#most of them were born before 1865

[cellarspider]

Thanks to my rambling this weekend, I am overflowing with love for an MMO that hasn’t been in development since 2012, because goddamn the worldbuilding for the setting of City of Heroes and City of Villains was just superb.

Do you want an MMO that begins as a pastiche of superhero comics that lovingly, cheekily engages with its source material, building up a cohesive world where the fantastical stuff feels unexpectedly real and grounded in the society, more so than most of the comics it's inspired by? Do you want that, and then to watch it slowly, gently tip its backstory into existential, cosmic horror via genre critique?

I'm in no way kidding! More below the cut.

Well, part one of more, because there's a lot to unpack here.

A lot of new superhero continuities these days treats its central premise as an anomaly. For the most popular example, the MCU treats public knowledge of superheroes as something that started with Captain America in WWII. Before his exploits, the fantastical aspects of the setting were forgotten about and hidden from the world. The DCEU begins similarly with Wonder Woman in WWI, a member of a mythic society forgotten by time.

At first, Earth in City of Heroes seemed to go with a very similar premise, though it predates any of those movies: Superpowers were unknown to the general public until the early 1930s, when some people suddenly began gaining incredible new abilities, and mythical critters not seen since ancient times made themselves known.

But that’s just the basic sales pitch. As you dug into the setting and City of Villains expanded the lore, perspective shifted into something entertainingly stranger.

Everyone knew about Nemesis, the clockwork robot-making mastermind who'd terrorized Paragon City from the early 1930s, just when superheroes were first appearing on the scene. Turns out he was an immortal Prussian nobleman born who first went on an automaton-backed crime spree in 1820s, seemingly died when the British Navy bombarded his headquarters in Malta, then reappeared in the 1860s to supply the Confederate Army with mechanical cavalry until General Sherman shelled his mountaintop base on his march to North Carolina. Nobody was ever able to replicate what the did, and with his (apparent) death, he was no longer relevant after 1865. As of the 1930s, anyone who wasn’t a history buff had forgotten about him.

And sure, everyone knew there was an underground city of evil wizards, dead for long eons until they rose again to take human sacrifices from the surface world of Rhode Island (I’m still not over that). But actually, they were active in London during the Victorian mysticism craze, then moved their operations back to their homeland of subeterranean Rhode Island with the outbreak of World War I. They made the news across the continent. They got outlawed in multiple countries. They were a big deal, until the war took the attention off of them.

Hell, one of the people who fought all these weirdos was a random teenager who'd just... always been able to teleport and turn invisible, even prior to the '30s. He wasn't even a main character or anything! His parents knew, and tried to convince him to go get training. Teleportation training. Like y'do, with your socially awkward, teleporting kid.

This setting never actually had a mundane world that was unaware of the fantastical. The fantastical was normal. The arrival of superpowers in 1930 wasn’t a hard fork between history as we know it and theirs, or a reveal of some secret world that rational minds had long denied. It was just a dramatic escalation of what had already been happening, that everyone knew about. Armies of the 1800s had to develop anti-robot tactics. Alastair Crowley publicly dissed an actual wizard cult because they were dangerous competition. Parents worried over the mental health of their superpowered teens. That was normal.

The sheer numbers of fantastical events that started happening after 1930 were not normal. Or at least, not at first. People slowly adjusted over decades, as more and more young people grew up in a world that had always been that way.  

What nobody realized at that point was how the new normal bordered on a state of cosmic horror.

And that’s where the setting really starts interrogating its inspirations.

#city of heroes #city of villains #my love for this setting is unbounded #and it honestly deserves more attention and analysis for how it engaged with the genre #it ranged from joyously fluffy nonsense to deeply disquieting introspection and all they way back around to hootingly funny bullshit #I definitely have more rambles coming on this because I CANNOT BE STOPPED

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Simon of Cyrene, an African and the father of Alexander and Rufus. Carried the cross Christ would be crucified upon when Jesus became too weak to continue under its weight. Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Simon's son Rufus may have been the same man the Apostle Paul greets in his letter to Rome (the biblical Epistle of Romans), whom he calls “chosen in the Lord” and whose mother “has been a mother to me, too” (Romans 16:13). The Christian faith has always included Africans. By contrast a faith such as Mormonism didn't even allow Africans or non-white people to serve their church in leadership roles or receive "blessings" until a special "revelation from God" in 1978 instructed the church to start including them.

Below is one of Ethiopia's ancient "rock churches". Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, Ethiopia was one of the first nations in the world to build Christian churches and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. More than 650 years before Mohammad was even born, Ethiopian Christians were singing praises to God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Islamic invaders attacked and enslaved Christian Africa in the years between their prophet's establishment of Islam and the early middle-ages, forcing Christian Africans to convert to Islam or die by the sword. Many chose to die. To this day Islam still preys on the people of Africa, giving them the choice of death, slavery or conversion.

Most people think Slavery ended in 1865. It still exists. These are black Africans in a slave market in Libya. Muslim nations still have a brisk slave trade and hundreds of thousands of black Africans are kidnapped, tortured and sold on a daily basis with the full blessing of Islamic mufti's and Islamic governments. The Western World doesn't seem to care very much because the west wants the oil these countries produce. How much is the life of a black slave in the Islamic world? About $400 U.S. dollars for a "healthy" young male.

[scotianostra]

The wife of James III, Margaret of Denmark died on July 14th 1486 at Stirling.

I touched upon Margarets life yesterday when posting about her marriage, Margaret of Denmark was born on 23 June 1456 as the daughter of Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and Dorothea of Brandenburg. She had been named after Queen Margaret I, who had ruled Denmark, Norway and Sweden in her own right. There is very little information on Margaret’s youth.

In 1468, the Scottish embassy to Denmark set out. King James III was in need of a wife. King Christian provided his only daughter with a dowry of 60,000 florins of the Rhine. He couldn’t pay the entire sum at once, so he handed over 10,000 florins and pledged his lands and rights in Orkney and Shetland as security for the rest. The dowry was never paid off in full. In return, James settled upon his future wife Linlithgow Palace, Doune Castle and a third of his royal revenues. The marriage treaty was signed on 8 September 1468.

It was too late in the year for Margaret to travel to Scotland and so her departure was delayed until the next spring. She was brought to Scotland by the King’s brother-in-law, the Earl of Arran. She probably met her future husband for the first time shortly before their wedding in the Abbey of Holyrood on July 13th 1469.

They went on progress to the north of Scotland and then settled into a routine of moving between the principal residences of Holyroodhouse, Linlithgow, Stirling and Falkland. Margaret gave birth to their first child on 17 March 1473. He was the future James IV. He was followed by the birth of two more sons in 1476 and 1479.

Scottish historians praised her beauty, gentleness and understanding and considered her sensible. She was very popular in Scotland. Margaret’s Italian biographer Giovanni Sabadino degli Arienti, who wrote six years after her death, suggested she only had sex with her husband for procreation possibly leading James to seek mistresses. They do not seem to have been on the most affectionate of terms but Margaret seems to have always respected James’ position as monarch. James may have been difficult to deal with.

Margaret was quite the fashionable lady and there are records that she had at least 15 gowns, of them six were black, two were purple and two were crimson.

She probably played an important role in the events of 1482, where James was deprived of his power by his brother for a few months. It was probably Margaret who gave the order to besiege Edinburgh Castle to liberate the King. After these events, they lived mostly separate lives. Margaret preferred to live at Stirling, while James stayed in Edinburgh.

She became ill during the summer of 1486, the usual rumorus of poisoning were circulated at this time but it may have been enemies of James who spread the rumours. She died at Stirling on 14 July 1486. She was still only 30 years old. Even though they were practically estranged, James was deeply affected by her death and endowed daily masses for her soul. He even sent a supplication to the Pope asking for her to be made a saint.

She is buried at Cambuskenneth Abbey, her husband joined her two years later. It is thought the grave was destroyed during the destructive Reformation years following the discovery of two coffins under the site of the high altar during restoration in 1865 that were believed to contain the remains of the royal couple.and Queen Victoria paid for the restoration and marker that is in place there now.

#scottish #scotland #royals #royalty #monarch. #danish #denmark #the stewarts #history

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

[Clay Jones]

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

March 30, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAR 31, 2024

On Tuesday morning, on his social media outlet, former president Trump encouraged his supporters to buy a “God Bless The USA” Bible for $59.99. The Bible is my “favorite book,” he said in a promotional video, and said he owns “many.” This Bible includes the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance. It also includes the chorus of country music singer Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA,” likely because it is a retread of a 2021 Bible Greenwood pushed to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of 9-11.

That story meant less coverage for the news from last Monday, March 25, in which Trump shared on his social media platform a message comparing him to Jesus Christ, with a reference to Psalm 109, which calls on God to destroy one’s enemies.  

This jumped out to me because Trump is not the first president to compare himself to Jesus Christ. In 1866, President Andrew Johnson famously did, too. While there is a financial component to Trump’s comparison that was not there for Johnson, the two presidents had similar political reasons for claiming a link to divine power.

Johnson was born into poverty in North Carolina, then became a tailor in Tennessee, where he rose through politics to the U.S. House of Representatives and then the Senate. In 1861, when Tennessee left the Union, Johnson was the only sitting senator from a Confederate state who remained loyal to the United States. This stand threw him into prominence. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln named him the military governor of Tennessee. 

Then, in 1864, the Republican Party renamed itself the Union Party to attract northern Democrats to its standard. To help that effort, party leaders chose a different vice president, replacing a staunch Republican—Hannibal Hamlin of Maine—with the Democrat Johnson.

Although he was elected on what was essentially a Republican ticket, Johnson was a Democrat at heart. He loathed the elite southern enslavers he thought had become oligarchs in the years before the Civil War, shutting out poorer men like him from prosperity, but he was a fervent racist who enslaved people himself until 1863. Johnson opposed the new active government the Republicans had built during the war, and he certainly didn’t want it to enforce racial equality. He expected that the end of the war would mean a return to the United States of 1860, minus the system of enslavement that concentrated wealth upward. 

Johnson was badly out of step with the Republicans, but a quirk of timing gave him exclusive control of the reconstruction of the United States from April 15, 1865, when he took the oath of office less than three hours after Lincoln breathed his last, until early December. Congress had adjourned for the summer on March 4, expecting that Lincoln would call the members back together if there were an emergency, as he had in summer 1861. It was not due to reconvene until early December. Members of Congress rushed back to Washington, D.C., after Lincoln’s assassination, but Johnson insisted on acting alone.

Over the course of summer 1865, Johnson set out to resuscitate the prewar system dominated by the Democratic Party, with himself at its head. He pardoned all but about 1,500 former Confederates, either by proclamation or by presidential pardon, putting them back into power in southern society. He did not object when southern state legislatures developed a series of state laws, called Black Codes, remanding Black Americans into subservience.

When Congress returned to work on December 4, 1865, Johnson greeted the members with the happy news that he had “restored” the Union. Leaving soldiers in the South would have cost tax money, he said, and would have “envenomed hatred” among southerners. His exclusion of Black southerners from his calculus, although they were the most firmly loyal population in the South, showed how determined he was to restore prewar white supremacy, made possible by keeping power in the states. All Republican congressmen had to do, he said, was to swear in the southern senators and representatives now back in Washington, D.C., and the country would be “restored.”

Republicans wanted no part of his “restoration.” Not only did it return to power the same men who had been shooting at Republicans’ constituents eight months before and push northerners’ Black fellow soldiers to a form of quasi-enslavement, but also the 1870 census would count Black Americans as whole people rather than three fifths of a person, giving former Confederates more national political power after the war than they had had before it. Victory on the battlefields would be overturned by control of Congress.

Congressional Republicans rejected Johnson’s plan for reconstruction. Instead, they passed the Fourteenth Amendment  in June 1866 and required the former Confederate states to ratify it before they could be readmitted to the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment put the strength of the national government behind the idea that Black Americans would be considered citizens—as the Supreme Court’s 1857 Dred Scott decision had denied. Then it declared that states could neither discriminate against citizens nor take away a citizen’s rights without due process of the law. To make sure that the 1870 census would not increase the power of former Confederates, it declared that if any state kept men over 21 from voting, its representation in Congress would be reduced proportionally. 

Johnson hated the Fourteenth Amendment. He hated its broad definition of citizenship; he hated its move toward racial equality; he hated its undermining of the southern leaders he backed; he hated its assertion of national power; he hated that it offered a moderate route to reunification that most Americans would support. If states ratified it, he wouldn’t be able to rebuild the Democratic Party with himself at its head. 

So he told southern politicians to ignore Congress’s order to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, calling Congress an illegal body because it had not seated representatives from the southern states. He promised white southerners that the Democrats would win the 1866 midterm elections. Once back in power, he said, Democrats would repudiate the Republicans’ “radicalism” and put his plan back into place. 

As he asserted his vision for the country, Johnson egged on white supremacist violence. In July, white mobs attacked a Unionist convention in New Orleans where delegates had called for taking the vote away from ex-Confederates and giving it to loyal Black men. The rioters killed 37 Black people and 3 white delegates to the convention. 

By then, Johnson had become as unpopular as his policies. Increasingly isolated, he defended his plan for the nation as the only true course. In late August he broke tradition to campaign in person, an act at the time considered beneath the dignity of a president. He set off on a railroad tour, known as the “Swing Around the Circle,” to whip up support for the Democrats before the election. 

Speaking from the same set of notes as the train stopped at different towns and cities from Washington, D.C., to New York, to Chicago, to St. Louis, and back to Washington, D.C., Johnson complained bitterly about the opposition to his reconstruction policies, attacked specific members of Congress as traitors and called for them to be hanged, and described himself as a martyr like Lincoln. And, noting the mercy of his reconstruction policies, he compared himself to Jesus.  

