#Newgate Clocks

[heurrs]

Anyday Swirl Metal Double Bed & Newgate Wideboy Alarm Clock - Now out of early access!

Anyday Swirl Metal Double Bed - 15 swatches DOWNLOAD - (Sim File Share)

Newgate Wideboy Alarm Clock - 8 swatches DOWNLOAD - (Sim File Share)

Pictured with: IKEA Nymane Wall Lamp by me, found here Gubi TS Side Table by novvvas, found here Novvvas KaleHouse Floorbed Pillow recolor by dk-sims, found here Novvvas KaleHouse Floorbed Blanket 2 recolor by dk-sims, found here Agenda with Pencil by leosims, doesn’t seem to be available anymore 😕 Rahat Set - Eucalyptus by novvvas, found here Rug Collection 9 by hvikis, found here

[dr-trafalgar-law]

Trafalgar Law X CisFem Reader

**This is sort of a sister book to @quinloki 's Birds of a Feather (Marco x Reader). They take place in the same universe and you'll see some crossover scenes. **

1

Your drive to work was always a beautiful sight, even on a cloudy day. The early morning light cast purple shadows over the pine tree covered mountains that surrounded Lvneel City. It was a picturesque landscape, the perfect mix of a city plopped down in the middle of farmland.

You have worked at a very busy veterinary hospital for the past nearly five years as a receptionist. Phoenix Rising Animal Hospital was owned and run by Dr. Marco Newgate. It was a small animal clinic, meaning you only catered to dogs and cats. On very rare occasions Dr. Newgate would take on a special case from an animal sanctuary or rescue. He was an extremely talented board certified internist. As the practice grew a new doctor was added to the roster. An up and coming soft tissue and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Trafalgar.

You didn't know him very well even though you saw him five days a week for the last two years. He rarely spoke to you and was very intimidating. To put it simply he was incredibly unfriendly. A pretty big contrast from your boss. He was also unfortunately infamous for being the reason assistants and techs quit.

You often found the doctors didn't deal with other humans quite as well as they did animals. He was no exception - blunt and a bit demanding, but an excellent surgeon. The world of VetMed was hard enough without having to deal with an uptight impatient doctor.

This particular morning wasn’t any different than usual. You pulled up to the hospital at 7:30AM and unlocked the doors before turning off the alarm and switching the lights on. Dr. Newgate’s classic Mercedes rolled into the lot not long after you.

“Good morning F/N.” he greeted as you powered on the computer and clocked in at the reception desk.

“Mornin’ doc.” you replied merrily, “I’ll get the coffee going in a few minutes.”

“That would be perfect, thank you.” he yawned heading into his office, “Don’t forget Chopper is training with you again this week-yoi.”

“I’ve already got his goals listed for the week.”

As if on cue the little reindeer in question entered the lobby with a small backpack hanging from his shoulders.

“Morning F/N!” he chirped trudging around the desk to drop his belongings and clock in.

“Hey Chopper, when you get settled would you mind checking the task log and start sending out appointment reminders for me while I go get the coffee started?”

“You got it.” he replied changing to his human point form to reach the desk more comfortably.

Chopper was in tech school and while he had to train with the medical staff, part of his schooling also required him to know the inner workings of reception. Not all practices have reception staff so it would benefit him if he ever left your hospital.

You made your way through the treatment areas and passed the doctors offices where the break room was. Humming a tune you started your routine of getting the staff’s coffee ready. This won’t be the only pot brewed during the day either.

While the machine groaned to life and the strong scent of breakfast blend filled the room you set out everyone’s favorite mugs making sure they were clean and started the dishwasher up with yesterday’s dishes. You continued to bebop around the small room heating up a poptart until you were able to steal the first cup of coffee. As you sang to yourself and focused on preparing your mug a tattooed hand reached out for the yellow cup to your left. You startled and let out a small squeak turning to the dark haired doctor that had so quietly entered the room.

“Oh,” you chuckled at yourself while he went ahead and filled his cup, “good morning Dr. Trafalgar, ya scared me.”

He wasn’t slated for surgeries on this day so he wore a navy button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, black slacks and boots.

His golden eyes swayed in your direction as he hummed and then turned to leave the room.

“Mornin’ F/N!” Shachi, the head scrub tech, called passing the doctor on his way out.

“Hey.” you replied with less energy than usual.

“Did he say something rude to you?” the redhead thumbed toward the doorway.

“No, he didn’t actually say anything. I’m pretty certain he hates me.” you chuckled.

“No one could ever hate you. He’s just a grump. Once you get to know him he isn’t so bad.” Shachi reached for the orca decorated mug that was next in line on the counter.

“Talking about Law?” Penguin, another tech, asked entering the room.

Technicians like nurses worked closely with the doctors and often addressed them by first name.

“What gave it away?” you laughed.

“It’s like Shachi said, once you know him he isn’t so bad.”

“It’s been two years guys, I don’t think getting to know him is an option at this point.” you placed your poptart on a small plate and got ready to head back to the front desk, “And that's okay, I don’t need to be friends with the doctors.”

“That’s hurtful-yoi.” your boss had now joined the conversation.

Blushing you choked out an awkward laugh, “Not you, of course,”

“Because I pay your bills.” he teased further.

“Y’know, I think I hear Chopper calling me…” you finally made your exit and hot-footed it back to reception.

The morning slowly continued on as consults and recheck appointments began for both doctors.

Chopper was slowly getting used to answering the phone but you stayed nearby and took over the more complicated calls. He switched back to his smaller form and sat on the desk next to you taking up less room.

Sometime after 9AM an emergency call came in.

The little reindeer was flustered as he hung up, "W-we have an ER coming in."

"I heard you ask if it was a hit-by-car. Is it a stat?"

"I believe so, it was actually attacked by people." he answered watching you grab the phone receiver and dial 999.

"ER 236 please." your voice chimed calmly over the hospital intercom, "ER 236."

Your extension rang almost immediately.

"Yo." Shachi said before you could say anything.

"Hey, we have a stat coming in. Can you send someone up to receive them? I'll get paperwork ready so we can make a chart when they get here."

"Bepo will be up in a minute and I'll let Law know."

"Thanks." you hung up the phone and turned to Chopper, "Next time we get a call like that we need a little more information so we can start a chart immediately."

"Ah, I'm so sorry F/N." he covered his little face.

"You're not in trouble, Dr. Trafalgar just likes to have as much information as possible when the patient gets here. I know the person you were talking to was probably a little panicked and in a hurry but it's helpful for all parties." you patted his shoulder gently.

Not long after the call the ER patient arrived being carried uncomfortably by an exhausted woman in blood stained clothes. Shachi and Penguin rushed up front with a gurney when paged to do so. They reentered with the saddest blue nose pitbull pup. She couldn't have been more than a few months old, shaking and covered in blood.

Humans were cruel.

Dr. Newgate escorted the client in after the poor thing threw up in the lobby. You assisted in directing her to the spare toothbrushes while Bepo gathered some clean scrubs from the laundry.

A little over an hour later, once things had settled your extension rang.

Knowing who it was you took a deep breath and answered,"hey there,"

"Hello F/N, the puppy will be staying for a femur fracture repair." Dr. Trafalgar's voice was soft and calm, almost tired, "Can you go over the estimate I've entered in the chart with the client and get a deposit?"

"Oh, uh actually she is not the pup's owner. I can ask Dr. Newgate what he'd like to do until we locate them."

"No need." he murmured curtly and hung up.

You sighed and leaned back in your chair.

"I wonder if they'll let one of us adopt the puppy if it has no owner." Chopper sipped a cup of tea.

"Yeah we get first pick of surrendered pets. I wouldn't mind taking her. It's been a while since I had a dog in the house."

"Good news for you then, F/N," Penguin had just stepped into the lobby and leaned across the desk, "she's not chipped."

[shanks-the-wino]

Shanks x CisFem Reader

Sake8zero is offline.

He hadn't been online since he foolishly suggested meeting you a few days ago. Now he sat at his desk phone in hand debating over deleting the app all together.

He'd just have to find happiness the old fashion way. What even compelled him to try speaking to someone ten years his junior? He did miss your snarky come backs and just general conversation. There was a strange lonely feeling akin to what followed his divorce. Nothing that deep or heart shattering of course, but the two of you had built a routine. There were certain times of day when you spoke as if you were on a schedule. Now he didn't know what to do with himself. He ran his hand through his crimson tresses and sighed dropping the phone onto the desktop. A light tap on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

"It's almost time to go. Yasopp is bringing the car around." The deep voice of his VP resonated off the walls as he pushed the door open.

"Thanks Benn." The redhead frowned.

"Still upset about your little girlfriend?" Benn crossed his arms.

Shanks rolled his eyes, "You are well aware that she wasn't my girlfriend. I did fuck up pretty bad though."

"You didn't even let her respond. How do you know?"

"You have a point." Shanks stood slipping his phone into his pocket.

"You'll have time to play around later. The resort is thirty minutes away." Benn turned for the door, "Did you at least remember to pack an overnight bag?"

