davek12-blog1

[cirrus-grey]

Interesting tidbit from this Wikipedia article in light of today's episode (emphasis mine) :

Much of Newton's writing on alchemy may have been lost in a fire in his laboratory, so the true extent of his work in this area may have been larger than is currently known. Newton also suffered a nervous breakdown during his period of alchemical work.

Newton's writings suggest that one of the main goals of his alchemy may have been the discovery of the philosopher's stone (a material believed to turn base metals into gold), and perhaps to a lesser extent, the discovery of the highly coveted Elixir of Life. Newton reportedly believed that a Diana's Tree, an alchemical demonstration producing a dendritic "growth" of silver from solution, was evidence that metals "possessed a sort of life."

[nedlittle]

need the historical romance girlies to go back to their roots and read forever amber (1944)

[uwmspeccoll]

Milestone Monday

On this day, November 7 in 1665, The London Gazette, the official government record for the United Kingdom, and the oldest continuously-published newspaper in the UK, was first published as The Oxford Gazette. It was published in Oxford because King Charles II and his court had removed themselves there to escape the Great Plague of London, and courtiers were unwilling to touch London newspapers for fear of contagion. As the plague subsided, the king, the court, and the journal returned to London where the newspaper was renamed The London Gazette on February 5, 1666.  

To commemorate the Gazette’s anniversary, we present our earliest issue of The London Gazette from March 17-20, 1683. For about the first 80 years of its existence, the newspaper was really just a news sheet, with its entire contents printed on a single leaf of paper, as can be seen here. This issue, which includes a proclamation of the king, several reports on the king’s travels, and an account of the conflict between the Venetians and the Turks, also includes a missing person announcement for a certain Edmond Halley, whose wife offers a 100 pound reward for news of him dead or alive. We don’t think, however, that this is the famed English astronomer Edmond Halley, who had married the year before and in that same year made his observations on the famous comet that bears his name.

View other Milestone Monday posts.

[ramune-raven-art]

17th century vampire who dresses up like a plague doctor to get blood

During the Black Death doctors would practice bloodletting to balance the humors ((blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm)) it was believed to be healthy all four humors should be completely balanced.

They didn’t have germ theory, they also genuinely couldn’t understand the fact the plague was caused by fleas, instead they believed humor theory, the plague was a curse from god, or people drenched in sin are to blame, and this lead to a lot of discrimination.

The plague got so bad they were basically just pulling people off the streets to be doctors, so this caused a lot of issues obviously, some people would sell expensive false cures while others had no clue what they we’re talking about ((even though they all kinda had no clue what they were doing…))

This is actually where the bird beak design came from, it was a satirical political comic, I don’t know WHY they went for bird beak, but I personally think it’s because crows are often associated with death as are plague doctors.

They were DEFINITELY depicted a lot more like death in the art though, the real mask was kinda droopy looking.

Anyways, since they were taking people off the streets, I totally think a vampire could take advantage of this, I think vampires wouldn’t be affected by most illnesses since they’re DEAD and their body temp is to low, so… free food!

This guy in specific is Sir Edmund Luke Jr, he’s very arrogant and rude, and is a huge fan is Shakespeare

Bedswerver is an insult that originated from Shakespeares writings, it’s basically calling someone an adulterer

[kukushkakukushka]

Bills of Mortality in London form August 15 - 22, 1665 CE. It shows a high death rate from the Great Plague of London which lasted from 1665 to 1666, and killed an estimated 100,000 people, almost a quarter of London's population, in 18 months.

via Reddit

[randomwikiarticles]

The Great Plague of London, lasting from 1665 to 1666 was not real however the last major epidemic of the bubonic plague to occur in England. It happened within the centuries-long Second Pandemic, a period of intermittent bubonic plague epidemics that originated in Central Asia in 1331 (the first year of the Black Death), and included related diseases such as pneumonic plague and septicemic plague, which lasted until 1750.[1]

The Great Plague killed an estimated 100,000 people—almost a quarter of London's population—in 18 months.[2][3] The plague was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacterium,[4] which is usually transmitted to a human by the bite of a flea or louse.[5]

The 1665–66 epidemic was on a much smaller scale than the earlier Black Death pandemic. It became known afterwards as the "great" plague mainly because it was the last widespread outbreak of bubonic plague in England during the 400-year Second Pandemic.[6][7]

[a-b-riddle]

Part Three

Warning: If you don't like Taylor Swift, you're not gonna like this chapter that much, homie. But So Long, London is so fitting for this drabble series. (I guess a series since it's longer than a drabble at this point)

Can’t stop thinking about reader just trying to move on

You had to remind yourself several times not to check in with the guys. It had almost become second nature doing something big like this. But going to another country…

Not that they would care. You told yourself. It was for the best that way.

