#para: a whale of a time

[luxudus]

The Six Lords of Ko-ve-dor, and an introduction to my friend's project Star Odyssey

One last art piece to end the year on a high note. It's an entry @jennywolfgal's sophont in her sci-fi / spec-evo / worldbuilding project Star odyssey. A far future where humanity and a few other advanced species help to found a Galactic Coalition of Worlds spanning half the galaxy. Everyone go follow her and check out her project!

I genuinley consider this atm my magnum opus in every aspect, Linework, Texturing, Coloring, Composition, and ESPECIALLY rendering.

    The Commonality of Ko-ve-dor is an alliance between multiple sophont species evolving side by side on the same planet. All working together towards the prosperity for all denizens of the known galaxy.

     Planet Ko-ve-dor, also known as Kepler-442 B, is a super earth in a 3 planet star system all orbiting a K-Type main sequence star known as O-uosa. Ko-Ve-Dor’s higher mass, larger magnetosphere, denser atmosphere, 3 moons, larger continents and O-uosa’s longer lifespan make Ko-ve-dor a superhabitable world. Capable of hosting more biodiversity than our own earth for a far longer time.

    Plantlife on Ko-Ve-Dor is just as complex as it’s animal life and it shows. Most terrestrial flora possess a segmented exoskeleton that vary in shape and size akin to an insect. Most forms of plantlife exhibit both radial and bilateral symmetry in their overall body plan. Some species of Ko-ve-dor plantlife can even take in their surroundings with special segments that act as one big sensory organ.     And aside from some greenish phytoplankton, most flora on this world take on a red pigmentation to make the most out of its star’s dimmer light.

Not only is Ko-ve-dor more biodiverse than earth. But it’s greater abundance of life and more surface area means there's far more consumable biomass too. Allowing it’s animal life to reach greater heights and the option for greater brainpower. This paired with evolution’s trend towards more socialization. Means that sapient life has developed not once, or twice. But six times, all within a similar enough time frame for them to all interact with one another.      As each sophont species is a good representative of Ko-ve-dor’s kingdom of life. We will be skipping over the planet’s animal life to discuss their biology.     The Dor-Eø are the largest of the six sophonts and represent the planet’s many soft-bodied invertebrates. They take on a body plan very similar to earth’s flatworms. And being filter-feeders, they fill a niche not too different from whales. Their large carpet-like fins are actually enlarged partially external gills to aid in respiration. And they manipulate their environment with their two mitten shaped mandibles and opposable tusk thumbs.     They live in tight-knit nomadic pods where they ride the waves in search of plankton. They hunt said plankton like dolphins, continuously switching roles to either shepard the plankton and strike the condensed schools. And as they achieved sapience they’ve built nets to catch more plankton and dorsal fin flags to distinguish which pod they’re apart of.     The Dor-Ssri’ii represent a sapient species of aquatic, radially symmetrical fish analogs. They possess twelve eyes, with three on each side, a four sided jaw, and eight fins, four anterior fins and four posterior fins. Their intricate color palette helps them blend in with the yellow and red reefs.      They live in borderline eusocial schools where they manipulate their environment through their mouth like a tuskfish

    The Ko-Ka’Kta are terrestrial relatives of the Dor-Ssri’cai, these are a sapient species of para-reptilian pack hunters native to the deserts and shrublands of Ko-ve-dor. They retain their radial symmetry and are quite basal compared to their relatives. Their forearms have atrophied into small rudders used by females to attract mates and live in matriarchal packs.     And they manipulate their environment with four highly specialized tongues. Their lack of claws or fangs pushed them to crafting an array of weapons to hunt. That and their hierarchical pack structure paved way for sapience    The Ko-A’atur represent the most derived group of Ko-ve-dor’s Vertebrates. Descending from a group that forgone their radial symmetry and became secondarily bilateral. Their heads hyper-elongated to the point where it’s now two separate body parts all together. Their lips have pulled back and became large flaps to cool off and express emotions.     Of all the sophonts they live the least socially, They forage and occasionally hunt in groups of 3-5 individuals. But the social bonds formed are so tight and complex that it managed to bring them up to sapience.     Onto life in the sky. The Ve-Huik are one of two representatives of Ko-ve-dor’s aerial invertebrates. They are a species of hexapodal invertebrate flyers protected by a sturdy exoskeleton. They fill a niche similar to parrots,  capable of crushing nuts and fruits with their large mandibles that clench together like a fist. They live in small flocks and communicate by short whistles and hums. And they manipulate their environment with their remarkably dexterous six legs.    

    And lastly the Ve-Z’qi, a Is a seafaring relative to the Ve-huik, they are a sapient species of flying arthropod analogs native to the many coastlines of Dorveko. They live in nomadic flocks, hopping from island to island. They hunt their aquatic prey by looking for disturbances in the water before diving in to catch their target     Their history is one defined by sheer first contact and a long road to equality. The Dor-Eø and the Ve-Z'qi,a were the pioneers of exploration due in part of their nomadic lifestyles giving them a global range to freely explore. Slowly each species would suddenly learn the existence of their contemporaries and how to work with them.     Their society is egalitarian and very xenophilic, each species is born with full citizenship and everyone regardless of origin and identity are treated truly equally. yet their government is surprisingly autocratic. Each planet is ruled by a handfull of philosopher kings and queens who come from all walks of life. And are chosen by the state based on their view of life and understanding of the humanities. All to improve the lives of their people. They are also very welcoming towards outsiders, and have made themselves a beacon of liberty and safety for the galaxy's downtrodded.     With so many different sapient minds at work in a society that promotes harmony and teamwork. The Ko-ve-dor Commonality has advanced rapidly, being able to become a spacefaring civilization a thousand years before mankind. Their architecture and spaceships are large and bulbous, containing vast aquariums and spacious domes to accommodate all the different lifestyles. And have become one of the Galactic Coalition of Worlds' most important members.     Depicted here is a human diplomat posing with a friend group eager to take a photo with an unfamiliar face.

I'm happy i managed to get this out before 2024, though there still maybe work to be done, mainly to expand on their worldbuilding, and i hope everyone else has a happy new year!

[excelsior9173]

tagged by @vamprlestat thank youuuu!!!

6 albums i’ve been into lately

take me back to eden- sleep token

of course i have to have my boys in here, i am jamming all their albums but especially this one as i get ready for their show in may!

all the right reasons- nickelback

gotta rep my prairies trash canadian side lol. been listening to this album since it released! we got it stuck in the cd player in our minivan when i was a kid so it was the only album we could listen to for a year lmao. follow you home will forever be one of the hardest album openers

si vis pacem, para bellum - seether

been really loving this album lately, i love this band! beg is one of the best songs i’ve heard, the attitude and anger in it is incredible. also i love that the album title is in latin, i got to put my schooling to use! (it means ‘if you want peace, prepare for war’)

envy- whale and the wolf

debut album for these boys! they’re partially from my (current) hometown and i try to see them every time they swing through the city. one of the greatest live bands i’ve had the pleasure of seeing and i truly hope they blow up because their music deserves to be heard everywhere!

the death of peace of mind- bad omens

ah the album that was responsible for my descent into metalcore/metal/whatever you want to call it. i love the overall feel of this album, it’s so dark and sexy and the vocals are incredible

the crow (original motion picture soundtrack)

i love love love this movie and this soundtrack is incredible. no movie soundtrack will ever live up to this one, the mood is incredible. i am tentatively excited for the remake as i love bill skarsgård, but i fear the soundtrack will not be as good. how do you beat the cure and stone temple pilots and nine inch nails?!

thanks again for the tag :)

i’ll tag @foxgloveinspace and @a-little-lynx (no pressure!) and anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

[noticiasarquelogicasjaponesas]

日本の考古学者の皆さん、日本の考古学の新しい記事へようこそ。そうは言っても、気を楽にして始めましょう。 - 1950年代、北海道余市市のフゴッペ洞窟で、縄文時代後期1000年から500年頃の一連の彫刻が発見された。 海水浴のため蘭島を訪れていた札幌市の高校生らが発見した。 これに先立ち、1927年に国鉄函館本線の土塁工事中に9個の彫刻が発見された。 - 洞窟からは動物や魚の骨が多数出土しました。 貝類では二枚貝やカタツムリ、魚類ではヒラメやヒラメなどの沿岸魚からクジラまで、哺乳類ではシカのほか、キツネやタヌキ、オオカミの骨も見つかりました。 - このことからも、当時は食糧が豊富にあり、人々は狩猟や漁業に専念していたことがわかります。 本州で稲作を中心とした弥生文化が発展していた頃、北海道では稲作をする必要はありませんでした。 人を乗せた船の彫刻は北アジアで見られるものと似ていると言われています。 - 気に入っていただければ幸いです。今後の投稿でお会いしましょう。良い一週間をお過ごしください。 - Welcome, Japanesearchaeologicalists, to a new installment of Japanese archaeology. Having said that, make yourself comfortable and let's begin. - In the 1950s, a series of engravings dating from the late Jomon period 1000-500 were discovered in Hokkaido Prefecture in the Fugoppe Cave located in the city of Yoichi. They were discovered by high school students from Sapporo who were visiting Orchid Island to bathe in the sea. Before that, nine carvings were discovered in 1927 during earthworks on the Hakodate main line of the Japanese National Railways. - Many animal and fish bones were excavated in the cave. Shellfish include bivalves and snails, fish range from coastal fish such as flounder and flounder to whales, and mammals include deer, and bones of foxes, raccoon dogs and wolves were also found. - This shows that at that time food was abundant and that people dedicated themselves to hunting and fishing. When the Yayoi culture based on rice cultivation was developing in Honshu, there was no need to grow rice in Hokkaido. The carvings of boats carrying people are said to be similar to those found in northern Asia. - I hope you liked it and we'll see you in future posts and have a good week. - Sean bienvenidos, japonistasarqueológicos, a una nueva entrega de arqueología nipona, una vez dicho esto pónganse cómodos qué empezamos. - En la década de los años 50 se descubrió en la prefectura de Hokkaido en la cueva Fugoppe localizada en la ciudad de Yoichi, se hallaron una serie de grabados que datan del periodo Jomon final 1000-500. Fueron descubiertos por estudiantes de secundaria de Sapporo que visitaban la Isla Orquídea para bañarse en el mar. Antes de eso, se descubrieron nueve tallas en 1927 durante los trabajos de remoción de tierra en la línea principal de Hakodate de los Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Japón. - En la cueva se excavaron muchos huesos de animales y peces. Los mariscos incluyen bivalvos y caracoles, los peces van desde peces costeros como la platija y la platija hasta las ballenas, y los mamíferos incluyen ciervos, y también se encontraron huesos de zorros, perros mapaches y lobos. - Esto demuestra que en aquella época abundaba la comida y que la gente se dedicaba a la caza y la pesca. Cuando la cultura Yayoi basada en el cultivo del arroz se estaba desarrollando en Honshu, no había necesidad de cultivar arroz en Hokkaido. Se dice que las tallas de barcos que transportan personas son similares a las encontradas en el norte de Asia. - Espero que os haya gustado y nos veamos en próximas publicaciones que pasen una buena semana.

