#new england matriarchs

[oldguardleatherdog]

For Father's Day:

"The One Decent Thing I Ever Did"

This is a monograph from 2015, previously posted here some time ago, a tale of my maternal grandmother, a below-zero winter night, the New York City subway West Side express during post-9/11, that mentions my father only in passing... and it's about my father.

THE ONE DECENT THING I EVER DID.

I.

A long time ago, during a time of struggle, I did one decent thing:

I'd just gotten on the subway in Midtown Manhattan on a brutal winter night, the No. 2 uptown express, when a couple with a small child boarded the car I was riding.

They were having a very loud conversation with their child (about four years old, I think) who was crying or somehow behaving in a way that was "bad". The mother took the belt from her jeans and raised her arm to strike her child with it.

Don’t ask me why I did this, but I rose from my seat, grabbed the mother’s arm mid-swing, and said, “As long as I am on this train, you will not hit that child with that belt.” She and the child’s father were stunned into silence for a moment as I made my way back to my seat.

Immediately after I sat down, the mother and father began leveling all kinds of vitriol my way, calling me every name in the book, including all the variations of “faggot” in use at the time. I just sat there, smiled wide, laughed loud, and shined ‘em on:

“You can call me ‘faggot.’ You can call me anything you like. Because every minute you focus on me, you are not beating that child with that belt.”

The crowded train car fell silent.

II.

Yuletide, 1982. I was in the service in Germany and took leave to see my grandmother in Florida. My grandfather had passed away the previous March, and something told me to seize the chance to see Grandma while she was still with us. I was only 20, born late in life to my parents, and never got to know my grandparents in the way my older brothers did.

We were in my Grandma's airy, air-conditioned Fort Lauderdale kitchen having coffee one morning when the rest of the family had gone out for breakfast. “Would you like a little pick-me-up in your cup, dear?” I laughed. “No thanks, Gramma, it's a little early for me.” The joys of Florida.

I'd had a rough upbringing by any measure - my father was first-gen shanty Irish born in the early 1920's with a mean spirit and a violent edge, mother not Irish but still violent - but at age 20 I hadn't yet realized just how rough it had been.

“You know,” I said to Grandma, “Harold and Evelyn did the best they could. I mean, I turned out all right, right?”

Grandma leaned back in her chair, took a nice drag off one of her unfiltered Camels, and said in her declarative New England way the words that always meant Listen up, you're about to hear gospel truth:

“Well, I'll tell ya, Joe.” I was all ears.

She took another hit off of her cigarette. “I held my tongue. More than once, I held my tongue.

“But one day, your mother and father were in the front yard with your grandfather and me, and I walked up to your father and said, “Harold, I just want to tell you something. It takes a real man to beat a child with a belt.”

...Wow.

I only wish she hadn’t held her tongue!

I sipped my coffee, looked for palmetto bugs on the lanai. “Grandma,” I said, “I'm all right.”

She looked away, and I saw the colors of the rainbow in the prism of her pendant.

III.

What was I doing on the 2 train heading uptown in the bitter blistering freezing cold New York winter?

Heading ���home” – that is, to one of the many rundown firetrap SRO hotels paid by the City of New York to house homeless people with HIV. The City's AIDS regulations set the policy: if you showed up at the HIV center at 30th and 8th before 7 PM on a given day, New York City was obliged to find you housing for the same night and for the next 30 days in a row at the very least.

Strange - in those days, New York would house you but not feed you, and San Francisco would feed you but not house you. Come to think of it, that's the way it is these days.

My dank, filthy, crawling with roaches and vermin crack-house "shelter" was way uptown, near 96th and Broadway. (I had always dreamed about making it to Broadway, ha ha.)

96th Street and Broadway stop was next. The train car was still silent as the parents sat sullenly and the child - Jesus, he can't be older than 3 or 4 years old, I thought - was staring at me, no expression on his little face, but eyes wide as saucers.

The train screeched to a stop. I got up and headed to the door, passing the couple with the small child and the loose belt. They were silent and did not regard me as I passed; the child, I think, might have glanced at me, but I’m not sure. I knew that after I got off the train, or after they got off the train, that poor kid was probably going to get beaten. Severely.

Out the door and onto the bone-chilling platform at 96th Street. A young woman who had witnessed the mother wield that belt came up to me and said, “I’m so glad you did that, I wanted to say something, but I was too…” Her voice trailed off as the pained look on her face finished her thought.

“I understand,” I said to her as our eyes met in that New York way of speaking the unspeakable, then made my way up the stairs into the below-zero winter breezes of the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

What the hell, I thought as I made my way out of the station, I had nothing to lose. Those were dark times, desperate days. I'm no angel. But just once, on that long-ago Number 2 train, I was granted the grace to do one decent thing.

Animal J. Smith San Francisco, California July 22, 2015 and June 18, 2023 v2.0

My maternal grandparents, Ed and Ethel (Schirmer) Olson, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, c. 1980

[hugheses]

ellen weinberg

a lot of people online like to praise her because they love her kids, but before she was mama hughes, ellen weinberg was an even more accomplished athlete than her wikipedia page can tell you. well i have way too much time on my hands and an affinity for googling things, so here is a not-so-little primer on the matriarch of hockey who has contributed far more than just her superstar children.

(basically anything not sourced is from the cammi & aj podcast i have a transcript of)

born in st. louis, she was told she couldn't play hockey because girls couldn't play on boys teams in the state of missouri, and there were no girls teams. went to bob johnson's hockey camp in aspen at age 7. moved to dallas at age 8, where she was allowed to play on the boys team. at age 12, is featured in a news clip "girl hockey player" where she says she wants to one day play professional hockey.

at 15, wins nationals with her U-19 soccer team, the dallas sting, and they are sent to represent the US in the first ever FIFA-sanctioned world women’s tournament in china and proceeded to win gold against all expectations becoming the first US team to win any international soccer competition, male or female. also on this team was her best friend, future woso legend carla werden (overbeck). 1, 2

other noteworthy teammates: she played with mia hamm on her state team and was roommates with brandi chastain at her first youth national team camp for soccer.

she was recruited to lots of top schools for soccer, but chose the university of new hampshire because it was also offering hockey. she describes this as "the lack of landscape really drove my next move" because there was only 31 D1 women's soccer programs in the country at the time, and none in the state of texas.

she reached out to the women's hockey coach at unh, russ mccurdy, and told him she was being recruited for soccer but was really coming to unh because she wanted to play hockey, and he told her that it was unlikely she would make the team. so bob johnson called and asked him to give her a shot, and he said ok. he allowed her to have a one week tryout once soccer season was over, and after the first day, he asked, "what size skates do you wear?" and that was it, she was on the team.

the women's soccer coach, marge anderson, was also a lacrosse player, and encouraged ellen to join the lacrosse team that needed more players. so she did. in her own words:

"I wasn't very good. I could run, but my stick skills- and I learned and I did everything, and it was great, and we went to the Final Four, but I was out at that point. So everybody always says I played three sports like, I was on the team. I was, you know, three sports at that level. I was done at that point and I stuck with soccer and hockey after my first year. But it was a really cool experience."

she may have not been very good but she did go on to coach her own kids teams in lacrosse (and potentially owen power, who is confirmed to have played lacrosse with them but it is not confirmed that it was when she coached them)

(she was #21)

she was an elite skater and creative player, and "would often find herself in trouble in Durham for rushing the puck from her defensive post or trying things like a spin-o-rama".

she helped UNH win 3 hockey championships in 4 years, made the all-new england team (soccer) as a freshman, was named an unh athlete of the year finalist after an injury that kept her out for an entire school year, was named to the ECAC all star team, was an ISAA senior recognition award winner, was soccer co-captain in 1990, and then captain of both the soccer and hockey teams as a senior X

in april 1991, she participated in the Eastern Regional Tryouts of the US National Women's Hockey Team

"We've got it pretty good, playing defense," says senior Ellen Weinberg to fellow defenseman Weston. "There aren't as many of us to choose from. But then, when you look at who's there, they're all good!"

she then went on to pursue a graduate degree at UNH where she was an assistant coach for both soccer and hockey for two years, all the while contributing to historical hockey research to the point that she is named in the acknowledgements of Hockey: A Global History by Hardy & Holman

“It was my way of staying involved because I had nowhere to play. Then I participated in the 1992 World Championship, finished my master's degree. Then I really had nowhere to play." (google translated)

The New Hampshire Vol. 83 No. 18 (Nov. 6 1992)

then in 1992, she played for the women's national team in both soccer and hockey.

the soccer team didn't play in any big tournaments that year, but for hockey she went to women's worlds in tampere, finland, where she was an alternate captain. the US won silver, with ellen scoring 3 or 4 assists in 5 games (depending on which source you believe) and ellen was named to the all-star team by the media as the top player in her position.

also in 1992, she was a power skating coach at the summerland female hockey academy, teaching future star hayley wickenheiser.

there was hope that women's hockey would be a part of the 1994 olympics, but when that didn't happen, ellen went to norway anyways to grow the game.

“They were hoping women’s hockey was going to be sanctioned in the ‘94 Olympics and it wasn’t, so the Norwegian ice hockey federation had all this extra funding so they asked USA Hockey for an ambassador to go over and help grow the women’s game,” she said. “We had played in the ’92 World Championships and I was one of the older people and they offered me that opportunity to go over and work with the Norwegian ice hockey federation and what I did was I lived in Oslo. “And I went around to all the little towns and taught the girls how to play. It was awesome. Since Norway was such a small country with four million people at the time, they needed all the buses during the Olympics so everyone went on holiday, so my job stopped for three weeks.” X

ELLEN WEINBERG of Boston and the University of New Hampshire was interested in Coach TIM TAYLOR's tactics at practice. The 25-year-old Weinberg, one of America's best female players, is advising Norway's women's teams. Women's hockey becomes an Olympic sport in 1998. "They complain in Norway that I coach too long on the ice," she said. "They should see this guy, always instructing." X

she was invited to camp in lake placid for the 1994 women’s worlds (which took place every two years then), but suffered a serious knee injury that she believes is because they didn’t have proper support/training facilities

“We didn’t have a gym at the time. It was so different. We just played relying on our athletic instincts. If I got injured, it’s probably because I didn’t have the ideal support,” (google translated) X 

by 1996 she was playing for the itech blaiders roller hockey team in NJ (and her then-boyfriend, jim, was coaching the new jersey rockin’ rollers) while also working in broadcasting

she had been considered a lock for the nagano olympics, despite being “old” but that “blown-out knee effectively ended her competitive career” :( 

she ended up in nagano anyways as a reporter for cbs, one of her first big gigs in her media career, which i can do a part 2 on if there's interest.

and currently she’s on the USA hockey foundation board and is a player development consultant for the women’s national team

[mortalfaerie]

hi here's my take on the gravity falls kids grown up since they're 25 now

Mason "Dipper" Pines

after wierdmaggedan and disposing of the journals, he still has a keen interest in mysteries, just not necessarily of a supernatural nature. he's aware of the supernatural that's all around them, but content to let it rest.

he gets really into history and archeology, and bonds more with ford about this - even though ford is a physicist, he appreciates dipper's enthusiasm

he's trans (i'll die on this hill) and continues to socially transition in high school, and starts testosterone around 16.

