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sammysdewysensitiveeyes · 4 months

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@ratsandfashion

Because you expressed some interest, here is my guide to watching Dark Shadows on Amazon Prime, specifically the episodes featuring Roger Collins, rich asshole and hilariously bad father. This only covers up to Ep. 365, as I am nowhere near finished watching the series.

First off, please know that you are under no obligation to actually watch any of this, or to enjoy it if you do try watching it. Dark Shadows is a ridiculous show, the early episodes are all dripping with dark, moody shots and a creepy, forlorn atmosphere to the point of feeling like a parody. Tim Burton only wishes he were as goth as Dark Shadows. The show is also a low-budget, daily soap opera, which means plots get constantly rehashed and dragged out forever, and most scenes get only one take. You will see characters fumble their lines just about every episode, and some hilarious prop disasters. Nevertheless, it’s a fun and interesting show for those of us who are fans, they go absolutely buckwild with the supernatural, and I think there are some genuinely good actors. (And also some really bad ones.)

Dark Shadows on Amazon Prime has been divided into “Dark Shadows,” which starts with vampire Barnabas’s first appearance around Episode 210 (because that’s the part everyone wants to see) and runs until the end of the series, and “Dark Shadows: The Beginning,” which starts the series from the actual beginning, and runs up until Barnabas. Dark Shadows: The Beginning is honestly less interesting before characters like Barnabas and Julia Hoffman and Angelique show up to stir shit, but Roger has a greater role in Dark Shadows: The Beginning. He’s a terrible father and a selfish cad with a shady past, and ex-con Burke Devlin is there on a revenge plot against him. Much of the main pre-Barnabas storyline is about Roger’s past crimes, Burke and Roger, and later Roger’s estranged wife Laura. Louis Edmonds, who plays Roger, gives the character some charisma and witty charm, and is especially good at correcting his line fumbles and landing on his feet when a scene goes awry.

Dark Shadows: The Beginning

Btw, there are some spoilers in here, if you care about that. Given that I’ve already been posting spoilers on my blog, I’m guessing you don’t.

Ep. 1 – Roger’s very first appearance is a close-up of him pouring himself a drink. Get used to this, it’s his signature move. He snarks at his sister Elizabeth, who is brooding out the window, calls his son David a “monster,” and says that Liz is making a mistake by hiring governess Vicky. He is a delightful, witty asshole with limited power. Elizabeth is clearly the one calling the shots at Collinwood, and she is only letting Roger stay at Collinwood for the sake of David.

Ep. 2-5, 7, 9, 12-13 – Roger spends much of these episodes freaking out over Burke Devlin’s return, while trying to pretend that he is not freaking out, harassing artist/drunk Sam Evans (who shares a dark secret with Roger concerning Burke’s past). Sam is clearly wracked with guilt, Roger only wants to save his own skin. He believes Vicky is potentially in league with Burke, or that she’ll at least let something slip that will get the family (meaning Roger himself) into trouble. He alternates between interrogating Vicky and turning on the charm. He avoids being an actual father as much as possible, and actively wants to send his son away. Ideally far, far away from him. We also get the history that Roger left town under mysterious circumstances, and that Liz has been sending him money every month on the basis that he never come back.

Ep. 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 36 – Roger gets into a car accident when his brakes fail, and is “nearly killed,” although he winds up with a bandage on his forehead and his arm in a sling. Roger was on his way to meet Burke Devlin in town, and Vicky saw Burke snooping around Roger’s car shortly before the accident, so Roger immediately assumes that Burke tried to kill him and spends several episodes trying to prove it while dragging Vicky in as a witness. Turns out it was David tampering with Roger’s brakes, and Roger reacts like a loving, concerned parent – by yelling at David and saying horrible things to/about him. Roger also suggests that David might be Burke’s bio son rather than his, since Roger’s wife Laura was originally dating Burke. In Ep. 36, Roger literally says something to David like, “Is the devil afraid of the shadows he lives in?” Father of the year, and also an absolute drama queen, like every other Collins. Liz covers the whole thing up by having loyal family handyman Matthew Morgan take the blame and claim it was a problem of negligent maintenance.

Ep. 37, 39, 40, 41, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 54-56, 59, 62, 65, 66, 68, 71, 74-76, 78, 80, 82, 83, 86-89, 93, 95-97, 100-106 The plot of Burke Devlin’s revenge, and Roger’s past crimes continues. Burke makes moves against the family business, Roger continues to harass Sam Evans about their shared secret, and harass Vicky about her supposed “snooping” and anytime she so much as speaks to Burke. Things heat up when plant manager Bill Malloy calls a meeting between Burke, Sam and Roger, ready to throw Roger under the bus to spare Liz from Burke’s revenge plot – but Bill is murdered before he can arrive at the meeting. The show then spends a loooong time casting suspicion on Roger, Burke and Sam as suspects, including a drawn-out storyline about some extra special unique pen that Burke gave to Carolyn and then Roger took from Carolyn to give back to Burke, and that Vicky finds near the site of Bill’s murder. You would not believe how many episodes this show spends on the pen. Roger is either a vaguely sinister figure, or a savior for Vicky depending on which way the story is leaning and new revelations about who had the pen last. (Turns out that murderer is a completely different character.) Ep. 41 has Roger flippantly admitting to Liz that he frittered away his inheritance money, but he “enjoyed himself doing it,” which I think is a defining moment for him. Liz is all about family legacy and responsibility and has a strong, determined personality, Roger doesn’t give a fuck, and will happily live off his sister’s money. (Not very Shaw of him, I know. I think Liz is the one that Sebastian might actually respect.) Ep. 87 has Roger find Vicky after David locked her in a room in the closed-off west wing of the house, but first he spends a few minutes fucking with her because he is once again trying to drive her away from Collinwood, and it is hilarious, it’s like a grown man doing middle school pranks.

Ep. 112, 114, 119, 125, 126, 127 – The Bill Malloy murder plot is resolved when handyman Matthew Morgan admits to the crime, so Roger is off the hook. But Matthew also holds Vicky hostage due to her knowledge of his crime, first briefly at his cottage, then for several days in a secret room at the Old House. Poor Vicky can’t catch a break! Roger is callously unconcerned when Vicky disappears, nursing a grudge for her getting him arrested over the whole pen debacle. David, who has been sneaking food to Matthew and is convinced that he is innocent, eventually discovers Vicky, but it still takes him forever to finally tell an adult about it. Roger, as usual, doesn’t believe David and dismisses him completely, but thankfully Burke Devlin, who is getting set up as a romantic interest for Vicky and being written more heroically, gets off his ass to do something and drags Roger along with him. The two set aside their differences to head out to the Old House with guns to rescue Vicky. They still would have been too late, but the ghosts of the Old House actually do something useful and scare Matthew to death.

Ep. 128-132, 134-140, 146, 147, 149-154, 156-158, 160, 161, 163, 165, 167, 169-171, 178, 182, 183, 187, 188, 191, 192 – The next big plot arc on the show is the return of Laura Collins, Roger’s estranged wife and David’s mother, who first shows up during the Matthew Morgan arc as a mystery woman hanging out at the diner. Laura wants a divorce and full custody of David, and Roger is only too eager to give her both those things, but Elizabeth, who actually gives a shit about David, objects. Laura has spent time in a mental hospital, and she was away for most of David’s life, so he barely remembers her. David also has a weird fear response to seeing Laura, which is natural for a kid meeting a parent that’s been gone so long, but in the context of the show turns out to be something supernatural. Laura is also the former girlfriend of Burke Devlin, so there is a lot of drama back and forth between them, and Roger comes to suspect that they are both plotting against him. In Ep. 139 Roger catches Burke meeting Laura on Collinwood grounds, holds a gun on him, and hilariously insists that he could kill Burke and get away with it because Burke is trespassing. Roger, buddy, that’s not how the law works, even in the gun-crazy US. There’s also drama about Sam Evans feeling compelled to paint a picture of Laura surrounded by fire, and suspicions about a burned body that was found in Laura’s old apartment. Laura’s behavior becomes more and more sinister, Elizabeth winds up comatose in the hospital from a mystery illness, and Vicky investigates Laura’s past with the help of bland boyfriend Frank Garner (he’ll just disappear from the show) and intensely boring character/terrible actor Dr. Guthrie. Eventually they realize that Laura is a legendary phoenix, who has “died” in fire and resurrected herself many times over the centuries (and this before Jean Grey ever did it), and who wants to take David with her this time. Roger is his usual shitty self most of the time, condescendingly dismissing everyone’s concerns and delighted at the chance to get rid of David. Finally, even Roger gets onboard the “Save David” train, especially after he sees an actual supernatural occurrence (a book opening by itself) that he can’t explain away, in Ep. 182. Laura eventually lures David to a fishing shack to burn them both alive, David is saved by Vicky, the real MVP of this arc. Afterwards, in Ep. 192, Roger at least attempts to show some concern and affection for David. Roger also shows some real emotion and concern when Elizabeth collapses, although he later insists that Liz is just “being dramatic” over not getting her own way.

As an aside – Roger spends a lot of these episodes in a fancy-dandy rich guy outfit that reminds me a lot of one St. John Allerdyce in his early appearances. And Shaw himself, of course.

Ep. 193, 194, 196-198, 200, 201, 204 – The next big plot arc on the show is the appearance of con man Jason McGuire, who is there to blackmail Elizabeth over skeletons in her closet (or rather under the basement floor). Liz has been reclusive and secretive this whole series, and this arc will explain at least some of her actions. And we’ve already had two arcs about Roger’s shady past, it’s Liz’s turn! Jason also brings his sidekick, petty criminal Willie Loomis who will play the very important role of unleashing vampire Barnabas from his coffin and onto the show. Barnabas will become insanely popular and dominate the show, gradually edging out characters like Roger and Liz, although they still stick around and get occasional storylines. Roger is just kind of there for much of these arcs – there’s a plot line about Sam Evans demanding old paintings back from him, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Roger does express concern and frustration over Liz basically letting Jason walk all over her, and offers his help as her brother. In Ep. 242, for example, he seems genuinely concerned and supportive. Ep. 200-201 are also important for Roger, as Sam and Burke confront him and he finally admits the truth of the crime he committed years ago (killing someone in a drunk hit-and-run, blaming Burke). Burke is satisfied with Roger’s admission of guilt, and finally drops his revenge plot – this both wraps up that storyline, and lets Burke shift from antagonist into Vicky’s love interest. Despite not having as much to do, Roger is hilarious when he does show up, very much the “drink in one hand, witty comment” rich guy snob, again reminding me of early Pyro and well-written Sebastian.

Dark Shadows

After all that, you have finally made it to the main Dark Shadows collection, starting with Ep. 210.

