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fayes-fics · 1 year ago

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When The World Is Free: Chapter 1 - Sous le ciel de Paris

MASTERPOST | NEXT

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, WW2 AU.

Warnings: none

Word Count: 2.1k

Summary: Welcome to the start of my new multi-chapter fic based on a request by the lovely @amillcitygirl! Please see the masterpost for a synopsis of this story. Please note that while I do have a plotted outline, I will be posting chapters as I write them, and I expect that process to take quite a few months. Please bear with me! This first chapter sets up the story - reader moving to Paris in the summer of 1939 and bonding with her new flatmate, Eloise Bridgerton. Please note that Benedict won't be turning up for a couple of chapters yet. Thanks to @colettebronte for beta reading. Enjoy! <3

August 1939

Emerging from the underground Trocadero metro stop, you round the corner of the recently completed, gleaming Palais de Chaillot and stop dead in your tracks. There before you is the most iconic landmark of Paris. Perhaps all of France.

La Tour Eiffel.

Breathtaking in its metallic magnificence, glowing in the setting sun. A sight that buoys your travel-weary soul seven days after you left New York: boats and trains finally bringing you to this wondrous spot. A light breeze even dances over your neck in greeting, a balm from the cloying subterranean heat of the metro.

It's a light elbow check to your arm that pulls you back from a state of reverie.

“A beautiful sight, but one you’ll get used to,” your uncle Robert chuckles, shaking your heavy leather case to indicate it's time to move along. “In fact, I've been told you will be able to see it from your appartement…”

He has accompanied you to Paris and will see you settled into your new adventures before continuing on to visit friends in England. He spent the roaring 20s living right here in the 16th arrondissement himself and, indeed, has arranged for you to share living quarters with a young British lady, a relative of his English friends. It's a comfort to know you’ll have at least one English speaker to chat with as you dive headfirst into learning proper French as you go.

Robert leads you away from the amazing sight and into the bustling streets, alive with cars, trams, bicycles and pedestrians buzzing in all directions. It's all at once like New York City, but yet so different as well, cafe terraces filling the wide pavements with all manner of people gathered to sip robust cafe au lait and refreshing limonade.

Within minutes, you are on a quieter side street and stopping outside a handsome honey-coloured stone facade with wrought iron window balconies and window guards, teaming with colourful, fragrant flowering pots. The number 14 gleaming white on a traditional navy blue tile. Your uncle pushes the enormous wooden door open, beckoning you into a cool whitewash wall corridor with mosaic floor tiles.

“Ahhh, Robert!!” a sophisticated middle-aged lady bustles from a nearby doorway and greets your uncle warmly, kissing both cheeks. It would appear they are friends of old.

“Y/n, this is Madam DuLac, your landlady,” he explains as you offer a handshake, admiring her boucle jacket and chic bun.

“Qu’est-ce?” she signals with a good-natured frown, obviously finding your polite greeting lacking, pulling you into a hug and two-cheeked kiss. She smells like Chanel perfume, cigarettes and baked goods. “You are in Paris now, ma chérie; this is how we greet one another,” she counsels in heavily accented but perfect English.

“You speak English?” you sigh, relieved, your French decidedly lacking.

“Bien sûr,” she smiles. “And please call me Solène,” she adds with a friendly smile.

“Eloise should be home from the library maintenant; the perfect time for you to meet,” she gestures towards an elevator cage surrounded by a sweeping grey marble staircase.

“I think I would prefer to take the stairs,” you admit, nerves flaring at the idea of such a contraption.

Your uncle laughs. “Well, I am taking it; I am not hefting this case of yours up five flights of stairs,” he adds dryly as you gaze up the swirling stairwell.

“Five storeys?” you squeak.

“The view is the best from the top,” Solène advises as she rattles back the cage entry and steps in, looking at you expectantly.

Reluctantly, you follow, all three of you and your luggage crammed into the metal cage as it jerks to life and begins its ascent.

“You will get used to it,” Solène smiles as she reads the apprehension on your face, your vice-like grip on your small vanity case and handbag.

Luckily, the lift reaches your destination safely. One shudder before it stops, and the door concertinas back in Solène’s hand to reveal a sweeping hallway with doors left and right.

“Ici,” she signals, the last door on the right-hand side.

But before you can knock, the door peels open, and a pretty, petite brunette jumps in surprise, dropping the book she is holding.

“Pardon,” she offers in perfect accented French, and you wonder for a split second if it is the correct apartment.

“Eloise, this is y/n,” Solène gestures.

“Ohhh, hello,” she grins, and the whiplash back to a plummy British accent is momentarily confusing. “I was about to go read in the courtyard, thought you might not be turning up today. Anyway… come in, come in!”

You shake her proffered hand as she ushers you into the apartment. Instantly, you feel a warmth spreading in your belly, like you have come home. It's light and airy, with large windows looking out across the Parisian rooftops, and yes, to the left is indeed the Eiffel Tower, still gleaming in the fading evening light. But the place also feels homely, that sort of messy that is lived in, comfortable. A large velvet sofa with tumbling stacks of books around it, a little kitchenette awash with colourful enamel cookware, and a jumble of art deco posters and random paintings adorning the walls.

“Solène, I don't suppose you've baked any more of those rather delicious madeleines, have you? To welcome my new housemate?” Eloise pipes up with a chipper, conspiratorial wink your way.

You already like her.

“Effronte!” Solène exclaims with fond exasperation before pausing. “There may be some…”

“I remember those!” your uncle adds with a tinge of nostalgia as he drops your suitcase. “You are in for such a treat, y/n.”

“Well, while our landlady decides if she’s willing to share the treats she has obviously baked but is being coy about…”Eloise raises a pointed eyebrow at the woman before returning to you. “...let me show you your room, then maybe a drink? I'm sure it's been a long journey.”

You nod and, with an exchange of grins, follow her down a corridor. She sweeps open the door to a lovely room, a large double bed with matching bedside tables and a dresser. But best of all, french doors onto a Juliet balcony overlooking a quiet courtyard filled with a riot of birch trees, their leaves gently rustling in the evening breeze.

“Mostly, it’s pesky pigeons down there, but you do get the occasional blackbird singing in the morning,” Eloise smiles as if intuiting your thoughts.

You spend some moments wandering the room and checking out the various fixtures, running idle hands over the furniture, already feeling remarkably at home with your new housemate and, indeed, your new home for the next twelve months.

“I'm just next door,” Eloise reveals, pointing a thumb over her shoulder.

Your uncle appears in the doorway to announce that he and Solène are off to catch up as you unpack and suggests you all reunite for dinner later at a local bistro. It all sounds so very Parisian chic; you cannot wait.

“So tell me about yourself,” Eloise flops onto your bed, already wonderfully casual in your presence, as you open your case and the wardrobe to unpack.

“I’m y/n. I'm from a little town on Long Island called Patchogue, about fifty miles outside New York City. I'm 22…”

“Me too!” she interjects, then signals for you to proceed.

“I wanted to see the world before I settled down. And I’ve dreamed of living in Paris since I was a little girl...” You feel your eyes misting at the fact it's now finally coming true as you continue. “So my parents agreed to pay for me to come to Paris for a year. Under the strict agreement, I get married when I return…”

“You have a fiancé?”

“Yes. Well, sort of. Stanley. We practically grew up together, and we’ve been going steady since we were eighteen.”

“Going steady? That's so American,” Eloise chuckles.

You nod with a giggle, then continue. “He hasn't proposed formally yet, says he is saving up for a ‘real nice’ ring, but it will happen. He is the son of my dad’s business partner. They run a construction company. So, while I'm here, they are building a home for us to live in when I return. We will get married next summer and move right in.”

“You don't mind?” Eloise frowns.

“Don’t mind what?” you query as you hang up your favourite dress.

“That your future is so… plotted out. I couldn't bear the idea. It's why I think my mother let me move to Paris. She was so fed up with me refusing to settle down.” Eloise laughs, idly flicking through the magazine you were reading on your journey.

“I suppose I've never really expected anything else,” you shrug, pausing as you put away your hosiery, but her words make you contemplative. “You don't have a boyfriend back home?”

“God, no. Too many pretty Frenchmen to entertain me here,” she winks. “I’ll introduce you to some, just in case you change your mind,” she breezes, climbing off your bed and drifting to the door. “Wine?”

“Oh… well, why not? When in France, etc,” you agree and close the drawer on the pile of cardigans you have just safely stacked.

“That's the spirit!” she effuses over her shoulder as you follow her back into the living room, the Eiffel Tower still glittering in the dusk.

“This place is so lovely,” you sigh, transfixed by the view as she wanders over and hands you a glass.

“It is a pretty magical view,” she agrees, staring at the skyline with you, watching as each window seems to illuminate in soft yellow with the dying light.

“And the decor, too; I see you love books as much as me,” you smile, tilting your head to the piles before taking a sip of red wine. It's the perfect balance of refreshing, mellow fruitiness and tart tannin coating your tongue, so much better than any wine back home.

“Oh god, yes! I work in the library. I can bring home as many as I want,” she enthuses.

“So, are there actually any left on the shelves?” you jest, lightly, savouring your drink and wandering to take a closer look at a smaller painting that catches your eye. It's very different to all of the others.

“My god, this is beautiful,” you breathe, hugging your wineglass to your chest as you stare transfixed at the art. It appears to be a large country house, probably British, bathed in the warm pinkish light of dawn.

“That's home. Aubrey Hall in Kent. I think the family made me bring it in the hopes it would make me homesick,” Eloise deadpans.

“It’s a wonderful piece,” you breathe, fingers reaching out to lightly trace over the heavily oiled brushstrokes. Something about it is so captivating and intimate.

“I'll be sure to let the artist know,” she smirks. “Although I'm reticent to give him any more praise, seeing as, unfortunately, he is my brother.”

“Your brother painted this?” taken aback by the revelation, assuming it an heirloom.

She nods and comes to stand next to you. “Yup. Benedict. Second eldest. I'm fifth of eight, by the way. Hence ‘E’ for Eloise. It's a thing,” she rolls her eyes.

“Wow. Big family. I just have one brother...”

“Lucky you. Although, as much as he is irritating, if I could only keep one sibling, it probably would be him,” she admits, taking a swig of wine.

“I love art,” you sigh, finally tearing your gaze from the canvas but already knowing it is something you will return to again and again. A pull you can’t quite understand.

“Oh, then I know the perfect job for you! There’s a gallery around the corner from the library, and I saw a sign saying they wanted an English speaker to assist international visitors! You would be perfect!”

“I would love that!” you extol, even as a tiny part of your brain lingers on the idea that it would be too good to be true if it all worked out, that fleeting sense of foreboding in paradise.

“Excellent!” Eloise’s enthusiasm pulls you back to the immediate. “So let’s get your glad rags on! It's time to hit the town for your first night in Paris!”

And thus, you find yourself being bundled back into your room to refresh and change for your first night in the city of your dreams. Indeed, as you find yourself being led by Eloise, arm looped in yours, through the bustling evening streets to a little bistro, your uncle and Solène already waiting at a table with smiling faces and drinks in hand, you can't help but feel this really is the only place in the world you could ever want to be…

Your adventure is just beginning.

Benedict taglist: @foreverlonginguniverse @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @benedictspaintbrush @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @truly-dionysus @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @m-rae23 @last-sheep @kmc1989 @desert-fern @starkeylover @corpseoftrees-queen @magical-spit @bunnyweasley23 @how-many-stars-in-the-sky @amygdtjhddzvb @sya-skies @balladynaaa

#benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton #benedict bridgerton imagine #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton #bridgerton imagine #benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton x female reader #benedict bridgerton x you #benedict bridgerton x y/n #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x female reader #bridgerton x you #bridgerton x y/n

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sunday-bug · 1 day ago

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What a Marvelous Tune

Pairing: 30’s!Bucky x reader’s grandma

Word Count: 2.7k

Content: fluff, memories of first love, Bucky being charming & handsome, ultimately they go their separate ways, some angst if you squint

Synopsis: Your grandmother tells you about the night she met her first love, one James Buchanan Barnes.

A/N: I love 30’s/40’s Bucky with my entire heart and soul. I hope you guys enjoy this. Thank you to @buckybarnesfic @soelstress @buckybarnes82 for listening to me ramble about him lately! And for all the music inspiration - specifically Glenn Miller’s In the Mood - BBF you’ve wounded me with that one. Shoutout to the ladies that came before us, our grandmas, and how much fun I'm sure they had in their day that is lost to time. We love you! 💗

“Gran, who is this?” You ask, holding up a picture of your grandmother when she was a young woman with a man that clearly wasn’t your grandfather. You’ve been going through old photo albums all day and a photo slipped through the pages.

“Let me see,” she says, holding out a withered hand and perching her glasses on the end of her nose. You hand her the sepia-toned photo and sit beside her on the couch. Her breath catches slightly and she smiles. “Now that was quite the night.”

“Oh, yeah?” You ask teasingly, bumping your shoulder gently against hers. “How old were you there?”

“Well, this would have been at the start of the war, so late summer of ‘39?” She cradles the picture in her hands, thinking diligently. “Yes, that’s right. September 1939. I had just turned 18.”

“And who’s the guy?” You ask again, gesturing to the tall, dark-haired man in the photo.

“Listen here, young lady. Before I tell you this story I want you to know that I loved your grandfather with all my might. He was a wonderful man. He gave me a lovely life and four beautiful children. May God rest his soul. However, love is funny sometimes, as you may start to realize as a young woman yourself.” She looks at the photo as she says all this, her wrinkled thumb caressing a past version of herself.

“Sure, gran. I know you loved grandpa. I would never doubt that, but I’d be surprised if you told me he was the only man ever in your life. I get my feistiness and adventurous side from you. I can only imagine the trouble you got up to back in your day.” I nudge her softly, teasingly.

