#event: camping charity '24

[drrutherford]

He listens to her talk about Félix's daughter, taking it in but saying little in response. Quietly, he wonders whether Yvonne's childhood experience may have lent her some additional sensitivity in ensuring she didn't overstep or accidentally push the daughter out of frame when romancing the father, the way that she herself had felt pushed out of the family unit when she was younger. A cold comfort, maybe, but a possible silver lining nonetheless. "I'm glad that for her sake, it was someone like you."

Someone who gets it, he doesn't say.

"And that your husband eased the transition, though that's a bloody low bar." Gideon snorts, popping the last of the sticky marshmallow in his mouth. "I don't even wanna think about puberty," – good thing his son still has another 6-7 years before he needs to – "But at least you've got the next few months to adjust to being a new authority figure in her life before she reaches it... Here's hoping she isn't precocious."

"Getting close to her wasn't the hard part. Félix and I scheduled a lot of things around his custody schedule so that I wasn't interrupting their time together. And when we were dating I was just her dad's fun girlfriend who was like a fun older sister." In retrospect, Yvonne probably tried too hard to make a preteen like her. "There was some adjusting when we got engaged and moved in together. Then I became an authority figure and started co-parenting. But, I wasn't going to let my family be divided the way our family was growing up. Which wouldn't have been possible without Félix helping to ease the transition."

Maybe the Rutherfords would have been happier if Andrew helped ease the transition in the same way.

"A little over a year now until we have a teenager in the house. Which is not a sentence I expected to be saying so soon. Félix is definitely in denial about it."

[drrutherford]

LOCATION — The Rutherford Estate, Kingston Upon Thames. DATE — October 26, 2024. STARTER — closed for @felixrodriguez

He's bedraggled the next morning, which is rich, because he hasn't bloody slept in a bed in the first place.

Still, it's half past noon by the time he's feeling even semi-conscious, though the sun still seems to be searing the back of his retinas as he traipses around the campsite, searching for a familiar face, or even just a tolerable distraction.

Félix Rodriguez may not have fit the latter descriptor when they first met, but as things stand, a year hence, he's become a fairly safe bet. "Hey... Need to steal a Panadol from Jess' backpack. I'm sure she's well stocked." It's as much a 'good morning' as any he's able to give just now, but Gideon remembers his manners quickly enough to add;

"How was your first night in Paradise?"

If his sister's anywhere in earshot, he expects his migraine will pale in comparison to her reaction to that, but he's willing to take his chances.

[msmelissalin]

FOR: @ayaz--ates EVENT: The Camp Out, 24' WHERE: Firepit. Night One.

She was the casualty of consequence.

A term that both she and Benjamin had found themselves in deep discussion when they'd driven here together. And now, she knew it to be more relevant than she'd felt realised in a while: the shift could be felt, even at the party, and while she'd tried to drop it, unfortunately, her job as second meant it wasn't often that she got to leave the world behind and relax.

Karma was either coming for her, or it was on her side...she hadn't quite figured out which one. But Benjamin's injury had put a lot of things into it's own mini-tornado...and she wasn't a happy lady. And yet, here, she was told...enjoy the fruit of their labours for offering themselves over for charity. Melissa did this for saving face, more so than joy.

The only problem with that? Relaxing brought too much to mind. She couldn't busy those racing thoughts with work. And without her phone, Carla wasn't a text away. She felt like a cripple without a cane.

She was avoiding the tent, at all costs. Though, as the hour got later, and more groups found themselves in merriment she'd already grown tired of for the first evening: she'd found herself sitting here, alone, eyes staring into the fire as she tried to quieten that unending thunder.

However, looking up from the fire, she found her eyes landing on the looming figure of Ayaz, peering up as she let her vision adjust and surprisingly (even to herself) she smiled. "You're still alive. Okay, good. Lara would be insufferable if something happened to you."

And so would fucking Melissa. (And his ex-wife, and now, a bone she'd pick later -- his girlfriend.)

[whatsonmedia]

Thursday Thrill: End Your Summer with a Bang and Help Others!

End of The Road 31 Aug – 3 Sept Since its inception in 2006, End of the Road has solidified its position as one of the UK's most highly acclaimed rock and folk music festivals. Set against the stunning backdrop of Larmar Tree Gardens in Wiltshire, the festival's reputation is rooted in its focus on subcultures and indie music. Its diverse lineup spans multiple stages, showcasing a blend of established festival music acts and emerging talents, catering to the preferences of returning festival enthusiasts. Over the years, the event has garnered consistent 5-star reviews, elevating it to an award-winning status. More than just a music festival, End of the Road offers a holistic experience featuring comedy, films, literature, workshops, healing sessions, delectable food, and beverages. Attendees are in for a weekend brimming with cherished memories and a multitude of enriching activities.This year's line-up across the board of music includes King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Future Islands, Wilco, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Angel Olsen, Ezra Furman, Arooj Aftab, Greentea Peng, Lee Fields, Overmono, Yeule, Caitlin Rose, Joan Shelley, Kokoroko, The Mary Wallopers, Cass Mccombs, Dungen, Biig Piig and so many more..Tickets & More Info> endoftheroadfestival.com Camp Wildfire 1 – 4 Sept Camp Wildfire spans two weekends and is an exclusive adult-only festival. Nestled in the forest of Sevenoaks, Kent, this unique independent event offers an eclectic lineup that guarantees side-splitting laughter, constant dancing, and an unforgettable experience. Embracing a retreat-like ambiance, the festival combines daytime creative pursuits with nighttime revelry, featuring top live music, DJs, film screenings, and hidden parties. Set against the backdrop of a stunning English garden, it's an adventure beyond the usual festival vibe, encouraging you to unleash your wild side and create lasting memories. Camp Wildfire is where like-minded individuals gather for wild parties and a shared sense of joy, already planning their return before the current festivities come to an end.Camp Wildfire's lineup boasts an exciting array of DJ legends, including Crazy P (Live), Grandmaster Flash, Lisa Maffia (DJ), The House & Garage Orchestra, Stanton Warriors, Krafty Kuts, Too Many T's, Savage Disco, DJ Yoda, 24 Hour Garage Girls ft SHOSH, Craig Charles, Madame Electrifie, Rum Buffalo, Little Boots (DJ), and Lycra 80's Party, among others. Don't miss out on this diverse mix of talent that promises an unforgettable experience.Tickets & More Info> campwildfire.co.uk Sundown Festival 1 - 3 Sept As the amazing UK festival season is coming to a close there are still a few treasures to be had for one last weekend fling away from home whether you'recamping or glamping this weekend it's time to dig out your festival gear to get your best rave on. Sundown Festival hosts its number-one independent electronic dance music festival.  The boutique weekend features all the festival goodies to make this a top weekend including some of the best and biggest dance music and urban artists & DJs to its home at the Norfolk Showground.Don't miss out on an extraordinary weekend of music as some of the industry's best, including Defected and DnB Allstars, come together. Prepare for a dynamic lineup across 5 stages, showcasing Pop, Grime, UK Drill, and Dance genres. Chase & Status, Tion Wayne, Raye, K-Trap, and many others will headline. This event promises a memorable end to summer, offering a festival experience that you won't want to miss. Grab the last available tickets and immerse yourself in a weekend of exceptional music and festival vibes. Tickets & More Info> sundownfestival.co.uk International Day of Charity 5 Sept This special day has been chosen in honor of the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace.  The International Day of Charity began back in 2012 by the United Nations to recognize all the hard work that many charities and individuals tirelessly do to help others and raise money for those struggling in life.  Spreading awareness and educating the importance of social responsibility across the globe.  To develop support for charitable causes and by bonding communities together in unification. September 5th offers a global chance to contribute to charity through various events. Acts of kindness like donating, volunteering, or offering support can create a significant impact on individuals in need. Today, even a small gesture holds the power to make a difference.More Info> un.org Read the full article

