#three musketeers unite

[moonlight-records]

Three Musketeers Unite| LN4

pairing: ln4 + (2/4) wilson siblings

summary: Lando gets a flat on his adventure prior to the Austin GP and finds himself stuck. Luckily, he finds not only help but maybe a new friend

warning: fluff!! platonic relationships, golden retriever & black cat bestie, the 'person a doesn't know / care bout person b being famous and person b loving it'

fc: Kit Connor & Desreii on instagram

wc: 1.9k

a/n: stared writing bout my ocs and f1 drivers. these two are my ever first ocs and i love them sm. posting this just for fun!

“…Are you gonna fuck the British or��“

“Blake.”

“What?” 

Blake turns to Candi, staring at him, unamused. Lifting a finger, Candi jabs her bother in the chest softly, “No fucking the stupid Brit. Besides, he’s involved in some weird triangle with two of his friends so I doubt you wanna get involved.”

“That’s literally more reason to get involved, are you kidding me?” Blake laughs. “Oh man, let me come in and mess everything up. Suddenly you got those two teaming up to take me down. Besides, I was kidding about sleeping with Lando.” Candi raises a brow at her brother and Blake offers a sheepish smile, “okay, mostly joking. Though seriously,” dropping his voice, “where the fuck did you find him?” 

The siblings turn their gaze to Lando, who is sprawled out on the pull out couch while Moth sleeps on his chest, purring softly. Looking back at each other Candi shrugs nonchalantly. “I found him—“ 

“Found him? What is he? A stray cat?” Blake jokes.

“No.” Candi scrunches her nose, “he’s a stray dog actually.” 

Blake stares at his younger sister like she has ten heads. For someone who is the walking embodiment of a black cat decorated in piercings and tattoos and an entire black wardrobe, she really did have a talent for collecting the embodiments of some of the friendliest and more chaotic animals around. Blake just looks back before finally asking the question that’s been burning his mind since he got home. 

“How did you even find him?” 

"well, you see.."

“Moth! Honey! Where are you?” 

Candi stands in the doorway to her room as she listens. There’s a silence in the house and Candi puts her lips together because if he’s silent that means he’s either scheming or sleeping and usually it means he’s scheming. Making her way downstairs, Candi scans the living room before spotting the ball of black fluff sitting on the back of the beige couch. Making her way over, she leans down to see Moth just staring and following his gaze. 

Outside, there was a dark blue car outside. Candi blinks in confusion because this was no place for a car like this. The cul de sac was small and tucked away even though it was only 15 minutes out from Austin but—

“Who the fuck had this car why is it in front of the house?” Candi looks down hearing a meow. Green eyes meet hers before Moth turns his attention back to the window and Candi follows, seeing a mop walk around the car. He had his hands on his hips while looking at his car and Candi can only assume it’s his tire. Candi thinks for a moment if she should offer her help but decides that he’d probably fix his own tire or call a tow so she leaves it be for now but watches. 

After ten minutes, Candi stares in shock. It’s been ten minutes and no effort from the driver of this car. She can’t even blame it on service because the service around this area is actually exceptional. She watches the driver digging through his trunk and she can’t take the painful second hand embarrassment anymore as she slips her crocs on and grabs her car keys before stepping onto the porch. 

“Excuse me—“ Candi winces, hearing a head smack against the ceiling. The guy rubs the back of his head and Candi catches the curly mullet he somehow pulls off, “Are you okay?” 

“Fine!” 

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I mean, my head hurts a bit but I’ll survive.” Lando turns to continue digging through his trunk.

Candi nods. “Cool. Do you need help?”

“No, no I’m okay.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah, why?”

“You’ve been outside for almost ten minutes in front of a McLaren 765LT Spider and not once have you towed nor changed it and I’m starting to suspect you don’t know how to change your tire or are too embarrassed to admit you got a flat.”

Lando turns and looks down at Candi. He stares at her for a moment before glancing away, his cheeks and neck flushing before looking back at her, “Is it that obvious?” 

“Painfully.”

Lando glances away as his cheeks flush more as he laughs slightly. He covers his mouth before looking back at Candi. “Well, then yes. I would like some help.”

“Okay. Do you have a spare tire?”

“I think?”

“What do you mean you think?”

“Well, this was gifted to me and McLaren was nice enough to ship it over to the US.” Lando clears his throat, “they said everything I needed was in the car but. I don’t know. I’ve had it for two days before we came here so I haven’t really had time to see what is in the car—what are you doing?”

Lando watches Candi walk by him to the trunk of the car. He leans over seeing how she pats around before finding a handle and opening the spare tire compartment. Lando doesn’t even get a chance to move before Candi is hoisting the tire out with ease and gently putting the tire down. “Jesus.” Lando blurts out, “isn’t that heavy?”

“Not really,” Candi shrugs. She leans the tire up before going to her car and grabbing the car jack she keeps before making her way back over as she squats down and starts changing his tire.

Lando deduces that Candi likes to do things herself. No matter how hard Lando tries Candi would just brush him off. He ended up just holding the lug nuts while she changed the tire. “Thank you.” Lando tells her when it’s all said and done.

“You’re welcome. How did you even end up over here?”

“Well, I got in a bit early and I was doing some exploring for some food outside of Austin to avoid fans” Lando starts as Candi nods, “and my phone started glitching therefore maps weren’t working and then I guess I got a nail in the tire or something and I pulled over before noticing your house—”

“Ma’s.” Candi corrects, “It’s my grandma’s house.”

“Oh, sorry. I noticed your grandmother’s house so it felt like it was the best spot to…figure out what to do and now we’re here.”

“I see.”

Lando stands awkwardly for a moment before blurting out, “Do you want lunch? It’s on me. As a thank you.”

“Oh.” Candi blinks in surprise. “No—no that’s okay. Really, I don’t want to be a bother—”

“It would be no bother at all.”

Candi and Lando stare at each other again before Candi tilts her head ever so slightly. She looks Lando up and down before she narrows her eyes slightly in thought. “Wait a minute.” Candi starts, “Aren’t you that…F1 driver with that team for the Austin GP, right?”

Great. Lando thinks a bit sad that Candi has finally figured him out. Just when I thought I wasn’t dealing with a fan.There goes that semblance of being a normal person “Yeah,” Lando forces a smile. “I am—”

“You look better when you’re not in that horrible orange color.”

Lando offers an audible gasp. He looks at Candi with a mixture of shock and horror when Candi decides that the papaya orange—his papaya orange—was a horrible shade of orange. “It is not an ugly shade of orange!!”

“It so is an ugly shade.” Candi snickers slightly, “but agree to disagree, no?”

“No, actually.” Lando huffs, “we will not agree to disagree. I’m going to explain why papaya is the best shade of orange ever.”

“Well, would you like to come inside as you fail to persuade me to think otherwise?” Candi offers, “It’s hot, my edible is about to hit, and my cat is trying to explode you in your mind.” Candi turns her head at Moth staring at them, meowing wildly.

“Fine. Only because it is hot and that cat is adorable. What’s his name?”

“Mothman. Like the cryptic.” Candi starts her explanation as she leads Lando into the house rambling on about her cat.

“That explains the nice ass car.” Blake remarks while looking at Lando and Moth, “but are you serious?” Watching Candi nod, Blake laughs softly. “Well…at least he’s pretty.”

“That’s true.”

“So, is he staying for dinner?”

Candi shrugs. Blake hums softly, “Well, Ma is still on her cruise with the girls. Charles is at Jacob’s and Jade is on a trip with her streamer friends so it’s just us and I was thinking maybe Waffle House whenever we get hungry?”

“Perfect.”

Candi watches Blake make his way over to introduce himself to Lando while Moth looks up. She laughs when they finish introductions so Moth can scream at Blake. Candi and Lando laugh as Blake argues with Moth as Candi sits next to Lando, turning the TV on and putting hockey on. Blake settles on the other side of Candi as Moth stretches and hops onto Candi’s lap before laying down. Candi takes the chance to ramble on about hockey until it’s over in which Lando (with the help of Blake and Candi with their excellent pirating skills) puts on the past F1 races and let Lando info dump about them. They take a break to have Lando experience the joy of Waffle House around 9pm before they get back and Lando realizes that he needs to get back to the hotel.

“Well, thanks for fixing my tire.” Lando starts. “And for letting me just hide out here for a bit and feel like…”

“You’re a normal 24 year old hanging out with friends and not a famous F1 driver?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah well,” Candi shrugs. “It’s the least I can do. I think people forget that celebrities are also people and then are surprised when you guys do things like us. Also because I’ve never seen a single F1 race until you showed us so to me you were just a college student who comes from wealth who got lost. Though, I will say that nothing really exciting happens since I’m so tucked away so thank you for making the day less boring.”

Lando nods and is about to get into his car before stopping. “Hey. I never got your name.”

“Me?”

“Well, I know your brother’s name is Blake so yeah.” Lando offers a toothy grin.

“Candi.” Candi tells him with a smile.

“Well, Candi. If you and your brother are interested I could get you guys tickets for the race this weekend? I would like some form of communication with you to give you the tickets.”

Putting her lips together, she thinks. “Yeah, we have nothing better to do. How about, I follow you on instagram and you follow me back? I would say phone numbers but I don’t wanna download another app.” Candi jokes.

Lando laughs and grins as he takes his phone out. “Honestly, I can’t really blame you for that one.” Candi and Lando follow each other on instagram. “Okay, and done. I will see you and Blake this weekend.”

