#The Duke of the Bay Part 5 2/2

[neewtmas]

12 days of Christmas // A Lockwood & Co Advent Calendar

DAY 9

Welcome back! Today I have an absolute treat for you. Someone around here (I don't remember who it was unfortunately) brought up a locklyle regency AU - and while I initially felt ill-equipped to write it, inspiration struck and that is how we end up here.

So please enjoy this Bridgerton/Cinderella inspired Locklyle Regency AU, featuring Viscount Anthony Lockwood, Butler George and Kitchen Maid Lucy, who gets to have her very own Cinderella moment.

As the Clock Struck 12 - A Locklyle Regency AU

pairing: anthony lockwood x lucy carlyle

wordcount: 4.5k

masterlist

day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day 5 day 6 day 7 day 8

advent calendar tags: @givemea-dam-break @wellgoslowly @maraschinomerry @losticaruss @oblivious-idiot @uku-lelevillain @avdiobliss @strawberryloveyyy @strawberrycowgirly @demigoddess-of-ghosts @thefriendlyneighborhoodmomfriend @boookfreeak

A knock on the door made Anthony Lockwood look up from the correspondence he had been working on since early morning. He called for Bancroft to come in. The elderly man entered, carrying a silver tray in front of him. "This just got dropped off, my lord." His eyes twinkled. "By a Fittes' carriage, might I add?" Anthony thanked him and gestured him to put down the tray on an empty spot on the table. He turned his attention back to the half-written letter in front of him but then decided the unopened one to his right was of much more interest. He reached over to pick it up. It was heavy, and upon turning it around, he saw himself faced with a red wax seal, indented with none other than the Fittes crest.

Lady Marissa Fittes The Duchess of Devonshire cordially invites Viscount Anthony Lockwood to a Masquerade Ball to be held at Combe Carey Hall on the 20th of May, 1813

Anthony briefly scanned the rest of the letter. A masquerade ball. He could think of much better things to spend his time on, but one doesn't simply reject an invitation coming from Lady Marissa Fittes. At least he had a few weeks to mentally prepare himself, and thanks to Bancroft, he wouldn't have to worry about acquiring a mask either.

---------- 19th of May, 1813, Combe Carey Hall-----------------

George nervously glanced up and down the hallway, but it was just as empty as when he entered it a few minutes earlier. He stepped back into one of the bays, his back to the tall window, and partially hidden by the heavy curtains he took a deep breath. The quiet was a welcome change from the bustling that was going on in other parts of the estate. For an entire week, the staff of Combe Carey Hall had been working tirelessly to prepare the huge ballroom for the masquerade ball, there had been drill after drill for the butlers, and he had no idea how he was supposed to survive the evening tomorrow when his back and shoulders were already killing him now. He jumped as the curtain in front of him was pulled back.

"Sorry I'm late", Lucy hissed, quickly moving the curtain back so that now both of them were hidden from any curious eyes that might look down the hallway. "It's fine. I needed a break anyway. But I have acquired everything you need." He held up the bundle he had tucked under his arm. "Dress and mask." Lucy took the package from him, and as she did, the fabric opened up and a mask slipped out, into her hand. "Wow", she breathed out, delicately holding it. The mask was a stunning, deep shade of blue, with many intricate silver ornaments. She moved the fabric further and revealed a heavy fabric in the same shade of blue.

She stared up at George, mouth hanging open. "Where did you get that?" George grinned. "I have my sources. Just don't question it." He took the mask from her hand and held it up to her face. "Who knows, maybe a mysterious duke will fall in love with you?" Lucy scoffed. "Yeah George, right. Because Dukes are well known for marrying kitchen maids." She paused for a moment. "I don't need love. I just want one evening to feel like more than a kitchen maid who gets pushed around. Maybe one dance with someone, anyone. And then I'll leave and no one will ever know it was me." She looked down at the luxurious fabric in her hands. "Well, thanks for this anyway. I owe you big time." George squeezed her arm. "No worries. You covered for Flo so many times, that's the least I could do." Lucy perked up. "Speaking of Flo, she asked me to give you this." She searched the pocket of her dress and pulled out a note, folded up impossibly tiny. "You're supposed to read it alone though, so I'll leave you to it. See you tomorrow night!" And just like that, she was gone.

---- Morning of the 20th of May, 1813, The Lockwood's Estate-------

Anthony eyed himself in the mirror. He had forced himself into the finest tailcoat his collection could offer. It didn't look too shabby, he had to admit that. His gaze fell on the mask Bancroft had picked out for him. It was a rich, dark blue, ornately decorated with gold embellishments. It was perfectly fitted to his favourite waistcoat. As usual, he could rely on Bancroft's tastefulness. Anthony had decided to take on the journey on his own. Combe Carey Hall was just about two hours away, and he had planned to return the next day right after the brunch Lady Fittes was holding for an assorted group of attendees. He didn't even really know why he was invited to that event in the first place.

The carriage ride proved to be just as uneventful as he had expected, and after his arrival, a butler who had introduced himself as George led him to one of the many rooms of Combe Cary Hall, an estate much bigger than Anthony was used to from home. "This room is yours for the extent of your stay, Your Lordship. The Lady Fittes wishes to make known that you are free to request whatever makes your stay more comfortable. I shall be at your service until you leave the estate." Anthony took a closer look at George. He seemed to be roughly his age. "How long have you worked here?" "Just a few months, Your Lordship. I have just recently ended my training. If you wish for a more experienced -" Anthony shook his head. "No no, that's not it. I'm sure you'll do great." Something about the boy intrigued him. He had a feeling they could have been great friends if only they had been born into the same social circle.

------- 20th of May, 1813, Combe Carey Hall, 9 pm---------

After quite a lengthy conversation with George, who had excused himself to attend to some last preparations, Anthony had changed into the tailcoat he had brought and was now admiring his reflection in the mirror. The mask, which hid the upper half of his face, was fitted flawlessly to him and matched his blue and gold waistcoat to perfection. But now it was time to finally show up in the ballroom and offer a greeting to the hostess, Lady Marissa Fittes.

One entered through two large winged doors, and would then immediately reach a balustrade, over which the entire extent of the ballroom could be surveyed. Anthony took a sip from the champagne, which had been offered to him immediately upon arrival. He adjusted his mask, which had proved difficult to properly fasten without someone to help him. He wondered if it was on purpose that a butler fresh out of training, who also had responsibilities throughout the evening, was designated specifically to him. He let his gaze wander over the crowd. It wasn't hard to spot the Lady of the evening, even though she, like everyone else, was wearing a mask. Her tall, slender figure in a silver gown and a matching silver mask, by far the most elaborate he had seen so far, made her easily stand out. A lot of women would have blended into the crowd in a silver dress, but she seemed to stand out even more. He emptied the champagne and handed the empty glass with a nod to the nearest butler before he began his descent of the stairs that led down to the ballroom floor. It took quite a while until he got through to Lady Fittes, as he was not the only one here who wanted to express gratitude for the invitation. After a short conversation with her, he made his way over to the buffet at the side of the room.

He had just grabbed another glass he didn't quite know the contents of when George appeared by his side, a tray in his hand and wearing the same simple mask that seemed to have been handed out to all other butlers. He did a little bow. "My Lord. Are you enjoying the evening so far?" They had quickly switched to a much more informal style of conversation. Not only did Anthony not agree with treating his servants as his inferiors who weren't worth talking to respectfully, but their closeness in age made it easy for him to forget that George wasn't just some old friend with the same social standing as him. He took a sip from the liquid in the glass. Lemonade, delightfully bitter. Not the best he ever had though, he much preferred the natural lemonade with pulp his mother had given him as a small kid. "There hasn't been much I could have enjoyed yet. The conversation with Lady Fittes was…" He waved it off. "Let's forget about that. I should be off finding some lovely ladies to dance with." George's eyes twinkled in a mischievous way that reminded Lockwood of Bancroft. "I might know someone you'd like. But she won't arrive until later." Anthony knew it wouldn't be a good look for him to spend the entire evening talking to George, even though he found himself enjoying their conversations. He did not particularly enjoy the company of all the young ladies, since a lot of them seemed to think of him as an eligible bachelor who was desperate to marry as soon as possible. He knew that was what he should be, but he couldn't care less if he was honest with himself.

----------20th of May, 1813, Combe Carey Hall, 11:30 pm -----

Lucy's hands were slightly shaking as she made her way through the hallway leading up to the entrance of the ballroom. She was thankful for the mask that was hiding half of her face, and she had to stop herself from constantly smoothing out the skirt of her dress. She had no idea how George managed to get his hand on something as gorgeous as this. Really, it was much too gorgeous for her plain self. If it weren't for the equally gorgeous mask, she would have looked ridiculous. On the way to the ballroom, she had come across several of her fellow kitchen maids, all of whom had curtsied for her - it seemed like all it took to make her completely unrecognisable was an expensive dress.

She downed the first glass of champagne that was offered to her in one go, and for a moment she just stood at the balustrade, looking down on the crowd of dancers. Her fingers gripped the cold metal, and she had to talk herself out of turning around and going straight back to the kitchens. Luckily, she quickly spotted George, whose curly hair made him easily recognisable, even with the mask on. She felt weak in the knees as she slowly descended the stairs, still gripping the balustrade, fearing that at any moment, someone would recognise her for the fraud she was and throw her out. She made her way through the crowd, desperate to find George as quickly as possible. When she finally spotted him, she almost tripped over her dress as she rushed over to him.

"Woah, that is not very lady-like of you", George laughed a little as she skidded to a halt next to him. The masked lady next to them turned her head, and despite her mask, you could tell her look was disapproving. "I feel like throwing up", Lucy whispered. "This was a bad idea." George shook his head, still smiling. "You look fantastic. This is gonna be a great night. I already found you a dance partner." Lucy whipped around. "What? Where? Who?" George squeezed her arm. "Calm down", he whispered. "I think he's coming over right now."

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Anthony was growing tired after the fifth dance of the evening. Somehow it felt like every girl he talked to had been the same. Maybe because they all looked the same with their masks, but maybe also because none of the conversations they had had during dancing had been stimulating enough to keep him with his dance partner for longer than the socially required duration of a dance. He grabbed himself another lemonade, scanning the crowd for George. Maybe it was time for a break. It didn't take long to spot him, but this time he had to do a double take. George wasn't alone anymore. Next to him stood a girl in a stunning royal blue gown. They seemed to be close, judging by the way they were whispering to each other. He was intrigued. Who was this girl? He felt the need to talk to her, maybe ask her for a dance. He put down the lemonade, and made his way over, straightening out his suit. For whatever reason, he wanted to make a good first impression on her.

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"There he comes", George said and gave her a nudge with his elbow. "Stand straight, you wanna make a good first impression." Lucy did what he said, and her eyes frantically scanned the room for someone coming towards them. What if this was George's way of paying her back for the pranks she had pulled on him some time again and now he had promised some old creepy dude a dance with her? Someone behind her cleared his throat, and she whipped around. Her stomach dropped at the sight in front of her. The man standing in front of her, his mask the same shade as hers, but with gold ornaments to her silver ones, made a little bow.

"I'm Anthony Lockwood, pleased to make your acquaintance." "Viscount Anthony Lockwood", George added and gave her another subtle nudge. Lucy gasped, and she could feel herself blushing in embarrassment as she did a very wobbly curtsy. "Miss - Miss Holly Munro", she blurted out the first name that came to mind that wasn't hers. Anthony smiled and extended his hand. Not really sure what to do, she went to shake it, but instead, he took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a delicate kiss on her knuckles. Lucy felt like she was about to faint, and she could tell that George was trying hard to keep his composure. What was happening? "Miss Munro, might I have the honour of the next dance with you?" She couldn't do anything but nod, much too overwhelmed by the situation. So when Anthony offered her his arm, she let him escort her to the dancefloor.

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Miss Holly Munro. Anthony was racking his brain, but he was unable to put a face to the name. That in and of itself was not unusual, as the amount of ladies one met at these events was simply overwhelming and he did not care to know them. But then again, if he had ever seen this girl before, he would have remembered, he was sure of it. Something about her was entirely captivating to him. He could only see half of her face, but that coupled with her beautiful eyes that had looked at him with great surprise only seconds before made him sure that was remarkably beautiful. He wondered what her connection to George was. As he led her onto the dance floor, he could tell that she was nervous. They began dancing, and he quickly realised that her nervousness meant that her dancing wasn't as refined as he was used to from the ladies he had danced with before her.

But rather than annoyance, as he was used to from himself, it sparked in him the wish to hold her and relieve her of this nervousness. He tried his best to lead her through the dance, every now and then stepping aside to avoid her foot on his. "How come I haven't seen you around so far this evening, Miss Munro?", he asked. She wasn't wearing gloves, and her hand felt warm in his. It felt like it was supposed to be there. "Oh, I'm sure you've seen me", she said, avoiding his gaze. "I've been here quite a long time." "I find that hard to believe", he replied. "I could never forget a beauty like yours. And if I had seen you before, I surely would have asked you to dance right that instance." He couldn't help but smile as he noticed the blush on her cheeks as she looked to the ground bashfully, still not meeting his eyes. This was the most genuine reaction to a compliment he had seen all night. But then again, it was also the first genuine compliment he had given all night.

After a while, the conversation between them was flowing easily, and Anthony found himself not wanting to stop their dance. Where with every other girl he had felt the urge to leave as soon as possible, this was the opposite - he felt the urge to never leave her. With every time she laughed at his jokes and blushed at his compliments, or said something witty that made him laugh - he found himself thinking about how maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad if it was with someone like her. "Shall we get some lemonade"? he asked after they had - rather reluctantly from his side and, he felt confident, also from hers - ended the dance due to the band taking a break. She nodded and he fetched two glasses, giving her one. "Would you like to accompany me outside on the balcony? I could use some fresh air." "Of course, my lord." He could barely stop himself from asking her to just call him Anthony. Using his title was awfully formal when he felt like he had known her forever. They made their way to the balcony, her still at his arm, and he revelled in the feeling of having her pressed up against his side as they navigated the tight crowd.

The balcony was surprisingly empty, probably because everyone had gathered at the buffet after all the dancing. He let his eyes wander over the beautifully maintained garden that lay in front of them, but when he turned to her, it was like for a moment he had forgotten how to breathe. She looked ethereal, the silver on her mask glowing and her blue dress in the silver moonlight made her look like the gods themselves had blessed her. At this moment, he wanted nothing more than for her to take that mask off so he could see what beauty lay beneath it. "Have any other suitors expressed interest in marriage with you?", he blurted out, and immediately regretted it as she took a surprised step back. "Any other suitors?", she asked, her voice suddenly uncharacteristically small. Anthony cursed himself for his thoughtless words. "Surely you have many gentlemen interested in you?" He thought that was a harmless question, but it seemed to make her even more nervous. "I don't have any suitors", she said quietly, and he had to hold back a sound of surprise. "That's not possible", he said. "A lady as stunning as you, with no suitors?" She shook her head frantically, taking another small step back. He moved a little closer to her, fighting the urge to take her hand. Maybe she was embarrassed at her predicament. After all, having no suitors wasn't all that flattering. "Would you have any interest in a courtship with me? I have found our conversations -" She raised her hands, her voice wavering. "No, please, my lord, that's impossible. You can't marry me. No one can marry me. I - I'm so sorry." And with that, she hastily gathered her skirt and practically sprinted back into the ballroom.

Anthony Lockwood stood on the balcony and felt like he had been struck by lightning. What had just happened? One moment he had offered marriage to a girl, and the next she was gone. Did a marriage proposal from him evoke that much terror in her? She had seemed to enjoy their conversation just as much as him. And if she really had no suitors… 'No one can marry me' she had said - what did that mean? Just then, as if to mock him, the church bells in the little village below the estate started to chime - it was midnight. He needed to find her. She didn't have to marry him and she found him that repulsive, but he did deserve an explanation at least.

