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blackswaneuroparedux · 3 years

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Anonymous asked: So as someone who is a royalist and also an Oxbridge grad what do you make of the dreadful events at Oxford University where a college took down a portrait of the Queen? Is this wokeism gone mad? I wonder what’s next for these privileged and pampered left wing lunatics?

So I was having breakfast the other day and tucking into my croissant that I dipped into English marmalade (it’s nicer than you think) as I was scrolling through my newsfeed on my mobile phone, a front page headline in the London Times today read: “Oxford college removes Queen’s portrait over colonial links.” Well, I thought to myself there’s a proper marmalade-dropper of a headline.

Although I went up to Cambridge to read Classics as an undergrad I did hop over to the other place to pursue my graduate studies. And to be honest I had a throughly good time studying at Oxford. My heart will always loyally remain light blue but I do have a soft spot for the dark blue of Oxford. A couple of my older siblings were undergrads at Oxford (a good reason to go the other way). So I do care on some level. I suppose I was meant to be shocked by the clickbait headline. And I was. Sort of. But I didn’t want to get myself worked up into a hissy fit so early in the morning. I simply try and make it a rule not to start the day in anger. There will be plenty of opportunity to get angry during the rest of the work day that’s for sure. To start your day in a sour and angry mood is a waste of precious energy. So I sighed and scrolled past to read more about the upcoming G7 summit and other news stories of the day.

Switching off my phone I rushed out into the glorious sun kissed streets of Paris to an in person business breakfast meeting at a nearby café (terrace cafés are now open in Paris all of which means less face time glued to onscreen Zoom meetings). When I did switch on my phone I was surprised to see so many expletive laden texts and WhatsApp messages from family and friends in the UK mostly about the fact that it was Magdalen College, Oxford had decided to remove a picture of the Queen.

Magdalen? Magdalen?! The Magdalen of Thomas Wolsey, William Tyndale, John Betjeman, Seamus Heaney (Nobel winner), T.E. Lawrence, Julian Barnes, Alan Garner, Dudley Moore, Terence Malick, Peter Brook, Katie Mitchell, Ian Hislop, six Nobel Prize winners in Medicine, Chemistry and Physics (Sir John Eccles, Lord Howard Florey, Sir Peter Medawar, Sir Robert Robinson, Erwin Schrödinger, and Sir Charles Sherrington), two associate US Supreme Court Justices (Steven Breyer and Alan Souter), Andrew Lloyd Webber, Compton Mackenzie, Wilfred Thesiger, Robert Macfarlane, A.C. Grayling, Douglas Murray, Andrew Sullivan, many eminent historians (including Edward Gibbon, Edward Byles Cowell, Niall Ferguson, Robin Lane Fox, Martin Gilbert, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto, Albert Hourani, Adam Roberts, Norman Davies, N.H. Gibbs etc), countless British politicians (William Hague and George Osborne) and the judiciary, and other luminaries who made their mark in other fields.

Most of all, when I think of Magdalen I think of Oscar Wilde and C.S. Lewis.

I wondered why would Magdalen College of all the Oxford colleges do this? Magdalen has always been royalist throughout its long history. The Queen herself received an honorary degree in 1948. The monarch also visited in 2008 to mark its 550th anniversary.

So it’s not as if I’m not busy with back to back meetings and work deadlines, but somewhere I found a window during my lunch break to actually scroll back to the London Times article headline and this time read the story.

Magdalen is not the oldest college in Oxford, having been founded in 1458, but it is almost certainly one of the most beautiful. Whether, as the London Times claimed, it is one of the wealthiest, I do not know. Not mentioned, but more relevant to the story, is the fact that it was the first college in either ancient university to be attended by a Prince of Wales. The future Edward VIII, the present Queen’s uncle, studied (or rather played polo) at Magdalen before the First World War. The college has many other royal connections and the Queen herself last visited the place in 2008. So the thought of royal portraits being taken down conjures up an image of the Hall, lined with huge paintings of the founder, William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor, followed by Cardinal Wolsey and Queen Elizabeth I, plus many others portraits of the great and (sometimes) good. As most of these are male, there is at present, or so I’ve been informed, an exhibition in Hall of photographs of women with links to Magdalen.

As is so often the case, there is less to this London Times news story than meets the eye. As the Americans like to say it’s a ’nothing burger’.

It is not ‘the college’ per se that has taken down the Queen’s portrait, nor even the undergraduates, but a committee of the Middle Common Room (MCR) - which represents postgraduate students.

As the President of Magdalen, the eminent barrister, Dinah Rose QC, commented: “The Middle Common Room is an organisation of graduate students. How they choose to decorate their room is a matter for them.” The portrait in question is a faintly colourised print of a photograph taken at the time of the Accession in 1952. It has hung there, doubtless hitherto unnoticed, since 2013. How it got there no one really knows. It’s been part of the furniture all these past years and had gone un-noticed by postgrad students.

The news story does not reveal who decided to make an issue of this harmless photo, but apparently the MCR committee voted to remove it because “for some students depictions of the monarch and the British monarchy represent recent colonial history”. The head of the committee, Matthew Katzman, said that “the room should be a welcoming, neutral place for all members, regardless of background, demographic or views”. They wish to replace the royal image with “art by or of other influential and inspirational people”.

The reaction it is fair to say has been one of outrage across many national news media. Predictably hyperbole and hysteria have characterised the response by the tabloid press and those on social media.

‘Disgraceful!’ ‘Disrespectful shits!’ ‘Deport them!’ were some of the more obvious headlines.

‘Now the Queen gets cancelled.’ (No, the old girl will still be there long after they cancel Netflix’s The Crown)

‘And to think in some parts of the world, to merely talk ill of the head of state lands you in prison.’ (He means the ex-colonies, in America they just give you a cable show).

‘Universities need to start being defunded. The insanity must end.’ (Universities have been defunding for years thanks to cruel and short sighted government cuts).

‘That's what happens when you engage in social engineering’ (yes, you end up with Boris Johnson as Prime Minister).

