#the engagement diaries 23

[world-of-wales]

THE WALES DIARIES ♚

8 DECEMBER 2023 || TOGETHER AT CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE, WESTMINSTER ABBEY

The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis along with other members of the Royal Family attended the Together At Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey; spearheaded by The Princess, and supported by The Royal Foundation.

Linked to the Shaping Us campaign, the service showcased the hope of new life and why it is so important to build supportive, nurturing worlds around children and the adults in their lives.

The service at Westminster Abbey saw a poignant reading being delivered The Prince of Wales. While, the Princess of Wales reportedly also performed a rendition of 'Last Christmas' on John Lennon's piano, which was bought at an auction by George Michael in his honour.

This year, a special Christmas Post Box was located outside the Abbey for children to send handmade Christmas cards and best wishes to other children who might be struggling this year. George, Charlotte, Louis and Wolfie posted their own letters in it as they arrived.

[hp-abandonshipfest]

Abandon Ship Fest Masterlist

Ahoy there! Our voyage is now at an end, and we, the mods, are delighted to announce that we have 23 spectacular gen works for your perusal! Thank you to everyone who engaged, commented, reblogged, and followed along. Your support means so much and we are so grateful! Without further ado, here are our entries ⚓

Fine Print by nocturn Marietta's maxims for a life well-learned and well-lived.

Where the Heart is by silver_fish - a Podfic by @cailynwrites After the events at the Department of Mysteries in June—and all that came after—Harry finds himself once again stranded at Number Four Privet Drive. With only his own thoughts to keep him company, he takes to writing letters to the only person he thinks can help, if only he were still alive to do so.

Collected Correspondence by Artemisaki, jtimu Correspondence between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy regarding publication of novel findings in magizoology and wizarding space. 

Maybe this is enough by Patriceavril Scattered moments throughout a doomed friendship.

All The Whys To Map The Stars by @nogenrealldrama  Sometimes Astronomy feels like the least magical subject at Hogwarts. But while the influence of the planets can seem subtle, it’s also ever-present. This fic is a short narrative exploration of how Astronomy might affect magic in the Wizarding world.

Eat Your Death, Draco by @sillywives Draco's first dinner with the Death Eaters isn't what he expected.

The Ostentation by @lumosatnight, @nanneramma Lucius Malfoy: the boy, the man, the bird.

[ART] Never Been in Love by @okeydokeylackey Little piece of art/gif of Voldemort with an aro/ace flag 🧡💛🤍💙🖤

The Winds Forbid by @dodgerkedavra The third letter Petunia receives from Albus Dumbledore simply can’t be right.

The Sacred Blood We Spilled by @bunnieblair Her sisters were her ever-present companions in life. Their presence at her side firm and unyielding. Years of treasured girlhood, of never being alone. A lifetime spent fighting, learning and growing together.

Between Truth & Repose by @caitriona-3 Lily figures the assignment is as good a chance as any to ask her question - why are the three curses unforgivable?

Aniseed by @poljupci The Art of Identifying the Things which No Longer Serve You

These Dreams That Deepen Our Desires by Clueless Anxious Ghost of Hayhay (ShadowfoxFreyja) Narcissa finds herself in Azkaban, unwillingly dwelling on her past experiences.

The Diary of T.M. Riddle by @midnightstargazer On a visit to the Malfoys, fourteen-year-old Sirius insists on sneaking off to explore. What happens when he and Regulus find a blank diary hidden deep within the Malfoys’ library?

Ollivanders and Potter: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. by That_Dark_Forest_Witch The wand may be the one to do all the choosing, but wandmakers are needed to help the pairs find each other. The getting-ready-for-school rush in Diagon Ally is one of Harry's favourites now that the shop is his.

A Good Place (Believe Me) by SquibNation10 Five-year-old Harry's idyllic summer in Godric's Hollow takes a dramatic turn when he meets Tom, a troubled boy. Tragedy strikes: Harry's sister, Luna, is missing. Can Tom and Harry solve the mystery together?

The boy and the dogfather by HadrianPeverellBlack Trouble is very protective of the young boy.

The Secrets We Keep by sky_watcher_rose Minerva knows who the black cat with the brown eyes is, but she never says anything. After all, as she keeps telling herself, she has no proof.

Learning to Unlearn by @offthemap A Pansy Parkinson character study. Over the course of a year and a half, Pansy starts to become more open-minded about the world she lives in... though at first not on purpose. A series of vignettes.

My brothers, my boys, my twins by @lucigoo Percy was unintentionally parentified at a young age. Now, on his first birthday without Fred, he finds himself with George and Harry. Reminiscing about the boys he all but helped raised.

Missing Pages by @nightfalltwen Something isn't right with Monica Wilkins' life. It's like reading a book with the pages torn out and she doesn't know.

Unbreakable bonds by x_manga_Bleach_x Bill was Ginny's favourite brother. She'd never tell Ron though. He'd pout and sulk for days.

our house in the middle of our street by daniko A neglected orphan, a former and future spy, and a convicted felon take up residence in a grim old place.

[dotthings]

The denialism and revisionist history going on pushing the fairy tale that Nexstar CW is the only CW era with problems that required calling out, and the invalidation towards any criticism of the pre-Nexstar eras, have gone completely off the rails.

Perpetuating these fairy tales and the erasure of CW Network's long-running history of issues helps enable the broken system people claim they care about denouncing.

The reality of CW Network history: Racism, homophobia, poor set practices, toxic abusive showrunners, systemic failure to support actors especially in marginalized groups, and fan base after fan base used for engagement and then treated badly.

These are systemic industry issues, not confined to any one network. CW became a lightning rod for it because it was unusually concentrated from one platform, so it stuck out and CW earned a terrible reputation, long before the sale.

To combat the revisionist history and denialism, behind the cut is a timeline with a few of the egregoius systemic problems that have plagued the CW historically and reflect severe enabling and lack of oversight on the part of the network.

Nexstar Media era acquired the CW on October 3, 2022.

The harm starts at the very beginning, though. On January 24, 2006, The CW was born. In its founding, The CW destroyed an entire slate of Black-led series on UPN and the resulting network was extremely white.

Candice Patton, in EW, reflecting on the early seasons of The Flash and how she had to speak up and advocate for herself and for Iris West (date of article May 23, 2023, but refers to pre-Nexstar CW) “The scariest thing is speaking up, and I had a hard time talking about it for such a long time because you're so afraid of being seen as problematic," she says. "That's a word that no actor wants to have follow them around. But I think we're learning that speaking up and speaking out is the only way for change. And it's not about blaming people or canceling people, it's about just really being able to have a conversation so that the industry changes for the better. And I hope that whatever struggles I may have had, doing that has made it even the smallest amount easier for the next crop of actors coming up who feel like they need to be heard and seen and accommodated for."

July 8, 2022, EW. Candice Patton reveals how she considered quitting The Flash in S2 due to racist fans and The CW and WB didn’t give her the support she needed, and reflects on how she was treated differently than her co-stars:

"Even with the companies I was working with, The CW and WB, that was their way of handling it. We know better now that it's not okay to treat your talent that way, and to let them go through this abuse and harassment. But for me in 2014, there were no support systems. No one was looking out for that. It was just free range to get abused every single day. There were no social media protocols in place to protect me, so they just let all that stuff sit there….It's just not enough to make me your lead female and say, 'Look at us, we're so progressive, we checked the box.' It's great, but you've put me in the ocean alone around sharks. It's great to be in the ocean, but I can get eaten alive out here…It was more about the protocols in place and the things I see happening for my white counterparts that's not happening to me. Seeing how I was treated differently than other people, seeing how I'm not protected by the network and the studio, those were the things that not necessarily hurt me but frustrated me."