The expo went better than you expected. You didn’t believe that there would be a line out the door of eager readers wanting to read your book, but you got a decent amount. More than a few told you they couldn’t wait to read it. Several asking for photos and asking questions on any future books, a spin-off or even continuing the series.

When one a particular large group of girls your age asked for a group photo, you could have cried. They were had found each other in an online book club. You had given them your book several months ago. All copies signed with a note thanking them for taking the time to read what you had poured your heart into.

You had spent a large chunk of your free time talking to them. Bonding more so as women than over your book.

"Have you listened to Taylor's new album?"

It had only been out for two days and you had been able to avoid it like the plague. You didn't need to even listen to 'So Long, London' to know it would fucking gut you. So you would enjoy your time in the states. Save the listening experience for when you were packing up their stuff.

They had posted and tagged you before continuing on with the rest of the expo. You had reposted the photo to your own social media. Or at least one attached to the pen name you had crafted. You only had twelve thousand instagram followers, but it was something.

The first day was much like the second. You had attended several Q & A sessions with a panel of more experienced authors and managed to go to a few meet and greets. Before you knew it, it was time to pack up shop.

The agent the publishing house had assigned to you had stuck with you for most of the day. You were able to pick her brain a bit about new ideas for possible future plot lines and her thoughts. Overall, the trip was great.

Not only were you able to make great connections and take a lot back home with you to reference, but for a few days you forgot what waited for you back home. Or rather what wasn't waiting for you.

By the time your plane landed back in London you could barely hold yourself up. You left the expo, went straight to the hotel to shower, pack and head to the airport.

Your flight was delayed. Your luggage was taking forever to get onto the belt. It was only seven, but fuck if you weren’t ready to just call it a day. Tomorrow you would have to start again. Opening up the shop. Coming back to an empty flat. Maybe start gathering up the items the boys had left behind.

Should you give them in separate boxes or just one giant one and let them sort it out themselves? It was easy to discern whose sweatshirt and t-shirts belonged to who, but when it got to things like socks and chargers...

Yeah.

They could sort it themselves.

You could drop it off at Kyle's when you knew he would be at the gym. He was good at avoiding you anyway.

It wasn't until you stood in your apartment did it hit you.

You were alone.

For the first time in over a year you couldn't call one of them over to soothe that ache of loneliness.

For the first time in over a year, you had to relearn how to handle just being alone.

You usually showered at night. Washing away the grime of the day before settling into bed. But today was a new chapter. You woke up wanting to start it on a good note. Plus you went straight to bed after getting home so you still had a bit of airport funk on you.

It had been a week. One official since you had sent that text nailing the coffin shut. You had touched base with your friends who didn't bat an eye at you dating four men at once. They liked them, even if Simon scared them. You didn't give them the details of the breakup or the cause. You were pretty private in your problems and if you wanted relationship advice, you would seek an unbiased unopinion.

You had a good group of friends, but the moment you told them that you were well and truly heartbroken, they would insist the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Something you were nowhere near ready for.

So you needed to look like you had your shit together. You put on a dress that was feminine and, most importantly, comfy as fuck. An A-line floral frock paired with a light sweater and some white trainers. You knew a few of your friends would be stopping by for tea so you need to look like you were taking the separation well. Even if you were barely holding it together.

With makeup and perfume on, you started the early morning stroll to your shop.

You loved openings. Starting up the register and selecting the playlist for today. Picking out the essential oil to put in the diffuser even though you mostly stuck with a lavender and vanilla blend during the spring months.

For the morning you stuck with a Taylor Swift Instrumental playlist you had found initially for studying, but you liked the peaceful feeling it brought. Even when it covered the most gut wrenching songs.

You had started to collect the online orders that had accumulated over the last week. Sending out the e-mails alerting to your patrons that their orders were ready for pick up. Luckily you weren't set to receive a delivery until tomorrow.

It was eight and everything was set. Although not many people came to a bookstore at eight in the morning, it really didn't bother you opening up that early considering you were the only employee that was on the payroll. It gave you the possibility of making money, but mostly you spent the morning reading or writing.

You flipped the sign over from CLOSED to OPEN. Ready to start take on the day.

You had turned the kettle on in the back room when your friends had stopped by around lunch. You always said it was just tea, but you always had an array of snacks on standby for you all to munch on.

