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americasass81 · 15 days ago

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Dark Manifestations

Warnings 18+ for the following:- Stalking, Kidnapping, Bondage, Supernatural Elements, Use of Pet Name, Implied Mention of Anxiety, Implied Non-Consensual Sex, Implied Breeding. Seriously do not read if any of this upsets you, the warnings are there for a reason. Feedback is welcomed and any mistakes are my own.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

Author’s Note 1:- Taking a bit longer than I thought to complete, this fic was written as a birthday gift for @ironlady1993 and her love for these three heroes. Really hope you enjoy this Ari. Happy birthday my beautiful friend. lyl💕💕💕

Author’s Note 2:- As always, all images have been found through google search.

Synopsis:- Overseeing a Stark Party should be the opportunity of a lifetime, but what happens to that life when a certain set of heroes get ideas that don’t quite mesh with how you see your future?

Pairings:- dark!Steve Rogers x Named Female Reader, dark!Iron-Man x Named Female Reader, dark!Stephen Strange x Named Female Reader.

Total Word Count:- 3,752

The guests mingled and the drinks flowed as you left the kitchen area and headed off back towards the main hall. Wishing you could be back at home in your nice warm bed as various guests milled around and soaked up the party atmosphere, your boss had insisted however that you be on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly despite the fact that this was not how you had planned on spending your birthday. After all, as she was quick to inform you, a Stark party was an entertainment extravaganza and organizing one could make or break any firm. So here you stood, a beacon of poise and professionalism as Avengers and guests alike talked, drank and appeared to be having a fabulous time. If only the same could be said for you.

Looking out over the expanse of guests and servers while trying to calculate whether or not there was enough of everything to keep all of them satisfied, as well as thinking of all the other activities you could be presently engaged in, your distracted state forced you to jump a little however when the words whispered from a body behind your back brought you back to your current task and location. "Hey sweetheart, this is a great party you’ve thrown together. Didn’t mean to startle you though. May I buy you a drink at the bar?" the obvious male voice asked and you thanked all the gods both old and new that you had kept your retort about the drink being free to yourself when you turned around to find none other than Steve Rogers invading what little space remained in the doorway.

"Thank you Captain Rogers but unfortunately some of us are actually working here tonight. Now if you'll excuse me," you continued politely while also failing to note the disappointment that crossed his chiseled features, "but I really must get back to things," you finished before walking away and picking up a tray to begin clearing up some empty glasses you saw sitting unattended on an nearby table without sparing him a second thought. But perhaps you should have.

Standing there a while longer in your wake now, Steve bit his lip as he tried to figure out what exactly it was about your rebuff that didn't sit well with him however. Sure he had spent his younger years being practically ignored and ridiculed by the opposite sex and though Sam had now taken up the shield in his place, he was still Steve Rogers and it irked him to be dismissed, however politely, in favor of you doing a job that was quite clearly several steps beneath you. Thinking on how he could make you see the error of your snap decision, he was pulled from his thoughts however as a hand came down to rest upon his shoulder.

"Hey Capsicle, you enjoying yourself, old man?" Tony asked as he came to stand beside his friend now while snatching a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing server.

Muttering some half hearted compliment in reply about how well the event seemed to be going as his eyes continued to track your movements, Steve excused himself from Tony's presence however with talk of joining Clint and Sam at the pool table as a means of distracting himself from the irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. Irritation still clearly focused on you.

Feeling eyes continue to track you as now you handed off your tray of empty glasses to one of the many servers working the floor, glancing around to find Steve watching you while Sam chatted at him, you were never more thankful to your assistant Shona however when her voice spoke in your earpiece to tell you there was an issue in the kitchen needing your attention. Heading off there quickly then to discover that a spill on the floor had caused a server to slip and injure themselves, you quickly assessed the situation before dealing with each individual fallout. Making sure that the area was avoided while you checked out the injured party, a smile and a couple of "I'm fine" arguments later found you happy that the person in question was indeed well enough to return to work. Though you did switch up their assignment to give them an easier time as the night was really only just beginning. Then making sure yourself that the spill which caused the commotion was thoroughly cleaned up, you headed back upstairs to ensure everything there was running as smoothly as possible. But somehow that wasn't quite the case.

Taking some time to stop by the bar once you returned to the entertainment hall, you ordered a small whiskey to calm yourself after the kitchen debacle before turning around to come face to face once more with the former American patriot and his insufferable attitude. "I thought you weren't drinking tonight sweetheart. Or is it just me you refuse to have a drink with?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and you were actually relieved when the appearance of Tony Stark rescued you from coming up with some answer that didn’t sound like the telling off you wanted to direct his way. At least momentarily relieved anyway.

"Ari darling, is everything all right? F.R.I.D.A.Y. alerted me to an issue in the kitchen."

Turning away from Steve now to face the host of the party, you plastered on your best professional smile and once again greeted the man of the hour. "Yes Mr. Stark. It was a very minor incident, no harm was done and things are once again running like clockwork. I hope you're happy with everything," you finished as Steve continued to observe you in a way you now felt mildly uncomfortable with.

"Yes darling, everything is delightful and I will definitely be sending my compliments onto your boss," he said, as like Steve his eyes traveled the length and breadth of your body uninvited. "By the way," he continued, "how many more times am I going to have to ask you to call me Tony?" he asked, reaching out now to accept his drink from the bartender while his fingers grazed your shoulder in the process.