January 28, 2022, Sunstroke Magazine - Looking Back On Kat Graham's Racist and Anti-Semitic Experience on 'The Vampire Diaries�� A summary: * Kat Graham endured racist and antisemitic comments from a co-worker. * The show forced her to wear a wig when she recommended using her natural hair for Bonnie * Ian Somerhalder had to step up to protect Kat, threatening to quit the show if Bonnie was killed off or written out * Showrunners shot down the idea of Bonnie being queer and was patronizing to Bonnie fans * Here’s a compilation of Kat Graham and her character Bonnie being mistreated during the run of TVD:

October 2021, EW and THR - Ruby Rose accuses CW and WBTV of bad set practices and that they were forced to keep filming 10 days after major surgery she had to undergo after being injured doing a stunt and called out bad practices that harmed crew and endangered everyone on set. CW and WBTV denied everything

June 7, 2021, Hypebae, Candice Patton speaking on issues concerning how PoC are treated at CW and systemically in the TV industry

November 22, 2020, Popsugar - The all-black cast of the superhero series Black Lightning have to find out from social media that the show is cancelled and are given no advance warning. China Anne McClain reveals she was going to quit the show even if it had continued: “For different reasons, that, to be honest, I don't want to go into. I just want y'all to trust me on it."

November 9, 2020, Slashfilm - 'Superman & Lois' Writer Nadria Tucker Says She Was Fired After Raising Issues With CW Show's Sexism And Racism

San Diego Comic Con 2017: the cast of Supergirl singing a song to mock a predominantly queer fanbase for the Supercorp ship

March 14, 2016, Variety - “What TV Can Learn From ‘The 100’ Mess” in the wake of The 100 killing off Lexa, an openly queer character.

April 6, 2016, EW - The 100: Ricky Whittle says showrunner 'abused' him off the show May 6, 2015 - Season 10, episode 21 of SPN "Dark Dynasty" airs, killing the show's only recurring openly queer character at that point, Charlie Bradbury.

It’s common knowledge Daman Salvatore is bi in The Vampire Diaries books. The character on the show, one of “classic CW”’s biggest hits, was straightwashed.

2013: Misha Collins at NJ Con comments on how women are treated on SPN:

2024: Misha Collins at Purcon 8 shades the CW for placing representation caps on queer rep at SPN

The fact CW had other queer rep does not preclude the existence of pinkwashing, queer erasure, or queer censorship)

November 2020: in the wake of Castiel's romantic love confession to Dean Winchester and in the immediate aftermath of the end of SPN, the nature of the confession was ommitted in all official promotional material and Misha Collins hinted he was told he couldn't talk about Cas's pov. Eventually, Misha Collins was able to speak openly that the writer intention and the story and everyone who worked on the scene intended it as a romantic love confession and that Cas is queer and in love with Dean.

---

Love the shows. Support the shows. Support the creatives who were trying to make things better from within the system.

The megacorporation does not love you.

Stop bootlicking for the megacorporation.

[lavastories]

UPDATE!!!Everything I’m Currently Reading to Completed to Everything on my Interactive TBR!

LOL, brace yourself guys this is gonna be a pretty long list from all of my interactive platforms across the grid. This will be going by apps with list of stories.

What I completed reading will be in red crossed out. What I’m currently reading will be in green. What’s on my TBR will be in pink. And what I’m considering to read will be in orange. And what I’m unsure about will be in purple. And what I’ll drop reading will be in blue. And undecided will be in black.

Romance Club

1. And The Haze Will Take Us

2. 7 Brothers

3. Astrea’s Broken Heart

4. The One: Vol 2

5. Garden of Eden

6. Soulless

7. W: Time Catcher

8. Song of the Crimson Nile

9. Elite Tag

10. The Desert Rose

11. Vying for Versailles

12. Psi

13. The One: Vol 1

14. Hell and High Water

15. Theodora

16. The Flower from Tiamat’s Fire

17. Heart of Trespia

18. Gladiator Chrronicles

19. Seduced by the Rythum

20. Arcanum

21. Shadows of Sanitfour

22. Sophie’s Ten Wishes

23. Path of the Valkyrie

24. Love from Outer Space

25. Dracula. A Love Story

26. Legend of the Willow

27. Wave Patrol

28. Queen in 30 Days

29. Sails in the Fog

30. Heaven’s Secret- Requiem

31. Kali: Flame of Samsara

32. Love, Sin, & Evil: Vol 1

33. Chasing You 2

34. Heaven’s Secret 2 (Currently rereading for LI)

35. Kali: Call of Darkness

36. On Thin Ice

37. Sins of London

38. Rage of the Titans

39. Heaven’s Secret

40. Chasing You

41. My Hollywood Story

42. Moonborn

43. The Thunderstorms Saga

CHAPTERS (Keep in mind this app has SOOOO many books, so I’ll be putting the one’s I’ve started, all 27 books. I see to which ones I’ll be continuing, finished read, on my TBR, or not going to continue.)

1. Paying My Dues - Story by ME

2. Knocked Up By the Hockey Team

3. Bride of Anubis

4. Bad Boy Blues

5. Dangerous Guilty Pleasure - User Story

6. My Best Friend’s Baby

7. Having the Convict’s Baby

8. I Lost My Innocence to the Mafia Boss

9. Slashes In The Snow

10. Hot Hot Hate

11. Ruined

12. Pregnant by my Ex’s Dad

13. Addicted

14. My First Time - User Story

15. Our Story - User Story

16. The Darkest Kiss

17. Emergency Engagement

18. Night Prince 3: Bound by Flames

19. Love In the Deep End

20. COLE

21. Seven Day Fiancé

22. Burn for Me

23. The Dark Ones

24. Promise Me - User Story

25. Nico: A Mafia Romance

26. HALO

27. Waking up Pregnant

Choices (For the sake of the post, I’ll keep the books for this general and away from the VIP books. However, only will have the books of the VIP books that became wide release)

1. The Ghost of Us

2. BloodBound Series

3. The Royal Romance Series

4. The Nanny Affair Series

5. Rules of Engagement Series

6. Open Heart Series

7. Laws of Attraction Series

8. Roommates With Benefits

9. The Royal Masquerade

10. With Every Heartbeat

11. Rising Tides

12. Hot Shot

13. Alpha

14. Dirty Little Secrets

15. The Billionaire’s Baby

16. Surrender

17. Untameable

18. Shipwrecked

19. Kiss of Death

20. Wolf Bride

21. Witness: A Bodyguard Romance

22. Endless Summer Series

23. Hero

24. The Heist: Monaco

25. The Phantom Agent

26. Most Wanted

27. Across the Void

28. Ship of Dreams

29. Desire and Decorum Series

30. A Courtesan of Rome

31. Distant Shores

32. The Duchess Affair

33. Murder at Homecoming

34. High School Series

35. My Two First Loves

36. Ride-or-die: A Bad Boy Romance

37. The Elementalists Series

38. HSS: Class Act Series

39. Immortal Desires Series

40. Wake the Dead

41. It Lives Series

42. Nightbound

44. Haunting of Braidwood Manor

45. Perfect Match Series

46. Foreign Affairs

47. Mother of the Year

48. Bachelorette Party

49. Kindred

50. Blades of Light and Shadow Series

51. The Cursed Heart Series

52. The Crown & Flame Series

53. Guinevere

54. Baby Bump Series

55. First Comes Love

56. A Very Scandalous Proposal

57. LoveHacks Series

58. Passport to Romance

59. Along Came Treble

60. Red Carpet Diaries Series

61. America’s Most Eligible Series

62. Hot Couture

63. Platinum

64. Slow Burn

65. Queen B Series

66. The Freshman Series

67. Wishful Thinking

68. Getaway Girls

69. The Deadliest Series

70. Crimes of Passion Series

71. Veil of Secrets

72. The Unexpected Heriess

73. Big Sky Country Series

74. Ms. Match

75. Save the Date

76. The Princess Swap

77. Home for the Holidays

78. Guarded

79. Hearts on Fire Series

80: Open Heart Series

Episode (So just like Chapters, keeping it close to my history. Because there is so many books)

1. The Mafia Bride

2. Eat Me Up

3. Flirting with the Villian

4. Barely Mine

5. Rule Breaker

6. Tempting Devil

7. Playing Princess

8. Blood Lust

9. Pregnant by a Vampire: The Curse

10. The Gamer Girl

11. Love Life

12. It’ll Be Our Secret

13. Feel Me

14. VAMPS & HUMANS

15. Behind His Mask

16. Unexpectedly Expecting

17. Kidnapped by a Prince

Journeys (This app specifically is more like the more stories you read the more books you’ll have access to. So, I’ll list the ones I have so far.)

