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colemansdimple · 1 year

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(2nd fic of my series of short fics)

This time a vicbourne one FINALLY! 👑🎩

I'm thinking about making this a chapter 1 of a 2 chapters fic. The 2nd chapter will definitely be nsfw. It will be the first time that I write nsfw stuff so I'm pretty much terrified.

Without further ado, here's MY FIRST EVER VICBOURNE FIC.

One last time...before sunrise.

By colemansdimple

CHAPTER 1 (?)

Queen Victoria's journal, 30th November 1848,

It has come to my knowledge that my dear friend

Five days ago I've received news that my former prime minister

Today I've finally gathered strength to write again

He is gone.

V.R.

Seconds, minutes, hours, days. They passed her by but she registered nothing. She eats little and barely opens her mouth to speak. Her husband pretends like he doesn't know the reason why she's like this and his attempts to behave normally are starting to annoy her. She just lost her best friend. Her confident. Her other being. Her kindred spirit. The only one who understood her, who supported her and protected her while never treating her as an ignorant child. A girl queen. As her private counsel (and even her husband) liked to call her behind her back.

She could carry on, she could live in this facade of a marriage as long as he still breathed the same air as her. She could wake up and make believe as if she was going to travel to his house to visit a friend. She could picture their conversations and how he laughed. His words of comfort. She could do all of that as long as he still lived. Now everytime she thought of him, everytime someone mentions him in a conversation. It is all in the past tense. Like they are speaking of a ghost.

And they do love to do that. Specially Albert. As a way to try to get at her nerves or to bring any reaction from her. She would not allow that. She could suffer with her own solitude inside, but her posture on the outside would remain as a queen, never let them know how hard it is to bear, just like he taught her.

A week after Lord Melbourne passed away, she received a small package. The writing was strange and no signature to be found.

Inside the package was a small piece of paper and a strange oval music box. It was a message from her departed friend, her beloved William Lamb, she thought. It seems like it was written in a hurry. It only said:

For one last night, until the sunrise.

She ran and shut herself in a room. Her mouth was dry. Was this some kind of a jest? Maybe her husband wasn't over playing stupid games with her. She inquired who delivered the package and Mr Penge, her steward, only said it came from Brocket Hall.

She thought it best to deal with this after everyone had retired to their bedrooms and the palace was quiet. She went to the library in the far west wing and closed the doors and windows behind her. She wound up the music box. It was Mozart...of course it was Mozart! It was his favourite after all. Her eyes shone with tears. A tiny couple danced in rounds in the center of the box. A very tall elegant man and a tiny lady in a white dress. Very much like her coronation dress she thought. The music made her feel strange and the tiny dolls dancing were almost hypnotizing. She felt like she was being drawn inside the box and shut her eyes fast.

When she opened them again she gasped in surprise. She wasn't in Buckingham Palace anymore. She was in a crowded street at night. The cold was intense and she felt immediately terrified. Until she heard the most unmistakable voice. A voice that could always bring her warmth and safety. It was the raspy voice of her beloved Lord M. She turned back to look and almost thought she was going insane. It was indeed her Lord M but he was much much younger.

She recognized him from a painting she saw once in Brocket Hall. Long curly hair, gentle eyes, cheekbones so sharp they could cut her very soul and she would be glad of it. He walked inside a house and Victoria followed after. It was one of those establishments where men gather to drink at night. She heard stories about them but never been inside one herself. This couldn't be a dream then, she thought. She sat in a table close to where he sat. She touched the table, solid. She touched the window, solid. She felt the warmth of the fire, real. If all those things were real, then...He...must be too.

She sat and watched him and his friends banter and drink. She was happy just to be again in the same room as he was, although she could admit the noise was too much for her standards. A young girl approached her and asked her if she wanted anything to drink. She suddenly remembered she didn't have any money on her, only her tiny music box which she held on for her dear life. She felt embarrassed and looked over to the fire as excuse. “I'm just a poor woman that needs to warm herself for a few minutes and then I'll be on my way” Victoria told the girl expecting her sympathy, the girl nodded in understanding and walked away.

When Victoria looked over to William again she saw he was already surrounded with young barmaids. “One more pretty than the next...and they're all so tall” she thought sadly. She looked at her reflection through the window. Only a few years of marriage life made her look so much older. There were already a few wrinkles on her face and tiny white hairs on her head. But more than that she didn't sleep well for days and ate little. Her appearance was more ghostly than anything else.

As she turned her eyes again she found him looking straight at her. Those piercing green eyes giving her the full force of his stare. That, combined with his irresistible half smile, always made her weak in the knees. She immediately looked down, her cheeks flaming. When she looked up again was to discover he was sitting right across her at her table. She couldn't breathe let alone think. He gave her that smile she knew so well.

“Hello there. I come here every night and never seen you before...are you a newcomer to these parts?”

“I'm Nancy, I've come from Prussia seeking work at the court...my Lord!” (she quickly corrected herself)

He was smiling at her. And she missed that. She missed him so much. She couldn't help but to smile herself. It was her first genuine smile in days. She became extremely aware of how he was staring at her. She only now remembered that she was wearing a simple night dress (almost see through) and her hair was styled in one simple braid. She flushed. It didn't matter if she was the younger and he the older or the opposite. It seems she would never feel adequate next to him. But he couldn't be staring at her like that? Could he? The same way he used to do when they were dancing and she was much younger.

As if reading her thoughts he offered his hand to her from across the table. “It's fine, I understand how you feel. Being in a new place and feeling different from everyone around you.”

She looked at his hand and wondered if it would feel as real as all the other things she touched. She was so starved for this man that she forgot all protocol and extended her own hand to him. His touch, his warm fingers in her like when they danced. Finally!! It's been so long!!

When she moved to be a little closer she accidentally showed her left hand above the table. His eyes darted immediately for it as the big ring came into his vision. “It seems I'm already late.” He said with a sad smile. She hid her hand with shame (“but it was you who pushed me into it” she thought)

She noticed he didn't let go of her hand as any gentleman would do at this point. It seems as though it made his desire grow. She remembered now that he was always close to danger liaisons and scandals. Perhaps she was the one who stirred that in him, she thought with a naughty pride.

They talked and talked. William made her smile with his jests and paid for her lots of strange yellow beverages. She felt young again but so much more because she could never behave like any other normal woman of her age. They soon reached their old favourite subject, politics.

“It seems old king Ed is sick the poor man...and they say his newborn daughter will take over because all his brothers have no heirs. Can you imagine, a queen in England after all these years?”

“Do you think it a mistake, because she's still so young and everything?” She asked, her heartbeat faster than ever.

“From my perspective her youth is actually a positive thing. It means more time to make mistakes and to learn from them. She will be wiser than most kings and with half their age I can bet on that!”

It seems William has always been the perfect statesman. He always knew the right thing to say to her. When she got back to her own time she would make sure to make him proud of her. Then...she remembered the note...it said until sunrise only! It meant that whatever magic brought her there would be gone by sunrise. She could not let him see her fading away. He would go mad for sure. And she didn't want to say goodbye again. It would kill her. As she saw the first light of dawn she got up urgently from her table and ran to the door.

A very drunk William Lamb followed her outside and managed to grab her hand at the last minute. “Where are you going Ma'am? I want to dance with you!” He laughed, bringing her slowly to him. Their bodies pressed closely together.

She managed a sad smile at the irony, as she touched his face, and parted her lips to say “Not tonight” as he had replied to her that night at her coronation ball when they first danced and she realised that she would love him forever. But he was faster than her and touched her lips with his.

It was a dream. She was dreaming now surely. And she never wanted to wake up again. In that kiss she gave everything she couldn't give him all those years. Tongues. Tears. Body. Heart. Soul. But she was fading. Drifting away. In the back of her mind Mozart played. She opened her eyes again and she was back at Buckingham. The music and the box were gone.

To be continued (?)

#jenna coleman #rufus sewell #vicbourne fanfiction #vicbourne #victoria itv #queen victoria #lordmforever #lord melbourne #lord m #colemansdimplefic #tumblr fic #one-last-time-before-sunrise

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vorbarrsultana · 2 years

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SORTING THE VORKOSIGAN SAGA CHARACTERS

Since my obsession with these books will never go away, and I adore @sortinghatchats system, here are the Vorkosigans + Gregor sorting

PRIMARY (WHY?)

BADGER - Loyal to the group.

SNAKE - Loyal to yourself and your Important People.

LION - Subconscious Idealist. Ideals are linked to feelings and instincts.

BIRD - Conscious Idealist. Ideals are linked to built systems and external facts.

SECONDARY (HOW?)

BADGER - Connect with the group. Make allies, work steadily and well. Be whatever the situation calls for.

SNAKE - Connect with the environment. Notice things. Tell people what they want to hear.

BIRD - Collect skills, knowledge, personas, useful friends.

LION - Be honest, be direct, speak your truth. Either the obstacle is going down or you are.

