#franklin loves the both of them so much. he is like. their fish son now

[thelaughingmerman]

Alma, Henrik's wife, sewed the mermen their little wedding jackets. So lovingly did she sew them. And Franklin, bless him, is so uncomfortable having his arms covered and the jacket feels too restrictive even though it's the perfect size. And he wants to tell someone so bad just how upsetting the bowtie feels this is not his scarf. But he loves Alma so much and does not want to hurt her feelings so he bites his tongue. If literally anyone else in the world had made the coats, if they were store bought, whatever, he would have given the list A to Z of all the things just so upsetting about the coat. But since it's Alma he loves it and is grateful. Even if he wish she hadn't gone to the trouble.

[tracybirds]

Happy March of the OCs Part 2!

okay, so I don't really write with OCs very often, but I do like thinking about side characters and giving them random backstories and families and things :) So here's some more sims posting, this time with all the characters I've pulled out to pad up the world!

Sara Cavanaugh

Sara is Kat Cavanaugh's sister, and they love each other a lot but cannot stand to be together for longer than approximately four hours. Kat thinks Sara is materialistic and vain, Sara thinks Kat is pig-headed and selfish. They're both right and they're both wrong, as often is the case when it comes to people. Sara does appreciate material things and takes pride in her appearance, and she can be quick to judge based on appearances, but she also works hard for very little thanks and cares very deeply about her community.

Eleanor Rigby

Eleanor is about eight years old, and she's Captain Wayne Rigby's daughter. I picture him as a single dad, and someone he worries about a lot and that a lot of his grouch with Kayo was misdirected anxiety about having to constantly leave Eleanor behind while he was working overtime. Eleanor's super resilient though, and mostly saw bouncing around her friends' homes as a bit of an adventure. She love love loves the outdoors and is a huge 'Into the Unknown' fan. Her biggest dream at the moment is to become a vet at a zoo.

The list continues under the cut ><

Aidan Hawkins and Theo Hawkins-McCready

I imagine by the time Virgil meets Cass, she's a single mum with two very rambunctious sons, but for my sims save, I'm playing a little further back in the story haha, so meet her fiance, Aidan, and eldest son, Theo. Aidan is a very romantic and outgoing person but it's paired with intense insecurities and poor communication that creates a very tumultuous relationship for Cass. They both love each other, and Cass gets swept up in his grand gestures, but they struggle a lot with co-dependency and trust issues. Cass sacrifices a lot for Aidan at the expense of her career and eventually they split. Theo right now is just super cute lol <3 He's about three or four when Cass meets Virgil, and his younger brother Jordan (not pictured) is two.

Lesley Hoffman, Franklin Hoffman-Casey and Dante Hoffman-Casey

This is Colonel Casey's family :D Lesley is her wife and they have two children, Franklin and Dante. They're good friends with the Tracys through Val of course, and although they grew apart a bit after Jeff disappeared, they're still considered family friends. Lesley and Val met through a mutual friend and connected over their shared love of music and breakfast foods. Franklin is about Kayo's age, just a little younger than John, and Dante is between Alan and Gordon. Lesley "and the kids" get a brief mention in this story here :)

The Patterson Family (aka Space Controller Conrad's Family)

Conrad's family are ultra high-achievers and high-expectations and they expect big things from Conrad - he's the youngest and as he says in the episode Long Haul, his siblings are heroes in his eyes (a fire-fighter, a police officer, and a paramedic) and he feels the pressure. I kinda roll with the idea that he's several years younger than his siblings, similar to Alan being several years younger than his brothers, and so here they are. Anyway, this is them in the sims world! From top left to bottom right: Daphne and Ed, then Lawrence, the fire-fighter, Raelynn, the police officer, and Quentin, the paramedic. I have more thoughts, but they're mostly about Conrad so I'll move on for now ;D

Joanne and Walter Hackett

Joanne and Walter are Madeline Lemaire's parents :) I put the Lemaire's in a big giant house, and then made myself sad by headcanoning that they wanted kids and couldn't have them, and so I moved in her parents to make things seem a little less lonely. They're much more sensible than their son-in-law, but mostly see him as harmlessly eccentric. Walter is really into fishing and constantly taking Lemaire out on the boat for a boys day (which he hates lol), and Joanne is very into throwing dinner parties and trying out new cocktail recipes for her guests.

