#Young Prodigy {Edward}

[orphanedwolfandfriends]

"FUUUUUUUUCK"!

He's been enabled.

[musecheerios]

She has been unintentionally staring at the frog for about three minutes right now.

She can’t put her finger on it, but something about this fella seems...menacing. He suddenly blinks, making the brunette flinch.

“Ed...it just blinked.”

“No duh, they do that.”

Is oddly fascinated by the frog.

Takes pic. Though the flash triggered the creature, and made it hop RIGHT on the brunette’s face.

SHRIEKS!!

[easy-there-leftovers]

Magnum Opus Ch. 2

When an MIT prodigy on their gap year is contacted by the FBI regarding potential involvement in a series of murders in Washington D.C., she must now cooperate to uncover how paintings are mysteriously appearing at the crime scenes.(Written with Season 1-4 Spencer in mind, but the timeline could be anywhere pre-season 12. No mentions of past cases)

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Artist! reader|cw: Canon-typical violence|word count: 2.6k words

Notes: I made up a bunch of chemicals and their chemical properties up so shhhh!! Also, I'm not American, I have no contextual understanding of the distance of one place to another. The US is large enough.

Also on Ao3!!

Series Masterlist

“Anything new?” Rossi asked as he and Prentiss returned from the crime scene, making his way into the space the MPDC made for the BAU. Surveying the area as he does before stopping abruptly.

“Forensics are running tests on her stuff. She brought everything in. Apparently she didn’t know anything about the murders before we interrogated her.” Morgan shifts his weight from leaning against a desk to approaching  JJ who motions for his help across and out of the room.

“And she’s here with us in the room, why?”

 Hotch feels the scrutiny of his friend’s eyes, so he turns his sight away from where you and Reid stood. 

“Reid doesn’t think she fits the profile and wants her insight on the case. I trust his judgment, so I allowed it.”

“You said that?” Emily asks with furrowed brows. 

“Well, non-verbatim, I said that her knowledge on–”

“And you allowed our prime suspect to help with a case?” The unit chief sighs when Dave interrupts Reid but stays firm.

“I don’t enjoy the idea of it either, but she’s the only lead we have.” 

Rossi shrugs, but keeps a watchful eye on the young pair. Only turning away when Emily starts to debrief the earlier crime scene.

She recounts that they had found Jonathan Edwards’ body, aged 28, seated on the previous apartment owner’s couch. One hand across his chest, and the other placed on his lap. A pose that they assume was the closest their unsub could get to mirroring the man in the painting. 

Same M.O. Cleaned wounds, no IDs, sharply dressed. 

The dark haired woman adds the pictures of the crime scene to the growing collage on the board.

 Seeing all of this was like a backstage view, which excited you! But knowing that your work might have inspired someone to kill? Not so much. 

“When you look at the victimolgy, there are no obvious links. Their occupation, race, and gender are all different. Our unsub here seems mission oriented, only targeting people that bear a striking resemblance to Dr. L/n’s subjects and murdering them in their own homes…”

 You sigh as Spencer continues, eyes searching though the unsettling images.

“They’re someone that the victims might’ve been interested in. Someone that could contact them or schedule to meet in a formal setting. The victims weren’t reported missing until they didn’t show up for work, suggesting that they had met in private on their off hours. They’re also highly educated, likely with a background in chemical engineering or a related field with permission to operate in a lab. Or at least a private space like one. This level of intelligence is evident in the precision the bodies were handled with and the synthesized 5-durastelene in the paint.”

“So we’re looking for someone who is charismatic, well connected, and had access to a lab at some point.” Emily simplifies. 

“Their area of activity is concentrated in the east.” You mention, looking at the map and noticing the pattern of the bodies’ location as it crosses three states. “That’s probably their comfort zone. They either live there or are stationed there for their job.”

You assess the distance. “Assuming the place those three were killed and the place they were found are different, he must be comfortable traveling with a body.” 

He shifts his focus from the board to you, but you keep your vision stationary. “Do you know anyone like that? Someone from there that you’d be on unfriendly terms with? A colleague, a mentor?” 

Well that caught your attention.

“...You think they’re trying to incriminate me?” You feel the space between your brows twitch when you ask. Still staring at the map.

He frowns a little at that and responds. “Do you think they’re not?”

“Well–” You start, but then feel nervous feeling all the attention on you. You’re a little overwhelmed, but press on anyway. “I’m not saying that, it just—seems like a few ‘why’s’ are missing.” 

Why bother adding a painting? Why bother even making them? Why bother mixing durastelene, a compound that would definitely alter the paint’s integrity given its properties, to replicate something the public wouldn’t even know you made? All questions you asked with a more steady tone.

“Let’s not get carried away, kid. We’re trying to see the big picture first.” The senior in the room says.

Picking at the skin of your lips, you acquiesce and turn to finally look at Spencer. 

Spencer feels his eyes flick to your fingers first then to your eyes. “I think they’re trying to send you a message.” 

He looks back to the pictures of your paintings on the scene. Trying to see if he’s missed something.

 “They might believe that by recreating your work, they’re challenging you– establishing a level of superiority. You said that no one should have access to your paintings, so this must have been someone that once knew you intimately and is now mocking you to make a point. It’s not just about incrimination—they’re trying to reach out to you.”

You feel the space between your brows twitch again.

You can think of a few people who might dislike you; competition is expected in the academic world. But the obvious signs of fixation on you suggests two possibilities: you're either being seen as a rival or as an idol.

It’s unlikely that anyone sees an unemployed PhD student with burn-out syndrome as a worthy rival. 

And something tells you that if they really wanted to place the blame on you, they wouldn’t go this far, in this way. 

They might as well have left a note with your name on it and that would’ve been more believable.

Then again, you could just be wrong 

You’re in a room full of professionals. You’re speculating based off of a theory that might not be applicable to your situation due to a variety of factors. There’s a reason this is their job and not yours. 

You take this thought in stride with a deep intake of breath and now slackened shoulders before responding with a careful nod.

“If that’s the case, then I think it’ll be a little hard to find someone that meets the criteria. I didn’t really have friends when I graduated from MIT, and even if I did, they wouldn’t know about my art—not because I kept it hidden–! It’s only because I started painting when I left.”

The team looked a bit sad at the revelation of your almost non-existent social circle, but quickly acted like what you said was normal.

“Let’s focus on anyone that you had worked closely with then.” You nod at that and start discussing possibilities.

—-------------

Spencer is thankful for Hotch’s suggestion as it diverts the earlier attention away from him. He wouldn’t have minded it at any other time if he wasn’t too preoccupied with thoughts of you.

Thoughts of you with regards to the case, he finds himself justifying to no one in particular.

Everyone has tells. A gesture, a change in posture, nonverbal cues that give someone away. They’re hard to hide because it's in human nature to have them. Trying to keep them hidden is essentially like holding your breath. Suspending the inevitable will only make the tells much more noticeable.

And you don’t seem to be doing that. 

On the contrary, it’s the presence of your micro reactions that are throwing him off. He has noticed five pauses, four instances of rapid eye movement, three tonal deviations, two quirks in your glabella, and now your previously leveled shoulders have dropped. 

Maybe it’s because he’s spent a lot of time with people who try to hide them, but seeing an overwhelming amount of tells manifest in you has him scrambling to figure out what each one means.

Within the two hours and 33 minutes that have passed since he was allowed into your home, the only thing he’s found out about you through your interactions is that you’re disorganized, you’re insecure about your intelligence, and that you don’t like being called doctor. 

All superficial quirks. Two hours is too long a time for him to have only figured three things out. 

He’s missing something. Or maybe he’s not looking at it from the right angle.

Before he can think more on the matter, his mind refocuses on the team. 

Penelope had called them to say that she had gone through lists of attendees from all the conferences you’ve spoken at, both private and open-house events, at Aaron Hotchner’s request. 

“I was able to pick out a few names that are poking around here and there, but I’m going to need a little more than that, my dear comrades! Sifting through names of geeks isn't really my favorite pastime.”

“Pen, narrow down the list to names from MIT. We’re looking for a student from the Chemistry programs or a lecturer that might have access to a lab.” Emily supplied, leaning onto the table where the blonde was on screen. 

“Doing just that and—oh! Would you look at that! Looks like the tools aren’t as diligent as they claim to be.” The mocking tone in her voice causes a small smile to creep on your face.

“Caltech?” The bubbly woman snorts at that.

“Anyone in their right mind knows it’s the superior choice! Tech geeks hate MIT.”

“Don’t let our tools hear you then, we have a history of going nuclear.” That certainly earned you a giggle from the woman on the other end. 

“There’s a sense of humor I can get behind! We–”

“Garica, focus.” Hotch said with urgency.

“Yes–I will! I am! So focused in fact that I’ve got a few names, but only one is super consistent—Lecturer Dr. Annaliese Andrews! Looking up this nerd as we speak and—!” 

You all heard the hitch in her breath.

“Oh no….”

“Garcia, what did you find?”

The BAU and you were silent for a moment before Penelope composed herself. “Dr. Andrews owned a lab near the Charles’ river.” 

