#national redhead day 2023 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

goldenempyrean · 5 months

Text

Twinkling

« Day 15: Fairy Lights »

« Pairing: WandaNat »

« Notes: this was cute to write :) horribly unedited so I apologise :,) »

〘 Check Out My Masterlist! 〙〘 Advent 2023 Masterlist! 〙

“You don’t get it Nat, the lights are what makes it christmas! It’s the one thing I love every year, they’re special!” Is what the feverish witch had yelled - well, croaked to be more accurate - earlier in response when Nat had put her foot down and decided neither of them would be attending the city’s national light switch on event.

Natasha hadn’t said it to cruel or unfair, she did have a point. Wanda was sick. Way too sick to be stood around shivering in the cold, even if she’d worn a coat, the icy bite in the wind would’ve been sure to have left her with the chills. Still, the watery tears that had slipped helplessly down her wife’s flushed red cheeks at the news had made her feel horribly guilty at her decision. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been looking forward to it too, the whole team usually met up. It was always a good night but she simply knew that Wanda would’ve gotten herself 10x sicker in the process.

Wanda hadn’t been said much after that, she simply wiped her tears and taken herself back to their bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a slam louder than necessary - a clear sign she wasn’t in the mood to simply talk things over.

As Natasha stood alone in the dimly lit living room, she couldn't shake off the weight of Wanda's disappointment. She knew it was probably the fever heightening her emotions but the way her bottom lip had wobbled as she tried not to cry at the news had her heart torn into bits. She could’ve leave it like this.

For now though, she gave Wanda space. Fighting back the urge to slip into their bedroom and hold her through the tears. Instead Natasha quietly slid past the room, being mindful of the creaking floorboards that threatened to give away her plan and headed up towards their attic.

Creeping open the attic door, the smell of dry air and dust make her cough instinctively as she crept inside. It was a little dark but it wasn’t hard to spot the piles of boxes in one of the corners. Wiping the settled dust from the top of one, she read the label scribbled on in black sharpie, “Christmas Decoration’s.”

“There we go.” Natasha whispered to herself, as her vision began to slowly come into plan.

She continued to open up the several boxes, searching around in them to grab exactly what she wanted and in the end she was left with countless strings of wire and bulbs.

Back downstairs, she looked around the toom with determined eyes and a softened resolve.!Natasha began draping the twinkling lights around the living room. She carefully wove them through the bookshelves, wrapped them gently around the framed photos on the walls, and adorned the windows with a warm, festive glow.

As each strand illuminated, Natasha couldn't help but smile, imagining the joy it would bring to Wanda. The room slowly began to transform from it’s somber atmosphere into a magical haven of twinkling multicoloured lights, creating dancing shadows and sparkling glows on the walls.

She even took extra care to fashion a cozy nook in their favorite corner, entwining the lights around their shared armchair. The room was now a symphony of colors and warmth. Everything looked perfect and Natasha found herself taking a step back, resting her hands on her hips as she admired her work. She was going to love it.

After a final checkround, the redhead flicked off the lights, the room being consumed by darkness in their absence. It took a moment for her eyes go adjust but when they did, she made sure everything looked tidy before smiling to herself and heading to their kitchen.

Despite her fluffy socks, tiles were cold against Nat’s feet as she padded over to their cupboards to search the shelves. It didn’t take long to find what she wanted. She took careful care of quieting preparing Wanda’s mug. Now hot chocolate would’ve been the go to in a normal situation but she didn’t want to risk upsetting her stomach again after how long it had taken for it to settle the previous night. So instead Natasha made a soothing cup of sweet lemon tea, making sure to add in a generous helping of honey.

Natasha carried the steaming mug back to the bedroom, knocking softly on the door. "Wanda," she called out gently. "Can I come in baby?”

There was a muffled response, and Natasha took it as an invitation. Slowly pushing the door open, she found Wanda curled up under the blankets, looking both exhausted and fragile.

"I thought you might need some warmth," Natasha said, offering the cup of tea. Wanda looked up, her eyes still puffy from crying, but a faint smile tugged at her lips.

"Thanks," Wanda whispered, taking the cup from Natasha's hands.

The aroma of sweet lemon filled the room as she took a careful sip. Natasha sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as Wanda seemed to relax a little. "I know the lights outside are special, but you understand it’s not worth putting your health at risk for.” She murmured, her soft finger coming to trace the spots where previous tears had been on her wife’s cheek, “But I still wanted to make it special for you…”

Without much more of a warning, Natasha slid her hands underneath Wanda, lifting her with ease as she gave a small yelp of surprise before clinging onto her shoulders tightly. She found herself being carried back to the living room but before she could question everything, they stopped as they stepped foot into the dark room. Nat had slipped her a small remote, smiling down with an unmistakable grin.

“Press it.”

Wanda turned her head to cough raspily before she looked up in confusion, “What?”

“Just press it!”

Wanda hesitated for a moment before pressing the button on the remote. Instantly, the room erupted in a breathtaking display of twinkling lights. The rainbow of glow shimmered around them Wanda’s eyes seemed to echo their sparkle as they widened in surprise.

"I... I don't understand," Wanda whispered, her voice shaking a little as Natasha carefully set down onto her feet beside her. The witches gaze moved from the lights to Natasha, her heart swelling with emotion. "You did all this for me?"

Natasha nodded, her eyes reflecting the sincerity of her actions. “I know how much you love the lights, I just wanted to cheer you up a little bit my love.”

Wanda's lips quivered, but this time it wasn't from sadness. "Nat, you're incredible," she said, pulling Natasha into a tight embrace. The room was aglow with warmth, both from the lights and the genuine love between them.

〖 Join My Taglist! 〗@sayah13 @mahalkitanova @scrambled-brain-eggs @natashamyl0ve @bloomingflowersthings @kathleenmikaelson @shamelessbearunknown @inluvwithfictionalwomen@citrussnz@fluffyblanketgecko @kljhsong@santana1437 @blackwidow-3@asiangmrchk13 @lovelyy-moonlight@juiles@lots-of-pockets @sashawalker2 @natashamaximoff69@observeowl @beholdagaywriter@llovergirleraa@danveration@idkeithershawty @rainedontknow @poison-blackheart@loveshineslikethesky@somber-sapphic @lexasaurs634@scarlettssub@paisley-yy@wandanats-goodgirl@nuianced-tck-enby @maomaoincomming @anne-lister