ARAL is a great example of a Lion Primary, which really shines through in Shards of Honor, where it couldn’t be more obvious. Lion Primaries are defined by their need to act on their intuitive feeling of right and wrong or else they feel trapped. And that’s what Aral does. That’s evident in the way he treats prisoners, in the way he honestly suggests shooting Dubauer to spare him more suffering, in the way he gives someone who has already tried to kill him a loaded weapon, in the way he’s ready to risk his life for his crew. These are all right, honorable things to do, and Aral does his absolute best to stick through with every of these decisions.

Also in Shards, we see Aral’s Lion Primary being stripped when he’s a given a horrifying choice between two evils. You either perpetuate a civil war or help to orchestrate the murder of the crown prince and five thousand other men as a cover-up. It’s this act – being forced to choose wrong with no “right” alternative, thus destroying himself – that leaves Aral drowning his sorrows in brandy, until Cordelia shows up, and her unyielding love and encouragement help him to heal and grow into healthier version of his Primary.

Aral’s Secondary is fascinating for me, mainly because he develops a lot of models throughout the book series. As an Admiral, he uses a Bird model, to which he owes his outstanding military victories. It allows him to develop effective strategies, plan for contingencies, and achieve his goals with minimum casualties. As a Prime Minister, Aral uses a Badger model, and does it so well that many characters notice his uncanny ability to find right people and make them all work in team.

However, Aral’s actual Secondary is also Lion – inspiring, and frighteningly magnetic. Cordelia notices how Aral’s charisma just sweeps people off their feet and pulls them into his orbit, and his men will find a way to drag the moon from the sky if he orders them. Lion Secondary is also something that nearly gets Aral killed several times, because no other Secondary will think that charging into your commanding officer’s quarters with no plan and loaded plasma arc to save a prisoner or strangling your Political Officer in the feat of rage or participating in two law-breaking duels in one night are good ideas.

CORDELIA, Aral’s dear captain, is also an Idealist Primary, although I lean more toward the Bird Primary. My main reasoning is that she makes a conscious decision not to let Barrayar change her values and beliefs and succeeds in that nearly impossible task, which serves as an indicator of the Decided House for her. Cordelia does not trust her feelings urging her to change to fit in, she would rather stay “Vorkosigan’s Betan”. She rests her entire sense of self on the new, unknown world on her system, and it is a very Bird thing to do. Another thing that the books imply is the importance of faith to Cordelia: she’s one of the few religious characters, which suggests her value system having an External foundation.

Cordelia is very objective when it comes to other people, which is also a very Bird trait. She understands where the Barrayarans come from, she sees how breathtaking, and noble, and corrupt, and stupid, and good, and terrible their system is, and I feel like anyone other than a Bird Primary will have trouble seeing it that way.

As for her Secondary, Cordelia is also a Lion. Seriously, this lady improvised her way through the war zone, charged into the palace, and brought her husband the usurper’s head in the shopping bag. End of the discussion.

I’m going to be controversial here and say that MILES is a Badger Primary. He’s definitely a Loyalist, and he delights in building human connections. Miles’s “people gift” – the ability to gather bright and interesting personalities who are just perfect for the job and turn them into a single unit – rivals even that of his father. Miles goes on vacation and creates his very own Mercenary team of misfits. He connects with a frightened werewolf girl in the sewers. He finds friends in the prison camp, on the streets and among poor commoners. Miles generally tries to give everyone a chance, and he physically cannot turn away from someone in trouble which is a very Badger trait.

(Compare that to Ivan, who is a Snake Primary, and who will say it’s not their problem.)

I don’t remember Miles ever expressing the Badger tendency to dehumanize people who don’t feat into their group. However, as a victim of similar treatment (a “mutie” in the society frightened of mutations), he’s unlikely to ever do so. Which brings us to Miles’s general “barrayariness”, which is, in my opinion, another sign of his Badger Primary and his need to find moral direction outside of himself. True, his morals are mostly influenced by his parents, but Miles is also loyal to the Barrayaran culture to the extent that even Aral has to fondly roll his eyes.

Miles (although slightly more maniacal and terrifying) is also a Lion Secondary, just like his mom and dad. “Forward momentum” is canonically his favorite way to solve any problem, and most of Miles’s character arc in the first books is learning that actions do have consequences that you can’t improvise yourself out of. But his tendency to run first and think while he’s running into danger on lightspeed remains a constant throughout his life.

MARK’s Secondary is easier to determine than his Primary, and I’ll say it’s Bird. He likes making plans and sticking with them, Mirror Dance being a pretty good example of that. He’s very organized and analytical, he solves his problems by finding the right tools and right friends or going to college like a normal person would. Mark’s Secondary also explains his reaction on his family: he genuinely loves them, but their collective dazzling Lion Secondaries freak him out a bit.

As for his Primary, I’ll say that Mark is a Lion. As a clone, he feels strongly about the issue of their rights, and dedicates himself entirely to that cause. Mark also shares Primary with Aral, and that contributes greatly to the understanding these two have.

GREGOR is unquestionably a Bird Primary, and his personal system seems to be a synthesis of what Aral and Cordelia taught him throughout his adolescence and things he worked out for himself. As for his Secondary, he’s a Snake that prefers the neutral state. When faced with a problem, Gregor would put on his blank face and say the famous “let’s see what happens”, allowing someone to hang themselves on the rope the emperor would generously grant when time is right, and these are his quintessential Snake moments. And the Chessmaster (Bird/Snake) combination with solid moral foundation of his system makes Gregor one of the better Sci-Fi emperors.

So:

Aral: Lion/Lion

Cordelia: Bird/Lion

Miles: Badger/Lion

Mark: Lion/Bird

Gregor: Bird/Snake

Some other sortings:

Ivan: Snake/Snake

Byerly: Lion/Snake

Dono: Lion/Lion

Ekaterin: Snake/Badger

Piotr: Badger/Snake

Ezar: Bird/Bird

Simon: Snake/Bird

Alys: Badger/Bird

Oliver: Snake/Badger

#vorkosigan saga #lois mcmaster bujold #here is THE THING #miles has the protagonist badger/lion combo which is neat #and i love all these characters so much #the vorkosigan saga

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fauxpaux · 1 year

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Goose's Fic Log (Aka: Glareandgrowl)

Howdy to ya all!

Here’s a comprehensive list of all the fanfiction series and oneshots I’ve written and published on my Ao3 acct: Glareandgrowl

All of the things I write are PG-13 at best, and R and worst, so be conscious of that when perusing any of these stories—

Assassins! AU series

My magnum opus. A three part series (one and a half parts are done atm) mainly from the perspective of Kiyotaka Ishimaru as his story unfolds to a terrifying degree of torture, heartbreak and misery all highlighted by the job he has unwittingly devoted the remainder of his failed life to.

-YouTube Playlist-

Part 1: One Mistake- (Chapters 6/6)

Ship Tag: (Slight Chihiro/Kiyotaka, it comes back in part 3)

Kiyotaka Ishimaru; level-headed, strong, quick-witted, morally balanced, independent, trustworthy. All of these things could be used in any context to describe him. But romantic was not one of them. Yet somehow, he had found himself in a deadly love triangle between a hot headed prick and the soft eyed, soft spoken Chihiro. Both of them dragging him down a path of distraction from his desire of becoming the worlds greatest prime minister. Hijinks and heartbreak ensues… and everything goes horribly wrong.

Part 2: A Path Split in Two- (Chapters 8/?)

-YouTube Playlist-

Ship Tag: None

He stared at the tv screen, his mouth hung open in a display of the absolute mind-numbing shock that clouded over his wide eyes. His face was inches away from the screen, feeling the buzz of electricity. Unseeing.

He couldn’t believe it.

His mind would simply not let him comprehend the facts presented in front of him. He had lost. Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the boy who had claimed since he could speak, from early childhood to not even three minutes ago, that he would become Japan’s, if not the world’s, greatest prime minister. A leader fit for the history books, one to be sung praises for years to come. Had failed.

He had lost, and he wasn’t prime minister.

Part 3: Thrice Since the Death of Oneself: (currently unpublished)

Ship Tag: (Kiyotaka/Mondo)

When life closes one door, it opens a horrible chasm beneath you instead.

Kiyotaka is tasked with his most difficult job yet. He has only one week to eliminate an enemy of the senate, feared gang leader, Mondo Owada. But what happens when Kiyotaka falls for the suave bad boy? Will he risk his whole life’s work for a delinquent who gives something nothing else can, Happiness?

Cigarettes are Love Letters in the Eyes of Addicts

-YouTube Playlist-

A slice-of-life esque story told mainly from Mondo’s perspective that is only one part. (Chapters 5/17)

Ship Tag: (Kiyotaka/Mondo)

Mondo Owada, brother to the leader of the Crazy Diamonds, and feared by most, has only one enemy. A pretentious Hall Monitor who won’t leave him alone. But when he is forced to work with the guy, he finds out that maybe he judged him a bit too harshly at first.

Dear Dictator

-Youtube Playlist-

(Chapter 1/?)

Junko Enoshima has finally been captured by the Future Foundation, and will be tried for her crimes against the world. The dead will play witness to her testimony, whether Kiyondo is willing to hear or not.

Managing to survive what would have been a fatal blow to the head, Kiyondo Ishida, formerly known as Kiyotaka Ishimaru, must now traverse this strange and new world with only the memento of his Kyodai's jacket on his back, and an unquenchable rage in his soul.