“Alright. Bye Lando.” Candi waves bye as Lando drives away. “What a weird one.”

“Yeah but, aren’t all 24 year olds weird?” Blake asks from his spot on the porch.

“You got me there. Alright, well,” Candi turns and makes her way up the porch. “..What the hell do you bring to a Grand Prix?”

“No clue…Wanna open a 6 pack and research?”

“Oh dear brother.” Candi grins. “You’re speaking my language now.”

[faunandfloraas]

sugar, spice and everything nice...

[dwuerch-blog]

Unite -- NOT Divide and Conquer

I am enjoying a “united” effort as I continue to work at the voting polls with people from both sides of the aisle. Of course, we can’t speak about politics in a room filled with voters who are of different persuasions than each other. But is it about that or is it because we respect each other and anything that could cause division among us, is of minor importance compared to what unites…

[reminiscingtonight]

Pretending

Aitana Bonmatí x Reader

Word Count: 955

A/N: Had to celebrate Fletcher's new album with a new fic

Part Two

[WOSO Masterlist]

“I think I should kiss you.”

You laugh, pulling the older girl closer to you. “Well I’m not stopping you.”

Aitana simply snorts in response, burying her face in your neck. You pretend it doesn’t tickle when she breathes out deeply, arms tightening around your waist. “How’s your mami?”

“I think you see her more than I do, Tana.”

It’s been three years but the longing from moving away from home still hasn’t faded. Barcelona’s always been the goal. Ever since you could remember. A product from La Masia, you knew you always wanted to play for the first team.

Sometimes the things you want aren’t always in the cards, hence the detour in your career to Manchester. Ona went to United but you went to City, both of you wanting to develop your football skills some more in a new city. Although your best friend has already returned back to Barcelona, you still have a little more to go before you could go back. 

“Shh,” Aitana giggles, clumsily raising a finger to press against your lips. 

It makes you feel warm, seeing how laidback and relaxed the midfielder seems right now. With all of the pressure she experiences on the daily, it’s rare to see the older girl as bubbly as she is now. After winning the Ballon d’Or, her own expectations have only increased tenfold. 

“Gotta go pee,” she mumbles, finally pushing off of you. You make the move to follow but Aitana presses a hand against your chest, stopping you in your tracks. “No, get me another drink please.” 

You have an amused smile playing on your lips as she makes her leave, dragging some of the other girls with her. 

Ona watches you watch Aitana, sighing under her breath. 

You try to ignore her, but Ona’s never one to mince her words. “I don’t get it.”

You shrug. “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

It’s always been the three of you, the trio of musketeers taking on Spain’s youth teams and now the senior one together. You’ve grown up together, experienced all the good and bad by each other’s sides. 

So safe to say Ona’s been here through the years to see how much you’ve fallen for Aitana. 

And just as much as you’ve fallen for Aitana, the older girl seems to be just as allergic to admitting her feelings. 

It’s obvious to just about everyone how much Aitana loves you. It’s in all the small things. The way she makes sure to tune in all of your matches. The way she sends you thoughtless musings every day. The way she always remembers your coffee order whenever you return to town.

But Aitana’s never been one to commit to anything other than football. 

You’ve always known this, so you haven’t done too much to try to convince her otherwise. No matter how much Ona’s always bugging the two of you to make things official or for you to move on, you’ve stayed steadfast in your belief that things will work out in the end. 

At the end of the day no one’s getting hurt but yourself. You’d be willing to wait for as long as it takes if it means it’ll be the two of you at the end. Because you know that’s the only outcome in this drawn out affair. 

You love Aitana and Aitana loves you, so there’s really no other ending to this. So if Aitana wants to pretend like the two of you don’t love each other, you’re willing to play her game. 

“How long are you going to do this?”

“As long as she lets me.”

Ona looks like she’s going to blow an aneurysm but follows you to the counter regardless. Despite your silent pleas for her to drop the topic, she doesn’t. “This is going to wreck you when it blows up in your face.”

“Then I won’t let it blow up.” 

Ona swipes the drinks away from your hands before you can grab them. “Listen to me. I love you and I love Aita but the two of you really need to figure this out. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Sighing, you press a soft kiss against the side of her head. No matter how annoying you find Ona’s constant pestering, you know it’s only coming from a place of love. “Thanks Oni. But I will be okay. Please don’t lose any sleep over this.”

Ona looks like she wants to say more, but she bites her tongue.

Instead, the two of you catch up. You’re happy that Ona’s settling in well in Barcelona, but the downside to her going home is that the two of you no longer get to share every moment together. Ona’s laughing at your reenactment of Leila having to deal with the spider in your shared home when Aitana finally returns.

Her eyes light up when she spots you from across the room, hurriedly waving at you. 

You have to muffle your laughter at her drunken state but smile back to her all the same.

You don’t let it show, but Ona’s words cut deep. 

It’s heavy on your heart when you drop her off later, when Ona has to peel Aitana off of you, promising to get the two of them to bed safely. Her words are still ringing around your head when you get a drunken rambling goodnight text from Aitana when you’re getting ready to catch the redeye home.

You’ve been waiting for Aitana for as long as you remember, and you’ll continue waiting for her until she’s ready. 

Aitana’s everything to you.

So if she wants to keep on pretending, that’s exactly what you’ll do.

Even if it cuts you to the bone.

[morganski-19]

Chills Right to the Marrow Part 29

ao3 link| part 1 . . . part 26, part 27, part 28

Dustin’s not exactly sure what happened. He was patiently waiting for Steve to meet him in the lobby, but it’s been almost a half hour, and Dustin has no idea where he is. He already went back to check in Eddie’s room, but nothing. Then outside, nothing again. And Steve would never leave his stranded, so it can’t be that.

Which leaves Dustin completely alone, eating a Snickers bar that he got from the vending machine because they were out of Three Musketeers. The second one he got for Steve slowly melting in his pocket. Wondering if it was at the level where he had to go check under the bathroom stalls to see if any of the feet were wearing Steve’s shoes.

But he can at least be a little bit saner and go double check Eddie’s room again. Maybe Steve couldn’t find him and went back there to look. That would be the logical thing to do.

When Dustin opens the door, Steve has the chair pulled up close to Eddie’s bed hunched over and looking like he’s about to cry. Eddie’s looks like halfway there himself. Both of them jumping to hide that fact when Dustin entered.

“I didn’t know where you went,” Dustin says. Not sure whether to ignore or acknowledge what he just walked into. “I thought we were going to go home.”

Steve shakes his head gently, pressing his eyes shut like it will stop the tears from flowing. “Yeah, sorry. Could you just give me a second? I was just talking to Eddie about something.”

“It’s ok,” Eddie brushes off with his hand. “Take the kid home, we can talk about this later.”

“Are you sure? He can wait another minute-.”

“I’m sure. We’re good, ok. Go home.” Eddie looks at him like he really means what he’s saying. Not just pretending for both of their benefit. Not again.

Steve nods. Standing and pushing the chair back in place against the wall. “I’ll see you later then.”

Eddie waves Steve over and whispers something before letting him leave. Steve just snorts and smiles at whatever it is. Whispering something back before finally ushering Dustin out of the room. Some sort of weird energy radiating off of him in the car ride home. A mix between happy and sad that Dustin doesn’t understand.

“What was that about?” Dustin asks. Trying to do it without a confrontational tone.

Steve shrugs. “We just had something to talk about, that’s all.”

Dustin nods. “But you’re both ok, right? It looked like you were both about to cry.”

He’s trying to be gentle about the topic. Trying to calm the way he can ask about things. So it doesn’t sound like he’s pressuring his way into situations. That way people can feel like they can open up to him, and tell him what’s going on. Instead of just brushing it off and telling him it’s not his problem.

Because it was his problem. This was his friend. This was his family. He didn’t have siblings to fight through all of this with. He didn’t have parents who he could tell these things too. For the most part, it’s been Steve that he’s talked to about all this. It’s been Steve that he radioed in the middle of the night when he was so scared he couldn’t breathe. Or when he needed advice about school problems. Or anything.

Somewhere along the line, Steve became the sibling he fought through stuff with. That’s been a sure fact since he helped Dustin get ready for the Snowball. They were one of the mini units in the bigger organization.

It hurt when Steve hid things from him out of “protection”. Dustin didn’t need protecting, he needed transparency. He needed for Steve to know that Dustin’s here for him. Just as much as Steve’s there for Dustin. This was a two-way street.

“We were, kinda,” Steve says after a long break of silence.

“Are you ok?”

Steve puts the car in park, turning to Dustin with an almost relieved expression. “Yeah. I am.”

“Ok.” Dusting is choosing to trust that Steve would tell him if he wasn’t. “Just, if you start to feel not ok, you know you can talk to me about it. I’ll listen.”

“I know.”

There’s a knock at Dustin’s window. His mom waving hello with a gentle smile. Dustin knows why, he always knows why. It’s to invite Steve in to have dinner that he’ll refuse three times before giving in. He’s over there for dinner more nights that he would probably admit.

“Hi, Miss Henderson,” Steve says when he rolls down the window.

“Hello. I haven’t seen you in a while, Steve. Why don’t you come in for dinner?”

That’s a lie, she saw him two days ago when she returned a movie at Family Video.

