#if so this must be the only house to rent on the island

[naoiseart]

D’aaaaw! He got a little house in Boom!

He lost the deposit after the fight and had to move back in with Eggman tho =( It’s tough being an independent villainous robot!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

OMG, look at this cave house built into the side of a mountain in Oia, on the Greek island of Santorini. It has 2bds, 2ba, and can be expanded to a 3rd suite on the upper level. These homes date back to over 250 yrs. This one was updated in 1990. Investors rent them out as vac. homes, but there are permanent residents, as well. $985,752.

Can you imagine living here?

Look at how cute and cheerful it is.

A built-in rock niche with shelves.

I don't know why, but they only show a glimpse of the kitchen and entrance to the lower level.

Oh, that's so cute, the way they have the main bedroom blocked off.

The bed and this couch are built in. It looks like one can easily sleep on here, too.

Plus, there's a 2nd built-in sofa. According to some listings, the house has 2bds, 2ba, and others say it's just 1bd, 1ba.

This is a sitting room, in addition to the seating area when you enter.

Mosaic shower.

Look at the view from the front yard. Isn't that little gate cute?

This is stunning.

This is probably what the listing means when it says that you can put in a 3rd suite. There must be space up here.

Can you imagine even having this as a vac. home? I wouldn't mind living here, though.

Look at the rock the town is built on and in.

Beautiful blue roofs.

Here's the beach, and the listing says there's also access to a pool.

You can see how small the Santorini island is.

Oia is at the tip, right on the water.

https://www.jamesedition.com/real_estate/santorini-greece/super-investment-opportunity-in-oia-santorini-cave-house-at-caldera-10618160

[floydhat]

SSR: DIVUS CREWEL SUB ENG ~lesson of zen~

Pt1!

Resident of the Village: Good Morning Sr. Divus, You arrived early today, again.

Crewel: Good Morning Madame.

And Emma! Good Morning!

Is so pretty the dotted print, it seems great on you. Im a lucky man to meet with a pretty woman in the morning. Could I pat you?

Emma: woof!

(note: Emma is a dog)

Resident of the Village: Thanks for care of my Emma, She's so happy even she's showing her belly

Crewel: Im Glad, this moment In the morning is my heal time. Girls with their pretty fur. Im glad to had the chance of met them.

I really want to see my sons, I wont see them until the weekend...when I go back to Rose Kingdom.

Resident of Village: Sr. Divus's dogs are being caring by your friends during the week?

Crewel: Yeah, old friends...I mean...employees...More or less...

I would bring my dogs to Sage's Island but... My flat/ apartment here is at the foot of the montain...is so small to have my childs here. Someday I will rent a bigger house in this town, I would live with them everyday, Put the dogs on my favourite car and drive for this big road near the sea. Thats my dream.

Resident of Village: Well, how cute. Sr. Divus with their beloved dogs, I am desiring meet them

Crewel: I am pleased Madame. Please, have a Nice day, Goodbye Emma

Crewel: Good morning, master, a heavy black tea, as always.

Master(?): Good Morning Sr. Crewel, would you like eat with me?

Crewel: No. Thanks. I don't breakfast.

Master(?): Yes, I know it, I was only asking.

Its not our author coffee, I can't belive that your go here so early for a cuppa.

Although you are a Night Raven College teacher you still being so werid as always.

Crewel: Hah, Unfortunalety I am not here to drink tea.

When I sit here, on Mondays morning, I can see the ships to arrive to the port. The flags aligned are a prettt show.

I can't see this on my house.

Master(?): Hah Hah! I always think that you are a soft talker since the school. I think that you dont, but you are more hateful.

Crewel: I don't think that your job goes better if you had not improve your skills making tea in the last 15 years, Master.

Master(?): Thanks to you, we are thriving! C'mon take your time.

Crewel: Thanks, *sigh* This a moment for relax and be calm.

Ah, relax until we can...because today is another busy day.

Today, I have three lessons in the main class, I will prepare the event of the next month...I have a Staff gathering...and I must correct the last week exams ugh...

Ah...At least I hope that the puppies don't make troubles...

[obviousanon]

Thinking about what it must have been like for Harry to return back to his place of living after the case is solved.

I've only ever beat one run of Disco Elysium, so I'm not sure if we ever see the place Harry lives or anything of that nature-- but god, the idea of it breaks me. I was lucky enough to have saved Kim my first run thru, so I reflect my own personal expirience when thinking about this.

I'm sure Harry would immediately be put on medical leave by Captain Pryce, the poor guy can barely walk, he's actively bleeding out all over himself as he trepidates the snowy terrain of the deserted island.

I would imagine him being dropped off, with a frittte bag in one hand and a froggy cap in the other-- perhaps Kim drops him off, but he doesn't stay. This rediscovery of home is a journey Harry has to explore on his own, to feel comfortable in the reclamation of his own privacy. Like touching your own body to make sure all the pieces are still there.

Maybe Harry is renting out an old, run-down, one story house tucked away somwhere in Central Jamrock, dilapidated and dying-- the ivys corpses curl around the drywall of his house, mold grows at the corners of the front door, a dead wasp nest hangs overhead of the front porch. Rotten wood creaks under snake skin heels. He runs his fingers above the frame in an act that feels familiar, instinctive even, and he finds the spare key.

God, what would it be like inside? To see the rotting corpse of a home, eaten from the inside by your own vices? And then, to clean out the rooms and bring it to life again? To invite friends, lovers, and animals back into the saftey of a place you once made a horror show. The parallels of self-recovery starting at the ability of being able to fold your own bedsheets.

Harry Du Bois makes me emotional.

[steveshairychest]

here's some merman Eddie that I got a little carried away with <3

~

Steve's dad has been taking him fishing for years, it's the only thing they can do together without fighting.

It's always over summer break. They pack their bags and fly out to the same island every year and spend nearly every day out on a rented boat just fishing and making small talk here and there. His mother usually sunbathes on the beach and waves at them with her book every now and then to ensure them she hasn't passed out from heat stroke.

Steve will admit he doesn't actually go because he likes fishing. He really hates fishing. He hates sitting in the sun for hours on end, hardly ever catching anything and having to listen to his dad drone on about the stock market. No, he comes to the island for a very different reason.

He first met this reason when he was 9. He saw it from his bedroom window one night, splashing in the shallow end of the water. At first, he thought it was a beached dolphin or a baby whale, so he ran down to the dark beach without bothering to wake his parents, but by the time he made it down to the waterfront, it was gone. A pile of shells and pretty rocks sat in the water where the splashing had been. Steve took one of the pearly white shells and placed it on his windowsill.

The splashing happened again the next night, the sound of fins hitting water so loud it woke him up. He peeked out his window once again, but this time, the moon was large and bright in the sky, and it illuminated the shape of a boy in the water. Steve panicked. He was only 9, he didn't know what to do when someone was drowning but that didn't stop him from running down to the water with one of his floaties. The boy didn't notice Steve until he threw the floatie at him and yelled, "Grab on! I'll save you!"

Dark eyes shone under the moon and stopped Steve in his tracks almost immediately when they narrowed at him from just above the waters surface. Steve's floatie bobbed in the water next to the boy, but he made no move to grab it. Steve was scared, unable to move when the boy lifted his head out of the water and pointed at him with webbed fingers. "You. Give it back." He snarled through sharp teeth.

Steve opened and closed his mouth, trying to force words to come out, but he was too afraid. The thing in the waves looked like an ordinary boy, he was probably even the same age as Steve, but he was terrifying. "The shell. Give it back. It's mine." It shoved Steve's floatie away as it bumped into him and swam closer to the waters edge. Soft waves lapped at his bare torso as he sat in the shallows, his legs - no, tail, sitting out in front of him. Steve stared in shock, his mind screaming so many warnings at him, but all he could think was 'pretty'. He thought he must have been dreaming. "The shell. Go get it." It splashed water at Steve angrily, which caused Steve to finally unfreeze and run back to the house. He tripped multiple times as he kept turning back to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, that the boy was still angrily sitting there.

"I - I'll go get your shell. Wait there!" He yelled behind him.

Steve didn't learn the creature's name until he was 15.

Every summer break, he practically dragged his family to the airport so that he could visit the boy with the glittering tail that visited him under the light of the moon. Steve asked him his name many times, but each time the boy shook his head. "Names are sacred. I can't trust you with it yet." He only ever spoke in short sentences, and sometimes he sat for a while, his dark gaze focused on something beneath the waves as he struggled to find the right words. English wasn't his native language. He taught Steve a few words whenever they waded in the shallows together. He'd hold up a shell and say what he called it, and when Steve repeated the name correctly, the boy would smile so wide Steve could see nearly all his razor-sharp teeth.

It was Steve's last night there when the boy finally told him his name. They were out a bit deeper, Steve treading water and enjoying the slight brush of the boy's tail against his legs as they talked about the stars. "That is my star." He pointed with a webbed finger up at one of the brightest stars in the sky. "It is named Eddie, after me."

It took Steve a moment to realise what he said. His eyes widened and he nearly slipped under the water as he excitedly exclaimed. "You told me your name!" After 6 years of swimming and learning about this boys' strange underwater world, he finally knew his name.

The boy - Eddie nodded once and looked back up at his star. "You are special. Can trust you." Steve could have sworn he saw a blush creep across his pale cheeks that night. Before Steve could say anything else, Eddie swam closer to him and whispered, "You must not tell anyone else. My name is yours to keep. Yours only." This was important. Steve could tell by the way Eddie held his gaze, something he rarely ever did. This close, Steve could see just how much he's changed over the years, not anything drastic, it was all little things. The sharpness of his jaw, the scar on his brow, the markings on his chest and arms, the length of his hair; it had been just above his jaw when they'd first met, but now it hung in waves and brushed the tops of his shoulders. He wondered what other changes would happen in the years to come.