‘Our universities indoctrinate young people into the left. It's almost like a cult or how isis recruits its members’ (do terrorist cults have diversity hiring policy and safe spaces for the easily triggered?)

‘Oxford and Cambridge are actually Wokesbridge’ (could be worse, it could be the London School of Economics).

‘Remove the Queen? Half of these woke dick heads are queens themselves!’ (Okay, that’s quite funny actually)

‘I wouldn’t have been surprised if this was about Cambridge University but Oxford? That’s quite a thing.’ (Ouch, that hurts)

‘Has Magdalen considered offering a degree in virtue signalling?!’ (I fear it would be oversubscribed)

Anyway, you get the idea.

What I find distasteful is how the tabloids went after the MCR President. He happens to be American, Matthew Katzman, a 25 year old Stanford graduate now researching his PhD in computer science. So they used him as a straw man to build the bonfire to stoke the fires of outrage. The tabloids gleefully revealed that Katzman came from a privileged Washington DC home. His father - a high powered DC lawyer - was also paraded on their pages as if he did something wrong. Matthew went to Sidwell Friends, an elite private high school in DC, that typically boasts of the children of past presidents who went to the school (From Nixon to Obama). As anyone knows Sidwell Friends it is not and has ever been a nest of wokery. It actively eschews Critical Race Theory etc. It did finally hire a director of equity in 2019 but after Katzman had gone to Stanford.

The tabloids did their best to whip up anti-American hysteria by shrinking on top the trope of privileged upper middle class brats getting all woke. Katzman didn’t push for the motion he meremy presided over as the President is supposed to do. What else was he supposed to do?

To me, it was disgusting to see such character assassination. These journalists (mostly Oxbridge themselves) know better but will never let ethics get in the way of a good story to generate faux outrage.

So a few points to clarify this over-egged scandal.

For those who don’t know about such things the Middle Common Room (MCR) is essentially social common room for postgrads to mingle and relax. It’s not the Carlton Club or The Reform Club or any image one can conjure up of the oak panelled gentleman clubs in London. It’s a glorified break room. Typically it has dingy leather chairs moping around, a coffee stained reading tables full of newspapers and journals, a big TV screen, and a kitchen area to cook or make tea and coffee.

Every college in both Oxford and Cambridge has one. Undergrads have the JCR (Junior Common Room) where there is typically a bar and a pool table; the Dons have the SCR (Senior Common Room) where they congregate to have port or wine before and after a High Table meal.

The MCR is really a very quiet room to relax in and how ornate or dingy it is depends upon how wealthy or poor and old or new the college is. To be honest in my experience no one really notices how an MCR is decorated. There are notice boards with flyers of university and college events taking place from sporting to the arts. There are often framed portraits on the wall but they usually tend to be of historic photos of great sporting achievements by college teams (like rowing, rugby, or football). There may well be a portrait or two of a historical figure connected to the college that hangs on a wall and even then they are largely forgotten as if they were part of the wallpaper.

Having done my postgraduate studies at Oxford I can say that it’s a different experience to being an undergraduate as you are less involved in college life. By and large anyone who has done their postgrad studies at both Oxford and Cambridge will tell you that postgrads are generally treated like crap (actually that’s true in most universities these days). Everything is focused around the undergraduates - the famous one-to-one tutorials (or supervisions as we say in Cambridge). Undergrads tend to live within the college and postgrads are shunted out to generally live off site in college halls or private housing.

The irony is that it’s the postgrads - many of them from overseas - bring in cash (higher fees and research money). Both the university and the colleges increasingly now depend upon lots of research dosh from such students to replenish their coffers and maintain their highly prized international rankings within the top 5 best universities in the world.

Postgrads - most of them - are too busy with their own academic research and meeting of deadlines to be overly political in my experience. The graduate community that uses the MCR is a very small fraction of the graduate community of the college itself. You get the same old faces in there all the time.

I remember I only ever used my college’s MCR to shower and change from early morning sports training before cycling over for long study sessions in the Bodleian, sleeping off a hang over from a drunken night before, or chewing my nails ahead of meeting my graduate tutor for a piece of work I knew was rubbish because I had gone to a wild party in London the night before, or procrastinating on my own work by lounging in a comfy leather chair and happily volunteering to reading my friends’ PhD chapters in subjects I knew next to nothing about (I sure did learn a lot though).

I don’t know of any Oxbridge MCR - whether the college leans left or right by virtue of its reputation or demographics etc - where graduate students are super active in the MCR. Out of the hundreds of grad students I doubt you would have more than 20 ever attend one MCR meeting in their time at that college. Root canal dental work would be more desirable. It’s like a high school prom committee to give an American comparison. They organise the social events and all anyone cares about is making sure there’s enough coffee and tea in the cupboards.

So at these meetings a member of the MCR can say I don't like that picture let's have a vote to take it down, and it just happens to be who is in the general meeting at the particular time. Which isn’t many. In the case of Magdalen MCR, Out of the 250 or so graduates, only 17 students actually bothered to turn up and vote.

I’m not sure this is worth getting steamed up about. Oxbridge students have always been self-righteous bores. I know we were back in my day. The current crop are no different.

This may be a hard concept to understand but the United Kingdom is a liberal democracy where freedom of political thought and expression is an ideal that men and women have died for. Denying people education because of youthful political beliefs would be somewhat contrary to that. Voted (or put up?) to put it up in 2013, voted to take it down in 2021. Voted. Democratically. No one outside of Magdalen should care. If other graduate students within Magdalen really care then they should actually bother to turn up and vote.

More importantly what kind of signal does this send in the wider battle of ideas? If you are like me who detests the petty viciousness of ‘cancel culture’ then what does say for the moral high ground that we think we occupy when we make own argument against the evils of cancel culture? If we seek to ‘cancel’ a democratically held vote by forcing these students to put the portrait back up then how are we any different from the pernicious faux outrage on those on the far left and the woke mobs?

I would like everyone to take a breath and pause for reflection. They're taking one picture down in one room. It's not like they're declaring a republic. This so-called affront doesn’t even come close to the infamous "This house would fight for king and country" Oxford Union debate of the 1930s for weighty moral controversy.