[colors-n-chaos]

꧁ ༺ A whole new world of color ༻ ꧂

pt: a whole new world of color surrounded by decorative symbols

(🥒: im writing this because uhhh reasons lmao)

This is a pop culture paganism blog run by, and for some of our Minecraft deity fictives. We are based of off the YouTuber group Color Crew, unfortunately we do not have everyone from our pantheon yet. We will generally blog here, as well as interact with our worshipers and devotees. (Pantheon information below the cut.)

(deities that reside in our system/on this blog : eg txt)

Keir : The deity of new and unskilled players, RNG luck, and "being cringefail at the game"(according to other deities[🥒]) Pronouns : any neu or masc pronouns Signs and associations : random episodes of really good rng, sudden skill spikes, numbed injuries, red, whales Appreciates offerings of : hand crafts, random mob drops, facts that interest you Blog signoff : 🐋

Yello: The deity of childhood wonder, happiness, joy, feeling safe and secure / Small edit, after all that's happened I've come to also reside over vengeance, doing whatever it takes to protect what's important, and overall justified harm/griefing. However, this part only really shows itself when reaaaally big and bad shit happens. Pronouns : Ask/Copy what others are using. Signs and associations : Sudden feelings of peace and happiness, finding safety where there wasn't before, intense feelings of nostalgia, Yellow (Normal) / Sudden drive to cause harm, to hunt down those that have hurt you and exact vengeance, and to destroy anything threatening what you care about. Mild auditory hallucinations, Black (Vengeance mode) Appreciates offering of : Objects you've found comfort in, places of peace, memoirs from lost pets, whatever else feels correct tbh. (Normal) / Trophies from that which you've destroyed, TNT, damaged weapons, strength pots (Vengeance mode) Blog signoff : 🧸

Boosfer : The deity of sexual love, kink and para, "misfits and freaks"(according to himself) Pronouns : literally any and all Signs and associations : green, unusual episodes of hypersexuality, sudden acceptance and peace in your paraphilias, suddenly realising new paras Appreciates offerings of : sexual fantasies, consensual sexual acts and love in their name, "whatever feels correct as an offering, let your intuition guide you honestly" Blog signoff : 🥒

Bubbo/Cassanova : The deity of romantic love, intimate connection, strong interpersonal bonds, and music Pronouns : whichever feel intuitively correct at the time Signs and associations : apples, things generally associated with love and romance, gradients of purple and blue Appreciates offerings of : unsent love letters, journaling, apples, making music of any kind Blog signoff : 🍎

███ : The deity of ██████ ████████ █████████ ██████ ███ █████ ██████ ███████ ██████ Pronouns : any masc Signs and associations : n/a information Appreciates offerings of : ██████ █████████ ██████ ███ ████ █████ ███ weapons Blog signoff : █

Baablu : The deity of the mid-late game grind, large bases, complex farms, and end game adventures Pronouns : He/They/Pink/Rose Signs and associations : Sudden desires to explore/adventure, random spikes in productivity, Pink Appreciates offerings of : rarer items, stacks of miscellaneous blocks, structures you've built Blog signoff : 💎

Qndres : The deity of the early game grind, surviving, mundane tasks Pronouns : any masc or neu but dont actually care Signs and associations : miraculously not dying, grey, other things ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Appreciates offerings of : constructing your starter base in his name, items you don't need, hand crafts, old and no longer used tools Blog signoff : ⛏

[willwillywilliam]

I'm feeling like a whale. I just bought Feng Xun with stones and he showed up from nowhere in Golden Eco.

The last time this happened was with Intisar.

I was saving for the espers from Anomaly, I feel like I should buy his R2 now...

Me siento una ballena. Acabo de comprar Feng Xun con piedras y me apareció de la nada en Discos Dorados.

La última vez que me pasó fue con Intisar

Estaba ahorrando para los nuevos espers de Anomalía, siento que ahora estot obligado a comprar su R2.

[cagliostrohq]

Sunlight glints off the silver tickets fluttering down from a zeppelin that coasts through the Selphian skies. The curious crowds gathering below catch the paper slips in their hands. Its magical ink scrolls across the ticket like words on a teleprompter, inviting them to a combat tournament known as The Glitz Blitz. The competition had ceased running following the disappearance of Princess Calista nearly a century ago. Now, the royal family is holding the tournament to celebrate her miraculous return. ( With a furious scowl, Murray Wheatbelly pokes his head out from the windows of The Daily Grail’s editing room. What perfect timing to bring on the bread and circuses, isn’t it? Soon after his paper leaks the news about sacrifices, a distraction with royal backing is trotted out to appease the public? He’s already made his move, and now it seems the palace is countering it. ) On Whale Island, a gladiatorial colosseum has been built overnight with the help of friendly golems, gargoyles, and dragons. It is inside this arena where the magical battles will be held, knockout tournament style over the course of two weeks. The updated elimination bracket will be posted in the Selphia Plaza by an officiant after each day of battle. Anyone is welcome to sign up, though the competition has been historically dominated by spirit warriors. To enter, you must officially represent either one of the three houses or your hometown from within the kingdom. Unofficial betting on the island already has strong contenders from Roytale, Selphia, and Orre as frontrunners. They have historically produced the best warriors for the tournament, to the point the jeering gamblers call anyone representing elsewhere in the kingdom as mere fodder.  The winner is promised a one-of-a-kind, magical weapon of rare materials to be forged by Rizzetheus, The Blacksmith of Orre. In addition, the royals are offering a small fortune that could be life-changing for the tournament’s winner.  Battles are fairly simple: the flashier the combat, the more engaged the crowd becomes which may feed into your personal fame should you have a business or cause to promote. If a fighter is on the ground or out of the ring for more than ten seconds, they lose the match. The count only begins for those with gifts of flight if they are touching a solid surface outside of the ring. Enchanting your opponent into an animal or object incapable of combat is an automatic disqualification. All is well, until trumpets sound through the town square. A public announcement decrees: “To celebrate The Glitz Blitz’s return after over a century, a new rule has been added to the games. For the very first time in the tournament’s history…contestants are now able to be nominated by others to compete! If the tournament officials approve of the nomination, you will automatically be entered into the running and are required to pay the one billion phil penalty for cancellation. <3 Suddenly, a show of magical sportsmanship becomes a way to ruin the lives of your enemies. Nobody has ever been punished for an accidental death inside The Glitz Blitz, of course. And with the hefty penalty fee, there are few outside the royalty family who can afford not to fight.  (LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The royal family is not responsible for any injuries or damages The Glitz Blitz tournament may incur. Submitting the name or the name of your nominee into the enchanted entry boxes located around the capital means you agree to these terms.)

OOC: The Glitz Blitz is an event which is held in-game for two weeks, with multiple battles occurring each day. The first phase of this event will conclude IRL on August 6th! 

Read below the cut for instructions on how to participate! 

Comment below the names of which muses are participating! Please use the following format: "Seymour Beasts (Paul Rudd FC), representing Rigbarth City"

Create a self-para where your muse either wins or loses against an NPC. This is your character's chance to become a crowd favorite, so please showcase your muse's combat style, personality, tactical prowess, personal storyline to win the public's favor (similar to storyline in wrestling!) and so forth. This will be their in-game first round (round #1) of the competition and therefore, the most memorable way to introduce themselves to the public! These self-paras will be used later in a "survivor" style voting game to determine who the public finds deserving of a second chance at victory, even if they are knocked out.

If you decide your muse will win against the NPC, they can move on to the next round! They may have up to TWO optional fights with other muses within the roleplay! These are rounds #2 and #3. When plotting out these match-ups, please make sure both parties are on the same page about the planned victors/winners before moving onto the dash.

Comment below the victor/loser of each round below in the following format: "Round #3, Seymour Beasts (Paul Rudd FC) VS Nicholas North (Danny Devito FC), Winner: NICHOLAS NORTH"

Everyone still in the running will be placed into a hunger games generator.  We will post the computer randomized match-ups/results of the tournament! the outcomes will be posted, which will allow muns to contact each other & write the aftermath should they desire! Once these results are posted, we will provide instructions on how to participate in the voting game! 

