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rheya28 · 11 months ago
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The Crown [ Lounge + Bar] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC
Welcome to The Crown, a haven of refined indulgence that seamlessly shifts from an upscale morning restaurant and lounge to a sophisticated evening gentlemen's club. In the daylight hours, experience culinary delights in an ambiance of polished dark wood accents, moody lights, and soft jazz.
As the sun sets, The Crown transforms into an intimate and stylish club, where discreet luxury meets thrilling entertainment. With an emphasis on sophistication, The Crown offers an unforgettable fusion of exquisite dining and sensual experiences in an atmosphere of opulence.
➽ Speed Build Video
➽ Rheya's Notes:
● In order for the adult club function to work, you must download the wicked whims mod [Download at your own risk]. ● This build does not have to be a club, it can be set as a restaurant, a lounge, or a bar. ● I am not 100% familiar with wicked whims so I will not be answering questions regarding the mod. However, I played around with it and did some playtesting as a club owner and everything is functioning correctly on my end. I advice that you look up tutorials if you're not sure to how this lot type works.
● Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ● Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ● Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ● Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ● Thank you to all CC Creators ● Please let me know if there's any problem with the build
Sim's Featured in the video are by the talented @rhdweauni0 <3
➽ LOT DETAILS
Lot Name: The Crown Lot type: Gentlemen's Club/Str*p Club [Can be set as a lounge, restaurant or bar] Lot size: 30x30 Location: Windenburg or San MyShuno
➽ MODS
● Tool Mod by Twisted Mexi ● Wicked Whims by Turbodriver [optional: This is only required if you want to set this lot as a club] ● Functional Pool Table by Utopya
➽ CC LIST:
Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, Tuds, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make downloading a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, Peacemaker. This will also ensure that the lots are complete and are not missing any items upon downloading ! CharlyPancakes ● Miscellanea [books] ● Soak [ Floor pattern, wall lamp] Amelie ● Vintage Art print #3 Severinka ●Aura Bedroom - Ceiling lamp V01, V03 ● Ceiling lamp Alpha ●Industrial Light II Ceiling B, Ceiling D Sooky ● Dark Academia Victorian Oil Paintings 01 ● Horizontal Oil Painting - landscape ● Horizontal Oil Painting - Still Life ● Vertical Oil Painting - Landscape ● Vertical Oil Painting - Portrait ● Vertical Oil Painting - Still Life The Clutter Cat ● Dandy Diary pt 1, 2 ● Hello Horses FelixAndre ● Chateau [all ] ● Berlin pt 1 ● Colonial pt 2, 3 ● Florence pt 2 ● Gatsby ● Georgian ● Grove [ all ] ● London Interior ● Paris pt 2, 3 ● Soho pt 3 House of Harlix ● Harluxe ● Livin Rum ● Orjanic Harrie ● Brownstone [all] ● Baysic ● Brutalist ● Coastal pt 2, 3, 8 ● Klean pt 3 ● Kwatei ● Octave pt 2 ● Shop the look pt 1, 2 ● Spoons pt 3 ● Jardane Kiwisim4 ● Block house dining [dining chairs] Lilac Creative ● The classic Collection Little Dica ● The even Grander Piano Myshunosun ● Garden Stories [patio lights] ● Lottie [candle] ● Simmify pt 2 [book clutter] Pierisim ● Coldbrew pt 3 ● Combles [chair] ● David Apartment pt 1, 2 ● Domain du close pt 2, 3 ● MCM pt 1, 3 ● Oak House pt 4 ● Tilable ● Winter Garden pt 1, 2 ● Wood Land Ranch pt 3 Plush Pixels ● Parisian Apartment [coffee table only] Simcredible ● Bossa Nova Ceiling lamp Simplistic ● Rusticlife area rug Sixam ● Boho Bathroom [floor tiles] Taurus Design ● Lilith Chilling Areas MycupofCC ● The Modernist [wall lamp] Tuds ● Ind Syboulette ● Ratatouille [Sign ] Utopya ● Pool Table [mod]
● DOWNLOAD Tray File and CC list: Patreon Page ● Origin ID: anrheya [previous name: applez] ● Twitter: Rheya28__ ● Tiktok: Rheya28__ ● Youtube: Rheya28__
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oracle-fae · 1 year ago
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hand painted tiles in the bathroom of a victorian townhouse in london
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lilmarshie · 2 days ago
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A Chance Encounter | B. Barnes x Reader
Entangled Fates, Chapter One
A Victorian Era AU
Y/N - your name
Bucky, a young aristocrat, attends a prestigious ball, feeling out of place among the opulence and superficiality. The lace and opulence was far too much for his liking. He wanted to spend more time outdoors in his element rather than holed up inside attending a party.
Y/N, a brilliant but underprivileged scholar, manages to secure an invitation to the ball through a benefactor, hoping to make important connections for your future. This was going to be monumental for your future career and you were very fortunate to be able to attend such a prestigious gathering.
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You arrived promptly at 7pm on the dot, dressed in a beautiful maroon and navy dress, that sparkled ever so slightly in the dim light of the building. The ball was being held in a sprawling home on a few acres. It had a tall, pitched roof featuring brickwork and decorative tiled hallways throughout the home. The home also boasted massive ornate fireplaces in every room, a beautiful front porch, and gorgeous stained glass windows. A butler, was there to greet you at the door, ushering you into the grand foyer and over to two massive doors that led into a lavish but cozy ballroom. There were sprawls of people standing in what seemed to be every corner of the room. Mingling amongst each other, while servants catered to the whims of the partygoers.
Amidst the crowd, you locked eyes with a man who had dark chocolate brown hair which was neatly slicked back. He was dressed in a meticulously pressed dark gray suit that accentuated his features. You locked eyes briefly with this man before turning away embarrassment visible on your face. You knew that you didn’t fit in here but you needed to do this for the sake of your future.
You went to go and grab a place of pastries and a cup of tea to keep your mind occupied. “I don’t need to get involved in whatever this man does. He may be strikingly good looking but I can’t get involved.” You think, as you wander off to a nearby table, the plate in your hands filled to the brim with the delicious treats. You noticed that this man kept his eyes on you the entire time. He began to make his way over to you. “Ahem.” The man says, as you swallow a bite of one of the pastries. “I wanted to introduce myself. I haven’t seen you around before. My name is James Buchanan Barnes. But you can call me Bucky.” He says, with a huge grin. His hand was extended to shake hands with yours. You reach over the table and shake his hand with a smile. “Pleasure to meet you, Bucky.” You say, as you shake his hand warmly.
“How are you enjoying everything?” Bucky asks, his hands now clasped in his lap as he watches you intently. “It’s been very nice to be invited here. I never thought I would ever be able to attend an event such as this.” You say, with a wistful sigh. “This is honestly a dream come true. I am but a simple scholar and I have dreamed of a moment such as this.” You say, as you drink a sip of tea that was swiftly brought to you by one of the many attentive servants. “I’m very glad to hear that, y/n.” Bucky says, as he takes a sip of tea as well. His brown eyes twinkling in the low light. He was contemplating whether or not to tell you why he was there before clearing his throat softly.
“How about we step outside to continue our conversation? I’m quite enjoying myself here with you. And I’d love to get to know you better.” Bucky smiled, as he finished his cup of tea before standing up and extending his arm out towards yours. Nodding, you link arms with Bucky’s and make your way outside, into the cold London air. Bucky leads you out into the porch and you sit next to him on one of the benches outside. The dim oil lamps faintly lighting up the space between you.
Over the next couple of hours, Bucky shares with you his thoughts about what’s going on with society, his dreams about the future, and business opportunities that he has awaiting him. You mention that your benefactor has secured the invitation for the ball tonight as well as helped you become the scholar that you are today. Without them, you confessed, you would be in a far worse situation.
