#water shrew

[bowelfly]

water shrew..

[life-on-our-planet]

As the smallest diving mammal hunting for this water shrew lasts only a few seconds, but their technique underwater is remarkable. Their eyesight is poor so they rely on foraging along the bottom to find movement with their long whiskers. To find stealthier prey they have the rare ability to smell underwater. By blowing tiny bubbles of air they can detect scent particles in the water. Nature on PBS

[cherrykitkat]

OPEN || OTA Paypal(At least £15 please) > Art > Customs (Heavily preferring money rn as I’m trying to save up for me n spirit’s thorpe park trip-) — Never got to ride it ofc, rip king

[croziers-compass]

Tis a water shrew! Incredible little lads.

From here.

Oh boy I hope this sends good for you.

OHHHHHH FUCK YES A LITTLE SHREW FOR ME

[dustedmagazine]

An overwhelming year: Joshua Moss on 2024

2024 was an overwhelming year in almost every sense, but the subject here at Dusted is music, and music was a phenomenon that was overwhelming in a good way. I fell in love with brand new albums I will listen to for the rest of my life, discovered decades old albums that were like missing pieces of myself, and I didn’t get to albums I might fall in love with ten years from now. My band released eight of our own albums to varying degrees of notice. I did a brief tour, something I had not done for over a decade, and we played more shows than we ever have in a year.

I mention my own musical activities because when you are engaged in DIY music, it's all about connecting with people, and most of them are other musicians with beautiful music to share. Every time we play a show, we are treated to performances by two or three other bands, who almost never disappoint. I had sublime nights around Portland this year. I swooned to jangly pop downers Rosy Boa. I zoned out to mesmerizing finger picking and jazz improvisation from guitar magicians like Will DeLee and Mike Gamble. I lost my mind to the free explorations of the Joel Nelson Group and Water Shrews. We played with French artists Tamagawa and Oldine and connected across the Atlantic with their atmospheric sounds. When I was on tour, I got to meet an online friend and collaborator, John Swanke, and watch him weave his tapestries of New Age guitar. I met drone-folk revivalists Friends of the Road, who put out one of my favorite albums of the year, and I got my face melted by the thrash-metal Grouper vibes of Power Strip. All of this was life affirming - in times that feel haunted by deadly forces that are bereft of creativity or joy, all of this felt like, aside from my family, my main reason for being alive. 

There is an additional vitality that can be added to this practice, because music can be used to materially address the complex issues we face. Many artists, including myself, leverage their fanbase to raise money for good causes, but in the wake of Hurricane Helene, a massive, heavy hitter filled benefit compilation called Cardinals at the Window raised over $300,000 to support those impacted. more recently, the Gold Bolus Recordings label has put out an excellent compilation to benefit Palestinians, called Mandatory Liberation Volume One, featuring artists such as Powers/Rolin Duo and Ashcan Orchestra.

2024 was a great year to be a fan of music too—as fragmented as the digital universe, is, has the effect of multiplying the amount and variety of music released, permutations of genres spiraling like fractals of style. I think every deep music head's dilemma is knowing that we'll miss more records than we ever catch, but it's a wonderful problem to have. Below I have included a list of my 30 favorite albums of the year —  I tried to go under-the-radar as much as was honest — but this is stuff I listened to a lot.

Spiral Pier — Cash Payment (EP)

JPW/Dadweed — Two Against Nurture (EP)