She laughs and looks at you, saying your name quietly. “Go up to my room, dear. Do you know the jewelry box on my dresser? The chestnut one with flowers?” You nod. “Open it up all the way. The top pops out if you pull a bit. There’s a yellowed envelope in there. Get it and come back to sit with me. I’ll make some tea and tell you all about my first love.”

You swallow, feeling excitement fill your stomach and chest. You loved hearing your grandmother tell stories about her childhood, but she’d never told you this one. You rush up the stairs and touch the jewelry box you’ve played with since you were a little girl. You loved trying on her rings and necklaces and brushing your hair with her heavy paddle brush as you snuck a spritz of her Chanel No 5. Opening it all the way up, you tug gently, and surely enough, the top pops off, revealing an envelope that’s faded from time and bursting at the seams. A silver heart sits at the bottom of the box - a pendant without a chain. You pick it up and turn it over, seeing an inscription on the back. The silver has tarnished over time, but you’re able to make out “my love”. You’ve never seen your grandma wear it. You stash it with the envelope and head back downstairs. She’s putting tea and cookies on a tray. Some things never go out of style.

“Come sit,” she waves you over to the wooden dining table. “I’m going to play a few tunes, if that’s alright, dear.”

“Sure, gran,” you say with a smile. She opens her vintage Victrola and combs through her record collection until she stops, pulling one out. “This,” she says, turning the album cover to you, “this is what falling in love sounds like.” On the album cover is a photo of a man with a geometric design behind him. You’d seen it in her collection before, but don’t remember her ever playing it. “Your grandfather brought this record home in the 70’s because I’d mentioned liking Glenn Miller when I was a girl. He was always the sentimental type. He never knew why it meant so much to me.”

She puts the needle on the record slowly and that first static-filled crackle gives you goosebumps. The first notes of an upbeat song start and you watch your grandmother close her eyes and smile. She relishes in the memory for a moment before sitting down next to you. You put two sugar cubes in her tea and hand her the cup. “I’m ready whenever you are, Gran.”

“Okay, my dear,” she says, stirring her tea. She looks at you with a gleam in her eye. “His name was James…”

September 1939

It’s a gorgeous evening. The breeze feels like Heaven. School has started up again, but my girlfriends and I want to go out for one more weekend of dancing, and we decide to go to the new dance hall instead of our usual place. It just opened and we’ve heard it’s a gas. We walk in, arm in arm, the wind billowing our skirts about our knees as we look around the packed hall. We aren’t the youngest ones here, but definitely on the younger end. The men descend on us like wolves and we’re all snatched up within minutes, swinging away to the music. My partner is quite funny, although he’s off beat for most of the song. He keeps cracking jokes and making me laugh. We dance to a few songs until I break away to use the ladies room with my friends. We powder our noses and talk about our partners - Ruth snagged a real cutie, Billie’s guy is wearing a wedding ring (yikes), and Ivy thinks she’s in love. We walk back out to the hall and it looks like twenty more people have arrived in that amount of time.

I feel a warm hand on my middle back and look up into the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. “I think I’ll die right here if you don’t dance with me, doll,” the handsome stranger says with a smile. I take his hand and let him lead me to the dance floor. I tell him my name and he grins flirtatiously. “Pretty name. It’d sound mighty fine with Barnes behind it. I’m Bucky.” I giggle at his comment as the next song begins - a new one I haven’t heard yet. He leads me with finesse and ease across the dance floor and I feel my stomach drop as he dips me with confidence.

“You’re an excellent dancer,” I compliment in his ear, standing on my tiptoes.

“You’re an excellent partner,” he replies, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

“My girlfriends and I thought we’d try this place out,” I offer, looking up at him as we sway to a new, slower song.

“And? What do you think?” He asks, pulling me a bit closer.

“Right now? I’m thinking we made a good decision,” I flirt back. We dance for the next hour, never leaving the other’s side. He might be the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen and he was looking at me like he could read my mind.

“Let’s go somewhere,” he suggests, eyes alight, hands on my waist.

“What are you talking about?” I laugh. “I can’t leave here with you. You’re practically a stranger.”

“I’m not a stranger. I’ve told you my name. What more do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything you ask.” He smiles, inching closer to my lips.

“Everything,” I chirp, letting him lean down and kiss my cheek softly. I feel him smile into the kiss and laugh. His cologne floods my senses and I swoon.

“Come with me,” he says as he breaks away, searching my eyes for the answer he wants. I look for my friends in the large hall and make eye contact with Ivy.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Bucky, letting him go for the first time in over an hour. I run to Ivy and let her know that I’ll be back before the dance hall closes and not to wait up for me. She looks at Bucky and wiggles her eyebrows at me. I roll my eyes and rush back to him.

“Let’s go, handsome.”

He grins and takes my hand in his. We walk to his car hand in hand. “I have an idea,” he announces with wide eyes.

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” I roll my eyes. “But that’s not happening.”

“Doll, no,” he says with a shake of his head. “I’m a gentleman.” He opens the car door for you and you slide in. “Let’s go to the pier.”

I smile wide and nod. I loved seeing the ocean at night when the moon sparkled on the waves. He starts to drive and looks over at me with those eyes before teasing me. “You get in cars with strange men often?”

I scoff, “Absolutely not, but there’s a first time for everything.”

“Glad it’s with me?” He asks softly.

“So far,” I giggle, scooting closer to him on the bench seat. I lean my head on his shoulder as he drives and he wraps his free arm around my shoulder, rubbing my upper arm with his thumb. He has every opportunity to be a typical man and try to cop a feel, but he never does - his hand remains on my arm, comforting and steady. The pier comes into view and he parks before walking around the front of the car to open my door and extend his hand. The soft summer night breeze ruffles my dress above my knees and he averts his eyes respectfully as I smooth it down.

He says my name softly and offers his arm as we walk down the pier. The setting sun painted the sky in shades of dark orange and purple.

“Oh, look!” He points to a yacht off the pier that’s lit up from within. We can hear music playing from one of the decks and stop to listen. There’s clearly a party happening aboard, or perhaps a wedding. “Let’s go!”

I stop in my tracks. “What? No way!”

“C’mon. We’re both dressed nice enough. They’ll never know,” Bucky says, trying to persuade me. He pulls me into his chest and looks down at me with those blue, blue eyes. “Come with me.”

At that moment, with his eyes on me like that, I would have jumped off the pier naked if he asked. “Fine, let’s go,” I say with a giggle, running after him. We calm down before we walk onto the yacht, named The Emerald Eve. The man at the entrance looks us over before looking down at a list in his hands.

“Sorry we’re late,” Bucky says with confidence, standing tall. “The kids were giving us gruff about the babysitter.”

“That’s quite alright, Mister…?” The man starts, trailing off.

“It’s Doctor, actually,” Bucky begins, furrowing his brow like he’s offended.

“So sorry, Doctor,” the man’s eyes flit down the list at an unchecked name, “Reynolds.”

“I’ll let it slide this time. You ready, dear?” Bucky asks, leading you onto the massive boat. I follow his lead, trying to not blush from the obvious lies that led us aboard. He takes two glasses of champagne from a waiter’s tray and hands me one, clinking his glass against mine. “Cheers, Mrs. Reynolds.”

I laugh and blush, taking a sip of the bubbly liquid. It warms my throat and stomach.

“Never had champagne before?” He asks, and I nod.

“Lots of firsts tonight, huh?” He quips, pulling me toward the dance floor.

“Lots of new feelings tonight, yeah,” I answer honestly. Bucky bends down to whisper in my ear. “Me too. Don’t be nervous.” He spins me and we dance among the rowdy crowd. It was someone’s wedding. Wedding cake bites were being passed around and he fed me one right off the tray. I think that was the moment I fell in love with him - vanilla on my lips, his hands on my waist, my eyes on his, dancing to a Glenn Miller song I would never be able to get out of my head on a yacht we’d snuck onto. It was the most magical night.

Present Day

Your grandma’s two Yorkies sniff around your feet, looking for stray crumbs. “Oh, c’mere, my little loves,” she says, scooping them up into her arms and offering them each a cookie. The sun shines off of their dog tags and it clicks - Emerald & Eve. Your gran’s dogs are named after the yacht where she met James. Some loves never truly end.

“So what happened then, Gran? You think it was love at first sight?” You ask, sipping your tea and petting Emerald’s head.

“It was for both of us, and we spent an incredible Autumn together. But then my father’s work took him across the country and we had to pack up with him. I begged, pleaded… I did everything to stay, but I hadn’t graduated high school yet and my parents wouldn’t let me stay behind. We wrote letters back and forth for a long time - years, and I wouldn’t date anyone else. I didn’t care to meet anyone. He was it for me. But then the return letters stopped coming. I know he was in the war, like most men at the time, and I think it took his life. It kills me that I’ll never know, but I like to picture him alive and old like me with kids and grandkids and a lucky lady by his side.”

“Why didn’t you go see him after you graduated? You could have… I don’t know, made it work?” You prod.

“We lived on opposite sides of the country. He was in Brooklyn and we were in Seattle. It just wasn’t feasible back then. Letters were our lifeline. By the time he stopped writing - and I’ll never know why - I met your grandfather at the college library. He was a kind, sensible man, and eventually I knew I had to stop daydreaming and settle down. Believe it or not, I was one of the oldest in my group of girlfriends to get married, even at 25. I loved your granddaddy, baby. Don’t doubt that. But there’s friendship and there’s fire. I pray every night that my granddaughter meets someone that fills her heart with fire like James did for me. It’s a feeling you’ll only have once, and it’s indescribable.”

You choke back tears at her confession, watching her stare out the window into her garden, eyes far off and glassy, remembering her first love. “Thank you for telling me, Gran. I didn’t know all that.”

“Of course, dear. Now… that envelope is full of our letters, and even some more photos. I want you to have them. Let them inspire you to never settle and to go after your heart’s desires. A few of them may bring a blush to your cheeks, but just remember that I was young once too.” She chuckles and hugs the dogs close to her chest.

“He always promised me we’d get a Yorkie someday. So when these two runts were left on our doorstep years ago, I knew it was a sign from him.”

You let a fat tear roll down your cheek, realizing that your grandmother - this strong, incredible woman you’ve loved since you were born - had a whole history that you wanted to learn more about, and she’d just handed you the keys in the form of letters. You pull the silver pendant from your pocket and open her hand, setting it inside. “It was from him, wasn’t it?” You ask gently.

Her thumb runs over the tarnished metal and she nods. “Open it,” she says, handing it back to you. You click open the locket and see a picture of a young, handsome man in a military uniform smiling. In the other part of the locket is a tiny piece of checkered fabric. “What’s this?”

“That’s a piece of the bow I had in my hair the night we first made love. He took it out and kept it, but he put part of it in this locket. He gave it to me the night before we moved. It’s hard to read now, but it says “Always My Love” on the back there.”

You turn it over and smile. “A love for the ages, wasn’t it?” You ask delicately.

“It sure was, dear. It sure was.”

#Spotify #bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #40’s bucky #30s bucky #40s bucky #30’s bucky #young bucky #bucky fluff #bucky angst #bucky x female reader #first love #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky fic #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes one shot

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localcanadiancreature62 · 9 months ago

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Filbrick and Caryn Headcanons

Thinking about the other Pines Parents,the ones that indirectly caused the Stans' issues. Filbrick Fuckface and Caryn best mom ever.

CARYN

A loving mother of three sons (Shermie Ford and Stan),and a powerhouse that can and will throw hands if anyone ever messes with her family. She may not be as physically strong as her husband and her youngest son,but she knows how to use a gun and has participated in several self defense classes so she knows how to handle herself out there whenever her family is in trouble (now i'm imagining badass Caryn trying to protect Ford from bullies lol). Sassy lady,Shermie and Dipper got their sass from her (i hc that shermie is a sweet but sassy guy,dipper however is just like that). A liar and a cheat,but with a heart of gold. Just like a certain younger son of hers. She scams and outright gaslights people with her phone psychic sessions but she will choose family no matter what in any situation. Also she used to pickpocket and shoplift as a teen during the Great Depression when money was slow with her parents because of the stock market crash (according to the timeline in my head,Stan's craftiness had to come from somewhere. She had to steal food and money for herself while avoiding getting in trouble for being a flapper dancer (type of rebellious woman in the 1920s).

Caryn used to be a dancer at some pub,doing all sorts of dances from general blues to jazz to even exotic,sensual~ dances if the audience paid her enough. Her performances were outstanding and so beautiful as if the music was flowing through her body. One of these performances,lead to her meeting Filbrick who was so amazed by her moves that he ended up taking her to dinner at age 17 in 1939 while he was 18.

She had always been close to Stan,which is why the man became such a mama's boy who always did her every word and helped her with anything he could manage despite being convinced that he can't do anything of use due to Filbrick's treatment of him. She had always protected her youngest son from everything,including his own father,because she knew that with such a bright light,it was bound to go out eventually with the harshness of the world. She learnt that the hard way herself when she had to live out in the difficult 30s era and thus she was trying to preserve her son's innocence for as long as she could. She loved Ford too,but she put her attention on Stan more as she knew that poor insecure boy needed it more than his older twin brother. Although don't be mistaken,she loves her boys equally and she will fight tooth and nail for all three of them. She and Filbrick always loved each other,very amorously. Although having Shermie and then the Stans along with having to deal with a rough financial situation kinda broke them both. Filbrick barely graduated high school with his father opting to send him to two years of military training rather than letting him finish his schooling while Caryn finished college in New Jersey with an art history degree despite her not finishing high school to term in Russia due to the fact that she had to survive the Soviet Union's tyrannical rule and then later leave before she could,plus her art history degree was basically useless as it wasn't viable for any careers at the time. Both of them couldn't land any jobs for the first few years of the Stans' lives,and it ate up at them. The two used to be close,but now that they have three children to deal with and being too financially unstable to support them all plus Filbrick getting snappier as his dormant anger resurfaced due to his father indirectly causing him to be useless while Caryn starts getting stressed from everything was starting to tear their relationship apart. Both Caryn and Filbrick got angry,at themselves,and each other. They started to have a rocky relationship from the problems stacking up on them plus the fact that they're both getting stressed and snappy from said problems. But they eventually got their shit together after finally managing to set up a business via a small pawn shop while Caryn works as a professional liar with her psychic calls in their 20s. They began doing better in their relationship after this happened and they started to love each other again rather than taking their stress out on one another,although Caryn couldn't let Filbrick's treatment of Stan slide..

