#she works in hoyden

[bustyasianbeautiespod]

am I first to ask for the lesbian A/C fic list

HELLO!!! yes you are!!!! Here is my lesbian a/c fic rec list, arranged by order of word count!

follow me in merry measure by larkthorne (G, 2.1k) - Butch Aziraphale, they dance in a lesbian club in the 1940s. I genuinely started crying halfway through.

help me to say by dotsayers (T, 2.7k) - 13th Century, Aziraphale is stuck in a convent. Crowley shows up. Much pining. Also, the look and feel of this fic is nice. The setting and atmosphere. Which may sound odd to say about a 2.7k long fic but it really is.

a golden tattoo by witching (T, 3.2k) - Crowley attends a ball Aziraphale is in. They talk about it.  It really is about how Crowley would like to believe that Aziraphale loves/craves/seeks the pleasure of her company (she does). (everybody listen to glacier by ang bandang shirley)

I Just Called to Say by the hoyden (E, 4.2k) - 1920s. Crowley gets sent to America and they have phone sex about it. I think Crowley is the most endearing being to exist maybe ever.

Decline, Deny by Vitreous_Humor (E, 4.4k) - Victorian England. Aziraphale takes Crowley in to give her a bath. This one is crazy.

your apple-eating heathen by katarzi (G, 5.7k) - Book fic written in 2014. I really love Crowley in this one, especially in the Paris, le douzième mars 1790 section. Much to think about.

the patron saints of our blissful imperfections by noodlefrog (E, 8.5k) - Aziraphale always leaves after they have sex and Crowley worries about it. Many things to like about this fic but my favourite is perhaps when Crowley says that she thinks that Aziraphale was “holding her mouth open under the water and pretending she was a gargoyle" in the shower. She wasn’t. But she should.

Comfort, Keep, and Honor by Meridians_of_Madness (M, 8.5k) - Arranged marriage AU (they’re still angel and demon but heaven and hell marry them off to each other). They change presentations a lot in this one and Aziraphale is always he/him pronouns even when he describes himself as a woman and Crowley’s pronouns change through the years. I love transgender people so so so so so so SO so much you guys.

gnawing with my teeth my bonds in sunder, I gained my freedom by noodlefrog (E, 10.2k) - Crowley has a vagina dentata. A fic about how love is so fucking real and also so beautiful.

All Along, You Were Blooming by waterofthemoon (E, 10.3k) - Crowley takes Aziraphale to a plant convention and imparts the fear of Crowley to her self-proclaimed mortal enemy (Aziraphale pouts. "I thought I was your Enemy." "I said mortal enemy," Crowley says, rolling her eyes.) While I do think Crowley is not the type to mingle with people frequently, I think she can must and should be involved in plant-related communities with people she sees around once a year and also have a guy she hates so much it’s unreal in said community.

never get to heaven on a night like this by RestlessWanderings (G, 33k) - THE lesbian a/c 6000 years of pining fic series. A two-parter, first one is Crowley’s POV and second is Aziraphale’s. I like the Aziraphale one better and you can read it on its own, but 1) they have different themes to offer so you get different things from them and 2) it really does work better as a set. So wonderful, truly. AZIRAPHALEEEEEE.

Thank you so much for the ask!!!

- Grey <3333

[catofadifferentcolor]

Terrible Fic Ideas #6: GOT SI, but make it Lysa Arryn

Look: I don't usually like self-inserts. Usually, I find them to be utterly unsympathetic at best and without understanding of their context at worst. That being said, I've read two quite well-written and believable SI in the Game of Thrones fandom that I quite enjoy, The Prancing Stag, which has a modern LGBT+ man replace Renly Baratheon during the events of the first book, and Down a Rabbit Hole to Westeros, which has the SI replace young Selyse Florent.

Naturally, I tried to come up with how I would do the same, and came up with replacing Lysa Arryn when she was a young girl.

Just imagine:

Rather than a true self-insert, I see this more of a modern girl in Westeros, with a casual fan of the books and show waking up in 5-year-old Lysa Tully's body immediately following the death of her mother in a wave of minor illness that swept through the Riverlands. The keyword here is casual: the SI has read the books, seen the show, and spent more time reading the fic than one can count, but couldn't, say, state with any certainty the exact timeline or even the exact backgrounds of more than the most prominent of characters. Moreover, the book canon and show canon and various fanon ideas have all twisted together in her mind that young Lysa (as I shall call her moving forward) couldn't differentiate between them if she tried.

So, we have a middle-aged modern woman waking up as 5-year-old Lysa Tully. Once she finally resigns herself to the fact that, yes, this seems to be happening, she figures that absolutely nothing she can do can alter the events leading up to the rebellion, but she can put herself in a position as future wife of the future Hand of the King to 1) be a trusted advisor to the the Hand of the King, whose opinions will be valued, and 2) to not kill the Hand of the King via poison.

So, yes, there's the passing nod to the whole list of achievements Caroline Bingley gives in Pride and Prejudice, but Lysa will always be outshone in these - except perhaps in reading and foreign languages - by Caitlyn, and honestly doesn't need to give more than a passing nod because if the situation plays out like it does in the books, Jon Arryn will have no choice to marry her, be she the most graceful of medieval fantasy women or the most wild of hoydens.

Instead, SI Lysa takes the view that, if she can't be pretty or accomplished, she can at least be useful. But being a modern woman with a modern understanding of how things works, her usefulness is rather limited by her medieval setting. I.e., she may understand the concept of a blast furnace, or a pendulum clock, or a cotton gin, but without coke, or machining gears, or even a steady supply of cotton, those concepts have limited usefulness.