He hoped he could be around to see them all.

Steve had his first kiss, well, first kiss that really mattered, when he was 18.

He was aware of his feelings for Eddie for a long time but he was too scared to act on them. He dated other girls, never guys, and searched for that warm, tingly feeling he felt whenever he was with Eddie. But he never found it. At night, he opened his window and stared up at the brightest star in the sky, Eddie's star, and hoped that Eddie was looking up at it too. He started to hate coming home from their island holiday. Each year, he felt more and more of himself be left behind with Eddie in the comfort of the waves.

"I hate leaving you." Steve whispered while tying a new shell into Eddie's hair. Every year he visited, Eddie handed him a shell and told Steve to tie it into his hair. He told him it was something to remember Steve by. "I have nothing to remind me of you." He said while gently touching the first shell he ever tied in; it was the shell he stole all those years ago, the one Eddie forced him to return.

Eddie looked down at the water and hummed in thought. They sat on a rock, so only the end of his tail was submerged and he repeatedly lifted it out of the water before letting it splash softly back down into the cold sea as he thought. He always seemed so fidgety whenever they sat like this, his hands fiddled with the necklace that sat just above his collarbones and his eyes were never off the water for long. "I can give you something." He said after a moment of silence.

Steve perked up immediately. "Really? What is it?" He asked, unable to keep the eagerness out of his voice. Eddie never let him take any shells home so he knew it wasn't going to be that. A rock, maybe? He'd be happy with one of Eddie's favourite rocks.

"Close your eyes." Eddie said softly, his cold hand rested on Steve's thigh and caused him to shiver. "No peeking." Steve immediately did what he instructed. He screwed his eyes shut tight and listened for anything that could give away what Eddie was going to give him. Cold hands brushed against Steve's neck before resting on his bare shoulders, the touch almost feather light. Maybe the gift is a necklace? "Don't move." Eddie whispered.

And then there was a gentle pressure against Steve's lips and he felt that warm, tingly feeling spread throughout his entire body as he realised that Eddie was kissing him. Before Eddie could pull away, Steve threaded his hands into his soft, wet hair and deepened the kiss. It was wet and messy and a little uncoordinated, but it was the best kiss of Steve's life. When he slipped his tongue into Eddie's mouth and traced the sharp edge of teeth, Eddie made a noise that sounded a lot like a growl, and he pulled Steve as close as possible. Sharp nails lightly scratching his skin.

"Never forget me." Eddie said against Steve's lips.

"I couldn't even if I tried."

Eddie does end up giving Steve a necklace to take home. It's made of a variety of shells and stones, and it becomes a source of comfort when he leaves.

His friends ask why he turned down every girl that seemed interested and, unable to tell them he thinks he might be in a relationship with a merman, he shrugged and said that none of them were his type. He knew that whatever was going on between him and Eddie wasn't healthy or sustainable, but he's never felt more alive than when he's diving underneath the waves hand in hand with Eddie. Sure, Eddie didn't always understand him, was nocturnal, ate an exclusive diet of fish, and sometimes even brought Steve dead fish he'd just caught, but those were all things he loved about him.

Oh. Oh.

He was in love with Eddie.

His parents no longer come to the island, his father says he's too old, and his mother doesn't talk to him anymore. Steve's 22 now. He's turned down every beautiful girl his parents have tried to set him up with and instead of taking up his father's offer to join their family business, Steve works as a conservationist on his lover's island. He lives in his parent's holiday house, which is now equipped with a salt water pool that connects to the sea, and has a dog to keep him company during the day while Eddie is sleeping.

He's happy, content, and so, so in love, it's ridiculous. Eddie wakes at around 5pm every night and usually spends the first few hours awake with his family; who Steve has actually met. They sometimes come up with Eddie to Steve's pool and watch him potter around his house at night. After a while of listening to his family ask Steve nonstop questions, Eddie flicks his tail in irritation and hisses at them to leave in a language Steve's slowly learning. "Mine. Not yours." He growls at them. Steve's learned over the years that Eddie is very territorial and doesn't like sharing what is his, which includes Steve.

"Hi, my love." Steve sits down on the pools edge and smiles down at Eddie as he rests his head on Steve's lap. Some nights, they just sit and talk, Eddie's getting better at English and loves when Steve teaches him a new word. Some nights, they swim for hours and add to Eddie's shell collection that lines the edges of Steve's pool.

"I have something for you." Eddie says softly one night, only his head poking out the top of the water as he wades in the waves. A pale, webbed hand lifts out of the water and beckons Steve to leave his spot on the sand and join him in the icy waters. "Come here, my Steve." He calls into the night.

They're chest to chest in the water now, the scales underneath Eddie's eyes glitter in the light of the moon as he looks up at Steve. "Your people give rings to their lovers, yes?" Steve nods, fingers brushing over the scales at the base of his spine. "My people give pearls." He reaches into the little pouch that is tied around his waist, he keeps all his treasures in there, and pulls something out. He keeps it hidden in his fist and holds it out for Steve. "I made this for you, for us." He's nervous, Steve can tell by the way he keeps looking down at the water instead of at Steve.

"You made me something?" Steve says in awe as he lifts his hand and accepts the small treasure from Eddie. It's light and fits perfectly in the palm of his hand. When he looks down at the gift, his heart feels like its about to jump out of his throat. "Oh, Eddie." There's tears in his eyes as he carefully picks up the silver ring, a beautiful pearl adorns the top of the ring and catches the light of the moon as Steve slips it onto his finger. It fits perfectly. "It's beautiful. I love it."

Eddie beams and lifts his other hand to show Steve the matching ring on his finger. It doesn't sit as far down on his finger like Steve's because of the webbing. "We are- what's the word? Wives?"

Steve laughs and leans forward to rest his forehead against Eddie's. He's changed so much since that first day on the beach. There are more scales dusting his cheeks and neck, more shells in his hair and lines around his eyes when he smiles up at Steve. "Husbands is the word you're looking for."

Eddie hums and wraps his arms around Steve's neck, his cold fingers playing with the short hairs at the base of his neck. "Husbands sounds nice." He kisses his favourite mole on Steve's cheek and sighs happily, his tail brushing against Steve's legs.

"Yeah, yeah, it does."

[fantasticsims]

Disclaimer: This challenge is a 2.0 version (or more? I don’t know) of the Black Widow Challenge that already exists but with different rules & goal. I mostly wrote this for myself but I figured: why not share it out there if anyone wants to try it out. It's totally possible something like this already exists so I'm not claiming originality for the idea of making a challenge out of killing Sims 😈

Your Sim wants to be rich, live a simple life but most of all, has had enough of living in their small apartment while doing odd jobs going nowhere. And what’s better than marrying someone rich? The only problem to this answer: your Sim is not really into the whole marriage thing. Luckily, accidents happen.

Your Sim has to go from a life of misery in a San Myshuno apartment to living in the house of their dreams in the world of their choice. Your Sim has to marry many Sims (especially the wealthy!) and each spouse has to experience a different death.

MAKING YOUR SIM -

Your Sim can have any trait you want, but they must have at least ONE negative trait of your choosing.

Pick an ASPIRATION among the ones below and try to complete it before becoming an elder:

- Serial Romantic - Villainous Valentine - Mansion Baron - Fabulously Rich

THE APARTMENT -

Pick an apartment among the less expensive in the Spice Market district of San Myshuno: Culpepper House, Jasmine Suites or build your own on the Old Salt House lot.

After moving in use the cheat code MONEY and give yourself a budget of 25 000 to decorate your apartment the way you want.

WORKING -

You should have a Level 1 job or something part-time. The goal is not to develop any sort of career, if your Sim obtains a promotion you immediately quit and start a new job. Once you get married, you’re done working for the rest of your Sim life!

You can do any sort of activity that brings you some money such as writing books, knitting, painting, programming OR even become a landlord. You simply can not have a job / develop any sort of career. 

GETTING MARRIED -

Before being able to marry any of your spouse you should check a few things off of your list:

- Have Love and Friendship above 50 (easy!) - You must have the status of boyfriend/girlfriend. - You must have two dates: one at your home and one on a community lot. - Go on a “weekend getaway” aka spend a romantic night out in another world (on a rental lot).

DYING SPOUSE - 

There are around 34 Deaths in the Sims 4. Each of your spouse needs to experience a different kind of death. Because of this, you can do this challenge two ways:

- One Sim: Do as many deaths as possible in your lifespan. You can use potions to live longer if you want to do ALL deaths. - Legacy style: have children carry on the death of the spouses once your own Sim dies of old age. 

YOU CAN - 

- Have as many children as you want or not have any at all with your spouses, you can adopt, or have zero children. The choice is yours! - Have pets, horses, goats, and whatever animal you wish to! 

This is a list of all the possible deaths with each corresponding pack. Some are not on the list such as the ones from the High School Years pack since these deaths only work on teenagers.

Hunger Fire Old Age Overexertion Electrocution Anger Embarrassment Laughter Cow Plant Drowning Meteor Steam - Spa Day Pufferfish poisoning - City Life Sun - Vampires Poison -  Jungle Adventure Rodent Fever - My First Pet Mother Plant - Strangerville Overheating - Seasons Freezing - Seasons Lightning - Seasons Flowers - Seasons Fish Pond -  Get Famous Sharks- Island Living Research Machines -  Discover University Magic Overload - Realm of Magic Murphy Bed - Tiny Living Flies - Eco Lifestyle Beetle Juice - Eco Lifestyle Vending Machine - Snowy Escape Fall - Snowy Escape Killer Chicken - Cottage Living Killer Rabbit - Cottage Living Mold - For Rent Wishing Well -  Romantic Gardens

STEP 1

Life in San Myshuno! Your apartment, the odd jobs, the dates until you finally meet THE ONE, get engaged and finally GET MARRIED.

