#so around 1865 to 1895

[cowardlykrow]

After Cyn's done tryna kill him, she'll eventually relent and they can get to work... whatever that is. I didn't do the outfit any justice, but the second i saw the Cowboy!Curt mega @ricky-mortis made i was literally like, "yes, that is IT."

This is, in my heart, a cannon fit for this au

[the-moral-of-the-rose]

If anybody wanted to write a crossover between L.M. Montgomery's books, here is a little help with the ages of the characters (@no-where-near-hero maybe it will be a tiny help for your fanfic):

Anne Shirley - born on 5th of March 1865

Gilbert Blythe - born in 1862 or 1863

James Matthew "Jem" Blythe - born in July 1893

Walter Cuthbert Blythe - born in 1894

Anne "Nan" and Diana "Di" Blythe - born in 1896

Shirley Blythe - born in 1888*

Bertha Marilla "Rilla" Blythe - born in 1900*

Gerald "Jerry" Meredith - born 1894

Faith Meredith - born 1895

Una Meredith - born 1896

Thomas Carlyle "Carl" Meredith - born 1897

Jims Anderson - born in August of 1914

Emily Byrd Starr - born on 19th of May 1888

Ilse Burnley - born in 1888 (probably)

Perry Miller - born in 1887

Frederick "Teddy" Kent - 1887 or 1888

Dean Priest - born in 1865

Patricia "Pat" Gardiner - born in 1913

Rachel "Rue" Gardiner - born in 1919

Winnifred "Winnie" Gardiner - born in 1910

Sidney "Sid" Gardiner - born in 1912

Joseph"Joe" Gardiner - born in 1908

Hilary Gordon - born in 1911

Elizabeth "Bets" Wilcox - born in 1913

David Kirk - born around 1893

Jane Stuart - born in May 1918 or 1919

Valancy Stirling* - born 1883**

Barney Snaith - born 1877**

Cecilia "Cissy" - born 1886**

Olive Stirling - born 1884**

Gay Penhallow - born in 1904***

Nan Penhallow - born in 1904***

Roger Dark - born in 1890***

Donna Dark - born between 1894 and 1896***

Virginia Powell - born between 1894 and 1896***

Peter Penhallow - born between 1888 and 1890***

Margaret Penhallow - born 1872***

Brian Dark - born 1916***

Hugh Dark - born in 1887***

Joscelyn Penhallow: born between 1889-1892***

*In both Anne of Ingleside and Rainbow Valley Shirley is two years older than Rilla. But in Rilla of Ingleside, he turns eighteen few months before Rilla... it is pure chaos. Rilla was supposed to be nearly fourteen, according to the RV, in 1914, but she is nearly fifteen in RoI. So I apologize, but I had a lot of trouble here...

**The Blue Castle is the most difficult to place in time. It is set several years before it was published, and in my own opinion: before Tangled Web and Pat of Silver Bush. Why? Because of this reference: "This was before the day of bobs and was regarded as a wild, unheard-of proceeding—unless you had typhoid." (The Blue Castle). Bobs were already "in fashion" at the beginning of Pat of Silver Bush (so, in 1919, when Pat was six years old: it was said that Winnie wanted to have her hair bobbed) and in Tangled Web (which is set in 1922). Yet, the cars, motorboats and movie theaters were a rather common occurence in The Blue Castle's times. But... there might be an explanation. Valancy doesn't live on PEI, which might have been a little "behind" the rest of Canada, as far as modern technology went. It is my own personal opinion, but I think that it might be set just before the war, at the same time as the end Emily's Quest. I know that the clothes seem more "modern" in TBC, but Emily wore "a little sport suit" and dress that was described as followed "there was so little of it". Teddy and Perry both had cars, as sone of Ilse's cousins. I would say that the Blue Castle book might be set around 1912-1913. Still, the timeline is extremely elusive. Please, let me know, dear Blue Castle Book Club's members, what is your opinion? I think I have read some amazing discussion about TBC's timeline a long time ago, but if I remember correctly, everyone was certain that this novel was set post WWI (me included, until this very moment when I tried to place Pat and Tangled Web and remembered the "bob" quote). So I choose 1912 as the beginning of TBC, when Valancy was twenty-nine.

*** the ages of characters in Tangled Web:

"They were first cousins, who were born the same day and married the same day,--Donna to her own second cousin, Barry Dark, and Virginia to Edmond Powell--two weeks before they had left for Valcartier. Edmond Powell had died of pneumonia in the training camp, but Barry Dark had his crowded hour of glorious life somewhere in France." (Tangled Web).

"Virginia Powell, whose husband had been dead eight years and who was young and tolerably beautiful" (Tangled Web).

"Valcartier, Quebec was the primary training base for the First Canadian Contingent in 1914."

- from: https://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/history/going-to-war/canada-enters-the-war/training-at-valcartier/

So, from this I assumed that Virginia's husband died in 1914 (so Tangled Web is set in 1922-23). Gay is 18 at the beginning, so she would be born in 1904. If Donna and Virginia were 18-20 when they got married, they would be 26-28 (so still "young"). at the beginning. Peter was 14 when Donna was 8, so he'd be 32-34 at the beginning of the book (same age or a bit older than Roger). Hugh was 35 at the beginning. I guess Joscelyn was a bit younger- most of LMM's heroines are at least two years younger than their love interest. I'd say she might have been 20-23 when she got married, so she'd be around 30-33 at the beginning of the book. I would say Brian is about six years old - he doesn't seem to attend school yet, but is big enough to be sent to the harbour. Margaret Penhallow was about fifty at the beginning of the book.

So sorry that this post was rather long, but it was a great fun to write (even if it took me A LOT of time). Thank you for reading. Please, let me know if you agree. Any feedback will be very welcome!

[princelylove]

some sbr (and phantom blood!) thoughts for you in general, your highness, if you'll take the words of this lowly peon-- i've been watching some documentaries on the gilded age recently, and a thought came up on me; how would the blorbos of the sbr and phantom blood era handle the societal expectations of the era? like, they can't really be affectionate or anything in public, so i feel like some of the pda/jealous ones would really struggle. plus, it would be inconvienent for them to talk to darling, especially because an engaged couple or even just two single people weren't really allowed to commune with eachother in private in anything other then social occasions. it's a fascinating dilemma, really, and i'd be fascinated to here about how some yanderes from this time period would handle this stuff. your ever faithful, ever loyal, ever miserable peon-- 🌸 anon

Warning for discussion of gender roles, brief homophobia mention I'm not sure if you can count it really, typical yandere things.

What a good ask, peon. When I think of the old American west, I tend to think of those old cowboy movies focusing on the wild west. What a wild three decades. 

We have to consider where exactly they are in the world, and their social standing. Frilly fan language means absolutely nothing to someone who grew up on the streets- Although Dio has studied aristocratic courting rituals religiously. England and the US are different culturally, and the south is very different from the west and north. 

The Gilded age takes place from 1877-1900-ish, doesn’t it? Steel Ball Run takes place right in the middle of that, starting in 1890 and ending a year later. I tend to think of the Steel Ball Run cast as living in the ‘wild west,’ which takes place generally from 1865 to 1895, so it’s perfectly lined up. Phantom Blood’s main story is in 1888, but considering it’s entirely in England, it would be considered late Victorian era rather than the Gilded age. The entire concept of a débutante is so horrifying in a yandere context. If I’m misremembering and the entire concept of presenting a young lady to society for the purpose of marrying her off is not in the late Victorian era, or any of the other information I just presented is incorrect, ignore the inaccuracy. Débutante is used in a gender neutral way here I pinky swear.

Jonathan takes the entire courting process very seriously. Not that he’s any good at formalities, but there’s an attempt. The concept of marriage being something romantic was very new in the Victorian period- but not a foreign concept to Jonathan in the slightest. He grew up with a loving family, his future spouse should be the love of his life. It was generally important to the male identity to be educated, do a sport, and be a gentleman- Jonathan fits every one of those requirements. By all means, he fits in. The only thing stopping him from never getting a second glance is how eager he is to please his darling. “It’s odd how that boy follows his darling around like a dog all day.” is a common statement from those who recognize him happily trotting down the street to go see you- that’s right. He’ll walk instead of taking a carriage. He doesn’t want the visit to feel so formal, he really just wants to spend time with you, even if you aren’t out in society yet. Jonathan thinks it’s going to help his chances of being formally introduced to you when you really become a débutante- but it is not. Gifts, flowers, attention, it all comes off as too much. He mopes a bit when his efforts are proven to be futile, but that doesn’t mean that he’s discouraged. Well, it doesn’t matter, he can always just propose. Why would your parents turn down a proposal from a Joestar, who can take care of you forever? 

Erina tends to be rather shy. She sincerely prays that she’s caught your eye- and does just about everything she can think of to get it. She’s quite the stalker. Your interests are her interests! She’ll show up at any sport you play just to watch you and show you she’s right there to support you, even if she avoids directly speaking to you for quite some time. It’s improper, and she doesn’t want to come across as needy, or socially inept. She can hope, though. Maybe if she just keeps showing up in places she knows you’ll be. The best day of her life is likely the day you come to a débutante ball, assuming you’re of the same social class. She hovers quite a bit, and takes a moment to beg whatever God is out there to introduce you to her. When her wish is granted, she clings to you for the rest of the night, regardless of what is and is not appropriate. 

Dio is a man obsessed with social standing. When you’re denied something for so long, it’s obvious that you’d become infatuated until you get it. Dio’s temperament is closer to obsession; Even when Dio reached his comfortable spot, he still wanted more. He actually takes courting rather seriously in his youth, he does it the proper way. He waits until you’ve been formally introduced to society, and makes his initial move. Just one dance will do. He doesn’t want to come off as desperate- Despite being at every single ball you’ve ever attended, sans one or two for his reputation’s sake. He’ll only visit your home on the proper days, always brings gorgeous, full bouquets, and leaves within forty-five minutes. He’s not about to take up your entire afternoon, but he’s not about to let another suitor talk your ear off for that long, either. Whatever hobby you’ve taken up is his greatest interest for today’s conversation. When you see him in public he’ll offer a polite smile, but nothing more. Of course, this all goes out the window when he turns, since he can just take you with absolutely no repercussions. 

Johnny is always going to treat the world like it’s Danville, Kentucky. His stay in England didn’t have any effect on him development-wise, he sounds like he’s from Kentucky still, too. All that bullshit about waiting around for the chance to dance with his darling is his own personal nightmare- and it isn’t going to happen anytime soon. He has a bit of a ‘modern’ take on dating, if you could call it that. He’s not as obviously affectionate as someone like Gyro, but it’s not like there’s a lack of it. He’ll hold his darling’s hand while you wait in line, he’ll whine until you sit with him on his horse, he can’t sleep unless you’re right there… Johnny’s pretty forward, regardless of what society deems is fine. He’s a good boy, especially in his prime- there’s no reason for your family to not like him. If your family isn’t accepting of him… he doesn’t really want their blessing, anyway.

