#p: richard iii

[literalite]

roomies

[kindercelery]

Today, we shall be having a look at the tumblr user, Celery. Not to be confused with the bright green vegetable often served alongside hummus, Celery has a joyful appearance about them with long, dark brown hair and a large black item of clothing which upon it reads I caption I cannot see with my weak eyesight. A beaming smile upon their face and large, round eyes, they give a cheerful, friendly demeanour. If we take a further inspection, you may be able to spot the abundance of historical figures being the main topic of their artistry. predominantly Richard III of England. At this current day and age, Celery bears the difficult task of keeping Richard III safe from hostile beasts named anons. The winter shall be harsh and unrelenting for these two, but the warmth and silliness emanating from this kind soul will give them the strength to keep going.

(hehe)

Yes we will survive this winter!!!! Ger-uhn-teed!!!

(He thinks I’m deranged)

[artemismatchalatte]

I intended to do Inktober this year but got lazy with it. I finished one picture (inked and colored) and then did an outline of another character but never did any more.

[rockpaperscissuhs]

Band of Brothers Birthdays

January

1 John S. Zielinski Jr. (b. 1925)

21 Richard D. “Dick” Winters (b. 1918)

26 Herbert M. Sobel (b. 1912)

30 Clifford Carwood "Lip" Lipton (b. 1920)

31 Warren H. “Skip” Muck (b. 1922) & Robert B. Brewer (b. 1924)

February

8 Clarence R. Hester (b. 1916)

18 Thomas A. Peacock (b. 1920)

23 Lester A. “Les” Hashey (b. 1925)

March

1 Charles E. “Chuck” Grant (b. 1922)

2 Colonel Robert L. “Bob�� Strayer (b. 1910)

4 Wayne “Skinny” Sisk (b. 1922)

10 Frank J. Perconte (b. 1917)

13 Darrell C. “Shifty” Powers (b. 1923)

14 Joseph J. “Joe” Toye (b. 1919)

24 John D. “Cowboy” Halls (b. 1922)

26 George Lavenson (b. 1917) & George H. Smith Jr. (1922)

27 Gerald J. Loraine (b. 1913)

April

3 Colonel Robert F. “Bob” Sink (b. 1905) & Patrick S. “Patty” O’Keefe (b. 1926)

5 John T. “Johnny” Julian (b. 1924)

10 Renée B. E. Lemaire (b. 1914)

11 James W. Miller (b. 1924)

15 Walter S. “Smokey” Gordon Jr. (b. 1920)

20 Ronald C. “Sparky” Speirs (b. 1920)

23 Alton M. More (b. 1920)

27 Earl E. “One Lung” McClung (b. 1923) & Henry S. “Hank” Jones Jr. (b. 1924)

28 William J. “Wild Bill” Guarnere (b. 1923)

May

12 John W. “Johnny” Martin (b. 1922)

16 Edward J. “Babe” Heffron (b. 1923)

17 Joseph D. “Joe” Liebgott (b. 1915)

19 Norman S. Dike Jr. (b. 1918) & Cleveland O. Petty (b. 1924)

25 Albert L. "Al" Mampre (b. 1922)

June

2 David K. "Web" Webster (b. 1922)

6 Augusta M. Chiwy ("Anna") (b. 1921)

13 Edward D. Shames (b. 1922)

17 George Luz (b. 1921)

18 Roy W. Cobb (b. 1914)

23 Frederick T. “Moose” Heyliger (b. 1916)

25 Albert Blithe (b. 1923)

28 Donald B. "Hoob" Hoobler (b. 1922)

July

2 Gen. Anthony C. "Nuts" McAuliffe (b. 1898)

7 Francis J. “Frank” Mellet (b. 1920)

8 Thomas Meehan III (b. 1921)

9 John A. Janovec (b. 1925)

10 Robert E. “Popeye” Wynn (b. 1921)

16 William S. Evans (b. 1910)

20 James H. “Moe” Alley Jr. (b. 1922)

23 Burton P. “Pat” Christenson (b. 1922)

29 Eugene E. Jackson (b. 1922)

31 Donald G. "Don" Malarkey (b. 1921)

August

3 Edward J. “Ed” Tipper (b. 1921)

10 Allen E. Vest (b. 1924)

15 Kenneth J. Webb (b. 1920)

18 Jack E. Foley (b. 1922)

26 Floyd M. “Tab” Talbert (b. 1923) & General Maxwell D. Taylor (b. 1901)

29 Joseph A. Lesniewski (b. 1920)

31 Alex M. Penkala Jr. (b. 1924)

September

3 William H. Dukeman Jr. (b. 1921)

11 Harold D. Webb (b. 1925)

12 Major Oliver M. Horton (b. 1912)

27 Harry F. Welsh (b. 1918)

30 Lewis “Nix” Nixon III (b. 1918)

October

5 Joseph “Joe” Ramirez (b. 1921) & Ralph F. “Doc” Spina (b. 1919) & Terrence C. "Salty" Harris (b. 1920)

6 Leo D. Boyle (b. 1913)

10 William F. “Bill” Kiehn (b. 1921)

15 Antonio C. “Tony” Garcia (b. 1924)

17 Eugene G. "Doc" Roe (b. 1922)

21 Lt. Cl. David T. Dobie (b. 1912)

28 Herbert J. Suerth Jr. (b. 1924)

31 Robert "Bob" van Klinken (b. 1919)

November

11 Myron N. “Mike” Ranney (b. 1922)

20 Denver “Bull” Randleman (b. 1920)

December

12 John “Jack” McGrath (b. 1919)

31 Lynn D. “Buck” Compton (b. 1921)

Unknown Date

Joseph P. Domingus

Richard J. Hughes (b. 1925)

Maj. Louis Kent

Father John Mahoney

George C. Rice

SOURCES

Military History Fandom Wiki

Band of Brothers Fandom Wiki

Traces of War

Find a Grave

[winterarmyy]

Behind The Facades | Part II

An unrequited pining over a certain super solider.

Navigation: Part I || Part II || Part III (end)

Words: 3.3k++

Pairings: avenger!bucky x female!reader

Warnings: angst. pent up anger. unspoken jealousy. conflicted feelings.

P/S: i heard you. i got you. since lots of you enjoyed the supposedly oneshot, so i decided to do a continuation for this couple. Hope you enjoy~

Read my other works here: Masterlist

Weeks gone by, months flown through and the team was already accustomed Bucky's girlfriend wandering around the tower. Though they thought she would move-in eventually, knowing that Tony allowed them to do so, but she hadn't done it yet.

While Y/N, on the other hand, felt like she was constantly walking on thin ice. Being tug in between holding herself together and breaking down.

What's worst about this was, deep down, Y/N wanted to hate her.

Gail Richards.

Bucky's girl.

A gorgeous red-head, sultry champagne-colored eyes, a deep dimple on her right cheek, sculptured body of goddess and heart of gold.

Y/N got to admit that she hated how perfect Gail was for Bucky. She had such a kind soul; it's impossible not to fall for her. In hindsight, she was exactly what Bucky needed in his life.

What he deserve.

And in the end, Gail managed to steal not just Bucky's heart, but also the entire team's.

Including Y/N herself.

The friendship between Gail and Y/N was true and genuine; even if it hurts her everytime when she was forced to see Gail canoodling with the man she had fallen madly in love with.

"So where's the date? Did he tell you or is it a surprise kind of thing?" Gail's questions snapped Y/N from her deep internal thoughts.

Her gaze fell into her own reflection in the mirror; she was fitted with a simple black satin dress, with a quite scandalous slit on one side on her thigh. Standing behind her, was Gail, helping her out with the pearl necklace she was graciously lending it to Y/N.

"I don't remember the name but it's that new michelin star restaurant." Y/N replied as she straighten her dress, suddenly feeling conscious of how tight the dress was hugging her body.

"Oh! I know that fancy new restaurant. It opened last week, right? Bucky and I haven't had the chance to go yet. I heard it's pretty hard to get reservation. I must say, I'm impressed."

While Gail seemed to approve of Y/N's date, she didn't notice the way Y/N's body froze as she mentioned Bucky's name.