"At least once more I'm sure Mr. Stark. Now if both of you gentlemen will excuse me, parties really don't run themselves I'm afraid," you answered politely before placing your empty glass back down on the bar and heading as far into the throng of people as you could possibly get, resulting in you being well out of earshot when their conversation started up.

"Damn Tony, even you're not beyond her indifference," Steve said as he too accepted a drink and stared after your retreating figure once more while his mind took him places his body was only aching to go. "What do you think her problem is?"

"I don't quite know Rogers but I gotta say, she has me intrigued," his former teammate answered as he too finished his glass while his eyes joined Steve's as you disappeared into the crowd. Now you just had to stay there and hope no more unwanted attention found its way towards you before this night was over. Not that your luck held up very long in that regard however.

Glad to be away now from the two heroes, who for some reason you couldn't explain creeped you the hell out, you were so busy fleeing their attention and looking over your notes on the event so far that you almost toppled over however when you walked straight into a decidedly solid yet muscular mass. Looking up from your clipboard then as two strong arms reached out to prevent you falling backwards onto your ass, your eyes now locked on those of the Sorcerer Supreme and for some unexplained reason, a sudden chill ran through you as he spoke.

"Easy there princess, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," his silky voice said as he held you firmly while you tried to right yourself. Finally regaining your composure, you stepped out of his arms and looking around was thankful at least that no one seemed to have witnessed your mishap. "I hope you're enjoying yourself," Stephen continued as he brought you out of your thoughts and back instead to the reason you were once again so distracted.

"Sorry, what did you say?" you asked, giving the man your most professional look which had now been well practiced by this time of the evening.

"I asked if you were enjoying the party," he repeated as you looked behind you also to see two other Avengers watching this interaction now with the most curious of expressions clouding their features.

"I'll enjoy myself when this party is over and I've got the week off to recuperate," you replied before raising your hand to your earpiece as if to accept a call before walking away without another word. Standing in your wake then as you didn't even dignify him with an excuse, Stephen Strange now headed off towards the other side of the room as a dark corner beckoned to the three disgruntled heroes.

Continuing on with your duties then for the rest of the night while simultaneously rebuffing numerous more advances from the three heroes who couldn't seem to understand that not everyone wanted to worship at their feet, you were finally thankful at least when the last party guest left and one by one Earth's Mightiest Heroes began to retire to their various quarters. Exhausted beyond belief now at the night you had just put down, you promised yourself that the next time you spoke to Adriana you would tell her in no uncertain terms that you quit. Sure the money was great and you were damn good at your job, but the type of attention you had been fending off all night from people who were supposed to be the best humanity had to offer, told you that enough was enough. They were supposed to know better and, birthday or not, it was not in your contract to spend all your time massaging their clearly inflated egos. No, perhaps it was finally time instead to follow your passion and bury yourself among a mountain of library books like you had always dreamed and leave the event organizing to those better suited to handling famous people.

Tidying up the final few bits and pieces then while making sure the last remaining unnecessary lights were all shut off, you headed off along the corridor now and was so focused on reaching the elevator that you failed to notice the tinkling sound that signaled the danger you were in until the walls of the building began to shimmer and shift as if out of focus. But by then it was too late.

Watching in disbelief as the elevator that would take you to safety disappeared, a new sound behind you had you turning sharply instead to face the first avenger and one third of the bane of your existence throughout the night. "Now sweetheart, you're going to make us think you don't like us," Steve said while you looked around frantically for a means of escape as well as his other two teammates you could only assume the 'us' referred to.

Seeing no other people however and so turning back again towards what once had been your way out, a glowing crack in the wall before you gave you hope. Not much, but at least it was a start. Not daring then to glance back at the man behind you now as you quickly decided the unknown was better by far than what currently presented itself to you, you took a deep breath, closed your eyes and dove through it without caring what happened or where you ended up. At least until you opened your eyes in a somewhat similar place.

Running through this new corridor now as a shimmering orange portal appeared behind you, you didn't give it another thought however as you reached out and rushed through the first door you came across. Which proved to be another monumental mistake. One it seemed you had been making consistently since you had first agreed to supervise this cursed event. For that's where it seemed this night had been headed.

Resting your head and hands against the door now as you tried to control your ragged breathing and racing heartbeat, your blood ran cold however when a soft whisper reached your ears and confirmed that this destination too held a figure you were not much willing to entertain. "At last darling, I've been waiting."

Turning around slowly to face a now suited up Iron Man, your fingers reached for the handle of the door again as something about his demeanor told you that this was not the hero the world knew him to be, even if his behavior all night had not already convinced you. Rising from his position on a bed you were now just noticing, panic gripped you more fiercely however as the door that would have offered you salvation moments ago suddenly disappeared and thereby confirming that something sinister was definitely at play and you were at its mercy.

Moving around the now closed off box as the man before you stalked towards you like a jungle predator, a ray of hope arrived again as another shimmering portal appeared before you however. Deciding again that what you didn’t know had to be far more enticing than what Tony Stark and this scene seemed interested in, you dodged around Iron-Man, jumped through the portal and ran the length of yet another corridor until a familiar room told you that you had not actually left the Avengers Towers behind. Which gave you hope at least that your car was waiting here somewhere to whisk you away to safety. Hope that was soon to be shattered beyond repair leaving nothing but devastation in its wake however.

