hey ," Alex’s voice was pointed, not quite expecting this level of pushback. "M’gonna look for her. Just... been focused on-” He gestured vaguely toward her, the unspoken weight of the inhuman pregnancy hanging in the air. "Y’know. I’ve got a lead. Someone who might help."

Clara bit her lip at the mention of her condition, pressing her face into her hands. Alex couldn’t tell if she was crying or just shaking from the strain.

"What a fucking nightmare."

Alex couldn’t agree more.

Her eyes, red and strained, slowly lifted to meet his. "And how the hell am I supposed to trust you?"

He shrugged, his tone flat. "Dunno’ what other options you got, but I know our time ain’t limitless here." He felt the weight of her gaze, the sharp look that didn’t seem to inspire much confidence.

"Look," he began again. Persuasion wasn’t exactly his forte, but he had to try. "Anna sent me t' help you, so she at least had faith in me. Even if you don’t trust me to help, maybe we can put stock in her belief."

"And how exactly do you know my sister?"

Alex shrugged. "We were in contact back on the surface. Helps to know people sometimes."

Clara squinted at him, studying him for a moment, before raising her eyebrows. A flicker of understanding, or maybe just memory , flashed across her face.

"Oh, one of those types of connections."

Alex felt a twinge of irritation, though he tried not to get too upset. Not everyone had the best opinions of his "career."

Clara didn’t seem to notice. She was already drifting again, her movements slow, lethargic. He noticed her hand tremble as it rested on the side of the couch.

She was slipping, her awareness flickering in and out, but Alex needed her to stay with him just long enough. He wanted to make sure she knew the plan,to find Dr. Vaughan, to get help. The possibility of resolving this mess. The least he could do is tell her what the plan was. 

Clara shot him an irritated, pained glance, her expression still sharp enough to cut. “So what, you’re gonna fix this? Some kid shows up and suddenly everything’s fine?”

Alex stiffened. “Ain’t a kid. I’m twenty-six.”

She huffed out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Right. That’s so much better.”

Alex shifted uneasily, unsure what to make of the reaction or how to respond. He was never good at reading people, but he knew well enough he wasn’t anyone’s first pick for handling this mess. He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Look, I ain’t sayin’ I’ve got all the answers. Hell, I wouldn’t even say I got any. But I know someone who might, and I can get us there. That’s somethin’, ain’t it?”

She scoffed, leaning back against the couch, her breathing shallow. “And you reckon you can handle it? You don’t exactly seem like an expert.”

“I got you out, didn’t I?”

She didn’t have to believe in him. Hell, he wasn’t sure he believed in himself. But he needed her to let him try.

Clara sighed, long and weary, the sound dragging from somewhere deep. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, fixing Alex with a hard look.

“Okay.” Her voice was tight. “What’s this plan of yours, then?”

Alex shifted, glancing toward the door like someone might burst through at any second. “There’s someone. Dr. Vaughan. Knows things, apparently, bout’ pregnancies, about… monstrous things.” He hesitated, waving a hand vaguely. “She got chased off to Zee, but I’ve got a ship and a crew. We can get there. Find her. She’s our best shot.”

Clara stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then, to Alex’s surprise, she let out a breathless laugh. It was bitter, almost hysterical. “You’ve got a ship. And a crew.” She shook her head. “Of course you do.”

Alex frowned. “It ain’t as daft as it sounds.”

“No. No, it’s exactly as daft as it sounds.” Clara pressed a trembling hand to her stomach, her other hand gripping the arm of the couch. “But then again, everything about this is ridiculous, isn’t it?” Her voice wavered. “Fine. Let’s go find your bloody doctor.”

Her sarcasm and scathing remarks could not mask the fear entirely. Her doubt was clearly outweighed by the horror of what was happening to her body. 

Alex just nodded. “Right. Well. Then I guess I’ll get things sorted.”

Alex’s eyes flicked toward the door, the weight of urgency pressing at his back. They could leave tonight, maybe. Head straight to the docks, get moving before anyone got wind of them. His gaze flicked back to Clara. She was pale, trembling faintly where she sat, her breathing shallow.