Future — WE DON’T TRUST YOU

Rosali — Bite Down

Daniel Wyche and Patrick Shiroishi — Hopeful Intervals

Jeremy Kizina — Remnants In Repose

Seawind of Battery — East Coast Cosmic Dreamscaper

Cindy Lee — Diamond Jubilee

Penn Bryce — Feel Free

Taylor K Conrad — Mountain Stars

Cassini — The Cassini Project

Friends of the Road — Sunseekin’ Blues

Water Shrews — Red Eared Slider

Myriam Gendron — Mayday

Shane Parish — Repertoire

Rob Dobson — Be Easy

Beth Gibbons — Lives Outgrown

Bill MacKay — Locust Land

Blue Angels — s/t

Quintelium — Dream and Reality

Will DeLee — Improvisations for Guitar and Charango

Niklas Sørensen — Akustisk

Hearts of Oak — Valley of Dark Hills

JM Hart — As We Know It

Kim Deal — Nobody Loves You More

Power Strip — Nothing Yet

Spiral Joy Band — Waves of Higher Bodies

Old Crow Medicine Show — O.C.M.S. (re-issue)

Souled American — Notes Campfire (re-issue)

Grateful Dead — Duke '78 (archival)

[palismet]

the alt. thanks to them opening boards are going to emotionally scar me for life. look at his face. luz is terrified but desperate with a hope she feels is unfounded, needing that optimism to imagine a way out of this that doesn't hurt; that doesn't end in more tragedy?

she thinks they're on the same level of bad but sad. that she did as much as hunter in the name of helping belos, without knowing the whole truth of who belos was, who he is. she's traumatized by it.

she needs to not be alone in it.

the i'll keep your secret if you keep mine is a knife to the heart. we are in this together, she is saying. whether we like it or not, at least we have each other. at least i'm not alone.

but what do you say to that? how do you make a witch's oath without magic? you take it to heart. you hold it closer to anything. there aren't words for a devotion like that, the kind of devotion hunter has led with his entire life, and now, here, it's for luz. it's for everyone, for protecting them, to be able for them to get home again.

it's reminiscent of that good old golden guard loyalty, but remade in the light of this new world, new life. it's a cause to live by, a goal, a dream; and as the story goes, we can see - there isn't much he isn't willing to sacrifice for it, especially if the cost is only himself.

(he has nothing to return for, after all. he has a graveyard, filled to the brim with bones and masks and a future he only narrowly escaped.)

sacrifice - that is something he's been waiting for his whole life. so of course he's willing to risk everything for them. what better ending is there, where at the very least, his friends can go home to where they are loved? where no one has to be afraid, anymore?

[toadalled]

A little shrew Kieran with tasty treats that she totally didn’t steal from a farmer 

[julescarstairs]

I think Emilia Bassano would have loved Wicked.

[wpmz]

i love that despite being on this earth for many years i can still learn about new animals that i've never seen before. theres so many fun creatures in the world and its so wonderful

[dansnaturepictures]

05/01/2024-Brilliant day at RSPB Radipole Lake

Flora and fauna photos taken in this set are of: 1 and 10. Mute Swans which looked angelic in the sun that I got intimate views of today. 2. An enchanting and beautifully coloured male Tufted Duck. 3. A gorgeous Dunnock which I got amazing views of, a key bird of Radipole and a key one this year so far for me. 4 and 9. The surprise star of my trip today, a prepossessing Goldeneye, a duck I adore. I had never seen one here before but saw before leaving one had been around here and I was thrilled to see it, mostly snoozing among Tufted Ducks but also putting its head up and moving it. Some of my greatest ever views of one and it's one of my birds of the year so far. 5. Some of a nice few bits of winter heliotrope. 6. Some eyecatching leaves I believe water parsnip. 7. One of a few Teals I enjoyed seeing. 8. Black-headed Gulls in the car park.

