#maria rose faith

[thelesbiandeli]

”She has so many troll instincts that she masks as just like,, girlypop instincts” PUTRICE I LOVE YOU ALREADY

[my-true-love-insanity]

So coquette 🎀🎀🎀🎀

Speeddraw

[lecameleontv]

L'album New Echoes Of The Old West (1965) avec l'acteur baryton Harve Presnell.

1 - They Call the Wind Maria (1965)

2 - Old Faithful (1965) Musique : Michael Carr. Paroles : Jimmy (Hamilton) Kennedy. Chanté à l'origine par Gene Autry dans le filmm "The Big Show" (1936).

"Old faithful we rode the range together Old faithful in every kind of weather When your roundup days are over There’ll be pastures white with clover For you old faithful pal of mine

Hurry up old fella cause' the moon is yellow, tonight Hurry up old fella cause' the moon is mellow and bright There’s a coyote howling to the moon above So carry me back to the one I love Hurry up old fella cause' we gotta’ get home, tonight

Yippi yip yip, Yippi yip yip, old horse There is food and rest and you've done your best, old horse Oh, carry me over the mountain ridge Down that trail (to) the old pine bridge To my gal Lilly, Bunk-house Billy and the boys

Old faithful, we rode the range together Old faithful, in every kind of weather When your roundup days is over There’ll be pastures white with clover For you old faithful pal of mine For you old faithful pal of mine"

3 - She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1965) Auteur : chanson militaire traditionnelle aux USA, populairement utilisé pour conserver la cadence des marches.

4 - A Home In The Meadow (1965) Ecriture : Sammy Cahn, pour le film How The West Was Won (1962) Chantée à l'origine par Debbie Reynolds, sa partenaire dans le film La Reine du Colorado.

"Away, Away Come away with me Where the grass grows wild, where the winds blow free Away, Away Come away with me And I'll build you a home in the meadow

Come, Come There's a wondrous land For the hopeful heart, for the willing hand Come, Come There's a wondrous land Where I'll build you a home in the meadow

The hills! The hills! Look beyond the hills, there are rivers wide, there are whip-poor-wills The hills! The hills! Look beyond the hills, To that home we will build in the meadow.

Come, Come There's a wondrous land For the hopeful heart, for the willing hand Come, Come There's a wondrous land Where I'll build you a home in the meadow

The stars, the stars Oh how bright they'll shine On a world the Lord must have helped design The stars, the stars Oh how bright they'll shine On that home we will build in the meadow

Come, Come There's a wondrous land For the hopeful heart, for the willing hand Come, Come There's a wondrous land Where I'll build you a home in the meadow."

5 - The Wagons Roll (1965)

6 - The Yellow Rose Of Texas (1965)

7 - Shenandoah (1965) Chants : Geoff Love et son Orchestra & The Lisa Grey Singers. Date : indeterminée, fait partie de la culture américaine.

"Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you, Way you rolling river. Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you, Away, I'm bound away 'Cross the wide Missouri.

Oh Shenandoah, I love your daughter, Way, you rolling river. Oh Shenandoah, I love your daughter, Away, I'm bound away 'Cross the wide Missouri.

Oh, who will tie your shoes ? And who will glove your hands? And who will kiss your ruby lips when I am gone? Look away, look away over Yandro

Your father will tie your shoes, Your mother will glove your hands, And I will kiss your ruby lips when I return! Look away, look away Over Yandro.

Oh Shenandoah, I'm bound to leave you, Way, you rolling river, Oh Shenandoah, I'll not deceive you, Away, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Mis-sou-ri."

8 - Skip To My Lou (1965) Auteur : chanson populaire pour enfants depuis 1840 environ.

9 - Friendly Persuasion (1965) Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster Music: Dimitri Tiomkin Chants : Geoff Love et son Orchestra & The Lisa Grey Singers.

10 - Deadwood Stage (1965)

11 - When I Was Young (1965) Co-écriture : Dave Guard (membre fondateur du "The Kingston Trio") et Jane Bowers, Présentation musicale : "The Kingston Trio" Date : 1960.

"When I was young and dreams were new I loved a girl who looked like you I saw her face in mountains stream I lingered there and lost myself in dream

But we were young and tossed away Our precious love along the way We parted strangers, thoughtless and free And set our hearts to wander aimlessly

But looking back, somehow I see How seldom love has come to me And I confess that now and then I think of her remembering when

If I were young and dreams were new I'd love a girl who looked like you I'd hold her close if she'd agree To love perhaps a boy who looked like me"

12 - Along The Colorado Trail (1965)

"Weep, all ye little rains. Wail, winds, wail. All along, along, along the Colorado Trail. Eyes like the morning star, cheeks like the rose, Laura was a pretty girl everybody knows. (Chorus)

Laura was a laughin' girl, joyful through the day. Laura was my darling girl. Now she's gone away. (Chorus)

Sixteen years she graced the Earth and all of life was good. Now my wife lies buried 'neath a cross of wood. (Chorus)

All along, along, along the Colorado Trail."

Une référence à sa comédie musicale La Reine du Colorado est faites, avec d'ailleurs une couverture de pochette extraite du film, pour rappeler le choix des chansons.

Autre discographie : Carmina Burana (1961)

Alias M. Parker dans la série Le Caméléon (V.O. : The Pretender).

[caffeinewitchcraft]

Everything I've Ever Written (on Tumblr)

I have been writing online since 2016. As a result, I have quite the few short stories listed below! They're all from different parts in my writing journey and I hope you enjoy.

If you'd like to read what I currently put out, please consider supporting me on Patreon (X)

Cinderella Doesn't Believe in Fairy Tales

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

Part 4 / Part 5 /Part 6

Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

Destiny Universe

You Are the Demon King

The Hero and Hope (part 1) (part 2)

Being Villagers

Heroes and Villains

Therapist for Villains

Juniper and Discus

Self Destruct Villain (flash fiction)

Dandelion (A Villain Story)

You Help Kill Heroes

You are the Shark Hero

Mist into a Tempest

The Civilian and the Reluctant Hero

No Heroes Here

The Spoiler (humor, flash fiction)

You are Legacy

Hero in Title

Dark Lord's Former Coworker

One Minute

The Fae:

You Become Powerful

Your Friend Takes Your Name

Larkin and Yvette

Debt Must Be Repaid (humor flash fiction)

Going to the Hill

The Fae are Free

When They Don't Know (submitted to elsewhereuniversity)

The Chosen One

The Chosen One's Parents

Fate and Mercy and Dead Girls

Amulet to Save Her

Hero's Apprentice (Flash fiction)

The Aftermath of the Chosen One

Wizards Stole My Brother

You are the Chosen One's Knight

The Chosen One is a History Major

You are the Most Powerful Magic User

Time Restarts and She Remembers

Better the Witch than the Kid

Witches

It Was in a Name

The Good Witch of Hawthorne

Berthe the Green Witch

Cursed Mold (flash fiction)

Love isn't Enough

I Can't Believe it's not Proper Adjudication

Devil Deals

The Devil You Know

The Ritual

They Summoned Her on Halloween (flash fiction)

Fairytale Retellings

Ariel and Ursula (age appropriate)

The Gods

Zeus' Son

Faith in Technology

Sci-Fi

Six Red Bulls and Persistence

The Sound of Silence

Emmaline and the Apartment

Humans are Vengeful

Humans Know War (that's why we have diplomacy)

Criminals Forced to Live on as AI (flash fiction)

Misc Fantasy

Wind-Speaker

Wind-Speaker and Her Wife

You Will Become

The Sirens and Leona (flash fiction)

Eldritch Princess (flash fiction)

Princess Maria and the Dragon

Princess Maria is Kidnapped

Immortals are Afraid of Change

Fiona the Dragon

A Violently Won War

Meta Stories

An Abstract Concept

Narrative Town

Narrative Town: Uncle Ralph

Princess Phaedra Breaks

You are a Horror Movie Villain

Ghost Stories

Malevolent Spirits

Your House is Haunted by an Anime Pillow

Don't Open the Door

Grandma's House

Who Is? (flash fiction)

A Face (flash fiction)

Misc.

You Choose Your Fate in Hell

Time Paradox (flash fiction)

You are an Assassin

Multiple Dimension Serial Killer (flash fiction)

An Exercise in Mary Sue

She Comes Back from the Hospital (tw eating disorder)

Roses and Evil (mental health flash fiction)

Big Brother

A Conversation About Anger

Punching Depression

Two Sides (flash fiction)

Immortal Serial Killer in Prison

Theater Romance (flash fiction)

The Lady and the Knight (flash fiction)

Different (flash fiction)

[pupsmailbox]

