#the tragedy of being born Second promotional tour

[houseofbrat]

Vanity Fair: Harry edition

A person who worked closely with the couple and “loves them” says, “I have no idea what [Harry’s] interests are beyond polo. No clue what his inner life is like.”

This person justifies my continuing belief that Harry is either intellectually or developmentally disabled, and the rest of the world just doesn't realize it yet.

People involved with production say the couple did trial runs on some big ideas, like a This American Life–style show where Harry and Meghan took turns hosting and talking to interesting civilian guests. As Bloomberg reported, Harry wanted to host a series where he interviewed powerful men with complicated stories, like Mark Zuckerberg, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump. The concept wasn’t just that the men shared challenging early lives; it was that their experiences made them into sociopaths, or so Harry envisioned, one person familiar with the ideation process says. (The person who worked in media confirms there was a “sociopath podcast.”) The person who worked closely with the couple on audio projects recalls Harry saying, “I have very bad childhood trauma. Obviously. My mother was essentially murdered. What is it about me that didn’t make me one of these bad guys?” To implore a season’s worth of world-famous sociopaths to talk about how they developed sociopathy would be what is referred to in access journalism as “a booking challenge.”

Quick fact check: Your mom wasn't murdered, Harry. She died because she didn't wear a seatbelt. Your step-grandfather didn't seem to think she was murdered.

And are the rest of us supposed to believe you don't have sociopathic tendencies, Harry? Some of us remember the rumors that you allegedly beat up a sex worker when you were training with the US military. Was that in San Diego? Perhaps you could refresh my memory. I'm sure there is Navy brass, who had to deal with your arrogant ass, that would have a different take as whether or not what you did constitutes conduct unbecoming an officer.

As time passed—it would be nearly two years between the couple’s deal signing and the premiere of Archetypes—Spotify began applying pressure to produce something (anything!) that people might listen to. The former Spotify employee says Harry came to the Los Angeles office once and asked for a cup of cocoa. There was none in the office, so employees scrambled to obtain some. An idea was pitched to Harry—what if he reviewed a hot chocolate every week while chatting with a different friend?—which he and his team considered and rejected. Another concept was that Harry would “fix” something every week, ranging from a flat tire to global warming. “He wanted to do a podcast about disabled people who compete in the Invictus Games,” the former Spotify employee says. “But there’s no crossover between the audience who would listen to that and people who want to hear about Harry’s life.” (Harry and Meghan did produce a 2023 Netflix docuseries called Heart of Invictus, which significantly underperformed Harry & Meghan.)

These might have been interesting. Maybe.

The former Spotify employee says it was challenging to engage Harry, and a person who interviewed for a job with the couple says, “I just felt like he kind of didn’t want to be there doing that at this time.... My expectation was ‘charming receiving line.’ And it was clear he wasn’t that person. At least that day.” And at least in the context of a hiring manager: A person who worked on an event during Harry’s book tour says he has the “greatest manners I’ve ever seen. Hands down. Like I can’t believe his knees are as supple as they are. He was getting up and down anytime somebody walked into a room.... He was unfailingly kind and friendly to everyone.”

Good manners go a long way. It may be his saving grace.

During the interview, the potential employee says, Harry’s attitude was either “Well, why should I do this?” or “Why are we doing this?” The interviewee says they wondered, “Didn’t Spotify pay you a lot of money to do this?” The person inside the couple’s circle says, “He looks like the kind of guy who would, frankly, happily work for charities for the rest of his life and would be very happy if Meghan made all the money and he didn’t need to.”

Working for charities is probably more than what can be said for his brother and sister-in-law at this point.

Harry and Meghan became increasingly nervous about how their content would impact them. Marie says, “I can say that they had really great ideas for shows, interesting pitches, interesting guests. But them as the deliverers or either of them as the hosts of these more kind of edgy ideas would have been like…they would have had to move again. I think it’s a combination of self-censorship for good reason and the corporate powers that be that run podcasting that don’t know what that is [to create valuable shows]. In combination, those things make it really hard to make good stuff.” The person who worked in media projects imitates the thought process behind any decision about the couple’s projects: “Well, he has a million things that he has to protect, and he has the book, and they have the documentary, and they don’t want to make the queen upset, and their public image.…”

Spare, Harry’s best-selling and beautifully written (by J.R. Moehringer) memoir, chronicles the prince’s lonely former life with MRI-level self-examination—if not always top-tier self-awareness. Harry recounts an anti-poaching trip to Namibia in which he insisted on sleeping outdoors despite his team telling him, “We just saw proof that there are lions out here, boss.” Harry claims everyone with him—including a bodyguard, local police, a ranger, and Namibian soldiers who were all there to protect him—went to bed in their tents or trucks rather than staying up to ensure he wasn’t eaten by lions in the night. The book also discusses in great detail Harry’s issues with his family, opening on his reunion with now King Charles and Prince William, who in addition to “beloved brother” Harry describes as his “arch nemesis,” possessing a “familiar scowl” and “alarming baldness.” It doesn’t get more flattering for Willy in the ensuing pages. At an event in 2023, someone privately asked Harry if he’d heard from his family. He said he hadn’t. This person asked Harry if he thought he was going to, and he said he hoped so. “That’s sort of what made me so sad,” the source says. “His hope seemed very genuine. And I was just kind of like, ‘Oh, no.’ ” The source believed Harry hadn’t absorbed the gravity of what it would mean to sell millions of copies of a tell-all book about a famously insular and circumspect family in the middle of a years-long public relations crisis. “The power of the written word, and the power of the narrative…” this person went on. “I don’t know if that’s something he understood while he was doing it.”

I'm telling you, again, intellectually and/or developmentally disabled.

It explains EVERYTHING.

Harry is currently involved in two other lawsuits that further alienate him from his home country and its tabloid media. He is moving forward with an invasion of privacy case against Sun publisher News Group Newspapers, which follows a settlement from Mirror Group Newspapers for a phone-hacking charge. But more isolating is the suit regarding state police protection for him and his family when they are in Britain, which Harry, Meghan, and their older child, Archie, were stripped of when they left the UK in 2020. There are clear dangers to the family’s safety—a person who worked closely with them says strangers take Lyfts to their house, and in 2023 the couple was involved in what a spokesperson called a “near catastrophic car chase” with paparazzi. (There were no injuries, collisions, or charges filed.) The person who interacted with Harry in 2023 also described a “very scary paparazzi situation” after employees at the hotel where Harry was staying allegedly tipped off photographers to his presence. Nevertheless, the High Court in London twice struck down the UK lawsuit. Harry is appealing.

Now it's just one lawsuit, the RAVEC one. And Harry is living in a country with lots and lots of guns. And he's still alive. So I guess the UK can't be that bad, can it?

According to someone familiar with Harry and Meghan, the legal case was at least part of the reason Harry didn’t attend the June wedding of his longtime friend Hugh Grosvenor, ​​Duke of Westminster. The source says if he’d come back for the event, it could have imperiled his claim that he needs government-funded protection. “‘Well, you were here in May and you were absolutely fine attending a wedding,’” the source says, imagining the response in court. “So I’m sure a lot of the decisions about time in the UK are also being made based on how it looks for the case.”

And Harry is still alive and well in a country with lots and lots of guns. And a state with wildfires and mudslides.

But who is the real Harry, now that he’s been released from the zoo in which he was raised? By one telling, the person who interacted professionally with Meghan says he’s socially marooned beyond his nuclear family. “She was up-front about the fact that Harry hadn’t made many friends yet,” the source says of Meghan’s assessment of her husband. The person who worked in media projects with the couple also has a guess. “I think Harry doesn’t know what he wants because he grew up in a fishbowl, and so he doesn’t know what real life really is,” they say. “I think he probably wants to be left alone and be able to go kiss babies every once in a while but not have to worry about money. I don’t think he wants to be famous the way Meghan wants to be famous.”

Everyone knows that last sentence. Except Harry.

Harry and Meghan are, in the estimation of everyone Vanity Fair spoke with, deeply in love. “They are so hot for each other,” the person who worked closely with them said. “Like, you know how you meet those couples where you’re like, the way they’re looking at each other, I should probably not be here right now?” When Harry is solo, the person inside the couple’s circle says, “he’s very personable, he’s very at ease with people, quite like Diana... he just has this way of, like, making people feel very comfortable.” When he’s in public with Meghan, “there is a circus,” the source says. “He’s so protective of her because people are so nasty to her.... It’s a whole different experience.”

Gee, "a circus" when wifey is around? Is that because wifey wants it that way?

Harry has explicitly drawn parallels between his wife and his late mother. “My deepest fear is history repeating itself,” Harry wrote in a 2019 statement about Meghan’s treatment by the press. “I’ve seen what happens when someone I love is commoditised to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person. I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces.”

Well, it's not 2019 anymore, and you and your wife don't live in the UK. You live in the USA with the guns, wildfires, raging car traffic, mudslides, and a much freer press.

While Harry is vigilant about Meghan’s safety, the person who worked closely with them says Meghan’s role in their dynamic is caregiver and facilitator; she’s the one who makes things happen. “Pre-Meghan,” says the person familiar with the couple, “Harry would just pop in [to the palace press office], ask a few questions, and leave, like he was a little bored but also very keen.” It’s almost impossible to imagine today’s Harry willingly engaging with the media in search of purpose. The source who worked with Harry and Meghan says, “I can picture him meeting Meghan and being just a deep breath of, like, ‘I’ve been so exhausted, and you make everything so easy.’... I don’t want to be like, oh, it’s an Oedipus thing or whatever, but it kind of feels like she’s reparenting him in a way.”

You mean like this? The "burping"?

It’s a charming (if Freudian) dynamic—a husband and wife who organize each other’s lives and well-being, who flirt and hold hands and want the world to be a better place, even to the exclusion of evidence that suggests their well-meaning way of disrupting institutions is not always the best approach. That instinct to do things as Harry and Meghan believed they should be done, rather than how they are typically accomplished, was exacerbated during their time as senior working royals. It led to conflict with Harry’s family and palace staff, the reporter says, because Harry “doesn’t understand himself. He doesn’t understand a monarchy. His family didn’t do a very good job of inculcating him into the family legend partially because he didn’t care; partially because he was just kind of abandoned at the age of eight.”

That kid was never "abandoned," and if he was, he somehow managed to learn "the greatest manners" out of that imaginary abyss.

Of course "he doesn't understand a monarchy." Once you realize that he's (allegedly) intellectually disabled, you realize he doesn't have the capacity to understand the ins and outs of government. Of course he can only understand polo and simple things! Those are things at his level!

When Charles ascended the throne after Elizabeth’s death, the couple’s children became Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Some people familiar with the production of Archetypes and Harry’s book tour said they were instructed to address the couple as sir or ma’am, though the request was dropped in one instance after the person pushed back.

I still don't think those titles are going to last very long, and I'm not surprised someone pushed back about the sir & ma'am nonsense as they're not in the military.

The source familiar with the couple says it’s important to note that Harry isn’t an anti-monarchist. “He just didn’t like the way things were run within the institution,” he says. “His issues are about people and behaviors, not tradition.”

I doubt Harry has the knowhow to detail that in an email.

Seriously doubt he could do that.

[houseofbrat]

Is this an actual quote from the book? 

“I pulled away, refused to meet his gaze. He forced me to look into his eyes. Listen to me, Harold, listen! I love you, Harold! I want you to be happy."

If so, it sounds like it comes from a romance novel. Seriously. Change the brothers to lovers and it would fit right in with any romance novel.

I bet Meg plagiarized it from some other novel. 

“I pulled away, refused to meet his gaze. He forced me to look into his eyes. Listen to me, Harold, listen! I love you, Harold! I want you to be happy."

How does this do anything but make William look like a saint? ! The whole episode makes harry like like an ungrateful bastard in the face of a loving caring brother.

"Willy lunged at me and told me he loved me..." Monstrous.