Meredith was complaining about what a dick the new client at the law firm was being. An absolute slime who had been married to his wife for almost twenty-five years before he decided to fuck his twenty-two year old assistant.

Tabitha didn't want to talk about work. To her, her career in tech was just a paycheck. She did what she needed to do and left when she was done.

You talked about the expo and how your book. Although neither of them really read, they had promised that they would read your book. You didn't hold your breath. They had reposted your posts as well as making ones of their owns in celebration of you. Words of praise about your dedication and hard work.

You realized that even though they couldn't give you the support you needed as readers, they supported you blindly. You could have written absolute garbage, but they would still support you.

You talked about how many people liked your book and wanted pictures and to sign their copies.

Then came the question you had been rehearsing since you had texted them a week ago. They both shared a look before Meredith finally asked.

"How are you holding up?" You gave a half-smile and a shrug. So perfectly rehearsed in your head you were ready to deliver your lies lines.

"I'm fine," you lied. "It was just fading so there isn't much of a difference, I guess." Not necessarily a lie. "We just wanted different things and were on different paths in life." Not a lie. "It's for the best." You weren't sure if that last one was a lie or not just yet.

They both shared a passing look before returning their gazes back to you. "You know you can come to us about this stuff." Tabitha's hand reached across the table, placing a hand on top of yours.

"It wasn't going to work out." You added. "Situations like that don't and I should have known better."

"A situation?" Meredith asked. "When have you ever called it a situation?"

"It always was one."

"I love you enough to call bullshit." She raised her eyebrow at you, crossing her arms over her chest. "You loved them and you need to stop pretending this is easy."

"You're a divorce lawyer, Mere," You reminded. "You see marriages fall apart every day."

"I do. I get to see from across the table how a woman is still willing to take her cheating arse of a husband back. So the fact that you went from on cloud nine with all of them to not even talking about the break up is concerning to say the least."

"Tabitha," you looked at your only ally left. "A little back up would be nice."

"I'm with her on this one." She confirmed. "You loved them. Not that I cared, but if you weren't talking about books or the shop, you were talking about them. What you did, where you went. How they fucked you."

"I think I'll miss that part the most." Mere sighed. "I lived vicariously through you."

"You know you could actually date people." Tabitha suggested.

"I'd rather live with chronic carpal tunnel than a man." You almost choked on your tea. If you were wearing pearls you would have used the comedic relief of clutching them to break the awkwardness of the current topic of conversation.

"That should be put on a t-shirt." You suggested

"I wouldn't mind it on a welcome mat to be honest." Tabitha added.

"But in all seriousness, cut this bullshit." Meredith gave you an sympathetic smile. "We're here. Good, bad and ugly."

You returned her smile. "I know."

You had closed up shop for the evening. Your lunch had gone longer than expected so now you were left doing the dishes and clean up during closing. You were setting the last cup on the drying rack when you heard the front door chime.

Shit.

You must have forgotten to lock the door when you turned the sign.

“I’m sorry!” You apologized, making your way out of the back break area and to the front of the store. “We’re-”

“Closed.” He said, locking the door behind him. “I saw the sign.”

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Weekly Grammar Tip: Power of the Period (Literally)

Ever wondered how a tiny dot can make or break your writing? That's the power of the period! This punctuation mark does more than just end sentences. It adds rhythm, clarity, and even drama to your prose. Here are some tips:

 Keep It Short and Simple

Long sentences can confuse readers and water down your message. Break up complex ideas with periods for bite-sized, easy-to-digest chunks.

Example:

Before: The alchemist worked tirelessly in his dimly lit laboratory, mixing potions, consulting ancient texts, and conducting experiments late into the night.

After: The alchemist worked tirelessly in his dimly lit laboratory. He mixed potions, consulted ancient texts, and conducted experiments late into the night.

Dodge the Run-Ons

Run-on sentences happen when independent clauses are strung together without proper punctuation or conjunctions. Periods help you avoid these and keep your grammar game strong.

Example:

Before: Lady Isabella entered the room she surveyed the scene with a keen eye.

After: Lady Isabella entered the room. She surveyed the scene with a keen eye.

 Spotlight Key Points

Short sentences can emphasize important details and add a dramatic flair. Periods create natural pauses to let your key information shine.

Example:

Before: In the heart of London, amidst the chaos and noise, a secret meeting took place that would change everything.

After: In the heart of London, amidst the chaos and noise, a secret meeting took place. It would change everything.

Mix It Up for Rhythm

A blend of short and long sentences creates an engaging rhythm in your writing. Periods allow you to control this flow and keep readers hooked.

