#g: magnificent court

[nicoliine]

The day you noticed Lucifer was using his wings to court you.

☆彡 In birds, there is a great variety of nuptial displays at the time of courtship, especially in species that have melodious songs or show very striking plumage.

Little did you know, this would include angels or the king of hell himself.

 

☆ English isn't my first language. Sorry in advance.

☆ The reader is g/n; no pronouns or y/n are used.

 

You were always fond of birds, and you dedicated much of your life to helping preserve endangered species. You studied them, spent countless hours learning about the hundreds of species, a lot of diets and their behaviors.

This didn’t seem to stop once you found yourself in Hell; in fact, once you discovered there were a bunch of sinners with bird-like features, you just seemed content to be there.

When you arrived at the Hazbin hotel, you claimed one of the spare rooms as your personal studio, and after what you have called "the toughest battle in your life," you convinced Alastor to let you have a camera "as long as you never get that frivolous technology box near me."

Husk had to ask you not so politely to stop when you first met. Before you could even take his hand, you had started to ask questions about their wings; sometimes you even wrote on an oh-so-worn notebook of yours; it became a common topic of discussion between the two of you. When you forget he has work to do and start to take multiple pictures of his wings and even try to take one of his wings when he is not looking, Angel starts to think that your bartender friend is about to lose it, and you will end with a scratch or two.

 

Besides that, one could say that your presence in the hotel was appreciated; you could be found watching some funny shows on TV with Angel and never saying no to Vaggie when she asked for a favor. Soon, you started to feel part of the hotel, and the rest of the staff agreed with that.

 ☆◦ •◦☆

Lucifer was nothing like any man you had met in life or hell; he was, to put it simply, an awkward guy, always so silly yet so elegant. He had managed to get you longing for his presence more often than you would like to admit.

You are not sure how you and Lucifer became friends, but having a shared interest in ducks seemed to help. You gave him all kinds of facts about them, and he would step by your room every so often to show you the new rubber duck he was working on. Not that you're complaining, but one of his ducks set your courtains on fire on an occasion.

Charlie says that she is proud of his "social advances,” as she used to call your interactions. Seeing him out of his office more often and having an actual conversation with someone seems to make the princess happy and less worried about her father, and if that someone turns out to be you, it is so much better!

  ☆◦ •◦☆

The first time you noticed this weird behavior of his was the day you two met. You couldn’t help but mention, after his bickering with Alastor over who was Charlie’s father figure, that you found his wings precious. Lucifer, being the prideful man he is, wasted no time on extending his wings only for your delight, a smirk on his face as he saw your eyes wide admiring that part of him; they were so magnificent, you could swear they were shining in the light of the room, and you'd die to see if the feathers were as soft as they seemed.

 

Just a simple touch, please.

 

Before returning his wings to their place, there was a flutter of his wings, so slow that there was no way someone could notice.

But you weren't just someone; you knew it. What a coincidence! You could recap an article about some birds courtship.

The second time you saw it, you were in your room minding your own business. He came to you with a smile, but your eyes were looking past him, his wings on full display as he greeted you. There, his wings started flutter again, now lasting more than the last time. Now there is no way it was just a coincidence. “My eyes are up here, darling,” he said, that smirk on his face turning into a pout as you were not paying him enough attention. You just shake your head, focus on the man before you, returning your full attention to him, and the pout on his lips dissapears immediately as your eyes are on him.

 

  ☆◦ •◦☆

You are getting crazy; every time you get a glimpse of him, you find his wings moving in an oh-so-familiar way that you could swear it was a courtship dance, every time bolder than before.

That is when you decided to confront him, getting just a chuckle from him. It made you think maybe it was just your imagination, and you finally lost your mind.

 

While sitting on the hotel balcony, Lucifer was telling you one of his ideas for this new rubber duck. He said it would be the best one he would work on so far, even though you doubted that. Then you stopped listening, your eyes fixated on his wings. Every time he looked at you, they would flutter not so subtly, distracting you from everything around you. Your head rested on your palm, almost feeling bad for not listening to his rambling.

 

"Luci, you're courting me." It was supposed to be a question, but by the way the king of hell stopped his rambling and, looking at you with wide eyes, you found that maybe it was not.

"And what would make you think that?" He said mocking you, he also rested his head in one of their hands.

 

"Your wings, the way you move them," you pointed to his wings; they stopped his movements when you mentioned it; he just chuckled, then started to laugh. Was he laughing at you? It made you want to hide yourself from him; was it your imagination? No way.

 

"So you finally notice," he then said. Once his laugh was gone, he adjusted himself on his seat. Now, with both of his hands holding his face and looking at you with a smirk, his wings started to flutter once more. "I thought it would take you less time, may I be honest"

 

"Actually, I noticed it long ago; I thought it was just my—" You felt the air leaving your lungs once he got on his feet and moved closer to you. "...Just my imagination." You were not strange to his proximity, but this time he just looked so imponent, wings on full display and fluttering around. Now it was definitely a courtship dance, and you were on the receiving end.

 

"Now, what do you think?" He hovered over you who still sitting, a hand resting on the back of your seat, taking one of your hands on his and kissing your knuckles. The kiss lasted longer than you thought was the average time for one, and even then he didn’t let go of your hand. "Was my dance enough to impress you, darling?" Now, looking into his eyes, you could only see adoration, awaiting your response.

 

You couldn't speak; you can't imagine the king of hell pulling up something like this for you.

 

"My dear, please talk to me," he pleaded, a sigh leaving his lips as he hid his face in the crook of your neck. You could feel his warm breath in your skin, burning like hellfire.

 

"It was," you said, Lucifer now turning his face to look at you. You took his face in your hands and moved him closer, he gave you an inquisitive look but with no intention to move from your touch. "I should have mentioned it earlier; it was quite impressive." You smiled, and he did the same.

 

Now, how long you two kissed, you also don't remember; what you remember, however, is how he held you against him as if you were just about to disappear right then, and that when you finally got to touch his wings, you were proved wrong.

His feathers were much softer than you have imagined.

This idea came to me yesterday when my dad showed me a reel of a lady bird who epically ignored the male who was dancing to her, I felt so bad and immediately thought about Lucifer.

Likes and reblogs are appreciated 💞

#hazbin hotel #lucifer x reader #lucifer morningstar x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #Why did this took me so long? #nicolines

[howyouloveyourdragon]

yandere rhaenyra x sorceress fem reader (light yandere not really dark preferably) headcanons or another format if you like. -reader can possibly have kids w/ her (which might help when rhaenyra is with laenor is you make her a sorceress from descended from old Valeryia so has the targaryen look & later she can be the one to get pregnant if wanted) -she could also be a dragon rider at one point -viscerys may even love her no matter what the hightowers say because she has magic from old valaryia (might give her more influence than the hightowers do) -meaning rhaenyra could stay in the keep. - laenor stays or you make them get with daemon (or they get together privately if you want to keep laena alive cause the reader can save her)

- reader even be able to save jeoffry I'm going to stop with my ideas as they may go on and on, sorry this was so long I got carried away (I or someone else, or you if you want may be able to turn this into a full on story one day)! Some side platonic yandere shorts could be made from this

hey lovie! so happy to receive this request it was very fun to write :) <3 i would be happy to write more detail in a fic but unfortunately i couldn't go too in depth on this current post but if i do write one up i will tag you :)

pronouns: she/her warnings: both sfw and nsfw sections

SFW

now as a blueprint i'm going to go through a little thought process of reader & rhaenyra

i went down the route of reader keeping majority to Valyrian lore

and i think in this case Rhaenyra would be more of an obsessing yandere

lets say that reader is a descendant of Valyrian blood, perhaps her family escaped The Doom because they foresaw it, perhaps later aligning with Aegon I as he conquered Westeros so long as he kept their family a secret and so he ensured both their safety and their stay under his rule

however things sour after he has passed and they flee

they become a mere rumour and legend which King Viserys ends up telling to his children with fervent delight, dreaming of the day they might return

Rhaenyra drinks this up not only because it is intriguing but also because the beautiful artwork he shows to her look magnificent, fire encircling them and blood locking their promises

she will have pretended as a little girl to be one of these sorcerers, twirling with her mother in patterns befitting ceremonies and copying their olden styles

however as she gets older she pretends to forget the mysterious sorcerers and instead focuses on maintaining her title as heir, demanding the same respect she is sure her ancestors' dear allies must have

and yet one night, when she is tending to her courtly duties, she hears the most humorous little rumour

that there is a witch among the grounds, they whisper

and then it is brought up at a council meeting and her blood heats, a gasp drawing from her mouth in match with the Queen's

they both share a glance, recalling the games they had played as children before the pattering of feet

they expect to see a fearful lamb pleading for sanctuary but instead they find you

beautiful, regal you

Rhaenyra thinks you look more a Queen than either of them and she stands in respect, shocking the court

the men around you gape but you simply smirk in approval "Your grace," You greet, only holding contact with her as you curtsy only so slightly

Alicent coughs and stands also, determined to maintain composure

you explain that you have been orphaned and bring forth the written promise of Aegon I to care for your little family

Alicent requests proof with a concerned stiff expression and you gladly provide

with the flick of your wrist you summon a dragonglass candle from the skirt of your dress and stare deep into the spot in which a wick should be placed

in a flash it alights and broadens before your eyes

gasps enrapture but again you snap your sights on Rhaenyra and only Rhaenyra

she gives the barest of nod "we...hope you enjoy the comforts of court." she merely says and instructs her own personal guard to escort you to the guest chambers closest to her own

she can't get the image of your self-assured expression out of her mind

you are utterly bewitching with your snowy hair and tussled skirts

her sights linger on the ankle that peaks through as you hike up your said skirts

Alicent clears her throat and gives a pointed stare but it takes all of Rhaenyra's self control to settle herself back in her chair but everyone at the table share wary glances

she doesn't see you again until late the next day, requesting your presence for dinner and conveniently forgetting that her husband will be off for a hunt with his...dear friend

excitement shoots through her in powered waves

however she is disappointed to learn that her father too has requested your presence and her family have decided upon a collective dinner so that they may all meet the curious sorceress

Viserys is instantly engaging conversation with you the moment you sit down and before that, greets you in a warm embrace

he is a curious man who knows you too must carry the stories of your ancestors and he is eager to learn

for most of the evening Rhaenyra watches in curiosity, watching how your hair sways and your angelic features resemble her most ardent dreams

she has to restrain herself, grip tightening on her fork

it's that night that she makes her intentions clear to you and she's relieved to see your acceptance