She used to be into fashion design jewelry making as well as collecting old cassette tapes that weren't hers (she just stole random cassette tapes for fun,she liked the stories and mysteries that came with them),but now as a full time mother and part time liar,she doesn't have the time to do such things anymore. However now as she's getting old and gray and her sons don't need her anymore,she gets to delve into her old interests again as she's able to tell stories to her great grandchildren about her hobbies and her old flapper dancing career. Caryn is Russian to me. Cuz her surname is "Romanoff" which is a different way of spelling "Romanov",a Russian last name. She used to have a slight Russian accent when she was younger. She is currently 90+ years old as she was born in 1922 in the timeline i made up. Her mother Winona Romanoff was the kindest and sweetest woman she ever knew,she was always supportive kind as well as helpful in every way,she was a very accommodating mother that was lenient and let Caryn do whatever she wanted because she wanted to support her daughter and give her room to grow while also always being there for her. However this also made her a pushover as she helped literally anyone and everyone even if it was difficult,people often asked favors of her because of this. Winona's kindness inspired Caryn to love as deeply and as unconditionally as her,even when said kindness lead to her downfall. Winona died in the Great Purge aka one of the horrible genocide events that happened during the Soviet Union which was initially used to pick off any political opponents but it eventually escalated to killing off innocent civilians as they got accused of staging coups and such,it was in her nature to not fight back as she always wanted things to be peaceful and so she didn't deny that she staged a coup against Stalin even when she knew that accusation wasn't true,she later got shot to death in some labor camp a week later even after she told Caryn that she'd be back before she knew it. Caryn knew that something was up but she didn't dare to look into her mother's case as she might be next after the current unstable government thinks that she's doing something suspicious,plus she was only 14 years old when Winona got killed (great purge started in 1936) and so she didn't have the mental energy to do that when she needed to grieve her mother. She got by via selling her homemade jewelry and dresses. Caryn then moved away to America at 16 soon after realizing that it's unsafe to stay in her home country regarding how the Soviet Union has ruined it with their government practices and she ended up in New Jersey where she gave into the flapper lifestyle as well as where she met Filbrick. She always supported Shermie and Ford's interests,no matter how strange they were. With Ford's obsession with the sciences and Shermie's eye for the performing arts,Caryn knew that her sons were going to become extremely successful one day if they put their minds to honing their craft. She gave Shermie advice on how to make his lines sound more natural after reading a guide book on theater for him while pointing out that Ford's equation needed another variable as she tried to keep up with her genius son despite not being nearly as smart as him with her streetwise skills. She also supported Stan's interests in comics and art,but it seems that Filbrick's harsh words about how art is useless and that it won't get people anywhere career wise were stronger than her steadfast support as Stan ended up quitting drawing in his teens. Caryn had Shermie when she was 25,and then the Stans when she was 30. Neither her nor Filbrick were ready to become parents,but they were too into their bedroom activities to consider protection. Caryn had a good chance of being a good mother due to her having a great woman as a role model when it came to parenting,but Filbrick didn't. He had an asshole for a father and that greatly affected how he treated the Stans,which is why Caryn and Filbrick often clashed in their views of how to raise their own sons.

She feels bad for not protecting Stan and Ford enough. She wanted to use herself as a shield for Filbrick's harsh words and outbursts toward Stan,and be Ford's protector whenever he was being bullied by horrible children who ridiculed him for his fingers as well as nerdiness,but the times were difficult as she had to deal with helping Filbrick keep the family business afloat as their financial situation wasn't getting any better plus she decided to leave Shermie to take care of them instead in order to ease the load on herself. Although she regrets not being there for them as she soon realized just how bad her twin boys had it when Stan and Ford explained their lives when they visited Post Weirdmaggedon. Ford felt unwelcome in his own hometown as he went to seek out some place where he felt he belonged in the form of Gravity Falls while also feeling like no one but Stan (and later Bill) understood him,while Stan grappled with self hatred for years all because of Filbrick's shitty parenting. Caryn literally cried after knowing this,knowing that she failed as a mother when her boys suffered this much. However Stan and Ford reassure her that it's okay and that they got over those issues with the help of their family,then the family hug together.

FILBRICK

Terrible father of three,hated by everyone except Mabel.

I was strongly convinced by him being a horrible asshole that didn't care based on how the show implied how bad Stan had it with him,but writing Filbrick differently in aus kinda made me think that it's actually more complicated than that. I believe that he was actually abused himself under the guise of being trained by his own father to be tougher when the man was deadass using him as a punching bag,which is why he ended up extending that treatment to the Stans. Especially Stan,as he knew that Ford could make it. However,he also tried to fix Ford too due to him being pretty scrawny and weak but he soon realized that his brains will be enough.

This man is a heavy smoker,which explains why Stan has such a raspy voice. He made his son smoke with him at times,and he threatened to smack him if he didn't. But Stan got too into it to the point of his voice forming a permanent rasp (filbrick actually regretted this,as he secretly didn't want his kids to take up his bad habits).

Filbrick's anger issues are Terrible. They weren't as bad when he was younger and only had Caryn his beautiful flapper girlfriend to worry about but now that he has three kids his own issues as well as his still wavering financial situation to worry about,his dormant anger started to resurface. In fact,both of the Stans ended up inheriting his irritable personality but in different ways (Stan gets mad whenever people spite him or hurt his family/family hurts him,Ford gets mad due to his ego).

He died from a heart attack at the age of 60 (i was actually thinking about Ford's death here lmao. "you will die of a heart attack at the age of 92"),a month after the moment Ford got sucked into the portal. Good riddance,sort of (i feel bad for him).

Imagine Stan going to both his own funeral and his dad's,complicated feelings~.

His thoughts about Shermie and the Stans,Surface level and Real ones; Surface level - Shermie is a useless weirdo obsessed with theater and one that is too emotional to make it out there as a hollywood big shot like he wants,Stan is a good for nothing dumbass nuisance who may be strong but too reliant on his brother and his skills as a swindler to truly be successful,Ford is the only son that i believe in and the one that i know can be a better man than i am. Real thoughts - Shermie is so unique and bright,he could make it out there if he wasn't so sensitive,if only i had the skills to bring out his creativity and say that he needs to work on getting thicker skin without damaging my relationship with him. Stan is a lot like me,a meathead with a big heart but one that the world keeps bringing down with it's drama and problems and general harshness,i wish i could give him the same treatment that his mother gives him,but i'm too deep into my own issues with MY father to even try. Ford may be weak and scrawny,but his brilliant mind will bring him to the top,i know it,but i wish i could have tried to spend more time with him. With all of my sons,giving them more interactions besides yelling and abuse...

Before his untimely death,Filbrick wrote a letter to the Shermie and the Stans detailing how he was sorry and explaining why he was so hard on Shermie and Stan. Because he knew that he didn't have much time left with his smoking leading to his lungs getting weaker plus his anger issues causing him to develop coronary heart disease,but he wanted to at least give his children closure before he went down to his fiery punishment (yeah i hate him. he's going to hellll). He made Caryn keep it in a box somewhere Post Weirdmaggedon,as it was for the time that their boys visit. (i did this cuz i wanted Filbrick to die a painful death as some sort of karmic punishment for what he did to the Stans,but also i want the man to at least have some closure and let his children know that he did love them,repairing their relationship with him even in his death).

He actually used to work at the pub next to the one where Caryn had her performances as some janitor boy in order to pay the bills to his rickety apartment. He crashed at adult pubs and bars often when he was an 18 year old delinquent rascal in order to drink because he was bored,which is why he ended up working at the Charming Martini pub to drink more conveniently at longer hours without getting kicked out and then he later started to work at the Lustrous Lounge where Caryn danced so that he had an excuse to spend more time with her.

He is only a stone faced and hardly expressive person due to the fact that his father forced him to not show any emotion,as expressing his feelings were considered weak for a hardened man of war like him. This ideology was taught to him in high school,at the ripe age of 13,and it was basically beat into him as the bright chipper as well as mischievous child that he used to be turned into a stoic warrior with hidden anger issues underneath his unemotional gaze.

Filbrick's anger issues stem from his horrible father Franklin Pines,who was a veteran and a very troubled man with a history of getting into fights or beating people into submission for the fun of it. Franklin was sent to military camp at 14 because his own father didn't want anything to do with him as he came to be from a quick fling,which is why he was taught military ideals from a young age and by the time he was old enough to have Filbrick (19),he wasn't able to let go of them anymore. The man was hazed and abused by his own father,making him swallow pills whole without water water boarding him slapping him in the face repeatedly making him do pushups for two days straight without any breaks and so many more atrocious hazing rituals. Franklin did this both as a form of bonding (apparently people do this as bonding in real life military camps) and as punishment,because he didn't know any other way to do such things nor did he ever consider it was wrong as he thought it was normal. Franklin was also quite strict as he didn't let him go out any longer than 5pm because then there wouldn't be any time for training,plus he made him eat vegetable gruel instead of actual meals in order to prepare him for the real military where that's the only thing served. Franklin was doing this because he planned to send his own son to the military in order to make him a real man like his father did (he thought that his dad did that to fix him,but really it was just to abandon him). All of this intense treatment made Filbrick rightfully angry as he was never given a normal childhood and he couldn't even do anything about it as he would just get smacked again if he ever tried to go against his father,which is why he held onto a dormant anger for years until he finally escaped from his crazy father at 18,going from Nebraska to New Jersey on a train as he sneaked out at 3pm before his curfew. He was finally able to have a peace of mind after being able to experience a normal life without the thought of constant training and hazing haunting him,and his anger issues settled for a bit as he got to feel calm in the considerably more peaceful of his shitty but cozy apartment rather than his father's trailer park van/mini military camp. Besides his father shaping him to be such a horrible person with skewed views on things,he can actually be quite loving and caring when he wants to as evident in how gentle as well as amorous he treated Caryn. He has a big heart,but it has been hardened by years of abuse and literal torture. He can't bring himself to be as gentle with the Stans,as he doesn't know how and his father's outdated ideals are all he knows. Filbrick made sure to not make his own children go through the torturous treatment that his father made him experience,although the ideals of strength and being a real man stuck to him which is why he was so hard on Stan and Shermie. Stan is a lot like him,a meathead with a big heart but one that the world keeps bringing down with it's drama and problems and general harshness while Shermie is the exact opposite of him with him being emotional and scrawny and too nice for his own good.

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helluvatimes · 1 month ago

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Dancing Since 1939

Dancing Ladies, also known as Golden Shower (Oncidesa Goldiana), greeting visitors just inside the entrance of the National Orchid Garden. Photo credit: Jonathan Chua.

This was apparently the first Oncidium hybrid created by the Singapore Botanic Gardens back in 1939.

#photographers on tumblr #canon eos rp #canon photography #dancing ladies #flora fauna #flora photography #flower pics #Oncidium Goldiana 'Golden Shower'#sigma 18-300mm

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shodandbg · 19 days ago

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TD x Kingdom Hearts (Edits): MAJOR Update 2: Final character edits of Series 1! + Sora’s TD Keyblade is now in development!

And here we are, ladies and gentlemen! Leshawna and Brick, and their Keyblades, are completed! With them, Sora has officially 15 options to mix and match his party in Camp Wawanakwa!

I already explained Alejandro and Duncan, but here’s the rundown: Alejandro’s fit is a combo of KH3 Riku’s and Terra’s and his Keyblade is called Toro’s Fury, based on Foreteller Aced’s Keyblade. Duncan’s fit is based on Young Xehanort’s outfit in Union X. His Keyblade’s name is called Delinquent’s Passion and has his lighter as a base, with the skull gift he made for Courtney as a keychain.

Leshawna’s outfit is based on the Keyblade armor worn by the Wayfinder trio and Master Eraqus from Birth by Sleep, with her own unique helmet too! Her Keyblade’s name is Sister’s Force, and it’s inspired partly by Foreteller Invi’s Keyblade. It has the frog she needed to capture in S1’s “Wawanakwa Gone Wild” and the twin blades are supposed to be the capital cursive L you see in her swimwear (fitted in blade form that is). The keychain are the yo-yos Harold gives her before his elimination in WT. I love how she turned out.

Brick ended up being one of my favorite designs too! His outfit is based on the Canadian Miltary ceremonial uniform, specifically the one used by privates, but combined with the aesthetic of Sora’s KH2 outfit, something I previously did for Jo. His Keyblade’s base is a flagpole and is called Private’s Honor! Decorated with private badges and elements from the Canadian Army Flag like the fleur-de-lis (seen in the 1939-1944 version) and the iconic maple leaf. The actual flag has the Canadian colors but with the Guardians of Light team logo. The keychains are the dog tags you see him usually wearing on his everyday outfit!

Like I said, these last two characters round up the Wawanakwa Guardians of Light and will be my final new character edits for this story, and series 1. To this post, I’m attaching the last 4 wielders of this story and the other 12 characters already made. If I give out more edits based on these particular characters, it will mainly be their form changes (which I still have to finish; I’ll post another update when I have them finished) Sadly, in this story (pls don’t hate me), only four contestants don’t get Keyblades: Lightning, Anne Maria, Cameron, and Scott. They’ll still be important to the story, however! (Dw Anne Maria fans, she won’t be the first boot)

However, while these will be my final new character edits of this particular story…

They are NOT the final character edits I’ll be making for this crossover project, for this is only SERIES 1. Series 2 is in the planning stages! This one is non-canon and it’s purely based on popular demand and also on nice ideas I had for these characters.