As the evening draws to a close, Bucky makes a promise to meet again, with you, at a later date. He takes down your address and with a kiss to your hand, and once more to your cheek, promises to write to you soon. Before disappearing back inside to the swarms of partygoers.
You were eager to meetup with Bucky again however that meeting would occur. James Buchanan Barnes has captivated you in ways that you never imagined. And you were awaiting that moment with anticipation.
Little did you know, that Bucky went home that night happier and hopeful, than he’s ever been.
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simstorian-blog · 1 year ago
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Dusty Turf
(CC List + Links)
World Map: Oasis Springs
Area: Parched Prospect
Lot Size: 30 x 20
(3-bedroom, 2 Bathroom)
Gallery ID: Simstorian-ish
Packs Used
Cottage Living
Desert Luxe Kit
Dream Home Decorator
Eco Lifestyle
Get Famous
Get Together
Get To Work
Growing Together
Island Living
Laundry Day Stuff
Outdoor Retreat
Spa Day
Wedding Stories
Build Mode
AnneSimmer – Wall Mural Pt. 1
Felixandre – London (Chandelier, Panelling)
Felixandre – Grove Pt. (Plaster Floor)
Harlix – Bafroom (Mirrors, Windows)
Harlix – Harluxe (Used Throughout)
Harlix – Orjanic Pt. 1 (Column)
Harlix – Tiny Twavellers (Mural Wall)
Harrie – Kwatei Pt. 1 (Doors, Windows)
Max20 – Polished Sandstone Trim
Peacemaker – Curly Koa Flooring
Peacemaker – Simple Siding
SimPlistic – Leafy Wallpaper
Sooky – Victorian Floor Tiles
Buy Mode
Anye – Cal Magazine
Anye – Neomy Table Lamp
Anye – Zara Bathrobe
Awingedllama – Apartment Therapy (Rug)
Awingedllama – Boho Living (Cement Planter)
Awingedllama – Blooming Plants
BlueTeas – Rivers Bedroom (Base, Headboard)
CharlyPancakes – Lavish (Shopping Bag)
ClutterCat – BusyBee Pt. 2 (FlatBox)
ClutterCat – Cozy Casita (Candle)
ClutterCat – Dandy Diary Pt.1  (Leather Tray)
ClutterCat – Dandy Diary Bathroom
Dereon – Silver Lining Stool (DL Available via Patreon)
Felixandre – Chateau Pt. 4 (Square Container)
Felixandre – Colonial Pt. 3 (Parasol)
Felixandre – Florence Pt. 3 (Luggage)
Felixandre – Florence Pt. 4
Felixandre – Grove Pt. 2 (Stacked Plates)
Felixandre – Paris Pt. 3 (Pouffe)
Felixandre – Shop The Look 1 (Side Table)
GreenLlamas – Kerv Inkblot Rug
Harlix – Baysic (Bedding, Hanging Clothes, Packs System)
Harlix – Baysic Bathroom (Toilet)
Harlix – Kichen (All glasses)
Harlix – Livin’ Rum (Tv, Bowl, Vase)
Harlix – Orjanic Pt. 2 (Vase)
Harrie – Octave Pt. 4 (Light Switch)
Joyce – Simple Live #5 (Separate Towel)
LeafMotif – House & Garden Covers
LittlBowBub – Home Barista
Littledica – Delicious Kitchen (Paper Towel)
Littledica – Rise & Grind (Flavour Syrup)
Madlen – Dionis Ottoman
MyCupofCC – ColourTalk (Mirror)
Myshunosun – Gale Dining (Cart, Wine Bottle, Wine Glass)
NoStyle – Mara Living Chair
Peacemaker – Ellipse Armchair
Peacemaker – Mid-Century Abode (Bedframe)
Peacemaker – Oasis Chic Living (Cordyline)
Pierisim – Domaine du Clos Pt. 2 (Account Book)
Pierisim – Domaine du Clos Pt. 4 (Zucchini Chopping Board)
Pierisim – Living Room Mini (Citrus Bowl)
Pierisim – MCM Pt. 2 (Rug)
Pierisim – MCM Pt. 3 (Metal Sconce, Soap)
Pierisim – MCM Pt. 5 (Table Lamp)
Pierisim – Oak House Pt. 4 (Shower)
Pierisim – Vera Bathroom (Mounted Hook, Robes, Soap)
Ravasheen – Hot Sim Disguise Clutter (Tray)
RusticSims – Kind of Modular (Books, Coffee Table)
RusticSims – Lofi Pt. 1 (All Lighting)
Severinka – Aura Ottoman
Sundays – Duvet
Sundays – Kediri Pt. 1 + 2 (Sofa, Throw Pillows)
Sundays – Kuta Pt. 1 (Dining Table)
Sundays – Pandawa Pt. 3 (Pouf)
Sundays – Sumba Pt. 1 (Pillows)
Sundays – Swell Pt. 1 (Bolster Pillow)
Sundays – Ungasan Pt. 2 (Slippers)
Sundays – Yarra Pt. 3 (Bed Pillows)
Syboubou – Caroline Shower Rug
Tuds – Ind 02 (Wine Rack)
Winner9 – Malibu Pillow
DO NOT REUPLOAD MY LOTS.
DO NOT CLAIM THEM AS YOUR OWN.
DO NOT PLACE BEHIND A PAYWALL.
Tray Files: Download
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suitov · 8 months ago
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As I caught sight of a famous figure beneath the marble ballroom arches, my foot caught on one of the Oriental carpets and I went flying with my silver tray of British canapés! The tray clattered on the ballroom tiles, drawing everybody's disgusted stares. I caught the head servant scowling deservedly at me, being far too restrained to give me the public beating I deserved! Another servant who wasn't so inept quickly whisked away the mess, leaving me to wobble to my feet and dust off my Victorian waistcoat and trousers and bow tie.
Only then did I dare an audacious second glance at the celebrity whose incredible manly beauty had distracted me, which isn't to say my worthless display of impropriety was the slightest amount his fault! He seemed to tower a head above the rest of the Victorian elite at the ball. He wore the most fabulously expensive, yet understated in a humble sense, black suit with coat tails and a Victorian top hat. As usual, he was surrounded by adoring celebrities: the world-famous soprano Madame Opera, the railroad baron Sir Steamfield Richmoney who could afford a whole country, the notable and heroic lady spy Violine Violets, Janemily Oceans the inventor of the ladies' Victorian bathing machine, and even Crystal Billiam the wildly popular medium who was the talk of English London high society!!
But even among all these elites, Lord Prince Fides Germen the most elite of them all was looking..... AT ME!!!
*Fides' POV*
I had just watched an ordinary and very pathetic servant fall and drop the expensive Victorian watermelon wedges on the floor. How disgusting, I thought, then I thought he would do for my evening's entertainment. Because even though I was surrounded by my rightful associates, the elites of society's hope, that itself was the problem when it came to my nocturnal tastes! For I was simply TOO dominant that I could never indulge my tastes with my peers. They were all almost as exalted as me! What I needed was an inferior, the scum of London's society, someone who I could punish and discipline, bending him to my indomitable will! Someone like... Lio Dippergate!!!
*Lio's POV*
I couldn't believe my eyes as Lord Prince Fides Germen strode dominantly over to me! I went into a panic and started babbling apologies. "This humble servant is very sorry, Germen-sama, for disrupting your evening with such an unsightly mishap! Please punish me however you see fit, or if you prefer, I shall remove myself from your sight at once!"
"I'll take the first option," he said decisively!! "and the second. Remove yourself up to my bedroom in the Victorian Palace Hotel and await me there where I will decide how you're to be punished."
I couldn't believe my ears! "Yes, your majesty, at once," I told Germen with a humble bow. Up close like this, his jaw was chiselled in stone, his light brown hair formed a crown of fierce spikes and his grey-brown eyes were filled with dark desire and dominance. It made my knees, already forming bruises from the marble floor, feel weak and yet eager for me to be on them. When he did me the undeserved honour of breathing near me, he smelled like English cologne and expensive English champagne. I wanted to serve him as much of it as he could drink (the champagne, not the cologne) for what was I to such a god but someone born to serve him?
