#nurse sybil

[angelswing236]

"Who takes care of you?'

Fictober 2023

Category: Fanfiction

Fandom: Downton Abbey

A highly polished pair of black boots appeared in front of Sybil as she sat in the garden of the hospital, staring at the ground, gripping the edge of the wooden bench tightly.

‘Are you all right, milady? Tom asked softly, too much concern in his voice.

She closed her eyes, not trusting herself to speak without shedding the tears she was desperately trying to hold back. She felt him sit beside her, a respectable six or so inches between them, and opened her eyes.

‘I’m a good listener if you want to talk about it.’

‘My… my patient died,’ Sybil murmured, the simple words nearly tipping her over the edge.

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Lieutenant Adams. Frank Adams. He was… he was my age. Two months younger than me, in fact,’ she continued quietly.

‘That’s very sad,’ Tom said, gently.

‘He was…’ She paused, closing her eyes briefly again. ‘He’s the first patient I’ve lost.’

‘That must be hard. Especially when you’d got to know him a little.’

Sybil nodded, seeing Frank Adams' face in her mind’s eye, his freckles stark on his too-pale face.

‘Were you with him?’

Sybil nodded again.

‘Then he didn’t go alone. He had you taking care of him as he began his journey.’

‘I didn’t take care of him, though, did I?’ Sybil said, bitterly.

‘Yes, you did. You made sure he was as comfortable as he could be, didn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ she said, reluctantly.

‘There you go then.’

‘But I couldn’t save him.’

‘It’s not your job to save him. It’s your job to take care of him. And you did that.’

Sybil sat up, thinking about that.

‘Who takes care of you?’ Tom asked, looking sideways at her.

She glanced across at him. ‘I don’t need taking care of.’

‘Yes, you do. We all need someone to take care of us at some point. Especially during the dark times. So, who takes care of you?’

Sybil shrugged, not knowing how to answer that question.

‘I’ll take care of you. If you’ll let me,’ he said softly, laying his hand on the bench between them, not touching her, just letting it lie there.

Sybil glanced down at it, knowing the comfort he was offering her shouldn’t exist between them. She pressed her lips together and then lay her hand next to his on the bench, her little finger crooked over his. 

[mangomaduro7]

2 hour sketch/thing. the downton abbey brainrot has taken a hold of me....

pretty,, woman....

[eolewyn1010]

Julian Fellowes really said "when a woman's children are dead she doesn't have any purpose in life anymore" huh.

In the same fucking episode we are shown that his darling Mary is a crap mother and leaves the raising of her infant son including spending any time with him whatsoever to the nanny.

Guys, I'm fucking flabbergasted.

[housedyke]

Once I dye my hair and have money again Halloween is gonna be my time

[boinday]

A body in the water. A howl in the mist. A community secret. A God waking up. Sybil Kane, a London nurse, is dispatched to the isolated island of Calda off the Irish coast, to care for the grandfather she's never met. She's not built for the task; timid, quiet, and self-sacrificial, her journey across the sea dredges up past horrors she thought were long drowned. In the wake of the Irish Civil War and Free State, she feels like a foreigner on her own soil. The islanders are quick to embrace her – but they have plans for Sybil, plans they don't share out in the open. With only a revolutionary soldier and the local shipwright as allies, Sybil tries to persuade her newfound community to see sense and evacuate their elderly population to the mainland. But their roots are planted deep, and Sybil feels those tendrils growing around her... The longer she stays, the more she belongs. The closer she draws to the grotesque secret they keep hidden at the church...

Very excited to reveal the first teaser image of my novel, The Water Dog! It's been a long time in the making and is probably the most deeply personal story I'll ever tell. A mix of folk-horror and supernatural romance, I think people who've enjoyed my previous stories will be a bit surprised (in a good way I hope!) by this more intense literary experience.

I'll be releasing more updates soon, but this is the reason RTR has been on such a long hiatus. I've been writing like a demon all year to get this finished and edited to a professional standard. I can't wait to show you all more.

[skittykitty300]

Artist rendition of how the girls were napping

Oh Arceus, my pokemon have turned against me and are taking over my home!!!

(( A.k.a. Sybil, Spike, and Silly have taken up all of the room in my bed and napping together))

They are holding me hostage now!!!!

((A.k.a. Sweeney is sitting in my lap watching Mewtube at my desk with me as Sylvester lays on top of my feet))

[elongatedtennisball]

A Beginner's Guide to the TBCU

First and foremost, what is the TBCU? The Tennis Ball Cinematic Universe is a silly little playground where we all make our tennis balls kiss and fight to the death.

While the "Tennis Ball" part of our name may be off-putting to some, we actually have a wide variety of creatures, including (but not limited to!) gods, the odd human or two, robots, and whatever the fuck this thing is:

Anyone can join, just make an OC like you would any other, slap a tennis ball label on it (i.e; husband-tennis-ball, acoustic-tennis-ball, tennis-ball-wizard), make a blog, and tag or send an ask to either myself or @i-want-tennis-ball to join!

But before you join, you might be wondering: "Are there rules? What sort of world setting is this? Can I make just ANYTHING, or should I go for a specific vibe?"-- and that's where this helpful guide comes into play!

Under the cut will be 6 things you should know before joining the TBCU*! (And if you know all of this, but aren't sure how to roleplay, #6 is the one for you.)

*Don't worry, though, if you don't want to read all of this (It is... a lot.)... We'll teach you!

Number 1: Want and Hate

@i-want-tennis-ball and @i-hate-tennis-ball are the two oldest members of the TBCU, and as I'm sure you can tell, there's a bit of tension between them... (Or, well. There was. I'm... not really sure what they're doing now.)

I Want Tennis Ball, also known as Sybil, is our leader, the owner of the House many of us live in (more on that below!), and has provided lovingly for our cult family since the very beginning.

Sybil takes in any lost or wandering tennis balls that come to them, so if you're looking for a place to stay, Sybil has your back! She's an incomprehensible entity, so if you have any sort of prejudice against non-tennis balls, this isn't the place for you. We'll defend him with our lives if we have to. (At least. Most of us will. Some of us. Probably. I will.)