Back inside, he searched for George. In his rush to get to him, he knocked into several people, all of whom gave him indignant looks, but he could not care less. "George!" The butler turned around, looking surprised at his dishevelled state. "My Lord?" "Miss Munro, where is she?" "What?" "Miss Munro", Anthony repeated, impatiently. "Where has she gone? We just talked outside, and suddenly she ran away." George put the tray he was carrying down on the nearest table. "What did you talk about?" "I was offering her courtship", he said shortly, not wanting to think too long about the fact that the prospect of marrying him was what had made her flee the scene. George widened his eyes. "Marriage?!" "That is not the point now. I just need to talk to her." He tried hard to keep his voice down, but the prospect of never seeing her again made him erratic. He had never even seen her face. "You know where she is, George", he said urgently. George rubbed his temple. "She's gonna kill me", he mumbled, more to himself, and Anthony did not care to ask him what he meant by that. "George!" "Alright! Go through that door, down the corridor, then to the left, then to the right. You should find her there."

Anthony did not wait for him to finish speaking, instead, he rushed to follow George's instructions. The hallway was much smaller than the opulent ones he had seen so far, it seemed almost like this was an area for servants. Why did George send him here? He was running down the hallway, and while he tried his best not to trip over his own feet, he tried to undo the knot that held up his mask. Away with that stupid thing.

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Lucy leaned against the outer wall of the estate, the stones cool at her back. Her hands were still shaking, and she was so focused on taking deep breaths in order not to have a panic attack that she didn't hear the approaching footsteps. "Miss Munro?" She clutched her hand to her mouth to stifle a startled yelp, and when she turned around, none other than the man who had just proposed marriage to her stood there. But something was different - his mask was gone. She felt her face get hot. He was even more handsome than she had imagined it. This was about to be a disaster.

"Miss Munro, are you okay? I did not mean to startle you just now. And I did not mean to overwhelm you with the prospect of marriage. We can always take a little more time to get to know each other better." His voice was gentle, and she could feel her eyes starting to water. Sneaking into this ball was the worst idea she had ever had. "You don't want to marry me", she finally said, and she hated how her tears were audible in her voice. Anthony took a step closer to her. "What makes you think that?" Lucy's heart hammered in her chest. Now she was trapped. She couldn't just run off again. Maybe she should just come clean. He seemed like a kind enough man, he would probably excuse himself and then leave her alone and not make her any trouble.

He was looking at her expectantly, and she bit so hard down on her cheek that she was sure it must be bleeding. "I can't be your wife", she finally said. "I'm not a lady. I shouldn't even be here and I'm not who you think I am." Anthony was quiet, showing no signs of surprise. She nervously shifted her weight. She had expected him to be upset. "I'm not a Lady", she repeated herself. "I'm just a mere kitchen maid, never suitable for a man of your social standing. You should never even be seen talking to me." Her eyes were trained on the ground, and she waited for the inevitable sound of him turning around and leaving, angry at her deceit and disgusted at the fact that he had offered marriage to a kitchen maid. But he didn't leave. Instead, he asked: "Is that how you know George?" Her head shot up, surprised. "Are you not angry?"

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Anthony had no idea how to feel. What she had just told him - never in a million years would he have expected that. "Angry? Why should I be angry?" he finally asked. Yes, maybe he should be angry. He knew that that was what was expected of him. But he couldn't bring himself to anger. "I deceived you", she said, dropping her head again. Without thinking, he closed the gap between them and gently raised her chin back up with his finger until she was looking at him. Her beautiful eyes, which he now finally had the chance to truly look into, were swimming with tears. "You did not. The proposal was extended to you, not to any title you might have or not have. It's you that has captivated my every sense."

Neither of them moved. He could feel himself getting lost in her gaze, and there was a not-so-small part of him that wished he could just lean down and kiss her. But a much bigger part of him wanted something else. "Can I take off your mask?", he asked quietly. He could tell that she hesitated. "I'm not sure this is a good idea. You might be disappointed", she said finally, and he almost laughed out loud. "I don't think I will be."

She hesitated a few seconds longer, then took a step back. She raised her hand to the back of her head, but he stopped her. "Can I do it?" She nodded, and quickly started working on the tight knot. It didn't take long for him to hold the two loose ends in his hands, and he slowly took a step back. She looked at him, and for the second time this evening he felt like he couldn't breathe. "You are as beautiful as the moon and the stars, Miss Munro", he finally breathed out. The girl in front of him swallowed thickly. "That's not my real name. It's Lucy." His heart skipped a beat. He carefully took both her hands, pulling her closer to him with a smile. "Well, you are as beautiful as the moon and the stars, Lucy."

[simshousewindsor]

THE WINDENBURG ROYALS Current Line of Succession 1. Phillip, Prince of Brindleton Bay 2. Grace, Princess Royal 3. The Prince Michael 4. The Prince Samuel 5. The Countess of Boykins 6. The Duke of Kent 7. The Earl of St Peters 8. Lord Jackson Windsor 9. Princess Anna of Kent 10. Lord James Carmichael

(As of the end of Part 2)

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2023 is Here!

Now, I can't draw - and I'm a writer anyway, so here's 31 days worth of headcanons, rambles and short stories based on the Traintober prompts by @theflyingkipper. First time doing this, so it ought to be fun!

This is the master post, so it'll have all the links you need to find what I post this year. This page will also have this link to my Ao3 work which has the same stuff, but without pictures.

Day 1: Free Day (A ramble about preservation and Sodor) Day 2: Bridge (Rheneas, 1866) Day 3: Twins (Neil, Bill and Ben) Day 4: Devious (Diesel will forever be the most devious) Day 5: It's Only Me! (Sir Topham Hatt and Edward, a friendship in three words...) Day 6: Special Letters (A Tale of Two A1 Brothers...) Day 7: Refreshment (The Refreshment Lady is retiring...) Day 8: Bird (Cranky blames Henry for it all...) Day 9: Viaduct (Neil doesn't like the Viaduct...) Day 10: Happiest (The Engines are Happiest when...) Day 11: Roundhouse (Edward doesn't like Tidmouth Sheds...) Day 12: Something Borrowed (Maybe don't Borrow Henrietta...) Day 13: Something New (Gordon's new life on the slow trains...) Day 14: Young Iron (Ivo Hugh has some advice for a young engine...) Day 15: Maintenance (Duke Needs the Others to be Well Maintained...) Day 16: Purpose (What is an engine's purpose?) Day 17: Holiday (How Tourism on Sodor has evolved...) Day 18: Blueprints (Crovan's Gate is home to many blueprints...) Day 19: Revolutionary (What are the origins of the iconic phrase?...) Day 20: Live Wire (Edward didn't much like the telegraph wires...) Day 21: Roots (Terence does not like weeds...) Day 22: Top Hat (Sir Topham Hatt I decides to visit the railway...) Day 23: Big World (Duck manages to squirm into the BWBA movie...) Day 24: Odd Jobs (Rusty has many odd jobs...) Day 25: Distress Signal (What's out in Tidmouth Bay...) Day 26: Summit (James and the Culdee Fell Engine...) Day 27: Record-Breaker (Mallard broke the record; the record broke Mallard) Day 28: Which Way Now (An engine gets lost in the fog...) Day 29: Out of Service (Oliver wasn't the only engine in that siding...) Day 30: Middle of Nowhere (They should have left that part of the island alone) Day 31: Lights Out (Don't let the lights go out at Crovan's Gate)

[candm-brittany-2023]

Sunday 9th April, Easter Sunday.

Happy Easter, everybody! 🐣

After a breakfast of boiled eggs and soldiers 😃 we went to the office to pay.

When we came to France in 2017 we gave up our berth at Brixham marina. There was no guarantee that we would get it back in 2 years time. This time we have kept it on as we are away for just 3 months. However, still being bertholders it means we can take part in Passeports Escales. This is a scheme where, if you sign out of your own marina, you can get up to 5 nights per year (a maximum of 2 nights per visit) completely FREE of charge in 160 marinas between Belgium & Morocco, and there’s loads in Brittany. St.Helier was free and the first 2 here will be free too. Nice.

After breakfast we went for a walk around the headland to Solidor.

The walk was a bit of a climb at first but it soon became a nice flat walk way. Wild and rather quiet, you can see a superb panorama of the sea, Dinard, and also Saint-Malo.

There were some heavy fortifications up here.

The Battle of Saint-Malo was fought between Allied and German forces to control the French coastal town of Saint-Malo during World War II. The battle formed part of the Allied breakout across France and took place between 4 August and 2 September 1944. United States Army units, with the support of Free French and British forces, successfully assaulted the town and defeated its German defenders. The German garrison on a nearby island continued to resist until 2 September.

Saint-Malo was one of the French towns designated as a fortress under the German Atlantic Wall program, and its pre-war defenses were expanded considerably before the Allied landings in Normandy during June 1944. There were several gun emplacements on our walk, and boy, did they take a battering!

You can see the next one in the distance. Each one heavily pock-marked. Unfortunately, when the Germans withdrew they destroyed so much of the infrastructure that it was impossible for the Allies to use the port.

Our walk took us the Solidor Tower which is a strengthened keep with three linked towers, located in the estuary of the river Rance.

It was built between 1369 and 1382 by John V, Duke of Brittany to control access to the Rance at a time when the city of Saint-Malo did not recognize his authority. Over the centuries the tower lost its military interest and became a jail. It is now a museum celebrating Breton sailors exploring Cape Horn.

You can just make out the hydro-electric barrage in the background.

We ventured towards Solidor.

In the small park "Jardin" there is a beautiful sculpture. This is could be easily overlooked as the color of the sculpture doesn't particularly stand out from its surroundings.

It pays homage to Commander Charcot (who it seems was a bit of a ‘Flashheart’ character) and the crew of the Pourquoi-Pas, which disappeared at sea on September 16, 1936. It is a gift from the Republic of Iceland.

Jean-Baptiste Charcot, often called Commander Charcot was born on July 15, 1867 in Neuilly-sur-Seine and died September 16, 1936 at sea (30 miles northwest of Reykjavik), was a doctor, French polar explorer and a French naval officer.

A sportsman, he was French rugby union champion in 1896 and was also a double silver medalist in sailing at the 1900 Summer Olympics.

We continued a few steps into Solidor and took refreshment at one of the very busy hostelries sitting outside in the warm sun looking over the bay. How very pleasant. 😎

We walked back to the boat to prepare our late Easter Sunday lunch of crab and shell-on prawns that we had bought in St.Helier. All washed down with a bottle of rosé. Lovely.

[whatevergreen]

Gay Clubs Divide On El Salvador Issue

(San Francisco, 1981) "The controversial issue of U.S. policy in El Salvador has begun to find its way onto the floors of San Francisco’s gay political clubs. Recent Reagan administration policy has called for a $25 million increase in aid to the Jose Duarte government and sending in as many as 60 military advisers. According to a Pentagon statement last week, the advisers will include 15 Army Green Berets. Two of the city’s gay Democratic clubs have passed resolutions opposing these policies and the third, the Harvey Milk Club, will consider a similar move at its March 24 meeting. Stonewall Gay Democratic Club members passed a resolution on February 2 calling for the "irreversible cut-off of aid” and cessation of "all military intervention and plans of military intervention in that country.” The Alice B. Toklas Club’s resolution called on California’s Congressional delegation to support HR 1509, a measure introduced in the U.S. House on January 21 by Gerry Studds of Massachusetts and co-sponsored in part by East Bay Congressmen Ron Dellums (D- Berkeley) and Pete Stark (D-Oakland). The Studds bill calls for an end to military sales, training and assistance to the Salvadorean government. The Toklas resolution will be submitted to the California Democratic Council, an organization of California Democratic clubs, when it meets in Sacramento on March 28. Randy Stallings defended the local club’s taking a stand on a non-gay, international issue, saying that the gay community “ too often ghettoizes” itself. “ For gay liberation to expand in this country,” he said, “ we have to see ourselves as part of the larger community. We have to commit ourselves to feminist, third world, housing, and other issues affecting the community, regardless of sexual orientation.” The local Republican club, Concerned Republicans for Individual Rights, will apparently support administration policy. According to club president Duke Armstrong, the only local Republican action regarding U.S. Salvadorean policy has come in a County Central Committee resolution passed March 5 commending the President and urging him “ to continue to hold a tough position against the threatened (leftist) guerrila takeover of El Salvador."

The Sentinel, March 20, 1981, p2

[cesabutterflywrites]

The Duke of the Bay: Part 5 1/2

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Song that Alice sings is on the playlist, it’s called April Showers

First Part, Ao3 Link, Next Part

Story Warnings: Guns, threats, alcohol, homosexual slang used pejoratively and positively, internalized homophobia, ask me to add any if need be

Chapter Warnings: None I can think of. Ask me to add any if need be 

Chapter Word Count: 3149

Summary: Patton O’Hearty was a great detective. Most people didn’t take him for one at first glance, especially when he dressed casual. He was abnormally chipper; he thought everything was the cat’s pajamas. He had a smile for everyone he met. He was always tipping his hat at the dames and gents when he walked the streets of the Bay Area.

The only person he could never catch was the leader of the planted mob in Emeryville, nicknamed The Duke. The Duke was good at hiding his dealings and joints well, and he rarely had a snitch in his ranks. The few who tried, well, somehow they disappeared before they could give the police any substantial information. He was well hidden, but popular among the residents of the town. People talked boldly of his rambunctious parties, never revealing the locations though. He was hard to catch, to say the least.

So what happens, when instead, the detective is the one that’s caught?

-

Logan paid deep attention to Patton. He had been concerned about his partner’s mental state since they had started the case before they were invited to the party. There was something about this particular job that blinded Patton with obsession. 

 After they met the Duke, it had only gotten worse. Patton hardly ate lunch anymore. He’d come in with bruised circles underneath his eyes. Logan was starting to worry for his friend’s physical well being. Was he getting sick? Was he going mad?

 He would focus on the case, sure, but they both couldn’t do much without telling the captain. Patton wanted to wait to bring it up to their superior. He planned on duping the Duke, but he refused to say how at the time. Logan only went with it because it would do more harm than good to try to reason with someone as stubborn as Patton. 

For the past month, Patton would pause his work when they were at their desks. Logan would look up often to see Patton staring off nowhere. His partner would get a dreamy look in his eyes. So Logan would ask him what was on his mind. Then Patton would brush it off until it happened again. 

Logan would be the first person to admit that he wasn’t too good with reading people. That’s what Patton was for, but he could tell that something big happened to Patton when they were separated the night of the party. He was frustrated that he wasn’t able to figure out exactly what was said. He wished he could have been in the room where it happened. 

 Logan wasn’t exactly stable after the party, himself, so he tried not to bring it up. 

 Logan was skeptical that Patton was clear-headed enough to keep working the case. Was he seeing things that weren’t there? Did the Duke play to his sensitivities? The kind detective was sometimes overly faithful in people. Logan knew that. Perhaps Patton thought he would be able to change him? The recent events worried Logan to think Patton was spiraling out of control. 

 Despite his worry, he listened as Patton told them his theory. 

 “I was wondering why the captain approved our going undercover to the party. You knew it was a trap. You saw it. Clear as day, you did. Heck, you said yourself you suspected a plant.” 

 “I didn’t imply that it was the captain .” Logan interrupted with an exasperated tone, “This isn’t sufficient enough proof, or new information.” 

 “Wait, that’s not all.” Patton responded, holding up his hand. He continued, his voice getting more animated. “Last night, when the Duke visited me, he said they had a big job. There’s something he said that’s been getting under my skin. He wasn’t sure of my loyalties. Why not the force’s? Why not ours?

 “Further, he mentioned they had a big job last night. He didn’t want us getting in the way. You got there early, Logan, did the captain mention anything about a robbery? A murder? Kidnapping? Anything that could be a clue as to what the ‘big job’ was?” 

 Logan clenched his jaw in thought. That was a more compelling thought. The captain hadn’t mentioned anything to him that morning. In fact, he didn’t even greet Logan when he walked in. He just went straight to his office to lock himself in. Their boss had closed the blinds, too, and had a scowl on his face that Logan had never seen. 