[justforbooks]

Jacqueline Worms de Romilly was born on March 26, 1913. He was a Franco-Greek philologist, classical scholar and fiction writer. She was the first woman nominated to the Collège de France, and in 1988, the second woman to enter the Académie française.

She is primarily known for her work on the culture and language of ancient Greece, and in particular on Thucydides.

Born in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, she studied at the Lycée Molière. As a schoolgirl, she became the first female to qualify for a prize in the Concours général, taking the first prize in Latin to French translation and second prize in Ancient Greek in 1930. She then prepared for the École Normale Supérieure at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. She entered the class of 1933 of the ENS Ulm. She passed the agrégation in Classics in 1936; however, because she was of Jewish ancestry, the Vichy government suspended her from her teaching duties during the Occupation of France. She became a doctor of letters at the University of Paris in 1947. Her doctoral thesis, a "masterful" treatment of Athenian imperialism in Thucydides, was published as Thucydide et l'impérialisme athénien, and subsequently translated into English as Thucydides and Athenian Imperialism.

After being a schoolteacher, she became a professor at Lille University and subsequently at the Sorbonne, between 1957 and 1973. She later was promoted to the chair of Greek and the development of moral and political thought at the Collège de France — the first woman nominated to this prestigious institution. In 1988, she was the second woman (after Marguerite Yourcenar) to enter the Académie française, being elected to Chair #7, which was previously occupied by André Roussin.

She published dozens of works on Greek philosophy, language and literature but her lifelong passion was Thucydides, the historian of the Peloponnesian War.

Outside academia she was best known to the French public for touring French schools and giving talks about the culture of ancient Greeks. She was a staunch defender of teaching of humanities in French schools, believing that an understanding of the classics was essential to understanding democracy, the liberty of the individual and the virtue of tolerance. In 1984 she published L’Enseignement en détresse, a book about declining standards in French schools. Her position in the Académie française enabled her to mount a defence of classical languages and literary culture, which she stated “may well be as endangered as the fauna of the oceans or the water of our rivers”.

She was horrified by the 1988 vote to simplify aspects of the French language in primary schools and in 1992 she founded an Association for the Defence of Literary Studies.

In 1995, she obtained Greek nationality and in 2000 was named as an Ambassador of Hellenism by the Greek government. A one-time president of the Association Guillaume Budé, she remained an honorary president until her death at a hospital in Boulogne-Billancourt at the age of 97.

After having only received baptism in 1940, she fully converted to Maronite Catholicism in 2008, aged 95.

De Romilly's two monographs on the ancient Greek historian Thucydides have been credited with "alter[ing] the landscape of Thucydidean scholarship" and "the beginning of a new era". In 2002, Danish classical scholar Anders Holm Rasmussen described her views on Thucydides' ideology of empire as still "one of the most important viewpoints" with which modern scholars can engage. Published first in 1956, her work Histoire et raison chez Thucydide is still in print in the original French today, and was translated into English as The Mind of Thucydides after her death. De Romilly believed that Thucydides's intelligent, reflective approach held lessons relevant to the Europe of today.

De Romilly also published outside the field of Greek historiography. In recent years, the value of her work Time in Greek Tragedy has been recognized by scholars working not only on Greek drama but also on Aristotle's metaphysics of time.

In 2016, Rosie Wyles and Edith Hall edited a volume called Women Classical Scholars: Unsealing the Fountain from the Renaissance to Jacqueline de Romilly, a history of pioneering women born between the Renaissance and 1913 who played significant roles in the history of classical scholarship.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[dramioneficrecommendations]

Hiii I accidentally jumped in dramione fandom, and I'm looking for good stuff for this weekend. Could pls tell me your 5 (or more)favorite dramione fics ever? Thanks!

I hope you like it here and stay with us… forever. LOL (Honestly, we have the best fics and authors in the entire HP fandom.)

Here are some of my all-time favourite Dramione fics (you can also check out my fic rec tag):

Revert by SUPRNTRAL LVR: Six months post-war, Malfoy is in serious trouble. He’s on the run from the Ministry, Death Eaters, and a deadly curse which is eating him alive. When he hits rock bottom, a change in fortune lands him in 12 Grimmauld Place under the Ministry’s custody - and forces Hermione to remember the secrets they’ve both kept for years. Dramione, Sick!Draco, flashbacks to Hogwarts, hurt. Rated: M - Chapters: 24 - Words: 260,266

Manacled by SenLinYu: Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret locked away in her mind. She is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve, to be bred and monitored until it can be accessed. COMPLETE. Rated: M - Chapters: 77 - Words: 384,000

Isolation by Bex-chan: He can’t leave the room. Her room. And it’s all the Order’s fault. Confined to a small space with only the Mudblood for company, something’s going to give. Maybe his sanity. Maybe not. “There,” she spat. “Now your Blood’s filthy too!” DM/HG. PostHBP. Now complete with epilogue. Rated: M - Chapters: 49 - Words: 284,050

Five Days by RavieSnake: No one knows that they are missing. No one knows where they are. No one knows that they are trapped. No one knows that they are dying. Dramione. WINNER for Best Drama/Angst and Best Tragedy in the Winter 2017 Dramione Fanfiction Awards! Rated: M - Chapters: 14 - Words: 32,001

Aurelian by BittyBlueEyes: Two years after the war, a young stranger pays a visit to the burrow. His arrival alone is baffling, but the news he brings of an upcoming war turns the world upside down. Hermione’s quiet, post-war life will never be the same. Rated: T - Chapters: 43 - Words: 270,571

The Politician’s Wife by pir8fancier: Hermione hates Draco in the springtime, Hermione hates Draco in the fall, Hermione hates Draco 247. Rated: M - Chapters: 14 - Words: 68,629

The Revenant by atalanta84: Sometimes fate brings us far from home, and sometimes it brings us back again. When a friend’s mysterious death causes Draco Malfoy to return to Britain, he is finally forced to face his past, and the love he left behind. A story about second chances. Rated: M - Chapters: 10 - Words: 67,866

The Fool, the Emperor, and the Hanged Man by ianthewaiting: Ten years after the fall of the Dark Lord, Hermione Granger leads of life of self-imposed obscurity, that is, until the day Headmistress Minerva McGonagall is murdered and a certain ‘hero’ is responsible. DM/HG, written originally in 2007-2008, and finally making its debut here! AU, DH-EWE, non-canon elements, time travel, character death, etc. Rated: M - Chapters: 28 - Words: 229,334

The Dragon’s Bride by Rizzle: 7th year. Draco & Hermione awaken in a Muggle hotel room, naked, hung-over and tattooed. They also happen to be married. Thus begin a desperate search for a solution to their sticky situation. Rated: M - Chapters: 61 - Words: 225,164

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen: COMPLETE: Hermione’s eighth year at Hogwarts is already going to be difficult in the aftermath of the war, but it is further thrown into upheaval when Headmistress McGonagall orders a re-sorting of all students to promote inter-house unity. But when the Sorting Hat sends Hermione to Ravenclaw with Draco - and without Harry or Ron, how will she cope? [AU/Dramione] Prevalent alchemy. Rated: M - Chapters: 70 - Words: 306,322

Thirteenth Night by Nelpher: When Hermione is assigned to keep tabs on a memory-charmed Draco, she is faced with a decision that could change her life forever. Rated: M - Words: 77,997 Chapters: 23

Ordinary People by inadaze22: “Let me be clear about something tonight, Granger. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted. It’s always been you.” Draco steps in the fireplace, drops the Floo powder, and disappears in a burst of green flames. Rated: M - Chapters: 18 - Words: 133,759

This, Too, Is Sacred by HeartOfAspen: COMPLETE: An ancient power has required generations of purebloods to pledge their lives to the blood pact. Draco has long known he was born to uphold this tradition… but Hermione’s parents have secrets, hidden details about her heritage, and soon it will be her turn to cast in with fate. [Dramione AU] Fantastic cover art by Witches-Britches. Rated: M - Chapters: 23 - Words: 90,994

Gravity by luckei1: It’s about arranging stacks of books, wall colours, and jumping off a cliff. Draco/Hermione Rated: T - Chapters: 10 - Words: 87,155

Dystopia (new version) by Rizzle: Kidnapped and expecting to be abandoned to his fate, Draco Malfoy writes a personal account of recent life, love and loss after the end of the Second Wizarding War. His story encompasses two unforgivable acts, a wedding, a divorce, a kidnapping and maybe, just maybe…a rescue. Rated: M - Chapters: 15 - Words: 19,885 

A Slow Cruel Descent by SenLinYu: The war grinds on and Hermione Granger is captured. Unable to crack her through interrogation without risking her mind, Voldemort conceives a cruel method of breaking her that involves Draco Malfoy. “He stared at her in disgust. She looked— broken. The fire she’d still had when she was dragged in was now extinguished. Her eyes were locked on his face like she were memorizing him.” Rated: M - Chapters: 2 - Words: 8,687 (Sequel: A Fragile Ascent)

Heavy Lies the Crown by luckei1: For seven years, Draco has carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and just when he thinks he’ll be released, something happens that will make him seek help from the last person he could have imagined. Rated: M - Chapters: 36 - Words: 289,967

To Wear a Dragon’s Skin by creativelymundane: When Bellatrix Lestrange takes control of the wizarding world after the demise of Voldemort, the remnants of the Order keep fighting. Seven years later, Draco brings Hermione a piece of magic that might be the key to finally ending the war. Together they will destroy Bellatrix Lestrange or die trying. Violence, Implicit Rape, Sexual Situations. Rated: M - Chapters: 26 - Words: 137,484

A Pound of Flesh by PennilynNovus: One night at a strip club, Hermione is faced with someone from her past, and an opportunity too good to pass up. What starts as revenge quickly grows into something else, and she may find it to be more than she can handle. Limes, Lemons, M. Rated: NC-17 - Chapters: 33

A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy by Countess of Abe: Draco loves his son more than anything in the world. So, when his ex-wife plans to take his son away, Draco asks the most unlikely person for help. Hermione must decide whether changing her entire life is worth helping the man she hates unconditionally. Rated: M - Chapters: 25 - Words: 136,998

Apple Pies and Other Amends by ToEatAPeach: “It’s a veritable PTSD tour. With pastries. And hand-skimmed clotted cream. And Hermione has no idea why she’s doing it, but it’s becoming very apparent that she is.” Sometimes you’re sad. Sometimes you need dessert. And sometimes, it’s a little of both. [COMPLETE, DRAMIONE] Rated: M - Chapters: 30 - Words: 80,226

Fairy Stone by Colubrina: Draco is sentenced to one year in Azkaban, release contingent upon someone willing to vouch for his good behavior. Hermione does. “Oh, I want you,” he said. “You, just you, always you. You forever and you for always and you until the bloody sun explodes.” Dramione. COMPLETE. Rated: M - Chapters: 4 - Words: 13,827

The Mountain and The Sea by Alexis.Danaan: Hermione Granger was perfectly happy with her life, her job as a Healer Trainee, her ugly cat and her cute little house in the countryside. And then Draco Malfoy had to go and mess that all up, typical git. Post-Hogwarts, EWE, OOC, creature!fic. 18 Rated: M - Chapters: 12 - Words: 43,464

Celestial Navigation by phlox: Lost, without direction, unable to find your way home? Coming soon, a new Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes Ekeltronic to guide you on your journey! *Your mileage may vary.*Rated: T - Chapters: 3 - Words: 13,640

Waiting Room by Nelpher: A series of encounters with Draco Malfoy in the waiting room at St. Mungo’s teaches Hermione about love, friendship, and the intersection thereof. Rated: T - English Words: 61,418 Chapters: 14

Voices by Kyonomiko: Hermione has long accepted she might not make it through the war alive, but after years on the battlefield, she never expected to be at the mercy of Draco Malfoy. Not untouched by his own experiences, his manic behavior leaves her living in constant fear of the unknown, suffering both affections and afflictions at his hands. Rated: M - Chapters: 3 - Words: 19,724