72 notes · View notes

deep-dive · 4 months

Text

2023

albums/eps: a.s.o. - a.s.o. Amaarae - Fountain Baby Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet - STROBE.RIP André 3000 - New Blue Sun ANOHNI and the Johnsons - My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross Anthony Naples - Orbs bar italia - Tracey Denim Beach Fossils - Bunny Ben Vida, Yarn/Wire & Nina Dante - The Beat My Head Hit Beverly Glenn-Copeland - The Ones Ahead Biosphere - N-Plants Blonde Redhead - Sit Down for Dinner Bored Lord - Name It Call Super - Eulo Cramps Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loveliest Time Caroline Polachek - Desire, I Want to Turn Into You Chuquimamani-Condori - DJ E Cole Police - If I Don’t See You in the Future, I’ll See You in the Pasture Dean Blunt - Give me a moment DJ Lostboi - Music for Landings DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - Destiny Double Virgo - hardrive heat seeking Eartheater - Powders The Embassy - E-Numbers Everything But the Girl - Fuse Fever Ray - Radical Romantics Freak Heat Waves - Mondo Tempo Headache - The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth Hiroyuki Onogawa - August in the Water: Music for Film 1995-2005 Jam City - Jam City Presents EFM James Ivy - Everything Perfect Jessy Lanza - Love Hallucination Jim Legxacy - homeless n****a pop music Joanne Robertson - Blue Car Jonnine - Maritz Kelela - Raven Khotin - Release Spirit Kota Hoshino, Shoi Miyazawa - Armored Core VI OST Laurel Halo - Atlas Loraine James - Gentle Confrontation Maria BC - Spike Field mark william lewis - Living Matmos - Return to Archive MIZU - Distant Intervals ML Buch - Suntub Noriko Tujiko - Crépuscule I & II Nourished by Time - Erotic Probiotic 2 Oneohtrix Point Never - Again Osmotic & Fennesz - Senzatetto Pierre Rousseau - Mémoire De Forme Purelink - Signs Ryuichi Sakamoto - 12 Sofia Courtesies - Madres ssaliva - sector6park/counterfeit Sufjan Stevens - Javelin Tim Hecker - No Highs Tirzah - trip9love…??? Wild Nothing - Hold Yves Tumor - Praise a Lord Who Chews but Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) µ-Ziq - 1977 7038634357 - Neo Seven

songs: a.s.o. - Love in the Darkness Addison Rae - I got it bad Alex Kassian - Leave Your Life (Lonely Hearts Mix) Amaarae - Reckless & Sweet Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet - Clown André - Ants To You, Gods To Who ? ANOHNI and the Johnsons - Can’t ANOHNI and the Johnsons - It Must Change Anthony Naples - Silas Armin van Buuren & Punctual - On & On (ft. Alina) bambinodj - High as Ever Still Passin' Through (Remix) bar italia - Nocd Baths - Do I Make the World Worse Beach Fossils - Don’t Fade Away Beverly Glenn-Copeland - People of the Loon Bibio & Óskar Guðjónsson - Sunbursting Björk & Rosalía - Oral Blawan - Toast Bored Lord - Wait Wait Wait bvdub - Days on Heaven and Earth Call Super - Coppertone Elegy Carly Rae Jensen - Psychedelic Switch Caroline Polachek - Bunny Is a Rider (Doss Remix) Caroline Polachek - Crude Drawing of an Angel Chuquimamani-Condori - Eat My Cum Chuquimamani-Condori - Know Dean Blunt - Rinsed (ft. TYSON) Dj Lostboi - PUF 2 LAX DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - For Now and Forever Double Virgo - gainfully deployed EASYFUN - Long Long Time The Embassy - Amnesia ESP - North Fever Ray - Kandy Freak Heat Waves & Cindy Lee - In a Moment Divine Fwea-Go Hit - Back Wildin Headache - That Thing with the Rabbit Headache - Truism 4 Dummies Hemlocke Springs - sever the blight Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair - Demuro Ike - Rose Quartz Jam City - Magnetic James K & hoodie - Ether Jessy Lanza - Don’t Cry On My Pillow Jim Legxacy - amnesia111 Jim Legxacy - candy reign (!) Jonnine - Tea For Two (Boo) Kelela - Divorce Khotin - Computer Break (Late Mix) Kylie Minogue - Hold on to Now Laurel Halo, Bendik Giske, Lucy Railton & James Underwood - Earthbound Loraine James - Tired of Me Lorenzi - Lonely Cowboy Tales (Crayon Moon Remix) LSDXOXO - Devil’s Chariot Maria BC - Still Maria BC - Watcher mark william lewis - Living Mc LcKaiique, MC Celo BK & DJ Jeeh FDC - Quem Tá de Motão, Vou Sarrar Puta Na Marcone (ft. DJ Biel Divulga) ML Buch - High speed calm air tonight Nation & Ecco2k - Ça Va Nicole Dollanganger - Gold Satin Dreamer Nourished by Time - Rain Water Promise Oliver Coates - One Without Oneohtrix Point Never - Krumville Purelink - We Should Keep Going Shoi Miyazawa - Rough and Decent Slayyyter - Miss Belladonna Sufjan Stevens - Shit talk Tim Hecker - Total Garbage Tirzah - u all the time Troye Sivan - Got Me Started Wild Nothing - Suburban Solutions Yves Tumor - Echolalia Yves Tumor - Fear Evil Like Fire µ-Ziq - 4am

mixes: CFCF - CFCF for TERMINAL 27 Chuquimamani-Condori - Fact Mix 937 PC Music - 10 Physical Therapy - car culture remissions vol. 4 plush - LIVE AT SKSKSKSK S-candalo - Fact Mix 897 WHY BE - OdyXxey Radio Mix

movies: Afire (Christian Petzold) All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras) E6-D7 (Eno Swinnen) Evil Dead Rise (Lee Cronin) Grown in Darkness (Devin Shears) How Do You Live? (Hayao Miyazaki) The Killer (David Fincher) Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan) Last Summer (Catherine Breillat) May December (Todd Haynes) Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan) The Outwaters (Robbie Banfitch) Rotting in the Sun (Sebastián Silva) Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt) The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)

games: Alan Wake II Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Baldur’s Gate III Blasphemous II Diablo IV Humanity Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Lies of P Metroid Prime Remastered Octopath Traveler II Pikmin 4 Star Ocean: The Second Story R Super Mario Bros. Wonder Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

52 notes · View notes

diocletianscabbagefarm · 5 months

Text

There are honestly so many fundamental things about Ridley Scott's Napoleon I disliked, I hardly know where to start so here's just a couple things that popped into my head. All of the disappointed/angry reviews I saw really were on the money with their criticisms. Below the cut a bunch of things in no particular order

Apart from the scenes in Egypt and Elba (which are sepia-tinted) the entire movie is colorgraded with a blue-grey tone like the most painfully dreary wet day in late autumn. Just watching it I got hypothermia. Just take these two shots - the first from the 1970 waterloo movie (highly recommended, can be found for free on youtube), the second from 2023 - to see the difference.

Despite a massive budget and cgi available the battles actually felt incredibly small. The Waterloo scene in particular felt like it was taking place on a patch of grass that was a 100 meters square, with two thin lines of French infantry advancing towards a relatively small group of British infantry dispersed within a couple meters of trenches, with the tents of their camp only meters directly behind that. It gave the entire thing the sense like it was a large reenactment society of maybe 200 people giving it their all, rather than 140.000. The 1970 Waterloo might be 50 years old but showed vastly, vastly more impressive scenes of huge formations of men, offering awe-inspiring cinematography compared to Scott's tiny Waterloo skirmish. I'm perfectly willing to accept disgustingly bad historical accuracy as long as the pictures are sufficiently pretty. They were not.

As a note, in the movie the British infantry inexplicably decides to walk forwards out of their fortified trenchline on the slope (complete with spikes) and form squares in front of it, instead of simply staying inside of their trenches.

There's a fucking sniper at Waterloo. Like, an infantryman with a rifle with a scope on it. He blows a golfball-sized hole in Napoleon's hat.

The Marshals - each colorful, fascinating characters many of whom would individually be worthy of their own movie - are less than background characters; I don't think any were even mentioned by name, and there's only two or three that are regularly seen on screen. Marshal Ney, famous, brave, tragic Ney, who has a very distinctive redhead appearance, was rendered completely unrecognizable by adding a moustache.

Phoenix's Napoleon has no charismatic presence whatsoever. Anyone who wasn't already reasonably familiar with Napoleon before seeing this movie would be dumbfounded why so many people followed him at all, or why upon his return from Elba thousands of soldiers sent to stop him simply deserted to his cause as soon as he approached. If you want to create a movie to deconstruct Napoleon from a brilliant national hero to a flawed man there are infinite ways to do so, and they chose the most sub-par by just making him kinda odd and insecure.

