#I could live in rural England. I think

[luveline]

I love your writings about the marauders, and I recently had a thought about the boys first coming in contact with a vibrator or any sex toy really. Not even a like smut thing but just then walking into a muggle sex shop or they made a friend with a muggle girl and they stumble upon in some way lol idk, just a funny thought that’s been making me giggle a bit. If you have any thoughts I guess?? Hope you have a good day :)

this isn’t smut but it is explicit - mdni please! fem, 1k

“What is that?” Sirius asks.

You get yanked back. “God, sorry,” James says, letting go of your hand. You’d been in a weird fugue state of joy with his fingers twined in yours; it’s the first time he’s held your hand. You can’t tell if it’s platonic or romantic, you can never tell with the boys. “Wait, what is that?” 

“What’s what?” you ask, trying to follow their gaze. You’re on a crowded high street divided by a two way road. It’s so loud you can’t hear yourself think, and stopping as you have has diverted foot traffic around you poorly. 

“There’s a cock in the window.” 

Remus yelps a laugh. You smile, befuzzled, as he takes your shoulders into his hand and turns you bodily to the right shop window. “Oh,” you say. “Oh! There really is.” 

There is a vast array of the aforementioned appendage in the window, and in a variety of sizes and colours. A mannequin in dark lingerie holds a fifty percent off sign to the left, while a poster brags a multitude of ‘stimulating pleasures’ to be found inside. 

“What am I looking at?” Sirius asks.

You forget sometimes how sheltered they all are. They’d gone to a rather elite boarding school, and they all lived in rural England and Wales for their summers. This is as city as they’ve ever been, and you’d thought they’d seen everything there is to see by now, but apparently not. 

How are you supposed to explain a sex shop? Better, why is fate making you? They all turn to you for an explanation. 

“Remus, you’re twenty three,” you say hopelessly. 

“We’ve only recently relocated,” Remus argues. 

“You’ve known me for six months. You’ve lived here for eight.” 

“And yet we’ve never seen that,” James says, pointing at the lingerie. “You’re such perverts in the city. Why are there rainbow cocks in the window?” 

“Can we stop saying that?” you ask. 

“Sorry,” James says quickly. “Lovely girl, why are the dicks in the window?” 

“They’re toys,” you say, feeling a little part of yourself shrivel away in shyness, their eyes like heat from your face and neck. 

“For kids?” Sirius asks, disgusted. 

“No! God, no, they’re for grown ups.” You shake your head uselessly. “Are you messing with me? You’ve really never seen them?” 

“We’ve seen some rather tasteful underwear in our time,” Sirius says, to James’ delight and Remus’ derision. 

“Stop,” Remus says. 

“We have to go in. I must understand these toys,” Sirius says, ignoring him with ease. There’s something to his usually nice smile you don’t know, some burning excitement that will likely end in innuendos and teasings galore for you. 

You make your way into the sex shop, shoes dragging, cheeks hot. James and Sirius seem as though they could burst into laughter at any second, but Remus is more understanding. He offers you his hand when he realises you’re behind them. You don’t have the strength to refuse him. 

They’re the weirdest friends you’ve ever had, but also the best ones. They love holding hands and crossing legs and laying half on top of each other when they come around to watch a film. You’re pretty sure you saw James and Remus kissing a few weeks ago, but they’ve yet to say anything about it to you, so what do you know? You’d been jealous, but each boy has continued to love on you just a little too much considering the parameters of your ‘friendship’. 

This lies firmly outside of your parameters, you decide. 

Sure, you’ve thought about them sometimes as more than friends, but they don’t know that. Can you be blamed? They’re all so handsome in awful ways —Remus classic, Sirius Grecian, and James devilish. James. You shake your head in an attempt to dispel thoughts of their good looks while in close proximity to lacy knickers, turning your attention to the ridiculous gasps of awe the two idiots are letting out. 

“What is that?” Sirius asks delightedly, knuckling at a row of plastic sex toys, all with different functions. 

“That’s a…” You blow a breath up your face in an attempt to cool down. “Read the label, Siri.” 

“Most of this stuff is for girls?” James asks you. 

“I guess so.” You poke at the pink packaging of a glass massage wand. “I mean, not always. I think anybody can use all this stuff too. Or most of it.”

“What about that?” 

James points at a vibrator in clear blister packaging. “A vibrator? What’s that do?” He turns to you with a surprisingly innocent curiosity. 

“It vibrates.” You don’t want to say anything else, but they’re your friends. They’re nice to you, and they respect you, so it’s not like you think telling them these things will put you in an uncomfortable position. “You know how girls have a harder time finishing sometimes?” 

If they’re surprised to hear you say it aloud, they don’t show it. “Not in my experience,” Sirius jokes. 

“So the vibration helps?” 

“It’s very intense. It makes the… climax come much quicker,” you say. 

Remus seems very grateful for the energy your explanation takes, giving you a caring smile. He’s about to say something when Sirius interrupts, and asks, “Do you have one?”

“You don’t have to answer that,” Remus says, hitting Sirius in the arm. “She doesn’t have to answer that, don’t ask her stuff like that, it’s private.” 

Sirius’ eyes go wide. “I’m sorry,” he says to you, all joking gone from his face. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Just forget sometimes that you have boundaries we don’t have.” 

You’re not expecting such a genuine and sudden apology, because maybe Sirius shouldn’t ask, but you totally understand what he means. You feel like you’ve known them all your life. “It’s okay, don’t worry. I know what you’re like.” 

“So it’s a good time, hypothetically,” James says. 

“What do you reckon that feels like?” Sirius asks, already moving on. 

“Sirius,” Remus pleads. 

“Sweetheart, can I ask you, hypothetically,” —Sirius taps his converse to yours, grinning— “what do you mean, it’s quicker? How does that even work?” 

You frown, “You don’t know how it works?” 

Remus and James laugh like bellows beside you. They laugh so much the woman behind the counter glares at you all, undoubtedly tired of people coming in here for a laugh. 

“Awful girl,” Sirius says, frowning. 

You smile back. “It just stimulates the nerves, Sirius. I don’t know how to explain it. I guess it’s kinda like magic or something.” 

“Magic can’t do that,” James says. Remus elbows him hard, and you’ve no idea why. 

#the marauders #marauders #poly marauders #poly!marauders #poly marauders x reader #poly!marauders x reader #remus lupin x reader #sirius black x reader #james potter x reader #remus lupin fanfiction #sirius black fanfiction #james potter fanfiction #remus lupin fic #sirius black fic #james potter fic #the marauders x reader #the marauders x fem!reader #remus lupin #sirius black #james potter

[curiositymemes]

STICK SEASON: WE'LL ALL BE HERE FOREVER.

taken from the 2023 album by noah kahan. trigger warnings for mental illness, trauma, medication, references to suicide, and the exquisite agony of life in rural new england. feel free to change wording and pronouns and provide context as necessary. do not add to this list.

northern attitude.

how you been? 

you settled down?

you feelin’ right? 

you feelin’ proud?

you settle in to routine.

what does it mean? 

i’m not how you hoped.

you’re gettin’ lost.

scared to live, scared to die. 

you’re feelin’ lost.

stick season.

you must’ve had yourself a change of heart.

now i am stuck between my anger and the blame that i can’t face.

it’s half my fault, but i just like to play the victim. 

i’ll dream each night of some version of you that i might not have but i did not lose. 

i thought that if i piled something good on all my bad i could cancel out the darkness i inherited from dad. 

i miss the way you laugh.

you once called me forever now you still can’t call me back.

that’ll have to do.

my other half was you.

i hope this pain’s just passin’ through, but i doubt it. 

all my love.

how have things been?

well, love, now that you mention it.

i’m sayin’ too much, but you know how it gets out here.

now i know your name, but not who you are.

it’s all okay, there ain’t a drop of bad blood.

you got all my love.

if you need me, dear, i’m the same as i was.

what i’d give to have you out of me.

i still recall how the leather in your car feels.

and at the end of it all, i just hope that your scars heal.

i swear i was scared to death.

i smiled stupid the whole way home.

you said, ‘i’ll never let you go.’

she calls me back.

there was heaven in your eyes. 

everything’s alright.

look at me and don’t you lie.

don’t you hold your head up high.

for bullshit, i do not have time.

do you lie awake restless?

why am i so obsessive?

this town’s the same as you left it.

the radio is taunting me.

i don’t get much sleep most nights.

i’m seeing you in every dream.

if only i could fall asleep. 

i’ll love you when the oceans dry. 

i was too afraid of living life in your footsteps.

come over.

it was there when we got here, will be there when we leave.

you won’t have to guess who they’re speakin’ about.

i’m in the process of clearin’ out cobwebs. 

i was takin’ the wrong meds; feels good to be sad.

my house is just barely big enough for my family.

my mouth was designed for my foot to fit in it.

i promise you, darlin’.

you won’t ever go back.

i know that it ain’t much.

i know that it ain’t cool.

you don’t have to tell the other kids at school.

someday i’m gonna be somebody people want.

new perspective.

makin’ me nostalgic.

we were kids; but that don’t make this less hard.

if i could fly i doubt i’d even do it. 

i’d probably get high and crash or somethin’ stupid.

gave me your word.

i can’t pronounce it.

no thing so sure that i can’t learn to doubt it.

everywhere, everything.

would we survive in a horror movie?

we trust everyone we meet.

we’re littered with scars from our preteens.

i wanna love you ‘til we’re food for the worms to eat.

‘til our fingers decompose, keep my hand in yours. 

i know every route in this county.

maybe that ain’t such a bad thing.

i’ll tell you where not to speed.

it’s been a long year.

orange juice.

honey, come over.

it’s yours if you want it.

we’re just glad you could visit. 

feels like i’ve been ready for you to come home for so long.

i didn’t think to ask you where you’d gone. 

why’d you go?

my heart has changed and my soul has changed.

you just asked me to hold you.

it made you a stranger and it filled you with anger.

my life has changed.

the world has changed.

don’t you find it strange that you just went ahead and carried on?

are we all just pullin’ you down?

strawberry wine.

darling, speak to me.

don’t you say a word.

you thought you were cursed?

i’m in love with every song you’ve ever heard.

if i could lose you, i would.

all the time we used to have.

the things i miss but know are never coming back. 

no thing defines a man like love that makes him soft.

growing sideways.

finally found some middle ground.

i said, ‘i’m cured.’

i divvied up my anger into thirty separate parts.

i’m still angry at my parents for what their parents did to them.

it’s a start.

but i ignore things and i move sideways ‘til i forget what i felt in the first place.

i know there are worse ways to stay alive.

everyone’s growing and everyone’s healthy.

if my engine works perfect on empty, i guess i’ll drive. 

i forgot my medication, fell into a manic high.

now i’m sufferin’ in style.

why is pain so damn impatient? ain’t like it’s got a place to be.

if all my time was wasted, i don’t mind. 

i’ll watch it go.

it’s better to die numb than feel it all.

halloween.

the dawn isn’t here, the sun hasn’t rose.

they got money to make and children back home.

i worry for you, you worry for me.

the bridges have long since been burnt. 

i’m leavin’ this town and i’m changin’ my address.

i know that you’ll come if you want.

i’m losin’ myself.

i’m seein’ my life on a screen.

i know that you fear that i’m wicked and weary.

i know that you’re fearin’ the end. 

i only tell the truth when i’m sure that i’m lyin’. 

homesick.

are you bored yet?

the weather ain’t been bad if you’re into masochistic bullshit.

this place is such great motivation for anyone tryna move the fuck away from hibernation. 

time moves so damn slow i swear i feel my organs failing.

i stopped caring ‘bout a month ago, since then it’s been smooth sailing. 

i would leave if only i could find a reason. 

i got dreams, but i cant make myself believe them. 

i’ll spend the rest of my life with what could have been. 

i will die in the house that i grew up in.

i’m homesick. 

still.

i don’t wanna say goodbye.

it only falls into place when you’re fallin’ to pieces.

you miss something that you can’t place but you can’t deny it. 

you can’t stay here.

it’s hard to face and it feels too ugly.

it’s like i’m still here with you. 

can i fix what is broken?

the view between villages (extended). 

for a minute, the world seems so simple.

i am not scared of death.

i’ve got dreams again.

there is meanin’ on earth. 

i feel so far from it.

it’s all washin’ over me. 

i’m angry again. 

the things that i lost here, the people i knew.

they got me surrounded for a mile or two. 

i found a town big enough for anything i want.

i’m not a city girl, by any means.

it still has a lot of meaning to me.

i grew up there. 

your needs, my needs.

you ain’t gotta tell me what it means.

i promise to be there this time. alright? 

you were a work of art.

that’s the hardest part.

i’m naming the stars in the sky after you.

dial drunk.

i promised to forget you.

i ain’t takin’ any fault.

am i half the man i used to be? i doubt it.

forget about it, whatever.

it’s all the same anyways.

i ain’t proud of all the punches that i’ve thrown. 

for the shame of being young, drunk, and alone.

i gave your name as my emergency phone call.

i’d die for you.

from charmin’ to alarmin’ in seconds.

i’ll let the pain metastasize.

i beg you, sir, just let me call.

let’s wait, i swear she’ll call me back.

son, are you a danger to yourself?

fuck that, sir.

son, why do you do this to yourself?

paul revere.

this place had a heartbeat in its day.

nothin’ was the same.

it just ain’t that simple, it never was.

one day i’m gonna cut it clear.

i’m not from around here.

i’ll leave before the road crew’s out. 

i’ll turn up the music and i’ll forget.

i’m not ready to let go yet.

i’ll just pretend i didn’t hear.

it’s typical, i fear.

folks just disappear.

if i could leave, i would’ve already left.

no complaints.

i thought i had something and that’s the same as having something.

i get mad at nothing.

i pull no punches, then feel bad for months.

thought i was raised better, tried to fake better.

now the weight of the world ain’t so bad.

i saw the end, it looks just like the middle.

i filled the hole in my head with prescription medication.

who am i to complain?

now the pain’s different. It still exists, it just escapes different.

yes, i’m young and living dreams.

i’m in love with being noticed and afraid of being seen.

call your mom.

oh, you’re spiralin’ again.

don’t you cancel any plans.

stayed on the line with you the entire night ‘til you let it out and let it in.

don’t let this darkness fool you.

i’ll drive all night.

i’ll call your mom.

oh, dear, don’t be discouraged.

i’ve been exactly where you are.

if you could see yourself like this.

you’dve never tried it.

stayed on the line with you the entire night ‘til you told me that you had to go.

throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason.

don’t wanna drive another mile wonderin’ if you’re breathin’.

won’t you stay with me?

you’re gonna go far. 

this is good land, or at least it was.

it takes a strong hand and a sound mind.

it makes me smile to know when things get hard, you’ll be far from here.

pack up your car.

put a hand to your heart.

say whatever you feel.

be wherever you are.

we ain’t angry at you, love. 

you’re the greatest thing we’ve lost.

the birds will still sing.

we’ll be waiting for you, love.

we’ll all be here forever.

we spent so long just getting by.

that’s the thing about survival; who the hell likes livin’ just to die?

you told me you would make a difference.

it won’t be by your own volition if you step foot outside this town.

it’s all we’ve had for always.

you’re gonna go far.

if you wanna go far, then you gotta go far.

forever.

let’s drive for no reason.

you look fine in the evening.

honey, it’s starting to storm.

used to wish i meant anything to anywhere, to anyone.

i’m glad i get forever to see where you end.

i won’t be alone for the rest of my life.

i’ll meet a girl in the heat of july.

i’ll tell her so she knows.

i’m broke, but i’m real rich in my head.

when i hold her close, i might loosen my grip, but i won’t ever let her go.

#rp meme #roleplay meme #sentence starters #dialogue #dialog prompts #ask meme #writing promtps #roleplay prompts #ask prompts #rp prompts #roleplay prompt #inbox meme #angst #humor #romance #long post tw #long post #stick season sentence starters #oh my GOD this album... #if you want to find out exactly what is wrong with me you'll listen to it #it's so incredibly important to me #and it's been on repeat for like. six months. #i'm no shit from like an hour and a half away from where he's from and it's just. it's such a masterpiece. #nothing has ever spoken to me so deeply and so profoundly in the way that this has #what's everyone's favorite song from it?? mine are paul revere and you're gonna go far #if i had to pick. but they're all just. GENIUS. #alcohol tw #drinking tw

[gettingfrilly]

Where is Peach Creek?

People have been theory crafting this for decades and the canon answer is somewhere in America and that's about it. BUT if you have my flavor of autism and require accuracy and details then here's my own personal headcanon.

Here's all the canon information we have:

According to the series bible, Peach Creek is an American suburb.

Peach Creek experiences all four seasons. We've seen a hot summer, fall foliage, and a snowy winter, so it can be assumed there's a spring time as well. This combined with the broad leaf forest between the cul de sac and the trailer park places Peach Creek in a temperate deciduous forest biome.

Peach Creek has a peach orchard that was there since settlers first arrived in the area. The peaches native to North America grew solely in the southwest.

Peach Creek was founded over 300 years ago by pilgrims. We don't have an exact canon time period for when Ed Edd n' Eddy takes place, but its safe to say it's somewhere towards the end of the 20th century, which would mean Peach Creek was founded some time in the 17th century (the 1600s.) This would place Peach Creek east of the Mississippi, as the west was being colonized by Spain at this point.

