#house of ill repute

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"BOOTLEGGER SENTENCED TO FOUR MONTHS," Edmonton Bulletin. March 4, 1913. Page 5. ---- Fine of $490 Imposed on Frank Henri and Prison Term. ==== AFTERMATH OF A SENSATIONAL RAID === Total of $700 Inflicted in Fines - Great Excitement Prevails at Edson. --- Over $700 was collected in fines on Saturday from persons concerned in the recent raid on bootleggers in Edson, which was carried out by R. S. Stafford, of the Alert Detective Agency and Town Constable Tatham. Inspector Raven, of the mounted police of Edmonton, went west to hear the cases. The principal in the case was Frank Henri, proprietor of Cotton's restaurant, who was fined $490 and costs with the alternative of twelve months imprisonment, for selling of liquor without a license. The fine and costs were paid. For running a house of ill fame Henri was sentenced to four months' imprisonment without the option of a fine.

Mildred Howell for selling liquor without a license was fined $150 and costs, and for keeping, a house of ill fame, she was fined $45, and costs. The fines and costs in both cases were paid. Margaret Clark and Mignor Martin, charged with being inmates, were each fined $25 and costs. A similar charge against Grace Bedford or Bredford, was dismissed, there being insufficient evidence.

Stafford Paid On. Detective Stafford, who is charged with shooting a bystander when effecting the arrests, did not appear on Friday when the case came up before Mr. Bradley, justice of the peace, acting on the advice of his solicitor, Mr McCaffray. Application was made by the solicitor for the prosecution, C. J. Roberts, to have the bail of $1,000 estreated, but this was refused and the case adjourned for eight days.

A remarkable situation exists at Edson in connection with the affair. Stafford, who was acting as temporary chief of police on the instructions of Mayor Lawrence, has been paid off, while town constable Tatham; who was dismissed by the council, has been reinstated by the mayor.

There seems to be a continual war between the council and the mayor, each undoing what's done by the other. An effort is on foot to institute proceedings against the mayor. The town is very much excited over the whole affair and it is freely alleged that some citizens are in league with the bootleggers.

[josiebelladonna]

tomorrow, i’m going to be baking and prepping for dinner on wednesday (i.e., i’ll be in the kitchen most of the day).

HOWEVER

i’m working on a new chapter of love is not enough at the moment.

if i have time on wednesday (i’m making beef wellington, it’s mostly prep work), i’ll try and get a new chapter of midnight oil up in time for the first night of hanukkah.

boxing day, i’m thinking about a new one for all that glitters and maybe dark months of april and may.

and friday going into the weekend… maybe a new one for one of the o.g. fics? i’ll have to feel it out a little more.

there’s no queue this week so imma speak now or forever hold my peace.

[sohannabarberaesque]

During an owl shift detective session with Super Snooper and Blabbermouse

[Mise en scene: In the mobile base of operations, shall we say, for the Super Snooper Detective Agency. A muggy summer's evening, requiring the air conditioning to be on full tilt as if extra-strong coffee wasn't enough of a requisite stimulant. At any rate, a highly-sensitive audio recorder is working full tilt on a highly sensitive matter the team are working on.] BLABBERMOUSE, trying not to get too ahead of himself: Geez, Snoop, doesn't it sound like we have a catfight in hiatus? SUPER SNOOPER, between sips of coffee: "Catfight in hiatus," you says, Blab? May I just say that what we are dealing with is a most disreputable sort of venue bound to attract in particular the sexually frustrated who otherwise preaches "God and Country" as if it were South Africa, like, in the zenith of that apartheid thingy! [At any rate, the recorder catches what could best be described as the throes of a lovemaking session of the lowest order, such as would be common to Houses of Ill Repute for the most part, barely underway. With that, I will leave things unto your Hanna-Barberian imaginations.]

[eolewyn1010]

Downton Abbey Fashion 82 - service worker fashion in 1925

The servant hierarchy from Mrs Hughes to Daisy – sorry, girl; with the maids already checked off the list and no Ivy around anymore, you’re back at the bottom. Will Daisy ever get treated as something other than a teenager? She’s 28!

Mrs Hughes’ coat of the season is pretty – one, I love double-breasted closures, two, these fake-double lapels fanning out to both sides are glorious. Also, look at these adorable buttons! They’re engraved with stars or flowers or something. She also has two hats to go with it, and I like the one with the pretty flowers a little better.