Series 2 is now confirmed to include:

- Noah

- Cody

- Emma (RR)

- Kitty

- Izzy

- Lindsay

- Ella

- Sammy

- Amy

And in consideration:

- Jacques

- Josee

- Harold

- Brody

Hope you look forward to them!

Finally, to end this update, Sora will get a unique Total Drama Keyblade after the story ends! For those who don’t know, in the KH games, Sora usually gets a Keychain to modify his Keyblade after completing a world. Camp Wawanakwa will be no different. This Keyblade will be very unique in a sense that I won’t spoil rn, you’ll just have to wait to see it when I finish it. I’ll just say the name: Dramatizer.

I really hope you like these final character edits for the story. Let me know what you think! And look forward for more artworks and edits coming soon!

Thanks as always. May your heart be your guiding key❤️🔑🗝️

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warwickroyals · 3 months ago

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Sunderland's Royal Jewel Vault (55/∞) ♛

↬ Princess Ruby's Vifte Tiara

Despite once being a prospective queen, Ruby Dewitt Claypoole never amassed a large jewelry collection like her mother and sisters-in-law. Married to the ill-fated George, Prince of Danforth in 1938, Ruby’s brief marriage was largely overshadowed by the Second World War. Despite not entering the war effort until early 1942, Sunderland had entered a period of austerity amid the global economic downturn. The dazzling receptions and state visits that dominated the royal court in previous decades had disappeared. Nonetheless, Ruby’s fiancé gifted her a small tiara in the lead-up to her wedding. A slender, fan-shaped tiara with delicate floral motifs and lozenges of yellow diamond. Ruby wore the tiara as a necklace when she accompanied Queen Anne and Princess Elizabeth to the premier of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The press reacted to Ruby enthusiastically, eliminating palace fears that she wouldn’t be accepted due to her American heritage. However, Ruby stopped visiting the cinema, becoming more invested in international affairs. Ruby and her husband took a keen interest in the war effort and were quickly adopted as symbols against fascism. The prince and princess travelled extensively across North America, venturing as far as New Mexico. In 1941, she broadcast to women and children evacuated to Sunderland from Europe. Ruby also trained as a nurse, a practice she kept secret as Queen Anne, who was traumatized during her stint as a Red Cross nurse during World War One, did not approve. Member of Parliament Julius Sirrey believed Ruby to be more “pro-Liberal” than other members of the family. Queen Matilda-Mary once snarked that Ruby wanted to make a “communist heaven” on earth. “Dear Ruby, so bewildered and bright-eyed,” the declining queen remarked, in German. “I do love her.” George was assassinated by a member of the Sunderlandian National Socialist League in 1943. Ruby herself barely escaped death when the assassin fired a dud bullet at her. George II’s biographer described her as “the royal family’s only war widow”.

Following her husband’s murder, Ruby lived at Woodbine Castle, only venturing outside to inspect the cadets of her regiment. The princess allegedly carried a revolver in her handbag, going as far as to learn how to shoot, but agreed to give up the weapon upon the urging of the defence minister. By the time the princess returned to public duties, it was 1946 and the war had ended. Her first official appearance as Princess Dowager was for the christening of her nephew, Prince Louis of Woodbine. Just twenty-six at the time of her widowhood, it was widely expected that Ruby would remarry, with some courtiers suggesting she marry Prince Michael, George’s youngest brother. However, Ruby remained unmarried and resumed royal duties with an increased enthusiasm in 1947. She again travelled extensively, representing Sunderland as “the King's beloved daughter-in-law.” In 1949, she visited Greece and Turkey. Ruby visited Egypt in 1951, 1963, and 1970, having developed an “obsessive fascination” with Egyptology. By 1954, she was Colonel-in-Chief of half a dozen regiments within the Royal Army, appointments she had been racking up since 1939. When asked if she had plans to start a family in 1958, Ruby replied, “I do have a family.” As a state representative, Ruby began wearing her vifte tiara again. It was appropriate for white-tie events, while also small enough to not overshadow her sister-in-law Katherine, the new Princess of Danforth and later queen consort. She wore the piece to several high-profile royal events. Notably, the Wedding Ball of Louis, Prince of Danforth and Lady Irene Wynn 1968, the Enthronement of Louis V in 1970, Sunderland’s bicentenary celebrations in 1982 and countless state events between 1953 and 1997. When Ruby died in 2006, the tiara returned to the vault, although rumours that it was inherited by one of Ruby’s numerous godchildren persist to this day.

#warwick.jewels #✨#ts4 #ts4 royal #ts4 storytelling #ts4 edit #ts4 royal legacy #ts4 legacy #ts4 royalty #ts4 monarchy #ts4 screenshots #sims 4 #simblr #the sims 4 #sims #the sims community #sims 4 screenshots #my sims #ts4 simblr

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williamandmichaelendgame · 11 months ago

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Byler and The Imitation Game

My native language is not english so i hope you understand everything🥰.

So we all know the poster from Will in S4 was about Alan Turing and i found the movie ,,The Imitation Game” and i watched it, and it was very interesting for byler and mileven.

So at first Alan was gay and saved 14 Million lives and shortened the ww2 around 2 years.

Alan was also inlove with his bestfriend, Christopher.

( on the left side is Christopher and on the right Alan)

So he needed to crack the german enigma in year 1939 and he wanted to see if anyone can crack a puzzle under 6 minutes, and a lady, Joan, was late and she argued with a man. So Alan went to her and said something like ,,you can sit down”. She argued with the man, because he thought that she didn’t cracked the puzzle all by herself, because they needed to also crack a puzzle before they crack the other puzzle, and she was a woman,thats why the man thought she could not do it all by herself, it was during WW2.

I think it’s like El and Mike, Mike trusted El and let her to his house, but we all know Lucas and Dustin didn’t like her. So we can imagine like Dustin and Lucas are the men who doesnt like women and Mike like Alan liked her and let her to his house and like Alan gave her a chance to crack this puzzle even if she was a woman.

Now we go to Alan’s school time, he was bullied for being ,,different”. But he had help from his best friend, Christopher. One day they were under a tree, Christopher read a book. And Alan was interested, so Christopher thought that he would like it too. And then they shared a cute smile and i think that was the moment Alan realized his feelings for Christopher. And then they had a math class and shared letters and Christopher wrote something like ,,See you in two long weeks, my dearest friend”🥰🥰. And after that two weeks Alan wrote ,,i love you” and he waited for him, but he never came back, because he died of his illness.

I think in ST are letters romantic, like here, but i mean not every letter is romantic. But i don‘t think mike knows that he loves him, because i think he would like get distance himself from Will. Because i think we all think that mike has internalized homophobia, but i mean he will notice it in S5.

Okay so now we come back to Alan and Joan, so she cracked the puzzle under 6 minutes and i mean they liked eachother, but Joan had to leave,because her parents wanted her back and because she had no husband. So Alan had the idea to marry her, and they did.

So what do you think? I think Mike forced himself to get into a relationship like Alan for a reason, maybe because he’s gay or what i think he ,,loved” her in the moment were she wore nancys dress or just another reason idk. We don’t know what he thought or felt. He just looked at her and said ,,pretty”. Idk but the duffers will hopefully explain what he thought or felt.

And after Alan was engaged with her, they were at a party and a friend of Alan asked Joan to dance with him and they did, then Alan smiled at them but it faded away and a friend sat next to him and he said ,,what’s the matter?” Alan said ,,what if- what if i don’t fancy being with joan that way”😟 and then the friend said ,,because you’re a homosexual?” And Alan said ,,i care about her, i truly do,i just dont know if i can pretend…”😱

We all know mike said to Eleven ,,i care about you so much” and i think this scene from Alan was inspired from it.

And now a good one, they ,,broke up” because Alan said he is gay, but she said ,,i had my suspicions, but i care about you and i know you care about me” and idk i never saw a post about it but in S3 eleven said to max ,,how do i know what i like?” LIKE WHAT😭 how do you know what you love when you don’t even know what you like and it was just about clothing?

And Alan said that he was never alone, because he said to his Computer, Christopher and after he cracked enigma, he took his Computer, Christopher home with him.

,,I think it‘ll be easier if we’re a team. Friends. Best Friends.” So Mike and Will are working together. Like Alan and Christopher just that Christopher is his Computer😓.

And omg im sorry i dont have structure😭 i just saw Joan and Alan danced together but they were not inlove😭

Like El and Mike they danced together🤔

And thats a really good one omg💀 Alan said ,, what if- what if i don’t fancy being with joan that way” and Will also said ,,what if- what if they don’t like the truth?” And mike nods💀and when Alan said ,,what if- what if” he didn’t stuttered it was just a break like Will.So i think maybe what Alan said is that what mike think or is like an answer to Will’s question.

But ik it doesn’t mean that Alan Turing is like Mikes story, it’s just inspiring, from a gay icon🥰. Maybe El and Mike they were in love somehow, because i think it’s difficult to explain it,but i mean i think the duffers have also their own ideas and get inspired from other movies/shows.But that they are not inspired from this movie, i would say it’s impossible 😭 See how many things are like the same. Me personally i think that’s why it’s real because Mike is very big maybe (it’s obvious) inspired from Alan so yeah.

#byler analysis #byler #stranger things #byler endgame #byler is canon #byler is real #byler nation #byler proof #byler s5 #byler tumblr

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catherinetheprincessofwales · 10 months ago

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Four generations of The House of Windsor and The Kennedy Family.

1938 - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy presents her daughters Rosemary and Kathleen to the Court of St James. Kathleen married the future Duke of Devonshire in 1944 and became the Marchioness of Hartington, her husband tragically died months later in World War II. In 1948 she died in a plane crash while travelling with her intended future husband the 8th Earl of FitzWilliam.

1939 - King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with US Ambassador Joseph Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.

1961 - Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip host US President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacquline Bouvier Kennedy.

1963 - Prince Philip attends the funeral of John F. Kennedy. Prince Philip is remembered as comforting the young John F. Kennedy Jr. by playing toys with him on the floor of the White House playroom.

1965 - Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip Jacqueline Kennedy and her children Caroline and John Jr. inaugurate the memorial to the late US President John F. Kennedy in Runnymede, England. Runnymede was the location of the legendary tales of King Arthur and Camelot. The legendary tales were often used to describe the JFK presidency.

2005 - Prince Charles and Maria Kennedy Shriver, niece of John F. Kennedy in the gardens of the California Governors Mansion, her now former husband Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

2022 - Prince William meets Caroline Kennedy, US Ambassador to Australia and her children Jack and Tatiana Schlossberg in Boston for Williams Earthshot Prize Award, which is inspired by JFKs Moonshot.

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tiarascrowns · 9 months ago

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CHAUMET ART DECO DIAMOND TIARA

"Property from the Collection of Margaret Thompson Biddle

CHAUMET ART DECO DIAMOND TIARA Old-cut diamonds, platinum (French marks), circa 1930, maker's mark.

Margaret Thompson Biddle was born in Helena, Montana in 1896. She was the daughter of notable copper miner and financier, William Boyce Thompson.

Margaret’s father was born and raised around mining in Montana, so it was no surprise that he went on to make a name for himself in the copper mining industry. He attended the prestigious Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, and Columbia University. After retiring from the New York Stock Exchange around 1915, Thompson’s interests returned back to mining where he founded the Newmont Mining Corporation.

Margaret Thompson married Anthony Drexel Biddle Jr. in 1931. That year he was also appointed the Minister to Norway by President Roosevelt, and then Ambassador to Poland 1937. This role led Biddle and his family all over the world. After fleeing Poland in 1939, they landed in England for one of Anthony’s commissions. In this position, he worked with the governments-in-exile of Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Yugoslavia. Biddle held numerous ambassador positions in the years that followed before re-enlisting in the army in 1944.

Margaret relocated to France after she and Anthony separated at the end of World War II. She had a home on the French Riviera, and a spectacular hotel particulier on the notable boulevard St. Germain in Paris. Not only was she a writer and author of The Women of England, Margaret was also known to be quite the hostess and socialite. One could find the Eisenhowers, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and many other notable French creatives at her soirees.

In addition to having a wonderful jewelry collection, Margaret was an avid collector of fine porcelain, silver, home furnishings and art by the most distinguished artists and makers. She gifted a 1,575 piece dinnerware service to former First Lady Eisenhower. Select pieces of the ‘Vermeil’ collection are still on display at The White House present day."

- Christies

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violetswritingg · 11 months ago

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Main Masterlist

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Imagines

Coming soon!

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Series

Twisters

Thunderstruck

Tyler Owens x OFC!

Description: When cowgirl meets cowboy after a year of no-contact and chaos ensues during storm season!

Rating: M (Mentions of blood and death in Tornadoes and storms alike, angst and loss of loved ones, car accidents, Tornado aftermath, and injury to characters, slight age gap (5 years))

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 (Coming soon)

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Young Justice

Canary Cry

Robin/Nightwing (Dick Grayson) x OFC!

Description: Her violence was silent. Until it wasn't.

"I'm fine."

"Fine is just another word for drowning."

Rating T-M (mentions of blood, child abuse, mental health, cannon situations of violence and the like. Loss of parents, hard of hearing/deaf character, poorly written fight scenes lol)

Act-One

0: Creation

1: He Left

2: Birthday's and Nightmares

3: Drop-Zone A

4: Drop-Zone B

5: Disappointment

6: School'd

7: Trash Go Boom

8: Home

9: Infiltrator

10: Outfiltrated

11: Truces and Text messages

12: Denial

13: Downtime

Act two

14: Bereft

15: Mortal Wounds

16: Home Invasion

17: Alpha Male pt.1

18: Alpha Male pt.2

19: Plant Subterfuge

20: Revelation

21: To be determined

22: To be determined

23: To be determined

24: To be determined

25: To be determined

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Titans

Only in Darkness

Jason Todd x OFC!

Description:

"Only in Darkness can you see the stars."

Marlowe Knight stumbling upon a girl prophesied to end the world and going on the adventure of a life time.

Rating: M (Blood, cannon typical violence, sibling rivalry, scars, torture, trauma, angsttttt)

0.5

1: A New Chapter

2: Crime Scenes and Cafés

3: Dodged Calls

4: Cop Killer

5: To The Rescue

6: Blueberry Pancakes and Rooftop Memories

7: Phone Calls

8: Panic and Motel Conversations

9: Old Friends

10: Second Chances

11: Leaving

12: Nuclear Family Drama

13: On Edge

14: Different Places

15: On The Move

16: Training Season

17: Seriously? These Guys Again?

18: Chicago, She-cago

19: The Three Musketeers

20: Jason Todd

21: TBD

22: TBD

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Peacemaker

Stargazer

Adrian Chase x OFC!

Description:

Back in 1939 the Court of Owls set out to create the first Talon, they called this initiative the Ghost protocol. Their product? everything they ever wanted in a solider for their nefarious schemes to keep their power over Gotham City.

Roberta Harris, Bobbie if you don't want to get shot somewhere important, never wanted this life. A 'criminal' to the world and a legend in the world of spy shit and black ops project's. The bomb in her head keeps her compliant with Waller's demands until Project Starfish wins her her freedom. What will she do now?

A world in which an elderly lady moves to a small town in Washington state to get away from the superhero bullshit only to get pulled back in against her will. Growing along the way as a result.

Rating: M (For obvious reasons, it's Peacemaker)

1: Freedom

2: TBD

3: TBD

4: TBD

5: TBD

6: TBD

7: TBD

8: TBD

9: TBD

10: TBD

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Invincible

Valkyrie

Mark Grayson x OFC!

Description: In which two superpowered teens meet and fall in love amongst blood, death, and betrayal

Rating: M (Canon typical violence, betrayal, mental health issues, abandonment issues, child neglect, angsttttt)

Too Good To Be True

Carnage

Aftermath

Attacked From All Sides

Outer space

Nightmare

Burial Plot

Compromise

Shit Show

Shit Show pt.2

TBD

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More coming soon!

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drinkthehalo · 6 months ago

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Goodbye to the McKittrick Hotel

April 16, 2011. My friend Tammy had told me she'd seen an incredible production of Macbeth that she was certain I would love. I walked into the McKittrick Hotel that Saturday night with no idea that I was entering a place that would change my life forever.

What an extraordinary, fruitful place of creative energy it was. How wild, almost unbelievable, that such a place survived in New York City for nearly fourteen years.

My first impression: You have to walk around and climb stairs and wear a mask? How can you do Shakespeare without dialog? Until I realized the dialog was in the dance, and the rave shocked my jaded sensibilities, and I was in a tiny room with a beautiful sobbing naked man, and then I went home and dreamed about it and knew I had to go back.

Then the parties. Halloween 2011 was the best event party I had ever been to - welcoming, engaging, fun. For fourteen years the McKittrick became my Halloweens, my New Years Eves, my May Fairs (I didn't even know that was a thing), that wonderful exhausting year of 2016 when they did Supercinema almost every month. The parties became more elaborate, the costumes, the set designs, the stories, the interactions, the performances. The Paisley Players, the epic ballroom extravaganzas, the tableaus in the walled garden...

Remixed (the first) remains the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. November Rain at the banquet. The Imperial March in the maze. Diamonds are Forever, forever...

The Boy Witch party made me cry and cry. Two nights only and it was probably the best thing I've ever seen. The carousel on the ballroom stage, the fire, the lady in pink tights, the lost love. Every time I hear that version of Crazy in Love, I feel that emotion again.

At the Clue party, Maximilian led us through the floors, and we watched Neil Patrick Harris chop off his own head in the Macbeth bedroom.

Fourth of July 2012, after the show, a marching band played as we climbed six floors to the roof to reveal a beautiful secret garden where we watched the fireworks. Gallow Green was magical in the early days, with Paul Corning's gardener watering plants and occasionally leading people away, and Annabella planting herbs and making potions with us.

One day after the show, Lulu put a stamp on my hand and told me to go to the elevator. I took it up and a character led me into the Heath for the first time. We'd go there for drinks or dinner, watch Elizabeth Lindsey glide through the space like watching a portal into a film noir, follow instructions on secret notes and hope to win the lottery. (Once I did; Ginger took me, blindfolded, to High Street, and I still have the memories of discombobulated absurdity - and a spoon with my name engraved on it.)

Then they put a cozy little Scottish lodge on the roof, with bunk beds and blankets and heaters, and a forest out back with a canoe? in a tent. We'd huddle around the fire pit, or sprawl on the bed. All the books were pre-1939. At some point there was a room full of board games. My friend Matty would sit at the desk writing his dissertation and people thought he was a character.

I watched Rosemary's Baby on the rooftop, curated by Amy Poehler, and Vertigo in the ballroom, shivering in the air conditioner.

Calloway started doing these "salons" in the Manderley after the show, with songs and narratives and recurring characters and Hans dying every time. Then one day the email said something about "McKittrick Follies," and I showed up and characters were singing and telling stories and everyone was drinking and talking into the night.

I can't believe we were so spoiled by that boundless creative energy for so long. For months? years? we had a weekly Follies, then... biweekly? Sunday afternoons we'd sit on the beds in the Lodge drinking mulled wine before going down to the Follies; then Wednesdays I'd work late and walk into the Manderley at 10pm, or go home and walk up the High Line to come back, listening to the show crowd's excited chatter as they exited, entering to music and humor and drinks that flowed and flowed and flowed. So much extraordinary talent, all concentrated in this one place and sparkling off of each other, creating and creating and creating.

Ginger was so funny. Lily's voice was beautiful. Mallory was the bawdiest thing. Nick's Maximilian was a true original. Conor and Austin were so awkward and snarky. JWW has the most dear, sweet, unique style. I can't list everyone; I can't believe we were blessed with so much.

There were so many incredible singers and musicians over the years. Kat Cunning. Lisa McQuade. Julia Haltigan. Stephanie Amoroso. Onalea Gilbertson. Every iteration of the Manderley band was full of wildly talented musicians. I was lucky enough to see Cibo Matto in the Heath, and Leslie Odom Jr in the Manderley. The place was absolutely punching above its weight in terms of talent.

I learned to drink in the Manderley bar. When I first went, the only drink I knew how to order was a Sex on the Beach. I had my first gin gimlet at the Manderley Bar. The Professor, Brandon Tyler Harris, asked me what gin I liked, and I didn't know, so I tried them all and discovered that it's Hendricks. Then I switched to smoky mezcal margaritas, and drank them for years, occasionally starting trends. Later it was scotch sours, smoky Laphroaig, heaven in a glass. At the Heath they'd had my all time favorite drink, long gone; something with Scotch, orgeat, and a cabernet float... I'm at the age now where I've largely had to stop drinking; the era of alcohol in my life will always be tied up in the McKittrick.

If it weren't for Sleep No More, I wouldn't have gone to London and made many of my dearest friends; would never have experienced Shanghai the way I did, with local friends to guide me.

Lily Ockwell brought me on the Manderley stage on my birthday. The lights were very bright. Could she have imagined how utterly terrified I was? In a good way.

At my 100th show, Kit/Ginger bought me a drink as soon as I walked in.

Gus from front of house overheard me talking about an upcoming trip to Shanghai and invited himself along. We had so much fun, we took a trip to Costa Rica the next year.

After my cat Lucifer died, London gave me the biggest hug as soon as he saw me.

At Austin Goodwin's Juilliard graduation performance, the whole evening was so beautiful. All these extraordinary young people who'd worked so hard, accomplished so much, brimming with possibility for their futures. I wanted so much to be one of the families, full of pride and love for someone I'd helped nurture. When I wrote a tumblr post wrestling with the decision to have a child, Austin sent me a message telling me he thought I'd make a good mother. It is one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me, and helped me make one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.

Once on new years eve, Anabella gave me a Tarot card - Ten of Pentacles. I knew when I got that card that it was about my desire to have my own family, a child of my own. I put it on my fridge as inspiration and it's still there next to pictures of my kid.

I met my best friend on High Street, looking in the window of the tailor shop, watching Paul Zivkovich as a clown. This is the friend who is now in my will to take care of my child if I die.

I say I'm not creative, but the McKittrick brought out the creativity I do have. So many words in this blog. Several interviews for academic papers or articles. A box full of costumes in my closet: Andrea Alden in the Infidelity Ballet scene; Medusa out of a bunch of plastic snakes I painted and attached to a headdress; Vampire Willow; a Baz Luhrman Capulet; Mrs White. I see photos and find myself wearing costumes I don't even remember.

In early 2020, I hadn't been going to Sleep No More for a while, but when covid got scary, suddenly that's where I had to be. I was there until the day I showed up and the doors were closed.

I genuinely wonder, will I ever be as good at anything in my adult life as I was at following the Macbeth loop? I knew just where to stand, to view a perfect wide shot, to see a close up at a respectful distance. I loved to follow Macbeth down the corridor into the rave, a shadow halo'd in red, arms out against the tin walls. And to follow him out, running full speed, enraged and out of control as the music swelled and he went into the speakeasy to kill Banquo; there was no room for anything but adrenaline and utter absorption in the moment. To follow the Macbeths down the stairs as they screamed and shoved and kissed chocolate blood all over each others' faces. To stand still in the bedroom as they danced and fought around the room, the audience swarming around them, everything moving around me from close up to wide shot to close up.

Will anything bring as much peace as a Porter loop? I could always go there when I was sad. The hotel lobby was my favorite space. So dark it was almost black; figures emerging through the shroud of darkness. The tiny office, the papers and pencils. The sweet silliness of that character, the eternal hope. The overwhelming sadness. To be the one not chosen. Trapped, unable to change anyone's fate, watching and witnessing.

I used to think, there's a lot of downtime in this loop between the big moments like the cabaret, but in the end I realized, there is no downtime. Every moment is beautiful. I'd go there just to see the ominous deer loom over him as he reset the dining room, or to see those white sheets moving through the darkness like abstract art.

Zach McNally's Porter was my first 1:1, in 2012. I remember watching the tears down his face during the cabaret and thinking, wait, this character is as important as the Boy Witch. On Saturday, I watched him fade away into the shadows for the last time.

At the very last show, Andrew Robinson's Porter cried along with the audience as we watched him trace his hand. At the end, he cut his toast into a tiny heart and gave it to Danvers. She burst into tears, cut it in half, and they ate it together.

Boy Witch ended for me when my favorites left; it was all memories, echoes of the past. I'll never forget Conor, who always saw me, no matter how far away I stood, and always created some little moment to make my night special.

(I used to rarely watch the shower scene, and once he ran up to me in the bar and told me, you paid for your ticket, you can watch what you want to watch.)

Oddly, at my second-to-last show, I followed Macduff. Never a favorite, but the choreography is so good. Steven Bangerter looks and moves so much like Rob McNeill, and his sweetness balances out the character. How extraordinary to see the echoes of Rob, who was in the 2003 London production, so clearly and vividly, 21 years and who knows how many performers later. (I did not see the original production, but there are photos, and the first time I saw Rob in the Drowned Man I thought, wow, he moves like Macduff.)

I was noticing new things up until the end. Macbeth, upside down in the ballroom at the reset; the hanged man Tarot card. Macduff, lifting Sexy Witch in the ballroom and spinning her around, like Rob McNeill once did to me as we danced to the finale stage at the end of a Drowned Man.

After the second Remixed, I worked up the nerve to speak to Stephen Dobbie, asked him about the song choices, raved about how great they were. I'd forgotten that the November Rain video actually has a banquet scene in it.

One time I sat across from Felix Barrett at dinner and accidentally changed the ending of the show. I complained that the matron just closes the door to the pagoda and black masks hurry you away; he made a note on his phone and within days it was better.

Once, I had a long conversation with Maxine in the Manderley. (And a few brief ones in London.) Sunday night when I said goodbye, she gave me a hug and said, you've been here all these years.

I don't know why it matters that I met these people. I'm not trying to break into the arts. Maybe I just have so much admiration for the people who've succeeded, in a world that makes it so difficult. Actually if I could have been anyone in the building, it would have been Carrie Boyd; color-coded spreadsheets are my jam. What an unsung superstar. Her salon was the best.

Once after a roundtable, I found a note in my bag from Ilana. "Thank you for your heart and mind." I'd say the same to her.

I don't even know what else to write. Fourteen years of memories. After I post this, I'll think, oh I should have mentioned that other thing too. How can you sum up something that meant so much?

The McKittrick was at the center of my experience of New York City; of my mid-adulthood. I will mourn it at the same time as I marvel that it ever happened, that I found it as early as I did, and that it could possibly have lasted so long.

#sleep no more #mckittrick hotel #punchdrunk #the mckittrick hotel #sleep no more nyc

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lostinhistory · 6 months ago

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Heritage News of the Week

Discoveries!

The tomb of an ancient Egyptian royal medical professional, who happens to have also had the role of magician, has been unearthed. The discovery of the tomb and the physician’s dual roles highlights the reverence ancient Egyptians held for both magic and medicine.

Excavations at Saqqara uncover several tombs

A joint Japanese-Egyptian archaeological mission has uncovered four tombs at Saqqara from the late 2nd and early 3rd Dynasties, along with ten burials from the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom.

A big week for Saqqara!