In BPS, we learn that Peach Creak is a day's walk away from what APPEARS to be the ocean (more on that later.)

Between Peach Creek and the possible Ocean exists rural farmland, a desert, and a swamp. There is also a snowy capped mountain range visible from Peach Creek Junior High.

This is all a lot of conflicting information! There's no place in America that checks all these boxes. I commonly see people place the Eds somewhere on the north or central Atlantic Coast, because of the possible ocean seen in BPS and the fact that Peach Creek was founded by pilgrims in the 1600s. This checks the most important boxes for me, too, and I would agree, however...

Pop. The kids call carbonated beverages pop. NO ONE on the north or central east coast calls it pop. We call it soda. This is a minor detail for sure and considering all the conflicting information about Peach Creek's location, one that can very much be ignored. But as someone who grew up in New England, I can't ignore it (refer to beginning of post, my flavor of autism.)

"But HOW could they be so close to what looks like the ocean, live in a town founded by pilgrims, and NOT live on the east coast?" I hear you ask. Well, here's my answer: The body of water in BPS isn't the ocean. It's one of the great lakes.

Picture id: Hamburg Beach, Hamburg New York, on the shore of lake Erie.

Sure, Mondo A-Go Go is very ocean themed (the whale trailer, the shark head, the wild prawn) but it could be just that; a theme.

Another reason I like this theory is that THIS GUY:

Picture id: Danny Antonucci, creator of Ed Edd n' Eddy

Also grew up in The Great Lakes region.

And to cinch the deal:

Picture id: Color coded map displaying which U.S.A. regions predominately say pop, soda, or coke.

They say pop!

The further east the Eds are, the more their location makes sense, so I place them in western New York, near lake Erie. It's a rural area with a large city sky line nearby (Buffalo, NY) and there are also Appalachian ski resorts, which would explain the mountain range. There's some swamp land as well, which ticks off all the landmarks seen in the show other than the desert and native peach orchard (though peaches can certainly be cultivated in this biome!)

Also, when looking into travel times in the area, I came across this:

Pictue id: Google map screen shot with a town called Cherry Creek in the center.

Picture id: Incredibles meme. Top text: Coincidence? Bottom text: I think not!

SO that's my theory. The Eds grew up in rural western New York, close enough to the shore of Lake Erie that they could get there in a day's walk. Thanks for coming to my TED talk, etc. etc.

#eene #ed edd n eddy #gettingfrillyspeaks

[shipposttt]

The Ship of the Day: Damie

Name: Dani x Jamie

Ship name: Damie

Original Content: The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

Ship Info: The Haunting of Bly Manor is a show set in rural England where Dani (an American) goes to work as a nanny for two children – Flora and Miles. The children’s parents died and since then they have been in the custody of their uncle who works away from their home and leaves them in the care of the cook Owen, the housekeeper Hannah and the gardener Jamie. With their previous nanny Rebecca having been found dead, they needed a new nanny – enter Dani. 

Dani and Jamie meet at Bly Manor and start out a tentative relationship, with Dani still having trauma from the death of her ex-fiancé just moments after she called off their engagement. Dani sometimes sees his face and feels like he is haunting her and doesn’t want to taint her new relationship with this. Dani and Jamie have many cute moments together from Jamie calling Dani “Poppins” – after Mary Poppins – and calming her down from a panic attack to Jamie opening up about her childhood to Dani and shower her some of her favourite flowers.

Their relationship starts to blossom throughout the series and as soon as it starts to ger going seriously, as this is still is show about ghosts, it is interfered with by Dani nearly getting killed by a ghost and ultimately having to let the soul of the lady of the lake enter into her in order to save Flora’s life. Whilst in many shows that have sapphic characters this may have been the point in which Dani dies (typical bury the gays and lesbian’s trope), however Bly Manor does not do this. At least not right away. 

Following the last traumatic events at Bly Manor everyone moves away. The children’s uncle decides to take a more active part in their lives, Owen opens up a restaurant and Dani and Jamie move to America and open a flower shop. The following years of Dani and Jamie’s life are spent together happily, they move in together and cook for each other, and Dani proposes to Jamie. Although at this point in time (Bly Manor was set in 80s-90s) it was not legal for two women to marry so they enter into a civil union. At some point during these 10 years after the events at Bly, the lady of the lake (Viola) starts to make her presences more known within Dani. This starts to scare Dani as she does not want to do anything to harm Jamie and so she makes the decision to go back to Bly and walks into the middle of the lake and dies. 

We see Jamie wake up to Dani gone and realise that she has gone back to Bly. Jamie follows her but by the time she has gotten to the lake it is too late, Dani is already dead at the bottom of the lake. Jamie screams and tries to get to Dani but it is of no use, she’s already gone. The show ends with Dani having broken Viola’s curse, as now no one else at Bly Manor would ever be taken by the lady of the lake because she was different. “The lady in the lake was also Dani. And Dani wouldn’t. Dani would never.”. Even though Dani is dead, “dead doesn’t mean gone” and we see in the very last scene of the show - set many years later at Flora’s wedding – Dani’s arm on Jamie’s shoulder.

Type of ship: Canon Queer

The way the creators of this show chose to handle this relationship was beautiful. Even though it was set in the 80s/90s we do not see them experience any homophobia, we simply just see them living a life together. We get a montage of them being happy and settling down. We get to see them getting engaged and even though they’re not allowed to legally get married we still get to see them in a civil union instead of being completely disheartened. There are many period typical things the creators could have chosen to include in the show, however they didn’t they simply just let Dani and Jamie be happy. 

Although, the show does ultimately end with Dani dying and this could be seen as yet another addition to the bury the gays trope I think the way in one done here makes me think about it differently. I understand how it can be very disheartening as a sapphic character that we have become attached too has been killed off and this has been done so many times before that it has somewhat become expected but also there’s a sense of hoping that it wouldn’t happen this time. However, the fact that Dani and Jamie got more than 10 years with each other after the events I think is a great way to look at this because creators could’ve chosen to kill her straight away, but they didn’t. The death of Dani also makes sense artistically as the person who becomes the lady of the lake is destined to die – it happened with Rebecca and she for all intents and purposes was straight and in a heterosexual relationship. 

Therefore, I completely understand why people are still mad at the death of Dani as of course people are attached to this character and this relationship and it feels so unfair but I also feel that for some reasons her death also makes a certain amount of sense. 

Thanks for feeling the feels we me!

Admin 🦈

#fandom #the haunting of bly manor #damie #dani x jamie #dani clayton #gay ships

[blueiskewl]

Scottish Coin Hoard Could be Linked to 1692's Glencoe Massacre

Coins found under a fireplace may have been hidden there by a victim of the infamous Massacre of Glencoe, according to archaeologists.

Almost 40 members of Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed in February 1692 after soldiers were ordered to attack them.

A student discovered the money at the site of a house linked to the clan's chief.

Lucy Ankers was on her first dig when she made the find.

The 36 coins were inside a pot which had a small round pebble as a lid and had been placed beneath a hearth stone slab in the fireplace.

The discovery was made in August during an excavation at the site of the ruined house, led by archaeologists from the University of Glasgow.

The property was associated with clan chief Alasdair Ruadh "MacIain" MacDonald of Glencoe.

He was among the estimated 38 people killed in the massacre.

Ms Ankers said: "As a first experience of a dig, Glencoe was amazing.

"The two weeks I spent digging solidified that I want to pursue a career within archaeology."

She added: "I wasn't expecting such an exciting find as one of my firsts, and I don't think I will ever beat the feeling of seeing the coins peeking out of the dirt in the pot."

The MacDonalds were targeted because of their support for the exiled King James VII of Scotland and II of England.

The clan backed the restoration of the Stuart dynasty to the British throne and had taken part in the first Jacobite Rising of 1689.

Historians say they were late delivering an oath of allegiance to the Protestant King William III, and had been branded as rebels by the Secretary of Scotland, Sir John Dalrymple.

In late January 1692, about 120 soldiers from the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot arrived in Glencoe from Invergarry led by Capt Robert Campbell of Glen Lyon.

The troops were billeted with members of the clan, before turning on their hosts on 13 February.

Some people tried to escape in a snow blizzard to nearby glens, including Gleann Leac-na-muidhe, where the coin hoard was found.

The University of Glasgow has suggested a number of reasons why the money could be connected to the massacre.

None of the coins were minted after the 1680s, which has led archaeologists to suggest they were most likely deposited under the fireplace either just before or during the killings for safekeeping.

The archaeologists also said whoever buried the coins did not return for them, possibly indicating they were among the victims of the massacre.

The coins are dated from the late 1500s through to the 1680s, and include pieces from the reigns of Elizabeth I, James VI and I, Charles I, the Cromwellian Commonwealth, and Charles II.

There were also coins from France and the Spanish Netherlands, as well as one coin which appears to have originated in the Papal States.

Dr Michael Given, a co-director of the archaeological project in Glencoe, said: "These exciting finds give us a rare glimpse of a single, dramatic event.

"Here's what seems an ordinary rural house, but it has a grand fireplace, impressive floor slabs, and exotic pottery imported from the Netherlands and Germany.

"And they've gathered up an amazing collection of coins in a little pot and buried them under the fireplace.

"It's a real privilege, as archaeologists, to hold in our hands these objects that were so much part of people's lives in the past."

University of Glasgow excavations director Edward Stewart added: "The excavation of MacIain's Summerhouse allows us to better understand the importance of these uplands to local elites.

"The scale of this structure and the wealth of artefacts uncovered within suggest this was a place where the MacDonald chiefs could entertain with feasting, gambling, hunting and libations.

"The discovery of this coin hoard within the structure adds an exciting dimension to this story.

"However, ordinary and everyday finds within this structure such as spindle whorls for making thread, a pitch fork and a dress pin, speak to the everyday lives of those who lived here, worked the land and minded the cattle."

#Scottish Coin Hoard Could be Linked to 1692's Glencoe Massacre #Clan MacDonald of Glencoe #clan chief Alasdair Ruadh “MacIain” MacDonald of Glencoe #King James VII of Scotland #King William III #coins #collectable coins #ancient coins #ancient artifacts #archeology #archeolgst #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #scottish history

[socialjusticeinamerica]

I could say a lot about him, his hometown, his family, his “cultural” community, and his military unit but I’d give away too much about myself. I get constant threats from MAGAts across many different platforms so I have to avoid giving too much away. Not even my partner is aware of my online personas.

But I can tell you that even in Southeastern Massachusetts, once midnight blue union country, MAGAts have established a foothold. There was even a Trump store (during the reign of terror) two towns over from this shithead. To see the son of blue collar union immigrants aligned with a racist anti-immigrant harpie from Georgia Klan country is absolutely nauseating.

The poor rural (non-union) redneck trash from the towns are behind Trump and Sporkfoot Greene. Also backing them are the non-academic wealthy (and those that think they are wealthy) from the towns and cities, pretty much the same as everywhere else. Fortunately this trash is the minority in the Southern New England states. “Swamp Yankees” ie; New England rednecks and “Old Yankees” ie; literal WASPS (white Anglo-Saxon Protestants) who can trace their heritage back to colonial times.

I’ve personally witnessed the militarization of police several times. Three times it was close to home. The first was seeing the Boston Marathon Bomber’s dorm raided at UMASS Dartmouth. The second time was when I was living in a depressed old mill city and someone was shot at the edge of my driveway. The third was this buffoon being taken into custody at his mother’s house. I’ve seen militarized police actions many, many more times while traveling.

It sickens me that Republikkkans have made this country so dangerous that nearly everyone of us have witnessed once in a lifetime tragedies, sometimes more than once.

Nixon lit the fire. Reagan poured gasoline on it. Bush 1 fanned the flames. Bush 2 created a firestorm that engulfed the world. Trump caused a virtual nuclear meltdown at home. Now his Republikkkan minions are launching tactical nukes against us daily.

This country can not continue under the onslaught of right-wing Republikkkan fascist oligarchs. We are consuming ourselves while oligarchs spend billions to overturn our democracy. Russia and China are also chiming in with asymmetric warfare designed to destabilize us so we won’t be a threat to their hostile geo-political ambitions on the world stage. We have reached the breaking point.

[johndpg]

CATWEAZLE (1970)

Catweazle was a popular British children’s TV series of the early 1970s. He’s an 11th century bumbling wizard who, when pursued by soldiers through a wood, says a spell as he jumps into a pond. When he emerges, he believes he’s made the soldiers and the wood disappear; in fact he has jumped 900 years into the future. He arrives on a farm in rural England in the year 1969 and befriends a farmer's son, a ginger teenager named Edward Bennet, nicknamed Carrot, who spends most of the rest of the series attempting to hide the wizard from his father and the farmhand Sam. Catweazle searches for a way to return to his own time while hiding in a disused water tower. Whenever he is spotted, he uses his magic amulet to hypnotise people into forgetting that they saw him. He also has a toad called Touchwood (who’s featured in the screenshots above).

There was a second series shown in 1971 in which Catweazle has moved to a stately home, where he befriends the son of the unhinged gentry family living there. Frankly, series one is much better and more fondly remembered (especially by me—I loved this show as a boy!). A third series was planned but never came to fruition.

These screenshots are taken from Series 1, Episode 12—The Wisdom of Solomon. A housekeeper called Mrs Skinner has moved into the farm along with her obnoxious son Arthur. He and Carrot do not get along. This is the only episode to feature school uniforms, so it’s good to see one of the characters is wearing grey short trousers. Carrot is supposed to be around 14, so I think Arthur is meant to be younger, say 12/13. It’s a contemporary production, so the uniforms (complete with school caps!) are authentic for the period, and boys didn’t generally continue wearing shorts to school much past 12 (in state schools anyway—although I stand to be corrected). Did you spot that Arthur’s shorts are fully lined?

In reality, Robin Davies who played Carrot was 15 at the time of filming. Feddy Foote, meanwhile, who played Arthur, was actually older than him at 16 years old. Both boys would still have been at school when the episode was shot, so I wonder how young Freddy reacted when he first saw his costume—or what the other boys at his school thought when it was transmitted?

Catweazle was played by Geoffrey Bayldon, who enjoyed a substantial TV, film and stage career. The series featured a host of famous faces, such as Patricia Hayes, Peter Sallis, John Junkin, Peter Butterworth, Hattie Jacques, Neil McCarthy, Moray Watson, Bernard Hepton… It’s a veritable who’s who of popular British actors and comedy talent of the time. You can find most of the episodes on YouTube but I’ve included a link to the one with the two boys in their uniforms below.

Master Davies will be returning to this blog wearing a different school uniform (still with a cap though!) and with a short-trousered younger brother in tow in And Mother Makes Three. As a final note, he died his hair for Catweazle, so that his character could better live up to his nickname.

#Youtube

[axe8472]

I have thoughts in my brain about six of crows and they may or may not make sense. So. The thing is when people talk about how the crows couldn't possibly be 16-18 because they're overly mature and competent and have life experience etc etc. i get that BUT is that not the whole point? I mean the books really hammer it home that notions of childhood in their world are entirely different from ours, like to the point where i would even say it's a main theme and kinda the driving force behind all the events in the duology.

Kids are taken away from their parent at like 11 to train as soldiers. Kaz was all alone in Ketterdam at 9 years old and there doesn't seem to have been any functioning system of care for kids like him, nor mandatory schooling. In Fjerda, it seems like the closest thing to foster care is being taken on by the Druskelle. Inej started training as an acrobat pretty much as soon as she could walk and was playing starring roles in performances by the time she was 14 (and probably a fair bit younger). I don't remember Jesper's backstory perfectly but I think he was put to work in the jurda fields (a hazardous agricultural job) as a small child, then worked with guns in some way, then got sent to school in a different country when he was like 15. This isn't exclusive to the crows - it's mentioned a lot that there are many kids in situations similar to Kaz and Inej in the Barrel. Even Joost, despite seemingly being quite sheltered, is working full time night shifts as a guard when he's not even old enough to grow facial hair.

It seems that there's just much more of a vocational focus for kids/teenagers in the grishaverse. This makes a lot of sense because many elements of culture across the grishaverse countries come from the ~1800s when the attitude towards kids was that they weren't all that different from small, inexperienced adults, especially in working-class and rural settings where you just had to get on with things. Kerch especially took inspiration from victorian England, where kids as young as 9 could legally work up to 60 hours a week in dangerous conditions. So yeah that's kind of the whole point imo. It's especially interesting because I read the soc duology as a (potentially semi-unintentional?) criticism of capitalism. This is highlighted by the fact that Wylan, the only one of the crows from a rich background, is also the only one who had a childhood and got an education even vaguely comparable to what we would consider normal. So clearly the whole childhood innocence vs being put to work at like 4 thing is closely tied to class. (obviously Wylan did not have A Good Childhood but it seems from the books that the standard for merchers' kids is to give them a really good and varied education with 1-to-1 tutoring etc, which is very different from what all the other characters seem to have had as kids.)

And okay yeah they're unrealistically skillful and competent and just generally smart, but that would be the case even if they were adults. Like you kinda have to just take liberties with your characters of they'll never manage to do anything, especially in a world that's so hostile toward them. And it's actually kinda hard to even say how unrealistic their capabilities are because their experiences are so different from the experiences of real-life modern teenagers. Like kids are crazy adaptable and good at learning things, especially when they've had no other choice, and the crows actually mostly have quite a lot of experience and had time to develop their respective skills because they haven't spent 8+ hours a day in school for most of their lives. The same goes for the degree of adult-ness in their general behaviour - they're really quick thinkers and less likely to panic in a crisis than any teenager I've ever met. Again I'd say that's the whole point. The charaters are acting older than they have any right to because the experiences they've had have forced them to develop the capacity to do so.

Idk maybe i just read it differently to some people but yeah i think that cross-cultrually throughout the grishaverse children just have very very different experiences to kids in real life. It makes sense that they would then grow up to be very different from real-life teenagers, and obviously the crows are an extreme example of that but there is like. clear historical inspiration behind a lot of the crows' backstories and the general cultural backdrop of the duology. And the whole thing with the books is yeah they're doing all of this stuff and they're capable of these amazing things but actually they are literally children and they are doing all of it mostly for the sake of survival and taking back the things that they deserve from the world. And everything they've done for years and the people that they've become has all been for the sake of survival. And they're kids.

#my posts #soc #six of crows #i hope this makes sense i did not proofread it and i took like a total of one english class in school rip #there's also something to be said here for survivor bias like the book is written about this group of kids who've survived in a very #hostile world #partially because of certain capacities or gifts they already had and partially because they are unusually smart and adaptable #if they weren't then they wouldn't have lived to that age anyway yk? #okay ill stop now #also i know this piece of writing is not up to academic quality its because im using it to procrastinate on my academic work #dont go to school kids its not worth it #the fact that i wrote these 800+ words in less than an hour and im still gonna have to write twice as fast in my 4.5 hour exam next week #okay ill stop now im done

[stephensmithuk]

The criminal courts of late Victorian England

Edit: I have made some slight corrections. CW for discussion of crimes, courts etc.

****

This does not cover Scotland, which has a rather different system. I believe it covered Wales as well.

In the 1890s, there were three types of courts someone charged with a crime could end up.

Police Court (London)/Petty Sessions Court (outside London)

These were based in each of the 'hundreds', the traditional divisions of the counties used for administrative purposes for much of the second millennium.

This is what the Essex hundreds looked like in 1832:

I live in the area of the Havering Liberty, then rural and now very much suburban, being part of the London Borough of Havering.

Chafford Hundred's name survives in that of the railway station that serves the Lakeside shopping centre and the Romford to Upminster Overground line will now be called the Liberty line. There is also a Liberty shopping centre in Romford and a Royal Liberty School.

The boundaries changed over time - as towns grew bigger, they would get their own 'petty sessional district'.

The Royal Liberty of Havering was an autonomous area of Essex, with its own courts and special exemptions from certain taxes.

Being a pretty small area with a low population before a housing boom in the 20th century, its existence was seen as an anachronism and it was on its way out in 1891; it would be fully incorporated into Essex the following year.

Romford's court in any event was located with the County Court on South Street, just north of the Great Eastern Railway station (still in use, but heavily changed inside). Looking at the historical maps, I think there's a Slug & Lettuce on the site now. The police station was close by; there may have been a tunnel linking the two buildings, but I would have to confirm that.

Anyway, these courts dealt with misdemeanours, with cases tried by one or more Justices of the Peace aka magistrates. JPs were generally unpaid and so they would often be people who could afford to do this stuff in their spare time. They'd often be local notables, like the main landowners, a rich doctor, a local priest, or someone who ran a factory. This may well have caused issues in bias.

This included things like:

A drunken punch-up outside a pub.

Domestic violence.

"Your dog bit my servant."

"You drove your cart too fast and collided with my shop window."

Solicitation i.e. prostitutes seeking business on the street.

Shoplifting, pickpocketing, burglary, and various low-level theft/fraud cases.

"You said in the newspaper I paid young men for sex" (Criminal libel, which is what Oscar Wilde charged the Marquess of Queensbury with via a private prosecution - and we know how that ended for him)

The JPs would try the case, decide on guilt or innocence, then decide any punishment; I believe the maximum possible sentence was six months. Solicitors would represent defendants.

Havering had exactly three JPs. The crime rate was pretty low in this rural area.

This 1887 article covers the workings of one London police court:

This court in Soho, which closed in 1998 and is now The Courthouse Hotel, would see a few famous names in the dock, including John Lennon (for indecency over an art exhibition, case dismissed), two Rolling Stones (fined for drugs possession) and Bob Monkhouse (for illegally importing films, acquitted at the Old Bailey).

They also served as the place for the first court appearances of people going to the higher courts like...

Quarter Sessions

These sat at the seats of each county and each county borough. The latter included places like Oxford and in the case of Essex, Southend-on-Sea after 1914.

Havering had its own quarter sessions until 1892 - the three JPs also doing these; it would then be merged into Essex. This caused a few jurisdictional issues when Essex courts charged men for crimes alleged in Havering and some cases got quashed for that reason.

For Essex, the Quarter Sessions were held at Shire Hall in Chelmsford; this closed entirely in 2012 and is now being redeveloped. In 2024, it featured in the Channel 4 documentary series The Jury: Murder Trial.

They were traditionally held four times a year - hence the name. Unless you could put up the sureties required for bail, you were going to gaol, at least until the next session. Romford had a small gaol, but it was generally more convenient to send people to Chelmsford, where the prison still operates.

Quarter sessions dealt with more serious felony cases, like armed robbery, serious assault, poaching and forging banknotes. Cases were presided over by two or more JPs, with a jury making the decision on guilt or innocence.

By 1891, most of the administrative functions of magistrates had gone to the new County Councils, but they still dealt with alcohol licence applications.

However, these courts could not deal with capital-level offences, at this point pretty much reduced to murder, treason, and piracy. These would be handled at:

Assizes

Happening twice a year in each county, these also dealt with civil matters, which are outside the remit of this post. Since these dealt with capital crimes, bail was pretty unlikely.

The country was split into six judical circuits with professional judges travelling around between the courts, often accompanied by barristers. This might sound pretty familiar to American readers; Abraham Lincoln was a circuit lawyer in Illinois and the US court system remains divided into circuits, but the judges don't ride on horses anymore. Insert your own jokes here about the judge of your choice.

Essex fell under the Home Circuit along with four other nearby counties - Middlesex had been joined up with the City of London by this point. This appears not to be linked to the term "Home Counties", which covers some areas outside.

Once the judges arrived, they would impanel juries and try all the cases before them. Only barristers could represent defendants here, I believe - a solicitor would instruct a barrister if a client were facing the Assizes.

The historical Havering gallows had been near Gallows Corner, but it had stopped being used by 1815. Gallows Corner is now home to a notorious roundabout. Chelmsford was where hangings for Essex took place.

In summary

If you punched someone in London, you'd go to the police court.

If you broke their leg, you'd go to the quarter sessions.

If you killed them, you'd go to the Assizes and quite possibly soon to the highest court of them all.

The end of the system

In 1972, this system was abolished. The petty sessions courts became magistrate's courts, with the quarter sessions and assizes combined to form Crown Courts.

Romford Magistrate's Court today sits on Main Road, next door to the police station and in close proximity to Havering's Town Hall. It covers cases in the surrounding areas to Havering as well.

The nearest Crown Court is at Snaresbrook - it's the biggest in the country with no less than 20 courtrooms.

#letters from bunny #letters from watson #history #factoids #courts

[beaft]

recommend some horror?

aha!! i am glad you asked (no really, i am, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be loud about my favourite genre). here is a non-exhaustive list of some of my personal favourites:

books

-the ballad of black tom by victor lavalle (retelling of lovecraft's "the horror at red hook" by a black author, i could talk about this one for hours suffice to say it's Very Good)

-pet semetary by stephen king (i have a love/hate relationship with mr king but i think this is one of his better books)

-the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson (actually, just about anything by shirley jackson, my personal favourite book by her is "we have always lived in the castle")

-beloved by toni morrison (it's not exactly horror, but i have to put it here anyway because it's too good not to)

-things we say in the dark by kirsty logan

-tell me i’m worthless by alison rumfitt

-house of leaves by mark z. danielewski (i detest this book. yes it's still one of my top favourites and no i will not be taking questions at this time.)

-my heart is a chainsaw by stephen graham jones

-literally anything by robert aickman

movies

-pan’s labyrinth (historical fantasy-horror, visually stunning, one of my favourite movies of all time)

-lake mungo (australian found footage horror about ghosts and grief)

-the texas chain saw massacre (not as gory as the title might suggest)

-the wicker man (the original version, unless you’re in the mood to see nicolas cage at his nicolas cagiest)

-jacob’s ladder (beautiful, eerie, hallucinogenic, you will not know what’s going on for most of it and that’s honestly kind of the point)

-carrie (the sissy spacek version NOT the one with chloe moretz)

-the ritual (it's not a perfect movie but the creature design is WONDERFUL)

-alien (grr! i'm gonna getcha! i'm the alien! and so on)

-nosferatu (both versions are excellent, but i am particularly partial to the 1979 one with klaus kinski as the vampire)

-whistle and i’ll come to you (unsettling short film based on an m. r. james story)

-hereditary (this one's best if you go in blind, but i realise that’s probably difficult since a lot of it has been memed to hell and back)

-the thing (sci-fi thriller/body horror movie set on an isolated arctic research base)

-don't look now (based on a daphne du maurier short story; light on the horror but heavy on the uncanny)

-cabin in the woods (comedy-horror) okay this one is kind of a guilty pleasure for me but it does have some clever moments and it’s genuinely very fun to watch

-silent hill 2006 (another guilty pleasure, it is very much not a good movie but also i've seen it like 7 times, so.)

-ginger snaps (the close relationship between a pair of misfit sisters is tested when one of them starts going through puberty, and also incidentally becomes a werewolf. similar vibes to jennifer's body although i personally prefer this one)

-penda’s fen (startlingly ahead of its time – it’s basically a coming-of-age story about a gay teenager in rural england with a tasty slice of religious/folk horror)

-crimson peak (love letter to the "gothic melodrama" genre)

-us (i personally preferred it to get out, but they’re both amazing; i haven’t seen NOPE yet but i hope to soon!)

tv shows

-castlevania (based on the video game, vampires + religious horror, gorgeously animated, unexpectedly funny)

-the terror (true-ish story of a doomed voyage to the north-west passage) (the demon bear may or may not be historically factual) (we just don't know)

-twin peaks (idk if it counts as horror but i’m putting it here anyway. it’s not for everyone but it occupies a special place in my heart)

-in the flesh (again, not quite horror, but there are horror elements, and i am putting it here because it’s both a pleasingly original take on the zombie-apocalypse genre and a beautiful queer love story. it got cancelled halfway through its run and i will never stop being salty about it.)

-the enfield haunting (three-part tv drama) (much better than the james wan movie) (not that that’s hard)

podcasts

-the magnus archives (do not ask me about this show unless you're prepared to hear me yell about it for Ever and Ever and Ever)

-alice isn't dead (lesbian trucker searches for her missing wife amidst various spooky happenings)

-a scottish podcast (washed-up radio DJ decides to become a phony paranormal investigator to make some extra cash, but his scheme goes awry when he stumbles on a genuine paranormal event)

-i am in eskew (man attempts to leave city, is unsuccessful)

message me if you want trigger warnings or a more detailed description for any of these!

#horror tag #replies #recommendations

[broughtandborn]

I tell people that my grandma taught me to knit, but it's only kind of true. What really happened was that I was 15 and we were visiting my grandparents in rural Maine and my grandmother (a negative, self-absorbed person who is happiest when she's complaining) had absolutely no idea what to do with me now that I was no longer her "little angel" -- by which I mean my behavior hadn't changed and I was exactly the same person but now my hair was blue so she never called me that again -- so she planned to just spend the day watching talk shows. I was bored out of my mind so I asked if she would teach me to knit.

I don't think she had actually knit anything in several years at that point, and she is very much not a natural teacher, so what followed was a very frustrating several hours where she'd vaguely wave her hands with needles in them and go "see? Like that." Through sheer determination I managed to sort of pick up the knit stitch, and then we all went and had seafood for dinner.

After we got home from that trip, I decided I wanted to actually know how to knit, so I got a bunch of books from the library (this was 20+ years ago, YouTube didn't exist) and studied diagrams and tried and ripped back and tried again until I could sort of do it, and then kept practicing.

My grandparents are old now. They still live independently in rural Maine, although both of their sons have been trying for years to get them to move closer. They're stubborn New Englanders and won't, so their sons (and their wives) have been taking turns to go visit, more frequently as my grandpa starts to decline. My grandma sent some handknit sweaters for the grandkids last time my parents visited, but she'd bought them for a few dollars at a yard sale and they didn't fit anyone.

My parents are going up again to visit in a few weeks, and I'm sending a pair of handknit socks for my grandma, and I'll send a pair for my grandpa for Christmas. Knitting has brought me a lot of joy over the last few decades and it will being me happiness to send them as a thank you for that weird, stressful afternoon so long ago.

[isthedogawolfdog]

Ok this is kinda a weird one, and perhaps not related to what you do on this blog so feel free to ignore lol, But: how likely is it that my ex had a pet wolf?

He said he lived/worked on a farm in a very rural part of northern New England when he was a kid and a pack of wolves were attacking the livestock, and after the adult wolves were shot one wolf pup was remaining and he got to raise it as his pet dog. Note: he could never provide any images of this animal but his mother (who granted is very unstable and a compulsive liar) confirmed his story. He often said that huskies we saw looked like his old dog. How likely is it that a wild wolf could be raised as a domestic pet? Or that his story holds water at all?

Also please note: I’m autistic so I cannot tell at all when people are lying to me and I straight up believed him unconditionally for like a year. Also; there’s a genuine chance that he wasn’t intentionally lying; I also think it’s likely that his guardian at the time totally made up the story and the dog he raised was just a husky or similarly wolf-like dog

Not a weird question at all! To be honest the story does make me raise a few eyebrows.

For one, there are a few records of wolves in New England, but it’s not a super common thing, and there are no established packs. Unless you’re ex was alive prior to the 1800’s I highly doubt there were wolves, let alone ones attacking livestock as, although it’s not common for wolves to hunt livestock, it does happen and there would definitely be a record of it.

Secondly, a pup being left behind is a big red flag. For one, wolves don’t bring super young pups on hunts. They’ll take older individuals, but you still won’t see brown furred pups who still have blue eyes. If your ex found a pup and was able to raise it with dogs successfully (which is very unlikely) it would have to be pretty young, too young to be along on hunts. There’s also the case of a pup being the only one left, which also is a bit weird to say as the second a shot rings out (which I’m assuming the story goes that there were a lot of wolves being shot) wolves usually if not always scatter.

Long story short, I highly doubt your ex had a wolf, as it doesn’t really add up.

#wolves #wolf #ask

[hpowellsmith]

Books of January

I've really enjoyed reading more this month! I always read a lot over the holidays and then fall out of the habit but ended up doing more this time around.

Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - Cheryl Strayed (reread)

I liked this when I first read it, and liked it even more this time. The sense of the outdoors and the personal journeys within feel incredibly real to me. It inspired me to get out and about more: I always feel better when I take some time outdoors. I didn't really get on with her other books, but this one remains a favourite.

Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, Ballroom, & The Messy Inbetween - John Whaite

Every so often I read a celebrity memoir and usually it falls a little flat - often too obviously ghostwritten/over-edited or glib or twee. This one is less over-polished which is to its benefit, includes a bunch of lovely recipes, and explores growing up gay in England during Section 28 (at the same time I was growing up). Whaite comes across as very sincere in this, and since publication has said he's quitting TV which is probably a good thing. It was interesting reading the Strictly parts having read Craig Revel Horwood's memoir last year - Revel Horwood is very blithe about how lovely it all is whereas Whaite gives a more complicated perspective.

Maw - Jude Ellison S. Doyle

This horror graphic novel is gripping in places but it didn't pull me in as much as I'd hoped having read Doyle's discussions about the writing process and inspirations. It was over a little fast, characters appeared and were killed off a little too speedily for it to have much impact, and the ending felt a little abrupt. I liked the characters and the general idea but would have liked more breathing room to get to know them. I've got The Neighbors on pre-order and hope to get into that one more.

The Easternmost Sky - Juliet Blaxland

I could write an essay about what was frustrating about this book - the lack of class-consciousness from someone who casually mentions going to visit cousins for Christmas at the local manor, the (wilfully?) ignorant comments about rewilding, the unexamined pro-hunting commentary - but parts of it are quite good and evocative. Having grown up in rural England where neither I nor my peers were involved with the hunting-and-shooting manor-house culture, it's irritating to read a book which cheerfully conflates "country life" with being someone who loves running to hounds and thinks hunting is great, but some of the descriptions were lovely. Still, I'd recommend other nature writers like Robert MacFarlane or Helen Macdonald (who engages with falconry, but in a much more thoughtful way) over this one.

The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

This was a beloved book from my teenage years and I shared it with my child after there was a lot of enjoyment of Howl's Moving Castle and Charmed Life last year. This one was a harder sell, it turned out: it's slower-paced than I remember, and bleaker, and there's very DWJ-esque penultimate chapter where a lot of stuff suddenly happens and is revealed and resolved very fast. I do love Christopher and his friends, though, and as with many of DWJ's books, it does betrayal and sudden self-awareness heartbreakingly well.

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I. Loved. This. I loved it! I'd read a couple of Moreno-Garcia's books before and enjoyed them reasonably but this was the first one where it really grabbed me and wouldn't let go. A post-colonial Mexican gothic horror in which the heroine probes into an English family's business when her cousin, who's married into this family, sends a disturbed message begging for help... it's so good. I don't want to say anything more about it but I enjoyed it immensely and it solidified Moreno-Garcia as a favourite author.

Toto the Ninja Cat and the Legend of the Wildcat - Dermot O'Leary

This was really cute. My child and I ended up losing track of some of the plot, which became slightly complex, but it was generally adorable. There's not a ton else to say other than it's a nice story with a few jokes for adults that are good sensible-chuckle material.

Untamed Shore - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This was so good. It's a noir thriller without the supernatural elements I'd encountered in the author's other work, but it gripped me excellently. I really enjoyed the unfolding dangerousness of all the characters, including the protagonist, and I was genuinely uncertain about what would happen towards the end - it had me really tense! I enjoyed it greatly.

#books

[natashasnoodle]

Accents Pt. 2 | Robin Buckley x Female Reader

Masterlist | R.B Masterlist

Part 1 Here-

Words: 2k

A part 2 was requested and so I have delivered :D

Summary: A cute lil' movie date with Robin <3

✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

Robin proceeded to spend the next couple of hours talking Steve's ear off about the upcoming movie date. She kept going on about your accent. God, she loved your accent, and Steve had to agree that it was a nice one. The fact that she was going on a date with someone from England made it all the more exciting. In her eyes, as someone from a small town in rural Indiana, it was a big deal.

She could barely concentrate towards the end of the work day. When people asked her for help she couldn't stay in the zone during a conversation and ended up just randomly picking movies for people without really knowing what she was handing over. Steve had to take over even though it was his turn to do inventory, so Robin took that task on instead. It kept her out of the way.

By the time 6:00 rolled around and it was time for her shift to end, she stood behind the counter and began rocking backwards and forwards excitedly on the balls of her feet. Her bottom lip was tugged in by her teeth, and she was anxiously twisting her rings over and over and over.

When 6:05 hit, disappointment also hit. She pushed her lips to the side in thought, had it been too good to be true? Had you forgotten as it didn't mean as much to you? Steve sent a sympathetic look her way as he entered the counter area as well, and gave her a hearty pat on the back, "Hey, she said she was walking right?". Robin half-heartedly nodded in response as Steve sent another smile her way. "Well maybe she got held up by something. She'll show".

"Yeah", Robin breathed out, unconvinced, "She'll show".

Another minute passed, which for Robin felt like thirty so she was ready to call it quits. But just before she could turn around to grab her backpack, you barrelled through the door, almost face planting and sprinted to the counter. Your chest was heaving and your face was bright red. Robin looked at you wide-eyed as she took in your appearance and smiled softly when she realised that you hadn't stood her up.

"I am so sorry!", you started in a louder register than you normally talk in, "I left earlier than I needed so that I wouldn't be late, but then there was this cute dog that passed me on her walk, God she was cute, and I spent way too long giving her attention, and the owner was this sweet old woman who didn't have anywhere to be so she let me, and- yeah I'm sorry", you ended by awkwardly rubbing the back of your neck.

Robin laughed, relieved and amused by your story, "It's okay! I was just keeping myself busy with some restocking!", she lied.

Steve gave her a knowing look from behind which she could feel, so turned around to grab her bag whilst shooting a glare at him before turning back to you with a shit-eating grin. "You ready?". She nodded at you in response as you both started walking to the door.

"Use protection!", Steve yelled from across the shop as he continued closing down, you giggled at the joke and Robin stuck her middle finger up at him, another glare being held by her eyes.

"Sorry about him", Robin rolled her eyes as you both started the journey to your house. "Oh it's not a problem", you laughed, "He seems sweet".

She shook her head and laughed at your statement, "Yeah, sweet is one word for it I suppose". Again you chuckled and there was a brief silence, though not an uncomfortable one. But it gave her time to think. This was the first date that she had been on, and with a girl, so she wanted to know what the boundaries would be like in your home. Would she have to introduce herself as a friend? Would you have to sit apart in case your Mum walked in? She doubted that you were ashamed of who you were because you asked her out, so it wasn't like you completely hid it and lived in the closet. But, the world wasn't accepting, so she had to make sure.

"Um- so does your Mom know?", she broke the silence and gestured towards you with her head. You pursed your lips and shook your head, "No... she doesn't, but she's a nurse on night shift so we won't have to worry about running into her".

"Oh okay!", she was pleasantly surprised with that answer, though didn't miss the solemn tone you started with, but she didn't want to pry, knowing that it was a touchy subject, even for her. "My Mom doesn't know either, so I get it". You offered each other shy smiles, and her cheeks tinged pink when you brushed your pinky finger against hers. The only form of affection you would really be able to show her in public.

—

"Okay, so, welcome to my humble abode!", you opened the door in a grand gesture, opening an arm to signal for her to walk in. "Why thank you", she put on the best English accent that she could muster, but failed miserably. You were both in heaps of laughter as you closed the door and started walking through the hall.

"God, I don't sound like that, do I?", you turned to her genuinely worried that you sounded like Queen Elizabeth on drugs. "No, no", she reassured whilst taking her shoes off, "You sound hot, I don't even know what that was". You pretended to wipe sweat away from your forehead dramatically and decided to give her a tour of the place, trying to divert from the major gay panic that she had just given you.

Robin had a smile on her face the entire way around, it looked really nice. It was slightly different to what she was used to when she visited a new house, but it made sense. Different countries tended to have different styles of decoration. "It looks good!", she made sure to compliment after you had spoken about all of the time you and your Mum put into the place during the walk over.

"Thanks!", you sounded thrilled, "But this...", you pointed to a door with a serious face, making her frown, "Is the grand castle". You opened the door and her eyes lit up as she took in the view. Clearly, this was your bedroom, but it was very obviously not in the state that it usually would be.

On the floor next to your bed was a hoard of pillows to both sit on and lean back on, and on the floor itself as the main part was a big fluffy blanket. There were multiple bowls of snacks with cling film over them so that they didn't go stale, and the TV had been brought down from your cabinet and placed on a chair at eye level. You had also turned on some fairy lights instead of the main light to give it a nice vibe.

Robin felt like she could cry. For the longest time she had believed that she would never get a date, the world just wasn't accommodating. But here you were, pulling out all of the stops, and you hadn't even met her until today. She let out a shaky breath when she had finished examining everything, which prompted your head to snap back to her, "You okay?".

"Yeah, uh- yeah", she cleared her throat, "It's just all... it's so lovely, thank you". You smiled warmly and reached your hand out for her to take, her breath hitched as she smiled and took it. Both of you froze slightly at the warm touch but shook it off as you walked to sit down on the blanket. "Right, so, I got some nerd packs, some cheese balls, salted pretzels, crisps, or 'chips'", you put on your American accent, making her laugh. "Well you can mimic better than I can, I'll give you that one".

You grinned and continued your list, "There's also some cake slices and of course popcorn".

"Of course".

"So um- take whatever snacks you want, because if we leave any of it I will shamelessly inhale all of it when you leave", you deadpanned whilst unwrapping all of the goods. "Oh trust me, there will definitely be no leftovers", she challenged and scooped up a handful of pretzels.

You smiled and pressed play on the TV before settling back next to Robin with your own handful of crisps. All that could be heard was the munching of snacks, the two of you fangirling when Kelly McGillis walked on screen and making fun of the movie whenever something inherently 'masculine' happened.

It was a lot of fun, the two of you were thoroughly enjoying yourselves and getting closer. Both in terms of knowing each other and physically, your bodies now almost touching. When you noticed this you panicked. In a good way.

You pursed your lips as blush went up your neck whilst peering down at Robin's hand resting on the floor next to your leg in your peripheral. After much internal debate, you decided to test the waters by using your pinky like on the walk. You brushed yours against hers, and when her hand edged ever so slightly closer to yours in response, you gingerly placed the palm of your hand on the back of hers and interlocked your fingers.

Both of your focuses were now far, far away from the movie as your eyes met and small smiles rested on your faces. You were both as red as beets, and your nerves got the better of you so you looked back at the TV, but gave Robin's hand a squeeze which she appreciated, having never properly held someone's hand before. This was great.

—

"This was awesome, thank you for asking me out, it was really- it was really brave", Robin smiled as she stood on your porch, looking at you leaning on the doorframe. For the millionth time that night, you were a blushing mess, "Thank you for living up to your word about eating the snacks", you teased and she dryly chuckled before a silence overcame the two of you.

"Do you um, do you wanna do this again some time? I can plan it, though it'll be hard to live up to what you had set up".

"I'd love to", you blurted out far too quickly for your liking, making you wince slightly. "Okay!", she breathed out and immediately started planning something out in her head whilst keeping her focus on you, your face beautifully illuminated by the porch light. Though the moment was interrupted by Steve honking his horn from his place at the end of your drive. Robin had said that she was going to walk home, but there was no way in hell you were going to let her walk home alone in the dark.

She huffed and turned around, shooing him with her hand even though he was nowhere near. "I should probably-", she started and turned back to you, but was startled by your face being close to hers, and her body froze when you placed a kiss on her cheek, bashfully smiling as you moved back.

"Goodnight, Buckley", you spoke smoothly and walked backwards into your house, slowly closing the door, and letting out a small squeal once you made sure it was shut.

Robin stood staring at your front door, the pads of her fingers resting on the place where your lips had just been. Her face had remained blank for a few moments but then broke out into an uncontrollable grin.

Once she had given herself a mental slap to get a grip again, she practically strutted over to Steve's car. He looked over at her with his eyebrows raised as she clambered into the passenger seat. "So... how did it go?".

She turned to him with a smirk, "I got myself a second date". He cheered as he reversed the car and congratulated her, "See, I knew from the start that she liked boobies, you shoulda listened to me".

"God, Steve. Stop saying boobies!". 

#stranger things #robin buckley x you #robin buckley fluff #robin buckley #robin buckley x reader #robin buckley imagine #robin x reader #robin buckley x female reader

[blogger360ncislarules]

The residents of Britain’s Yorkshire Dales are feeling the ramifications of World War II as Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small picks up in 1940. The enchanting PBS series, based on the popular books by James Herriot, begins its new season with rural veterinarian James and his wife Helen (Nicholas Ralph and Rachel Shenton, above) a year into their marriage, wondering if the time is right to start a family, aware that any day he could be called to duty.

“In some ways, it feels like the exact reason why they should have a child,” says Shenton. “And in some ways, it’s the exact reason why they shouldn’t.”

For the actress, this new season is also the chance to show another side to her usually poised character, who moved away from the family farm after her wedding last season to take up residence at Skeldale House, where her husband lives and works.

“I think we see something different from Helen,” Shenton muses. “She’s good at being there for other people, and I think this is the first time that she’s needed a bit of help and had to say, ‘Actually, I’m not OK.’”

Like the rest of the Skeldale gang, Helen misses Tristan, who was called up to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps the previous Christmas. (His portrayer, Callum Woodhouse, doesn’t appear in this season’s seven episodes.) That leaves Tristan’s irascible brother Siegfried (Samuel West) and James overwhelmed at their practice and having to train book-smart student vet Richard Carmody (James Anthony-Rose), whose barn-side manner leaves something to be desired.

Siegfried also takes on an administrator, Miss Harbottle (Neve McIntosh), to try to get the practice in tip-top shape. She’s everything her name suggests. “What I quite like about that particular character and dynamic is that it breaks the house and unites the house,” Shenton previews.

As for the critters, a ferret with a lump, a lethargic tortoise, and a gas-passing dog all have appointments at Skeldale, where a couple of goats get Siegfried’s goat. Fortunately, for the actors they were pros. “They train the goats with food and sound,” Shenton explains. “There were these really loud horns, and then a shake of a food [container], and the goats would know to go to the next bit of their blocking.”

Another pro was a cute gray tabby named Humbug, who plays Oscar, a cat that shows up in the second half of the season and wins Helen’s heart. “He’s worked on sets since he was a very little kitten, so he’s used to being around people and he’s confident,” Shenton says. “He was super good and affectionate.”

One four-legged cast member missed some days because he needed a real veterinarian. Derek, the fluffy Pekingese furball who plays pampered pooch Tricki, had a health issue and this season split the role with a dog named Dora until he was able to return. (According to the folks at PBS, “Derek continues to be the ultimate professional and settled straight back into the business of filming.”)

In quieter moments, the friendship between Helen and housekeeper Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley), who wants to divorce her absent husband, deepens. (Helen is still the only one at Skeldale House who addresses her by her first name, Audrey.) “That was probably one of my favorite strands,” Shenton says. “Anna and I are great friends off-camera, so it was really nice to have scenes with her.”

Madeley and Shenton also performed together on another project, a podcast drama called Gladstone Girls that Shenton wrote about pottery makers in the north of England fighting to be able to wear hair curlers to work on Fridays. The multitalented Shenton and her husband, Chris Overton, are already Academy Award winners for best live action short film, for The Silent Child in 2018.

As for the future of All Creatures, producers have yet to confirm whether there will be a fifth season but Shenton is hopeful. On a show where emotions are understated yet still deeply felt, she appreciates how truthful the series is to the time period and that part of the country.

“These are farmers. Nobody had time to be super emotional, you had to get on with it,” she says. “Often what’s nice is the things that aren’t being said. Your heart breaks sometimes because [characters] either can’t find the words or just don’t need to. They know it, you can feel it, and that’s always lovely.”

#all creatures great and small #pbs

[estherdedlock]

Since writing that post about farmer McRee yesterday, all I’ve been thinking is that none of the Greek students are out of the woods...not even decades later. With such an audience for true crime, it would just take one intrepid podcaster to put them all at risk again. And it wouldn’t even be the first time a podcast has solved a crime.

Cutting for spoilers below:

I first thought of this when writing about Henry's suicide---why in the long run, it might turn out not to be the simple solution he thought it was. In fact, it could eventually open up a whole new line of inquiry.

Say you’re that intrepid podcaster, here in the year of our lord 2022. Researching subjects for your next series, you happen upon a 40-year-old unsolved murder in rural Vermont. The details are promising: Harry Ray McRee was beaten to death on his own property in the wee hours of a November night. His murder was unusually vicious, indicating that he was probably killed by someone who knew and hated him...and he was known to have a number of enemies, both in his business and the community. Most surprisingly, in a bucolic setting where violent crime was uncommon, his death essentially went uninvestigated. You’re thinking: small-town secrets, business deals gone wrong, old family rivalries, maybe even a potential New England version of Hatfield vs. McCoy.

But as you’re researching, this other thing pops up. Because the big news in that corner of Vermont in 198- wasn’t the murder of Harry McRee, it was the disappearance of a student at nearby Hampden College just a few months later. This “Bunny” Corcoran went missing for weeks before his body was found, triggering a massive manhunt that even involved the FBI. Bunny apparently died by tragic accident. There can’t possibly be any connection, although it is kind of weird to have two unusual deaths in such a quiet corner of the country.

Oddly enough, just a few weeks after the unfortunate Bunny’s body was found, there was even more trouble. Another Hampden student, Richard Papen, was shot during an argument at, of all places, a landmark inn near the Hampden campus. Even worse, the classmate who shot Richard then killed himself on site.

Just for curiosity you start pulling threads. The suicide was Henry Winter, son of a midwestern millionaire. Wait, where have you heard that name? Of course, it was in one of the many news articles about Bunny. Apparently, Henry was a close friend of his. They even went to Italy together, a few months before Bunny died. Could they have been lovers? Did grief drive Henry to suicide? You start looking into Henry Winter. What classes did he take? Who were his teachers? Where did he live? Who were his other friends?

You start looking people up online, making some calls. Harry McRee is still interesting, but there’s something here, too. You find out that a renowned teacher at the college abruptly left his job that spring, not long before Henry killed himself. Then you find out that both Henry and Bunny were taking a lot of classes with that teacher. So was Richard Papen. And yet another student, Francis Abernathy.

Now this is intriguing, because you’ve seen that name too. When you were researching McRee’s murder and you were studying maps and property records for Battenkill County, you saw the name “Abernathy” attached to some sort of estate just a few miles from where McRee’s body was found. You didn’t think anything of it at the time but now...isn’t it a weird coincidence? That there should be so many unusual deaths, occurring so close together, in such a small area, with all the same names cropping up over and over? McRee, Abernathy, Winter, Corcoran. Three of them dead. One by murder. One by accident. One by suicide. But Francis is still alive. And you’re suddenly very interested in talking to him. 

You manage to get hold of Francis Abernathy’s email address. His name turns up on some philanthropic events here and there. He’s one of these old-school millionaires, aging in quiet opulence on Park Avenue. Must be close to sixty by now---older than your dad! You tell him who you are and that you’d like to know if he’d be open to talking about his memories of Hampden College. About Henry Winter. And Bunny Corcoran. And his house in the country.

He never responds to your email. Now you’re really interested. If Francis won’t talk to you, maybe Richard Papen will. Or the one girl who was there in that inn, what was her name? McCarthy, Macallan...Macaulay, that was it. Camilla Macaulay.

That’s really all it would take, you know. One intrepid podcaster.

#the secret history #donna tartt #francis abernathy #henry winter #bunny corcoran #richard papen #camilla macaulay #dark academia