#Bridge October 3rd

[slitherpunk]

games i liked in 2023 (And Other)

I like games ! You know that ?! and I played a lot 2023! and I liked a lot :). They aren't in any specific order, it's just a little highlight of games that stood out to me this year. I've attempted to write a few thoughts on each so I hope take a look. I wrote playtimes for some also but that is very subjective.

-Ones that actually came out 2023-

Lunacid https://store.steampowered.com/app/1745510/Lunacid/ I think I mentioned enjoying this in 2022 but it officially released so I can say it was one of my favorite games in 2023 :3! I like to feel around this game's walls for secrets. I like the npcs that are full of hope and whimsy despite the bleakness of its world. Chill and occasionally spooky first person dungeon crawling around moody caverns and ruins varying from underground forests to vampire castles and blood lake. (Blood lake!!!! Lake of blood!!! Big creature there.) Lots of fun weapons and spells to find, I like the one that lets you turn blood into coffins.

~20 hours

Orbo's Odyssey https://feverdreamjohnny.itch.io/orbos-odyssey If you played the massively popular demo for "Peeb Adventures" by feverdreamjohnny then you know that Johnny makes some fun and funny games and this is certainly one of them. speedy and satisfying platforming! funny dracula moments! short and sweet.

~2 hours

A Walk in the Woods https://mooncaller.itch.io/a-walk-in-the-woods Quaint little GBStudio game :) Made by some friends of mine for a jam :) It's cute I like it. There's minigames where you catch bugs and birdwatch.

~30 minutes long

Undertale Yellow https://gamejolt.com/games/UndertaleYellow/136925 I've only completed the pacifist run and checked out a neutral run so far. as the title somewhat implies, this is a prequel to Undertale where you play as the fallen human who had the yellow colored soul. This Undertale fangame has a lot of charm!!! A lot of battles really feel like they could have been in the original, with quite a bit of extra flair in some circumstances.

~10 hours

vs really cool bird https://bobacupcake.itch.io/vs-really-cool-bird you know that really cool bird that rob bobacupcake made well you can fight it in undertale and it's really fun. yeah two undertale fangames. . . wat of it …

~30 minutes

Misericorde: Volume One https://xeecee.itch.io/misericorde I wont lie the main draw for me into this was cute anime nuns I sure didn't know a whole lot else about it when I dug into it. But it's (the first part of) a VN murder mystery! And I enjoyed it a whole lot. All the characters are memorable and I really enjoy how all of them have differentiating designs. The protagonist is so failgirl. She sucks so much and I love her. I'm very intrigued by the mechanics of the game's world, it clues you in near the beginning to expect something a bit supernatural/fantastical, which gives you (and later the protagonist) a curiosity about what's real and what isn't. The music is all very impressive too, with the ost reaching past 100 tracks varying through post-rock, folk, drum & bass, and others. (Remembering when the track "Scandal" played and my friends and I took a moment to be like- okay hang on this track pwns.) Big fan of its haunting locals and how the aesthetic of the game fits them well. Also the humor is a lot of fun, and I love all the moments getting to know the different characters. Very excited to see the eventual continuation of this.

~12 hours

Absolutely Perfect Specimen https://chambersoft.itch.io/absolutely-perfect-specimen It seems like a lot of people are craving toxic horror yuri lately. Here's a recommendation. It's a VN about the android maid "Pan" and the mad scientist girl who created her. Horrifying & gut wrenching & largely about having other people define you. The art and music is haunting & poignant and matches the ever increasing feeling of dread throughout. It's yuri with the chunks. Peak robotgirl horror for those who can stomach it.

~90 minutes

Wordhopper https://kokoscript.itch.io/wordhopper Very quaint word search type puzzle game for ms dos! I think its style is very slick and that's pretty impressive to see. Chill game with nice vibes and eyecandy visuals. also it was so cool to have played this and then ended up seeing the dev's booth at Vintage Computer Festival Midwest. I was like omg woah I just played this.

~bunny

Bossgame https://lilyv.itch.io/bossgame This game is yuriful as f*ck. Delightful humor and fun character dynamics! A simple-to-understand-difficult-to-master boss rush battle system that makes you satisfied to get it right, and enticing to get just a little farther if you get it wrong. There's a lot of detail and charm to this game's menus and dialogues and win screens, I remember noticing that once you beat a boss there would be some marquee text that would pass by with some prose on it. I love how it balances its silly moments with its heartfelt moments and its high octane moments. I like the character development and revelations had throughout the plot. & I like how good the protagonists are for each other :) It's very sweet. It's hype as hell. if you want some boss rush action paired well with that sweet sweet girl's love, you *will* play this game.

~5 hours

Elly's Adventure https://bikwins.itch.io/ellys-adventure Very cute and witchy!! You are the little witch girl "Elly" on an adventure to get your toys back!! Feels like a pretty authentic gameboy type experience, it takes a lot of design cues from Kirby's adventure and the like. I am a big fan of how playful it feels.

~1 hour

Nour https://store.steampowered.com/app/1141050/Nour_Play_with_Your_Food/ This was a treat for me, but I understand that not everybody is going to get it. It's a game where you play with food(and food accessories). And that's it. It knows what it was going for. I think a lot of people were expecting something else for some reason. It's a cute little toy game and I felt satisfied with my time with it.

~food

Hi-Fi Rush https://store.steampowered.com/app/1817230/HiFi_RUSH/ Do I have to say this game is super fun? It's a big one everybody probably already knows it. This game's dopey humor made me laugh a lot and I'm not afraid to admit it.

~12 hours

WHISKEY.ST2007S https://bonicle.itch.io/whiskey-st2007nes One of the last games I played in the year because it released super last minute. Does anybody else get a rush when running a shopping cart down the parking lot? This emulates that feeling. Short game where you collect whisky stones in the whisky stone dimension because you forgot to go christmas shopping until the very last minute. it rules. It's very short you can go play it right now & get a highscore.

~5 minutes

re:curse https://devpalmer.itch.io/re-curse Discovered this one near the very end of the year also. Fun little rpg maker horror/humor game about a weird scientist lady, her butch, and an evil clown computer virus that figured out how to warp reality. I got a kick out of it. and also enjoyed digging through the game's files, which was actively encouraged by the dev, which I thought was very fun.

~90 minutes

-Didn't technically get to until 2024 but released last year-

SWOLLEN TO BURSTING UNTIL I AM DISAPPEARING ON PURPOSE https://1207.itch.io/swollen-to-bursting-until-i-am-disappearing-on-purpose People love to dunk on a lot of indie rpgs for being "quirky Earthbound inspired and about depression" or whatever. Earthbound's great. If people can nail the kind of humor and absurdity it likes to pull off while also balancing difficult topics I think that deserves a high mark. SWOLLEN TO BURSTING was fun. Bizarre and charming places to explore & distressing secrets to find. I like how it blends meander-around-the-town gameplay with Yume Nikki sort of exploration and effects. Also I'm a big fan of the music. I like how it has the lofi sound which matches the early 3d look of the game.

~6 hours

HalOPE https://starbage.itch.io/halope Another for the fans of sweet little rpg maker games that have a lot of heart. HalOPE is about an incomplete little angel wondering through worlds. Each has a theme, usually to do with an emotion or feeling, and they do well at evoking that feeling as well as its antithesis. a lot of the music is very homey and charming at moments and unnerving at others, sometimes lonely, all doing well in their corresponding chapters to further the feeling of its specified theme. There are so many delightful characters and designs in this & I found myself feeling really attached to their tiny little stories. The narrative at the core of it all hit me. If I may be vulnerable, I cried a whole lot at various moments in this game. It was really cathartic. I feel very excited for people to experience this game.

~5 hours

-Favs I finally got around to that didn't come out 2023-

An Outcry https://quinnk.itch.io/an-outcry Kind of sad it took me so long to get to this one, but glad it meant I got to play the "definitive" updated version of it. Apartment wandering RPG maker horror. Bum smokes from your neighbors and use them to save the game. I wish I could unwrap a lot more of what I like about this game than I can without spoiling too much. But if I could, I'd probably go on for too long. Let me attempt to be succinct & not giving too much away. You can tell pretty early on that An Outcry is about taking action when necessary & not turning a blind eye. What it explores about player vs protagonist agency is very fascinating to me as well, and I enjoyed learning about the inspirations for why the game's narrative works the way it does. The character Anne is such a sweetie and I love her a whole lot. This game has a very tangible feeling, this apartment complex is dirty and crumby, it smells of smoke, and there's a surrounding desperation you can feel.

~5 hours

Pigments https://punkcake.itch.io/pigments Honestly I had gotten this game in a bundle and while I was playing it I hadn't looked at the name and I just kept calling it FRUIT. On call with my friends I'd be like "hey im gonna play more FRUIT". I straight up didn't read the title screen. But it's called Pigments. You play as a fruit and you try to paint the whole floor and not get sliced by buzzsaws. Fun little arcade type game.

~fruit

Bridge, October 3rd https://lowpolis.itch.io/bridge-october-3rd Very short vignette. I like it. It's what it says it is. I'm not going to overexplain.

~like a minute

-Other Games I Want To Mention-

Pseudoregalia https://store.steampowered.com/app/2365810/Pseudoregalia/ I think a lot of people might have already known this one but I felt like it was a pretty fun 3d platformer. There were a few issues I had with it (boss fight at the beginning was frustrating, and I got lost a lot [but it looks like there's been a map patch by now, so, perhaps for some that is a fix]). I enjoyed it but sure felt weird that the only accessibility option was to give the protagonist pants. What kind of joke is that?

~5 hours

Mushroom Musume https://mortallymoonstruckgames.itch.io/mushroom-musume (Disclaimer, this game is still early access, but I saw a lot of people talking about it last year. SO I will mention here?) Haven't played much of this yet, but I have enjoyed what I played so far!! As of writing I've gone through 6 playthroughs, I feel like I've hardly scratched the surface and I've been so impressed by its depth. It's very charming, you never know what sorts of fairytale shenanigans are going to happen, and it's very cool to see how your different stats will affect things. It very much plays out like a roguelike vn. Which is not the sort of thing you may expect to make much sense but it pulls this off well. Also all the mushroom girls are very cute and I love them very much. I hope the sad goopy one who had bugs in her skin rests in peace.

~mushroom

Knuckle Sandwich https://andybrophy.itch.io/knuckle-sandwich -_- Hm. Where do I start with this one. I was pretty excited for this one since the demo and kickstarter in 2018. I felt like the demo was a hell of a hook that got me curious & horrified. As time went on, it seemed to be shaping up into something really cool. turn based combat with action commands and wario-ware-type microgames?? with a banging soundtrack?? like, count me in!! Then it released and well, the gameplay, art, music all delivered. It was very fun and engaging in those aspects. But the story… oh it just devolves into disappointing nonsensical randomness. The whole hook at the beginning seemed to be completely thrown away for the wild goose chase plot that ensues, leaving you to wonder if it was ever going to be relevant again. It felt like it had no idea what it was trying to say or do. It disappointed me that a game that has so much good in so much else about it gets brought down so much for me by this plot.