1. Linda Brown Series

2. Recipe of Love

3. Don’t Forget Me

4. Love Lessons

5. Vampyra

6. #3SUM

My Candy Love (This app is pretty much one story but progressing with the MC life, which I love!)

1. My Candy Love: High School

2. My Candy Love: College Life

3. My Candy Love: Adulting

5. My Candy Love: Alternate Life

6. My Candy Love: Next Gen

Another World’s History (Wasn’t long since I discovered this app. Fairly new to me like some others that will be in this post but it’s great.)

1. My Name Is Hope

2. Neoxites: Child of Light

3. Codex of Consistency

4. Speculum

5. Parallels

6. Chimera

Forbidden Fruit (This app is very new. They only have 4 books so far. And I haven’t gotten around to reading any of them. So they are all on my TBR)

1. The Legacy of Rosefield

2. Undermind

3. Ghostpice

4. Daughter of the North Wind

League of Dreamers (Discovered this app not too long ago.)

1. Laws of the Beast

2. Wondering Spirit

3. Lullaby of Witches

4. Tablet of Isis

5. The Seal of Nostradammus

6. Silence of the Sea

7. Blooming Garden

8. Chronicles of Ark Dryden

9. Gates of Samhain

YourStoryLand (Discovered this app just recently, and it’s also fairly new as well. Most of the books are on my TBR and my not sure list)

1. Rock Wave

2. Audrey’s Dairy

3. Blue Abuss

4. Behind The Wall

5. The Lily of the Sands

6. City of Nightmares

Real Love (This app freshly discovered with 4 books. Haven’t started any of the books yet. Most are on the TBR.)

1. Look Around

2. Lame

3. The Codex of a Chess Player

4. Empire of Shadows

Seven Hearts Stories (This app recently made 2 years with 8 books. I honestly do like this app and have started reading one book from this app.)

1. The Deadly Biome

2. Illusion of Fame

3. Legend of the Celestials

4. The Era of Fatum

5. The Villain’s Last Wish

6. Mission Fortune

7. The Heart of Atlantean

8. Bride for a Vampire

TWISTMAX! (This app I freashly discovered just last week. Already started one book from there. And I got most on my TBR.)

1. Billionaire’s Revenge

2. Happily Ever After

3. The Boy Next Desk

4. Love & Scandal

5. Ace!

6. My Prince

7. Princess Escape

8. Touched by Love

9. The Prince’s Consultant

10. Threads of Desire

11. Love to Hate

12. All His Secrets

13. About Last Night

14. The Price of Polanco

15. Surprise Husband

16. Tutoring the Football Star

17. Freshman Flirt

18. Living With Guys

19. Undercover Lover

20. Broadway Baby

21. Forbidden Island

22. His Melody

23. Hometown Hookup

24. Lone Star Lovers

25. Go Fur Gold

26. Blood Red Moon

27. Stuck in the Past

28. A Powerful Choice

29. Handcuff Him!

30. Sultry on Set

31. Seduce Me, Senator

32. Chef’s Kiss

33. Dirty Work

34. Cold Case Chemistry

Dream Zone (Also discovered this last week. Haven’t started a story from here yet. So wee will leave all of the stories undecided.)

1. Hostel Story Series

2. Singles in Your Area

3. Half Human Series

4. Wildest Dreams Series

5. Behind the Counter Series

6. Teaching Undercover Series

7. Going Places Series

8. Incognito Mode Series

9. The Impossible Game Series

10. Devil’s Deal Series

11. Project Prometheus Series

12. Rogue Gang Series

13. Man for Hirer Series

14. Ubers Series

15. Time and Time Again Series

16. Colorblind Series

17. My Bloody Classmates Series

18. The Lookalikes Series

19. Honeywood Series

20. Family Business Series

21. Therapy Sessions Series

And the rest of the stories I read are single story apps which are…

1. Havenless

2. Dangerous Fellows

3. Killing Kiss

4. Henri’s Secret

5. Uncoven

I do plan to keep this list and update it with time. But I am happy I have this list so I can update as I go and keep ya’ll up to date. But this is going to be hella fun. Feel free to have this list if you are also using the same app as myself.

[choicesficwriterscreations]

CFWC F/AotW - March 10 - 16, 2024

✒️ = Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨 = Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+ 🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQIA

BLADES OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Battle ✒️| Tyril Sarfury x f!human!mc - @petalouda85

Blades Fanfic ✒️| Tyril Starfury & MC - @skepticalfrogcat

Names ✒️| Tyril Starfury x F!human!MC - @petalouda85

Nyx x Luna Rose 🎨| Original Characters by @lilyoffandoms C: @storyofmychoices

Second Thoughts ✒️| Tyril Starfury x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls

CRIMES OF PASSION

Confrontation ✒️| CoP F!MC, M!OC - @thosehallowedhalls

Home Without (Series) ✒️| M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @thosehallowedhalls Part 4

Mama, Didn't Mean to Make You Cry ✒️| M!Trystan Thorne, Viktoria Thorne - @inlocusmads

Running on Empty ✒️| M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC - @inlocusmads

THE ELEMENTALISTS

Your Love is Sweet Like a Honeysuckle ✒️🏳️‍🌈| Griffin Langley x F!MC - @aallotarenunelma

Yoga & Pancakes ✒️| Beckett Harrington x F!MC - @storyofmychoices

THE HAUNTING OF BRIARWOOD MANOR

Chicory Flowers For My Beloved ✒️🏳️‍🌈| Eleanor Waverly x F!MC - @aallotarenunelma

IMMORTAL DESIRES

Lavander Sass ✒️🏳️‍🌈| NB!MC, Original Characters - @aallotarenunelma

OPEN HEART

Complete Open Heart List for Week Ending March 16, 2024

PERFECT MATCH

Alstroemeria as in Adoration ✒️🏳️‍🌈| PM F!MC - @aallotarenunelma

RED CARPET DIARIES

My Favorite Place 🎨| Thomas Hunt x F!OC by @/majoma_art (IG) C: @storyofmychoices

THE ROYAL ROMANCE

Ghosted (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys x MC - @kristinamae093 Chapter 11: Altering Visions

Second Chance Love (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️🔥 | Liam Rys x MC, Liam Rys x F!OC - @mysticalfangirl Part 1

Turning the Page (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys x F!OC - @tessa-liam Chapter 11: A Step Back in Time

Vancross (Series) ✒️Ⓜ️| Liam Rys x F!OC - @ao719 Chapter 23: Rescue You

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Stitched Sunflowers ✒️🏳️‍🌈| Dean West x F!MC - @aallotarenunelma

SAVE THE DATE

Origami Daisy ✒️🏳️‍🌈| Simon Hendricks x F!MC - @aallotarenunelma

CROSSOVERS

Blades of Light & Shadow / Nightbound

Kit Meets Rock ✒️| Mal Volari x F!MC, Nik Ryder x F!MC - @ladylamrian

Immortal Desires & Murder at Homecoming

Murder at Homecoming: Harlow (Series)✒️| Cas Harlow x MaH F!MC - @korgbelmont Part 2

Open Heart & The Royal Romance

Don't Call Me Angel ✒️| OH F!OC, Bryce Lahela, Tobias Carrick, Maxwell Beaumont, Bertrand Beaumont - @peonierose

[forasecondtherewedwon]

🪻🐝Bridgerton-Themed Fic Prompts🐝🪻

Send an ask with one or more numbers to request a Bridgerton fic! Some prompts are specifically inspired by season 3 of the Netflix series, but there's plenty of room to go wherever you'd like with them!