 It hadn’t bothered Logan in the moment. Logan had done the same to Patton multiple times. He had then dismissed it as the captain being nervous about his child being on the way. Many men who were first time fathers seemed that way. However, if it weren’t that...

 It wasn’t enough to convince him fully. Implying the captain was working alongside a criminal was serious enough. The very idea of him being a part of an entire criminal operation was unthinkable. He was the one who put Logan and Patton on the Duke’s case when they first got wind of the implant of the mafia in Emeryville. 

 What did that say of the captain’s confidence in their talents as detectives? If he was in on it, if he was turned, he thought they were gullible. He probably thought they weren’t loyal enough. Maybe he even would have planned for them to be scapegoats if the police were discovered to be in league with the gang. 

 If he wasn’t in it, he thought they could handle it. He probably approved the undercover job for the party to gather evidence quietly to be able to bust the operation later. There could be reasonable explanations to it all that would be revealed. 

 He didn’t give them much to work with, though. He just said to play it out for as long as they could keep the cover. He seemed unbothered when they returned with nothing. Not even information. What did that say to Logan? 

 “I think it’s definitely possible,” Alice piped up in the silence. “The Duke gets a tighter grip on this town every day. If he didn’t already have the captain, he will soon. That’s the facts, boys.” 

 Patton smiled, glad someone agreed with him. He looked at Logan with hope in his eyes. “I know you don’t trust me right now, partner. So I’ll let you decide for us in case my judgement is wrong...again.” 

 Something about that last statement made Logan rethink his thoughts on his partner’s mental state. Patton had a look on his face that showed determination. He did seem to be operating with a clearer head than before. What had happened to him last night? After a long minute, Logan made his decision. 

 “Fine,” he agreed, “We should assume the captain is in on it. If we do that, though, we assume everyone but us is in on it. We need to find proof in the meantime, though, as well as a safe place for Alice to stay.” 

 “What do you mean?” Alice asked, a defensive tone in her voice. She spun around to look at the two men. 

 “I mean they must know where you live. If there’s a price on you, they’ll look here first. Patton,” he looked at the older man, “Both of our homes are compromised, but I think she has a better chance with me. The Duke actually invaded your home. Does that sound okay to you?” 

 Patton ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t like the idea of Alice being out of his sight for too long. There was something about her that sparked a protective instinct within him. Maybe it was her small frame. Maybe it was her sweet brown eyes that were so much older than her body. He wanted to make sure she never hurt or struggled again. He would deal with that feeling later, though. Her safety meant everything to him, second to catching the Duke.

 “You’re right, Logan,” he sighed, deflated. “Alice, what do you think?” 

 Alice bit her lip in thought. She kept glancing between the men and her vanity. It was obviously more to her than a place to get ready. It held a piece of her soul. It was an altar of hope. Hope for a better future with the woman she loved.

 She thought about Lola. What would she want the person she loved most in the world to do? If her girlfriend had left her a note for this situation, what would she have written? Alice felt in her heart that she knew the answer.

 “Let me pack a bag, then we’ll get out of here.”  Alice smiled softly, “The rent is paid through ‘til next month, anyways.” 

 Patton cheered inside. He was happy that it was easy to convince her to let him help. Gentle coaxing did work, after all. Well, that and a little bit of peril. He grinned at his two companions. He was determined to get this case closed once and for all. 

 Catch me if you can, the Duke’s voice whispered in his mind. A challenge that Patton felt for the first time in a month that he will finish.

-----

Alice walked into Logan’s house with wide eyes. It was large, too large for one single man. It was nearly a manor. The hardwood floor stretched into a wide entryway. There was not a speck of dust out of place. Unlike the rooms in the Lion’s Den, Logan’s home had clear air. The furniture was lined up perfectly along the walls.  It was bright, open. 

 She walked further in to look in the living room to her right. There was a fireplace, and above the mantle was a large painting nearly as tall as her. It was of a lighthouse on a cliff during the day. The blue sky was clear, the image of the waves crashing to the cliffs were so realistic she was sure they were moving. The picture made her feel calmer. Despite how large it was, it really brightened the large room.  Alice felt safe, which was a foreign feeling to her outside of being with Lola.  

 She heard Detective Patton walk in with her two bags. She didn’t own much, so she packed lightly. It hurt to be away from the love notes Lola left her, but Logan was kind enough to offer to pay for her to send a telegram. She saw why he did now. The man must have been loaded with cash. 

 Patton took the bags up the stairs without a word to her. Logan walked in after, coming up to stand next to her to also look at the large painting. 

 “I never get tired of it,” he whispered, “It’s magnificent to me. I find it calming to look at it for hours after a long day at work. It clears my head. It calms me.” 

 “Me too,” Alice responded. 

 Logan smiled fondly at her. He didn’t leer at her like other men did. He was kind to her, just like Patton was. A part of her felt guilty for siccing Lola on him at the party. The other part didn’t, because without that she’d probably be dead in a ditch somewhere. That was an unpleasant thought, though, so she shoved it aside. 

 “Let me give you a tour of the house?” Logan offered his arm to her, “It would be wise, seeing as you will be here for an undetermined amount of time.” 

 Alice smiled and accepted the offer. She took his arm then walked with him around the home. 

 They toured the downstairs. His rooms were proper. They held sophistication. The various sitting rooms were adorned with bright whites, pastel blues, and golden trimmings. They were surprisingly clean of any mess. Logan must have servants somewhere, she decided. 

 The last room in the downstairs tour was a music room. There was a grand piano on a raised platform in the middle of the room. Alice felt tears prickle in her eyes. It had been so long since she had played. She hadn’t been able to since she was fourteen. 

 Logan recognized the look on her face. It was the face of a musician who had lost her melodies. If there was one thing he could read on a person, it was the love of music. She tried to mask her sadness. 

 He felt sorry for her. He couldn’t imagine going through something like this. She was like a young lamb, treading through a dark forest after losing her way. Well, maybe he could help her find her way again. 

 “Do you play?” he asked her. He unlinked their arms to step on the platform. 

 Alice laughed to mask her pain at the memories starting to make their way back into her head. “Oh, not since I was a younger girl.” 

 “Would you like to play something for me?” Logan offered. He was careful to watch her reaction. He didn’t want to push her. 

 She blushed pink at the offer. Her hands clasped together nervously against her stomach. “I don’t think I should…” 

 “Please, I insist. While you’re here you have access to everything. If you’d like to practice again,” Logan grabbed her hand, “Now is the time to start.” 

 She stood up on the platform to be at level with the young detective. He was charming in his awkwardness. What was it about this moment, though, that expelled his usual discomfort around her? His blue eyes twinkled in anticipation. He genuinely wanted to hear her play. 

 “I suppose I can see if there’s something I remember…” she acquiesced. She sat on the cushioned bench. It was surprisingly comfortable, she noticed. Her parents never had something this comfortable for her hours of practice. Perhaps this would be easier than 

 She gingerly lifted the cover to the keys. The sight of the polished ivory elicited an astonished gasp. Her fingers were aching to glide across them. A spark of joyous anticipation covered her skin. 

 Tentatively, almost as if she were scared the keys would disappear, she touched the middle C. It felt cool, like a refreshing drink of sweet tea in the heat of summer. A pleased shiver made its way down her spine. 

 As she pressed her finger down on the key, Logan grinned. It was like watching a puppy search around its new home. The way her smile glowed with warmth at the instrument resembled someone greeting an old friend after a long time apart. He felt proud of himself for offering this opportunity to her. With bated breath, he waited to see what she could come up with.

 She played some scales, remembering her finger placements as if it were only yesterday she last played. The warm ups felt good to her digits. She laughed in glee. Her chest felt light. 

 For a moment, she wasn’t a young girl in danger of being killed for a debt she couldn’t repay. For a moment, Logan wasn’t a detective there to protect her from harm. She was a performer, and he was her enraptured audience. She played with a few random melodies before she found herself playing a familiar song. The last song she learned right after her world turned dark. 

 “Life is not a highway strewn with flowers

Still it holds a goodly share of bliss

When the sun gives way to April showers

Here is the point you should never miss”

 She sang along to the melody. Her alto voice washed over her audience of one like rain.. Logan felt himself nearly hit back from an unseen physical impact. He listened closely as her eyes shined in relief at being able to play. 

 “Though April showers may come your way

They bring the flowers that bloom in May

So if it's raining, have no regrets

Because it isn't raining rain, you know, It's raining violets,”

 Patton followed the music to find Logan and Alice. He didn’t want to stay too long, any minute passed idly was one more minute the Duke got further ahead of him. However, when he walked in on the young girl playing her heart out at the piano, those thoughts left him momentarily. He walked up to stand against the piano with Logan, and joined Alice to sing in harmony. His soft Irish tenor voice mixed a wonderful harmony with her smooth southern alto melody. 

 “And where you see clouds upon the hills

You soon will see crowds of daffodils

So keep on looking for a blue bird, And list'ning for his song

Whenever April showers come along”

 She held out the last note with Patton, the two of them fading out sweetly. Logan applauded as Patton playfully bowed. She wiped at the tears threatening to escape her eyes, feeling overwhelmed after the tumultuous events of the day. Reality was starting to seep in for her. 

 She stood up swiftly. “Alright, enough dilly-dallying. What’s the plan here? Will I be here by myself?” 

 Logan looked to Patton, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. However if only one of us goes in to explain what happened with Mr. Doris this morning, it may be suspicious.” 

 “You’re right Logan. I just can’t think of which of us should stay here with her, though.” Patton brought his hand up to cup his chin. This was still a bump in the road. 

 “I think...I think you should stay, Patton. They’d search your house if they saw you were missing, and it would buy time before they searched here for you.” Logan suggested carefully. He didn’t want to make it seem like he was putting his partner on the bench on purpose. 

 Patton stood there, torn between wanting to get in the action of finding the Duke, and protecting his target. He ran his hand through his hair nervously. He looked at Alice, who seemed so tired. He noticed his breathing was starting to sharpen. Her brown eyes were tinted with red on the edges from holding back tears. She looked like she was on the edge of hysteria. 

 “Kiddo,” he spoke. He was unsure where the affection came from, but he continued, “You should go lay down. You seem tired.” 

 “Yes, I suppose you’re right,” she agreed quickly. “Upstairs, right?” 

 Logan nodded, “ First door to your left is a guestroom. Make yourself comfortable.” 

 Alice nodded tiredly. She stood up and hugged the two detectives. “Thank you so much, boys.” Tears escaped as she sobbed into their chests. The trio stayed in their warm embrace a moment longer before Alice left to retire to her new bed. 

 “Okay, Logan.” Patton started. “I don’t think I can stay here. I need to be on top of this.” 

 “I know this, Patton, but what if you go too far? You’ve been diving too deep,” Logan softened at the look in Patton’s eyes. “What happened when you were alone with him?” 

 Patton shook his head, refusing to tell Logan. “I can’t, my friend. Please trust me though? I’ll be careful.” 

 Logan sighed. It had some advantages to having Patton take lead. He was the one who knew what to look for. He was the one who thought up all this stuff in the first place. Plus the Duke seemed to have a fascination with him. 

 However, if one more meeting were to happen, would he lose his partner? How far was too far?

 “Alright,” Logan decided, “We’re both going to go. I have someone who can watch her.” 

 “Who?” Patton asked, “We can’t trust anyone on the force.” 

 “It would be unwise to say. Just trust me, as much as I’m trusting you.” He couldn’t have Patton know yet. He wouldn’t betray his friend like that yet, especially after the sacrifices they both were making. 

 “Okay,” Patton nodded, choosing to keep his suspicions to himself. “Go call, I’ll wait in the car.”

-

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[theiceandbones]

Nova Scotia Bones: a brief listing of famous haunts in Canada’s ocean playground

Nova Scotia is a lobster-shaped granite peninsula that juts out into the North Atlantic on Canada’s east coast. It’s ancient, it’s damp, it’s rocky, and it’s home. It’s also wildly haunted. The impenetrable granite bedrock that we live upon seems to act as its own tomb for the energies of those who departed their earthly vessels on the volatile shores and in the coniferous boreal interior. Or, perhaps, it is our own maritime culture, one that is freckled with memento mori, that adds fuel to these legends that have been passed on through the ages. A culture that lives and dies by the sea is no stranger to tragedy and haunts, eventually one learns to live alongside them. For better or for worse. 

I’ve collected a few ghost stories that have stood out to me over the years. When one grows up in Nova Scotia these are a select few that everyone speaks of, some may be lesser known but still thoroughly chilling. These will be arranged in order of popularity. 

1. The Young Teazer The Young Teazer was an American privateering schooner who, in June of 1813, would find herself in the waters of Mahone Bay being pursued by the British fleet. Her commander, a Lieutenant Johnston, knew that if he were to be captured he would most certainly hang, and knowing this, he ordered his crew to abandon ship in a major way- the Teazer was exploded, all onboard except for eight perished in the blast. It is now a well-known local legend that on a warm summer’s night, one may still see the reflection of a ship on fire in Mahone Bay’s quiet waters. 

2. The forerunner It’s just now occurred to me that I cannot possibly continue without speaking of the forerunner. This phenomenon features extensively within Nova Scotian folklore and is a key aspect of maritime superstition. A forerunner is an omen of death. It may take the shape of the doomed themselves, their scent, a light, an overwhelming sensation of dread directly linked to the individual, a falling photograph of or other object related to the individual, or one’s name being called by the individual. When expecting company, a traditional maritime host will set the large Pyrex kettle on the stove, always containing at least half a dozen teabags, to boil, but sometimes the recently-expected guest may not arrive- ever again. Here are a few selected tales of forerunners from Nova Scotia’s past. 

Anyone who is familiar with the series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will remember the story of “The Thing.” What they may not know, however, is that this story is based on a real event which happened in Victoria Beach, NS. A Mr. Thorne and his friend, Joe, were out walking at night when they spied behind a neighbour’s house a long, spindly, pale creature dressed in a white shirt, black trousers and black braces peering back at them. Well they had no idea what this creature could be and so they ran back to Joe’s house after it had given them a right spook. Eventually the pair returned only to discover that now the creature was standing atop the fence in the neighbour’s yard, a fence so old it crumbled under a person’s touch, and that’s when it was decided they were done chasing this thing for one evening. 

Years later, Joe took ill with consumption and died. Mr. Thorne, his ever-faithful friend, had stayed up with him right up until the very end. Joe’s condition had wasted him away so powerfully he was nary more than skin and bone by the time he’d passed. Mr. Thorne through the years had been hesitant to tell this story at all, for a good reason. Because, he says, toward the end of Joe’s life, lying in bed in his graveclothes, he looked just like The Thing.

In Liverpool, NS, a Mrs. Viola Oickle was seated at the kitchen table playing cards with her friends when she looked up and in the window, plain as day, was her Uncle Ernie. “There’s Uncle Ernie” she said, they’d heard the latch on the door open, but Ernie never showed. After cards she decided she’d go round to Ernie’s house to check on him, and there he was, peeling apples on his front step fit as a fiddle. However, mere hours later, Ernie had died of a heart attack at his home. 

Marion Bridge in Cape Breton is home to a wealth of ghost stories, of course the forerunner is one of these. In addition to one’s apparition, three knocks may also be an omen. A Mrs. MacGillivray tells the story of her mother waiting up one night for her father to come home when she heard the sound of a wagon being pulled by horses up the road. They stopped, then came three knocks at the door- which was strange, but her mother figured he may need a hand with something outside. Looking out, she realised no one was there at all. Of course she knew what three knocks meant and feared the worst for her husband. Eventually he returned home in his usual health, but her mother was still confused. A while later the body of a man was found up a nearby road and the men who’d discovered it stopped at the house to change horses at night. They knocked three times on the door, exactly the same sequence of events which transpired when her mother had heard the knocks before. 