~12 hours

Rhythm Doctor https://store.steampowered.com/app/774181/Rhythm_Doctor/ (Putting this one in mentions because it is early access.) I really enjoyed the act 5 release. When I first saw this game, I kind of shrugged it off, thinking "that base mechanic doesn't seem like it will last". I thought it was basically just that one ghost shooting game from Rhythm Heaven which I Hate. Well let's just say I am now seeking penitence for my previous transgressions. It's really fun. There's a lot more to it that I didn't know when I first took a look. Also, consistently amazed by people's custom levels, I had no idea that its level editor allows people to do so much in it, I look at some levels and think "This editor seems as complex as an industry standard video editor". I'm looking forward to what they're planning next, very curious how they could possibly one-up the last update.

~rhythm

El Paso Elsewhere https://strangescaffold.itch.io/el-paso-elsewhere This was really fun & funny so far but unfortunately I had been encountering an issue with a certain level where the game would crash. I reported the issue, got a response, and there has been an update since then so I think there's a possibility that it got fixed but I have not tried yet. I would like to return to this sometime but having to relearn controls midway through is always daunting to me.

~?

-Things that looked good but didn't get around to-

Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340480/The_Cosmic_Wheel_Sisterhood/ Still don't know a whole lot about this. But there are witches, and I like witches.

Casette Beasts https://store.steampowered.com/app/1321440/Cassette_Beasts/ I haven't felt thrilled about Pokémon lately. I know a lot of people seemed to really enjoy this little monster-collecting-rpg. The style is appealing to me as a die-hard gen 5 fan. I started playing it but haven't set aside the dedicated time for it yet, but I'm excited to dig in more when I do.

Little Goody Two Shoes https://store.steampowered.com/app/1812370/Little_Goody_Two_Shoes/ Started watching a friend play this, and I'm certainly curious.. Some sort of horror fairytale but also there's yuri? Yum. Enjoyed the style and animation in the nightmare segments that I saw.

Venba https://store.steampowered.com/app/1491670/Venba/ I've picked this up a while ago but still haven't gotten around to it, but I'm eager to, I've heard nothing but good things.

Goodbye Volcano High https://store.steampowered.com/app/1310330/Goodbye_Volcano_High/ I think there are gay dinosaurs in a band and it's going to be the apocalypse? I have also heard nothing but good things about this.

-Things I watched friends play-

Signalis https://store.steampowered.com/app/1262350/SIGNALIS/ This was a pretty big one. You probably already know it, right? Watched a friend play this and I missed various parts but I understood a solid bit of it. hey. robotgirls are always getting put in these fucked up situations. have you noticed this? one time i got really high and cried about it. it isn't fair

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk https://store.steampowered.com/app/1353230/Bomb_Rush_Cyberfunk/ This one was also probably big enough you don't need me to sing its praises. but it looked really neat. swag.

-Various Thoughts-

Lately I've been thinking more about design and narrative. I feel like I haven't been doing as much analysis as I should be when it comes to games. I want to dissect more what games are saying and figure out meaning. Also attempt to see how the mechanics aid in that. I feel like most of my own work is pretty abstract & random. I simply make what I like. While that's fun and all, I still want to improve in a lot of ways, especially in having more of a theme or message. Figuring out how other games accomplish this is obviously a good step toward this.

If you saw games here that interest you I highly urge you to take a look, many are pretty short, and I pretty explicitly wanted to highlight some smaller titles. If you know me you know I like to uplift small games. (Save for the occasional big game, but that's rare these days) I think it's healthy for you to play and support independently developed & published works. I don't want to ramble too much this time about why that's important, but I hope that you might have found something you may enjoy here and if not then I encourage you to find small stuff that you would like. And I would like to encourage everybody to share their findings as well! Little games need our help to be seen and talked about! They don't have the budgets the big ones do for advertising, and advertising on your own is a whole ton of work. If you like something, spread the word! I'm sure the developers would very much appreciate that.

[kyreniacommentator]

ISLANDSBC QUARTERLY BRIDGE NEWSLETTER – OCT 24

ISLANDSBC QUARTERLY BRIDGE NEWSLETTER – OCT 24 Readers mail….. From ISLANDSBC Bridge Club…. This quarter we cover the activities of the Islandsbc online club, details of the next Swiss Teams Tournament in 2025, our continuing support for the ATA (Anglo Turkish Association) games workshops and a focus on one of our longstanding players who has been associated with Cyprus for many years writes…

[milaswriting]

Update. — 3rd October 2024

Well, helloo. If you're following me and reading this then...you must really hate me for my lack of activity on this blog. I apologise for that. Doing a masters degree really kicks my ass, and leaves me with no time to write. But Golden has never been dead or abandoned, it's very much always at the forefront of my mind.

And, for that pure reason, I know it's a story I haven't been 1,000% happy with so the story is going through some major changes. Probably, the first is that it's being rewritten. A (somewhat) new plot written with whole new software—we're making the move to Twine.

My reasoning; I've spent over a year learning the coding which makes me want to rip my hair out. I get to have a lot more ownership over my work, the customisation options are stellar, and you guys will get to read it for free.

The reasons for rewriting has been because I want to fix the cringey writing from when the story's first demo was released. It's mostly from the earlier chapters, but then the thought of plot changes came to me and I wanted to implement those. Realistically, the majority of what's being rewritten is what I had planned for book two—so I'm just bringing that forward. I'll update the synopsis closer to the release of this rewrite.

The changes (which can be subject to change): I'm getting rid of the university idea (though you can still choose careers that are related to those degrees from the options that'll be given) (e.g., if you liked the nursing student option, then your MC can work as a nurse). I'm thinking that the MC will already know about the supernatural world to some extent—there'll still be a lot of suspense and mystery and things to unravel, that was always going to remain. And, in this rewrite, my thought is that the MC and the gang will be working at a multi-agency organisation — called The Everbrook — where the aim is to bridge the gap between humans and supernaturals. To make the world run smoothly, so to speak.

The ROs are the exact same! No changes to that—the only change is that them and the mc will somewhat know of each other already. The genre is the same. MC is still as they are, a Lehsian socialite with a pretty (yet peculiar) birthmark. The parents will have much, much less of a role, but they'll still be mentioned here and there.

This seems like a load of word vomit, but I feel like these changes will improve the story. I'm hoping that it'll make MC less of a spare part in the story, allowing them to have more autonomy in the supernatural universe, especially with their enhanced skillset.

I've done the customisation in terms of the UI layout for Twine already, and it should be mobile friendly too. With that done, I've started writing and I'm a few thousand words in. A lot of what I've written in the ChoiceScript version can still be used, but also getting back into writing a story from scratch is something I'm looking forward to.

I feel like this is a bittersweet thing because yay to a new and better story, but also the time it's going to take to get it out. I'll debate whether to release the whole ten chapters, or do a few chapters at a time, like splitting it up into chunks (releasing three chapters now, and three chapters later on).

Another reason as to why I've taken so long to mention this, other than learning code and the rewrite, is just the whole process of this being a little nerve-wracking. The whole thought of a rewrite of something I've put so much effort into is scary, but it'll be worth it.

I'll accept any questions you've got, and I'll create an FAQ regarding all of this too. But, most importantly, you're in the loop of how this is progressing. I really appreciate everyone's kind words about this story: loving the ros, re-reading it, still sticking by my writing—it means a lot. So, thank you and I hope the future of this story is what you want and more.

PLANS.

Finish introductory scenes.

Finish chapter one.

WORD COUNT.

2.2k (rewrite)

[inprogresspokemon]

👋hi there!

I’ve been a (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generations) Pokémon fan a while back, and I must say I like how you did these “middle of evolutions” designing, how do you make them look so realistic?😃

Hey there, thanks so much! The real answer is practice; I started this blog in October of 2014 to give myself a reason to practice my digitial art. Although I hope to continue improving, drawing so much over the years has really helped to improve my style and techincal skills:

To try to bridge the gaps between Pokemon stages as accurately as possible, I reference and compare each stage closely to try to achieve a smooth transition between evolutions, paying close attention to line placement.

As for the techincal side of things, I use Paint Tool SAI as my drawing program. Here are my settings and here is my basic process (my sketches end up pretty neat, but I do a SAI pen lineart layer anyway to make the lines cleaner and make coloring easier).

Also, I must include an obligatory statement to clarify what In-Progress Pokemon are, since they're not intended as middle evolutions and I get a lot confusion around it:

In-Progress Pokemon is my name for the concept of exploring how Pokemon might look if they physically transitioned from one evolutionary stage to another. Basically: if Pokemon grew rather than evolved. The “transitional stages” that I illustrate aren’t meant to be taken as actual additional evolutionary stages; rather, as a snap-shot in time while the Pokemon is growing or transitioning between each evolutionary stage. The flavor text/descriptions help to bridge the evolutionary gaps as well.

[liliesmultiverse]

⋆ˊˎ-•̩̩͙- *̩̩̥͙ YOU’VE GOT SUCH A PRETTY FACE, BUT SUCH A DIRTY MOUTH... girl-who-lived reality intro!!

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° aurora iris evans-rosier [born sept. 10, 1986] is the girl-who-survived. i was born in cardiff, wales to lillian jessamine evans-meadowes & pandora syrena evans-rosier as the oldest of 2 children. i’m the goddaughter of my uncle evan & marlene thaleia mckinnon. i am the reincarnation of my aunt, liliana amour rosier (aka myself). on october 31, 1988 my family was attacked by voldemort who wanted to kill me because of the prophecy. my mothers & sister were spared and when voldemort used avada kedavra to kill me, the spell ricocheted back onto him and killed him. like harry, the spell resulted in me getting a lightning bolt scar that resembles actual lightning and goes down from the top right of my forehead to just under my right eye. anyways, i grew up with my mothers & sister luna in cardiff and it’s now my first year at hogwarts but i’ll be sorted into slytherin instead of gryffindor.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° my family

༉‧₊˚. lillian jessamine "lily" evans-rosier [born jan. 30, 1960] is the over-protective mama bear. she was born in cardiff, wales to william parker evans & iris camellia evans née laurel as the youngest of 2 daughters. she has long curly fiery red hair, light green eyes, freckles all over her face & body and is plus-sized. when she was 7 years old, she & her family moved to cokeworth after her father was offered a better job. she met severus snape who told her about the wizarding world after seeing her perform magic. when she started hogwarts, she almost became a hat-stall as the hat decided between ravenclaw & gryffindor. she started dating my ma in her 5th year and the two got married shortly after my birth. she was the one to carry and give birth to me & i was conceived with the help of my uncle evan, who’d happily agreed to be a sperm donor for my moms.

༉‧₊˚. pandora syrena evans-rosier [born jul. 9, 1961] is the eccentric & calming mother. she was born in montpellier, france to sylvestre henri rosier & amélie gisèle rosier née dupont as the 3rd of 4 children with her twin brother, evan. she has long wavy platinum blonde hair, light blue eyes, soft regal features, a warm smile & very light freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. unlike the rest of her family, she was sorted into ravenclaw. at just 5 years old, she befriended regulus arcturus black ii almost immediately and practically adopted him as her own brother. it's extremely rare to see her angry but when it does happen, she prefers to use hexes she came up with all on her own. she fell in love with my mama the moment she first met her in her 2nd year. she was the one to carry and give birth to luna with xenophilius lovegood as the sperm donor.