"Right here." Shanks pulled a small leather bag from the bottom drawer of his desk, "Did they get the sample bottles loaded?"

"Yes, you wanted the '96 and '98 correct?" Benn glanced at his boss for confirmation.

"Our best years!" The redhead chimed.

The two men made their way out of the small office building to the black town car that was idling in the circle drive.

They were headed for a resort located on the outskirts of the city to hopefully sign a contract for resort guests to get a discounted stay if they booked a package that included a tour of Shanks' vineyard. The resort was owned and run by Edward Newgate and his adopted sons. Shanks had known the old man for a long time and though he'd strained the relationship a bit by trying to recruit his second eldest son, they managed to get along fairly well.

Newgate arranged a dinner meeting and rooms for Shanks, Benn and Yasopp to stay for the night.

They were greeted by the two eldest sons when they arrived at the sprawling resort.

"Marco, Thatch! So good to see you." Shanks called stepping out of the car.

"It's been a while yoi." Marco commented, "Business going well?"

"It's getting closer to our busy season." Benn replied shaking Thatch's hand.

                                                                     _______________

You clocked in and crossed the empty conference room connected to the hallway that lead the resort's lobby. Nami sat behind the counter flipping channels on the enormous flat screen TV.

"Quiet night?" You asked rounding the corner.

"Just a few VIP's the old man is entertaining." She replied monotonously.

"Great." You tossed your purse in the back office and plugged your phone into the computer at the front desk.

"Still nothing from the online guy?" She quirked a brow.

"Nope." You shrugged.

"He's probably beating himself up about it."

"He didn't even wait for me to answer." You took the remote from her flipping to the travel channel.

"Mind if I head out early?" She asked already pulling her bag from the cabinet.

"Yeah sure. Are these guys rowdy? I don't want to have to call the cops." You sighed.

"Well they've been drinking for a while in the side conference room. It's some guy that owns a vineyard, that's what Marco said, seems he's a friend of the family as well though." She explained walking out the way you'd just come.

"Alright. Have a good night." You waved her off and settled in behind the desk.

Sometime after 1AM the lobby door swung open startling you.

"Is there coffee in here?" A soft baritone bounced off the walls in the quiet room as you stood to greet the stranger.

The handsome redhead fumbled briefly with his phone and sighed massaging the scruff on his chin. He didn't look old enough to be friends with the old man much less own a vineyard.

Must be an assistant or something.

"The coffee bar is to your right. Please help yourself." You smiled as his onyx eyes trailed up from his phone widening a bit.

"T-thank you." He stammered staring at you.

You shifted a bit under his gaze unsure of what cause the change in demeanor.

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything."

Crap crap crap.

Of course he'd fuck up any chance he had with you and then, by complete chance come face to face with you while trying to send you a message.

Maybe it wasn't you. Maybe it was a girl that looked like you. Profile pictures are different from real life if you factor in angles and filters.

*Ping*

Your phone hadn't made that particular notification in a few days. You picked it up while the redhead made his way to the coffee bar.

Sake8zero: How's the night shift?

He peeked at the small smile that crept over your lips before it faded into a pout. Your brows knit as if you were just now remembering you were mad at him.

Pyt07: Don't 'how's the night shift me'

[hazzyking]

WIP Title Ask Meme

Prompt: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I have too many WIPS but I'll tag some friends!!!

@fanaticsnail @fanshavegottensotoxic @buggy-samaaa @morvydyvrom @nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos @imthegreenfairy86 @justonemorewallflower @lessyandmina

I have my fandom wips separated so I'll separate them here too.

Feel free to ask specifics about whatever titles intrigue you also! Like if you specifically want a snippet from it or are curious if it's X reader or X OC or any of that!! Most of my stuff is X Oc cause I'm unoriginal I'm sorry 😭

Battlestar Galactica

- Madam President

- X.O , Commander

- at every Beck and Call

- Tigh me up, Tigh me down

- Admiral

- Knuckle Draggers

- Cloud 9

- The Danger Zone

- Start the Clock

- Grounded

- The Fall + The Reunion

- Dear Mr. President

- Throw Him out the Airlock

One Piece

- Course and Rough

- The Island and I

- Bitter Wine

- Do you See What you do to me?

- I think I'm Falling for you

- Close and Personal

- the end of Impel Down

- Impel Down

- The Thing that Wrecks you

- Newgate

- Can't Fix what isn't Broken

BG3

- Bloodletting ((Chapter series))

- on the road again

- The Wood Elf

FF7

- Never Again

-you and me are just memories

- Wet and Wild

- Partner

- One Date

- Wax... of!

Celebrity's

- Spotlight

[scotianostra]

On 28th July 1746 the trial of the Scottish peers the Earl of Kilmarnock, the Earl of Cromertie and Lord Balmerino began and ended.

Kilmarnock and Cromartie both plead guilty to the charge, Bamerino, not guilty, a short trial commenced at Westminster Hall where Lord Balmerino stated he was not in Carlisle on the date the indictment stated.

The events of the day were recorded in The Newgate Calendar, which was a monthly bulletin of executions, produced by the Keeper of Newgate Prison in London.

"THESE, noblemen possessed great influence, and were much respected, previous to, the unhappy rebellion in 1745. Having already given a correct, though abridged account, of the transactions in which they took conspicuous part; we proceed, without farther comment, to their trials, defence, speeches, and execution. The text is as it was printed in the bulletins.

On Monday, the 28th of July, 1746, about eight o clock in the morning, the three rebel lords, prisoners in the Tower, were carried from thence in three coaches, the Earl of Kilmarnock, with Governor Williamson, and another gentleman, captain of the guard, in the first, the Earl of Cromartie; attended by Captain Marshall, in the second: and Lord Balmerino, attended by Mr. Fowler, gentleman gaoler, who had the axe covered by him, in the third, under a strong guard of foot-soldiers to Westminster Hall, where the Lord High Steward and the peers having taken their seats, proclamation was made for the Lieutenant of the Tower of London to return the precept to him directed, with the bodies of the prisoners: which done, the Gentleman Gaoler of the Tower brought his prisoners to the bar; and the proclamation was made for the King's evidence to come forth, the King's counsel, by his Grace's direction, opened the indictment, then his Grace moved the house that he might advance forwards for the better hearing of the evidence, (which being done, William Earl of Kilmarnock was brought to the bar) and his bill of indictment for high treason read, to which his lordship, pleaded Guilty, and desired to be recommended to his Majesty for mercy. Then George Earl of Cromartie was brought to the bar, &c, who also pleaded Guilty and prayed for mercy, After which Arthur Lord Balmerino was brought to the bar, &c. who pleaded Not Guilty, alleging that he was not at Carlisle at the time specified in the indictment, whereupon six witnesses for the crown were called in and examined, whose evidence was distinctly repeated by the reading-clerk, proving that his Lordship entered Carlisle (though not the same day) sword in hand, at the head of a regiment called by his name, Elphinston's horse. To this he made an exception, which was overruled. The Lord High Steward then asked him if he had any witness, or any thing further to offer in his defence. To which he replied, he was sorry he had given their lordships so much trouble, and had nothing more to say. Hereupon their lordships retired out of Westminster Hall to the House of Peers, where the opinion of the judges was asked, touching the overt act, which they declaring to be not material, as other facts were proved beyond contradiction, their lordships returned, and his Grace putting the question to the youngest baron, "Whether Arthur Lord Balmerino was guilty or not guilty, &c." he clapt his right hand to his left breast, and said, "Guilty, upon my honour, my Lord," as did all the rest of the peers. And the prisoners being again called to the bar, the Lord High Steward declared their resolutions: and they were ordered to be brought up on the 30th. at 11 o'clock in the morning to receive sentence.

Written notice was given them to bring what they might have to offer in arrest of judgment.-- There were 136 peers present."

It states there were 136 peers present, I am sure this would have been in the public gallery and that there was much interest in the trial as tickets were printed giving admission to the trials on the day .

The three were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered. The sentence was changed to beheading because of their noble rank. The Earl of Cromarty was pardoned after his wife petitioned King George.

The Earl of Kilmarnock and Lord Balmerino were beheaded on Tower Hill on the 18th August 1746, I hope to pick up and post more details in August.

[sparingiscaring]

Congrats on regaining cognition after a long headache episode! Those are baaadddd for focus 😔

What do your OCs do to wind down before sleeping

Yeah, I tried quitting caffeine cold-turkey... no. Just... no. Never again. I'll have a Less than Laudable Caffeine Habit for forever, to avoid that constant ache again.

Answer under the cut, to save space!

Eliza has the most stringent nighttime routine, and actually sleeps the best as a result. It always draws a bath (NORMALLY, not like. A certain other master who's name starts with a C) a two hours before it plans to sleep, and after that's done, it winds down in bed, always on the right side, and it journals. Never what it actually did that day, mind you - it knows better than to write down its crimes - but it's an easy last task, to write down some charming lies about it's day. It's always the last to bed.

Leigh, usually, reclines with a few pages of novel, but he's been having so many more nightmares as of late, due to the events of the Horticultural Show, and the memories it's drudged up. As of late, the only way he's been able to sleep is with the help of laudanum, usually taken with his last cup of tea for the night. He appreciates that it keeps the nightmares away, at least for that night.