Slowing down as you entered the entertainment room which now showed no signs of ever having hosted the night’s party, you froze completely however at the sight of the Sorcerer Supreme standing by the floor to ceiling windows, bathed in the moonlight shining through from the world outside. Turning his head to gaze upon you now, the sinister glow in his once kind eyes alerted you to the possible danger he too posed and it sent a shiver down your spine. One of these men you realized now would have been enough to handle at the best of times, but three of them in their current guises was a damn nightmare. One you had to escape from.

Holding onto this feeling now and looking nervously behind you into the corridor you had just left, you began to slowly edge backwards towards the door when two more portals appeared and out walked the only other two men who gripped your heart as if death itself had come to visit. You were finally outnumbered. Standing now on either side of the man you suspected responsible for this whole freaky moving tower thing, a flapping at your back forced you to shift your focus from them however, as a six-eyed black bird appeared, blocked your escape and drained whatever hope you had left to you. Frightened beyond belief now at the terrifying images that held you in their grasp, you still had enough wits about you however to not just surrender without a fight and so diving beneath the creature's expansive wings you ran like hell from the three former heroes that seemed to have lost their minds while hoping they stayed as far away from you for as long as possible. Which it seems was similar to what they had in mind. For now at least.

Not daring to look behind you then as an intense flapping sounded in your ears, you kept running until suddenly, the floor gave way beneath you as yet another portal took out your feet and swallowed you whole. Tumbling endlessly now through what appeared to be the same corridor over and over and over again, as portal after portal appeared beneath you, fear gripped you like never before but you finally stopped screaming at least when the massive, scary bird reappeared and swooped in between you and yet another portal. Hanging on to this creature now for dear life as exhaustion finally started to creep over you, you wished you had fought harder however when it landed back in the entertainment room with the three heroes determined it seemed to turn your life into a living nightmare. For what else could they have planned?

Standing where you'd left them still as the creature now settled on its powerful legs so as to allow you to alight, yet another shock ran through you however as Doctor Strange waved his hand and the room around you disappeared to be replaced by what could only be described as a millionaire's representation of a caveman's room. Boasting nothing but a bar, coffee table and some couches spread out throughout the spacious structure, it was the thick stone walls and no visible exit however that really caught and held your attention. For the only light here now was all artificial and as a result it drew your eyes elsewhere.

Looking around as the guys made themselves comfortable now, you would have been totally devastated by the lack of escape options if it wasn't for the events which happened next however. Eyeing up every possible shadow for even the smallest hope of escape, this was quickly extinguished as Steve Rogers stood before you and encased you now in his powerful arms. Struggling against his grip then as he kissed you harshly, panic overtook you further as a coil of magical energy wound around your neck and snaked down your arms to completely secure your wrists. Bound now in the blond man's arms as Doctor Strange and Iron-Man approached you from either side, their close-up appearance simply confirmed what this whole night had already shown you … something wasn't quite right with these heroes.

Closing your eyes again against this realization as the room shimmered and changed around you once more, the enormous bed you had seen earlier appearing against one wall now, tucked neatly between four impressive stone pillars simply confirmed what your gut so far had screamed at you. It was definitely their plan to claim you and your senses just couldn’t seem to handle this truth as you tried your best to shut out what was happening all around you. But it didn’t last long unfortunately. Dressed in darker hues of black, red, blue, silver, orange and purple, time would soon reveal just how far these three men had fallen however and that revelation alone held all your attention now, at least until their voices broke through whatever panic their actions and altered appearances had triggered.

"Do you think you might have terrified her, Strange?" you heard Tony ask as your eyes remained shut to the world around you while you shrank back farther in fear as a snap of the sorcerer's fingers rid you of what remained of your tattered outfit before your bound and naked form was then moved away from the other two deranged monsters to the bed prepared specially for you.

"Of course he did, Tony. Look at that thing," Steve replied and tentatively opening one eyelid now as the sheets beneath you caressed your thoroughly exhausted and naked body, you shut it just as quickly however when the terrifying visage of the bird that brought you back to this nightmare filled your vision once more as it now settled on a perch above your head in a makeshift headboard that was by far the most horrifying scene you had witnessed thus far. Which is why you wished this terrifying experience would end there. But these beasts had plans that totally went against anything you now wished for.

Hoping against hope now that your tiny movements would go unnoticed, all hope was dashed like waves against the shore however when the final voice reached your ears as Doctor Strange snickered and ran his fingers now along your moistening cheek. "Well that's my bad I guess, but you didn't exactly live up to your end of the deal now did you?" he questioned as he snapped his fingers once more and magically shed all the clothes covering up his impressive physique while you watched in abject horror as his equally terrifying companions did the same. Not that their actions distracted you too long however as his words solidified in your brain and brought you back to some semblance of your usually rational self.

"Deal?" you questioned forcefully now as the three fully naked men focused solely on you then in a way that told you they couldn't wait to see what argument you planned to set forth. But you simply ignored them and continued on before your nerve and this sudden burst of anger faded to be replaced with fear and panic once more. "What deal? I never agreed to any of this. Why the hell would I?"

"Well now, that is true I'm afraid. You never did willingly agree to be ours,” Tony interrupted before allowing the evil Doctor Strange to clarify further. “But you are the one who signed the contract for the party while your boss was out of town. After that it was simply a matter of adding a few extra lines of text here and there and now you belong to us forever ... body and soul. Isn't magic wonderful?" he finished with an inhuman laugh then as he now looked over at his companions and winked at them before speaking once more while his fingers delicately wormed their way down your trembling body towards your weeping flower as his lips came to rest against the shell of your ear. "So which one of us do you want to be fucked by first, princess?”

