#thirteen/byron

[evviejo]

thirteen's era appreciation: 368/?

[oreo102]

I truly can’t express how funny it is to me that 13 just- shows zero interest in anyone other than yaz. She glares at graham’s hand in s11 ep3, she turns Byron away at literally every chance, she doesn’t even seem interested in redeeming the master this time, it’s genuinely hilarious to me

[blueshistorysims]

May 16th, 1942, Henford-on-Bagley, England

Miranda quietly turned thirteen on a Saturday. She hadn’t wanted a party of any sort, much to the disappointment of Amalia, who thought turning thirteen would be the greatest thing to ever happen to her. Uncle Byron and Aunt Eleora didn’t talk about it, but she knew it was a hard day for them. Her mother after all had been Eleora’s childhood best friend. 

Lydia Leung had come from London to live with them since December, arriving the day after the United States joined the war. They weren’t friends, mostly due to the four-year age difference, but also because she spent all her time with Simon-Elliot. Miranda suspected the pair were dating, but she knew she wasn’t one to say anything. Her own feelings on love were a complex matter. 

She was quiet, still wearing black for her younger brother who’d died six months ago. Eleora tried her best to talk to her, but she knew it was up to Lydia to come out of mourning. When Simon-Elliot came home in July, Miranda was sure Lydia would lighten up. Or at least not isolate herself so much.

In September, Miranda would join her at the preparatory girls’ school Bramblewood College, also located in Henford County, where they would be the first students of Asian descent to attend the school, though Miranda knew the rather large donation from the Duke and Duchess of Feldsbury and their admission were not coincidences. 

“I know you didn’t want a party, dear, but we are still having a nice dinner with cake,” Eleora greeted when she entered the sitting room, setting down her book. 

“I’m surprised you’re not asking why I’m up so early.”

“So is Lydia. And the first night of having your own room is always an adjustment.”

“I’m very glad not to share a room with a toddler.”

She chuckled. “I think we’ll renovate the house when we win the war. Nurseries are a bit of a thing from the past, no?”

“You sound confident we’ll win the war,” Miranda mused, sitting next to her. 

“When the Americans entered the war back in 1917, it changed things. The morale was a complete turnaround. Your father once told me that he’d never been so happy to hear a foreign accent in his life when they arrived in France.” She smiled. “And I like Americans. Much more fun and far less stuck up.”

Eleora noticed Miranda’s sullen look and pursed her lips, concerned. “What is it, Miranda?”

“...Isn’t today hard for you? My mum died today. And I have so many confusing emotions, I barely know what to say or think.”

The older woman sighed. “Of course I miss your mother. She was my best friend. We did everything together. It was a lot like you and Amalia. Joined at the hip.” She paused. “Well, we did other things too.”

Miranda looked at her. “What do you mean by that?”

She frowned. “There’s something you want to tell me, yes?”

“Yes.” The teenager couldn’t deny it. “I… think… I—I’ve never had an interest in boys. I never understood Amalia’s fascination with Hollywood stars, but I’m lucky enough to be raised by people who aren’t ignorant about things society doesn’t speak of. More so that I’ve gotten to be intimate with women who I understand completely now.”

“Are you telling me you’re a homosexual, Miranda?”

“Yes.”

An emotion Miranda did not recognize appeared on her godmother’s face. Eleora’s eyebrows knit together, almost as if she were reminiscing over something that brought her great sorrow. Finally, she sighed and turned to look directly at Miranda. 

“You know, I had my first kiss when I was fourteen, about to be fifteen. It was with a girl—your mother, shortly after her thirteenth birthday. We were each other’s first everything really. And in university, we lived together.”

“My mother had homosexual leanings?”

“Your mother often had many romantic dalliances with men and women, but sexually? She preferred women, so when she and your father began to see one another in a romantic and sexual sense, I was quite surprised.”

“...Did my father know?”

She nodded. “There’s a lot of things you children don’t know about, and even though you’re a teenager now, I still think you’re too young to know everything.”

“You can’t say that and then tell me I’m too young to hear it.”

“In time, Miranda.”

“Was my father always like that, even before my mother died?”

“No. When I first met him, I thought him to be very stubborn and passionate, but also kind and very funny. He was a flame that burnt out too quickly, and I think he loved too much, and that’s why he was driven to such despair, on top of his melancholia.”

Miranda’s memories of her father were few, and even fewer of them were times when he was happy. She hadn’t known it was a suicide until she was ten since they had told her he’d died of a broken heart. He had died of a broken heart in a way, his grief consuming him until it led to his death. 

“Now Miranda,” Eleora began, “I am so happy that you’ve decided to tell your feelings, and I want you to know that I understand, and I have been in your shoes. I want to ask what you want to do. Would you like to tell the rest of the family, including your Aunt Elspeth, or would you rather keep things quiet?”

“Quiet,” the teen said firmly. “I’m not ready to tell everyone yet.”

Eleora stood up, nodding. “Then this conversation will just be between you and me, yes?”

“Yes,” Miranda answered, also standing up.

“Now come here so I can hug you, birthday girl,” her godmother insisted, pulling the girl into a tight embrace. 

Miranda happily hugged her back.

beginning/previous/next

[aurumacadicus]

October's coming and the theme is horror! Tumblr will vote to help us narrow it down to three books, and then we'll vote for the winner on Discord. If you'd like to join the book club, send me a message, and I'll send you an invitation link! Book summaries are under the cut!