Two blouses for Mrs Hughes, the collars of both we’ve just seen peek out from her coat. One is ivory with shell buttons and a few pin tucks to the shoulders, one is a pale, greyish blue with brass buttons and a few pin tucks to the shoulders. Sleeves and collars are pretty much the same, but the second collar has some little flowery applications.

And the uniform dress. No, The uniform dress. She wears this through the entire season. At some point, even the holdover from last season disappears and it’s just this, all the time. The main fabric has a punched or woven zigzag structure, and the double collar is back – that’s apparently a Thing currently. And then the front panel is this strip of… I want to say lace? I think it is lace; it’s just very art deco-ish because Mrs Hughes goes with the times. Unless it’s waistlines.

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

Mrs Patmore has two notable outdoors outfits this season, both brown. The first is this longer coat with some embroidery at the cuffs, collar and down at the hem. They are tone-in-tone, so not super visible, but quite cute once they show up. The second is a tad fancier, a walking suit of a slightly shimmering material that has this scale structure and some tailoring in the front, including a shawl collar. It also has pockets. I don’t like the hat shape in the first picture particularly, but it has a zigzag ribbon construction going for it. Fun fact: I have recently seen this exact zigzag-banded hat again. In Easy Virtue. Where Mrs Whittaker wore it when she came to pick up her husband from a French brothel. This hat has seen some shit.

She has another hat which only has a plain black ribbon which might be velvet on brown straw, but has a nicer shape imo. Also, Mrs Patmore brings in a new blouse that looks almost exactly like the one from last season. It’s less pale green, more pale blue, but it’s got pin tucks in the front again and some tiny trim stitches around the collar. The white blouse she wears in her bed’n’breakfast is a little nicer to look at with the ruffled collar – and it’s another double collar!

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

Lucy Philpotts is Mrs Patmore’s niece, only introduced to fill out the role of enduring Mrs Patmore’s verbal abuse now that Daisy has gotten too mouthy for that. She’s even wearing the same colors as Daisy. Her first dress is white with a peach flower print all over it, drop waist, simple white collar and cuffs. It’s not flattering but that’s par for the course; they only put in an effort for the women who meet the skinny boyish beauty ideal of the time. Her second dress is a little better, a yellowish orange. The apron tying in at the waist gives this a bit more of a silhouette, and she’s got a little front ruffling and a simple geometrical embroidery motif to liven it up.

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

Daisy has for some reason swapped last season’s generic greyish brown coat for another generic greyish brown coat. Suit yourself. At least she kept the brooch. I don’t have much to say about this coat, but she has a sweet checkered scarf this season and two hats, a brown straw cloche with a wider brim that’s a little meh and a cute smaller felt cloche with a zigzag band that she wears all the time.

The introduction of Daisy’s new haircut and a uniform that honestly doesn’t look as nice and smooth as the one she had last season. Where’s my double-breasted front closure and why do the tucks in the back look so sloppy? This has one button row framed by a couple pin tucks, and the close-up actually shows that the fabric is striped.

We get a whole four leisure outfits for Daisy this season. What gives? Granted, the first one, the peach dress with the fractal print, is one of which we’ve caught a glimpse in season 5, but she was always wearing her coat over it then. Here it is in all its glory, and minus the apron to frump it down, it doesn’t look bad. Here’s wondering if the strip down at the hem was added because the dress was initially too short for her. The second dress is also peach, but it has a pretty yellowed lace collar to make it fit for a wedding guest. I love the skirt; look at all that gathering around the back! The front of the skirt is kept mostly smooth, even though the top is pin-tucked.

We’re ending on not one, but two darling Tartans. First is, obviously, more peach, and I’m wondering if I would like that outfit better without the hat. I suspect not; I really dislike the collar. It’s on a keyhole neckline, which are generally nice, but it still looks kinda granny-ish. But again, they get me with the skirt. Check out those box pleats! Pleated or gathered skirts seem to be a fairly well-established thing now (thank someone that the plain rectangle skirts didn’t win out), because the second dress also has some visible pleating at the side of the skirt from the drop waist downward. I like the coloring of the second dress better; it doesn’t wash Daisy out quite so much. The collar is also much less dowdy. Me like.

[kylanfedje]

Also this place is definitely a brothel, right?

[theothervonkarmagirl]

"I'm not worried."

"My son would hear 'let's go to the bunny ranch' and get his hunting equipment."