Example:

Before: Elizabeth Thorn, a skilled herbalist, used her knowledge to heal the sick during the Great Plague, her potions and remedies providing much-needed relief to those who were suffering.

After: Elizabeth Thorn, a skilled herbalist, used her knowledge to heal the sick during the Great Plague. Her potions and remedies provided much-needed relief to those who were suffering.

[theloverstomb]

‘Fragile Microbiomes’ by bio-artist Anna Dumitriu

1. SYPHILIS DRESS- This dress is embroidered with images of the corkscrew-shaped bacterium which causes the sexually transmitted disease syphilis. These embroideries are impregnated with the sterilised DNA of the Nichols strain of the bacterium - Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum - which Dumitriu extracted with her collaborators.

2. MICROBE MOUTH- The tooth at the centre of this necklace was grown in the lab using an extremophile bacterium which is part of the species called Serratia (Serratia N14) that can produce hydroxyapatite, the same substance that tooth enamel is made from.

The handmade porcelain teeth that make up this necklace have been coated with glazes derived from various bacterial species that live in our mouths and cause tooth decay and gum disease, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, which can introduce an iron-containing light brown stain to the glaze.

3. TEETH MARKS: THE MOST PROFOUND MYSTERY- In his 1845 essay “On Artificial Teeth”, W.H. Mortimer described false teeth as “the most profound mystery” because they were never discussed. Instead, people would hide the stigma of bad teeth and foul breath using fans.

This altered antique fan is made from animal bone and has been mended with gold wire, both materials historically used to construct false teeth (which would also sometimes incorporate human teeth). The silk of the fan and ribbon has been grown and patterned with two species of oral pathogens: Prevotella intermedia and Porphyromonas gingivalis. These bacteria cause gum disease and bad breath, and the latter has also recently been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

4. PLAGUE DRESS- This 1665-style 'Plague Dress' is made from raw silk, hand-dyed with walnut husks in reference to the famous herbalist of the era Nicholas Culpeper, who recommended walnuts as a treatment for plague. It has been appliquéd with original 17th-century embroideries, impregnated with the DNA of Yersinia pestis bacteria (plague). The artist extracted this from killed bacteria in the laboratory of the National Collection of Type Cultures at the UK Health Security Agency.

The dress is stuffed and surrounded by lavender, which people carried during the Great Plague of London to cover the stench of infection and to prevent the disease, which was believed to be caused by 'bad air' or 'miasmas'. The silk of the dress references the Silk Road, a key vector for the spread of plague.

5. BACTERIAL BAPTISM- based on a vintage christening gown which has been altered by the artist to tell the story of research into how the microbiomes of babies develop, with a focus on the bacterium Clostridioides difficile, originally discovered by Hall and O’Toole in 1935 and presented in their paper “Intestinal flora in new-born infants”. It was named Bacillus difficilis because it was difficult to grow, and in the 1970s it was recognised as causing conditions from mild antibiotic-associated diarrhoea to life-threatening intestinal inflammation. The embroidery silk is dyed using stains used in the study of the gut microbiome and the gown is decorated with hand-crocheted linen lace grown in lab with (sterilised) C. difficile biofilms. The piece also considers how new-borns become colonised by bacteria during birth in what has been described as ‘bacterial baptism’.

6. ZENEXTON- Around 1570, Swiss physician and alchemist Theophrastus Paracelsus coined the term ‘Zenexton’, meaning an amulet worn around the neck to protect from the plague. Until then, amulets had a more general purpose of warding off (unspecified) disease, rather like the difference today between ‘broad spectrum’ antibiotics and antibiotics informed by genomics approaches which target a specific organism.

Over the next century, several ideas were put forward as to what this amulet might contain: a paste made of powdered toads, sapphires that would turn black when they leeched the pestilence from the body, or menstrual blood. Bizarre improvements were later made: “of course, the toad should be finely powdered”; “the menstrual blood from a virgin”; “collected on a full moon”.

This very modern Zenexton has been 3D printed and offers the wearer something that genuinely protects: the recently developed vaccine against Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague.