And then there's I Hate Tennis Ball (or, Hate, for short), the mortal enemy of the tennis balls. He's also an incomprehensible entity, like Sybil, but unlike Sybil, he's determined to kill us all.

Just a couple of years ago, they came into our House under the name "Zion", disguised as a tennis ball. We accepted him, welcomed her into our House... and that bastard tried to burn us to the ground!

Hate lives out next to the Forest (again, more on that below), in a small cottage. If you see it... it's best to just avoid it.

Recently, however... Sybil and Hate seem to be getting along? It's been quite the stir among the House's residents.

Speaking of which...

Number 2: The House

The House is where we live! Well, most of us, anyways. It's surrounded on all sides by forests, (Like the Forest, the Fae Forest, and the Willows) and a bit further out there are a whole bunch of... other stuff. I haven't really explored beyond that, to be honest. I think there's a bunch of villages and stuff?

...

The House is owned by Sybil, but anyone can come live there. There's always room! In fact, it's practically... magical, how much room there is. Sometimes I swear the hallways change on me...

The House is taken care of by @nurse-tennis-ball, the Nurse, Maid, Gardener, and much more! She loves her job, and we're all very grateful to him. If you need anything, they almost certainly will have you covered! (Just... be warned. She's a bit... odd... at times.)

You don't have to live in the House to hang out with us, but we'd be glad to have you!

Number 3: The Forests

There's four major forests around the House, each with their own unique perks and residents!

The Fae Forest

Here lies the trickster @fae-tennis-being. If you know your fae rules, take a step instead! Otherwise...

Do not enter.

The Willows

An over grown forest, filled to the brim will all sorts of magical creatures, like @snake-tennis-ball, a huge snake woman.

...

Do not enter.

The Forest

Home to the God of Order in the East, their angels, and resting just on the edge of the ruins of a village, the Forest is also magical, and doesn't like visitors.

... ...

Do not enter.

A forest

This one is just a regular forest! Nothing interesting about it at all.

Feel free to enter!

Number 4: Gods and Religion

You might have noticed that I mentioned that the Forest is home to the God of Order in the East. In fact, there's many gods around, including the 3 other gods of order (for the South, West, and North!), and many, many others, too many to count.

The Gods are run by Creation, the force that drives the Universe, and are usually subject to the whims of Fate.

If you want to make a god OC to add to our lovely cast... Simply do! We'd be happy to have them. The only slots that are taken are the Gods of Order.

(For a more extensive look into the way the gods work, check out this post!)

Many of us worship the gods, and there's no one religion that defines us. Just... try to get along.

Number 5: Magic

Magic is abundant in our Universe, just ask our residents, like @tennisball-wizard, who dabble in the stuff. There are two kinds of magic, but most people don't know the difference, and figure out magic just fine, so don't sweat the details (unless you're into the details! In which case, this is the section for you.). Magic can do whatever you need it to do.

External Magic

External Magic is the kind of magic that fuels our very Universe. It comes from sources outside the user's body. This kind of magic is extremely safe to use, as no matter how much you use, you'll never drain your own energy reserves. You might, however, drain the reserves of the magic around you, and then you won't be able to use magic anymore. So be careful!

Internal Magic

Internal Magic is the kind of magic that comes from deep within you, and is typically a lot stronger than External Magic. Internal Magic can be extremely dangerous to use though, if you don't learn how to restrain yourself, as it draws from your very life force.

It also leaves an imprint of your magic on whatever you enchanted, sort of like a fingerprint that other people can use magic in order to see. Imprints are a little bit different for everyone, and you can be identified with them.

(Interesting note: You can gather the Internal Magic of someone else, wielding it like you would External Magic, and not only would it be safe for you to use, it would leave the imprint of them instead of you.)

Number 6: Character Creation and Some Roleplaying Tips

"This is cool and all, but what about my character? Are there things I shouldn't do? And how do I even go about roleplaying with other people? Do I just... start talking and hope someone joins?"

If you're here, you probably are asking these questions. I've got you.

Your character can do anything you want! Really, anything at all. The only limitations are: a) Your character can't dictate what other characters do. This might seem obvious, but it's always good to keep in mind. If there's something you want to happen, you'll need to communicate with whoever owns those OCs before deciding it yourself. b) Sometimes we have systems set in place (like the magic one I just explained). If you have a character that requires you to flesh out some world building, just ask! You can DM me, or join our Discord, and ask about a system, and see if anyone has got something in place*. Otherwise, it'll be yours to create! *Note: Even if a system is already in place, you can probably expand upon how it works if you need something specific. Don't sweat the details, the Universe is flexible, and we'll change it to help everyone's characters the best.

I know we're called the "Tennis Ball Cinematic Universe" but... You don't have to make a tennis ball OC! We have the Gods, of course, but we also have lots of characters pretending to be tennis balls, or tennis balls but slightly to the left, or incomprehensible entities, or creatures, or just straight up humans! Tennis balls was just a funny gimmick, and something unique to our Universe to help define us.

Now for some roleplaying tips! (If you already know how to roleplay on Tumblr, you can skip down to the bottom.)

How to start a roleplay - Locate the person you want to roleplay with. If you're in the Discord, go ahead and ask them if they wanna roleplay. Sometimes you guys can work out a situation to start them off together. You don't have to do this, though, because the simplest way to start a roleplay is to send an ask! Just go to their blog, type in an anonymous ask the same way you would type a roleplay normally (more on that in a second), and tag yourself, so that you get notified when they respond. - Remember that people are busy, and might not get around to answering your ask right away, or they might forget. DMs or Discord are good for asking people if they're available, or if they're still interested in roleplay. Don't be a dick, sometimes roleplays get forgotten, or life takes precedence. There will always be other people to roleplay with.

