#i was rolling for Proviso but

[darkcynda]

rolling on the Młynar banner and Silverash really said “He wont treat you like i do.”

[tavolgisvist]

… we always had that thing that our names would go on songs even if we didn’t write them. It was never a legal deal between Paul and me, just an agreement when we were fifteen or sixteen to put both our names on our songs.

(John Lennon, 1980, All We Are Saying by David Sheff)

1969

September, 9

-John, Paul and George held a meeting at Apple

John then addressed the agreement under which he and Paul had worked since 1962, in which any song written by either of them was credited to Lennon-McCartney. They rarely collaborated anymore, and most fans could tell who wrote what. John proposed, with no objection from Paul, that their future songs be published under their individual names. Notably, Lennon made a point of saying that they had to find a way to announce this compositional de-linking in a way that would not lead to “Beatles Splitting” rumors.

(The McCartney Legacy Volume 1. 1969-73 by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, 2022)

September, 13 -the Plastic Ono Band’s debut in Toronto

September, 19 -ATV bought shares from the Consortium and reached just under 50% ownership of Northern Songs

September, 20 (16?) -John tells he had decided to leave band

Klein asked John to wait until the contracts were finalized before he started talk that the Beatles were disbanding. But that didn’t keep John from enjoying the satisfaction of telling Paul. Shortly after John’s return from Toronto, he demanded a meeting at Apple. Paul arrived, his usual magnanimous self, full of plans for new Beatles projects. But no matter what Paul suggested, John kept saying, “No, I don’t want to do that,” or “No, I’m not interested.” The discussion finally dissolved into a mean argument, which Paul finally recovered from by launching into one of his Beatle-pep talks, one of those “Toppermost of the Poppermost” things. “When everything is said and done,” he summed up, “we’re still the Beatles, aren’t we?” “Aw fuck,” John said, “I ain’t no Beatle.” Paul wouldn’t hear it. “Of course you are—” “I’m not!” John shouted, “Don’t you understand? It’s over! Over! I want a divorce, just like the divorce I got from Cynthia! Can’t you get it through your bloody head?” The meeting ended shortly after with John rushing down the stairs, Yoko right behind him, shouting, “It’s over! Finished!” Still, John said nothing to the press, and when he and Yoko left Savile Row that afternoon in their white Rolls-Royce, Paul still somehow believed that John would calm down and there would always be the Beatles.

(The Love You Make by Peter Brown, 1983)

Klein persuaded John to remain silent until the EMI deal was ratified by both sides. John’s news was no more welcome to Klein than it was to the other Beatles. But that was not the only reason Klein wanted John to keep mum. He knew that John could be volatile, and he thought there was a chance that John would reconsider once he’d weighed the pros and cons of going it on his own or continuing as a Beatle. But that was only likely to happen if John kept the plan to himself for a while. <…> Klein’s only option was to swear all the Beatles to secrecy for some indeterminate amount of time after the new EMI deal was in effect. The four Beatles signed the EMI contract on September 20, 1969, but it still had to be ratified by EMI. But John added a proviso.

(The McCartney Legacy Volume 1. 1969-73 by Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, 2022)

'John had made it clear that he wanted to be the one to announce the split,' Linda McCartney explained years later, 'since it was his idea.' 'He wanted to be first,' her husband confirmed. 'But I didn't realise it would hurt him that much or that it mattered who was first.'

(You Never Give Me Your Money. The Beatles: After the Breakup by Peter Doggett, 2009)

September, 25

-ATV increased its shareholding to 54%, effectively controlling Northern Songs -John recorded Cold Turkey

October, 20 -(US) and 25 (UK) - Cold Turkey released as a single, the first song for which John took sole credit, not Lennon-McCartney

October, 22 -Paul had flown from London to Scotland with Linda, Mary and Heather

1970 April, 9

- was published press release 'McCartney' (all songs with sole writing credits to Paul)

Q: "Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?" PAUL: "No." Q: "Do you foresee a time when Lennon-McCartney becomes an active songwriting partnership again?" PAUL: "No."

_________

And then a year later, Paul announced it, right? [laughs; bleak] Good ol’… That was a great trick, you know. Because maybe that’s how when he – [very quiet] He felt that’s how he had to do it. So.

(John Lennon, January 1st, 1976, interview with Elliot Mintz)

[one-night-story]

I Wanna Meet You But It's Too Soon (Matthew Tkachuk)

a/n: once again, under the wire, this is for @selfindulgentpoorlywritten by way of @wyattjohnston 's winter fic exchange! apologies for the delays but January has been kicking my teeth in. I hope you enjoy, the title is from "Dance Class" by Good Kid which I do recommend listening to for the Vibes.

Weddings were exhausting.

Didn’t matter if you were in them, attended them, or working them, it was almost a truth universally acknowledged that weddings were exhausting. Why weren’t we all just getting married in courthouses and running away to the honeymoon? Why the pomp? The circumstance? I suspected I could blame the Victorians (and if not them, then the industrial revolution), and if I wasn’t trying to lose my mind in this reception hall I would pull my phone out to google it. 

Traditionally, I wouldn’t have been here, just sent a gift from the registry and a personalized note. But college roommate pacts were hard to escape. Jenny, my college roommate from freshman year to the day we graduated and perhaps the person who knew me best outside of my childhood friends and my dog, and I had made a pact our junior year to attend each other’s eventual weddings. Even though I’d tried to argue that I was highly unlikely to actually have one, she had insisted. The provisos had been implemented to dodge my eventual excuses, that “knowing me too well” coming back to bite me as she stated that barring world ending natural disasters, genuine travel hang ups, or cruel bosses to be fed to crocodiles, I couldn’t skip.

So when she held her ceremony in Orlando in April, essentially dodging any potential world ending disasters, the planes not having been delayed, and my work giving me the weekend and change off, I had no choice but to attend with my best formal clothing and a pair of sensible shoes.

It’d been a beautiful ceremony, Jenny being a borderline Disney Adult since graduation had shelled out the massive bill to book the wedding venue at The Grand Floridian at Disney World, the reception, and the catering. It was only by a miracle (and her having too many cousins) that I wasn’t in the actual wedding party and was just allowed to attend as a guest, saving me from any of the other mayhem that would’ve come with the day. For that I thanked her, because I am not the person you want in a “dealing with cold feet because you don’t want to deal with emotions” sort of person. Mostly because I had the same problem. People who advised you to “listen to your gut” have never had their gut tell them they were being hunted by slow tigers anytime they left the house.

The reception on the other hand was a beast, Jenny and her new husband (a guy who I’d never met and probably would’ve sold for a corn chip, but in a boring way) thanked me for coming with all her usual enthusiasm and brightness that I expected. It made me feel younger and lighter than I expected, whipping me back to college the way that some friends could.

“Thank you for hanging up your introversion for an evening,” she said as she held me by my forearms and beamed with a smile that could only be her teasing. 

“For you of course,” I replied with a fake posh tone and a laugh. I had missed her, moving away for work for the both of us had been killer and we both swore that if a job popped up in one another’s city we would be there in a heartbeat.  

“Drink, get around, find someone cute,” she squeezed my arms and I managed to hold back an eye roll. I knew that this was going to be the situation since I RSVP’d without a plus one. Jenny was constantly the one at a party pushing me to talk to the person across the room who I would on and off stare out over the course of the night. It was practically tradition when we were younger. Her success rate of actually getting me over was lower than she’d like, but she still tried everytime. I tapped her arms and smiled.

“Don’t worry about me, go greet your other guests, your mother looks about ready to burst,” I said, noticing Stacy, Jenny’s mother, looked like she was trying to reel her daughter in with a fishing line if she didn’t get over in the next minute and a half. Jenny mouthed pray for me as she took her husband, who’s name I still didn’t remember, over to her.

As I watched them go over and soothe Stacy’s panic, my eyes continued to drift around the room and landed on someone who might’ve looked familiar but I couldn’t remember why for the life of me. With curly hair that looked like it was maintained on a technicality, a smile that was somewhere between mischief and humor at the expense of the person they were talking to, and a glass of amber liquid that I had to assume was probably scotch, he was appealing. In the way that one would admire a stranger at a bar who’s off limits. My only partial recognition meant it was possible that he was one of Jenny’s guests, but it was hard to tell. Maybe I’d seen him in one of her once a month Instagram photo dumps? Again, my desire to fish my phone out of my pocket to check was strong, but I resisted. I was trying to be better about not retreating into it in social situations, even if it was all that kept me from bailing into the bathroom to hide from overstimulation. 

I hadn’t noticed I was staring until as I tilted my head trying to wrack my brain as to where the hell I recognized him from, he caught my gaze with that mischief humored grin turned to me. I had the decency to grin in what was probably on par with my internal embarrassment. He raised his glass to me and I managed a half wave and turned back to my table and studied the intricacies of the table cloth, trying to see if I could spot the hidden mickeys in the pattern. Ignore me, please ignore me, I do not need to get into an argument about manners with a complete and utter–

“Trying to check the thread count?” A masculine voice asked next to me. My head shot up and sure enough it was curly with the amber liquid smiling at me. Checking the thread count was actually probably a better excuse in literally any other situation, but here we were.

“Uh… no. Trying to find hidden Mickeys actually.” I said turning back, wishing I had a drink of my own to throw back and at least give my hands something to do other than mess with the fidget ring on my left hand. He took the seat next to me and looked down at the table cloth, joining me in my probably fruitless endeavour. 

“Any reason as to why?” He asked, setting his glass down in my eyeline as if to signal he wasn’t immediately interested in getting back up and moving again. Which… could be promising in my favor? Maybe? Oh who the fuck am I kidding, this guy was handsome but radiated an energy that wasn’t promising on my end. This was something he did a lot, chatting up people in social situations; whereas I was much more of a fantasize via the human version of the treachery of images.

