#Samantha Birch

[ghosttypebeat]

🏳️‍⚧️Some beautiful women 🏳️‍⚧️

#trans #transgender #samantha lux #juno birch #dylan mulvaney #trans positivity

[witch0000]

Obsessed with this song from Harlots--it’s a lovely cover, but I’d love to hear Samantha Morton’s version. 

#Harlots #Margaret Wells #Samantha Morton #Heaven and Hell #lady harlot #Charlotte Wells #Lucy Wells #Nancy birch

[devilish-blue]

~Devilish Smoke Shoppe~

Hi you smokin' pervs, i'm Devilish or Blue, and i am here to fulfill whatever horny, angsty, or fluffy needs you have. Everything you guys are about to see is everything i will do, so eat your guys' gross little hearts out <;33

Fandoms/Things i will write:

TV Shows:

Wednesday:

Wednesday Addams

Enid Sinclair

Xavier Thorpe

Tyler Galpin

Ajax Petropolus

Cobra Kai:

Miguel Diaz

Robby Keene

Hawk/Eli Moskowitz

Demetri Alexpoulos

Tory Nichols

Samantha LaRusso

Riverdale:

Jughead Jones

FP Jones

Archie Andrews

Sweetpea

Reggie Mantle

Betty Cooper

Veronica Lodge

Toni Topaz

Cheryl Blossom

South Park (Aged up and/or Post Covid!):

Stan Marsh

Kyle Broflovski

Kenny McCormick

Eric Cartman

Tolkien Black

Craig Tucker

Tweek Tweak

Clyde Donovan

Big Mouth:

Judd Birch

Human Resources:

Maury Beverley

Connie LaCienega

Emmy Fairfax

Rochelle Hillhurst

Mona

Pete Doheny

Youtubers/Streamers:

Youtubers:

Sam and Colby

Markiplier

CoryXKenshin

EddieVR

JuicyFruitSnacks

JoshDub

Mully

YourNarrator

Streamers:

Quackity

Jschlatt

Sapnap

KarlJacobs

Slimecicle

Foolishgamers

Horror Characters:

Slashers:

Ghostface (Billy Loomis and Stu Macher)

Michael Myers

Jason Vorhees

Brahms Heelshire

Creepypastas:

Ticci Toby

Masky

Hoodie

Eyeless Jack

Homicidal Liu

Jeff The Killer

Ben Drowned

Laughing Jack

My Do's And Don'ts:

Do's:

Kinks

Smut

Fluff

Angst

Headcanons

Oneshots

Don'ts:

Spam me

Piss, Scat, Throw up, Vore.

Do NOT request any pedophilia or r@pe.

OKAY so now that you guys know everything, basically, you can request it because i honestly can't think of anything on my own. ALSO i am looking to do commissions, if you are interested then please let me know <;33 Smoke your pervy little hearts out <33

#south park x reader #tokio hotel smut #schlatt smut #cobra kai smut #slashers #creepypasta smut #quackity smut #karl jacobs #sapnap #youtuber smut #riverdale smut

[richincolor]

Crystal's Favorite 2023 Books

This year there were a lot of excellent books that came my way. Here are the ones that were the most memorable and are the most likely to be re-reads in the future.

Rez Ball by Byron Graves Heartdrum [My Review]

These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.

But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley Henry Holt and Company [My Review]

Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is – the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won’t ever take her far from home, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.

In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot – will not – stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever.

Sometimes, the truth shouldn’t stay buried.

Gloria Buenrostro is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) [My Review]

Gary Võ is one of the few Vietnamese kids in his school and has been shy for as long as he can remember—being ignored and excluded by his classmates comes with the territory. So when the most popular guy in his grade offers Gary the opportunity to break into his inner circle, Gary jumps at the chance. All he needs to do is steal the prized possession of the most beautiful and untouchable girl they know—Gloria Buenrostro.

But as Gary gets to know Gloria, he’s taken in by her authenticity and genuine interest in who he really is. Soon, they’re best friends. Being part of the “in crowd” has always been Gary’s dream, but as he comes closer to achieving infamy, he risks losing the first person who recognizes his true self. Gary must consider if any amount of popularity is worth losing a true friend.

Throwback by Maurene Goo Zando Young Readers [My Review]

Back to the Future meets The Joy Luck Club in this YA contemporary romance about a Korean American girl sent back to the ’90s to (reluctantly) help her teenage mom win Homecoming Queen.

Being a first-generation Asian American immigrant is hard. You know what’s harder? Being the daughter of one. Samantha Kang has never gotten along with her mother, Priscilla—and has never understood her bougie-nightmare, John Hughes high school expectations. After a huge fight between them, Sam is desperate to move forward—but instead, finds herself thrown back. Way back.

To her shock, Sam finds herself back in high school . . . in the ’90s . . . with a 17-year-old Priscilla. Now this Gen Z girl must try to fit into an analog world. She’s got the fashion down, but everything else is baffling. What is “microfiche”? What’s with the casual racism and misogyny? And why does it feel like Priscilla is someone she could actually be . . . friends with?

Sam’s blast to the past has her finding the right romance in the wrong time while questioning everything she thought she knew about her mom . . . and herself. Will Sam figure out what she needs to do to fix things for her mom so that she can go back to a time she understands? Brimming with heart and humor, Maurene Goo’s time-travel romance asks big questions about what exactly one inherits and loses in the immigrant experience.

Reggie & Delilah by Elise Bryant Harper Collins [My Review]

Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.

Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.

These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.

Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.

As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist?

#young adult books

[academyoftheheartandmind]

Bloodroot and Other Poems

By Samantha Terrell Bloodroot Thoughts and feelings scrape Against each other – a barren Tree limb on a transparent Window pane. A roll of birch tree bark blows Around in the wind, showing Us time is short. Our own Raw skin will soon be exposed. When numbness sets in We ask ourselves Who taught us To gaze out windows anyway, and Why are humans inclined to peel husks? Or, when did you learn…

View On WordPress

#academy of the heart and mind #academyoftheheartandmind #‘A Time For Every Purpose’ #Bloodroot #Let Me Level With You #observations #Outlook #Poem #poems #poet #Poetry #Questionable Intentions #Redemption #Samantha Terrell

[koszmarnybudyn]

Dndads ep 18 season two spoilers!!!!!!

Love the intro, just Link!!! Love how we see how he views everyone, Hermie sounds like Scooby doo.

I can just See a trailer with Link in diffrent outfits pretending to be everyone.

Love Matthew known Misogonist and Will known lover of woman (he has a wife!)

Link and Normal should go to a real camp (good god Link is so sheltered, but i get it i to would be paranoid of the safety of my kid if there was an eldrich god unleashed in my universe). Now link Normal and Taylor are tent buddies :).

Every fun fact they are just becoming wierder.

Normal's first kiss is as wierd as his entire being

Matt is just getting roasted.

Wow the guy who started at episode 61 was brought up again.

Yay the teens finally got to rest!!!

FUCKING WILLY MOTHERFUCKING STAMPLER STFU YOU STUPID BIRCH!!! (he really said manipulate, mamsplain, manskaighter)

Hope the dads get back home safely but probablly not.

Sparrow is so savege? He sounds so done, he and Lark do seem a lot more alike then i thought they do.

Link hates Hermie.

Yeah Sparrow wtf why woudn't you tell your wife?! (I agree with Taylor get his ass Normal). Okay i get it a little bit but still messed up Sparrow.

Did they all forget Hero, because she isn't really important to the plot or is something fishy going on? Because no one in her family mentioned ger apart from that one scene and that one episode.

God Sparrow and Lark are so fucking similar, (my traumatized boys!)

The Oaks are bad liars.

Well Sparrows and Normals conversation hurt, a lot (wow they did so much fucked up shit)

Lark didn't get to say goodbye :(

Normal saying hes family hurts each other a lot and then just does bad apologies?! Hurting my poor heart.

Samantha and fucking willy?!!?

Why???? I hate it here.

I hate it here why is everything terrible and bad?

God i love Marco.

Mayorheads?

Finally we get to know what happened with the mayor and stuff.

Can't blame you Taylor i too would kill him.

Willy is sus as fuck, there is something going on with the parents for sure.

Taylor loves his mom so much.

Matt is so very good this season.

"This is bulling- yes it is" this is very good

Kinda sad Hermie isn't getting a villian arc now.

I love Hermie

Taylor is insane, he really just did that (Freddie you are just digging your own grave here)

I know we like to think that Link is the normal one, but he is very not, Taylor is probablly the most normal teen honestly.

Why are there so many link clones in the podcast.

I just realized Lark and Sparrow were at another cult that sacrifices people.

I was expecting the black parede joke because of spoilers but i was not prepered for that.

#dungeons and daddies #dndads #this episode was so good #but i kibda miss when we just had fun and there wasnt an ancient evil looming over our plot

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

One Dress a Day Challenge-Part Two!

Multicolored August

Now and Then- Christina Ricci, Gabby Hoffman, Ashleigh Aston Moore and Thora Birch as Roberta, Samantha, Chrissy and Teeny

This is another interesting entry for this month as there was no way for me to pick just one outfit.  So, I’m picking all four of the main character’s wardrobes!  This movie is set in the 1960′s and so there is so much color!  I love how each girl has their own identity with their clothes, and you can tell so much about them just by looking at their wardrobe (and their bedrooms too, honestly...man, this movie is so good).  

Anyway, If I had to pick one outfit, it would probably be Teeny’s look from the top and middle photo, cause the pattern is so fun.  Though I also love her look in the third pic with the yellow shorts and teal top.  And I love all the colorful Keds shoes the girls wear!

#one dress a day challenge #now and then #costume design #now and then movie #now and then 1995

[samanthakgarner]

Some things I researched for Seeker of the Lost Song:⁠ ⁠ ☾ Medieval pottery techniques⁠ ☾ Medieval Finnish saunas⁠ ☾ Native trees of the Philippines⁠ ☾ Pre-colonial Filipino ships & boats⁠ ☾ A fuckton of etymology from Old Norse, Old Swedish, and Finnish⁠ ☾ ⁠How long it takes to walk across Åland and Finland (surprisingly not that long!) ☾ Temple economies⁠ ☾ Natural dyes and inks⁠ ☾ Forest glass⁠ ☾ Sod roofs⁠ ☾ Birch paper⁠ ⁠ And the little historical tidbit that basically kickstarted the fantasy aspect of the novel: That medieval Scandinavians thought medieval Finns* were wizards.⁠ ___ ⁠*(In this context “Finns” likely meant “Sámi,” but still - how could I not be intrigued?!)

Photo © Samantha Garner, 2022.

#seeker of the lost song #samantha garner #canadian author #fantasy novel #filipino history #finnish history

[patern29]

Quels sont les différents voiliers de course au large?

La course au large a grandement participé à la popularité de la voile sportive et la démocratisation de la pratiques de la voile. Les grandes transatlantiques, et courses autour du monde, ont fait rêver de nombreux amoureux de la mer, et/ou de l'aventure. Aujourd'hui, le monde de la course à la voile s'est structurée et les différents bateaux de courses se sont sont structurés en classes ou en jauges. Alors quels sont les différents voiliers de course au large? Il est loin le temps des premières courses à la voile, souvent organisées par nos amis anglais. La transat Anglaise ou le Golden Globe Challenge étaient des courses qui réunissaient plus des aventuriers que des sportifs professionnels. Aujourd'hui, les choses ont bien changé. La Route du Rhum ou le Vendée Globe accueillent de nombreux voiliers de courses qui se sont structurés en classes et jauges. Voyons ensemble ces différentes classes et jauges.

