#c: mistress charlotte | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

evereinefaust · 1 year

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. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 ࿐ྂ

Pairing: Mikhail Blake X afab!Reader

Sypnosis: The five-year-old princess of Avillon is a cute and lovable child. However, she is a menace to her older brother. After being rescued from a prank gone wrong, Mikhail was then appointed to become her guardian and playmate.

Word Count: 4,168

Avillon, a small nation on the west continent, is a country full of knights and dedicated to upbringing justice and equality in its people. And the one who reigns over it was an impartial monarch who was barely an adult. The fallen country is a peaceful nation, yet there's never a day when the citadel was lacking its occasional chaos. The black-haired monarch—who is of 20 years of age—has a cute yet naughty little sister who never fails to bring life to the stagnant activity inside the citadel.

The young princess is of five years of age with soft (h/l) (h/c) hair, smooth (s/c) skin, and beautiful (e/c) eyes. She was considered the precious jewel of Avillon, yet, despite her cute appearance, her troublemaking personality was something of a headache to every person in the citadel. And just like many days before, the young princess (Y/n) is actively causing trouble to her older brother and his knights...

"P-princess! Please get down from there, princess! You'll hurt yourself if you continue climbing up the throne!" A young maid panicked, worry etched on her face as she tried to persuade the girl to get down. Yet, despite her cries, the (h/c)ette ignored her words and grabbed the spiky scale of the dragon to climb up further. "P-princess, please! Your older brother, His Highness, will be worried if something bad happened to you! What if you accidentally hurt yourself?"

"No! Big Brother doesn't play with me anymore! I'm angry at him! I'm gonna play a prank on him so that he'll finally notice me!" The girl huffed, an angry pout present as she reached for the next scale.

"P-princess!"

"Eh?"

The maid's face paled, a hand over her parted mouth as she watched the young girl's footing slipped and she failed to grab the next wings on time. (E/c) eyes were wide in shock, tears starting to emerge as she waited for her inevitable fall. The maid pushed forward as she tried to catch the girl to save her from injury, however, she was too far away to get her. Fortunately, even if the maid failed to save her mistress, someone else was able to safely catch the princess.

"Phew... That was close," Fram sighed in relief.

"She doesn't have any injury, right? If she does, just leave her to me!" Charlotte said.

"Geez... And here I was wondering what was the commotion about," the young lord face-palmed, walking over to the trio by the throne, Fram and Charlotte trailing behind him. "Thank you for saving my sister, Mikhail."

"It's no problem, Your Highness," the silver-haired elf nodded. He then glanced down at the trembling figure of the girl in his arms, her small arms clutching tightly to his shirt. "Are you alright, princess?"

(Y/n) glanced up, meeting the blue eyes of Mikhail with her teary eyes. She hiccupped, burying her face in his chest. "Big brother... Hnng..."

The Lord sighed in exasperation, yet he still held a gentle smile on his face. He sauntered over them and took the girl from his knight's grasp. The young girl began to sob in her brother's arms, hugging him tightly while he soothes her back, whispering reassurance to her. The three knights and the maid watched as the ravenette successfully calmed the princess down, eventually sleeping in his hold.

He dismissed the maid, thanking her for watching over the princess. Then, he gestured for Charlotte to come closer to inspect his little sister. She abode by his orders and checked the (h/c)-haired girl for any injuries, which thankfully she had none. He then sighed in relief, facing his knights.

"The princess sure is getting troublesome, huh?" The black-haired knight commented, rubbing her head as she glanced at the sleeping girl. "I didn't expect that she would climb that dragon throne."

"Thankfully she wasn't injured at all. It's all thanks to Mikhail!" Charlotte added, smiling brightly.

"It's nothing. I just did what is right," he replied, bashfully turning away to hide his blush.

"Though I wonder why the lil' princess decided to climb the throne," Fram wondered, placing a thumb under her chin.

"Maybe she was curious about the design?" The blonde half-elf suggested.

The monarch of Avillon shook his head, sighing once again. "I heard that she's been like this for the past week. She is mad that I kept ignoring her and refused to play with her."

"Oh, so it's Your Highness's fault," Fram blurted out. The ravenette sweat-dropped at the girl's bluntness. Nevertheless, he didn't hold it against her.

"Anyway, since Princess (Y/n) is likely to continue doing dangerous things like this, having a maid to watch over her won't do," he faced his ranger, eyes gleaming with resolve. "Mikhail, as of now onwards, I will appoint you as my little sister's bodyguard. I want you to watch over her wherever she goes and report to me her activities at the end of the day."

"Yes, Your Highness," Mikhail saluted.

"That's all. Everyone is dismissed. I will be returning my little sister to her room."

Even after a week has passed since the incident, the young princess continued making trouble for everyone inside the citadel. Even if the scale of her chaotic behavior isn't that grave unlike last time, she is still considered a pain to deal with. And according to the monarch's request, Mikhail did his guarding duty flawlessly. From the time Princess (Y/n) would wake up to the time she would put to sleep, the silver-haired ranger would keep a close watch on her from the shadows. And per usual, he reports his findings to his superior.

"I see. So she's still causing trouble despite that," the raven-tressed monarch sighed, rubbing his temple to ease his incoming headache. "Thank you for keeping watch on my sister, Mikhail."

"No — it is Your Highness' order so I must fulfill it," the mentioned male refuted, bowing at his lord.

"Does she often sees you?"

"Pardon? What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

"I know that you were guarding her in the shadows, though is there a time when she would notice you?"

Mikhail placed his fingers under his chin, thinking about his lord's words. "I don't vividly recall... But I believe that are times that she would, especially when meeting Fram and the others."

"I see," the monarch nodded. A smile crept upon his face as he regarded Mikhail. "Are you okay with the idea of spending time with my little sister?"

"With Her Highness?"

The ravenette nodded. "Because of circumstances, I became busy recently and cannot play with her. And since you're already keeping watch of the princess, I was wondering if you would like to play with her. In this way, she would cause less trouble for you and the others."

"If it's an order then I would be willing to carry out your wishes, Your Highness," Mikhail expressed.

"I was just asking; if you're uncomfortable with this task then I wouldn't force you to do it."

"I guess I can handle Princess (Y/n)... Although I'm not sure how to act around her," the silverette frowned, a conflicted expression present on his face.

The Lord smiled. "It's fine. Despite how she is, that girl is very welcoming of others, especially someone like you. Don't worry, you'll get used to my little sister after some time."

"Big sis Fram, will you come and visit me again?" The high-pitched voice of a young girl asked, her (e/c) eyes gleaming with hopeful expectancy.

"Yup! And we'll be playing lots with you, Lil' Highness!" The female knight grinned, ruffling the princess's (h/c) hair.

"A-ah! You shouldn't ruin Princess (Y/n)'s intricate hairstyle like that!" Johan fussed, sweat-dropping at his colleague's raucous attitude towards the youngest royalty.

"It's fine~ Lil' Highness doesn't seem to mind it at all."

"But that's just you!"

"Don't fight, big bro Yoyo, big sis Fram. I'm fine, see?" At that, the girl outstretched her hands, showing the blonde that she is okay with whatever the ravenette does to her.

Just seeing how adamant the girl is, Johan gave in and sighed. "If that's what Your Highness wants."

"Hehe~ Maybe you're just jealous that Fram gets to touch Princess (Y/n) like that~" Charlotte teased, giggling when Johan immediately refuted her words with a slight blush.

"Don't worry! I'll allow big sis Fram, big sis Lottie, and big bro Yoyo to pat my head whenever you want!" (Y/n) declared proudly, a spark of the energetic aura surrounding her.

Inevitably so, the three knights were captivated by her cuteness and gushed over the five-year-old child. It's one of those days when the knights would encounter the young princess on one of her walks around the citadel. Whenever they have free time, they would accompany the princess and often engage in conversations. They would play together as a way to entertain the child and even take a break from their knightly duties. It wasn't like before when they would only see a glimpse of the girl roaming around while trying to find ways to cause trouble; this time, they were fortunate enough to spend time with the infamous troublemaker.

However, for a certain silver-haired elf, he wasn't given the luxury to even spend time with the said child. It wasn't that he wasn't allowed to, it's more like he was hesitating whether or not approaching the girl out of nowhere would be a good first meeting between them. Furthermore, Mikhail isn't a sociable type of person, so he doesn't even know how to handle a child. That's why despite his role as her guard, he could only watch her from afar without her knowing.

After bidding goodbye to the knights, little Princess (Y/n) decided to roam the garden once more. Mikhail followed after her at a safe distance. The weather today was wonderful for a stroll outside the citadel grounds, after all. The afternoon breeze was chilly yet the warm sun brought balance to it; flower petals and leaves float around the heavenly place, bringing life to the vacant garden. Despite being outside for long as part of his task as a ranger, the male elf never once thought of how beautiful a place could be, especially one of where he currently resides. A small smile emerged on his lips, closing his eyes as he inhaled the sweet crisp scent of nature.

"Uwah~ I had tons of fun today!" The small girl chirped as she plopped on the edge of the water fountain. She leaned over a bit, admiring her reflection in the water. "I hope big sisters and big brother would come and play with me again."

Mikhail leaned against a tree, arms crossed as he carefully observed his mistress. Princess (Y/n) continued to talk to herself and watch the water of the fountain for a while before she hopped off it to run around the nearby bushes and flower patches. His blue orbs softened, watching as the girl collected flowers to make a flower crown with. Under the shade of the tree, Mikhail decided to take a short rest. He sat down on the ground, fixing his position so he is comfortable by the trunk before closing his eye to nap.

"Mhm~"

Underneath the shade of a tree were two people — a young girl of five years and an adult elf. The silverette was peacefully slumbering, leaning against the sturdy trunk. He's currently unaware of the actions made by the princess next to him. Meanwhile, (Y/n) had a smile on her face, humming a gentle tune as she continued making her flower crown. Her doe eyes kept glancing at the male, admiring his handsome features up close.

"Uwah! I'm finally done~" the girl cheered, raising the delicately made flower crown. After a while, she immediately covered her mouth in realization. "Oops! I shouldn't be noisy. Mister Fairy is sleeping."

Just like she had mumbled, Mikhail is still in deep sleep. Due to his role as a ranger, he had to stay alert at all times. Keeping track of people and staying hidden is one of his responsibilities, and he is often sent by the Lord to scout unknown territories. As such, there aren't times that he had his guard down, even inside the citadel. Though, ironically, when he was tasked with overseeing the princess, he would be struck by a sense of relaxation and often drowsiness — it's like she's bringing peace to him. Maybe that's one of the unknown abilities the royal princess of Avillon has...

"Whoah... Mister Fairy is really pretty," (Y/n) stood up from her seat next to him and made a closer inspection of the sleeping male. She observed him with wonder and a slight blush on her face, entranced by his features. "Maybe he will look prettier if I put the flower crown on him!"

The (h/c)ette girl giggled to herself, tiptoeing closer to Mikhail to put the accessory on his head. She made sure to be as quiet as a mouse and not make any mistakes to wake him up. With shaking hands, she successfully planted the flower crown on his head. The girl relieved a sigh after, stepping back to admire her work. Truly, Mikhail looked mesmerizing in it. And the sun rays seeping through the crevices of the leaves made his image even more majestic — like a surreal painting.

"Mhm... Prin...cess?" Mikhail's lids slowly fluttered open, revealing oceanic hues that stared at (e/c) orbs. In a minute, the male fully wakes up, rubbing the sleep away.

(Y/n) gasped lightly, her round eyes widening further. "Ah! Sorry! Did I wake you up, Mister Fairy? Was I too noisy?"

"No, you didn't, princess," he responded which made the girl sigh in relief. As he readjusted his position though he felt something on top of his head. He curiously took it off, examining the accessory. "Is this...?"

"That's a flower crown! I made it for you! Did you like it?"

Mikhail stared at the colorful bouquet in his hold, inspecting the design and selection of flora. The young girl eagerly awaited his answer, her lips pursed in a thin line as well as her eyebrows. The male's sapphire orbs wordlessly shifted from the flower crown to the princess. Her expectant expression was too cute for him to handle that a blush bloomed on his face. Though, he quickly averted his attention away, hiding his flustered face.

"I...liked it, Your Highness."

"Really?!" at that, the young child's face lit up like stars on a cloudless night. She inched closer to Mikhail, took the flower crown from him, and placed it on top of his silver hair once again. "Yay! Mister Fairy finally accepts me!"

"Mister...Fairy?" the silverette repeated, confused by her words.

"Yep!" she bobbed her (h/c) locks, eyes narrowed with determination. "Mister Fairy saved me before! And (Y/n) noticed that Mister Fairy is guarding me every day! That means that Mister Fairy is my guardian fairy! Big sis Fram and the others told me so!"

"But Cannae's the only fairy here..." he muttered to himself, confused by her words and conflicted about whether or not to correct the young girl.

"Mister Fairy?" (Y/n) called out.

"Yes?" Mikhail responded, giving the (h/c)ette his full attention.

At that, the girl grinned. "Please play with (Y/n), Mister Fairy~"

Mikhail watched as the girl bloomed with a jovial aura. Her big, round, doe (e/c) eyes sparkled like jewels underneath the sunlight, her soft (h/l) (h/c) tresses defining her chubby and small frame, and those plump and pink lips pursed into a thin line. Surely, nothing else can compare to this lovely child in front of him. Once again, he can't help but felt at peace when he's with her. Maybe, this was the chance he was hoping for — the chance to finally bond with the youngest royalty. The male slowly stood up, gently dusting his clothes as he simpered down at the girl.

"I shall fulfill your wishes then, Your Highness."

Two weeks have passed since Mikhail officially met the young princess and became her playmate. The two would take everyday walks around the citadel, the girl narrating everything they chance upon while the silver-haired elf listened to her story attentively. Often, they would bump into the other knights, and (Y/n) would invite them as well to play. Fram, Charlotte, and Johan instantly noticed how open and clingy the young princess was with Mikhail. It caught their attention, as for as long as they know, Mikhail shows hesitation in personally interacting with the girl. They were glad that the two have gotten close and that Princess (Y/n) seemed to be quite fond of the silverette as well. And of course, there will never be a time when Mikhail wouldn't be flustered by his colleagues' comments about this.

The monarch of Avillon sees the positive effect of their meeting and was grateful for this outcome. During this time period, the chaos around the citadel lessened and it became peacefully quiet. Not only does he ease his ranger's workload but he also provided his little sister a guardian/playmate. Moreover, the bond between the princess and her guardian knight slowly deepened. Unbeknown to him, Mikhail became fond of the little princess. She was like a miniature sun—her bright and cheery attitude was contagious to all and the warmth she brought to everyone was one of a kind. Yet, despite how close they have gotten over the course of two weeks, the elven ranger never once found the courage to correct the young royalty of one thing, especially with a personality like hers.