༉‧₊˚. luna calytrix evans-rosier [born feb. 13, 1988] is the whimsical little sister. she was born in cardiff, wales to lillian jessamine evans-rosier & pandora syrena evans-rosier as the youngest of 2 children. she is french-chinese with long wavy platinum blonde hair & light blue eyes. we are very close and i’m very protective of her. she inherited our ma’s seer abilities. she’s the goddaughter of regulus arcturus black ii & dorcas rosalia meadowes.

༉‧₊˚. liliana amour rosier [born sept. 10, 1959] is the deceased aunt. she was born in montpellier, france to sylvestre henri rosier & amélie gisèle rosier née dupont as the oldest of 4 children. according to both of my mothers, i look exactly like my aunt liliana did except for the lightning scar. she was killed by death eaters in april 1986 with the sectumsempra curse during a mission.

༉‧₊˚. evan sylvestre rosier [born jul. 9, 1961] is the laid back uncle. he was born in montpellier, france to sylvestre henri rosier & amélie gisèle rosier née dupont as the 2nd of 4 children with his twin sister, pandora. he has wavy platinum blonde hair, light blue eyes, soft regal features & very light freckles across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. growing up he was extremely close with regulus arcturus black ii and the two, alongside pandora, were inseparable. he's very protective of his siblings & nieces and isn't afraid to hex anyone who insults them. he isn't a blood supremacist but would happily use any of the extremely dark curses found in the rosier manor library.

༉‧₊˚. felix alain rosier [born dec. 19, 1968] is the dragon enthusiast uncle. he was born in montpellier, france to sylvestre henri rosier & amélie gisèle rosier née dupont as the youngest of 4 children. he has wavy golden blonde hair, green eyes & light freckles across the bridge of his nose and cheeks. he was the result of an accidental pregnancy. growing up, he's always admired all 3 of his siblings and looked up to them, especially evan. he currently works at the same romania dragon sanctuary that charlie weasley does & the two are best friends.

༉‧₊˚. petunia azalea evans [born dec. 26, 1957] is the distant aunt. she was born in cardiff, wales to william parker evans & iris camellia evans née laurel as the oldest of 2 daughters. she has long wavy strawberry blonde hair, light blue eyes and freckles all over her face & body. when she was 9 years old, she & her family moved to cokeworth after her father was offered a better job. when mama first started showing signs of magic, petunia started to become jealous as their parents showed mama more attention. growing up, she became butter & jealous and her relationship with my mama soured tremendously. when mama started hogwarts, petunia never sent any letters and would ignore all the ones that she received. after she heard that mama could’ve died though, she reached out to make sure her little sister was okay. while their relationship is still distant, the two call every now & then and she even visits us with dudley once a month. she doesn’t hate magic as much and has slowly warmed up to the idea of it. she divorced vernon when i was 7 years old and managed to get full custody of dudley.

༉‧₊˚. dudley dursley [born jun. 23, 1987] is the curious cousin. he was born in surrey, england to vernon dursley & petunia azalea evans. he has watery blue eyes, thick wavy strawberry blonde hair, light freckles all over his face & is plus-sized. he’s much different than in canon and doesn’t hate magic. we get along pretty well and he loves visiting us every month. he adores luna and is protective of her. he’s ever so slowly been convincing petunia to move to cardiff so that he can just visit whenever he wants to.

┊ ➶ ｡˚ ° james fleamont potter [born mar. 27, 1960] is the lord to the most ancient & most noble house of potter. he was born in liverpool, england as the only child to fleamont harrison potter & euphemia ximena potter née aguilar-ramírez. he is the nephew of charlus henry potter & dorea alhena potter née black. he & my aunt liliana started dating in their 6th year and were supposed to get married in december 1986 but she was killed before that could happen. after her death, he left england and started traveling the world up until 2003 when he came back & took the job of tranfiguration professor at hogwarts. even after he returned to england he still kept his distance from my family.

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Sacrifices/ BTR Book 2: a Jhea Fanfic.

Chapter 15: Siri… play Metalingus by Alter Bridge

Flashback February 3rd, 2025

The florescent lights buzzed overhead as Detective Samuel Hart stepped into the Pensacola Police Department. His leather shoes clicked against the tiled floor, and a folder rested under his arm. The officers at the front desk barely glanced up; they’d been expecting him.

“Detective Hart from Stamford,” he introduced himself, flashing his badge.

“Right this way,” an officer said, leading him down a sterile hallway to the interrogation room.

Inside, Matthew Addams sat handcuffed to a steel table, his head slightly tilted back, a smug grin plastered on his face. The years of manipulation and violence seemed etched into his features, yet he looked oddly composed. Hart stepped in, placing the folder on the table with a heavy thud.

“Mr. Addams,” Hart said coolly, taking a seat across from him. “Long trip for me, so let’s skip the pleasantries.”

He pulled three photos from the folder and spread them across the table: one of Damian Priest, his face bruised and battered, posing for injury documentation; another of Jon and Trinity’s cars, nothing but charred metal husks; and the last, a grainy CCTV image of a figure in a police uniform outside the gas station where Liv and Dom had sought out help.

Matthew’s smirk widened as his eyes scanned the photos. “Nice collage. What’s the occasion?”

Hart leaned forward, tapping on the image of the unidentified man. “Three incidents. All in a 24-hour window. We know you didn’t act alone. So, who’s this? He’s not one of ours, and I’m guessing he’s not just playing dress-up.”

Matthew chuckled, his shoulders shaking slightly. “Detective, you do realize I’m already facing trial for attempted murder for my wife’s friend, right? Why would I help you now?”

Hart didn’t flinch. “Because you’re not as untouchable as you think. And let’s get one thing clear—your ex-wife is no longer ‘Mrs. Addams.’ She’s well on her way to becoming Mrs. Fatu.”

At the mention of Rhea’s impending new life, Matthew’s smirk faltered. In a flash, he lunged forward, only to be yanked back by the restraints. The chains rattled as Hart remained unfazed, a slight smirk of his own forming.

“That hit a nerve?” Hart taunted. “You must hate that she’s moving on while you rot in here.”

Matthew leaned back, regaining his composure. “You think I’m stupid?” he said, his voice low and taunting. “I’m not giving you anything, Hart. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Hart tapped on the table, his gaze sharp. “You’ve got partners, Matt. You talk, and we work out a deal. Keep quiet, and you’ll take the fall alone.”

Matthew leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You don’t get it, do you? They’re always watching.”

Hart’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s ‘they,’ Matt?”

Matthew chuckled darkly. “Ask Demi.”

Hart froze, his expression momentarily cracking. “What does Demi have to do with this?”

Matthew smiled, his voice dripping with malice. “She’s a murderer you know..”

Hart’s fist clenched, but he forced himself to remain calm. “You’re bluffing.”

Matthew shook his head, the smile never leaving his face. “You’re out of your depth, detective. Demi’s past is far more interesting than you realize.”

—

October 13th, 2017 - Flashback

Liv practically bounced down the hall, her excitement contagious and inviting. She’d been looking forward to this night for weeks, and her energy was infectious. Reaching a familiar door, she gave it a rapid knock.

The door swung open, revealing Tegan Nox. She smiled but shook her head. “The birthday girl can’t decide what to wear,” she said, exasperated.

Liv sighed dramatically, stepping inside. “Rhea, come on! We don’t have all night!”

Rhea stood in the middle of the room, her hair freshly styled, staring at the two outfits laid out on the bed. One was a sleek black mini-dress with leather accents, the other a more casual but equally bold crop top and ripped jeans combo.

“I don’t know!” Rhea groaned, crossing her arms. “Do I go full badass or chill but hot?”

Liv exchanged a look with Tegan, then marched over. “Rhea, it’s your 21st birthday. We’re going out to drink, dance, and make bad decisions. You wear the dress.”

Rhea frowned, picking up the mini-dress. “You think?”

Tegan chimed in, “Absolutely. You’ll turn heads the second you walk in.”

Liv grinned. “And if you don’t like it, I’ll buy the first round to make up for it.”

Rhea laughed, her tension easing. “Alright, alright. Let’s do this.”

She grabbed the dress and headed to the bathroom to change. Liv plopped onto the bed, grabbing her phone to snap a quick selfie. “Tonight’s gonna be legendary,” she said, her voice giddy with anticipation.

Tegan smiled, leaning against the dresser. “You think she’s ready for the chaos we’re about to unleash?”

Liv smirked. “Rhea was born for chaos. Let’s just make sure we survive it.”

Minutes later, Rhea emerged, rocking the mini-dress with confidence. Liv let out a low whistle. “Damn, girl! You’re gonna own the night.”

Rhea laughed, grabbing her jacket. “Let’s make it a night to remember.”

Tegan grabbed her purse, and the trio headed out, ready to take on whatever the night had in store.

—

Rhea sat down at the bar, her eyes scanning the crowded club as the thumping bass of the music vibrated through the room. She spotted Liv and Tegan already hammered, laughing hysterically as they clumsily danced with each other in the center of the floor.

She sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips, when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Can I make something for the birthday girl?”

Rhea turned her head and was met with the sight of a handsome man, probably in his mid-20s, leaning slightly over the bar. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his warm brown eyes locked onto hers with an easy confidence.

Rhea smirked. “Make me something nice.”

The bartender chuckled and got to work, expertly mixing a series of colorful liquids. A minute later, he placed a perfectly crafted Bahama Mama in front of her.

Rhea reached for her wallet, but before she could pull out her debit card, he gently placed a hand over hers.

“No charge for the birthday girl,” he said with a charming smile.

Rhea felt a small blush rise to her cheeks. “What’s your name, sweet cheeks?”

The bartender chuckled, a light blush coloring his own face. “Demetri,” he replied, leaning slightly on the bar.

Rhea raised her eyebrow, smirking. “Demetri, huh? Well, Demetri, you just made my night a whole lot better.”

She took a sip of the drink, the sweet and tangy flavors mixing perfectly on her tongue.

Demetri tilted his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “So, birthday girl, how’s your night going so far?”

Rhea gestured toward Liv and Tegan, who were now attempting some ridiculous dance moves that drew laughter from the surrounding crowd. “It’s been… interesting. My friends are a disaster, but hey, it’s their job to embarrass me tonight.”

Demetri chuckled, his eyes sparkling. “Looks like they’re having a blast. What about you? You don’t seem like the type to let loose on the dance floor.”

Rhea shrugged, swirling her drink. “Depends on the mood and the company.” She shot him a playful look. “You offering to change that?”

Demetri grinned, leaning in just slightly. “Maybe. But only if the birthday girl can keep up.”

Rhea laughed, feeling the tension of the night slowly melt away. “Oh, I think I can handle you, Demetri.”

—

Rhea stood under the dim glow of the streetlights, the cool night air brushing against her skin as she watched the taxi carrying Liv and Tegan disappear down the street. Liv leaned out of the window, her voice carrying over the city’s hum.

“Let us know how fire his dick is!” Liv slurred with a mischievous laugh.