Ship

1) Penelope x Colin

2) Francesca x John Stirling

3) Cressida x Eloise

4) Kate x Anthony

5) Will x Alice

6) Violet x Marcus Anderson

7) Penelope x Lord Debling

8) Cressida x Lord Debling

9) Benedict x Tilley Arnold

10) [solo character] OR [other pairing] OR [OT3] OR [other character(s) specification] (please note it in your ask!)

Location

11) a ballroom

12) the Featherington gardens

13) the Modiste

14) the park

15) Will Mondrich's club

16) Queen Charlotte's palace

17) the art gallery

18) the Bridgerton drawing room

19) a carriage interior

20) Aubrey Hall

Item

21) a quill

22) a ring

23) a bumblebee

24) a fan

25) a candle

26) sheet music

27) a letter

28) a diary or journal

29) a hot air balloon

30) a teacup

Scandal

31) mentioned in Lady Whistledown's Society Papers!

32) made a disadvantageous match!

33) defied the Queen's wishes!

34) reputation as a rake!

35) caught unchaperoned!

36) seen holding hands! BARE hands!

37) broke off their engagement!

38) public drunkenness!

39) secret pregnancy!

40) danced too closely/too many times at a ball!

For impeccable Tumblr etiquette, remember to send a prompt to the person from whom you reblog this post! Readers, remember to reblog when the author posts the fic! Happy writing and reading!

[houseofbrat]

All the way back on 20 May 2024, Rebecca English attempted to give proof of life for Kate, when she published a story about Kate & "The Early Years." The general public hasn't seen Kate since her CANCER! announcement video on 22 March 2024, but Rebecca has the inside scoop on how Kate is still the "driving force" behind her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood! [archive link]

And wouldn't you know it, Rebecca's story, which was an attempt to quell rumors of "where is Kate?", has only increased in the scrutiny!

The next day, 21 May 2024, William hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace with Peter Philips, Zara & Mike Tindall, Beatrice, and Eugenie, and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. As Rebecca English noted,

During the garden party William will meet guests from a number of both his own and his wife's patronages, military affiliations and passion projects including his Homewards initiative to combat homelessness, RAF Valley (the Welsh base where the prince worked as an RAF Search and rescue pilot), Swim England and tenants across the Duchy of Cornwall sites. The inclusion of those with links to the Princess of Wales suggests that when planning for the garden party began last year it had been expected that Kate would attend. [archive link]

On the 22 May 2024, Buckingham Palace announced to the press that there would be a reduction in royal engagements due to the election on 04 July 2024. William had to cancel an engagement previously scheduled for 23 May 2024 due to the now upcoming election.

Also on 22 May 2024, El Nacional in Spain, published an article stating that Kate is lonely, home alone with her "three children," and has marriage difficulties with William.

Cut to the next day, 23 May 2024, Richard Eden of the Daily Mail has suddenly gotten info from Kate's friends about her recovery! We won't see Kate "until the autumn."

She has not undertaken any public engagements this year and friends I spoke to in the past few days suggest we might not see Catherine again until the autumn – and only then if she has recovered fully. [archive link]

Continuing on, 24 May 2024, Tom Sykes of The Daily Beast, publishes that Kate "will probably 'not appear in public for the rest of the year.'"

One source said they do not expect to see Kate back in any kind of public-facing role in the medium term, adding it was possible she would remain absent from public life for the rest of the year. The source said: “Lots of people involved in planning need to know what all the principals are doing a long way in advance. I am told that Kate’s diary for this year is empty. There is nothing planned. She may not appear in public for the rest of the year.” [...] The friend said that Kate has preferred to lean on and confide in her family rather than her and William’s circle of friends, many of whom will be at the Duke of Westminster’s wedding next month (along with her husband, who is best man). [...] The Daily Beast has been told by fellow parents at the smart private school which Kate’s children attend that she has not been seen at the sports matches and the other school events she and her husband usually attend. However, she is understood to have done occasional school runs, one parent said, but while keeping a low profile. “There have been rumors she has done drop-off, but I haven’t seen her since the video,” said one. [archive link]

Subsequently, the next week, on Monday, 27 May 2024, Rebecca English published an EXCLUSIVE! in the Daily Mail about how Kate "has been inundated with ‘tens of thousands’ of get well soon cards and gifts."

But the outpouring of support for the princess continues- and palace staff have received thousands and thousands of cards, letters and gifts from members of the public offering their support and good-wishes. The sheer volume of correspondence has at times been difficult for the team to cope with. But staff do aim to reply to all the writers, eventually. [archive link]

Amazingly, the Kensington Palace communications team decided not to film a short video--or even a photo!--visually documenting Kate with said influx of "cards, letters and gifts." How hard would have been--at Kate's leisure!--to pose for a single photo or video documenting all the "support and good-wishes" she has received? Kate apparently is unable to pose for a single photo, even with the aid of photoshop.

Then the very next day, Tuesday, 28 May 2024, Tatler (UK) posts an article about Kate being seen "out and about" via Rebecca English's (27 May) article about Kate receiving "thousands and thousands of cards, letters and gifts."

US Weekly also posts an "exclusive" article on 28 May 2024 that Kate "has been seen out and about more with her family in recent weeks" by using Rebecca English's reporting on the "get well soon cards and gifts." [archive link]

Concurrently on 28 May 2024, Katie Nicholl posts in Vanity Fair that "reports claiming that Princess Kate is unlikely to be back at work until next year are inaccurate." Yet, her statement that "reports that Kate Middleton has been seen out and about with her family in recent days," comes straight from People magazine.

People magazine's EXCLUSIVE! reporting on Kate being "spotted out with family" seemingly originates from Rebecca English's article published one day earlier, on the 27th.

The Princess of Wales, 42, has remained out of the public eye since publicly announcing her cancer diagnosis in March as she undergoes chemotherapy. However, Kate has recently been spotted out with her family and solo running errands, sources tell PEOPLE. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has received "tens of thousands" of well-wishes for the royal via letters and gifts, the Daily Mail reports.

Not so EXCLUSIVE! was it, People?

Wednesday, 29 May 2024, Eastern Daily Press (UK), EXCLUSIVELY revealed that Will & Kate were seen shopping in Holt, England.

An eyewitness who was in the shop at the time said "it was nice to see the couple shopping together" and noted that William had purchased some chocolate.  [...] A spokeswoman from Bakers & Larners said: “We are always honoured to be visited by the Royal Family and Tuesday was no different- we look forward to seeing Their Royal Highnesses in Holt again soon." [archive link]

Oh, so Will & Kate were spotted on Tuesday?

The day after Becky English's EXCLUSIVE! story?

Convenient in that no one bothered to snap a photo of the two of them in Holt. At. All.

And where is Holt in relation to Anmer Hall, which is in Norfolk?

Continuing on, Thursday, 30 May 2024, Kensington Palace confirms Kate will not take part in the Colonel's Review on 08 June 2024.