3. Treasure The province has a storied history of pirates and privateering, so it comes as no surprise that stories of buried treasure are quite popular. As superstition has it, when digging for treasure, one must not speak until the task is done. If a word is spoken, the treasure will never be found. The spirits of pirates go to great lengths to ensure this, one tale tells of a man digging for a hidden treasure with his wife and young daughter. His wife pipes up, “oh would you look at those monkeys!” This is eastern Canada, as such there are no monkeys native to the area. Unsurprisingly, there were no monkeys to be found, and the treasure itself was never uncovered. Speaking of pirates

4. Black Rock Beach/Maugers Beach In Halifax’s early days as the port city it remains today, it was no stranger to pirates. Pirates, however, were not so welcome in Halifax as one may assume. When a pirate was caught in Halifax, they would be hanged and displayed in an iron cage at Black Rock Beach at the harbour’s mouth, or at Maugers (pronounced locally as Major’s) Beach on McNab’s Island a little further out. This is how the latter gained its name as Dead Man’s Beach. 

5. Other phantom ships Nova Scotia’s ties to the sea are a major part of its cultural superstition. From “red sky at night” to “never sail if you see a forerunner,” seafaring superstitions are etched into the fabric of life around here. It comes as no surprise, then, that there are so many stories of ghost ships in the mix. One such story comes from 1874, an experience of a Captain Hatfield from Fox River, NS as he was sailing from Cuba to New York. Asleep in his cabin one night, he felt three taps on his shoulder and a voice urging him, “keep her off half a point.” He figured this was the mate or another of his officers, but they each assured him it was not them. He felt the tapping and heard the voice again. As he was growing annoyed, he got up to look around and saw a man climbing up the ladder but was not dressed like the others onboard. Nevertheless, he got up and gave the order to keep the ship off half a point. When morning came, a wreck was spotted half a point off course of his ship, and onboard came Captain Amesbury of the schooner D. Talbot, his wife, child, and his crew. Captain Hatfield recounted the story of the night before to the captain and his wife, to which the wife informed him the man he saw was her father who had passed ten years prior. 

A story from Seabright of a fishing vessel that was lost in a sou-easter tells of a captain who’d not turn back as the other boats did, but instead dared the lord to stop him from staying behind. The ship was lost, of course, and for ages onwards sailors would recount seeing a bright light at night that disappeared during the day. It would tack when the respective vessel tacked, but no one ever saw the shape of the boat itself- just its light. But, as sailors do say, one can feel a ship just as one can feel a person nearby. 

6. St. Paul’s face in the window This one dates to the time of the Halifax Explosion which occurred on the 6th of December 1917. St. Paul’s Church is the oldest building in Halifax, its foundation having been laid in the year of the city’s founding in 1749.  As legend has it, the deacon of the church was standing in the window parallel to the Narrows of the harbour when the French munitions ship, Mont Blanc, exploded. His profile remains in the window to this day and can be seen via Argyle Street. 

7. The Black Window House Another Halifax legend, the Black Window House on Robie Street has a long history of superstition. It was built in 1840 for the first elected mayor of Halifax, William Caldwell. It is said to be haunted because of its infamous black window. Local legend states that once a man peered in the window and saw witches dancing their dance of death on the verandah. When the witches caught him spying, they turned the window black. 

8. The Town Clock One of Halifax’s most iconic landmarks is the Town Clock on Citadel Hill. This is one of the few surviving round structures designed by the Duke of Kent during his visit to Halifax in the late 18th century. It is said that before the clock was constructed, there existed a well near the site where it stands today. A young girl was reportedly playing near this well when she fell in and died. Her spirit is said to remain in the clock tower to this day. 

9. Citadel Hill No discussion of Nova Scotian haunts is complete without discussing Citadel Hill. The Halifax Citadel is today a national historic site, however in the past it was used as a fully-operational military fortification and is one of the best-remaining examples of a star fortress worldwide. Ghost stories from the Hill are many and varied, and some workers have reported seeing strange phenomena themselves such as footprints behind locked metal grates. In the month of October, ghost tours are given by costumed interpreters at the site where famous stories are recounted. Some guests report their hand being held by a smaller, invisible hand, others talk of seeing a ghostly man in the uniform of the 78th Highlanders Regiment walking the grounds only to disappear. It is worth noting that the Citadel never once fired a shot in anger. 

10. The Five Fishermen This popular (and pricey) Halifax restaurant serves up fine dining and spirits...not always of the alcoholic variety. Restaurant staff over the years have reported cutlery flying off of tables, seeing apparitions in the washrooms turning the taps on and off, doors closing on their own, and hearing their name called when no one is around. The form of a grey figure is also said to wander down the staircase. 

11. The gallows For a time after Halifax’s founding, a gallows was set up on the corner of what is now Lower Water and George Streets. Public executions were a spectacle that could be viewed by all townspeople of all ages. According to local legend, on a clear night the ghost of a hanged man is said to be seen swinging by his neck in the spot where the old gallows used to stand. 

12. Dagger Woods I cannot stress enough how creepy and unsettling this area is. In northern Antigonish County there is a forest known as Dagger Woods. In this forest, there is said to live a demon known as the Hidey Hinder who steals unsuspecting visitors to the underworld, the person is never seen or heard from again, supposedly vanishing into thin air. People travelling through the woods report hearing strange and frightening cries that they cannot place, and, understandably, avoid the area afterwards. The woods are the subject of a song by the same name by Nova Scotian folk metal band, The Stanfields. 

13. Peggy’s Cove Peggy’s Cove is by far one of Nova Scotia’s most popular tourist destinations. As a lifelong resident of Nova Scotia, I encourage you to visit this beautiful point but please, PLEASE, stay off the black rocks for god’s sake. Anyway, the ghost who is lucky enough to live here is, of course, named Margaret. The story goes that Margaret and her husband settled here after a shipwreck claimed the lives of their children. Margaret was heartbroken, and so her husband decided to cheer her up. He made his way onto the rocks where Margaret would often sit and lament her lost children and performed a dance for her, but it would turn out even worse- he slipped and fell to his death. In a fit of agony, Margaret threw herself off the rocks and into the sea, and her ghost is said to haunt the rocks of Peggy’s Point to this day.

14. Caledonia Mills, or Mary Ellen’s Spook Farm Back in 1922, the MacDonald family lived on a farm in Caledonia Mills situated in Antigonish County. Their adopted daughter, named Mary Ellen, was not held in high regard. A series of fires that had taken place during the winter devastated the family, and Mary Ellen was said to be at the root of them; it was believed she was born of an evil spirit. When she denied these accusations, she was sent to live in an asylum. Her spirit still resides in her farm, and to any unlucky visitor who’d like to bring back a souvenir, they might find that mysterious fires start to ignite in their own home. Best to leave the farm in one piece.

15. Horton’s Cove This is not one that’s widely known to many, however it is a story very personal to myself. On a spot of land in Guysborough County, the remains of a young boy who died in the early 20th century are buried. The grave is unmarked and the boy’s cause of death is unknown. That being said, his presence can be felt in both the field and the hills around where his resting place is said to be, and trust me when I say there is no feeling quite as unnerving. 

16. Cole Harbour Poor Farm/Bissett Road Asylum In the 1920s there existed a mental asylum in a quiet part of Cole Harbour, outbound toward the harbour itself. The building is no longer there, said to have burnt to the ground in a fire, however the spirits of its residents can be felt in the vacant lot on the hill where it used to stand. Across the street on the edge of a sprawling field is a small fenced cemetery containing ten unmarked white crosses. It is rumoured that these graves house the remains of children who used to live in the asylum, though it is more likely that these graves were intended for adult residents. It is not yet known whose remains these are. 

Dealings with the paranormal and superstition is a way of life for many in Nova Scotia. It is our maritime history and culture which largely feed these beliefs, whether one believes in them is entirely up to the individual themselves. One thing that isn’t so easy to shake, though, is the sensation that there’s something in the trees or that field over there. Say, what’s on the water? 

[papermoonloveslucy]

ROUGH ROAD TO TOP

August 16, 1953

(1)

One of the more famous CBS-TV shows is “I Love Lucy.” 

Its two chief characters - Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz - have had a rocky road to their present status as one of the top comedy teams in the country. 

At the end of Lucille's first year in dramatic school she was told by her teachers that she was wasting her time and money, that she would never become an actress. She was fired from all four of her first jobs as a chorus girl. Later, as a model, she almost lost her life in an automobile accident and was told she would never walk again. 

Revolution Factor 

It was a revolution in Cuba and a mishap in World War II which were fateful turns in Arnaz’ trip to stardom. The Cuban revolution destroyed his family’s wealth, drove them to the United States. World War II got him a broken kneecap in basic training, and since he had been a professional entertainer, he was placed in limited service and assigned to entertain hospitalized G.I.s'. 

Columbia Pictures gave Lucille a contract as a stock player, and, convinced that her luck finally had turned, she sent for mother, grandfather, and sister to join her in California. But, the morning after she wired her family, the studio decided to dissolve its stock company. When the family arrived, Lucille was working as an extra at Paramount.

Bit parts and extra roles in a number of pictures kept Lucille busy, but not prosperous, until she was cast in ’"Roberta.” RKO officials, impressed by her work, gave her a contract. When not busy before the cameras, she was a mainstay of the studio's Little Theater. (2)

Offered Stage Lead 

Her performance in the second lead in “The Girl from Paris" (3) drew Broadway's attention to Miss Ball and she was offered a lead in the musical "Hey Diddle Diddle.” After satisfying her yen to perform on the Great White Way (4), she returned to Hollywood for "Stage Door” and “Too Many Girls.” In the latter picture, she was costarred with Desi Arnaz. They were married Nov. 30 1940 in Greenwich, Conn.

Back from her honeymoon, Lucille walked into her first really big break a role in "The Big Street,” based on a story by Damon Runyon (5). Overnight it made her a star. 

Her first assignment at M.G.M. in 1942 was the title role in the Technicolor production "Du Barry Was a Lady” (6). Stellar roles followed in "Best Foot Forward” and "Meet the People" (7). After completing "Easy to Wed” with Van Johnson (8), she headed for New York to be with her husband, then out of the army and on his way to success in the orchestra business. 

Starred on Tour

Shortly after completing "Her Husband’s Affairs,” (9) Miss Ball went on tour as star of Elmer Rice's play "Dream Girl” (10) then worked with Sonny Tufts and Victor Mature in "Interference” for R.K.O. (11)

Lucille, Desi, arid their year-old daughter Lucy Desiree, live at Desilu, their five-acre ranch at Chatsworth, Calif. They raise cattle, chickens, dogs, and cats and dabble in farming. Enthusiastic fishermen they spend a lot of time on their boat.

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha was born in Santiago, Cuba, son of the mayor. Desi’s mother, Dolores de Acha, was considered among the 10 most beautiful women In Latin America. 

Three ranches totaling 100,000 acres, a palatial home in the city, a private island in Santiago Bay, speedboats, a fleet of motor cars, and a racing stable were all at the command of the youthful Desi during the pre-revolutionary days. His father, after eight years as mayor of Santiago, was made a member of the Cuban congress In 1932. 

On Aug. 12, 1933, came the revolution. Congress was dissolved. Its members jailed. The Arnaz property was confiscated, the homes burned to the ground. In 24 hours everything was gone except $500 Desi's mother had hidden. Desi and mother fled to Miami, devoted the next six months to efforts to free Papa Arnaz.  from prison. They were finally reunited in Florida.

For Desi, life in these United States for several years was hard but interesting: he worked at truck driving, train yard checking, taxi driving, bookkeeping, and, of all things, bird cage cleaning. Desi’s father managed to launch an importing business. It went broke when a shipment of fruit spoiled in transit.

Show business at this point finally caught up with Desi. His first job was playing guitar and singing with a seven-piece rhumba band at Miami’s Roney-Plaza Hotel (12). Xavier Cugat (13) spotted him, was impressed with this Cuban boy who was to be dubbed "The Tempo” by critics of modem music. After a year as featured vocalist with the Cugat band, Desi organized his own group of musicians and moved into the swank La Conga Café in Miami (14). 

George Abbott's Broadway hit "Too Many Girls” (15) was Desi’s next step up the ladder, in 1939. He played a Cuban football player, one of the leads, and played tropical drums. RKO bought the film rights and signed Desi to play his stage role. When the shooting was over Desi married the leading lady, Lucille Ball.

He spent from Feb. 1943 to Nov. 1945 in the Army, after which he toured the nation with his band playing theaters, dances, night clubs. He hasn’t been without a band since. In 1948, Desi made the Columbia film "Holiday in Havana.” (16)

He made a vaudeville tour with Lucille Ball and that convinced them they’d do well as a husband-and-wife team on television. The tour inspired the CBS-TV show “I Love Lucy,” which has been highly rated since it started. (17)

Desi Arnaz’s personality is as vibrant as the music he makes. He is friendly, direct in manner, has flashing dark brown eyes and brown hair. He’s an avid fisherman, rides and swims expertly: his tennis is the envy of his San Fernando Valley neighbors, Sue and Alan Ladd, Francis Lederer, Jackie Oakie, and the Andrews Sisters. (18) A good cook, he specializes in such tempting dishes as Ginger Beef and Bouillabaisse.

#    #    #

FOOTNOTES FROM THE FUTURE

(1) The photo is from “Be a Pal” (ILL S1;E2) aired on October 22, 1951, nearly two years earlier.  There’s one thing missing from this file photo: Vivian Vance. The success of the show was its foursome, not threesome! If you look closely you can see the hands of the other poker players, Richard Reeves (Hank, left) and Tony Michaels (Charlie, right).

(2) Lucille did several plays at the RKO Little Theatre under the direction of Lela Rogers (above), Ginger’s mom.  When Lucille later bought RKO, she dubbed it the Desilu Playhouse, a training ground for new young performers, often hand selected by Ball herself. 

(3) “That Girl from Paris” (not “The” as the article states) was Lucille’s 33rd film. The light-hearted musical romance earned an Oscar nomination for Sound Recording. It was released on the first day of 1937. 

(4) Lucille was indeed cast in the Broadway-bound comedy (it was not a musical, however) “Hey Diddle Diddle!” It opened in Princeton, New Jersey, the first of several out-of-town stops on the way to Broadway.  What Lucille’s publicity omits is that the show never got further than Washington DC due to the serious illness of its leading man, Conway Tearle. So Lucy’s Broadway debut would have to wait - until 1960!

(5) “The Big Street” opened on September 4, 1942. It was based on a Damon Runyan short story about a night club singer (Lucille) embittered by an accident that left her in a wheelchair and her romance with a naïve admirer (Henry Fonda) named Pinks. Lucy later said it was her favorite of the many films she made.  It was her 55th film. 

(6) “Du Barry Was A Lady” premiered in August 1943. It was Lucille’s  57th film, but her first for MGM.  She nabbed the role from her friend Ethel Merman, who had done the Cole Porter musical comedy on Broadway.  It was filmed in color, and was the film that earned her the nickname “Technicolor Tessie” because of her bright orange hair - a color she committed to from then on, despite her roots!  This is the film that introduced Lucy to the song “Friendship”, which she would also sing on “I Love Lucy.” 

(7) In the musical comedy “Best Foot Forward” (1943) Lucille Ball played herself.  It was her 58th film. “Meet The People” (1944) was a romantic comedy for MGM, Ball’s 60th film. 

(8) In 1946 she released her 63rd film, “Easy To Wed” co-starring Van Johnson and Esther Williams. Lucille and Van had appeared together in “Too Many Girls” and he would appear on Lucy’s television shows. 

(9) “Her Husband’s Affairs” (1947) was a romantic farce with Lucy teamed with Franchot Tone. It was her 69th film. 

(10) Back to the stage, Lucille accepted the leading role in a revival tour of “Dream Girl” a fantasy comedy by Elmer Rice. Once again, the play launched in Princeton, but this time Broadway was not the goal. It had already played the Great White Way two years earlier. The play toured the country at select cities, landing Lucille back in California in late 1947. In one SoCal gig she was appearing simultaneously with Desi and his band just a few blocks away.  No doubt this was by design. 