It was all too much for voters. The white supremacist violence across the South horrified them, returning power to southern whites infuriated them, the reduction of Black soldiers to quasi-slaves enraged them, and Johnson’s attacks on Congress alarmed them. Johnson seemed determined to hand the country over to its former enemies to recreate the antebellum world that northerners had just poured more than 350,000 lives and $5 billion into destroying, no matter what voters wanted. 

Johnson’s extremism and his supporters’ violence created a backlash. Northerners were not willing to hand the country back to the Democrats who were rioting in the South and to a president who compared himself to Jesus. Rather than turning against the Republicans in the 1866 elections, voters repudiated Johnson. They gave Republicans a two-thirds majority of Congress, enabling them to override any policy Johnson proposed.

And, in 1868, the states ratified the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, launching a new era in the history of the United States.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#history #Andrew Johnson #Civil War #political #Heather Cox Richardson #Letters From An American #Fourteenth Amendment

[yinlotus]

in honor of juneteenth, i've been researching my genealogy starting with my mom's side since I know a bit more about them and so far have learned:

my 5th great grandmother was mulatto and born in 1800 [<- i'm imagining the clothes she wore during the georgian and victorian era! i assume it's similar to the bayasoube video i posted earlier of the southern belle fashion 🥰]

most of my family on my mom's side is from southern and central alabama and have been for 6-7 generations (i.e around 170 years) (before that they seem to be from georgia and virginia)

my family is possibly alabama creole? they were in the right area at the right time and mixed so hm.... and maybe mississippi creole on my dad's side idk.

based on what i saw, the seven ancestors who lived before 1865 were all born free (besides maybe two or three)

my 4th great grandfather fought in the civil war as a member of the union side's colored troops in either alabama or georgia

my 4th great grandmother was a cook

i haven't found the indigenous ancestry that i was told about but i won't rule it out yet since it was supposed to be fairly recent and some laws makes it harder to be counted as part of a tribe especially if you're black during those time periods

etc etc.

it's really cool to learn and i wish i could learn more, unfortunately ancestry.com is mostly behind a paywall and dna tests are even more expensive and a girl gotta eat (and would like to help her parents do so as well) so.... since others have been asking today...

if anyone wants to send some money to help me out with either learning my heritage or buying groceries and gas that'd be great! my cashapp: $softestruler

#juneteenth #black heritage #mutual aid #donations #ancestry #black american

[mentaly-british-biologist]

TF2 PLAYABLE CAHARCTER LORE:

Okay, so just some context. Mann Co is a business organisation that runs most other companies in the world. Everything was shared equally between two brothers/heirs to the corporations power and money, apart from one thing in particular. A gravel pit.These two brothers, known as Redmond and Blutard Mann wanted to overachive and be better than one another, so decided to hire mercenaries to fight for this land. This original team, founded between 1800-1850's was comprised of Billy the Kid, Stonewall Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Alfred Nobel, John Henry, Nikola Tesla, Sigmund Freud, Davy Crockett, and Fu Manchu. They would take the roles of the mercinaries like so:

Scout: Billy the Kid (1859 - 1881)

Soldier: Stonewall Jackson (1824 - 1863)

Pyro: Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Demoman: Alfred Nobel (1833 - 1896)

Heavy: John Henry (Folk Hero)

Engineer: Nikola Tesla (1856 - 1943)

Medic: Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939)

Sniper: Davy Crockett (1786 - 1836)

Spy: Fu Manchu (Fictional Villain)

These people would battle with others with similar weapons, stature, and power until they would eventually get too old to fight.After this, the two brothers soon realised that they may die prematurely before the battle could end, so asked for personal commissioned machinery designed to keep them alive for longer. [[This will be elaborated in the plot later, this stuff is kinda important.]]Okay, now the old team is dead. Time for the new ones. 1930's mercs were probably the most advanced out of all of the mercs, with the 1850 mercenaries looking like they've been pulled off the streets to fight, and the 1970 mercs looking like a mix of the two old teams designs. Everyone has some sort of camo on them apart from their engineer, who possibly be Fred Conagher, the father of the Engineer we know and love. Fred Conhager, in particular, may be the same man who created the machines keeping the Mann brothers alive, but we are currently unsure. The next generation, and the one we know today is the 1970's team. This consists of:

Scout- Jeremy

Soldier- Jane Doe

Pyro- Unknown

Demoman- Tavish Finnegan DeGroot

Heavy- Mikhail

Engineer- Dell Conagher

Medic- Mr. Ludwig

Sniper- Mick Mundy (Adoptive name)

Spy- Unknown

Along side them is Ms.Pauling and The Administrator. I'll list out characters as shown, one by one.

**SCOUT**

Full name is unknown, so we'll stick to Jeremy. He was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is the youngest of eight children, and so constantly looks for attention. Can't read, but can run extremely fast. Seems that a specific brand of fizzy drink, known as Atomic Bonk can make him much faster. Dies in the comics and goes to heaven, whete he is told he was God's gift to all women, and was sent back to earth to 'get laid' [[This is the comics words, not mine]]

Has a tattoo of tom jones with the words 'S€X BOM' on it [Told you he couldn't read] and is canonically Spy's son. Has a crush on Ms. Pauling.

**SOLDIER**

His name may not even be Jane Doe. Because those are USA and UK placeholder names for unidentifiable corpses. [[Jane Doe as a woman]] Is a God-fearing patriotic Midwest American. Despite his role in the team, he has not once been in a war situation. He just got to the frontlines in WW2 and started blowing up Germans. He has lead poisoning, although we're not sure if that's why he's like this, he is extremely aggressive and has a special move called 'rocket jumping' where he can fire a rocket at his feet, shooting him into the air. It doesn't hurt him however, because he doesn't think it will [[So stupid he bends nature's laws at will??!?!?]] He was also roommates with a wisard called Merasmus. Merasmus kicked him out, and tom jones became his new roommate.

Soldier kills tom jones. For no reason. Soldier is also in love with Heavy's sister, Zhanna.

**PYRO**

Whoo boy, this is a confusing one. We do not know Pyro's gender, where they're from, or even if they are a person. We do know that many characters refer to Pyro as he/him, but Soldier does have a suspicion that they might be a woman. He may be schizophrenic, or it could be their optical mask, but he sees the battle as a fluffy arena filled with unicorns and lollipops. However, they do have the capacity to be very much enraged, and cut off Soldier's hand once when in a car with Demoman and Ms. Pauling.

**DEMOMAN**

Drunk. Born in Ullapool, Scottland. His parents were Tilly DeGroot and her husband who we don't know , whom both are blind. Demoman was put up for adoption by them after being bad at blowing things up. He would eventually find a book called 'The Bomonicon' [[I hope i wrote that right]] with a mischievous spirit inside. Once he had opened the book, the spirit inside made it's way to his eye, haunting his eyesocket, and making him lose said eye. He then blows up his adoptive parents while trying to hunt for the loch ness monster, then gets taken back by his original parents. His mother keeps asking him to get a job, even though he makes 3 million+ a year. Loves alcohol. Like, really loves alcohol, so much so, that when he eats normal food, his body thinks it's been poisoned. After an extensive time away from alcohol, his body turns his stomach into a makeshift distillery, fermenting bone marrow into alcohol. This alcohol in particular is so strong, it gives blood-sucking robots [[Don't ask]] alcohol poisoning. Can also do something similar to Soldier by 'Stickybomb jumping' that also takes no damage, due to him being too drunk.

**HEAVY**

Heavy was born in Russia sometime around WW1. His father was an anti-revolutionary who opposed the Communist uprising, so he was executed and Heavy's family put in the gulag for three months before it was burnt down in 1941 and all the guards tortured to death. Yeah, you heard me right, the gulag. He has three sisters called Zhanna, Yana and Bronislava. His mothers name is currently unknown to us. His weight is the same as his HP: 300. He is quite a nice guy when it comes to his teammates and gives even more affection to his guns, who of one he has a case at the end of his bed for. This gun in particular is named Sasha, of which he is very possessive and which weighs 150 kilograms and fires $200 custom-tooled cartridges at 10,000 rounds per minute. He also reveals that it costs $400,000 to fire his weapon for 12 seconds. Heavy has named all of his primary weapons, basic Minigun being Sasha, Tomislav being Svetlana, Brass Beast being Oksana and Huo Long Heater being Sheila. He was also the first in the team to have the experimental ubercharge operation and survive, making him bulletproof. Also sandvich.

**ENGINEER**

Known as Dell Conagher, this man has eleven PhD's. Yes, you read that right. ELEVEN. He was born in Bee Cave, Texas, USA, and may or may not be related to one of the previous mercinaries in the classic team. Apart from this, he has created machines like teleporters [[Don't put bread in them]], sentries, and dispensers that he can place around the battlefield to help his team. He is friends with Pyro, and seems to understand them, despite their speech being muffled. One of the only few to help The Administrator with her Australium-Age related problem, and answered the phone for her when she died once.

**MEDIC**

Okay, this will be too long if I go into detail. This is quickfire. Mr. Ludwig was born in Stuttgart, Germany and has little regard for the Hippocratic Oath. He is insane. He loves doves, especially his most beloved one, Archimedes. Managed to get into contact with the devil and made a deal that would cost his soul. We do not know what he had sold his soul for, but the chances it was for his medical 'discoveries' is quite high. Managed to steal an entire skeleton and got away. Lost his medical licence soon after this. While giving his teammates surgeries, stole all of their souls and surgically added them to his own soul. During a Halloween party, he was caught off gaurd by a mugger. After knocking him out, he then put the muggers brain in a pumpkin.This would later help him out. Re-hired to aid the 1930 Classic team for a new leader, *Grey Mann*. When sniper was shot down by the classic's heavy, he brought him back to life an hour later with the help of a blue whale's pineal gland directly into his brain stem. The entire surgery cost about 1.3 billion dollars. Classic heavy, after seeing this, crushes his favourite dove, Archimedes. He also brings his bird back to life. After this, classic heavy and Medic get into a fight. Heavy shows up, only for classic heavy to shoot Ludwig twice in the chest. After quickly swindling the devil by giving him another soul for a pen, he comes back to life, and then pretends it is an inducer that would make classic heavy give birth to three healthy baby baboons, due to the three baboon uterus's he had placed inside him during a surgery [[I'm confused too, don't worry]] Classic heavy belives the bluff, giving Heavy enough time to take him down. after that, he takes out the real inducer and claims that the human body could only generate two at the most.

**SNIPER**

He is Australian.

Except, he isn't. He's a New Zealander.

New Zealand is Atlantis btw.

His adoptive name is Mick Mundy, although his real first name is Mun-dee, like his real mother and father, Bil-Bel and Lar-nah, making his real name Mun-dee Mundy. New Zealand is underwater due to the fact that the geniuses wanted to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. After being shot out of the country in a Krypton-Superman-Spacepod style fashion, he is adopted by Jonathan Mundy and his wife Mrs. Mundy in Australia. He then becomes skilled in shooting from afar. In the most previous comic, he dies. Medic brings him back to life, and he immediately attacks him, asking why he was the last person he saw before bleeding out. Yeah, he also pees in a jar and throws it at people as a weapon, so... yeah. Also, golf trophy.

**SPY**

Not much is really known about his past but all that is known is that he was born in France in an unknown region. It's a mystery on how he became a master spy and a master of disguise as no one knows if someone trained him or he rather he trained himself. We do know however, that he is Scout's father. He seems to hate everyone and everything, and may or may not have lung cancer due to how many cigarettes he smokes. He is snarky, witty, and cocky, some of these traits are shared with Scout also. He got shot in the kneecaps when a plan in the latest comic, and Sniper saved him by shooting the guy who did it. He also disguised as Tom Jones when Scout was dying, and for the first time, directly called him son. He wears a custom tailored Louis Crabbermaché suit, is valued at $10,000, and has his own smoking room within the base.

I made this all in the Undertale server. Don't ask.

This took me three days to do.

#team fortress two #tf2 #tf2 lore #tf2 pyro #tf2 spy #tf2 demoman #tf2 scout #tf2 engineer #tf2 medic #tf2 heavy #tf2 sniper #tf2 soldier #THIS TOOK ME THREE DAYS TO WRITE DOWN GIVE ME LIKES OR ELSE

[neveah-llama]

Ayo, So What's With the Doodle-Ninjas?

So, in the show, 'The Ultimate Lesson' takes a person's memory of their time as a ninja and uses those moments to create lessons and give info to the next Ninja. And while the 'Secret Nine' says that 'The Creep' doesn't choose which person is the next ninja, I like to think he at least has some input since he's 1) immortal and 2) is really the only constant connection to the real world for the Nomicon.

But as we have seen in the show, the 'spriit of the ninja' or whatever has chosen wrong before (unless MacAnfee was just the nicest person back in 1985, and if that's so then sheesh, I pray for those teachers). So I wanted to create my own thing, a council of five ninjas to protect the nine chapters of the Nomicon, they are the last line of defense for the book and have the final say on who gets to be the next Ninja.

They are not real people, they are simply memories, they do not grow and evolve, they are simply ghosts of the memories that were taken from their host. Hopefully, that makes sense.

Under the cut are just short personality profiles of the Guardians of the Nomicon.

This is in order of name given.

LARRY COBBLER

Ninja from 1615-1619

oldest ninja on the council of guardians

Really clumsy

During his time as a ninja he almost set the town on fire, it was one time but both past and future ninjas agreed that the boy is a menace and danger to society.

Also, he's a little shit.

His family came from Vikings who got shipwrecked up North, so guess clumsiness runs in the family ig :/.

BIFF JOHNSON

Ninja from 1985-1989

The ninja after MacAnfee- sheesh

Was a football quarterback and it shows.

Though he may be mean at times, he's pretty selfless.