Family Business by Jonathan Sims JUST ANOTHER DEAD-END JOB. DEATH. IT’S A DIRTY BUSINESS. When Diya Burman’s best friend Angie dies, it feels like her own life is falling apart. Wanting a fresh start, she joins Slough & Sons - a family firm that cleans up after the recently deceased. Old love letters. Porcelain dolls. Broken trinkets. Clearing away the remnants of other people’s lives, Diya begins to see things. Horrible things. Things that get harder and harder to write off as merely her grieving imagination. All is not as it seems with the Slough family. Why won’t they speak about their own recent loss? And who is the strange man that keeps turning up at their jobs? If Diya’s not careful, she might just end up getting buried under the family tree…

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix In horror movies, the final girls are the ones left standing when the credits roll. They made it through the worst night of their lives…but what happens after? Lynnette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she's been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece. But the thing about final girls is that no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero In 1977, four teenagers and a dog—Andy (the tomboy), Nate (the nerd), Kerri (the bookworm), Peter (the jock), and Tim (the Weimaraner)—solved the mystery of Sleep Lake. The trail of an amphibian monster terrorizing the quiet town of Blyton Hills leads the gang to spend a night in Deboën Mansion and apprehend a familiar culprit: a bitter old man in a mask. Now, in 1990, the twenty-something former teen detectives are lost souls. Plagued by night terrors and Peter’s tragic death, the three survivors have been running from their demons. When the man they apprehended all those years ago makes parole, Andy tracks him down to confirm what she’s always known—they got the wrong guy. Now she’ll need to get the gang back together and return to Blyton Hills to find out what really happened in 1977, and this time, she’s sure they’re not looking for another man in a mask.

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell. But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming serioes know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, “for the algorithm,” in the upcoming season finale. Misha refuses, but he soon realizes that he’s just put a target on his back. And what’s worse, monsters from his horror movie days are stalking him and his friends through the hills above Los Angeles. Haunted by his past, Misha must risk his entire future—before the horrors from the silver screen find a way to bury him for good.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Stepping far afield from his medical studies, Victor Frankenstein brings to life a human form he has fashioned from scavenged body parts. Horrified by his achievement, he turns his back on his creation, only to learn the danger of such neglect. Written when Mary Shelley was only 20 years old, Frankenstein has been hailed as both a landmark of Gothic horror fiction and the first modern science fiction story.

The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart

In the summer of 1982, five friends discover an ancient stone box hidden deep in the woods. They seal inside of it treasured objects from their childhood, and they make a vow: Never come to the box alone. Never open it after dark. Never take back your sacrifice. Four years later, a series of strange and terrifying events begin to unfold: mirrors inexplicably shattering, inanimate beings coming to life, otherworldly crows thirsting for blood. Someone broke the rules of the box, and now everyone has to pay. But how much are they willing to sacrifice?

A Lonely Broadcast by Kel Byron

If you find yourself driving down a winding mountain road near an endless stretch of pines, try tuning in to 104.6 FM: the radio station that shouldn’t exist. The village of Pinehaven has a secret of monstrous proportions. Evelyn McKinnon, a radio host falling on hard times, finds herself utterly unprepared when she learns that the radio station isn’t just for entertainment. It’s a watchtower. She’s stalked by a bird with human eyes. Her co-host won’t stop singing show tunes. And when the fog rolls in, the beasts of Pinehaven Forest begin their brutal hunt. Evelyn and her friends are suddenly face-to-face with something much scarier than ravenous flesh-giants and vengeful spirits: responsibility. ‘A Lonely Broadcast’ is a darkly comedic tale that mixes elements of cosmic horror, gruesome gore, and a touching story about friendship, grief, and finding hope when all seems lost. It’s also the story of an unhinged woman’s personal war with a goddamn bird.

Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie

Fade to Black is the newest hit ghost hunting reality TV show. Led by husband and wife team Matt and Claire Kirklin, it delivers weekly hauntings investigated by a dedicated team of ghost hunting experts. Episode Thirteen takes them to every ghost hunter’s holy grail: the Paranormal Research Foundation. This brooding, derelict mansion holds secrets and clues about bizarre experiments that took place there in the 1970s. It’s also famously haunted, and the team hopes their scientific techniques and high tech gear will prove it. But as the house begins to reveal itself to them, proof of an afterlife might not be everything Matt dreamed of. A story told in broken pieces, in tapes, journals, and correspondence, this is the story of Episode Thirteen—and how everything went terribly, horribly wrong.

[dandelionjack]

i love you houses that confound and mislead. i love you the doctor falling into an inevitable trap despite jack’s forewarnings because she was always going to give the lone cyberman what he wanted, the story could never have transpired any other way. i love you unhinged threatening thirteen so full of compassion for a single historical figure that she risks the future fate of history itself to save his life — that’s the most doctor-y decision she’s ever made, short term kindness over long term heroic sweeping gestures no matter where that leads, no matter who it sacrifices (and it’s morally questionable in the utilitarianism vs personal feelings way; similar to some of twelve’s moral dilemmas, not in the shallow ass “guns are bad so we’ll just suffocate these spiders to death” way). i love you hyperbolic-but-accurate portrayals of the geneva squad authors and co. i love you the implied possibility of ghosts being real. i love you thirteen asserting her authority and committing a sneaky little telepathic time lord atrocity (showing percy shelley his death which incidentally gives a fictional explanation to his real-life obsession with death by drowning, which eventually led to his death by drowning. i digress) — something she hasn’t been given the opportunity to do before. i love you cybermen-as-the-inspiration-for-frankenstein. i love you “she was the universe”. i love you claire clairmont standing up for herself and realising what a manipulative prick byron was to her. i love you the haunting of villa diodati