David Reeves

David is Tycho's twin brother purely because I think I'm funny xD He's a bit geeky and works as a primary school teacher, coaching a kids' football team and things. Because Tycho's busy jetting off around the world, David keeps a guest room for him and takes in his mail and things (I know paper mail probs won't exist but SHH). Their parents died when David and Tycho were in their twenties still, so they make sure they do Christmas and birthdays and things together and catch up as often as possible.

Gregory Moffat

This is Gregory, who is Moffie's teenage son (and also my son) and I am extremely fond of him <33 He's pretty quiet really, and plays bass guitar in a band with his friends. Moffie was a little exasperated, because he learnt the cello first and she had visions of seeing him play in an orchestra and things, but he got into an argument at the first practice and ultimately ditched it. He also like art and architecture and is very loyal to his friends.

The Taylor Family

I love the headcanon that Lucille and Lee are siblings, and I also love that she came from a large family as well (it makes sense in my head) and also I stole @avengedbiologist's idea that all the siblings have L names because I love it. I aged up the family to show you what they look like, but I haven't fixed them up fully so it's just a general idea :D Anyway, here we have Connor and Payton Taylor, and then Leonard, Laura and Lily. Leonard is the oldest, then Laura, then it's Lucille and Lee (twins for maximum ow), then Lily is the baby of the family.

I have actually written them into a story (veeeeeery loosely) here :)

[youarejesting]

BTS 365 Prompts

[Masterlist] Please tag me in your work if you use my prompts. I want to see your work. Ever your Jester.

Tell me your birthday and I will tag you on your special day!

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         January 15th - 21st

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Kim Seokjin: Strawberry Ice cream 

You were cleaning out the convenience store ready to close up for the night when the freezer door got stuck you panicked and tried to call one of the other two workers to come help you. realizing you were taking to long Seokjin threw open the door and stormed inside. Saying to hurry up as he wanted to get home but you shouted at him to hold the door but it swung shut behind him. Trying the door it was stuck once more the handle on the inside was broken. He scolded you for not telling him the door was broken. “You hardly gave me a chance you just barged in yelling at me to hurry up and acting like a grumpy old man”

“You think I am old!” he said taken back by your comment and quietened down. You sat for a while trying to stay warm, you reluctantly moved closer at the half an hour mark and by the hour your stomachs seemed to growl in chorus. You pulled open a tub of Strawberry Ice cream, it was the only flavor left and it definitely wasn’t your favorite. You laughed as Seokjin ate as well - you were using spoons you had made out of the cardboard from the lid - his face contorted. 

“That’s disgusting” he whined as he took another scoop.

Min Yoongi: Nothing 

Kicked out of home with nothing. No money, No phone and Nowhere to go. Yoongi was standing outside a small convenience store when he asked to borrow your phone, you nodded and leaned it to him as he looked absolutely desperate. He rang some friends begging for them to let him stay the night his stomach growling at the same time. On his sixth attempt from someone he seemed to barely no he gave up apologizing and handing back your phone.

“I have a spare bedroom” you said and he paused watching you and you looked down scuffing your feet with a small laugh “If it’s not weird and you promise you aren’t going to rob or kill me” 

“It’s okay really” he protested and you hummed

“Well what if I said it wasn’t free, you see, I am not tall enough to change the light bulbs and two of my rooms the Light Bulbs need replacing and I want to buy a lot of groceries so if you help carry them I can try to make a semi edible meal. I suck at cooking but your welcome to join me in eating charcoal ramyeon”

“I can cook” he muttered and your eyes lit up and you told him he could stay for as long as he needed if he could cook.