How to... you know. Roleplay! - Pick a format! For example, when I roleplay, there are three main things I do: Narration, Talking, and Thinking. Whatever format you pick, make sure you're consistent, so that people know what you're character is doing! - Example: ETB2 looks around, smiling gently when he sees you. This is what his narration looks like. He walks over to you, and then starts to talk. "Hey! You must be new here. This is what my talking looks like. And now thinking, right?" ((I like to put my thinking in bold, just to keep things different. Here's what that looks like.)) Your format doesn't have to look anything like mine. You can use different colors, symbols, and text formats to signify the differences. Feel free to get creative. Remember: The important thing is that you're consistent. - When roleplaying, try to think of how your character would react to the situation at hand. The best characters are the ones that are well defined, but don't worry about being perfect. It takes some getting used to, and every time you roleplay, you'll get a bit better at it! - You're on Tumblr, so I'm gonna guess you know how to use this website. Once you send an ask, and they respond, you'll use the reblog feature to continue the roleplay. And sometimes you wanna say something about your character, or your roleplay partner's. That's where the tags come in handy! Just type your message to your roleplay partner there. - You can also do an open roleplay, where you make your character do something, and then just wait to see who responds. Make sure you tag it as an open roleplay, so that people know you want interaction, and be mindful that this is less sure to get you a roleplay. - Finally: If you want to roleplay, but no one is reaching out? Reach out first! Trust me when I say a lot of us have anxiety about "bothering people". We're working on it ^_^;

Make an intro! - On your blog, introduce your character. Put down their Name, Pronouns, the Format you'll be using, and any Other Important Info.

Some of these narrators seems suspiciously like characters of their own... - And that's because, well, they are! Some of our narrators are sentient! There's no way to tell who has a sentient narrator and who doesn't until you get into a roleplay, and there's no obligation to have a sentient narrator of your own. But if that's your thing, go for it! - Just keep in mind, narrators are narrating. Unless your roleplay partner says otherwise, your characters can't hear the narrators*! *There are some exceptions, like @ball-ghost-tennis being able to hear her own narrator, and Narry (@ball-with-a-god-complex) being able to hear all narrators. But a good rule of thumb is, unless other wise stated, Narrators are Narrators, characters are characters. They don't interact!

Woah, that's a lot of color, Wiz. What's going on there? - Some of like to use colors to spice up our roleplay! A lot of times, if you see some extra colors, it means there's some sort of extra lore being hinted at. Most of us are normal, and didn't go quite as overboard with the colors as the Wizard did, but there are some... notable exceptions. (Looks at @tennisball-witch) - You can use colors, or you can leave it plain. It's entirely up to you, just like the formatting!

And... I think that's it for the basics!

Last but not least...

Other Resources for Learning More!

TBCU Masterlist of blogs! Note: Not a master list of characters, as there are so many more.

Our own Wiki!

You can join our Discord server (please ask myself or @tennisball-wizard for the invite.)

Check out @tbcu-polls, where there's currently a tournament being held, but they also do several non-tournament polls that you yourself can submit to! (It's a great way to see some new faces and learn about the sort of characters they are.)

Check out @out-of-context-tbcu, where some of our wildest moments are put on blast.

[moo9395]

My Ghosts headcanons

I've had these sitting in a google doc for ages so I might as well hand them over.

I've split them into stuff that 'could take place in canon' and 'modern au' stuff

Robin:

Fluent in multiple languages (kind of canon but whatever)

He has a PhD in astrophysics 

Humphrey:

He gets migraines

He’s a teacher (this is quite popular), Headteacher humphrey is cool as well

Failed his driving test 4 times in a row

Coffee gives Humphrey headaches so he drinks more of it. 

Mary:

She was a girl guide (me coded) (Credit to @kingofthefrogs swapped au for inspo)

Welsh (me coded)

Dyslexic

Kitty:

Can be heard on a spirit box (Credit to kingofthefrogs)

Likes Call the Midwife.

She is a Nurse or Doctor, possibly a paediatrician. Haven’t seen this done yet but I think it could be fun given her fascination with Maddocks’ injury.

She loves iced coffee.

Thomas:

He is scared of dogs (channeling me right now) Dante is a weird exception to this that Fanny often complains about but secretly is proud of.

He can experience temperature as a ghost. (Credit to Ailendolin) He is susceptible to heat stroke and sometimes gets a cold, especially after going in the lake.

He's left handed

He is dyslexic and/or short sighted. Bonus if he refuses to wear glasses. Double bonus if this gives him constant headaches.

Studied abroad in Holland for 2 years and developed a weed addiction, he moved back to the UK to get over it

Coffee gives Thomas headaches so he doesn’t drink it. 

Fanny:

Hypochondriac. 

Incredible at Netball (she's such a netball girlie) she plays wing attack or centre

Captain:

He has reading glasses.

Scared of chickens (Alektorophobia) (Inspired by @upsetslingshot on ao3)

Cap was in army cadets (me coded) and loved it.

Pat:

He's claustrophobic, he was in life and the fact that he died while struggling to breathe has worsened that.

He’s basically blind without his glasses. (like Velma type blind)

Road rage.

Julian:

Has hemophobia (fear of blood)

Julian was in army cadets and hated it.

Multi Character (mostly modern au stuff):

Thomas, Fanny, and Mary love watching Downton Abbey. Thomas is a passionate fan of Edith, Mary likes Sybil, and Fanny is a big fan of Violet Crawley (as she should be).

All autistic (Julian and Robin AuDHD).

Cap, Thomas, Mary, and Julian are cat people

Pat, Robin, and Fanny are dog people

Humphrey and Kitty passionately refuse to pick a side.

Thomas, Cap, Pat, Fanny and Julian are tea people.

Humphrey, Kitty, Mary and Robin are coffee people.

Robin and Humphrey as siblings/ twins.

Thomas and Kitty met in school. Thomas was being picked on and Kitty defended him.

Julian and Robin met in Cambridge Uni, Robin was doing an astrophysics PhD, Julian was doing his classmates a masters in politics.

Cap and Fanny play badminton together.