"Ah! I found the blue flower!" (Y/n) cheered, plucking the stem from the ground and getting dirt all over her face. The young girl smiled brightly, jogging over to her companion, and eagerly showed him the flora. "Mister Fairy! Mister Fairy! I found a blue flower! See?"

The silverette was kneeling nearby a flowerbed, seemingly focused on his current task. At her call, Mikhail paused what he was doing and face the child. He sees her bright smile amidst her dirty face. He then simpered at her and glanced at the forget-me-nots in the girl's hand. (Y/n) noticed the bundle of flowers in her knight's hold, and she gently pinned the flower unto a side of Mikhail's pearlescent locks. This gesture, however, surprises him and makes him blush.

"I picked this flower because it reminds me of your eyes," (Y/n) confessed. "I love your eyes, Mister Fairy. They're beautiful."

"I... I see..." Mikhail bashfully muttered, avoiding eye contact with his mistress. "Thank you for saying that, Princess."

"Hehe~"

Princess (Y/n) giggled and then jogged to the other side of the garden. Mikhail's gaze followed her for a short while, before grasping the fragile flower from his head. He examined the forget-me-nots with a soft expression on his face. Setting the flower along with the bunch, the silver-haired elf stood up and trailed after the small princess. As per usual, (Y/n) shared stories with her guardian knight while collecting more flora for making her flower crowns. Mikhail, on the other hand, set the bundle he collected by the fountain before he assisted the young (h/c)ette. After a few minutes of them collecting enough flowers, they began to weave flower crowns for at least five people.

Princess (Y/n) and her guardian knight spent the whole morning gathering flowers and weaving them into several flower crowns. Serene silence would envelop them whenever they paused their light chatter. Mikhail would often reply to the youngster's queries ever so often, but this time, it seemed that his head was up in the clouds. His hand would monotonously weave the stem around each other, forming a ring. The silverette would rarely receive compliments from others, and he would become flustered because of it. However, when the young royalty complimented him, he felt different. Sure, he would be taken aback at first, but instead of shying away, he felt compelled to her.

"I hope big sisters and big brothers would love this," (Y/n) mumbled, her nimble fingers weaving the stems whilst her legs swayed back and forth. Noticing how quiet and still her companion was, the young princess inched closer to Mikhail. "Mister Fairy?"

"Please don't call me 'fairy', princess," he said, glancing down at the girl. "I'm not one."

"You're not?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Mikhail nodded at her question. "Yes. I'm an elf."

This made the girl think for a while. The adult had hoped that this is enough to convince and correct the girl of addressing him as such. He knew that from the very start when he had rescued her, (Y/n) already imprinted him as a fairy. And seeing how jovial she is when with him, he had feared that it will make their interaction awkward if he were to correct her. After all, she seemed to be a girl with unyielding resolve. So when she puts her mind on things, nothing else could sway her.

After a minute, (Y/n) faced him innocently. "Then, can I call you Elfie?"

Her words baffled him. The male sweat-dropped, repeating her words like they didn't register yet in his brain. "El...fie?"

"Yup!" She bobbed her head. Though, shortly after, she tilted her head in confusion. "Should I not also call you that?"

"I... I don't think that I'm comfortable with that nickname, Princess," Mikhail admitted, blushing slightly after seeing her puzzled look.

"Then, what should I call you?"

"Mikhail. That's my name."

"Can I call you Mikey?" she innocently asked. Though, when she was met with Mikhail's silence, her cheerfulness dropped. "Do you...also not like that...?"

Mikhail regarded her with a conflicted look on his face. "Do you prefer calling people nicknames, princess?"

She glanced sideways, humming. "Hm... Yes?"

"I see. Well, how about thinking of another nickname for me?" he told her.

"Another? Hm..." the (h/c)ette was deep in thought. In a while, she perked up. "Ah! How about Mimi?"

"Hm. I guess I can work with that," Mikhail nodded in approval.

The princess's face lit up in joy, face gleaming. "Yay~! I'll call you Big Bro Mimi from now~"

"Big brother...?" once more, Mikhail found himself baffled by the girl's eccentricity.

"Uh-huh! You're just like my big brother," Princess (Y/n) said solemnly. She hopped down the fountain and grasped his hand, her (e/c) hues trailing from the tips of his fingers to his face. She smiled softly. "Please take care of me, big bro Mimi."

Seeing how sincere her words were, Mikhail can't help but want to follow her will. His heart sped up and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. As if contagious, a smile was also decorated on his lips. He took the finished wreath by his side and gently planted it on top of the girl's soft tresses. The silverette briefly stood up before kneeling in front of her, taking her small hand and kissing the tips of her fingers.

"I see. Then, I'll fulfill your wish, princess."

"It seemed that Princess (Y/n) is quite fond of Sir Mikhail," Rouin commented, glancing down from the citadel's windows. "They never failed to have their daily walk around the citadel, hand in hand. If this continues, he might even replace you as her brother."

"Such cruel words, Rouin," the young lord sweat-dropped. Nevertheless, he too, can't stop observing the said duo from his office. A small smile etched on his face, in contentment about this outcome. "It might be not bad to officially make Mikhail (Y/n)'s guardian knight."

"I agree, Milord."

Onyx orbs trailed after the distant figure of the two. They took a break from their walk in the garden, resting underneath a shade. Mikhail leaned against a sturdy tree while his mistress collected some flower branches nearby before shuffling back to the silver-haired elf. The young royalty showed the bundle in her arms before she was settled on her guardian's lap. Then, the two proceeded on making flower crowns for each other, chatting and laughing along the way.

#lord of heroes #mikhail blake #fanfic #fanfiction #alternate universe #oneshot #fluff #one shot #female reader #child reader #x reader #reader insert

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love-for-carnation · 2 months

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Princess Rákóczi, 1720 Nicolas de Largillierre (1656-1746, French)

Princess Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Wanfried (1679-1722) was a Princess consort of Transylvania as the wife of Francis II Rákóczi, she had 4 children. Largillière painted an intriguing portrait of Princess Rákóczi (c. 1720) , the once 15-year old child bride of Rákóczi Ferenc II, the Hungarian leader of the uprising against the Habsburgs, Prince of Transylvania, and great national hero of Hungary. From celebrated and loved young princess, Charlotte Amalie’s life took an unfortunate turn caused by the political activism of her husband. She had a fraught life in exile, fleeing alongside her husband, taking refuge in Poland, then Russia and France. This new life was humiliating and far removed from her lavish beginnings – taking refuge in remote hideouts on farms, in mountain villages, caring for the wounded. Legend says that when her husband was imprisoned in the fortress of Wiener Neustadt (south of Vienna) after being caught by an Austrian spy, Princess Rákóczi helped him escape with the aid of the prison commander. At the age of 43, Charlotte Amelia died from a tooth abscess as she bled to death from its extraction in a Parisian convent. In Largillière’s painting, Princess Rákóczi is pictured with an unknown black child servant, quite a common addition to Rococo portrayals of the aristocracy. Disturbingly, slave children were used as a social display of wealth and opulence of their white masters or mistresses. The power relationship between the two clearly reflected the centuries of political and economic relations between Africa and Europe. The two characters in the painting both appear to be putting on a mask. Knowing the background of Charlotte Amelie, this distant façade could be hiding several aspects of her life that needed to be left untold. Meanwhile, the melancholy eyes and half-smile of the obedient slave girl looking up at her mistress could hide fear of her unknown future. On close inspection, there is a definite outline of a neck brace on the slave girl, linked by a chain to the top of the Princess’s peacock feather fan, possibly at the back of the child’s neck, hidden from view. There is an irony in the parallel between the once child bride given away to a strange foreign husband and a slave girl possibly stolen from her family and country and sold into slavery. However, the Rococo artist’s role is to polish the façade and put them shimmer into the fabrics and the gold in the stitches and paint those smiles on, like a hired studio photographer who captures a strained, staged moment for eternity.

#dianthus #carnation #painting #portrait #woman portrait #18th century costume #18th century fashion #18th century painting #18th century art #french art #Princess Rákóczi #Nicolas de Largillierre #Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Wanfried #rococo

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waterlilyunit6 · 4 months

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The Duchess of Devonshire - Georgiana Spencer

Georgiana Spencer, also known as Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire was a socialite born in 1757, and was know as 'Gee' by many. At 17, she was married to the 5th Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish, making Georgiana mistress of Chatsworth, Chiswick House, Hardwick Hall, estates at Bolton Abbey, and Lismore Castle. Since William Cavendish's Mother had died 20 years earlier, Georgiana was left with the responsibility of overlooking all houses, servants and residents living in the estate alone.

However, Georgiana became a big part of Society. She took part in many political gatherings, was an uncontrollable gambler, and invited many into her home, including royalty, actors, musicians, and other aristocrats. She was a big fashion icon of her time, setting trends and wearing extravagant clothing that everyone loved and talked about.

Georgiana was also a writer and poet, and when she was 19, she wrote a poem about the public's view on her and called it "to myself". The Duchess then became a mother, but her daughter was not her own, as the Duke (William Cavendish) had had a relationship before marrying Georgiana, which had led to Charlotte being born. Georgiana suddenly became a mother to Charlotte but loved her as her own.

The Duke's arrangement of Georgiana needed to provide a son was still not met after Georgiana gave birth to Georgiana in 1783, and Harriet in 1785. This added to the already rocky marriage between the Duke and Duchess. Although loved by society, Georgiana found herself to be alone, till she found Lady Elizabeth Foster who she became great friends with. Elizabeth, also known as Bess, was their for Georgiana however, she then became the Duke's mistress. Although Georgiana knew William didn't love her, she was still frustrated and saddened by William taking away Bess from her, and also felt betrayed by Bess herself. Not long afterwards, Georgiana gave birth to her first son, William Cavendish, who would became the 6th Duke of Devonshire.

The Duchess then had an affair with Charles Grey, a politician who she had admired for years, even before her marriage to the Duke. This had then lead to her becoming pregnant with Charles Grey's child. William Cavendish sent Georgiana away to the country, and Bess requested to join her, hopping to rebuild their friendship, which they did. When Eliza, Georgiana and Charles' daughter was born, William said that if Georgiana wanted to keep Eliza, she wouldn't be able to see her other children ever again. This lead Georgiana to give up Eliza to Charles Grey's parents and became Charles' "niece". However, Georgiana visited Eliza in secret as she grew up, and acted as her unofficial god-parent.

Georgiana, Elizabeth, and William lived together till Georgiana's death in 1806. Before her death, she traveled to many places including France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland, and gave her blessing for William and Bess to marry, which they went on to do three years after Georgiana's death.

^ Thomas Gainsborough (1787) Portrait of Georgiana Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire

^ Maria Hadfield Cosway. (1781-1782) Georgiana as Cynthia from Spencer's 'Faerie Queene'

^ A gaming table at Devonshire House. 1791. Thomas Rowlandson.

^ Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and Lady Elizabeth Foster. C. 1785. John Downman. Chatswoth. Available at: https://www.chatsworth.org/visit-chatsworth/chatsworth-estate/history-of-chatsworth/georgiana-cavendish-duchess-of-devonshire/ (website) (Accessed: February 2024).

^ Chatsworth. (no date) Georgiana Cavendish, duchess of devonshire (1757-1806). Available at: https://www.chatsworth.org/visit-chatsworth/chatsworth-estate/history-of-chatsworth/georgiana-cavendish-duchess-of-devonshire/ (website) (Accessed: February 2024).

^ Sarahmurden (2023) What became of Charlotte Williams, the illegitimate daughter of the 5th duke of devonshire?, All Things Georgian. Available at: https://georgianera.wordpress.com/2015/02/15/what-became-of-charlotte-williams-the-illegitimate-daughter-of-the-5th-duke-of-devonshire/ (Accessed: February 2024).

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mikos-ears · 1 year

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This short excerpt ive been writing over a period of time. is about Ciel and my OC, Janaki’s two sons, Edward and Phillip. Their birth names are Ramayana and Muruga, both derived from Hindu gods that reflect their personalities.

I’m sorry there’s so many immense spaces between paragraphs I copied and pasted this from the notes app 😭😭😭.

Ramayana and Muruga:

Pale fists flew in every direction, tackling a darker figure who stood alone. The second son of the Earl Phantomhive had been smothered in grime, scars, and numerous bruises. For his misguiding, rebellious nature led him to a group of English boys bullying a much younger girl. With his rebellion, existed his short temper. His punch was the first to be thrown. It had been upon the ringleader of the boys, who took an immense blow from the second son’s beastly strength.

A carriage of the fanciest splendor crashed into a pit-stop before the stack of several bodies. Out of the carriage emerged an older beast, wearing the clothes of an English Lord: a satin cloak, a tall hat, a brooch, and a fancy pair of leather shoes. The other boys were close to fulfilling their intrusive thoughts of parading the fancy beast with the most horrid abuses known to both English and Indian men alike, before taking notice of the Phantomhive crest that had been the brooch.

They hurriedly knelt before the beast in a single line as it made its way to its kin. “You idiot. I have been looking for you for hours. Amma is worried sick. I’ll have your head for this when we return——“ “SHUT IT, BROTHER! YOURE EMBARRASSING ME!” The younger beast replied.

Edward Phantomhive, known by his family by the name of Ramayana (Rama for short) was the eldest of the Phantomhive children. The firstborn before his younger siblings Phillip (Muruga) and Charlotte (Savitri). As the heir to the Phantomhive fortune and title of Earl, Lord Edward, from a young age, had taken on the responsibilities of committing to his education and study of combat and law. He had seen for himself how the world has treated people who different from the society of the queen’s kingdom. For he and his siblings were the children of the Mistress of the Phantomhive Estate, an Indian woman of royal lineage herself. The daughter of the zamindar of Madurai and granddaughter to the queen of the Ramnad princely state.

The heir of the House Phantomhive, Lord Edward, was a poised, graceful, charming 17 year old aristocrat who represented the embodiment of the very notion of nobility. At birth, his mother bestowed the name of Ramayana upon him. The name of a virtuous warrior Though bathed in luxury, the most important moral he had held close to him was that of respect. Along with the other children, he had been taught by his mother that everyone was worthy of kindness no matter where they stand. Even to those who degrade him, he continues to hold his morals close to him. No other prince bared the sincerity and benevolence of the brave young Ramayana Sethupati.