She shows its location on screen and a picture of your mentor, Dr. Andrews with a notebook in hand, posed in front of it. The picture was from her social media update, and it couldn’t have been taken more than a year or two ago.

“She built it herself in the 80’s and maybe she wasn’t keeping up with safety protocols but eventually a fire broke out, and she–” Then you see a news headline of the same lab on fire.

“How long ago was this?” Hotch demanded. This got the attention of everyone in the room. 

“Uh,” Penelope sat in her office, frantically typing until an article showed up. “This happened around nine months ago, but it says here that her next of kin decided to keep the property.”

They’ve found a stressor.

“That’s impossible.” You countered. “Dr. Andrews had no family. No husband, no kids.”

“Who is the property under now?” Rossi pressed. 

Muttering under her breath, she continues to search. 

“Says here a month later, a workshop was built right where the lab was– Aha! It’s under 35 year old Liam Turner, freelance photographer. He’s got a studio on Bay State Road.” 

Penelope pulls up an image of an almost unremarkable looking man on screen along with a scan of his BA in Visual Studies from Harvard.

“What the hell…” You don’t recognize this guy at all. 

“Do you know him?” Hotch asks and you say no with a shake of your head and upturned brows.

“Right now, I’m not seeing a connection between these two either—anything you guys can give me?”

You want to interject. Something about him seems familiar, but you don’t recognize him from anywhere. 

You want to ask— no–it wouldn’t be your right. They can figure this out themselves and you're still a suspect! Besides, you’re not even sure if– 

“Do you want to say something, Y/n?”

Your head shoots to the voice and you see Spencer staring back at you. Mouth slightly open which lets you know the question probably came from.

 Maybe it’s because he used your given name, maybe it’s the heavy feeling in your stomach. But regardless, his question certainly makes space for you to voice your thoughts as the room awaits your reply.

You feel your shoulders tense as you speak. “Was his name in the list of attendees?”

Garcia checks quickly but she shakes her head to say no. You thought so.

You ask a different question. “Then uh, can you pull up surveillance footage at any of the conferences?”

She does just that and presents a split-screen video from a month before you graduated. One camera was stationed at the back of the room, and the other overhead from where you stood. She speeds it up as the team watches not much movement until Spencer points something out with a start.

 He gestures to the upper right corner where a lone camera man stands on the side, and asks their tech analyst to zoom in.

There lied the face of the man from earlier search with a camera in hand. The thing that makes him special though, Spencer says, is that based on the angle he was holding the lens at, he was focusing only on you and not on your projection.

“He was in the room, but not in the list.” He furrowed his brows.

You shook your head. “He probably wasn’t an official attendee, someone that a lecturer could’ve requested the assistance of last minute— anyways, can we see where the pictures he took were used? Like articles, tabloids?”

“Absolutely, just give me a second…” You all watch a bunch of sites pop up as Garcia combs through anything that may be related. 

In no time however, she comes across a website. 

There on the screen, for all of the team to see, was a blog, or maybe a portfolio, that had snippets from interviews, headlines, and pictures that featured you. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it looks like any image of you that would show up if you were googled were credited under him. 

Conferences. Campus surveys. Even candid conversation with school representatives.

Penelope digs deeper until she finds the first upload. A picture of a sunset taken somewhere on a bridge with a notebook and pen on its ledge. Though it might not have been enough for most people to recognize, Spencer notices it immediately. 

“Garcia, can you pull up the picture of Dr. Andrews with her lab?”

She does just that and he only needs one look before he turns to address his colleagues. “The notebook is the same! His initials, ‘L.T.’ are on her notebook cover, and this picture!”

And as much as you wished you could sympathize with Spencer’s excitement, you were feeling very overwhelmed at the moment. 

Case and point; first you find out your mentor is dead, then you find out you have a stalker that possibly hates your guts. Find out that said stalker may or may not be related to said mentor, who may or may not hate you, and now you have to digest the possibility of him being a murderer as some sort of vengeance arc?

You shake the thought away.

The tie between him and the victims is still something you don’t get. Clean wounds,  no IDs, sharply dressed.

 So you ask.

“Any chance the victims visited Turner’s studio before they disappeared?”

Analog photo developers have no problem working with a lot of chemicals, and IDs are commonly taken for legal confirmation, you share with the team. The only reason they’d be dressed like that was if–

“They—-all booked an appointment with him.”

You almost regret asking.

--------

taglist: @littlewolfieposts, @hiireadstuff, @bibissparkles, @honestlyatotalloser, @r-3dlips, @suzysface , @pinkpantheris , @resistanythingbuttemptation , @pastafairyy , @lynnar-moon , @andromeda-kay , @darling006 , @mambolaxa , @potatovoyager , @whenmypartysover , @oi-oikawa-tooru , @kniselle , @astreaaries , @fullsuns-stuff

[rae-raewrites]

Hi! I saw you did Riddler finding out he had a teenage daughter he never knew about and meeting her so can you do it with all the Scarecrow's too? I dunno the limit to how many charachters can be in a post so just take your time and thank you!

Hell ya Jon being a dad!

Scarecrows with a teenage daughter

Tw:death,fear toxin

Arkham

A man already dealing with quite the past Jonathan crane was of the opinion nothing could surprise him at this point

Oh boy how wrong he was

williamina was the result of a relationship long since dead that he never considered becoming a variable in the future

Mina only being 16 was told repeatedly to avoid any possible contact with her father after the Halloween incident.

Just like her dear old dad,she was quite the rebellious one

Jonathan can’t exactly ignore the resemblance especially the look from the eyes

Turns out with mom mostly being rather on the negligent side Mina needed someone to be there with her during the big years of her life

Jonathan starts finding out he has some rather ingrained parenting instincts

His old teaching habits really come back to him!

Teaching such a young mind his years of well earned knowledge really invigorates his spirit

He certainly doesn’t intend to turn the little prodigy into a lab rat. He’s the master of fear but he’s not a heartless monster

He’s definitely one of those dad’s who sits down and has heart to hearts with his kids over something like tea.

“Come have seat a young one,tell me what clings to your soul.”

He more than anyone knows the kind of someone so young around someone like him needs to be checked on here and there.

She’s definitely going to inherit her father’s more theatrical side let’s be honest with ourselves here.

She’s getting taught every little bit of chemistry he knows,both out of a way to expand his child’s intelligence but also to keep her safe.

Mina helps him when his leg acts up. According to her it’s the least she can do for him

He greatly appreciates it though he’s not always vocal about it

Btas

Very similar to Arkham Jon btas jon is a man who is surprised by such a thing

He was never a ladies man, his previous partners be dammed but that certainly won’t stop him from being apart of Jenna’s life

Especially when Jenna reaches out actually wanting to meet her old man

15 and yet very clingy of her old man,understandable seeing as she doesn’t exactly have a lot of people to turn to

Is definitely the kinda dad who enacts curfew because he’s so damm worried about where his daughter is

Overprotective as hell

“No jenna I don’t want you on the streets after 8! I may be the master of feet but I know Gotham.”

Helping this girl with her homework constantly.

Doesn’t exactly want her involved with his criminal work directly,last thing he wants her is going to Arkham

Kids don’t belong in a place like that

Edward and jervis easily become her “uncles” Incase something happens to her hold man

Jenna has giggle at one of his master of fear rants

He was grumpy for hours after it

BTAA

Let’s be completely honest here,this man is the most likely to end up accidentally getting bun in the oven,risk is his territory.

The fact he’s even surprised when Lilith shows up to the office of one dr Jonathan crane is a joke in itself.

He doesn’t initially think she’s telling the truth.

Gets corrected almost immediately when he recognizes her mothers name and really takes a good look at the kid

A little apprehensive about even having a kid around.

His general customers are indeed kids around her age range

Lilith however for good or bad inherited daddy’s charisma and charm

He doesn’t immediately tell her about his……….culinary behaviors

Would probably never forgive himself if something happened to her

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t slowly put together whats going on

“You scare people……with drugs?” “I’m providing a service kiddo! Why I’m basically paying for your college education!”

Girl is gonna get spoiled with the amount of drug money he’s pulling in.

Miss autumn ATTEMPTS to help Jonathan navigate the turmoil that comes with one so young

Extremely “your parent is your best friend” relationship

Movie nights are a weekly tradition

Year one

He certainly hasn’t had a lot if healthy relationships in his existence

It wasn’t long ago he went on that hunt to find his own father,Vera was just another who had too.

Genuinely a guilt ridden soul when he finds out.

He may not have known about her but that still doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel like a fool

It’s not out of obligation by blood he takes Vera in but more so because he understands what it’s like to be alone at such a young age .