he also starts going more by his chosen name (mason, choosing one that starts similarly to mabel) but still lets close friends and family call him dipper. he stops covering his birthmark, though he still likes hats

he's suspicious of mabel's new friendship with pacifica in high school, but he warms up to pacifica ("paz," as they end up calling her) over time. he realizes they have a lot in common and she's actually a lot of help on his mystery hunting

paz's blooming interest in political science lends itself very much to his interest in history, and they spend lots of hours as teen up late on the phone together (seemingly everyone but them can see the writing on the wall, but it takes a few more years for them to realize their feelings)

he continues to be a massive nerd, and has at least one dd&md podcast he religiously listens to. he and mabel go to conventions in california together.

his favorite place remains gravity falls over the years, and he goes back at least once each summer.

he and pacifica both commit to UCLA and become closer there. he majors in archeology & anthropology. despite their very different social circles, they seek each other out. she has at least one twat boyfriend in freshman year that dipper confronts on her behalf (even though she didn't want him to)

he and paz almost kiss at his going away party for a semester abroad in greece, but he panics and runs off, leaving her confused and hurt. it takes a while for them to regain their footing, but they end up hooking up the night he comes back from greece. due to a comedy of errors they don't end up *going all the way* that night, and it's not until they're at the pool a week later that she realizes he's trans when she sees his top surgery scars (thanks rockslide @ ao3)

he was 99% sure she knew so it's a surprise moment for him, and he worries she won't be interested now, but she's pretty non-plussed. they start dating that summer.

her parents disapprove and she ends up putting her foot down and cutting them off for how they treat him, and his family ends up practically adopting her. they are each other's biggest supporters in everything.

he gets offered a spot in a phd program in london, which stresses him out until he finds out that paz applied for a posting at the us embassy in london and got it, so they move to england together

he studies pre-modern civilizations and religious rites (a la stonehenge, etc) and has just finished his coursework and moved from phd student to candidate. he's just started to write his dissertation on potentially matriarchal societies in pre-modern britain using burial site data from major burial sites of religious significance.

he and paz have a cat name tyrone, or ty. they've been together for almost four years now, and he's thinking about popping the question - they're young (25), but he's pretty certain that for him, it's always going to be paz.

[coco-loco-nut]

Bridgerton - Oscar

pairing: oscar piastri x reader

summary: you return from france to find your childhood best friend grown up

a/n: ok, part two of season three was kinda a let down, but we are celebrating with a second Bridgerton/Regency AU

masterlist

———————

“Miss Y/n L/n,” you are introduced to the matriarch of the Russell family by your mother. You returned from Paris for your London society debut, making you the prized debutante of the Season. Your older brother was already roped into a conversation, barely a minute after you arrived.

“It is a pleasure to be invited to your ball, it is lovely,” you compliment, a demure smile gracing your face. You passed the time in Paris learning how to be a proper lady, gaining skills that will set you apart from the rest of society. Being the daughter of the Ambassador to France isn’t enough to secure a match.

“Thank you, it is nice to have the L/ns back in England. Have you met my son?” Lady Russell turns to the young man beside her, waiting for an introduction. You bow, as proper etiquette requires upon introduction.

“May I have this dance, Miss L/n?” George asks, extending his arm upon acceptance. You are the last lady to arrive and have yet to find a partner for the first dance, meaning he is able to offer himself as a partner.

“It would be my pleasure, Mr. Russell,” you take his arm and let him lead you to the dance floor for the set.

“So, Paris? What is that like?” George asks, unsure of how to open.

“It was wonderful. So much art and culture. I learned many things while there,” you played down your many accomplishments. You were more accomplished than most of the other young ladies in the room.

“It must’ve been hard growing up there during the Empire then then transition to the new Monarchy,” George sympathizes, knowing it would be improper for you to bring it up first.

“Yes, but we moved with Father ten years ago, so it is what I have known most of my life. It did teach me much about running a household as well,” you tiptoe the line of being proper. You converse about it for the rest of the set.

“I suppose I will have to call on you in order to learn more. Shall we?” George offers a walk around the room, signaling the end of his dance with you.

“Thank you for the dance, Mr. Russell, it was lovely,” you tell him. He isn’t the worst person you have met. George leads you over to a group of young men.

“Would you mind if I introduce you to some acquaintances?” George asks, having a feeling his friends would find you interesting. Although it isn’t proper, he is a part of the host family, so he can claim to be entertaining you.

“Certainly, Mr. Russell. I am afraid I don’t know many people here,” you curiously accept the offer.

“Gentleman, may I introduce you to Miss Y/n L/n, daughter of Lord L/n, the Ambassador to France,” George introduces you as you bow, releasing his arm.

“A pleasure,” you say, looking at the four men. They are introduced as Mr. Norris, Lord Albon, Lord Hamilton, and-

“Y/n, it is lovely to see you again,” the fourth man bows slightly kissing the back of you hand. You quickly search through your brain, through the childhood memories of when you lived in England, trying to match his face with the familiar aura, one you have missed while in France.

“Oscar? Sorry. Lord Piastri, it is lovely to see you again, how have you been” you try to hide your blush. Your childhood best friend grew up handsomely. George and his friends converse with one another as Oscar steps aside to talk to you.

“I’ve been fine. I missed my best friend, I am sorry we lost touch,” Oscar says, looking you over. You have grown up, and are breathtakingly beautiful. The two of you would joke that you would get married one day when you were kids, and now Oscar wishes you were.

“It is a regret, I should’ve come back more often as well. I cannot believe how grown you are. How is your family? Your sisters?” you ask, talking more than you should, but neither of you care.

“They are well, my mother is here somewhere with my sisters. You look beautiful this evening,” Oscar compliments. He is used to being a wallflower during these events, watching and only talking to some acquaintances, but he is different around you.

“Thank you. I did miss you dearly. You have changed so much since I saw you last,” Oscar tries not to blush, noticing the next set was about to begin.

“Perhaps we could catch up over the next set?” You do just that. By the end of the hour, you feel close to Oscar again. Oscar leads you back to your mother and brother, you laughing lightly as something he said.

“Mother, Brother, you remember Oscar Piastri, no?” you ask, looking between the two.

“Of course, it is lovely to see you again, dear. Is your mother here?” your mom asks as the lady in question approaches.

“Oscar, I see you have found some old friends,” Nicole says, entering herself into the conversation.

“It is lovely to see you again, Lady Piastri,” you curtsy.

“Likewise, my dear. You must join us for tea tomorrow afternoon,” Nicole turns to your mother to extend the invitation. You look at Oscar, suddenly feeling a little shy.

“I shouldn’t monopolize your time, Y/n,” Oscar says, also feeling shy. He isn’t used to being this social.

“That is alright, it was wonderful to catch up,” you smile. You weren’t even sure if you should be addressing each by your christian names anymore, but it felt right. “I will see you soon, Oscar,” you let him kiss the back of your hand before he walks off. You spend the rest of your night dancing with other eligible bachelors.

Unfortunately for Oscar, you spend the rest of the London Season being courted by other men, but you make it clear you are waiting for the next Season to receive a marriage proposal. And when he comes to your family estate to call on you after the Season, he finds out that you went back to France for the winter, despite your father’s term having ended.

You keep in touch through letters, and Oscar is delighted to receive an invitation to your family’s ball, the first of the London Season. Oscar arrived to find you chatting with your brother and a slightly older man than him, but he decided to approach anyway.

“Ah, Oscar! It is delightful to see you again. You must meet my friend, Monsieur Charles Leclerc of Monaco. My family is hosting him for the start of the Season,” You introduce the two. “Charles, this is my childhood friend, Lord Oscar Piastri,” you say in flawless French.

“It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle L/n has said much about you,” Charles greets Oscar. Oscar is about to reply when George approaches.

“Miss L/n, may I dance this set with you?” George asks and you blush a little. You also wrote to George a few times in the Winter. He made it clear that he was interested in getting to know you, and you weren’t opposed. He did work to earn your correspondence, and you appreciated the friendship and courtship via letters.

“Is there no other free lady? I do not want to be improper,” you carefully ask, not wanting to be perceived as a rude host. You look around, seeing if your brother was dancing with a lady. If he were, then George would be obligated to dance with her as the host family doesn’t usually dance.

“Rest assured, there is no lady left wanting for a partner this dance,” George smiles, extending his hand.

“Then I would be delighted to dance with you, Mr. Russell,” you take his hand, allowing him to lead you to the dance floor.

“She looks beautiful tonight, non?” Charles asks Oscar.

“She does,” Oscar watches you dance with George. He has competition this season.

“Have you begun to formally court her?” Charles asks, noticing the was Oscar is looking at you.

“No, I haven’t. Why do you ask?” Oscar bristles a little.

“I am just curious, she is a good friend, but if I were courting her, I would not be here. I could’ve asked for her hand over the winter,” Charles tries to get Oscar to relax. “Maybe I could be of assistance,” he offers but Oscar shakes his head.

“I don’t want to sway her like that,” Oscar says, turning to Charles. “It was nice to make your acquaintance, I must go greet other friends,” Oscar nods his head, Charles returns the gesture. Oscar does end up dancing with you that night, but it was later in the night.

The trend seems to continue, George capturing your attention and time first, and Oscar being left behind. Charles stayed out of it as asked, instead he focuses on his business connections, similar to your brother.

Oscar finally manages to catch an afternoon with you, a chaperoned walk through the park. He even sent flowers ahead.

“You are a very popular lady this season,” Oscar says, your arm looped through his.

“It is tiring, the business of finding a husband is more work than I thought. It is nice to have a break to spend time with you. Friends are such a lovely reprieve,” you smile, enjoying the company.

“Have you found a suitor you like?” Oscar asks, trying to hide his jealousy.

“I do quite like Mr. Russell. He’s a good man, a good family and a good reputation. He would make for a fine match, don’t you think?” you look up at Oscar.

Oscar swallows the lump in his throat. “I suppose so,”

“Are you alright? Do you need to rest?” You ask, worried about the sudden change in your friends mood.

“No, no. I’m alright. I just don’t want you marrying someone who only wants you for your dowry and reputation,” Oscar promises, changing the topic of conversation.

“Oscar, love matches are rare, besides it is important to marry well as a lady. Now, tell me about that book you were reading,” you change the topic, ignoring the flutter in your heart when Oscar voiced his concern.

“Would you like to join me at the Opera?” Oscar asks abruptly.

“Of course I will join you. Send the information to the estate,” you agree without thinking of how society will see it.

“Wonderful, I will pick you and your chaperone up in my carriage,” Oscar can’t help the smile that appears on his face.

That night you dream of brown eyes, a change from the blue that have previously haunted your dreams. Your brother acts as your chaperone for the Opera, although he doesn’t seem concerned unless Oscar were to do something that would ruin you.

Somehow you found yourself being actively courted by two suitors. You realized your relationship with Oscar took a turn when you began to look forward to every moment spent with him. Yet, the safeness of George and his kindness is something you cannot refuse.

“Charles, I don’t know what to do,” you confess as you sit at the pianoforte, practicing a duet. Charles found a match and it planning on proposing soon. You are expecting a proposal tonight from George, who is a wonderful person, but something doesn’t feel right.

“I see the way you look at Lord Piastri, the two of you look at each with a certain tenderness. Mr. Russell is an advantageous match, and is at the top of the marriage mart, but he is no better off than Lord Piastri. Mr. Russell seems to be courting another lady as well,” Charles gives his opinion.

“The Hamilton ball is tonight, perhaps I will get my answer then,” you sigh. Your decision may be hard, but Charles did help clear your mind a bit. The theme of the ball revolves around flowers, so you choose a beautiful green dress with delicate flower embellishments.

“You look beautiful,” your mom smiles, it may be the best dress you’ve worn this Season.

“Thank you,” you nervously smooth your dress. The ride to the estate seems to last forever, but passed by quicker than you’d like.