Les voiliers de la classe Imoca

photo. C. Chardon Les voiliers de la classe Imoca sont sans doute les voiliers de course au large les plus connus du grand public. Et pour cause, il s’agit, tout simplement, des voiliers utilisés par les skippers du Vendée Globe, entre autres. L'International Monohull Open Class Association ( IMOCA) a été créée en 1991. Ces voiliers de 18 mètres, généralement appelés 60 pieds IMOCA, sont devenus, au fil des éditions, des bateaux de plus en plus techniques et performants. Les Imoca les plus récents, équipés de foils, sont d’un inconfort absolu pour leurs skippers. Les grands noms de cette classe sont des cabinets d’architecture comme Finot-Conq, FARR Yacht Design, VPLP/Verdier ou encore l’architecte Marc Lombard. Ces architectes ont participé à révolutionner le monde la plaisance, par leurs avancées technologiques. Les skippers qui ont marqué leur passage, en classe IMOCA, sont des sportifs comme Titouan Lamazou, qui a gagné la première édition du Vendée Globe, Alain Gautier, Catherine Chabaud, Isabelle Autissier, Michel Desjoyaux, 3 fois vainqueurs de la course, Ellen MacArthur, Jean Le Cam, Roland Jourdain, Jean Pierre Dick, Yann Elies, Armel Le Cleac’h, Jeremy Beyou, Samantha Davies, Clarisse Crémer. Les principales courses du circuit Imoca : - Vendée Globe - Defi Azimut - Route du Rhum - Transat Jacques Vabre - The Ocean Race - Rolex Fastnet

Les voiliers de la class40

La class40 est souvent vue comme la petite sœur de la classe Imoca. Je n’ai jamais aimé ce raccourci. En effet, si les voiliers des cette classe ressemble à des petits IMOCA, la comparaison s’arrête là. Le circuit est beaucoup plus ouvert et dynamique que la première. Le nombre de courses est très important et les types de parcours très variés. Des courses comme la Normandy Chanel Race sont, par exemple, très techniques et réunissent les meilleurs skippers. Aujourd’hui, les grands noms de cette classe sont ceux des architectes que l'on retrouve aussi en IMOCA. Les skippers qui ont marqué la Class40 sont Maxime Sorel, Ian Lipinski, Miranda Merron, Phil Sharp, Louis Duc, Les principales courses du circuit Class40 : - Route du Rhum - Transat Jacques Vabre - Normandy Channel Race - Drheam Cup - Corsica Med

Les multicoques de course, Ultim Ocean-Fifty

© Alexis COURCOUX #RDR2018 Les multicoques de course sont des bateaux qui ont fait rêver de très nombreux plaisanciers. Ces voiliers, souvent mythiques, sont de véritables machines de courses. Les premiers multicoques de courses sont apparus dans les années 70, avec Pen Duick, d’Eric Tabarly. Ces multicoques sont indissociables des grandes transatlantiques comme la Route du Rhum ou la transat Jacques Vabre, par exemple. Les multicoques les plus connus sont : - Acapella est une série de 5 trimarans construits entre 1978 et 1982. Le plus connu est Olympus Photo, qui gagnera la première Route du Rhum, en 1978, avec Mike Birch. - Jet Service, un catamaran construit en 1987. Ce plan Gilles Ollier sera skippé par Serge Madec puis Bruno Peyron. C’est un peu le premier géant des mers. Il sera le premier bateau à remporter le Trophée Jules Verne, en 1993, avec Bruno Peyron. - Geronimo, un trimaran de 21m, construite en 2001. Il remportera le Trophée Jules Verne en 2004, avec Olivier de Kersauzon, puis battra le record du Tour du Monde à la Voile en Solitaire, en2016, avant de gagner la Transat Jacques Vabre, en 2017. - IDEC Sport. Ce bateau, construit en 2006, s’appellera d’abord Groupama, skippé par Franck Cammas. Il prendra ensuite le nom de Banque Populaire, skippé par Armel Le Cleac’h, avant d’être racheté, en 2015, par Francis Joyon. Le palmarès de ce bateau est impressionnant : 2 trophées Jules Verne et 3 Route du Rhum plus de nombreux records. Aujourd’hui, on retrouve trois grandes classes de multicoques. Les Ultim's, ces immenses trimarans de de 23 à 32 mètres. La classe, créée en 2015 réuni des skippers comme François Gabart, Sébastien Josse, Thomas Coville, Armel Le Cléac’h ou Francis Joyon. La Class Ocean-Fifty, anciennement Multi50, représente plusieurs trimarans de 15 mètres. Les kippers les plus connus de cette classe sont Armel Tripon, Erwan Leroux, Gilles Lamiré ou encore Lalou Roucayrol.

Les monotypes Figaro Bénéteau

photo: Jean Baptiste d'Enquin Les Figaro Bénéteau sont moins connus du public mais indissociables de monde de la voile, surtout en France. Ces voiliers ont leur propre circuit de courses au large et régates. L’histoire de ce voilier est étroitement liée aux half Toners. Dans les années 90, l’idée de créer un monotype pour remplacer les half-toners se concrétise, avec le groupe Finot, puis Jean Berret qui vont dessiner un voilier qui sera construit par le chantier Bénéteau. En 1991, le Bénéteau Figaro devient le monotype de la Solitaire du même nom. En 2003, Marc Lombard dessine la deuxième version. En 2017, le monotype est redessiné par e cabinet d'architecture Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prévost et s’équipe de foils. Les skippers qui ont marqué l’histoire de ce monotype sont Guy Cornou, Eugene Riguidel, Gilles Gahinet, Philippe Poupon, Jean Le Cam, Michel Desjoyaux, Yann Eliès, Yoann Richomme ou encore Nicolas Lunven. Les principales courses du circuit Figaro : - Solitaire du Figaro - Solo Maître Coq - Solo Guy Cotten - Transat en Double - Tour de Bretagne - Sardinha Cup

La classe Mini 6.50

La Mini-transat est une transatlantique qui fait rêver de très nombreux voileux, jeunes et moins jeunes. Cette course est synonyme de petits budgets, de camaraderie, d’aventure et d’innovations techniques. Ces petits voiliers de 6.50 ont apporté un vent de fraîcheur et de simplicité à la course au large. Le début de l’histoire de ces petits voiliers débute en 1977. Une course, au départ du Royaume Uni, réuni une vingtaine de voiliers de 6.50, pour une transat en solo. Les premiers voiliers sont des Muscadets et des Serpentaires. Parmi les kippers qui prennent le départ, de grands noms comme  Halvard Mabire, Bruno Peyron et Jean-Luc Van Den Heede. Les plus petits voiliers de la course hauturière sont nés et leur course favorite aussi : la Mini-Transat. Aujourd’hui, la Mini-transat est devenue française et fait partie de l’histoire de la course au large. Des voiliers, et des architectes ont marqué cette course. Je pense au Serpentaire, de Bernard Veys, au Muscadet et au Coco de Philippe Harlé, au Pogo de Pierre Rolland ou au Maxi 6.50 de David Raison. Les skippers qui ont marqué l’histoire de la classe 6.50 sont Daniel Gilard, le premier vainqueur e la mini transat, Yves Parlier, Yvan Bourgnon, Sébastien Magnen, Ian Lipinski et bien d’autres. Les principales courses de la classe mini 6.50: - Mini Transat - Mini Golfe - Mini Fastnet - Mini en Mai

Les voiliers de série IRC

Mais il n’y a pas que les grandes classes de voiliers qui peuvent courir sur les océans. Plusieurs courses sont ouvertes aux voiliers de série. Ces voiliers, souvent pensés pour la course au large, s’avèrent très recherchés par les amateurs pour participer à des courses comme la transquadra ou la CeltikCup, par exemple. Ces voiliers doivent respecter certaines normes et règles, notamment être inscrit à la jauge IRC. Les voiliers de série, de courses au large qui ont le plus marqué l’histoire de la voile sportive sont des voiliers comme le Romanée, les half-toners, le Contessa 32, le Dufour 34, les Pogo,et plus récemment les Sun Fast 3200, la gamme JPK, Les principales courses en IRC - La Transquadra - Duo Max - Celtikup - Transat Cap - Yacht Cup - Armen Race Read the full article

[shinkai14]

Pokémon AU family List

(will give more info if needed)

Red Miyagawa and Blue Oak (Married)

Akane, Willow, Ichiro, Kaede & Samuel "Sammy" Miyagawa-Oak

Ash Ketchum and Misty (Married)

 Kyla, Caspian & Marilla Ketchum

Brock Harrison and Lucy (Separated)

Thomas, Wade" and Terra" Harrison

Brock and Rebecca (Fling)

Amethyst "Amy" Harrison

Brock and Liliana (Married)

Maria'’’, Sophia’’’ & Macy’’’ Harrison

Leaf Greene and Kris (Married)

Jade", Ivy" & Lin Greene

Trace Herrings and Chase (Married)

Kyrie, Allen & Angelina Herring

Janine Hayashi and Elaine (Married)

Haru, Kenji, Makoto" & Haruna" Hayashi

Goh Yamashita and Horace (Married)

Fumiko, Azumi, Daichi", Jiro" and Hiro Yamashita

Chloe Cerise (Single)

Lucy Cerise

Gary Oak and Domino (Fling)

Juniper Oak

Gary Oak and Zinnia (Not together anymore)

Ivy Oak

Gary Oak and Edric Ross (Married)

Samantha, Darron and Kathrine Oak

Ritchie Berry and Damian (Not together anymore)

Lexie Berry

Ritchie Berry and Derick (Married)

Alex and Daniel

Lt. Adam Surge and Violet

Nixie, Gale and Bolt Surge

Erika Kayano and Darcy (Divorced)

Fiona Kayano

Sabrina And Will Tanaka (Married)

Emiko Tanaka

Lorelei Landa And Winona (Married)

Breena, Maya, Zephyr, Neil & Claire Landa

Bruno Grayson (Single)

Casey and Mason Grayson

James De Rossi and Jessie (Married)

Jamie, Julia, Jackie and Jasper De Rossi

Butch and Daisy Oak (Married)

Rosie and Paisley Oak

Tracey Sketchit and Daisy (Married)

Heather, Holly and Wyatt Sketchit

Ethan Asahi and Sliver (Married)

Scarlett, Riku, Sumire, Haruki, Ryuki, Sierra, Ember, Talia and Gale Asahi

Elio Sunna and Lyra (Married)

Lyre, Leilani, Oliver & Kai Sunna

Lance Blackthorn and Hanako (Married, Hanako is dead)

Luna Blackthorn

Morty Ellis and Falkner (Married)

Raven, Robin and Elliot Ellis

Bugsy Withers and Whitney (Married)

Beckett Withers

Jasmine Tachibana and Solidad (Married)

Rosianna and Ross Kernel

Clair Blackthorn (Single)

Ryu Blackthorn

Karen Lee (Single)

Connie Lee

Cyrus Caddel and Saturn (Not together anymore)

Portia Caddel

Archer Lawrence and Saturn (Married)

Aries, Polaris and Rhea Lawrence

Archer Lawrence and Proton Richter (Not together anymore)

Artemis Richter

Proton Richter and Domino (Not together anymore)

Juno Richter

Professor Elm and his wife (Married)

Cedar Elm

Eusine Smith (Single)

Serenity Smith

Khoury Matthews and Casey (Divorced)

Alice Matthews

Liza Rose and Zinnia (Separated)

Maeve Rose

Brad van darn and Fantina Albret (Married)

Elizabeth Albret

Pierce Elrod and Wendy (Affair)

Freya Elrod

Attila Sharp and Hun (Married)

Demeter, Calypso and Helios Sharp

Brendan Birch and May (Married)

Madison and Henry Birch

Max and Tory Lund (Married)

Alice and Aiden Lund

Wally Harrell and Lisia (Married)

Hayden and Maybelle Harrell

Drew Campbell and Brianna (Married)

Autumn and Summer Campbell

Harley Gray and Nando (Separated)

Marianna Gray

Harley Gray and Juan Richelieu (One night stand)

Francis and Mary Richelieu

Paris Mercia And Solidad (Divorced)

Dena and Jackson Mercia

Wallace and Steven Stone (Married)

Elaine and Petra Stone

Brawly Rush and Roxanne (Married)

Mia and Alexander Rush

Sidney Parker and Flannery (Married)

Flare Parker

Korrina Derand and Phoebe (Married)

Jenna, Gracie & Erwin Derand

Looker Spade and Anabel (Married)

Layla, Helena and Edward Spade

Nando and Tucker Conners (Affair)

Grace Conners

Maxie Embers and Archie (Together)

Kyna, Hector and Darren Embers

Glacia And Ervin Sawyer (Divorced)

Elsa Sawyer

Shelly Waller and Courtney (Married)

Mira Waller

Dana Desmond and Zinnia (One night stand)

Lydia Desmond

Barry Tsumura and Lucas (Married)

Tsutsuji and Hiroko Tsumura

Dawn Berlitz and Zoey

Aurora, Weiss, Gwendolyn and Ronan Berlitz

Paul Norwood and Ursula Lovett (Divorced)

Meaghan and Sasha Norwood

Paul Norwood and Miette (Married)

Anthony and Briar Norwood

Cynthia Reiss and Diantha (Married)

Genevieve and Mariane Reiss

Roark Blair and Riley (Married)

