#margaret oliphant

[inposterumcumgaudio]

Gemma Olsen?

Gemma, Gemma, Gemma!

Everyone always says they want Prudence DLC, but why would you want that when you could have Gemma DLC?

We only actually see Gemma for this brief moment, but her impact on the story is immense.

I will admit that on my first few playthroughs, though, Gemma's storyline was confusing to me. As it was, I thought these Doctors were taking her to Haworth Labs. They seem to work for Dr. Verloc to judge by the dialogue in Gemma's living room after this scene so that would make sense. However, we later learn that she was actually taken to Wellington Health. The actual order of events is that Gemma has escaped from Haworth Labs and just now returned to her home to find these Doctors waiting to whisk her away to Wellington Health.

Arthur has a cut line implying that Gemma was being taken to Haworth Labs (although he'd have no way to know that):

028i Looks like I've got another reason to go to Haworth Labs. And a really good reason not to get caught there.

That the final cut of the game has her going to Wellington Health instead I think also contributes to the popular but unsubstantiated idea that the rivalry between Wellington Health and Haworth Labs is anything more than a clash of personalities. Even still, the two organizations do seem to be somewhat cooperative in this case, leadership disagreements or not.

As for Gemma's relationship with her organization's leadership, it seems quite friendly. Gemma refers to Margaret as "Chief", Margaret's memos are casual and even playful (referring to herself as "headmistress" while gently chiding Gemma for taking too long to deliver her article on the Tunnel Rats), although she also expresses worry. From what she says to Arthur, Gemma's her only reporter that's worth any kind of damn.

Howeveur...

Margaret is also not entirely forthcoming with Gemma about her intentions. She sends Gemma to the Motilene HQ on the pretense of writing an(other, according to Peter Thump) puff piece on the arts and (sub)culture, but with a vague appended notion to look into rumors about leaks in the pipes.

It's difficult to say how much of that is Margaret just giving Gemma a subtle prod in a direction or if it's understood by both of them that this is really what Margaret wants to know about. Because for as much as Gemma loves to know things she's not supposed to, she also recognizes that none of this can be published and wonders how much she should tell Margaret... while it is, in fact, Margaret's secret plan to publish it.

You what though? Margaret gives Gemma this assignment on September 23rd, 1964, but Gemma checks into Haworth Labs Personalized Care Program on September 2nd. But she'd have actually had to have followed though on the Motilene HQ assignment to have all those notes about it and be telling her caretakers that the town is about to collapse.

A discrepancy in this game? No!

A couple things our patient notes tell us:

Gemma has a mother still kicking about. Probably? Possible this is a Coconut delusion or a misremembrance from her previous Joy use. Her house shows no indication that her mother lives with her. A mother probably wouldn't let you leave your work (with Downer shit in it) everywhere, tack up conspiracy boards all over the walls, and put typewriters in every room. Including the bathroom.

I do like to think, though, that the Crier that lives on the top floor of Thomasina House in Arthur's act is Gemma's mother.

And it's flown right out of my head.

By George, I think I've got it!

I don't know why you encouraged me, I'm rubbish at it.

I don't suppose you've got any ideas.

If I just had some inspiration.

If only you could just be a writer.

Is that a cliché?

It came easy to you, didn't it?

"It's easy, isn't it? You just sit down at your desk and open up a vein."

No wonder I can't write anything, look at this sink.

Nothing gets you ready to write like a little cleaning.

Out damn spot! Out, I say!

Shit you might say if someone close to you was a successful writer and encouraged you to try too because they love you and maybe you're old and should get a hobby.

The other thing of note here is that Gemma attempts to seduce one of her caretakers to bribe him to let her out. That could be an act of desperation, but given the playful nature of her own notes to herself and that the staff has also noted her as being manipulative and a saboteur? Spy shit! Love that for her.

Regrettable that we never see her plying these wiles firsthand. But if you wanted to suppose about it, there's plausible options.

For one thing, Gemma's got quite a few of William Godwin's seditious flyers on her study's conspiracy board. Surely then she attended one of his rallies. That's follow-up on a lead. Unfortunately, William's activities are simply one piece of the disjointed tapestry of shit going on around Wellington Wells. Remember when I said Gemma didn't have the whole picture and was trying to fit in pieces that were not part of the Verloc puzzle? You have access to William before you get to Gemma's house so that's another clue for you that she's got some red herrings in her theory.

Gemma also spent a lot of time in the partitioned company of Harry Haworth.

The cut lines I found the other day indicate that Harry, though apparently still obsessed with his phrenology, was mostly sane and salient. Yeah, he's sixty-four, but why not? What else has she got goin' on?

I suppose that means that the first patient who needs you to clap or she'll die could be Gemma rather than Vanessa, although I think Arthur would have a line about it if she was.

One last thing that I think people miss about Gemma is that she must be some sort of handy. She has a workbench in her greenhouse.

And there's Mechanical Bits in her hidden go bag.