Egypt uncovers blocks from 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut temple

Archaeologists have uncovered intact portions of the foundation wall of pharaonic Queen Hatshepsut's valley temple in Luxor and the nearby tomb of Queen Teti Sheri, grandmother of Ahmose I, the first pharaoh of Egypt's golden New Kingdom era.

Turkish farmer unearths massive Roman mosaic while planting cherry trees

At the end of last year, a farmer in eastern Turkey discovered a rare, largely intact late Roman mosaic while planting a cherry orchard. Spanning almost 1,000 square feet, the mosaic is thought by archaeologists to be the largest example of its kind unearthed in the country.

Medieval crowns of Eastern European royalty hidden in cathedral wall since World War II finally recovered

A set of 16th-century royal burial regalia concealed in a niche under a staircase for nearly a century has been recovered from the Vilnius Cathedral in Lithuania. The gold crowns, rings and other accessories have been missing since 1939, when they were hidden at the start of World War II.

Byzantine monastery with ‘unique’ mosaic floor uncovered at Israeli construction site

A Byzantine monastery with a colorful mosaic floor bearing a Greek inscription has been uncovered during work by the Israel Land Authority on a real estate development in Karmey Gat North.

'Huge fortune' from the 1600s, including gold and silver coins, found in German church where Martin Luther preached

Four bags of money hidden around 1640 and worth "much more than a craftsman could earn in a year" have been found inside a statue at a Gothic church in Germany.

2,100-year-old coin hoard dating to dynasty of Jewish kings discovered in Jordan Valley

A coin hoard dating back about 2,100 years, during the time of the Jewish Hasmonean kings, has been discovered at a site in the Jordan Valley.

1,700-year-old Roman hoard includes gold coins depicting illegitimate emperor

Archaeologists in Luxembourg have discovered a lavish 1,700-year-old hoard of Roman gold coins that had been placed near the foundations of a small, tower-like Roman fort.

'I was shaking when I first unearthed it': 11th-century silver coin hoard unearthed in England

Archaeologists have discovered 321 silver coins still wrapped in a cloth and lead pouch from a time in English history marked by upheaval due to the coronation of a new Anglo-Saxon king.

So many coin hordes!

'Surprise find' of 300-year-old ruins at Castle Ward

Archaeologists have been taken by surprise by the chance discovery of the remains of a collection of buildings in County Down believed to be more than 300 years old.

Forgotten paintings rediscovered in Mexican church restoration after 80 years of obscurity

For decades, the interior of the Temple of Our Lady of the Assumption, a church in the town of Santa María Huiramangaro in Mexico, stood stark white, with blue accents. But the parish was not always so bare. A new restoration has revealed a host of resplendent 16th-century religious paintings that once spanned the ceiling of the historic church.

Archaeologists uncover a 1,500-year-old Byzantine monastery

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered a 1,500-year-old monastery north of Kiryat Gat in the Southern District of Israel.

Study reexamines Magyar burial in Hungary

The researchers noted that jewelry has been recovered from men’s graves in the region, but weapons had not yet been identified in a woman’s tenth-century burial in the Carpathian Basin.

2,000-year-old painted penis bone found in quarry shaft from Roman Britain

While excavating outside London, archaeologists discovered thousands of bones thrown down a quarry shaft in Roman times. But one, in particular, stood out: a dog's baculum (penis bone) that had been painted red on one side.

Archaeologists discover Charles XII’s secret Galärvegen

Archaeologists from NIKU, working in collaboration with the Bohusläns Museum and the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS), have discovered traces of the Galärvegen during a georadar project near Blomsholm in Bohuslän, Sweden.

'Big surprise' reveals supposed skull of 'Cleopatra's sister' actually belongs to an 11-year-old boy

A skull long assumed to be from Arsinoë IV, Cleopatra's half sister, is actually from an adolescent boy who had a genetic disorder, according to researchers.

Slovakia sinkhole reveals historic underground structure

A sinkhole in western Slovakia has revealed a loch, an unlined, underground structure that was used to store food or as a refuge in times of unrest.

Ancient 'Stonehenge' in Golan Heights may not be astronomical observatory after all, archaeologists say

An ancient and enigmatic stone circle in the Middle East may not be a prehistoric astronomical observatory after all, according to a new study of satellite images.

Jamestown archaeologists hope ancient DNA can solve a gravesite mystery within historic church

The team at Historic Jamestown recently ruled out Sir George Yeardley as the identity of remains found within the oldest known section of the fort’s churches.

Museums

After laying off its 10-person team and cutting its hours ahead of the new year, the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, is doing everything it can to stay open in light of mounting financial troubles that threaten to shutter the space entirely.

Heritage at risk

Flames from one of the wildfires raging across the Los Angeles region reached the grounds of the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday (7 January) but only affected vegetation on the campus. The museum, which is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust and houses its collection of Ancient Greek and Roman art, is located in a re-created Roman country villa on the west side of Pacific Palisades, one of the neighbourhoods that has been most affected by the rapidly moving wildfires, which continue to rage out of control amid strong winds.

Several Los Angeles museums and galleries are closed in response to Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires

Two museums burn in Los Angeles fires while others remain closed

Historic buildings destroyed in Southern California blazes

A running list of resources to help artists impacted by LA fires

(Going to add an editorial note: if you are asking yourself how these fires happened, the short answer is climate change. Not an attempt to cover up the crimes of Epstein and/or Diddy. Not DEI. Not Jewish space lasers. Not direct energy weapons. It's climate change interacting with the geography of Los Angeles. If you want to read about what makes LA so prone to fire, may I direct your attention to Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis.)

Utah authorities seek climber who inserted bolts into ancient petroglyph site

Utah authorities are seeking more information about a climber who installed climbing bolts into the site of an ancient petroglyph.

Off-road bikers using ancient monuments as racetracks

Ancient monuments across the UK face "complete destruction" from off-road bikers illegally using them as ramps and racetracks, archaeologists have warned.

Behind Ukraine and Russia's battle over 19th-century seascape painter

Both countries lay claim to Ivan Aivazovsky and his works, many of which were in Crimea when it was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014

National Trust for Canada Endangered Places List 2024

This year’s list highlights many of the underlying barriers to preserving places that are valued by communities. Losing historic places erases part of our shared past, removes landmarks from communities, and throws away embodied carbon. This year’s list illustrates how difficult it can be for historically marginalized communities to save places of importance to them.

Odds and ends

A 15th-century monastery in Tibet is still intact after a deadly 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook the northern foothills of Mount Everest.

Experience: I found treasures in a shipwreck

Ancient fish fossil suggests ‘living skeletons’ evolved 460 million years ago

X-ray analysis of bony scale shows vertebrates developed ability to remodel and repair bone much earlier than thought

#I tried to find a list of resources for the la fires under said tag but it's mostly just brainrot nonsense #heritage news of the week #archaeology #history #museums #paleontology

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wellntruly · 6 months ago

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I was tagged by @memory-for-trifles for my top first-time watches in 2024 of movies not from 2024, and also by @door for my nine favorite movies of the year, which I am combining to nine non-recent releases. Thank you buddies!!

Also NOT thank you, as it seems I watched 190 new to me, pre-2024 movies last calendar year, and rated fully 45 of them five stars.

....so here is a representative nine categories (blood! tears!!), and then the whole list of older movies that fucking rule.

: :

Powell & Pressburger: A Matter of Life and Death (1946) Pre-Code: Trouble In Paradise (1932) Screwball: It Happened One Night (1934)

Western: Dead Man (1995) Marty: Mean Streets (1973) Agnès: Le Bonheur (1965)

Historical: The Leopard (1963) Satyajit Ray: Pather Panchali (1955) Noir: Out of the Past (1947)

: :

Top 45 Non-2024 Movies I Watched in 2024 [alphabetical]

A Matter of Life and Death (1946) Powell & Pressburger Ace In the Hole (1951), Billy Wilder All About Eve (1950), Joseph L. Mankiewicz Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) John Sturges Daisies (1966) Věra Chytilová Dead Man (1995) Jim Jarmusch Cat People (1942) Jacques Tourneur It Happened One Night (1934) Frank Capra Johnny Guitar (1954) Nicholas Ray La Ronde (1950) Max Ophüls Laura (1944) Otto Preminger Le Bonheur (1965) Agnès Varda Little Women (1994) Gillian Armstrong Mean Streets (1973) Martin Scorsese Metropolitan (1990) Whit Stillman Miracle on 34th Street (1947) George Seaton Nights of Cabiria (1957) Federico Fellini On the Beach (1959) Stanley Kramer Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Howard Hawks Out of the Past (1947) Jacques Tourneur Pather Panchali (1955) Satyajit Ray Queen Christina (1933) Rouben Mamoulian Sunset Boulevard (1950) Billy Wilder The Age of Innocence (1993) Martin Scorsese The Awful Truth (1937) Leo McCarey The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) William Wyler The Big City (1963) Satyajit Ray The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) Karel Zeman The Heiress (1949) William Wyler The Lady Vanishes (1938) Alfred Hitchcock The Leopard (1963) Luchino Visconti The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) Alfred Hitchcock The Manchurian Candidate (1962) John Frankenheimer The Philadelphia Story (1940) George Cukor The Red Shoes (1948) Powell & Pressburger The Servant (1963) Joseph Losey The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) John Huston The Wind (1928) Victor Sjöström They Shoot Horses, Don’t They (1969) Sydney Pollack To Be or Not to Be (1942) Ernst Lubitsch Trouble in Paradise (1932) Ernst Lubitsch Ugetsu (1953) Kenji Mizoguchi Wait Until Dark (1967) Terence Young Wings of Desire (1987) Wim Wenders Zodiac (2007) David Fincher

Honorable Mentions

I had technically watched Casablanca (1942) and Brief Encounter (1945) many, many many many years earlier, but I rewatched both of them this past year as an adult, and guess what? Five star films.

Tagging @passingknightly, @knighthooded, @camestela, @bakingblues, @forshesajollygoodfellow, @alpineshepherdlass, @valentinsylve, and anyone else who enjoys a MOVIE

#Wellntruly's Watch Log #memory-for-trifles #door

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souurcitrus · 11 months ago

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Batfamily Time-line

Decide to do a quick timeline for Batman's core family, since it seems like the Comics writers don't know how old the characters should be, and with the stories being due between New Earth and Prime Earth, things get even more confusing.

I don't really like the New 52 and most reboots irritate me, so I made this timeline based on old Batman stories. Anot all information are correct, and some is more speculation based on the Comics.

(Edit: Changed Jason's age.)

1939 -

• August 16th - Alfred Pennyworth was born.

• (His age is never specified in any type of media, but it seems like he was at least on his 30s when he became Bruce's guardian).

1962 -

• Bruce Wayne's birthday is officially February 19th (though I don't remember when the exactly year).

1970 -

• One night, while returning from the Monarch Theatre, the Wayne family was approached by the criminal, Joe Chill, who murdered Thomas and Martha and fled.

• Bruce (age 8) was left in Alfred Pennyworth's care (age 31).

1971 -

• January 26 - Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne's cousin, is born.

1975 -

• September 23 - Barbara Gordon is born.

1976 -

• At age 14, Bruce Wayne's eyes were opened to the level of crime in Gotham and he was determined to do something about it, swearing to rid the city of the evil that had taken his parents' lives.

• He left Gotham City and spent his youth traveling the world, training himself to intellectual and physical perfection and learning a variety of crime-fighting skills, including chemistry, criminology, forensics, martial arts, gymnastics, disguise and escape artistry.

1978 -

• March 20 - Richard "Dick" Grayson, son of John and Mary Grayson, two acrobats from The Haley Circus.

1984 -

• (Batman: Year One, Batman #404-407)

• Bruce Wayne (22) returned to Gotham and began acting as a vigilante, taking on the title of Batman.

• Bruce named Lucius Fox president of Wayne Enterprises and brought him, Alfred Pennyworth (45) and Leslie Tompkins their plans.

• Along with James Gordon, Sarah Essen and Harvey Bullock, Batman faces corruption and crime in Gotham.

• August 16 - Jason Todd was born.

• (Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper)

• Selina Kyle was inspired to become a costumed thief when she sees Batman in action and becomes Catwoman.

• (Batman: Shaman, Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5)

• That same year, other rogues appeared, before the Joker even existed: Man-Bat, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and Riddler.

1985 -

• (Batman: Year Two, Detective Comics #575-578)

• Batman inspired the vigilante movement, leading to the arrival of the likes of Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Black Canary and his old friend Oliver Queen as Green Arrow.

• January 26 - Cassandra Cain, daughter of Lady Shiva and David Cain, is born.

• (Batman: The Man Who Laughs, Detective Comics #784-786)

• The first appearance of the Joker.

• (Batman: The Long Halloween #1-12)

• Batman, James Gordon and Harvey Dent worked together to bring down the organized crime syndicates led by Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni.

• They also had to investigate a serial killer named Holiday that had been killing mafiosos. Gotham's new breed of criminals was replacing the traditional gangsters.

• This was the first time Batman met Selina Kyle dressed as Catwoman.

• After a long investigation, Maroni was brought to a trial, during which he threw it at Dent's face, leaving him scarred. Later, Harvey reappeared calling himself Two-Face and shot Falcone twice in the head.

• He was accused of betraying the things he believed in and arrested.

1986 -

• (Superman, vol 1 #76; Superman/Batman annual, #1)

• Superman and Batman meet for the first time, as Superman came to Gotham and they work together tracking the dangerous psychopath Magpie. They both gained respect for each other, although they doubted, they would ever work together again

• July 19 - Timothy Drake is born.

• (Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity)

• Clark later introduced Bruce to Wonder Woman while chasing "The Purge" led by Ra's al Ghul.

• Already a hero to Gotham, Batman (26) became a hero to the world when he and six other heroes fought Brainiac's invasion and formed the Justice League of America.