Thea, Rhea, Noah and Lapis Blair

Gardenia Fujimura and Cheryl (Married)

Ayaka Fujimura

Maylene Olsen and Candice (Married)

Noelle & Hayley Olsen

Flint Russel and Volkner (Married)

Dustin and Sophia Russel

Lucian Garnier and Aaron (Married)

Rachael Garnier

Thorton Rhodes and Marley (Married)

Lelia and Luis Rhodes

Hunter J and Mars Seymour (Together, Hunter J is dead)

Pluto Seymour

Buck Russel and Mira (Married)

Blake Russel

Reggie Norwood and Zero (Not together anymore)

Dina Norwood

Reggie Norwood and Lena (Married)

Ezra and Stella Norwood

Kenny Hudson and Leona (Married)

Carmen Hudson

Sho Jonas and Autumn (Married)

Weiss, Lily and Mint Jonas

Tonio Hvam and Alice

Anisa and Dale Hvam

Baron Alberto and Queen Ilene (Fling)

Amaris De Rota

Baron Alberto and Lilith (Married)

Mercia. Jewel and Josephine De Alamos

Grimsley Millard and Zero (Not together anymore)

Crispian and Demi Millard

Lysandre Allard and Zero (TBD)

Vesper & Zeke Allard

Zero and Baraz Laurier (One night stand)

Arleth Laurier

Kevin Mythos and Sheena (Married)

Kyra and Roland Mythos

Sorrel Hart and Verity (Married)

Luna Hart

Verity and Cross West (Separated)

Austin West

Hilbert and Natural Harmonia Gropius (Married)

Aria, Mercy and Euphemia Harmonia (Euphemia is adopted)

Chili Gardener and Hilda (Married)

Cassandra Gardener

Chili Gardener and Burgundy (Divorced)

Millicent “Millie” Gardener

Cilan Gardener and Clemont Alarie (Married)

Adrien and Audrey Gardener

Cilan Gardener and Alain Sycamore (Married)

Cecilia Gardener

Clemont Alarie and Alain Sycamore (Married)

Ciel Alarie

Cress Gardener and Calem Xavier (Married)

Lyne and Nathan Xavier-Gardener

Lenora Abrams and Hawes (Married)

Verdona and Vincent Abrams

Serena Castillon and Shauna (Married)

Elodie Castillon

Lysandre Allard and Malva Aubert (Not together anymore)

Alexis and Bastion Aubert

Wikstrom and Siebold Blanchet (Separated)

Lucienne Blanchet

Lysandre Allard and Bellatrix (Divorced)

Cédric Allard

Lysandre Allard and Alain Sycamore (Not together)

Irene Sycamore

Lysandre Allard and Baraz Laurier (Not together)

Ausra Laurier

Lysandre Allard and Professor Augustine Sycamore (Not together anymore)

Sylvie Sycamore

Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius x Colress Keene (Not together anymore)

Euphemia Harmonia (Adopted by Hilbert and N)

Butch Cathcart x Cassidy

Mitch and Mera Cathcart

Todd Snap x Julie (Married)

James, Jamie & Madison Snap

Lysandre Allard x Concordia Harmonia

Moira Harmonia

Hugh Maes x Nate 

Violet & Blake Maes

Rosa Weiss x Roxie 

Patricia “ Patty “, Eliza’’ & Edric’’ Weiss

Iris x Benga Eales

Iona & Rex Eales 

Cheren Griffith x Bianca

April, Cornelia, Corwin, Darrell & Luna Griffith

Rudy Gate x Trip

 Davena & Bruno Gate 

Stephan Tayler x Heidi

Max, Sophie & Kelly Tayler

Georgia Morgan

Gregory Morgan 

Elesa Melbourne x Skyla

Skyler, Taran, Audra & Vetra

Brycen x Burgh Kersey

Lorraine, Colleen, Terrence, Travis Kersey

Marlon Raine x Kelly

Ariel and Clyde Raine 

Caitlin Everett x Shauntal

Emaline’’, Emilio’’, Farrell & Atlas Everett

Newton Graceland 

Lawton and Martha Graceland

Lysandre Allard x Celosia ( TBD)

Sarah Allard

Rei Eto x Yui (Married)

Akiko Eto

Akari Berlitz x Junko (Married)

Yuri and Yumi Berlitz

Volo Reiss

Verna Reiss

Adaman Hishikawa x Hayami (Married)

Akemi, Haru and Honoka Hishikawa

Mai Okumura x Jiro (Married)

Fujitsu and Kenzo Okumura

Arezu Akamine x Kimiko (Married)

Ezume Akamine

Iscan x Palina Magnolia (Married)

Rosianna Magnolia

Irida x Fredrick Castillon (Married)

Akane Castillon

Professor Laventon x his wife (Married)

Maria Laventon

Cyllene Caddel x Daichi (Married, Daichi is dead)

Cora Caddel

Melli x Ingo Collett

Tokiko’’, Tomiko’’, Kenji’’, Kentaro’’ & Etsuko Collett

Tucker x Avery Hackney

Arthur Hackney

Shielbert x Avery Hackney

Cordelia Hackney

Giovanni Forte x Rena 

Giana Forte

Lily Lynde x Hannah 

Tulip & Roland Lynde

Lara Laramie

Michael Laramie

Regina Mills x Jeremy

Garrett, Kaylie & James Mills

Valerie Bristol x Evelyn Desmond

Daphnis, Alette, Elros & Aine Bristol

Florian Villatoro x Kieran

Valeria Villatoro

Luna Blackthorn x Yellow

Tea Blackthorn

Aria Daviau

Daphné Daviau

Professor Samuel Oak x Elisa

Willow Oak

Celio x Lanette Bailey Lindsey, Booker & Ashton Bailey

Forrest Harrison x Maizie Oscar & Carl Harrison

Quillon Mittelman x Petrel Amber Mittelman

Quillon Mittelman x Danika Allegra & Marcus Mittelman

Morgan Desmond x Bridgette Bailey Marsha Desmond

Sordward x Sonia Emily, Mary, Lawrence, Annabelle and Garrett Magnolia

Lizabeth Blair x Christie

Marina & Danny Blair

(Will update more later)

#pkmn fankids #Lists #Families

[lucy-268]

Here's a quick question about your MC: What coffee chain store do they prefer? What's their top three orders?

When Maggie was at Weill Cornell Medicine in NYC, she frequented Birch Coffee. Maggie has never been a big coffee drinker. Birch has wonderful hot chocolate and she often would have almond or butterscotch syrup added to her order. Birch advertised their hot chocolate as “a life-changing cup of goodness” and Maggie agrees. She also loved their chai latte. If she stopped at lunch she would grab a cheese plate with honey and toasted focaccia.

Charley attended Columbia University. She loves coffee and some of her favorite shops near there were Nous Espresso Bar, Joe Coffee, and Lenfast Café. However, her favorite was Double Dutch Espresso. Her favorite order was a cappuccino, but she also frequently ordered white mochas or café au laits. She was also a fan of their avocado toast.

Attending Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Samantha enjoyed Madrid European Bakery and Patisserie. Mochas and green tea lattes were favorites. She also never passed up the opportunity for a pastry. If she is being honest, she usually stopped for the pastries and got a drink as an after thought.

I never know if I should tag these or not since they aren't fics. If you want to be tagged in MC asks, let me know.

#asks #ask game

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.25 (after 1920)

1933 – The Diexi earthquake strikes Mao County, Sichuan, China and kills 9,000 people. 1939 – The Irish Republican Army carries out the 1939 Coventry bombing in which five civilians were killed. 1939 – The United Kingdom and Poland form a military alliance in which the UK promises to defend Poland in case of invasion by a foreign power. 1940 – World War II: The first Bombing of Berlin by the British Royal Air Force. 1941 – World War II: Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran: The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union jointly stage an invasion of the Imperial State of Iran. 1942 – World War II: Second day of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons; a Japanese naval transport convoy headed towards Guadalcanal is turned back by an Allied air attack. 1942 – World War II: Battle of Milne Bay: Japanese marines assault Allied airfields at Milne Bay, New Guinea, initiating the Battle of Milne Bay. 1944 – World War II: Paris is liberated by the Allies. 1945 – Ten days after World War II ends with Japan announcing its surrender, armed supporters of the Chinese Communist Party kill U.S. intelligence officer John Birch, regarded by some of the American right as the first victim of the Cold War. 1945 – The August Revolution ends as Emperor Bảo Đại abdicates, ending the Nguyễn dynasty. 1948 – The House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss. 1950 – To avert a threatened strike during the Korean War, President Truman orders Secretary of the Army Frank Pace to seize control of the nation's railroads. 1958 – The world’s first publicly marketed instant noodles, Chikin Ramen, are introduced by Taiwanese-Japanese businessman Momofuku Ando. 1960 – The Games of the XVII Olympiad commence in Rome, Italy. 1961 – President Jânio Quadros of Brazil resigns after just seven months in power, initiating a political crisis that culminates in a military coup in 1964. 1967 – George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party, is assassinated by a former member of his group. 1980 – Zimbabwe joins the United Nations. 1981 – Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Saturn. 1985 – Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 crashes near Auburn, Maine, killing all eight people on board including peace activist and child actress Samantha Smith. 1989 – Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to Neptune, the last planet in the Solar System at the time, due to Pluto being within Neptune's orbit from 1979 to 1999. 1989 – Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404, carrying 54 people, disappears over the Himalayas after take off from Gilgit Airport in Pakistan. The aircraft was never found. 1991 – Belarus gains its independence from the Soviet Union. 1991 – The Battle of Vukovar begins. An 87-day siege of Vukovar by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), supported by various Serb paramilitary forces, between August and November 1991 (during the Croatian War of Independence). 1991 – Linus Torvalds announces the first version of what will become Linux. 1997 – Egon Krenz, the former East German leader, is convicted of a shoot-to-kill policy at the Berlin Wall. 2001 – American singer Aaliyah and several members of her record company are killed as their overloaded aircraft crashes shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport, Bahamas. 2003 – NASA successfully launches the Spitzer Space Telescope into space. 2005 – Hurricane Katrina makes landfall in Florida. 2006 – Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Lazarenko is sentenced to nine years imprisonment for money laundering, wire fraud, and extortion. 2011 – Fifty-two people are killed during an arson attack caused by members of the drug cartel Los Zetas. 2012 – Voyager 1 spacecraft enters interstellar space becoming the first man-made object to do so.

#Events

[stillwaterca]

NOAH LEVINSON (Jonah Hauer-King) is looking for his YOUNGER SIBLINGS.

CHARACTER NAME:

UTP.

CONNECTION:

Younger siblings. 

SUGGESTED TRACK:

Open to any skeleton that may fit!

FACE CLAIM:

Suggestions if biological: Hunter King, Molly Gordon, Rachel Keller, Madison Iseman, Beanie Feldstein, Maude Apatow

Suggestions if adopted: Jessie Mei Li, Samantha Logan, Michael Evans Behling, Evan Mock, Madison Jaizani, Zion Moreno, Mason Gooding, Kiana Lede, Courtney Eaton, Felix Mallard, Archie Renaux, Amber MidThunder, Froy Gutierrez, etc. 

AGE:

Younger Sibling 1: ( 25-27 rage ange )

Younger Sibling 2: ( 28-29 age range )

BACKGROUND:

tw: death, parental death 

The Levinsons were a close knit family and following the untimely death of their parents, Noah had realized he truly needed to step up and be the eldest sibling to look after his two younger ones. It hadn’t been easy for any of them to have to navigate the loss of their parents at such a young age and process their grief as they grew up. Their grandfather became their legal guardian but over the years, it became more and more difficult for them to do many things around the household, which Noah eventually took on with no hesitation. After all, their grandfather had been the parental figure they were able to still have, and Noah wanted his siblings to have a change at finding and making their own ways in the world, and so he kept working to ensure that would be, it didn’t matter to him the sacrifices he had to make. He held various jobs around town to keep their income as afloat as possible. 

In recent years, he took on a supervisor role at the Birch Bay Lodge, which he’s been grateful for since it’s been able to pay a bit more than he previously earned and the family still is in dire need to finances. Their grandfather is only becoming older and the hospital care bills keep piling up and the threats against getting evicted of their household won’t stop either. Even if Noah doesn’t necessarily show it, he can’t help but think at this point that his siblings could at last openly appreciate him more, but with them off and making their own way in the world at this point, they don’t see each other as much and trying to navigate that newfound distance between each other as a result. 