Her fingers were itching to dug it's nails somewhere, anywhere; as she try to keep her composure as neutral as possible, "Yeah, I'll definitely give you my review before you guys go on a date there. Who knows if its not up to the standards, right?"

Oh, how desperate she was on wanting to hide her pain away.

"That's great, y/n! But, I'd rather you actually enjoy the date rather than secretly being an undercover food critique. Forget about everything and have fun for once! Who knows this one is a keeper, huh?" Gail rubbed her hands to side of Y/N's arms; her eyes brighten as she encouraged her.

Ignorance is truly a bliss; though it's not that she knows that Y/N had been in love with Bucky this whole time.

On the other hand, Bucky was starting to feel the effects of what Gail had warned him before. He doesn't want to feel like she doesn't love him because she does.

At least she tries to.

Persuing Gail was not necessarily easy; not because he was lacking or she played hard to get. But because of how honest she was; how self aware she was.

"Being with me is a hell of a challenge, Bucky. My emotions are unpredictable. Today, I will love you ever so truly; I will drown you with all the kisses and cuddles you could ever imagine but the next day you might not being able to talk to me or even see me."

"I'll go M.I.A and isolate myself from the world at any time, with no warning. I shut down without any reason."

"I might not be there for you when you needed me the most. I might abandon you when all you wanted for me to stay."

"Worst part about it is I won't feel sorry for what I did because I can barely feel anything during those time."

But he insisted to try.

Maybe it was the sudden surge of passion when he met her but he was determined that they could make it work.

So, try they did.

As his relationship with Gail progresses, his and y/n's started to astray. He noticed y/n has been keeping her distance with him since he got together with Gail.

She had been cooped up in her room more often. There was a gradual changes in their schedule. Lesser trips to the corndog stall that y/n was obsessed with, canceled trips on visiting Alpine, the cute little kitten they have been eyeing at the adoption center, and almost none of the late night coffee trips.

He missed her.

From her annoying laugh to her odd habit of scratching things in her sleep.

Her smile, her voice, her presence.

He missed all of it.

He missed her.

Which was why Bucky thought it was better to talk it out with her. Maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding that needed to be clear out.

It took just single knock before Bucky intrude himself into Y/N's room, "Hey, y/n I don't want to disturb you but can we..." Bucky's sentence did not managed to end with a period, thus his words was instead left hanging just like his mouth.

"Oh, wow."

For a moment there, Bucky literally forgot how to breath. It was as if the reality around him was deteriorating, leaving just the perfect view of Y/N. For a split second, his gaze seemed to dilated into a trance, slowly getting bewitched by the beauty before him.

Bucky was so captivated by how, almost sinfully, beautiful Y/N looked in that dress, he didn't notice his own girlfriend was standing right next to her.

Gail carefully slide her way towards Bucky as she prompted, "So... what do you think, Buck? Gorgeous isn't she?" A dreamy sigh escaped from Gail's lips as she admire the woman in front of her.

"Yes. Yes, she is."

Those were the words Bucky wanted to say but his mouth wasn't listening to his heart, rather it followed his head, "I didn't know you were coming over, honey." Bucky arms reached towards Gail as he scooped her close to him, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

It was subtle but if they paid enough attention, they could see how Y/N's gaze quickly shifted downwards to her feet. Her teeth sunk between the insides of her left cheek as an effort to distract herself from the thunderstorm within her chest. A little bit more force on her teeth would've tore her up and left her bleeding from the inside.

How much longer she must be in this torment? How much suffering her heart needs to endure until it adapt to the pain? She's tired of the ache in her chest but at the same time she can't help it when her heart yearn for a love that's never going to be hers.

"Well? Is she not goddamn beautiful?" Gail playfully slapped Bucky's arm, demanding her question to be answered.

"I mean..." Bucky stuttered to find words. Especially when those round doe eyes of Y/N's spark with anticipation.

All those milliseconds of time Bucky had to think of an appropriate, truthful answer but somehow he only come up with, "...i guess, you could do better."

Idiot.

Straight up dumb.

Bucky immediately regret his words when the gleam in Y/N's eyes suddenly faded; turning into something cold and stoic.

Gail huffed in denial, before taking Y/N's side, "Then you sir, need to check your eyes because she's absolutely stunning". Y/N gave a small smile as Gail pulled her for a side hug.

"Why are you dressed up anyway?" Bucky wanted change the topic before he said something stupid again.

There was a noticeable pause on Y/N's side as he asked, as if she was unwilling to tell him. However, the reluctantcy only arouses his curiosity.

Y/N turned around and faced the mirror. As she fixed the necklace near her collarbone, she made an eye contact with Bucky through his reflection and answered, "I have a date."

Something shifted in the air; as if it was getting heavier, sturdier.

"Who's the guy?" Bucky was clearly not amused with the idea. It barely filtered through his stern tone.

"Daniel. One of the SHIELD agent I worked with before." Y/N noticed how his expression morphed into a frown.

"Why is he making that face? "

Bucky seethed, "That douchebag? Really y/n?" There's a hint of disappointment in his voice; like how a father would scold his daughter of doing something stupid.

And that ticked her off.

She's a grown-ass woman; she can do whatever she wants, date whoever she wants. None of it was Bucky's concern.

"What do you mean?" Annoyance flowed through her tone.

Bucky rolled his eyes as he recognized that name.

Daniel.

That scumbag whose always staring at her. And not in a cute, crush-like way. There's nothing innocent about the way he stare at Y/N's ass and boobs, or always finding excuses to touch her.

However, Y/N has been oblivious to it since Bucky had always been with her.

Since when did that douche got close to Y/N? How did he managed to get Y/N agree to go to a fucking date with him? More importantly, how did Bucky not know all of this?

There was this uncontrollable, unexplainable rage within Bucky that he was unable to contain; like a venomous poison it seeped through his head, "Are you that needy to even consider going out with such scum? Come on, y/n. You're being naive, it's ridiculous." Bucky scoffed as his tone laced with scorn and mockery.

Gail gasped in complete shock, "What is wrong with you, Bucky? That's not--"

"That's not fair. How can you have the luxury to fall in love and lived happily ever after while I have to continue to break and break, again and again?"

"Ridiculous? Am I a fucking joke to you, Bucky?!" Y/N could hold back her own anger as she turned towards him. His face remained the way that it is; red and furious and he was not willing to put his ego down either.

"You know what?" Y/N swerved towards the bed, "I am going to go this date with Daniel, whether you like or not..." She took her purse on the edge of the mattress, "...and I am going to enjoy every second of it!"

"Thanks, Gail. I really appreciate your help today." Y/N smiled as she briefly took Gail's hands into hers. Blinking in confusion, Gail replied, "Y-yeah.. sure--" though her speech was cut short when Y/N interrupted.

"And you!" Y/N shot a glare towards Bucky before marching towards him, "You can go fuck yourself." She clashed her shoulders into Bucky's before walking out her own room.

Bucky gritted his teeth; his jaw clenched in pure vexation as his frown grew deeper.

Looking at her very angry looking boyfriend, Gail let out a tired sigh, "Why would you say such thing to her, Bucky?

Why did he say those things?

He could explain it much better way, knowing that he had plausible reason to why he thinks she should not go to this date.

But, why did he not do that?

Why did he lash out and spat those hurtful things to her?

Even Bucky himself was not sure why.

After that Bucky spent the rest of the night at the gym, and this was the third punching bag that he had completely destroyed. He could see his girlfriend coming in from the corner of his eyes, with an emergency kit in her hand.

She sat at a nearby bench before, "Bucky sweetheart, come here." Gail softly asked him sit with her.

Despite the grunts and gruffs that slipped from his lips, he still obeyed her; though partially was because she had been sternly staring at him.

Gail gently remove his boxing glove of his right hand, then lo and behold his knuckles was crushed and bloodied.

"The wrappings is there for a reason, you know?" She knew he would this; especially when he is guided by rage. Bucky remained silent, knowing that if he did not control his anger first; then he would probably do the same thing he did to Y/N again.

There was a comfortable silence as Gail was tending his wounds. Bucky looked down at her, focusing on cleaning the wounds. She was always careful and tender while handling Bucky; as if she was taking care of a child.