Rhaenyra Targaryen is not one to hide her emotions nor her desires

your relationship is turned into a powerful storm of heat and danger, Otto's eyes narrowing everytime you enter a room

he proclaims you as a most unholy being and one to be banished which Viserys does not take kindly too

instead he is sent far away and Alicent is brought to the highest frustration as you attend almost every family outing or event with Rhaenyra proud at your side in the space her husband used to occupy

if anyone even slightly threatens or questions your presence at court she will be quick to scold and imprison them

going so far as to threaten their head

it's late in your coupling that you whisper sweet words in her ears, describing the imagery of her father's crown atop her head and a child born of you both

she knows all of your family's hidden secrets by now and while she and Laenor have not been graced with an heir by the Gods, you offer both a dream and solution

instead of accepting your offer of fertility in regards to her husband, she tucks back your hair and caresses your face

her lips dip down on yours and then breathes into your ear three sweet word "I want yours," she slips her kisses down your neck and presses your palm to her soft stomach

once the babe is born it doesn't matter whose dominant genes he inherits because with a gentle stroke of his hair it can turn as pale as winter snow

some may still question the child's true parentage considering the early birth and supposed consummation's circumstances do not quite align

but it matters not for your future Queen is determined to instil the confidence of a monarch

where Rhaenyra's tendencies come in I think she could become very smothering and clingy, sticking to you every possible moment that she is able

i could see this being a big relief for both Viserys and Laenor

Viserys' line will be continued and his daughter is happy, he wants to preserve this happiness, if you did request to return to your original home or to wander elsewhere i could see him suddenly developing a 'very important' project that he needs your assistance with

i think Laenor would also attempt to keep you close with his wife

i think i could picture Rhaenyra tricking you into a traditional Valyrian wedding or at least attempting to without explaining the possible repercussions of this

she's impulsive and devoted to you, nothing is out of her sphere of protection

her presence engulfs you with sweet words and soft promises

in this au i could imagine a much happier Rhaenyra in all aspects but it also means giving her the daughter she has always wished for

even more, she adores the fact that you are beside her while whichever one of you births the beautiful darlings with hair so regal and beauty gifted from you

NSFW

she's all too eager to pleasure you

you are the most magnificent beautiful and powerful being she has ever witnessed and she want to show you in every lewd and respectable way she can imagine

her most ardent desire however is the promise you whisper against her soft thighs, speaking of golden crowns and forsaking your duties in favour of delighting your Queen

her favourite though is when you sink your fingers between her lower lips and glide your tongue along her slick

the way your nails tickle her thighs and slide up to pebble her nipples and playing with those sensitive buds

she likes to let go with you

it's freeing to be finally enact upon the fantasies of her teenhood

she says often and plays with the words of you bewitching her, it sends a delightful shiver down her spine

tags: @gracielikegrapes

Hotd Taglist: (bold and italics means you need to check your settings, it didn't work)

@wrendermedone @hopelesswritergall @blackdreamspeaks @its-actually-minicika @gettheetoanunneryimmediatly

#rhaenyra targaryen x fem!reader #rhaenyra targaryen #rhaenyra x reader #rhaenyra targaryen x reader #hotd x reader #rhaenyra targaryen x reader headcanons #rhaenyra targaryen headcanons #rhaenyra targaryen x sorceress!reader #rhaenyra targaryen x valyrian reader #rhaenyra targaryen imagine #request #requests #ask #asks #sorceress reader #sorceress reader x rhaenyra

[pokegalla]

I apologize for the long title @theneurodivergentdummy

And my god this made me gush and giggle. Lol enjoy!

(NSFW warning: dirty joke!)

Underfell bros with a smol half-moth monster S/o and meeting their huge buff father!

Red:

* God you are so ridiculously cute. So fluffy, so smol….

* You make him wonder how lucky he was to have someone as adorable as you as his S/o. When you first met, it was at Grillby’s and you were a server. The moment he saw you, he put his flirting game on. He melted seeing how you giggled at his puns and when you agreed to go on a date with him, he was over the moon.

* Seriously you have to pinch him awake so he knows it’s not a dream (he jokes about it all the time). And cuddling while messing with your floof is the BEST. Though he does get jealous with the lamp posts. (You caught him threatening it when you spent to much time staring at it. You just gave him a kiss making him blush realizing you heard all that).

* Now when it was around that time to meet your father? Mans needed a towel or bucket for the amount of sweat that was dripping down his skull. You told him that your old man was just a big softie with a big heart. That still didn’t calm him. This was a huge step in the relationship! Of course he’s nervous! But man he nervousness completely skyrocketed meeting the dad.

* NAH when you said ‘big.’ He didn’t realize you meant it LITERALLY. He was HUGE. Muscles and all. With comically small wings. His eye lights went out. He’s fucking DEAD if he messes up. How did such a smol cute moth girl like you come from THAT tank?!

* But he soon realized he’s worrying over nothing! The dad’s whole intimidating aura disappeared and he had the sweetest smile inviting them in. He showed him baby pictures, made them dinner and dessert (which was INCREDIBLE), and showed a magnificent garden! Now Red sees where you gotten your love of flowers. Even he was astonished by the vibrant colors of roses, daises, hell he couldn’t even name them all!

* He even learned where you got all those sweaters from too. Turns out her own father makes them by hand. He’s shocked by how kind the father is but feels much more comfortable over time!

Mini story time!!!

You went to the kitchen to gather a tray for tea and sweets. You were pretty nervous about today but you were so proud of your bone-friend. He was doing an amazing job and has even grown comfortable with your father. You began to walk back but stopped short upon hearing the two talk.

“What’s the difference between a G-spot and a golf ball?”

You paled upon hearing that. God Red please no….has he been telling your father dirty jokes?!

“Hm? What is the difference?” You heard your father ask.

“A guy will actually search for a golf ball,” Red answered. A moment of silence made you scared until you heard a sudden ROAR of laughter from both guys making you sigh.

“Boys will be boys,” You said giggling to yourself. You placed the tray down and joined them. Even cracking a few jokes yourself.

Boss:

* His first thoughts upon meeting you: must protecc-

* No seriously he is really protective of you. You just seem so soft and sweet….the thought of someone taking advantage of that or hurting you makes him worry. Though he does trust you. Smol or not, you know how to protect yourself too.

* When you first met, it was during a flower competition. You had won with flying colors as your brilliant bouquet was extraordinary. But of course someone got salty since you’re a half monster so it was ‘unfair’. That person was SUCH a dick that Boss was gonna throw dirt into their mouth. But MAN did you shock him when the person got a little too handsy….and YOU threw hands. That person was out in seconds and Boss was just lovestruck.

* Your mutual liking in flowers and his determination to court you made you agree to date him. He secretly loves to admire and help you tend to your wings. He feels good to help you and he finds your wings beautiful.

* Time to meet the parents! He studied everything he needs to know and asked you many questions. You could tell he was anxious but he just wants to make a good first impression.

* Ok…he didn’t expect this. Yes you said he was big….and Y’know Papyruses are very tall in general! That dad made him feel even smaller. The only thing small on this man was his damn wings. Boss was low key intimidated! But no….he won’t give up that easily!

* He helped cook and serve food, he cleaned the dishes, he complimented his gardening and sewing skills. But at the same time they both shared stories and advice to each other. Seriously they became great pals. You felt a bit left out as they even planned to meet up again another day. At least they get along….?

Mini story time!!!

“We Shall Meet At Saturday! That Is When The Knitting Club Gets Together,” Boss called out as you both were leaving.

“Hoho! Sounds like a brilliant idea! I’ll be sure to bring my A-game,” You dad called back, “Get home safe you too!” You both wave and head home.

You bone-friend was still excited, “Did You See That, My Dear?! Your Father Loves Me! I Knew All That Studying Would Pay Off!”

You laugh, “I’m happy that you two are getting along! But now….”

“Hm? What Is The Matter,” Boss asked.

“My two most favorite guys in the world were having so much fun they forgot about me,” You said wiping a fake tear. Boss kept apologizing multiple times while you had to explain you were just joking. You guys ended up getting ice cream together while laughing at what happened.

#my writing #self insert #undertale au #funny #fluff #cute #undertale au x reader #sans x reader #papyrus x reader #underfell sans #underfell papyrus #undertale au headcanons #reader is a half-moth monster girl #reader has buff moth dad #reader is smol bean

[hp-bodiceripper]

ANONYMOUS MASTERLIST

Thank you all! All you magnificent creators, wonderful prompters, thoughtful commenters, generous kudos givers and rebloggers, everyone who’s been supportive and enthusiastic about this fest. Join us in celebrating our romantic, swoon worthy and steamy creations.

Reveals will happen in a week! You have until the 20th to catch up and take part in our Guessing Game.

Under the cut you find all our 2023 entries: 8 stories, 6 artworks and 2 podfics.

🖋 Fic

collarbones like a bow, skin an arrow to the heart

(Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley, E, 4k) Gin’s adjusting the lighting for their next shoot when in walks the new model Luna was so enthusiastic about, and that’s when they know they’re in deep shit.

Cool About It

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, 16k) Harry is so excited for his first date with Draco. But what follows isn't so much a date as it is an all-night odyssey including a malevolent lift, a Gringotts heist, a Sleeping Curse, a trip to the kebab shop, a lack of dancing, a Muggle drug, a rooftop pool party, a black eye and, eventually, a sunrise over a Quidditch stadium.

Love Me Meow

(Arabella Fig/Minerva McGonagall, E, 2.5k) After the students leave for the summer, Headmaster McGonagall and the new Muggle Studies professor have a chance and sensuous encounter at the beach.

Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage

(Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, E, 21k) Lord Draco Malfoy may be a young man spending time in Dumbledore’s summer court, but that does not mean he needs to succumb to its licentious frivolity. He carries the burden of his lineage, the shadow of rumours, and the dignity of his betrothal to a good match. He is certainly not fool enough to be distracted by the dark curls and ready grin of the court’s stableboy, who seems to have taken up with every courtier who looks his way.

The Real Thing

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, 5k) Harry only means to cheer Draco up after a terrible breakup. He doesn't mean to fall in love.

this is how we become timeless

(Narcissa Malfoy/Lily Evans, T, 10k) Narcissa is in eternal servitude to the Dark Lord, bound by the tears of a burned-down phoenix. Lily belongs to the Order, bound by the tears of the same creature. They’re the only two people in the world in the position of time turners, tasked with teetering the outcome of the ongoing war into their respective side’s favor. They are light years away, yet they’ve never been closer.

Wild Horses (couldn't drag me away)

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, E, 36k) Koi no Yokan (Japanese) - The feeling of excitement you get when you first meet someone and know that you will eventually fall in love with them. A more realistic version of ‘love at first sight’, it roughly translates to ‘premonition of love’. A story of magic, horses, magical horses, and two men who fight all odds to find their way to each other.

Yesterday

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, T, 10k) Harry doesn’t intentionally kidnap Draco Malfoy. Really it’s debatable if you can even call it kidnapping but the git surely seems to think so.

🎨 Art

Harry And Draco Wearing Kilts

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, G, digital art) Our favourite wizards, dressed in traditional Scottish attire.

I Bloom Pink For You

(Narcissa Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, M, craft) Pansy has been starved for love her whole life. All she needs is someone who will give her the approval she craves. An origami comic inspired by Schmem_14's fic.

Joy Exposed

(Fleur Delacour/Ginny Weasley, G, Digital art) Ginny and Fleur give an interview for Daily Prophet’s new Weekend Magazine and spend hours doing an accompanying photoshoot. When it comes to approving the selection of photos for print, they unanimously choose the candid one taken on their break, rather than all the styled and posed images.