The second son of the noble House Phantomhive, Phillip had been quite the opposite. Named Muruga at birth, Lord Phillip unlike his elder brother, was a rebellious youth who frequently worried his emotional mother. His scuffles are frequent and his scars remain permanent. Though, his reasoning can justify his behavior.

The aristocracy of the British Empire’s Victorian Era, have grown an increasing prejudice towards non-whites. Particularly those with darker skin. The sub-continent of India, being under the direct control of the Imperial Crown, embraces a trend of the harassment of Indians alike. The second son’s family have been subjected to the frequent bullying of the British aristocracy upon the engagement of the Earl Phantomhive with Princess Janaki Sethupati. Phillip, being the short-tempered boy he had always been, constantly raged at the idea of a member of his family being ridiculed. The mockery upon the Phantomhives remain just as uncountable to the amount of times the second son lost control of his civility. At banquets, he had been constantly avoided and shunned. But never in the presence of any company. The only times his loneliness subsides is in the presence of the only daughter of the Phantomhive family, Charlotte, named Savitri at birth.

The ride back home was silent. But the looks exchanged by the two noble sons had spoken louder than words. One of shame and one of infuriation.

They had arrived home by dusk, awaited by their mother, standing outside in the bitter cold, draped in a gray fur coat and wearing a satin blue gown. The glistening tears falling from her eyes were as blue as the dress she wore. Her face remained straight, showing little emotion to compensate for her tears. As the carriage door opened, Janaki ran towards the two children she bared. She gently wrapped her arms around her eldest son and violently struck the face of her youngest with her palm.

“Why do you take so much pleasure in troubling your brother? You should be ashamed of yourself!” The beastly maiden yelled. Though she hadn’t entirely been lost in her rage, as she gently hugged him soon after. “Forgive me, Amma,” the pitiful boy looked towards the marble stairs in shame beyond imaginable. His mother sighed. The tears ending their stream. Expecting her Som to return home bathed in bruises, she took out a handkerchief and lightly dabbed the swelled areas of his face. “How did it happen this time?” “I-“ a bottled up crack in his voice broke free. His own tears began to form. “I-I just…I was only walking around the city. They came up to me and they…they just started bombarding me with questions and kept on asking what I was doing. They wouldn’t leave me alone. I tried to walk away. I promise. They kept following me….And then they just started insulting me and my family and…they said some horrifying things about you.” “Don’t tell me.” Janaki replied. She knew what he was going to say. Her son continued. “I told them to leave me alone. They wouldn’t shut up. Then I made the first blow to their jaw. Then things became very hostile until he turned up.” Muruga, the rebellious younger child, looked at his mother with a blank stare of tears. The resemblance he shared with her was so beautifully similar. “At least your brother could save you,” Janaki reassured. “Now come inside. It’s awfully cold out here.”

And within the walls of the Phantomhive Mansion they went, protected from the cruelty lurking outside.

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jin-was-here-2 · 5 years

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👀

#baron is lowkey daddy and i feel like i need to expunge this thought #heheheh wtf is my type???#i go from fuckin regal to vince to f u c k i n brock with a beard.#w h a t am i????#oh an Charlotte.#she's top tier daddy.#a whole ass mistress.#a miss.#**** **.#jinouchi.txt

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neobubz · 2 years

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✖ Quiet Down Pt. 1 (M)✖

☆ okay, hi everyone! this story is a renjun x fem reader x haechan story. please look at the pairings to figure out who the part/chapter will be based around. also, the warnings will be based off each part/chapter as well, so please take notice to that too. i hope you enjoy the story! ☆

Word Count: approx. 8k Pairings (based on each part): haechan x fem reader Warnings (based on each part): mature audiences only, explicit language, bossy fem reader, smut, hand job, masturbation (male), c*m swapping, exhibitionism, co-worker relations, consensual relations, where did my brain go with this one? Preview: Snorting on the inside you watch as Haechan attempts to seduce you. He must not have learned his lesson the last time he tried to get you to cave into him. Having little sleep last night, both excited and dreading this little long weekend getaway and the fact that Haechan is right, you are stuck with Renjun — you may be more affected by his advances, but considering your dead tired…there was only one option, to throw it back in his face and hope he leaves you alone. “If you saw me, why didn’t you come over and talk to me instead,” you lean into him keeping your voice to a whisper. “I mean, it was hard not to notice you. You looked very handsome,” you place your hand on his chest, feeling his racing heart. “Your golden skin glistening in the sun. You were so,” placing your lips to his ear you giggle. “Yummy,” you whisper.

✖-----------------------✖

“Haechan?” You turn to where she nonchalantly gestures with the upturn of her nose.

Sitting on the grass off the side of the garden on his suit jacket Haechan props himself up with his arms. Negating to eat anything during lunch today he leans back soaking in the sun. His already beautiful sun-kissed skin getting darker each passing day.

“Pass.” You go back to your phone.

“You fucking liar!” She scoffs. “We both know you would smash.”

Smirking you finish off the items you needed before turning back to look at Haechan. It’s true. Haechan is…tempting. So very tempting. You bring your fork from your salad up to your lips. The cold metal bringing goosebumps to your skin. Leaning farther back, resting on his elbows now, Haechan unbuttons the first three buttons on his white button-down shirt. Running a hand across the nape of his neck in the sexiest way humanly possible. Turning in your direction he slides the pair of sunglasses down sending a wink your way.

Sneering you turn away from him and back to Charlotte who was doing everything in power not to droll all over her Italian sub. It’s a known fact around the female section of your office that Charlotte has the biggest crush on Haechan. Being a married woman herself, she can’t act on impulse but that doesn’t stop her mind from wondering what it would be like to be with him. Glancing back to where Haechan was seated, noticing that he was still looking your way – actually his whole group of friends were looking towards you and Charlotte.

“The hell?” You mumble seeing their gazes on you. Shaking your head, you take a bite from your salad. “Sorry. Even though I would want to smash, boy would I ever want to, he himself thinks everyone wants to smash him.” You bring your attention back to your friend. “I wouldn’t do it at all.” Giggling to yourself at the thought of Haechan’s face when you deny him. The glare and pout of his lips followed by whiny demands that you give in to him. “It would piss him off so much.”

“And then he would throw you against your desk and fuck you from behind, is that the plan?” Charlotte asks.

“No,” you stab your fork into your salad a devilish smirk coming to you. “The plan is to get him to grovel on his hands and knees like the whiny little bitch he is.”

Gasping dramatically Charlotte throws you a knowing look. “Damn girl… Didn’t know you had a mistress kink.”

“I don’t,” you place your phone into your jacket pocket. “I just know that Haechan gets really whiny and sulky when he doesn’t get what he wants. He likes to act big and bad but he’s a total switch, sub leaning. I’d bet a $100 on it too!”

“Oh, I agree completely. Remember when he came up to you before the Christmas party asking if you had a date? The face he made when you flirted right back even to the point of running your hand up his arm had me screaming on the inside! He gulped so fucking loud! Not to mention his eyes said it all. He totally wanted you to use him any way you wished!” She licks her lips wiggling her brows. “I’d SMASH! 100%! He’s so fucking hot! I mean look at him,” she sighs lovingly, propping her face up with her hands. “His glowing skin, chubby cheeks, juicy thighs and that ass!” Her lower lip gets snagged between her teeth. “I’d fuckin’ eat that ass out while jerking him off if he’d let me!”

“Dude!” You grab her attention pointing to your food. “Don’t talk about eating ass when I’m eating!”

“Shut it, you whore! You know you’d do it too!”

“I wouldn’t! You do know what —"

She holds up a finger to your lips stopping you from finishing your question. Always seeming to be three steps ahead of you with everything. Then again, she knew you like the back of her hand.

She moves onto the next person in Haechan’s click. “Jeno, smash or pass?”

“Fucking smash are you kidding me?”

You don’t hesitate to answer. Jeno is gorgeous! Who wouldn’t want to smash him? Plus, the few times you’ve seen him sleeveless at the company ‘bonding retreats’ his arm muscles flexing every which way when everyone was together doing the activities. And then the one time he was in the pool, his length showing proudly when he came out of the water – his trunks sticking to him like glue. The mere image that’s now imprinted to your brain makes you clench your legs together. Unholy thoughts filling your head before you went to sleep for months after. Mainly you being contorted in every possible way while he slams his large cock into your wet core until your fucked brainless.

Shaking her head Charlotte takes a bite of her sub. “I’d pass. He’s gorg, don’t get me wrong but he’s too much of a gym rat. I’ve gotten a hug from him before when I got that promotion last year and he felt like a fucking rock. No lie. I don’t think he has much body fat. I mean imagine someone firm as stone pounding into your pussy. It already makes my pussy ache, and not in a good way. Not to mention the bruises you’d probably get. Nope not for me. I like my men to have some softness.”

“So, Haechan?” You snort.

Offended she growls towards you. “Hey! He’s perfect!”

Holding your hands up sensing her change in demeanor you placate her. “I never said he wasn’t. Remember I said I would totally smash after he was on his hands and knees begging. Plus, I like how he’s different too. It’s nice to see some guys not working out at the gym ALL THE TIME,” sighing you poke at your salad. “Even I’m getting tired of seeing Jaemin and Jeno’s gym selfies on Instagram.”

“Not only that but what’s with Jaemin having so many pictures of Jeno?” Charlotte side eyes Jaemin from across the small path separating the six of you. “Do you think they might be…”

“Jaemin and Jeno?!” You look towards them letting her question sink in. “I mean, I wouldn’t be shocked if they were but wasn’t Jeno making out with his assistant? It was at the Christmas party; I swear I saw him groping her ass with his tongue down her throat.”

“Eh?! No…way…isn’t she like…married?”

“You know what,” realization hits you. “You’re fucking right, she is! I remember we threw her a small bridal shower a few years back. Damn, must be rough waters in the relationship.”

“Our she’s a thirty hoe,” Charlotte snickers. “Since we’re on the topic of Jaemin, smash or pass?”

“I’d absolutely smash,” you sigh pushing your salad away feeling far too hot and horny to even think about food. “He’s so hot. I mean I would gladly be his submissive princess any time any day. Mother fucker is too sexy to say no to.”

“You’re such a whore!” Charlotte cackles like a hyena garnering everyone’s attention, including Haechan and his friends. “You little slut!” She practically screams to the world.

“Charlotte! Shut. The. Fuck. Up” You smack her arm.

“I can’t…” she throws her head back in laughter. “You are so fucking amazing…” she wipes her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” you turn to Haechan’s group of friends noticing a set of eyes staring towards you and Charlotte. Immediately they lower their head and find refuge in playing with the laces of Haechan’s dress shoes. “You never asked about Renjun,” smirking you hear her laughter die down immediately. “Smash or pass?”

“Pass. Never! Not in a million years! What about you my little slut, smash or pass?”

“Pass as well. I don’t think he’s even into women,” you stare at him noticing his ears have turned a bright shade of pink. “I’ve never seen him with anyone aside from Haechan and the others. It’s weird if you think about it. I mean I wouldn’t care if he was but he just…he doesn’t leave their sides.”

“Agree. But now that we’re done with them, what about —"

✖-----------------------✖

“Finally… the weather cleared up,” Haechan sighs taking off his jacket before placing it on the ground. “I thought we’d have to be stuck inside for the whole day.” He leaves out a huge sigh as he sits under the sun, his head already being thrown back.

“You make it seem like we weren’t just outside yesterday,” Renjun joins him.

“I just meant that this whole is it going to downpour or is it going to stay sunny thing the weathers been doing is getting ridiculous.”

“They do say the weather is unpredictable. It does what it wants when it wants.” Renjun peels back some plastic wrapping from his ham and cheese sandwich. “Did you get everything done in the copy room?”

“Ugh, can we not talk about work? It’s called a break for a reason.” He reaches into his pocket pulling out his sunglasses.

“So, that means you didn’t get it done, huh?” Jaemin plops down next to Renjun. “Charlotte’s going to be up your ass when we get back inside.”

“I think you mean I’ll be up her ass,” he smirks in Jaemin’s direction. “Do you think I’m an idiot? All I have to do is sit back while papers are printed out. Not rocket science.”

“You do it on purpose?” Jeno sits on the opposite side of Jaemin next to Renjun. “Why do you do that?”

“He likes the attention,” Renjun sighs. “Also, he likes when she yells at him.” He takes a bite of his sandwich. “It’s a kink of his.”

“Dude…really?” Jeno chuckles. “What you want a woman to put you in your place?”

“No, I want her to think she’s putting me in place and when the time is right, I’ll go and pound into her pussy so hard she’ll see stars.” He licks his lips. “And have you seen Charlotte? Those juicy thighs of hers will be the death of me. And when we were on that company retreat, her wetsuit showed her puffy —"

“Enough! Have some respect for her!” Renjun growls. “Plus, she’s married!”

“She’s married?” Haechan pulls down his glasses to see Renjun’s face.

“Yeah, she’s is. So, stop talking about her like some horny teenager.”

Sliding up his sunglasses Haechan leans his head back. “Sorry, not all of us are as pure as you,” He rolls his eyes under his sunglasses.

“I never said I was pure,” Renjun mumbles. “I just don’t talk about that kind of stuff…”

“‘That kind of stuff?’” Jaemin nudges him. “We’re all bros here it’s okay you know. We won’t judge.”

“Speak for yourself!” Jeno glares in Haechan’s direction. “This little shit didn’t let me forget that night at the Christmas party for months!”

“Not my fault you were dry humping a married woman with your tongue down her throat. Plus, it didn’t seem like she or you were complaining much so why get pissy about it?”

“Because I was drunk off my ass that’s why!” Jeno throws a water bottle at Haechan almost hitting his dick in the process.

“Watch the merchandise! I’ll need it for the upcoming company retreat!” Haechan shouts.

Jaemin whispers looks towards you and Charlotte, “hey, we’ve got some company…”

Scoffing Haechan leans back on his elbows turning in the direction you and Charlotte were sitting. “Knew she found me hot,” he smirks. “But then again, who doesn’t?”

“It’s not Charlotte who’s looking at you,” Jaemin snickers.

“Eh?” Haechan lowers his glasses to see your eyes meeting his. “No…fucking…way…Well, isn’t this interesting,” he starts to unbutton his shirt. “Didn’t think she liked me.” He runs a hand over his neck while he keeps you in his peripheral vision but not without sending a wink your way.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Renjun asks shocked.

“Giving our little peeping tom a show,” he licks his lips.

Renjun reaches over smacking Haechan’s hand. “Stop that!”

“Yeah,” Jeno shivers. “You’re grossing us out. Plus, she was just looking over here. Doesn’t mean she thinks you’re hot.”

