#olde towne portsmouth

[afragmentcastadrift]

Demo is underway on this Olde Towne building, with support beams now up against its ghost sign. And the mystery of what exactly cost 5 cents will linger.

[fatchance]

Pocket garden.

In the Old Town district in Portsmouth, Virginia.

[bethanydelleman]

I have a very specific question and I hope you know the answer (or where to look 😅): If I remember correctly when Fanny originally was sent to Mansfield she was first accompanied by a servant and joined by Mrs. Norris on the last part. Was this the normal, proper way for children to travel or would a parent / guardian come and pick them up instead of sending a servant?

Let's say it's the beloved child of Lord and Lady X, they're 8 years old and have a long journey ahead of them to go home. Would loving Lady X travel to her child and bring them back herself or was that seen as overbearing and unnecessary when you have trusted servant Y who will keep the child safe and spare you the hassle?

Thank you so much for your work it's always so insightful!

Thank you!

First a caveat, that was the way that Mrs. Norris proposed that Fanny should travel, but it is not what actually happened:

"...I will engage to get the child to Mansfield; you shall have no trouble about it. My own trouble, you know, I never regard. I will send Nanny to London on purpose, and she may have a bed at her cousin the saddler’s, and the child be appointed to meet her there. They may easily get her from Portsmouth to town by the coach, under the care of any creditable person that may chance to be going. I dare say there is always some reputable tradesman’s wife or other going up.” Except to the attack on Nanny’s cousin, Sir Thomas no longer made any objection, and a more respectable, though less economical rendezvous being accordingly substituted

Mrs. Norris's plan is to send Fanny with a stranger from Portsmouth to London and then with her housekeeper. Sir Thomas clearly did not think this was sufficient. Given what he does for Fanny later, I assume he sent a male servant to fetch her, but we aren't told.

Now as for children traveling, I believe they did often go without their parents. Many children in Austen's and other novels go to boarding school and it doesn't seem like their parents accompany them. However, they would almost certainly send a trusted servant with them. In Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, Hyacinth sends her daughter Cynthia, who is a teenager, to France to boarding school completely alone and is criticized for it. She does arrange for Cynthia to stay with family along the way.

If we look at how dependent women travel, which I believe would be similar to children, a male servant is sent most of the time (Elizabeth & Jane's journey to London for example). Fanny is sent with a male relative, William and then Edmund. It is implied that it would be fine for Fanny to travel with Henry Crawford, a gentleman friend of the family. Georgiana Darcy is with her companion Mrs. Younge and at least one (maybe two) male servants. The Dashwood sisters travel with Mrs. Jennings, who would count as a chaperone, she likely has servants with them as well.

The less well-off Miss Steeles travel with a reputable gentleman but not a servant because they can't afford one. Catherine Morland's shocking journey home was shocking because she was unaccompanied (female and only 17). Jane Eyre was sent alone with just the coachman (she was 10) and the school found that odd, so usually a child would be accompanied by someone. Frederica is picked up from school by her uncle in Lady Susan, though that was also because he had to consult with the schoolmistress.

As for real humans, I have read that Jane Austen herself always traveled with one of her brothers, even when she was a confirmed spinster.

So I think it's fairly likely that Lady X could send her beloved child to travel with a trusted servant or three or a relative. I don't think it would be crazy for her to go herself, since Edmund travels all the way to Portsmouth to fetch Fanny, but it would probably depend on the length of the journey and the social commitments of the parents.

[oh-saints]

Could you do something for Mason about Reader being insecure and self conscious ?

of course i could for you! this is one of the topics i like to explore but this time's with a twist whooo sorry for the long wait thooo mason's latest absence is what drives me to finish this up bcs i miss him :(

beauty

it's only supposed to be a trip back to his hometown, portsmouth, and a little visit to his childhood friend's house. but the sister's insecurity changes everything.

mason mount x female!reader

word count: 1.6k

tw: physical insecurities, degradation of self-images, self-concious, minor mention of online bullying

note: another old prompts out from the vault! aforementioned twist is the brother's best friend trope and some parts are mildly inspired by colin and penelope's story of bridgerton the book ("romancing mr. bridgerton"). but as usual, i happen to write at dawn so ofc this is not proof-read.

“what are you doing?”

it was early morning, nearing dawn even. mason woke up for a bathroom break, only to find his best friend’s sister already standing in front of the mirror. from her posture, mason could only guess you were trying to put on contact lenses.

why so early in the morning? especially when tomorrow the family—including mason, whom the family had unofficially adopted since primary school—had the agenda to go and see the local festival from the morning, so they all could get the once-in-a-year sightings, both of the sight and food.

you immediately froze at mason’s voice, your limbs awkward from getting caught red handed in action. “uh… putting on the contact lenses?”

“since when do you wear one?”

“never?”

gone was his need to pee. this young lady in front of him was certainly more fascinating. “why start now? doesn’t it feel weird?”

you let out a deep sigh, officially giving up your futile attempt to wear the damned clear magic rubber. “they say beauty is pain, you know?”

mason leaned against the door frame of the small bathroom, hands tucked inside the pockets of his trainers. “still doesn’t answer my initial question, though.”

you’d cleared up your station when you turned around your body to face him. “it’s because of you.”

despite leaning, your words definitely caught his attention that he couldn’t help but stand straighter, his face contorted into confusion by the accusation. “what did I do?”

you winced as your hands placed your glasses on their designated place. were you hurt somewhere? he thought.

“did you see twitter today?”

mason’s whereabouts would always be the talk of town. literally and figuratively speaking. he was a buzz when the small town of Portsmouth noticed his presence back to town for a short visit—his annual short visit to your family because it’d always been the tradition, besides his other casual trips to see his mum—so he was definitely going to be a buzz around internet town.

“there’s a reason why I don’t use twitter anymore,” how mason remained calm in this condition supposed to spook you, because he was almost always boisterous, but you realised maybe it was because he was more experienced in handling spotlight. good game, bad game, good look, bad look—he’d had the taste of it all. “but enlighten me. what did I do?”