Because that is what this is. This is why she came back to her home.

This bug out kit includes:

Mechanical Bits (for crafting Disposable Safe Crackers, Electro-Lock Shockers, Music Boxes, Polarity Devices, or Shortspikes - any of which would be particularly useful to Gemma)

Scotch (for bribing Constables)

Intimidator (a skill book on self-defense that she probably should have read beforehand)

And in her suitcase: 15 Sovereigns, a Rubber Cat Suit, a Tickler, and an invitation to the Reform Club.

Sally will soliloquize that the Reform Club could have helped her:

I almost miss going to the Reform Club. I bet some of them could help. And they never ask awkward questions. But I'd have to be Naughty Nurse again, and I'm just not that.

Well, apparently Gemma didn't let a tiny thing like giving a little slap and tickle stand in the way of her freedom (although that she has a Tickler suggests she's not into the punishment aspect). Whatever it is that they do at the Reform Club, Gemma apparently knew about it and intended to use it as her escape plan in case she got in too deep. Unfortunately she was intercepted before she could get to it.

As to what happened to her beyond that? We have the Doctors in Wellington Health's statement that she was "kept for observation" and this particularly grim scene in the Intake Evaluation room:

Although I have to think whatever Intimidator tactics you are applying are not as intimidating if you have to look them up mid-interrogation.

If you're an optimist though, I've got this for you:

The administration offices of Wellington Health's school have been converted into patient cells since they apparently can't find anyone to teach anymore. But the last one, Admissions, is empty. I mean, she escaped from Haworth Labs too. Possible that a handy Gemma scoured this room for materials and fashioned an escape from this room too.

She does write in cursive usually, but she has been known to do an all caps for emphasis. "BUT DO THEY EVER RETURN???" indeed.

#gemma olsen #margaret oliphant #we happy few

[we-joyless-few]

thinking about some kind of additional side quest in Act I- possibly as an optional part of “Start Spreading the News” -where you see Foggy Jack and have to go tell Margaret Oliphant about your findings

idk, just a thought i had while here at work :3

#foggy jack #we happy few #from the parade #margaret oliphant

[aliteraryprincess]

May 2023 Wrap Up

May ended up being a great month. My course wrapped up for the semester, and I continued to be very happy with my students. I went to the British Women Writers Conference at the University of Virginia, which was amazing. And now it's on to summer break!

Books Read: 5

And we go from 15 books last month to 5 books this month. Oh well. At least almost all of these were good (and even though So Happy For You wasn't, it at least entertained me for an afternoon). Mortal Follies was definitely my favorite of the month. Highly recommend!

So Happy For You by Celia Laskey - 1.5 stars

The Mystery of Mrs. Blencarrow & Queen Eleanor and Fair Rosamond by Margaret Oliphant - 4.5 stars

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black - 4.5 stars

Becoming a Woman of Letters: Myths of Authorship and Facts of the Victorian Market by Linda H. Peterson - 4 stars

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall - 5 stars

On Tumblr:

There's not a whole lot here, but definitely check out the adorable card one of my students gave me. It's amazing!

April Wrap Up

A card from one of my Brit Lit students

Holly Black Poll

Tortall Poll

Selections for a Fairy Tale Course

On YouTube:

And there's a fair bit on here, as usual.

What I Read for #picturethis

What I'm Teaching in British Literature III: Modernism

April Wrap Up - 15 books!!!

My Brontë Book Collection

Currently Reading 5/15/23

Underrated Victorian Recommendations #6

June TBR

#booklr #may wrap up #monthly wrap up #books #book photography #wrap up #margaret oliphant #the mystery of mrs. blencarrow #holly black #the stolen heir #becoming a woman of letters #linda peterson

[unsymptotally]

A little while ago, I did a drawing of Margaret Oliphant as she looked, in my head, throughout my fanfic that takes place in late 1959/early 1960. By the end, however, the masks have been introduced, and I thought I would update here to reflect that. Changing the hairstyle seemed more involved, so I’ll leave that for another time.

#we happy few #whf #whf fanart #we happy few fanart #my art #margaret oliphant #I hate how the happy face mask obliterates one’s eyebrows; it’s why I’m always drawing Downers

[leer-reading-lire]

“Y algunos consideran un gran honor tener un fantasma mientras no se tropiecen con él en ningún momento”.

—La puerta abierta, Margaret Oliphant.

#margaret oliphant #the open door #victorian literature #frases de libros #citas de libros #book quote #currently reading #ghost stories #booklr

[m--bloop]

The Library Window (Margaret Oliphant)

#writing #the library window #margaret oliphant #excerpt

[thegothiclibrary]

Christmas Ghost Stories, Part 3

’Tis the season … for Christmas ghost stories! In recent years, I’ve been all about bringing back the classic tradition of livening up the winter months by sharing tales of terror. After all, encounters with the spirit world are the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! You can see some of the seasonally spooky tales I’ve previously recommended here and here. But if those aren’t enough…

View On WordPress

#At Chrighton Abbey #At Crighton Abbey #Christmas #Christmas ghost stories #ghost stories #Leanna Renee Hieber #Margaret Oliphant #Mary Elizabeth Braddon #Not More Lovely Than Full of Glee #Short stories #The Open Door

[incorrectlooneytunesquotes]

For everybody knows zat eet requires very leettle to satisfy le gentlemen, eef a woman weell only geeve her mind to eet.