“The hell it doesn’t! I saw the look in her eyes. She was screaming for me to fuck her out here in the open. I bet she’s a freak in bed. What do they say…’a lady in the streets a freak in sheets?’ Bet she’s a screamer too. She’s always sweet and soft spoken…I know she’s a whore in the bedroom.”

“Doesn’t matter what you think,” Jeno leans in keeping his voice down. “I’m not bullshitting, I saw her and Charlotte making out at the Christmas party.”

Haechan rips his glasses off his face. Eyes wide as saucers. “You��re a fucking liar! They did not!”

“I swear I saw it! Went to take a piss and there they were…Charlotte had her pressed up against the wall. If I didn’t have to piss so bad, I would have stayed and watched the show. Fucking hot as hell.”

“Sh-She-She’s gay?!” Renjun gasps looking in your direction. “She can’t be…” he whispers to himself but Jaemin catches it.

“Wait a second. Renjun,” his hand rests on Renjun’s shoulder as he peeks his head around to see more of his face. “Don’t tell me you like her…”

“Wh-What?!” Renjun’s voice cracks.

“You’re shitting me,” Jeno starts laughing. “You like her, don’t you?”

“I-I-I never said I did!” Renjun starts whining. “Stop playing, I was just shocked to find out she and Charlotte kissed that’s all. I swear!” He holds his hands up.

Haechan sits up into a seated position. His head tilting at his best friend’s words. “You do like her,” he points an accusatory finger. “Admit it! Damn this is too good!” He starts to laugh along with Jeno. “The offices angels in love! How fucking rich is this?!”

“Shut up!” Renjun tackles him his hands going straight to Haechan’s throat. “I never said I liked her.”

Haechan doesn’t stop laughing despite Renjun’s pleads. “You totally do! Want me to tell you what she’s like in bed? Get you the inside scoop?” He wiggles his brows.

“Knock it off!” Renjun’s grip on his neck tightens.

“Oh, someone’s getting mad,” he snickers. “Bet you wouldn’t have the balls to even talk to her.”

“I can talk to her if I wanted too! I just don’t want to!” With one final squeeze of Haechan’s throat Renjun pushes himself off of him and goes back to his spot, his sandwich long since squished. “Fucking dick…” he mumbles.

“It’s okay if you do like her,” Jaemin gives Renjun a squeeze. “She is really pretty. I don’t blame you. Plus, she’s nice and is a hard worker. Unlike someone we know,” he glances at Haechan.

“Yeah, so what if she made out with Charlotte,” Jeno looks to where Charlotte was now cackling her head off. The word ‘slut’ gaining everyone arounds attention as well as your stressed-out face. “They seem to be really close friends.”

“Close friends who make out?” Renjun sighs. “Look, I just…I just think she’s pretty, okay? I’m not saying I like her. I just…” he turns in your direction your eyes meeting again for the second time today. “I…”

“Fifty bucks you won’t have the balls to talk to her,” Haechan smirks. “You have an entire week to go up to her and have an actual conversation. Not just a ‘hi’ and ‘bye.’ A full length thirty plus minute conversation. I’ll even give you $200 if you kiss her by the end of the week.”

“I’ll double down on that,” Jeno chimes in.

“Guys, for real,” Jaemin looks between Jeno and Haechan. “This isn’t something you bet on. Renjun really likes –”

“You think I won’t?!” Renjun stands his arms glued to his side. His hands in tight fists turning his knuckles white in the process. “I’ll show you! I’ll show all of you! Fucking jerks!”

Renjun storms off back into the building through the side door. Garnering the attention of everyone around at his sudden explosion of emotion – Charlotte and yourself included.

“Did you have to do that?” Jaemin sighs standing up, dusting off his pants.

“What? He won’t do it. He’s too shy to talk to anyone but us. How he’s managed to have us as friends is still shocking.”

“Grow the fuck up, Haechan.” Jaemin leaves heading straight for the side door Renjun walked through.

“What’s up with him? He on his period or something?” Haechan asks Jeno.

“No, you’re just an ass.” He lays back onto the grass enjoying the sunny day. “But since I’ve decided to enter the bet, I guess I’m on your side for now,” he peeks up giving Haechan a smirk. “Think he’ll actually go through with it?”

Haechan turns to look at you and Charlotte getting up from the table you were sitting at and throwing your trash away. “If he’s smart, he will.”

✖-----------------------✖

This couldn’t be happening. Your eyes dart from one person to the next as bright cheers and smiles fill the larger-than-life conference room. No, seriously, this had to be some kind of joke. One-by-one, your boss holds open a large black top hat and those on the right side of the room, which you stand, were to pick from the hat drawing names on folded pieces of printer paper. Sasha, one of your friends at the office jumps for joy when she opens her paper seeing Jaemin’s name written in bold letters. Charlotte on your left side as well gasps when she pulls out Haechan’s name. The universe seeming to favor your two friends over yourself today. How could this have happened? What in your past life or current life ended you in this pickle?

“Who did you get?” Sasha squeals as she holds your hand up revealing the name that you chose. “No way,” her hand falls from your wrist.

“What? Who did she get?” Charlotte leans over to you her body freezing as she sees the name written in the same bold black font as Haechan and Jaemin’s. “Man, that sucks for you…” She snickers.

“This has to be a joke,” you mutter more to yourself than to anyone else.

“It isn’t. I’m sorry to say that you are not in the Twilight Zone.” Charlotte's hand firmly grips your ass cheek making you jump and swat her hand away. “Have fun in the land of celibacy,” she giggles.

“What the hell?!” You scream at her.

“Well, I’ve got to go to my man,” she waves Haechan’s name in the air. “He’s waiting for me.” She starts to head across the room light on her feet. “Oh, Haechan!!” She sings out over the chatter of your co-workers.

“Maybe it won’t be as bad as you think,” Sasha rests a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I mean, at least he’s nice, right? I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time.” She kisses your cheek a pout on her face. “I’m going to go and talk to Jaemin now, okay?”

“Uh, y-yeah,” smiling as best you could your friend follows the same path as Charlotte had moments before where both Haechan and Jaemin were sitting down. Haechan now talking to Charlotte happily.

It just didn’t make sense. How in the hell did Charlotte end up drawing Haechan’s name out of the hat? There are over thirty guys working on your floor and she just so happened to pull the name of the one guy she’d roll over onto her back for if he asked her to? And Sasha? Lord knows you love her but what the hell?! How did she get Jaemin? Even she pulled out her crush. Looking down at the name in the paper you drew your heart sinks to the pit of your stomach.

This was supposed to be a fun weekend. The whole company going to a lakefront hotel to do another round of bounding before the new quarter starts and everyone is forced to focus on the massive amounts of deadlines for the magazine. How the hell did you get the one person who can single handedly ruin this trip for you?

“Um, h-hello,” a soft whisper of a voice causes you to shake your head.

“Yes?” You turn in the direction of the voice to discover, Huang Renjun.

Freezing in an upright position, chest up, arms back, and head facing forward aside from it darting around the room to find everyone paired up already. Rigidly, as if you were the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz still extremely rusted, you turn in Renjun’s direction.

“We are, uh, partner’s, right?” He asks his head low. His fingers twisting together nervously. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I-I-I’m Huang Renjun,” he finally looks up as he extends his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Like on autopilot you say a quick hello and shake his hand. That is…until you noticed how small his hand is. It was actually…adorable? Not much bigger than your own. Trying not to stare you keep your eyes fixated on Renjun’s face. Bad idea. Terrible idea. Not taking much notice to him aside from a few encounters in the elevator with Sasha and Charlotte along with you, keeping yourself pressed in the corner disinterested in what they were going on about – and earlier this week when Charlotte asked if you would smash or pass him, it was the first time you had a close look at Renjun’s face. He’s positively adorable.

Gorgeous alabaster skin, twinkling dark brown eyes that seem to sparkle under the fluorescent lighting in the conference room. His round framed glasses giving him a webtoon character look. The type of guy who is the shy office nerd, most likely collecting manga or binges anime like his life depends on it – but just like Clark Kent, he has a secret about him. A secret waiting to be unfolded. In this very moment a spark shoots through your heart. A secret that is hidden behind Renjun’s eyes. Drawing you closer to him.

Your eyes travel down to his soft pink lips that glisten and his smile, lord does he have the sweetest smile. Slowly you turn into a puddle as he continues to babble about how excited he is to be partnered with you. He’s so pure and innocent. Everything about Renjun screamed virtuous. An earthly angel. A gift sent down from heaven to remind humanity that heaven is in fact, for real.

“I can’t believe we’re partners! Not to mention the lakefront hotel? It looks like it’ll be a lot of fun!” He gushes. “I hope we can become close after this.”

“Cl-Close?” You ask.

Nodding eagerly, he beams his ethereal light upon you. Instantaneously you’re showered in joy and tranquility. Heaven’s gates opening up to you. Signifying you have a place waiting for you, with this beautiful angel as your guide.

“Yes! I’ve admired you for quite some time,” he lowers his head bashfully. “I, uh, I was hoping one day I would be able to partner up with you. Now that it’s happening,” he peeks up his long dark lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. “I can’t help myself from hoping we’ll become friends after this.”

Friends? Renjun wants to become friends? That is…that has to be… Holding your arms tightly against your frame, resisting the urge to open your arms and welcome him into a tight embrace and smothering his cute adorable face in smooches you give him a polite nod.

“I hope we can become close as well, Renjun. I do want to warn you…when it comes to the group activities, I can be a bit bossy. I don’t like to lose at all. So, I won’t go easy on you.”

That part is true. Despite the huge urge to give up everything you owned for this beautiful angelic man in front of you, you weren’t going to baby him at all. The company bounding trips were to create a better work environment where everyone can become familiar with each other, but it was also the time for fun competitive games. Last year you ended up being partners with Jaehyun and you found out the hard way how shitty it was to lose. Both Jaehyun and yourself getting the worst room if you could even call it a room. Two beds so close that you were basically sleeping side-by-side. A tiny bathroom that had you hunched over like you were in one of those tiny houses. It was terrible! How your boss found that resort was beyond you, but this time you were determined to come out on top or at least within the top five.

Then again…a strange thought pops into your head. Being squished in a small room with Renjun. His glasses laying on the night stand. His large eyes staring into yours as you wish each other a good night, but when your eyes meet a tether of electricity seething between the two of you. Pulling you closer together until your sharing the same breath. His tongue skating over his lips, while you run your hand through his short black hair…

Shaking your head, you pull yourself away from that thought. That would never happen. Not with the way he’s gushing about wanting to be friends and to be close to you and how much he admires you. He’s talking more like a fan than a lover. Solidifying your theory that Renjun in fact doesn’t like women.

✖-----------------------✖

“What the fuck am I going to do?” You lay back onto your bed staring at your ceiling. “How did this happen?” You ask both Charlotte and Sasha who you were currently on a call with.

“It won’t be that bad,” Sasha tries to calm you down. “He’s a sweetheart. Trust me, I worked with him on the one article about the actress having an affair and he literally was super sweet to her despite the fact she was a lying cheating hoe. I mean she was cheating on Dustin Smith, like how can he be nice to her when that bitch cheated on the father of my future children?”

“Sasha…” you groan.

“Okay, okay, but seriously, he’s a nice guy.”

“That’s not her problem Sasha,” Charlotte finally speaks up. “Her problem is that she wanted to get some dick this trip and she’ll be left dry humping a pillow.”

“I never said I wanted to get dick this trip!” You sit up angrily. “Don’t put words in my mouth!”

“Please, you know you’ve been going through a dry spell. Hoping you’d get partnered up with Jaehyun again?” She growls playfully. “You want some of that hot prince cock,” she starts cackling.

"What makes you think she won’t get any this trip?” Sasha asks Charlotte.

“Renjun, he’s unsmashable, duh.”

“Unsmashable?” Sasha asks. “What the hell does that mean?”

Clarifying you sigh loudly, “we were playing smash or pass and we both confirmed we would pass on Renjun.”

“Well, that’s rude, you don’t even know him.” Sasha mumbles. “I don’t think he’s unsmashable. He’s just innocent. Probably doesn’t have a lot of experience.” She tries her best to defend him. “What makes him unsmashable?”

“The fact that he’s clearly gay,” Charlotte states. “I mean have you heard about him dating anyone, making out with them at the holiday parties? No! Because he’s clearly gay.”

“Says the two who were clawing at each other at the Christmas party! Oh! And one of them being a married woman!”

“Shut up!” Both you and Charlotte scream over the phone.

“We were drunk off our asses and my hubby was being a prick during that time,” Charlotte mumbles.

Nodding despite the fact they can’t see you. “We weren’t in the right state of mind back then.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t judge anyone until you get to know them. I don’t think he’s gay. I’ve never gotten that vibe from him. He’s just innocent. I’m sure once you get to know him, you’ll find out the answer to all of your questions. Just give him a chance. He’s super sweet.”

“She wants some of Renjun’s dick apparently,” Charlotte teases.

“Can’t agree with you more,” you start laughing finally feeling better about the trip tomorrow.

Sasha grumbles two seconds from hanging up on the two of you, “I hate you both.”

“WE LOVE YOU SASHA!”

✖-----------------------✖

Taking a seat towards the back of the bus you pull out your phone and AirPods. This was going to be an over four-hour drive to the lakefront and you made sure that you would keep yourself busy. Something about relaxing music while watching the scenery change from the busy city life to the quiet suburb and country life to the shore that helps create a calmness within you. Gearing you up for a nice trip before a hectic quarter. Just as you press the play button the open spot next to you dips down. Thinking it was Charlotte or Sasha you don’t bother to look up.

“I was wondering when you would get here. Have to take Richard to work again?” You ask thinking it was Charlotte.

“Not sure who Richard is so no, I didn’t have to take him to work.” An unfamiliar voice speaks up.

Gasping you turn to find the person was neither Sasha nor Charlotte but the evil little shit himself, Haechan.

“Wh- What are you doing? Why are you sitting here?”

Offended he places a hand over his heart. “Is this not a free country? Can’t a man sit anywhere he pleases?”

“Yeah…but…”

“But what? I saw you sitting back here all alone and thought you looked sad. So, I’m here to cheer you up! They don’t call me Fullsun for no reason.”

“Fullsun?” You scoff. “What is that supposed to mean and why does being a ‘Fullsun’ have anything to do with me?” You inquire.

“Well, if you haven’t noticed I have beautiful tan skin and I make everyone happy. So, Fullsun. Why it has something to do with you…I’m here to make you a very happy woman,” he leans in placing a gentle kiss on your cheek.