“well, not what you did. it was rather the press and your fans,” while you weren’t the brightest, happy-go-lucky kind of girl, sighing that deep and that much still didn’t sit well on mason’s ears. “they were saying mean things about how ridiculous I looked beside you.”

the birdy app must’ve caught his sightings while he was out for a lunch with your family. he did take several pictures with passing fans in between waiting for a seat to your family’s favourite restaurant, but netizens could’ve twisted reality into a selling story. especially when the rest of the world didn’t know he was so close to your family because he was always over at your house since primary school, attached to your brother by the hip from then on.

especially if any of the papz or creepy fans taking pics from a far took a notice of him being alone with you when you both took the liberty to come up to the cashier after the rest of your family was seated. not because they were kind, but they were the closest to the front desk.

it made sense now.

but somehow it didn’t.

because at that exact moment, as you were standing in front of him without make up and only helped by the bright light of the bathroom, mason could see anything but ridiculous looking woman.

you might not sport a luxurious piece of clothing because it wasn’t your preference but you always have a nice, modest style that was simple but clean. you might not also be the kind of woman who pampered your self in a beauty clinic every two weeks but your hair was always styled nicely, and your face and hair glowed healthily.

you were averse of body-fitting clothes because that style once hurt your lower lymph node so you’d always don on baggy fits, but you were now standing in front of him in a loose lingerie top and a tennis shorts—at the break at the dawn, no less—yet you looked stunning in the most natural way.

mason even dared to say that he liked you better with those spectacles on because it gave you the impression of a smart look. like pretty and smart look, not the nerdy smart appeal. he could even appreciate the blue ring that surrounded your orbs, beautifully enhancing the colour of your eyes.

it didn’t make sense to him, too, that he only realised how breath-taking you looked now, despite having known you for years. he noticed you weren’t so much different from the lunch, he could only point out some of your features lacking the make up product needed. and you looked even good when your hair was ponytailed like right now, which was a style hard to pull off, if mason was being completely honest.

it didn’t make sense to him that he was only seeing this now. yes, your family bore good looking genes and all but he never recognised you being attractive in the least glamorous way. and he found himself liking the reality more than he thought he should.

no, nope. damn it, you were his best friend’s sister. he watched you grow up alongside him—acnes, broken hearts, and all. he couldn’t possibly like you more than that.

couldn’t he?

“they must be blind,” was all mason could say as a reply. if he said a word more, he would’ve broken down a dam.

“you say that because you’re friends with my brother,” you shook your head in a very dissatisfied manner. “he would’ve cut you off if you said the otherwise.”

“trust me, I’ve seen models and celebrities and you don’t fall short to them,” mason tried to shrug off his shoulder cooly, not wanting to spill some of his internal thoughts. “have a faith in yourself.”

“easy for you to say when you’re the one every girl fawns over,” you chuckled bitterly as you gathered your belongings now. “try becoming me who no one dates.”

if they were talking another topic, mason would’ve liked to cover the whole no-boyfriend thing because wow, apparently everyone was blind, huh? but that would’ve been out of topic and mason had to ground himself back to earth.

he still couldn’t hide his exasperation, though. “why is it so hard for you to believe me?”

“because I really look like what they described. horrendous, like modern Ursula,” but you were also desperate for mason to see your concern. “thank god your fans didn’t dig up my past to find an old picture of me wearing braces. what a field day that would’ve been.”

you were busy putting together your beauty kit that you didn’t realise mason had fallen into a silent tirade. not until suddenly you heard your name being called, in the lowest bass mason had ever mustered—even lower when the time you saw him reprimanding your brother for being a stupid jerk to their fellow classmate, poor girl—and you could feel shivers running down your back.

you turned your body slowly because you swore a horror movie wasn’t more eerily frightening than that. combined that with the fact she had to face a fuming mason mount, who was no longer leaning against the door frame, you knew you were fucked.

you would so much rather have the handsome, chirpy mason mount back. the one who everyone falls for. which meant it included you, unfortunately. maybe you were the most unfortunate one because you had been crushing on him since your puberty days and yet you couldn’t say anything, afraid it would make your brother’s relationship strained or it would make the atmosphere awkward when he was your mother’s favourite.

“yes?”

you tried to sound brave, like mason cutting in the distance between the two of you didn’t make your heart leaping, both from the earlier fear and from the close-up sight of mason’s gorgeous features. the latter always made your knees busted.

“shut up.”

and shut you up, he did. he cupped your face rather harshly that you gasped, because his soft skin on your face was a complete contrast, but maybe it was to distract the fact he brought your face closer to you afterwards, eliminating the distance between both of your lips.

maybe you gasped because you didn’t have the chance to digest the reality.

maybe you gasped because you couldn’t believe this. mason mount was kissing you, for god’s sake. and he felt exactly like what you thought he would taste like—soft, gentle, but urgent like a bad boy trying to prove something to you. which in a way, it was like that.

maybe you gasped because it felt so damn good, better than your dirtiest fantasies involving him. surely none of those included the scene where he pushed you off against the white wall in these small four walls, coaxing your mouth open so he could taste you further, his tongue didn’t waste a chance when you granted him access because he needed you to feel you were beautiful and needed and fantastic.

he needed you to know that if you pulled away at that moment, he would feel utterly disappointed because you were beautiful inside and out, literally and figuratively, that he was addicted to the first taste. and god, were they right about the first taste of the forbidden fruit.

[mountymase]

sugar sweet - sneak peek

Call her petty, dramatic or whatever you want, but Stella Maeve Bailey holds on tight to heartbreaks because she makes money out of hers and other people’s pain, she makes millions of girls and young women identify with it. Ella likes it, she likes the ache. Her best songs came from it and the longing ache helped her make her way to the top a few years ago. She didn’t like it much when her own heart was broken by the person she loved the most and whom she called best friend for years.

