#caledonia and her family

[gayfishermanfive]

thinking about how ashes parents have a portrait with their pet dog but not their own daughter 😩

#i think about her sometimes and shes so tragic to me #i want to give her a hug #my favorite pathetic sopping wet woman #starting her own crime family bc it was the only family she could get 😔✊ #elizabeth caledonia ashe #overwatch

[lovesickbrat]

What are the recommended works of literature by the coquette community?

well im glad u asked here are some books NOT on coquette booktok (and one that is)

u have to read lolita by nabokov thats what kickstarted the subculture a difficult but beautiful read nabokov is a true word smith and theres only one other author who crafts imagery on his level

and that author is TONI MORRISON. if you want a book on female friendships, isolation, magical realism and truly unhinged female characters read sula. this is my favorite book of alllll time truly nothing comes close at all the titular character is so interesting is blunt and sensual and odd just like her best friend nel and this is a book i have to read to truly experience

if you loved lolita and want a story similar but about black girls read the bluest eye. this has two major TWs of csa and rape but toni does an amazing job at unpacking generational trauma, cruelty, colorism and desirability and how that effects young black girls esp dark skin black girls. i recommend it to non black coquettes all the time bc some (a lot) of them need to learn some empathy for their black sisters

bonkour tristesse is a quick summer read written by an actual 17 year old in the 1960s about a young girl living a bohemian life with her father until he behins dating her deceased mothers best friend and and she does anything she can to stop it. i read this in a day it was so fun and the author being a teen when she wrote it gives the main character and interesting voice

the moth diaries which i just finished like 4-5 hrs ago is a sapphic gothic novel set in a boarding and day school focusing on the boarding students and their isolated existence its really good def a psychological thriller and you’re left unsure what is real and what is the unnammed narrators psychosis. you can feel her slowly losing her sanity on the pages

stolen by lucy christopher is an older YA novel abt a young girl kidnapped by an older handsome man who she develops stockholm syndrome for. its told with the framing device of a letter its all in past tense and its set in the australian desert so lots of tension here

a book i just started but im already finding interesting in innocents by cathy cootes about a young australian girl who traps her teacher in a relationship and u are nottttt supposed to like this girl but ur intrigued by her shes very demented LOL

audition by ryu murakami is what the infamous movie is based on iykyk if not its about a man who holds “auditions” for the perfect girlfriend and instead gets a psychotic young woman

la batarde by violette leduc is a 1960s autobiography about a woman who reflects on how being born out of wedlock tainted the rest of her life

little birds and delta of venus by anais nin are a series of erotic short stories she wrote for a dollar a page on 1940s france for legal reasons i recommend this to ppl 18+

their eyes were watching god is an absolutely stunning take on black girlhood and womanhood set in early 1900s written in the black floridian dialect at the time it does so well at preserving that culture and showing the trials of being a black woman and its a very romantic and lush book one of my favs

o caledonia which is a gothic scottish book set in the 1940s it opens with the death of the main character and we follow the journey it takes her to get there and it’s supremely haunting

the blacker the berry another tale of black girlhood this time in the northern american stares in the early 1900s very insightful tale of a young woman dealing with love and coming of age as a dark skin woman

the lover the (mostly) true auto biography by maurgarite duras about her time in saigon as a poor french teen and the complexities of relationship with an older vietnamese man as well as her complicated interactions with her family & (sexual) feelings for her best friend

flowers in the attic a classic gothic tale about a young woman who is forced to live in the attic of her familys large estate with her 3 siblings and its as bad as u think it is

we have always lived in the castle is a gothic mystery about the 3 surviving blackwoods and the incident 6 years prior that isolated them from the town

emma by jane austen is a classic truly we all know it we all love it and even i enjoyed it and im a perpetual reader of doom and gloom

lady chatterlys lover is one of the most notorious victims of britans whole obscenity thing and its about a relationship between an upperclass woman and a working class man

wuthering heights is another gothic classic i highly suggest reading

and these are (some of) the more underrated books ive seen in my p much 10 years of being here the coquette literature canon is always expanding and growing

and fuck sylvia plath 🫶🏽

#coquette #coquette aesthetic #ask.pdf

[nostalgicfortomorrow]

Why I love TDM so much

I love The Darkest Minds so fucking much. It's about found family. It's about trust and friendship. AND IT CREATES SOME OF THE BEST CHARACTERS I'VE EVER READ.

So obviously the setting. I like how much effort Alexandra Bracken puts into designing a world that I could definately foresee myself in a couple of years, especially with the rise of GMO food (agent ambrosia) and how it dives deeper into corruption and how a government works being that it never truly will care about it's people unlike many other dystopians I've read. I hated Shatter me (sue me, sure.) despite how similar it is to TDM because I didn't get a strong grasp of character and setting and it was mostly romance rather than an exploration of setting and our world.