Damodar should have the easiest time falling asleep, just as a side-effect of her work as a Silverer, but her anxieties get the better of her, and she turns to that work to wind down. Nothing major - mostly accounting, and the working out of what to bill her clients. Busywork is comforting for her. If things get REALLY bad, she'll pop over to her lab at the university, and sit at her desk as she settles grants and requests for certain funds - it's not uncommon to see her asleep a desk, pen still in hand, when the first research assistants enter that morning.

Wadiya has the most trouble sleeping, consistently. It's the darkness, always, that gets her - it makes every hair stand on end, no matter how long they live in this darkness. Not helpful that her most consistent lodgings are in the cellars of Old Newgate. Lighting a candle and watching it burn down is the best they can manage for winding down - it's a race against the clock, to fall asleep while it's still dark, if they want to do more than have a micronap.

Emery would say he has no ritual - he writes his dreadfuls in the waning hours until he tires, and then promptly falls into bed, but the writing process, however frantic he finds it, always gets those lasts bursts of energy of his system. If he were to stop, any semblance of a schedule would fall to ruin, as he'd start oscellating between extremely long days, then short ones. 36 hours one day, 12 the next, then another 32... it's for the best that he continue his morbid writings as his last activity before bed.

[the-clay-quarters]

🕑🌊!

🕐 Was there ever a time your OC would have given everything to turn back the clock 5 minutes? What happened?

Silverstein is boring here sorry. He doesn't really have any major regrets like that and ones he does have would take more than five minutes to fix.

Pembroke though? Five minutes was probably all she needed to not go to New Newgate, to have a potentially salvageable relationship with the last of her family, to have a means and a reason to return to the surface… Awful case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. She spent a good few months wishing it was different, doing everything with the goal of returning above -- she does eventually settle in and realise she's better off here now, but Jeez.

(I should really write up her pre-neath stuff at some point, tldr for this part: she worked with her uncle as travelling salesmen/merchants, business trip to the neath, uncle gets caught up in Some Shit without her knowing, she gets framed for it and goes to jail, he gets off scot free and goes back to the surface. Even after she gets over it, she'd still try and murder him if he ever came back.)

🌊 Has your OC ever seen the ocean? If not, do they want to? What do they think of it? Okay assuming the zee doesn't count-

Silverstein only knows the neath, so no. It's another thing on the list of "concepts londoners like to be reminiscent about" but not something he'd be particularly interested in -- mans does Not like getting wet and already has enough issues with the zee, thank you very much.

Pembroke has most likely seen the ocean! I'm still undecided on where exactly in England he's from but even so, he travelled around the country a lot before ending up in the neath and you can only go so far before ending up on the coast. He'd probably be the type to wade out in shorts to try to find fish and then later complain about salt water ruining his hair lmao

[Ask game]

[quinloki]

Family Ties

Fem Reader x Donquixote Doflamingo

CW: Language, violence, blood, moral ambiguity, murder, sexual themes and situations 18+ only

Chapter 1 - Table of Consent -

Chapter 16: Sincerity

People exploded out of the cars and all hell broke loose. You couldn't clock what was going on, you were trying your best just to stay conscious. At one-point Decken must've felt the pressure, because he yanks you up and pulls you against him. It wasn't a smart move, your legs weren't supporting you, the bat hit might've fractured your leg, and you had become deadweight. Not that you would've done anything to assist him in the first place.

The pressure on your leg makes you scream, and you feel the cold, hard jab of a gun barrel against your check. You consider trying to grab it from him, since he was stupid enough to press it right up against you like that, but your head is still fuzzy, and your damned arm was dislocated. It was more likely that you'd get yourself shot if you tried anything. Especially with so many potential rescuers around. You didn't want your sudden, sloppy moves to ruin someone else's careful plan.

It also became obvious to all your rescuers, just how injured you were, now that you were no longer being bodily shielded by two of Decken's men. You heard Pops and his boys' furious yelling reach an impressive pitch. You hear something about Decken needing to lower a gun, but your world is swimming.

Pops' booming voice fills the air over all the other noise. You knew he was bellowing, but you couldn't comprehend his words. Pop is intimidating when he bellows, you'd seen grown men wet themselves when he was just mildly displeased, and right now he is furious. And that loud fury was distracting, but Decken shouldn't have let himself be distracted by Pops.

Edward Newgate wasn't the most terrifying person here tonight.

You feel a warm wet splash against the back of your neck before you hear the sound of the bullet as it hits Decken, and after that you hear the sound of the shot that had been fired. It was funny how your mind processed stuff like that in the heat of things.

Everything seems to freeze, but it all happens in a split second. From the shot to the splash of hot blood on your skin. You only the barest knowledge that the blood wasn't yours. You are caught between relief and frustration; after what Decken had done to you, you had wanted to settle things directly.

You lacked the strength to do so right now, as Decken's body fell to the ground, so does yours. His weakened grasp was still enough to pull you onto him as he crumples, and as soon as you could, you twist to roll off him. You don't know if he's a corpse or not, you just didn't want to be in contact with him anymore.

The shot that took out Decken was like the start of a race. Pop and his boys devoured the members of Decken's crew, and they weren't polite enough to use guns. There was rage on their faces, and skilled fury behind their assault. It was a bloody mess, but the boys would be fine – they had the reach and mass and extra practice.

And their own metal pipes.

The people unlucky enough to be around you didn't see any mercy, but they had less of a fighting chance. Doflamingo and his crew did use guns, but they weren't finishing anyone off quick anymore. Bullets tore through people with cold accuracy – hands, feet, and knees exploded to bullets that refused to hit vitals or allow retreat. All you could manage was getting to your knees, but once you saw Doflamingo, it was like no one else was there.

Men fell around him like puppets getting their strings cut. His shades were on, but you knew he was looking at you as his family mercilessly executed his orders around him. When he was close enough, you smiled up at him weakly.

"You like dat suit?" You question as he kneels by you.

"Not sentimentally." He answers. There was a fury flowing off him, but it wasn't directed at you, and that made it comforting.

You chuckle weakly. The exchange was grounding in the midst of all the chaos. You cough, a mist of congestion and blood spattering onto the street before you point over to Decken.

"Still alive?"

"Not for much longer." Doflamingo answers, and you hear a sputter. Turning with Doffy's assistance, you realize that Decken was bleeding out from a neck wound. He hadn't gotten a clean death either, the hit was shallow enough he could've made it, if he was already on the way to the hospital, but deep enough that he wasn't going to staunch it with his hand.

There was a strange fury on Decken's face, hand over the wound, knelt on the ground. His eyes weren't focused on you, he was looking at Doflamingo.

You look around and see the gun in Doffy's hand. "Please." You request, reaching out for it.

He hands it over to you and you use his size and strength to stand up, leveling the gun at Decken. The street was silent, and the two gangs were watching you. You'd been on the outskirts of this kind of life ever since you were six. You had taken a life before in self-defense, some nameless nobody who thought he was going to get lucky, and Pops had covered the whole thing up.

There had been fury in your bones during that. Your fear had turned to rage, and no one had been there to stop you. You had stress fractures in your hands and all up your arms from how recklessly you had bludgeoned the man to death. Law had bellowed at you the whole time he was patching you up, you hadn't heard him so furious before or since.

Right now, there was no fury. You could stand here and watch him die, but you wanted to rip him apart. Not just for what he had done to you, but for his words. You lacked the strength to tear him limb from limb yourself, so this was the next best thing.

"You will never call someone kitten in that disgusting voice again," Your voice is heavy with the wounds of your body, and yet you're sure everyone heard you clearly. Decken starts to say something, his face taking on a look of surprise as he looks from Doflamingo to you. You think he truly believes you had loved him.

The hammer falls. The chain reaction from click to boom soars through the air and ends Decken's words and life by your will. You lower the gun, and try to keep your feet, but you don't have anything left in you anymore.

Dropping the gun, you sink into Doflamingo's arms. "Doc's gon' be mad." You murmur.

"Stay awake, (Y/N)." Doflamingo states. When you struggle to comply, this bastard grabs your dislocated arm and moves it. You grunt in pain, but it puts life back in your gaze. "Good girl. Keep talking, tell us what happened."

Doflamingo picks you up as you talk, recounting the entire series of events starting from your front door. Sabo rides with him in his SUV, so he can get the story firsthand for Pop's side of things, and you take the short drive to Law's clinic.

To keep yourself awake, you tell everything, even the thoughts you had while running. When you mention the casino, Doflamingo asks who you were talking about, Sabo answers him when you start fumbling with the name.

"Gild Tesoro."

"Winning big at the Gran isn't easy." Doflamingo states flatly.

"S'easier... when ya cheat." You admit.

"(Y/N)!" Sabo exclaims. You hadn't ever admitted to being anything but lucky for the last two years.

You wave him off, muttering. "The Gran turns over somethin' like 30 million in a day. I walked out with sixty measly grand. If anythin' he'd be more mad about the assault."