Naegi gave me a final lingering look up and down before he turned and strode masculinely back to the adoring opera singer and all the other women (and..... men???) who immediately crowded around the lord prince to bask in his hope.
I stood for a disobediently long moment on my shaking legs and then, with a last shy glance at the incredibly sexy and handsome Fides Germen, I went and left the ball and ran to his hotel room as he'd commanded and let myself in with the staff key!!!
Look up what Victorian hotels were like
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yumeurl · 3 months ago
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going back to this focus points about wool's orphanage vid again and i find it interesting how they describe the orphanage altogether
CRAIG: Before we build things, we do a bit of research. There's usually something we find that sparks an idea, that gives us a direction. And so for Wool's Orphanage, we found the most amazing building in docklands, Liverpool. CRAIG: Red-brick Victorian building, which was really quite sort of brutal but in an interesting kind of architectural way with classical allusions and so on. So this is based on that. CRAIG: In front of the building, the gateway here is a kind of echo of David Lean's Oliver Twist. Starts with the girl crossing the moor, pregnant, Oliver's mother. And then going into the workhouse, in fact, and there's this creaky old metal sign, so this is a little bit of homage to David Lean up there. CRAIG: Then the interior is this Victorian glazed tile, because it had good, long-lasting cleaning properties. No detail, really. Very simple. It's a very distinctive look. And a good oppressive dark look, I think. CRAIG: The orphanage is situated at the end of a rather derelict street in the middle of all this admittedly dilapidated but rather refined, London Georgian architecture. So Wool's Orphanage, it's not a warm and friendly place. It's really quite brutal. So it stands out in a really striking, iconic way.
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ashthehermit · 2 years ago
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Harry Potter & shallow worldbuilding
I probably shouldn't wade into these waters, but once again, I am demonstrating that my self-preservation instincts are poor, and that my family refuse to listen to my rants anymore. [TW: Harry Potter and all that entails].
I was a little confused when I saw the trailer for Hogwarts Legacy (source of ire for me, and many many other people).  I had thought that it was supposed to be set in Victorian England, but honestly, it looked a lot like it was still set in the 1990s (or the early 2000s, the films never came down on exact dates).  Perhaps this is because the movies - upon which all subsequent media has based its design - relied heavily on Victorian and early 20th century design elements.  Think Hogwarts' gothic architecture; the ministry's early London Underground tiles; and the entire interior of Grimmauld Place.  This wasn't in any way a bad thing.  Harry Potter, as a story, made good on a sense of whimsy and old British aesthetics.  The wizarding world, having no need of technology, would not modernise its aesthetics at the same rate as the non-magical world.  It was a design choice that was of great consternation to my mother.  We went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, she whispered to me 'why do they have wheelie suitcases?  I thought this was set in the 1930s?'
It makes me wonder now, why doesn't the world in Hogwarts Legacy look much different to its predecessor?  I suppose that they are wearing vaguely Victorian clothes, but shouldn't we be looking at some 1700s aesthetics, or is the wizarding world caught in a perpetual loop of Victoriana?
Truth is, the Harry Potter universe has fallen foul of the problem that irks most fantasy universes once they are analysed for too long.  It isn't logically coherent.  Like the history of Westeros, the history of the wizarding world repeats itself perpetually, never looking or behaving especially differently.  In a series of children's books that were focused on the life of one teen, the cracks didn't show.  Sure, Voldemort was in power twice, and before him there was Grindelwald (for all intents and purposes, Voldemort but European).
J.K. Rowling's world building is fine for what it was in the beginning (again, the life of one teen in Britain), or as fine as it could be.  The world was not greatly expansive, but it didn't need to be.  The best parts of it were whimsical and extensions of the cheerier side of Britain.  There was the Knight bus, a purple routemaster.  The entrance to the Ministry of Magic was inside a red phone box, one of the great symbols of British tourism.  The primary setting was a boarding school.  One of the most popular elements is the house system, which is just a more complicated extension of your average school house system.  It is touted as a categorisation of identity, but it obeys all the rules of school houses.  Siblings going into different houses is rare (to the point that it's only mentioned once) because family groups always go into the same house (unless your school just doesn't care about houses).  The bigotry in the series is also British by design.  It ends up being a simplified version of classism, that features more in subtext than text.  This being said, there isn't a great deal of specificity in the world building.  I still don't know where Hermione's home town is.  I only know that her parents are dentists and they like to ski.  Where does Malfoy live, apart from in a manor that has peacocks in the garden?  These are the kind of flaws you notice when you have analysed the story for as long as I have.
The worldbuilding gets thinner the more expansive it gets.  The students from Beauxbatons are more or less French stereotypes, Fleur especially.  Durmstrang is the same, but Bulgarian.  Much has already been said on Rowling's shallow naming conventions (Cho Chang, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and now Sirona Ryan).  Without the crutch of something being British and vaguely quaint, the world loses all of its charm, and all of its logic.
Fantastic Beasts, for some reason, begins in 1920s New York.  Most of the richness of the setting is achieved by production design rather than the script (incidentally, flashbacks set in Hogwarts still manage to look like it's the early 2000s).  Conflict in the story is wrought from an American government that is more anti-muggle than the British equivalent.  If it is allegorical in any way, I do not understand it.  But let's not pretend Rowling's allegory has ever been any good.  Claims that Lupin's lycanthropy was a metaphor for HIV and AIDs only serve to lessen the character.  At best, it's an allegory for general prejudice.  The assertion that Lupin, at the age of six, was attacked by Greyback with the express intention of passing on AIDs, is well, it's dicey.  Rowling might have intended to create an allegory for stigma around 'blood-borne conditions', but failed to consider the extra baggage that that allegory might entail.  
The same is true for Fantastic Beasts, where the nonsense is turned up to twenty.  There's a group of muggles who somehow know about the existence of magic.  They name themselves after Salem, despite the Salem witch trials being appropriate for neither this setting nor this geographic region.  Any commentary on the nature of the Salem witch trials is hardly a commentary on the nature of America at large, but rather a commentary on a single Puritan colony.  Rowling takes pieces of Native American culture for her lore, with no understanding of the cultural legacy at play.
It gets even weirder in the sequels, which zip through countries so fast there's barely any time for worldbuilding.  There's a circus!  Why! ��I don't know.
For no reason at all, there's a deer that chooses the outcome of an election.  In a baffling moment, Grindelwald (as played by font of virtue, Johnny Depp) tells a group of wizards that they have to kill muggles because they are going to start a world war.  He is wizarding Hitler, and that isn't a subtle analogy.  In that same scene, Queenie Goldstein, a character heavily coded as Jewish, joins wizard Hitler because he promises her that she will be able to marry her muggle beau.  The man that just gave a speech about killing muggles, is apparently all for marriage equality!  By all means, it doesn't make any sense.  It’s far from being respectful either.
There are of course attempts to make the wizarding world more diverse in Fantastic Beasts, but without any attempt to make these characters more genuine.  There's an Asian woman, but she's Voldemort's snake and she's going to be beheaded by Neville in a few decades.  The second film has Zoe Kravitz!  Yay!  But she's part of a needlessly convoluted tale in which a powerful white man hypnotises a black woman to be his wife, and then she dies?  I don't know what to make of that.  It's not good representation, and by gum it isn't good storytelling!  The Fantastic Beasts trilogy has all the perspective of Emily in Paris.