Gyro has adapted fairly well to life in America, but not when it comes to the culture shock of not being able to cling to his darling constantly. Whether or not his explanation of how being overly affectionate is the norm back home is true is up for debate. He loves to hang on his darling- putting his head on top of yours while you try to talk to some poor stranger is one of his preferred pastimes. Gyro does plan on returning home eventually, but he has some things to do here before he can- one of those things being finding a way to take you back with him. Gyro’s not really put off by getting told to stop, truly, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to get in the way of him and his darling? Don’t be stupid. Gyro will listen to his darling’s request to not have as much pda if you genuinely compromise with him. No pda, but full access to you in privacy? Cool, cool, we’re never going out again. Gyro gets his fill in little ways, he wants to at least hold hands, or be able to put his hand on your waist. You’re seriously denying him what he needs because it isn’t “socially acceptable”?? You’re being ridiculous. Gyro won’t humor silly courting rules because it’s what you’re used to, he’s right here, you’re right here, if the only thing between you is some traditions, then Gyro has nothing in his way. 

Firstly, Hotpants does not really acknowledge societal norms. She’s taking on the “man’s” role in the relationship anyway, so if her darling is feminine, it could pass as a “typical” relationship, as long as she’s presenting herself in a masculine way. She gets weird looks when she goes to get dinner for the two of you- she catches, you cook. People often try to haggle her when she needs to buy new gear, it’s annoying. It’s actually a giant pain in the ass for her, but it’s worth it if it’s to provide for you. Hotpants isn’t really interested in the whole courting process, she’s very quick to snatch her darling up and lock them somewhere safe, even if you're not sure who she is. You can play housespouse for her while she takes care of what she needs to, you’re being given the easy life, is it really that bad? She’s not even forcing you to be affectionate with her- just stay put and listen to what she tells you to do. You can even write to your family, if you want, just know that she’s going to skim it over to make sure it’s appropriate. You’ll even have some time alone while she goes out for the day- interrupted by the sound of her boots and the sight of her jacket hung up by the door. When you are eventually let out- Likely to transport you somewhere else, I cannot see Hotpants letting her darling back out again- she’s a bit cold, but firm. If you can be trusted to sit still, she’ll let you ride her horse while she guides it. If you cannot, she’ll ride with you, arms around your sides.

[moneeb0930]

YES ~ A black man invented the first ever self-propelled street sweeper truck!

Charles B. Brooks (1865–1908) was an American inventor. Born in Virginia in 1865, by the 1890s he was a resident of Newark, New Jersey. Besides inventing, Brooks was a porter for the Pullman Palace Car Company. Unlike other sweepers at that time (1890s), Brooks' sweeper was the first self-propelled street sweeping truck.

Charles B. Brooks devised a machine that had a series of broom-like brushes that pushed trash and debris to the side of the road. His invention was met with resentment because his invention would put an end to jobs for those who cleared away trash for a living.

Charles B. Brooks was the extraordinaire inventor of the “street sweeper.” During Brooks time, it was common for the trash on the streets to be cleaned by walkers or those hired to keep the walkways and sidewalks clean with nothing more than a broom. For many, it was a good paying job. Brooks patent was approved on March 17th, 1896; his application for the patent was filed on April 20, 1895. The street sweeper was best described as “a truck frame mounted on the axles which are supported by front and rear wheels.

There are drive-wheels for the sweeping, elevator mechanisms, and an endless chain that travels around a sprocket-wheel and travels up to an additional sprocket-wheel. There is a squared shaft, which is mounted at opposite ends in bearings in the upper parts of a pair of vertical standards consisting of the back or rear parts of the truck-frame and then sustained by braces, which extend from the standards to the truck-frame.”

Over the years as cities grew larger, so did the need for the street sweeper. Workers admitted to the city’s need for such a machine and the Street Sweeper became indispensable.

[asterrrrion]

Just saw someone on pinterest saying "idk is Verlaine french" and actually you know what this is the last straw. So, I'm french, I've studied both of those authors in middle and high school, and it's time to discuss what they were really like, because I see a lot of information on japanese authors going around in the bsd fandoms and the american authors generally don't need to be introduced.

So, first off, to start with the obvious, YES. Verlaine is french. So is Rimbaud. Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine are both very famous 19th century french poets. Actually, Rimbaud is arguably the most famous french poet ever, and usually the first author you ever study in poetry when you study french literature. Verlaine is, today, mostly known for his association to Rimbaud, although his poems are still read.

Starting off with the less mentally unstable of the two... Paul Verlaine. Which, if the only thing you know about those authors is bsd canon, is probably surprising to you. (But tbh, I have so many questions about WHY they were represented like that in BSD.....) Fair warning, though : the less mentally unstable of the two isn't saying much. Both of them were complete madmen.

Paul Verlaine is this guy :

Ironically, Paul Verlaine is his birth name. He was born in 1844, started to write in 1858 at the age of 14, and died in 1895 at the age of 51. His most known book is his first one, Saturnian Poems, published in 1866, so if we ever get an ability name, it'll probably be that. Saturnian, because at the time, Saturn was considered to be the planet of melancholy, which in the 19th century didn't mean a weird sort of nostalgia, but rather an undiagnosed depression. He's the archetype of the tortured poet - a concept he majorly theorised himself -, basically, and was either appreciated by his contemporaries as a genius poet or depreciated as a mad asshole (most of which is due to his story with Rimbaud).

He got along "well" with his mother, except for the part where he tried to murder her because he was sad the girl he loved married someone else and then died. More seriously, his parents loved him, and his father passed in 1865. His relationship with his mom was both very loving and very violent - as I said, murder attempt, but he lived with her also -, and he was in love with his cousin, Elisa, an orphan who was raised with him. He wanted to marry her but she settled for a rich guy and then died giving birth in 1867. Afterwards, he got very into alcohol and violence. He then finally married Mathilde Mauté, 17, for whom he wrote a few love poems. They had a son a few years later.

He wrote a shit ton of poems, I'm not kidding. He's mainly known for Saturnian Poems, but also a bit famous for his erotic poetry - which i'm not a big fan of,,, -, mainly because he wrote both about men and women.

His literary movement was the Parnassian movement, whose main point is to make art for art, for beauty, and to detach art from any notion of usefulness.

He was, as a whole, a piece of shit. He beat his wife and his son extremely violently, sometimes almost to death. His wife divorced him after four years of marriage, in 1874.

I'll do the next part introducing Rimbaud soon, I guess, and then probably a last one to talk about their relationship.

[girddlepatchilles]

So I’m responding to this post, but I’m not reblogging because I’m really not interested in Lily coming after me, but I just wanted to gush for a moment.

So, to the point: isekai/portal fantasy/whatever you want to call it, have been around for years and the fact that the genre shows up in many different places is just so damn cool! The theme of a “normal” person going through a portal/doorway/whatever to go into another world shows up in plenty of myths and legends. Many stories about the fair folk talk about mortals being taken away to the fairy realm through portals and the like. In Japan, the story of Urashima Taro involves a young fisherman travelling to the Dragon Palace and staying there for what he perceives as three days before returning to his village. Upon his return he finds out it has been three hundred years! Again, this is a theme that also shows up in stories regarding the fair folk in parts of the UK and Europe, this shit is universal.

The Urashima Taro story is believed to be the forbear of the modern Isekai genre in Japan. Interestingly enough, an animated adaption of the story made in 1918 was one of the earliest anime created. What I also find quite interesting is many modern Isekai don’t seem to include the “when I return so much time has passed” aspect of the original folklore. In fact, it’s fairly common for the protagonist to just remain in the fantasy world and just not leave. Part of this is due to how the protagonist got there (here’s looking at you truck-kun), but from what I have seen, there aren’t that many Isekai where the protagonist goes home in the end.

This, of course, is very different to many of the portal fantasies in English language literature. The first instance of what would become portal fantasy comes to us from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland written in 1865. In it, the titular Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole and into Wonderland, where she experiences a strange world quite unlike our own. Unlike some of the more well known portal fantasy books, Alice’s adventures end when she wakes from a dream. The sequel Through the Looking Glass continues to explore the theme of dreams. Jules Verne would later produce Off on a Comet (Hector Servadac) in 1877, while Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court would come out in 1889. A Connecticut Yankee is also an early example of time travelling appearing in speculative fiction (H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine would come out in 1895). One of the most well known portal fantasies is of course C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia which saw the plucky protagonists being transported to Narnia through wardrobe, painting and various other means. Ironically enough, the final novel in the series The Last Battle involves several of the previous characters being allowed to remain in Narnia because they had died in a train accident on earth (an early example of truck-kun?).

Portal Fantasy and Isekai are both great forms of escapism, especially if it’s the kind of story where the protagonist ends up in a fictional setting they had previously read. I was a big fan of the Narnia books as a kid and another of my favourite books was a series where a group of Aussie kids ended up in Arthurian myth and tried to change how things turned out. I’m pretty sure I got rid of those books at some point, otherwise I’d be tempted to re-read them to see if they hold up. I’m not much into Portal Fantasy or Isekai these days (I read more fluffy romance, domestic fluff, speculative fiction, queer romance and fiction, fantasy, sci fi and gay cooking manga), but I can still see the appeal to a lot of people. I get a little side-eye-y when I see characters use their modern knowledge to “improve the lives” of the people in the fictional world they inhabit, but some authors and show runners have managed to do so in a way that doesn’t seem too bad. If I had to pick an Isekai I’ve seen that I loved, it would probably be The Devil is a Part-Timer! which is an example of a reverse Isekai. (It’s really great, go watch it!)

So... yeah. Just a little gushing from me.

[bullseye-stoddard]

William "Bullseye" Stoddard -- Character Timeline

tw: death, murder

July 29, 1840 -- William Stoddard born in the Colorado Territory, USA 1840 - 1851 -- William spends a happy childhood with his parents on the family farm. 1851 -- The band of outlaws with whom his father had previously worked come looking for him again and when he refuses to rejoin them, they kill him and his wife and burn their farm. William manages to escape and heads for the nearest town. 1851, a few weeks later -- William crosses paths with Pete and the Round Up gang. Pete takes a shine to the boy and invites him to join them. 1851 - 1865 -- Bullseye travels around the West with the gang, assisting them as they commit various crimes and misdemeanors. 1858 -- Jessie joins up with the gang, and she and Bullseye quickly become very good friends. 1865 -- Pete convinces the rest of the Round Up gang to join him in becoming vampires. Bullseye is not completely happy about this but wants to stay with his adoptive family and so agrees to be turned with the others. 1865 - 1874 -- The gang continues on their crime spree, albeit as vampires. 1874 -- The rest of the Round Up gang become disillusioned with their new existence and decide to leave Pete. Bullseye is heartbroken to leave the others, especially Jessie, but he too reluctantly strikes out on his own. 1875 -- Still mourning the loss of the gang, Bullseye stops in a town where a group of thugs pick on him and goad him into a fight. He loses control and kills them all, terrifying himself at just how vicious he can be if he truly lets his vampire nature take over. 1875 - 1889 -- Bullseye drifts around the West, trying to keep as separate from humans as possible, not trusting himself to be able to really live among them anymore. 1890 -- Hoping to try and settle down, Bullseye ends up back in Colorado, and finds a nice plot of land near the Rocky Mountains which he buys and uses to start a small horse ranch. 1895 - 1920 -- Bullseye adds more acres to his ranch, both to accommodate his growing herd of horses and to try and keep as much space between himself and the slowly but surely westward expanding civilization. 1920 - 1960 -- In order to not seem too odd to the few humans he still needs to deal with, Bullseye begins to claim to be first his own son, then his own grandson, to whom the ranch has passed as the years have gone on. Thankfully, no one questions this. 1960 - 2000 -- Human towns get closer and closer to Bullseye's ranch, and he gets increasingly worried about how much longer he will be able to stay there. 2020 -- Bullseye finally decides to leave and sells the ranch. 2022 -- He decides to cross the ocean and heads to Europe, ending up in England. 2023 -- Bullseye arrives in Swynlake.