"You love her, don't you?" Gail calmly asked as she started to wrap Bucky's hand.

The question caught him by surprise, "What do you mean?"

She chuckled softly, "y/n. You love her. Am I right?" she reclarify.

It didn't need a genius to figure out how Bucky truly feels about Y/N. Even if he himself if not aware of his own feelings.

But she can see right through him.

She noticed how attentive was Bucky towards y/n. How he looked at her; like she's his whole world. How every single thing he does somehow relates back to Y/N; and he cannot go by a day without mentioning her name in their any conversation. How peaceful looked when y/n is anywhere near him.

She noticed every single one of those detail.

"Of couse, I do. It's y/n we're talking about here." Bucky replied as-matter-of-factly. Though there was some truth in his answer but it was not all.

Gail shook her head lightly as she holds Bucky's wounded hand in hers, "No, Bucky. You love her." Her brows crunched into a pleading curve as her gaze turned gentle.

Bucky frowned in confusion; he looked down at his hand where her thumb caressing his knuckles and he thought back all the moments he spent with y/n.

From the very first day he met her, on those nights she stayed with him, through thick and thin, her eyes on his, her smile on his cheek, her laugh in his arms, her voice in his ears, her skin on left arm, everything flashed through him so fast until a single moment when he realizes.

"I love her."

Gail recognized the glint his eyes, "And she loves you too, Buck." She coaxed.

The frown on his face turned into a shock as she spoke. Even if Y/N does love him, what does that mean?

"What are you saying?"

"Go." Her voice were somehow calmer than she was supposed to speak in such a dire situation.

Bucky knew what she meant; he knew what those eyes were telling him, "Gail, you--"

She cut him before he could say anything, "We did agree to see where will this take us..." her smiled was somehow bitter-sweet, "And I guess this is our end of the line."

A hit of pain struck Bucky's heart, "You don't have to do this." His left hand raised to tenderly cupped her cheeks; it was warm. Unlike his winter cold hand, she was warm. Like the soft heat from the morning sun.

She placed her hand on top of his as she craved a reassuring smile, "I want to."

And that broke Bucky's heart. And it broke for her.

He loved Gail.

All the feelings he felt for her was real. As real as the feelings he felt for Y/N. The only difference was he didn't realized he was in love with Y/N, but he did with Gail.

"And to be honest, I'm not sure I can keep up with the emotional commitments, I'm always M.I.A and lost in my own head..."

As Gail starts to ramble, Bucky wasn't hearing any of it. His eyes stings and his vision blurred.

There was only so much any man can handle.

There was joy in realizing his was in love with Y/N but there was also agony in knowing he had to break Gail's heart. Unable to hold back his emotions anymore, his tears finally broke out.

She was prepared not to cry today but seeing Bucky like this; who wouldn't tear up, right?

"Hey hey hey, I'll be okay. We'll be okay." She placed her palm on Bucky's cheeks, wiping away the tears with her thumb as she lead his gaze to her own.

"Bucky, listen to me. I don't want you feeling like you're alone." she cooed, her eyes had gotten glassy as tears filled within them. "You deserve so much more than what I can offer you, do you understand?" Bucky can simply nod as he feels like his voice will betray him.

"Good." Gail closed her eyes and leaned into a kiss. A soft innocent kiss on his forehead, as their tears fall on each other's bare skin, "Now, go get your girl."

<< Part I || Part III >>

Read my other works here: Masterlist

A/N: Feel free to leave some feedback behind! And what do you think of Gail? I thought it'd be nice to have a different characteristics for her instead of the cliche 'bitchy and rude' girlfriend.

There's no actual taglist. So, I only include those who reblogged with comments and/or commented on the previous part. However, do tell if you want or do not want to be tagged.

Taglist: @ghostofwinter @angstysebfan @erinallene @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @paarthurnax59 @nomajdetective @kentokaze @dexter99 @nana1000night @prettyinpink350

[ak319]

Yan G!P Princess x fem reader

Part IV ➺ Part III

Your name is Deniz here

(YOUR POV)

The buggy halted before the palace's entrance and I jumped out. "Ah, Ms. Deniz, you certainly didn't disappoint." My eyes were fixed on the other buggy pulling in, my game strapped in the backseat. "She's a mighty catch," Richard commented making my heart swell in pride. It was an arduous task considering it was my first time hunting and the target being such a wonder in itself however, Louisa was a great mentor and I felt as if I had been hunting my whole life. The deer’s compact body, about the size of a large dog, is limp, with its slender legs bound together. Its head, with majestic, pointed antlers, hangs to one side, eyes half-closed, giving a glimpse of the dark, glassy orbs beneath. The scent of fresh earth and musk clings to it, mingling with the metallic tang of blood.

Attendants worked around it, preparing to carry it inside. I almost felt guilty for shooting such a noble creature but somehow I did feel a bit alive especially because I imagined Kade's face while pulling the trigger.

"Shall we? The Princess awaits. And your tea too." The older man's voice made me turn to face him at last.

"Where are my parents?"

"They are still at the cabin, being tended to. After tea, I will bring them here. Now, please, let's not keep Her Grace waiting." I rolled my eyes and nodded, allowing him to lead the way. As we walked, I took in the sophisticated yet opulent decor. Attendants were turning on lamps as the sun dipped below the horizon, and I hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed.

Richard then opened a door and I sighed entering to see Kade sitting on an armchair near the fireplace. Her hazel eyes, usually so expressive, were momentarily distant as she gazed at the steam rising from the fine china teacup in her hand. Then she abruptly put the cup down and stood up with her arms behind her back.

"How did it go?" Her voice was almost a low murmur. "Went great..., fun. It's beautiful, and I wanted to ask if I can take it's head."

Her lips curled into a half-smile, but something in my gut told me it was insincere, her eyes remaining unmoved. "Of course." It struck me as odd that she hadn’t offered me any tea. I was exhausted, having been brought directly from the airport. I wondered if my parents were feeling the same.

"But... I’m sorry, I can’t. If it had been hunted legally, I would have allowed it." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Clearing my throat, I let out a snort. "What do you mean by 'legally'?"

"Hunting on the royal family's grounds is not permitted. And you did it." Is she serious right now, or is this some sort of twisted prank?

"What are you saying? Is this a joke? You asked me to! You know what, never mind, keep the head."

"She is right." The hairs on my skin stood up at the sudden intrusion of King Ewan and some people behind him. My eyes darted between Kade and them.

"M-I don't understand. Kade? What's- " Calm down Deniz, calm down. Don't lose your mind right now. "Sir, your daughter asked me to hunt the Muntjac, you can ask Richard. Louisa went with me and-"

"It doesn't matter, girl. You broke the law. You trespassed." My throat went dry as he now stood towering over me. My eyes, now pathetically pleading for some clarity and support stared at Kade, who was standing so stoically. So...this was a trap?

"YOU! EVERY TIME I THINK THAT MAYBE YOU WILL LEAVE ME ALONE YOU FUCKING DO SOMETHING TEN TIMES MORE DIABOLICAL!" Ignoring the King's presence I stormed towards her.

"YOU ARE CRAZY! A NUTCASE! Kade, please, please fucking say that you are pranking me right now."

"I am not, Deniz. You went to hunt, on your own accord."

"I DIDN'T! YOU INVITED ME HERE!"

"ENOUGH! Don't you talk to her like that!"

"TELL YOUR DAUGHTER TO STOP DOING THIS TO ME!" I couldn't care less if I was screaming my lungs out at this point but what brought me back to my senses was someone handcuffing me and holding me from both arms.

"LEAVE ME! Please, please, it was- fine I am sorry for hunting but don't-" The King and neither Kade paid any heed to my cries and instead my parents were ordered to be brought in.

I squirmed as I was made to sit on the sofa and continued to call to Kade but she didn't even turn to face me from where she stood. Which made me curse her more and more.

As my parents were brought in, Ewan explained to them what I did but they knew me better than anyone, their daughter wouldn't ever do such a stupid thing as trespassing, and they knew he was lying. It was all a play, a fucking heartless and disgusting plot. Before my father could lunge at the King, he was held back and the next words froze us all.

"Six years, or more. And as you should know, we, the royal family, are not subject to civil or criminal charges. I can press severe charges against her for her behavior as well. And since you two are here on the property as well, it means six years for you too."