He hesitated. “D’you need anything? I can help you lie back, get the blankets. Or… I can make you some tea?”

Clara’s scowl deepened, her fingers curling into the fabric of the smock she still regrettably wore. “For fucks sake. Give me five minutes to at least do something myself.”

Alex flinched, shame curling hot in his gut. “Right. Sorry.”

She shifted against the cushions with a soft, pained grunt, settling back into the couch. For a moment, it seemed like that was the end of it - but then, quieter, she muttered, “A cup of tea would be lovely.”

Alex blinked, then gave a stiff nod. “Yeah. ’Course.”

The kitchen was small and dim, the shadows stretching long in the flicker of the oil lamp. Alex crouched before the coal-burning stove, pulling the grate open with a soft creak. The embers inside had cooled, glowing faint and sullen, capturing the mood of the evening. He reached for the coal scuttle, scattering a fresh layer over the embers before grabbing the poker.

He leaned in, gaze fixed on the heart of the stove, and jabbed the coals until the sparks leapt. As they did, the heat begun to bloom, greeting him like a long departed friend as Alex found himself lingering. There was always something about the way the flames caught and spread, hungrily devouring whatever they could reach, that settled the tightness in his chest.

Alex grabbed for a scrap of newspaper discarded on the floor, holding one end to the embers. The paper caught with a soft whoomph , edges curling into blackened lace, and Alex stared as the flames twisted along the paper, quick and elegant and far more graceful than the blaze that consumed The Orphanage. He didn’t pull his hand back until the heat came close to biting his fingers.

He stood and set the kettle onto the stove with a soft clatter. Alex straightened, the fire crackling softly behind him, the warm orange glow dissipated with the closed grate. 

As Alex moved to lean against the counter,  he folded his arms, watching as the steam began to curl from the spout. He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face.

Right. Tea first. Then he’d figure out what in the hell he was going to tell the crew about this whole mess.

[laniusbignaturals]

If they could listen to modern music, what bands would Joshua and Edward be all over? 🌟

Edward would listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Eagles and Jerry Lee Lewis and whatever else he thought sounded close enough to tough. Gun N’ Roses, Buffalo Springfield, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix are all too liberal for him. He only listens to Lee Hazlewood in private, same for Karen Dalton. Joshua will sit and listen to her with him, sometimes, but Hazlewood is too self-indulgent for his tastes.

Joshua likes the english stuff, Led Zeppelin and The Specials and The Smiths and the like. Townes Van Zandt, Natalie Merchant and Johnny Cash all work for him too. America’s psychedelic bands are attractive to him in private, like The Fugs, the aforementioned Hendrix and Big Brother & The Holding Company (even though he certainly does not approve of Janis Joplin.) Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake and Rob Thomas all remind him of Edward, with the manwhore vibes and the relentless West Coast White Boy angst.

Unrequested lightning round. I’m legally obligated to say Ulysses bumps A$AP Rocky, right? Even outside of the flag symbolism, his grandiose, semi-surreal personas and ostensible nihilism are very Ulysses. I’m also gonna say he likes the last five years of 2 Chainz’ discography, because what was this album if not music to dissociate to. Im also gonna call him a Pusha T & MF DOOM baby. Maybe Vince Staples. A little Jessie Reyes and Kehlani as a treat.

[soulbrothershow]

Honor the Ancestors

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Little Richard, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, BB King, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Etta James, James Brown, Clyde Stubblefield, Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis, Charlie "Bird" Parker, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Quincy Jones, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sis. Clara Ward, Aretha Franklin, Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, Tina Turner, Florence Ballard, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, Jimi Hendrix, Sun Ra, David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Dennis Edwards, Mary Wilson, Levi Stubbs, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Betty Davis, Eddie Hazel, Glen Goins, Phyllis Hyman, Roger Troutman, Mallia Franklin, Ike Turner, Tupac Shakur, Christopher “Notorious BIG” Wallace, Curtis Mayfield, Minnie Riperton, Donny Hathaway, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, James Cleveland, Andre Crouch, Kevin “Dino” Conner, DJ Screw, Bobby Womack, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince, J Dilla, Cynthia Robinson, Sylvia Robinson, James Mtume, Khalis Bayyan, Phife Dawg, David “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, Gregory “Humpty Hump” Jacobs, Tito Jackson, and Frankie Beverly.