Ep. 214, 219, 240-242, 249, 252, 264, 268, 272, 273, 277, 280, 281, 313, 330, 331, 334, 339, 354, 357, 362, 365 – Vampire Barnabas Collins has come to town, introducing himself as their distant cousin from England, a descendant of the original Barnabas, and bearing a remarkable resemblance to his portrait on the wall. Barnabas fixes up the Old House to live in, takes on Willie as a servant despite everyone’s objections (Willie was so shitty everyone was ready to run him out of town), and seems like a perfect gentleman, if a bit strange and mysterious. Of course, Barnabas has bitten Willie and placed him in thrall, and bites then kidnaps waitress Maggie Evans, and tries to brainwash her into becoming his bride. Meanwhile, Jason McGuire continues to blackmail Liz, attempts to force her into marriage, and Liz finally breaks down and reveals her own deep dark secret – she killed her husband. Except it turns out she really didn’t, Jason just let her think she did. There’s a great sequence of Roger and Burke chasing Jason through the woods with guns as he flees in Ep. 272, and him having a heart-to-heart talk with Liz in 273.

The Barnabas plot continues, as Maggie escapes, loses her memory, gets committed. This brings in Dr. Julia Hoffman, who quickly figures out that Barnabas is a vampire, and offers an experiment to cure his condition, while hypnotizing Maggie into forgetting everything and helping Barnabas cover his crimes. Julia, like Willie, will become one of Barnabas’s main sidekicks/enablers. Throughout this, Roger continues to be a witty rich guy who always has a drink in one hand, and a bad father, although more caring and less openly hostile to his son. David starts to learn things about Barnabas (not to mention hanging out with Barnabas’s dead sister Sarah) and Roger and Liz discuss sending him away, as they think he has become delusional. (David is actually completely right in everything he says.) Ep. 354 introduces a lawyer who is representing an employee of the Collins family cannery who is apparently suing due to a workplace injury, and whom Roger has been ignoring for some time. Good to see Roger cares about his employees as much as Sebastian does!

In Ep. 365, Vicky Winters is transported to 1795 during a séance, where she will stay until Ep. 461. This entire arc is all in the past, there is no back-and-forth, and Roger’s actor plays Joshua Collins, the stern, cruel businessman with bushy sideburns who is even more Shaw than Roger himself. Shortly after Vicky’s return, Roger will abruptly marry Cassandra, who is Barnabas’s nemesis Angelique in a bad wig, and her control over Roger will be his main story arc for awhile. But I haven’t gotten there yet.

If you have read this much, I am impressed. This “guide” was fun to write, and helped me appreciate Roger, a character that I never paid much attention to when I first watched the show. He’s become one of my favorites now.

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duchessofostergotlands · 1 year

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I just stumbled upon the most random fun fact concerning the coronation! I don´t even know how to explain this since English is not my first language but here in Brasil we have a organization that has mediums( for lack of a better word) that say they can control the weather.They usually work in big events like Carnival and the last presidential inauguration so it doesn`t rain. The thing is it usually works! So much so that our goverment hires them and it became a running joke around here. Lo and behold today I read a news article saying they are in London for the coronation and that they worked during the royal weddings and the last jubilee! So freaking random!

https://extra.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2023/05/cacique-cobra-coral-chega-a-londres-para-evitar-chuva-prevista-durante-coroacao-do-rei-charles-iii.ghtml

It is in portuguese but still maybe google translate will help

Lol this is my favourite line about them going to Harry and Meghan’s wedding: “she would have been hired by a British billionaire, who did not have his name revealed.” You know billionaires have too much money if they can hire someone to prevent rain for a wedding that isn’t their’s or their family member’s hahaha. Honestly Charles would probably be into this. He likes all that mystical stuff

#ask #british royal family #anon #King Charles #King Charles iii #coronation #coronations

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365days365movies · 2 years

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Musical December II: The King and I (1956) - Recap: Part One

This one might be a bit...problematic.

I calls it as I sees it...even when I haven’t seen it. Look, I’m always wary about American musicals from before 1980 that take place in foreign countries, and this is no exception. Especially because this one is based on a true story...that’s been heavily altered for reading and viewing audiences. And now I’m getting The Danish Girl flashbacks. Hoo boy.

So, just like I did with that film, it might be a good idea to look at the origins of this film from a historical standpoint. But first, let’s look at the origins of the musical itself, not the true story. So, to go answer that question, we’ll need to go back to Anna Leonowens and Margaret Landon.

In the 1860s, English tutor Anna Leonowens returned from the kingdom of Siam (which is now Thailand), after living there for five years. She’d been hired by the king at the time, Rama IV, or Mongkut. Afterwards, she wrote and published two books in the 1970s: The English Governess at the Siamese Court and Romance of the Harem. Both of these were stories about life in the royal palace, as told through Leonowens’ eyes.

Then, in 1944, American author Margaret Landon read these books, and combined them into a biography detailing Anna’s life in the kingdom, taking care to combine knowledge about the kingdom and its cultures as well. She called the biography Anna and the King of Siam, and it was a smash. In 1946, the film was made into its first adaptation of the same name, which starred heavy hitters like Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison in the starring roles.

Then, in 1951, Landon was approached by legendary musical makers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, fresh off of their huge success, South Pacific (which I’ll get to, I promise). They asks landon for the opportunity to turn her book into a smash musical, and she sold them the rights to do so! And thus, Broadway saw the debut of the team’s fifth musical, The King and I, on March 29, 1951.

For their Anna, they had Gertrude Lawrence, and she would be followed by a veritable who’s who of successors over the years. But who would play the King himself? Well, who better to play a Thai king than Russian-American theatre actor Yul Brynner? Naturally. Also, you may know Brynner from this performance:

Or maybe, you know him from something a little more classic Hollywood.

Neither of which, of course, would have been possible if Brynner hadn’t made himself known as Mongkut on stage. In fact, he was so very renowned as the character, he was given the opportunity to play him in the 1956 adaptation, alongside Deborah Kerr as Anna. And just like the musical, the film was a massive hit! And, of course, that’s what I’m watching today.

After this film was released, Anna and the King of Siam was adapted into a television series in 1972, an absolutely horrible animated film in 1999, and another film that same year. And all of that would be well and good, except for one minor problem.

Both Anna and Margaret may have...exaggerated a little.

But that’s a topic for the second part of this Recap. Let’s just get started on Part One, shall we?

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap: Part One

It’s the 1860s, and the widowed Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) and her son, Louis (Rex Thompson) have arrived from the United Kingdom to the kingdom of Siam (now called Thailand), in order to serve as a schoolteacher. She is to work under the purview of the King, and has arrived in the harbor. However, the ship is greeted not by the king, but by his chief advisor, the Kralahome (Martin Benson).

Louis, in these unusual surroundings and faced by the severe-looking Kralahome, tells him how worried he is. TO calm him (and herself) down, Anna performs the same ritual that I do to calm herself down: she whistles (“I Whistle a Happy Tune”). So, whistling means that Anna’s freaking the fuck out; got it. This is interrupted when the Kralahome comes on board.

Anna is, apparently, meant to be the English tutor of the king’s children. She is also widowed, with her former husband being an officer of the British army. But where and how he died is concealed, so I can only assume that he died in a scuffle related to Thailand. A translator acts as a medium for the Kralahome, who soon reveals that he can speak English (after kicking the translator; dude’s a dick).

Seems that the King is having Anna live in the Royal Palace, rather than in her own house as promised. The Kralahome tells her to take it to the King, and she agrees. He escorts her through the city, and eventually to the palace. The city itself looks quite beautiful, if not a little stereotypical, and the palace shares that description. On the throne, having a shitty day, is the King of Siam, King Mongkut (Yul Brynner).

Mongkut is being visited by Lun Tha (Carlos Rivas), an emissary of Burma (now Myanmar), and is being presented a gift in the form of a woman, Tuptim (Rita Moreno). Which, yeah, rubs both Anna and me badly, but it’s the times and it’s the culture...I assume. After this meeting, visiting hours are concluded. That absolutely pisses Anna off, and she goes to meet him anyway.

Although initially frustrated, he listens to her...kinda. She tries to raise her issues, but he basically ignores her and asks her questions, like her age and years of marriage. She lies about the former, and says she’s 150 years old. Mongkut accepts her present and brings her to meet his multiple, MULTIPLE wives. This includes Tuptim and his head wife, Lady Thiang (Terry Saunders), who speak some English. Mongkut decides that she will teach them the ways of the “modern world” alongside his children.

But, of course, this doesn’t solve the whole “house” problem. Anna finally brings it up, but Mongkut counters that it’s an honor to live in the palace. Still, she objects, and threatens to leave. But before she does, Mongkut has her meet his children, whom she’ll teach (“The March of the Siamese Children”). And I gotta say...these are some cute kids. Devious, man, using children as weapons to get her to follow your conditions. If I were in this situation, I’d be fucked.

A bunch of these kids have some legit personality in their entrances, and I’m genuinely impressed by their characterization. One of these children is Prince Chulalongkorn (Patrick Adiarte), the son of Mongkut and Lady Thiang. And by the way, dude has a LOT of children, with 67 outside of the children seen here. Just like me, Anna’s won over, and she moves into the palace with the help of the wives.

Anna quickly makes herself known to the wives as not only a proper lady, but also as a feminist. An 1860s feminist. Talk about being ahead of the times. This, Thiang says, would make Mongkut angry, as he’s a classic meninist. While unpacking her belonging, the troubled Tuptim asks for books to read in English, while also admitting that she was taken away from her true love, Lun Tha. Anna notes that she understands how it feels to have a loved one taken from you, and follows it up with a lovely song about her late husband and young love (“Hello, Young Lovers”).

As time goes on, the lessons continue. Mongkut speaks with the Crown Prince about his lessons, including the fact that the world is round and spins on an axis, and not that it rides on the back of a turtle. Which sucks, because the turtle thing would be sick if true. Like, come on, being on top of a turtle? I would go to the location where I could pet the turtle as soon as possible. And how would that work, from a physics standpoint? I don’t fuckin’ know, I just want to be on top of a giant turtle! Some real Discworld shit there, and I can dig it.

Anyway, Mongkut agrees about the “round earth” thing, but implies that he doesn’t know that for sure. The Crown Prince is confused, as the King is supposed to know everything, not just guess at it. Mongkut says that when he becomes King, he WILL know everything. But once the Prince leaves, Mongkut has his own doubts about this. And, uh...it’s a great song (“A Puzzlement”), don’t get me wrong...but Brynner isn’t the best singer. Still, his acting sells the song.

From Mongkut’s existential crisis, we go to the lessons of the day. Thiang introduces it with the current map and knowledge of their neighbors, including Burma. They believe that SIam is massive, and that Burma is this tiny, poor, shit country with a tiny, poor, shit ruler. But Anna steps up and IMMEDIATELY clowns all over Thiang with an updated map, showing that Siam is...well, it’s pretty fuckin’ tiny.

Obviously, this doesn’t initially sit well with the Crown Prince, but she insists that England is even smaller, which it is. She also says that she’s grown to love Siam in her time there, and that leads to arguably the most famous song of the musical: “Getting to Know You”. And Anna’s dance with the kids, fuck me, is cute as shit.

However, that lesson is IMMEDIATELY derailed after the song, when Anna tries to teach the children about snow. They don’t believe the existence of snow, and that leads them to their disbelief in the size of Siam. This is interrupted by the King, who chides the children for their disobedience. During this speech, he notices the book given to Tuptim by Anna: Uncle Tom’s Cabin. UNCLE TOM’S CABIN?!? Jesus, Anna!

