#court gentry art

[comasuart]

Six

twitter: comasuart

[firstaidspray]

Ryan Gosling characters as Sanrio characters, peer reviewed by members of the Goose Groupies discord 🩵

[jayddiee]

Reminded me so much of six 😭

[sunvmars]

｡･ﾟ･ღ¸.✻´ fic masterlist `✻.¸ღ･ﾟ･｡

*navigation/directory | request box | taglist | old masterlist

-updated: 01/15/24

-writing and taking requests for marvel, bullet train, the gray man, stranger things

✮ smut | ♡ fluff | ❄ angst | ❀ general romance | ☽ misc.

Bucky Barnes

one-shots:

stars around my scars ♡ ❀

during a day off, you and bucky reminisce about how you met and your past experiences.

sunshine ♡ ❀

you and bucky host a get-together for the team, an expected surprise causes you to confide in steve.

you showed me how ♡ ❀

bucky was never one for love, unsure he was even capable of it- but then there’s you.

Steve Rogers

one-shots:

tangled ♡ ✮

(archived for revision)

honeybee ♡ ✮ ❀

steve knows everything about you, his best friend, and he strives to make you happy. you make the first move and steve wants to learn how to please you in other ways.

sunday morning ♡ ❀

a rainy day ruins your date plans, so steve brings the date to you.

if i could give you the moon ♡ ✮ ❄ ☽

your relationship with steve is nothing more than a string of lies and promises in a hearty affair.

only you ♡ ❀ ❄ ☽

on a night out with the team, only shortly after you and steve’s breakup, you end up drinking a little too much and refuse to go home with anyone but steve.

afterglow

01/20/24-01/27/24

two-shots:

01. fireworks ❀

everyone but you and steve realize you like each other.

02. sparks ♡ ✮ ❀

 just steve fulfilling his craving of you.

01. a quiet hue ♡ ❀ ☽

during an extreme case of art block, you meet steve on your apartment's rooftop. he helps cure your blocked creative flow, and sparks something else along the way.

02. a brighter hue ♡ ✮ ❀

you and steve go on a date, deepening your connection in ways you couldn't have even dreamed of. (01/20/24-01/25/24)

wip series:

bitter sweet series you've grown to resent steve after he breaks up with you and you give him the cold shoulder for weeks. you soon discover you're pregnant and show back up on his doorstep to tell him the news. he tells you the real reason for his leaving forcing both of you to work together and cooperate. will things go back to how they were, or is it forever unfixable?

01. bitter sweet ❄

02. sour ♡ ❄

03. tart ❄

04. citrus ♡ ❄

05. sickeningly sweet ❀ ♡

06-1. as sweet as cake ♡ ✮ ❀

06. fresh start ♡ ❀ ☽

rogue series

01. rogue

timeweaver (mini-series)

01. coming soon

Wade Wilson

one-shots:

i love you, wade wilson ♡ ❀

a simple, lazy weekend with wade. (coming soon)

Billy Hargrove

one-shots:

remember ❄ ♡ ❀

billy's first and only love returns

you're so good ♡ ✮ ❄

you and billy connect, forming a close bond.

Steve Harrington

one-shots:

i missed you ♡

{steve confesses after nancy leaves}

Tangerine

one-shots:

kyoto ✮ ❀

tan stumbles (literally) upon you on the way to kyoto

Ladybug

coming soon

Six/Court Gentry

coming soon

Lloyd Hansen

coming soon

[elsewhereuniversity]

A culinary arts/Art double major with many cats and many names. Often stays away from the gentry and human alike but has made contact with the gentry before, offering milk and honey in exchange for her dreams. Many self-done paintings of things, among them a crumbled tower and a waterfall. Autistic with a very delicate sense of touch. How does she fare at Elsewhere, darling Archivist.

The first time you found your way Underhill, you took the trees of brass and bronze and gold as statues, a cold facsimile of life that would be laughable if it weren’t so beautiful. But November rolls around, and the color drains from the world as if someone has pulled the plug on a bath. You are left with silver bark and iron grey skies and a carpet of copper leaves. A world that seems at times almost inorganic in its austerity; forged rather than grown. It is some time before you find your way back to the Autumn Court, but you often find yourself thinking of the jewelled forest, and the love that went into it - not as a replica of life, but as a portrait of autumn’s final days. When next you walk below those unmoving boughs, it is with a reverence that sets you apart from your peers, who arrive brash and bright and still flush with summer’s warmth.

[racefortheironthrone]

A Guildsman Goes Forth to War, Inciting Event and Main Characters

Inciting Event:

The city of Brugghe is one of the largest and richest in all of Europe. It is a center of vertically- and horizontally-integrated textile production in wool, cotton, linen, and silk, and the people wear their reputation on their richly-dyed, patterned, and embroidered backs. As the northernmost of the cloth fairs that stretch all the way from Gallia to the southernmost reaches of the ancient Kingdom of Lotharingia), and the confluence of the North Sea and the Rhine, Brugghe is a natural entrepôt between the merchants of the Hansa and the commercial republics of the Lega, and thus one of the leading financial centers on the Continent.

A bustling cosmopolis of two hundred thousand souls, with a lively Foreign Quarter representing merchants and bankers from Portugal and the Basques to a half-dozen Lega republics to representatives of the Sublime Porte. In Brugghe, even the poorest and least educated rural migrants are bilingual (even if they insist on speaking only Gallician or Imperial), a respectable burgher is expected to speak at least four, and a man is considered educated only if he speaks six. A center of the printing trade (and thanks to its dyeing industry, a lively art scene), it is an unusually literate city, only more so thanks to the recently-established University.

For the last thirty years, the city has been ruled by the tolerant but firm hand of Baron Froederick van Zonder Vrees, although for the last ten the day-to-day governance has been conducted in his name by his significantly younger wife due to a long and lingering illness that has forced the Baron to a sickbed and (accoridng to reports) to his deathbed. Although by all reports a loving and capable partnership, the Baron and Baronness are childless. If the Baron should pass, what shall become of Brugghe?

Main Characters:

Margrit van Zonder Vrees (née Marguerite de Corbenic), Baronness of Brugghe

The daughter of a noble family from Brittany (with extended ties to Cornwall and south Wales) with a strong Gentry heritage of elfkind, Margrit (or Marguerite, depending on whether she's speaking in Gallician or Imperial) was sent to the Burgundian court following a romantic indescretion in her youth, where she became one of the court beauties and a poetess beside, reknowned for the strength of her Glamour and wit alike.

At the age of twenty, she was married to the significantly older Froederick van Zonder Vrees as part of diplomatic efforts to maintain Gallician/Imperial harmony in the Low Countries. Despite the age gap between the two, Froederick came to respect his bride's surprisingly well-educated mind and supported her patronage of the newly-founded University and the city's cultural industries, while Margrit came to admire her husband's commitment to light-handed and tolerant governance that had seen Brugghe reach heights of prosperity that it had not seen since the collapse of the Flemish revolt.