Ella and Mason were high school best friends. It all started when he needed help with math and she happened to be excellent at it, just as much as she was at writing songs and he was at playing football. Although they had different goals and dreams, those two teenagers soon found themselves not being able to stay away from each other because their dreams kept them together and they were each other’s strength. Ella pushed Mason to follow his dreams just as much as she forced him to understand equations and when he wasn’t at practice, he was watching her writing songs or film herself playing songs they both loved - old Nirvana songs, specifically.

It all went downhill when Ella finally formed her band and Mason signed his contract with Chelsea Football Club - they were no longer two kids from Portsmouth with big dreams, although only one of them had an official contract and already making way too much money for his age. Living in different parts of the town, they’d still see each other often after moving to London and although his new friends were all really nice, Ella and Mason belonged to different worlds now. And everything about him was so… off. Probably in awe with his new life, Mason was now surrounded by loaded people and models while Ella still felt pretty much like that awkward girl from Portsmouth. She missed home, she missed the days it was just the two of them, vodka, Tame Impala, Nirvana and drunk football either in his or her backyard.

[trainer0084]

A small town in rural Ohio is now the only place in America producing enriched uranium | Ideastream Public Media

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

David Fuller: the ‘morgue monster’

David Fuller is a father-of-four who lived in a quiet cul-de-sac in Heathfield, East Sussex, working for most of his adult life as an electrician at hospitals serving the residents of Kent and Sussex.

Those close to him recoiled in horror when the true nature of his character was revealed - as Fuller was identified as a double murder who had spent years sexually abusing dead women and girls.

The family man, 67, with keen interests in birdwatching, cycling, and photography had been identfied as the prime suspect in the so-called “bedsit murders” when Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, were both sexually assaulted and killed in separate attacks at their Tunbridge Wells homes in 1987.

Fresh analysis of DNA had picked out Fuller as the killer and a trawl of his home uncovered a terrifying collection of four million images on hard drives and floppy disks showing sexual offences.

Among the horrific catalogue of abuse was footage of Fuller himself interfering with bodies in the hospital morgue.

He has now admitted the double murder and the sexual abuse of dozens of victims, aged from just nine to 100-years-old, and he is almost certain to die behind bars.

There were possible signs of the horrors to come when Fuller was convicted in 1973 and 1977 for a series of ‘creeper’ home burglaries, involving break-ins through rear windows. He was spared a jail sentence at Portsmouth crown court.

Within the space of five months in 1987, he carried out the murders of Ms Knell and Ms Pierce in the streets of Tunbridge Wells that he knew well. Fuller had met Ms Knell at the SupaSnaps store in the town where she was the manager and he often took in his photographs to be developed.

Her body was discovered at her bedsit in Guildford Road on June 23, 1987, with tests revealing her naked body had been sexually assaulted after the attack and possibly once she was already dead.

On November 24, 1987, Ms Pierce was attacked by Fuller outside her bedsit in Grosvenor Park and the killer dumped her body around 40 miles away in a country lane ditch.

Fuller may have believed he got away with the murders as the years passed by but DNA evidence from the scene as well as a bloody fingerprint would eventually be his downfall, thanks to improving analysis technology and techniques.

SupaSnaps envelopes were found at his home, tying him to Ms Knell, and detectives found a diary entry showing he had visited the Buster Browns restaurant where Ms Pierce worked.

Fuller told a pack of lies to police but investigations revealed he had lived near to, or visited, the streets where both victims were killed. The discovery of the images and videos hidden at his home switched police attention to the now-closed Kent and Sussex Hospital where Fuller had worked from 1989 to 2010 and Tunbridge Wells Hospital where he was employed until his arrest.

Detectives discovered the killer had access to the morgues, using his swipe card to let himself in to abuse bodies after other staff members had left for the day.

He knew which parts of the morgue were covered by CCTV and carried out the abuse out of shot. But footage from his own collection, as well as detailed records of names and ages that he made, helped police to identify at least 80 people whose bodies have been interfered with.

Fuller eventually confessed to his sickening activities and admitted to police that he could not remember when it started or how many people he had abused. He insisted his motives were not sexual, but refused to discuss the abuse further.

A police hotline was set up to deal with hundreds of calls from the worried families of deceased people while the police investigation has widened once more to see if other historic violent and sexual crimes might be linked to Fuller.

He initially denied knowing either of the murdered women, then pushed the case to trial by claiming “diminished responsibility” for the killings. Ultimately, he pleaded guilty as the full details of his crimes were laid bare in court.

Police suspect Fuller may have abused hundreds of dead bodies during his life as a hospital electrician and maintenance worker.

[missmusketeer]

Mind Drifting

I'm currently staying at a cabin in the woods near central Oregon with family. I thought i could use the time away to use it as an opportunity for a sort of writers retreat if you will. So far not much has been happening the inspiration just hasn't been coming. But in the meantime, I have been checking out the Oregon sights. My favorite thing to do out here is to walk through the woods and let my mind wander so to speak. I find it very freeing, and quite therapeutic. I've been working on some reading projects too while I'm out here. Well rereading actually, but I'll touch up on that later. I want to really focus on a stage play I have in mind for a local theatre company i work for in my home town. I've decided I want to write a murder mystery, a whodunnit. I have some ideas in mind i just need to put them together in a stage play format. My idea is an old man on an isolated island off the coast of Portsmouth is somehow murdered. No one knows how or why? The family must get together to discuss his will which seems to have gone missing, and in trying to find it end up uncovering his mysterious past which seems to be linked to the great fire that nearly destroyed the town of Portsmouth. Any way this is just thinking im still putting my story in motion. there are too many distractions and not enough hours in the day to get much writing done but I'm doing my best. Any way as for my reading projects I brought with me Beyond the Deepwoods and The Master and Margarita. I brought Beyond the Deepwoods because i felt it was appropriate for the occasion. If no one has read the Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddle I highly recommend them. Its a fantasy series which even adults can enjoy. Its about a boy that goes on a life changing journey through the perilous Deepwoods in the fictional world known as the Edge. The Deepwoods are fraught with dangers and friends that come in the for of goblins, trogs, banderbears, and pirates on flying ships. My other reading project The Master and Margarita is a classic Russian novel that takes place in 1930s Moscow. Its about a struggling writer who is inlove with a witch that serves a black cat who loves chess and vodka. Its a beautiful and imaginative story thats a wonderful satire about politics, theology, and life in general. I cant wait to see the movie the trailer seems very well done. I've heard a lot of local russians arent too pleased with it as it supposedly indirectly satirizes Putin and his reign over Russia. I guess we'll have to see how it goes. In the meantime I have other writing and reading projects to work on. I'll keep everyone posted as much as i can. Wishing everyone well!