DOLL︰PUPPET ID PACK

NAMES ⌇ abbie. adelaide. adorablesse. adorablette. aerlyn. alena. alexis. alice. amaia. amaya. andrea. angeline. ankou. annabelle. annie. antoinette. anxiette. anxious. apricot. asaka. ash. asha. aspen. atticus. ava. avel. babette. babydoll. bambi. bambina. bambino. bashfelle. bashful. beau. bellamy. belle. bells. bernadette. blu. blue. bluesse. bluette. blushe. blushesse. blushette. boo. bram. bronach. bronagh. brone. button. buttons. cadel. candace. carmilla. carrie. catherine. cessair. charlie. charlott. charlotte. chelsea. chia. chica. chirella. chirelle. chiwa. chuckie. claeg. coffin. colere. commedia. constance. coquette. cordelia. corelle. corette. corsette. cypress. dahlia. dalia. damon. darling. dawn. dearesse. dearest. dearette. dearie. deidre. demure. desdemona. devin. devon. doilie. doily. doll. dollaintye. dollawie. dollerie. dollesse. dollette. dolleyed. dollie. dolline. dollita. dolly. dolores. dottie. drea. dread. drusilla. dáinn. eeria. eldritche. elissar. eliza. elle. elodie. eloise. emerence. emily. essie. esther. evangela. evangeline. evelyn. eveyln. faith. frill. frillette. genevieve. genoveva. gia. gladys. glorie. glory. gorey. gorie. gracelyn. gregory. gretta. gwen. gwenivive. haldor. haunt. hiccup. hyde. iraia. iresse. irette. itishree. jabez. janelle. janet. jannet. jinx. josie. julie. juniper. juno. kailey. kanani. kewpie. kiva. krak. lace. lacesse. lacette. lacey. lacie. lain. laintess. lakka. lalki. lavender. lea. lefu. letta. letum. libitina. lilac. lillith. lilly. lily. loaela. lola. lolah. loletta. lolita. lolite. lolla. lottie. lovelace. luci. lucius. lulu. lute. lyla. lys. madison. mahina. mandy. mannie. manon. many. mara. maria. marianette. marie. marion. marionette. marionne. marotte. marrionette. marrow. mary. maryjane. marzana. maveth. meek. melanie. melodie. melody. merripen. miel. minuette. mold. moldie. moldy. molly. moonie. moore. morana. morgana. morgue. mors. mort. mot. muriel. murmur. muse. nadine. nadzen. nancy. nanea. nanelle. nanette. nappi. naz. negan. nekane. nelly. nemesis. nettie. nicodème. niegan. nimbus. nina. nuri. olive. oliver. olivia. omega. panchaali. parner. pinkesse. pinkette. pinkie. pinky. pinocchio. pippin. poe. poppet. poppette. poppy. porce. porcelain. porcelynn. prantika. pulau. punthali. pupetta. puppet. puppetear. puppetesse. puppetette. puppette. puppyte. putala. quinn. ravanche. raven. realiteer. rebel. ribbon. ribbonne. riley. rion. robert. rose. rubella. ruby. sacrifette. salem. sasha. satin. scarlet. sebastian. sew. sewine. shivani. shiver. sidney. smierc. smiley. smilie. softesse. softette. softie. solikha. spirit. sprout. statuette. stitches. strings. sweeheart. sweetheart. sweetie. sweetiebelle. sweetine. sychar. teacup. tearie. teddy. tempest. thalia. than. thana. theodora. thorn. trembelle. trista. ultima. ulysses. vanessa. vera. viola. visage. whisp. whisper. willow. winston. wisp. wispera. wrathes. zizi.

PRONOUNS ⌇ adorable/adorable. ae/aer. angel/angel. anger/anger. antique/antique. app/apparition. bell/bell. berry/berry. berserk/berserk. bjd/bjd. bla/black. blank/blank. bliding/bliding. blue/blue. blush/blush. bug/bug. button/button. cake/cake. car/carcasse. cheer/cheer. cloth/cloth. coffin/coffin. control/control. coo/croon. cor/cor. cor/corrupt. core/core. corpse/corpse. coy/coy. crack/cracked. cracked/cracked. cre/creepy. creep/creepy. cu/curse. cu/cute. curse/curse. cute/cute. da/dark. de4/de4d. de/dear. de/demure. dea/dead. dead/dead. dead/death. dear/dear. death/death. decay/decay. delica/delicate. delicate/delicate. demon/demon. despair/despair. dirt/dirty. do/doll. doll/doll. doll/dolly. dolly/dolly. dread/dread. dress/dressup. dress/up. d♡ll/d♡ll. eer/eeerie. elegant/elegant. en/energy. end/end. evil/evil. eye/eye. fabric/fabric. fae/fae. fi/figure. fig/figure. figurine/figurine. flower/flower. fragile/fragile. frail/frail. friendly/friendly. frill/frill. fury/fury. gho/ghost. glass/glass. glo/gloomy. gore/gore. grave/grave. grief/grief. grim/grimm. grime/grime. gru/grudge. ha/haunt. happy/happy. haun/haunt. hx/hxm. h♡/h♡m. it/it. joint/joint. joint/jointed. joy/joy. ke/ker. kew/kewpie. kill/kill. kor/kor. kor/korrupt. la/lace. lace/lace. lae/lace. lo/love. lo/loved. lolita/lolita. love/love. mad/mad. mae/mae. mari/marionette. marionette/marionette. me/meek. mi/mier. mim/mimic. model/model. morbid/morbid. mu/mutter. mur/murmur. nap/nap. null/null. ny/nym. patch/patch. phan/phantom. pink/pink. pitter/patter. plastic/plastic. play/play. play/playtime. play/time. plush/plush. plush/plushie. por/porcelain. porce/porcelain. porcel/porcelain. porcela/porcelain. porcelain/porcelain. pose/pose. pose/posed. possess/possessed. pup/puppet. puppet/puppet. rea/reality. rest/rest. reven/revenge. rib/ribbon. ribbon/ribbon. rot/rot. scare/scare. scary/scary. seem/seem. sew/sew. sew/sewn. shi/shift. shi/shiver. shx/hxr. sh♡/h♡r. sie/sier. silk/silk. slee/sleep. sleep/sleep. smile/smile. snap/snapped. sneak/sneak. soft/soft. sou/soul. spi/spider. spi/spirit. spo/spook. spook/spook. sta/stalk. sta/stare. statue/statue. sti/string. stitch/stitch. string/string. sweet/heart. sweet/sweet. sweet/sweetdolls sweetie/sweetie. ta/tap. te/teer. tea/teatime. teeth/teeth. thre/thread. thread/thread. thxy/thxm. th♡y/th♡m. ti/timid. to/toy. toy/toy. toy/toytime. trick/trick. un/canny. unca/uncanny. ve/ver. vey/vem. vi/vr. vintage/vintage. vomit/vomit. wan/wander. watch/watch. whi/whisper. white/white. wilt/wilt. wood/wood. wrath/wrath. yarn/yarn. zzz/zzz. ♡/♡. ⚰️ . 🍨 . 🛌 . 🛏️ . 🥀 . 🧸 .

[kaylatoonz]

Context

I have always loved how Amy always has faith there’s good in everyone even if they don’t believe in it themselves. Most of her allies and sometimes enemies view this as a strength, but what about those that view it as a Weakness who would take advantage of it? Surprisingly I haven’t seen that much content that has someone take advantage of Amy’s kindness and compassion. So what if when Amy first arrived on earth in the SCU someone took advantage of Amy's trusting nature?

(Like her origin in the game) Amy does a tarot card reading that leads her to Earth in search of her hero

She arrived a couple of months before G.U.N. Locate and release project shadow

Unfortunately, G.U.N. are the first humans Amy encounters who gladly accept Amy’s offer to aid on their mission

They were even kind enough to gift her a new outfit and high-tech pack that would be more practical for the “adventure” they’re going on.

In reality, the “gift” was Eggman's old tech that they refurbished to keep new intergalactic arrivals in their control (they were originally going to use it on Shadow once they found him).

The pack on her back is meant to send a controlled shock to keep the chosen subject in line

Sadly By the time Amy discovers that these people are up to no good she is already in too deep, experiencing her first shock at her first act of defiance.

Since then, Amy unwillingly works for G.U.N alongside Shadow (and eventually Rouge too).

Despite the circumstances, Amy remains kind and compassionate toward the humans she works with.

She even won the hearts of some of the more compassionate agents who worked at G.U.N (unfortunately they couldn’t help as much as they wanted to).

She still retains hope that she find her hero, and they’ll put their heads together and get her out of this mess.

Until then, she begrudgingly obeys orders and tries her best to wait out the storm (and maybe try to find her way out).

Shadow is the opposite of Amy, he is a lot colder and sometimes even aggressive towards other humans (especially G.U.N. Operatives).

He just works with G.U.N. For his own means to an end ( like the game shadow has amnesia and his memories have been tampered went to exact his revenge on humanity for Maria’s sake).

Despite his cold nature toward those around him, he forms a genuine bond with Amy Rose (and eventually Rouge too).

Amy is one of the few people Shadow finds comfort and peace in despite her sometimes overwhelmingly bubbly and energetic personality.

He can’t help but be reminded of Maria whenever he catches Amy taking in every nook and cranny of what Earth has to offer whenever they’re on their missions.

G.U.N. Takes notice of this and eventually takes full advantage of this to keep Shadow in their control

Shortly after Shadow was released, Rouge arrived on Earth, her sights set on the legendary master emerald.

Fortunately, Rouge was able to keep her distance (and guard up) enough to not let G.U.N. pull something similar to Amy (much to Amy’s relief).

Rouge and G.U.N. Do strike a deal, if rouge works with them the emerald is her’s (at least it is what they lead her to believe)

The team officially form intending to apprehend Sonic and his friends

Throughout their missions and training sessions, Shadow and Amy's bond grows stronger along with their new teammate Rouge.

Shadow and Rouge form a friendship built on trust and respect.

While Amy and Rouge's friendship is rough around the edges (they bicker a lot), they do have some form of respect for each other (they kind of have a sister relationship going on that neither of them would admit).

Rouge eventually gets curious about what is in it for Amy working for G.U.N. Which gets Shadow curious. they both know Amy is not the type to work for these goons to get something out of it.

Amy hesitantly replies that she wanted to help them out, but things got… complicated, so now she’s here.

Amy doesn’t want to worry Shadow or appear weak to Rouge, nor does she want to get them too involved in her problems.

Shadow and Rouge are suspicious that there’s something more going on between Amy and G.U.N that she’s not telling them.

Sadly, their suspicions are confirmed when one of their missions goes wrong and Amy takes the brunt of the blame.

shadow and Rouge witness firsthand what the pack on Amy’s back is meant for, and they both don't like it one bit

Shadow steps in to stop them while Rouge comforts Amy the best she can

with the confirmation that not just Shadow but Rouge cares deeply for Amy, G.U.N. not so subtly threatens Shadow and Rouge that this could happen again if they aren't so compliant on their next mission.