EXTRAS:

*Note: I additionally listed out various adopted face-claim suggestions since I am more than open to work adopted siblings into the storyline. Noah’s skeleton is One Way or Another. 

CONTACT:

Please contact LIZ on this blog.

#stillwater: wc

[evegoldenwoods]

My Tarot Card Collection

I've been wanting to write up some notes on all the decks I have for a while. I quite like collecting tarot card decks, and I wanted to make a little catalog of them. Also, I mostly use tarot cards for solo ttrpgs, not for readings, so I thought that would put a fun spin on how I think about them.

 I've also included an image of the guidebook used for each. In every case I've tried to use the easiest to access book, so where there's a pamphlet inset with the deck, I've used that as the reference. I'll make note of where this isn't the case.

 I’ve recommended a solo rpg to go with each game. Sometimes I’ve chosen ones that are explicitly designed to be played with the tarot, but sometimes I’ll recommend ones that just call for playing cards. You can adapt these to tarot decks by removing the major arcana, and playing cups as hearts, diamonds as wands, clubs as pentacles and spades as swords. If the game also calls for jokers, add a major arcana for every joker required.

 1. Thoth tarot deck

Created by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris, art by Frieda Harris

This was my first ever tarot deck, inherited from my step-father when I was a teen. The actual deck is basically unusable these days, because one card got dog bitten, and a couple others have been warped and faded from exposure to sunlight. So they stand out in the deck when drawing. But I have a lot of affection for the cards anyway.

Notes:

- this deck is very easily accessible, but print quality probably varies a good bit. Worth reading reviews and finding a decent printing.

- the suit names for this deck are wands, cups, swords and pentacles.

-this is the biggest deck I own, which means that the art is clear and easy to read and can have lots of interesting details. Conversely, it's hard to lay out big spreads with them.

- the energy of this deck is horny af. It was partially designed by Aleister Crowley, and it shows. This sometimes feels exciting and rebellious, and sometimes feels like a slightly lecherous older man standing by your shoulder and leering.

- the art is absolutely gorgeous. It's always exciting to look at and the characters are full of personality, especially the court cards.

- the guidebook is tarot: mirror of the soul, which was written for this deck specifically, but doesn't necessarily come with it, you might have to buy it separately. It's good long explanations of the symbols as well as questions to prompt reflection.

- the cards have a lot of explicit symbolism in them, which can be a handy set of references for solo rpgs, and they're at like, a oblique angle to the regular raider-waite deck, so they can make for a fun shake up if you use that one a lot.

- I don't think you can really talk about this deck without talking about Crowley, since he was such a wanker, but at least half the deck is Frieda Harris's creation, and while I don't think I have much evidence to assert that she was a better person than him, I think she at least contributed enough to make the deck interesting

 In terms of using this deck for solo rpgs, I think it best suits ones that are either a bit darker and edgier, or very mystical. I'd think a game like Anamnesis (by Samantha Leigh/Blinking Birch Games, found here: https://blinkingbirchgames.itch.io/anamnesis) pairs really well with this deck, since the thoth tarot gives you both characters and symbols to help elaborate on your answers to the questions.

 2. Little Monsters Tarot

Book by Olivia Ephraim Pepper, art by Peony Coin Archer

I got this deck in a kickstarter, and it was the start of me planning to collect tarot cards more seriously.

Notes:

- these cards are very small and neat. Easy to shuffle and to lay out, and they have nice rounded edges. A good travel deck.

- The suit names for this deck are wands, cups, coins and arrows

- the art for this deck is subtle and elusive. Because it's black and white, and because it's in many ways quite simple, without a lot of additional symbolism, the meaning can feel a bit loose. It's also got a very gentle feel, like each card is a little woodland creature peeking out from under a bush at you.

- by contrast the guidebook is ferocious and cutting. It doesn't hold back at all, and gives very challenging paragraphs that really push you. It's probably the book that feels most like talking to a really good therapist, one who forces you to interrogate your perceptions and challenge your assumptions. (I mean all of this in a deeply complimentary way, to be clear. I think this book is by far the most incisive and insightful of any of the ones I own, although sometimes it can also feel very dictated, like it doesn’t leave quite as much room for your own interpretation)

- There's some slight smudging on my copy of these cards, and compared to some of the other decks I own I think the quality of the print is a little lower, but it's never affected my engagement with the cards.

 If I were ever inclined to do a reading, I think this is the deck I'd turn to, and I think it's similarly useful for solo rpgs with a more autobiographical bent, the ones that are also tools for self reflection rather than fiction writing. For this deck, I recommend trying something like Galatea by S. Kaiya J. (here: https://mirror-lock.itch.io/galatea)

 3. Star Spinner Tarot

Art, design and writing by Trungles

I've been a fan of Trungles artwork for ages, but it was when I read about the gimmick of this deck that I knew I had to add it to my collection. Gimmick is probably the wrong word, it sounds cheap, and I think the choice made here is the opposite of that, a beautiful enrichment of the tarot.

Notes:

- The box this comes in is sleek and neat, but sturdy. The cards are a little bigger than regular playing cards, and they shuffle easily and smoothly.

- the suit names for this deck are wands, chalices, coins and swords.

- The art for these cards is lovely, with soft lines, lots of curves, and a pleasing restricted palette. All of it fits with how gentle these cards are. There's lots of inspiration from classic folklore artists like Ivan Bilibin or Edmund Dulac, and also from classical paintings. The devil on the devil card is reminiscent of Michelangelo's interpretation in all the best ways.

- this is a very soft and gentle deck, and also a very queer deck, but without ever falling into cute simplicity. It has moments of yearning, and sorrow, and blatant desire, but it's always very tender.

- the guidebook gives simple and direct summaries of the cards' meanings, without delving too much into the art or other notes behind them. It's very straightforward advice.

- So, the special thing about this deck is that it has four copies of the lovers. A pair with a man and a woman, a pair with two women, a pair with two men, and a pair that stand apart, representing asexual or platonic love. you can shuffle all four in, or choose whichever one suits the querent best. All the poses are different, but all of them are gorgeous.

- I do think some of the suits in this deck were given more love than others. The chalices, in particular, use the cards to retell the little mermaid, which is such a brilliant choice, none of the others really live up it. Wands uses fairy imagery, coins has rabbits, and swords is based on the traditional raider waite imagery. I would have loved to see the other suits get the same treatment as chalices, but alas.

 I think this deck plays perfectly off solo rpgs that sit in that folklore/fairytale/romance space, especially ones that are cute and cosy. Though in general any game you play with these will be softened by their gentle character, so you can always use it to tone down a game that you're worried will get too dark. I'd recommend trying this deck with a game like The Tea Shelf, by K-Ramstack (found here: https://k-ramstack.itch.io/the-tea-shelf)

 4. Crow Tarot

Art, design and writing by MJ Cullinane

This deck was recommended to me by a coworker at an old job. Of all the decks I own, it's the one that's clicked with me the least, but it's hard to pin down why. I don't think it's a poorly designed deck by any means, it just doesn't quite resonate the way others do.

Notes:

- the print quality is very high. The cards come in a nice solid box, and they're beautifully slippy and easy to shuffle. They glide through your hands.

- the four suits are cups, wands, swords and pentacles

- The art has an odd quality. Looking at it in 2023, it has an effect that reminds me strangly of large model generated art artifacts, though this deck was handpainted long before "AI" became a thing. The colour palette is strong and consistent, and the cards have a nice aged effect on them. I think the composition of the cards is less strong than other decks I own, though

- I think I find the crows a bit visually impenetrable. They're posed doing all kinds of things, but they're always animals, and there's something kind of distancing about that. The deck is designed to reflect the playfulness and mystery of crows, but it ends up feeling kind of mushy to me, like I can't properly grasp what it's trying to say.

- the guidebook pictured is the inset one that comes with the box, and I do like the way it's written. It starts with keywords and an interpretation of the card visuals, then moves on to advice/direction. There's also a separate printed book that contains much more information, and honestly you could almost use that in place of the deck, because it's where the things I find interesting about the work are most obvious. You could play by flipping through it to random pages and get a pretty good result.

 As I said, this is a deck I don't really vibe with, but if you were going to use it for solo rpgs, I'd recommend it for fiction about quests or journeys, something high fantasy that's situated in nature and takes you on a trip through a world. Maybe it would work well for The Lonesome Cartographer, by Wren the Forrester (found here: https://wren-the-forrester.itch.io/the-lonesome-cartographer).

 5. Botanical Tarot

Art, Writing and Design by Kevin Jay Stanton

This is another kickstarter deck, which I felt immediately charmed by when I saw how different it was to anything else I owned. Physically, I only backed the simple version of the deck, with a small inset booklet, but I also got access to the digital version of the larger and longer compendium, which I think I would recommend picking up.

Notes:

- These cards are shorter than the crow or starspinner tarots, but wider, more square in shape. They feel very smooth and soft, and they’re a bit thicker than the previous two, which makes them slightly harder to shuffle. That said, they still slip through the fingers quickly and easily. They have gilt edging, which has started to fade slightly at the corners after a year or two of use, but is mostly still holding strong.

- the suits are cups, swords, coins and wands

- The art for these cards is so striking and interesting. Each card has a plant, a detailed and vivid drawing of which is the core image of the card, set against a black background. The suits have images of their namesakes from history, so coins have old coins on them, swords have old swords, etc. The court cards all have different historical crowns. It’s all extremely beautiful to look at.

- Kind of like the crow tarot, the art is such a wide swing that it can be hard to interpret when you’re looking at the card alone, but I mind it less here because the images are so beautiful. I feel like they draw you in with a mystery that’s answered by looking up the booklet. And then that pushes you on to think more deeply about the drawings.

- There’s almost no text on the cards, just a number and a tiny drawing of the suit, or a letter and a tiny drawing for the court cards. And then for the major arcana, each one has its own unique symbol. Some are guessable, like the inverted pentagram for the devil, but others you’ll have to flip through the booklet to find unless you use the deck super regularly.

- the guidebook is simple and straightforward, a useful reference when you’re in the middle of a reading, though it’s quite small and dense, so sometimes the text can be hard to read. And it’s printed on very thin, flimsy paper, so you have to be careful with it. Again, I do recommend getting at least a digital copy of the compendium, because that has a lot more info that really helps to clarify the cards.

 I think this is a great deck for games that have a deep historical touch, or that invoke a kind of ritual atmosphere, and obviously it’s great for anything that has plants in it, but I also think you can use it more generally to inflect games with a tone of solemnity and strangeness. I think this would play great against I shall not spare myself this journey, by Cave of Monsters Games (found here: https://cave-of-monsters-games.itch.io/i-shall-not) or NeoCrystal Elegy by A Yolland (found here: https://ayolland.itch.io/neocrystal-elegy)

 6. Corrupted Tarot

Created by Wyrmwood, this deck features art from over 70 people

This is… another crowdfunded deck. Damn Eve, you buy a lot of these… And this is another one where I thought the core concept was really strong and unique, so I went for it.

Notes:

- This deck is medium sized, about the same as the Starspinner Tarot, and the cards feel very soft to the touch. They shuffle relatively well, although they sometimes stick together slightly. They have nice silver gilt on the edges. For art reasons, I really wish this deck was bigger, but I’ll get to that in a sec. Of all my decks, I think this one makes the most pleasing sound when shuffled, a whooshing noise that’s very attractive.

- The suits are swords, cups, pentacles and wands

- Because this deck has so many artists, the art is relatively inconsistent. I think it does an okay job of using the dark backgrounds to pull it all together, but compared to the single author decks, it’s undeniably fragmented. Whether this is a negative or not will depend on your own preferences. There are a few cards I don’t love, but overall the energy of it really works for me.

- The concept of this deck is that the art depicts the reversed meanings rather than the upright ones. The cards are all meant to have dark, tragic, spooky and sinister energy. I think that it generally does a really good and fun job of this, without straying into depictions of evil/villainy that rely on tired tropes.

- In spite of that premise, this deck feels very empowering and energetic. It has a lot to say about facing down your own demons, picking yourself up and starting over. And also about embracing the dark and powerful sides of yourself.

- The inset guidebook is actually excellent, it tells you who every artist is, gives links to their socials (maybe not as useful if twitter fully goes down, lol, but I hugely appreciate the effort) and talks about how and why they chose the images they did, on top of what the card means. It’s so efficient in such a small amount of space.