[drrutherford]

@amescastaignede

“Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.”

— H.L. Mencken

[atlanticcanada]

Friendly competition in Moncton raises money for local charities

Showcasing the very definition of friendly competition, 24 teams hit the water Saturday for the Greater Moncton Dragon Boat Festival.

While each and every team was vying for gold, it’s the entire community that will come out as the true winner.

“One of the unique things of the festival is 60 per cent of the money the teams raise goes to Lions Sick Children Fund and then they choose a charity for 40 per cent. The only thing we request is that it’s a local charity,” explained co-chair Norval McConnell.

Despite the below seasonal temperatures, rain and wind, the two-day event saw the biggest turnout yet -- in more ways than one.

“[Friday] we had the high school event, 34 teams, most we’ve ever had,” said McConnell, who noted they brought in $168,000 in donations that day.

“[Saturday] we have 24 community corporate breast cancer survivor teams, and they’re going to raise, we think, in and around the area of $60,000, so that’s going to put us around $230,000. That’s the best we’ve ever had.”

When the event was created back in 2006, it was a Lion’s Sick Children Fundraising event and it has since expanded to help even more organizations in the community.

“Alzheimer’s is one of our big causes that we support with Shannex and as you know, it’s not far from home,” said Christina Cormier, who was part of the Shannex Patrol Team.

“We have our residents and our family members and some of them are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so we’re always happy to support and do anything we can to make sure that we can get everything we need for them.”

She says the chance to compete helped the entire team learn to be in sync, work together and communicate.

They are already planning for next year and what they can do to be a little better out on the water.

“It makes a difference in terms of residents and families knowing that our organization is willing to work hard at raising money for all associations throughout Canada that’s regarding Alzheimer’s,” she said.

With each team choosing their own charity to support, the money is spread out across the entire community.

“Any extra money is going to Moncton Head Start,” said John Wishart, with the Rotary Dragon Boaters.

“It’s been a charity that our club has supported for many years and we believe it does a lot of good work in the community, so we’ll brave the cold and the wind to raise some money for those kids.”

His team won their first race and he says the fact that dragon boating is focused around community building makes it a great fit for the rotary club.

“There’s a lot of coordination, you have to get in a rhythm, you have to count together, you have to try and not get each other too wet in the boat or tip the boat,” he said.

“But at the end, there’s a bit of an exhilaration that you’ve done it and you’ve had a good time.”

For many, it’s an event that draws them back in year after year.

McConnell says his entire family participates in it and he actually paddled in the very first festival in 2006.

“Our son is paddling this year, he paddled as a high school student and now he’s paddling as an Englobe employee. Our daughter paddled as a high school student, she also paddled as a Camp Centennial where she worked, she now organizes the McNaughton Teams and my wife’s a volunteer and I’m a volunteer so I think it’s a real family activity for our family,” he said.

Regardless of the type of weather each year, McConnell says the festival has raised $2 million in 15 years.

“I think that says what Maritimers are made of. We’re a resilient lot here and we get through a lot to make sure that those who don’t have as much get more,” he said.

Official fundraising numbers from this year are expected early next week.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/TLsQMI5

[jaipurfoot014]

Jaipur foot

The largest Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in the world, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) is the best NGO in Jaipur that provides rehabilitation for almost 2 million people with disabilities. BMVSS offers all of its help, including free use of calipers, artificial limbs, and other aids and devices.

Since its establishment, BMVSS has fitted/provided artificial limbs for the handicapped in India (Jaipur Foot variant), calipers, and other aids and appliances to more than 2 million amputees and polio victims worldwide, primarily in India.

The Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) was established in Jaipur in 1975 to commemorate Bhagwan Mahaveer 2500th year of nirvana. Bhagwan Mahaveer was a 24th tirthankara (supreme preacher) of Jainism who advocated compassion for everyone and nonviolence. He lived at the same time as Lord Buddha.

A secular, non-religious, non-governmental, non-political, non-sectarian, non-regional, and not-for-profit charitable organization called BMVSS was founded to aid physically challenged people, especially the weak and disadvantaged in terms of finances.

Mr. DR Mehta, the founder and chief patron of BMVSS, himself experienced a horrific event that led to the creation of the organization. BMVSS has expanded to become a national and worldwide organization. In India, there are 23 branches of and you can make online donation for disabled in India for BMVSS.

The organization operates a joint venture in Colombia, two partner centers in Pakistan, three in the Philippines, and four elsewhere. In addition to setting up independent prosthetic fitting facilities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, it has conducted more than 50 fitment camps and set up its offices in 26 different countries such as Fiji, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

In addition to its 24 permanent centers, BMVSS also conducts roughly 50 on-the-spot limb/caliper fitting camps and free wheelchair charity in India annually in various districts and outlying regions of India as part of its outreach initiative.