“I uh… didn’t mean to get caught staring and figured it was a good enough line to get you to pass me by?” I answered just a dash too honestly.

“Well, that’s fair, but I didn’t mind,” that got me to actually look at him proper, cataloging details you couldn’t see from across the room like bright blue eyes, a small gap between his front two teeth, and a smidgen of scruff growing in.

“Would it be unbecoming of me if I called you a liar about that?” 

“Eh, no, but it’s true.” He said. He finally offered up his hand, calloused and bigger than mine, “Matthew, friend of the groom.”

I shook it and offered up my name, “friend of the bride.” This still didn’t explain his vague familiarity but maybe he just had one of those faces.

The DJ had swapped tracks to something a little more retro than his previous offerings and I almost blessed Jenny’s crops forever as the opening riff of This Charming Man began to play through the speakers. Matthew seemed to notice me perk up and offered his hand again.

“Wanna dance?” He asked, a bright grin tempting me more than the actual words. Well, Jenny did say I needed to mingle.

“Yeah alright,” I said, taking his hand again as we both found our way to the dance floor. Unfortunately for Matthew I knew every word to the song (a Smiths phase in late high school and early into college I wasn’t completely proud of) and couldn’t help but sing along as we spun and got into each other’s spaces. It was warm, it was fun, I once again managed to try to forget that Morrisey was a shit human being as Johnny Marr’s guitars did most of the heavy lifting. To his credit, Matthew didn’t seem to mind, laughing alongside my craziness and keeping up with some amount of surprising vigor. By the time the song ended I was pulled in closer to him than we’d started and everything felt like it was buzzing. I’m not one for love at first sight, but affection? Attraction? Those I could account for and I felt it, even if I did also feel a large portion of my body and brain also want to sprint to the other side of the room. 

“Is now a good time to posit the theory that wedding receptions are just… prom for adults?” I posited to try and distract from the everything else my brain was trying to contend with.

Matthew just laughed, “I could see that, what’s the after prom?” He asked.

“Probably everyone dividing off and ending up in the wrong hotel rooms.” I replied.

“True, with about as much caution.” He joked along. 

The DJ, in his infinite wisdom, slowed the floor for the following song. I took a step back from where I’d ended up and prepared for the inevitable thanks for the dance, see you around, instead I got another offered hand. 

“Don’t you think it’s too soon?” I teased, “I mean, I don’t know if I’m one to slow dance on the first… encounter.” Calling it a date would be far too forward, and even if I was to make a joke out of it, that could end up backfiring spectacularly. 

“Consider it part of that lack of caution that comes with pretending it’s all adult prom,” he said. So, with no better offer in sight, I bit back my anxiety for one more song and took his hand again, where we quickly fell into an acceptable enough dance form. As close as we were now, I found myself again stumbling over why Matthew looked so familiar. If he was one of the groom’s guests, did I actually know the groom better than expected? Shit, was he a reconnected college boyfriend I forgot about? Childhood friend who moved when I was still forming cognitive memories? Guy I met in a hotel pool once while on vacation where we bonded as if we’d always known each other only to never exchange more than names?

“I can see the gears turning in your head, what’re you thinking about?” He asked just loud enough to be heard over the music but not enough to eavesdrop on, which was a courtesy I appreciated if nothing else.

“I’m trying to figure out why the hell you look familiar,” I said as he carefully maneuvered us from running into another couple, a quick glance over his shoulder revealing Jenny and her husband, Jenny winking when she caught my eye. Matthew let a low chuckle escape him and the proximity allowed me to feel it too and I tried not to feel a little flustered about that. It’d been since I was like… nine and at summer camp since I’d danced with someone like this. My childhood friends and I skipped homecoming and prom was spent mostly dancing with ourselves as one big group. So sue me, I was a bit out of practice when it came to this.

“I don’t know, do you live in the area?”

“No, but I used to vacation here a lot as a kid,” my parents were Disney Adults before Disney Adults were even a thing, so I practically knew parts of the resorts and parks like the back of my hand.

“Hm… are you into sports?”

“I picked up hockey a few years ago as what my mom calls a “water cooler topic” so I didn’t risk outing myself as a complete nerd to coworkers and to have something to talk about other than the weather and politics,” I said. That said I was more of a casual fan, knew a couple of players, had a tee or two gifted to me by people who knew nothing else about me, could not tell them apart without their names and numbers on their back.

“Who’re your teams?” He asked, again with the smile of mischief and humor and definitely in on something I hadn’t caught onto yet. I narrowed my eyes at him as his grin got a bit toothier and immediately felt embarrassed. There it was. I just barely managed to avoid dropping my face into his shoulder, a gesture that felt too familiar for the current situation and my hands around his neck were about the only thing that kept me from hiding my face in them.

“Tkachuk right? I think I caught some of the Cup run games,” I said trying to not crack up at my own face blindness.

“I’m just impressed you didn’t notice sooner,” he said as his own laugh leaked into his tone. We’d been doing a lot of that together huh? It was a positive sign for someone like me who put a smidge too much of their self worth into being able to make people laugh. “Honestly, I’d be sick of my face if I wasn’t acclimated to it.” 

“I don’t know, it has its appeal,” I remarked, somehow mustering up half the courage to be bold and actually try complimenting the arguably attractive guy who’d chosen to take an interest in me for the evening. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t say anything sooner because like… let’s face it, it'd be very embarrassing if I was wrong right?” I said with a tilt of my head, the song we were dancing too was probably going to wind down any minute and then we’d be really in a pickle. 

“Probably yeah,” he said with a half shrug, “hopefully I’ve now made enough of an impression for future encounters.”

“Future encounters?” I asked. Not being presumptuous was one of my notable features, and yet…

“Well, when do you head out of here?” 

“Like, out of the wedding or out of Florida?”

“The latter,” he said with a playful grin and a small stroke of my lower back with his thumb. Did he know that I needed to be grounded to avoid lying? Or did I just look more like a spooked deer than I was trying to let on.

“Two days from now? I didn’t know how long I was going to be hungover so I don’t fly back until Tuesday.” I said. Open bars and I were actually pretty okay, I was what one college friend called a “control drinker” meaning I usually cut myself off before I got even the faintest glimmer of tipsy. But I had hoped it’d eased up with age and by having better taste in alcohol. But seeing as I hadn’t had anything since the champagne and cocktails with dinner, that plan wasn’t going as I expected. Matthew seemed to mull something over before nodding to himself once and trying to pull me just a smidge closer. 

“Pick a park and we’ll go,” he said. 

“Seriously?” I asked with more of a raised eyebrow than even I would’ve liked, but I couldn’t help it, I wasn’t the type of person to get asked out at a wedding let alone by someone I actually found attractive. It was unheard of, bordering on unbelievable, that I almost looked to see if there were new fake plants I hadn’t noticed before for people to jump out of. But I steadied myself, taking a deep breath, knowing that this rabbit hole wasn’t healthy in any capacity. “Yeah alright, Hollywood Studios. And you will unfortunately learn too much about Star Wars by the end of it.” I said with a laugh.

“I think I can live with that.” Mathew said with a grin. 

We navigated ourselves off the dance floor and exchanged numbers for the following day and I had to stare and wonder at the whole ordeal as he walked off to talk to his friends with the agreement he’d text me in the morning.

Maybe weddings weren’t the most exhausting thing.

[electricalhuzzah]

What would happen if bill cut his hair?

CAN he cut his hair? Is it like a Rapunzel in tangled the series type situation? Is he just not allowed? Would it turn into a bunch of smaller snakes? What if he shaved it? What then?

I’ve thought about this quite a bit and I need to know Eva

oooo this is an interesting one. let’s see if i can answer it and not create new plotholes accidentally. actually,,, lemme answer in the form of a not-fic-canon drabble >:D well, not-canon as far as the story, canon as far as the mechanics.

taking place as a variant of chapter 5 after ford bandages the stupid oyster shucking wound. tl;dr at end. a little bit suggestive. enjoy, or don’t, this is a little fucking stupid

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The ex-deity sat upon the kitchen counter, legs crossed as he swirled his wine. Smiling in good humor, a bandaged cut on his hand, snakes atop his head slithering excitedly as though they, too, were laughing. The light of the sunset came in through the window and hit Bill’s face just right, illuminating his skin and smile a beautiful golden color.

It was then Ford thought to himself, how could something this beautiful possibly be a mistake?

Ford put the oysters into the oven and set an egg timer before moving back over to Bill, leaning on the island opposite the counter where Bill sat.

“You know, if we’re going to keep this a secret, those snakes are gonna give us away quick,” Ford stated. “Earlier today, we got lucky that I’d brushed them out right before Stanley saw us. If we were fighting and those damn snakes looked all happy, we’d be discovered quickly.”

Bill pondered for a moment. “You’re right. And it’s not like I can keep brushing them out all the damn time.”

The scientist tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Is… cutting them an option?”

“Huh. Guess I never thought about it,” Bill shrugged. He reached across the counter to the knife block, pulling out a pair of kitchen scissors which was immediately wrestled away from him.

“You’re not using sharp objects for a while,” Ford grumbled, putting the scissors back in the knife block. “Can’t you just ask your axolotl-therapist-guy anyhow?”

Bill pouted. “Awh, where’s the fun in that?” He hooked his leg around his partner’s knee. “Wouldn’t you rather find out for yourself?”