Definitely a relationship based upon slowly warming up to one another

He’s definitely the over protective type always making sure she isn’t bullied

Lord forbid if they’re ever were they’d be dead within an hour of finding out

Absolutely fosters an adoration for reading

[wonder-worker]

I heard that Edward IV and Elizabeth Widvile were known to be very beautiful. Were there any reports on their appearance at the time?

anon 😂

But yes, contemporaries and post contemporaries in the 16th century were pretty much unanimous in praising their appearance. I'll list some of the ones I could find:

Elizabeth:

'The most beautiful woman in England' ('la plus belle fille d'Engleterre') - Jean de Waurin

'Her very great beauty' ('sa tres grande beaute') - Jean de Waurin

"Her beauty of person and charm of manner" - Dominic Mancini

"None of such constant womanhood, wisdom and beauty" - Hearne's Fragment; its author was one of Edward IV's servants

"A daughter of prodigious beauty' - 1469 Continuator of Monstrelet's Chronicle

"Both faire, of a good favor, moderate of stature, well made and very wise" - Thomas More

Edward IV:

"The beauty of your personage it hath pleased Almighty God to send you" - James Strangways, Speaker of the Commons in Parliament

"The king is a handsome upstanding man" - Gabriel Tretzel, travels of Leo of Rozmital

"A handsome prince and had style" - Oliver De La Marche

"In the flower of his age, tall of stature, elegant of person" - Croyland Chronicle

"One of the handsomest knights of his kingdom" - 1469 Continuator of Monstrelet's Chronicle

"A handsome and worthy prince" - Pietro Alipranto

‘...Tall and strapping as the king’ - John Paston, Paston Letters

"He was young and more handsome than any man then alive" - Philippe de Commynes

"A man so vigorous and handsome that he might have been made for the pleasures of the flesh" - Philippe de Commynes

"The handsomest prince my eyes ever beheld" and "I don't remember ever having seen a man more handsome than he was" - Philippe de Commynes

"A very handsome prince" - Louis XI, from the Memoirs of Commynes

"He being a person of most elegant appearance, and remarkable beyond all others for the attractions of his person" - the Croyland Chronicle, referencing Edward a few months before he died

"He seized any opportunity that the occasion offered of revealing his fine stature more protractedly and more evidently to onlookers" - Dominic Mancini, writing shortly after his death

"He was a goodly personage and very princely to behold...of visage lovely, of body mighty, strong and cleanly made; howbeit in his latter days, with an over liberal diet, somewhat corpulent, but nevertheless noy uncomely" - Thomas More

Etc.

I'm tagging @edwardslovelyelizabeth because I think you got a similar ask?

I hope this answers your question, anon! I don't generally pay a lot of attention to the physical appearance of historical figures (I find it pretty irrelevant), but in this case, it ultimately does play a role in both Edward IV and Elizabeth's historiographies for better and for worse, and seems to have actually been a personal prop of Edward's kingship, so I don't mind discussing it :)

[anthonis-van-dyck]

Ahem!

Pleased to meet you, @angelo-chuck-wagon.

I received word that you are to be my new apprentice.

I want you to know that I was a painting prodigy and that I expect the same from you. I will not waste my precious time on mediocre dilettantes and dabblers.

Not only was I a child prodigy, my beauty as a twink was clearly outstanding. Both ladies and gentlemen of the court vied for my art and favour.

Portraits of the artist as young twink

Now as a mature artist, I am still extremely handsome.

I pack a punch with both the ladies and the gentlemen. The LadyLord Her Highness Edward Earl of Cornbury @lady-lord-cornbury is very taken with my talent. I was also able to show your patron and benefactor William what a stallion I am.

From my apprentice I expect: devotion, reverence, veneration.

He may pay me his respects tomorrow and bring his washed and fine-tipped paintbrush with him.

You may now kiss my hand.

If you want to prepare yourself somewhat better, please study:

"Flattery will get you far, and Anthony Van Dyck learned to schmooze from the best. Van Dyck began painting in Peter Paul Rubens’ studio in 1613. Van Dyck was 14, but quickly became the master’s right hand. .... Giovanni Bellori, a historian and contemporary of Van Dyke’s, described him cutting an impressive figure with fine clothes and entourage: “…his behavior was that of a nobleman rather than an ordinary person, and he shone in rich garments; since he was accustomed in the circle of Rubens to noblemen, and being naturally of elevated mind, and anxious to make himself distinguished, he therefore wore—as well as silks—a hat with feathers and brooches, gold chains across his chest, and was accompanied by servants.”

The English court loved Anthony Van Dyck, because he made them look awesome. With a careful eye to fashionable dress and impeccable detail, and a causal ease in posture, Van Dyck’s portraits gave their subjects a look of “instinctive sovereignty.”

His success with the court soon required the development of a large studio, where a visitor claimed that Van Dyck outlined the figures and painted only the heads and hands, leaving the clothing and background to a growing team of apprentices and specialists. Working efficiently, Van Dyck built an enormous library of works, and influenced portrait painting to this day. Formal dress, casual attitude, and the confidence of looking like the best version of yourself."

Source: Dandies, divas, and cavalier style

[justafairytailofinnocence]

Entangled sombres🎭🧛‍♀️

Edward x fem reader

Synopsis: Twas the night of the Venetian carnival at the palace of Versialles, y/n's encounter with the infamous Edward Cullen leads to a strange phenomenon of events.

Warning: none

A/n: If possible, please feel free to comment and reblog as it always helps me as a writer to improve and get inspired.

The annual Venetian masquerade ball at the Palace of Versailles was a grand affair attended by both ladies and gentlemen. The halls and gardens echoed with the sounds of laughter and lively conversation. The ladies wore exquisite robe a la Francaises and elegant robe a l’anglaises, made of fine silks in floral, royal, and regal colours. Men wore rich, extravagant, full-skirted knee-length coats adorned with frills and buckled shoes. Elaborate wigs adorned their heads, styled in a variety of fashions. The gentlemen sported cavalier-style powdered wigs with lovelocks decorated with ribbons and bows, while some opted for simpler styles with a single ribbon tied at the back. The ladies' hair was styled in various ways, including la pouffes, beignets, coiffures, and chenilles. They wore extravagant and prodigious Venetian masks adorned with feathers and ribbons. The identity of who one was was a mystery among the crowd. The Venetian masquerade’s purpose was for one to indulge themselves in desire and greed without exposure. Within the group, masses gathered to dance and participate in alcohol. Amidst the jovial laughter of the gathering, a lone figure stood in the corner, garbed in a full-skirted coat of sombre black. Though his attire was not as finely crafted as his male counterparts, he maintained a stoic composure, observing the scene with a quiet intensity. He wore a simple, laced Venetian mask that only partially covered his eyes. The man's eyes, visible through his mask, were an unusual golden colour instead of the typical hue.

Staring at the crowd of drunken, jovial attendants, he heard their voices, their thoughts.

“I shall have a rendezvous evening with that mistress.”

“Such a fetching gent”.

The ominous man took off without a word; he couldn’t stand the whole façade of the alluring illusion of wicked cravings and sinful desires surrounding him. He trailed up the stairs, his hand touching the rail decorated in gold. With each step he took, his mind felt more at ease as the crowd’s thoughts had finally ceased. Peace at last. He stopped at the foot of a marble golden-coated rococo door painted with cherubs. Curiously, he placed his ear to the door, wondering if anyone was inside. With no answer, he entered—unassuming to the lady he was greeted with. The room was covered in paintings and finely rich furniture. In the middle of the room was a platter of Turkish delights and cakes with chocolate. His eyes were met with a young lady lying on the couch, holding a hand fan holding it to her plump lips. She drew the hand fan to her lips, curious at the gent who intruded on her. The attire she donned was a graceful sack-back gown adorned with a delightful blue floral pattern. To complete the ensemble, she wore a petticoat waistcoat, adding a touch of elegance to her overall appearance. Her hair was done in a bun style, with a single curled lock touching her shoulder. A Colombina mask in the design of a swan adorned with ribbons covered her face.

The man who barged in by mistake shook his head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry—forgive me, I’m new here. Are you here for the Venetian carnival?”.

The young woman lowered her fan so the dorsal point touched the upper tip of her lips. “Y/n, Tis y/n.” She smiled in a flirtatious manner.

“Since you—oh so—unkindly barged into my accommodation, you must pry me on your name and business,” Y/n spoke with pursed lips.

“Edward, Edward Cullen." He spoke politely but with a hint of humility.

“Edward, you’re quite an unusual gent.” She sat up while lifting her legs in the air, revealing her silk stockings and patterned heels. “For I’m doting upon your eyes of unusual colour, quite a golden hue”.

 Y/n’s compliment took Edward aback. He didn’t smile at her gracious words but kept his cold gaze. “No, don't ever consider me stunning; I’m not the kind of guy you should be…going for”.

“You don’t know a thing about me; I’m not a good person, y/n.” Edward’s voice showed a genuine tone of guilt.

“If the world were full of good, then we wouldn’t have things such as this,” Y/n mischievously smiled.

Edward felt reassured, but the young woman didn't understand. He harboured a dark secret. He wasn’t like the rest surrounding the streets going about their daily lives. His family had lived differently; they only went out on rainy or dark days. The Cullen family was notorious, with rumours circulating in courts and towns in France and England. It was said that the Cullens hailed from a small plot of land in Forks purchased by their patriarch, Carlisle Cullen. Lord Carlisle's origins are little known, but he may have come from Italy. He married a woman who was known for her beauty, Lady Esme Cullen.