The technicians travel to these camps in hired vehicles carrying supplies or they use the BMVSS mobile workshops. When the patients arrive at the campgrounds with the help of local organizers and request the limbs, these teams set up temporary workshops there. Website: http://jaipurfoot.org

[benevolentbirdgal]

“36″ Jewish OC Questions

*This is not an explanation of all the things. These questions are really meant for people who already know a lot about Jewish stuff and are writing Jewish characters. One might also feasibly use this list to explain their own Jewishness to others.*

1. Is the OC a Jew-from-birth or a Jew-by-choice? If they are JBC, how long have they been on a Jewish journey? If they are JFB, have they been continuously practicing or rediscovered or reevaluated their Judaism as an adult? 

2. What Jewish subcommunities (Ashkenazi, Ethiopian, Chinese, Mizarchi, Sephardi, etc.) does your character come from? How does this impact their life and Jewish practice? Do their minhangim align with those of the community they currently live in or is there some friction? 

3. Does your character speak or read Hebrew? What about other Judeo-languages? What about other languages of the Old Country (i.e. Russian or Spanish)? 

4. How much was Judaism part of their childhood, religiously and culturally? What denomination were they raised (if any)? 

5. How much is Judaism part of their life now, religiously and culturally? What denomination are they now (if any)? 

6. Does your character keep kosher? If so, what does that mean for them? 

7. Does your OC do “big” (read: popular) holidays like Passover, the High Holidays (Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kippur), and Hanukkah? 

8. What about less popular holidays (Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Purim)? 

9. Do they ever fast (for Jewish reasons)? If they do, is it only Yom Kippur or do they do some other fasts as well (Fast of Esther, Som Gedalia, Tisha Ba’av, etc.)?

10. Has your character ever experienced antisemitism, directly or indirectly? How does antisemitism impact their life? 

11. Is your character a Holocaust survivor or descended from them? What about other genocides against the Jews (inquisition, expulsion from MENA countries in the 1940s-present day, European pogroms before the Holocaust, etc.)? How does this impact them? 

12. Is your character a crypto-Jew, someone with Jewish ancestry who discovered it as an adult and then reconnected? If so, where and when does their crypto-Jewish heritage come from (i.e. those fleeing the Spanish inquisition, some Persian Jews, some Indian Jews, some Ethiopian/Beta Israel Jews, etc.)? How did they discover their Jewish heritage? Are there any traditions or practices that their family retained after being forced to hide their Judaism (i.e. lighting candles in the basement on Friday nights, dietary restrictions, prayers, songs, male circumcision, etc.)? How does the rediscovery/reconnection with their Judaism mean for them? 

13. Is your character adopted? If so, how does this impact their Jewishness? 

14. Are both parents Jewish? If one isn’t, which one? How does this impact your OC? 

15. Is your OC halachically Jewish, and according to whose halacha? Are there any denominations that exclude them? How does this impact them? 

16. What is your character’s opinion on intermarriage? 

17. Did your character have a Bar/Bat/Bnai Mitzvah? 

18. How Jewish is the area they live in? Is there a synagogue? Multiple options? Jewish schools? A JCC? Other resources? 

19. What parts of Jewishness does your character struggle with? 

20. If your OC has/wants kids, will they raise them Jewish?

21. Has your character had any formal Jewish education? Hebrew/Sunday school? Jewish day school? Summer programs? Did they do Jewish social stuff as a kid, like youth group or summer camp? 

22. What is Passover like for them? Whose house is it at? What family politics are play? How long is it? What Haggadah do they use? Is it a wine or grape juice Seder? Is Dayenu a song that their family sings at lightning speed? What are their afikomen traditions? 

23. What is the Jewishness of their extended family like? Are they the most observant, or are they the family Jatheist, or do they have frum or frum-lite family members to accomodate? How kosher do family events have to be? What transportation considerations have to be made? 

24. Does your OC frequently find themselves having to represent the Jewish people? 

25. Is your OC any variant of Shomer Shabbos? 

26. Does your character alter the way they dress and their personal appearance in any way that relates to their Jewishness? Do they dress modestly or traditionally? Do they wear a kippah or a sheital? 

27. Can your character blow a shofar? Do they like it? 

28. Do Yiddishisms or Hebrew words (or other Judeo-Language’s words) leak into your character’s vocabulary in the lingua franca where they live? (i.e. they speak English, but have a Bubbe they kvetch to, not a grandma they complain to). 

29. Is your character LGBTQ+? How does this work with their Jewishness? Is their branch, family, and community cool about it? Do they navigate pronouns in another (Jewish) language? 

30. What kind of Judaica do they own? Do they have menorahs, Seder plates, Shabbos candles? What about tallit and tefillin? If they have tallit, are they “standard” colors or is it decorated in a fun way? 

31. Are they public with being Jewish? If so, how public? Is it on social media, open in person, or working at a Jewish institution public? 

32. Are there any Jewish charities they like? Do they have a Tzedakah box? 

33. What Jewish mourning rituals does your character participate in or want for themselves? What do they not want or dislike? Do they want to be buried in a Jewish cemetery? Is there anyone they recite Kaddish for?

34. What Jewish wedding rituals does your character want or like? What do they dislike? Does somebody have to step on the cup (or plate or shard or whatever)? Do they want a Ketubah, and if so a pre-existing one or to write their own? If the are LGBTQ+, how does that interact with their Jewishness in the relationship sphere specifically? 

35. Does your character have a Jewperstitions (Jewish superstitions)? 

36. What Jewish things do they do, say, or experience daily? 

[taylizmasterpost]

Julianne Hough Is (maybe) a Thing (October 2009 - January 2010)

So Taylor and Julianne had interacted before this point. Taylor and Kellie and Julianne had hosted something together earlier, and Julianne was on Dance Wars back when Liz was, but Julianne’s presence in Taylor’s life ramps up a TON for this very brief period of time. Julianne was 21 and Taylor was 18 (slightly larger age gap than TayLiz).

The important thing about JH’s presence in Taylor’s life for this period of time, however, is that Julianne is out as “not straight,” and is the only woman possibly romantically connected to Taylor to have come out like this -- unless you could Dianna with #Shirtgate and/or think Cara Delevingne and Taylor have hooked up at some point. So, let’s keep this in mind moving forward. However, JH is also incredibly racist and even did blackface at one point, so we do not stan and are not shipping this.