Ford couldn’t explain exactly why the action, or perhaps the way Bill said his words, made his heart stutter. “My muse, we’ve had enough problems with various parts of you getting cut already. If someone you can access already has the answer, it’d be much easier to—“

The blonde hummed quietly as he touched Ford’s chest, which managed to shut him up quickly. “Wasn’t it Gotthold Lessing who said something like—” He leaned in close to whisper in the scientist’s ear, “—If God were to hold all Truth concealed in his right hand, and in his left only the steady and diligent drive for Truth, albeit with the proviso that I would always and forever err in the process, and to offer me the choice, I would with all humility take the left hand. —?”

Ford refused to explain why that, also, made his heart stutter. “A-Are you trying… to quote philosophers… in order to get me to do something we both know would be stupid?”

Bill gave a little grin as he pulled away from Ford’s ear. “Is it turning you on a little bit?”

“I really don’t wanna answer that.”

The ex-deity handed his partner the kitchen scissors once more. “You can do the honors, smart guy.”

Ford snipped the scissors at thin air experimentally. “Should I just—“

“Yeah, just snip the head off one,” Bill said with a nod.

The scientist cringed at the suggestion. “That feels like decapitation.”

Bill rolled his eye. “They’re not alive, IQ. They’re made of hair. Just snip it!”

“No!” Ford protested. “At least brush them out first, so I don’t have to look in their eyes as I decapitate them!”

The ex-deity obliged, running a hand through his hair until the snakes disbanded into little strands of honey blond hair. “Happy?”

Ford gingerly took a lock of hair between two fingers, and snipped off what must’ve been five inches of Bill’s long hair. To his wonder, the lock appeared to spontaneously grow back at inhuman speeds, all the way to the length it was before he cut it.

“Astounding,” Ford marveled as the snakes began to reform in his very hand. One slithered up the side of Bill’s face to headbutt his forehead disapprovingly.

Just then, a chime rang from Bill’s prism watch. When he checked it, the message wasn’t anything like what he’d seen before.

DON’T DO THAT AGAIN.

“Hm, I suppose that settles it,” Ford conceded.

Bill looked up from the glowing face of his prism-watch. “Where are your clippers?”

Ford blinked with surprise. “Bill, the watch said—“

“Yeah, I know what the watch said, Sixer!” Bill exclaimed. “But goddamnit, I wanna have sex with you, and I do not want your brother to punch me in the face again! And getting rid of these damn telltale snakes is the only way to actually keep us a secret! So unless you have any better ideas, please, tell me— where are your clippers??”

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“For the record, I still think this is a terrible idea,” Ford said, clippers buzzing in his hand.

“Come on!” Bill pleaded. “Worst case scenario, they grow back, and we try fire next.”

“No, worst case scenario is finding out you��re not only bald, but you have a lumpy head,” Ford muttered. “And it would be a shame if I had to break up with you for such a petty reason.”

Not finding the joke nearly as funny as his partner did, Bill flicked Ford’s forehead disapprovingly. “Just start shaving, smart guy.”

Hesitantly, Ford pressed the blade of the clippers to Bill’s hairline and dragged them from the front of his head to the back. He made quick work, like ripping off a band-aid, hoping to get the pain of losing his partner’s gorgeous hair done and over with. When he was done, he turned off the clippers and tried to suppress a grimace at how Bill looked with his new buzz-cut.

“Are they growing back?” Bill asked.

Ford carded through the centimeter-short hair, trying not to grieve the blond locks on the kitchen floor. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“Cool!” Bill replied, running his hands just across the top of his head. Ford withdrew his own hand, biting his tongue as to how much he disliked the new look.

Just as the scientist repressed his complaint, he saw something. The tiniest spark, coming from Bill’s control collar. Another tiny spark, and another.

Then, a not-so-tiny spark. One that made Bill jolt, then convulse, then scream. Ford could do nothing but watch as his partner’s every muscle forcibly contracted at the sudden electrocution. Between each flash of impossibly bright light, another few inches of Bill’s blonde hair grew back.

Only when Bill’s shirt began to smoke did the shocks stop coming. His hair, with newly reformed snakes, had grown back to their original length. Amidst panting and shaky breaths, the two heard another chime from Bill’s prism-watch.

I SAID NOT TO DO THAT. THE THERAPRISM HAS A BUDGET, YOU KNOW.

“Are you alright?” Ford asked, his hands clutching Bill’s shoulders like precious stones.

Bill let out a hiss of pain through his teeth. “Not exactly, ya genius.”

Ford bit the inside of his cheek, wincing at himself. “Sorry. Stupid question.”

“No, that’s… I was the one who…” Bill sighed, burying his head in Ford’s chest. “Y’know, for an all-knowing dream demon, and a genius with twelve PhD’s… we’re pretty stupid.”

The scientist chuckled, laughter running a little rumble down his pillowy chest that inexplicably soothed Bill.

“So, you said something about trying fire next?” Ford ribbed, burying his face in Bill’s newly regrown snake-hair.

Bill groaned at the mockery. “Absolutely not.”

“Oh, absolutely not? But what about Lessing? What about the steady and diligent drive for truth?” Ford teased.

“You’re an ass.”

“I know, why don’t we try acid next!” Ford suggested sarcastically. “Surely that’s a good idea!”

Rolling an eye, Bill placed a peck on Ford’s crackled little lips. “Would it kill you to shut up?”

“It would, actually,” Ford crooned, going soft at the gentle kiss. “Keep kissing me, though, and it might ease the pain of death.”

As much as Bill wanted to give his lover a slow and painful death for being such an obnoxious asshole, he did not. He opted, instead, for the kiss.

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when the haircut so bad they electrocute u :(

^ me but yapping 😎

tl;dr— bill’s snake hair has set length and doesn’t grow beyond that, so no practical needs for haircuts. he is Greatly Discouraged from cutting it (read: electrocution). if it is cut, it magically regrows to its set length. if it’s shaved, ford pitches a fit and it is Greatly Discouraged (read, once again: electrocution).

[sunder-the-gold]

The commitment to never spending money on Arknights is fiercely tested. If someone really wanted to have a six-star gal he encountered in the story, how much that someone would be expected to waste in an average case?

For an illustrative answer, let me share with you my Pain Chart. In order of Most Pain to Least.

But first, let me explain some things:

Most importantly, the current kind of banner ensures that the first Six-Star you pull after 150 pulls will be the featured Six-Star... but there's no telling when that first Six-Star result will happen.

If you see the word "sparking", I don't know why it was coined, only that it means "I got so many condolence-tokens that I could buy the desired operator out of the shop".

"Spooking" means you got an operator who wasn't supposed to have a higher-rate of appearance on the banner.

"Duplicate" means I already got the operator. ("Maxed out potential" is when this happens five times.)

PAST BANNERS, in order of pain

Eyjafjalla Alter did not come home within 300 total pulls, and required sparking. Swire Alter appeared on the 50th roll — 7 times in total, with a Ho'olheyak spook (also a Harmonie spook) and a Mudrock duplicate.

Nearl Alter appeared within 283 rolls (Flametail appeared four times, Rosmontis appeared once).

Gavial Alter appeared on the 271st roll, while Pozyoma appeared on the 53rd roll (and twice more later, not including the four off-banner Six Stars).

Texas Alter appeared on the 14th roll (and three times total within 85 rolls; five times in total), whereas Penance appeared on the 225th pull.

Ascalon as 155th of 161 pulls, after being spooked by duplicates of Mudrock, Reed Alter, Flametail’s last potential, and Ines’ first.

Chongyue on the 59th roll. Lin appeared on the 116th roll of 121 total rolls.

Ch'en Alter appeared within 111 rolls (Mizuki appeared three times).

Goldenglow appeared within 110 rolls.

Execution Alter appeared on the 86th of 90 rolls, along with a copy of Ebenholz, Spuria, and Wind Chimes, and duplicates of Mountain, Archetto, Irene, and Mudrock.

Skadi Alter appeared within 81 rolls (Kal'tsit appeared earlier).

76 rolls on MH banner, got Yato on 74th, got Corne on ??, maxed Corne. Spent another 40 rolls (10 of them for free) chasing duplicates of Yato and got none (except for already-maxed Ifrit, and 4 more for Noir Corne.)

50 rolls out of 180 for Saileach. Stainless didn't appear once in 180 pulls, whereas Horn gained three more potentials.

Typhon appeared on the 68th of 75 total pulls. My first Gnosis spooked me on the 62nd. Santalla appeared at the guarantee on the 5th roll.

Virtuosa on 63rd, Viviana on 62nd of 71 pulls on first day, with Baseline twice

Ela within 60 rolls, Iana within 40, and Doc within 30

Shu twice in 61 rolls

Ines appeared on the 53rd out of 58 rolls.

W appeared after 41 rolls but within 75 rolls (don't know how many more until I got Weedy).

Fiammetta appeared on the 42nd roll (or 52nd).

Specter Alter arrived on the 43rd roll (Irene on the 44th roll).

Dusk appeared after at least 41 rolls (never got Saga).

Nian appeared within 40 rolls (didn't get Aak).

Ling appeared within 34 rolls (Lee appeared twice).

Ray on 32nd of 40 rolls, Jessica Alter dupe on 31st, Warmy on 10th

Horn appeared on the 32nd roll (and the 40th).

Reed Alter appeared on the 29th roll. (lol, didn't get Harmonie.)

Mlynar on the 25th pull (Proviso on the 23rd).

23 out of 34 rolls for Muelsyse, only 10 of which I spent my own resources on, before the last four free pulls. (lol, didn’t get Ho’olheyak)

Jessica Alter arrived on the 18th of 21 pulls. A surplus copy of April was the first pull.

Dorothy arrived on the 20th pull.

Rosmontis appeared within 10 rolls (don't know how many more until I got Mudrock).

Thorns, Andreana, and Jaye within 10 rolls.

Ch'en within 10 rolls?

Skadi within 10 rolls?