The pair had decided to adopt only, not children, teenagers. At the tender age of eighteen, the first was a daughter with a remarkable beauty that charmed suitors from distant lands. Her grace and elegance were unparalleled, and many hopefuls sought her hand in marriage. Despite the numerous proposals, she steadfastly refused them, holding out for a love that would surpass all others. Legend has it that her hair was as radiant as the golden hue of honey, and her complexion was as pure and fair as freshly fallen snow. Her eyes, which shone with an unusual and alluring golden tint, made her even more captivating. Not long before, she discovered love with a man who hailed from a noble family in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; the two of them grew inseparable, and eventually, she took on her spouse's family name, Cullen. Her husband, Emmett, was a strapping and dashing young man who was just twenty-two years old. He was known for prowess in clandestine fighting circles, where he always emerged victorious.

The couple's second adopted daughter, Alice Cullen, was a young adult of nineteen years who was renowned for her peculiar persona. With her vast, feline-like gaze and ever-changing, avant-garde hairstyles, she exuded a certain enigmatic allure that captivated those around her. Her fashion sense was equally impressive, as she effortlessly donned the most fashionable attire. Regrettably, some individuals perceived her as odd and wrongly accused her of dabbling in witchcraft and sorcery. However, Alice's abilities were exceptional, as she possessed the gift of foresight, enabling her to predict one's future accurately. She wedded a naval officer named Jasper Hale, who was in the front. Those who met him personally aren’t fond of him; he was a relatively quiet young man who spoke only when needed. He had blond hair tied back with a delicate silk ribbon, whilst his skin was similar to Rosalie's. According to the accounts of those who knew him, Jasper was reputed to be a man of high moral principles and integrity in his earlier years. He was known to have had a relatively brief romantic relationship with Maria before his involvement with Alice. However, rumours at the time suggested that Maria was somewhat dubious and may have been involved in certain occult practices or dark magic. Given Jasper's eventual transformation, there was speculation about the potential implications of his change in character. When around Alice, his old self would come to light. They attended many galas and balls, waltzing in the moonlight instead of entering the building.

Then, the final child was Edward Cullen, a seventeen-year-old gent who was distant and cold. He never formed relationships or friendships with anyone who wasn’t his family. Many ladies fancied Edward but were intimidated by his mysterious demeanour. He never stepped outside in the sunlight; many theorised it was a rare condition or a disease. They never dared ask, fearing he might lash out.

He found the young woman to be a mystery. He possessed a unique ability to hear the thoughts of those around him, which can be helpful but also annoying when he wants to focus on his thoughts. He attempted to listen for any words or sentences coming from her impure mind, but to his surprise, he heard nothing.

The young woman grinned excitedly and asked, “Well, Sir Cullen, the hour passes swiftly; tis rather rude not to ask a lady for a dance”.

Feeling timid, Edward complied with her inquisitive demeanour and gracefully inclined his body, extending a hand towards her. "I humbly request the honour of this dance, Y/n," he uttered softly. Y/n curtsied gracefully, holding a fan to the left side of her face. Her fingers delicately intertwined with his hand. As she grasped lightly, a slight shiver went down y/n’s spine. It felt like she had dipped her fingers in the Icey waters of a frozen lake. Y/n and Edward held one hand in the air, moving fluently in a circle. Suddenly, the classical music playing down below changed its tune. Y/n and Edward switched arms as soon as they heard the first note.

They only repeated the same movement, moving in a circle, and y/n slightly skipped. They repeated the same direction, but this time, Y/n had a mischievous grin when they switched arms. Y/n skipped in circles, flicking her skirt with one hand out to the side. She added an extra clap to the rhythm during the song's sudden pauses in beats. She skipped in a circle as the violin's rhythm picked up. Edward followed, adding his steps and skips. When the two came to the middle once more and stopped, they stepped to the side out and came in with a twirl, switching sides. Once more, they repeated this move. She delicately took hold of Edward's hand with a gentle touch, gracefully spinning away from him.

As she twirled, she kicked one foot elegantly to the left, adding a touch of flair to her movements. Edward looped to the opposite side and clapped. The two then spun back into the middle as they returned to their first position. As Y/n and Edward danced, the violin's sound filled the room. Y/n's hand tapped against her skirt in time with the music, adding to the rhythm of their steps. As they moved in a circle, Edward couldn't help but steal a glance at Y/n. Her eyes were full of playful amusement yet still held an air of mystery, making him wonder what thoughts were swirling through her mind. Edward stopped coming in close to y/n, and he spun her around.

Y/n was in an utter fantasy; never had she met any gent this fascinating. Many suitors had courted her, yet none could catch her attention. Edward was far more entrancing than any duke, lord or aristocrat who had tried to woo her.

Alas, all good things do come to an end. As y/n twirled she glanced deeper into Edwards's alluring eyes and what she saw caught her off guard. She screamed when she saw his eyes turning from a beautiful aureate hue into a void of darkness. She covered her hands over her mouth in panic. “Good god your eyes, they changed into the black of night” she panicked slightly. Edward, baffled, retreated, and lost all sense of comfort. He moved in a way that appeared to be beyond human capability to the door. She acted impulsively and reached out to grasp Edward's hand in a fleeting moment of connection. Though he paused briefly in response, he ultimately opted to depart silently to avoid attracting undue attention to their interaction. “Edward, what are you” she muttered.

With two words he coldly said, “a monster”.

And with that, he left without any fuss, he fastened the pace leaving y/n in a bewildered state. She stood at the entrance with the rococo-decored door opened widely. As she contemplated the gravity of the situation, a thought occurred to her - why didn't he just kill her straight away? Nevertheless, she observed a genuine expression on his face and discerned that he was experiencing warmth and tenderness towards someone for the first time. A sense of serenity seemed to envelop him. Y/n inched closer to the door and scanned the dancing crowd below, but she couldn't discern the presence of Edward Cullen. She struggled to reconcile the bizarre events that had just transpired and couldn't shake off the feeling that it was all an elaborate dream. She picked up the skirtings of her gown slowly trailing down the stairs as her heels reached each step. Further, she trailed to the entrance, ignoring all the ladies chattering and gents asking for a dance. Upon leaving the Palace of Versailles, she found the gardens deserted except for the rustling of leaves in the wind.

As she lifted her gaze towards the vast expanse of the moonlit sky, her heart filled with a sense of longing, as she pondered whether fate would ever bring her back in the company of Edward.

Anyways that's all I have for now:

Ta Ta ✨

[isadomna]

Eleanor of Castile, Queen of England

Her childhood was spent in the centre of the Spanish reconquest and was dominated by her military hero of a father (St Ferdinand) and her prodigiously clever brother (King Alfonso X the Learned).

Married at the age of twelve and a mother at thirteen, she gave birth to at least sixteen children, most of whom died young.

She was a prisoner for a year amid a civil war in which her husband’s life was in acute danger. Devoted to Edward, she accompanied him everywhere.

Eleanor was a highly dynamic, forceful personality who acted as part of Edward’s innermost circle of advisers, and successfully accumulated a vast property empire for the English Crown.

In cultural terms her influence in architecture and design – and even gardening – can be discerned to this day.

The Eleanor crosses were a series of twelve tall and lavishly decorated stone monuments topped with crosses erected in a line down part of the east of England. King Edward I had them built between 1291 and about 1295 in memory of his beloved wife. 

Eleanor the queen was, therefore, not merely an intelligent and able woman, but a woman of many interests, which she pursued with considerable enthusiasm and determination. Her extensive reading ensured that she had much to contribute to discussions in many directions – be the conversation literary, historical, military or theological – and her sense of humour seems to have ensured that she wore her considerable scholarship lightly. She presents herself to us as a woman with a vibrant zest for life. Her vitality is reflected in her passion for hunting and even more so in her obviously notorious fondness for delicious food, which even had local poor women bringing fine items (or on one occasion ‘a large loaf’) for the queen’s enjoyment. This last vignette also echoes the earlier evidence of her wardrobe accounts. Eleanor might have had a terrible temper when roused, but she seems to have exercised it on those who were in positions of power. To those who occupied a more humble position, she was a kindly and approachable queen; a real woman, not a figure of unimaginable glamour.

Sara Cockerill, Eleanor Of Castile: The Shadow Queen

[kingofthescene]

Burr: Part 02.