(11) RKO’s “Interference” was re-named “Easy Living” (1949) and dealt with the world of professional sports, namely football. It co-starred Victor Mature and Sonny Tufts. It was Ball’s 71st film. 

(12) The luxurious Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach was located on the corner of Collins Avenue and 23rd Street. It opened in 1925 and was demolished in 1968. The resort attracted a who's who that included Hollywood stars and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The hotel's Bamboo Room & Restaurant was the place to be seen on the Beach for decades.

(13) Xaviar Cugat (1900-1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City he was the leader of the resident orchestra at the Waldorf–Astoria before and after World War II.  He was a mentor and friend to Desi Arnaz, who kept his name before the public by making him a rival of Ricky Ricardo on “I Love Lucy” where his name became a punchline. In reality, Desi was grateful to Cugat, not jealous of him! 

“I learned a lot from Xavier Cugat” ~ Desi Arnaz

(14) La Conga Café was located in New York City, not Miami, although the article may be referring to a different, lesser known establishment where Desi Arnaz performed.  He became a regular headliner at La Conga, even issuing a record titled “La Conga” in 1939. 

(15) Speaking of 1939 New York, Desi appeared in his only Broadway show in 1939, Rogers and Hart’s “Too Many Girls.”  When the film rights were purchased by RKO, Desi was hired by director George Abbott to recreate his role. It was while filming this movie that he met Lucille Ball. 

(16) “Holiday in Havana” was a Columbia picture released in October 1949.  The film is about a Cuban hotel busboy (Arnaz) who dreams of becoming a composer.  His love interest was not Lucy, but Mary Hatcher. 

(17) The Tour incorporated some of the same routines seen in the “I Love Lucy” pilot as well as early episodes of the series, most notably the “Cuban Pete / Sally Sweet” duet.  The tour culminated at the Roxy in New York City, where Desi was playing when he married Lucille in 1940. 

(18) Before moving to their Beverly Hills mansion, Lucy and Desi lived on a ranch in Chatsworth in San Fernando Valley. They dubbed their ranch home Desilu.  About their neighbors: 

Alan Ladd (1913-64) was a chorus boy when Lucille was an Earl Carroll showgirl in Murder at the Vanities (1934). He was married to Sue Carol (1906-82) from 1942 until his death. Carol’s name was mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “The Fashion Show” when Lucy selects the same Don Loper original that Carol has chosen to wear in the fashion show. She does not appear on screen. 

Francis Lederer (1899-2000) was a Hungarian-born actor. In 1960 he did an episode of Desilu’s “The Untouchables”. From 1941 until his death he was married to Marion Irvine. 

Jackie Oakie (1903-78) did four films with Lucille Ball between 1934 and 1938, including both “Annabell” movies. 

The Andrews Sisters were the pre-eliminant close-harmony girl group of their time. The consisted of Patty, Maxine, and LaVerne. They were mentioned on “I Love Lucy” in “Be a Pal” in the same scene that the photo at the top of the article came from. In 1969, Patty Andrews guest-starred as herself on “Here’s Lucy”.  Lucy and Lucie played the other two Andrews sisters. 

[u-iona]

After seeing the last episode on the YouTube channel GrandLineReview, I wanted to comment about a thing I hate about One Piece, but it was too long (as all my writtings tend to be), so I’m posting it here.

I apologise for all gramatical mistakes that will inevitabely appear.

I hate how female characters either don’t appear as much as males or are left as background characters while the males duke it out.

Marines: I can remember about three female characters from the top of my head (Tashigi, Tsuru and Hina) and even though there are more (Tsuru’s crew) there is nowhere near enough to counter the males. Additionally, we know of two former Fleet Admirals (Sengoku and Kong), one current (Sakazuki), and five Admirals (Akainu [former], Aokiji [former], Kizaru, Fujitora and Ryokugyu). Notice a trend? All males.

Cipher Pol: While writting about the Marines, I thought that maybe the reason for the lack of females was that the society at large expected women to not fight and simply take care of the house. With that being the case, it would make sense for Marines to promote the idea, since it would fit with the world at large. It would also make sense for the lack of female characters in CP1-8, since those are known to public (maybe even CP0, since they work mainly for the World Nobles and need to keep up the appearances). But it would not explain CP9, which is an allegedly assassination organisation unknown to the world. In that case a female would be more inconspicuous and thus better at assassination. So, either my idea is wrong and the Marines and CP0-8 have no real explanation for their lack of females or CP9 has no good explanation for only having Kalifa out of at least 8 known characters.

Pirates: Even if theory of misogyny mentioned above is true, pirates, who rebel against the World Government should have a better track record.

Shichibukai (including former, but not Blackbeard, since he’ll be a bit down with the Yonko): Admitedly, Shichibukai work for the World Government, but they’re more of independant contractors than actual employees. So, from all the know Shichibukai Mihawk, Kuma and Weevil get a pass, since they don’t have a crew. Boa Hancock gets one as well, since she does have an all female crew, but her whole crew (present, past and future, since Kija Pirates just seem to pass from generation to generation) is made of Kuja women only and doesn’t seem inclined to recruit out of her island. Which kind of makes sense, but is also discriminatory of every non-Kuja woman. Now to the rest. Crocodile had a bounty hunter organisation that employed both males and females, most notably current Straw Hat Nico Robin, who, once they got up high enough on the ladder worked in male-female duos. That sounds good, but (while I am not going to go back to manga/anime) I remember that, when explaining the structure of Baroque Works to Straw Hats, Vivi said that the number agents are the strongest men in the organisation, who then get a female partner with complementary skill set. Enough said. Next, Moria. But, there’s not much to say, since he basically had 3 living crew members and with that number it’s either man-man-woman or man-woman-woman, so it’s good enough that he didn’t have three men. Jinbei and honestly Fisher Tiger (who I still love and cry when I see him die) did a terrible job at gender equality, since there are no fishwomen or mermaids on the crew of Sun Pirates (there’s Praline, but she’s Aladins wife and joins during time-skip as a part of alliance with Big Mom, so I’m not really counting her). And we have no evidence that fishwomen or mermaids would be any worse at fighting than mermen or fishmen. Trafalgar Law does a bit better, but with one woman out of 20 crew members it’s still not much. Buggy (a guy I totally forgot was a part of this group, sorry Buggy fans) has a huge crew, but out of the well known ones, I’m pretty sure that only Alvida is female, but I cannot be certain that he doesn’t have more. And lastly, Doflamingo. Here I only count the Donquixote Family, since counting every minion would take too long. Out of his Elite Officers (the guys that stood for heart, club, diamond and spade) there were five (Roscinante and Vergo both standing for heart) and all male. Each of them could have subordinates which were: Giolla, Sugar, Violet, Lao G, Senor Pink, Dellinger, Machvise, Gladius, Buffalo, Baby 5. Then there was Monet, who was part of the family, but neither as an elite officer or an official subordinate of one. In total, out of 16 there are 5 females. Like with Moria, it is roughly one third, but better than some other and Doflamingo could have had more females. My main concern nere were the Elite Officers, but they were in general much harder to defeat than the other. Those that jump out would be Sugar (as being hard to defeat, but we need to take into consideration that she was being actively protected by Trebol), Vergo (being easier to defeat than other Elite Officers [in my oppinion], but that took Laws genuinly OP Devil Fruit] and Roscinante (since he didn’t seem to do much and his Devil Fruit was kind of useless, so he either had hidden skill we didn’t see or nepotism).

Yonko: Since this is much lower on the list, I actually thought through the order of writting (from most women inclusive to least) and am not winging it like the rest. Firstly, Big Mom (Charlotte Linlin). She is a female and her crew is greatly inclusive to both genders and all races (species?), though the higher ups (Sweet Commanders, Ministers) seem to be ONLY her children. That means that unless a blood relative of hers a character has little to no chance of mattering. But that could be due to both her and her children, in general, being stronger than at least humans, as well as most of her crew being made up of Homies (if I remember correctly). Out of her three (formerly four) Sweet Commanders one, Smoothie, is female and, while she is weaker than Katakuri (like most of her family), her bounty is higher than Crackers, so she presents a bigger threat according to the World Government. Taking her and Crackers Devil Fruits into consideration, it is likely that Smoothie is more powerful than Cracker (without Devil Fruit), since Cracker can use his whenever he feels like but Smoothie seems to need to get close up, making her fruit harder to use against many enemies at once and thus needing to rely on other abilities. Like Big Mom, Kaido does employ many females, but not as much where it counts. For me, the characters from the Beast Pirates that I remember are Kaido, the All Stars and the Tobiroppo and from those 9, 2 are female (only Ulti and Black Maria). Not to say that those two aren’t awsome, I love both, especially Ulti, but I don’t think that it’s enough. On top of that, the All Stars (which are basically the Beast Pirates version of the Sweet Comanders) are all male, so not even the one third. Then we get onto Blackbeard, from who’s crew we know only the 10 Titanic Captains, where only one (Catarina Devon) is female. That could certainly be better and I will not comment much further, since the 10 Captains themselves show that Blackbeard has a gigant crew, most of who we don’t know, but having a few more females there would be better, since any Blackbeard female shown from now on will most likely be weaker than any of the captains. Next is Whitebeard, whose crew I genuinely hate. I honestly think that Whitebeard is cool and I support the idea of blood not making a family, but any and all females on his crew are nurses. No fighters, let alone a female being one of the 16 Divison Commanders (I checked and Haruta is male. I also heard some people mention Whity Bay, but she’s an ally and a captain of her own crew, not a Whitebeard pirate). So, while there are females, it showes them as damsels in distres rather than foghters. Nothing more to say. Lastly, the worst offender, Shanks. No females. That’s it. There is not a single female character that would be a known member of the Red Haired pirates, not even as a nurse. Grantes, we still don’t know much about Shanks or the Red Haired pirates, but we’ve seen them at Marinefort and I think that if at least one female from the crew was an important fighter, she would be there. So, there could be some, but either not strong or not a fighter at all.

Straw Hats: Let’s be honest, we all love Straw Hats, but they’ve got problems. There are females, but it’s still only two out of then, neither of the two is part of the three strongest (until the time skip Nami was actually seen as one of the weaker members and before Alabasta she didn’t even fight) and even their fighting styles show a problem. This is something I wanted to also point out (before this rant became longer than some of my essays [and I didn’t even research here, just checked to make sure some of the things I wrote were actually true and to check the names]), but another thing I don’t like is how even when female characters are shown, they are not fighters, not GOOD fighters (or in general tend to be weaker than men) or are long distance fighters. Nami and Robin are a great mple of the last. Both of them attack from a distance, which makes sense with their weapon/Devil Fruit, but all the other Straw Hats (excluding Usopp) fight at close or mid distance. That makes the Straw Hats balances, but it doesn’t make sense that neither of them are close combat (at least statistically), especially since Nami DIDN’T FIGHT until Alabasta (and even there her combat with Miss Doublefinger was pretty close range) so her fighting style could have been thought of for a long time. And Robin DOES have some close ranged attacks (shown in Alabasta and Skypiea arcs) but just doesn’t use them (especially post time-skip). And that’s not even talking about Haki. Logicaly speaking, it would make all sense in the world for Robin to have at least Arnament, since it would give her already OP (if used correctly) Devil Fruit a way to more effectively attack other Devil Fruit users and even normal enemies (since Arnament also seems to make attacks stronger, not only allow Devil Fruit users to be hurt) and, unlike basicaly all the other Straw Hats, who didn’t learn Haki during the time-skip, Robin was surrounded by people who knew Haki and could have taught her.

Thank you, for reading my rant. I hope you enjoyed. Additionally, I suck at tagging, so please let me know, if you can think of any.

[simshousewindsor]

EASTON, Windenburg (SNN) -- The Queen arrives at Edward I Airport in Easton from Brindleton Bay, one day after the death of her father King George I and her accession to her throne.

She heard the news of being proclaimed Sovereign of the Commonwealth Realm while staying at the Brindleton Bay family vacation home of her longtime best friend, Carissa Kennedy-Lee. Kennedy-Lee is the daughter of former Americreek President, Clinton F. Kennedy.

As a sign of respect for the new orders of precedence, Prince Rainier, the Duke of Brindleton Bay, now walks two paces behind the Queen. Because she’s now at the top of the royal family’s hierarchy, Queen Katherine I walks at the front (particularly for formal occasions and state dinners).

The Orders of Precedence states that when the royal family is part of a procession, they enter and are seated in the order of precedence. That’s essentially the same order as the line of succession to the throne.

The Queen was greeted by Prime Minister Keller, Foreign Secretary Budrow and Private Secretary to the sovereign, Mr Lavelle. The Prime Minister will address the nation at 2:30 PM.

As she deplaned, the large crowd fell silent with only the noise of camera flashes being heard.

For the first time as sovereign, The Queen rode in the royal Rolls-Royce, over which the Royal standard was Hoisted.

The Queen drove directly to Buckingsim Palace from the airfield. King George’s body will depart Henford tomorrow at 2:00 PM WST and arrive at the Easton Train Station at 5:54 PM WST. The Queen will be joined by the entire royal family to receive his body. Crowds are expected the line The Mall as his body returns to the palace.

Messages of condolence continue to pour into Buckingsim palace from all over the sims world as funeral arrangements are expected to be released tomorrow.

Previous | Beginning | Next

[josefavomjaaga]

Helfert, Joachim Murat, Chapter 5, Part 2

Be warned: This is a boring one, mostly about Ferdinand IV.

Ferdinand IV, leaving the Crown Prince as his alter-ego in Palermo, had arrived in Messina after the middle of May and there ratified the Vienna Alliance Treaty of April 29 on the 20th.

On 31 May, the telegraph reported the departure of the royal squadron from Messina for the Gulf of Naples: at the same time, the "Tremendous", carrying the family of former King Joachim, weighed anchor; out at sea, the two expeditions met and exchanged gun salutes. Ferdinand entered the Bay of Baja on June 3; five days later, the Tremendous landed the Countess of Lipona in Trieste with her four children Achilles, Lucian, Letitia and Luigia [sic! He uses the Italian variant of the name here] and set sail again on the evening of June 8 to return to Naples.

King Ferdinand had not immediately gone to his capital, but had taken up residence for the time being in nearby Portici. From there, on June 4, he issued a manifesto in which, in accordance with his Palermo Proclamation of May 1st and the reservation of the Treaty of Casa Lanza of May 20th, he promised his regained subjects personal and civil freedom, respect for the purchase of state goods as well as the national debt, the maintenance of salaries and pension entitlements, dignities and military honours, recognition of the new nobility alongside the old, and promised that no one would be brought to court because of their former political opinions and attitudes. In Naples there was complete calm, Murat's followers had all but disappeared, the restoration of the old dynasty was the dominant slogan. Day after day, deputations as well as individuals of rank appeared in Portici to pay homage to the king, to declare their submission and devotion.

The signing of the Concluding Act of the European Congress took place in Vienna on June 9th; in the CIV. Article, King Ferdinand IV was "restored to the throne of Naples, both for himself and for his heirs and descendants, and recognised by the Powers as the rightful Prince of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies". It seems that Ferdinand had waited for this event to become a documented certainty in order to fulfil his and his followers' desire to return to the soil of his old capital. On June 17, solemnly welcomed by General Neipperg at the head of the allied cavalry, and received by FML Bianchi and the entire army at the bridge of the Maddalena, he made his first appearance in Naples after more than nine years of absence, where the event was celebrated with three days of rejoicing.

Hoo-bloody-ray.