Shocked by his bold move you stare at him with dead eyes. “Did I give you permission to do that?” You flatly ask going back to your phone. “Also, who says I’m not happy? I’m perfectly content with everything at the moment. Thank you very much.”

“Even with being partnered up with Renjun?” He asks leaning his face close to yours. “You know I saw you looking at me the other day,” he places his hand on your thigh. “I was waiting for you to come over and talk to me.”

Snorting on the inside you watch as Haechan attempts to seduce you. He must not have learned his lesson the last time he tried to get you to cave into him. Having little sleep last night, both excited and dreading this little long weekend getaway and the fact that Haechan is right, you are stuck with Renjun — you may be more affected by his advances, but considering your dead tired…there was only one option, to throw it back in his face and hope he leaves you alone.

“If you saw me, why didn’t you come over and talk to me instead,” you lean into him keeping your voice to a whisper. “I mean, it was hard not to notice you. You looked very handsome,” you place your hand on his chest, feeling his racing heart. “Your golden skin glistening in the sun. You were so,” placing your lips to his ear you giggle. “Yummy,” you whisper.

“Fuck…” he gulps loudly moving his body closer to you. “I, uh, I didn’t think you, uh, liked me at all…” his eyes tremble in anticipation.

“Quite the contrary,” you slide your hand down his chest stopping at his tummy. Watching as he takes a sharp inhale. “I like you a lot.”

“Fuck, I hate Renjun right now,” he growls. “Why couldn’t you have pulled my name? Or switched with Charlotte?” He grabs your hand moving it lower, past the top of his pants. “You’re so hot.”

He places your hand over his hardening cock. Shocked your head shoots up looking around at the bus starting to fill up. He must be out of his mind! This wasn’t funny at all. On a bus! Where there are people! Not just people but people who you work with! Turning back to Haechan his lips are parted, eyes hooded, and his golden skin shows faint signs of turning red. He was already this aroused?!

“What exactly do think you’re doing?” You ask him trying to keep your cool. Never did you think your small teasing would have you in this predicament.

Moving your hand across his pelvis Haechan breathes in a shaky breath. “I think I’m starting my weekend off now,” he sits up as Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun head back to where the two of you were. “Fuck! Switch spots with me.” He gets up hopping up onto the seat. “Hurry!”

Quickly you move so that you’re on the outside and Haechan is on the inside. As the two of you get situated a throat clears next to you. Looking up you find Renjun and Jaemin staring down at you.

“G-Good morning,” you gulp hoping they don’t notice Haechan’s little problem.

“Good morning,” Jaemin beams. His smile truly the undoing of every man and woman’s hearts. “I didn’t expect to see the two of you together.” He gestures to Haechan and yourself.

“Just getting better acquainted,” Haechan wraps his arm around your shoulders. “Plus, I need to vet her to make sure she won’t hurt our man.”

Your head whips to Haechan. “Vet me?” You ask through gritted teeth.

Haechan gives you a look before smiling. Clearly telling you to go along with what he was saying otherwise you’ll be caught. “Renjun is very shy. Just checking out his partner is all. As his best friend it’s my responsibility to look after him.”

“And as her best friend it’s my job to call you out on your bullshit!” Charlotte’s voice appears in front of you and Haechan. “Admit it, Haechan, you’re smitten.” She sends you a wink before taking notice to Haechan’s lap. Her eyes going wide as she looks your way but you shake your head. Begging her with everything inside of you for her to keep what is clearly visual a secret.

“Renjun,” she calls still looking at you. “Since our partners are getting to know each other, why don’t we do the same?” She sends him a warm smile.

“I-I…” he looks at you lost and confused.

“Come on, I don’t bite.” She grabs his arm pulling him into the seat in front of you. “Jeno, Jaemin, sit there. We can talk easier this way!” She points to the seat across from her.

“Sure,” Jaemin shrugs giving Haechan a quick once over. “Why not?”

“What about Sasha?” You ask leaning over the seat, your face between Renjun and Charlotte’s. Turning to face Renjun you get a whiff of his shampoo. Even his damn shampoo makes him smell like an angel! What in the world is going on with this man?!

“Sasha is going to drive to the lakefront. She had an emergency last night. Her dad needed to go to the hospital. Don’t worry, she’s going to be there. Seems he just had a little fall is all.”

“Eh?!” You clammer to your feet. “Is he okay? Why is she still coming? Shouldn’t she stay with him?”

Waving you off Charlotte pushes you back with the tip of her finger. “She said he’s fine. He didn’t break anything and she’ll be at the lakefront around dinner time. Sorry Jaemin, looks like you’re going to have to represent both of you in the first game.”

Shrugging Jaemin sighs. “It can’t be helped. I just hope everything is fine.”

You were just about to ask one more question when a hand sliding up your leg has you looking behind you. Haechan now has his hand in his pants. His eyes half open while his lower lip snagged under his top teeth. Good lord this guy is crazy!

“Please,” he grabs your hand intertwining your fingers.

You sit down slowly. Pulse raising a mile a minute. What in the hell did you get yourself into? Haechan’s hand doesn’t leave yours. Gripping tighter as he continues to rub over his hardened length.

“H-Haechan…” you whisper reaching over to stop him. “You can’t do that. Not here!”

“Touch me, please…” he buries his face in the crook of your neck his lips resting gently on your moistening skin. “I need you…” he trembles just speaking those words. “I want to feel your hand around me.”

“Haechan,” you move away from him taking your hand out of his.

“No…” he whines reaching for you.

Grabbing his face between your hands you squish his cheeks together. “I’m not going to touch you until I want to.” You squish his cheeks together once more giggling internally with how cute he looks.

“I need you,” he whines through his squished cheeks. “Now…”

Lowering your hands, you move closer to him. Turning yourself so that no one will be able to see him at all. The last thing you needed was someone seeing him masturbating next to you and call everyone’s attention to it. Talk about a nightmare. You reach into him giving him a quick peck on the lips trying to calm him down. “I said,” you keep your voice barely above a whisper. “When I feel like touching you.”

Lifting his hips up, Haechan slides down his jeans just enough to free his hardened length. Seeing the impression, it leaves through his briefs has you licking his lips. Granted not the size that you saw with Jeno, but still enough to have you weak in the knees – you take notice to the wet stain of precum glistening under the light radiating from the window. Licking your lips to create some form of moisture you watch with hawk-like eyes as Haechan finally frees himself.

“Fuck,” he hisses stroking his hardened cock.

“Does it feel good?” You whisper.

Haechan turns to see you staring hungrily at his length. Your lips parted, tongue running over your dry lips as he strokes himself.

“So…fucking good…” his hips buck up into his hands. “Wish it were you instead.” He leans into you finding any type of solace he can with his body touching yours.

“Keep going,” you reach out tucking some of his hair behind his ear. “You look so hot right now.”

Humming Haechan grips his cock in his hand thrusting his hips upward. This has to be the hottest thing you’ve seen in your life. Knowing full well what a cute submissive Haechan would be you didn’t expect your teasing to end you here — Haechan’s cock out, him stroking himself and the hustle and bustle of people around you talking and laughing, completely unaware of the naughtiness going on in the back seat. Yeah, this was fucking hot!

Dropping your head down you open your mouth. A long strand of saliva dripping down helping to slick up Haechan’s cock.

“Sh-Shit,” he grabs the back of your head fisting a handful of your hair. “Please, please…” he begs.

“Not so fast,” you lift yourself up, your face close to his. “Only when you’re about to cum,” you kiss him gently enjoying this far too much. “Only then will I touch you.”

With one last kiss and a quick flick of your tongue over his lips, you sit back making sure to block him from the now two women sitting across from the two of you.

“Make sure to stay quiet,” you whisper close to his ear. “Won’t want anyone to know what you’re doing back here.”

Haechan strokes himself faster. “Fuck, I don’t care…” his head is thrown back, resting on your shoulder. “I don’t fucking care who sees,” he pumps himself faster.

“Such an attention whore,” you scold kissing his forehead. “Didn’t think you would be like this in public. Wanting everyone’s attention while you stroke your cock. To have people on their knees begging for your cum.”

“Only you,” he leaves out an airy moan. “Only you…I only want you…”

“Liar.” You giggle, wrapping your arm around him. Your fingers running through his hair. “You want everyone here to see you like this. Admit it.”

He shakes his head but doesn’t stop pumping his cock. “No. Only you…I only want you…”

Me?” You ask kissing his forehead again. “Why do you want me?”

“So sexy,” he moves his hand faster. His chest rising and falling quickly as he pushes himself closer to his release. “You’re so fucking sexy…”

“I’m sexy? What about me is sexy?”

“Here…now…” he cries out.

“Shut it!” You place a hand over his mouth. “Keep your voice down or else everyone will find out.”

His eyes roll into the back of his head. His hips and hand moving together in a sensuous rhythm. He was getting close.

“You have to promise me to keep your voice down, okay?” You ask your hand still flat across his mouth. Nodding eagerly Haechan kisses the palm of your hand. “You’ll be a good boy and won’t make a sound?” You ask him and again he nods his head. “Move your hand.” You order.

Like the good little whore he is, Haechan moves his hand. His cock twitching in the air desperate for attention. The head red and swollen eagerly waiting to release the cum building up. Spitting into your palm as quietly as you can — you rub over his swollen tip.

“Mother fucker…” Haechan moans into your neck. “Feels so good,” he kisses your neck in sloppy wet kisses.

“Like that?” You ask running your hand down his length.

Warm and solid in your hand. Not to veiny either. Squishing your legs together you fight off the urge to touch yourself. It was already risky to have Haechan in the state he was in, but to have you with your legs spread — co-workers just a seat away while he rammed his fingers inside your soaking wet core, well that was too much of a risk.

“Mmm…I want to feel your lips on me,” he sucks on your neck. “Such pretty lips would look amazing around my cock,” he nips your collarbone.

“Not today,” you bite down on your lower lip.

“Why?” He moves his head lower kisses along your décolletage. “I want it…”

Wrapping your hand around him tighter he grunts. “What you want doesn’t matter. Be glad I’m even doing this for you.” You scold him. “Didn’t know you were this much of a slut. Begging for me to suck you off in front of everyone. Disgusting...”

“No,” he looks at you with hooded eyes. The only thing behind them lust. “I’m not a—" he stops himself, his eyes fluttering shut.

“Gonna cum?” You whisper in his ear. “Cum for me. Cum like the good little slut you are.”

Thrusting his pelvis up into your hand, squelching sounds from your spit coating his cock start to fil up the back seat around you. Haechan’s breathing becomes erratic and louder as he gets closer to his release.

“Come on…” you kiss his ear. “Show me that you’re a good little slut and cum for me.”

You do the last thing you can think of to send him over the edge. Opening your mouth, you bite down on his earlobe. Showing your dominance over the twitching man next to you. Haechan lets out a low guttural growl as he shoots hot strands of cum onto your hand.

“Shit…” he bucks his hips continuing to coat your hand with his seed. “So…fucking…good…”

Watching him spill onto you the urge to bend down and suck up any remaining cum is shot down by the jolt of the bus being put into gear starting off to the lakefront. Cheers of your co-workers sounding out making you look up for just a second to see your boss holding the walkie-talkie to announce how long it will take to get to your destination. Approximately four hours and thirty minutes, traffic and weather permitting.

“Hey…” Haechan’s voice pulls you back to him. His cock still in your hand, cum dripping down from your fist onto his briefs.

“Oh!” You pull your hand away looking around for something to wipe his cum off with.

Grabbing your hand Haechan pulls it up to his mouth and does the unthinkable. Opening wide he slurps up his cum. His tongue and lips making sure to clean you as good as he can. You think he’s going to swallow but when he pulls you closer to him, his lips finding solace on yours — he pushes some of his cum into your mouth. The slight bitter and saltiness making you wiggle in his grasp. Wrapping his arm around your waist, keeping you close to him, Haechan’s lips move along yours.

His cum swooping between his mouth to yours. This was absolutely the hottest thing in the world! Deepening the kiss, you cross your legs together feeling the trickle of arousal seeping through your panties. Your tongues swirl around each other, his cum beginning to smear onto your lips and chin as you fight for dominance. Desperate for air you pull back a thick strand of saliva and cum between the two of you. Haechan breaks the strand with his finger before swallowing what was left in his mouth. Doing the same you stare at him in awe. Never in your wildest dreams would you ever pictured Haechan likes this.

“I really wish you were my partner,” he leans in his lips gently caressing yours. Kissing you with feather like touches. “We’d be able to have more fun.” He mumbles against your lips. “Why couldn’t you have picked my name?” His lips move down to your neck where he nips and kisses you. “I want to finish what we started…”

“M-Me too…” You whisper getting lost in the residual taste of his essence that was left on his lips.

This fact was true. In this moment Haechan was the only person on your mind. The mere moment in time you just shared with him not enough to satisfy you. If this was any indication of what was to come for the long weekend, you were damn sure you were going to have the time of your life.

Readjusting himself, Haechan slides his cock back into briefs before pulling his jeans up. Reaching into your purse looking for your tin of Altoids, not wanting to have Haechan’s cum as the fragrance of your breath you hear your phone go off. A message from Charlotte showing on your screen.

Whatever just happened with you and Haechan you owe me big time! I heard a few noises from him and I’m dying up here! Renjun didn’t notice so you’re good! You’re welcome! I’ll take details as payment for my service. By the way, just got some juicy information… Renjun is not gay! Looks like you may be in for a nice weekend. Lucky bitch! I hate you!

Renjun? Perhaps this weekend could be fun after all? A smile coming to your lips as you pop a mint into your mouth.

✖-----------------------✖

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PART 2

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nellygwyn · 3 years

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different anon, thoughts of harlots portrayal of historical sex work?

I got another anon asking for a similar thing so here it goes:

Season 1, in particular, I think, had a really nuanced approach to sex work, historical and contemporary. It says a lot that some of my friends who are full service sex workers felt it explored a lot of the complex thoughts they have about being sex workers. We had Charlotte and Emily who are both ambivalent and ambitious, practical, knowing that money is the most important thing in their world whilst also being unattainable for them in other socially acceptable careers (also, since I did my MA thesis on the rape of working class adolescent girls in Georgian London, where I basically found that working in a pub or as a servant in a house could just as unsavory, if not worse, as being a sex worker in the same time period, I like to think Charlotte in particular knows this very well and that's why she wants to control her own narrative so much). We also have Lucy, who hates it and is taken advantage of by her mother in many ways, and other characters who end up in the sex industry through ~Hogarthian~ methods i.e. tricked by a kindly older woman who turns out to be an unscrupulous brothel-keeper a la Mother Needham. This kind of thing certainly happened, though not as often as 18th century moralists might like you to think, but in the show, it plays into the overarching theme that this is a world where the people who should be looking after sex workers and making sure they aren't treated like shit literally do not care (which definitely mirrors our own times). Like, Emily likes sex work in many ways but when she experiences awful aspects of it? It's always because of powerful people letting other powerful people do whatever they want to these women....the only thing outside forces ever seem to do is moralise or take away their money, or punish them. People who have the power to actually transform the system are basically useless, except Josiah in S2 who initially starts off as useless but does later try to make amends.....he's just not powerful ENOUGH though.