Moving forward I LOVE THE CHARACTERS! They're realistic and lovable and flaw...ful? Whatever. The characters have a realistic representation of trauma in all its forms, and many of the characters have real feelings and you can really understand and love them. In many YA books I feel like the main hero doesn't really have much personality, but seeing the world from Ruby's eyes is a breath of fresh air. She's not bratty, but she's not perfect either which are the two swings in YA. She constantly feels guilt, and feels real just like if you and I were in the book together, we'd understand what Ruby is going through. And Liam who on the surface is the perfect dude but really, he's trying to deal with his trauma and guilt while simultaneously trying to keep an unhealthy, perfect facade to keep the rest of the group motivated. He has to live with the guilt of Caledonia and Cole as well as the childrens league and he learns to stop putting out a facade and just truly process his emotions. And Chubsie? My stubborn arrogant loveable grumpy bean. He's stuck with Zu and Liam for ages and now theres a total newcomer who may or may not be a threat. How would he feel? He learns to adapt and becomes bestiessss with Ruby which is extremely wholesome. And Zu. She's so sassy, and amazing, and a queen and yet she's also dealing with trauma by voluntarily going into silence because she doesn't have words to deal with her pain. She learns to speak up and become a force for good. I'd go into Vida, but I don't think I have enough time.

I love the found family. The different groups which become like family to each other. The Original Black Betty gang consisting of liam, ruby, chubs and zu. The never fade childrens league gang which consists of nico vida ruby and jude and maybe cole. And the final new black betty gang which basically pulls Vida into the family. the beyond the night gang with sam, mia and lucas. The darkest legacy gang with priya roman zu max and mayyyyyyybe even lana if she recovers. They are all family and as ruby states family is not the place but the people you are with and these characters make each other comfortable and happy and together and just adopt random children along the way in the case of the darkest legacy gang. Lets call them the psion ring gang. I just love the found family thing that this book series creates for us.

#tdm #the darkest minds #never fade #in the afterlight #darkest legacy #beyond the night #ruby tuesday #ruby daly #liam stewart #chubs meriwether #vida conner #chida #rubium #roman volkov #zu kimura #suzume kimura #lana volkov #volkimura #priyanka archara #priya #found family #my rant

[theblurbwitchproject]

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Published: February 2, 2023 Publisher: HarperCollins

The Author

Emilia Hart is a British-Australian writer. She was born in Sydney and studied English Literature and Law at the University of New South Wales before working as a lawyer in Sydney and London. She is a graduate of Curtis Brown Creative’s Three Month Online Novel Writing Course and was Highly Commended in the 2021 Caledonia Novel Award. Her short fiction has been published in Australia and the UK. Weyward is her debut novel. She lives in London.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Story

In Weyward, the narrative intertwines the lives of three women spanning five centuries. In 2019, Kate seeks solace in Weyward Cottage, escaping from London and her abusive partner. She slowly unravels a mystery hidden within the cottage's history, hinting at secrets from her great aunt's past and the 17th-century witch hunts. In 1619, Altha faces trial for a murder she didn't commit, relying on her unconventional nature magic to defend herself against accusations of witchcraft. Meanwhile, in 1942, Violet feels trapped by societal constraints and the prison of her family's estate, yearning for freedom and the memory of her mother, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only remnants of her mother's existence are a locket marked with a mysterious "W" and the word "weyward" etched into the bedroom's baseboard. This novel masterfully weaves these women's tales together, revealing a compelling narrative of strength across generations and the transformative influence of the natural world.

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Vibe: family lineage, nature magic, self discovery, witch trials, feminine strength, betrayal, forging your own path

The Style: historical fiction, magical realism, multiple povs, part epistolary, part narration, emotive

Trigger Warnings: imprisonment, domestic abuse, spousal rape, car accident death, entrapment by pregnancy, emotional abuse, suidical ideation, mention of stillbirth, “hysteria”, hysterectomy, abortion, misogyny

˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

The Review

I picked Weyward up on a whim and am so pleased that I did. Historical fiction mixed with magical realism and a dash of incredibly rich writing made it a real pleasure to read. The narrative weaves between three women across five centuries, deftly showcasing the myriad ways in which women demonstrate resilience and bravery under difficult circumstances.

Being totally honest, I often struggle with split narrative timelines in novels. I can’t be the only one who has found themselves bored with one section of a book, willing the boring chapters to end in order to get back to the characters I am invested in… right? Thankfully, Weyward’s leading ladies are all so fabulous and their stories so engaging, that I was invested in each timeline equally. This actually sped up my reading as the story progressed, as I wanted to find out how each character was doing in their timeline more and more desperately. If you want to read a moving story with wonderful characters that emphasizes the transformative power of nature, please pick this up!

Witch. The word slithers from the mouth like a serpent, drips from the tongue as thick and black as tar. We never thought of ourselves as witches, my mother and I. For this was a word invented by men, a word that brings power to those who speak it, not those it describes. A word that builds gallows and pyres, turns breathing women into corpses.

One thing I will say before really digging in to the review, is that there are a lot of trigger warnings for this novel (see above for a summary). Reading through the list, it may seem that this is a tome of sheer doom and gloom, but it actually didn’t feel that way to me. Obviously, a lot of the trigger warnings may be Hard Nos for some people, and that’s totally fair, however I found this story so engaging and the characters so strong, that the TWs didn’t beat me down as much as they could have. Being set across five centuries, this book explores a number of methods by which patriarchal societies abuse women.  From the outright cruelties of the 17th Century to the more insidious offences of modern society, there is a lot of violence and misogyny at work here. It can get difficult in parts, but I found myself uplifted by the women’s strength in the end.