(A solo chapter character study on if Kiyotaka had been one of the survivors, based off the song Dear Dictator by Saint Motel)

NSFW stories under the cut–

Goose’s Naughty Corner (Tread with Caution!!)–(ALL COMPLETE!)

A couple of short form smutty writings that have no ties into each other-

Follow The Rules or Get The Boot- (Chapters 3/3) (COMPLETE!)

Two (about to be three) short form smut fanfics featuring Dom! Kiyotaka and Sub! Mondo. A rare idea, I know!

Ship Tag: (Kiyotaka/Mondo)

Kiyotaka Ishimaru has had just about enough of Mondo Owada’s undisciplined lifestyle, but his tipping point is reached when his uniform and shoes get completely ruined by Mondo’s recklessness! Mondo must be punished for this! >:(

A Finger Prick is All it Takes- (Chapters 2/2) (COMPLETE!)

A long short story featuring Vampire! Kiyotaka and Werewolf! Mondo. Was originally going to be a fully fledged story, but I decided against it and now you get two very long chapters of bloody smut instead. Enjoy!

Ship Tag: (Kiyotaka/Mondo)

Kiyotaka Ishimaru is a vampire with needs, and Mondo is a werewolf who can provide them.

A Halloween prompt about consensual vampiristic blood drinking ;)

GlareandGrowl’s Bodyswap fic- (working title)(Chapters 4/4)(COMPLETE!)

A pretty bog standard smutty body Swap AU. Hagakure does something weird and Mondo and Taka switch bodies. They go through the day trying to act the most like each other and not ruin each other’s reputation.

Ship Tag: (Kiyotaka/Mondo)

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jabbage · 1 year

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#Letters from Watson #lettersfromwatson

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misspeppermint2003 · 1 year

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17th Painting of Dear, United Kingdom

I'm finally finishing the seventeenth painting of Dear, United Kingdom. This is a painting of O'Loughlin twins, Robert Jr. "Bob" and Thomas "Tom". They're both from British children's television series "Bob the Builder".

The O'Loughlin twins (Robert Jr. & Thomas) - 19th April 2023

Bob is an older twin and he was a builder. Tom is a younger twin who is a zoologist. They lived with their parents Robert Sr. and Dorothy until they're living separately between Bobsville and the Arctic Circle.

In the upcoming comedy-drama fanfics "The Unforgettable Lifetime" and "Dear, United Kingdom", aside their jobs as a builder and a zoologist, the twins are politicians, members of the Parliament and government officials due to their political careers have started since 2000. They were served as the UK's first deputy prime minister duo from 2010 until 2015.

As the politicians, they wore dark grey jacket, vest and trousers and black shoes. Bob wears a pale cornflower blueish-white and midnight blue, lighter cerulean-blue and white striped necktie whereas Tom wore a pale lavender-white shirt and indigo, lighter violet and white striped necktie. He also wears a pair of platinum-silver rectangular framed glasses.

Beginning | Previous | Next

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laresearchette · 7 days

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Friday, April 12, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: APARTMENT 404 (Apple TV+) FRANKLIN (Apple TV+) THE GREATEST HITS (Disney + Star)

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? BEST BITE IN TOWN (Premiering on April 13 on Food Network Canada at 9:00pm) CESAR MILLAN: BETTER HUMAN BETTER DOG (Premiering on April 18 on Nat Geo Canada at 10:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA CRANKY DECISION HIDDEN LONG LOST FAMILY: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? (Season 3)

CBC GEM C’MON C’MON JAMIE’S COMFORT FOOD

CRAVE TV BILLBOARD DAD DEAR DAVID LEGION (Seasons 1-3) PASSPORT TO PARIS SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE SWITCHING GOALS THE POD GENERATION TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WE GO

DISNEY + STAR THE GREATEST HITS

NETFLIX CANADA AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA (IN) GOOD TIMES A JOURNEY (PH) LOVE, DIVIDED (ES) STOLEN (SE) WOODY WOODPECKER GOES TO CAMP

GOLF (TSN3) 8:30am: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: On The Range (TSN) 10:00am: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Second Round - Amen Corner (TSN4) 10:00am: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Second Round (TSN5) 10:00am: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Second Round - Featured Groups (TSN3) 10:30pm: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Second Round - Holes 15 & 16 (TSN/TSN3/TSN5) 3:00pm: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Second Round (TSN5) 8:30pm: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Second Round (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 11:30pm: 2024 Augusta National Masters Golf: Masters Primetime

CURLING (SN) 11:00am: Grand Slam of Curling: Players' Championship: Draw 13 (SN) 3:00pm: Grand Slam of Curling: Players' Championship: Draw 14 (SN1) 7:00pm: Grand Slam of Curling: Players' Championship: Draw 15

2024 IIHF WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (TSN2) 7:30pm: Quarterfinal - Canada vs. Sweden (TSN2) 10:00pm: Quarterfinal - United States vs. Japan

MLB BASEBALL (SN) 6:30pm: Rockies vs. Jays (SN Now) 10:00pm: Padres vs. Dodgers (TSN2) 7:00pm: Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta

NBA BASKETBALL (SN Now) 7:00pm: Magic vs. 76ers (TSN/TSN3) 8:00pm: Raptors vs. Heat (SN Now) 8:00pm: Bucks vs. Thunders

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF CHESHIRE (Slice) 8:00pm: Sun, Sea and Sass

ABOUT THAT (CBC) 8:30pm

NHL HOCKEY (SNWest) 9:00pm: Coyotes vs. Oilers (SN1) 10:00pm: Flames vs. Ducks

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm: A U.S. indictment bolsters Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's claim that the killing of Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was carried out by India.

HOUSE OF GODS (Showcase) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Sheikh Mohammad, a charismatic imam, enjoys new-found power and privilege as he is elected as the head cleric of his local mosque.

THE POD GENERATION (Crave) 9:00pm: In the not-so-distant future, amid a society madly in love with technology, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or pods. Rachel and Alvy's wild ride to parenthood begins.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm: Hunt for the Wolfpack

HAUNTED HOSPITALS (T&E) 10:00pm: The unsettling phenomenon of child ghosts and the chilling consequence when medical facilities become their play grounds. Featuring: Shauna Sullivan, Kim Kidson, Kelly Emmons.

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv listings #canadian tv #the real housewives of cheshire #about that #the fifth estate #crime beat #haunted hospitals #golf #curling #iihf women's hockey #mlb baseball #nba basketball #nhl hockey

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aidansghananlitblog · 7 months

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five interesting Ghanan books

Nkrumah and the Ghana Revolution : Kwame Nkrumah

In this new edition of Nkrumah and the Ghana Revolution, C. L. R. James tells the history of the socialist revolution led by Kwame Nkrumah, the first president and prime minister of Ghana. Although James wrote it in the immediate post-independence period around 1958, he did not publish it until nearly twenty years later, when he added a series of his own letters, speeches, and articles from the 1960s. Although Nkrumah led the revolution, James emphasizes that it was a popular mass movement fundamentally realized by the actions of everyday Ghanaians. Moreover, James shows that Ghana’s independence movement was an exceptional moment in global revolutionary history: it moved revolutionary activity to the African continent and employed new tactics not seen in previous revolutions. Featuring a new introduction by Leslie James, an unpublished draft of C. L. R. James's introduction to the 1977 edition, and correspondence, this definitive edition of Nkrumah and the Ghana Revolution offers a revised understanding of Africa’s shaping of freedom movements and insight into the possibilities for decolonial futures. (good reads) 208 pgs

2. Dark days in Ghana : Kwame Nkrumah

President Kwame Nkrumah exposes the true nature of the military-police dictatorship established in his country after the overthrow of his constitutional government on February 24, 1966, and sets it in the context of the wider African and world situation. He sees the coup as being directed against the fulfilment of his socialist policies in Ghana and thus delay the advance of the African Revolution. He demolishes the 'big lie' that Ghana needed to be rescued from 'economic chaos,' and sets forth his views on the struggle against imperialism and neo-colonialism in Africa. ( good reads ) 219 pgs

3. reflections of an ordinary african woman vol 1 : Akua Djanie-Manfo

The world today has been rocked by so much rot, injustice, unfairness and racism; a system where the rich and powerful are engaged in various corrupt practices to further enrich themselves and enslave the poor. The activities of these people have affected the development of this dear nation of ours. And so the question is, what can we do differently?Reflections Vol. 1 proffers authentic, smart and straightforward ideas that can push us forward as a people and be responsible for the development of our nation. It dwells on issues of national interest, culture, democracy, politics, relationships and so much more. This book uncovers the canker that has eaten deep into the society but at the same time, gives the reader something to think deeply about to transform society and change lifestyles. ( amazon ) 229 pgs

The Akan of Ghana: Aspects of Past and Present Practices : kofi ayim

The Akan of Ghana: Aspects of Past and Present Practices takes the reader through the ancestry of present-day Akan people - from the influence of ancient Egypt, through the ancient Empires of Western Sudan and into the forest belt of present-day Ghana. Comparative analysis of cultural practices (such as kingship and the royal setup, death, funeral rites, and family structures) between ancient Egypt and present-day Akan people are highlighted. The three elements that make up an Akan person - Blood, Soul, and Spirit - as well as the Akan family structure are elaborately treated, and a clear cultural distinction between an Akan family and clan is explained. Names and their appellations, signs and symbols, as well as some kente designs are highlighted in the appendices. Ultimately, cultural challenges of the Akan in the contemporary world are brought to the fore. ( amazon )