- It’s honestly funny to compare this to the little monsters tarot, which has such lovely and delicate art but genuinely bites a lot harder when it describes some of the cards, versus this one which is so theoretically spooky but actually quite friendly and kind

 Like, obviously this deck works amazingly for any kind of rpg with soulslike energy, both because it has the dark exterior and because the actual message is about keeping going in the face of adversity. But in general I think you can use this deck wherever you want to ratchet up tension and add a spooky undercurrent to the story you’re telling. I’d recommend trying it with Where Crimson Flowers Bloom by Mitchell Daily (found here: https://mitchelldaily.itch.io/crimsonflowers)

 7. Literary Tarot

My most recent deck, at least for now. This was part of a big charity project run by a non profit called the Brink Literary Foundation, and I was curious enough about the concept and the images to back it.

Published by the Brink Literary Project

Notes:

- The concept of this deck is that each card has been paired with a novel. They got a lot of famous writers to contribute cards, which as a gimmick is a bit tiresome, but I don’t think it ends up taking too much away from the deck. And some of the choices are genuinely interesting.

- These cards are a bit bigger than the Corrupted Tarot, and a bit thicker, though not as thick as the Botanical Tarot. For some reason, they’re by far the hardest of my decks to shuffle, very sticky and heavy in the hand. That can be a bit annoying, and it means you have to shimmy back and forth to get them all in place, which is causing the gilt edges to wear off faster than it has on other decks.

- The suits for this are very gimmicky, they’re quills (swords), ink (wands), light (cups) and parchment (coins). My problem with this is the same as for the Botanical Tarot, which is that using shorthands or alternate names means you have to double check everything unless you use them super consistently.

- This is like the Corrupted Tarot, where the art is done by multiple people, but this one had a more assertive art director, and so all the cards have a consistent colour palette, and the artists styles are within a similar range, so the deck looks very unified.

- Some of the card choices are a little weird, and some I like better than others. The most striking one was the Cold Equations as the reference for Temperance. I think that really shifts the meaning of the card from being about healing and serene balance to being a kind of merciless rational calculation. Which is certainly a new take, so I’m not complaining.

- Like some of the other decks, this has two guidebooks, a little inset one and a bigger extra book that you can buy separately. In this case, I don’t think you need to rush out and buy the bigger book. It’s a nice treat, with stories about how the cards ended up being assigned to stories, and there are some cool extras that show the process of designing the art for the different cards, but you’ll do just fine with the simple guidebook imo.

Because this deck uses stories for each card, I think it’s great for games where you’re developing a story. If you’re using a solo rpg to design something for a bigger group game, or to explore characters that you want to write about in a novel/short story/whatever, then having this deck can give you a cool range of literary references to think about and try out. I’d recommend trying this deck with a solo rpg like The Last Noita by Yuri Runnel (found here: https://yurir.itch.io/the-last-noita) or Little Shepherd, Little Spy by PsychHound (found here: https://psychhound.itch.io/little-shepherd-little-spy )

 This ended up being so much longer than I expected! If you made it this far, thank you for reading the whole thing <3

#tarot #tarot deck reviews #ttrpg #indie ttrpg #solo rpg #this took so long #but it was fun! #I'm not tagging the decks/games individually it would take way too long sorry

[emiliodown]

Lay Me by the Shore from David Findlay on Vimeo.

Introducing a young cast of first time actors, ‘Lay Me by the Shore’ follows a week in the life of Noah, a high school senior in his final days of school as he comes to terms with his best friend’s passing.

Berlinale, 2022 TIFF, 2022

"Lay Me by the Shore" is this week's Staff Pick Premiere. Our new interactive player enables viewers to watch the film, play with Director's Commentary, and read a Q&A with director David Findlay. To return to the main menu, click "Menu" in the upper left hand corner of the screen at any time.

lay me by the shore Starring Isla Pouliot & Kai Smith Written & Directed by David Findlay Inspired by the Music of The White Birch (Ola Fløttum) Produced by Joaquin Cardoner

Cinematographer Evan Prosofsky Editor Alexander Farah Production Designer Kathleen Cooper Sound Designer Mitchell Allen

Executive Producers Sultan Al Saud, Evan Landry Co-Producers Nicolas Tiry, Aline Meyerhoffer, Neel Gupta Associate Producers Philippe Widmer, Max De Pfyffer, Michael Kuna

With Brennan Smart, Aslan Campbell, Tait Jordan, Mary Alef, Jacob Milton, Quinn Bovell, Elyse Farmer, Dylan Macauley, Luca Jacoe, Amadou Bella Diallo, Julian Pineda, Caleb Richmond, Paul Snider, Vivi Harder, Demelza Randall, Ian Kim, Austin de St Croix, Sylvain Rousseau, Brittany Charlston, Gwenna Cooper, Kalayna Kozak, Sam deBock, Nicky Lee Evans, Christopher Evans, Vincent Delorme, Halia Hirniak, Ethan Chao, Sam Gilling, Asaad Al Arid, Charles Booth, Krystal Issa, Lyall Woznesensky, Debbie Woznesensky, Scott Girling, Maria Lefebvre, Aggie Cheung, Jodie Bartman, Anthony Curtis, Nicholas Chase, Mathew King

Casting by Kris Woznesensky & Kara Eide Casting Associate James Kirk

Production Manager Angelica Stirpe 1st AD (mvp) Nano Clow 2nd AD Dide Su Bilgin

Colourist Sam Gilling 1st AC Jared Boyce 2nd AC Chris Merrell Loader Angelo Daniele Steadicam Operator Peter Park 2nd unit DP Jeremy Cox 2nd unit 1st AC Cody Preston

Gaffer Greg Goudreau add'l Gaffers Torbin Doege & Adrianna Hankins Genny Op Ben Graham Key Grip Andriy Lyskov Grips Benedict Dawson, Jan Schädle Ubeda, Greg Sisson, Rob Hastings

Art Director/Man of the Year Jordan Macken Art Department Justin Macken, Sebastian Cerani, Chino Cando, Myra Gimenes Stylist Nina Maidment Style Assists Jordan Campbell, Nina Cheb-Terrab, Samantha Green

Music Supervisor Dondrea Erauw VFX Evan Graves & David McDonald Stunt Coordinator Owen Walstrom Stunt Driver Brennan Walstrom Kayak Instructor Kiah Schaepe

Sound Mix Harry Knazan - OSO Sound Recordist Jjuan Marcos Percy Production Coordinator Sydney Robertson Key Production Assistant Grayson Lang Production Assistants

[marilynsweet]

FOUR LORDS: CASTLE

-

The wind howled like wolves through the icy night air. Empty branches clacked together with force, and almost covered the sound of the crunching of snow. The snow blew hard, the frigid wind accompanying it making the flakes almost feel like hail. It was incredibly hard to see in the pitch black before one’s eyes.

Then, up ahead. A flicker of orange through a foggy cloud of breath and pitch black trees.

Rose heaved for breath, making a break for the light. She tripped on the ragged trail, stumbling and nearly falling to the ground. She pressed on, however, her throat burning with each gasp for air. A light… she must have been close to the village by now?

She gripped her shawl tighter around her shoulders, hardly able to keep herself from shivering. It was so cold… tears dripped down her cheeks. She could hardly feel her fingertips, her cheeks…

She found herself at the foot of a set of massive wooden doors. There was a torch on either side of the doorway, illuminating a massive stone wall before her. The wall to the castle…

She’d take her chances. What lied in there was surely better than what was chasing her.

BANG, BANG, BANG.

“Hello?” She cried out hoarsely. “Hello? Please, is anyone there?”

Terror still coursed through her veins. She could almost hear the footsteps chasing after her - were they in the woods..?

“Please!” She yelled louder. “Please, I need help!”

The wind nearly drowned out her cries. She banged harder on the door, and nearly tripped forwards when the door opened just a sliver.

A pale green eye looked out at her. A set of hands gripped the edge of the door tightly, and the figure behind the door was staring at her with fear.

“Please - I need help. Please, might you have room by your fire? A room for the night? I-I’ve nowhere to go…” Rose pleaded with the woman, only numbly aware of the tears dripping down her frozen cheeks.

“You must leave!” The woman behind the door whispered. “We have no room! You must leave now!”

“Please,” Rose said back, taking a step back towards the door. “I-I’m hurt, I’ve nowhere to go…”

Suddenly, there was a hand above the door. It pulled inward, widening the crack to an opening of the door. Rose felt warmth radiate from inside.

“What do we have here?” A voice said, and Rose subconsciously took a step back.

A woman held open the door, easily climbing at six feet tall - she towered over both Rose and the frightened woman. She was dressed in a white shirt with baggy sleeves and exposed shoulders, and a black ruffle around the neck. Around her neck hung a bright red ruby. She wore a high-waisted pair of white pants, over which she wore a black corset, with a tail-coat and red underside. Her hands were decorated in golden rings. Her short, black hair framed her pale face perfectly. Her skin was as pale as paper, and her dark eyes glittered in the torchlight.

The Lady of Castle Constance.

“I think we have plenty of room,” said the Lady with a smile. Her lips were decorated with black lipstick.

Rose let out a sigh of relief, glancing behind her at the darkness.

“Come, my dear. Warm yourself, you must be freezing!”

Rose was surprised when the Lady took hold of her shoulder, gently guiding her inside. Her touch was warm, and Rose was more grateful for the warmth inside the building. She was only just now aware of how harshly her teeth were chattering.

“You’re bleeding,” the Lady remarked. “Whatever happened to you?”

Rose’s throat tightened, and she tried to swallow. She gently brought her hand up to touch her cheek - the cold had numbed her pain, and she was surprised when she found the amount of blood that now stained her frigid fingertips.

“I-I…”

She couldn’t bring herself to speak. She was still shaking, so cold…

“We’ve got a room for you, surely - where you can have a hot meal and some warmth. You’re freezing, my dear.”

The Lady gently lifted Rose’s chin after a moment, looking down into her face. Rose could have sworn her heart stopped, though she winced when the Lady touched her wound.

“And you can have that bandaged,” she murmured. “Tell me, dear. What is your name?”

“R-Rose… Rose Atropa,” Rose stuttered after a few moments.

“Hmm… must be for that wonderful red hair of yours.”

Rose perked up.

“Y-Yes, I believe it was…”

She noticed the woman who had been behind the door first. She was only a little shorter than she, her black hair pulled back behind her in a ponytail and her face as white as a sheet. Had she seen her before..?

“Now, come, dear,” the Lady said. “Let us warm you up.”

“T-Thank you,” Rose murmured. “I-I… I don’t have much to offer in return for your generosity…”

“We can discuss that later. For now, you are frigid. I’d rather you discuss this with a clear mind, yes?”

The Lady placed a hand against Rose’s back, leading her away from the door and further into the castle. She did her best to keep up.

In the foyer, servants kept their heads downcast as she passed. There were only a few of them awake at such a late hour.

“Do you have anywhere to return to in the morning, my dear?” Asked the Lady, causing Rose to perk.

She bit the inside of her cheek, hesitating on her response.

“No,” she murmured. “I… I don’t.”

“Interesting.”

The Lady didn’t say much after that, leading her through many rooms decorated beautifully - with gold filigree and candles, high halls and chandeliers, and furniture made with expert craftsmanship. Occasionally, there was a vase or two, either large or small and filled with beautiful red flowers.

The Lady brought her to a couch sitting in front of a warm, lit fireplace. Before her was a table. Accompanying the couch were two chairs. The couch itself was very comfortable.

“I shall arrange for one of the rooms for you to be set up. Some dry clothes will be brought for you, as well. And…”

Lady Constance gently lifted Rose’s chin, eyeing the cut across her cheek.

“A bandage, yes?”

Rose swallowed hard, looking up into Lady Constance’s brilliant red eyes.

“I-I appreciate your hospitality,” she murmured. “I… I don’t have much in return…”

She fiddled with a ring on her left hand, and removed it. It was gold, with a few small diamonds set into it.

“Here, t-this might cover it…”

“No, no, dear. I don’t need your jewelry. I think… repaying what is due will come in time. Are you currently employed?”

“No.”

“Then, I think a payment can be arranged. How would you be willing to work here?”

The Lady’s smile was soft, and she crouched down to reach Rose’s eye level.

“Room and board is provided, as are meals and protection. You’ll be safe, here.”

Rose swallowed, considering her options. She could go back, and suffer worse than she already had…

“I-I think— I think I can manage that,” Rose murmured quietly. “I can offer my hands - I-I know a great deal about housekeeping.”

“Wonderful!” Lady Constance said with a widening smile. “I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine!”

She stood up.

“Take as much time as you need to warm, a servant will lead you to your room.”

With that, the Lady left her alone in the room.