More stunning moments on the great walk round included as I attempted to wade through one of the many areas where water had overcome the path I found myself with a shrew swimming in front of me, my first ever, I believe a Water Shrew which was an exquisite moment of nature watching. Cherishing precious views of a Water Rail deep in cover hearing it too a year tick with my first Shovelers and Common Gull of the year seen at the visitor centre were good moments too. Also at Radipole it was great to see Sparrowhawk really well, Kestrel, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Long-tailed Tits enjoyed again, Great Tit, Pied Wagtail, Little Grebe, Cormorants, Grey Heron and Great Black-backed Gull with Cetti’s Warblers heard multiple times. Other plant highlights were hawthorn berries mixing well with the reeds, teasel seed heads, gorgeous ivy scenes and I got some good views of flies. I also saw a lot from the train on the way/way back including my first Raven, Wigeon, Shelduck, Avocet, Teal, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwits, Great White Egret, Little Egret and Brent Geese of the year, Buzzard, Kestrel, New Forest Ponies, Fallow Deer and loads of Sika Deers in Dorset what a delight to see fields full of them. Winter heliotrope on the way to the station with Song Thrush singing beautifully this morning and this evening as I passed Lakeside and a jumping spider seen at home this evening were good moments too. A really enjoyable day out seeing some great species across the board throughout the day with my new bird and mammal year lists in great places.

[scary-ivy]

I love how many different species of animals are basically just "big wet rat". Big wet rat planet

[bowelfly]

the holy trinity

Desmana moschata | Neurotrichus gibbsii | Sorex palustris

[life-on-our-planet]

Do you have thresher shark stun hunting?? Or any kind of cool unique hunting methods from creatures ❤️❤️Much love as always this blog is seroronin

unfortunately when i looked this morning there wasn't really good footage of thresher sharks doing their tail thing... it's so fast and also they're a pretty shy species!

but actually i do think there are already some cool posts in the tag i use for hunting! and i'll definitely keep an eye out for more~

♡loop

[saltingthecookingwine]

The hippo feels like a gimme honestly.

What Is and Isn't a Fish: a List

A list of the animals I discussed in my fish essay, but for those who don't want to scroll through paragraphs of text to find out if an animal is or isn't a fish. Just CTRL+F your way through here!

I'll add onto here more animals whenever I get asked about them being fish. See my fish essay here!

Fish:

Jawless fish

Hagfish

Lamprey

Cartilaginous fish

Sharks

Dogfish

Whale shark

Chimaeras/Chimeras/Ghost sharks

Ratfish

Ray

Stingray

Skate

Ray-finned fish

Teleosts

Catfish

Eels

Moray eel

Seahorse

Sea dragon

Lobe-finned fish

Coelacanth

Lungfish

Not Fish:

Crustaceans

Krill

Shrimp

Crab

Crayfish/Crawfish/Crawdad

Lobster

Spiny lobster

Triops

Mantis shrimp

Barnacle

Isopod

Copepod

Shellfish

Mollusks/Molluscs

Gastropods

Sea snail

Sea slug

Snails and slugs in general

Sea angel

Sea hare

Sea bunny

Cephalopods

Octopus

Squid

Cuttlefish

Nautilus

Inkfish

Bivalves

Clam

Mussel

Scallop

Oyster

Chiton

Chelicerates

Horseshoe crab

Sea spider

Water mite

Diving bell spider

Cnidarians

Jellyfish/Sea jelly/Jelly

Coral

Sea anemone/Anemone

Siphonophores

Portugese man o' war

Echinoderms

Sea cucumber

Sea pig

Feather star

Sand dollar

Sea biscuit

Sea cookie

Brittle star/Serpent star

Sea urchin

Starfish/Sea star

Comb jelly

Lancelet

Tunicates

Sea squirt

Salp

Annelids

Bristle worm

Bobbit worm

Spoon worm

Giant tube worm

Bone-eating worm

Sea mouse/Sea mice

Feather duster worm

Christmas tree worm

Leech

Flatworm

Amphibians

Salamander

Amphiuma

Mudpuppy/Mud puppy

Waterdog

Olm

Axolotl

Siren

Frog

Toad

Tadpole

Caecilian

Reptiles

Sea snake

Water snake

Snakes in general

Sea krait

Turtle

Snapping turtle

Softshell turtle

Sea turtle

Terrapin

Marine iguana

Crocodilian

Crocodile

Alligator

Caiman

Gharial

Bird

Penguin

Seagull

Loon

Swan

Mammals

Whale

Orca

Baleen whale

Toothed whale

Dolphin

River dolphin

Porpoise

Narwhal

Beluga whale

Sperm whale

Pinniped

Seal

Sea lion

Leopard seal

Elephant seal

Walrus

Sirenian

Manatee

Sea cow

Dugong

Otter

Sea otter

Beaver

Hippo

Platypus

Muskrat

Water shrew

[dustedmagazine]