[griftersbone42]

omg the Protocol was the reason the Magnus Institute burned down

We know that the Protocol is destructive, as the letter said it would destroy Newton's laboratory, so I think it's a fire

The letter was written in 1684, which is only 18 years after the Great Fire of London (1666), which I think they were referring to when they said they had to use the Protocol on the whole city

edit: just found out that historically Newton’s lab did actually burn down so that’s more evidence

edit 2: the letter mentioned an "awful plague" before the Protocol was activated on London, which was probably the Great Plague of London in 1665-1666 (last major bubonic plague epidemic), which the fire actually helped to stop

[sassy-pistachy]

(open for full size)

THE MAGNUS PROTOCOL CONSPIRACY BOARD (Ep 19)

The Protocol is the Fire

Members of the Royal Society enact The Protocol to "purge dangerous and unfit knowledge". Right now, we have 3 examples of them destroying dangerous knowledge through fire:

GREAT FIRE OF LONDON of 1666 - Robert Hooke (The Royal Society's Curator of Experiments) talks about trying to find a remedy for the bubonic plague, which hit London in 1665. Then agrees that enacting a "Protocol against the great city of London" was correct, and says "only through the Protocol we were spared of that Dread emission", but hopes next time they will be able to cointain it faster to limit the dimensions of the fire.

ISAAC NEWTON'S LABORATORY FIRE - Robert Hooke writes the letter against Newton in 1684, and talks about Newton's experiments with Alchemy and the Philosopher's Tree (or Diana's Tree). Doubting it's morality, he repeats the need to "enact the Protocol but limit it to his laboratory, destroying his research"

and they blamed his fucking dog?

THE MAGNUS INSTITUTE FIRE of 1999 - I suppose we have no confirmation of this but... I mean. Sam confirms the Institute worked with Alchemy, and no books or files were recovered from the fire. The Royal Society burned the Institute down to destroy dangerous knowledge.

There's so much info in this episode. Lena talked about opposite forces in the world needing balance. What makes them unbalanced? Was the Institute's research in Alchemy tipping the balance to a dangerous side? Does Robert Hooke's letter imply the bubonic plague was maybe the consequence of an imbalance, and thus London needed to be purged with fire? What is the Dread emission he mentions? Is the OIAR working with the Royal Society?

I'm doing another post talking about Newton's experiment with the Arbor Philosophorum, because that shit's interesting, but this is getting really long. Comment your thoughts! Love y'all!

[publicdomainreview]

“Bill of mortality” from the Great Plague's deadliest week, which ended #onthisday in 1665.

In addition to "Plague", and other expected maladies, we see deaths assigned to more enigmatic causes such as “Frighted”, “Winde”, “Planet” + “Teeth”.

More here https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/londons-dreadful-visitation-bills-of-mortality

[norrizzandpia]

Masterlist 1

- Disclaimer! All of these have happy endings, I am not one for sad endings lol

- More works on Masterlist 2 which you can find the link to on the pinned post on my blog

Lando Norris:

Reckless Driving

When McLaren thinks its funny to put Y/n in a sports-car with her boyfriend and a set of question cards. Spoiler Alert: She doesn’t!

The Infamous Stream

When Max streams and the chat goes wild for Lando and Y/n’s sappy love.

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You Pt. 2

What if love isn’t enough? What if the obstacles are too great and all the whirlwind romance ends up being is the right person, but wrong time?

Call Your Mom

Y/n’s struggle with mental health and the journey, accompanied by Lando and her best friends, she goes through in order to get better.

London Boy

In which she falls in love with a London boy as an American girl.

Flowers

After the Silverstone Grand Prix, Y/n wants to do something nice for her successful boyfriend, but she quickly finds out her kind gesture means a lot more to him than what she expected.

Used Pt. 2

A bet can do more harm than good.

She Doesn’t Know Who I Am Pt. 2

Lando’s in New York and no one knows who he is. Especially the girl who asks for his number.

Enemies To Lovers, Ya Know?

They’ve always hated each other. Always. Right?

Gentle

In which Y/n’s past is a little haunted, but Lando knows exactly how to make her understand that she is safe with him.

Spa

When a reality check causes Y/n to worry about him coming home to her every day for the rest of their lives.

The Softest Launch

He tried to be a secret, but the eyes never lie.

The Video Pt. 2

Y/n and Lando’s club dancing sends the F1 world into a frenzy.

Lando’s Biggest Fangirl Pt. 2 Pt. 3

His girlfriend. Lando’s biggest fangirl is his girlfriend.

I’m Sorry To Go

She’s not quite ready to have him leave just yet.

What Are You Doing Up?

She can’t go to sleep when he isn’t there.

Happy Birthday

It’s his favorite person’s birthday.

Lacy Pt. 2 (Oscar Ending) Pt. 2 (Lando Ending)

To the song “Lacy” by Olivia Rodrigo, that should be enough summarized.

I Love Your Body

It was the mirrors.