As Shadow comforts Amy, his hatred for G.U.N and humanity has cemented if it wasn’t already. He promised himself that he would stop at nothing to get Amy out of this place and make every last one of these agents pay. Unbeknownst to him, Rouge had made a similar promise to herself (but not to the full extent of ending all of humanity).

Eventually, the team encounters their target Sonic heroes, which leads to a lot of conflict

Amy is certain that Sonic is the hero that she was destined to meet and that they should accept the help they are offering

Shadow disagrees, feeling that Sonic is nothing but an idiot who can’t save anyone (and besides he didn’t need saving).

Amy is willing to take that chance with Sonic and attempts to accept his help but Shadow quickly intervenes when he notices the two warning beeps and her pack starting to activate.

Before the final warning, shadow grabs Amy (unintentionally sending the message that Shadow is taking Amy hostage to the heroes and pissing Amy off).

Realizing that G.U.N would never let Amy go so easily (assuming that the pack would terminate her if she were to side with the enemy). Shadow decides to take a risk with the heroes.

Before Shadow Chaos controls away with his teammate/hostage, he gives the heroes a good look at Amy’s pack and glares down at the heroes stating “If you’re truly looking for someone to save then pay attention!”

Sonic and Knuckles are enraged by Shadow's cowardly and low action of taking the girl hostage to escape their fight.

That was until Tails showed his brother what unit managed to pick up on Amy.

The brothers are horrified by what could’ve happened if Shadow hadn’t intervened in time. They all agree to take things carefully when trying to help Amy.

Sonic wants to help Shadow reignite after learning what he is willing to do to save Amy (he was just gonna be a tough nut to crack).

Rouge later gives the heroes blueprints on the pack to aid them in safely getting Amy free

Eventually, thanks to the help of Rouge and Tails’ careful planning, they were able to free Amy from their control.

With Amy safe, Shadow finally initiates his revenge against G.U.N and humanity.

Amy isn’t having it, so she confronts Shadow who doesn’t understand why after everything the government/humans have put her through she would still defend them.

She calmly replies that yes, she has experienced the worst of humanity, but she also witnessed the good in humanity with her brief time on earth.

Amy’s heartfelt speech strikes a chord with Shadow, reminding him of his true promise to Maria.

Wanting to make things right Shadow makes a new promise to Amy before aiding Sonic in saving the world.

[viasplat]

I typed up the Pentiment bibliography for my own use and thought I’d share it here too. In case anyone else is fixated enough on this game to embark on some light extra-curricular reading

I haven’t searched for every one of these books but a fair few can be found via one of the following: JSTOR / archive.org / pdfdrive.com / libgen + libgen.rocks; or respective websites for the journal articles.

List below the cut!

Beach, Alison I, Women as Scribes: Book Production and Monastic Reform in Twelfth-Century Bavaria. Cambridge University Press, 2004

Berger, Jutta Maria. Die Geschichte der Gastfreundschaft im hochmittelalterlichen Mönchtum die Cistercienser. Akademie Verlag GmbH, 1999

Blickle, Peter. The Revolution of 1525. Translated by Thomas A. Brady, Jr. and H.C. Erik Midelfort. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985

Brady, Thomas A., Jr. “Imperial Destinies: A New Biography of the Emperor Maximilian I.” The Journal of Modern History, vol.62, no.2, 1990. pp. 298-314

Brandl, Rainer. “Art or Craft? Art and the Artist in Medieval Nuremberg.” Gothic and Renaissance Art in Nuremberg 1300-2550. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986

Byars, Jana L., “Prostitutes and Prostitution in Late Medieval Barcelona.” Masters Theses. Western Michigan University, 1997

Cashion, Debra Taylor. “The Art of Nikolaus Glockendon: Imitation and Originality in the Art of Renaissance Germany.” Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art, vol.2, no.1-2, 2010

de Hamel, Christopher. A History of Illuminated Manuscripts. Phaidon Press Limited, 1986

Eco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. Translated by William Weaver. Mariner Books, 2014

Eco, Umberto. Baudolino. Translated by William Weave. Boston, Mariner Books, 2003

Fournier, Jacques. “The Inquisition Records of Jacques Fournier.” Translated by Nancy P. Stork, San Jose University, 2020

Geary, Patrick. “Humiliation of Saints.” In Saints and their cults: studies in religious sociology, folklore, and history. Edited by Stephen Wilson. Cambridge University Press, 1985. pp. 123-140

Harrington, Joel F. The Faithful Executioner: Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013

Hertzka, Gottfied and Wighard Strehlow. Große Hildegard-Apotheke. Christiana-Verlag, 2017

Hildegard von Bingen. Physica. Edited by Reiner Hildebrandt and Thomas Gloning. De Gruyter, 2010

Julian of Norwich. Revelations of Divine Love. Translated by Barry Windeatt. Oxford University Press, 2015

Karras, Ruth Mazo. Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others. Routledge, 2017

Kerr, Julie. Monastic Hospitality: The Benedictines in England, c.1070-c.1250. Boydell Press, 2007

Kieckhefer, Richard. Forbidden rites: a necromancer's manual of the fifteenth century. Sutton, 1997

Kümin, Beat and B. Ann Tlusty. The World of the Tavern: Public Houses in Early Modern Europe. Routledge, 2017

Ilner, Thomas, et al. The Economy of Dürnberg-Bei-Hallein: an Iron Age Salt-mining Centre in the Austrian Alps. The Antiquaries Journal, vol. 83, 2003. pp. 123-194

Làng, Benedek. Unlocked Books: Manuscripts of Learned Magic in the Medieval Libraries of Central Europe. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2008

Lindeman, Mary. Medicine and Society in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge University Press, 2010

Lowe, Kate. “'Representing' Africa: Ambassadors and Princes from Christian Africa to Renaissance Italy and Portugal, 1402-1608.” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society Sixth Series, vol. 17, pp. 101-128

Meyers, David. “Ritual, Confession, and Religion in Sixteenth-Century Germany.” Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte, vol. 89, 1998. pp. 125-143

Murat, Zuleika. “Wall paintings through the ages: the medieval period (Italy, twelfth to fifteenth century).” Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, vol. 12, no. 191. Springer, October 2021. pp. 1-27

Overty, Joanne Filippone. “The Cost of Doing Scribal Business: Prices of Manuscript Books in England, 1300-1483.” Book History 11, 2008. pp. 1-32

Page, Sophie. Magic in the Cloister: Pious Motives, Illicit Interests and Occult Approaches to the Medieval Universe. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2013

Park, Katharine. “The Criminal and the Saintly Body: Autopsy and Dissection in Renaissance Italy.” Renaissance Quarterly, vol. 47, no. 1, Spring 1994. pp. 1-33

Rebel, Hermann. Peasant Classes: The Bureaucratization of Property and Family Relations under Early Habsburg Absolutism, 1511-1636. Princeton University Press, 1983

Rublack, Ulinka. “Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Female Body in Early Modern Germany.” Past & Present, vol. 150, no. 1, February 1996. pp. 84-110

Salvadore, Matteo. “The Ethiopian Age of Exploration: Prester John's Discovery of Europe, 1306-1458.” Journal of World History, vol. 21, no. 4, 2011. pp. 593 - 627

Sangster, Alan. “The Earliest Known Treatise on Double Entry Bookkeeping by Marino de Raphaeli”. The Accounting Historians Journal, vol. 42, no. 2, 2015. pp. 1-33.

Throop, Priscilla. Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing. Healing Arts Press, 1998

Usher, Abbott Payson. “The Origins of Banking: The Primitive Bank of Deposit, 1200-1600.” The Economic History Review, vol. 4, no. 4, 1934. pp. 399-428

Waldman, Louis A. “Commissioning Art in Florence for Matthias Corvinus: The Painter and Agent Alexander Formoser and his Sons, Jacopo and Raffaello del Tedesco.” Italy and Hungary: Humanism and Art in the Early Renaissance. Edited by Péter Farbaky and Louis A. Waldman, Villa I Tatti, 2011. pp. 427-501

Wendt, Ulrich. Kultur und Jagd: ein Birschgang durch die Geschichte. G. Reimer, 1907

Whelan, Mark. “Taxes, Wagenburgs and a Nightingale: The Imperial Abbey of Ellwangen and the Hussite Wars, 1427-1435.” The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, vol. 72, no. 4, 2021, pp. 751-777.e

Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. Women and Gender in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge University Press, 2008

Yardeni, Ada. The Book of Hebrew Script: History, Paleography, Script Styles, Calligraphy & Design. Tyndale House Publishers, 2010

[the-fictive-haven]

Source calling again yay (would appreciate rbs for visibility ty /nf)

Hey anyone from the Sonic the hedgehog universe! We wanna interact with sourcemates p l e a s e (sobbing /j)

Nontraumagenic plurals welcome, any good faith identities welcome, literally if you're not a bigot, a jerk, or bringing syscourse you're good we do not care /lh

Probably gonna forget someone but that I can remember at the moment our system has Sonic, Boom Sonic, Sticks, Tails, Amy, Shadow, Silver, Maria, Prime Shadow, two Nines, Rusty Rose, Eggman, Orbot and Cubot, two Sages, a Fleetway super Sonic for some godforsaken reason(??), Infinite, and likely a Rouge and Metal Sonic in here somewhere as well. These guys are taking over the system help /lhj

[the-sinful-voice-witch]

The beauty🌹 of Shadamy

Isn't it just wonderful how my dear Amy Rose gets paired romantically with every Sonic Rival in the fandom? Even Blaze! And fortunately not much with Jet 😂😂 My favorite one obviously is Shadamy, followed by Surgamy and finally with Metal Sonic but seriously, to me nothing beats THE Shadamy❤🖤🩷.