No records on how many I spent for Magallan, Hellagur, Schwarz, Blaze, or others. None of which I got on their banners.

Vendela in 3 rolls, without Hoederer or Verdant

One More Thing

Financially, it makes the most sense to roll only one pull at a time, if you can. The logic being that if you finally get the operator you want, you can stop, whereas if the operator you wanted was the first result in a 10-pull bag, then you "wasted" nine other pulls.

In practice, nine other pulls isn't that much, AND they at least have the scant possibility of getting a duplicate of that operator, or your first copy of another one you want.

Also in practice, I think it's much easier to control yourself and STOP if you limit yourself to ten-pulls.

With single-pulls, you're already justifying spending just a little bit more each time, which is not a mindset you want to be in when your reserves go empty.

With ten-pulls, I think I can tell myself, "This ONE BAG, and then no more." At the very least, I stop to recalculate all over again whether another 10-bag is worth the risk.

[layla4567]

i'M NOT DOING IT

Evan's quicksilver x fem!reader

Summary: The girls (mainly Rogue and you) have the idea of ​​recreating their favorite movie at school for a day. With the proviso that everyone must be dressed in keeping with the theme, and you hope that a certain sprinter will too Warnings: p in v, virgin reader, teasing, suggestive, also fluff Word count: 4k

A/N: I clarify just in case that the personalities of some secondary characters I don't remember so much so I basically invented some things

Rogue shared a room with me and what we liked to do the most was watch old movies, especially "Grease", it was our favorite. We loved the music and the clothes that people wore at that time. We were actually watching it for the fifth time lying on our bellies on the mattress with our elbows propped up on soft pillows and our faces resting on our palms when out of the blue the idea struck me.

"Hey, wouldn't it be great to host a day like Grease?"

"A day like Grease? What are you talking about?"-She asked me confused without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Yes, I mean…"-I straightened up a bit to get a better look at her face- "A whole day dressed as the characters from the movie, we can even decorate the whole school!"

Now Rogue was looking at me with interest.

"And do you think others would like the idea? You know how difficult it is to agree with everyone"

"Well, we'll try! And if they don't want to, we will force them!"

I got up on my knees and slammed my fist against my hand in a determined gesture that made my friend laugh.

Then I grabbed the remote and turned off the TV

"Hey!"

And then I stood up on the bed and started jumping up and down, then jumped down and grabbed Rogue's arm.

"Come on! we have to prepare everything!!"

"Woah, woah wait, now? I thought we would organize it in a few days"

"Do not leave for tomorrow what you can do today"-I wink at her and drag her through the halls giggling

We were chatting in the aisles planning what we were going to buy when we felt a breeze pass in front of us and as if it were an apparition Peter Maximoff stood in front of us with his arms on his hips.

"Hello ladies, what are you doing?"

Peter looked from me to Rogue with a suspicious look and a playful smile.

Peter and i had been dating for a couple of weeks and he always followed me around like a little dog. It's not that he controlled me or was toxic but sometimes he got bored and he liked to know what I was doing and if I could do it with him

"Why do you want to know, to ruin our plans?"-Rogue crossed his arms.

Peter chuckled

"Why do I always think that I want to do bad things?"

And after saying that, the sprinter looked at me with a mischievous smile and raised eyebrows. Why did he always have to misthink everything? I rolled my eyes

"Anyway, Y/n I'm going to look for the other girls to go buy things, we'll wait for you at the entrance of the mansion"- Anna patted me on the shoulder and walked quickly away waving her white locks of hair.

Quicksilver put his hands in the pockets of his silver jacket and looked at me curiously.

"So, May I know what you have to buy?"

"How nosy you are, my dear"

"And so you love me"-he winked

I pushed my cheek with my tongue trying to suppress a smile, Peter knew that I couldn't get mad at him because as he said, I adore him that annoying.

"Ok you win, I'll tell you but promise me that you will join our plans without complaining"

Peter looked at me skeptically and pretended to think about it.

"Fine, spit it out"

"Anna and I are planning to recreate the Grease movie and dress up as the characters from the movie as well as decorate the place with some things."-I said with a beaming smile as I did a little dance.

Peter let out such a laugh that he put his hand to his stomach while bending his entire torso forward

"Don't count me in"-he said while wiping away his tears

I looked serious and indignant at Peter, typical of him always making promises that he doesn't know how to keep..

"But you said you would join!"

"Yeah..I should have thought better of it"

"Peter Maximoff!!"-I exclaimed angrily

Peter hated it when she called him by his full name to get his attention, and it always worked.

"Ok, ok, don't get mad, I'll join on the condition that you give me a kiss"

"How immature you are"

Pet looked at me with puppy dog ​​eyes and pouted. Was he trying to hurt me with that?

"Ugh, not the puppy eyes again"-I sighed

I grabbed Maximof by the face and gave him a tender kiss on the tip of his nose which tickled him and made him laugh, he kept insisting that I give him more kisses so I kissed his forehead, his cheeks and finally his lips. But it was a quick kiss that made Peter give me a disappointed and sad "Oh." He expected something more.

"You will have to wait until you find me in the courtyard when everything is ready"-I blew Peter a flying kiss as I walked away smiling

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

I met up with Rogue, Jean and Jubilee to go thrift store shopping. It had taken some convincing for Jean but we did it on the condition that she would not wear skirts or dresses. We headed for the city with the old Renault Jubilee. We not only had to buy clothes for ourselves but also for our colleagues, well, at least those who wanted to participate and if we couldn't buy for everyone, we agreed that those who wanted to participate could wear their own clothes but that they should be as vintage as possible. We entered all the stores we could find and bought dresses, blouses, jackets and also pennants and old posters of singers, I was even able to get a vinyl in almost perfect condition.

Jubilee chose a leather jacket and a white skirt with red polka dots, while I opted for an outfit quite similar to Sandy's in the final scene of the film. Rogue, who was by my side looking at the dresses, praised (in her own way) the black leather leggings that I had grabbed.

"Those leggings are going to look great on you, they'll mark your ass and you'll make Peter follow you behind drooling like a dog"

The girl's comment made the others burst into laughter.

"Anna!"-I screamed as I felt my cheeks turn red.

"Come on, you have to admit that you have Peter eating out of the palm of your hand, he would do anything for you or he wouldn't have agreed to do this."-Jean replied

I smiled proudly, Peter despite being a stressful nuisance at times, I knew that he loved me with all his being and that love was mutual. But I couldn't help but laugh too when imagining him melting just by seeing me in a set of clothes like that.

We finished buying everything we needed and then headed over to Jubilee's cousin's house to rent a food truck just like in the movie. In the meantime, Charles and the other teachers were supposed to be setting up game booths like a real fair. Jubilee's cousin's house wasn't that far but the main problem was trying to get the food truck to the mansion.

"Well, I think we didn't think things through.."-said Jean with his usual pessimism

"What the hell do we do now?"-Said Jubilee

"Don't worry, I'll call Peter, he can bring his car and we'll hitch the truck from behind"

I dialed Pet's number and as always he didn't take long to answer, he was a real sprinter for everything.

"Hey babe, what's up?

"Hi honey, I think we need help with a little matter."

"Aww, do you need me so fast?"

I could feel Peter smile through the phone

"Just this once, I need you to bring your car"

After giving him the address of the house, I barely hung up the phone when we heard the noise of an engine purring behind us and Peter honking with that smirk he always wore. Damn that's how he drove the streets? How unconscious.

"Peter to rescue, uh? What do you need now?"-he said as he got out of the car

"We need you to take this food truck to the mansion, please, will you?"-Jean said

Quicksilver looked surprised at the food truck and whistled but then he chuckled and said

"That's a piece of cake, count me in ladies"

The boy was about to run towards the truck when Jean stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"But! like a normal person would, no super speed"

"How boring.."

Peter made a disgusted face but then he helped us with everything we needed, he started his car. Peter and I were in the lead with the food truck hitched to the back and the girls following closely behind us in Jubilee's car.

It was obvious that Peter was making great efforts not to exceed the speed. It's just that Peter loved his superpower so much that he used it whenever he could and if he didn't, he was terribly bored. Along the way Peter was trying to figure out what we had bought by looking sideways at the bags on my lap but I didn't give him a chance to guess.

"Come on babe let me see what it is"-He said as he put an arm around my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, it's a surprise"-I said leaning on his shoulder

"And wouldn't you do it for a pretty boy like me?"

Peter kept taking quick glances at the bags but without losing concentration on the way.

"Bold of you to say you're pretty"

Maximoff did not resist and tried to put the hand that was around my shoulder into the bag that rested on my lap.

"No, Peter stop! You act like a child!"-I said annoying

I quickly pulled Pet's hand out of the bags and held it tightly between my legs, which was a bad idea because Peter gave me one of his typical smirks and began to gently caress his fingertips along my thighs that were discovered by the skirt that I was wearing

"Peter.."-I said in a warning tone

"You were right, this is more fun"

The sprinter moved closer to my crotch under my skirt and I had to squeeze his arm hard as he let out a contained growl. With all the peace of mind in the world with his free hand Peter now caressed the inner part of both my thighs while with the other hand resting on the steering wheel he drove the car

"I hate you"-I said controlling my gasps

"I know"

We were finally getting to the mansion so Peter stopped the torture but I was still blushing. We both got out of the car while the girls did the same and we unloaded the food truck in the school yard. The teachers worked in the stands assembling wooden stands and painting them. He could see that some were excited and others like Logan would rather sleep on a train track than do all that. I grabbed the bags before Peter knew it and ran with the other girls to our rooms to change.