Friend Number Three by riptey: COMPLETE - How do you deal with the Pureblood aristocracy, Ministry corruption, Muggle culture invasions, and constant questions about your love life while juggling more than two friends and not being a total jerk? Don’t ask Draco: he doesn’t know. D/Hr Rated: T - Chapters: 26 - Words: 138,388

Seven Days In April by inadaze22: They were still the same people with the same problems on either side of a bathroom door. Rated: T - Chapters: 7 - Words: 40,097 

Everything Changes by inadaze22: “Thank you for cheating on me, Ron. It’s the best thing you could’ve done. Thank you for stopping me from making the worst mistake of my life.” My first Dramione story. Rated M for strong language and sexual content. Rated: M - Chapters: 17 - Words: 76,191 

Out of the Silent Planet by ianthe_waiting: Post-Hogwarts - Hermione Granger fulfills Severus Snape’s final wish, to journey to Japan to ‘retrieve’ something of importance. Set eleven years after HBP. Rated: NC-17 - Chapters: 39 - Words: 229,710

Ardent Bonds by Musyc: Maybe it was wrong to think about this, maybe it was horrible to even consider, but if Draco Malfoy liked to dominate, she couldn’t stop herself from picturing it. Picturing him. Rated: E - Words: 16,741 - Chapters: 1

Seven Times by kerriclifford240879: Seven times can mean a lifetime of change. Rated: M - Chapters: 7 - Words: 16,526

[irinapaleolog]

The Rise of Skywalker Does a Terrible Disservice to the Women of Star Wars

Besides Reylo, one of the great marketing tools of the Star Wars sequel trilogy was its emphasis on girl power, as well its subversion of class dynamics. The films showed that women -- even poor, destitute women with no connections to powerful men -- could play the same role in the franchise as every cocky flyboy or adopted son of a moisture farmer. Unfortunately, and despite the press tour assurances from the cast and crew that Rey and her gal pals are here to lead a new generation of fans into the new world of gender equality, The Rise of Skywalker makes sure that none of the women of the franchise gets to live happily ever after nor establish any lasting romantic connection.

Instead, Episode IX leans heavily into the tired trope of the "strong female character" that has to resign from silly notions like love and family to live up to her full potential. Adding insult to injury, the film removes all agency from the women, and instead thrusts them onto a straight-and-narrow path of contrived choices foisted upon them by male characters or by the Force -- which, in J.J. Abrams' movie, acts not as the power that propels life in the universe, but like the mean Catherine de Bourgh of Pride and Prejudice.

Let's start with Leia Organa, whose call for help in The Last Jedi was ignored by the entire galaxy. However, Lando Calrissian, who has been hanging around on Pasaana doing who knows what, just has to say the word for an entire legacy fleet to appear out of nowhere. Then there's the handling of her Jedi training, which she gave up because she felt the Force might corrupt her unborn son -- a narrative choice that comes out of left field but that mirrors the real-world dilemma of women giving up promotions for fear that their careers might get in the way of parenting.

But we could argue that Leia's arc in Episode IX is clunky because Abrams had limited footage of the late Carrie Fisher. But what about the characters portrayed by living actresses?

There's Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran, who had a major role in The Last Jedi with an interesting arc of her own. Unfortunately, a vocal segment of Star Warsfans loathed the character and harassed the actress until she left social media. Things looked brighter when Abrams announced Tran would rejoin the cast in The Rise of Skywalker and that her role would be even better. She was billed as a general, an essential part of the Resistance; Tran went on a press tour and talked about the great feminine energy of the set. The comes The Rise of Skywalker, where Rose appears three times, speaks four lines, and is sidelined to the "really important job" of tech support, with her connection with Finn never addressed. In The Rise of Skywalker, Rose doesn't get romance, connections, friendship, a job, or a story of her own -- something that should please the most toxic fans.

Then there's Jannah, played by Naomi Ackie, another "strong female character." The twist this time is that, like Finn, she's a former Stormtrooper who mutinied and defied an order to kill a bunch of villagers. For a few seconds, her story is hopeful and fascinating, and teases the line from the trailer that "good people will fight if we lead them," that free will and the power of the individual are concepts that exist in Abrams' Star Wars.

How foolish of the audience to hold such hope. Jannah and Finn explain theyweren't the ones who decided to spare the innocent villagers; it was a feeling. The Force takes care of silly dramatic concepts like agency, choice and heroism. Jannah is not a good person because of her actions, but because the Force willedher to be one. The only funny thing about this depressing predeterministic twist is that it also works as an apt metaphor for the actions of the characters in The Rise of Skywalker, who do things not because they make sense, but because the script -- the Force -- says so. To add another nail to the coffin, The Rise of Skywalker Visual Dictionary hints at Lando being Jannah's father, yet another woman of Star Wars whose story doesn't matter unless she's related to a legacy male character.

Moving on, Keri Russell plays Zorii Bliss, a spice runner from Kijimi who essentially wears Leia's slave outfit, only with thermal underwear. Zorii's only purpose in the story is to provide a tragic background for Poe Dameron, as well as a potential love interest. She's also a glorified MacGuffin holder (twice!), and one of the many characters that Abrams fake-kills to ignite an emotional response from the viewer in a desperate effort to make Poe sympathetic. Zorii's role could have easily been filled by Rose, who was an actual tech whiz with a questionable past and a potential massive beef against Poe. After all, he's directly responsible for her sister's death.

Let's move on to Rey (Daisy Ridley), who is retconned from being a resilient orphan scavenger strong in the Force... to receiving her powers from a male bloodline. Now, to be perfectly clear, there's nothing wrong with overly dramatic space operas where everyone is related to a royal family, but this "reveal" goes against the premise of The Force Awakens and the heart of The Last Jedi, which proposes that anyone can be a hero.

There were no hints at all about this "twist" -- not in the movies, in the animated series or in the ancillary material, which makes it feel like a last-minute decision designed to appease those fans who accused Rey of being an overpowered Mary Sue, overlooking one of the most common Mary Sue tropes: their tendency to be secretly related to important canon characters.

Another Mary Sue trope exploited in The Rise of Skywalker, but that wasn't even touched in the previous two movies, is the female character sacrificing herself for the greater good, only to be saved at the last minute by a man, which is exactly what happens here. This double-whammy of "being powerful because of grandad" and "getting to live because of a man" is particularly egregious, and caters to no one, because of what happens right after Ben Solo sacrifices himself. We'll get to that in a moment.

Then there's the Force vision scene. Rey already had a trippy Force vision in The Last Jedi, a deep dive into an array of feminine symbology that she wasn't afraid to confront, from which she emerged heartbroken but stronger. In The Rise of Skywalker, this moment is undercut and shows Rey terrified of the darker, sexier, powerful version of herself, which is a hard pill to swallow. Rey explicitly says that she has nightmare visions where she and Kylo Ren are the evil Empress and Emperor of the Galaxy, linking the fulfillment of her desires to the galaxy's apocalypse. In Episode IX, romantic love is a flaw that the "strong female character" should overcome, but sex is pure evil.

Her visceral rejection of her dark side is also a 180 turn on her chill acceptance of her darkness in The Last Jedi. In the real world, women are taught from a young age to hide their negative feelings, to smile and live to be pleasant to everyone, to not be loud or angry or intense. That mentality only makes things easier for everyone in the world who is not a woman, and runs contrary to the quickly angered but enthusiastic scavenger of the previous two movies. However, by the end of The Rise of Skywalker, Rey has transformed into this Cool Girl version of Ideal Femininity/Strong Woman Character.

Ben Solo's death right after his redemption and first kiss should have been treated like a tragedy at least by Rey, and at least for one minute... but she does not react at all. The camera cuts from Ben's clothes folding as he disappears to Rey's neutral expression as she flies back to the Resistance. His death, and any emotional reaction that it might have caused in the protagonist, is not mentioned at all, which is baffling, to say the least. After a brief reunion with Finn and Poe, Rey immediately regresses on-screen to a lonely child on a desert planet, sliding down a Tatooine sand dune and negating her evolution for the last two movies, just so Abrams could throw in a homage to himself.

For the sake of argument, let's take Rey's reveal of her villainous ancestry at face value, and let's imagine that Disney had prepared this reveal from The Force Awakens: Her ending is still insulting, because it forces her to pay for the actions of her grandfather, despite having suffered as much as anyone from his evil ways. Palpatine's murderous pursuit of his son's family was what caused Rey to grow up heartbroken and abandoned on Jakku.

Rey longed for family and love her entire life; she jumped at the opportunity to establish a real connection with Han Solo, Maz Kanata, Finn, Leia, Luke and Kylo Ren, and in The Rise of Skywalker she looks longingly at the Pasaana children, clearly wanting a family of her own. Rey marveled at the green of Takodana in The Force Awakens and at the water of Ahch-To in The Last Jedi. Just like Anakin, she hated the desert. So why does the plot force her to go back to Tatooine to take on the Skywalker name, a planet where none of the Skywalkers, Organas or Solos were born; that Anakin and Luke longed to escape; where Shmi Skywalker was enslaved twice and then killed; and where Leia became Jabba's sex doll? Wouldn't it make more sense for her to head to verdant, watery Naboo, where both Palpatine and Padmé came from, the place where the latter wanted to raise her Skywalker twins?

But, no, Rey doesn't get to live where she would be logically happier, or where it makes sense; she goes where the fan service is stronger, and the twin suns of Tatooine were unparalleled -- until now. When an old woman asks Rey her family name, she answers "Skywalker," which doesn't hold up to close examination. Luke Skywalker refused to train her, Leia's name was Organa, Ben and Han were Solos, and she's standing on the Lars' buried homestead. And although it makes sense that she would lie about her true ancestry, denying the Palpatine name still reeks of burying her darker side, which worked really well for the Jedi Order.

Compare this ending of a lonely girl on a barren planet lying to strangers about her family name to the ending of The Return of the Jedi, where Luke, Han, and Leia are surrounded by life and celebration, and everyone is radiant with love and living family. Or compare it to the ending of The Last Jedi, where a Force-sensitive boy is looking up at shooting star. Or even the final scene of Revenge of the Sith, which takes place in the same spot after the fall of the Republic, the death of Padmé and the rise of Darth Vader -- but at least in that little spot there's love, family, life and hope.

Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant.

[houseofbrat]

🙌🙌🙌🙌 Hear hear!

https://twitter.com/MTSundayExpress/status/1621285049491488768?s=19

Also look at the comments, he was never at "death's door" as he so dramatically puts it 🙄

[allie1804-fan]

Please Assist Me

So this is a new fic. I’ve not fully worked out where it’s taking me so watch this space. I’ve written quite a bit so let’s see how anyone likes the first little bit!

Chapter 1

He said

She was the third person we’d seen that morning. Cheryl was with me. I knew I could rely on her instincts to sniff out anyone the agency had sent who was likely to spell trouble. Of course, the agency promised to screen people so you didn’t get a nutter or an under-cover journo applying but Cheryl didn’t have total faith in their skills.

The first two had basically proved her right, being far more interested in looking round my house, asking who I might have visiting or unsubtly trying to see what freebies there might be than in finding out what the job really entailed. I was about to embark on my second directing project and I had an acting part too, so knew I was going to be all in as usual. That dedication to work would mean taking care of daily life would fall by the wayside.  I’d need someone to take care of travel arrangements if I was needed out of town, there would be some bills to pay, grocery shopping and all the other day to day crap like being around for deliveries or letting a plumber in or making sure birthday cards were sent. I didn’t say so but basically I was after an old style wife but without the relationship! I also needed to keep a certain amount of control, a small chink of ‘real’ if you will. So, if it was my sister’s birthday, I’d choose the gift and write the card but maybe I could use some help finding options to choose from given how busy I would be on set.

Sophia was the first of the interviewees who seemed to grasp the importance of this aspect to me and she asked good questions about the practicalities of me being involved where necessary. She was also the only one who seemed like she knew her way around a kitchen and one of my needs was going to be a little food preparation every now and again especially as I needed to watch my diet to keep in shape for the demands of the role.