So the BEST thing about this ship to me is that it was born out of a single interaction 😆 and I don't mean the moment she colorblinded mistook him for Sonic and hugged him nooooope I mean the moment she reminded him about Maria Robotnik's 🥺 true wish by giving him a similar speech of hope and second chances and after that he said: I have to fufill my promise for Maria... And you... Me after seeing that👇👇

(Funny this gif, casually she was also fangirling about a... SHAMY 🤣🤣 only the ones who know the show will get it)

Seriously, is fascinating how popular this ship became of that single interaction that led fans to write a HUGE amount of fanfiction of them and is always so romantic or so passionate or so angsty God I never get tired of it, one of my favorite portrayals of Shadamy is when Shadow is kind of a emo simp towards her, like he is simply adoring her even when she only looks at Sonic who is not looking at her 😭... Ah drama. 😂 I remember a few stories back when I was a pre teen... Like "el blog de Amy Rose" That's the only written fanfic name I remember and it was a total soap opera, a total and absolute telenovela full of all kinds of drama like Silver was their son and Sonic and Shadow were lost brothers 😂. Then I remember I few comics like Ternion that was an insanely passionate and angsty story with an excellent art that to contribute to my torture it was never finished... And boy I know the author had a secret smut chapter that she never posted anywhere... We know it exists because there were a few hot scenes in a video... 😭 but never happened the story didn't even reach half of what I think it was going to be🥲. In Chaos universe there's a double story in one Sonic and Amy had a daughter named Sonia but in an alternative universe we have María Rose who is Shadow and Amy's daughter... Is another tragedy were Amy is dead in both universes 😭 and of course I'm totally biased with Maria Rose's universe because the way her dad remember Amy's just hits different, seriously is way more enjoyably painful 🥲 and then the most current comics I'm addicted to of course IDOL AMY portrayed Shadow exactly how I said I like him the most 🥺 and the last one I saw is one apocalyptic where obviously Shadow survives and mourns a dead Amy: Future's Shadow... Girl this hedgehog can't catch a break they like to see him suffer 🥲🥲🥲

Now let's focus in the official interactions:

The Archie comics before the reboot kinda mistreated Amy portraying her in an annoying way most of the time just like in some games... And I wasn't a fan of a certain interaction she had with Shadow... (Those issues had a bitchy evil Rouge portrayal that I didn't like one bit🤬) I mean shadow actually kicks her in the stomach and hits her with her own hammer and... That just felt so wrong, you see I can't picture an scenario where Shadow would lay a hand on Amy in such a way as he did in those comics but I had a little comfort in this interaction at least 👇👇

She puts her faith on him when he doesn't have much faith on himself and that is something she also did in the games, like in Shadow the hedgehog own game. Then there was a reboot and we got better interactions, here we have Amy teasing him and he pouting adorably (and finally they dropped the Rouge is a bitch portrayal thank you😤)

We also see that they can make a good team

Hey Shadow how it feels to be hammered by her? 🤭😇, then we had the marvelous IDW reboot but we still don't have proper interactions (and this is the best Rouge💜)

Though honesty? This look like a romance novel scene... You know, with the bad boy being stubborn with the kind sweet girl 😂. Well Sonic IDW is still ongoing so we'll see if we get something more juicy... But I think I will be happy if they simply team up in a fight again.

And now let's talk about Twitter... Well, well, well have you noticed this tiny details in Sonic's Twitter takeovers? Someone asked "Shadow, will you marry me? " And they made Amy voice be the one reading that question 🧐, not only that the things Shadow described about what he wants in a partner for marriage were things that Amy totally would do perfectly (and to add some spice they made Sonic voice sound kind of upset to tease us with some sonadow too😂😂) and then the most precious and hilarious thing... SHADOW AND AMY ARE BOTH SWIFTIES 😆😆

And look! He got her ticket's 😭😭 and they went together!!! 😭😭😭(that's a DATE) and then in another Twitter takeover she tells about how they had fun and got shirts and then Sonic got jealous 😭😭😭 KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and look what SEGA IS DOING 👇👇👇

Pop Star Amy and Rock Star Shadow I can't... 😭😭 and paladin Amy and knight Shadow AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THEY MATCH!!!!!

I'm telling you... Sonic team is indulging us with oficial Sonamy but they are also shamelessly teasing us with SHADAMY (and sonadow juju)

And seriously fellow comic artists, feel free to keep drawing Shadamy comics forever... We don't get tired... 😇 and SEGA... Don't be shy... We conform with little teasing details you don't have to confirm or deny anything but for future games... A little Shadamy won't hurt 🥺🙏, we want Shadamy in games too! IDW that goes for you too... If you are teasing Sonamy and Sonadow you can tease Shadamy too! (And Knouge too! 😫)

And all this reminds me that we should demand SEGA to reboot the Sonic Adventure games with new modern animation and also so it's playable in modern consoles! I want to play it with the Nintendo Switch!! 😤😤😤

[100-sexiest]

Current list of nominations ready for voting to find the most goonable celeb of 2023. Further suggestions can be sent via DM to @100-sexiest and voting will begin Jan 1st

Addison Rae

Alena Shishkova

Alexa Bliss

Alexis Ren

Alice Chater

Alice Delish

Alla Bruletova

Amara Cordova

Amber Heard

Amelie Zilber

Amouranth

Amy Childs

Amy Schumer

Ana De Armas

Angela White

Anna Kendrick

Anna Nystrom

Anne Hathaway

Anya Taylor-Joy

Anyuta Rai

Ariana Grande

Aspen Mansfield

Asuna Yuuki

Aubrey Plaza

Autumn Falls

Ava Max

Avril Lavigne

Bebe Rexha

Bella Hadid

Bella Thorne

Belle Delphine

Belle Poarch

Bhad Bhabie

Billie Faiers

Breckie Hill

Britney Spears

Camilo Cabello

Cara Delvigne

Carmella Rose

Carmen Electra

Charli D'Amelio

Charli XCX

Charlotte Dawson

Charlotte Lawrence

Charly Jordan

Chelsea Healey

Cherry Crush

Chloe Grace Moretz

Chloe Khan

Chloe Madeley

Chloe Sims

Coconut Kitty

Corinna Kopf

Courtney Stodden

Daisy Keech

Daisy Ridley

Danielle Mason

Demi Rose

Dove Cameron

Elisha Herbert

Elizabeth Hurley

Elizabeth Olsen

Emilia Clarke

Emily Atack

Emily Elizabeth

Emily Feld

Emily Ratajkowski

Emma Kotos

Emma Roberts

Emma Stone

Emma Watson

Eva Elfie

Faith Seed

Foxy Menagerie

Gal Gadot

Gigi Hadid

Greta Thunberg

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailey Bieber

Hailey Sigmond

Hannah OwO

Hannah Palmer

Havanna Winter

Hayden Panettiere

Holly Hagan

Ichinose Asuna

Iggy Azalea

Ivanka Peach

Ivanka Trump

Jemima Robinson

Jenna Ortega

Jennifer Lawrence

Jessica Weaver

Jesy Nelson

Jordyn Jones

Jorgie Porter

Julia Burch

Kaley Cuoco

Kali Roses

Kate Mara

Kate Moss

Kate Upton

Katelyn Elizabeth

Katie Price

Katie Sigmond

Katy Perry

Keeley Hazell

Keira Knightly

Kelsey Calemine

Kendall Jenner

Kendra Wilkinson

Khloe Kardashian

Kiernan Shipka

Kim Kardashian

Kourtney Kardashian

Kristen Hancher

Kyla Dodds

Kylie Jenner

Kylie Minogue

Lara Croft

Lauren Burch

Lauren Conrad

Lauren Pope

Lea Elui

Lele Pons

Lily Collins

Lily Easton

Lindsay Lohan

Lois Griffin

Lola Bynny

Loren Gray

Lorraine Ward

Lucy Hale

Lucy Mecklenburgh

Maddison Fox

Madi Teeuws

Madison Beer

Maggie Lindemann

Malu Trevejo

Margot Robbie

Maria Domark

Megan Fox

Meika Woollard

Mia Malkova

Mila Kunis

Miley Cyrus

Millie Mackintosh

Miranda Lawson

Mishka Silva

Molly-Mae Hague

Morgan Harvill

Natalia Fadeev

Natalie Dormer

Nicki Minaj

Nicole Demora

Nicole Scherzinger

Olivia Dunne

Olivia Ponton

Paige Thorn

Paisley Porter

Paris Hilton

Piper Rockelle

Pixie Lott

Pokimane

Polina Malinovskaya

Polly Marchant

Poppy

Power

Presley Elise

Rachel Brockman

Rachel Cook

Ramona Flowers

Renee Herbert

Ria Sunn

Rias Gremory

Rihanna

Riley Reid

Roberta Tubbs

Rolyat

Rooney Mara

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Rubi Rose

Sabrina Carpenter

Samara Weaving

Sarah Hyland

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Scarlet Johnasson

Selena Gomez

Shakira

Sicily Rose

Skyla Jay Carpenter

Sommer

Sophie Grace

Sophie Turner

Summer Glau

Sydney Sweeny

Tammy Hembrow

Taylor Swift

Tila Tequila

Uffie

Vanessa Hudgens

Veronica Lake

Vicky Pattison

Violet Summers

Whitney Thornqvist

Willow Hand

Yor Forger

Zendaya

Zoe Sugg

Zoey Deutch

[sotogalmo]

10 — 11:55

Alice of Human Sacrifice.

( Andromeda, Polarity, Void, Stellar; @emthimofnight . Emmie; @head---ache . Maria; @6larosie9 )

First Alice: Andromeda— The first Alice was a wrathful woman of the Spade. And righteously she held a sharpened blade within her hand. Never hesitating to slay those within her way, creating paths of blood that followed her through Wonderland. Deep into the darkened forest, Alice walked the line. Captured and imprisoned as embodiment of Sin. If not for the murderous wake she left behind, no one would have suspected that she had ever been.