When Froederick began to fall ill, Margrit smoothly gained influence within the Baronial Council of State that governed the city until she became the Regent in all but name. At the outset of A Guildsman Goes Forth to War, Marguerite's dilemma is that she has no child to pass the title to upon her husband's death - and due to the complicated mix of family intermarriages, there will be claimants from both the Kingdom of Gallia and the Sacrum Imperium.

[Need to find a good picture]

Ludovico "Malasangue," Captain-General of the Bonafortuna Mercenary and Insurance Company, graduate of the University of Padua, and guildsman of the Arte dei Giudici e Notai of Florentia.

The younger son of the Bilancia banking family, Ludovico was the subject of considerable scandal, for from birth it was quite clear that he was Gentry-born of some rare and unknown lineage, while neither his mother nor his father had any such connexions. A brawler of violent temper, Ludovico was packed off to Padua by his decidely chilly and aloof father to avoid embarrassment - and to ensure that he would have a career that would avoid any interference with his older (some would say "legitimate") brother's inheritance of the family business.

The curriculum at the great university of the hills seemed to calm the intemperate youth and Ludo proved to be quite adept at both the Old Learning of the trivium et quadrivium, the New Learning of the studia humanitatis, and his chosen degree in Law. It was widely expected that, upon his graduation and return to the city of his birth, he would take up a respectable and conventional career in the leading Arti Maggiori. Thus, it came as something of a surprise when instead Ludovico and some of his university friends announced the formation of a new kind of mercenary company.

The Bonafortuna Mercenary and Insurance Company would be made up not of impoverished noblemen and ambitious peasants, but entirely of urban guildsmen recruited from among the Lega. In times of peace, the Company would make its income from providing a comprehensive suite of services from messenger and parcel post to commercial and residential insurance to private security, to individual and municipal clients alike - with significant discounts for joint customers of the condottieri side of the business.

[scifrey]

Listen.

If you've read my fics, you know that I love history. I love pageantry. I love symbolism. I love beautiful clothes, and art, and jewels. I love going behind the scenes and seeing into castles and manor houses. I love parades, and the hidden meaning behind coronations, and the fairytale unreality of the lives of the gentry.

I believe, however, that all of these things should be ARTIFACTS.

I believe there is literally no point in upholding a monarchy or commonwealth any more.

Allow commonwealth countries become republics. Allow Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales to return to being seperate nations if they vote to become so. Allow those republics to create their own network of mutual support, should they so choose to. There's no reason to not keep up Commonwealth ties and festivals even if there's no Commonwealth.

Repatriate artifacts, art and jewels to their nations of origin. Offer monetary compensation/support for cultures violated and impoverished by colonialism. Help establish democracies where needed, and butt the hell out where they're not. (And especially don't establish puppet democracies, ew.)

Let the British royal family become symbolic tourist attractions, let them fund their own charities, and throw their parties, and knight their artists, and uphold their royal orders of garters and baths, and maintain their personal properties--and make them do it with their own wealth and real estate investments. They're multi-billionaires. They can afford it. They'll be fine.

But remove them from the machine of governance. Detach them entirely from public spending, dependance, or influence.

And if they do participate in traditions of parliament (like the Opening, which is actually really cool and fascinating panto, which I quite like and hope they WOULD continue), man, do it without the silly hat. If the King wants to wear the silly hat, make him pay for the upkeep of the silly hat out of his own pocket. It's HIS silly hat, after all. It's not like we all get a turn with it, even though we do pay for it.

(Actually, the Crown Jewels are owned by the British Public so like... if they want to take them along when they go, make the royal family buy them. And then let them charge museums a fee to loan them for exhibition, just like privately owned paintings by famous Masters are loaned to art galleries.)

Let the royals continue to do all the things the royals do, if they want to do them. Just… make them pay for it themselves. Dissolve the Sovereign Grant, and use all that money to pay for things like restitution, repatriation, and hey maybe increasing public spending on health care and social infrastructure.

Turn the public-owned properties into, yeah, tourist attractions in part (gotta fund their upkeep somehow). But also put public offices in there. Maybe some social housing. Maybe hospitals, with well-paid front-line staff. Event spaces. Seniors care homes. Something.

If Hampton Court Palace can do it, so can Buckingham.

Balmoral and Sandringham are privately owned, there's lots of land and buildings for the family to occupy. They won't be homeless.

Keep the royal family, if the royal family wants to be kept. Include the royal family if the royal family wants to be included. Just make them pay for their own stuff with their own money. And do BETTER things with the savings.

Yes, I'm aware that this may be wishful thinking.

Yes, I'm aware that unscrupilous people may take advantage of monetary support given to commonwealth nations and keep it for themselves. (And I'm not unaware that it would happen in ALL the nations, yes, even Canada where I live. There are a LOT of currently-serving politicians who are vile, scummy, self-serving arseholes.) Yes, I'm aware that mutual support between nations of the commonwealth is all that is preventing famine or religious war in some places.

Yes, I'm aware none of this is as easy as I'm making it sound.

But I think it's time to stop celebrating and upholding centuries of brutal militaristic colonialism and the destruction and subversion of so many beautiful cultures for the sake of some tourist bucks. I especially think it's time for the public to stop PAYING for it.

I love history. I love symbolism. I love the stories of royalty and treachery and gallantry and seduction. I love the architecture of great houses, and the meaning behind golden spoons from over a thousand years ago, and the fascination of birthrights and bloodlines. I love paintings, and balls, and the gorgeous work of exceptionally talented artisans that go into making all the amazing silly hats.

I write historical romances for goshsakes.

And I also think it's time to stick it all where it belongs -- in a museum.

[annachum]

Some subgenres I can think of of lady culture include :

. Imperial/Royal Lady culture - Basically culture of a rather typical lifestyle of an Imperial/Royal lady, which often includes palaces, diplomacy and beautiful gowns.

. Gentry lady culture - a culture about rather typical lifestyle of a gentry lady, including managing a sizeable estate with a handful of staff

. Rich lady culture - Minus the royal/noble titles, rich lady culture is basically about rich ladies in general driving around in fancy cars and having fancy wardrobes, and can range from CEOs to socialites

. Aristocratic lady culture - Similarly to Royal lady culture but more concerned about aristocratic related affairs.