We Are Not Starving: The Struggle for Food Sovereignty in Ghana : joeva sean rock

This critical text is a timely ethnography of how global powers, local resistance, and capital flows are shaping contemporary African foodways. Ghana was one of the first countries targeted by a group of US donors and agribusiness corporations that funded an ambitious plan to develop genetically modified (GM) crops for African farmers. The collective believed that GM crops would help farmers increase their yields and help spark a “new” Green Revolution on the continent. Soon after the project began in Ghana, a nationwide food sovereignty movement emerged in opposition to GM crops. Today, in spite of impressive efforts and investments by proponents, only two GM crops remain in the pipeline. Why, after years of preparation, millions of dollars of funding, and multiple policy reforms, did these megaprojects effectively come to a halt? One of the first ethnographies to take on the question of GM crops in the African context, We Are Not Starving: The Struggle for Food Sovereignty in Ghana blends archival analysis, interviews, and participant observation with Ghanaian scientists, farmers, activists, and officials. Ultimately the text aims to illuminate why GM crops have animated the country and to highlight how their introduction has opened an opportunity to air grievances about the systematic de-valuing and exploitation of African land, labor, and knowledge that have been centuries in the making. (amazon) 234 pgs

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dybdahlsvisitportugalspainfrance · 8 months

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Lisboa, Portugal

September 2, 2023

While our maps in the US state the capital of Portugal is Lisbon, everyone else calls this city Lisboa - including people who live here - so I'm calling it that too.

We had a great time today exploring Lisboa using the Hop-on, Hop-off bus. We really like this type of overview of a city ESPECIALLY the day after we have had a long travel day. We kind of do a "Hop-on, Stay-on" version - doing a lot of looking, listening and learning. Today, we stayed on for the first 13 stops and then "Hopped-off" in time to take a 2 hour cruise on the Tagus River or Rio Tejo

Lisboa is built of very charming neighbors, many of them very unique. Most of todays tour was in the south west areas - primarily Belém. The best part of the "Hop On - Hop Off" bus today was when we Hopped-On after our cruise and saw dear friends Charlotte and George right on that bus. How fortuitous was that?!?!?

Every traffic circle (and there are many!) has a statue commemorating some famous Portuguese person or event but the one closest to us is Marques de Pombal.

Ok - so who is the dude and why do we care? Well, the real reason we care is because we are staying in Marques de Pombal Hotel, but the reason we should care involves the 1755 earthquake that killed 1/3 of the population of Lisboa.

Read what the Encyclopedia Brittanica says about that event:

"Lisbon earthquake of 1755, series of earthquakes that occurred on the morning of Nov. 1, 1755, causing serious damage to the port city of Lisbon, Port., and killing an estimated 60,000 people in Lisbon alone. Violent shaking demolished large public buildings and about 12,000 dwellings. Because November 1 is All Saints’ Day, a large part of the population was attending mass at the moment the earthquake struck; the churches, unable to withstand the seismic shock, collapsed, killing or injuring thousands of worshippers.

Modern research indicates that the main seismic source was faulting of the seafloor along the tectonic plate boundaries of the mid-Atlantic. The earthquake generated a tsunami that produced waves about 20 feet (6 metres) high at Lisbon and 65 feet (20 metres) high at Cádiz, Spain. The waves traveled westward to Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, a distance of 3,790 miles (6,100 km), in 10 hours and there reached a height of 13 feet (4 metres) above mean sea level. Damage was even reported in Algiers, 685 miles (1,100 km) to the east. The total number of persons killed included those who perished by drowning and in fires that burned throughout Lisbon for about six days following the shock. Depictions of the earthquakes in art and literature continued for centuries, making the “Great Lisbon Earthquake,” as it came to be known, a seminal event in European history. "

What it didn't say is that after the earthquake the water from the Tagus River estuary was sucked out to sea. Those people who were not killed as the churches collapsed ran toward the sea. The waterless Tagus revealed many shipwrecks - undoubtedly laden with treasure - so the crowds rushed into the mud. 45 minutes after the earthquake the tsunami hit Lisboa - a wall of water 20 feet tall.

Pombal served in many government roles including ambassador to England. By 1755, the King appointed him Prime Minister. Impressed by English economic success which he had witnessed as ambassador, Pombal successfully implemented similar economic policies in Portugal. Then came the earthquate.

Pombal led Portugal's recovery from the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and modernized the kingdom's administrative, economic, and ecclesiastical institutions. His name was really Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo but he was indeed the Marques de Pombal. I read a lot about his guy and he did a lot of good things - but he was no saint. His brother was the Grand Inquisitor and he worked against that practice until it was greatly weakened and faded - and I'm saying that is a good thing. ANY inquisition - a tribunal set up to arrest and try people for crimes against the Catholic faith - turned out badly for many, many people. He also thew the Jesuits out of Portugal because their teachings of science and math forbade new thinking BUT he ruled with an iron fist - and was seldom merciful or kind.

Pombal banned the import of black slaves within Portugal and Portuguese India, and instead fostered the black slave trade to Brazil, reorganised the army and the navy, and ended the Limpeza de Sangue (cleanliness of blood) civil statutes and their discrimination against New Christians, the Jews that had converted to Christianity, and their descendants regardless of genealogical distance, to escape the Portuguese Inquisition. Even with so many progressive ideas, when King Joseph died in 1777 and his daughter Queen Maria I was crowned she fired Pombal and issued the first restraining order in history. The Marques could not come within 20 miles of her. If she traveled near his home - he had to get out and stay out until she was 20 miles past his place. Frankly - this cracked me up. Queen Maria's beef - she was educated by the Jesuits and thought the Marques had treated them badly. So - she showed him. He died in 1782. Good or bad - he has a very impressive statue right outside our hotel. Don't worry I won't get that involved in every traffic circle statue.

I do need to talk a bit about King Manual. During the reign of Manuel I (1495-1521) the Age of Discoveries was in full swing and Portugal's expanding empire began sending back inordinate amounts of wealth. What do you with wealth beyond your greatest dream - build stuff.

The architectural style of these buildings was named after the king and was reflective of the age with elaborate stonework featuring motifs inspired by both maritime and Christian themes. "Manueline architecture" as it is known, is at its heart Late Gothic, but what defines it is the use of lavish, themed ornamentation. Doorways, columns and windows would be encrusted in opulently carved stonework which might be considered over the top if it were not so beautiful. Seeing this will blow you mind and there are plenty of examples in Portugal - but the most beautiful place is in Lisboa, Jeronimos Monastery.

We drove by that today and I am not sure we are going to visit this - but I hope so. Mark and I were here 10 years ago and we visited so I'm sharing pics we took then. Simply amazing...

Another beautiful example of Manueline architecture is the Belém Tower below:

The original purpose was to serve as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon- but its latest use was as a political prison during the reign of Dictator António de Oliveira Salazar 1932- 1968. Thankfully that is over and now it is a UNESCO site and enjoyed by everyone.

Below is Monument to the Discoveries. It is also beautiful.

This monument has two sides with discoverers galore. It was build in 1960 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Henry the Navigator's death. (Henry stands at the front holding the famous caravel ship. He is leading the likes of Vasco de Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan and every Chistopher Columbus (who the Portugeuse claim as their own) and many more whose names I may had read in middle school, but mean pretty much nothing to me now. Anyway - the statue is lovely and each person on the monument is a hero to the Portuguese people.

Most of our travel buddies are sleeping in the hotel tonight but we haven't seen them yet. We will do that tomorrow. Lucky us!

That is it for tonight. I had a nice nap this afternoon, that may have been too long, so now it is midnight.

Good Night!

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thenationview · 2 years

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Dear energy, Gianluigi Paragone criticizes Mario Draghi: "It will destroy small businesses and families"

Dear energy, Gianluigi Paragone criticizes Mario Draghi: “It will destroy small businesses and families”

Gianluigi Paragone is a river flooded with Mario Draghi. The outgoing prime minister’s work in no way demeans the leader of Italexit, who attacked the former European central banker in a series of messages on his Twitter profile: “energy, Draghi prefers to destroy small businesses and families. relations with the EU. I don’t care about the EU. I don’t and never will believe in the ‘United States…

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#gianluigi comparison #mario draghi #potency

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kittyfujoshi · 4 years

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PM Viktor coming in the next 24 hours

I’m finally done. I’ll do one round of reread and that’s it. To my unbelievably supportive readers, you may read the previous works in the below link to better understand the next installment:

Dear Prime Minister Series

Again, thank you for all the support.