STEP 2

The married life! Move in with your spouse, get a lover on the side while waiting for you spouse to die. Once you’ve reached 50 in love and friendship with your lover you can actively help with your spouse’s death.

STEP 3

Marriage number 2! Bulldoze your first’s spouse house and get the cash, move in with your second spouse, wait or help for their death once you’ve gotten married (no need to have a lover this time unless you want to).

STEP 4

The Dream House! Bulldoze your second spouse’s home once they die, get the cash and move to the world of your choosing and build the house of your dreams! Keep on marrying sims, nudge their death, cash the money and live your best life.

[trippingthemoonlightfantastic]

I'm thinking of posting this on medium but I'm genuinely scared. I'd welcome thoughts.

I’m So Terrified To Tell These Stories But Something Needs To Be Said

The concept of victim blame always seemed to be presented as a phenomenon exclusively found in the arena of sexualized violence. As a survivor of several episodes of sexualized violence, I’ve found the experience repeated as the daughter of a deadbeat billionaire father and suffered exploitation by unscrupulous landlords. 

Victim blame has undeniably been experienced by many victims of sexual violence but rather than being a phenomenon of sexual violence, victim blame is a feature of any situation in which the perpetrator has a more political, economic, and/or social power than the victim. No one blames you if you buy a huge TV that’s stolen because you have demonstrated you are of the owning class. However, if you want your landlord to fix a leaky roof, you must justify why you don’t just move somewhere else without a leaky roof.

My father says on one of his own website bios his and assets are worth in excess of two billion dollars. He used addresses in South Africa and the Channel Islands. That my single mom in Denver, Colorado could not begin to navigate international family law is my father’s proof that he was not responsible for child support. So insulated by privilege provided by wealth, I am forced to defend that a father should pay child support. A father who has made hundred of millions in housing while I experienced a decade of housing insecurity and intermittent homelessness. 

Over the years I’ve received variously skeptical and accusatory questions about why my mom didn’t do this or I didn’t do that. The truth is neither of us could find an advocate. Would you want to enrage a billionaire? Would you go out on that limb? No one ever asks how he could live knowing his daughter was unhoused? My half siblings ask why my mom didn’t do something. They don’t confront our father and demand he do something, despite having 700 units in my city. 

The experience of being blamed in a situation I seemed to be powerless in was replicated again in my relationship with my landlord. In September of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, eviction ban in effect, rent paid through October 5th, my landlord have my utilities cut at the street. I was given nothing in writing but was forced to vacate on the 18th of September. The inspector from the energy company never asked if I lived there. I tried to talk to the police, I was told it was a civil matter and I needed an attorney. I was unable to obtain a call back. No one wants to represent a tenant. 

I was “allowed” to say in a windowless room with a back breaking sectional in half a duplex shared by their adult son, the yard was also shared with another person so I had to coordinate for my dog’s pee breaks. I had been renting a two bed, two bath, single family with a yard, so the accommodations were not equal. 

They moved me into another property without any maintenance between tenants. I couldn’t move in until 6pm because the guy was still in the house. There was a period of 18 hours during which I was renting two houses and not allowed to occupy either and had current leases for neither. 

What had been an agreement to allow an elderly parent to sleep on my couch over the holidays became me providing 24/7 home healthcare because he had just had a “mild stroke” and he had been checked out of the hospital so he spend the holidays at home. Not only did I care for the stroke patient with dementia, I ended up coordinating the in home care professionals and entertaining the family. 

Around that time I fell in love for the first time. Being verbally abused by a man grappling with his own mortality in the company of relative strangers, at Christmas no less, was not ideal as a backdrop to our budding romance. He is a coffee guy and so I learned to make it but I don’t drink it. I made it for everyone. My landlord would visit with her father have an espresso, sometimes and then some breakfast that I made, and then do other things like prep another property. 

Why would anyone allow this? Was she paid? Did she get free rent? No. 

After Christmas, my beloved having vastly misjudged the power dynamics involved, gently informed my landlord that I wasn’t able to get any of my own work done and was too nice to say so. He also asked if she had a steam cleaner, this was because I was not comfortable laying down the law vis a vis use and changing of urinary and fecal incontinence products. He was able to do it but would belligerently insist it wasn’t necessary. Within 24 hours she was threatening housing. She was offended that I suggest my dog couch was soiled by her father, even though it’s why he was ostensibly not in her 5 bedroom home across the street.

I have talked that all through with a number of attorney’s intake people I’m asked again and again why didn’t I? Get help. I tried. I was unhoused from March 2019 to October 2019. My housing is everything to me. I am not being dramatic when I say I would rather die than lose my housing. That’s the answer. Why did I allow that and all the other horrifying things? Because of existential extortion. 

Power assures your destruction if you try to fight it. If you’re a victim of sexual violence you face further violation and there’s a like 90% chance the perpetrator won’t even be charged. Nor have people stopped blaming the victims of office harassment for the consequences suffered by their harassers. If you have a legitimate grievance against the billionaire class, you may not be a daughter but you could be a caterer that didn’t get paid for a society wedding or a gardener or a tenant, that you simply can’t afford justice. Maybe someone wields power like housing or income to get more. 

We as a society need to broaden our recognition of when victims of power abuses are demanded to justify how they’ve coped with their situation. The demand for explanations always seems to look down. Power does not expect questions and they rarely seem to come. 

Again I see parallels between my sets of experiences. When I had a particularly brutal encounter, I played nice all the way until he was in a lyft and via text for months after. I didn’t want him to come back. I also feared his confidence. I was sure that, despite him needing to hold me in place, his assuredness I wanted what happened would convince a third party. My mom she feared him taking me in spite, she convinced herself I was her choice so solely her responsibility and his marriage needed protecting. With my father, well the fact that he hasn’t treated me like one of his children has made people assume I’m lying. I’m something he has gotten away. The housing is an undecided struggle but terrifying none the less. 

I’ll leave you with image…Coffee guy left and never came back. He knew something was up and bailed before he had to know and pretend to care. I’d had a miscarriage and didn’t know how to talk about it because I hadn’t known prior to miscarrying I was pregnant. I couldn’t do anything for months. I missed that had once again conceived in our last days and then miscarried a second time. In one brief moment outside my landlord saw me and told me she missed the coffee in a way that made it clear she had wanted me to go on making her espressos. I’ll remind you I don’t drink coffee, the coffee stuff was his and I was grieving a pregnancy, my first love and a future that seemed so real to me I could see it when I closed my eyes. 

[theartisticcrow]

This is a post about light pollution and my absolute hatred of modern architecture and outdoor lighting.

This is not going to be a short post, but I had to get this anger and frustration off of my chest. Writing is the best way I know how to do that.

I have seen a great many stars fall from the sky. Most recently when I was out in the field in front of my house, roughly a month ago, and I was wandering around, listening to Queen on my headphones, and as I looked over towards the road, I saw a star fall from the sky. I stood there for a moment, unmoving, staring up at the part of the sky where I saw that beautiful flash of light as one life ended and it felt as though mine had only recently begun, and I thought to myself how this one was different from others that I had seen. It lasted longer, about two full seconds. I continued walking, a little happy yet also a little sad. How tragic it is, what humans will do to obtain power. They oppress people, they choose the cheapest options to save money that they do not need, and rarely do they seem to think things through. They'll do anything to get the people into their grasp. They will even steal the sky from us.

How fascinated we used to be with the stars, but not anymore, because the night sky looked so much different three hundred, four hundred years ago. People used to be able to look out their windows at night and see the entire galaxy. What do we get? A few specks of light scattered throughout the sky if we're lucky? If it is not a boring, grey abyss? I should not have to drive four days into the middle of the wilderness to see the night sky as it truly is. No one should have to put up with this. I remember, when I was fourteen or thirteen, when they built a big house on the property next to where I lived, with blacked out windows, a basketball court and a swimming pool. The owners were rarely ever there, and when they were, they were terribly obnoxious with their parties and loud music, perhaps not realising how exactly sound manages to travel through that part of the island. And yet, for some reason, they felt the need to install a big floodlight which did not even shine onto their own property, but rather the field in front of my house. It shined directly into my parents window, and so often did I wish I could shoot it with an arrow. Now, my family did not own the property that we lived on. We rented a house there and in the day, the property functioned as a business. I recall the day that they installed a floodlight shining over the small parking lot. I hated it then and I still hate it now. The only reason I did not throw rocks at it until it broke was because I did not want to accidentally set fire to the building, or get evicted. Not to mention, my parents would know that it was I who knocked down the light.

But it was so frustrating, because no one is there at night except for my family and our neighbours (until the landlord kicked them out so that she could use the space as her own personal office), so why should they need a floodlight at all? And why must it stretch so far across the property? I did not live out in the middle of nowhere, as much as it used to feel like it at times. There was plenty forest and farmland surrounding the area, but beyond that was just city and suburbs. It used to feel like the only place where you didn't have to see the ugly architecture of the city, but even it caught up eventually. The house that the obnoxious neighbours built was only one example. In the distant hills, there appeared more lights than there used to be, and when I stood at the top of the hill on the property and looked out over the land, I did not used to be able to see the cranes in the distance constructing five or seven story condos. I used to not have to worry about security cameras watching me. I used to be able to wander around in darkness. I used to be able to see the stars. There were many stars at one point, scattered throughout the night sky. It was not the entire galaxy, but it was still a nice sight. I used to see the stars, and now I get little more than the big dipper constellation. Some nights, I am not sure that I can see anything at all, especially when it is a night where there are more cars passing by than usual, and you cannot even see the road when they pass, because their headlights are so unnecessarily blinding.