Now, I’ve discussed how strong the characters are; let me properly introduce them to you! Kate, living in her 2019 timeline, wants to escape a violent partner and discover the truth about her family. Violet, in 1942 and the midst of the Second World War, wants to escape the societal confines and expectations of femininity and live a life she chooses. Altha in 1619 just wants to survive. I loved them all. I cared about them all. I may have even shed a tear or two over them (and books don’t make me cry super often). I particularly loved Violet and her sheer determination to live her own life. I really appreciated seeing her as a teen from her own perspective, as well as from Kate’s perspective looking back at Violet as an old woman. (I want grow up to be an eccentric old lady with the witchiest house in the world just like her!) The interlacing of their stories is so well conceived, it really feels like you’re seeing a cohesive timeline rather than random sections plonked together.

Perhaps one day, she said, there would be a safer time. When women could walk the earth, shining bright with power, and yet live.

There is so much witchcraft detail in this book, dropped in so sneakily and creatively, I just loved it! All the leading ladies have Witch Marks (which definitely need to be used in witchy stories more frequently), but they’re not overly emphasized… they’re just there and mentioned in passing in various subtle ways. The way the Familiars work is also super cool; not every animal can be a familiar, and they aren’t necessarily easily controlled, but they provide emotional support and do their witches’ bidding when needed. I especially loved the constant presence of the crows, which at first seem wild and dangerous, but eventually become as important to the plot as the leading characters as symbols of power. And I love, love, love how the magic stems so much from the witches’ connection to the natural world. It just felt so right to me.

One notable factor in Weyward for me was how deftly Emilia Hart wove historical facts into the narrative. From the Lancashire Assizes to the Pendle Witch Trials and King James I and his obsession with Witch Hunts, Altha’s timeline felt so based in history as to be almost visceral. This sort of thing really happened to living women. I was especially impressed by the use of the Great Comet of 1618; Hart definitely did her research in order to place her story firmly in the real world, with an additional magical touch.

There was something about us – the Weyward women – that bonded us more tightly with the natural world. We can feel it, she said, the same way we feel rage, sorrow or joy. The animals, the birds, the plants – they let us in, recognising us as one of their own. That is why roots and leaves yield so easily under our fingers, to form tonics that bring comfort and healing. That is why animals welcome our embrace. Why the crows – the ones who carry the sign – watch over us and do our bidding, why their touch brings our abilities into sharpest relief.

Weyward has become one of my favourite reads for 2024, and has 100% got a solid seat in my Top Ten of the Year. It is endlessly impressive to me that is was Emilia Hart’s DEBUT NOVEL. Seriously, my hat is off to her for creating a story that felt so real and so magical at the same time. I will definitely be reading more of her work as it is published. If my recommendation isn’t enough, Weyward also won Goodreads’ Best Historical Fiction title in 2023. And if you buy a physical copy of the book, you get a neat little flip book of a crow flying in the page corners. If all that doesn’t sell it to you, I don’t know what will.

#Weyward #Emilia Hart #book review #bookblr #reading #books #witch fiction #witches #witchy #witchblr #witchy books #witchcore #witchy vibes #witch #witch books

[reiverreturns]

watched the new trailer for poor things and i am so so so disappointed.

so listen, poor things is my favourite book. i love its weird metatextual-ness. i love the gothic horror of it all. i love that every single narrator in the book is unreliable and there is no truth. but most of all i love it because it is a portrait of scotland.

bella baxter is an allegory for scotland herself. the bella caledonia. she’s a character born of a national literary tradition and societal influence, a woman who spends the whole book growing and finding and fighting for her voice, fighting against restraint from men who would rather mould her into something in their likeness. she’s bella and victoria, baxter and mccandless. she’s wild and stern and carries multiple identities at war with one another. she has the scars to prove it. bella is a reflection of who we are as scots - contradictory and complex, patchworking our identities throughout our life. the one we have in our family homes and the one we adopt to survive the schooling that seeks to batter the scots out of us. the one we grow into that represses who we are and looks on it with disdain. speak proper. move to london. we disassociate from ourselves because to admit it happens would be a stinging humiliation that we have, in part, done this to ourselves. we are moulded but are equally self-made in our fragmented, revisionist, past-less identity. 

do you know how rare that is? to see works reflecting on this sorry little country, and how we got here, with charm and care? where we are not the joke, or the classless, or the stupid. 

i wanted that out of this silly movie. i wanted so badly to see that representation of scottish voices - of me - through poor things. but all it is is a brightly coloured american frankenstein rework that knocks the fucking life out the story.

alas. scottish stories will continue to be told, and scottish voices will continue to be wiped out or relegated to cheap entertainment. poor things indeed. 

#i KNOW its silly to be so worked up about a movie but #the book is so fucking dear to me #and everything alasdair gray did was so entrenched in the exploration of scottish identity #its such a fucking disservice to an incredible artist and writer to do this to his material #niche posts no one cares about i know i know #probably delete later when i'm less mad #poor things

[lepospondyl]

I love your head cannon please tell me more of them

YES i will try to remember some of my eo headcanons

-quinn, ren, and tlachtga are all around the same age and grew up together. they were pretty close friends and quinn used to third wheel them until he got a desk job at the radha and they drifted apart -ren used to dual wield katanas. she lost one in the azure rainforest some time before eo1 started and that's why lindworm has it now -kupala and lindworm are identical twins. they're not on good terms with each other anymore -xiuan was cloned from one of the original yggdrasil project scientists -logre was married to alfodr and baldur is their kid -rosa is actually a caledonian spy sent to infiltrate ontario and the sheldon family. she does enjoy her work as a guildkeeper but her loyalties lie with caledonia first and foremost -betrand isn't a man he's just a really butch lesbian -the arken is a HUGE david bowie fan

#etrian odyssey

[wildissylupus]

More Blackwatch Ashe, Talon Cassidy AU

I'm now obsessed with this concept and you guys have to deal with it.