On the day after the king's solemn entry, Bianchi received the imperial order to leave only 18,000 men under FML Mohr in Naples and to march the remaining troops to northern Italy. Also, the prolonged stay of such a strong foreign garrison was hardly necessary. Order and legality had found their way into all areas of the kingdom; isolated riots, attempts at rebellion by Murat's followers or, in turn, acts of violence by the population against the organs of the overthrown regiment, were countered by the military commissions, which a royal decree of June 28th found necessary in some provinces. Military resistance was broken everywhere. Proud Gaëta was still holding on, but its fall was a question of time and Bianchi could calmly leave the completion of his work to his successor in command. King Ferdinand had appointed him Duca di Casa Lanza with an annual endowment of 9,000 ducats or 15,000 florins, which Bianchi gratefully accepted; but his other application to become Generalissimo at the head of the Neapolitan army had been refused by him, who wished to remain loyal to the service of his ancestral emperor and master, to Ferdinand's great regret. On 1 July, the glorious commander left the city and the country. The departure of part of the Austrian garrison went hand in hand with the deportation of the French prisoners of war. They were brought out of the kingdom in troops, among them quite a few who, having been in Neapolitan service for years, did not even desire to return to their old homeland. Among them was Murat's chief of staff in the last campaigns, Millet de Villeneuve, who had many connections in Naples and kept himself hidden to avoid extradition. He was, however, tracked down, dragged out of hiding and taken into custody at Fort dell' Uovo; on July 25, he too left the territory of the kingdom with the last French transport. In their place, Neapolitan fugitives returned in droves from Sicily, where they had spent ten years, among them personalities of high rank and name: the generals Naselli Nunziante Fardella, the Duke of Ascoli-Marulli, who, like so many others, had sacrificed exile and the confiscation of his entire continental property for his loyalty and political conviction. The Prince of Hesse-Philippsthal, Maria Carolina's chivalrous companion on her last arduous and perilous journey, also found himself in Naples. 

In Gaëta commanded the Neapolitan Maresciallo di Campo - as much as Major General here - Baron Begani, who gave a rare example of courage, endurance and fealty. Enclosed on land by an Austrian siege corps, guarded from the sea by a British-Sicilian flotilla of gunboats under Capitain Flahie and Colonel Robinson, he had already rejected repeated calls for surrender. Not the communication of the agreement of Casa Lanza, not the news of the removal of the dethroned King's family, not disastrous sorties in which he lost almost as many men to death and wounding as to desertion, not mutiny in his own camp, the revolt of a part of the garrison, which he had to bring down to pairs with bloody severity, nothing could shake the steadfastness of this man who declared that he would surrender the fortress only to or at the command of the one who had entrusted it to him: His Majesty King Joachim of Naples. The hope that Napoleon would assert himself on the throne of France, bind the old fortunes of war to his banners and then also bring help to his brother-in-law's beleaguered fortress, probably kept him going. Under such circumstances, there was nothing left for the imperial forces but to proceed to a formal siege, the leadership of which was entrusted to FML Baron Lauer. The preparations for this presented great difficulties; neither was there a sufficient number of guns, nor a sufficient supply of war material available. At the same time, the fire from the fortress, which was abundantly supplied with everything it needed, was so devastating that more than once the siege work had to be interrupted and the people engaged in it, who suffered great losses, began to become timid. On July 7 and 8, the flotilla and the land army celebrated the news of the battle of Waterloo with salutes of joy; and this occasion was used to urge Begani once more to give up his useless resistance. But he demanded to be allowed to send one of his officers to the headquarters of the allies in order to obtain authentic news by this means. When this was refused, the hostilities began anew.

The last part reminds me a lot of Davout in Hamburg.

[mattprivettwrites]

The best songs of the 1970s

“What started out as a joke has turned into a disaster!” - Stu Nahan, Rocky IV

So my employment has me in my car a lot, which means I’m listening to the radio a lot. If I’m not listening to a podcast or baseball game through my phone I also have SiriusXM, which of course has a plethora of musical options. I gravitate to the 70s and 80s channels because, well, of course I do.

Something else about me you may or may not know is that I love ranking things. I have a Note on my phone I’m regularly accessing that is nothing but different types of rankings. 

Thus, you can imagine my excitement when the 70s on 7 station announced a listener-voted Top 700 Songs of the 70s countdown over Labor Day weekend. It was a fun listen. They went through it twice over the four day weekend, and I was laboring much so I heard much.

It prompted me to think: What are my top seventy songs of the 70s? Surely I wasn’t going to come up with a top 700. After all, some in that list were real stinkers. But seventy? No problem. And indeed, it wasn’t hard to come up with that many songs. The hard part was narrowing it down. And once I did, there were still so many songs on my list I had enough for more lists, so I expanded it to 140, then 210, and... well...

I’m about to give you the authoritative list of the 350 best songs of the 1970s. I originally put out a Top 70 list on Facebook a few weeks ago. Much that of that list remains the same, with a few changes. But now there is much more. I’ve divided these into five “volumes” of seventy songs. They are my picks, but I welcome your feedback, because what’s a good set of rankings without debate and discussion.

Vol. 1 (1–70)

Chicago - “25 or 6 to 4”

Billy Joel - “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”

The Doobie Brothers - “What a Fool Believes”

Queen - “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Boston - “More Than a Feeling”

Elton John & Kiki Dee - “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”

Gerry Rafferty - “Baker Street”

ABBA - “Waterloo”

Don McLean - “American Pie”

The Eagles - “Take It to the Limit”

Fleetwood Mac - “The Chain”

Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Free Bird”

Billy Joel - “Until the Night”

Looking Glass - “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”

Stevie Wonder - “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours”

Elton John - “Philadelphia Freedom”

The Bee Gees - “Stayin’ Alive”

The Knack - “My Sharona”

Derek & The Dominos - “Layla”

Chicago - “Just You ’N’ Me”

The Emotions - “Best of My Love”

Jefferson Starship - “Miracles”

Aerosmith - “Dream On”

Joe Cocker - “You Are So Beautiful”

The Who - “Won’t Get Fooled Again”

Carly Simon - “You’re So Vain”

Electric Light Orchestra - “Livin’ Thing”

The Rolling Stones - “Beast of Burden”

Queen - “We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions”

Billy Joel - “My Life”

Journey - “Lights”

Toto - “Hold the Line”

Michael Jackson - “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”

Pilot - “Magic”

Bruce Springsteen - “Born to Run”

Led Zeppelin - “Stairway to Heaven”

Styx - “Babe”

Stevie Wonder - “Sir Duke”

Orleans - “Still the One”

Samantha Sang - “Emotion”

Foreigner - “Feels Like the First Time”

ABBA - “Dancing Queen”

The Four Seasons - “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)”

Marvin Gaye - “Trouble Man”

The Spinners - “Rubberband Man”

Kansas - “Carry On Wayward Son”

The Jackson 5 - “I Want You Back”

Chicago - “If You Leave Me Now”

Bill Withers - “Ain’t No Sunshine”

Earth, Wind, & Fire - “Shining Star”

Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta - “You’re the One That I Want”

Yvonne Ellman - “If I Can’t Have You”

Fleetwood Mac - “Don’t Stop”

Billy Joel - “Just the Way You Are”

The Eagles - “I Can’t Tell You Why”

Free - “All Right Now”

Kenny Rogers - “The Gambler”

The Bee Gees - “Night Fever”

Player - “Baby Come Back”

The Ides of March - “Vehicle”

David Bowie - “Starman”

The Five Stairsteps - “O-O-H Child”

Carole King - “I Feel the Earth Move”

Elton John - “My Father’s Gun”

Jefferson Starship - “Jane”

Stevie Wonder - “Higher Ground”

Electric Light Orchestra - “Mr. Blue Sky”

Seals & Croft - “Summer Breeze”

The Temptations - “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”

Chicago - “Old Days”

——

Vol. 2 (71–140)

The Who - “Baba O’Riley”

The Eagles - “Hotel California”

Billy Joel - “Prelude/Angry Young Man”

Aerosmith - “Walk This Way”

The Four Seasons - “Who Loves You”

Gerry Rafferty - “Right Down the Line”

Chicago - “Make Me Smile”

The Bee Gees - “Too Much Heaven”

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - “Old Time Rock and Roll”

Elton John - “Your Song”

Earth, Wind, & Fire - “September”

Queen - “Somebody to Love”

Paul McCartney & Wings - “Live and Let Die”

The Village People - “Y.M.C.A.”

James Taylor - “Fire and Rain”

Led Zeppelin - “Whole Lotta Love”

The Spinners - “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love”

Three Dog Night - “Joy to the World”

Jim Croce - “I Got a Name”

Billy Joel - “Stiletto”

The Jackson 5 - “ABC”

Styx - “Come Sail Away”

Dobie Gray - “Drift Away”

Ozark Mountain Daredevils - “Jackie Blue”

Stevie Wonder - “I Wish”

Credence Clearwater Revival - “Up Around the Bend”

The Hollies - “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)”

Daryl Hall & John Oates - “Rich Girl”

Elton John - “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”

KISS - “Rock and Roll All Nite”

Fleetwood Mac - “Go Your Own Way”

Carl Douglas - “Kung Fu Fighting”

Steve Miller Band - “Jet Airliner”

Chicago - “Saturday in the Park”

Led Zeppelin - “Immigrant Song”

The Beatles - “Let It Be”

Three Dog Night - “An Old Fashioned Love Song”

Bad Company - “Can’t Get Enough”

Grand Funk Railroad - “We’re an American Band”

The Bee Gees - “More Than a Woman”

The Charlie Daniels Band - “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”

The Doobie Brothers - “Listen to the Music” 

Black Sabbath - “Iron Man”

Chic - “Good Times”

Billy Joel - “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”

Harry Chapin - “Cat’s in the Cradle”

The Bay City Rollers - “Saturday Night”

Elton John - Bennie and the Jets”

K.C. & The Sunshine Band - “That’s the Way (I Like It)”

Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Sweet Home Alabama”

Carole King - “It’s Too Late”

The O’Jays - “Love Train”

Billy Joel - “Piano Man”

Foreigner - “Double Vision”

Chicago - “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”

Peaches & Herb - “Reunited”

Deep Purple - “Smoke on the Water”

Wild Cherry - “Play That Funky Music”

Marvin Gaye - “I Want You”

Orleans - “Dance With Me”

Earth, Wind, & Fire - “After the Love Has Gone”

Van Halen - “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love”

Paul McCartney & Wings - “My Love”

Little River Band - “Lonesome Loser”

Stevie Wonder - “Isn’t She Lovely?”

Steely Dan - “Reelin’ in the Years”

Cheap Trick - “Surrender”

The Sugarhill Gang - “Rapper’s Delight”

Maxine Nightingale - “Right Back Where We Started From”

The Who - “Who Are You”

——

Vol. 3 (141–210)

Gloria Gaynor - “I Will Survive”

Led Zeppelin - “Kashmir”

Chicago - “Baby, What a Big Surprise”

Sister Sledge - “We Are Family”

Jackson Browne - “Running on Empty”

Olivia Newton John - “Hopelessly Devoted to You”

Vicki Sue Robinson - “Turn the Beat Around”

Billy Joel - “Big Shot”

Starland Vocal Band - “Afternoon Delight”

Rupert Holmes - “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”

Queen - “Don’t Stop Me Now”

Andrea True Connection - “More More More”

The Guess Who - “American Woman”

The Doobie Brothers - “Black Water”

Paul McCartney & Wings - “Band on the Run”

Stevie Wonder - “Superstition”

Elton John - “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”

James Taylor - “Your Smiling Face”

The Rolling Stones - “Miss You”

Chicago - “Beginnings”

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - “Let It Ride”

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - “We’ve Got Tonight”

Styx - “Lady”

Three Dog Night - “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)”

Journey - “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”

Foreigner - “Cold As Ice”

10cc - “I’m Not in Love”

Credence Clearwater Revival - “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”

K.C. & The Sunshine Band - “Get Down Tonight”

Billy Joel - “Summer Highland Falls”

The Delfonics - “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”

Electric Light Orchestra - “Don’t Bring Me Down”

The Bee Gees - “How Deep Is Your Love”

Ike & Tina Turner - “Proud Mary”

Elton John - “Levon”

The Doobie Brothers - “Long Train Runnin’”

Seals & Croft - “Diamond Girl”

Redbone - “Come and Get Your Love”

Kenny Loggins - “This Is It”

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - “Blinded By the Light”

Roberta Flack - “Killing Me Softly With His Song”

Paul McCartney & Wings - “With a Little Luck”

The Bellamy Brothers - “Let Your Love Flow”

The Carpenters - “Superstar”

Blue Oyster Cult - “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”

Stevie Wonder - “You Are the Sunshine of My Life”

Eddie Money - “Baby Hold On”

Ted Nugent - “Cat Scratch Fever”

The Eagles - “Best of My Love”

The Four Tops - “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)”

Chicago - “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Chairmen of the Board - “Give Me Just a Little More Time”

The Cars - “Just What I Needed”

Queen - “You’re My Best Friend”

Thelma Houston - “Don’t Leave Me This Way”

Heart - “Barracuda”

Isaac Hayes - “Theme from Shaft”

Daryl Hall & John Oates - “She’s Gone”

Rod Stewart - “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)”

Billy Joel - “She’s Got a Way”

The Hues Corporation - “Rock the Boat”

Steve Miller Band - “Fly Like an Eagle”

Thin Lizzy - “Jailbreak”

Supertramp - “Give a Little Bit”

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”

America - “Sister Golden Hair”

Pure Prairie League - “Amie”

The Temptations - “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)”

Prince - “I Wanna Be Your Lover”

Van Halen - “Eruption / You Really Got Me”

——

Vol. 4 (211–280)

Led Zeppelin - “When the Levee Breaks”

The Clash - “London Calling”

Chicago - “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long”

KISS - “Detroit Rock City”

Bobby Womack - “Across 110th Street”

Bad Company - “Feel Like Makin’ Love”

Billy Joel - “I’ve Loved These Days”

Jim Croce - “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”

Aerosmith - “Sweet Emotion”

Ace - “How Long”

James Taylor - “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)”

The Chi-Lites - “Oh Girl”

Frank Mills - “Music Box Dancer”

Amii Stewart - “Knock on Wood”

ABBA - “Take a Chance on Me”

Grand Funk Railroad - “Some Kind of Wonderful”

Elton John - “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”

Fleetwood Mac - “Dreams”

The Sweet - “Fox on the Run”

Herb Alpert - “Rise”

The Eagles - “The Long Run”

K.C. & The Sunshine Band - “Boogie Shoes”

Marvin Gaye - “What’s Going On”

Todd Rundgren - “Hello, It’s Me”

Black Sabbath - “Paranoid”

Paul McCartney - “Maybe I’m Amazed”

The Rolling Stones - “It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)”

Boston - “Don’t Look Back”

Billy Joel - “Streetlife Serenader”

Journey - “Wheel in the Sky”

Poco - “Crazy Love”

Blondie - “Heart of Glass”

James Gang - “Funk #49”

Kansas - “Dust in the Wind”

Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks - “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’”

Steely Dan - “Do It Again”

Natalie Cole “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)”

Billy Preston - “Outa-Space”

Boz Skaggs - “Lido Shuffle”

Leo Sayer - “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”

Alicia Bridges - “I Love the Nightlife (Disco ‘Round)”

10cc - “The Things We Do For Love”

America - “Ventura Highway”

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - “Tears of a Clown”

Donna Summer - “Hot Stuff”

Edgar Winter Group - “Free Ride”

Chicago - “Wishing You Were Here”

The Jackson 5 - “The Love You Save”

Carly Simon - “Nobody Does It Better”

Parliament - “Flashlight”

T. Rex - “Bang a Gong (Get It On)”

Ohio Players - “Love Rollercoaster”

Chuck Mangione - “Feels So Good”

Jackson Browne - “Doctor My Eyes”

The Eagles - “Take It Easy”

The Ramones - “Blitzkrieg Bop”

Seals & Croft - “Get Closer”

Queen - “Killer Queen”

Carol Douglas - “Doctor’s Orders”

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - “Her Strut”

Billy Joel - “Vienna”

Average White Band - “Pick Up the Pieces”

James Taylor - “Handy Man”

Thin Lizzy - “The Boys Are Back in Town”

Walter Murphy - “A Fifth of Beethoven”

Three Dog Night - “Shambala”

The Three Degrees - “When Will I See You Again”

Jim Croce - “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”

The Commodores - “Machine Gun”

Led Zeppelin - “The Song Remains the Same”

——

Vol. 5 (281–350)

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet”

Billy Joel - “Miami 2017 (I’ve Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)”

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - “Still the Same”

Al Green - “Let’s Stay Together”

ABBA - “S.O.S.”