Also on 30 May 2024, Newsweek reported:

The British royals have been urged to come up with a plan to manage press and public expectations about Princess Kate's health and return to duties if her absence continues beyond the summer and into the fall. "They're going to have to come back from the August break with a plan for how to manage public opinion," Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, told a British news show on Wednesday. [archive link]

Richard Eden reports on 31 May 2024 that Kate "could" take a role at the Royal Thames Yacht club.

Just as hearteningly, they learned that its next most senior honorary position, that of Commodore, which Charles held for 12 years while Prince of Wales, would remain unfilled — fuelling hopes that it will be taken by the Princess of Wales when her own battle with cancer is safely behind her. [...] A friend of the Princess of Wales tells me: 'Decisions about her patronages are on hold until doctors give her the green light to return to public engagements.' [archive link]

How hard would it be to give a "no" if she's not interested in that patronage altogether? It could be done very easily privately, instead of letting the Daily Mail's pearl-clutcher-in-chief drone on about Kate following in King Charles's footsteps.

Finishing out the week, on 01 June 2024, Natasha Livingstone of the Daily Mail reports that Scotland Yard still is not investigating the alleged "breach" of Kate's medical records at The London Clinic.

Staff at the prestigious hospital at the centre of a data breach over the Princess of Wales's private medical records may have had to contend with a 'decoy' trap set by managers, experts believe. The MoS can reveal that, three months on, The London Clinic remains under investigation and the case has not yet been referred to Scotland Yard, despite Health Minister Maria Caulfield stating in March that police had been asked to look at it. Bosses at the hospital launched a probe after it was claimed at least one staff member had attempted to access personal details about Kate following her planned abdominal surgery in January. [...] Now several data specialists have told this newspaper that, if the breach occurred, staff could have been caught through a 'decoy' tactic used by private hospitals that often have high-profile clients. To protect the health data of VIP patients, hospitals often store it in a file under a fake name. A 'decoy' file is then created under the celebrity's real name. This contains false information and is regularly checked by bosses to see if any wayward staff have opened it without permission. If a breach is suspected, hospitals are required to launch their own inquiry while the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) investigates whether management did anything wrong. But this process is laboriously slow. [archive link]

Looks like another round of

Because The Mirror's Russell Myers conveniently published the EXCLUSIVE! scoop about the alleged "breach" of Kate's medical records on 19 March 2024, THREE DAYS before everyone watched the video of Kate sitting on a bench saying the word "CANCER!" on 22 March 2024.

And then there was that now missing Daily Mail story from 01 April 2024 about how Kate's CANCER! video announcement "rushed out" after her diagnosis was "leaked."

The Princess of Wales’s video announcement detailing her cancer treatment was rushed out by Kensington Palace aides after her diagnosis had been leaked, the Mail can reveal. Kate Middleton confirmed she had been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing 'preventative chemotherapy’ for the disease in a video message on March 22. However, a well-placed source has revealed the timing of the video nothing to do with the speculation that would have come from her missing church on Easter morning, but instead because someone had knowledge of her health condition. Kensington Palace had been contacted about Kate’s diagnosis, leaving no option but to hurry to get ahead of the story, the insider told the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle column.  It is unclear as to whether the leak came from within The London Clinic, where the Princess underwent abdominal surgery in January, or from elsewhere.

However, given that Kate's records may not have been breached AT ALL--if the alleged violators didn't see her actual record but a fake record--then there was no real reason why KP & Kate had to "get ahead of the story." KP didn't "get ahead" of the medical records story; they leaked the story. To Russell Myers.

American media outlet, Forbes, had an article on 17 March 2024 with the headline, "Claims About BBC Being On-Alert For Kate Middleton News Remain Unconfirmed." (Kate's CANCER! announcement video was filmed by BBC Studios on 20 March 2024.) When rumors of a future announcement are circulating on social media days before a story is actually published, you aren't attempting to "get ahead" of the story. You're priming the audience and setting the stage for your announcement. That is a PR tactic. Plain and simple.

Which brings us back to this week, with US Weekly's cover story this week with this quote about Kate's future royaling career:

According to the second source, Kate’s team is “reevaluating what she’s going to be able to take on when she comes back,” noting, “She may never come back in the role that people saw her in before.”

And Will & Kate's marriage:

The reprieve is a welcome one for the couple. “The announcement that the royals won’t be able to work as much has been unexpected, but it will allow Kate and William to spend more time together,” says the second source. “They’ve been reconnecting and are closer than ever.”

But let's not forget that Tom Sykes pointed out KP's attempt to micromanage the press:

In remarks likely to displease the palace, which has sought a blackout on reporting about Kate’s health apart from official updates, the outlet added that Kate has been spotted out and about with family and on her own.

Which sounds like the press knows more than they've published so far. Wonder how long that is going to last? It probably isn't going to work out in the long run.

Everyone over at KP seems to be unaware of the phrase "Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus."

Looks like the BRF will be managing their "Charlene situation" for a long time. A "situation" that didn't begin in April or March, but early January 2024. As in, before 15 January 2024.

Or unless some other news clarifies the situation that KP has been hiding.

[the-unconquered-queen]

For ongoing series, they count as completed if you're up to date, but it's up to you if you want to include a series' shorts/extras (like holiday specials) or not for 'completed'. (So, for example, if you've read the one available chapter of The Deadliest Gambit, then you've "completed" The Deadliest Game, but you decide whether you consider The Nanny Affair as completed if you haven't read The Dalton Affair.)

Full list under cut because why not, but you can just vote for an approximation/your best guess if you'd rather.

(In short, spin-offs like RoE/TRR and HSS/HSS:CA are each counted as their own separate series, TRR/TRH/TRF are all counted as one series, and finally ILitW/ILB and Untameable/Unbridled are counted as the same series respectively)

Series listed in the alphabetical order of the Choices library: A (1) Across the Void, (2) Alpha, (3) America's Most Eligible, (4) A Very Scandalous Proposal;

B (5) Baby Bump, (6) Bachelorette Party, (7) Big Sky Country, (8) The Billionaire's Baby, (9) Blades of Light and Shadow, (10) Bloodbound;

C (11) Crimes of Passion, (12) The Crown & the Flame, (13) A Courtesan of Rome, (14) The Cursed Heart;

D (15) The Deadliest Game, (16) Desire & Decorum, (17) Dirty Little Secrets, (18) Distant Shores, (19) The Duchess Affair;

E (20) The Elementalists, (21) Endless Summer;

F (22) First Comes Love, (23) Foreign Affairs, (24) The Freshman;

G (25) Getaway Girls, (26) Guarded, (27) Guinevere;

H (28) The Haunting of Braidwood Manor, (29) The Heist: Monaco, (30) Hero, (31) High School Story, (32) High School Story: Class Act, (33) Home for the Holidays, (34) Hot Couture, (35) Hot Shot;

I (36) Immortal Desires, (37) It Lives;

K (38) Kindred, (39) Kiss of Death;

L (40) Laws of Attraction, (41) Lovehacks;

M (42) Most Wanted, (43) Mother of the Year, (44) Ms. Match, (45) Murder at Homecoming, (46) My Two First Loves;

N (47) The Nanny Affair, (48) Nightbound;

O (49) Open Heart;

P (50) Passport to Romance, (51) Perfect Match, (52) The Phantom Agent, (53) The Princess Swap;

Q (54) Queen B;

R (55) Red Carpet Diaries, (56) Ride-or-Die, (57) Rising Tides, (58) Roommates with Benefits, (59) The Royal Masquerade, (60) The Royal Romance, (61) Rules of Engagement;

S (62) Save the Date, (63) Ship of Dreams, (64) Shipwrecked, (65) Slow Burn, (66) Sunkissed, (67) Surrender;

U (68) The Unexpected Heiress, (69) Untameable;

V (70) Veil of Secrets, (71) Villainous Valentine;

W (72) Wake the Dead, (73) Wishful Thinking, (74) With Every Heartbeat, (75) Witness, (76) Wolf Bride

[squadron-goals]

Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life) is an expanded version of Manfred von Richthofen's memoir Der Rote Kampfflieger (The Red Baron). In addition to the autobiography, it includes letters from Manfred to his family (like the 1933 edition) and some chapters that were not included in the book, as well as other comments and anecdotes from people who were close to him. It also includes accounts by his brother Lothar von Richthofen.