Hogwarts Legacy can hardly improve upon this worldbuilding, because it comes from an unstable foundation.  I might have been more understanding had the game been set in say, not Hogwarts, or even a Hogwarts that was fundamentally different from the Hogwarts that we already know.  The worldbuilding remains as shallow as it ever was, and with all the bigotry retained.  Of course, the main story is based on a piece of anti-semitic folklore, expanded upon in the books, and even more so in the game.  The problem being that Hogwarts Legacy can only make sales based on nostalgia.  It can't be that different from the world of the novels, because no one is bold enough to alter the world and alienate people who want nothing more than to experience their childhoods all over again.  As such, the shallow worldbuilding is laid bare over and over again, to the point that it is no longer a setting in service of a series of novels.  It now has to be a real, coherent world, which it fails at.  We have to examine the nature of Hogwarts houses, and the mechanics of time turners (thank you Cursed Child), and the reasons why house elves don't want their freedom.  
They'll never get freedom anyhow, because Hermione's attempts at activism are used for comedy.  The world at the end of Deathly Hallows is not greatly different to the world at the beginning.  Voldemort is dead, but we are not assured of any big changes.  The world returns to what it was.  For all that The Legend of Korra may not have lived up to its predecessor, it made an effective attempt at showing that the world had been altered by the actions of our heroes.  In the Cursed Child, nothing is different.  The story spends all of its time looking to the past and imagining increasingly unlikely alternate timelines (Cedric turns evil?  Ron marries Padma Patil?).  Hogwarts Legacy does not set up the world of Harry Potter, nor does it fundamentally alter it.  The status quo is preserved.  Like Westeros, it cannot change. The new game does nothing with the world, and acts in its detriment.  Anyhow, it’s not a good work of fantasy.  J.K. Rowling loves the status quo.   That much is evident.  Don’t buy this game!  Support trans people instead.
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the-fiction-witch · 2 years ago
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Bath beside The Fire
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Media IRL
Character Thomas Brodie Sangster
Couple Thomas X Reader
Rating Smut
Concept Bath
Smut nudity/ stroking/ hj/ fingering/ breast play/ little bird/ 
I peered inside the misted green bathroom at the utter state of luxury within, the green tiles sweetly compliment the room keeping the light low the window as usual impossible to see from the outside and yet the sweet light was allowed to cascade across the room. The sweet orange glow from the two wall sconces that sat either side of the round mirror above the sink. The shower was not in use as it often wasn't the back wall lit so beautifully but the Victorian fireplace, shapes and shadows moving in the golden mirror above it. The claw foot bathtub in the corner sat with its golden taps still on, flooding the tub with warm steamy water. Bubbles almost reached the brim of the tub even if the water had a ways to go yet, the bubbles still in that strange mountainous shape from the liquid being added to the water and thus the bubbles mostly being created by the taps shifting of the water. The sounds of the water rushing through the pipes of the old London house and filling the porcelain tub perfectly complemented either cracking and roaring of the fire to create such peacefulness. That and the Addition of the speaker on the shelf above the bath hidden by the plant pot that plaid…. I believe it was 'smooth jazz' or some other type of relaxational playlist. The scent of sweet lavender filled the room from the small cat shaped wax burner that sat on the windowsill. Stood in the bathroom on the grey tiles stood the barefeet of Thomas as he loomed over his bath excitedly wrapped up only in his thin grey cotton robe that he had tightly wrapped around his skinny body and was holding onto tightly given his clear lack of clothing below it. He tested the water with his hand seeming happy, opening up the small draw beside the bathtub it filled to the brim with various bath bombs and shower steamers and all sorts of other items he picked out a large purple bath bomb with a few blue shimmers within unwrapping it from its paper and setting it into the tub with a plop. Immediately a rush of purple colour and shimmer began to explode from the water along with a refreshing fresh English lavender scent. Next he picked out a small mason jar of purple and pink crystals unscrewing the top revealing a small plastic blue shovel which he used to scoop a large amount of the salt crystals and sprinkle them into the water them hitting the bottom with a sweet tinkling sound before returning it to the draw and pulling out a small bottle of a very watery purple liquid that he poured inside like a witch crafting a brewing potion before too returning the bottle to the draw. He waited a few seconds checking his towel on the heated towel rail was fresh and fluffy before he checked the water again and twisted the Taps off silencing the loud sounds of the water now all the other sounds much clearer and the added sound of the bubbles slightly crackling as they popped and shifted in the tub. He slipped his robe off his shoulders the thin fabric pooling at his feet leaving him completely naked without anything to conceal him, his bare feet kicked the robe across the floor towards the laundry hamper, his thin legs slightly flexing as he moved, his his squarely facing the warm tub even if his half hard erection was obvious stood to attention, he ran his hand through the fluffy forest that was his blonde hair before looking down at himself for a moment frowning at his stomach stroking his hand across it seeming upset as he squeezed the tiniest but of tummy that was there so much so his whole hand didn't even get enough to fill his hand but he looked so sad about it. Yet seemed to have no sadness for the various small cuts and bruises across his skinny body.
He slowly climbed into the tub one foot at a time settling himself among the bubbles letting out a sigh as his body hit the warm water.
"Ummmmm" he groans, leaning his head against the tubs rim with his eyes closed
I giggled at him a little which made him speak
"You are interrupting my peaceful time y/n" he warns
"Ohh I am so sorry my lord, a thousand apologies for disturbing the bath" I giggled poking my head fully thought the bathroom door rather than peering through the crack
"Out" he says kicking his foot at me sending water across the room almost hitting me
"I just wanted to come visit"
"Out! This is my time to be luxurious"
"But i-"
"What do you want, little bird?"
"I brought you a present"
"Ummm?"
"Wine" I smiled exposing the glass of wine I got from downstairs for him
"You may stay" he nods happily taking it and having a sip setting it on the windowsill where he could still reach it
I smiled and sat on the closed toilet seat watching him in his bath
"hi"
"Hello y/n"
"What are you doing?"
"Having my nice relaxing bath. Why what are you doing?"
"Watching you"
"Ummm creepy" he says making me pout "don't pout little bird. You snuck up on me in the bath you have to admit that's a little creepy"
"You do it to me"
"Because your beautiful and you have very sexy little bubble baths that I enjoy watching"
"Creepy"
"It's not creepy when you put a show on for me" he smirked making me blush a little "how am I meant to not watch when my little bird does a cute little show for me" he smirked moving down to be close enough to me he could kiss my cheek
"Well then what's wrong with me being here to watch you?"
"Fine." He sighed setting the wine down and sinking down under the water reemerging a few seconds later his hair now dark and flat I couldn't help but watch him as he moved the bubbles, washed his hair and rubbed a little on his bruises "yes?" He asks as I had been sat silently watching him the last few minutes I just smiled as sweetly as I could standing and tugging at the ties of my dress for a moment he didn't know what I was doing but quickly figured it out shifting in the water "humm my little bird wanna climb in with me?" He smirked as my dress dropped leaving me naked too which made him bite his lip hard slightly growling at me
"May I?" I asked
"You may" he smirked
So I went to step in at the other end of the tub but he stopped me taking my hand and pulling me so I sat on his lap
"There was go, cosy?"
"Ummm humm" I nodded nuzzling into his bare chest stroking my fingers down his wet skin he cups water in his hands rinsing it over my exposed shoulder before stroking down my body both above and below the water "how are your bruises?"
"Fine, they don't hurt"
"You should be more careful"
"I know little bird. I know. I didn't mean to fall off my bike"
"You still scared me"
"Shhhhh I know I did. It's okay I'm fine" he says giving me a kiss "and it was very nice having my little bird to take care of me"
"I like taking care of you"
"Ummm I know you do, and I enjoy it very much" he smirked tugging me closer "Fuck- your beautiful little bird" he Cooes "I should have you in my bath with me every week" he smirked
"I thought the point was to relax'
"Yeah?"
"Well somewhere isn't very relaxed" I smirked stroking my hand down to gently stroke his hard erection
"No it isn't, maybe my little bird can help me with that" he smirked pulling my hips so I sat over him the lips of my pussy perfectly cradling his erection "ummm fuck-" he gasps leaning his head against the tub
"We should get washed"
"Should we now? How's about I do you and you do me?"