[writermuses]

@velvetrogue

[britneyshakespeare]

i have 10 shakespeare plays left that i have not read

[flyboysaviationservices]

You Can(Not) Ad Vance

STRATEGIC VANCE RESERVE

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"WITNESS IS RELEASED HAS TWO BLACK EYES," Toronto Star. October 3, 1932. Page 2. --- "Got Into Squabble" With Police Officer, Lloyd Devitt Explains ---- A charge of being "found in" was withdrawn against Lloyd Devitt, a crown witness in women's court.

Devitt had a patch over one eye and a black ring around the other. He agreed with Counsel L. V. McBrady, that he had received it from P. C. Milling. Devitt explained that "we got into a squabble."

Jennie Rowe and Theresa Hawthorne were each given "another chance" when they appeared charged with being drunk. Ada Saylis asked for and got six months' probation when she appeared for sentence on a charge of fraud involving $72. She promised to make restitution for accommodation obtained at an hotel.

Simone Gounet, charged with vagrancy, explained through an interpreter that she wanted to get back to Montreal. She admitted having no home in Toronto, and the Salvation Army will help her.

Grace Mitchell agreed with the court that suspended sentence and probation would "teach her a lesson" when she was charged with theft of articles from a department store, and this disposition was made of her case.

For keeping a resort, Michael Kingdon was fined $100 and costs or two months, and thirty days. "The only place for people like you is the gasbox, suffocation." the bench told Kingdon, who has a previous record.

[nuagederose]

left: my ode to Mexico with the scorpion ladies, Vanessa, Jane, and Egypt 🩸

right: my ode to Canada with Ben and Ashley 🍁

[kinkicherryblue]

AFTER ALL HE'S DONE FOR US? ON SECOND THOUGHT: "STRING HIM UP!!!" WHERE'S INSTANT KARMA WHEN YOU REALLY NEED IT?

[writerreblogs]

[astrologydray]

Ruler of the 12th through the houses

ruler of the 12th house through the houses, one of the most spiritually potent placements in the chart. The ruler of your 12th house shows where your deepest healing and spiritual evolution wants to unfold. This is the house of your spirit guides, hidden superpowers, and private battles.

12th House Ruler in the 1st House

You carry the unseen with you.

You’re intuitive, psychic, and sensitive AF. You may appear dreamy, ethereal, or mysterious — because you embody 12th house themes. Your subconscious is part of your identity. Gift: Healing presence, spiritual aura, psychic instincts. Identity confusion, absorbing others’ energy. “I walk between worlds.”

12th House Ruler in the 2nd House

You ground the spiritual into the material.

You may channel your intuition into building wealth, creating art, or healing others through touch and presence. You could inherit spiritual gifts or generational patterns around survival. Gift: Sacred sensuality, money magic, value-based intuition. Feeling unsafe to be seen or trust in abundance “I make the invisible, tangible.”

12th House Ruler in the 3rd House

You channel from the divine mind.

You may receive messages through dreams, downloads, or synchronicities. Writing, speaking, or teaching may be spiritually healing — but you may keep much of your voice hidden. Gift: Dreamy writer, intuitive communicator, psychic translator. Mental fog, confusion, or escapist thinking. “I speak what spirit whispers.”

12th House Ruler in the 4th House

Your roots hold your healing.

You may carry ancestral trauma — but also incredible generational gifts. Your inner world is deep, private, and spiritually charged. Home is a sacred temple or a portal for healing. Gift: Ancestral wisdom, deep emotional intuition. Emotional isolation, fear of being known. “My soul remembers where I came from.”

12th House Ruler in the 5th House

You create from the soul.

Your art, love life, and inner child are deeply connected to your spiritual path. You may be a secret romantic, or use creativity to process emotions you can’t express directly. Gift: Healing through art, sacred sexuality, divine play. Self-sabotage in love, fear of being fully seen. “I create to remember who I really am.”

12th House Ruler in the 6th House

You turn the sacred into ritual.

You have the power to channel divine energy into your daily life — whether through healing work, service, or wellness. Your body might reflect your spiritual/emotional state. Gift: Intuitive healer, spiritual discipline, energy worker. Illness linked to suppressed emotions, burnout. “My devotion is my medicine.”

12th House Ruler in the 7th House

Relationships are spiritual contracts.

You attract karmic partners — lovers or friends who help you awaken. You may lose yourself in others, or form soul bonds that force you to confront your subconscious wounds. Gift: Mirror healing, sacred union, emotional depth. Co-dependence, attracting unavailable or confusing partners. “Love teaches me how to heal myself.”