You can find the original post here.

(Also I am open to AU name suggestions cause I have no idea what to name this)

Ok so I think Cassidy would still go by his last name instead of a callsign in this AU since unlike my other Talon AU he isn't trying to hide. I also think he'd be a lot more serious then he is in cannon, since he genuinely sees Talon as a job and not a family. As again, this mans trust issues have been amplified, so no friends for this man. Except he does have friends, cause I can't write a villain!Cassidy without the possibility of redemption, it's a key part of his character. I think despite his best efforts to not get close to anyone he still became friends with Widow, Baptiste (before he leaves Talon), Maximilian and Doomfist.

Ashe on the other hand I think would go by the callsign "Calamity" since she already went by that before her identity was outed in the Deadlock Novel. I also think that she would refrain from using her last name, especially after she finds out what her betrayal did to Cassidy. So I think the only people who call her Ashe are people she isn't really close to and Cassidy, meanwhile the people she grew close to during her time with Blackwatch and Overwatch call her Calamity, Cally or Caledonia.

Speaking of which I think that this version of Ashe would have been in a similar boat to Genji when Blackwatch was disbanded, basically I think she would be moved to Overwatch after Blackwatch. I also think that in contrast to canon Cassidy, Ashe was close with Sojourn and Jack instead of Ana and Gabriel. I also think she was close with Tracer and Genji, other than that I think she kept to herself until she joined the recall.

Also B.O.B, cause he's still present and still with Ashe. He also feels guilty about the whole Deadlock/Cassidy situation.

After the recall I think she would be the one to convince Pharah to join, not because they were ever close before this but because Ashe would understand the feeling of your parents never seeming proud of you. They would probably become close after the Re-call, I also think that despite Cassidy never being in Pharah's life that Ashe would still see a lot of Cassidy in Pharah.

Like I said in the previous post, Ashe's redemption doesn't really start until after Ashe leaves Overwatch. She felt guilty before but after she found out that Cassidy joined Talon it only amplified. She's a lot like Jack after that while also trying to atone for the stuff she's done, she wants Cassidy to leave Talon and join Overwatch with her. She's a lot more successful then Jack though cause Cassidy is still Cassidy and doesn't approve of Talon's methods, especially since he's friends with Widow and is only loyal to Talon because they pay him a shit tone.

Expect more of this AU, especially if I come up with a name. Once that happens I probably won't shut up for awhile.

Also feel free to ask questions even if I haven't thought of much yet.

(Edit; I just realized Cassidy wouldn't go by Cole Cassidy if he didn't have the experiences he did with Overwatch soooo, he goes by Joel Morricone is this AU cause idk what other name to give him and I refuse to make him go by Jesse Mcree.)

#overwatch #overwatch 2 #cole cassidy #overwatch headcanons #overwatch lore #analysis #ashe overwatch #blackwatch #talon #talon au #blackwatch ashe #talon overwatch #talon cassidy

[satoshi-mochida]

Tchia for Switch launches June 27

From Gematsu

The Switch version of Tchia will launch on June 27, developer Awaceb announced.

Tchia first launched for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Epic Games Store on March 21, 2023, and Steam on March 21, 2024.

Here is an overview of the game, via its store pages:

About

When an idyllic series of islands is attacked by strange fabric-made creatures who kidnap her father, a young girl named Tchia answers the call of adventure to rescue her family and her home. Tchia has plenty of tools at her disposal, ranging from a simple slingshot to the ability to jump into nearby creatures and objects. Called Soul Jumping, this power lets Tchia control animals. She can soar high in the sky as a seagull or swim through beautiful blue oceans as a fish. Using these abilities and more, Tchia fights off the monsters that have taken over her home and helps the island’s inhabitants. Jump into this love-letter to New Caledonia, a bright adventure filled with tender moments, beautiful vistas, charming characters, and a story that contends with a young person’s place in the world.

Key Features

Soul Jumping – Tchia’s special gift lets her take control of various animals and objects scattered across the island. By using their unique abilities, she can solve puzzles and uncover secrets.

Exploration And Travel – Tchia can jump and glide her way across a vast archipelago and use a Tricks system to do fancy dives and cool stunts. Tchia‘s free-climbing mechanic also lets Tchia clamber up anything she wants, including the game’s physics-driven trees.

Ukelele – Whether she’s by herself or with a group of friends, Tchia can bust out her ukulele for some guaranteed good times. It can be used at key story moments or to trigger certain events, like attracting animals or even changing the weather.

Story and Music – Over the course of her heartfelt adventure, Tchia will meet her island’s people, a group inspired by New Caledeonia’s culture. With animated cutscenes that are fully voiced in New Caledonia’s traditional language, players will be teleported into a unique and immersive world.

Customization and Items – Tchia’s clothes and her boat can be customized with hundreds of unlockable cosmetic items ranging from traditional garbs to more outlandish get ups.

New Caledonia – The world of Tchia is inspired by New Caledonia, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean and the homeland of Awaceb’s co-founders. Inspiration was taken from the rich and varied local landscapes, cultures, music, languages, folklores and traditions to create a fictional world and tell a universal story that anyone can understand and enjoy. The characters re voiced by local talent in traditional languages and subtitled in many languages including English, French, Russian, Chinese, German and more.