I do wish they hadn't made so much of the '1 in 5 women in Georgian London sell sex' because....that's not necessarily a false statistic but it doesn't actually just include sex workers, it also includes women who lived with men they weren't married to which could've been a financial arrangement or could've been simply women living with long term partners. It also includes women who dabbled in sex work, which was extremely common in a world where other, more socially acceptable jobs for working women didn't always pay very well. We know that a lot of women who were in domestic service in Georgian London also had what we might call 'a side hustle' as sex workers, specifically strollers and bunters (sex workers who didn't work in a brothel and usually picked up clients/did work on the streets). I think Harlots did a good job of showing us like, sex workers who work in brothels but also more independent sex workers like Nancy and Violet, but it would've been nice to have a character who was a maid in a middle class home most of the time but occasionally dabbled in sex work in the late evening. It would've emphasised the theme of money being important and barely within reach, but also would've shown the reality of women's work in this period OUTSIDE OF sex work.

The diversity of the industry was also good, although it's a shame that the show kind of failed at showing us male sex workers, or queer sex workers - I mean, we did see mollies (contemporary name for gay men sex workers) but not in a particularly meaningful way imo. Plus, we could've had a trans woman sex worker, especially as there is precedent in this period! Princess Serefina, for example, was probably a transgender woman and one of the most famous sex workers of the early 18th century. But I think Harlots did show us the amount of women of colour who not only lived in Georgian London, but who worked there and not just as sex workers. We also had sex workers with disabilities, too. One of my favourite details is that Harriet Lennox is inspired by a real Georgian sex worker called Black Harriet who only employed sex workers of colour at her brothel (which Harriet Lennox also does in S2 and 3). And there is quite an admirable attempt to explore intersectionality in the series - Harriet doesn't just experience sexism but pretty awful racism (I mean, she literally used to be enslaved by the first man who made her his mistress)....and this changes the way she experiences the world.

My biggest criticism is of the way Charlotte was killed off. Well, first of all, I have an issue with the fact Season 3 put her in a relationship with a pimp, which is so fucked up on every level. Like, not even just a pimp but a pimp who tried to kill her and the women she lives with. Then, she ends up being ACTUALLY killed off by said pimp and his brother (also a pimp) in the most deranged way possible a.k.a getting in the way of a fight and being pushed down the stairs. So many stories about sex workers, historical and contemporary, employ the 'Dead Hooker' trope and I hate it and I especially hate it for this time period because dying violently or tragically as a sex worker doesn't have much basis in reality. Charlotte specifically was inspired by famous courtesans of the time like Kitty Fisher and Fanny Murray. Both of whom......met someone who was willing to keep them long term/marry them and left the industry, financially stable and contented. This series wanted to honour women like that but I don't understand how it could do that by killing Charlotte violently (and other characters violently). We know that most sex workers left the industry around their mid twenties, usually because they had found a long term keeper/husband or because they became actresses/singers in the London theatres (a job that had strong links to sex work and courtesanry at the time). There were so many options for Charlotte but the writers picked that one, as her exit. It just brings us back to the fact that for some people, sex workers don't deserve any kind of happy ending. In fact, John Cleland, the writer of the scandalous c. 1749 erotic novel 'Fanny Hill,' had his book banned and criticised not just because it was obscene but because Fanny never repents her life as a sex worker. Instead, she marries a decent man and has a decent life and explictly says she doesn't feel bad or upset about her old job. Like, that's an example from the actual time period so imagine my disappointment when history seemed to repeat itself in a period series c. 2019.

#long post //#i was blocked by so many harlots fans for having #opinions and thoughts based in actual historical record and fact lmao #listen i'm not particularly intelligent #but i do know a lot a lot a lot about sex work in the long 18th century #that's my thing that's my niche #so i hope that everyone normal appreciates my pov!!!

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historywithlaura · 3 years

Text

MARY TUDOR

(born 1673 - died 1726)

pictured above is a portrait of the Countess of Derwentwater, by Bernard Lens II from c. 1700

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SERIES - On this day November Edition: Mary died on 5 November 1726.

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MARY was born in 1673, probably in London. She was the only daughter of Charles II, King of England (and King of Scots) and his mistress the actress Moll Davis. So she was from an illegitimate line of the HOUSE OF STUART.

After her birth her mother ceased to be her father's mistress and she was only recognized as a daughter of the King of England in 1680, when she was seven years old.

At that time her father also granted her the right to be called a Lady and a surname, so she became known as LADY MARY TUDOR. And around 1683/84 her father also ensured her an annuity.

She married EDWARD, the Viscount Radclyffe in 1687 and they had four children (check the lis below). He was the eldest son of Francis Radclyffe, 2nd Baronet of Derwentwater and Catherine Fenwick.

So, following her marriage she became the VISCOUNTESS RADCLYFFE and was known as LADY MARY RADCLYFFE.

In 1685 her father died and was succeeded on the throne by her uncle as James II, King of England (and James VII, King of Scotland).

And in March 1688 her uncle created her father-in-law as 1st Earl of Derwentwater.

However by the end of 1688 her uncle was deposed by the Glorious Revolution and exiled with his second wife and son in France.

Her eldest son James was then sent to France to live in the Court of her exiled uncle, as a companion to James Francis Edward Stuart, the former Prince of Wales.

In 1697 her father-in-law died and her husband succeeded as 2nd Earl of Derwentwater, sho she became the COUNTESS OF DERWENTWATER. But by 1700 she separated from him.

Following her estranged husband's death in April 1705 she became the DOWAGER COUNTESS OF DERWENTWATER, but it is not certain if she ever used this title.

Shortly after she got married again to HENRY, by May 1705. He was one of the sons of James Graham and Dorothy Howard. After the wedding she officialy became LADY MARY GRAHAM, but she may also have not used this name. They did not have any children and he died in January 1707.

Seven months later, by August 1707, she married for a third time to Major JAMES Rooke and with him she had a daughter (check below). There are no records of who were his parents. And, following the wedding her name changed again, at least officially, to LADY MARY ROOKE, but like the other versions of her name she probably did not use it.

Lady Mary Rooke died on 5 November 1726, aged 53, in Paris.

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MARY and her first husband EDWARD had four children...

James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater - husband of Anna Maria Webb;

Lady Mary Tudor Radclyffe - probable wife of William Petre;

Charles Radclyffe, (titular) 5th Earl of Derwentwater - husband of Charlotte Maria Livingston; and

Francis Radclyffe - unmarried.

And with her third husband JAMES she had one child...

Margaret Frances Disney Rooke - wife of William Sheldon.

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The 3rd Earl of Derwentwater, her eldest son, returned to England by 1709. And given his upbringing at the Jacobite French Court, he fought in the Jacobite Rising of 1715 having been attained for treason. Despite her plea for mercy to George I, King of Great Britain he was executed in 1716.

Another of her son's Charles was also a Jacobite. He joined both Jacobite Risings of 1715 and 1745. At the first one he was attained with his brother but escaped from prison. At second one he was also attained and found guilty of treason, but could not escape to be executed in 1746.

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grifalinas · 3 years

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Kay so I made an attempt to read that PnP reimagined with Lizzie as a boy and I have thoughts. With apologies to the person who recced it to me; I still appreciate you telling me, it just wasn't what I was looking for. Also note that I only got to the end of the first chapter because right away it starting ticking my 'no' boxes for PnP reimaginings. (Yes, I have read enough PnP reimaginings that I have a list of 'no' boxes.) This is all c&p'ed from a post I made to dw hence the format.

I'd like a genderbent Pride and Prejudice where Lizzie is a boy, because the Bennet family having a son changes and recontextualizes quite a bit about the story as well as the Bennet family's situation + the upbringing of the Bennet children + events of the story even beyond just the relationship between Lizzie and Darcy. Like if I read an adaptation of PnP where Lizzie is a boy, I don't want "PnP, but we changed Lizzie's pronouns and occasionally name, used most of the same dialogue but also lazily changed it in places, and tweaked the narration" because not only is that lazy, there's no point to it. I could just reread Pride and Prejudice if I wanted that. I want the author to sit down with the historical context of everything that happened in the book and say "what about this would have different implications if the Bennets' second child was a boy?" and then reconsider the entire story. An incomplete list of what I mean: 1. Would the Bennets even have five children if they had a boy right out the gate? We know that they had five because they were trying to have a boy, and that they eventually gave up. It's easy to imagine them having five anyway because we know that this was common in their era and social sphere, and because Mr. Bennet's original attraction to Miss Gardiner was more for her fashion and physical attractiveness, but that still has to be taken into account because the context of them having five children completely changes when they have "five daughters, no son to cut off the entail" vs "five children, only one boy, and he's their second child". For that matter, the context changes if Lydia is the only son as well- if they have a son and still have five children, the birth order brings a lot to the table for our understanding of these characters and their lives. Their second child being a boy vs their fifth child being a boy vs their first child being a boy or even their middle or fourth child being a boy all carry their own implications. 2. Obviously Darcy being attracted to Lizzie is going to be different if Lizzie is a boy, and obviously that needs to be explored- how does he deal with that? What changes about their interactions, what stays the same? If Lizzie But A Boy is still treated as a viable option for marrying Darcy, then you haven't really changed anything but Lizzie's pronouns. 3. A lot of events in the story change not only if Lizzie is a boy, but also if the Bennets have a son, period. If Mr. Bennet has a son to join him in cutting off the entail, then Mr. Collins will not inherit Longbourne and there is less urgency for Mrs. Bennet to marry off her daughters. Is she still going to try? Of course, and Mr. Bennet being irresponsible about his daughters' dowries and saving money so that they can make good matches is still going to have an impact, but how much say does his son, the future inheritor of Longbourne, now have in this matter? Boy Lizzie will have been spending the last at least few years of his life learning how to run his family estate after his death, how has this affected the matter? Has he persuaded his father to put aside more money for his sisters' dowries? This would line up with Lizzie's initial characterization of trying to take care of the young Bennet sisters in the absence of their parents' attention to their upbringing; Lizzie as a girl (along with Jane) attempted to be the moral guide for her sisters because her mother wouldn't; does Boy Lizzie attempt to be their financial support even before it is his duty as head of their family? Do he and Jane take on the roles of guiding and guarding their sisters and ensuring their futures? 4. Speaking of which, how does Lydia's elopement change if she has a brother to come to her aid? Lizzie explicitly mentions that part of what made Lydia easy prey to Wickham was that she had no brothers, and her father was inattentive at best. What changes about the entire Lydia elopement if Lydia has a protective brother who will do the duty his father will not? How does the matter change if Lydia has a brother who will go to London

to look for her, completely willing to confront Wickham in the name of protecting his sister? What are Boy Lizzie's actions here, now that he's not bound by Girl Lizzie's limitations of having to sit on the sidelines and hope and pray and care for her family in this trying time? 5. The entire relationship between Jane and Boy Lizzie is going to be different than it will be between Jane and Girl Lizzie. Yes, they can still be close; a brother and sister born a mere year apart can easily be close. They can be each other's greatest confidante very easily. But the context is still going to be different. 6. How, if Mr. Bennet has a son, does Mr. Collins come into the picture? Does he still attempt to woo one of the Bennet sisters? With Jane assumed to be courting Bingley and Lizzie now a boy, that makes Mary the obvious target. The book straight up says that Mary might have been persuaded to marry him if he could be pushed in her direction, and since Mr. Collins was fine going for the "plain" Charlotte just because she paid attention to him, he would have no problem going for Mary if she did the same. And Mary had a higher opinion of Mr. Collins than the rest of them did. What's more, without an estate coming his way, would Mr. Collins have had any appeal for Charlotte? This is something that has to be taken into account! It changes everything! 7. And this is all just off my head. The balls, the behavior of Bingley's sisters, Georgianna's admiration for Lizzie, Lizzie's relationships with Lady Catherine, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and Charlotte, the entire visit to Mr. Collins, all of that has to be reconsidered in a whole new context if the Bennets' second child is a boy. 8. And finally... is Mrs. Bennet going to be just as gung-ho about getting her son married off as her daughters? Her son will be provided for regardless, and his wife will be her successor in Longbourne. There is a chance she will outlive her husband (she certainly assumes so in the book) and when her son is master of Longbourne, she will be expected to make way for her daughter-in-law as the new mistress. This was offensive to her when Charlotte was destined to succeed her and she would be turned out, but how would she feel if she were still to live in her home as her son's widowed mother, and his wife is now the mistress of said home? Would she be discouraging her son from marrying until she were gone, or would she still be pushing him? What would be her standards? How does this change their relationship? I want to think about these things! I want to speculate and possibly even read a well-written story about them! I want other people to point out things I haven't thought of or don't have knowledge or context regarding!

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colony22games · 3 years

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NON-LIVEPLAY GAMES, MARCH 2163 - ‘Double Trouble’

OBJECTIVE: “DOUBLE TROUBLE” is a LAST TWO STANDING, ‘Hunger Games’ style game and will commence at sunrise. Survivors will begin the game as every individual for themselves, at the edge of the gaming grounds. When the starting horn sounds, survivors may choose to take a chance at The Hoard for weapons and resources, or head straight for the woods. Forming alliances is recommended, but remember, alliances are temporary and can change.

TEAMS: None. 1 vs. All, Personal Alliances only.

WEAPONS: This game will include ALL COLONY-APPROVED TRAINING WEAPONRY. Players begin the game without arms, but may obtain them at The Hoard or at hidden caches around the gaming grounds.

*HIT LIMIT: 1 *KILL LIMIT: 1

KILL PROTOCOL: SURRENDER; Participants who reach Kill Limit are immediately eliminated and must report back to the games staging area.

ADDITIONAL RULES AND INFO:

⚒The game will commence in a clearing at the edge of the gaming grounds, with the treeline ahead (NE). In the clearing, to the SE, will be The Hoard, a large resource and weapon supply. At the start of play, participants may choose to run for it first, or bypass it and head to safety.