Was Norrisville High's 'golden boy'

Responsible for fixing MacAnfees mistakes, well most of them.

The family moved from New York to Norrisville when he was 13.

LUCY ORTEGA

Ninja from 2011-2015

The Ninja before Randy

born hard of hearing

very kind but was the type of person to punch first and ask questions later.

Was part of the chess club and even was president of it.

A very outspoken individual, always participating in and even planning protests at the high school.

Also a proud vegan.

A proud Puerto Rican

AMANDA RIVER

Ninja from 1861-1865

Likes to be addressed by her last name.

The family participated in the Underground Railroad.

While Oklahoma was a territory at the time and supported the Confederacy Norrisvile was very much a 'neutral' territory and was a stop for many during the Underground Railroad era.

Is part of the Shawnee tribe

Was into medicine and often took in injured animals.

Was very much into the passive teachings the Nomicon taught.

Soldier-Ninja AKA; MARY BARNES

Ninja from 1945-1949

Brother served in WWII

Wanted to be just like him

No-nonsense girly

Had morals similar to Steve Rogers

Loved comic books, even if they may seem tomboyish- but it's fine because Mary labels herself a tomboy.

Mother's Family has been in Norrisivle since the beginning and Dad's family has been here since the late 1800s to early 1900s

#rc9gn #original character #fanfic #the impossible adventures of the phantom and the ninja

[utter-queer-nightmare]

I kept getting confused keeping the Rusty Lake time line in my head, so I've written it down. All dates were taken from Rusty Lake Wiki, and all facts were taken from the games, except for a few leaps in logic implied by the games or developers.

1796 - JACOB EILANDER returns to his childhood home after being told that his mother, CAROLINE, is dead and his home is cursed. While undoing the curse, he finds his mother's memories of his own childhood. From being raised as a sacrifice, to his mother saving him by taking his place. He realises that the Lake rejected the sacrifice of his mother, and responded by cursing the rest of the family instead of enlightening them. JACOB learns that the only way to truly undo the curse is for him to be sacrificed, the way it was originally planned. Just before being sacrificed, JACOB finds CAROLINE's research on the Elixir of Life and Death. Once the family sacrifices JACOB, his soul merges with CAROLINE's, and they become MR OWL. With the sacrifice accepted, the EILANDERS become enlightened. DAVID, the father, becomes MR DEER. GERARD, the uncle, becomes MR BOAR. MARGARET, the grandmother, becomes MRS PIGEON. ELIZABETH, the sister, becomes MS PHEASANT. DAVID, the brother, becomes MR RABBIT.

1859: Winter - ALDOUS and WILLIAM VANDERBOOM find CAROLINE's research on the Elixir and make it together. WILLIAM drinks it first and dies, becoming a Corrupted Soul. ALDOUS then drinks it, becoming MR CROW.

1860: Spring - JAMES VANDERBOOM inherits and moves into his ancestral home after his uncle WILLIAM dies. He plants a tree seed in the garden and brings his dog.

1860: Summer - WILLIAM's Corrupted Soul begins collecting sacrifices in order to be reborn, starting with his own heart after finding his corpse in an old clock.

1865: Summer - JAMES meets and proposes to MARY.

1867: Spring - MARY gives birth to ALBERT, EMMA and SAMUEL. ALBERT is born with a birthmark covering most of his face.

1870: Summer - JAMES finds ALDOUS and WILLIAM's research on the Elixir, and makes it himself. He feeds it to his dog to check if it's safe, then drinks it himself. This kills him. At the wake, WILLIAM removes JAMES' tounge as the 2nd sacrifice.

1876: Spring - While playing in the garden, SAMUEL knocks a beehive onto ALBERT's head, leaving him with significant facial scarring. MR CROW watches this happen, then directly addresses WILLIAM, telling him the children's lives would be miserable but important.

1884: Spring - While painting in the garden, EMMA is impregnated by a flower, and later gives birth to FRANK.

1885: Spring - ALBERT begins wearing masks, and performs his first sacrifice to the Lake, a butterfly from his youth.

1888 - VINCENT VAN GOGH kills himself via gun to the head, becoming a Corrupted Soul before finding peace.

1889: Spring - SAMUEL fixes the family clock, which broke when WILLIAM's corpse fell out of it.

1889: Summer - The fortune teller IDA visits the house, giving predictions of the family's future.

1891: Autumn - While playing in the garden, ALBERT pushes FRANK into the empty well. EMMA, unable to find FRANK, attaches a letter to her parrot HARVEY's neck, hoping he will find FRANK.

1893 - MR OWL invites the EILANDER family to the Rusty Lake Hotel, turning HARVEY human to kill them as sacrifices to the Lake. Once HARVEY successfully completes this task, MR OWL shows him the Corrupted Souls they've become, and gives him a vision of the future.

1894 - The Corrupted Souls of the EILANDER family escape the Rusty Lake Hotel, attacking HARVEY in the process. MR OWL turns HARVEY back into a parrot to save him.

1895: Winter - IDA and SAMUEL get married and take a photo with all their present family, including their son, LEONARD.

1896: Summer - Overcome with grief, EMMA paints herself as a corpse before committing suicide. WILLIAM collects her tears as the 3rd sacrifice.

1896: Winter - While playing the lying game, ALBERT reveals that he is in love with IDA.

1904: Summer - While playing in a family band, ALBERT kidnaps SAMUEL and IDA, giving MARY a heart attack and leaving LEONARD scared and alone. WILLIAM takes MARY's teeth as the 4th sacrifice. ALBERT uses voodoo to kill SAMUEL and IDA, removing their eyes, which WILLIAM takes as the 5th and 6th sacrifices.

1909: Summer - Using his own sperm and an egg he took from IDA, ALBERT creates a child, ROSE.

1914: Spring - LEONARD leaves home to fight in WW1.

1918: Winter - LEONARD is caught in an explosion, causing his leg to be amputated and leaving him with PTSD. WILLIAM takes the amputated foot as the 7th sacrifice.

1919: Autumn - ROSE gets in contact with WILLIAM through a Ouiji board. He tells her that he wants to live again, and needs 10 sacrifices and three timepieces. She agrees to help him.

1924: Autumn - ROSE finds FRANK in the well, gives him food, water and a walking stick, and helps him climb out.

1926: Autumn - FRANK and ALBERT play an emotional game of chess that ends with FRANK killing ALBERT and cutting his head open. WILLIAM takes ALBERT's brain as the 8th sacrifice.

1927: Winter - FRANK washes and cuts the hair and beard he grew during his years in the well. WILLIAM takes the hair as the 9th sacrifice.

1929: Autumn - LEONARD finds the first timepiece, buried near the family tree.

1930: Winter - HARVEY finally finds FRANK and delivers EMMA's letter. In it, FRANK finds instructions to finding the second timepiece. Far away, DALE VANDAMERE is born.

1931: ROBERT HILL is born

1932: Autumn - ROSE spends a night in the family graveyard, digging up her family's graves to find the third timepiece.

1933: Spring - FRANK and ROSE dance together, and ROSE pricks her finger on the grammaphone. WILLIAM takes her blood as the 10th sacrifice.

1935: Spring - ROSE, LEONARD and FRANK meet at the roots of the family tree. They use the timepieces to enter the resurrection room. The sacrifices are absorbed by the roots and WILLIAM is reborn as LAURA, ROSE's daughter.

1939: Winter - DALE's family is murdered by MR RABBIT's Corrupted Soul on his 9th birthday.

1964: Spring - LAURA's mental health begins to deteriorate as she is assaulted by memories from her past life. This worsens when she attempts to cook and eat an egg from her pet parrot, HARVEY.

1969 - LAURA breaks up with her boyfriend, ROBERT, because of her worsening mental health, and visits Rusty Lake in an attempt to get better. Soon after arriving, HARVEY is attacked by a Corrupted Soul, but he fights it off. LAURA is also attacked by a Corrupted Soul at the Lake, but survives and goes home.

1971: Summer - LAURA continues to get worse, having visions of the lake and of her own suicide.

1971: Autumn - LAURA kills herself, unable to endure her memories and visions. DALE begins investigating LAURA's death. MR CROW takes LAURA's body and begins extracting her memories to feed to the Lake. This process turns LAURA into a Corrupted Soul and she escapes.

1972: Summer - DALE obsessively researches Rusty Lake and LAURA. He takes ROBERT in for questioning, but he becomes a Corrupted Soul. DALE faints and wakes up in a Chapel at the edge of the Lake. MR CROW takes him to the cabin LAURA stayed at in 1969. He is attacked by a Corrupted Soul, but escapes via an elevator into the Lake. Inside the Lake, he sees his past memories, and is able to go back in time and enter them. In this way, he prevents his family's murders by knowing what would happen and giving his grandfather a gun to shoot MR RABBIT before he can kill the family. He also goes back to the night he met and arrested ROBERT.

1972: Autumn - ROBERT wakes up in a mental health facility with no memories. He has dreams of his breakup with LAURA, of being fired shortly after, and of learning LAURA was dead. He begins to act out, and is sedated. He dreams of his own suicide attempt, the night he was arrested. He becomes a Corrupted Soul, and remembers checking himself into the facility. Now that he has his memories back, he stops being a Corrupted Soul. That night, he dreams of the day he met LAURA.

1972: Winter - MR CROW and MR OWL travel through the Lake, collecting memory cubes. They eventually find the golden cube and give it to DALE, who takes the elevator to exit the Lake. DALE wakes up in a room he doesn't recognise with no memories. He makes and drinks the immortality Elixir, and escapes safely with his memories.

1981: Winter - LAURA's Corrupted Soul manages to go back in time, in an effort to prevent her own suicide.

Please let me know if I've got anything wrong!

#rusty lake

[archduchessofnowhere]

The Winterhalter That Wasn't: The Real Authorship of a Portrait of Queen Marie Sophie of the Two Sicilies

Oh, Franz Xaver Winterhalter: THE painter of royals. Born in 1805, the German painter made a career by painting detailed, gorgeous, romantic and flattering-yet-still-accurate portraits through out the courts of Europe. Amongst his royal sitters were Queen Victoria, Empress Eugénie of the French, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, Queen Isabel II of Spain, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and many more. Everybody wanted to be painted by Winterhalter, and the painter was in high demand until the end of his life in 1873.

Winterhalter is my favorite portraitist. The sheer amount of detail that he put into the fabrics of the dresses is impressive, as it is the way he enhanced his female sitters and romanticized them while still making them recognizible (non of his male portraits are that impressive, sorry guys).

Queen Marie Henriette of the Belgians (1865) // Princess Elizaveta Esperovna Troubetzkaya (1859) // Empress Eugénie surrended by her ladies in waiting (1855). All by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

So remember how Winterhalter painted Empress Elisabeth of Austria? Well, he also painted her younger sister Marie, the last Queen of the Two Sicilies. Possibly. Maybe. Allegedly. I actually haven't found any evidence of this, but I did read people talking about it on royal discussion forums, and the people there absolutely knows what they are talking about. So it is possible.

Now enters the portrait that compels this post: the alleged portrait of the Queen of the Two Sicilies by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

Queen Maria Sophia of Naples, attributed to Franz Xaver Winterhalter

So what do we know of this portrait? Not much that I could find. It is listed in Wikimedia Commons as belonging to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and that it was a "Bequest of the Estate of Miss Marguerite Davis", whom apparently was like a super rich lady from the mid 1900. And as I said before, it has been attributed to Winterhalter.

If you google it you will find it as such in plenty websites and social media posts. But not gonna lie, I always thought that this identification was fishy. Look at the portraits I shared above and then look at this portrait. Does it really look like it was painted by the same guy? The guy known for his detailed idealized portraits? Like were are the textures of the fabrics? The more I looked at the portrait the less it looked like a Winterhalter.

Yesterday I was looking for information for a new post about Marie that I'm writing (also relating an artist) when I came across an article by Anne Brewster called "American Artists in Rome", published in the February 1869 edition of Lippincott's Magazine of Literature, Science and Education. The article, written from Piazza di Spagna in December 1868, had a mention of Marie so of course I had to read it. In it Brewster paints a picture of Rome and its residents from the United States. It was the beginning of the season and artists were filling up the studios; she visited two of them, an sculptor's and a painter's. First the studio of Mr. Mozier, in which she found many of his works such as "Undine" and "Lady of Avenel". Then she moves onto Mr. Buchanan Reid's studio, "at present one of the most attractive in Rome." The main attraction of it, Brewster tells us, is his new portrait of the ex-queen.

You cannot imagine the way my heartbeat raised as she described the portrait and I realized that I freaking knew what she was talking about:

But the principal object of interest just now at Mr. Read’s studio is his unfinished portrait of Maria Sofia, ex-Queen of Naples. Mr. Read has been closely engaged for two weeks at the Farnese Palace, where this beautiful young throneless queen has been sitting to our famous poet-painter, and his subject has inspired him to create a lyric in his picture.

Enough of the portrait is finished to enable us to read the poetic thought. In the background is Vesuvius and a sunset. The sky is beginning to be dotted with stars. The head of the Bavarian Bourbon queen wears no diadem but her own superb hair, which lies in a high mass of ruddy chestnut hue, and in the sky just above this true regal crown of beautiful womanhood is the evening Star.

The ex-queen’s face has tragic points in it, and in some photographs she looks as if she might be a bandit’s wife as well as a Bourbon princess; but Mr. Read has caught these striking features and rather fierce expressions, and with the transmuting power of a poet and artist blended them into deep feeling and thrilling emotion. Her hand is playing with the pearl necklace that encircles her throat, while from the fingers the pendant cross has slipped and rests against the light, filmy drapery of the breast.

The fire in the flashing eyes of the queen is softened down almost into tenderness, and there beams from them a look of something like faith and trust in the future—a watching for the rising of the morning planet.

While looking at the picture we feel so impressed by its expectant expression that we cannot help recalling how many marvelous changes crowned heads have had in our memory, and imagination willingly restores this young Bavarian girl to the throne that slipped away from her just as she stepped upon it as a bride.

I actually yelled "I KNEW IT" when I read this. Here I had my confirmation: that portrait was NOT a Winterhalter. Since the portrait as we know it today looks exactly as it is described by Brewster it seems that Mr. Read never finished it. But who was Mr. Read?

Thomas Buchanan Read was a poet and painter born in Chester, a county of Pennsylvania in 1822. When he was 10 years old he was apprenticed to a tailor, but he ran away to Philadelphia and got a job as a clerck on a grocery store, rolling cigars and painting business signs. After a bunch of comings and goings in which he discovered his abbility for art, at age 18 he met the wealthy Nicholas Longworth, who opened a studio for him. Thus began his career as a painter, which gained him praise. His career as a poet seems to have been much more prolific and praised, with several publications that span for over twenty years. He went to Europe for the first time in 1850, and then again in 1853 until 1858, where he dedicated to the study of art in Florence and Rome. During the American Civil War Read he was a major in the Union Army, but because his weak physical prevented him from joining the battle he put all his strenght in lifting up the morale and recruiting soldiers by giving public readings and reciting his war poems in the camps of the army. He spent his time between Philadelphia and Cincinnati, but during the final years of his life he lived mainly in Rome. In 1872, when he was sailing back to the United States with his family, he caught pneumonia, and by the time they reached New York City he was too weak to continue traveling. He died a week later on May 11 1872 aged 50 years old.

Here are some paintings by Buchanan Read:

The Harp of Erin (1867) // Jepthah's Daughter (1858) // The Angel Appearing before the Shepherds (1870)

Look at the textures! Look at the colors! Comparing these portraits to Marie's I can say "yeah this was painted by the same guy". Also his thing absolutely was "lady in a translucid white dress", so maybe the portrait is just meant to look Like That.

Last night I was excited about my discovery, but now I'm a bit sad. Read's portrait of Marie is beautiful and memorable, and yet it has been misslabeled as a Winterhalter for years. He deserves the proper credit for his work. I will try to write to the Minneapolis Institute or Art later to see if they a) still have this portrait in their collection and b) if they will correct its authorship. If you see this portrait going around as a Winterhalter, try to correct it. It's time to give this painting back to his author.

Sources for Read's biography: [x] [x]

#this might be my greatest collaboration to the royal portraits enthusiast community #also one of the articles i cited at the end actually mentions that marie was one of read's sitters! #queen marie sophie of the two sicilies #artist: thomas buchanan read #artist: franz xaver winterhalter #thomas buchanan read #franz xaver winterhalter

[heavenzscent]

Royals/High Court Inspired WIP

art by William Samuel Horton (1865–1936)

Mikasa was born into the noble House of Ackerman. One of the most prolific families in the Eastern Eldian Empire's history having produced multiple Empresses who served their husbands and the lands in which they married into with honor. 

Accordingly, Emperor Grisha Jaeger II chose her to be the future partner of the empire's crowned prince Eren. It was a union made for political reasons and all of the conveniences that came with it. 

Thankfully Eren and Mikasa had a great relationship since before they could even read and write. They were adored by the other nobles cooing over them giving them sweet nicknames although they never felt as embarrassed as they did thrilled by the sweet perception and feelings they elicited in others and each other. As they aged their races and playing turned into long discussions over their future and the empire that they would create together.

When their time had come to take the mantle Mikasa was the perfect Empress. 

That was until she came into the picture.

“Welcome Jean Kirstein, Second in line to the Western Eldian Kingdom to Palais Maria Of East Eldia for the annual New Years Celebration!!” The servant's booming voice announced as Jean made his way into the largest palace he had ever seen  with his entourage. 

Palacio de la Rosas was just as lovely if not more grand but could not compare to the size of such a castle and where his home had a magical sort of wildness the Eastern Empire showed how their size and manpower could even tame nature with their perfectly manicured grounds. 

Connie and Sasha nodded in appreciation of how every inch was well taken care of, not a cobweb in sight. 

The local court and settled guests stood about clapping politely as he made his entrance into the halls where hopefully someone would properly give him a tour. 

The hall was just as lovely filled with stained class windows and fragrant flowers hanging from the ceiling and displayed in crystal vases that made the light dance into rainbows upon their faces.

At the end of the hall were two figures more grandly dressed than the rest. A tall man with long straight brown hair and piercing eyes the color of the emeralds that adorned his golden crown and stiffly holding onto his arm was the most lovely woman he had ever laid his eyes upon. Whatever she wore was insignificant. But still it flattered her perfectly.

Authors Note:

maybe one day I will actually have the time and inspiration to actually turn this to a longer story.

#Jeankasa #I got alot of inspo from the remarried empress

[kaedeakeshisworld]

I love cake

gist: When I go back to my seat, I observe Beni reading a book and proceed to ask him: "What are you reading?"

"Oh, you’re done how was it?"

"Wonderful, nothing like a hot shower to make me feel better."

"Glad to hear that. I’m reading Izana, a folklore story that deals with the legend of the girls born on the year of the horse. Some sort of curse condemns their existence and the only solution as cruel as it may sound is to kill the kid to inhibit them from bringing misfortune to the village. It was a common practise of clan superiority traditions but it’s extremely nefarious so it has died down to a certain extent."

"Wow! I didn’t know you liked folkore stories like that. I’ll add that to my reading list for this month."

"It will be a wonderful read, I assure you."

"I don’t doubt it."

chapter notes:

Ramyeon*: Korean noodles my fave are kimchi and spicy from shin ramyeon.

Baguette*: French stick type of bread.

Camembert*: Smelly French cheese (some say it smells like feet…)

Cailler*, Läderach ag*, Toblerone* Lindt*: Swiss chocolate brands which happen to be my fave.

Petit beurre*: butter biscuit sometimes covered with milk chocolate or dark one. Its equivalent in the anglo saxon sphere would be graham crackers.

Quatre quarts*: Made up name place but it means pound cake in French.

bruva*: british lingo for brother (another example is how they add chew in tuesday- phonetically speaking).

rad*: crazy, mad about.

Lapis Lazuli*: a hotel name in this fic but is also a crystal often blue as well as song by the Beach House.

Jambon beurre*: literally ham butter sandwich. A very popular combo, if you ever can get a sammy at a French boulangerie, this is a classic.

financier*: a small cake (typically a finger food), can be rectangular or oval which dates back to 1865.

Je suis à Paris, les nanas*: translation Girls, I'm in Paris. Les nanas means girls but sometimes it can also mean boobs. Here is the former but the more you know…

Bukkake*: A collective jizz shower if you get what I mean…

For the pet names list: love, honey, daddy and sir for Leo.

Concerning Palais de la démesure, it is a fic I'm currently writing. Might be out towards like February of this year if work doesn't manage to knock me out first (fingers crossed)!

Cw: sex in a bathroom at the airport(do not reproduce, I Guess), benimaru is a menace, reader getting ate out, attempt to an actual handjob and blowjob but oh well she can't do much because of him, benimaru also is addicted to her so much so he's back at it again in the airplane( a menace he is), consuming porn, group chat talks are the best.

wc: 7096

c/s: this one is quite long, heh!

Blank/Ageless blogs/MDNI, I will block you!

I’ve dreamt of this moment ever since I laid my eyes on her back in uni. I have to pace myself otherwise I’ll just jizz my pants and I don’t want that for my first sexual intercourse with Y/n. Dawg, I sound like a fucking teenager who’s tryna get their very first nut! Why am I so goddam nervous in the first place. Like this is light work but I wanna impress her too…

"So," she commences "what are you going to do about your erection?"

He tells her "Brace yourself on that sink with both hands, if you will?"

"I can do that."

"That’s secure enough for you? You’re not going to do anything which requires the use of my might?"

"Maybe, who knows?"

He gets down on his knees and his hands start fumbling your backside. 

I have my hands on uni's most appraised butt. What a fucking legend I am to be the one fondling it. We were little shits back then but what could a motherfucker do besides blame hormones? We were packing and matter of fact I ain’t lose none of the moves from back then. I’ll show her how a real man eats out a woman. 

Memories 

"Hey, you don’t know what I’d do to get my hands on Y/n’s backside."

"Same! Before I die, if god is real and can grant me one wish, I wanna rest my head on it. You can tell the joint's hella comfortable."

"What if she farts?"

"Are you dumb or you’re acting like it on purpose?"

"He is, poor thing really thought women don’t get gassy."

"You sure you passed them exams to get to uni or maybe you bribed someone?"

"What are you even saying?" 

"I said what I said and it stays between us."

"You can’t be the first one who’s done it anyway."

"He’s so spot on."

"Anywho… wanna bet?"

"Bet about what?"

"I’ll touch that butt of hers before any of y’all get the chance to. I’m the best, so place it now."

"Two hundred."

"Fifty ‘cause I’m behind rent this month."

"One thousand if you do it today."

"Sold! Just watch me in action."

"Y/n!"

"Beni! How have you been?"

"Not looking as fine as you do."

"Stop playing."

"I’m just saying the truth."

"Yeah, keep at it."

"I was wondering if we could maybe go to the movies."

"Tonight, I can’t I have a due paper and need to verify some finishing touches before I hand it in but tomorrow, I’m free."

"Tomorrow at ten, then."

He mouths to them when he goes away by Y/n's side 'just watch me, you bunch o’ goons.'

"He acting like he the king or sum?"

"So fucking conceited!"

"He must be high from what he bouta get tomorrow."

Tomorrow evening  

"As always, you look superb."

"You don’t look so bad yourself."

"That’s a compliment from Y/n, I’ll cherish it my whole life."

"Really?"

"Pick whatever you’d like, my treat."

"Salted caramel popcorn, butter and sprite. I wouldn’t mind having some sour patch kids…" 

"Great choice."

"What about you?"

"I don’t really feel like eating so, candy will be aight."

"You like it?" 

"So far, it ain’t bad."

"We’re getting to the scarier bits."

"Okay."

"You can hold me, if you want to."

"I’ll be good."

That’s what she said but her hands were gripping his bicep and her hiding her face on it says otherwise. She really was tryna act strong in front of a horror movie. You should know better!

"It’s gotten better, I promise."

She looks at the screen and the murderers are actually decapitating the victim while performing some sort of ritual which apparently could revive the dead. In answer to him lying to her she smacks his arm.

"Beni! How could you do this to me?"

He chortles so hard which earn him some disapproving looks from other folks who were also in the room. 

"I thought it would be nice to prank you. Please, don't hate me. You're so pretty when you get mad."

"You're crazy Beni, on god you are."

At first you think it’s a bit odd or he’s perhaps just getting in the mood so you let him do how he feels it. He hikes up your dress, plays with your undies a little before getting a sharp inhale from the source.

He slides her panties down to her ankles and slowly but surely smooches her pearl. She smells really good down there. He’s glad he gets to taste her essence from the source right away even though licking her clean from her underwear would thrill him too.

His hands grab her cheeks to spread them in a way he can engulf fully her clitoris into his moist hot cavern. 

He lets her know that eating her out is one of the many things he enjoys doing when he vibrates around her button. She lets out an almost inaudible squeal which has him struck at first to hear such a sound but women are one of a kind so he’ll try to get to know more sounds like this he’s not so used to hear. Interesting, he considered.

She grips the sink, harder. She also makes a mental note not to make too much noise because they are in a public setting. Yes, with Leo she was inside a car outside but this time things are slightly different she’s in the airport, getting it on with someone who’s had eyes on her for a long time. She doesn’t know what to expect of him in terms of what he can do to her given the current situation she finds herself in. She should be fine, she likes to think this way.

"Just like that, please don’t stop."

He asks her "you like that or you could use some more of my face?"

She spits back "you want me to ride it?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Do we have time?"

"We still have roughly eleven minutes left, so go ahead."

She grabs the back of his head, settles exactly how she feels like she should be using his face like a seat then makes a back and forth motion while trying to keep her composure because his tongue is not really giving her a break like she thought she’d get as if she were in control.

A few moments after she finds herself on her knees, riding his face while she tries to pump his erection with her bare hands, Benimaru somehow forgot how nice acrylics feel on his dick. It’s been a long time since he’s had a wild night similar to the one when he had been summoned at the Palais de la Démesure. He sometimes wishes he were summoned more often but oh, you cannot have everything you want in life now, can you?

Anytime she tries to wrap her lips around his head, he makes her jerk slightly forward with his tongue skills. When she finally does engulf him into her mouth, he lets out a sharp inhale. As she bobs his length up and down he grips her hips harder and sucks on her clit to the best of his ability one could think it has somehow become a competition to see which one of them is going to make the other come the fastest.

When her much awaited release washes over her, her first reaction is to put her hand over her mouth and she remains there, shaking for nearly three minutes atop Benimaru’s face. 

"How are you?"

"Better than ever, great I must say!"

"How much?"

"We ended before the actual time so we have five minutes to freshen up, look somewhat presentable not like we were fucking and off, we are."

"I never had someone make me come like that just using my clitoris, only.

I wanna know where did you learn that."

"I can ’t tell you where or who I learned it from all. I can say is that I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed that. I would gladly give you another clitoridian orgasm whenever you feel like having one. I am at your service anytime." 

"That’s so refined of you. Is that how you get women?"

"No, not my preferred method to say the least."

"Then, how do you proceed, I’m curious now?"

"Well…" he says meanwhile he buttons up his pants. "May you please remind me how I got you."

"Uhm… I don’t quite remember how that went. I could use a little help if you know what mean."

"Y/n you’re being incredibly hurtful in my opinion. How could you do this to me?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"I invited you to have breakfast with me, we talked for a bit. I made you laugh and got you on a trip abroad with me. So far, aren’t you enjoying it?"

"You’re right about that. We’ll see that when we’re finally in Paris."

She takes off her panties and discards them.

"You’re not going to wear panties during our flight?"

"They’re soaked. I’m not doing that to her plus, a little wind won’t hurt."

"You’re right maybe, I should do the same."

"No, you should hurry up. I’ll go out first and send you a message when you can come out."

"We cannot be seen exiting this room together."

"Okay. I’ll wait for the message."

On board  

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten up your seatbelts."

"What are we going to do once we land there, Benimaru?"

"For the very first few nights, we’ll stay at a hotel if all goes according to plan that is, then later we’ll go to a house that I rented. That way, we’re not permanently in Paris throughout the whole trip because it may be the city of love but it’s not able to fit all of us who wish to be there."

"You meant you wanted to move there someday?"

"I would love to but the housing situation is enough to provide me with a decent headache, I don’t need that on a daily basis."

"Oh, I get it but maybe you should try moving to the suburbs. I’m sure you’d find your happiness there."

She’s probably not wrong. I’m sure one can find a nice place within an hour difference from Paris.

Meal

"The baguette is rather stale, if you ask me. The salad’s okay, the camembert too, a glass of wine, the onion soup with and we got macarons for dessert. I think I’ll ask for a bowl of ramyeon* later in the day, I know I’ll be hungry.

"What did you get?" 

"I opted for cantonese rice, a side of pickled okra, a pudding and I also have boxes of chocolate." 

"How did you get chocolate?"

"Complimenting the flight attendant goes a long way…" 

"You’re telling me I should do the same?"

"No, I have two boxes, one for me and the other for you."

"Can I see the goods?"

"Here you go."

"Normally, we have Cailler*, Läderach ag*, Toblerone* and Lindt*."

"Oh, how I love Swiss chocolate!" 

"I know you do."

"Should we share?" 

"Only if you want to."

"Swiss liquor ones or petit beurre*?"

"Why not both?"

"You’re right," she lets out "we should treat ourselves."

You both bite them. Now for the Swiss liquor, you popped one into your mouth.

"Y/n you have something on your upper lip."

You look at it, you can’t see what he’s just mentioned. He said "I’ll get it for you."

He approached your face, touched your upper lip with the pad of his finger and then kissed you. It caught you by surprise, you gave in didn’t even fight back.

"What was that for?"

"I was always told that chocolate liquor tastes better if it’s comes from someone else’s mouth so I wanted to put it to test."

"You’re trying to impress me or did I miss something?"

"We can try it again if you want to, you can kiss me this time."

"Beni～ is it because you didn’t get to do it earlier?"

"It probably is."

"We should watch a movie together."

"Then, I’ll leave the choice to you."

"That’s okay with you?"

"Of course! Why wouldn’t it be?"

"You think my seat has enough space for us?"

"I’m sure it’s the case. We should get comfy."

"Are you sure the flight attendant is not going to catch us?"

"We aren’t doing nothing illegal Y/n, just watching a movie."

"I’ll sit first, you sit on me and get the covers."

"What did you pick?"

"You’re going to see."

"Paprika or Tokyo godfathers?"

He doesn't answer. He does love how you keep asking him what you're going to watch. It's amusing for him.

Midway through the movie, your head peacefully rested on Beni’s chest while he stroke your thigh aimlessly just reeling at how much he wanted this brief moment to last.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, it’s a bit hard to follow but I think I’m getting the hang of it."

"I’m happy to hear that."

"I told you to pay attention to it and you’re getting sleepy on me. No can do."

His dominant hand snaked right into your panties while the other delicately fondles one of your boobs. You were about to protest but the way he does everything in sync makes it die on your tongue. 

You feel encouraged to rub your bud against his fingers while he smooches behind your ear.

"Beni～," you managed to utter between each moan he dragged out of you.

"Yes!" 

"You’re going to continue even if I stop, right?"

"By all means, my love. You’re paying attention to the movie?"

"How can I- -"

"Tsk, I told you to keep your eyes on it."

"You’re being so mean!"

"I’m not, I’m giving you some relief before tonight’s much needed rest."

"What happened to the Beni I met at my place before coming to the airport?"

"Never heard of him. We can talk about him if you want to…"

"Such a joker."

Shower

"I can shower here."

"Yes, you can. I’ll ask the flight attendant to show you where it is."

"Oh that’s wonderful. Are you going to do it too, Benimaru?"

"No I’m good, I’ll shower when we get to the hotel."

"I was wondering I think we should go to the Louvre museum." 

"Oh you’d like to go there. No problem." 

"You rock!"

"On the first day or can it wait?"

"Maybe on the second or the third even…"

"You’d like to go by yourself or be in company of someone?"

"You have somewhere to be?"

"No, I’m just asking."

"I would like it to be with you."

"We’ll do that."

In the shower while everything has been going perfectly well, you’re suddenly hit with a wave of sadness when you’re washing up. The goods you’re using on this flight smell exactly like ones Leo wore the first time you two ever met. It feels wrong to remember him fondly when a few hours earlier you were sitting on Benimaru’s face and he made you come like that. Is it greedy of mine to want both of them doing unspeakable things to me? I’m sure it isn’t, you laugh it off. For the time being you should enjoy your deserved time in Paris by Beni’s side. Everything else shall fall into place.

When I go back to my seat, I observe Beni reading a book and proceed to ask him: "What are you reading?"

"Oh, you’re done how was it?"

"Wonderful, nothing like a hot shower to make me feel better."

"Glad to hear that. I’m reading Izana, a folklore story that deals with the legend of the girls born on the year of the horse. Some sort of curse condemns their existence and the only solution as cruel as it may sound is to kill the kid to inhibit them from bringing misfortune to the village. It was a common practise of clan superiority traditions but it’s extremely nefarious so it has died down to a certain extent."

"Wow! I didn’t know you liked folkore stories like that. I’ll add that to my reading list for this month."

"It will be a wonderful read, I assure you."

"I don’t doubt it."

Bedtime

"No, I’ll make your bed for you. After all, that’s the service you paid for."

"You did, Benimaru?"

"Yes, love."

"Sorry then."

"I was wondering if can I get some infusion before bed?" 

"Indeed, is there anything like flavour you’d like to have?"

"Chamomille would be wonderful, that is if you have that."

"Definitely! I’ll check but I’m ninety eight per cent sure we have it."

"Here is you infusion, would you like some sugar with it or honey?"

"Honey would be lovely."

"Here you have it. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Everything was perfect. Thank you."

"You’re welcome, please, do not hesitate."

"I suggest you rest as much as you can, we have an eventful day tomorrow."

He kisses her forehead and tells her "Goodnight love."

Breakfast

At last we get to have a proper Parisian meal which is made up of the mandatory classics like a croissant, pain au chocolat, tartine with jam and butter. A double shot espresso coffee with a dash of milk. And for the fiber, a fruit salad.

"We’ll arrive at Paris in a bit less than two hours."

"I can’t wait for it. I am so excited."

"We’re currently at the airport. We’ll most certainly eat before we get to the hotel. I ordered a few of my men to get me a car but given it’s weekday time and peak hours for traffic jams, they’ll be here in about an hour."

"Got it."

"What should we do then?"

"We can get some snacks for the time being the hotel check in is only at eleven roughly."

"Let's go to a drugstore then I have to stock up on sunblock and I should also get me some nuxe products."

"Lead the way, I’ll follow you."

"What do you think of this?"

"It smells really good, you should buy it."

"If you insist…"

Get some sheet masks because this flight dried up my skin terribly. 

Perfume should I pick vanilla or strawberry? I don’t feel like choosing so get both. I know he’ll like it, anyway.

"To Lapis Lazuli* we go." 

"It’s not in Paris, it’s nearby and what do you take me for a pigeon maybe?"

"Hotels in the very centre of the capital are a pain in the ass, I don’t like that type of hassle. I picked somewhere not so well know so that way in two days or so we can leave for the house I rented."

"Mother why are you trying to monitor your son who’s on a trip with the girl he loves?"

"That’s my job."

"Don’t you have more important matters to attend at the moment?"

"Like what for example?"

"I don’t know, maybe not worrying about me?"

"Okay, darling bring me some souvenirs and take care of that girl you cherish so much."

"I will, bye mother."

Someone gently wakes you from your slumber. You really don't feel like opening your eyes and he didn't want to wake you up since you were serenely sleeping. He has to.

"Y/n, Y/n, can you hear me, love? I’m so sorry to wake you up, we’ve arrived at the hotel. I know you must be knackered but try to be awake at least for the check in. As soon as we’re done with it, I’ll carry you to our room."

"Okay."

Honestly, you don’t know what came over you back in the car. One could guess the sound of the engine was enough to lull you into Morpheus soothing arms. It felt nice to rest on Beni’s shoulder, he’s such a gentleman he even covered you with his jacket.

After a little much needed nap which lasted over three hours and a half, you decided it was time to let the girls know if you made it to Paris. You let out as soon as they pick the phone up in your best French accent:

"Je suis à Paris, les nanas*!"

"I’m jealous," Marjorie said. 

"I wish I were a squirrel," Theresa added.

"Lordt, what have I done to deserve this?" Bianca drammatically uttered, she continued with "Girl, where the Eiffel Tower at?"

"Yeah, let us see that," Theresa announced.

"Word!" Marjorie claimed.

"I will when I get there, I promise." you told them.

"How’s our new knight, babes?" Theresa asked.

"He’s good?!"

"Or is he," she widens her eyes, "better than Leo?" Bianca inquired.

"Uhm… hard to compare them like that." You answered.

"Oh, our girl needs time." Marjorie declared.

"Yup, evaluation period is necessary." Theresa disclosed.

"Girl is that a hickey on your pulse point?" Bianca asserted.

"Shiiit… he don’t waste time!" Marjorie added. 

"Like you said, he don’t." Theresa suggested.

"He hella fast!" Bianca replied."

"A lot has occurred!" you shyly added. 

Marjorie had a 'ah' moment where she smacked her fist on top of her other hand. She communicated the following thought "You fucked in the plane?"

"You living’ la vida loca, if you did. No judgement, babes. I'm not God's servant and don't plan on becoming one." Theresa highlighted.

"Oh, heck yes! Girl, you better get it." Bianca championed.

"No, he had me ride his face in the airport." You finally let them know.

"Hello 911, I would like to report depravity in a public restroom. Please, make sure to be here in fifteen minutes…"Marjorie joked about it.

The other girls are cackling on the phone way too hard and honestly you also ended up getting teary eyed with all this laughter. Good times!

"You livin’ the dream. I hope you really sat on it." Bianca implied.

"Tell us more, you ouchtea living that erotica book lifestyle!" Theresa stated.

"I swear I’m not. I feel a little lost." You uttered.

"About what?" Theresa suggested.

"Spill the beans, babe." Bianca voiced.

"We’re listening." Marjorie delivered.

"Leonard seems like a past thing now. I know I asked for a break but I can’t help and sometimes see him in Beni." You said.

"I think I know what you mean."Bianca estimated.

"You’re not wrong for thinking that." Marjorie conveyed.

"It’s not something to worry 'bout. I'm sure the future has something better in store for you." Theresa responded.

Benimaru knocks on the door. He asks:

"Y/n, we’re leaving for an afternoon tea in half an hour." 

"Girls, hold on. I’ll be back in a few."

"Okay. I’ll be ready by then."

"May I come in?" 

"Yes."

"I just need a few documents for a business partner who happened to come. I won’t bother you for long."

She goes back to her phone and Bianca really shouts on the phone, 

"Is that him?"

"Girl, being discreet never been your forte." 

"I second that."

"Yes, it is."

"Make him say hi, I’m tryna see something."

"Beni?"

"Yes, my love."

"Would you mind saying hi to the girls on the phone?"

"It would be a pleasure, honey."

"Just so you know, Bianca is the girl with curly hair, Theresa has a mullet Marjorie is the redhead."

"Okay. May you let me see them?"

"Undoubtedly."

She puts the phone in front of him and he pulls her closer to him "Hi, I am Beni, the man who’s currently taking care of your friend abroad."

"Pleasure to meet you Bianca, Marjorie and Theresa!" 

"Waouh! He looks so good like that." Marjorie acquiesced.

"Is that gel on your hair or something else?" Bianca questioned.

"No, it’s wax. Thank you for noticing."  And he winks at her. What is he doing?

"You’re treating our girl right, right?" Theresa inquired.

He looks at her "Am I treating you right," he grabs her chin and caresses her lips with his thumb, "sweetie?"

On the other side of the line, the girls are going off with their much awaited exclamations such as "Lord!! This is way to hot. Am I currently in the city called hell?" Marjorie said.

"Damn it gurl, he really had to pull that move on us? Called us single in many ways. I feel ashamed now." Theresa uttered.

"Jeez… I got a man but to be pampered that way is a dream." Bianca replied.

For a few minutes it was as if the girls never made part of the convo so they waited for an answer you never gave. It was him who told them.

"I’m sure I'm taking care of her fairly well. As you can see she forgot to respond you and if it’s not the case, she’ll let you know. That way you can get me back on track, isn’t that right, girls?"

Theresa: Absolutely! 

Bianca: No problem! 

Marjorie: Got it! 

"See, your girls have your back Y/n. Now, if you excuse me.

 It was lovely to get to meet you guys. I hope we can meet in person, sometime. I have some matters to attend. I wish a wonderful afternoon to all of you."

And with that he leaves, giving you a forehead kiss in the process.

"That’s how he treats you," Bianca added "you a lucky bitch, I have to admit."

"Girl… I want that lovey dovey too," Marjorie communicated. 

"Let me put spirit on speed dial for you gurls, do not waver. I got you."Theresa said.

"Theresa thank you for saving us,"both Marjorie and Bianca answered.

"What’s planned for now?" Theresa questioned.

"Oh, we’ll go to a tea place later."

"Ooh, nice." Bianca blurted.

"Don’t forget the pics." Marjorie reminded her.

"Have fun!" Bianca enthusiastically yelled.

"And tomorrow, we’ll go to the Louvre museum."

"Sis! Switch places, asap!" Marjorie cried out.

"What are you saying, Marjorie?"

"Don’t listen to them, Y/n just live it up."

"I’m heading to my pilates class so, bye babes. Take care."

"You’re instructing now?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations Bianca! I knew you would make it."

"Imma doze off after being on night shifts for the month you know, tryna make ends meet…"

"I get it, you should get your well deserved rest."

"The online sales are doing a bit too well so much that I can barely keep up with orders. I’m grateful for my efforts are finally paying off."

"You’re so right, I’m happy for you. Love you."

"Me too."

"See ya!"

"Bye."

Now, I’m left with choosing the outfit. I think it’s safe to check the weather to avoid any unwanted surprises and maybe a hoodie. It looks windy out here and don’t want to risk getting sick, I’m not taking any chances.

"What do you think about this dress?"

"Whatever you put on will look divine on you."

"Really?"

"Surely!"

"You’re not really helping, you know that?"

"Sorry. I’m a simple man for a lot of stuff."

"No need to apologise."

I’ll put on boots with the fit just because it looks better. A lil’ make up nothing too extravagant and fix it with the setting spray.

"Can you twirl for me?"

"Why?"

"I just want to admire your beauty. Is that too much to ask?" 

"No." You proceeded to executed what he told you to do. You twirled on your feet. When you're back to your initial position, facing him, he proclaims the following about you: "You look divine! Sometimes, I do wonder why is that I didn’t get you for me only, sooner…"

"Why is that?" You beamed with curiosity.

"Because we look great together."

You have to acknowledge him. He doesn't lie. A quick glance on the mirror facing his back and you two do look magnificent as a pair.

"We do."

"And I love to watch your body quiver with pleasure."

"You want me to tell you everything I adore about you, too?"

"If you feel like it go ahead."

"You're being cocky, stop it."

"I love being cocky. There's nothing wrong with that plus I get to watch you being under my spell. What more could I ask?"

"I think we should get going."

At the tea place un Quatre quarts*, you followed Beni and the waitress to a room he reserved for the both of you.

"This way, we’ll be on our own and have a little privacy."

"This place is so cozy. I love it."

"I am delighted to hear you do. The owner is a friend of mine whom wanted to become a firefighter because it was a job her parents admired so much but her passion was baking and watch people eat her creations. So naturally, she seized the chance to become what she was truly made for."

It’s the first time you’ve seen Beni talk about someone else with such eulogistic manner and that allows you to watch one his his many facets appear right before you. Yes, Beni’s hot and all that (without a doubt) but it’s extremely refreshing to see him being so affectionate towards someone else other than you. It almost makes you want to sit on his lap and kiss his forehead. Something that Leo never triggered like emotion: being proud of the one you’re currently with. Wow, it did render you speechless.

"We should take a look at the menu, I’m sure what they have is also really good."

"Sure. If it’s as good as you, I’ll bite." 

"Earth to Beni? Beni, do you hear me?"

You waved your hand in front of his face, "Beni are you even listening to me?"

You try again "Oi!"

"Yes."

"What got you smiling like that?"

"You."

"Oh, really?

"Why would I be lying to a pretty girl like you?" 

"Okay, I get it. Do you plan on embarrassing me the whole time?"

"Beautiful beings should be appreciated with all my praise. I’m making sure I don’t miss mentioning it very often."

"My handsome man."

"I’ll get a strawberry sponge cake and a dandelion tea, I think trying a financier* is good too."

"That sounds delicious. I’ll get a jambon beurre* because it’s been so long since I’ve had one. With a double shot of espresso."

"How do we get to call the waiter?"

"Press on the button present on the middle of the table, one of them will come right up."

Your both enjoying your meal you got a bite of Beni’s sammy and decided you wanted one too. You also fed him a bit of your food and he smiled with all his teeth showing. So cute, you thought.

Someone is coming to your table. By the way they’re dressed, you can grasp that they work in the kitchen of the establishment with a high hair up do, a neat rouge on her lips and a winged eyeliner trait neatly done to die for. 

What’s the most striking about her face is the fact that she has heterochromia which makes her even more charming. Her left eye is blue while the right one is green. Like how can one be that beautiful? Girl I feel like rubbing my eyes to check of I’m not seeing things…

"Annelyse!"

"Benimaru!"

"How have you been?"

"Is that how you greet a childhood friend, huh? You come to Paris but don’t even think about contacting me beforehand?"

"Aw, come on don’t be so harsh on me?"

"Harsh, bruva* you don’t got any manners and you’re talking about me being abrasive on you? Revalute your choice of words for all that is deemed sacred!"

"Okay, I’ll do that."

"And much rude of you not to introduce me to the beauty sitting in front of you?"

You’re saying that about me… well, well, well, look at you? I’m starting to second guess myself about men?

"I was about to get to it."

"Then…"

"Her name’s Y/n L/n." 

"The infamous university girl you were rad* about? Took you long enough to finally date her, were you scared or someone scared you? She asks him never taking her eyes off of you. 

"My pleasure to meet Benimaru’s" she mouths "obsession." 

"Same."

"You may ask me anything you feel like knowing about him. Please, do not hesitate."

"Annelyse! I thought you were on my side."

"I never said the contrary so… Stop imagining shit!"

"Her beauty is…"

"I know what you mean. The term you’re looking for probably is enthralling or should I say bewitching."

"More the last one than the former."

"She stole some of my high school girlfriends to let you know about the tea."

"She did that? How could…she do that to you?"

"Didn’t she have her eyes on you while she was talking to me?"

"Yes."

"What did you feel when she was looking at you the way she does?"

"Oh, that’s you you mean…"

"Exactly, that’s how she gets them."

"How many?"

"I can’t actually tell you. You’d think I’m a serial dater if I tell you." 

"No, I mean it’s fine by me."

"Did you ask Leo that?"

"No, he told me without me asking matter of fact why do suddenly mention Leo You got beef with him."

No, I had a plate of seafood boil with him. If I tell her this, she'll probably sulk the whole time we're here. I better not act childish right now.

"Why are you siding with someone you’re on a break with?"

"That’s not what I meant."

"I can’t and won’t have beef with him. It would be stupid of mine."

"May I know more?"

"Indubitably! Look up Palais de la Démesure and tell me what you think about it after you’re done reading what you’ve found online. Just a warning, you might not like what you see. One thing is certain, you won’t ever ask me about me being jealous of another man, ever again. It won’t cross your mind."

"We’ll meet Annelyse later this week because there is something she wants to show you. Are you okay with it?"

"I mean why wouldn’t I be okay with what she has to show me…"

"Did you have the time to look it up?"

"Yes, a little."

"What have you learned about it, then?"

"It is a common event and matter in your life alongside Leo’s one." 

"Did you look for the translation of the terms?"

"No, I didn’t."

"Wouldn’t you like to know? Curiosity hasn’t stricken you yet?"

"Go ahead and just deliver…"

"Wild Palace or the Palace of Excesses. A place where all of your wicked fantasies shall become true as there is no place for the term undoable to echo in those rooms." 

"Honestly, sounds like a good time for me! How do I enter there?"

"You can’t. You have to be summoned by the person who’s the current owner of the place."

"Do you know him?"

"No, no one does. Apparently, he’s a regular man like many of us but each year brings about a new owner. Something about the constant change makes the place more modern, one could say."

"You liked the time you spent there?"

"Yes, it was phenomenal." 

"I would love to hear it, sometime."

Back at the hotel

I reminisce vividly of it.

How can one forget a whole week spent with other four men and a woman whom was willing to be used as our personal fuck toy? Of course, there was no way for us to know who she was, what’s her government name or even if she was an inhabitant of the city. We were just told to please ourselves to our hearts content as long as we respect each other in an environment where pleasure and bliss are keywords.

That year, a woman of high ranking was the owner of said palace which made circumstances highly advantageous for women. I must salute her for her proactive measures. Women were the centre of attention and I personally loved that for them. She had also added another rule which was If the woman you’re currently with tends to have more sex with you than all the other guys it could potentially mean that she might want to spend a week with you only and you’ll be assigned to a private suite for such doings, of everything follows through, naturally.

Later on

While browsing on the web about what Benimaru had told me about. I fell upon one porn link. I didn’t really specify what it was or who starred in it but I could get a vague feel that it was amateur type shit, you know, the good stuff which is not staged.

On the screen I see such a voluptuous black woman getting it on with five masked men. The thing is I don’t even know why but somehow wish it were me getting thrown around like that. Yes, she’s livin’ her best life, that is certain but the way she’s on them?? Wow, teach me your ways, girl! She’s got three dicks in her, she’s jerking one with her and has another man who sandwiched his dick between her tits. Long story short, I’m not even halfway through the video that Benimaru barges in the room talking ‘bout "Have you seen my glasses?"

I throw my phone ‘cause I’m not got hide it right and act like I actually am looking for it with it.

"I don’t know," she stammers "hum, where did you leave them?"

"On the night table, normally." 

"Okay, I’ll go check if it’s there."

"Is it a grey box?"

"Yes."

"Here you have it, check if it’s inside, you never know."

He does it. "Thank you love and he kisses your lips." That unexpected move really caught you off guard. And he leaves just like that.

And I go look for my phone right where I threw it. Next plan, I can see her now bouncing on three peens while the other two men jerk their manhood as she keeps her mouth open with her tongue out. So raunchy, yet it’s making your panties wet. 

The end of the video is topped with a bukkake* scene but what’s new honestly, when it comes to an orgie. I’m left drier than motherfucking saltfish before it is plunged in water for its saltiness to go away. 

I know I wanted more than anything a sugardaddy yet after watching this, I’m starting to revaluate my choices. I’m young after all so I should get all the fun I want. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Benimaru is fine but I don’t mind getting another man to take care of me like Leo used to.

I still have his number on my phone, it wouldn’t hurt to call him. I’m just checking how he is doing without me… 

On the other side of the globe

"And that is the main reason why we should review the budget for our next big hit. Mister Burns, are you here with us?"

He doesn't really seem like he's in his element…

"Yes, as always excellent presentation Hay Linn, I will excuse myself for now. 

If anyone has questions regarding the matter, please, do not waver contacting me or Hay Linn here present. We’ll gladly get back to you as soon as possible.

And with that you’re all dismissed."

Two employees chit chat about their general feels concerning their very first year working for Leonard's company:

"Did you see? Ceo Leo is so nice, I’m so happy we have a boss like him!

"Heck yes, you’re so right about that."

Look, he’s looking rather gloomy these past few days. Does anyone know what happened?

"Sugarbaby gate."

"Oh, that."

"Without a doubt. It has to be it." 

"Wait, isn’t that field always like full or maybe shortage has ravaged it?"

"I don’t think it’s that simple…more like he might have to let go of someone he really liked."

"I don’t feel like talking about it anymore. Gon’ make me sad and shit."

"Same here."

Leonard Burns sits down at his desk and runs his hand through his luscious white hair. This day hasn’t been his best but he must remain focused, otherwise rumours will spread like wildfire about him and his rather blue face.

As he tries to cheer himself up to the best of his ability, his phone starts buzzing on his desk. Who could it be at this time of day? He doesn’t have any planned phone calls he quickly checked his schedule before eventually answering that phone call.

"Good afternoon."

"Hello! Am I on the phone with," she pauses before uttering the following terms, "Sir Leonard Burns?"

"Yes, the one and only. How may I help you?"

"Oh, now you’d like to help me. How gentlemanlike of you. Have you forgotten me, perhaps?"

"I’m not sure what you mean, miss. Are you sure we have met before?"

"I am or maybe I should’ve said Daddy Leo?"

"It’s you Y/n, how are you doing? Are Paris and Benimaru being kind to you?"

"I’m a little hurt because you didn’t remember me right away. I am doing well, thank you for asking. Yes, they’re treating the best they can. How are you, my Leo?"

But I somehow know you'd treat me the best as always…

"I’m doing okay, I guess…"

"I know we are on a break but I miss you. I diligently hope we can meet as soon as I land back there. There’s a lot of things I have to let you know.

And you can’t do that on the phone, am I right?"

"As always, you’re so alert."

"You planned to torture me on the phone with that mellifluous voice of yours all day long or you’re going to let me go?"

"I’m not keeping you captive, baby unless you’d like me to!"

"You’re playing with fire Y/n, I advise you not to do it."

"But what’s wrong if I like doing it with you, daddy? Are you going to spank me when I’m back? I’ve grown to like the sting I get each time one your firm hand lays a hit on my delicate skin."

The worst bit of this call is that Leonard is fighting so hard not to get a hard on because that's the last thing he would like to deal with while he's at work, in his office. Yes, people will knock on the door before entering but if he gets one, he'll have to tend to it on the spot.

"I will if you want me to."

"That’s what I like to hear. See you when I’m back then, rawr…"

"I’ll see you then, Y/n."

Chapter 6 of After all, it's not a bad idea to get a sugar daddy 

Any kind of interaction is widely welcome!!

2022-2024 all rights reserved to @kaedeakeshisworld.

Translations/ modifications/replicas/property of my work are strictly prohibited. Do not repost/ recommend/ share it elsewhere!

#leonard burns smut #leonar burns x black reader #shinmon benimaru smut #fire force smut #black reader smut #poc reader #enn enn no shouboutai smut

[chocobothis]

Bleach OCs (Batch One)

I have a whole bunch of Bleach OCs because this is where my brain is. Now everyone can meet these Horrible Rascals (Affectionate). Hopefully, getting it all out makes it easier to switch back to my regularly scheduled programing. All of their information is set maybe two weeks max after the Ryoka Invasion and during the Winter War. I also have a lot of headcanons for how the Seireitei, Gotei 13, etc work and will elaborate on that later on. Basically, I took a bunch of worldbuilding I liked and went, “I can make these even better!”

Name: Tayasu, Shinobu “Nobu” Race: Shinigami Nationality: Japanese Birthday: January 13, 1845 Death Day: January 20, 1865 Gender: Non-binary (She/Her cause they’ve not realized they’re trans yet) Sexuality: Bisexual Height: 5’5” (165 cm) Weight: 115 lbs (52.2 kg) - Affiliation: Seireitei, Shiba Clan Previous Affiliation(s): Shinsengumi, Tayasu Clan Profession: Shinigami, Retainer Position: Acting Captain Previous Position(s):    - Seat 18th-3/Onmitsukido (2nd)    - Seat 15 (12th)    - Seat 12 (4th)    - Seat 8, Seat 3/Onmitsukido (2nd)    - Seat 7 (4th)    - Seat 4 (13th) Division: 5th Previous Division(s): 2nd, 4th, 12th, 13th Base of Operations: 5th Division - Relative(s):    - Tayasu, Ayumu - Third Cousin, Husband when human (Alive)    - Tayasu, Noburu - Father (Deceased)    - Tayasu, Yukimi - Mother (Deceased)    - Tayasu, Shigeo- 2nd Cousin Once Removed, Father-in-law (Deceased)    - Tayasu, Kameko - 2nd Cousin Once Removed by Marriage, Mother-in-Law (Deceased) Education: Shin’o Academy - Shikai: Tatakai no Chuushin (Heart of Battles) Bankai: Tatakai no Chuushin: Ryuuketsu no Yuuwa (Bloody Appeasement) - Notes: - Nobu was aware of ghosts their entire human life. - They remember their human life which makes for funny moments. - They’re Polyam. - They’re AFAB and were raised as an onna-musha by their doting father. Noburu didn’t have a male heir and decided that firmly was not a problem. His baby girl would be his heir. - While in a relationship with Ayumu then (and now) they don’t really consider their marriage to have carried over. So, they do romantically pursue others and share about it. - They’re a retainer for the Shiba Clan under Shiba, Isshin (along with Ayumu) but actually attended the Shin’o Academy with his nephew, Kaien, for two years. They knew each other beforehand and shared a class and quick graduation too.

XxXxX

Name: Tayasu, Ayumu Race: Shinigami Nationality: Japanese Birthday: March 03, 1840 Death Day: January 20, 1865 Gender: Male (Gender Non-Confirming) Sexuality: Homoflexible Height: 5’7” (170.2 cm) Weight: 125 lbs (56.7 kg) - Affiliation: Seireitei, Shiba Clan Previous Affiliation(s): Tayasu Clan Profession: Shinigami, Retainer Position: 9th Seat Previous Position(s): Various Seated and Unseated Division: 4th Previous Division(s): n/a Base of Operations: 4th Division - Relative(s):    - Tayasu, Shinobu - Third Cousin, Wife When Living (Alive)    - Tayasu, Noburu - Father (Deceased)    - Tayasu, Yukimi - Mother (Deceased)    - Tayasu, Shigeo- 2nd Cousin Once Removed, Father-in-law (Deceased)    - Tayasu, Kameko - 2nd Cousin Once Removed by Marriage, Mother-in-Law (Deceased) Education: Shin’o Academy - Shikai: Utau Senshi (Singing Warrior) Bankai: Not Yet Achieved - Notes - He was born seeing but went blind from a fever when he was 12. Considering it almost took his life he can handle this. - From birth he was aware of spirits. When Nobu’s mother died in birth he saw her spirit before her konso. - He remembers his human life and is pretty chill about most of it. Would rather have forgotten him and Nobu drowning but details. - Even though he was born into a samurai family he didn’t really care for battle. It was something he did and learned because it was tradition. Not to say he was bad but he just didn’t have the passion for it. Battle and Leading was always Nobu’s forte. He was always happy to support them. - He’s happily polyam but doesn’t really want a relationship outside of Nobu for the moment. - When he attended the academy he was year mates with Kaien’s future wife, Miyako. They were thick as thieves from the get go and spent all six years together.

XxXxX

Name: Yoshinaga, Kiku (Kuroda, Shungiku at birth) Race: Shinigami (Gemischt Quincy when alive) Nationality: Japanese Birthday: February 14, 1800 Death Day: June 21, 1806 Gender: Female Sexuality: Queer Height: 4’7” (139.7cm) Weight: 75 lbs (34 kg) - Affiliation: Seireitei, Shihouin Clan Previous Affiliation(s): N/A Profession: Shinigami Position: 3rd Seat/Onmitsukido Previous Position(s): 8th, 13th, 18th-1 Division: 2nd Previous Division(s): N/A Base of Operations: 2nd Division - Relative(s):    - Shihouin, Yoruichi - Older Sister Figure (Alive)    - Urahara, Kisuke - Older Brother Figure (Alive)    - Tsukabishi, Tessai - Older Brother Figure (Alive)    - Kuroda, Fumiyo - Mother (Echt Quincy)(Dead)    - Kuroda, Masato/Yoshinaga, Nori (Spiritually Aware Human)(Dead) Education: Shin’o Academy - Shikai: Hoshizora (Starry Sky) Bankai: Hoshizora: Fukushuunoowari (Starry Sky: Vengeful End) - Notes - Kiku died from being struck by lightning. As a result, she has the lichtenberg scars on the entire left half of her body. They seemed to only solidify when she was konsoed. - She honestly knew nothing of her Quincy Heritage until she met Ishida, Uryuu. Her father pretended he got her ability to see spirits from him. Because her mother was killed in the Quincy Extermination in 1801. She was the head of the Kuroda Clan and led them into battle, giving her life so her husband and daughter could escape. When her father told her about the monsters in black and white she assumed they were the hollows she sometimes saw, not the shinigami. - Gives exactly zero fucks about being polite when it comes to names and honorifics. She calls most people by their first name or nicknames, skips most honorifics, and lets that be someone else’s problem. - For several decades after her death she lived in North 75th District regarded as something of a yokai. The Shinigami ignored a lot of the chatter from the locals because nothing about their yokai shared no hollow characteristics. Urahara and Yoruichi found her by chance. For them it was easy to piece together things like her “eating people's lives” was her reiatsu (and future shikai) seeking out reishi and reiryoku to fuel it. - She’s published several highly successful serial novels in the Seireitei Communication. When she was alone she made up stories to amuse herself then refined it when she found out her best friend, Nanao, loves to read. They’re her little love letters to Nanao for being her best friend since they’ve met. - Because she’s a ward of the Shihouin Clan her attending the Shin’o Academy was a formality. It was known almost from the start she would join the 2nd Division and Onmitsukidou with Yoruichi and Co. But, she stayed all six years because of Nanao. They were both the only “little girls” in the Academy and she worried about her being alone. So, she stayed so they could have as much time together as possible.

#my ocs #bleach ocs #tayasu nobu #tayasu ayumu #oyanagi kiku #please ask me about my problem children

[scotianostra]

Canongate Kirk.

When walking down the Royal Mile toward Holyrood a lot of people don't realise that you are walking between, what was two different towns, Edinburgh and Canongate. It wasn't until 1865 the Burgh of Canongate lost its independence to the ever growing Edinburgh.

Canongate’s close proximity to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is situated at the eastern end of Canongate Burgh, has been influential on both the fortunes of the Burgh and the establishment of Canongate Kirk.

In 1687, King James VII declared that the Abbey Church of Holyroodhouse was to be used as the chapel for the re-established Order of the Thistle and for the performance of Catholicrites when the Royal Court was in residence at Holyrood. The nave of this chapel had been used by the Burgh of Canongate as a place of Protestant worship since the Reformation in the mid sixteenth century, but with the removal of access to the Abbey Church to practise their faith, the parishioners of Canongate were forced to find an alternative venue in which to worship. Fortunately, some 40 years before this edict by James VII, funds had been bequeathed to the inhabitants of Canongate to erect a church in the Burgh - and these funds had never been spent. This money was therefore used to build Canongate Kirk and a Kirkyard was laid out within its grounds shortly after building work commenced in 1688.

It is not known whether the Kirkyard was in used as a burial ground or when it was first used, but is the last resting place of many famous and interesting people.   Perhaps the most famous is Adam Smith, a philosopher and economist, his statue stands just before you reach Parliament Square on The High Street beside St Giles, he was a leading light in The Scottish Enlightenment, manother of those leading lights, Dugald Stewart  regarded as one of the most important figures of the Enlightenment, agaiun, you will see him honoured elsewhere iin Edinburgh, his monument on Calton Hill makes it into many of the photographs taken there.

I won't bore you with all the graves, instead moving onto my favourite two, and the ones I usually visit when passing.

Rober Fergusson, the poet was born in the Old Town of Edinburgh and most of his poems, in lively Scots, celebrate life in “Old Reekie”. Sadly he had a mental breakdown and died when he was just 24. Our most famous poet, Rabbie Burns greatly admired Fergusson’s work and paid for the memorial on his grave after finding it unmarked when going to pay his respects, although minutes survive in the Kirk records that Burns had to be reminded to pay for the stone. Fergussons statue is the one just outside the gates that all the torists like to pose with, but probably don't have a clue who we was, unless they read my blog of course! ;)

Another connection to burns, The Kirkyard is the last resting place of Agnes Maclehose (nee Craig). Known as Nancy, Craig married a Glasgow lawyer called James Maclehose but the marriage was unhappy and she moved to Edinburgh where the Craig family were quite well known. Here, in 1787, she met the Burns. The poet was meant to visit Nancy at her home around Teviot Square on night when he stumbled getting out of the carriage, inuring his ankle putting the kybosh on any notions Rabbie had of a "romantic" liaison. However they remaine friends and wrote to each other using the pen-names Sylvander and Clarinda. Burns wrote Ae Fond Kiss about his Clarinda, part of the verse is;

"I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy Nothing can resist my Nancy"

It goes on....

"never met, nor never parted We would never have been so broken-hearted"

The lines are very close to my heart as my late dad had them etched on my mum's garve.

Finaly there is a grave in The Canongate Kirkyard that often has fresh flowers on it, someimes just a single rose. Somehow through the years it ahs become the rumoured grave of David Riccio/Rizzio a . A royal servant of Mary Queen of Scots who was brutally murdered in front of a pregnant Mary in 1566. It's said ge would have been buried in the grounds of Holyrood Abbey, but local tradition said his body was later moved to The Cangate. The tradition that Rizzio is buried at Canongate doesn't predate 1920 and the plaque connecting the gravestone with Rizzio is from the 1950s; it must be suspected that the story of his reinterment at Canongate is a hoax intended for more gullible tourists.

#Canongate #Canongate Kirk #Kirkyard. #edinburgh #history #scotland #scottish #old church #church #my pic #phone pic

[quicksiluers]

Philip Henry Sheridan, born March 6th, 1831, was once described by Abraham Lincoln as “A brown, chunky little chap, with a long body, short legs, not enough neck to hang him, and such long arms that if his ankles itch he can scratch them without stooping.”  Still, “Little Phil” rose to tremendous power and fame before his untimely death of a heart attack at age 57.

He is most famous for his destruction of the Shenandoah Valley in 1864, called “The Burning” by its residents. He was also the subject of an extremely popular poem entitled “Sheridan’s Ride”, in which he (and his famous horse, Rienzi) save the day by arriving just in time for the Battle of Cedar Creek.

Like Patrick Cleburne, Sheridan rose very quickly in rank. In the fall of 1861, Sheridan was a staff officer for Maj. Gen. Henry Halleck. He later became quartermaster general in the Army of Southwest Missouri.  With the help of influential friends he was appointed Colonel of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry in May, 1862. His first battle, Booneville, MS, impressed Brig. Gen. William S. Rosecrans so much that he himself was promoted to Brigadier General. After Stones River he was promoted to Major General.

Sheridan’s men were part of the forces which captured Missionary Ridge (near Chattanooga) in 1863. When Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to General-in-Chief of the Union armies, he made Sheridan the commander of the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps. This moved him from the Western Theater to the Eastern Theater of operations. At first, Sheridan’s Corps was used for reconnaissance.  His men were sent on a strategic raiding mission toward Richmond in May 1864. Then he fought with mixed success in Grant’s 1864 Overland Campaign.

During the Civil War, Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley was a vital resource to the Confederacy.  Not only did it serve as the Confederate “breadbasket”, it was an important transportation route. The region had witnessed two large-scale campaigns already when Gen. Ulysses S. Grant decided to visit the Valley once again in 1864. He sent Philip Sheridan on a mission to make the Shenandoah Valley a “barren waste”.

In September, Sheridan defeated Jubal Early’s smaller force at Third Winchester, and again at Fisher’s Hill. Then he began “The Burning” – destroying barns, mills, railroads, factories – destroying resources for which the Confederacy had a dire need. He made over 400 square miles of the Valley uninhabitable. The Burning” foreshadowed William Tecumseh Sherman’s “March to the Sea”:  another campaign to deny resources to the Confederacy as well as bring the war home to its civilians.