Watch a new trailer below.

Switch Release Date Trailer

#Tchia #Awaceb #adventure game #Nintendo Switch #Gematsu

[forgottenwyrm]

@starlyht + sol'rys ⸻ [ continued ]

The cutting tone of the drow will never be missed on her; Caledonia can safely assume she wasn't his favorite person ever in this camp. Surely she's better to swallow than at least one person from Sol'rys path. The tiefling merely smiles as he complains, ice-fire eyes scaling the deprecated structure of what had to have been a family home once.

All of this place as entirely too sad. WE HAD HIM ⸻ considering the dead githyanki scattered about the location; Caledonia thinks this one decision of hers (normally she leaves those to others) was a good one. ❝ We did NOT have him; and look around us. ❞ Wildly she gestures once again at the fresh corpses. ❝ Gathering what we know about the gith HUNTING us? ❞

A creepy spirit child was the least concerning of their hunters when a bitch of lich was sending literal army after them. ❝ I have full confidence they said no to the child's games. ❞ Once again, Caledonia waves at the corpses, even shuffles over to poke at one with the toe of her boot. ❝ That's how NO went. ❞

Both of them were wasting time arguing over this, but she's already made the better decision here. ❝ We play his games, and maybe he'll be more persuadable to reuniting with the other kid. ❞ At least, that's the hope and theory. Otherwise, thy may have to kill a child twice; if that was possible.

Gods, they were all fucked.

#come on you are not gonna kill a ghost child twice would you? #how do you like your suffering sol C: ? #starlyht #starlyht; sol'rys #[ VERSE ] Baldur's Gate #[ IC ] Maybe that was a little chaotic?

[miniaturetalecrown]

Hetalia Character Profiles - Scotland

Character Name: Scotland. Mhairi Eilidh McDougall (858-1295), Mhairi Eilidh McDougall-Bonnefoy (1295-present), Ri (by Shannon, Dylan, Alfred, Jake, and Rachel), Cherie (by Francis), Mum/Mother (by Matthew).

Age: Human - Baby, toddler, and child (500s-858), Teenager (858-1500), Appears 18 by 1500, 26 in the modern day.

Height: 5”6 (167cm).

Physical Description: Average height, Mhairi is the second shortest of her siblings, being only an inch taller than her older sister, Shannon (Ireland), and being shorter than both Dylan (Wales) and Arthur (England). Mhairi has a strong hourglass figure with broad shoulders.

Eye Colour: Emerald green.

Hair Colour/Style: Long dark red messy curls, Mhairi often has her hair up in ponytails and buns to keep her hair out of her face. Mhairi’s hair is also very thick and gets everywhere.

Other Physical Traits: Freckles all over her face and body. Mhairi also has her ears pierced, a nose stud, a tongue piercing, a Celtic tattoo on her left leg, a thistle tattoo on her right arm, and a Scottish unicorn tattoo on her back. Mhairi doesn’t have the infamous Kirkland eyebrows like Dylan and Arthur.

Personal Appearance/Style: Mhairi wears a lot of black, blues, reds, and purples. Mhairi’s wardrobe is full of comfy t-shirts, jumpers, a couple of kilts, pencil skirts, and dresses. Mhairi only wears dresses and skirts for meetings and special occasions.

Verbal Style: Mhairi speaks with a broad Scots accent. Mhairi also speaks Scottish Gaelic and Scots as well as English.

Education: Mhairi is well-educated and even taught Alfred (America), Matthew (Canada), Jake (Australia), and Rachel (New Zealand) when they were young.  Mhairi has a degree in nursing and a degree in midwifery that she earned in the 1920s.

Occupation: Diplomat. Mhairi in her spare time, works as a nurse. During the pandemic, Mhairi worked as a nurse to help ease the strain on the health service.

Past Occupations: A military nurse, a military officer during the Second World War, and a teacher.

Skills, Abilities or Talents: Mhairi is a talented dancer and enjoys traditional Highland dancing, including sword dancing. Mhairi is also a talented artist and paints landscapes in her spare time with Francis (France). Mhairi also enjoys baking and often bakes cakes, Scottish tablet, and biscuits.

Positive Personality Treats: Friendly, an animal lover, compassionate, and outdoorsy.

Negative Personality Traits: Stubborn and can be hot-headed.

Sense of Humour: Sarcastic, dark, and witty.

Physical/Mental Illnesses or Afflictions: Mhairi was badly affected by the failures of the Jacobite risings in 1715 and 1745, as well as the aftermath when her culture was outlawed. Mhairi has never fully forgiven Arthur for what happened during the period. In 1700, Mhairi lost her younger child, Lachlann (New Caledonia/Darien), after the Scottish colony in modern-day Panama failed. The loss of her child deeply affected Mhairi, and it still affects her.

Hobbies/Interests: Dancing, baking, painting, singing, playing bagpipes, and hiking.

Favourite Foods: Haggis, macaroni pies, and stovies.

Most Important Personal Items: Her sapphire engagement ring, her family photo albums, and her collection of Scottish artworks.

Person/Friend Close to Character: Her older sister and best friend, Shannon. Mhairi and Shannon are the closest siblings of the British Isles and often spend time together, usually hiking. Mhairi tries to visit Shannon at least once a month, and Shannon will also try to visit Mhairi. The sisters share a lot of history together, and they can both speak Irish and Scottish Gaelic, as the languages are similar. The two were Suffragettes in the 1900s and 1910s, along with Rachel, and all three often went to protests around the UK.