Jung Hoseok: Benjamin Franklin @littlewolfieposts

“Daddy, I am suppose to wear a costume today remember, I old you and wrote it on your calendar like you asked” Huimang asked causing Hoseok to pause in the doorway, he hummed looking at his son up and down and almost had a melt down. “It’s okay daddy, I understand you are really busy” 

He brushed past his father and walked to the car. Hoseok’s heart broke he had let his boy down. Taking a deep breath he sat in the car and told Huimang that after school they could do whatever he wants. You were greeting all the kids to class and you had a sneaky suspicion some of the kids would forget so you packed extra costumes behind the desk and you noticed a very upset Huimang and a very disappointed Hoseok.

“Mister Jung, the costume you ordered arrived in time for today” You lied threw him the packet, he looked at you with such relief as he helped his son get dressed.

“Daddy I knew you wouldn’t forget, after school I know what I want” Hoseok raised an eyebrow “I want to invite miss y/n over for dinner, I think she likes you and I know you like her, I heard you talking to uncle Yoongi about how she is a snack and you were so shook with how she has a snatched waist and it makes you thirsty AF and that, that is the real tea” Huimang grinned at his father hugging him before running off with his little key and kite trailing the floor behind him.

Kim Namjoon: Lunch swap

You packed a lunch for your crush Jaehyun at your best friends work. Your best friend was none other than Kim Namjoon who beamed as you arrived causing a strange nervous sensation in your tummy and a flutter in your heart. “How did you know I forgot my lunch today” He all but snatched the lunchbox from your hands and opened it and looked at the heart themed lunch box and he picked up the note with the love confession and you don’t know why but you ran as fast as you could out of the building.

Park Jimin: Popcorn 

You were working at the Candy bar dressed in you red and white striped dressed with a cute apron and you were serving customers and helping them select their confectioneries. You were at war with the Popcorn boy, you had been competing since last year when he received Employee of the year breaking your winning streak. You had one every year for five years and he ruined it. He was so nice, and like you never had days off, you both came in no matter the weather and on short notice. It was late and you were covering for the other candy girl who had fallen sick which meant you had to work with him. 

You were at peak time between 6-8 where most people decide they want to watch movies and they would panic trying to buy snacks before the movie starts. He ran into you spilling popcorn down your dress, leaving salt, butter and popcorn in places it shouldn’t be. You took it upon yourself accidentally trip and land an ice cream to the back of his head, he looked absolutely guttered. You felt guilty and hung your head as you continued serving, you were fetching two large drinks not noticing Jimin stepping over to your register to ring up the tab while you grabbed the rest of their things. You ran straight into his back splashing him with soda and apologizing profusely finishing the drinks and watching the last couple head into the cinema. His back you could see was well defined through his wet shirt and he turned. His eyes were dark and his lips pressed into a hard line.

Kim Taehyung: Penguin

“The fairy Penguins like to eat small fish like anchovies and on some occasions squid, krill and plankton. They fall in love with their special penguin and they stay together forever. But to make the girls fall in love with them, the boys have to be nice to the girls. And make them a pretty home for them to live in, so they make a burrow and they decorate it so they can live together.”

“Hey y/n” the thin boy with big ears and equally big grin called your name and you turned giving him a gap toothed grin your pigtails held together by the school regulated colored ribbon. “When we get older I will build us a house and we will live together forever okay, I will put everything you like inside”

“Okay” you smiled linking pinkies. 

Jeon Jungkook: Squirrel Appreciation

Jungkook was your brother Yoongi’s best friend and you hated him by default. He always ate all the food in the house and lounged around on the couch and was generally just a pain. You stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel heading for your room, but you came face to chest with the much taller and toned Jungkook. His sleepy eyes widened, you pushed past him to your room so you could dress and curse him out. “If he wasn’t here this wouldn’t have happened?”

You opened your bedroom door ready to head down to the kitchen to eat before he did. At that exact moment he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped low around his waist. Your eyes drank him up and down, before you turned away cheeks sporting a pink hue. He smirked at your retreating figure and the three of you ate breakfast in silence. You got lost watching Jungkook’s lips as he ate every now and then his tongue would peek out to swipe any food left behind. You giggled seeing his cheeks puffed like a Squirrel.

Next week

[boogiewrites]

Who We Were & Who We Are Now 20: Epilogue.

Characters: Forrest Bondurant x Tawny Barrett (OFC)

Word Count: 800+

Summary: The last update. The closing to the romance of Tawny of Forrest. How their story ends. 

Warnings/Tags: Happily Ever After. Tragic Romance, sorta. Fluffy and and angsty. Together until the end. Can’t live without the other. Death of main characters. (Under the best possible circumstances.)

Positive feedback is MUCH appreciated! Reblogs, likes, asks and comments feed me to write more! Let me know if you’d like tagged in my work.

Click on my screenname then go to Mobile Masterlist in my bio for my other works and chapters. (Had to do this since Tumblr killed links, sorry.)

Forrest Junior had heard all sorts of stories about his daddy growing up from his mother and his uncles. It was hard to believe the quiet and calm man he knew was once an outlaw.

 He recalled him and his baby brother getting slipped thimbles of liquor by Uncle Howard, telling them about the time they all took down an entire county of cops after them. All he knew was that his mother was sweet and his father was quiet and that they loved each other and them. Both the boys looked like their daddy, stocky and strong, dark hair with their mama's green eyes. Forrest Jr. recalls the day his brother was born, the only time he'd seen his father tear up, but his mama told him he'd only ever cried one other time, and that's when he was born.

Tawny and Forrest stayed in Franklin County together. Even with Howard and his family away, and even after their children moved away. They sold the station and had a little house on the edge of the woods, a little pond Forrest liked to pass his retirement by with fishing and a garden Tawny liked to pass her time in. It was a simple and quiet life and they were happy all the way to the end.

Forrest and Tawny had over thirty years together being married. Raising two boys and running the station all the while. The hard-living Forrest did in his younger years eventually caught up to him, as he knew it would. He caught pneumonia and passed away in their bed, Tawny never leaving his side.

The boys knew their mama was heartbroken. They made it a point to try to get her to move in with them, let them take care of her now that she was all alone out there on the homestead. But of course, she refused. She passed her days alone and it just as quiet as it was with Forrest there. She had lovely portraits of them together she liked to talk to, sometimes she'd hear his heavy footsteps around the house, swearing she could still smell those cigars as she'd walk past his favorite chair.

Tawny held on for five months after Forrest passed. She waited until the birth of the next grandchild, a boy that they'd named Forrest after him. Her sons and even her daughters in law knew she didn't want to live without her Forrest. The sons weren't so accepting of it, but the daughters understood the sentiment and even after she was gone they thought the whole thing was tragically romantic. She passed away in the chair they'd left her in that night, rocking with her hand on the bassinet with the newest Forrest Bondurant in it after whispering to him and kissing his head, telling him how much she loved him, how much Forrest would've loved him. She told him stories about him until he fell asleep in her arms. She thought he looked just like her sons, and just like Forrest did.

It was really to no one's surprise when they found she'd passed away in their father's favorite chair, wrapped in one of his sweaters that next morning. She was only sticking around to see the baby and she'd told him what she needed to to be able to leave.

She and Forrest are buried side by side as she'd written, in a small graveyard in the woods of Franklin. It was a fenced off site in the far corner away from everyone else. She'd fought with getting to choose where they were buried, the owners insisting they go by the book, going in a numbered order like the rest of the folks. But she reminded them they weren't like normal folks and threatened to haunt them if they didn't follow through on her wishes. Bold and fearless until the end, she was.

