#war of jenkins' ear

[sabistarphotos]

February 8, 2023

Fort Matanzas, Florida

[rewritingcanon]

sorry this is so specific and self-indulgent and came out of nowhere but i blame @smr7k4 for this anyway supernatural au where scorpius is a washed up curse researcher/scientist who used to be trying to fine-tune or alter curses that are already incurable to work in favour of wizardkind which was a motivated passion after his mum died from one. he was recording how this one ritual could bring back people from death permanently outside of the resurrection stone but something went horribly wrong in his experiment. so scorpius let his research and projects get disbanded bcuz it crossed the border between normal magic and dark magic.

fast forward and scorpius dies somehow. his husband doesnt share nearly the same amount of moral limitation that scorpius subjected himself to, and would do just about anything to get him back. albus goes fishing around for all of scorpius’ old notebooks until he finds that ritual with the specific curse. he performs it and boom he got a little cannibal zombie hubby now. but zombo!scorp also needs to live on human meat so albus becomes a serial killer so he can sustain scorpius (who also isn’t very conscious of his actions and is in a state of animalistic bloodlust, but for some reason still holds a soft spot for albus). meanwhile ​rose would be the detective auror thats hot on albus’ trail trying to figure out who is responsible for the random killings.

essentially the au is albus finishing scorpius’ research by trying to figure out how to make him more human. he’s documenting what kind of foods zombo!scorp can and cant eat, how to restart all parts of his body to get it functioning again, how to help him access memories to his life and vice versa.

“oh blood type A- gives scorpius tummy aches so i won’t feed him people with that type” then jots down scorp’s lactose intolerant like symptoms. “oh scorpius doesnt like eating hair he always just eats around it. it would be easier if i just remove that part of the head” then takes note of scorpius’ preferences like its cutting crust of bread. “ugh rose is being annoyingly smart again looks like i gotta frame someone to buy me some time before she finds me out sighhh” or “scorpius was always such a sweet tooth so maybe i need to find people with high glucose levels” or “maybe if he eats someone familiar like karl jenkins or something that could trigger a memory for him and reverse some of these effects” (albus just wants an excuse to murk karl).

[penisincorporated]

What kind of fuckery history lesson did I just get?! I swear… I learn a lot from this blog.🤲🏿

Literally my favorite historical fact

[vickihinze]

Malchus by James R. Coggins

In 1731, the Spanish coast guard boarded an English merchant ship captained by a man named Robert Jenkins. The incident was not very serious, but in the melee Jenkins’s ear was cut off, and he apparently complained to the British Parliament. For this reason, and for a host of other ones, the two nations went to war. The War of Jenkins’ Ear lasted for almost a decade. When Jesus was arrested in…

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

05/06/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Taika Waititi; David Jenkins; Dominic Burgess; Anapela Polata'ivao; Wendy Andresen and the MOCATS; WatchParty Reminders;

Hey lovelies, so I had a huge recap together for you, with lots of fan spotlights and then tumblr decided to crap out when I saved my draft so I lost it all and I just don't have the time to redo it all today-- so I'll be pushing some news to tonight's if I can finish it on time this evening.

== Taika Waititi ==

As you all have seen, Taika was at the Met Gala last night with his wife Rita, an we got all sorts of fun pictures and gifs from him! I didn't have enough room to put much more but tried to include some various ones below.

Source: @/Kristen Schuletter's Instagram

Source: Vogue Magazine IG

Source: Rita Ora's Instagram

Source: Jeanne Yang's Instagram

== David Jenkins ==

Chaos Dad feeling a bit spicy about the War of Jenkin's Ear.

Source David Jenkins Twitter

== Anapela Polata'ivao==

Our beloved Auntie has what a Mid-Career Award! Read more about the recipients and the award here: https://www.pannz.org.nz/the-fame-mid-career-awards/

Source: Performing Arts Network NZ's instagram

== Dominic Burgess ==

Our dear Dominic is active and posting constantly on twitter now a days, seems he's getting lots more work, which is awesome! (And generally he's just being fun and silly <3)

== Wendy Andresen & the MOCATS ==

So good and bad news folks. Looks like the kittens have been adopted/the mama cat has been taken to a refuge to help get her adopted as well. That means no more kitten pictures for us-- but at least these babies get a good home! Thanks Wendy for keeping us up to date on their progress.

== Watch Party Reminders ==

Palm Royale WP May 9 via @LCWebsXOXO with the lovely @ dominicburgess approx. 4pm EDT/9pm BST/1pm PST! Available on Apple TV

Wrecked S2 WP May 6-May 10 3:30pm PT / 6:30pm ET / 11:30pm BST! If you need access feel free to dm me here at @gentlebeardsbarngrill or @aspirantabby42 on twitter.

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

Finally, the card we've all been waiting for! Jonathan! AKA Karl! @melvisik thank you for including our favorite seagull!! Which also aligns with the Mermay Theme of Seabird!

Source: @melvisik's Twitter

== OFMD Colouring Pages ==

More fantastic colouring pages from our dear @patchworkpiratebear! My son and I are excited to color in Frenchie's flag, cause you know, we like attracting demons and stuff. Soup is also part of Mermay Day 7!

== Our Flag Means Fanfiction ==

A new episode is out from our crewmates over at Our Flag Means Fanfiction! It's a collaboration episode with Never Left Podcast! This time it's The Swearing Episode! Listen below on Spotify!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram

== Met Gala Edits ==

Any situation in which this fandom can edit in OFMD characters, you know we'll do it, and the Met Gala was no exception. Below are some edits of our favorite characters joining the Gala!

Source: @ radicallysoft's Twitter

Source: @ heyhayley's Twitter

Source: @ spanishjenkies' Twitter

Source: @ ChaoticMulaney's Twitter

Source: @ofmooshd's twitter

Source: @ Appleteeth's Twitter

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies, in honor of both taking a break, and the last several days being crazy town on my end of things, I'm going for a silly love note today. Remember to take a break, otherwise your body's gonna do it for you <3

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Artful Possum | Em | Hand Embroidery Artist (@theartfulpossum)

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Theme today is my mood towards tumblr and destroying my damn draft. Gif courtesy of @ joeal-kaysani

[ltwilliammowett]

The Capture of Puerto Bello, 21 November 1739, by George Chambers  (1803–1840)

In the summer of 1739, during a debate in the House of Commons relating to the deteriorating situation with Spain in the West Indies, Captain Edward Vernon claimed he could take the Spanish town of Puerto Bello, Panama, on the north side of the Isthmus of Darien with six ships of the line. He was taken at his word, promoted to Vice-Admiral and given six ships to redeem his pledge. The war became known as the War of Jenkins' Ear. The main obstacle to be overcome was the Iron Castle at the northern side of the entrance to the harbour. Vernon succeeded in taking the town and in destroying the fortifications and the iron ordnance.

This painting shows the attack on the Iron Castle. In the left foreground Vernon's flagship, 'Burford', 70 guns, with Vernon's blue Vice-Admiral's flag at the fore, in starboard-quarter view, engages the Iron Castle to port and two of the boats are moving in to make a landing. Ahead of her are the 'Strafford', 60 guns, and the 'Worcester', 60 guns, with Commodore Brown in the 'Hampton Court', 70 guns, on their right, flying his red swallow-tail pennant. Puerto Bello can be seen in the right background with gunfire coming from the castle. All the Union flags are incorrectly shown as being of the post-1801 pattern.

[mpchev]

You like reading fanfics? How about reading about fanfics? 😏

Here’s what I've read so far (or am currently getting through) for my dissertation on fanfiction bookbinding! I'll be updating it as I go until the end of July. If you have any recs to add to the towering pile or any questions/opinions about something on there, I’m all ears!

on fan studies & ficbinding ✔

Alexander, Julia, ‘Making fanfiction beautiful enough for a bookshelf’, The Verge, 9 March 2021 <https://www.theverge.com/22311788/fanfiction-bookbinding-tiktok-diy-star-wars-harry-potter-twitter-fandom> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Buchsbaum, Shira Belén, ‘Binding fan fiction and reexamining book production models’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 37 (2022)

Dym, Brianna, and Casey Fiesler, ‘Ethical and privacy considerations for research using online fandom data’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 33 (2020)

Jenkins, Henry, Textual Pochers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (New York: Routeledge, 1992)

Jenkins, Henry, ‘Transmedia Storytelling 101’, Pop Junctions, 21 March 2007 <http://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html#sthash.gSETwxQX.dpuf> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Hellekson, Karen, ‘Making Use Of: The Gift, Commerce, and Fans’, Cinema Journal, 54, no. 3 (2015), 125–131

Kennedy, Kimberly, ‘Fan binding as a method of fan work preservation’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 37 (2022)

Minkel, Elizabeth, ‘Before “Fans,” There Were “Kranks,” “Longhairs,” and “Lions”: How Do Fandom Gain Their Names?’, Atlas Obscura, 30 May 2024 <https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fandom-names> [accessed 12 June 2024]

Penley, Constance, Nasa / Trek: Popular Science and Sex in America (London: Verso, 1997)

Price, Ludi, ‘Fanfiction, Self-Publishing, and the Materiality of the Book: A Fan Writer’s Autoethnography’, Humanities, 11, no. 100 (2022), 1–20

Schiller, Melanie, ‘Transmedia Storytelling: New Practices and Audiences’, in Stories: Screen Narrative in the Digital Era, ed. by Ian Christie and Annie van den Oever (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018), 99–107

on folklore, the internet, other background reading ✔

Barthes, Roland, ‘La mort de l’auteur’ in Le Bruissement de la langue: Essais critiques IV (Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1984)

Blank, Trevor J., Folklore and the Internet: Vernacular Expression in a Digital World (Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press, 2009)

Mauss, Marcel, ‘Essai sur le don. Forme et raison de l’échange dans les sociétés archaïques.’, L’année sociologique, 1923–1924; digital edition by Jean-Marie Tremblay, Les classiques des sciences sociales, 17 February 2002, <http://classiques.uqac.ca/classiques/mauss_marcel/socio_et_anthropo/2_essai_sur_le_don/essai_sur_le_don.html> [accessed 10 June 2024]

McCulloch, Gretchen, Because Internet: Understanding How Language is Changing (Random House, 2019)

Niles, John D., Homo Narrans: The Poetics and Anthropology of Oral Literature (University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, 1999)

hopefully coming up next (haven't started yet)

A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies, ed. by Paul Booth (Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2018)

A Fan Studies Primer: Method, Research, Ethics, ed. by Paul Booth and Rebecca Williams (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2021)

Dietz, Laura, ‘Showing the scars: A short case study of de-enhancement of hypertext works for circulation via fan binding or Kindle Direct Publishing’, 34th ACM Conference on Hypertext and Social Media (HT ‘23), September 4–8, 2023, Rome Italy (ACM: New York, 2023)

Fathallah, Judith May, Fanfiction and the Author: How Fanfic Changes Popular Cultural Texts (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2017)

Finn, Kavita Mudan, and Jessica McCall, ‘Exit, pursued by a fan: Shakespeare, Fandom, and the Lure of the Alternate Universe’, Critical Survey, 28, no. 2 (2016), 27–38

Hjorth, Larissa et al., eds. The Routledge Companion to Digital Ethnography (New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2017)

Jacobs, Naomi, and JSA Lowe, ‘The Design of Printed Fanfiction: A Case Study of Down to Agincourt Fanbinding’, Proceedings from the Document Academy, 9, issue 1, article 5

Jenkins, Henry, Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide (New York: New York University Press, 2006)

Jenkins, Henry, Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning In A Networked Culture (New York: New York University Press, 2013)

Kennedy, Kimberly, and Shira Buchsbaum, ‘Reframing Monetization: Compensatory Practices and Generating a Hybrid Economy in Fanbinding Commissions’, Humanities, 11, no. 67 (2022), 1–18

Kirby, Abby, ‘Examining Collaborative Fanfiction: New Practices in Hyperdiegesis and Poaching’, Humanities, 11, no. 87 (2002), 1–9

Kustritz, Anne, Identity, Community, and Sexuality in Slash Fan Fiction (New Work: Routeledge, 2024)

Lamerichs, Nicolle, Productive Fandom: Intermediality and Affecive Reception in Fan Cultures, (Amsterdam: Amsterdam Universtiy Press, 2018)

Popova, Milena, ‘Follow the trope: A digital (auto)ethnography for fan studies’, Transformative Works and Cultures, 33 (2020)

Rosenblatt, Betsy, and Rebecca Tushnet, ‘Transformative Works: Young Women’s Voices on Fandom and Fair Use’, in eGirls, eCitizens: Putting Technology, Theory and Policy into Dialogue with Girls’ and Young Women’s Voices, ed. by Jane Bailey and Valerie Steeves

Soller, Bettina, ‘Filing off the Serial Numbers: Fanfiction and its Adaptation to the Book Market’, in Adaptation in the Age of Media Convergence, ed. by Johannes Fehrle, Werner Schäfke-Zell (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2019), 58–85