But SI Lysa has the benefit of knowing the most useful invention of all: the scientific method, from which all else follows.

And so, quiet, self-contained, unlovely Lysa Tully sets out to develop, from a young age, the fields of botany, genetics, agricultural science, and pharmacology. She sets up a garden and takes careful notes. She repeats Mendel's studies of pea plants and John Bennet Lawes' experiments with fertilizers and, as best as possible, Robert Hooke's observations through microscopes - taking excellent notes throughout. As she gets older, she makes improvements to the distillation process simply to try to make better medicines from the herbs she has available. And, through the simple desire not to potentially die in childbirth, teams up with every midwife in the kingdom to develop the obstetrical forceps. This has a consequence of making the Riverlands, for the first time in history, as agriculturally productive as the Reach as these developments start to catch on - and its population somewhat healthier. (And, as a consequence of distillation, introduces spirits to Westeros, and makes her family rich via trade as well increased taxes.)

Because I am an engineer by training, I have perhaps concentrated on the science side rather more than the plot - but there is plot, and probably less science than I would hope, because there are quite a lot of things needed before a true scientific and industrial revolution can begin. Many scientific breakthroughs have been held up by the lack of accurate enough methods of measuring the experiments, and this generation and the next is basically getting the ball rolling.

But plot.

First, Lysa encourages her father to remarry after the death of her mother - it is, after all, the best way to build alliances in this age, and if Hoster Tully remarries within the Riverlands it could shore up support he definitely seems to lack in the books. (Maybe a Frey, maybe the sister or cousin of Walder's current wife, something that ties this house to the Tullys.) This also has the side effect of giving his children more parental supervision than they seem to have had, perhaps having a moderating effect on Caitlyn's temperament.

By the simple expedient of paying attention to baby Edmure, Lysa gets a duckling who follows after her in scientific endeavors - some work of his own in ag science, but maybe he takes an interest in telescopes after seeing her work in microscopy and becomes the first link in the chain that figures out Westeros' insane Milankovitch cycles and thus gets a handle on its winters.

Plus, Littlefinger never gets the toehold he needs to set his plans in motion. He's still in the background, scheming, but without near as much success as access to a Great House and Small Council would give them.

The rebellion is where my plot bunny runs out - it obviously happens, perhaps even exactly as before, but with one major change: the introduction of forceps allow Queen Rhaella to come out alive from her final childbed, and she is able to escape with Viserys and baby Daenerys to Essos before Stannis can take Dragonstone.

But from there, who knows? Maybe after spending a decade in Targaryen Westeros she decides that Robert is just the king the kingdom needs and works to mitigate his failings (and Cersei's problematic tendencies) with her husband, perhaps drawing in young Renly (claiming the boy needs a mother figure) and Stannis (by giving him the validation Robert never has).

Perhaps she lets Ned know she knows the truth of Jon Snow offers to foster him, with the intention of raising him to be something like the Lord of Moat Cailin (if Robert turns out to be a decent king with management) or seeing him on the Iron Throne (if Robert can't change his ways).

Honestly, everything after the Rebellion gets really fuzzy. The only thing I know for sure is that without having had to take moon tea too late, Lysa is at least able to give Jon Arryn healthy heirs, so that when he inevitably dies she's in a strong position to be the Vale's Queen of Thorns.... Which would be an interesting idea for a title, if I could think of what the Vale equivalent might be.

And that's all I really have: a lot of science, a smattering of plot, and some strong feelings on the realistic changes that even an educated modern person could make on a medieval society.

As always, feel free to adopt the bunny, but link to me if anything ever comes of it.

More Terrible Fic Ideas

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: Meet the Earl at Midnight by Gina Conkle

2.25/5. (Re)releases 10/6/23. This is a review of the audiobook, narrated by Marian Hussey.

Vibes: Beauty and the Beast, nerdy hero, a surprisingly experienced heroine, forced marriage.

When Lydia is taken to meet the reclusive Earl of Greenwich, Edward, she doesn't understand that her stepfather and brother have put themselves in debt to the earl. The only payment he wants? A wife to give him an heir. Although she doesn't intend to go through with the marriage, Lydia accompanies the earl to his estate, where she quickly discovers that there is much more to him--and his plan for the future--than meet the eye. If she marries him, he plans on giving her relative freedom within a short amount of time; but once she actually gets to know Edward as a person, will she want it?

Here's the thing. Gina Conkle is a solid writer, I love Beauty and the Beast, there are some unique takes on the character beats here, and the leads have chemistry. So why didn't this work for me?

Well--pacing is everything.

Quick Takes:

--I want to point out the things I found unique about this book, which was originally published nearly a decade ago. Lydia is a fun, confident heroine who isn't a rebellious renegade type, but also isn't at all missish. She's not a virgin, and there isn't some particularly tragic backstory to all that. She just wanted to get with a guy and he turned out to be a douchebag. But she had fun before that! She's described as a "hoyden" a little too often, and at times she can be a bit too perky, but overall, I found her likable and I appreciated that she wasn't just this sweet girl who existed purely to soothe Edward's tormented soul.

And despite Edward being one of those heroes who has this super beautiful one side of his face and a super scarred other side, he kind of defies a lot of the stereotypes there. Yes, he avoids society; but he's not nearly as tortured about the scars as you would expect, and a lot of his character arc revolves around him being like. Obsessed with plants. And worms. Did this always work for me? Uh, well, no, but I appreciated the creativity.