Oscar can’t tear his eyes from you when you walk in. All he wants to do is sweep you up in his arms and never let you go. He is quick to approach you, knowing just how much is on the line tonight.

“You are stunning,” Oscar says, capturing your attention.

“Thank you, is that a new suit jacket? The green suits you,” you compliment Oscar, all social standards forgotten in your mind.

“May I speak freely?” Oscar asks carefully, catching you off guard.

“Always,” your brows furrow slightly in confusion.

“Don’t accept a proposal from Mr. Russell, you don’t love him. You deserve someone who loves you,” Oscar says, voice a little shaky yet strong.

“Oscar, I told you before, love matches are rare, and usually not realistic,” you push down your myriad of emotions, especially the fear and panic.

“Marry me,” Oscar blurts. “Marry me, I have loved you since we were children. I am a better match than Mr. Russell, I have a title, I have wealth and land, and I know you. I know your likes, your dislikes, childhood fears. Please, don’t marry someone else,” Oscar confesses as you look like a deer in the headlights.

“I- I need a moment, excuse me,” you feel your heartbeat quicken as you gracefully cross the room, heading out to the back patio. Leaning against the railing you take deep breaths of the fresh air, trying to steady your heart and clear your head.

“Close your eyes and take deep breaths, just listen to my voice,” George says, standing a respectable distance behind you. You do as he says as he talks about some random topic. It works, you feel yourself return to a normal state. “It happens to me too sometimes,” George says before letting a small silence fall between you.

“Thank you. I appreciate your help, truly. What made you follow me out here?” you look out at the gardens.

“You looked panicked, and I needed to talk with you,” George pauses, neither of you notice Oscar step outside. “You are a wonderful lady, but I am proposing to Miss Carmen in a weeks time,” he tells you.

“I received an offer from Lord Piastri, that’s what freaked me out,” you let out a little chuckle from the irony. “I am happy for you, Mr. Russell, I hope we can remain acquaintances in the future,” you look at George who is smiling as well.

“I would like that very much. Lord Piastri is a very lucky man,” George steps away, walking back inside. He gives an approving nod to Oscar. Oscar gives it a few seconds before approaching you.

“Are you okay? I was worried,” He says gently, filled with concern.

“I am so sorry for running off. I don’t know what came over me,” you look into his warm, brown eyes.

“It is okay, I sprung it on you. If you need time to decide, I will give it to you,” Oscar says.

“No. I want to marry you. Love matches are rare, and I don’t want to waste it. I love you, Oscar Piastri,” you say, pushing past the initial fear of your earlier realization.

“Does this mean I can get more than one dance out of you?” Oscar smiles, stepping closer to you. There is no one around to see you, the area tucked away from the ball.

“I believe it does,” you take a small step closer as well.

“May I kiss you?” his voice is low, breath fanning your face lightly.

“You may,” you say breathlessly, tilting your head upwards as he captures your lips with a kiss.

“I will talk to your father tomorrow, tonight we dance,” Oscar’s hands warm yours.

“I will meet you inside, I just need some more time,” you squeeze his hands lightly, a happy smile still on your face.

“Of course, I will meet you in there,” Oscar walks away, letting you process everything that has happened so far tonight. When you rejoin the party, you find Oscar talking to your mother and brother.

“Congratulations, darling. I am so happy for you both,” she says happily. “Nicole and I always knew you would end up together,” she reaches out to hug you.

“Go, dance,” your brother says, clearly approving of the match. Oscar lets you take his hand, leading you to the dance floor, and when that dance is over, you shock the room by dancing with him again. Not that you mind, you are enamored by your betrothed.

Within the following weeks, your engagement is speculated in the gossip papers, Oscar buys a common license, and you get married on a beautiful Thursday morning. The marriage is announced in the papers, making it official in societal terms. You take up residence in your families Paris estate for the honeymoon.

“Make haste, Oscar, we will be late for dinner with the Leclercs,” you call to your husband, certain activities causing you to run behind.

“Coming, my love. You look beautiful, but you would look more beautiful in bed,” Oscar wraps his arms around you, pulling you close.

“Indeed, something for you to look forward to after the dinner,” you press a kiss to his lips before leading him out the door to the carriage.

“I love you, Lady Piastri,” he says, holding you close.

“I love you too, Lord Piastri.”

[nanshe-of-nina]

Women’s History Meme || Mistresses (4/10) ↬ Nest ferch Rhys (c. 1085 – c. 1136)

She was the daughter of one king and the lover of another; the matriarch of a powerful dynasty and the cause of conflict and war. While most of her countrywomen lived out their lives in quiet obscurity, Nest, Princess of Dyfed, became a legend. She lived through one of the most exciting and dynamic periods of Welsh and English history, and was herself an influence upon its events. Her life provides a rare opportunity to explore the role of women in early Wales and the impact upon it of the Norman invaders. She was born into an extraordinary time. Her father, Rhys ap Tewdwr, was king of Deheubarth, the kingdom which extended over south-west Wales, and enjoyed considerable influence throughout all Wales. Yet he had very nearly not become king at all, and throughout his reign he had the strange distinction of being the only king in Wales to hold his kingdom undisturbed by the new neighbours who were occupying England. He had become king in the early years of the Norman Conquest of England, and survived through diplomacy and the policy of William the Conqueror, but on the death of William in 1087, Norman policy changed. The new king of England, William Rufus, needed to secure the loyalty of his aristocracy with land grants and promises of booty. Casting aside the treaty forged by Rhys and his father, he allowed his barons to invade the whole of Wales. Nest, perhaps still a young child, lost her father in battle. Her brother, Gruffudd, fled into exile in Ireland, while Nest fell into the hands of the new lords of south Wales. Up to this point, she must have expected her life to follow the usual pattern for Welsh women of royal blood – marriage to an ally of her father, and a life travelling with her husband’s entourage and bearing his children. The fall of Rhys changed all of this. Her captors, the earl of Shrewsbury and his son, Arnulf, the new earl of Pembroke, probably sent her into their English lands to be raised under their power. It was a journey that would determine the rest of her life. — Princess Nest of Wales: Seductress of the English by Kari Maund

[gavillain]

I was talking with @marciabrady the other night about ships and the aesthetics of our favorite couples, and it made me really want to do a break down of one of my obscure crossover OTPs:

Grimhilde/Cruella, a.k.a. EvilPuppies!

Because I feel like Grimhilde/Cruella, out of all my ships, looks the most like crack at first glance, but there is so much more to it than just sticking two random Disney Villains together.

So, first and foremost, I started shipping them because of Kingdom Keepers Book IV, Power Play:

Despite the fact that Frollo is on the cover of the book and was the heavily promoted new Overtaker before the release of the novel, the main villains of the novel are actually Grimhilde and Cruella. The premise is that after Maleficent and Chernabog were captured at the end of the previous book, the Disney Villains who are trying to take over the parks have had to take on new leadership to get Maleficent and Chernabog out of Imagineer-prison. Grimhilde is the next in the chain of command, so she's in charge and has Cruella De Vil as her companion who follows her everywhere. They are ALWAYS together in the book, and Cruella, naturally, has a very flirty and complimentary demeanor towards Grimhilde that the Queen naturally just adores. Their chemistry is great, and there is even one part where the main hero finds the two of them asleep together on an air mattress and a bundle of furs (it makes sense in context) and, well... yeah XD The novel really glued the two of them together in my head.

And that togetherness, as you can see above, blends over into the parks. Grimhilde and Cruella are the only two main Disney Villainesses who are out with some regularity as face characters in Disneyland. All of the villains in the Disney Parks have a familiarity with each other, and you can get similar gal pal dynamics with them and Maleficent (and Lady Tremaine) around Halloween time. However, because Grimhilde and Cruella are out together for so much of the year, they tend to carry the brunt of that sort of "evil besties" friendship, leading to cute photo op moments like this...

So Disney is already doing a lot of the leg work to make them come across as girlfriends and to give them chemistry and a ship dynamic. However, if that was all there was to it, I probably wouldn't love this ship as much as I do. I need that interesting and thought through layer of shipping, and thankfully, these two have it in spades.

So, despite being from different time periods and wildly different worlds, Grimhilde and Cruella are aristocrats through and through. Grimhilde is literally royalty, and Cruella an over-financed heiress to the remnants of England's aristocracy (and she's the head of a corporate fashion empire in the Glenn Close movies). The House of De Vil dates back to medieval times, and evidence of that extensive and wealthy history is littered all around Cruella's mansion.

Cruella is in essence, the remnants of an old world that no longer exists, one of royalty and station that Grimhilde herself was a part of, and though the times have changed, Cruella keeps that class and regality alive. In that way, I think it blends perfectly with her taking on a lover who is quite literally OF that time period, and it also helps tie Grimhilde in with the modern world, giving Grimhilde a sort of immortality and transcendence that I think she'd very much value with her desire to be eternally young and beautiful. And, along those same lines, they are both very strong examples of matriarchal authority and power with Cruella bemoaning the uselessness of men and the pitfalls of women losing themselves to marriage, whilst Grimhilde murdered her own husband in order to reign alone without a man over her. They fundamentally get the sort of twisted villainous feminism that they are peddling.

Next is the themes of beauty and glamor. These are two women who are fundamentally motivated by vanity - Cruella wants to design her original Dalmatian puppy coat and stun the art world with her ruthless originality whilst Grimhilde wants to kill her stepdaughter so that she can reign as the Fairest One of All. For them, beauty and aesthetics are absolute, and they share a willingness to buy their glamorous ambitions with the blood of the innocent. They would fundamentally GET each other in that regard. However, and this is important, they GET that same motivation for vanity, but they don't COMPETE with each other. Cruella is a pretty woman, but she's older and she's a chain smoker whose habits have caused her to become a bit emaciated. She's beautiful in her own way, but she's never going to rival Grimhilde as the Fairest One of All. Likewise, though Grimhilde has extravagant fashions and jewelry, she's not setting out to be at the forefront of clothing design and art. She would certainly WEAR outfits Cruella designed for her, but she wouldn't want to supplant Cruella either. They're going to make the world kneel before their beauty, but they're going to compliment each other rather than rival each other or have to set aside their vanities for each other.

Then one of the big important elements that makes this ship appeal to me so much is the motif of DUALITY. Cruella is noteworthy for her hair that is half-black and half-white. It's her signature style, she's well known for it, it ties in with the black and white dogs, and it ties in with how she has her likable and admirable public face but also her sinister and dark side that the rest of the world doesn't see. Grimhilde also has the duality motif. Hell, she has BLACK HAIR as the Queen and WHITE hair as the hag, and the whole black and white motif shows up in her potions ("Black of Night" and "To Whiten My Hair, a Scream of Fright"). Grimhilde literally has two faces and two forms. She is two villainesses in one, which is such a tasty match for the woman with infamously two-toned hair. And what I like about that too is that Cruella BLENDS with both the Queen and the Hag. With the queen, she has the aristocratic and blue blood regality and beauty that I mentioned before, but with the hag, she has the cackling maniacal bloodthirsty side that would have an absolute riot bringing death to innocents. It's so symbolic, and they're the only Disney villains who have that duality motif in that fashion.

And the fact that they have all of these interesting parallels and motifs while also being from two different worlds and two different time periods (medieval and modern) is a lot of fun purely from a crossover perspective but also as ANOTHER manifestation of their duality motif! And THAT is the type of tasty shipping fuel that I LIVE for!