The MCR common room is not a public space, but neither is it a matter of indifference for those who care about Magdalen or indeed Oxford.

Because while I am dismissive over this silly storm in a tea cup to provoke another round of the culture wars, I am incredulous at the reasoning for the removal of the Queen’s portrait. If they said we don’t like it as she’s stuffy old bird and we prefer to stick up something cooler like Jimi Hendrix or whoever. That I can understand. But the fact they invoked ‘colonialism’ as the main reason is just baffling.

It is almost laughable to think that these incredibly bright students, every one of whom is privileged to have been accepted there because the to get in is super tough, can be so historically illiterate. Was there anyone there doing a PhD in British imperial history to remind of everyone else of things of salient facts?

The Queen ascended to the throne in 1952. Her reign began with the start of decolonisation, especially in Africa. In its place emerged the Commonwealth of which the Queen is the head of a Commonwealth of 54 member countries; fifteen of these countries, she is the official head of state.

I don’t know any scholar or politician or journalist who can doubt that it was her personal achievement to have transformed the Commonwealth from a relic of the colonial era into a benign and entirely voluntary presence on the international stage. Netflix’s The Crown gets a lot of things wrong with the Queen and plays fast and loose with historical facts but even they were at pains to show just how much the Queen cherishes the Commonwealth and its interests even if she had to go against her own Prime Minister (Thatcher) on contentious issues.

Every one of these former colonial countries respect and even love the Queen and marvel at her quiet leadership.

It is her personal achievement to have transformed the Commonwealth into a useful voice for the developing world to solve issues like education, poverty, and climate change. Largely she enjoys this position of quiet authority because she has remained scrupulously above politics throughout her long reign, uniquely among world leaders she is universally respected. In fact, it would be hard to find a more “influential and inspirational” person, or one better suited to a “welcoming, neutral place”.

To me these 17 students (actually we don’t know the voter tally as it could easily have been 8-7), were being blinkered in their outlook that they would find this reminder of the Queen’s larger significance to the Commonwealth in their common room obtrusive or even offensive.

What you won’t find on social media or events followed by the news media are other more important issues that don’t seem sexy enough to warrant a clickbait headline.

A few months ago, Magdalen itself was briefly in the news because the President - a distinguished human rights barrister - was criticised for representing a Commonwealth country, the Cayman Islands, in a case that involved the legality of same sex marriage there.

Absurdly, it was suggested by Stonewall and others that the college of Oscar Wilde was no longer a “safe space” for LGBTQ students and that President Dinah Rose QC - the first woman to be elected head of the college - had done something wrong.

Her colleague Edward Fitzgerald QC pointed out that she had “acted perfectly properly” and that to return her brief would be a “breach of her professional duty”. For a brief moment it, though, looked as if the campaign against her might escalate on social media. Once the Fellows and students made clear their support for the President, however, the row soon blew over.

Or take the ongoing saga at Oriel College, Oxford. The college authorities seem to be standing by the their guns in not removing the statue of Cecil Rhodes after a well publicised outcry from leftists and woke activists.

Oriel College said they had decided not to remove the monument due to 'considerable obstacles', including financial costs and 'complex' planning processes. An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes' legacy was set up last June in the wake of BLM protests after the governing body 'expressed their wish' to remove the statue from outside the college. A majority of members on the Commission supported the college's original wish to remove the Rhodes' statue. But Oriel College said: 'In light of the considerable obstacles to removal, Oriel's governing body has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation of the memorials.'

The Rhodes Must Fall campaign accused Oriel College of 'institutional racism’. Recently, according to the Daily Telegraph, more than 150 lecturers have since refused to give tutorials to Oriel’s undergraduate students following the decision by Oriel’s refusal. Lecturers reportedly pledged to withdraw from all talks, seminars and conferences sponsored by Oriel and stop their involvement in interviewing students and recruiting fellows. However, the boycott does not include work which is not discretionary, such as exams, delivering lecturers and supervising postgraduate students (because they have contracts tied to research funds).

Many rightly see it as academic blackmail. They are holding hostage the education of Oriel undergraduates for their own political beliefs. They are unfairly punishing students not the college.

I feel sorry for the students. They have been in lock down most of the past year with the all stress that distant online learning brings and now they come back to this nonsense. A lot of these students are paying fees they can barely afford and now they are being punished on the altar of wokedom.

One of those supporting the anti-Rhodes campaign has been Robert Gildea, Professor of Modern History at Worcester College, who suggested Oriel College should place a sign saying 'Sorry' around Rhodes' neck. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'One of the options offered by the commission was to retain and contextualise, so if the college put up a notice explaining who Cecil Rhodes was that would be fine. If the college put a placard around his neck at lunchtime today saying 'Sorry' that would also be fine.'

Many Oxford dons have rightly condemned Gildea and branded his actions as despicable and mean-minded. It is unprecedented for the head of one Oxford college to attack and detract from the teaching of students at another college. It is politics based on ignorance and bias, and should have nothing to do with Oxford or any other university, where the principal aim should be to educate students and not damage their learning through left-biased agitation.

Put into context then, the bone of contention at Magdalen and the Queen’s portrait seems even more trivial.

One simply can’t get whipped up into a frenzy over every little matter. If so one risks in return of being easily triggered. Indeed, like the woke leftists and SJW crowd, people of a more conservative pursuasion might fall victim to the same affliction as they do. Namely the law of Maslow’s hammer. As Abraham Maslow said in 1966, “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”

Of course, nobody should be forced to hang a portrait of the Queen in their common room. Even its removal is a matter of the utmost insignificance. Perhaps the MCR committee thought nobody would notice or care what they did. Now that it has become a news story, however, I confess that I am dismayed by the lack of judgement, tact and taste shown by these students. Nor did they do their research very well. It evidently did not occur to them that if the Queen had been a symbol of colonialism, Nelson Mandela would hardly have been one of the few non-royals to be on first name terms with her. (He called her “Elizabeth”, she called him “Nelson”.)