Monday Murder Club

(Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lavender Brown/Padma Patil, T, Digital art) The members of a crime-solving club find love and friendship amidst the blood.

The Professor's Passion

(Narcissa Black Malfoy/Hermione Granger, G, Digital art) Hermione is a professor and Gryffindor head of house. She loves her job... until Narcissa Malfoy is hired on the school's faculty, and is now head of Slytherin. God, that woman is insufferable. Hermione despises her so much she can hardly think about anything else. (She must hate her... that's why she always feels so hot and bothered when she's around, right? And does she have to be so damn beautiful?)

You Pierce My Soul

(Harry/Draco, M, digital art) Harry's eyes were on him almost as soon as Draco entered the ballroom. It was as if he'd been watching the door, and now Harry's eyes were wide and his mouth open.

🎵 Podfic

Masks Off

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Teen, 3h 15 min) Draco had followed his parents to this Caribbean island as a matter of course, even though no one had told him what they were doing here or why his father’s ships were frequently attacked by masked pirates. And, honestly, Draco’d had no intention of actually finding out either.

wasps and honey by swoons

(Hermione Granger/Narcissa Malfoy, M, 1 - 1,5 hours) After ten years on parole in the Muggle world, newly widowed Narcissa Black is finally allowed to do magic again — as long as she can complete all the spells on the Ministry course list. Her Ministry of Magic representative? Hermione Granger.

Come play our Guessing Game!

#drarry #cissamione #narlily #ginsy #pancissa #fleur/ginny #pavender #minerva x arabella #hp femslash #hp rare pair #hpbodiceripper2023 #hpbodiceripper #masterlist #mod post

[ijuststareatstuffhereok89]

Last one I promise:

MCU FANFIC MUSIC FESTIVAL, ENTRY #7

"Different Tastes"

Pairing: Loki x Virgin!reader Summary: You're intimidated by Loki when he finally asks you to sleep with him for the first time. He makes the occasion all you'd ever dreamed of. Word Count: 930 Content Warning: smut, virginity kink/loss

Cliched as it was, you weren't like most others. 

Some girls wanted flowers and slow dances, and you usually found that your romantic juices got pumping much more at a club. You didn't like Harlequin romances, but found a Jackbox Party and the myriad of laughs much more arousing. You wanted to lose your virginity to a kicky BTS song and not the dulcet tones of the latest crooner who played acoustic guitar.

Yeah, you were a bit weird, but that's what Loki loved about you. You always kept him on his toes, guessing how to court your attention. He found the challenge of catering to your different tastes thrilling, and you found yourself losing your heart quickly at how far he went to inspire feelings for him in you.

Still, now that your latest date had finally proposed a night together, you felt nervous. It being your first time, you weren’t quite sure how well you’d be able to perform if you were too distracted trying to be ‘seductive.’ Seduction wasn’t exactly your art. You wanted your first time to be fun, memorable, and upbeat, like a party. You knew you’d be at your most relaxed. It wasn’t like you weren’t chomping at the bit to have sex, you just didn’t want to suck at it.

But what would he want from you? Loki, probably outright TRAINED in the fine art of lovemaking, would anticipate you wanting candles, slow music, and a room too dark to see in. 

One afternoon, you found a note taped to your computer screen in your office. “Come to my apartment after sunset. -L.”

You took a deep breath. “This is it.” 

That night, you decided to dress down and not up, choosing simple jeans and lacy cami. Making your way down to Loki’s suite, you hesitated a moment before knocking on his door. 

“Come in,” Loki called from behind it. 

Opening the door, you didn’t expect everything to look exactly the same as it usually did. “Hey, babe.”

Loki, also dressed much simpler than you pictured (or hoped, seeing as you half-expected him to be naked and lounging on the sofa), was waiting besides a table, an unopened bottle of imported beer in his hand. 

“So…no candles and Kenny G, then?” was the first thing out of your mouth. 

Loki handed you the beer, and you smiled. “Y/N, do you really think I’ve gotten to know you over the last month just to assault you with film cliches? You’re a beer-and-dancing type of woman, why would I ever think you’d feel comfortable with champagne and violins?”

You took a sip of the beer, the dark, bitter flavor pleasing you. 

Loki continued, stepping as far in towards you as he could, so that you stood chest-to-chest, you looking up into his amazing ice-blue eyes. “I must confess, my goal is to have you in my bed all night. I certainly won’t have that if I ignore your tastes, my dear.”

Instantly feeling better, you took another sip of beer as Loki kissed your forehead. “Are you nervous?”

You scrunched your nose, trying to think of the cool thing to say. “A little. Not for the reasons you think.  I want you inside me, Loki--”

“--oh, Princess, you will feel magnificent, taking me,” Loki whispered in response, brushing a piece of hair out of your face gently. 

You wanted to avoid his eyes, already feeling inadequate. “But, I don’t want it to be too obvious, you know? That I’m still a…well…you know…”

Loki shook his head. “Why do you think I kept it simple, and why do you think I acquired one of those blasted BTS albums you always listen to at work?”

You smiled. “You have BTS in the player?”

He nodded. “If we are to make magic together tonight, you need to feel relaxed. And from where I stand, you shouldn’t be ashamed of your lack of experience.”

“I shouldn’t?”

“In fact,” Loki began, taking a hand and running it down the front of your body, stopping on your breast, where he drew a circle around where your nipple was peeking out from under the material of your cami (you saw no sense in wearing a bra to tonight’s event). “The idea that I will be the very first person to explore your nakedness, to be the one to ruin your purity, to be the first to touch the most intimate parts of your body, to be the one to set the bar for all future sexual experiences…it makes me hot.”

You didn’t expect to hear this. You were a bit naive, and the only kinks you’d ever been aware of were BDSM, thanks to all the coverage it got after Fifty Shades of Grey came out (and that book didn’t exactly quell your fears about sex being too intense for you). 

“It does?” you asked with doubt. 

Loki kissed you. “I’m going to claim you cunt tonight, sweet girl. I’m going to give you the most intense pleasure of your life. I’ll guide you through it, if you wish, but when I enter you, and feel your virgin walls stretch further than they ever have before to take my cock, I may just go feral with need and lose control.”

You smiled, the rough words falling from Loki’s mouth turning you on in spite of your fears. “I’ll brace myself for you.”

Loki, using a remote on the table beside him, turned on the stereo, and as promised, your favorite K-Pop group began to play. “You’ll need to, because we will be making magic all night,” he promised.

---------

@mochie85 @lokisgoodgirl @roruna @holdmytesseract @muddyorbs @xorpsbane @mischief2sarawr @fictive-sl0th @silverfire475

#loki #mcu #mcu loki #fanfiction #loki fanfiction #mcu fanfiction #loki laufeyson #drabblefest #mcu drabble #loki x reader

[darthstitch]

Fic Snippet:  Cursed Dice™

It is said in the lore of D&D that the Phenomenon of the Cursed Dice™ was all too real.  

Sometimes, there were days when the hapless player would keep rolling 1's, much to the detriment of his character.  A merciful DM might try to help the player out a little, especially since nobody wanted to throw out a carefully planned storyline with the inadvertent death of one of the heroes or string it out for a dramatic and suitably tragic finish.  Dream had done that before, for Eddie's magnificent exit in the homemade Hawkins campaign, with his rendition of Metallica's Master of Puppets.

Today, however, they were playing a more traditional version of the game, with Eddie again in his cherished warrior bard role.  This time, he was facing off against Steve's cruel half-orc chieftain, Maglor the Malevolent.  

Initially, it had all gone well - Eddie was in fine form, shouting eloquent invective against Steve's raging barbarous orc warrior.  There were even a few power chords strung on his electric guitar....er.... lute.

The other players in the party, having been grievously wounded in the battle, had no choice but to watch and hope that Eddie's Bard would save them.  Popcorn had been produced and was being passed around.  

And then, disaster struck.  

Eddie was hoping to deliver a fatal blow by jumping up on Steve's orc and stabbing him in his one weak spot - the magical Achilles' Heel, so to speak.  It was at that point that his dice were cursed.  He kept missing and slowly, but surely, Steve was wearing him down.  

"Eddie," Dream warned him.  "Your death is imminent if you do not change your tactics.  You must do this soon."

"You're going down, Munson!" Steve said gleefully.

"Fine!  I'm gonna seduce my way outta this!" Eddie decided.

"WHAT."  This was everyone else's reaction.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Steve groaned.  

Eddie shrugged.  "I'm a bard.  When all else fails, kiss the sonuvabitch."

"Language, young Eddie," Dream reproved him, although it was clear that the Prince of Stories was trying very much not to laugh.  "It is, as always, your choice.  And if the dice does not fail you."

It was a natural 20.  

"Motherfucker," Steve facepalmed.  "Make it good, Munson."

Eddie cleared his throat.  And then:

So close, no matter how far

Couldn't be much more from the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way

Life is ours, we live it our way

All these words, I don't just say

And nothing else matters...

Everyone started yelling.  The world was also treated to the sight of one King of Dreams burying his face in his hands, doing his utmost to stifle his laughter.  

"Are you fucking kidding me right now," said Max flatly.  "Metallica song lyrics?!"

"Hey," Eddie defended himself.  "If you and Eleven here had Kate Bush, Steve and I can have Metallica.  Also, it's not like our literature and history professors here weren't setting such fine examples, amirite?"

"At least Uncle Dream and Professor G were quoting Shakespeare and Keats!" Rose pointed out.  

"They're immortal, so they're allowed the classics!"

"Murphy, am I supposed to be seduced by this?" Steve protested.  

"It was a successful roll, Steve Harrington.  So Maglor the Malevolent was bemused and a little charmed by Eddie the Banished's attempt at wooing.  That being said, he has only but begun his courtship. It requires your consent, after all."  

"Fine!" Steve decided.  "I'm gonna roll and see if he can withstand how we answer courting attempts. Let him survive a kiss from my mighty Hammer of Grond!"

"It's too much!" Dustin was keening.  "Too many jokes! Too many!"  

"Any of them have a hope of at least being PG-13?" Mike said hopefully.  "We still got kids in the audience."

"By all means," Rose said brightly, with a pointed look at Jed.  "If you scar my baby brother for life, I know where you sleep, Henderson."  

"I'm gonna shut up now."  

Steve ignored the peanut gallery and rolled.  

It was a fail.  

"NOOOOO!!!!" Steve groaned.

"YAAAAAASSSS!!!!" Eddie cheered.  

"Y'know, it is kind of romantic - the warrior bard and the dread half-orc chieftain," Eleven observed.  "You two deserve each other."

"I call shenanigans!" Steve howled.  "Our DM is an eldritch magical being with a terrifying sense of humor!"

"You doubt my honor, Steve Harrington?  Just as I am now in the midst of setting aside the carefully plotted storyline I have planned so I can instead tell the tale of how Eddie the Banished and Maglor the Malevolent celebrated their wedded bliss?" Stars danced in Dream's uncanny blue eyes, filled with dire promise.  

"Sorry, Murphy," Eddie said brightly.  "We'll get back on the adventure as soon as Steve and I are done with our honeymoon."