The night itself used to have a different colour: orange and yellowish, not horrifically bright, but now it is plagued by sterile white lights. I might like to write a complaint to whichever council, board, or committee is in charge of architecture and construction and suchlike in this city, if only I knew how. But even then, I have little belief that it would make a difference, for I would be only one voice with no one to join me. We are capable of change, I am sure of it, but if only I knew exactly how. If only I knew exactly who were the right people to talk to, how to reach them, and what to say. If only more people knew how, then maybe we could recognise that we are not alone. People don't see the point in trying, for they do not feel like putting in that sort of effort because they do not believe it will make a difference if they as an individual do not participate. But tell me, how many individuals think that? How many of you people believe that your voice does not make a difference? Alone, it might not, but when placed among thousands of others who share that same belief, it makes a huge difference! Imagine what we could achieve if we all stood up together and called for action. Imagine if people realised just how much they are actually capable of, and imagine if they actually took the steps to do that thing.

It is not impossible that I could make a revolutionary change in my country, or my community at least, if I really put my mind to it. If I gathered people together, devised some kind of plan, or used all of my writing capabilities to speak against what I believe the government is doing wrong, it's not unrealistic to say that I could make an impact. Now imagine if an entire city's worth of people did that. Do you know how much is actually possible? Do you know how much could have already happened if we didn't wait until the fate of the world was on the line? If only I knew exactly how. If only I had the resources and information. If only I was more willing to take up more responsibility and actually start trying to do something. Ah, but what might parents say if I told them I needed to be driven to the post office to send a letter addressed to the city council? I'm sure they'd be supportive, but it might be an awkward conversation, especially if they tell me it probably won't do anything. And alas, I am a coward.

Look at this entire post. Look at what I have managed to write on such short notice because I felt like it. Imagine what I could do if I were given the right opportunity. This entire post, and all because I was pissed that I could barely see the northern lights those few months ago when it was the only chance I might ever get, only to be disappointed because of that FUCKING FLOODLIGHT THAT MY BITCH OF A LANDLORD DECIDED TO INSTALL FOR NO FUCKING REASON.

[teecupangel]

Hi. I'm one of your greatest fans.

Sooo... I was watching avatar the last air bander and I was just wondering which clan desmond and his ancestors ( or whoever you want) whould be from.

Or were there still a kind of assassin's order like them in avatar world?

Hello! It’s always fun to hear from you guys!

Oooohhh, then may I interest you in this Avatar AU ask that has both “what if Desmond and his ancestors were the next line of Avatars?” and “Okay, but what if, they were like… Pro-bending pros?”

So, for this ask, I think we can just go and use the Pro-bending AU as our basis.

In that AU, I suggested the following:

Altaïr - Fire Nation, born and raised to be a soldier but left because he grew tired of being told “If only you’d have been born as the Avatar…” and became a Pro-Bender to show that, even if he isn’t the Avatar, he was still the strongest Firebender. (can also Lightningbend)

Ezio - Born in Republic City, his family was surprised to learn he could Airbend. They had Air Nomad ancestors but they haven’t had an Airbender for generations. Instead of joining the Air Nomads in Air Temple Island, he learned from old texts left by his ancestors and decided to be a pro-Bender to get the attention of a woman named Cristina who is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist from the Republic City. Well, that was the reason why he joined but he stayed because he enjoys pro-Bending and he likes to joke that his teammates would be lost without him.

Ratonhnhaké:ton - He said once he was from the southern part of Earth Kingdom (actual location is unknown), he appeared in Republic City when he was fourteen to find his father. He doesn’t talk about why he was looking for his father but his team knows it didn’t end well and he began to live with his grandfather instead who was an ex-Pro-Bender and their manager.

Desmond - Doesn’t like to talk about where he’s from but he did admit that he was born in ‘one of the smaller islands of Fire Nation’ and that’s as far as he was willing to say. He came to Republic City to start his life (his words) and ends up being Edward’s assistant. It pays the bills and he lives with the rest of the team in the apartment Edward set up for them for cheaper rent and living expenses in general. Other hints he gave about his birthplace: shaped like a moon and has a volcano. Altaïr immediately thought of Crescent Island and Desmond just laughed but he never confirmed nor denied it.

Edward Kenway - Born in Southern Water Tribe and he likes to say he was a descendant of one of the most feared pirates of the Southern Water Tribe but there’s no real proof of it. He left his tribe and came to Republic City to become a Pro-Bender, leaving his wife with a promise he would get enough money to buy her a house in Republic City and send for her once everything is ready. Edward doesn’t talk about what happened to him during his latter years as a Pro-Bender (although there were rumors with some talking about how one of his team members died or something) but his wife died back home and his daughter was escorted to him. He later remarried a woman from a wealthy family from Earth Kingdom that was staying in Republic City and had a son (Ratonhnhaké:ton’s father) although they’re divorced now.

I think the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order would be… well… quite different in an Avatar AU. Less Assassin-y, more on the side of shadowy organizations using their ‘power’ to influence the world with the Brotherhood more on the side of ‘everyone should have the right to use their power as they wish but within reason’ and the Templar Order more on the side of “humans are unreasonable creatures that must be controlled to keep the peace.” (So it’s still Free Will and Absolute Order but less stabby-stab-stab and ancient alien BS and more fire-water-earth-air power with a bit of stabbing as a treat) Hidden Blades are still a thing but they’re mostly an old tradition kind of thing (Altaïr did learn how to use them and one of his techniques is to create a thin blast of fire from his wrist at close range. Desmond seemed unsurprised by Altaïr’s ‘signature move’.)

Okay, so other characters time!

Also known as… Unorganized Notes:

Haytham is a Water Bender but he was born and raised in Republic City. He travels a lot as he inherited his mother’s family’s company. He says he has no interest in Pro-Bending but Shay had seen him watch matches of his son once or twice.

Speaking of Shay, he’s from the coldest parts of the Northern Water Tribe. He can be a Water Bender or a non bender. If he is a Water Bender, he’s in his element in icy locations and liked to use ice as part of his moves.

Arno Dorian is a rival Pro-Bending Team with Jacob and Jayadeep. He was born and raised in Republic City (and sorta childhood friends with Ezio… distantly). He’s a Water Bender and acts as the leader of his team “The Rooks”.

Jacob Frye is a Fire Bender born in the United Republic of Nations (although he wasn’t born in the capital). Together with his twin, they ran away from home and went to Republic City without the approval of their guardian after their father’s death. He became friends with Arno and helped him create a Pro-Bending Team because it looked fun.

Evie Frye, Jacob Frye’s all-time suffering older twin and a Fire Bender as well. She’s also officially a backup member of the Rooks (there was one time that Jacob got an injury that made him unable to play for a few months and she 'helped out') and where Jacob’s fire is all-consuming and full of flair, her fire is more precise and quicker (and with enough training, stubbornness and actually stalking Altaïr which embarrasses Jacob so much until Altaïr finally agreed to teach her, she learns how to Lightningbend). She’s currently studying at a university in Republic City and has a part-time job in the public library where she met Jayadeep.

Jayadeep is from Earth Kingdom and is an Earth Bender. A certain incident made him and his family leave their hometown when he was young and he’s been living in Republic City ever since. Has been roped by Jacob into joining the Rooks but he’s enjoying it… also… Evie always comes to cheer him on when they have a match. (“I’m here for Jayadeep, not for you.” “Love you too, my dear sweet sister.”)

I like to imagine Bayek as a non-bender who became the president of the United Republic of Nations. If a fic was to be written about this AU, the characters would usually just hear his name from the news like “President Bayek has signed the…” or “Today, President Bayek was seen in…”

Aya is a Fire Bender who disappeared after the death of her son. It’s not that well known but she had been President Bayek’s wife as well. No one knows her current location or if she was even still alive.

Kassandra is a Fire Bender and she’s a Pro-Bender as well. Born in Fire Nation in a family known for having lots of military achievements, she left her family and started to wander around, ending up in Republic City and getting roped into joining the Pro-Bender team composed of Eivor and Tahira. She has a younger brother named Alexios who she regularly spars with. Alexios always jokes about making his own Pro-Bending team so he can show everyone who the hotter sibling is.

Eivor is part of a small clan in the Northern Water Tribe. She left with her half-brother for Republic City to make a name for themselves. Her brother, Sigurd, is a rising politician and she’s using her popularity in Pro-Bending to support her brother. Pictures of Sigurd cheering loudly and always supporting Eivor’s matches endears him to the people because it’s clear that he’s being earnest in supporting his sister.

Basim is Sigurd’s personal assistant of unknown origin and unknown Bending capabilities. He has a son (adopted? Biological? Eivor isn’t sure) named Hytham who is an Earth Bender and always watches Eivor’s matches.

Tahira is from the Earth Kingdom and is an Earth Bender. She actually came to Republic City to come live with her cousin’s family. She’s a big supporter of President Bayek.

Rebecca and Shaun are the main commentators of Pro-Bending matches. Shaun is a Water Bender born and raised in Republic City. Rebecca was born in one of the small villages that lie on the border between Earth Kingdom and United Republic. She’s an Earth Bender but her skills actually lie in Metal Bending.

Clay is an Air Nomad who sorta slips in and out of the Air Temple and Republic City. He’s friends with Ezio and Ezio introduced him to Desmond. He’s a bit strange but Desmond believes his strangeness is deliberate to make people underestimate him.

The name of the landlord of Desmond and the other’s apartment is Edward Thatch. He looks a lot like the Fire-Bender Blackbeard who was Edward’s old team member and the one rumored to have died. They call him Uncle Eddie and he just laughs whenever anyone tells him he looks like Blackbeard.

Mary Read (Earth Bender) and Anne Bonny (non Bender) own the bar that Edward likes to frequent. Mary was the other member of Edward’s team and she used her savings and retirement fund to build the bar called Bad Weather. Desmond part times there for extra cash and to help up whenever it gets busy and he didn’t have anything to do anyway.