Looks, the Stowe-written novel is a fantastic book, and it should be read, then and now. But bringing an anti-slavery pro-abolitionist book to a country WELL-KNOWN at the time for having slaves, was a RISKY fucking move at best! This prompts a conversation about slavery, the moral responsibility of rule, and the currently occurring American Civil War. It also brings up an interesting question.

What if Lincoln fought the Civil War...with elephants?

Abe, buddy, hear me out. I love this idea. Can you imagine what the war would’ve been like if Lincoln told his cabinet members to import elephants? In that creaky voice of his, just saying, “I do not care about the expense, I want 4 score and 20 elephants here as soon as possible. We will use them to win this odious Civil War, and bring us all together under one flag once again.”

And Hamlin would’ve been like, “Elephants, Mr. President?” And while the rest of the cabinet’s thinking about it, Grant’s just fuckin’ buzzing in his chair, like “FINALLY MOTHERFUCKER GET ME ON THOSE FUCKIN’ BAD BOYS” And then, a little while later, David gets a message from the front of Gettysburg, and all it reads is “FUCKIN’ ELEPHANTS MAN!!!!” You get those photographs of the Union Army lineups, but there’s an elephant in the background! And every fucking platoon has their own elephant WHY DON’T I LIVE IN THAT UNIVERSE GODDAMMIT

Just saying. It’d be great.

Anyway, after the lesson concludes, the Kralahome shows up to tell Anna that she’s stupid, her lessons are stupid, her culture is stupid, and she’s totally gonna be a slave like the rest of them one day. Good talk, dude. That night, Anna’s summoned to speak with Mongkut, and he has a short philosophical talk with her, while asking her to write a letter to Lincoln about elephants. And again, gotta say, I’m with him on this one. He also tells her not to hold her head above his at any point, but...elephants, man.

After that, she takes off and runs into Lun Tha, there to meet Tuptim under the cover of darkness. The lovers sing a ballad together (“We Kiss in a Shadow”), and pledge to meet each other again soon. Good timing, because trouble is coming to Siam, and will distract the King from their affair.

The Kralahome brings news that an English report is going around, claiming that the King is a barbaric ruler. This danger riles him up, and he goes to confront Anna, whose command of the children singing about a house is irritating him. This, is seems, is a passive-aggressive move by Anna in regards to the promised home. The King claims he doesn’t remember this promise, and she insists that she must leave the kingdom if she has no home to live with her son. They argue, Mongkut tells Anna she is a servant, and Anna leaves in protest and distress.

That night, she’s approached by Lady Thiang, who begs her to speak with him, both about their argument, and about the rumors from England (“Something Wonderful”). The song wins her over, even though it kinda describes an abusive domestic relationship? It’s a lovely song, but it is basically saying. “Sure, he’s a dick most of the time, but he does nice things sometimes, and he needs me to love him.” Yeah, uh, yikes buddy. Problematic, but admittedly of the times.

Part One over, et cetera, et cetera! See you in Part Two!

#the king and i #the king and i 1956 #film:the king and i #walter lang #rodgers and hammerstein #deborah kerr #yul brynner #rita moreno #martin benson #user365 #365days365movies #365 movie challenge #movie musical #musical december #musicember #Musical film

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bloededhoine · 3 years

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hi! I loved the last headcanons I requested so I'm sending more, hope u don't mind and sorry if this is late and if it is not Friday for u anymore. ☾, �� and ♡ for Morvran (coz the one u wrote is the most amazing thing) and ✿ for Ves. Thank you so much and btw I abolutely love your witcher memes

you sent this 6 november. it is currently 12 december (by time i finished it its 11 january on my god) i am so fucking sorry but here you go! also the ves one.. yes.

☾ - sleep headcanon

■ - bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

♡ - romantic headcanon

✿ - sex headcanon

list

sleep headcanon

morvran is generally a pretty light sleeper, to the point where someone walking loudly outside will wake him up

so, he takes it upon himself to be properly tired before he goes to bed so he'll sleep through the night

this is usually accomplished by riding (a horse or a diplomat? who's to say)

good god it's the third bullet point how did i already make this sexual

alright...

he totally gives me monogrammed matching pyjama set vibes

like they're a mahogany coloured silk with a little MV embroidered in cursive

ciri loves making fun of them

but he's comfy DAMNIT

he sleepwalks... and didn't think it worth mentioning until emhyr hired a witcher to deal with the palaces supposed wraith problem...and of course he didn't want the city of golden towers to have a reputation as a hotbed for monsters.... but he eventually decided he liked his status as the local ghost

he keeps a dream diary.

like most of these hcs are based on tiny details in some obscure translation, but trust me bro morvran voorhis keeps a dream diary

he plays the dapper dude game, but with enough sambuca he will absolutely tell you why journaling your dreams is the most important thing you can do

he wears slippers. i know this for a fact. they match his pyjamas and he leaves them right next to his bed every night

of course, this started with morvran's father making sure he was always prepared for a quick getaway

even after the assassination he just couldn't shake the habit. he also always stays on the ground or first floor and won't fall asleep in a room unless the windows open from the inside. precautions, you know?

great now i'm sad

bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

okay here's the thing you need to understand about morvran voorhis: he did not have any autonomy for the first 20 odd years of his life

growing up in the imperial palace doesn't leave a lot of room for individuality. sure, he had expensive toys, soft fabrics, and the nicest governesses and most intelligent tutors in the empire, but none of it was his

even after his father died, he couldn't leave because he was getting married off to some girl he'd never even met!

so, by time he had command of the alba division and, by extension, his own life, he got creative

i'm talking a tapestry of his favoured stallion that takes up an entire wall

and a custom plaque of the merchant's guild insignia on the mantle

and a hook right next to his bed to put his medallion

and his own gwent card, framed

and a map of nilfgaard he annotates himself, with markings such as "bastard who stole fire scorpion, cheats with scoia'tael deck", "pretty girl witcher", "annoying witcher", "guild army contact", "actual 25 centimetres, take portal or carriage"

and a desk he never actually uses because it's too orderly and looks too nice to mess up

should all those mismatched patriotic and egotistical things look good together? no, no they should not. but do they?? fuck to the yes! our mans knows the importance of a colour scheme!

when you first walk in his quarters, it looks kind of like most of the others in alba, except with a few extra empty coffee mugs

but he HAS THOSE MOTHERFUCKING DETAILS

i don't know why i'm so invested in this i just fucking KNOW it's true

he's a neat freak. i feel like we all knew this.

there's a designated spot for everything, and don't you dare mess up the system

also if you drip water on his rug he will 100% throw your ass out onto the street

romantic headcanon

now, i'm almost exclusively romantically attracted to women, but i would marry voorhis and not just for the money

he definitely has a huge romantic streak that he really loves indulging. buying flowers, writing love letters, all of that, he genuinely enjoys it

yes, he's a busy man, but he makes the little moments count! he definitely bugs assire for a new xenovox like every week because he breaks them so often

morvran voorhis is a massive flirt. i will not be taking questions

i told myself i wouldn't work in my voorhis used to be a sex worker hc in this, but you know what he did and that's important to him!

the flirting is definitely an issue in relationships, especially with people who didn't know him before he was a commander.

i'm not saying he's two faced, he just has very distinct business and pleasure personas that he doesn't want to mix

he also sees relationships as fairly contractual. he gave those diplomats a little of ~this~ because it helped him succeed. somewhere along the way he began to enjoy the feelings of courting someone, but it was largely because he knows you're always better at work you enjoy.

ciri has called him out on it a few times... he was not happy

how dare you ask this man to be vulnerable he is a BOTTOM

but i honestly think that if there is someone he wants, he will make himself worthy of them. voorhis is nothing if not confident and determined, and i think those are more powerful than the massive daddy issues and praise kink

he really just puts in effort and concern to all aspects of a relationship

like dates? unreal

he always starts by going to the vegelbud estate, partly because he is desperate for his peers' approval and partly because he wants to see if this lucky person is a good match

he also knows all the places around the estate where wildflowers grow. i told you he's a romantic.

sex headcanon

i'm about to be incredibly gay on main oh good god jimmy don't read this please

ves is a dom and a top. acceptable titles include Sir, Master, or Lieutenant and you better fucking use them

ves definitely gets around. i mean, just look at her. the energy is immaculate and she knows what she's doing

overstim. just... one is not enough. shaking is not enough. begging is not enough. being completely fucked out and not even able to manage any words while sobbing? that might do. (with consent!)

not that ves doesn't love to hear some begging, she definitely does. it's just not going to motivate or demotivate her to do anything, she already has it all planned out

that plan includes hearing someone beg for her strap even as she's deep enough inside them they can feel it in their belly

good god i'm really exposing all my kinks

anyways let's keep it going!

she's an amazing rigger

not just in technique, she knows exactly when to be gentle versus firm and create art out of a body and some ropes

ves bites

just grabbing a handful of hair and tilting their head back so she can leave marks on their throat... mmhm yeah

i think she fucked geralt

like yeah you can have her fuck geralt in assassins of kings but i think she just did it anyway cause she was bored and smelled a bottom

he had a very good time

ves was eh

geralt's just far more submissive than ves's usual partners. i mean, she's used to handling 5 temerian guerillas. a singular witcher isn't even a challenge

surprisingly, she's quiet. spending 80% of her day within earshot of her father figure made this more of a necessity, but she can fashion an excellent gag for any parties who aren't worried about all of temeria hear them

#the witcher #wild hunt #tw3 #assassins of kings #tw2 #ves #geralt of rivia #cirilla fiona elen riannon #morvran voorhis #the witcher headcanons #witcher headcanons #the witcher hc #mine #voorhis tag #ves tag #malamodravila #hc tag #haven't got a fucking queue

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zombieboy8998-blog · 4 years

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Started off with a the basics of horror creepy kids haunted mansion but continued on with nothing ever happening really for an hour and 10 minutes. It had the little scares here and there really no explanation of what’s going for like the whole movie your just as confused at governess who is hired for what? we are not to sure 😐 we only see her with the child painting and never anything else as she was supposed to be a teacher but mainly see her bathe wake up drink tea and freak out, yell at kids and then try again to be her weird self. I rate this film a fail but could be because I wanted it to be so much more with such a interesting cast. Spoiler alert the ending is dealers choice 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

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flowerpowell · 6 years

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Secrets II (Liam x MC // Drake x MC)

Second part is here! The actual action starts in next chapter (!!), the first two are just to introduce the characters and the background. In other words, don’t get discouraged, it’ll get better!

All rights for characters go to Pixelberry, plot is inspired by Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, I don’t own these rights either.

Rating: Normal, nothing scandalous

Tagging: @flynnomalleys @boneandfur @choices-sideblog @syltti78 @kickbuttbookworm @client327 @kingliamthirst @walkerduchess @maxattack-powell @lilsouthernsunflower @bizzyschoiches @jared2612 @drakelover78 @confessionsofabrokegirl @furiousherringoperatortoad @mynameiskaylabella

Of course, all good-looking guys are either freaks, gays or fictional. This one here wasn’t an exception. And he’s probably gonna fire me now, Riley thought as Liam shook her hand.