Background: Mhairi was born around the 500s AD to Caledonia and Brittannia. Mhairi is the second eldest of four and the youngest daughter. Mhairi is close to Shannon and Dylan but has a strained relationship with Arthur after he invaded her in the 1290s, but it wasn’t until the 1700s that their relationship hit an all-time low. In October 1295, Mhairi married Francis, and the two formed an alliance; they married as they were both at war with Arthur at the time. In 1621, Mhairi gave birth to her firstborn, Matthew, with Shannon as her midwife.

#hetalia #hws scotland #hws nyo scotland #character profile

[gayfishermanfive]

headcanon that ashe dislikes dogs because her parents would rather have a family portrait done with their dog than their own daughter

#honestly she was so neglected it makes me sad #like. girl got into crime due to her desperate need for attention #and unfortunately infamy IS attention #even if its the negative kind #her gang became the family she never had #and while it's sweet it's also really really sad #like ashe girl get some therapy pls- #sis got mommy AND daddy issues smh #overwatch 2 #overwatch #Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe #overwatch ashe #ashe ow #there is a picture of the family portrait w the dog somewhere smh ill have t #o find it

[pardoncaptainkidd]

Today is a celebration of love. But love is more than just affection, flowers, sweets and other gifts. Love is dedication and trust. Which is why we would like to take some time to share the history, love and dedication between Captain William Kidd and his beloved wife Sarah Kidd.

William married Sarah Bradley in 1691, despite the terrible rumors/misfortune that followed her. In that same year, he shifted his career to a merchant so that he could remain close and provide for his wife. After the death of Sarah’s second husband John Oort, William worked hard to settle the debt he had put on Sarah, helping her and her brother Samuel reclaim their ownership of their land.  William cherished Sarah and Samuel, and Samuel became like a son to him. Despite his restlessness to go to sea, William stayed within the New York area for ten years, helping Sarah raise their daughter. When news spread far and wide that Captain Kidd had turned pirate and was wanted, William did everything he could to protect his wife and daughter from that danger/disgrace. He hid them away among friends they had in the colonies, and debated taking his family and running for Caledonia to the south to ensure they wouldn’t be entangled in his affairs. He remained because he was convinced he could prove he was innocent, unaware that so much was stacked and rigged against him.

Sarah’s dedication to her husband matched his own - when William brought the idea to her for him to pursue a better career, he went to her and they made the agreement together. He left for London, seeking a position in the Royal Navy. When this failed and he was offered a privateer commission to hunt Pirates and French ships, she supported his career move all the same. When he finally returned home, over a year late on that voyage and now the most wanted man in England, she stood by his side and believed his innocence. She moved her family to Boston during the time period he was stuck in jail, working with their local friends to try and get him out. This went on for over a year until a ship finally arrived to take him to London for trial. To the bitter end, she could not free her husband, but still tried to bribe the captain with her valuable golden ring in exchange for his freedom. After Captain Kidd’s death, she remained her fourth husband. Despite finding new happiness with another, she named one of her sons after Kidd to honor his memory.

Rarely do we see examples in history where the wife was treated like an equal. In William and Sarah’s case, there is plenty of evidence that shows William respected and valued her opinion at every turn they took together. The bond between them was strong, despite the world ripping them apart.

#captain kidd #william kidd #kidd #pardon captain kidd #history #pirate history #american colony history #american history #scottish #captain #nautical history #nautical #pirate #privateer #sarah kidd #valentines day #love

[enbytwink]

ooo you have ocs? how many and what universes are they in?

I've gotten this ask before but I have many more now, and things have changed.

My Skyrim ocs: Llileth Tradri (dunmer) and Riandis Duskwood (bosmer), Faezis Wren (falmer), Iremyn Sivus (falmer), Beldhora Sivus (falmer), Visyanis Sivus (falmer), Tilyon Ildoril (aka Anden, altmer (full name tbd)), Araelwen Pinevale (aka Willow, bosmer), Erryth (maormer), Maniae (imperial, real name classified), Thux-ei (bosmer)

My Overwatch ocs: Eris Briggs (call sign Crunk Bunny, Junker/Overwatch), Anaïs Cadieux (call sign Dagger, Overwatch/former Talon), Melanie Elise Cassidy-Caledonia (yes she's Ashe and Cassidy's daughter, haven't decided her call sign yet, Deadlock/Overwatch) Yin Yue (call sign Moonie, Overwatch), Demi Grimes (call sign Null, former Overwatch, kinda??/Junkers are their found family), Valerie Reyes (call sign Jekyll, yes she's Reaper's daughter, kinda former Overwatch in the same way Null is/Talon), Hajoon Song (call sign Aiden (his English name), Overwatch), Mihael O'Deorain (Moira's kid, call sign Mihael, alignments tbd), Madigan O'Deorain, (also Moira's daughter, call sign Mads, also alignments tbd), Ambrose Lahmar (call sign Jester, his only alignment is Null really they're bffs), Liu Tai (call sign Tai, Talon)

My Borderlands ocs: Cicero, Cyrus, Bea, Shiloh, Briar, Vincent, Mallory, Delaney Flynt

My Hellaverse ocs: Severin De la Court, Motley, Cheshire

They are all traumatized and please please PLEASE ask me about them I WILL kiss you.