[15-lizards]

i feel like being messy so 24, 32, 35 and 36 :3

24. A ship that gives you the absolute ick

Snowstorm idec. I like that they’re foils and parallels to each other but I’m gonna be honest Jon gets on my nerves too much to enjoy this ship. I still love him that’s my smartass son but like what if he’s mean or callous to Dany…I would have to kill him again like sorry I don’t play about her

32. A fancast you absolutely can’t stand

Henry Cavill as Aegon or Robert I think we all get the gist of that one. But also Olivia Hussey or any other conventionally attractive actress who looks like a model for Lyanna. She’s scrawny and long faced and hooked nosed to me and she hasn’t fully grown into her features yet her ass would not be an instagram model

35. A character you just don’t get the hype of

Everyone knows my distaste for Rhaegar this isn’t a secret. I think he’s a really compelling character but I hate seeing all that true love bullshit. Also this isn’t really someone I don’t get the “hype” of but sometimes I get bored of Jon don’t crucify me. His motivations and storyline are delicious but sometimes I get bored of the stoic and callous broody Byronic hero personality we got going on Sorry.

36. What’s something you wish GRRM handled better? (a character/theme/world building etc)

Fleshing out the differing cultures but if you’ve followed me for more than five minutes you already know that. Mainly I get whiplash with the way he writes women. Bc you have everything going on with Cat and Cersei and Brienne. And then there’s “yeah she was his wife. She died” and “the hottest six year old bride in the kingdom” and “yeah my thirteen year old main character is really hot and I’m going to talk about it an uncomfortable amount” I feel like you’re missing your own point sometimes George

[witchyfashion]

John Polidori's classic tale "The Vampyre"(1819), was a product of the same ghost-story competition that produced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The present volume selects thirteen other tales of mystery and the macabre, including the works of James Hogg, J.S. LeFanu, Letitia Landon, Edward Bulwer, and William Carelton. The introduction surveys the genesis and influence of "The Vampyre" and its central themes and techniques, while the Appendices contain material closely associated with its composition and publication, including Lord Byron's prose fragment "Augustus Darvell."

buy here

[blackfeatherdragon]

YGO Zexal Keyswap AU (AKA an excuse for me to engage in Aztecshipping) (I only thought this out through the WDC arc and even then there's still gaps-)(thanks to my friend usagi for helping me fill in some of these gaps)

(This is a long infodump, look out-)

-While looking for the interdimensional portal, but before adding Kazuma to the team, Byron and Faker made a trip out to a hypothetical location where they thought it would be. Faker didn't find what he was looking for, but Byron did get the Emperor's Key, so that's neat.

-Upon returning home briefly to see his younger sons, Byron gave the Key to Michael, figuring he'd love this kind of artifact.

-(Michael did in fact love it. Little nerd.)

-Byron then returned to his research, and then vanished. Michael and Thomas then end up in the orphanage, with Michael safeguarding what items he has left to remember his father (The Aztec Mask Golem card and the Key).

-Flash forward a few years, Michael is thirteen now, and due to a chain of events I have not worked out yet, the Key is activated and Michael meets Astral.

-(Michael is overjoyed at the interdimensional alien tied to the Key, if a bit annoyed that Astral's amnesiac state means he can't tell him much.)

-Michael also already knows how to play Duel Monsters already, but Astral still tries to backseat duel.

-Insert some Number hunting at the orphanage here. Michael's 'starter' Number is Chronomaly Machu Mech, and the first one he gets off someone else is Shark Drake.

-Eventually, when Michael is fourteen, Christopher/V finally comes back to collect Michael and Thomas from the orphanage. After everyone is reunited at Heartland, Tron performs the rituals to place the crests on Thomas and Michael, then requests that Michael return the Key to him.

-Michael refuses, not willing to sacrifice Astral, and Thomas, realizing that his baby brother and his invisible alien friend aren't safe in this situation, creates an opportunity for Michael to flee by picking a fight with V.

-Michael flees with the Key, only to end up breaking down later because he's now completely separated from his family, so soon after he'd thought he'd have them all back.

-Enter the Tsukumos, who let Michael stay with them for a while while he sorts himself out. He and Yuma start making friends.

-Michael is also encouraged to start attending school due to his age, and he tests into the first year of junior high despite being old enough for second year. This means he's now in the same year as Shark and Rio. This won't be awkward-

--Oh, wait, the whole situation with Shark, Rio, and IV happens. Things get awkward with Shark and Michael having to share a class, especially since Michael can't ask his brother what happened.

-Michael also continues Number hunting, though he's now racing his own brothers and Kaito for Numbers.

-Meanwhile, Yuma has also been getting inexplicably better at duelling? Despite not having Astral to help him? Odd, but okay.

-We finally catch up to where the series would have started. Michael is now fifteen and in second year of junior high, and Yuma has started at junior high as a first year. Finally, Michael and Yuma can be at the same school-

-Yuma also starts getting a bit concerned about the Key and Astral, but doesn't say much about why.

-Number hunting continues. Kaito has a WTF moment when he realizes that the guy scrambling for Numbers is Chris's younger brother

-WDC starts! Michael gets himself entered just fine, Yuma is also remarkably on the ball with entering!

-Michael and IV have at least one run in, then late on the second day Yuma and Michael witness V kidnapping Haruto. Michael only admits that the kidnapper was Christopher before he uses his crest to warp back to the Arclight family hideout in hopes of talking them down.