She'd said she wanted Forrest to have privacy in death, just as he'd preferred in life. And deep down she'd known she wouldn't last long without him. He'd told her she was his reason for living all those years ago, and he'd quickly become hers thereafter. She wasn't unhealthy, she wasn't sick with something doctors didn't catch, she'd just lived her life, raised her babies and their babies and without Forrest, she didn't feel any need to be there any longer.

So it came to pass that she and Forrest were buried side by side, a single large tombstone for them both with the name of Bondurant across it. Nothing else on it. Just two bodies, two lovers and parents and grandparents with the simple carved last name that stood for so much more than a means of identification. She wrote in the letter's to her sons that it was fitting that unless you knew Forrest in life, that you didn't know him in death either. She thought he'd appreciate being remembered simply as a Bondurant. A matriarch and a patriarch of Bondurant and nothing more, nothing less, and the same as Tawny. In the end they were both known by the name that meant the most to them. All they wanted anyone to know about them that hadn't been in their life, was what was on that tombstone, BONDURANT. First, foremost and forever.

@hardygal69 @jaegeeeeer @parlezvoustomhardy @pootle @negansdirtygirl22 @vale0413 @divadinag @emerald-bijou @emiliesnowflake @lightwoodt @spotted-possibilities @thinkingsofamadwoman  @raceylacy

[themikeg77-blog]

Mastery Journal: Adaptation

Creative Commons, Flickr.com

The novel that I adapted into a screenplay was, “The Gift of The Magi” by author “O Henry (1862-1910).” My adaptation differs in a few ways, yet I believe still stands by the initial essence of the original novel.  O. Henry’s novel revolves around a young couple during the Christmas holiday. While my adaptation is also set during Christmas, it focuses on a father and son, who have both suffered a terrible loss.

In my adaptation, we are inducted into the lives of Franklin, and his father Mr. Dunbar. The era, that I chose to set my screenplay is our current time.  I tried to mirror the original novel’s tale of love, and sacrifice, but wanted a more relatable cast of characters.  Where my adaptation begins, is in the childhood room of Franklin, who has fallen on some rather rough times, and has moved back in with his father. Along with his financial troubles, Franklin has to deal with the loss of his mother.  His father is up there in age and is taking the loss of his wife very hard. To top it all off it is the holiday season, and both father and son are strapped for cash.

Times may be tough now, but this wasn’t always the case for the Dunbar family. Franklin looks through old photos of him, and his parents during Christmas. Knowing how much the holidays meant to him, and how hard his parents worked to make each one a Christmas to remember. He gathers up some of his video games, and consoles then head for the nearest pawn shop. Getting only a few dollars for his item didn’t satisfy Franklin, so when the opportunity arose for him to make a little extra by plowing the pawn shops parking lot he took it. He did such a wonderful job, that he got hired for the winter to plow, every time it would snow.

Mr. Dunbar wants nothing more than to give his son a decent Christmas, especially since this was the first one either of them, would have to spend without Ms. Dunbar.  Mr. Dunbar ended up selling his little two-person boat. Even though he had fond memories of him and his wife enjoying themselves fishing off that boat, he wanted to be able to bring some joy into his son’s life this Christmas.

At the end of my screenplay, much like the novel, both people gave up something in order to give something, to the one they loved. This was my first time adapting a novel, and it really has inspired me to dig deep as a writer. I look forward to going into writing films, as well as television episodes, so to bring a masterpiece back to life for a different generation is pure magic for me. In the novel, the author had more means of using the inner monologue, and or thoughts of the character. Yet, when adapting a story into a screenplay, or teleplay, we as writers have to make sure to always show, not tell. That is something that gave me a little bit of trouble. Even though I had some trouble with this adaptation, it has awakened a challenge inside, to give adaptation another shot. I look forward to my next challenge.