. Theatre lady culture - culture of a lady of theatre, including theatre arts patrons, performing artists with beautiful dressing rooms, rehearsals, and studying about their roles and performances

. Socialite culture - basically culture of a socialite, which includes dressing fancily often, having a web of connections and often showing up in high profile events

. Fashionista culture - a culture of fashion lovers and fashion career people, and discovering empowerment in fashion

. Career lady culture ( being ladylike and can go with being a career woman ) - being tactful and charismatic is also vital for a successful career person, not just hard work and intellect ( although those qualities are important too, but still )

. Charm School culture - a culture of charm school education, which includes training students in etiquette and society functions, ballroom dances, multiple languages, and the art on how to conduct in social functions. Multiple ladies of royal/noble/rich backgrounds been through such similar training.

. Feminine power culture - Embracing feminine energy power in one person

. Light Femme culture - embracing ' lighter ' sides of one's soul

. Dark femme culture - embracing also ' darker ' sides of one's soul

. Feudal Lady culture - a culture of ladies in feudalistic settings, which includes jousts, handling of Feudal courts, navigating through social schemes with wit and cunning....and often watching your back while dressed in silk and jewels.

[aworldforastage]

Clear and Muddy Loss of Love/泾渭情殇 by 请君莫笑

(Art from the audiodrama on Mao'er, with the named changed to 泾渭无间)

Synopsis

Qiyan Agula is the orphaned survivor of the Jing royal family, an ethnic nomadic tribe wiped out a decade ago in a war with the Wei kingdom. Vowing revenge, she takes the identity of a man named Qi Yan, and tries to enter the Wei government through its Imperial Exams and destroy it from the inside. However, her plans go awry when the Emperor asks Qi Yan to marry his favorite daughter Nangong Jingnu.

Qi Yan's powerful teacher and benefactor, a princess of the previous dynasty, is also determined to destroy the Nangong court. She has a network of spies helping Qi Yan maintain her secret identity to continue with the revenge plan. After earning the trust of the young and naive princess, Qi Yan begins to work with the princes, using their political influence to her advantage while prodding on them to turn on each other in the competition to become Crown Prince.

The Wei Kingdom is plagued by poor policy, a corrupt and entrenched gentry, and ambitious neighbors at its borders. In the maelstrom of politicking and backstabbing, Nangong Jingnu is the only person in the world who really cares for her "husband" Qi Yan like family, and Qi Yan is tortured by the reminder that the person she has grown to care for is the daughter of her arch nemesis. As Emperor Nangong Rang's health deteriorates, Jingnu is forced to grow up and learn about the history and politics behind her life of privilege, and choose her path in this world ...

Thoughts that live rent-free in my head [unmarked spoiler ahead]

Political Intrigue

Political Intrigue is what initially hooked me on this novel. It's not super intricate or rigorous, but it's definitely above-average for a historical web novel. The scope of the political intrigue covers palace intrigue and imperial succession, politicking among the elite classes, the impact of policy and inequality on grass root citizens, local/regional governance, and of course, the opportunities and complications brought by neighboring nations with a different culture and ethnicity.

I'm kind of picky with political intrigue stories. It's hard to write "the protagonist is smart and strategic" while also avoiding "everyone else is stupid and incapable of independent thought." Qi Yan has the physical constitution of a dry leaf that will disintegrate with one wrong move, but she is given an over-powered political brain to make up for it. She is knowledgeable about everything that is relevant, her complex plans usually pan out perfectly, and she is rarely outclassed or cornered in these power games. But the plot and action are tightly-paced, which keeps me engaged instead of dwelling on potential plot holes.

Unlike most c-novels I have read, this story highlights the perspective of the nomadic tribes, and (at least in the main story line) does not end with the Han-coded emperor "unifying" the land. The tribes still do not have the most flattering portrayal, as we see with the Nagus Clan's numerous deceptions and scandalous affairs, and Bayin's obstination and simpleness. However, Qi Yan has memories and ideals for a freer and kinder tribal life, and we empathize her grief for the loss of that way of life.

Qi Yan

Qi Yan is a very interesting character. She is smart, ruthless, drowning in rage and grief, but only rarely loses herself in it. While her mentor has trained her to lean into hatred and resentment, Qi Yan is not ignorant to the kindness, sincerity, and innocence of the most Wei citizens who had nothing to do with her family's death. She eventually narrows the scope of her revenge to the core of the Nangong court, and is earnestly helping the Wei citizens when working as an official.

I love the portrayal and transformation of the rage and resentment Qi Yan feels over the loss of her family and tribe. We see her grow from being consumed by vengeance, to sympathizing with innocent people, to trying to make the best out of the good things she has, and finally, to realizing there are things she just cannot forgive.

A lot of stories get very preachy about things like vengeance and forgiveness, and c-novels especially tend to have marginalized people absolve the Han-coded emperors or officials to "prioritize the big picture" But this story really leans into the humanity of the love and grief that drives Qi Yan's rage. The decision she makes about it in the end is so wonderfully flawed and completely in character -- because there is just no way for all this to end perfectly after all that's happened.

Jingnu

As for Nangong Jingnu, I really do think she is a poor precious sweet angel who did not deserve *gestures vaguely at the whole plot* this but this is such a classical case of sins of the father. And her father really is a terrible person to everyone, including his other eleven children, except for her.

She has an amazing character arc, starting as an naive princess and eventually ending up as a competent and wise Empress Regent. I think her growth as a politician is a bit too quick and smooth. For a long time she is consistently outclassed by other politicians like Qi Yan, but very quickly she becomes an independent ruler. Still, it's very satisfying to see her finally becoming a force for change in their broken world.

One thing I find very interesting about Jingnu is her devotion to the imperfect people that she loves. Her father and Qi Yan never show her the full extent of their darker sides, but she loves that best version of them so fiercely. As her father's favorite princess, she is respected and pampered, but no one truly dares to get too close to her because she is ranked higher than everyone. I think that loneliness really did a number on her. She finds home in Qi Yan so she is determined to keep it, and I'm just happy she can have the thing she really wants (even though I do not think this relationship has been fair to her).

Other thoughts

An interesting side effect I noticed while reading the novel, which centers on Qi Yan's POV, is I ended up internalizing some of her cynical and revenge-focused world view. I felt fairly disaffected by most of the character deaths in the story because Qi Yan did not want to care about them; even if she objectively knows they are not all terrible, she is not prone to being sympathetic to most Wei officials. When I finally sympathize with a supporting character, I keep on praying that he won't be revealed to be total trash a few story arcs down the line, because it happens a lot. It's nearly 90% into the novel when I finally come across a character death that genuinely saddened me.

There are many great female characters in this story. Jingnu's wise-and-caring oldest sister helps her out of many pinches, and the gentle-but-resilient second sister gets a fantastic story line and side CP. Tribal princess Jiya is ambitious, brave, and made my jaw drop some many times (in joy and in shock). The mysterious princess of the previous dynasty is also amazing (even as a villain) and makes you wonder how history might have changed if she became the ruler instead of her brother.