• August 11 - Stephanie Brown is born.

1987 -

• (Detective comics, vol 1 #37 / Robin Annual #4 1995)

• July 15 - Bruce (27) watched the Flying Graysons perform an acrobatic act and continued to watch as they plummeted to their deaths due to the act being sabotaged by Tony Zucco, leaving only his orphaned son, Richard "Dick" Grayson (9).

• Upon learning that Dick had no living relatives, Bruce saw himself in Dick and adopted him. Dick discovered the Batcave and convinced Bruce to train him to be a vigilante.

• (Alfred's age: 48)

1988 -

• (Robin Annual #4)

• Due to his acrobatic skills, Dick Grayson (10) already had a foundation to build on and so Gotham's Dynamic Duo was born with the first appearance of Batman and Robin, beginning the era of young heroes.

• Barbara Gordon (13) becomes an orphan after her parents tragically die in a car accident. Her uncle, Jim Gordon, adopted her and took her to live with him and his wife Sarah in Gotham City.

• November 18 - Harper Row is born.

• (Alfred's age: 49; Bruce's: 28)

1991 -

• (Detective Comics, vol 1 #359, 1967; Batgirl: Year One, 2003)

• Barbara Gordon (16) debuts in an improvised costume as 'Batgirl' and is nearly killed. Eventually she is accepted by Batman and joins the "Bat Family", being Bruce's new apprentice.

• Duke Thomas is born. (Couldn't find his birthday)

• (Alfred: 52; Bruce: 29; Dick: 13)

1994 -

• (The brave and the bold, vol 1 #54-60; Teen Titans vol 1 #53; Teen Titans: Year One)

• The formation of the Teen Titans happened mainly due to the kids' mentors making them feel inferior, which they quickly realized was not right about them.

• Dick Grayson (16), along with Wally West / Kid Flash and Garth / Aqualad teamed up; later, Donna Troy / Wonder Girl (13/14) joined the team along with Roy Harper / Speedy (14).

• Together, they cured the heroes of their mind control; later, their mentors (Batman, Flash, Aquaman and Wonder Woman) supported the idea of the teenagers becoming a heroic group, the Teen Titans!.

• (Alfred: 55; Bruce: 32, Barbara: 19)

1996 -

• When Jason Todd was a child, he lived in a very poor neighborhood with his father Willis and his stepmother Catherine. As his wife was suffering from an illness, Willis became a criminal and started working for Two Faces to pay for her treatment.

• Willis was killed in a shootout after betraying his boss and Jason was left to care for his mother alone, resorting to also getting involved in crime to get money.

• (Teen Titans vol 1 #53)

• The Teen Titans split up and follow different paths in their careers

• Dick divides his time between working with the Titans in New York and working with Batman in Gotham.

• (Batman and the Outsiders, vol 1, 1983)

• Batman (37) leaves the Justice League and forms the Outsiders.

• (Batman and the outsider's, #32; Justice League, vol 1, 1987)

• Batman leaves the Outsiders and joins the New Justice League.

• (Alfred: 57; Bruce: 34; Barbara: 21)

1997 -

• Bruce Wayne (35) begins to notice that Dick is growing up and moving around, living between New York and Gotham. Afraid of being left alone, he fires Dick.

• (Detective Comics vol 1 #495)

• Dick Grayson (19) goes to Hudson University and leaves after the first semester in July.

• Meanwhile, Jason Todd (13) cared for his mother Catherine until her last breath.

• After his death, legally an orphan, Jason lived in his father's apartment in an abandoned building in Crime Alley, where he turned to crime out of necessity. Jason has become highly skilled at stealing tires from vehicles.

• (Batman #408-409, 1987)

• Jason tried to steal the Batmobile's tires, but was caught by Batman, who decided to take Jason in and began training him to be the new Robin.

• Six months after Dick left Gotham, Jason's training was complete and he stepped in as the new Boy Wonder.

• (New Titans, vol 1, 1980)

• Dick Grayson (19) then formed the new Teen Titans with Raven, Wally West/Kid Flash, Donna Troy/Wonder Girl, Koriand’r/Starfire, Victor Stone/Cyborg, and Garfied Logan/Beast Boy.

• (Nightwing: Year One, #101-106)

• However, his identity as Robin no longer suited him and he soon adopted a new identity: Nightwing.

• (Alfred: 58; Bruce: 35; Barbara: 22)

1998 -

• Bruce (36) leaves another Justice League.

• Barbara (23) starts working in a library and has much less time to be Batgirl.

• (Batman: The Cult #1-4)

• (Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 1, Batman #417-430 and Batman Annual #12)

• Some Batman stories with Jason (14) as Robin, this collection does not include "death in the family ".

• (Alfred: 59; Dick: 20)

1999 -

• (The killing joke; Batman Chronicles #5; Oracle: Year One)

• At some point, Barbara Gordon (24) is attacked by the Joker.

• The criminal broke into her apartment and shot her, leaving her paralyzed, in an attempt to drive her father, Jim Gordon, crazy and prove that anyone can be as crazy as him if they have just one bad day.

• As he grew older, Jason Todd proved to be a challenge for Bruce (37), despite being skilled crime fighter, he was very rebellious and often disobeyed Batman.

• (August)

• Jason turns fifteen years old.

• (Batman #425-429, A death in the family)

• Batman decided to remove Jason from his duties as Robin to allow him to grieve the death of his parents.

• Jason discovered that the woman he knew as his mother was his stepmother, so he decided to find his biological mother.

• He found her, Sheila Haywood, an aid worker in Ethiopia. She proved to be the right person and she and Jason had an emotional reunion.

• However, unbeknownst to Batman and Robin, Sheila used to run illegal operations in Gotham and was recently blackmailed by the Joker, to whom she handed over her own son (now in his Robin costume).

• The clown brutally beat him with a crowbar. Robin was soon unconscious in a pool of blood. The Joker then left him and Sheila in the warehouse with a time bomb.

• Batman arrived too late to save them as he was stopping the Joker's venom from reaching the city and they died from their injuries.

• Batman pulled Jason's body from the rubble and took him to Gotham City, before he called Wayne Manor to deliver the news.

• (New Titans vol 1 #55, 1989)

• Dick (21) received the news too and returned to Gotham to look after Alfred and Bruce.

• (Suicide Squad vol 1 #23-28, 1989-1990)

• A mysterious Hacker, called Oracle, starts working with the Suicide Squad.

• (Batman: A lonely place of dying, Batman #426-429, #440-442, and New Titans #60-61).

• Some time later, Timothy Drake (13) discovers the secret identities of the Wayne family and tries to join them. He uses Jason's old costume to save Dick (21) and Bruce (37).

• Orphaned by organized crime, Tim was placed in the care of Bruce Wayne. Tim asked his new caretaker to allow him to train as the third Robin, but Bruce refused due to the fact that he was still grieving the loss of Jason Todd.

• Discovering the breadth of Tim's intellect and deductive genius, Alfred opposed Bruce and began training Tim in secret.

• (Detective Comics #618-621; Batman #480-481)

• Tim's mother is murdered and his father is left in a coma, from which he eventually recovers.

• (Robin: A Hero Reborn, Batman #455-457 and Robin #1-5)

• Tim Drake's first missions as Robin, where he heads to France to study specialized fighting techniques under an old master.

2000 -

• Apparently, Jason was dead for six months, so he should be back to life somewhere in february.

• (Batman: Birth of the Demon)

• Bruce discovers the origin of Ra's Al Ghul.

• Helena Bertinelli became Huntress and also began fighting crime in Gotham.

• (Detective Comics vol 1 #647-649, 1992)

• Bruce hears about a young girl named Spoiler causing trouble around town.

• Stephanie Brown (14) wanted to anger her father and began following in Batman's footsteps.

• The mercenary Bane discovered that the effects of Venom increased his physical strength. He arrived in Gotham with the aim of defeating Batman, who he thought owned the city.

• (Batman: Sword of Azrael)

• Bruce met Jean-Paul Valley (18), a student who was being controlled to become the dangerous vigilante Azrael, and then took him in as his new protégé.

• (Robin III, 1992)

• Tim start dating Ariana Dzerchenko.

• (Batman: Knightfall)

• Bane invades the mansion when everyone is away and, being extremely tired, Bruce is unable to face him. Bane breaks his back with one blow and takes control of the city.

• Out of options, Bruce gives Jean-Paul Valley the mantle of Batman.

• (Robin vol 2 #3-5, 1994)

• Spoiler also joins them and gets closer to Tim.

• Bruce, still with a broken back, travels across Europe on a healing mission with Dr. Kinsolving. Alfred despairs at how little he is taking care of himself and resigns in protest.

• Meanwhile, Dick and Kory's relationship becomes worse. They almost get married, but decide to separate and the Teen Titans are disbanded.

• In the months that passed, however, Jean became an extremely cruel and aggressive Batman, distancing himself from Robin and going against Bruce's request.

• He even manages to defeat Bane and tries to break his back, but Robin stops him.

• (Batman: Knightfall) comes to an end. (According to the comics, this arc last at least 6 months)

• Before more damage was done, Bruce recovered and realizing the mistake he made, faced Jean and returned to being Batman in the conclusion KNIGHT ’END.

• (Batman: Prodigal)

• Bruce decides he wants to go on vacation and Dick becomes Batman, with Robin following him.

• (Nightwing: Alfred's return)

• Barbara Gordon (25) finally returns to work with her family, revealing herself to be the mysterious Hacker, Oracle.

• Dick (22) goes to London to try to convince Alfred to return to Gotham.

• (Batman: Contagion; Batman: Legacy)

• A plague spreads across the city and Batman, Azrael and Gordon try to find a cure. Robin meets Catwoman and reluctantly joins her to also find the cure on a super long journey.

• Nightwing and Huntress deal with rioters in Gotham, and Tim becomes infected when a sick looter spits in his face.

• (Alfred: 61; Dick: 22; Barbara: 25; Bruce: 38; Tim: 14; Stephanie: 14; Jean Paul: 18)

2001 -

• Batman (39) and Azrael (19) go out again in search of a cure.

• Gordon and Mayor Grange fight to keep the city from panicking.

• Batman is forced to leave the city and reluctantly puts Huntress in charge. Helena interrupts a Penguin's plot to cause chaos.

• Batman and Robin (14) travel with Nightwing (23) to the desert and discover that the person behind the virus was the "Immortal" who is revealed to be Ra's al Ghul, who plans to exterminate 90% of humanity so he can dominate the world. world.

• Batman eliminates the virus by blowing up the Aventine Casino.

• Vaccines are distributed and Gotham is saved. Despite Wayne Enterprises exhausting their resources in the relief effort, Bruce is shocked to see the large number of dead bodies.

• Batman, Nightwing, Huntress, and Robin feel guilty for the lives they couldn't save, but Alfred reminds them that every citizen of Gotham would be dead if it weren't for their efforts.

• (Nightwing vol 2)

• On March 20th, Dick turns 23 and moves to Blüdhaven.

• (Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey, 1996)

• Barbara (26) begins working with Black Canary, eventually forming the Birds of Prey.

• Dick and Helena form a romantic relationship in (Nightwing/Huntress).

• (Robin Plus Impulse; World's Finest Three (Superboy/Robin); Young Justice: The Secret)

• Tim meets Superboy and Bart Allen / Impulse and then saves a mysterious girl named Secret.

• (Justice League of America: World without growth; Young Justice vol 1)

• They form Young Justice.

• (Batman: Cataclysm)

• There is a huge earthquake that passes through Gotham City, destroying many buildings and tearing up the foundations. With the chaos caused by the earthquake, many criminals are released, the city is completely isolated from the rest of the world.

• (Robin vol 2 #57, 1998)

• At some point, Tim breaks up with his girlfriend Ariana to be with Stephanie, who realizes she is pregnant, so tosses the mantle of vigilante aside for a while.

• (Batman: Aftershocks)

• In the weeks that pass, Gotham tries to recover. However, Bruce's efforts to help the city are futile when the world decides to turn its back on Gotham.

• (JLA/Titans #1-3; Titans vol 1)

• Dick returns with the Teen Titans.

2002 -

• (Batman: No man’s land)

• After the US government's declaration, Gotham City became a No Man's Land, which effectively quarantined the island. Bridges were destroyed and any other means of entry or exit were guarded by the Army.

• Although the Justice League did not assist in the quarantine for ethical reasons, they were so busy preventing outside forces from conquering the city that the internal situation was left to Batman and his allies.

• According to Barbara Gordon (27), it has been 93 days since the quarantine began and "Gotham is still dead."

• Batman disappeared all this time, and when he returned to the city to reconquer it, he saw that the criminals had already taken over.

• During this arc, Bruce reclaims the city, meets Cassandra Cain (17), daughter of David Cain, a former mentor, Barbara hands over her Batgirl mantle to Cassandra, Lex Luther hires Bane to destroy Gotham's gallery, so he can take control of the city, and James Gordon's wife is killed by the Joker.

• (Alfred: 63; Dick: 24; Barbara: 27; Bruce: 40; Tim: 16; Stephanie: 16; Jean Paul: 20; Cassandra: 17)

2003 -

• Eventually, thanks in large part to the financial and political machinations of Lex Luthor, Gotham City was liberated and rebuilt, and became part of the United States again.

• (Batman: Evolution; Batman: Turning Points; Batman: Officer Down)

• Ten weeks after No Man's Land ended, Commissioner Gordon is shot and retires.

• Alfred (64) goes with Tim (17) when he starts studying and isn't talking to Bruce.

• (Batman & Huntress: A Cry For Blood)

• Helena Bertinelli is being accused of murder and, while avoiding the GCPD and the Bat-Family, she revisits her childhood with The Question in hopes of trying to uncover the true culprit.