So with Grimhilde and Cruella being of two different time periods, they also simultaneously coexist in one time period. Cruella in the original animated film may have been released in the 1960s, but her animator, Marc Davis, designed her to be a throwback to the old Hollywood glamor of the 1930s. Most specifically Tallulah Bankhead...

And Marlene Dietrich...

Cruella is pure Old Hollywood 1930s glamor trapped in a late 50s/early 60s modern domestic setting. And you know whose movie was made in the 1930s and has a very 1930s cultural aesthetic to it?

And Grimhilde herself is designed based on ANOTHER 1930s film villainess, She (Who Must Be Obeyed):

A movie that was famous for its Art Deco sets, and Art Deco is one of the main aesthetic motifs attributed to Cruella in the Glenn Close movies. So stylistically speaking, the two of them despite coming from different time periods and different worlds coexist in a way that is very old Hollywood. And with that combined link to the 30s, it helps the two of them to coexist peacefully and harmoniously in the same time period. They meet in this glamorous and mythologized liminal space. Heck, with Cruella's aesthetic links to the 1930s, I personally headcanon that she grew up absolutely obsessed with old Hollywood and making a concentrated effort to emulate that energy in her own style. Since Grimhilde is kind of an Old Hollywood character come to life, it's almost like Cruella can be a fangirl of something that she's admired for her whole life when she gets with Grimhilde, and you know Grimhilde is gonna LOVE that attention.

In addition, I personally like to be very cognizant about my ships with regards to what the individual character is going to look for in terms of a romantic partner and why the character that I've chosen for them suits that specific need. With Grimhilde, we know that she was married to Snow White's father and that she killed him, so we know that she didn't have any real love for that man, possibly any man. She rules over her kingdom alone and doesn't want anyone to rule beside her. In the Snow White comics and deleted scenes from the film, she showcases a sort of romantic rivalry for Prince Florian, but her affections for him are never about wanting an equal. She wants him because he is young and handsome and compliments her beauty and elevates her image in a way that helps give her more power through her beauty. So for Grimhilde, she needs a lover who can fill that niche - not someone to rival her or rule beside her, but someone who can be a perfect accessory to her beauty. Cruella being all about fashion and style is absolutely that person. She's very cognizant of appearances and what can accentuate or take away from beauty and aesthetics. That inherent utility to their relationship means that it would be something that Grimhilde would be open to indulging, and from there deeper feelings can develop under the right circumstances in a way that they wouldn't without having that utility first.

So that's Grimhilde's side of things. But what about Cruella? Well, we see Cruella's relation with love mostly revolving around this sort of one sided attraction that she has to Anita. And at first glance that seems contradictory to her getting with the queen, because Cruella is obviously going after a dainty and demure woman who she can kind of steamroll and collect as another fashion accessory. However, I think what makes this work so well is that it really showcases that Cruella has an attraction to traditional feminine beauty and women in general, and Grimhilde is of course is the fairest woman of all. The Glen Close movie adds an interesting dynamic to Cruella's attraction to Anita in that she enjoys the creative interaction that she has with Anita. Never really noticed Anita until the two of them started to collaborate creatively, and I feel like that's a big thing that Cruella needs and wants in a partner, someone who engages that creative side of her brain and understands her drive for aesthetics and beauty. And, as previously stated, who better to do that than the Queen of beauty herself? Grimhilde is a perfect model of unlimited dramatic creativity wrapped in a feminine and beautiful package that would set Cruella's heart ablaze.

Together the two of them fulfill that perfect niche for each other and foster a creative, beautiful, and bloodthirsty ruthless energy that would make them feel seen and supported. They effectively create their own little world of 1930s fantasy glamor when they come together, and that's just beautiful to me.

Those are the biggies, but some other really fun pieces of shipping fuel: *I love the aesthetic they have with them both being tall women with dramatic almost drag queen makeup and outfits that have tones of black, white, and red in their own signature styles. And Cruella has the flowing fur coat with the red liner and Grimhilde has the flowing cape with the red liner and so they can be very flouncy and twirly with their styles. *Grimhilde keeps a royal huntsman who can kill all of the animals for Cruella whenever she wants. *They both have similar structures to their stories - they start out on friendly or familial terms with the protagonists before they show their true colors, then they entrust men to kill the innocent creatures needed to enact their plan but those men fail them, forcing Grimhilde and Cruella to take matters into their own hands, and then the finales showcase them both transforming into frightening demented versions of themselves (old hag and crazy demon eyes Cruella during the car chase) madly pursuing their goals until they ultimate bring about their own defeats by the environment turning against them *Cruella has the green smoke of her cigarette which echoes the green and smoke of the Magic Mirror, and also Cruella's chain smoking being a sort of poison in and of itself links back nicely to Grimhilde's literal poisons. *OUAT gives Cruella magic powers and ties to the Author, and Grimhilde also has magic powers and is a literal storybook villain.

So, yes, at first glance, EvilPuppies may seem like just a crackship, but it's really not. There is SO much here in both their canon interactions and in their numerous parallels, and there are honestly probably even more that I'm forgetting. They are the crowning queens of femslash for me for good reason, and I adore them, darlings!

[jtownraindancer]

The Burn Collection

Hello friends! I've been hunting down Burn Gorman's works (film, screen, and radio) over the past few months, and since sharing is caring~

Audiobooks

Arkham County- From within the walls of Arkham’s asylum, reclusive writer Randolph Carter tells the story of orphan Violet Flintock, who arrives in Arkham County in search of her own history only to be instantly greeted by the bloody realities of this small town, whose foundations are built from the lore and mythology of HP Lovecraft. Horror; mature themes. 2020. Ensemble cast. Wilbur. [complete]

Torchwood: Everyone Says Hello- Across Cardiff, ordinary people are behaving in odd ways: saying hello to complete strangers, and going out of their way to greet one another. Torchwood discovers that an alien communications field is gathering strength in the area. The team must find the device responsible and shut it off - before civil unrest engulfs the whole city. 2008. Narrator. Owen Harper. [complete]

Torchwood: Slow Decay- A friend of Gwen's has recently done an impressive bit of slimming, thanks to a new Cardiff weight-loss clinic with an incredibly simple system, and now Rhys wants to give it a try. Elsewhere in the city, an ordinary woman with superhuman strength and a extraordinary hunger is attacking people and eating her victims. 2007. Narrator. Owen Harper. [complete]

Films

Agatha Christie's Marple: Ordeal By Innocence- Old wounds are reopened for the Argyle family when a man suddenly turns up after being abroad and claims that the black sheep of the family could not have murdered its tyrannical matriarch. 2007. Ensemble cast. Antagonist. Jacko Argyle. [complete]

Cemetery Junction- In early 1970s England, three friends spend their days in banter, drinking, fighting and chasing girls. Freddie wants to escape their working class world but cheeky chappy Bruce and kind-hearted slacker Snork are happy with life the way it is. When Freddie gets a job as a door-to-door insurance salesman and bumps into his old school sweetheart Julie, the gang are forced to make choices that will change their lives forever. 2010. Ensemble cast. PC Renwick. [complete]

Color Me Kubrick- The true story of a man who posed as director Stanley Kubrick during the production of Kubrick's last film, Eyes Wide Shut (1999), despite knowing very little about his work and looking nothing like him. 2005. Period typical -isms. Ensemble cast. Willie. [complete]

Crimson Peak- An aspiring young author travels to a remote Gothic mansion in Cumberland, England with her new husband and his sister. There, she must decipher the mystery behind the ghostly visions that haunt her new home. 2015. Ensemble cast. Mr. Holly. [complete]

Dalziel and Pascoe: A Death in The Family- When a transit depot is robbed of £600,000 in used banknotes, the thieves left one thing behind: a dead security guard. The victim is revealed to be the inside man and telephone records lead to Steve Pitt, found dead in his restaurant. 2006. Ensemble cast. Jerry Hart. [complete]

Enola Holmes- Enola is the youngest sibling in the famous Holmes family. She is extremely intelligent, observant, and insightful, defying the social norms for women of the time. Her mother Eudoria has taught her everything she needs to know to be strong-willed and independent. But on her sixteenth birthday, Enola wakes to find that her mother has disappeared. 2020. Ensemble cast. Linthorn. [complete]

Fred Claus- Santa's bitter older brother, Fred, is forced to move to the North Pole to help Santa and the elves prepare for their big night in exchange for cash. But what started out as an easy way to make money soon turns into a desperate attempt to save Christmas. 2007. Cameo. Elf. [complete]

Guernica- "Listen, George. Here's your damn war story. Twenty-six April, 1937. Gernika. Don't give a damn if you use my name or you have someone else sign it. But it's the story I want printed. Ready? A very small town in the north of Spain is about to become very famous, but for all the wrong reasons." 2016. Ensemble cast. Soviet Consul. [complete]

Imperium- A young FBI agent, eager to prove himself in the field, goes undercover as a white supremacist. 2016. Mature content. Ensemble cast. Morgan. [complete]

In A Valley of Violence- A mysterious stranger and a random act of violence drag a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge. 2016. Ensemble cast. Priest. [complete]

Jimi: All Is By My Side- In 1966, an unknown guitarist named James Hendrix leaves New York for London, changes his name to Jimi and begins to make his mark in the world of rock music. Ensemble cast. Michael Jeffrey. [complete]

Johnny English Reborn- Johnny English is retired in Tibet and in disgrace in MI7 after a washed-up mission in Mozambique. Summoned unexpectedly by MI7 to stop assassins from killing Chinese Premier Xiang Ping. 2011. Ensemble cast. Agent Slater. [complete]

Layer Cake- A successful cocaine dealer gets two tough assignments from his boss on the eve of his planned early retirement. 2004. Ensemble cast. Gazza. [complete]

Lift- A master thief and his Interpol Agent ex-girlfriend team up to steal $500 million in gold bullion being transported on an A380 passenger flight. 2024. Ensemble cast; antagonist. Cormac. [complete]

Love is Not Enough- DV Indie filmmaker due to shoot promo for unsigned Welsh pop group takes the money and uses it to finish the film he's been working on for 5 years. 2001. Mature content. Period typical -isms. Slurs. Ensemble cast. Al Weisberger. [complete]

Pacific Rim- As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse. 2013. Ensemble cast. Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. [complete]

Pacific Rim Uprising- Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots against a new Kaiju threat. But this time, the threat comes from somewhere much closer to home. 2018. Ensemble cast. Dr. Hermann Gottlieb. [complete]

Penelope- Penelope Wilhern was born with the snout of a pig due to a curse that was placed on her family by a vengeful witch. The only way to break the curse is for "one of her own kind" to love her. 2006. Ensemble cast. Larry Bunter. [complete]

Ransomed- A young diplomat is assigned the task of carrying the ransom money to rescue an abducted diplomat in Lebanon, and a local taxi driver accidently gets involved in the mission. 2023. Ensemble cast. Richard Carter. [complete]

Red Lights- Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away. 2012. Ensemble cast. Benedict Cohen. [complete]

Sex, The City and Me- Jess, a high-flying banker, is sidelined in her job by her Machiavellian boss when she returns to work after having a baby. She decides to sue the bank and ends up risking everything, including her marriage. The drama is inspired by in-depth interviews with women who have fought major cases in the City. 2007. Ensemble cast. Lawrence. [complete]

The Curse of Steptoe- Aspiring stage actor Harry H. Corbett jumps at the chance to star in a television comedy show 'Steptoe and Son'. The show's success proves to be a poisoned chalice, thwarting his stage ambitions. Wilfrid Brambell, the actor playing his father, is a gay man in an England where homosexuality is still illegal. Both, in their own way, feel that they have invoked the curse of Steptoe. Ray Galton. [complete]