24 October 2009 - Taylor and JH paint each other for Katy Perry’s birthday party. Taylor maybe gives JH a blue boob grab and JH paints her initials onto Taylor’s dress. This is the evidence most people point to as to something happening with them during the “Lost Years.” Is it a smoking gun? No, but it’s definitely interesting.

I’m divided into two camps of belief on Taylor’s relationship with JH: either they were hooking up, or JH was just a big gay mentor/friend figure for Taylor. I’ve put the evidence of their interactions below, so you can try to figure it out with me:

25 October 2009 - JH and Taylor tweet at each other a bunch about the party. 

Taylor Squared also attend a hockey game together.

27 October 2009 - Taylor and Selena have dinner. JH crashes. She tweets at Taylor then invites her to the “MJ premiere.” Taylor tweets about being chased by the paps, presumably because she was hanging out publicly with Selena and JH.

That night, Liz and Taylor perform together on Dancing With the Stars:

28 October 2009 - Taylor Squared go shopping and have a dinner date. They also take these obviously staged car photos.

(The lens has to have been on the hood of the car or something. There’s no way they didn’t notice the camera).

29 October 2009 - Taylor films the Roomies Sketch for SNL. If you haven’t go seen it yet, go WATCH IT RIGHT NOW. It is the start of all of the Gaylor Swift rumors (which we’ll get to later). 

Considering how Taylor reacted when Liz got sick, and the fact that a lot of SNL sketches are based on jokes about the guest’s life/work, etc., I’m thinking this sketch was possibly about tour roommates TayLiz. But if that doesn’t sell you on it, maybe this gif comparison will:

1 November 2009 -  Taylor and Liz go to Paramore concert in Nashville. They dance together to the songs “Misery Business” and “That’s What You Get.” Very girlfriend-y.

7 November 2009 - Taylor hosts Saturday Night Live and the Roomies Sketch airs. 

Immediately after the Roomies Sketch airs, people flood After Ellen (a lesbian forum site -- think the L Chat but earlier) with gossip about Taylor being gay. Unfortunately, the original screenshot does not exist, but here’s someone on the L Chat talking about what happened that night:

Now while, once again, I hope all that stuff with Emily didn’t actually happen, for Taylor’s sake, it is really intriguing that the possibly-TayLiz-based Roomies sketch is the start of all of Taylor’s gay rumors.

11 November 2009 - CMT Awards. Taylor performs and wins an award. JH congratulates her on it with a tweet.

The secret message for Story of Us is “CMT Awards.” At the CMT awards in 2009, Taylor was separated from the band, so if TayLiz was having a hard time, (possibly due to JH jealousy, maybe because they hadn’t seen each other that much since tour ended) this would fit the line “standing alone in a crowded room and we’re not speaking.” Liz had retweeted Taylor about SNL earlier this week, though, so they may have been on good terms and this is not the CMT Awards that the linter note refers to. Or the liner notes are all lies. Who knows?

“Now I’m standing alone in a crowded room and we’re not speaking”????

12 November 2009 - JH and Taylor have a movie night together.

16 November 2009 - Taylor leaves for the Fearless tour in London. JH tweets at her to “have fun.”

18 November 2009 - TayLiz are papped in London returning to their hotel at midnight. (The London paps LOVE Taylor around this period of time, so a lot of the best TayLiz photos come from when they’re in London).

20 November 2009 - Liz tweets that she loves London. Taylor and Co are specifically in London for the Fearless tour, and TayLiz seem to be most “on” when they’re touring together. Perhaps that’s why she’s so excited to be in London...

21 November 2009 - Taylor and Liz go shopping and get lunch with Caitlin and Andrea at Portobello Market.

23-24 November 2009 - Fearless in London. The tour goes on break for the holidays after this.

December 2009 - Taylor and Taylor “break up”. 

9 December 2009 Taylor goes on an ice cream date with Emma Stone in New York after connecting over email (note that this is the same story she tells about who she wrote Enchanted about -- connecting over e-mail and then meeting in person in NYC). So as much as I’d like to give Enchanted to Liz, it fits better with Emma.

What this implies to me is that whatever was going on with JH wasn’t that serious, if Enchanted is indeed about Emma and Taylor went and got ice cream because she was trying to pursue something with her. Or nothing was going on at all and JH was just some big gay mentor. Or even just a friend.

10 December 2009 - Taylor tweets about liking the song I Know About You by Dashboard Confessional that has a bunch of lyrical parallels to cardigan. Here’s a few choice ones:

It’s a shame, I know 

But it all shakes out real slow 

When the forays of your weekend 

Hang like smoke on your clothes 

11 December 2009 - TayLiz and Caitlin go shopping together in NYC

13 December 2009 - Taylor’s 20th Birthday. Her backup dancer, Brandon, comes out at her party (something that’s interesting because he notes that it was while touring with her that he’d found a queer community):

The first time Stansell came out publicly was at Taylor Swift’s birthday party 10 years ago. “I was dancing on Taylor Swift’s Fearless tour,” says Stansell, 33. He was also juggling his studies as a senior at the conservative Belmont College in Nashville. He wasn’t out there, and he wasn’t out to his conservative parents. But he had found a support system for the first time. “I had queer friends in my life,” he says. “And I had a boyfriend.”

To me, this suggests that there were multiple queer people on tour at the time, and Taylor and Liz may have been two of them. However, it’s also possible that he had just found a queer community within Nashville, but the fact that the quote goes straight from “I was touring with Taylor” to “I had queer friends” implies to me some sort of connection between the two.

Liz tweets Happy Birthday at Taylor:

24 December 2009 - Taylor and JH are caught by a fan shopping together at Walmart:

31 December 2009 -  Taylor spends NYE going to the spa with Julianne, going to dinner with Hayley Williams and then goes to her brother’s NYE party.

2 January 2010 - Liz tweets the lyrics to John Mayer’s Heartbreak Warfare

Maybe Liz just likes the song. But I think it’s interesting considering Taylor seems to be out and about with another woman after a whole summer of them being Roomies. I also think it’s intriguing that one of Liz’s favorite nicknames for Taylor is “Tay,” which just happens to be the secret message of Back to December... Did something go wrong between TayLiz at the end of December? Or is the song really for Taylor Lautner, despite the obvious stuntiness of that relationship?

6 January 2010 - Liz congratulates Taylor on something and says she “missed our family,” implying they haven’t seen each other since touring in London together.