May 2023

Bullseye sees Belle while out riding, and realizing he's seen her at the stables before, they strike up a conversation.

Bullseye gets Gaston's attention by lifting a little too much weight in the gym, and they chat.

Lightning shows up at the stables to try and take photos with the horses. Bullseye is not impressed and not keen on having the horses used as props for publicity.

Bullseye meets Doc and offers to help him carry a plank of wood back to his place. But in order to get said plank onto the property, he needs an invitation and so confesses his vampire status to Doc.

Bullseye runs into Tanya who tricks him into going into the forest, then refuses to tell him how to get back. He is not happy to have been duped, and is hurt that she would want to do something like that.

Bullseye meets Nick, who offers to take him to the Court of Miracles for a drink.

Jessie shows up at the stables, and she and Bullseye have an emotional reunion.

August 2023

Bullseye literally bumps into Lucky, causing him to lose a few apples he was bringing to the horses.

Bullseye runs into Ting-Ting at the grocery store in NTO and helps her find her lost keys.

September 2023

Bullseye and Belle are riding in the forest when they get stopped by officers wanting to see their permits. He promptly shows his, but Belle does not have one and is not concerned about being fined. She asks his opinion about the forest being closed off, and though he is reluctant to give it while the officers are there, once they leave, he agrees with her and she tells him about an upcoming protest concerning that topic. Again he is a little reluctant, but eventually says he will consider attending.

Bullseye meets Felix, who is concerned about the gap in his hair from his wound. He assures him his hair looks fine.

Bullseye runs into Angel around town. She notices that he gives off a terrible smell that she assumed was coming from their shared apartment building and wonders why it seems to be coming from him.

Bullseye meets Mads, who is recovering from the demon attack, and they realize they have a mutual friend in Jessie.

At the fall carnival, Bullseye hears Smee commenting on the balloon popping game and after conversing with him, decides to try his hand at it and ends up winning a stuffed elephant.

November 2023

While dealing with an ornery horse, Bullseye calls in Hercules, who is able to calm the horse enough for them to lead him into the barn.

Lightning returns to the stables. Initially Bullseye is not pleased to see him, but once he explains he only wants to help out with the Magick Grad Prix, they come to an agreement about borrowing some hay bales.

Tanya comes to the stables to apologize for tricking him. Bullseye accepts her apology, glad she is trying to be better.

Since their first meeting, Bullseye and Nick have been having occasional card games. During this particular one, it comes out that they both know Jessie.

Bullseye and Jessie go for a ride, and she tells him about Dian, though they do not commit to having the two of them meet just yet.

Angel comes to Bullseye's apartment to confront him about the smell coming from his apartment. He is offended at first, but then it comes out that she did not realize he was a vampire, and he is surprised to hear that she had not encountered any vampires before.

December 2023

Bullseye attends the protest for reopening the forest and, a little reluctantly, holds up a less-than-friendly sign given to him by Pip.

February 2024

Bullseye meets with Seamus about helping get his stables ready for his incoming horses.

In the Regency dream, Bullseye is still a vampire and is a stablehand working for the Knightley household. There he meets Anastasia Tremaine, and they soon fall in love and begin a passionate tryst. In the end, they decide to reject societal norms and run off together.

Not long after the dream, Annie is jogging near the stables and encounters Bullseye, both of them surprised to see the other.

April 2024

During the April Showers event, Bullseye is stuck inside Pizza Planet and, along with everyone else there, believes himself to be in space, working as the security officer on a spaceship. Georgette stops by and interviews him for her podcast, and while he's initially confused, he becomes rather flattered that she--and her viewers--want to know more about him.

[webanglikethat]

Fucking hell.

You guys need to grow a brain, truly.

With the amount of dirt in your head, you only need water and sunlight now tbh.

Radha was born in 1877, and we find out about her affair with Raj in 1895, but it’s hinted it started wayyy earlier. that makes her just 18 years old (and possibly even younger around 16 when it began) while he’s a grown man, already in his 30s !!!!!! A T E E N A G E R.

and let’s not forget, he’s literally five years younger than Radha’s mom — like, he grew up with HER MOTHER. and is now G R O O M I N G her daughter. still not bad enough for you?

when she finds out she’s pregnant, it’s not like she has a strong stable support system to turn to except for her sister and devi, and tbh, what can they do? her mother’s reaction is to force her into a marriage with a man twice her age, effectively isolating her even more — and to hide her pregnancy, she’s gonna be forced to have sex with this said grown man. this is a girl who should be enjoying her youth, but instead, she’s facing immense pressure and constant fear. the stigma around her situation means that if anyone finds out, all the blame will fall squarely on her shoulders. no one is considering how Raj's actions have led to this point; they just see her as the “other woman.”

in that time period especially, a young woman’s reputation was everything. many women, especially in upper-class families, were subject to purdah — a practice of seclusion that limited their interactions with men outside their immediate family. this practice was seen as a way to protect women's honor and, by extension, the family's reputation

and if the truth comes out, all the shame will land on her shoulders, not Raj’s. people will point fingers and gossip, completely ignoring the fact that Raj, the older man, is responsible for this situation.

it’s bad enough that she’s dealing with the pressure of an unwanted pregnancy and the societal shame that comes with it; with Saraswati and Devi gone to hell (UK) she now has no one to lean on, no one to help her process everything she’s facing.

again, let’s not forget that Radha was just 18—a literal child in many ways. at that age, you often think that the person you love will stand by you and protect you. it’s naive, sure, but that’s part of being young and in love.

Raj is a full-grown adult in his 30s, and he should absolutely know better. he is not some fucking helpless kid caught up in a crush; he’s a man with SO MUCH life experience, and he’s fully aware of the consequences of his actions. he is the one who initiated this affair with a teenager — someone SO YOUNG who was still navigating her own identity and life. and instead of protecting her or guiding her, he took advantage of her youth and vulnerability. he has the maturity to understand the consequences, but he chose to pursue what he wanted anyway.

some of you guys should listen to would’ve, could’ve, should’ve by Taylor swift, I think someone truly needs to spell it out to you guys

Rip Radha, you would’ve loved this song.

oh also, Kamal is born on April 30, 1856, and Raj was born on November 20, 1865. the age difference between them is about 9 years and 7 months I think ?? he’s NINE years older than him and he didn’t know better than to report what was happening.

Amrita deserves sympathy, but so does Radha. Both women deserve compassion.

Confession:

I feel bad for Amrita the entire fandom hates her and the only thing she did wrong was have a crush on Raj and then once the engagement was arranged Amrita does her best to be supportive of Raj and step into her role as Lady Doobay. I love Radha don’t get me wrong I was sympathetic to her with her relationship Raj not being possible because of the prophecy and the genuine feelings they have for each other. Then when I found out that Radha continued the affair with Raj even though Raj is engaged to someone else and they will get married I was less sympathetic to her. When Radha got pregnant I wanted to say what did you expect to happen when you played with fire and slept with a man who can’t marry you to save face. You are creating an environment and situation that will impact everyone in this situation Radha is not the victim in this situation the victim is Amrita whose only sin is being engaged to Raj and is about to be humiliated when the truth comes out. Amrita is a sweet person who stands up and helps the people in her life that she loves. Amrita doesn’t deserve this to be hurt like she is going to be when this comes out. The people who share the blame and responsibility for this are Raj and Radha everyone is willing to blame Raj in this situation but Radha is just as equally to blame for this as Raj. I am sick and tired of no one calling Radha out in this situation and saying that she shoulders half the responsibility and blame in this because it took both Radha and Raj to create this situation. The only person who has no say in this and no blame in this is Amrita.

[kemetic-dreams]

Who was the king of Ethiopia before Haile Selassie?

The title used by Haile Selassie actually translates as 'King of Kings', and thus was usually rendered in English as 'Emperor' rather than 'King'.

The previous monarch before him was a Queen (or Empress) not a King: Zewdita, who ruled from 1917 to 1930. Before her came her nephew Iyasu, who was never actually crowned so is usually not included in the list of emperors. Before him came Emperor Menelik II, who ruled from 1889 until 1913, but his death was not publicly announced until 1916.

In Amharic, the title was Negus Negusti, or in Ge'ez (the traditional language of Ethiopia still used for ritual and sacred purposes) Negusa Negest. 'Negus' is pronounced with the stress on the second syllable, which is long, so something like ne-GOOSE. It is usually translated into English as 'King'. It should also be noted that Ethiopia does not use the Latin alphabet, so Amharic and Ge'ez words are often transliterated into English in different ways (such as negusti, naguste, etc).

For much of its history, Ethiopia was a collection of rival kingdoms such as Shewa, Gojjam, Wollo, and Begemder, whose rulers often used the title Negus or King. Meanwhile the Solomonic dynasty claimed to rule the whole country by the right of their descent from Menelik, the supposed son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Members of the dynasty called themselves Kings of Kings. Sometimes they had real power and the country had a centralised government; at other times there were merely figureheads while the various provincial kings were practically independent.

The period from 1769 to 1855 was one of those times of division with no real central government: it is known as the Zemene Mesafint or 'Age of Princes'. No fewer than 23 different Emperors were crowned during this period, but none of them had much actual power. That changed with the rise to power of Kassa Haile, son of a minor nobleman from the Dembiya province. Disinherited and reduced to outlawry — popular legend speaks of him as a Robin Hood-like figure, stealing from the rich and helping the poor — he formed an army and eventually seized control of Dembiya for himself.

Kassa attracted the attention of the powerful noble Ali of Yejju, whose mother Menen had married the nominal emperor and who himself claimed to be the Imperial Regent. In order to make this up-and-coming young warlord an ally, Ali arranged for him to marry his daughter Tewabech in 1848. While Kassa and Tewabech had a happy marriage, he soon quarrelled with his in-laws, and by 1852 was in armed rebellion against them.

Kassa defeated both his father-in-law and several other rival nobles, and by 1855 was the strongest ruler in Ethiopia. He then forced the nominal Emperor Yohannes III to abdicate, and had himself crowned Negus Negusti on 11 February 1855. He changed his name to Tewodros ('Theodore') which sounded more imperial, and spread the story (which may or may not be true) that his mother was descended from a 17th-century Emperor of Ethiopia and thus he himself had the blood of the Solomonic dynasty in his veins.