[westernmanews]

Darrin Russell works on Ryan Blaney's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car for Penske Racing. The Sunderland native looked forward to coming back home last week to New Hampshire Motor Speedway as his parents and older brother still live in Massachusetts and that when he comes to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he will camp with them. He told 22News how much nicer it was to be in colder weather.

"It's much nicer to be in colder weather compared to what we have been through the past few weeks in Kentucky and Daytona and all that so it's been nice," said Russell.

What made Russell decide to do this was when he knew some people that had a body shop and his brother's car needed some work and they had a short track car inside their shop.

"They asked me if I wanted to help them on it so I started working on it. Did that for a few years," said Russell.

Russell raced in the Strictly Stock division at Monadnock for two years before he went to college. After graduating, he knew he wanted to get into the higher levels of racing. He moved to North Carolina then which he felt he was the right place, right time to do so. 

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races 36 weeks out of the year.  Russell told 22News that he still enjoys it like he did his first day. 

"It's a little harder when you have a family at home. I waited as long as I could to have a family because I enjoy this. I enjoyed the traveling and all. My five-year-old son, he loves coming to Charlotte. Martinsville. He loves it. Its kind of nice to see a smile on his face when I do get to bring him to the track," said Russell. 

Russell told 22News that the schedule at times is grueling where someone might feel burnt out. 

"The team that we have right now, you can't go from the race track to the hotel, race track to the hotel. Our team we like to do some extra stuff with going out and just having a good time. Whenever we're in a city, we always find our best restaurants. I've met people all over the country so we go visit friends. We do a lot of stuff and that was one of the cool things working with Kurt Busch. He always wanted to do something fun and he always opened it up to everybody on the team so we would go ride doom buggies in the sand dunes. We fly to races early.  Go to Homestead early. Go fishing. That was one good thing about Kurt is he took care of his guys and we always did something fun," said Russell. 

Russell works for car owner Roger Penske of Penske Racing. 

"He's got a big corporation but he knows everybody's name. He's just a phenomenal guy. He's enjoyable to work with him. I've been working with him for the past 13 years. Really Really good guys," said Russell.

Russell has worked with many drivers in NASCAR. He worked with NASCAR Hall Of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip in his first year and to Russell he felt it was cool because of all the history he has and one of the fun things was during a rain delay listening to all the stories Waltrip had. 

Russell also worked for the Wood Brothers with Ryan Blaney. 

"The stories that those guys tell is pretty entertaining sitting around listening to them," said Russell. 

With New Hampshire Motor Speedway now only having one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Russell know its one less chance to see his family when he comes up here. He will hang out and have a chance to grill. Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace came and ate with the Russell family. 

Russell's first win was at Richmond Raceway with Kasey Kahne when he was driving for Evernham Motorsports back in 2004. Russell told 22News that the win was pretty wild.

"Just as exciting for me as it was for him being both of our first cup races we won and then we won a handful more after that. It was pretty nice," said Russell. 

Russell has a total of 20 NASCAR wins in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. 

One of his most impactful achievement in racing was when he got his friend's name Greg Belanger on the windshield for the 2017 Coca-Cola 600. Russell and Belanger went to high school together.

Belanger lost his life in Iraq fighting for his country when a roadside bomb hit his Hum-V. 

Russell lives in North Carolina with his wife and their two kids a 5-year-old son Ryder, and their 9-month-old daughter Lily. 

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway this weekend.

[myxcenterxstage]

v: Sail On :: PROLOGUE :: “The Scandal”

(v.2)

Philbert Winston :: Priscilla Kimbleton :: Edmund Staunton

These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume.

- Romeo & Juliet, act ii scene vi

Priscilla Kimbleton is an independent, brilliant young woman enamored by life’s beauty in both its natural habitat and people. An avid reader and natural historian, she was raised in her adolescent years by her explorer-archeologist Uncle, Charles H. Kimbleton. When she was old enough to accompany him on his expeditions, she took to adventuring the globe like a fish to water, awe-struck with the world and oceans that laid outside England’s shores. [see more here!]