⚒Personal alliances may consist of 2 to 5 participants from any house. They must never exceed 5 players. Alliances are based on an honour system; there are no official rules against targeting an ally.

⚒’Sponsor Kits’ can be found hidden throughout the grounds. If an individual receives a hit but has a Sponsor Kit, they may use it to remain in the game. Sponsor Kits are metal cylinders about ten inches long and 3 inches in diameter, and contain a cloth bandage which can be tied at or around the point of the recent hit. Sponsor Kits are one time use only; when the seal is broken, a vial of dye will shatter and soak into the white bandage to indicate its use.

⚒The winning pair may be from the same house, or different houses. Throughout the game, an individual’s achieved kills earn points towards their respective houses, and the winners will get to keep these for their house, plus an extra 250 points. In the case of winners from two different houses, both houses will receive their respective earned house points, plus 250 for the win.

⚒All PDD messaging capabilities have been disabled for the Games. They function only to receive notifications.

CHECK BELOW THE CUT FOR GAME RESULTS AND HIGHLIGHT SUMMARY!

“Bloodbath” - the First Hour

When the horn blares, about half the games participants head straight for the cover of the trees, while the others book it to The Hoard: the huge weapons stash in the clearing. Charlie Essex and JR are among this group. JR gets there first, quickly holstering two handguns, and is about to go for some grenades, when Charlie waves at him with a supply backpack in hand and they both run off. It’s not until they get deeper into the gaming grounds that they realize Charlie’s ‘bag of supplies’ is woefully empty.

Back at the weapon stash, it’s still pandemonium. Draco Pavlović gives Mei Zhu Fitrei a bloody nose in a scuffle over a sniper gun. Alexander Donovan finds Annie Perrault hyperventilating behind a weapons rack, white knuckling a bow. He shoves a quiver into her hands and tells her to run, watching her back as she nervously complies. Meanwhile, Felix Turner and Rosalind Stein nearly collide going for the same bag of supplies. Rose is confident she can easily overpower Felix, until he starts literally shrieking like a maniacal banshee. His wordless wail makes for such an alarming scene, that she opts just to retreat.

Underdogs, Constantin Lupei and Adrien Bennett decide they’ll start off the hour strong, and team up to ambush the next pair of people they see… which turn out to be Mei Zhu and Alex. This backfires dramatically, and Costin and Ajay are among the first half dozen players eliminated. Angel Thorne follows suit when he decides to simply walk off the gaming grounds. He is immediately disqualified.

“All for One…” - Hour 2

Hour two is the time to start forming alliances. Lake Valentine is travelling with Lissy McCall and Annie Perrault, but he dooms them all when he accidentally sets off an InertiaShell. They are all caught in the red vapour and slowed to a crawl. Annie passes out from the effects of the grenade and her usual exhaustion and while trying to wake her, Lissy and Lake become very easy targets when they get attacked by Caelan Whitmer and Arvo Covey. Annie, Lissy and Lake are all eliminated.

Roy Walters hasn’t come across anyone he trusts to team up with, so resolves to lay low. He manages to steal a Sponsor Kit from Mitch Douglas when the elite isn’t looking, and then camouflages himself into some bushes. Meanwhile, Petra Starr convinces a handgun wielding Teilo Aisling not to shoot her, only to shoot him with his own weapon as soon as he agrees to the alliance. Orson Hurst, Maisie Pace, Mason Quinley and Mira Sigar come together to form an only slightly more promising lineup.

Rosalind is fashioning an illegal slingshot up in a tree when she spots wifey Josephine Parker and quickly pairs up with her. As for Charlie and JR, despite their slightly disappointing start, they’ve stuck together and take out Emmanuel Trent as their first victim.

“Acclimating” - Hour 3

Bode Lindqvist has kept to himself but has proven resourceful. He is well armed and has already found a couple of Sponsor Kits. When Koda Payne and Clayton Boyd attack him with ranged weapons, he manages to evade them and escape unscathed. Orson is much less lucky, when he is briefly separated from his group and finds a stash of grenades that apparently Dylan Meir had also had her eye on. Orson grabs a couple tilt grenades, but his nerve-damaged hands spasm, and he drops one, setting it off. With Orson briefly incapacitated by the blue vapour, Dylan has plenty of time to shoot him with an arrow, grab the rest of the grenades, and take off. Nearby, another woman is kicking some nerd-boy ass; Charlotte Williams effortlessly picks off Kip, acquiring his Sponsor Kits.

Koda and Clay try again to make an impact: they sneak up on JR and Charlie in the woods, only this time, they’ve thought it through and have set up traps in the area. They even manage to take out JR with a well-aimed arrow. Charlie then chases both Koda and Clay, firing his handgun as he goes. He eliminates Koda with a stim in the back, then lets off a wayward shot just as he bulldozes into one of the traps and falls to the ground. The weapon skids across the forest floor, but the last shot has caught Clay in the shoulder. Fortunately, the Delma has a Sponsor kit, which he uses to survive. He doesn’t have to go it on his own too long, however, as he runs into Corbin Ealy, who’s trying to evade a prowling Kaiser Bahr. They hide together (because fuck that noise), then decide to team up.

Left alone after Kip’s elimination, Arvo stumbles across Enoch Lynch, while he is caught in hand to hand combat with Paxton Semenyuk, and steps in to help. She and Enoch form a new alliance (which we’d like to coin ‘NET’: Newbie Elite Transfers). Alois Van Asch, on the other hand, is a bit slow on the uptake, and has been wandering the grounds somewhat aimlessly, enjoying the (mostly) quiet of the woods. At one point he is spotted just gazing at the sky.

“Imprudent Behaviour” - Hour 4

Fate, never a kind mistress, soon interferes with Bode’s chances. While he is distracted by an unfortunate issue with his hearing aids, Jo and Rosalind steal the weapons he’d set down and make a break for it. As they run, however, they encounter Dante Carrington; true to form, the Good Doctor puts rules first and disqualifies Rosalind for the illegal slingshot in her grasp. This is witnessed by Corbin and Clay, who were drawn in by the kerfuffle. Corbin reckons it would be hilarious to orchestrate an ambush against Colony 22’s biggest Tight Ass, and with Bode still nearby, it’d be like ‘taking biscuits from a baby’. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much convincing, and the three of them take Dante out without any issue.

Meanwhile, Draco climbs high up into the branches of a tree, seeking a moment to formulate a plan. Aurelia Ferris chooses this particularly inopportune time to walk by, and she doesn’t even see who shot her. Diederick D’Mornay, the perpetual gentleman, spots Anaya Dolman with a Sponsor Kit and doesn’t have any trouble liberating it from her. Emboldened by his success, he gives chase to a couple of other totally threatening Calysets: Mira and Maisie. In his hasty pursuit, he loses his footing and face-plants on the forest floor.

Unlike Ricky, Petra Starr has a little moral fortitude. Alois has grown excruciatingly bored of the Games and asks Petra, (who has now paired up with housemate, Dylan) to just shoot him so he can go the fuck back inside and sleep; obviously this wouldn’t be the same as earning an elimination and would basically be cheating, so Petra declines.

After his temporary alliance with Clay and Corbin, Bode decides to roam alone again, which backfires when Madison Vega eliminates him quickly with a sniper. Persephone Evans and her bleeding heart take a moment to tend to a small injury Cambie Andrews has sustained, but they have to run when they spot Clove Modius and Benji Imes approaching.

“Homestretch” - Hour 5

It’s the final countdown and about halfway through the fifth hour, we’re left with eight tiring finalists. Of these eight, seven of them are in two different alliances. The first such alliance is made up of Torren ladies, Ada Woollacott, Petra Starr, Dylan Meir and Charlotte Williams. The second is a group of egomaniac loudmouths: Corbin Ealy, Draco Pavlović and Diederick D’Mornay. Madison Vega is the eighth finalist, currently remaining a one-woman operation.

Catching a glimpse of Charlotte through the trees, Draco splits off from his group to chase after her, ignoring the protests from his allies. He proves himself rather too big for his boots when he catches up with Charlotte to find her not alone at all, and the team of girls take him out, Charlotte’s Angels style. Nearby and hearing the shouts, Maddie is so caught up watching her back that she steps right into a snare set hours before by Roy. With no one to come to her rescue, it’s endgame for her, too.

But time is running out, so the Charlie’s Angels gang decide to pair off to cover more ground. Petra finds Ricky vulnerable while he does a damage check from his earlier painful fall, and gets him in the back with a stim, while Charlotte manages to catch Corbin similarly unaware. Just like that, the prideful Delmas are out of the running. But while Charlotte and Petra were away steamrolling the Delma boys, Ada had immediately turned traitor, submitting Dylan with a pair of chameleons around her neck.

So naturally, when what’s left of Ada’s allies return, Ada is on the offensive. There can only be two winners, and Ada wants to make sure she’s one of them. Unfortunately for her, feral strength won’t be enough this time; she launches herself at Petra and Charlotte but is overpowered by their exceptional teamwork and clear heads. Moments later, the victory horn sounds: Charlotte and Petra have officially become an unlikely pair of winners. Between Charlotte’s congenital heart defect and Petra’s only recently recovered ankle injury, it is a victory hard-earned and well-deserved.

WINNERS CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS & PETRA STARR

FINAL STANDINGS Torren: 525 pts | Brink: 275 pts | Delma: 250 pts | Calyset:250 pts

POINTS AWARDED 725 pts to TORREN HOUSE

ELIMINATION TALLY*

*Please note that though we included a small handful of NPCs in the games generator, we did not include them all, so there would obviously be plenty of other participants whose eliminations are not established in this list. It can be assumed that many of these would have fallen in the first hour or two, though of course not all. If you need any NPCs for any further plotting or head canons for the games, you may reference any listed open characters/NPCs from the dorms list who fit your idea, or you may use a nameless NPC. If you are unsure, do not be afraid to reach out!

In no particular order:

Hour 1: Constantin Lupei, Adrien Bennett, Siddhartha Jha, Angel Thorne

Hour 2: Annie Perrault, Lissy McCall, Lake Valentine, Teilo Aisling, Emmanuel Trent

Hour 3: Mitch Douglas, Orson Hurst, Caelan Whitmer, Roy Walters, JR, Koda Payne, Felix Turner, Paxton Semenyuk, Andreya Roche, Xavier Crane

Hour 4: Kaiser Bahr, Rosalind Stein, Dante Carrington, Enoch Lynch, Aurelia Ferris, Mason Quinley, Anaya Dolmen, Maisie Pace, Charlie Essex, Bode Lindqvist, Arvo Covery, Alois Van Asch, Mira Sigar, Alexander Donovan, Mei Zhu Fitrei

Hour 5: Josephine Parker, Cambie Andrews, Clayton Boyd, Benji Imes, Clove Modius, Persephone Evans, Draco Pavlović, Madison Vega, Diederick D’Mornay, Corbin Ealy, Dylan Meir, Ada Woollacott

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR MEMBERS AND TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE COL22GAMES, MARCH, 2163!

The timeline has now moved forward to the 4th week of March. If you need more information on the these non-liveplay games and how to move forward with plotting, check out this post.

#col22games #nlpgames #double trouble #post apocalypse rp #literate rp

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hklunethewriter · 4 years

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But seriously, why do I never hear about Irene Iddesleigh around the Internet? It’s practically The Room of late Victorian literature! I have to tell y'all about this book. See here:

Got published because Amanda McKittrick Ros’s (the author’s) doting husband paid for it, but not for the “I want to have more control over publication/don’t need the traditional system” reasons—no, she simply thought her writing was too amazing for that

Mark Twain called it “one of the greatest unintentionally humorous novels of our time”

C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien would deadass have reading parties where whoever could go the longest without laughing won

“Hope is like a shimmering oaken ship on the turbulent seas of discord, fear, and impertinence, cast by the hollow winds of despair. The sun’s rays of goodness and victory tumble down from the heavens, but lo! The clouds of uncertainty beat them back as though"—ALMOST EVERY PARAGRAPH IS LIKE THIS. Metaphors and similes and alliterations and melodrama is the entire book.

a humorist from that era named Barry Pain (lmao) called it the book of the century. At first he found it funny, but then apparently he “shrank before it in tears and terror”

When Ros read what Pain said, she called him a “clay crab of corruption” and then claimed he did it because he was secretly in love with her (my gosh. her mind)

And for all that, it’s not even just the outrageously

🌌 purple prose 🌌

that’s the whole issue here. The plot is basically just

Act I: I’m going to willingly marry a man I hate, and I hate him because he isn’t my secret lover >:(

Act II: I hate him even more each day but we have a kid, oh and I’m having an emotional affair with my secret lover

Act III: husband discovers affair and locked me in a “cursed” room for a year (Charlotte Brontë is literally shaking) but I escape to America with my lover. Huh? I have a child? Never heard of him

Act IV: I somehow legally marry my lover in America and will live there the next fifteen years, but whoops! Suddenly he’s super bad with money and also a drunk and abuser and hits me and then dies by suicide

Act V: I go back to England. Nobody recognizes me even though I’m, like, 35, but they all hate my guts and love my dead husband. My son got the whole story from his dad and hates me the most. I’m sad. I walk to a cottage my lover used to use and literally drop dead. The end

So if you’re looking for something ridiculous to read and be entertained by, I can heartily recommend Irene Iddesleigh. It’s about 100 pages, so it isn’t a slog (somehow)—I read it in an afternoon. You can read it storybook style here or find it over at Project Gutenberg. It’s what Tolkien and Lewis would want.

In case you aren’t convinced yet, though, allow me to show you.

Until now he was inclined to be prejudiced against the snares and allurements of women, but he strongly resolved to try gradually and abandon every unkind thought harboured in his mind against them, fearing lest all his conjured imaginations were both unjust and selfish; and determined to drown them for ever in the clashing gulf of fate, felt a prouder and happier mortal than before.

But time would solve the problem and heal the wound which penetrated so deeply his bosom. Yea, a short time he hoped would bring his creeping fever of endearment under the binding stay of appointed authority, and heal its weakening effects with the sacred salve of truth.

Aka “my long-worn misogyny has just been reversed by a pretty woman”

Great

Chapter IV: When on the eve of glory, whilst brooding over the prospects of a bright and happy future, whilst meditating upon the risky right of justice, there we remain, wanderers on the cloudy surface of mental woe, disappointment and danger, inhabitants of the grim sphere of anticipated imagery, partakers of the poisonous dregs of concocted injustice. Yet such is life.