Napoleon's military genius is underexplored if not entirely absent from the movie, and to a large extent it simply feels like events are just kinda happening to him, especially with the way short disparate scenes are quickly strung together. One second we're in the aftermath of Austerlitz (1805), and two or three 1-minute scenes we're at the invasion of Russia (1812). Some of Napoleon's finest moments as a general are omitted from the film such as the Italian campaign, Jena-Auerstedt, and the six-day campaign of 1814 where Napoleon so thoroughly outgeneralled his opponent his tiny 30K man army inflicted nearly 30K casualties on enemy forces twice his size over the course of four battles.

Meanwhile his crowning achievement at Austerlitz is reduced to yelling thrice for hidden units to attack and then the entire enemy army flees onto an ice lake fit for a fantasy movie (just check out the ice scene from the 2004 King Arthur) and gets sunk by cannon fire. If you've seen the trailer you've seen almost the entire battle.

Huge parts of the movie are devoted to his marriage to Josephine, which I personally don't find terribly interesting to begin with, and historical events are contorted to be related to his marriage (such as ditching his army in Egypt because she's cheating on him), but it often felt to me like this storyline, such as it was, was firing in certain directions only to abruptly cut them off or let them go nowhere, and the movie seemed unsure whether it was the A-plot or the B-plot or a secret third thing.

Before I forget... not once but twice Napoleon is charging into the thick of the melee on horseback!!! First where he is at the very front of a cavalry charge at Borodino (the 30 seconds of it that we got, which were all in the trailer) and second near the end of Waterloo before making a run for it. And it's so patently absurd! It's like a WW1 movie with Kaiser Wilhelm personally storming the trenches or Emperor Hirohito flying a plane at Pearl Harbor. Napoleon demonstrated plenty of bravery in his life (such as when he was wounded by a bayonet at Toulon, or attempted to lead a charge at the bridge at Arcole) but the Emperor of the French was not at the fucking forefront of a massed cavalry charge with sabre in hand scything down infantrymen.

The movie ends with a card with casualtyfigures from a bunch of battles as if it's a sobering statement at the end of a Holocaust movie, so the Brits can remind you Napoleon was actually Hitler.

#napoleon movie #I've seen bad movies in my life but I've never been so disappointed by one #I wanted it to be good. And it was the opposite.

14 notes · View notes

quoththemaven · 3 months

Text

2023 Favoritest Jams

THE FAVE

Home is Where’s The Whaler - Never heard of them two months ago, totally obsessed!

THE MOST LISTENED TO

The Chemical Brothers’ For That Beautiful Feeling - Kings gonna 👑 Did not foresee hitting this point in my 40s where I listen to the Bros more than LCD, but here we are. Hooks for days, nary a missed beat, plus my single/jam of '23 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRtxogXp8sY).

LOVE LOTS

Black Country, New Road’s Live at Bush Hall - the future 😍

Fever Ray’s Radical Romantics - also fave show of the year, love them weird ass earworms like Wrath of Khan

MSPAINT’s Post-American - what a name and what an eardrum assault

Ulrika Spacek’s Compact Trauma - if you miss Deerhunter….

Wednesday’s Rat Saw God - oh we can have the whole wall of guitars don't mind if I do

Young Fathers’ Heavy Heavy - while we wait endlessly wondering if TVOTR will ever play again 🤷‍♂️

Yves Tumor’s Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) - fave new act of the last few years, bring the weird, bring the pop, tip cap to Prince

LIKE LOTS

boygenius’s the record; the rest

bar italia’s Tracey Denim

Blonde Redhead’s Sit Down For Dinner

Blur’s The Ballad of Darren

Bully’s Lucky For You

Deerhoof’s Miracle-Level

Danny Brown’s Quaranta

En Attendant Ana’s Principiia

feeble little horse’s Girl with Fish

Feist’s Multitudes

Fireworks’ Higher Lonely Power

Girl Ray’s Prestige

Hotline TNT’s Cartwheel

Indigo De Souza’s All of This Will End

Janelle Monae’s The Age of Pleasure

JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown’s Scaring the Hoes

Kevin Drew’s Aging

Grandaddy’s: Sumday Excess Baggage

Killer Mike’s Michael

The Kills’ God Games

M83’s Fantasy

Mandy, Indiana’s I’ve Seen a Way

Militarie Gun’s Life Under the Gun

Mitski’s The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

MJ Lenderman’s Boat Songs

The National’s First Two Pages of Frankenstein; Laugh Track

The New Pornographers’ Continue as a Guest

Queens of the Stone Age’s In Times New Roman…

The Rural Alberta Advantage’s The Rise & The Fall

Sigur Rós’s ÁTTA

Sufjan Stevens’ Javelin

Tanukichan’s Gizmo

US Girls’ Bless This Mess

Wilco’s Cousin

yeule's softscars

Yo La Tengo’s This Stupid World

Youth Lagoon’s Heaven is a Junkyard

0 notes

newstfionline · 8 months

Text

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Some wildfire evacuations end in British Columbia, but fire threatens community farther north (AP) The wildfire situation showed some improvement in British Columbia on Sunday, with more people being allowed to return home, but blazes continued to threaten communities farther north in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Hot temperatures and winds expected to gust to up to 40 kph (25 mph) were fanning flames around the Northwest Territories town of Hay River, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake. About 240 wildfires were burning in Canada’s northern territory. So far, 296,678 hectares (733,107 acres) had been affected.

Biden (and Trump) seen as too old for office (AP) Americans actually agree on something in this time of raw discord: Joe Biden (80) is too old to be an effective president in a second term. Only a few years his junior, Donald Trump raises strikingly less concern about his age. But they have plenty of other problems with Trump. If anything, some say, the 77-year-old ought to grow up. Age discrimination may be banned in the workplace but the president’s employers—the people—aren’t shy about their bias. In the poll, fully 77% said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. Not only do 89% of Republicans say that, so do 69% of Democrats. That view is held across age groups, not just by young people. In contrast, about half of U.S. adults say Trump is too old for the office.

Tropical Storm Idalia Strengthening as It Moves Toward Florida Gulf Coast (WSJ) Tropical Storm Idalia is set to intensify into a hurricane on Monday on its way toward Florida, which is bracing for its first major storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. The storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday as a dangerous major hurricane and lash the Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Idalia would come ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region, where the Panhandle meets the state’s peninsula. Idalia, which strengthened into a tropical storm Sunday, could become at least a major Category 3 hurricane before it reaches Florida. The storm Monday afternoon was swirling northward in the Gulf of Mexico toward western Cuba, about 315 miles southwest of Key West, forecasters said. DeSantis declared a state of emergency for more than 45 counties. Much of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, was under a hurricane warning Monday. Thousands of people in low-lying areas were ordered to evacuate.

Thousands gather at annual Redhead Days Festival in the Netherlands (Washington Post) At this festival, red is more than a hair color—it’s an identity worth celebrating. Thousands gathered in the city of Tilburg in the Netherlands this week to celebrate redheads and “gingers” at an annual summit, complete with campfires, photo booths, portrait painting, dancing and even an info session on skin cancer. “Anything that makes you special, whether that is red hair or a quality, like introversion, is something you should not hide, but rather celebrate proudly and exuberantly and make it your unique selling point,” the festival website reads, adding that people from more than 80 countries have attended throughout the years. About 1 to 2 percent of people with European ancestry have red hair, according to a 2019 academic paper, though the number can be higher in areas such as Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Redhead Days Festival started informally in 2005, when its director, a painter named Bart Rouwenhorst, put out a newspaper ad for 15 red-haired models and received registration information from 150. Because Rouwenhorst “had trouble saying no,” he asked all the models to gather for a group photo, according to the festival’s website. The event then inspired him to start formally organizing the event.