Tragedy struck when Charles left for an emergency expedition notice while Priscilla was still in southern France visiting her Grandmother Cecelia. When Priscilla returned to London, Charles wasn’t home. But she saw his letter stating he’d return before the end of the month. So she waited for his return.

And she waited.

And waited.

Uncle Charles never returned home.

Riddled with concern, Priscilla wrote to her influential Uncle Thomas Kimbleton (Charles’ younger brother), urging to send search parties. The search was conducted, but with no discovery as to whatever became of Charles. They returned with only his incomplete journals and some personal belongings left behind at the campsite. Unable to discern his whereabouts based on his journal’s last entry, he was presumed dead, potentially from mutiny or the dangers of the area. Priscilla was grief-stricken and mourned for her Uncle greatly.

~*~

To aid her ailing bereavement, Priscilla’s family urged her to attend fashionable society gatherings. Marriage was also strongly encouraged upon her.

Disinterested, Priscilla begins planning for her next expedition to continue her Uncle’s work without delay. Someplace far away from where they last traveled. Someplace they had yet to discover: The Americas.

But until that plan could be set in motion, she had to retrieve the rest of her Uncle’s journals from his dormant campsites in Egypt and Italy. It was a small but triumphant venture.

When she returned home, she was in for a totally different surprise. Unbeknownst to her and without her consent she was betrothed in an arranged marriage. All thanks to her Uncle Thomas, she was to be wed to the wealthy business owner, Philbert Winston - someone she had never even met.

Upon (finally) meeting Philbert, Priscilla objects more vocally. Philbert was much older than her, well-educated but bland, expected her to behave as a traditional housewife, and had zero regards for the outdoors or travel - let alone her expeditions. Uncle Thomas lectured her about how dangerous the world really is and for concern of her safety and urges her to put away her sketchbooks and nature journals and wanderlust - and to instead focus on her duty as a proper woman of London society. Distressed, Priscilla leaves, reminding Thomas that her duty is to follow Uncle Charles’ legacy and the work they began together... whether he or Philbert like it or not.

Regardless of her vocal objections, Priscilla is still bound to the impending marriage. She tries to console herself she could learn to love Philbert. But his relentless imploring she leave her travels and expeditions to the ‘gentlmen’ and the ‘professionals’ makes her personal happiness with him even more unlikely.

Before she could lament her life’s gilded cage further, Priscilla meets a young man at the library while she was purchasing books on Atlantic Ocean marine biology. The man was Edmund Staunton, a son of the gentry. Edmund was a loose cannon, and while not officially an adventurer, his passion for the unexpected and thrill was contagious. This reminded Priscilla of the expedition to the Americas she wanted to plan before her engagement threw it all off course. Edmund expresses his wishes to accompany and assist her with preparations, and Priscilla agrees.

~*~

Edmund was more frequently found in Priscilla’s company, as she was back in her element and shared her dreams and adventures with someone who could relate. She felt that she could trust him.

Things seemed to be getting better for Priscilla - or so she thought. The voyage to the Americas was soon to be a reality. She even somehow managed to convince her fiance to postpone their wedding until after her return.

However, over time, Edmund’s affections for Priscilla became more apparent. Until one day he passionately announced them when they were privately in her study one evening. To Priscilla’s displeasure, she expressed she was already engaged and must accept her pitiful fate. Edmund confronts her denial and his knowing of her secretly harboring affections for him as well. Priscilla asks that he leaves. Persisting, Edmund proposes they elope.

Priscilla found herself in the center of a whirlwind love triangle.

Declining to do something so scandalous, Priscilla declares he’s no longer a part of the expedition and insists they never see each other again. Edmund questions why she’d purposely put herself through something so miserable and she should confess her true feelings. Amidst it being so apparent, Priscilla lashes back how unfair it is what she’s going through and he’s only making things worse. Angrily, Priscilla turns and leaves. But when she opens the door...