9 January 2010 - TayLiz attend a housewarming party together.

19 January 2010 - TayLiz and Caitlin hang out.

23 January 2010 - TayLiz and Caitlin get on a plane to get back on tour.

25 January 2010 - Taylor films something with The Agency and there are a lot of laughs.

27 January 2010 - Taylor and JH attend the same cancer charity event together,

This is the last time we see Taylor and JH together for a long while, and judging by the way Taylor seems to be deliberately avoiding touching JH’s bare back in that last hug, if they had anything, it’s over by this point. Taylor is single and ready to mingle mope about it for a few months.

CONCLUSION: So, did Taylor and JH happen? Maybe. Maybe not. On one hand, I want to believe it did, since, as stated previously, JH is the only out queer woman that Taylor has rumors with. 

The SNL Roomies sketch certainly reads to me as being about TayLiz being roomies on tour, and so the fact that all of Taylor’s gay rumors started here certainly makes a case for TayLiz having been doing something during the first half of the Fearless tour. However, they seem to have drifted apart a bit during the winter. Could this be due to JH? Or something else entirely? Could JH have just been a gay mentor? Who knows for sure. However, something must’ve caused TayLiz to cool down because what’s next is:

Single Taylor and The Gay Australia Trip (February 2010)

[drrutherford]

After everything Benjamin reveals about his past, it's less what he says and more how his voice breaks hoarsely over that single word, 'yep', that coaxes Gideon's begrudging sympathy for him. Silently, he hails the bartender, ordering another round of beers for them. Tonight, Benjamin can acquire his own, compliments of his allocation to the rich tents, but there's some goodwill hidden in the gesture nonetheless.

"It isn't all that similar, and I won't pretend that it is." He replies, concerning the demise of both their biological parents. "A car accident doesn't quite leave the same scars as death by unnecessary violence, and I certainly wouldn't have wanted to see what you stepped into, that day you found their bodies." No, it'd be insensitive to claim that he understood what Benjamin had experienced.

But he does understand loss, through and through. Time and time again.

'I can't let it go.' — That's what he's afraid of, that's the part that will consume the boy, if he lets it. Because the Rutherford's seen that too. Time and time again.

"There are plenty of occupations that don't involve breaking the law, Ben." Lest the young man feel he's trying to step into the role of father, unsolicited, Gideon adds;

"I'm just saying. And the thing about anger, is that there's no end to it. Your anger won't bring them back. Murdering Étienne won't bring them back. You think it might right a wrong, give you closure — it won't." He's seen it play out too many times among other members in his father's mob. Recruited with the sweet promise of vengeance, only to find it hollow once they'd sacrificed everything to obtain it.

'And if I die for it, then... That’s on me.'

Gideon takes another sip of his beer. "You haven't answered the question." The bottle settles back on the table, and the surgeon fixes him with a scrutinizing look. "I'm not asking if you die out of bad luck. I'm saying imagine a scenario where you change your mind. Where you decide 'to hell with it, I don't want to work for Ms. Lin anymore', and she shoots you point blank in return. Whose fault is it then, Benjamin? Hers or yours?"

His backstory was more than just a casual lore dump, at least...to him.

Usually, Benjamin remained professional. He'd been created by Melissa, moulded into the man that he'd become through constant states of learning. Everything she did was a lesson, and he'd been wise to learn that quickly. She had no patience for fools, and he'd spent one too many days on the end of that (what felt like) eternal glare. And somehow, in Gideon's presence, a man he respected...

that grasp slipped through his fingers sometimes.

And he'd hate to be at the end of Melissa's wrath should he offend her favourite. Bitterness laced the end of that internal tone, but it was muted. It was when Gideon barked back, that he felt the need to heel, "That's the point, though, isn't it? You didn't stop think..." he dropped the harshness of his tone, instead he simply told him. Straight to the point.

Not everything is as easy as it seems, he wants to say. But the other, more logically part of Benjamin knows that Gideon understands that. He took a moment, to roll out the tension that'd set between his shoulder blades, as he watched Gideon's reaction as he recounted how he'd ended up here.

"I'm listening..."

Having Gideon's attention, for anyone who'd spent their life admiring The Rutherford's couldn't deny it was a thrill: he was but a man. But in the same breath, he felt he could never truly understand...still, he tried. The things he'd witnessed, and then perpetrated himself to get to this position. He'd learned early on that nothing came without a price. Even life, the price: death.

The name, Étienne's, brings a sense of fear into Benjamin that he'd never been able to replicate elsewhere, even when he thought he might die. Instead, with a thick swallow, and his blood running cold, he gave a nod. "Yep." he couldn't say more, didn't trust his voice to stay strong.

He hated it, that inherent weakness...that choking fear. With the Rutherford's, he'd never had to worry that he might round a corner. They aided that hatred, had let it fester in him when he'd been a young, impressionable boy...and promised him he'd get his vengeance one day.

It's Gideon's confession that has him turning his head. Maybe he could understand how it changed people -- especially children. "I'm sorry you were subjected to the same fate, whether similar or not." and he meant that, regardless of all else. He wished that on no one. "Resignation in it was never an option for me...I can't let it go."

He listened, he watched...and Benjamin realises they're probably still worlds apart...they'd taken a least one step forward. Something...anything. But they'd never see eye to eye on one thing.

Melissa.

It was both infuriating...and that intrusive thought, the one he banished knew that in his absence, he got her attention. But was she truly happy? And that'd always bug a man whose purpose was to see her both happy, and impressed.

“Mine." people were so often scared to take the blame for their actions, their choices. Every decision made got them to the place they needed be...Melissa never forced him to be there. He came here of his own free will. "It wouldn’t be her fault. I chose it, this. I needed something... someone I could believe in, after my family. And it couldn't be the same person who ripped them away from me”

"And it couldn't be a normal life...this anger in me? It needs to be channelled somewhere. A local boxing ring isn't gonna do it. Instead, I need to be occupied," Melissa often said tamed, like he was a beast she was caging until she needed to release him. "My parents... their choices weren’t about loyalty, fuck, it was some part greed. The other? I don't know...survival, fear. They didn’t care what it cost anyone else as long as they were safe.”

Not thinking of their children.