Second Alice: Polarity— The second Alice was a fragile man of the Diamond. He sang to the world in the wonderland. He sang his twisted melodies to all on wonderland, creating the image of the sick and the disturbed. Deadly yet so beautiful, a voice just like a rose- was shot by a madman who silenced him to death. A single rose bloomed in his place with no music composed, and the one who was loved was now forgotten.

Third Alice: Void— There goes the Third Alice, she's the fairest of the Club. An enchanting and bewitching figure in the world of Wonderland. Countless strings of devotees to be her knights and pawns, creating a nation that only knew how to fawn. So there has Alice gone, crowned the country's queen. Consumed by paranoia of her own impending death. (Here's my twisted dream!) Soon the queen succumbed to a dark and twisted dream. Disguised in kindness, loathing faith, she will rule forevermore from the apex of the world.

Fourth (Fifth) Alice: Emmie and Stellar— As this passed two children went into the woods, few rarely stay. A rose gardens, a tea break, that's where the forest parts. The invite from the queen, it actually was; The Trump Card. The Ace of Hearts! The fourth Alice was two siblings, their curiosity in the Wonderland. Exploring across the world, they passed thru many doors (It's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap. Go back. Please.. please.. pleaseee...). Coming not too long ago on a yellow boat. The stubborn big sister, and smart little brother, a nearly perfect True Alice, for the most part.. however (ah! Hahahahahahaha!)— Truth be told, both will never wake from such a lovely dream....

“Wondering in wonderland, they're lost until the end.” One of the specters -he looks like some sort of duck? Only his bill is noticeable under the hat that covers his face in darkness- finished the tale with their own saying of the end of the story. He clapped his gloved hands, as the white rabbit only looked away- emotion on her face, unreadable. But for the other both (taller, bigger than the white rabbit), they had a.. happy face? Or were they bored? It's hard to tell on the Hatter's face, since you can't see. But it's not too hard to see the King's face... but... They seemed to know the story, and multiple ways of how to tell it, maybe they are bored of it..? Oh, who knows though.

Oh?

The white rabbit mumbled something!

A question of sorts?

...

..

.

“who.. will be the next ‘Alice’.....?”

Is what she asks. To witch, the king and the hatter- didn't have an answer too. Well, they do have an answer, but it's not like they'll answer the rabbit's question. Always a worrier, such a chondriac woman.

The two don't care.

[sweetrinaxd]

i love freckles representation in videogame characters cuz this is my lil complex..as you can see in my art, i always draw freckles on every character :D shitpost btw!! here's my list of characters who has freckles in canon (or not, my hcs)

canon!heather mason from sh3! fav girl

canon!mikaela reid from dead by daylight!

canon!claire redfield from resident evil revelations 2!! also my fav outfit is "sniper"

hc!jill valentine should DEFINITELY have freckles.

hc!moira burton from rev2 too! (i hc freckles on barry, so it runs in the family)

hc!elle holloway from sh homecoming! (i hc alex was definitely jealous of her, think he thought it was really cool)

canon!lynn langermann from outlast 2

semi-canon?eileen galvin from sh4 dont ask why..

hc!kate denson from dbd

hc?anne marie cunningham from silent hill downpour, and also charlie pendleton (think it reminded murphy of his son, so yeah)

semi-canon?sunny smiles from fallout new vegas HER NAME LITERALLY SAYS THAT SHE MUST HAVE FRECKLES!!

semi-canon or canon?I DONT REMEMBER BUT STILL emily from class of 09

hc!rachel jessop/faith seed from far cry 5..

canon!max caulfield from lis1/de

canon!cheryl-heather mason from silent hill sm

hc...rebecca chambers...

hc!maria gomez from re vendetta/di

canon! diana from rule of rose

hc!steve burnside from re code veronica x

hc!helena harper from re6

semi-canon?fiona belli from haunting ground

hc! falin from dunmeshi

hc! jess sherawat from re revelations

hc...unmasked hunk/lady hunk is redhead and definitely has freckles

canon!ellie williams from the last of us/2

hc!ellis from left 4 dead 2

hc!alyx vance from half life 2

thanks for watching me being nerdy

[wonder-worker]

Elizabeth Woodville and Elizabeth of York: Queenship

"As an English queen consort, Elizabeth of York, like her mother, had a web of family connections that became the focus of her major patronage activities" - Michelle L. Beer

"After the safe delivery of their eldest sons, both queens Elizabeth gave thanks by founding chapels. Elizabeth Woodville's was in fact eight years after the event and probably as much a thanksgiving to Westminster Abbey for sanctuary as to God for her son. The chapel was attached to the old Lady Chapel of the abbey and dedicated to St Erasmus, a saint invoked against birth pains as well as patron of sailors which made him an unusually apt dedicatee given the king's absence abroad at the time of Prince Edward's birth. Elizabeth of York's foundation was more immediately linked to the birth of Arthur at Winchester, a site chosen for her lying-in by Henry to associate his first-born with the legendary king after whom he was to be named. Here Elizabeth founded a chapel dedicated to Our Lady." - J.L. Laynesmith

"In 1499 Elizabeth of York wrote to the prior of Christ Church, Canterbury, asking for a literal carte blanche of presentation to the highly desirable, centrally located living of All Hallows, Gracechurch Street, London, for which Elizabeth Woodville and her husband had also wanted preferment" - Derek Neal

"Both queens were granted rights of presentation to canonries and prebends in the royal chapel of St. Stephen, Westminster." - Derek Neal.

"Most of the border patterns (of The Fifteen Os, printed by William Caxton and co-sponsored by Elizabeth of York and Margaret Beaufort) are of stylized flowers, mythical beasts, and semi human creatures, quite possibly reused from other books, but one is of a vase of gillyflowers, the emblem of Elizabeth Woodville, whose family had been such important patrons of Caxton, and just over half-way up the margin these flowers lead into a rose branch, crowned with the emblem of her daughter's marriage, the Tudor rose, as if in reference to Elizabeth of York's adoption of her mother's patronage." - J.L. Laynesmith

"In 1480 she (Elizabeth Woodville) petitioned Pope Sixtus IV to allow her subjects to enjoy the indulgences attached to the newly re-established feast of the Visitation, even if the office was recited in private. She also expressed to the Pope her desire for the 'devotion of the faithful of the realm for the [Ave Maria] to be increased more and more'. The Pope obliged by attaching indulgences to the use of the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the recitation of the Ave Maria at each Angelus bell. He also dictated that copies of the letter granting these indulgences be exhibited across the country, thereby ensuring that everyone knew not only of the opportunities to gain indulgences but also of the queen's intercessory role in their spiritual welfare. … Elizabeth's daughter, who of course shared her name saint, was apparently inspired by her mother to develop the devotions still further. Following her petition in 1492, the Pope granted 300 days of pardon to anyone reciting the salutation three times at each tolling of the Angelus bell.” - J.L. Laynesmith

"Elizabeth Darcy, the lady mistress of the nursery for Elizabeth Woodville's children, was appointed to the same post for Elizabeth of York's children, probably as a result of the younger queen's childhood affection for Darcy." - J.L Laynesmith

A couple of reasons why this interests me:

- Elizabeth Woodville was the first English queen since Philippa of Hainault to raise royal daughters, with almost a century and five other queens in between them. I don't think there's ever been such a huge gap in that regard before, which means that Elizabeth would not really had any direct precedent or source of inspiration to follow beyond what was ideally, conventionally expected. Clearly, judging by the fact that her daughter was widely considered a successful queen and emulated several of her mother's own activities, Elizabeth did her job well.

- There's a strange, persistently recurring trend in historical fiction and general histories that tends to make the relationship between the two Elizabeths contentious and/or distant, or tends to emphasize their polarity in whatever capacity, or tends to prioritize Elizabeth of York's relationship with her uncle Richard III and his wife Anne Neville than her own mother (and her own father, tbh). This speaks volumes of the vilification and negative depictions of Elizabeth Woodville in contemporary media, but also the tendency to use Elizabeth of York as a cipher for historians' own thoughts about historical figures rather than a historical figure in her own right. This is particularly prevalent in Ricardian and Ricardian-leaning media, the latest shining example being Alison Weir's "The Last White Rose". On the other hand, a few sympathetic Tudor analyses tend to (understandably) focus on re-evaluating Elizabeth's relationship with Margaret Beaufort and debunking the irritating misconception that they didn't get along. But in the process, Elizabeth of York's relationship and inspiration from her own mother gets lost and forgotten in the mix, when it should in fact be highlighted the most. It's frustrating, because Elizabeth Woodville was evidently her daughter's most important role model: Elizabeth of York was regularly at her mother's side during her childhood, observed her successful queenship for 17 years, and, as we can see, directly mirrored several of her mother's activities during her own tenure as queen. Interestingly, as the 5th quote shows, even when she co-sponsored a book by William Caxton with Margaret, Caxton himself clearly associated Elizabeth of York's patronage to her mother's influence. It's a shame that only a few specific historians tend to focus on the connection between mother and daughter, as I think there's a wealth of analyses to be made on it.

- While both Elizabeths were English queens, with a web of family connections that they used to their and the crown's benefit, their situations were definitely not the same and should not be treated as such. Their different status prior to their marriage meant that their respective families and actions were always going to be viewed and treated differently, for one. More importantly, though, Elizabeth Woodville was the first Englishwoman to be crowned queen. Her English family's advancement and involvement in national and local politics was to be expected, but it's important to keep in mind that it was not precedented. It simply hadn't happened before, and it wasn't expected to happen again. Elizabeth Woodville was very much a novel queen in that regard; certain aspects of her queenship were very unique and unprecedented for that time, and she was the one who established the precedent of using her homeborn family as a network of politics and patronage that all later English consorts followed. In contrast, by the time Elizabeth of York became queen, this was a comparatively more established and familiar practice, followed by two former consorts, her mother and Anne Neville. So, even apart from their differing status and the propaganda against them, it makes sense that their activities were regarded differently, both by contemporary detractors and subsequent historians. There's also the fact that Elizabeth Woodville and her relatives had far more direct power and involvement with the Crown Prince's council, household and administration than Elizabeth of York and her relatives did, which we know massively contributed to the commentary and/or criticism the former received.

Sources:

Michelle L. Beer, "Queenship at the Renaissance Courts of Britain: Catherine of Aragon and Margaret Tudor, 1503-1533"

J.L. Laynesmith, "The Medieval Queens: English Queenship 1445-1503"

Derek Neal, "The Queen's Grace: English Queenship 1464-1503"

[shadamyheadcanons]

Headcanon #294

Kalopsia, noun: the delusion of things being more beautiful than they truly are.

I got this idea while listening to the Queens of the Stone Age song of the same name. Josh Homme apparently wrote this as a love song for his daughter, who he feels sees him through rose-colored glasses rather than as he truly is, and the vulnerability that stems from opening oneself up to love and being seen completely by another person. Bittersweet, isn’t it?

--

Shadow’s done many things he’s not proud of. He failed to protect Maria, almost destroyed the Earth multiple times, and has wound up on the wrong track more times than he cares to admit. His closest friends know this, and the judgmental stares and accusations of those who’ve never bothered to get to know him reinforce his negative self-image.

That’s why Amy always catches him off guard. No matter what he’s done and how many people have given up on him, she never stops believing he’ll do what’s right. He can’t help but feel she sees him in a way he doesn’t truly live up to, but it’s that unwavering faith that inspires him to strive to reach that ideal image, to be the better version of himself that she somehow sees.

Amy’s spent her whole life maintaining a positive attitude, staying bubbly and happy as much as possible for the sake of her friends. She often feels that her positivity is the most important gift she has to share with the world, so she works hard to keep it up, even when it’s only a facade and she’s just as scared as everyone else. With this image in place, she can’t help but feel everyone views her through rose-colored glasses, never seeing the insecurity and fears she hides for their sake.

Shadow is the sole exception to this. He’s blunt on a level that doesn’t allow her to be evasive the way she is with everyone else. He pursues the truth until her brave front falls and she has to admit how she truly feels.

The biggest surprise to her is that despite seeing what she views as her worst side, he still likes the person he sees.

It takes time for her to grow accustomed to the vulnerability, to fully trust that someone could truly love her full, authentic self, but once he finally breaks down her barriers, his presence becomes a safe haven she never quite finds with anyone else.

Most people were surprised when Shadow and Amy fell for each other. Only the two of them fully understood how inevitable it was.

[bestworstcase]

I like your analysis on many things and I generally concurred on your points regarding Salem not seemingly doing anything but a thought did occur.

How does the idea Salem wasn't engaging in a secret war align with her killing Silver Eyed Warriors? No one else has anything to gain from their demises after all, so it wouldn't make sense for someone we've not met to be doing it.

the worldbuilding gremlins in my brain will not permit me to answer this without first noting that people are absolutely fantastic at rationalizing pointless violence and there’s a fine line between a savior and a scapegoat.

all it takes is one rumor that the warrior who turns grimm aside with a mere glance is really their master, sparing the faithful but unleashing the monsters on those who do not fall in line. or someone putting old myths about the maidens—witches whose power you can take by killing them—together with silver eyes. or one charismatic zealot blaming silver eyed warriors for the massacre of a village they couldn’t save. you know?

but, realistically, if silver-eyed folk are all descended from ozma, they’d have to be pretty rare to begin with—man doesn’t seem like he’s done a lot of settling down to have kids on the regular—and i don’t imagine there’s ever been enough of them for anyone but salem to be consistently picking them off.

although i will add that our data points here are: 1. maria, who was unambiguously targeted because of her eyes, 2. summer rose, who sought salem out on purpose, 3. hound guy, who salem fucked up good, and 4. maria’s father’s theory that the only reason silver eyes could possibly be so rare and obscure was if someone was hunting them down, which… isn’t logically sound actually, it requires the presupposition that silver eyes were common once and aren’t anymore, which probably isn’t the case bfjrhrk

and then like, look at the circumstances surrounding the three silver eyed people that we know FOR SURE that salem crossed paths with in some way: maria was a legend who styled herself as the grimm reaper. summer chose to go after salem, not the other way around. the hound… we have no idea where, when, or how salem found that guy, but we do know that he was the first, bc the hound was an experiment.

2 out of 3 are clearly atypical, and the 1 who isn’t was a SUPER high profile huntress, and combined with V9 establishing that summer’s “normal” was constant false alarms and ‘emergencies’ that turned out to be nothing? to me that raises the question of whether salem made a regular practice of culling silver-eyed warriors or if she went after maria bc maria’s fame brought her to salem’s attention?

BUT. THAT ASIDE,

i do think it’s pretty likely that salem regularly put bounties on the heads of SEWs of maria’s caliber, and may have exerted more effort than that (although if so, those efforts seem to have tapered off in the postwar era—it beggars belief that summer, ozpin’s protégée, would have slipped salem’s notice).

why? salem’s a grimm. grimm are very clearly shown to be… not mindless demonic monsters; they’re social creatures, they’re way smarter than huntsmen give ’em credit for, they have a drive to live just like any other living thing. and they’re all salem has. she’s been exiled from human and faunus civilization for thousands of years, but the grimm have never rejected her. it makes sense to me that she’d want to protect them?

and also, if she made the same connection maria did, and assumed silver eyes derived their power from the god of light… well. all the more reason to strike them down.

but, more to the point, salem taking maria out was entirely unrelated to whatever conflict she may or may not have been engaging in with ozpin at the time, because maria… didn’t know ozpin, wasn’t party to his conspiracy, had zero knowledge of salem’s existence. she was a lone, legendary hero doing her thing completely separate from what ozpin had going on. (which if anything supports the broader theory that salem was Focused On Other Things besides him; ‘other things’ need not necessarily be ‘good things’ hrgjshk)

there’s this pretty widespread fanon that ozma recruited silver-eyed warriors to his cause / that there is a power struggle of some kind over silver eyes akin to the one over the maidens, but i’m not… sure how well that holds up. certainly ozpin placed some importance on ruby’s eyes, but the impression i get is that ozma sees silver eyes as a proxy for his ‘smaller, more honest soul’—he’s not looking for the power so much as he’s looking for a particular purity of character. & obviously there’s silver-eyed folks out there who don’t answer to him or even know him.

so salem targeting silver eyes might sometimes overlap with taking out an agent of his, but equally it might just as often be motivated by—somewhat ironically—wanting to protect the lives of grimm.

[lemoncrushh]

Wild Horses - Five

Summary: Amber Crosby didn’t end up with the life she’d expected, but that didn’t keep her from following her dream. A young, up and coming country recording artist, she and her band set out to do just that. Trying to leave her past behind, it wasn’t until meeting Harry Styles that she realized just how her life could take a turn and alter her future forever.

A/N: Please note all portions in italics are meant to be flashbacks :).

STORY PAGE

Chapter Five Word Count: 4.3k+

“Who’d ever thought that I would have the guts to change…” - Maria McKee; I’ve Forgotten What It Was In You (That Put The Need In Me)

“So what city are you in now?” asked Faith.

“Wilmington,” Amber replied.

“Delaware? What the fuck is in Delaware?”

Amber chuckled. “Beats me.”

“When are you coming down south?”

“Well, I’ll be home for Christmas, as the song goes. But we don’t play Atlanta until February.”

“Oh, that sucks. But at least you won’t be on the road for the holidays,” remarked Faith. “I don’t think I could live like that. City to city.”

Amber rose from her hotel bed and dug inside her suitcase for her cream sweater while Faith continued to chatter through the speaker. Although she’d been on the road before, Amber wasn’t prepared to give her cousin a response to her comment. She’d only been on the Harry Styles tour for two cities so far, Wilmington being the third. While she missed Pauline and Laci, this had been her dream since she was twelve. Being on the road, living in a suitcase...it was just part of the life that she’d accepted, if not actually looked forward to.

“So are you gonna tell me what he’s like?” Faith asked.

“Who?”

“Fucking Orlando Bloom. Harry, you idiot.”

Amber laughed. “He’s great. Really, really sweet. Every good thing you’ve ever heard about him is true.”

“Yeah? Even the size of his pecker?”

“Shut up!”

Amber heard Faith cackle through the phone, a little squeak at the end like a tiny mouse.

“You know I’m messin’ with you,” she said. “Although inquiring minds do wanna know.”

“I’m sure you do,” Amber muttered as she tied the laces of her Nikes.

Finishing up her conversation, Amber semi-promised Faith she’d make sure she had a ticket to the Atlanta show before hanging up. She wasn’t really sure why it mattered to Faith at all, seeing as she hadn’t bothered to come see her perform since she’d moved to Savannah, and probably hadn’t ever listened to her music - or Harry’s for that matter - but there was still a certain comfort that came from chatting with her cousin that she couldn’t explain. So somehow, deep down, Amber felt an obligation to be kind to Faith.

Just as she was dabbing on some lip gloss, a knock sounded on her door. She knew who it was before opening it. For the last couple of days, Carter had been oddly nice to her. Though he never mentioned his mood at the first concert, nor the night before when he’d pushed her against the wall in his drunken state, he’d seemed to find some kind of resolve, perhaps finally admitting to himself that they were just friends and bandmates. He’d also been showing Jeff and Harry some kindness, always shaking their hands when either of them walked into the room, though he never seemed to stick around for more than a minute or two.

It was a start, Amber decided, and the smile on his face when she opened the door only reassured her more.