For the first time in a century Ethiopia was united by an Emperor who had actual power. Tewodros II (there had been a previous Tewodros in the 15th century) ruled for 13 years and spent much of that time leading an army, forcing the semi-independent rulers of Gojjam, Tigray, Shewa, and Wollo to recognise his authority. As well as constant civil wars he was threatened by the expansionist Egyptian khedivate, the Ottoman Empire, and neighbouring Muslim kingdoms.

In 1862 Tewodros decided to ask the British Empire for help modernising his kingdom. However, the British did not want to get involved in the region, and did not take his request seriously. Outraged by this dismissal, Tewodros ordered all the British citizens in his country to be arrested and thrown in prison. When he heard that a Church of England missionary had written a book describing Emperor Tewodros as 'barbaric, cruel, and unstable' he flew into a rage, personally threatened the missionary with a gun, and then beat two of his servants to death with his own hands.

The British response to the imprisonment of their citizens (including their ambassador) has been described as "one of the most expensive affairs of honour in history." They organised an army 13,000 strong, invaded Ethiopia (in January 1868), defeated its army, conquered it, and set the British prisoners free. Then, mission accomplished, they turned around and went back home again, leaving Ethiopia to its own devices. As for Emperor Tewodros, he shot himself when the British soldiers broke through the gates of his fortress.

The death of the Emperor left a power vacuum in Ethiopia, triggering four years of civil war. His immediate successor as Negus Negusti took the throne-name Tekle Giorgis II and attempted to consolidate power by offering concessions to the Ethiopian Church; but few of his rival nobles recognised his claim to the throne. Tekle Giorgis ruled for only three years before being defeated in battle by the warlord of Tigray province, who had him blinded and thrown in prison to die.

The new ruler was Kassa Mercha, another son of a minor noble who had fought his way to control of a province. When the British invaded in 1868 Kassa had helped them pass through his lands in Tigray rather than fighting them, and in return the British gave him enough modern muskets to equip 800 men, plus a battery of artillery. It was with these modern troops, plus around 11,000 more traditionally-equipped warriors, that Kassa defeated the 60,000-strong army of Emperor Tekle Giorgis at the Battle of the Assem on 11 July 1871.

After mopping up several other rivals, Kassa had himself crowned as King of Zion and King of Kings of Ethiopia (Nagusä Sayon, Nəgusä Naguśt zä Ityopya) on 21 January 1872. He took the regnal name Yohannes IV, and ruled for 17 years. He was a strong ruler who continued the work begun by Tewodros II of attempting to unite the rebellious provinces under central control, and also expanding the borders of Ethiopia outwards by conquest. A major blow to his ambitions was when the Italians seized control of the port of Massawa, previously controlled by Egypt, in 1885 — Yohannes had hoped to acquire the city himself.

Emperor Yohannes IV was killed in battle in 1889 when the Mahdists of Sudan, who believed their leader was the prophesised Messiah, invaded Ethiopia. As he lay dying in his tent he declared that his nephew Mengesha was actually his son, and so should succeed him to the throne. However, few people believed this claim and even fewer were willing to accept Mengesha as their emperor; so he was never crowned. He did, however, continue to rule his father's lands in Tigray.

The next emperor was instead Sahle Maryam, who took the throne as Menelik II. He was the illegitmate son of the negus of Shewa province, and was taken prisoner when Emperor Tewodros II subdued Shewa and reincorporated it into his empire. However, Tewodros took a liking to Sahle and arranged for him to marry his daughter. In 1865 Sahle seized control of Shewa for himself. He remained neutral during the British invasion of 1868, helping neither his father-in-law the Emperor nor the British. While Yohannes ruled, Sahle remained mostly quiet, though he showed great interest in modernising his province and especially its army with Italian help.

He declared himself as rightful emperor under the new name Menelik as soon as Yohannes died, because unlike the previous few monarchs, he was directly descended in the male line from the House of Solomon. Most nobles accepted his claim and he was crowned on 3 November 1889. He would rule for 24 year

born Sahle Maryam, 1889–1913

Menelik II consolidated power in Ethiopia, establishing a new capital city at Addis Ababa with modern enhancements such as paved roads, plumbing, a bank, and a post office; and in 1894 he invited the French to build a railway to connect the city to the French-controlled port of Djibouti. He also more than doubled the size of Ethiopia, by conquering the tribal lands to the south and east of his empire in a series of brutal wars. However, he is probably most famous for defeating the attempted Italian conquest of Ethiopia in 1895-96.

When he took the throne in 1889 Menelik had signed a treaty with Italy in which he recognised their ownership of Massawa and Eritrea in return for their acknowlegement of his position as Emperor. The treaty also guaranteed the freedom of both countries to trade in each others' territory and enjoy equal rights for their citizens there. However, this agreement, the Treaty of Wuchale, contained a clause that was different in the Italian and Amharic versions. The Amharic text said that the Emperor of Ethiopia could use the services of the Italian government when conducting negotiations with other nations. The Italian text said that the Emperor must use those services.

In other words, the Italian version of the treaty — which the Italian government circulated to other European nations — made Ethiopia their protectorate, conducting its foreign policy only with Italian permission. The Amharic wording suggested that this was merely optional, and that the Ethiopians could simply ask for Italian help and advice when negotiating with Western countries. It is thought that the discrepancy was included, on his own initiative, by the Italian ambassador in Ethiopia, Count Antonelli, who wrote the text of the treaty.

Emperor Menelik did not discover this deception until 1890, when he wrote letters to Queen Victoria of the UK and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, only to have them returned with a note that he was not allowed to do this, and should communicate with them only via Italy in future. (Supposedly Victoria's answer was cool but polite, Wilhelm was rude and dismissive.) Menelik was outraged, but it was not until 1893, when he felt his domestic position was secure, that he denounced the treaty. Italy, in turn, saw this defiance as justification for war.

In December 1894 fighting broke out between Italian forces in Eritrea and the inhabitants of Tigray, ruled by Mengesha, the "son" (or nephew) of Emperor Yohannes whom Menelik had beaten to the throne in 1889. The Italians won a swift victory and captured Adwa, the capital of Tigray. This encouraged them into overconfidence, and they decided to invade and conquer the rest of Ethiopia. This proved a disastrous failure.

On 1 March 1895 an Italian army of 14,519 men attacked an Ethiopian army of about 100,000 men in the Battle of Adwa (or Adowa), and was almost wiped out, losing 7,000 killed, 1,500 wounded and 3,000 captured. News of the defeat caused riots in Italy and the collapse of the government there. The new Italian government quickly signed a treaty under which they recognised Ethiopia's independence after all, and paid an indemnity of 10 million lire, in return for peace (and Ethiopia's recognition of the new border with Eritrea).

Menelik suffered a stroke in 1909, at the age of 65, which left him incapable and paralysed. His (third) wife Taytu, who had a strong personality, effectively ruled the country for a year until she was forced from power and replaced by a Council of Regency which governed from 1910 until Menelik died in 1913.

Menelik had no children from his three marriages, but he did have at least three illegitimate offspring. In 1909 he nominated his 14-year old grandson Kifle Yaqob, son of his eldest illegitimate daughter, as his heir. In 1911, with his grandfather still alive but unable to rule, his teenage grandson took power under the name of Iyasu. His title was Lij, literally meaning 'child [of noble blood]': 'Prince' might be an appropriate English translation in this context. ('Infante' would be even closer if we were speaking Spanish.)

Prince Iyasu, uncrowned ruler of Ethiopia 1911–16

Lij Iyasu faced multiple challenges to his rule, including an attempted coup, a poisoning attempt, and an armed mutiny in his first year in power. He was also accused of neglecting his duties and engaging in scandalous behaviour, including leading his bodyguards in slave-raids against neighbouring states instead of remaining in the capital.

In December 1913 Menelik finally died, though this fact was kept hidden to avoid instability. The nobles and ministers of the court, who regaded Lij Iyasu as an incompetent brat, avoided having him crowned as Emperor. On 27 September 1916 the Minister of War, Habte Giyorgis Dinagde, organised a coup d'état. He produced witnesses claiming that Iyasu had secretly converted to Islam, which would be grounds to forfeit the throne; and under pressure the Church confirmed this claim, excommunicated Iyasu and released the Ethiopian nobles from their oaths of loyalty.

A brief civil war followed, and Iyasu's side lost. He fled into hiding in the desert for five years, being captured in 1921 and kept under house arrest. When Emperor Haile Selassie took the throne in 1930, as described below, Iyasu was treated more harshly. When the Italians invaded again in October 1935 they distributed propaganda urging the Ethiopians to rise up in support of "the true Emperor Iyasu V" to overthrow Haile Selassie. Purely by coincidence, the 40-year old Iyasu was shortly afterwards found dead in his cell; having died entirely of natural causes and certainly not murdered on the Emperor's orders as a potential threat.

Going back to 1916, however, the organisers of the coup decided to make Zewdita the new monarch. She was an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Menelik II, and thus the aunt of Lij Iyasu. She was also the first regnant Empress of Ethiopia, and the first female African monarch in several centuries. Her title, rather than 'King of Kings', was 'Queen of Kings' (Negiste Negest). However, as a woman it was agreed that her relative Tafari Makonnen (who was also her heir since she had no surviving children of her own) would act as her regent and plenipotentiary, the Balemulu 'Inderase. Empress Zewdita was not entirely a figurehead — she had the final decision-making power and a lot of political influence — but her kinsman was the public face of the government.

Empress Zewdita, 1917–30

Empress Zewdita was crowned on 11 February 1917 and ruled for 13 years. She was conservative and a traditionalist, and a patron of the Church in Ethiopia. She left most matters of government in the hands of her relative the Regent Plenipotentiary, Tafari Makonnen.

This regent’s father Ras Makonnen ('ras' is a noble title, roughly equivalent to duke) was the first cousin of Emperor Menelik II on his mother's side, and was appointed as governor of Harar by the Emperor. He was also a notable military commander at the Battle of Adwa. Makonnen's son Tafari, born in 1892, thus had royal blood, and it was agreed in 1917 that he would be the nominated successor to the childless Empress Zewdita. He was also given the title ras at this point.

Ras Tafari thus became the face of the Ethiopian government in the name of the Empress. He arranged for his country to join the League of Nations in 1923, and pursued a cautious strategy of modernisation and westernisation. He also banned slavery in his country, though he was unable to enforce this.

In 1928 there was an attempted revolt against Tafari's power, led by the governor of Sidamo province who was accused of underpaying taxes to the central government. Conservative nobles rallied around the Empress and attempted to have Tafari tried, for treason and consorting with Italians. The attempt failed, and as a concession to secure peace Empress Zewdita was pressured into upgrading Tafari's title from Ras to Negus, or 'king'.

Two years later the Empress's husband Gugsa Welle launched a rebellion of his own against Negus Tafari — without the permission of his wife. He raised an army of around 35,000 men, but other members of the nobility were too cautious to join him. The Empress reluctantly declared her husband a rebel, and Tafari led the official army of Ethiopia to combat him at the Battle of Anchem on 31 March 1930. Three aircraft flew over the rebel army dropping leaflets urging the soldiers to desert, followed by bombs. Gugsa Welle himself was shot and killed while riding a white horse into battle. His army disintegrated. Within three days, Empress Zewdita herself was dead, supposedly of shock and grief at her husband's death (though she was in fact seriously ill anyway).