-But...Yuma is here. Wasn't he with Kaito a moment ago?

-Yeah. About that. Tron didn't like losing a pawn when Michael fled, and decided to just manipulate a new pawn instead of deal with an unwilling participant. And wouldn't you know it, Yuma happened to lose his father to Faker's betrayal, desperately wants to duel, and is kind of gullible, so Tron decided he'd make a good enough target, so long as he doesn't find out about the depths of the plan.

-Yuma got to learn to duel, is promised he'd find out more about what happened to his father, pretty much everything he wanted. Tron also convinces Yuma that the Key is influencing Michael like what the Numbers do to most people, so Yuma is convinced that he needs to help Michael by getting the Key.

-(The only thing keeping Yuma from just grabbing the Key sooner is the fact that Michael keeps it physically on his person as much as humanly possible, a habit picked up in the orphanage since leaving your stuff laying around there was a good way to get your stuff stolen.)

-How did Yuma get there before Michael did? Turns out, Tron decided to crest Yuma too, on the promise that it would let him control Numbers safely and protect him from having his soul taken by people like Kaito. Which was true, but conveniently left out what would happen if he lost while controlling a Number.

-In any case, Yuma, IV, and Michael all spend several minutes trying to convince each other to leave and back down before Kaito finally shows up via Orbital hangglider and forces a duel

-Insert Michael and Kaito VS IV and Yuma duel here. Yuma's signature Number is, of course, Hope.

-Duel ends, IV and Yuma flee, Haruto is returned with Yuma never being told what Tron wanted with Haruto in the first place. Tron claims his plan was simply to try and lure in Faker.

-Michael and Astral are horrified at finding out about Yuma, and end up sheltering with Shark for the night instead of returning to the Tsukumos. It's a good opportunity for Michael to talk to his classmate about what's happening/ask Shark about his interactions with IV and Yuma.

-(Shark got Leviathan Dragon instead of Shark Drake BTW. Michael still has Shark Drake, and IV was tasked with delivering Leviathan Dragon since Yuma wouldn't have wanted to hurt Shark.)

-The next day, Yuma contacts Michael and asks to talk. Talking turns into Yuma trying to get the Key in an attempt to save Michael from its assumed influence, which leads to a duel.

-Yuma finally tells Michael what Tron's been telling him and how he just wants to help/find out what happened to his father, Michael in turn tells Yuma the truth about what Tron wants/what the crest will do if Yuma loses while powerful Numbers are in play.

-They then find a way to loophole the duel's end so no one goes comatose, probably by having Yuma replace Hope with a Number not powerful enough to trip the crest.

-Flash forward a bit to the finals! Michael ends up having to face IV during the course of the finals, during which Tron taunts both of them at once. Michael wins, but is upset knowing his brother will go comatose.

-IV's last message to Michael before leaving is to tell him to keep going.

-IV: "Give Tron hell, Michael, Astral."

-Yuma saves Shark from Tron's influence as per canon, thus revealing that he's defected from Tron's side and knows what's truly up. (Tron's intention was for Shark to beat Yuma and let Yuma be cast aside once his role was done.)

-Michael and Yuma end up facing off one more time before the final. No playing around or loopholes this time, winner faces Tron and they both know it.

-Michael wins, and ends up crying as Yuma goes comatose as a result. However, Yuma does give Michael two new cards before slipping under: his signature monster, Hope, and Chronomaly Atlandis.

-Finally, Michael faces Tron and he's not happy. His brothers and Yuma are in comas, so many people have been hurt by Tron's scheming, and all Michael ever wanted was to have his family back.

-They duel. It's a mess, with Tron and Michael both giving their all, and culminates with Michael and Astral going Zexal.

-(Their Zexal form takes a lot of visual cues from Michael's gladiator outfit from the canon Yuma vs Michael duel, btw.)

-Michael wins, and when Faker takes all the Numbers, Michael attempts to save his father from being dragged in.

-Tron, realizing how far he's gone, releases all the affected souls and lets go of Michael, letting himself be dragged in to at least let Michael live.

-Seeing his father be taken away by Faker for a second time utterly breaks Michael. He decides to enact vengeance on Faker himself, storming off to the tower in a fit of rage, only to be intercepted by Yuma.

-After the breakdown plays out, the two decide to go in together to face Faker.

-Shark and Kaito end up turning up too, with the four all tag teaming against Faker.

-The gang wins, enter the second half of the series with the Barians. The only thing I have planned for the back half so far is Alito shows up and starts trying to flirt with Yuma, resulting in Michael getting jealous for 'some reason'. (He is oblivious to just how he feels about Yuma.)

[quietwingsinthesky]

i think you could read any of the doctors as aro because you can read any of the doctors as any flavor of queer and get pretty good evidence argument out of it. BUT. thirteen is the doctor that i watch on my screen and go oh. oh, yeah, she definitely is. she absolutely is. and it’s things from her reacting to ryan flirting with people by wrinkling her nose up in confusion at it to the familiar alienation of being surrounded by friends that she is, inevitably, still emotionally at a distance from because there are parts of her she cannot relate, that she doesn’t want to have to explain.

it’s a specter of romance that looms over her. the literal: the entire disconnect between her and graham in s11 about his grief over losing his wife or even the sillier but constant rejections of byron’s advances later (<- you cannot tell me eleven or ten wouldn’t at least have entertained him for a bit). and the subtextual: both her unrequited relationship with Yasmin and even deeper, that twelve & missy’s splintered relationship has resulted in thirteen & spymaster and now the chasm between them is something fundamental about her that he finds Wrong. an unacceptable, buried thing that is suddenly right in front of them in this regeneration. something he introduces to break her that she rejects as she is More. haunted by love placed on her, haunted by love around her that she’s separated from.

the first face she sees, to be seared across her hearts, is her own. you know.