Instead, he just asked, “So, lady Riley, how do you like my house?” “I’d like it better if I could contact my mother” she murmured. “Oh, of course. You can write her a letter and I’ll make sure it will be delivered first thing in the morning.” He smiled warmly. Okay, he is a 100% freak. Who would be that nice after I’ve insulted him on so many ways. “I...Thank you but, don’t you have a phone here?” Riley asked and Bertrand cleared his throat. “Sir.” she added quickly. Liam looked at her and replied, “No, I’m afraid we don’t have a phone. I’m sorry.”

She looked at him in anticipation. “Yes? Do you want to ask me something?” He asked. Riley hesitated and then blurted out “Aren’t going to fire me, sir?” Liam’s eyes widened, “Fire you? And why would I do that, it is jusy your first day!” “Oh, I thought...Nevermind, I’m good” she smiled, “So where’s your daughter, the one I’m supposed to teach?” Before she even finished her question Bertrand made a facepalm and started silently cursing Maxwell for bringing here “this uneducated, clumsy, ill-mannered woman.” What now? Oh, right. She’s an orphan not his daughter. Riley wanted to facepalm herself now too.

“She is not my daughter, however I do take care of her. And I do hope you will make a wonderful governess.” He said politely. “Yes, I’m sorry. But I actually would like to know more about my duties?” “Of course,” Liam smiled, “but first, there is someone you should meet,” he took a hand of a young girl still standing with Maxwell and Bertrand. “Her name is Amelia, Amelia this is Riley, your governess.” The girl looked at Riley as she was speaking, “Hi! I’m Riley, it’s nice to meet you!”

Amelia shook her head and replied, “Je ne compreds pas madame, je m’appelle Amelia and je ne parle pas anglais” Oh my gosh, she’s French. I shouldn’t have written I spoke French perfectly when I know only the basics. Riley nervously giggled. She knew she would have to use French but thought she’d just use the internet. And now, without any help she needed to communicate with this little one.

“Um, bonjour? Oui, enchanté! Je suis Riley.” Amelia smiled and shook her hand “Tu parles français, tu parles français! En fin!” she started daning across the room. Liam looked at her and then at Riley with a big smile on his face. “I think she likes you. I’ll put her to bed and tomorrow you’ll start with English for two hours, is that okay?” He asked. “Yeah, sure, totally! I’ve got this.” I’m so screwed.

Liam left the room with Amelia still singing something in French. Bertrand and Maxwell approached her. The younger brother spoke first. “Good job Riley! They both like you!” “Thank you--” she started but Bertrand broke in. “Yes, they like you somehow so please, do not ruin it.” And he left. Maxwell motioned at his brother. “Don’t be disturbed by him, he’s always been that grumpy.” She smiled. At least one person here was normal. “Thanks. I think Bertrand definitely won the award for the grumpiest man I know.” “Yeah, well, you haven’t met Drake yet, he’s even grumpier.” Maxwell laughed.

What is this place? The grumpy land? Maybe the lack of internet has the same effects as the lack of sun and vitamin D? I surely cannot wait to meet another grumpy man.

They say the first night in a new place is always the hardest. Some also say that whatever you dream about the first night will symbolize your stay in that place.

Riley definitely didn’t have the easiest night. She couldn’t fall asleep until two in the morning and then she had nightmares. In the first one she was running away in a blood-stained wedding dress into the woods. In the second, she was trying to rescue Amelia from burning castle but she got lost in the hall and couldn’t find the exit.

When she woke up at half past six, she was more tired than rested. Sleepily, she took a shower and got dressed. Riley took her books, a French dictionary, her little blackboard and went down for breakfast.

When she arrived to the main hall, Maxwell spotted her and friendly waved at her. “Hey Riley! Come join us for breakfast!” Relieved that she doesn’t have to eat alone Riley entered the dining area in the kitchen and said to hi to Maxwell, Bertrand, and a pretty lady sitting by the table and eating something that looked like a mash. She only hoped it wasn’t oatmeal. Riley sat down next to Bertrand, facing Maxwell with the mysterious woman. “Can we get some oatmeal for lady Riley here, please?” Maxwell asked one of the ladies who were preparing food. She nodded at him and brought a bowl full of oddly looking mash. Mmm, yummy. Just what I needed. Maxwell wiped his face and spoke, “Lady Riley, I don’t believe you’ve met my wife, Hana. Hana, this is lady Riley, a new governess to Amelia!” Riley pretended not to hear when Bertrand snorted and instead smiled at Hana. “It’s nice to meet you!” she said, “I haven’t seen many women here.” Hana returned the smile, “Oh, yes, it’s probably because not many people live here anyway.” “Yes, that’s true,” Maxwell added, “Hana and I live in the left wing of the castle, so you can come by anytime you want. And Bertrand lives here, on the first floor, Liam lives here as well, but a little bit higher, and Amelia lives next door. The rest of rooms are either empty or the staff live there. Sometimes they are given to guests when they come. It’s not very often though.” Maxwell explained and she saw Bertrand giving a cold look at his brother, whispering “less talking” to him.

“Maybe I can give a tour later?” Hana proposed. “I would love that, thank you!” Riley answered. Two normal people, it’s getting better!

After this questionable breakfast, which she truly hoped she’d never have to eat again, Riley headed to the “study” room. This time Maxwell drew her a little map of the most important places so she wouldn’t get lost. Amelia was already there and when she saw her teacher approaching she smiled and ran to embrace Riley.

“Mademoiselle Riley!” she greeted her. Oh, that’s gonna be interesting. “Amelia! Comment ça va?” she started. “Excellemment! Je suis super contente parce que tu parles français. Ni personne ici parles français” Amelia’s smile faded.

Great. She just told me how upset she was because no one here spoke French and here I am, just about to tell her the same.

“Amelia...je parle français juste un peu.” Riley admitted that she knew only basics. To her great surprise, Amelia laughed. “Pas de problème Riley! I can parle un peu English” she said. Now, whaat?

“Umm, I thought you didn’t speak English at all? You never spoke it before.” “Oui, vrai, mais there was ni personne I wanted to parle avec. En plus, those people are très ennuyeux. It is fun to watch and écouter while they ne savent pas que je comprends.”

Riley was shocked. This little one was smarter than she looked like. She was using the fact no one knew she understood what they talked about. Maybe Amelia could tell me what’s going on here.

“Amelia,” Riley started, “since you understand those “boring” people, do you maybe know why this place stopped hundreds years ago and have no singal, wi-fi, and hires an outsider because it’s better than a person from here?” Amelia grinned slyly as she spoke, “I know un peu.” Riley opened her mouth to say something but the girl quickly added, “And I might tell you tout je sais, if you gain my trust.”

That was certainly the weirdest class, weirdest kid Riley ever encountered. For two hours, she was trying to teach Amelia what she already knew. The class ended before Riley even realized and she was free for the day. She decided to look for Hana and start the tour around the castle. She lived with Maxwell in left wing and Riley set out in that direction, map in her hand.

Of course, her bad sense of direction led her somewhere else. Those people who built it must have had an amazing time when they built left wing on the actual right side of the castle. Very funny indeed. But she was lost again and somehow ended up in the garden. Riley heard a voice from one of the stables and she decided to ask that person for directions. When she entered she realized the man she heard was actually speaking to a horse.

Well, a person who talks to animals so nicely must be good, right? Besides, he was pretty good looking. At least his back. Very muscular.

“Ekhm,” she cleared her throat and the man turned around to meet her eyes, he had pretty brown eyes and Riley instantly felt drawn to him, “hi, sorry for interrupting but I got lost and I was wondering if you could help me?” “No.” He answered and got back to brushing the horse’s mane.

Okay, that was rude. “Listen, I’m just asking for directions, and you’re working here so you know where’s the left wing.” she was clearly annoyed. The man didn’t even look up, “Look, whoever you are, maybe it’s the best you got lost. You have a chance to escape and never go back.”

Oh man, this man was a freak too. This place is full of handsome freaks. But does that mean it’s--

“Are you Drake?” she asked and he turned to her in surprise. “I am, how do you know? Who are you?” “Maxwell told me there was a man grumpier than Bertrand named Drake and I just figured.” Drake frowned, “And you came here to offend me or?” “I came here for directions,” she stated, “I look for the left wing.” Drake rolled his eyes. “Do you see that fountain there?” he motioned a beautiful fountain that she didn’t notice at first. “turn left, you need to pass the rose aisle and then turn right and you’ll be there.” “Thanks.” she said and left the stable. This guy was weird. Hopefully, she’ll never have to speak to him again.

“You were right,” Riley said to Maxwell when she finally arrived to where he and Hana were living, “Drake is grumpier than Bertrand. And even more rude.” “Ha! Told you so! Although, if you know him better he’s a pretty nice guy.” “I’m not sure I want to get near him anytime soon” she admitted.

“Lady Riley!” Hana appeared in the doorway, “Do you want to have the tour now?” “I do, I still get lost too easily” Riley laughed. “Maxwell, you want to come too?” his wife asked. “I wish, but Liam and I have some matters to discuss. I’ll see you later!” He kissed Hana and headed out.

“What exactly Liam does? Like, what’s his job?” Riley inquired when the two of them were walking towards the main entrance. Hana sighed. “I’m not sure. I don’t really understand what they’re doing, I saw Maxwell helping him with some finances once so I assumed it’s something like that.” “You never asked?” Isn’t that a normal thing to know what your husband does for a living? “I did, but he said it was complicated. Something with business and politics. I really don’t know Riley, I’m sorry.” “Oh, it’s fine, I was just curious.”

The ladies were walking now in silence until Hana broke it. “So here is the main entrance and there,” she motioned to the windows on higher floors, “is your room, a little higher there is Liam’s and Amelia’s right next to him, then down there, is where Bertrand stays, there is where the guests stay, and here,” she pointed her finger to the window they were facing, “is Liam’s study.”

“And where does Drake live? In the stables?” Hana chuckled, “No, he’s occupying the right wing.” Riley frowned. “Alone?” “Right wing is very old and no one really wants to live there. Drake prefers solitude so he picked this place to live in. There are some guards too.”

Guards? Why would they need guards?

“Umm, Hana? Why guards?” Hana’s eyes widened. “I-I don’t know! They just are, you know, it’s a big castle, it’s probably because of burglars.” “Yeah, sure.” Riley wasn’t convinced. She wanted to ask some more questions but the moment they entered the big hall, Liam went out of his study and greeted the ladies. “Lady Hana! Lady Riley! It’s nice to see you both!” He smiled. “How was your class with Amelia?” he asked approaching the ladies.

Hana excused herself and joined Maxwell. “Good, pretty good actually. She’s learing fast. I’m sure she’ll be able to speak perfect English by the end of the summer.” “Oh, that’s wonderful,” he said, “Lady Riley, would like to take a walk with me around the gardens?” I’m not really sure if he’s completely sane. I’ll take my pepper spray just in case. “Sure! I’ll just grab my bag, wait here!” She yelled running up the stairs, not hearing Liam’s laugh. Maybe this will be my chance to learn something more. Maybe he’ll answer me some questions, Riley thought while packing her spray into the bag. She also took her phone, just in case there’s some signal in the gardens. Besides, she can always dial the police’s number. She just wanted to be secure.

Liam was waiting for her in the very spot she left him. When he saw her, he smiled and streched his hand to her. What a gentleman. Riley took his hand and the two of them headed out to the gardens. She was silent at first, trying to come up with appropriate questions.