After 2 more, frankly useless candidates were seen and ruled out, we both agreed that Sophia was the one. She wouldn’t be able to travel with me on shoots or promotional tours as she had 2 small children, but my main needs were going to be at home for the foreseeable future and things like buying a gift or a card for someone could be managed at a distance with modern technology and planning. A week after the interview, Sophia came over again for an induction session.

It took me a moment to invite her in – I was kind of stunned as I looked at her – I don’t think I’d really taken in how attractive she was at the interview,  being focussed on the interviewing task and making sure I was asking each interviewee exactly the same questions in order to be fair. That morning she was like a sunflower, clad in a bright yellow, sleeveless sundress. Her long brown hair was up in a practical ponytail and the dress contrasted beautifully with her tanned arms and legs, highlighting her Latin American heritage.

She followed me down the hallway to the kitchen, clutching a notebook which she’d brought to make notes on the tasks. By the end of our session, I felt in safe hands and she left with everything she needed to be my personal assistant starting with a one month trial period.

She said

My first real life encounter with Keanu was when I had an interview for the role of personal assistant. I hadn’t ever done a role like this having only recently signed on with a job agency after my divorce from Javier. Before that I had been a housewife and mum to our 2 kids Eva, who is 7 and Miguel who is 5.  Back before the kids were born, I had done a little modelling and in between jobs had done some “runner” jobs working on sets with A list actors. That experience, and my general organisational skills and domestic experience had identified me as someone suited to this role.

Of course, I’d seen Keanu on the silver screen like anybody else in all those big roles which made it all the more surreal to be heading up into the Birds streets for the interview with him and his PR lady Cheryl at his house no less.

Cheryl was charming but also quite formidable, giving me the impression that she’d kick the ass of anyone who messed with her client! Keanu himself was all charm but kind of shy and bumbling as he tried to explain the slightly unusual mix of mundane and personal tasks he was going to want help with.

The mundane were things like making sure his Koi carp were fed, that the pool guy, cleaner and gardener were  let in on the right days, getting his dry cleaning and some grocery shopping done. The personal was basically, as I saw it, the things a wife or partner would help a man like him do If he had one  - he wanted to make sure birthday cards and gifts were bought for his close friends and family but he would play a role in choosing them. He just needed someone to narrow down the options, make the actual purchase and wrap the gift. If he could, he’d deliver it in person but if he couldn’t do that, at the very least he’d write out a personal message himself.  

There would be some advanced planning to make sure all that happened on time as he’d soon be on set for long days on his next project. I suggested that I’d need to come over on a Saturday sometimes to  make sure he could add those personal touches.  

The job was basically perfect for me as I would be able to get everything done while the kids were in school and kindergarten. He didn’t expect me to travel when he did  - he could use hotel services when away and declared himself not so pampered or busy that he couldn’t organise some basic stuff for himself while he was away. He also had a place in New York so, if he had to go there , he had a home base. His main concern was that his LA home kept running well and I could handle all of that.

I was thrilled when I got the call that the job was mine and it was with excitement that I made my way back to his home a week later to get a more detailed briefing and start my month’s probation.  

I stood on the doorstep for what felt like a long minute after he opened the door. I had a moment of fear that he’s somehow changed his mind or forgotten our appointment but he eventually shook his head like he was jolting himself out of a day dream and invited me in.

“sorry, sorry, what am I like leaving you standing there! Come, come in!”

I followed him into the house and we headed down the long corridor and into the bright kitchen where we sat at the island and he took me through his diary and my tasks for the month. He gave me an iPad to use with an e mail already set up as KCR_assistant@outlook.com and a credit card I could use for the purchases he needed me to make on his behalf.

He was  starting on set the following week and his sister Kim’s birthday was a couple of weeks away. Since she lived in Italy this would be one of the more challenging gifts to organise. He shared a little about her and took me to his office to proudly show me her picture which was on a wall filled with family portraits.

“This is a test right?” I remember asking.

“nah, nah don’t see it like that ….” He stuttered

“But it’s really important to you right?”  I countered and he nodded, smiling slightly

“yeah, yeah Kim, she ……… she’s very  important to me”

“As she should be” I said. “I promise to get you some great ideas along the lines you want in a day or two so you can pick and we can get it to her on time.”

“Thanks”

I hoped I’d do Kim justice – I really needed to keep this job.

On my first day, I headed up to Keanu’s house after dropping the kids at school and shopping for groceries that had been on the list Keanu had e mailed the night before.

Laundry wasn’t in my remit, but I spotted as I went in through the garage that there was a load in the tumble dryer due to finish soon. Keanu must have forgotten it. I made a note to pop back and fetch it after I’d done some other jobs.

In the kitchen, I put away the supplies and got on with making the elements of a Caesar salad with chicken that Keanu could quickly throw together after work.

Then it was time to start gift hunting for Kim. Keanu was interested in getting her a vintage Italian coffee set and we’d agreed it made sense to source it from Italy. Being a native Spanish speaker, I could muddle my way through Italian websites and I narrowed the choices down to 3 which I            e-mailed to him as well as dropping him a text in case he didn’t check his e mails. He’d said he would have some down time during the day but he wouldn’t be expecting me to share ideas for a day or two.

By then it was 2pm and I needed to head off soon to fetch the kids. I grabbed the laundry and left a pile of t shirts (all Arch branded) and boxers neatly folded on his bed. I hoped he’d appreciate that I’d not left them to grow damp again in the dryer and that he wouldn’t feel weird that I’d touched his undies! If I’m honest it did feel a bit surreal to me to be in his home, dropping him e mails and texts, doing his shopping and folding his undies but I reminded myself that he was just a guy and, really, so far he’d been pretty down to earth in my dealings with him – well apart from the $1000 budget I had for Kim’s gift that is!

 @fortheloveoffanfic @kindainlovewithkeanu @omg-imagine @iworshipkeanureeves @fics-not-tragedies @ficsnroses @keanureevesisbae @penwieldingdreamer @witty-wallflower @paperplanesandwallflowers @bitchyslut99 @ladyreapermc @toomanystoriessolittletime @fanficsrusz @keanuficfiles

[jacobmybeloved]

Far Cry 5/FCND Superhero AU Pt. 2

Can’t say when I’ll actually start writing for this if at all. If you are interested please let me know! Anyway, below the cut: Thomas Rush, Sharky, and my FC OC’s.

[Part 1 Here - Seed Family]

Name: Mai Alias: Athenia Species: Meta human Abilities: Agility, superhuman strength, superhuman durability, unarmed combat, swordsmanship, healing factor, retractable claws

Mai has been on her own for as long as she could remember, not that she remembers much. Suffering from amnesia at a young age, and jumping from foster home, after foster home, Mai set out on her own after incidentally crippling a classmate during an after-school bout. At sixteen she was taken in by philanthropist John Seed, making her a part of his superhero task force initiative. Given the code name Athenia, Mai became a trademark figure. It did not last long, however. By eighteen she left the group leaving little to no trace behind and began to participate as a “small-time fighter” in illegal meta human arenas. She worked her way up to work as a bodyguard for one of the States lead traffickers, Ramona King, also known as The Raven. After a chance meeting with one of Raven’s newest “merchandise”, Mai devises a plan to get herself and this particular child out of the state. As fate would have it, the well-meaning police officer turned vigilante, Thomas Rush, inadvertently disrupts her means of escape, causing the trio to go on the run. With Raven’s forces after them, and the perplexing villain, The Father taking a keen interest in the child, Mai is led down a road that unexpectedly leads her on the path to finding out who her birth parents are.

Name: Thomas Rush Alias: N/A Species: Human Abilities: Agility, criminology, hand-to-hand combat, weaponry, military protocol, marksmanship, stealth, computer hacking

Thomas Rush grew up reading about Superheros and wanted nothing more than to be one himself. The closest approximation he could achieve was joining the military straight out of high school. After two tours, he returned to the states, marrying his high school sweetheart, eventually having a daughter named Mila. Life was good for a time for the former soldier. With his prior service in the military, he felt right at home, cruising through the ranks up to sergeant. To celebrate his new promotion, the Rush family took an outing to the local mall, celebrating not only his new position but also Mila’s birthday. Tragedy struck quick and swiftly, however. With meta human trafficking on the rise, children became the ultimate target and the criminal underworld’s newest currency. Mila was snatched right under her parent’s noses while at the mall, sending Thomas’ life spiraling out of control. After three months of searching, all of Thomas’ leads ended up cold, leaving the father grieving and putting immense stress on his marriage. His wife eventually left, unable to deal with the loss of their daughter. Thomas Rush, however, could not give up so easily. Using his resources at the police precinct, he uses each waking moment searching for any lead that may lead him to find his daughter. Eventually, he adopts his own vigilante moniker, allowing him access to places that would have been inaccessible by wearing his badge. His investigation leads him down a rabbit hole, leading him to the heart of the meta human trafficking ring, meanwhile leading him to team up with the enigmatic and extremely powerful meta human Mai.

Name: Vittoria Arya-Giordano Alias: Scarlett Banshee Species: Meta human Abilities: Sound immunity, multilingualism, boxing, sound manipulation, sonic scream, charisma, durability.

The daughter of Italian immigrants, Vittoria Arya-Giordano has had only one dream: becoming a superstar. Discovering a love for music and singing at a young age, her parents facilitated her passion by hiring instructors and saving up every penny to send her to the most renowned schools of performance arts. During her senior year for her final recital, Vittoria’s lament meta human abilities came to manifest. Vittoria leveled the theater in which hundreds had come to watch her performance, killing everyone, her parents included. Vittoria survived miraculously, the mass body count attributed to a structural error. Vittoria spent the next ten years honing her abilities, though her dreams of performing were now dead. Her talent, however, did not go unseen. Vittoria was recruited by entrepreneur and philanthropist John Seed as part of his “marketable” superhero division, the United State's answer to National Security against the threats of international meta humans. Vittoria served dutifully, becoming a high profile figure, achieving the fame she had always dreamed of. Though, as always with fame, there was a darker side to it she could not have anticipated.

Name: Nayeli Lamb Alias: The Judge Species: Human Abilities: Archery, acrobatics, martial arts, tracking, weaponry, swordsmanship, gadgetry, hand-to-hand-combat, firearms

Nayeli and her older brother Takoda were born to Ciaran and Sokanon Lamb. Her father hailed from a prestigious family while her mother came from an impoverished background, their union causing unparalleled drama. As Nayeli grew older, she became aware of her father’s shady business practices following the death of her mother, the result of a business deal with the citie’s many mob leaders gone wrong. Idolizing the rise in meta human news, Nayeli Lamb and her brother took up their own mantles, taking on the persona of The Judge and SabreWulf. The teens took down many a villain and mob boss, particularly after Takoda began to manifest meta human powers himself. They continued their work well into their twenties until Nayeli was kidnapped, abused and tortured by the notorious villains, The Father and The Mindbender. By pure luck, she had struck a romantic bond with The Father’s henchman-brother, known simply as The Wolf of Sparta who helped her escape. Nayeli hung up her mantle after discovering she was pregnant with The Wolf’s child. The child however was stolen from her, a devastating loss the Lamb never really got over. Nayeli ended up having a second child with The Wolf years later after encountering one another again. Nayeli kept the children a secret from the Wolf till this very day. The Lamb eventually established herself as a successful psychologist and living a semi-normal life with her son. She grew estranged from her brother who continued to carry on with his alter-ego, feeling this was his true self. After his death at the hands of The Mindbender, she debated taking up her mantle as The Judge once more. It wasn’t until the disappearance of her son that she donned her cape and mask once more in an effort to find him.