Steve lets out a small huff, catching her on her lie. “I appreciate it, but I really should be heading home. I don’t want to bother you.”

“Oh, it’d be no bother at all. It’s the least I can do for all the time you drive Dustin around.”

Dustin rolls his eyes as Steve rolls out another excuse. His mother already coming up with a response that negates the excuse entirely. Steve takes a deep breath and turns the car off, accepting the dinner invitation.

He only refused twice this time. Steve is starting to be worn down.

They go inside and are almost immediately ushered to the table. Set with three places each with their favorite sodas. Because there wasn’t an option for Steve to not be here for dinner, and the three of them knew it. It was just in Steve’s nature to try and refuse.

Even though he knows that once Steve steps through the doors of the Henderson house, he never wants to leave it. It’s much smaller than his house, and a lot more cluttered. But that’s what makes it warm. Every time he walked into his house after an upside down event, with all of this clutter and décor surrounding him, he never felt more relief in his life. He was home.

Whenever he visits one of the other guys’ houses, that feeling is mirrored in its own way. That same feeling wasn’t there whenever he went to Steve’s house.

Dustin remembers the first time Steve ever let him come over. The house was pretty much what he was expecting. High ceilings and fancy flourishes. A room full of furniture no one was allowed to sit on and carpets that couldn’t be walked on with shoes. But there was something wrong with it. The house was only a home when Steve was in it.

Without Steve, it would feel like no one lived there. The walls only had a few pictures on them, and there were more shut doors than open ones. The kitchen sink only ever had a few dishes in it, and the couch only had one cushion with a permanent dent. The whole of it felt so empty.

The worst part was that Steve knew it to. It was a nice place to throw get togethers. It was nice to look at and imagine living there. But Dustin felt the pull from Steve to stay anywhere else for just a second longer. So he didn’t have to go to a place that didn’t feel like home to him.

It’s part of the reason that his mom invites him over to dinner so much. When Dustin told her about how empty his house was, they decided to build Steve a place in theirs. They didn’t have a lot of space, but it was easy for them to make it feel like there was more. For Steve to have his own coat hook when he came over, and a place to put his shoes. A chair at the table that was always his, and his own blanket when they had movie nights.

Dustin wanted Steve to know that this could be his home if he needed it to be. And he knows that it worked. He can see it in the way that Steve relaxes every time he walks through the door. How he is nothing but himself when he’s here.

But eventually he has to leave and go home. He hugs Claudia goodbye and tries to refuse the container of leftovers shoved into his hands. Even though Dustin knows he’s grateful for it. Steve says goodbye to Dustin with a brief hug and a ruffle to his curls. And then he leaves.

Dustin wishes he didn’t have to.

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@papergrenade, @waelkyring, @sweetheartprincess28, @katouasobj, @astercomoasflores

[signalburst]

Shōgun Historical Shallow-Dive: Part 1

Does everybody else's heart hurt? Good! Let's get learning. These characters and the people that inspired them all deserve their own post, but here's a quick one if you're wondering what happened. This is a shallow-dive because the history is extremely complicated, and a condensed version of just the events leading up to Sekigahara (the battle depicted in the finale) take up entire volumes of history. I'll do my best to answer questions about what happened to our three protagonists, in the show, as well as real life 🙇

One note: given I'm not a professional historian, I've got no obligation to not have biases and favourites. I've tried to keep most of them out of this, but if you want to punish yourself by trying to keep track of who's who in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, this book is the best English-language overview.

What happened to Toranaga (Tokugawa Ieyasu)?

Gif: @yocalio

I am not as strong as I might be, but I have long known and practiced patience. And if my descendants wish to be as I am, they must study patience. - from The Legacy of Ieyasu Tokugawa

In the book, Toranaga reveals that it had been his aspiration to be Shōgun from the very beginning. That was what drove his alliance with the Taiko, that was what drove his feigned alliance with the Heir.

History follows a very similar path. I re-read some chapters on the battle of Sekigahara last night, and there is no easy way to explain it, but: the result of Sekigahara (an enormous, two-day battle with 200,000 samurai and ashigaru warriors in the field) was an enormous victory for Tokugawa, Toranaga's real-life counterpart.

Years - sometimes decades - of scheming by Tokugawa had made Ishido/Ishida's Western Alliance completely fragmented. In the months leading up to the period displayed in the show, Toranaga was calling in a lifetime of marriage alliances, diplomatic advantage, defensive pacts and childhood friends who'd risen to high status. Re-reading the sources, the names of all the lords of all the important fiefs and castles makes my head spin, let alone the ones that turned out to be pivotal to Toranga/Tokugawa's victory. But it was a resounding victory, and by both the numbers and the disposition of forces, he should have lost.

Historians have a consensus that if the 'Western forces' of the Heir had have fought together with a unified command structure, they would have won, easily. But they didn't - orders from Ishido/Ishida were ignored, Toranaga/Tokugawa endured onslaughts, and the Regents' opposing armies eventually fractured and melted away. This was a last-of-an-era battle. Families were fighting on either side, every single unit that could be brought to bear was on the field. It is no exaggeration to say Sekigahara is one of the few, unambiguous battles upon which the beginning of a historical era came down to.

Toranaga/Tokugawa triumphed because he spent decades building unity of purpose and strong alliances, simultaneously sowing division amongst the Regents, who ultimately balked at being commanded by a bureaucrat like Ishido/Ishida. Whilst there was no one decisive moment of an extremely bloody, rainy, two-day battle, the fact that Ishido/Ishida's forces refused to be told what to do by someone of lower status was the main theme of their defeat. A crucial army stationed on the hill stayed still, refusing to commit to either side, until Toranaga/Tokugawa fired muskets into their ranks. They made up their mind, and attacked Ishido/Ishida's Western army. Ishido/Ishida's one trick of firing a flare to commit the reserve army didn't work. The commander ignored it. Instead of being there to fight for something, Ishido/Ishida's coalition was there to oppose someone. They all had different reasons. And ultimately, the man that brought them together didn't command enough respect to command a battle.

As our show Toranaga said, the Regents fell upon each other. He might have been a bit optimistic about how and why this would happen (they fell over each other in retreat, and it took two days of horrific combat), but it happened. Tokugawa Ieyasu was famous for richly rewarding former enemies, and most of those he defeated kept their heads. This reputation is a strong incentive for leaving the field when things start going Tokugawa's way.

The two exceptions were Ishido/Ishida, and Kiyama/Konishi, both beheaded in Osaka (Ishido, bizarrely, was upbeat about his fate, until seconds before the sword came down). Killing Ishida was the obvious move, as the man schemed and bitched so much he caused a civil war. Killing Konishi was more calculated - it opened up his trade-hub in Kyushu to being ruled by a fervent Buddhist daimyo and ally of Tokugawa.

Toranaga/Tokugawa forces soon captured Osaka Castle after the battle of Sekigahara, and with it, the Heir.

Toranaga/Tokugawa 'reluctantly' accepted the Imperial appointment of Shōgun three years later, in 1603. In 1605, he abidcated, passing the title to his most malleable and competent son, Hidetada. He was the real power behind the throne and ruled until his death in 1616.

The year before he died, he was able to fully secure his legacy. The Heir (in real life, Toyotomi Hideyori) had begun to gather daimyo to Osaka castle who were opposed to Tokugawa. Tokugawa used the flimsiest of pretexts - the opening of a shrine - to order the Heir out of the castle. He refused, Tokugawa forces besieged the castle - twice. The first one was called off because cannon fire nearly killed Ochiba no kata, and she pushed her son to sue for peace. By the second siege, there would be no peace: the Tokugawa forces defeated all oppoosition, and secured the legacy.

Toranaga/Tokugawa's descendants would rule for 250 years of internal peace and external lock-down of the country from barbarians (and Christians), except for limited trade.

The big question: did Toranaga/Tokugawa really want to be Shōgun from the start? History tells us, rather unambiguously, yes - before the campaign, he was writing his 100 Articles for ruling Japan, which would be instrumental for his family holding on to power and preventing internal strife. His plan may well have gone back to his formative, teenage years. At the very least, it is highly likely it was solidified when Toranaga/Tokugawa was a vassal of the Dictator Koroda/Oda Nobunaga - the man Mariko/Hosokawa Gracia's father assassinated, who was brutal even by the standards of the day. We don't have time for him, the Taiko, and Mariko's father today - but my opinion is that the motherfucker firmly deserved to be assassinated, and the only amazing thing is that the inspiration for Mariko's father was able to hold off for so long.

But that killing set off a chain of events that would lead to Toranaga/Tokugawa becoming sole ruler of a unified Japan. So much of history is contingent on individual actors and random events. It didn't have to happen. It was extremely unlikely. But, through patience (and by my reckoning, a lot of luck), he made the world he wanted to see. Whether that was worth the price in lives is for the reader to decide.

But by all accounts, Toranaga/Tokugawa died very satisfied in the knowledge that his legacy was secure, his realm was unified, and, finally, at peace.

What happened to Mariko (Hosokowa Gracia)?

Gif: @yocalio

As is probably obvious, Mariko's purpose was fulfilled before the conclusion of the show. As is also probably obvious, her historical counterpart - Hosokowa Gracia - did not have an affair with an English sea pilot (😢). She did, however, change Japanese history, and tipped the balance of noble support towards Toranaga/Tokugawa. Her death had meaning.