In October, however, Jubal Early caught Sheridan off guard. Early launched a surprise attack at Cedar Creek on the 19th. Sheridan, however, was ten miles away in Winchester, Virginia. Upon hearing the sound of artillery fire, Sheridan raced to rejoin his forces. He arrived just in time to rally his troops. Early’s men, however, were suffering from hunger and began to loot the abandoned Union camps. The actions of Sheridan (and Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright) stopped the Union retreat and dealt a severe blow to Early’s army.

For his actions at Cedar Creek, Sheridan was promoted to Major General in the regular army. He also received a letter of gratitude from President Abraham Lincoln. The general took great pleasure in Thomas Buchanan Read’s poem, “Sheridan’s Ride” – so much so that he renamed his horse “Winchester”. The Union victories in the Shenandoah Valley came just in time for Abraham Lincoln and helped the Republicans defeat Democratic candidate George B. McClellan in the election of 1864.

During the spring of 1865, Sheridan pursued Lee’s army with dogged determination. He trapped Early’s army in March. In April, Gen. Lee was forced to evacuate Petersburg when Sheridan cut off his lines of support at Five Forks. And, at Sayler’s Creek, he captured almost one quarter of Lee’s army. Finally at Appomattox, Lee was forced to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia when Sheridan’s forces blocked Lee’s escape route.

At war’s end, Phil Sheridan was a hero to many Northerners. Gen. Grant held him in the highest esteem. Still, Sheridan was not without his faults. He had pushed Grant’s orders to the limit. He also removed Gettysburg hero Gouverneur Warren from command. It was later ruled that Warren’s removal was unwarranted and unjustified.

During Reconstruction, Sheridan was appointed to be the military governor of Texas and Louisiana (the Fifth Military District). Because of the severity of his administration there, President Andrew Johnson declared that Sheridan was a tyrant and had him removed. In 1867, Ulysses S. Grant charged Sheridan with pacifying the Great Plains, where warfare with Native Americans was wreaking havoc. In an effort to force the Plains people onto reservations, Sheridan used the same tactics he used in the Shenandoah Valley:  he attacked several tribes in their winter quarters, and he promoted the widespread slaughter of American bison, their primary source of food.  

In 1871, the general oversaw military relief efforts during the Great Chicago Fire. He became the Commanding General of the United States Army on November 1, 1883, and on June 1, 1888, he was promoted to General of the Army of the United States – the same rank achieved by Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman.

Sheridan is also largely responsible for the establishment of Yellowstone National Park – saving it from being sold to developers.

On August 5th, 1888, Sheridan died after a series of massive heart attacks.  He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

#philip sheridan #philip h sheridan #american civil war #history #i discovered in my reading on thing with the civil war...that i like to read about loud assholes lol #and sheridan isssss for sure one of them #but hey...i can join him in the 'don't like gov. warren club' #that's a whole other topic #but i will also say! that sheridan has a lot of good photos #and i always forget that when he went east he had a beard for a bit lol

[90363462]

The Downfall Of Allensworth: How Racism And Lies Destroyed A Black Town In California

Here is the amazing and tragic story of Allensworth, the only California town to be founded, financed, and governed by Black people.

Source: creative services / iOne Digital

Almost 70 miles south of Fresno, California, tucked away in the small county of Tulare is a tiny state park. Although it may not look like much, it was once a true testament to Black American resilience.

MORE: The Black Town Under Lake Martin: A Father & Son’s Dream Of Greatness

How do you get a whole race of people to uplift themselves after years of persecution?

This was the very question Colonel Allen Allensworth asked himself before he embarked on one of the most important journeys in African American history–to build the first Black self-sufficient town in California.

Sadly, that journey would never get to live up to its full potential. Like so many other symbols of Black excellence in the early 1900s, Allensworth’s dream would be poisoned by racism’s venomous sting.

Colonel Allensworth was an American hero in every sense of the word and his story doesn’t get told nearly enough.

But this is Black Folklore, where we dive into America’s past to tell lesser-known Black stories that touch the soul. And yes, many of our stories end in tragedy, but that doesn’t make them any less inspiring.

There’s value in understanding what came before you.

Source: Fresno Bee / Getty

In 1842, Allen Allensworth was born a slave in Louisville, Kentucky, twenty years before the start of the Civil War.

The young boy would spend his entire childhood the property of a white slave owner.

Slaves in Kentucky were forbidden from education in fear of rebellion or uprising. In secret, Allensworth would master the English language, learning to read and write and cultivate a love for learning. But the only way he would truly be able to express this newfound love was to escape his bondage.

The first time Allen Allensworth tried to escape slavery he failed miserably. Although there is no record of his escape, there are a few bread crumbs from history we can follow to paint a picture.

In 1806, the Louisville Police department began to take shape in the form of five ‘watchmen’ appointed by the town’s trustees. In the south police forces, we created solely to preserve the system of slavery. It isn’t out of the question to believe that Allensworth was caught by the police and returned to his slave owner, who probably greeted him with a few lashings from the whip. But it wouldn’t deter Allensworth.

The start of the Civil War in 1861 would give him the opportunity he needed to run and never look back. He escaped slavery in 1862, seeking refuge behind Union lines. For the next several months, Allensworth would work as a civilian nurse for the 44th Illinois volunteer Infantry, until 1863 when become a seaman in the Union Navy serving on gunboats. When he left the Navy in 1865 with the rank of first-class petty officer, Allensworth leaned into the word of God and enrolled at Roger Williams University to study theology. While learning how to spread the gospel, he also met and married the love of his life, Josephine Leavell.

After becoming an ordained minister, Allensworth jumped right into the pulpit. He began giving serval sermons around his hometown of Louisville and became an instant success. The community began to look up to him and it propelled him into politics. In 1880 and 1884, Allensworth would represent Kentucky as one of their delegates to the Republic National convention.

Allensworth’s life had changed so much since his time in the Navy, but his heart was still with the soldiers. In 1882 he was tasked to help recruit Black chaplains for the all-Black military units. Instead of recruiting Black pastors, Allensworth took the position himself. He believed as a chaplain he could make the lives of the average Black soldier much better. For twenty years, Allensworth taught Black soldiers about spiritual health and educational well-being. He was only the second African American, after Henry Plummer, named to serve as a U.S. Army Chaplain. In 1906 he retired from the Army as the highest-ranked Black man in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Retirement didn’t slow Allensworth down one bit. After his second stint in the army, the former slave turned Colonel traveled the U.S. lecturing Blacks on the importance of self-help programs. Like Booker T. Washington, Allensworth believed Blacks in America needed to become more self-sufficient.

But, if Blacks were going to stand on their own in America, they needed a safe place to do so–Allensworth wanted to provide that.

Following his own advice, he moved to Los Angeles with his family in search of California. Allensworth believed he could build a town dedicated to the prosperity of Black Americans. There weren’t many places Black people could live that allowed them to escape the clutches of Jim Crown, even in the north. But California was a new land, with hope and opportunity. All Allensworth needed now was a team.

Insert William Payne, a professor at West Virginia Colored Institute, Dr, William H. Peck, a Los Angeles minister, and J.W. Palmer, a Nevada miner.

Source: Fresno Bee / Getty

On August 3, 1908, the all-Black town of Solito was born. Later that year the townspeople would change the name to Allensworth in honor of its most important founder. The town of Allensworth was a true gem and was far ahead of its time. It not only had a depot connection on the Santa Fe Railroad but also had an official town government called the Allensworth Progressive Association. The town held elections, as well as regularly scheduled town meetings. Allensworth was also a voting precinct and had its own school district, with a local school built with money raised by the community. The school included students from elementary to high school.

Since Allensworth prided itself on the importance of education, the town’s extracurricular activities were centered around the advancement of the Black mind. The town had a Women’s Improvement League and boasted a Debating Society, a Theatre Club, and a Glee Club.

The town thrived off of its agriculture. Allensworth’s economy was built around the farmers who lived in the surrounding areas. Allensworth had serval businesses including a bakery, a drug store, a barbershop, a machine shop, as well as a hotel.

Unfortunately, the rest of this story is more of a Greek tragedy than it is a fairytale.

In 1914, Allen Allensworth was killed after he was hit by a motorcycle during a trip to Los Angeles. The town was devastated but continued to prosper.

By the 1920s there were more than 300 residents that lived in Allensworth. It attracted Black soldiers, Black educators, and Black thinkers from all over the country.

But the town of Allensworth never made it.

Its biggest downfall, being a Black self-sufficient town in a white racist country.

For Allensworth to continue to blossom, it needed support from the surrounding white establishments, but that was far from the case.

The Pacific Farming Company controlled most of the land sales in the state. They frequently sold plots of land to Blacks at inflated prices and even refused land sales to Blacks after Allensworth began to boom.

The Pacific Water Company lied to Allensworth’s elected officials, promising the town the addition of water wells due to the lack of sustainable water sources. Instead of adding the water wells in Allensworth, they installed the wells in the neighboring white town, leaving Allensworth’s unusable.

Townspeople pleaded with the company to keep their promises and add the necessary wells, but the Pacific Water Company ignored their pleas. The long legal battle would end in a loss for the townspeople.

Since agriculture was so important to the way of life in Allensworth, once the water went, so did the residents.

The Santa Fe Railroad would also follow suit in helping to quickly destroy the popular Black town of Allensworth. They suspended the connecting rail line and diverted it to a neighboring all-white town.

With no water to farm and no transportation to grow, Allensworth ultimately became a ghost town, gone forever but most certainly not forgotten.

Today, in the place that once represented Black resilience, sits the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park. The park works to continue the legacy of Allensworth and the ideals that Allen lived by. The organization Friends Of Allensworth also allows you to help promote the town’s legacy. It was created to raise awareness of the town of Allensworth, as well as to grow support for the park. If you would like to support the park click here.

How do you get a whole race of people to uplift themselves after years of persecution? You give them direction and show them anything can be achieved with determination and confidence in yourself. That was Colonel Allensworth’s true legacy

“Progress in human affairs is more often a pull than a push, surging forward of the exceptional man, and the lifting of his duller brethren slowly and painfully to his vantage-ground.” –W.E.B. Du Bois

SEE ALSO:

The Legend Of O.T. Jackson And The Black Ghost Town Of Dearfield, Colorado

There’s A Black Village Under Central Park That Was Founded By Alexander Hamilton’s Secret Black Son

39 photos

[pavspatch]

Hyde's place in the history of the penalty

IT'S amazing what sometimes makes its way into your inbox. Recently, and thanks to Mike Smith who is better known as Mossley Smiffy, I was alerted to the fact that the first penalty in the history of football was scored by a former Hyde player.

The man in question was James McLuggage who spent a season with the Victorian Tigers in 1889-90. He played at least 20 matches, scoring a dozen goals.

At the time Hyde FC were a very ambitious club, in fact one with ideas above their station, and it was this attitude that led to the famous FA Cup tie with Preston North End (who were quite a lot bigger).

In common with the Invincibles and other Football League clubs they began to talk of importing talent from Scotland — something that wasn't cheap. But the Athletic News said Hyde had a free purse and there was even talk of signing a player from Glasgow Rangers Reserves on wages of £3 a week (which would equate to about £270 in today's money).

That may even have been McLuggage, who made at least one appearance for the Ibrox first team, but he joined Hyde from Accrington.

Hyde spent lavishly in other ways too. They paid clubs like Belfast Athletic to come and play them. J Fairbrother and Son (Grange Road North was then called Fairbrother Street) started erecting a grandstand. They joined the Lancashire League and even sold photographs of the players.

Of course they couldn't afford it, and by the mid-1890s the original Hyde FC had folded. A new club was established by Charlie Barber, landlord of the Gardeners, Lumn Road.

But back to the famous Jim McLuggage. Here's how his historic penalty exploits are recorded on scottishsporthistory.com:

"One of the cornerstones of football was born in 1891, out of frustration at cynical fouls which prevented a goal. The penalty kick was launched at a meeting of the International FA Board, held in the Alexandra Hotel, Glasgow, on June 2, 1891.

"It was one of the most momentous changes to the laws of the game, and while it was intended for the following season it did not take long to make an impact. The first award of a penalty took place just four days later, on June 6, 1891, at Mavisbank Park, Airdrie.

"Larkhall side Royal Albert defeated Airdrieonians 2-0 to lift the Airdrie Charity Cup and one of their players made history. Around 2,000 fans witnessed 'what is in all likelihood the first case of a referee granting a foul under the new law for tripping, holding, or handling the ball within 12 yards of goal'.

"Few people, least of all the players, knew what to expect: 'That the new law was a puzzle to the players was evident, all appeared to think they could stand in front of the ball as of old, but imagine the astonishment of both players and spectators when Connor alone was left between the sticks, while his ten companions had to go six yards behind the ball along with the Royalists.

" 'In simple, the new law means that but two men settle such infringement, the kicker and opposing goalkeeper, and a goal is a moral certainty with half-good management'.   "The main protagonists in this little scene can all be identified. The referee was James Robertson of 5th King's Royal Volunteers, who lived in Partick and represented the Southern Counties on the Scottish FA committee. The goalkeeper was the veteran James Connor, who had a Scotland cap to his name.

"And most importantly, the scorer was James McLuggage.

"Born in Ireland around 1865, James and his family moved to Scotland when he was a small boy and at some stage dropped a letter from their original name of McCluggage. He started his football career with Cowlairs, and was good enough to be selected for Glasgow against Sheffield in 1886.

"When he moved to Larkhall he turned out for Royal Albert and the Motherwell Times in 1888 described how a howl of joy and triumph arose from the Larkhall supporters’ when he took the field.

"McLuggage also recorded occasional appearances for Third Lanark and Rangers before turning professional with Accrington in 1889. However, although he played in eight Football League matches, it was not a success.

"By the end of the year he had joined Hyde and he was back in Scotland with Royal Albert in 1891, where he remained for at least four years.

"His sole claim to football fame is that momentous penalty. He died in Larkhall on November 18, 1949."