The room fell into a deafening silence as my world crumbled. It was all my fault. I should have never come here, never gone hunting. God, Clara's words echoes in my ear , one of our ranting sessions about the rich and the powerful. 'They treat us like dirt for their own gain'. Just look at her eyes now, feigning sympathy. After orchestrating all this, she has the audacity to look at me.

"No...please! Let my daughter go! This is a mistake! She wouldn't do such a thing. They both were acquaintances back in the day and we have proof that she invited us here, that too by BLACKMAILING!" Papa's words fell flat as King continued, unbothered.

"Your bail in the court will be rejected too. But...there is a way, you can stop me from dropping charges and just forgetting about this evening forever." I swayed back and forth shaking my head. I just knew what was coming.

"Look, I am a parent too. At the end of the day, we want the best for our children and their happiness. So why not just put all of this behind us and get Deniz engaged to Kade." There it is, oh, Kade. How predictable. You scheming bitch-

"You would be foolish to reject this. My daughter is perfect in every way not to mention the fact, a princess that is head over heels for your daughter, what more do you want, what more does she want?" He pointed at me.

"You know what I want! SHE KNOWS TOO!" I glared at Kade with disgust. "You all are just blind to it. I never expected the royals to be so cheap. You should be embarrassed." My father's shoulders sagged as my mother tried to support him. Suddenly, she left his side and crouched in front of me, tears streaming down her face. "Deniz, please. I can't lose you for years," she begged, her voice breaking. "Just agree to this and—"

"ARE YOU INSANE, MOTHER?! I'd rather rot in jail than be her wife!"

"Deniz!" My father’s voice boomed, making me flinch. He sighed deeply, but before he could continue, Ewan spoke up. "I'm sorry, but I’m tired of my daughter playing these games too, Deniz. I understand your frustration more than anyone. But you’re the one who can end this, and you’re going to end it today. Isn’t that right, Kade?"

"Yes, father."

"I said, I will rot in jail that means I will rot in jail. That is what is going to happen!"

"Clara and Leo..." Kade grabbed my attention. "They are doing good work, aren't they? Would be a shame if one day they...just lost their jobs and..."

I stood up, but I was restrained from charging at her. "DON'T YOU DARE RUIN THEIR LIVES!"

"Then we shall leave you three to make a choice."

She walked past me, our gazes meeting for a brief second and I felt tears welling up again, overwhelmed by the cruelty of the situation. The way she walked with such authority, it was another jab at me.

"Father." The King glanced at us one more time before making his leave along with her, locking us in the this forsaken room. I stood frozen in despair, still in handcuffs.

"Adam, for God's sake say something. Deniz?!" My mother shook me.

"I said my part. We are not accepting this."

"We are." My head snapped to my father, who came and held me. "You think it's easy? Them sending you to jail? Separating us from you?! We cannot bear that!"

"But you can bear me being tied to this asshole!? This isn't what you taught me papa! Accepting defeat, just like this?"

"Do we have a choice other than this?! Deniz...they can do much worse...and I think they will. Do you think I am happy right now? Begging you to accept this?! You have no idea--how much I am hurting from inside." Seeing him sob made me lose my self-control too. The words flowed as whimpers from my lips.

"I am s-sorry. It's--I should have never come back.." He hugged me along with my mother as tightly as he could.

"Shush. It's not your fault---it can never be. These people, God. They will answer for this day, surely after death. I cannot lose you Deniz, we cannot. At least, we will be able to meet you if you are free..."

"But papa-"

"Enough. Please." His tone was no longer soft making me shiver and shake my head violently, my mother tried her best to comfort me but the world around me was a blur.

"How will I even--live with her, papa?! As her wife?! Forgetting all this?." He said nothing as he turned his head away from me. "I wish I knew...I wish I could help...Deniz. But I am not letting you go to jail."

"I will escape then-!" He cut me off with a dry , defeated chuckle, wiping a tear from my cheek. "It's not easy , Deniz. You are not thinking from a parent's point of view right now, you cannot. Because you don't know how it feels. I just...know you will be happy in some way , some day. Surely being with a princess, the way she loves you I mean-"

"Oh, really?! You too? Thank you for this reassurance! Honestly--wow."

"I am not arguing further, Deniz." He went to the door and before mother and I could stop him, he was face to face with Kade and gave the answer. A yes.

Which was all Kade needed.

"I want Deniz to say it." She turned to you. As if I will.

"Damn you to hell." I wanted to rip off the subtle smirk from her face.

"Very well. So Mr. Adam, I will be escorting her to her chambers, while Richard will-" I didn't hear any shit out of her mouth, I refused to. I just...disassociated at that point.

I was guided to a plush, soft sofa, and the clinking of my handcuffs being released pulled me back to my senses. The faint aroma of Kade’s cologne drifted through the air as she leaned back after freeing me, making me aware of the lavish room around us. The scent was oddly familiar. She took a moment, then rubbed her hands together and settled into the farthest corner of the couch. The sternness she once had was now replaced with a gentle, serene smile.

"This room Deniz, it's ours by the way. Do you like it?" I made no effort to look around, simply staring at the table in front.

"I'm sorry, even though I know... I've made you hate me a thousand times over—maybe even to the point of infinity. But I had no other choice. I hate seeing you like this, but you know what? I’d rather have you hate me for the rest of your life if it means keeping you by my side, because I couldn’t take it anymore. And I wasn’t lying, Deniz, when I wrote that letter. When I said I’d depart from your life, I meant as your admirer. When I told you to release your anger and liberate yourself, it was about letting go of the hate and embracing love—so that we can both end this bitterness and start a new life together. A far better life, and I swear on my life, I’ll make sure of that every single second."

The nerve of this woman to manipulate everyone.

"You’re nothing but a selfish, manipulative, gaslighting piece of shit! A full blown psycho! I don’t even know where to start with you! Have you ever thought about therapy, for fuck’s sake?! And the idea of spending my life with you—hating you? Are you out of your mind?! Do you think that’s romantic or even normal?!" Her jaw clenched and unclenched with every word, but the most frightening thing was that her smile never wavered.

"Deniz…" she whispered, her voice trembling as I gasped for breath, my lips quivering uncontrollably.

"You will never know what it means to be in love... you never will. And by now, I thought you would’ve figured out that even your hate for me feels like the taste of heaven." God, I am terrified.

She stood up, forcing you to meet her gaze. "What’s wrong with me, Deniz, hm? Am I ugly? Am I not your type? Just fucking tell me why you hate me. Or is it because I’m not Reece?" Great. Now we’re really dredging up those wholesome memories, aren’t we?

(Kade's POV)

"JUST FUCKING TELL ME! I WANNA KNOW!" My voice cracked as I yelled, and you nearly leapt off the couch, your panic palpable. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Tears of guilt, fury, pain, frustration and envy streamed down my face. I wish I’d never met you—maybe then neither of us will be hurting right now. Desperation makes a person do unimaginable things, and a desperate lover like me is even more daring, ready to defy all limits for a fleeting moment of hope. I am both the architect and victim of my own heart’s darkest desires and still I am enjoying every bit of it.

But it’s too late for that now. I should be glad I finally have you where I want you, but it’s hard to feel anything but regret due to the path I had to take. If only you loved me back then we wouldn't be starting our new life like this.

"WHERE DID SHE FUCKING COME FROM?! I have told you this before! I don't want to be with a royal , especially a crazy one like you! And I never felt anything for you!"

"Well too bad. The first reason isn't going to change, ever. But the second will, someday, my heart says so."

"That's why you should have listened to your fucking brain all these years! IF YOU EVEN HAVE ONE!" I know you are right. But again, as if you know what it is like to be in love. It's pointless to argue about this with you.

"Deniz, you have the whole life to hate me, yell at me, blame me. But let me make few things clear. This marriage will happen. Your parents agreed and you are to stay here till then."

"You are making a huge mistake." You threatened but it was more of a plea. A plea to perhaps bring me back to senses.