I was a bit disappointed that many side characters' story lines are are still left wide open at the end of such a long novel, but the author's note convinced me this is for the best. The author has given this universe and these characters so much life that their own stories can and should go on for millions of words more, and it's both impossible and unfair to think they will all wrap up neatly just as Qi Yan and Jingnu's story ends.

And last but not least, the theme song from the AD is just so goooooooood

[countenanced]

[ abigail cowen, she/her, cisfemale ] — was that LUCY CHAPMAN ? the TWENTY-SIX year old is a SEAMSTRESS/PROSTITUTE, how exciting to see them this season! rumors have it they are MAGNETIC and CONVIVIAL, but i’ve heard they are DECEITFUL and DISCONTENTED as well — maybe that’s why they’ve been called the COQUETTE. I have even heard that SHE’S LAID WITH THE QUEEN —only time will tell.

OVERVIEW ;

name: lucille stride chapman

birthdate: june 2

age: twenty-six

occupation: seamstress + prostitute

gender: cisfemale

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: bisexual

IN DEPTH ;

birth place: berlin, germany

zodiac: gemini

current location: regency england

known languages: english, french, german, italian, a little dutch

family: jonathan stride ( father, estranged ), catherine chapman ( mother ), owen chapman ( brother )

PHYSICAL ;

face claim: abigail cowen

height: 5’7”

hair color: red

eye color: green

BACKGROUND ;

lucy was born in a basement. the daughter of a scullery maid, her father was a duke who couldn’t keep it in his pants at every turn and was making progeny over in germany like genghis khan. both lucy and her older brother, owen, worked hard.

lucy, with her red hair was often considered ‘witchy’ by anyone else around, and there were rumors that she was cursed – her two siblings were born with darker hair, like their father. things that went wrong were often blamed on her whether they were her fault or not, and she was subjected to many beatings by both other servants and masters of the house. with her bright hair, it was hard for her to disappear into the background. it would take her many years to own this as a strength rather than a weakness, and in childhood she spent a lot of time trying to make it darker or cutting it off.

lucy longed for a better, greater life. in the house where she grew up, she was always hungry for art and literature, studying the text and browsing the halls. the nobility they worked for had vast collections of artwork and brought home many things from their travels. she’d spend late nights reading, learning, dreaming of better. this is the kind of thing that kept her sane.

in her teenage years, she ran away with her brother, seeking a better life in england.

but it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. she got a job as seamstresses and her brother worked as a bricklayer, but the pay for being a seamstress was so poor that they had to find other ways to survive the winter. to keep her brother from joining the army, lucy began working for a pimp, who was able to offer her pay that secured her lifestyle better.

lucy took to this extremely well. her interest in the arts and background made her able to keep up conversation with the gentry and nobility that were looking for company, and she was entertaining, easily able to mold herself into a persona to suit any night. she loved the nightlife that it opened her up to, the artists and great people she met, and was soon a frequent face at parties and artist gatherings. she was a muse, a lover, a curator of company. well-spoken and interested in the world around her, she ate up the attention and thrived, building up secrecy and trust among members of high courts.

honestly, lucy’s gotten accustomed to a lifestyle. she dreams of pursuing art more seriously, of owning property, of owning her own modiste, of not relying on anyone. but money is hard to come by, and her dreams are slow to build.

in addition to sleeping with any salacious member of the ton…even members of royalty and nobility, the fact that she’s known for her extreme secrecy is a total farce. lucy actually has a lot of built-up resentment for the rich, for the people that things have come easy for when she’s clawed her way in and had to give away pieces of herself to earn. she had no childhood due to their selfishness, and she takes out this harbored resentment by collecting secrets. lucy sees and hears a lot of things others don’t, and many people tend to be loose-lipped after great sex. she’s traded these secrets with lady whistledown and surreptitiously ruined many lives in the process.

of course, sleeping with the ton isn’t the only way she learns about these secrets or finds a way into their lives. lucy’s interest and love of art finds its way into her needlework, and she’s sought after at the modiste. she’s been known to deliver her beautiful, elaborate dresswork to a woman, then sleep with her husband that night. honestly, she’s kind of a snake, the way she works her way into the lives of families and squeezes them for money and information. it might be more altruistic if she just saw it as survival, but…it’s also kind of fun for her. she’s just finding joy in life where she can.

you’d think that with all of lucy’s hard work, she might be able to achieve her dream of opening her own shop and maybe…dropping her client-base and giving up sex work? but her brother constantly needs her care. he copes with their rough childhood with a bottle, and is often in and out of work and in need of lucy’s money, assistance, and lodging. and lucy, with a forever soft spot for him and everything they’ve been through together, pours her money into getting him back on his feet every time he calls. it’s like breaking the piggy bank every time it’s full and starting her savings from scratch all over again.

lucy has traveled a lot especially on the wealth of lonely clients who have brought her as a companion on their travels. she’s used her profession to see the world, and for her, there’s no shame in it ; although there is certainly a darker side that she refuses to get into, people that have taken things too far or babies she’s had to force herself to lose. it’s grueling work, and ugly, but at this point, it’s who she is – if she didn’t do it, she would have no window into the world of the wealthy, into knowledge, and into the ways of the world. and for that, it’s worth it to her.

^^ the fact that she’s a prostitute is more of a rumor than anything. your character would likely know if they frequent nightlife or seedy social circles…otherwise, they probably just know her as a seamstress for the modiste (which does not pay well lol)

PERSONALITY ;

magnetic – lucy can command a room. if you didn’t know her status, she could probably fool you into thinking that she’s of higher rank or someone more noble. she can keep up conversation with the best of them, with serious opinions on art, literature, and music. and she can make you feel like you’re the only person in the room when you have her rapt attention, probably because she IS genuinely interested in people…partially due to what she can get from them, but she also immerses herself in the world. her attention and adoration is real and true, she’s just good at detaching herself when its not present. likely has been the muse of certain artists upon occasion.

intelligent – she has a voracious hunger and interest in the world around her. always shrewd from the moment she learned to read very young, late nights in the library of where she grew up. she tries to surround herself with these worldly things. i think part of her is resentful that her intelligence will never really matter as much as what she can offer with her body.

resourceful – if she needs or wants something, she can get it done. if she was a mouse, she could think herself out of a mousetrap. this can be both positive and detrimental, used for good and evil…to help out a friend, to make sure her brother is always back on his feet, but also to extract wanted information or to steal and cheat to get what she wants. to her, many things are a means to an end.

convivial – you wanna party with her! she’s stealing the top shelf liquor! she’s tearing up the dance floor! she’s fun! catch her in the arts district getting drunk and dancing with the actors, joining them in songs and revelry before she’s got to fall into bed with a gross duke for a paycheck.

vindictive – if you wrong her, she will literally never forget or get over it, and she will get revenge. holds a serious grudge and feels that she should not be underestimated for what she can do to get even. granted, it does take doing something serious to get to that point, for example…she’s never gotten over the misdeeds of her father.

deceitful – never trust a hoe!!!! especially this one. she is probably lying to you. about anything really, her name, where she’s from, what her life is like. and she’s probably lying about what she is to you. often times she’ll tell lies to protect herself or even others. but she is lying.

discontented – she is ritualistically unsatisfied. nothing ever really seems to be enough for her, and it’s hard to keep her pleased – or to really hold her interest. she cycles through patrons quickly, and has an ever-changing rotation of interests and hobbies. sewing and fucking are probably only constants in her life because she gets paid for them. she’s like this in relationships, too, and has been known to flit through different social circles and friend groups – friendly with everyone but close to very few.