Eight months later on 2 November 1930 Tafari Makonnen was proclaimed as Emperor himself, taking the name Haile Selassie (which means 'Power of the Trinity'). He remained emperor until the revolution of 1974, though between 1936 and 1941 he was in exile in England after the Italian conquest of his country

A major famine in 1972-74 which killed tens of thousands of people (some sources claim even higher figures) undermined public support for the Emperor, who until then had generally been popular. High inflation also led to riots, strikes, and a mutiny by the army which demanded higher pay. On 12 September 1974 a Committee (Derg in Ge'ez) set up to investigate and rectify the army's grievances, instead deposed the Emperor and placed him and his family under arrest.

Haile Selassie's son, the 58-year old Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, was in Switzerland at the time receiving medical treatment. The military junta announced that he was now King of Ethiopia (they used the term 'King', not 'Emperor'). However, Asfaw refused to accept the legitimacy of the coup against his father, and therefore refused to use the new title given to him. He also publicly condemned the actions of the Derg when they had about 60 high-ranking members of the government executed by firing squad. In March 1975 the Derg — officially known as the Provisional Military Administrative Council — therefore announced the abolition of the monarchy and declared the creation of a Marxist-Leninist socialist republic.

The last reigning emperor, 83-year old Haile Selassie, died on 27 August 1975, supposedly of complications following surgery but according to some, he was strangled.

[spirit-of-vengeance]

@spxcemuses @mr-mansnoozie @xxstar-bluesxx

Guess who gathered enough mind to finally write her full backstory of Western Verse. Her being a bounty hunter is set in the Wild West time period (1865-1895), there is no current year(s) to set her story in mainly because I don't want to make a mistake messing up the timeline.

Calm before the storm

Her father, Attila a lesser Hungarian noble whom supported the 1848-1849 revolutionary war but after the failure of it he escaped emigrated to America to avoid the Habsburg revenge, soon followed by his brother Gábor. He could save a small amount of his fortune along with his two most important horses: a purebred Lipizzan stallion and an extremely rare Akhal Teke mare. He had settled near a small town, due to his financial situation and education as a noble he established a school with the support and approval of the local church. To quieten his guilt for abandoning his country in its peril, he poured all of his heart into educating children; at least he is still useful in some way.

One day, a group of artists traveling artists, acrobats traveled through the town and the aristocrat fell in love at first sight. She was like the queen of fairy from the folk tales he'd heard in his childhood, she was tall, blue eyes sparkled like light sapphire, long golden brown hair floated ethereally with every twirl. The smitten lord shamelessly courted the the graceful acrobat, determined to know at least the name.

The group had stayed in the town for a few weeks, allowing Attila's and Myra's romance to blossom; after a month she ended up staying with him, just like in true fairytales.

My obsession with angst backstory strikes again

The lord was in love, deeper than poets could express it. Since the loss of his home and country he had found his place in the universe along with the perfect companion by his side. He paid less attention to the school, the church and other public affairs; it wasn't like he abandoned them but became more withdrawn to spend time with the love of his life, especially after the birth of their daughter. She was almost the perfect miniature of her mother, same beautiful hair glinting gold in the sunlight, only her eyes were the brightest emerald green he'd ever seen.

While Myra's heart and aura was as pure as a fairy's; the local church was beyond distressed. They claimed that Attila had completely abandoned helping those in need because of her wicked seduction. When they witnessed her performing for the amusement of the crowd, the 'temptress witch' brand couldn't be lifted. They gathered a few enthusiastic townsfolk whom shared their views and a few morally questionable men whom only wanted a piece of the lord's fortune.

10 year old Karma was awakened from her deep slumber by her frantic father; smoke and yelling blinding her senses as he carried her out of the burning house into the nearby forest so the mob won't find her. He promised her he will be back but he had to return into their home for Myra; he couldn't leave her inside. Karma watched her dad disappear into the flames, the air filled with suffocating smoke and religious shouts for god to smite the sinners. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the spot where her father was gone, waiting for her parents to stumble out of the half collapsed building; but that never had happened. She sat unmoving from her spot, struck staring into the flames then into the ashes as the sun has risen.

Birth of the marksman

Attila's brother, Gábor arrived the next day after hearing the news, he was the one whom found Karma still staring at the ruins in a catatonic state. He couldn't avenge his sibling as it meant endangering his niece and she has lost more than enough.

Gábor expected her to become a soft spoken, reserved lady once she overcame her trauma; that theory was soon abandoned when once he had awoken to his niece practicing with his rifle outside with frighteningly great accuracy. The young girl naturally had an extraordinary aim and after a few long talks, he'd seen the determination burning in her to avenge the murder of her parents. Given by her mother's dance lessons, she was also flexible and capable of many different acrobatic moves; this combined with her aim proven to be a very dangerous combination.

To not awaken suspicion he told his friends Karma was an orphan whose parents were killed by bandits and he had adopted her to give her a family and education. Karma was fascinated chasing greater heights of her skills, this involved reading every possible book about anatomy, marking, engraving the useful spots of the body. Karma knows where to shoot to disarm, to cause a slow death, to paralyze, to disable for life and when it is only a warning: an injury which will heal with time. Along with her accuracy, her drawing speed only can be compared to lightning. Although she prefers/most comfortable with her dual revolvers (model undecided yet), she is still a menace with shotguns, rifles, flintlocks and even bows due to Gàbor's 'A Hungarian is not a Hungarian if they can't use a bow' mindset.

The bounty hunter quicker than death

Karma had her first official gunfight at the age of 18 on the auction. for Vihar (Storm), the filly of her father's horses.

Detailed post about Vihar

She officially entered the bounty hunter business when she was 20 and Vihar was 2, aiming for the most dangerous criminals whom committed the worst acts possible. In her early years after the kill she slit open corpses she trying to find the bullet, surverying the damage it caused and adding filler information to her anatomy knowledge. Of course she didn’t bother burying the bodies, she knew as a woman she has to be extremely vicious above talented to be hired and mutilated dead bodies did send a great message & served as cement for building her reputation. The name Karma wasn't entirely her idea, many thankful family members claimed that karma has came for their loved ones' murderers. Her talent spread like wildfire among the men of law, glad to be rid of the dangerous scum; with careful planning, use of environment and Vihar as backup she had wiped out gangs, not solely focused on individuals.

Unfortunately her reputation summoned an unofficial grand price on her head as well in certain circles; they had tracked her back to her uncle's house. The battle claimed Gábor's life and nearly her sight as her right eye was almost slashed out. The new loss opened old wounds: her not being able to protect her loved ones. She couldn't look into a mirror, the scar a reminder how despite all years of training she wasn't untouchable; after burying her uncle plan to gain control over her psyche already formed.

She took a knife and carefully carved four half circles around her eye to form a crosshair with her pupil being the middle of it. She made sure she kept the wounds open for enough time to scar as visibly as the vertical cut; she wanted a symbol to add to her legend. Excuse my pathetic excuse of an edit, I'm not good in this, nor I can draw.

Now Karma is 25, Vihar is 6, both of them in their peak physical prime; the name Vihar is also symbolic a little, Karma is the lightning to her horse. She is dancing on the thin edge of bounty hunting and being an outlaw as she often takes...side jobs to help people who deserve it and usually that person doesn't have a bounty on their head, therefore it is technically murder.

Local antisocial feral monk & cocky gunslinger feral lady / addition of the AU with the amazing @mr-mansnoozie

Near her uncle's house, Karma had discovered a cave and a grumpy mute monk living in it along with his pet bear. The monk, Sandy eventually became a second uncle to the traumatized angry orphan, he taught her how to move & creep upon someone soundlessly, disappear without a trace, cover her stances and behavior patterns of various animals. Before and after returning from a job she always visits her uncle of choice for a chat; a silent way to prepare him to the possibility of her not coming back. But she always do. She considers Sandy as part of her tiny family, although his...copying mechanisms with his own traumas were a bit strange to get used to; she adapted quite fast, after all who is she to judge with a past like that?

I'm a dead man walking, Hell's at my door.

aka collection of small headcanons

🎯 Her dual revolvers are called Salvation and Damnation because she's dramatic

🎯 Karma has a small sketchbook filled with anatomy drawings for further practice.

🎯 She actually can sing, but rarely does, only to Vihar since she never received positive feedback on it. Her voice is gritty, rugged and deep; definitely not the usual and desired sounding from a woman.

🎯 If her target was an outstandingly cruel bastard and/or one of those whom killed her parents she uses a little psychological torture. After fatally wounding them she starts whistling (for the most terrifying experience wear headphones & close your eyes while listening) as they try to crawl away or beg for mercy. The first time the whistle gets shrill & more intense is when she lazily reloads, knowing she has both the time and the upper hand. The second pace shift is when she aims; she shoots during the last, long drawn out high note.

🎯 This is her only verse where Cindy is afraid, no terrified of fire; during her....26 AU's she's always been associated with fire despite dying in or being wounded by it. In this verse she is more tied to lightning, the scent of smoke is enough to send her into a silent panic attack and despite loathing the cold she will never sit close to the fireplace. Her other deep fears include injuring her hands & sight and losing Vihar. Her horse is the only remaining family member of hers, she can't fail her too.

🎯 Most of Karma's scars, injuries are a result of her standing between Vihar and a knife/bullet/ even a bullwhip when a criminal was smart enough to catch on their deep emotional bond.

🎯 She has recurring night terrors about the night her parents died, she always wakes up in cold sweat; she's sort of used to them. Though, sometimes she still cries but thankfully Vihar is there to comfort her.

🎯 Karma has a special morning stretch routine to keep her flexibility and warm up her hands & keep them steady and fast.

🎯 Due to her dad and uncle she received high quality education

🎯 For the untrained eye, the belt of her hat are simple crosses while in reality, they are inverted crosses to symbolize her stance with Christianity

🎯 Karma's middle name is Emerald, given by her father due to her eye color.

🎯 Karma was first inspired by League of Legends Miss Fortune because that name alone is great but unfortunately she is too pirate coded for a western so I abandoned the relation. Though when Karma is not being the 'Call me a slow reader but I only made it to the Dead part, the or Alive didn't register.' ; her personality is similar to hers.

🎯 Due to her dad, Karma is actually half aristocrat. Not like she cares about it the slightest; the only indication of noble blood is her idle stance. It is an unconscious mirror of how her father used to hold himself: back straightened to almost impossible point, left arm behind it, right hand resting on the grip of in her case, revolver instead of hilt of a sword.

🎯 If given the chance to live a normal life, she would've grown into a captivating, lively young woman, much like her mother but with the aristocrat elegance of her father; finding a suitor who lives up to her parents' and her standards would've been the challenge of the century.

🎯 Her special move is called Dance of Death. This is used as last resort when she's facing more opponents up to 12, as with her dual revolvers she has 12 bullets without reloading. She mentally marks the stances of all opponents, predicts their movement, firing order and possible way of their bullets before whirling out of her hiding place. Each pose minimizes the chance of getting shot, and with each change of movement two bullets are fired, two men drop dead.