"Don't you do me enough?"
"Not nearly enough pet" he smirked grabbing my usual lavender body wash "come on little bird," he smirked
"Alright" I smiled giving him a kiss taking the soap in my hand making it bubble up alot rubbing my hand across his neck and shoulders then down his arms making sure I left no spot untouched, then going down his chest being gentle around his bruises before I even reached his hips he was biting his lip eagerly I went to stop as I reached his stomach but he held my arm
"You're not done yet pet. Go on" he demanded
I blushed hard moving my hands down stroking his hips making sure I squeezed his butt a little
"Hey- bad girl" he smirked slapping my ass hard I continued scrubbing his v and his erection "uhhh! Yes- uuummmm either keep going or let me inside you already"
"But I'm not clean yet" I pouted
"Humm no, you're not. And you are a very very dirty little bird" he smirked taking the soap in his hands staring much as I did on my neck and shoulders I was nervous but excited as his hands moved down covering my breasts with the soapy bubbles his hands working hard to cover and clean them leaving no inch untouched often playing with my breasts in his hands as he did he chuckled slyly before starting to use his thumbs to rub on my now hard nipples sending the waves of pleasure across me "a very dirty little bird. However did my pet get so dirty?"
"Living with you"
"Don't you blame me for this pet you were just as dirty when I met you" he smirked "turn around" he demanded so I did as he asked moving to face away from him and he grabbed my hips pulling me into his lap hard he chuckled again slapping my ass hard as he now had it Infront of him he took a firm grip of my ass making sure to pull it apart as he did slipping his hard cock between my cheeks before he ran his hands across making sure to cover it with soapy bubbles
"Thomas" I giggled but he smirked and grabbed my breasts again gently rubbing my nipples as he groped my breasts hard grinding himself against my ass
"umm, you like that little bird?"
" Yes-"
"Good girl" He smirked moving his hands away to scrub down my stomach until he reached my pussy scrubbing it softly leaving a trail of bubbles as he rubbed on my clit "There my little birds all clean now"
"Almost" I cooed
"yeah?" he smirked moving his fingers inside me "That feel good?"
"Uhh thomas please-"
"Out"
"But-"
"Now" He demanded I sheepishly climbed out grabbing a towel as I got so chilly, he climbed out too wrapping a towel around himself too he sat himself on the floor beside the fire and he tugged me down with him into his lap ...
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rheya28 · 1 year ago
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READ ME!
♥ Hi guys, today we are building a Historic library with a modern touch. This build consists of a library with a small café attached. Beware that I use a lot of cc, which are all listed below. Please make sure to turn on bb.moveobjects on!
♥ Video Link
♥ Lot Details:
Lot Name: Library Serenity
Lot size: 30x30 
Location: Windenburg
♥ MODS: 
 TOOL MOD by TwistedMexi
 ♥ CC LIST: 
- Awingedllama: Apartment Therapy, Boho Living 
- KKB: Citrus Room 
 - Sooky: Cozy Neutral Rugs, Horizontal Oil Painting Still life, Modern Farmhouse Rugs, Round Pedestal Dining Table, Vertical Oil Painting, Vicotional tiles Flooring, Victorian Tiled Walls 
- Harrie: Baysic set (all), Harluxe, Heritage, Brownstone, Coastal, Octave, Spoons, Jardane Livin Rum, Orjanic, Kichen - FelixAndre: Chateau, Fayun Part 2, Colonial Part 3, Gothic Revival, Grove, London Exterior, London Interior, Paris pt 2, Florence, Shop the look 
- CharlyPancakes: Lighthouse Collection, miscellanea, 
 - Simbishy: Cute Stationery Set- Papers 
- Max20: Computer “oldfriend”, Cozy backyard pack, 
 - Hydrangea:  Cozy set - Kaiso: Rusti.co Office, 
 - Leafmotif: Devon kitchen 
 - LittleDica: Rise & grind, Sleek slumber - Myshunosun: Dawn Living, Simmify, 
 - Peacemaker: Coba, Creta, Hudson 
- Pierisim: Calderone, Coldbrew, Domaine Du Clos, MCM, Precious Promises, 
 - Sforzinda: Clutter EP09, Clutter EP12, Espressogrindomatic, 
 - Simkoos: Clutter Dump 
- Simplistic: Rustic Rug trio 
- Sims4luxury: Mcgee&co Anya Rug, Mcgee&co Callahan Rug 
- Sixam: Furniture Showroom, Small spaces, Stylish Wood 
- Syboubou: Fency set, Galileo, 
 - Taurus Design: Elsa Kids Room, Lilith Chillin Areas 
- Tuds: Beam
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385bookreviews · 1 year ago
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2.230 The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
SPOILERS
Pages: 381
Read Time: 4 hours and 51 minutes
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ Storyline: ★★★★★ Dialogue: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Gothic Horror
TWs for the book: Transphobia, gore, body horror, medical content, deadnaming, forced institutionalization, medical trauma, abortion, misogyny/sexism, blood, death, SA/CSA, ableism, murder, torture, violence, physical/mental/emotional/child abuse, pregnancy, gender dysphoria, child death, confinement, p*dophilia, gaslighting, self harm, mental illness, homophobia, r*pe, domestic abuse, discussions of miscarriage, su*c*dal thoughts, panic attacks/meltdowns, vomit, animal death, cursing, abandonment, bullying, death of a parent, kidnapping, outing, classism, body shaming, religious bigotry
POV: First person; Silas Bell
Time Period/Location: 1883-1884 London, England
First Line: At least the doctors had the decency to kill me before they opened me up.
Set in Victorian Era England, autistic trans boy Silas Bell is a violet-eyed medium. People with violet eyes are members of the Royal Speaker Society, and are tasked with summoning the dead and taming hauntings. But only the men are allowed to do so, and the women are married off to rich, non-medium men in order to create more children for the Society. As young as 16, Silas' parents have already engaged him off to Lord Luckenbill's (the head of the Speaker Society) son, Edward Luckenbill. Silas, who wants to run away to transition and become a surgeon, forges his identity and dresses as a different boy in order to gain his Speaker's seal. However, when he arrives, he is given to his brother George to be chaperoned by, who recognizes him immediately. George tentatively agrees to help him, and he goes up in front of the whole society to perform his test and receive his seal. Unexpectedly his test is to execute a woman who practiced opening the Veil, by opening the Veil himself and suffocating her in the land of the dead. He refuses, giving the woman time to stab the guard holding her. Silas and George immediately rush over to help him, and Silas stitches him back together. When George's medical license is threatened over the incident, Silas reveals himself in the presence of his parents. Before he can be taken to jail or executed for such a crime, Lord Luckenbill tells him and his parents of Braxton's Finishing School, a sanitorium for violet-eyed women afflicted with "Veil sickness" to go and be trained to be perfect wives. Veil sickness was nothing more than a hysteria label for women who weren't perfect in the eyes of society, but his parents believed he was afflicted by it and agreed to send him there. Silas tries to flee but is assaulted by his father, before being whisked off by Lord Luckenbill and Edward. He arrives at the school and is immediately made to strip and bathe in front of Mrs. Forrester, a teacher at the school.
He then meets Isabella, another student at the school, along with Mary, a seemingly cruel and manipulative girl, Ellen, a tall girl with a lot of anger who listens very closely to Mary, Louise, who is a little bit of a coward, Charlotte, who believes everything the Headmaster tells her and plays the perfect woman, and 14 year old Agnes. Agnes, who is pregnant by her much older suitor, Dr. Bernthal, is made prepared to leave the school. Angry and encouraged by an equally wrathful Mary, Ellen throws Agnes over the banister of the stairs. When asked who did it, Silas says it was Ellen, and she is taken by the Headmaster and doesn't return. Upon his first meeting with Edward, it is revealed that her name is actually Daphne and she is trans just like Silas. She is very accepting of their engagement and of his autism, and Silas is relieved. During their meeting, letter tiles that Speakers use to communicate with spirits fly out of the cabinet, claiming to be Ellen and another former student Frances, telling Silas to run. Daphne and Silas dedicate themselves to finding out what happened to the girls and bringing it to Lord Luckenbill's attention so he would shut down the school. During this time, Silas is subjected to lessons about being a good wife, and the Headmaster uses physical violence to try and make Silas realize he isn't a boy, and also s*xually assaults him. Silas meets the groundskeeper, who is autistic just like him, and they try to work together to figure out the mystery until they are caught by Mrs. Forrester, the Headmaster's wife. As punishment, the girls are shown one of Dr. Bernthal's patients, a former student named Harriet. Afflicted with "Veil sickness", Dr. Bernthal had removed her tongue, eyes, and teeth, leaving her a tortured shell. Mrs. Forrester has a breakdown as Harriet was one of her fellow students while she was a student there as well.
Desperate for help, Silas writes George to come and visit. He tries to tell him of the missing girls but he calls him sick and crazy, and then shows him why he was really there: to treat Mrs. Forrester. The Headmaster made her walk with glass in her shoes to keep her "Veil sickness" at bay. At the Garden Party, Daphne and Silas discover that the bodies are being kept in the dressing room and wonder how to find a way in. It is also announced that Isabella is to be married to her much older suitor, another doctor, like Agnes. That night, Silas walks into the bathroom to find Isabella cutting her stomach open to remove the three month old fetus inside so she wouldn't be married off. Silas helps her and performs the rest of the C-section, Mary and Louise helping as well. Just as Silas finishes the procedure, the Headmaster and Mrs. Forrester walk in, and he takes Isabella away and the rest of the girls are locked away in their room. Upon being freed, the other girls are allowed to go but the Headmaster and Dr. Bernthal try to detain Silas. Mary attacks the Headmaster and steals the keys to the dressing room. Silas runs down and finds a hidden basement with Isabella's body, where she was vivisected (dissected alive). Frances and Ellen's ghosts are also there. Mary and Silas are then locked in the basement. When the door opens again sometime later, the Headmaster, Dr. Bernthal, and another man are there to vivisect Silas. Silas realizes the other man is his brother George, and begins pleading for his life. He is about to be cut open when Daphne arrives demanding to see Silas, and they get him up and presentable, but threaten to kill Mary if he says anything to Daphne. He manages to tell Daphne anyways, and sneaks into the Headmaster's office with the help of the groundskeeper. He begins searching through files to find evidence of their crimes, but is tricked by Charlotte and Louise and Charlotte calls for Mrs. Forrester. When she arrives, Silas grabs the letter he needs and rips open the Veil, and all of the ghosts Headmaster killed in the war come flooding out, freezing the school and causing it to collapse under the frost. Daphne and Silas race to the basement, where his brother is gone, but Headmaster and Dr. Bernthal are frozen to death. They grab Mary and run and are picked up by Lord Luckenbill.
After a long sleep at Luckenbill Manor, Silas awakes and lets Lord Luckenbill into his room. He shows him the proof of the vivisections, a letter from his brother to the Headmaster, but Lord Luckenbill knew about it. He is only angered by the fact that they touched Silas. Then he reveals that he wants to marry Silas instead of marrying him to Daphne, and that he had been watching Silas since he was a child and waiting for him to be old enough to marry as Silas reminded him of his dead wife. Silas refuses, and Luckenbill tries r*pe him. Silas kills him with a piece of glass to his throat and chews out his eyeballs. Daphne and Mary saw the whole thing, and they escape the manor.
One year later, Silas and Daphne are married and living as their respective genders. Mary invites them to Manchester for Christmas, and when they go, they discover she has also invited Agnes and her baby. Agnes asks Silas if he wants to kill his brother, and the book ends.
Silas Bell (Gloria Bell, Silas Barry): Silas is one of, if not the most, relatable characters I've ever read. His autism was very accurately portrayed, and shows that even if someone "looks normal" they can still be autistic, just masking due to trauma. His anxiety is also portrayed as a rabbit that lives inside of his chest and repeats the words of the people who have abused him. When he decides to refuse Lord Luckenbill and then subsequently kills him, there is a wonderful metaphor/description of him strangling the rabbit and snapping its neck. This isn't a permanent cure for his anxiety, however he no longer lets it govern him and no longer hears his insecurities in the voices of the people who hurt him. I loved his constant stimming, and how it wasn't overdone but definitely still relevant in his every moment. The struggle he has of constantly being around people and sometimes wanting touch and other times not resonated a lot with me personally, as did his feelings about his gender and how that intersected with his feelings about being born female. Another huge thing that I love about the way Andrew Joseph White writes his trans characters is that none of them hate being trans, even when faced with so much hardship because of it. Silas explains that he has a much deeper understanding of himself than most people and even if he could magically make himself "normal" he never would. Silas still experiences trans joy even in the most trying of times and that is one of the most beautiful things about his entire character.
Daphne Luckenbill (Edward Luckenbill, Daphne Barry): I loved Daphne the whole book and how gentle and understanding she was with Silas. She always made a safe space for him, and he did the same for her, and was willing to help him no matter what. I also loved that she didn't at all blame Silas for her father's death, and made no justifications for his disgusting actions.
Mary Carter: You really hate Mary at first because she seems to be very cruel and conniving, but you end up gaining a lot of understanding and sympathy for her. Her connection with Frances and their love surpassing the Veil was moving, and she had an excellent character arc throughout the whole book.
Storyline: I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book. I really thought Silas wasn't going to make it at certain parts and was preparing myself for a tragedy. While some of the plot twists (such as George being one of the doctors doing vivisections) I saw coming, it didn't matter as the reveals were still just as gut wrenching. The body horror was insane but not at all overdone, and the whole thing overall was a beautiful and gory commentary about misogyny, ableism, and transphobia, not just in Victorian England, but even in today's day and age.
Representation: Silas is FtM transgender and bisexual and has autism, anxiety, and trauma. Daphne is MtF transgender. Mary and Frances are lesbians. The groundskeeper was non-speaking autistic. There were not any people of color in this book, but there is an author's note at the end speaking to the historical accuracy of the book where Andrew Joseph White explains that it is important to acknowledge that a lot of the torture and abuse Silas faces in the book was most commonly done on people of color throughout all of history.
Summary: Not only was this book incredibly well written and well researched, it gave very accurate representation of autism that I've never seen before. Just as in Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White portrays the trans experience as so much more than what people think it is on the surface. The way Daphne, Silas, Mary, and Isabella all changed the usage of names and pronouns immediately upon finding out either Daphne or Silas was trans was such a relief after reading the atrocity that was The Art of Being Normal (see earlier book review 2.96 for all of the reasons I violently despise that book). This is definitely one of the best books I have ever read and I will continue to be reading any and everything that Andrew Joseph White writes.