--Edward and Lydia do have chemistry, and there is an immediate sexual tension between them that is boosted by the fact that she knows what sex is and does in fact like it. She's not afraid of her own sexuality, or his for that matter, and that was a really nice change of pace. And like I said, the writing is good, which makes it easy to get engaged from the start. The issue is that the early engagement and momentum is totally lost, because...

--The pacing of this book is really off, and I have to think that a different editorial hand would have perhaps tightened it up. I was kind of shocked when I realized how little had happened at the 50% mark, because you really do begin so strongly. I was excited about the beginning. Like, I thought these two were going to GET DOWN to the business pretty quickly, based off the immediate sparks and innuendo.

What begins the slowdown is the fact that Lydia tells Edward she's not a virgin, which he isn't super bad about, the bar is underground, but... He does insist that they wait a month before getting married in order for him to ensure that she's not carrying another man's child. Which is not an unheard of trope in historicals, I've seen it before.

However, here it doesn't make sense for a couple reasons. For one thing, when the book begins Edward is going to basically dip for a long journey in three months, and the journey is long and dangerous and family trauma and so on, and as such he wants to basically leave a wife behind, pregnant with his heir. Already, this is kind of a flimsy plan because, as the book acknowledges, that is not a lot of time to get someone pregnant. Also, it might not even be a boy. Hell, it might not even be born alive. But whatever, I can wave that away.

But if the need for an heir--which is more about satisfying familial legacy obligations than Edward's own personal desires for an heir--is so great, and he is willing to have Lydia stay at his estate for the month prior to the marriage anyway... Why not just go ahead. Does the child have to be HIS? I mean, who could really prove anything? Additionally, why does he have to wait a month? Just wait until her next period, which will probably come sooner. (This is a tactic used to great effect in Elizabeth Lowell's Untamed, where the hero is like ready to GO as soon as she's had her period, and if that worked for Medieval Times McGee, I don't know why it couldn't work for Georgian Botanist Earl.) I mean, it's not foolproof, but it's pretty good and will give you some extra time to try. Sort of. Not really sure how that lines up with fertile windows, but honestly! I don't think local Georgian Botanist Earl does either!

--And after this one big obstacle to our leads at least knowing each other carnally (I mean, I'm not saying they have to be IN LOVE early in the story, but at least getting somewhere) occurs, there are then a million little broken moments. Oops, his mom walked. Whoops, here's his housekeeper. Oh no, here's an Issue. It just killed the excitement I had and made me really, really frustrated.

I'm all for obstacles to lovers being together, but this felt like obstacles to basic progress, and that just hurts a romance, always.

--To be clear, I would say that if you love love love a slow burn, this may work for you. I found the degree of slow burn contrived. However, I won't deny that the sexual tension in this novel was well done, and those who throw down for a slow burn above all else may really like this. I'll admit: if I'd known how slowly this burned ahead of time, I wouldn't have requested it, because slow burns are pretty hit or miss for me and prolonged slow burns often don't work for me at all.

--That said, on an audiobook note, Marian Hussey is a very good narrator. I've heard her narrate books before, and she does a very good job of differentiating male voices in a pleasing way--voicing the opposite gender well is always tough, so I appreciate that.

The Sex:

There is one sex scene. It's solid, but it is very late in the story, and you don't really have much physical buildup to it. Furthermore, because this sex scene happens so late in the story and so much hinges on these two consummating the relationship, you then have a total rush to the finish line of the entire romance arc, physicality aside.

Ultimately, I just felt like this was a great start that totally wasted its own potential. Which kind of annoyed me more than a book that was bad from the start would. I'm not against trying other works by Gina Conkle because she clearly has the ability to write romance, but I do think I'll need to read some reviews first to ensure that the pacing quickens.

Thanks to Netgalley and NYLA for providing me with this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[jocampbellfm]

☆ –– (yasmine al-bustami, cisfemale, she/her) have you seen FAYEZ ODEH-REYES running around palmetto bay? rumor has it they’re from the 2012, making them THIRTY years old. they were known as the HOYDEN in high school. it seems they’re still RESILIENT and GRATEFUL, but can also be SARCASTIC and ANXIOUS. they can usually be seen working as a GYM TEACHER AND SOCCER COACH at SEACOAST HIGH SCHOOL or spending their free time DOING YOGA. supposedly, they’ve come to palmetto bay for WORK. on the night of the murder, they were supposedly PACKING UP AFTER SOCCER PRACTICE but who knows if that’s true or not.

more below the cut

full name: fayez odeh-reyes.

nicknames: fay.

age: thirty.

gender: cisfemale.

orientation: homosexual. homoromantic.

date of birth: april 16.

place of birth: orlando, fl.

residence: palmetto bay.

occupation: phys ed teacher and soccer coach.

relationships

sibilings: hazel reyes (adopted) (npc)

significant other(s): tbd.

children: none.

physique

faceclaim: yasmine al-bustami.

eye color: brown.

hair color: black.

height: 5′3″

tattoos: n/a.

significant scars: n/a.

other

positive traits: optimistic, caring, resilient, grateful.

negative traits: sarcastic, hot headed, anxious, too trusting.

song inspo: weekends (big time rush), pretty girls (renee rapp), weather (kelsea ballerini), eightball girl (maddie zahm), get him back! (olivia rodrigo), shelf (jonas brothers)

hobbies: board games, yoga, hiking

other character notes: fayez was fostered by the reyes family starting at age 10, by 13 the adoption was finalized. before then she had been fostered in three different homes none of which felt like they could give her the attention she needed. but she's always persisted. she's been a happy-go-lucky kid who was able to make a home out of anywhere she landed. but landed in the reyes home felt completely different. though she never cared to know what happened to her birth parents, they were open to discussing it with her if she ever wanted to. this gift meant for the first time she was truly secure. in high school she stayed focused on her athletic abilities, soccer being her main sport. she was scouted by multiple schools around the country but chose to go to the university of florida where she studied education. once she graduated she returned back home and began her teaching career as a physical education teacher with the added bonus of becoming the women's soccer coach at seacoast high school. on the night hazel went missing she was seen packing up her soccer equipment after practice.