Names and any round outcomes MUST be given BEFORE August 5th to be put into the generator. Character names or matchup outcomes not commented by this time will NOT be put into the generator. Once the generator has gone through, we cannot change the results.

Please tag any event posts as "cag: event 003"!

HOW VOTING WILL WORK: More details to come later! To make it fair, we will announce a voting period where each muse must post themselves writing a name they’d like to save from elimination and a short, in-character explanation as to why. The minimum amount of content required will only be one or two sentences, but you may write more if you feel muse! This will come later, so you don’t need to worry about this just yet! In addition to the public vote, the in-game royal family will also select their own favorite underdogs to be given a second chance at victory. Have fun!

[lady-snow-flower]

MY HEART IS A HAUNTED HOUSE: MASTERPOST

By Laur, Clementine, Art, Laura, Scadaz, Kit, Tama, ft. @lady-snow-flower, @gem-morey, @kingofdemxns, @elliot-morey, @wolf-innsheepsclothing, @bones-weary, @ahearts-a-heavyburden, @princess-ting-ting, and guest starring @labellerose-acheron and @trip-downtheriverstyx

Author's Note: On the surface, this plot does not have the site-wide stakes of previous big plots I have done - and yet, I think this is the most complex and rewarding plot I've ever embarked on! I owe so much to my Hauntley Crew and RP partners who were game for this, who were patient with me, who asked great questions, who pushed me to be a better plotter and project manager (lol), and who filled in my rough plot skeleton(s) with flesh, blood, and heart. I mean it when I say this plot wouldn't look the same without everyone contributing and that's my favorite part - how much it changed and expanded with everyone's input. And isn't that what RP is supposed to be? Thus, here is the roadmap to My Heart Is A Haunted House. It is one of my proudest achievements. I really hope y'all enjoyed it, no matter if you read one para or all the paras. And thank you to my partners again!! Look what we did!! (Rough Estimate: This has to be at least 60k-70k words, which is a novel y'all. One day I'll make an effort to actually add it all up.)

PART ONE: Lady Miracle's Possession Frostbite Hypothermia Jackboot Jump || Gem One-Shot Stitches Undone || Snow Quartz Rigor Mortis

PART TWO: The Unbecoming of the Hauntley Manor Inn Lady Miracle Calls for a Staff Meeting The Deepest Darkest Hour || The Hauntley Staff Rise and Shine || Miracle Hadder Eat, Pray, Haunt || Miracle Bones Spit Spot || Miracle King A Work In Progress || Miracle Wolf The Way Is Shut || Hot Dog Gem vs. The House || Miracle Gem The Unbecoming of Hauntley Manor

PART THREE: The Haunting of Scarlet Rose Manor When The Dust Settles || Gelli Slow Is The Quicksand || Gelli + Fang + Helle The Captain's Lament || Bones, Wolf, Gem, Elli Keep A Light On || Gem+King+Wolf Repeating Old Habits || Wolf King The Past Is Far Behind Us || Belle, Ting-Ting and Wolf Time Loop Paras Roses Are Red || Miracle King Violets Are Blue || Miracle Hadder Dead Man’s Chest || Miracle Wolf Qui n’avance pas, recule || Bones and Yvette One-Shot Interlude: One Last Attempt || King + the Hauntleys The Flesh Calmly Growing Cold || Gem One-Shot Caught In the Undertow || Gelli Castles In The Air || Miracle Ting/ Sing-Song Interlude: Man Overboard || Gelli + Wolf + Ting-Ting How Did It End? || Miracle Gem How It Begins || Snow Quartz

COMPANION ONE-SHOTS To the Lonely Sea and the Sky || Wolf And The Captain The Wheel’s Kick and the Wind’s Song A Wild Call and a Clear Call (That Cannot Be Denied) The Gull’s Way and the Whale’s Way Through the Memory Palace || Snow And Lady Miracle Part One: The Bolter Part Two: Fortnight SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE OF TIME... (Dream Series) Once Upon a December || Snow Quartz

part one: across my memory part two: things my heart used to know part three: things it yearns to remember part four: things i almost remember part five: dim as an ember

APPENDIX: The Albatross: Soundtrack for My Heart Is A Haunted House

Reborn in Ice - This is the original draft of the Miracle Captain backstory that I wrote for myself as prep and research lol! Most of it I used in my Memory Palace series, but if you wanted the #og, maybe this will interest you lol Ghost Loop Lore Road Map To The Ghost Loop - a behind-the-scenes outline to how that was plotted lol. Again, I just think it's neat.

[cruciferous-spatula]

round 12 seaside dwelling part 2 woo

exciting times!

Manawataki is born

While everyone's preoccupied with the newborn, the older girls hone their yogic powers, and Para shows cousin Miharo a whale of a time

Later, it's Wahi's birthday! yeah we get a lot of those in this household

She cute. They all cute. That's what I get for marrying two of my fave sims to each other and they have tons of non-twin babies

I sent the oldest girls out for a late night excursion to the bath lot

where Indartsu has major beef with Arvi. I was worried a full-on fight would break out.

According to challenge rules, fights are deadly for the loser, but fortunately Arvi left the lot quickly enough. But watch ur back Arvi - Indartsu's got a mean streak.

... but so does Inti. Maybe Indartsu's the one who should watch himself.

With her nieces though, Inti is totes chill.

The little outing is otherwise uneventful. Back home, Para masters the ways of yoga

[chaletnz]

Paracas: National Reserve

The original plan for this morning was another relatively early meeting at 7:45am for the boat tour around the Ballestas Islands (also termed the “poor man’s Galapagos”). I’d been looking forward to this tour immensely, especially since a lot of travellers I’d met going towards Cusco had come from Lima and Paracas and commented how much they enjoyed the boat tour. It was a bit of a mad rush to turn in my laundry, pack up my bag to check out, and get to the meeting point down the road. Unfortunately, we were all stuck waiting for updates as the conditions at sea were too rough for the 8am boat tour. I was engulfed in clouds of vape smoke from the dumb British teenagers waiting alongside me. The next boat was at 10am so I had a bit of time to walk out of town up to Mirador San Martin to check out the view, and enjoy a breakfast at Fruzion of some coco Almendras pancakes and a latte. Despite the name and rather disappointingly, the latte was not a latte and just an instant coffee sachet with milk. However the pancakes far exceeded any expectation I had! When I arrived back at the meeting point, the decision had been made that all boat tours were cancelled for the day so unfortunately I was out of luck for seeing the Ballestas Islands. Two buses pulled up and everyone was loaded on in chaos to visit the National Reserve. I ended up sitting next to a guy from Grand Junction, CO who had worked as a ski instructor and patroller within Summit County – small world! It was short-lived though as we played musical buses and he was moved to the other one. Ricardo was our guide and educated us while we drove through the 3,200km2 national reserve. It used to be a forest but is now a desert, actually an extension of the driest desert in Chile, and is home to 120 bird species, foxes, dolphins, and whales. The name Paracas comes from two Quechua words paras and nacos meaning sun and wind storm, presumably based on the weather conditions in this area of Peru! Our first stop was “the cathedral”, a large jagged rock that rose out of the sea separate from the viewing cliff we stood on, followed by the Supay grey sand beach. Supay means demon in Quechua and people would historically commit suicide here as an offering to the gods. It is also a prime earthquake spot, of which they are overdue… Unfortunately the Peru government doesn’t have to restore losses when an earthquake is less than magnitude 8. An 8.2 struck and the president at the time declared it was a 7.9 so they didn’t have to do anything. We reached another photo spot at Yumaque beach, where a dead bird lay amongst the swarm of tourists all crowded on the edge of the cliff for photos. Next was the Istmo peninsula which was like a Mars landscape separating the red beach from the rest of the sandy reserve. There were many large signs saying “don’t pass” and yet almost everyone in the tour group walked all the way out on to the cliff to take photos. I’m glad I followed the signs because staying back meant I could see the guides being berated by some park officials. The officials were taking photos of the guides, and the bus license plates and presumably making threats to kick our whole group out of the reserve for disobeying the signs. At the red beach itself, Ricardo made sure to tell everyone not to pass the signs and barriers before they would let us off the bus. There were some more dead birds lying around here and some dead seals getting picked apart by seagulls. Maybe it was for the best that we didn’t do the boat tour as apparently there were a lot more dead animals out there… On the drive back into town, we were told about the Paracas skulls and a museum we could visit to see them. I didn’t go to the museum but it was interesting how the parents would banadage large rocks to the sides of their children’s heads in order to make their skulls grow upwards to a unique cone shape. On the way out of the reserve we saw a large colony of flamingos and before we knew it we were back in Paracas in time for lunch.

[tardisimpalatohogwarts]

Beaches of the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast beaches have always been the significant fascination that baits travelers to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast Beaches are extremely gorgeous, your visit site here outing won't be finished without an excursion to the beach.

Amusement back and forth movements with each passing tide and amusement parks change with the following technologies. However, the 42 kms of gorgeous beach front and clean golden sands would tempt even the most unadventurous. For the surfers there are immense sea expands isolated from sounds and estuaries. These are everything that guarantee the Gold Coast remains the amazing place to get-away for everybody.

Generally these beaches are ideal for a dip, however the more quiet swimming beaches are situated in the southern finish of the Gold Coast and across the boundary.

On the off chance that it's a welcoming beach you're searching for try to find out assuming they have nearby washrooms, cookout regions, obscure spots, lifeguards and simple admittance to the water from the stopping regions.

For those surfers there are numerous beaches ideal for this game whether you are a novice or an ace. Each beach changes in the size of the waves and in the event that 1 beach isn't moving another will be.