Will update this when I make more. :D

#cicero's inbox #cicero's ocs

[nitewrighter]

Ashe for the niche ask game please?

a song that reminds me of them: Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless

what they smell like: Ashe wears a modern perfume that's coincidentally/subconsciously very similar to a fancy perfume her ancestor Caledonia Ashe would wear. Hops and mallow, and just a whiff of gunpowder.

an otp: None, really. She's kind of an asshole. I do like Ouihaw, though.

a notp: I don't know how anyone can ship her with Mercy with the way her healing callout is. It's THE WORST. It makes me never want to heal her.

favorite platonic/familial relationships: I'm a big fan of Bob's complete and utter loyalty, and I actually do think there's a lot of potential in her being Cassidy's foil.

a headcanon that is popular in the fandom but that i disagree with: I don't like it when people buff away too much of her assholeness to try and make her more sympathetic. Like, it's narratively vital that she's an asshole. You can still be compelling while being an asshole. It's about balancing the environment.

the position they sleep in: "The yearner."

a crossover au i’d love to see them in: I don't tend to seek out a lot of Ashe content (I didn't even finish her novel... >.>) but I do want to write at least one fic with her and Jaime in my kid continuity.

my favorite outfit they’ve ever worn: "Little Red."

#overwatch #elizabeth caledonia ashe

[mit]

A reciprocal relationship with the land in Hawaiʻi

Through community-based research with organizations that work to “hoʻomomona hou i ka ʻāina,” or “restore that which feeds back to abundance,” PhD student Aja Grande has embarked on a healing journey of her own.

Laura Rosado | MIT News correspondent

Aja Grande grew up on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu, between the Kona and ʻEwa districts, nurtured by her community and the natural environment. Her family has lived in Hawaiʻi for generations; while she is not “Kanaka ʻŌiwi,” of native Hawaiian descent, she is proud to trace her family’s history to the time of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the 19th century. Grande is now a PhD candidate in MIT’s HASTS (History, Anthropology, Science, Technology and Society) program, and part of her dissertation tracks how Hawaiian culture and people’s relationship with the land has evolved throughout time.

“The fondest memories I have are camping on the north shore every summer with my friends,” says Grande. “I loved being in ‘ke kai’ (the sea) and ‘ma uka,’ (inland, in the mountains) with my friends when I was younger. It was just pure fun exploring ‘ʻāina’ like that.” “‘Āina” in the Hawaiian language is often defined as “land,” but is understood to the people of Hawaiʻi as “that which feeds.”

“Now that I’m older,” Grande adds, “I’m connecting the dots and realizing how much knowledge about the complex systems of ‘ahupuaʻa’ [traditional Hawaiian divisions of land that extend from the mountains to the sea], I actually gained through these experiences.”

Grande recently completed a year of fieldwork in Hawaiʻi where she volunteered with land-based, or ‘āina-basedorganizations. In the movement to restore ‘āinato “momona,” or  “fertile and abundant lands,” the land and the people who serve as its stewards are of equal importance.

“I’m looking at how people who are not Kanaka ‘Ōiwi, or native Hawaiian, by descent can participate in this kind of restoration, and what it means for both Kanaka ‘Ōiwi and non-Kanaka ‘Ōiwi to participate in it,” says Grande, who herself descends from immigrants of other island nations. “Some of my ancestors were born and raised in Hawaiʻi before the U.S. subjected Hawaiʻi as a state and territory, meaning that some of them were Hawaiian Kingdom subjects. While, I am not Kanaka ʻŌiwi by lineage, some of my ‘ohana nui (extended family), from these same ancestors, are Kanaka ʻŌiwi. I’m writing about how being Hawaiian, from a Hawaiian sovereignty standpoint, is not just about race and ethnicity. When Hawaiʻi was a sovereign nation, Hawaiian citizenship was never afforded on the basis of race alone. It was also based on your lifelong commitment to ‘āina and the people of Hawaiʻi.”

The project is personal to Grande, who describes both the content and the process of writing it as part of her healing journey. She hopes to lay the groundwork for others who are “hoaʻāina,” or “those who actively care for ʻāina,” in Hawaiʻi, but not Kanaka ʻŌiwi to better articulate their identities and foster a deeper connection with the ʻāina and the “kaiāulu,” or “community,” they love and actively care for.

Returning home

Grande has spent her academic career on the East Coast, first at Brown University, where she received a degree in science, technology, and society, and now at MIT in the HASTS program. She swam competitively through her second year of college, and had earlier represented Hawaiʻi at the 2012 Oceania Games in New Caledonia. Once she stopped swimming, Grande first used her newfound time to travel the world. Tired of this transient lifestyle, she realized she was more interested in exploring her connection to land in a more rooted way.

“Moving around, especially as a college student, it’s very hard to grow things,” says Grande. “People are a lot like plants. You really just need to let plants do their thing in place. We do really well and we thrive when we can be connected to place.”

Grande started by founding the Ethnobotany Society at Brown to explore the relationship people have to plants. With the group she organized nature walks, collaborated with local farms, and connected it to the history she was learning in class.

Still, the East Coast never quite felt like home to Grande. When she started planning for the fieldwork portion of her program, she envisioned spending half the year in New England and half in Hawaiʻi. But she soon realized how important it was for both her research and herself to dedicate everything to Hawai’i.