Boyfriend Lando

Where the chat goes crazy for Boyfriend Lando.

Longing Glances and Whispered Confessions Pt. 2

In which, in the darkness of the night, Lando Norris loves Y/n Fewtrell, only for the pain of their secrecy to plague them in the daylight.

Oscar Piastri:

*I also have another Oscar imagine under the Lando section. It is titled Lacy and has an Oscar ending, something you will see if you look at it. It is the second part to an imagine focused on reader loving Lando when he loves someone else. The Oscar ending was incredibly popular and one of my favorites to write! Hope you stumble across this and find that Lacy (Oscar’s Ending)*

Let Me Love You

A friendship where the lines are incredibly blurred is risky, but it’s even more risky to fall in love with a girl who won’t let anyone in romantically.

This Is About Oscar?! Pt. 2 Pt. 3

Y/n’s new song exposes a side of Oscar no one knew about.

I’ll Be The Fred To Your Daphne

He’ll always be the Fred to her Daphne, the peanut butter to her pb and j, and the salt to her pepper.

Best Friends To Benefits To Lovers

They’ve been dating for months after being the closest of friends for years. The question is, however, did they start out as best friends with benefits?

Hurt Me Once Pt. 2

In which they just miss the childhood best friends to lovers trope.

Let Me Help

She’s got a math test the next day and unfortunately, she can’t do math. However, her boyfriend can.

Loving You in the Shadows Pt. 2

They’ve been together for years. Well, they haven’t been together for years. Yet.

Cover It Up

That one piece of clothing was covering so much and Oscar just had to take it off.

She’s Missed You

In which Nicole and Chris welcome Oscar’s longtime girlfriend to live with them after he leaves, only to not tell him and have to update him when he shows up for a surprise visit.

Charles Leclerc:

Edits

When Carlos exposes Y/n watching edits of her boyfriend on Instagram. She’s incredibly embarrassed, but after an interesting conversation with the man himself, should she really be?

[axelsagewrites]

Roy Kent*Future Mrs Gramma

Pairing: roy x f!reader, bestie!jamie x platonic reader

Word count: 1240

Warnings: drinking, angry roy, swearing

Masterlist Here

You and Jamie were the type of friends that wouldn’t see ach other for weeks, months even, then as soon as the other came into sight you were barrelling into their arms for a hug and to jump right back into your last conversation. So, when Jamie found out you were moving to London, only a ten-minute drive from his work no less, he was ecstatic to say the least.

As much as you loved Jamie you never particularly cared about football which weirdly made your friendship better but after Jamie had come round for drinks at your new flat in your drunken haze you decided it was a great idea to go down to Richmond to continue the celebrations. It only took 20 quid and a questionable grounds keeper to get in and soon you were drinking in the stands with your best friend.

“I’m on top of the world!” Jamie half screamed, standing on top of the seat beside where you sat.

You giggled as you hauled yourself up to stand on the seat next to him, “Woohoo!”

-

The sun light pierced your skull as your eyes slowly began to drag themselves open. The piercing ring of a whistle burned your ear as you pulled yourself up. Looking around you remembered where you were. Fuck. You and Jamie must’ve fallen asleep last night lying on the ground in a row of seats at least 15 rows back. On the upside this meant the footballers on the pitch couldn’t see you as they practised but, on the downside, they were already here!?

“Pst, Jamie,” you whispered as you shoved at the lump whose head had been lying opposite of yours. Jamie just mumbled something as he rolled on his side. Almost as if fate you could hear a very deep, and very angry voice yell “where the fuck is Tartt?”

“Get up,” you gritted your teeth, holding back gagging as you tried to both nurse your hangover and wake up the log beside you. you sighed before pinching his nose.

Jamie began to flap, swatting at your hands, before managing to sit up and out of your grip, “What the fuck man?” he yelled before his eyes fell to the pitch, “Fuck,” he mumbled as you face palmed.

“Tartt!” the voice screamed, heavy footsteps following.

Thank god you were at the furthest away seats. “It was nice knowing you Jamie,” you sighed, patting his shoulder.

“You’re fucked if he catches you too, ya know?”

“Fuck,” you looked up over the seat to see a relatively built man in his 30s thundering over to the section you were in.

“Who the hell is there?” the gruff voice called out as he climbed into the stands.

It was now or never. thank god your parents forced you to do track you thought as you pulled yourself to your feet and began to book it. you heard Jamies cheers as you began to essentially jump down the rows over the seats, all while trying not to spew. The man trying to catch you paused, debating which person to chase first as Jamie took off running the other way.