They have a group football team (more on that later)

Mary and Robin hooked up once (I know its canon but I love when it also happens in modern au's)

Hogwarts houses:

Hufflepuff - Humphrey, Pat, Mary

Gryffindor - Robin, Julian

Ravenclaw - Fanny, Thomas, Kitty

Slytherin - Cap

I'm very willing to elaborate and hear other opinions on this.

Mario Kart mains:

Robin - Bowser

Humphrey - Shy Guy

Mary - Yoshi

Kitty - Daisy

Thomas - Peach

Fanny - Toadette

Captain - Luigi

Pat - Koopa Troopa

Julian - Donkey Kong

The football team (my pride and joy):

Robin - goalkeeper, he once scored from a goal kick

Humphrey - defence, very good at headers (lol) but is frequently injured mainly due to being clumsy

Kitty - defence, she gets very invested in the game and will break knees (while apologising) 

Cap - defence, it took him a while to pick up the sport but he’s thriving, works very well with Humphrey and Kitty

Thomas - surprisingly good left winger, other teams generally see him (being himself) before the game  and write him off as a weaker player - he loves proving them wrong

Fanny - right wing, her and thomas make a weirdly good duo, she's absolutely incredible at penalties 

Pat - central midfielder and the team captain (Cap conceded that maybe Pat was a little bit better than him at football and should take the lead ‘just this once’)

Mary - Striker, really strong with both feet, closes her eyes when she takes a shot but somehow is still usually on target 

Julian - Striker, solid player but is frequently sent off for inappropriate celebrations

I had way too much fun re-reading these.

PLEASE USE THEM AND SEND ME THE FICS IM OBSESSED.

[aeshnacyanea2000]

Sybil’s female forebears had valiantly backed up their husbands as distant embassies were besieged, had given birth on a camel or in the shade of a stricken elephant, had handed around the little gold chocolates while trolls were trying to break into the compound, or had merely stayed at home and nursed such bits of husbands and sons as made it back from endless little wars. The result was a species of woman who, when duty called, turned into solid steel.

Terry Pratchett - Thud!

[toms-cherry-trees]

Don't Hold My Hand (I'll Break Your Heart) || Tommy Shelby x Fem OC ~ Prologue

Summary: How can one recover from having their life swept out from under theit feet? When a promising future becomes lost, shattered by a past that should have remained long forgotten? Is care and love enough to undo the damage, or will it just be a sweet balm to give a brief respite of the pain before the unavoidable end?

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: Vague description of war injuries

Author's note: This fic is loosely based on Me Before You, keyword loosely. I don't have many information on what voluntary nurses did after the war nor how did they treat those with long term injuries, but I am working as best as I can with what I know so do not expect this to be entirely historically accurate. There also may be some ableism akin to the period but it will be kept minimal

This is also my first time writing Tommy with an OC! Say hello to Charlotte Florence Tindall everyone! She is an OC I've had for 3 years based in Lady Sybill Crawley from Downton Abbey

Next part 》

The gates to Arrow House stood tall and imponent amidst a thick grove in the depths of Warwickshire. The estate’s name had been forged in sturdy steel and perched high above the iron and brick archways, kept in pristine condition despite the long exposure to the elements, with the family’s proud surname hanging just below in equal condition. Charlotte could easily imagine an unfortunate servant sent there on the daily with a ladder and some polisher, his only duty being to keep the family’s name spotless, literally.

The journey towards the manor was brief and silent, the bumps in the road barely noticeable in the luxurious car that had picked her up from the train station, with leather seats and a smoothly purring engine. She knew little about the brands and commodities money could afford, but the vehicle, driven by a smartly dressed man in a crisp suit, surely cost more than all the money she had ever owned or would ever own in her life as a former VAD nurse.

The Great War had taken many opportunities, but in its wake, it had unexpectedly given some. Hordes of girls and women turned to their nearest recruitment offices or hospitals to receive express courses in nursing and home care, to serve their country side by side with the men, restoring to health those who had been wounded in combat and caring for those who had given it all until they had no more left. Field hospitals, Red Cross stations, local hospitals, and convalescence homes; all packed to the gunnels with soldiers who had been wounded, scarred, maimed, and traumatised beyond repair.

But the war had come to an end. The volunteers, the ones who had risen to the task, scattered and went back to their lives. And so did Charlotte. Only to realise the long battle had just begun. The men would not recover only because the conflict had concluded. Many remained who would need lifetime care and attention that not many families were trained or willing to provide. The nurses returned, offering their skills in little advertisements printed in newspapers or glued to shop windows.

She had it easy, in a way. Early in 1919, a man she cared for harnessed her in to be his private nurse, but that lasted until he came forward with less honourable propositions. Then came an elderly colonel, whom she watched over up until his last breath. And most recently, a strapping young sergeant, whose fiance, who didn’t take kindly to having a young woman dress and wash him, nearly chased Charlotte off.

She quickly grew disenchanted with the job, having found mostly trouble and no small amount of tears in it. Perhaps she was not made for this as she originally thought. Maybe she would do better as a cashier or cook; she could seek a post as a secretary or a board girl in the telephone company. She had learned enough to defend herself as a seamstress. Anything to keep her clothed and fed while sparing her the suffering.

But one day, a letter arrived at her door. A letter sent by the treasurer of Shelby Company Limited. The infamous Polly Gray. A shiver ran down her spine when she read the name in elegant calligraphy over expensive paper, and a part of her feared the envelope would burst in her hands like a hand grenade.

Who in Birmingham didn’t know about the Shelbys? In the slums and the rookeries, people didn’t pray to God; they prayed to the Peaky Blinders. They owned the factories, the distilleries, the pubs, and the institutions. They owned the police. They owned the very streets the people walked every day, their houses, their money, and their lives if they so wished.

And now, it seemed they wished to own Charlotte.

Mrs. Gray convened her for an interview at their estate since they requested her services as a nurse to care for a war veteran. The letter provided little more information other that they offered generous pay, accommodations, and a day off of her choosing. A preset date and time had been included, next to a train ticket to get her to the station closest to them.