The best thing the committee could do now is to consult more widely among their members and, perhaps, consider a change of heart. Better still: Magdalen should invite the Queen to revisit the college, so that its graduate students can see for themselves why her portrait belongs in their common room after all.

I was joking with my older sister who was at Oxford as an undergrad about how sensitive and easily triggered these students must have been at looking at a picture of the Queen. Presumably they are happy seeing the Queens face on a £50 note though, my sister quipped. If they want to dispose of their bank notes, my sister will happily take them off their hands and give the cash to the homeless.

I couldn’t help agreeing with an Oxford educated African colleague from work who suggested quite reasonably that perhaps these easily triggered students shouldn't go to Oxford University to study since they're so concerned with benefiting from the colonial past. No one is forcing them to come to Oxford.

How can the pampered middle class woke argue with that?

Deep breath.

Thanks for your question

#question #ask #magdalen #oxford #university #cambridge #queen #monarchy #church of woke #wokism #protests #education #culture #society

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daydreamrry · 3 years

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Yk I used to think Kendall was pretentious at first from among Harry's "girlfriends". I mean girl you're a fucking Jenner but you try to say that you're a "nerd" and a "tomboy" and you "hate makeup" while having a face full of it? Yeah, she was a teen/ in her early 20s and she wanted to be kinda different from her sisters, we've all been there.

Then I saw Camille, she seemed cool at first but then honestly she went overboard with the aesthetic thing, and thse fans acted like she's some sort of intellectual queen when in reality she was just another French girl with a bookshelf who likes psychology and fur coats and 70s music (of course she does, old soul bs, I rolled my eyes thinking)

Like 60% of my friends would check those boxes except for the French part, but yeah, everyone wants to go for that "Zen and geek and crystals and astrology and croissants and bakeries and unconventional fashion" aesthetic these days. She's like five aesthetics put into one. Camillecore, she should call it.

But then, I saw Olivia. Tun tun tunnnn. Yeah, all those girls were great people. What the fuck.

Harry's previous girlfriends might have been pretentious, but Olivia is literally pretending to be Harry's girlfriend.

She's a new level of intolerable. Forgive me Kendall and Camille (and Paige, honorary mention, I thought you were showing off to much on your Instagram page, now I see Olivia's instagram following and regret it), we, the whole fandom, must all unite to defeat the common enemy. Cock burn.

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varric-tethras-editor · 3 years

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Pass the happy! 🌻When you receive this and if you want to, list five things that make you happy and send this to some of the last people in your notifications. 🌻💛💛💛 with extra hugs <3

Xc2idw;dDJL'';ak;SKQEWR5'24'R29 💖💖💖💖💖BABE

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

My cats, Bella and Alistair. (Yes he is named after Alistair Theirin and Yes he is a big beefy Maine Coon himbo.) They are truly both so loving and kind and I feel very blessed to have such wonderful pets.

Sunshine! If there's clouds I'm automatically like 25% more sad. I love the sun because I'm a huge Leo Summer Child.

Old Houses/Cool Houses/Houses. I love interior design and architecture. Old houses make me so pleased. The look of an original 1784 Fireplace in a restored home. Unf, that's sexy.

CARBS. I fuckin love carbs. In any form, I'm not picky. Bread is beautiful. Pasta is perfection. I could eat about a bajillion butter croissants in a single sitting. Give me carbs.

My friends! I have some of the best friends in the entire world. When I was in middle and high school I didn't have good and super close long-term friends and now I have some that are so special that I can't limit my affection for them to just a few sentences. I'd be nothing without my people.

THIS ASK MAKES ME HAPPY. Honorary Mention to you and this ask who also make me smile and happy when I see you on my dash/notif wall. LOVE YOU BABE 💖💖💖

#about me #ask #ask answered #personal #TIME TO LEARN ABOUT CAM

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alwaysanotherrainbow · 4 years

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my boyfriend never texts first

Remus just wants to not be the first one to send a message every once in a while. That’s not too much to ask, right?

relationship: romantic remrom, background remy and emile (also romantic)

warnings: major character death, extended mourning (secondary warnings- brief discussion of religious holidays, brief underage drinking mention, a lot of all-caps) notes: unrelated, human, hs/college au. virgil, emile, and remy are here too. If you need anything in the secondary warnings (or one of those latter three characters) edited out, please let me know and I can put that up for you!

____________________________________________________

Remus always texted him first. Always. It didn’t matter the situation, didn’t matter the time date place name face. Who what when where why. It first started when he texted hi roman :) when they first got phones; for whatever reason, Roman just never texted first. Either he’d call or they’d talk in person.

No matter. Remus could cope.

May 1:

8:37 PM tody i saw you by my locker 8:39 PM *today 8:42 PM why didnt you say hi?

May 2:

9:30 PM a teacher talked to me today 9:30 PM wanted to talk about how i’m doing after 9:52 PM well you know. he’s a sick bastard

Really, it wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? He just wanted to see him text first once in a while! May 7:

3:32 PM: by the way idk if you got this last time 3:36 PM: my class ring size is the medium 3:44 PM: hopefully you order it by the deadline :P 4:03 PM: no idea when the deadline is 4:20 PM: bLAZE IT 4:24 PM: sorry i have like 0 money so i got it from the consignment shop 4:31 PM: i hope you like synthetic rubies!! leaving them with ur dad 10:40 PM: update. i cried for four hours with your dad.

June 2:

7:30 AM: gRaDuAtIoN dAy!!! 7:32 AM: there’s cookies in the reception menu 7:35 AM: snickerdoodles your favorite [eyes] 10:02 AM: i’m getting some for u 10:05 AM: [kissy face] 7:40 PM: the announcement was Weird 7:43 PM: anyways i have the snickerdoodles (Remus couldn’t go over to where Roman was staying, so he left them in the living room. He knew Roman would appreciate them. Hopefully he’d come over (wait, probably not, given...))

