#the Duke of montague

[martianbugsbunny]

Fairy Godmother ex Machina in TSATR and Why it Kinda Works

at this point the movie I'm talking about is OLD so like...I'm putting my thoughts under the cut more for the potential rambling than for spoilers bc I doubt there are many people out there going "wait no don't tell me!!!! I gotta see it fresh-brained" but I found it on accident and I really enjoyed it so I'm gonna talk about it

read on and enjoy!

the biggest cheesy plot contrivance in The Slipper And The Rose came right at the very end. it's a Cinderella movie, as you might've guessed from the title, and so it comes with some classic Cinderella tropes that have to be overcome by the characters:

A) One of the driving forces for the whole story is that Prince Edward has to marry for alliance, and about fifteen (? I can't estimate time) minutes from the end of the movie his father has conspired to exile Cinderella and coerce him into marrying the daughter of a king who's threatening to invade. if this alliance falls apart, there's going to be war and the entire reason it was so important in the first place is that Euphrania is too small to defend itself, so it will be destroyed if Edward doesn't marry the Princess.

B) It's not emphasized much, beyond the ball only having foreign royalty and home nobility (to round out the numbers) in attendance, but it's in the constitution of Euphrania that the prince can't marry a commoner, which Cinderella is.

What to do, what to do, what to do?

Enter the Fairy Godmother ex Machina. She points out to the king that because he is, in fact, the king, he can unwrite the part of the constitution that prevents Edward from marrying Cinderella; she says something to him along the lines of "absolute monarchs should act absolutely, it's very becoming," and the king agrees to do it. One problem solved, one to go. But it turns out that the Princess and Edward's cousin have fallen in Love At First Sight, as officially confirmed by the Fairy Godmother, who knows a thing or two about it, and their marriage will preserve the alliance because you apparently can't attack your in-laws in this universe. Both problems solved at once within the span of like five minutes! But to me, it actually didn't feel super obnoxious or contrived, even though it was very much contrived, and I'm gonna tell you why.

Earlier in the movie, while Edward is resisting the idea of marrying for alliance instead of love, his best friend John is having a similar crisis but kind of in reverse: he's in love with a noble lady who loves him back, but he can't propose to her because he's a commoner. Edward's solution, once he thinks of it, is to knight John on the spot without a second thought, because as a prince he can just do that. Thus, the king amending the law to allow Edward and Cinderella to marry is made acceptable by means of precedent. John sets the tone and makes the solution for Edward feel a lot less out of nowhere by being the recipient of similar royal grace first.

The other plot device is admittedly more noticeable, although it still has one redeeming quality. The cousin appeared just often enough in the rest of the movie that it would have been strange and maybe even disappointing if he hadn't had any kind of resolution, but as a side character, it's not like he was ever going to get any significant emotional nuance or depth in a storyline of his own. Thus, while instantly falling in love with the Princess and solving the second problem keeping Edward and Cinderella apart, the cousin actually get the closest thing to a satisfying ending for him. In fact, in my personal taste, the contrived feeling is a worthwhile tradeoff for not having to be disappointed that his character never had a point at all.

So there you have it! There was definitely some magical solving-all-the-problems-in-the-last-ten-minutes going on here, but once I stopped to think about it, it kind of comes out in the wash. Besides, I wouldn't be happy with Edward and Cinderella not having a happy ending. I'll take the hit on reality for this one.

[davbertieloml]

OTD in 1901, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester was born in Montagu House, London ✨️

Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott was born on Christmas Day 1901 as the third daughter and fifth child of John Montagu Douglas Scott, Earl of Dalkeith and his wife, the former Lady Margaret Alice "Molly" Bridgeman, daughter of the 4th Earl of Bradford.

Lady Alice married Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, on 6 February 1935 in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. A much more elaborate wedding was originally planned at Westminster Abbey but after the bride-to-be's father died of cancer on 19 October 1935, and due to the King's failing health, it was decided that the wedding should be reduced to a more private one. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester later had two children, Prince William and Prince Richard of Gloucester.

The new Duchess of Gloucester had many activities, one of which was the launch of HMS Gloucester on 19 October 1937. From 1945 to 1947, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester lived in Canberra, where the Duke served as Governor General of Australia.