And not waiting for a response however, all three of these fallen heroes descended towards the bed and spent the following hours claiming your body in every manner of depraved sex act that fueled their lust and forced you to accept everything they gave you despite the screams that tore forth from your lungs, shattered your soul and remade you into the perfect vessel from which they planned to start a whole new brood of dark heroes with you as their chosen queen.

#Ari's Birthday Fic #dark!Steve Rogers x Named Female Reader #dark!Iron-Man x Named Female Reader #dark!Stephen Strange x Named Female Reader #dark!avengers #dark!steve rogers #dark!tony stark #dark!stephen strange

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 1 year ago

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🌈 Queer Books Out December 2023 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose 🧡 Heartstopper #5 by Alice Oseman 💛 This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede 💚 All The Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows 💙 Vampires of Eden: Book One by Karla Nikole 💜 Not My Type by Joe Satoria ❤️ Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck 🧡 Eternal Embrace by Luna Lawson 💛 A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford 💙 Tomb of Heart and Shadow by Cara N. Delaney 💜 Through the Embers Volume 2 by Adriana Sargent 🌈 Lucero by Maya Motayne

❤️ The Poison Paradox by Hadley Field & Felix Green 🧡 Second Chances in New Port Stephen: A Novel by TJ Alexander 💛 Matrimonial Merriment by Nicky James 💚 Under the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Ramsden 💙 Every Beat of Her Heart by KC Richardson 💜 The Memories of Marlie Rose by Morgan Lee Miller ❤️ Playing with Matches by Georgia Beers 🧡 Always Only You by Chloe Liese 💛 Fire in the Sky by Radclyffe and Julie Cannon 💙 Nuclear Sunrise by Jo Carthage 💜 The Naked Dancer by Emme C. Taylor 🌈 Resurrections by Ada Hoffmann

❤️ Destiny’s Women by Morgan Elliott 🧡 Framed by Kate Merrill 💛 The Spoil of Beasts by Gregory Ashe 💚 Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert 💙 A Cynic’s Christmas Conundrum by L.M. Bennett 💜 Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn ❤️ One Swipe Away by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue 🧡 The Gentlemen’s Club by A.V. Shener 💛 A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold 💙 Secrets of the Soul by Holly Oliver 💜 Like They Do in the Movies by Nan Campbell 🌈 Limelight by Gun Brooke

❤️ Heart First by S.B. Barnes 🧡 Grave Consequences by Sandra Barret 💛 Haunted by Myth by Barbara Ann Wright 💚 Invisible by Anna Larner 💙 The Murders at Sugar Mill Farm by Ronica Black 💜 Coasting and Crashing by Ana Hartnett ❤️ Fairest by K.S. Trenten 🧡 A City of Abundant Opportunity by Howard Leonard 💛 The Dark Side of MIdnight by Erin Wade 💙 Mending Bones by Merlina Garance 💜 Transform by Connal Braginsky & Sean Ian O’Meidhir 🌈 The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill

❤️ TruLove by Nicole Pyland 🧡 Structural Support by Sloan Spencer 💛 Whiskey War by Stacy Lynn Miller 💚 Overkill by Lou Wilham 💙 Heart of Outcasts by Nicole Silver 💜 In the Shadow of Victory by J. E. Leak ❤️ Just Like Her by Fiona Zedde 🧡 Gingerbread: Claus For Christmas by Miski Harris 💛 Lies are Forever by C. Jean Downer 💙 The Boys in the Club by M.T. Pope 💜 Lasting Light (Metal & Magic) by Michelle Frost 🌈 Tell No Tales by Edie Montreux

❤️ Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 🧡 Even Though We're Adults Vol. 7 by Takako Shimura 💛 The Accidental Bite by Michelle St. Wolf 💚 Mated to the Demons by Taylor Schafer 💙 Someday Away by Sara Elisabeth 💜 Gatherdawn Luminia Duet Volume 1 by Lee Colgin ❤️ Curse of Dawn by Richard Amos 🧡 Healing the Twin by Nora Phoenix 💛 Ride Me by KD Ellis 💙 How to Bang a Vampire by Joe Satoria 💜 Cthulhu for Christmas by Meghan Maslow 🌈 Prestige by Toni Reeb

❤️ Don't Look Down by Jessica Ann 🧡 Winter and the Wolves by Chris Storm and Kinkaid Knight 💛 Hat Trick by Ajay Daniel 💚 Starborn Husbands: Return to the Pleiades by S. Legend 💙 Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume by Vawn Cassidy 💜 Practice for Toby by Amy Bellows ❤️ The Siren's Song by Crista Crown 🧡 Hers to Hunt K.J. Devoir

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labuenosairesfrancaise · 7 months ago

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The Hall Bradford-on-avon

Hi guys!!

I'm sharing The Hall Bradford-on-avon. This is the 12th building for my English Collection.

History of the house: The Hall was built around 1610 for John Hall, a wealthy mill owner, and is at the east end of the town. The Hall family of Bradford can be traced back to at least the 13th century, under the name of "De Aulâ" or "De la Sale" (salle being french for hall). John Hall's grandson, also named John Hall, had no legitimate children and left his estate to his great-niece Rachel Baynton. She later married William Pierrepont, who became Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull, giving the house its alternate names. After the second Duke died without issue, the house was sold to Thomas Divett, in 1802, who established a woollen mill, and sublet the house, which fell into disrepair. In 1848, the house was sold to Stephen Moulton, who undertook major restorations. During the restoration, many old documents were discovered, which were catalogued by Canon J.E.Jackson.