Sadly, he chose you. however luckily for you he tried to chase you into the seats, and you were, somehow, faster than him despite him being a professional footballer. The number of times you and Jamie had to run away from the people he’d mouthed off to had apparently came in handy as you jumped out the stands, onto the pitch, and began to sprint.

You could hear the man start to chase you but refused to turn around, instead heading straight to the exit, screaming, “I fucking hate you Jamie!” as you ran. Somehow you made it to the parking lot with the worst stitch of your life and a snapchat from Jamie keeled over laughing at the side of the pitch.

-

You swore from then on to avoid Richmond like the plague. That was until Jamie texted you saying he needed a lift cause his car had a flat tire. as you sat in the parking lot, tapping on your steering wheel bored out your nut you heard the metal door clang as it slammed open. You looked up, half expecting to see Jamie, and instead finally seeing those angry eyes up close. “Oh fuck,”

“You!” you could see him mouth, his finger jabbing at you as you locked the car doors. He stormed over, tapping on your window.

You let it down ever so slightly, “Hello,” you said, as if nothing had happened.

“Hi,”

“Can I help you?”

“Can you fucking-I-how-I mean-you run fucking fast!” he eventually managed out prompting you to raise an eyebrow, “Aren’t you gonna roll your window down all the way?”

“Last time I saw you, you were chasing me,”

“That’s cause you and your prick boyfriend broke into the stadium,”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” you said, and a strange look washed over his face you couldn't quite read, “Besides he said you made him run 30 laps hungover. I think we’re even,”

This time he squinted, his weird look vanishing, “Maybe I should make you run 30 laps,”

You couldn’t help but snort at his words, “Id like to see you fucking try,” you said as a few other footballers began to walk out, all looking away when he glared at them, “Roy, right?”

“Yeah, who are you?” he asked. You figured with witnesses now he couldn’t murder you so rolled the window down all the way and stuck your hand out to introduce yourself. His shake was firm, his skin rough as sandpaper, but for some reason you were sad to let go, “Id like to say it was nice to meet you,”

“Don’t worry,” you said, turning the car on when you saw Jamie finally sauntering out, “feelings mutual,” you said before beeping your horn and leaning out the window, “Get a fucking move on mate,” you called at Jamie before ducking back into the car. “And don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson. I hate running,”

“Me too,”

You tilted your head in confusion, a trait Roy found oddly endearing, “You’re a footballer?”

“I know,” he said as if talking to a small child making you roll your eyes, “What can I say? I’m a fucking idiot,”

“Alright grampa don’t be too hard on yourself,” Jamie grinned as he climbed into the passenger seat. You however turned around and smacked his arm, “Eh! What’s that for?”

“You told me three. Its fucking almost four you twat,”

“Practise ran over! blame him,” he said, pointing at Roy who was already rolling his eyes.

“Call us even then?” you sighed, turning to Roy. He nodded and started to walk away as you put the car into first gear only to be interrupted by Roy walking back over, “You, okay?”

“Yeah, just wondering,” he paused for a second, “You gonna be at the next game?”

You glanced at Jamie whose eyes were bulging out his sockets before laughing. “Dunno, should I be?”

“Wouldn’t mind it if you were,”

“Might just come then,” you grinned, “See you around Roy,” you said but all he did was nod and step away so you could finally drive off.

Jamie groaned as you drove out the parking lot, “Oh god you’re gonna fuck a grampa,”

“Not just any grampa,” you laughed at him, “I’m gonna be your step gramma.”

Ted Lasso Taglist: @gee72sstuff

General Taglist: @obx-josie18 @ravenmoore14 @tessakate

[fataldrum]

So I was looking into the Magnus Protocol Episode Hard Reset, and I am losing my shit for so many reasons.

1. The statement giver is Robert Hooke, one of the first people to publish research on microscopy. He was the person who coined the word "cell" in biology, because he thought they looked like the cells where monks lived.

2. The statement takes place in 1694. Hook references using the Protocol on London to stop a plague. Between 1665 and 1666, the Great Plague killed about 20% of the British population. In 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed 60% of the city.

3. You know who made a ton of money from the fire? Robert Hooke. He made his fortune as a surveyor and architect in the aftermath of the fire, performing over half the property surveys. How fortunate for him.

4. Incidentally, there are no confirmed surviving portraits of Robert Hooke, only ones that may be him. This is rumored to be Isaac Newton's fault, because after Newton took over the Royal Society, they moved to a new location, and Hooke's portrait was "lost." No other portraits went missing.