In 1972, she lost her eldest son, Prince William, who died at the age of 30 in a plane crash while participating in an amateur air show competition. Her husband, the Duke of Gloucester, died on 10 June 1974 at the age of 74.

On 21 August 2003, Princess Alice surpassed the Queen Mother's record as the oldest person in the history of the British royal family by reaching the age of 101 years 238 days. On 20 September 2003, at the age of 101 years and 269 days, she was certified by Guinness World Records as the longest-lived royal of all time, surpassing Leonilla, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn.

Princess Alice died on 29 October 2004 in her sleep at Kensington Palace, aged 102 years and 309 days. She was buried next to her husband, Prince Henry, and eldest son, Prince William, at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore.

[ask-the-young-nor-westers]

Just then, a well-dressed couple walked up before the haughty boy could let another remark escape his lips.

"Oh, there you are Brandon. Who are your new friends?" Before Brandon could answer his mother, Olivia spoke up.

"My name's Olivia! This is Montague and Monique. It's nice to meet you."

"Lovely to meet you three. It's nice that our son has made friends already." Brandon could only stay silent in embarrassment while his parents made small talk with his "new friends."

(2/2; Part 1 here )

[blackcur-rants]

Okay, so we all know Charles Dickens was a huge Shakespeare fan and a theatre guy in general. Like, he did so many theatrical productions alongside Wilkie Collins and loved himself some dramatic readings of his own prose.

What I’m saying is that I kind of feel that “A Tale of Two Cities” lifts quite a lot from Shakespeare. For example, in both ATOTC and “Romeo and Juliet”, we have a story about two factions (the two countries of England and France in Dickens’ novel and the two noble houses of Montague and Capulet in Shakespeare’s play) who have been at each other’s throats for so long they don’t even quite remember why they’re at each other’s throats in the first place and what happens when two members of these respective factions (Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay in “A Tale of Two Cities” and Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in “Romeo and Juliet”) meet and become close to each other. And of course, both stories end with a desperate person sacrificing themselves for the one that they love with said sacrifice being less a noble and definitive ending to the story and more an act of desperation in the face of impending death (Carton takes Darnay’s place on the guillotine in a desperate attempt to buy Darnay, Lucie, and their daughter time to escape back to London while Juliet commits suicide in what is very likely a desperate attempt to escape from what she still sees as her impending arranged marriage to Count Paris). There’s also a strong parallel between the main character trio in “A Tale of Two Cities” and the main character trio in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, I.E…

•Both Viola and Charles Darnay are sweet, sensitive young nobles who find themselves living in a new land and assume new names in order to avoid suspicion and end up in a relationship they didn’t expect with the second character of the main trio.

•Both Olivia and Lucie Manette are smart, pious young women living in mourning for a dead or at least severely traumatised loved one and end up falling in love with the disguised protagonist while fending off the attentions of an annoying suitor (Malvolio for Olivia and Stryver for Lucie).

•Orsino and Sydney Carton are both the depressed young men uncertain of their purpose in life who become acquainted with Viola/Darnay while also being in love with Olivia/Lucie.

Where am I going with all this, by the way? Well basically, I’m kind of suggesting that there being queer subtext between Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay might actually have been intentional on Dickens’ part. However, because queerness was so verboten and punishable by prison or death in the 1850s, Dickens had to cloak all of this in ambiguity and subtext, using these allusions to classic Shakespeare plays as a way of coding/broadcasting his true intent to the audience who would know what he was doing.

@cynicalclassicist @eleftherian @secretmellowblog @dachi-chan25 @uncleasriel

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

European Royalty | Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands invite the British Royal Family to a banquet at Carpenters' Hall in the City of London, UK, 13th April 1972. From left to right, Prince Richard of Gloucester, The Duchess of Gloucester, Prince William of Gloucester, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Prince Bernhard, Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Juliana, Princess Alexandra and Princess Margaret. 

[thurlocker]

Check out my e-book, available at Amazon and other e-publishing platforms!

Henry Scott, Third Duke of Buccleuch

By Tim Hurlocker

Henry Scott, Third Duke of Buccleuch tells the true story of an entitled young Scot who learns tough lessons in life and love as he travels through France with his famous tutor, the Scottish philosopher Adam Smith.