I chuckled, and it quickly escalated into a full-blown laugh. "Mistake?. Take a look around. I had this room arranged specifically for you, tailored to your tastes, because I knew one day I’d bring you here. I plan everything in advance, and if you didn’t already know, I’ll tell you now—I am just like you, I don’t like to lose. And this time, Deniz, I’ve won. Whether you accept it or not."

Every part of me protested leaving you in that state, but I forced myself to walk out of the room, locking the door behind me. Almost immediately, I heard the sound of things being thrashed and broken, your angry yells echoing through the walls. Predictable.

Even though it shattered my heart into pieces, I still managed to smile, thinking about the future that awaited us. I will make you love me, no matter what. I'll try with every fibre of my being even if you resist till the end of time. For now, I must go to Father and discuss the arrangements for the wedding.

➺PART V

(AN: Kay, why is this giving you and Kade 😩 ??Spoiler, I guess)

[cloudsinmargoscoffee]

what in richard campbell gansey III is this?

here's the link to the uquiz, btw: https://uquiz.com/quiz/4kiSSw/what-do-you-wish-you-could-say?p=372507#google_vignette

[yourdailykitsch]

The Gene and Jerry Jones Family, Actor Taylor Kitsch, Journalist Martha MacCallum, and San Antonian Tres Kleberg to be honored at the Patriot Awards Gala on Oct. 3

(San Antonio, TX)  On Oct. 3, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society will present four distinguished awards at its highly anticipated Patriot Awards Gala during the Medal of Honor Celebration, the prestigious annual meeting of Medal of Honor Recipients, which is taking place in San Antonio from Sept. 29 – Oct. 5. The Patriot Awards Gala honors individuals who, through their life’s work, promote and perpetuate the principles upon which the USA is founded and encourage the six core values of courage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship and patriotism.

The 2024 Patriot Awards Gala recipients include:

Patriot Award – The Gene and Jerry Jones family

Distinguished Citizen Award – Richard M. “Tres” Kleberg, III

Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment – Taylor Kitsch

John R. “Tex” McCray Award for Excellence in Journalism – Martha MacCallum

Bop Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment:

Actor Taylor Kitsch will be recognized with the Bop Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment for his onscreen portrayal of Lt. Michael P. Murphy in the award-winning film Lone Survivor and his extensive offscreen support of the United States military. Lone Survivor tells the true story of Operation Red Wings, a mission in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of many U.S. servicemen, including Lt. Murphy, a United States Navy SEAL officer who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during combat. Kitsch also plays military members in American Assassin, Battleship, The Terminal List, and the upcoming Terminal List prequel series, a spinoff of the original that explores the life of Kitch’s beloved character “Ben Edwards. “Preparing for these roles required constant, intense, and rigorous physical training that was led by actual Navy SEALs and special military consultants. Each Memorial Day, he participates in “The Murph Challenge” and supports numerous events to honor Lt. Murphy, active duty troops, veterans, and fallen heroes.

[fdelopera]

Welcome to the 29th installment of 15 Weeks of Phantom, where I post all 68 sections of Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, as they were first printed in Le Gaulois newspaper 115 yeas ago.

In today’s installment, we have Part III of Chapter 11, “L’enveloppe magique” (“The Magic Envelope”), and Part I of Chapter 12, “Il faut oublier le nom de « la voix d'homme »” (“You Must Forget the Name of ‘the Man’s Voice’”).

This section was first printed on Friday, 5 November, 1909.

Gaston Leroux cut “The Magic Envelope” from his novel when he prepared the First Edition for publication.

In January of 2014, I published my translation of this chapter. Mine was the first English translation of this chapter to be published.

You can read my translation of “The Magic Envelope” on my blog here.

The text of “The Magic Envelope” starts at “'And why, if you please, Monsieur Gabriel,' asked Moncharmin, 'do you not want us to inform the Commissary of Police?',” and goes to the end of the chapter, “'This cost us more than if Robert-Houdin himself had done the trick!'.”

TRANSLATION:

“And why, if you please, Monsieur Gabriel,” asked Moncharmin, “do you not want us to inform the Commissary of Police? This is a very blatant attempt at extortion, and in spite of ourselves, we now have visible proof here in our office; we might come to suspect the most honest employees of our administration, and find an accomplice in an innocent man!”

“No, no!” repeated Gabriel. “Not the Commissary of Police!”

“And why not?”

“Because: what if it is a real Phantom!”

Moncharmin made the mistake of smiling.

Gabriel planted himself in front of Moncharmin.

“Well! And then what?… What if it was a real Phantom!… There would be no outsmarting him, you know!… I saw him once, your Phantom!… Please believe me that his face is no laughing matter!”

“And what did you do when you saw him?”

“I ran for my life!”

“Well!”

“I ran away so quickly that I tumbled down an entire flight of stairs on my back… But really, I admit, you understand, I admit that it may be a false Phantom!… Well then, especially in this case, we mustn’t say anything, not to the Commissary of Police, not to anyone!”

“Why?” Moncharmin asked again, shrugging his shoulders.

“Because we would be ridiculed!”

“Gabriel is right! We would be ridiculed!” insisted Richard.

“So long as that is your opinion, I have nothing more to say,” said Moncharmin.

“This is a matter that we must resolve amongst ourselves! If it is a false Phantom, and has stolen 20,000 francs from us, we would be a laughing stock!”

“What do you think, Mercier?”

“I think like Gabriel, that we must put the 20,000 francs in the envelope. A real Phantom has no use for 20,000 francs. If the 20,000 francs are stolen, we will know that we are dealing with a false Phantom. At least, we will have more information than we do now.”

“Yes, but that will cost us 20,000 francs!” remarked Moncharmin.

“There are four of us!…” exclaimed Richard… “Four of us to keep watch over the envelope and that imbecile, Mother Giry!… I’ll wager that he won’t even touch the envelope! And if he does touch it, well, there are still four of us!…”

They arranged to meet two days later in Richard’s office, one half hour before the performance.

Richard was the first to arrive, and the first thing he saw on his desk was an envelope that was the same as the one they had found the last time, addressed to “P. of the O. — private.” This discovery in no way calmed his nerves.

Richard paced the room with the air of a lion in a cage. He swore, he stormed. He suspected everyone. He received his secretary, Rémy, who had arrived in the meantime, with such cryptically irate words, and with such incomprehensible threats against some burglar or other, that for a moment, next to this young man whose mind was well-organized and whose manners were proper, he seemed to have gone mad! Finally, Gabriel, Mercier, and Moncharmin also arrived. Richard closed the door behind them, and made sure the lock was secure. He showed them the envelope, and did not conceal the fact that he was still unaware of the means by which it had arrived in his office. And then he pulled from his pocketbook twenty banknotes of one thousand francs each — the real, authentic banknotes this time — and he placed them inside the envelope. He closed it and handed it to Moncharmin, saying:

“You are going to carry this envelope yourself to Mother Giry. You shall not give it to her until you are on the threshold of the box. Do not take your eyes off her until the moment when she enters the box. When she is inside, we three shall keep watch on her; I shall make sure of it.”

Moncharmin left with the envelope. Richard, Gabriel, and Mercier placed themselves throughout the auditorium in such a way that the envelope was, if possible, even more carefully observed the second time than it was the first. During that evening’s production, there were eight eyes fixed on the envelope. Those eight eyes saw nothing, nothing but the envelope!

After the performance, the envelope was still there where Mme Giry had placed it, on the little shelf by the armrest. When the four men had gathered around the envelope, Richard picked it up, showed that it was unopened, and said:

“Truly, our man must find another system if he wishes to come in possession of our twenty thousand francs.”

And he opened it.

He counted the banknotes. They were all there.

“The magic show is over!” he declared.

Suddenly, Moncharmin turned pale, and he said:

“Show me that…”

And he took the banknotes from Richard and glanced at them briefly:

“But these are notes of the Bank of Saint Farce!” he roared. “He has taken the good notes and replaced them with bad ones!…”

It was true:

Richard collapsed in a chair.

“This is not over,” declared Moncharmin under his breath…

All four men looked at each other in dismay.

Richard growled:

“This cost us more than if Robert-Houdin[9] himself had done the trick!”

NOTES:

[9] Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin was a 19th century French magician and conjurer. He was an inspiration for the Jewish illusionist Erik Weisz, who changed his name to Harry Houdini in honor of Robert-Houdin.