***

*runs*

#the sandman #stranger things #dreamling #steddie #stranger things fusion #history class cryptids #the history class cryptids series #dream of the endless #dream as DM for the hellfire club #best DM ever #i crack what i want #shhh nobody tell neil

[thesistersarcheron]

title: tiger lilies in the sunpairings: Gwynlain, Nessian words: 890 rating: G summary: With most of the Inner Circle on a diplomatic visit to the Summer Court, Elain decides that babysitting duties are easier split between several people and a sentient house. Nyx plays matchmaker. (An expanded version of this drabble. Read on AO3 here.)

Gwyneth Berdara.

What an elegant name.

A safe distance from the training ring, Elain sits on the cool, packed earth atop the House of Wind with Nyx in her lap and watches the Valkyries spar.

Rhys and Feyre departed to the Summer Court for a diplomatic visit a day earlier, the first since the war, with Mor and Azriel. (They would need the two politest and most charming members of the Night Court, Feyre admitted with an embarrassed sigh.) The twins went ahead as scouts, so, intimidated at the prospect of being alone with Amren and a magical, winged toddler, Elain opted to spend the week in one of Nesta’s spare rooms.

Babysitting duties are easier split between several people and a sentient house anyway.

Additionally, she thinks with no small amount of anxiety, if Nyx somehow figures out his wings are for flying and not for chewing in the next six days, Cassian can deal with it.

Without Azriel or Mor to winnow her in from Illyria, the third member of Nesta’s trio of friends is absent—Emerie, Elain remembers—and Cassian has taken her place. He teases each female when they stumble or miss, but in each word is a gentle correction.

This only seems to piss them off.

And Elain sits and watches and holds Nyxie close, so he can get a little sun on his chubby cheeks and wings while he cheers on his aunt and uncle as they spar with their friend.

“Come! On!”

Gwyneth is magnificent, practically glowing as she holds her own with a mighty sword. In the early morning sunshine, her hair is the same shade as the tiger lillies Elain tends with such care in her greenhouse, and the smattering of freckles across her cheeks is reminiscent of the spots on each petal.

Her sword sings as it sweeps through the air and clashes with Cassian’s, and each little huff and grunt of effort coming from her is just as musical—nothing like the determined, brutal sounds her sister is making or the taunting laughter from Cassian.

“Fucker!” Nesta bites out as Cassian trips her, and Elain blushes.

“Little ears!” Cassian taunts, nodding toward Nyx. “Is that any way to speak around your nephew?”

Nesta bares her teeth. “He can’t even talk yet, you ass.”

Elain sees Gwyneth’s lips part, as if she hadn’t realized they were watching, and she half-turns toward Elain before she thinks better of it. Cassian nods approvingly.

“Good, Berdara. What next?"

Elain watches and watches and watches. She doesn't register who wins the match.

All she knows is that when Nyxie starts wiggling, she half-registers standing, lifting him up onto his feet, and encouraging him to take a few wobbly steps toward the ring. All she knows is that swords drop eventually, Cassian and Nesta abscond to some place that almost definitely isn’t their bedroom, and teal eyes unlike any Elain has ever seen turn toward her.

Oh.

Her heart stutters. She'll have to adjust the soil around her hydrangeas if she wants any chance at coaxing that color from them.

“Baby!” The musical voice squeals, drawing closer, “Hello, little male, who are you?”

Gwyneth takes a knee in front of them, wiggling strong, slender fingers at Nyx.

Nyx stumbles back into Elain’s legs, suddenly shy. Gwyneth takes it in stride, sitting back on her heels and nodding seriously.

“Yes, it is my honor to meet you, young lord, I apologize,” she says, daring a glance up at Elain. Her cheeks are flushed with exertion, but her eyes are sparkling with joy and something else.

Something not directed entirely at Nyx.

Something playful.

“I’m Gwyn,” she says.

Elain feels the mountain beneath her feet shift.

Her mouth starts moving before her brain catches up.

“Not Gwyneth, then? I mean, I thought…” Embarrassing. She’s embarrassing herself! Who is she to second-guess a nickname when she barely knows this female? This is one of Nesta’s friends, one who participated in the Blood Rite with her, who was present the day Nyx was born, though they had all been covered in tears and sweat and various faeries' lifeblood that none bothered to make small talk.

“Good to meet you,” Gwyn says with such sincerity that it strikes Elain like that sword she was swinging to the chest. Nyxie babbles, quiet and hesitant, and Gwyn smiles. “Oh? Nyx, is it? Good to meet you, too.”

When Nyx reaches out to grasp a loose lock of that tiger-lily hair, Elain imagines she might combust with jealousy.

But all Gwyn says is a kind, “Ah, ah, none of that. Can I interest you in a song instead?” while she untangles little fingers from her braid.

So Elain watches again while Gwyn kneels before her, looking for all the world like a storybook knight in her leathers. (No, Elain thinks, a Valkyrie.) She is a lovely, beautiful female in vicious armor, and she coos and claps and sings little songs filled with some unknown magic at Nyx. After an awkward beat, Elain bounces him up and down in a dance to match Gwyn’s chosen rhythm. She’s so gentle with him, so sweet, and when she keeps looking up at Elain with mischief in those eyes...

Elain is helpless to do anything but fall in love.

#elain archeron #gwyneth berdara #gwyn #gwynlain #post acosf #so there is canon nessian and mentions of feysand as well #gwyn berdara is a dashing baby whisperer with a voice like magic and elain falls in love #idk i wrote this in like an hour last night

[twistedtummies2]

Fifteen Days of Disney Magic - Number 4

Welcome to Fifteen Days of Disney Magic! In honor of the company’s 100th Anniversary, I have been counting down my Top 15 Favorite Movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios! We’re nearing the end of this event… Today’s entry should ring a bell. Ha Ha. Number 4 is…The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

“Hunchback” is an oddball in the Disney Canon. It seems to be a movie that polarizes people, in a way that no other picture from the Disney Renaissance period seems to. Depending on who you ask, it is either one of Disney’s darkest and most interesting animated movies, or it is a bizarre misfire that wasn’t very well thought out. Obviously, I fit into the former category: while I will concede the film does have some flaws (well…really just one flaw, which I’ll get to later), I don’t think those are nearly enough to warrant any real animosity towards the picture. And while it very, VERY clearly makes drastic changes from its source material…well…if people can forgive movies like “Hercules,” “Pocahontas,” and “Frozen,” I think “Hunchback” is more than deserving of a pass, too. This, in my opinion, is one of Disney’s absolute biggest films. And I don’t mean that in the sense of its popularity, technical merit, influence, or anything like that. I just mean the film, itself, feels MASSIVE. There’s something grand and sublime about so many of the things in this movie. The visuals are stunning, almost everything feels just gigantic, from the cathedral the tale centers around to the underground haven of the Court of Miracles. The themes are quite impressive, as well: while the story isn’t allowed to be as dark and adult as Victor Hugo’s classic novel, the movie nevertheless touches on some ideas that most Disney movies can’t go into. Faith, corruption, prejudice, madness, lust vs. love…these are things you don’t find in too many family films, certainly not ones with a fine “G” rating, today. These elements are only heightened by the music. Once again, I don’t just mean the songs (which are, of course, exceptional; I’m quite certain no one here needs to be reminded of the magnificence of “Hellfire,” just for a start), but the soundtrack itself. A commonality between all four of my Top 4 Favorite Disney Films is they all have phenomenal soundtracks, and a big part of what makes me love each movie comes from the splendor of the music on display. “Hunchback’s” score carries the breadth of its emotional and physical scope alike: naturally, the liturgy-influenced sections, with their Latin chanting and use of pipe organs, bold brass, and pounding percussion cause the film’s most dramatic moments to ascend to a higher plane, almost giving it an operatic sensibility. But even the smaller moments are affected, with tunes that carry a smaller, more “homey” sort of feeling, more like a traveling carnival or county fair, or the warmth of a family parlor.

If there is one downside to “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” it is that perhaps that emotional playing field is a bit TOO broad. A very common complaint most people have about the film – no matter whether they love it or hate it – is that its tone is slightly scattershot. Keep in mind, animation was still seen very much as a children’s medium at the time, and Disney DID want to market this movie to a wider, family-oriented audience. As a result, the film does have issues with the dark, adult tone suddenly grinding its gears as it brakes to a halt to allow some slapstick silliness for the kiddy-winks to enjoy, before slamming back into high gear with pathos and power. The most egregious example of this would be Quasimodo’s talking Gargoyle friends – Victor, Hugo, and Laverne – who most people tend to regard as obnoxious comedic filler figures. While I will concede the tone IS a bit of a problem, I’ve never really minded THAT much. Heck, after recent years of watching various forms of anime, maybe I’ve just grown increasingly desensitized to radical shifts in tone. But as a kid, I always loved this movie because it made me feel like I was watching something different, something I couldn’t see anywhere else. As an adult, I actually respect it even more, not less, for the effort it took to pull this movie off with any degree of competency. The characters are great (for the most part), the voice acting is great, the artistry on every level is great…this film, in my opinion, not only deserves all the attention it seems to be getting more and more in recent years…but perhaps even more later down the line. We’re officially entering the Top 3! The countdown continues tomorrow with my 3rd Favorite Disney Movie! HINT: It Is a FAIRY Good Film. (Ha Ha. Again.)

#disney #disney 100 #disney 100 special #list #countdown #top 15 disney animated movies #fifteen days of disney magic #number 4 #hunchback of notre dame #disney hunchback of notre dame

[riversofmars]

Songs of Love 2023 - Day 10

Rating: G Prompt: Aliens made them do it Summary: In an infinite universe, there are countless different species with their own, particular sets of values and traditions. Arriving on a planet that placed particular value on the bond between soulmates, Liv and Helen are faced with a dilemma. They are, in fact, not a couple - but everyone seems to insist they are.

Soulmates

“I must insist you honour our customs!” The alien ambassador crossed two of his four arms across his chest and put the other two on his hips, standing his ground to great effect. “If I am to present you at court, you must adhere to our family values.” It was a surprisingly strong reaction to their refusal of the sleeping arrangements he was trying to convince them off. They had the TARDIS, there was no need to stay in accommodation on site, particularly when that commendation was set up for two occupants, no more, no less. The Doctor, Liv and Helen had absolutely no need of it and yet, the alien was persistent, flushing purple under his blue skin.

“Family- what?” Liv looked around and upon closer observation of their surroundings - a beautiful city dome, full of magnificent plant-life that was a stark contrast to the darkness of space outside - she realised that all the native inhabitants were walking around in pairs. Even the ambassador had another member of their species right there with them, putting a hand on their back in silent support.

“Mates have to room together, it is only proper,” his companion observed more mildly.

“I’m sorry, what?” Helen was utterly bewildered and Liv gaped, fighting a small wave of panic:

“We’re not-”

And it wasn’t that she didn’t want to, the med-tech had had romantic feelings for her best friend for a long time, but she had never acted on them and the linguist had given her no reason to think her advances might be welcome. 

“Would you just excuse me and my friends for one moment,” the Doctor interjected kindly and grabbing the upper arms of both his companions he walked them back to the TARDIS. 