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

Trey: *Trying to explain Riddle is that way because of his mom*

Me: Give me a minute as I pull up my ‘Trauma Doesn’t Excuse Sh*t Behavior’ PowerPoint.

Say it with me, everyone: an explanation is not an excuse 😊

You know, the other day I was watching one of Ryan George's Pitch Meetings and when Producer Guy asked Writer Guy how the audience would root for the villain of the franchise and the response was "he's handsome" which basically explains most people's reactions to fictional men.

Prepare for incoming rant that has little to do with the ask

This probably might come as a shock because one of the main appeal of twst would be the whole villainous aspect/Disney Villain fanbase but I don't really like villains that much, at least, not romantically. Like don't get me wrong, I think that they're incredible characters and it would be so fun to sit down with one and have a conversation with one. Villain songs are so fun (I was literally singing ‘This Day Aria’ to myself the other day I haven’t heard that song in like a decade) and you can tell that that characters like Scar or Hades or Shere Khan or Jafar or Maleficent are having so much fun being deliciously evil and even the more serious, complex ones like Loki or Frollo are fun to pick apart so yeah I understand the hype. I just always rooted for the heroes and I guess heroic characters have always been more my type.

My mother absolutely loves Erik Destler and is forever salty that Christine chose Raoul (despite my many many attempts at arguing why Raoulstine is the superior couple - smol primary school me could not understand why my mum liked the chandelier dropper and was deeply concerned), my best friend has been in love with Heathcliffe since we were eleven, and my little sister has literally told me that her type of fictional men are the toxic red flags (not exactly word for word but she did explain why she likes bad boys over good boys when I was complaining about how my type (wholesome soft boys) always get sidelined for the arrogant, snarky bad boys - we're also very diametrically opposed on our views of friends to lovers (my s++ tier all time favourite and her loathing) vs enemies to lovers (I can't really stand it - Pride and Prejudice is the only exception - and that's literally all she consumes) so that might also be a reason).

Like, I understand the appeal of a Byronic hero (Mr Darcy has far too much power) - a closed off, broody man that hates everything but you? And will burn down the world to keep you warm? I can respect that there are people who dig that. But their not really for me.

The mild bout of insanity thirteen year old me had where I spent two months attracted to Edward Rochester is an outlier and should not have been counted (though that was during my wattpad phase so...)

But I can admit that I have yet to shake off my feelings for Dr Henry Jekyll, Victor Frankenstein and Dorian Gray (though to be fair, Mr Gabriel John Utterson the lawyer and cinnamon roll artist boy Basil Hallward do own my heart). And yes, Jeremy Jordan did make me question my morality as he did make my feelings for Light Yagami be too positive to be sane for a brief moment (Touta Matsuda is still my man, don't worry). But apart from them, literally all of my faves are what you'd call your traditional, morally upright heroes.

Basically what I'm saying is that my perception might be skewed because I've never had the whole 'villains are cooler' mindset when it came to stories. Yes, I love the villains as characters but I always liked their heroic foils more (goodness is just so attractive to me). You get lots of amazing heroic protagonists that have horribly tragic backstories and they're the ones I always fall for because the idea of being a kind sweetheart despite the world being anything but is just *chef's kiss* that's a kind of strength that's so swoon-worthy.

I guess that's why it's harder for me to look past the characters' actions in twst is because, well, they chose to do everything they did. They made a conscious choice to be terrible, despite understanding the consequences. Riddle may have been brainwashed into becoming a tyrant by his mother but he still admitted that he knew he was being horrible - he understands the concept of morality, of good and bad, and he willingly and deliberately did everything he did.

I suppose this text post I found on Pinterest would explain my point better:

[art-portraits]

Charles William Lambton

Artist: Sir Thomas Lawrence (British, 1769-1830)

Date: 1825

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: The National Gallery, London

Description

This portrait of Charles William Lambton - aged six or seven - was commissioned by the boy’s father John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, a Whig politician and MP for County Durham. Popularly known as The Red Boy, it remained in the Lambton family until it was acquired by the National Gallery in 2021. It is acknowledged as one of Thomas Lawrence’s masterpieces and, a sign of the image’s enduring popularity, it was the first painting to be reproduced on a British postage stamp in 1967.

Sitting on a promontory overlooking a moonlit sea, Lawrence portrays Lambton as a child wanderer, lost in contemplation of the sublime power of nature. The flowers opening next to him symbolise his young age. He is at the beginning of his journey through life, though this was cut short - he died of tuberculosis aged only thirteen. Lawrence may have been inspired by the work of Lord Byron or by William Wordsworth’s poem There was a Boy (1798).

Unlike Gainsborough’s famous portrait, The Blue Boy (1770, The Huntington Art Museum, San Marino) who wears a seventeenth-century ‘Van Dyck’ costume, The Red Boy is dressed in the contemporary children’s fashion of loose-fitting clothes. Several of Lawrence’s young sitters wear these red velvet ‘skeleton suits’ which were roomier and better for playing outdoors and which, by 1800, had replaced Van Dyck dress for children of wealthy families.

[evviejo]

thirteen's era appreciation: 424/?