“Mornin’,” he greeted, an arm stretched out against the door frame. “Are you hungry?”

“Starved.”

“Good, me too. John and Bren are already downstairs.”

“You’re chipper this morning,” Amber smiled.

“I’ve been up a while,” Carter shrugged. “Went to the gym.”

“Look at you,” Amber raised her brows in amazement before shutting the door behind her.

“Yeah. Styles was there.”

“You worked out with Harry?” Amber asked incredulously as they reached the elevators.

Suddenly, the image in her head of Harry working out made her flushed, and she pretended to look down at something on her phone.

“I wouldn’t say with,” Carter chuckled. “But he was there. I talked to him for a little bit. He’s a nice guy.”

“Yes, he is,” Amber nodded as she stepped onto the elevator.

“He asked about us.”

“Us?”

“Yeah, you and me. I guess he wanted to know if we were a couple.”

Her stomach lurching, Amber glared at Carter. “What exactly did he ask?”

“He was curious about our history.”

Rolling her eyes, Amber ran a hand through her hair.

“He probably meant how we met and you became my drummer, Carter. Not if we were together!”

A smirk grew on Carter’s face as the elevator doors opened.

“Maybe so.”

“Carter!”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t tell him anything.”

“Yeah, because there’s nothing to tell.”

Fuming, Amber strode briskly past Carter and toward the hotel restaurant. She knew Carter’s pleasant mood had been too good to be true, and she was pissed off that it had taken him all but five minutes to ruin hers. She stopped when she walked into the restaurant and saw Brendan and Johnny sitting with three other gentlemen and two women. Harry and his band.

Stealing a glance back at Carter who’d followed her, Amber silently gave him a warning to which he merely shrugged. With a deep sigh, she put a smile on her face and walked through the tables toward Harry’s. When their eyes met, she instantly felt her rage dissolve.

“Good morning!” he greeted before she had a chance to say it first.

“Morning,” Amber said softly, taking a seat on the other side of Johnny, across from Clare who smiled up at her.

“Oh, it’s nice to have everybody!” she cheered. “What a treat.”

Amber couldn’t help but grin back, relieved that Carter had chosen to sit at the other end of the table.

“Harry doesn’t usually get to join us for meals, and last time was a fiasco,” Clare continued with a chuckle.

“Was that the night in Nashville?” Amber asked, recalling the evening she’d met Harry.

“Oh yeah, he was mobbed right outside the restaurant,” Mitch pointed toward the doorway.

“It wasn’t so bad,” Harry shrugged. “I still made it inside.”

“After what? A hundred autographs and selfies?”

Amber heard Mitch’s words, but he might as well have been sitting at another table. Harry’s eyes met hers again, and with the added smirk on his face, she couldn’t seem to look away. She suddenly felt warm and cool all over at the same time, and if it hadn’t been for the waiter coming around to take her drink order, she might have continued staring.

“Wasn’t that many,” she heard Harry say after she ordered coffee.

Clearing her throat, Amber reached for her water glass and took a sip, her gaze finding green eyes once again. She knew she had to be blushing, just as she’d been that night in Nashville when her eyes caught his staring at her from across the room. Perhaps it had been the other way around, she admitted to herself. But either way, his emerald eyes were like magnets pulling her in.

The rest of breakfast was filled with light chatter as the two bands got to know each other a little better. Amber found Clare to be delightfully friendly and pleasant, a calm aura about her, much like Harry’s. She suggested that when they get to the next city, they do a bit of shopping together since they had a couple of days.

“If Jeff lets me out of the hotel,” Amber remarked with a smirk before biting into a slice of bacon.

She heard Harry chuckle next to Clare. She eyed him, knowing he caught the sarcasm in her tone.

“I reckon you should be okay,” he offered. “Jeffrey will have a car if you need.”

Giving Clare a smile and a shrug, they agreed to make plans.

When all the plates had cleared and Amber couldn’t swallow another sip of coffee if she’d tried, the gang rose from the table and said their goodbyes. While Harry stood chatting with Mitch, Amber secretly hoped she could walk out with him and possibly get an idea of what exactly he and Carter had discussed earlier. She wasn’t quite sure why, but she didn’t want him to get the impression that she and Carter were an item. Feeling a hand on her back, however, she dropped her shoulders and sighed.

“What time’s soundcheck?” Carter asked.

“Two o’clock.” She gritted her teeth, knowing damn well that her drummer was aware what time soundcheck was.

“Oh yeah,” she heard him say. “You ready to go?”

“Go where?” Amber asked, finally turning her head. She saw Carter wasn’t looking at her at all. Instead, his gaze pointed toward Harry and his guitarist who were still having a conversation.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, giving her a side-eyed grin. “Breakfast is over.”

“Ugh,” she scoffed, turning for the exit.

“What?” Carter called after her. Catching up with her at the elevator, he stood between her and the doors. “What did I say?”

Amber crossed her arms, her jaw tight. “It’s not what you said, Carter, it’s what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“I don’t know exactly,” she rolled her eyes. “But it’s pissing me off.”

“That’s nothing new,” Carter muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Huh?”

Carter puffed out a breath and shook his head. “All I ever seem to do is make you mad. I can’t win with you.”

Furrowing her brows, Amber considered his comment. “Yeah, you’re right.”

The elevator doors opened then and an older couple stepped off. Giving them a fake smile, Amber ignored the scowl on Carter’s face as he stepped in.

“Are you coming?” he asked, holding the door.

“No.”

“No? What the fuck is with you? You can’t even ride on an elevator with me?”

“I wanna be alone right now,” she replied.

Carter scoffed. “You always wanna be alone. You used to need me, Amber. What happened?”

Blinking, Amber dropped her arms and stepped back.

“I grew up,” she said.

Rolling his eyes, Carter released the door. As it shut, Amber heard him mumble something about her becoming a bitch too.

With a shutter, Amber sniffled, realizing she had tears in her eyes. Quickly wiping them, she waited a few moments before pressing the button for the lift to come down again.

“Hey, everything okay?”

Jumping when she heard the voice, Amber cringed, hoping he hadn’t seen or overheard the exchange.

“Um, yeah,” she nodded, turning to meet his concerned face. Or maybe she was just imagining the concern. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Thought you’d gone,” said Harry.

Amber tried to think of the best excuse she could in two seconds, but only came up with, “Not yet.”

“Oh,” Harry smiled gently. “Good then, because I just got a text from Jeffrey, and he wants to talk to you. We’ll go up together.”

“Okay,” Amber managed a breath as the doors opened.

“I chatted with your drummer this morning.”

Biting her lip, Amber braced herself for Harry’s reveal. She watched his ringed fingers as he pressed the button for his floor, and the doors shut again.

“An interesting lad, that one,” Harry added.

“Carter talks a lot,” Amber blurted, unable to control herself.

Harry grinned. “Actually, I found the opposite. I tried asking him several questions, but his responses were short and minimal.”

“Oh.”

“You sure you’re fine?” Harry asked with apparent concern. “Your eyes are all…”

“Oh. Yeah,” Amber lied. “It’s fine. I have allergies. Not used to this cold, either.”

“Ah yes. I get a fit of hay-fever myself from time to time.”

Amber smiled meekly and wiped her eyes, completely embarrassed.

“Anyway,” Harry chuckled low, “it wasn’t until I asked Carter how you met that he finally started talking.”

“Oh.” Amber felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She was afraid to ask what Carter had said.

“You two have a history?”

Amber wasn’t quite sure if it was a question, though Harry’s inflection did rise a little at the end.

“History? Um…”

“I mean, you’ve been through a lot together, it’s no wonder.”

“I’m not sure…” Amber pulled at the sleeves of her sweater, worried she might confess what had not actually been confessed.

The door opened then, and Harry held it as Amber stepped off. Waiting for him to lead the way, however, she was surprised when he stopped next to her.

“He’s quite fond of you,” remarked Harry.

Amber glared at him, her mouth agape.

“He said that?”

Harry shrugged. “In so many words. He didn’t really have to, though. I could tell.”

“Hmm…”

“Although…” Harry added, his eyes shifting toward the opposite wall. “He might seem just a wee bit...possessive.”

Amber gasped. “What?”

“Perhaps possessive isn’t the right word. Protective, maybe? But I can understand that, I suppose. I mean, after all you’ve been through.”

Narrowing her eyes, Amber crossed her arms.

“What exactly did he tell you?”

“Oh, don’t worry, love, it wasn’t anything bad. No intimate details or anything,” Harry smirked, and Amber swore she saw the color rise in his cheeks. “He just told me about your desire to become a singer, your ambition. About your mum and your baby sister. How you were determined to make a better life for them. Which I find very commendable, by the way.”

“Oh,” Amber mouthed, blinking hard. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. You’re very strong-willed, Amber, and I like that about you.”

Knowing her face had to be bright pink, Amber felt like a dumbass.

“C’mon,” Harry gestured. “I’ve said too much. Let’s go see Jeffrey.”

“Whoa!” Carter laughed as he wrapped his arm around Amber to keep her from falling.

“Oops,” she giggled. She tried her best to stand upright, but she only managed to do so for a second or two before starting to sway again, her knees giving out.

The band had played a good show that night - a damn good show. Amber had been in her element, taking requests from the audience and singing them as they if she herself had written them. Anything from Tanya Tucker to Pat Benatar to Elvis, she’d performed them all with a certain amount of both grace and audacity, proving she was worthy of being up on that stage.

The drinks had started coming after the first request and hadn’t stopped until she’d said goodnight into the microphone, her weak limbs and last call from the bartender the only things keeping her from letting the night continue.

“Probably shouldn’t have had that last tequila shot,” Amber giggled again, planting her palm on the brick wall before twisting and resting her back against it.

“The last shot was over an hour ago, Ambs,” Carter chuckled. “I think you had a few more drinks after that.”