WANTED CONNECTIONS ;

SECRET FRIENDSHIP – someone who she’s really close with and gets along with so well, but due to lucy’s status and reputation, they have to keep their tight bond a secret from everyone. this is probably someone lucy really cares for, and would perhaps even try to protect from lady whistledown/etc.

PARTYING FRIENDS – welcome to the nightlife. these are people she frequently sees at the clubs and in the arts district, and they’re lighting up the night together, making and sharing connections, getting wasted and stupid on the regular.

give me more proper, high society that shouldn’t be seen in these places, too! aka people that she would likely know really well but would have to act like she doesn’t when they go to the modiste or sees them around.

FRIENDS IN HER SOCIAL CIRCLE – basically anyone in the commoner rank that would make sense for her be friends with, people she can hang with without it being some scandal. i don’t think there is or will be too many commoners in the rp so … let’s all squad up and become besties thanks.

FORMER PATRON/EXTORTEE – maybe someone that used her services and now doesn’t for whatever reason…whether they’re married, trying to clean up their act, or even just tired of her lmao, but now that they’re no longer a customer, she uses some secret she knows about them (maybe just the fact that they’ve been sleeping with her) to extort them for money etc

MISTAKEN IDENTITY – someone lucy met at a party or a night out and she lied / was pretending to be foreign royalty for the heck of it. now they keep running into her and don’t really know who she really is, they think she’s some sophisticated baddie!!!

GENUINE FLING(S) – like, someone she hooked up with when she wasn’t working. she’s probably easily enamored with artists and travelers, if you want to know her type. basically, she doesn’t just take lovers for work but she also doesn’t hook up with people she’s not super into bc she can get paid for that.  

CUSTOMER TO THE MODISTE – maybe someone who is just genuinely a fan of her work and her art! they think she’s skilled and they only want lucy to be the one to make their dresses and she works really hard for them/their family to fit them for every event. she frequently shows up at their home w new designs for them to try and such.

FAMILY SECRETS – she knows something about your character or your character’s family. maybe she’s hooked up with one of your character’s family members, giving her access to some kind of family secret that she should not know. basically, feel free to use lucy as a problem or a plot device for your character.

PATRON SHE FELL FOR – this would have been very early in her profession, but maybe there was a patron that lucy developed feelings for. she probably started to think things were genuine and didn’t make them pay for services. then, they wound up leaving her – whether that was due to a betrothal or just concern for their own status, they completely cut her off and never spoke to her again.

SOMEONE SHE MET ABROAD – lucy’s traveled a lot and been all over the world with different patrons. maybe this is someone that she met in another country and they developed a friendship there. a lot of good times and good memories, maybe she’s told them about her dreams…and her plans not to return to england, so they’re surprised to see her still here, still doing the same thing.

EX FRIEND – maybe someone she was close with and then when rumors about her other profession started to come up, they completely cut her off and separated themselves from her for their status.

also open to the idea of her having a former lover who cut her off for this reason.

FAKE DATING – someone that uses her services to bring her as a date to things!! likely they don’t even bang but maybe they’re trying to a) piss off their parents/fam/the ton or b) keep away a courtship so they just turn heads and create scandal by bringing her around. maybe they actually see lucy as a friend and enjoy her company too, we can plot out the nuances.

BAD INFLUENCE? – ish?? maybe someone who isn’t very versed in sex, sexuality or has a rigid view of the arts. lucy is helping them sneak out, broadening their worldview, showing them a different side of the world / the london in which they live.

GOOD INFLUENCE – could go hand and hand with the above, but someone who has genuine good intentions when it comes to lucy and her life, wants to see her succeed. maybe they encourage her to chase her dreams more or try to inspire her...maybe they’re also trying to influence her to get out of her side profession because they think she can do ‘better’ than that or w/e

[comasuart]

not so good boy

twitter: comasuart

[firstaidspray]

As I said I would do, here I am inflicting catboy Sierra Six on you guys 🐈‍⬛

[foxghost]

Joyful Reunion

Translator: foxghost @foxghost tumblr/ko-fi1 Beta: meet-me-in-oblivion @meet-me-in-oblivion tumblr Original by 非天夜翔 Fei Tian Ye Xiang Masterpost | Characters, Maps & Other Reference Index

Book 5, Chapter 48 (Part 2)

Since Duan Ling came to Jiangzhou, Li Yanqiu genuinely mastered the art of ruling by inaction. Outside of feigning his death, he’s kept himself almost completely out of every decision made since then, letting Mu Kuangda and Han Bin do whatever they want. Duan Ling is always worrying about disrupting Li Yanqiu’s plans, thus he remains apprehensive about his own.

“You’re doing great. I never thought things would turn out like this either. At first, I only planned to find out how many sharp rocks are under these turbulent waters, which would be revealed when the flood subsides.”

Duan Ling remains silent, listening to Li Yanqiu.

“When your dad was still around, he said that Great Chen is rotting. Whether it’s the secretariat, the imperial court, or the army, they all gave off the stench of decay. There’s no room for new blood to get promoted, and old men dominate politics. Power is taking ages to return to the central government.”

Duan Ling can sense the danger lurking in Li Yanqiu’s impassive tone, but he does not interrupt.

“The imperial court of Great Chen needs to go through a transition. Take the old factions and wipe them all away. Let young people with their fresh strength take over the established positions.”

“But even now,” Duan Ling says, “a lot of things are still firmly in the grasp of the old officials. If we swap out everyone in the Secretariat, a lot of procedures in the south will stop working.”

"My son, do you really think that? Allow me to ask you one question: when the flood hit Jiangzhou and Jiangnan last year, who were the ones that travelled to each region of the south and saved the people from disaster? Was it the imperial court, or was it the young officials? The secretariat oversees the imperial court, and they could direct things, but what practical purpose did they really serve?