Name: Charlemagne Victor Boshaw IV Alias: Sharky, Warden Awesome Species: Metahuman Abilities: Pyrokinesis, firearms, no filter

Charlemagne Boshaw did not have a happy childhood, but from his outward behavior, one may never know or find out. Birthed in a gas station bathroom and left in the toilet, Sharky as he likes to be called, led quite the tumultuous childhood and adolescence. While many would define him as a serial arsonist, the Boshaw man would prefer the term "fire enthusiast". What many didn’t know was that these many fire incidents were the result of Sharky being a pyrokinesis. After burning down his family’s trailer park three times, Sharky was forced on the run. His path eventually led him to Nayeli Lamb, with whom he became close friends with. Together, they lead the charge in finding her missing son, Malik.

Name: Ramona King

Species: Meta human

Alias: Raven

Abilities: Animal control, animal driven abilities, enhanced speed, agility, enhanced vision, combat skill, animal telepathy

Born on the east coast and raised by a single father, Ramona King was brought up with strict discipline and a need to succeed no matter the cost. Her father groomed her to be the perfect candidate for the Boston police force. By the time of her induction into the police academy however, her dormant meta-genes began to surface. Her abilities gave her an edge over her other officers. Her animal like abilities gave her a sixth sense rivaled only by those in the animal kingdom themselves. With her hardworking being relayed in flimsy promotions and measly raises, she began to sing a different tune. Leaving the police force, Ramona struck out as a small time cat-thief before eventually becoming a kingpin herself. Ramona ended up taking her underworld business out west, using a nightclub as a front to hide her extracurricular activities: money laundering, drug production, and more importantly, meta human trafficking.

Name: Malik Lamb

Species: Metahuman

Alias: N/A, referred to as The Asset

Abilities: chlorokinesis, toxic immunity, bio-fission, metamorphosis, accelerated healing, ability to heal others

Malik may only be six years old but he has had a whirlwind of a life so far. The second born child, created out of the union between The Judge and The Soldier, Malik knows nothing about his family’s complicated history, only that he was born with a target on his back. Since the day was born, he exhibited meta human capabilities though his family did their best to keep it a secret. After his Uncle Takoda’s death revealed that the Lamb family is a carrier of the meta-human gene, the family was thrust into the spotlight by news media outlets and criminal organizations. Despite being put under twenty-four hour surveillance by his grandfather, that did not stop those closest to the Lamb family to seize the boy for themselves in return for a quick buck. As the newest addition to Ramon King’s collection and hundreds of miles away from home, Malik saw no happy ending in sight, at least until a fateful meeting with another meta human and a vigilante police officer lead him on an unexpected journey.

Name: Dayana King

Species: Human (Cyborg)

Alias: Dove

Abilities: Flight, Electronics expert, speed, superhuman strength, cybernetic implants/enhancements, endurance, technopathy, invulnerability, cloaking abilities

As a fellow member of philanthropist John Seed’s superhero initiative, Dove is one of the most respected public faces of the meta human community. After a tragic accident left her father dead and herself in a near-death state, Dove underwent extensive life-saving surgeries with cybernetic enhancements at the request of her mother. Dove was, shortly after being discharged, inducted into the superhero initiative. While her co-hort Vittoria appeals to the more lavish side of the superhero community, Dove is seen as the public face of selflessness and social justice, though behind the scenes, that could not be more further from the truth. When not in front of the news camera, the cybernetic hero acts as a hired thug to Mr. Seed, taking out those who would oppose the use of meta humans overseas. Dove, having become disillusioned with her employer Mr. Seed and the antics of her criminal mother, Ramona King, Dove has debated hanging up her mantle once and for all. A chance meeting with an old friend though leads her to question whether she is doing more harm than good.

[ofaphrvdite]

silence ! raise the royal standard, for the knight from ireland, ELI DARCY, has arrived. being 32 years old, he is out of line to the throne. many around the court call him the mender, by virtue of her being valiant and pragmatic, while also being reticent and sombre.  — played by richard madden.

- THE BASICS.

full name: eli patrick darcy name meaning: eli ‘ascended, uplifted, high’, patrick ‘noble’ known in history as: the wandering knight date of birth:  march 19th, 1986/1633  age: thirty two star sign: pisces profession: veteran, now human rights lawyer (modern verse) / knight, kitchen worker (royal verse) loyalty: ireland, house darcy, belgium, house van leuven, the entente alignment: lawful good mbti: infj spoken languages: irish, english, dutch (beginner)  mother’s name: georgina darcy nee. o’ferrall (deceased in modern verse) father’s name: hugh darcy (deceased in modern and royal verse) siblings, if any: robert darcy (30), andrew darcy (27), aine darcy (25), domnall darcy (25). all deceased in royal verse. height: 5’10” hair colour: reddish brown eye colour: blue

- BACKSTORY / MODERN VERSE.

born in kildare, ireland, eli grew up in a loving home. they weren’t the richest of families and with five mouths to feed they certainly had a lot on their plate. it was no small feat then that they managed to get all five through school with relatively no drama under the salaries of a primary school teacher and veteran.

growing up, the soft hearted eli wanted to make a difference. he just didn’t know how. he’d seen so much inequality, even in his own small town, and as he grew older his dreams came to a realisation. during sixth form his law professor urged him to follow it on to the next stage. he worked incredibly hard for the next year and came out with aab in his a-levels. not what he needed, but the prestigious university of glasgow took his background into account and with a glowing reference from his teacher, was offered a place to study common law.

he was two years into his studies, just twenty, and about to go onto his honours. having the time of his life, making friends, learning to come out of his shell, feeling like he’d found his place. and then tragedy struck. 

the phonecall came during freshers week, and it was one that set him on a course that would change his entire life. the news that his parents had passed away in a fatal car accident. his mother dead on scene, his father only minutes later in the ambulance. and there was absolutely nothing anyone could have done.

he tried, god he tried, to carry on as normal. to do his parents proud and be the first darcy to graduate from university, to chase his dream of doing good. but the young man was crumbling from the inside, and it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened and he finally snapped.

for two whole weeks of no more than twelve hours sleep total, withdrawing from all his friends or generally behaving intolerantly, missing lectures and sinking into a pit of helplessness, eli finally broke down in the middle of a lecture. ask him about it and he can’t recall a single thing but in the weeks that followed, the decision was made that he should put his studies on hold. take some time out to grieve and return the following year to pick up where he left off. except, that didn’t happen.

returning home a failure, eli spent six months at home doing nothing but going to and from a little part time job at tescos. couldn’t handle much more than that. with his younger siblings now living with his grandparents, there was no cause or motivation to do much else. university seemed to be a dream that slipped further away with each passing week and by easter he’d come to the conclusion that it was time to move on. and so he enlisted in the army, followed in his father’s footsteps ( something he had never wanted for his son ) and was deployed with his troop to iraq in 2007. 

for three years, he barely returned home. when he hadn’t been deployed, he was asking for postings to other bases int he meantime. in between his second and third tour he spent the time training to be promoted to a command position. which led to the third and final tour, the longest of them all. and the one that ended in tragedy. the second life altering event the now twenty four year old would face.

he was due for leave, and the final mission assigned was an easy one. he was to take command in leading a top dignitary to the airport after their visit to the base, with the protection of three other soldiers. and, as it would just so happen, his best friends. what should have been a simple move, was flipped on his head. no sooner had he noted that something was off, than the truck carrying them all was flipped onto it’s back by a crudely made land mine. the dignitary and two of his men were killed in the explosion alone. eli could do nothing but watch as his friends burnt in the wreckage despite doing all he could to pull them out. and then the shooting started.

on reflection it had clearly been an ambush, set up to ensure none of them came away alive. eli had been the lone survivor, hanging by a thread when the medics finally found him, though he’d begged them all to just leave. let him die. 

he of course blamed himself, and was no where near fit to return to active duty. he was sent home, and honourably discharged from the army, never to be sent on active duty again. he’d been through too much, saddled with far too much trauma, he needed to rest now. to integrate himself back home and heal. but he would hear none of it. in his time of need he felt that his home had abandoned him, despite his pleas to return and redeem himself. they insisted there was nothing to redeem, that he’d served his country honourably, even attempted to bestow him with medals. all of which he rejected. he returned to ireland more broken than when he had entered. 

he spent the rest of that year and half of the next attending therapy sessions he’d been forced into by his grandparents. but they began to hit home, and slowly but surely he rebuilt. allowed himself to make small steps into his new life, whatever form that may take.

eli eventually re-enrolled on his course in september 2011, with a letter from his former general that allowed him to pick up where he left off. he finally accepted the conspicuous gallantry cross, and allowed himself to grieve properly for the losses he faced that day. five years on, eli was finally a practising barrister and had been accepted at a prestigious firm that specialised in human rights cases where he has been working ever since.

his life had been a quiet one in london, in many ways sleeping his way through it. doing nothing but working and returning home until he quite literally bumped into charlotte and it was her who finally woke him up. he’s happy in his relationship now, happier than he’s been in years, and is glad to help look after celeste and get his hands dirty in the rest of the chaotic life he’s found himself wrapped up in. he’s by no means perfect, his ptsd still wreaks havoc and there are days he still feels like he’s there. relieving that day every night in his sleep, over and over again. but he’s getting there, with charlotte’s help, and is taking things day by day.

- BACKSTORY / ROYAL VERSE.

from a very young age, eli had set his mind to becoming a knight. stories told to him by his mother at bedtime of valiant men, saving the day and helping others only furthered his desire to do the same, to put the morals instilled in him by his catholic parents to good use. and at seven years old, eli was taken on as a page and was sent away from home for the first time.

whilst he was still in training as a squire, just sixteen, the rebellion broke out and for years life was fraught. though there were years of triumph as the catholics pushed back and for a while ruled themselves. and in 1946, eli was knighted at twenty one years old. where he returned home and began his new duties and helped to provide for his parents and siblings. he married and was eager to start a family, until the english conquest came and left death and famine in irelands wake. a third of their population dead by the time dust would settle. 

it was during this time that tragedy stole more than the lives of those he loved most, but life as he had come to know it. his father and all three of his brothers were killed during a battle in their town. and his wife was claimed by plague, and famine taking his sister. though he didn’t die, there was a large chance that he would be taken as a prisoner of war and deported far away. the only chance for his survival was to flee to a europe where he might at least receive tolerance. 

and so, eli was forced to leave his only surviving relative, his mother, behind. though she converted to catholicism when she married, she still had protestant family who she could take refuge with and so she renounced her faith and eli never saw his mother again. for both their safety.

as a refugee, eli travelled through europe and survived through odd jobs as he went. the dreams of being a knight left tarnished, and now his only hope was to survive. though he had very little motivation now to do so.

eventually, exhausted and starved, eli sought refuge in belgium and it was here that the princess herself fought to take him in. though her brother, the king, had not been difficult to sway. eli offered himself wherever they saw him fit, he would not complain nor put up a fuss. after making a case for the kitchens, he was placed under the head cooks care and it is here he has remained ever since.

though he no longer puts his true skills to good use, he hopes that one day he might attempt to rebuild a semblance of a life again. to pick up a sword, to fight for the country that saved him perhaps. for now he tells himself that this is better than he perhaps deserved when the rest of his family had perished or gone. the kitchens are fine work, and he offers help in the stables too when it’s needed for he had learnt plenty back home about horses in his past life. he still feels he owes his life to the van leuvans, and to princess charlotte in particular. if he had a sword, he’d pledge himself to her on the spot. but for now he simply admires from a distance, far too melancholy and ashamed to do much more.

[emmaswanchoosesyou]

Part of the Narrative (2/17)

Emma Swan just wants to write the follow-up to her bestselling debut novel, that’s all. But when she gets off to a rough start with her new editor, Killian Jones, she knows it’s not going according to plan. Then, an unexpected figure from Emma’s past reappears and life begins to mirror the crime thriller she’s penning. Suspicion and secrets abound–but love might too. A writer/editor AU with a thriller twist.

Rated E. Story warnings: sexual content, kidnapping, some gore, violence, and minor character death–not to mention salty language! On Ao3 here.

Chapter warnings: swearing and plotting. 