Thank you for the impact on our lives and for sharing your gifts. We speak your name. 

Asè.

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ CATHERINE'S YEAR IN REVIEW : FEBRUARY ✧• ─

1 FEBRUARY - Catherine appeared in a video for Shaping Us Campaign.

2 FEBRUARY - Catherine appeared in a video with Roman Kemp as part of the Shaping Us Campaign.

4 FEBRUARY - Kensington Palace released a childhood photo of Catherine with Michael Middleton for the Shaping Us Campaign.

5 FEBRUARY - She visited St. John's Primary School to mark the start of Children's Mental Health Week 2023.

8 FEBRUARY - Catherine was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire (Mrs. Elizabeth Fothergill) as she visited Landau Forte College along with Captain Harpreet Chandi.

9 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall (Colonel Edward Bolitho) at the National Maritime Museum Falmouth in Discovery Quay. Afterwards, they visited the Dracaena Centre.

19 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William attended the British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall where and were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London (Sir Kenneth Olisa).

21 FEBRUARY - She was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire (Mr. James Puxley) at the Oxford House Nursing Home in Slough.

22 FEBRUARY - Catherine held an Early Years Meeting.

23 FEBRUARY - Catherine received Mr. Ian Hewitt (Chairman, AELTCC ) at Windsor Castle. Subsequently, she received Major General Christopher Ghika and Lieutenant Colonel James Aldridge (Regimental Lieutenant Colonel & Commanding Officer) of the Irish Guards.

25 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William met the volunteers and staff of the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust and attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between Wales and England at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. They were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan (Mrs. Morfudd Meredith).

28 FEBRUARY - Catherine and William were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of West Glamorgan (Mrs. Louise Fleet) at Brynawel House Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Pontyclun. Afterwards, they visited Aberavon Celtic Leisure Centre, where His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan (Mr. Peter Vaughan) received them. Subsequently, they were received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed (Miss Sara Edwards) as they opened the new patient room at Wales Air Ambulance in Dafen.

[winnipegwinterpeg]

Access For All. Period.

Free pads and tampons are now available throughout Manitoba as part of the Access for All Period program, led by the Manitoba government. This program is focused on ending period poverty by providing equal access to menstrual products for all.

What is period poverty?

Period poverty is the inability to access or afford menstrual products, preventing youth and adults who menstruate from participating in their everyday lives.

Why is this important?

Removing barriers to access menstrual products is crucial to the physical and mental health of all who menstruate. A lack of proper access can result in dangerous situations, leading to both short and long term physical harm, as well as mental health issues including anxiety, depression and self-isolation. For students, it can negatively impact attendance and participation, affecting long-term achievement and resulting in missed educational and employment opportunities.

How does the program work?

The Manitoba government, in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart, is providing readily available pads and tampons free to those in need. Products are available to all Manitobans in schools and community organizations as listed below. Free menstrual products are also available at participating shelters throughout the province through the Access for All Period program.

Where can I go?

You can access free menstrual products at the following locations (38 total, 26 in Winnipeg) under the cut:

* Andrews Street Family Centre, 220 Andrews Street, Winnipeg

* Blue Thunderbird Family Care, 998 Sargent Avenue, Winnipeg

* Acorn Family Place, 222 Furby Street #202, Winnipeg

* Canadian Muslim Women's Institute, 61 Juno Street #201, Winnipeg

* Community Ambition, 266A Linwood Street, Winnipeg

* Elmwood Community Resource Centre, 545 Watt Street, Winnipeg

* Family Dynamics, 393 Portage Avenue #401, Winnipeg

* First Nations Family Advocate, 286 Smith Street #200, Winnipeg

* The Food Vault and Community Resource Centre, 24 Hampton East, P.O. Box 881, MacGregor