Rhea felt her cheeks flush, her thoughts interrupted by the warmth of a hand gently placed on her lower back. She gasped softly, spinning around to see Demetri standing behind her with a smirk.

“So,” he began, his voice low and smooth, “is the birthday girl up for heading to my place?”

Rhea hesitated for only a second before nodding. “I’m down,” she said, her voice filled with a mixture of excitement and nerves.

Demetri’s smile widened, but then he added, “I’ve gotta make a run first, though. You cool with that?”

Rhea blinked, tilting her head. “What’s a run?”

Demetri chuckled, his demeanor shifting slightly. “Rhea… maybe you should just head home, baby.”

“What?” Rhea asked, frowning in confusion. “I don’t know what a run is, but—”

“You’re too green, babygirl,” Demetri said, his tone soft but firm, like he was letting her in on some unspoken truth.

Rhea’s frustration bubbled up. “Come on! You’re really gonna leave me to spend my birthday alone?”

Demetri’s eyes softened, but he kept his distance. “It’s not like that, Rhea. You seem like a good girl, and I don’t want you getting mixed up in things you don’t understand.”

Rhea folded her arms defiantly. “I’m not a kid, Demetri. Whatever it is, I can handle it.”

Demetri sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not about age, Rhea. It’s about the life. You don’t want this kind of trouble, trust me.”

Rhea felt a pang of disappointment, but she refused to back down. “Maybe I don’t care about the trouble. Maybe I just want to have fun tonight.”

Demetri studied her for a long moment, his gaze searching hers. Finally, he shook his head with a small smile. “You’re stubborn, huh?”

Rhea smirked. “You have no idea.”

Demetri laughed quietly, his hand lingering at her side. “Alright, fine. Let’s go. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

—-

October 28th, 2018

Hunter sat behind his desk, his expression grim as Rhea walked into his office. She moved slowly, her shoulders hunched, and quietly took a seat across from him. The air was heavy with unspoken tension.

Hunter cleared his throat. “Rhea… I need you to explain what this is.” He slid a photograph across the desk toward her.

Rhea’s stomach dropped as her eyes fell on the image: her mugshot, unbelievable and undeniable. She exhaled slowly, trying to keep her composure.

“My NXT UK Women’s Champion doesn’t get arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute,” Hunter continued, his tone laced with disappointment. “So, what’s going on?”

Rhea hesitated, her fingers trembling slightly as she pushed the photo away. “It’s not what it looks like,” she muttered.

Hunter stood from his chair and rounded the desk, stopping directly in front of her. His sharp eyes searched her face. “Take off your jacket,” he ordered quietly.

Rhea’s head snapped up, her eyes wide. “No,” she said quickly.

“Demi,” Hunter said, using her real name. His voice softened, but there was still authority in his tone. “Take off your jacket. Please.”

Rhea’s hands hesitated at the zipper, but she knew there was no getting out of this. Slowly, she peeled the jacket off her shoulders, revealing the deep bruise on her neck, faintly covered with concealer. Hunter’s jaw tightened as he took in the sight.

“Who did this?” he asked, his voice low, almost a growl. “And don’t tell me it was Liv, Tegan, or Dakota. I’m not buying it.”

Rhea’s eyes dropped to the floor, her lips pressing into a thin line. She didn’t say a word.

Hunter let out a frustrated sigh, stepping back to give her space. “Do you want me to fire you?” he asked pointedly.

Rhea’s head shot up, panic flashing across her face. “No,” she said firmly.

“Then let me help you,” Hunter said, his tone softer but still serious. “Whatever you’re caught up in, it’s not worth your career. It’s not worth you.”

Rhea blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. “It’s complicated,” she whispered.

“I’m sure it is,” Hunter replied. “But you don’t have to face it alone. We can fix this, Rhea. But you’ve got to trust me.”

Rhea let a tear slide down her cheek, her voice breaking. “I deserve this,” she whispered.

Hunter felt a pang in his chest. Seeing Rhea—his fierce, unstoppable NXT UK Women’s Champion—reduced to this, broken and vulnerable, was jarring. It wasn’t like her to be anything but strong.

“Is it that boyfriend of yours?” Hunter asked cautiously.

Rhea nodded silently, her shoulders trembling. Through her tears, she managed, “I made a stupid comment about his brother… and I got corrected.”

Hunter’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He stepped closer, pulling her into a firm but gentle embrace. Rhea sank into the comfort, her sobs muffled against his shoulder. After a moment, he pulled back, his hands resting on her shoulders.

“Listen to me,” Hunter said, his tone firm but filled with care. “I can move you safely. You’ve got so much momentum right now—I could recommend you for the main roster.”

Rhea shook her head, her eyes filled with desperation. “I can’t.”

“Why?” Hunter asked, his voice tinged with frustration. “You don’t have to stay in this.”

Rhea’s voice was broken. “Because I love him so much.”

Hunter’s heart sank. She was defending him—the man who’d bruised her, who’d broken her spirit. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his own emotions in check. “Rhea,” he said carefully, “love shouldn’t hurt like this… let me call the proper authorities.”

“Don’t..” Rhea whispered, tears streaming down her face. “I know he’ll change. I just need to handle it.”

Hunter felt his resolve weakening as she pleaded with him. “Rhea,” he said gently but firmly, “I can’t ignore this. You’re asking me not to call the police, but I don’t want to get a call someday saying you’re—”

“Don’t say it,” Rhea cut him off, her voice trembling. “Please, Hunter. Let me handle it.”

Hunter stared at her, his heart breaking further. He wanted to shake her, to make her see the danger she was in. But he also knew pushing too hard might drive her further away. He sighed deeply. “Rhea… I can’t have you looking like this. Not on my roster.”

“I’ll fix it,” Rhea promised, her voice desperate. “I’ll cover it better, I’ll—”

“That’s not what I mean,” Hunter interrupted, his voice stern. “I want you safe. That’s all I care about.”

Rhea nodded, but her eyes didn’t meet his. Hunter could see the battle waging inside her, and he hated that she felt trapped.

A/N I know it’s short but I have some things I have to catch up on before I write a full chapter. 👌👌

[erikahenningsen]

you set my world on fire

Fandom: Mean Girls

Pairing: Cady/Regina

Rating: Mature

Words: 13,000

Summary: Finally, the passenger-side door opens, and out steps the single most beautiful girl Cady has ever seen in her life.

The girl—Regina—has blond hair that looks perfectly styled in beachy waves despite the minimum-twenty-hour journey she’s taken to get here from Chicago. She’s wearing a fitted pink top that ends a couple inches above the waistband of her loose white pants, and there’s a pair of sunglasses resting low on the bridge of her nose.

And she looks utterly unimpressed.

or

Regina spends a summer in Kenya.

A/N: Happy October 3rd! This is for @forever-will-last and also the anon who sent this AU idea to me a few weeks ago. Please see content warnings in the author's note.

Read on AO3

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

In honour of Le Mans today, here's a little soundtrack for you. This is motorsport number twos, the edition for all the drivers. Enjoy 😊

Sebastien Loeb (26th February 1974) - Alvin Stardust - Jealous Mind

Tony Kanaan (31st December 1974) - Wombles - Wombling Merry Christmas

Juan Pablo Montoya (20th September 1975) - Leo Sayer - Moonlighting

Mark Webber (27th August 1976) - Wings - Let 'Em In

Kimi Raikkonen (17th October 1979) - The Police - Message In A Bottle

Jenson Button (19th January 1980) - Billy Preston & Syreeta - With You I'm Born Again

Felipe Massa (25th April 1981) - Ennio Morricone - Chi Mai

Heikki Kovalainen (19th October 1981) - Laurie Anderson - O Superman

Andre Lotteter (19th November 1981) - The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Pippa Mann (11th August 1983) - Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)

Simon Pagenaud (18th May 1984) - The Pointer Sisters - Automatic

Robert Kubica (7th December 1984) - Jim Diamond - I Should Have Known Better

Nico Rosberg (27th June 1985) - Madonna - Crazy For You

Jerome D'Ambrosio (27th December 1985) - Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You

Rahel Frey (23rd February 1986) - Diana Ross - Chain Reaction

Kamui Kobayashi (13th September 1986) - Boris Gardiner - I Want To Wake Up With You

Rene Rast (26th October 1986) - Status Quo - In The Army Now

James Hinchcliffe (5th December 1986) - Berlin - Take My Breath Away

Oliver Turvey (1st April 1987) - Mel and Kim - Respectable

Sebastian Vettel (3rd July 1987) - The Firm - Star Trekkin'

Alexander Sims (15th March 1988) - Rick Astley - Together Forever

Molly Taylor (6th May 1988) - Fairground Attraction - Perfect

Simona De Silvestro (1st September 1988) - Brother Beyond - The Harder I Try

Sarah Bovy (15th May 1989) - Kylie Minogue - Hand On Your Heart

James Calado (13th June 1989) - Cliff Richard - The Best Of Me

Brendon Hartley (10th November 1989) - Milli Vanilli - Girl I'm Gonna Miss You

Earl Bamber (9th July 1990) - Luciano Pavarotti - Nessun Dorma

Cristina Gutierrez (24th July 1991) - Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We've Found Love

Abbie Eaton (2nd January 1992) - Michael Jackson - Heal The World

Timmy Hansen (21st May 1992) - Guns 'N' Roses - Knockin' On Heaven's Door

Daniel Abt (3rd December 1992) - Charles & Eddie - Would I Lie To You?

Alice Powell (26th January 1993) - Exterminate ft Niki Harris - Snap!

Tatiana Calderon (10th March 1993) - Shaggy - Oh Carolina

Christine GZ (22nd July 1993) - 4 Non Blondes - What's Up?

Alex Lynn (17th September 1993) - Pet Shop Boys - Go West

Bubba Wallace (8th October 1993) - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake The Room

Michelle Gatting (31st December 1993) - Take That - babe

Naomi Schiff (18th May 1994) - Stiltskin - Inside

Jessica Hawkins (16th February 1995) & Luca Ghiotto (24th February 1995) - Annie Lennox - No More I Love Yous

Beitske Visser (10th March 1995) - Alex Party - Don't Give Me Your Life

Nicholas Latifi (29th June 1995) - Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom Boom

Jack Aitken (23rd September 1995) - Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone

Oliver Askew (12th December 1996) - The Prodigy - Breathe

Louis Deletraz (22nd April 1997) - Robbie Williams - Old Before I Die

Catie Munnings (15th November 1997) - Natalie Imbruglia - Torn

Cem Bolukbasi (9th February 1998) - Backstreet Boys - All I Have To Give

Jamie Chadwick (20th May 1998) - Aqua - Turn Back Time

Kevin Hansen (28th May 1998) - All Saints - Under The Bridge

Mick Schumacher (22nd March 1999) - Boyzone - When The Going Gets Tough

Toni Breidinger (14th July 1999) - ATB - 9pm (Till I Come)

Max Fewtrell (29th July 1999) - Five - If Ya Gettin' Down

Robert Shwartzman (16th September 1999) & Bent Viscaal (18th September 1999) - Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)

Felipe Drugovich (23rd May 2000) - Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby

Marta Garcia (9th August 2000) - Craig David - 7 Days

Arthur Leclerc (14th October 2000) - Mariah Carey ft Westlife - Against All Odds

Sophia Florsch (1st December 2000) - Leann Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight

Clement Novalak (23rd December 2000) - Eminem - Stan

Frederik Vesti (13th January 2002) - Puretone - Addicted To Bass

Luke Browning (31st January 2002) - A1 - Caught In The Middle

Liam Lawson (11th February 2002) - No Doubt - Hey Baby

Olli Caldwell (11th June 2002) - Eminem - Without Me

Jack Doohan (20th January 2003) - Busted - Year 3000

All added to this playlist 😊😊

[tellurian-in-aristasia]

Aristasia (and their earlier incarnations) in the news, a timeline.