There was a bell that rang in the hallway. It was loud, echoing through the rooms attached to it. A few more bells accompanied it. An alarm to wake the sleeping staff.

Rose stirred in her bed. Cold winter sunlight shone through the open curtains, illuminating the room in an almost bluish hue. The wind rattled the window panes, the latch rattling cautiously. She sat up, slid out of bed, and re-latched it - although it still rattled, she was more assured it would stay closed.

The room was as warm as it could be with the unstable window - she had heard murmurings of the windows being replaced when the spring thaw came. There was a closet full of plain clothes: white blouses, black pants, black boots, and a black corset. They fit well, and Rose dressed herself in them.

The clothes she had worn the night before were taken away by the other staff - likely to be sewn and washed. A bandage had been given to her for her cheek. She expected the slash to scar.

After brushing through her hair, she heard a knock at her door.

“Miss Atropa, you mustn’t be late! You’re due to work downstairs!”

Right.

Rose set the brush down on the end table near her bed and pulled open the door to her room. Other servants were already rushing down the hall, quickly and quietly. Others, likely the night shift, were retiring to their respective rooms. Needless to say, the servants’ wing was bustling. She’d have to get used to this.

She figured she could follow the crowd. She didn’t know even a quarter of the castle’s layout just yet, and “downstairs” could mean any form or fashion in its massive structure. When she began to walk, she spotted the black-haired woman who had met her at the door last night.

All of the staff were women.

Rose was caught only slightly off guard by this. However, she shook it off and made her way down the hall. A set of stairs led the way down, and she was quick to descend them.

She followed a few other maidens to a bulletin, listed with the names of the staff and their rooms they were to work in - or duties required. It took a while for Rose to find her name, and in doing so, she noticed a couple names were scratched out in black ink.

Rose Atropa - Bed Making, and Dinner Service with the Lady at 6:00 pm. Lord and Lady Velkan will be visiting for dinner as well.

She swallowed hard, looking around for some form of authority figure. She noticed that she and the maidens all wore the same clothes, aside from a woman with curly black hair tied back into two buns on the top of her head. She was watching the other women and holding a clipboard. Along with the typical wear, she wore a black vest and a red ribbon tied around her collar, tied into a bow.

Rose approached her, swallowing her anxiety.

“M—Miss?” She asked, and the woman perked, looking over to her. She had big brown eyes and dark skin, as well as a set of earrings.

“Yes?”

“I-I— I was assigned bed making, m-miss— a-and I’m new, you see, s-so I’m not entirely sure where I’m s-supposed to go…”

“Ah, you must be Miss Atropa.”

The woman offered her a smile and an outstretched hand.

“Jada Gordon. If you have any questions, be sure to find me, or one of the other Head Maidens. We’re the ones wearing the vests.”

Rose stared at her hand for a moment before tentatively shaking it.

“Don’t worry. Bed making is an easy job. I’ll show you.”

Jada offered Rose that same smile and led the way to a hall and down a set of stairs. Torches were lit brightly along the walls, illuminating the gold filigree.

“The Lady enjoys fresh sheets once every three days, and today just so happens to be your lucky day. Have you eaten?”

“Oh— uh… no, I-I haven’t,” Rose admitted, biting her cheek. “I-I don’t usually eat breakfast.”

“Oh, it comes at no charge to you. The maidens must eat if they are to work. They should still be open by the time you’re done with your first task, be sure to stop by the kitchens,” Jada said, waving her hand.

The hallway had an impossible number of directions one could go, but Jada seemed to know it impeccably. It was a straight shot down the stairs, through the hallway, and to a stone archway with a heavy wooden door. It led into a washroom, upon which was another wooden door - presumably to take clothes outside to hang in the warmer months.

“Here,” Jada said, walking towards a wooden basket before Rose could properly take in the room, “is where the Lady’s sheets and blankets should be left for you. You simply need to take the basket and head up to her room.”

Rose swallowed hard. She took the basket, hands gripping it tight. Jada then led the way out of the washroom.

There was silence as Rose followed Jada, broken only by the padding of their heels on the ground and the murmurs of other maidens as they passed. They spoke quietly, and she felt eyes glancing at her, at the back of her neck. Whispers followed her.

“She has to service the Lady on her first day?”

“Oh, Lord… she’s a goner.”

“She won’t survive a week.”

Jada shot a whispering group of maidens a sharp look, and upon being spotted, they scattered.

“Don’t mind them,” she said to Rose. “They tend to gossip when we get someone new.”

“W-What did they mean, ‘She won’t last a week’…?”

Jada chuckled, shaking her head.

“They’re always so chatty when we have new arrivals. They think you’ll fail your first week. But I have faith in you.”

Rose gave a small nod, holding the basket closer to herself. Her heart was thudding much too hard for the task at hand.

Jada led her up two flights of stairs. The floor had large, beautiful windows decorated with deep red curtains. The morning sun filtered through the windows, frost decorating the panes. She could see crows fly past the window on occasion.

They arrived at a white double door, decorated ornately in gold. In the middle was engraved the crest of Crow’s Rest.

Jada knocked upon the door.

“Mistress, may we enter?”

A short pause, and then a familiar voice answered.

“You’d best have a good reason for interrupting me, Miss Gordon.”

Jada opened one of the doors, nudging Rose inside first.

“Miss Atropa here has been learning the castle layout. She’s here to make your bed.”

The room was extravagant. There was a four-post, king-sized bed decorated with a deep red bedspread: a duvet, blankets, pillows, and a curtain around the bed posts that was drawn. The headboard of the bed was decorated in gold, and there was an ottoman at the foot of the bed. There were two side tables, one on each side of the bed. The curtains were closed, save for a small sliver of light that made its way through the crack. There was also a white vanity, upon which sat a beautiful array of makeup, brushes, and lipsticks.

In front of a large, ornate mirror, there stood the Lady. Rose’s cheeks flushed. The same black-haired girl from earlier was tightening a corset around the Lady’s waist, before she tied the strings. Rose noticed her hands were shaking, but nimble and quick.

“Ah, our newest maiden?” Lady Constance said, glancing in the mirror.

For a moment, Rose saw the Lady’s bright red eyes meet her dark brown ones. Her heart leapt into her throat.

“She’s been scheduled, as well, for dinner service tonight. I’ll be there to help her,” said Jada, gently pushing her towards the magnificent bed against the wall. “Please excuse any minor mistakes she may make. It’s her first day.”

“Please, you think too little of me!”

The black-haired girl kept her eyes focused a little too intently on the small of the Lady’s back, wherein she finished tying the corset.

Rose walked towards the bed, before she began to strip it of its covers. She noticed the pillows closer to the right side were particularly indented - the Lady must have favored the right side of her bed. The left side’s blankets were still neatly tucked under the mattress.

“My, my, she is quick with that, isn’t she?”

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the sound of the Lady’s soft coo. Her cheeks turned pink, and she lifted her head to glance over at the others. Lady Constance was watching her, almost fascinated. The black-haired girl was fastening a tailcoat of sorts to the corset.

Rose quickly averted her eyes back to her task.

“I-I had a— a history of housekeeping, m-my Lady,” she said, pulling off the fitted sheet. “I’m used to— to making b-beds quickly.”

She heard Lady Constance hum. Rose pulled the pillows off the bed, setting them aside before finding the clean sheet in the basket. She then placed the new sheets upon the bed with haste.

She made the bed, with the pillows favoring the right side. It was subtle, but she hoped the Lady would appreciate her effort.

“Miss Evans, you are dismissed. I can handle it from here.”

Rose perked at the name, looking over to see the black-haired girl giving the Lady a short, curt bow. Lady Constance sat at her vanity as the woman left, shutting the door behind her. Jada glanced down at her clipboard, scratching something off with a pen. She noticed Rose’s glance, and nodded towards the sheets on the floor - an indication for her to pick them up.

Rose grabbed the sheets and placed them in the basket.

“Lord Velkan will be here for dinner around 5:55,” Jada said. “He’s bringing—“

“Raven, I know. Said he wanted to discuss something. I’ll want a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of champagne for them brought up from the cellar before they arrive.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

Rose tucked the sheets into the basket, and then she sat up.

“He likes those little candies, too. See to it that he gets a bag.”

“Which candies, my Lady?”

“The butterscotch ones.”

Rose took a few steps back towards the pair, noticing the Lady taking extra care to decorate her lips with black.

“I owed him a gift,” the Lady continued. “He and his wife have always been good to me.”

Annabelle pressed her lips together and, when they parted, they made a soft pop! sound. She leaned back on her stool, placing her lipstick back on the vanity, neatly amongst the others. She then stood up, turning back to Jada.

“I’ll need the dining room prepared for guests by then.”

She noticed Rose, and Rose felt her face flush as the Lady’s eyes fixated on her for a few seconds longer.

“Miss Atropa?”

Rose stiffened, her grip tightening on the basket handles.

“Y-Yes— Yes, m-my Lady?”

“You did well. Keep up the good work.”

She offered her a soft smile, before turning and walking out of the room.

There was a moment of silence. Jada then turned to Rose and offered her a smile, as well.

“I think she’s quite fond of you. That’s a good sign.”

“O-Oh..”

Rose swallowed hard.

“Y-You think so?”

“She hardly compliments servants on their first day. So I do.”

Jada chuckled.

“Think you can make it back to the laundry room from here? I’ve got to go check on some things.”

“Oh— Yeah-yeah I think— I think I can.”

Jada patted her on the shoulder, before turning to leave. After a few moments, she paused.

“And make sure to eat, alright?”

Rose nodded, watching the woman turn and leave the bedroom. Rose stood, watching it for a few moments, before following suit and making for the basement.

Rose ate, and then spent the afternoon going around and checking bedrooms for more made beds - including the staff quarters. She washed the Lady’s sheets that she had brought downstairs, and hung them up to dry on a long wire. Usually, they’d be outside, but she didn’t want them to freeze.

Eventually, she was pulled aside to help set up for dinner. She set the table with a black, neatly folded tablecloth. As instructed by Jada, she put a different glass at each seat: a wine glass, a champagne flute, and a lowball glass. It took a few adjustments to get the plate placement right - she was used to regular table setting, not such fine dining placement - but ultimately, the table looked nice. It sat in the center of a large, high-ceiling dining room. The ceiling itself was round, with a bright chandelier hanging from the center. There was a window on either end of the long, six-person table. The sides of the room were subject to paintings, columns on which sat brilliant bouquets of red flowers, and gold filigree enlaid in the white walls. Jada put three bottles on the table, with a corkscrew at Lady Constance’s side of the table. From a room to the right, down a hallway that curved, Rose could smell a delightful aroma of food unlike any she had savored in years. There was another tunnel, she suspected, below ground that allowed the kitchen staff to remain out of sight on the nights where the guest hall was used. To the left, there was another hallway: this would led into the dining room from the rest of the castle.

Miss Evans was with her. Rose still couldn’t quite place where she had seen her before yesterday, but she definitely recognized the surname Evans. Hadn’t she known a girl with that last name?

Miss Evans had Rose stand with her hands behind her back on one side of the open curtains on the window, behind Annabelle’s seat. She then took her own place on the other side, as voices could be heard entering towards the dining room.

“It’s a pleasure to have you both again. I was wondering when you’d be able to find the time.”

Rose recognized the familiar sound of Lady Constance’s heels against the cold, hard floor. Two sets of footsteps accompanied her.

“The apothecary’s been busy. I’ve hardly had the chance to sit down ever since cold season started. Every day I’ve a new person on my front door asking for flu remedies.”

There was the voice of another woman, but before Rose could ask Miss Evans who it was, the dining room was occupied. There were three of them: Lady Constance, of course, standing with her head tall and a smile upon her face; a shorter, pale woman with long, straight white hair that she pulled over one shoulder, and piercing blue eyes; and - terrifyingly - a man only a little shorter than Annabelle, with short, midnight-black hair and a blindfold over his eyes. He was decorated in gold jewelry, and a heavy-looking black cloak adorned with feathers. Black stained like tears from his eyes and down his cheeks. Under that, he wore a black shirt and pants.

Rose swallowed hard. She noticed the woman’s hand holding onto the man’s arm. They both had a long, golden earring and cuff on their left ear.

Lord and Lady Velkan?

He was much more terrifying than any story told of him. Few had even seen him - those that had were insistent that every word spoken about him was true.

The woman led Lord Velkan towards his seat, with the lowball glass. She then took her place in the seat to his left, with the champagne flute. Annabelle took a seat at the head of the table, and Rose was aware of Lady’s eyes glancing over her figure as she sat. Her cheeks flushed.