At seventeen, Henry Scott was a boy who had it all – wealth, title, and servants to attend to his every desire. After graduating Eton, his ambitious stepfather, the British politician Charles Townshend, hired Smith to be Henry’s personal teacher while they toured France in the mid-1760s. The plan was for Henry to gain Continental refinement, sow his wild oats, return to England, choose a wife, inherit his vast Scottish estates, and then stand for Parliament. Who could ask for more?

Yet as Henry completes his privileged education, he realizes that money can’t buy love and happiness, lofty titles imply great responsibilities, and that death strikes rich and poor alike. His lofty title assured a life of ease, but also decided who he could marry, who his sister could marry, and that his younger brother was slated for the military. As the date of his Majority nears, Henry must choose between the dueling influences of his scheming stepfather and his famous teacher over his estate, his marriage, and the future of Scotland.

Along the way, Henry and Adam encounter the luminaries of eighteenth-century France and England, including David Hume, Voltaire, Rousseau, Shelburne, Burke, and Ben Franklin, the American Representative in London. Henry met the kings of both France and England before he turned 21 but discovered that humble servants had the greater impact on his life. His education charts the birth of the modern liberal order that presaged the American and French Revolutions. Henry Scott is the dramatization of a true story; it reads like a novel and contains essential lessons for us all.

[ace-with--a-mace]

1996 romeo and juliet :P

[thetisming]

with the amount of times i've auditioned for musicals alone in my house youd think i'd have a role in something

Sometimes you just gotta dance around your kitchen to a musical soundtrack and pretend that you’re on Broadway😌✨

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) "Ignatius Sancho" (1768) Oil on canvas Located in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada Charles Ignatius Sancho (c. 1729 – 14 December 1780) was a British abolitionist, writer and composer.

Believed to have been born on a British slave ship in the Atlantic, Sancho was sold by the British slave traders into slavery in the Spanish Viceroyalty New Granada. After his parents died, Sancho's owner took the two-year-old orphan to Britain and gave him to three sisters living in Greenwich, where he remained for eighteen years. Unable to bear being a servant to them, Sancho ran away to the Montagu House in Blackheath, London where John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu taught him how to read and encouraged Sancho's budding interest in literature. After spending some time as a butler in the household, Sancho left and started his own business as a shopkeeper, while also starting to write and publish various essays, plays and books.

Sancho quickly became involved in the nascent British abolitionist movement, which sought to outlaw both the slave trade and the institution of slavery itself, and he became one of its most devoted supporters. Sancho's status as a property-owner meant he was legally qualified to vote in a general election, a right he exercised in 1774 and 1780, becoming the second known British African to have voted in Britain after John London. Gaining fame in Britain as "the extraordinary Negro", Sancho became, to British abolitionists, a symbol of the humanity of Africans and the immorality of the slave trade and slavery. Sancho died in 1780. The Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, an African, edited and published two years after his death, are the first published letter collection by a writer of African descent

[tragic-ships-tournament]

GUYS!! GALS!! AND EVERYONE ELSE IN BETWEEN AND OUT OF THE SYSTEM THAT IS GENDER!!

THE MOMENT YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR... IT'S THEEEEEE-

TRAGIC SHIPS TOURNAMENT!

All 64 of your favorite tragic ships will be going up against each other in this head to head single elimination brawl! To figure out the answer to this age old question.... who is the best tragic ship?

The tournament will (hopefully) be starting 1 week from now! On Saturday, January 11th, for 24 hours only vote in our preliminaries to figure out who will be moving on to the next round. There are two brackets, Bracket A and Bracket B, and the winners of each respective bracket will face off each other in the finals

Without further ado, let's see our brackets!

(apologies if there's any typos or mistakes- I had to google like 70% of these characters to get their names.)

Click for quality please! Tumblr is... Tumblr.

Here is the full list of ships!