[eloiseabernathy]

under the cut is to take a look into eloise's summer and some wanted connections for the new semester !

post - fire : eloise spent most of her time the first few weeks of summer settled in her home. naomi abernathy was incredibly freaked out to learn that her daughter suffered a few second to third degree burns on various parts of her body. wouldn’t allow her to do much outside of the house to make sure the burns healed properly. eloise spent most of this time catching up on her to be read list that had been piling up throughout the school year. she pretty much lived inside of her reading nook in her room.

june : celebrated her 21st birthday. did not get drunk or party. spent time learning how to cook some of her favorite recipes from childhood, grew a love for baking. experimented with different cupcake recipes - found a recipe for cookie dough cupcakes. found out that that was the best thing she had ever made.

july : for the first week of july, eloise vacationed in myrtle beach, south carolina where her love for swimming began. loved the ability to swim underwater and the relaxation that came from it.

mid-july : ronan zeng came to portsmouth, new hampshire. naomi abernathy forced housed him, not seeing a reason to spend money on a hotel when they had a perfectly fine guest room. eloise was nervous because she hadn’t really spoke about her family’s finances (it was never a topic of conversation) - she was mainly nervous that it wouldn’t be good enough for ronan. she’s not sure why she cared so much, especially since his constant flirting usually got on her nerves. decided to bake while he was visiting. took him to some of her favorite thrift stores, coffee shops, and other little shops around town. very wholesome.

august : eloise spent a week at the morrison’s hampton’s house. truthfully, eloise was just glad to get away from her hometown for a short week. she brought homemade brownies for their family. eloise spent the rest of summer break helping out around her hometown. her neighbors needed someone to house sit for awhile, looking after the cats and their plants. she visited with old friends, just tried to enjoy the rest of her summer before back on campus. spent a lot of time with her mom, making sure their garden was weeded and that the new flowers were thriving.

wanted connections!

so, idk how, idk when but i really want her to have some kind of existential crisis or a breakdown. maybe she could fall down from where she stands rn. starts partying a bit more, starts slacking off a bit more. maybe to the point where she's gonna lose her scholarship. idk. just something!!!!

i want to explore connections where she used them to try and get a higher level on the social ladder. this could be hookups, etc

would like to sort of explore getting into a relationship?? could end badly. she hasn't been in an actual relationship since link, so y'know.

maybe a hookup during the summer??

[scotianostra]

On November 25th 1897, Helen Duncan, the noted Scottish medium, was born in Callander.

Dubbed a witch, Helen was a spiritualist, medium and the last person in Britain to be tried and sentenced under the 1735 Witchcraft Act.

Victoria Helen McCrae Duncan (née MacFarlane was the daughter of a cabinet-maker, or a slater, depending on the source you look at, her was an Isabella Rattray.

At school, she alarmed her fellow pupils with her dire prophecies and hysterical behaviour, to the distress of her mother (a member of the Presbyterian church). After leaving school, she worked at Dundee Royal Infirmary, and in 1916 she married Henry Duncan, a cabinet maker a(which possibly clears up the confusion of her parents occupation?)  and wounded war veteran, who was supportive of her supposed paranormal talents. A mother of six, she also worked part-time in a bleach factory.

Helen Duncan was a show woman who travelled throughout Britain, holding regular séances during which she would produce the form of dead people by emitting a cloud-like substance – ectoplasm – from her mouth. These spirits were said to appear, talking and actually touching their relatives.

It was during the years of the Second World War that Duncan’s activities attracted the attention of the Establishment.

In 1941, she spoke with a deceased sailor from HMS Barham and revealed that the ship had been sunk in the Mediterranean, although the War Office did not officially release this fact until several months later. The wartime government had been trying to hush up the loss of 861 British seamen when the German U-boat U331 torpedoed the ship.

On the night of 19th January 1944, one of Helen’s séances was raided by police, in her then hometown of Portsmouth where the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet was based. Officers attempted to stop the ectoplasm issuing from Helen’s mouth, but failed. After some order had been restored, Helen was formally arrested.

It has been alleged that the real reason for the raid was due to the official paranoia surrounding the forthcoming D-Day Normandy landings and the fear that she may reveal the date, location and other details.

In one of the most sensational episodes in wartime Britain, Duncan was eventually brought to trial at the Old Bailey in London and became the last person to be prosecuted under the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which had not been used for more than a century. After a seven-day trial, she was sentenced to nine months in London’s Holloway Prison. She was even denied the right to appeal to the House of Lords.

As a result of the case, the Witchcraft Acts were finally repealed in 1951. A formal Act of Parliament three years later officially recognised spiritualism as a religion.

Helen Duncan was released from prison on the 22nd September 1944. However, the harassment she faced appears to have continued right up to her death. In November 1956 the police raided a private séance in Nottingham in an attempt to prove fraud. Once again the investigators failed in their objectives. Five weeks later, the woman who will always be remembered as the last witch, died.

A bronze bust of Helen Duncan, as seen in the pics, presented to the town of Callander, gives rise to controversy even today, as those with strong religious views object to its public display. As a consequence the sculpture is currently on display at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.