He meets Gideon’s gaze, "She doesn’t hide. She faces her shit, no matter the risk. It’s not perfect, Jesus, half the time I wanna quit my job, the other time I'm close to a mental breakdown...but it’s something I can respect. And if I die for it, then... that’s on me."

[changguworld]

200624 | red cross youth

on jun 24, 2020 pentagon got appointed as ambassadors for 'red cross youth'! the boys have been known for their volunteering work as well as their good deeds ever since debut. in addition, they're ambassadors of the komca (korea music copyright association), participated and showed supported to the child diabetes camp and were the recipients of the 'korea sharing volunteering' award in 2019. the members have also participated to charity and fundraising events, inviting universe to join too, and individually took place in other fundraising activities over the past four years.

[drrutherford]

LOCATION — The Rutherford Estate, Kingston Upon Thames. DATE — October 25, 2024. Late, late evening. STARTER — closed for @msmelissalin

He'd put this off as long as physically possible.

Stayed at the bar drinking with Benjamin, first, and then Mila, after the former had sidled away, turning in for the night. He had stopped checking the time at half past midnight, and even that felt like a lifetime ago.

By the time Gideon makes his way to the tent, he's got the beginnings of a migraine, and he finds himself more grateful than he'd otherwise admit to be sleeping in comfier accommodations... Even if the floor is all he'll get to appreciate of said surroundings.

He's stayed out long enough to avoid any interaction, moves as quietly as possible when entering so that he doesn't wake her — so when the bed creaks and she props herself up on one elbow, he feels all hope promptly spiral to the pit of his stomach.

... Or maybe that's the alcohol.

Gideon walks over to his duffel bag and fishes out a packet of cigarettes. He's been trying to quit on-and-off for months now, all part of a renewed attempt to fight for parental custody of his son, and turn himself into a model candidate in the process. But he's desperate for one just now, and the amount he's been drinking slackens his self-control with this particular vice.

He places it between his lips. He doesn't light it. "Go to sleep, Mel."

[drrutherford]

'Ever heard of that show Naked and Afraid?'

The smile drops off his face in one fell swoop. ""Words I never want to hear following a sentence about pitching a survival show to my sister and her husband. Thanks for that mental image, Catalina. Really." Because if he ever had to be subjected to the potential nakedness of either subject while flipping through TV channels, he'd be the one afraid.

"What would TWI do without Diana?..." The Rutherford echoes, gladly switching topics. "Probably fade into blessed obscurity and let us live a little." Gideon snorts. It isn't that he doesn't appreciate his ex's shrewd talents for spinning words and aiming London's spotlight towards (or, preferably in his case, away) from certain stories — but a general aversion to the sort of gossip-mongering that the public gobbles up like carrion birds.

In the wake of his divorce, all those years ago, they couldn't fucking get enough.

"Don't remind me of my tentmate." He groans. "Melissa Lin, and I'd swap for yours in a heartbeat." Still, in seeing the way Cat scrunches her nose up at the thought, he has to laugh. "What's that face for?... Have you even met him, yet? Oh, c'mon, Catalina... Just because he's from Haringey?" Gideon laughs in disbelief.

Having not seen or spoken to Kerem in months, it doesn't occur to him that she'd have any other reason to dislike the man, apart from the – unfortunate – snobbery that Lara and Adri sometimes inspired in their tagalongs. "Where's your sense of charity??"

She loved that she had a common nickname among the Rutherford family. It reminded her just how much she felt a part of them and cherished having them in her life. Not that she didn't have family of her own, but their expectations were...only somewhat manageable and totally annoying. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"You know...ever heard of that show Naked and Afraid? I don't watch it but I wonder if they have one where couples go out into the wilderness...now that might be kind of fun to watch," she admitted. Naked people were always a plus.

"Oh, Diana," she said with a sigh. "What would TWI do without her?" She said giggling. "So...the million dollar question is....who is your tentmate? I ended up with..." She stopped and scrunched her nose up in disgust. "Kerem." She said it almost like a disease. She didn't like people who presented turn coat capabilities.

[paralleljulieverse]

LILI IN LONDON: Darling Lili Makes Her European Bow

Fifty years ago this week, Darling Lili had its official European Premiere at the Plaza Cinema in London on 1 October, 1970. It wasn’t the film’s first international release -- that honour fell to Japan, where Darling Lili opened at the Cinerama Theatre Tokyo on 4 July, barely two weeks after the film’s US opening. However, the London premiere was a significant occasion in the film’s wider global rollout. It was, after all, Julie Andrews’ hometown and there was considerable hope local audiences would give the film a warmer reception than had been the case in North America. 

Accordingly, the UK branch of Paramount Pictures afforded Darling Lili a high profile release. They exhibited the film as a full roadshow attraction, complete with widescreen 70mm print, overture and exit music, and a 24-page souvenir programme (Klar 1970). In keeping with the era’s norms of variegated international film marketing, completely new promotional artwork was commissioned for the UK release. Featuring a central image of Julie/Lili bursting into song with her arms outstretched -- a clear nod to The Sound of Music -- with a cloudburst of narrative scenes from the film fanning across the bottom of her billowing skirt, it was an arresting design that served as a ready-made marketing logo for the campaign that could be emblazoned across the full range of advertising and merchandising (Paramount 1970).

The gala premiere took place on Thursday, 1 October -- Julie’s 35th birthday, incidentally — at the Plaza Cinema in Lower Regent Street, just off Piccadilly Circus. Popularly dubbed the “Home of Paramount Pictures”, the Plaza had long been the London venue of choice for the studio’s biggest film premieres (Eyles, 26-28). Though not an official Royal Performance, the European Premiere of Darling Lili was a major society charity event with proceeds going to the Printer’s Pension Corporation, one of the oldest royally-sponsored occupational charities in the UK. Tickets were available from £1 to £5 in the stalls and £10 to £20 in the Circle with the event raising over £6000 for the charity (”Darling Lili Aids”, 12).

Official patrons of the Printer’s Pension Corporation, Lord and Lady Hartwell presided over the evening, welcoming a line of society notables and assorted local celebrities including Sue Lloyd, Judy Geeson, Clodagh Rogers and Julie Ege (“Darling Lili Has”, 32).  Neither Julie nor Blake was able to make the premiere, though Julie’s parents were in attendance as honorary guests. Representing the cast, Lance Percival, who plays the comic support role of T.C. Carstairs in the film, “arrived at the Plaza in a vintage white Rolls Royce driven by a female chauffeur” (ibid.). Press reports noted that the “premiere drew large numbers of films fans to the theatre” and “the capacity audience...repeatedly applauded during the presentation of the film” (ibid.)

Following the premiere, Darling Lili opened the next day on 2 October to the general public. In a way that paralleled the experience at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the decision to stage the film as a special event prestige picture worked well. Lili ran in roadshow release at the Plaza for over three months till 6 January 1971. It then continued to play in general release at various venues throughout London such as the ABC Cinema-Edgeware Rd well into late-1971. 

Critical responses to Darling Lili in the London press ran the gamut. The film garnered several positive notices. Patrick Gibbs of the Daily Telegraph rated it “a very amiable and romantic comedy-thriller” (P14). The film “offers many pleasures,” declared the Daily Mail, with “Miss Andrews singing, dancing, delighting...with some very pretty songs...and amusing performances” (Cable, 9). The critic for the Evening Post opined:

“It is fashionable to sneer at Julie Andrews’ films as being sickly-sweet and 20 years out of date--but I can only say I enjoyed this one...Darling Lili  is an enjoyable, emotional, light-hearted love story with a strong comedy element” (Watson, 7).

Other reviewers were less enthusiastic. The critic for the Daily Mirror was unsure “what kind of film Darling Lili was supposed to be”:

“Taken as a spy send-up, it’s harmless enough and drags only occasionally, but the comedy doesn’t always blend with the drama. The ending...is a cloyingly sentimental cop-out and a shade nauseating” (Richards, 19).

More than a few UK commentators baulked at the film’s irreverent treatment of World War 1--perhaps unsurprisingly given the enormous significance of the “Great War” to British history and national mythology. The critic for The Tablet, for example, called the film “a monstrous betrayal of the period.” Its “trivialisation of the issues is outrageous...I have no doubt it will be popular, but it shouldn’t be.” Still, he conceded, the film’s “photography...is very pretty and Miss Andrews’s voice is as pure as ever” (Burke, 959). 

Critical concessions to “our Julie” were a notable feature of many London reviews. The all-important Times review declared:

“I wish I could like Darling Lili more. I love musicals and remain unrepentantly devoted to Julie Andrews, but this lavish new vehicle for her talents is the most upsetting sort of misfire--the sort which could so easily have been put right, with a little more thought (or a little less worry), a little more confidence in hitting the right tone and sticking to it...a disappointing waste of all the talent and money so evidently lavished on it” (Taylor, 13)

It was a sentiment echoed in The Illustrated London News:

“Miss Andrews sings well, acts decently, and even does a strip number that reveals a new side to her talent as well as a gorgeous, long-concealed, pair of legs. But, alas, not even she can save this ponderous film with its strange blend of old-and-new songs, its heavyweight prankishness, and its inordinate length” (Billington, 31).

Or again the review in The People:

“Julie has charm, grace, plus a good singing voice and Henry Mancini’s music is haunting. But the character she portrays...is hardly endearing. The story...is improbable too, even for a musical. But there are some smashing flying sequences and I like Julie’s style--so I wish it well” (Nunn, 7).

While Darling Lili opened with a splash and did decent enough business in London, it faced very different prospects elsewhere in the UK where the film became something of an inadvertent hostage in an ongoing industrial dispute. At issue was an attempt by US distributors to loosen the stranglehold and perceived old-fashioned exhibition practices of the two big regional UK chains: ABC and Odeon (“Elvin Raps”, 196; “Compromise Ends”, 24). Unable to agree on new terms, the distributors withheld several big features, including Lili, from release to these chains. As a result, Lili’s broader UK rollout was held up for months and, in some cases, years. The film didn’t get a Midlands release, for example, till April 1971 when it opened for a fixed season at the Regal Cinema in Leamington, “an independent theatre whose booking agents were able to come to terms with the distributors” (“Regal Breaks,” 2). The film then popped up intermittently at other independent theatres across the UK: Margate in September, Liverpool in October, and Belfast in January 1972. 

Many major provincial markets missed out on the film completely. In a disgruntled letter to the local newspaper in early-1972, one Birmingham fan wondered if “there is a particular antipathy to musicals in our city. We have yet to see Darling Lili (Julie Andrews) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Barbra Streisand), both of which have been shown in London” (Krober, 6). In a similar vein, a Reading filmgoer complained that his local ABC cinema was screening endless reissues while many new films “have yet to play in Reading..that are certainly worth a showing” such as “Julie Andrews and Rock Hudson in Darling Lili” (Suter, 10). 

The UK distribution dispute was eventually resolved and Darling Lili managed to make its way out to a broader range of provincial centres including Birmingham, where it opened at the Odeon in April 1973. But by this stage the film was hardly new and whatever marketing impetus was there from the London campaign had well and truly evaporated. It was an unfortunate fizzling out for what could have otherwise been an effective national release for the film. Still, UK filmgoers who missed Darling Lili in theatres didn’t have to wait too long to catch it on the small screen. It made its British television debut as the ‘Film of the Week’ on BBC-1 on 2 April 1976 (“Film of the Week”, 22).

Sources:

Billington, Michael. “Cinema: An Ode to Lost Innocence.” The Illustrated London News. 3 October 1970: 31.

Burke, J.A.V. “Darling Lili.” The Tablet. 3 October 1970: 959.

Cable, Michael. “The Sweet English Rose is Among the Guns.” Daily Mail. 30 September 1970: 9.

“Compromise Ends US Majors’ Fight Vs. UK Circuits Over Sunday Rentals.” Variety, 13 October 1971: 24.

“‘Darling Lili’ Aids Printers’ Charity.” The Daily Telegraph. 2 October 1970: 12.

“‘Darling Lili’ Has Glittering London Bow.” The Calgary-Herald. 10 October 1970: 32.

“Elvin Raps ‘Oldfashioned Methods’ of UK Pic Biz, Hits Chains’ Bookings.” Variety. 29 April 1970: 196.

Eyles, Allen. London's West End Cinemas. Swindon : English Heritage, 2014.

“Film of the Week: ‘Darling Lili’.” Radio Times, 1 April 1976: 22.

Gibbs, Patrick. “Films: Spying With a Song.” Daily Telegraph. 2 October 1970: P14.

Harmsworth, Madeleine. “New Film.” Sunday Mirror. 4 October 1970: 29.