Meanwhile, with Burr, things appear to be incredibly different. Especially because he had no family to fight for him and bring light to his achievements rather than his bad reputation. Slander and rumors that had been spread about him for God knows how long. His parents died, his sister died, his wife died, his children all died, nephew died, and his grandchildren had all died. He had outlived everyone and had no one to advocate for him, which is something he desperately needed. I feel like it would have made a significant difference. Another thing that stood out to me (how could it not?) was the whole "Burr is un-opinionated"/"Burr stands for nothing" shit they constantly repeated and pushed the entire musical. It's insane. And a lie because Burr was known to be one of the most opinionated people, he was way ahead of his time with a lot of his beliefs. And here's why! The reasons why Burr "standing for nothing" is BULLSHIT: He was an proto-feminist/fierce women's rights advocate. Burr was a huge admirer of Mary Wollstonecraft. (he even kept a portrait of her with him). He was devoted to his daughter (Theodosia Burr Alston), whom he had educated according to the principles promulgated in A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft. For those unfamiliar with Mary Wollstonecraft and her work, her book on women's rights is described as "a classic of rationalist feminism that is considered the earliest and most important treatise advocating equality for women." She argued that the educational system deliberately trained women to be frivolous and incapable and that if girls were allowed the same advantages as boys, then women would not only be exceptional wives and mothers, but also capable workers in many professions. Burr wholeheartedly agreed with Wollstonecraft, and this, as well as his devotion as a father - he wanted the absolute best for his daughter - plays a huge part in why Theodosia Jr. was known to be one of the best educated women of her time. - Theodosia Jr. had learned to read and write by age three. - By her tenth birthday she had finished all six volumes of Edward Gibbons’ The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. - Theodosia had been given an equal opportunity education, she was able to study subjects that had traditionally been reserved for boys (such as Greek, Latin, Arithmetic, and so on)...she was fluent in French as well. Theodosia practiced piano, took lessons in dancing, and learned to skate. She was a prodigy and was widely acknowledged for her intelligence and sophistication. Not only that, but Aaron Burr set up a school, with Madame de Senat, for young ladies in New York City in 1793. Hell, he even used his position/ time in the Senate and attempted to submit legislation to allow women the right to vote (but it was unfortunately denied. He did the same thing and called for the immediate abolishment of slavery but it was denied as well.)

[schrijverr]