CHAPTER 12 of the Gaulois / CHAPTER 11 of the First Edition:

For anyone following along in David Coward's translation of the First Edition of Phantom of the Opera (either in paperback, or Kindle, or from another vendor -- the ISBN-13 is: 978-0199694570), the text of You Must Forget the Name of 'the Man’s Voice' starts at the beginning of the chapter, “The day after Christine vanished before Raoul’s very eyes in a sort of blinding flash…,” and goes to Christine’s line, “But I have no husband and have no intention of marrying, ever!”

NOTE: Coward translated this chapter title strangely, as “Forget the Name of the Man with the Voice.”

There are some differences between the Gaulois text and the First Edition. In this section, these include (highlighted in red above):

1) Chapter XI was printed as Chapter XII, and Chapter XII was misprinted as Chapter XIII. This numbering error was made in Chapter VII, and was not corrected, so it was propagated throughout the Gaulois publication.

2) Since Chapter XI, “The Magic Envelope,” was removed from the First Edition, there is one fewer chapter in the First Edition than in the Gaulois, and the numbering between the two editions is different from this chapter forward.

3) Compare the Gaulois text:

“dévoilé la trame” (“unveiled the plot”)

To the First Edition:

“démêlé la trame” (“unraveled the plot”)

4) L'Ange de la musique/le génie de la musique:

In this part of the Gaulois text, Mme Valérius and Raoul refer to Erik as the “le génie de la musique” (the spirit of music), whereas in the First Edition, they refer to him as “l'Ange de la musique (the Angel of Music).

5) Minor differences in punctuation.

Click here to see the entire edition of Le Gaulois from 5 November, 1909. This link brings you to page 3 of the newspaper — Le Fantôme is at the bottom of the page in the feuilleton section. Click on the arrow buttons at the bottom of the screen to turn the pages of the newspaper, and click on the Zoom button at the bottom left to magnify the text.

[whitesinhistory]

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A post shared by I Dissent 🇵🇸🔻🍉 (@katie.blue.is.the.feeling)

So the Republicans are trying to shut down the government to damage their own states so that they make the Democrats look bad before the election… Is that the game plan they’re going with?

Here is the full list of Republicans who voted against the stopgap bill to prevent a government shutdown in September 2024:

Indiana: James R. Baird, Jim Banks, Rudy Yakym III, Victoria Spartz

Ohio: Troy Balderson, Warren Davidson, Jim Jordan, Max L. Miller

Florida: Aaron Bean, Gus M. Bilirakis, Kat Cammack, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, Bill Posey, Michael Waltz, Daniel Webster

Texas: Michael Cloud, Tony Gonzales, Lance Gooden, Morgan Luttrell, Nathaniel Moran, Chip Roy, Keith Self, Randy Weber Sr., Beth Van Duyne, Roger Williams

Arizona: Andy Biggs, Elijah Crane, Paul A. Gosar, Debbie Lesko, David Schweikert

North Carolina: Dan Bishop

Colorado: Lauren Boebert

Illinois: Mike Bost, Mary E. Miller, Darin LaHood

Oklahoma: Josh Brecheen

Tennessee: Tim Burchett, John W. Rose, Andrew Ogles

Missouri: Eric Burlison

Georgia: Andrew S. Clyde, Mike Collins, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Richard McCormick

Utah: John R. Curtis

South Carolina: Jeff Duncan, Russell Fry, Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, William R. Timmons IV

Kansas: Ron Estes, Tracey Mann

Mississippi: Mike Ezell, Michael Guest, Trent Kelly

Iowa: Randy Feenstra

Minnesota: Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach

Idaho: Russ Fulcher

Virginia: Bob Good, H. Morgan Griffith

Wyoming: Harriet M. Hageman

Maryland: Andy Harris

Louisiana: Clay Higgins

Pennsylvania: John Joyce, Scott Perry

West Virginia: Alexander X. Mooney

California: Tom McClintock

Kentucky: Thomas Massie

Montana: Matthew M. Rosendale Sr.

New York: Claudia Tenney

Wisconsin: Thomas P. Tiffany, Derrick Van Orden

New Jersey: Jefferson Van Drew

Alabama: Barry Moore, Gary J. Palmer

Arkansas: Bruce Westerman

Why is this important to me? I would have been out of a job. Government contractors would rather cut you and rehire you for less pay or benefits. Also, if I miss 1 or 2 paychecks I will be homeless.

[literalite]

hello, would you ever put your roomies household makeover ? I've tried so many times to make them over but never did as good as you :/

DOWNLOAD (sfs)

the sheer number of packs is just from their clothes, if you want a sense of their style then i did a somewhat lookbookish post here

[vote-democrat-president-congress]

"In any election, it’s hard to know whose word to trust. And in a polarized country, many Americans distrust any information that comes from the other side of the political divide. That’s why the criticism of Donald Trump by those who served with him in the White House and by members of his own party is so striking. Dozens of people who know him well, including the 91 listed here, have raised alarms about his character and fitness for office — his family and friends, world leaders and business associates, his fellow conservatives and his political appointees — even though they had nothing to gain from doing so. Some have even spoken out at the expense of their own careers or political interests.

The New York Times editorial board has made its case that Mr. Trump is unfit to lead. But the strongest case against him may come from his own people. For those Americans who are still tempted to return him to the presidency or to not vote in November, it is worth considering the assessment of Mr. Trump by those who have seen him up close.

Administration insiders:

He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead …”

Bill Barr

He was extremely vulnerable to manipulation.”

Fiona Hill

… he was getting input from people who were calling him up, I don’t know who ...”

Anthony Fauci

… undermined American democracy baselessly …”

Thomas P. Bossert

He doesn’t take responsibility for the bad news …”

David Lapan

… says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans.”

Elaine Chao

… equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists …”

Gary Cohn

His behavior had grown increasingly erratic and unnerving.”

Betsy DeVos

The F.B.I. is under attack by the president of the United States.”

Andrew McCabe

A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators.”

John Kelly

Sometimes it’s just better to steer clear of him.”

Anthony Scaramucci

… I do regard him as a threat to democracy …”

Mark Esper

Trump’s temperament wasn’t rational …”

Cassidy Hutchinson

… doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie …”

Dan Coats

… he tries to divide us.”

James Mattis

… loyalty was mostly a one-way street.”

Cliff Sims

… I think he’s a terrible human being.”

Mick Mulvaney

… caused direct harm …”

Deborah Birx

… very little understanding of what it means to be in the military …”

Richard Spencer

… the most reckless and deadly piece of information I have ever heard.”

Rick Bright

Literally everything I’ve tried to do on cutting drug costs, you have killed it.”

Alex Azar

… played to Trump’s ego and insecurities with flattery.”

H.R. McMaster

… flashbacks to my earlier career as a prosecutor against the Mob.”

James Comey

The turnover suggested instability and disorganization to our adversaries …”

Mike Pompeo

… renders coherent foreign policy almost unattainable.”

John Bolton

He is wholly unfit to be in office.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin

… a huge violation of your most important oath …”

Marc Short

He has built up a DNA of defensiveness.”

Sean Spicer

You are using the military to create fear in the minds of the people …”

Mark Milley

… Anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president …”

Mike Pence

… not consistent with our national security objectives.”

Rex Tillerson

Trump relentlessly … puts forth claims that simply are not true.”

Ty Cobb

The root of the problem is the president’s amorality …”

Miles Taylor

Do you think Trump wants a guy to win after him?”

Steve Bannon

… He’s saying some crazy shit.”

Don McGahn

… They are loyal to no one.”

Stephanie Grisham

The Trumps & Trump Inc.

You can’t trust him.”

Maryanne Trump Barry

… a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully …”

Michael Cohen

‘I wanna do what I wanna do’ … ”

Fred Trump III

Trump does not have the temperament …”

Kwame Jackson

He pushed me up against the wall …”

Jill Harth

…actually a racist.”

Omarosa Manigault Newman

Honest work was never demanded of him …”

Mary L. Trump

… the competition reality show set about an American fraud …”

Bill Pruitt

… the hint of menace beneath the surface …”

Gwenda Blair

Our job was to make him look legitimate …”

Jonathon Braun

If you disagreed with Donald, he put you out of his inner circle.”