The framing of her marriage to Buntaro and exile after her father's successful assassination of a brutal dictator is almost exactly correct. She was one of the most desirable, valued and accomplished young noblewomen of the day. The stain of the name Akechi would haunt her for the rest of her life. Real life Buntaro, Hosokowa Tadaoki, genuinely sent her away for two years to save her life. The Hosokowa family even went so far as to pretend that she had died, to save her from the Taiko's vengeance. Whilst her marriage was an unhappy one (though not, as far as is known, abusive), she was beloved by the head of the Hosokowa clan, the show's Hiromatsu. They went to extraordinary lengths to keep her safe.

Her main comfort in her life was her faith. It's perhaps here that we get the strongest through-line from Hosokowa Gracia to Mariko - unafraid, intelligent, and fierce.

She first came to learn about Christianity from her Christian maid, who extolled the virtue of the faith, and the opportunities for intellectual stimulation theological discussion could bring. In 1587 (five years after her father assassinated the dictator, three years after she returned from exile), she decided to take action on it. She snuck out of Osaka Castle and visited the main church in Osaka - she had lively conversations with the elderly Father-Visitor, and was an excellent pupil of both Portuguese and Latin theological texts. I don't know if you guys have ever tried to read those things, but even in translation, they are torturous. This woman was extremely intelligent.

As a noble woman of the Taiko's court, she knew he was about to issue an edict outlawing Christianity. Being the (excuse the language) absolute fucking badass that she was, she had her maid (baptismal name Maria) baptise her before the edict was issued, transforming from Hosokowa Tama to Hosokowa Gracia. Even though she had to keep her faith a secret due to the Taiko's edict, she found a way to hold on to it. She had a special sake cup made with the Hosokowa mon emblazed on the lip, which, on very close inspection, was actually a Christian cross.

During this time of her religious conversion and education, a primary source from a Jesuit priest says that 'I have never disputed with a woman of such clear judgement, and such definite knowledge.' She was known for being fiercely intelligent, and this is commented on in many European letters and journals that have remained from the Catholic church's time in Japan.

Her relationship with her husband - like Buntaro, a senior retainer of Toranaga/Tokugawa - was frosty. They never reconciled after her father's (Akechi Mitsuhide) rebellion, but her husband did recall her from exile when it was safe to do so, and she lived to serve a very similar purpose to Mariko in the book and show. By virtue of not being an interpreter, she was less close to Toranaga/Tokugawa than in the book and show, but she was still dedicated to her clan and her clan's overlord, as will become clear.

Just as in the show, Hosokowa Gracia agonized at the thought of seppuku putting her soul in mortal danger. But she perceived her duty to be to ensure death before being captured or otherwise dishonoured.

To put it bluntly, Ishido (Ishida in real life) fucked up. Before any military manouvers had begun, he went to seize hostages of friends and enemies alike throughout Osaka castle. His forces tried to forcibly seize Hosokowa Gracia from the family quarters. She gave orders for her senior retainer to kill her, her daughter, and set fire to their section of Osaka Castle, so that none could be taken and subjected to dishonour. She arranged with this samurai to stand on one side of a shoji screen, facing him. He stabbed her through the heart with a naginata. She died, satisfied in the knowledge that:

...the death was not suicide, and her soul would doubtless be spared from the torments of Hell.

Although not doing this directly on the orders of Toranaga/Tokugawa, it's highly likely she knew that she was making a statement (many of the other hostages went quietly). This furthered his cause immensely. Inspired by Hosokowa Gracia, families streamed out of Osaka Castle and other Regent-held castles by any method they could. Her example ignited a firestorm of controversy surrounding the gall of a jumped-up bureaucrat (a reputation Ishido/Ishida would never escape) forcing the death of one of the era's pre-eminent noblewomen. Although her husband was relatively unbothered by her death, her father-in-law - the book/show's Hiromatsu - was furious. Because of Hosokowa Gracia and his granddaughter's death, he immediately fortified his border castle.

He defied a large [Ishido/Ishida] army of 15,000 men with only 500 men of his own.

Many of [Ishido/Ishida's] commanders held [Hosokowa Fujitaka/Hiromatsu] in such high regard that they went through the bare motions of laying siege. On a regular basis, gunners 'accidentally' forgot to load their cannon with iron shot, and so Tanabe Castle's walls reverberated daily to the harmless booming of blank gundpowder explosions. [Ishido/Ishida's] military offensive had launched to a disastrous start.

The siege only ended because of an imperial decree (it's a long story - Fujitaka/Hiromatsu knew an oral tradition special imperial poem that risked dying with him, nobody could refuse the Emperor). More than this, any chance Ishido/Ishida had of convincing skilled and respected generals to commit to his side ended with Fujitaka/Hiromatsu's defiance. Such was the respect that he commanded, and such was the rage he felt at the death of his daughter-in-law, that he worked tirelessly to gather support for Toranaga/Tokugawa, despite his advanced years.

Mariko/Hosokowa Gracia's contribution was an inflection point to what many samurai, busho and daimyo were suspecting - that Ishido/Ishida was a snake bitch who couldn't be trusted (I believe that's the correct historical term). Her actions galvanized resistance against him, and continued to spread the wildfire that would seal his defeat on the battlefield of Sekigahara: 'Why are we taking orders from him?'

Importantly, Hosokowa Gracia's remains were gathered by a Catholic priest, and given a Christian burial in Osaka. From everything we know of her, this would have been very meaningful indeed. Just as with Mariko in the show's depiction, Hosokowa Gracia's death was not senseless or without meaning. It meant something, and continues to resonate through the centuries.

What happened to John Blackthorne (William Adams)?

Gif by @cinematic-gif-archive

The short answer: imagine an alien landed in America. It was smart enough to avoid death. It ended up chief special advisor to Obama, and they became bros. That is William Adams's life.

First things first: Blackthorne stays in Japan. 'Old Rich Blackthorne' scenes are basically fever dreams. I was worried when the episode opened with a flash-forward to an old man living in Tudor comfort. This would be a huge change from both the book, and history. The novel ends with Toranaga confirming that his plan is for Blackthorne to never leave Japan. Blackthorne finds his place there. In history, the same is true of William Adams.

In episode 10, the 'is this a flash-forward?/is this a dream?' question is answered halfway through the episode. Blackthorne drops Mariko's cross over the side with Fuji's family ashes. As soon as that's done, the aged visions of Blackthorne disappear.

For those who are more textual than visual: the episode is titled A Dream of a Dream (a play on the title of the Taiko's death poem). Concussed, grief-stricken Blackthorne is dreaming of the dream he used to have - returning to England with riches and glory, his family name secure, with every comfort Queen Elizabeth the First can offer a pirate-explorer like Sir Francis Drake or Sir Walter Raleigh. But as soon as he lets go of Mariko's cross into the water (earlier, actually, when he sincerely attempted seppuku to try and save the people of Ajiro) that dream stopped appearing. The dream he had of exploiting Japan for riches and glory was gone, replaced with the reality of the life he is left to build.

In the show and the book, Toranaga is explicit about never letting Anjin-sama/Blackthorne leave Japan. If he builds new ships, Toranaga will burn them again. He needs Blackthorne's knowledge, expertise, and - in a bizarre twist of fate - friendship. We leave him hauling his wreck from the harbour, ready to salvage the keel and spars, to build a new ship in Japan.

So how does this marry up with history? Extremely accurately. As far as we know, the historical William Adams was slightly less of a pirate/privateer than the book/show's John Blackthorne. His hatred of Catholicism was more driven by their fervent desire to kill him, which they kept up for nearly a decade. His interest in exploration, in the show and in the historical, was genuine.

The show's story very closely follows what actually happened in real life (again, sans romance... although he does have love in his life, which we'll get to). His crew were initially imprisoned, he was summoned by Toranaga/Tokugawa, and met with him many times to discuss his knowledge of the outside world, trade, and Christianity's impact in Asia. The Jesuits did pester the Council of Regents, and Toranaga/Tokugawa in particular, to execute him. Toranaga/Tokugawa refused, saying this barbarian had done nothing to harm Japan or its people. The Jesuits would not forget this.

He did train elements of Toranaga/Tokogawa's army in how to work the cannon his ship possessed - a skill he possessed, but no one else was willing to offer. He actually followed Toranaga/Tokugawa to several battles. Recent primary source evidence has revealed it was highly likely he was actually at the Battle of Sekigahara, which is a very recent development in the historiography of his life. It is just bananas insane, but it demonstrates just how useful (and likeable) Blackthorne/Adams was to Toranaga/Tokugawa.

I've read two biographies of William Adams, and he was very, very like the Blackthorne portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis. Other Europeans in Japan complained that he was arrogant and dismissive - historians see this as Adams adapting to his station in Japanese society, and being extremely frustrated with European manners and bearing in Japan.

Once Toranaga/Tokugawa became shōgun, Adams - already a samurai - was made hatamoto, and forbidden from leaving Japan. He was granted many generous cuckoos (250 of them!), an estate in Edo, a fief at the entrance to Edo bay, and rose to become Toranaga/Tokugawa's chief trade advisor. During Toranaga/Tokugawa's remaining life, he built two Western-style ships (which Tokugawa came aboard and was very pleased with - that's nice!), and took over piloting duties of Portuguese and Spanish ships making landfall in Edo, pissing off the Catholics to no end.