Sabo pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. He already knew the story from that point, but it always made him tense. Gild Tesoro wasn't above board in his dealings, and while he wasn't multi-national, his casino was on his own island. He was practically king there.

Doflamingo laughs. "You assaulted Gild, on his own island?" His laugh was pleasant, seeming to evaporate most of his earlier rage. You nod, and Doflamingo chuckles. "He's a business associate of mine, please refrain from assaulting him in the future, my dear."

"He insisted on dinner together and wouldn't take no for an answer." You explain, a little irritated. "He's lucky all I did was kick him in the bells."

"Mm." Doflamingo makes a sound, and a frown skips across his features again. "Keep talking, (Y/N), more about what happened tonight."

You got through most of the night, when you reached the clinic, you were talking about how Decken had said Tsumi had seen you receive a gift at Binks' carnival. You said you missed him cause you'd seen Smoker. Sabo knew what that meant, but you didn't have the mind to explain it further.

Law was outside the clinic waiting with a gurney. Robin, Zoro, Killer and Eustass were there too. Doflamingo laid you out on the gurney and Law started barking orders at everyone – and not just the four volunteers that came to help. He ordered Sabo, Doflamingo and Doffy's family around as well. He was impressive when he was in doctor mode.

Getting patched up without any painkillers was rough, but you needed to stay conscious because of the head wound. You started to tell dirty jokes to Law, but he threatened to start telling Doflamingo about the origin of every scar you had if you kept it up. Some were embarrassing enough that the threat worked. Instead, you just started telling terrible knock-knock jokes to whoever would react to them. They were really bad, but in your defense, you'd been hit over the head with a bat.

After everything was patched up, you were left to rest – still without sleeping – with just Doflamingo. Law had chased everyone else off and was in another part of the clinic, probably doing post-surgery stuff.

"Your intuition continues to amaze me," he says, sitting near enough to hold your hand. His shades were on top of his head and the expression on his face is gentle.

"Feels like it was a bit lacking tonight." You admit, looking down at your battered and bandaged body.

"It kept you alive." His eyes wander over the damage, and you could see something weighing on him, enough that you pull a sheet over yourself. The wounds didn't bother you, but the idea that he would feel responsible for them did.

"You might as well ask whatever's on your mind while you have me here." you say giving him a small smile. "I promise I won't lie."

"What's on my mind isn't a matter of requesting honesty from you, my dear." He begins. He lifts your hand up to his lips and kisses along your knuckles lightly, sighing into your hand before looking at you. His gaze was like being caught, and you were held by the weight of whatever was to come.

"This may feel rushed, but I want you near me. I want you safe within my estate, not in some duplex over 20 minutes away from me. At risk of compromising myself, I've wanted you to stay since I saw how naturally you interacted with the rest of my family."

Your heart skips. Suddenly all the concerns you had before felt exceptionally silly.

"... Are you asking me to date you, Donquixote Doflamingo?" You can feel the heat rising in your face, but you don't know how obvious it is under the wounds from earlier.

There was an edge to his gaze and his words, and you feel properly admonished by his next statement. "I was under the impression that we were already dating." He sighs, and his words bore into you as you realize he was nervous you would reject him, "I'm asking you to move in."

Your jaw goes slack as your face goes red and you pull the sheet up over yourself entirely. Your mind is running as fast as it's able and you let out a little whine. "I... am incredibly embarrassed. So, but, you mean... No, it makes sense. We, uh, certainly did do enough to be dating. I think I need to apologize."

You lower the blanket enough to be able to meet his eyes. "I had assumed you to be a player, Mr. Donquixote, and thought I would need to, uh, put forth additional effort before I could request exclusive rights to your time."

"I have never had more than one dalliance at a time," He states, and you could hear he was at least a little hurt to know you had assumed otherwise. His word choice also made you feel like Violet had filled him in on your conversation after the fact. "I have never asked any of them to stay and have allowed them all to leave as they pleased, whenever things weren't progressing by their standards." He stands up and leans over you, placing a hand on the far side of the pillow under your head to steady himself.

"I find that I do not want to let you slip out of my grasp." The emotion in his voice and eyes causes you to pull the bed sheet back up until all that was visible were your own eyes. "Your brusque nature and blunt manner of speech make it easy to know what's on your mind, and yet you can speak and dine with high society as though you'd spent your whole life within it. Impressive skills on their own, but hardly the tip of the iceberg with you."

He puts his hand over yours and gently pulls the sheets down. "You leaned on me without apology or reservation, and then carried the weight of resolving your predicament with your own hand. Even though you could've let him die by my actions and simply watched." Your full attention was held by his gaze and the sound of his voice.

"It is in love, and murder, that we are sincere." He states, breath tickling your lips as he leans closer. "And I adore your sincerity, (Y/N)."

The door swings open, and Law's grumpy voice fills the room. "If you go any further, you're going to compromise my patient's health." He states flatly. Doflamingo sat back in his chair as Law came over to the other side of the bed. He starts a checkup without warning, holding your eyes open and shinning a light a couple times until he's satisfied.

"How do you feel (Y/N)-ya?"

"Like someone who got their ass beat a couple hours ago." You quip.

"Aside from that."

"I haven't sat up, but I don't feel dizzy. Everything is in focus and clear, and while I'm sore as sin, nothing hurts so bad that I have concerns." You say, no longer being a brat with your response, and running down the list of things you'd heard Law ask patients before.

"Then sit up for me," he says looking over at Doflamingo. "Don't help her but catch her if she sways."

You do as he requests, and even though your body aches, your head remained un-dizzy.

"Christ-mas," you grunt, straightening up. "Did that asshole fracture my femur?"

"Hairline." Law says. "If I give you crutches, will you actually use them?"

"Yes." "Maybe." 

Doflamingo and you speak at the same time, and your face goes red. Law's relationship with Doffy seems to rise several levels in response.

"Crutches it is. If you can't be bothered, at least try to stay off it. Ice will help any swelling. Aside from the hairline fracture, have someone keep an eye on the gash on the back of your head. If it turns red or looks like anything it shouldn't, come back here. The stitches don't need removed, and I didn't need to use any staples."

He looks more at Doflamingo than you, "My bare minimum requirement is that you take two weeks off work to heal up, and four weeks off of Zoro's delivery job, but double on both would be best." Law looks at you and his gold eyes were almost angry. "You work sooner than two weeks, (Y/N)-ya and I'll remove your arms and legs myself."

You put your hands up in defeat. "Aye, aye, Captain. Two wee-" you hear Doflamingo clear his throat and you sigh. "Fine, three weeks, no work."

Law's eyes widen for a moment, and he looks between Doffy and you. "Huh." Was all he said before turning back to business at hand.

"You're well enough to get out of my clinic and sleep somewhere else." He taps a pen against Doffy's arm. "No work means no working out, either."

Doflamingo only put his hands up in a gesture of surrender but didn't say anything. The grin on his face left you with the impression that he was already thinking up loopholes.

You grin, "Since he'll be keeping me from working, I'll keep him in line doc." You assure him. You started to stretch but pain zinges through your body. You swear under your breath, having every movement ache was aggravating and it was going to be weeks before nothing hurt again.

Law tosses a bottle to Doflamingo as he's leaving the room. "They're not addictive, but more than two a day and she might start speaking in tongues."

You reach for the bottle, but Doffy moves it out of your reach before putting it in his pocket. Standing up, he picks you up carefully. It hurts to be moved, but it hurt less than trying to move yourself, so you don't argue about it.

"Food first, you can take one before you sleep." His voice rumbles against you as he carries you out of the clinic.

You were a little surprised to see Doffy's entire family waiting outside for you, minus Sugar, Violet and Monet. They didn't say anything, but you felt emotions welling up in your chest, threatening to spill out of your eyes. It reminded you of when Pops had brought you into his home and introduced you to his sons, though this vibe was a little different. With Pops and his boys you felt like you had been rescued, with Doflamingo and his family you felt like you'd been adopted.

You ended up in the back of an SUV, still in Doffy's arms, listening to the people who'd ended up in the same vehicle along with you. Vergo was driving, Trebol, Diamante and Pica were in other seats. They were updating Doflamingo on how things had gone afterward.

The two families had banded together to clean the proof of the slaughter off the streets, inside the business-turned-storage building, and even out into the alley where you'd had your first little scuffle. No one from Decken's crew that had been there had survived the night, and between Pop and Doffy's families, no one from Decken's crew was going to survive the weekend either.

Snuggled into his chest you drifted off to sleep, there were no worries left to keep you awake on the drive.

[husheduphistory]

Hammersmith: A Haunting, A Hoax, and a Tragic Hunt

The calendar page had barely turned over to the new year and twenty-nine-year-old Francis Smith was experiencing one of the worst times of his life. He sat before the court positively morose for what he had done. On that awful night of January 3rd 1804 he immediately surrendered to the constable, deeply regretting how it all unfolded. Now all he could do was plead for mercy and understanding. After all, at that moment he truly believed he was acting on behalf of the entire borough when he shot the gun.