Water Shrews — Red Eared Slider (Mossy Tapes)

Water Shrews are a Portland, OR based improvisational group with a line-up that ranges from founding member/organizer/Bud Tapes label person Emmet Martin warping tapes and droning on synths and reed organ by themself to a big band — the Free Water Shrew Ensemble — that creates half-hour or so bursts of ecstatic free-folk jazz. Most of these performances end up on a home-dubbed tape or CD-R, in true head fashion. The Shrew’s newest tape is on fledgling UK label Mossy Tapes, founded by artist Jonny Brokenbrow, recognizable for his artwork on many of the sleeves for the Worried Songs label, does not fit the above mold it lies somewhere in between the poles of the Shrew’s free-form galaxy. The music is still improvised, but this album features the original Shrew duo of Martin and multi-instrumentalist/producer Skyler Pia using mostly acoustic and folk-coded instruments in studio settings to go full arcane Pelt-mode over the four lengthy tracks.

Red Eared Slider opens with “Ambulation”, a factually ambulatory, wandering even, duet for acoustic guitars. Drifty, reeling fingerpicking cements the Fahey reference that is perhaps implied by naming the album after a turtle. This song crashes into the following one like a stone breaking the surface tension of a pond. “Water Refraction” fades in with a harmonium drone but begins to plant itself more and more in rhythm and melody over the 14-minute running time, with twinkling raga-like guitar in the background providing a territory for exploration by another guitar and a pedal steel in ruminative conversation. Peaks and valleys of reed organ sometimes bring the song into that heavy, dissonant zone of shadowy backwoods dread you might experience listening to the likes of Tongue Depressor, but Shrews don’t live in those moments, there is more ground to cover, the clouds clear, and by the end of the piece, the weight has dissipated into a call and response of staccato acoustic guitar notes, reminiscent of birds in the morning.

Side B starts with “Green Depths”, a song that evokes its title — if “Water Refraction” was the stone breaking the surface, “Green Depths” is that stone sinking and settling into the soft mud of the bottom. Electronic elements are introduced here; tape loops, a Shrew stand-by. They sound like a sub-aquatic alien om chant, mysterious and crackly, in a submerged temple with a harmonium for an organ. Surfacing from this space on a float of blown reeds comes “Aquatic Steps”, taking listeners full circle on this intra-terrestrial journey with another American Primitive adjacent guitar duet as sunny as the titular slider sleeping on a log in June — at least until it crumbles like a deadfall of noise to close out the tape.

Water Shrew’s discography is hard to pin down, owing to the habit of releasing a tape or CD-R of just about every time the collective sits down to jam. Red Eared Slider is a bit more intentionally produced but the performance is no less improvised, and the musical chemistry between Martin and Pia, their ability to move between sharp edges to smooth contours, is on full display. Red Eared Slider splits the difference between the minimal drone of solo Shrews and the joyful maximalism of the Free Water Shrew Ensemble, making it the perfect place to dip your ears in this group’s never-ending stream.