On Ieyasu Tokugawa's death in 1616, his holdings and fief were confirmed by the new shōgun, Ieyasu Hidetada. But his relationship with the court wouldn't be the same. My reading of the sources leads me to believe that James Clavell was right here: Toranaga/Tokugawa Ieyasu genuinely liked Blackthorne/William Adams, and wanted him around.

As more and more Europeans arrived in Japan, including the English and the Dutch, Adams served as translator for them, and - for the Enlgish - fixer whenever they did something barbaric and rude that would warrant execution. He seemed to view spending time with the (no joke) drunken, whoring, disgusting-smelling English trading factory members as an extreme annoyance. He seemed happiest at sea, and at his mansion in Edo, where he married the daughter of a merchant in 1613. Whilst her name is lost to the historical record, they had two children, Joseph and Susanna.

He wasn't a deadbeat dad - he wrote to his wife back in England, explaining that he could not return. She was a firebrand, and eventually extracted a form of life insurance from the Dutch company that had contracted Adams's piloting services. Partly she was able to do this because of a proclamation issued by Toranaga/Ieyasu Tokugawa: 'William Adams was dead the day he was made samurai, and Miura Anjin - the pilot of the fief of Miura - was born.' That sounds like a badass quote I've made up, but that's one of the English translations of Tokugawa's proclamation.

Adams kept up his maritime adventures, charting the Japanese coast, going on several trading missions to Southeast Asia (sailing to Thailand and meeting with the King of Siam, furthering his amazing ability to charm and dazzle). He struck up firm friendships with members of Tokugawa's court, fellow Japanese merchants in Edo, and the much more polite Dutch traders, despite the tensions that had grown between their two countries.

There's an important aspect of his legacy that endured for centuries. Toranaga/Tokugawa, suspicious of what he had learned of Catholic conversion and invasion of other Asian states, was already disposed to be wary of the Church. The Church in Japan would not let Adams rest, attempting to kill him, convert him, bribe him, and offer him passage home in 1614 on a Portuguese ship. In the same year Portuguese priests claimed that only Spanish miners had the skills to open up the mineral wealth of Japan. Adams warned the shōgun, again, that this was the Catholic way - first the priests, then the conquistadores.

Influenced by these reports and counsel, and because the Jesuits legitimately were conspiring to do the shit Adams accused them of (always a tough charge to defend), Toranaga/Tokugawa Ieyasu expelled all Portuguese priests in 1614, and demanded all Japanese Christians recant. Apart from this leading to the Dutch being the only nation allowed to conduct trade with Japan, this was the end of Japanese Christianity, until the country was forced open in 1855. Christianity never took root in the same way it would in places like Brazil and the Philippines. Was William Adams the only factor in this development? No. Was he a factor? Yes.

He died in 1620, after twenty contented years in Japan and Asia. His will stipulated that his estates and belongings be split evenly between his family in England and Japan. One of Adams's colleagues recorded that Ieyasu Hidetada transferred lordship of Adams's fief to his Japanese son, Joseph, as well as his katana and wakizashi. His line fell out of the historical record, but memory of and monuments to the Anjin remain in Japan.

Faring Well

Shōgun, the book, was fiction, written by a man fascinated by Japanese history, driven by a desire to bring it to the world. He was overwhelmingly successful. It was an excellent start, and even fired up some fascinating academic discussion at the time that I'd definitely recommend. The 2024 adaptation, in my view, changes many of the elements that have aged poorly, were flat-out wrong to begin with, and - like all great adaptations - adds to the work, rather than cheapening it.

Despite being based on real people, the fictional characters created for the show - Blackthorne, Toranga, and especially Mariko - feel real. That is an amazing achievement.

I hope this opens up an interest in Japanese history for some viewers. Being able to visit the places where these events took place is a truly awesome experience. Like all history, it's for individuals to judge what they think of the players.

Hiroyuki Sanada said that he admires Tokugawa Ieyasu because of his ability to bring forth 250 years of peace out of nearly 500 years of chaos. Was Ieyasu motivated by altruism, or self-interest? Does it even matter?

Anna Sawai saw in Hosokowa Gracia a moving, powerful woman, deeply committed to her faith, and to doing what she believed was right in the context of her time. As a person without faith myself, I found this portrayal of genuine belief extremely moving. The demonstration of her convictions was one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen.

And as for the English pilot, Cosmo Jarvis said he wanted to capture the restlessness of Adams, his slow transformation and growth, and the unique qualities that allowed the man to survive and thrive in an extremely deadly time. One thing he nailed that I think even James Clavell messed up was how deepy strange William Adams was. Not weird, not insane, but just a very singular individual. Biographers talk about his aloof, detached, self-aware nature being misconstrued as arrogance by Europeans who encountered him in Japan. Part of it was his annoyance at their inability to learn how to be in Japan; part of it was that he was simply built very differently. In embodying this, I think Cosmo Jarvis succeeded amazingly.

From what we can find in the historical record, William Adams and Hosokowa Gracia may not be 'great' in the sense that Tokugawa Ieyasu was 'great'. They did not build an era. To borrow a phrase from one of my favourite historical writers, whilst they may not be 'great' people, they were good people. That is vanishingly rare in the history we celebrate, and I think, for that reason alone, it's important to remember them, and the things they lived and died for.

[blueiscoool]

Musket Balls Recovered From Site of First-Day Revolutionary War Battle

Almost 250 years ago, British soldiers marched in search of military supplies stockpiled by colonial rebels in Massachusetts and tension turned to bloodshed with battles at the towns of Lexington and Concord that began the Revolutionary War.

The fighting in Concord on April 19, 1775, was immortalized by legendary essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson as “The Shot Heard Round the World.”

National Park Service archaeologists recently found five musket balls fired that day by colonial militia members, according to a news release from the federal agency.

“It’s incredible that we can stand here and hold what amounts to just a few seconds of history that changed the world almost 250 years ago,” Jarrad Fuoss, a ranger at Minute Man National Historical Park and a historic weapons specialist, said in the release. “These musket balls can be considered collectively as ‘The Shot Heard Round the World,’ and it is incredible that they have survived this long.”

The projectiles were found near the site of the North Bridge where British soldiers faced off against the militia members in the famed three-minute battle in Concord, the park service said.

“Further analysis of the musket balls indicates that each one was fired from the opposite side of the river and not dropped during the process of reloading,” park service officials said.

The recently discovered five musket balls will be on display at the park Saturday.

The fighting that led to the birth of the United States began that 1775 day with a short skirmish in Lexington, Massachusetts, in which eight militia members were killed and 10 were wounded.

The British continued to move to Concord to search a home for military supplies, leaving a contingent of about 100 soldiers at the North Bridge. As militia members approached, shots were fired by the British troops.

Historians say 18 men were killed or wounded in the battle at the bridge. The fighting that day at Lexington, Concord and other sites took the lives of more than 120 people.

By Steve Almasy.

[widevibratobitch]

couldn’t make this shit up if i tried.

what the fuck dumas

[whencyclopedia]

Weapons in the American Revolution

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was a long and bitter conflict fought between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies over the Americans' liberties and, eventually, for the independence of the United States. The war, which was fought with both conventional linear tactics and guerilla-style warfare, utilized several different kinds of weapons for multiple styles of combat.

Some of the weapons used in the Revolutionary War had long been staples of European-style warfare. Variations of the flintlock musket, for instance, had been used in battle since the early 1600s and would continue to be used on Western battlefields for decades after the American Revolution had ended. Other weapons, like the groove-barreled Long Rifle, were relatively new additions to warfare; the rifle, used in a limited capacity during the Revolution, would see greater use on the later battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and American Civil War (1861-1865). Some weapons were useful in close-quarter combat such as the bayonet, tomahawk, and saber, while artillery guns were devastating at both long and short distances. None of the weapons discussed in this article were unique to the American Revolution. However, a quick description of the types of weapons used in that conflict could help give the reader a better understanding of what it may have been like to be on a battlefield during the US War of Independence.

Flintlock Muskets

The flintlock musket was the primary weapon of 18th-century European armies and was therefore used by both sides during the American Revolution. A musket was a muzzle-loading, smoothbore weapon that fired a large lead ball with reasonably decent accuracy. By the 1770s, a typical musket weighed about 10 lbs (4.5 kg), was about 5 ft (152 cm) in length, and had a caliber of about .75 (1.9 cm). A typical lead ball weighed about an ounce (28 g). As the name 'flintlock musket' suggests, such weapons relied on a flintlock mechanism to fire. This involved a piece of flint contained within the musket's cock, or hammer. When the trigger was pulled, the hammer would swing forward, causing the flint to strike a piece of steel called the 'frizzen'. This action created a spark that would fall into a flash pan below, wherein a small charge of black powder was contained. The spark would ignite the powder, which would, in turn, discharge the bullet from the gun barrel. By the time of the revolution, flintlocks had long been the most common kind of firearm; the flintlock had been developed in France in the early 1600s to replace the earlier matchlock and wheellock mechanisms and would remain in use until the mid-19th century.

Although the process of firing a flintlock musket sounds complicated on paper, a well-trained 18th-century soldier could typically fire three or four shots per minute. This is quite impressive, especially after considering what the loading process entails. A soldier would first take a pre-rolled musket cartridge – a paper tube containing gunpowder and a lead musket ball – and tear it open with his teeth. He would then pour a small amount of the powder into the flash pan and pour the rest down the muzzle. Next, the soldier would use a ramrod to pack the musket ball, powder, and paper of the cartridge down into the breech. Only after returning the ramrod to its place and fully cocking back the hammer was the soldier finally ready to take aim and fire.