* Fort Garry Women's Resource Centre, 1150A Waverly Street, Winnipeg

* Holy Names House of Peace, 211 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg

* Interlake Women's Resource Centre, 87 - 5th Avenue, Gimli

* Lakeshore Family Resource Centre, 9 Main Street, Ashern

* Madeline's Closet, 40 Main Street, Inwood

* Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, 445 King Street, Winnipeg

* Marlene Street Resource Centre, 27 Marlene Street #6, Winnipeg

* Men are Part of the Solution (MAPS), 117B Commercial Place, Thompson

* N'Dinawemak, 190 Disraeli Freeway, Winnipeg

* Ndinawe, 472 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg

* North End Women's Centre, 394 Selkirk Avenue, Winnipeg

* North Point Douglas Women's Centre, 221 Austin Street North, Winnipeg

* NorWest - A Woman's Place, 945 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg

* NorWest - Community Health, 785 Keewatin Street, Winnipeg

* Pluri-elles, 114-l420 Des Meurons Street, Winnipeg

* Samaritan House, 1610 Pacific Avenue, Brandon

* South Winnipeg Family Information Centre, 800 Point Road, Winnipeg

* Steinbach Family Resource Centre, 101 North Front Drive, Steinbach

* Swan Valley Crisis Centre, 119 9th Avenue North, Swan River

* The Counselling Centre, 335 9th Street, Brandon

* The Pas Family Resource Centre, 103 Edwards Avenue, The Pas

* Thrive Community Support Circle, 3-406 Edmonton Street, Winnipeg

* Wahbung Abinoonjiiag, 225 Dufferin Street, Winnipeg

* Winnipeg Central Park Women's Resource Centre, 400 Edmonton Avenue, Winnipeg

* Women's Safe Haven, 228-35 Main Street, Flin Flon

* West Central Women's Resource Centre, 640 Ellice Avenue, Winnipeg

* Western MB Women's Regional Resource Centre, 729 Princess Avenue, Brandon

* YMCA Winnipeg (Downtown Branch) 301 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg, (West Portage Branch) 3550 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Sunday, 11-10-24, 8pm Pacific

'Evenin', folks...Mr. Baggins back with you for what I've decided to call "Sunday Serenade": Music to soothe and make ears happy as we head into next week. So to launch this inaugural edition of the program, I didn't have to think too hard, I mean, what else could we begin with, not one but two serenades: the music of Antonin Dvorak, his Op. 22 (Serenade for Strings) & Op. 44 (Serenade for Winds). Both played quite handily by Neville Marriner and The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, on a Philips recording made in the early '80s. The sound is nothing less than sumptuous. Enjoy.

Shifting to more of an introspective vein, here is one of the most soothing albums I've ever owned: Harold Budd and Brian Eno's ground-breaking Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror, from 1980, followed by their later collaboration, The Pearl.

We continue now with the music of Sir Edward Elgar, his beautiful Serenade for Strings, performed here in a live recording by the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, earlier this year, in April 2024.

And I thought I would end tonight's Sunday Serenade with the music of Vaughan Williams, his "The Lark Ascending", once again, Sir Neville Marriner conducting the ASMF, with violinist Iona Brown.

Mr. Baggins signing off until tomorrow. Be kind, babies, be kind.

[sparingiscaring]

Continuing from my previous tags, a thing I've wondered about Light Fingers (at least since finishing it) is, why do we never actually experience one of the major horrors of the Ambition ourselves? Like, okay, Starved Men, we go there and have a bad time, Clara is having so much body horror, Hephaesta and the Zee, Edward is staking us, the Orphanage is... yeah, and A Bat Wants to Roofie The City, sure that's a Bad Time, but it feels like we missed out on Actually experiencing what is at the core of this story!!! OBSESSION.