Well, actually, he could understand why he never texted first. June 11:

12:14 PM: roMAN 12:16 PM: [Attachment: Remus_Picani-Kleitman_Acceptance_Letter.pdf] 12:18 PM: YEAHHHH 12:24 PM: I’m sure you got in too SEND ME YOURS WHEN YOU GET IT 12:32 PM: WE MIGHT SHARE A ROOM YEA 12:35 PM: [Attachment: celebration.jpg]

Everyone was probably saying that he ought to just move on, but to be honest, he couldn’t... Actually, to be honest, no-one had told him to move on to his face yet. In fact, everyone was surprised he was doing so well, given how bad the circumstances were! The situation was stressing him out so much, even his dads were gently advising him to rethink things. (Well, that was part of the territory with one of them being a therapist and the other being a barista.)

“I got y’all some kouign-amann from the cafe,” said Dad, putting it down on the counter. His shirt had SLEEP scrawled on it with a Sharpie; it was the one that Remus had made for him as a joke. He still wore it. Huh.

“Sweetie, what’s a queen amahn?” asked Papa.

“It’s a... er, it’s like a... this is kinda like a croissant that had dreams of a muffin tin and salted caramel. One for you, babe.... then one for Doodlebug-”

“Can I leave some for Roman?” asked Remus.

They exchanged a glance.

“Of course you can,” said Papa with a smile. “Your candle’s on the table. Also, I got the news about being accepted into university? Good job, kiddo. You know, that was your father’s alma mater.”

“Are you sure you want to go to school right away after...? No problem taking a gap year.”

Papa glared at Dad. “Be nice.”

“I’m sorry, Remus, it’s just...” Dad put down his coffee. “If you’re not ready, if you need more time-”

"I’m sure,” said Remus with a grin, trying to get rid of what he just remembered. “Trust me.”

“Please find a good way to put away the snickerdoodles, they’ve been there since last week!” shouted Papa.

June 12:

12:12 AM: its twelve twelve make a wish 12:15 AM: hey when does your phone bill go out? 12:20 AM: im just saying that would Explain some things 12:22 AM: i know your dad pays Everything like a year in advance 12:34 AM: tell him i say hi 12:34 AM: 12:34 MAKE A WISH

July 12:

3:30 PM: guess who’s a double major in bio and theatre!! 3:32 PM: marine biology babey 3:53 PM: it’s good for the SOUL 4:04 PM: this cute octopus reminded me of you by the way 4:10 PM: [Attachment: for_roman]

August 14:

6:24 PM: moving in is the Worst 6:32 PM: by the way i got a single 6:35 PM: no roommates 6:41 PM: still have the bunk tho 6:44 PM: also got ur favorite pillo

August 30:

2:12 AM: roman it is like two o’clock in the morning what the Heck are you doing here, 2:15 AM: if u see me wave Hi 2:32 AM: ok >:c 2:42 AM: dont mind Me just studyin on top of the planetarium 3:15 AM: tbh i didn’t even know we go to the same campus? haven’t seen you around or anything 3:17 AM: shit phones gonna di

September 28:

2:20 PM: i failed my test 2:22 PM: idk what to d 2:24 PM: *do

September 29: 7:30 PM: remember that octopus you gave me that eats negative emotions? 7:32 PM: it works!!

October 3:

1:10 PM: You’d like the theatre program, really 1:15 PM: just so u know they’ve listed your name as an ‘honorary member of the class of’ 1:19 PM: that’s really nice of them. idk if your dad knows

October 23:

9:45 AM: i had to explain one of our inside jokes 8( 9:52 AM: i can’t Explain the deodorant thing that was One Time 9:55 AM: also why i’m called The Duke 9:56 AM: its bc you said it. not my fault 9:58 AM: its still cute pls call me that still 9:59 AM: pancake brunch pancake brunch pancake brunch October 31: 6:12 PM: sun’s down! joyous samhain 6:15 PM: i remember when you sewed me that octopus btw, the one that eats ucky feelings 6:19 PM: how long did it take you to get the laurel sachet into it?? 6:34 PM: also thank you thank you thank you for helping me find a friendly church to celebrate all saints day 6:47 PM: that year was a NIGHTMARE because you forgot to get your white candles and carnelian, and i forgot my holy water, so we were driving around town like Madmen 6:59 PM: it was worth it though 7:03 PM: i left you a script, i think you’ll like it.

November 9:

11:19 PM: i miss you so so much.

November 10:

12:20 AM: ignor this i drank like 12:24 AM: a lot 1:15 AM: i’m sorry i should’ve been with you 1:22 AM: i shouldve been there With You. 1:45 AM: but i wasn’t 2:20 AM: i didn’t know thered be a 4:11 PM: shit i just saw these. Sorry to bother you December 2:

10:10 AM: hey roman, been a bit. yea sorry about last time. too much of the Alcohol 10:13 AM: gonna go over to my parents’ house 1:00 PM: if you wanna come over, you can. dad’s making snickerdoodles and papa’s gonna watch atla (yes i still have that dvd you got me do not @ me it’s with your candles on your table just like everything else) 1:03 PM: that was on the dot, i’m happy.

December 21

8:34 AM: hey, it’s snowing 9:13 AM: couldn’t help leaving you some hot cocoa. and snickerdoodles of course 10:12 AM: i love you Remus went to go help his dads with making breakfast, but by the time everyone was done cleaning and they had finished watching some shitty Hallmark movie, he remembered that he had left his phone upstairs. Going upstairs and looking at it, he felt something in him break.

[2 Unread: Roman <3, bf’s dad]

10:22 AM, Roman <3: Why are you texting this number? 11:15 AM, bf’s dad: Remus, disregard that last, I’m so sorry. I just found his phone and I saw only the recent message first

The phone started ringing. Remus answered it as quickly as he could.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Sanders I didn’t know that someone was actually getting these messages I thought the line was out,” he said within a few seconds before the person on the other side sighed.

“No, it’s quite all right. And Virgil’s all right, by the way, if you prefer. I... I was just looking through his things for the first time. You know, it being a holiday and all... Memories, things like that.”

“Yeah, I understand.”

“I just turned the phone back on, I’m getting a lot of messages.”