Over the course of twelve months the West London district of Hammersmith fell into a state of apprehension and deep fear. It all began when a man committed suicide by slashing his own throat and, in a move that went against all rule and beliefs, he was buried in the consecrated ground of the churchyard ensuring that his soul would never find peace. It was after this controversial burial that people began to report seeing a figure, draped in a white shroud, appearing throughout Hammersmith. Surely this had to be the tormented spirit of the man who committed suicide and was then committed to sacred ground. What other explanation could there be? If the incidents remained as ghostly sightings it may have never progressed beyond a simple haunted tale, but the encounters got violent, and then people allegedly began to die. A brewer’s servant named Thomas Broom later told how he was walking through the churchyard with a friend one night when he was suddenly grabbed violently by the throat. It was only when his friend turned to see what happened that he claimed the specter “gave me a twist round, and I saw nothing; I gave a bit of a push out with my fist, and felt something soft, like a great coat.” Another pair of stories alleged that an elderly woman and a pregnant woman both encountered the malevolent spirit on separate occasions near the churchyard and they were both so terrified that when they returned home they could not leave their beds, dying there a few days later. 

An image of the Hammersmith Ghost attacking a woman. Image via  The Newgate Calendar, Part III (1826), http://www.exclassics.com/newgate/ngconts.htm.

The people of Hammersmith were scared but some were also skeptical, believing this was not a ghost, but a cruel and devious human being. Ghost or human, either way their reign of terror had to be stopped. At this point Hammersmith did not have a formal police force so in order to protect the people some of its own citizens began patrolling the streets after dark. One of these men guarding the night was Francis Smith, armed with a shotgun, and another was night watchman William Girdler. On the night of January 3rd at approximately 10:30pm Girdler ran into Smith and told him that later that night he would meet up with him and they would look for the ghost together. Girdler knew what he was looking for after all, only a few days earlier on December 29thhe  saw the ghost and chased him down but the figure disappeared into the darkness.

Engraving of the Hammersmith Ghost appearing in  Kirby's Wonderful and Scientific Museum circa 1804. Image via Wikipedia.

Another man walking the streets that night was thirty-two year old bricklayer Thomas Millwood. He was visiting with his sister, mother, and father and as the clock moved closer to 11pm he stood up, said goodnight to his parents, and prepared to head back home for the evening. His sister Anne watched him walk away from the door. She wished he had listened to her and worn something over his work clothes of linen pants, a waistcoat, and an apron. They were recently washed and glowed bright white in the darkness. He had already been mistaken for the notorious Hammersmith Ghost at least twice before but he met any accusation with a scoff.

Within minutes she heard the voice, “Damn you. Who are you and what do you want? I’ll shoot you if you don’t speak.” Then she heard the gunshot.

Anne ran out into the dark and before long she made the horrifying discovery of her brother laying in the road, dead in a pool of blood, with his face mauled by a bullet. She was not alone with her brother, already with his body was nearby wine merchant John Locke, William Girdler, and Francis Smith. What happened spilled out of their mouths and fell into place quickly. Locke heard the gunshot and soon afterwards Smith rushed up to him, severely distressed, and told him he had just shot a man and asked him to go back to the scene with him. After they got back to Millwood’s body they were quickly joined by Girdler and Anne Millwood. When the constable arrived at the scene Smith accepted full responsibility for what happened. He was taken to Newgate Prison to await trial and the body of Thomas Millwood was taken to Black Lion Inn where it was examined by a surgeon who determined that the bullet went through his jaw and hit his spinal cord killing him instantly.

Smith’s trial began one week later and it might have seemed like a fairly straightforward case. He did admit to shooting Millwood, but it was not that simple. Despite taking responsibility for Millwood’s death, Smith entered a plea of Not Guilty based on his account that he felt he was not hunting an actual ghost, but a person acting as a ghost and terrorizing Hammersmith. When he saw the white figure he knew he was facing a man and he called out to him twice, telling him to name himself. When he did not stop or speak Smith said he became fearful for his life because the figure kept approaching him. He shot, but did not aim to kill, it was just an all around unfortunate accident. There were no witnesses to the crime so heavy reliance was placed on the few who arrived at the scene. Locke stated that when Smith met him and asked him to accompany him back to Millwood he was genuinely distraught and horrified at what happened. Several others testified about Smith’s honesty, integrity, and all-around good character. The only voice that spoke of any faults came from Anne Millwood who told the court that Smith shot so quickly after calling out for her brother’s name that there was no way he could have responded in time.

Illustration of the encounter between Smith and Millwood. Image via crimemagazine.com.

Smith had people vouching for him, but the judge Lord Chief Baron Macdonald was hearing none of it. He addressed his jury and plainly explained that there was no gray area here, that it was either murder or it was not. Smith went out into the night carrying a gun which spoke to his intent to harm someone. Millwood was simply walking home when he met his end. In the judge’s eyes this was not self-defense and Millwood was doing nothing to warrant Smith shooting his gun. According to him, it did not matter who Smith intended to hunt down. It also did not matter if Millwood was deliberately dressed as a ghost to scare the residents of Hammersmith, that offence did not deserve being shot. According to the judge no matter how the situation was spun, it occurred because of malice and this was why Smith must be found guilty of murder.  

Surprisingly, the jury did not go along with the judge’s advice and when they returned it was with a verdict of guilty, but guilty of manslaughter. This was not accepted by Lord Chief Baron Macdonald and his fellow judges once again reminded the jury that they could not find Smith guilty of manslaughter, because it was not a possible outcome when the choices were either guilty of murder or acquitted of murder. Once again the jury consulted with each other and finding no other option, they returned with their verdict: Francis Smith was guilty of murder.

With the verdict came the sentence. Smith was sentenced to death by hanging followed by dissection the following Monday. Inconsolable, Smith had to be held up and carried from the court.

However, as hard-lined as Lord Chief Baron Macdonald was he was well aware of the public opinion that Smith did not deserve to be sentenced as a cold blooded killer. He added “The case gentlemen shall be referred to His Majesty immediately” to his judgement. This gave Smith one more chance, when a case was brought before the King he had the ultimate power to override and change the sentence. For Smith, those few words from Lord Chief Baron Macdonald saved his life. Before the sun rose the next morning his sentence was reduced to one year imprisonment with hard labor.

The Black Lion Inn, where Thomas Millwood’s body was taken and where Smith allegedly spent time before the shooting. Image via Wikipedia.

The Hammersmith Ghost, the terrifying being who attacked innocent citizens and was allegedly responsible for suffering, turmoil, and even death, was never heard from again. This is because two days after the death of Thomas Millwood the ghost came forward. A local shoemaker named John Graham admitted that he was the Hammersmith Ghost and that he had been dressing up as the specter to scare his apprentices as an act of revenge because they had been scaring his children with ghost stories. Graham surrendered to the authorities, but because there was no clear legal guidance on this situation he was set free on bail and all traces of him disappeared from record.

Francis Smith was given a full pardon on July 14th 1804.

While the haunting hoax promptly ended, the Hammersmith Ghost trial had far reaching implications when it exposed that there was very little defined in law when it came to people who acted out in a scenario where they believed action was required and carried out under good intentions or when the person acting out misread the situation. Did mistaken belief warrant a criminal charge? Smith was responsible for the death of Millwood, but he believed he was acting against someone who was bringing terror to the people of Hammersmith. The scenario would be brought up in a number of legal cases until it was finally settled in 1983 with the case of Regina v Williams during which the Court of Appeal finally clarified that:

“In a case of self-defence, where self-defence or the prevention of crime is concerned, if the jury came to the conclusion that the defendant believed, or may have believed, that he was being attacked or that a crime was being committed, and that force was necessary to protect himself or to prevent the crime, then the prosecution have not proved their case. If however the defendant’s alleged belief was mistaken and if the mistake was an unreasonable one, that may be a peaceful reason for coming to the conclusion that the belief was not honestly held and should be rejected. Even if the jury come to the conclusion that the mistake was an unreasonable one, if the defendant may genuinely have been labouring under it, he is entitled to rely upon it.”

In 1804 the people of Hammersmith were living in fear of a supernatural entity. This ghost story is still told, but not in front of campfires or on gloomy nights when the veil feels thin. The Hammersmith Ghost died in the same moment as Tom Millwood and today it is carried on not as a spine-chilling story about West London, but as a cautionary tale and a legal precedent that hung over the courts and haunted law practitioners for almost two centuries before it was finally laid to rest.