“All their decisions stemmed from the gentry’s interests.” Before Duan Ling can answer him, Li Yanqiu continues, “Complex bureaucracy and red tape hold back all progress. Whether it’s disaster relief or rebuilding, all their decisions are based on ‘lessening damage to the clan’. In the end, it is Heibei, under your governance, without receiving much help from the south, and facing a war with the north besides, that has gradually come up in the world.”

“And so?” Duan Ling says. “Uncle, do you mean to say that, with this unforeseen catastrophe, you were to take the imperial court and …”

“Those who pledged allegiance to Mu Kuangda must die,” Li Yanqiu says. “That was indeed the initial plan. I don’t really care how much evidence there is on any of them — I just wanted to charge them all with being his accomplice.”

Duan Ling can’t help the shudder that runs through his chest — Li Yanqiu was planning to kill off Su Fa, Mu Kuangda, and most major officials of the court, then search their properties and seize all of their assets. But this must come at the cost of another catastrophe — the south will go through a drastic transition as everyone old is replaced with new, and the nation will fall into violent upheaval.

Finally, what may happen boils down to two possibilities: one, the empire will be annihilated by a foreign invasion, and two, all the forces within the imperial court will be reshuffled. Young officials promoted through the civil exams over the past several years will replace the old officials and become the imperial court’s new backbone.

“It’s something we’ve been preparing to do since we relocated the capital,” Li Yanqiu says. “But as we’re new arrivals in Jiangzhou, it would have been unwise to act too rashly. That’s why it’s taken me so long to begin. Take a step back and look at the big picture — we can even say that this is something we’ve been planning to get done since before your grandpa passed away.”

“But …” Duan Ling murmurs, “It’s far too risky.”

“That’s why your real challenge isn’t regaining your identity and returning to the place where you belong, but to return and face an entirely different imperial court, set out to organise it, stabilise it, and centralise power once more so that all authority return to the imperial family.”

That hasn’t been a part of Duan Ling’s thinking at all. Now that he’s considering it carefully, he realises that in Li Yanqiu’s plans, everyone who wasn’t informed of his false death fell within the purview of his “purge” — even Yao Fu, and even Xie You, had not been excluded.

“But if we lose Xie You’s support it would be very difficult for us to stabilise Jiangzhou,” Duan Ling says.

“The Black Armours listens to orders from the Son of Heaven, not Xie You’s. Let’s say you bet all of your stakes on Xie You. If one day even he turns on you, what will you do then? Of course, if we can leave him be, I would much rather leave him be. If he’s willing to protect you for the rest of his life, that would be the best scenario. If he isn’t, then you’re destined to fight him someday.”

But his plan’s been thoroughly smashed by Duan Ling. On his road to regaining his rightful place, he’s tried to keep too many people alive.

“Of course, it’s a risky move from my perspective as well.” Li Yanqiu says impassively, "That night, when you told me that you were planning to find evidence of collusion between Mu Kuangda and Han Bin, I became aware that this whole business was already out of my control.

“It’s just like what your dad once said — whether this empire is a good one or a bad one, ultimately it’s yours.” Li Yanqiu smiles lightly. “You chose a different path. The heavens have plans that man cannot predict, so just keep walking on this path, and follow it according to your thinking.”

Duan Ling cannot help but reconsider what Li Yanqiu has told him. A single massacre could bring about an unprecedented transformation, scattering and redistributing all forces in the imperial court.

“Go on. Your dad is watching over you from up above. But no matter how this is going to end, you must figure out how you’re going to face it.”

The stars above him are as densely distributed as droplets of water in a waterfall. Autumnal stars shimmer and spread across the night sky, a reflection of the ever-flowing Yangtze, illuminating the earth.

It is nighttime. Cai Yan has already gone days without sleep, and now he’s abruptly startled awake by footsteps.

When he was attending school in Shangjing, he’d gleaned plenty of the last days of the rulers of vanquished kingdoms from the histories. The sound of soldiers picking up their blades, scales rubbing against scales on their armour, footsteps, coughing — they all signal an inauspicious yet inevitable ending: death.

He used to not fear death, but later, he slowly started to grow fearful of death. While hiding in this palace chamber, he can feel his life ebbing away, dripping through this cage one drop at a time, as though a monster is sucking away his life force. There’s nothing he can do except wait in the Eastern Palace for death to come to him.

He’s resigned to his fate, counting down the days until he dies, fear shadowing him all the while.

When things were going his way, he even thought that the lie could last a lifetime, with no one the wiser regarding this meticulously premeditated scheme. On the rare occasion that he thought of it when the night was dark and deep, spurred on by fear, he would think of escaping from the palace, running as far as he could.

It’s like when a thief steals something that doesn’t belong to him. Stolen goods scald him like a hot yam, but he can’t get rid of it.

Ever since that day, Feng Duo had been taken away, and Cai Yan has no idea where they are keeping him. Lang Junxia is still missing, leaving Cai Yan completely abandoned — he can’t do anything at all.

The footsteps are coming closer and closer. A tall figure walks into the room. The guard outside closes the door.

“Let’s talk,” Han Bin says nonchalantly. He unties his cloak and tosses it aside. “For the past few days I’ve been so busy with other things that I actually haven’t had the time to deal with you.”

Cai Yan stares at Han Bin quietly.

Han Bin continues, “Xie You’s already fled. Give me some time, and both he and Yao Fu are going to meet a violent end. Nobody’s left to save you anymore.”

Han Bin looks Cai Yan up and down rather rudely. He’s already sent a message out today to inform the army garrisoned beneath Yubiguan to send reinforcements. As soon as his reinforcements arrive, he will open the inner city’s gates himself and stage a pincer attack, taking down the Black Armours in one fell swoop.

Soon as Xie You dies, taking care of what trouble that remains would be like sweeping up fallen leaves in autumn. He’ll set up negotiations with Yao Fu and tell him he won’t touch Huaiyin; Great Chen’s empire will thus fall into his hands.

Han Bin wonders what Li Jianhong and Li Yanqiu will think, from their residence in the underworld, if they ever find out that the Li empire will end this way.

“I’ve had enough,” Cai Yan says, his voice shaking, “just kill me.”

Han Bin seems a bit surprised. He considers Cai Yan.

“What do you mean by that?” Han Bin asks.

Cai Yan trembles, his breath coming in endless gasps. “I should never have been here in the first place. From the very start, it was a mistake that led me all the way here, and by now there’s nothing I want anymore. General Han, you are quite right — I’m not the crown prince of Great Chen. And there’s no way you can even imagine where the real crown prince is. Even Mu Kuangda has no way to know.”

“And who are you really?”

Cai Yan swallows. “Is who I really am at all important? My whole family is dead. Even if you want to sentence me to Nine Familial Exterminations, there’s nobody left to exterminate. But you, on the other hand, General Han, you have no idea, but you’re doomed. Xie You and Yao Fu are still holding back one last card, and all they’re waiting for is for you to announce to the world that I am not who I say I am.”

Han Bin’s eyes narrow slightly.

Cai Yan laughs. “Promise me that you’ll kill me before he comes back, and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Go ahead.” Han Bin sits down nearby, still like a statue.

It is dawn. Duan Ling stands before the river alone. Today’s Jiangzhou is hung with dark clouds, and an element of restlessness pervades the atmosphere.

After Li Yanqiu told him all those things yesterday, Duan Ling has been feeling rather lost. He knows that the plan Li Yanqiu described to him in a few sentences is nothing more than an overview — if he really wanted to purge all of the old officials, naturally, he’d have plans in place for what to do afterwards. It’s just that the weight on his shoulder seems to have gotten a bit heavier.

Every dynasty had its precedents of a ruler killing off his powerful officials and subjects that had accomplished much for the empire. The emperor of Great Yu used a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet to burn the attending old officials to death; only this opportunity was taken advantage of by the empress, and the incident fermented into a coup that lasted for years. In the end, it was the exiled crown prince who returned with an army to recover the throne.2

And what would happen if he doesn’t kill them?

Wu Du approaches him against hazy morning light. “We should get going. Are you still thinking about what your uncle said?”

Duan Ling hums an affirmative response and turns back to look at Wu Du. They stand face to face, their eyes meeting in silence.

Wu Du studies Duan Ling carefully. “You’ve lost weight.”

“I’ll be fine once this is all over.”

“But you haven’t thought things through,” Wu Du says.

“You’re right. I’ve already stepped onto a path where no one can give me directions anymore. There are some things that even my dad didn’t manage to get done back then.”

“Sometimes I think you’re more like Chancellor Mu.” Wu Du suddenly smiles. “You seriously learned a lot from him.”

“He and my uncle had the same idea. They have different standpoints, but they ended up doing essentially the same thing. However, Chancellor Mu has a lot of patience, so everything was pushed along according to his plans. While my uncle and my dad’s ways are like a lightning strike — uncompromising, would lose eight hundred men to kill one thousand, Pyrrhic victories so be it.”

Meanwhile, Mu Kuangda’s methods are far more conciliatory. Very seldom does he resort to drastic measures to get rid of dissidents — aside from those of the Li clan and that hapless Bian Lingbai.

If it wasn’t for Han Weiyong’s downfall, he would never have fallen so low. Mu Kuangda has been steering his boat gingerly through the centres of countless vortexes since the beginning of the year, and the slightest error could send him crashing against the hidden rocks at the bottom of the river, leading to a gruesome death. If Han Weiyong was still around, Liao could have started putting pressure on the Chen border at the beginning of this year; even if Li Yanqiu wanted to get rid of him he wouldn’t have dared move so quickly.

And after Chang Pin’s death, his absence caused Mu Kuangda to misjudge the situation again and again. Now that Fei Hongde is here it seems like a good chance to gain back the advantage, but to his consternation Han Bin is moving ahead without consulting him, staging a coup ahead of schedule and ruining his plans.

“Are you feeling better, Chancellor Mu?” Fei Hongde says.

Since the attempt on his life that day, Mu Kuangda has been taken to the palace. The pretext Han Bin gave was to prevent another attempt at assassination, and to protect everyone in the Mu family, but in reality, he’s doing so to keep the Mu family under his control to prevent any unforeseen mishaps.

Mu Kuangda coughs a few times and struggles to sit up. He nods and says. “I’m feeling much better, and in a few days, I’ll be able to attend morning assembly as usual. I just never expected Wu Du and Wang Shan not to come to the palace with us, however.”

“Perhaps they’re moving around out there,” Fei Hongde says, “looking for the right chance to get you out of here, Chancellor Mu.”

Mu Kuangda heaves a sigh; he knows full well that this apprentice of his doesn’t get attached — like a snake in the dark, Wang Shan may turn on him and bite him any time.

“Do you have any news of their whereabouts?” Mu Kuangda asks. “And where did Chang Liujun go?”

Fei Hongde shakes his head. “I just asked General Han. He hasn’t heard anything at all.”

“And the crown prince?”

“He’s been locked away,” Fei Hongde replies.

Wuluohou Mu hasn’t come back either; all four great assassins are suddenly unaccounted for. Mu Kuangda is finally starting to get the feeling that something isn’t quite right — this current contingency can ultimately be traced back to that incident in the hidden chamber. He had thought the one giving Wang Shan pointers was Fei Hongde, but Fei Hongde really shouldn’t be privy to this much information.

“A lot of people’s arrived,” Fei Hongde says. “They’ve all come to give their condolences. Envoys from Yuan, Liao, Xiliang, and Tuyuhun are all waiting outside.”

“It’s about time for them to get here. Help me up so I can take a walk.”

With Fei Hongde’s help, Mu Kuangda stumbles to his feet. There are still bandages wrapped around his body; after the attack, he’s aged a lot overnight, looking shockingly like an old man with one foot in the grave.

“Chancellor, your wounds are not yet healed. Where would you like to go?”

“Let’s go check on the empress-dowager.” Mu Kuangda replies.

This translation is by foxghost, on tumblr and kofi. I do not monetise my hobby translations, but if you’d like to support my work generally or support my light novel habit, you can either buy me a coffee or commission me. This is also to note that if you see this message anywhere else than on tumblr, it was reposted without permission. Do come to my tumblr. It’s ad-free. ↩︎

Li Qingcheng from Yingnu did not do burn his officials to death, but his father did. Li Qingcheng did behead his chancellor/brother-in-law though, among other even (far) more sociopathic actions. (Please read Yingnu) ↩︎

[sea-owl]

Felicity with a gun makes me think of your spy AU. Unlike her cousin Penelope, Felicity took up being an assassin rather than a spy. She looks up to Penelope though, having seen her cousin practice throwing knives while also sharpening her mind. So when she heard of her cousins love for this Colin Bridgerton fellow, she assumed he would be someone just as badass. Upon meeting him however, she is severely disappointed and gives her cousin a look that says 'THIS is the guy? REALLY?!' Cue Colin overhearing Felicity talking to Penelope about how she could do much better than Colin Bridgerton. "There's nothing special about him! He's a third son who spends his family's money on traveling around the world. At least the second brother makes a living for himself with his art. Honestly Penny you could find a better much better man to court you." And Colin expects Penelope to speak up on his behalf only to hear her say, "oh don't be daft Felicity, we both know Colin and I would not be suitable for each other. We live in two different worlds. I would never dream of being courted by Colin Bridgerton." Felicity sighs with relief. "Oh thank goodness. Speaking of prospective suitors I heard-" Colin doesn't stick around to hear the rest. As he walks away, he wonders why it hurt so much to hear Penelope say such similar words to the ones he spoke years before.