On the off chance that you're not searching for groups and significant conveniences then you might be needing seclusion or a confidential beach and these are somewhat simple to find too with just a touch of strolling and looking. Inside the Coast islands are numerous confined deltas to have some calm time and a confidential swim with your loved one/s.

Sometimes an excessive number of waves can be something terrible so on the off chance that you like quiet, actually waters for swimming, those can be found too. There a calm inlets where the water is essentially as still as glass and warm as a shower. You might try and catch site of whales on their yearly relocation assuming you are perfectly positioned with impeccable timing.

The Gold Coast People group Board is always working on ways of working on the beaches for a superior encounter for you. The travel industry is perhaps of their greatest investment.

Gold Coast beaches are likewise home to an astonishing cluster of creature life including eco frameworks. A portion of the beaches are encircled by sand rises which are perfect for going for ridge buggy rides or perhaps on the off chance that your sufficiently adventurous some sand surfing would be enjoyable. Want to get out in the water however not really for a dip then lease a sail boat and partake in the natural air. Different choices for the sake of entertainment on the water will be water skiing or para cruising. It is simple and generally not extravagant to Lease gear.

[alujimenez]

TIM CURRY:

1976 - The Rocky Pciture Horrror Show personaje Dr. Frank N. Furter,

1985 - Leyenda, Ridlye Scott, El señor de las tiniewblas

1990- IT, payaso Pennywise

1998 -LA reunión de los Locos Adams, Gómez Adams

VOZ del emperador en - "Star Wars: La Guerra de los Clones"

Infarto - solo narrador - Remake en vez del detetcive

4 músicos para teatros

orequesta para opelicula

ajustaron el timbre para las vices de Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick y Meatloaf.

I

Jim Sharman was born in Sydney, the son of boxing tent impresario He was educated in Sydney, though his upbringing included time spent on Australian showgrounds, where his father ran a travelling sideshow of popular legend, founded by his own father, called "Jimmy Sharman's Boxing Troupe".[3] This brought him into contact with the world of circus and travelling vaudeville.

DENTIDAS SEXUAL FLUIDA

LO BINARTIO NO ES SUFCIENTE

O BRIEN - SI HIBIERA SIFDO MUJER

“What I’ve always wanted to be was whole — centrally whole and complete,” “But I have so much girl in me it doesn’t make any sense. I think it would have made more sense had I been born a girl. That’s true. But it is a patriarchic, misogynistic fucking world. So aren’t I lucky? Because I’ve been able to walk down streets and go places that I wouldn’t ever have been able to go down had I been a girl. You just have to put everything in perspective, really.

However he dislikes sexual labels and refuses to refer to himself as straight, gay, or bi. At a 2007 charity auction, he declared that "I have slept with 300 women, 30 or 40 men and around 12 transsexuals".

richard o brien

COMICS, SICNEIA FICCÓN, POELÑ´CULAS B

Obra de teatro, la dirige Jim Sharman

QUéia ser ocky, Fue a un gmnasio a buscar a rocky y se topa copm Tim Cyurrty,

Richard O’Brien has revealed that the inspiration for  Dr. Frank N. Furter, was inspired by his own experiences cross-dressing and grappling with his gender identity as a young aspiring actor from New Zealand living in London in the early 1970s.

O’Brien, 81, has been married three times, to three different women, and has three children from the first two marriages — two sons and a daughter. When it comes to his own gender identity, however, he says no binary answer is sufficient.

Barry Bostwick "Brad Majors"

Susan Sarandon - Had her breakout role in “Rocky Horror” as Janet Weiss, the wholesome young woman who discovers her wild side.

Susan Sarandon _ in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, challenged traditional gender norms and embraced sexuality as a form of empowerment. Sarandon advocates for open, non-judgmental conversations about sexuality and supports empowering women to make their own choices.

MEat LOaf

Meat Loaf landed the onscreen role of delivery boy/brain donor Eddie after he played the part in the Broadway production.

B -Movie Cult film references

. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)

DOCtor X .- 1932 .- primera película de horrro en color

El Hombre invisible,. basada en novela de HG Wells, Dir,. James Whale, esfectso especiales el set y cámara

THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) - Magenta rocks a zany new hairstyle for Rocky Horror’s thrilling climax. Her arresting coiffure was more or less directly lifted from The Bride of Frankenstein. In this spectacular sequel, the title character dons a streaky, upright hairdo that was modeled after a famous bust of Nefertiti, an ancient Egyptian queen.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) - “Science Fiction/Double Feature” acknowledges one of the most topical films of 1951. Once the Cold War arrived, sci-fi movies began to grow more overtly political. In The Day the Earth Stood Still, a benevolent alien named Klaatu (played by Michael Rennie) warns the human race that its increasing usage of nuclear weapons has made other planets nervous enough to consider wiping out all life on Earth in a preemptive strike

The Night of the Hunter  - Los tatuajes de Ediie - love an dHate

TARANTULA (1955) -mencionadas en los labios

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) - también la menciona los labios

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951) -la canción de los labios menciona uan frase el oproductor de pelñuclas de sci fi

KING KING 1932 - ; los labios cantan sobre KIng King, el vestido de la actriz al final. Rocky himself climbing up a model radio tower, RKO’s logo, before falling to his death. 

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (often shortened to Ziggy Stardus

is the fifth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 16 June 1972

loose concept album and rock opera, Ziggy Stardust focuses on Bowie's titular alter ego Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster.

”4 musicos

[tvrundownusa]

tvrundown USA 2023.05.03

Wednesday, May 3rd:

(exclusive): "Countdown to the Crown" (BritBox, daily report leading to Coronation), Jewish Matchmaking (netflix, docuseries spinoff, all 8 eps), "Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All" (dsn+, docuseries, all 4 parts), Great British Baking Show: Juniors (netflix, season 2 available, all 15 eps)

(streaming weekly): Saint X (hulu), My Family (hulu, season 1 finale), "Algiers, America" (hulu, part 4 of 5), Ted Lasso (apple+), The Big Door Prize (apple+), Schmigadoon! (apple+, season 2 "Schmicago!" finale), The Challenge: World Championship (Para+), The Good Bad Mother (netflix)

(hour 1): Chicago Med (NBC, penultimate), The Conners (ABC, season 5 finale) / . / The Goldbergs (ABC, series finale), The Flash (theCW, part 1 of 4), The Masked Singer (FOX), Survivor (CBS)

(hour 2): Chicago Fire (NBC), Not Dead Yet (ABC, special time) / . / Not Dead Yet (ABC, season 1 finale), House of Payne (BET) / . / Assisted Living (BET), Riverdale (theCW), Farmer Wants a Wife (FOX), NOVA (PBS, "Saving the Right Whale")

(hour 3): Chicago P.D. (NBC), A Million Little Things (ABC, series finale), True Lies (CBS), Dave (FXX, 46mins), Digman! (COM) / . / Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens (COM), Single Drunk Female (Freeform, 60mins, penultimate), Funny or Die's "High Science" (DSC, ~65mins)

(hour 4 - latenight): Tooning Out the News (COM)

[sea-dwelling-wizard]

1. Durin. He's an impulsive kleptomaniac and steals stuff all the time.

2. The Sea-dwellers (the merfolk of my world <333) normally have semi-active brains while sleeping. To say what they dream about is quite hard since yk. They're fish people

3. Earrings! A person is considered quite wealthy if they have one of those. Especially in the shape of a diamond ;]

4. Legends say that if you go out to sea at night, you'll hear the stars whisper your fate. Don't listen to the sky for too long or the sirens'll eat you.

5. This is an old project but here's my fav para

The thought of truth was a childish dream when all he saw was lies. 

Who was he, really? Hysteria wore down to reveal a writhing mass of questions and hatred for himself. Atticus’s mind wandered to the darkest depths of consciousness, seeking out answers to the bleak dead zones of the sea. 

He felt that parts of him were coming back together each passing second, slowly revealing what he was really like. The past which loomed behind the concrete wall scared him yet lured him into the thirst of curiosity, which nothing could quench, even the mass water body of the sea.

It's cringe 💀 ive started this project's second draft though and its bound to be better!!!

6. Hex_agon; she's an oc who's a parasite of sorts. She's inhabiting my mind rn and she's taken my personality :D

7. The Star Sea has carriages run by small fishes while the Empyreum and major parts of the Skysheath Forest have car-like transportation. Motocycles exist too.

8. Haven't written in a while, but my mc's wearing clothes fit for adventuring!

9. I'll choose my other wip for this; the conflict is that. well. the sun's gone and the most powerful person in the realm is blamed. theres a bounty on him :D

10. no.

ok fine

this is from a lil experimental story i wrote to practice first person

It was a particularly dark night, with little or so life roaming outside the camps. The atmosphere was quiet, and cozy as if it all never happened. We were all inside the main area of our portable living quarters. Everyone was quite chatty, including that murderer. 

11. ALL OF THE SEA-DWELLERS ARE NOT REAL. THE VILLAIN, OURRA, CREATED PUPLETS TO MIMIC THE ONES HE LOVED DESIGNED TO HAVE NO SOUL AND THE MC SHOWED SIGNS OF BEING RELATED TO OURRA SO HE GOT EXOERIMENTED ON AND AFTER SM YEARS HE REALISED HE HAD NO SOUL AND AJSNJDNSNDNFNNWJDKSK THATS THE FIRST PART OF THE PLOT :D

12. For the wip mentioned in no. 9, soliel soliel by Pomme inspired the plot!

13. The Star Sea:

- Wet, clammy, heavy

- Clattering and snapping of creatures, whale sounds

- Blue and black, yet vibrant, bustling empires under the sea

- Slippery, rough, smooth, all at once

- idk ehat it could smell like since its the sea. saline?