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: In Divine Proportion- While investigating the murder of an interior decorator, Inspector Lynley and Sergeant Havers quickly learn there is a connection between the victim's murder, and the death of her sister 15 years earlier. Mature themes; references to rape & suicide. 2005. Ensemble cast. Billy Verger. [complete]

The Oxford Murders- At Oxford University, a professor and a grad student work together to try to stop a potential series of murders seemingly linked by mathematical symbols. 2008. Ensemble cast. Yuri Podorov. [complete]

Undergods- A dystopian anthology set in a post-apocalyptic landscape. The breakout film of director Chino Moya, "Undergods" offers a prophetic warning that we will be the instruments of our own undoing if we refuse to address rising authoritarianism alongside growing inequality and scarcity of resources. 2020. Ensemble cast. Tim. [complete]

Up There- Martin (deceased) is stuck in a dead-end job, welcoming the newly departed into the afterlife. All he dreams of is going 'Up There'. But his plans are thrown into disarray when he has to team up with the relentlessly chirpy Rash, and together they lose a new arrival. 2011. Ensemble cast; protagonist. Martin. [complete]

Walking With The Enemy- A young man, separated from his family in World War II, disguises himself as a Nazi S.S. Officer and uncovers more than just his family whereabouts. 2013. Ensemble cast. Lt. Colonel Otto Skorzeny. [complete]

Watcher- As a serial killer stalks the city, Julia -- a young actress who just moved to town with her boyfriend -- notices a mysterious stranger watching her from across the street. 2022. Ensemble cast; antagonist. Watcher; Weber. [complete]

Guest Appearances

A Lark Rise in Candleford: Season 4, Episode 3- Thomas is euphoric when he lands the job of organising the church bazaar. But his joy soon evaporates when the vicar falls ill, and the controversial and free-thinking curate Reverend Marley takes charge. Thomas is convinced that Marley is evil incarnate, and when he comes across a snake on his postal rounds, he sees it as a sign that the devil is indeed amongst them. 2011. Ensemble cast; guest star. Reverend Benedict Marley. [complete]

Casualty: Not Waving But Drowning- Penny's medical skills are tested to the limit during a diving expedition, and Holly is mystified at the collapse of a promising teenage dancer. 1999. Ensemble cast; guest star. Geoff Simpson. [complete]

Coronation Street- 1998. Ensemble cast; guest star. Ben Andrews. [coming soon!]

Forever- Dr. Henry Morgan is a New York City medical examiner who studies the dead for criminal cases, and to solve the mystery of his own immortality. 2014. Ensemble cast; guest star. Lewis Farber/Adam. (Appears only in episodes 11, 14, 18, 21 & 22, but all episodes are here!) [complete]

Game of Thrones- Nine noble families fight for control over the lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for millennia. 2011. Ensemble cast; guest star. Karl Tanner. (only featuring Burn's four appearances) [complete]

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: Flowers For Charlie- Charlie being used as a test subject for a new intelligence pill that makes him smarter and more aware of his messed-up life, causing him to quit his janitor job. Meanwhile, Dee, Dennis, and Mac try to do Charlie's work but get sidetracked and high on gasoline; and Frank tries to bring Charlie back to his dimwitted self. 2013. Ensemble cast; guest star. The Scientist/Science Bitch. [complete]

Lucky Man- From the mind of comic book legend Stan Lee comes a bold new action crime series about a brilliant but flawed police officer with the power to control luck. 2016. Ensemble cast; guest appearance. Doug. (Featuring only the three episodes in which he starred.) [complete]

Merseybeat: Coming of Age- Sgt. Gentle decides it's time for a change and decides to go out on the beat with PC Traynor, and the pair investigate a burglary at the home of an antiques dealer. Meanwhile, Ch. Insp. Oulton tries to help out an old friend who has found himself on the wrong side of the law. 2001. Ensemble cast; guest appearance. Sean Finnigan. [complete]

The Man in The High Castle- In a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes. 2015. The Marshal. (Featuring only the two episodes in which he starred.) [complete]

Miniseries

And Then There Were None- Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast in southern England. Cut off from the mainland, with their generous hosts mysteriously absent, they are each accused of a terrible crime. As members of the party start to die one by one, the survivors realize that one of them is a killer and start to turn on each other. Mature themes. 2015. Ensemble cast. Sergeant Detective William "Bill" Blore. [complete]

Bleak House- Jarndyce and Jarndyce is an interminable law case in the Court of Chancery, concerning two or more wills and their beneficiaries. Eventually, after several decades, a verdict is finally reached, but not without a surprising number of twists along the way. 2005. Ensemble cast. William Guppy. (Video formatting issues in a couple episodes- i.e. fuzzy and/or black borders on sides in several sections. Full picture still visible, just with weird borders.) [complete]

Cheat- What starts out as what appears to be an open-and-shut case of academic dishonesty, soon spirals out of everyone’s control, proving there’s far more to the story than just a plagiarised essay. What lies behind the shocking events and tragedies that unfurl? Mature themes. 2019. Ensemble cast. Ben Jarvis. [complete]

Spies of Warsaw- A military attaché at the French embassy is drawn into a world of abduction, betrayal and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw. 2013. Ensemble cast. Jourdain. [complete {with Portuguese subtitles}]

The Hour- 2011. Ensemble cast. Thomas Kish. [coming soon!]

The Offer- A series based on Oscar-winning producer Albert S. Ruddy's extraordinary, never-revealed experiences of making "The Godfather." 2022. Ensemble cast. Charles Bluhdorn. [complete]

The Runaway- Cathy Connor and Eamonn Docherty are childhood sweethearts who are desperate to escape their East End roots. When Cathy murders her Mum's pimp in self-defense it changes their lives forever. Mature themes. 2011. Ensemble cast. Richard Gates. [complete]

Wuthering Heights- Based on the classic novel by Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights is a story of love, obsession, hate and revenge. The protagonists, Cathy and Heathcliff, form a love that is dark and destructive and affects the lives of everyone around them. 2009. Ensemble cast. Hindley Earnshaw. [complete]

Podcasts & Radio Dramas

Curl Up & D.I.- Gemma and Andy are two feckless coppers patrolling the mean streets of Slatby, a faded North Yorkshire seaside town with an unsolved murder problem. With conventional leads exhausted, local hairstylists, gossipmongers and armchair crime-solvers Yacky and Reuben are enlisted, and their salon unwittingly becomes the beating heart of all ongoing detective operations. Welcome to the murky hinterlands of soft perms and slaughter. Mature content. 2022. Chief Steve "Wendy" Concern. [complete]

Doctor Who: Timelord Victorious: Echoes of Extinction- Trapped, a haunted monster waits to consume new victims. It needs help. It needs a doctor. Unfortunately, it also needs to kill whoever it meets. Thrust into immediate danger, and on the back-foot, it will take all of the Doctor’s ingenuity to triumph. Two interlinked adventures. Two Doctors. One foe. 2021. Ensemble cast. The Network. [complete]

Glad To Be Back- Opera-loving Lezzo is on home leave for the weekend. His prison term is due to end in four weeks' time, and he is looking for a little innocent enjoyment. His friends have other plans in mind however, and his mother has some worrying news. 1999. Ensemble cast. Norman; Various. [complete]

He Died With His Eyes Open- A detective in 1980s London investigates a brutal murder, but has little to go on except for the victim's cassette diaries. 2013. Ensemble cast; narrator. The Detective. [complete]

King Trash- Mike Hodges adapts King Lear in a gritty retelling following KT, an 80-year-old criminal despot who owns a landfill site in the outskirts of London, and his daughter Honey, who is anything but sweet. Mature themes. 2007. Ensemble cast. Clint. [complete]

The Babington Plot- During the reign of Elizabeth I, a group of Catholic gentlemen conceived a plan to assassinate the Queen. The story of the failed conspiracy, told in documentary fashion on its one-year anniversary, is revealed via the different perspectives of several participants in the events. 2008. Ensemble cast. Robert Poley. [complete]

The Battersea Poltergeist- A paranormal cold case, re-investigated through a thrilling blend of drama and documentary. The true story of one of Britain's strangest hauntings. 2021. Ensemble cast. Wally Hitchings. (includes original adverts.) [complete]

The Mayor of Casterbridge- Michael Henchard spends his life trying to atone for the terrible action that led to the loss of his wife and child. But his past refuses to be buried, no matter how hard he tries to conceal it. Dark themes. 2008. Ensemble cast. Abel Whittle. [complete]

The Reckoning: The Death of Christopher Marlowe- In London, 1593, playwright Christopher Marlowe, a young writer, is stabbed in a disagreement over the bill, and the authorities find that Marlowe was killed in self-defence. History says it was just a drunken quarrel, nothing more. But Charles Nicholl thinks it was murder, and an unsolved murder never grows old. 2022. Ensemble cast. Robert Poley. [complete]

The Spy- Henry Wharton, a young British soldier, sneaks into No-Man's Land in civilian clothing in order to visit the family he hasn't seen in over a year. But the happy reunion is cut short when he is captured by American soldiers and must stand trial as a spy. 2012. Ensemble cast. Harvey Birch. [complete]

The Taming of The Shrew- Petruchio, after collecting money from both her younger sister's suitors and a dowry from her father, is ready to marry Katherine, even against her will. Have Katherine and Petruchio learned to love each other? Or is the marriage based on terror and deception? 1998. Ensemble cast. Grumio. [complete]

The War Master: Escape From Reality: The Adventure of The Deceased Doctor- When Dr John Watson is informed of his own murder, only the world’s greatest consulting detective can assist. He just happens to come from a different world. 2022. Ensemble cast. Lestrade/Moriarty. [complete] (included the other three parts of Escape From Reality saga; will have Parts 1-4 indicated in titles)

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- When a tornado strikes her farmhouse in Kansas, young Dorothy is lifted to the magical world of Oz where she embarks upon a perilous journey to find her way back home. 2009. Ensemble cast. Tin Man. [complete]

Unauthorised History: The Killing- Four men have rented an upstairs room in a tavern to have a "meeting". Sometime later, a violent commotion is heard, and only three of the four men come out alive. The coroner rules that Christopher Marlowe, contemporary of William Shakespeare, was killed in self-defense. One man is not so certain, and he's determined to uncover the truth, no matter where the trail leads. 2010. Ensemble cast. Robert Poley. [complete]

Television Series

Halo- Aliens threaten human existence in an epic 26th-century showdown. 2022. Ensemble cast; antagonist. Vishner Grath. [complete]

Jamestown- 1619. Alice, Verity, and Jocelyn are among several women arrived from England, duty-bound to marry the men who have paid for their passage to Jamestown. Also arriving from England are Governor Yeardley and his wife Temperance, who will quickly discover the difficulties in both running the settlement and preventing a Company Secretary from undermining his position. 2017-19. Ensemble cast. Virginia Company Secretary Nicholas Farlow. [complete]

Torchwood- The members of the Torchwood Institute, a secret organization founded by the British Crown, fight to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial and supernatural threats. 2006. Ensemble cast. Dr. Owen Harper. [in progress- Seasons 1 & 2 posted!]

TURN: Washington's Spies- Long Island farmer Abe Woodhull bands together with a group of childhood friends to form an unlikely group of spies, The Culper Ring, who turn the tide in America's fight for independence. 2014-18. Ensemble cast. Major Edmund Hewlett. [complete]

Torchwood Audios

Corpse Day- PC Andy Davidson is very excited. It’s Corpse Day – the day when the local constabulary get help on dead cases from Torchwood. This year, he’s volunteered to act as liaison, and he knows he’s going to have a brilliant time. For Dr. Owen Harper, today’s just like any other. There’ll be bloodshed, screaming and murder. At the end of it all, he doesn’t care. After all, life’s just for the living, and he’s long dead. 2017. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

Gooseberry- Andy has a girlfriend. She's called Caite, and she's utterly lovely. And then she meets Owen. Owen finds out that Caite has a secret. One that he's desperate to understand. But the more he discovers, the more dangerously close to Caite he becomes. What's going to happen when Andy finds out? 2021. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

Iceberg- Dr. Owen Harper gets a call from an old friend in the middle of the night. She's got a ward full of coma patients, all of them checking in with a dead relative as their imaginary friend. Is it mere coincidence, or have they discovered a bridge between the living and the dead? 2020. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

Lease of Life- 3 bed, 1 bath, shared house in a vibrant area with easy access to Cardiff city centre. Has a real lived-in feel. Note to interested parties: There is a small spreading mould issue, and an investigation is being undertaken on site. Those worried are advised to contact the Council's Mould Expert, Dr. Owen Harper. 2021. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

The Hope- Megwyn Jones is one of the most hated women in Britain. She used to run a home for troubled children in an isolated part of Snowdonia called The Hope. For a long time there were rumours about what was happening there, and then one day it was realised that the children had gone missing. The years have been long and hard, but now Megwyn’s dying, and she’s agreed to go back to The Hope, to reveal the horrible secret she’s kept all these years. 2019. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

The Last Beacon- A signal in a Welsh mountain is calling an ancient battlefleet to Earth. Owen Harper and Ianto Jones head up into the Brecons to stop it. The problem is - Ianto really loves camping. Owen? Owen does not. 2018. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

The Three Monkeys- Andy Davidson's been ordered to watch over a local businessman, and he's suprised when Owen decides to tag along on the stakeout. Andy knows it can't just be coincidence- Owen knows something- the businessman's attracted Torchwood’s attention. Tonight, the two of them are going to take him down. But will luck be on their side? 2020. Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

Torchwood Special: Believe- The Church of the Outsiders believe that mankind is about to evolve, to reach out into the stars. Owen Harper believes that Torchwood has to do whatever it takes to stop them. Mature content. 2018. Main cast! Ensemble cast. Owen Harper. [complete]

*This post will be updated as I find more content. **Quality may not always be the best due to age and/or limited availability. Will do my best to clean audio/video up, and will hopefully be able to find better quality replacements in time.

[thc-boltcr]

( kate walsh. cis woman. she/her. ) - let me introduce you to a member of the eversley family, cressida wilder is the matriarch’s youngest sister. they are fifty-one and are known as the bolter to the family because they are excellent fun, flighty, and unreliable when you get to know them, you think about the prima’s final bow; enough ex husbands to be scandalous, but not so many as to be utterly disowned but they’re still an eversley, nonetheless.

( this is quite long, tw for death & illness )

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

Name: Cressida Elizabeth Wilder, nee Arnoult

Nickname:  Cress, Red, Essie

Birthday: February 13, 1973

Place of Birth: Findlay Estate, somewhere fancy, England

Places Lived Since: London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Amsterdam, New York, Los Angeles, Geneva

Current Residence: London

Notable Family Members: Eden Montague ( daughter ); Lord Edward Montague ( deceased, first husband ); Jacob Findlay ( younger brother, raised ); Ignes Eversley ( older sister ); Wolfe Madison ( second husband, divorced ); Blue Navarro ( ex-sister in law, sees as a sister ); Christian Wilder ( third / longest / favorite husband, deceased )

PHYSICAL:

Faceclaim: Kate Walsh

Height: 5’8

Build: slim

Hair Color: dark red  

Eye Color: grey

Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: always wearing rings, both ears pierced, a few tiny hidden tattoos

Unique Mannerisms/Physical Habits: twisting her rings, talking with her hands, running when things get messy 

PERSONALITY:

Occupation: former world-renowned prima ballerina, occasional guest choreographer at the Royal Ballet

Languages Spoken: English, French, Russian, German

Positive Traits: outgoing, charming, emotive, devoted, meticulous

Negative Traits: obsessive, flighty, avoidant, manipulative, selfish 

Likes: good champagne, the first row of the balcony, clever banter, first editions, the second act of Giselle, live orchestras, New York in the winter and Paris in the spring

Dislikes: the entire concept of Dance Moms ( tv show ), Los Angeles,  brutalist architecture, driving, lazy choreographers, the cecchetti method, feeling trapped

Aesthetic: the hubris of such divine wealth and privilege; this house is not haunted – you are; the inherent masochism of ballet; physical intimacy like a drug – the prima always needs her audience; your daughter’s laughter carried across the breeze – watching desperately as she makes her own mistakes; collecting favors and lovers and fighting to hold your own; just enough ex-husbands to be scandalous but not so many as to be utterly disowned; the prima takes her final bow

HISTORY:

Ignes is the perfect, gracious daughter; Cressida always has one foot out the door and the other on the stage. She loves her older sister, truly does, but Cress knows they were never meant for the same thing. She’s a natural, a prodigy some say – and nearly fucking blew it by getting knocked up at 18 by the help. The Arnoult Patriarch would not allow this kind of shame brought upon the family – so Cressida gets a wealthy, titled, older husband and the Royal Ballet gets a generous donation to take her back once the child is born.

Eden is perfect, her own little paradise in a beautiful little girl. Cress never even considers giving her away, not when this child is the first person who might love her without any conditions. The best that can be said about Lord Edward Montague is that he gives her child legitimacy and his name and gives Cressida the freedom to be herself. She’s the darling of the ballet, a rising star – Eden grows up backstage and in studios, adored by all who meet her. Edward has his affairs and Cressida has hers – but he loves that baby as if she were his own. He dies from a fall from his horse when Eden is two, leaving his estate and titles to her and Cressida.

Eden is three when Cressida’s father shows up at their London home with his own five-year-old son in tow. Jacob’s mother, his second wife, passed and the man is too old and too set in his ways to raise yet another child. He likely expects Cressida to say no, and then he will move on to the more reasonable option of Ignes, but Cressida looks at her littlest brother and feels his grief and his fear and says yes without a second thought.

The next decade or so she graces stages across Europe, with two small children in tow. St. Petersburg in the chaos of the late 90s – oil barons and oligarchs falling under her spell and at her feet, but Eden and Jacob always come first, and she keeps the men wanting and chasing but always out of reach. A few years in Paris, and the lightly haunted house she still owns is full of happy laughter and bright playful children. Then they give New York a try.

She laughs when Wolfe Madison introduces himself to her at some gala event or another. She’s heard the name – actor, producer, Hollywood royalty in town working on his directorial debut – a gritty action movie in which he also stars. He falls, and who can blame him? She’s all legs and dark red hair – a tragic past with a dead husband, raising her half-brother alongside her daughter, and he’s cast her as his perfect wife. Beautiful and charming, but with just enough damage that men like this find alluring. Cressida says yes to marrying him, but no to Los Angeles – so they stay in New York (begrudgingly on his part ).

Maybe she actually loves him, or maybe it's the thrill of feeling like she’s found someone who can keep up with her. She moves to LA after a year, and Jacob gets into acting, nepotism and those dashing good looks and posh British charm taking him far. Eden goes to university – and suddenly Cressida finds herself utterly alone, at a third-rate ballet company in a city that worships the screen, married to a man who isn’t interesting enough to have as nasty a temper as he does. The best thing to come from this is Cressida’s relationship with Wolfe’s younger sister Blue, who she loves as if she were her own sister. The marriage ends in a flurry of shouting matches, tabloid headlines, and photographs of Wolfe’s face between the tits of a twenty-two-year-old stripper in Vegas.

Cressida moves back to Paris, it's where she’s always been happiest, and finishes her career with the Paris Opera Ballet. Here she meets Christian Wilder, a musician and composer with sad eyes and a gentle heart. They marry on a whim, on holiday in Normandy in some tiny medieval church officiated by an aging priest. It's perfect. In Paris they live in that haunted house, making peace with the ghosts. Cressida still teaches and choreographs for the ballet, and Christian writes her soaring concertos and silly little jingles and she loves them all.

The diagnosis is not entirely unexpected, but his health declines rapidly afterwards. He is at peace with his fate, but Cressida fights – she’s always the first one to run, how dare he leave before her? He laughs softly as she tells him this, demands that he stay – then makes her promise to follow the instructions he’s left regarding the music at his funeral. Cressida buries her heart with him in that grave, to a perfectly curated score. She keeps his last name, and still wears the ruby he gave her.

Now she’s in London, patron of the Royal Ballet and guiding the next generation of talent. But Ignes’s husband’s health is failing, and the vultures are circling the family. So off she goes - out of loyalty to her sister, the desire to see Eden and Jacob, and because these things are always so amusing to watch.  

[mariacallous]

As a teenager, I was embarrassed about liking chopped liver. To be fair, I was embarrassed about most things — my parents, my lack of the coolest sneakers, and my freckles among many other things. But liking chopped liver was high up on the list. It was just one of those gross foods: aesthetically unappealing, greyish and mushy, and just plain weird. None of my non-Jewish schoolmates had ever heard of anything like it.

But it tasted so damn good. All of it did — my grandmother’s, made from beef livers and shimmering with schmaltz served weekly at Shabbat lunch; the mass-produced packaged stuff that was kind of gristly, in a not-all-bad way; the scoops of it sandwiched between two slightly stale slices of white bread at the kosher deli (which may well have been the packaged stuff); and best of all, the creamier pate-like offerings, topped with a sweet fruit chutney, served at Friday night buffets in Israeli hotels. Chopped liver was rich and didn’t require a lot of effort — you barely needed to chew it. It also sparked an iron-fueled rush of energy. It was my guilty pleasure.

I didn’t realize I had been so spoiled in the chopped liver department until I left home from England, to Israel, where it was actually quite hard to find. Israeli chefs were deep into a returning-to-culinary-roots movement but hadn’t really delved into the Ashkenazi kitchen yet, preferring the spicier, sexier Mizrahi dishes like kubbeh and upscale stuffed pita sandwiches. I could find chopped liver in haredi areas like Bnei Brak, but it was a real schlep.

So I did what any committed liver enthusiast would do: I started making my own. I had my grandmother’s recipe, but beef livers were hard to come by, so I set my sights on a chicken liver version I’d found in Geila Hocherman’s Kosher Modern cookbook. This was more a pate; it departed from tradition in some quite ballsy ways, like adding capers! And thyme! And chili flakes! I was intrigued.

Finding chicken livers wasn’t a problem — there were trays of them, slippery and pink, in the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. And, like those my Ashkenazi ancestors cooked within Eastern Europe, they were cheap and sold raw. Back at home, I gave my grandmother a call and she, delighted by my culinary undertaking, gave me step-by-step instructions. First I had to rinse the livers, salt them, and broil them — this was going to take some time.

I tend to be an impatient cook — technique-heavy, complicated recipes bring out the worst in me. But the process of making chopped liver was unexpectedly enjoyable. Growing up in an Orthodox community, my role as a woman often felt passive, mostly consisting of watching the men participate in Judaism. So it felt new, and welcome, to take on the active task of preparing the livers, with instructions passed down through my matriarchs for generations.

Once they’d been sufficiently broiled on both sides, I added the livers to a pan with caramelized onions, capers, thyme chili flakes, and a splash of white wine. Then I blitzed the mixture and a few slices of soaked bread with a hand mixer and steeled myself for a taste.