#victuuri fic #Yuri!!! on Ice #YOI #Victuuri #Yuri on ice #reread #Dear Prime Minister Series #tezuwrite #tezuworks #prime minister viktor au

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sourholland · 2 years

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Glamorous || Tom Holland

Part Seven

| Series Masterlist |

Summary → In this Princess Diana retelling, you are working in a nursery school as an aid in London, as well as a part time nanny. With slight aristocratic ties, you choose to live a more normal and mundane life. When the Prince of Wales comes to know you and bring you into the spotlight, everything changes. Truths coming too late, lies straining your relationship, and the impending future of the country falling on your shoulders. Is this really the stuff of which fairytales are made?

AN → I am so sorry for how long this took to get out, I am so upset about the wait. I hope you guys aren’t toooo mad. Writing this chapter, I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift. I recommend Illicit Affairs, Better Man (Taylor’s Version), All Too Well (Taylor’s Version), and Dear John.

Pairing(s) → Prince!Tom x Princess!Reader

Warnings → Language, Infidelity

Word Count → 2.7k

January, 1983 - This isn’t what love is

“I mean, he makes me feel bad for being who I am,” you sobbed into the receiver of the telephone. “Your soulmate isn’t supposed to make you feel like that, right?”

Dressed to the nines in a blue satin gown, you paced your Halifax hotel room whilst on the phone with Helen. In less than ten minutes you’d go downstairs with Tom to attend an official dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Canada.

“Do calm down, darling,” she told you through the receiver. “I hate that you are feeling this way so often now.”

“Nellie, I think there’s something wrong with me, I think I might really be going mad.”

In the few short months since Henry was born, you had fallen into absolute agony. Constant parties and political affairs, you were staying home and disregarding everyone but your son. They wished for you to leave him constantly, traveling all of the time with no way to see him. It would not happen, though. The only reason you were in attendance of the Canadian dinner party was because Tom agreed to have you back in Kensington Palace the next day.

“You’re going to be fine, Y/N.”

This was what they always said, or that you truly were going mad. This was what his mother called you in secret, you knew it as well as the rest of the family.

A man came to your door and told you the Prince would be to fetch you in a moment. Bidding a quick farewell to your sister, you walked to the mirror and attempted to wipe your tears. The reflection before you was someone you couldn’t even recognize anymore. There were deep indigo crescents underneath your eyes, covered by makeup. The weight you’d lost from stress was noticeable, though.

Tom came in, adjusting his cufflinks and immediately sighing when he saw you in shambles. He didn’t understand, he wouldn’t ever understand.

“What is it?” He snapped, “why’re you crying?”

“I miss the baby,” you sniffled, meeting his eyes.

“I told you—”

“I know what you told me, that doesn’t mean I cannot miss my son.”

He bit back a snide remark and held an arm out to you, touch cold as ice—much like his heart lately. When Henry was just born, there was a short and brief period of bliss, and then you had become too emotional and overly maternal. He loved his child more than anything, you weren’t sure it was true to say the same about how he felt about yourself.

The short walk to the grand staircase was silent, reaching the top you felt the immediate presence of everyone. Cameras flashed, people chatted, both you and Tom smiled to convey false happiness. He gave you a look, seemingly to tell you to keep yourself together. The tiara atop your head seemingly weighed an extra ten pounds.

For hours you spoke to many high ranking officials, letting them dote upon you and speaking fondly of the man you love. There were many uncomfortable comments made about how well you’d lost all of the baby weight, and the way your figure had returned to normal. This only made you want to cry more, the idea of all of these older men staring at your body and judging whether or not you looked well enough to them.

Tom spoke admiringly to many people, acting as if what you were in was a healthy marriage. He told them that he was enjoying married life tremendously, and that a baby was exactly what he wanted for your growing family.

“I’ll tell you, she’s gorgeous—I mean really!” A man, probably older than his father told Tom as he gazed at you. “I can only imagine how you feel.”

This made Tom slightly uneasy, but he couldn’t do much other than thank the man. It left him to wonder how you were truly being seen. Many were fawning over you, the press surrounded you no matter where you went. Even when it was both you and Tom, everyone preferred you to him. This made him jealous, the feeling of inferiority.

He kissed you chastely, both of you a bit tipsy off champagne and needing something the other couldn’t give. The hotel suite was cold, his embrace warm.

“I want you,” he murmured into your hair.

Does he? Or is he settling while she’s not here?

Threading a hand through his hair, you felt the tears begin to fall. He didn’t notice, stepping back when he realized you were crying. His lips were swollen, cheeks flushed with desire. He was so beautiful, you loved him.

“What’s wrong, love?” He sighed.

“Tell me I’ve got it wrong,” you stifled out. “I just feel so disposable to you, Tommy.”

He’s so much more mature, so much older. This was like your own personal living hell, watching life pass you by in silence. It was clear this wasn’t love, or was it? No matter what you offered him, it was never good enough.

“I love you,” you told him candidly. “Can you say the same?”

“Sure, yes.”

Sure. It was as if the moment had stopped, the clock finally ceased ticking. With those two words, you wiped the tears collecting at your cheeks and walked barefooted out of the bedroom.

February, 1983 - Clandestine meetings and stolen stares

It was a letter you’d never let see the light of day, one that would set the press absolutely wild. It was from Sam, addressed to you discreetly and handed to you personally with directions not to show it to anyone.

Dear Y/N,

I’m writing to you to say that I’ve met someone mum and father approve of beyond measure. They’re very pleased, and I truly do like her a lot. However, I needed you to know my feelings for you before I move forward.

Y/N, I have loved you since the moment I met you and I say this without hesitation. I’ve tried to let it go, and I’ve tried to suppress it, but I fear I cannot let another person into my heart without first telling you how I feel. And I know you love my brother, he is your husband and that is that. This does not mean that I cannot tell you how much more you deserve, and I do not mean myself. I mean normalcy, nothing of princes and princesses.

Could these words potentially put me into exile within my own family? Perhaps. I could not go on in silence, though. I adore you, I will always adore you. This is most likely a selfish decision on my own part, but without telling you, I fear I would not be able to give myself away in entirety.

I ask that this is all of the matter, and you keep these confessions close to your chest. With this, I’d also like to inform you of the talk making its way through the family. They have been calling you mad, Y/N. Do not let my brother’s insolence destroy your mental.

I hope this will not change your feelings for me, as a brother-in-law and friend. I hope that you’ll meet this new woman in my life as well, her name is Elizabeth. I know she’s adored you for a while, but I think you’d like her. I think she may be the woman I marry.

With love,

Sam

Apart of you wished you’d met Sam instead of Tom that night so long ago. Maybe then you’d have fallen for him, maybe then you’d have really enjoyed that fairytale wedding.

Tears escaped viciously, rubbing at your eyes and cradling the letter. You know he isn’t in love with you, you know he’ll find a woman and live and die for her because he is Sam, sweet and selfless Sam who loves wholeheartedly and with every part of himself.

And you’ll watch, wishing you could’ve fallen for the right man.

Early March, 1983 - I am a mother before I am the Princess of Wales

“Has it not occurred to you that this is a serious overturn of protocol?” One of the many royal advisors asked as you finished packing Henry’s toys.

“I have told you, I have told my husband, for God’s sake I’ve even told the Queen! I am not going on this tour without my son, I refuse! Now, we leave in less than twelve hours, is it really so dire that I am continually berated about the choices I make as the mother to the future of this establishment?”

This was the last time anyone pushed you to change your decision to take Henry with you to Australia and New Zealand. It was horrible enough that for a portion of the tour, he’d be in New South Wales with a nanny to watch over him whilst his parents were whisked away. It was six weeks of back to back press, and with the monarchy struggling to stay afloat in Australia, you weren’t sure you’d be able to cope with the pressures.

It wasn’t until the next afternoon when the private plane landed on the strip, you rubbed Henry’s belly and knew you’d have to say goodbye for a while. A woman came to you, curtsying and beginning to reapply your makeup for the cameras that would crowd you and Tom outside.

“It’ll be alright, Henry,” you cooed as she covered your under eye bags. “We’ll be back together very soon, I love you.”

The airy lavender dress you had on was not doing much to help with the heat, as it was sweltering even inside of the plane. Tom fixed himself and you picked the baby up swiftly. The nanny followed quickly behind you, ready to take the baby in her arms once a few photos had been taken of you three as a family.

The roar of the crowd could be heard by the opening door, folding downwards for you to walk down. Tom went first, you following steadily with a stirring Henry in your arms. The cameras began to click incessantly, a sleek black vehicle ready to pull you away.

Reaching the ground, Tom held your elbow and waved to the cameras. You smiled, feeling a the sweat begin to collect at your temples. Henry began to cry, your maternal instinct immediately kicking in. You held him close, kissing his temple and rubbing his back.

“We’ve got to go, Y/N,” Tom whispered to you, urging you to pass the baby over.

He watched the tears begin to well up at your waterline, face softening when he saw you kiss the baby feverishly, cooing something like ‘Mumma loves you, Henry. Dada loves you. We’ll be together again, I promise’.

Handing the baby over, you inhaled deeply and watched him be taken back up the steps. Giving a lasting wave, you let yourself be guided to the car where you sat promptly. Tom came after, saying nothing to you while the car pulled off.

“And are you happy to be in Australia?” The radio host asked, the boxy microphone in front of you.

You and Tom were sat in a glass box sort of studio, being broadcasted over Australia as your first duty of the tour. The man had a thick white mustache and a tan shirt on, much like Tom’s.