Before she had a chance to ask anything Liam spoke up. “So, lady Riley, what do you think of my house?” “It’s...okay. Very old, but I guess that’s your style. I love my bedroom though! And the garden, it’s so pretty. Oh and also, I know it’s not really a business for you but, is there oatmeal every day for breakfast? Cause I hate it. And I just wondered if you’ll let me starve to death or maybe--” Liam interrupted her, chuckling, “Oatmeal is very nutritional, but if you don’t like I’m sure you’ll find something else to eat.” Riley looked at his face. He seemed to be a nice guy. Maybe he just likes solitude and is tired with people.

“Liam, sir I mean, what I really want to know, why are you so separated from the civilization? You’re pretty young I believe, and usually it’s old people that retire somewhere far from the city,” Oh my gosh, Riley shut up, “it’s not like you’re old! I didn’t mean, I just wanted, I, um” she rambled.

Liam stopped walking for a moment and bursted into laughter. “It’s okay, I am not very old that’s true, but I’m not very young either. This country is beautiful but I was tired with people and politics and everything that was happening here. I just really enjoy peace. That’s the whole secret.” She smiled not really satisfied with the answer.

Maybe she was just imagining things? Maybe it was true, this guy right here prefers living in alienation. Maybe there’s no story.

But then, a young man, wearing suit and glasses ran up to them, calling Liam’s name. Liam turned around and his face fell. His jaw clenched as the man approached them. “Liam! There you are!” the elegantly-dressed man said, “I was looking for you for a while now, there is an important matter to attend to” he added. Liam’s eyes widened as the mysterious man silently nodded. “Of course!” Liam turned to Riley, “Riley, this is Justin, the bro--,” he stopped realizing what he was about to say and then quickly corrected himself, “my assistant, Justin, this is Riley, Amelia’s governess.” Riley and Justin shook hands. “Lady Riley, I must unfortunately leave you, can we continue the walk later?” “Yeah, sure. No worries.”

The men walked away and Riley only thought how Liam tensed up when he saw that man. And another assistant? Why would Liam need any assistants if that whole thing is just about solitude? Unless...Unless there’s something more to it. Riley looked in the direction of the castle and decided she needed to know what was happening there. First step, Liam’s study.

let me know if you want to be added or removed from the tag list!

#trr #trr au #the royal romance #the royal romance au #the royal romance fanfiction #drake walker #king liam #maxwell beaumont #hana lee #liam x mc #drake x mc #? x mc #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #choices fanfiction

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triviareads · 2 months

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Who are your favorite dilfs in romance books?

Tremont from M is for Marquess by Grace Callaway: He's a widower with a son Thea saves from getting kidnapped by his governess; Tremont's also been obsessed with Thea since he met her but is *too afraid* to act on his feelings because he's *depraved* and Thea's *so innocent*. Spoiler alert: she isn't and she isn't going to let her poorish health and asthma stop her from being with this man; there's a light M/s dynamic, and it's also very reminiscent of Win and Kev from Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas.

Max from My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe: Max is Violet’s ne'er-do-well dad’s equally slutty friend; He’s 41 and has a teenage son and she’s 18 and he’s been frantically avoiding her since the start of her season until she corners him by pretending to be his paramour. She’s also very into photography and ye olde nudes are taken (front AND back).

Haddon from Wicked Again by Kathleen Ayers: Haddon is 40 and has a teenage daughter and Marissa is 49 with three(?) grown sons. He seduces her at a house party (in the beginning of the book!) and wants more but Marissa is busy enacting revenge plots against the family that killed her husband. He attempts to get close again by asking her to help him with his daughter's debut, but ultimately what does the trick is him dicking her down multiple times while telling her "we're MORE than a fling".

Sinclair from Rules for a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley: Sinclair McBride aka BASHER MCBRIDE is a BLOND widowed barrister who hires the gal who tries to pickpocket him as his children's governess because she has a way with them. Bertie is super fascinated with him and actually kinda stalks him (which is how she gets the job lol) and there's this really funny part where she's suuuuper jealous of his widowed lady friend and freaks out on him, only for it to end with him SUCKING THREE OF HER FINGERS IN HER MOUTH. Insanely hot, v unexpected.

Simon from The Secret She Kept in Bollywood by Tara Pammi: Suuuuch a dilf, I mean really, who else could successfully calm a random woman having a panic attack on the floor, and then tenderly make love to her like 10 seconds later in such a smooth transition? Simon is also the adoptive father of Anya's biological daughter who she had as a teenager and gave up, not that either of them know that when they hook up.

Enzo from Mafia Madman by Mila Finelli: okay but for all his insanity and propensity to lock Gia up in his yacht cage, Enzo is actually a good dad who's really cut up about having to be separated from his kids for their own safety; there's this really interesting bit where he's telling Gia about teaching his daughter how to ride a two-wheeler and Gia's sadly thinking about how her dad never taught her :( and that's a peak dilf/dad/daddy moment for me.

Here are some that are specifically ex's dad (so totally dilfs) books:

#book recs #grace callaway #mila finelli #tara pammi #jennifer ashley #kathleen ayers #joanna shupe #romance novels #historical romance #contemporary romance #ask

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leah-jeffries · 6 years

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Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind. But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.

Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him. Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them. When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive. What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told. Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is the fairest of them all? Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

These Broken Stars | Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner Type: Companion Series : Starbound (1) Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.

Spinning Starlight | R.C. Lewis Type: Standalone Where to Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound

Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it’s hard to escape it. So when a group of men shows up at her house uninvited, she assumes it’s just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired. Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi’s vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead. Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home—a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers’ survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back? Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans strings the heart of the classic with a stunning, imaginative world as a star-crossed family fights for its very survival.

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. BRIEFING NOTE: Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain…. Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories. When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts. Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians. But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

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mermaidsirennikita · 2 years

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Do you have any darker romances or erotic romances to recommend?

So at this point in time, I wouldn't say I read a fuckton of truly "dark romance" (the subgenre) just because a lot of it is contemporary and I read historical romance primarily. I will say that I've seen several romance commentators make the point that a lot of dark romance readers like historical because there tends to be more room for wilder plots, "everyday darkness", dubcon, etc, and I think that does like... fit. Because idk, I don't have a lot of time for super fluffy romances in general--I need drama. It can be funny, but funny with DRAMA.

Buuut a of the truly erotic romances and dark romances are gonna lean more contemporary at this time. For true blue erotic romance I'd recommend:

Priest by Sierra Simone--It's a Catholic priest romance, and it is very hot and honestly pretty dark in terms of the leads' backstories and the hero's struggles with faith. Basically, this woman starts going to confession and turning him on with all her dirty secrets, and then they fall legit in love. It's by no means.... an inspirational romance... But he does legitimately believe in God and is struggling with the fact that he's been called (to his thinking) but also wants to fuck this woman really, really bad. There may or may not be fucking on the altar. There may or may not be a "just the tip" scene which, honestly, makes no sense as any penetration is penetration but okay. There is definitely holy oil used as lube for anal. So. 10/10. There is a TW for pedophilia in the Church being discussed as backstory, but it did not happen to the hero--rather, to someone he was close to.

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert--Katee Robert writes pretty hot romances, though some are definitely more erotic than others, and this is my favorite. It's a Jafar/Jasmine modern take (literally, they are named Jafar and Jasmine) but Jafar has just killed Jasmine's father (a crime boss) to take his territory (and Jasmine) from him. The book begins with a scene that is very much noncon, though she like... does want it against her will. Anyway, pretty dark, but I super enjoyed it. Every book in this series is basically modern Disney villain smut. Megara eats Jasmine out in this. It's great.

The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone--Part of the Duke I'd Like to F... anthology, a novella about a woman betrothed to this loser when she really just wants to get railed by his guardian/uncle. Who is like, totally down for it. She's running off to escape the wedding, and he does indeed chase her. Bi hero and bi heroine!

My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe--Same as above, part of the DILF anthology. The heroine is 18-20 and is in love with her father's best friend, this rakish widower duke. She catches him during an assignation and is like "please fuck me" and he's all "nope" and then she's all "please fuck me while taking naked pictures of me with your Victorian camera because that's your kink" and he's all ".... maybe". Not for people who are squeamish about age gaps, obviously; if you're not, then it is preeeeetty hot. The scene where her dad realizes his best friend has been fucking his daughter all over the place is worth the price of admission.

An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh--See above, DILF anthology. The heroine is a governess, and the new duke of the estate is a good bit younger than her and eager to be taught how to please a woman. She does indeed teach him, and it's a lot.

Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson--See above. The heroine is 30ish and a virginal daughter of a clergyman, and she basically hits up a duke to hire him to Teach Her the Ways of the Secular Flesh. Includes the usage of old timey sex toys, plus an elderly lesbian couple who helps facilitate her getting her freak on. I loved them elderly lesbians... so much.

Both the DILF and RILF anthologies have novellas by Adriana Herrera as well, and while they're very good and hot they're not quite as hot as the other ones, which is why I'm leaving them out. Still read them!

The Last Crimes of Peregrine Hind by Sierra Simone--Part of the Rake I'd Like to F... anthology. Basically, a highwayman kidnaps a notorious rake and dandy for revenge, but the rake likes getting tied up and fucked, so it doesn't work out quite as planned. M/m, obviously.

Two Rakes for Mrs. Sparkwell by Eva Leigh--RILF anthology. A widow encounters a couple of of gentlemen (a rake and his best friend who's, like, a bareknuckle fighter) who like to fuck women together. She falls in love with both of them, and them with her, but what will society say??? Mfm, the swords don't cross. But like. They're good buddies who love to share. It's not a love triangle.

A Rake, His Patron, and Their Muse by Nicola Davidson--RILF anthology. A rake playwright loses inspiration and runs off with his patron to visit a boarding house, where they meet a widow who falls into bed with them. The three then proceed to have a ton of threesomes and fall in love with each other. But again, what of society? This is mmf, swords cross, both heroes are bi and they all love one another.

Sold to the Duke by Joanna Shupe--Haha bro. Hahaha. The heroine is left destitute after her brother dies, and in order to save herself and her sister she auctions her virginity. Her brother's best friend happens to be there, and he saves her by buying her virginity, but she is determine to go through with her end of the bargain despite him insisting that she doesn't have to. Very hot.

Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta--If you like monsterfucking and also a bit of sweetness (almost too sweet for me, but it's still... hot? I've spent months coming to terms with my feelings on it) then this is it. The heroine lives in a world where monsters and humans all get along and live around each other, and minotaur semen is like, the key to the ultimate boner pills, basically. So minotaurs go to milking farms for extra cash, where they get jacked off until they fill those like... 32-64 ounce bottles, and go on their way. The heroine becomes a milker in order to pay off her student loans (so real) and falls in love with a business daddy client. There's a lot of semen in this. He's a full minotaur. Idk what else to tell you.

Run, Run Rabbit by C.M. Nascosta--Currently reading this. I'm told it's HFN versus HEA, which I'm fine with, but heads up. Set in the same world as above, it's about two werewolves who are trial lawyers working at the same firm, and they kinda hate each other but also keep meeting up every month around the full moon so that they can fuck the shit out of each other. The relationship is kind of toxic in a hot way. It's open. There's knotting. But like. If you are... interested in people fucking during lupercalia.... Then.... sure....