[dtolemy]

{ KEDAR WILLIAMS-STIRLING, 19, CIS MALE, HE/HIM } Is that DARIUS PTOLEMY? A SOPHOMORE originally from PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, they decided to come to Ogden College to study BUSINESS on a ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP. They’re THE HOMEGROWN HERO on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance. 

pinterest | spotify | spotify+ (warning: bubblegum pop and the gummy bear song)

WHO?

full name: darius ezekiel ptolemy

birthday: october 25, 2003

pronouns: he/him

personality: exuberant. galvanizing. insatiable, imprudent, impetuous. insert other sat words he uses incorrectly to sound intelligent, which he is capable of being strictly in the contexts of sports and the pizza prices of every take-out place in a statewide vicinity. where he remains oblivious to his faults, darius thrives, and where he is forced to confront them, darius falters, snaps back with something stolen from the climax of an academy award loser, and goes back to thriving. he’s a personality, a figurehead, a trophy that needs to win itself more trophies. he thinks of getting people to like him, love him, hate him, focus on him, in any way, to be just as important as getting good grades. despite this, he’s anything but a hard partier, and claims designated driver like it’s his eternal duty. no better way to make people fall for you than by being a goody-two-shoes, right?

appearance: darius’s wardrobe is a miscellany of colors, thrown over a toned body with a meticulous dishevelment that takes more time in the morning than his three showers. his stature is asserted to be 6’0 but more accurately 5’10 with the help of high top sneakers, while its presence is mostly felt in him darting about campus with an agility only achievable through years of training and an abject inability to read maps properly.

WHAT?

sports & extracurriculars: tennis, diving & swimming, table tennis

tropes: homegrown hero. if anything’s to thank for his rise to the top and unaccountable social claustrophobia, it’s the prestigious town of portsmouth, new hampshire. | small name, big ego. but also, his success is sort of totally, entirely his doing. even if said success isn't quite that recognized outside of the country. | mr. vice guy. pride, lust, relating to holden caulfield, etc. he didn’t pay much attention in sunday school, honestly. | | attention whore. no point in doing anything if nobody’s around to post a fancam of it. | the nicknamer. because having a coherent contacts list is for losers.

relationship to greer: greer’s recruit.

Maybe it was because he was playing with some of the finest New Hampshire had to offer, or maybe it was because his attention was thoroughly divided between warming up and making the varsity team warm up to him, but Darius put more effort than ever into preparing himself for the life of an Ogden student. Specifically, the life of an Ogden student in Greer’s inner circle. He sought her time with a dogged determination that could only be dampened by explicit refusal, analyzing every letter of her posts (which were probably drafted by a PR team with more experience than a lifetime in the industry could merit, but a man could dream, and dream he did) as well as reading Cosmopolitan magazines behind his textbooks. Thus, freshman year was filled with professional, totally subtle butt-kissing and a whole lot of scampering around campus to spend his old rackets’ insurance on… whatever it was that Greer liked, anyways. He knew he wanted, needed, to become like her other friends, a shiny thing out of reach from anyone below their level, but how?

hobbies: cycling, yoga, taking selfies at inappropriate times

inspirations: randall “pink” floyd (dazed and confused), jeff sadecki (yellowjackets), mike jackson (the psmith novels), emily cooper (emily in paris, i promise i can explain)

WHY?

tl;dr: ambitious, discontent, and brilliant at acting like he’s neither of those, darius was born to the most mind-bogglingly middling family ever to throw their name in the genetic lottery in the most average neighborhood to have ever been built. his father an electrician and amateur pastor, his mother an insurance agent, and his grandmother a dispenser of morally dubious advice from her rocking chair, he took the burden of being an interesting person onto himself at a young age, idolizing the grand slam GOATs of television and desperate to become one of them. he and his coaches molded him into the underdog of his hometown’s dreams, but now that he’s been thrust into a world where people actually go places for vacation and expect better than the best of him, he doubts he can keep up without some elbow grease.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION…

connections: tba! aside from the suggested connections for the skeleton, however:

platonic. sports buddies, role models, study groups, fitness friends, ride or dies with a probable emphasis on dies

antagonistic. rivals on the court, mutual jealousy, academic opposition, bad influences, competitors in popularity

romantic. fleeting flirtationships, unrequited crushes, awkward dating app matches, friends with benefits, enemies with benefits

plot summaries: tba!

thread tracker: tba!

headcanons: 

hates table tennis and sucks at it big time but continues playing under the incorrect pretense that he will improve. either misses the ball entirely or hits it with so much force that whichever surface the poor thing lands on will be permanently scarred.

most active social media is linkedin. he is aware that this is humiliating but mentally maintains that he will be nothing without an internship to one of the many, many insurance companies whose employees he texts night and day.

favorites:

books. adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain, losers take all by david klass, a separate peace by john knowles, winning ugly by brad gilbert, looking for alaska by john green

movies. fast times at ridgemont high, napoleon dynamite, sunday school musical, big time adolescence, teenage mutant ninja turtles (1990)

music. lecrae, nirvana, daft punk, weathers, sue sylvester’s super bass cover

[mega2wheellife]

in there somewhere

like the things you did

as a kid

living in a small town

there lies a belief

you are still the same

despite leaving there

for the sea

soon as you could

finding the port cities

you grew to love

Portsmouth Hambourg

Bilbao San Diego

able to find company

a drink hot meal

day & night

& should the time arise

good old fashioned fist fight

over nothing

but a name called used

to be forgotten seconds after

shipmates & civilians

needing to go on

with their lives

but

in there somewhere

the values found

being raised

in a small town

being a small town kid

neil benbow

[xomasonmountstoriesxo]

Here I Am - Mason Mount Story

Song: Here I Am – Leona Lewis

Part 2

6 months have passed since everything happened. You eventually sold your house and permanently moved in with Mason. This means you get to go to work together and do more things together that you couldn’t do before and you’re loving it. Declan and Lauren come around just to check up on you every so often. This weekend, you and Mase are going down to Portsmouth, to see his family, as you haven’t seen them in forever. The last time you saw them was the day you left when you were younger. They don’t know that you are back in town or back in Mason's life, so it will be a surprise for them.

‟Y/n! Are you ready to go yet?” Mase shouts from downstairs ‟Yeah just coming” you say, pulling your suitcase down the stairs. Mase sees you struggling and rushes over to help you ‟Dork, you should’ve shouted for me to get this” he chuckles and takes it out of your hands ‟I’m a strong woman I could’ve done it,” you say and playfully hit his arm. He takes it out to the car, whilst you get your shoes on and grab your jacket, phone, and handbag. You then head check around the house to make sure everything is locked and shut. You then head out the front door and chub-lock it. You text Dec saying that you’re leaving and ask him to check on the house every so often. You then get in the front seat of Mason's car and see him smile at you ‟what?” you say giggling ‟you texted Dec didn’t you?” he questions you ‟yeah because I don’t want your home to get burgled you idiot” you say in defence ‟Our home, you live there too now and I think it’s cute that you did that, means you care about the house” he says and starts driving. You turn the radio on and put Capital FM on. The car ride was comfortable, and you slept through most of it.

A couple hours later, you and Mason arrive at his parents’ house. You stand behind Mase as he is taller than and he walks up to the front door. He knocks on the door and a few seconds later his mum opens the door and hugs him. ‟Mum, there’s someone who wants to see you?” mase says ‟Ok where?” she says. Mason steps asides and his mum stares directly at you and screams ‟OH MY GOD Y/N WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!” she shouts and pulls you in for a hug ‟I thought now was the right time to come back down to Portsmouth and see what and who I have missed” you say gripping on to her. ‟you’ve missed a lot of honey, but I’m so glad you’re home, where you belong. Let’s get you both inside and surprise Tony and the others” Debbie says. And with that, you go in and surprise the rest of the Mount family. As you enter the kitchen, a little girl runs and jumps into Mason's arms. You smile to yourself and look at Jaz and give her a big hug. You then hug Tony and Mason's brother and brother-in-law. You then feel a tug at your jumper and turn around and see Mason and Summer next to you ‟ah hello cutie” you say and take Summer from Mason's arms giving her a big hug.

*A few hours later*

You and Mase are in the old room of his family home ‟I see your room hasn’t changed” you giggled, looking at him and then around the room ‟it has…a little” he smiles at you and plopped onto his bed ‟I mean the bed is bigger, the wardrobe is bigger but the wall colour is still the same” you say and look at him, he just nods and looks at you. You look around the room again and a photo album catches your eye ‟what is this?” you ask, picking it up and opening it ‟no, please don’t open that” he blurts out ‟why? Are there pictures in there that I’m not allowed to see?” you say looking at him ‟it’s not that, it's just there are pictures of people that you probably don’t want to see or remember” he says ‟but if you want to look through it, I’m not going to stop but I’m just warning you hun” he adds on and passes the book back to you. You look at him ‟can you look at it with me?” you ask, he nods his head and sits up against the headboard of his bed. You lay in between his legs like you used to do and put the book in your lap ‟you ready?” Mason whispers in your ear. You nod your head and open it to the first page and the picture you see is of you, Mase and Dec on your first day when you first met at Chelsea Academy. As you flip through the pages, a familiar face catches your eye. Your ex-best friend Chloe. Whilst you were away with your parents all those years, but a few years older, you later found out on social media that she started Mason. Little does Mason know that you know about it, but there is no point in bringing it up because they are no longer together. You finish looking in the book just as Debbie comes in the room ‟oh guys, I’m so sorry. I can leave if you want. I know that you have a lot to catch up on” she says smiling at you both ‟mum its ok, Y/n actually lives with me now and we both work at Chels, so we have caught up quite a lot already” Mason says smiling back at his mum and then at you. Debs smiles ‟well you’ll have to tell me all about that tomorrow when we go on a family walk. Dad and I are going to bed now, but if you guys are going to go downstairs, please try and be quiet” she says and places a kiss on both of your heads ‟Its good to have you home Y/n” and with that she goes to her and Tonys room.

The next day consisted of you and Jaz going shopping and having a chit-chat about life and relationships. She teased you about Mase as she knew you had feelings for him. Once you got home at around three o’clock in the afternoon, you found Mason and Summer having a nap on the sofa in the living room. You smile at Jaz ‟best uncle and niece duo I reckon” you say ‟they are, Summer loves Mase and vice versa but she loves you too. If you and you know got together, she would love to have you as her aunty” Jaz said, nudging you.  You smile at her and help put the food shopping away that you got and then went to Masons room and called Dec.

*Phone call between you and Rice*

Dec: hello, is everything ok? What’s Mason done now?

You: hi and he hasn’t done anything. I need to ask you something

Dec: ok, what is it?

You: how do I ask him out? Like what do I do? I’ve never done something like this before. EVER!

Dec: Ok don’t panic. All I can say is just talk to him. Tell him how you feel, tell him everything that you told me and see what he says. Just don’t mention the C word (meaning his ex, Chloe)

You: What happened between those two?

Dec: I’ll let him tell you that, just let him tell you about but when he is ready to talk about it.

You: Ok, thank you Deccers. I owe you. Say hi to Lauren and little Jude. Congrats by the way.

Dec: bye small, see you soon when you come back.

You: Bye Tall 

(Small and Tall are yours and Dec’s nicknames for each other as you're shorter than Dec)

*end of the phone call*

You smile to yourself and stare out the window for a minute. You then come back to reality and smile again. You then turn around and see Mason. You stare at him and see him with a big smile. ‟how much of that conversation did you hear?” you ask, walking to him, ‟oh I heard all of it.” He says pulling you into his arms ‟so you know how I feel and the question about…” you say, looking up at him. He nods and out of nowhere, his lips are on yours. You smile like an idiot inside and kiss him back. Fireworks go off in your head and you can tell Mason has been having the same feelings all along.