Overview:

Visit to the Great Headquarters

My Engagement

A flight in an observation balloon

A day at Staffel 11 (by Lothar von Richthofen)

At Jagdgeschwader Richthofen (by a Dutch reporter)

Richthofen as leader and comrade (by Leutnant Friedrich Wilhelm Lübbert, Jasta 11)

In memory of Richthofen (by v. B.)

An encounter (by Emil August Glogau)

The mother about the boy Manfred

Letter by Leutnant Hans Joachim Wolff to Leutnant Lothar Freiherr von Richthofen

How Richthofen shot down his seventy fifth victory (by Leutnant Lampel)

Richthofen (by Erich von Salzmann): Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

At court for the second time

Letters of Erwin Böhme: Before the war, Erwin Böhme worked as an engineer in East Africa. When the war started he was already 37 years old. This did not stop him and he became a successful fighter pilot, being personally selected by Boelcke to join his fighter squadron. In 1916 he met the daughter of a former business colleague and they fell in love. The following letters are those Böhme wrote to his later fiancée Annamarie during the war days. [Translated are the parts of the letters where Böhme describes his life as a fighter pilot.]

Landres, 24 June 1916

Kowel, 7 July 1916

Kowel, 3 August 1916

Kowel, 15 August 1916

Bertincourt, 11 September 1916

Bertincourt, 21 September 1916

Somme, 4 October 1916

Somme, 18 October 1916

Lagnicourt, 31 October 1916

Lagnicourt, 12 November 1916

Jagdstaffel Boelcke, 12 December 1916

Partenkirchen, 28 January 1917

Jagdstaffel Boelcke, 8 April 1917

Valenciennes, 25 April 1917

Valenciennes, 9 May 1917

Valenciennes, 3 July 1917

Jagdstaffel 29, 16 July 1917

Jagdstaffel 29, 7 August 1917

Jagdstaffel 29, 17 August 1917

18 August 1917

Jagdstaffel Boelcke, 21 September 1917

“With the aces”, 20 October 1917

Rumbeke, 31 October 1917

Back with the aces again, 31 October 1917

4 November 1917, Sunday morning

Jagdstaffel Boelcke, 14 November 1917

Bavikhove, 16 November 1917

Bavikhove, 19 November 1917

27 November 1917

The End

Rudolf Berthold – a man who never let himself be dissuaded from his convictions. A man who, despite the worst injuries always returned to the front as quickly as possible. A man for whom the war was not over, even if it was over for his country. A summary of Bertholds life can be found in the pinned post over @subtile-jagden The following are translated diary entries as well as some of his letters.

Before mobilization It is getting serious! First challenges Emergency landing Important reconnaissance flights during the advance The most beautiful day of my life! Finally a pilot! Buddecke, the dear comrade! Feldfliegerabteilung 23 End of 1915 Single seater fighter unit Vaux and the first victories An unfortunate day for Berthold Back to the unit Jasta 4, the Pour le mérite and a new challenge Beginning of 1917 Finally off to Flanders End of 1918: Ceasefire and revolution 1919 / 1920: Uncertainties, Soldier´s Councils and the Last Fight

Ernst Jünger was a passionate diarist. During his time in the First World War, he filled 14 diaries. Based on these entries, he wrote his popular book Storms of Steel. The diary entries provide additional information, funny stories and reveal his true feelings during this turbulent time.

First experiences Officer Candidate and Relocation First Cannonade First wound Back at the front Days at the front and stories from old friends Quéant Friendly contact with the enemy New year, same situtation A love affair Officer training course Back in the trenches and dangerous patrols Mine warfare and gas attacks An English prisoner and a funeral Summer 1916 Battle of the Somme Part 1 A short break from fighting and another injuriy Wartime conditions Another injury

[world-of-wales]

THE WALES DIARIES ♚

21 NOVEMBER 2023 || SOUTH KOREAN STATE VISIT DAY-I (3/3) - STATE BANQUET, BUCKINGHAM PALACE

The Prince and Princess of Wales joined other members of the Royal Family in hosting a State Banquet in honour of the President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol and Presidential Spouse Kim Keon Hee at Buckingham Palace.

During the event, The Princess of Wales was in the Queen Mother’s Strathmore Rose Tiara along with Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Orbital Frame Earrings and her Royal Victorian Order Sash and Star.

[littlepup93]

Holy heck, I meant to finish this piece months ago. I actually had most of it done, but when I got to the flower border, I just kinda put it down and didn't touch it for such a long time. I bothered to actually finish it yesterday! Let's introduce this guy.

Name: Adam Trueblade (he/him)

Age: 23-29 (An older version of himself was isekaied into a younger version of himself)

Birthday: Nov 1

Height: 6'

S. Orientation: Hetero-flexible

Notable Skills: Sword and Shield Combat, Swimming, Horseback Riding, Charisma, Networking, Legal Knowledge, Finances, Piano

Favorite Drink: Dry Red Wines

Notable Relatives: Victor Trueblade (dad), Vivian Trueblade (mom), Julian Trueblade (older brother)

After struggling to have their firstborn, Julian, Victor and Vivian were told by their family physician that the odds of having another child were slim to none. This held true for a number of years, as Vivian's fertility troubles persisted. Ten years later, however, she miraculously carried a second son to term. Although small, Adam was otherwise healthy. Vivian was overjoyed.

Growing up, Adam faced a mountain of expectations, often compared to the accomplishments of Julian. He was expected to follow much the same path and reach the same success, but with every passing day, the gap between them yawned ever wider. Victor demanded no less than perfection. Unfortunately, perfection is a lot to ask of a child. Although he was smart, Adam struggled academically, preferring his more active sword training over book learning. Ultimately, he would learn what he needed to, but not without a great deal of clashing with tutors.

Like Julian, Adam's parents arranged his future marriage while he was still young. His betrothed was a noble girl, Eliza Greyswallow, who was close in age to him. However, the two of them seldom got along when they were pushed to spend time together. Eliza was attention seeking and prone to jealousy, pushing Adam to spend more time with her twin brother Elliott, who he shared more interests with. Adam complained to Julian and close family friend, Ivan, constantly about how frustrating he found Eliza, only for his brother to tell him to simply try and indulge her. Ivan was more sympathetic to his plight, but couldn't interfere on the Trueblades' business.

When Adam turned 10, he began his training to become a Law Paladin, which required further combat training as well as more intensive legal study. He was expected to take the Paladin's Oath when he became 18, however that was never to happen.

As his 18th birthday drew near, with the suffocating promise of his oath and marriage closing in, Adam acted out. He started cheating on Eliza, seeking the company of other women, until he was eventually caught. This wiped Lord Greyswallow into a rage, and he berated Adam personally in front of his parents before demanding the engagement be called off (against Eliza's wishes). Soon after, Adam refused to take the oath, which further upset Victor. Years of training had gone to waste, or so he claimed.

After that, Adam left home on a quest of self discovery in the company of Ivan. Soon thereafter, they picked up Gregory, Jacqueline, and Eric into their group. He's left with a lot of deep seated guilt and insecurity over his decisions, and finds himself often drawn between trying to be his own person and seeking reconciliation with his father, who he keeps limited contact with.