[mvggedoff]

A BOMBSHELL HAS ENTERED THE VILLA . . .

MCKENZIE “KENNY” HANNIGAN ( cis woman, she/her, sabrina carpenter ) is 23 and a SINGER-SONGWRITER from KERRY. they are known as THE HOYDEN because they are BRAZEN, but if things kick off, they can be a bit MESSY. they’re BISEXUAL and describe their type as SPORTY AND ADVENTUROUS, DEFINITELY SOMEONE WILLING TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY. from their time in the villa, they’re hoping to find LOVE. ( day old eyeliner, a head of messy golden hair, crop tops with no bra, flying down the road in an old truck with no doors, yelling at the tv screen with the lads on football night, and drunkenly calling a stranger pretty in the party bathroom )

𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒. pinterest ; maybe more to come, we’ll see.

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘.

born and raised on a sheep farm in dingle, county kerry, ireland.

only girl amidst a half dozen batch of boys. this is something that influenced her personality and interests a ton.

moved out to cork to study marine biology in university, flunked out. has bounced around locations ever since, staying with friends, family, and other distant relatives.

currently an aspiring singer - songwriter ( by which i mean she takes solo gigs at a few of her favorite pubs and has a couple singles out on spotify. very, very niche ), but just a few weeks ago she was sneaking into private art studios swearing up and down that she was going to be the next picasso. in a few months she’ll probably move up to belfast to build tiny homes and call herself bob the builder or some shit.

how does she fund all this ? she has some decent connections for starters, but she actually won the lottery a couple years ago and has been coasting ever since. that’s her REAL claim to fame.

was flicking through channels with her mates waiting for the football game they were watching to come back from break when they stumbled across an episode of love island. kenny, drunk off her ass, boldly claimed that she could get on the show. this was an entertaining enough idea that the group spent the rest of the night filling out kenny’s online application. she honestly forgot about the whole thing until she was contacted by the showrunners for the next step in her evaluation. the rest is history !

𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

first thing people tend to notice about her, looks wise, is that she’s short as all get out. 5′ even and not much of a heels - wearer. the very definition of dynamite coming in a small package.

then there’s the accent. she’s spent enough time in the city that her deeply rural kerry - isms have mellowed out some, but you can expect them to come back in full force if she’s feeling particularly heated or when talking to a fellow kerryman. she also speaks rather quick and energetically. basically i can’t promise that she’ll be understandable half or even most of the time.

almost always has a snack on her.

a Lot. loud and has absolutely no filter, but she’s clearly good fun if you’re looking for it.

pretty fucking shameless. what you see ( and hear ) is kind of what you get.

Blonde™

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘.

a real bro. could talk your ear off about sports and booze and vintage cars and just how cute bubble butts are. the only stereotypically dudebro thing she doesn’t know squat about are video games ( rip me cuz that’s the only thing i DO know ).

also very artsy, hence the music and painting. the messier a hobby is, the better for her.

slagging is a love language. she grew up with a million brothers and guy friends. it’s how she shows affection.

looooves a drink and is a fun drunk to boot, albeit very messy. she’s dancing on tables and glowing under neon lights, but she’s also stumbling into pools and starting brawls. you gotta take the good with the bad. thankfully alcohol intake in the villa is heavily moderated.

that said, she is THE drunk girl in the bathroom. she’s holding your hair back. she’s calling you gorgeous. she’s threatening your ex. she’s putting in the WORK.

incredibly fickle and flighty. it is impossible for one thing, person, or place to hold her attention for very long. that said, she is 100% all in on every idea and decision she's ever made. basically, she owns and truly believes in her convictions, they just don’t tend to last.

tends to approach life with a “here for a good time, not a long time” attitude.

does not know how to stop. stop moving, stop talking, stop anything. the word simply does not register. everything about her is loud and kinetic. she is in constant motion.

truly does not give a damn what people think of her. her skin is made of iron and she’d rather be disliked for saying what she thinks / acting on how she feels than be liked for stifling herself.

in that vein : won’t play nice for the sake of it. if she doesn’t like you, you’ll know it. if you piss her off, she’ll throw hands. she’s gotten kicked out of many a pub for instigating bar fights. she’s far from being all talk.

impulse control ? nonexistent.

a sense of responsibility for her actions ? nonexistent.

street smart, not book smart.

will do anything on a dare.

hoe rights.

ya’ll know that one girl from too hot to handle that made out with someone immediately because she wanted to cause a little chaos and thought it’d be funny to spite the other contestants ? that energy.

the type to fall in a pile of shit and come out with a diamond stuck between her teeth.

for you zodiac girlies out there, she’s a sagittarius sun, scorpio moon, aries rising, so make of that what you will.

𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃.

while she tends to get along more with guys generally, she’s far more attracted in girls and feminine presenting folk. she said bi, but like, in a gay way, you know ? from the second she stepped into the villa, she’s been blasting girls in bikinis by poppy in her head on LOOP.

this isn’t to say she wouldn’t couple up or hook up with a guy ( deep breaths joshy ). it’s just hard for her to picture a serious relationship with one. granted it’s hard for her to picture a serious relationship with anyone.

lowkey, she just thinks 99.9% of men are bad in bed, so, like, why waste the time ?

needless to say, she’s always been a fling haver, not a serious relationship haver. like i said : here for a good time, not a long time. maybe this is because she’s very fickle and easily bored, or maybe there is something deeper to it. maybe if she doesn’t let things be more than a passing fancy, it means she can’t get hurt when she inevitably gets reduced to being an “experiment” or “distraction” for someone. who knows. she certainly doesn’t. i mean, does it LOOK like she has a therapist ? ( she does not )

has wrecked a home for a one night stand. will do it again. at the end of the day, it’s not her problem if someone else had poor impulse control.

this post. just. this post.

is open to finding love in the villa, but doesn’t actually expect to. she only said she was there for it because there was no “fun” option.

literally just said fuck all in her interview tbqh. she doesn’t know what type she’d want in a serious relationship, and her standards for flings are kind of in the gutter. idk, she’s figuring it out ! at the very least, they have to have good craic.

[the-book-queen]

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[enterpoki]

ೀ ｡ ⋆ greetings from poki , SOPHIE, HETTIE, TORI   ! you have 8 HOURS to check into your hotel or you won’t be invited back to the island . HOLLYLIM, BBYAMBI, JENNIE KIM  are now taken .

ೀ 。 ⋆ HOLLYLIM , SHE/HER , TWENTY-THREE — did you hear SOPHIE ZHANG just booked their flight to poki , greece ? this PRIMADONNA hails all the way from MIAMI , and decided they wanted to get away because SHE WANTS A FRESH START . they couldn’t be caught dead without HER CHARM BRACELET , but that makes sense because they’re so TEMPERAMENTAL . the last i’d heard of them they were playing MISGUIDED GHOSTS BY PARAMORE roaming the airport . do you think that they have anything to do with the missing people ? p , she/they , cst

ೀ 。 ⋆ BBYAMBI , SHE/FAE , TWENTY FOUR — did you hear "HENRIETTA" HETTIE GLADES just booked their flight to poki , greece ? this BUSYBODY hails all the way from THE ISLE OF WIGHT, UK , and decided they wanted to get away because THEIR FRIEND THOUGHT SHE WAS IN DESPERATE NEED OF A BREAK FROM WORK . they couldn’t be caught dead without FAER STRAWBERRY LIP BALM , but that makes sense because they’re so IDEALISTIC . the last i’d heard of them they were playing BLUE LIPS BY REGINA SPEKTOR roaming the airport . do you think that they have anything to do with the missing people ? t , any , gmt

ೀ 。 ⋆ JENNIE KIM , SHE/FAE , TWENTY4 — did you hear VICTORIA ‘TORI’ GWAN just booked their flight to poki , greece ? this HOYDEN hails all the way from MILAN , ITALY , and decided they wanted to get away because SHE WANTED TO ESCAPE HER OLD LIFE . they couldn’t be caught dead without HELLO KITTY BLUNT WRAPS , but that makes sense because they’re so CANNY . the last i’d heard of them they were playing PAPER SOLDIER BY BRENT FAIYAZ roaming the airport . do you think that they have anything to do with the missing people ? t, they/them , est

[clarklovescarole]

March 1938: The Los Angeles Flood

March 4, 1938 – Evening Standard

The death toll in the California flood disaster is mounting every hour. The latest reports state that 35 people have lost their lives. A number of them were killed by landslides; others were swept away by the flood water and drowned.

It is described as the worst disaster in the region since the earthquake of 1933, which wrecked Long Beach and killed 150 people.

Clark Gable Forced To Abandon Car

The homes of Miss Norma Shearer, Mr. James Stewart, and Miss Anita Loos, Miss Billie Burke and Mr. Robert Montgomery are also cut off by the flood water, which is in some cases entered the houses. 

High seas prevented some coast guard boats from reaching the marooned stars. Small bridges were torn from their foundations. 

Miss Kay Francis was rescued by the police from her car, which as standing in 4ft. of water. 

Miss Ginger Rogers and Mr. Richard Dix reached their studio after a thrilling race with the deepening water. 

The lower part of Miss Joan Bennett’s house in the lower Beverly Hills district was flooded. Miss Isabel Jeans only just escaped a landslide while in her car. 

Mr. Clark Gable was forced to abandon his car on a flooded road. 

Twentieth Century Fox Studios estimated that they have suffered damage to their sets amounting to more than £20,000. At the Paramount studios, all productions have been stopped and the executive offices submerged. 

Boats were used to take Miss Sylvia Sydney, Mr. George Raft, Miss Dorothy Lamour, Miss Mary Carlisle, and Mr. Ray Milland to and from the sound stages. 

Many studios made hurried arrangements to house their workers on sound stages and in dressing rooms last night. Shirley Temple stayed overnight in a bungalow at the studio.

Some of the ranches owned by film stars have suffered severely including those owned by Mr. Bing Crosby and Miss Carole Lombard. Mr. Robert Taylor and Miss Barbara Stanwyck, who own adjoining ranches, were rescuing horses from rising water. 