Pepe le Pew 

#Pepe Le Pew #source: margaret oliphant oliphant

[lovely-abeille]

hello! could you please do a webweaving on slow living and/or repetition? i love the concept of enjoying the journey rather than the destination<3

aquarium mental v, georges rodenbach // the fourth sign of zodiac, mary oliver // kahil gibran // song, allen ginsberg // eleanor oliphant is completely fine, gail honeyman // eating fire, margaret atwood

#web weaving #web weave #parallels #poetry fragments #fragments #poetry #poem #quotes #dark acadamia quotes #slow living #margaret atwood #mary oliver

[strangestcase]

I’m trying to start reading gothic literature, but I don’t really know where to start. What books in the genre would you recommend?

Cracks knuckles.

Start off with a selection of Edgar Allan Poe short stories. There's a reason he's considered the best Gothic writer. Most if not all of his fiction falls squarely into the gothic genre, even his non-horror production. The more you read the better, but The Fall of the House of Usher is one of the best representatives of the Gothic you can find. Also check out his poetry and scientific essays, if you can, the guy was a real Renaissance man. He also wrote one novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, which, along with Lovecraft's In the Mountains of Madness and Cambell's Who goes there? aka The Thing From Another World constitutes some sort of "trilogy" (since each story was based on the one prior).

Then you can move on to other short story selections. Short stories are easier to read and digest, I think, and plenty of fun. I recommend the following authors:

J. Sheridan Le Fanu- Irish writer that took a page from Irish folklore and legends. Madam Crowl's Ghost is a favorite of mine.

R. Louis Stevenson- usually a children's author, Stevenson liked to merge genres and used pretty interesting concepts for his horror production.

Guy de Maupassant- he was commisioned to write, so he often recycled entire concepts and plots, leaving us with many different versions of the same story (and a lot of heavy-handed morals. god bless).

Charles Dickens- predictably enough, he specialized in ghost stories

M. R. James- James' short horror stories have some of the most interesting monster concepts I've ever read, from a haunted dollhouse that recreates the events of a real-life haunting, to a possessed pattern print.

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer- little man puts the "Dark Romanticism" in, well, Dark Romanticism. If you know Spanish, do yourself a favor and read his short stories untranslated.

Elizabeth Gaskell- wrote plenty of good horror stories, and often from a female perspective, which is always a treat.

Bram Stoker- his stuff is very hit or miss, but when he hits, he hits hard. Read The Judge's House for a very nasty ghost story and then toss Stoker into the garbage because everything else he wrote is either comically racist or just dumb.

And now as for specific must-read short stories:

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman- maybe the true monster was medical misogyny all along! (Obvious content warning for graphic medical abuse, misogyny, and domestic abuse.)

What was it? by Fritz O'Brien- short story in the vein of "hey wouldnt it be fucked up if this happened?" Don't read if you have sleep paralysis.

The Open Door by Margaret Oliphant- a missing child, a mysterious door, and forces beyond human comprehension.

The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood- would you spend a full night in a haunted house? (Very paranoia inducing, it's such a treat.)

The Ghostly Rental by Henry James- in which the "ghosts" aren't actually ghosts, but something far, far weirder and cooler.

The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs- this tear-wrenching and suspenseful little tale will forever remind you to be careful what you wish for...

The gothic literature "classics", as in, full lenght novels and short novellas, can be a bit difficult to read due to length. My personal recommendations are:

Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley- a foundational text of science fiction with a nestled narrative frame and themes of personal and social responsability, bodily autonomy, and freedom. Young alchemist Victor Frankenstein attempts to blur the line between life and death, and unwittlingly sets off his downfall in the process by creating a humanoid creature he can't control and won't respond to. CW child death, death by axphysiation, incest, description of unsanitary environments.

Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by R. Louis Stevenson- it is considered the first modern psychological horror story, and, while it's a mere sixty pages long, each and every one of them is packed with a dark revelation about tight-laced Victorian society. When his lifelong friend writes up a suspicious will leaving everything to a stranger, a lawyer decides to look into it, leading him down a spiral of discoveries all related to a disturbing experiment. CW suicide, graphic descriptions of violence, drug abuse.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan le Fanu- very much a classic vampire tale, with an interesting sapphic spin, in which the predatory lesbian trope bleeds, pun intended, into a twisted love story. Laura is a young girl who considers herself prim and proper, until the day the charming Carmilla stops by the family manor claiming to be her soulmate, sparking off a romance marked by a series of strange events. CW implied sexual assault, gore.