🎯 Her accuracy isn't just 'gun goes boom >:D' but a combination of natural talent, endless practice, movement prediction, sharp, quick thinking & analytical skills and different techniques molten together to utilize them all at once

🎯 Her hair is now as long as her mother's, she always keeps it in a single tight braid to keep it out of the way; without her hat and hair down she actually loses some of her dangerous edge.

🎯 The only physical memory Karma has of her parents is her dad's hussar sword she found underneath the ruins of the house, it was protected by a very thick wooden box & a lock of her mother's hair is tied to the grip. She has hidden it in the nearby forest, her thoughts often wander to it along with the wish to wield it.

[maxdurden]

Thanks for tagging me <33 Last song: A Bank Robber's Nursery Rhyme by Goodnight, Texas

Favorite Color: i have no idea, picking favorites is hard

Currently watching: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and also rewatching Gravity Falls with a friend

Last movie: The People's Joker (i know this makes me seem like some wacky film nerd but i just have an wacky film nerd friend who thought i would appreciate a queer indie joker parody)

Sweet/spicy/savory: spicyyyyy!!!

Relationship status: busy investigating the aromantic allegations

Current obsessions: i'm getting so into red dead redemption 2 it should be illegal. and that means i'm just kinda into the historical period between 1865 and 1895 when outlaws and gunslingers were common in the wild west

Last thing I googled: 'how to give jack candy in rdr2' <- if anyone knows how to do this please let me know post haste. i have been carrying around candy for months now and he keeps telling me he wants candy but there's no way to actually give him the candy i have. it makes me feel like arthur's just holding out to be a dick. please.

tagging @thrustin-timberlake @mitebitmurderous @sarcasticbeanie @sabrirene @egretorchids @eustacedekolta if y'all want to! :3

nine people I want to get to know better 💌

ty 4 the tag @coldfruitwater unsure if it's actually possible for you to get to know me better but ily anyways

LAST SONG? light on maggie rogers ✴️

FAVORITE COLOR? greeeeen i surround myself with more blue though

CURRENTLY WATCHING? dimension 20 fantasy high junior year always & forever the best background for sewing

LAST MOVIE? my dad and i saw sing sing @ our local arthouse theater at like 10 pm this monday so i would stop panicking over school starting we were the only ones there it was so ridiculously beautiful

SWEET/SPICY/SAVORY? sweet!! (leaving in the copypasted audrey answer we are the same person after all)

RELATIONSHIP STATUS? girl i deconstructed amatonormativity at like 12 i'm so done w that. relationships sure i have them.

CURRENT OBSESSIONS? john hollander, my new fountain pen, staggeringly infinite potential futures, obsession itself

LAST THING YOU GOOGLED? the genius lyrics for a poem on the underground wall by simon & garfunkel

hi hello @little-orphan-ant @theiloveyousong @wheresurboytonighthelookslikeenj @granma-sweetie @resident-dumb-fuck @ethernitty @interview-with-the-vlfote @catboymoses no pressure ofc!!

[stratharchives]

‘The woman at the back’: Miss Wanda Zamorska

The above photograph (reference: OP/4/129) from our institutional collection dates from around 1920 and shows students working in the Botany laboratory at the Royal Technical College (RTC), forerunner of the University of Strathclyde. Whilst the students’ names are unknown, our catalogue entry for the photograph indicates that ‘The woman at the back, wearing a hat, is possibly Miss W. Zamorska, demonstrator in Botany and Bacteriology.’ Standing by the blackboard against the wall and dressed all in black, the diminutive female figure almost fades into her surroundings; yet she deserves recognition as one of the most reliable and long-standing members of the Department of Botany and Bacteriology. To mark International Women’s Day (8 March), this post explores the family background, life and career of Miss Zamorska, highlighting her contribution to the teaching of Botany at a time when relatively few women were employed in the scientific departments of the RTC.

Family background

Wanda (occasionally spelled ‘Vanda’) Zamorska was born in Glasgow on 9 June 1861, to Albert Zamorski and Martha Grundy Zamorska.[1] Though Polish by birth, Albert Zamorski appeared in the 1861 Census of Scotland as a British subject. He married Martha Grundy Cooper in Manchester, England in 1858, and the couple had their first child, Emily Bogumila, known as Elma, in 1859 or 1860. By April 1861, Albert and Martha had settled in Scotland and were living at 123 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow. Their second daughter, Wanda Caroline, arrived two months later, followed by Casimir James (born 1862), Alberta Mary (born 1865), and Thaddeus Robert (born 1868). A sixth child, Isabel Maud(e), was born in 1870 but died in infancy.

Wanda’s father worked as a Commission Agent, specialising in elastics and silks. He initially ran his business from 72 Wilson Street in Glasgow,[2] and subsequently operated from a warehouse at 62 Argyle Street. The Glasgow Post Office directories for the 1860s show that the Zamorski family lived for brief periods in several different streets in the West End of Glasgow, and by 1869 they were residing in Annfield Terrace, Partick.

On 9 May 1871, Albert died, leaving a young widow and five children aged under 13. Fortunately, they were not penniless: Albert’s estate was valued at £193 8s.,[3] and Martha Zamorska appears to have taken on, or at least maintained some involvement in, her late husband’s business, which was now known as A. Zamorski & Co., Commission Merchants and Agents.[4] In 1872, she and the children moved from Annfield Terrace to 235 Dumbarton Road, and from thence to 296 Bath Street in 1873. By 1880, they were living at 3 Elmbank Street.

The firm of A. Zamorski & Co. appears to have ceased trading in the mid-1880s and in 1889, Martha Zamorska died. Wanda and her siblings, all of whom were still living at home, subsequently moved to Rupert Street, where the eldest, Elma, was head of the household. The 1891 Census reveals the profession or occupation of each member of the family. Elma is described as a teacher of singing, Wanda as a teacher of music, Casimir as an architect, Alberta as a dressmaker, and Thaddeus – the only one who was not self-employed - as a mercantile clerk. In 1898, Casimir married and set up home in Willowbank Crescent, Glasgow with his wife, Jane. Wanda and her other siblings stayed together in Rupert Street until 1909, when they relocated as a family to Carrington Street.    

Early studies in natural sciences

Wanda Zamorska first entered the Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College (GWSTC), known from 1912 as the Royal Technical College (RTC), as an evening student in session 1893-94. As well as day courses for full-time students, the GWSTC offered a variety of theoretical and practical evening classes intended for apprentices, working people and others who were unable to study during the day. Wanda and her two sisters, Elma and Alberta, enrolled for Mr Thomas King’s summer course in Botany,[5] which ran on Monday evenings from 8-9 pm. Requiring no prior knowledge of the subject, the course consisted of 15 popular lectures on flowering plants, ferns, mosses and seaweeds, plus several Saturday afternoon excursions to examine fresh plants in situ.[6] The trio enjoyed this experience so much that they returned in session 1894-95 to take a further evening course in Botany, alongside a Tuesday evening class in Experimental Physics.[7] Wanda’s aptitude for natural sciences was now apparent, as she achieved fifth place overall in the Experimental Physics class.[8] Both she and Alberta took further evening classes in Botany and Experimental Physics in session 1895-96, while Elma took Botany only.[9] This time, Wanda did well enough to claim Second Prize in the Experimental Physics class.[10] In session 1896-97, Wanda and Alberta again took evening classes in Botany and Physiography, while Elma took Physiography only.[11]  

Neither Elma nor Alberta pursued further studies at the GWSTC, but Wanda’s enthusiasm was undiminished. She returned for yet another evening course in Botany in session 1897-98 and enrolled for a Geology course in session 1898-99.[12] There then follows a gap of several years until her next appearance in the GWSTC student registers, perhaps on account of her brother, Casimir’s marriage. Upon his wedding in 1898, Casimir established a home of his own and presumably ceased contributing to his siblings’ household, which may have left little money available for evening class fees.

Student and Assistant in the Department of Botany and Bacteriology

Wanda resumed her evening studies in session 1903-04, taking Bacteriology Lecture Course I and Bacteriology Laboratory Course I.[13] A new Lecturer in Botany and Bacteriology, Dr David Ellis, took up post that session,[14] and he quickly recognized Wanda’s abilities, harnessing them for the benefit of his Department. The GWSTC records show that from 1 September 1904, Wanda was employed as a part-time assistant to Dr Ellis at a salary of £13 per annum,[15] thus becoming one of the few women involved in the teaching of scientific subjects at the GWSTC in this period.

During session 1904-05, Wanda also received a Kerr Bursary in Botany.[16] The Kerr Bursaries were awarded on the basis of a competitive examination for students studying Natural Philosophy or Botany at the GWSTC, with each award of £15 tenable for a maximum of three years.[17] It is possible that the bursary, coupled with the remuneration from her appointment at the GWSTC, enabled Wanda to reduce or give up her primary occupation as a teacher of music, as in session 1905-06 she enrolled as a day student for the first time.

Over the next decade, Wanda combined her part-time duties for the Department with attendance as a student at the College. She enrolled for classes in various scientific subjects, including day courses in Organic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry and a Special Laboratory Course in Botany, in which advanced students pursued their own practical studies on Mondays and Wednesdays between 8 and 10 pm, overseen by Dr Ellis.[18] She also qualified for first class certificates of merit (awarded for a final mark of over 80 percent) in most of her evening classes, including Bacteriology Lecture Course II, Bacteriology Laboratory Course II, Pharmacy, Materia Medica, Zoology Lecture Courses I and II, and Zoology Laboratory Courses I and II. Her last appearance in the student registers occurs in session 1914-15, when she took the Zoology Special Laboratory evening class. Like that in Botany, this course permitted experienced students to ‘pursue the study practically at any time when the Laboratory is open for Zoological work, under the general guidance of the Lecturer.’[19] It is noteworthy, however, that Wanda’s date of birth never appears correctly in the student registers, being variously recorded as 1873, 1868 and 1867 instead of 1861. Repeated clerical error seems an unlikely explanation for this, so was she deliberately claiming to be younger than her years, and if so, why?

Demonstrator and Assistant Lecturer at the Royal Technical College

In session 1906-07, Wanda Zamorska was the senior of three part-time assistants attached to the Department of Botany and Bacteriology, the others being Miss Evelyne Gilmour and Mr George Russell.[20] The assistants’ duties mainly involved preparing and conducting practical demonstrations for Dr Ellis’s classes, and their workload was about to increase markedly. On 2 April 1906, the GWSTC Committee on Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Natural Sciences granted Dr Ellis an additional allowance of £12 for his assistants, ‘in view of the developments proposed in his Department’.[21] Wanda’s salary consequently rose from £13 to £20. The ‘proposed developments’ alluded to were two new courses that Dr Ellis was preparing to offer in session 1906-07. The first of these, arranged at the request of the Glasgow Grocers’ and Provision Merchants’ Association, was a course of practical classes in Economic Botany for grocers.[22] In the event, the grocers’ class created so much extra work for Wanda and Evelyne Gilmour that their salaries were each augmented by a further £5.[23] The second new initiative, which commenced in July 1907, was a series of vacation courses in Botany for secondary school teachers from all over Scotland. These proved so popular that the classes were ‘full to overflowing’, and in the following session they were supplemented by summer courses in Nature Study for teachers in elementary schools.[24]

In September 1911, Evelyne Gilmour resigned and her duties were absorbed by Wanda Zamorska, whose salary consequently increased from £25 to £45 per annum.[25] By session 1916-17, George Russell had also departed, leaving Wanda as the sole assistant in the Department of Botany and Bacteriology.[26] This, together with the strains experienced by all staff in their efforts to keep classes going throughout the First World War, may have encouraged her to appeal to the RTC’s Committee on Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Natural Sciences. At a meeting on 24 September 1919, the Committee considered a letter received from Miss Zamorska and ‘agreed to recommend that her remuneration be increased to £90 for the session, a sum based upon the normal rate of 15s. per evening, and that Dr Ellis be requested to make such arrangements as were practicable to relieve her from day duties.’[27] One of these arrangements may have concerned her title, as the RTC Calendar for session 1920-21 lists Miss Zamorska as ‘Demonstrator’ rather than ‘Assistant’ in the Department of Botany and Bacteriology.