Klar, Arthur. Darling Lili [Souvenir Book], London: National Publishers, Inc, 1970.

Krober, Kenneth S. “Letters to the Editor: Antipathy To Musicals.” Birmingham Daily Post, 7 February 1972: 6.

Mallett, Richard. “Cinema.” Punch. No. 6787, 7 October 1970: 510.

Nunn, Ray. “But Will Lili Keep ‘Em Singing?” The People. 4 October 1970: 7.

Paramount Pictures (UK). Your Promotion Guide: Darling Lili [Advertising Campaign Manual], Chiswick, 1970.

“Picture.” Daily Telegraph. 2 October 1970: P17.

“Regal Breaks Stranglehold.” Birmingham Daily Post. 27 April 1971: 2.

Richards, Dick. “I Spy a Send-Up.” Daily Mirror. 1 October 1970: 19.

Suter, Les. “Letters to the Editor: Old Films.” Reading Evening Post. 15 June 1972: 10.

Taylor, John Russell. “Purple Passages in Paris.” The Times. 2 October 1970: 13.

Watson, Albert. “At the Cinema: Yes, I Enjoyed Julie Andrews!” Evening Post. 10 October 1970: 7.

Copyright © Brett Farmer 2020

[lawdtl]

tag game! get to know me

I was tagged by the one and only @beca-mitchell these questions were fun to answer, very specific though 😂

1. what is the color of your hairbrush? Brown and black

2. name a food you never eat: I’ll eat anything tbh, I just don’t really like fish

3. are you typically too warm or too cold? Too warm, always too warm

4. what were you doing 45 minutes ago? Sleeping

5. what’s your favorite candy bar? Twix or crunch

6. have you ever been to a professional sports game? I have, a couple of baseball games in Japan and some soccer games in Singapore but hopefully one day I’ll get to watch a yankees game in the yankee stadium.

7. what is the last thing you said out loud? lots of curse words in tagalog (Philippine language) since I hate waking up in the morning

8. what is your favorite ice cream? I have a lot of favorites, for now I guess I’ll say mango

9. what was the last thing you had to drink? Coffee

10. do you like your wallet? Yes, even though i rarely see cash in it

11. what is the last thing you ate? I made some pesto pasta for dinner

12. did you buy any new clothes last weekend? Yes, I had to buy some formal wear for my graduation photos 🙃

13. what’s the last sporting event you watched? Yankees ALDS game 7 with the rays. It broke me.

14. what is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Chicago mix

15. who is the last person you sent a text message to? a friend I went to high school with

16. ever been camping? Yup, love camping with friends

17. do you take vitamins? Yes, sadly I am required to take a lot of medicines

18. do you regularly attend a place of worship? Not anymore

19. do you have a tan? Not really

20. do you prefer chinese or pizza? It depends really

21. do you drink your soda through a straw? I don't like using a straw, I have a bad habit where I chew it until I can’t drink from it anymore

22. what color socks do you usually wear? Black or white

23. do you ever drive above the speed limit?  I’m usually late to a lot of things so yes

24. what terrifies you? Relapse….and fishes

25. look to your left, what do you see? my bed, begging me to sleep again

26. what chore do you hate most? I hate doing the dishes with every single bone in my body

27. what do you think of when you hear an australian accent? Steve irwin

28. what’s your favorite soda? Coke, the regular one not those sugar free kinds that have a funny taste

29. do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? I usually go in but I love going for a drive thru when it’s the middle of the night with my friends and the only sober person in the car is the designated driver.

30. what’s your favorite number? 3

31. who’s the last person you talked to? my mom

32. favorite meat? Pork; grilled or korean bbq style, I love a good steak too

33. last song you listened to? All around by surfaces, honestly one of my favorite songs

34. last book you read? Mythology: timeless tales of gods and heroes by edith hamilton

35. favorite day of the week? saturday

36. can you say the alphabet backwards? Nope, not gonna even try

37. how do you like your coffee? Black with a teaspoon of sugar

38. favorite pair of shoes? Adidas Supercourt

39. time you normally get up? no comment😂

40. what do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? sunsets

41. how many blankets on your bed? One

42. describe your kitchen plates: there’s three kinds of plates in our house; for normal days, for guests and another one for special guests, istg my mom would kill me if I used the special ones

43. describe your kitchen at the moment: clean..i guess

44. do you have a favorite alcoholic drink? tequila straight from the bottle, soju, whiskey, bourbon and some drinks that I mix myself

45. do you play cards? Yes

46. what color is your car? Dark grey

47. can you change a tire? No, but I promised myself I was going to learn how to

48. your favorite state or province? Pampanga, Philippines

49. favorite job you’ve had? I hated all my part time jobs but I did work for my grandfather’s charity organization where I painted houses and schools, that was fun

*

A lot of people have been tagged already so I'm just going to leave this open to whoever wants to answer 😌

[drrutherford]

"Oh, it wasn't so bad as that," There's a flash of an apologetic smile as he dismisses the tale, never having quite learned how to respond to open sympathy with anything but characteristically British awkwardness. "I had Damon... Compared to the orphanage, this was a goddamn fairytale for us." So it had seemed, at first.

He wonders if he's misjudged Valérie. It's a slightly uncomfortable feeling, creeping like a caterpillar beneath his skin. He wouldn't have expected for a French Commandant to be capable of compassion where he or his family is concerned... Such a simple human sentiment, yet strangely precious when it comes from the mouth of a woman who, for all intents and purposes, is an enemy.

... Besides, how bad can she be if she has an appreciation for nature?

"Truth be told, it could've been a palace or a hovel, wouldn't really matter." Gideon adds slowly, half a beat later. "You have children yourself, I'm sure you understand... The only thing they really need is to know that they're safe and wanted."

It wasn't as difficult to imagine a younger Gideon as she thought it would have been. Both the boy and teen versions of himself had probably shown signs of the mane of hair he sported now, though more mop-like, and his facial features wouldn't have been far off either. How she knew that, Val hadn't the faintest idea but somehow it felt true.

Her eyes drifted up the path they were taking and true enough, the trees opened up to reveal nothing but sky beyond them. Edge of the earth indeed.

"It must have been daunting. The trees, the grounds, the house." The people. The list of items that were grandiose about the place would have gone on for days. It made her shiver. "How lonely you must have felt." The words slipped out, more a thought to herself than a response to the man sharing the woods with her.