Marvin Gardens and Whizzer Brown

Orpheus and Eurydice

Ivan and Till

Mizi and Sua

Donald Trump and Joe Biden

The RMS Titanic

Jack Dawson and Rose Dewitt Bukater

Toshiko Sato and Owen Harper

Optimus Prime and Elita-1

The Ship of Theseus

My Hopes and Dreams 😔

Miss Holloway and Duke Keane

Lex Foster and Ethan Green

Margaret Cavendish and Samuel Stratford

Charlotte Sweetly and Ted Spankoffski

Melina Whistler and Janice Quatlane

Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward

Fiddleford McGucket and Stanford Pines

Dean Winchester and Castiel

Glinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp

Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet

Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan

Yamato and Portgas D. Ace

Dewey Riley and Gale Weathers

Archibald Clare and Ludovico Valentinelli

Aura Blackquill and Metis Cykes

Michaela Arklow and Clarith Netsuma

Peter Simonds and Jason McConnell

Jayce Talis and Viktor

Achilles and Patroclus

Captain Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones

Farilane and Kile

The 10th Doctor and Rose Tyler

Jonathan sims and Martin Blackwood

Enjolras and Grantaire

Rachel and Tobias

Rem and Misa Amane

Madoka Kaname and Homura Akemi

Erwin Smith and Levi Ackerman

Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough

The Captain and Lieut Havers

Crick Wellsley and Temenos Mistral

Jason Dean and Veronica Sawyer

Seymour Krelborn and Audrey Fulquard

Agent Curt Mega and Owen Carvour

Jesus Christ and Judas Isacriot

Goro Akechi and Joker

L Lawliet and Touta Matsuda

Thor Odinson and Jane Foster

Tessa Gray, Will Herondale, and Jem Carstairs

Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry

Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru

Tony Wyzek and MarIa Vasquez

Lou Clark and Will Traynor

Phob and Phat

Taranza and Queen Sectonia

Anakin Skywalker and Padme Naberrie

Lawrence Gordon amd Adam Faulkner-Stanheight

Pearl and Rose/Pink Diamond

Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura

Charles Xavier and Erik Magnus Lehnsherr

Normal Oak and Hermie Unworthy

Rintaro Okabe and Kurisu Makise

Rootspring and Bristlefrost

[hyperactively-me]

regency era!ghost x reader au (part 3)

The social calendar brought you and Duke Simon Riley together once again, this time at the annual charity horse race organized by Lady Montague. The event was held on the expansive family estate, where the elite of the ton gathered to watch, place bets, and socialize in the exhilarating clamor of neighing horses and cheering spectators. 

You stood by the paddock, watching the horses being paraded before the race. The sun was warm on your face, and the air was brimming with excitement. You had always enjoyed the thrill of horse racing, and today was no exception. As you chat with friends, discussing the prospects of the various riders, you feel a presence beside you.

Turning, you find Simon standing there, his eyes fixed on the horses. He looks as stern as ever, his jaw set in a hard line. 

“Your Grace,” you say, bowing your head slightly. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” 

“Lady Montague was quite insistent,” he replies, not bothering to look at you or greet you properly. You huff at his impoliteness, already wanting to rid of him. “I couldn’t refuse her invitation.” 

“Of course,” you say, a hint of sarcasm creeping into your voice. “It’s your duty, even at a charity event.”

He finally glances at you, his eyes narrowing. “Yes, duty. Something I believe you understand, though our interpretations seem to differ.”

You bristle at his tone but keep your composure. “Is there no place where we can avoid bickering, Mister Riley?” 

“I could ask you the same, my lady,” he shoots back, voice gruff.

Before you could retort, Lady Montague’s voice rings out, calling for everyone’s attention. The races are about to begin, and you move toward the grandstand, taking a seat with a group of your friends. To your dismay, Simon took a seat not far from you; you turn your nose up, trying your best to ignore him.

The first few races pass without incident, the crowd cheering and clapping as the horses and riders thundered past the finish line. When the final race of the day was about to start, the crowd grew quiet, everyone on the edge of their seat to see who would win their bets. 

The race began, and you found yourself caught up in the excitement, leaning forward in your seat as the horses sprinted around the track. Just as the horse in the lead was about to cross the finish line, another horse stumbled, causing a chain reaction that sent several horses and their riders crashing into the ground. Gasps and shouts filled the air, and you stood up in shock, watching the chaos unfold.