“Were you keeping score?” Amber asked, her eyes merely slits.

“Nah,” he grinned. “Just noticed.”

“Are you as drunk as me?”

Carter laughed again, stepping closer to her. “Not even, babe. I’m drunk but...it’s kinda hard to keep up with you from behind the drums.”

“Oh,” she blinked, letting the sound of him calling her babe roll around in her head and make her tummy flutter. Or maybe it was just the alcohol.

“You were great tonight,” he declared, letting his hand rest on her hip.

“Thanks,” Amber said low. Then with a groan, she reached out and grabbed a fist of his shirt.

“Help me to my room, Carter,” she insisted. “I’m too wasted to walk.”

With another chuckle, Amber’s drummer gladly obliged, wounding his arm around her again and leading her down the hall to her motel room.

“Where’s your key?” he asked when they arrived after a few stumbles.

Amber groaned again, trying her damndest to remember where she’d put it.

“Um...back pocket.”

Carter smirked, letting his hand linger a bit on her butt cheek as he retrieved her key. He smiled wider when she didn’t slap his hand or pull away.

Sliding the key inside the lock, he waited for the green light before pushing the door open. Then guiding Amber toward the bed, he set her down.

“Where are you going?” he heard her ask as he started to back away.

“Um…” he hesitated. “You should probably drink some water.”

Carter walked to the sink, poured a glass of water and handed it to Amber.

“Thanks,” she muttered before taking a sip. Realizing how dehydrated she was, she soon gulped down the rest of it, handing the empty glass to Carter.

“Want some more?” he asked.

Shaking her head, she reached down to remove her boots, but she found the movement too difficult. Carter set down the glass and knelt in front of her.

“Let me help,” he insisted.

When he’d removed both of her boots, he looked up and met her blue eyes, wider than he’d seen them since they’d left the bar.

“Please don’t leave,” she whispered.

A small smile crept up on his face. “You want me to stay?”

With a tiny nod, she grasped Carter’s bicep and pulled him towards her. Stumbling slightly, Carter kicked Amber’s boots away just as his lips met hers. As she reached for him, he paused only to kick off his own boots before joining her on the bed.

“I need you,” Amber cried in his ear as his hands roamed up her sides and underneath her shirt.

“God, yes,” he moaned, nipping at her neck. “I need you, too, babe. So bad.”

Soundcheck went off without a hitch, giving everyone more time to rest before the show. As the band made their way to the backstage parking lot, Amber stopped Carter, letting Brendan and Johnny take the car back to the hotel.

“Hey, can we talk for a sec?”

“What for?” he scowled.

Amber frowned. Okay, so he was still mad at her, despite having a decent rehearsal and soundcheck. At least he was able to remain professional, she told herself.

“I wanted to apologize,” she sighed.

“Oh yeah?” he quirked a brow.

“I talked to Harry.”

“Oh,” Carter’s expression faltered, the scowl returning to his face.

“He told me what y’all talked about. And I just wanted to say, I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

“Okay,” Carter crossed his arms.

“I was afraid you’d...told him things.”

Rolling his eyes, Carter shook his head. “I told you I didn’t. You always think the worst of me.”

“I know…” she hesitated, looking down at her hands. “I guess that’s not really fair. I’m sorry.”

Amber heard Carter sigh before he stepped closer to her, his hands grazing her arms.

“Ambs…” he said, making her lift her head. Her blue eyes questioned him as he ran his fingers down her wrists and took her hands in his. “We’ve been through a lot together. I want this band to make it as much as you do.”

“I know,” she nodded meekly.

“I guess I…” Carter paused. “I guess I just don’t want you to shut me out. Talk to me. Hang with me.”

Carter playfully twisted back and forth, making Amber dance with him. Cracking a smile, she nodded again.

“Can you still do that?” Carter asked.

“Yeah.”

“C’mon,” he grinned, tugging on her hand. “Let’s go grab a burger or somethin’.”

Amber crinkled her nose. “I was actually thinking about a nap.”

“Hmm,” Carter sounded. “That sounds good, too. Your room or mine?”

“Carter.”

“I’m joking! I swear, I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

Making a face, Amber thought for a moment. “A burger does sound pretty good.”

“I’ve got the keys to the van,” Carter beamed as he slipped them from his pocket and twirled the keyring around his finger.

“A good one with everything on it,” Amber announced as she followed him outside. “Mayo, no mustard.”

“Of course.”

“Maybe with avocado. Or mushrooms.”

“Whatever you want, babe,” grinned Carter as he opened the passenger door.

“No bacon though,” Amber added when she crawled inside and grabbed her seatbelt. “I never understood why anyone wants to add more meat.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Carter chuckled as he rounded the front of the van and climbed in his side.

Harry made his way down the hall, hoping to run into Amber to wish her luck before her set. He’d also hoped he could ease her mind a bit after the chat they’d had on the lift before the meeting with Jeffrey. The look on her face had been a mix of astonishment and embarrassment, maybe a little bit of relief in there as well. He wanted to reassure her that everything was fine, though he wasn’t quite sure why himself.

Perhaps he’d given her the impression he was leery or even jealous of Carter, and that certainly was not the case. At least not the latter. While he still didn’t know the man very well, from their short exchange in the gym that morning, he’d gotten the feeling that Amber’s drummer was more than just a bandmate. If they were romantically involved, he was still unsure, but he definitely could tell they had a history together.

He was just about to her dressing room door when it burst open and he heard a loud, boisterous laugh.

“Shut up!” he heard Amber say emphatically. “You’re a tool.”

“And you love it,” chuckled Carter.

Stopping in his tracks, Harry watched Amber stumble out of the dressing room, her drummer’s arm around her.

“Oh, hey man!” grinned Carter. “How’s it goin’?”

“It’s going well, thanks,” said Harry. “Everything okay here?”

“Yeah, man.”

“Just fine,” added Amber, tucking her hair behind her ears as she tried her best to stand up straight.

Harry could detect the glossiness in her gaze. She was definitely more buzzed than he’d seen her that evening after sharing the bottle of champagne. 

“You sure?” he asked.

“Mmhmm,” Amber nodded, blinking her eyes. “I feel great. Ready to get this show on the road!”

Carter smirked, pulling her closer to him. For a moment, Harry considered suggesting to Carter that he make sure his singer was actually ready to take the stage, but seeing as she wasn’t falling over or slurring her words, he reckoned it wasn’t his place to step in.

“Alright then,” grinned Harry. “Just wanted to come wish you luck. Have a great show.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Amber beamed her pretty smile at him, and for a split second he forgot the other man was standing there.

“Thanks, man,” Carter offered his fist for a bump.

Harry obliged before watching the duo make their way down the hall. Just as he was turning away, he heard her call his name.

“Are you gonna watch again?” Amber asked, her head turned to look at him, Carter’s arm still stretched across her shoulder.

“Always,” he grinned.

Keeping his promise, Harry watched Amber’s show the way he had the first two nights, from the side of the stage, behind the equipment. To her credit, and a little to his surprise, Amber seemed to use whatever alcohol she’d consumed to fuel her performance. She no longer seemed to be the somewhat shy girl he’d met that summer in Nashville. She had attitude and grit, and if he was being honest, a bit of sex appeal. He even caught her making a few jokes with the audience and found himself laughing at her audacity.

Still, when he watched her make several trips to the drum riser to grab another drink of beer, or whatever was in the cup, he felt the urge to protect her take over. And when she turned around to face Carter for a count-off, and he saw her wink at her drummer, his own stomach began to turn as though he’d just swallowed an entire bottle of whiskey.

When Amber was finishing her set, introducing her final song, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Where’ve you been?” he asked his manager.

“Out there,” replied Jeffrey. “I wanted to watch her from the audience this time. She doesn’t know, though. I didn’t wanna make her nervous.”

“I don’t think you could have,” chuckled Harry. “She’s a little firecracker tonight.”

“Stop using my words.”

“Your words?” Harry raised a brow. “Did you coin that phrase?”

“No, but I just said it to Sarah and Mitch.”

Harry laughed again just as his band joined them.

“Where has this girl been?” asked Sarah.

“She’s come out of her shell,” Clare commented.

Crossing his arms as he nodded to the beat of the song, Harry agreed with the others. Amber Crosby was certainly in her element tonight. Even the rest of her band seemed to be feeding off of her energy, playing the best they ever had. Harry had to admit, he was proud, and he hoped to continue seeing her like this.

The crowd went wild when the song was finished and the band took their final bows. When Amber met Carter halfway and he slung his arm around her again, however, Harry was reminded of the sour feeling in his stomach.

Standing back, Harry allowed his bandmates to congratulate Amber, each of them hugging her one by one. When it was his turn, she gave him that same beautiful smile from earlier.

“You were a-” he began before he was interrupted by Carter.

“Is my girl the shit, or what?” he cheered.

“Absolutely fantastic,” Harry replied. He felt his jaw set, but immediately dismissed it. He had no real beef with Carter.

“We’re gonna go watch you from the audience tonight, Harry,” Amber said. “Is that okay?”

“Oh yeah, sure, of course. Hope you enjoy.”

Amber beamed wider. “I know I will.”

Before he could say another word, Carter pulled Amber to the left and down the hall where the others had gone, leaving him alone.

Running his hand down his face, Harry took a deep breath and headed toward his dressing room. He could hear the chatter from his manager and bandmates, but he wasn’t in the mood to join them. Instead, he shut the door behind him, poured two fingers of tequila and sat back on the leather sofa. He quickly realized his jaw was clenched again, so he dropped it, wiggling it back and forth to loosen it. He knew it was no good to let the tension build in his muscles now, not right before a show.

Taking a long sip from his glass, he sighed, leaning back on the couch as he took in the smell of his candle. It reminded him of her now. Closing his eyes, he could see her pretty face smiling back at him.

“God damn it,” he muttered to himself.

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