A Former French President Gives a Voice to Russian Sympathies (NYT) Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president, was once known as “Sarko the American” for his love of free markets, freewheeling debate and Elvis. Of late, however, he has appeared more like “Sarko the Russian.” In interviews coinciding with the publication of a memoir, Mr. Sarkozy, who was president from 2007 to 2012, said that reversing Russia’s annexation of Crimea was “illusory,” ruled out Ukraine joining the European Union or NATO because it must remain “neutral,” and insisted that Russia and France “need each other.” His statements provoked outrage from the Ukrainian ambassador to France and condemnation from several French politicians. The remarks also underscored the strength of the lingering pockets of pro-Russian sympathy that persist in Europe. In France, Germany, Italy and elsewhere, not even the evident atrocities of the Russian onslaught against Ukraine have stripped away the affinity for Russia traditionally found on the far right and far left.

Italian banker hailed a hero after catching toddler falling from fifth floor balcony (CNN) A 37-year-old banker from Turin is being hailed a hero after miraculously catching an Italian toddler who fell from her family’s fifth floor balcony on Saturday. Mattia Aguzzi said he and his girlfriend were walking to a bread shop in central Turin, Italy just before 11 a.m. local time, when he heard a man yelling for help from an upper floor apartment. “I heard a man scream when he saw a little girl leaning out on the ledge. When I saw her fall I stepped in the way, closed my eyes and hoped that everything was going to be for the best, I blocked her by cushioning the blow and we both fell to the ground,” he said. First responders took the girl to hospital. He said the girl’s parents were in shock but the girl is “fine.” The banker said he isn’t a hero. “I tried to do what had to be done.”

Wagner chief Prigozhin’s lingering popularity a challenge for Putin (Washington Post) Russians mourning the death of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin have set up makeshift memorials in nearly two dozen cities across Russia and occupied Ukraine in recent days, a sign of the commander’s lingering popularity and a potential challenge for President Vladimir Putin amid divisions within the elite and in the military over the conduct of the war. The memorials—while not a national outpouring of shock and grief—nonetheless showed Prigozhin’s support across Russia in hard line pro-war circles, and highlighted the Kremlin’s delicate task of managing potential anger among his supporters, with many in Russia’s elite convinced that Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin. During the war, Prigozhin grew his popularity with salty, brutally direct videos recorded near the front lines as explosions blasted nearby, visiting his men in underground warzone bunkers. As Russia’s war effort faltered, he emerged for many as a trusted truth-teller, one of the few prominent figures willing to defy Russia’s laws against discrediting the military, by exposing military failures and steep casualties.

In a Place Shattered by War and Earthquakes, People Feel Forgotten (NYT) On the spot where a three-story building completely collapsed after a devastating earthquake struck northwestern Syria in February, a small tent encampment has sprung up. Residents call it “the camp of the forgotten.” In one of the tents—which feels like a sauna during the daytime—sleep Fatima al-Miree, 61, and her family of seven. It’s pitched outside their single-story home, which still stands next to the encampment, but with cracks running threateningly up and down the walls. She said she had lost count of how many aid groups had come, photographed the damage and left. More than six months after a powerful earthquake hit northwestern Syria and southern Turkey, many of those affected in Syria feel forgotten: There have been limited repairs and almost no rebuilding. And while the death and destruction in neighboring Turkey was far greater, the recovery effort in Syria is far more complicated. Millions of those living in the quake zone had already fled fighting, and many were sheltering in tents or other makeshift housing, reliant on international aid, when disaster struck again. The situation has worsened recently. Last month, a U.N. resolution to allow cross-border aid from Turkey expired, putting much of the humanitarian support for the area in limbo.

Pope to fly across world to visit Mongolia’s tiny Catholic flock (Reuters) Mongolia’s Catholics—all 1,450 of them—could be squeezed standing into St. Peter’s Basilica dozens of times over and their number is smaller than the congregation of a small parish in some small towns. So why is Pope Francis, 86 and in need of a wheelchair, travelling 8,278 km (5,143 miles) to visit them this week? Essentially, to paraphrase British climber George Mallory’s response in the 1920s as to why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, because the Catholics are there. Visiting places where Catholics are a minority is part of Francis’ policy of drawing attention to people and problems in what he has called the peripheries of society and of the world. Francis, who will be attending an inter-religious service in Mongolia, said at his weekly noon address on Sunday that he would be visiting “a Church that is small in numbers but vivacious in faith”.

Heavy rains, floods inundate China (Reuters) Chinese weather forecasters on Monday warned several provinces to expect torrential rain and flash floods over the next two days as unrelenting downpours wreak havoc on the country. More than three thousand people were evacuated in northwestern Hunan province over the weekend as heavy rain was unleashed on Sangzhi, Shimen and Yongshun counties, and Zhangjiajie City, according to state media. China has been gripped by weeks of rains and floods amid an unusually wet summer. In late July, storms from Typhoon Dokusri caused record rains to hit China in over a decade, with Beijing experiencing its heaviest rainfall in 140 years.

Behind the AI boom, an army of overseas workers in ‘digital sweatshops’ (Washington Post) In Cagayan de Oro, a coastal city in the southern Philippines, thousands of young workers log online every day to support the booming business of artificial intelligence. In dingy internet cafes, jam-packed office spaces or at home, they annotate the masses of data that American companies need to train their artificial intelligence models. The workers differentiate pedestrians from palm trees in videos used to develop the algorithms for automated driving; they label images so AI can generate representations of politicians and celebrities; they edit chunks of text to ensure language models like ChatGPT don’t churn out gibberish. More than 2 million people in the Philippines perform this type of “crowdwork,” according to informal government estimates, as part of AI’s vast underbelly. While AI is often thought of as human-free machine learning, the technology actually relies on the labor-intensive efforts of a workforce spread across much of the Global South. The mathematical models underpinning AI tools get smarter by analyzing large data sets, which need to be accurate, precise and legible to be useful. Low-quality data yields low-quality AI. So click by click, a largely unregulated army of humans is transforming the raw data into AI feedstock.

Climate activists target jets, yachts and golf in a string of global protests against luxury (AP) Climate activists have spray-painted a superyacht, blocked private jets from taking off and plugged holes in golf courses this summer as part of an intensifying campaign against the emissions-spewing lifestyles of the ultrawealthy. Their tactics have been getting more radical, with some protesters gluing themselves to roads, disrupting high-profile sporting events like golf and tennis and even splashing famous pieces of artwork with paint or soup. They’re now turning their attention to the wealthy. David Gitman, president of Monarch Air Group, a Florida private air charter provider, encouraged activists to think twice about whether they’re taking the right approach. “If their activism goes toward some sort of actual assistance to real programs to make real change …, I think that this kind of activism can help achieve those results,” said Gitman. “Now, if they go out and they spray-paint a private jet in an airport in Europe, is that going to get those results? In my opinion, no.”