Without a second thought, you hurry down the grandstand, making your way toward the track to see if anyone was seriously hurt. As you reach the scene, you see Simon already there, helping one of the fallen riders to his feet.

You spot another rider struggling to get up, your heart pounding in your chest, adrenaline coursing through your veins. 

You start to push through the crowd, but before you could make your way towards the rider, Simon steps in front of you, blocking your path. 

Despite your urgency to help the injured rider, Simon's abrupt intervention halts your progress, and frustration bubbles within you. You lock eyes with him, ready to demand an explanation for his interference, but before you can speak, he raises a hand in a commanding gesture.

"Wait," he says, his tone firm and authoritative. "It's too dangerous."

Your eye twitches at his presumption, your concern for the injured rider outweighing any patience you might have mustered. "I can't just stand by and do nothing," you retort, your voice edged with frustration.

"You could get hurt," he says, his voice low and stern. "There's a difference between helping and being reckless, my lady."

"And you think I don't know that? Don’t lecture me about recklessness,” you reply, your voice equally low but sharp. "I can’t just stand by and do nothing."

You attempt to move around him, and he grabs your arm gently but firmly, his grip insistent. His hand feels hot against your skin. “Please, trust me on this,” he implores, his voice resolute. “I can’t believe you are so stubborn that you would try to put yourself in harm’s way without thinking.” 

"I am thinking!" you snap. “I’m thinking about those riders, the horses, and—"

"And not about your own safety," he interrupts, his voice rising. "Which is exactly my point."

You go silent at that, swallowing your words. 

Simon presses his fingers into the flesh of your arm a little more firmly, but not uncomfortably. “I understand your desire to help, but rushing in without a plan only adds to the chaos. Let the professionals handle it.”

You hesitate, torn between your desire to help and the logic in Simon’s words. Taking a breath, you relent, biting your tongue and acknowledging the truth in his words. “Fine,” you concede, your voice tight. “But only because it’s the sensible thing to do.” 

Simon nods, a flicker of relief passing across his features as he lets go of your arm. "Thank you," he says, his voice genuine, though still laced with his usual aloofness. With that, he turns on his heel and starts directing the crowd. 

As Simon takes charge, organizing the crowd and ensuring the injured riders receive prompt medical attention, you step back slightly, watching his authoritative demeanor with an apprehensive appreciation. You can't deny the effectiveness of his approach.

And, despite his usual arrogance and abrasive demeanor, there was something undeniably compelling about the way he handled himself in this moment. 

Your gaze lingered on him, the lines of his face etched with determination as he barked orders at the crowd, his every move calculated and precise. For a brief moment, you found yourself seeing him in a different light, the harsh edges of his personality softened by the gravity of the whole situation. 

Unexpectedly, Simon's gaze flickers to your direction, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that sends a shiver down your spine. You quickly avert your eyes, a faint heat flooding into your face at the sudden rush of self-awareness.

You’re left feeling both unsettled and strangely captivated, and you can’t help but wonder if there was more to the Duke than met the eye. 

part 2 < > part 4

[bikinibottomdayz]

MARCH 25, 2025 RELEASE

All my videos can be found here, full release under the read more! I am also offering the two Operation Mincemeat videos as a bundle for 30 USD!

ORDER FORM HERE

This release includes: Richard II (with Jonathan Bailey), The Great Gatsby (Ryan/Eva), The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wicked (new cast), Operation Mincemeat preview bundle

THE GREAT GATSBY January 30, 2025 (M) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (9.69GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Ryan McCartan (Jay Gatsby), Eva Noblezada (Daisy Buchanan), Noah J. Ricketts (Nick Carraway), Samantha Pauly (Jordan Baker), John Zdrojeski (Tom Buchanan), Terrence Mann (Meyer Wolfsheim), Samantha Pollino (u/s Myrtle Wilson), Charlie Pollock (George Wilson) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of Eva’s penultimate performance in this show! Minor obstruction on the left that blocks off less than a minute of action in total. Some moments of wandering and unfocusing. Some washout on wider shots. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBZVJ4 | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