“Oh.” Remus stared at the wall, trying to come to terms with everything. “Well, I--”

“I’m not going to stop paying for his phone. I’m sorry, I just... I still have his voicemails on it, and I can’t stand the thought of it going offline either.”

“Right, I... I listen to it too.”

“I happened upon the last one he sent to you.”

“You looked at the messages?”

“I only looked over when I stopped getting new ones, but I saw the last question he sent you. For your ring size.”

“Yeah? He asked my ring size so that he could--”

“There’s no easy way to say this, but.. I found something of his. Can you come over?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t, but can you please tell me what it was? Please?”

“I really think I should tell you this in person.”

“Please, Mr. Sanders. Please, I... I can’t manage that.”

He sighed. “All right, Remus. I found an early acceptance letter to SJAU, and... and a ringbox.”

Remus felt his grasp on the phone grow weak. It fell onto the bed, Mr. Sanders’ voice still clear.

“I think he was going to ask for you to....”

“No, we... We were just out of high school, I-- that doesn’t make sense.”

“He always was one for those romantic gestures. There’s some poems here, too. A life-plan. I’m not sure exactly what malacology is, but--”

“Mollusks. Like octopi and squids.. Sorry for cutting you off, what was that?”

“Some of it’s in your handwriting, but one of the entries is ‘ask him’, for the day after... you know.”

God, he could hear his sad smile through the phone. He knew exactly how Mr. Sanders looked right now just talking to him, probably wearing that hoodie that was too big on him, in a dusty room full of things that used to belong to the most vibrant person that Remus had ever met.

But then Roman had died.

He was the most wonderful person, and he had just died.

“I’ll come over to deliver the ring to you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s... that’s fine. Uh, call my dads first, though. They’re still not convinced I’m doing okay.”

“I understand. I’ll talk to you later, Remus.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sanders.”

The line went dead in his hands.

Remus held himself and wept.

December 28:

12:30 PM, Remus Picani-Kleitman: Mr. Sanders, would you like to come over for our New Year’s party? 12:34 PM, Remus Picani-Kleitman: It’s a tradition we had. You don’t have to if you’d rather not. 12:45 PM, Virgil Sanders: I’d love to go.

January 1:

12:00 AM: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! 12:05 AM: [Attachment: :)] 12:07 AM: we are all smiling in this photo and for that i think we deserve a hug. 12:10 AM: this rings the most beuatifl thing i’ve ever fuckign seen. thank you,, 12:14 AM: never gonna get rid of it <3 12:16 AM: it looks Good on my finger 12:30 AM: jsyk your dad’s asking my dads for the kouign amann recipe 12:32 AM: thats a pastry, i left those for u a while back 12:39 AM: okay i’m crying a bit but honestly, i love u 12:44 AM: I love you so so so much, Roman

Somewhere out there, whether it was from some wonderful paradise or beyond the veil or even only in wishful thoughts, Remus knew that someone was saying I love you too.

#remrom #remrom writing #my fics

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thewritewolf · 6 years

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True Sight Chapter 8

When I saw the chapter title, I got excited ‘cause this is the first Marichat scene in my story! Which I love because Marichat is my favorite part of the love square. And now I get to share it all over again here!

Enjoy!

Read on AO3

After an eventful day, Marinette was looking forward to working on her jacket for Adrien. She was thankful that her injuries were healed by her ladybug restoration, otherwise her parents would have been even more worried than they were. Simply knowing that she had been in the area was tough for them. The fact that she had almost been injured would have been too much.

She had made excellent progress when she heard a knock. A glance at the clock showed it was very close to her parents' bedtime, so it probably wasn't them. She lifted the trap door, but saw no one. The knocking became louder, and this time she could pin the sound to the door to the balcony. With trepidation she went to poke her head out, finding Chat Noir crouched outside.

She was too surprised to respond at first, and he grinned. “I know, I know. Take a moment to compose yourself. I am a lot to take in.” He then had the audacity to strike a pose, sprawled out on the ground to be eye level with Marinette, who was still mostly inside.

That brought her back to Earth. Speculation on why he was here ground to a halt so that she could fix him with an eye roll. “What's up, Chat Noir? Don't you have heroics to be doing?” No, he probably does not. There was already one akuma today and he isn't scheduled for patrol.

“Oh, but this is part of the heroics job! I am making sure that you are safe and sound. It was a really close call there today.”

Well, he isn't wrong. She found his concern endearing, but exasperating. “I'm fine, Chat. Thanks to you, of course. Ladybug's power even fixed the scratch on my cheek.”

Chat nodded, then gave an exaggerated shiver. “Oh Purrincess, it is so chilly out here. Do you mind if I warm up inside before I leave?”

“Is that the line you use to sneak into all the young ladies' rooms at night?”

He blushed furiously. So the charmer can't take his own medicine, hm? “W-well, it's n-not like that, I just, uh...” He was cut off by her laughter.

“It's okay, silly kitty, I'm just teasing. Come on in.” She had intended to politely turn him away, but he just looked so sad outside. Like a stray, really.

She climbed down the ladder just as Chat swung into her room, landing on her bed. She turned back towards him to notice him taking in her room décor. Which prominently featured another famous green-eyed blonde.

His jaw dropped, clearly stunned, as he slowly turned his head over to Marinette. She could feel the heat rise on her cheeks. “They are for research!” She blurted out. “I like Adrien's work, I like fashion, Gabriel Agreste is my design role model!” She calmed down a bit, before taking in Chat's confused look. “Plus... He is a good person that I hope to become better friends with.”

Chat's expression softened into a gentle smile. “Sounds as though you like him, Princess.”

“Yeah...” She said dreamily, before realizing what she could be admitting to. “Wait! Well – yes, but as a friend.” She smiled nervously, hoping Chat would give up this line of conversation.

Thankfully, he did seem to let go of the topic. His gaze landed on the jacket. His green eyes lit up. Even in its unfinished state, it very clearly borrowed heavily from the aesthetic of his own costume. He looked back to Marinette, a wide grin on his face. He swaggered over to her and leaned in. “I didn't realize you were such a big fan of me, Marinette.”