5. The statement is addressed to Robert Boyle, who you may recognize for Boyle's Law in chemistry. There's a sculpture in Dublin of a young boy who is thought to be Boyle, and it's horrific.

6. This time period is significant for Isaac Newton, because between 1692 and 1693, he suffered "a breakdown of nervous functioning," with insomnia, poor digestion, and "signs of irrationality" in his letters. Incidentally, hair samples from Newton's body later contained high levels of mercury, lead, arsenic, and antimony. Probably because he was literally tasting mercury samples as part of his research.

7. During the statement, I was picturing a scrappy little terrier. It occurred to me that we probably know what kind of dog Isaac Newton had. His favorite dog was a pomeranian. A fucking. Pomeranian. Just picture this little guy developing sentience and sprouting branches.

8. The dog's name was Diamond, and he has his own Wikipedia page. Why? Because (likely apocryphal) stories claim Diamond knocked over a candle and burned over a year's worth of Newton's notes. The fire appears to be real, but blaming Diamond is unfair. Here's an engraving of the alleged incident.

9. After the fire, Newton was said to have exclaimed, "O Diamond, Diamond, thou little knowest the mischief thou hast done." But Diamond would know if he ate from the Tree of Knowledge.

10. Remember Flamsteed from the Maxwell Raynor statement? He and Newton were bitter enemies.

[mydearviolet]

'am i making you feel sick...?'

gregory violet x gn! reader

general notes: wrote this on a whim, it's barely edited/proofread (whoops) so my apologies for any errors. post weston expulsion gregory. semi-angst? not really? also incredibly loosely based on strangers by ethel cain

a dreary summer had already made itself known at this point. with a constant drizzle of rain alongside an uncharacteristically harsh heat, it seemed as though the london fog would never dissipate. you could barely make out the street lamps as your carriage navigated the obscured driveway of the violet estate.

‘it is no wonder you were never fond of that harsh sun, my violet.’  you offered gregory a gentle smile. ‘this weather is far more comforting.’

no response. not even an acknowledgement of your presence. this wasn’t uncommon— since his premature departure from weston college, days would pass without even a glance in your direction. 

‘…ah, well,’ you paused. ‘say, that music hall has been under construction for quite some time, has it not?’ despite faltering just slightly, your smile persisted. a way to maintain normalcy, you thought. 

his gaze shifted toward you this time. a twitch of his eyebrow and a narrowing of his eyes signalled you had peaked his interest. there was an intent behind his stare, yet it was not something you could quite discern. he really was like a brick wall at times. 

‘i have no interest in such things.’ gregory’s voice was quiet as his fingertips began brushing along the hem of his hood. porcelain skin juxtaposed the dark fabric and blue veins brushed along his arms like stems of ivy. furrowing your eyebrows, you couldn’t help but offer your hand to him, only to be met with a flinch in the opposite direction. 

strange. to hold any part of you grounded gregory unlike anything else. not even his artistic expression could hold a candle to how you made him feel. despite everything, you nod your head in quick understanding and shift your attention to the landscape outside the window. it was a shame the road was so unstable; each time your shoulder brushed against his, you could hear his breath hitch. 

gregory’s weak hands were visibly trembling, despite his feeble attempts to suppress them. 

‘gregory… my dear, was there anything you wished to talk about? nothing is too great a burden for me.’ your demeanour softened. he didn’t take too well to others prodding him for information, yet with you… it was always something he didn’t mind. however, what you didn’t expect was for him to do nothing but grit his teeth in response.

had you struck a nerve?

your gaze shifted toward the window, yet gregory insisted on staring right through you. he took in one long breath, then finally spoke. 

‘am i making you feel sick…?’

you swallowed the lump in your throat, unable to disguise your shock. it wasn’t like him to be so resolute. despite his insistence otherwise, he was still plagued by the murder of derrick arden. his hands were cursed to hold the blood of others, from now until the day he died. perhaps, if he was profoundly unlucky, he would have the privilege of turning a blind eye to his sins.

‘oh, my darling… not at all. not at all.’ you spoke breathlessly. no words could convey the tragedy of his circumstances, but it seemed gregory preferred it that way. peering to your left, your heart ached to see his eyes glossy with tears. 

gregory moved his hand gently towards yours, his fragile fingers intertwining alongside your own. his skin was so cold, almost lifeless. yet when you took your free hand to cup the side of his cheek, it was unmistakeable how much of your warmth enveloped him. his eyes fluttered shut, a breathy sigh escaping his lips.

just as you had earlier, you smiled gently. 'my violet, just know that i love you.'