#romance novel blogging #book recs

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nomorelonelydays · 7 years

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Me at midnight to @honeycombhenry: So I want a sidgeno regency AU that reads like a storybook but also a Kate and Leopold vibe…with a dash of Nicholas Cage in The Family Man with the whole glimpse/final airport scene…but I also want time traveling and reincarnation and a lot of historical inaccuracies for the sake of CHEESY DRAMATIC ROMANCE.

Hence, this was born.

(4k, sfw cheese, warning for plot holes, no beta, and ooc…like really this is just a self-indulgent fic…and yes, Geno goes full rom com Nicolas cage in the ending scene without stealing the declaration of independence)

The master of the Malkin Estate falls in love with his valet on a rainy afternoon.

Sidney Crosby, fair-faced and kind, had revealed his love for snow and ice skating as he helped to dress Evgeni, and Evgeni had selfishly followed the curve of Sidney’s lips as he spoke of stories from his childhood, when he and his sister Taylor would get into all sorts of trouble with their wet boots leaving streaks all over the floorboards and rug. He loves rainy days, when Sidney would hold his umbrella as they go out on a walk, and once they are far enough out in the countryside, Evgeni would take the umbrella from Sidney and kiss his knuckles, saying, “My dear Sidney, please let me.” Evgeni wants to suck bruises on Sidney’s unmarred skin, a necklace of promises, but he holds himself back, if only barely. He learns that Sidney sends most of the money he makes back home to his parents and his sister, in the hopes that she can marry richly instead of becoming a governess, destined for loneliness and instability.

(The Crosbys were rumored to be rich, once, a long, long time ago. Now, not so much.)

Evgeni discovers that, later on, Sidney blushes a pretty shade of pink when Evgeni brushes back his curls to kiss down his face, from his forehead, to his nose, then finally to his lips. He learns that Sidney is very poor at teasing, especially with his bare body pressed close against Evgeni’s and his breath shuddering against Evgeni’s jaw like the beating of wings.

Evgeni’s favorite moment is in the early morning, even before the first bird has started to crow outside, when Sidney brushes Evgeni’s hair back with his fingers as he reads from one of Evgeni’s books. During those times, Evgeni pretends that Sidney is his husband, and that they’re sharing another fragile moment before day breaks. It’s very easy to envision, but Sidney has always made Evgeni believe that all things can be possible.

“Would you marry me, if we could?” Evgeni asks softly. Half of him hopes Sidney doesn’t hear, the other half aches for Sidney to kiss a thousand ‘yes’ into his skin.

Sidney strokes Evgeni’s cheek with his thumb. The lamplight is dim, and he can’t quite make out Sidney’s expression.

“Sleep, my dear Zhenya,” Sidney says. “It is very late.”

“Stay with me,” Evgeni murmurs. “Stay.”

“I will,” Sidney says, and blows out the candle.

Sidney disappears without warning one unbearably warm summer.

“Sidney has terminated his contract with the Malkin family, effective immediately,” the butler informs Evgeni, as he dresses Evgeni for the day.

“I should visit him then,” Evgeni says, furrowing his brows. “Why was I not informed?”

“It was a very sudden decision,” the butler says, and lowers his voice. “He has told me to lie and say that he has taken ill, but in truth, he is going to home to marry this year per his family’s wishes. There’s no helping etiquette from poor breeding. Nevertheless, the staff wishes him well and hopes he will be very happy with a Miss Kingsley from Jameston. An excellent match, if I dare say.” The butler steps back and asks politely, “Will you ride today, sir?”

“No,” Evgeni says, his heart crumbling.

“Very well, sir,” the butler says, and retreats.

Evgeni has always hated summer.

It’s unseasonably warm.

Two months in, and the weather seems to take a turn for the worse. Last summer, Sidney had taken him out to the shores and looked for seashells. This year, Evgeni stays in and stews in his own misery, angry with Sidney for leaving without so much a word, and angry with himself for being so big a coward that he dares not visit Sidney, much less write him a letter, for fear of seeing him happily married.

“There’s a storm brewing tonight,” the housekeeper tells the maid as she worriedly out the window into the gloom. “I do hope it passes quickly.”

“Do you think it will thunder?” the maid asks meekly. She’s relatively new to the Malkin Estate, hired two weeks before Sidney had left, and very easily frightened by the vastness of the house and the world. “Lightning I don’t mind as much, but thunder…” She sighs. “Remember that story Sidney used to tell when the younger ones would get scared? They’d cling to him as if he were their mother—”

“Lightning is far more dangerous. It had better not strike anywhere near the house,” the butler says sternly. “Go back to your positions. We certainly don’t pay you to loiter.”

Evgeni sleeps fitfully that night. There’s a snap and a crackle, as if lightening had struck the roof of the house, but Evgeni doesn’t wake to check.

There’s something tickling Evgeni’s nose.

He opens his eyes, and finds that the room seems brighter than it usually is, and in a different shade as well.

“Stop moving around,” a voice—Sidney’s voice—says. The body clinging to him snuggles closer, his curls messy and very much in Evgeni’s face.

Evgeni doesn’t dare to breathe for a moment.

“Sidney,” he whispers. His heart almost beats out of his chest. “Sidney, how are you here?”

“I know, right?” Sidney mutters. “I’m not going out with Flower and Tanger anymore. Those two think they’re still twenty.”

Evgeni understands about thirty percent of the sentence. He clutches Sidney’s shoulders and kisses his forehead to his shoulders, desperately, frantically, and oh, Sidney is so blessedly solid underneath him, it’s not a dream—he hardly realizes that he’s not even in the Malkin Estate until after a good five minutes feeling Sidney’s skin under his lips.

“Why’d you stop?” Sidney asks.

“Where—where am I?”

“Well,” Sidney says. “In bed, with me, first of all. ‘Where you will be’ is a more important question.”

Sidney combs Evgeni’s hair with his fingers, and loses himself in the sensation before slurring out lazily, “Where will I be?”

“That creepy historical manor you said you never wanted to go to because you said it freaked you out,” Sidney says in a rush. “I told Sofia we could all go as a family.”

“The where?” Evgeni echoes.

“The one with the farm and your last name. Malkin Estates.” Sidney wraps his legs around Evgeni’s waist and coaxes, “It’s for Sofia, so she’ll have something to write about for school. Come on, please?”

Evgeni’s so lost in the feeling of Sidney so close to him that he very much belatedly asks, “Who is Sofia?”

Sidney doesn’t even have a chance to respond before the pattering of tiny feet down the hallway and knocking interrupts his thought.

“Daddy,” the voices beyond the door scream in glee. “Daddy, Papa, Daddy! Good morning! Field trip! Field trip! Field trip!”

Sidney sighs, kissing Evgeni’s cheek briefly before untangling himself. “I’ll go get the little one ready. You can handle breakfast for those two, right?”

Sidney rolls out of bed and throws on a shirt whose style Evgeni has never seen before, opening the door and letting in two children run in and hop immediately onto the bed. He smiles briefly at Evgeni before going off, leaving Evgeni with two little girls climbing over his legs and arms.

“I want Fruity Pebbles, Papa,” the blonde one says, then twists her leg and rolls to the other side of the bed. “Sofia, ow, you stepped on me!”

“Sorry. I want toaster waffles,” the other one, Sofia, says.

“What is a toaster?” Evgeni asks incredulously. His mind is still whirling around the fact that one of them had called him Papa, and Sidney, Daddy.

Of course, he doesn’t get an answer.

Breakfast is a disaster. Evgeni doesn’t know how anything works in this hallucination—as wonderful as it is—of his, and the more he asked the children questions like, “What is a microwave?” the more they laughed, “Stop messing around, Papa!”

“What’s Papa up to, hm?”

Evgeni turns around from the mess of cereal (which is apparently dehydrated corn flakes in multiple colors) and milk splashes to see Sidney cradling a chubby toddler who is currently sucking at his fist.

“Sidney,” Evgeni says again, for the third time this morning, because the sight of Sidney looking rumpled and soft holding a child is too much for Evgeni to bear.

“Say ‘Good morning, Papa!’” Sidney says, bouncing the babe in his arms. “‘Good morning!’”

The baby blows spit bubbles at Evgeni; it’s the best thing Evgeni has ever seen. Sidney shrugs. “He’s doing his best.”

Evgeni steps closer, touching the soft tuft of hair on the baby’s head and marveling. “Hello, dear one,” Evgeni says, transfixed. “Look at how beautiful you are.”

“Why are you talking like that?” Sidney asks.

“Like what?”

“Like you swallowed a Jane Austen novel.” Sidney settles the baby into his seat. “Have you been watching those movies again?”

“I don’t understand—”

“Papa is Mr. Darcy!” the one that’s not Sofia—Alexandra, Evgeni had garnered, exclaims.

“I’m not being Miss Bennet, if that’s what you’re trying to get at,” Sidney says peevishly, pressing some buttons on the silver contraption that Evgeni had given up on figuring out after a few minutes, as he slides his mug underneath. “And you didn’t make eggs either. Were you waiting for the chef to come around?”

“Where is the chef?” Evgeni wondered aloud.

Sidney shoves the pan in his hands. “For today? The chart says it’s you. Good luck.”

Evgeni’s eggs are ugly and overdone. Sidney and the girls smother them with condiment from a bottle labeled ‘Heinz Tomato Ketchup’ and eat them after a few light teasing. Evgeni knows then that wherever he is, in whatever life he’s living right now, he’s living it with Sidney, and they have three wonderful children. The matching gold ring on Sidney’s finger must mean that they had married, and Evgeni’s heart feels close to bursting whenever he thinks of it.

“What are you so happy about? We’re going to the ‘nightmare castle,’ or whatever it is you keep calling it,” Sidney asks, sipping at his coffee. He looks like an angel.

Evgeni will willingly walk into twenty nightmare castles if it means he can relive this exact moment, again and again and again, until the hole in his heart from Sidney’s departure is temporarily healed by his own imagination.

It’s sprinkling a little bit when they leave the car—not a carriage, Evgeni reminds himself. He’s not sure if he’s traveled forward in time (according to the car radio, very much forward in time), or if this is another lifetime in another universe entirely. He doesn’t think too much during the ride, just concentrates on Sidney’s quiet humming and the children in the back babbling among themselves about which is better, until they ask Evgeni to be a tie-breaker on whether ghosts are scarier than vampires.

He almost doesn’t recognize the familiar road leading him to his home, almost untouched by time or weather.

“We should’ve brought more umbrellas,” Sidney says, flashing a look at Evgeni that reminds him so much of his own Sidney. He flips through the brochure. “There’s 16 acres of land here, and a private rose garden, Ali would love that. I hope the rain lets up soon.”

Evgeni buckles the baby boy into the stroller easily enough after a few moments of maneuvering. Alexandra and Sofia run ahead, pointing at the trees and the fountains ahead that Evgeni would often visit while entertaining guests.

“This place is nearly 200 years old,” Sidney says in awe, admiring an old antique clock in the hallway adorned with a sign that said ‘Do not touch.’ “Can you imagine living here?”