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

Everything was almost finished, from the windows you could see the patio of the mansion full of game stalls like in fairs. It was impressive how they had finished everything so quickly but then I remembered that they had the great help of Quicksilver. Rogue and I were putting on our clothes. Anna had bought a pretty light blue dress with big white polka dots and she wore her hair loose and wavy with a light blue bow headband decorating her head. For my part, I had put on the black leather leggings with the black off-the-shoulder blouse and had curled my hair. I did a fancy spin in front of the mirror to which Rogue excitedly told me.

"My God y/n you are beautiful! You look like the real Sandy!!"

"And you are divine too!"

Anne was about to answer me when there was a knock on the door.

"If it's Peter I'll kill him"

I went to open the door and when I did my eyes widened in surprise. Stalls were Jean and Jubilee. The first one was wearing skinny jeans with the sleeve rolled up a bit to reach her calf and was wearing a white halter top with straps that tied at the neck and was white with small red polka dots. On the other hand, Jubilee wore a beautiful white skirt with red polka dots, the same one she had chosen in the store along with the leather jacket and also a red shirt tied with a bow in front at the navel. Jean wore a curly high ponytail and Jubilee had her hair loose and wavy like Anna.

"Wow.."

Anna who came behind me smiled broadly.

"The girls are beautiful, and you were right Jean, a dress would not have fit you as well as those pants"

"And with those hips that you have you will attract all eyes"-said Jubilee laughing as she bumped her hips against Jean's.

Jean pretended to be angry but couldn't suppress a giggle.

"Well girls, what do you think if we go to the yard to have a good time?"-I said

We all went out to the garden while I carried a basket with clothes in case someone wanted to dress and didn't have the right clothes. When we got out I could really appreciate what a wonderful job everyone had done. Each booth was identical to the one in the movie, they had even managed to recreate the "Shake Shack" where the protagonists dance at the end.

The girls went to order ice cream while I walked towards an arcade. Luckily I was wearing red heels with a wide and thick heel that allowed me to walk on the grass without ending up with the tip of the heel buried in the ground. Henry was manning the booth, I just had to knock over a stack of cans with a ping pong ball.

"Hey y/n, Do you want to try your luck?"

"Give me that ball now"-I said smiling confident

But when I was aiming to throw the ping pong ball I felt that someone had stopped next to me accompanied by a buzz. I was about to make a sarcastic comment about Peter as I turned my head to look at him but when I did the ball almost fell out of my hands. Peter was wearing a white T-shirt with a black leather jacket and matching black pants, plus he had combed back (but no gel) that silver hair he always wore tousled. I didn't even try to suppress a smile, let alone the laughter that flowed from my lips.

"What's up John Travolta"-I said non-stop laughing

"Hey, I don't look so bad and you know it"-he said a little offended as he ran a hand through his hair

I hated to admit it but Peter was right, he looked so sexy in those clothes and I loved it when he ran his hand through his hair like that, but I would never say it out loud to him.

Without answering, I got ready to throw the cans. I usually didn't have a bad aim but that day it seemed like I had forgotten all skill, and to top it off, every time I missed a shot Peter booed me like he was on a soccer field.

"Can you stop doing that?"-I turned to face him furiously

"Nope"

was his mature response while he smiled innocently but his eyes showed mischief

"Ok, try it, I want to see you"

Peter grabbed the ball confidently and started knocking over the cans at full speed.

"No, not like that! that's cheating!"

"Of course not"-he made a face of indignation

"Uhm, actually she's right, it's against the rules"

"Ha!"-I shot Peter a triumphant look.

"Oh c'mon! What kind of rule is that?"

"I'm sorry, rules are rules"-Henry said

"Fine, but if he won you owe me a favor"

I was about to complain but stopped myself, remembering how annoying Peter can be if we don't come to an agreement. He would chase me around the mansion making annoying noises like a 6 year old.

So I gave him my place and he settled in to throw the ball. Even though he wasn't using his superpower, he had a great aim and managed to knock down all the cans without much effort. Henry clapped while Peter strutted around to make me angry.

"The winner can claim his prize"

Henry pointed out the prizes that were there. A panda bear stuffed animal, a Nerf gun, a box of chocolates among other things. Peter was tempted to claim the toy gun but opted for the panda bear

I widened my eyes in surprise, thinking that Peter would choose something else.

"For you"

Maximoff gave me the panda bear that was fairly large, when he proposed it could become very romantic

"Thank you"-I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear flirtatiously

I hugged the teddy bear tenderly as I made my way to the ice cream truck with Peter. He bought a strawberry ice cream for him, he offered me one too but I kindly declined

"You know? I must admit that your idea was not that bad, at least there is free food"

Peter said as he sucked on his ice cream that was threatening to melt while I chuckled.

Hearing Peter admit that I was right was the most satisfying thing in the world. And of course I would not miss the opportunity to tease him.

"Oh sorry, what did you say? I don't think I heard you right"-I said as I placed my open palm near my ear feigning deafness.

"Don't make me say it again"-he frowned

"Or what?"-I smiled mischievously

Peter smiled too as he tipped his ice cream up to my nose. I backed away yelling his name angrily as we started an unequal fight in which Peter wanted to continue smearing his ice cream on my face and I, with one hand grabbing my stuffed animal, tried to push Peter away with the other hand.

"Ok ok I give up!"-I said laughing with Pet

Suddenly the song "You're the one that I want" began to play through a speaker and I gave a scream of emotion that scared Peter and he looked at me as if something bad happened to me.

"Peter, that's my favorite song come let's dance!!"

And without waiting for an answer, I quickly dragged Peter to where the music was playing, which caused him to spill the ice cream on the grass. The other students had also gathered to dance to the song, Jubilee and Rogue were dancing together while Jean had partnered with Scott. I placed the panda bear that Peter had given me on a basket and began to move my hips and feet to the rhythm of the music, letting myself go. I would throw my head back making my curls bounce and move my shoulders gracefully. Peter was gawking at me, it seemed my tight leggings worked. He was somewhat embarrassing to dance in public but he happily joined me. Peter came up behind me following my movements from side to side with his hands on my hips. I turned around so I could place my hand on his shoulders while I clasped my hands behind his neck and we began to move our shoulders forward and backward, accompanying the movements with our torso.

The music was blaring so I quickly trotted over to the "Shake shack" with Peter following behind. I went up the stairs and forced Peter to his knees and then nudged my shoe into his shoulder which left Peter scrambling like a dog as he came up the stairs with a goofy grin on his face. When he stood up and the machine began to move from side to side like a mechanical bull, I hung over Pet like a monkey wrapping my legs around his hips as he hugged my back. We danced back and forth while the others watched us clapping to the rhythm of the song. I looked into Peter's eyes and he did too but I could tell how sometimes he looked down at my waist. My pelvis was brushing against his lower belly and Peter was trying very hard not to blush.

We continued dancing normally until the song ended and we went down exhausted from the "Shake shack"

Now I was the one strutting around in front of Peter walking around like I was a model. Peter had just noticed my black outfit with my red heels and matching lipstick, I couldn't tell but he thought I had a delicious figure. The other students had dispersed from the garden and were playing in the fair stalls or eating, some bored or tired returned to school. I sat on a bench while Peter did the same next to me.

"Not bad up there, huh?"

I leaned an arm on the back of the bench while crossing my legs and staring at him with a smile

"Are you saying it for you or for me?"

Peter made a funny face trying to appear nonchalant, expelling air through the lips making them sound like a trumpet.

"I say it for myself, obviously"

"Well I didn't see that you did much to dance other than not stop looking at my hips. Did you know that my eyes are up?"

I loved making Peter nervous, it was like giving him a taste of his own medicine since he always did the same to me

"Uhmm, yes of course uhmm"-Peter's cheeks turned pink-"W-would you like to go somewhere else? I think there is nothing to do here anymore"

I knew him. When Peter stuttered it was because he wanted to do dirty things.

"Mmh sure, why not"

Peter's countenance was no longer so red and a bright smile graced his face. Immediately afterwards, he lifted me up in his arms and holding my head so as not to suffer a whiplash, he took me running away from there without anyone noticing. In the blink of an eye I was sitting in the back of Peter's car, an old Falcon that he cared for like a pet.

Before I could say anything Peter stole my breath with a passionate kiss. As our tongues swirled in a pitched battle inside our mouths, I clung to Peter's hair, which was more disheveled than before. Pet knew how to kiss me or where to touch. His hands were on the side of my body, high up near my bust.

"Wait...are you sure?"-I said catching my breath

I got a mischievous smile in response and in a second Peter was gone and back with a condom in hand. Peter's wet kisses on my neck made me feel like I was in paradise. It started in my jaw and worked its way down to my shoulders and collarbones.

I threw my head back in pure pleasure, closing my eyes, which Peter took the opportunity to leave kisses and bruises in the central part below my jaw. I moaned softly feeling his teeth softly biting my skin. Peter took off his jacket and left it on the floor of the car while I lay flat on the seat. The boy couldn't wait and began to unbutton his pants. Nervous I looked at him and stopped him

"What's wrong, babe?"-he looked at me concerned with his eyebrows raised

"It's just…it's my first time"

Peter seemed relieved and, smiling, leaned close to my face to whisper to me.

"It's ok, it will probably hurt at first but then it passes"

Peter's words and breath made me start to feel that heat rise up my crotch. In order to better control the thrusts, Peter offered to let him be below and I above him. He started to lower my leather leggin but not completely until he could visualize my entrance. I lowered Pet's boxer so I could put the condom on him, his member was already hard so the task was easier. He soothed me by rubbing my thighs tenderly, I took a deep breath and slowly sat on Peter's member. A sharp, tight pain emanated from my entrance causing me to close my eyes, wincing as I let out a small moan.

