#house of hannover

[royalbloopers]

[carolineofansbach]

Caroline of Ansbach, Princess of Wales, Queen of Great Britain and Hannover. (1683-1737)

[mary-tudor]

A painting of Queen Victoria of United Kingdom. 

[juanatrastamara]

Thinking of making an history edit where Charlotte of Wales survives and becomes Queen of England in 1830. Would you like to see it?

[germanpostwarmodern]

Stichweh House (1952-53) in Hannover, Germany, by Walter Gropius with The Architects Collaborative

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Deep Purple - The Spanish Archer

[roehenstart]

King George III by Benjamin West.

[acrossthewavesoftime]

Happy Birthday to...

Sophie von der Pfalz, Electress of Hannover, and James VII and II, born on 14 October 1630 and 1633 respectively.

James and Sophie remained in lifelong contact, and the exiled James considered her one of his few allies.

...Little did he know that Sophie was close with both William and Mary, growing particularly fond of the latter in an almost maternal capacity.

Sophie- the woman who would almost have been Queen of England twice

Originally a candidate for marrying James' brother, the recently restored Charles II, the latter settled for Catherine of Braganza instead.

Rather than as consort, Sophie later would almost have become Queen in her own right when the Act of Settlement, implemented by William III, named her as heir presumptive to the crown.

When Sophie visited The Hague with her little niece Liselotte in the winter of 1659/1660, little did she know that one day, the nine-year-old William of Nassau who romped through the Binnenhof palace with her niece would become King of England, and declare her the heir presumptive to the throne. At the time, Sophie was heavily pregnant with her son Georg Ludwig, the future George I who became King of Great Britain when Queen Anne died in 1714. Sophie, alas, had predeceased the much younger Anne by a mere handful of weeks.

Sophie on her own birthday:

In 1680, the year she turned fifty, Sophie decided to write her own memoirs, including a description of her birth and early years. Here is what she had to say on the circumstances of her birth:

Sophie, Electress of Hannover and Köcher, Adolf [Ed]: Memoiren der Herzogin Sophie nachmals Kurfürstin von Hannover, Leipzig 1879, p. 33.

They told me that I was born in the year 1630 on the 14th of October, and since I was the 12th fruit of the marriage of the King my father and the Queen my mother, I think that my birth did not cause them any other joy than that of my no longer occupying the place I previously did. They were even at a loss which name and which godparents one should give me, as all the kings and princes to be considered had already taken this trouble for the children who had preceded me. It had pleased them to put various names on slips of paper and to draw from them the name I was to receive, and chance gave me that of Sophie; and to choose godmothers for me who had that name, the King picked the Princess Palatine of Birkenfeld, Countess of Hohenlohe, the Countess of Cuylenburg and Madame de Brederode, Countess of Nassau, and as godfathers the states of Frisia.

Happy birthday, Sophie von Hannover! She may have been the 12th child of her parents, but she left us first-rate sources in the shape of her memoirs and parts of her correspondence, providing a window into 17th century life and politics.

[livingdreams97]

Eloise Bridgerton - "The Prince" (Part 2)

Eloise Bridgerton x Male reader/oc

Summary: Two people who have never seen each other before, with the same need and desire to be free in different ways. What could come of that when both people meet each other?

Words: 3.275

PREVIOUS

Masterlist

POV Narrator

Dear readers,

The same two words always come to mind for this author the morning after a big party: surprise and delight. And dear reader, the scandalous accounts of last night's evening at Ranger House ( Bridgerton house ) are quite surprising and a real delight.

Emerging from her previous failure with Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, Miss Edwina Sharma seems to have charmed Prince Friedrich of Prussia with her charms.

They have been seen very together at every social event and close sources comment on the success of the diamond of the season with the prince. Perhaps it turns out that the Queen Regent is a very good supervisor and has an eye for pairing.

Maybe this is the queen's redemption, compared to the resounding failure she had last season with Miss Sharma herself; her diamond for the second consecutive year, and the frustrated wedding she was going to have with the Viscount.

Speaking of royalty, we must also mention the presence of Prince Y/n of Hannover and also the queen's nephew in this season. Also remember that Prince Y/n is the future heir to the throne since the queen and the regent king so dictated after his 16th birthday .

Apparently, this handsome green-eyed prince is also looking for a wife and a future queen. The mothers are very attentive to each moment of solitude, to push their daughters into hisarms and try to catch the biggest fish in the place.

But it seems that his attention is fixed on none other than Miss Eloise Bridgerton. It should be noted that this is the second season as a debutante for the second daughter of the Bridgertons and the bad reputation that comes from the people with whom she joined last season.

But that fame does not seem to frighten or matter to the Prince of Hanover, as he has been seen many times on the dancefloor with Miss Bridgerton. They say that love is blind and perhaps in this case it can also become deaf.

How will the queen feel about this possible union?

On the other hand, we have Miss Prudence Featherington who is still engaged to Mr. Jack Featherington and it seems that the nuptials are still some way off. On the other hand, we have Penelope Featherington , who has reportedly been seen in the company of Mr. Colin Bridgerton more than usual. Could this mean something else; or is it just a friendship?

Always yours,

Lady Whistledown.

Eloise's POV

I can't do it anymore. I can't continue with this constant pressure, feeling like every step and every one of my movements is being watched. And not only for my mother, but also for the rest of the people in each event.

It's only been three weeks since the social season began, three weeks that have seemed eternal and one of the heaviest. It seems that three months have passed and not three weeks.

I feel exhausted and totally stressed. I don't want to disappoint my mother again and have our last name put in doubt again because of me. That is what I least want.

But the pressure not to disappoint Mother again, the feeling of being completely watched at all times, and the discomfort I feel every time a newcomer questions me about my "radical" ideals overwhelms me.

The only times I don't feel so overwhelmed and suffocated by everything is when I'm reading in my room and no one bothers or watches me at all.

I can only relax when I am completely alone.

Worst of all, I can't talk about it with anyone, since I would have talked about it with Penelope before and that's it. But after her betrayal, I can't talk to her, much less when she didn't trust her and continues to write as Lady Whistledown .

The fact that she continues writing annoys me even more, especially when she writes about my family and more specifically about me. If anyone had forgotten about her comment last season, about my relationship with Theo and my supposed radical political ideas; with what she wrote about me three days ago, she reminded all of London.

So people looked at me even more and not in a very positive way. But I couldn't talk to anyone about how I felt, because I don't have any friends left and no one in my family would understand.

I can't even tell Benedict how I feel, since he's too focused on his drawing and I don't want to worry him with my problems. In addition to that he would tell me not to pay attention to people and he would tell me something funny to make me laugh.

But that's not what I need right now. What I need now is someone who listens to me, who understands me and can help me with all this that I feel. Because I feel like I'm drowning more every day and how I'm short of breath every time I enter a dance or social event.

And the same thing was happening to me right now.

Tonight was the annual seasonal ball at Vauxhall Gardens, so the whole family except my two younger brothers had come. Even Kate had decided to leave little Olivia at home.

As soon as the family had set foot in the party, all eyes were on us and more specifically on me.

Ignoring with all my might the gazes on me, I comply with what my mother asks of me and dance with two men until the song ends. But neither of the two men are educated people.

Because both of them have spent the dances asking about my ideals and how wrong I am with my radical political thought, since that promotes the extinction of my life as a person of high class.

What ends up getting fed up and in a carelessness of my family I flee towards the labyrinth of the gardens. Where I sit on one of the stone benches of the place and I start to cry without being able to avoid it.

XY: I don't think it's safe or correct that you're out here without supervision.- I hear near me, causing me to jump scared and turn around to find the Prince of Hannover.

Eloise: I could say the same to you.- I reproach with a frown, forcefully wiping away my tears and trying to stop crying.

Y/n: Are you alright Eloise? - he asks with some concern on his face, walking towards where I am and sitting a bit far away; but in the same bank.

Eloise: Of course I'm fine.- I answer clenching my jaw and holding back the urge to continue crying.

Y/n: I'll  believe you and we can go back to the dance as if nothing had happened.- he says with some sarcasm, bringing a glass to his lips and giving a small sip.

Another thing that has changed is my relationship with Prince Y/n. At first it seemed unbearable and somewhat unbelievable. But over time I have been able to learn more about him and have long intellectual conversations about our interests.

So I've started to see him a bit as a friend, since he knows what is said about me and completely ignores it. He has never come to ask me about my radical political ideas, even though I don't have them as such and that is something that everyone has asked me about.

So you can say that I like him a little, although not enough to tell him my stuff and be considered my friend completely.

Eloise: I'm just tired and overwhelmed by everything.- I admit with a sigh and see how he offers me his drink.

Y/n: What has you overwhelmed?- he asks as I accept the glass and take a small sip, feeling a burning pain in my throat.

Eloise: Iugh Yuck.- I say with a gag, giving him back the drink and causing him to laugh at my reaction.

Y/n: Don't change the subject and answer me.- he tells me funny.

Eloise: I feel overwhelmed for not finding a husband and disappointing my mother for a second time.- I answer playing with my hands and lowering my gaze.

Y/n: And why do you think you won't find a husband?- he asks with some confusion in his voice. -From my point of view, you are perfect for any man. You are beautiful, you have your own thoughts and ideals that you defend with very good arguments, you are educated, you like to read and you do not give importance to what the rest of the world says. - he enumerates and I look at him completely surprised, feeling a certain heat on my cheeks and ears.

Eloise: You say that out of politeness.- I played down what he just said, feeling embarrassed and somewhat impressed by his opinion about me.

Y/n: I say what I've seen and what I've experienced with you.- he assures me with a small smile, so I look away from him. -There are very few women like you Eloise Bridgerton and you should be proud of who you are. Because you are worth much more than any of the other debutants with knowledge of pianoforte or whatever they know how to do, because you go further and you don't focus only on learning something to please your future husband.- he expresses and i presses my lips , so that he does not see the smile that wants to appear on my face about what he has told me.

Eloise: That's the problem, I don't want a husband to please and become a boring housewife.- I say with a sigh. -I don't want to have to pretend to be someone I'm not in order for a man to like me, I don't want to make myself less so I can get married and I don't want my life to be left in the hands of a husband who is only interested in himself.- I complain and I can see how he listens to me attentively.

Y/n: So you don't want to get married? - he asks with confusion and with some interest shining in his eyes.

Eloise: No.- I deny with a sigh. -It's not something I want, but my mother wants me to get married and I don't want to stay like a spinster either; because it is not that they are very well seen in our society. - I explain and I see how he nods with his head processing what I just said.

He stares at me in silence for a few moments, saying absolutely nothing and with a certain pensive look on his face.

Y/n: Can I make you a proposition?- he asks me with some caution.

Eloise: What kind of proposition? - I ask a little interested, but also with some caution for the possibilities.

Y/n: You don't want to get married, right? - he asks and I shake my head. -But neither do you want to stay single and "disappoint" your mother by not getting married.- he says and I nod without understanding where he wants to go. -I propose that you marry me.- he says confidently and I open my eyes wide.

Eloise: WHAT?!! - I exclaim completely in shock.

Y/n: Don't yell or someone will see us.- he whispers looking at all sides.

Eloise: Have you gone crazy?- I ask quickly in a whisper. -I just told you that I don't want to get married and you ask me to marry.- I commented as if it were the craziest idea in the world.

Y/n: Be quiet and listen to me for a moment please.- he asks me with a certain plea in his eyes.

Eloise: Okay.- I accept with a sigh, trying to relax my breathing and the accelerated beating of my heart.

Y/n: I don't want to get married either, but my father forces me to find someone and marry her for love.- he begins to tell me. -I just want to travel the world and enjoy life, but I can't do it until I get married; since I made a deal with my father. The deal is based on the fact that if I marry for love, he will pay me six months to travel the world and buy me a house wherever I want for myself and my wife.- he explains and I still don't understand his proposition.

Eloise: And what do I paint here and in your proposal for me to marry you? - I ask still a bit confused.

Y/n: That's what I'm getting to.- he complains with a sigh. -I don't want to get married and you don't want to get married, but for different reasons we don't want to be single either. So it's the best thing that could happen to us. - he exclaims and I look at him still confused.

Eloise: I still don't quite understand the reason for your proposition.- I point out how poorly it is being explained.

Y/n: You marry me and your mother is glad that you marry a prince and future heir to the crown; besides that you don't stay single.- he points to me first . -And I marry you, finally being able to travel the world and having the freedom to live away from my father. We both won.- he exclaims with some joy.

Eloise: But I would still have to marry you and I'm not going to make myself less or become a housewife for you.- I deny immediately.

Y/n: And you won't.- He denies, reassure me immediately. -You will have all the freedom in the world, you will be able to read everything you want and dedicate your time to yourself without having to worry about your future anymore.- he assures me and I observe him considering the proposal.

Eloise: Could I choose where to have the house? - I ask with a raised eyebrow.

Y/n: As long as it's not near my father; yes.- he nods with a smile.

Eloise: I want to review your proposal, okay? - I ask and he nods. -You want us to get married together; because neither of us really wants to get married, but I don't want to disappoint my mother and I don't want to stay single either. At the same time as you , you have made a deal with your father and if you get married he will finally let you travel the world and buy you a house.- I am saying everything he has told me, causing him to nod again. -And I will be able to continue enjoying my books and not being the most feminine woman in the world, without you caring and I will have all the freedom in the world; besides that I will choose where we would live? - I finish reviewing the proposition.

Y/n: Exactly.- He nods with a smile.

Eloise: What's the catch? - I ask raising an eyebrow, knowing that everything sounds very perfect and there must be a catch.

Y/n: It has to seem like we really love each other and my aunt has to accept our marriage.- he responds a bit insecure and I open my mouth in surprise.

Eloise: No.- I deny getting up from the bench. -Your aunt; Your aunt THE Queen hates me.- I point out and he follows my example getting up from the bench.

Y/n: My aunt will adore you if she thinks you're the love of my life and thinks I'm in love with you.- he assures me and I shake my head.

Eloise: Nobody will believe it. - I deny nervous and somewhat disappointed.

The proposal was perfect, but it was too perfect to be true and now it's clearly impossible.

Y/n: Eloise, please listen to me.- He begs me, grabbing my hands and making me look at him. -You are my only hope, the other debutants want to marry me to show off and for the possible power that marriage would entail. And to be honest, I couldn't pretend to love them one bit, no matter how good an actor I may be.- he explains sincerely and I can't help but laugh at the last thing .

Eloise: And with me if you can pretend perhaps? - I ask strangely nervous about his closeness and curious about his answer.

Y/n: Yes, because you have something in your head and you have thoughts of your own.- he answers without thinking for two seconds. -It would be easier for me to fake a relationship with someone intelligent like you, than with someone who doesn't even know what an intellectual and casual conversation is; without it being planned.- he comments and I can't help nodding at the reality of the situation.

Eloise: And what happens if we don't fool anyone? - I ask with an exhausted sigh.

Y/n: Lady Whistledown already believes that there is something between us and as my aunt says, if that lady writes about it, the rest of the town comments on it and also thinks about it.- he answers calmly. -We just have to start being seen more together, take walks in the park together and dance only with each other.- he explains part of his plan.

Eloise: And how will we convince my mother, Lady Danbury and your aunt the Queen?- I ask and I see how he remains thoughtful.

Y/n: I could go to your house for tea from now on, show an intense interest on my part towards you and a notorious approach so that they do not suspect.- he plans and I can recreate the plan in my mind.

I can see how the situation can turn out favorable for us and how we can both win if everything works as he has said. But it can also go wrong and someone discover us.

Eloise: Can I think about the proposal for a few days? - I ask a little nervous and insecure.

Y/n: You can think about it for as long as you want. - He nods with a small smile. -But I'm afraid that to ensure a positive ending in case you accept, we have to start acting now and even if in the end you reject the offer, we'll just distance ourselves a bit and that's it.- he raises and I nod, understanding his point of view .

Eloise: Okay.- I nod and he leaves a light squeeze on my hands and then releases them. -I'll think about it these days and I 'll give you an answer as soon as possible.- I assure him and he takes a couple of steps back, picking up his glass from the bench.

Y/n: Great, now let's go back to the dance and hopefully no one has noticed our absence.- he tells me and we both head towards the dance.

Before reaching the end of the maze, he asks me to go first and that he will appear a few minutes later; so as not to arouse suspicion. And that's what happens.

Ten minutes after I have found my brothers, excusing myself for having been in the bathroom and for the long queue, there he was. Prince Y/n approaches us and asks me to dance with him, which I immediately accept with a smile and beginning the most important performance of my life.

From this moment on, in the following days we will have to be the best actors in the world and make all the people believe that there is something between the prince and me.

I just hope that everything goes well and that in the solitude of my room, I can think calmly and weigh all the pros and cons of the proposition Y/n has made me.

I only hope to be able to choose well and not regret it in the future; either close or far from the decision that I have to make in a few days. Because that decision will dictate my life and future from the moment I make my final decision.

NEXT

[corduroy-leggings]

My dream dresses

In reading order:

💖Sugar Dream Dome by Angelic Pretty

💖Postman~Letter Guides Destiny and a Plot by Alice and the Pirates

💖COOK Pippi OP by Emily Temple Cute

💖Carnival OP by Angelic Pretty

💖House of Hannover JSK by Spinchen x Lyre Ivy

💖Wizard of Oz~My Precious Things JSK I by Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

💖Winnie the Pooh JSK by Haenuli

💖Astro Regimen OP by Angelic Pretty

💖Wonder Gallery Apron SK by Angelic Pretty

*all stock photos are in my ideal colourway*

[siarven]

QUESTIONS FOR 15 FRIENDS

It's been ages since I got tagged in sth like this?? Thank you very much @zbdragons :DD (Also I want to see your dragon arts??) (also sorry I forgot this in my drafts for a hot second dklldk)

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

I don't think so? My parents chose my birth name bc they liked the sound. My chosen name chose me lmao. I want to keep the masc version of my birth name around as second name, but I think it's less bc it's related to my old name and more bc I like the sound of it, and it makes Mama happy :>

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Not sure! It was probably at a fictional story? ive managed to fix my mental health enough to no longer have regular crises :') <3

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

nope, don't ever want any either

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?

started out with gymnastics when i was ~6 (probably bc baby me started climbing street lights bc our trees were too smol xD), then switched to tennis due to external circumstances and stuck with it until I moved for uni. Here the distances are all much bigger so going everywhere by bike was enough daily sports (30-40km/day), but then the pandemic happened. Now i have dumbbells and a yoga mat in my room and do stretches and (body)weight things most days bc all my 'things why i need to leave the house' are 25+km away. i am ok with going 20km one way but not more than that xD

DO YOU USE SARCASM?

sometimes! depends on the people. i did it sooo much around my brother when i still lived at home, but these days i think it's gotten pretty rare

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

vibes, i think? Are You Potentially Friend Shaped? :333

WHAT’S YOUR EYE COLOUR?

hazel/somewhere between green and brown depending on the light

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

happy endings... i like scary things, but i dislike most horror films. they have the wrong horror vibes xD

ANY TALENTS?

i am good at learning music by ear + play flute and piccolo very well (this is prob bc Mama taught me how to learn music at a young age). It's so nice to have One Thing I am not self conscious about, esp bc it isn't tied to money or anything. These days it comes fairly effortless and I love playing and learning new pieces, and bc my orchestra appreciates me I get to play piccolo + solo parts too. I also used to be very good at singing but i am on hrt now and idk how that's gonna develop xD

I also write stuff and draw things and I do the drawing thing professionally/plan on doing so, at least (rn it's just small things on the side and wouldn't pay the bills). But neither feels like a talent bc everyone I started out with was better at it than me when we were kids. They just stopped doing it. Idk. Success through persistence and spite... both my art and writing feel extremely average (derogatory) most of the time, but I guess we will see if i manage to succeed anyway dklldkd

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Hannover (Germany); moved away for uni

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

flute/piccolo in my orchestra; going for walks with my camera; wildlife photography; hiking; learning about nature and the names of animals and plants + trivia; writing/reading fantasy books; watercolour painting; reading and watching good stories of any genre tbh; reading/watching nonfiction things on nature/history/paleontology/humanity. Wanna learn ALL

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

no :( but my flatmate has a snake! his name is momo and i love him!

HOW TALL ARE YOU?

173cm

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?

history (bc of the teacher); english (the years my teacher was good); art (surpriseee /j)

DREAM JOB?

concept artist for stories with heavy (fantasy) worldbuilding; illustrator (I do that already as a freelancer but it would not pay the bills). Also I would love love love to be a published author but in my head the art and writing side of things are kinda deeply related, so both pls

tagging @ettawritesnstudies @corishadowfang @lady-redshield-writes @raiswanson @kittensartswriting @monika-in-wonderland @tundra-tiger @unfocused-overwriter @big-urchin-energy @antignocchiphase @mando-ah-damn if any of you want to (no pressure), and also anyone else who wants to, I don't remember anymore who is doing tag games xD

[spine-buster]

To Sail Beyond the Sunset ft. Sidney Crosby | Chapter 2

gif credit @/hannovers

A/N: As always, I can't wait for you guys to read this chapter. I know it's very early on but I would love to know what you guys think of the flashback scenes! TW: parental emotional abuse

“Alright my lovely ladies, are we ready to dance?” June asked as she stepped into the studio she worked out of for the past five years, smiling at all her students lined up and stretching on the barre just as they always did when they came in. Their pink tights, dance dresses, and pointe shoes brought back so many memories for her every time she stepped in the room.

“Yes Miss June!” they sung out in unison, taking their usual places in the classroom and assuming first position.

June smiled at them warmly. While there were only eight girls, they were a great bunch. June had been teaching all of them since they were pre-teens. They’d essentially grown up with her, and she cared about them on more than just a ballet level. “How was your week, girls? Anything exciting happen?”

“I aced my last chemistry test before our exam,” Franny Louton said.

“Good for you, Franny!”

“And I got a 90 on my English essay, Miss June! The one I was so worried about!” Isabella Bouchard was giddy just speaking about it.

“I told you you’d ace it!” June smiled. She waited a moment to see if anyone had anything else to say. “How are we feeling, girls? Are we good? Is there anything bothering us? Not just physically – anything I should know before we begin?”

June asked these questions because she wished someone had asked her these questions when she was taking ballet classes growing up. Nobody had ever really cared. Not her instructors and definitely not her mother. It was all about dancing and perfecting technique instead of mental and physical health. She wanted the girls (and their parents) to know she wasn’t going to be that type of teacher – that she couldn’t be that type of teacher. It definitely made for a healthier environment, and an environment where the girls actually wanted to come to ballet class. And with these girls – the cream of the crop – it meant more opportunities for them, more auditions and performances. In fact, almost all of them had already been to auditions or sent tapes for various ballet companies around Canada, and they were all anxious to hear back.

“We’re all just anxious to hear back from the companies, Miss June,” Anna Fitzgerald said. “Have you heard anything?”

June shook her head. “I haven’t, girls, but be patient,” she encouraged them. “It’s going to take a few weeks, especially those of you who auditioned with the National Ballet. You were very lucky to get those invitations to audition, anyway.”

“Cause it’s not like you were the best principal dancer they ever had, and now we’re learning from you,” Franny commented with a cheeky smile. “I’m confident in us, ladies!”

June couldn’t help but giggle. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s begin, girls. Aaaaaaaand tendu…tendu…tendu…first arabesque…”

***

Sidney woke up that morning and went straight to a training session with Andy O’Brien. It was gruelling, but it always was – nothing he didn’t expect. And because Nate was still in the playoffs with Colorado, he was alone, which meant Sid only had to deal with his own ultra-competitive nature, and not Nate’s too. Colorado was playing a game tonight though, so he’d still “see” Nate, maybe even get a phone call from him, depending on the outcome, while he did whatever he thought to do tonight. Sid thought about inviting June over and grabbing some takeout before heading to his house. Now that it was the summer, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible – as much as his workouts, media commitments, interviews, commercial filming, and training allowed. He also had to keep reminding himself that June couldn’t just drop everything and be with him at his beck and call, either. She had her own commitments – studio time, paperwork, auditions, correspondences, and other important things to do with her work.

During the half way point in the workout, Sid and Andy took a hydration break. Sid sat on one of the benches and drank half of his water bottle in one go, with Andy wiping the sweat off his brow as if he was the one doing all the work. “What are you up to the rest of the day?” Andy asked.

Sidney shrugged. “Lunch. Wash up. Probably go surprise June and her ballet class.”

Andy couldn’t help but smile at the mention of June. It took longer than usual, he thought. “When’re you gonna make an honest woman out of her and marry her?” he demanded.

“What?!” Sid exclaimed. “Andy, come on.”

“You know I’m right,” Andy shook his head, chuckling at Sid’s reaction. “You’ve known each other since you were kids. She’s a beautiful girl, Sid. You know everything about one another, she’s always been there, you guys spend all your time together, she’s the only other person who’s as competitive as you are and who knows what it’s like to be at the level you are…Sid, I’m telling you – you’re in love with that girl and you don’t even know it.”

“She’s my best friend, Andy. It’s not like that at all,” Sidney bit his bottom lip. Andy’s words made him think about how others perceived them. Did everybody think this way about them? Was it only Andy? His teammates had said some things to him before, but he thought they were all in good fun – it was just ribbing him…right?

“I think it is like that and you’re just too stupid to realize,” Andy said, giving Sid a look. “Anyways, break’s over. Let’s go.”

***

“Relevé…wait for the cue…aaaand one-two-three-one-two-three-one-two-three-aaaaand-one-two-three…good ladies!-two-three-one-two-three-pirouette and hold! Good! And one-two-three-one-two-three-and-one-two…girls…girls why are we giggling? What’s so funny? Girls, I—”

“Behind you, Miss June!”

June whipped her head to look behind her. She saw Sidney in the doorway, a giant goofy smile on his face, dressed in jeans and a zip pullover sweater. “Oh, you’re here!”

“Hi Mr. Crosby!” the girls all said in unison. They knew that Miss June and Sidney Crosby were best friends – June told them early so it didn’t come as a surprise if he did something like this, dropping into their classes unannounced. He’d done this at least once a summer since they’d been her students, and every time he did, they giggled like schoolgirls. Sidney would end up staying and watching the end of their practice, and afterwards he’d take pictures and sign autographs if they wanted it. The girls’ brothers were always extremely jealous – June would often see them the next day in the car with the parents during drop-off, which was hilarious.

“Hi girls,” he said, nodding at them as he stepped into the room carefully, knowing he wasn’t allowed far with his shoes on. He noticed June walking towards him. “Hey Junebug.”

“Take off yo—”

“—Take off my shoes, I know,” he said, slipping out of them and pushing them away from the doorway so no-one would trip on them. “Can I watch the end of class?”

“Yeah of course,” she nodded, smiling slightly. “God, their brothers are going to be so jealous again when they get wind of this.” June turned around to address her class, who still had some giggles and smiles left in them as they watched June and Sid whisper with each other. “Would you girls like to show Sid what we’ve been working on?”

“Can we show him our Swan Lake numbers instead?” Claire Dempsey asked.

June checked her watch. Though it was cutting it close, she could indulge them with five or ten extra minutes of her time. “Well, alright. I think Sid will be very impressed.”

Sidney remembered Swan Lake. He remembered Swan Lake because at one point in her life, it was all June could talk about. He even remembered the music – well, the more popular pieces – and how much June would practice. But June’s girls now were so much different than she was at their age. They were so much more well-adjusted, and that had to be 50% their parents not being as bad as Miss Hockley, and 50% June’s teaching and mentoring methods. Having gone through hell and back, Sid knew that June wanted better for these girls, and she’d told him as much when she got into teaching. She didn’t want history to repeat itself with any of them.

While June loved ballet, and was ultracompetitive just like Sidney was with being the best, there were definitely times it turned more into a love/hate relationship. Another reason why they understood each other so well was because of their similar experiences. Growing up and getting a lot of attention in hockey, there was bound to be negative attention too – from parents, kids, teammates, and various other people. There were times where Sidney felt like everything was completely out of his control. He didn’t understand, especially as a kid, why some people were so angry with him, why so many people wished him ill, complained about him, told their kids to target him on the ice. It was the same for June. Some of the girls could be vicious, and they were vicious because they knew they could never be at her level. They resorted to mental tactics to try to tear her down.

But nobody was as bad as Miss Hockley herself.

June had a tough time with her mom while developing as a ballet dancer. Miss Hockley always expected excellence from June, and when she didn’t get it, she’d get disappointed or mad – and she definitely let June know about it. When Sidney lost a game in hockey, he’d be more disappointed than his parents. They’d talk to him in the car and tell him it was okay and that they were still proud of him, and all would be well. If June placed second in a competition or fell out of a turn, June would never hear the end of it from Miss Hockley.

1996.

Sidney didn’t know why Miss Hockley was so upset. She kept shaking her head as she sat in her seat, muttering to herself words that he couldn’t quite make out. She sat down the row, and it was hard to see in the dim lighting since all the light was focused on the stage, but he could tell she was angry. June had just performed her dance, and she was amazing. Even Trina thought so. Miss Hockley didn’t.

When all the dancers in the age group were done, the lights turned on and everybody started to get up. Trina got up from her seat and held out her hand for Sidney. “C’mon, we can go backstage now and see June.”

Sid jumped up and held his mom’s hand. He was thankful that the dance competition just happened to be at the local high school, which meant that he could go. But the school was much bigger than his own elementary school, so he was a bit spooked. “Is Miss Hockley going to come, too?”

“Of course she will,” Trina said, eyeing down the row, only to see Miss Hockley almost already out of the auditorium and on her way to the classrooms, which were being used as dressing rooms. “Miss Hockley will talk to June first and then we can go in, okay?”

Sidney nodded, and they made their way through the crowd. There were girls everywhere in sparkly, fancy costumes; they were dressed up as princesses or sailors or even baseball players. Some of them even had lots of makeup on, so much that even Sidney could tell. Sidney saw that June’s lips were red on stage, which meant she was wearing lipstick. He wondered what it would look like up close.

As he and his mom approached the classroom, even amongst all the chatter outside, Sidney could hear yelling. Yelling from Miss Hockley. “You turned out of all your turns!!! ALL OF THEM!!! How are you so stupid, Juniper?!”

“I d-d-didn’t mean—”

“How often did we practice?! How often?! And then you go out on stage and you perform like an amateur!!! You made yourself look like an idiot!!!”

“B-b-but mommy—”

“I don’t want to hear your stupid excuses, Juniper. And you can cry all you want – you’re not getting any sympathy from me. You don’t even deserve to place. I want to hear nothing from you on the way home, do you understand me?! Not a word. You’re an embarrassment.”

Sidney and his mom were waiting against the wall outside the classroom, hearing every word. Trina was standing behind him and had placed her hands over his chest, hugging him to her. They watched silently as Miss Hockley burst through the door, marching off in the opposite direction, not even seeing them. He could feel his mom take a deep breath before she bent down to be at eye-level with him. “I think you should go in first,” she said, her voice so much more soothing than Miss Hockley’s. “I think June will appreciate that very much. You can tell her how much you loved her dance.”

Sidney nodded, and his mom let go of him so he could go inside. He closed the door behind him. He looked around the classroom to see June curled up in one of the chairs, knees to her chest, sobbing. “Hi Junebug,” he said, loud enough that she could hear over her tears.

June raised her head slightly to see Sidney. Her makeup was running down her face, and her red lipstick was smudged. “Hi S-S-Sid,” she managed to say through a sob, trying to wipe away her tears but only smearing her makeup more.

“Are you okay?” he asked, even though he knew she wasn’t. He didn’t want her to know he’d heard everything her mom said. June shook her head, trying to compose herself and keep in her sobs. “You looked beautiful out there…” he tried to say.

June’s face scrunched up, and no matter how hard she tried to hold it in, she let out another sob. “No I didn’t,” she huffed out, tears streaming down her face.

“Yes you did!” he said. “I thought you looked beautiful. And your dance was amazing!”

She shook her head. “I f-fell out of all my t-t-turns. It was so bad. I’m not going t-to place and now my m-m-mom is mad and I…I…I just ruined everything!”

Sidney realized he couldn’t say any encouraging words that would get through to her. Nothing he could say would make a difference. But then he remembered a saying his dad always said to him, about bullies on the ice. “Actions speak louder than words.” It meant that his skills and what he did on the ice would always speak louder than any names other kids would call him to try and get in his head. Sidney knew that he was only nine years old, but he knew that it could be applied in this situation, too.

So Sidney did the only thing he could think of: he wrapped his arms around June and hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around him too, hugging him just as tight, and she cried and cried and cried.

“Okay girls, let’s set up for the Dance of the Cygnets,” June announced as Claire, Franny, Zoë, and Malika stepped forward, joining hands and assuming position. When June started the music, the girls began moving, dancing in almost perfect sync with each other. Sidney remembered this dance – it was one of the dances a pre-teen June knew how to do as a teenager. She’d perfected it in no time, and her teacher had pressured the other girls June was paired with to be up to her standard. None of the other girls could reach it; they found it impossible.

1998.

“Sidney! June’s here!” Sidney heard Troy call out from the front door as he was reading in his room. If it was any of his other friends, he would have heard their loud footsteps making their way through his house and towards his room. But this was June, and she was a ballerina in every sense of the word – she moved like one everywhere she went, which meant there were no loud footsteps. She practically floated. It was only when he heard his bedroom door open that he realized she had moved through the house.

“Hey Junebug,” he said, setting down his book spine-up so he didn’t lose his page. He noticed she brought her dance bag with her, flung down beside his door before she closed it (Sidney’s parents allowed the door to be closed only with June because, well, it was June), which meant that she had just come from class and Miss Hockley was probably going in for a shift at work at the supermarket.

“Hey,” she said, looking away from him.

“How was dance?”

She shrugged her shoulders in response. “What’re you reading? Is that for our book report?”

Sidney tried to get a good look at her, and when he did, he saw something that he always hated to see. “Why’re your eyes red?” he asked. “Were you crying?”

She was caught. There was no use hiding it anymore. June could only nod. “Yeah, I was. Just a bit.”

“Why were you crying?”

“I got yelled at a lot today because my pirouettes were horrible,” she informed him.

Sidney’s eyebrows furrowed. That was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard, considering what he knew about June and her dancing ability. “Didn’t you tell me you’re the only one in your class who can even go up en pointe?”

“Yeah.”

“Well then why would they be mad? How could they even be mad if you’re the only one that can do them?”

June couldn’t help but smile slightly at his tone of voice, even letting out a slight chuckle at how incredulous he sounded. “Because I was doing them perfectly just yesterday. And now all of the sudden I can’t do them. I’m not doing the dance bad on purpose, I swear. I just—I need to be more consistent.”

Sidney wanted to roll his eyes. That was Miss Hockley or her teacher talking, not June. June was one of the most consistent people he knew – like him. “Well I bet they were great,” he said, ending the conversation so he didn’t upset her even more. “What book are you reading for the book report?”

“It’s this new book I found at the library. It’s called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Have you heard of it?”

Sidney was clapping loudly, another giant, dumb grin on his face at what he just saw. “Wow girls, that was impressive!” he exclaimed. “You guys were so in sync!”

“You’ve seen Miss June dance when she was our age, Mr. Crosby. Are we as good?” Zoë asked as a joke, already knowing the answer.

“Aaaaalright alright alright,” June cut them off, laughing along with them. “Don’t put him on the spot like that. Now go change girls, I’m sure your parents are waiting outside.”

“Will Sid—”

“—Yeeesss, Sidney will take pictures and sign autographs for you outside,” June said, placating them. The girls were antsy as they scurried away to the dressing room, leaving Sidney and June alone in the studio. “They all have massive crushes on you,” she told him, if only to get him riled up.

“Oh geeze,” Sidney blushed, shaking his head. “Don’t say that. I’ve known them since they were, like, twelve.”

“That’s exactly why. You always visit.”

He shook his head, his smile still on his face. “Wanna get takeout and watch Netflix tonight?” he asked. “You pick the food.”

June frowned. “I wish I could,” she began, “but I have to work late.”

“Work late? Really?”

June nodded. “Some of the girls are actually coming back tonight for some extra sessions. They all just had their auditions so they want to fine-tune everything, you know…”

June had never stayed late at work before. She was always done by a specific time. Part of him was suspicious, because it was so out of character for her to stay so late at the studio, even if the girls asked for extra lessons. But he guessed the reason was plausible enough – the girls did just have their big auditions for various ballet companies. “Well, okay then,” he nodded.

“You’ll have to choose the food on your own,” she joked.

“Well, if it’s not too late, feel free to come by,” he offered. “I’m sure I’ll have leftovers. You know me and how I order.”

“It will be late, and you know how I don’t like to drive in the dark,” she said. She could see disappointment in his face, and she was disappointed, too. But what she had to do had to be done. “We can meet tomorrow for lunch if you’re not with Andy,” she offered.

“Yeah, for sure,” Sidney nodded, looking down at the ground to find his shoes. “I better get out there. They’re probably waiting.”

As he signed autographs and took pictures with all the girls, hearing chorus after chorus of how this would make their brothers soooooo jealous, Sidney kept thinking about his reaction in the studio. Why was he so suspicious of June? She told him she had work to do and she was going to do it – she wasn’t going to skirt out on a responsibility. He had to accept that, and he did. But why was his first feeling suspicion? She’d never lied to him before, and he had no reason to not believe her.

June eventually came out and had an amused look on her face, as she always did when watching the girls interact with Sid. He watched as she stepped away behind her desk at one point, typing vigorously into her phone. When the last of the girls left, he watched as she scrolled and typed, scrolled and typed. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Junebug,” he said softly, not wanting to startle her too bad since she seemed so concentrated.

When she heard his voice, she gave him her complete and undivided attention. “For sure,” she nodded. “I’ll call you. Don’t order too much food.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

[carolineofansbach]

George III as Prince of Wales. (1758)

[mywifeleftme]

340: Various Artists // Two Tribes

Two Tribes Various Artists 2019, Agogo (Bandcamp)

A double-LP mixtape/compilation from Hannover electronic label Agogo Records, Two Tribes “makes an effort to give insight in how [sic] musicians living in Europe today incorporate and transfer musical traditions particularly from the African continent into their oeuvre” (per the liner notes). Ostensibly, everyone here is either a musician living in Europe with African roots of some kind, or is a European musician collaborating with Africans, though in some cases what you get is just a Euro DJ using a few “tribal” sounding drum stems.

I had a lot of fun listening to the most ‘70s sounding funk stuff here and trying to guess how white the musicians were, but I was underprepared for the intensity of unpasteurized Funky Continental Guyness I was exposed to. Winners included guitarist Petri Kautto of Finnish-Beninese Afro-jazz combo Trio Toffa (pretty good), who strongly resembles Bill Nighy wearing a bucket hat with fake dreads attached to it, and Berlin’s slavishly authentic Afro-funk group Onom Agemo and the Disco Jumpers, who look like the S-Bahn Bloodhound Gang.

Petri Kauto of Trio Toffa

Onom Agemo and the Disco Jumpers

The compilation has what strikes me as a downright quaint (and very German) attitude towards the notion of cultural exchange that runs the risk of being pilloried for appropriation, but I’m sympathetic to it. Certainly, a collaboration like that between Zimbabwean mbira player Jacob Mafuleni and French DJ Gary Gritness that is neither explicitly “African” or “European” is by nature a more truly cross-cultural enterprise than Onom Agemo’s reverent homage or German DJ Elias “Agogo” Foerster’s vaguely Books-ish chops of African beat and vocal samples, but whatever. Influence is impossible to strictly regulate, and I don’t know that it’s even desirable to. White guys nerding out and riffing on the music of the cultures their governments currently oppress isn’t a problem—that their governments are oppressing those cultures, and that the scenes they operate within often have the taint of trickled down racism despite their utopian values, is. One hopes that Agogo and these musicians are cognizant of these challenges, even as they radiate a genuine and laudable affection for African music.

It’s worth noting that, while the European club sounds represented range from ‘90s style techno and 2-step to more modern forms of minimal house and bass music, the African face of the coin is almost exclusively defined by the funky ‘70s and ‘80s sounds that drive record collectors into quasi-sexual spasms. Being one of those guys, I don’t mind it aesthetically, but it’s interesting that the most contemporary-sounding piece is the 15-minute minimal house track “Just in a Moment to Find a Way to Sun Day” by Ivorian-born Hamburg DJ Raoul K. The centrepiece of K’s track sounds to me like a synthesized mbira, but he doesn’t feel the need to flag his music as African—perhaps because he actually is a young guy of African descent. Instead, he puts on a master class in using simple shifts in rhythm and dynamics to keep a room vibing in near perpetuity.

Anyway, as a mix, Two Tribes contains a lot of fine music and flows nicely. I dig Andrea Benini’s Francis Bebey-esque “Jawa” and the K track in particular, but nothing aside from Selma Uamusse’s anime-sounding “Mozambique (Ao Sul Do Mundo)” actively irks me. I’ve listened to Two Tribes a lot more than many other records in my collection that dig deeper, or make more powerful statements, because in the end, I just like the way it sounds.

340/365

[dat-carovieh]

Ah yeah great experience getting home from my parents today., Usually would take 5 hours and one switch of trains, took nine hours and 5 changes. Partly it was their fault and partly.... I guess my body's fault. So I was planning to go to a concert today in Osnabrück. Kinda half way between Berlin and Duisburg. Great, it's of course longer, but fits well. Booked a train from Berlin to there. Was planning to stay at a hotel with a friend and take regional trains, which I already have a month pass for tomorrow. Would take a while but sure, no issues, I would leave whenever.

Well I got sick. Like not super bad, I think I will see a doctor tomorrow, too much to go to the concert. But I have the ticket. It's a physical ticket. So either it goes to wasate or I go to Osnabrüclk, which is now with wanting to go home a detour. But whatever not a big thing. At 8:54 I get into the S-Bahn to the trainstation to take the IC, I get on. We start to move, we move slow. We arrive Berlin main station. We are standing. We are told the train is broken, we need to leave. Next option, a train to Hannover. Well I would have needed to take a train going through Hannover anyway, it's half an hour later, I get on the train and figure, I will figure something out in Hannover.

I arrive in Hannover. The train was almost on time. Like maybe 3 minutes late. Which ist absolutely on time for Deutsche Bahn. I get off, I check my App. It's 45 minutes for the next train to Osnabrück. I briefely consider going straight home but it's just a bit of a detour, it will be fine, I wanna get the ticket sold and I wanna see my friend at least for a moment.

It's a regional train, slow, stops at every small town, no room for my huge suitcase, I hold it between my legs. I have downloaded a tatort episode with my mobile data, transferred it to my Laptp which I'm now balancing on top of my suitcase.

I would have 8 minutes to hug my friend, give her the ticket and get from platform 4 to platform 12, already not really optimistic. Trains there home leave once an hour. My train arrives 3 minutes after my connecting train leaves. We go to McDonalds. I'm still sick and have not slept well at my paren't house and christmas is fucking exhausting. I get tea. It's 2,69, surprisingly cheap. I'm downloading another tatort episode. I have now downloaded over 1,5GB today, it's fine, the month is almost over.

The next train is on time. weird thing to happen but I take it. I find a place to sit and put my suitcase under the seat, it sticks out. A huge family with a lot of childrern find the seats next to me to sit. They're loud, they run around. I'm still sick. I finisch my Tatort episode. I get inspired and write 700 words of a fic. I'm pressed into the corner, because the children are jumping around. I'm tired, I arrive in Essen, last time changing trains, my connecting train is late, I take an S-Bahn, it takes a little longer, it's only 5 minutes late. I gat off the train at 6pm.

I'm home now. My friend sold my Ticket, I will gop see my docotor tomorrow, hopefully.

[germanpostwarmodern]

House Madsack (1928) in Hannover, Germany, by Fritz Höger. Photo by Carl Dransfeld.