#headlines #news

0 notes

nationaldaycalendar · 1 year

Text

January 12, 2023 | NATIONAL PHARMACIST DAY | KISS A GINGER DAY | NATIONAL CURRIED CHICKEN DAY | NATIONAL MARZIPAN DAY

January 12, 2023 | NATIONAL PHARMACIST DAY | KISS A GINGER DAY | NATIONAL CURRIED CHICKEN DAY | NATIONAL MARZIPAN DAY NATIONAL PHARMACIST DAY National Pharmacist Day on January 12th annually recognizes and honors all pharmacists across the nation. Read more… KISS A GINGER DAY On January 12th, everyone is encouraged to find their favorite redhead and give them a peck on Kiss a Ginger Day. Read…

View On WordPress

0 notes

brookston · 2 years

Text

Holidays 5.26

Holidays

Bob Day

Boulder Day (Republic of Molossia)

Crown Prince’s Day (Denmark)

Drool Day

Dzien Matki (a.k.a. Mother's Day; Poland)

Feast of VooDoo Economics

Go Barefoot Around the House Day

Grey Day

Independence Day (Georgia; from Russia, 1918)

Independence Day (Guyana; from UK, 1966)

Mother’s Day (Poland)

National Paper Airplane Day

National Sorry Day (a.k.a. National Day of Healing; Australia)

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)

Sally Ride Day

Windmill Day (Netherlands)

World Dracula Day

World Lindy Hop Day

World Orienteering Day

World Product Day

World Redhead Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Blueberry Cheesecake Day

National Cherry Dessert Day

Fourth/Last Thursday in May

Chardonnay Day [Thursday before Memorial Day]

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day [Thursday of Memorial Day Weekend]

Feast Days

Augustine of Canterbury (Anglican Communion and Eastern Orthodox)

Eleuterus, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Festival of the Valley (Ancient Egypt)

Lambert of Vence (Christian; Saint)

St. Monica (Positivist; Saint)

Oduvald (Christian; Saint)

Peter Sanz (Christian; One of Martyr Saints of China)

Philip Neri (Christian; Saint)

Quadratus of Athens (Christian; Saint)

Stalin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Thargelia (Birthday Festival of Apollo & Artemis; Ancient Greece)

Zachary, Bishop of Vienne (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Novel; 1897)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, by The Beatles (Album; 1967)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 146 of 2022; 219 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 21 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Huáiyuè), Day 26 (Ji-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 25 Iyar 5782

Islamic: 24 Shawwal 1443

J Cal: 26 Bīja; Foursday [26 of 30]

Julian: 13 May 2022

Moon: 10% Waning Crescent

Positivist: 6 St. Paul (6th Month) [St. Monica]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 65 of 90)

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 5 of 30)

#calendar #Holidays

0 notes

brookstonalmanac · 2 years

Text

Holidays 5.26

Holidays

Bob Day

Boulder Day (Republic of Molossia)

Crown Prince’s Day (Denmark)

Drool Day

Dzien Matki (a.k.a. Mother's Day; Poland)

Feast of VooDoo Economics

Go Barefoot Around the House Day

Grey Day

Independence Day (Georgia; from Russia, 1918)

Independence Day (Guyana; from UK, 1966)

Mother’s Day (Poland)

National Paper Airplane Day

National Sorry Day (a.k.a. National Day of Healing; Australia)

Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day (Hawaii)

Sally Ride Day

Windmill Day (Netherlands)

World Dracula Day

World Lindy Hop Day

World Orienteering Day

World Product Day

World Redhead Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

National Blueberry Cheesecake Day

National Cherry Dessert Day

Fourth/Last Thursday in May

Chardonnay Day [Thursday before Memorial Day]

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day [Thursday of Memorial Day Weekend]

Feast Days

Augustine of Canterbury (Anglican Communion and Eastern Orthodox)

Eleuterus, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Festival of the Valley (Ancient Egypt)

Lambert of Vence (Christian; Saint)

St. Monica (Positivist; Saint)

Oduvald (Christian; Saint)

Peter Sanz (Christian; One of Martyr Saints of China)

Philip Neri (Christian; Saint)

Quadratus of Athens (Christian; Saint)

Stalin Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Thargelia (Birthday Festival of Apollo & Artemis; Ancient Greece)

Zachary, Bishop of Vienne (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Novel; 1897)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, by The Beatles (Album; 1967)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 146 of 2022; 219 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 21 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 4 (Huáiyuè), Day 26 (Ji-Mao)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 25 Iyar 5782

Islamic: 24 Shawwal 1443

J Cal: 26 Bīja; Foursday [26 of 30]

Julian: 13 May 2022

Moon: 10% Waning Crescent

Positivist: 6 St. Paul (6th Month) [St. Monica]

Runic Half Month: Ing (Expansive Energy) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 65 of 90)

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 5 of 30)

#Holidays

0 notes

dailybuglenow · 4 years

Photo

WEDNESDAY, 27 AUGUST 2024. EDITED BY J. JONAH JAMESON.

TRAGEDY AT THE UNITED NATIONS: MUTANTS MURDERED

THIS JUST IN -- Reports made at approximately 21:35 cited an explosion at a United Nations building in New York. The space has been used by the nation of Krakoa ever since December when they annexed the Island and became a sovereign state. Sources have confirmed that the wing was occupied when the explosion occurred and there are significant casualties. The U.N. announced via press release that eight of their staffers were killed along with the Krakoan / S.H.I.E.L.D. contact Nance Winters, who oversaw the nations relations through the now defunct government organization.

Within an hour of the explosion, the normally private nation made an announcement to address the incident. Mutant leader and humanitarian Charles Xavier has been missing from public sightings for the last two months for unexplained reasons and in his absence various prominent members of the mutant community have stepped forward to deliver statements and attend press conferences. This one was headlined by Emma Frost, the White Queen of the Hellfire Trading Company and Scott Summers, the former mutant terrorist known as Cyclops who currently serves as the Island’s Captain Commander. Both Frost and Summers are a controversial choice after their unpopular tenure as the leaders of the mutant extremist group known as Nation-X and their later involvement in the Phoenix Five. Still, the two made a rare onsite appearance at 799 United Nations Plaza so Ms. Frost could deliver the following:

It would be remiss to say that our hearts are broken. The intensity of the sorrow that we are feeling is insurmountable and unable to be put into words, but I will try so we can properly explain the injustice that has been done today. As you can see from the carnage behind me, a peaceful meetings of mutants was attacked and the building obliterated. In addition to the eight staffers and Ms. Winters, we lost thirteen of our own in one foul, deliberate swoop. Krakoa, as a nation, has prided itself on its privacy and independence but in this instance transparency is needed to express urgency. Eleven prominent mutants were attending a meeting with an Avenger and an adjacent to discuss an extremely confidential matter that was not disclosed to anyone outside the meeting. We do believe what they knew got them killed.

Today we mourn our following friends and family: from the Marauders, Katherine Pryde ( Shadowcat ) and Robert Drake ( Iceman ). From Excalibur the team’s head, Elizabeth Braddock ( Captain Britain ). From the recently formed X-Factor, Lorna Dane ( Polaris ) and David Alleyne ( Prodigy ). From the new mutants, Samuel Guthrie ( Cannonball ) and Danielle Moonnstar ( Mirage ). They were joined by two lines of Krakoan defense, Sage, who handles all technology and interfacing and Celeste, Mindee and Sophie Cuckoo, three of the Five-in-One who were there to run telepathic interference. Our Quiet Council of Krakoa also suffered a loss as both Kurt Wagner ( Nightcrawler ) and Jean Grey ( Marvel Girl ) from the Summer faction were present. I realize that many of you care not about the plight of mutants. Our lives are trivial, our deaths meaningless. We have toiled tirelessly to prove to our children that that is not the case. We will not be denied, and as of late, have begun to receive more mainstream support. It is because of this that I have to announce with great sorrow that the last two victims were William Kaplan ( Wiccan ) and his mother, Wanda Maximoff ( Scarlet Witch ). Despite her role in decimating our people five years ago, Maximoff has since been an invaluable link between her people and her team. Because she is the daughter of Erik Lensherr ( Magneto ) we hold hope that both she and Kapplan will be able to be resurrected along with the other mutants. Which, brings me to the next order of business.