“Doctor, is this really all necessary?” Liv huffed before the Time Lord had a chance to explain. “Can’t we just stay in the TARDIS? Do you really need us?”

“I always need you. As entertainment if nothing else,” the Doctor gave her a winning smile and the med-tech glared at him: 

“Watch it!”

“And is it really such a hardship?” He looked in between his two friends with a frown. “We just go along with their little induction, a party, stay over and see the president in the morning to negotiate the peace treaty, easy no?” He put his hands on his hips. 

“But-” Liv cast an anxious glance to Helen. “Doctor, we are not actually a couple-”

“You’re not?” The Doctor asked, bewildered, and anger flashed up in the med-tech’s eyes. How could he possibly be so obtuse? 

“No!” She snapped, all the more annoyed for the fact that she wished they were. 

“Well, their species have not only got strict family values, they also are extremely sensitive to pheromones. There must be something that’s giving them that impression?” The Time Lord mused and it only made things worse.

“Doctor!” Liv hissed to try and silence him. Of course, if there was something to what he was saying, they would be picking up on her attraction to her best friend without a doubt, but that didn’t mean they should acknowledge it. The last thing she wanted to do was endanger her friendship with Helen. She had been in this state of continual longing for so long, it hardly mattered. 

“For me?” The Doctor tried for his best puppy dog eyes and it was Helen that interjected: 

“Of course. We should honour other people’s traditions,” she suggested, trying to sound optimistic. “I’m sure it won’t be so bad. What could possibly go-” 

“Don’t say that, never say that!” The med-tech interrupted her quickly and they all descended into a fit of laughter.

“It’ll be fine, Liv, hardly the first time we’ve been stuck somewhere together. At least this time there will be a bed,” the linguist smiled at her best friend and Liv did her best to mirror her expression, trying not to give away that that exactly could be the problem.

“Of course we will be delighted to accept your invitation,” the Doctor turned back to the ambassador who looked genuinely relieved.

“Splendid,” he clapped his hands together in a criss-cross. “Your rooms will be prepared for after the reception. Until then, will you require somewhere to get changed?” He looked them up and down, his eyes lingering on Liv.

“What’s wrong with-” The med-tech gaped, casting her eyes down to her clothes but Helen just grabbed her arm, silencing her. There was really not a case to be made for a shirt that sported bullet holes. 

“We have a change of clothing in our vehicle, we will need to grab a toothbrush anyway,” the Doctor beamed and they headed back into the TARDIS.

--- 

“I’m going to kill that man one day…” Liv huffed to herself as she emerged from a changing room in the wardrobe hall. 

“You always say this,” Helen commented, amused, her voice originating from a cubicle a bit further down. 

“Well, this time I mean it,” the med-tech insisted as she faced towards a mirror. She was wearing tight black jeans with a silver-grey shirt tucked inside it. While she turned up her sleeves, her tie hung undone around her neck still. Just as she grabbed the two ends to tie it, her best friend hummed behind her:

“Would you like some help with that?” 

“I hate dressing up,” Liv huffed in annoyance but when she turned to face her, she remembered that there was one good thing to the whole dressing up thing. It meant Helen did so too and gosh, she looked beautiful in a pale blue evening gown.

“But you do it so well,” the linguist complimented as she stepped closer, shooing her friend’s hands away from the tie. “You look dashing,” she hummed as she straightened out the ends and tugged her forward a little. 

“Do I?” Liv choked out, her head spinning at sight of her friend and the sudden proximity that made her insides lurch.

“Absolutely,” Helen confirmed as she set about tying the knot for her.

“Well, you look gorgeous,” the med-tech tried to muster some confidence and what could have been a deciding moment, with the linguist toying absent-mindedly with her tie, was interrupted. 

“Hello Sweeties!” River stuck her head into the room, beaming at them both. “Ready to go?”

“River!” Helen’s expression brightened with joy. “What are you doing here?” Liv was less excited but followed her best friend to meet her. 

“It appears the Doctor needed his spouse for something or other,” she smirked and waved for them to come along. They had no time to lose. “Gosh you two are a vision,” she commented flirtily when they fell into step with each other. Liv felt exceptionally short next to the two tall women in heels. 

“They really have a thing about couples, these people, don’t they…” the med-tech huffed, annoyed. 

“Well, you see, they have an incredibly strong belief system with genuine biological roots. Members of their species are given a soul mate at birth,” River revealed, clearly rather well informed. “It is a biological, physical and spiritual thing and vitally important to the survival of their race as only soulmates can produce offspring.”

“Sounds intense,” Helen observed and Liv found she had a hell of a lot more questions. 

“And what if you fall in love with someone else? Or if you fancy someone of your own gender and-” She started but River was quick to interject and explain.

“For a start, they don’t have gender as we know it. If you will, there are countless genders but only you and your soulmate are compatible.”

“But what about love?” The med-tech pressed on and found her eyes inevitably drawn to her best friend who was walking in between them. 

“Is the same as for everyone else. But it is a forgone conclusions who that love is,” the professor carried on.

“And what if you don’t want to be with your intended partner?” Helen asked, seemingly curious as well now and River just laughed:

“I think you’re being too cynical about the whole thing… Could you imagine not wanting to be with your soulmate? Cause that is what it is like, it’s in their nature.” 

“Right…” Liv in fact, couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be without Helen. Having her around was the most natural thing in the world. 

“Also means they have a good sense of what they’re looking at. Just because we humans might not have the same senses to find our soulmate as they do, doesn’t mean we don’t have them,” the professor pointed out whit a grin and as panic shot up Liv’s back once more, they mercifully arrived in the console room, putting an end to the conversation. 

“Perfect, everyone present and accounted for, let’s get going.” The Doctor clapped his hands together but waited for River to walk up to him and loop her arm around his. 

“Hands, you two,” the professor shot to the other two woman in a sing-song tone, sounding far too pleased about the whole thing, as they made for the door. 

“What?” Liv grated back, annoyed but the Doctor interjected.

“Don’t you go disrespecting our hosts,” he warned her and with a sheepish smile, Helen grasped hold of her hand, leaving her friend blushing and following mutely. 

---

“Gosh, this is all over the top isn’t it,” Liv huffed when the party was in full swing.There were couples all around them, dancing and chatting, holding hands and sharing kisses, and she was jealous of them all as her and Helen had merely held hands on the way to their table and simply sat there ever since. 

“Just a bit,” the linguist agreed, looking around. They very much looked and felt like the odd ones out. Even the Doctor and River were a perfect example of unity. Meanwhile, Liv and Helen even struggled to maintain a conversation. What else was there to talk about when love was so clearly in the air?

“You two are terrible at communicating,” the ambassador’s mate commented from across the table. 

“Excuse me?” Liv took offence immediately and Helen was rather quick to protest as well. 

“No, actually, we’re quite-”

“He’s got a point,” River interjected, casting a glance towards them from the Doctor’s other side. 

“No, he doesn’t. We’re the best of friends. We understand each other implicitly,” Liv snapped in response. That was one thing she couldn’t let stand. Her friendship to Helen was closer than any relationship she’d ever had before.

“Is that so?” River raised her eyebrows.

“Of course,” Helen agreed upon a pleading look from her friend. She wouldn’t leave her hanging.  

“And you’re terrible at showing affection,” the ambassador proclaimed, as though this were some kind of couple’s therapy event. The nature and expression of love simply seemed to be in their bones.

“We’re quite private,” the linguist tried to deflect.

“Then why does your mate constantly inch towards you only to pull back again? It’s very confusing,” he observed nonchalantly. 

“I-” Liv flushed bright red. Was she being that obvious? Yes, of course, there was the temptation of reaching for Helen all night. It would be good form under the circumstances but she couldn’t quite bring herself to when every sign of affection would have meant much more to her than to the linguist. It wouldn’t be fair, so she found herself in a constant push and pull between wanting to reach out and thinking better of it. 

“My… mate… is just a very tightly wound person,” Helen offered an explanation and put her hand on Liv’s thigh to placate her - which didn’t really work. 

“I’m not!” The med-tech took offence regardless of the situation. 

“Yes, you are, you could crack nuts with the tension in your shoulders,” the linguist shot back, somewhat amused by her obvious apprehension. 

“I-” Liv wanted to argue but wasn’t sure where to start. Meanwhile the ambassador hummed knowingly:

“Terrible at communicating, indeed.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” River chimed in, only causing the med-tech additional irritation. 

“Don’t you get involved,” she snapped and Helen was quick to scold her: 

“Leave River out of it.”

“I’m not tightly wound,” Liv bit back, though her very reaction was proof to the contrary. 

“Right now you are,” Helen hummed to her, making a show of leaning close to sooth her. She put her hand on her thigh again, brushing gently, and the med-tech couldn’t deny the calming effect.

“I just- I just don’t like being forced into things,” she mumbled and her best friend gave a small sigh:

“Well, neither do I but-”

“If I were to court you, I could do that. Properly, not with some-” The words broke out of Liv, seeking to air her frustration and she only realised what she had said when she saw Helen’s stunned expression. 

“If you-”

“I mean, hypothetically,” quickly Liv back-paddled, averting her eyes quickly. “If you wanted to I could-” She broke off. There were so many things she wanted to do with her best friend, given the chance, but she didn’t want to ruin their friendship, that was far too important to her, unless the linguist gave her a clear sign.

A sigh, like the stuttered, soft question she posed: 

“What- What would that look like?” 

“Well I…” Liv flushed red hot, looking around, searching her eyes for clues whether she was genuinely wanting to know or if it was part of the act. The look in her eyes was utterly sincere and so the med-tech gulped, unsure how to best approach this unfamiliar situation. In the end she decided to simply answer, that seemed a good start:  “For a start there wouldn’t be so many people watching our every move… Somewhere more private…” She mumbled, casting her eyes around the room as she imagined a quieter, more intimate atmosphere. “Remember that world with the vast oceans and the little dotted islands?”

“The one that didn’t have a sun of it’s own but those three beautiful moons?” Helen asked softly and Liv smiled, pleased she immediately remembered it as well.

“That’s the one. And no-one knows why it’s warm there but it is, with those beautiful flowers and that view of the galaxy… I’d take you for a picnic there, just us. No Doctor, definitely no River… just us,” the med-tech offered cautiously.

“How would we get there?” Helen chuckled and the med-tech shrugged:

“We’ll make him drop us off, probably.”

“And what if he messes up his timings and we’re stranded?” The linguist laughed, considering their friend’s often difficult steering of his ship. 

“Then we sleep under the stars.” Liv found the answer came far too quickly. “I reckon we’d be alright so long as we were together…” She mused, feeling self-conscious about the confession, even if it could be interpreted as merely platonic. 

“I think you might be right about that…” Helen’s response was soft and surprising.

“And you… what would you want out of a first date?” The med-tech cleared her throat, trying to sound casual but not quite managing.

“With you?” Her friend gave back and she blushed some more. 