"You're doing good baby, keep it up"-said Peter to encourage me

I stayed still for a moment to try to get used to it, when I felt that the pain had passed, I began to go up and down at a slow but constant pace. Peter closed his eyes and tensed his jaw as his fingers dug into my thighs. Our breaths were quickening and a concert of moans was fogging up the windows. All the pain that I felt at the beginning had given way to a sensation of infinite pleasure that ran through my body and my belly like an electric current. I leaned a little closer to Peter's chest and put my hands under his white shirt. He understood and took it away. Dear God, Peter was often ashamed of his body but what he was seeing now was priceless. His pectorals and abdomen were marked like a Greek sculpture. Feverish, I stuck my fingers into his stomach and began to scratch gently while massaging. Peter let out a grunt of pleasure as he frantically raised his pelvis, increasing his thrusts.

I could already feel Peter's member fully hardened inside me while my walls were contracting.

"Fuck peter"-I gasped

"You are very tight"-he growled, making an effort to focus his eyes on me.

We were both practically sweating, I felt my hair stuck to my neck and nape. I increased the thrusts going at a faster pace to be able to reach the climax, and at the least expected moment I felt like a waterfall was released inside me. But Peter wasn't done with me so I kept swaying my hips until he said.

"I-I'm about to.. cum"-Peter's voice came out hoarse with excitement.

I was at the edge of my strength when I felt the warm liquid of Peter come out and fill me under me. I stopped moving and sat still on him while we caught our breath. I slowly withdrew from him as if his cock were made of glass and I was about to break it. I lay down next to him and squeezed until we both got inside. Pet hugged me lovingly as he caressed my back and I rested my head on his sweaty bare chest, I looked up to see him, he looked very sexy with his hair plastered to his face.

"Do you think the others will realize that we are not here?"-I asked suddenly

"Probably, it bothers you?"

"Not at all"

[scotianostra]

May 18th 1313 saw Robert the Bruce invade the Isle of Man.

The Isle of man has changed hands many times through the centuries, if you go back to Scotland before King Alexander III died, plunging the country into the Wars of Independence, he had extended his Kingdom to include Man and Berwick, both of which are part of England nowadays.

Scotland’s rule was not welcomed in 1275 an uprising in Man against Scottish rule was brutally suppressed. The chronicles tell us that…..

“ Upon the 7th of October, the Fleet of the King of Scotland put into the port of Ronaldsway. John de Vesci and the King’s nobles immediately landed their forces on the island of St. Michael, the people of Man being prepared for the encounter, along with Godred, the son of Magnus, whom they had made their king but a short time previously. The chiefs and officers of the King of Scotland, however, sent an embassy of peace to Godred and the people of Man, offering them the peace of God and of the King of Scotland on condition of their laying aside their absurd presumption, and of giving themselves up to the King and his nobles. As Godred, however, and some of his perverse counsellors did not agree to the terms of the embassy, on the following day, before sunrise, whilst darkness still covered the earth, … an engagement took place, and the unfortunate people of Man, running away, fell miserably “

If you notice the names of Godred and Magnus, the island was still very influenced by the Scandinavians. Their influence was again noted in 1291 when

” the Noble Lady Maria, Queen of Man" a member of the Scandinavian royal family of Man, did homage to Longshanks at Perth. Two years later in early 1293, Walter de Huntercombe, who held Man for a short time, surrendered the island to John Balliol by Edward’s order, of course Edward had the proviso that Balliol swore him allegiance. The next year Balliol refused to send Scottish soldiers to fight with Edward against the French, the Scottish King entered into the Auld Alliance and also formed a little known Alliance with Norway. Furious Edward marched his army into Scotland and the Wars of Independence raged for several years, during this time little is written about Man, it seems he garrisoned soldiers there and it feel under English rule. Edward I and his son Edward II “gave” the Island to differing lords to administrate until 1313, the chronicles tell us that

“In the year 1313, on the 18th of May, Lord Robert [Bruce], King of Scotland, put in at Ramsay with a large number of ships, and on the following Sunday went to the nunnery at Douglas, where he spent the night, and on Monday laid siege to the Castle of Rushen, which was defended by the Ilord Dungali Mac Dowyle 41 against the said Lord King until the Tuesday after the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle (June 21), on which day the said Lord King took the Castle.” On the 20th of December, in the same year, Bruce granted the island to Thomas Randolf, Earl of Moray, “

The defeat of the English at Bannockburn consolidated the Scottish position. It’s a bit vague about what happened but the English seemed to have taken control, under Edward I by 1317, and he had committed the island to the safe keeping of John de Athy and orders him to provide three ships and

” a sufficient armament of warlike men “ to protect ” it against the hostile attacks of our enemies and rebels the Scots.“ But it is a bit confusing as , three months later, Randolf, Earl of Moray, is spoken of as ” being about to set out for the parts of Man,“

Some sort of truce prevailed for some time on the run up to 1328, when the independence of Scotland was formally acknowledged and the King of England gave an undertaking not tc assist any enemies of the Scots to dispossess their of Man,” it is probable that Man had before that date reverted to Scotland. Roll on to 1333 and the English were at it again, with the help of the “disinherited” they helped John Balliol’s son Edward invade Scotland, which brought us to today’s date that year when Edward III gave orders that possession should be taken of Man. He granted the custody of the island to Sir William de Montacute, and, further, on the 9th of August, he gave it to him as his absolute possession-in the words of the grant - he

“ remitted, surrendered, and … assigned peaceful possession of all the rights and claims which we have, have had, or in any way could have in the Isle of Man, … so that neither we, nor our heirs, nor any other in our name shall be able to exact or dispose of any right or claim in the aforesaid Island,” thus not reserving any service to be rendered to himself.“

The Scots again threatened to retake Man in 1337 but it was unsuccessful, the Isle of Man has since been seen as part of England.

[stilled]

As another storm rolls over the hill...

Words sent to me by a dear friend long ago with the proviso "I'm not a fan of these canned quotes, but..."

I miss her in my days.

[weirdestbooks]

A Civil Disagreement Chapter 3

The Second Compromise (Wattpad | Ao3)

Table of Contents | Prev | Next

1846

“Have you heard the new bill the House had just passed?” DC asked America as she walked into his office. 

“If you’re talking about the Wilmot Proviso, trust me, I know. I’ve gotten an earful about it from the slave states.” America said, knowing that DC was probably talking about the bill that had been causing him a lot of trouble. DC nodded.

“How have the slave states taken it?” She asked. America snorted.

“How do you think? Badly.” Wisconsin snaked.

“They take most anti-slavery things that way,” Iowa said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“And the North takes pro-slavery things that way. Everyone is dramatic.” James pointed out.

“You know how they are. Stubborn as hell and untrusting of me to handle anything involving slavery. They’re too afraid the Wilmot Proviso will pass.” America said. DC nodded.

“I didn’t expect anything else. Why is Congress focusing on the Wilmot Proviso when we should be focusing on this war that’s been started with Mexico? No use in focusing on what might happen if we win if we don’t focus on trying to win.” DC said, pressing her hand to her forehead. America sighed.

“It’s not like Congress controls our soldiers. However, figuring out the answer to the question of slavery in any new land we acquire is important. Especially to the southern states.” he said.

“Fair enough. I’ll keep an eye on the Wilmot Proviso for you while you deal with state drama and the war with Mexico.” DC said. America smiled, ever so grateful for everything that DC did for him and for their nation.

“Thanks, Dee.”

————————————————————

1847

America loved receiving letters from his children, especially when they were at war. He loved reading about their lives, learning that they were okay, and learning about what they were up to and what they were experiencing.

He loved letters.

So when America got the letter from DC, he was quick to open and read it, excited to learn about what DC had been up to in the couple of months since the war had begun. But his heart sank as he read the letter. DC talked a little about her life, but she quickly got to the point of her letter. The fact that the Wilmot Proviso was back in Congress.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me. They brought it back? Again? During a war?” James groaned.

“Congress needs to get their priorities in line. We don’t need this during a war.” America muttered, eyes glancing around to make sure no one was nearby and able to hear him.

“Well, they aren’t stopping. Something needs to veto this bill so badly it doesn’t come back. Otherwise, the South is going to lose it, and we’re going to fight about it every year.” James commented. America groaned.

“That’ll be a headache. The debate about slavery is going to be my biggest headache for my entire time as a country. I bet they’ll still be fighting about where it is and isn’t allowed when I die.” America speculated.

“Hopefully not. All issues have to have a solution.” James said. America smiled at his comment.

“You sound so wise, someone could almost mistake you for a philosopher.”

“Maybe if I were, you’d listen to my advice a bit more,” James said, his tone both joking and fond. America rolled his eyes, rubbing at DC’s signature at the bottom of the letter, thinking about the fights that were certainly going on in Congress at the moment, “It’ll be alright, Neville. Focus on the war. Dee’s a smart girl, she’s got things handled.”

“I know, I know.” America said, tucking the letter away in a pocket, “It can’t be a problem forever. Thanks James.”

“It was my pleasure.”

———————————————

1848

America was happy when the Mexican War ended. California was alive, albeit very sick, and America had already penned a letter to Hawaiʻi, figuring that the country Unorganized Territory had adopted as family should be privy to the knowledge of her “niece.” It would be a good testing ground to see if Hawaiʻi could be trusted with the knowledge of the states.

“She’s too close to Britain. Don’t you remember what he did to Michigan?” James pointed out. America sighed.

“I know, I know. We can figure that out later. We have other things to worry about.” he said. America has far too much to worry about.

He had to worry about getting the Senate to approve the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, figuring out how he would use all the new land, organizing new territories, and creating new states—a short, manageable list of tasks. At least the Wilmot Proviso, the bill causing him so much trouble before the war, wasn’t around.