Yes, Evgeni thinks. He remembers the servants bustling around the floor, remembers Sidney coming down this exact staircase and exclaiming happily, ‘Master Malkin, you’ve returned early—‘

No, he mustn’t think of it, not now. Not when dream-Sidney is looking at him in that adoring manner. He’s afraid he will truly shatter, once and for all, by the time he wakes up from this.

After all, Evgeni Malkin had been a coward then, not daring to chase after Sidney and question him. Today is no different.

His family estate has apparently been donated by his descendants as a site of historical importance. There’s other families milling around the place, children gawking at what Evgeni assumes to be now obsolete objects in the kitchen, and volunteers leading tour groups as they tell the history of its past inhabitants.

“There is, of course, many stories about the people that lived in the Malkin Estate,” the docent, an elderly woman says. “For those of you who are into romance, one of the more popular ones deals with the young Evgeni Malkin, who lived in the 1800s. He was one of the earliest masters of the estate, rumored to have been in love with one of his servants.”

Evgeni’s heart stops cold, but Sidney pays him no mind as he reads the brochures and looks around at the paintings, some faded but still well-preserved from Evgeni’s time.

“The relationship wasn’t to be, however,” the docent continues, as if she hadn’t just stomped all over Evgeni’s body. “Evgeni eventually married a Miss Wickham, thought it has been said that it was an unhappy marriage. The Malkin Estate actually received a package a few years ago from an anonymous donor, containing hundreds of unsent letters that are supposedly from the servant that Evgeni was in love with, found in a locked box that had been unwittingly passed down as an heirloom, which we have on display in this wing, if you will follow me. Now, on your right is the—”

Evgeni stops listening. He parts from the group slowly and approaches the glass display, his hands trembling. The letters are pinned down, withered and nearly corrupt from age, but Evgeni can clearly see where the ink of Sidney’s words have been blurred by tearstains.

My dearest Zhenya, they all start, and all ending with, Yours eternally, S.

I must tell you the truth, one says. It had never been my idea to leave the well-loved halls of the Malkin Estate without leaving word. Benjamin, the butler—he saw us one morning. I was not careful enough. I’m sorry. You must know that he was very explicit in his threats, that I had led you astray. I could not let that happen. I wish nothing but a lifetime of happiness and comfort for you, though it pains me to admit that it cannot be with me to make that a reality.

This letter, along with the others, will never be sent, because I know you must be very happy with Miss Wickham, Mrs. Malkin by now. I’ll never know. I don’t want to know, perhaps. But you must know that I love you, dearly, and that if things were different, I’d never have left your side.

Yours eternally, S

Evgeni moves wordlessly on to the next one, scanning over each yellowed page as something awful starts to rise in his heart, eating him alive.

I told Benjamin to tell you that I had taken ill, but I ran into one of the maids the other day. Caroline, her name is. She cried when she saw me, Zhenya, I didn’t know what to say. She asked me where my wife is, and if she was healthy. I told her that I had no wife, but she was perplexed and informed me that Benjamin had said I’d gone home to marry. I was furious. And helpless. What could I have done? He would’ve exposed us all.

It might seem over the top for me to say, but I don’t think I shall love another as much as I do you to bear the thought of marriage. When you asked me to marry you, that one night, I should have been selfish. I should have said yes.

My answer is yes, still—

Another starts with, Taylor married today, into a well-regarded family. I’m very happy for her.

The other details the weather, and the mundanities of Sidney’s morning. You would’ve loved the bird I saw this morning. It was blue, with flecks of gold in his eyes.

The last one is short.

My dearest Zhenya,

This shall be my final letter. I have never stopped loving you, and I never will.

Yours eternally, Sidney.

“G, you feeling alright? Are you crying?” Sidney’s voice says, breaking Evgeni out of his trance. He’s rubbing Evgeni’s back soothingly. “We can go home, if you want.”

Evgeni looks at Sidney, at the husband who isn’t his, at the child who isn’t his son, prattling to be held by his Papa. At least in this lifetime, he knows, he can Sidney are happy together. He wipes his eyes roughly then braves a smile.

“I’m fine,” Evgeni says, kissing Sidney on his curls and holds his arms out for Sidney to pass the baby to him. “Let’s go find the girls.”

It’s thundering when they go back to the parking lot, with Sofia and Alexandra squealing out in excitement as they duck inside.

He reads Sofia a story about bears that night, and Sofia kisses his nose and murmurs a “Good night, Papa,” before snuggling with her toy giraffe under the covers. The house is quiet when Evgeni steps out in the hallway. Evgeni tries to be as gentle as possible as he heads back into the room that he and Sidney shared. He feels like he’s walking on air, as if each step he takes is feeling less tangible as it grows closer to midnight.

The rain is coming down furiously outside, and with a boom of thunder, Evgeni knows in his heart that he would be waking up back in the Malkin Estate tomorrow morning.

He sits down by Sidney’s side—Sidney is already half-asleep, curled into his blankets like a cat. He feels the dip in the mattress as Evgeni sits down and blinks blearily.

“Geno?” he says, his voice warm. It’s the nickname Evgeni knows to be one that this world’s Sidney had chosen for his husband, and there’s so much intent and love behind those words that it makes Evgeni’s head spin. “You tucked Sofia in?”

“Yes, I did,” Evgeni says, nuzzling Sidney’s nose before capturing his lips in a deep kiss.

“What was that for?” Sidney asks breathlessly, on the cusp of unconsciousness. “Come back to bed.”

“I will,” Evgeni says gently. He wants to memorize this moment. “I love you, Sidney.”

“Love you too,” Sidney says sleepily. Evgeni makes to move, but Sidney reaches out and grabs Evgeni’s shirt. “Don’t go. Stay with me.”

“I will,” Evgeni promises. “Go to sleep.”

The clock strikes midnight. Evgeni falls asleep next to his husband as it thunders on outside.

“It is morning, Sir,” the butler says, creaking the heavy wooden doors open. “I’ve received correspondence from the Wickham family asking if you would dine with them this eve—”

Evgeni opens his eyes. He would make things right this time.

“Benjamin,” Evgeni says, sliding off his bed and buttoning up his own shirt, ignoring the butler’s protests. “I’m going out to ride this morning. And when I return, if I see even a glimpse of your face on this property, if I hear anything from your mouth regarding your dismissal, I will find you. And I will ruin you.”

The butler stands there, coat in his grip, petrified, as Evgeni hurries down the staircase.

Sidney had once told Evgeni where he lived, just beyond the outskirts of town near the river. It’s a modest house that has seen better days, but even to Evgeni, who has never been physically there until this very moment, thinks that it feels very much like home.

He knows he must look a madman by the time someone answers the door, with his shirt probably done one button off and hair in terrible disarray.

“Sidney,” he gasps out, “Sidney, I’m so—”

It’s a woman who answers the door, and for a moment, he fears it to be Sidney’s wife until he recognizes the curve of her lips and the same, intense gaze.

“Taylor,” he says, then corrects himself immediately. “I apologize—Miss Crosby, is your brother home? I’m Evgeni Malkin, from—”

“From the estate, I know,” Taylor says, her expression unreadable. She makes no move to address Evgeni respectfully. “My brother isn’t here. He’s just left to visit his friend, Mr. Mackinnon, on the island. He won’t be back for a good while, I’m afraid.”

“No,” Evgeni says, shaking his head. “No, no, that can’t be—” He paces a bit, looking behind him as though Sidney may be hiding there. “Please, Miss Crosby, you must tell him that I visited, please—”

“He’s been heartsick ever since he left the estate, waiting for letters that never came,” Taylor says, not budging an inch. “I think a change of scenery will do him good.”

“Miss Crosby, please,” he begs. “I’ve been a fool, a terrible, terrible fool, I—”

Taylor’s face grows stormy as she lowers her voice. “Mr. Malkin, please tell me this: why should I help the man who broke my brother’s heart?“

“I—”

And from behind, as if by a god sent miracle, Sidney’s voice comes, subdued but still so familiar, "Taylor, I’ve come back. They say the weather is too poor for the ships to visit the island, so the trip’s been postponed until—” Evgeni whips around, just as Sidney looks up in astonishment, which quickly melts into shame. “Mr. Malkin.”

“Sidney,” Evgeni breathes. There Sidney was, still as beautiful as the day Evgeni last saw him. “My love.”

Sidney’s expression doesn’t change, but his ear reddens. “Do come inside, Mr. Malkin,” Sidney says quietly, not meeting Evgeni’s eyes. “I’m afraid my house isn’t as comfortable as the estate, but I hope–”

“It’s lovely,” Evgeni says. “It’s perfect.”

Sidney bites his bottom lip.

Taylor frowns, “Sid, you shouldn’t–”

“It shall be alright, Taylor,” Sidney says. “I’m just going to talk with Mr. Malkin for a little bit.”

Taylor gives Evgeni one last, lingering look, then turns the corner into another room.

Sidney looks at his hands. Neither speak for a long moment, unsure of how to start.

“I’ll make some tea,” Sidney says. “And pack some food for your trip back.”

“Back?” Evgeni repeats. “Sidney, I’m not going back without you.”

Sidney chuckles hollowly. “I don’t work for you anymore, Mr. Malkin.”

“Sid.” He grabs Sidney’s wrist and tugs him back. “Please, Sidney, look at me.”

“Please don’t make this more difficult for me,” Sidney says. “I wish you’d leave.”

“I know what Benjamin did,” Evgeni says. Sidney’s shoulders stiffen, and Evgeni knows he’s hit the nail on the head. “Please come back with me, Sidney.”

Sidney hesitates, but he pulls away after a brief moment. “It won’t work, Evgeni. Please wait here, I’ll just be a moment,” he says, and heads for the kitchen.

“Sidney!” Evgeni calls again, desperate. “Sidney, we have three children together. Three wonderful, talented, beautiful children.”

Sidney pauses.

“I saw them in a dream, and I know you must think me insane, but I’m not. It was so real, everything—there’s Sofia, she’s the oldest and shiest, but she’s kind and gentle. Alexandra—you call her Ali—she’s a little troublemaker, but she always needs you to read her a story, the one about elephants—before bed or she can’t sleep. And our son—he’s gorgeous, Sidney, he’s just turned one—”

“Zhenya,” Sidney says, brokenly. “Zhenya, it was just a dream. It can’t be.”

“It was real,” Evgeni insists, cupping Sidney’s face. “And perhaps we can’t have Sofia, or—or Ali or the baby in our lifetime, but we can be together, I’ve lived it. I know it. We can move away, be happy, finally.”

“I wish it were so,” Sidney replies thickly. Evgeni pulls him back into his arms, breathing him in, even as Sidney’s heart feels as if it’d been hurled across an entire ocean, and Evgeni is grasping at straws to fetch it back. “Oh, God, I wish—” He closes his eyes and inhales deeply. “Please, no more talk of this. I can’t bear it.”

“I read your letters,” Evgeni blurts.

“What?”

“The letters, you wrote me letters. I’ve read them,” Evgeni insists.

Sidney’s eyes are wide. “I don’t—I don’t understand, how did you—I never sent—”

“Because I have seen us,” Evgeni says, tilting Sidney’s chin up to face him. “You wrote that you should have been selfish that night, that you should have said yes when I asked you to marry me.”