OPERATION MINCEMEAT February 17, 2025 | Broadway (Previews) | 4K MP4 (10.24GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Natasha Hodgson (Ewen Montagu & others), David Cumming (Charles Cholmondeley & Others), Claire-Marie Hall (Jean Leslie & others), Jak Malone (Hester Leggatt & others), Zoe Roberts (Johnny Bevan & others) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this show’s second preview! Minimal wandering and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC2U9A | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

OPERATION MINCEMEAT February 19, 2025 | Broadway (Previews) | 4K MP4 (10.05GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Natasha Hodgson (Ewen Montagu & others), David Cumming (Charles Cholmondeley & Others), Claire-Marie Hall (Jean Leslie & others), Jak Malone (Hester Leggatt & others), Zoe Roberts (Johnny Bevan & others) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this show’s fourth preview! Footage is foggy-looking throughout, usually most noticeable in wideshots. Some obstruction on the far right that blocks a bit of action. There is a tech malfunction near the end, show stop and restart is included. Some wandering and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC381M | ASKING $18 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

RICHARD II February 27, 2025 (M) | Off-West End | 4K MP4 (10.08GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Jonathan Bailey (Richard II), Royce Pierreson (Henry Bolingbroke), Nick Sampson (John of Gaunt), Amanda Root (Duchess of York/Green), Vinnie Heaven (Aumerle), Phoenix Di Sebastiani (Thomas Mowbray/Groom), Jordan Kouamé (Bushy/Percy), Michael Simkins (Duke of York), Adam Best (Bagot), Olivia Popica (Queen Isabel), Christopher Osikanlu Colquhoun (Earl of Northumberland), Seamus Dillane (Lord Surrey), Gerard Monaco (Sir Stephen Scroop/Keeper), George Taylor (Fitzwater), Badria Timimi (Abbess of Carlisle) Notes: Great 4K capture of this production! Act One is a bit rough, with some minor bar / head obstruction and is overall less well filmed. When action happens off stage (in the audience etc) it isn’t visible. Video generally gets better as time goes on. Some wandering and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC3YTM | ASKING $15 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY March 13, 2025 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (8.49GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Sarah Snook Notes: Excellent 4K capture of this phenomenal adaptation! The majority of action happens on screens, but live action is also captured. Very minor head obstruction on the bottom right. Some wandering and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC5u1J | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

WICKED March 18, 2025 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.57GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Lencia Kebede (Elphaba), Allie Trimm (Glinda), Jordan Litz (Fiyero), NaTasha Yvette Williams (Madame Morrible), Brad Oscar (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), Jenna Bainbridge (Nessarose), Daniel Quadrino (Boq), William Youmans (Doctor Dillamond) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of the new cast! Increased wandering and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC5YDz | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

[mea-gloria-fides]

The Most Noble Richard Montagu Douglas Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry.

[msfcatlover]

Nightwing!Damian would still be of the Corruption, though he has so many healthy relationships in his life that its influence on him is slipping. His swarm is smaller now than it’s ever been. His power fades day by day. He might even manage to be human again someday (he doesn’t know how he feels about that, when his swarm are so beloved & his monster side has always been a source of pride for Damian.)

Tim was always going to be of the Eye, being Oracle only doubles down on it.

Cass in the TMA AU is basically Agnes Montague, but for the Stranger. That wouldn’t change either.

Steph was only just starting out when Damian took her under his wing. She never fully got caught in the spiraling fixation on destroying her father by any means necessary, she couldn’t pursue one goal to the exclusion of all others, and as the first fully human (non-Alfred) member of the team, everyone would be doing their best to protect that humanity, monitoring her for any sign of supernatural influence and guiding her away before it could get its hooks in her (they are still Bruce’s children, after all.) Until she came out of the dirt, unsheltered & unprotected, already marked so many times over, with fear & rage boiling in her blood. Until Talia gave Steph her mind back, gave Steph a purpose again, and the rage boiled over plasmatic hate. Until Steph laughed like a roaring maelstrom, sparks crackling in her wild hair, something bordering on madness in her eyes, and Talia thought: Oh. I have made a mistake. (The storm would be leashed, eventually. Steph does have self control, she has goals to achieve, plans to make, and power alone could not do that. But in that moment, when Steph realized her killer was still killing people despite everything that had happened, in her pain & fury, she gave in. She stepped backwards off that invisible ledge and plunged headfirst into what she knew she was Becoming. She embraced it, wholeheartedly. In that moment, it almost wasn’t Stephanie Brown in that garden, but the Cataclysm itself inside her skin. Almost.)

Duke… I’m still struggling to think of a good match for, but honestly in this AU… His ability to connect, to make people listen to him, his desire to step up & save the city himself if he has to, and the fact Duke is the eldest/first batkid in this AU (giving him & Bruce even more in common when Batman had only ever fought alone) all make me want to say Web. BUT with his powers, his ability to lead a crowd, the sheer scale of his potential, I also want to say Vast? What little I know of Gnomon also says Vast, ALTHOUGH…. …we could play off their shadow control, invert Duke’s light powers for this AU, and say Dark. Which would make Duke borderline antithetical to Web!Bruce, but hey, maybe Web!Bruce wants to prove to himself just how much choice he still has—that the Web can make him as uncomfortable as it likes, but he’s still going to take care of a child in need. (Assuming he is going against the Web’s wishes, of course, and it isn’t reverse psychologying him…) (My gut says Web!Duke, though. The more I think about it, the more I like Web!Duke conceptually… but I am worried that it doesn’t fit him. That Duke’s all-or-nothing “if no one else is going to, I’ll do it myself” attitude & raw charisma is not close enough to the Web’s need for control. I don’t like it when people just assign characters an Entity for the Aesthetic(TM) or for shallow, surface-level reasons—it has to resonate with their own personal failings, or else what’s even the point?)

Jason was human when he joined the family, and they’d want to keep him that way… but I think by the time he gets back from the Red Robin arc, Jason would’ve been claimed by the Hunt.

Dick gets scooped up by the family almost immediately in this AU, and Cass does her best to temper in his early-days bloodlust. With Cass as his Batman, I think Dick would be tempted by the Vast, but ultimately chase after her by embracing his own Otherness. (Or Dick was already a Stranger when his parents fell. But honestly, I like the arc of Dick learning to love himself & following in his mentor’s footsteps so much more than making him a Stranger because Circus.)

[royaltysimblr]

Princess Anne, The Double Duchess (1825-1906)

read more about her below!

Princess Anne was the third child of Queen Mary II and Prince Charles, the Earl of Statford. Although the Queen had resented her daughter for her gender, her father Prince Charles showered the princess with love and affection. Queen Mary distanced herself from her children after the birth, with historians agreeing she most likely suffered from post-partum depression. Princess Anne grew up to be a lively and joyful girl who enjoyed reading literature and had a passion for dance. Princess Anne married Prince Jean of Magnolia, the Duke of Claremont in 1849. The marriage was arranged as a part of Queen Mary’s agenda to improve relations between the two former rival countries. Anne disliked the stuffy opulent court of Magnolia and longed for a simpler life in Windenburg. Princess Anne struggled to integrate well into Magnolian society and had an infamous rivalry with her sister-in-law, Crown Princess Marie Louise. Princess Anne loathed her husband, who paid little attention to his wife. It was rumored for many years that the Prince had an affair with his secretary, the Baron of Aubin.  Princess Anne had two miscarriages before giving birth to a son, Prince Philippe, Count of Vermandois in 1855. While Princess Anne was visiting her mother at the San Myshuno Palace in 1862, her husband died, leaving the young princess a widow. Princess Anne decided to return to San Myshuno with her young son and lived with her mother at Statford Castle. Princess Anne would elope with her childhood friend, James Montague, 8th Duke of Vermont in 1864. The couple would have a happy marriage which produced a daughter, Lady Mary Montague. Social circles in San Myshuno High Society dubbed the princess the "double duchess". For the first year and a half of marriage, the queen refused to speak to Anne who in turn refused to attend court. However, her younger sister, Princess Mary, was able to mend the relationship between them. Although the Queen was opposed to the match initially, she later described the Duke as "her favorite son-in-law". Princess Anne spent most of her time away from court, and instead in the countryside of Victoria. Princess Anne lived a happy and fulfilled life and died at her country estate, Vermont Park in 1906 surrounded by her grandchildren.