“Hello, Dad. They're trying to add the Wilmot Proviso to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,” DC said, walking into America’s office. America groaned, having spoken too soon, it seemed. 

“Why? Why are they trying to add that troublesome document to the peace treaty.” James said. America could almost imagine the man’s face buried in his hands as he groaned.

“This is going to be an annoying Senate battle, isn’t it?” Unorganized Territory asked.

“Third time! Haven’t they accepted the fact that that bill is not going to pass?” America asked. DC shrugged.

“I guess not. They’re stubborn, just like the rest of us.” DC remarked.

“No matter how different Americans are, we will always be united by our ridiculous stubbornness,” Caleb said.

“How wonderful,” America muttered sarcastically.

“Yes, it is wonderful, especially now that you don't have to worry about a war and will be joining me in Congress,” DC said. America groaned.

“Let’s go then. I’ve missed being yelled at by Congress.” America said. DC raised an eyebrow. 

“Really?” James asked skeptically, his voice being joined by DC’s as she asked the same question.

“We both know I’m being sarcastic,” America said as they left for the capital. They walked up the steps and headed for the Senate as America mentally prepared himself to deal with a bunch of arguing men.

“Well, at least it’s the Senate and not the states. We don’t have to break up fistfights here.” DC said. America laughed.

“Not yet, at least.” James joked. 

“And I am incredibly thankful for that.” America said before walking into the Senate, “Why are we attempting to add a bill that has failed twice to our peace treaty with Mexico?”

————————————————

1850

“Alright, we have five separate bills created with the aim of getting you guys to calm down about the new territories and the fight over slavery. Mexican Cession will get her old name back and become the state of California, and we’ll be creating the Utah and New Mexico territories from the rest of the land we got from Mexico. Is anyone upset with that?” James asked as he reviewed the bills making up this compromise with the states.

Typically, America would take care of this, but as he wasn’t around, James was now in charge. It was his least favorite thing to do, and he didn’t understand how America did this day in and day out. Something about his country mind must have allowed him the endless patience he had with the government.

“I’m not. I’m glad I’ll be getting my old name back.” Mexican Cession—formerly known as the California Republic—said. 

“What about slavery? Will it be allowed there or not?” Mississippi asked, crossing her arms.

“The people of the territories will vote for whether or not they want slavery,” DC said.

“That’s my favorite part.” Unorganized Territory said, “I think that’s the best way to get Congress to stop fighting about it.”

“I’m okay with that,” Arkansas said, the other slave states nodding in agreement. James sighed. That’s one problem out of the way.

“Next topic, which Texas already knows about. Texas is giving up his claims to some of the land that will be incorporated in New Mexico Territory and Unorganized Territory in exchange for America’s assumption of his public debt. And no, just because Texas gave up his land claims doesn’t mean you can claim it.” James said, deciding to cut into that argument before it truly began.

“Well, that’s not something I saw coming.” New York muttered. Texas shot him a glare.

“None of us really expected Texas to give up some of his land either,” Caleb said with a little laugh.

“I can cooperate with others, York. Besides, I’m still the biggest state in the Union.” Texas boasted. Mexican Cession rolled her eyes. 

“Is that all you care about?” She asked. Texas remained silent.

“Moving on!” DC said with a clap of her hands, “The slave trade is now banned in my district.”

“Wait, what?” Vermont said, his statement being echoed by many other states.

“But you’re surrounded by slave states!” Tennessee protested. 

“But she’s not a part of either of those states, so why does that part matter?” Warwick groaned, “I thought they were headaches as colonies, but they’re just worse now.”

“But I’m not a slave state. I’m not even a state. I can and will be different from Maryland and Virginia.” DC said, anger appearing in her voice as she spoke. James winced. DC had always been sensitive about her status as a district, as the other states could be a bit insensitive about it.

“Right…sorry.” Tennessee said before turning to James, “Is there anything else?” 

“A New Fugitive Slave Act,” James said.

“What?” Vermont asked, narrowing his eyes.

“We already have one. Why are we making another?” Maine asked.

“Yeah, we don’t need another fugitive slave law!” Pennsylvania protested. 

“I mean, the current one isn’t very effective.” Unorganized Territory pointed out.

“Yes, we do! You’ve been ignoring the first one!” Virginia argued back. 

“Alright, I’m stopping this argument before it begins. This new fugitive slave law will penalize officials who did not arrest someone allegedly escaping from slavery, and they may have to pay a fine of $1,000. Law enforcement officials are required to arrest people suspected of escaping enslavement even if the only evidence is a claimant's sworn testimony of ownership.” James began before Wisconsin’s furious shout cut him off.

“That’s bullshit!” she said, “You need more proof than that…this…that’s ridiculous, James!”

“Con—” James started before Wisconsin cut him off.

“This is ridiculous. You’re just increasing Southern power!” He continued.

“Con.” James said firmly, “I know you might not like this, but we have to make sacrifices sometimes.”

Wisconsin scowled but nodded, still looking incredibly mad.

“Picking up from where James left off, habeas corpus will not be allowed in those cases, nor will a jury be allowed. The person accused of being a fugitive slave cannot testify.” DC continued. 

“That’ll be helpful in tracking down our escaped slaves.” South Carolina remarked.

“Yeah, but getting rid of the jury? Are we sure that’s okay? We promised our people a jury in the constitution.” Delaware asked, looking nervous. As pro-slavery as he was, he was always anxious about going against promises in the Constitution.

“They aren’t citizens, Del. It’s fine,” Georgia said.

“I still think it’s bullshit. Even more so now.” Wisconsin said. James sighed.

“Con, please. I know many of you may not like this fugitive slave law, but we need it. We need a compromise.” James said. Wisconsin sighed.

“I know I won’t win this fight. I don’t like it, but I know how important compromises are nowadays.” Wisconsin said.

“Thank you, Wisconsin.” James said, “Any other objections?” 

None of the states answered, and while the tension between the free and slave states had decreased, many of the free states were offended by the news of the new fugitive slave law.

America really needed this compromise. James only hoped it wouldn’t go wrong.

[calypsid]

my personal writing-to-AO3 workflow

this is really long so here is a friendly cut

I write in Scrivener, so I am starting with rich text that is not in the Windows environment. any writing program that is not Microsoft Word is on the same level. why does this matter? because Windows pasting to browsers is deficient in that it does not preserve rich text formatting unless it comes from Word. why? I have no fucking clue. but it's good to know. so I start with this:

Destiny! I love to hate it. you will note two instances of italicized text. now, as I'm the laziest bastard who rolled over the earth, I don't want to hand-code those to drop in AO3's HTML editor. (I don't use the rich text editor because on preview, it runs through the text and applies HTML codes for you, and in certain circumstances that can break formatting, such as if you're using a texting workskin or other custom formatting. if that's not a problem for you, you probably don't need this post.)

so, it gets copy-pasted into Microsoft Word:

(I am aware that this could be the same screenshot. I promise it's not. I just write in Calibri.)

then I open the Find/Replace dialogue:

make sure your cursor is in the Find What: box. click the Format button on the bottom left:

select Font...

under Font Style, select Italic and hit "OK".

now I'm going to work the actual magic. the HTML code for italics is <i> or <em> (they're the same thing). that means that when a browser sees that code, it treats any text wrapped in that code as italicized.

I just have to tell Word to find the italicized text and wrap it in my HTML.

in the Replace With: field, paste this:

<i>^&</i>

"^&" is the regex code for "the same text". so you're telling Word to find this text and replace it with itself and also the HTML.

looks like this. then hit "replace all". you're done.

copy the text from the word document and put it in the HTML posting box in AO3. that's all you have to do.

I've used a lot of words and probably made this sound like an ordeal, but I have the code memorized and I can do this in less than eight seconds. I'm not exaggerating.

you can do this with anything you can search for in that Font box: bold, strikethrough, etc. you can also do this with other formatting, but the codes for those are Word regex and it's not documented as well as regular regex. I'm willing to help! but those are the provisos.

hope this helps someone!

[ti0mumu]

This gacha thing is so easy

got both the 6* (i wanted both) and even got Cement and Proviso which i wanted but they didnt came home when i tried rolling for them (I did got the 6* of their banners with just the guaranteed 10 pulls though even if i wasnt particularly fuzzed about either Ines or Młynar lol)

also

My Originite Prime are in Shambles but my units look great

[chibiisukee]

A bit late, but here are my pulls in the banner!

I might have burned through all my luck for the year, though...

Final results: 310 rolls, Penance pot 4, Omertosa pot 5, No 6* spooks Sparked Penance pot 5

New 5*: Lunacub full pot, Toddiffons

Side note: I still don't have Proviso... Game, why do want me not to make my own legal department that much?

[armoredisopod]

Uncle wanter now uncle haver, i feel unwell 🫠

Got him in 70-ish rolls and also got Proviso way earlier before him, will E2 her later since im out of chip catalysts

[hotchxreid]

51 and 60! And as a proviso for 60; how many of those are CM/hotchreid photos? 😂

51. How old were you when you learned Santa wasn’t real?

Well as someone with a shit memory, I don’t know 😂 But if you want a shitty little anecdote, I was in the car when my dad told me, unprompted, that Santa wasn’t real because he wanted me to know the presents came from him. So then I went home to my mom’s and told her and she was pissed af so I’m gonna guess pretty young el oh el

60. How many photos do I have on my phone?

My camera roll says 5,399 😅 Most of them are my cat, dog, and girlfriend respectively lol As for CM and our boys, probably closer to 100? I have a problem with “saving” things and forgetting to delete them. 300 pics are probably just screenshots lmao yes I know I should use google drive or something. Maybe one day

[freakygirlie]

What about your most favorite j2 only fics?? Any cool gems? :D

*rolls up sleeves* *clears throat* DO I HAVE SOME AMAZING GEMS FOR YOU !!!

here are ten of the greatest j2 fics i have ever read that i cherish with my full being- (if u dont want to read my out of control ramblings fics are bolded, click and enjoy <30

-Beautiful Rhythm. Pianist!Jensen and Doctor!Jared with the utmost cutest friends to lovers relationship EVERRR. this fic is pure gorgeous writing, with the characterization down to a T and a wonderful, fun banter filled j2 who are pining for each other so much. Jensen POV. It's beautiful get up and read it right now.