By 1920, Dr David Ellis not only held the post of Lecturer in Botany and Bacteriology but also that of Superintendent of the School of Pharmacy, plus responsibility for the School of Bakery.[28] As in previous years, Ellis’s burgeoning responsibilities affected the workload of his assistants, and at a meeting of the RTC’s Sub-Committee on the School of Pharmacy on 7 May 1923,

A letter from Dr. Ellis was read, pointing out that the great increase in the work of his department, caused by the formation of classes for the degree in Pharmacy, and the introduction of a second-year day course in Bakery, rendered necessary a rearrangement of the work of his assistants. At present, in addition to Mr. Todd, Lecturer in Pharmacy, he had six part-time assistants whose salaries amounted to £325 per session, but, as part-time assistance had not been quite satisfactory, he proposed that it be discontinued next session, and that the following be appointed full-time assistants at the salaries stated:-

Miss Zamorska   £325

Miss Eadie          £150[29]

Thereafter, the RTC Annual Reports list Miss Zamorska both as Assistant Lecturer to Dr Ellis in the Department of Botany and Bacteriology and as Assistant Lecturer in Botany within the School of Pharmacy.[30] She appealed to the Committee on Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Natural Sciences for a further increase of salary in the summer of 1924, but this was not granted.[31]

Wanda Zamorska retired in the summer of 1926, aged 65, after 22 years of service to the College.[32] Acknowledging her departure, the RTC Annual Report for session 1925-26 noted that ‘Her zealous and conscientious work as a lecturer and demonstrator during this long period has been much appreciated.’[33] In a final act of consideration towards her former employers, she wrote to them in September 1926, offering for sale her set of 152 lantern slides on botanical subjects, which she had presumably used for teaching and demonstrations. The RTC agreed to purchase this for £20.[34]

Having outlived all her siblings, Wanda Zamorska died at the age of 90 on 26 November 1951. As a pupil, and subsequently as Dr Ellis’s dependable assistant, she had been associated with the College for a remarkable 32 years. In giving practical demonstrations and lectures to thousands of students, she made a significant contribution to the teaching of Botany in Glasgow and helped to facilitate the expanding number and types of classes offered by her Department. As such, ‘the woman at the back’ of the laboratory photograph might fairly be described as the backbone of the Department of Botany and Bacteriology in the early twentieth century. 

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

[1] ScotlandsPeople: 1861 Zamorski, Vanda Caroline (Statutory registers Births 644/8 901), accessed 3 March 2021

[2] Post Office Directory for Glasgow, 1862-1863.

[3] ScotlandsPeople: 1874 Zamorski, Albert (Wills and testaments Reference SC36/48/75, Glasgow Sheriff Court Inventories) Image 364, accessed 3 March 2021.

[4] Post Office Directory for Glasgow, 1871-1872.

[5] OE/11/3/1/6: GWSTC Register of Students, session 1893-94.

[6] OE/10/1/8: GWSTC Calendar, session 1894-95, p.186.

[7] OE/11/3/1/7: GWSTC Register of Students, session 1894-95; OE/10/1/8, GWSTC Calendar, session 1894-95, p.128.

[8] OE/10/1/9: GWSTC Calendar, session 1895-96: list of prize and certificate winners for evening classes in session 1894-95, p.226.

[9] OE/11/3/1/8: GWSTC Register of Students, session 1895-96.

[10] OE/10/1/10: GWSCT Calendar, session 1896-97: list of prize and certificate winners for evening classes in session 1895-96, p.220. Her name is erroneously spelled ‘Wanda K. Zamorski’.

[11] OE/11/3/1/9: GWSTC Register of Students, session 1896-97.

[12] OE/11/3/1/10-11: GWSTC Registers of Students, sessions 1897-98 and 1898-99.

[13] OE/11/3/1/16: GWSTC Register of Students, session 1903-1904.

[14] OE/4/1/2: GWSTC Annual Report, 20 September 1904, p.19.

[15] OE/6/1/1: RTC staff index card for Wanda Zamorska; OE/11/3/1/17: GWSTC Register of Students, session 1904-1905. The latter records Miss Zamorska’s occupation as ‘Ass[istan]t to Dr. Ellis.’

[16] OE/4/1/2: GWSTC Annual Report, 19 September 1905, p.30.

[17] OE/10/1/18: GWSTC Calendar, session 1904-1905, p.186.

[18] OE/10/1/20: GWSTC Calendar, session 1906-1907, p.183.

[19] OE/10/1/28: RTC Calendar, session 1914-1915, p.240.

[20] OE/4/1/2: GWSTC Annual Report, 24 September 1907, p.10.

[21] OE/1/15/1: Meeting of the GWSTC Committee on Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Natural Sciences, 2 April 1906, p.133.

[22] OE/4/1/2: GWSTC Annual Report, 24 September 1907, pp.17-18.

[23] OE/1/1/12: GWSTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, 13 November 1907, p.84.

[24] OE/4/1/2: GWSTC Annual Report, 22 September 1908, pp.22-23.

[25] OE/1/1/14: GWSTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, 15 September 1911, p.74.

[26] From session 1912-13 to session 1915-16, the RTC calendar lists both Wanda Zamorska and George Russell as assistants in the Department of Botany and Bacteriology. In session 1916-17, only Miss Zamorska is listed.

[27] OE/1/1/17: RTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, 24 September 1919, p.180.

[28] J. Butt, John Anderson’s Legacy: The University of Strathclyde and its antecedents, 1796-1996 (East Linton, 1996) p.126.

[29] OE/1/1/19: RTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, p.97.

[30] OE/4/1/5: RTC Annual Report, 16 October 1923, p.14.

[31] OE/1/1/20: RTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, 2 June 1924, p.34.

[32] OE/1/1/21: RTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, 16 February 1926, p.22.

[33] OE/4/1/6: RTC Annual Report, 19 October 1926, p.42.

[34] OE/1/1/21: RTC Board of Governors and Committee minutes, meeting of Committee on Finance and Property, 21 September 1926, p.47.

[saqrqa3d]

On Sheikh Jarrah

The Healer’s Town that became the Ummah’s wound

Al-Sheikh Jarrah is a small town to the north of al-Quds [‘Jerusalem’]. It takes its name from Ameer Hussam al-Din ibn Sharaf al-Din ‘Isa (rh) (d. 598 AH/1202 CE) who was given the title Al-Sheikh al-Jarrahi because he was a healer/physician/surgeon—‘Jarrah’ in Arabic refers to a surgeon, from ‘jarh’, wound/lesion because of the incisive nature of surgery. In fact, he was an ameer and physician of none other than Sultan Salahudeen al-Ayyubi (rh), the liberator of al-Quds. Ameer Hussam al-Din lived in al-Quds after its liberation from the crusaders and had built a zawiya to its north (in the direction of Nablus) as a waqf with a small school, in the grounds of which he was buried after he died in Safar 598 and a tomb was built on his grave.

Fast forward to the modern period and construction of new homes began in 1865 in the late Ottoman era following which a number of Muslim families moved to the area. This became the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood [hayy]. A masjid was built around the tomb in 1895. By the turn of the century, it was home to a majority of Muslim families as well as some Jews and Christians.

So why the current aggression here by the occupying entity (‘Israel’)?

In short, it comes in the context of forcing through a systematic agenda of turning the area—among many others around al-Quds and throughout the occupied territories—into a majority Jewish area by evicting Muslim families and giving their homes to Jewish invaders (‘settlers’). The Muslims are resisting, so brute force is being used.

The slightly longer context is that when the occupying entity was established in 1948 it took (the western) part of Jerusalem but not all of it. The eastern part, in which Sheikh Jarrah fell, came under Jordanian rule/mandate (1951-1967). In the mid-1950s, Jordan relocated some of the families who were made refugees in their own land by being kicked out of their homes in the areas occupied by ‘Israel’ to Sheikh Jarrah. In a deal with a UN refugee agency (the UNRWA), new houses would be built for 28 families who would lose refugee status in exchange of title of the homes after three years of residency.

Following the 1967 war ‘Israel’ occupied East Jerusalem as well, including the town of Sheikh Jarrah. Not long after, Jewish ‘settler’ associations made claim to the land and ever since the Israeli government, judiciary and these associations have basically been colluding to slowly but surely pursue to above-mentioned Apartheidic agenda. The only reason it’s taken so long is that the Muslim resistance is strong—mashallah—and also East Jerusalem has a certain status in International Law which make it somewhat harder for ‘Israel’ but hardly in any prohibitive way.

For a closer look at the struggles on the ground in Sheikh Jarrah in recent years, see the following from a 2012 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQmrCwGD9jM (parts of this are a gut-wrenching watch). For more details of the current situation, see the following pieces by AJ and AA respectively: https://bit.ly/3exiC84, https://bit.ly/2R9xmkH.

We get a sense of the unabashed injustice at work here when we note that the basis upon which Jewish ‘settlers’ are able to make a legal claim over Muslim homes is that Israeli law was retrospectively changed (in 1970) to allows Jews specifically to claim lands they lost in East Jerusalem in 1948. On this basis, ‘settler’ associations made claims to evict Muslims accusing them of…wait for it…land grabs! Yep, you read it right. What about the Palestinians, you ask, and they fact that they had their lands ‘grabbed’ in West Jerusalem (and all over Palestine) in the first place? Nothing; they have no recourse to any such legal provisions. Of course Israeli law can’t question the very basis of its illegitimate existence. Some of these families have been mercilessly kicked out of their homes twice, but nothing for them.

And, to rub salt into the wounds, they are made to pay the legal costs of their being thus kicked out! As, for instance, last October when the ‘Israeli’ magistrate court of Jerusalem ruled to evict 12 families in Sheikh Jarrah and to give their homes to Jewish ‘settlers’ and it ruled that each family must pay 70,000 shekels ($20,000) in fees to cover the settlers’ legal expenses.

What makes the occupying entity’s policy of encroaching settlements and forced evictions even more brazen is that, unlike other aspects of its occupation, these are roundly disapproved and condemned as illegal by all major players: the US, Europe, the UN, international human rights’ groups, pretty much everyone—in Feb this year, for example, 80 UK parliamentarians signed a letter against Palestinian dispossession in East Jerusalem. But that means little in the bigger picture except that ‘Israel’ has to manoeuvre a bit more carefully to get its way as it steam rolls ahead—2020 in fact saw a record high of over 12,000 settlements approved, with ‘Israel’ being a Trump favourite (https://bit.ly/3h9SQsi).