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

Sources:

The Case of the Murdered Ghost 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3364467.stm

The Hammersmith Ghost and the Strange Death of Thomas Millwood by Martin Baggoley http://www.crimemagazine.com/hammersmith-ghost-and-strange-death-thomas-millwood

The Case of a Ghost Haunted England for Over Two Hundred Years by Kelly Buchanan https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2015/10/the-case-of-a-ghost-haunted-england-for-over-two-hundred-years/

The Time Someone Shot A Ghost Dead In Hammersmith by Jane Alexander https://londonist.com/london/features/hammersmith-ghost-story-murder

[ellinapark]

Luxury Watches for Men Market is Booming Worldwide | Gaining Revolution In Eyes of Global Exposure

Latest edition released by AMA on Global Luxury Watches for Men Market to regulate the balance of demand and supply. This intelligence report on Luxury Watches for Men includes Investigation of past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. Data True to market on the products, strategies and market share of leading companies of this particular market are mentioned. It’s a 360-degree overview of the global market’s competitive landscape. The report further predicts the size and valuation of the global market during the forecast period. Some of the key players profiled in the study are:

Audemars Piguet (Switzerland)

AcuRite (United States)

SDI Technologies (United States)

Brookpace Lascelles (United Kingdom)

Newgate Clocks (United Kingdom)

Rolex (United Kingdom)

The White Company (United Kingdom)

Westclox clocks (United States)

La Crosse Technology (United States)

Citizen (Japan)

Seiko (Japan)

Emerson Radio Corporation (United States)

Oregon Scientific (United States)

Philips Electronics (Netherlands)

Swatch Group (Switzerland)

Richemont (Switzerland)

Fossil (United States) Luxury watches are so much more than simple accessories; they’re wearable works of art. They offer fashion and function to the consumers for years with sophisticated designs and precise manufacturing. The rising inclination of people towards the luxury lifestyle is fuelling the demand for the global luxury watches for men market in the forecast period. Increasing online shopping is the major trend for the consumer goods market and has led to significant growth in the luxury watches for men market over the forecast period. Market Trends: Various Top Players are Launching Innovative Watch Design Every Year

Rising Popularity of Vintage Watches Especially Among Watch Connoisseurs

Adoption of Online Sales Channels

Opportunities: Surging Demand for Sport Watches

Innovations in Digital Watches

Market Drivers: Increasing Penchant for Luxury Watches and Rising Adoption of Smartwatches

Rise in Disposable Income and Burgeoning Upper Middle Class in Various Developing Economies Such as India, China, and Others

Challenges: Excessive Presence of Counterfeit Products

Presented By

AMA Research & Media LLP

[celticbarb]

Book: A Killer in the Crystal Palace

Author: Deb Marlowe

Series: The Kier and Levett Mystery, Book #1

Publisher: Dragonblade

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Stars

This is the first book that centers around a Great Exhibition that is ahead of its time and displays much technology ahead of its time.

London 1851

In the Kier and Levett Mystery series, it centers on Miss Kara Levett The attractive and intelligent daughter of a baron and an exhibitor herself, she happily demonstrates her intricate detailed automatons and case clocks and wows the crowds. So intelligent she is not a woman looking for a husband, sitting at home doing needlepoint, or creating dinners menu’s and household chores for her staff. No, this woman was discovering and creating things that no one else has ever done before.

The problem is she is a woman and many of the all male merchants are jealous of her amazing talents and want her out of The Great Exhibition period. They use the sorry excuse she is female, as if being men make them smarter and better which is simply not the case. Feeling this should only be a men’s only club and a woman should not be allowed in at all! Except for one man by the name Niall Kier, who is very impressed by Miss Levett’s amazing talent and feels she deserves to be part of the Great Exhibition as any man. To Niall, it’s about the talent not who did the work, of course he’s not a stuffy Englishman either!

Niall Kier’s homeland is Scotland and his trade is a blacksmith and he also creates and forges amazing pieces. Therefore making iron broches plus creating this breathtaking piece with enormous gates designing a thistle. A thistle became Scotland's national flower and emblem in the 13th century by King Alexander III. However he became the one man who is impressed by Kara Levett’s skills and intelligence of this sweet English rose. He also seems to be her champion and gets her in The Great Exhibition much quicker then if she did this on her own.

Now Kara did notice a one armed man was watching her intensely but the next time she sees him he has her arm automaton and is dead. Well all the jealous merchants at the Crystal Palace are already accusing her of murder it was a quick way to disqualify her from the exhibition! Her creation had not been made for a human man; it was only created for her display. Of course it makes her the prime suspect and Scotland Yard is not helping at all. Furthermore they do not know anything about this man, not even his name. The only one believing her is Niall as the others are accusing her just to get her out of the exhibition which really turns Niall’s stomach. As these men don’t care about ending an innocent woman's life just to remove her from the Exhibition. It was absolutely cruel, callous and ruthless, so Niall becomes her champion and becomes Kara’s only defender yet will it be enough?

Do Niall and Kara become partners looking for the true assailant and murderer? Yet time is of the essence and Scotland Yard just wants to wrap it up quickly not caring if they have the right assailant or not. What everyone doesn’t know is Niall has some secrets of his own and they are running out of time. Can Niall keep Kara safe or is she off to Newgate? Read this fascinating novel and find out!

This is the first book in “The Kier and Levett Mystery” which will have you wondering who did this ghastly crime of murder. There are many clues within this story but which is the correct one? It is definitely a who done it type of novel that will have readers glued to their seats!

Deb Marlowe wrote a brilliant murder mystery I couldn’t put down. Historical mystery readers will absolutely love this story from start to finish. I can’t wait for the next book in this exhilarating story. There were times I couldn’t help but get chills due to the realism of this fantastic story. A book I look forward to reading again as it was that great! A book I highly recommend!

I received a complimentary ARC copy from Dragonblade Publishing through Netgalley. I voluntarily agreed to read, review and blog an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts, ideas and opinions are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Crystal-Palace-Levett-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BQ4HMQ56

[dr-trafalgar-law]

Trafalgar Law X CisFem Reader

4

Your first night with Azul was not what you expected. It had been a long time since you had a puppy in the house. So long you forgot how much sleep gets lost. On top of being a pup she was still recovering from surgery and coming down off the pain medication before her next dose was due was difficult. The nights that followed seemed easier but perhaps you were just lost in your delirium. 

You stood at the coffee maker in the break room. 

"Are you trying to use your mind-yoi?" 

"Hmm?" you looked up at your boss as he glanced between you and the machine. 

"Oh, F/N… are you ok?"

Before you could answer he'd already switched into doctor mode, placing his hand on your forehead and looking over your clammy, paler than usual face. You thought you'd successfully covered the deep circles under your eyes - but apparently not. 

"Wha-?" you muttered, slowly registering what was happening, "I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just Azul…" a huge yawn interrupted you, making Marco chuckle.

"Ah, side effects of a puppy in recovery-yoi. Should I have Shachi help Chopper up front today so you can go home and rest?"

"No, it's ok. I'm fine really." you insisted. 

"She's sick?" Dr. Trafalgar questioned flatly, entering the room. 

"Just a little exhaustion-yoi."

"She should go home then," the other doctor murmured glancing over you and turning back to Marco. 

"I'm right here, ya know." you pouted, "I can't go home anyway - the reason I'm so tired lives with me now." 

"Just board her then-yoi. She's familiar with the staff." the blonde suggested. 

"I don't want her to think I've abandoned her." 

The slightest hint of amusement crossed the tattooed doctor's lips. 

"And we need to get used to each other." you added finally pressing the start button on the coffee machine. 

"Take a nap in overnight's office at least. I can't have my receptionist toppling over at the front desk." Dr. Newgate ordered. 

"Ok, ok. The phones quiet down between two and three. I'll have Chopper fly solo for an hour." 

Marco nodded moving to make his own cup of coffee while Law grabbed a can of tea from the fridge and exited quietly. Abandoning your coffee in the fridge for later, you made your way upfront to give Chopper the rundown. 

The overnight office was small and cold, perfect for an afternoon nap. There was a bunk bed against the back wall with a nightstand, an alarm clock and a touch lamp. The left side of the room was lined with shelves and storage bins, while the right was plastered with VetMed memes. 

You shut the door and pulled fresh blankets off the shelf before kicking off your shoes and getting comfortable on the bottom bunk. It really didn't take long to fall asleep once you got cuddled up. 

The sound of cardboard shuffling and crashing to the floor startled you. 

"Shit." The curse was so soft you thought you might've dreamt it. 

Yawning, you sat up as Trafalgar turned to pick up the box with a frustrated sigh. 

"Can I help ya with something doc?"

"That's - I didn't come in here to wake you up."

You pushed the blanket aside and stretched,"But you look like you need help." 

He reached into his scrub pocket retrieving a battery as you tapped the bedside lamp to brighten the room. 

"Where can I get this?" he redirected his gaze while you fixed your hair and slipped into your shoes. 

"What size?" you asked, stepping toward him. 

"Size?" he looked back at you confused before processing what'd you'd asked.

"Yeah," you chuckled, taking it from him, "your hands are huge, I couldn't tell if it was a double or triple A."

There was an awkward moment of silence while his ears began to burn. It was just a moment of confusion. He obviously knew batteries came in different sizes. But now he felt so stupid for pausing and you just chuckled it off like you always did. 

"We keep them in IMed*. I can show you." you offered with a small smile. 

"I have an appointment to get to." he murmured gruffly before excusing himself. 

You stood there alone with the battery in your hand not even knowing how many or for what device he needed. 

"What are you doing back here-yoi?" your boss asked as you stepped into his treatment area, "It has barely been 45 minutes."

Opening the drawer under the desk next to him you rummaged around for the box of double A batteries, "Doctor T couldn't find these." 