The Long Game

Ed has to attend a military gala and Roy is dreading it. However, he is surprised to discover that Ed is more aware of putting on a show and playing a good little soldier.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: none

~~~~

Roy hates military galas with a passion, though no one but close friends would know that about him and he likes to keep it that way.

It’s a whole evening of schmoozing, which, granted, he is very good at, but it’s tiring. The persona he has crafted for himself to get others to underestimate them is chatty and Roy discovered too late that he is more introverted than that, so playing it can become exhaustive.

However, that’s not why he’s apprehensive about this particular gala. No, that would be because Fullmetal will be in attendance.

It would be the first time since his inauguration into the military that he was to attend. He had joined up just after the gala had been thrown and by the time his first gala would roll around, he had messed up his automail. While all higher ups had wanted to meet the famous young prodigy, none were about to force a child amputee to show up for their own sakes, when he needed medical attention.

This year, no such stroke of luck had occurred and the Major was expected right alongside Roy to both their ire.

Roy is sure Fullmetal isn’t pleased, but Roy doubts he is more displeased than Roy. Though, displeased might be the wrong word. It’s more like cautious or afraid. Not of Fullmetal or for him, but for Roy himself.

You see, Roy has been working with the little twerp for over two years now and while the kid’s work reflects back great on Roy, his subordination leaves much to be desired. So having him in the room with all Roy’s higher ups will kill any reputation he brought.

It can only be a disaster.

Still, Fullmetal not showing up again might be even worse for Roy’s reputation, so there is no avoiding it, only damage control.

During the days leading up to the gala, Roy spends as much time as he can telling Edward all about military protocol and respect, hoping it’ll stick. He presses home how important good impression are. How they can influence how much people are willing to put a word in for him, help him along, provide funds. Anything to make Fullmetal care.

He has Hawkeye accompany Ed to a tailor, hoping that her presence will at least make him own a proper military uniform. Maybe even convince him to wear it, though his hopes aren’t too high for that.

In the end, Roy has to contend himself with the fact that he tried as hard as he could to make Fullmetal behave and prepare to deal with the fall out once it happens.

The gala is today and there is really no turning back. Roy is waiting for Ed alongside Vanessa, his sister, who will be playing his date tonight, spending the first half of the evening hanging of Roy’s arm and the latter half socializing and gathering intelligence for Madame Christmas.

Roy has complained to her and his foster mom about Fullmetal at length, telling them how much the brat could mess up for him. They understand his concerns, but both have spend most of their time laughing at his misery.

However, tonight Vanessa is involved herself and has a little more compassion for him. She assures him: “He’ll be on time, Roy. It’s not late yet, he still has time.”

“On time is late,” Roy frowns, checking his pocket watch, before scanning the streets for the familiar red coat, hoping Ed will get here soon.

“Isn’t that him over there?” Vanessa breaks him out of his thoughts, pointing at someone down the streets.

“Where?” Roy asks, when he doesn’t immediate spot Fullmetal.

“There. Little with blond hair right? In the uniform,” Vanessa answers, giving more detail so Roy can find him.

At the mention of a uniform, Roy starts to doubt she has the right person, but once his eyes land on who she’s pointing at, he can’t deny that it is indeed Fullmetal. Fullmetal in a uniform. Who would’ve thought he’d see the day?

“I hardly recognized you, you look like a professional,” Roy teases the second Ed is within hearing range.

“Oh shut up, Colonel Bastard,” Fullmetal scowls, rolling his eyes. “I don’t know how, but you manage to look slimier than usual.”

As Roy expected, the uniform is an illusion no one will be falling for, Fullmetal is still his bratty, angry little self. Mentally he sighs and prepares himself for the long time. Externally, however, he smirks: “It’s a talent. Now let’s go.”

“Are you going to introduce us?” Vanessa asks innocently, purposefully getting on Roy’s nerves in the way only an older sister can.

“Yeah, bastard, I thought you were supposed to be good at this. Show some basic human curtsy,” naturally Fullmetal backed Vanessa. Roy’s life is going to be over if those two team up.

“You could have introduced yourself,” Roy points out in vain, before saying: “This is Vanessa, she’s accompanying me to the gala tonight. Vanessa, this is Major Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist.”

“It’s a delight to meet you, young man,” she thrills, extending her hand, seamlessly picking up on Ed’s continuous need to be seen as an adult and playing into it.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Ed replies, taking her hand. “Just know that it’s totally okay if you never want to see this guy again after tonight,” he adds, pointing a thumb to Roy.

Roy knows that Fullmetal has a lifelong accomplice and supporter in Vanessa the second she lets out a genuine laugh at the comment, head thrown back and everything. She grins: “Thank you, Edward. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Let’s go before we’re late,” Roy interrupts, before they can conspire against him some more.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Ed scowls again, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he reluctantly starts to walk in the direction of the venue.

Meanwhile, Roy offers Vanessa his arm, both of them taking a moment to ensure their masks are on properly, before following after the boy.

The venue is brightly lit and filled with people. Roy hopes to park Fullmetal at the food table, before doing the rounds, as well as keep him there for the rest of the night, maybe send Armstrong his way as a distraction to get Fullmetal to stay there.

However, that plan is thwarted when they arrive. A Brigadier General makes his way to them when he spots them, obviously having been looking out for at least one member of their party and Roy suspects who. Jovially, the Brigadier General greets: “Ah, Colonel Mustang and the Fullmetal Alchemist!”

To Roy’s surprise, it is Ed, who salutes first with Roy quickly following. He has only even seen the boy give mocking salutes or very reluctant ones, but this one comes across as natural, like Fullmetal does this often.

“No need for those formalities,” the Brigadier General waves their salutes away, before making his goal clear, though Roy had already suspected it. “Ah, another beautiful lady on your arm, Colonel? I’m sure she’s lovely company, so you’ll be okay if I borrow your subordinate for a moment.” He turns to Fullmetal. “There are quite a few people, who’d love to pick your brain, kid.”

Roy is about to step in before Fullmetal can loudly proclaim his maturity, but he is surprised again when Ed respectfully replies: “I’d be honored, sir.”

“Of course, no problem,” Roy dismisses Fullmetal, unsure if he’s making a mistake. It seems like Fullmetal is content to play his role of military dog, but Roy is very well aware of the short fuse the kid has.

However, insisting to go along might anger the Brigadier General, who obviously wants the glory of introducing the great Fullmetal Alchemist for himself. So, Roy has to be okay with keeping an eye on Fullmetal from the corner of his eye as he proceeds to do his own business.

In moments like this, he wishes Hawkeye wasn’t such a well known face by his side, so she could be here with him tonight to keep her keen eyes on Ed. Alas, he much prefers her eyes by him in the day by day to validate that, so he’ll have to trust his own spacial awareness and that of Vanessa to notice once it all goes to shit, as things often do in Fullmetal’s presence.

But as the gala continues on, Roy is surprised to be proven wrong. Very wrong.

Fullmetal pops up everywhere and in the most unexpected ways. He never sticks out for his usual reasons (insults, insubordination, loudness, etc), instead he’s anything but.

When Roy is talking to a Major General, who is inching towards a promotion that Roy wants to lift along with, when he spots Ed up ahead. The kid is being introduced to a proper General and he politely salutes the man.

A little while later, he is walking across the room to introduce Vanessa to a fellow Colonel that Madame Christmas needs some dirt on. As they do, they pass by a gaggle of state alchemists and Fullmetal is among them.

Roy recognizes one of he speakers as a Lieutenant Colonel, who is a bit too big for his britches. But still ranking above Fullmetal, which he seems to be aware of, because he is merely politely nodding along to the guy giving a soliloquy about his own alchemy.

Now, the guy isn’t a bad alchemist. In fact, Roy knows him to be reliable to have your back, even if he’ll be obnoxious the whole way through. However, Roy knows that Ed had his particular branch of alchemy mastered before he hit double digits, so his agreeable silence as he listens to the lecture is surprising.

Of course, Fullmetal loves alchemy more than anything, so this must have been one of the better conversations he’s had this evening. But Roy can’t help but be surprised that he isn’t showing off his genius as he is prone to do, showing up the alchemist and bruising the guy’s ego in the process, however unintentional it might have been.

The third time, Roy spots him, Vanessa even comments on it as they watch him bow politely at a group, before leaving the conversation. “I thought you said he was brash and rude, Roy. The perfect image of insubordination. That doesn’t look very about to be court martial-ed to me.”

“I think Fullmetal must be possessed,” Roy confides in her, unable to come up with a better explanation.

Fullmetal then finds them in the crowd again. He sees that they’re taking a break from polite society at the food table and gratefully makes him way over to them, smoothly avoiding any advances made to talk to him.

The boy lets out a breath of relieve when he finally makes it, stuffing a bread roll in his mouth without even greeting either of them.

Roy can’t help but remark: “Where did all the politeness go, huh? We’re not good enough for your manners, Fullmetal?” driven both out of curiosity and his natural tendency to tease his short-fused subordinate.

“Oh, please,” Ed rolls his eyes, “like you wouldn’t be totally freaked out if I was suddenly polite and nice to you. You’d probably think the world was ending.”

Since he claimed Fullmetal to be possessed moments earlier, Roy isn’t really able to deny that accusation. Not that it stops him from saying: “I’ve been asking for respect for over two years now, a little bit of it would be appreciated.”

“Your comment is heard and disregarded,” Fullmetal informs him bluntly and Roy is loathe to admit that the uncaring attitude of the teen is soothing after watching him be a perfect little toy soldier.

He doesn’t show that, however, instead choosing to say: “Well, it still would have been nice. I thought you were incapable of it, honestly. I’d ask if you were raised in a barn, but I’ve seen where you grew up.”

“Oi, don’t insult Resembool,” Fullmetal glares at him.

Vanessa probably saves all of them from Fullmetal’s first explosion of the night by saying: “I do have to agree with Roy. You have quite the reputation. It’s impressive that you actually have more control over your emotions than people think.”

Though hidden by a fluttered lash, the comment is a masked question. A request for more information without the target knowing. Vanessa truly is one of Madame Christmas’s girls.

And like so many men before him, Ed falls for it. He puffs up a bit, pride flooding his veins as he says: “Of course. Underestimation is the best tool. Besides, practice makes perfect, you don’t even know how many dinners I’ve had with corrupt officials.”

Roy has to hide a laugh at Vanessa’s surprised expression. She obviously hadn’t counted on her own experiences in life being anywhere near similar to Fullmetal’s, yet here she is.

The kid is oblivious as he goes on: “But I usually get to make them fall flat on their faces the next day. Can’t very much do that here, I still need these motherfuckers. Well, maybe, not all of them, but I don’t know which ones.”

Now Roy has the same experience that Vanessa had at the earlier part, though he has the added ill feeling that he is the one that dragged the kid into this life. This world of corruption, masks and concealment.

Fullmetal looks quite sad as he laments that he doesn’t get to make the government collapse by taking out all the corrupt officials he has spoken to tonight.

However, he soon has a grin on his face again when he says: “But I get to laugh at them behind their backs, so that’s a little satisfying. And who knows what the future will bring, I might get to pull the rug out from underneath all of them.”

It’s quite the surreal feeling to see Fullmetal be aware of the games of politics Roy played in every day and not just that, but be playing it himself as well. He isn’t playing it as much as Roy, but more than he had expected from the kid.

Ed truly grew up too fast and, despite himself, Roy mourns for Fullmetal’s childhood.

However, now that he’s aware of it, he can see the sparkle of glee in Fullmetal’s eyes whenever he salutes or says sir. That little bit of defiance, like he is in on some joke and everyone else isn’t. Well, everyone else besides Roy and Vanessa.

If he allows himself to be honest with himself, Roy is a little honored that Ed let him see behind the curtain, mask lifted for a second. But Roy tries not to think about that too much. Fullmetal has to remain a little at a distance or Roy will never be able to live with himself, even if he knows that allowing Ed into the military was for the best.