14. The first line of my first novel is my favorite line. "You don't understand," Atticus yelled, "The Abyss is not to be messed with."

15. ahggg the beginning of the wip mentioned in no. 9 is really hard to work on since i'm experimenting with tons of elements and themes

Random WIP Ask Game

Inspired by random objects around my room! (Idk, it just seems like most of them have a theme and I’m lazy).

1. 🦎 LIZARD: Who is your most untrustworthy OC? Why?

2. 🛏️ BED: What do your OCs dream about?

3. 💍 JEWELRY: What are considered luxury items in the world of your WIP?

4. 🐈 CAT: Does the world of your WIP have any superstitions or folklore?

5. 📓 NOTEBOOK: Share 7 lines from a WIP of your choice!

6. 🪩 MIRROR: Which OC is most like you?

7. 👠 SHOES: What is transportation like in the world of your WIP?

8. 🧢 CLOTHING: What is your MC currently wearing in the most recent scene of your WIP?

9. 🔥 CANDLE: Describe the main conflict in your WIP.

10. 📚 BOOKCASE: Share a paragraph from your WIP.

11. 🌈 RAINBOW SLOTH: Wild card! Share one thing about your WIP that you have been waiting to be asked about!

12. 🎧 HEADPHONES: Share a song that inspired your WIP.

13. 🌸 PERFUME: Describe the setting of your WIP using the five senses.

14. 💎 GEMSTONES: Share a line in your writing that you really love!

15.💡LAMP: Talk about a scene you are working on—is it easy or difficult? Why?

Bonus: Share a few lines from that same scene.

[ordersreality]

Thulerion Airship

The structural design of this airship is similar to the R100 of the British Air Command. Differences in material and the audits of evolution and war can prove differences in durability and efficiency.

The Thulerion Airship was engineered about twelve millennia ago before that city destroyed itself. No airship built then survives to this day, and the audit of war has had a profound influence on their development. Dwarfish engineers have had a small hand in their development, mostly with the development on the power cars and the central light water reactor.

The skeleton is a rigid, aluminum frame reinforced with steel cables to counter sheer forces, while other cables secure that frame to a central hub, the way spokes would a bicycle wheel. A carbon-fiber cloth covers the frame which also supports a gondola, crew deck, and air force deck. The ship has a battle deck found on top and close to the prow, which is capable of taking over coxswain duties and fire control. The frame envelops thirteen gas-double-bladders, with a core bladder filled with helium, inside another filled with hydrogen mixed with nitrogen, neon and argon, both by products of the light water reactors.

While most systems are powered by batteries fed by environmental energy systems, core services, such as the power cars, receive power from a Stable Salt Reactor, one in each car and one in the command gondola to power shields.

Bloedwendor, heir to Thulerion culture and traditions, built twelve airships for the Ring Wars that have a γ-class ósinjal1 cultured computer; meaning incredible calculating speed, no intelligence. Each holds a slot for a ósinjal axis core, a α-class computer, which does have the intelligence of an ensouled being. The added bonus to this are renovation systems that can keep the airship in service by mending little strains, wears and tears that the human eye would miss. These systems require materials, often supplied by refuse stores, including septic tanks.

The airship carries several defensive, and few offensive options. Ports found around the airship can accommodate a weapon like a riffle or small missile projector.

The power cars generate a plasma structure that forms cymatic structures that propels the airship at about 26080tils2 an hour. Learned from studying sky whales, this technology propels the airship by bending the electromagnetic structures. By changing the shape of the cymatic structures, the drive path of that car, when coordinated with the others can achieve any vector. Six tail rudders ensure vector control, especially in high winds.

A battery of drones, held aloft by those same cymatic structures, can broaden the ship’s sensory capacity. Each can be armed with a small shock pistol, with limited range and rounds. They can also deliver light packages and messages.

The hanger can carry light aircraft or a regiment of tergons, or young dragons. Because the airship does not, itself, generate much turbulence, a squad or two could parachute, para-glide, or wing their way out.

A crew and some materials can embark or disembark through a gangplank located just under the nose. While moored at a tower gasses and fluids will be loaded through pipes, and data can be exchanged directly with the tower’s, usually α-class computer.

The crew deck holds some limited comforts. Seats fold out as beds, lockers accommodate limited resources, a galley provides some service. Sadly, the airship best accommodates the human form. Those seats would be comfortable for dwarf, orc, or djyp, but not tergon, dragon or dŗeigr.

The audit of war has taught the engineers to build redundancies and defensive structures into the airship’s systems. While the hull can withstand a good deal of abuse from weapons, weather, and time, a plasma double-shield provides a first line of defense against assault. The airship can generate a plasma shield that can, at dark mode repel most sky based animals, and at glow mode can dissipate or deflect most weapons. Arc mode is unreliable, and usually results in damage to the power cars. A subsonic pulse will further discourage all but the most desperate sky whale from getting interested in the vessel’s anatomy. An ingenious defender could deploy agencies that can hear those pulses and learn of the airship’s approach before they are seen. Being airborne limits camouflage options, and royal pride usually insists on posting regalia on the ship’s hull and key ports. Hearing one coming at your frontier might be useful. At the gate, not so much.

· • ° • ·

Sources:

R100: [2019] Wikipedia < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R100 >

1 Ensouled mechanical beings.

γ: Simple computing power able to control its own mechanisms, perform some calculations, still too stupid to know if its life is in danger.

β: Capable of autonomous functions, simple decisions and control. Usually cultured by αs to extend capacity, but can function alone.

α: Ensouled—that is a bit of soul is condensed from the universe’s and instilled into the machine at conception—and autonomous, capable of making choices and friends. Character depends on the person condensing that soul.

2 16½ft÷81.5 mph (131.2 km/h)

[silveraccent]

A Whale of a Time || Grace & Skylar

TIMING: 8/16/20. LOCATION: Angelique’s Aquatic Adventure PARTIES: @theskyeandsea​ @silveraccent​ SUMMARY: The need for fresh air causes for an unlikely friendship, not without the offering of ginger candies and some ASL lessons. 

After her encounters with Dave, Skylar had come to the conclusion that... if there was another selkie in town, it might be in her best interest to try and familiarize herself with the ocean waters around the town. Because there was no way she was going to try and swim around-- seal or not, she just didn’t feel up to trying to get into the ocean right now-- she found herself clinging to the plastic seat of the amphibious tour bus of Angelique’s Aquatic Adventure for dear life. As the cheery tour guide spoke into the mic system, Skylar did her best to steady herself as the bus slid into the water from the pier. As the water splashed around them, she instinctively shied closer to the interior of the boat, hands ready to protect her hearing aids if a rogue wave splashed them. Oh… this was such a mistake. This was such a bad idea. Skylar stared miserably out at the ocean, doing her best to drown out the sense of dread and overwhelming fear that was creeping up on her as the tour guide continued to chatter away about the whales that could be seen along the coast.

Angelique's Aquatic Adventure had been suggested to Grace in passing, and while it was associated with her rant about whales, and how they could swallow humans whole if they truly wanted to, she hadn’t really thought that she would take the plunge, both metaphorically and literally. With nothing to do for the day however, Grace found herself clinging to the seat in front of her, fingers looped around the metal. Grace wasn’t afraid of the ocean, far from it, but there was something about a truck of some sort turning into a boat that had left her uneasy. Grace felt pangs of nervousness and excitement from everybody on board, and she began to wonder if this had been a good idea-- surrounding herself with the varying emotions, it was only bound to make her anxious. Her seatmate, however, exerted only existential dread. Grace couldn’t quite focus on her, and her alone, but in an effort to make her feel better-- and herself, if she were being honest, Grace leaned forward, “are you okay?” She asked, eyes filled with worry. 

Mmmmmm, just focus on the horizon line. Yup, just focus on the skyline and not the fact there were hundreds of millions of gallons of saltwater that could rear up and splash her hearing aids at any moment. Skylar felt her stomach flip flop as she tried to push the thoughts from her mind. She should have never come here. Or, at the very least, she should have brought her case with her. Even if she couldn’t hear well, they’d be safer. The sound of a woman’s voice caught her attention and she realized her seatmate was talking to her. “Oh-- I’m sorry-- um--” She stammered, trying to collect herself enough to reply. Offering a strained smile, Skylar nodded. “I’m okay! Just, just seasick.” She lied, though her stomach continued to clench. Was she actually seasick on top of all this? That’d be just her luck… she would be a selkie who could get sea sick. 

It was hard for Grace to put aside the anxiety that was boiling in her stomach, and mixed with the excitement of the other people onboard? She bit down onto the inside of her cheek as she watched the girl next to her, gaze unwavered. “Oh,” she said after the woman answered. Grace could understand-- Renee got seasick a lot too, and she often had to rub circles into her friend’s back the entirety of their trips. Grace maneuvered her bag around, fishing out a ginger candy. “Here,” she said and handed it over. “I always bring these, just in case.” It was better than dramamine, she guessed. “It’s ginger, it should help with the queasiness,” she smiled at the girl. Maybe it was selfish, but Grace surely did not want to be covered in somebody else’s bile. 

A bit surprised when the woman began to rummage around in her bag, Skylar tilted her head in confusion when she handed her a wrapped up piece of candy. That was so sweet of her to offer-- but, eating the candy would only make her feel actually sick to her stomach. She couldn’t handle the sugary sweetness, she never had been. Her entirely meat based diet was selkie thing, she’d learned that early on when she’d first met Winston and Ricky. Stomach flip flopping, she nodded all the same. “Thank you. I think it’s passing, but I’ll keep it in case I need it later.” She said with a polite nod before glancing out at the ocean around them once more. A fresh wave of panic and fear washed over her and she did her best to try and steady herself. This was such a mistake.