First, a huge thank you to @sambethe, who is the best beta I could have ever asked for. And to @shady-swan-jones for the delightful banner. @bleebug did some incredible art for the first chapter, which you can check out here. Also, a huge thank you to @captainswanbigbang and everyone modding that for their tireless effort over the last 6+ months. Finally, to everyone who read, reblogged, liked, etc.--I was blown away and THANK YOU. Tagging @lenfaz and anyone else who asks me to!

Ch. 1

Chapter 2

Killian knows he has to fix things with Emma so they can work together, but that’s not the whole story.

Killian

Killian all but hit his head against the desk when Emma stomped out of his office. Fuck. This was...not good.

Bloody understatement of the year.

She didn’t deserve his behavior. He had meant what he said--he did think her work needed some polish, but she was a brilliant lass, and her debut novel had been excellent. She was impressive for her talent alone. To say nothing of her fiery passion and startling good looks.

God, he hadn’t been prepared for that. He’d been so distracted by her golden hair and solemn, intense green eyes he’d barely remembered how to function. Clearly, he hadn’t remembered how to keep his words in check, if that cringe-worthy excuse of a meeting was any indication. August was not going to be happy when he filled him in on this development.

When he’d met August Booth a few years before, he’d dismissed the man’s offer to come work at his fairly new publishing house. August and his partner, Regina Mills (a pseudo-royal figure in the publishing world), had just gotten it started and off the ground, and while they were pulling in excellent talent, Killian was happy to remain in London. Plus, the Boston location didn’t appeal. If he were going to relocate to the US, he really would prefer to end up in New York, the real center of the publishing world.

But then everything had gone to shit.

It had started with that damned publicity tour for the Royal Navy. He’d been recruited after graduating from uni, drowning in debt and getting his start in the cutthroat world of publishing and public relations. Liam was an officer and said he’d look out for him. He’d quickly been snapped up and promoted within the PR division for the Navy. (“Just think, your face and the pathos of brotherly love...the country will eat this up.”) It had gone well enough, grueling if a bit dull.

Then they’d sent him out on tour on his brother’s ship. The first part had been grand. Getting to spend time with Liam every day was amazing, a feat they hadn’t reliably managed in years. It had been smooth sailing of the literal and metaphorical sort, until the explosion.  

The work of terrorists or saboteurs--the Navy was never too clear about the results of their investigation. At any rate, the tragedy had claimed Liam’s life, and Killian had lost his hand. His increasing bitterness against his country had obviously rendered him a poor choice for continuing his career in PR for the Royal Navy. They’d released him with a generous settlement, on the condition he not badmouth them to every reporter who came along.

He’d done well enough at the keeping quiet bit for a while, until trouble had found him in the form of Milah Smythe. She was tenacious, his Milah. She was a journalist for The Independent, and she’d tracked him down and tried to tease out his tale for a story she was working on. She had succeeded in doing so...after three dates and a passionate night.

She’d come clean to him the next day about her job. He’d been angry, devastated that the first person he’d felt a connection to since Liam’s death was trying to use him. Then she apologized, telling him she had no intention of using his interview for her story, that the attraction between the two of them was worth more than that to her.

Killian remembered the next year and a half in perfect detail. The laughter over dinners and lunches, the steadfast support they’d given each other. She had even gotten him back into the literary world by introducing him to an editor she knew.  The love that had grown between him and Milah was his cornerstone. He knew it was love on their first weekend away together, a brief trip to Cornwall. They’d moved in together after just a couple months, and he loved the bliss of waking up to her in his arms, greeted by her tousled hair and light snores, her teasing him over his sleep-talking.

He’d been eyeing rings--even had an appointment with a jeweler--when he’d gotten the phone call from the hospital. It had been one of those crazy things. Milah apparently had a heart condition no one had known about. It was completely unpredictable and her death instantaneous.

Suddenly, she was gone and he was alone again.

He’d climbed back into a bottle, and his work had suffered for it. He knew he was in trouble with his publishing house, so he’d done what he could to salvage it--he’d tried selling the story of what happened to him and Liam in the Navy.

The British government had been none too pleased, and when he found himself being followed by hulking men, he panicked. He dug out August’s number and asked him if the offer to come work for Mills & Booth was still good.

August had agreed to help him, and quickly, in exchange for a favor. The favor that would now be even more complicated than he’d thought.

Killian sighed. He’d had one job. (Well, two, since he was in fact an editor, regardless.) He needed to win Emma over, keep her pliable and complacent. And willing to go along with anything he or August suggested.

That was going to be...fun.

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. Somehow, someway, he was going to have to fix this.

&&&

Killian made his way down the hall to Cleo’s office. He had only known her by reputation prior to arriving at Mills & Booth, but so far all of the positive things he had heard seemed to be borne out. His meetings with her had been purely professional, but he recalled hearing that she had worked closely with Emma and her former editor. The couple of times they’d seen each other since his arrival had been pleasant enough, and he hoped she’d be able to help him.

He knocked on her closed door.

“Come in!” her voice rang out, in a clear, brusque tone.

Walking through the door, he dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Ms. Fox.”

“Mr. Jones,” she said, peering at him across the desk and motioning for him to take a seat. “What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping to chat with you about Emma, if you have a moment,” he said, hoping there was enough humility in his posture she’d take pity on him.

Cleo looked impassive and unimpressed. “Quite a ruckus you all raised yesterday.”

He scratched the back of his ear self-consciously. “Er, indeed. About that…”

“I’m actually surprised it took you this long to make your way down here.”

Killian winced at the mild censure in her tone. “Sorry about that. I was unsure about the best way of handling, so I--”

She snorted. “So you went for the opposite of ‘handling it’ by doing nothing?”

“I thought maybe we just needed to cool down?”

A raised eyebrow was the only response he received.

Finally, he shrugged in defeat. “Look, truthfully, I’m not used to meeting that kind of resistance to my...suggestions.”

Cleo sighed. “What the hell did you suggest?!” She waved her hand before he could answer. “Never mind that right now, Emma was furious. I need to know what you intend to do about it.”

“Does...does she accept apology flowers?”

Cleo laughed. “The only time I’ve ever seen her accept a bouquet she threw it right into the trash.”

“Oh.”

“To be fair, they weren’t even hers. She thought they were, but turns out they were for poor Ariel,” she confided.

He let out a surprised chuckle. “Emma is a tough lass, isn’t she?”

“She is. And I’ll tell you more or less what I told her. You need to find a way to work with her. I don’t care if you think her writing is garbage--which it isn’t--but she’s one of our most successful authors, so you’ll keep an eye on her. Apologize, and get in good with her so you can bring out another bestseller from her.”

“I...yes,” he said. Sensing this brief interview was nearing its end, he got up. When he reached the doorway, he stopped. “One thing--how is it you weren’t assigned to work with her? It seems like it’d be an easier fit.”

She tilted her head. “A question I’ve wondered about, too.”

He paused a moment, wondering if she would elaborate. She didn’t so he nodded. “Well, then. I’ll do what I can.” He moved to exit the office.

“Killian?”

“Yes?”

“There’s a diner she likes. Out in West Roxbury. She worked there all the time on her first book. It’s called Granny’s.”

This time, his nod to Cleo was one of gratitude.

&&&

It took almost a day for him to work up the nerve to go to Granny’s and a further three and half days staking out the place before he contrived to “accidentally” run into Emma.

He had become very familiar with the greasy diner food, and the owner of the place knew him by name at this point. His insides hurt and he was overly caffeinated, but if his plan worked, it would be worth it.

On the Tuesday he finally saw Emma enter, Killian sat up higher. He was on his second cup of coffee, practically vibrating with the cursed fake energy that only came from caffeine.

She clearly had a destination in mind, and after a quick “Hey, Ruby,” she headed toward the back. Stopping only when she saw him, she narrowed her eyes at him. “You.”

“Aye, me. Lovely to see you, Miss Swan. I trust you’ve received my emails?”

She stared at him, seemingly contemplating his motives, his presence...probably his very existence, if Killian were honest with himself.

“Yeah. Sorry I haven’t responded. Haven’t figured out what I wanted to say yet.”

“Well, it appears we’re stuck working together, so...I’d like to smooth things over, if you’re amenable.” He gestured toward the other side of the booth.

“Nothing else to add to that, pal?” She cocked her head at him.

“Erm, sorry? I apologize for my words, though I stand by my methodology.”

She continued to stare at him a few beats before she slid into the booth. “That’s fine,” she said once she settled in, “but if you’re going to continue to be an ass, this isn’t going to work.”

“And it won’t work if you stubbornly resist everything I say.”

They exchanged wary looks, and Killian felt a pang of something a lot like loss at the thought that any flirtation seemed out of the question. He had enjoyed those fleeting moments when she first walked into his office and  had stared at him like he was a popsicle and it was a hot, hot day outside.

He intentionally leaned back, hoping he looked as confident as he wished he felt. “Well, if that’s settled, can I buy you a coffee? Or perhaps something stronger?”

“Why?”

“As a toast to our new partnership, Swan.”

She gave a deep sigh, “Fine. Get me a coffee, then.”

He gestured to the waitress and ordered them both coffee, his gut churning at the idea of consuming more of the stuff. As soon as the server poured their drinks, he found himself studying the dark roast, praying he could come up with an approach that worked with Emma.

“So, darling, what are some things I can do to make this collaboration more palatable to you?”

“For starters, don’t fucking call me darling. It’s condescending as hell, and the only thing it accomplishes is making me want to punch you.”

He snorted. “Very well, no more ‘darlings’. I’m assuming any other endearments are out, too. Anything else?”

She bit her bottom lip as she pondered the question. Killian found his gaze drawn to it, and he had to tear himself away from the frightfully imaginative things his mind conjured.

“Why?”

He froze at the unexpected question and looked back up to catch her eye. “What do you mean?”

“Why did you come here? And why are you working with me?”

He offered her his most charming, rakish grin. “While I didn’t request you, lo-Swan, I can’t say I regret it.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, buddy,” she said, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

He frowned at her. “Okay, I hate being called ‘buddy’.” He leant forward. “Can we just...impose a moratorium on nicknames of any kind?”

“Sure, but I also want an answer.” She took a pointed sip of her coffee.

“God above, you’re like a dog with a bone. Is this an interrogation?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “No, but getting information is an important part of writing.”

“To be sure, lass, but…” He sighed and leaned back in the booth. “My apologies--Emma. Truthfully, I don’t know. Perhaps Mr. Booth, and Ms. Mills, naturally, wanted someone partnered exclusively with you.”

“I need that much work, do I?”

He hesitated. “I’d think of it more as you being a valuable investment.”

She snorted. “Flattering, real flattering.”

He grinned. “I aim to please.”

An eyeroll greeted him at that. “I’m sure. But anyway, I get the feeling you’re not telling me something, and I really don’t appreciate being left in the dark.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Whatever,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Listen, I’ll be working on my book, and I’ll get you an outline and first chapter soon. But we’re not going to be pals, and I won’t compromise my integrity or my style just because you bought me a fucking cup of coffee.”

Killian stared at her, his mouth slightly agape, and for once in his life he felt speechless.

Emma wasn’t done rendering him shocked and incapable of using words. “Also?” She stood and tapped on the edge of the table. “You should have bought me hot chocolate if you wanted to impress me or get me to talk.”

Then she left before he even had a chance to formulate a reply.

&&&

Killian tried to tamp down the surge of mixed emotions he was dealing with. This was the second time in one week the same woman had walked away from him, and he was annoyed. He had been the one who was supposed to question her, to figure out what made her tick. Instead, she had managed to twist things around both times and, somehow, he had managed to reveal more of his hand than he had intended.

She had known he was hiding something. He wasn’t sure how, or why it bothered him so much. Everyone had an agenda, and Emma had to know he would have one.

But how she guessed it might not be a straightforward editorial one, he couldn’t imagine.

There was a part of him that he was trying to push away, though. A part of him that respected Emma, much to his surprise. She had called him on his bluffs and bullshit, and she followed her convictions and spoke her mind.

Unbidden, a thought came to him: Milah would like her.

He sighed. That was a road he didn’t want to go down. Nodding at Ruby and ignoring her smirk, he asked for the check.

“I knew you weren’t here for the salads,” she said, dropping the ticket down on the table.

He raised an eyebrow and gave her the smarmiest once-over he could manage. “Maybe I was hoping for different fare.”

She rolled her eyes. “And yet, you’re the one who got devoured. Chewed up and spit out, more like. It was a treat to see.”

“Ah...you know Emma, then.”

“She’s one of my best friends. Like a sister to me.”

“Of fucking course,” he groaned.

She grinned wolfishly at him. “Don’t be afraid to come back. I enjoyed the show.”

He dropped enough cash to cover his bill along with a generous tip and clenched his jaw, walking out of the diner.

How humiliating.

As he walked the couple of blocks to the T, he pushed his shoulders back, trying to let go of some of his tension. Once again, he could almost hear Milah.

“So dramatic, Killian. She bested you, and you’re just whinging about it now. Don’t be petulant, my love.”

He felt his insides twist at the realization that Milah would likely not approve of his dealings with August. It might not be precisely illegal, at least on his end--but it was unscrupulous and reprehensible.

He had only known Emma about a week, but wasn’t sure he could keep on doing this. Perhaps it would be best to be above-board from here on out, focus on his actual job.

Killian grimaced, thinking of all he owed August. Hating himself and holding back a snarl, he pulled out his phone and dialed August’s number.

He picked up after two rings.

“August? I got things a little more under control with Emma. She should be sending me her materials soon, and then we can figure out what else needs to be done…”

[houseofbrat]

Why is it surprising that Meghan had to ensure Harry followed the pr script she created for the interview? 

It’s not really surprising given that she ghostwrote the edition of his autobiography that keeps making the news. 

I was telling Vanessa that watching Tom Bradby's interview I realised that every single time Henry said "my wife", he pointed out behind the camera, meaning Meghan was there. So SHE was there when he said the BRF aren't racist, they love Lady Susan and that he would go back for a Commonwealth position if he were asked.

[k2kid]

On January 24, 1916 a man from Hastings, Ontario enlisted with the 93rd Battalion, so beginning his military career.

We have one postcard and three letters from his overseas service, and they give us the opportunity to look a bit deeper into the war experience of Private John Edward Parker (reg. no. 195573).[i] Private Parker was a native of England, being born in the Lincoln, England region on August 10, 1889.

Having joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force with the 93rd Battalion Parker was sent to England with his battalion in July 1916 and sent a brief postcard to his mother upon his arrival in England.

Source: Deryck N. Robertson from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

Source: Deryck N. Robertson from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

July 24, 1915

Mrs J Parker Hastings Ontario Canada

Dear Mother,

Just a few lines hoping to find all well and to le you know that we landed cross safe. From J Parker

The short card, written one day prior to the R.M.S. Empress of Britain’s arrival at Liverpool, was a quick note to his mother letting her know he has arrived safely. It appears he wrote this card in preparation of landing in England with the realization he may not having time to write for some time as the battalion would be on the move to its training base and would begin the next stage of training in preparation for service on the Continent with the rest of the Canadian Corps.

Parker would soon find, in a space of 2-months, that he would be placed in a battalion that was not from his geographic region. Instead of a battalion from his region, such as the 21st Battalion – a battalion raised in Kingston, Ontario – Parker was assigned to the 18th Battalion, based out of Western/Southern Ontario. Arriving October 3, 1916, Parker would fight with the battalion until his second wounding on October 10, 1918.

The next communication from Private Parker is a letter written on February 28, 1917.

Source: Deryck N. Robertson from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

Feb 28th 1917

Dear Sisters,

Received your letter and pleased to hear that you were all well. I have not had a chance to answer it last week as we were in the line.

We are having some better weather now not quite so cold but mud and water up to the knees so you can imagine what it is like to walk through.

We are on a different part of the front now and we cannot buy a candle or any thing to eat either love nor money but we are making the best of it but we will be pleased when we can say we have done our bit and on our way home to a country that is worth living in, not a country like this.

We received the parcel with [the tabbles] and the sausages it was the first one for a long time. We are not getting very much mail for the last few weeks. We got a small parcel from Mrs. Markham last night and I tell you it came in alright but it did not last us very long. Well I don’t think have any more to tell you so I think I must come to a close. Hoping this will find you all in the best of health as it leaves us so at present so will close with love to all from your brother.

Pte. J E Parker

Parker had been in the field for five months. He joined the Battalion at the Somme and experienced some of the toughest action the 18th would endure. After the Somme, the Canadian Corps was moved to the Vimy Sector at the end of February 1917. The Battalion had moved out of the front-line on the 26th into the rear as Brigade Support and Private Parker had a chance to write home from his billet at one of three “shelters” (named Vistual, Rhine, Maison).

The letter aligns with the 18th Battalion War diary as it had been in the line prior to the letter. It had been a busy tour with the Battalion finding the trenches, “…in poor condition in several parts… This sector in very muddy condition necessitating continual work by the battalion to keep in repair.[ii] The tour in the lines was not without tragedy as the Battalion suffered two members killed in action and four wounded. It also relates the state of the trenches as Parker shares that the trenches had, “…mud and water up to the knees…”

He gives us insight to the nature of the rear area being isolated from larger population centers offering more opportunity to purchase supplies as the Battalion is based in a rural area, approximately 8 kilometres from Arras. He and his mates cannot acquire some of the comforts of home and the basic necessities, with candles being in high demand as the Battalion is stationed in three of the sub-terranean “subways” used by the CEF to shelter and hide troops from the German reconnaissance resources. Private Parker obviously prefers Canada to this part of France.

In closing, he relates how important a parcel from home was for him and one gets a sense of the value of such mail as Mrs. Markham’s “small parcel” did not last him and his compatriots very long. It was quite common for soldiers to share the contents of their parcels and add variety and interest to their diet from the contents of such parcels.

The next letter, dated December 22, 1917, is written after the battles at Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele. Since the last letter, Private Parker’s service life has been eventful, being wounded on May 6, 1917, at Willeraval. On the night of May 5/6 the Battalion made a relief, “…under very heavy shellfire,” perhaps which led to Private Parker being wounded in the right arm. A month later he was discharged to duty with his Battalion. The nature of his wound was treated in the rear areas and did not require formal hospitalization at Etaples, France or over in England. Parker was promoted to the rank of Lance-Corporal on July 10, 1917, in response to the promotion of another soldier of the Battalion (C.W. Boyd, reg. no. 455590). It appears that complications from his GSW would lead to Parker suffering inflammation of the connective tissues of his right-hand. Five days of treatment off the line at the end of July 1917 resulted in the return of the newly minted Lance-Corporal Parker to the Battalion.

Source: Deryck N. Robertson from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

22/12/17 France

Some Where in France

Dear Sister,

Received your letter pleased to know that you were at the time of your writing. How do you like been in Peterboro[iii]? Is it better than Norwood? You said that you told Gertie to write. I had a letter from her yesterday. I have had leave to England and had a fine time. I hear that Roy Parker has been trying to get an exemption so that he will not have to come over here. Well Annie it will soon be Christmas and we look like been over here for a while yet. I hope this is the last Christmas for us in France. Hope we will be home before the next one. I supposes Lilian is living with you by what I heard from them at home. Well we are having some very sharp weather over here. I suppose you are having about the same over in Canada. [Ivey] said in her letter that she was going to live in Peterboro after Christmas. I don’t think that they will get along together. Her and Becky. Well I will close hoping this mite [sic] find you both in the best of health as it leaves me so at present [no I write run at] up with best love to both from your brother John.

2nd Can Div Wing CCRC[iv] France

There appears to be some confusion about where this letter was written. Taking the service records as a true representation of this soldier’s service from its entries for Parker he should still be with his battalion and this letter would then have been written at Febvin-Palfart where the Battalion was billeted in barns and homes in that community.[v] The Battalion had been out of the line for since December 13, 1917, and had been involved in voting in the Canadian General Elections on December 14 and then a series of parades and exercises until their move to Febvin-Palfart, where they became more serious about the training in the daily syllabi. But the closing of the letter clearly shows that Parker is detached from the Battalion and with the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp.[vi] This discrepancy between the date of the letter and the acknowledgement in his service record of his attachment with the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp was 2-months. His service record did not acknowledge his service with this unit until February 2, 1918.

This letter relates family gossip. We know that he is writing a sister by the name of Annie and she has moved from the village of Norwood[vii] to the town of Peterborough. Parker had a leave in England, though his service records do not, oddly, reflect this. He has concern for a possible member of his family, a Roy Parker, trying to get an exemption from the military. This part of the letter is illuminating as the recent election had conscription for the war effort as a major issue and the majority of serving soldiers agreed with this program. If Roy was a family member, then Lance-Corporal Parker, as a serving soldier, might have reason to be disappointed in his relative.

As he was writing so close to Christmas, he expresses a common sentiment about being ‘home for Christmas’, which would be an oft-expressed sentiment of the men of the Canadian Corps throughout the war. He would have to suffer one more Christmas overseas before going home.

Having participated in the Battles at Hill 70 and Passchendaele, he was on the roll of the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp at Lilliers, France on February 2, 1918. It is unknown what his role was there, but one of the roles that Parker could fill, especially with his combat experience, was that of a credible trainer of technology and tactics. In addition, as this camp established reinforcements for each battalion he would be a conduit helping to prepare and familiarize these new men to the culture of the “Fighting 18th”. He had valuable combat experience after 1-year and 3-months of active service through some of the hardest battles the Canadian Corps had experienced, and adding to his credibility, had been promoted in the field. This assignment lasted until August 29, 1918, when he was despatched back to the 18th Battalion.

Attachment of service record. Note that it does not show the date Parker left for the CCRC but does not that he in on the roll as of February 2, 1918.

The third, and last letter of the article, confirms that Parker was stationed at the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp prior to his service record’s entry to that fact. The entry for February 2, 1918, acknowledges that he is “on the roll” of the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp but does not note a date of departure from the 18th Battalion to the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp.

Source: Deryck N. Robertson from the 18th Battalion Facebook Group.

6/1/18 France

Dear Sisters,

Received your welcome letter and please to hear that you were well at the time of your writing. I had a letter from Fanny and she said that she was not feeling well she had an awful cold by what she said. She said she was lonely when I left but she had got over it she is expecting Earnest [sic] home on leave any time now. I received your parcel alright and [it] was ok and now I must thank you for it.

We are having some very sharp weather over here but not very much snow. It seems to be turning a little milder today. You said about R P[viii] not wanting to come over here to help as he must have cold feet or he would been over here a long time ago. I had a fine letter from E sister the other day, and she said she was well and hoped that I would soon being going on leave again. Well I have no news to tell you only that I wish the war was over and we could be back again to home. Well I will close hoping this will find you both in the best of health as it leaved me so at present. Will close with love to both from your brother J E P.

18TH Canadians BTN CCRC Wing France

In the new year, Lance-Corporal Parker writes his sisters a quick letter. He thanks them for a parcel sent to him and relates some family news about an ill relative and his hopes for another leave and the war to end. He refers to an “R P” having “cold feet” regarding his enlistment into the Canadian Forces. It is a brief letter that touches on some of the most common themes in wartime letters: leave, parcels, and a wish the war would end.

For Lance-Corporal John Edward Parker, the war would end. But only after returning to the 18th Battalion as The Hundred Days began during which he joined the Battalion “in the field” on September 3, 1918, at Beaurains, France while the Battalion was in Brigade (H.Q.) Reserve. Upon joining his Battalion Parker served until he was wounded again on October 10, 1918, during action near the L’Escaut Canal. That day’s butcher bill resulted in the Battalion suffering 6 other ranks killed and 70 wounded. Lance-Corporal Parker was one of those wounded with a GSW to his left leg (thigh) and he was admitted to No. 32 Stationary Hospital at Wimereux where his journey to “Blighty” and home would begin. His wound would heal relatively quickly, and he was transferred to Kinmel Park Camp and then returned to Canada and was discharged from service at Kingston, Ontario on February 10, 1919, and returned to Norwood and his family.