I've been accumulating a rather large collection of digital newspaper clippings about Aristasia and their various early incarnations and a little project I've been working on is organizing them into a timeline. This is still a work in progress, so as I add more newspaper clippings to the list, I'll be updating this post. The Aristasians, particularly their earlier incarnations, have a rather large analog footprint, and some things I've left off the list, particularly the majority of their many advertisements or anything they would have published themselves, and instead tried to stick to mentions of them in more mainstream publications. Please excuse my inconsistent formatting! Sister Angelina with Lux Madriana Gnostica October/November 1977

Heil Lux Madriana Peace News March 21st 1980

Machpelah cult goes back to the Celts Hebden Bridge Times Friday 06 November 1981

Older Than Christ Hebden Bridge Times Friday 13 November 1981

Rhennish community missionary activity Hebden Bridge Times - Friday 20 November 1981

The Rhennes Invite You To A Public Meeting Hebden Bridge Times - Friday 27 November 1981

World's last hope Hebden Bridge Times - Friday 04 December 1981

'Most ancient religion' claim Hebden Bridge Times - Friday 11 December 1981

TV Series Examines God as the Mother Todmorden & District News - Friday 12 March 1982

The Rhennes Farewell to Hebden Bridge Todmorden & District News - Friday 17 September 1982

A mention at last Derry Journal - Friday 17 December 1982

The Light of the Mother Womanspirit 1983

Women's rule sect settle in Donegal Derry Journal - Tuesday 13 September 1983

Women get gym slip holidays Aberdeen Evening Express - Friday 20 January 1984

Classroom capers for adults Liverpool Daily Post - Friday 20 January 1984

Gymslip gals relive the past Evening Telegraph - Friday Jan 20 1984

The belles of Saint O'Trinians The Daily Telegraph Mon Apr 2 1984

Hidden lessons at St Bride's… Evening Standard April 02 1984

Shocking hidden lessons at St Bride's school… Liverpool Daily Post - Tuesday 03 April 1984

The secret of St. Bride's Sinclair User December 1985

Playing games with censorship The Guardian 1987 11/26

Ding Dong Belles Your Computer Magazine December 1987

Aspic and old lace The Telegraph March 6 1988

Champions of Victorian values condemn lack of grace Sunday Tribune - Sunday 03 July 1988

Is this your cup of tea? Evening Herald (Dublin) - Monday 04 July 1988

A Romantic Manifesto The Spectator December 1988

A journey back in time… Sunday Life, November 5, 1989

The 1980s: A Retrospect Spearhead Feb 1990

I was a slave in the house of Scarlett Sunday Mirror, Sunday 11 March 1990

Gardai probe 'cane' school Sunday World (Dublin) March 18 1990

Vulgarity of coping with life in the dreary old 1990s Cambridge Daily News - Wednesday 31 October 1990

Victorian caners move out Sunday World (Dublin) 4th Nov 1990

Victorian re-enactments ad

Cambridge Daily News, December 7th 1990

Spanking schoolma'am gets back in full swing Sunday Mirror, Feb 3, 1991

Silver Sisters pupil stripped and birched Irish Independent, February 13 1991

"Cult leader" fined for assault Derry Journal - Friday 15 February 1991

Ma'am lashed bare servant Sunday World - February 17 1991

A caning for Miss Scarlett SUNDAY MIRROR Feb 17 1991

Screamers what to give spanking misstress boot! Sunday World, December 15 1991

Spanking lady linked to Nazi and kinky sex contacts Sunday World (Dublin), 12th Jan 1992

We'll Cane You for £75 offer by spankers Sunday World (Dublin) - Sunday 19 January 1992

Lifting the lid on reaction The Scotsman, 11th Jul 1992

Inside the secret world of the sisters of St. Bride's The Sunday Telegraph, January 3rd 1993

Spankers run kinky calls Sunday World, January 10 1993

Sisters: no sex, no Nazis Sunday Telegraph Jan 10, 1993

Swish society of Oxford's hits and misses Sunday Telegraph Sun Feb 7 1993

Glad to be bad? The Guardian Feb 6, 1995

What does Miss Martindale serve with coffee? Cream and punishment The Observer Feb 26 1995

The tortured past of Miss Marindale The Guardian March 1 1995

Whips? Canes? Silly Monkeys! The Independent 1995 03/03

The Rise of Miss Martindale The Guardian March 8 1995

Noble Response, from Miss Martindale The Guardian March 10 1995

Harrowing book- The Corporal Punishment of Schoolgirls Evening Standard Fri Nov 17 1995

Aristasia, The Feminine Nation The Independent Tue, Feb 3, 1998

A firm hand behind Sweethearts The Guardian March 18th 1998

Of sweethearts and villains The Guardian London - Fri, Mar 20, 1998

How I Was Drawn To Life In A Cult

Telegraph & Argus - Feb 16 1999

Miss Marianne Martindale and Miss Camellia Cadogan at the Goodwood Revival Races Country Life - Thursday 23 September 2004

[eldritchdropout]

So, one of my Many hobbies is letterboxing (geocaching but with homemade rubber stamps). I love going out to the nearby parks and finding people's art hidden away in stumps and under bridges - it's also a great way to get some much needed fresh air an exercise. (If you're interested I recommend going to atlasquest.com, they have all the info you could ever want there.)

However. I am an overachiever. And chronically online.

So I carved twelve stamps to make a walking loop. Why twelve? One for each month, of course!

Now, I've seen a holiday stamp series before. August: Clown Week! November: Thanksgiving! December: Christmas! But I thought hey. What if I made. Tumblr holidays instead?

THE HOLIDAY LIST:

January 8th: Spiders Georg Day February: (okay we don't have one of those yet, so I chose a weekly one instead) It Is Wednesday, My Dudes March 15th: The Ides of March April 13th: Neil Banging Out the Tunes Day May 3rd: Dracula Daily June 22nd: Summerween July 11th-13th: Dashcon August 21st: Goncharov (original post day) September 8th: The Queen is Dead October 3rd: It's October 3rd November 5th: Guy Fawkes-Putin-Destiel-Election Day December: (all month) Gavlebocken Arson

I've made the stamps and put them in their boxes, but I was wondering if anyone would want to see them before I hide them? Since 99.9% of the people here won't be able to in person? I can also link their Atlas Quest page when I'm done so y'all can see my Beautiful holiday descriptions lol.

[theblacktulip9]

Re-do of my OC intro!!! Btw if anyone wants to add me, My User is Ace Cabal!

And a close-up drawing and in-game picture! (I'll say it rn, I do NOT have the outfit set nor the eyes 😭)

More detailed info sheet:

Last Name: Lestrange De Nile Cabal

First Name: Anubis

Middle name:Cleopas

Full name:Anubis Cleopas Lestrange De Nile Cabal

Female name: Ayehsa

Nickname:Ace

Birthdate: October. 30th

House: Slytherin

Year:3rd year (In-game but I mostly portray him in 6th/5th year)

Sexual Orientation: Gay

Gender Identity: Genderfluid

Lineage: Pureblood

Zodiac: Scorpio

Nationality: Egyptian + Panamanian

Height: 5'6

Scent: Cherry Blossom perfume, Motor gas, Smoke

Biggest flaws:

• Overprotective

• Possessive

• Hot tempered

• Easily Jealous

•Manipulative

Biggest qualities:

•Playful,

•Charming,

•Flirty,

•Ambitious,

•energetic,

•driven

Best skills/talents: Duels, Card games, Gang fights, being sneaky, carjacking, Making outfits, makeup, boxing 🥊, playing the guitar, stealing stuff, lying, getting away with stuff, cursed, can run and fight in high heels

Hobbies: Dueling, listening to music, Card games, fixing/playing around with their motorcycle, playing music with a part-time band, getting into Muggle gang fights

Legillimens or Occlumens: N/A

Patronus/Animagus: Black King cobra

Their greatest fear: His father, Water, losing the ones they love

Their favorite class: D.A.D.A

Favorite spell: Incendio

Favorite song: Lithium -Nirvana

Favorite food: Pumpkin pie

Moral alignment: Chaotic Neutral

MBTI: Estp-T

Extra (Appearance): Has Snake bite piercing, Nose bridge piercing, snake tattoo around neck, snake tattoo around arm, snake tattoo on his back, small snake tattoo behind his ear, has a Roman nose.

Extra (facts): Has a snake, scorpion, AND Tarentula as a pet, is very agile, FILTHY rich, can't cook to save his life, joined a gang at 14, proud Aphrodite, Apollo, and Hades worshipper, will die in the future.

[lovelyfxxl]

(florence pugh) Goodness, SELENA FINCH has arrived in London. SHE is TWENTY-SIX, of the NOTTINGHAMSHIRE FINCHES, (Daughter of the Earl of Nottingham, Lady-in-Waiting to Princess Sophia). Though they are RETURNED to the Season, we can only describe them as REFINED and STONEHEARTED, dear reader. Accompanied by THE ROYAL HANOVER FAMILY, they have settled in and are accepting social calls. But be warned: they are known for their VENOM.

_____________ S E L E N A F I N C H ___

basics:

name: selena 'nell' lenore finch. pronunciation: suh·lee·nuh luh·nor finch. meaning: selena- the moon. lenore- light, torch. birthday: october 3rd. age: twenty-six. pronouns: she & her. sexuality: pansexual. siblings: siena raynes nee byron (older sister), sabrina paine nee howard (older sister), savannah hillingdon nee howard (older sister), serafina willoughby (younger sister). parents: ephraim finch (father) & mary-anne fitzroy nee everist, byron, howard, finch, willoughby (mother). other family: donald fitzroy (step-father). languages: english, french, german, spanish, dutch. current residence: the palace. hometown: nottingham.

appearance:

height: 5′3″. hair color: naturally selena's hair is light auburn, but lightens significantly with the warmer seasons. eye color: green. typical hair style: selena wears her hair styled fashionably back, up, well out of her eyes, with curls or a few strands hanging to frame her face. it is often adorned with hats or veils or baubles. it is far more intricately done for balls and events. fashion style: nell is most particular about the textiles that her clothing is made from. she wants silks or other very, very fine fabrics, especially breathable ones. many of her gowns are embellished with lace. she keeps to the height of fashion although tends to prefer very pastel or icy colors. it is very rare that she is without gloves of some variety. [ fashion ] distinguishing features: selena has a face that is practically unreadable. her eyes are very stern, but observant, while her mouth appears almost mocking in the way it never quite crosses into a pleasant smile. she has a few freckles over the bridge of her nose. there is a deep, hoof-shaped scar on her back at the torso, on the left, just above the hip from a riding accident.

personality:

positive traits: refined. erudite. naturalist. negative traits: stone-hearted. venomous. haughty. theme song: neptune by sleeping at last

headcanons:

nell is highly trained and exceptionally skilled in both archery and horseback. she has been riding horses since the time she was able to hold a lead and feels very at home amongst animals, especially her most beloved mare: robin. nell picked up archery in late adolescence, but swiftly improved. the practice was very meditative.

selena has a firm policy of not commenting on any rumors about herself. in fact, her snide demeanor tends to encourage both the worst and the best of it.

selena has a lot of sisters and is certainly not fond of all of them. since she left her familial home to attend princess sophia, nell regularly writes correspondence with the youngest, her favorite, who was now a ward in residence with their eldest sister and her husband.

biography:

[ I will make this sound better soon too but the gist is here. ] selena's mother is a deeply unsatisfied woman. her first husband could not give her anything she wanted so she rid herself of him and tried again and again and again, gaining nothing but titles, horrible rumors, and daughters who only looked vaguely similar. most of the daughters craved more attention as they were largely ignored by their mother, had fleeting father figures, or were mistaken for the wrong sister. however, selena found respite in it. she was always an introvert who liked to hide away from direct attention. she enjoyed afternoon rides in the woods. otherwise, nell spent a grand majority of her time reading in apathetic disenchantment with the instability of her home life. that is, until her most recent step-father arrived and said home life became unbearable. selena started to look forward to the social season to escape for a few months. during this time, she became reacquainted with princess sophia who, surprisingly easily, grew into a staunch ally and dedicate companion. there was no refusing when her royal highness insisted that selena would be an ideal lady in waiting. nell did take to life in the palace with ease, and now rather enjoys the strange balance of encouraging the princess's discord while appeasing the queen enough to keep some relevance. she is uninterested in marriage, really, and tries to keep even friends well behind her guarded walls.

wanted connections:

acidic wit || they are just here to bully each other; rivals of some variety. sister's keeper || a friend of selena's older sister who think they have some sort of say in what she does or is particularly protective of her. day & night || someone who is very much the opposite of selena in every conceivable way, and how they get along... or do not.

[saturniandevil]

April 2024 Important Dates

AKA my notes on The Astrology Podcast's April forecast, hosted by Chris Brennan and Diana Rose Harper (Austin is away on paternity leave). This is one of the most astrologically active months in the year. In addition to planetary movements, there's a comet that will be visible soon in the night sky and a nova.

We're going into the month right off the tail of a Libra lunar eclipse on March 25th. We're in "eclipse season," the time between eclipses, with much activity to report. Starting off, Baltimore's Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship crashed into it, which Austin called last forecast when he said that Mars's entry into Pisces (approaching a conjunction to Saturn) would involve a sudden halt in maritime trade. Astrologically it's quite on the nose, with a Libra (associated with trade/commerce) moon conjunct the South Node (symbolizing lack and decrease). We even have a chart for the opening of this bridge: it was an exact Mars return for this bridge, as well as its Uranus opposition and nodal opposition. Also on the Libra eclipse was the UN Security Council's vote for a ceasefire in Gaza. The April 8th eclipse will show us whether this resolution is successful, and a final Libra eclipse in October will tie these events together.

In celebrity news, we had obviously doctored photos of Kate Middleton prompting increasingly wild speculation on what the British royal family was hiding, culminating in Kate announcing her cancer diagnosis & chemotherapy plans on the March 22nd Venus(women, exalted in Pisces = royalty)-Saturn (slow illnesses) conjunction. She was also born on a lunar eclipse & announced this right before one. Just 3 days after the eclipse, on March 28th, Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the newest development in a story that began on an eclipse when BitCoin crashed and revealed his role in one of the biggest instances of financial fraud in US history.

In smaller news, a nova in the T Coronae Borealis system will be visible as a new star in the night sky this year. This nova is visible every 76 years or so (the last time was 1946), and has been observed as far back as the Middle Ages. Add this to the eclipses and the comet, and Chris hasn't seen such an astrological buildup since forecasting 2020. As the eclipse hit his 3rd house Donald Trump published a book combining the Bible and the US Constitution, while in other news an orca was stranded in British Columbia, another dolphin & orca-related development in the (Mars-)Saturn in Pisces in cycle and Arizona announced Pluto as their state planet.

April Overview: with significant activity in Pisces, Aries, and Taurus simultaneously, we'll be getting hard aspects to every modality (and trines to every element)--everyone will be getting hit with some kind of change (but will have opportunities for growth as well). Chris makes a distinction between the challenging first half of the month, and a second half which will see more clarity.

April 1st - Mercury stations retrograde By time of posting this retrograde is in full swing: disruptions in communication, plans, travel and technology. Diana describes this as especially frustrating in Aries, trying to go one way but some huge miscommunication gets in the way. We may have to walk back on words spoken in anger and renegotiate situations where we identified the wrong target as our enemy. With the eclipse's ruler Mars conjoining Saturn on the 10th, anyone who travels for the eclipse and hangs around for a few days may run into blockages, likely due to rain and floods. Other general Mercury retrograde significations: people come back into your life, unfinished projects become relevant again, and situations from the past resurface. For example, Sagittarius risings often see the "duderang" effect where male lovers come back into their lives, as Mercury rules their Gemini 7th house. Mercury rx also brings delays and slowdowns, and is generally a good time for introspection and "emotional alchemy."

April 3rd - Venus conjoins Neptune This occurs right as she leaves the sign of Pisces. Venus-Neptune keywords: dreamy, fantastical, imaginative (especially with art), compassionate, and opportunities to find new avenues of enjoyment and pleasure. Saturn's copresence in Pisces can bring us some grounding and reality. This can also bring unclear boundaries, uncertain relationships, and idealizing one's lover--like using the soft lens. In events, AI images and videos and toxic synthetic dyes also fall under Venus-Neptune. Is the siren's call too good to be true?

April 4th - Venus enters Aries Chris hopes that Venus's copresence to the eclipse will mitigate some of its effects, but on the flipside this means she's left Mars and Saturn alone with each other in the Pisces chart of our house.

April 8th - Total Solar Eclipse in Aries This eclipse will be visible over much of the (particularly eastern) continental US:

Diana calls it a chiron eclipse, so here's the chart with chiron:

The Moon will eclipse the Sun at 19 Aries, which is where Chiron will be as well. Mythologically, Hercules brings back the head (North Node, Aries) of the hydra to Chiron, whose poison causes him incredible pain because he is immortal and cannot die from it. He eventually trades his immortality for Prometheus and Zeus puts him in the heavens as a constellation. Narratively, eclipses invert what we expect: it becomes dark in the middle of the day! Prominent people fall suddenly from grace and new rulers skyrocket to power during eclipses. Because the eclipse occurs in the sign of the Sun's exaltation, leaders and heads of state/organization/etc will be especially affected. A similar Chiron-influenced Aries solar eclipse occurred in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Nelson Mandela was sent to jail under an eclipse, but was also freed under another eclipse and elected to office under yet another eclipse.

For individuals, make note of what house this occurs in for you; this will be the end of one chapter and the opening of a new one in this area of life. Anything close to 19° of Aries will definitely feel it, as will any placements at that degree of Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn (hard aspects to the cardinal signs), while 19 Leo and Sagittarius (trine to fire signs) may feel some support. Generally, this series of events in Aries-Libra began a year ago, and will have its final eclipse on this axis in March of 2025.

This eclipse is ruled by a Mars (♓) who's just about conjunct with Saturn (♓), grinding things to a halt. Whatever's happening in the Aries and Pisces place is going to take some extra time. Other keywords: the end of a life cycle, matters of great importance & turning points in world history, major disasters as well as scientific discoveries. Eclipses highlight just how much is out of our control, like being on a teacup ride that's going too fast and being unable to stop unless something hits you. 6 months later, we'll get an eclipse that connects to some of these events:

Diana also points out that there will be an influx of tourists to rural areas of the US, advising travelers to stay courteous and noting that many local municipalities advise residents to stock up on basic supplies so they won't be lacking when a small area is flooded with new people & their needs. Generally, the eclipse will be a very creepy experience, with the Sun going completely dark, colors becoming muted, and stars may even be visible--some cultures have warnings against going outside during eclipses. Back to metaphors, Chris points out that the small seeds of much larger events are often planted during eclipses. Sometimes you don't know until later just how important this obscured implantation is because, like the Sun, our vision is occulted. Take notes, even of subtle things.

April 10th - Mars conjunct Saturn in Pisces We expect the two malefics to bring us challenges: their conjunctions in late Capricorn & early Aquarius heralded the first COVID lockdowns, and other hard aspects brought new variants and similar pandemic news. In 2022 a Mars-Saturn conjunction occurred with an epidemic of ebola. However, note that these are all airborne viruses, and these movements occurred with Saturn in the air sign of Aquarius. What will this look like in Pisces, a water sign? Chris predicts that existing Saturn-Pisces issues with water pollution and maritime trade/travel will have destructive moments as Mars comes in, while Diana thinks about water as a vector of disease, such as cholera & sewage treatment. Now that deep permafrost is melting due to climate change, we may also see new pathogens or substances released, as well as complications from farm water runoff. We'll definitely see the effects of this Baltimore bridge collapse, and, with the outbreak of dengue fever in Latin America, may see developments around diseases borne of insect bites. We may also hear about the ill effects of microplastics, lead, and asbestos as a result of this conjunction. More generally: pollution, ocean, liquids, extremes of hot and cold, feelings of constraint (and literal constraint), and spiritual or emotional burnout. Pisces is a sign of inescapable enmeshment with each other, so we'll likely deal with compassion fatigue and emotional isolation (especially involving social media). Questions of whether or not something is "real" remain relevant as ever.

On the positive side, Mars-Saturn brings discipline and self-control. Sometimes Mars and Saturn can temper each other to give us self-sustaining focus. We can combine hard-won wisdom with the drive we need to achieve it, like a martial arts training montage. Do we have the belief and conviction to achieve mastery? With determination we can reach heights we once only imagined. There's also stamina, resilience, and rigidity. Overlapping with the Mercury retrograde, we can also see delays and obstructions. If there are boundaries you've been meaning to enact, now is the time. We can see potential pitfalls, but beware of pessimism and not believing in yourself. Resentment and pent-up anger can also come into play as Mars's impulse butts up against Saturn's inaction, but incremental progress adds up.

April 11th - Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury (Cazimi) This marks a turning point in the retrograde. Diana uses a spelunking metaphor: during the retrograde we're diving into the cave, and at the cazimi we've found our treasure...but we still have to make our way back out. Our personal eclipse stories may become clearer during this time as well.

April 19th - Sun enters Taurus, Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus Venus will help sweeten communications during the last week of Mercury's regression.

April 20th - Jupiter conjunct Uranus This brings freedom, liberation, and sudden rapid growth--completely different from the Mars-Saturn activity earlier this month. This may also set us up for the Jupiter-Mars conjunction later this summer. The Uranus in Taurus story has brought labor organizing and unions to prominence, so expect those stories to intensify during this conjunction. General keywords: technological breakthroughs and scientific discoveries, sudden revelations and growth, revolutions, rupture, and unexpected shifts. This conjunction takes place every 14 years, so Chris expects new discoveries, optimism and "quantum leaps" or new precedents in some fields. In Taurus this is related to food and agriculture--in addition to new technologies we'll likely see further developments with the farmer's protests in India and Europe. Finance and money is another Taurus signification, so disruptions in banks & questions about decentralizing currency may arise. Freedom, rebellion, and general eccentricity become important. We'll feel like anything is possible, but in disregarding the rules and refusing to compromise we may make rash decisions.

The comet Pons-Brooks may also start to become visible during this time. It comes by about every 80 years and is named for its 18th century discoverers. Ancient literature on comets is similar to that of eclipse: an ominous phenomenon heralding the deaths of rulers and falls of kingdoms. However, they note the color and appearance as indicating some positive effects when associated with Jupiter, and the planets whose path it crosses are relevant as well. Pons-Brooks passes closely by the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, putting an exclamation point on the planetary significations.

April 23rd - Scorpio Full Moon

We're finally out of eclipse season, so things are starting to calm down. However, this lunation (04♏) squares Pluto (02♒), bringing some conflict in. It'll be stabilizing, but not necessarily comforting. Acceptance is bittersweet medicine. The full moon illuminates the deep transformative experiences Pluto brings to the early degrees of fixed signs in our charts. We're really getting to the bedrock of things. When Venus enters Taurus she'll square Pluto, and Mars will trine Pluto when he enters Aries. With those personal planets in domicile, it'll feel like coming home, but home is a little different. Pluto will retrograde soon and Chris predicts this station will bring major events in AI and related technologies. Mars is also quickly nearing his conjunction with Neptune, bringing the weaponization of these technologies.

April 25th - Mercury stations direct

April 28th - Mars conjunct Neptune (typo in image) Aside from weaponization of AI and social media, Mars-Neptune also connotes the manipulation of reality for political purposes. Revealing that a shocking news story was actually false wont necessarily diffuse the feelings it arose. Even if it didn't happen, you may still hold resentment towards the wrong target. Think the "fog of war" or shadowboxing. Other keywords include conflicts in or about water, idealism & ideologically-charged conflicts, confusion, acid, corrosion, lethargy, sapped vitality, and unnecessary martyrdom.

April 29th - Venus enters Taurus She immediately squares Pluto. Venus in domicile brings us to the election for the month:

April 29th - Selected auspicious election (not pictured)

Set the chart for about 12:55PM local time, which gets you Leo rising with the Ascendant ruler Sun in the 10th whole sign house in Taurus, where it's copresent with Jupiter, Uranus, and Venus. This chart is good for 10th house matters like career, reputation, social standing, overall life direction and accomplishing goals. The Moon is in Capricorn, applying to a trine with Jupiter, bringing support. Mercury has stationed direct, bringing us away from some of the delays and issues we experienced earlier. Even the Mars-Saturn conjunction is about as far away as we can get, and a day chart Jupiter conjunct Uranus brings creativity to our efforts. Diana associates the 10th house with the gestating parent and thus recommends doing something nice for your mom now.

April 30th - Mars enters Aries Entering firey and decisive Aries, Mars is no longer encumbered by slow Saturn and diffuse Neptune. This complete chapter change comes with a sextile to Pluto--the tone shift will feel like getting our oxygen back. This opens us up for a lot of quick movements through Aries and Gemini in May.

[usafphantom2]

25 Avro Lancaster Facts | Classic Warbirds

Roy Chadwick was born on the 30th April 1893 in Farnworth, Lancashire and joined Avro in September 1911 as a draughtsman at the age of 18. He would become the company's chief designer seven years later in 1918. A number of aircraft designed by Roy Chadwick would be used during the Second World War, such as the Avro Anson, but it is the Avro Lancaster which is perhaps the most well known. At the age of 54 Roy Chadwick died when the Avro Tudor prototype he was on crashed on take-off on the 23rd August 1947.

Derived from the Avro Manchester

The twin-engined Avro Manchester suffered mainly due to its Rolls-Royce Vulture engines, which were unreliable and unable to reach their optimal performance. So before the aircraft had performed its first operational sortie, the 4th November 1940 saw Avro given the green light to work on what was known as the Manchester Mk III by the Air Ministry. This would have a wingspan 10 ft 2 in longer than the Manchester and was powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins. It was this aircraft that would be developed into the Lancaster.

10,500 Individual Drawings

During the production of the Lancaster around 10,500 individual drawings were needed and each aircraft required approximately 10 tonnes of light aluminium alloy.

Cost of a Lancaster

On average a Lancaster, minus its armament, bomb sight, radio and radar equipment, cost, at the time, £59,000, which included its four engines.

Crew of Seven

The Lancaster typically had a crew of seven, made up of pilot, bomb-aimer, flight engineer, navigator, wireless operator, mid gunner and rear gunner.

Lancaster fuselage assembly at Castle Bromwich | Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0

First Flight

The first Lancaster prototype (BT308) flew on the 9th January 1941 from Ringway Airport. Captain Harry Brown and Sydney Thorn were at the controls. This featured an increased wingspan over the Manchester and a central fin on the tail, which was removed on the second prototype.

Entry into Service

It would be with No. 44 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington that the Lancaster would first enter Royal Air Force service, when they took delivery of their first three aircraft on the 24th December 1941. These would replace their twin-engined Handley Page Hampdens.

First Operational Sortie

No. 44 Squadron would perform the Lancaster's first operational sortie, which took place on the 3rd March 1942. This saw four aircraft lay mines in the Heligoland Bight.

Bristol Hercules Powered Lancaster B.II

Of the Lancaster variants produced all would be powered by either Rolls-Royce or Packard Merlins, the exception was the Lancaster B.II, which was powered by the 1,735-hp Bristol Hercules XVI engine. It was 10 mph slower than the Merlin powered Lancasters, with a top speed of 205 mph, its service ceiling was 18,500 ft, which was 6,000 ft lower. Only 301 Lancaster B.IIs were built.

Basis for the Avro York

Another Roy Chadwick design, the Avro York was a transport aircraft that featured the wings, tail and landing gear of the Lancaster, fitted to a new fuselage. The aircraft would be used by Transport Command and the British Overseas Airways Corporation.

Lancaster B.I (HK535) | Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0

Flew Under Sydney Harbour Bridge

During 1943 Lancaster B.III (ED930) Q for Queenie embarked on a promotional tour of Australia to sell war savings bonds. With Flight Lieutenant Peter Isaacson at the controls, the 22nd October 1943 saw hm fly the aircraft under Sydney Harbour Bridge.

'Clapper Kites'

Some Lancaster B.Is would have their front and mid-upper turrets removed and some interior items removed. Powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 engines, they were renamed to Lancaster B.I (Special). Due to their high speed without a bomb load they were nicknamed 'Clapper Kites'.

Lancaster Test Beds

A number of Lancasters would be used as test beds or for research, this included Lancaster B.II (LL735) which was used to test the Metropolitan-Vickers F2 turbojet. Fitted towards the rear of the fuselage, with the exhaust where the rear turret would've been.

Very Long Range Lancaster

To increase the range of the aircraft, for potential operations in the Pacific, a pair of Lancaster B.Is (HK541) and (SW244) would have a 'saddle tank' installed. This was fitted behind the cockpit and extended down past the wings, increasing fuel capacity by 50%.

Operation Exodus

Beginning on the 3rd April 1945 until the 31st May 1945, Operation Exodus saw many prisoners of war flown home by a number of aircraft, including the Lancaster, which with modifications could transport 20 to 24 people.

Lancaster B.I of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Equipped at least 59 Squadrons

During its service in the Second World War the Lancaster would equip at least 59 frontline Bomber Command squadrons.

Lancaster Users

As well as the Royal Air Force a number of other countries used the Lancaster, including the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Ten Victoria Cross Winners

Ten Lancaster aircrew would be awarded the Victoria Cross during the Second World War. The first was awarded to Squadron Leader John Nettleton as a result of his actions with No. 44 Squadron flying Lancaster B.I (R5508) during a daylight attack on Augsburg, Germany on the 17th April 1942 (read the citation). With Captain Edwin Swales DFC of No. 582 Squadron the last, after being posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions flying Lancaster B.III (PB538) when acting as a Master Bomber when Pforzheim, Germany was raided on the 23rd February 1945 (read the citation).

Total Built

In total 7,377 Lancasters were built during its production run between 1941 and 1946. The last example, a Lancaster B.I, was built on the 2nd February 1946. A number of companies apart from Avro were also involved in the production of the aircraft, including Austin Motors Limited and Victory Aircraft Limited based in Canada.

Ton Up Lancs

On average the number of operational sorties flown by a Lancaster was 21. However, 35 aircraft would take part in 100 sorties or more during the Second World War. One of these was Lancaster B.I (R5868) S for Sugar which completed 137 sorties whilst with No. 83 Squadron and No. 467 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. May 1944 saw it reach the 100 sortie milestone, with a raid on Flensburg Harbour, Germany on the 23rd April 1945 seeing the aircraft performing its last operational sortie. This aircraft is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum, London.

Lancaster B.I (R5868) S for Sugar at the Royal Air Force Museum, London

'Tiger Force'

After the war in Europe ended on the 8th May 1945, it was intended to send a number of Lancaster squadrons to the Pacific. This would be known as the 'Tiger Force' and was to attack targets in Japan in the lead up to invasion, known as Operation Downfall. However, Japan surrendered before the force could be fully established.

Goodwill Tour

No. 35 Squadron were chosen to undertake a five week goodwill tour of the United States during July and August 1946. They would visit a number of airfields in the country.

Developed into the Avro Lincoln

As development of the Lancaster continued, a high altitude version featuring an increased wingspan and fuselage was produced, known as the Lancaster B.IV. However, with so many changes it was renamed the Avro Lincoln I, with the Lancaster B.V known as the Lincoln II.

Avro Lancastrian

The Lancastrian was a civil version of the Lancaster able to carry a small number of passengers and mail. Early Lancastrians were converted Lancasters with later aircraft built as Lancastrians from the start. Changes to the aircraft included the removal of its armament and armour. It would be used by a number of airlines, including British Overseas Airways Corporation.

15 Years Service with the Royal Air Force

The Lancaster's time with the Royal Air Force came to an end on the 15th October 1956 when the School of Maritime Reconnaissance retired their Lancaster MR 3, ending 15 years service with the RAF.

Avro Lancaster in the white and black camouflage scheme of the 'Tiger Force' © ww2images.com

@classicwarbirds via X

[ozzyonedge]

Happy 6th anniversary to Alter Bridge's Live At The Royal Albert Hall album!

Released on September 7th 2018

(Recorded on October 2nd and 3rd 2017)

Alter Bridge + orchestra = Perfection.