Charlotte could not tell exactly what drove her to actually assist. Perhaps she wished to know how and why they found her. Maybe the lure of a salary twice the average had lured her in. Or the morbid curiosity of meeting this soldier; as far as she knew, the Shelby brothers didn’t need anything from anyone.

When she arrived at the manor, a stern-faced woman took her coat and bag. She barely had time to admire her surroundings before the maid led her towards a drawing room. Dark wood in panels and furniture, crimson wallpaper, two walls entirely lined with bookshelves filled with books of all sorts, some in pristine condition and others worn and falling apart.

Amidst all, in a settee of black velvet, sat Polly Gray. Pearls hugged her neck, hung from her ears, and adorned the front of her silver frock. Bracelets and rings decorated her fingers. Masses of papers covered the tea table before her, which she methodically separated into neat piles. By her side were a glass of whiskey and a cigarette with crimson stains, the ashtray filled to the brim. The face powder could not conceal entirely the dark circles underneath her eyes, and some fine streaks of grey contrasted against her golden chocolate curls. A woman not quite old in age but worn out tremendously by troubles and tribulations Charlotte didn’t know.

She cleared her throat, since she appeared so immersed in her paperwork she didn’t notice her.

“Mrs Gray”

“Sit” The harshness of the command contrasted with the undeniable softness of her voice, edged with barely contained nervousness, as if she stood ready to collapse. Hurriedly, she collected the scattered papers and dropped them in a pile at her side, just in time for the stern maid to place before them a tea tray, all polished silverware and hand-painted porcelain. Mrs. Gray and her spent several minutes in fraught silence, stirring a cup of fragrant tea with two sugars, while Mrs. Gray added the last of her whiskey glass into her cup. Charlotte waited for her to speak first, but the woman seemed to be in no rush, which only added to her own anxiousness.

“Mrs. Gray. You called me here. You sent me a train ticket and a driver to pick me up. Why?”

She stirred her beverage methodically, making five perfect clockwise rounds with the spoon and gently tapping it on the rim twice. Staring into the steaming liquid while she pondered her words.

“You are a nurse, aren’t you? You have field experience, and have also have cared for disabled soldiers." Not an interrogation, merely a statement. She didn’t question her about how she knew that. If she so desired, she could track down her school teacher and ask her how well she did in maths when she was nine. But that still didn’t provide her with answers.

“I am. I have worked with several patients, and if you wish, I can provide referen-”

She cut Charlotte off with a wave of her hand. “I already have your references. I spoke with your previous employers myself.”

A cold shiver spread down her legs. What could she possibly require from her that she take such an effort to map out her past? If she had that information, it meant they had checked her background and that of her family and close friends. And she assumed she had passed whatever unspoken test they carried on her; otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought her straight into their den.

But again, why?

Mrs. Gray put down the teacup and finally looked at the other woman’s face for the first time since her arrival. Her eyes were large, deep in colour, and full of wisdom and caution.

“Do you have any experience with men with reduced mobility? That is, men who are wheelchair-bound?”

That treaded closer to her area of expertise. For a brief moment, she feared she would be taken to a dimly lit basement where she’d be asked to save the life of a grievously wounded man with a gun pressed to her temple. Or maybe she just read far too many crime novels.

“I do. I worked with many men who had lost their ability to walk, either by spinal injury or loss of  limb."Before the following pause prolonged for too long, Charlotte pressed the matter further. “Is that why you called me? You have a veteran who can’t  walk."She spoke the words carefully, since she had learned through trial and error that not all people reacted well when she spoke too harshly about the state of the patient, so she tiptoed around the subject with carefully chosen words.

Suddenly she stood, setting the cup aside with such carelessness that the tea splattered everywhere, staining the lace covering the side table.

“Come with me." She headed towards the hallway, not even looking to see if Charlotte followed. She barely had time to steal one more sip before rushing behind her, straining her legs to keep up with her pace. She led her through a back door and out of the house, towards a stone and gravel backyard, smelling of horses and petrol. Other than a few hounds and a lone gardener trimming some bushes, no one else was around. No one listening but Lottie.

“My three nephews enlisted around the same time in 1914. And I will forever be grateful that the three of them made it home alive." She walked with her hands behind her back like a man. With that ramrod straight posture and her puffed chest, she could put a general to shame. It certainly worked to intimidate her, and she walked a step behind her, feeling unworthy of keeping up her pace.

“John and Arthur came back okay. Or as okay as men could after the things they saw and did�� John and Arthur. Both names rang a bell, but she hadn’t seen them personally. They acted as henchmen more than businessmen, terrorising the factories and the foremen in their factories. Legend has it that a foreman in a Sparkbrook steelworks bought a house with bribes for tossing bodies in the furnace.

“But Tommy” She continued, bringing her attention back to the present. “He was a tunneller. There was a collapse near the end of everything. I don’t know the entire story, but the tunnel caved in on them. Out of fifteen boys, only five were dug  out."She fell silent for a moment and made the sign of the cross. Pain wrung Charlotte’s heart, but she didn’t allow it to settle. She had quickly learned to push pain into the back of her mind during the war. If she allowed herself to feel it, she’d collapse like wet clay.

“They brought him back on a stretcher. I never thought a person could be more blue than white and have more broken bones than whole ones. He spent the rest of the war in a hospital room and remained there for a good part of the next year. Every doctor expected him to just die in his sleep, but he refused to give up. He made a full recovery and came home as if nothing happened.”

The tone of her words and Lottie’s very presence there indicated that not all had gone well.

“He took over his duties in the business and married a girl he fancied. They even had a son. No indicator that something could be wrong". Her pace had slowed, allowing her to catch up, now walking by her side, not wanting to miss a word. She had left the backyard behind and now moved into bare grass; from the entrance, she hadn’t quite grasped how far the estate stretched. It could easily and comfortably house two manors equal in size with their own stables and gardens.

“He suddenly started complaining of pain in his legs. Stiffness, soreness, especially in the mornings” She recognised the symptoms immediately but chose to remain silent while she spoke. “Soon he had trouble walking; sometimes his knees gave out and he just fell. He resisted the cane as much as he could, but in time he could not remain upright without it for  long.

“We sought a doctor in London. He said a disc in his back had cracked in the accident. The fracture had been stable, but as time passed, it worsened and began to collapse and compress his  spine."She waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t understand any of the technical words, but the doctor said the injury would progress. The spine would be compressed more and more until he lost all use of his  legs.

Even though Charlotte didn’t see her expression, she noticed in her words the sorrow she felt for her nephew. And she didn’t blame her. To have him delivered home in pieces, seeing him go through a miraculous recovery only for this to happen. His life robbed from him, one sliver at a time, seeing his own body fail him day by day.

Mrs. Gray exhaled slowly, as if regaining her composure. “Ever since he got the diagnosis, he changed. He became irritable and wrathful. He refused to be seen with the cane; whenever he met people in the office, he leant into something or sat down. Then he refused to be seen altogether and handled business locked in his office." She pulled out a cigar case from her dress pocket and offered her one, which Lottie kindly refused.

“When he no longer could manage stairs easily, he started working from home. He seldom saw people; only his brothers and I could visit him” The smoke left her mouth with each word, since she consumed the cigarette so desperately she barely had time to breathe out. She thought that she didn’t need all that information to do her job, but she didn’t interrupt her. She sounded like she needed someone to listen to her at least once.

She finished the first cigarette and quickly lit a second with the leftover stub. Her crimson coated lips parted, as if she wanted to say something else but chose not to at the last second. Instead her features contorted in a snarl briefly, lips pursed like she tasted something bitter, and then shook her head and regained her composure.

“He bought this manor to be away from everyone. He wanted to live alone, with only the staff to help him, but I couldn’t leave him alone in that state, even if he refused to be helped. He may be an arse, but he is still my nephew” Lottie snickered at her last statement, disguising the inappropriate sound as a cough.

“I realise I could not handle it alone. There is just so much to be done, and many things he would never let me do for him” Another lit cigarette, consumed as frantically as the first two. “I tried to hire him a personal maid but she had the talent of a doornail”

“That’s why you sought me?” It made sense now. A common maid couldn’t handle his injuries and his needs like she could.

A bitter laugh fell from her lips “I sought a nurse, yes. And another one. And another one” She didn’t pay heed to her concerned expression “He never got along with any of them. Despised them, I dare say. Tommy cannot stomach being stared at or treated with pity” She made a mental note of that for her future work, that is, if she survived the day “Not all the pay raises and benefits in the world convinced them to stay long. I offered to pay the last one’s bank loans if she reconsidered her resignation, but that only held her in for another three weeks”

Charlotte’s resolution to take the job faltered by the minute. Why would she want to care for a man who seemed hellbent in making his caretakers miserable? Sure, his situation was nothing short of horrible, but did that really give him the right to spread his venom to those who tried to do good by him? And most importantly, did she really want to put herself through that? The pay was the best she had ever been offered, but would the money be worth it?

Suddenly Mrs. Gray gripped the younger woman’s hand, so tightly her fingers ached. She should have shaken her off, but the desperation in her eyes deterred her from it. She looked like a woman standing on the edge of the abyss, hanging only from her grasp.

“I personally collected your reference letters. All of your previous employers spoke of your patience and your affection. Of how your softness and cheerfulness helped them. I think you are what Tommy needs. I think you are the one who can help my nephew” Her grip tightened and an involuntary mewl of pain came from her throat. She released Lottie’s hand, and instead placed a pleading touch on her bicep.

“Please give it a try. At least for a month. I know he won’t live to be an old man. And whatever life he has left, whether it is 4 years or 4 decades, I want him to find peace. Happiness, even. I want him to have a reason to wake up in the morning” She could tell she wished to say more, but had cut off her words.

With all she laid out before her, Charlotte barely resisted the temptation to grab her purse and run for her life. But something in her words, in the story she narrated for her, it pulled at her heartstrings. She had a thing for lost causes and broken things. In the worst scenario, she would walk out depressed but with enough money to start anew.

She only had one request

“Can I meet your nephew before I make my decision?” 

Mrs Gray dropped her arm and pressed her lips into a thin line, eyebrows knit together in a scowl. She wanted to say no, that much she could tell. Maybe she thought she shouldn’t see Thomas until she had her signed up so she couldn’t back out. But Charlotte wouldn’t agree on anything until she spoke to him

“Of course”

Back into the house, she took her to the second floor. Lottie quickly noticed the house had been retrofitted in ways most couldn’t afford to offer Thomas a semblance of comfort. Large paintings hung in the stairway, most of them displaying a man with blue eyes and a dominant posture, always standing with his hands behind his back.

A set of double doors stood ajar towards the back of the floor. The room behind stretched almost all the length of the house, and Lottie noticed in the wall the dents where walls had been taken down to create such a large space. The furniture stood well spaced between each other to allow wide passages, enough to comfortably fit a wheelchair. Sunlight filled the alcove, coming from the many windows with the drapes drawn back. A set of glass doors led to a magnificent veranda that overlooked the estate.

Just outside, close to the balustrade, sat a black-haired man, his back turned to them. The wheelchair he sat upon was far more complex and luxurious than the ones she had in the ward. He wore a robe and slippers, as if he had just risen from bed despite being well into the afternoon.

Mrs. Gray walked out first, while she waited just under the lintel. She stood next to the man, one hand on his shoulder.

“Tommy, there is someone I want you to meet”

“No” His voice cut through the air, deep and curt. It sounded manly, and would have been pleasing to hear in other situation

“Tommy, please give her a chance, I promise-” He cut her pleading short with a smack of his fist on the wooden armrest.

“I said no! I don’t want her here. Put her in a cab and send her away” Mrs. Gray seemed to be at her wits’ end. She crouched next to him, like when one speaks to a child. She couldn’t make out the words she hissed at him through clenched teeth, but whatever she said, he didn’t like. With surprising skill he turned the wheelchair around and nearly ran Charlotte over, having barely managed to stop the chair with a heel on the floor.