While the unorthodox ingredients added a saline spurt and chili zing, the chopped liver tasted wonderfully familiar. It was my take on all the other versions I’d gorged myself on before — not competing with them, but adding something a little new. I was content and even proud. I sat at the kitchen table with a glass of red wine, a box of crackers, and a jar of mango chutney and ate half my homemade liver in one sitting. Not the healthiest snack, I grant you, but it was an important reminder to me that sometimes it is worth investing time in the kitchen to please only yourself. Making chopped liver began as an exercise in nostalgia but turned out to be much more — an act of culinary self-care.

[just-right-mirror-cast]

My Ever After High AU (explaining)

I decided to make this post to inform the public and fans of ever after high about my book/fanfic.

This fanfic is set in the modern world, with everything it's entitled to, just with some changes added to this world that I created

From the beginning it was created with a focus only on Apple White and Darling Charming. But if I decide to change, in the midst of their story, the story of other characters will begin to grow.

I will give a small summary.

"Dear charming, the youngest daughter of one of the most influential families in Storybrook, after five years decides to return to her hometown. After studying exchange in France, and studying the first two years of high school at a boarding school in Switzerland. Your heart decided it needed something more homely.So this is the new student at Ever After High.

Or

"Apple White, The eldest daughter of actress Dianna White, the most famous preppy that exists in Ever After (lesbian). One of the proteges of the Charming family, especially Marylin, the matriarch. Since she will know about the existence of her younger sister of Daring, there was no curiosity that wouldn't kill her. Little does the blonde know that she's coming back."

But anyway, I'll make a summary here about some interesting things about my AU. (I don't have a name yet, help pls)

An interesting thing about where this world takes place. It takes place in New England, in the city of Worcester. Most of the characters live in a historic neighborhood called Storybrooke, (yes, in my AU, it's in Massachusetts, not Maine). Now, Ever After High's school is in Bookend, a neighboring neighborhood, in fact, the city center.

The White family and Queen family have a connection. (in addition to both being rival companies in the legal field). Raven queen's father and younger brother of Dianna White's late father. It's clear that Regina and Dianna never got along. (will be explained better in the future).

Daring, Dexter and Darling are Ashlynn Ella's cousins. Yes, her parents are brothers. But be sure that both patriarchs do not have a healthy relationship, which generates a lot of intrigue. (there will be explanations in the future).

Now.

I will post things here on Tumblr like the character's aesthetic, interactive, I will answer questions and everything will be attributed.

I hope you really like it, for those who don't want to read it, you can still follow everything I post here

(AVAILABLE in PORTUGUESE on WATTPAD and SPIRIT FANFIC)

[hoorayiread]

Manhunt, a Book Review

This isn't a novel. This is a fresh, open wound.

Manhunt, by Gretchen Felker-Martin, is a body horror novel about trans people surviving the apocalypse.

...No, it's actually very different from Hell Followed With Us!

In this book, a virus has spread across the world that turns anyone with a high testosterone level into animalistic zombies. In response, an army of TERFs has been taking over New England, because aparently the apocalypse wasn't enough of a hellscape. It splits its narrative between 5 characters, three of them trans, all trying to survive a world of matriarchal fascism and woman-eating men.

While an excellent book, this novel is very difficult to recommend. It's the darkest thing I've read since Earthlings (though it didn't break me in the same way). It is extreme, gross, and written with a deep undercurrent of pain and anger. But it also has a right to be angry.

That being said, it is not without its own sense of beauty. I just really like the way Felker-Martin brings her scenes to life. The detailed way in which she wrote the forest Fran and Beth run through in the first couple chapters really drew me in from the start. She also wrote some damn excellent characters! It's a wonderful read, if you can stomach it. But man, this book hits hard and brutal.

But beyond all the violence, the sex, the suffocating TERF fascism, Manhunt did another thing I didn't ecpect, a thing most books I read don't do. And that is this: The book with the nutsack on the cover made me cry.

[riphuntertimemasterlegend]

Weekend at Lakewood Manor

Dream Movie Challenge 2024

Matriarch Lady Vera MacDonald (Helen Mirren) has gathered her family and their close friends together at her manor on the first anniversary of her husband's death.

Son Archibald (Archie) (Peter Capaldi) was born and raised for the first few years of his life in Glasgow, Scotland, where Gerry (later knighted by Queen Elizabeth II) was a professor at Glasgow University. Archie's stubborness was observed early when the family moved to England, yet he maintained his strong Scottish accent.

Son Ian (Paul Hinton) came along several years later and was almost always indulged as the baby of the family.

Daughter Vivian was the middle child,(Gina Bellman) conceived after Gerry was offered and accepted a prestigious position at Cambridge in England.

Vivian was working in the adninistrative office of Cambridge when she met, and soon fell in love with Nathan Tyler (Sterling K. Brown) when he was a student there. His mother, widowed when he was a year old, met and fell in love with a diplomat (Joseph Ogilvy) from London, England When he was summoned back to England, they married and all three moved. A few years later, his sister was born.

Paula Tyler (Angel Coulby) idolized her brother and followed in his footsteps and attended Cambridge. Soon, she had a large group of friends, including Gareth (Arthur Darvill), Paula's bff Linda (and Gareth's girlfriend) (Amy-Louise Pemberton), Nick (Eoin Macken), Carol (who is also Archie, Ian and Viv's cousin) (Lindy Booth) and Marty (Colin Morgan).

When Lady Vera had a stroke soon after her husband's death, Paula moved in to care for her, as the two of them became great friends after Nate and Vivian grew serious.

As the family and friends reminisce, a group of four (players change) play bridge in the study, showing the strengths and stresses of the bonds between them. When Vivian and Tyler play against Archie and Ian, the siblings argue about how best to care for their mother. Vivian favours more home care, Archie wants the best nursing home with excellent staff and Ian wants to move back in and supervise any and all care for her.

After a long talk with each of her children, it’s decided Paula will continue to supervise Vera’s care, and there will be a permanent staff of rotating caregivers to help. Vivian and Nate will move into a cottage on the estate, Ian will take a job transfer to work in a bank much closer and will help make decisions when Vera becomes unable to manage them. Vera gives each of her children something they treasured as they were growing up. When their mother’s care is settled, Vivian plays a game partnered with Ian against Nate and Archie, then partnered with Archie, against Nate and Ian, signifying the siblings are in agreement.

When Paula, Gareth, Linda, Nick, Carol and Marty take turns playing against each other, they use it as an opportunity to catch up on each other’s lives (Linda also to see her relatives) and spend time with Paula, whom they rarely see, as most of them are scattered all over England, pursuing their dreams. At the end of the weekend, Gareth and Linda announce she’s pregnant, champagne all around except for Linda, who has sparkling water.

During the weekend, Vivian becomes the new matriarch of the family, as Vera takes a turn for the worse and it's decided that she'll have a full-time staff of carers whom Paula will oversee.

(The item I had to include were cards.)

[itsfarrah]

♡Hello! This is my first time posting on tumblr, and this is my first time writing, so any suggestions or comments would be great ( if anyone reads this, lol)! Im currently obsessed with Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility. I will fair warn you that the details may not be completely accurate, but I will try my best to be! Anyways, here's some background info! ♡

Title: An Unexpected Affection

Plot Summary:

Set in the scenic landscapes of 19th century England, An Unexpected Affection follows Colonel Christopher Brandon, a dignified and reserved gentleman, and Farrah, a spirited and cultured young woman from America. Taken in by the Dashwood family after the tragic death of her influential parents, Farrah's arrival at Barton Cottage stirs a new sense of life into the quaint English countryside. As Farrah navigates the complexities of English society and the Dashwood family’s reduced circumstances, her presence captivates Colonel Brandon, who is a close friend of the Dashwoods.

Key Characters:

• Colonel Christopher Brandon: A wealthy landowner with a somber past. He is thoughtful, observant, and inherently kind, though often perceived as reserved.

• Farrah: A vibrant, intelligent, and somewhat unconventional young woman, aged 18, who brings a breath of fresh air into the traditional English society. She is curious, bold, and deeply empathetic, owing to her cultured upbringing.

• Mrs. Dashwood: The kind and gentle matriarch of the Dashwood family, who has always treated Farrah as her own.

• Elinor and Marianne Dashwood: the daughters of Mrs.Dashwood and practically farrahs big sisters , each dealing with their own romantic and personal struggles throughout the story.

|Chapter1|

|Chapter 2|

|Chapter 3|

|Chapter 4|

|Chapter 5|

|Chapter 6|

[lunar-serpentinite]

Lily Evans Potter

Matriarch of House Potter

Faceclaim: Sobhita Dhulipala

Lily Jayalalita Evans Potter, formerly known as Lily Jessamine Evans and famously as Voldemort's Vanquisher, is the Matriarch of the Potter family, the Lady of Nagaraja Hall, and Senior Unspeakable of the British Department of Mysteries' Brain Room. She is the wife of James Potter and Regulus Potter, and the mother of Harry Potter and Madhuri Potter.

More information below the cut

What's in a Name?

Jayalalita जयाललितायै

— Lily's birth name that she reclaimed after she reunited with her Telugu family

जया Jaya – victory, one of the 108 names of the Hindu goddess Durga

ललितायै Lalita – She Who is Pleasant, Charming, Desirable, one of the 108 names of the Hindu goddess Durga

An Ode to Growing Up "Other"...

Lily knew she was different long before Severus told her about her Magic. She didn't look like her parents nor her older sister Petunia. Mr. and Mrs. Evans had adopted her from a family in India out of the goodness of their hearts. However, they went into it thinking all they needed to do was love and care for Lily enough in order to make up for their inability to keep her connected to her heritage.

There is something to be said about growing up and trying your best to fit in anywhere but every time you find a way to be more comfortable with one facet of your identity, you become ostracised with another facet. You could never be everything at once in the eyes of society. You have to be one, or the other. And even then, you will never be enough.

When Lily met Severus and was introduced to the world of Magic, it had cost her Petunia who couldn't follow her and who decided to cope with the loss of Lily through hatred. And when Lily grew closer to James and Sharanya and her Telugu identity, Severus coped with the change in a manner that was simply too reminiscent of Petunia.

...And Finding Your Way Home

Lily's transition from childhood to adolescence was marked by two major losses and one big reconnection. Her first experience with people who actually looked like her happened when she was first Sorted into Gryffindor. In her new House, she met James Potter, who laughed at Severus' appearance and poverty but offered to teach her about her culture in the same breath.

While James Potter introduced her to the broader Indian culture, C. Sharanya of Ravenclaw and her future best friend made her aware of the diversity of the Indian subcontinent. James' Tamil culture was different from her Kannadiga culture, as was Paresh Patil's Marathi culture. From there, Lily wanted to discover her own.

In the midst of her studies and crumbling relationships with Petunia and Severus, Lily slowly reconnected with her own Indian identity. And then one day James Potter approached her again. This time not with another plead for a date, but a name and an address.

"You can meet your birth family this summer, if you want. I can take you. Or pay for the trip. Or something." "You know this wouldn't make me say yes to you, right?" "I didn't do this for brownie points, my dear Lily. I did this because I wanted to help you." "Oh."

She was Telugu. She had biological, living family in Telangana, the land where she was born.

They had given her the name Jayalalita (victory, desirable. They loved and wanted her.). They wanted to meet her.

It felt like coming home at last.

Collected Miscellany

Little bits of extra information/headcanons for her. This section will be updated from time to time.