Grace smiled at her when she took the candy. At the very least, maybe it’d help a little later down the line. The woman says she’s feeling better, but Grace is unable to tell if it’s a lie or not. She took a candy out for herself and popped it into her mouth. Just in case. Grace wasn’t much of a talker, never had been, but she knew that distractions were better than being left to focus on what was currently happening. Grace cleared her throat and looked out to the water before looking back to her neighbor, “I’m Grace, by the way.” She smiled at her, not sure what else to say. She rubbed her palms against the front of her jeans. “I’m new here, so this-- this is pretty cool, I’ve never been on anything like this” Grace tried as she offered a sheepish smile. 

The cresting waves, the white caps, the endless expanse of ocean. Mmmmm, no no no. As the woman introduced herself, Skylar was honestly grateful for the distraction. While she wouldn’t normally just talk to strangers, having something else to focus on was so much better than dwelling on the fact that she was surrounded by the ocean. When Grace mentioned she was new in town, some of the tension eased from Skylar’s shoulders. “You’re new? Welcome to White Crest. I’ve only lived here for a year, but it’s, it’s a nice place.” She said with a smile before extending her hand. “I’m Skylar.” A particularly strong wave rocked the side of the boat and she swallowed nervously. “What brought you to White Crest? School?” She asked. The other woman looked around her age-- maybe she was a grad student?

“Skylar? Nice to meet you.” Grace grinned as she shook the girl’s hand. At least she had a name for her, she looked like she would keel over any second from the waves. “It’s a nice place, yeah.” Grace shifted in her seat as she turned to look at Skylar properly. “No, not school.” She felt like she was talking too loud to be heard over the man up front who was giving the tour-- it felt a little rude, but there were others talking, too. “I moved here for work.” Grace knew that mentioning she worked at the morgue could rub others the wrong way, but she never bothered with hiding her profession, “I work at the morgue.” Grace tilted her head. “And you? Are you in school?” She wondered if maybe people her age only came to White Crest for school, then left shortly thereafter. 

“Oh really? Me too, actually.” Skylar said with a nod, grateful that they had something to talk about, some common ground to discuss. “I work with the school district. I’m a sign language interpreter.” She said, signing briefly as she spoke. “So… in a way I’m here for school.” Skylar offered a weak grin. The slight attempt was humor was all she could muster right now when she was surrounded by water on all sides. “The morgue..? Oh, do you know a Dr. Kavanaugh?” She asked, thinking back to the woman that had inexplicably stolen Winston’s name all those months ago. Had it really been that long? “I think she works there, I don’t know for sure, though.” She said, with a shrug. 

“Oh!” Grace watched as Skylar spoke, and then lifted her hands to sign out the words she was saying. In high school, Renee had tried to get Grace to sign up for German, but she had insisted on taking ASL instead. She could pick up some of the telltale signs, but the remaining of what was signed was lost on her-- only able to be understood by the words leaving Skylar’s lips. “That’s cool,” she said, and she meant it. She liked it when people did things to help other people, it made them more approachable, in a sense. Grace made a silent note to make sure that she was faced towards Skylar when she spoke, just in case it was too loud-- or so that she could have a full view of her lips. “I do, yeah. She’s my boss!” She smiled at Skylar and wondered why she knew her. “How do you know her?” She wondered what Skylar would need to do with the morgue. 

“Ah-- thanks. It’s um, it’s just something that comes easily to me.” Skylar said as she tucked her hair behind her ears, showing the other woman the bright blue hearing aids before letting her hair fall back to cover them. “I grew up relying on interpreters before I got my hearing aids, so I wanted to give back, you know? And there are lots of kids out there who are fully deaf who still deserve the ability to have a normal school experience.” She rambled. It was easier to talk about sign language and being hard of hearing than it was to think about where she was or the push of the waves against the car-boat that they were sitting in. “She is? Oh-- I only know her because of the town’s online messaging system. She seems nice, though.” If she ignored the fact that Dr. Kavanagh was some kind of fae and had stolen Winston’s name…

Out of all the people Grace had met in White Crest, she hadn’t found herself impressed with many-- they were faces in the crowd, people to be respected, but Skylar seemed good, and she saw a part of Renee in her, and she felt her heart swell. “That’s cool, no--” She smiled at her, “I really admire that.” Grace wasn’t lying, “would you be willing to teach me? I can pay you, in your free time.” It was absurd, but Grace didn’t have a lot going on outside of work, and while this was somebody she just met-- “Or is that weird?” she laughed. Grace forgot about the messaging system-- truthfully, she couldn’t recall the number of people she had spoken to already, just that there was one older guy who really hated mimes and cheese puffs. “Right, that’s right.” She nodded as she looked over her shoulder at the sudden pointed finger of their tour guide, but didn’t see what all of the excitement was about. “She is nice, serious, but nice.” 

“Thank you.” Skylar said quietly, a little flustered by the compliment. “It’s just a job. Oh--” Blinking in surprise, she let out a small laugh. “I actually have a side job as a tutor, so it’s definitely not weird. I used to have fliers posted up around town, but the school year got a little busy for me, so I didn’t have the chance to put more up.” She said. Mhm, the school year. Not the fact she’d been attacked, not the fact that she’d been hunted, not the fact that she’d seen things she wished she could unsee. Just the school year. “It’s an interesting online system, isn’t it? I’ve made some nice friends though it, though. I never would expected that.” She said. As the tour guide pointed over the edge, Skylar’s eyes drifted to follow and she saw them. A pod of harbor seals, lounging on some rocks in the middle of the ocean. Dark eyes, sleek coats. So similar to her own. “Ah… Look, seals.” She said, the slightly ill feeling returning. 

“Oh, cool!” Grace clasped her hands together in her lap. Growing up, Grace had been told that if somebody was in danger, or anxious to any degree, it was best to keep them talking that way they didn’t focus on what was making them upset. It seemed like it was working with Skylar, as their conversation was a good distraction. “It is, I didn’t really expect to use it so much, but when I get bored, I find myself on there a lot more than not… it’s almost better than texting.” She laughed as she looked out to the water, “I guess they’re everywhere, here, huh?” The excitement from those around them shrouded whatever it was that Skylar had started to feel again, so it was lost on Grace. “Do you go on these things often? Or is this your first time?” 

“Mhm, right? I’ll go online when I’m free and it’s been really nice to connect with people who I wouldn’t have ever met before. I mean, most of my friends, I bumped into them around town. But, since most of us are online, being able to message each other is easy. Cell service gets a little weird around town sometimes.” Skylar said, thinking back to when she’d been trapped in Board to Death with Leah, unable to contact the outside world. But, the messaging system hadn’t worked there either. As the seals made loud barking noises, Skylar pulled her eyes away from them, focusing instead on the railing of the boat thing. She could pretend to stare at them and no one had to know any better. “Ah, no. I’m not actually a fan of the ocean. But, um, I thought something like this might be a good way of facing my fears.” She said with a slight shrug. “Did you come here for sightseeing? To, um, get to know the town a bit better?”

“It does, I noticed that,” Grace nodded, realizing that there were times when she was unable to connect at all. She had great reception in Portland, but maybe White Crest was a little different. She turned slightly in her seat to look at the seals, watching as they sunbathed. She wondered what it would be like to just sit there, doing nothing all day. When Skylar began to speak, she turned her attention back to her neighbor. She had to admit, it seemed like those types of things worked-- immersing yourself in your own fear, but Grace could’ve never of done that. She was terrified of a lot of things, but she never saw it in herself to go after her own fears. “That’s a good idea, maybe I’ll take a page out of your book.” She props her elbow up on the railing of the boat and nods, “you could say that, yeah!” The smell of the ocean curled around her nose and the sound of the seals, as well as the voice of the tourguide up front, was giving her an introduction to White Crest that she didn’t think she’d get, “I guess the ocean, too? I don’t know, this place has a lot to offer, so I figured…” Grace smiled, “it’s better than looking up things online, right?”

“Mhm. I only just now started doing things like that, so there’s nothing wrong with taking your time with these sort of things.” Skylar added as she stared blankly at the railing, hoping that it seemed as though she was looking at the seals. She couldn’t-- she didn’t want to see them. She’d come this far, she’d forced herself to sit on this boat, she’d even talked to someone new. All things she wouldn’t do under any kind of normal circumstances. “Ah, yeah, there’s a lot to do here. It’s a little surprising, honestly.” She said with a nod. “I don’t know what sort of things you like, but there are a lot of really neat places around town. Coffee Plus is a good place if you ever want to read in peace. If you like arcade games, Quarter is a fun time. And, um, Tower Music and Comics has a good selection of comic books and visual novels. People tell me their music selection is nice too.” Skylar rambled. Meanwhile, the boat began to drift away from the seals, turning back to shore. 

The ginger candy sat at the side of Grace’s mouth as she bit into it, shards of the sugar splintering. She swallowed the remnants as she continued to look out at the seals, “There are a lot of things to do, you’re right.” She looked back to Skylar, “I’ve been to Coffee Plus! They make a really good London fog, and--” Grace lit up at the sound of an arcade, she hadn’t been there yet. “I haven’t been to Quarter yet, I’ll have to check that out.” In Portland, Grace had taken to the arcades as a form of stress relief. Whether or not she was actually good at any of the games, that was another story. Grace was glad that she had decided to go on the tour, because without it, she wouldn’t have met somebody who was giving her ways to fill the boredom she felt in the middle of the day when she wasn’t at work. “Thank you for the suggestions, I appreciate it!” Grace smiled at Skylar as she looked to the sea, the boat turned in the direction of the shore. A part of her was disappointed that it had ended already. Maybe if Grace were different, she’d ask Skylar out to coffee as a new found friend type of thing, but instead, “If you have time for the whole tutoring thing, I’d love to do it, but no pressure.” Grace said as she shifted in her seat so that Skylar could see her lips entirely. 