The paintings did little justice to the blueness in his eyes. A vibrant blue not often seen, but filled with ice the moment they laid on her. The smart haircut had been replaced by an overgrown mane, jet black strands curling behind the ears and waving around the top. A five o clock shadow obscured the clenched jaw down to the neck. But even unkempt like that she felt the aura of haughtiness and pride bordering on arrogance emanating from him. He held her gaze for endless seconds, and not once she shied away from his cold eyes.

“Whatever it is you think you can do for me, save it for someone else. And now, get out of my home”

He wheeled past her, moving towards the main double doors. He couldn’t really go anywhere, but she figured he planned to hide somewhere until she left.

Lottie stood there, a bit dumbfounded, while Mrs. Gray returned to her side, despair plastered in her features, mixed with barely contained anger

“He is like that sometimes, but I promise you, some days are better. I will talk to him and get him to behave, and if you-”

“I can start tomorrow” She cut her off. Her jaw hung open, eyes widened as she struggled to wrap her mind around her words. Words that shocked Charlotte as much as Mrs. Gray, for she hadn’t actually allowed them out of her mouth. They just left in a blurt. But she meant them, even if she couldn’t quite tell herself why. It went beyond the money; she wanted this job. As if something invisible pushed her to stay there; as if there she’d truly find a purpose. It made no sense, but hunches and feelings rarely did

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Gray. I think I can help your nephew.”

[peppermintquartz]

Tiffany Aching, at forty years old, with three children (two daughters and a son, the first named Emma and the second Emily and the third named Peter but is known as "Robbie" by everyone else) is feeling rather relieved that none of her children want to follow in her footsteps and instead in their father's, who now has a whole lot of letters after his name and is in charge of the Chalk's first hospital.

(It's a small hospital, but it has a whole wing just for the elderly folks who can't look after themselves at home too well and require lengthier care. They go home twice a week with trainee doctors and nurses or with trainee witches, so that the old people know they haven't been turned out of their homes, and the flowers have been watered and the pets fed.

Tiffany had insisted on it and Preston knew better than to tell his wife that it was too much trouble.)

They have a good arrangement. Every few months Preston has to go to the city to pick up new medicines and other... medical supplies... from the Guild of Igors, and Tiffany usually gives him a ride on the broomstick. In the city, she's known as Doctor Preston's wife. They pay visits to senior doctors and always, always call on Lady Sybil, because Preston had impressed her with his neat sutures years ago when young lord Sam Vimes cut open his leg while climbing a wall to get to a stranded cat. The duke Sir Samuel Vimes is about as friendly as a rock, but Tiffany likes him even so. He reminds her of Granny.

When Preston's back home, however, he's Missus Tiffany's husband, and the "missus" is at the insistence of Tiffany, who is very very proud of her husband with the letters behind his name. And he makes sure that trainee witches and doctors and nurses are taught basic medical skills together, because he knows better than anyone that witches will need to do a lot more healing out there than the staff in his hospital.

[letters2fiction]

Welcome to Letters2fiction!

The concept here is to send in a question or a letter request, and you’ll get a response from your fictional character of choice, from the list below. Please stick to the list I’ve made, but of course, you can ask if there’s some other characters I write for, I don’t always remember all the shows, movies or books I’ve consumed over the years and I’m sure I’m missing a lot 😅

Status: New Characters added - Thursday March 21st, 2024

TV SERIES

A Discovery of Witches:

Matthew Clairmont

Baldwin Montclair

Gallowglass de Clermont

Marcus Whitmore

Philippe de Clermont

Jack Blackfriars

Sarah Bishop

Emily Mather

Diana Bishop

Ysabeau de Clermont

Miriam Shepard

Phoebe Taylor

Gerbert D’Aurillac

Peter Knox

Father Andrew Hubbard

Benjamin Fuchs

Satu Järvinen

Meridiana

Law and Order:

Rafael Barba

Sonny Carisi

Joe Velasco

Mike Duarte

Terry Bruno

Peter Stone

Hasim Khaldun

Nick Amaro NEW!

Mike Dodds

Grace Muncy

Kat Tamin

Toni Churlish

Amanda Rollins

Olivia Benson

Rita Calhoun

Casey Novak

Melinda Warner

George Huang

Sam Maroun

Nolan Price

Jamie Whelan

Bobby Reyes

Jet Slootmaekers

Ayanna Bell

Jack McCoy

Elliot Stabler

One Chicago:

Jay Halstead (Could also be Will if you want)

Antonio Dawson

Adam Ruzek

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz

Dante Torres

Vanessa Rojas

Kevin Atwater

Sean Roman

Matt Casey

Kelly Severide

Joe Cruz

Sylvie Brett

Blake Gallo

Christopher Hermann

"Mouch"

Otis

Violet Mikami

Evan Hawkins

Mayans MC:

Angel Reyes

Miguel

Bishop

Coco

Nestor

911 verse:

Athena Grant

Bobby Nash

Henrietta "Hen" Wilson

Evan "Buck" Buckley

Eddie Diaz

Howie "Chimney" Han

Ravi Panikkar

T.K. Strand

Owen Strand

Carlos Reyes

Marjan Marwani

Paul Strickland

Tommy Vega

Judson "Judd" Ryder

Grace Ryder

Nancy Gillian

Mateo Chavez

The Rookie:

Lucy Chen

Tim Bradford

Celina Juarez

Aaron Thorsen

Nyla Harper

Angela Lopez

Wesley Evers

BBC Sherlock:

Greg Lestrade

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty

Molly

Bridgerton:

Anthony Bridgerton

Benedict Bridgerton

Simon Basset

Daphne Bridgerton

Eloise Bridgerton

Kate Sharma

Edwina Sharma

Marina Thompson/Crane

Outlander:

Jamie Fraser

Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser

Frank Randall

Black Jack Randall

Brianna Fraser

Roger MacKenzie

Fergus Fraser

Marsali Fraser

Jenny Fraser Murray

Ian Murray Sr.

Ian Fraser Murray

Murtagh Mackenzie

Call The Midwife:

Shelagh Turner / Sister Bernadette

Dr. Patrick Turner

Nurse Trixie Franklin

Nurse Phyllis Crane

Lucille Anderson

Nurse Barbara Gilbert

Chummy

Sister Hilda

Miss Higgins

PC Peter Noakes

Reverend Tom Hereward NEW!

Narcos:

Horacio Carrillo

Peaky Blinders:

Tommy Shelby

Downton Abbey:

Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham

Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham

Lady Mary Crawley

Lady Edith Crawley

Lady Sybil Crawley

Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham

Isobel Crawley

Matthew Crawley

Lady Rose MacClare

Lady Rosamund Painswick

Henry Talbot

Tom Branson

Mr. Charles Carson

Mrs. Hughes / Elsie May Carson

John Bates

Anna Bates

Daisy Mason

Thomas Barrow

Joseph Molesley

Land Girl:

Connie Carter

Reverend Henry Jameson (Gwilym Lee's version)

Midsomer Murder:

DCI Tom Barnaby

Joyce Barnaby

Dr. George Bullard

DCI John Barnaby

Sarah Barnaby

DS Ben Jones

DS Jamie Winter

Sgt. Gavin Troy

Fleur Perkins

WPC Gail Stephens

Kate Wilding

DS Charlie Nelson

Sergeant Dan Scott

NEW! Once Upon A Time

Regina / The Evil Queen

Mary Margaret Blanchard / Snow White

David Nolan / Prince Charming

Emma Swan

Killian Jones / Captain Hook

Mr. Gold / Rumplestiltskin

Neal Cassidy / Baelfire

Peter Pan

Sheriff Graham Humbert / The Huntsman

Jefferson / The Mad Hatter

Belle

Robin of Locksley / Robin Hood

Will Scarlet

Zelena / Wicked Witch

Alice (Once in Wonderland)

Cyrus (Once in Wonderland)

Jafar (Once in Wonderland)

Gideon

Tiger Lily

Naveen

Tiana

Granny

Ariel

Prince Eric

Aladdin

Jasmine

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Hercules

Megara

Tinker Bell

Merida

Red Riding Hood

Mulan

Aurora / Sleeping Beauty

Prince Phillip

Cinderella

Prince Thomas

NEW! The Vampire Diaries / The Originals

Stefan Salvatore

Damon Salvatore

Caroline Forbes

Elena Gilbert

Bonnie Bennett

Enzo St. John

Niklaus Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson

Kol Mikaelson

Rebekah Mikaelson

Freya Mikaelson

Finn Mikaelson

Mikael

Esther

Marcel Gerard

Davina Claire

MOVIES

The Pirates of the Caribbean:

Captain Jack Sparrow

Barbossa

Will Turner

Elizabeth Swann

James Norrington

Kingsman:

Merlin

Harry Hart

Eggsy Unwin

James Spencer / Lancelot

Alastair / Percival

Roxy Morton / Lancelot

Maximillian Morton / The Shepherd

Orlando Oxford

Jack Daniels / Whiskey

Gin

BOOKS

Dreamland Billionaire series - Lauren Asher:

Declan

Callahan

Rowan

Iris

Alana

Zahra

Dirty Air series - Lauren Asher:

Noah

Liam

Jax

Santiago

Maya

Sophie

Elena

Chloe

Ladies in Stem - Ali Hazelwood books:

Olive

Adam

Bee

Levi

Elsie

Jack

Mara

Liam

Sadie

Erik

Hannah

Ian

Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros:

Xaden Riorson

Dain Aetos

Jack Barlowe

Rhiannan Matthias

Violet Sorrengail

Mira Sorrengail

Lillith Sorrengail

Bodhi Durran

Liam Mairi

[unyieldingvalxr]

@takealookthroughmyeyes (Gabe or Joe)

"Oh! Thank the Lord! You've awakened," Sybil crouches down moving the cloth from his forehead. "How's the head?"

[stellaluna33]

YEARS ago (like, over a decade, haha) I read a Downton Abbey fanfic that involved Lady Sybil training to be a nurse during the War, and the writer said something like she was too tired to put her hair up anymore. And... this always bothered me. 😆 Like, I get the IDEA, and I know that we tend to view updos as "fancy" now, but... the LAST thing you want when you're doing physical labor is a lot of long, loose hair swinging in your face and getting caught on things, and ESPECIALLY in a MEDICAL context?! But to get across a similar point, it would be much more realistic (for either this story or any other historical story) if she was too tired to take her hair DOWN at night. And I was just reminded of this because I was reading an excerpt from some beauty advice from c.1911 that bemoaned that "too many women" went to sleep without taking their hair down (a bad thing because it damaged the hair), so you KNOW it was a thing that happened a lot!

[boinday]

Sybil had noticed a pattern in the complaints being brought to her. Chronic conditions, innocuous at a glance but insidious in their persistence. She suspected these ailments endured in no small part due to the bias against traveling for treatment. It was strange to her that Flaherty did not do more to encourage his patients to go. Kennedy's black eyes narrowed in further displeasure. He thumbed his moustache, thoughtful. “...You're doing well, actually,” he said after a moment. “The fact that they're confiding in you at all, after such a short time... It's a testament to your character.” Sybil hesitated, suspicious of the compliment. “But?” A slight smirk snuck onto his lips. “But you're too generous with them. I've been watching. You're very quick to offer local solutions when you could insist harder upon the mainland.” “I won't withhold treatment to strong-arm them,” she cautioned. “At this rate you'll run out of medical supplies before we can ship them off.” “You told me to be a nurse. That's what I am.” “Plainly,” Kennedy exhaled a smile, and Sybil suddenly wondered if it was displeasure she'd read in his eyes at all. “I can't deny I admire your work ethic.” Her heart sped up a little, to her own dismay. What a silly thing to get excited about.

Decided to make a new character poster for Sybil. I was very inspired by this piece I saw years ago by @noisyghost (and it's lived rent free in my head ever since)- since Sybil's arc is about drowning, in more ways than one.