All the while the luke-warm ‘international community’ continues to express concern, disapproval or condemnation every now and then. As for Muslim states, the ones that aren’t outright lackeys of foreign powers are so enmeshed in the prevailing global order that they are unable or unwilling to act beyond similarly toothless expressions of concern or condemnation.

This is a matter then, at base, of raw unjust power extending itself with the tacit, when not explicit that is, approval of an unjust global order. As such, it can only be duly faced by a comparable just power that challenges this unjust order. That obligation rests on us, the Ummah of Muhammad (saw). And this should serve as a stark reminder—if ever another was needed—that the matter of the Ummah’s unity, power and authority has to be one of priority for all of us.

Sheikh Jarrah, the healer’s town now wounded and with no one to come to its healing, stands as a powerful symbol for so many towns and cities in distress across Palestine and across the Muslim world, calling out: “Our Lord! Deliver us from this land of oppressors! Raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help!”

[creepyamericana]

Witchy Wolves of Omer Plains

Author Linda Godfrey, known for her work on the Beast of Bray Road, an upright wolfman-like creature sighted in Wisconsin, recently published a book called I Know What I Saw: Modern-Day Encounters With Monsters Of New Urban Legend And Ancient Lore. In this book, in chapter 4, she describes the witchy wolves of Omer Plains, Michigan.

She describes how, in folklore, witches and wolves have largely been associated together. This is largely due to the fact that logic, specifically during the witch trials in Europe, stated that shapeshifting was only possible through witchcraft. In the 1860s, the settlers that began to cluster in the area that became known as Omer, called it Rifle River Mills, but a sawmill owner changed it to Homer to honor a local trading post owner. However, there was another area in Michigan that was being referred to as Homer so they just dropped the H and it has henceforth been known as Omer. Though there were never any witch trials in this area, it has long been the site of “phantom lupine creatures” referred to as the witchy wolves. According to Lindsey Russell for Michigan’s Otherside, the stories started as an old Chippewa legend about a half-dog-half-wolf spirit said to protect the souls and graves of native warriors and attack anyone who disturbs that final resting place. This legend has led to several decades of sightings by local residents. Interestingly, some believe that the sightings are simply rare glimpses of a recovering gray wolf population after the creature was said to be eradicated in Michigan’s lower peninsula in 1935.

An early account of a suspected encounter with the witchy wolves came from an undated newspaper article titled “The Witch Wolves of Omer” sent to Linda Godfrey that described a family named Keeney who settled near a cemetery in a scrubby area near a cemetery called Omer Plains, just a few miles upriver from Omer proper around the time of the Civil War. Godfrey was able to locate records of a contemporary family with the same name and other names that were included in the article, though it is impossible to corroborate if the people named in the article and the people confirmed to have lived in the area at the time are the same or that they had the same experiences.

The story that is recounted in the article describes how the family’s son, Corwin, was killed in 1865 in the POW camp Andersonville (link to another Creepy Americana post) in Georgia. It wasn’t until 30 years later, in 1895, that Corwin’s remains were finally sent back to his family in a shoebox-sized container. The family placed the container inside a full-length coffin and buried that coffin in the nearby cemetery. In May of the following year, after the harsh winter had finally let up, some citizens of Omer started their yearly ritual of tending to the cemetery, they went to pay special attention to their local Civil War hero. However, they found that the grave had been dug up and in its place was a female wolf with several pups. Upon seeing the villagers, the wolf sprang forth and began snarling and snatching at them. They took defensive poses and then saw that there were more wolves coming out from the forest, likely pack mates of the female wolf come to her aid at the sound of the commotion. The citizens then beat a hasty retreat back to town. Sounds relatively normal, but as legends are wont to do, the more the story was told the more it was embellished with villagers claiming that the wolf was no “ordinary” she-wolf but in fact anything from a vampire to a “witchy wolf.”

This legend was very well-known around town with teenagers telling other teenagers to scare each other, to the point that pilgrimages to the Omer Plains Cemetery to try to catch a glimpse of the witchy wolves. The writer, David Kulczyk grew up about 20 miles south of Omer and was in high school in the 70s. He says that he and his friends made the trip a few times to the area, though they never got the courage to leave the car. They also never saw anything, but the witchy wolves were “not silent.” According to Kulczyk, he and his friends heard the “hideous, high-pitched laughing bark” ringing from all around them in the darkness of the forest. And, as urban legends go, Kulczyk also said he knew a few people who had left their vehicles out in the woods which led to their cars being scratched or dented and getting bodily knocked to the ground by something growling and unseen.

It is interesting to see what legends remain and how they transmogrify over the years. 

Painting is Moonlight, Wolf by Frederic Remington 

[biwetch-hunter-general]

*Philip smirks, rolling his eyes, feeling himself a bit prideful over the thought that the Alchemist is more than wrong.*

"Pfft- World actually changed a hell lot in the 400 years time frame! The latests decades constantly raise the pace of cultural evolution and it becomes harder and harder to keep track of all the changes that happen." *Philip closes his eyes and keeps his chin up, feeling good of being a part of human race and it's big history.*

"And you are another quite ancient alternate of mine i see.." *There is a small quiet pause untill Philip opens his eyes and wide, as if he realised something big.* "God, you missed so much! You probably have no idea what Industrial revolution is! Holy shit!"

*Philip started to sound more.. exited? Like he forgot that just a minute ago he was so angry. He even stands away from the wall, facing the Alchemist, with hands ready to start actively gesticulating. Oh no... the infodump is coming!!*

"You fucking missed 1776s Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, French Revolution starting from 1789 and Napoleon wars! You have no idea what is the "Communism manifesto" or "Origin of species", the books that had MASSIVE impact!! America's civil war from 1860 to 1865! X-rays were found and researched in 1895! Like- humans can see bones through the skin now! Explaining for your tiny ancient brain. You TOTALY missed all the digital revolution: from the construction of the first computer to internet and microchips that can be inplanted right into human brain! There was civil rights movement from early 50s to late 60s of the past century!! Also he FIRST MAN in outer space! FREAKING Moon landing! HOLY SHIT YOU PROBABLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT RAIL TRANSPORT IS!! That is hilarious!"

*Philip is flapping his hands in the air, happy to just tell some useless history events. His speech also became a bit faster and louder.*

"There is so much that happened only in the last decade!! Fuck!! I dont know if you will be able to listen to all of that! Dark matter and energy studies!! That is the matter that 68% of or universe is composed of! Finding possible water on Mars in 2015 throught the hydrated salts all around the planet! And it chages depending on the season too! Also, good focils of the T-Rex'es tissue discovered! Can you imagine the flesh continuing existing after 70 million years?? ...oh mY GOD, YOU DONT KNOW WHAT DINOSAURS EVEN ARE!!"

"Am i like, the ONLY Philip who is from 21st century? I definitely can be considered lucky then." *Well, at least both Philip's agree on that fact. At this point, teen seemed to forget with who he is talking to.*

"And what do you mean you can't die?" *Philip asks Alchemist with a devious "is that a challenge?" glimpse in his eyes.* "Never tried to take a swim in the boiling sea? I almost did once. Because monster hunters thought throwing children off of cliffs is nice. It WASN'T nice." *Philip takes a moment to stop and take a breath, because he just said so much, he forgot where to finish. Shit, now he feels himself embarrassed, because he was ready to continue rambling like that for hours without an end. And nobody liked when he does that. Never.*

"You can write all THAT in your research journal or whatever. Better than asking about other's autobiography anyway." *Philip tried to come back to his sarcastic demeanor.*

"Greetings young lad."

He holds his quill in his right hand as he holds some kind of journal in his left.

He looked to the person right in front of him.

While some features felt familiar to him, some things were quite off and different.

"I have been informed by my sons friend, Luz, about the existence of different universes. It peaked my interest so I wanted to conduct a study on how different each universe is."

He explained calmly as his eyes now looked down to his opened journal.

"If you got time to answer some questions and explain how your world differentiates from mine, it would be greatly appreciated."

*The teen slowly gives out a wide shit eating grin. * Look at who we have here. Mr. ButterTwink, long time no see! *Philip spreads his hands to the sides, slowly walking up to the Alchemist as if he was the villain who got the protagonist in his trap.*

Since i am so nice, of course i am going to answer your stupid questions. With all seriousness and honesty. *It is unclear how many layers of fat sarcasm and meta-irony there is to Philip's statement. But he definitely wants to have fun with this conversation.*

[msclaritea]

"...Victorians also created original stories by using the tropes of folklore in innovative ways. From the middle of the century onward, some of the best writers of 19th-century England turned their hand to children’s fiction: John Ruskin (The King of the Golden River,1841), Charlotte Yonge (The History of Tom Thumb, 1855), Christina Rossetti (Goblin Market,1862), Charles Kingsley (The Water-Babies,1863), Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1865), Jean Ingelow (Mopsa the Fairy, 1869), Edward Lear (Nonsense Songs, 1871), George MacDonald (The Princess and the Goblin, 1872), Mary Louisa Molesworth (The Tapestry Room, 1879), Mary de Morgan (The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde, 1880), Juliana Horatio Ewing (Old-fashioned Fairy Tales, 1882), Oscar Wilde (The Happy Prince and Other Tales, 1888), Ford Madox Ford (The Queen Who Flew, 1894), Laurence Houseman (House of Joy, 1895), Evelyn Sharp (The Other Side of the Sun, 1900), Rudyard Kipling (Puck of Pook’s Hill, 1906), J. M. Barrie (Peter Pan in Kensington Garden, 1906), Edith Nesbit (The Enchanted Castle, 1907), and Kenneth Grahame (The Wind in the Willows, 1908).

Chances are that unless you’ve done more reading than most in the field of Victorian literature, you’re probably more familiar with the men on the list above than with the women (with the possible exception of Christina Rossetti or E. Nesbit). As I prepared this Introduction, a number of well-read friends asked me if there were any female fantasy writers in 19th-century England, and the answer is: Yes, indeed there were, writers so popular and financially successful in their day that as a group they incited the envy and approbation of many male colleagues. George Gissing’s novel New Grub Street, published in 1891, paints a vicious portrait of an outspoken woman writer, vain and utterly talentless, who is lionized for her children’s fiction while the lives of "real" literary artists fall into ruin all around her.

So if these women were so successful, why are the books by the men above still known and loved by children today while most of those by women are read only by feminist scholars? It's not just gender bias, but also because the tales by 19th-century women can make for distinctly uncomfortable reading. Down through the centuries, fairy tales have often been used as a way of speaking, in symbolic language, about topics at odds with the dominant culture. For Victorian women, it was the totality of their lives at odds with the culture they lived in, hemmed in by 19th-century ideals of femininity, duty, and motherhood. What one finds over and over again beneath the surface of magical stories by Victorian women is anger.

 Queen Victoria's Book of Spells Introduction: Fantasy, Magic, and Fairyland in the 19th Century