“And you, Hawthorne? How’s it been on the fields?”

Lord Velkan chuckled, and Rose felt a chill run down her spine at his unnerving smile. Despite the blindfold, it still felt like his eyes could bore into her.

“The fields were prosperous, luckily. We were able to obtain a successful harvest. I suspect you’ll have the same luck with the grapes in your vineyard.”

Lady Constance took the corkscrew and held it up with her left hand. Miss Evans immediately walked over to Lady Constance’s side and took the corkscrew, before walking over to the bottles and beginning to remove the corks. She set the bottles back on the table, and motioned Rose over with her head. Rose quickly made for the table, taking the wine bottle once Miss Evans was done with it. As Lady Constance continued to talk with her guests, Rose approached her. She noticed Lady Constance took her wine glass and held it out for her to fill, which Rose did. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she was about halfway through her pour, and Lady Constance’s eyes glanced at her through the corner of her eye. Rose swallowed, finishing and turning back to Miss Evans, bottle gripped tightly in her hands. Miss Evans was offering a bottle to the woman.

“Champagne, Lady Velkan?”

“Ah— Dr. Quinn-Casey. I don’t need such formality,” said the white-haired woman with a soft smile, holding up her champagne flute for Miss Evans to fill.

That left Lord Velkan. A lump grew in Rose’s throat when she set the wine bottle down and took the bottle of whiskey. She approached the man, trying to hide the thundering of her heart against her ribcage and the chills that ran up her spine upon growing closer. Lord Velkan had his jaw resting on his hand, as if he were surveying the table through the blindfold.

She did her best not to hesitate. She glanced over to Miss Evans, who shot her a quick, reassuring smile after finishing filling Dr. Quinn-Casey’s glass. Rose avoided the blank stare of Lord Velkan and finished his glass, before taking the bottle and returning to place it back with the others.

“Thank you,” Lord Velkan said, causing Rose to pause and her breath to hitch in her throat. How..?

Miss Evans led her back to their previous place, behind the head of the table and in front of the curtains.

“Drinking so soon? You must really want something from me,” Lord Velkan continued, taking the glass and taking a sip from it.

“It’s courtesy,” replied Lady Constance, “I know that you enjoy whiskey. That’s my finest bottle.”

“I‘ll likely send you some barley from the harvest,” he continued. “You can’t send me all of your bottles at once, you won’t have any left for future years!”

“I know that,” she replied with a chuckle. “Dinner should be here any moment.”

“Have you outdone yourself again, Annabelle?” said Dr. Quinn-Casey, taking a drink from her own flute. “It seems every time we visit there’s something new. I see you’ve made a new acquaintance.”

Rose felt her breath hitch as the doctor nodded towards her.

“I do hope it wasn’t you who put that mark on her face.”

“Of course not!” Lady Constance retorted. “She came to my castle doorstep last night in the midst of the blizzard.”

As she spoke, three servants dressed in solid white came into the room. They each held a silver tray, and from their trays they placed a plate in front of each person at the table. Rose could smell the delightful aromas from here.

“I wish you’d’ve called me or sent her to me. I could’ve bandaged that for you. What happened?”

Dr. Quinn-Casey turned her eyes back on Rose as the white-clad servants headed back into the kitchen, as silently as they had entered.

Rose felt her hands beginning to shake. She could physically feel the color draining from her face, and she nearly choked on how tight her throat became. She couldn’t speak. Her hands felt icy cold.

“She showed up on my doorstep asking for shelter. Poor thing was cut badly on her cheek. I count her as lucky she didn’t lose her eye to whatever beast did that to her,” Lady Constance said, and Rose was grateful she spoke in her stead. She was unsure if she could even get the words out, even if she wanted to.

“I do hope you’ll take better care of this one, Annabelle,” said Lord Harken, taking his fork from next to his plate and turning it over in his hand. “I can’t have ladies continuing to go missing because of your reckless actions.”

Lady Constance visibly stiffened in her seat.

“They are well-paid and well-cared for in my castle,” she said with restraint. “Those who you deem ‘missing’ are punished, simple as that.”

Rose felt Lord Velkan’s empty gaze watching in her direction, and another chill ran down her spine.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

Lady Constance took her glass and took a longer sip from her wine.

“I assure you, Hawthorne, I deal with my maidens how I see fit - and I’m not going to slaughter every woman who comes to me for help.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw Miss Evans visibly stiffen, and her hands - which were tucked behind her back - tightened their grip on each other.

“I trust that you won’t. You keep killing them and there won’t be any left. Then what will you do? I know your distaste knows no bounds.”

“You are the only one I can stand to be around,” Lady Constance said with a scoff.

Though Rose was not to speak in this meeting of theirs, she found it incredibly informative. She was starting to wonder if becoming a maiden in the Lady’s household was the right choice, but was quickly steered away from that thought by the memories of what awaited her outside these walls. She was safer in here than she was out there.

“How’s your meal?” Lady Constance said, quickly changing the topic.

“Delightful as always,” Dr. Quinn-Casey replied, taking another piece of her dinner and biting into it. “You always seem to surprise me.”

“I’ll send the kitchen staff your gratitude.”

“Please do.”

Rose noticed the Lady’s shoulders slowly relax before she took another drink of wine.

“Aside from the new maiden,” she continued, “I’ve had little new affairs. I’ll be sending Miss Evans on her delivery route tomorrow. I have a few orders from your farmhands, so she may be out by the fields tomorrow.”

“I assure you, no harm will come from me. I’ll keep her in mind,” Lord Velkan said.

Miss Evans’ posture relaxed a little.

“Will you be attending the next Lords’ meeting, Raven?” Lady Constance asked, nodding towards the doctor. “You weren’t at the last one. We missed you.”

“Had a patient who broke his arm. If nothing keeps me, then I might as well,” replied Dr. Quinn-Casey, turning her fork over in her hand. “Nailah will likely be there, too.”

“She always is,” Lady Constance added. “I don’t think she’s missed a single one.”

“Legally, she can’t. She or Miss Franklin have to be in attendance to record it,” Lord Velkan said when he finished his bite.

“I like to read her transcripts afterwards. She’s very good at her job,” Dr. Quinn-Casey chuckled, a smile crossing her face. “Humorous, sometimes.”

“She should keep humor out of official documents,” Lady Constance grumbled. “They’re official for a reason.”

“She puts down everything that is said and done. Sometimes looking back on it is humorous in itself. If I thought she was doing wrong, I’d have her replaced,” Lord Velkan said with a smile.

Rose still felt unnerved by his smile.

“Miss Hassan is doing a fine job. I’ll keep her around, and it’s likely she’ll be at the next one. And the one after that, and the one after that,” he chuckled.

“I get it, I get it!” Lady Constance retorted, rubbing her temple. “I get your point.”

“Oh, Annabelle, don’t be like that,” Dr. Quinn-Casey teased with a growing smile. “He’s not doing any harm!”

Lady Constance huffed.

“Lord Avara and Lord Vallis will be delighted to see you,” she continued. “I do hope he wears a shirt this time.”

“Lord Vallis is entitled to wear whatever he likes, as are you. His indecencies are covered, that’s all we ask,” Lord Velkan snorted, the grin still present on his face. “You’d have to take up your concerns with Lord Avara, too - she’s the one exposing her midriff and shoulder. You and her get along quite nicely, don’t you?”

“Point taken,” Lady Constance grumbled.

Lord Velkan chuckled, finishing his glass of whiskey. Dr. Quinn-Casey finished her champagne, and before Miss Evans and Rose could refill their glasses, Lord Velkan held up a hand.

“Best to not walk home drunk,” he said, rising from his chair. “Dinner was delightful, Annabelle. Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure,” the Lady said, rising from her seat. She approached the two as they stepped away from the table, and Dr. Quinn-Casey took her husband by the arm once more. “Allow me to show you out.”

Miss Evans moved once the trio approached the exit hallway, so Rose followed suit. They picked up the dishes from the table. However, as she did so, Rose finally asked Miss Evans the question that had been burning at her ever since she heard the woman’s last name:

“Do I know you?”

Miss Evans paused mid-grab, the champagne flute in her hand.

“…I used to know you,” she murmured, picking up the plates and continuing to walk around the table. “Not well, but I recognized you the moment you stepped onto the doorstep. We lived near each other.”

Rose swallowed, a chill running down her back at the memories of her old home.

“Near the butcher shop, or-or earlier?”

“Near the shop. Alex still working there?”

“Yeah… yeah, he is.”

Miss Evans glanced towards the exit hall, as if worried the Mistress might return at their voices.

“I do hope I didn’t cause a stir when I… left. The Lady hired me a couple years ago, and I haven’t really talked much to others except my customers.”

“What’s your first name?” Rose asked, a bit tentatively. “I don’t want to have to call you ‘Miss Evans.’”

“Bayley,” replied the woman with a small smile. “Bayley Evans.”

“I’m Rose. Rose Atropa.”

The women shook hands. Bayley’s hand was small, like Rose’s.

“Your hands are cold,” Bayley murmured. “He scares you, too?”

“I-It was that obvious, huh?” Rose said with an attempt at a laugh. “I… I thought the stories were just— trying to make him seem scarier. Like a fictional beast.”

“Nope. Him and Annabelle, both - and the other Lords. Wait until you see them all here for dinner. Those whispers of Lord Avara being wolf-like? They’re not rumors.”

Rose swallowed hard.

“You’re doing well for only your first day,” Bayley continued, leading the way into the kitchen hall. “It’s almost like you’ve done this before.”

“I’ve experience with housekeeping.”

“Let me guess, did the Mrs. teach you?”

“You--You mean my mother? Yes, she did. She… said it’d--it’d be good for my-my future husband.”

A wave of cold felt like it washed over her body, like she had been dumped in icy water. The urge to take her ring off struck the back of her mind.

“That’s all they seem to think,” Bayley grumbled.

She led the way through the hall to a closed door, next to which was a short bin. The bin could slide through a hole in the wall. They placed the dishes into the bin, and when they turned to leave, a hand from behind the wall pulled the bin through to the other side.

“The kitchen staff aren’t supposed to be seen much,” Bayley whispered as they left. “Guess it’s lucky we’re not back there, hm?”

Rose could only nod, and followed Bayley down the hall.

“She likes you, y’know,” Bayley murmured when they walked a little further.

Rose perked, her cheeks turning pink.

“What makes you say that?”

“She’s never paid much mind to her servants, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of you when you were in her line of sight,” Bayley added. “I don’t doubt that she’s taken some sort of favor to you.”

Rose fidgeted with her ring, her gaze lowering to the floor. Guilt began to eat away at her, though her cheeks turned a redder shade.

Not much was said for the rest of the walk.

Rose found herself unable to sleep that night. The day’s events left her laying wide awake in her nightgown, staring up at the ceiling. The winter wind continued to rattle her window panes, the moonlight gone under a thick swathe of storm clouds. She turned over and over in her blankets, stewing on the information she had acquired that day.

The rumors were true. They were governed by fairytales. Did Annabelle really like her? Was she just being kind? Aside from that, Bayley was alive - Rose must have missed her while she was making her deliveries. She wondered if it was Annabelle who made the ring she now wore, delivered to her front door months ago. Had Bayley recognized the name on the delivery?

Rose took it off, setting it on her nightstand. She stared at the glimmering diamonds in the dim candlelight, and her stomach twisted into knots the longer she stared. The cut on her face almost burned.

Deciding she could no longer simply lay there, she slid off her bed and grabbed the candleholder. A night stroll might help her sleep.

The hallways were dark and empty. The ceiling was hidden in black, and her footsteps seemed to echo against the cold floor. Shadows flickered across the beautiful white walls, and orange reflected in the gold filigree of the columns. The vases of red flowers shone in the small light.

The silence was pressing. The curtains were closed on the massive windows, dulling the noise of the storm outside.

Rose didn’t know exactly what she was to think about. So much had happened in the last two days, she couldn’t fathom how quickly everything had changed. She still couldn’t decide if it was for better or for worse - but so far, it was infinitely better. Not one voice had shouted at her. Not one hand had raised against her.

However, as soon as that thought crossed her mind, she heard shouting down the stairs below. Though her heart leapt into her throat at the noise, she quickly descended the stairs to see what the commotion was about.