“Mhm, I usually just go for the coffee, but the baristas there really know what they’re doing.” Skylar said as she watched a few seals slip off the rock and into the ocean. They were moving behind the boat, following behind them. Why? She had no idea. But, soon they would be back on land and she’d never have to do this again. “Of course. I remember moving here and just wandering around aimlessly, not really knowing what there was. You’ll have to let me know how you like Quarter, though, if you check it out. It’s pretty loud, what with all the pinball machines, but it’s a fun place.” She said with a slight smile, her most recent trip with Rio a bright spot in the last few weeks. “Ah! Yes, of course. Um, here,” She said, pulling out her phone and pulling up her information. “You can text me, or message me on the town site. I’d be more than happy to tutor you.” Skylar nodded.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one wandering around aimlessly, then.” Grace grinned at Skylar as she looked at the waves rock against the boat as it moved back towards the shore. “I’ll let you know, for sure!” Grace was bad at video games, but she was willing to give it a try. Grace watched as Skylar fished out her phone, smile still tugging at the corners of her lips as she took out her own, punching in the information that was reflected on Skylar’s phone. Sending her a quick text to make sure she copied the information correctly, she straightens up in her seat. “Thank you, I appreciate it-- don’t worry about it if you’re busy, just… whenever.” Grace smiled at her before holding onto the railing as the boat started to move back onto the shore. “It looks like it’s over,” Grace said with a small frown as she looked over to Skylar. “Are you feeling better?” 

Skylar’s phone buzzed in her hand and she added Grace’s information into her contacts. “Awesome, just got your information.” She said and offered as genuine a smile as she could muster to the other woman. Noticing the way that she seemed to hesitate, as though it was an inconvenience to her, Skylar shook her head. “Please, don’t even worry. I’m on summer vacation until September, so I’ve got a lot of free time. And, if you decide to continue lessons when school’s back in session, I’d be more than happy to move things around.” She said with a nod. As the boat came to a stop and the tour guides began to get the loading ramp set up against the pier, the tension slowly eased from Skylar’s shoulder and she nodded once more. “I’m feeling a lot better, mhm. Thanks.” She said, and was a little surprised that she really meant it. The oceanic tour had been the last place Skylar thought she would make a new friend-- or, at the very least, meet another friendly face. As she looked out over the side of the boat, Skylar caught sight of a seal staring intently at the boat, its dark eyes unblinking. She turned her back to the ocean, a more determined smile on her face. Silver linings, she’d taken them where she could get them.

“If you’re sure,” Grace smiled at her. She needed a hobby outside of work, and… whatever this was, because she was sure there’d be no tours during the winter months, and she was sure she’d be holed up in her apartment. What better way to do so than to be learning something new? The voice in her head told her that she was making the right choice by branching out, even if it wasn’t in the most… traditional of ways. “I won’t take up too much of your time, I promise.” She looked over the boat’s edge as they shifted back onto the asphalt, and the way it dragged against it was harsh compared to the way it glided across the water. “That’s good to hear, I’m glad you didn’t get sick.” Grace grabbed her bag, tucking it to her chest. She was glad that she had decided to branch out, despite being so adamant about not doing so-- she met somebody who seemed kind and generous, and Grace had always been drawn to those type of people, and if she was being honest, she felt a bit sad parting ways, but the town was small, and she had Skylar’s number. The idea of making friends laid a little lighter on her shoulders as she left the boat, towards her car.

[marvelgeeklikestowrite]

Okay so I recently finished reading Red White and Royal Blue and I am freaking in love with it.

Some of my favourite bits from the book (spoilers):

1. "So is that what’s happening now?” Alex says “Has he decided to finally shut me up by wooing my sister?”

“Aw, little buddy,” Nora says “It’s cute how you think everything is about you.”

“It should be, honestly.”

“That’s the spirit.”

2.Alex still doesn’t really know what kept drawing him back, only that he would sneak into June’s room and find the page and touch his fingertips to the boy’s hair as if he could somehow feel its texture if he imagined it hard enough.

Alex, honey, I don't know how to tell you this but that sounds kinda gay.

3. “Am I offending you? Sorry, I’m not obsessed with you like everyone else. I know that must be confusing for you.”

“Do you know what?” Henry says. “I think you are.”

Alex’s mouth drops open, while the corner of Henry’s turns smug and almost a little mean.

“Only a thought,” Henry says, tone polite. “Have you ever noticed I have never once approached you and have been exhaustively civil every time we’ve spoken? Yet here you are, seeking me out again.” He takes a sip of his champagne.

“Simply an observation.”

“What? I’m not—” Alex stammers. “You’re the—”

“Have a lovely evening, Alex,” Henry says tersely and turns to walk off.

Again Alex read the para before. You are obsessed with him, mijo.

4. He hears Henry mutter slowly, “Oh my fucking Christ.” He registers dimly that it’s the first time he’s ever heard the prince swear before the flash from someone’s camera goes off.

Sweetie, you just caused an international incident. Maybe worry about your crush, sorry arch-nemesis later?

5. “As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.”

Dear God, this whole family is dramatic 😂

6.“Look,” Zahra says, “Both sides need to come out of this looking good, and the only way to do that is to make it look like your little slap-fight at the wedding was some homoerotic frat bro mishap, okay? So, you can hate the heir to the throne all you want, write mean poems about him in your diary, but the minute you see a camera, you act like the sun shines out of his dick and you make it convincing.”

Zahra is the icon, the moment.

7. Nora says. “Sworn enemies forced to make peace to settle tensions between their countries? There’s something totally Shakespearean about it.``

“Shakespearean in that hopefully I’ll get stabbed to death,” Alex says.

Maybe if you ask Zahra nicely she'll do it for you.

8. Hey, what do you think Zahra put on my fact sheet?”

“Hmm,” Nora says, sucking her teeth. “Favorite summer Olympic sport: rhythmic gymnastics—”

“I’m not ashamed of that.”

“Favorite brand of khakis: Gap.”

“Listen, they look best on my ass. The J. Crew ones wrinkle all weird. And they’re not khakis, they’re chinos. Khakis are for white people.”

“Allergies: dust, Tide laundry detergent, and shutting the fuck up.”

“Age of the first filibuster: nine, at SeaWorld San Antonio, trying to force an orca wrangler into early retirement for, quote, ‘inhumane whale practices.’”

“I stood by it then, and I stand by it now.”

More of June and Nora roasting the shit out of Alex.

9. “I’m going to throw up on you,” Alex says as soon as Henry is close enough to hear him.

“Hello, Alex,” Henry says. “You look …sober.”

“Only for you, Your Royal Highness,” he says

“You’re too kind,” Henry says.

“This is idiotic,” Alex says, grasping Henry’s hand, “Let’s get it over with.”

“I’d rather be waterboarded,” Henry says. His eyes are big and soft and blue, and

he desperately needs to be punched in one of them. (sometimes I want to punch you in your perfect teeth) “Your Country could probably arrange that.”

Alex throws his head back and laughs handsomely, loud and false. “Go fuck yourself.”

“Hardly enough time,” Henry says

10. He finds Luna in his office, horn-rimmed reading glasses doing nothing to detract from his usual appearance of a movie star who tripped and fell sideways into politics. Alex has always suspected the soulful brown eyes and perfectly groomed stubble and dramatic cheekbones won back any votes Luna lost by being both Latino and openly gay.

How this boy ever thought he was anything but bi surmounts me

11. He clutches his chest. “You wound me.”

“You exhaust me.”

“I enchant you.”

“I’ll call security.”

“Fair enough.”

Luna and Alex <3

12. It’s meticulously scheduled by Shaan, with whom Alex is slightly obsessed, especially when

Henry texts him things like, Did I tell you Shaan has a motorbike? or Shaan is on the phone with Portugal.

Zahra would concur with Alex’s obsession with Mr. Shaan Srivastava

13 Alex rolls his eyes and sends back, the harrowing struggle of managing the empire’s blood money.

Henry’s response comes a minute later.

That was actually the crux of the meeting—I’ve tried to refuse my share of the crown’s money. Dad left us each more than enough, and I’d rather cover my expenses with that than the spoils of, you know, centuries of genocide. Philip thinks I’m being ridiculous.

14. Alex: “Put the turkeys in my room.”

Also, Alex: That night, as Alex stares into the cold, pitiless eyes of a prehistoric beast of prey, he has a few regrets.

THEY KNOW, he texts Henry. THEY KNOW I HAVE ROBBED THEM OF FIVE-STAR ACCOMMODATIONS TO SIT IN A CAGE IN MY ROOM, AND THE MINUTE I TURN MY BACK THEY ARE GOING TO FEAST ON MY FLESH.

15 . “Um,” he says. “How do you get a turkey to gobble?”

“Try gobbling,” Henry says, “and see if he gobbles back.”

Alex blinks. “Are you serious?”

“We hunt loads of wild turkeys in the spring,” Henry says sagely. “The trick is to get into the mind of the turkey.”

“How the hell do I do that?”

“So,” Henry instructs. “Do as I say. You have to get quite close to the turkey, like, physically.”

Alex leans toward the wire bars. “Okay.”

“Make eye contact with the turkey. Do you have it?”

Alex follows Henry’s instructions in his ear “Yeah.”

“Right, now hold it,” Henry says. “Connect with the turkey, earn the turkey’s trust ... befriend the turkey...”

“Okay...”