Randal Pinkett

Republican politicians

He is a coward.”

Dick Cheney

This man is a pathological liar.”

Ted Cruz

He's a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”

Lindsey Graham

There is nothing ‘conservative’ about Donald Trump.”

Adam Kinzinger

The cheapest S.O.B. I’ve ever met in my life.”

Chris Christie

He’s not loyal.”

Justin Amash

He sought a coup by misleading people with lies.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

… Power, revenge and retribution is his real motivation …”

Denver Riggleman

Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior …”

Jeff Flake

The healing of the Republican Party cannot begin with Trump as president …”

Geoff Duncan

… taking advantage of the trust placed in him by his supporters …”

John Boehner

He is a con artist.”

Marco Rubio

… a weakening of our shared American values …”

John Kasich

I think he’s toxic for the Republican Party and for the country.”

Larry Hogan

He’s willing to significantly undermine them …”

Bob Corker

There has never been a greater betrayal by a president …”

Liz Cheney

… an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories …”

Mitch McConnell

He should have immediately denounced the mob …”

Kevin McCarthy

… the most expensive and least effective way to do border security …”

Will Hurd

… not decency, not truth, not character, not integrity …”

Bill Weld

He tried to violently overthrow our government.”

Joe Walsh

… We shouldn’t have listened to him.”

Nikki Haley

… bitterness, combativeness and self-interest.”

Charlie Baker

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.”

Mitt Romney

… will spend the entire campaign whining about his legal troubles …”

Chris Sununu

… requires the kind of character he just doesn’t have.”

Paul Ryan

Conservative voices

He built a wall of lies …”

Charlie Sykes

If someone says something nice about him, they are our friend …”

Henry Kissinger

He wasn’t motivated by what he didn’t know.”

Hugh Hewitt

… corroded and corrupted American democracy …”

J. Michael Luttig

This is not leadership our country needs.”

Bob Vander Plaats

… We need a new standard-bearer.”

Erick Erickson

Lying is Trump’s toxic superpower.”

Rich Logis

… a floundering, inarticulate jumble of gnawing insecurities …”

George Will

Trump might be the greatest charlatan of them all.”

L. Brent Bozell III

World leaders

… I can't understand how Donald Trump can be on the side of Putin.”

Volodymyr Zelensky

A frightened dog barks louder.”

Kim Jong-un

… stands for a great division in the country.”

Olaf Scholz

… If there is a second time, it won’t be easy …”

Justin Trudeau

I deeply regret that President Trump has not conceded defeat …”

Angela Merkel

Where has our role model for democracy gone?”

Kazuyoshi Akaba

… clearly a threat.”

Christine Lagarde

… President Trump radiates insecurity.”

Kim Darroch

He’s a show-off.”

Mauricio Macri

[fuckyeahfightlock]

Hi Poppy! How was your trip? :D

Ooh, lots of fun! It was hub's and my 25th wedding anniversary trip, the first trip we've taken, just the two of us, since our honeymoon. It was my husband's first trip outside N. America (my second; we're so adventurous).

Edinburgh was lovely as always and I got to visit (twice!) my favourite painting of Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus by Gavin Hamilton.

It's so much more beautiful in person, and I could talk about it all day. Just ask my Facebook friends, they'll tell you that's no lie.

"Enbra" was P A C K E D with tourists, shoulder to shoulder every damn where, but that's to be expected in summer. We took a day trip to Rosslyn Chapel (made famous in The Da Vinci Code, but that's not why we went), visited the National Gallery and the National Museum of Scotland (Dolly the cloned sheep is preserved there, and they have a very good Fashion gallery, including a few items by Alexander McQueen), and took a tour of a whisky distillery (with tasting!). I tried Irn Bru and Monster Munch, both for the first time. We went in Boots once, to get an emery board (my nails all decided to crack, peel, and become snaggly/scratchy for the duration of this trip, it was weird), and there was a DJ! Hilarious. Scottish people are lovely and kind, and no matter how fashionable/dressed up an Edinburgh woman is, she wears sensible shoes. I admire this immensely.

We spent a day in Melrose, Scotland, which is south of Edinburgh in what They call "the Borders" area of the UK. Melrose Abbey was impressive, we had lunch in a very British hotel restaurant (like the one in Fawlty Towers), and experienced how truly dog-mad Scotland is; we met about 60 local dogs and only about 40 local people. I swear you must get a dog with the key to yr flat, there. We also visited a small museum of Roman artifacts from the site of a nearby fort.

Spent one evening/overnight in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England--it was still light out at 10:15 when we left the restaurant where we ate dinner--which may be a name familiar to you if you are a fan of my fight!lock stories. Solely because it was a long journey by train from London, and sounded quaint, I sent John there to do some doctoring when he wasn't with Sherlock. Turns out it's the closest place to get a train to London, from Melrose.

London was London-y. We did all the things: the Tower of London, walked the south bank of the Thames, Big Ben/Parliament, stood at the fence of Buckingham Palace awaiting a guard change that never happened, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Borough Market, Camden Market/Camden High Street, V & A Museum, National Gallery.

A definite highlight was seeing Richard III performed by a fantastic all-female cast in Shakespeare's Globe theater. Absolutely recommend seeing Shakespeare at the Globe if you go to London; a completely unique experience.

The weather was H O T and if you ever needed proof that first world countries aren't coping quickly or well with climate change, just ride the London tube, or spend time in almost any indoor space in Britain. There is no air conditioning. It's no wonder heat waves have been killing Britons for the last few summers; the infrastructure is not set up to cope with the temperatures they're getting. We stood aside at one tube station to let cops and medics rush by us to attend to someone who had just been taken off a train and left on the platform (as signage instructs passengers to do) because of fainting from the heat.

There is no such thing as a cold drink in the UK! You can go into a shop and buy a can of Coke or sparkling water, and it is cool, but not cold. When servers heard our accents they would put two ice cubes in our glass at restaurants, but that's not enough. The only truly cold drinks I had there all ten days were gin & tonics, Aperol spritzes, and ciders. Alcohol comes iced; everything else--even the tap water!--just doesn't come cold. It was my only complaint.

Thanks for asking! Great to be home, of course, but it was a lovely ten days.

[rreskk]

is it too late to ask for riley headcannons? :P

NUH UHHH. NEVER TOO LATE! THX FOR THE ASK :))) Sorry it took weeks for me to answer <3

She loves theatre and plays. Her favourite has to be Richard iii by Shakespeare. A very iconic piece. She loves the portrayal of corruption and manipulation.

She's quick to judge if other people are good or bad. But she never judges herself. She doesn't even a moral compass for herself. She's a hypocrite.

Undiagnosed head trauma that is gradually killing her. Caused by an accident in her teenage years, though it was so highly lowkey and little at the time, it created long-term damage. She's also unaware of how severe it is.

Her accent doesn't change. No matter how many years she'll live in America, she'll always speak in her English accent.

Roman-Catholic, though her belief grows weaker along the years.

Quickly smitten by people of her own intelligence and interest.

In response to the previous headcanon; she priorities her freedom, but if she feels someone is worth the commitment, she's strongly loyal.

[burningvelvet]

I love the Romantics (esp 2nd gen) and was wondering where you learn more about them outside an academic setting?

I am by no means an expert, but I will try to answer by using stuff that has helped me!

For books, I highly recommend Young Romantics: The Shelleys, Byron and Other Tangled Lives by Daisy Hay as an introduction to the second generation Romantics. My only complaint is that it leaves out a ton of entertaining stuff imo, but it’s meant to be brief. It isn’t available for free anywhere afaik, but it’s very worth buying. It gives an overview of the movement & explains how all the key figures are interrelated in a very clever way. For biographies imo the best on Byron is Byron: a Portrait by Marchand, most agree the best on Shelley is Shelley: The Pursuit by Richard Holmes, most agree the best on Mary is Miranda Seymour’s Mary Shelley, & the best on Keats is (more arguably?) John Keats by Walter Jackson Bates. For critical analysis on the works, it’s best to research on a case-by-case basis (there are literally thousands of books & papers analyzing Frankenstein… I shudder to think of attempting to read even half of them).