"So he woke you up?" The amount of outrage in his usually calm voice was almost flattering. 

"He really didn't mean to. He thought we kept them in the back office and dropped a box. Poor guy was so embarrassed he just walked out." you laughed, easing Marco's frustration. 

After collecting what you needed you made your way to Law's office. The mouse on his desk was turned upside down with the battery removed. You replaced it and set the extra you'd brought with you next to his keyboard.

"Here's a spare!" You wrote on a small post-it. 

On your way back to the lobby you stopped at the break room to retrieve your now cold coffee from the fridge. 

Chopper wasn't alone long but he had managed very well on his own. You were still tired but had enough of a nap to be able to focus on work. Luckily the afternoon picked up and you didn't have the down time to think about sleep. 

As you were preparing to close for the day and get Azul ready to go, your extension rang. 

"What's up?" you answered assuming it was one of the technicians. 

"Thank you, F/N-ya." Law's voice was soft and low. 

"Oh - uh right… the battery." you stammered feeling a little rush in your chest. 

"Yes, and I put some CBD chews in the bag hanging on Azul's kennel. That should help her wind down at night."

"Thanks doc, ya didn't have to do all that." you smiled resting the receiver against your shoulder while you powered the computer down. 

"No worries. Enjoy your evening." 

"Yeah, you too." you replied brightly. 

The last few interactions you'd had with Law were almost painfully awkward. Well, more so than usual. He was already not a very social human and reserved most of his politeness and niceties for the clients. Though on more than a few occasions someone complained that he was too cold and straight forward. All of that was fine with you until recently - you didn't have to speak with him often. Now one of his patients belonged to you. 

Perhaps you'd end up bonding with him after all. 

*Internal Medicine 

[downtoearthmarkets]

Summer evening happy hours spent at home are a great opportunity to get in touch with your inner mixologist and express some creative liquid license after the clock strikes 5:00pm. When it comes to whipping up inventive cocktails and mocktails in the comfort of your own kitchen, your tabula rasa doesn’t have to be limited to deciding on the type of drink to prepare and the glassware to serve it in. In fact, the key to elevating your summertime libations, and making them look and taste that much more fabulous, is the addition of artful and appetizing garnishes. Here are some suggestions for incorporating the bounty of seasonal produce currently available in the farmers market into your next round of drinks while introducing a dash of nutritional goodness to boot.

Bloody Mary Skewers Bloody marys have a long and rich history of glamourous and next-level garnish. A Parisian bartender named Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the bloody mary in 1921 when he spontaneously poured vodka and tomato juice together with a spritz of lemon juice. A celery stick was allegedly added to the mix after a bartender in Chicago forgot to give a patron a swizzle stick and grabbed a nearby stem of celery to stir the drink with. Since that defining moment, this brunchtime cocktail favorite has gone on to sport a range of over-the-top garnishes such as bacon, pizza, deep-fried chicken and even entire cheeseburgers.

As a fan of all things savory and spicy, I’ve been a longtime connoisseur of bloody marys and have enjoyed them in many iterations and with many different garnishes. However, my all-time favorite is a virgin version made with Clamato (clam juice and tomato juice combo) that pairs beautifully with a poached shrimp skewer. Not only can it be classified as healthy, especially when served with little to no alcohol, it goes to bat by satisfying your deepest umami cravings.

To assemble the seafood garnish, simply thread the following ingredients onto a long (6-8”) skewer which you can either immerse in the drink or artfully balance across the rim for extra aesthetic oomph:

2 poached shrimp (P & S Seafood)

1-2 pimento stuffed olives (Dr. Pickle)

1 fresh cherry tomato (Newgate Farms)

1 whole pepperoncini pepper (Dr. Pickle)

Cucumber Ribbons Refreshing cucumbers enter the farmers market by early August and you can easily find them at farmstalls through late October. Cucumber ribbons will add an overtone of freshness, visual effect and pop of color to an array of summery cocktails such as gin & tonics, vodka collins, mojitos and Pimm’s cups. You can use them to line the inside of a glass, twist them into spirals and swirls, weave them together, snake them onto a cocktail pick and much more. Aside from the cucumber itself, a paring knife and standard potato peeler are all you need to make these pretty cocktail-enhancing ribbons:

Trim both ends from a whole cucumber with the paring knife.

Peel a sliver of skin from the cucumber and discard.

Along the same path, peel again, down the length of the cucumber. You should get a long tongue-shaped strip that has dark green skin running down both sides and pale green flesh in the middle.

Repeat until you reach the seeds (which you want to avoid), turn the cucumber, and repeat on the other sides. Discard the core.

Flavored Ice Flavored ice cubes, or ‘designer ice cubes’ as they’re being referred to amongst trendsetters, have taken social media platforms by storm this summer! The hashtag #flavoredicecubes has thousands of views on TikTok with instructional videos like this one accruing over a million likes. Despite the garnished hype, it’s really quite simple to transform standard frozen cubes from boring to brilliant. Simply purchase some summer fruit such as strawberries, peaches, melon, blueberries, apples, blackberries and raspberries at the farmers market. Chop up larger fruit into smaller pieces, fill around fifty percent of each ice tray cavity with fruit, pour enough water over the tray to fill it, cover the tray and place it in the freezer. Leafy fresh herbs such as basil, sage and mint as well as sprigs of rosemary and thyme can also be used to create beautifully artful cubes. Voila, you’ve made your very own designer ice! Drop your flavor infused cubes into a chilled glass of rosé, summery spritz, or whichever cocktails and mocktails they pair best with, and enjoy!

[dragonofthedepths]

9/100 (9th of June 2021)

Written/posted for the #100daysofwriting challenge by @the-wip-project Structure as offense and characterization as defense, or the other way around. Is this something you think about? Do you have other metaphors when you think about your stories and how they work?

Nope, I don’t do sports at all. And no, at least none that I use more than once out of the blue and immediately forget about afterward.

Outlines for the blurps posted yesterday!: 

Fukaboshi timetravel Intelligence Agent.  23.5.21 The Crown Prince of Fishman island went missing when he was an infant, The reason for this is that little timetraveling baby Fukaboshi took off almost as soon as he was born in order to get as much of a head start on the many things that need doing as he could, and drawing from his future Haki and his King’s (Luffy’s) Will made it all the way across Paradise in time to watch Roger’s execution. By the time canon swings around Fukaboshi has succeeded in accomplishing as much as could possibly be expected and has laid the groundwork for a fair bit more, and become a highly secretive and sought after (and therefore endangered) informant in the information wars of the black market, with a habit of popping in unexpectedly on both Shanks and Fisher Tigar.

And We Would Be Diminished                                22.5.21 Luffy dimension hop v Shirohige. Inspired by a One Piece fic I read a long time ago and have no idea how to find again. Nothing is going well, chaos is everywhere, the world is on the brink of aimless collapse, WG is out of ideas and tries summoning the strongest person from another world to see if they could be convinced to help. It’s Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy. He does not help them. He does run off and begin causing incredible amounts of trouble as he waits for his crew to find a way to blast open a hole to this universe and come get him. (Luffy knows that he and his crew exist in this universe, he also knows it doesn’t matter. They are... diminished, somehow. He can feel it.) All the Mugiwara kind of... mentally failed in this universe. They made a bad decision, took a turn they shouldn’t have, and didn’t become what they could have been. Jinbei gave into hatred back when he was still a guard, so he never became as close with the royal family, and he sided with Arlong and left with him so he never became a Shichibukai and is much weaker. Whatever Sora took to make Sanji normal didn’t work, and he’s exactly like his brothers. Brook probably died somehow. Not sure if Luffy failed before or after he got the Strawhat but I’m leaning toward after because then it can match the "if something went wrong" drawings Oda did for what Luffy would look like in the future, and I kinda want him to still have the first three on his crew whoever they’re hanging around being useless. Ect. ect.

Shichibukai timetravel.                                 24.5.21 All seven original Shichibukai unexplainably come back in time from somewhere vaguely between the current manga and Luffy becoming the pirate King to mildly pre-canon. This happens in the middle of a Shichibukai meeting when they were all stuck in a room at a table together somewhere at Navy HQ and the tension was already high. Then they kind of blink for a second as they all get their memories back, then all hell breaks loose at once as Moria has a breakdown (he died), Jinbei attacks a suddenly cackling Doflamingo and Hancock backs him up (a member of Luffy’s crew, Luffys enemy who’s an evil nutcase, Luffy’s self-proclaimed wife), Crocodile and Mihawk both cause massive damage to property and personnel on their way out (Mihawk is the one who ends up having to pause to explain that they’re all from the future, and as at the point they’re from they’ve been fired none of them feel at all like sticking around to continue playing by the military’s rules when they know it’s just waiting to backstab them.), and Kuma just up and leaves in what would probably normally be a very notable manner but is a little hard to notice with all the other chaos going on (Revolutionary who just got the last of his free will back).