Thank you for giving us this note, live:

[brookston]

Holidays 10.19

Holidays

All-Ukrainian Day of Human Responsibility (Ukraine)

Change Your Life Day

Dress Like a Dork Day

Durin’s Day (The Hobbit) [Original Date]

Evaluate Your Life Day

Feast of the Wicked Scam

Freedom to Read Day of Action

Global Niemann-Pick Disease Awareness Day

Imagine a Day Without Water

International Day of Cathedrals

International Day of Service for Kappa Alpha Theta

International Freelancer Day

International Human Rights Day (Turks and Caicos Islands)

International Ska Day

Lawyer’s Day (Moldova)

LGBT Center Awareness Day

Make A Scarecrow Day

Maurice Bishop Day (Grenada)

Mother Theresa Day (Albania)

National Clapping Cheeks Day

National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day

National Day of Remembrance for Steadfast Clergy (Poland)

National Friendzone Day

National Heroes Day (Grenada)

National Jared Day

National Kentucky Day

National Kiss Your Crush Day

National Payton Summons Day

National Psoriatic Arthritis Awareness Day (Canada)

National Thalassemia Day (UK)

New Friends Day [also 1.19; 7.19]

Oxfordshire Day (UK)

Peruvian-African Friendship Day (Peru)

Rainforest Day

Rescuer Day (Kazakhstan)

Samora Machel Day (Mozambique)

Technology Day (Thailand)

Tomato Day (French Republic)

Women Without Children Day

World Bioethics Day

World Breast Cancer Day (Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Spain)

World Day Against Breast Cancer

World E-Sports Day

World Humanitarian Action Day

World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day

World Slotting Day

World Vagina Day

Yabusame Festival (Koyama, Japan)

Yorktown Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Greasy Spoon Day

International Gin and Tonic Day

National Seafood Bisque Day

Independence & Related Days

Constitution Day (New Zealand, Niue)

Ikonia (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Niue (1974)

3rd Saturday in October

Bridge Day (West Virginia) [3rd Saturday]

Frabjous Day [3rd Saturday]

Home Movie Day [3rd Saturday]

I Love Yarn Day [3rd Saturday]

International Archeology Day [3rd Saturday]

International Independent Video Store Day [3rd Saturday]

International Repair Day [3rd Saturday]

International Sloth Day [3rd Saturday]

National Bridge Day [3rd Saturday]

National Fetch Day [3rd Saturday]

National Harp Day (Ireland) [3rd Saturday]

National Mover Over Day [3rd Saturday]

National Paint Your Own Pottery Day [3rd Saturday]

National Slow Down Day [3rd Saturday]

National Surfing Day (Costa Rica) [3rd Saturday]

National Whole Hog Barbecue Day [3rd Saturday]

O. Henry Pun-Off World Championships [3rd Saturday]

Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day [3rd Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sharing Economy Saturday [3rd Saturday]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Sweetest Day [3rd Saturday]

World Singing Day [3rd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 19 (2nd Full Week of October)

Finno-Ugrian Days (Hõimupäev; Estonia)

Festivals Beginning October 19, 2024

Apple Butter Festival (Lansing, Michigan) [thru 10.20]

Apple Dumpling Festival (Stuart, Virginia)

Apple Harvest Festival (Waynesville, North Carolina)

Borrego Days Desert Festival (San Diego, California) [thru 10.20]

Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival (Newport, Rhode Island) [thru 10.20]

Chatsworth Cranberry Festival (Chatsworth, New Jersey) [thru 10.20]

Chili Cookoff (Fort Pierce, Florida)

Cleveland Apple Festival (Cleveland, Tennessee) [thru 10.20]

Cochran-Bleckley Country Fest (Cochran, Georgia)

Conecuh Sausage Festival (Evergreen, Alabama)

Dairyville Orchard Festival (Los Molinos, California)

Deep Roots Festival XX (Milledgeville, Georgia)

Dessert Wars (Charlotte, North Carolina)

Detroit Fall Beer Festival (Detroit, Michigan)

Elkhorn's Oktoberfest (Elkhorn, Wisconsin)

Fall Harvest Festival (Mount Vernon, Virginia) [thru 10.20]

Gainesville Chicken Festival Chicken Cook-Off (Gainesville, Georgia)

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival (Half Moon Bay, California)

Herb Market (San Antonio, Texas)

Holy Trinity Heritage Food Fair (Baltimore, Maryland) [thru 10.20]

Hop N Hog Culpeper Block Party & BBQ Competition (Culpeper, Virginia)

Kenmare GooseFest (Kenmare, North Dakota) [thru 10.24]

Loris Bog-Off Festival (Loris, South Carolina)

Macomb County HarvestFest (Sterling Heights, Michigan) [thru 10.20]

Marunada Chestnut Festival (Dobreć, Croatia) [thru 10.20]

Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival (New Franklin, Missouri)

Mystic Apple Festival (Mystic, Connecticut) [thru 10.20]

NC Fall Liver Mush Festival: Mush, Music & Mutts (Shelby, North Carolina)

New York Empanada Festival (Newburgh, New York)

North Carolina Oyster Festival (Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina) [thru 10.20]

NYS Sheep & Wool Festival (Rhinebeck, New York) [thru 10.20]

Oktoberfest (Campbell, California) [thru 10.20]

Outer Banks Seafood Festival (Nag's Head, North Carolina)

Pumpkinfest (Franklin, North Carolina)

Return of the Salmon Festival (Anderson, California)

San Diego Spirits Festival (San Diego, California)

Santa Barbara Vintners Festival (Solvang, California)

Seafood Festival (Cedar Key, Florida) [thru 10.20]

Springville Apple Festival (Springville, California)

Taco Fest (Scottsdale, Arizona)

Taste of Soul (Los Angeles, California)

Taylorsville Apple Festival (Taylorsville, North Carolina)

Tennessee Beer, Wine & Shine Festival (Nashville, Tennessee)

Town Point Virginia Wine Festival (Norfolk, Virginia) [thru 10.20]

U.S. National Oyster Festival in St. Mary’s County (St. Mary's County, Maryland) [thru 10.20]

Vimoutiers Apple Festival (Vimoutiers, France) [thru 10.20]

Wellfleet Oysterfest (Wellfleet, Massachusetts) [thru 10.20]

Westy Fest (Westminster, Colorado)

Whiskey Wine & Fire (Timonium, Maryland)

Yadkin Valley Grape Festival (Yadkinville, North Carolina)

Feast Days

Aaron (Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria)

Aquilinus of Évreux (Christian; Saint)

Armilustrium (Ancient Roman Festival of Mars)

Barbarella Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Bettara Ichi (Pickle Market a.k.a. Sticky-Sticky Fair; Ebisu Shrine, Tokyo, Japan)

Carista: Day of Peace in the Family (Pagan)

Desiderius (Didier) of Auxerre (Christian; Saint)

Diderot (Positivist; Saint)

Emma Bell Miles (Artology)

Ethbin (a.k.a. Egbin; Christian; Saint)

Frideswide (Christian; Saint)

Giorgio Cavazzano (Artology)

Henry Martyn (Anglican Communion)

Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions (Christian; Saints)

Jerzy Popiełuszko (Christian; Blessed)

John le Carré (Writerism)

Paul of the Cross (Christian; Saint)

Peter Max (Artology)

Peter of Alcantara (Christian; Saint)

Philip Pullman (Writerism)

Pierre Alechinsky (Artology)

Prides (Christian; Saint)

Ptolemaeus and Lucius (Christian; Saint)

Rene Goupil (Christian; Saint)

Seek the King Week (Shamanism)

Theodoros Vryzakis (Artology)

Travel Poobah (Muppetism)

Try Not To Die Day (Pastafarian)

Umberto Boccioni (Artology)

Varus (Christian; Saint)

Veranus of Cavaillon (Christian; Saint)

William Carey (Episcopal Church)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 48 of 60)

Premieres

Angels in the Outfield (Film; 1951)

Antipop, by Primus (Album; 1999)

Believe, by Cher (Song; 1999)

The Boys Bounce Back or Springtime in the Rocky (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 312; 1964)

A Chorus Line (Broadway Musical; 1975)

Clerks (Film; 1994)

Counterparts, by Rush (Album; 1993)

Damn the Torpedoes, by Tom Petty (Album; 1979)

The Enchanter, by Vladimir Nabokov (Short Story; 1986) [published posthumously]

Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (Novel; 1953)

Fried Chicken (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1930)

The Gay Divorcee (Film; 1934)

Honeyland (Ub Iwerks Happy Harmonies MGM Cartoon; 1935)

Hound for Pound (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1963)

Injustice (Animated Film; 2021)

I Second That Emotion, by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (Song; 1967)

Le Belle Sauvage, by Philip Pullman (Novel; 2017) [The Book of Dust Trilogy #1]

Let’s Stalk Spinach (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1951)

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (Film; 1977)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Film; 1939)

Mucho Loma, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 311; 1964)

Mulholland Drive (Film; 2001)

Mylo Xyloto, by Coldplay (Album; 2011)

Pin Ups, by David Bowie (Album; 1973)

The Planet Mouseola (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1960)

Prince, by Prince (Album; 1979)

The Razor’s Edge (Film; 1984)

Riding in Cars with Boys (Film; 2001)

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, recorded by Brenda Lee (Song; 1958)

Sir Irving and James (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1956)

Stop Making Sense, by Talking Heads (Film; 1984)

Take On Me, by A-ha (Song; 1985)

Tally-Hokum (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1965)

Tannhäuser, by Richard Wagner (Opera; 1845)

A Tiger’s Tail (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1964)

Turtle Scoop (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1961)

Vs., by Pearl Jam (Album; 1993)

Waking Life (Animated Film; 2001)

Watership Down (US Animated Film; 1978)

Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., by Simon & Garfunkel (Album; 1963)

Who’s Who in the Jungle (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1945)

Yule Laff (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1962)

Today’s Name Days

Frieda, Isaak, Johannes, Paul, Peter, Petrus (Austria)

Ivan, Izak, Joel, Pavao (Croatia)

Michaela (Czech Republic)

Balthasar (Denmark)

Stella, Tähte, Tähti (Estonia)

Uljas (Finland)

Cléo, René (France)

Frieda, Frida, Isaak, Paul (Germany)

Cleopatra, Felix (Greece)

Nándor (Hungary)

Isaac, Laura (Italy)

Drosma, Drosme, Drosmis, Elīna, Valts (Latvia)

Geisvilas, Kantrimė, Kleopatra, Laura (Lithuania)

Tora, Tore (Norway)

Ferdynand, Fryda, Pelagia, Pelagiusz, Piotr, Siemowit, Skarbimir, Toma, Ziemowit (Poland)

Ioil (Romania)

Kristián (Slovakia)

Laura, Pablo, Pedro (Spain)

Tor, Tore (Sweden)

Cleo, Cleon, Cleopatra, Howard, Howie (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 293 of 2024; 73 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 42 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 21 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 17 (Bing-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 17 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 15 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 23 Orange; Twosday [23 of 30]

Julian: 6 October 2024

Moon: 92%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 13 Descartes (11th Month) [George Leroy / Cabanis]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 13 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 28 of 90)

Week: 3rd Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 27 of 30)