Last night, two adolescent mutants were arrested while on leave from the Island. Hope Summers and Eva Bell were taken into custody despite the fact that neither were using their abilities. Our sources have been able to confirm that they are not at the C.R.A.D.L.E. Holding Facilities but are most likely alive. Without them, we are unable to begin the resurrection process. Due to the nature of this attack we are considering it a direct call to arms and sign of war. We do not take this lightly. Now we mourn but we also prepare for the onslaught that must be rained down. You may wonder why I am the one they sent here today. It is not because all the other leaders were dead or incapacitated. Nor is it because I lost three daughters and Scott his wife. We are here because we get things done and right now that list is rather large. Perhaps in the past you could push us down but the Dawn of X began long ago and nobody is safe from retribution, President Osborn. Please, don’t worry that this is a threat. It’s not. It’s a promise. We’ll see you soon.”

So far, no further statements have been made on behalf of Krakoa to see if Ms. Frost’s words were being exaggerated. If our sources are to be believed then without Sage’s ability the nation will go dark in regards to updates and information, virtually crippling them. While we cannot say for certain that Ms. Frost is correct and this was a planned attack against the mutants by the United States government, the tragedy is currently under investigation. Elizabeth Braddock ( Captain Britain ) is a British citizen by default and M16 Agent Pete Wisdom has urged an international response due to the assorted citizenship of those present. Like always, the Daily Bugle will continue to update any further news. For now we send our sincerest apologies and best wishes to the Island of Krakoa during this difficult time.

— Irene Merryweather, Daily Bugle News Senior Reporter of Mutant Affairs

AVENGERS OR ASSASSINS? US PRESIDENT ATTACKED.

Tensions have been high ever since August 7th when a meeting called by the Avengers to sit down with President Norman Osborn became hostile. Mutant Nathan Summers ( Cable ) appeared to attack the President and in the following skirmish his father, Scott Summers ( Cyclops ) landed a direct blow on Osborn. Although America’s Avenger Star was there to help aid the President the entire group managed to escape. In this situation, it appears that the Avengers used diplomacy as a ruse to get closer to President Osborn. It’s no secret that the two groups have not gotten along ever since Osborn dismantled S.H.I.E.L.D. and created new teams such as America’s Avengers, H.A.M.M.E.R., C.R.A.D.L.E. and his own flavor of X-Men. With the recent development against the mutants it’s almost a dead-set certainty that things will continue to escalate.

— Sally Floyd, Daily Bugle News Senior Reporter

IN OTHER NEWS:

An unexpected announcement came from the Inhuman's in New Attilan that their current Queen, Crystalia Amaquelin, is abdicating the throne effective immediately. Amaquelin stepped in over a year ago after her sister Medusalith Amaquelin and her husband, Blackagar Boltagon, stepped down as Queen and King. Some wondered if Crystalia’s days on the throne were numbered due to her infamous temper, but representatives have made it clear that her reason for resigning is so that the former King and Queen can resume their duties. “Princess Crystal has always known that her tenure of Queen was not longterm. She was to rule until her cousin, Prince Ahura Boltagon, came of age or her sister and cousin were able to once again manage their responsibilities. We appreciate her hard work keeping the Inhuman nation afloat and are glad to see where we go in the future.” Hopefully that transition goes smoothly and the now Princess Amaquelin is content in her further endeavors.

OUT ON THE TOWN -- Paparazzi snapped pictures last Tuesday of the former Captain America, Steve Rogers, and the recently resurrected Natasha Romanoff ( Black Widow ) going incognito downtown in Manhattan. One keen viewer pointed out a rather simple looking engagement ring on Romanoff’s left hand. Rumors had been swirling before her 2023 death that the two were romantically involved and this seems to confirm them. Sorry, everyone! It looks like America’s Ass and the hottest redhead we know are officially off the market for good. Congrats to the new couple!

#all #dark reign #krakoa #daily buzz #irene merryweather #sally floyd

10 notes · View notes

married-to-a-redhead · 7 months

Text

Celebrating National Redhead Day – November 5th. Calling All Redheads!!!

Redheads. What can we say? We all know they are special. Unique. Amazing. You probably follow @princessred101-v2 @countrystrongforever and @married-to-a-redhead because you love redheads, or you are a redhead yourself.

National Redhead Day (also known as Love Your Red Hair Day) is celebrated on November 5th. This day is meant to glorify the remarkable red-haired people for their noteworthy bright hair. On November 5th, let’s embrace and empower the 2% of the population of redheads worldwide, so if you are a redhead, it is time to flaunt your hair! In honor of this special day, please join @countrystrongforever @married-to-a-redhead and @princessred101-v2 in celebrating all things unique to redhead beauty.

We invite redheads or anyone who loves redheads to submit personal photos, interesting fun facts, memes, and personal stories about redheads and their special qualities. Submissions can be sent to @married-to-a-redhead @princessred101-v2 or @countrystrongforever We will review all submissions and post the ones that best represent the true love and passion of redheads.

It's going to be another amazing celebration of the passionate color: Red. We want to hear from you!

Please help us celebrate National Redhead Day on November 5th!!!

#help us celebrate redheads #National Redhead Day 2023

338 notes · View notes

camillemontespan · 5 years

Text

the history of us [drake x camille] [part three: 11th July- make it up to her]

Part Two if you want to catch up.

Warnings: NSFW. Feelings.

@jovialyouthmusic @pug-bitch @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @sirbeepsalot @moonlightgem7 @dcbbw @notoriouscs @emceesynonymroll @burnsoslow @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @iplaydrake @drakewalkerisreal @moneyfordiamonds @cordoniasmost @gardeningourmet @katedrakeohd @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @rainbowsinthestorm @drakesensworld @ccolz88-blog

Drake sat on the sofa two hours after opening Camille’s diary. He felt numb; so numb. He hadn’t realised Camille kept a diary and documented everything so religiously. He was seeing himself from her eyes and the view was not pretty. Sure, they had had amazing moments the past four months, but a lot of it had been.. dark.

He was knocked out of his overthinking by Olive. The corgi nudged Drake’s leg, asking for attention. Olive adored Drake. Maybe it because he always fed her more dog treats than he should, or maybe it was because Olive just loved being around humans, but she always followed Drake everywhere.

Cheddar was more of Camille’s dog; Olive was Drake’s.

Drake picked her up and she settled down on his lap, licking his fingers. ‘I’ve fucked up, Olive,’ he whispered, stroking her ears. Olive looked up at him. He swore she had a sad look in her eyes.

‘Let’s watch some TV, huh?’ he suggested. He turned the TV on and as usual, it settled on the news. Drake swiftly turned it over to a chat show. It was a panel of women who were drinking cocktails and cackling.

Well, it was better than the news who always reported on Drake and Camille.

The women sipped their cocktails. ‘So,’ one of them said, ‘the Duke and Duchess of Valtoria. What do we think is going on there ladies?’

A brunette downed her drink and leaned forward. ‘If I speak candidly,’ she said loudly, ‘I think there’s been trouble in paradise for some time. Have you seen those paparazzi pictures whenever they’re out together? They look so withdrawn from each other. Bear in mind, only last year photos always showed them holding hands and smiling at each other. Now, it’s different.’