It was Philbert! 

Philbert expresses he heard everything and had been suspecting their affair for weeks. Due to her naivete, Priscilla didn’t realize her fiance’s paranoia this entire time since he first saw Edmund and Pris together in the same room. With a clean conscience, Priscilla tries appeasing Philbert, denying there ever being an affair. But it is all in vain against Philbert’s blind fury.

Disaster ensues. And in the heated three-way argument, Edmund chivalrously challenges Philbert to a pistol duel for Priscilla’s hand in marriage. The two men agree to duel at dawn, while Priscilla is to remain home until one of them returns for her.

In brutal humiliation and helplessness, Priscilla obeys, frustratingly looking over the preparations for her final expedition. She can’t live like this any longer.

~*~

10 Paces. Fire.

~*~

The following morning, Priscilla is awoken from a loud knock at the front door. The man standing there was Philbert. Philbert explains he won the duel - Edmund lived, but was literally given a warning shot and a bullet to the arm as a reminder to stay away from her. Priscilla was still too shaken from the events to speak much more than expressing how glad she was Philbert was still alive. Philbert only nodded and left.

This was a scandal.

Caught in the crossfire, Priscilla knew this would soon turn into a conflagration of furious gossip. Society - and even her own family - would only see her as the unfaithful bride-to-be. Her reputation would be tarnished. The only thing she didn’t understand was why Philbert still wanted to go through with the marriage - was it out of pity? control? or spite? She sensed him grow colder than usual to her - whatever hope she had of finding common ground with Philbert was certainly now doomed to be loveless after this fiasco. She had to leave... while she still could before Philbert possibly changed his mind.

~*~

At that time, Priscilla’s only support was her Uncle’ Charles butler Ferdie. Ferdie sympathized with Priscilla’s incessant grief since Charles went missing, and the drama that soon followed. He turned out to be her only aid to hastily prepare for her final voyage and escorted her to the docks, and provide the words of encouragement and wisdom she so needed. 

Priscilla expressed her eternal gratitude to Ferdie’s kindness. She left with him a holographic will she wrote in case the worst was to come of her. It was not so much for her belongings or her Uncle Charles’s home - but so that all her writings and the decades of work her Uncle had spent would never be lost.

Priscilla hopefully looked toward the morning light, leaving home in search of the next ship to hitchhike to another continent. 

~*~

[The Terror AU Specific: ]

After many failed attempts to board ships departing for the Americas, Priscilla meets a certain Sir John Franklin. Royal British Navy Officer, and renowned explorer. She learned they were departing on an uncharted Arctic exploration. Far more north and cold for her preference or expectation, but these ships were outfitted with the latest of inventions and commanded by the Royal Navy’s veteran explorers. Most importantly, it would take her as far away from England as possible. 

Away from the scandal, away from Philbert. She seized the opportunity with whatever risks it held and decided to sort out the details along the way.

Priscilla requested permission to board - expressing both her exploration experience and her immense desire to volunteer her service as part of such a ground-breaking discovery. And in an almost too good to be true sort of way, Sir John was amenable and she was assigned to the HMS Terror - set to depart within the hour.

Without delay, Priscilla visited a nearby store and sold her jeweled earrings in exchange for more appropriate heavy winter apparel. She then mailed a brief letter to her home in London with the name of the ship she was boarding and added in the postscript if her Uncle Charles did somehow miraculously return in her absence, to give him her love.

Amidst such high stakes and gambling chance of survival, freedom - was now hers. Even if it was transient. She couldn’t dwell too long on the hourglass counting down to her dread of losing everything she’d worked so hard to continue her Uncle’s legacy the moment she has to become Mrs. Winston. But there was no time for that now. Adventure was on the horizon. Accepting her fate, she turned her back to the world and boarded the HMS Terror.