Other Tidbits:

*I wrote Hetero-flexible, but technically Adam's only ever been with women. The thought of sleeping with a man doesn't normally cross his mind, but it doesn't repulse him either when it does. He also has a very hetero-normative world view because of his upbringing.

*Adam's not very vocal about his self doubts, and often over compensates by not giving himself time to reflect on them at all. This comes across as him being reckless and hotheaded.

*Adam keeps a diary. He squirrels it away in different hiding spots because he doesn't want people pawing through it.

*While Adam and Julian aren't on bad terms, they aren't especially close. Julian is more forgiving than Victor, but is still highly critical of Adam's actions.

*Adam doesn't play piano much anymore. Most of his current company is unaware he ever did. However, he used to love it.

[sleazy-est]

intro

hi, im writing this because apart from a visual board, I want this blog to serve as a little diary for my own musings, even if contained within this specific genre of posting, as you can find on my /about page, my name is Sufjan, I'm 23 years old (which is a big deal for me lol) and im just another person who got tired of people trying to ''bring back'' or finally kill for once and for all bloghouse/hipsterism/indie sleaze.

The truth is, i was very young when it was all going on, and as a person with older friends, i could only get the remnants of a dying age of the internet and culture in general, and, in exchange, became forever fascinated by it, now that i'm an adult, I kinda just want to see what its all about by myself.

I dont want this to come across as romanticizing an era i didnt live thru (a la i wish i was born in _insert year_) not really, i get that drug use, predatory behaviour and overall dickishness were roaming issues back then and i dont wanna shy away from that, but the way i engage in it right now is more of a music/fashion/scene standpoint, whatever that means.

Anyways, i dont really party that much, bummer, but i would like to think that im doing something fun with this, at the very least.

I'm open to make moots that are into the same things and chat and all that, bye for now

xxxx

sufjan.

[droughtofapathy]

"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby - June 2024 (Final Count: 12)

Lyrics & Lyricists: Wonder of Wonders: Celebrating Sheldon Harnick June 2, 2024 | 92NY | Kauffman Concert Hall | Matinee | Concert | Series | 2H 25M A Lovely Night

Selected Shorts: Keeping Score with Meg Wolitzer June 5, 2024 | Symphony Space | Evening | Reading | Series | 1H 50M Why I Love the Theatre

Norm Lewis: Summertime (Special Tony Edition) June 6, 2024 | 54 Below | Evening | Cabaret | Series | 1H 40M You Can Pry This Show Out of My Cold Dead Hands

Encores! Titanic June 15, 2024 | NYCC | Encores! Series | Evening | Musical | Concert | 2H 30M Why I Love the Theatre

Follies in Concert June 20, 2024 | Transport Group Theatre | Carnegie Hall | Evening | Concert | Series | 2H 20M My Soul Transcended Space and Time

Home June 23, 2024 | Broadway | Todd Haimes Theatre | Matinee | Play | Revival | 1H 30M Why I Love the Theatre

Marquee Five: 8-Track Throwback: The Remix June 23, 2024 | Laurie Beechman Theater | Evening | Cabaret | 1H 20M You Can Pry This Show Out of My Cold Dead Hands

What Became of Us June 24, 2024 | Off-Broadway | Atlantic Theatre Company | Evening | Play | Original | 1H 20M | Talkback Why I Love the Theatre

Here There Are Blueberries June 26, 2024 | Off-Broadway | NYTW | Evening | Play | Original | 1H 20M | Talkback Why I Love the Theatre

Oh, Mary! June 28, 2024 | Broadway | Lyceum Theatre | Evening | Play | Original | 1H 30M A Lovely Night

A Little Night Music in Concert June 29, 2024 | Lincoln Center | David Geffen Hall | Evening | Concert | Limited Engagement | 2H 20M Well...I'm Glad I Saw It

Isn't It Queer?: Sondheim Unplugged Celebrates Pride June 30, 2024 | 54 Below | Evening | Cabaret | Series | 1H 20M You Can Pry This Show Out of My Cold Dead Hands

Monthly Masterposts: January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, June 15th

Gunn: Oh! Look at that stuffed little bunny up there! Think you could win it for me? Fred: This is so wrong. Gunn: You're right. I don't want the bunny. Fred: We're supposed to be working.

~~Loyalty~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Stakeout by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Durian by Passionpire88 (Faith, Shadowhunters crossover, M)

Post Pandemic Date by Passionpire88 (Spike, Shadowhunters crossover, T)

Белая коробка с розовой лентой by B_E_S (Buffy/Angel, T, in Russian)

[Chaptered Fiction]

It's Morphin' Time! Chapter 2 by TDWidow (Buffy, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers crossover, T)

Vampyr Chronicles: A Crack In The Sky, Chapter 3 by MrPerfectCell (Buffy/Spike, Angel/Faith, Blade crossover, M)

Transformed By Love, Chapter 6 by Buffyworldbuilder (Xander, Angel, multiple crossovers, T)

49 Cemeteries, Chapter 23 by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback (Buffy/Spike, T)

In the Company of Witches and Slayers: Chapters 66-67 by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer) (Willow/Tara, E)

The Engagement, Chapter 7 by ChecksAmali_23 (Buffy/Faith, not rated)

Harry Potter et la fille de Sirius Black II, Chapter 22 by Orlane_Sayan (Buffy, Spike, Willow, Harry Potter crossover, G, in French)

Slayerborn, Chapter 18 by Ihatechoosinganame (Xander, M)

Buffy: Self insert, Chapters 18-20 by NeverluckySMILE (Ensemble, G)

A Slayer Transformed - Episode 1, Chapter 3 by Philister (Faith, Transformers crossover, M)

Devil Inside, Chapter 1 by Xyex (Buffy/Willow, M)

Kangel (Kat/Angel), Chapter 1-5 (complete!) by Datherine100 (The Vampire Diaries crossover, T)

Завязки, Chapters 1-2 by B_E_S (Buffy/Angelus, not rated, in Russian)

An odd Couple of grumpy old Brits, Chapter 16 by Julikobold (Buffy/Spike, G)

Surviving Together, Chapter 22 by ionlylikebadboys (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

The Boyfriend Swap, Chapters 19-20 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Watcher, Chapter 12 by In Mortal (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Incarnate, Chapter 7 by Sigyn (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Infernal Fire, Chapter 5 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

What the Drabble? Vol. 2, Chapter 34 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

I Do! Chapter 28 by Dusty (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Manip: Ever After by Claire (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Buffy and Abraham Lincoln by kimtiny (worksafe)

Wallpaper: "First day at school" by revello-drive-1630 (worksafe)

Wallpaper: Buffy by entojinho (worksafe)

BTVS as textposts part 7 by maybebitterxox (worksafe)

Fanvid: Buffy and Angel -doesn't matter what I want by Emzy Ruthy

Fanvid: buffy & spike | espresso by loveisntbrains

Fanvid: buffy & steve | the boy saw the comet by -ghostville (Stranger Things crossover)

Fanvid: Maroon 5_Sugar (مترجمة) Buffy and Angel by Noha👑 Mira

Fanvid: Faith & Buffy | After Midnight by hopeless.hearts

Fanvid: Buffyverse | Angelus - Sharks by T

Fanvid: Buffyverse | Angel - Champion by T

Fanvid: Buffyverse | Spike and Buffy - When I’m Alone by T

Fanvid: dawn & buffy summers | older by leticia

Fanvid: buffy and damon | lullaby by JennProdz Archives (Old Videos) (The Vampire Diaries crossover)

[Reviews & Recaps]

May 22, 2001: Watching 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Season 5 Finale by 90's Grunge Dreams

Podcast: Once more with feeling - 5x18 Intervention (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by Nerd Subculture Podcast