The musket could be effectively fired from a range of about 80 yards (73 m); while it could sometimes be effective at a slightly greater range, musket balls rarely traveled more than 150 yards (137 m). The musket's accuracy largely depended, of course, on the man who wielded it. To increase the effectiveness of the weapon, 18th-century armies adopted the style of linear warfare; an individual musketeer was less likely to inflict damage than a line of soldiers firing coordinated, concentrated volleys. A typical battle line consisted of two or three ranks of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, with each man allowed just enough space to be able to present arms, fire, and reload. When the officer gave the order, the line of soldiers would fire in sync with one another (referred to as a musket volley); sometimes the first rank would kneel to give the second rank a better shot, thereby keeping up a higher rate of fire.

Continue reading...

[scotianostra]

April 16th 1746 saw the Battle of Culloden.

Much has been said about the site of the battle and the Prince has been criticised for “choosing” the moor.

Three sites were scouted in the 48 hours leading up to the battle, they knew Cumberland’s army was coming, their had been skirmishes in the week or so before this day, things were coming to a head.

The first site as at Dalcross Castle, which John Sullivan, the Irish adjutant and quartermaster general, rejected, because the distance across the ravine would have been too small to protect the Jacobite army from British musket fire from the other side.

The second was on the south side of the Nairn, chosen by Lord George Murray. This was poor ground, did not protect the road to Inverness and was vulnerable to British mortar fire from the other side of the river. It is clear that this site was a prelude to retreat and the dissolution of the army, because it was not an effective battle site.

The third site was about 1km east of where the battle was eventually fought, and John Sullivan drew up the army there on 15 April. It was on higher and less boggy ground than the final battlefield, and both wings of the army could see each other, which they could not in the next day’s sleet and rain. No one ‘chose’ the site of the battle on Drummossie Moor as a preference: it was the line closest to headquarters at Culloden House which could defend the road to Inverness.

Many of those soldiers who were asleep after the failed night attack on the 15th had retreated to the grounds of Culloden House, and there was little time to form them up as the British Army approached on the morning of the battle.

Some had urged the Prince to fall back into the hills and glens, split into units and launch a guerrilla campaign, historians can’t agree who ruled this out, some say Lord Murray, others Prince Charles, some a mixture of the two, no matter what it never happened, as we all know.

The battle began around before mid-day, the 9,000 well-rested Government troops advanced downwind across the Moor towards their exhausted opponents who faced directly into the north-east wind and its accompanying sleet. The Prince’s forces numbered about 6,000 and were in two lines. The left flank of the front line was held by the three regiments of MacDonalds, highly resentful that they were not in their traditional place of honour on the right, held by the Atholl Brigade.

In the centre were some of the best of the Jacobite infantry, veterans of the victories at Prestonpans and Falkirk: Lord Lovat’s Frasers, the MacLeans, Mackintoshes, McLachlans and Chisholms. Weak in artillery, the Jacobite frontline could see Cumberland’s gunners unlimbering and loading their batteries of cannon. Receiving no order to unleash the fearsome Highland charge, by far their best weapon, they must have known what was coming.

And come it did; Cumberland opened fire with roundshot across the unobstructed moorland. Behind his artillery, the Duke’s own front line consisted of six regular infantry battalions; the Royal Regiment on the right, opposite the MacDonalds, with Barrell’s Regiment on the left, facing the Athollmen. The second line contained six more infantry battalions, with yet three more in a third line alongside two squadrons of light cavalry. Out on his flanks were the feared heavy Dragoons: Cobham’s on the right, Kerr’s on the left. All was ready for the Jacobite charge.

Cumberland’s infantry had been given intensive training on how to deal with the onrushing Highlander, claymore in right hand, targe on his left. Having fired his Brown Bess musket, each man was to use his socketed bayonet to attack the opponent on his right front, trusting that his own comrade to his immediate left would do the same.

This was designed to avoid the parrying effect of the targe and inflict a disabling wound in the first shock of contact.

For a full half-hour the Government artillery thundered on unchallenged, roundshot and then grapeshot hammering into the Prince’s waiting battalions. Still no order to charge came as scores of men went down, thinning the ranks and producing frantic calls from officers and men to be released to the charge. Eventually they went off anyway.

The MacDonalds crashed in to Barrell’s Regiment, overrunning the front line before losing momentum and being shot and bayoneted by the upcoming second rank. Elsewhere the charge was even less successful; depleted by cannon fire and decimated by the rolling volleys of the infantry, Highland courage and dash proved no match for regular infantry discipline. The charge reeled backwards leaving up to a thousand dead in front of and among the Government positions.

Cumberland ordered a general advance and unleashed his cavalry. What had been a battle was now a rout. It had lasted an hour.

Jacobite casualties are estimated at 1,500 dead, with an unknown number of wounded and fugitives bayoneted and shot in the merciless pursuit that followed.Cumberland lost only 59 dead and 250 wounded, the only senior officer to die being Lord Robert Kerr, commander of grenadiers in Barrell’s Regiment and a son of the Marquess of Lothian.

It was over; the military neutralisation of the Highlands was about to begin.

The ease in which the Government troops surprised Cumberland, and he surprised further when the Jacobites did not regroup and force another battle, he certainly expected another, but none came, around 1000 gathered the following day at Ruthven ­Barracks, where a written order from Prince Charles told them to “seek their own safety” and disband. But, for many, surrendering was too dangerous an option.

As time went on, the risks of Jacobites handing themselves in became clear. The mood of the Ruthven meetings was downcast. Many fought on to avoid capture or because the risk of surrendering was high. In June, a number of Jacobites went into Fort William after the British government ­promised six weeks’ immunity. Captain Scott drowned them in a salmon net.

Jacobites engaged in low-level disruption, raiding and ­protection of vulnerable tenantry as well as recruitment to the Irish Brigade and probably Scottish regiments in French service, including Ecossais Royales.

Assassinations of unpopular ­government officers or sympathisers were also recorded. The British government still considered the Jacobite threat to be “major” at this time with around 12,000 to 13,000 soldiers deployed across the entire country – from Berwick and Stranraer to Elgin, Forres, Stonehaven, Inverbervie and Montrose – by the end of August 1746.

As government forces mobilised, significant units of armed Jacobites continued to appear in the field. At the end of April, 120 armed MacGregor men were recorded in Balqhuidder after marching home ‘colours flying and pipes playing’ with the Army unwilling to tackle or pursue Jacobite units that maintained discipline.

One battalion of Lochiel’s ­regiment was still operational in May – as were 500 men under ­Clanranald. Orkney remained under Jacobite control until late that month and, despite British attacks, four local Jacobite lairds remained successfully hidden

Clans made concerted attempts to resist Cumberland and his men with around a dozen chiefs meeting at Mortlaig in early May. At the meeting… they entered into a bond for their mutual defence and agreed never to lay down their arms, or make a general peace without the consent of the whole,” according to an 1832 account by James Browne.

“By the bond of association, the chiefs agreed…to raise on behalf of the prince and in defence of their country, as many able-bodied armed men as they could on their respective properties.”

Around 600 men gathered later that month across the north and west but the clans “ultimately did not have the time or morale to raise or retain enough men in the field.

Although a unified response failed to materialise, Jacobites remained active across Scotland. Jacobite expresses – the non-stop delivery of letters by horse – continued until August. A British regiment was deployed across Banffshire in the summer of 1746 with insurgents reported in Argyll that September.

Arms were surrendered in the Mearns right into the summer of 1748. British atrocities were carried out against innocent ­victims, but there were plenty of continuing Jacobite threats and remained so for some time, this led to the building of roads and bridges, to make it easier for troops to be deployed into the heart of the country, many still used to this day, these projects and the act of proscription meant the end of the old Highland way of life.

Many of us have made our pilgrimages to Culloden to pay our respects to those that died that day, and to the commemorations, both on the day, and at the one at midnight the night before, I hope you all take a moment and remember the brave men who fell that day and afterwards…………

[tallmadgeandtea]

Turn Week 2023:

History Nerdery!

Hello, and Happy Fourth of July! For today's Turn Week, I wanted to talk about Benjamin's regiment in the Continental Army. We all know he's a Connecticut Dragoon, but what does that mean and what did they do, exactly? I'm going to let you know! The Continental Cavalry is my favorite unit in the army, and I actually did an Honors Research Project on them last year for my college. WARNING: this is going to be LONG. I'm sorry. Kind of.

What is the Continental Cavalry?

The cavalry is the mounted troops in a military force, meaning they fight on horseback. At the time of the Revolution, the cavalry was considered an elite and necessary force for a proper military. Combat on horseback was dangerous- you not only had to avoid cannon and gunfire, but you had to attack other mounted troops with lances and sabers of their own.

There are two types of cavalry: light cavalry and heavy cavalry. The light cavalry had three primary duties. Scouting, which was to patrol enemy forces, movements, and the terrain surrounding camps and battlefields, which also played into reconnaissance. They also served as messengers to officers on and off the battlefield. On the other hand, heavy cavalry was troops used in action. Their objective was to lead charges and weaken the enemy’s unmounted troops, like going after their flanks. They also performed raids/ambushes or small skirmishes against the enemy. Their combat was on and off the battlefield.