So instead he chooses to be amused with the kid’s antics, following him across the room in his periphery and mentally chuckling at all the wool he’s putting over peoples’ eyes.

He might still hate military galas with a passion, but Fullmetal makes them a little bit more bearable and he can’t help but hope he will be in attendance again next time.

~~

A/N:

I love it when Ed is a little cunning and Roy realizing it, because he thinks himself a master at chess and deception and I think it would be fun for him to see that side of Ed

[olympic-paris]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …

August 21

1872 – Aubrey Beardsley (d.1898), born in Brighton to a genteel but nearly destitute family , was a musical and artistic prodigy as a child who went on in his short life to become a highly original and influential illustrator, one of the greatest of the Symbolists.

He was educated at the Bristol Grammar School and later, with the encouragement of Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones, attended night classes at the Westminster School of Art. Although he absorbed a number of influences, including that of the Pre-Raphaelites, Beardsley was largely self-taught.

In 1892, the young artist received his first commission, an invitation to illustrate an edition of Thomas Malory's Morte D'arthur for the publisher J M Dent. The assignment entailed over 300 illustrations and chapter heads, which the artist executed in a mock-medieval, Pre-Raphaelite style.

In 1893, as he was working on the Dent commission, he met Oscar Wilde, with whom he would be associated for the rest of his life, at least in the public's imagination. Beardsley was invited by Wilde's publisher to illustrate the English edition of Salomè. When it was published in 1894, both the play and the witty, provocative - blatantly erotic - illustrations created a sensation. His most famous erotic illustrations were on themes of history and mythology, including Wilde's Salomè and his (very homoerotic) illustrations for Lysistrata.

That same year Beardsley became famous as the art editor of The Yellow Book, a new arts and letters periodical. Although Wilde never actually contributed to the magazine, it was widely assumed to be an organ for the aesthetic ideas that the playwright espoused. Beardsley's stunning black-and-white drawings, title-pages, and covers helped make the new quarterly a great success. But The Yellow Book also quickly became a site of the fin de siècle culture wars, a target of moralists concerned about the influence of the decadent movement on English society and art. One detractor described Beardsley's designs for the periodical as 'Diseased, weird, macabre, and sinister.'

In the context of the growing notoriety of Wilde and his circle, this may be seen as an attack on the newly visible homosexual subculture that emerged at the end of the nineteenth century. The culture wars culminated in Wilde's prosecution and conviction for gross indecency in 1895. One casualty of the reaction triggered by the Wilde trials of 1895 was Beardsley himself. He was summarily fired from his job as art editor of The Yellow Book. He had been too closely associated with Wilde for the publisher's comfort and his art too erotic and perverse for the new mood of conformity prompted by Wilde's conviction.

Beardsley however continued to find work as an illustrator and created many more beautiful illustrations. Unfortunately, Beardsley had been plagued by ill-health and bouts of tuberculosis since childhood and he died in the South of France, where he had gone in search of a better climate for his increasingly frail health. He was just 25.

Considering the brevity of his life, Beardsley's achievement is astonishing. A highly original creator, he transformed the art of illustration and profoundly influenced artists of his own and subsequent generations.

1935 – Playwright Mart Crowley saw his first play, The Boys in the Band, become a huge off-Broadway hit that was later adapted as a motion picture. Although a groundbreaking representation of gay men, The Boys in the Band is now considered somewhat controversial, partly for the attitudes of the characters and partly for its now anachronistic setting in the age before AIDS.

Crowley is a son of the South. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on August 21, 1935, he used his familiarity with the culture and his personal experience to inform his writing. Crowley's childhood was not a happy one. His father, a tavern-keeper, was an alcoholic, and his mother, who was addicted to both drugs and alcohol, eventually had to spend considerable time in mental institutions. For a respite from his miserable home life, the young Crowley frequented the local movie theater. After graduating from a Catholic boys' high school in Vicksburg, Crowley enrolled at Catholic University in Washington, D. C.

When he received his degree in theater in 1957, he went to New York, where he became a production assistant to director Elia Kazan on the film Splendor in the Grass, based on the play by William Inge. Crowley became friends with the film's star, Natalie Wood, who encouraged him to go to Hollywood to pursue a career in screenwriting. Crowley succeeded in writing a script that was slated for production, but the project was cancelled at the last moment.

Other disappointments followed. Crowley wrote the pilot episode for a television series that was to star Bette Davis, but the show was never produced. Next he got a screenwriting job at Paramount, but was soon fired.

After these setbacks Crowley was house-sitting for a friend when he wrote a play about a group of gay men. A friend brought the work to the attention of producer Richard Barr, who ran the Playwrights' Unit with Edward Albee. They agreed to put it on in a workshop in January 1968, and Crowley burst onto the literary scene with his best-known work, The Boys in the Band. It opened off-Broadway in April and ran for over a thousand performances. The play was made into a film directed by William Friedkin in 1970.

The Boys in the Band is a groundbreaking work that uses both humor and melodrama to offer a look at the lives of a group of openly gay men. Queer audiences welcomed it when it appeared, but over the years it became controversial. Objections centered on traits of various characters that critics felt perpetuated negative stereotypes—self-loathing, flamboyance, and promiscuity. Rather than offering an upbeat, positive look at the gay subculture, it presented a depressing snapshot of individuals tormented by internalized homophobia.

Set at a birthday party in New York, The Boys in the Band introduced audiences to a number of gay men with different attitudes and backgrounds. The birthday celebrant is Jewish, one of the guests African-American. Another guest is thoroughly campy and brings a hustler dressed as a cowboy as a birthday gift. The guests also include a couple, one of whom is a divorced father of three. The pair, though committed to each other, are arguing over whether their relationship needs to be exclusive. At the center of the piece is the host, Michael, the character with whom Crowley most strongly identifies. The cynical and pessimistic Michael has been the focus of many who became detractors of the play in later years. His most famous line, "You show me a happy homosexual, and I'll show you a gay corpse," has often been quoted to indicate the character's self-loathing, and sometimes to indict Crowley for his negative depiction of the period's gay subculture.

Crowley, however, has strongly defended his play, calling it a period piece—from an era before both Stonewall and the AIDS epidemic. He stated in 1996 that the play's "self-deprecating humor was born out of a low self-esteem, if you will; from a sense of what the times told you about yourself." He said that he understood "the need for positive images" and pointed out that "the lovers in the play, Hank and Larry, make a most positive statement about commitment to each other" at the end of the piece. He also called the "flaming and incendiary" character Emory "very positive" because "he never hides who he is, and that's a very brave thing to do."

Certainly, it is true that even today it is difficult for glbtq people to grow up in America without internalizing the homophobic attitudes of the larger society. That would have been even more true for the characters in Crowley's play, most of whom grew up in the 1950s, a decade in which homosexuals were routinely abused and their self-esteem systematically attacked. Rather than dismissed for presenting a politically incorrect view of gay men, The Boys in the Band should be respected for calling attention to the destructive effects of the pervasive societal homophobia with which gay people in the period before Stonewall had to cope.

During the 1970s Crowley lived off his money from The Boys in the Band. He stated in 1996 that he "was just running around the world, drinking too much" at the time, and so his funds were dwindling by the end of the decade. In 1979 Crowley's friend Natalie Wood and her husband, Robert Wagner, helped Crowley get a job as head writer for the television show in which they starred, Hart to Hart. When the producer abruptly quit, Crowley replaced him and remained in that post until 1983. Crowley then returned to work as a screenwriter. "I have original movie scripts in the files of every major studio in Hollywood," he declared in 1993. Although he was successful in selling them, none has ever been produced.

Crowley's stage play, For Reasons That Remain Unclear, dealt with the theme of sexual abuse of a student by a Catholic priest. Crowley has stated that the story is a fictionalized version of his own experience. The play was first presented at the Olney Theatre in Maryland. It was optioned for a year, but the production was soon abandoned. The play has since been performed in a few regional theaters.

The Boys in the Band was revived in New York in 1996 to mostly favorable reviews and had a respectable run. By the time of the revival Crowley had already let it be known that he was planning a sequel. It was not until 2002, however, that The Men from the Boys premiered in San Francisco.

The setting for the sequel is the same New York City apartment that was the site of the birthday party in The Boys in the Band. This time it is the venue for a wake for Larry, who has died of pancreatic cancer. Seven of the nine original characters return, and three younger ones have been added.

While reviewers generally found the play entertaining and pointed to some wickedly witty lines by Crowley, they were somewhat disappointed by the lack of evolution of the characters. Critic Dennis Harvey commented that they "end up defined mostly by the degree to which they've resisted 35 years of social and potential personal change."

While Crowley has never been able to recapture the success and acclaim that he had with his debut play, he deserves honor for having blazed the trail for subsequent gay-themed theater with The Boys in the Band.

1962 – The adult porn "actor" Jeff Stryker , who has starred in bisexual, gay, and straight adult films, was born on this date. Born Charles Casper Peyton in Carmi, Illinois, he currently lives in California.

Jeff Stryker is primarily known as a performer in gay pornography films, although Jamie Loves Jeff was one of the biggest selling heterosexual adult movies of all time for its producer, Vivid Entertainment. He describes himself (in a somewhat joking fashion) as sexually "universal". He has also said, "I don't define myself as anything."

He also tried his hand at other acting, starring in a 1989 Italian-produced horror movie called After Death (Revenge of the Zombies), in which he was credited as Chuck Peyton, and was seen in other movies such as Can I Be Your Bratwurst Please? and Dirty Love.

~~

The "Jeff Stryker Cock and Balls," a dildo fashioned from a cast of his penis, is widely sold in sex stores. The sex toy was billed as the "first dildo ever manufactured using an exact mold of a celebrity's body part", and reportedly is the best selling item of its kind. A licensed line of Jeff Stryker products is available: calendars, playing cards, T-shirts, greeting cards, Stryker Lube and the Jeff Stryker Action Figure (below).

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1970 – On this date Huey Newton, the leader of the Black Panthers, publicly stated his "solidarity" with the "Gay Power" movement in a speech where he said, "a person should have the freedom to use his body in whatever way he wants."

1984 – Robin de Jesús is an American film and theater actor of Puerto Rican descent. He has received Tony Award nominations for his roles in In the Heights, La Cage aux Folles, and The Boys in the Band.

His first major role was as Michael in the independent film Camp (2003), where he plays a gay teen who gets beat up for wearing drag to his prom. While the film went relatively unnoticed in the mainstream, it gained a cult following among musical theater fans and teens who connected to the outcast theme.

He is perhaps best known for playing the role of Sonny in the 2008 Broadway musical In the Heights, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2010, he joined the revival cast of La Cage aux Folles as Jacob, the sassy housekeeper, which earned him his second Tony Award nomination in the Featured Actor category. De Jesús played the role of Boq in the Broadway production of Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. In 2019, he received a third Tony Award nomination, for Best Featured Actor in a Play, for his role of Emory in The Boys in the Band. He recreated the role for the 2020 film adaptation produced for Netflix.

In 2021, Jesús played Michael in the musical drama tick, tick... BOOM!.

Robin is gay and speaks to young audiences about fully accepting oneself.

2002 – Twenty lesbian and gay survivors whose partners died in the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center were told they would receive workers’ compensation under a new state law.

[orphanedwolfandfriends]