March 27, 1938 – St. Louis Globe

Carole Tired Out From Year of Work

Carole Lombard fans will find these bits of private drama enacted in Hollywood which isn’t screened.

Carole isn’t just one of those dizzy hoydens some of her recent pictures have made her appear: she has her serious moments and good impulses.

The other day, accompanied by Clark Gable, she made a tour of some of the districts devastated by the flood and was greatly impressed.

She saw the damage done – in some cases destruction – to private residences and the hardships of occupants who remained to salvage what they could.

Carole, pretty much worn out by her almost ceaseless work for a year past, recently refused a persistent radio chain offer of large financial proportions.

But what she saw in her tour made her forget a doctor’s warning that a long rest was imperative, and she had planned a vacation.

Evidence of the plight of so many women and children made her feel a sense of duty. She sent word to the radio chiefs that she will go on. 

The preparations for the broadcast will involve a lot of work and worry at a time she’s been told that she must build up her depleted strength.

All the proceeds of the broadcast for herself and the artists she will enlist to aid will go to the flood sufferers through the Red Cross.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Don’t Judge a Duke by His Cover by Emily E.K. Murdoch

Dukes in Danger 1

 Hoydenish young woman of the ton meets Duke masquerading as a boxer while working undercover to catch a treasonous murderer…should be interesting and filled with intrigue but…sadly…not.

 Julia Dryden pushes her brother to take her to a boxing ring in a questionable area of town, distracts one of the boxers to the point he is knocked out, and she feels compelled to check to see if she is okay. She tells her brother to leave her and go home…and he does. I kept reading to see what would happen, see if she would have a chaperone, see if she did anything ladylike at all and…again…suspended belief to keep skimming the story.

 The romance between Lawrence the boxing duke undercover and Julia the independent naïve hoyden who ran free through London was SLOW. The mystery and search for the traitor was more a matter of waiting for the man to appear, and the class issues were overcome by some with greater ease than probable.

 This is a romance with a happy ending that did not draw me in, make me feel invested, or care about the outcome…and that made me sad.

 I think that some will enjoy this story, but it did not work for me.

 Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 2-3 Stars

     BLURB

 Lawrence, Duke of Penshaw, is undercover and getting punched on a daily basis. Devastated by the murder of his brother by a traitor to the Crown, Lawrence agrees to leave his identity as Duke behind to go undercover at an illegal boxing ring in London. He’s waiting for the killer to return from France, and absolutely must not get distracted. Especially by a beauty from Society who absolutely should not be here. Julia Dryden knows her mother would be scandalized by her presence at the boxing matches—it flies in the face of their agreement for her to choose a husband by Easter. After all, she isn’t getting any younger. But her eye is caught by a tall, handsome man who gives everything in the ring and seems to have no fear of danger. From two different worlds—but not the ones she thinks—Julia has no idea the man she’s falling in love with is not a common rogue. And Lawrence has to keep it that way for if he loses focus, just for a moment, he may lose everything. The chance to catch a killer, put a traitor behind bars, revenge his brother…and Julia’s heart.

[luckysprings]

ALTHEA ANDERSSON IS THE HOYDEN!

( ALISHA BOE ) ALTHEA 'THEA' JUNE ANDERSSON has just arrived! she is 25 years old and works as a BARISTA @ THE STEAM ROOM / TA @ SPRING UNIVERSITY. around town they are known as THE HOYDEN, and they have lived here for 25 YEARS. some people say that they're GOOD-NATURED, VIBRANT AND LEVEL-HEADED, but they're also kind of CARELESS, UNINHIBITED AND FICKLE. it may surprise people to know that they are a werewolf and a part of THE BLUE MOON PACK.

[phocbehqs]

phoebe LOVED halloween, she couldn’t wait to properly go out and celebrate with her friends. today she had work though, she’d made her space at work, very spooky, she’d attached a garland of paper ghosts and pumpkins to the front of the till area. and, she was playing spooky music on her little radio, she was busy pricing up some vintage clothes when she noticed someone come over to her section, “hello!” phoebe smiles brightly, “welcome to hoyden. what are you looking for today?”. // @mancstart​

[perfectlymarilynmonroe]

↳ Marilyn Monroe Photographers | A-Z; B: Bert Stern

Born in New York City, Stern was introduced to photography at an early age after seeing Irving Penn’s work. At sixteen, he worked in the mail room at Look magazine before getting a job as art director for Flair magazine — where he began taking photographs. After befriending American Film Director Stanley Kubrick, this sparked some of his early iconic photographs. He shot many of the publicity stills for his Lolita, was the first to shoot Smirnoff vodka in America in 1955, and of course one of the last to shoot Marilyn Monroe. The shoot took place at the Bel Air hotel and over the course of three days, they shot her in such a variety of sittings, over 2,500 images worth of them. Vogue, of course, is the pinnacle of women’s fashion magazines. And Marilyn, though she had a love for clothes, preferred to be nude. Stern recalled, “Doing the fashion section later, she looked more and more frustrated as the day went by and was quite furious near the end of it. I made her wear clothes all day; and she just wanted to get them off.” Stern and George Barris competed for the title of official last photographer, changing the dates of their shoots. Beauty bills from Allan Whitey Snyder, her makeup artist, and Agnes Flanagan, hair stylist, suggest otherwise. (More info in my FAQ highlight). Never the less, Stern was one of the last three, which still makes for a memorable experience. When the magazine was released, Vogue wrote: “The word of Marilyn Monroe's death came just as this issue of Vogue went on the press… we decided to publish the photographs in any case. For these were perhaps the only pictures of a new Marilyn Monroe – a Marilyn who showed outwardly the elegance and taste which we learned that she had instinctively; an indication of her lovely maturity, an emerging from the hoyden's shell into a profoundly beautiful, profoundly moving young woman.” In the 1970s, he moved to Spain for rehabilitation for his amphetamine addiction. When he returned, he continued photographing. He was married twice and had two daughters and a son, who continue to fight for rights for his estate. He passed away in 2013.

[alicepcrk]

excuse me did you see HA SOOYOUNG (YVES) hanging around palmwood studios? oh no, that was ALICE PARK, the TWENTY-FOUR year old actress who plays LEE KIM on HILLMORE WOMAN. yeah, you know rumour has it she’s JUDGMENTAL, and IMPULSIVE , but her fans all say she’s LOYAL, and ENTHUSIASTIC. around palmwood studios she’s known as THE HOYDEN. ( cis female, she/her)

Name: Alice Haneul Park. 

Age: twenty-four years old.

birthday / zodiac sign: february 20 / aquarius. 

sexual orientation: bisexual (but she feels more attracted to girls). 

ethnicity: korean. 

parents: Yeyoung Kim (mother, 52 y/o) & Hoseok Park (father, 55 y/o).

siblings: Noah Park & Oliver Park (twins, 14 y/o).

ABOUT ALICE

ONE. Alice's family came to America long before she was even planned. His father's brother had done some paperwork to bring him and his wife to USA, and after several years of waiting, the papers were accepted and the next thing they knew was that the Park were riding in the first plane to the United States, they would fulfill the so-called American dream. 

TWO. her childhood was like that of any other girl at the age of 6 she began to take different artistic workshops. At 14 years old, the girl already knew that she wanted to dedicate herself to the arts and despite having two newborn babies and a lot of things to pay, her parents do the imposible to paid all the workshops that Alice can get it. 

THREE. Her first attempt to reach her dream was going to Korea to become an idol, buth that didn’t work as she wanted, because after a few years of being a trainee she gave up in that dream, she never have a chance there all her other partners have already debuted and she was just still there. 

FOUR. She go back to USA and maybe was faith or the destiny but a talent-spotter find her and offer her to be an actress. Obviusly she started with commercials or bein an extra in movies or tv shows untill her big oportunity came with hillmore woman. 

PERSONALITY

She is a very kind person, maybe some people don’t believe it because she have a bitch face, but that is the way her face is. In reality she is a very kind person and if you have the time to meet her you would notice that she is nice, sweet and a very loyal friend. Sometimes she can take the mom friend role with the people she cares about. 

[stormworn]

susanna thompson . cis female . she/her . wasn’t that amelira ghita walking the palace grounds ? it’s nice to see the lady of wenchinka out and about on such a fine day as this. i’ve heard from the court spies that they notoriously stubborn, whilst also managing to be quite confident. the sixty year old is eager to find out who exactly is behind the killings from what’s being said at court. i heard that they themselves are vrajiit (darkness empowerment). it’s funny, whenever i think of them, i think of mud covered boots, a rainy afternoon and a sword crossed with a shield. great to see the hoyden around, isn’t it ?

Amelira, the matriarch of the Ghita family. She is stubborn and hot headed and quick witted. She is very much the “keep your friends close but your enemies closer” type of woman.

Her powers developed in her very early teens. Darkness Manipulation. The learning curve was steep for her and her parents. She isn’t allergic to sun as most would think, just considerably weaker in the light. In the blaring sun Amelira considerably more frail than most her age. Her mind however, is unaffected. Allow Amerlia to fight in cloudy, dark skies and well, she is just as fit as any of the 20 somethings in full armor. Amelira may appear younger at times than others, this is due to her exposure to light and dark. and not at all due to jace using resources from 2010 nope

Her parents were terrified when Amelira developed her powers. They distanced themselves from her, only ever really communicating with her when necessary. Her abilities were kept secret from everyone except those in her close circle. She was forced to flee to the capital for five years before the king’s army was formed. She then joined the king’s army.

She is a military tactician. Her powers grant her enhanced physical abilities but only in certain situations. She knew this wouldn’t be good enough. It left her vulnerable. When not training with a sword in hand, you could find her head in books, reading, learning.

Amelira volunteered to join the army once it was formed, her skills were invaluable and she rather enjoyed it, despite her secret anti-dragola mind set.

She gathered a reputation in the army, strong, stubborn and expected nothing but the best. She had her few favourites but would never admit to them. She rose quickly to some sort of commander. Leading and planning were her greatest strengths.

Amelira keeps her distaste for the crown to herself. It’s not secret that the people of  Wenchinka aren’t fond of the crown but her distaste and distrust runs far deeper. Working for the crown as a military commander leaves a sour taste in her mouth, something she is looking to rid herself of but refuses to leave. At least she has some control there.

Family is one of the most important things to Amelira, her wife and children (whether they feel the same about her or not) will always come first.

Politics is a game she doesn’t play well despite her background as a tactician, she’d rather tell you how she feels to your face than play with that information. She can smile and shake hands and play nice but would prefer she didn’t have to.

Despite how unhappy working for the crown makes her Amelira refuses to leave the military. She has friends and many connections because of it, burning those bridges to get away wasn’t something she wanted to do.