Due to the near constant lack of funds for the Continentals, their Dragoons performed both light and heavy cavalry roles. A dragoon/trooper is a soldier who fights either on horseback or on foot, depending on the amount of horse available. They used weapons such as: a cavalry saber, a shortgun, and a musket.

Unlike the British army, which brought over cavalry forces, at the beginning of the war, there was not an official cavalry for the Continentals. Some state and organized militias had mounted troops- such as the Philadelphia Light Horse- but professional, commissioned troops had not seen action.

After seeing the performance of the British cavalry during the New York Campaign, General George Washington realized his army needed horses of their own. Writing to Congress in late 1776, “From the Experience I have had in this Campaign… I am Convinced there is no carrying on the War without them.”

What made up the Continental Cavalry?

In 1777, the cavalry's first year in action, there were four regiments of Light Dragoons.

The 1st Regiment of Dragoons- from Virginia, also known as Bland's Light Horse. Their uniforms were originally the "classic" Continental coat: blue with red facings, but they then changed the standard to brown with green facings.

The 2nd Regiment, also known as the Connecticut Light Dragoons, Colonel Elisha Sheldon and Benjamin Tallmadge's force, mustered from Connecticut, hence the name. Their uniform was blue with buff facings.

The 3rd Regiment, aka Colonel Baylor's or Lady Washington's Light Horse, in honor of Martha Washington. Their uniform was white with blue facings (one of my favorite uniforms in the army.)

And the 4th Regiment, led by Colonel Stephen Moylan. His troops originally wore red! coats, and this lead to some incidents of friendly fire. At Washington's order, the regiment changed to green with red facings.

How does this relate to Turn: Benjamin Tallmadge and His Dragoons.

Although the show does not get into heavy detail about Benjamin Tallmadge's battle experience, we know what battles he was present at with his regiment.

1777 the cavalry's first years as professional troops in battle. Both had very... different outcomes, let's say. Both were also mentioned or briefly shown in season 2 of Turn, and my research focused on this.

During the Campaigns, a set of troops from each regiment of Dragoons was stationed with General Washington in Pennsylvania, led by Bland, Moylan, Baylor, Sheldon, and Tallmadge.

Benjamin Tallmadge and his soldiers were present at both the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown.

At Brandywine, Washington first used the dragoons for only scouting, not combat. But as the British went after his insecure right flank, he frantically sent units of soldiers and cavalry to prevent the British from getting to the road along and to Brandywine Creek. The cavalry also acted as messengers to officers during this battle, but insufficient preparation and speed led to delayed reports. The cavalry did lead a charge that allowed Washington to retreat, but the day was lost. Afterwards, the British marched into the Continental capital of Philadelphia.

After Brandywine, Washington needed another battle to try and take back Philadelphia. With a night march, he decided to attack the British near their camp in Germantown, Pennsylvania, a small village outside the city.

Washington had four columns, 2 made up of Continental forces and two of state militias. Just as at Brandywine, his right wing was commanded by Sullivan, and his left by Greene. The Dragoons were now under their newly commissioned commander, General Pulaski. Tallmadge stated in his memoirs that, “if every division of the army had performed its allotted part, it seems as if we must have succeeded.”

Unfortunately, this would not be the outcome at Germantown. At the beginning of the battle, the Continentals were winning. Part of the camp was captured. A heavy fog and rain set over the battlefield, and the British used this fog to their advantage. They retreated into a local country house and created a stalemate.

Benjamin Tallmadge and his dragoons were first stationed with Sullivan’s division, close upon “the scene of the action.” As the battle turned against the Continental forces and the troops became victim to enemy and friendly fire, Washington ordered him to use his 2nd Dragoons to block any further retreat, to no avail. Germantown was lost.

Germantown was the last official engagement of the Philadelphia campaign. But on June 28, 1778, the Continental Army and the Cavalry engaged the forces at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. Due to proper military training thanks to the Inspector General Baron von Steuben and six months of waiting at Valley Forge, the army emerged as a proper fighting force and prevailed against the British. The victory allowed the Continentals to take back their capital and keep Washington in as Commander in Chief.

Monmouth is the shown in the finale of season 2- Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot- with Benjamin leading his dragoons into the battle.

After the 1777 campaigns, Tallmadge and his dragoons would stay up north, particularly New York, to patrol and engage the enemy in raids. They also participated in the Battles of Stony Point and Fort St. George, which were shown in seasons 3 and 4 of Turn.

Sources (and further reading):

Memoir of Col. Benjamin Tallmadge : Tallmadge, Benjamin, 1754-1835 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle that Lost Philadelphia but Saved America, September 11, 1777 by Michael C. Harris, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Germantown: A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia, October 4, 1777 by Michael C. Harris, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Cavalry of the American Revolution - Jim Piecuch - Westholme Publishing

[kylieswift31]

My. Space.

"Cooler in theory,

but not if you force it to be"

‘Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno’ is a phrase more commonly known as ‘all for one and one for all’. It has long been associated with the tale of the three musketeers and is the unofficial motto of Switzerland.

This concept epitomises the sense of solidarity that can be reached when the individual acts in favour of the group and the group acts in favour of the individuals.

While this sounds promising in theory for the majority, in reality it can create a trap of self enforced conformity for the minority.

Most of us in this minority inherently drift apart from the majority due to a deeply rooted feeling that we don’t belong in some way. Often times learning ways to hide the parts of ourselves that are frowned upon by the collective as we float around on the periphery.

And it can take years to discover the correct language to use that accurately describes our experiences. What comes next is often not within our control as we’re forced to coexist with those who disapprove of our truth and lack of conformity.

“Maybe I'm losing my mind, but it feels like the whole world revolves around me somehow.” -Truman

In the Truman show ‘unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno’ is proudly displayed as the motto for the town of Seahaven, but it’s really just an ever-present subliminal message to reinforce Truman’s contribution to benefit the collective.

The director of the show was clouded by his desire to create something good to share with the world. Yet this inspirational message was never supposed to be used as a threat or an excuse for one person to carry the weight of the collective all alone.

That turns into ‘one for all’. Full stop. It was the realisation that the pressure to conform by giving more and more of himself to entertain the masses was a never ending cycle that ultimately became Truman’s tipping point and what finally motivated him to leave.

“So tell me everything is not about me. Butwhat if it is?” -Taylor

This experience is not unique to Truman’s fictional character. It’s actually a fine line that many of us face in our own ways. And it’s this prior experience that allows so many of us to see the same type of pain in Taylor being reflected back at us.

The key to overcoming this imbalance between the ‘all for one and one for all’ is rediscovering community. We often begin with a jumble of stories collected along the way that morph into a label. And it’s this label that allows us to find our people, to find where we belong.

The evolution of the internet and social media created online spaces that allowed many of us to coexist in communities where the minority suddenly became the majority. MySpace in particular encouraged everyone to personalise their page to create a reflection of themselves.

With the rise of other platforms, conformity gradually took over and individuality was slowly left behind. Regardless of how big or small a group becomes, uniformity amongst the majority seems to be the goal.

The Taylor Swift fandom isn’t immune to this either. We’ve all centred Taylor in our own versions of ‘all for one and one for all’ but have branched out to create varying subsections that fall under the swiftie or gaylor umbrella.

When all of these variations overlap and mingle together it creates a never ending Venn diagram, and it’s that same overlap that feels both communal and isolating all at once. The sweet spot lies with finding a balance between valuing unity and individuality.

I myself fall into the gaylor, idgaflor, performanceartlor and thetrumanshowlor communities. I also view Taylor’s story through a female, queer, neurodivergent and chronic illness lens. The combination of these facets is what makes my interpretations unique.

I’d love to invite you to consider where you fit into the community. What makes your point of view unique? The more we can recognise and celebrate the diversity within the gaylor community, the more united we will all feel in preparation for the turbulent times ahead.

When Taylor invited us to go down the rabbit hole with her I never expected to discover, let alone join in with, this amazing community. I love each and every one of you for being here. Wether you’ve inspired thoughtful conversations, made me laugh or just liked my posts, thank you 🫶🏼

‘Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno’

A tortured poet,

Kylie x

[highfunctioningflailgirl]

Dumas's extraordinary ability to give popular fiction a mythical thrust is very evident in his handling of the Musketeers themselves. None is merely a swashbuckler, for each is made complex and memorable in different ways which nevertheless unite in a group expression of true friendship.

Athos, the languid aristocrat, harbours a romantic soul beneath his casual exterior.

The least likeable of the comrades, the studious Aramis, 'a musketeer by accident but a churchman at heart', has yet to choose between love and his vocation but meantime is ready to cross swords with whoever stands in his path.

With Porthos, the group dunce, always slightly ridiculous but endlessly engaging, Dumas pulls off the rare feat of creating a genuinely good-hearted man: villains are much easier to manage.

But d'Artagnan, the Gascon with the short fuse, resourceful, passionate, and eternally 20, enshrines the spirit of youth and adventure. He is not only ageless but immortal: he leaps out of time and enters the realm of legend. D'Artagnan has been universally famous for a century and a half in the way that man-made heroes rarely are.