For more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hall,_Bradford-on-Avon

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This house fits a 50x40 lot (I think if you lose the gaden and terrace it can fit a 40x30 too)

It is not furnished, just the carcase for the house, so you can create the interiors to your taste!

Hope you like it.

You will need the usual CC I use:

all Felixandre cc

all The Jim,

SYB

Anachrosims

Regal Sims

King Falcon railing

The Golden Sanctuary

Cliffou

Dndr recolors

Harrie cc

Tuds

Lili's palace cc

Please enjoy, comment if you like it and share pictures with me if you use my creations!

DOWNLOAD free in my Patreon page. If you like it, please leave a comment

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a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives · 8 months ago

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‘I’ve starred in The Archers for 20 years but could never afford my own farm’

Fame & Fortune: The BBC actor on money mistakes, theatre hecklers, and his 20-year radio stint

Andrew Wincott, who plays Adam Macy on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, joined the cast in 2003 (Credit: Gary Moyes/The Archers)

Andrew Wincott is an actor, best known for playing Adam in the BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers, which he joined 20 years ago. After studying English and then doing teacher training at Oxford, the 61-year-old taught for two years before going to Webber Douglas drama school, where fellow actors Hugh Bonneville and Rebecca Front were contemporaries.

He then worked on the regional theatre circuit, and later became a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, before joining the cast of The Archers in 2003. The father of one lives in Clapham, south London.

How did your start in life affect your outlook on money?

My two brothers and I grew up in Oxfordshire where my parents ran a catering business.

But the 1970s were a difficult time for a lot of businesses, so after 10 years enjoying an idyllic life in the countryside, we moved into the flat above the restaurant and cake shop the family owned, Wincott’s, in Banbury.

Work always came first for my parents, so for a number of years we didn’t go away in the summer.

Did you receive pocket money?

Yes, and I spent it on Marvel comics, and later on albums like Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here, which I played endlessly in the mid-70s.

What was your first job?

After leaving school in 1978, before going to university, I worked at the Dragon Prep School in Oxford doing a variety of jobs, one of which involved keeping the headmaster’s drinks cupboard well-stocked, and serving gin and tonics at garden parties.

The G&Ts I poured were notoriously generous. Occasionally I even got to ‘sample’ the headmaster’s gin myself.

But my first proper acting job, which also secured my Equity card [a trade union for the performing arts], came after I gatecrashed an audition in 1987 and landed the part of Alec in Tess of the D’ Urbervilles at the Orchard Theatre Company in Barnstaple, which toured the West Country.

Wincott says starring in The Archers is like having ‘a second family’. Pictured here with Stephen Kennedy and Mairead McKinley (Credit: The Archers/David Burges)

How long did you work in regional theatre for? Was it lucrative?

The best part of a decade, appearing everywhere from Colchester to Perth, and Harrogate to Theatr Clwyd in Wales, doing both Shakespeare and modern plays, often playing leading roles.

Money was minimal – I was paid about £160-£170 a week on my first acting job – but the Equity Touring allowance helped.

Regional theatre allowed me to hone my skills as an actor. Once, I was heckled by an inebriated audience member who loudly greeted every entrance I made in Tess with a cry of “Asshole!”.

However, you just have to stay focused. He was gone by the interval – probably back to the bar. This was in Falmouth, now affectionately rebranded among friends as “Foulmouth”!

Have you experienced any lean times as an actor?

It took me nine months to land my first proper acting job, and until then I was working on the fringe – just earning expenses, or profit sharing if I was lucky.

Most actors have good years and bad years. So you have to set aside money to see you through the lean spells, as well as save enough to pay your tax bill at the end of the year.

How did you land the part of Adam in The Archers?

I actually played a Danish agricultural student for a few months in the 1990s – but then, a decade or so later, I was invited to audition with a dozen other actors for the role of Adam at Pebble Mill in 2003.

I heard nothing for 10 days, but was then asked to come back for a recall [second audition] and was offered the role.

Now, it's like having a second family. This month I’ve been a cast regular for almost exactly 20 years. Providing you aren’t written out (or killed off), there’s a certain security.

Coincidentally, my mother grew up on a Home Farm [a key location in the radio drama] and went to the same school, although not at the same time, as Godfrey Baseley, who created The Archers.

Does The Archers pay enough for you to buy a farm of your own?

The cast only works on The Archers for about one week in the month – we record blocks of episodes several weeks ahead of transmission – and radio pays somewhere between theatre and television.

So I doubt it would pay for a farm in the UK, though it might eventually just pay for a small farmhouse in rural Andalucia, where I enjoy spending time.

So who knows? I might become a Spanish granjero and grow olives one day.

You also find time to record audiobooks and video games?

I’ve recorded hundreds of audiobooks and video games over the last 15 years or so. An audiobook takes days, if not weeks, to prepare and then record in studio.

I’ve voiced everything from The Wind in the Willows to Nineteen Eighty-Four and the classics of Flaubert.

But it's hard work for often little reward. It can be fun creating bizarre voices for elves, orks or extraterrestrials in fantasy books, but the concentration required when the red light is on is second to none.

It's just you, the words on the page and the voices in your imagination.

In addition to his role on the BBC’s longest-running drama, Wincott has recorded hundreds of audiobooks and video games. Pictured with Stephen Kennedy (Credit: BBC/PA)

Have you got a pension?