• (JLA: Tower of Babel)

• Ra's Al Ghul steals Batman's plans to defeat the Justice League of America.

• Dick (25) goes to the police academy. He and Barbara (28) start dating.

• Tarantula debuts as a vigilante (ew)

• (Batgirl vol 1 #3-6, 2000)

• Cassandra (18) continued as Batgirl moved into Barbara's Clock Tower.

• (Robin vol 2 #87; Batgirl vol 1 #20)

• Bruce tells Stephanie (17) Tim's identity and begins to train her.

• Jean-Paul (21) has established a base of operations near Gotham.

• (Gotham Knights #17, #20-21)

• Bruce (41) finally adopts Dick (25) as his son.

• (Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Bruce Wayne: Fugitive / Consequences)

• When Vesper Fairchild is found dead at Wayne Manor and Bruce is imprisoned at Blackgate with Sasha Bordeaux, the other members of the bat family try to help break the case.

• However, Bruce has had enough and escapes from prison announcing his intention to do away with Bruce Wayne's identity, and exist solely as Batman.

• Some members of the Family continue to doubt Bruce's innocence in Fairchild's murder, as it appears he has truly crossed the line this time.

• They undergo an extensive investigation as Bruce struggles with identity complications from fighting crime on the streets.

• Eventually, they discover that Vesper's real killer was the ever-devious David Cain, who was hired by then-President Lex Luthor to destroy Bruce.

• (Batman: Broken City, Batman #620-625)

• Batman embarks on a journey of self-discovery that forces him to reflect on the life he has led and the choices he has made while hunting the killer of a young boy's parents.

• (Azrael: Agent of the Bat, vol 1 #100)

• Azrael (21) ended up being killed in a fight with his two biggest enemies, Biis and Scratch, after an attempt to frame Azrael for various crimes. Azrael was hit in his armor and fell from a balcony.

• Although his costume was recovered, his corpse was not.

• (Batman: Hush)

• It's a hell of a mystery that lasts at least a whole week or more. Jason is not here, it's fucking Clayface.

• (Arkham Asylum: Living Hell)

• (Batman: Tabula Rasa / Veritas Liberat)

• Bane (41) discovers that Thomas Wayne was close to his mother before his death and goes to Gotham, demanding that he and Bruce take a DNA test. He stays at Wayne Manor for a while, and there he and Batman fight crime together, with Bruce trying to convince him to be less aggressive.

• When the DNA test arrives, it becomes clear that he and Bruce are not related, he is devastated and lost.

• Some time later, Bane meets his father, the King Cobra, Sir Dorrance, but they do not get along and Bane, who has developed a small respect for Batman, protects Bruce from being shot and almost dies, but Bruce throws him in the Lazarus Pit.

• Bruce lets him leave Gotham a free man.

• (Batman: Death and the Maidens, 2003-2004.)

• Ra's al Ghul dies

• (Titans/YoungJustice: Graduation Day; Teen Titans vol 3; Outsiders vol 3)

• A team-up between Young Justice and the Titans goes horribly, resulting in several deaths, and both teams breaking up. Tim ends up joining the latest version of the Teen Titans, and Dick is reluctantly convinced by Roy to join the new Outsiders.

• (Birds of Prey vol 160.)

• Huntress joins the Birds of Prey, and things are finally looking good for her.

• (Nightwing vol 2, #83 and #95)

• In Blüdhaven, Dick's life is terrible, including Barbara breaking up with him, his old circus being burned down, and his building being blown up, culminating in Blockbuster's death.

• It's a bad time.

• (Robin vol 2 #127-128)

• Soon after, Tim's father discovers that he is Robin and forces him to retire. Stephanie temporarily becomes Robin before Batman takes the mantle from her again.

• (Batman: War Games)

• Immediately afterwards, the War Games begin – Stephanie starts a gang war to prove herself to Bruce and is murdered.

• (Identity Crisis)

• A few days after Stephanie dies, Tim's father is murdered.

• Barbara's Clock Tower is destroyed.

• The police are against the vigilantes

• (Robin #132, Batgirl #58, Robin #133, Batgirl #59)

• Tim, mourning his father and girlfriend, and a little tense with Bruce after the Stephanie stuff; and Cass is mourning her best friend; they move to Bludhaven, where they begin a stronger friendship.

• During this period, Tim placed himself in the custody of a fake uncle, after rejecting Bruce's offer to adopt him.

• (Nightwing vol 2 #107-115)

• Dick left Bludhaven and Gotham, working briefly with the mob in Detroit, and then with Deathstroke.

• (Birds of Prey vol 1 #74)

• Barbara moves to Metropolis with the Birds of Prey.

• (Batgirl vol 1 #66-73)

• Cassandra goes on a personal quest to discover her mother's identity, is caught with the League of Assassins, is killed, thrown into a Lazarus Pit and comes back to life.

• (She doesn't seem to tell anyone about this.)

• (Batman: Under the red hood; Teen Titans #29)

• Jason Todd (19) goes back to Gotham, kills some guys, tries to kill Tim (17), does his whole sad thing and leaves.

• While Under The Red Hood is happening, Dick (28) leaves the name Nightwing and becomes Renegade.

• He chooses to work with Deathstroke of his own free will because he is in a bad place mentally and thinks that Deathstroke can help him with his goals.

• (Infinite Crisis)

• Tension between superheroes and villains increases. Bludhaven is blown up and Dick returns to Nightwing, but does not return to Blüdhaven.

• (Alfred: 64; Dick: 25; Barbara: 28; Bruce: 41; Tim: 17; Stephanie: 17; Jean Paul: 21; Cassandra: 18)

• (Jason is 19 now, he died when he was fifteen.)

2004-

• Bruce's last paranoid spy turns bad and almost kills everyone, Superboy dies, Dick almost dies and the universe semi-explodes again.

• Bruce decides to take Tim (18) and Dick (26) on a fun trip around the world.

• When Cassandra (19) returns from her spiritual quest, she takes over Gotham in their place.

• Also during the holidays this year, Kate Kane (33), Batwoman, appears for the first time, although she actually has a lot less connection to the main Bat-family than you might expect.

• (Alfred: 65; Dick: 26; Barbara: 29; Bruce: 42; Tim: 18; Stephanie: 18; Cassandra: 19; Jason: 20, Kate: 33)

• (I don't know if Kate's age is stated at any point. And I don't know if the writers know either.)

2005 -

2006-

• (The events of "One Year Later" begin)

• Jim Gordon comes out of retirement to be commissioner again, for reasons that will never be explained.

• (Nightwing #118)

• Dick returns to NYC, where he has an unpleasant - but brotherly - encounter with Jason, who is still an anti-villain.

• (Batman vol 1 #654, 2006)

• Bruce offers to adopt Tim again, and this time Tim accepts and moves into the mansion.

• (Outsiders: Five of a Kind, 2007)

• Dick (28) leaves the Outsiders, and Bruce takes over the new team.

• (Batman and son, Batman #655-658, #663-669, #672- #675, 2006)

• Bruce discovers that he has a biological son with Talia, Damian Al Ghul (10) and takes him in. But Damian wants to be the only Robin so he tries to kill Tim and no one likes that so he apparently dies along with Talia.

• (Batman: The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul)

• Ra's tries to steal the Damian's body to revive him. Things don't work well, he ends up in a different body and Talia and Damian disappear again.

• (Titans vol 2, 2008)

• Dick and company reform the Titans once again.

• (Robin #170-174; Robin/Spoiler Special, 2008.)

• Stephanie makes her return to Gotham.

• Tim is initially thrilled to see her, but this becomes an uncomfortable tension as her fake death takes hold.

• (Batgirl vol 2, 2008-2009; Batman and the Outsiders vol 2 #2)

• Cassandra returns to live in the mansion, Bruce adopts her and his daughter.

• At some point, Damian returns to Gotham and tries to reconnect with his father. He starts to live in the mansion with Bruce, Alfred and Tim.

• (Batman RIP)

• (Batman: The Heart of Hush)

• The Final Crisis happens and Bruce "dies" aka is lost in time.

• Dick returns to Gotham because someone has to keep this city and his family intact. And the Teen Titans split up again.

• (Batman: Battle for the Cowl, 2009)

• Tim convinces Dick to become Batman, with Damian as his new Robin.

• (Red Robin #1-4, 2009)

• Tim doesn't like Damian being Robin, and he also believes Bruce is alive so he becomes Red Robin and goes on his murder mystery tour.

• He also doesn't believe Bruce is dead and searches for him.

• (Batman and Robin vol 1)

• Dick, Damian and Alfred move into Wayne Tower, living in the penthouse and working in the underground bunker below.

• (Batman: Long Shadows, Batman #687-691)

• Dick becomes the new Batman. It doesn't take long for the city's criminals to put him to the test.

• (Batman and Robin, Vol. 2: Batman vs. Robin)

• (Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol. 1: Hush Money)

• Hush tries to pretend to be Bruce Wayne but Dick, Damian and the Outsiders put him under control.

• (Batman: Streets of Gotham – Vol. 2: Leviathan)

• (Batman: Life After Death)

• (Batgirl vol 3)

• On Bruce's posthumous orders, Cassandra gives the mantle of Batgirl to Stephanie. After she leaves the Outsiders and Gotham, she is later revealed to have gone to Hong Kong.

• (Red Robin vol 1 #10-12)

• Dick joins the Justice League as Batman.

• Stephanie returns as Batgirl. Dick tries to bring Jason back and he refuses, preferring to remain an anti-hero.

• Tim returns to Gotham now as Red Robin, now having proof that Bruce is alive, he also becomes president or something of Wayne Enterprises.

• (Alfred: 67; Dick: 28; Barbara: 31, Bruce: 44; Tim: 20; Stephanie: 20; Cassandra: 21; Jason: 22, Kate: 35; Damian: 10)

2007-

• (Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne / Bruce Wayne: Road Home; Batman: The Return)

• Bruce returns to life thanks to his allies and family. Dick returns Batman's mantle to him.

• (Batman and Robin, Vol. 3: Robin Must Die!)

• (Batman & Robin: Dark Knight vs White Knight)

• (Batman: Streets of Gotham Vol. 3: The House of Hush)

• Tommy Elliot cracks under the strain of living as Bruce Wayne and plots his ultimate revenge against Dick Grayson, Selina Kyle and other members of Bruce's friends and allies.

• Cassandra becomes Black Bat in Hong Kong.

• (Batman and Robin vol 1 #23-25)

• Jason (23) escapes from prison, works with Damian (11) and Dick (29) then disappears.

• (At this point Tim and Stephanie should already be in college, right? Let's pretend they are!!)

• (Batman: The Black Mirror)

• Dick, as Batman, has to deal with James Gordon Jr.

• (Batman: Eye of the Beholder)

• (Batman: The Night of the Owls)

• (Batman, Vol. 2: The City of Owls)

• Bruce meets Harper Row (19), who becomes the vigilante Blue Bird. She doesn't have as many appearances as she should and is soon left aside in the comics.

• (Batman and Robin: Born to Kill)

• The killer Nobody goes after Batman and Robin (Bruce and Damian). This is the first time we see Morgan Ducard and Titus, Damian's dog.

• (Batman and Robin: Pearl)

• Damian tries to prove to Bruce that he is worthy of being Robin just like his older brothers.

• (Alfred: 68; Dick: 29; Barbara: 32, Bruce: 45; Tim: 21; Stephanie: 21; Cassandra: 22; Jason: 23, Kate: 36; Damian: 11; Harper: 19)

• (I don't know if Harper's age is stated at any point.)

2008 -

• Jason (24) joins the Outlaws.

• Dick (30) sees that Damian (12) needs to make friends and develop compassion, to curb his harsh ways. He then takes Damian to Titans Tower, where Damian, despite not being a teenager, takes steps to become the leader of the Teen Titans.

• After dealing with his first mission, which at first was a disaster but ultimately went well, Damian leaves the Titans.

• Upon returning to Gotham, Dick notices that his brother has become more patient and less likely to use his weapons.

• Damian infiltrates Gotham Academy, where he meets Maps Mizoguchi (13), a big fan of Batman and Robin, who becomes his friend.

• (Supersons)

• Damian becomes friends with Jon Kent (10).

• (Gotham's Most Wanted; Batman and Robin: Requiem)

• This happens a little differently. Let's not make Talia the worst mother in the world, please, I hate what they did to her in these comics.

• Robin dies and Bruce is expelled from Gotham. One of the differences here is that Azrael is dead (since we ignore the New 52).

• (Robin: Son of Batman 2015—2016)

• Damian meets Maya Ducard (Nobody).

• (Batman: Urban Legends Vol 1 #1)

• Jason Todd (24) is reinstated into the Wayne family.

• (Joker: Endgame)

• The Robin war begins.

• (Batman Vol. 10: Epilogue; Batman #51-52, Batman: Futures End #1, Batman Annual #4)

• Bruce tries to recover from the events of Joker: Endgame. Duke Thomas (17) joins the Bat-Family as the vigilante Signal.

• Gotham and Gotham Girl debut.

• (Let's just ignore most of I am Suicide, I am Bane, I Am Gotham and all that shit. Alfred stays alive after this.)

• (Alfred: 69; Dick: 30; Barbara: 33, Bruce: 46; Tim: 22; Stephanie: 22; Cassandra: 23; Jason: 24, Kate: 37; Damian: 12; Harper: 20; Duke: 17)

2009 -

• (The Next Batman: Second Son)

• Jace Fox becomes Batman.

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According to the comics, Damian is like 14 right now (and we ignore what the comics did to Jon), so Alfred should be 71 (since we pretend he doesn't die), Dick is 32, Barbara 35, Bruce 48, Tim and Stephanie are 24, Jason is 26, Cassandra is 25, Kate is 39, Harper is 22 and Duke is 19.

Bruce has been Batman for 20 years :)

62 notes · View notes