David Coward, in the introduction to The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

[moonlight-records]

FORMULA ONE MASTERLIST

home ★ request ★ rules ★ masterlist

technical theater partner! ★ summary: hc's bout reader working in theater

skate to my heart - hockey player!reader ★ summary: when hockey season overlaps with F1 season, there's bound to be sparks flying

skate to my heart - hockey player!reader ★ summary: when hockey season overlaps with F1 season, there's bound to be sparks flying

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

opposites attract - part 1 | ★ summary: you visit max after a long tech weekend, which is in time for the miami gp (18+)

so american ★ summary: Snippets of times that Storm, an up and coming American figure skater, being Lando and Max's favorite American soon to he partner friend

nutcracker after hours ★ summary: It's nutcracker season and you have taken the role of production stage manager for your theater. Your boyfriend reminds you that he is your biggest fan and supporter.

mr. & mrs. surprise: part 1 | part 2 ★ summary: logan and his partner decide to hard launch their relationship as casually as possible during a week break

take a break ★ summary: its launch day for williams and your boyfriend so overwhelmed and tired you decide to give him a quick pick me up

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

light show surprise ★ summary: your favorite activity during the holiday season is to go look at the holiday lights. thankfully, Logan knows just what to do.

iconic duo ★ summary: an f1 driver who does photography on the side and a cosplayer start dating (suggestive)

paddock throuple ★ summary: an insight to the paddocks favorite throuple outside of f1 before a race weekend

backpack princess ★ summary: an f1 driver and a biker finally take their crushes off of social media

impromptu dates ★ summary: a bookworm & f1 driver + stomach bug = the best lazy date ever.

hole in one ★ summary: your boyfriends want to go golfing on...luckily, you're not the only one who thinks golfing isn't the only hole in one today-- (18+)

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

rich boys don't have hearts - I | II | III ★ summary: Formula Ivy Academy, or FIA for short, is the most...Though, he didn't expect you to have as much of a...bite to you for a little nobody.

because i liked a boy ★ summary: You were known as the one who tamed Mr. Playboy... you regret what you've done all because you liked a boy.

so american ★ summary: Snippets of times that Storm, an up and coming American figure skater, being Lando and Max's favorite American soon to he partner friend

three musketeers unite ★ summary: Lando gets a flat on his adventure prior to the Austin GP and finds himself stuck. Luckily, he finds not only help but maybe a new friend

skating disaster ★ summary: you want to go ice skating. oscar, being the wonderful boyfriend he is, will take the chance and try it once. it might also be because the other boyfriend is coming and he really wants to go ice skating

decorating side quest ★ summary: You want to get a head start on decorating. Your boyfriend is willing to help when it's not first thing in the morning and his dick is doing all the thinking and talking.

birthday races ★ summary: your best friends are both in October with one day apart. Usually, you're on top of the best combined birthday ever and somehow the one year you rarely plan happens to be the best one yet.

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

slip (stream) into my heart - part 1 | part 2 ★ summary: a certain ferrari driver has taken a liking to a certain streamer and sees his chance to finally start chatting with them

black friday nightmare ★ summary: your boyfriend decides to join you for some black friday shopping. it goes nothing like planned but that's the chaos of black friday shopping, right?

hole in one ★ summary: your boyfriends want to go golfing on...luckily, you're not the only one who thinks golfing isn't the only hole in one today-- (18+)

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

paddock throuple ★ summary: an insight to the paddocks favorite throuple outside of f1 before a race weekend

IOU ★ summary: reader & oscar are best friends but reader would love to get a shot with ghostface. what they don’t know is that their chances are closer than they think…

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

skating disaster ★ summary: you want to go ice skating. oscar, being the wonderful boyfriend he is, will take the chance and try it once. it might also be because the other boyfriend is coming and he really wants to go ice skating

favorite days ★ summary: a glimpse into driver's favorite thing they do with you

And The Winner Is... part 1 | part 2 ★ summary: you love sabrina carpenter and your icon is giving one lucky audience member pink fuzzy handcuffs before 'Juno'. the catch? she's picking men more then females. it's a great thing that your boyfriend is really hot

DEBUT ARTISTS:

36. Mick Schumacher

37. Arthur Leclerc

47. Franco Colapinto

55. Carlos Sainz

[thistledropkick]

Desperado made a few different tweets about Narita Ren joining HoT, some of which are pretty long. I've put them all in one post here.

"As partners and rivals working hard together, they became such an entertaining team

They developed such a good relationship, and their backstage comments went beyond expectations.

What a damn shame.

Such a half-hearted bastard.

I can see quite clearly why you're so impatient, but I'll deal with you as a member of STRONG STYLE after the Dome.

Don't underestimate us."

"I was pissed off and went back to the hotel room and drank with my senpai, but now I've cooled down a bit and thought this over.

The three of us didn't have that many chances to fight together on New Japan shows.

We won the belts, but we failed to defend them.

And after that, the timing for the three of us to challenge for them again just didn't work out.

From self-expression to pro wrestling ability, the members of our unit are absolute beasts, and there's nothing we can't do in that ring.

But also, the clumsy way that the company announced the "Reiwa Three Musketeers" and the massive expectations around it resulted in a backlash from the wrestlers in question. And then the whole situation was left awkwardly up in the air.

As for those involved:

Shota has a costume that makes him look like a star, uncontrollable backstage comments, and a Moxley-like entrance and fighting techniques, giving him a royal flush of personality.

Tsuji's next-level lucha technical abilities and all his hard work backing it up, his physical potential and his creative expressiveness, all come together to give him the voice of a champion.

But his studies under Shibata-senshu had too big an impact on him, so when he used what he'd learned under Shibata, people could only talk about him in comparison to Shibata.

Things don't change in an instant.

Especially not a person's value.

A kick that he no longer uses, by his own choice,

and shin guards that he removed as well,

and also the Cobra Twist that we thoroughly discussed the use of.

It hasn't even been a year yet.

What percentage of pro wrestling fans in Japan were able to see him in person and say "That's Narita Ren"?

It can take an entire year for a technique to be seen throughout Japan, and even then you don't know if it'll get over or not.

And that's especially true for guys like you and me, who wrestle in a straightforward and persistent style.

You lack the courage of your convictions."

"The whole reason STRONG STYLE originally began was because you were being bullied by House of Torture until me and Suzuki-san sent them scattering.

Did you already forget?

Are you stupid?"

[nachoaveragejoe234]

Barbie movies settings (including mentioned places that aren't the setting of the movie)

Nutcracker and Swan Lake - Russia. Based on Russian ballets, Tchaikovsky can be seen in a picture in Clara's house, Ivan has a Russian name and accent

Rapunzel - Germany

12 Dancing Princesses - Germany. Based on a Brothers Grimm story

Princess and the Pauper - England. Based on The Prince and the Pauper, which was set in England

Magic of Pegasus - Netherlands during winter. Annika is a Dutch name and several characters, including her, wear vaguely Dutch clothing. Other places that have been theorized are Scandinavia and Russia.

Fairytopia trilogy - Portugal. Elina mentions knowing Mariposa, who's from Spain, and is "cut off from Flutterfield".

Barbie Diaries - Malibu, California

Island Princess - Italy. Names such as Rosella, Antonio, Luciana, and Ariana already tell us a lot, but the sunny weather, the characters all having tans, and some of the architecture also indicate this.

Christmas Carol - London, England

Three Musketeers - Paris, France

Diamond Castle - Europe, likely Germany/France, and/or Greece. Liana and Alexa wear stereotypically European dresses, the house looks like a traditional French cottage, but the Muses wear togas and the Diamond Castle itself looks vaguely Greek temple-ish on the inside.

Thumbelina - United States. Updated the setting and time period to the 2000s, clearly not in Denmark.

Fashion Fairytale - Paris, France

Mermaid Tale - Malibu, California

Mariposa - Spain. Also because of the accents.

Mermaid Tale 2 - Australia (the Ambassadors are however coded as Korean, African, Brazilian, and Russian), maybe New Zealand (Aquellia is implied to be near it)

Fairy Secret - Malibu, California (Gloss Angeles is another dimension)

Princess Charm School - Europe. No indication as to where "Gardania" is. However, most speaking Charm School students are from other places (Hadley is from South America, Isla is from Japan, Portia is from Scotland, and Josette is from Africa)

Princess and the Popstar - Monaco. Meribella looks like Monaco, with it's small status and how rich it is. Also Amelia mentions her grandma knowing the King of Spain.

Mariposa and the Fairy Princess - Malta. Shimmervale is "across Fairytopia", and the British accents of many people, as well as several dark haired background fairies, some with light skin, some with dark skin, a common feature of Maltese people.

Pink Shoes - United States, France, Russia (The ballet world uses Giselle, a French ballet, and Swan Lake)

Pony Tale - Switzerland

Pearl Princess - Denmark. A mermid story with some similarities to The Little Mermaid.

Secret Door - Europe (Zinnia is another dimension)

Princess Power - Europe or an alternate reality America, or somehwere in the near distant future

Starlight Adventure - Space, in the future

Great Puppy Adventure - Willows, Wisconsin

Puppy Chase - Hawaii

Rock N Royals - Europe (with campers from other European places: Sloane from Scotland, maybe her two friends are American as they resemble Dua Lipa and Halle Bailey vaguely, Aubray from Ireland, Genevieve from England, Svetlana Petranova from Russia)

Spy Squad - Los Angeles, California

Video Game Hero - United States, "Japan". Her video game is heavily Japanese inspired, with animesque characters and Nintendoesque visuals.

Dolphin Magic - Malibu, California

Princess Adventure - Europe

Lost Birthday - United States

Big City Big Dreams - New York

Mermaid Power - Malibu, California