Yes, I took out an Equity pension through my union years ago and still pay into it. I also have a SIPP.

What’s been your best investment?

The investment I made in going to drama school in the mid-1980s. Doing that gave me classical training as an actor. I probably wouldn’t be in The Archers today without that.

Do you own a property?

Yes, a second floor, two-bedroom flat in a property in Clapham, south London, dating back to the 1900s. I bought it for ��60,000 in 1991, though it’s now worth a considerable six-figure sum, I imagine.

It’s an excellent location for getting in and out of town.

Are you a spender or a saver?

Instinctively a saver. As an actor you never know what’s around the corner, and we know if we're working there will be tax to pay. Not to mention investing for the future.

What’s your greatest financial indulgence?

Every now and then, I'll spend a few days in southern Spain, specifically Las Alpujarras – the foothills of the Sierra Nevada – where I can recharge my batteries, or prepare a book for audio in tranquility. I'm learning Spanish now, too.

What has been your worst financial decision?

Buying into the Woodford Equity Investment Fund, as part of my SIPP.

Although Neil Woodford was considered a star fund manager, the fund collapsed and the administrator is now embroiled in collective litigation to recoup losses. Never a dull moment.

Do you donate to charity?

Yes, Art Fund, which facilitates the acquisition of artworks for the nation. Doing so also entitles you to half-price admission to special exhibitions, such as those at the Tate, the Courtauld or the National Gallery.

Do you plan to do a June Spencer (Peggy Archer) and still be in The Archers when you’re 100?

Who knows? The Archers is an extraordinary institution, part of our cultural fabric as a farming nation – it boasts such longevity, too.

Maybe my character will outlive me? I'd like to think he will… before the next generation takes over.

The Archers, Radio 4, weekdays at 7pm; Omnibus edition, Sundays at 10am

Source: The Telegraph

#andrew wincott #the archers #interview #bg3 #raphael #raphael bg3 #bg3 raphael

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 2 months ago

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Resistance affirms our character and conscience

November 12, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

The best use of your time today is to read the essay by Rebecca Solnit in The Guardian, Authoritarians like Trump love fear, defeatism, surrender. Do not give them what they want. While I urge you to read Solnit’s entire essay, the following excerpts were helpful to me:

[H]ope does not mean saying this is not bad, and it does not mean saying that we can defeat it. It just means saying we will keep showing up. That we will not give up. That we will assess our powers and weaknesses and recognize that the future we face looks grim, but we do not know how it will unfold, and neither do those we oppose. How it will unfold depends in no small part on what we do. People too often think hope is smiles and sunshine, when it’s fury in the face of danger and oppression, and pressing on in the storm. “Fight on” might sound like a lot now, but maybe you can at least not quit, even if you need to take time off, which is not the same thing as checking out.

Hold onto this advice: “Hope means we will keep showing up. At least not quit . . . even if you need to take time off.”

If you want to stop here (or after you read Solnit’s wonderful essay), I don’t blame you. The media coverage of the election outcome is becoming even more insufferable. Many commentators still seem to be taking joy by dancing on what they (wrongly) believe to be the grave of the Democratic Party. Everyone with a political agenda is interpreting the loss in a way that advances their interests and worldview.

The lack of humility and self-awareness of the commentariat is galling. None of them—not one—predicted this outcome. But that fact does not give them pause in declaring with pontifical certainty what the electoral outcome (allegedly) signifies.

Worse, most of the commentariat contributed to this outcome by normalizing Trump before the election. Having done so, they are amazed that Americans voted for an aspiring dictator who—according to them before the election—was a run-of-the-mill Republican who believes in free markets and small government.

So, I urge you not to look for answers from opinion writers in major media. Indeed, the “question” posed by the 2024 election outcome is not “Why did Democrats lose,” but “How will we respond?” That urgent question overrides efforts to slice and dice exit polls and assign blame for the loss.

Many are still recovering from the shock of the election outcome. Even as we do, we will face a flood of announcements about the incoming administration. Those announcements confirm the worst of what we feared about a second Trump administration.

Our warnings and alarm failed to pierce the awareness of the majority of those who voted last Tuesday. We must not relent. We must continue to raise the alarm so that the resistance emerges quickly and with strength.

In the discussion below, I address two of Trump's appointments and a worrisome procedural possibility involving the Senate. If that sounds like too much for you at this time, not to worry! Proceed directly to Concluding Thoughts. Everything I discuss below will be current in a week or month from now.

Trump's nominations for cabinet and senior staff positions confirm his mass deportation intentions

Trump ran on a platform of racism, misogyny, and white supremacy. Two of those platform planks—racism and white supremacy—were manifested through his pledge to engage in the “mass deportation” of ten million immigrants and their families. His first “nominations” confirm that he was deadly serious about that pledge. See NYTimes, Trump Transition Signals Focus on Deportations as Miller Assumes Influence. (Accessible to all.)

In the clearest signal possible, Trump has appointed Stephen Miller as the Deputy Chief of Policy, a position that will control the policy priorities of the incoming administration. Miller was one of the architects and head cheerleaders for Trump’s white supremacy agenda, including the child separation policy. See CNN, Former Breitbart Editor: Stephen Miller is a white supremacist. I know, I was one too.

Trump also announced that Tom Homan would serve as “Border Czar.” See HuffPo, Trump’s New 'Border Czar' Tells Democrats To 'Get The Hell Out Of The Way'.