“If you want-” Liv nodded softly, fearing she had revealed too much, but the response was far more enthusiastic than she could have anticipated: Helen leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Liv could hardly catch up with what was happening, she was utterly overwhelmed by the wonderful sensation and shock stalled her movements, leaving her tense and petrified, and any attempt at returning the lovely gesture came too late.

“Oh my-” Helen clasped her hands to her mouth when she pulled away, as if she had only just realised what she had done.

“Helen?” Liv started, her heart racing, but already, the linguist was on her feet and fled the table. Sobering reality was like a slap in the face and she jumped up, calling after her best friend. “Helen!”

“Terrible communication,” River quipped from the other side of the table and the med-tech shot a glare at her, not bothering to interpret the look of compassion in her eyes. She didn’t need her pity. She needed to make sure that Helen was okay. 

“Shut up, River!” She snapped but was moving already, rushing after her friend who had fled the banquet room. She searched the entrance hall and sprawling corridors, there was no way she could get away unless she had gone to the TARDIS and that was where she had checked first. She had to be there somewhere. Eventually, her determination was rewarded when she made her way into the gardens. It was an idyllic patch of rain forest, a bumbling creek sneaking its way through the undergrove and she found Helen standing on a small bridge, watching the water.

“Helen?” She asked cautiously as she didn’t want to startle her, approaching slowly. “Is everything okay?”

To her relief, the linguist looked up and managed a small, tearful smile. She didn’t run off again, but waited for her to join her, which Liv thought reassuring. 

“I- I hope so. I’m so sorry, I got carried away. I wasn’t thinking,” she apologised, her voice trembling and her eyes were swimming in confusion. 

“That’s okay… I got a bit carried away as well…” The med-tech admitted, softly. “And I didn’t exactly mind. You know I’m partial to pretty girls making a pass at me,” she tried for a joke.

“Liv-” Helen dropped her eyes and Liv knew she had to put things right. 

“I’m sorry… I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. You’re my best friend and that always comes first,” she told her gently and reached out, seeking to mend the break that had just occurred between them.

“Comes first to what?” The linguist asked, sounding insecure, but she did take her friend’s hand. Her touch was so wonderfully reassuring and Liv realised she couldn’t lie to her, not anymore. 

“Any… other… feelings I might have towards you…” She explained slowly, hoping her admission wouldn’t make her bolt again. 

“You-” Helen’s breath caught in her throat.

“I could court you but I’d want to be sure that’s something you want. I know in your time that wouldn’t have been an option so…” Liv gave a sad but understanding smile, squeezing her hand to let her know that whatever happened, she wouldn’t let her go. She couldn’t. 

“I don’t live in that time anymore…” The linguist acknowledged softly and her choice of response made the med-tech’s eyes shoot up to meet hers. It was not what she had expected and it was a spark of hope, that lit a small, warming fire in her chest. 

“No… you don’t…” Liv confirmed, fanning air to the flame of hope.

“I’ve had feelings for you for a very long time, Liv,” Helen whispered and suddenly, what was but a small flame, exploded into a flashfire, setting the med-tech alight. 

“What?” She could hardly hear herself speak over the beating of her heart. The one thing grounding her was her friend’s hand, holding her tightly and refusing to let go. 

“I just… I was just never sure I was quite ready for that yet… but maybe now I will be…” The linguist explained softly and all Liv could think to do was blurt out: 

“Will you let me take you out on a date?”

“Yes please,” Helen couldn’t help but laugh and the tension left her shoulders. Liv’s eagerness seemed to reassure her. “Though I feel, here, we’re way past that already,” she commented, and the med-tech realised they’d have a far easier time playing their roles going forward. A grin stole to her lips. 

“Does that mean I can kiss you again?” She asked softly, hoping to make up for her inaction the first time around. 

“I mean… you could try…” Helen’s eyes flashed with excitement and Liv grinned. She tugged her towards her and brought her free hand to her cheek as she kissed her, sweetly, but soundly, and with promise of the future she longed to give her. The linguist kissed her back gently and everything fell into place. 

“And do I get to take you to bed too?” Liv asked sheepishly when she pulled back. “We do share a room.”

“Walk before you run, Liv,” Helen shot her a scandalised look but burst into giggles right after, only turning more serious again to suggest: “But maybe you can if you keep your hands to yourself. No funny business.”

“Alright…” That was a compromise she was willing to take and she pulled her closer still until their bodies pushed together. “Though you might change your mind if we kiss some more,” she smirked, dropping her hands to her hips.

“I’m willing to take that chance,” Helen hummed and leaned in for another kiss. 

“GOOD JOB YOU TWO HAVE A ROOM TO GO TO!” River shouted across the garden, interrupting them in a most untimely manner. It seemed her and the Doctor had come looking to see if they were okay.

“SHUT UP RIVER!” The two women called back in unison and started laughing, joyfully and freely, before meeting into another sweet kiss. 

#doctor who #fanfiction #liv chenka #helen sinclair #femslash #big finish #liv x helen

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"TIM BUCK IS GUILTY IN KINGSTON TRIAL: SENTENCE DEFERRED," Toronto Globe. July 7, 1933. Page 1 & 4. ----- Judge Says He Will Not Impose Maximum Punishment ---- DEFENSE COMPLIMENTED --- (Canadian Press Despatch.) Kingston, July 6 - Tim Buck, former leader of the Communist Party in Canada, was convicted today of unlawful assembly during disturbances last October, and was returned to his prison cell to await sentence on July 18. In convicting Buck, Judge G. E. Deroche said he could impose a maximum of seven years, but said he had no intention of doing so.

The diminutive radical returned to his cell, complimented on his efforts "as a lawyer, despite his unsuccessful battle to clear himself of the charges. "Your address," said a Judge, "was magnificent. You spoke for two and a half hours, but all the time you were interesting and logical. You made no extreme statements."

The Judge reviewed at great length the evidence produced both by defense and the Crown prosecutor, adding that he was quite satisfied there was a riot and Buck was a member of the unlawful assembly.

Word to Ottawa. The accused, through numerous convict witnesses, attempted to show there had been no riot, and that there had been no violence shown by the men, who, he said, were merely stag a justified demonstration against prison conditions. If word had been sent to Ottawa, instead of to the barracks, when the men left their work, there wouldn't have been much confusion, it was contended.

The only reason he had joined in the demonstration, Buck submitted, was he otherwise would have been considered a "rat"

"That seems to be something to his credit," the Judge commented, "but, of course, it is something the law cannot excuse."

Other convicts testified Buck had spoken to the prisoners milling about the buildings and had pacified to some extent their anger. Others had spoken, they said, and Buck was chosen to address the men merely because of his reputation as a speaker.

Not an Instigator. Judge Deroche said he did not believe the accused had shut off the motor in his workshop, as claimed by guards and keepers. He further said there was no evidence to show Buck was the instigator of the assembly which developed into a riot of which the Judge considered there was evidence. It probably was intended for a peaceful demonstration, he said, bus eventually it became very noisy, and damage had been done to prison property through burning locks off doors. However, he did not consider it had been as serious as portrayed in news-papers and through conversations.

"He was part of rioting crowd," the Judge concluded, "and he pleaded he either had. to take part or be a 'rat." Meanwhile, in another court, Frank Regan, K.C., charged Convict Mickey McDonald was indicted for his part in the riot because of private trouble he had with Guard Neddow. He also claimed the Crown Prosecutor had threatened to "go after the accused." Following the trial of Buck, George Peters was placed on trial on a charge of rioting and doing damage. He pleaded not guilty, and proceeded to conduct his own case. Keeper George Nolan and Instructors Dunford and Whiteland had been called as witnesses when court adjourned.

Frank Regan, K.C., counsel for McDonald, requested General D. M. Ormond, Superintendent of Penitentiaries, be called as a witness. Judge Madden said Convict McRae had asked for Hon. Hugh Gathrie, Minister of Justice; Inspector Gilbert Smith, ex-Warden J. C. Ponsford and others to be called, but his request had been refused, because such evidence would make an investigation of the internal administration of the prison, and this was not the purpose of the trial. Judge Madden refused Mr. Regan's request.

Desire for Referm. In his defense, Convict Buck spoke of the feeling among the men in the penitentiary, their desire for reform, and their efforts for a change in the institution. It was not a spirit of destruction or riot. "In most of them." he said, "It was the only way to draw attention to their grievances, the entire atmosphere. Inside those walls you're within a world inside a world; it has every thing except its own hopes. I had men in the box who had never been in court before sent to the penitentiary; men as good as the average man. They got to feel there is no hope, more or less conflicted with criminal psychology. No man can live there, subjected constantly to the grapevine system - an everlasting struggle between the rats and the men. The fuel for the blaze had been piling up a long time, and very few of the men realized Just what that spirit really was."

Convict Buck, dealing further with the spirit at the penitentiary, said that the very first day he arrived at the penitentiary, the first convict conversation he heard almost frightened him.It gave him an idea that trouble was imminent.

The accused said that Oct. 17 he saw no notes passed about, but he was convinced there had been notes circuklating. Like a Signal. "As late is twenty to three on Oct. 17," said Buck, "I really believed that the rumored demonstration would actually be held. When the men came:down the scaffolding, it was just like a signal. The men, most of them young and impulsive, just walked out and didn't seem to realize they were leaving their work. "I believe is possible to point out there is a difference in my position as regards to my presence in the disturbance. In the position I am in, I might see trouble brewing and still be helpless; an inmate can be either a rat or a man, and to be a 'rat in the penitentiary is something terrible. I did not choose to be a 'rat!"

In the dome a man was in a peculiar position: If you left the dome you were in danger of being shot; if you stayed there you were in danger of landing in this court. Circumstances decreed that I should be there. I was convicted of being a Communist, and I was not in the machine shop of my own volition, therefore I was there when trouble started.. I was in that position when, if I had not assisted those who were in a jam, something very serious might have happened. "I changed with doing things which I certainly did not do. I am not trying to evade, but I want to point out that there were many things which I did not do. One would think the pulling of the switch in the machine shop started everything. I don't think i had anything whatever to do with the trouble."

Convict Buck reviewed the story of the happenings of the afternoon."They were like a bunch of schoolboys, carefree and full of fun," he said. "But still there was a danger. I went out because I was keenly interested in what would happen. And I believe that Deputy Warden Matt Walsh perforced a masterstroke in getting Garceau to secure the co-operation of the older men in holding back the cool heads. It was certainly a wise move and Mr. Walsh did save what could have become a critical situation."

Buck said there had been no question of danger until the troops came. With the exception of Mr. Walsh, not an officer tried to restrain the men.

"Eighty-five per cent, of the ment in the dome," said Buck, "were there merely as 'listeners.' It is true that when the troops were sent for no one was in control, but they were not out of control. Mere Boys "I think it would be safe to say a clear majority of the men in the dome were mere boys. The belief was that they should get out into the yard. At any rate a situation developed that was hanging by a thread. Up to this point I had not said one word or associated myself in any way with the trouble. I knew Garceau and his efforts to retrieve himself. In the penitentiary we are looked on a convicts. To me these men are a study, being, as I am, a student of sociology. When he asked me to speak to the men I hesitated, but not through fear. I didn't know what to say to them, but Garceau said: Tell them anything to keep them from running amok! I knew I had to give them something to do and I told them to go ahead with the barricading and to get water, for the place was a fire-trap." It may have been wrong in law, but when I look back at what might have happened. I don't think anything better could have been done."