Let him say it. He wants to. So bad.

[musecheerios]

“I am NOT putting on the nose and antlers!”

“WHY NOT??”

“We went over this! It’s embarrassing!”

Mutters. “But they’re so cute...”

“Oh come on, they’re not so bad!”

“You only say that ‘cause she’s not tellin’ you to wear them.”

Just watches as he’s eating.

“Hey, make him wear the antlers!”

“I didn’t even say anything!”

“SPIIIIKE~!” Ed, look what you’ve done.

“NO.”

“They’re just a nose and antlers, what’s the big deal?”

“Thank you!”

Somehow still sleeping in the midst of the discussion.

Just backs up with his Santa hat.

“I’ll put them on then, sheesh!” Goku chuckled as he put the nose and antlers on.

“Tada!”

[indigosabyss]

Writeathon Roundup Week 4

The second-last week! I was planning on working through my backlog of personal projects from here, but I recently got contacted by a bunch of different people asking for comms <33333 so I changed tracks to focus on those instead.

Luckily, I finished up Being Polite Is A Crime Now? and The 37 Century Conspiracy before the rush of orders, so they're complete.

Here's the overall summary:

Words Written: 19,614 Total Words of Fanfic: 930,209

Next week will be the last week of daily streams, after which I will do a biweekly schedule (with one day committed to crossovers and the other to standalones) so come by on Twitch if you want!

Start Time for 8 to 14 July: 12 PM GMT+5 (2 AM EST or 12 AM PST)

as always, under the cut are the fics I worked on this week.

Commissions | Patreon | Ko-fi

Commissions:

Playing A Mean Game [T, 18k+]

Three months ago, Monica Rambeau sealed up the Incursion, with her on the other side. Tired of waiting, Kamala gathered up the Quantum Bands and brute forced her way through the Noor to get to her side. Except she gets deposited in a world that's almost exactly like the sixties of her own world. With the addition of a group of people she definitely would have remembered. Erik was just trying to stop Schmidt from getting his hands on another kid like him. He didn't take into account that he would have to keep an eye on her after that.

It's Not An Odyssey If You Don't Know Where You're Going [T, 5k+]

From a very young age, Stede Bonnet had displayed rather uncanny abilities. It started with the relentless harassment he had faced from his peers, whose rough shoves resulted in many skinned knees and purpling bruises. All of which disappeared in less than minutes. Of course, as a child, it never occurred to him that this was unusual. The glowing was more of a concern. On the oceans, he was free of judgement for his proclivities. But there was still plenty to be feared about the ichor that ran through his veins. So he kept quiet. Until he met another like him. Blackbeard, Edward Teach, and - few people knew this - son of Charybdis. Yes, like the sea monster.

Untitled Marvel Comm

not giving much details about this project. just know i've written 3k for it at this point.

Untitled Percy Jackson v Triton Comm

more info will be given upon its release, like the one above.

Funny I Should Meet You Here [N/A, 5k+]

Ryuusui met Senku when they were kids in elementary school. But after Ryuusui changed schools, they grew apart, their paths never to cross again. Until the Petrification Wave came, and thirty seven hundred years passed. Leading to Senku arriving at the land where the Nanami Academy used to stand. Two friends reunite. And buried feelings bloom into something new.

Personal Projects:

Being Polite Is A Crime Now? [T, 8k+]

There were plenty of peculiar children who passed through the halls of the Konohan Orphanage. Minato had often been told that he was one such peculiar child, with his prodigious talent and excessive shyness. Even if he was, Minato was certain there was no one stranger than the kid a few years younger than him. Incredibly adept at melting into the background, good with knives in every way that didn't involve killing, and stubbornly set on manners and propriety that could not have been taught to them, Suz- Francois was always different. No one could have predicted how different, until they deserted. And left havoc in their wake, just for doing that job.

"I Will Always..." [G, 8.5k]

Byakuya hadn't exactly planned on becoming a father. He felt more like he owed it to the memory of his friend to take Senku in. But Senku was an incredible kid. Clever and enthusiastic and resourceful and yet still needing a guiding hand to stop him from doing things that would probably end with him getting killed. And between stargazing and bleach, microscopes and marker ink, model rocket launches and actual astronaut training, Byakuya really started to believe that he could do this. Then the green light. Of course he was out of harm's way, safe in the ISS. But Senku- Well, there was always hope. He would always hope.

[rae-raewrites]

Hi! First off I love you're writing your very talented! And second how do you think the riddlers would react to finding out they have a teenage daughter they never knew about (how inherited there smarts and sass)and something happened to the mom so they have nowhere to go so they track him down.

Oh geez it’s dad angst time😂 this is just a bunch of boys dealing with the younger versions of themselves. Also sorry this took so long anon!

The riddlers finding out they have a teenage daughter

Warning:mentions of death

Arkham

It was out of pure annoyance when he actually answers the phone after 13 missed calls from Jonathan crane.

So when Jon casually invites him over saying he needs talk to him he’s even more miffed. And then he finds this kid having tea with the dr, who the hell was she-?

“Ah Edward so nice of you to join us,this wonderful young lady has been trying to find some way to reach you.”

The her in question was a rather well put together 16 year old girl who was like a mirror of his younger years. She certainly had his eyes. Eleanor,her name was Eleanor

He’s not stupid and he puts two together quite easily.

Mom gone to cancer,the youngster was left in Gotham to survive on her own with only the understanding that he was her father. Her mother had apparently kept his tie from the fateful evening.

Apart of him him tells himself to just not bother with her,the other stronger side tells him not to be his father

Things are tense at first with moving in. He’s never really shared a space before with anyone so he’s avoidant at first. Not thinking she’s going to be much help with his projects

He is completely surprised when he finds out she knows her way around electronics

But then he realizes the kid has his photographic memory. And his sass……

“When was the last time you took a shower?” “Please explain to me a how a shower will improve any of my plans.” “Simple: you’ll stop me from dying from gross sewer dad smell.”

It irritates the hell out of him but when she start’s jabbing at the other rouges he’s a proud man.

They bond over getting work done,so much time lost yet there making up for it real quick

She created a rather wacky Rubik’s cube that left Batman puzzled for at least two days

Of course he got a kick out of taunting the dork knight while also genuinely being proud of his daughter

It’s hard to get used to hearing the word “dad” in relation to him but it’s a title he “humbly” accepts in the end

BTAS

He received a knock on his door one extremely sunny morning

Gina found him after his “reformation” and partnership with wacko toys was announced to the public. It wasn’t hard tracking down a man in the spotlight

Edward is of course absolutely stunned by the realization.

To his understanding the girl from metropolis knew the basics of his criminal career. The off traps and puzzles were something well known outside of the city.

He feels out of obligation to take her in,I mean he’s a villain but not a monster. Kid gets say down with some hot coco

Of course when he is brought back to Arkham the poor kid is quick to go and visit him and calm him down as well as work on a way to get him out

He’s rather surprised when he get broken out by jervis and Jonathan and they have him a letter from his prodigy with little xoxo’s and detailed escape plans

When he does get home he pretty much is dead set on teaching her everything he possibly can,how he got the virtual reality set up to work,his more simple traps

Of course just like her dear old dad she’s quick to design some of her own.

“A nothing machine that actually does something……. Out of the box but I adore the ingenuity.” “At least it’s more safe than the vr incident”

BTAA

It was another day of Eddie not being able to figure something out using the box method,unfortunately sticking two nuclear bombs and a tricycle and an old Macintosh in the box just wasn’t cutting it that day.

Cue Tuesday getting a phone call from Miss autumn at the behest of scarecrow

“Hey Eddie do you have any kids you forgot to tell me about?? “No….why?” “Oh geez”

He’s basically the surprised pikachu face meme when he meets Tina,kid was smart enough to get the drug king pin of Gotham to listen to her.

She looks so much like him!!

Of course he’s still skeptical! I mean any kid can just say there his! (But still!)

That completely disappears when the kid creates her own gizmos that rival her fathers

Of course rivaling his intellect means also rivaling his ability sass and make fun of everyone else

“A toaster with a tv screen?” “I know,I know not my best work.” “Well duh coulda thrown it in Gotham harbor and it would be more useful.”

Of course him and her quickly put their collective mind brains together and craft some rather complex new plans

Tuesday is totally chill with her around especially considering she’s able to chill him out when he’s suffering from writers block

Really Edward just got another child on top of already having miss Tuesday. He loves his two daughters from their two different origins

Zero year

Moira visited his cell at Arkham shortly after his defeat at zero year

He was already not in the mood for visitors until the determined teen calls him an idiot in a lime colored pimp suit

Hey! He doesn’t need some red headed brat coming in to his cell like she owns the place!

Oh wait…….

Let’s just say that he smartens up real quick to what’s going on.

Initially wants to tell the kid to bug off,he’s got a criminal career to succeed in but she’s quick to point out he doesn’t have anything right now

So they come to an agreement: get him outta there and he’ll maybe let her crash with him for awhile

So color him surprised when she gets him out safe with minimal bruising

Hell she’s pretty damm smart he has to admit,she certainly didn’t get it from her mother

He does ask eventually what became of his ex,a car crash left the poor kid with barely much. He was kinda her best and only option go figure

He’s snarky with the kid for awhile,of course she’s very quick to throw it right back at him

But they quickly start to getting together quite well especially when they DO get into a fight and quickly realize how stupid it was to begin with

I mean c’mon,kid could probably rule Gotham in less than a week. She’s not someone he wants to scorn

She’s a pretty smart kid he guesses (he totally loves her he’s just got an ego)

[richincolor]

New Releases for the Week of August 14, 2023

As summer winds down, we hope you are finding a lot of great books to read. We found two more to watch for this week. 

Forgive Me Not by Jenn Baker Nancy Paulsen Books

All it took was one night and one bad decision for fifteen-year-old Violetta Chen-Samuels’ life to go off the rails. After driving drunk and causing the accident that kills her little sister, Violetta is incarcerated. As a juvenile offender, her fate is in the hands of those she’s wronged—her family. With their forgiveness, she could go home. But without it? Well…

Denied their forgiveness, Violetta is now left with two options, neither good—remain in juvenile detention for an uncertain sentence or participate in the Trials, potentially regaining her freedom and what she wants most of all, her family’s love. But the Trials are no easy feat and in the quest to prove her remorse, Violetta is forced to confront not only her family’s pain, but her own—and the question of whether their forgiveness is more important than forgiving herself. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

A Quantum Life (Adapted for Young Adults): My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars by Hakeem Oluseyi and Joshua Horwitz Delacorte Press

A NASA astrophysicist narrates his improbable journey from an impoverished childhood and an adolescence mired in drugs and crime to the nation’s top physics PhD program at Stanford in this inspiring coming-of-age memoir.

Born into extreme poverty and emotional deprivation, James Edward Plummer was blessed with a genius I.Q. and a love of science. But in his community, a young bookworm quickly becomes a target for violence and abuse. As he struggles to survive his childhood in some of the toughest cities in the country, and his teenage years in the equally poor backwoods of Mississippi, James adopts the hybrid persona of a “gangsta nerd”–dealing weed in juke joints while winning state science fairs with computer programs that untangle the mysteries of Einstein’s relativity theory.

When his prodigious intellect gains him admission to the elite Physics PhD program at Stanford University, James finds himself torn between his love of science and a dangerous crack cocaine habit he developed in college. With the encouragement of his mentor Art Walker, the lone Black faculty member in the physics department, James finally seizes his dream of a life in science and becomes his true adult self, changing his name to Hakeem Muata Oluseyi in honor–and celebration–of his African heritage.

In the tradition of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and The Other Wes Moore, A Quantum Life is an uplifting journey to the stars fueled by hope, hustle, and a hungry mind. As he charts his development as a young scientist, Oluseyi also plumbs the mysteries of the universe where potential personal outcomes are as infinite as the stars in the sky. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads