#dover church

[way-out-there]

Dover Stone Church

Dover Plains, New York

[kill-your-poets]

🏰 More Dover Castle ✨️

[emma-frxst]

The Implicit Demand for Proof (15. End)

Series masterlist

Pairing: Detective David Loki x reader

Summary: you, a forensic psychologist, get called in on a high priority child abduction case in Conyers, PA. What happens when you catch feelings for the mysterious detective Loki?

Warnings: spoilers for the movie, movie level violence, slight change of events, language.

Sad this series has come to an end but it’s about damn time lol! I enjoyed it and I hope y’all did too! It’s the end..But fret not dear friends!! If you love our fave detective and forensic psychologist!Reader, I’m going to be writing a continuation of this series! My new fic Choking on Circumstances will be out soon! Check my masterlist for more deets! (Saying deets like I’m in the mid 2000s) if you want more Loki content feel free to send me a request and check my masterlist!

Reblogs and comments help me the most! Let me know your thoughts, even if it’s only a keysmash. Let me know if you want or off the tag list. Thanks for reading, commenting, and supporting me!

Tags: loki only tags: @spideyrights @sataninsatin @go-commander-kim @severuined @romancries @eclecticfashionbookszipper @fagen @sizzlingcloudmentality @mottergirl99 @ @1ivinqdeadqir1main @new-romanticz1989 @kittycat-kisses @in2meijasworld 2@diegos-sad-chick @sharp-cheekbones-locked @ochoaslvr @captgrim @buck-this-nasty @shycollectionwolfstuff @in2meijasworld

(Also tagging some others just this once who’ve commented/ liked/ reblogged this series to let you know it’s complete for real this time! Let me know if you want to still be tagged for Loki stuff!)

-

After checking for Keller Dover everywhere- his house, the liquor stores, the church the family attended, and the creepy small town survival gear store- he was no where to be found. You even showed people his picture and asked if they’d seen him, but no luck.

Where in the hell else could he have been??

Ugh

Poor Alex Jones..Can’t believe Keller would do that to him- Wait.

A sick feeling came over you, the kind of feeling you got when looking a murderer in the eyes, or when you get a confession in the interrogation room from someone you know is guilty. That feeling.

Maybe Dover was having a PTSD episode, a psychotic break, or worse, a murderous rampage- His missing daughter driving him to the brink of insanity. He always blamed Alex for the girl’s disappearance, but now that he was done with Alex, maybe he got it in his mind to go after Holly Jones next.

Now knowing what Keller was capable of, you jumped in the car and drive out to the Jones’ residence. You didn’t want Holly to end up like her son.

You called Loki, seeing if he would meet you at the Jones’s place. Better to have a partner in these types of situations.

It rang and rang until it went to voicemail.

Weird.

He usually picked up on the first couple of rings.

That’s okay though. You’d just go by yourself, proceeding with extra caution.

You never thought more of Keller Dover than a concerned parent, in light of recent events, maybe Loki’s obsession with the man wasn’t completely unfounded.

As you headed to the Jones residence, that sick feeling only grew. Nagging at you from the inside.

You tired to call Loki again.

No answer.

Your next step was to call O’Malley, maybe he knew why Loki wasn’t answering.

“O’Malley.” He answered quickly.

“Have you heard from Loki recently?”

“I sent him to notify Holly Jones about Alex about, oh-“ he paused. “A little bit ago.”

Your stomach dropped, your mind automatically assumed the worst. Not that David couldn’t handle himself, but that you tended to worry.

“Why, is everything alright?” He asked,

“I can’t reach Loki, phones going to voicemail. I’ve been searching for Keller Dover, I thought Dover might’ve gone for Holly or something. I’m gonna go over there and check.”

“Let me know if I need to send a unit over.”

“Thanks captain.”

You decided to hightail it to the Jones’ residence. Safely of course, the unfamiliar Pennsylvania roads combined with the darkness and the sleet made driving difficult.

As you were driving, your mind was on Loki. Of course you were thinking about Anna, but in the back of your mind was the earlier unfinished conversation between you and Loki. All the ‘what if’ scenarios swirled around in your brain. What did he want to talk to you about? It was killing you. You thought there was a chance Loki liked you, but he was hard to read. At this point there’s no denying your crush on the man. You didn’t know how much longer you’d be in Conyers, maybe you should rack up the courage to make a move.

The tiniest bit of flashing blue light caught your attention from down the road.

The lights looked like they were heading towards you.

Oh

They were.

They were police lights.

But they weren’t big lights that sat on top like a squad car, no. They were the kind like on a detective’s car.

The car was going fast; recklessly so.

Erratic and urgent.

Before you could get a good look at it, the car zoomed past you, barely giving you time to think.

That wasn’t Loki’s car, was it?

The little bit of it you saw, it did look like it. The pitch black of the Pennsylvania back country made it particularly difficult to see.

You pulled out your phone to call him again.

When it went straight to voicemail, you knew you couldn’t ignore your gut feeling any longer.

Fuck it.

You whipped the car around to follow the other car. It was so far ahead you couldn’t catch up, the faint blue lights your only guide.

Your pulse pounded in your ears as you followed who you were now sure was Loki.

Where are you going in such a hurry, Loki? And why? Why won’t you call me back?

You went ahead and called O’Malley and had him send a unit out to the Jones’ residence. But that was really all you could do, besides hope and pray everything was alright.

-

Loki barged into the ER with a limp Anna Dover in his arms.

His desperate cries for help rang throughout the hospital, demanding the attention of the doctors and pulling the heartstrings of all who were near.

Once she was safely in the hands of the doctors and his adrenaline wore off, he felt white hot heat radiating from his head.

His was vision blurry from the blood in his eyes, or maybe it was from the pain.

The pain.

The fucking pain.

It was a burning, stinging pain that hit him like a ton of bricks.

There was a sharp ringing that invaded his eardrums and he suddenly felt lightheaded, but he needed to stay awake..he needed to move his car from the ER entrance and needed to tell the captain what happened and needed to make sure Anna was okay, and needed (y/n) to..(y/n).. (y/n).

The last thing he remembered was mumbling something to the nurse before his vision faded to black.

-

You shifted in your seat and the old chair creaked under your weight. The nurse had offered to bring in a extra bed for you, but you declined, not wanting to take away form someone who really needed it.

But your ass going numb convinced you that you should’ve at least asked for a better chair.

Loki had been moved out of the ER and into a room for observation.

He laid there all bandaged up, sleeping..well he was unconscious, but saying he was sleeping made you feel better.

Loki wasn’t one of those people who looked peaceful when he slept, his permanent scowl still ingrained on his face.

That beautiful, pouty scowl.

Staring at Loki, you felt a tinge of guilt in your bones. You should’ve figured out it was Holly Jones all along, maybe you could’ve been there with Loki and things would’ve turned out differently.

The forensics team was able to speculate what happened based on the crime scene and, upon further digging, found evidence of dozens of child abductions.

Loki could’ve died. If the bullet went just a few inches over, it would’ve been a whole different story.

You quickly shook the thought form your head, he was here and he was okay. Joy and Anna were alive. Although it was almost a happy ending, it definitely wasn’t the ending to this case you expected.

-

You pulled the car to a screeching halt outside the ER entrance, Loki’s car still sitting outside. Lights on and doors open.

Shit shit shit

You barged in the doors, making a beeline for the front desk, but the commotion of doctors working on a dark haired man caught your eye.

Your stomach dropped.

Loki

He wasn’t conscious.

There was so much blood all over his face.

You closed the distance between you and them in two seconds flat.

“Is he okay?! Whats going on?!” You pleaded with the doctor to let you know something.

“A gunshot wound to the head, just passed out on us.”

A gunshot wound. To the head.

“Is he going to be okay?!” You asked, panicked.

“It only grazed him. We will keep you updated. Now, Ma’am step back please, let us work.”

You stepped back from the medical staff surrounding the detective, giving them their space.

“Please be ok Loki, please” you whispered.

You felt like the air had been knocked out of you. He can’t die, not like this.

You stood there in a daze, watching the doctor and nurses buzz around Loki. You lifted a trembling hand to brush the hair from your face and noticed how clammy your hands were. Suddenly, you were aware of a tightness in your chest and tears pricking the corners of your eyes.

A panic attack.

You tried to force your feet to carry you outside, the cold air would be good to dissolve your panic, but they felt like they were glued to the floor.

When your patients were in crisis you reminded them to do things that were in their control.

Maybe you should take your own advice.

Forcing your brain back into work mode, You turned to go move the cars from the ER entrance and take care of things, but you stopped dead in your tracks noticing the little girl two beds down from Loki.

Anna.

.

“Are you sure about the bed?” The nurse asked as she came in to check on the detective.

“Yeah I’m sure, thank you though.”

“If you change your mind let me know.”

“Thanks.” You replied, thankful for her kindness and her gentleness with David.

She’s nice.

“So how long have you all been together?” She asked, her innocent effort to make small talk turning awkward quickly.

“Oh we’re not…uh..” you stuttered, feeling your cheeks flush

“Oh I’m sorry, I just thought since he asked for you..that..well you know...” She said, giving you a small smile.

“He asked for me?”

“Yeah. Last thing he said before he passed out.”

You couldn’t help the grin that plastered itself onto your face and those pesky butterflies that formed in your gut.

-

2:14 AM.

David stirred from his slumber, a groan escaping his lips. He cracked an eye open, the harsh hospital lights making him cringe.

Hey! He was alive!

He still had ten working fingers and toes. Arms and legs still worked. He was alive and intact, thankful he was in one piece. It was a real miracle he avoided a car crash on the way here.

His fingers brushed over bandages on his injury. In the back of his mind, David knew he’d end up with a massive headache, but every beat of his heart sending pain to his wound was a little much for him. He looked around for the call nurse button. His heart skipped a beat when he looked to his left.

“(Y/n)” he whispered. There she was asleep in the hospital chair. That familiar fuzzy feeling flooded his chest at full force. What was she doing here? How did she know he was here?

He chuckled slightly at the sight of her. How she was able to sleep in such a cramped position, he didn’t know, and how she was able to look so adorable doing so was also a mystery.

(Y/n) was only a moment’s distraction before the throbbing pain returned to his head, he smashed the call nurse button, the commotion awaking (y/n).

Startled, she shot straight up out of the chair. In the few seconds it took her to recognize that it was indeed Loki who pushed the call button and not that he was dying or some other medical emergency, her eyes grew wide and her smile widened.

“You’re awake!” You exclaimed.

“(Y/n), it was Holly!” Loki said, trying to sit up, a groan escaping his lips as he did so. “Where’s Anna? Did she make it? You gotta get the CSU out to the Jones’ right now- she shot me-“

“Loki everything’s okay!” You assured him as you scurried to his bedside, gently grabbing his shoulders and making him lay back down.

Classic Loki, mind always on the case even when he’s laying in the hospital.

“Anna made it, she’s gonna recover. I already took care of everything.” You said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You did? How did you-“

“You need to rest.” You interrupted him, smoothing out his blanket, your fingers brushed his- only for a moment.

In that moment, your eyes locked and only then did David truly take a deep breath to calm down.

“How did you know?” He asked.

“I didn’t” you explained. “I was searching for Dover and was worried he’d gone to Holly to do what he did to Alex. I passed you on the way and followed your car back here. The scene has been processed and everything. We can get your statement in the morning, Loki.”

David breathed out a heavy sigh of relief

“Thanks, (l/n) You’re the best.”

“Thanks.” You said softly, unable to hide your blushing at Loki’s compliment.

“Just tell me what happened.”

Before the two of you could exchange any more words, the nurse came scurrying in to the room.

She upped his morphine dosage and cleaned his bandage, then made sure the two of you comfortable. Once again you praised the heavens for her kindness.

Once she left, David went into detail about what happened.

You listened intently, hanging on to his every word.

When he finished, you dropped the eye contact you and David were holding.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve figured out that it was Holly Jones sooner, maybe you wouldn’t gotten hurt and-“

“Hey-hey. it’s not your fault.” he said gently, reaching out to take your hand.

Maybe it was the morphine or the near death experience, but either way David was feeling bold.

Your heart could’ve stopped in that moment, was now a good time to confess your feelings? Should you?

You opted to offer him a small smile instead, you figured he’d been through enough tonight.

“I’m just glad you’re okay.” You told him.

David caressed the back of your knuckles with his thumb sending pleasant chills through you.

“Me too.” He replied.

“So do you need anything? Anything I can do?” You offered.

“I keep a emergency bag in my desk-“

“Got it!” You enthusiastically hopped up, ready to help in any way you could, but David didn’t let go of your hand.

“Wait! Don’t leave. Please.” You stopped in your tracks, glad he wanted you to stay.

“Let O’Malley bring my bag. Please stay.” David begged, those sad blue eyes got you, but he didn’t have to beg. You’d do anything he asked of you.

You sat back down on the edge of the bed.

“Thank you.” He said, his eyes growing heavy.

“Get some rest ok? I’ll be right here.” You said, smoothing his blanket out once again. When you got up to sit back in the chair, you could feel David’s eyes on you.

“What?” You inquired.

“Nothin’.” He murmured, only flashing you a small smile.

You flicked the overhead light off so you could both rest.

You’d definitely tell him how you felt in the morning.

-

David’s eyes lingered on (y/n) as she got up to turn off the light. He should’ve told her how he felt right then.

“What?” She questioned, catching him staring.

David hesitated.

Just tell her, David. Come on.

“Nothin’.” He responded with a tired voice and heavy eyes. He dropped the conversation, opting to let her rest. They’d been through enough tonight. They’d talk in the morning.

-

You made a trip to the cafeteria for breakfast while David showered and changed clothes.

“Hey, hey, look at you, all clean and such.” You praised Loki, coming into the room with coffee and bagels.

David chuckled at your remarks.

“Thanks. Hey, look at this-“

You sat on the bed next to David, leaning in to see the paper.

Barry Milland AKA Alex Jones reunited with family after 26 years

“Poor Barry.” You mumbled.

Lokis eyes stayed glued to the paper, but yours wandered up to his wound.

He looked a lot better this morning and was doing much better.

“It’s rude to stare you know.” Loki teased, cracking a sly smile.

“Yeah, well, you look like shit.” You teased back, a cheesy grin plastered itself across your face.

You tried to hold in your amusement as Loki gave you a funny look, but couldn’t help it as giggles escaped your lips.

Then, Loki started laughing too.

It was a good laugh. A real one.

After laughing too long at your own joke, you looked over at David, only to find him already looking at you.

Loki’s expression was soft, his usual scowl nowhere to be found.

“What?” You questioned.

Loki, seemingly mesmerized by you, was at a loss for words. His brain? Total mush.

You noticed his eyes moving between your eyes and lips, searching for a sign.

You leaned in, closing the gap between you and the detective- Loki’s sign that yes you wanted this. You wanted this since the moment you laid eyes on him. Finally.

Your lips connected oh so gently but in a way that sent sparks down your spine. The kiss was soft and-

“Detective Loki? Agent (l/n)?”

The two of you pulled apart quickly

There was Grace, Anna, Joy and Nancy all standing at the door.

Loki cleared his throat and you both tired to act like she didn’t interrupt.

“I hope we’re not intruding.”

Loki shook his head and mumbled “no” even though they obviously were. But you knew it’s be good for him to see the girls.

It particularly warmed your heart hearing her refer to Loki as a hero.

They continued talked for a minute, well, Grace Keller did, Loki was a man of few words. You had the thought to weigh in, but you couldn’t concentrate, those damn butterflies in your stomach were doing somersaults.

“Thank you two, for everything.”

Grace said and turned to leave, but stopped at the door, breaking down in tears. She tried convincing you and Loki Keller was a good man, but you and Loki exchanged knowing looks.

Not prepared to face the awkwardness of the situation, you couldn’t bring yourself to look at the detective after she left.

Lucky for you, Loki suddenly grabbed your chin, tilting your head towards him and his lips captured yours in a hungry and needy kiss.

A stark contrast to your kiss a minute prior, fire burned through your chest as your lips moved in sync with David’s.

Loki moved his hand to cup your cheek and you absolutely melted into his touch.

You broke apart from David, breathless and with a smile on your face.

“Sorry I didn’t do that sooner.” David said, his thumb stroking your cheekbone,

“Yeah me too.” You replied, still high from the bliss of your first kiss with the handsome detective.

“Look, (l/n), I uh-“

“Hey..Call me (f/n)” you interrupted, sad that David removed his hand from your cheek.

“Okay, (f/n),” he said. “I’m uh not too good with feelings and shit, but I uh, I really like you.”

“I like you too.” You gushed.

Davids eyes lit up, almost like a kid on Christmas.

“You do?” He questioned.

“Yes David, I do.” You gave him a reassuring smile. “And that kiss told me all I needed to know.”

David blushed.

David Loki blushing, you didn’t think such a thing could happen.

“Glad you enjoyed it.” He said, a smug smile replacing his blushing cheeks.

Your turn to blush.

“How do you uh, feel about long distance? I mean I’ve never done it before- but I’d be down to..you know.

“Me neither, but I think we make a pretty good team, so I think we can make it work.”

Yes!! He wanted to make this work. Now the butterflies in your belly weren’t just doing somersaults, it was more like the butterfly Olympics down there.

“Yeah?” He questioned, giddy like a child.

“Yeah.” You assured him, giving his arm a squeeze.

The day shift nurse came in to finally discharge David. She sent him home with a dozen care info papers and aftercare instructions, none of which David was likely to read or follow through with.

“Let’s get you home.” You said. “At least for a bit.” You knew Loki would not stop searching for Keller Dover. He was determined, you’d give him that. You also weren’t gonna let Loki drive home by himself after being shot in the head, even though he insisted he was fine.

“Yeah. Home.” He agreed.

David’s thoughts began to race while you began to gather your things.

Loki was hopeful, for the first time in a long time. He had a feeling that, eventually, home would be wherever (y/n) was.

-

END.

[richmond-rex]

While at Dover, ahead of setting sail to France, [Henry VII] granted: 'Power to Arthur prince of Wales, duke of Cornwall and earl of Chester, as keeper of England the king's lieutenant there, to grant licensees to elect to conventual, but not cathedral, chapter; to assent to elections, make restitution of temporalities and receive fealties on elections of minor prelates, but not with respect to greater prelates, without the king's command: and to present to benefices not exceeding the taxation of 40 marks, churches of the taxation of 20 marks and under to which the chancellor is accostumed to present, being excepted'.

— Gareth Streeter, Arthur Prince of Wales: Henry VIII's Lost Brother

Some things 6-year-old Arthur Tudor did whilst his father was away in France between 9 October and 13 December 1492:

Signed at least eleven documents of official royal business

Authorised a series of pardons to men across the kingdom who had failed to appear before the magistrates' bench

Sorted the financial settlement of the dowager Viscountess of Lisle

Ordered sheriffs to arrest offenders in Essex

Placed a bond of recognisance on a group of rioters in Bristol

Ordered the arrest of a man who had wronged a Spanish merchant

[oops-i-accidentally]

Ruins of the Mad King Pt.3 - The Pawns

What D&D game is complete without the main characters? This game has six players altogether, all except one of whom were the players of the first game as well. They’re credited with their characters, as well as having small descriptions of the characters themselves.

Dover Yenwrick - Emmett (@salmonandsoup on tumblr/twitter/insta)

Neutral good goliath, aberrant mind sorcerer/watchers paladin Dover is a goliath from the frozen mountain ranges of Bruyc Sharia, belonging to his nomadic family the Yenwricks. When Dover was ten, his family found and adopted a little aasimar girl named Zaharel, who was lost and half-dead in the woods. The two became the closest of friends, true brother and sister, and she was there for him throughout years of abuse at the hands of his step-aunt under the guise of therapy. When Dover was 15, he was attacked by a wild boar during a hunt-- he nearly died, but woke his innate magical capabilities at the same time. Zaharel was there to heal him, though his face was forever scarred, but she left soon after, claiming to be searching for a labyrinth that haunted her dreams and what she believed to be Mortos within. Time passed and the two were reunited; Dover as a butcher of animals, and Zaharel as The Right Hand of Mortos. He joined the Church at her behest, working under her and doing her dirty work as the inquisition took charge. Now he hunts a cult leader that fled Bruyc Sharia, intent on taking Edran Trist's life no matter what.

Junodius - Dante (@kotilae on tumblr)

Chaotic neutral tiefling, wild card rogue Juno is a tiefling originally raised in the Hells with his twin, Jynkalkus (Jynx), by their incubus father, Dharlynx, and multiple succubus aunts. Though they shared as happy a childhood as one could have in the Hells, Dharlynx decided to leave the twins to experience life and grow in the mortal world. When they were fifteen, the twins were left to fend for themselves in Edsemara, Pru Shain-- lucky for them, both the twins have always had an affinity for thievery. After a few years of living on the streets, the twins joined the criminal organization The Faceless Ones, in which Jynx started climbing the ranks while Juno engaged in a life of hedonism and debauchery. It came as a surprise to him when Jynx killed the leader of The Faceless Ones and took his place, taking Juno with them as one of their closest employees. Now he works cases for his boss The Red Death, currently on the mission of locating a runaway.

Edran Trist - Jaden (@flowercrownknight on tumblr)

Neutral good drow, drakewarden ranger Edran Trist (or Fenian, to those who don't know him) is a man on the run. Raised in the Followers of the Lost Eye, a cult in the countryside of Bruyc Sharia dedicated to the worship and return of the Broken One, led by his parents. When he was a small child he was gifted the egg of a bismuth dragon, which hatched into Edran's companion (and now boyfriend), Enniarth (Enni). When he was nine years old his mother put him through a ritual in which his eye was taken, and accidentally instilled a dream of running away one day. Years later he finally got his chance, escaping the cult with Enni and fleeing south into Allismoor. Now he is hunted both by his family and the agents of the Church of Mortos, who aim to kill him for his unwanted fate of taking over the Cult of the Lost Eye one day.

Argus Lykaon - Kyle (@/KyleLockeVA on twitter)

Chaotic neutral aasimar, vengeance paladin Argus is someone who has always known life to be a fight. He grew up on the dangerous streets of Andabria, the capital city of Allismoor, as an orphan who was forced to a life of crime in order to survive. It was when he was ten that he met Augi Brightforge, the captain of the royal guard, who saw promise in this young boy and adopted him as his son. As Argus was trained in the order of knights that served King Faustus, he grew close with the four royal children and even ended up getting a childhood crush on Faustus' daughter and heir, Clytemnestra. He was 18 when the rebellion happened, which resulted in the deaths of the royal children he had grown up with; deaths at the hands of the riots for Clytemnestra and her brother, while the other two were beheaded next to their father at the hands of Augi's close friend, Desius Sanga. After Augi was killed soon after by Sanga on a false charge of treason, Argus fled and started living on the streets once again. It was there he got word of a new, growing rebellion against the new tyrant, called the Order of the Radiant Wolf, and quickly committed himself to their cause.

Vineeta Keswani - Sidd (@/RonkuSide on twitter)

True neutral yuan-ti, life cleric Vineeta was once on the run. She was raised for a short time in Edsemara, Pru Shain with a number of other orphans, until she met a man known as Albion Arant. Albion was a man of infamy, it being well known that he was the founder and leader of a feared criminal organization known as the Faceless Ones. She was adopted by Arant, who took a liking to her spunky personality-- or saw a worthy challenge in breaking her. From then on she was raised not as his daughter, but as his tool. She gained the title of The Scaled Reaper, a feared assassin working for the Faceless Ones, and exceled in her work. Because of her close relationship to Arant, when Jynkalkus committed their coup Vineeta was marked as one of Arant's supporters and an attempt on her life was made. She managed to escape into the desert as she bled out, luckily being saved by a nomadic healer named Heveria, who nursed Vineeta back to health and offered her refuge from those who would try to hurt her. Vineeta lived with Heveria for a few years, learning the trade of being a cleric, before heading out on her own to try and help others like Heveria once helped her.

Fylson Zylven - Lance (Not on any social media)

Chaotic good gnome, satire bard Fylson has lived a long life. Born before the apocalypse, he's traveled the globe as an adventurer, a bard, and a jester. His time of adventuring was relatively short lived, after which he started seeking employment for his musical prowess. He found his first job in a royal court at the behest of a young Clemara Cleo, still a princess and yet to ascend to the title of Storm Queen. She took him on countless dangerous adventures on the waves, both as her bard and as her friend. After an incident where he died to a sea serpent but was brought bac after the young girl killed it he took his leave of her employment, instead traveling inland. This was just in time, for the apocalypse struck not soon after. He survived when so many didn't, continuing his endless journey, until after a number of years he found himself as the court jester in King Faustus' court. There he met his wife, a half-orc woman named Tamraghi who worked in the royal guard under Augi Brightforge. There he was happy for near a decade, until the rebellion formed. He thought that he had been marked as a sympathizer of the king and for such a crime, was to be killed-- except he didn't realize Tamraghi was part of the rebellion, and was safe because of that. He fled without a word to his wife, after which his paranoia caused him to spiral. He sent her the documents for divorce before continuing on his journey, without ever looking back (or so he would like to say).

With these six, the pieces are laid out and the play set to begin. Though they may not realize it at first, all stray souls meeting for a night out of pure coincidence, the eyes that have turned on them will not let them leave as easily as they might like. They can only hope that all turns out in the mortal’s favor on the gamble they’ll be shoved into.

All art done by @kotilae​!

[uwmspeccoll]

Fashion Friday: Liturgical Looks

This lapsed Catholic realizes that not all the above looks from Munich publishers Braun & Schneider’s Zur Geschichte der Kostüme are liturgical, strictly speaking, but I couldn’t resist the allure of an alliterative title. Church chic doesn’t quite have the same ring to it! These plates originally appeared as illustrations for the biweekly single-leaf publication Münchener Bilderbogen, published in Munich by Braun & Schneider from 1848-1898. The publishing firm also produced fifty annual volumes collecting the previous year’s output. The publication covered a wide range of topics including comic drawings of animals, humorous stories, cautionary tales, and illustrated fairy tales. 

It is unclear when this volume of plates illustrating both historical and contemporary regional fashion trends was produced. The publishers started producing bound collections of their fashion plates as early as 1874, but it is likely this particular collection is from after 1898, as some of the plates are from the final annual Münchener Bilderbogen. The plates from Zur Geschichte der Kostüme were reproduced again in 1975 by Dover Publications under the title Historic Costume in Pictures, with Braun & Schneider credited as authors. As explained in a publisher’s note in that book, Dover decided to reproduce the plates in black and white because there is so much variation in color between the various remaining copies. This is confirmed by our own holdings: Special Collections has three copies of Zur Geschichte der Kostüme, all seemingly containing the same plates (though one is missing its index), and all lacking publication dates. Note the variations between the first plate in each volume:

While German painter Louis Braun is credited as the lead artist for the collection in our catalog record, it is unclear if he contributed to any of these images, though the Crusaders (images 4 & 5) bear only the name “Cehric,” who the Library of Congress identifies as an engraver. Also unclear is whether Louis Braun is related to Kaspar Braun, of Braun & Schneider. The artist of images 6 & 7 is identified as M. Adamo, likely Max Adamo, brother of frequent Münchener Bilderbogen contributor Albert Adamo. A. Müller, (the artist of images 1-3 & 8) refers to the Düsseldorf-based painter Andreas Müller. 

Check out our previous post on  Zur Geschichte der Kostüme here.

Find more Fashion Friday posts here. 

-Olivia, Special Collections graduate intern

[banorawhite]

for the music ask game :D how about 5, 14, 20?

YES LET'S GO!!!!

5: a song that needs to be played LOUD

i would be lying if i didn't plug love me right again. as soon as i hear the opening i am turning this song ALL the way up and having a jam session!! i love it so so much.

i believe by lyn for persona 5 royal. it brings back all of the emotions playing the end of that game, and it hypes me way too much to play quietly! dover beach by baby queen - this song is very much an oc song and i always get very into it. and no light no light by florence and the machine. i go a little insane every time i hear this song.

14: a song you would love played at your wedding

eyes locked, hands locked by red velvet. this song is just way too beautiful.

also soundtracks: feast of starlight by howard shore. not only is it gorgeous but it plays during one of my favourite scenes. and flowers blooming beneath the church, nobou uematsu. probably one of my favourite pieces of music ever and just. ah. so, so pretty.

20: a favourite song with a person's name in the title

i'm in my shameless julie and the phantoms propaganda era - unsaid emily. godddd this song. this scene.

also georgia by vance joy <3

[killis24]

I'm making a playlist with songs that make remind me of Crowley's feeling after the end of S2. Feel free to tell me more songs I should add, I'll check them out.

Obvious spoilers.

Why each song?

•Starlight by Muse: It makes me feel that Crowley is listening to it, thinking about everything that he could have done with Aziraphale in Alpha Centauri.

•Love Of My Life by Queen: I mean, it's obvious, but it could make him feel like Freddie, the love of his life broke his heart and deserted him.

•Wicked Game by Chris Isaak: The lyrics 'I don't want to fall in love with you (this world is only gonna break your heart) makes me think about the before and the after of the kiss.

•Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears: The lyrics 'Nothing ever last forever' and 'everybody wants to rule the world'. This last one could make him feel like Aziraphale chose having an important role in heaven that gives him the possibility of choosing what will happen with Earth over him.

•Say Yes To Heaven by Lana Del Rey: Basically for all those tiktok edits with the lyrics 'Say yes to heaven, say yes to me'.

•Every Breath You Take by The Police: The lyrics talks about how the protagonist looks at the one he loves while they go and how it hurts to see them going away.

•Take Me To Church by Hozier: Another obvious song. I don't think I should explain this, right?

•Devil Came To Me by Dover: Could remember him about his falling, bit mainly for the lyrics 'I lied for you', because he lied to a lot of people, and mainly hell, for Aziraphale.

•Mr. Loverman by Ricky Montgomery: Just listen to it and you will feel heartbroken.

•Poison by Alice Cooper: It talks about a toxic relationship and I feel Crowley would see it as if Heaven had made Aziraphale become a poison because of how toxic Heaven is.

•Rolling In The Deep by Adele: 'We could've had it all'. That would remind him of his dreams of going to Alpha Centauri with Aziraphale.

•Yesterday by The Beatles: Just read the lyrics. Just read it.

[aceredshirt13]

everybody out here with their vampire Barok AUs. listen. I like vampires as much as the rest of y’all. but having the huge spooky guy with the pale skin and goth clothes and bat friends and endless supply of red wine be a vampire is just too on the nose. too obvious. too passé.

my pitch: vampire AU where Barok is just a regular human guy who is Like That.

Albert is the vampire.

(more excessive details under the cut)

Albert wasn’t a vampire yet when they met in college. In fact, their whole college experience and Barok’s entire traumatic post-college experience is identical to canon. But Albert got bitten while in Germany, and when he comes back to London and sees Barok’s new look he’s like “wow! I guess my old friend has ALSO become a vampire! what a spectacular coincidence!” Unaware that these are just Barok’s vibes now that his brother is dead and he’s lost faith in humanity.

No one’s figured it out because Albert has never had many friends, and his class load as a professor was never high in the first place, so what would be strange about him only teaching night classes all of a sudden? Or only venturing out of his research lab after dark? The man is so exuberant and so thoroughly unintimidating that no one would ever suspect him of such a thing. In fact, Albert looks exactly the same as he does in the game, but if you look closely, you’ll see he’s got little fangs when he smiles. The only thing that clues in Barok is when he’s taking Albert to Dover after the trial - that he seems extraordinarily wary of sunlight, and that he always seems hungry no matter how much food Barok buys for the pair of them, and that when Albert hugs him goodbye, he’s terribly cold to the touch.

So how is Albert taking this transformation? Well, truthfully, he’s fascinated, and adds his own nature to his long list of scientific subjects to study; but he despises having to hurt people to feed himself, and keeps trying to invent viable blood substitutes that always end up being rather poor in the departments of both nutrition and taste - just enough to keep him alive. (Theoretically, he could buy blood from the butcher shop, but much like trying to give a newborn baby the milk of another animal, animal blood isn’t great for vampires - and buying large quantities of animal blood is both a strain on the wallet and tends to draw the suspicion of the butcher.). It’s really just a more dramatic version of how he behaves in canon - how much he puts his work and his studies above his own health and well-being.

Of course, once Albert realizes Barok is just a regular human, he doesn’t want to tell him because of the (admittedly rather warranted) stigma against his kind, especially with Barok being from a powerful family that undoubtedly has ties with the Church of England - and Christianity does not exactly have a great relationship with creatures seen as demonic. But of course, Barok ends up discovering the truth anyway - and though it is obviously rather a shock, the man’s fondness for his old friend is far more important to him than the fact that he now survives upon drinking the blood of the living. Afterwards, whenever they go out, Barok holds his cape over Albert when the sun is bright enough to risk burning him - and though Albert has been a vampire for long enough to avoid garlic in his meals (vampires can eat human food, but it’s all of the enjoyment with none of the nutritional value, so they can’t survive on it), Barok always insists on double-checking for him, just to make sure. (And by virtue of Barok looking and dressing the way he does, when they’re together, any suspicion of Albert’s vampirism is very quickly deflected onto Barok. Quite literally everyone thinks Barok is the vampire. They just think Albert only comes out at night because he’s weird.)

As for, er, my less than platonic leanings toward the relationship between these two… well. If Albert’s trying to survive solely on a combination of animal blood and these bad blood substitutes to avoid hurting people, then I imagine he’s not always doing very well - he might have trouble functioning, or sleeping, or feeling faint/having low energy even when he’s excited about something. Barok, worrywart that he is, is incredibly concerned about him, but also knows he can hardly force Albert to start accosting people on the street for their blood just for his own health. So, Barok offers an alternative; he slowly lowers the collar of his shirt, revealing his neck.

Albert protests at first, naturally being even less willing to hurt his dearest friend than a stranger, but Barok insists it’s all right - and a combination of his friend’s visible concern and his own stomach growling manages to convince him at least to try. Frantically, he assures him that it’ll only hurt for a moment - after all, he says, when applied carefully, vampire venom has a numbing agent more advanced than that of mosquitoes or fleas, with none of the itchy after-effects! - before biting him, very, very gently.

It does hurt, for a moment, but that fades fast, and soon it’s replaced by a rather pleasant feeling - for Albert, that of being able to enjoy something he’d always thought monstrous; for Barok, the intimate physical contact he’d forgotten and missed. After Albert is done, having made sure not to take too much, they end up in each other’s arms, just… lying there, for quite a while, and then spend the next week and a half trying to convince themselves that was a very normal and heterosexual thing to do between a vampire and his human bestie. (And then, of course, they do it all over again.)

For the record, Albert figures out his feelings for Barok first, but tries to push them down - until another vampire he meets points out that, well, he’s already a vampire. A creature viewed as demonic. So what if he loves another man? At best, it doesn’t matter anyway, and at worst, what’ll he be, more damned?

[crawlhometohozier]

i know about the "i hear take me to church and black out and wake up in a churchyard" thing but my personal favorites are movement and in the woods somewhere. the first instrument (i don't know what it is but it's cool) of movement plays and i just fuckn yeet myself off the goddamn cliffs of dover. however i hear in the woods somewhere and wake up w/ my face and chest covered in deer blood and my hands buried inside a chest cavity. i am only a little bit feral.

Anon, I am relating a little bit to much to you to be perfectly honest.

And I see that as a win.

[boleynsrex]

Letter penned by King William's page at Dover, 1559, and sent directly to the Princess Elizabeth's grace, then-appointed by His Majesty to preside over Hampton Court Palace.

Elizabeth,

Briefeth mine own lett'r may beest, I writeth in desiring to knoweth how does mine own realm, and what news thee has't to dispatch regarding the voyage of my lord Privy Seal, Sir Walsingham, de Vere, and Mademoiselle Percy. I entrust in thee, sister, not merely the robes of England but the most wondrous might of our great country, which our father did see fiteth to bequeath to me, his son. I wish you a soundeth rule over the court and sundry subjects of the Realm, and for mine own parteth work to curry peace with our sister Mary, who I am intent as God knoweth me to be, to seeth boweth to our Church, to our Kingdom, to our Glory. As I knoweth thee shall enquire as to our lady mother's health, I assureth thee the lady is as fiteth as one mistress can beest, with a tongue as sharp as her very constitution.

Farewell, this 19th of November, W REX

[MODERN TRANSCRIPTION] Brief my letter may be, I write in desiring to know how fairs my Realm, and what news you have to dispatch regarding the voyage of my Lord Privy Seal, Sir Walsingham, and Mademoiselle Percy. I entrust in you, sister, not merely the robes of England but the great might of our greater still country that our father saw fit to bequeath to me, his son. I wish you a sound rule over the court and various subjects of the realm, and for my part work to curry peace with our sister Mary, who I am intent to see bow to our Church, to our Kingdom, to our Glory. Since I know you will enquire as to our lady mother's health, I assure you she is as fit as one woman can be, with a tongue as sharp as her constitution.

@thunyielding

[wutbju]

When the +++Positives+++ released this letter in January 2023, they blacked out all of the signatories but one:

The full signature line was:

Sincerely, The Executive Board of the Foundations Baptist Fellowship International Approved unanimously with one abstention by the FBFI Board at the 2022 Winter Board Meeting

So yes, Bob Jones III was writing to his own legacy institution to “being to make corrections.”

WutBJU doesn’t know who was present at this Winter Board Meeting of the FBFI outside of Bob Jones III.

But here’s the current slate of officers of the FBFI:

Dr. Kevin Schaal President/CEO Northwest Valley Baptist Church 4030 W Yorkshire Drive Glendale, AZ 85308 Phone: 864.268.0777

Dr. Gordon Dickson Chairman Calvary Baptist Church 2000 Broad Ave Findlay, OH 45840 Phone: 419.422.6842

Pastor Taigen Joos Vice Chairman Heritage Baptist Church 8186 Dover Point Road Dover, NH 03820 Phone: 603.749.0762

Dr. Bud Steadman Secretary Baptist World Mission PO Box 2149 Decatur, AL 35602-2149 Phone: 256.353.2221

Pastor Michael Privett Treasurer Summit View Baptist Church 31 N Highway 25 Bypass Travelers Rest, SC 29617 Phone:  757.206.9544

And the Executive Board:

Dr. Ron Allen Bible Baptist Church 2724 Margaret Wallace Road Matthews, NC 28105 704.535.1692

Rev. Mike Ascher Good News Baptist Church 3252 Taylor Road Chesapeake, VA 23321 757.488.3241

Dr. James Baker Tabernacle Baptist Church 717 N. Whitehurst Landing Road Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757.424.4673

Rev. Earl Barnett King Cove Bible Chapel PO Box 45 King Cove, AK 99612 (907) 497-2076 (907) 414-1402 Cell

Dr. David Byford Faith Baptist Church 7023 Deer Trail Road Manhattan KS 66503 785.539.3363

Dr. Robert Condict Upper Cross Roads Baptist Church 2717 Greene Road Baldwin MD 21013 410.557.7427

Rev. Jeff Davis EMU International 325 Regency Circle Anderson, SC 29625 864.617.7156

Mr. Roger Duvall 22 Elmwood Drive Taylors, SC 29687 864.420.0892

Dr. Ken Endean Tri-City Baptist Church 2211 W Germann Road Chandler, AZ 85286 480.245.7969

Pastor Tony Facenda Stillwaters Baptist Church Milepost 4 1/2 US 158 Nags Head, NC 27959 (252) 255-1835

CH (COL) Gary Fisher 2634 Wisser Street​ Honolulu, HI 98619 785.492.7667

Pastor Terry Hamilton Friendship Baptist Church 700 Boyson Rd NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 319.393.6990

Dr. Mike Harding First Baptist Church of Troy 2601 John R Troy MI 48084 810.689.4555

Dr. Craig Hartman Shalom Ministries Inc 2152 Ralph Avenue #601 Brooklyn NY 11234 718.232.8233

Dr. Dale Heffernan Midland Baptist Church 1860 North Tyler Road Wichita, KS 67212 316.721.1860

Rev. Arin Hess 7210 Orchard Street Lincoln, NE 68505 402.750.0555

Dr. David Innes Hamilton Square Baptist Church 1212 Geary St. San Francisco CA 94109 415.673.8586

Rev. Don Johnson Grace Baptist Church 2731 Matson Road Victoria, BC CANADA V9B 4M5

Dr. Stephen Jones Bob Jones University 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd Greenville, SC 29614

Dr. Larry Karsies Harvest Hills Baptist Church 9713 North County Line Road Yukon, OK 73099 405.721.1920

Dr. Mark Minnick Mt. Calvary Baptist Church 115 Cedar Lane Road Greenville SC 29601 864.233.1684

Rev. Jeff Musgrave The Exchange 10100 Glenayre Court Parker, CO 80134 303.798.1204

Dr. Larry Oats Maranatha Baptist University 745 West Main Street Watertown WI 53094 920.206.2324

Dr. David Pennington Penn Coaching & Consulting 2018 Freeport Drive Indian Trail, NC 28079 317.507.6001

Dr. Chuck Phelps Colonial Hills Baptist Church 8140 Union Chapel Road Indianapolis, IN 46240 317.253.5597

Dr. Kent Ramler People’s Baptist Church 6648 Carpenter Road Frederick, MD 21703 301.473.5635

Dr. C. Matthew Recker Heritage Baptist Church PO Box 7925 New York NY 10016 212.947-5316

Rev. Stephen Russell Central Baptist Church 1812 Honeysuckle Road Dothan AL 36305-4224 334.794.9214

Dr. Dale Seaman Calvary Baptist Church 1768 N Newcomb Street Porterville, CA 93257 559.783.0857

Dr. Will Senn Tri-City Baptist Church 6953 W 92nd Lane Westminster, CO 80021-4074 303.424.2287

Rev. Ron Smith Jr Victory Baptist Church/AFBM PO Box 2462 California City CA 93504 760.373.7314

Rev. Jeremy Sweatt Farmington Avenue Baptist Church 149 Mountain Rd West Hartford CT 06107 860.521.8380

Rev. Dan Unruh Westside Baptist Church 6260 West 4th Street Greeley CO 80634 970.346.8610

Dr. John C. Vaughn 109 Saffron Way Taylors SC 29687 864.325.2531

CH (COL) Joe Willis USAR RET 2021 Bradbury Rd Adams TN 37010 813.767.2734

Pastor Doug Wright Keystone Baptist Church 15 Keystone Lane Berryville, VA 22611 540.955.3410

Dr. Mike Yarborough Faith Baptist Church 1445 Fertilizer Road Riegelwood, NC 28456 919.622.5309

Dr. Wayne Van Gelderen Jr. Falls Baptist Church N69 W12703 Appleton Avenue Menomonee Falls WI 53051 414.251.7051

And then the board members they keep around on an “Advisory Board”:

Rev. Mark Brock Crossway Baptist Church 4600 Ashe Rd. #318 Bakersfield, CA 93313 661.900.2578

Dr. Ron Ehmann Northwest Baptist Missions PO Box 548 Toole, UT 84074

Mr. Mark Herbster Maranatha Baptist University 745 West Main Street Watertown, WI 53094

Dr. Marty Herron Harvest Baptist Church PO Box 23189 Barrigada, GU 96921

Dr. Jeff Kahl W10085 Pike Plains Road Dunbar, WI 54119 704.989.8517

Dr. Greg Kaminski Westside Baptist Church 1375 Irving Road Eugene, OR 07404

CDR Tavis Long, CHC, USN 1820 Sunsprite Loop Chesapeake, VA 23323 662.812.5288

Ch. Maj. Nathan Mestler International Baptist College 2211 W Germann Rd Chandler, Arizona 85286

Rev. Dan Pelletier Hamilton Square Baptist Church 1212 Geary Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94109

CH (COL) Michael Shellman 206 South Courthouse Road Arlington, VA 22204 910.309.6776 Board Emeritus

Dr. Rick Arrowood 104 Rambling Creek Cv Byron, GA 31008-9584 317.217.1600

Dr. Charles Britt Sr. 3979 Kristen Street Spring Hill TN 37174 931.489.9248

Dr. Gerald Carlson 53 Gideon Road Sebring, FL 33870 252.452.1112

Dr. Edward Caughill 206 Cooleys Crest Lane Inman SC 29349 757.479.1195

Dr. Walter Coles Good News Baptist Church 3252 Taylor Road Chesapeake VA 23321 757.488.3241

Dr. Johnny Daniels Calvary Baptist Tabernacle PO Box 3390 Carolina, PR 00984 787.750.2227

Dr. Bill Hall 75 Wintergreen Ave Greeneville TN 37745 423.638.8087

Dr. Bruce Hamilton Hamilton Acres Baptist Church 138 Farewell Avenue Fairbanks AK 99701 907.456.5995

Dr. Bob Jones III Bob Jones University 419 Library Drive Greenville SC 29609 864.242.5100

Dr. Peter Maruyama Narashino Baptist Church 4-17-10, Moto-Ohkubo Narashino, Chiba 275-0012 JAPAN 011.047.477.8910

Mr. Mike Moreau Harvest Media, Inc 22 Briarwood Court Schaumburg IL 60193 847.352.4345

Dr. Fred Moritz 149 Marsh Creek Drive Garner, NC 27529 (256) 318-0897

Dr. Les Ollila PO Box 40 Pembine, WI 54156 715.324.6900

Rev. Wilbur W. Schoneweis Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church 411 Blunt Street Clay Center KS 67432 785.632.5939

Dr. Robert Taylor Colonial Hills Baptist Church 8140 Union Chapel Road Indianapolis IN 46240 317.253.5597

Dr. George Youstra 1984 Georgia Circle Clearwater FL 33760 727.538.1920

I’ve bolded those names who are either current or former members of the BJU Board of Trustees. UPDATE: I eliminated this indication after receiving all the names who signed.

The men present who voted unanimously were either all of those or some of those. We don’t know. We can presume that the Officers were all likely present: Kevin Schaal, Gordan Dickson, Taigen Joos, Bud Steadman, and Michael Privett.

Who abstained? Bob III didn’t. Mike Harding as a present BJU Board member? Stephen Jones as a very absent member of the Royal family? Mark Minnick as a current employee?

The only name on there that I can guarantee did not abstain was Don Johnson, but he’s an old friend of mine. ;)

What do you think?

UPDATE, May 15, 2023: The Positives have added an unredacted signatory list. WutBJU will mark all those signatories on the above list in bold italics.

[oceancitymarylandbachelorparty]

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[swordvixen]

I've got rolls of Agfa APX400, CineStill 800T, Ilford Ortho+, and Fomapan 400 at the lab and arriving over the coming days and weeks. Meanwhile, enjoy this selection of assorted film photos from the height of my film photography, 1999-2004.

Left to right, top to bottom:

Somewhere in Catalonia on the way to Montserrat, June 2000

A Pontiac GTO The Judge at a car show in Myrtle Beach, SC circa 1999

The Thames in snow from Richmond Hill, Richmond, UK, 2004

A ruined priory in Dover, UK, 2004

A clock at Hammersmith Station, London, UK 2004

A kitten in the cloister of a cathedral, Barcelona? June 2000

An iron gate in Richmond, UK 2004

A 1940 Ford, Myrtle Beach, SC 1999

A 1958 Ford convertible next to a diner, Galena, Ill. USA, summer 2002

Cranes and crosses- a moment from the construction of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain 2000

Clay pots in a wheelbarrow in the Rastrillo (street market) of Barcelona, Spain 2000

A sign for Church Road, Richmond, UK 2004

A 1955 Chevrolet with a tiger painted under the hood, Myrtle Beach, SC 1999

A street somewhere in Tarragona, Spain, June 2000

A 1934 Buick, Myrtle Beach, SC 1999

[nancypullen]

If You Build It...

Okay, autumn will come whether I decorate for it or not but I’m a huge believer in manifesting what you want. That’s why my home is currently filled with pumpkins of every size and color and it has spilled out onto the porch. Or maybe it started on the porch and crept inside. Either way I’m fine with it.  I was swapping messages with a friend last week and she asked if I’d gone all out with Halloween decor this year.  I replied that, sadly, I hadn’t.  Partly because I downsized my Halloween stuff when we left Tennessee, and partly because we won’t be home this year to greet trick-or-treaters.  Then I looked around and realized that I might have fibbed a bit.  I didn’t go all out, but my toned down autumn celebration is still pretty generous.  Oh, I don’t have tombstones and cobwebs and witches out, but this did show up beside the already decorated front door.

And I put a bunch of stuff on the entry table until I figured out where to put it...and it’s still there.

What a jumble, but that’s where it’s staying.

I’ve got it tucked into kitchen corners...

and on window sills.

It’s on either side of the tv cabinet and on the tabletop.

Yeah, I know that bread bowl needs some filler.  I’m working on it.  Most of what I’ve put out was just in the first Halloween tub that I could reach in the garage, so I used what I had.  I did purchase this pillow when we drove into the big city of Dover and I was able to attend church (by church I mean Home Goods).

I love it! That’ll stay out until I decorate for Christmas.  The pumpkins generally do, I pack away the spooky stuff on November 1st and brace myself for the crazy holidays.

BUT....far better than anything I placed inside the house is what Mother Nature is doing outside.  I glanced up as I was pounding a sign into the ground and had to stop and just breathe in the changes.

 "Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons." - Jim Bishop Isn’t that the truth?  The light is golden, the leaves turn gold, copper, and scarlet. Even the air loses its heaviness - if I could find a perfume that smells like autumn, I’d wear it.  There are red leaves on the driveway under and around the car and I refuse to sweep them up. I love crunching across them to get in the car.  If you look left from our porch the street lamp is surrounded by color and when it comes on at dusk it makes the tree glow.

Yesterday afternoon I sat on the porch (another hot mess of mismatched fall decor) and watched leaves flutter to the ground.  It was restorative,  better than a massage or a nap.

I started tidying up the flower beds and I tried to shove my witchy weather vane into the ground (see her in that corner bed?) but I couldn’t get her straight.  I’ll need someone with more upper body strength to do it.  Luckily I’ll have a house full of those people this weekend.  She’ll be flying straight by Friday. But who cares about a wonky witch when you’ve got these colors? 

Hopefully this is the last time the yard will look so scraggly.  We arrived too late to do much about it this summer.  There’s a guy coming on Friday to aerate and seed, hopefully after a long winter’s nap we’ll have a velvety lawn next  season.  Yes, we’re those old people. So there you are, that’s where my head is on this beautiful Thursday in October.  Matt is arriving tonight and I’m hoping he beats the bad weather that’s on its way. I’m also hoping the storms don’t blow away all of the color.  Even if we lose some leaves, it’s early yet - this is just act one.  Autumn’s glory hasn’t peaked yet.  I’m going to enjoy it until the last leaf has dropped from the very last tree. Only then will I surrender the pumpkins. Alrighty, off to the grocery store for me. Yesterday I stripped all of the beds and gave everyone fresh sheets. Today is about food.   I’m just making a pot of chili tonight since I’m not sure what time Matt will actually arrive and whether or not he’ll be hungry.  I’m going to throw together a breakfast casserole for the mornings, have some fruit and yogurt available, sandwich stuff for lunches, probably some chicken on the grill another night. Keeping it simple. Jamie is bringing something delicious for Friday night’s dinner so I’ll just make a salad and dessert for Friday. Easy peasey!  My list for the store isn’t long so maybe I can get in and out in record time. More time for leaf gazing, right? I’m outta’ here. Stay safe, stay well, make sure you stop and smell the pumpkins. (Okay, doesn’t work as well as roses, but you get it.)

Nancy

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Sunday 9 August 1835

9

12 20

no kiss very fine morning F68° at 9 ½ am - wrote and sent on ¼ sheet note paper the following to ‘Lady Duff Gordon, 34 Hertford street’ -  ‘my dear Lady Gordon - it would disappoint me very much not to see you before I leave London - what can I do in the course of today and tomorrow morning? for tomorrow  morning I may be off, or at farthest on Tuesday morning - I hope you have at least made a truce with your headache, that old enemy that seems unwilling to let got - ever very truly yours A Lister’ - breakfast at 10 ¼ - had the carriage and posters as before and drove to St George’s Hanover square there at 11 ¼ - service just began - the dean of Carlisle preached 27 minutes a very good sermon from 1 John iv.5 our hope is in faith - very handsome comfortable church - always go to it when here? send beforehand to the woman who has charge of the pews to give me a nice front seat in the gallery? - home a little after 1 - till 2 ½ wrote the whole of yesterday and so far of today - on my return from church found affectionate little note from ‘Georgy Gordon’ to say she was afraid could not see me - had been very ill and cupped - rather better but still very unwell would be much disappointed to have missed seeing me - concludes with yours very affectionately Georgy Gordon’   - had the carriage and out at 2 35 drove round Hyde Park, and then to St Paul’s supposing there would be service at 4 - waited 20 minutes (in the shade - near the school) then hearing no bell recollecting that we had seen a written paper stating that the cathedral would be closed till September, drove off along Holborn meaning to enter Regent’s Park by the Hanover gate - the offhorse having thrown of his off fore shoe in Holborn, came home for 20 minutes till we could get another horse and then out again at 4 55 - drove direct to the Hanover gate round Regent’s park, and out at Portland place (Park crescent) and drove up to the London university for a view

SH:7/ML/E/18/0078

of its exterior, and home (A- very poorly sickish and tired and unwell all today - thought the church too close this morning) at 6 - dinner at 6 ½ - tea - A- asked if I thought she had better consult someone about the pain in her back of her neck - I wished she had mentioned it before - wrote and sent the following to ‘Sir Benjamin Brodie Saville Row’ -‘Miss Lister is anxious to consult sir Benjamin Brodie, and will be much obliged to him to fix any hour for calling upon her tomorrow morning -26 Dover street Sunday Evening 10 August’ - wrong dated by mistake - the porter brought back word that he must go for an answer at 9 am tomorrow - A- and I sat talking - then till 11 ¼ wrote 2 pages (1/2 sheet note paper) to Lady Harriet de H- - very fine day - F68° at 12 tonight