She ducked below the railing once the scene came into sight. She spotted quite a few figures gathered near a fireplace - the same one Rose had sat in front of the previous night. However, the room was not cozy and warm; instead, the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

“Sam, please! Just calm down—“

“I SAID I’M LEAVING! I am done living my life in terror because of the vile woman keeping us captive!”

One of the maidens moved. Rose recognized her as Bayley, slowly approaching another maiden. She was tall, with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Delusion was written across her terrified face, and in her hands was a fire poker. Her hands were shaking.

“Sam, please! Keep it down, you’ll wake the Lady—“

“I DON’T CARE!” Sam shrieked, rounding on Bayley. The other maidens took a step back, and Bayley raised her hands.

“We don’t want trouble, Sam! It’ll be okay— come morning, it’ll be alright! Please—“

Sam’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she seemed to be fighting back sobs.

“Let me out!” She choked. “Let me go!”

“The Lady—“

“ENOUGH ABOUT THE WRETCHED WITCH!” Sam shrieked, swinging the fire poker wildly.

A blood-curdling shriek emitted from the group. Blood splattered against the couch nearby, and Bayley staggered away from Sam, holding her face.

Rose covered her mouth with her hand, a sharp intake of breath forcing itself into her lungs.

Blood dripped from between Bayley’s fingers.

“SAM!” Shouted another maiden, who grabbed for her weapon and tried to help restrain the frantic woman.

“NO! LET ME GO! I AM DONE PLAYING HOUSE! I WILL NO LONGER BE A SLAVE!”

The other maidens quickly tried to restrain her, pushing the poker back above her head. Shouting broke out between the maidens, and Rose finally stood upright and dashed over to Bayley. She was crouched against the ground, close to the steps, trying to control the blood spilling down her face.

“Bayley!” Rose cried, rushing over to her and crouching down to her level. She took Bayley by the shoulders. “Bayley, are--are you a-alright?”

Bayley slowly pulled her hands away from her face. Her palms were drenched with blood, and there was a long slice over the bridge of her nose. Her blood ran down her face.

“Here, it-- it-it’s alright, here…”

Tears started to drip down Bayley’s freckled cheeks. Rose gently held her head, taking her sleeve and covering the wound with it. The blood was quick to soak through the fabric, staining it scarlet.

“ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, the women attempting to restrain Sam scattered, and there was another scream cut short. Rose turned her head to look, and she gasped.

Lady Constance had appeared, taking Sam by the throat and forcibly taking the fire poker from the smaller woman’s hand. Sam choked out for air, the terror on her face even more evident than it had been before. She flailed, grabbing at the Lady’s iron grip, trying to force her fingers off her throat. Lady Constance’s face was cold, her red eyes full of malice and rage - far from the comfort and caring with which she had looked upon Rose when they first met.

The other maidens cowered at her mere presence.

“Samantha Birch,” she snarled amidst Sam’s pained choking, “I do believe we discussed what would happen if you acted out again?”

Sam’s eyes filled with terror, and she attempted to scream out. The only thing she could get out was a strangled cry, and she again tried to suck air in through her constricted throat.

“And now you’ve nearly killed one of my maidens. How crude.”

Lady Constance dropped Sam like a sack of flour, where she hit the floor and let out a strangled, horrified cry as she sucked in air. Rose physically recoiled, tears dripping down her face and her heart slamming against her ribcage. She felt sick - the screaming set her on high alert, and she covered her head and ears. She felt Bayley grab her by the head, pulling her close to her chest.

Sam didn’t stop screaming, even as she was dragged by the hair out of the room and down a hall, until the sound died out the farther she was. The room fell into an eerie, stiff silence, the tension still no thinner than when she entered. Rose didn’t even realize she was hyperventilating until the silence fell, her ragged gasps for air breaking the silence - save for the flickering of the candles. A few of the maidens trickled out of the room, dissipating until it was just Rose, Bayley, and the night shift maidens. Even they left, one saying she was going to find a bandage for Bayley’s face.

Her sobs broke through as she rested her head against Bayley’s chest, the other woman’s hand gently brushing through her hair. She gently hushed Rose’s strangled sobs, doing her best to comfort the shaken woman while being shaken herself.

Eventually, one of the maidens came back with a bandage and a handkerchief. She gently wiped the wound across Bayley’s nose, before pulling her to her feet - Rose followed suit, slowly able to stand as she began to compose herself. Her hands were trembling so hard that she could hardly hold on to Bayley’s. They were led away from the room, towards the hallway and away from the bloody scene behind them.

Bayley’s nose was bandaged. Her hands were washed of blood, as much as she could get off. They sat on a window seat in the hallway, a little ways from the bathrooms. Bayley ran a hand up and down Rose’s back, whose face was buried in her hands. Sam’s screams echoed through her mind like a call in a cavern, forcing her to relive the moment again and again. Lady Constance…

“That’s what happens to those who rebel,” Bayley murmured in a defeated whisper. “I wish she had just stuck it out a little longer…”

“What’s going to happen to her?” Rose asked in that same, hushed whisper. “Will she be okay?”

Bayley didn’t answer.

The silence pressed on for a while, but was broken by the familiar dung of the Lady’s heels against the cold floor. Rose flinched, shutting her eyes tightly and bowing her head. Would she be next? Would the Lady punish her for being awake so late? Was whatever was going to happen to Sam going to happen to her? Her heart caught in her throat.

The footsteps stopped in front of them.

“Miss Atropa.”

Rose swallowed hard, slowly but surely lifting her head to look up at Lady Constance. She could have sighed in relief - the look of anger and malice was gone. Instead, her face held a gentle expression.

“Apologies on my behalf for the outburst you had to witness. I’m sorry you had to see such an outrage of power and pain. It shouldn’t happen again.”

She then turned to Bayley.

“Both of you should get some rest. I will be sure that this won’t happen again. Miss Evans…”

She placed a hand on Bayley's shoulder. She was tense.

“I’m sorry for Miss Birch’s attack against you. I understand if you’d like to take a day or two to rest.”

Bayley nodded her head, folding her hands in her lap.

“Thank you, my Lady.”

“Miss Atropa, may I speak to you?”

Rose took a moment to nod, taking the Lady’s now extended hand and allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.

“Worry not, I would just like to make conversation.”

The Lady’s hands were surprisingly warm and gentle. Although, the rings upon her fingers were a mix of both warm and cold.

“Rest well, Miss Evans.”

“I’ll--I’ll see you later, Bayley.”

Lady Constance led the way down the hall, taking a few moments to release Rose’s hand. There was silence, and Rose fidgeted with her hands, her head lowered. What could the Lady want with her?

“I really did want to apologize, dear, for the outburst of anger I showed today. I saw how frightened you were upon seeing it.”

Rose was quiet, walking beside her Lady with her arms crossed.

“I… I don’t-- I don’t do well with raised voices,” she murmured after a while. “Bad memories.”

“I won’t pry for details until you’re ready,” Lady Constance replied in a softer tone. “I understand the pain that past events can cause someone. It… It can be painful to speak of.”

She spoke as if she had experience with such memories. Rose wouldn’t pry further.

“Th--Thank you.”

“Do you have another nightgown to change into? That one looks a bit stained,” Lady Constance continued, nodding towards Rose’s bloody sleeve.

She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek.

“Yes, m-my Lady. I-I should have one.”

“Leave that one in the laundry, tomorrow morning. I’ll have the stains removed from it immediately.”

“Yes--Yes, my Lady.”

A silence fell between them once more. The Lady’s heels clicked against the ground, and Rose found herself almost falling into a rhythm of trying to match her pace.

“If you need, I won’t be upset if you’re late to make the bedding tomorrow,” Lady Constance continued. “It’s been an eventful night.”

“I-I won’t be, m-my Lady. I’ll be-- I’ll be up on time.”

“Promise me you won’t fret too much, dear, alright?”

Rose felt red flush her face as Lady Constance’s hand rested against her back. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

“It’ll be your second day, and already you’ve had to witness the worst. I’ll try my hardest not to let it happen again.”

“Yes, m-my Lady.”

“Trust me, it’s not nearly that terrifying all of the time. You shouldn’t have had to witness such an ordeal. However, I do appreciate the efforts you made to help Miss Evans. I’m sure she’s grateful for it.”

Another nod, and Rose bit the inside of her cheek. She almost dared not to ask, but it ate away at her chest, and she spat it out before she could take it back:

“Is Sam going to be okay?”

The Lady paused, as did Rose. She turned to the smaller woman, her red eyes looking down at her with a mix of emotions. She hesitated to reply, but gently took Rose’s shoulder after a few moments.

“Miss Birch will be punished accordingly. She cut Miss Evans across the face - an attempt at her life. This isn’t the first time she has caused trouble with the other maidens.”

Rose lowered her head, but nodded nonetheless.

“A little higher, and she would have blinded poor Miss Evans. She’s one of my best - I’d prefer her eyes to stay intact. Worse, she could have killed her.”

“Yes, my Lady.”

Lady Constance hummed, her hand resuming its place on Rose’s back as she began to walk again.

“It’s getting late. It’d be best for you to head to your room, yes?” she purred, a soft smile crossing her midnight-black lips. Her ruby-red eyes almost seemed to glow in the dim lamplight. The soft glow illuminated her pale skin, reflected off her neat, coal black hair.

Rose shook herself, before nodding a bit too quickly.

“O-Of course, m-my Lady.”

The walk continued in silence for a little while longer. They climbed a flight of stairs, leading to the servants’ quarters. Rose felt her heart beat faster as they approached her room. Lady Constance paused once they reached the door, so Rose paused as well. The Lady’s hand moved to her shoulder, squeezing it in a reassuring manner.

“Do try to get some sleep, dear. It’s been a taxing last few days for you, hasn’t it?” She said with a smile.

Rose nodded, glancing over the Lady’s smile before lowering her head.

“I-I’ll try, m-my Lady.”

“Good girl.”

Rose felt her face turn bright red, warmth spreading across her cheeks faster than she could fully register exactly what had just been said to her. She opened her mouth, but the words failed her. Her Lady was already walking away, her back turned as she gave a small wave.

“Goodnight, Rose. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Rose swallowed, watching Lady Constance until she had turned the corner and descended the stairs, out of sight. Even then, she stared at the empty hallway for a long time, until she finally opened her bedroom door and stepped inside, closing it behind her.

Her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and Rose covered her mouth with her hand. Her face felt hot to the touch. She leaned against her bedroom door, desperately trying to calm the raging blush in her cheeks.

Keep it together, Rose! She thought to herself. She’s just being kind.

She took a deep breath, followed by a long exhale as she let go of her face. She leaned her head back against the door, closing her eyes.

After a few moments of trying to collect herself, she glanced over at her bed. The diamonds of her ring sitting on the end table glittered in the moonlight. A lump grew in her throat, and she bit the inside of her cheek.

Rose approached the nightstand, taking the ring in her hands. She watched the glittering of diamonds in the moonlight, before taking another deep breath.

She opened the drawer in the side table, before dropping the ring inside and pushing it shut. She didn’t realize she had held her breath in her chest until she let it out, as soon as the ring was out of sight.

After changing her nightgown, she then climbed into bed, staring up at the ceiling as she wrapped herself in the blankets. It held no answers for her, despite her whirring mind. That plain, white stone glared down at her, unmoving despite her stare. Her head was buzzing with thoughts like a swarm of bees over a fresh, empty set of honeycombs.

She wondered if she’d be able to sleep. She needed to, but the last two days…

She shuddered. So much violence… She grazed the bandage on her cheek with her fingertips, flinching at the dull pain that followed. It stung, yes, but not nearly as much as it first had. Not to mention, the terror in Sam’s eyes as she was lifted from the ground by the throat, the deranged gleam in her eyes as she slashed Bayley across the face…

Yet…there was a glimmer of kindness, too. Annabelle’s warm gaze as she invited her in from the cold, frozen forest - offered her security and shelter. Jada’s smile as she shook her hand, leading her through the castle at a brisk pace and even vouching for her, asking the Lady to be kind to her on her first day. Bayley’s soft smile during their conversation, running a hand down her back despite her terror, offering her security from her own mind despite her injuries.

Rose sighed, running a hand through her hair. She then turned over on her side and forced herself to close her eyes, listening to the rattling of the window panes and the wind outside. It helped to take her mind off of it - she needed to rest.

After a while, the sounds gently lulled her into sleep.

#FOUR LORDS #writing #my writing #writeblr #Lady Annabelle Constance #Rose Atropa #Nailah Hassan #Bayley Evans #Alexander Hughes #OC #original story #story #Roseabelle #slow burn #maiden #Samantha Birch