Marco reincarnation pain.                               23.5.21 Inspired by a fic I read recently that I could probably find a link to if given the time. Centuries have passed, everyone has reincarnated time and time again without their memories except for Marco who has just lived through everything as an immortal. Some groups find eachother again and again like the ASL and the Mugiwara (you challenge Luffy’s King status to any of the Mugiwara and they will bite your head off even if they’ve never met any of the others this lifetime, this is something Marco knows well) but for some reason the Shirohige never do, which brings Marco incredible pain. The only other person who keeps their memories is Luffy (and possibly Roger), so when the Shirohige randomly all get their memories of their canon life and forget to broadcast this fact to Marco with no idea it’s been hundreds of lifetimes since then as they reform and attempt to drag him into the middle of this he has a breakdown and seeks out the second Pirate King as has been his go-to for a good many lifetimes now.

Sabo is bad at being a Tenryūbito         ? >2021 Yeah long story but Sabo is a Tenryūbito not just a noble and something happens to Marco and the Shirohige don’t know what or where or if he’s alive, Tenryūbito!Sabo spots him in bird form in a cage in Mariejois and clocks that that is Ace’s crewmate Shirohige’s crew and oh shit that needs to be fixed and is still panicking when he gets to Sabaody where he sees a random female member of the Shirohige and panic-announces that he’s going to marry her because then she’ll have to come to Mariejois and she can see Marco and tell Shirohige and they can come rescue him and this works except for the part where he forgot that she’d be living with him and he spends the better part of a fortnight doing a very bad job of pretending to be a normal Tenryūbito until he just gives up and just blatantly takes a pipe and goes into his massive forest room and kills and cooks and eats a crocodile like the feral forest child he is. Then the Shirohige get there and they sneak in through his house and that’s how Ace finds out that Sabo is alive he was just recaptured by his parents. 

[lapinlunaire-games]

London, 1868: metropolis of vice, mighty host to the whirl and rush of humanity (among others), and now...the scene of a murder most foul. The verdict of this trial will decide the future of Fantastics and Mundanes alike, for calm or chaos—which way will you tip the scale? 

Announcing The Harrowed & the Hushed, a historical low fantasy interactive fiction game centered around the scandal-steeped murder of one of London’s most famous singers and socialites.

Play as a private investigator tasked with solving the most high-profile murder of the century to prove your client’s innocence, keep your own sordid past buried where it belongs, and preserve (or tear down) the mystical Veil that keeps the supernatural world of Fantastics from being exposed to Mundane humans. If you’re so inclined, woo or woe the eccentric sorts you come across in your quest for the truth—or perhaps find romance a bit closer. 

Either way, the clock is ticking for you and your client, and there simply isn’t room for any more blood on your hands.

Years ago, the grisly murders of two civilians shook England to its core; Fantastic and Mundane headlines alike augmented the feverish terror gripping the nation while their pages recorded every sensational detail of London’s bloodiest scene. In the end, a crowd gathered outside Newgate Prison to see the murderers hang — all except one. After a trial unprecedented in length and duress, your impassioned argument of innocence earned you a dubious mitigation: instead of execution, your fate was something beyond death. The Council called it mercy. You beg to differ. 

The Hushing severed your connection to magic, leaving you unable to grasp what had once flowed through your veins like wind over water. You can still feel it: a constant, aching reminder of what you once had, thrumming under your skin like the whisper of a lost love and always just out of reach. You may have been spared the gallows, but you died that day—and the Hushed One was born.

Cast out of the Fantastic world with little option but to adapt to your newfound Mundane life, you soon discovered that the Hushing also altered your ability to interact with the Veil, allowing you to walk between both worlds at the price of being able to truly belong to either. The only living testament to the horrors and hotly debated ethics of Hushing, you’ve tried to live a quiet life since, setting up a small private investigation practice to pay the bills and stave off the grief and guilt that still haunts you. It’s mostly cracking petty theft and confirming affair partners—not the most glorious work in the world, but at least you know what to expect.

That is, until a murder uncannily similar to the one that led to your Hushing unleashes new chaos on London and the prime suspect in the Fantastic investigation lands on your doorstep with a plea to help him prove his innocence before he meets a death sentence—or worse, the same fate as you.

There’s just one question left to ask: what will you call mercy?

Create a fully customizable character, selecting name, gender, and pronouns in addition to a custom appearance

Choose one of six original Fantastic ancestries and discover how the Hushing affected your origins

Navigate Victorian London and explore the Fantastic hidden in plain sight among the Mundane as you unravel the mysteries coiling beneath the city’s bustling surface

Encounter seven unique companion characters and choose to bestow affection, animosity, or all of the above! All romance is completely optional; H&H recognizes platonic love (and hate, you do you)

Uncover an eighth mystery companion character

Discover clues, postulate, and solve the murder that has London in its most feverish tizzy since the examination of a certain Lady Flora Hastings

Take a stance on the mystical Veil and work to protect it — or tear it down

Pet a cat! (LapinLunaireGames is not responsible for cases of virtual rabies, general infection, or other side effects. Player discretion advised.)

A. Gordon (gender selectable: she/her | he/him; Mundane) -  The Faithful Friend | Born into a wealthy landed family, A cut ties with the Gordon family line as a teenager (whether this is more accurately described as a departure or a disowning depends on who you ask). Now your partner in...well, in solving crime, A’s resolve is tied to the hopes of one day breaking down class barriers and the crooked system they witnessed growing up. Your relationship is a comfortable one, built on mutual trust...and a silent, shared understanding that some secrets are better buried. 

Ailbhe (they/them; fae) - The Body Politic | Solemn and steel-spined, Ailbhe is the youngest Magistratus ever appointed to the Albion Investigative Council. Born at the exact midpoint of the vernal equinox, Ailbhe took the symbolism of their birthday to heart, fostering a deep-seated passion for upholding justice and rising as something of a prodigy through the ranks of Fantastic law. Though the social pressures that rest upon their shoulders are great, no burden is heavier than the pressure they insist on leveling upon themselves. Witnessing your Hushing firsthand the sentencing of the Hushed One began to brew conflict in their heart about the morality of such a punishment and the right of the courts to wield such a dreadful power. Now...the maelstrom of controversy and murder spinning through London is stirring up that doubt to new heights.

Catherine Hartsworth (she/they; Mundane) - The Dastardly Diva |  A rising star in London's social scene, Catherine is was the murder victim's biggest rival for the limelight. The prime suspect in the Mundane side of the investigation, Catherine's reputation as a cutthroat competitor with the sweetest smile in all of England isn't exactly helping her case. The picture of sophistication, Catherine enjoys an impeccable public image, even if half the rumours swirling around them paint a lurid portrait of hedonistic soirées, perfidy, and controversial bedfellows.

Imric Jennings (he/him; Mundane) - The Charming Rival | Scotland Yard's jauntiest Detective Sergeant and your self-proclaimed rival, Imric sees your business as a potential partnership that would allow him to...circumvent the blustery paperwork and red tape that so often delays what he considers vital steps in his own investigations. A staunch believer in logic and pragmatism for whom the end nearly always justifies the means, Imric derives a special kind of joy in needling you and bartering quips for tips on overlapping cases.

Mina Qiu (邱明娜; she/her; Mundane) - The Intrepid Reporter | A zealous journalist from China who came to England to pursue a scoop that led to her exposing her former boss along with a labyrinth of corruption, Mina’s extended stay in London is all business and little pleasure. Armed with quicksilver wit, dry humor, and a razor-sharp tongue, Mina is intent on making this case her big break so she can safely secure either a return to her family or their passage to join her in England—even if she has to temper her fire with the knowledge that rival journalists are watching her do all the risky groundwork like sharks out for blood, ready to swoop in and snatch the scoop.

Rosalind Clarke (she/her; ghost) - The Sweetheart Spectre | In life, Rosalind was an actress with a passion for the dramatic. Now, she's a frequent helper in your cases (turns out having a contact who can speak to the dead works wonders) and a friendly face besides. Sweet and compassionate beneath her vivacious, willfully extravagant exterior, Rosalind is tethered to this plane by some sort of "unfinished business". She insists that she's content with how things are, but you can't help but suspect that there's more to the story.

Samuel "Sam” Morgan (he/him; werewolf) - The Wily Wallflower | Polite and unassuming, Sam is the sort of man your parents would love for you to bring home. When he shows up on your doorstep frantically imploring you to help him clear his name, your first instinct is to wonder how such an ingenuous man could be the prime suspect in the most shocking case to rock London since your own Hushing. You suspect, however, that Sam’s placid, easy-going temperament is part nature and part nurture—that is, curated in response to the persisting stereotype that werewolves (especially ones born like Sam rather than turned) are bloodthirsty, feral creatures incapable of anything resembling civility. (And you’d thought the Mundanes with their phrenology and clinical hysteria were bad enough.) The fact that he did enough research on the fate that awaits him should he be convicted (not to mention that he actually managed to track you down) means that Sam is much more cunning than his soft-spoken image lets on — cunning enough, perhaps, to commit murder, convince you to piece together evidence to frame someone else, and get away with it?

??? (???) - The Silent One | [file corrupted. no information available.]

Demo TBA | Meet the Companions (full profiles) |  Project playlist

[appealingvision]