This link to the BARS Blog "Romanticism: online resources list" -- https://www.bars.ac.uk/blog/?p=2900 -- is a fantastic resource list by Dr. Anna Mercer who is an important Romanticist. She wrote a work called The Collaborative Literary Relationship of Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (2019) which is also one of my favorites & I highly highly recommend it as well.

Other good resource guides: 1 University of Texas at Arlington Romantic Resources under the internet & lib headings https://libguides.uta.edu/romantic/resources 2 Jack Lynch of Rutgers Romantic resources list https://jacklynch.net/Lit/romantic.html 3 Uni of Pittsburgh Romantic research guide under the links heading https://pitt.libguides.com/romanticism/links 4 Queen's Uni Romantic research guide https://guides.library.queensu.ca/engl340/websites

Having access to databases and libraries really helps, but those are academic (unless you have a public library—if so, pls use it). If I’m researching a broad topic I sometimes start through Wikipedia & go from there, searching for what information I need by “phrase searching” on Google.

IMPORTANT ADVICE: this will all feel very overwhelming and confusing at first! I highly suggest just picking a work or a writer, finding something that really interests you, then learn more about it/them if you’d like, & just continue from there as a starting point. For me: I knew a *little* about these writers, and I’ve always loved Frankenstein, but I didn’t start any heavy Romantic research until I read Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage by Lord Byron, specifically Canto III, which is considered one of his best works and one of the key Romantic works in general. It really shook me to my core. I believe I discovered it from the Wikipedia page on the “Byronic Hero” concept (which stemmed from Childe Harold). I really just went down the rabbit hole from there… and I don’t know how I got here…

Good luck on your journey, and thx for the ask!

Btw — despite being an English Lit major, I haven’t actually studied Romanticism in any of my classes sadly! I just haven’t had the opportunity or it hasn’t come up; my program is mainly based on modern topics though, and so most of us only get to take a few historical classes. But my research on this has been independent. The first gen Romantics have been briefly discussed in one or two of my classes, and Frankenstein has featured in a lot of my classes, but that’s in a league of it’s own really—it’s one of the very few classic novels that most Americans are familiar with tbh!

[psalm22-6]

The Exhibitors Herald, June 1926

The first of the deluxe presentations was at the Forrest theatre, Philadelphia, Thursday evening. The audience was composed largely of members of the Advertising Clubs of the World, which was holding an international convention in the Quaker City, and the members of the Poor Richard Club. There were also present a large turnout of society, official and judicial life of Philadelphia. The other audience, which included Mrs. Coolidge, members of the diplomatic corps and Washington newspapermen, as guests of the National Press club, viewed the picture at a special screening Friday night at Poli’s theatre in Washington. General W. W. Atterbury; Senator-elect [and notorious political boss] Wm. S. Vare; Senator [and law professor] George W. Pepper; Lieut. Commander Geo. B. Wilson, U. S. Navy [not to be confused with the character from the Great Gatsby] ; Mrs. Barclay Warburton [civil rights supporter and journalist] ; Major Norman MacLeod; E. T. Stottsbury; Paul Thompson; Alexander Van Rensselaer; Mrs. Charlemagne Tower; Dr. H. J. Tily [department story owner, mason] ; Mr. and Mrs. Theodore W. Reath; Frank Smith; Mr. and Mrs. Jos. N. Snellenburg [merchant in clothing trade] ; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Block; Mr. and Mrs. Jules E. Mastbaum [movie theater and department store magnates] ; George Nitsche [possibly an affiliate of U. Penn]; Josiah H. Penniman [Provost of U. Penn] ; J. Willis Martin [a judge]; H. S. McDevitt; John J. Monaghan. Judge Buffington, of Pittsburgh; Thos Finletter [could be one of a a number of lawyers with this name]; Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Einstein; Maurice Paillard, French consul; Robt. Von Moschzisker [justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]; Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick; Geo. H. Elliott, director of public safety; Chas. B. Hall, president of City Council; Dr. Charles Hart; Rev. Wm. H. Fineschriber; Chas Fox, district attorney [could be a coincidence but Charles Fox III and IV are both currently lawyers in Pennsylvania]; John Fisler, president Manufacturers Club [golf afficianado]; Albert M. Greenfield [real estate broker and developer]; Jos. P. Gaffney; Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Gimbel [department store owner]; Daniel Gimbel [brother and co-owner along with Ellis]; J. D. Lit; Richard Gimbel [son of Ellis Gimble]; Benedict Gimbel [brother of Ellis and Daniel]; Colonel Robert Glendinning [banker]; Benjamin Golder [member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives], Agnew T. Dice [President of Reading Railroad]. Dr. Leon Elmaleh [founder of the Levantine Jews Society of Philadelphia]; H. Gilbert Cassidy [a judge]; Utley E. Crane [author of Business Law for Business Men]; Cyrus H. K. Curtis [magazine publisher]; Chas. S. Caldwell; G. W. Cole; Hampton L. Carson [lawyer, professor, state Attorney general]; A. Lincoln Acker [Philidelphia port collector]; Max Aron [lawyer]; Eugene C. Bonniwell [a judge]; Chas. L. Brown; Edward Groome; Chas. L. Bartlett; Edward Bok [editor of the Ladies Home Journal]; Mr. and Mrs. Geo. H. Lorimer [editor of the Saturday Evening Post]; Edw. Bacon; Chas. Curtis Harrison [a judge]; Samuel S. Eels, Rev. J. J. O’Hara [future Archbishop of Philadelphia], and Bishop Thos. J. Garland, D. D. [Episcopalian bishop]

There were a bunch of Universal employees in attendance too but that's less interesting to me. Let's see who went to the Washington show

Both showings were under the auspices of Ambassador Henri Beragner of France and Marcel Knecht, French publisher and trade representative. Dr. Ferdnand Heurteur, leader of the orchestra of the Paris Opera House, came to the United States to conduct the orchestras at these two showings. Among the distinguished guests at the Washington showing were: Don Juan Riano, Spanish ambassador; Senor and Senora de Mathieu, Chilan ambassador; Raoul Tilmont, secretary, Belgium embassy; G. H. Thompson, second secretary, British embassy; A. J. Pack, British embassy; Eduardo Racedo and Madame Racedo, first secretary, Argentine embassy; Conrado Traverso, Argentine embassy; Dr. and Senora Velarde, Peruvian ambassador; Dr. and Madame Santiago F. Bedoya, secretary, Peruvian embassy; Senor and Senora Tellez, Mexican ambassador; Senor and Senora Castro, secretary, Mexican embassy; Ambassador de Martino, Italy; Colonel Augusto Villa, miltary attache, Italian embassy; Count and Countess Sommati di Mombello, Italian embassy; Signor Leonardo Vitetti, Italian embassy. Baron and Baroness Ago Maltzan, German embassy; Mr. and Madame Matsuidaira, Japanese embassy; Mr. and Madame Gurgel de Amaral, Brazilian embassy; Senor and Senora de Sanchez Aballi, Cuban embassy; Senor Don Jose T. Baron, secretary, Cuban embassy; Brigadier General Georges A. L. Dumont, military attache, French embassy; Mr. Jules Henry, first secretary, French embassy; Major and Madame Georges Thenault, French embassy; Captain and Madame Willm, French embassy; Mr. A. Konow Bojsen, secretary, Danish legation; Mr. and Madame Marc Peter, Swiss ambassador; Mr. Andor de Hertelendy, Hungarian embassay; Senor and Senora Ricardo Jaimes Freyre, Bolivian embassy. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy A. Smiddy, minister, Irish Free State; Mr. and Madame Simoposilis, Minister from Greece; Mr. and Madame Prochnik, Austrian ambassador; Mr. and Madame Charles L. Seya, Latvian embassy; Mahmoud Samy Pasha and Madame Samy Pasha, Egyptian embassy; Mr. Zdenek Fierlinger, Minister from Czechoslovakia; Mr. Simeon Radeff, Bulgarian embassy; Mr. and Madame Jan Ciechanowski, Polish minister; Senor don Manuel Zavala, Nicaragua embassy, and Mr. and Madame Bostrom, Swedish ambassador.