Omg! I didn't think of that! It's perfect! Little Felicity being Penelope's apprentice! Penelope dipped for a few years but then started training Felicity when Lady Danbury saw the potential. All members of the Shadow Gentry have to train at least one apprentice, kinda like the Jedi in Star Wars.

Also that conversations reminds me of the one in Who Framed Roger Rabbit:

Felicity: Seriously, what do you see in that guy?

Penelope: He makes me laugh

But imagine we got Felicity rocking up to Clyvedon in full Shadow Gentry gear demanding to know where her sister is, her shotgun ready.

Felicity: Where is my sister!?

Penelope: Lady Fortune!

Felicity: *runs into the room and comes back out ten minutes later. Body language like a child who got scolded.* I apologize for my behavior.

And here's how I imagine that conversation of he's not good enough playing out.

Felicity: Why do you even like him? He's nothing but a third born son who wastes his family's money. At least the second born is making his own money!

Penelope:Actually that charm of his would do wonders for the Shadow Gentry when it comes to diversion. Paired with the right members and he would make a beautiful illusionist. It's too bad he's from such a prolific family.

Felicity: Good for us. We don't need a Lord Whistledown.

[faintingheroine]

I really am confused about this now, and this book has been the chief obsession of mine for more than a decade

Relevant quotes:

“Mr. Edgar seldom mustered courage to visit Wuthering Heights openly. He had a terror of Earnshaw’s reputation, and shrunk from encountering him; and yet he was always received with our best attempts at civility: the master himself avoided offending him, knowing why he came; and if he could not be gracious, kept out of the way. I rather think his appearance there was distasteful to Catherine; she was not artful, never played the coquette, and had evidently an objection to her two friends meeting at all; for when Heathcliff expressed contempt of Linton in his presence, she could not half coincide, as she did in his absence; and when Linton evinced disgust and antipathy to Heathcliff, she dared not treat his sentiments with indifference, as if depreciation of her playmate were of scarcely any consequence to her.”

(Chapter 8)

“She quitted the apartment; Mr. Edgar inquired, carelessly, who it was.

‘Some one mistress does not expect,’ I replied. ‘That Heathcliff—you recollect him, sir—who used to live at Mr. Earnshaw’s.’

‘What! the gipsy—the ploughboy?’ he cried. ‘Why did you not say so to Catherine?’

‘Hush! you must not call him by those names, master,’ I said. ‘She’d be sadly grieved to hear you. She was nearly heartbroken when he ran off. I guess his return will make a jubilee to her.’

Mr. Linton walked to a window on the other side of the room that overlooked the court. He unfastened it, and leant out. I suppose they were below, for he exclaimed quickly: ‘Don’t stand there, love! Bring the person in, if it be anyone particular.’ Ere long, I heard the click of the latch, and Catherine flew upstairs, breathless and wild; too excited to show gladness: indeed, by her face, you would rather have surmised an awful calamity.

‘Oh, Edgar, Edgar!’ she panted, flinging her arms round his neck. ‘Oh, Edgar darling! Heathcliff’s come back—he is!’ And she tightened her embrace to a squeeze.

‘Well, well,’ cried her husband, crossly, ‘don’t strangle me for that! He never struck me as such a marvellous treasure. There is no need to be frantic!’

‘I know you didn’t like him,’ she answered, repressing a little the intensity of her delight. ‘Yet, for my sake, you must be friends now. Shall I tell him to come up?’

‘Here,’ he said, ‘into the parlour?’

‘Where else?’ she asked.

He looked vexed, and suggested the kitchen as a more suitable place for him. Mrs. Linton eyed him with a droll expression—half angry, half laughing at his fastidiousness.

‘No,’ she added, after a while; ‘I cannot sit in the kitchen. Set two tables here, Ellen: one for your master and Miss Isabella, being gentry; the other for Heathcliff and myself, being of the lower orders. Will that please you, dear? Or must I have a fire lighted elsewhere? If so, give directions. I’ll run down and secure my guest. I’m afraid the joy is too great to be real!’

She was about to dart off again; but Edgar arrested her.

‘You bid him step up,’ he said, addressing me; ‘and, Catherine, try to be glad, without being absurd. The whole household need not witness the sight of your welcoming a runaway servant as a brother.’

I descended, and found Heathcliff waiting under the porch, evidently anticipating an invitation to enter. He followed my guidance without waste of words, and I ushered him into the presence of the master and mistress, whose flushed cheeks betrayed signs of warm talking. But the lady’s glowed with another feeling when her friend appeared at the door: she sprang forward, took both his hands, and led him to Linton; and then she seized Linton’s reluctant fingers and crushed them into his. Now, fully revealed by the fire and candlelight, I was amazed, more than ever, to behold the transformation of Heathcliff. He had grown a tall, athletic, well-formed man; beside whom my master seemed quite slender and youth-like. His upright carriage suggested the idea of his having been in the army. His countenance was much older in expression and decision of feature than Mr. Linton’s; it looked intelligent, and retained no marks of former degradation. A half-civilised ferocity lurked yet in the depressed brows and eyes full of black fire, but it was subdued; and his manner was even dignified: quite divested of roughness, though stern for grace. My master’s surprise equalled or exceeded mine: he remained for a minute at a loss how to address the ploughboy, as he had called him. Heathcliff dropped his slight hand, and stood looking at him coolly till he chose to speak.

‘Sit down, sir,’ he said, at length. ‘Mrs. Linton, recalling old times, would have me give you a cordial reception; and, of course, I am gratified when anything occurs to please her.’”

(Chapter 10)

[elsewhereuniversity]

So I've returned thanks to my twin sister, who has left ruin in her wake to find me. The sheer destruction she caused is both endearing and horrifying. There are many beings she faced that I doubt others could take alone, whom laid unconscious on the ground, and there was not a single home left standing. I doubt there is anything that could stop her from rescuing me.

I am sadly thirty years older than when we last met, though the time I spent there was far, far longer than that, and she is now on a new war path to restore my youth and all the years stolen from me. Knowing her new reputation, I very much doubt it will take long at all, since she caused the fall of a prominent branch of the unseele court by herself.

I only vaguely remember my time spent in school and I would like to attempt to return to my studies. I've no fear of the Fae any longer as my twin plans to enroll here if only just to keep a closer eye on my safety, I'm not sure if they fear more the iron knuckles or the mundane wooden bat she has. How she terrorized them without any magic used is beyond me.

In any case, I'll be indulging in being the older twin for once, and give her sagely wisdom of an old man, at least until she finally gets one of the gentry to give me back my youth.

The Calm will be rejoining the theatre and art departments and The Storm will shortly be joining the knights who protect the other students. I pity any Fae that crosses her path now.