Lance-Corporal Parker’s experience in the Canadian Army resulted in being wounded twice, the first a minor “flesh” wound and the second more serious wounding that resulted in his transfer to England. By October 1918 the end was in sight for the war and the tempo of combat had increased. The last action Parker was involved in contrasted with this first wounding. There he was involved in static trench warfare. In 1918 the nature of the war had opened up and the combat was more fluid and dynamic. His letters home enhance our understanding of his service and, to this author’s experience, shows one of the few examples where the diligent record-keeping of the service records of a Canadian soldier had a gap when Parker’s service record did not accurately record the start of his assignment with the Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp.

Sources:

Service Record

18th Battalion War Diary Transcriptions

Letters posted at the 18th Battalion Facebook Group

End Notes:

[i] These letters were posted at the 18th Battalion Facebook Group. The images of the letters are at the end of this article and have been transcribed by this author for clarity. This is to assist the audience with reading the letters but to get a true feel of the text please refer to and read the images.

[ii] This entry is an interesting aside and may indicate frustration in the maintenance of the line by the proceeding unit though the War Diary does not indicate what troops held these trenches before the 4th Brigade took them over. It appears that the 5th Canadian Brigade was the unit relieved by the 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade.

[iii] Common spelling for the now City of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

[iv] Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp. This camp was established to channel soldiers for the Canadian Base Depot (CBD) at Etaples to the next stage of training and preparation for combat. From the CBD to the CCRC the soldiers would be moved closer to the front line. In the summer of 1917, the CCRC would hold for each battalion 100 reinforcements. These men would be further trained and prepared for the next assignment with an active unit. 10% of all other units (i.e. engineers, pioneers) would be held as reinforcements at this camp. The camp was moved in June 1918 to Aubin St. Vaast and the establishment of each battalion for reinforcements was increased to 200 other ranks and 10 officers.

[v] Mostly likely the officers were billeted in the homes, and the other ranks in the barns.

[vi] The Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp was first established at Lilliers in the Summer of 1917 and then moved in June 1918 to Aubin St. Vaast.

[vii] It appears that the family moved from Hastings to Norwood, Ontario sometime after Parker joined the 93rd Battalion. He notes in his discharge papers that his proposed residence will be at Norwood.

[viii] Possibly referring to Roy Parker from the previous letter, dated December 22, 1917.

“…we cannot buy a candle or any thing to eat…”: Letters from Lance-Corporal Parker On January 24, 1916 a man from Hastings, Ontario enlisted with the 93rd Battalion, so beginning his military career.

[houseofbrat]

So the eviction from their stake to be connected to royalty triggers her pr response and the merching of the kids. Its all falling into place now right. What a start to March:).

It's interesting that, although people are speculating they were kicked out earlier when QEII was alive, somehow Harry's Wife's pr didn't use "the being made homeless in the UK" as part of their victim parade last year or during the promo tour for Harry's book.

And somehow the dumb prince forgot to whine about it in his book.

And their Netflix series.

[houseofbrat]

Oh, look. An anon who got the memo long before Plant did. 

Cui bono? 

Meghan is the only one who benefits from the reconciliation press. Duh!

Bower isn’t going to admit that because it gets in the way of his column.

Why let facts get in the way of a good story?  

Its also interesting to note where Tom Bower fits into all this. He was never a fan of Charles but he was loyal to the Queen. Why not admit that the reconciliation press is all Meghan initiated. Then again that would admit that Charles is not necessarily weak, which goes against what Bower has said in the press over the years.

He’s sounding pretty weak here. I know this is difficult for him, but omg don’t bury your head in the sand and leave poor Will to deal with it.

[grantmkemp]

The High-Flying 'Queen' Of The Circus ..... Lillian Leitzel's act took her up into the heavens of the circus tent, often 50 or 60 feet in the air, with no net or safety features below ....

"Queen of the Air" ...... A story of stardom, and tragedy ....

Born 127 years ago today, 2nd January 1892, Lillian Leitzel was an aerial performer with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus from 1915 to 1931. known as "Queen of the Air", Leitzel astounded audiences around the world with her act, which involved a series of planges in which she rotated around like a propeller while holding onto a rope with one hand. Leitzel headlined the circus longer than any performer in history. Leitzel was born Leopoldina Altitza Pelikan in Breslau, Germany, her nickname, Leitzel, was a variation of her middle name and became her stage name. Leitzel's mother, Elinor (Nellie) Pelikan, was a trapeze artist who came from a family of circus performers. Nellie's mother performed on the trapeze until age 84. Nellie and two of her sisters performed around the world as the Leamy Ladies, named for their manager, Edward Leamy. Leitzel's mother was often on tour, so Leitzel and her brother lived with their maternal grandmother and attended school in Breslau. Leitzel learned to speak five languages and studied music, literature, art, and ballet. Her family and teachers considered that she may become a concert pianist, but by the age of nine, she knew she wanted to become an aerialist. Leitzel traveled to England with her grandparents during an extended performance of the Leamy Ladies. Leitzel, who had taught herself trapeze tricks, brought a miniature trapeze to the theater one day and convinced her mother to allow her to join the act. Soon, she was upstaging her mother and aunts. In 1914, while performing in South Bend, Indiana, she was spotted by an agent for the Ringling Brothers Circus. She was offered a contract unlike any other for a new performer, $250 per week, star billing, and many other perks. She debuted with Ringling Brothers on April 17, 1915, in Chicago. Leitzel was an aerialist, not a trapeze artist. She performed her act on movable ringing, suspended from the tent ceiling. She did not use a safety net. Unlike most performers who simply climbed the webbing to the apparatus, Leitzel ascended the web in a series of rollups, in which she rolled her body up and over itself while holding onto the rope. At the top of the tent, she performed a series of graceful twirls and swings on the Roman rings to the tune of William Tell Overture. She then glided back to the ground. The second part of her act was Leitzel's trademark and is what made her famous. When she ascended the web again, all other circus activities stopped. Leitzel was the first person in history to gain such attention. After returning to the top of the tent, she slipped her wrist into a padded rope loop attached to a swivel and ring. She then performed a series of one-arm planges accompanied by a drumroll. A plange is a move in which Leitzel threw her body over her head, swinging around vertically like a propeller. With each turn, the cymbals clashed and the crowd counted, "33, 34, 35 … 89, 90 91," up to 100 or 150 turns. Her record was 249 Outside the ring, Leitzel enjoyed the attention of her fans and the press. Her popularity rivaled that of movie stars. But her temper and her ego gave her a reputation as moody and demanding. She was the first circus performer to have her own dressing tent and a private car on the circus train. It was even equipped with a baby grand piano. During her frequent tirades, she cursed or slapped circus workers. At the same time, she adored children and tutored many of the circus employees' offspring. Despite her volatile temper, men adored Leitzel and showered her with gifts. When the circus played in Detroit, Henry Ford appeared at her door with a bouquet of flowers. She left him waiting before finally seeing him. In 1928, Leitzel married the love of her life, Alfredo Codona, the "King of the Trapeze." Like Leitzel, Codona came from a family of circus performers, had begun his career as a child, and had lifted his art to a new level.

Friday the 13th .... On Friday, February 13, 1931, Leitzel performed her act at the Valencia Music Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was haunted by a nightmare that had awakened her several days earlier. In the dream, she was being hoisted to the top of the ring on a rope. Leitzel watched as the rope unraveled. Below her, her husband could not hear her cries for help. Just as the rope broke, she jolted awake.

After completing the rings portion of her act on that Friday the 13th, Leitzel began her planges. Early in the performance, the swivel ring broke as a result of repeatedly being heated from the friction of use. Leitzel fell 20 feet to the ground and landed on her shoulders and back. Although she suffered a concussion and spinal injuries, she remained conscious and attempted to continue her performance, but instead was taken to the hospital. Codona, who was performing in Berlin, rushed to her side. Leitzel convinced him that she was okay and insisted that he return to Berlin, which he did. Two days later, on February 15, 1931, Leitzel died of complications from the fall. She was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Codona went into seclusion after Leitzel's death. He later returned to the circus and married Vera Bruce, an equestrienne member of his troupe. He became increasingly reckless in his performances and his career ended in 1933 when he injured his shoulder in a fall. He tended Bruce's horses for a while, then worked at a gas station. In 1937, Bruce filed for divorce. When Codona met her at her lawyer's office to work out a settlement, he pulled out a gun and shot and killed Bruce and himself. Codona was buried beside Leitzel's ashes at the base of the memorial statue.

This is my colourised version of a sepia tinted promotional card produced around 1917

Restoring Your Past  … Website Restoring Your Past … on Facebook

[fundforteachers]

Reflecting on Education Post-911 America’s teachers were among the first responders on September 11, instantly becoming students’ source of information and calm. In the years following the tragedy, multiple teachers have turned to Fund for Teachers for grants to develop strategies and resources that help students process what happened and also provide context for those not yet born when the planes flew into the World Trade Center. One such FFT Fellow is Julie Gallegos, teacher at Bret Harte Middle School in Oakland, CA. This summer, she spent one month in Morocco participating in an intensive Arabic language course and visiting sites of historical and cultural significance to create curriculum that promotes understanding of Islam among Muslim and non-Muslim students. As a teacher and instructional leader in a diverse middle school program for recently arrived immigrant students, all of Julie’s students are English Language Learners. Despite a growing number of students arriving from Arabic speaking countries, the school had no classroom teachers who spoke the language or had even studied the Islamic culture. “I am passionate about being an advocate for my immigrant students and their families,” said Julie. “I already had an understanding and knowledge of Spanish and Latino cultures, which prepared me to be a culturally-informed educator for students of this background. However, considering the current political climate regarding Muslims and immigration, I felt it was critical for me to be informed and ready to speak and act on behalf of our Muslim students.” Julie chose Morocco as her fellowship destination due to its rich and diverse history, as well as a large number of religious and culturally-significant Islamic sites. (Morocco is also one of the few Islamic countries for which the US State Department has not issued travel advisories.) For two weeks, she enrolled in Dar Loughat, a language institute in Tetouan, where she spent mornings in language classes and afternoons and weekends joining excursions to local cultural and religious sites. Her experience also included a homestay with a local family. Julie joined a 14-day guided tour of Morocco for the second half of her fellowship, filming mosques, universities, museums and, especially, interviews with people in large cities and small villages to inform lessons for students and professional development for colleagues. “What struck me most about Morocco is how peacefully different cultures and religions of people are living together. In the city of Tetouan, Muslims, Christians, and Jews live together in close quarters as neighbors and consider each other brothers and sisters. The people I met connected with each other through their common humanity and didn’t view religious or cultural differences as a barrier. Witnessing this type of human connection inspired me to plan team-building and cultural exchange opportunities for my students to help them better connect with and understand each other. 

Julie plans to use her new experiences and insights not only in her classroom, but also in supporting her role as liaison with the school’s Family Resource Center, which facilitates the intake process for new students. She believes her new, basic knowledge of even simple Arabic phrases will indicate to families that the school community cares about all students and that teachers are making an effort to understand their cultures. Additionally, as an instructional leader at her school, Julie is working to design workshops for her colleagues that discuss implications for teaching Muslim immigrant students and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among the students of diverse backgrounds.  “Studying Islam and Arabic in Morocco allowed me to learn about Islamic cultures, customs, and values and different education systems our students may be coming from so that I can share this knowledge with teachers,” said Julie.”I will design a program to share this information and also address teachers’ questions and misconceptions about our students and their cultures and religion. Overall, my goal is to help lead the staff at my school in being more inclusive and understanding of our Muslim students.”