[rygoespop]

List of characters that appear in my Thomas and Friends AU

Main:

Thomas

Edward

Henry

Gordon

James

Percy

Toby

Emily

Molly

Rosie

Stanley

and Rebecca

Secondary/Supporting:

Duck

Donald and Douglas

Oliver

Wilbert

BoCo

Philip

Bill and Ben

Derek

Timothy

Marion

Salty

Porter

Daisy

Ryan

Brent the Ballast Spreader

Mavis

Sidney

Arry and Bert

Diesel

Den

Dart

Diesel 10

Billy

Norman

Arthur

Harvey

Bear

Stafford

Fergus

Charlie

Dennis

Murdoch

Flora

Belle

Flynn

Whiff

Scruff

Neil

Neville

Hank

Sonny

Paxton

Ferdinand

Bash and Dash

Glynn

Stephen

Dustin

Winston

Skarloey

Rheneas

Sir Handel

Peter Sam

Rusty

Duncan

Duke

Bertram

Smudger

Freddie

Mighty Mac

Luke

Millie

Victor

Culdee

Wilfred

Harry (Formerly known as Lord Harry and later as Patrick)

Alaric

Godred

Mike

Rex

Bert

Flying Scotsman

Spencer

Stepney

Connor

Caitlin

Samson

Merlin

Lexi

Theo

Hurricane

Frankie

D261

Splodge (Splatter and Dodge)

Jinty and Pug

Patriot the Big City Engine

Mallard

Green Arrow

Thirteen

Hiro

Gator

Ashima

Rajiv

Yong Bao

Shane

Vinnie

Sam

Axel

Gina

Raul

Etienne

Frieda

Hugo

Ivan

Carlos

Lady

Proteus

Annie and Clarabel

Henrietta

Toad

Old Slow Coach

Bruno

Rocky

Judy and Jerome

Hector

SCruffey

Fred Pelham

The Slip Coaches

Bradford

Catherine

Bertie

Bulgy

Terence

Trevor

Caroline

Elizabeth

George

Butch

The Horrid Lorries

Kevin

Madge

Thumper

Jack

Alfie

Oliver

Ned

Max and Monty

Isobella

Kelly

Byron

Buster

Bulstrode

Skiff

Captain

Harold

Jeremy

Cranky

Carly

Big Mickey

Reg

Owen

Merrick

And Beresford

Coming Soon:

Logan

Ulli

Duchess of Hamilton

Flying Thistle

D199

Albert

Kenji (Maybe)

Ivo Hugh

Ada, Mabel, Jane, and Cora

City of Turo

2007 Prince of Wales

W1

Old King Coal

Elsie

Hannah (Henrietta’s Sister)

Helena and Victoria

Frank

So, there you have it

[blueshistorysims]

February 1939, London, England

Unlike any of the other bar mitzvahs or bat mitzvahs Simon-Elliot had attended in the past, his was a quiet affair. He hadn’t wanted a big party and since it was held in London, none of his schoolmates could come anyway. 

Uncle Albert and Aunt Odette couldn’t make the trip since two of his cousins had gotten the mumps, which he was upset by because he liked hanging out with his cousin Marie-Louise, but he was also glad his parents hadn’t invited anyone other than family and family friends living in England. No one could see them arguing.

“I understand you’re upset, Byron, but today is one of the most important days in Simon-Elliot’s life, so can we please leave the politics at the door?”

“Our existence in this fucking continent is political. Franco is going to take Spain, and no one here cares, our idiotic prime minister is only now realizing that Appeasement is not a good tactic after countless people including myself told him, and now it is only a matter of time before the world erupts into war, with Japan and China in the east and Mussolini and Hitler here. I was a fool to think we could prevent another war. Another bloody fucking war.”

Eleora sighed. “Byron. Just for today. Please.”

Simon-Elliot frowned, turning away from his parents.

“Have you ever been to a bar mitzvah?” He asked Lydia, the only person around his age who was actually at the event.

“No. I’m from Hong Kong. Your family are the first Jews I’ve met.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad you’re here. None of my friends from home could come or family from India and France.”

“Aunt Francesca asked if I wanted to come, and I will take every opportunity to get away from my brother. He’s so annoying.”

“I can relate. Amalia is so insufferable sometimes. Miranda is fine by herself, but when they’re together… it’s like they become stupider.”

She laughed.

When Aunt Francesca had told him she was bringing Lydia, he almost thanked her. Ever since they had met, he’d harbored a massive crush on her, which had only grown worse since he’d turned thirteen. He was aware that she definitely was not someone a duke’s son should court, but both of his father’s marriages had been extremely unconventional. If she returned his feelings, would his parents mind? Or better yet, would hers?

beginning/previous/next

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

In 1982, Byron Preiss published The Secret: A Treasure Hunt, a book of 12 mind-bending riddles, illustrated by fantasy artist John Jude Palencar. Each riddle is paired with a painting to reveal a location in a North American city. Once the treasure hunter finds the location, they will find a bejewelled box buried 3 ½ feet underground with a key inside. The key can be exchanged for a jewel, collectively worth about $10,000.

In 1983, the first of the jewels was found by three teenagers in Chicago, who paired the fifth image with the 12th verse:

Where M and B are set in stone And to Congress, R is known L sits and left Beyond his shoulder Is the Fair Folks’ Treasure holder The end of ten by thirteen Is your clue Fence and fixture Central too For finding jewel casque Seek the sounds Of rumble Brush and music Hush.