After what seems like forever, you pull away from his lips and just stand there, in a comfortable silence, in each other’s arms. You then both burst out laughing and you jump into his arms ‟is there anything you would like to ask me Miss Y/L/N?” he asks, holding you up, with his arms under your bum ‟yes Mr Mount there is, would you like to be my boyfriend?” you ask looking down at him, he nods his head and you kiss him again. ‟god, mason mount is now my boyfriend!” you shout, running down the stairs, going to his parents and siblings and Summer. They all cheer and laugh. Mason then comes down and wraps his arms around your shoulders and kisses your head.

_____________________________________________

Authors note:

UGH! Finally, it's finished. I am so sorry for not posting it last night, life just got so busy and I didn’t have enough time to sit down and finish it but it’s done now.

Now I’m not sure whether I am going to do more parts to this but if I do, I will let you guys know.

I’m going to try and focus on my other stories for now and get them out as they will only be 1-part stories.

Thank you for your support on this story so far. I have loved writing for now but I am going to focus on other stories like I said.

Thank you and see you in my next story!

💋

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Five

It's been 15 weeks on the road!

Whilst it doesn't manifest too often, I am a sufferer of hereditary Restless Leg Sybdrome, and last night it decided to be its wonderful self and do what it could to prevent much sleep from being had.

So, may as well get up and at 'em! It's an easy start today, extricating myself from a patch of trees by Hythe Bypass and rolling down around town to the pier at Hythe, where I don't have long to wait for my first ferry of the day.

The Hythe ferry is a catamaran style vessel, and it's a short cruise over the water to land at the docks by the city centre of Southampton.

Ruah Hour is in full swing right now, so it's some careful maneuvering to navigate around town and over the bridge across the River Itchen, before heading through the streets of Woolston to get back to the waterside.

There's a nice run along the water's edge here, before heading up through the grounds of Royal Victoria Country Park and into the nice little village of Hamble-le-Rice, which is still and quiet in the early morning.

Down to the docks and it's onto ferry #2 of the day, a tiny little pink boat that I share with a few ramblers to get across the River Hamble to reach Warsash.

Around the trails I go and it's up into some rough pathways along cornfields above the sea.

The paths meander around the fields before turning down to Hill Head, before a nice long run looking over the water through Lee-on-the-Solent.

As the road turns inland a little, the busy roads have a good few cycle paths along them, so I have a good charge down the main streets to speed my way through to the town of Gosport, where awaits my third and final ferry if today's river-hopping.

It's only a short journey across the harbour to land in the historic docks of Portsmouth, beside the famous HMS Warrior.

I'm on a bit of a schedule currently so I hit the road once more, rising through Old Portsmouth and missing a turn to take me through aome of the busier urban stretches of town, before zigging down to hit the edge of the Solent once more for a ride down past Eastney Beach.

I double back for a ride up through Eastney and along the easterly edge of Portsmouth and roll up to a hearty greeting with my lovely cousin Sarah!

The last time I was in Portsmouth was for her wedding to her lovely wife Charlotte and riding through has brought back many happy memories of the occasion, so it's all the more joyful to be able to interrupt her busy schedule as I'm treated to a beer and slap-up steak lunch. Thank you so much again and look forward to seeing you again soon cuz!

Farewells said and bellies full, I'm off along the road north as the cycle route hits some major road junctions around the north of Portsmouth, but the cycle paths track around alongside a good ways yet ao I'm spared the heavy traffic as I track around the A27 past Havant.

The route drops on to the A259 here, so it's time to put that hearty lunch to good use as I stretch the legs for a long run along the busy road awhile.

The cycle pathing here is spotty at best, and I end up just staying in the road to get some miles cranked out, and as the miles and small towns drop away it feels like practically no time at all before I hitnthe edges of Chichester.

With some twisting through town, I drop on to the towpath at the Chichester Canal to follow the cycle route down the water to Hunston, where I tack on to the B2166 as it curves around the expansive farmlands.

Along the road and jostling with plenty of tractors and school-run drivers, I keep in peddling away the miles and charge my way down through the growing suburbs and push on through to arrive at the beach at Pagham.

I have a brief pause to appreciate the view up the coast, but I've energy yet in the legs and light in the day, so am eager to keep at it.

Around through the roads of Pagham, it takes a good bit of routefinding to work my way around, but eventually ride around to hook up once morenwith NCN 2 as it restarts once more at the promenade of Bognor Regis.

My eagerness hasn't done me a great deal of favours here as I had been thinking of stopping a little short of Bognor, as it's a long urban stretch ahead with little opportunity for stealthy camping.

A bit of thinking and checking of the maps has me riding up and through the seaside town to head to the northern end of town where there look to be more possibilities to hole up for the night. I'll let you know how the scouting goes in the morrow!

TTFN!

[onebluebookworm]

May 2023 Book Club Picks

Death and the Librarian and Other Stories by Esther Friesner: A mother trying to nurse her sick son finds that his illness allows him to influence reality. A woman celebrates a very important birthday. A mother and daughter move to a new town, only to discover the fantastical secret ingredients being used at the local diner. All this and more in this collection of short stories which range from the hilarious, to the horrifying, to the heartwarming.

Penelope Goes to Portsmouth by Marion Chesney: Hannah Pym is heading for Portsmouth, and along for the ride is her next matchmaking challenge - Miss Penelope Wilkins, the practical, no-nonsense daughter of a wealthy merchant, and Lord Augustus Railton, a rakish ne'er-do-well. When the traveling companions are roped into an intriguing mystery involving a kidnapped footman, Hannah sees it as the perfect opportunity to bring the chasm between the potential lovers.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski: Johnny Truant is a unmotivated slacker whose biggest concern is his next one night stand. All that changes when he and his friend Lude explore the apartment of Zampano, a recently deceased blind recluse. In the old man's apartment, they find writing - pages and pages of it, on every blank surface - and scratches on the floor. Gathering up the pieces, Johnny realizes the writing comes together as a dissertation about the critically acclaimed documentary The Navidson Record, which follows the Navidson family as they realize their house is bigger inside than it is outside. And then they discover the hallway...

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller: Willy Loman has been a salesman for thirty-four years, and wants nothing more than to make it big. But at age sixty, Willy is finally cast aside by the company, and must face reality without a dream to keep him afloat. As he watches his sons struggle to follow in his footsteps, Willy is faced with one burning question - is this all worth it?

Watchmen by Alan Moore: The time is 1985, and the world inches closer to WWIII every day. Costumed superheros once proliferated the scene to maintain truth, justice, and the American way, but have since been outlawed, forced into retirement, gangpressed into working for the government, or operating illegally. When one government-sponsored hero, the Comedian, is murdered in his apartment, fellow vigilante Rorschach enlists the help of his former colleagues to figure who and why the Comedian was killed.

[fan-of-mulligan]

FOM BLOG: MY UPDATED FOOTBALL STADIUM CHECK LIST - 2022 / 2023

This Stadium List Has Been Updated On 31st May 2023 / At The End Of The 2022 / 2023 Season......

I will start off by naming the grounds I have been too, this could take a while.

Accrington Stanley - The Crown Ground

AFC Fylde - Mill Farm

AFC Wimbledon - Kingsmeadow And New Plough Lane

AFC Bournemouth - Dean Court

Aldershot Town - The EBB Stadium

Ashford United - The Homelands

Barnet - Underhill and The Hive

Barnsley - Oakwell

Barrow - Holker Street

Bearsted - Honey Lane

Billericay Town - New Lodge

Birmingham City - St Andrews

Blackburn Rovers - Ewood Park

Blackpool - Bloomfield Road

Bolton Wanderers - The Macron Stadium

Brackley Town - St James Park

Bradford City - Valley Parade

Brentford -  Griffin Park And The Gtech Community Stadium

Brighton & Hove Albion - The Amex Arena and Withdean Stadium

Bristol City - Ashton Gate

Bristol Rovers - The Memorial Stadium

Bromley - Hayes Lane

Burton Albion - The Pirelli Stadium

Bury - Gigg Lane

Cambridge United - Abbey Stadium

Carlisle United -  Brunton Park

Charlton Athletic - The Valley

Chatham Town - The Sports Ground

Cheltenham Town - Whaddon Road

Chester City - The Exacta Stadium

Chesterfield - The Proact Stadium and Saltergate

Colchester United - Weston Homes Community Stadium

Coventry City - Sixfields and The Ricoh Arena

Crawley Town - Broadfield Stadium

Crewe Alexandra - Gresty Road

Crystal Palace - Selhurst Park

Dagenham & Redbridge - Victoria Road

Dartford - Princes Park

Darlington - The Darlo Arena

Doncaster Rovers - Keepmoat Stadium

Dover Athletic - The Crabble

Ebbsfleet United - Stonebridge Road

Exeter City - St James Park

Faversham Town - Salters Lane

Folkestone Invicta - Cheriton Road

Fleetwood Town - Highbury Stadium

Gillingham - Priestfield Stadium (Of Course)

Gillingham Town - Hardings Lane - Only went to view the stadium, not watch a game there

Grimsby Town - Blundell Park

Hartlepool United -  Victoria Park

Harrogate Town - Wetherby Road

Hereford United - Edgar Street

Herne Bay - Winch's Field

Hollands & Blair - Star Meadow Sports Stadium

Huddersfield Town - Galpharm Stadium

Hythe Town - Reachfields Stadium

Ipswich Town - Portman Road

K Sports FC - K Sports Cobdown

Leeds United - Elland Road

Leyton Orient - Brisbane Road

Lincoln City - Sincil Bank

Luton  Town - Kenilworth Road

Maidstone United - The Gallagher Stadium

Manchester United - Old Trafford ( But this was only a tour of the stadium, not to watch a game)

Mansfield Town - Field Mill

Macclesfield Town - Moss Rose

Margate - Hartsdown Park

Millwall - The Den

Milton Keynes Dons - stadium mk

Morecambe - The Globe Arena and Christie Park

Newport County - Rodney Parade

Northampton Town - Sixfields

Norwich City - Carrow Road

Nottingham Forest - The City Ground

Notts County - Meadow Lane

Oldham Athletic - Boundary Park

Oxford United - The Kassam Stadium

Peterborough United - London Road

Phoenix Sports - The Mayplace Ground

Plymouth Argyle - Home Park

Port Vale - Vale Park

Portsmouth - Fratton Park

Preston North End - Deepdale

Ramsgate - Southwood Stadium

Reading - Madejski Stadium

Rochdale - Spotland

Rotherham United - The New York Stadium, Don Valley and Millmoor

Salford City - Peninsula Stadium

Scunthorpe United - Glanford Park

Sittingbourne - Bourne Park (For The Concord Rangers V Gillingham Game)

Sheffield United - Bramall Lane

Sheffield Wednesday - Hillsborough Stadium

Sheppey United - The Havill Stadium

Shrewsbury Town - Greenhous Meadow

Slough Town - Arbour Park

Southampton - St Mary's Stadium

Southend United - Roots Hall

Stevenage - Broadhall Way

Stockport County - Edgeley Park

Sunderland - Stadium Of Light

Sutton United - Gander Green Lane

Swansea City - Liberty Stadium

Swindon Town - The County Ground

Tonbridge Angels - Longmead Stadium

Torquay United - Plainmoor

Tottenham - White Heart Lane (The Old Stadium)

Tranmere Rovers - Prenton Park

Walsall - The Bescot Stadium

Watford - Vicarage Road

Welling United - Park View Road

Whitstable Town - The Belmont Ground

Wigan Athletic - DW Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers - Molineux

Wycombe Wanderers - Adams Park

VCD Athletic - The Oakwood

Yeovil Town - Huish Park

York City - Bootham Crescent

Wembley Stadium - for Gillingham's promotion into League One in 2009 and for Tunbridge Wells defeat in The FA Vase Final in 2013, And I watched Cray Valley at The FA Trophy And FA Vase Finals Day.