Per HuffPo,

Homan served as the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during part of Trump’s first administration. He was a key figure in the effort to separate migrant children from their parents at the southern border with Mexico and a contributor to Project 2025. [Homan] told Democratic governors to “get the hell out of the way” as the upcoming administration prepares its mass deportation plans — or face unnamed consequences. “There will be a massive deportation operation because we have a massive, never-seen-before illegal immigration [wave],” Homan said during a Fox News appearance on Friday

Are you seeing a theme here? Dual architects of the “child separation policy” under Trump are again in key positions in his new administration. Trump ran on a policy of racism and white supremacy. He won on that platform. He is moving to implement those planks as the top priority of his administration.

Oh, and Tom Homan is a contributor to Project 2025—the master plan that Trump claims he never heard about.

If you favorite opinion columnist is telling you that the election was about inflation, they failed to listen to what Trump said in every rally and interview.

Trump urges the Senate to abdicate its role of “advice and consent” in confirming cabinet secretaries and senior officers in the administration

Timothy Snyder has counseled that a key aspect of resisting tyranny is “refusing to obey in advance.” Today, Trump demanded that the GOP Senate “obey in advance” by agreeing to go into recess so that Trump can appoint cabinet secretaries without Senate confirmations.

Although the issue of Senate recesses sounds technical, it may have a profound effect on Trump's ability to consolidate power in an extra-constitutional manner. I will give a brief summary here but recommend that you read Jay Kuo’s Substack essay in The Status Kuo, “Congressional Recession.” The details are set forth in Kuo’s article, so I will focus on the major points.

In short, the Constitution charges the Senate with the obligation to provide “advice and consent” regarding presidential nominations to agency heads and other “officers” designated by Congress. US Constitution Article II, Section 2.

The power and obligation to provide “advice and consent” over nominations is a key aspect of the balance of power in the Constitution. Trump has just demanded that the Senate abdicate that power by going into recess.

Per the Constitution (Art. II Sec 2),

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate . . . .

The power to make recess appointments was included when the Senate was in recess most of the time during the early years after adopting the Constitution in 1789. Now, however, the Senate is effectively in session continuously, so there is no need to circumvent the Senate confirmation process.

Moreover, Trump will have a majority in the Senate, so there is no reason to resort to recess appointments. Unless, of course, Trump wants to diminish the constitutional oversight role of Congress by demanding that the Senate “obey in advance.”

And “obey in advance” is what Senator Rick Scott did when he promised to give Trump the power to make recess appointments. Senator Scott made the promise as part of his groveling to obtain the role of majority leader in the Senate.

Trump's demand for recess appointment power confirms his intention to “be a dictator on day one.” The sane washing of Trump by the media must stop. Abuse of the recess appointment power should be loudly and vigorously condemned by every member of the commentariat currently wasting their time scolding Democrats for supporting an agenda that recognizes the dignity and humanity of all Americans.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#Robert b. Hubbell #Robert B.Hubbell Newsletter #recess appointment power #authoritarianism #revenge #anger #deportations #incoming #Timothy Snyder #refusing to obey in advance #fascism

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ghelgheli · 4 months ago

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Stuff I Read In August 2024

bold indicates favourites

Books

Minima Moralia, Theodor Adorno [link]

Joseph Stalin: A Political Biography, Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute

Exordia, Seth Dickinson

The Racial Contract, Charles W. Mills

Short Fiction

Esse est percipi, Jorge Luis Borges & Adolfo Bioy Casares [link]

The Proper Study, Isaac Asimov

2430 A.D., Isaac Asimov

The Greatest Asset, Isaac Asimov

The Jaunt, Stephen King [link]

There Will Come Soft Ruins, Ray Bradbury [link]

Harrison Bergeron, Kurt Vonnegut [link]

Billenium, J. G. Ballard [link]

The Food of the Gods, Arthur C Clarke

The Star, Arthur C Clarke

Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200, R. S. A. Garcia [link]

Queer &c.

Kill the Couple in Your Head, Anonymous [link]

Gender without Gender Identity: The Case of Cognitive Disability, Elizabeth Barnes [link]

The Woman Question, Lori Watson [link]

Being Your Best Self: Authenticity, Morality, and Gender Norms, Rowan Bell

Reimagining Transgender, Robin Dembroff [link]

Yep, I’m Gay: Understanding Agential Identity, Robin Dembroff & Catharine Saint-Croix [link]

Forgotten lives: Trans older adults living with dementia at the intersection of cisgenderism, ableism/cogniticism and ageism, Alexandre Baril & Marjorie Silverman [link]

Dementia and the gender trouble?: Theorising dementia, gendered subjectivity and embodiment, Linn J. Sandberg [link]

Pol

Moving Towards Life, Marina Magloire [link]

Rosa Luxemburg Foundation please note: ‘A time comes when silence is betrayal’, Haifa Zangana [link]

Beyond Orientalism and Islamophobia: 9/11, Anti-Arab Racism, and the Mythos of National Pride, Steven George Salaita

On misogynoir: citation, erasure, and plagiarism, Moya Bailey & Trudy [link]

Other

“Democratizing AI” and the Concern of Algorithmic Injustice, Ting-an Lin [link]

What is a (social) structural explanation? Sally Haslanger [link]

The Importance of `Godzilla' Cannot Be Overstated, Charlie Brigden [link]

The Special Effects in Citizen Kane, Wesley Tilford [link]

For Friendship to be Revolutionary, Sever [link]

#reading prog #BAD MONTH FOR IT!!!