Was adopted as a baby by the Evans family, a white British couple who lived in Cokeworth, England

Her biological family, who are all mundane, hails from Telangana. Her parents died when she was a baby and her relatives could not afford to take care of her so they were forced to put her up for adoption

Struggled to connect with her peers as a child due to being the only POC in the area and, later on, being Magical

Severus Snape was her first friend

Completely cut contact with him when he insulted her Muggleborn and Indian identities during an argument between the two of them

Prior to this, Lily had attempted to rein in James and his friends’ bullying and reconcile both sides since she considered them both her friends and she didn’t want to see them hurting each other

James did eventually mellow out, but Snape on the other hand chose to stew in bitterness. He saw her friendship with James as a great betrayal, insisting that Lily didn’t need James since she had Sharanya to teach her about Indian culture instead

Another factor that added to the strain in their relationship was Snape adopting bigoted views and ideas. Snape insisted she wasn’t “one of the bad ones”. 

Her alma mater is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where she was Sorted into Gryffindor

She was made Head Girl in her seventh year, with James as Head Boy

James was her first actual connection to her culture. Though she disliked him at first, James was able to get on friendlier terms with her when he realised Lily was disconnected from her Indian identity and offered to help her reconnect

Fell for James for real when he spent several summers relentlessly tracking down her birth family for her and his efforts bore fruit on their sixth year. James brought Lily with him to Telangana so she can meet them at last 

Lily possesses prodigious skills in Potions, Charms and Transfiguration. Out of the three, she chose to pursue a Charms Mastery.

In addition to her position as the Potter family Matriarch, Lily is also an Unspeakable in the Brain Room of the Department of Mysteries 

Fluent in Tamil and Telugu, conversational in Sanskrit, Middle Tamil, and Classical Sanskrit

Considered sending Harry and Madhu to Tamil Nadu for their education but ultimately decided to let them attend Hogwarts since the children wanted to

Befriended Andromeda Black and Narcissa Black through Sirius and Regulus

Befriended Alice Fawley and C.(Chirayu) Sharanya (Patil twins’ mother) in Hogwarts

Befriended Pandora Lovegood (nee Malfoy) at work as an Unspeakable

More information on the Descendants of Nandhini / the Potters Back to the family directory of this AU

Please feel 100% free to drop some comments in the reblogs, replies, my askbox etc. ! 🥰🫶

[jewishregulus]

hold on because your thing with alecto carrow & the carrow twins……… you really did something there

listen okay i could go so crazy about them . i have so much lore trapped away in my brain . but i am going to summarize so fast and quick bc they drive me crazy….

general info abt both of them : they r born in japan bc the carrow family moves there post grindlewald and their mom dies and when she dies they move back to the england but they r poor af after everything so pureblood society looks down on them for being traitors. cue them fighting the entire wizaridng war to be given respect and seen as a genuine member of the sacred 28 and using intimidation and violence to do so… a if i cannot be better than them i will be so much worse moment . their dad is normal and loves them very much they just choose to be evil like that. their mom was a sweet angel also and everyday i cry over her even tho i invented her to be dead . whatever

alecto has a weird misandrist complex in which she hates men but is also performing for them all the time , a man hating lesbian who also can’t escape using the patriarchy to validate her skills and ambition. she loves spiders bc they are matriarchal . she bases her worth off of how well she appeals to others and has so her whole life to the point she barely has a sense of self . she wants to kiss lily evans on the mouth and she worships her like an absolute angel it’s serious and vicious . the few scraps of herself she has left are all about knowledge. she is obsessed w language and translation and tries to learn literally any language she can ever . despite this she still can’t give herself a voice . she wants barty crouch jr dead for the crime of being a man and a degenerate which like fair of her . evan n reg r chill tho bc game respects game . i think if she got the chance to explore Life she’d actually choose to become a teacher like voldemort Made her become , but she would be actually pretty good tbh. her and barty regularly brawl in the teachers lounge. alecto kicks his ass. in the modern college au in my head they are regrettably roommates and each conversation they have sets gay lesbian solidarity back 15 years . alecto is studying classics and women’s studies as a minor …. ik feminism is a big part of her character but chat do not reduce her to this u don’t get it … she has a deep connection to lady macbeth and the movie the handmaids tale . here is her vibe :

and amycus is his mothers son who does whatever alecto wants him to bc he just wants to be by her side. they are so aggressively co dependent . he is obsessed w magical plants and herbology and his favorite thing in the world is a magical venus flytrap he keeps in his dorm that evan keeps putting random drops of blood into the mouth of . his dream career would probably be using magical plants to make new medicines n poisons n such . hogwarts resident weed dealer . therefore he n barty r actually chill . he just misses his mom like so much 😭 he is consistently in morning over the life he could have had . he’s pretty good friends w everyone he’s not like a loner but he is lonely deep in his chest…… of course bc alecto is his sister #feministwomenloveamycuscarrow . every carrow is linked to an insect in my head and amycus is a praying mantis . …. he has the same capability for cruelty like he also is on the field w alecto during the war but like he’d rather be gardening :/. modern college au he’s probably studying biology and is the rlly menacing president of the gardening club. and u think this means he is secretly sweet but he’s literally evil. him n reg have a crazy friendship going in in which they do the craziest romantic shit but it is completely platonic. i’m talking like candle lit dinners . in my head he has a weird situationship w rabastan (who is another story….) but also i have a *whispers* oc….. who in the fic i have planned for them in my head (which i will never write) he ends up w and his name is maxx <3 but i will never talk abt ocs on here . i have some shame. amycus would follow alecto to hell if she asked (he just wishes she would stop going the- *car runs me over*)

here’s amycus vibes

i have so much more i could say abt them . there is so much in my head they have such a deep and complex story … i will take any excuse to yap abt them . anyways they are both gay and one day i will write the alectolily sugar mommy au in which lily is the sugar mommy bc she’s a super famous author n alecto works at an antique book store doing translation n repair <3333 and it’s completely accidental lily keeps paying to borrow these super old books and eventually she just pays for alecto to come over and help her research and then one thing leads to another . and alecto is guffawed when she realizes. amycus. thinks it his hilarious. i think her and lily would have an academic rivals to loves thing going on in canon and in like Any school setting but also just in general. they could be 5 years into their relationship and still competing to be the smartest . i think there is rosekiller alectolily double date hilarity potential. also have a lot of thoughts abt them paralleling to the rosier twins but what do i know … i will leave that to the masters ….

anyways that was my yapping . hope someone felt enthralled .

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Lady Whistledown Returns: Epilogue

Endings and beginnings are complicated, and Penelope knows that all too well.

Need to catch up? Previous chapters and workds are on AO3.

Content Warning: Major character death

Dearest Gentle Reader,

It is with great sadness and genuine regrets that this author—at the request of the Prince Regent—must inform you that Heaven’s Halls of English Queens and Queen Consorts has a new denizen. This author’s sorrows and prayers are extended to His Majesty, King George III, His Highness George, Prince of Wales and Prince Regent, and the entire royal family. For a family to lose their matriarch is to create an emotional wound that is years in the healing—particularly if petty matters of inheritance and bequeathments are dragged out unnecessarily in court.

Yes, dear reader, after 57 years and 70 days serving England as its queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz has died.

You know, dear reader, that this author is not given to flights of fancy, but on this most unusual of occasions, I am sure you will indulge a brief reflection on the swirl of thoughts and emotions of this day. Endings and beginnings in real life are rarely as clear-cut as they are in a piece of writing. The end of the life of Queen Charlotte does not end England, does not end the monarchy, does not even end the regency. And yet, this end feels like the beginning of an autumn. It feels as though we are in the final few pages of a book, preparing to close it.

Such a feeling is not new to Queen Charlotte’s reign. As queen, she endured the loss of the American Colonies, rebellions in France, Bonaparte’s bid for emperorship of the world, her husband’s dear health, her son’s regency, and the introduction of the Christmas tree to the British Empire. It is truly sad that she will not see them this year, and yet I believe that like the Christmas tree, Queen Charlotte’s legacy will survive this vortex of endings and beginnings. Whatever is to follow, dear readers, you may rest assured in the knowledge that Lady Whistledown will be here to report it.

Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers, 18 November 1818

The bell above the door of Abernathy’s Print Shop interrupted the melody of women’s voices, creaking press, and thumping ink balls that had accompanied Penelope’s trance as she watched snowflakes flutter past the window of her office on the second floor of the building. She was meant to be writing, but the ink had dried on her pen four times before she surrendered and allowed herself to become mesmerized by the gently falling snow.

A sudden increase in the volume of the noise from downstairs followed by thudding footsteps on the stairs brought Pen fully out of her reverie in time to see Colin, wrapped in his favorite traveling coat and red-cheeked with cold, close the door behind himself. He was in his stocking feet, making Penelope smile.

“So you’ll avoid tracking mud through Mrs. Abernathy’s domain, but you make our maids at home do triple the work in winter?” she asked.

“Mrs. Abernathy is more frightening than you are,” Colin retorted, leaning down for a kiss before falling into the well-loved armchair to one side of Penelope’s desk.

It was true; since Penelope had taken control of the print shop and offered Mrs. Abernathy and her adult daughter the daily running of it, the woman had proven herself to be more effective and authoritative than any general on any field of battle. She had staffed the shop with only the best, and made a point of taking in promising young women who showed interest or skill, particularly if they lacked other prospects.

One young lady had been cast out of her genteel family home for sneaking into the Royal Academy of Art a few too many times, and Benedict had brought her to Mrs. Abernathy. Miss Euphemia had taken it upon herself to spearhead a branch of the business that focused on printing invitations and dance cards for ton parties. Violet Bridgerton had debuted the first run of Miss Euphemia’s designs at her annual Hearts and Flowers Ball, and within a single season that branch of the business had paid for the shop’s overhead costs for six months. Mrs. Abernathy was confident that it would do even better the next season, and that they might need to expand the shop and purchase a third printing press to keep up with the anticipated volume.

Under her mother’s direction, Miss Abernathy had cultivated a bevy of world-class delivery boys who were well-paid and well-fed. The particularly promising ones were also given extra training, and they were well-spoken enough and sufficiently trusted to make deliveries to the great houses of Mayfair and even the palace. On particularly enterprising young man had suggested that they be hired out to other print shops to make deliveries, and that part of the business was also thriving.

With Penelope’s enthusiastic blessing and assistance, Mrs. Abernathy had also begun reaching out to women writers. In the year or so that the shop had been overseen by the Whistledowns, columns, pamphlets, chapbooks, and even a couple of novels had been published and distributed. Penelope had personally reached out to Mary Shelley, who had agreed to an anonymous publication of her novel at the beginning of 1818. Mrs. Abernathy and Penelope were in the process of convincing her to bless a second edition in which Mary was credited as the author.

“You look pensive,” Colin said, interrupting the reverie Penelope had slid back into. “Are you worried about your latest issue? It’s been extremely well received. Not that I think you could write anything the Prince Regent did not receive well.” Prince George had taken to requesting signed editions of Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers and sending purses in appreciation of particular favorite issues.

“I’m not worried, necessarily,” she said. “But there’s an odd feeling in the air, and I cannot frame it satisfactorily.”

“It could be the snow,” suggested Colin, unconsciously rubbing his elbows. They still ached in inclement weather, despite his protestations that they were fine.

“I rather think the snow is muffling the feelings, gentling them, so that we may take our time adjusting to them rather than being overwhelmed.” She was silent for long moments.

“I think it finally feels over. And it feels like something else is beginning.” Penelope picked up a pen, dipped it in ink, and the sound of quill scratching over paper filled the room.