Chapter VIII: A word of warning tends to great advantage when issued reverently from the lips of the estimable. It serves to allay the danger pending on reticence, and substantiates in a measure the confidence which has hitherto existed between the parties concerned. Again, a judicious advice, extended to the stubborn and self-willed, proves futile, and incurs the further malice and fiery indignation of the regardless, the reckless, and the uncharitable.

Chapter XIII: It is astounding to view the smallest article through a magnifying glass; how large and lustrous an atom of silver appears; how fat and fair the withered finger seems; how monstrously mighty an orange; how immeasurably great the football of youth; but these are as nought when the naked eye beholds the boulder of barred strength—a mountain of mystery.

Every chapter has a paragraph like this. I won’t spoil them for you.

Such is life.

“My dearest and much beloved, I assure you your remarks have astounded me not a little! Your words sting like a wasp, though, I am quite convinced, unintentionally. You are well aware that within a short period I will be marked out publicly as mistress of Dunfern mansion—an honour revered in every respect by me; an honour to which I at one time dare never aspire; an honour coveted by many much more worthy than I, whose parentage is as yet bathed in the ocean of oblivious ostentation, until some future day, when I trust it shall stand out boldly upon the brink of disclosure to dry its saturated form and watery wear with the heat of equality. You are about to place me in a position which cannot fail to wring from jealousy and covetousness their flaming torch of abuse. Yes, Sir John, on me you have not ceased to lavish every available treasure and token of your unbounded love. You have been to me not only a loyal admirer, but a thoroughly upright and estimable example of life’s purest treasures. You have resolved to place me by your side as your equal, whilst wealth in boundless store is thirsting for your touch. You have elevated my unknown position to such a pitch as to defy taunt or jeer, and at any time if I may have, seemingly, ignored your advances, it was purely want of thought, and not through any underhand motive or scheme whatever.

“I assure you your allusion to my verbal answer last night is very pronounced, and may be overlooked on the ground of pure disappointment. Our time of singleness is now short, and begging your forgiveness for my seeming neglect or indifference, I hope the tide, which until now has flown so gently, may not be stayed on the eve of entering the harbour of harmony, peace, and love.”

At the commencement of Irene’s answer of lavishing praises and flimsy apologies, her affianced moved to the opposite corner of the rustic building to scan the features of her he wholly worshipped and reluctantly doubted. Every sentence the able and beautiful girl uttered caused Sir John to shift his apparently uncomfortable person nearer and nearer, watching at the same time minutely the divine picture of innocence, until at last, when her reply was ended, he found himself, altogether unconsciously, clasping her to his bosom, whilst the ruby rims which so recently proclaimed accusations and innocence met with unearthly sweetness, chasing every fault over the hills of doubt, until hidden in the hollow of immediate hate.

Ros is so close to being self-aware at the start of the last paragraph here, but then it’s lost in the same circular language found throughout. Ah, well.

#reading #books #Irene Iddesleigh #booklr #bookblr

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ducavalentinos · 4 years

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Hello ! Could you tell me facts about the life of Cesare Borgia? Thaanks.

So, I really wanted to make this a short list with basic facts, but somehow it ended up becoming a longer, detailed list with my favorites facts alongside facts that aren’t very well known or mentioned, here it goes: - Cesare received an outstanding, carefully planned education. He was brought up at Rome by private tutors until the age of twelve, in 1489 he left Rome to attend La Sapienza of Perugia, where he studied the foundations of law and the humanities, being placed under the charge of the preceptor Giovanni Vera of Archilla, to whom btw, he remained warmly attached until Vera’s death in 1503. In 1491 he continued his studies in Civil and Canon law at the University of Pisa, attending the lectures of Filippo Decio, one of most rated lecturer on canon law of his day. There he also became more acquainted with the Medici family, through Lorenzo de’ Medici sons: Giovanni de’ Medici and his brother Piero. - Paolo Pompilio, a Spanish scholar, dedicated his treatise on verse-writing, the Syllabica, to Cesare, where he praised him as ‘Borgiae familiae spes et decus’ (the hope and ornament of the House of Borgia). - His father, as Cardinal and Vice-Chancellor, invested a long list of benefices upon him, to name only a few: when he was seven years old, pope Sixtus IV conferred upon him a prebend of the cathedral’s chapter of Valencia. In 1483 he received the title of rector of Gandia and archdeacon of Játiva. Later on, with pope Innocent VIII he was granted the position of treasurer of Mallorca’s cathedral, following that of canon of Lérida, Archdeacon of Tarragona and then treasurer of Cartagena’s cathedral. By 1491, Innocent at last granted him the bishopric of Pamplona. - He learned the art of bullfighting from the Spanish members of his father’s court and it became one of his life passions. Whether in Rome or in the Romagna, at any celebration, there was almost always a bullfight and he was almost always participating himself. - He also loved hunting, so he was always looking for good hunting dogs and falcons. On May 28th, 1497 he even sent one of his men, Enrico, to Germany to request from the Archbishop of Mainz some “well-trained and sagacious hunting dogs; their quality to be more important than their number.” - He was the first person in the history of the Church to resign the cardinalate, eventually becoming commander of the Papal armies. - He was briefly hostage of the Colonna during the conflicts of the French Invasion in 1494, and later on hostage of the king of France, Charles VIII. Although that time, he escaped their camp at Velletri, with the help of a man named Francesco del Sacco, officer of the Podestà of Velletri, who was waiting for him with a horse. Cesare sped back to Rome going to the house of one Antonio Flores, where he stayed for a night and informed his father of his presence. The next day, he withdrew to the city of Spoleto, and remained there until matters cooled off. - In 1497, a sword was forged for Cesare, known as “the queen of swords”, for his visit to Naples as papal legate, to crown the new king, Frederick of Naples. Its design was attributed to many artists including Michaelangelo, but it is more likely that the artist was Pinturicchio. And the blacksmith/sword engraver was Salomone da Sesso (c. 1465- c.1504–21) who after his conversion to Christianity assumed the name of Ercole dei Fedeli. (more details about the sword here x) - Cesare appeared wearing a horned mask in the guise of a unicorn during a theatrical performance, in one of the many festivities held in honor of his sister Lucrezia’s second wedding. Unicorn are known symbols of female chastity, possibly a reference to Lucrezia and her wedding night, but it also shows off Cesare’s own sense of humour, since it was well known to all present that he was anything but a chaste man lol. And the unicorn horn, according to a Greek physician had the ability of protecting people from sickness and neutralizing poison, which could have been another humourous remark from Cesare in reference to his family’s reputation of using poison to dispose of their enemies. - His best known mistress was Fiammetta Michaelis, she was a cultured courtesan from Florence, but who lived in Rome since 1473 most likely. Her relationship with Cesare was such that even after his death in 1507, she continued to sign herself as Fiammetta Ducis Valentini (of the duke Valentino). And her will in the city archives was headed ‘The Testament of La Fiammetta of Il Valentino.” - On May 10, 1499, he married Charlotte d’Albret, and before his departure from France he appointed her governor and administrator of all his lands and lorships in France and Dauphiny. He also made her heiress to all his moveable possessions in the event of his death (a little more about that here x). On December 1501, he personally selected precious gifts to be sent to her acquired from Venice. It included moulded wax, white sweetmeats, fine sugars, syrups, nine barrels of Malvoisie, oriental spices, oranges and lemons and all kinds of cloths. - Under his patronage, the first printing press of any importance was established in Italy. It was set up at Fano by Girolamo Sancino in 1501. One of the earliest works was the printing of the Statutes of Fano for the first time in January 1502. - About his administration staff, also in the year of 1501, we know he had a beautiful young woman from Bologna named Jovanna, working for him in his chancery. She’s described as a “degnissma scriptora”, she wrote letters and maybe did other secretarial duties as well for 14 ducats. - Whether it was treachery or a legit, reasonable move against Guidobaldo's own plans of treachery against him, the fact is that Cesare acquired Urbino without bloodshed in any of the towns, in a brilliant coup that amazed the whole of Italy (and terrified the nobility lol). While leaving a military contingent at Camerino, Cesare road north through the Apennines, between Nocera and Urbino he covered more or less sixty miles in forty-eight hours with a mixed force of 2.000 men. Before anyone else knew, he had already took Cagli, inside the Duchy of Urbino. Simultaneously, two other points were taken too, Montevecchio and San Lorenzo. Di Naldo, one of Cesare’s captains came from the east. These three armies converged towards the capital of Urbino then, where they met with the castilian and the garrison was rendered by him. A few hours later Cesare himself entered the city without any resistence. - The famous Sleeping Cupid by Michelangelo that Cesare gifted it to Isabella d’Este when he took Urbino in 1502 had a history together. He had previously been the owner of this piece. Cardinal Riario Sforza bought in 1496, but apparently when he found out that the piece was a modern piece and not an antique, he didn’t wanted it anymore, so it was displayed across the street of Cesare’s palace and he bought before the end of the year and later on send it as a gift to Guidobaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. - A popular canzona of the time, Donna contra la mia Voglia by Filippo de Lurano (c.1470-c.1520) was Cesare’s favorite song. (There is an excellent version of it too by conductor and composer Jordi Savall). - As another step to secure the unity of the Romagna, Cesare did a reform in legal administration of great importance, he established a supreme Court of Appeal, named the Rota, influenced by the famous Court of the Vatican with the same name. He appointed as The First President, a newly created office, to Antonio di Monte Sansovino, a distinguished jurist with high integrity, and who was universally beloved. This Appeal Court sat in the seven main cities of the Romagna: Fano, Pesaro, Rimini, Cesena, Faenza, Forlì and Imola. If it was necessary, this Court would sit for as much as two months. All expenses were met by a payment from each of these judicial circuits of 200 ducats per annum. - In October 1500 Pinturicchio wrote to Cesare asking for the grant of a well to be put in one of the lands pope Alexander VI had bestow on him and his descendents at Chiusi, a city in the province of Siena, but near Perugia. Pinturicchio went himself to see Cesare at Diruta to request for all the necessary permission. Cesare issued a letter to Alfano Alfani, vice-treasurer of Perugia, making the request and saying that: “he had again taken to his service Bernardino Pinturicchio of Perosa, whom he always loved because his talent and gifts; and he desires that in all things he should be considered as ‘one of ours.” This initial request wasn’t honored so Cesare wrote again to this Alfani reinforcing his wish to be granted within that year. In 1501, Pinturicchio was given an annual payment as Cesare’s personal painter as well. - Cesare hired Leonardo da Vinci as a military architect and engineer in the spring of 1501, he entrusted him with all sorts of projects, in Cesena for example he asked that Da Vinci planned a new quarter of the city with wilder streets, sidewalks, parks, and a functioning sewage system and many other improvements. He also issued papers from the city’s headquarters for the construction in Cesena of a new university building, a palace to house the Rota. - Cesare also commissioned Da Vinci to work on an alterpiece, that is now lost unfortunately, at the Santuario della Beata Vergine del Piratello, outside of Imola. Some scholars agree that Da Vinci at the very least begun this painting, but it was not finished by him. There are some sketches he made that are called: Three views of a bearded man and it’s generally accepted to be Cesare, in what might have become a portrait of him in this alterpiece. - Right after he conquered a city, it was Cesare’s policy to issue a stem proclamation against plunder, guaranteed the property of the citizens. At Forlì he took measures to safeguard the convents, listening to all complaints of ill-treatment or robbery at the hands of the soldiery. On December 7, 1500, he hanged from the windows of his headquarters, two of his own men, a Piedmontese and a Gascon soldier, who had disobeyed his orders against plunder in the town. On the 13th of the same month, other offenders followed the same fate as the first two, which showed his zeal and the level of his commitment for the interests of his Forlivesi subjects. - At Cesena, as in other places in the Romagna, that same policy was applied, the usual disorder was put to an end, and civic automony was fully restored, along with the suppresion of aristocratic feuds, which resulted on econonical security and internal peace. - During the conquest of Faenza, the only city where Cesare met a true resistance, he retired to Cesena through the winter months while the siege kept going there. One night, he was walking around the city when he found a baby girl abandoned in the street, he commanded the baby to be nursed, and settled an ample dowry on the baby’s mother until she was of marriageable age. Afterwards, when the father refused to acknowledge the girl as his own, Cesare himself acknowledged the girl and she was baptized that day. - On March 29, 1501, when he was informed of Beatrice of Naples arrival at Cesenatico, twice Queen of Hungary and of Bohemia, and sister of Frederick of Naples, he send off his staff to greet her and to present her with a 'royal gift'. He ordered his lieutenants to honor her in every city in the Romagna and the Marche region, where she made her way back to Naples. - On 1502, Cesare and his father, Rodrigo went on a boat trip to Piombino and the island of Elba so that Rodrigo could officially take possession of these territories Cesare had recently conquered. Everything went smoothly, and they were on their way back when a violent storm began, hitting them hard. During 5 days they wandered aimlessly. Everyone, but Rodrigo, were quite anxious and scared. At the second day, the crew saw an English ship, and Cesare proposed to go to this boat to request for help, but Rodrigo refused, not wanting to request help from strangers. Eventually they made it back ashore, but it was a close call there for them for awhile. - After the masterstroke at Senigallia, where he successfully arrested his conspiring condottiere, the city was in total confusion, and a part of Cesare’s infantry were starting to sack the city, so Cesare in full armour and on horseback gave orders for his men to stop the sacking immediately, he then gathered some of his captains and went about the city streets putting a stop to the abuses that were starting to happen, some soldiers however, refused to obey his orders, and they were promptly executed there for their disobedience. - On 25 October, 1506 he managed to escape the Castle of La Mota, in Spain, a fortress that at that time worked as State prison, of maximum security, and where he was imprisoned. With the collaboration of his chaplain, and a servant of the governor's, named Garcia, along with the outside help from Count of Benavente, a powerful lord from the neighbourhood, who visited him regularly, he managed to climb down the 40 meter high tower with a rope, and if memory doesn't fail me, he was the only prisoner to have ever managed to escape this prison lool.

#anon ask #ask answered #cesare borgia #césar borgia #house borgia #historical facts #a few of these facts are only found in cesare italian bios #(alvisi and sacerdote)#and some of them are not found in any biography about him at all #if the internet wasn't a thing #and if i wasn't so curious and obsessed #i'd have died without ever knowing about it basically djsdjsjd #and i find that unacceptable and it shows how his own biographers tend to ignore a lot of interesting details about his life #bc they are usually stuck on this same ridiculous formula of presenting him #and some of these info doesn't fit in the general profile they like to present him as nor with their narratives #so it's mostly ignored by the vast majority of them #anyways idk if that was what you wanted anon #but i hope you like it!#it was fun to make it #<3

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