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dechagnydevotee · 2 years ago

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audio gift- poto bway 7/31/22

you asked, I shall deliver

The Phantom of the Opera- Jeremy Stolle, Julia Udine, Greg Mills

Google drive:

MEGA:

Notes under the cut:

CAST: Jeremy Stolle (u/s Phantom of the Opera), Julia Udine (alt Christine Daaé), Greg Mills (u/s Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny), Janinah Burnett (Carlotta Giudicelli), Stephen Tewksbury (Monsieur André), Craig Bennett (Monsieur Firmin), Maree Johnson (Madame Giry), Carlton Moe (Ubaldo Piangi), Sara Esty (Meg Giry), Carrington Vilmont (Auctioneer), Joseph DePietro (Monsieur Reyer/Hairdresser), Kenneth Kantor (Monsieur Lefévre/Firechief), David Michael Garry (Joseph Buquet/Don Attilio), Scott Mikita (Passarino), Justin Peck (Hannibal Solo Dancer), Kfir (Il Muto Solo Dancer), Marni Raab (Page), Chris Georgetti (Porter/Fireman), Patricia Phillips (Spanish Lady), Satomi Hoffman (Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante), Elizabeth Welch (Princess), Kelly Jeanne Grant (Madame Firmin), Paul A. Schaefer (Marksman)

I’m not sure who was on for the Jeweler or the Innkeeper’s Wife.

Notes: Program pictures included in file. This is the first audio I’ve ever recorded, and it was not recorded with the intention of ever sharing it. That being said, you will hear me laughing, cheering, and possibly crying (....crying specifically during All I Ask of You). I also had a friend with me, so you will hear her whisper to me on occasion. The sound quality is pretty good, though. This was recorded from the third row and there are a couple nice details you can catch if you’re listening closely. I am sharing this for all the Jeremy Stolle stans because he was being such a menace in the best way during this performance. It’s also just such a fun trio, I was beyond delighted to have caught them. Though it haunts my dreams that Jordan Donica’s last show would have been with Jeremy Stolle had his run not ended early.

Let me know if either of the links aren’t working! Enjoy :)

@marleneoftheopera @nerdywriter36 you guys asked for this so here you go!

#poto bway #poto audio #audio gift #jeremy stolle

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justinspoliticalcorner · 7 months ago

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Matt Gertz at MMFA:

The right-wing media strategy of branding President Joe Biden as senile has always suffered from the major flaw that his public performance in major moments bears no resemblance to his depiction on Fox News and other Trumpist outlets. But with the president’s first debate with Donald Trump of the cycle looming on Thursday, the network’s hosts are building a rhetorical escape hatch in case Biden’s presentation once again exceeds the low expectations they’ve set for him: They’re claiming that before the event, Biden may take performance-enhancing drugs that conceal his cognitive decline. The right has baselessly pushed this conspiracy theory — for which no evidence has ever emerged — since at least 2020, when Trump tweeted that “only drugs” could explain Biden’s energetic performances in the Democratic primary debates. The narrative escalated earlier this year when right-wing influencers needed to concoct an explanation for Biden’s strong delivery of his State of the Union address. And it has reemerged as one of their preferred narratives in the lead-up to Thursday’s debate.

“The Joe Biden we’re talking about tonight I don’t think will be the Joe Biden we’re going to see on debate night,” Sean Hannity, a Trump political operative who also hosts a prime-time Fox show, told Lara Trump, the Republican National Committee co-chair and daughter-in-law to the former president, on June 17. Hannity added that Biden would be “hyper-caffeinated” and said he supports the idea of drug-testing the candidates before the debate. Hannity returned to the narrative all week long. He claimed Biden would be “jacked up” on “a lot of Red Bull, a lot of caffeine pills, whatever” to hide the “cognitive decline” which he called “obvious and troubling.” Those substances, Hannity asserted, would explain why Biden would be “screaming” and aggressive at the debate rather than “mumbling, bumbling, stumbling, and fumbling” and confused, as he is in the out-of-context video clips the host regularly shows his audience.

Hannity isn’t alone. Last week, Fox contributors Tyrus and Newt Gingrich both pushed the notion that Biden is using drugs. So did Trump adviser Stephen Miller and Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo’s panel. On Donald Trump Jr.’s show Triggered, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) suggested Biden would be on a “cocktail” before the debate which could include “amphetamine-type drugs like Adderall and things of that nature” as well as “things like Provigil, you know, that also just increase your alertness.” He reiterated his claims in a Fox Business interview over the weekend, demanding that the president “submit to a drug test before and after this debate, specifically looking for performance-enhancing drugs.” (Notably, Jackson’s medical operation as White House physician reportedly functioned as a pill mill for Trump White House staffers).

“Biden always performs better than expected on big nights,” Fox host Jesse Watters said on Friday. “It could be that he’s well-rested, studies hard. Or maybe it’s whatever’s in that orange drink. What is in that orange drink?” (Biden says his “favorite drink is orange Gatorade,” and numerous media outlets have reported that he drinks it regularly as president.) Trump himself has repeatedly gotten into the act on the campaign trail. “He’s gonna be so pumped up. He’s gonna be pumped up,” said the former president at a Wednesday rally, before suggesting that Biden uses cocaine. He claimed on Saturday that Biden would get “a shot in the ass” before the debate and come out all “jacked up.”

The right-wing have a sick fetish for pushing the “Joe Biden is senile” narrative to distract from the fact that their champion Donald Trump is far more senile.