The Cars - “Let’s Go”

Ted Nugent - “Stranglehold”

Elton John - “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time)”

Styx - “Renegade”

Eddie Rabbitt - “Every Which Way But Loose”

Alice Cooper - “No More Mr. Nice Guy”

Daryl Hall & John Oates - “Sara Smile”

Chicago - “Lowdown”

Love Unlimited Orchestra - “Love’s Theme”

Rod Stewart - “Maggie May”

Paul Simon - “Slip, Slidin’ Away”

Robert Palmer - “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)”

MFSB - “The Sound of Philadelphia”

Ambrosia - “How Much I Feel”

Electric Light Orchestra - “Evil Woman”

Bruce Springsteen - “Thunder Road”

ZZ Top - “La Grange”

Gino Vannelli - “I Just Wanna Stop”

Gilbert O’Sullivan - “Alone Again (Naturally)”

Fleetwood Mac - “Say You Love Me”

The Doobie Brothers - “Rockin’ Down the Highway”

Golden Earring - “Radar Love”

Ram Jam - “Black Betty”

The Eagles - “One of These Nights”

Meco - “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band”

Billy Joel - “Honesty”

The Bee Gees - “Tragedy”

Queen - “Stone Cold Crazy”

Chic - “Everybody Dance”

Bread - “Everything I Own”

Olivia Newton John - “A Little More Love”

The Trammps - “Disco Inferno”

Neil Sedaka - “Laughter in the Rain”

Marvin Gaye - “Got to Give It Up”

B.J. Thomas - “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”

The Village People - “In the Navy”

King Harvest - “Dancing in the Moonlight”

Ohio Players - “Fire”

Nicolette Larson - “Lotta Love”

Main Ingredient - “Everybody Plays the Fool”

Barry White - “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe”

The Kinks - “Everybody’s A Star”

Michael Jackson - “Ben”

Elton John - “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”

Dionne Warwick & The Spinners - “Then Came You”

Nazareth - “Love Hurts”

Eric Carmen - “All By Myself”

Foreigner - “Hot Blooded”

Bobby Caldwell - “What You Won’t Do For Love”

Foghat - “Slow Ride”

Andy Kim - “Rock Me Gently”

Cheryl Lynn - “Got to Be Real”

Captain & Tennille - “Love Will Keep Us Together”

The Miracles - “Love Machine”

Blondie - “One Way or Another”

Elvin Bishop - “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”

Leo Sayer - “When I Need You”

Little River Band - “Reminiscing”

Hudson Brothers - “So You Are A Star”

Exile - “Kiss You All Over”

Mountain - “Mississippi Queen”

Heat Wave - “Groove Line”

Sugarloaf - “Don’t Call Us (We’ll Call You)”

Hot Butter - “Popcorn”

ABBA - “Mamma Mia”

[thethoughtsfromthreeam]

Monument Woman

Pairing: Marcus Pike x OC (Rosemary Carter)

Warnings: None

A/N:  Enter Marcus Pike, stage right

Reminder: I ain’t ever seen Pedro Pascal in FUCK ALL, I’m just coming up with this as I go along, using imdb.com, wiki, and 84,000 tabs I got open to plan out this shit.  I also write soft versions of his characters so if you’re craving asshole vibes, I ain’t got any but my own to offer.

Tag List:

@zeldasayer​ , @beskars​ , @coolmaybelateruniverse​ , @the-feckless-wonder​ , @pascalisthepunkest​ , @mandoandyodito​ , @randomness501​ , @fioccodineveautunnale​  , @ahopelessromanticwritersworld​ , @lilkermit14​ , @tortles   [please message me to be added or subtracted]

[PART 1]  [PART 2]  [PART 3]  [PART 4]  [PART 5]

Part 6 – Step Forward, Step Back, Find Your Partner Quick

Helen tried her best to console a distraught Rosemary as Officer Garcia spoke to several of his colleagues in the hallway.  Her screams had startled the director, who was already on edge due to the break-in and if the circumstances had been different, the look of surprise and horror on the officer’s face would have reduced Helen to peals of laughter.  But all the situation did was add worry to her shoulders.

For nearly two hours, the officers questioned Rosemary about the break-in, about the missing piece, and they kept asking if the museum had any enemies. As much as she wanted to say Fred Breyers out of pure spite, Rosemary kept her mouth shut – sure some people weren’t always pleased with some of their program or exhibit topics, but nothing that would result in the theft of an artifact or the physical beating of a staff member.  The two women were exhausted by the time the three cops left the building.  Rosemary laid on the couch in her office, a wet cloth over her eyes as the lingering headache from the attack ramped up under this new stress.

“Rose, are you going to be okay?”  Helen’s voice was soft, but unable to keep the worried tone at bay.

“I honestly don’t know.  That statue was the only thing missing.  I don’t know if I’m upset because I promised Robert we’d care for it or mad as hell that accepting that ugly ass hunk of bronze led to all of this and possibly hurt the museum’s reputation.”  She sighed heavily, the now cool cloth doing little to help her.  She slowly sat up, swinging her legs over the sofa’s edge.

“I wouldn’t worry about our reputation.  I’m already working with Marquetta on a press release to get ahead of the game.  Louis over at the Caller always does right by us, I’ll give him the scoop first and he’ll spin it in our favor.”  Helen leaned back.  “I’ll also call major donors today to inform them of the situation.”

“I’m sorry, Helen.  I never thought this would have happened!”  The younger woman groaned heavily as she tried to stand, but the director held out her hand to keep her from getting up.  The body stilled.

“Did Francois’ report show anything differently than what Robert had given you?”  Before Robert’s health worsened, Rosemary contacted an old friend of hers to appraise the piece as Helen wanted a second opinion for the insurance company.  The in-depth discussion about the findings with Helen was moved back first by Robert’s death and then the attack.  “Are we still looking at the same value?”

“I reread it the day before the attack to prep for the meeting that never obviously happened, and he seems to agree with the assessment Robert gave us. The statue was processed into the collections several months ago and I put in Robert’s information, but never got around to putting in Francois’ report.”

“Well, so long as the original value was imputed into the report, it’ll give us something for the insurance company.”

“Are we going to report it lost?  What if they recover it?”

“Rose, I don’t mean to sound mean, but I doubt these officers are going to find the piece.  Whoever has it is probably long gone by now.”  Helen glanced over at her.  “Unless a miracle happens.”

“Well good thing I believe in manifestation and miracles.”  For the first time in what seemed like a long while, Rosemary smiled as her old humor began to shine through.  The director smiled back, unable to let the infectious comment not affect her.

“We’ll see.”

---***---

Two Weeks Later

“Pike!  Get in here!” Carmichael’s voice carried through the small cluster of offices their department occupied.  “Pike!”

“I’m coming!  Damn, give me a second!”  Pike grumbled as he scurried from his office and across to hers.  She wasn’t a loud person, so the excited shout she gave had everyone around her curious.  As Pike entered the room, he could see his partner standing behind her desk, doing a little hop-dance.  He raised an eyebrow.

“You need to look at this!”  She pointed at the computer, her smile so big it nearly took over her face. He stopped because she was giggling, Carmichael never giggled.  Whatever this was, it had to been good.  Pike came around the desk and bent down to see what she was looking at and when his eyes landed on the screen, his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped.

“This is one of them, isn’t it?”  Carmichael asked, her voice quivering in excitement.  He ran out of the office to the command center for the cold cases, his presence startling his crew.  He looked over at the evidence board and ripped off a picture hanging in the middle before rifling through one of the boxes to find the corresponding file. He ran back to the office.

The picture in his hand was faded with time, that grainy look of age that pictures older pictures were taking on, but despite those flaws, the sculpture in the photo matched the one in the new alert in the NSAF database.  The Cornucopia had always been breathtaking.

And it’s been missing since 1993.

The agents glanced over the dossier, reviewing the piece to try and discover how this priceless Russian artifact made its way to what looks like a small museum in Western Michigan.  Neither had reviewed the original case file closely and both felt their jaws dropping as they read further and further into its history:

A rare example of the early Ukrainian Avant Garde art movement, The Cornucopia was created by Artem Chumak, a well-known artist from Odessa. Commissioned by the then-governor of the country as a gift to Czar Nicolas II in 1907, the piece was designed to showcase the entirety of the Ukraine in a single moment.  Because the country was known for its agriculture, Chumak chose to use the image of the cornucopia as his inspiration.

The piece is made of bronze and inlaid with the following precious gemstones:

               Siberian diamond

               Ural sapphire

               Ural ruby

               Ural jade

               Russian emerald

               Russian opal

               Ukrainian pearl

Upon the fall of the Russian empire in 1917, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna Romanov took the piece along with several others from the royal art collection when she fled Russia.  She remained owner of the piece until 1920, when she sold it to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

In turn, the Grand Duke loaned the piece to the National Museum of History and Art and it remained with the museum until the outbreak of World War II. The ducal family took the piece back, along with several others to protect the collection from the advancement of the Nazis.

Unfortunately, the move did little good and much of the museum’s collection, including the pieces stored in the ducal family home, were taken by the Nazis, with intention of destroying them as part of the Germanization of the annexed country.

The pieces remained missing until 1949, when a team from the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (a.k.a. the Monument Men), recovered the stolen collections in a cellar in Hamburg and returned them to their respective homes.  The Cornucopia was returned to the museum and was on display until the ducal family attempted to sell the piece in 1965.  The sale failed and the family remained owners until the piece was loaned to the Luxembourg-American Cultural Museum in the U.S. in 1992.

In 1993, the piece was stolen from the museum and reported to the FBI’s Art Theft Squad days later.  The piece has yet to be recovered despite the best attempts of the team.

Pike looked at Carmichael and they grinned at each other.  While it being reported as missing didn’t mean that they had found it, it did mean that this cold case was heating up.

“Do you think we found our key?”  He didn���t want to sound hopeful, but he had to admit he was optimistic that they were much closer to solving this case.  The evidence they had been sifting through meticulously was painting a picture, but like a jigsaw puzzle, they were still missing pieces that brought it all together.

“I think we have.”  Carmichael replied.  They grinned at each other.

“Whose turn is it to go and do the interview?”  

“Mine, but could you do it?  Marty is out of town on business this week and I can’t leave Dinah alone.”  She rarely asked to trade like this, but Pike held up his hands in understanding.  They smiled, grateful they were partnered up, their work relationship had always been a smooth one.

“Sure, what could possibly happen in Michigan?”

They laughed as they started to walk to the command center.

---***---

Rosemary and Banana walked into the house, both exhausted from the day, the museum’s annual fall field trip event a cacophony of noise and excitement. The program had been exactly what Rosemary needed – something that distracted her from everything that had happened over the last month.  Her stomach hurt all day from her laughter as young kids swarmed the museum in their Halloween costumes.

As she hung up her coat, she caught something out of the corner of her eye on the kitchen table.  Walking over, Rosemary immediately recognized Fern’s loopy handwriting.

Hey sweetie, probate hasn’t cleared yet, but I heard word it should within the month.  Not to jinx it, but welcome to Saugatuck – its’ about time!  I’m also including some keys to Robert’s safety deposit boxes for safekeeping.  You can’t open them until the probate has cleared, so don’t get ahead of yourself! Love you, ae-in.  Always.  -F

“Oh, thank god.”  She huffed as she opened the bulky envelope, dumping out various keys and paperwork, including the deed to the house and the store.  She had an underlying fear that something would happen, and Robert’s wishes would have been overturned and she would get nothing.  “Looks like we’re here for the time being, Baba!”

Rosemary read through the papers and picked up her phone to call Fern. For the next hour, the two women chatted about the changes, what she needed to do to register ownership with the state, and more.  After they said their good-byes, Rosemary pulled her jacket on and patted Banana on the head as she left the house.  It was dark now, but she knew the path through the cemetery and trudged up the hill towards Robert’s grave with no problem.

“You know, I’m certain you chose this spot for some reason or another, but I think it’s to punish me for not getting enough exercise.”  She groused at the polished granite, wondering how she made this walk as often as she did, and it still robbed her of her breath. She was out of shape.  

Robert’s cheeky grin beamed from the porcelain cameo embedded into the stone.  She had never seen anything like it, but he had told her it was common among Eastern European communities.  He described how they used this horribly unflattering photo for his aunt Ionna’s cameo and that he vowed he’d choose his own rather than leave it to his relatives to decide.

She sat down on the damp ground and settle in.  She was still visiting the cemetery daily and while she didn’t cry as much as she had in the beginning, her throat always felt painful after she left.  Wrapping the coat around her tightly she sighed.

“You missed our field trip day.  I know you loved volunteering for it and the kids who remembered you from last year asked where you were.”  She smiled. “I told them you were attending as a ghost and that they couldn’t see you.  I think they believed me.

“I don’t know what strings you pulled up on that cloud of yours, but Fern thinks the probate will clear next month.  I’m glad, this whole process has been a pain and thank you for not making me go through it.  I’d give up and just die if Fern weren’t in charge.  My landlord was mad I’m breaking my lease, but I know you’re excited, you always hated that place.”  She sighed as a wave of sadness washed over her.

“I miss you.”  Her voice crackled with tears.  “I miss you so much, Robert!  I hate that you’re gone.  I hate that! I hate this!  And I failed you!  They still haven’t found the statue and I contacted the FBI and I haven’t heard anything, and I don’t know what to do!”

She cried harder, her ribs hurting as if the pain she experienced weeks ago was still fresh.  She gripped her sides as she continued to sob.   She was tired and everything that had happen in the month and a half since Robert died was catching up with her.  Rosemary sat in the cold evening for hours and let her sadness out.  When she finally left, the exhaustion she felt forced her straight to bed when she arrived at the house.  In a bit of mercy, she slept a dreamless sleep for once.

---***---

“Good morning.”  The deep voice caused Marquetta to turn from the display case she was working on.  A tall man with brown hair and a kind smile stood at the front desk.  She watched as Bob ambled over to welcome him.  She couldn’t hear their conversation after that, but she kept a subtle watch on the interaction as the two men talked.  The stranger smiled again and walked past her towards the stairs and she watched up trudge up each step until he was out of sight.

“You aren’t being very subtle.”  Bob’s voice sounded behind her and Marquetta jumped at the noise.  She felt herself grow hot, grateful her dark skin hid the blush rushing across her cheeks.  She turned to look at Bob, who was grinning at her.

“Who was that?”  She tried to keep her voice steady.

“Some FBI agent wanting to talk to Rosemary.”

“FBI?”  Marquette frowned before her eyebrows shot up.  “FBI!  Oh my god! They’re here!”

“Don’t shout.  It’s rude.”

“No, Bob!  Rosemary reported that statue that got stolen to the FBI!  That means they know about it!  They’re here for that!”

“Does that mean they’ll find the men who hurt her?”  He sounded hopeful at the idea.  Even if he thought her manners were lacking, Bob was deeply upset that Rosemary had been hurt the way she had been.  If this young agent can help find her attackers, he was all for it.

“I bet they do if they find the statue.”  The two stopped talking when Rosemary and Banana entered the building. She looked up and felt awkward when she realized they were staring at her.

“Um, is something wrong?”  She sounded unsure of herself and Bob got angry, realizing that these men didn’t just rob the museum of this ugly statue, it robbed Rosemary of her self-assurance.