Video: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season Four, Episode Nineteen: New Moon Rising by Slayed! The Buffyverse Revisited Podcast

Video: Angel, Season One, Episode Eighteen: Five by Five by Salyed! The Buffyverse Revisited Podcast

Video: The Re-Watcher's Council | "Surprise" Buffy the Vampire Slayer S02E13 Spoiler Review by LGRN - Entertainment

Video: Villains-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

Video: Buffy Season 12 Issue 4 Viewer Feedback for the Series Finale by Buffyngton Post

Podcast: Buffy 2.5 Reptile Boy by Once More: A Rewatch Podcast

[Recs & Search]

Vid rec: Angel Character tribute [Angel | Cold Cold Cold by genericaces] by The Whirlwind

Fic search: Why is their so little Willow/Buffy fanfiction? by Headshot312

[Community Announcements]

Join the ♡ Buffyverse Club ♡ Discord Server! by xandersrailcrash

HellmouthCon [tickets on offer] by pinkandblackandpink

[Fandom Discussions]

A former power manipulating cordy [in Angel season 4] by lesbianboyfriend

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[loiladadiani]

Photographs: 1. Portrait of Princess Maria Elimovna Meshcherskaya; 2. Miniature of young Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich; 3. Sasha; 4. Maria; 5. Another beautiful photograph of Maria; 6. Maria with her aunt; 7. Maria on horseback in a riding outfit; 8. Another photo of Maria; 9. Maria and her husband, Paul Demidov (often spelled Demidoff), Prince of San Donato (apparently, the marriage was not arranged).

Alexander III's first love (it was not Dagmar)

The portrait of Alexander III that has come down to us through history is undoubtedly flat. It tells us that he was a good, faithful husband, a devoted father, and a champion of autocracy. Yes, he had a temper; no, he did not like to dance; he preferred to drink with the boys. He was respected enough by his family that he could keep it in order. Unfortunately, he died too young.

His diaries at the State Archives of the Russian Federation tell a different story. I don't know if the diaries are complete. Authorities found three missing notebooks in 2015. Here and there, you can find comments by authors and scholars alluding to the fact that his entries show a degree of emotional depth that surprises all. It is through these diaries that we learn about Sasha's first love, Princess Maria Elimovna Meshcherskaya (1844-1868), daughter of Prince Elim Petrovich Meschersky (1808-1844), Chamberlain of the Imperial Court and a poet; her life was quite short and tragic. According to those who knew her (such as Count Serge D. Sheremetiev and Countess Kleinmichel), she was one of the prettiest young women in St. Petersburg. She had brown hair and large black eyes. The young woman was an orphan from an early age, and her aunt Princess Baryatinskaya brought her up. One source says she met young Grand Duke Alexander at a costume ball (she looked stunning in an Egyptian costume.) Regardless, they often met at Court, as the princess was Maid of Honour to Empress Maria Alexandrovna, and they fell in love. At that time, Alexander was not Heir to the throne and might have harbored hopes to marry her. But, in 1865, his beloved brother, Tsarevich Nicholas, died, and with his death, all possibilities of Alexander marrying Maria disappeared. As Tsarevich and future Emperor of Russia, Alexander knew he had to marry someone of royal blood.  

Alexander's brother Nicholas had been engaged to young Princess Dagmar of Denmark. For political reasons, both royal houses still wanted an alliance between them to take place. A trip to Denmark was planned for the new Tsarevich only a few months after Nicholas's death. Sacha understood what this meant. A plan to have him marry his brother's fiance was afoot. He felt torn between his duty to his father and country and his love for Maria Meshcherskaya. He also felt unprepared to become Emperor and thought of renouncing his position as Heir, which would leave him free to marry Maria. He tried to avoid seeing her. On June 25, 1865, he wrote in his diary that this was difficult as they used to see each other twice daily. However, he was thinking more and more about Dagmar and felt the need to have a wife (meaning Dagmar). But soon, his determination wavered; he continued to see Maria, and his love for her deepened through the summer and autumn of 1865. On March 23, 1866, however, he wrote in his journal, "I will say goodbye to M.E., whom I loved as I have loved no one before." But two months later, he, once more, had a change of heart. As a trip to Denmark was imminent, he wrote, "I grew to love her (M.E.) even more fervently, strongly, passionately. Now I am only trying to escape this difficult situation and, if possible, to marry sweet M.E. I want to refuse to marry Dagmar, whom I cannot and don't want to love." When Alexander II confronted his son with stories about him and Maria Mescherskaya (a story had made it to the Danish papers about the Tsarevich not wanting to marry their princess because of his affection for another woman), the Tsarevich answered that he could not go to Denmark and did not want to marry Dagmar. The Emperor gave him 24 hours to reconsider. The next day Alexander II again asked his son about the Danish wedding: Sasha replied that he did not feel he could love Dagmar and added that he had decided to renounce his position as Heir because he did not feel he could do a proper job. Alexander II got quite angry, talked about duty, and ordered his son to go to Denmark, adding he would send Princess Mescherskaya away. Alexander obeyed his father, went to Copenhagen, and proposed to Princess Dagmar. And as they say, the rest is history. The marriage of two people who had started loving others (Dagmar had loved Nixa, and Alexander had loved Maria.) turned out to be very loving and successful.

Alexander II did ask Princess Mescherskaya to leave Court immediately. Young Sasha had pleaded with his mother that the young woman not be punished. She went abroad with her aunt and settled in Paris, where she met a Russian diplomat, Paul Demidov (often spelled Demidoff), Prince of San Donato, and married him. Demidov was one of the most eligible bachelors of his time, having inherited one of the largest fortunes in Russia! The couple lived abroad. Sadly enough, Maria died in 1868 after giving birth to a son she would not live to see grow up. Her husband, who later married again, grieved her death long and deeply. (gcl)

[encntada]

CURRENT MUSE ROSTER AS OF 11/16/23

canon characters:

lillian 'lil' ashlock / the ballad of songbirds and snakes / basically an oc

annie cresta / the hunger games (based on books, movies + personal headcanons)

michelle "shelly" webster / the crow (1994)

ella "cinderella" baudin / a mix between cinderella (2015) and rodgers & hammerstein's cinderella

sally / the nightmare before christmas (1993) 

addison wells / disney channel's z-o-m-b-i-e-s trilogy 

maría vasquez / west side story (2021)

johanna barker / sweeney todd: the demon barber of fleet street

carrie white / carrie (1976 + 2013)

regina george / mean girls: the musical (movie & stage show)

juliet capulet / rosaline (2022) and original shakespeare play

original characters:

september plinth / based on the ballad of songbirds and snakes book and movie / television producer and sejanus' younger sister

anisette mellark / based on the hunger games books and movies / peeta's older sister

*nicolette danielle renata devereaux / based on princess diaries 2: royal engagement / famous actress and sister of nicholas devereaux 

aanisah / based on aladdin (1992 & 2019) oc / rug maker and seller and younger sister of aladdin 

juliet desrosiers / based on beauty and the beast (1991 & 2017) / princess and younger sister to prince adam

princess camila charming / based on cinderella (2015) / princess and younger sister of prince kit

jane van dort / based on the corpse bride (2005) / younger sister of victor van dort

elizabeth rose sanderson / based on hocus pocus (1993) / white witch and youngest sanderson sister

emily fitzherbert / based on tangled (2010) / castle baker and younger sister of eugene fitzherbert 

wendy scott / based on yellowjackets / yellowjackets defensive midfielder and younger sister of coach ben scott / NOT CAUGHT UP ON SEASON 2

*josephine de chagny / based on the phantom of the opera musical / missing viscountess masquerading as a opera chorus girl and twin sister of raoul de chagny 

*= this character does not currently have a fc or the fc chosen doesn't have any resources