“I’m very pleased, truly! To be able to spend the next few weeks in Australia will be absolutely thrilling.”

All of the questions they were supposed to ask were pre-written and approved by the institution. It wasn’t until a woman came in through the door to the studio and sat when Tom became increasingly more frustrated with you.

“I’m such a large fan of your family!” She smiled, “I’m wondering how you’ve found motherhood so far? Have you had any difficulties?”

There’s really hundreds of rules you’re supposed to follow as royalty, but the one you remember learning only days after your engagement was to not under any circumstance make yourself human. The ploy is that as royals you are always pristine and put together, you never speak of hard times or struggle. This woman, pregnant and glowing, asking you to do exactly what you’re not supposed to do.

“It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been blessed with,” you breathed. “But of course, there are hardships. There are times when I’m absolutely exhausted, but get one good look at his face and remember what I’m here to do. And that’s to be the best wife, mother, and person I can be.”

“Does being royalty change any of that?” She leaned farther in, Tom stiffening beside you.

“I don’t think of myself as royalty, before I’m anything, I’m a mother.”

“Tom, please!” You shouted from the other side of the suite, sending all of the staff away to speak privately.

You would be on your way again, off to another city with more press. Things were scattered about the room, left unattended recently by the staff. Another argument, just as it always seemed there was.

“I cannot do this right now,” he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You would never say these things to her.”

It came out like a whisper, but he heard it. You watched his features soften, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking up at you sullenly. You wouldn’t cry, you cried too often these days. Tom sighed, urging you to speak.

“Why can’t we just be normal, even for a day?” You wondered out loud, but you knew the answer was simple.

You aren’t normal.

“Y/N, we can’t keep going on like this, you know that! But every time I try and relate, you shoot me down, send me away.”

“Because I don’t wish to spend my time on the countryside, where she is! Where I’m patronized and berated! Where you go to escape me, to escape our baby—”

“You know that’s not true,” he stopped you. “I am many things, but I am not what you’re making me out to be.”

Anger radiated off of you, flushing your cheeks and making your throat constrict. Tom had a crease between his brows, sorrow written all over his face. The sun came swiftly through the sheer curtains, a telly going static in the corner of the bedroom.

“I hear the things you say to her in the night, when Henry’s gone to sleep and you’ve said you’re turning in,” you whispered softly. “You write about her, to her—long words of endearment like lovers. Tom, I’m not pushing you away, I’ve only ever wanted you! It seems you have only ever wanted her—”

“Y/N, I love you! I love our family, I want you,” he confessed breathlessly. “I only want you.”

The words took a second to register in your mind, his lips parted and turned downwards. Was it possible that he was telling the truth? He loved you, could he truly? There was nothing more that you wanted.

“I love you, Y/N…”

Maybe this would be another case of your blind optimism, or maybe he wished to do as he always did—to give love and so easily take it away. His arms at his sides, face flushed. You wished to see through him, to know what he was thinking, but you couldn’t. Tears streaming down your face, he continued to tell you he loved you.

“I want this marriage to succeed, for us and our son,” you sniffled. “I love you, Tom.”

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around you, letting your head rest on his chest. Perhaps he could mean it, perhaps she was in the past. His hand running up and down your back, he kissed your head and whispered into your hair.

“I love you,” he repeated.

Did he?

taglist - @ninacotte @justapurrcat @golden-hoax @allthisfortommy @spideyspeaches @norietorie @veryholland @teenagedisxster @itsallyscorner @tomsirishgirl @runawayolives @devcarlsons @thecodyexpress @kassey @casualprincess77 @outshineallthestars @readheadwriter @cleverzonkwombatsludge

#tom holland x reader #tom holland imagines #tom holland imagine #elle’s fics #tom holland #prince!tom #royal!tom #tom holland series #tom holland blurb #tom holland x y/n #Tom holland

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dudeandduchess · 3 years

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Yakuza!Kyōjurō x F!S/O: Sugar and Spice (Mafia!AU, Modern AU, NSFW Series)[Chapter 2]

Summary: Kyōjurō and (Y/n) meet at a party, only to find out that their lives would change forever— since they had been arranged to be married. To make matters even more difficult for them, they were from two different walks of life, with (Y/n) being the Prime Minister’s daughter, and Kyōjurō being the heir to his clan’s Yakuza group.

Warnings: Smut, Kabedon, Groping, Making Out, Marking

Chapter 1| Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

***

No matter how much (Y/n) tried to shake the memory of those piercing eyes from her mind, she never could forget just how hauntingly beautiful they were— especially when they were trained so hard on her the night before.

It was why she had made a hasty escape; tucking tail and practically shoving her champagne glass at a waiter, before making up some halfhearted excuse about forgetting a prior engagement.

She could tell that the ladies she had been with were skeptic of her reasons, but had still let her go; just in time, as well, because Kyōjurō would have gotten to her if they had tried to keep her any longer.

Still, hours after that ordeal— even while she laid on her bed— with the warm, morning rays of the sun shining down on her through her windows, she could still feel the less-than-proper intent behind them. They were the eyes of a predator; someone who was silently telling her that he was going to devour her.

And if she were being honest, it scared and thrilled her at the same time.

“Hopefully, I’ll never have to see him again,” The young woman whispered to herself, right before closing her eyes and stretching her limbs outwards; it felt so good on her tired muscles. But her peaceful time alone was cut short with a soft but firm knock on her door.

“Good morning, (Y/n)-sama.” She almost groaned aloud at the sound of her temporary secretary’s voice; wishing to all hell that she were back in her university dorm— protected by a bodyguard, but still living with relative privacy.

But, unfortunately, it was summer break and she was obligated to stay at the Prime Minister’s residence; much like how her brothers were also required to live there when they weren’t living at their dorms. And, being the youngest— as well as the only girl— out of three children, her father was much stricter on her.

(Y/n) sighed then, deciding not to stall any longer and calling out a flat ‘come in’. It was then followed by the quiet creaking of the door, as well as the soft footsteps coming towards her bed.

As much as the young woman still wanted to just go back to sleep, she decided not to be difficult and opened her eyes— only for them to fall on Rin. She was a frail woman in her mid-thirties, looking very strict with her neatly pressed uniform; but it was her severely tight bun that had (Y/n) and her siblings knowing that the woman meant business at first glance.

“Good morning, Rin-san, may I know my schedule for today?” (Y/n) asked with a forced smile, knowing full well that she had a full roster for that day— what with her mother forking over some small charity appearances over to her and her brothers; all to show the people that they were very much active in society, despite also being busy with their own passion projects.

Rin nodded at that, before referring down to her clipboard and flipping a page— which had (Y/n)’s eyebrows quirking, since she saw so many things highlighted on one of her brothers’ schedule sheets.

“Your schedule has been cleared today, (Y/n)-sama.” That explained why she saw all those neon yellow lines on the pages before hers, but that had her stomach tightening with apprehension; because having a clear schedule at the last minute didn’t really bring good things.

“And why is that?”

“The Prime Minister has requested an audience with you for brunch, and he asked that you clear your schedule for the rest of the day to entertain his guest.”

Suddenly, she wanted to switch schedule with either one of her brothers. Hell, she would have rather been giving speeches and kissing babies, if it got her out of whatever clown show her father was about to put her through.

“Can I get out of this brunch?”

“No, Miss.”

“Alright, then. What time is this… fiasco? Nine-thirty? Ten? And do I already have something to wear for it?”

***

Who comes in late to meet the Prime Minister? The barbed thoughts reverberated around within (Y/n)’s head, as she presented a calm and collected façade for the world to see.

The dress she wore was modest enough for brunch, but with a touch of sexiness that had her quirking an eyebrow at the stern Rin when it had been handed to her earlier. Because, normally, Rin had her dressed up with the most modest of dresses; it would have been enough to put any miko to shame.

That already had her mind reeling with possibilities, yet she didn’t dare jump on any of them— since there were also numerous other things that could happen. Nothing was impossible, what with her being the daughter of Japan’s Prime Minister, after all.

For all she knew, she could be meeting the Prince of Wales with her father.

“Are we meeting Prince Charles, otou-sama? I didn’t brush up on my English last night,” She whispered to her father, who stifled his laughter and dabbed his table napkin to his lips— if only to muffle his humorous chuckles.

Yorihiko, (Y/n)’s father, turned to her then— before lowering his table napkin back down to his lap and showing her his bright grin. For someone who was in his mid-sixties, he still looked as youthful as ever. And, save for the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes— as well as the greying hair atop his head— she would have gandered him as not a day over fifty. “Not the Prince of Wales, (Y/n)-chan, but someone who will be much more important to this family in the future.”

Maybe it was just her being a little chilly, but she felt shivers race down her spine at those ominous words. However, she couldn’t even collect herself before the butler announced that their long-awaited guest was finally there.

And she had to try really hard to pick her jaw up from the ground when she saw two heads of blond hair coming out into the garden. The one she knew as Rengoku Kyōjurō wore a crisp, black suit with a blood red tie— one that matched his eyes and hair very well; while the older man next to him wore a formal kimono with a sleek, black haori perched on his shoulders.