Sidney’s looks like he’s struggling to breathe. “How could you have—”

“I’m asking again,” Evgeni says earnestly. He takes Sidney’s quivering hands with his own, unsteadily. Sidney’s hands are so warm. “Sidney, please, be selfish with me. Say you will marry me.”

Sidney doesn’t respond for a long moment, and Evgeni begins to fear that all has been lost until Sidney whispers, “Yes.”

“Yes?” Evgeni echoes dumbly. “Yes, you’ll marry me?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you,” Sidney laughs wetly, wiping at his eyes. “Yes, Zhenya, yes, yes, yes—”

Evgeni picks Sidney up then, twirling him around and lets the same rush of joy wash over him like it did earlier, until he feels like he could drown.

Outside, the storm clouds grow fainter yet.

#sidgeno #regency au #time travel #reincarnation au #might post on ao3 if i clean it up a little #but i am tired now

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tallysgreatestfan · 5 years

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Oh damn, tired and dizzy and thinking about Twilight again and then realizing that much of the tone and setting is suprisingly similiar to my favorite horror sci-fi movie “Annihilation”

And bam, there was the crossover nobody asked for but that would fit so damn well: Imagine if Leah Clearwater, Alice Cullen, Jacob and also a bunch of new characters get sent into the Shimmer to investigate what the hell is going on, and mamybe even stop the damn thing.

Said new characters are:

An really nerdy, cranky and good-hearted female were-hare from the Ute tribe, who also happens to be autistic and dangerously mentally ill, but also briliant and good in sensing dangers (I like to imagine that the genes causing the shapeshifting magic must be present all over the native american population, perhaps even every single group they ever came in contact with, not just the Quilute. And since these other tribes also have other cultures and myths, it can look vastly different from the Quilutes werewolfs)

Two deeply religious and battle-weary Peschmerga soldiers who ended up seeking asylum in the USA after their troops were ambushed and Turkey under President Erdogan declared war on the kurdish people. I fancast them as Mary Chieffo (who is not a Muslima but just would fit extremly well into the role) and Gizem Emre, and they happen to be part of an all-women kurdish elite force who got from Allah the power to shapeshift into the holy animal Buraq and wreck hell over those ISIS bastards they’re fighting

An magic-scientist specialised on magybiology with Massai orgins hired by the US goverment and so damn mad at the politicans. For all she cares, the Shimmer can come and take Trump and those other Nazis, fine, because there is no way even the Shimmer can make them any more insane. But she swore to protect this countrey and the people in it, and she is all to aware that this will very likely cause havoc on thousands and thousands of innocents and her friends too. She has to fight it.

An super ethereal, secretive slavic witch (???) (or a elf? or just an regular vampire?) who came to the US somewhere during the Balcan civil war and stayed there ever since. She can shapeshift too - to an owl - but oh my, there is so much more she can do. Her most powerful magic comes from harvesting core fusion power from the stars shining in the sky and reform it for casting hella extreme energy blasts, throwing fire or electricity and also other uses in rare cases. Fancast: Mira Furlan

And finally, there is the team youngster: Due to how genetic happens to work, it can also happen that the shapeshifter genes end up in generic culturally white people whoes great-great-geat-grandmother just happend to have an one-night-stand with an Apachee once or stuff like that. They have no cultural behavior to deal with this, and so they usually FREAK OUT. Said generic white boy shapeshifts to a rather cute fluffy cat, and he still isn’t sure how to deal with it. But since he also is a huge couch dweller and gamer he is also very skilled with informatics and math and knows how to operate all the equipment they use.

#Annihilation #Twilight #crossover #ideas #Native American #Fantasy #Horror #Science Fiction #if I would ever truly try to write this I would try so hard to be more respectfull and research more about the tribes cultures than Meyer di

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briefprincessbouquetworld-blog · 7 years

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prostitutes in syria damascus 8 11 2017 re editied

hi iam writing on all my observation in damascus

its all lie what seem natural and normal its all fake when u walk in street on normal day when shop open its fake all the people in the street the worker in the shop the puplic normal people u think u are suddenly in adirty bad no one in god land saw and want to go to wheres theres alot of trash in street beside shop close to building

also u need to qualify to be in same place as them .. so u will have fun tested kicked

to qulify theres grades if u are fat stupid u will hate that place for sure if u are beautiful 10 u will be gone ..

where u walk and people hit u touch u and these are those fat gross people who make u poke be aware these are all hired people also the one inside the shop they need to qualify and have experince or in street these old lady that can never find ajob they all work with a girl seeking sex mony whatever the age from 8 old to very big also the old lady prefer small young boy to enjoy as there bodyguard

so all young female walk in the street far away from there home by miles they take microbus in early morning use whatever toilet and work where normal people of the street either in there house dead sleeping or stuff and these girl if by 1 % chance someone saw it from her family which is rare bec people either work or smart and busy somewhere .

faking clothes and guard : they can fake everything if she wants like she can walk with agroup as amother sister family father who get angry on u if u annoy them children everything is available on her choice in specific house even clothes to chooose from whatever shit to play with she can hide here whole body and only show her eyes even wear dark glasses everything is alie from all people . even the worker in the street or shop they dont sell leather bags or shoes after observation they sell bags to them after agroup of female every day go to buy from them in avery weird way because its boring so he give her abag she pay she may here after along discusion go the prostitue house then after awhile he come back everyday carrying all the bags he sell to these shit in adark huge plastic bag s and return to anew day so nothing been sell sold . also alll the shop around all the same

ofcourse they have all body language of manipulation from shyness to asmile to old fat dad who go blank in his dream and walk only 1 or 2 in that street like dead .

they can also humilate u with smile alot now has low respect other learn

and they really annoy u like when u walk close to asmoker he just piece of trouble want humilate u to have sex with but they offer alot whatever u want all these female that there husband doesnt satisfy them they go buy bags

they all stupid just bec u have muscle its all easy to discover

so the shop around all the same they go to avery expensive beautiful shop with english brand name as they make a releation with outside english country name and when female go there they act weird if u look all the people know each other and u get started treated as someone who is sneeking pooking and following women and inside they want humilate u so they get there time of rest ofcoruse the shop big and nobody know whats inside they take there time in adeal and go out and not one all the shop and not one place now its very natural in all street in damascus they thought iam also like this and tried alot offer me

the female go to shop and people or somehow they go to other shop , but shop very close to each other and designed with worker working there to attack u if u annoy them or try discover something hide there , sex seeking customer there go to entrance to building , there the shops are old close to each other with all theses entrance and exit from everywhere so the girl go to ashop inside abuilding maybe 1 floor she may even go by an address by these bags selling people there and inside its avery dim with no light maybe dirty and ofcourse very scary so they are off for unlimited time in any house inn building

in the street theres alot of people u may say what a poor people selling sweet candy icecream dosent they have better stuff they sell socket for foot any shit and these are also people guardaing the street the building getting mony .... also people know them so when they need sex they seek them .

u can expect anything people love fuck pregnant women and imean very beautiful one .

u are not allowed to carry mobile in this crowded street they will hit u and make it fall to the ground and break annoy u hit u expect anything and all the female in the street get afraid when u put the camera on them they manipuate ur thinking they must trust u second u must be very outstanding so she risk everything so u know her also very muscular man they all know each other and cummunicate with other from kilometer away . whsile ......

the price is hell cheap in the street they manipulate word , so they sell any socks by 100sy pound which mean 1000 for sex for any girl .

i hear this price alot from people .

theres avery beautiful female begging for mony who stand and all the kind of people infront of female school , and they try each and every each day to get the girl over and over again by mony by harassing her dont froget the whole street for them and the normal people of syria they are all working and far away with only cops scatered fat stupid with belly to reach there mouth and happy by asmile of female in the streeet also they need evidence to catch criminal and when they get close weird stuff happen acar suddenlly speed up and almost make accident with very high sound anything he may get hit or scream whisle u can say he get totally freaked out ofcourse there free stuff also near my house what u think of very religious place which belong to hizb allah or secret organization russia helping bashar is aporn house

near my house the military gurding the street also help people in all street close by to have sex they know everything but they may say these need to have fun . and also they may have there place for collecting mony .

and alot people benifit by hiding his face inside this weird beard helping bashar wear glasses so u can say , alot of people adult in the street the same glasses bear normal casual clothes also wear military jeans so other get afraid and we are in war years so u have to respect and help military which is afake sex selling guid

and for the building working on sex wooo they are unlimited ucant count they are everywhere when i used to train how to do one leg squat in street i started to notice these houses even more deep down basment when these stupid fatty people walk on street notice nothing they have fun in basement , the building and alot has window with aglass that reflect light and see nothing alot of houses like these . weired why its obvious but also they can make alot some real some fake they can change palces periodically also they have other room in building ..... and

so u dont get lost , u see down there clerk selling stuff like something more expensive than peanut or exhausted old man sitting close to building will help u .

in steet u see beautiful girl siting and after awhile acar came with the sound of her father touching beep sound of car as he know her and he came she get in say hello and go out and speak very casually in night she can make afew gisture and then after car stop for few second it goes away girl go in opposite direction and they go both in circle around u and the building and she get with him .

i dont know why but all the porn star near my neighbour love me , i love them and iam not carry any grudge bec i dont care ashit about these people manipulating kid and deciving other bec any person is just shit and i can make million kid s in short time and all these people are there fault for being fat not observing never talked to me , its just a sperm that u can make . simply in the face of anyone , and we are the people we love fun and we want make success future success and all these manipulating behavior is and should never affect us in syria i can make as much sex as i want study like the best and have fun iam close to becoming miillonair $$$$ so after all this shit its all normal allowed fun and extra lovly stuff offered to us and we should not be dirty to hide places and iam working on my abs muscle for fun and my future assets .

not just here but everywhere when people treat u with disrespect they are being hiding something , after few moment i go work in factory close by and the same people offer me free sex or whatsoever . and if u refuse to get sex with them they will kick u outside factory .

inside the factory in very large transporting truck there that factory go very deep and scary inside ....... and alot like him

but its alot of fun and u learn a lot if u are good person

so the people in street come to u to ask for mony big or small and here they harrasse u even if u dont want sex they start touching u when u are bored and annoyed and stimulating u and they are good or very beautiful 7 years girl but they are fucked or see mom have sex everyday

also the resturant how ofcourse sells no food these days just shesha smoke all the people go there bec its fake place for seeking sex but they may have to lie to u when u walk close by and inhale alittle also all u will get annoyed its an advance place and how doesnt want cheap sex .

so .....stupid building infront of church also there s people and goverment use it for sex not sure how but i dont care ashit infront it all building weird the sell carpet sex

and other transport medical stuff in medical metal box rapped with green clothe of surgery . also this sex

close by they sell drugs with 6 girl as secretary very secretive and with bashar alassad photo very big on th e wall , and the women differnt and sometime they make gesture to me .

even for for muslim religious people they also secretly love this help other by marrying for few days and if u report these stuff to them u went the wrong place .....as afirst start

for penalty its just afew bucks or ajail 1 month maybe nothing more no killing nothing as people hear

and ofcourse theres newspaper with all these fake story teller all fabricated to scare other fatty husband or people that nothing is happening

in the street theres specifc places to find whore standing in street waiting with specific chinese fan big bag that all people with specific sign know .

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