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Island in the Sun

Note: Always indebted to @flashfictionfridayofficial so glad that it exists. Once again here’s my entry for this week’s prompt An eternal summer #FFF197 to dabble on my head canons. In my universe, people like Shigeki Suwa should pay for the consequences. Lily’s image doesn’t exist. Episode 12 doesn’t exist (don’t get me wrong I love it.). AU-Canon divergence.

Fandom: Buddy Daddies

Characters: Rei Suwa, Kazuki Kurusu, Miri Unasaka, Karin Izumi

Pairing: Kazurei established (Kurusu Kazuki/Suwa Rei)

Words: 778

Rating: T

Rei has never been on a French beach. But like they say, there is always a first time for everything.

Unfolding himself from the car, the first thing that hits him is the blinding sun in spite of his aviators. As soon as he puts his feet down, white sand fills its way immediately into his footwear. It is a pair of camouflage flip-flops Miri has chosen for him when he and Kazuki casually browsed the Rakuzon website months ago for their impending escape along with the midnight-blue beach shorts that he is wearing right now.

He can taste the salt in the sea breeze blowing his jet-black hair gently. It is dry and humid, and he cannot say if he likes the temperature at all, so he lets his ebony vest open refusing to shed it off. Using a walking stick on a beach is not practical but needs must.

“Not too fast, Rei, your wounds!” Kazuki, freshly tanned, calls out. To hell with my wounds, Rei thinks, the bandages on my legs are gone. He limps his way to the shore ignoring Kazuki’s pleas. Exactly three months and a half ago, they were still in Japan and got involved in a car accident where the three of them supposedly died. In this “bad business” meeting different sorts of people is usual like the one-eyed supplier of cadavers. God knows the methods Rei used to ensure the man’s silence.

Now, they are on an island called Groix in Brittany, walking along its coast and renting a house on a cliff. Rei was in a coma for a week and after that 16 days in a rehabilitation center, while Kazuki arranged their new life in France with the assistance of his sister-in-law, Karin.

His rumination stops as the right car door slams and Miri comes out. The child is wearing the biggest black sunglasses Rei has ever seen on a human face. Her summer hat can’t keep still on her head. Kazuki makes a fuss about the yellow ribbon that is quite not attached to it. She insisted on donning her uneven black-striped swimsuit an hour ago inside the car.

Rei thinks he must commend their five-year-old daughter’s toughness. She’s been braving the long stretches of journey, and abrupt and lightning-speed changes in their lifestyle, at times violent, ever since leaving their country and her newfound friends.

Trailing behind them is Karin, who their child finds attached to each day the longer the young woman stays with them.

“Aunt Karin is so beautiful, and she creates these pretty dresses!”

Corresponding with her secretly before the accident required too much effort even leaving Kyutaro-san out of the picture. Perhaps, they will see him again in the future and apologise to him why they left without telling him.

He takes a look at Kazuki, finds his satisfied smile as soon as the view of the beach lays out before them. The sun and the sea. An eternal summer only for the three of them. Away from everyone they refuse to see. Finally.

Miri cannot wait to dip her toes to the water. It is not as if Fukuoka doesn’t have its own beaches. Still, France is far away from Japan. The Atlantic is much colder and wilder than the Pacific Ocean.

“It is a ginormous bathtub, Papa Kazu!” Her small hand intertwines with Kazuki’s own.

“It is, yeah!” Kazuki answers with great enthusiasm. “The half-day travel was worth it, Karin. Thank you again for finding this place,” Kazuki touches her shoulder, squeezes it.

Karin, in turn, holds his brother-in-law’s hand back. She’s been their host for the duration of their house-hunting in France even willing to put her studies on hold to accommodate them.

“I am relieved that your crazy plan worked out,” she sighs.

A “mysterious hacker” turned over a huge file of classified intel that convinced the Fukuoka Prefecture police to raid the Suwa’s ancestral home. They are consequently conducting immediate arrests of the organisation members concerning a number of attacks on the civilians that has happened since the 1990s. And the final nail on the coffin? Shigeki Suwa is languishing in a jail cell awaiting sentence because of two counts of murder, including killing his ex-wife. The news has made Rei’s long-winding recuperation at the hospital worth something, but his temporary immobility is debilitating.

Still, the fight is far from over.

“We are not safe yet, Kazuki, as long as he’s alive. We are going to continue to run for our lives.” One can sense the disappointment on Rei’s voice. If he could, he himself would put the bullet on his father’s head. He’d love to see that day happen.

[gemsofgreece]

Some will complain that Greece has become kr will become a tourist destination only because of many Greeks leaving the country and many places are filled with hotels. While i agree that Greece should invest in schools, healthcare, hospitals, tourism is the number one income to our country.

Especially during summer, but that happens i believe in all around the world. Italy, France for example are tourist destinations all year and northern Europe is mostly a winter destination whereas Greece is a summer one.

It might seem counterintuitive coming from my blog but I don’t agree. Tourism can be the number one income in a country but no country should have such disproportionate sizes of income. You can’t survive only on one thing. If something bad happens, knock wood, and tourist visits decline, what do you do then? Tourism is not a very reliable source of income.

There is also the overdevelopment which is very much a real thing: doctors and teachers in Santorini can’t find a house and sleep in yards or leave the Island, because all houses are rented by tourists for higher prices? So Santorini’s kids won’t get proper education and the people will have no doctor but that’s okay because they get tourists’ money? This is just not a healthy development and it’s hardly a development at all. The excessive construction has already started degrading the natural environment and the authenticity of the traditional settlements. The problem slowly expands to more of the country, with all people struggling to find houses to rent longterm that have no insane prices and luxe resorts being built out of place in traditional settlements protected by the state and cultural organisations.

Every country should invest in all sectors it can evenly. By all means, focus on your strengths, but not at the expense of all other sectors and the well-rounded development of the country. And young people should find jobs in what they have studied or what they desire: sciences, arts, commerce, agriculture, industry and not all of them be forced to become waiters and receptionists working in hectic conditions because all other sectors are dead. Or, worse, leave.

I agree though that Greece should try to distribute its visitors throughout the whole year, like Italy and France. It’s already slowly happening, however the tourist count should not increase too much at this point. France and Italy are different cases. They get more tourists but they are much bigger countries with much bigger populations. I think they have 60something million people and get about 60-80 million tourists all year round. This is only a little larger than local population so it’s sustainable. Greece gets only 30 million tourists but it has 10 million population! This is barely sustainable. I believe our high season popular places can’t bear more than that. It means that most locals must be obligatorily in tourism services. That’s just not right. On the contrary, French and Italian people can choose their career paths more freely and contribute to far more sectors of economy at the same time.

By the way, I believe Greece can do up to 40 million but ONLY if tourists come throughout the year and to more places in the country. Otherwise not. Greece can be compared better with Croatia which also gets more tourists (11 mil) than it has people (~ 4 mil). Croatia is beautiful, I have been there, but it’s rapid unhealthy development starts getting evident. I have been to almost all Balkan countries and even though strictly speaking it’s probable it was amongst the prettiest, it was not my most enjoyable experience exactly for how it starts lacking in authenticity compared to the rest, because of its fast growing tourist culture and tourism-centrism. (Just my two cents)

See also the beautiful islands and countries of the Indopacific, Hawaii etc The quality of the life of local people has been freefalling ever since large parts of the lands are becoming luxe resorts of big hotel chains, specialising in “exclusive experiences” for the tourists who stay there locked taking baths and yoga, removed from the real life of the country they are visiting, almost as removed as the locals who have been working night and day in their service for a better life. Tourists should become travellers and explorers again. Countries should strive for diversity and not excessive dependency in their economy. People should start living and truly enjoying their own countries too.

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Did James and A Junior not get along? What's their whole deal?

There seems to have been strain between the two, heavily on James's side. There aren't many signs of the two starting this sort of rivalry in childhood, but when you consider the way the children were usually grouped into two or three kids when traveling or attending school, and with James and Alexander not being too far from each other in age; it is likely constantly being shoved together may have started some bitter feelings—In 1795 when the family moved back to New York, the boys enrolled in Bishop Moore's school for boys on Staten Island, [x] and later Alexander was then likely transferred to Tod's school in New Utrecht with James, during 1800. [x]

But the only moment one can actually definitely pinpoint when their clashing started was - according to James - when their grandfather, Philip Schuyler, died in the November of 1804. And James claimed to have had to help his mother with their finances by himself since Alexander was “was away from home attending to his commercial affairs”;

It was my good fortune to have almost the entire care and management of [Elizabeth Hamilton's] affairs. The elder son, Alexander, was away from home attending to his commercial affairs. I remained at the Grange with her as long as she remained there, attending to the cultivation and household, and after her father’s death I became useful in collecting her rents and selling such parts of her property as her needs required.

Source — Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton

James was a bit young at the time, only being 16 years old and hadn't even graduated yet. General Schuyler's death was also salt in the wound for the family that was still grieving the death of Hamilton, so it must have been a large amount of responsibility and heartache for James to take up at such a young age. James doesn't describe much as to where Alex was, or what he was doing; but he was likely taking on his lessons and jobs, as he had graduated near Hamilton's death, and letters to and from Eliza showcase his eagerness to leave the nest, and even small implications of misbehavior (Check out @theelizapapers for more information). Eliza evidently being saddened by this as she was finding it hard to let her children go so soon after Hamilton's death. Which may have also played a part in James's resentment towards Alexander for repeatedly only caring about himself when Eliza was in a depressed state of grieving.