“When I came back, it just felt so right to be back home,” says Grande. “The feeling in your naʻau — your ‘gut’ — of knowing that you have to contribute to Hawaiʻi is very powerful, and I think a lot of people here understand what that means. It’s kind of like a calling.”

Keep reading.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr!

#students #anthropology #sustainability #environment

[lilium-snow]

I've had this idea for a "Beauty & the Beast"-inspired horror/dark fantasy romance I've been daydreaming about for a few months now, and I thought I'd upload some little doodles and ideas for some of the main characters. Featuring the protagonist (our “Beauty”), Síobhra Moore, along with her family.

I can’t promise I’ll upload any additional related content in the future, but you’re free to ask me any questions about it on my blog @storybook-lili.

All characters and ideas belong to me. Do not post/upload to other sites.

For anyone who has difficulty reading the text from the images, I’ll provide them for you below the cut:

[Image 1]

Síobhra Moore:

[Text Box 1]: Síobhra (pronounced “shee-fra”) is a young lady in her mid-twenties and the protagonist of the story. Modest, dependable and sensitive, she lives with her adoptive older sister and her family

After the family are driven out of their home by the military, they receive a letter from the enigmatic Mr. Hywel, inviting them to his manor in the country of Caledonia. Mr. Hywel resides near a looming forest, far apart from the rest of the town. When the family arrive, they soon discover why – he possesses the head of an owl, which they are warned to never speak of in his presence.

During their stay, Síobhra slowly uncovers the mystery and horrors of the forest, while also coming to terms with her past that continues to haunt her. Over time, she grows closer to Mr. Hywel, who carries a past and burden as dark and tragic as the forest that he must watch over.

[Text Box 2]: Favourites: Singing, dancing, the colour blue, painting, spring, slow life/healing stories, berry salad, muffins, bird songs.

[Image 2]

[Text Boxes on the Left, from top to bottom]:

[Text Box 1]: Born in the northern regions of Érinu, Síobhra was found abandoned as a baby and taken into an orphanage. Throughout her childhood, Síobhra lived under the suspicion and cruelty of others because of her red hair, which is believed to be an omen of pagan magic or bad luck. Eventually, during the height of a devasting plague, Síobhra was rescued by a teenage girl named Niamh, and the two fled to the country of Anglion.

The hardships that Síobhra endured – both as a red-haired child and later a foreigner of a increasingly xenophobic country – have made her very wary of strangers, as well as given her a bleak outlook of her future. Despite this, she possesses a gentle soul and a strong devotion to her family.

[Text Box 2]: It is believed in especially superstitious regions that those with red hair are associated with demons or the fae, and their hair is the source of their magic. As such, red-haired children are forced to have their hair cut short, with the hope that this will sap them of their power and keep others safe from bad luck.

While these beliefs aren’t as prevalent in most regions of Anglion, red-haired folk are still treated with mistrust and contempt. Therefore, Síobhra hides her hair with hats or veils whenever she goes out into town.

[Text Boxes on the Right, from top to bottom]:

[Text Box 3]: Scars around her neck, which she covers with high-collared blouses, ribbons, or scarves.

[Text Box 4]: Síobhra’s work outfit for when she was a typist in Anglion.

[Text Box 5]: Another alternate dress; maybe a winter outfit.

[Image 3]

Niamh Dawson (née Ó Mórdha, later anglicized to Moore; pronounced “neev”): Síobhra’s adoptive older sister, Niamh is considered the ideal proper young lady. She is admired by many for her collected demeanor, warm and motherly personality, elegant speech and classic beauty, especially her Érin-green eyes.

The youngest child after two older brothers, Niamh was born into a respectable and wealthy family in Northern Érinu. She first met Síobhra in the market, and she chose to adopt the young girl as her sister before they fled to Anglion during the plague. The two faced many hardships since then, but persevered thanks to Niamh’s determination to providing Síobhra a better life.

[Image 4]

Paul Dawson: Formally the owner of a bookstore, Paul is Síobhra’s brother-in-law. Born and raised in Anglion, Paul has a strong sense of justice and equality, and wears his heart on his sleeve, for better or for worse. He is also knowledgeable and experienced regarding business and literature, though many have said that he sounds more intelligent on paper than in person, due his somewhat clumsy social skills.

Recently, Paul’s bookstore was closed by the government for carrying “anti-war propaganda” material. Paul was about to take the allegation to court, only to have his home commandeered by the military. After informing his business contacts of his current predicament, he receives a letter from Mr. Hywel inviting Paul and his family to his manor in Caledonia, which leads into the events of the story.

[Image 5]

Kaileigh Dawson: Kaileigh is Niamh and Paul’s 7-year-old daughter, full of curiosity and enthusiasm for the world around her. She loves learning and reading about animals, her favourite animal currently being frogs and toads, though this changes every few months.

While technically Síobhra’s niece, Kaileigh sees Síobhra as her big sister, best friend, and role model. The two spend a lot of time together, playing games, reading stories, and Síobhra teaching Kaileigh how to paint. Síobhra is determined to give Kaileigh the happy, carefree childhood that she was denied growing up.

[Smaller Text below]: When angry, she has someone wrap her up in a blanket like a caterpillar. This helps her calm down.

#lili's original characters #síobhra moore (lili oc) #niamh dawson (lili oc) #paul dawson (lili oc) #kaileigh dawson (lili oc) #lili's original stories #manor of the owl (lili og story)