12th House Ruler in the 8th House

You are a shadow weaver.

You feel energy, emotions, and hidden truths deeply. Your spiritual work may involve death, trauma, sex, or psychology. You’re a natural mystic or medium. Gift: Deep psychic ability, power to transmute pain. Fear of your own power, emotional suppression. “I alchemize darkness into light.”

12th House Ruler in the 9th House

Your spirit seeks truth.

You’re drawn to mysticism, philosophy, and spiritual teachings. You may travel far (physically or mentally) to find yourself. Dreams and visions may be tied to past lives or higher knowledge. Gift: Spiritual teacher, cosmic explorer, wisdom-seeker. Escaping into ideas instead of healing emotion. “I remember through seeking.”

12th House Ruler in the 10th House

Your legacy is spiritual.

You may be called to do spiritual work publicly — or bring healing into leadership roles. You could have hidden talents that shape your career. Your reputation might come from what you’ve overcome. Gift: Public healer, creative mystic, compassionate leader. Fear of visibility, hiding your true calling. “My purpose is guided by something higher.”

12th House Ruler in the 11th House

You dream with the collective.

You’re tapped into the collective unconscious. You might manifest your dreams in quiet or indirect ways — or be part of online/spiritual communities that feel like home. Gift: Channel for collective energy, digital mystic, manifestor. Feeling disconnected or like an outsider. “My vision was planted in me for the future.”

12th House Ruler in the 12th House

You are the mystic.

You have strong psychic gifts, access to ancestral memory, and a deep spiritual life. You may crave solitude and need extra rest. Dreams, music, water, and art are sacred portals. Gift: Divine connection, healing presence, intuitive downloads. Isolation, victim mindset, hiding your magic. “I live between realms — and I came to heal.”

[writermuses]

Taney led Daniel from the bath where they'd washed off the day, knowing that it was a very stressful time to be in the world of politics, to the cross she'd given him for his birthday. She'd enjoyed this gift almost as much as he had. "I know you've been working very hard and that it has made coming back to me a little less frequent, but I'm very proud of you for FaceTiming me when you needed attention. Such a good boy, always listening to your mistress." Grinning she kissed his wrists before binding them, then moved down his body, swirling her tongue around his nipples before kneeling at his feet. His perfect cock already at attention in her face, likely from her teasing of everything but his cock in the bath. "Should I even ask if you listened to me about not touching him until you came home?" Her eyes flitted to his cock before she strapped in his ankles and then stood slowly, admiring his body spread out for her.

"I think a blindfold is an appropriate choice for surprises, don't you?" Taney was confident Daniel would eagerly agree and she was already retrieving it by the time he'd answered her question. Tidying his hair, she walked around, scratching her nails down his arms and cupping his face before she kissed him softly, leaning her body against his and pulling away before there was any heat to it. "Everything comfortable, Treasure?" Waiting, she started to quietly pad toward the door to the studio turned playroom. "And can you see anything?" As quietly as possible she opened the door, curling a finger to summon in her surprise guests for Daniel.

Each of the men had left their clothes in the back of her tattoo parlor and come up through the atrium sporting serious wood. Taney grinned, curious what they'd been getting into while they waited and kept an eye out for her summons. Now that they were there, the men scattered to various places. Andre and Quintrell positioned on either side of Daniel, careful to not touch him and spoil the surprise, occupying themselves by touching each other. Drake sat on the bed, stroking himself as he watched Daniel with a ravenous gaze; clearly enjoying the debauchery taking place a few feet in front of him. Then Zane and Emilio more looked through the open armoire of toys, grabbing a crop and a pinwheel respectively. Solely Elias stayed back, quietly positioning the cushioned chair in front of the scene for her to take perch and enjoy the show. "I think we can start this nice and slow, ease you into a long, enjoyable evening. Tell me where you like to be kissed, Baby. I'll make sure you get something special in every one of your favorite spots." And like eager puppies, all of the guests moved around him, eager to get their mouths on the man they'd heard her talk about.

closed starter for @velvetrogue

[eh-fandomtrash]

What if the origins of the word meant that way back when you got soup AND sex? Like a two-for-one deal?

…

…I am now picturing a big, older woman with massive arms standing over a cauldron with a massive wooden spoon and a big, wicked, knowing grin on her face.

She seems fun.

(x)