James claims Alexander was busy with commerical affairs, which might have been his work in a commercial house—as just a few months prior in August, King mentions to Clarkson; “Mrs. Hamilton having written to Mr. Cabot to endeavour to procure for Alexander a situation in a respectable commercial house, Mr. Higginson has readily consented to take him; and until a suitable family can be found to take Alexander as a boarder, Mr. Higginson will receive him into his own family.” [x]

In fact, James seems to bash Alexander a little more in his memoirs with a petty undertone as these certain details come up unnecessarily;

I was moved to go on this expedition, first, because I felt it was my duty to show a readiness to risk something in support of law and order; second, because I wished to give this public demonstration that I did not concur in the views entertained on this subject by my brother Alexander, who was one of the Vice-Presidents of the Park meeting, and lastly, because I desired to be in a fight to know how men do and how I myself would behave on such an occasion.

Source — Reminiscences of James A. Hamilton

The brothers seemed to have contrasting political opinions that likely fueled their resentment, James was a loyal Jacksonian with a close partnership with Andrew Jackson, and Alexander was a Calhounite who supported and corresponded with John C. Calhoun (Way to disappoint your father, guys). When James was assisting Jackson and Van Buren with work on a speech that preached to get rid of the Bank of the United States, it appears Alexander sent a letter to Biddle warning him that the permanency of the Bank was in danger, who unfortunately, didn't believe him at first;

However, a week later, Nicholas Biddle was warned by Alexander Hamilton, jr., 27 November 1829, that the President would speak against the Bank in his message: “I have long had an anxious solicitude for the permanency of the Bank of the United States,” he wrote, “and it is consequently a source of deep regret that I understood the renewal of its charter is to be unfavourably noticed in the President's message.” Mr Biddle refused to believe the warning. He replied the next day: “The rumor to which you allude,” he said, “I have not heard from any other quarter, and I believe it is entirely without foundation. My reason for thinking so is that during a recent visit to Washington from which I returned on Thursday last, I had much conversation of a very full and frank character with the President about the Bank, in all which he never intimated any such purpose. On the contrary he spoke in terms the most kind and gratifying towards the institution—expressed his thanks for the services it had rendered the Government since his connection with it, and I look to the message with expectations of the most satisfactory kind.”

[...]

Alexander Hamilton, jr., was a supporter of John C. Calhoun—his brother James A. Hamilton, a supporter of Andrew Jackson. But it is a reasonable conjecture that the first brother got from the second the news of which he warned Nicholas Biddle.

[...]

James A. Hamilton says that he was called on to help President Jackson with this message and that in the draft already written the Bank “was attacked at great length in a loose, newspaper, slashing style.” He says he advised that the subject be omitted, but the President declared himself to be “pledged against the Bank.” He says the President told him a little later that in attacking the Bank he disliked to act contrary to the opinion of a majority of his Cabinet but could not shirk his duty. At the same time, Hamilton says he was asked to work out the details of Jackson's “proposed National Bank,” which was to be “attached” to the Treasury and to have the “Customhouse a branch.”

Source — Banks and Politics in America: From the Revolution to the Civil War, by Bray Hammond · 1991

Additionally, according to The Hamiltonian Tradition in the United States, 1804-1912, when James was writing in the newspaper advocating for the use of black regiments against the Confederacy, Alexander offered to volunteer and lead one. Although he was like 77 years old, so of course it didn't actually happen. [x]

In Alexander's defense, he was not as deadbeat as James usually claims him to be. In 1833, Alexander used the funds from the sale of The Grange and purchased a townhouse, and between 1833-1842, he and his wife, Eliza P. Knox, lived with his mother, his sister, Eliza Hamilton Holly, and her husband, Sidney Augustus Holly, in New York City, at 4 St. Mark's Place.

But there did seem to be reappearing family disputes between the two, as in the November of 1859, Holly had died a month earlier, and the surviving brothers (Alex, James, John, Phil II) and their respective families were trying to reach a satisfactory conclusion on how to deal with her will. James was angered by Alexander's and his wife's demands, and Phil seemed to have taken the place as a peace maker;

I hope you have taken measures to prove the will without delay the parton [illegible] by going an address [illegible] will render delay unnecessary. I hope you will sell all the furniture at Auction & Press after distributing the articles bequeathed then, the work is done except so far as refers to your payment to Alex & wife during their Les Interest on $7000 as to that if he should talk to you about security altho he has no right to it tell him I will be security for you or that you will purchase an annuity to him & his wife of $420.

Here is a man who has the audacity to ask his brother who is Executor to give security for the luckful perkmen of [illegible] when he was administrator squandered the Estate leaving a larger debt unpaid and his to be prosecuted. Such impudence be excused. How all much forgive but not yet forget. Let me know if I can be of use to you (...).

Source — James Alexander Hamilton to Philip Hamilton II, [November 1, 1859]

It seems grudges were still being held. To make matters worse, Holly seems to have been the one to hold many of her father's papers after her mother passed, and during this family arrangement Alexander Jr had taken off with some of his father's documents without any explanation. As Phil expressed his annoyance with this when in 1859, Phil created a calendar of letters written by his father that Holly had been holding. Each description is of a letter, but one to Alexander Hamilton from Sarah Alexander, Lady Stirling, dated the 26th of June, 1801, Phil remarks that it had been; “taken by my brother Alexr Hamilton from the house of my sister E H Holly immediately after her death without any colour of right or authority.” [x]

I've made plenty of analysis and theory posts about why Alexander seems to have been so negligent and arrogant towards his siblings, but I'll summarize them by saying that Alexander was likely insecure and felt he wasn't suited for the role of head of the family. Even when it was most traditional for the eldest son to take up the spot, Alexander was nowhere near prepared to take on such a heavy responsibility after his eldest brother died, his sister became mentally impaired, and his father's unfortunate death too. Not to mention, Alexander seems to have felt as though he constantly needed to prove himself worthy of being Hamilton's son, and likely prioritized his career and name over his family's situation due to such. And there is the whole deal about Eliza claiming James was Hamilton's favorite son (While living with Alex Jr too), [x] which would have been considerable if true as Hamilton seemed to have taken preference for James over Alex after Philip's death. An interesting note if Hamilton was truly just valuing the eldest to be prepared to take on the family mantle, but instead found James more promising than Alexander.

Anyway, hope this helps!

[aisuigetsu]

a lil photo summary of my year (2023)

started my year at Harrah's Atlantic City. this was the second year i went to AC for my birthday! won some and lost some and won some back, net gain $300 ish? since i always go during new year's nothing's ever open... not a ton of food options and no strip clubs :(

in feb i went to seattle for the 4th time LMAO. this was the first time i flew since covid. it was raining every day but the clam chowder slapped

march i watched The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart at the McKittrick Hotel. during the last song everyone was having a great time and i was TEARING UP lol it was so beautiful.

went home and immediately wrote a letter to alan brown to watch it (since it was only showing for 8 weeks), not sure if he went tho

april went hiking at Catskill Giant Ledge. there were very few signs so we ended up walking at least 3 miles extra. it was so snowy and icy and i did not have hiking boots. not too bad going up but basically came down the whole way by sliding slowly on my butt

may i went to an airbnb in Long Island that i really liked. this time we got to go boating.

last time i went was when the pandemic first started calming down, and i felt a sudden urge to escape the city. i booked the train ticket and airbnb and left after work that night. after staying there for a day and a half, a group of girls also came to the house (owner rented out multiple homes) and i heard one of them talk abt my restaurant.... needless to say i bolted out of there even tho my stay wasn't finished

funny detail from this trip was i mentioned the sunrise is really beautiful here and we must see it. however for days in a row neither of us could get up, and finally on the last day i was like "i have to wake up" and i did at like 5:30. but i was soooooo tired so i took a picture of the sunrise and went back to sleep. we both woke up around noon and i was like "hah i knew you wouldn't be able to wake up so i took this picture for you" and HE HAD DONE EXACTLY THE SAME THING LMAOOO

june working through the air pollution woohoo

parents took me to Seven Lake Drive, it was really pretty and full of mosquitos

one day in july i randomly wanted to walk to brooklyn bridge from my apt in queens. when i have nothing to do i just wanna walk for really long distances

got covid for the first time and during my sick day i saw this girl on the rooftop of the building across. lowkey kinda worried abt her so i kept watching her and then she took a selfie LOL. stopped watching after that

august went to Mt. Taurus to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower. it was really clear during the day and started pouring as soon as it turned dark.

at like 2am me and my bf were just in the middle of nowhere (to avoid light pollution) in the car frantically searching up the satellite map to see when the clouds would pass and also the weather forecast for any rural areas within 100 miles. unfortunately it was raining EVERYWHERE for multiple days. better luck in 2024

then we went peach picking in NJ, not a ton of hard peaches left by this time

october we went to vermont for anniversary trip and he picked an "easy hike" to "see the foliage"

mountaintop view was like:

it was steep and cold and started raining on the way down. by the time we got back to the parking lot it was completely fucking dark. the entire way down i was looking for spots to camp in case we were stuck on the mountain...

high school classmate organized a Survivor themed camping trip. the bathrooms at this campsite were NASTY and i was on my period too 0/10. but it was a fun time and i got eliminated fifth

november in las vegas. loved it, lost 1.7k

came back to nyc and watched Un Ballo in Maschera. honestly kind of depressing cuz i couldn't just clap and cheer every 10 seconds like in the circus TT

[mercerislandbooks]

50 Years of Island Books: Cindy Corujo

Cindy Corujo has been a bookseller for 36 years and has the longest tenure of any Island Books employee. Nothing before that matters or counts. She must have started young because she looks no older than 40. June 2023 marks her 30th year at Island Books. While Cindy likes to say that her plans for the future are so up in the air she calls them her future planes, she really only hopes to be gift-wrapping kids' books for birthday parties while Nancy Stewart sings Sticky Sticky Bubblegum every Saturday for the next 30-50 years.

Miriam: Let's start at the beginning, Cindy. How did you come to work at Island Books?

Cindy: I'm pretty sure I was the first off-Island, no Mercer-Island-Connections person to work at the bookstore. Actually maybe Mark who worked in receiving and who was there when I started was—though I think he actually had a Carol Kelly connection through her daughter, Emily. 