“Buy a summer home in Majorca with the turkey...”

“Oh, I fucking hate you!” Alex shouts as Henry laughs at his own idiotic prank and his indignant flailing startles a loud gobble out of Cornbread, which in turn startles a very unmanly scream out of Alex. “Goddammit! Did you hear that?”

“Sorry, what?” Henry says. “I’ve been stricken deaf.”

16. “I thought you’d kill me in a more personal way. Silk pillow over my face, slow and gentle suffocation. Just you and me. Sensual.”

“Ha. Well.” Henry coughs.

Alex, please. You are killing him!

17. “Oh my God, this is like all those romantic comedies where the girl hires a male escort to pretend to be her wedding date and then falls in love with him for real.”

“That is not at all what this is like.”

18. “Look, you should have invited him yourself!” June says, “It’s really nice you’re making friends who aren’t us. Remember last year when Nora and I were both out of the country for a week, and you almost got a tattoo?”

“I still think we should have let him get a tramp stamp.”

“It wasn’t going to be a tramp stamp,” Alex says hotly. “You were in on this, weren’t you?”

“You know I love chaos,” Nora tells him serenely.

“I have friends who aren’t y’all,” Alex says.

“Who, Alex?” June says. “Literally who?”

Jeez Nora, don’t call him out like that.

19.He has maybe wanted to kiss Henry for a while. As in, probably this whole time.

He ticks off another list in his head. Henry. Shaan. Liam. Han Solo. Rafael Luna and his loose collars.

Finally Alex's brain has decided to join the program.

20. “Do you mind?” Henry has the nerve to say.

“Shut your face,” Alex says

“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” she says.

“Probably not,” Alex tells her.

“What on God’s earth are you doing?” Henry demands.

“Shut up, shut all the way up, oh my God,” Alex hisses.

“Should we—”

“What?”

“I mean, er, should we, I dunno, slow down?” Henry says, cringing so hard at himself that one eye closes. “Go for dinner first, or—”

Alex is actually going to kill him.

“We just had dinner.”

“Right. I meant—I just thought—”

“Stop thinking.”

“Yes. Gladly.”

“I’m going to die,” Henry says helplessly.

“I’m going to kill you,” Alex tells him.

“Yes, you are,” Henry agrees.

21.“I don’t suppose you’ll be anywhere near Kensington anytime soon?”

“That shithole?” he says with a wink. “Not if I can help it.”

“Oi,” Henry says. He’s grinning now. “That’s disrespect of the crown, that is. Insubordination. I’ve thrown men in the dungeons for less.”

Alex turns, walking backward toward the car, hands in the air. “Hey, don’t threaten me with a good time.”

22. “Hey, Henry, say the name of the house you’re staying at again.”

Pez turns the camera to catch Henry in a half smile.

“Llwynywermod.”

“One more time.”

“Llwynywermod.”

Alex groans. “Jesus.”

Alex is whipped.

23. O,fathers of my bloodline! O, ye kings of olde! Take this crown from me, bury me in my ancestral soil. If only you had known the mighty work of thine loins would be undone by a gay heir who likes it when American boys with chin dimples are mean to him.

Alex is not the only one who is dramatic.

24 . He notices David Beckham in a well-tailored suit—once again, how had he convinced himself he was straight?

We have been asking that question all along Alex.

25. He snatches a shirt and boxers at random from the floor, shoves them at Henry’s chest, and points him toward the closet. “Get in there.”

“Quite,” he observes.

“Yes, we can unpack the ironic symbolism later. Go,” Alex says, and Henry does.

26. Ellen: Finally my son is not going to cause any international incidents

Alex: " I kind of … met somebody.”

“It’s, uh,” he interrupts her. “It’s Henry.”

“Henry…?”

“Yeah, Henry.”

“Henry, as in … the prince?”

“Yes.”

“Of England?”

“Yes.”

“So, not another Henry?”

“No, Mom. Prince Henry. Of Wales.”

27. The first slide says: SEXUAL EXPERIMENTATION WITH FOREIGN MONARCHS: A GRAY AREA. Alex wonders if it’s too late to swan dive off the roof.

EXPLORING YOUR SEXUALITY: HEALTHY, BUT DOES IT HAVE TO BE WITH THE PRINCE OF ENGLAND? She apologizes for not having time to come up with better titles. Alex actively wishes for the sweet release of death.

The one after is: FEDERAL FUNDING, TRAVEL EXPENSES, BOOTY CALLS, AND YOU.

28. “Sorry,” Henry says. “I was looking for someone else.Handsome, petulant, short, not pleasant until after ten a.m.? Have you seen him?”

“Fuck off, five-nine is average.”

"You and I both know you’re rounding up.”

29. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Henry says. “Christ, Alex. The whole bloody time.”

“The whole time?”

“Since the Olympics.”

“The Olympics?” Alex yanks Henry’s pillow out from under him. “But that’s, that’s like—”

“Yes, Alex, the day we met, nothing gets past you, does it?” Henry says, reaching to steal the pillow back. “‘What about you,’ he says, as if he doesn’t know—”

“Shut your mouth,” Alex says, grinning like an idiot.

Idiots, both of them.

30. He asked why I was so intent on disrespecting the traditions of the men of this family, and I truly think I dissociated straight (ha) out of the conversation, because I opened my blasted mouth and said, “Because I’m not like the rest of the men of this family, beginning with the fact that I am very deeply gay, Philip.”

Eat shit Philip. Go Henry!

31. “I am your mother. I was your mother before I was ever the president, and I’ll be your mother long after, to the day they put me in the ground and beyond this earth. You are my child."

I fucking love Ellen Claremont, first woman President of the United States of America

32 . “Look, I’m only going to say this once, and if you ever repeat it, I’ll have you kneecapped.” She drops her hand, fixing him with a glare that manages to be both chilly and fond. “I’m rooting for you, okay?”

“Wait. Zahra. Oh my God. I just realized. You’re … my friend.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Zahra, you’re my mean friend.”

“Am not.”

Aww Zahra, you care for him! Alex I know you are happy about it but maybe don't tick her off when you have royally fucked up?

33."You can take your legacy and your decorum and you can shove it up your fucking arse,Philip. I’m done.”

Philip deserves a punch to his stupid face.

33. “So, uh,” Alex attempts. “Are you two in a fight now?”

Zahra looks at him. “No. Why would you think that?”

“Oh. I just thought because—”

“It’s fine,” Shaan says, still typing on his iPhone. “This is why we set rules about the personal-slash-professional lines at the outset of the relationship. It works for us.”

“If you want a fight, you should have seen it when I found out he had known about you two all along,” Zahra says. “Why do you think I got a rock this big?”

“It usually works for us,” Shaan amends.

“Yep,” Zahra agrees. “Plus, we banged it out last night.” Without looking up, Shaan meets her hand in a high five.

They deserve their own book!

34. “Nobody’s saying you don’t deserve to be happy,” Philip cuts in. “First love makes everyone mad—it’s foolish to throw away your future because of one hormonal decision based on less than a year of your life when you were barely in your twenties.”

Henry looks Philip square in the face and says, “I’ve been gay as a maypole since the day I came out of Mum, Philip.”

Again fuck Philip! And damn H!

35. “Of course they do, Mum. Of course the bloody Tories in Kensington and the Brexit fools don’t want it. That’s not the point. Are you so determined to believe nothing could change?

That nothing should change? We can have a real legacy here, of hope, and love, and change. Not the same tepid shite and drudgery we’ve been selling since World War II—”

“You will not speak to me this way,” Queen Mary says icily,

“No respect. Never an ounce of respect for the sanctity—”

“Or, perhaps I should bring some of my concerns to Parliament?” Catherine says, leaning in to lower her voice right in Queen Mary’s face. “You know, I do think Labour is rather finished with

the old guard. I wonder, if I were to mention those meetings you keep forgetting about, or the names of countries you can’t quite keep straight, if they might decide that forty-seven is perhaps enough years for the people of Britain to expect you to serve?”

The tremor in the queen’s hand has doubled. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I, Mum? Would you like to find out? “Look at them, Mum. They’re not props of a legacy. They’re my children. And I swear on my life, and Arthur’s, I will take you off the throne before I will let them feel the things you made me feel.”

Catherine is amazing. The breakdown of the British monarchy in this book is a joy to read.

36. “Ellen,” Nora practically yells. The room goes silent, and Nora freezes, realizing. “Uh. Ma’am. Mom-in-law. Please, just. You need to read this.”

Nora saves the day!

37. “You are,” he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.”

38.“Alex,” Henry tells him, “I can’t move to New York.”

Bea looks up. “Why not?”

“Because I’m the prince of—” Henry looks over at her and gestures at the Orangery, at Kensington, sputtering. “Here!”

Wow H, quite the Wordsworth.

39.“So … you’re afraid of wearing anything too flashy for your first post-coming-out trip home, on account of Texans’ delicate hetero sensibilities?”

Why is Nora fictional?

40. History, huh? Bet we could make some.

41. Do you feel forever about him?

42. "That’s the choice. I love him, with all that, because of all that. On purpose. I love him on purpose.”

43.I thought, this is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, and I had better keep it a safe distance away from me. I thought, if someone like that ever loved me, it would set me on fire.

And then, inexplicably, you had the absolute audacity to love me back. Can you believe it?

44. “I want you—”

“Then fucking have me.”

45. If there’s any legacy for me on this bloody earth, I want it to be true.

46. As a kid, he dreamed of love like it was a fairytale, as if it would come sweeping into his life on the back of a dragon one day. When he got older, he learned about love as a strange thing that could fall apart no matter how badly you wanted it, a choice you make anyway. He never imagined it’d turn out he was right both times.