She held her ground and pushed Chat back by his shoulders. “Down, kitty. I'm making this jacket for a friend, who is a big fan of you.”

“Oh? And can I ask who that might be?”

“No, but it is the same boy that I mentioned to you the last time you were here. Remember? Back when Glaciator was after me?”

A cloud of sadness passed his face before it was covered by a smiling mask. “Yes, I remember that night. Did I tell you that I finally did get Ladybug to that romantic rooftop get away I showed you?” He splayed out on the chaise.

Yes, you did show me it. Twice, as a matter of fact. Out loud, she said. “No, you didn't. Good for you, Chat! How'd it go?” She sat down at her desk, one arm over the back of the chair. She was studying his features, looking for insight into how well he took rejection.

“Alas! My lady says that she is in love with another.” His voice was wistful, his expression distant. Then he flipped over so that he was lying on his stomach. This put him facing Marinette, and he locked eyes with her. “But I am a persistent cat, and I'm sure it is only a matter of time before she falls for my roguish charm.”

“And in the meantime?”

He settled back down on his back, hands behind his head. “Until that day, I will be her loyal friend. Even if we never get together, her friendship means the world to me.”

While she seriously doubted that he would ever displace Adrien from her heart, Chat's loyalty was sincerely touching. “And what about you, my honorary Ladybug?”

The nickname caused Marinette's heart stopped for a moment as she processed his words. Realizing that he hadn't figured out her secret, she asked. “Honorary Ladybug?”

He tilted his head back to look at her upside down. “Well, you were my Ladybug during that fight with the Evilistrator. And you remind me a lot of Ladybug – selfless, always helping your friends, courageous. Don't think I didn't notice that you only got caught by the akuma earlier today because you made sure all your friends were safe.”

Now Marinette was blushing from the praise. It was nice – if a bit scary – that someone noticed the Ladybug in her.

“But, you haven't answered my question yet, Marinette.” He was pushing the chaise closer to her with his foot, stopping within arm's reach of her. He flipped over so that he was on his stomach again, head resting on the back of the chaise nearest to her.

“What about me, kitty?” She pet his head, just behind his ears. It was surprisingly soft hair. She started laughing quietly as she heard a soft purr emerge from his chest.

“How did things work out with this mystery boy of yours?”

She leaned back and began fidgeting with her hands. “Well, we are talking more, and hanging out more. So that's a start. But...”

“But...?” Chat tilted his head.

“...I haven't admitted anything to him yet.” She finished meekly. She sighed. “I wish I had your courage, Chat. At least then I'd know one way or another if he liked me back.”

“Don't worry too much about it, Princess. He would have to be an idiot not to like you back.” His voice, in contrast to his usual joking tone, was low and earnest. His eyes were distant.

Not for the first time, she felt remorse for Chat and how that whole situation went done. If the roles had been reversed, and Adrien had let her down gently, she wasn't sure if she would have been as composed as Chat had been. Then again, I would have been composed up until I got home...

She looked back to her partner, who was absently staring at the wall. He didn't talk about his home life much, but a year of friendship with him had given her some clues. An empty house and a distant father weren't something that she wanted to send him back to. Not when he was in this state.

An idea popped into her head. “Chat?” His eyes flicked to hers. “Is there anywhere you need to be in the next couple of hours?”

He grinned. “Already trying to get rid of me?” He tried to play it off as teasing, but she could hear the disappointment in his voice.

“The opposite, actually. I was just about to put a movie on while I worked on the jacket, and I wanted to know if you were going to stay and watch it with me. Although, be warned: It will be a Disney movie.”

He seemed to light up at that. “That won't be a problem at all.” His tail began flicking back and forth.

She held up a finger. “But be warned! We can't sing along, since my parents are sleeping.” His cat ears pressed against his head and his tail fell flat as he pouted, which made Marinette giggle. She got up and Chat tilted his head in confusion.

“I'm getting snacks, kitty. There should be a few croissants left, and I'll make us each a glass of hot chocolate.” Maybe not the best for a late night snack, but he looks like he could use the comfort.

His tail resumed its low swinging as she walked down the stairs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You're in luck, Chat, there were some strawberry croissants left down-” She stopped as Chat quickly turned to her. He was standing over her desk, one hand behind his back. His face with flushed and he met her eyes with a panicked grin.

“Chat...? What did you do?” She was more amused at his reaction than anything. He probably didn't break anything, since she didn't hear a crash. Why is he so flustered?

He scraped the ground with his boot and looked everywhere but toward her.

She set down the plate of goodies, which Chat Noir looked at longingly. His focus became fixed on her when she stepped within arm's reach of him. “Chat. Show me your hands.”

He brought his hand from behind his back to reveal that it had been snared by a pink box with white polka dots. She was stunned for a moment before she began laughing.

Chat Noir pouted. “Why did your box eat my hand, purrincess?”

“It is to protect the book inside. I'm feeling a lot more confident in my magic box now. After all, even the famous Chat Noir was no match for it!” She flicked his bell and laughed.

He tried to keep pouting but before long he was laughing too. As Marinette went to get the key, Chat looked at the box attached to his hand. “So what's so valuable that traps capable of beating super heroes are required?”

“My diary is in there, with all my secrets.” She fished the key out of its hiding place and went to free Chat. He was looking a bit paler than he had before and seemed worried.

“I'm sorry! If I had known it was your diary I wouldn't have reached for it. I was just curious about what it was...”

She smiled and patted his head. “It's alright, kitty. Just don't do it again and we'll be fine.” She put the key in the lock and freed his hand. “Now, help me choose a movie.”

#miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain-cheng #chat noir #marichat #ml fanfiction #True Sight

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theitbags · 7 years

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Travel Guide: 24 hours in Santorini, Greece

So what do you do when you have 24 hours in Santorini?

We recently got to travel the beautiful Santorini in Greece (which is still quite on top of MY must see places bucket list btw!) with Kristin Mansky of ModishandMain, as she let us tag along with her new favourite travel must-have The Colt bag. Read on to see more of this beautiful island and find out her top things to do, see, try in Santorini in Greece. xo

KRISTIN MANSKY //

Spending a memorable week in Santorini, Greece was incredible, but now I want to share with you all the fun you can have in just 24 hours on the island. Come along as I take you, along with my camera + THEIT bag, on a journey that you’ll never forget!