I do know that I answered Roger's first ever "help wanted" ad either in Seattle Weekly or in the The Seattle Times—It was 1994.  I had experience, I had worked at a bookstore in Chicago for 6 years. I was a bartender before that, I had a BA in English and had taught English for a very little bit before that—I was pretty sure I was on track to be a famous writer but that hasn't quite panned out... yet. But hey, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist in 4th grade and that hasn't panned out yet either. 

I knew no one in Seattle when I moved here.  I found an efficiency apartment on First Hill and unloaded the contents of my crammed full 14-foot Pemske into it, plopped all my savings into the hands of my new landlord for three months rent with deposit and immediately set out to find work.  Something I never had a hard time finding.  Until Seattle.

I applied and interviewed everywhere for everything.  Even a bridal boutique. Even an artificial limb company. I was just in conversation with "Annie's Affordable Art" in Ballard where I would be framing commercial posters interspersed with customer service in a windowless space when I saw Roger's ad. I think Roger would be the first to tell you that I walked into the bookstore blatantly desperate for the job.

Miriam: Tell me how your work as the store artist grew and bloomed. For those who don't know, the placards, quotes, window displays, and much of the store lettering and aesthetic came from Cindy's artistic hands. How did the rest of the staff discover your gifts?

Cindy: It's touching that you would say this. I will agree that I helped changed the look and feel of the store over time to help Roger build a "fun with purpose" (I stole that from Highlights magazine) environment. I did do the signage, and windows and displays for most of those years. I would never call myself the store "artist." I was certainly the store "scribe" and brought the first blackboards to the space to share fun quotes and event information. The blackboard up front to the right of the front door as you're leaving was the first, and I purchased it for $7 at Goodwill on Dearborn after a day-long and determined hunt for that exact thing. I wish I had kept a record of the quotes I've found over the years—everything from Cicero commenting on kids to my mother opining on wind chimes. Fun Fact: I have never used the same quote twice.   

When I think of the store's true artists, I think of Andrea Lorig, whose art adorned the newspaper advertisements and created the logos in the early days, and of Poo Putsch who painted the play house with such care and loving detail that I only just this past weekend discovered a tiny fairy in the grassy garden painted on the north face and Dr. Deane who built the playhouse and of course, Roger, who imagined and executed a series of fun remodels to transform the floor plan of the store into the interesting maze of steps and nooks and ramps and platforms and throughways that it is and whose personal collection of three typewriters were the seed ("Hey I've got one of those at home--I should bring it by") of our community collection now thirty years in the making. More recently, Brad, who's been here about a year now, has been doing some gorgeous blackboards and signs that completely outshine mine. Sigh. To my credit, a famous publisher once said I should have my own font. Caitlin can testify to that.

Miriam: I would use a Cindy font! I'm a huge fan of the store aesthetic and have loved watching it evolve over the years. Switching gears now—will you tell us about any store memories that are particularly memorable for you? Bloopers welcome, or go heartwarming...

Cindy: When I started, the bookstore was a different place. Stuffed with books.  All the space where we now display all of the beautiful miscellaneous stuff we house today was for the display of books.  All the general sections were divided into subsections.  The place had a classic bookstore vibe and a formal feel—way more formal than me and I wondered how I was going to fit in.  The women who worked there were all ten to twenty years older than me, there were a lot of employees working part time and they were for the most part, really well-read, really well-educated and really well-dressed when they went to work.  I really did not think I was going to fit in. What I learned pretty quickly was that I didn't have to fit in. That Island Books was a place that made room for people. It still is. Since then, I've had the good fortune to spend my entire work life with an evolving cast of fun and interesting colleagues and customers, some of whom I count among my best friends (Hi Wendy!).

We were open when the Nisqually Earthquake hit—All twenty NYTs hardcover bestsellers shuddered and toppled off the bestseller shelf. That was my first clue before running through the store shouting Duck! Though I think I really shouted F*****ck!!! Either way, I'm sure I saved lives that day.

The midnight release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix—three long years of waiting after Goblet of Fire was published, our modest midnight release party plan grew into a huge happening because of Nancy Page's imagination while on the phone discussing our "plans" with a Tacoma reporter.  We rose to the occasion of Nancy's imagination with the help of Youth Theatre Northwest,  and a bunch of creative and handy customers along with staff all pitching in to make it happen. We had probably one of the best midnight release parties in the United States. In history. Bar none.

I've been through several significant anniversary parties here but I think my favorite was the Pie Social we had for our fortieth (I think). Our spin was—It's our birthday, what are you gonna do about it?  We want pie.

And we got a storeful of pie. So much fun!  So many people came bearing so much pie!

Fast forward to Laurie's tenure. Roger was relieved, ready to retire and stoked to strike out for the territory. Laurie was ecstatic and enthusiastic, did a cartwheel in the main aisle, hosted a wonderful welcome party and brought a new era of being an even more events- oriented bookstore. Laurie and Victor added the comfortable overstuffed reading chairs and beautiful throw rugs. The twinkling lights to the display cases came later.  

Lowpoint:  First author signing ever with no books to sign—we botched our order timing and had no books for the signing. In spite of our eternally mortifying gaffe, it was one of the funnest "signings" we'd ever held.  Everyone was cool with getting their signed copies later and the author (Claire Gebben) couldn't have been more gracious and good-humored about it. We still sell her novel and her memoir.

Miriam: You've seen it all. Let's finish with what you're looking forward to at the bookstore in the year ahead. Besides the big anniversary, of course.

Cindy: Re-opening the play house happened recently, but I'd been looking forward to it for a long time. That little structure has meant a bit to people over the years and it had been closed to kids since Covid.  We did a cleaning, an inspection, and a little facelift. As Laurie said: We're having an Open House.

Also, Anna, an intern, and I are working on the one and only official Island Books Golden Jubilee 2023 Typewriter Fixation Calendar—14 months of sexy typewriters from the Island Books Typewriter Collection with bonus All Inclusive Centerfold. You can read more about our typewriter project here. If anyone cares to pre-order, please let me know. I think it will retail for $23, in honor of our 50th year (2023). I'm pretty excited about how it's turning out so far. We expect it to be ready for press in September and for the release of at least 100 signed and numbered copies in October/November.

Miriam: I want one! No seriously, I am so excited about this calendar. I'm getting one for all my friends too. I hope it's typeset in Cindy font.

To our Island Books community: In the next 50 Years of Island Books installment, I’ll be talking with one of our favorite authors, Erica Bauermeister. Stay tuned!

—Miriam

[cowboylexapro]

happy holidays silly gay pple in my laptop, i thought yall deserved a lil christmas gift from jareth over here, so heres the best thing ive ever written-that-also-happens-to-be-anderperry-fanfiction

cobalt domes on stark white bulidings

Neil was in Santorini for a break. He just got himself an Oscar for his role as ‘King Oberon’ in the film adaptation of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. He was honestly pumped for the role, Oberon was in one of the first acting gigs he ever got for christ sakes! He wished he got to play Puck again; but he was deemed too old for the part even though he was only 25. (They casted a 15 year old as Puck, the kid was nice.) The role had most definitely stressed him to the brink of quitting. He loved acting, more than anything on this planet; But, he much preferred theater. Neil loved the, well, theater of it. Cinema just didn’t cut the high he felt on stage. Lights flashing in a way that made him feel on top of the world. He would much rather play The Faerie King Oberon on stage.

Santorini was a paradise for him. He first went when he was 18, it was for some movie he forgot the name of; he would never forget this island though. Cobalt domes on stark white buildings, red and black sand beaches lining the shores, magenta and blue sunsets dancing on the horizon, cerulean ocean entrapping the island in its comforting grasp, hugging the island in a watery blue embrace. Neil Perry was sure he’d never forget this place.

He rented a cave house, it was a lovely place to spend the summer. All white rooms with blue accents to match the cobalt domes. Neil was watching television by himself, when he had an idea. Neil cast his blue-ish mint colored button up to the side, and walked to his room, wondering if he should just buy a house like this, he had the cash, just needing to commit. The brunet would sell his soul to get away from everything and move to a place like this. He stripped off his taupe pants and put on his sea foam colored swim trunks. Walking across the hardwood floor to the deck pool, brushing a coffee colored bang out of his face and trying to fix his middle-parted hair back to how he liked it. His father always said he could never grow out his hair longer than his ears, he mainly just grew it out to defy him but ended up loving the style, thinking he looked quite ravishing with it.

Neil stepped into the infinity pool right on the deck of the cave house, swimming towards the edge of the pool. The Oscar winner watched the sunset, oranges waltzing with magentas and blues slow-danced in to replace them in order to cloud the sky in a black star filled blanket.  Altocumulus clouds covering the summer sky in a haze. Neil simply rested his chin on the edge of the pool, arms resting under so his chin wasn’t lying on a hard surface. He really did love the island, Donkeys walking up and down the street, hooves clopping almost silent in the distance. That’s all he could think about, the only thing in his mind; Until he looked down. He saw a dirty blond boy writing poolside in baby blue swim trunks and an unbuttoned short sleeved sapphire button up. Neil couldn’t keep his eyes off of him.

‘Ok Perry, you’re not going to catcall this boy.’ Is what Neil told himself, if Charlie was here, he’d probably say something like: “Hey! This idiot wants to suck your cock!” at him, Charlie was anti-catcalling, but if it embarrassed Neil, he would surely do it. The blond boy must have felt Neil’s eyes on him, looking up from his writing and glaring at him with an equal mix of curiosity and worry. Ok Neil, now’s your chance.

 “Hi? Why are you looking at m-me.” The other stuttered out in a sugar-sweet voice, looking up at Neil from his pool chair, a wash on his face like he was internally mapping out all the ways to book it. Neil perked up, sitting up so he looked more assertive, or something. “Just admiring the view. I knew this island was beautiful but I didn’t know it attracted people as gorgeous as itself.” The boy’s face flushed, then hid his embarrassment by looking at the deck. 

“What brings you to Santorini?” Neil asked, putting his chin back on the ledge of the infinity pool, tilting his head in a curious way, feeling relaxed and comfortable by the other’s presence.

“Break from normal city life. New York City is like an exciting free trial of hell.” The boy admitted, looking up at Neil. 

“Tell me about it. I’m here on the same reasoning.” Neil mentioned. he lived in Hollywood for about three months, but went crawling back to New York when he discovered how rubbish the Califorian city was for him. 

“What are you writing?” Neil questioned, curious about this boy who held his fascination in his tender grasp, holding his heart tight, but gentle enough to not shatter it in his grip. 

“Uh, poetry. I’m writing my next book.” The boy said, becoming more comfortable with Neil, adjusting in his chair to show his full attention was on the brunet.

“Me and my friends in school started a poetry cult in the woods of our boarding school.” Neil lightly laughed to himself. Todd was caught off guard and burst out laughing in a series of squawks. The dirty blond covered it up after he realized he just squawked in front of a stranger, he really only displayed his real laugh around his brother.

“Oh my god! How rude of me! I haven’t asked your name.” Neil realized. He needed a name to go to this face that had him entranced. Flurry of light freckles, blue eyes matching the color of the domes, perfectly toned. Not scrawny, but not jacked. This dirty blond boy looked like he was meant to be the patron god of this island. 

 “Todd Anderson.” Todd told him once he could stop laughing. Wait. Neil knew that name. How could he be so stupid! Todd was his favorite author. He knew the poet was spending the summer in Santorini, Neil got the news before even winning his Oscar! 

“I love your work. I’m Neil Perry.” Neil stated, expression softing. He always wanted to meet Todd. Ask him about his creative drive and maybe even ask him out if he wasn’t the straight man the press had deemed him to be. Siting his poetry full of internal conflict as a boy wrapped up in a girl. 

“Neil Perry? I love yours too. You really deserved that Oscar.” Ok, that made Neil blush Looking off to the plant on the deck to cover his vermillion flush. He knew he did a good job, but also thought the boy who played Puck deserved it much more than him. He saw himself in the boy, young and inexperienced, he just hoped the boy’s parents accepted their son and his career. “‘Green Carnations and Peacock Feathers’ is one of my favorite books.” The actor made him know. “Actually, do you wanna join me here?” Neil vaguely gestured to the pool he was in. 

“I would love to.” Todd got up from the chair, the only thing really separating them was the wall of the infinity pool and stairs that Todd was now walking up. The dirty blond fumbled with the gate, asking Neil the code to enter. When he finally opened it, he took off the button up he was using as a cover-up and threw it on the ground. Neil's thoughts immediately thought of Todd discarding his shirt to the ground and taking him to bed to slot hips against hips from dusk to dawn.

Todd slipped into the turquoise pool with Neil. Todd sat next to in the pool, water lapping against both him and Neil’s bare chests. “Hi.” Todd stared at him. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Todd’s voice quivered a little. His hair almost glowing sliver in the moonlight, blue eyes looking like silvery water droplets. Neil pulled Todd in by the waist. 

“If I make you uncomfortable, just stop me.” Neil looked in his eyes, iris colors clashing like the aquamarine waters against the black sand beach not too far away.

“I don’t want you to stop.” Todd practically demanded, shocked by how forward he sounded. 

“Oh how direct Mr Anderson.” Neil teased, easing Todd in closer. The actor felt his hand drift up to the poet's face as natural as the water lapping against the two. Fingers resting on Todd’s jawline, slipping his thumb in between pink lips and feeling slightly crooked teeth under the pad of his digit, then pressing down his pink tongue. “You know, I think you’re brilliant.” Neil whispered, forehead almost resting on Todd’s, releasing his finger from the other’s mouth, now cupping his face. Something about Todd just made Neil want to get his hands on him, hold him in his arms as they breathed the same sea salt tinted air.

“You do? You barely know me.” Todd stated, Neil pulled his hand from his face and held  Todd’s neck. He never thought he would ever get to meet Neil, he even wrote a very small draft for a play he was writing, the main part written for him. He felt like he was a schoolboy again, with a crush on a rather famous actor that he happened to be in the arms of at this moment, water lapping against their bare chests.

“I know you’re a talented young man I am whipped for.” Todd drifted towards Neil, lips pressing on lips, chests pressing on chests. Neil’s tongue slipping into Todd’s mouth, moving himself to straddle the other. The blond's back pressed against the sky-facing wall of the infinity pool. “You couldn’t have forgotten your wallet in your pocket, would you?” Neil asked on Todd’s lips, 

“Why would I have my wallet?” the other mumbled back, too immobilized by the sweet but heavy pleasure and endorphins coursing through his body. Todd responded by leaning into Neil, trying to get as close as possible. The brunet pulled away, teeth catching Todd’s lower lip but letting it go. Neil just gazed into his eyes, getting lost.

“Neil? Are you ok?” Todd asked, barely audible, not wanting to ruin the moment. 

“Definitely, I just wanted to sight-see. Santorini is beautiful this time of year.” Neil leaned back down before the poet could respond, only this time to Todd’s neck. The actor began to suck at Todd’s neck, a slight salty taste from the saltwater pool; but Neil didn’t care, or really register it. Todd’s breath hitched as Neil migrated to his collarbones, leaving purple and red bruises on his skin. 

“Neil…” Todd’s breathy voice trailed, frozen from the bliss. The actor's hips devilled into Todd’s, making him produce an almost ‘squeak’ sound, making Neil smile on his neck. Heat traveling from all the places Neil touched him gathering in his belt area.Neil pulled away. “I think-” “No, No. Come back.” Todd ushered him back, pecking on his lips. “Let me finish.” The author paused, gently placing his index finger on Todd’s lips in a shushing manner. 

“I think we should get clean, then maybe we could go to bed,” Neil said, winking at the ‘bed’ part, looking down at Todd. Flushed, lips almost bruised by the kissing. 

“Great idea” Todd agreed, a hot shower with Neil did sound pretty sweet. They got out of the pool, using Neil’s towel since Todd’s was by his previous chair. After they were at least more dry, they went to the bathroom. Neil turned on the shower, not even waiting for warm water, ushering himself and Todd in. After, getting into bed and making love all night long. 

Todd woke up on his side, feeling arms around his waist and zero clothes on his body. “Yes.” Todd whispered to himself, feeling like he won. He thought he was dreaming honestly, brain piecing together random things from his memory and somehow making up some wet dream where he and Neil Perry, Oscar-winning heartthrob actor makeout in a pool and have coitus in the brunet’s house. Todd heard a sharp inhale next to him, and then Neil shuffled up to look at him. 

“Todd? What was that?” Neil asked, looking down at him with a mix of bedhead and sex hair darting around his eyes.

“I thought I was dreaming about last night. I’m glad I wasn’t.” Neil turned him to lay on his back and flopped on top of him. “Me too.” The brunet smiled down at him, placing lips on lips once more. ‘Good Morning’ love making wasn’t something Todd expected to happen with him, honestly? Ever. Especially with Neil Perry. He was surprised he even had a male lover in our lord 1967!

“Neil, I’m not a one night stand. I want something.” Todd said in full seriousness after his ‘Good Morning’. Neil was already facing him, they didn’t know what to do with their hands so they decided just to hold the other’s. Neil’s face blushed vermillion with pupils dilated as wide as saucers. 

“You’re assuming I didn’t want to commit, dumbnut.” Neil took his hands from his lover’s and placed his arms around Todd’s waist once more as to where they were earlier.

Neil and Todd were lovers and that is a fact. Coming home from their little vacations at the same time, Neil won (another) Tony for his role as ‘Robert Gastrell’ in the play Todd had written for him, kissing his then fiance when the camera panned to his face to capture his victorious reaction when his name was said. They bought one of the cave houses of the island and used it as their summer home. They would spend the rest of their lives together, on this island or New York City. Wherever it was, it was home.

[emmashouldbewriting]

Another theory about their house, which seems most probable to me is that they rent/lease. Like clockwork, every 2 years, we have the same story... They didn't like the house, or they want to move for privacy, or they outgrow the place. Makes more sense that they have 18month leases and then simply move. Cotswolds 2 yr lease. Frog ore renewed every 3 years. Vancouver island 6month lease. Tyles Perry 6month/1 year. Montecito 18months (or a year given that the rumours started a while back).

It's much easier. Makes more financial sense. They arnt very cash heavy apparently so lease would be practical. And the hope ranch places would be in their budget now if they are buying this time around. Also makes more sense as to why they keep renewing frogmore and want to keep it as their UK base.

See you have to remember one thing about the Harkles - when something is really happening in their lives, they manage to keep it an absolute secret. Noone gets to know till they drop the bomb. But otherwise it's just constant PR grandstanding and rumours. Their house situation is too much of grandstanding, their slef image is associated with owning such a big, mega property. So it's quite likely that they don't own that house and just use it for clout.

I agree with this. The only thing Meghan couldn't stick for 2 years was UK citizenship.

They keep Frogmore Cottage as their UK residence because Harry must be domiciled in the UK to be a Counsellor of State - King Charles has already made it clear he wishes to change how they are appointed and I hope he follows through.

I honestly believe that they cannot stay anywhere for longer than 2 years because they leave scorched ground wherever they go. Meghan is incapable of maintaining long-term relationships without paying the other party, and Harry is woefully ignorant of how the real world works because he's never had to learn it.

@gimletagain was kind enough to give her excellent opinion on the financial situation regarding their move to Hope Ranch (??).

I don't think they own their houses. I think they rent with a contractual stipulation to say they own it. Rich people do what rich people want, and Harry can absolutely pull those strings.