"I spoke once, and once only, yet prosecution evidence had me making speeches everywhere." Convict Back sold he did not in any way use the language that was attributed to him by Guard Hull. "I want to say that it is no secret. Guard Hull is not liked in the institution, and has a record there," said Buck. "I don't believe he heard anyone say: 'We'll kill the screws." At any rate I certainly did not say it."

"When Gilbey told of the fight in the stone shed, you would think lynch law had broken out at my behest. The first I ever heard of it was when Gilbey told it." "Dime Novel Fantasy." "I must confess that the stories of some of the guards as to what happened in the mail-bag department sounded like a dime novel fantasy."

Convict Buck said his address in the dome and his suggestion to the officers in the machine shop that it would be safer in the mail-bag department constituted his participation in the trouble.

"I knew the attitude toward me. I knew I was pointed out as an agitator and I knew an atmosphere had been put around me, and I know that officers were told I was dangerous.

"Frankly, I think the evidence that the men coming into the machine shop were armed is merely a figment of their imagination.

"I knew that this blue uniform is a disadvantage, but I will say that those inmates who gave evidence are as reliable as any one. Why was not Sagel, the third officer in the machine shop, brought here by the Crown?

"It is true he has left Kingston, but he could have been brought here. "I want to say that I did not order Henderson out of the stone shed, and the man who did it did not use the language attributed by Guard Henderson.

"I have tried to speak with restraint, because I want to be cleared of implications of dime novel sensationalism. I want to be clear of a certain implication of hoodlumism and blackguardism. I submit my actions were right. I solemnly believe nothing better could have been done than that which I did; not merely because I did it myself.

"I think it will be agreed that under the circumstances, I could not do otherwise. I played no part in the condition and I had to choose between trying to help the situation or quitting, and I must say I do not regret it.

"This is a court of law. If any quality was strained in the case against me it certainly was not the qualities of mercy or sportsmanship. I am compelled to ask, Is it because.of the protests against my being in prison that attempts are being made to justify my being placed in that Institution and to brand me as a hoodlum and a blackguard?" Crown Counsel's Address. T. J. Rigney, Crown counsel, addressed Judge G. E. Deroche, presiding at the trial.

Mr. Rigney pointed out that the trial had created unusual attention.The question of authority had been involved, but only involved Buck as one of a number. There was also the question of the ideas of the convicts as to prison management, and the rules and regulations.

Mr. Rigney held that the convicts had constituted themselves as an unlawful assembly, and from that developed a riot in which damage was done, and in which the accused had participated. Evidence of unlawful assembly had been established. The Warden forced his way into the assembly. This had been established. He addressed the men and advised them to go back to work. The War-den had attempted to leave and was prevented from so doing, and was a prisoner of the convicts, which in it-self was an unlawful act.

#kingston ontario #kingston penitentiary #prison riot #riotous assembly #prison agitator #prisoner testimony #words from the inside #tim buck #1933 prisoner trials #1932 kp riot #great depression in canada #crime and punishment in canada #history of crime and punishment in canada #address to the jury

[orthodoxydaily]

Pilgrimage: The Black Virgin of Romigier, Manosque, France

Located in the /Alpes-de-Hautes Provence

Protectress of the city and its inhabitants, the Black Madonna of Romigier has always been venerated by the Manosquins. Legend has it that she emerged from the earth in the 10th century, discovered by a ploughman whose oxen stopped in front of a bramble bush. While digging the earth, a magnificent ancient sarcophagus, also visible in the church of Notre-Dame de Romigier where it serves as an altar, was exhumed with, inside, the intact statue. Still according to tradition, this statue would have been hidden there to protect it from Saracen invasions...

As it was discovered under a bramble bush, "roumi", in Provencal, it was nicknamed Our Lady of Romigier, a name that was also given to the church where it is exposed. This Black Madonna was particularly invoked to protect women in childbirth, to give life to stillborn children and against fatal falls.

Originally this wooden sculpture was not "black" but painted, since a recent restoration has revealed traces of polychromy, blue, but also red, pink...

In the 19th century, this statue was covered with luxurious clothes and fabrics, as attested by the numerous ex-votos that represent it.

Specialists date it to the 10th century. It is one of the oldest Romanesque virgins in France.

The crown of the Virgin and that of the child Jesus are Merovingian crowns.

It is classified as a historical monument since 1909

The chevet*,  of the Church of Notre Dame de Romigier, in Romanesque style (10th-12th centuries), is the oldest part of the building.

Built as early as the 5th century, completely overthrown by the Saracens around the year 900, the church was rebuilt in 974. Its 16th century portal is surmounted by an interlaced A and M (Ave Maria).

The central nave was rebuilt in 1730 after the earthquake of 1708. The stained glass windows of the choir were made in 1991 by G. Hermet. The high altar, whose bas-reliefs represent the apostles, in a style close to that of the school of Arles (5th-6th), is the Carrara marble sarcophagus which, according to the legend, hid the statue of the Black Virgin.

On the square in front of this church, the real lung of the city, William I, Count of Provence held his courts of justice in 984.

In this Roman Catholic church we found also two beautiful icons. icons displayed on the wall at the right of the main altar. Although, roman Catholic don’t venerate icons, they adorneded the walls of many Catholic churches. A reminder that this church was built in pre-schism christianity, When the Church was one; in communion and sharing the same doctrine. 

* The apsidal eastern termination of a church choir typically having a surrounding ambulatory that opens onto a number of radiating apses or chapels.

#pilgrimage #france #provence #orthodoxchristianity romancatholic blackvirgin

[airmanisr]

Bristol Boxkite Replica 'No12A' (G-ASPP) by Alan Wilson Via Flickr: c/n BOX.1 Allocated British Aircraft Preservation Council identity BAPC.2 This is an accurate reproduction of a 1910 design, built in 1964 for the movie 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines' and now operated by the Shuttleworth Collection. She is seen displaying at the collection’s 2022 Season Premiere Air Show Old Warden, Bedfordshire, UK 1st May 2022 The following information is from a previous version of the Shuttleworth Collection website:- In 1910 the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company at Bristol imported a Voisin designed Zodiac biplane from France with the intention of building similar aircraft under licence in England. Although superbly finished the aeroplane was never flown successfully and plans to build the design were abandoned in favour of a greatly improved version which had been developed by Henri Farman, an Englishman living in France. The new Bristol machine was an unashamed copy of the Farman but rather better built so that when the Farman company solicitors threatened to sue a defence claiming substantial improvements ensured that no court proceedings took place. Following trials with alternative power plants, the 50 hp Gnome rotary engine was adopted and the aircraft flew successfully from Larkhill in July 1910. The Bristol biplane soon gained the soubriquet and equipped the newly formed flying schools at Brooklands and Larkhill. Later, in December 1910, four were shipped in pairs on air missions to India and Australia . However, the first order from overseas was placed by the Russian Government for eight Boxkites and they were delivered to St Petersburg in April 1911. These aircraft,military versions, had extended upper wings, three rudders, enlarged fuel tanks and more powerful 70 hp Gnome rotary engines. The Boxkite was issued to the Royal Naval Air Service in March 1911 and to the Larkhill based Army Air Battalion the following April. Some seventy-six Boxkites were built, which was a large number for the period. However, they proved cumbersome to fly and, by 1915, the majority had ceased to operate. This aeroplane is a reproduction built by F. G. Miles Engineering Ltd in the 1960s for the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. As no original Boxkite exists, the Bristol Aeroplane Company acquired it and placed it in the care of the Collection for preservation. In 1989 the aircraft was modified to improve a number of handling characteristics and is now powered by a Rolls-Royce Continental four cylinder engine of 100 hp. (The greater power of the modern engine is cancelled out by the smaller, higher revving modern propeller which, perhaps surprisingly, does not provide the same thrust as the seemingly lower powered 1910 design.) It flew again in 1992. Like the Blackburn Monoplane, its flying activities are subject to calm weather on public displays.

#Bristol Boxkite #aircraft

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Friday 15 May 1840

2 ¾ a. m.

12

R14 ½° at 3 a.m. could not sleep for heat and fleas – these arched Earth-covered rooms very close – 2 little windows about 24x18in.? pierce the 2 or 3ft. thick walls (ours a corner room) – should guess the room about 5x4 yards and perhaps about 4 yards high to the crown of the arch – I could not live comfortably in the Eastern souterrain houses – too cellar-like – Caravanserai court 50x60 yards the latter and longer the entrance side – must have been handsome in its day – now a heap of ruins inside – all the rooms but 6 or 7 roofless and more or less filled with rubbish – probably about 50 rooms – the town very picturesque – surrounded by ruins extending to a considerable distance – on the river Ganja – wood bridge over it – mountains become hills (left) at Elizabethpol [Elizavetpol'], and (right) (going towards Baku) seem to leave us now at 6 a.m. and the eye wanders up endless plain to the right – charming drive over the plain wide open valley the snow mountains still fine (right) to here Kuraktchaiskii Redu

4 ½ to 6 Elizabethpol [Elizavetpol'] to Kuraktchaiskii Reu 19 versts

6 ¼ to 7 28/.. K- to Kurulutchaiskii 20

good house   7 55/.. to 11 20/.. the ferry over the Kour 13v. from P. Tchemaklinskii K- to Post Tchemaklinksii 33 1/7