“Never, Rose.  There is an agent from the FBI in your office.  Marquetta says you contacted them.”  She startled, not believing that her reporting the stolen item would bring them to her front door.  They were just a small history museum in Michigan, not the Detroit Institute of Art or the Smithsonian.  She figured she’d get an email or a call, but never a real agent.

“They’re here?  Really?” Her eyes lit up when Bob nodded. She started to laugh because she didn’t know what else to do.  Marquetta walked over to hug her and the physical contact help to ground her.

“He’s good looking, too.”  Marquetta whispered in her ear.  Rosemary pulled back at the comment. “Like really good looking.  His butt is cute.”

The two women giggled at the comment and hugged again.  Picking up the leash she dropped, the curator and her furry companion went towards the stairs, hope beginning to bubble in her chest. Maybe she hadn’t failed Robert after all, she thought.  When she reached the third floor, she stopped to catch her breath before walking down to her office.

When she stepped into the doorway, she saw him standing there, looking at her walls.  She couldn’t see his face, but everything about his presence radiated kindness – something she hadn’t expected from an FBI agent.  When he turned to look at her as she cleared her throat, his face lit up in a smile and she couldn’t help but smile back.  For the first time in weeks, she felt safe.

“I’m Special Agent Marcus Pike.”  He held out his hand to her.  She took it with her customary firm grip.

“I’m Rosemary Carter.  Welcome to Fort Jamison.”

[cardest]

San Francisco playlist

San Francisco  - my favorite city in the world! The bands, the music, the songs are all here, in this playlist I created. I threw in a bit of Sac and went south by San Jose, Monterrey and up past Sausalito. Can we make it to 250 songs? Let me know what bands/songs I left out.

Have I left out a song or a band in this San Francisco playlist? Let me know! Cheers! 

Play the songs here at this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HLG9q5rZLsqs8EYh6bhu- San Francisco

001 The Dillinger Escape Plan w/Mike Patton -  When Good Dogs Do Bad Things 002 Night flight Orchestra - California Morning 003 Quincy Jones - Call Me Mister Tibbs OST (Main Title) 004 James Taylor Quartet - Dirty Harry theme song 005 Faith No More - Seperation anxiety 006 Streets of San Francisco TV show theme song 007 Santana -  Evil Ways 008 High on Fire -  Electric Messiah 009 Metallica - Disposable Heroes 010 Hammers Of Misfortune -  Dead Revolution 011 Buddy Guy -  Hello San Francisco 012 Faith No More - Jungle 013 Isaac Hayes - Shaft 014 Orange Peels  - Back In San Francisco 015 Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids - Message To My People 016 Thee Oh Sees - The Dream 017 Merle Haggard - Here In Frisco 018 Audrey Horne -  California 019 Journey -  Lights 020 Death Angel -  Hatred United / United Hate 021 Mel Tor Me - Got The Date On The Golden Gate 022 Duke Ellington -  Tourist Point Of View 023 Sons of Anarchy  - This Life (Sons of Anarchy Theme Song) 024 Larry Graham's Central Station - Earthquake 025 LARD - I Wanna Be A Drug Sniffing Dog 026 Machine Head -  California Bleeding 027 Neurosis -  The Doorway 028 KING WOMAN - Utopia 029 Lalo Schifrin - Magnum Force OST  Main Title 030 Forbidden -  Adapt Or Die 031 DBUK - In San Francisco Bay 032 Jack Name - Werewolf Factory 033 John Carpenter - Theme from "The Fog" 034 Khiis - Saboor 035 Richie Havens -  San Francisco Bay Blues 036 Metallica - Battery 037 Autopsy - charred remains 038 ExTREMITY_-_Crepuscular_Crescendo 039 The Otherside -  Streetcar 040 Quincy Jones - Ironside (TV Theme) 041 Megadeth -  Back in the Day 042 Sly and the Family Stone - Stand! 043 Faith No More -  From Out of Nowhere 044 Willie Hutch-Vampin (The Mack OST 045 Orchid -  Mouths Of Madness 046 Lalo Schifrin - Bullitt OST - On The Way To San Mateo 047 Vince Guaraldi - Woodstock's Dream 048 Fantomas -  4-11-05 049 Violation Wound - Fearmonger + State of Alarm 050 Primus - Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers 051 The Flower Pot Men - Let's Go to San Francisco (Part.1-2) 052 Bosse-de-Nage - Crux 053 Rod McKuen - The Beat Generation 054 Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way To San Jose 055 The Watchers - Sabbath Highway 056 Possessed - the eyes of horror 057 Scott McKenzie – San Francisco (Be Sure to wear flowers) 058 Tower Of Power -  Oakland Stroke 059 Big Trouble In Little China OST - Pork chop express 060 Vio-lence -  Calling In The Coroner 061 Black Oak Arkansas - The Big Ones Still Coming 062 Mr. Bungle - Love Is a Fist 063 VUUR -  The Fire - San Francisco 064 Testament - The Haunting 065 Electronicat - Frisco Bay 066 Y&T - Mean Streak 067 Thee Oh Sees -  Toe Cutter/Thumb Buster 068 Sweet - California Nights - Promo Clip (OFFICIAL) 069 Sadus - Swallowed In Black 070 Chuck Berry - San Francisco Dues 071 Sammy Hagar - Keep on rockin' 072 Fuzz -  Sleigh Ride 073 Otis Redding - Sittin' on The Dock of the Bay 074 Pleasure Leftits - The Gate 075 BL'AST - Sometimes 076 Santana - Samba de Sausalito 077 Acephalix - Upon This Altar 078 Sun Ra    - Lady With The Golden Stockings 079 Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days 080 Pointer Sisters - How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side) 081 High On Fire -  Carcosa 082 Will Haven -  When The Walls Close In 083 The Coup -  Laugh/Love/Fuck 084 King Khan - Teeth Are Shite 085 Deafheaven -  Irresistible 086 Glitter Wizard -  Blood of the Serpent 087 Jefferson Airplane -  It's No Secret 088 Cannonball Adderley - This Here 089 The Warlocks -  Can't Come Down 090 Squirmy Sax Man - I Still Believe 091 Acid King - Coming Down from Outer Space 092 George Duke - Sausalito 093 The Lost Boys - Cry Little Sister (Theme From The Lost Boys OST) 094 Betty Davis - [They Say I'm Different] He Was a Big Freak 095 Fever Tree - San Francisco Girls 096 The Dillinger Escape Plan w/ Mike Patton -  Pig Latin 097 Build Them to Break - Lucky Strike 098 Montrose - Rock Candy 099 PRIMUS - THE TOYS GO WINDING DOWN 100 Joe Satriani - Big Bad Moon 101 Sleater Kinney - Jumpers 102 GRUESOME - Dimensions Of Horror 103 Sly & the Family Stone - Everday People 104 Huey Lewis and the News - Back in Time 105 Hammers Of Misfortune - 2 17th Street 106 Jerry Fielding - Prologue _ Main Title (The Enforcer OST) 107 Metal Church - The Dark 108 Deftones - Ohms 109  John Lee Hooker - Frisco Blues 110 DRI - Go Die 111 16th & Valencia Roxy Music- Devendra Banhart, What We Will Be 112 MC Hammer - Too Legit to Quit 113 Dead Kennedys-Police Truck 114 Rancid - Adina 115 San Francisco's Shiver - Up My Sleeve 116 Bernard Herrmann - Vertigo OST - The Bay 117 Faith No More - Last Cup Of Sorrow 118 Blackburn & Snow -  Stranger In a Strange Land 119 The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes 120 The Grateful Dead - Sugar Magnolia 121 Cab Calloway - San Francisco Fan 122 The Charlatans - codine 123 Buck Owens - Want To Live In San Francisco 124 Sleep - Dragonaut 125 Death Angel - 5 Steps Of Freedom 126 Neil Young - Heart of Gold 127 Vastum -  Reveries in Autophagia 128 Dead Kennedys -  Moon Over Marin 129 EchoBrain -  Colder World 130 Riz Ortolani    - Lombard Street   131 Waylon Jennings - San Francisco Mabel Joy   132 Con Funk Shun - Confunkshunizeya 133 Chic - Hes the Greatest Dancer 134 Peace Creep - Radio Free Alcatraz   135 ABBA - Santa Rosa 136 Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks - San Fransisco 137 Together Band - California Curl California Girl 138 The Hellers - It's 74 In San Francisco 139 Pat Todd - No Place Like Home 140 Nancy Wilson - I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco (And I Don't Drink At All) 141 Anathema -  San Francisco 142 Blue Cheer -  Fool 143 Exhumed - Gravewalker 144 Darondo - Let My People Go 145 Exodus -  Blood In Blood Out 146 Lalo Schifrin Dirty Harry OST - Scorpios Theme   147 Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues 148 Wild Light - California on my mid 149 Herbie Hancock - Man-child -  Hang Up Your Hang Ups 150 Fantomas -  Spider Baby 151 The Lord Weird Slough Feg -  Headhunter 152 The Animals - San Franciscan Nights 153 Twilight - Dance with Me 154 THE POINTER SISTERS - Yes We Can Can 155 Residents - Hello Skinny 156 CCR HEADCLEANER - Eat This Riff 157 LEON WARE  - Thats Why I Came To California 158 Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You 159 Comorant - The First Man 160 Bosse-de-Nage  - The Trench 161 Hell Fire - Free Again   162 Riz Ortolani  - Golden Gate Bridge 163 Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun 164 Uther Pendragon - San Francisco Earthquake 165 Melvins - Zodiac 166 La Luz - California Finally 167 The Wyatt Act - Push 168 Santana - Soul Sacrifice 169 Cheap Trick - On the Radio 170 Electric Wizard -  Venus In Furs 171 Led Zeppelin -  Misty Mountain Hop 172 Tommy Castro - Callin' San Francisco 173 Viscious Rumors - Digital Dictator 174 Ghoul-Off With Their Heads 175 Diesel - Sausalito Summernight (Single Version) 176 Sheila E - A Love Bizarre 177 Starship - Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now 178 Jeffry Osboune - I Really Don't Need No Light 179 Nazareth -  Alcatraz 180 Freak of Nature - Rescue Me 181 Metallica - Crash Course In Brain Surgery 182 10000 Maniacs - Hey Jack Kerouac 183 Faith No More -  Get Out 184  URSA -  Wizard's Path 185 Jefferson Airplane - Aerie (Gang of Eagles) 186 Tower of Power - Just Enough and Too Much 187 Fred Hughes - san francisco is a lonely town 188 Mamaleek - Eating Unblessed Meat 189 Moby Grape - Naked If I Want To 190 Exodus - Metal Command 191 Pig Destroyer - Alcatraz Metaphors 192 the Donnas - You Make Me Hot 193 Hot Tuna - True Religion 194 Heathen - Opiate of the Masses 195 Fanny - Come and Hold Me 196 Sadus - Hands Of Fate 197 Negative Trend - Meathouse 198 Forbidden - Forbidden Evil 199 Spazz - Crush Kill Destroy 200 Testament - The Preacher 201 HEXX - Morbid Reality 202 Vio-Lence - Phobophobia 203 Dead Kennedys - One Way Ticket To Pluto 204 Tom Waits - Get Behind The Mule 205 CRETIN - It 206 RAMONES - Judy Is A Punk 207 Full House - Intro 208 Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band - Kerouac 209 Primus - Dirty Drowning Man 210 Wooden Shjips -  Motorbike 211 The Tony Williams Lifetime Ego - Clap City 212 Middle of the Road - Sacramento (A Wonderful Town) 213 Green Day - At the Library 214 Slayer -  Gemini 215 Tetema - Cutlass Eye 216 Defiance - Death Machine 217 Brisco County Jr theme 218 Doug McKechnie - Crazy Ray 219 Ulthar - Furnace Hibernation 220 Mr. Bungle -  ANARCHY UP YOUR ANUS 221 Dirty Ghosts  - Let It Pretend 222 They Might Be Giants - San Francisco (In Situ) 223 Metallica - The Shortest Straw 224 OM - Unitive Knowledge of the Godhead 225 Laaz Rockit - City's Gonna Burn 226 Autopsy - Skullptures 227 Mordred - Spectacle of Fear 228 Sly & the Family Stone - Luv N' Haight 229 Possessed - Seven Churches 230 Machine Head - The Rage to Overcome 231 Thelonius Monk - San Francisco Holiday 232 The Units - The Mission Is Bitchin 233 Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Mistadobalina 234 Arnocorps - Dead lift 235 The Grateful Dead - The Golden Road 236 DRI - All for nothing 237 Jim Martin - Disco dust 238 Thee Oh Sees - I come from the mountain 239 Death Angel - Discontinued 240 Starship - We Built This City 241 Captured! by Robots - Endless Circle of Bullshit 242 Pins Of Light - My revenge 243 Sun Ra - We Travel the Spaceways 244 Faith No More - caffeine 245 David Lee Roth - Just like paradise 246 San Francisco Fog Horns by Golden Gate Bridge 247 Abscess - Tormented 248 Mortuous - Bitterness 249 Dead Kennedy's - California uber alles 250 Twitch Angry - San Francisco 666 Neurosis - Water Is Not Enough

So, hop on a cable car, grab ice cream at Swenson’s or bark back at the seals down by Pier 39. Catch a Bear’s game at Berkeley and do some squirmy sax moves in the Haight after you down some beers at the Toronado and play my San Fran playlist! Here are the songs in the link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HLG9q5rZLsqs8EYh6bhu-

[cesabutterflywrites]

Mama Cesa Writes Masterpost

Fandom

Sanders Sides

Multichapter 

Prince in the Storm (Prinxiety)

Prologue [Audiobook]

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

A Taste of Lonliness (logicality bonus chapter)

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Immune to Change (logicality bonus chapter)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

The Duke of the Bay (Intruality)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5 ½

Part 5 2/2

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

An Angel’s Smile (Moceit)

When One Meets an Angel

The Biggest and Most Common Lie

Will Bring You to Your Knees

Oneshot

525.600 Minutes (Logicality)

Broken Promises (Exes Princesleep)

A Roman Rose (Logince)

Two Curses; One Brother (Familial Anxceit)

The Sitting Tree (Royality)

Meet Me At Stenvold’s (Roceit)

Not the Best Shade of Red (Familial Anxceit)

Brother, Protector, Friend (Creativitwins)

Voicemails (Prinxiety)

Violet; the Only Thing I See (Moxiety)

Tupperware (Royality)

Game Night [Audiobook] (Intruality)

Just the Two of Us (Prinxiety)

Error: Pain Overload (Analogical)

Paintings Born of a Passive Love (Logince)

The Wrong Rooms (Intruality)

Ask Prompts

“You’re My Favorite” (Prinxiety)

“Is that blood?” (Logince)

“The problem is, if I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself.” (Moceit)

“Shut up.” (Dukeceit)

“It’s freezing. Come here.” (Moceit)

“Bite Me” (Moceit)

“Marry Me” (Intruality)

“You’re Jealous” (Moceit)

A small, fleeting kiss - which is immediately followed by a passionate, hungry kiss. (Moceit)

“You’re basically a marshmallow.” (Intruality)

“Truth or Dare?” (Moceit)

“What are you thinking about?” (Moceit)

Rambles

Roman is a Greek mythology nerd human AU 

Quarantine AU

Twilight Crossover AU idea

Orange Side Theory at 2am

Twilight

Multichapter

Sunrise [Renesmee x Female OC]

Preface

Firsts Aren’t Bad After All

Oneshot 

What’s Left of Her & More 

Maybe-Nevers [platonic jacob x bella]

Moon in the Sky You Know How I Feel 

Supernatural

Poems

Prayers to the Dead

Original 

Original Writing

The Colors of a Rainbow Without a Name

Rambles

I Miss the Bay Area

I Feel Better Today

Best Part of Being Married, You Ask?

Poems

The Hero

Tell Me

A Sign for Leelah & Other Kids

Thoughts After Waking From a Nightmare

Spring Equinox Spell

A Visit to the Shore

[This masterpost is ongoing and will be updated as I publish more work]

[Last Updated March 26, 2022]