Knowing this trip is quite possibly a once in a lifetime experience, I didn’t want to miss out on ANY opportunity to take beautiful photography. Therefore, I wanted to bring my Canon 5D Mark iii with a 24-70mm lens everywhere I went which isn’t always the easiest because it’s a big camera and it’s not very light. Those of you that are familiar with this camera body and lens know that it’s not cheap and the last thing I want to do is stand out like a tourist waving a red flag that says “rob me!” BUT ….. it takes such incredible photos that I wasn’t going to leave it behind.

This is where The Colt bag comes in from THEIT. It is hands down the most stylish, yet functional camera bag I have ever laid eyes on (and trust me, I’ve tried A LOT of camera bags). Not only does it look like a fashionable handbag, but it can hold my 5D Mark iii with lens attached and I still have room for the day-to-day necessities. This camera bag is a total lifesaver and it came along on our journey throughout Santorini. Let’s not wait any longer & get this tour started!

8:30a | Get Dressed & Head Out for Breakfast

Our hotel did provide a complimentary standard breakfast, but after just a few days I was eager to get out and try the local delicacies from the neighborhood bakery. (i.e. Try the chocolate croissants!)

Travel Tip #1: Our mode of transportation throughout the week was our trusty ATV. These were great to rent because it came with a large storage container that you could lock & it made for safe travels for all my camera equipment.

10:00a | Enjoy the view and relax by the pool

Adjusting to the time change can be a bit difficult. We’d often grab an hour nap by the poolside before we headed out for the rest of the day.

11:00a | Regroup and Formulate a Plan

Before heading out the doors we always stopped in our lobby to make sure we had everything we needed and to formulate a rouge idea of what our plans were. More often than not, once you head out you may not come back till late in the evening so planning ahead is never a bad thing!

We stayed at the Santorini Palace Hotel in Fira.

11:15a | Refreshed and Ready to Explore

Now that we are refreshed from our nap, we hop back on the ATV and start exploring. The main city, Fira, is often filled with people so we liked to get out of town and head south towards the black sand beach in Perissa & Perivolos. It’s a long, beautiful beach with rows and rows of cabanas and plenty of places to grab a cocktail.

A leisurely stroll with your toes in the Aegean is never bad for the soul.

12:30p | Wine Tasting at Santos Wines

An absolute must is stopping to taste wine at one of the many wineries scattered throughout Santorini. Our favorite was at Santos Wines which is perched up on the caldera affording you with panoramic views. Also note, they know how to do a proper wine taste! Tastings are available in 6, 12, or 18 glasses and come served all at once on a tray and are really good pours. They also include biscuits, cheeses, olives and dips. I could have stayed there forever.

Tip #2 — It’s a very windy island so I highly recommend bringing a long sleeve!

1:45p | Don’t Rush! Stop and Enjoy the Local Culture

I can only encourage you to drive down random streets and try to get yourself lost because it’s almost impossible to do in Santorini. What you end up with though is incredible experiences that afford you with the opportunity to find beautiful churches and local stands selling handmade goods. Don’t rush the experience and try to embrace the local culture as much as possible.

3:30p | Caffeine Pit Stop

Between the perpetual jet lag and the wine, a little afternoon pick me up in the form of an espresso is never a bad thing. Funny thing is, I don’t like coffee but I could tolerate it in Italy and in Greece as well! They topped this one off with a big dollop of whip cream which was definitely to my liking!

4:15p | Drive to Oia and the Bay of Ammoudi 

If you’re driving to Oia, keep going as far as you can on the main road which starts to wind down to the Bay of Ammoudi. Here you will park your ATV or scooter and then walk down to where you will find fresh fish taverns along the bay. If you’re up for it (and I highly recommend it), walk all the way around the bend until you get to a little cove with a large rock floating out in the water. Change into your swimsuit, jump in and swim over to the rock where you can climb on up (with ropes, steps, etc) and then you get to experience a 25ft cliff jump into the Aegean Sea!!

On your walk back, treat yourself to fresh grilled octopus and a carafe of sangria.

5:30p | Wander Oia Streets + a Fish Pedicure

Oia is one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever seen. It has pristine white shops, hotels and restaurants and stunning views of churches and the sea beyond. This is also where people go to watch epic sunsets. Until then, allow yourself time to wander the streets and don’t leave without experiencing the fish pedicure (they “bite” off your dead skin, but only feels like tiny air bubbles).

6:30p | Oia Sunsets

As I mentioned before, the sunsets in Oia are VERY popular so don’t wait until the last minute to find the perfect viewing spot. Nestle in because you will be surrounded by TONS of people, but trust me, it’s well worth it. This time of year (September), the sun set at 7:10 each night and blazed the sky with hues of orange, red and hints of purple.

8:00p | Gyros + Dancing 

If you aren’t staying in Oia, it’s probably a good idea to start your journey back towards Fira (or wherever you are staying) and park the ATV for the night. It became a standard routine to walk to this little food market in downtown Fira and order ourselves a chicken gyro. They were so insanely delicious I often ate 2 a day!

With our bellies full, we headed out to the bars and clubs to get our dance on! This is where we part ways because I can’t hold a camera and dance at the same time! I hope you enjoyed my tour around Santorini and can’t wait for our next adventures!

//SEEN HERE: THE COLT CAMERA BAG

//SHOP THE COLT HERE

Connect with Kristin:

http://ift.tt/1vKiF0C

http://ift.tt/2myB6YM

@modishandmain

Travelling somewhere beautiful? Maybe your the honorary tourist guide in your local city? We’d love to tag along with you! Currently looking for people to help curate a list of really awesome travel guides around the world. If you love what we do (and our camera bags too!) and want to share your passion for travel,we’d love to hear from you. For more details ; Email us or apply here. XO

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#Travel Guide: 24 hours in Santorini #Greece

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