I wish we had gotten Moon-Milked! I think we are the only ones in the story (Aside from Frank n Jasper) who don't experience it! Like, I'm sorry, you're telling me EVERYONE HERE either is or has gone through one of the most intense horror things ever, an obsessive love that is driving you almost to madness, and you DON'T GET TO?! Not even for a BIT?! It feels like it should be there! You should have had it happen!

It could be at Vaughan's Island. Think of it. THE BOTH OF YOU. THE SYMBOLISM. Obtaining Lethean Tea Leaves (It's Light Fingers, you could probably steal some with a high shadowy challenge, make it a Heist if ya want) is how you opt out! Opting out is your Current Route - you don't get the letters full text, you get to act horrified at Poor Edward's... yeah, unchanged. But if you don't, you have to read what he sends. You're compelled to. The game can tell you in Bold, after it happens. "Find a Remedy, or else your Obsession will Grow".

You have the option to burn the letters, but even when you click it, the narrative, the Obsession, makes you read them, makes you keep them, makes you keep the boxes and the letters and everything else he sends you. Just changing the framing, changing it so your every no is changed by the Moon-Milk into a yes, because you are NOT in control of your own Self, when it comes to this. Nothing else is changes - but when it comes to the Object of your Obsession, you just cannot be in complete control of yourself.

And if the first time control is taken is too much, you could just be reminded again. And that option to Undo This is there, you just have to opt out. You get the Biggest Part of the Horror tied even more to your character, and you as the player have to deal with the loss of control of your Self, of that certainty that your choice was your own, and the building unease that, in the following sections, you cannot even trust your own Player to obey you, when it comes to this ambition.

Or, piggybacking off of @thedeafprophet's 'PC Gets Kidnapped' idea, it could easily come into play there, in a much smaller role. You're subjected to it, then, if you don't hold out, and you see the world as your saviors (puts a blanket over Jasper and Frank's heads) did in Clara's case, and still do, in Hephaesta's. You get to experience the need and the pull and the obsession yourself! The parallels of how you freed Clara from her's, to her freeing you now! They physically get you out of there, and then Vaughan mentally gets you out of there, helping you cure/repress the after effects.

You never marry Poor Edward, he's whimpering pathetically in the Nightmare Orphanage, or Murderized in the Nightmare Orphanage, but you can chose between cure and repress. No Edward Card, sealing him away in that place, or leaving open a door in your subconscious, come the next Nightmare card.

I don't know how to end this. I just feel like we should have had the chance to subject ourselves to The Horror of this Ambition, because stopping this from happening to everyone is really the story of Light Fingers. It's one thing to see it in somebody else - I wish we could have seen it ourselves, and had the chance to see just how horrifying it really is.

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 3.27

Beer Birthdays

William Dow (1800)

Ebenezer Beadleston (1803)

Michael Jackson (1942)

Jim Kennedy (1942)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Carl Banks; cartoonist (1901)

Tony Banks; rock keyboardist, "Genesis" (1950)

Nathan Fillion; actor (1971)

Ferde Grofe; composer (1892)

Quentin Tarantino; film director (1963)

Famous Birthdays

Mariah Carey; throat warbler, pop singer (1970)

Shaun Cassidy; pop singer, actor (1958)

Burt Collins; jazz trumpeter (1931)

Bart Connor; gymnast (1958)

Randall Cunningham; Philadelphia Eagles QB (1963)

Nathanial Currier; lithographer (1813)

Fergie; pop singer (1975)

Patty Smith Hill; wrote "Happy Birthday" (1868)

Miller Huggins; New York Yankees Mgr. (1879)

David Janssen; actor (1931)

Buster Posey; San Francisco Giants C (1987)

Wilhelm Roentgen; physicist (1845)

Mstislav Rostropovivh; cellist (1927)

Henry Royce; co-founder of Rolls-Royce (1863)

Edward Steichen; photographer (1879)

Gloria Swanson; actor (1899)

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; German architect (1886)

Talisa Soto; actor (1967)

Sarah Vaughan; singer (1924)

Michael York; actor (1942)