Drake smirked. What did this bitch know? Sometimes, photos were taken when they weren’t smiling - that was normal. Nobody was happy 24/7.

The blonde panel member spoke up. ‘I know what you mean. It’s like their chemistry is off. Then we have Camille attending royal events alone.’

‘That is the red flag right there,’ another of the witches piped up. ‘She gets all dressed up for these events, sometimes has Lily with her, but never Drake. They used to be inseparable.’

Drake had to turn it off. He couldn’t take any more of their theories and venom. They were discussing his private life on national TV over fucking cocktails. What show was this? He brought up the information screen.

‘Cocktails in Cordonia.’ What trash.

Drake sighed and glanced at Camille’s diary. He needed to read more, as she wanted. He didn’t know what she was hoping to achieve. Make him feel shit?Show him what a bad husband he was?

Camille wasn’t vindictive though. She wasn’t petty and she didn’t bear grudges. She had to have a reason.

He turned to the next page and prepared himself for another trip down memory lane.

11th July 2023

It’s the Summertime Ball tonight. Liam holds the ball every year and it’s become a highlight of the social calendar. I’ve got my gold dress all ready and I bought Lily a beautiful pink chiffon dress with silver stars embroidered on it. She looks like the sugarplum fairy in it and she twirled around the kitchen, asking Drake to tell her she looks pretty.

******************************************************************************************

‘Tell me I look pretty, Daddy!’ Lily cried, twirling around the kitchen. Her pink dress blew out around her and she looked so pleased with her outfit. Camille had arranged her dark hair into a ballerina bun and Lily had insisted on having her nails painted a glittery pink.

Drake picked her up and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

‘You are the prettiest girl in the world!’ he told her. Lily beamed and snuggled into his chest, a lazy smile on her face. To her, Drake was her world and that was all that mattered.

Camille was watching them, her eyes shining. This was all she had ever wanted. A family. Her own little family.

Drake placed Lily back down and he grinned at his wife. ‘You look incredible.’

Camille blushed. She was wearing a long gold halterneck dress made of silk. It skimmed her curves and showed off her caramel skin. Camille stepped forward and ran her hands down his chest. Drake was wearing a new suit; Camille loved it when he made an effort.

‘We should get going,’ she told him. ‘Cordonia society awaits!’

She took Lily’s hand and the two of them left the kitchen to the waiting car. As the door opened, Drake heard Geoffrey say, ‘Lily, you look like a fairy princess!’

Drake chuckled but his smile soon faded. Another Cordonian ball. Their first since they had come back from Texas. He knew they would be interrogated by the other nobles. How was Texas? Why were they away so long? How is Valtoria? Is Lily still eating McDonalds?

The thought filled him with dread.

He poured himself a double measure of whiskey and downed it. He needed liquid courage to get him through the evening.

**************************************************************************

Maxwell had descended on Lily as soon as he saw her. ‘You look so pretty!’ he shrieked, picking her up and twirling around. Lily laughed and stopped when she saw Maxwell’s bow tie. It was a squid. She reached out her hand and gently touched it, whispering, ‘wow...’

Bertrand came over to greet Camille and Drake. ‘Camille, you look stunning as always,’ he told her warmly. ‘How was Texas? I’m sorry you had to come back early.’

Camille smiled. ‘Texas was amazing. Just lazy days, lots of family time. We needed it, didn’t we Drake?’

Drake nodded. ‘Definitely. So good to get a break.’

Liam wandered over with Hana, Olivia and Leo in tow. The group were now reunited and Hana pulled Camille in for a hug, excited to see her best friend again.

Maxwell put Lily down and she skipped over to the group. She needed to see her Aunt Olivia. She adored the 5′11 redhead with high cheekbones, straight posture and icy blue eyes. The infatuation had began about a year ago when Lily had cast her eyes on the many ruby rings Olivia wore. Lily was a magpie and loved anything shiny; when Olivia let her wear a ruby ring that was far too big for her small fingers, Lily fell in love.

She fell hard for her Aunt Olivia after that. Olivia found it a little strange at first, not used to being adored, especially by children god forbid, but she soon began to enjoy it whenever Lily asked to see Olivia. It showed the child had taste.

‘Aunt Olivia, do you like my dress?’ she asked shyly. Olivia’s eyes ran over the dress. Drake prayed she would be kind; he knew pink was not Olivia’s favourite colour by a long stretch.

‘I think you look gorgeous, babe,’ Olivia said honestly. ‘I love the stars.’

Lily giggled. Because Olivia loved the dress, she wasn’t planning to take it off for the next week.

The live band began to play a jazz number. Lily looked up at Drake. ‘Daddy, dance with me.’

Camille nudged Drake, who picked up his daughter. ‘Come on, show me your best moves,’ he said, carrying her to the dance floor. He set her down and took her by her hands; his hands were gigantic around hers. Drake had to bend to dance with her, twirling her around.

This was the only time when Drake was really comfortable on the dancefloor. When he danced with Camille, he felt calm, knowing the steps, but he still felt a little out of place no matter how hard she tried to convince him that he was a good dancer. But when he was with Lily, he forgot about everyone around them. It was just him and his little girl, dancing together. They didn’t need to do the moves, why would they? She was four. Instead, he twirled her around, swung her up in the air so her dress flew out, making her a fairy in flight. There were no rules or etiquette needed for dancing with Lily. It was just fun. It was free.

Drake picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he bobbed around in a circle. Camille and Hana watched them together.

‘He’s such a good dad, isn’t he?’ Hana whispered.

Camille nodded, smiling. ‘He really is. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.’

***********************************************************************

‘So, Drake, how does it feel being back in Cordonia?’ Lord Stanley asked. Drake plastered an artificial smile on his face. ‘It feels good! It’s nice to get back to normality.’

The lie came out of his mouth so easily.

‘We heard that you’re thinking about sending Lily to a regular school?’ Lady Victoria probed. ‘That’s a different choice. Every other noble child has gone to boarding school.’

Drake fought back the urge to tell her to fuck herself. Instead, he cleared his throat. ‘Well, as myself and Camille were born commoners, we want Lily to have the same sort of childhoods that we had. We want her to make friends with kids who aren’t noble so she can see there’s other ways of living.’

‘Other ways of living..’ Victoria murmured, her eyes wide.

‘Surely though she will inherit the duchy of Valtoria?’ Stanley asked, struggling to keep up with Drake’s modern way of thinking. ‘If she doesn’t go to boarding school with other nobles, she won’t know how to support her people!’

Drake cast his eyes around the room, searching for Camille. He needed his team mate.

‘Well, Lily might not want to inherit the duchy,’ Drake said casually. ‘We want her to see the world, learn other cultures, just be grounded and more openminded.’

The two nobles were staring at Drake as if he had grown three heads.

‘Besides, we can teach her how to support the duchy if needed,’ Drake went on. He was trying to justify his parenting decisions to these people and he had no idea why. What he and Camille chose to do for their daughter wasn’t their business.

‘But it could be good for her to meet other noble children?’ Victoria suggested. Drake ignored her and his eyes found Camille’s.

Camille excused herself from talking to Liam and she came over to help Drake.

‘Ah, Lord Stanley, Lady Victoria! How good to see you both again,’ Camille said.

The lie came out of her mouth so easily.

‘Duchess Camille, you look glowing!’ Victoria said, taking her by the hands. ‘What’s your secret?’

‘Creme de la Mer,’ Camille deadpanned. Victoria blinked.