“The yakuza, otou-sama?” (Y/n) whisper-yelled at her father, who only gave her a nod before getting up from his seat— all while smoothly laying his table napkin on the table— so he could greet their guests.

She followed suit immediately, but she couldn’t help her unsteady legs as she walked around the table and gave the Rengokus a small bow. “Welcome to our home, dear guests.”

“Don’t be too stiff, daughter; call me otou-sama,” The older man spoke in a gruff tone, smirking all the while as he looked at (Y/n).

The young woman couldn’t even speak, but managed a small nod— right before turning to the man that she had been under just the night before. A chorus of “oh no”s kept playing inside her head, but she couldn’t even voice out her panic, nor her disapproval at whatever arrangement had been arranged between her and the Yakuza heir.

“How about we have our meal as we talk, Shinjurō? And then we can leave the kids to be acquainted?” Yorihiko suggested with a bright smile, all while motioning over to the table that he and (Y/n) had been sitting at earlier.

It already burned (Y/n) to even be in the same vicinity as the man who had been between her legs just the night before, but it burned her even more when he smirked right at her— before offering his arm to her; as if he was the perfect gentleman.

And with her being who she was, couldn’t even turn him down. So, she found herself slipping a hand into the crook of his arm; holding on to him as he walked her back to the table. To make matters even worse for her, he even pulled out her chair for her, before helping her sit down.

That action hadn’t been done for mere chivalry, however, as Kyōjurō took it as a chance to whisper right by her ear, “It’s nice to see you again, baby. You look really… fuckable in that dress.”

“Fuck you.” (Y/n) managed to whisper back, which earned a sexy little chuckle from the blond.

He wanted nothing more than to pull her by the hair and make her face him, just so he could kiss her breathless and show her that he wasn’t to be messed with, but they were in front of company, and he didn’t want to disrespect her like that in front of their fathers.

After all, he was going to be his wife. And he was always taught that Rengokus respected their wives above all else.

“You almost did, baby. Maybe on the honeymoon, though,” Kyōjurō whispered back with a grin, before finally pulling away and taking the empty seat right next to her— much to (Y/n)’s chagrin.

Lunch passed by in a blur for (Y/n), however; with conversation being led by the two patriarchs. She was nothing more than a spectator at the table, since she was still trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

And, from what she could catch, she and Kyōjurō really were arranged to be married. In this day and age, arranged marriages were such an archaic concept but, apparently, the Rengokus had a lot to do with her father getting the Prime Minister position— and he owed them a lot.

So, now that the Rengokus are being pinned with crimes that weren’t their doings— and with Shinjurō facing multiple life sentences if things aren’t resolved— they had to cash in that favor with (Y/n)’s father.

After all, what better way to clear someone’s name, than to get related through marriage to the very man who signs them? No other man’s vouch could be stronger that the Prime Minister’s; if he said that he trusted the Rengokus enough to have his only daughter marry into their family, then all those pending cases would be dismissed as nothing more than baseless accusations.

(Y/n) had always known that her father was involved with all kinds of people, but she had never even had an inkling that he had been rubbing elbows with the Yakuza— of all people.

***

Once brunch was over— with her food having been barely touched— the patriarchs left both (Y/n) and Kyōjurō in the garden to ‘get acquainted’. However, (Y/n) had much more different things in mind, so she got up from her seat and tossed her table napkin onto the table; all before making hasty escape back into the house.

Kyōjurō’s eyebrows quirked at his fiancée’s actions, but it didn’t dampen the smirk that tugged up at the corners of his lips; as he watched her hips swaying so seductively a few ways away from him.

Last night, he had been pissed to have seen her walking away from him— and that time was no different, but it posed an extremely exciting challenge that he was more than willing to take on.

So, that was how he found himself getting up from his own seat and following after her— but not before glaring right at the guards that had been about to keep him from following her.

That kept them right in their places, which was good enough for him— and had him resuming his leisurely stroll right behind his charismatic bride-to-be.

But she didn’t get to go much farther than the back door of the mansion; as Kyōjurō quickly took his chance to press her back against the wall— making sure to cushion the back of her head, as he caged her in with his right arm and his body.

“Don’t walk away from me, baby,” Kyōjurō stated with a smile; right before dipping his head down to brush his lips against hers in the faintest of kisses.

That move didn’t fail to make (Y/n)’s toes curls right in her heels, but she tried so hard to ignore the tingles that were shooting across her skin; even taking to looking at anywhere but at Kyōjurō.

All because the events from the night before were playing in her mind— hot, raunchy, and filled with so much lust for him.

But the blond wasn’t deterred by her reaction at all, coming to press his hips right against her— and making her feel the bulge that was slowly growing bigger beneath his pants.

“Come on, sweetheart. Kiss me like you did last night,” The young man teased once more, then dipped his head down to catch her lips once more‚ but in a much deeper kiss that, inevitably, had (Y/n) melting against him; especially when he lightly tugged at her hair, all while gently nipping at her bottom lip.

All the while, his right hand snaked itself down to cup her right hip; kneading it in a gentle massage, before slipping down further so he could cup her ass. He then gave it a squeeze, which had her gasping right into their kiss; giving him enough time to slip his tongue right between her lips, all so he could play with her own.

When Kyōjurō felt her responding to his kisses— much like how she was last night— he took that as his chance to tease her even further by pulling away; latching on to her neck and trailing kisses down to the crook where her neck met her shoulders— and biting down on the skin, before sucking on it to leave a love bite.

He wasn’t contented with just one, however, and found himself leaving more of his marks all over her neck as well. Every single one had her moaning softly and, somewhere along the way, one of her hands had made its way onto the back of his own head— where she was gripping his hair tightly.

She was really melting under his touch, and he loved it so much.

And things only made a turn for the better when he quickly bunched the back of her dress up with the hand that had been groping her ass, before slipping his hand down further so he could cup her pussy from behind; grinning when he felt her so wet beneath her underwear.

“You want me to fuck you?” He asked, all while rubbing the tips of his fingers against her soaked entrance; loving the way that her fingers kept tightening and loosening on his hair— especially the subtle way that she was trying to rub her pussy up against his cock.

(Y/n) was silent at first— refusing to give in and answer him— until the blond readjusted his hand and made quick work of slipping it up the front of her dress; right before pushing her panties aside and pinching her clit between his index and middle fingers. The move had her hips jerking involuntarily, and also had her moaning softly when Kyōjurō began to play with the little bud.

“…Please.”

“Please what, sweetheart?”

(Y/n) was just about to give in and actually beg him to fuck her right there— up against the side of her father’s residence— when all sense came crashing down on her and she yanked on Kyōjurō’s hair… hard. “Get off of me!”

It was clear on Kyōjurō’s face that that move had pissed him off, but he couldn’t help but obey (Y/n)’s words— albeit reluctantly. And he wanted to just scowl at her, but the sight of her looking so disheveled had him laughing; outright laughing, as he took in her messed up lipstick and crazy hair.

The glare that (Y/n) was aiming right at him looked mildly threatening, but it was the best she could do— especially when she heard the blond’s attractive laughter. How a laugh could be attractive, she didn’t know; it just was— and it was highly unfair, since he already had such a handsome face.

Even the fresh love bites all over her neck and shoulders added to her ‘just fucked’ look, diminishing the aggressiveness in her expression even more, and that pleased Kyōjurō so much.

He couldn’t wait until he really messed her up. He’d make sure that she wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed in the morning.

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todaysdocument · 3 years

Text

Letter from Law Professor Ruth Bader Ginsburg in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, 4/15/1971

“Application of this fundamental principle to women is long overdue.”

File Unit: Legislative Files of the Committee on the Judiciary for the 92nd Congress, 1971 - 1972

Series: Committee Papers, 1813 - 2011

Record Group 233: Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789 - 2015

Transcription:

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY The State University of New Jersey (Handwritten- File)

Jerry (handwritten)

SCHOOL OF LAW. NEWARK

180 University Avenue

Newark, New Jersey 07102

Tel. 201-XXX-XXXX

April 15, 1971

The Honorable Don Edwards

House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman Edwards:

I wish to urge your support and cooperation in expediting passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (H.J. Red. 208).

In this critical area of human rights it is regrettable that the United States has delayed assertion of a pace-setting role. Reporting on developments in his country, Sweden's Prime Minister stated during his stay in Washington last year:

"Public opinion is nowadays so well informed that if a politician today should declare that women ought to have a different role than men [in economic and social

life] he would be regarded to be of the stone. "

He emphasized that equal rights entailed emancipation of the man as much as the woman. Address by Mr. Olof Palme, the Woman's National Democratic Club, Washington, D.C., June 8, 1970.

Although the Women's Equality Act of 1971 is a desirable supplement, it is not a substitute for the statement of basic rights represented by the Equal Rights Amendment.

I very much hope that you will do all that you can to assure that in this nation every person will be given equal opportunity to develop his of her individual talents. Application of this fundamental principle to women is long overdue.

Sincerely,

Ruth Ginsburg (handwritten signature)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Professor of Law

RBG/em

#archivesgov #April 15 #1971 #1970s #ERA #Equal Rights Amendment #Ruth Bader Ginsburg #RBG #Rutgers University

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clonetrooperwizard · 3 years

Text

The Abused

Tech x Reader (Kind of) Mostly reader centric.

