#ft. james street

[litearra]

[LAP]: sender pulls receiver onto their lap

the sudden action takes the officer by surprise. a yelp escaping her. a strong arm wrapped around her middle - dragging her into @burygods’s lap, less than graceful as she collapses into him. fingers splayed across his chest, bell-like laughter trickling past her lips.     ❝ james…… you are impossible,❞     she scolds, shaking her head in disbelief. they’re at work, supposed to just grab a bottle of water from the fridge and be on her merry way - clearly he has other ideas.     ❝ what now playboy? ❞      brow raised in question, anyone could walk in - still she leans closer, peppering small kisses along his jaw.

[spindrifters]

In honor of impmas 2024, I present to you good godfather sirius black and the one and only time I will ever write harry, ft. some groupchat crack treated seriously. happy birthday, @impishtubist!

“Where have you been?”

Harry jumps, the uncanny impersonation of Molly Weasley reverberating through the dusty rafters and black lacquer front hall of Grimmauld Place. Sirius smirks, grabs the lanky fifteen year-old by the scruff and pulls him into an all-encompassing hug.

“Didn’t half scare me, Sirius,” Harry grumbles into his chest, and there’s the whisper of an attempt to pull away, but his heart isn’t really in it. In any case, Sirius doesn’t let him go, just buries a grin into that mess of hair. Lemongrass shampoo and London grime.

“Serves you right, sneaking off in the middle of the night.”

“I wasn’t sneaking.”

“No? What time d’you call this, then?”

“A perfectly appropriate time of night to go for a walk,” his godson continues to grouse. “Needed to clear my head.” Only it doesn’t escape his notice that there hasn’t been another attempt to pull away. And he’s not wrong. It’s barely half eleven, only Harry’s at double risk on his own these days. If not Death Eaters or another bloody dementor, then the press who’ll hound him to the ends of the earth should they catch sight of the Boy Who Lied—fucking cunts—alone on walkabout without so much as his friends for a buffer. There’s a reason the Order’s got about ten layers of protocol surrounding his protection at all times. If it were anyone else who’d caught him slipping in through the front door, there’d be hell to pay.

Harry’s not stupid, though. Far from it, Sirius thinks, that old pride swelling in his chest. And he’s got James’s cloak for good measure, clutched in a hand that smells of hot concrete and pigeon shit.

Harry seems to sag against his chest, Sirius’s hand still wrapped around his nape. Summer sweat of a teenage boy on the brink of becoming a man.

“Knut for your thoughts?”

“M’fine.”

Liar.

These are the things, then. The little tells beyond the way Harry strains toward him like a houseplant yearning for the sun. It’s not the same as sniffing out smells—daffodils and murtlap essence and the endless putrid fecal stench of Azkaban—but it’s just as strong. Pheromones or some muggle toss like that, something he might ask Hermione Granger about if he remembers before she heads back off to school.

It’s something Sirius noticed a long time ago, the change that happened in fifth year when his own heightened senses were lent keener by the dog that now lived inside. He remembers that Prongs was bright and coppery like triumph when he stepped off the Quidditch pitch, or cinnamon-fresh like home. He remembers being sixteen, frustrated and hormonal and knowing he’d die on the spot if anyone caught him with his nose buried in Moony’s discarded trousers to see if there was anything there that might even hint he wasn’t alone in this.

And Harry…

Something sour signaling frustration. Harsh metallic that means fear. Beneath that, the sweet damp scent of hurt. Sirius can hardly blame him. Fuck Peter Pettigrew, if he ever gets out of this fucking godforsaken house arrest, Merline Maitland and the rest of her staff at the Prophet are at the very top of his hit list.

“Go to bed,” he tells him, pressing a kiss to his sweaty brow, one that smells of rubbish bins lining the streets for the morning to come.

Green eyes flick up, half shock. “Thought I’d get it in the neck.”

“Nah,” says Sirius, guiding him up the stairs. “Just let me know next time. Maybe Snuffles can come along, too.”

“Yeah,” says Harry, though they both know he won’t. Sirius doesn’t need to sniff that out to know. He still thinks he has to protect Sirius just as much as Sirius knows it's not his job to do it.

He’s a good boy, Prongs. Too good. He doesn’t deserve any of this.

And.

You’d be so bloody proud.

[xjustakay]

(9/8) prompt: colorful — 982 words (fame au pt.2; ft. drunk and whiny james - pt.1, pt.3, pt.4, pt.5) @jegulus-microfic

Regulus can barely make out the shadowy silhouette of James on the screen of his phone, just the occasional glimpse and the reflection of colorful flashing lights catching on the lenses of his glasses. He’s so close to muting the call, because the loud music of the club that James is at is just shy of annoying, not to mention the fact that Regulus has an early call time on set in the morning. He’s in bed already with only the bedside lamp on and everything. But he and James haven’t been able to catch each other outside of sparing texts every few hours for the last couple days, so when he saw the FaceTime call, he picked up.

He misses his boyfriend, sue him.

James clearly feels the same way, because for what’s now the fifth time, he brings the phone closer to his face just to loudly, drunkenly whine, “Baby, I miss you.”

“It’s just a few more weeks, baby. We’ll be alright,” Regulus mumbles. 

It’s a mantra they’ve both adopted since his filming really got underway. One that’s kept them holding on through the harder days of separation. Regulus is in France and James is still finishing the last leg of the band’s tour. In a perfect world, Regulus would be able to follow city to city, but he’s got a job, too.

“Think of the closing show,” He offers as some semblance of comfort.

Their first public appearance, the only true confirmation made by them to the press that they are in fact together. Because despite the fact that it’s been months, and they’ve been dodging rumors and cameras like it’s a second job to them, they haven’t done that yet. Taken that step. They decided the end of The Marauders’ tour was their best bet unless they wanted to wait until Regulus’ next premiere invite (they didn’t; it’s another two months away). Regulus will be flying back to London for the final night of tour, taking a long weekend before his return for his final weeks of filming. James will be going with him.

“What?” James is practically yelling now to be heard, and the momentarily higher volume makes Regulus’ eye twitch. 

You love him, you love him, you love him. He reminds himself to avoid irritation.

“James, why don’t I just try to call you tomorrow?” He tries.

Colorful lights flash brighter over the screen, stinging Regulus’ eyes when James brings his phone nearer to his ear, unthinking of the camera facing the club’s ceiling.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” He repeats, voice a touch too loud for the late hour in his hotel suite.

“No, no, no, wait, hang on,” James mutters quickly, words slurring together a little.

Regulus sighs and turns his face into his pillow while James is distracted. Honestly, he’s exhausted. Did a thirteen hour day of shooting and has to be back at it first thing, but where six months ago he would have hung up on James drunk calling him two minutes into the call, now he’s hanging on to every second he gets. He buries how pathetically infatuated that is of him the best he can. They are together, after all, his feelings don’t have to feel so much like a nuisance anymore.

James ends up outside of the club after a minute, the change in volume stark. The colors dancing over him are gone and instead it’s the yellow of street lamps that illuminate him a bit better on the screen. His face comes into view, glasses slightly crooked on his nose and cheeks flushed pink from the alcohol he’s consumed.

“Hi, baby.” James smiles adoringly at his phone and Regulus feels like he could combust.

His mouth twitches at the edges as he tucks his free hand beneath his cheek against his pillow. “Hi, darling.”

“Miss you.”

“You mentioned that once or twice.”

“Can’t wait to see you. I have airline apps and miles, gonna get a flight to you right now.”

“Mhm, I’m sure you are.”

James pouts. “You don’t believe me.”

“You’re a little drunk, baby,” Regulus notes.

“Can still get on a plane,” James argues.

“You don’t want to be here, I have to kiss my costar a lot,” Regulus teases gently.

Dramatically, James drops his head back on his neck and groans, loud and anguished. And damn it, even that is endearing of him somehow. Regulus is fucked.

“Hate this so bad, Reg,” James complains.

“I know, baby, I know.” A sigh, then a yawn. James is staring at him through the phone when he blinks slowly.

“You’re tired,” He says, brow creased. “Wait, did I wake you up?”

“Probably should have asked that about fifteen minutes ago,” Regulus chuckles. “But no. Was already in bed, though.”

“Miss being in bed with you.”

Regulus doesn’t offer any of the insinuating remarks he might typically. James is drunk so it’d probably go right over his head anyway. Aside from that, the fact is Regulus knows the feeling.

“Soon. A few more weeks. We’ll be alright.”

James sighs, but there’s a lazy smile curled at his lips, yellow light making his glassy eyes shine. “Yeah, we’ll be alright.”

“Now, please—” Regulus cuts off on another, longer yawn before shaking his head where he lays. “Please go back inside and find my brother before you drunkenly wander into some stranger’s arms just because you want a cuddle.”

“I’d never,” James stresses before he abruptly laughs giddily. When the unexpected string of laughter fades, he shines so bright with his joy that Regulus can’t help but smile in return. “I’m dating a movie star.”

“You’re so drunk,” Regulus snorts. “Go back inside. Text me to let me know you’re alive later.”

“I’ll always text you, Reg. Always always.”

“Okay, baby. I’m going to sleep now, alright?”

“I miss you.” Seventh times the charm, apparently.

“I miss you, too.”

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1955 Chevrolet 210

TECH CHECK Owner: Eric Mead, Evansville, Indiana Vehicle: ’55 Chevrolet 210

Engine Type: BluePrint Engines Chevrolet LS3 Displacement: 376 ci Compression Ratio: 10.7:1 Bore: 4.070 inches Stroke: 3.622 inches Cylinder Heads: BluePrint Engines aluminum Camshaft: BluePrint Engines hydraulic roller (0.612/0.585-inch lift, 225/238 deg. duration) Ignition: E38 Engine PCM Assembly: BluePrint Engines Exhaust: Church Boys Racing by Stainless Works 1-7/8-inch primaries to 3-inch collector and 2.5-inch stainless pipes bent by Dave Favor’s Performance Exhaust, MagnaFlow Mufflers Ancillaries: Holley mid-mount accessory drive, PRC radiator and core support, SPAL Fans Output: 530 hp at 6,100 rpm, 508 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm

Drivetrain Transmission: ’99 GM 4L80E Automatic with TransGo valvebody kit prepared by Wathen’s Transmission (Owensboro, KY) Torque Converter: FTI Billet 3,200 stall Driveshaft: Driveline Plus Rear Axle: Strange Engineering 9-inch with Truetrac differential, 3.70 gears, 35-spline axles

Chassis Chassis: Roadster Shop SPEC Front Suspension: Strange single-adjustable coilovers, stabilizer bar Rear Suspension: Strange single-adjustable coilovers, parallel four-link, Panhard bar Brakes: Baer four-wheel disc, 12-inch front rotors with four-piston calipers, 11-inch rear rotors with four-piston calipers, Baer Remaster master cylinder

Wheels & Tires Wheels: Bogart Racing Wheels D-5; 17×4.5 front with 2.25-inch backspace, 15×10 rear with 5.5-inch backspace Tires: Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R front, 26×6.00R17; Mickey Thompson ET Street S/S rear, 295/55R15

Interior Upholstery: Holtsclaw Custom Upholstery (Francisco, IN) Carpet: Cars Inc. black loop carpet Seats: Original bench seat with black-and-white vinyl Delray pattern Steering: Summit steering column with Eddie Motorsports steering wheel Shifter: Lokar Dash: Original Instrumentation: Dakota Digital VHX HVAC: Vintage Air Wiring: American Autowire by Andy’s Hot Rod Shop (Mulkeytown, IL)

Exterior Bodywork and Paint: Reisinger Custom Rebuilding (Evansville, IN) and Andy’s Hot Rod Shop Paint: Sateen Silver/white by James Smith of Road Runner Restorations (Johnston City, IL) Hood: Stock Grille: Danchuk Bumpers: Danchuk Glass: Auto City Classics Fuel Tank: 15.5-gallon Tanks Inc. galvanized powedercoated silver

[my-castles-crumbling]

New Fic Recs!

Hi guys! I wanna start posting fics recs every once in a while that are newer- that either were just posted or haven't gotten the love they deserve! I'll do my best to tag the authors if I know them/if they have a tumblr! Here are some for today! (Authors, if you want me to remove you/your work for any reason, please lmk!) NSFW fics below the cut!

Edit: I just focused on completed works here, but I'm more than willing to recommend incomplete works if you guys want!

If You Stayed - Jegulus - rated G - 5k by @t1oui

After leaving his family for good, Regulus Black moves in with James Potter, who agrees to give him a place to stay as long as he looks after James's six-year-old son, Harry. Even though they haven't talked about it, Regulus knows that he'll have to leave when Harry goes back to school, no matter how much he wishes this wasn't the case. Between spending time with Harry and Luna, the weird girl who lives up the street, and the more-than-friendly feelings he's starting to have for James, the summer can only end badly. Right?

Funnel Cakes and Peanut Butter Fudge - Wolfstar ft. Background Jegulus - Rated T - 5.5k by @onehundredflamingos

Sirius grinned at him. “I came for the Rocky road fudge,” he whispered back, and the man gasped in mock offense. “Good thing, because I think I bought the last of the peanut butter fudge.” Sirius let out a startled laugh, amused by the fact that he had suggested something to Sirius only to yank it right back from beneath him. “Oh, I would have been wildly disappointed if you had managed to sway my fudge preferences.” “I would’ve gladly shared, if I had managed to sway you,” he said with a smirk. “Alas, I’ll have to eat it all myself.” “A tragedy, I’m sure,” Sirius replied. The other man shrugged. “Suddenly feels a bit like one.” Or Sirius wins more than he bargains for when he meets Remus at a carnival fundraiser, ft a very much already-in-love Jegulus

So Kiss Me - Jegulus - Rated T - 3.7k by lairyfights

Regulus Black is in love with James Potter and he'd bet his entire inheritance, if he still had one, that James does not feel the same way. It's lucky that his parents suck and the inheritance is no longer something he can gamble

Let Me Put My Lips to Something - Wolfstar - Rated E - 2.3k by si11iestg00se

remus can't help it---the moon makes him possessive. he wants to mark his territory.

here's to my baby - Wolfstar - Rated E - 3.2k by @emlovessid

“It’s our last night at Hogwarts, our last hurrah, you don’t want to spend it down here with our friends?” Remus asks, a hand coming up to toy with Sirius’ hair. Stretching up on his toes, Sirius’ lips brush Remus’ ear as he whispers, “It’s our last night at Hogwarts, and I’d much rather spend it with you fucking me into your mattress.”

All amazing fics! Hope you guys enjoy!

[aanoia]

Yes (pt. 2 to "No")

James Potter x reader

Summary: James finally gets a yes and makes sure you don't regret it

Warnings; none, js super fluffy and sweet

Ft. My trip to nursery today ⚘️

Lowkey LOVE this, I hate how short it came out but that's okayy

Thanks to an acc I cannot find to tag and @herejustforjj for helping me out! You will have your angsty fluff ending probably the next part!!!

I might make an optional pt. 3, optional bc I want it to be angsty, like, sad ending, but idkkk

I might actually make a pt. 3 where there's some angst and then fluff and THEN an optional pt. 4. I rly dk

Pt. 1 here!

Y/n rolled her eyes, “Fine.” 

James' eyes lit up, looking like a little kid on Christmas, “Really?” He asked tentatively, his voice quiet. Y/n smiled at him softly and nodded.

“Really.” She whispered to him and laughed as he flew up, arms in the air as he whooped and jumped around excitedly. 

He paused, his face flushed and glasses crooked on his face, “It will be the best date you have ever been on. You have my word.” He promised, holding his pinky out.

Y/n linked hers with his, “I’ll hold you to that.”

He clutched tightly onto the girl's finger, lifting her up so I was standing and pulling her into a bone crushing hug. Y/n could feel the ecstatic energy radiating from his skin. He gave one last squeeze before letting go, winking and running off, probably to plan their date. 

Y.n sat back down with a shake of her head, a permanent smile imprinted on her face. This should be fun.

James held tightly onto Y/n’s pinky which was linked with his as the pair walked down the busy streets of Hogsmeade.

“So, what’s your plan here, James?” Y/n asked, moving a strand of hair out of her eyes.

He smiled, “I love it when you call me James.”

She snorted, “That’s your name, is it not?”

“It is, but it sounds so much better when you say it. And you used to call me Potter, but it’s just James.” He smiled proudly.

“Okay, just James, where are we going?” Y/n asked and he grinned.

“It's a surprise, of course.” He teased, swinging their hands back and forth before he stopped in front of a bookstore. James stepped in front of Y/n and opened the door, unlinking their pinkies. He bowed slightly and held his hand out to help her up the step, “After you, m’lady.”

Y/n laughed and took his hand, “Why thank you, kind sir.” 

The cold air of the bookstore was a nice contrast to the hot sun outside, and Y/n took a deep breath, happiness filling her body as soft jazz music filled the store. Y/n smiled and waved softly to the owner of the bookstore who had her nose buried in a book as she sipped from her coffee mug, her gray hair pulled back into a bun. She smiled back, glancing at James who stumbled over his feet as he came through the door and then winking at her. Y/n shook her head with a silent laugh, grabbing onto his hand and bringing him to her favorite section in the bookstore as he followed blindly.

“Wait.” He said quietly, not wanting to ruin the calm atmosphere of the store. “Here’s what’s gonna happen, alright?”

Y/n giggled softly, taking a step closer so she had to look up to look into his eyes, “What’s gonna happen?” She whispered with a smile.

“You’re gonna grab as many books as your heart desires, okay? And then you’re gonna tell me which one you’re most excited to read, and I’m going to take it and read it and leave you cute little notes, so when you read it you’re thinking of me the entire time.” He told the girl softly and she nodded, happiness blooming in her chest. Maybe this boy, as persistent and arrogant he is, isn’t that bad. 

After half an hour of the two looking over new books and Y/n explaining the ones she had already read to James, who watched her lovingly and listened attentively, Y/n had chosen four books, of which James insisted he carry. They walked to the front desk and James gently placed them down, flashing the owner a smile before Y/n began rummaging in her bag for money as she looked over the choices. Y/n thanked her quietly as she told me the price, still trying to find her wallet.

“Here you go, ma’am.” James said and Y/n looked up to see him handing the owner some coins.

“Wait, no, James, I’ll pay.” She insisted but he shook his head.

“No can do.” He smiled and grabbed the bag from the owner before waving her goodbye and grabbing Y/n’s hand, leading her out of the shop, the bag softly thumping against his toned thighs. Oh, those quidditch thighs.

“Thank you, James.” Y/n said as they once again walked through the streets.

“Don’t thank me just yet, sweetheart.” He said and pulled her along hurriedly. “Food time.” He said with a smile as they neared a circle of trees, he went behind the girl. “This, my love, is when you go blind.” Y/n smiled as his warm, calloused hands went over her eyes and he carefully led her through the trees, the bag of books hanging from the inside of his elbow. “Careful, there's a fallen branch right there.” James whispered softly in Y/n’s ear, causing warmth to flood her body.

“Thank you.” She said back, equally as quiet as the birds happily chirped around them.

“Okay, you can stop walking now.” He said and she did as told. “Three, two, one.” he removed her hands and she gasped, her hand going to cover her mouth as she looked at the sight before her eyes. Candles floated in the air like they did in the Great Hall and there was an elegant red and white picnic blanket covered in an array of food. James gently led her to the picnic blanket and laid down on his side as Y/n sat with her legs outstretched.

James propped himself up with his elbow, “So?” he asked.

“James, it’s- it’s beautiful.” Y/n admitted, feeling very grateful she finally said yes to his consistent asking.

“Not as beautiful as you.” He said and winked, before quickly grabbing a chocolate covered strawberry. “Cringy, I know, but eat it. They’re good.” He encouraged, reaching up and bringing it to her lips, trying to push past them. Y/n laughed through her nose as she tried to keep her lips shut before giving in and taking a bite.

She groaned as she relished the flavor, “Strawberries are so good.” James nodded in agreement.

“You should read to me.” James said, grabbing the book bag and passing it to her, before readjusting himself and laying his head in Y/n’s lap. She smiled and grabbed one of the books, opening it with her right hand and letting her left gently play with a strand of James’ hair.

After a few moments of reading quietly to James, Y/n spared a glance at the forest in front of her and gasped quietly, urging James to look over. Standing just in view were a doe and stag, lovingly rubbing their heads together. Y/n, not knowing anything about the importance of a stag in James’ life, thought it was just a cute coincidence. James, however, knew it had to be a sign.

“One last stop.” James said, once again, for what seemed like the thousandth time, led Y/n by hand through the less busy streets of Hogsmeade.

“You really went all out, didn’t you?” Y/n asked and James nodded.

“Of course I did, the most magnificent girl on Earth said yes to date, I had to make sure she knew how special she was.” He answered, looking ahead. Something Y/n was thankful for as she was sure her face turned tomato red.

After just a moment they neared a large open area with many greenhouses.

“A nursery?” Y/n questioned, not knowing Hogsmeade even had one.

James smiled proudly, looking back at her, “Mhm! A little birdy, who goes by the name of Sirius, told me how much you loved flowers, so I figured you’d like to come here.” He said as he dragged her past the entrance and into the endless aisles of flowers. 

“James, the flamingo flies!” Y/n said excitedly as she pointed at the metal flamingo whose body was swaying slightly in the wind, giving it the impression of flying.

“I wish I could fly.” James said. “That would be so cool.”

Y/n snorted, “James, you can fly.”

James stood in confusion for a moment before his eyes lit up as he remembered his broomstick, “Oh, yeah!”

“So, which is your favorite?” James asked and Y/n smiled as she spotted them and led him to them.

“Forget me nots.” She informed him, looking at the flower with a happy glint in her eyes.

“Ah, well, fear not, fair maiden. Forget you, I will not.” James said with a funny face and Y/n laughed at his ridiculousness. 

The two walked around, gazing at the flowers and admiring their beauty. James watched Y/n with a soft smile as her fingers grazed the petals with the utmost gentleness, barely even bending the fragile beauty. In a moment of love, he grabbed her hand and spun her in a circle, careful not to let her fall into the flowers. She laughed giddily as her hands went to James’ shoulders to steady her. The two made eye contact, their hearts beating in sync as their faces neared each other. Y/n could feel James’ breath fan against her face and the warmth radiating from his lips as they got closer. In a quick moment, their lips touched as fireworks went off around them. 

However, everything was silenced and the two pulled away quickly as a grouchy old lady cleared her throat, annoyed at the two lovesick teens for blocking the aisle. James cleared his throat as well before bowing his head at the woman with a tightlipped smile, obviously trying to hold in his laughter.

“We’re sorry, ma’am. We’ll be on our way.” He said before grabbing Y/n’s hand and rushing past the old woman. After they were a good enough distance from her they burst out laughing, finding the situation absolutely hilarious. 

James groaned with an open mouth smile, running a hand over his face, messing up his glasses. Y/n took a step closer to the boy and gently fixed his glasses, a proud smile on her face when they were perfectly straight. 

“You want to buy some flowers, flower?” James asked softly and Y/n nodded with a smile. “Forget me nots it is, so you never forget me.”

Y/n smiled, “You’re right. I’ll always remember you.”

[scotianostra]

The Scottish engineer James Blyth died on May 15th 1906 in Glasgow.

Another innovative Scot, Blyth gave the world the First Electricity Generated Wind Turbine

Us Scots have always been innovators, wind turbines are popping up all over but when Kincardineshire man James Blyth invented a turbine to light his holiday home in Marykirk and offered to light the village street it was the work of the devil.

James Blythe was described as “a true man of science…one who by insight, patient toil, and mechanical ingenuity did much in his day to explain and illustrate many of the facts of physical science."

Born in April 1839 in Marykirk, Kincardineshire, Blyth was educated at the local Parish school and Montrose Academy before winning a scholarship to the General Assembly Normal School in Edinburgh. After obtaining a BA from the University of Edinburgh, he taught mathematics at Morrison’s academy in Crieff.

After obtaining his MA in 1871, Blyth was appointed Freeland Professor of Natural Philosophy at Anderson’s College in 1880 (now the University of Strathclyde), where he began a research program on the use of wind power for electricity generation and storage. This research culminated in the installation of a cloth-sailed, horizontal wind turbine (as opposed to the now more common vertical wind turbine) at his Marykirk holiday cottage in July 1887.

This was several months before the American Charles F. Brush installed what many mistakenly believe to be the first wind turbine, though Brush’s was considerably larger and included the useful safety feature of an automatic brake to prevent damage in high winds. Blyth’s design was 33 ft in diameter and stored the electricity generated in ‘accumulators’, otherwise known as batteries.

After a lack of success offering his surplus electricity to local villagers, who branded electricity 'the work of the devil’, Blyth was able to install a larger, much-improved version of his wind turbine at the Montrose Lunatic Asylum, Infirmary and Dispensary, where it ran successfully for 30 years.

In 1891 Blyth presented a paper to the Royal Society of Edinburgh espousing his belief in the benefits of renewable energy sources, particularly wind but also wave energy.

Blyth received an honorary doctorate from the University of Glasgow in 1900 and died on this day in 1906. After the turbine at Montrose Asylum was dismantled in 1914, there would not be another public utility wind turbine in Britain until 1951. However, his legacy today is an important one, as his old college, the University of Strathclyde, conducts world-leading research into wind turbine technology and Scotland seeks to become a world leader in wind energy generation.

So that’s another first for Scotland, the wind turbine.

[dracomort]

Hey I‘m that one person that send an ask about ugly-cute draco and super hot mogger tom!

On the topic of looks headcanon. How do you think Harry looks like? Bc while I have very vivid and specific headcanons for other characters, Harry‘s just kinda „blurry“ to me. Like I can‘t really imagine him as anything specific at all. Like if he cleans himself up he might be kinda good looking. I would rate Tom a 10/10, Draco either a 3/10 or 9/10 depending on the weather. But Harry man, thats tough. Like a little more than mid, a 6/10 perhaps.

But he‘s like 5“7 nah its over for him.

Anyways love all of them tho! Whether they look like hairy greasy ciggarette smoking rat-man or twinky little uwu femboys that weighs as much as a peppercorn or growling dom daddy alphawolf with hairy chests and 6-packs.

Ok so I reckon Harry is hot. But like school hot or office hot. With the limited options of a normal person environment, he stands out. Though I think he would be really unphotogenic. Harry's athletic, good colour contrast AND tall. Yeah, he's not 5'7. He's the same height as James, who's described as tall by... Voldemort, and he's slightly shorter than Draco at 17. I would put him at minimum 6 ft. Sure, he's not going to be scouted in the street like Tom, but he's definitely uncontroversially good-looking. The kind of boyfriend you wouldn't be embarrassed to show your group chat (in a video bc again, unphotogenic).

While somatotypes might be debunked, I've always thought of adult Harry having a 'mesomorph' body type. So builds muscles easier; stronger, broader frame. Tom and Draco I see more as 'ectomorphs' - tall and lean, without a tendency to gain much fat or muscle. They probably look taller as well, because of their builds, whereas if you actually put Harry and Draco back to back as adults, there's negligible difference (no matter what Draco claims). I see Seekers like jockeys, best benefited by being small and strong, so Ginny would probably be a better Seeker than Harry at full height since she's small and stocky, while we know Harry starts to shoot up around 6th year.

[cruelsummer-ficfest]

Hey Kids—Reading is Fun!

Dear Readers,

Your mods (@femme--de--lettres and @greyeyedmonster-18) are beside themselves with how many of you have participated in Cruel Summer Fic Fest: The Eras Tour this year.

From full novel-length fics to poetry, from microfics to multi-chaptered works and everything in between, we've been blown away—enchanted, even—by this year's submissions. This fest started as a labor of love for both of us as avid Swifties and HP fic authors and we couldn't have imagined in our wildest dreams the way you've embraced it with open arms.

With that said, we're pleased to offer the below list of this year's love stories. Due to tumblr restrictions on tagging, we weren't able to tag all of the individual author tumblr accounts (something something look what you made us do something something) so we've tried to link to ao3 as much as possible, but if you like a fic—check out that author's ao3! We've tried to connect you as directly to the mainstream of what each author writes in that respect, so if you happen to find a new fave, you can show them more love on the rest of their works!

To make a long story short, the majority of these works can be found in the Cruel Summer Fic Fest: The Eras Tour collection on ao3—with a catalogue of over 100 works, there's something for everybody, and we hope you'll take a peek at this year's truly incredible works.

We've had the time of our life fighting dragons with you, but sometimes, you know in your soul when it's time to go.

Thanks for making this cruel summer another one for the books.

Until Next Time,

Your Mods (Grey and Andie)

Cruel Summer Fic Fest: The Eras Tour

(all fics are followed by the character, relationship, or pairing that each work focused on. for the purposes of our list, both "x" and "/" indicate some level of romantic relationship, while "&" entails a platonic or otherwise friendly one)

Era One (Debut/Midnights)

Stay Beautiful (Regulus x James)

Sweet Nothing (Ted Tonks x Andromeda Black)

Midnight Rain (Sirius x Remus)

A Perfectly Good Heart (Harry/Fred/George)

Bigger Than the Whole Sky (Lavender x Pansy)

Anti-Hero (Sirius x Remus)

Tim McGraw (James x Lily)

Invisible  (Harry x Ginny)

Should've Said No (Ron x Hermione)

Dear Reader (Draco x Astoria, Part 1 of 6)

Glitch (Bellatrix Black x Voldemort)

The Outside (Ron x Hermione)

Bejeweled (Ron x Hermione)

Maroon  (Ron x Hermione)

Teardrops on My Guitar (Ron x Hermione)

Mastermind (Ron x Hermione)

Era Two (1989/Evermore)

Wonderland (Snape x Trelawney)

Dorothea (Sirius x Remus)

New Romantics (Regulus x Lily)

You Are In Love (James x Lily)

Wildest Dreams (Sirius x James)

Long Story Short (Draco x Harry)

This Love  (Pandora x Lily)

All You Had to Do Was Stay (Hermione x Pansy)

Shake It Off (Draco x Harry)

I Wish You Would (James x Lily)

Blank Space   (Ron x Hermione)

I Know Places (Draco x Hermione)

Gold Rush (Ron x Hermione)

Welcome to New York  (Sirius x Remus)

Style (Bellatrix x Voldemort)

Happiness (Narcissa Black x Emmeline Vance)

Tis the Damn Season (Harry x Bill Weasley)

It's Time to Go (Teddy x Victoire)

Cowboy Like Me (Astoria x Hermione)

Champagne Problems (Draco x Astoria, Part 2 of 6)

Era Three (Red/Lover)

The Moment I Knew (Ron x Hermione)

You Need to Calm Down  (Draco x Harry)

Sad Beautiful Tragic  (Draco x Astoria)

Nothing New (ft. Phoebe Bridgers) (Ron x Hermione)

All of the Girls You Loved Before (Sirius x Remus)

State of Grace (James x Lily)

Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince Draco x Astoria, Part 3 of 6)

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Harry x Tom Riddle) 

The Last Time (ft. Gary Lightbody) (Ron x Hermione)

All Too Well (Ron x Hermione)

The Archer  (Pandora Lovegood x Lily Evans)

Babe  (Ron x Hermione)

Run (ft. Ed Sheeran) (Narcissa x Lily)

Cornelia Street (Percy Weasley x Oliver Wood)

Everything Has Changed (ft. Ed Sheeran) (Sirius x Remus)

The Very First Night (Ron x Hermione)

Girl at Home (Alecto Carrow x Narcissa Black)

Forever Winter (Draco x Astoria)

Afterglow (Ron x Hermione)

Holy Ground (Romione)

Stay Stay Stay (Blaise Zabini x Daphne Greengrass)

False God (Bellatrix x Voldemort)

Era Four (Fearless/Reputation)

Come in With the Rain (Ginny & Hermione)

Look What You Made Me Do (Ron x Hermione)

That's When (ft. Keith Urban) (James x Lily)

Fifteen (James x Lily)

Tell Me Why (Harry x Charlie Weasley)

The Best Day (Percy x Oliver Wood)

Call It What You Want (Ron x Hermione)

You Belong With Me (Ron x Hermione)

Untouchable (Narcissa x Lily)

Change (Ron x Hermione)

Superstar (Draco x Hermione)

Forever and Always (Piano Version) (Draco x Astoria)

King of My Heart (Ron x Hermione)

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things (James x Lily)

Fearless (Ron x Hermione)

The Way I Loved You (James x Lily)

Gorgeous (Ron x Hermione)

Bye Bye Baby (Ron x Hermione)

White Horse  (James x Lily) 

…Ready for It? (Blaise Zabini x Daphne Greengrass)

Don’t You (Ron x Hermione)

I Did Something Bad (Draco x Astoria, Part 4 of 6)

The Other Side of the Door (Sirius x Remus)

Era Five (Speak Now/Folklore)

Haunted (Bellatrix x Lily)

Enchanted (Ron x Hermione)

Innocent (Draco & Narcissa Malfoy) 

Back to December (Ron x Hermione)

The 1 (Ron x Hermione)

Exile (ft Bon Iver) (Ron x Hermione)

Mad Woman (Draco x Harry)

Invisible String (Sirius x Remus)

Cardigan (Ron x Hermione)

Epiphany (Padma Patil x Theodore Nott)

Mirrorball (Draco x Harry)

Mine (Harry/Fred/George)

Mean (Ron x Hermione)

This Is Me Trying (Marcus Flint x Percy Weasley)

Timeless (Ron x Hermione)

My Tears Ricochet (Ron x Hermione)

Seven (Sirius x Remus)

I Can See You (Sirius x Remus)

Foolish One (Angelina Johnson x George Weasley)

[heathmorgan]

[ skeet ulrich — 53 — he/him ] Introducing  HEATH JAMES MORGAN . Word on the street is they are a RETIRED F1 DRIVER / CAPTAIN and member of THE BROTHERHOOD for the past TEN YEARS . Though they are DEMANDING and BRUTAL , they can also be INCISIVE and AUTHORITARIAN . In the chaos of New York City, they’re sure to fit right in. 

— BASICS.

Name: Heathcliff James Morgan

Nickname: Heath

Age / D.O.B.: 53 / March 22, 1970

Gender, Pronouns: Cisman. He/Him

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Occupation: Retired F1 driver / Captain

Affiliation: The Brotherhood

Languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French

Relationship Status: Single

Children: One

— APPEARANCE.

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Dark Brown

Height: 6 ft

— STATS.

Personality Type: ENTP

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Positive Traits: Indomitable, Eloquent, Assertive, Cunning, Dominant, Ambitious, Bold, Decisive, Resourceful, Self Disciplined, Confident, Perceptive

Negative Traits: Brutal, Volatile, Manipulative, Cynical, Rough, Competitive, Vengeful, Malicious

Mental Health: (Undiagnosed) NPD

Narcotics of use: Cocaine

— FAMILY .

Parents: Clark Morgan, Midge Davis

Siblings: TBD Morgan

Cousins: TBD

Children: Willa Morgan ( NPC )

— BIOGRAPHY .

Heath was born in Dallas. His mother was a burlesque dancer and his dad a mechanic. His mother was an alcoholic and abusive, she also struggled with drug addiction and would constantly disappear from home for weeks at a time. His father got tired of this and moved with his children to a trailer park, where he raised them as a single dad.

His father was part of a motorcycle gang, mostly former by getaway drivers with criminal ties, the kids spent much of their time under their protection, they considered them family and that was where Heath developed his passion for cars.

He started driving karts, the first step in the craft of racing, learning from control to adapting to the race track for speed. He entered karting competitions, was skilled and started to attract attention from sponsors. Different local and national competitions, getting a few good wins under his belt.

His father was killed in a confrontation between the group and the police, which made Heath responsible for his younger sibling. Due to family connections, they find their way to NYC. Necessity made him join the criminal world for a quick way out, doing the unimaginable to guarantee their survival since they no longer had protection.

He built for himself a small group of criminals that he had met along the way, they lived in the shadows. Started with small thefts and riots, until they evolved into kidnapping, blackmailing, extortion - and murder. yes, they knew it would reach extreme measures as soon as attacks on government buildings and high ranking individuals started to happen. It was a common fact among the powerful, they always had the fire lit faster when someone was about to die. And he wanted that kind of attention.

As the years went by he could see the improvement, they were far from being rich but now they had their own small house and were comfortable for the first time. Decided to return to amateur kart competitions and attended different educational programs pursuing technical and mechanical backgrounds knowledge. Sponsorship and funding allowed him to get his full competition license, building a career.

After getting a FIA international grade A license, he began competing in the lower-tier series, getting the right kind of networking and catching the attention of team owners, opening doors to opportunities in high levels of F1.

Heath was superior to the majority. Amidst the clamor, the chaos, the endless hours of practice, he remained unbroken, untouched. His power hunger surpassed that of his peers, a relentless drive to go beyond, delve deeper, and endure farther. While many found themselves in a competition for attention - he simply prevailed, unequivocally. And he deserved it. He deserved to be seen and be heard, eat the rich as they devour everything around them.

Everyone who crossed his path tried brutally to tame him, breaking him into a thousand pieces, tirelessly seeking to reshape into different individuals. His essence could never be affected, you cannot corrupt something that has been rotten for a long time. He could feel all that poison in his blood, every step he took was like the tick tock of a time bomb about to burst - all those vile urges were devouring him from the inside out.

After winning F1 world championship for the eighth time ( six times consecutively) at forty, he decided to retire. He got bored. Not just of his career, but everything else. Contacts with shady sponsors allowed him to achieve even more exclusive cycles, and consequently even more skeletons in his closet.

Do you remember the small group of criminals from his teenage years? Now with more available resources, he joined a bigger version of it, even more lethal. The Brotherhod. Meticulously chosen individuals, whose every weakness could be exploited and shaped into a weapon.

The common enemy remained the same: government, with no prospect that that target would ever change. New adversaries appeared on the way, more organizations than they could count, but nothing that couldn't be turned into a vile public message of what would happen to anyone who got in their way.

— F1 TIMELINE .

1988 : got his FIA international grade A license. he was 18

1991 : started competing for ferrari. he was 21 years old

1992 - 1999 : won six world titles consecutively

2000 : signed with mclaren.

2007 : won his seventh world title

2009 : won his eighth and last world title

2010 : retired. 40 years old

[litearra]

james street      ——      ❛ you can kiss me, you know. ❜

fingertips drum against his strong chest, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. a rather bold statement if one were to ask the blonde. tilting her chin upwards in defiance, that condescending tone - just reserved for @burygods,     ❝ give me one good reason to playboy, ❞     she taunts. much too entertained by the possibility of riling him up further, rather than give in to desire - give him what he wanted. not how they played. not now. not ever.

[namusthetic]

The Marauders

"Anything for our Moony."

Inspired by: MsKingBean89, All The Young Dudes

"We can beat them just for one day

We can be heroes just for one day"

( - David Bowie, Heroes)

___

Playlist:

All the Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople

We Will Rock You by Queen

We Are Young by f.u.n.

Beat Of My Drum by POWERS

Freaks by Surf Curse

Money by The Drums

Little Dark Age by MGMT

Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men

Out of Luck by Airways

Who We Are by Imagine Dragons

Remember When by Wallows

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen

Where'd All the Time Go by Dr. Dog

Welcome Home, Son by Radical Face

Heroes by David Bowie

________________

Prongs

James Potter

"Ask me why my heart's inside my throat

I've never been in love, I've been alone

Feel like I've been living life asleep

Love so strong it makes me feel so weak"

( - Coyote Theory, This Side of Paradise)

___

Playlist:

Honeypie by JAWNY

Kick Ass by Mika ft. RedOne

Everybody Talks by Neon Trees

Scrawny by Wallows

Marlboro Nights by Lonely God

Potions by Day Wave

This Side of Paradise by Coyote Theory

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse

Can I Call You Tonight? by Dayglow

Sober by Childish Gambino

Adore You by Harry Styles

It's Time by Imagine Dragons

________________

Padfoot

Sirius Black

"Can't stay at home, can't stay at school

Old folks say, "You poor little fool"

Down the streets I'm the girl next door

I'm the fox you've been waiting for"

( - The Runaways, Cherry Bomb)

___

Playlist:

Come as You Are by Nirvana

The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash

Cherry Bomb by The Runaways

You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi

Bad by Michael Jackson

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

Paramour by Sub Urban ft. AURORA

Parents by Yungblud

Verbatim by Mother Mother

False Confidence by Noah Kahan

Heart of Glass by Miley Cyrus

Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High by Arctic Monkeys

________________

Moony

Remus Lupin

"Crawling in my skin

These wounds, they will not heal

Fear is how I fall

Confusing what is real

There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface

Consuming, confusing

This lack of self control I fear is never ending

Controlling

I can't seem"

( - Linkin Park, Crawling)

___

Playlist:

Cigarette Daydreams by Cage the Elephant

i'll die anyway. by girl in red

Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey

Crawling by Linkin Park

cardigan by Taylor Swift

Fix You by Coldplay

Dark Necessities by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Take Me To Church by Hozier

PATCHWERK by Sub Urban ft. Two Feet

we fell in love in october by girl in red

Astronomy by Conan Gray

Secrets by OneRepublic

I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons

________________

Wormtail

Peter Pettigrew

"I'm tired of being last pick

Treated like a side chick

A background character for all of my life"

( - Mad Tsai, that friend)

___

Playlist:

Another One of Those Days by Cavetown

Comfort Crowd by Conan Gray

Devil Town by Cavetown

Swing Lynn by Harmless

jealousy, jealousy by Olivia Rodrigo

Treacherous (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift

Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons

I Can't Handle Change by Roar

that friend by Mad Tsai

Outrunning Karma by Alec Benjamin

People Watching by Conan Gray

everything i wanted by Billie Eilish

------------------

Bonus...

Severus Snape

"I fell by the wayside, like everyone else

I hate you, I hate you, I hate you

But I was just kidding myself

Our every moment, I start to replace

'Cause now that they're gone

All I hear are the words that I needed to say"

( - Lewis Capaldi, Before You Go)

___

Playlist:

Bored by Billie Eilish

After Dark by Mr. Kitty

Don't Blame Me by Taylor Swift

Dusk Till Dawn by ZAYN ft. Sia

Arcade by Duncan Laurence

Heather by Conan Gray

Before You Go by Lewis Capaldi

Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paloma Faith

Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush

Glimpse of Us by Joji

Dancing With Your Ghost by Sasha Alex Sloan

Infinity by Jaymes Young

________________

Regulus Black

"I didn't have it in myself to go with grace

And you're the hero flying around, saving face

And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?

Cursing my name, wishing I stayed

Look at how my tears ricochet"

( - Taylor Swift, My Tears Ricochet)

___

Playlist:

Control by Halsey

Wires by The Neighborhood

Six Feet Under by Billie Eilish

Cradle by Sub Urban

Blood // Water by grandson

Afraid by The Neighbourhood

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths

Arsonist's Lullaby by Hozier

Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift

lovely by Billie Eilish ft. Khalid

Two Evils by Bastille

Sign of the Times by Harry Styles

My Tears Ricochet by Taylor Swift

____________________ 🐾

Hellooo!!!

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, university has been keeping me busy 💀

Finally I'm back with a long post eheh

I've been reading MsKingBean89's wonderful work All the Young Dudes on AO3, which I recommend because it's simply amazing, and decided to make moodboards and playlists for each character.

Instead of my usual character description this time I preferred song lyrics. If you are not interested then please do enjoy the playlists, and ofc you can tag yourselves and the character you feel closest with. Hope you enjoy <3

[xjustakay]

(8/19) prompt: fresh start— 710 words (coffee shop au ft. firefighter james - pt.2, pt.3, pt.4, pt.5) @jegulus-microfic

“Hi, welcome in.” Pandora calls the greeting before ducking into the back room. 

Regulus looks up from his phone tucked beneath the register’s monitor, painting on a polite expression. It’s been at least thirty minutes since their last customer, but when his focus lands on the person who’s come in, he finds any inner complaint silenced.

When he started working at his cousin’s coffee shop after leaving home, Regulus had become aware that it’s located up the street from a local fire station. He’s seen a handful of the people from there come through for their caffeine fix, but not this person. 

Yellow turnout pants are held up by two thick, red suspenders over a navy tee. It’s not really the uniform that strikes Regulus, though seeing it on this particular individual is nothing to frown about. It’s the rest of him that does it. Tan skin and dark waves of hair, toned arms and a broad chest, bright eyes and a boyish grin.

For fucks sake, the man looks made up. 

Regulus, thankfully, manages to resist the urge to fully check the stranger out, keeping his attention on his face as he approaches the counter. Smiling, the man nudges his glasses up endearingly then pushes that same hand back through his hair. If the flicker of Regulus’ eyes to the curve of his bicep gets noticed, Regulus is prepared to deny it.

“Busy night, eh?” The lovely stranger jokes.

“Certainly less interesting than your job, even if it were,” Regulus replies.

“Ah, no, slow night for us, too.” A tossed hand. A tilt of the head. “Did just get back from a riveting run to a little old lady’s because she thought there was a gas leak in her house when really she’d left her stove burner on low, though.”

“Fun,” Regulus chuckles, grabbing a marker. “Can I get a name for the order?”

It’s usually the last question he asks when taking orders, but his curiosity pesters him to know.

“It’s James.”

“James,” Regulus repeats, glancing him over.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” James notes. 

“I’m fairly new, recently came to the area for a fresh start,” Regulus confirms.

“Alone?”

“Moved in with my brother.”

James nods slowly, eyeing him as his grin widens. “Knew you had to be new. I’d definitely remember seeing you before.”

“And why’s that?” Regulus toys.

“I mean.” James makes a sweeping motion up and down toward him, mischief in his hazel eyes. “You’ve got to know you’re hard to forget, looking like that.”

Humming shortly in acknowledgement, Regulus bites hard at the inside of his cheek. He’s not sure how successful he is at hiding the smirk that threatens to appear, but he does his best. 

Normally being hit on in his place of work would have his eye twitching, but. Well.

“What can I get for you tonight?”

James huffs out an airy laugh. “Quite the question to ask someone who’s already flirting with you.”

“I thought you were here for coffee, James,” Regulus snorts, one brow arching.

“I was.” James glances down at his name tag on his apron then back up again, shameless with a bat of his eyelashes. “Regulus.”

There’s no avoiding the upward curl of his lips this time, hearing the way his name sounds coming out of James’ mouth.

“Are you going to order or not? I’ve got things to do.”

“Right, right. Let’s have a surprise. Make it sweet for me, though, won’t you?” James winks at him before pulling a ten note from his wallet and setting it on the counter. “Keep the change.”

While Regulus is busy fixing the drink moments later, he doesn’t notice James grabbing a napkin from a dispenser and fishing a pen from his pocket to jot something down on it. It’s not until Regulus calls James’ name for his drink, subtly playful goodbyes exchanged afterward, that he finds the folded napkin left on the counter. 

When he unfolds it, Regulus can’t help but let out a laugh. Because James has messily scrawled his phone number down, the words ‘to fresh starts’ written above it.

Soon enough, James will realize that Regulus had a similar idea when he finds Regulus’ number on the side of his coffee cup.

[thcrnedthrones]

{theo james, 37, cismale, he/him} we are so glad to see you safe, [HIGH KING] [ALEXANDER] of [SCOTLAND]! it’s dangerous out in the world these days, but i hear that you are [CHARMING] and [FEARLESS] enough to handle it. just don’t let your [RECKLESSNESS] bring you down! stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out [HE WOULD HAVE MUCH RATHER NOT HAVE BEEN BORN ROYAL].

/ BASICS /

name: alexander nicholas stuart nicknames: n/a, possibly Alec when he was younger by his siblings. age: thirty-seven birth: june 28th status: high king of scotland (second born son) sexuality: heterosexual pronouns: he/him marital status: unwed, unbethrothed

𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 —

eye color: brown/hazel hair color: brown height: 6 ft 1' weight: one hundred and seventy two pounds

𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 —

father: the former king of Scotland, mother: the former queen of Scotland, siblings: one older brother (high king faolan), two younger sisters (Queen Claire and Queen Elidh)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 —

spoken tongues: english, gaelic positives: charming, kind, courageous negatives: impulsive, stubborn, rebellious, reckless moral compass: chaotic good

/ ABOUT ALEXANDER /

The rebellious second son to the Scottish royal family had always been a sort of black sheep among his siblings. He did not have the pressure that was on his elder brother and was left to his own devices, everyone believing that the line of succession meant that he was the spare, and he was content to be just that.

He was able to travel, spending more of his time away from home than the time he actually spent on Scottish shore, but he loved it and he's been able to travel all over the world meeting people from all walks of life and building connections that he never would have been able to do if he'd been trapped in Scotland like a caged bird.

It was on one of these trips long before the reckoning that he visited France under the guise of being a peasant, and not the son of France's political enemy, that he met Aurora Orleans, spending a whole week with her, getting to know her and watching her fall in love with the country she'd been in her whole life but never really seen. Not realizing that in watching her discover France, he was falling in love with her.

The guards took her away when they were found, and the guilt and regret that he's felt in not fighting them off and staying with her has been with him ever since. Returning to Scotland, he went about his duties, living out his life and thinking of the girl he'd spent that time in France with, any chance he got. Saying nothing to his siblings and friends about how close he'd gotten to the French princess.

Then the Reckoning happened, and the death of their father turned the four Stuarts' lives upside down, for a moment they all become the other's greatest enemy, and the argument of who should succeed the throne hung in the air, making things tense for them all before they agreed to the shared regency of their country. All of them forming a single leader and even then Alexander felt like he was forced into a royal life that he had never asked for nor wanted.

Now that the courts are coming together, his thoughts go to Aurora, and seeing her again. Their complicated connections to their families and countries making it difficult for them to love each other the way they've wanted since their time exploring the streets of Paris together. He'd never been one to think about marriage, fancying himself a lothario who's had his share of dalliances, but Aurora is different and the more he thinks about it, the more he wants to make her his wife and never have to be without her again.

With all of these changes happening in Alexander's life, the next question is how are his actions going to affect his family and the Scottish throne.

[thesinglesjukebox]

CAMILA CABELLO FT. PLAYBOY CARTI - "I LUV IT"

Per our controversy score, it's more iluvit ihateit iluvit ihateit iluvit ihateit iluvit...

[6.47]

Katherine St. Asaph: wtf (complimentary) [7]

Hannah Jocelyn: “I Luv It" is a perfect example of once avant-garde sounds being absorbed into the mainstream -- which is why people hate it -- but the way all involved fail makes it much better than it otherwise would be. Everyone involved doesn’t know how to work outside the lines of pure pop, and it shows. We have a IV-I-V-ii chord progression, normally too melancholic for upbeat electronica outside of “Off-World”, and we have a classic AABB chorus, only the AAs are iluvitiluvitiluvitiluvit and the BBs are Gucci Mane samples. Cabello is much more fun in this mode than crooning nicotine-Halloween-morphine “Never Be The Same” mode, and if she still comes across as try-hard, that adds to the song’s bizarre alchemy. Carti’s dispassionate mumbling nearly kills it, but listen to the beautiful synth arpeggio he’s up against. “I Luv It” is too structured to be incoherent, too clean to be overwhelming, and all those contradictions make the song legitimately captivating, far from the trainwreck intended. [8]

Isabel Cole: I almost admire this track’s staunch refusal to be an actual song; between its near-total disinterest in conventions like “melody” and “structure” and the fact that its hooks sound like they were recorded by a pull-string doll running out of batteries, you could almost call it avant-garde. Unfortunately, none of its repetitive noodling sounds interesting or good, hence “almost.” Carti’s verse (counterintuitively?) comes closest to achieving one of those things (song, interesting, good), although I’m not sure which one, and despite the fact that he is so inscrutable it’s like listening to a rap verse by the Swedish Chef. [3]

Alfred Soto: I like it, but it took getting used to Cabello's voice squeaking ILUVITILUVITILUVIT against a synth arpeggio. Because Cabello's always sounded like a synth anyway, the track's an exercise in harmony. [6]

Mark Sinker: Obviously I should stop trusting the mondegreen as insight generator -- but “I was on the train with the MEKONS!” Enter Greil Marcus to solve the case, in deerstalker like the Inspector in the Pink Panther cartoons, his enormous magnifying glass from our direction enlarging only his own eye (affectionate). Down these so-pretty streets a man must go who is not himself pop, who is neither tarnished nor afraid! He is the hero; he is Playboi Carti, mumblier perhaps than anyone in muttering history… [squeaks: ah!] [10]

Alex Clifton: Am I supposed to understand any of the words in this song? [3]

Taylor Alatorre: "Doctorin' the Tardis" with less self-awareness yet somehow even greater contempt for its target audience, which in this case is Millennial-Zoomer cuspers who assign mystical significance to Project X and Spring Breakers because they first saw those films before being old enough to drive. I'm opposed to it in principle -- but principle hasn't stopped me from listening to it 83 times in the past month. Mainly that's because of how the brute-force Gucci Mane sample tries to hack my brain into thinking it's actually hearing "Lemonade" for those 12 to 24 seconds. No chopping or screwing, no tenuous lyrical tie-ins, just unadulterated 2010 high school cafeteria bliss. It's such a childishly brazen tactic, like a couple of teenagers trying to sneak their vodka-filled water bottles into an all-ages show, that I can't help but nod respectfully toward it. Given all this, Playboi Carti might not seem to be the correct punchline to this joke, and if Camila had been able to wrangle a Riff Raff or Trinidad James onto here, the unified kitsch factor alone would've earned the song's full acquittal. But it's in the parts where he isn't aiming for gibberish-fueled virality that Carti justifies his presence here. "Oh you on a roll now?" feels like a playful negging of all the cheap XCX cosplay we've just had to sit through, and "she says I'm way too young" is such a teasing last-second aside, turning the very act of Guwop-sampling into a vague metaphor for shooting one's shot cross-generationally... or something. What exactly is one supposed to do with that, other than try to unlock some other secret meaning on the 84th listen? [6]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: You luv it, but she got it.  [6]

Leah Isobel: The Charli XCX Twinks are hyperprotective of their right to feel alternative and unique, so Camila ripping off the cadence and delivery of "I Got It" (not to mention the Hereditary-biting promotional video) would of course send that particular portion of the internet into overdrive. But it's the prerogative of the actual, charting popstar to execute stylistic hairpins, particularly if she's navigated the label system well enough to actually release something as chart-poisonous as "I Luv It," extra-particularly if she's already played around in this sandbox, and extra-super-particularly if the song represents the first time she's found a convincing vehicle for her unbelievably annoying energy. Honestly, I couldn't tell you why I like this so much -- maybe it's the memory of liking the similarly fried-out Lazerproof, or the maturity to recognize that to be cringe is to be human -- but I do. Sorry! If the song slaps, I can't make it not slap!  [9]

Nortey Dowuona: "You two have been saying one bar is lame and the other one is awesome ALL NIGHT, and it's the same BAR?!!!" -- Troy from Community and me after four listens. [2]

Andrew Karpan: Every micro-generation gets the “I Love It” that it deserves. I love it. [10]

Ian Mathers: Look, it's not my fault that the degree of difficulty you've set yourself is "will this make the listener not want to just go listen to the classic Icona Pop/Charli XCX song 'I Love It' instead?" Credit to the post chorus and Carti's digitally slurred moan of a verse for making it a bit of a fight, but... [7]

Michael Hong: The most captivating word here is that sighed "tomorrow" right before the first chorus. Everything seems to go quiet as she breathes into it, the catharsis of having what you want in your reach, the high of forever in your sight. Cabello never sounds like she'll get there -- "I Luv It" is just one big, provocative, braindead pursuit for your attention, for you to see her as a captivating pop star -- but as her tongue darts across her lips and echoes the titular phrase over and over, there's the thrill she's been looking for. [7]

Kayla Beardslee: This is not a song, this is engagement bait. I cannot be bought this easily! Stream La Buena Vida! [3]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: It's odd that everyone is treating this as some kind of oddity; this is a Camila Cabello song, for God's sake! It's the same format as her big hit and the middling replicant (who cares about "Senorita"), just adapted for the current moment rather than the long 2010s; glitchy pop sounds are not some shocking play when it's been two presidential terms since "Vroom Vroom." Even the "Lemonade" sample feels correctly positioned – it's millennial dad rap, the exact kind of respectable pophead interpolation-fodder that Cabello, Carti, and producer Jasper Harris all probably loved as teenagers. "I Luv It" is a perfect showcase for Cabello's admittedly limited skillset; she sounds appropriately wan on the verses and cheerleader-ish on the chorus, comfortable with just being another element in Harris & El Guincho's anachronistic Pop 2 revival. Yet "I Luv It" reaches the mountaintop only upon Carti's arrival – the track pauses for a second before he starts his verse as if it's hard reloading; he then proceeds to duet with a synth solo, do his best Dirty Sprite 2-era Future impression, and go so incomprehensible that I'm not even sure if anyone else on the track knows what he's saying. Glorious. [9]

Dave Moore: I'm confident that everything that everyone who has scored this song a [4] or below says about it is accurate. But a clusterfuck contains multitudes.  [8]

Will Adams: Above all else, it's WEIRD. Strip away the stan chatter and "I Luv It" becomes an appealingly bizarre pivot in which Cabello is enraptured by a frenetic hook, woozy synths and a potentially asymmetric meter. When Playboi Carti's smeared verse arrives, you start to feel delirious. [6]

Julian Axelrod: An unrecognizable Camila Cabello, sounding like she's trying to will herself back to 2012 and secure the Spring Breakers audition she rightfully deserves. An uninterpretable Playboi Carti, facing his biggest moment in the spotlight with a burp and a shrug. An unexplainable "Lemonade" sample, as if producer El Guincho just heard The State vs Radric Davis that morning and decided he was put on this earth to get Gucci Mane a publishing check. None of it gels, none of it makes sense in the same song, none of it even makes sense in the same breath. I can only assume Camila and Co. created this incredible, idiotic Diet Coke and Mentos monstrosity to give guys like me something to be annoying about all summer. [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: Was kind of thrilling when it dropped but enough time has passed where this doesn't really hold up. I can only be so amused by Camila sort of just being there (she's not doing anything particularly well, nor is she flailing in any notably outrageous manner). Carti arrives with a decent verse, and then it's over. Music to be momentarily amused by and not much else. [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[fagdykefrank]

I heard you like presidents.

Let's say all former US presidents are placed on three acres of land surrounded by a 10 ft fence. The contestants have three full days to negotiate, fight, and duel, without food or water. Presidents that get knocked out or surrender are picked up out of the arena by a crane in an undignified manner. The last president standing is crowned champion. Only one president can be chosen, any presidents that attempt to claim a team victory will be disqualified from competitions.

1. Who will fight each other right out of the gate, based off their political history?

2. Who will voluntarily surrender, or try to escape?

3. What presidents will form alliances, and with whom?

4. What will make it to the final day of competition?

5. Who will be crowned champion?

(The rules of this engagement are borrowed from a webcomic, Achewood)

1. Fighting out the gate, definitely Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Tyler. Maybe Ulysses Grant, Andrew Johnson, John Quincy Adams, but definitely those first three. They were known to be extremely forceful during their presidencies, at times even aggressive. Andrew Jackson was known to literally attack people in the street. Donald Trump also probably fits into this category, but I think he would shirk an actual physical fight the way these other men wouldn't.

2. Noted presidential cowards include William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Harry Truman, Martin Van Buren, Herbert Hoover, and maybe Joe Biden (honestly, depending on the day with him). These presidents avoided conflict and hated losing, which made them all pretty mediocre at their jobs. They were also largely physically very weak, and had little to no physical fighting experience.

3. Alliance formers include Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson if he's in a good mood, Calvin Coolidge, James Garfield Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford B Hayes, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Monroe, and James Madison, to varying degrees of success. The founding fathers would all definitely band together, seeing as they've got actual experience together. Roosevelt and Johnson would probably team up, but it wouldn't be an extremely solid alliance because LBJ was a nightmare to work with as an equal. All the others were largely willing to work with anyone who would work with them, which makes them good presidents to ally with if you're planning on backstabbing them. LBJ takes out approximately a third of the competition this way.

4. Who makes it to the final day? Andrew Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, JFK but only if he's lucky, Calvin Coolidge, Ulysses Grant, and maybe (MAYBE) Abraham Lincoln. Calvin Coolidge was nicknamed Silent Cal during his presidency and was the kind of guy who would sit in the corner of his own damn birthday party and watch the room completely expressionless. Unfuckwithable. Abraham Lincoln was Grant's boss for a bit (maybe you've heard), and Ulysses Grant would definitely defend him. The founding fathers are all insufferable hypocrites and once everyone else figures that out they're all done. JFK had a barrage of illnesses that plagued him his whole life, but he was also prone to feats of absurd athleticism in the face of certain death due to his time in the Navy.

5. Who wins? Honestly, either Teddy Roosevelt or Andrew Jackson. Roosevelt was a rigorous outdoorsman who cured himself of every childhood disease with the power of American Masculinity TM, and Jackson was a violent misanthrope who would attack anyone for any reason and usually won. It would be a battle of the ages.

Bonus: Presidents I Didn't Mention Earlier

James Polk had a penchant for randomly dying at tonal ironic moments. He would probably take out Thomas Jefferson and then immediately have a heart attack and die. Presidents Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan were all defined by their refusal to understand the problems they needed to deal with. They would pretend nothing was going until forced to comprehend their situation, at which point they would all bawl like little babies. Chester Arthur has no idea what the fuck is going on. Grover Cleveland is completely unlikeable, but lasts surprisingly long by complete accident. William McKinley tries to establish order and civilization amidst the chaos and fails miserably. Warren Harding has a torrid love affair with someone and then abruptly dies. Dwight Eisenhower just leaves. Ronald Reagan tries to establish himself as a rough and ready Teddy Roosevelt type guy, but he isn't that even slightly and is eliminated quickly. The Bushes take each other out. Clinton is the guy who Harding has an affair with. He couldn't give less of a fuck when Harding dies.