The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde- I consider it an early attempt at daylight horror, and while the plot is mostly romantic drama (canonically bisexual romantic drama!), the descriptions make everything else worthwhile. Beautiful model Dorian Gray's life is changed when he befriends a cunning aristocrat, which prompts him to wish to remain young forever while his portrait ages in his place... and his wish is granted. CW extreme antisemitism, suicide, graphic descriptions of gore and violence.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James- a ghostly classic which is marked by its ambiguity and the opacity of its plot, all which make it all the more disturbing, if a little hard to follow at times. Bly Manor has appointed a new nanny to take care of a pair of twins, but soon enough, she finds out not all is well in the house, and a dark force might be preying on the children. CW implied incest, implied child abuse.

The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen- technically an example of very early cosmic horror, sitting at the intersection between Poe and Lovecraft, and clearly influenced by late Victorian scientific advancements. Some particularly gruesome deaths lead a group of men to slowly uncover the past of a one Helen Vaughan, and nature of a procedure performed on her mother before her conception. CW implied child abuse, suicide, sexual harrassment, human experimentation, extreme intersexism.

And those would be it!

#doc talks #gothic fiction #gothic literature

[inposterumcumgaudio]

Poedit Cut/Unused Content: Cub Reporter

I can't remember if I was looking for more context into Arthur's "two week vacation" or if I was just in the neighborhood because all my homies love Gemma Olsen (and also Buster and Gordo), but in either event, I went through and dug up a buncha "Cub Reporter" stuff.

"Cub Reporter" is fairly significant in the plot and so obviously underwent a lot of revisions. The lines don't all follow in order, some entries seem to have actually been removed, and the quest originally also seemed to cover "Start Spreading the News" so I'm just gonna dump the whole thing and highlight the stuff I think is interesting.

It starts with Mrs. Oliphant.

000 Curiouser and Curiouser.

001 Arthur! Arthur Hastings!

003 You're the one who was taking all that Joy towards the end.

004 Oddest thing. I had one. He just went on holiday.

007 Where did you go? When you disappeared for two weeks? Did you ever put it together?

009 Arthur, nothing I'd love better than to give you a new press pass. But I have to know that you're ... managing better.

010 Look... there's all sorts of silly rumours coming out of the tunnels. Gas leaks, water main breaks, maintenance workers at the pub instead of their posts. If that was all true, Wellington Wells would be about to fall apart.

011 If you could go down there and let me know ... I'm sure it's all fine down there ... let me know it's all okay ... then you've got your old job back.

013 Yes, of course. That would be brilliant. But first, the tunnels. Show me you're as good as you used to be. Then I'll send you to Uskglass with a press pass. Agreed?

014c My old office! That was fun, being a reporter.

014d I used to have an Adulator, didn't I! Kept me from getting in trouble with crowds!

014e If I could get my old job back, I'd get my Adulator back. That could come in handy!

014f Who's going to let me upstairs?

014f Receptionist is out for coffee. Typical. How am I supposed to get upstairs, then?

014g Huh. I bet if I got the coffee machine working, they'd all head off to the kitchen for a nice cup of joe.

014h We just have to have faith, that's all. She'll come back with the coffee. We just have to pray she will.

014i I can't stand tea! I must have coffee!

014j If someone would just have a bloody wedding, then I could get a cup of coffee!

014k A lady just can't go without coffee these days, it's unthinkable!

014l If I don't get some coffee soon, I'm going to shoot somebody.

014m I've a sneaking suspicion that they want some coffee.

014n Excuse me, the door upstairs is locked...

014o Pardon me, do you think someone could let me upstairs?

014p Unless it's the Second Coming, I can't be bothered!

014q Not now, I'm running just to keep up!

014r Just like my sisters, always pester pester pester!

014s Let's see if I can get Mrs. Oliphant to give me my old job back. And my old press pass.

015 Arthur! I thought you'd gone ... well, you're here, so I suppose you're all right after all!

015a How rude! Can't you see I'm working!

016 Old place hasn't changed at all, has it?

016a If you don't stop pestering me, I'll murder someone! I swear I will!

017 Where did you go? When you disappeared for two weeks? Did you ever remember?

018 I must have had too lovely a time. Hah hah.

019 I was hoping you could use a reporter.

020 I'm afraid I've got a half dozen of them. Bloody useless, the lot of them. I've got six pieces on my desk, all about the new flavour of Joy. Can you imagine, it's coconut.

021 Didn't Dr. Verloc make that announcement ... some time ago?

022 Oh, I wish I had a spare press pass for you.

023 Gemma wanted to do a piece on him. I hope she hasn't fallen in a hole somewhere. I haven't seen her in days.

024 It's bloody frustrating, too. There's all sorts of ... silly rumours about the tunnels under Wellington Wells. Gas leaks, water main breaks, maintenance workers at the pub instead of their posts. If that were all true, Wellington Wells would be about to fall apart. I asked her to do a story about it.