‘Uh, so Drake was just telling us that next year, you might be sending Lily to a regular school?’ Stanley said.

‘Not might,’ Drake corrected him. ‘We will be.’

Camille looked at Drake and his eyes bore into hers. She knew without speaking that he been getting interrogated. She took Drake’s hand and placed her hand on his chest.

‘Yes, we’re so excited for Lily to go to a school with normal kids. More relaxed, she can meet all kinds of people and think for herself!’

Victoria frowned. ‘Are you saying our children can’t think for themselves?’

‘Welllll..’ Camille shrugged. ‘Anyway, so lovely to see you again. We need to circulate, there’s so many people we haven’t spoken to yet.’ She dragged Drake away.

‘Jesus, they’re horrible,’ she muttered under her breath. Drake smirked. ‘Glad you think so. Who honestly gives a shit about what we do? It’s our life.’

Camille bit her lip. ‘I think because we’re already so different from them, they want to see how we run things. Clearly, sending Lily to boarding school was an expectation that we have yet again not met.’

‘We’re not sending her away,’ Drake ground out. Camille looked up at him and gave his hand a squeeze. They both looked out at the dance floor to see Lily dancing with her Uncle Leo and Uncle Maxwell, who were showing her how to do the robot.

‘I promise that’s not going to happen. She’s ours.’

She kissed him gently. ‘I’m going to continue my conversation with Liam. Want to join?’

‘In a moment,’ he told her. ‘You go ahead.’

She left him to it. Drake went to the bar and ordered a glass of whiskey, double measure. He sank the drink then gestured to the bartender for another.

He studied the nobles around him. Aside from his friends, he hated everyone in the room. The way they spoke to him and Camille so patronisingly grated. They always looked like they felt sorry for them. Like Drake and Camille knew nothing. Like they were going to destroy Valtoria with their inexperience, despite the fact that they had been Duke and Duchess for four years.

Fuck them.

Drake sipped more of his whiskey and watched his wife burst out laughing at something Liam said. She looked at home here. She was certainly more regal than Drake. He sometimes worried he held her back, but he never told her that. He knew she would get upset if she knew the thoughts that went through his mind.

But he knew she hated the nobles too. They would bitch about them while having drinks on their balcony. Camille was just better at hiding it.

Drake signalled for another drink.

**********************************************************************************

They got home around midnight. Lily had fallen asleep on Drake’s lap when they had been sat at the table in the ballroom, which called for them to head home. Once Camille set her down in bed, she kissed her forehead and left the bedroom door slightly ajar; Lily was scared of the dark and felt better when she could see the hallway light.

Drake’s head was spinning. Usually, he was a heavy weight but with each drink he had drank tonight, he had asked for double measures. Silly idea.

He fell back onto the bed, still dressed in his suit, and looked up at the spinning ceiling. He heard Camille enter the bedroom and shut the door.

‘You okay there, champ?’ she joked. She hadn’t realised how much Drake had drank, instead thinking he had just drank whiskey on an empty stomach and that was why he was conked out on the bed.

She got on her knees and crawled towards him, suspending her body over his. He smelled of whiskey. Drake looked into her eyes and reached out to twirl a lock of her hair around his finger.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he whispered.

Camille smiled. ‘You’re drunk.’

‘Yeah. You’re still beautiful though.’

Camille leaned down to kiss his neck, enjoying the groan that escaped his lips. She began to peel off his suit jacket and unbutton his shirt, exposing his broad chest. She loved how broad he was; how manly he was.

Kissing down his chest, she stopped when she heard him snore.

Oh well. He would just have to make it up to her tomorrow.

******************************************************************************************

Drake did make it up to her the next morning. He had a memory that she had tried to make a move on him last night but he had been so drunk, he’d fallen asleep. His face flamed red when he remembered this.

Her alarm had gone off and she slipped into the bathroom to shower. Drake followed. His head may have been aching but he wanted to make it up to her.

Drake knocked on the shower door. Camille turned to open the door and she looked out at him, her hair slicked back from the water. Drake’s eyes roamed her naked body hungrily.

‘You coming in?’ she asked, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. Drake gave her a wolfish grin and stripped off his clothes. He let himself into the shower.

His hands slid down her wet body, slick from the water and shining. He kissed her neck and moved down to tease her nipple with his tongue. Camille gasped and closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations.

Drake gently pushed her up against the wall and lifted her by the ass. She wound her legs around his waist, crying out when she felt his cock enter her. He wasn’t taking his time; he wanted to make it up to her.

‘Fuck Drake..’ she breathed, digging her fingernails into his back. Drake began to drive into her, keeping her body supported as he did so. His hips bucked against hers, grinding into her deeply, not wanting to stop. Drake wanted to make it up to her.

As he bucked against her, he placed his finger on her clit and began to circle. She let out a groan as he teased her, feeling her core begin to come alive. Their bodies moved together, desperately now, as Drake began to increase the pace. He was relentless. He wanted to make it up to her.

Their mouths found each other and their tongues twisted, dancing. Drake could feel Camille’s fingernails digging into his back, probably scratching his skin but he didn’t care.

He could smell the coconut shampoo she used and he inhaled her scent. She was his own personal paradise.

‘Drake, I’m gonna cum,’ she breathed. Drake continued to drive into her, keeping up momentum.

‘Cum for me,’ he growled in her ear.

She let go, crashing over the wave. Her body jerked against his and she wrapped her legs around him tighter. Drake followed after, crying out her name into the crook of her shoulder.

‘I love you,’ she whispered. Drake kissed her neck, then her cheek, then her lips.

‘I love you too.’

*******************************************************************************************

Drake stopped reading the diary entry. Camille hadn’t written about the shower sex but she had written about the ball and about the stuffy nobles.

They’re so judgemental, I’m sick of it. But I can’t say anything to them otherwise I’d cause a riot, so instead I plaster a fake smile on my face and act like Duchess Camille. Who even is Duchess Camille? She’s not me. She’s elegant and knows etiquette and how to smile. She can curtsey and knows how to use the correct cutlery at dinner. Her fake laugh is fantastic, it sounds so genuine. But she’s not really me. She is a part I play.

Sometimes I wish I could just be normal Camille. The one who wears denim shorts and oversized sweaters. I’d love to go to a football game with Drake and eat hotdogs and not have to worry about anyone bothering us. I’d love to take Lily out to the park without needing a bodyguard.

But we signed up for this life when we became Duke and Duchess. It was always going to be hard. I just want us to try and be as normal as possible and that includes sending Lily to a normal school. I’m so happy Drake and I share the same values; we’re a good team. As long as we have each other, it’s going to be alright.

Drake swallowed a sob. His breath became haggered and his head began to swim again. His vision began to blur and that was when he realised he was crying.

Drake had only cried three times in his life.

When he was told his father was dead.

When he saw Camille walking up the aisle towards him on their wedding day.

When he held Lily in his arms for the first time.

This was the fourth time in his life Drake cried. How could he have fucked up something so good? Something that made him happy? How could he have pushed away the one person who truly saw him for who he was?

Drake wiped his eyes roughly and looked through the box again. He came across a photo of him, Camille and Lily playing rock paper scissors while sat at a table during one of the palace balls. His memory flashed back and he remembered that Maxwell had taken the photo of the family.

They looked carefree. They didn’t care what people thought of them.

Drake sniffled and put the photo down, picking up the diary again. He needed to keep reading. It was what Camille wanted him to do and he was sick of letting her down.

He turned the page.

#drake walker #trr fanfic #the royal romance

57 notes · View notes