11 53/.. to 1 20/.. Post T- to Aranskii 18

1 35/.. to 3 12/.. A- to Turiantchaiskoi 17

4 ¾ to 6 ¼ T- to Goktchaiskoi 21

6 ¾ to 8 50/.. G- to Karamarianskoi 17

145 1/7

charming drive over the plain – wide open valley – the snow mountains still fine right station house at Kuraktchaiskii the same sort of station house as ever since Tiflis – charming drive – woody – mulberry some oak and elm – and shrubby, grenadier myrtle? jujubier? and Tamarisk in flower beautiful little pink flowers in bunches in grappes – something in the style of the lilack flower bunches – 5 hares rans [ran] across us – plenty of game here – excellent narrow hard sand road – rain in the night laid the dust for us – we near the hills over the Kour – very fine – broken and picturesque – beautiful day – sun warm from before 7 a.m. Read more interesting from Astapha the river – the station house there – and still more some from Elizabethpol [Elizavetpol'] – abundance of sheep and cattle – oxen yesterday also loaded like horses – almost all (or all?) the sheep with the fat tails, like a large 2 or 3in. thick flap covering the while buttock with a little tail turned up in the middle and this and the inside part of the flap often a little turned and exposed to view, naked, looking queer and not very nice – the station house on an eminence – magnificent aspens in the hollow there down to the little stream, and small leafed willows and wild vines, and mulberry trees and snow mountains right (i.e. south – i.e. right as one goes to Baku) charming – the Kurtchai river in right at the foot of the fine range of hill – the Kour (the say) on the other side of this range separated by, as it were, a tongue of land from the range of hill or mountain seen beyond it from here – at 8 35/.. cross the picturesque little Thchura, a little winding stream hid among sand rock banks and shrubs – at 9 25/.. close under the white broken picturesque indurated sand mountains and at 9 ½ at the ferry of the Kour, the rapid muddy Kour, broad as the Thames at Richmond? 2 rades – raft or broad platform fixed on 3 tree-boats – one raft for the carriage and another for the 9horses (our own five, and the Cossacks’ four) and 3 single tree-boats but we

preferred going with the carriage and sat outsides on the servants seat for the sake of the fine view up and down the river – Embarked in 10 minutes at 9 ¾ kept close under the highish sand bank covered with willow bushes etc. very picturesque for 7 ½ minutes before we attempted to cross then crossed in 7 minutes more (over in 14 minutes at 9 59/..) the current having carried us almost twice as far down as we had gone up? –

the current took us at least 100 yards down the stream

so that we made some such track as from a to b and then from b to c the horses crossed in the same way a little lower down the river – we landed 1st and as we stood looking at them the Raft seemed almost as if running away with the current rather than coming to land about a hundred yards lower down than ourselves – 3 men and our Cossack with a little short oar as it were long shafted (or spade) paddled or worked against the stream between our tree boats and one at [?] outside and this was all the force we had – the sand-rock mountains everywhere sillonnées, accidentées, - ridgy and hillocky – very striking and picturesque – white and [?] – merely sprinkled with little treefts of some sort of grass? or what? Left bank of river, as it sweeps from the mountains, wooded – all the wood today in full foliage – beautiful wooded banks down the river and upwards – sand rock mountains and a fringe of wood on right bank – pretty scene – 3 tree-boats with 2 men each scattered on the river below us – large group of cattle at our landing place and the queer camel-gaited elephant-skimmed cattle lying done in the river near the edge with their faces resting on the water all the rest covered except perhaps a bit of the back – on landing we were 13v. from the station and .:. 37 1/7 – 13 = 20 1/7 v. from our last station Kurulutchaiskii – began to embark at 8 35/.. to 9 ¾ - over at 9 59/.. off again at 10 25/.. .:. the ferry had taken us – had delayed us 50 minutes – new sort of station house at Post Tchemaklinskii – more picturesque and cottage-like – 2 little gable-ended porches – very small windows – very neat and pretty – nicest station house since Tiflis, - nice carpeted room à l’orientale, and on the opposite side the court, the neat gable-end-porched Cossack barrack – should have liked to sleep here -     at 12 20/.. in 2 minutes pass the Aranskii river pronounced Arceski – beautiful day – fine air – the plain prettily shrubbed with zugube? and another winged leafed shrub the wood of which smells agreeably enough on being broken – no horses – off with the same at 1 35/.. – at 1 ¾ meet return horses and change 3 of ours and 1 of our drivers, and off again in 18 minutes! at 2 3/.. – at 3 8/.. Toorhan river broad stoney bed, 5 or 6 streams – at the station at 3 12/.. – good grass the last 2 stages all along – ray grass? or very like it and other grasses by dint of irrigation – the station house here, Turiantchaisko, faces the fine mountain glen, or small valley of the Toorhan (Tarian river) 20v. from the Lesghiens – they came down 2 years ago, and burnt the house and assassinated all the people at the station – no sentinel there and peu de monde – now a sentinel every night, and 8 Cossacks and 8 Tartars stationed here – the present house new and not quite in the old situation but rather lower down – saw one or 2 partly burnt beams lying about – the station houses on the other side the Kura (Kour) built 10 years ago – those on this side the Kour only built 3 years ago – from this station to the next and next after the most dangerous – having to

SH:7/ML/E/24/0106

wait, went into the neat house – ½ hour at writing out accounts – from here we have double escort 4 Cossacks and 4 Tartars – sand mountains near left – Plain as far as one can see right – some hills (left) nice, sweet, short grass pasture as in England – steppe à parte de vue right – at Goktchaiskoi at 6 ¼ - Left, the picturesque, ridgy, hillocky furrowed, water-worn, white calcareous, sandrock hills – not good sleeping here – taken with a sort of lock wooden bolt – order one to be made (by the joiner there) and ready by Thursday or Friday night – off again at 6 ¾ - at 6 55/.. at river of same name as the station, that must be Goktchai (Tchai = river in Tartar) – cross the broad shallow streamy river – obliged to choose our way and go round about a little to get out of the streams the more easily (the horses along this road from Tiflis never what we should call true drawn) and it was 22 minutes before we got clear the river of streams and rough bed – at Karamarianskoi at 8 50/.. – tea at 9 50/.. in ¾ hour  then as the two last nights did big and little job out of doors  very fine day – F68 ½° and R66 ¼° now at 11 p.m. beautiful moonlight night – lay down at 12

[gwendolynlerman]

Mid-year book tag

Thank you so much for tagging me, @fluencylevelfrench! 💜

Amount of books you've read so far: 19

Best book you’ve read so far in 2022: Atlas der verlorenen Sprachen by Rita Mielke

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022: El dominio mundial: Elementos del poder y claves geopolíticas by Pedro Baños Bajo

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas (Although I haven’t yet read the first part.)

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: A Court of Thorns and Roses #5 by Sarah J. Maas (Although it is not confirmed that it will be released this year 😕)

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): I loved John McWhorter’s Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English and can’t wait to read something else by him.

Newest fictional crush: None, I’ve mainly been reading nonfiction.

Book that made you cry: Cien años de soledad by Gabriel García Márquez made me drop a tear.

Book that made you happy: Linguistics for Dummies by Rose-Marie Dechaine, Strang Burton, and Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): Lonely Planet’s Guide to Life by Lonely Planet (I got it for Christmas.)

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? I need to read 40 books (besides the one I’m currently reading) to meet my Goodreads goal. According to my TBR list, they are the following:

Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy by Tim Harford

Gefährlicher Einkauf by Volker Borbein

Language Families of the World by John McWhorter

The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the Community Behind by Raghuram G. Rajan

Grenzverkehr am Bodensee by Felix & Theo

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Dermo!: The Real Russian Tolstoy Never Used by Edward Topol

Language Interrupted: Signs of Non-Native Acquisition in Standard Language Grammars by John McWhorter

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Dirty Russian: Everyday Slang from “What’s Up” to “F*%# Off!” by Erin Coyne

Predicting New Words: The Secrets of Their Success by Allan Metcalf

Jeder ist käuflich by Marie-Claire Lohéac-Wieders

Pop Culture Russia!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle by Birgit Beumers

Ukraine in Conflict: An Analytical Chronicle by David R. Marples

Kalt erwischt in Hamburg by Cordula Schurig

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Lea? Nein danke! by Franz Specht

Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols & Other Typographical Marks by Keith Houston

Liebe bis in den Tod by Christian Baumgarten

Streetwise Russian: Speak and Understand Everyday Russian by Jack Franke

Mord auf dem Golfplatz by Felix & Theo

How to Save Your Planet One Object at a Time by Tara Shine

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Sicher ist nur eins by Franz Specht

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Tödlicher Irrtum by Volker Borbein

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Siegfrieds Tod by Franz Specht

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Tatort Frankfurt by Felix & Theo

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Tod in der Oper by Volker Borbein

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Tödlicher Cocktail by Volker Borbein

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

Till Eulenspiegel byErich Kästner

My Fourth Time, We Drowned by Sally Hayden

Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

Tödlicher Schnee by Felix & Theo

I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai

I’m tagging @guillemelgat and @tealingual (if they want to) :)

[willbashor]

While tending his family’s garden one September morning in 1779, a young commoner encountered a prince in a chance meeting that would change both of their lives.The young man certainly never imagined that he was setting out on a journey that would take him from the quaint village where he was born to the magnificent courts of Russia, Poland and England. But neither could the young farm boy have imagined that he would one day also witness firsthand the horrific treatment of the royal family imprisoned in a dark medieval prison during the mayhem of the French Revolution. 

Amazon

#historical #marie antoinette #versailles palace #louis xvi #Spotify

[grandstrandvacationsandrentals]

D-11 Heron Pointe (Upgraded 2 Bdrm/2 Bath) 2nd Floor

Just a five-minute walk to the beach and Shore Drive, Heron Pointe of Myrtle Beach offers a comfortable wooded setting for your family beach vacation. Come and stay in this wonderfully spacious two-bedroom second floor condo with beautiful new landscaping throughout property. This condo features comfortable furnishings with an attention to detail, a large screened porch with pool deck view and an open layout perfect for reconnecting with family and friends. This condo sleeps six people with one Kingin the master,  a queen and twin in the second bedroom and one queen-sized sleeper sofa. Additional features include a washer/dryer, wet-bar area and four TV's.Blu-ray player, Wireless Internet Access available. NICEST UNIT IN HERON POINTE! Two parking spaces per unit

G-20 Guest Cottage (2 Bdrm/2 Bath) New for 2019

Come to Myrtle Beach with your family and stay in a lovely summer guest cottage located off of Shore Drive in the heart of Myrtle Beach's entertainment and dining areas. This spacious and comfortable two-bedroom cottage has an open living-area concept with plenty of places to relax. Cottage 20 is perfect for a large family or for a group of friends looking to spread out and enjoy a few rounds of golf. This cottage sleeps 6 people with two queen beds, one twin bed, and a queen-sized sleeper sofa. Additional features include a washer/dryer, three TV's, and parking underneath.This is a Non-smoking cottage.

Arcadian 15-B (2 Bdrm/2 Bath) Oceanfront

Arcadian II offers two and three bedroom condos, each with two bathrooms. You'll spend leisure filled vacation days lounging by our oceanfront swimming pool, playing an action packed game on our tennis courts, or enjoying the pleasures of the beach just steps from your door. Amenities include oceanfront balconies overlooking the Atlantic, on-site security, wireless internet, cable television, fully equipped kitchens, pay washer/dryer on each floor, wall-to-wall carpet, elevators, and ample parking. Although Arcadian II is away from the crowds, we are less than five minutes from great golf at several popular golf courses, great dining at the famous restaurant row, plus other Grand Strand attractions. Address: 10100 Beach Club Drive Myrtle Beach 29572. ***NO PETS*** We rent to families and groups age 25 and older.

Brigadune 17F ( 3 Bdrm, 2 Bath) New for 2019

The Magnificent Brigadune Direct Oceanfront Condominium Complex is situated on a peninsula and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean providing for spectacular breathtaking ocean views. The Brigadune is located on the quiet and prestigious Shore Drive, between Myrtle and North Myrtle. Just South of the Kingston Plantation, North of Marriott’s Grand Dunes and directly behind the famous Dunes Country Club. This fantastic high rise complex offers the ultimate in oceanfront vacationing with numerous amenities including an outdoor oceanfront pool (heated in Spring and Fall), picnic area, gas barbeque grills, elevators, secure lobby, 24 hour on-site security, beautifully landscaped grounds and covered on-site parking. This three bedroom unit on the 17th floor has fantastic views of the beach and ocean with tile and laminate flooring throughout. Modernly furnished with internet and TV's.

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