024a It's bloody frustrating, too. There's all sorts of silly rumours about gas leaks and whatnot down in the tunnels. As if Wellington Wells was about to fall apart. So I asked her to write a story about the tunnel workers and how they keep themselves entertained. You know, with the art, and the singing.

025 Oh. Well. I'm sure she'll turn up, and everything will be peachy.

026 I'm sure it will. Lovely to see you, Arthur! Drop by any time.

027 Gemma was a real reporter. Always digging up interesting stuff, from what I can remember. I wonder why she hasn't come back? Maybe I should poke around her desk?

028 Hmmmm. Where does she keep her notes?

028a It's in some sort of code. Huh. I don't think that's Gemma's handwriting.

028b How do I read it?

028c If I read it top to bottom then right to left… “Verloc's looking for a permanent solution.” Oh, that's not ominous at all. Solution to what?”

028d That's Gemma!

028e Should I try to rescue her? No, it's too dangerous!

028f Where are they taking her?

028g Why did they take her? She sounds quite sane!

028h Did she know too much? About what?

028i Looks like I've got another reason to go to Haworth Labs. And a really good reason not to get caught there.

028j Toxic fog...?

028k Electrocutions...

028l Cyanide?

028m If I finish Gemma's investigations, Mrs. Oliphant would have to give me back my old job. And then I'd have a press pass.

029 Maybe I should see what's become of old Gemma.

030 Sorry, Arthur! Terribly busy right now!

030a I probably shouldn't bother her until I've got the goods on Gemma's investigation.

Did you know there's a character limit per "block" of bulleted points? 4096! The more you know.

031 Terribly busy, what is it?

032 Gemma's been taken away. I saw two doctors shove her into a Popper.

033 Oh my goodness. Why?

034 She was digging into the tunnels. That didn't come out right. I followed up. The whole underground is sort of falling apart.

035 Oh my.

036 That's why you sent her, wasn't it? Not to write about the Tunnel Rats.

037 I certainly couldn't print a story like that, could I?

038 The Joy's gone bad. And Dr. Verloc knows. But he's telling them not to worry, he's got some sort of permanent solution.

039 That doesn't sound ominous at all.

040 That's sort of exactly what I thought...

041 If I had a press pass, I could get into Haworth Labs.

042 After what happened to Gemma? Dr. Verloc -- he's sort of his own law there.

043 I have some ... personal business there.

044 If I'm ... not here when you get back. If you've found something out ... see if you can't publish it. Those numpties out there know how to put the ink on the page, but the only articles they ever read are their own.

045 You're getting out? How?

046 Oh, I wouldn't even know how to get out. But you never know when I might stop printing lies. And they won't like that.

047 Maybe I should drop in on Gemma at home. If she's really vanished, then maybe I can get my old job back.

047 My god, it's all boarded up! What happened?

048 That's coming from Gemma's house! That's a bit awkward.

049 I'm not getting in that way.

050 Just here to read the meter!

051 I guess someone noticed she's not been around and decided to rob the place.

052 I better turn that alarm off. I'm going to need time to figure out what happened to Gemma.

053 ARE YOU GOING TO TURN THAT FUCKING ALARM OFF?

054 Shit.

055 YOU BETTER NOT BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER TRAIN SET UP THERE!

056 I SWEAR BY ALL THAT IS HOLY, IF I FIND ONE TOY TRAIN IN YOUR SWAG BAG, I'M GOING TO KNOCK YOUR LAST TOOTH DOWN YOUR THROAT!

057 GORDO! TURN THAT FUCKING THING OFF AND COME BACK DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW.

058 If the alarm's upstairs, I'm going to have to get past Mr. Shouty here.

059 Who the fuck are you?

060 I live here.

061 Love what you've done with the place.

062 What the fuck?

063 Fucking ears are playing tricks.

064 Who's there?

065 Fucking ghosts?

066 My ears should recover in a few days.

067 NO I WILL NOT KEEP MY VOICE DOWN!

068 I AM A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN!

069 I AM NOT UPSET! I'M HAPPY AS A CLAM! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TOUCH ME!

070 I'M A REPORTER! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TOUCH ME!

071 YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL I'VE TAKEN MY JOY!

072 YOU CAN'T TAKE ME AWAY I'M NOT SICK! OR UNHAPPY!

073 HELP! POLICE! HELP! SOMEONE STOP THEM!

074 Christ. More of them. You used to have to wait to see a doctor!

075 Gemma! I would never have pictured it! ... I'm not sure I actually want to, come to think of it.

076 Should we just take everything?

077 I don't think Dr. V would like that. The constabulary might notice.

078 I don't see anything talking about Dr. V here. Where's her study?

079 I thought vampires had to be invited in.

080 Downer!

081 That ought to buy me some time.

082 Open up in there!

083 Who are you?

084 Come out! We're friends of Gemma!

085 She needs our help!

086 Will you look at that! You've been a busy girl, haven't you, Gemma.

087 I think I've found everything. Doesn't look like she found all the answers yet.

088 I guess I'd better go see what's going on in this Motilene Regulation Unit. Maybe the answer is there.

089 And my old Adulator, if you've still got it.

090 Great. I've got all my press stuff back. That ought to be handy. You can show up all sorts of places regular people shouldn't go.

091 I'll have to break in somehow.

091a Maybe I can find some answers inside, if I can get in somehow.

092 Someone's ransacked the place. I hope Mrs. Oliphant got away.

093 You mustn't go around publishing the truth. What will people think?

094 Is that ... some sort of secret door? How do I open it?

094a Odd bit of wall. Doesn't look like the rest.

095 Doesn't look like it takes a key. I wonder if she got Dr. Faraday to make one of those clever puzzles for her. They were chums back in school.

096 So this is where she published the Unpleasant Issue.

To summarize:

Arthur apparently was taking a LOT of Joy before he disappeared, such that Mrs. Oliphant noticed and originally she would be reluctant to reinstate him because of this. She doesn't seem to consider this a concern in the final cut so this detail might be genuinely cut rather than disused.

There seems to have been a bit of a switch between Arthur giving warning signs and his having left the paper with no warning at all. No warning at all seems to be the one decided on.

Orrrr it might have been that his two week holiday and the end of his career as a reporter are not exactly the same event.

Does the Adulator work on more than one NPC at a time? I don't know, I know what I'm doing so I never have to use it.

"Should I try to save Gemma? Ehhh, nah."

Arthur's line about having two reasons to go to Haworth Labs kinda implies that Gemma was originally taken there rather than Wellington Health as she is in the game. Or at least that he assumes that's where she would be taken.

My boy Buster had more lines for yelling at Gordo and you apparently could have snuck past him in an older iteration of the quest, but he could also hear you.

Margaret's cat puzzle office might have been designed by Dr. Faraday, with whom she was old school friends. Loooove that for them. Also, noting now that she calls her staff a bunch of "numpties" in Faraday's fashion.

In the final cut, Margaret did not actually succeed in printing the Unpleasant Issue since it's not mentioned and her secret room has not been discovered, but she must have done so in an earlier draft of the quest.

#arthur hastings #margaret oliphant #gemma olsen #buster edwards #gordon goody #we happy few #poedit #cut/unused content

[p1325]

The 'Timeless Classics' series by RBA stands as a commendable collection of 85 literary masterpieces, predominantly drawn from English literature, with notable inclusions such as Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina from diverse cultural landscapes. This curated anthology transcends geographical boundaries, making its enriching content accessible not only in various European countries under the names of ''Storie Senza Tempo'', ''Romans Eternels'', and ''Novelas Eternas'' but also in South America. RBA's commitment to delivering these cultural gems on a global scale reflects a dedication to fostering a profound appreciation for literature across diverse audiences.

Here are all the titles of the following collection: Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice

Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights

Louisa May Alcott - Little Women

Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre

Jane Austen - Sense and Sensibility

Edith Wharton - The Age Of Innocence

Jane Austen - Emma

Gustave Flaubert - Madame Bovary

Jane Austen - Northanger Abbey

Edith Wharton - The House of Mirth

Jane Austen - Persuasion

Louisa May Alcott - Good Wives

Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter

Charlotte Bronte - The Professor

Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina (Part 1)

Leo Tolstoy - Anna Karenina (Part 2)

Jane Austen - Mansfield Park

Anne Bronte - Agnes Grey

Thomas Hardy - Far from The Madding Crowd

William Makepeace Thackeray - Vanity Fair (Part 1)

William Makepeace Thackeray - Vanity Fair (Part 2)

Pierre-Ambroise-François Choderlos de Laclos - Dangerous Liaisons Alexandre Dumas fils - The Lady of the Camellias

Henry James - Washington Square

Louisa May Alcott - A Garland For Girls

Henry James - The Portrait of A Lady (Part 1)

Henry James - The Portrait of A Lady (Part 2)

Jane Austen - Lady Susan. The Watson. Sanditon

Anne Brontë - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Thomas Hardy - Tess of the D’Urbeville

Edith Wharton - The Mother’s Recompense

Daniel Defoe - Moll Flanders

Henry James - The Wings of the Dove

Edith Wharton - The Customs of the Country

Kate Chopin - The Awakening

Jane Austen - Juvenilia

George Eliot - Middlemarch (Part 1)

George Eliot - Middlemarch (Part 2)

George Sand - Nanon

Henry James - The Ambassadors

Elizabeth Gaskell - Cranford

Thomas Hardy - Under The Greenwood Tree

Edith Wharton - Summer

George Sand - Indiana

Henry James - The Bostonians

George Eliot - Silas Marner

Henry James - The Golden Bowl (Part 1)

Henry James - The Golden Bowl (Part 2)

Edith Wharton - The Twilight Sleep

Emily Eden - The Semi-Attached Couple

Edith Wharton - The Glimpses of the Moon

Mary Elizabeth Braddon - Lady Audley’s Secret

George Eliot - The Mill on the Floss

Elizabeth Gaskell - Mary Barton

Fanny Burney - Evelina

George Sand - Little Fadette

Emily Eden - The Semi-detached House

Charlotte Brontë - Shirley I

Charlotte Brontë - Shirley II

Daniel Defoe - Lady Roxana

Theodor Fontane - Effie Briest

Edith Wharton - The Cliff

Thomas Hardy - Two on a Tower

Frances Hodgson Burnett - A Lady of Quality

Louisa May Alcott - Moods

Lucy Maud Montgomery - The Story Girl

Elizabeth Gaskell - Ruth

Thomas Hardy - The Woodlanders

Elizabeth Gaskell - North and South

Matilde Serao - Fantasy

Thomas Hardy - A Pair of Blue Eyes

Emilia Pardo Bazán - Sunstroke

Ann Radcliffe - The Romance Of The Forest

Louisa May Alcott - A Long Fatal

Charlotte Bronte - Villette

Sybil G. Brinton - Old Friends and New Fancies

Edith Wharton - The Bunner

Sisters Virginia Woolf - The Voyage Out

Margaret Oliphant - The Chronicles of Carlingford

Edith Nesbit - The Incomplete Amorist

Virginia Woolf - Day and Night

Guy de Maupassant - Our Heart

Frances Trollope - The Widow Barnaby (Part 1)

Frances Trollope - The Widow Barnaby (Part 2)

Elizabeth Gaskell - Half a Lifetime Ago

#storie senza tempo #novelas eternas #romans eternels #novels #novel #book collection #timeless classics #jane austen #pride and prejudice #emma #persuasion #bronte sisters #emily bronte #daniel defoe #moll flanders #anna karenina #wuthering heights #jane eyre #sense and sensibility #louisa may alcott #little women #Youtube #me #gpoy #gay #gay men #lgbt

[aliteraryprincess]

May Wrap Up

Time just keeps flying! I’m officially on summer break now (yay!), but that doesn’t mean I get to relax. I’m busy reading for my exams and doing last minute preparations for my wedding. I kind of just want June to before so I can take a moment to breathe. 

Books Read: 7

This was another great reading month. My favorite was Heartstopper Vol. 4, closely followed by Phoebe, Junior. I don’t think I really have a least favorite. I actually had way more fun with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland than I thought I would, so that was nice. I was convinced it would be a one star read since I hated it so much as a kid. 

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - 3 stars

Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman - 5 stars

A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft - 3 stars

Edging Women Out: Victorian Novelists, Publishers and Social Change by Gaye Tuchman - 3 stars

Phoebe, Junior by Margaret Oliphant - 4.5 stars

Little Rabbit by Alyssa Songsiridej - 4.5 stars

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan - 4.5 stars

On Tumblr:

Okay, there’s not much here. But at least there’s a few things, right?

April Wrap Up

Book Quotes: Heartstopper Vol. 4 by Alice Oseman

Book Quotes: Daniel Deronda by George Eliot

On the Blog:

Yeah, there’s nothing here. Let’s not dwell on it...

On YouTube:

But I’m still going strong on YouTube! I’d really appreciate it if you checked me out over there if you haven’t already.  

Modern Classics Book Tag

The Philosophy of Reading Tag

April Wrap Up

Book Haul! - Barnes & Noble, Thrift Books, and Freebies

Book Haul...again!

May TBR - Exam Reading and ARCs

Currently Reading 5/24/22

Underrated Victorian Recommendations #2

#booklr #may wrap up #monthly wrap up #books #book photography #phoebe junior #margaret oliphant #a vindication of the rights of woman #mary wollstonecraft #alice in wonderland #alice's adventures in wonderland #lewis carroll #the feminine mystique #betty friedan

[unsymptotally]

Maragret Oliphant circa 1960. Maybe a stretch, but good portrait practice hehe. She’s a recurring character in my fanfic, linked abundantly in posts below. I know all the WHF female characters have the same sprite and therefore this isn’t entirely accurate to the game, but this is how she looks in my head :D

#my art #we happy few #whf #we happy few fanart #whf fanart #margaret oliphant

[scotianostra]

On February 27th 1814, Robert Turnbull McPherson was a Scottish painter who spent most of his time in Rome, was born in Dalkeith.

Macpherson studied medicine at Edinburgh from 1831 to 1835 before deciding to become a painter. The author Margaret Oliphant described him as a close relative of Clan Macpherson chief Ewan McPherson of Cluny and "the nearest male relative" of poet James McPherson ,he of of the Ossian cycle of epic poems fame.

In 1840, he settled in Rome, where he belonged to the literary and artistic expat community there, he continued painting for some time before taking to art dealing and then photography. One of the things he is remembered for was buying "a large, dark panel" in 1846, he cleaned it up and found himself in possession of he Entombment of Christ, an unfinished work by Michelangelo. McPherson smuggled the painting out of Rome, and in 1868 sold it to the National Gallery in London for £2000.

In 1851, having failed to achieve notice as a painter, McPherson turned to the new art of photography, by the early 1860s, McPherson's photographic career was near its zenith, with exhibitions in Edinburgh and London. His work received critical acclaim, with “subjects chosen with fine taste and the pictures executed with skill and delicacy.”

MacPherson was the first photographer permitted to photograph inside the Vatican, and in 1863 published Vatican Sculptures, Selected and Arranged in the Order in which they are Found in the Galleries, a guide book to 125 Vatican sculptures featuring woodcut illustrations carved by his wife from his photographs.

Although resident in Rome, Macpherson remained an active member of the Photographic Society of Scotland. However, The Scotsman newspaper noted in his obituary that he was “the father of photography in the Eternal City Rome.”

I had a good look through McPherson's work and picked an interesting painting of A Knight Templar in Rosslyn Chapel and a cracking pic he took of the Hall of the Statues in the Vatican Museum, from the pic, taken while photography was in it's infancy, you can see why he was so well respected.

#scotland #scottish #history #edinburgh #Midlothian #painter #phoographer #rome #italy

[the-commonplace-book]

Arthur Hastings For The OTP Meme Please

This is going to be so much less varied in partners than the Sally one because Arthur’s a big ol awkward mess of a man haha

My NOTP for them: Bobbies

This is an incredibly popular ship that I've never understood. I mean, I intellectually get it from a fanservice and thirsting perspective, but I don't get it from a character perspective. I think it wouldn't be such a notp for me if the fandom wasn't so oversaturated in it.

My BROTP for them: Sally

Before all else Sally and Arthur were best friends and at the end of the day, beyond any romantic interest, they just want to be friends again. I like the idea of them finding their way back to friendship in the future. Rebuilding the trust they used to have for each other and getting to know each other again as the adults they’ve grown into. 

Alternatively, a friend pointed out Richard Arkwright and the potential friendship there had Arthur taken him up on that impromptu job offer and it’s a fun little worm of an idea.

My OTP for them: Sally (under certain conditions):

I expanded on this more in the Sally post, but I’ll chat about it again here with an Arthur focus. Friendship is the foundation of their relationship and when friendship meets mutual attraction, it has the potential to grow into a very healthy, loving relationship. Of course, they have their issues and have had their conflicts, but if they could rebuild that trust and truly learn to love each other for who they are, not who they think the other person is, then they have the potential to be a really healthy and cute ship. What can I say? I’m weak for malewife x girlboss. 

My second choice pairing for them: Beatrice Gates

He ticks all her boxes for a perfect partner: He’s tall.

In all seriousness though, they do both like books and once Beatrice goes off her Joy she is distraught over a lost loved one. I think that’s something she and Arthur could maybe bond over. Not a serious ship, but, you know, I don’t not ship them.

My fluffy pairing for them: Sally (older and well adjusted)

To expand more on their being my Arthur otp, this is all under the condition that they’ve taken time to get to know themselves, get to know each other, process their respective trauma, and settle into lives as functional adults. I like the idea of a slowburn love growing between them amidst their rekindling friendship. Arthur stepping in as a dad-figure for Gwen. Both of them supporting each other in their respective lines of work. Arthur learning to trust and Sally learning to be trustworthy. Not jumping into a relationship, but slowly walking into it over the years side by side until one day they realize they’re making their way through life hand-in-hand. 

My angsty pairing for them: Sally (under certain conditions)

With all those caveats, we were bound to wind up here too. I’ve gone into this in depth on my Sally version of this. 

As a different angsty pairing for him, while I actually don’t read Arthur as being bi (totally okay if you do, I just personally don’t), I’ve seen the Arthur/Nick pairing go by a few times in the fandom and I find in interesting in a super toxic way. What with Nick being an active drug addict and Arthur trying to get clean of Joy. 

My favorite poly ship for them: Arthur/Sally/Gemma/Margaret Oliphant polycule

Kind of a “Hi this is my girlfriend Sally and this is Sally’s girlfriend Gemma and this is Gemma’s girlfriend Margaret” thing. The is with the caveat that Arthur can handle an open relationship which I doubt. He strikes me as the kind of person who really wants and needs a monogamous relationship (if he were to be in a relationship at all, that is). But I do like the idea of this polycule. 

My weirdest pairing for them: Gemma

While I do ship Gemma with Margaret Oliphant and/or Sally more than this, I think she and Arthur could have been a pretty fantastic journalism team with maybe a little bit of romantic interest mixed in there. I don’t actively ship them, but I could see it. The only real complaint I’d have is that Gemma can do worlds better than Arthur haha

#we happy few #thanks for the ask! #this one really made me think because arthur is wellington well's local sexless virgin haha #f; we happy few #[ask] #arthur hastings #arthur hastings whf #arthur hastings we happy few #whf arthur hastings #we happy few arthur hastings