-The Play Nice Proviso. this is a fairly popular fic in j2 fandom and for good reason !!! non au ish j2 where they actually hate each other when the meet but are forced to play nice because of a proviso in their contract. this is such a good fic i was foaming at the mouth reading it, the pining and the way the relationship builds the enemies to lovers burn mhmm god this fic is wonderful.

-My Heart Don't Beat The Way It Used To. this is such a comfort fic for me, highschool j2 where jensen is a brooding artist, jared is a jock and they are the bestest of friends. pining jensen to the max, the cute little highschool elements, the relationship between the boys, the cameos of their friends, this fic is BEAUTIFULLL. i keep coming back to it when i am out of everything to read and it gets better each time.

-LITERALLY EVERYTHING BY SOULMATECEST. but my two personal favorites would be- Project Get Jared Banged- J2 ARE STEP BROTHERS!! THE PINING THE CODEPENDENCY THE WRONGNESS(but then not really) THE ANGSTTTT, the fluff <3 the way j2 are w each other CHEF'S KISS, everything about this fic!! i was sobbing on the floor reading it!!! -and then, Execution Of The Last Steal. when i say this was the fic that gave me standards i mean this fic was the one that gave me standards!! (2 years of searching for a fic as amazing as this one but alas) Hacker!Jared , Thief!Jensen, where they're exes and jensen helps jared escape but jared's engaged to stephen(HA WHO DOESNT LOVE J2 STEPHEN JEALOUSY THIS FICCC IS MY SOULFOOD)!!!! the re-building of their relationship, THEIR BANTER i laugh like anything reading their conversations, the flashbacks and the way they tie in to the present !! the plot and suspense and the angst and fluff KILL ME NOW IT'S SO GOOD. i have genuinely forgotten how many times i've read this but i would like to be buried with it if no one minds.

-Operation: Mistletoe. everyone: *loud groans* ''AVERY!! ENOUGH W RECCING THIS FIC OK WE GET IT IT'S WONDERFUL'' BUT NO !!!!! NO U DO NOT GET IT !!!! THIS FIC. IS EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. stop fucking rolling ur eyes and lOOK AT ME. enemies to lovers!! fake relationship!! only one bed!! j2 are fbi agents!! great plot, such fun banter, pining, fluff, angst, THIS FIC HAS IT ALLLLLL. if u haven't read this yet genuinely what have u done. the characterizations of j2 *chef's kiss* the mystery, the chad in this fic? top tier. the conversations and the slow build and the MOMENTTT, god this fic is IT.

-Something Borrowed, Something Blue. your classic 'i need a date to show up my ex at my brother's wedding! come with me!' but instead of getting ur best friend to do it, jensen's part of an escort service <3 jared hires him and shenanigans ensue. this fic is so so so good and so much fun to read, the way j2's relationship grows is beautiful. i have read lots of fake relationship fics and this one is right up there with the gems.

-True Colors. i could write sonnets about this fic that would have shakespeare rolling in his grave!!! jared has a special gift and jensen's an executive who doesn't know life outside of his work. the connection between them, the absolute trust that develops and how they slowly fall in love despite everything and how jensen is the only one(outside of jared's father) who sees him truly and fully, goddddd this fic is such a beautiful journey and so soft and so perfect. a true gem of this fandom that deserves to be CHERISHED.

-Burn The Land and Boil The Sea. this fic makes u FEEL AND SOB AND CRY AND YELL AND JUST EXPLODE. nyxocity's way with words makes u wonder why they haven't won a pulitzer already. j2 spent one glorious summer together but they parted ways and now fate has brought them together but they're different people(or well jensen is). and despite it all, the connection forged between them all those years ago hasn't severed no matter how much they deny it and the rebuilding of them, the PLOT, the angst and near-death experiences and THE FEELINGS AFTERWARDS. it's everything in one glorious package- emotions, denial of said emotions, the protectiveness and love between them, and how they only trust each other and how they heal each other from their horrific experiences, nhdhsjd go! read! you won't regret it, this fic is STUNNING <33

-The Doors of Time. we save the best for last!!!!!!!!! this fic is wildly popular and WHY WOULDN'T IT BE!!!! SO. MUCH. BEAUTY. AND. WONDER. magic, fairies, love, emotions, pining, soulmatism, GODDD, this fic WRECKS YOU IN THE BEST WAY. i read this all at once + it's extras(on ao3!) and it was such a wild fucking ride. jensen has special abilities and jared is his soulmate, they fall in love but get separated and spend all this time looking and waiting for each other and when they meet GOD. THE ANGSTTTT AND FLUFF!!! mind blowing. a spectacular, spectacular fic that u absolutely have to read if u haven't.(i downloaded 6 pdfs of this on separate devices because docdroid is the only place it's available and i definitely didn't want to lose it in any way, shape or form).

+ (i wouldn't be me if i didn't add a bonus now would i) BONUS!! -Come With Me(Is It Lonesome On The Sea). the cutest j2 friends to lovers fic that is just pure tooth-rotting fluff, with the characterization, story and the relationship being a wonder to behold. me reading this on every bad day i have and cursing ao3 for the ability to not leave more kudos. it deserves every kudo out there and then some.

anyways !!!!!!! j2 fics that are genuine GEMS!! hope u like these anon and go give the fics/authors some love <3

[scotianostra]

May 18th 1313 saw Robert the Bruce invade the Isle of Man.

The Isle of man has changed hands many times through the centuries, if you go back to Scotland before King Alexander III died, plunging the country into the Wars of Independence, he had extended his Kingdom to include Man and Berwick, both of which are part of England nowadays.

Scotland’s rule was not welcomed in 1275  an uprising in Man against Scottish rule was brutally suppressed. The chronicles tell us that…..

“ Upon the 7th of October, the Fleet of the King of Scotland put into the port of Ronaldsway. John de Vesci and the King’s nobles immediately landed their forces on the island of St. Michael, the people of Man being prepared for the encounter, along with Godred, the son of Magnus, whom they had made their king but a short time previously. The chiefs and officers of the King of Scotland, however, sent an embassy of peace to Godred and the people of Man, offering them the peace of God and of the King of Scotland on condition of their laying aside their absurd presumption, and of giving themselves up to the King and his nobles.  As Godred, however, and some of his perverse counsellors did not agree to the terms of the embassy, on the following day, before sunrise, whilst darkness still covered the earth, … an engagement took place, and the unfortunate people of Man, running away, fell miserably “

If you notice the names of Godred and Magnus, the island was still very influenced by the Scandinavians. Their influence was again noted in 1291 when

” the Noble Lady Maria, Queen of Man"  a member of the Scandinavian royal family of Man, did homage to Longshanks at Perth. Two years later in early 1293, Walter de Huntercombe, who held Man for a short time, surrendered the island to John Balliol by Edward’s order, of course Edward had the proviso that Balliol swore him allegiance. The next year Balliol refused to send Scottish soldiers to fight with Edward against the French, the Scottish King entered into the Auld Alliance and also formed a little known Alliance with Norway.  Furious Edward marched his army into Scotland and the Wars of Independence raged for several years, during this time little is written about Man, it seems he garrisoned soldiers there and it feel under English rule. Edward I and his son Edward II “gave” the Island to differing lords to administrate until 1313, the chronicles tell us that

“In the year 1313, on the 18th of May, Lord Robert [Bruce], King of Scotland, put in at Ramsay with a large number of ships, and on the following Sunday went to the nunnery at Douglas, where he spent the night, and on Monday laid siege to the Castle of Rushen, which was defended by the Ilord Dungali Mac Dowyle 41 against the said Lord King until the Tuesday after the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle (June 21), on which day the said Lord King took the Castle.” On the 20th of December, in the same year, Bruce granted the island to Thomas Randolf,  Earl of Moray, “  

The defeat of the English at Bannockburn consolidated the Scottish position. It’s a bit vague about what happened but the English seemed to have taken control, under Edward I by 1317, and he had committed the island to the safe keeping of John de Athy and orders him to provide three ships and

” a sufficient armament of warlike men “ to protect ” it against the hostile attacks of our enemies and rebels the Scots.“ But it is a bit confusing as , three months later, Randolf, Earl of Moray, is spoken of as ” being about to set out for the parts of Man,“

Some sort of truce prevailed for some time on the run up to 1328, when the independence of Scotland was formally acknowledged and the King of England gave an undertaking not tc assist any enemies of the Scots to dispossess their of Man,”  it is probable that Man had before that date reverted to Scotland. Roll on to 1333 and the English were at it again, with the help of the “disinherited” they helped John Balliol’s son Edward invade Scotland, which brought us to today’s date that year when Edward III gave orders that possession should be taken of Man.  He granted the custody of the island to Sir William de Montacute, and, further, on the 9th of August, he gave it to him as his absolute possession-in the words of the grant - he

“ remitted, surrendered, and … assigned peaceful possession of all the rights and claims which we have, have had, or in any way could have in the Isle of Man, … so that neither we, nor our heirs, nor any other in our name shall be able to exact or dispose of any right or claim in the aforesaid Island,” thus not reserving any service to be rendered to himself.“

The Scots again threatened to retake Man in 1337 but it was unsuccessful, the Isle of Man has since been seen as part of England.