[stcrmwcrn]

susanna thompson . cis female . she/her . wasn’t that amelira ghita walking the palace grounds ? it’s nice to see the lady of wenchinka out and about on such a fine day as this. i’ve heard from the court spies that they notoriously stubborn, whilst also managing to be quite confident. the sixty year old is eager to find out who exactly is behind the killings from what’s being said at court. i heard that they themselves are vrajiit (darkness manipulation). it’s funny, whenever i think of them, i think of mud covered boots, a rainy afternoon and a sword crossed with a shield. great to see the hoyden around, isn’t it ?

(REPOST WITH NEW AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION)

Amelira, the matriarch of the Ghita family. She is stubborn and hot headed and quick witted. She is very much the “keep your friends close but your enemies closer” type of woman.

Her powers developed in her very early teens. Darkness Manipulation. The learning curve was steep for her and her parents. She isn’t allergic to sun as most would think, just considerably weaker in the light. In the blaring sun Amelira considerably more frail than most her age. Her mind however, is unaffected. Allow Amerlia to fight in cloudy, dark skies and well, she is just as fit as any of the 20 somethings in full armor.

Her parents were terrified when Amelira developed her powers. They distanced themselves from her, only ever really communicating with her when necessary. Her abilities were kept secret from everyone except those in her close circle. She was forced to flee to the capital for five years before the king’s army was formed. She then joined the king’s army.

She is a military tactician. Her powers grant her enhanced physical abilities but only in certain situations. She knew this wouldn’t be good enough. It left her vulnerable. When not training with a sword in hand, you could find her head in books, reading, learning.

Amelira volunteered to join the army once it was formed, her skills were invaluable and she rather enjoyed it, despite her secret anti-dragola mind set. 

She gathered a reputation in the army, strong, stubborn and expected nothing but the best. She had her few favourites but would never admit to them. She rose quickly to some sort of commander. Leading and planning were her greatest strengths.

Amelira keeps her distaste for the crown to herself. It’s not secret that the people of  Wenchinka aren’t fond of the crown but her distaste and distrust runs far deeper. Working for the crown as a military commander leaves a sour taste in her mouth, something she is looking to rid herself of but refuses to leave. At least she has some control there. 

Family is one of the most important things to Amelira, her wife and children (whether they feel the same about her or not) will always come first.

Politics is a game she doesn’t play well despite her background as a tactician, she’d rather tell you how she feels to your face than play with that information. She can smile and shake hands and play nice but would prefer she didn’t have to.

Despite how unhappy working for the crown makes her Amelira refuses to leave the military. She has friends and many connections because of it, burning those bridges to get away wasn’t something she wanted to do. 

more info to come when my headache goes away and its not 3am

[the-other-art-blog]

Little Men Part 2: Girls at Plumfield

I like Jo much better this time! She’s grown!

I’ve expressed before my annoyance at Jo for being mean and making fun of feminine girls, the Calls chapter etc. Also, adaptations don’t help. To me they portray her as annoying and mean, and I just want to slap her.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Jo respecting Daisy’s domesticity and even finding it valuable. So much that she was convinced that Daisy’s influence would do good on Nan, seeing as Nan is following her early steps.

I loved that when the boys didn’t let Daisy play with them, she built her a kitchen!!!! (with Laurie’s help). And when the boys didn’t let Nan into their club, she created the Cosy Club. And also how even when the boys where mean, the girls were generous and invited them to their spaces if they behaved well.

But she also wants the boys to learn to play with girls and be respectful to them. She does not approve of Demi, Tom and Nat ruining Daisy’s ball. It’s not funny.

Daisy (I guess I should warn you for spoilers??)

Daisy is a tiny Meg. She’s super sweet and domestic and just lovely. I often felt that she must be lonely being the only girl. Thank God Nan came! But seriously, her presence is so refreshing. In a school full of boys, Daisy’s garden has only flowers, she has a kitchen to play with, she cares for her dolls’ dresses.

She’s also very brave and loyal. When everyone suspected of Nat, she was the only one who defended him, she consoled him and adored his music. She also loves Demi. I understand why Louisa focused on Demi when John died, but I would have wanted to read more about Daisy’s grief.

Nan

Nan is a tiny Jo. She’s wild and energetic and Jo can recognize herself in the girl. Luckily Jo has matured and learn to respect limits and she tries to educate Nan in the same way. She’s such a contrast to Daisy. And they both help each other to not go too far.

I loved how brave she was for Rob when they got lost.

This is one of my favorite scenes:

“Yes; but I[Jo] keep talking, and lately she [Nan] has improved much. You saw how prettily she shook hands with you [Laurie], and how gentle she was with Bess. Daisy's example has its effect upon her, and I'm quite sure that a few months will work wonders.”

Here Mrs. Jo's remarks were cut short by the appearance of Nan tearing round the corner at a break-neck pace, driving a mettlesome team of four boys, and followed by Daisy trundling Bess in a wheelbarrow. Hat off, hair flying, whip cracking, and barrow bumping, up they came in a cloud of dust, looking as wild a set of little hoydens as one would wish to see.

“So, these are the model children, are they? It's lucky I didn't bring Mrs. Curtis out to see your school for the cultivation of morals and manners; she would never have recovered from the shock of this spectacle”, said Mr. Laurie, laughing at Mrs. Jo's premature rejoicing over Nan's improvement.

She’s learning limits but that doesn’t mean she loses her personality. It’s a bit worrying how willing she is to cut limbs, but I think it’s amazing that she wants to be a doctor. Like I said before, I appreciate that when she showed interest in healing and taking care of people, Jo automatically went for doctor, not nurse.

I thank Louisa for portraying a healthy female friendship between girls who couldn’t be more different.