Quotes: "They can't keep scraping away layers of me thinking they can find the girl they want underneath... All of this is me. They can't just remove whatever they want."-Silas Bell (p. 87) "A strange thing about being a boy like me is how difficult it is to untangle the truth of yourself from the world's perception of you. Because, yes, I am a boy. I am just as much a man as my father and brother, just a different kind. Acknowledging this has made my life almost bearable; it's taken a terrible weight off my shoulders, given me an answer for why I feel the way I do. But I still connect with women. I find companionship with them, closeness that cannot be denied, because the world will always do its damnedest to see me as one of them. As long as we are seen the same, we will experience the same. Our lives will be linked. I will be held to the same unfair standards, punished under the same unjust rules. To separate how you are seen from who you are sometimes feels nigh impossible."-Silas Bell (p. 94) "'... I like being like this. All of it. Even if it makes things hard.' And that's true. Knowing these things about myself has given me an insight, an understanding of the way I move through the world that a great many people lack. I would never give that away."-Silas Bell (p. 204) "I tell her that the two of us are the same, mirror images of each other, our experiences so fundamentally opposite that they become identical again."-Silas Bell (p. 301) "If you're expecting some grand wisdom about love... you're sorely mistaken... It's merely asking the other person what they want for supper every day for the rest of your life."-Daphne Luckenbill (p. 378)
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I know I wasn't tagged but I wanted to think about this - thank you @ladyaj-13 for asking anyone to participate! :)
Rules: List ten books that have stayed with you in some way, don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard - they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.
here we go! I literally just made a list of the first 10 14 books I thought of (and then whittled)
'A Prayer for Owen Meany' by John Irving
I read this in school and it really really struck me - I like things to have meaning, for puzzle pieces to slot together, for metaphors to hit home, and to hear a whole life story, and this book really told the whole story of Owen Meany. That so many things had to happen for the climax of the book to succeed is just so many things slotting together in a satisfying (and sad) way. I've read it a few times since and it means something different each time.
'The Hunger Games Trilogy' by Suzanne Collins
I have never before nor since felt like I visualized a book so thoroughly and completely that I actively set out to do costume plates for all the characters when I first read them. Like I researched stuff and made figure base drawings for all of them and got about 30% through and then the movie came out and I lost it. But truly I saw this so clearly in my mind so kudos to Suzanne for describing stuff so in tune with my brain.
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I never had to read this in school, and so it was the first "classic literature" book I read of my own accord. The imagery really does hit you and I can still picture moments in the book as well as the ever present billboard looming over it all.
'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' by Mark Haddon
I still think about the way the inner commentary in this book is laid out and how it felt like the way I thought sometimes and yet sometimes so differently. I have a brother on the spectrum and we talked about it and it really just put some stuff into perspective,both in things it got right (for him) and not. Not to mention just being a great mystery book.
'The Princess Bride' by William Goldman
I think this may be the book I have laughed or smiled the most while reading. It is just so funny and the commentary he gives on this "abridged" version of this "famous novel" is just great. And while the story is similar to the movie they are totally different experiences and both excellent in their respective formats.
'Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames' by Laura Maiklem
I love London. I love social history. I love the history of everyday people and objects. I love collections. I love little treasures of all kinds. I love bodies of water. And this book manages to mix all of those in a wonderful meander down the Thames, telling the history of Londoners as well as the author along the way. I have also mudlarked myself (before it got as complicated as it is today) and it is truly just wild to reach down on the shore of a river and just find pieces of Victorian pottery or Roman roof tiles or animal bones from the 18th century.
'Calvin and Hobbes' by Bill Watterson
Along with reading the strip every Sunday in the paper, we had the collections of comics in our house growing up and I would POUR over them constantly. I think a lot of my humor and some of my social consciousness even stems from reading Calvin and Hobbes.
'The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales' by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
I enjoy stories that take familiar tropes or tales and twists them in clever ways, and I think that was born with this book. I loved it as a child. There was humor and silliness threaded throughout - in the endpapers, in the commentary, written really small and really large and it is just such a fun book to read.
'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold
This was a really intriguing look at the afterlife and what it could be, and what it could mean, and the sense of watching life move on without you. I've read it on 3 different plane rides for some reason because it does really draw you in and I still can picture so many little moments from the novel.
'The Poisoner's Handbook' by Deborah Blum
This was a fascinating look at the exponential growth of forensics in 1920s New York, as well as Prohibition and crime in the city and the lives of working people. I never realized just how much literal poison people were willing to put in their bodies to get drunk (although the alcohol we drink today is also technically poison...) and also how much corruption existed (exists) in New York politics. I like true crime to some degree and this was a great story about poisons but also about the two dudes creating and running the forensic laboratory.
Phew! Honorable mention goes to the Baby-Sitters Club for being my personality for a few years, the Series That Shall Not Be Named that was a huge part of me and my siblings lives growing up, a Danielle Steele novel that I read secretly at 11 where the *imagery* realllllly stuck with me, and Sherlock Holmes, where I couldn't pick a favorite but I just like to imagine that Vincent Starrett poem "Here dwell together still two men of note / Who never lived and so can never die...Here, though the world explode, these two survive / And it is always eighteen ninety-five". Also to The Martian and The Perks of Being a Wallflower for being two books I read in one sitting that I can remember at this moment. Books are awesome!
(I'm not a good tagger because I get self conscious but feel free to do this yourself!! Anyone who wants to!)
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simstorian-blog · 10 months ago
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N O O K S T O N E
(CC List + Links)
World Map: Oasis Springs
Area: Bedford Strait
Lot Size:  20 x 15
(3-bedroom—3 double beds, 2.5 Baths)
Gallery ID: Simstorian-ish
Packs Used
Expansion Packs
Cats & Dogs
City Living
Cottage Living
For Rent
Get Famous
Get Together
Growing Together
Island Living
Seasons
Snowy Escape
Game Packs
Dream Home Decorator
Jungle Adventure
My Wedding Stories
Parenthood
Realm of Magic
Spa Day
Strangerville
Vampires
Stuff Pack
Vintage Glamour
Build Mode
Awingedllama – Simple Windows & Doors
Felixandre – Berlin Pt. 2 (Glass Double Door Short)
Peacemaker – Multi-Level Carpet
Peacemaker – Vaulted Ranch
Simplistic – Elegant Wallpaper (Crane)
Simplistic – English Watercolour Wallpaper (Donegal)
Sooky88 – English Country Wall Set (Plain)
Sooky88 – Victorian Floor Tiles
Buy Mode
Anye – Mertice Chair
Awingedllama – Fluffy Blanket
BlueTeas
Empire Snooker Suspension Lamp
Samara Sconce
Sheer Curtains
CharlyPancakes
Lavish
Munch (Fridge, Stove)
Cowbuild – Mont Blanc Chandelier
Felixandre
Colonial Pt. 2 (Tray)
Fayun Pt. 2 (Linen Armchair)
Florence Pt. 1 (Piano)
Gatsby (Orchid Vase 1 v2)
Gothic Revival (Victorian Bedframe)
Grove Pt. 3 (Painting B, Painting C Leaning)
London (Chandelier Short)
Harlix
Baysic (Packs Wardrobe Clothing - ALL)
Harluxe (AC Control, Light Switch, Mini Bar)
Kichen (Stool)
Orjanic Pt. 2 (Curtains)
Tiny Twavellers (Dino Lamp)
Harrie
Coastal Pt. 7 (Bench)
Octave Pt. 2 (Metal Fireplace)
Octave Pt. 4 (Light Switches)
Shop the Look 2 (Ceramic Side Table, Dining Chair)
Stockholm (Ottoman)
Ice Cream for Breakfast – Ruggable x Iris Apfel Rugs
Joyce – Simple Live #8 (Tofu Bar Chair)
KiwiSims4
Blockhouse Sectional BGC
Blockhouse Bookcase
Leaf Motif – Garden Cover
Lili’s Palace – Intarsia Bedding
Peacemaker
Alesund Sectional
Bowed Bedroom (Bench, Dresser, Furrow Pouffe, Ring Dish, Vanity Table)
Futura Living (Fireplace Medium)
Pierisim
Oak House Pt. 2
Oak House Pt. 4
MCM Pt. 5 (Hair Brushes, Hair Dryer, Hang Clothing, Straightener, Wig Collection)
Unfold (Dragon Tree)
Vera Bathroom (Bathrobe Functional)
Winter Garden (Old Rug)
Woodland Ranch (Double Bedframe w. Canopy, Nightstands, Table Lamp)
Woodland Ranch Pt. 2 (Hanged Dishrack)
Woodland Ranch Pt. 3 (Old Rug)
Myshunosun
Gemini Vase
Luna Slippers
Simplistic
Loloi Rugs (Part I)
Vincent Van Gogh
Vintage Silk Divider
SixamCC – Luggage Cart
Sundays
Kediri Pt. 1 [Ceiling Light, Throw Pillow (solids)]
POP! Pt. 1 (Throw Pillow II)
Sumba Pt. 1 (Pillow Set I)
Swell Pt. 1 (Mattress, Pillows, Throw)
Yarra Pt. 2, 3 (Bed Cushion Set, Duvet)
Syboubou – Wall Panel Mirror
The Townie House Project – Moderno Pouf Ottoman
TaurusDesign
Eliza Walk-in Closet
Lilith Chilling Areas Pt. 1 (SulSul Sign)
Tuds – Turn Lounge
DO NOT REUPLOAD MY LOTS.