Ace friendly

Not self indulgent at all, nope, no sir

Part of the Bad Batch's Angel Series

Word count: 1.2K

Part 1/3

Note: thank you @purgetroopercody for the beta❤️

The Bad Batch lands on a remote planet in hopes to help the local forces retake their city from a power hungry dictator. But like every mission for this crew, something was bound to go wrong.

Being the assigned medic for The Bad Batch was exhausting. Not only were they reckless, always getting themselves into trouble and causing more work for you, but they bickered all the time. And it is always over little things, even this morning.

“Tech I told you to not turn the power on until I was done with these repairs!” Echo shouted from under the main console, head buried deep in the hardware.

“And I told you we would need to leave by 0800, Hunter and Wrecker overstayed their welcome again and we need to go.” Tech retaliated.

A grunt later and Echo was sitting up and closing the maintenance panel. “Go ahead, but the next time all the lights on the controls go out, you get to check all the wiring,” Echo grumbled as he left the flight deck.

All you could do was stand there and sigh whenever they bickered. You could swear it was like listening to an old married couple… that consisted of five grown man-children.

“Heads up,” Hunter called, “landing in 10.”

Today you were headed to a lesser known planet to provide relief to a local group working against their local government that was rounding up citizens, tagging them and sending them to slaving camps. The Secondary Minister of the planet, a human named Kail Dugan, called in the assistance of the Republic to help his people, saying that the Prime Minister was using his position of power to abuse the people and refused to step down when a vote of non-confidence was passed.

Since then, the Prime Minister has doubled his security measures and increased the brutality so much that before long, most of the citizens had been captured and enslaved after seven rotations.

Due to the planet’s neutrality, the Republic could not get involved directly, so Clone Force 99 was sent to ‘do what they do.’

Before long the team was touching down and exiting the Marauder on the outskirts of the capital. The majority of the planet was desert coated in gold sand with sandstone buildings littering the outer parts of the main city. The city itself was a little more modern with paved streets and concrete buildings.

“Secondary Minister”, Hunter greeted the man as the group made their way over.

“Sergeant Hunter was it?” The man responded.

“Yes, and this is the rest of my team, Clone Force 99.” Hunter said as he gestured to the rest of the squad.

“Perfect, I see you have a medic, we could really use their help with some of our wounded. There is a medical tent right behind our housing tents, my assistant Layla will guide you there.”

“Of course sir,” you said as you quickly made to follow Layla, waving at Tech as you left. As you walked away you could hear the rest of the team discussing their next move.

Making your way to the medical tent you noticed the people around the campsite. Some were wearing the local military garb that Tech had shown you a picture of on the way to the planet. Unlike in the photo, here you noticed that the government's emblem had been ripped off, as well as the name and rank tabs on everyone’s uniform. They obviously didn’t agree with the Prime Minister's ideaIs, you thought to yourself. It was a good thing really, it meant that your team wasn't going in with a bunch of civvies who didn’t know how to fight, they had some training behind them.

Once you had arrived at the medical tent you started noting patients and any visible injuries they may have. Some had blaster wounds, but in non-critical places. Some were nursing one of their limbs, likely sprains or breaks. But there was one patient there that caught your attention, a little girl, no older than 10 standard. Cropped brown hair, green eyes, and a beauty mark on her left cheek. She was very dirty, covered in mud and dust, and had small scrapes all over her body, but other than that no obvious injuries. She sat on the edge of the cot facing your direction, swinging her legs that didn’t quite meet the floor.

Something about her peaked your interest so you made your way over to her first. “Hello dear,” you said as her eyes came to meet yours. “I’m a medic, would it be okay if I took a look at your injuries?”

She nodded slightly and turned around on the cot, now you could see the tear in her clothing and the fairly large road rash on her back, she must have fallen. As you made your way to clean the wound, you decided to make conversation with the girl. “So sweetheart, what happened? Playing a little too hard with your friends?”

What she said shattered your heart. “No, I was running from papa. He got mean and started taking people. I don’t know why, but ever since mama died he’s gotten meaner. I didn’t like how mean he was being and he started yelling and had his guards chase me. I was running and tripped, scratched my back. I was scared so I hid. Mr. Dugan found me soon after and got me out of the city.”

By the time the little girl was done telling her story you had applied bacta and a proper bandage to her back. The little girl turned around, “thank you,” she said.

“My pleasure. You can stay here if you would like.” Figuring she would need something to do you encourage her to visit the other patients and say hi. That way you could keep an eye on her. Something about her continued to peak your interest and you felt it would be best if she stayed close by.

After an hour's time you had treated four patients and you were right, two sprained wrists, a blaster shot to the shoulder and surprisingly, a soldier with a nasty rash, poor guy fell into a poisonous bush while jumping for cover.

During that time you could hear chatter on the team's comms. By now they were making their way through the city to locate the civilians and capture the Prime Minister. They had met a couple of small enforcement groups along the way, but nothing the boys couldn’t handle. Hunter gave the command to split up so Tech, Echo and Wrecker went to go look for the citizens, while Crosshair and Hunter continued to look for the Prime Minister. You were treating a woman who had a blaster shot to the leg when Tech’s voice came through the comms, “Hunter, we have found the civilians, they are working in an underground mine under the palace. All of them seem to be accounted for.”

“Good news Tech, we haven’t found the Prime Minister yet. Things are too quiet for my liking.”

Suddenly, a man shouting outside caught your attention, “where is she? Give me my daughter!”

Blaster fire rang through the camp and you peaked your head out of the tent to see a tall man dressed in official looking clothing with five guards in tow. You could see several people on the ground, some unmoving, some with minor blaster wounds.

“Tell me, NOW!” He shouted as you ducked behind the cover of the tent.

“Hunter?” You ask into your comm, “I found the Prime Minister, he’s here.”

#the bad batch #tech #wrecker #hunter #crosshair #echo bay #self insert #reader x tech #kind of #sort of #established relationship #first star wars story #my writing 2021

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prolestari · 2 years

Text

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

Summary: Set in both the Republic of Korea and an alternate universe called the Kingdom of Corea, a modern-day king discovers a mysterious portal between the two worlds, where he meets a feisty detective somehow connected to his past.

My Rating: 9/10

Pros: Everything about this drama is top notch! The soundtrack, the production, the actors are all perfection. The acting, dear lord, the acting. It’s so good. The chemistry between all of the characters is the best I’ve seen. This show cost some serious money and it shows.

Cons: The time travel/universe travel storyline is always tricky, and true to form left some plot holes that were never fixed except with some vague “it just worked out that way” explanations. The product placement gets a bit distracting.

Fanfic-ability: 10/10. When I tell you the ships in this show are so good!! You have a selection of otp/brotp that are all excellent. There is so much to work with among the characters, and you have plenty within the timeline of the show as well as before and after. I have found this series to be the most inspiring thing I’ve watched in years, and had a ton of fic ideas by the time I was done with it.

Not gonna lie, this show owns my ass now. I’d give it full marks if it wasn’t for the plot holes it left, but they are forgiven because everything else is so incredible. It’s not a simple show to watch, and honestly it took me two viewings to fully put the pieces together, between the universe and time jumping as well as the use of doppelganger storylines. HOWEVER, this show is good enough for multiple viewings!! If you are a sucker for good drama and swoon-worthy romance, look no further. More spoiler-y thoughts under the cut!

I can’t praise the acting enough honestly. Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun are the absolute best. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I totally fell for them both. All of the supporting cast was amazing too, and I loved the performances by Woo Do-hwan and Kim Kyung-nam. Honestly I need more of all of them together after this.

The show could have used another few episodes, maybe make it 20 total. The story would have benefitted by showing more of Lee Gon before he meets Tae-eul, and established more of his isolation. There is a lot to infer about him that makes him falling in love with her so quickly make sense, and because of this it takes three episodes or so to find its real groove. The performances are also so good that we just needed more of everything: more Gon and Yeong, more Yeong and Shin-jae, more Eun-sup, more Jangmi, more everything.

I found the ending to be a bit unsatisfying, just because I wanted to see them super happy. It makes sense how it ends, and since you don’t really know the details you can assign whatever sort of life you want for them. I also understand that Kim Eun-sook is famous for writing these “imperfect” endings, and I can respect that. But I’m such a hardcore Leeeul shipper that I just wanted mega happy, damn it.

This isn’t a perfect show despite how much I enjoyed it. I have yet to find a show or movie that does time travel correctly in the past couple of decades, and this one certainly kept that trend. Maybe one day someone will get it right, but until then, we have fanfic for that. There were definitely some other things that could have been shortened or even cut (like the Japanese threat storyline? Or the prime minister’s doppelganger that went nowhere?) to make room to flesh out the romance even more. If I had to watch them order and eat chicken one more time, or put on face cream, or put that stupid mask on, I would have lost my mind.

Despite its imperfections, this show is amazing and I would recommend this wholeheartedly. Episode 12 wrecked my life. The soundtrack is the best. Go give it a try and get your tissues ready.

#the king: eternal monarch #tkem #my two cents #notes and reviews

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