Josh Moss

[bosbas]

Chapter 4: uh oh, I'm fallin' in love

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: anthony bridgerton x fem!daphne's best friend!reader WC: 2.3k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, idiots in love, anthony being a big softie, mostly fluff, i still ship y/n and daphne tbh

Summary: At her wit's end after Anthony's multiple attempts to scare away her suitors, Daphne employs her best friend's help to keep her brother distracted while she tries to find a husband. It's a foolproof plan, except it ends up working a little too well. (or, a Bridgerton version of The Taming of the Shrew/10 things I hate about you)

June 16, 1812 - “How’s Mr Norwood?” you asked Daphne, sitting on the couch next to her in the Bridgertons’ tea room, her legs on your lap as the rain steadily poured outside.

Your best friend and her hopefully-husband-to-be had been looking particularly cozy as of late, and you knew that you had played no small part in making that happen. Unfortunately, Daphne’s happiness was often overshadowed by the small pang of guilt you felt every time you had a particularly lovely afternoon with her oldest brother.

“Oh, he’s lovely. I do think he’ll propose in the next few weeks,” she said excitedly, her legs dancing excitedly on your lap.

You squealed in response, absolutely elated at the prospect of seeing your best friend in a wedding gown before the end of the season. It’s practically all she’d dreamed about, and you couldn’t believe the time was so close.

“Where will you live? After you marry, I mean,” you asked, twirling a lock of your hair around your index finger. “If I have to travel to another country to see you, I’ll riot.”

Daphne paused, unsure. “We haven’t particularly discussed it. I think his family has a home a few hours away, but surely his older brother will inherit that…”

You sat up straight, realizing this was a sensitive subject. “That’s quite alright, I’m sure your dowry will be more than enough for a simple estate somewhere nearby,” you reassured, patting her legs comfortingly.

If they were truly in love, it wouldn’t matter how small or large their home was. But Daphne only hummed in response, looking out distractedly at the raindrops hitting the window.

Deciding not to press your best friend and potentially cause her more distress, you changed the subject.

Playing with the hem of Daphne’s dress, you said nonchalantly, “I suppose I’ll end things with Anthony right before Phillip proposes. There’s no real point in continuing the façade if Phillip has to ask Anthony for your hand anyway, so it’s not like we can keep going longer than that.”

Daphne narrowed her eyes at you, smiling slightly. “Really? I thought you two were having a lovely time during your courtship.”

You paused, your hand going still for a moment. “Well, of course. We get along quite well. But it’s not real, Daphne. I don’t really have feelings for him and he doesn’t really have any intention of marrying me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure!” you laughed at the absurdity of your best friend’s suggestion, sounding a bit panicked. “I couldn’t truly be interested in him!”

Just then, you heard the front door open and heavy footsteps coming down the hallway.

Recognizing her brother’s footfalls, Daphne called out, “Anthony, I didn’t know you’d gone out riding. It’s absolutely pouring outside!”

“I can’t believe it actually rained,” he groaned, his voice carrying across the hall. “I thought Colin just said that to be a nuisance.”

He peeked his head into the tea room, looking completely disheveled from what you could only assume was a hectic horse ride. His hair was soaking and stuck to his forehead, his sleeves were dripping water onto the carpet, and he was shivering slightly from the cold. And yet, you thought to yourself, he still looked more handsome than any other man in the ton.

“Y/N!” he yelped as his eyes fell on you, sitting comfortably on his couch as Daphne had her legs propped on your lap. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I’m sorry, I would’ve looked more… presentable. Or at least dry.”

It was the oddest thing, he suddenly seemed impossibly shy. You only laughed and shook your head, waving off his apology.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” you smiled, recalling how reckless young Anthony was when it came to riding.

Anthony crinkled his nose, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s different now, though,” he insisted, still sounding out of sorts. “I can head upstairs quickly to make myself presentable and greet you properly.”

“No, that’s quite alright,” you insisted, finding Anthony entirely too endearing at the moment. “I should probably head home anyway; I’ve been here the better part of the afternoon.”

“Let me walk you home at least,” pleaded the positively soaking man at the entrance of the room. “Or even just call a carriage.”

Your home was only a few minutes’ walk away, and you were usually happy to do it on your own. However, looking out the window you realized it probably wasn’t the best idea to head home in this weather.

“Very well then,” you conceded, finding it impossible to say no to Anthony.

“Alright, give me five minutes, then. Just let me change out of these clothes and I’ll be back,” he yelled over his shoulder, already out the door and rushing upstairs.

“So it's all just pretend, then?” asked Daphne smugly once Anthony was gone.

“Oh, shush,” you grumbled, shoving her legs off you.

But Daphne only laughed gleefully, a knowing twinkle in her eye.

---

June 19, 1812 - Anthony had gone into town on a fine Friday afternoon in search of a new pair of hunting boots when he spotted you some distance away. You were accompanied by your lady’s maid, and you seemed to be leaving the modiste.

Apart from noticing how stunning you looked, even in a simple day dress, Anthony realized a few things.

First, you were far enough away from him and positioned in such a manner that there was no chance that you would see him. He could easily just go on with his day, quickly find the pair of hunting boots he came for, and make his way home.

However, the second thing he took note of is that a gentleman such as himself would always go out of his way to greet the lady he was courting. Perhaps it was time to shift away from the tiring rake act he so often put on and act like a Bridgerton.

And finally, he noted that, in reality, he could come back for a pair of hunting boots at any time. However, he couldn’t unexpectedly run into you every day.

So, with all this in mind, Anthony determinedly shouted your name. When you didn’t hear him and kept walking, he yelled your lady’s maid’s name, who turned around to look at who had called for her. Spotting Anthony through the crowd of summer shoppers, your lady’s maid tugged at your sleeve, turning you around so you could see him.

“Oh, Anthony, what a surprise!” you called, unable to help the bright smile that lit up your face.

How gentlemanly, you thought, for Anthony to go out of his way to say hello. Perhaps he had left behind his rakish ways.

“It’s rather hot today, isn’t it?” said Anthony as he reached you, leaning down to kiss your hand in greeting. “What do you say about going across the street and enjoying some tea?”

Your eyebrows raised in surprise. Greeting you unexpectedly and asking to spend time together? This was quite unusual indeed.

“Is there something you wanted to talk about?” you said, somewhat nervously. Had Daphne somehow let her plan slip? “We were due to see each other this evening at the Featherington ball."

Anthony laughed, enjoying your confusion. It felt quite good to be a gentleman, he thought. “Not at all, I just thought I’d take advantage of the fact that I saw you. I’m not particularly keen on depriving myself of the company of a wonderful lady such as yourself.”

You felt your face growing hot, completely floored by how lovely Anthony was being. It was like his usual charm turned up by a factor of ten.

Looking over at your lady’s maid, you raised your eyebrows to ask if it was alright with her if your plans were derailed.

“Nowhere else to be,” she shrugged her shoulders.

“Perfect, then, let’s go,” you smiled at Anthony.

Hooking your hand into the crook of his arm, you couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your stomach. Bit by bit, you were realizing you were in far over your head. So far you couldn’t even see the ground anymore. Anthony was turning out to be completely unexpected.

And though you were practically giddy every time you saw him now, you were also fighting to bury the uncomfortable thought that you might have made a grave mistake trying to mastermind your courtship with him.

---

June 23, 1812 - “Well, I suppose I should get going,” Anthony said to Colin, getting up from his chair as he looked at his watch. “Y/N will surely be expecting me, seeing as how we went to a ball yesterday evening.”

Upon hearing Colin snickering in response, the eldest Bridgerton shot his younger brother an annoyed look.

“Do you think this is funny? Wait a few years and you’ll be doing this, too,” Anthony scoffed.

“It’s not that,” said Colin, still chuckling to himself. “It’s just that she’s been here since this morning. I ran into her and Daphne a few hours ago.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” asked Anthony in disbelief.

Colin shrugged. “I thought you’d surely seen her. You’re the one courting her, after all.”

“Why didn’t she ask for me?” grumbled Anthony, mostly to himself. “Well, even more reason to go see her now. Goodbye, Colin. I would say it was a pleasure speaking with you but based on the last two minutes I don’t particularly think it was.”

In response, Colin half-heartedly crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at his brother. “Say hello to your wife for me,” he teased, knowing Anthony’s aversion to marriage.

But his jab was only met with a slammed door. Anthony was too focused on finding you.

How on earth had he not noticed your presence in his home the whole day? To be fair, before you started courting, you spent copious amounts of time at the Bridgerton residence, with or without Daphne, and he wasn’t always aware until after the fact.

You had practically already been a part of the family, but it felt different now. He felt panicked that he hadn’t already greeted you, and he was worried you would hold it against him.

Rushing down the stairs, he ran into Daphne, who was shuffling through a stack of letters in the foyer.

“Who are you expecting correspondence from? A suitor?” he questioned suspiciously.

“She’s in the sitting room,” answered Daphne curtly.

Without a second thought, Anthony dashed across the hall, bursting into the sitting room.

There, he found you and Hyacinth sitting next to each other on the pianoforte bench. Your hands were on hers as you guided her nine-year-old fingers over the keys to form a melody. Startled, you dropped Hyacinth’s hands and turned to look over at the doorway.

“Is something the matter, dear?” asked Violet calmly from the other side of the room, quite used to the antics of her eight children.

“No, no- not at all,” gulped Anthony, not expecting to have seen you with his youngest sister. “I just heard Y/N had stopped by, is all.”

“That’s kind of you,” you said, smiling softly at the man you were courting. “Hyacinth seems to be a natural at the pianoforte.”

“Better than Gregory anyway,” said Hyacinth haughtily, eliciting a hearty laugh from you.

“Well, run along, then, Hyacinth,” urged Anthony. “I believe I should like to speak with Y/N.”

Hyacinth groaned, “She’s not yours Anthony. I believe I should like to stay," she said petulantly. "I was having such a lovely time with Y/N before you interrupted.”

She hugged you tight, lest Anthony tried to make her leave by force. Laughing, you hugged her back, patting her head soothingly.

“No one’s making you leave, Hyacinth,” you shot Anthony a playful glare. “I apologize for not finding you earlier, Gregory has just learned how to play chess and wanted to play a match. And then Hyacinth came in and thought it quite unfair that I had spent such a long time with Gregory and not her. And then, well, you know how they are…” you explained, your voice full of fondness for the youngest Bridgertons.

“Oh, do I,” said Anthony, walking over to ruffle Hyacinth’s hair affectionately. “Who won the chess match?”

Resigning himself to the fact that his little sister wouldn’t leave, Anthony made himself comfortable on the couch closest to you. And though he was hoping to spend some time alone– well, chaperoned– with you, he couldn’t deny that his heart was doing all sorts of gymnastics in his chest at the thought of the care you had for his siblings.

“We each won one and the third was a stalemate,” you responded, winking at Anthony and running your fingers through Hyacinth’s hair. “He’s quite good.”

“I want to learn how to play chess,” whined Hyacinth, detesting the fact that you and Gregory shared something she couldn’t join in on.

“I can teach you next time I stop by,” you promised, smiling fondly at her. “It’s quite a fun game, once you understand the rules.”

And at that very moment, Anthony knew he loved you. It had happened slowly, and then quite suddenly he was extremely aware of it. Much like you had made your way into the Bridgertons’ lives, you had made your way into his heart.

He knew he would be a fool not to see it. All he ever wanted was to take care of his family, and seeing you feel the same way was doing all sorts of things to his heart that he found impossible to ignore. You cared so deeply about his family, and it was difficult not to imagine the pair of you having a child of your own.

Anthony had decided. This was the first and last courtship he would ever have. He was falling faster than he could imagine, and he didn't particularly want to do anything to stop it. 

—

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