DO NOT CLAIM THEM AS YOUR OWN.
DO NOT PLACE BEHIND A PAYWALL.
Tray Files: DOWNLOAD
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transpondster · 2 years ago
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Susan Hiller, Monument
Tate Gallery:
Monument explores memory, death, history, heroism, representation and time. Its subject is taken from a series of Victorian ceramic tiles photographed by Hiller in a London park. These commemorate acts of courage by ordinary men, women and children. Hiller's greatly enlarged photographs draw attention to changes wrought by time and have a powerful formal presence. The sound track, which the viewer should listen to after looking at the photographs, is crucial to an understanding of work; it makes the viewer/listener an active participant and an integral part of the  installation when seen by other spectators. Hiller pioneered installation in the early 1980s. The combination here of sound and image was innovatory.
Gallery label, August 2004
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atotaltaitaitale · 2 years ago
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First stop in London… the toilets.
A very special toilet, a former Victorian Men's loo, home of the Attendant cafe.
This former Victorian toilet has been lovingly transformed into one of London’s top speciality coffee & brunch cafes. Built around 1890 and mothballed in the 1960s, the Attendant was dormant for more than fifty years. After two-years’ of planning and restoration, the original Doulton & Co porcelain urinals have become an inspired line with green seating to match the original Victorian floor tiles.
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robertleechestateagents · 2 months ago
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Amazing Facts About Reigate
We may all think that we know Reigate like the back of our hand but maybe not… here are a few interesting, if not surprising, facts about our beloved town.
On the Rocks
If you were a teenager in the 80’s, Reigate was the not the hub of excitement that it is today. There was no Mishiko’s or Joules but if you were in the know the place to go was On the Rocks, a subterranean nightclub in caves beneath the one-way system – where the Reigate Kebab Shop now stands. The entrance was to a small wine bar but it gave no clue to what was going on below. My own, vague, memory is watching a band while drinking Singapore Slings, it was dark and musty but quite an experience! The club later became Batchelors but sadly was shut down in 1994 due to health & safety reasons and it is believed that these particular caves had to be filled due the traffic going up to the M25.
Churchill Loved Reigate
Throughout history, Reigate and the North Downs have played an important part in the defence of Great Britain. Just 20 miles south of London, this stronghold has the strategic advantage of extensive views southwards, stone, chalk and sand quarries, underground tunnels and hidden byways disguised by plenty of tree cover. This was all familiar territory to Winston Churchill, who became Prime Minister soon after the start of World War II. Over several decades he visited the town, including the grand Georgian manor house on Church Street which is now home to Jack Wills and his signature can also be seen in the guest book of Reigate Priory. The Churchills were often weekend party guests at the Priory, then owned by the former Admiral of World War One, Earl Beatty and his wife.
After the war,m Winston left his legacy in the form of his pet blue & gold macaw Charlie, who rumour had it; lived in an aviary off Flanchford Road until the ripe old age of 105!
The Unusual Church on the Heath
The iconic windmill on Reigate Heath is actually a church. Part of At Mary’s Parish the windmill is thought to be the only one in England consecrated as a church. Regular monthly services are held in the Mill Church during the summer months on a Sunday evening, as well as occasional services throughout the year. The church also holds a popular afternoon Christmas Carol Service each December.
Reigate Heath’s Murky Past
Reigate Heath has had an eventful history; 200 years ago it was a wild unfriendly place, covered with gorse and heather. Woe betide the hapless traveller who ventured into the area on their way from Reigate to Dorking. Highwaymen and brigands lay in wait and it is rumoured that the chimney of a local tavern, ‘The Skimmington Castle’, was used as a look-out post by the robbers to spot their victims approach.
But anyone who was caught and convicted as a highwayman was guaranteed to meet their end on the Heath too. A gibbet was erected at a site now called ‘Galley Hill’, which was named after the gallows which once stood there. Local legend has it, a former landlord of the nearby Black Horse pub in West Street, was hung there after being convicted of highway robbery.
Reigate’s very own Natural History Museum
Behind a wall at the beginning of Croydon Road is one of the UK’s oldest natural history societies. Founded in 1857 the Holmesdale Natural History Club holds a fascinating collection of natural history, archaeology, local history and geology collections. Exhibits range from medieval drainpipes and giant fossil ammonites to an extensive collection of Victorian and Edwardian stuffed birds and locally produced Roman tiles – complete with the footprint of a local Roman dog.
For more information including opening times visit www.hnhc.org.uk
Reigate’s 13 Most Famous Residents
Dame Margot Fonteyn – prima donna ballerina, was born in Reigate in 1919
Spike Milligan – writer and comedian, used to live at Woodhatch in Orchard Way
Norman Cook – Superstar DJ raised in Reigate and attended Reigate Grammar School
David Walliams – TV personality, Author attended Reigate Grammar School
Guy and Howard Lawrence, together as a band known under the alias Disclosure, both born and live in Reigate
Newton Faulkner – English singer-songwriter and musician born in the town
George Best – Manchester United and Northern Ireland football player lived his last years near Reigate
Melvyn Hayes – aka Gloria in It Ain’t Half Hot Mum was a resident of Glovers Road
Cliff Mitchlemore – presenter of the BBC Holiday programme,
Jane Slaughter – Tracey the barmaid from Eastenders.
Phil Tuffnell – Cricketer lives near Reigate
Max Chiltern – British racing driver born and lived in Reigate
Ray Mears – English woodsman, author and TV presenter attended Reigate Grammar School
Want to find out more about how the Robert Leech Reigate team can help you with your property needs visit here.
Content source - https://www.robertleech.com/amazing-facts-about-reigate/
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dry-valleys · 3 months ago
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Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.
St Giles, Newcastle under Lyme (the one in Staffordshire; not to be confused with Newcastle upon Tyne, because someone will).
The grave at (10) belongs to 72 year old Samuel Mayer, who lived here and died in 1838, which shows that a church was here well before the present church was built in 1873 to a design by George Gilbert Scott who also designed countless buildings sacred and profane including Edinburgh Episcopal Cathedral and London St Pancras Station.
(The tower is older and dates back to the 14th century, making it the oldest surviving building in town unless you count the castle itself, which is recorded as far back as 1149, but of which only a fragment is still here).
The pelican seen in (7) is also older, dating back to 1786, and is striking if somewhat random! The building is Grade II listed. (Please see also the Brampton Museum for more on the town).
The pews all have their own motifs and fine wrought iron work, the original of which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and one of which is where the mayor sits at functions (like all Anglican churches, this is also the civic church of the town and serves those who are not regular worshippers or member of the church).
Like nearby Our Lady of the Angels and St Peter in Chains, it is lined with fine Minton tiles; Minton was founded by Thomas Minton in 1793 and became one of the underpinnings of the Potteries, its wares being used around the world including the House of Commons and the US Capitol. (Herbert Minton, son of Thomas, also designed many of the houses which are still among the most sought after in the area).
As a Victorian gothic building it is centred around (3,4) the high altar, designed in 1876 by John Gallimore, and the reredos, which celebrates Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee of 1887.
I was also impressed by the side chapel which is in tribute to the parish men who died in Word War 2 and above it is found the Last Supper.
And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared.
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