Hidden in the image was a backward outline of the state of Illinois, as well as several Chicago landmarks, like the Water Tower. An image of a bowman pointed to a statue near Grant Park, while where "L sits" referred to a statue of Abraham Lincoln within the park. The treasure hunters used two intersecting lines of trees to locate a spot under a section of fence (the fence is also hidden within the image) where the treasure was buried. One of the teens, Eric Gasiorowski, wrote an explanation of how they managed to solve the complex riddle. A full solution can also be found here.

While many people believe they have identified the cities that hide each treasure, only three riddles were solved as of mid-2020. Treasure hunters all over the country continue the search for the other nine, even though Preiss passed in 2005, taking the secret locations of the remaining gems to his grave.

[drwho-shipbracket]

Initial Brackets!

[ID: All images in this post are brackets of the pairings listed below]

Bracket A Pairings:

Doctor/Corsair vs Caleera/Padrac

Donna Noble/Rose Tyler vs Valeyard/Vansell

Six/Peri Brown vs Rose Tyler/Raffalo

Rose Tyler/Gwenyth vs Six/Charley Pollard

Doctor/The Eleven vs The Eleven/Miskavel

Rose Tyler/Ianto Jones vs Valeyard/Master

Valeyard/Matrix vs Donna Noble/Stacey Campbell (Partners in Crime)

The Eleven/Helen Sinclair vs Doctor/Romana

Doctor/River Song/Rose Tyler vs Abby McPhail/Cleo Proctor/Shawna Thompson

Donna Noble/Lee McAvoy vs Valeyard/Death

Six/Hebe Harrison vs Rose Tyler/Toshiko Sato

The Eleven/Kandyman vs Seven/Ace McShane

Seven/Beevers!Master vs Rose Tyler/the TARDIS

Rose Tyler/Erisa Magambo vs Six/Mel Bush

Valeyard/Inspector Darkel vs Donna Noble/Rose Tyler/Martha Jones

Mel Bush/Ace McShane vs Doctor/Doctor

Bracket B Pairings:

Thirteen/Ada Lovelace vs Caleera | The Sonomancer/Liv Chenka/Helen Sinclair

Thirteen/Rose Tyler vs Thirteen/River Song

Thirteen/Jamie McCrimmon vs Thirteen/Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler

Thirteen/Yasmin Khan/River Song vs Thirteen/Jack Harkness

Thirteen/Clara Oswald vs Ryan Sinclair/Sonya Khan

Thirteen/Nikola Tesla vs Thirteen/Astos

Thirteen/Missy!Master vs Thirteen/Ace McShane

Ryan Sinclair/Trixabelle vs Thirteen/Claire Brown

Thirteen/Lord Byron vs Leela/Romana II

Thirteen/Solitract vs Thirteen/Mels Zucker

Thirteen/Swarm vs Thirteen/Yasmin Khan/Rose Tyler

Ryan Sinclair/Yasmin Khan vs Thirteen/Delgado!Master

Thirteen/Kate Stewart vs Ryan Sinclair/Tibo

Thirteen/Missy!Master/Rose Tyler vs Thirteen/Lumiat

Thirteen/Martha Jones vs Thirteen/Simm!Master

Leela/Vega vs Thirteen/Bill Potts

Bracket C Pairings:

Twelve/Nardole vs River Song/Martha Jones/Rose Tyler

Five/Tegan Jovanka/Nyssa of Traken vs Five/Tegan Jovanka

Twelve/Jack Harkness vs River Song/Liv Chenka

River Song/Martha Jones vs Twelve/Simm! Master

Twelve/Missy!Master/Simm!Master vs River Song/Jack Harkness

River Song/Clara Oswald vs Twelve/Rose Tyler

Twelve/River Song/Jack Harkness vs Four/Sarah Jane Smith

River Song/Jenny Flint vs Twelve/Missy!Master/River Song/Clara Oswald

Twelve/Missy!Master/River Song vs River Song/Madame Vastra

Four/Romana vs Twelve/Missy!Master/River Song/Rose Tyler

Twelve/Psi vs River Song/Kate Stewart

River Song/Toshiko Sato vs Twelve/Mels Zucker

Twelve/Dhawan!Master vs River Song/Rose Tyler

River Song/Liv Chenka/Helen Sinclair vs Twelve/Robin Hood

Five/Ainley!Master vs Four/Ainley!Master

River Song/Christina de Souza vs Twelve/Missy!Master/Clara Oswald

Bracket D Pairings:

Eleven/Amy Pond vs Craig Owens/Sophie

Missy!Master/Helen Sinclair vs Theta Sigma/Koschei (Academy Era)

Eleven/Handles vs Missy!Master/Petronella Osgood

Missy!Master/Martha Jones vs Eleven/Rosanna Calvierri

Eleven/Rory Williams vs Irving Braxiatel/Leela/Narvin/Romana

Master/Master vs Three/Jo Grant

Two/Jamie McCrimmon vs Missy!Master/Liv Chenka

Inquisitor Darkel/Pandora vs Eleven/Dhawan!Master

Eleven/Craig Owens vs Graham O’Brien/Dhawan!Master

Missy!Master/Kate Stewart vs One/Ian Chesterton/Barbara Wright

Three/Delgado!Master vs Missy!Master/Nardole

Missy!Master/Rose Tyler vs Eleven/Rose Tyler

Eleven/Lorna Bucket vs Missy!Master/Donna Noble

Missy!Master/River Song vs Three/Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart

Theta Sigma/Vansell vs Simm!Master/John Hart

Graham O’Brien/Grace O’Brien vs Eleven/Amy Pond/Rory Williams

Bracket E Pairings:

Ten/Clara Oswald vs Prem/Umbreem (Demons of the Punjab)

Yasmin Khan/Gat vs Ruth!Doctor/Yasmin Khan

Ten/Jackson Lake vs Bel/Inston-Vee Vinder

Alison Cheney/Bill Potts vs Ten/Jacobi!Master

Ten/Rose Tyler/Jack Harkness vs Ashildr/Orson Pink

Yasmin Khan/Martha Jones vs Ruth!Doctor/Lee Clayton

Ruth!Doctor/River Song vs Yasmin Khan/Clara Oswald

Heather/Bill Potts vs Ten/River Song

Ten/Missy!Master vs Jo Grant/Sarah Jane Smith

Yasmin Khan/Sally Sparrow vs Ruth!Doctor/Rose Tyler

Ruth!Doctor/Gat vs Rachel Jensen/Allison Williams

Alice O’Donell/Mason Bennet (Under the Lake) vs Ten/Simm!Master/Rose Tyler

Ten/Vislor Turlough vs Alice Cassini/May Cassini

Barbara Wright/Ian Chesterton vs Ruth!Doctor/Dhawan!Master

Ruth!Doctor/Lee Clayton/River Song vs Yasmin Khan/Rose Tyler

Jo Grant/Liv Shaw vs Ten/Donna Noble

Bracket F Pairings:

Nine/Missy!Master vs Livia/Romana

Martha Jones/Riley Vashtree vs Martha Jones/Tom Milligan

Bill Potts/Yasmin Khan vs Lucy Fletcher/Grant Gordon (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)

Sarah/Nick (Eve of the Daleks) vs Bill Potts/Rose Tyler

Nine/Rose Tyler/Jack Harkness/Mickey Smith vs Tania Bell/Liv Chenka/Helen Sinclair

Martha Jones/The Hath (The Doctor’s Daughter) vs Martha Jones/Donna Noble

Martha Jones/Clara Oswald vs Martha Jones/Bill Potts

Tim Lunn/Cass (Under the Lake) vs Nine/Rose Tyler/Jack Harkness

Nine/Rose Tyler/Mickey Smith vs Liv Chenka/Molly O’Sullivan

Martha Jones/Chantho vs Martha Jones/Rose Tyler

Bill Potts/The TARDIS vs Martha Jones/Mels Zucker

Liv Chenka/Helen Sinclair vs Shalka!Doctor/Shalka!Master

War!Doctor/War!Master vs Ivan/Ellie (Oxygen)

Elton Pope/Ursula Blake (Love and Monsters) vs Bill Potts/Jenny (The Doctor’s Daughter)

Martha Jones/Verity Newman vs Martha Jones/Jenny (The Doctor’s Daughter)

Tania Bell/Liv Chenka vs Nine/River Song

Bracket G Pairings:

Eight/Charley Pollard vs The Master/The Eleven

Jack Simmonds/Mickey Smith vs Jack Harkness/Amy Pond/Rory Williams

Ace McShane/Tegan Jovanka vs Nardole/Narvin

Nardole/Ramone vs Eight/Roberts!Master

Eight/Jack Harkness vs Sally Sparrow/Billy Shipton

Mel Bush/Hebe Harrison vs Jack Harkness/Lord Byron

Jack Harkness/Rose Tyler vs Ace McShane/Kate Stewart

Sally Sparrow/Larry Nightingale vs Eight/Grace Holloway

Eight/Fitz Kreiner vs Saibra/Psi (Time Heist)

Ace McShane/Yasmin Khan vs Jack Harkness/Martha Jones

Jack Harkness/Graham O’Brien vs Mike Yates/BOSS

Olistra/Veklin vs Eight/Jacobi!Master

Eight/River Song vs Tegan Jovanka/Nyssa of Traken

Marco Poly/Susan Foreman vs Ace McShane/Graham O’Brien

Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones/Rose Tyler vs Jack Harkness/Ashildr

Rigsy/Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart vs Eight/Dhawan!Master

Bracket H Pairings:

Clara Oswald/Ashildr vs Fourteen/Jack Harkness

Kate Stewart/Sarah Jane Smith vs Kate Stewart/Petronella Osgood

Clara Oswald/Mels Zucker vs Dhawan!Master/Yasmin Khan

Missy!Master/Clara Oswald vs Clara Oswald/Rigsy

Clara Oswald/Madame Vastra/Jenny Flint vs Gwen Cooper/Jack Harkness/Owen Harper/Ianto Jones/Toshiko Sato

Vansell/Sentris vs Dan Lewis/Karvanista

Dan Lewis/Diane vs Vansell/Narvin

Fourteen/Dan Lewis vs Clara Oswald/Rose Tyler

Clara Oswald/Jane Austen vs Fourteen/Rose Tyler

John Benton/Mike Yates vs Dan Lewis/Sarah Jane Smith

Dan Lewis/Graham O’Brien/Grace O’Brien vs Helen Sinclair/Jean (The Love Vampires)

Owen Harper/Norton Folgate vs Clara Oswald/Psi

Clara Oswald/Saibra vs Rani Chandra/Clyde Langer

Master/Alison Cheney vs Dan Lewis/Graham O’Brien

Kate Stewart/Jacqui McGee vs Romana/Vansell

Tenteen/Rose Tyler vs Clara Oswald/Clara Oswald

I hope you all enjoy!!