[cybervesna]

Can we get 5, 13 & 17 for the true Dogtown ruler (Wiosna, not Lucyfer)? : smug_kurt :

5. What's their moral compass like?

OOF. That's probably one of the hardest matters here. Wiosna really doesn't have a moral compass in the sense we understand it. She never really developed an understanding of what's good and what's wrong. Even, if she knows those things now thanks to her psychology degree, it's still kind of "on paper". But since she was raised in a terrible way explained by "love", Wiosna has an "ends justify means" approach to life. She has no problem with killing people if they get too close, and she will even torture someone out of jealousy. Also, Wiosna has no issues with Kurt being a cruel dictator and a war profiteer since her family is at the beginning chain of every corporation (LoveSky SMC provides resources weapons are made of; also corpo life means only the strongest survive). However, she has a soft spot for kids. Since oftentimes she sees in them the reflection of herself when she was a kid, she is not able to hurt them and isn't blind to their tragedies. At one point she even starts giving kids around Black Sapphire ballet lessons and doesn't shy from giving away her paycheck to them (not that it makes any difference to the heir of the fortune so great it could end world hunger).

13. What's their relationship to their body? Self-esteem? Self image?

Complicated. It started in her ballet class. As you can see, Wiosna doesn't have the perfect "ballerina body" and teenagers are cruel. When she hit puberty hiding her chest or wider hips became a problem. Not that it really was a problem - to her grandmother (who is the head of traditional ballet) it was absolutely all right as long as Wiosna had the technique right and was all natural (no cyberware or bioware). But jealous bitches had different opinions. But it's not something Wiosna could change, so she just swallowed it all and kept the shame to herself. When her psyche started to show signs of disorders, the trial of "therapies" started to consume her. She was told that she needed to be "fixed"; to be "perfect". So it is implemented in her self-image that she is not perfect, and that sparked her need to find validation. Fate put on her way someone who exactly knew how to abuse the insecurities Wiosna had, and she ended up as a Trophy Fiancee to Arthur Jenkins, who fed her ideas like "You would look better in blonde", "What if you remove your freckles? You would look perfect as porcelain doll". So she did what was whispered in her ear. Tho, she never went as far as getting any plastic surgery. As she was studying human behaviors (again her psychological degree) she started to notice, that she is desired by people, no matter the way she currently looks (her normal self or bombshell fantasy), so at least at some point she was aware of the way people are affected by her. Which she learned to use to her advantage. Yet, when it came to romantic partners, she still had the need to "be perfect" for them, so even subconsciously she was reshaping herself to the ideal she thought someone expected of her. Thus, Kurt saying "she is already perfect", broke in her some kind of spell she was bound with, and with that chase for perfection ended. At least for the time being.

Wiosna in 2069 graduating Arasaka Academy vs 2074 when she was with Jenkins

17. What little regrets do they have?

I kinda don't understand "little regrets" so I will just say regrets lol.

The main one goes back to what I mentioned above - she regrets not being perfect. I know, ridiculous but tell that to her, someone who thinks it was all her fault.

She also regrets running away from home. Not long after doing so, Wiosna was in an accident where she lost her hand, which crossed her out from traditional ballet forever. (To the interested, traditional ballet thing is from my headcanon, and her >grandmother< was the pioneer of it.) Since she knew there was no coming back, she proceeded with installing Tier 4 Netrunning Cyberware (she was still 90% organic tho).

And a regret that comes later - she regrets not being in Dogtown during the Phantom Liberty events (at least in my main headcanon). Wiosna believed that if she had been there, things would been different. But she wasn't, and again it was something she couldn't control. This particular guilt in her is the reason why my 2079AU takes place 😬

[bpd-baddie-bracket]

❤️ IT’S TIME FOR… THE FIRST ROUND OF THE BPD BADDIE BRACKET!! ❤️

The battle begins!! This is the first reveal of the bracket, and the characters that will be participating, as decided by a Google Form!

The polls for this bracket will all be under the tag “round one,” and will last for 24 hours.

The next bracket will be revealed Thursday the 16th, at 8pm CST.

❤️ LEFT SIDE: ❤️

OSAMU DAZAI (Bungo Stray Dogs) versus RITSU SAKUMA (Ensemble Stars)

MOMOSE SUNOHARA (IDOLiSH7) versus CHLOE ELIZABETH PRICE (Life is Strange)

REBECCA BUNCH (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) versus CATRA (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

YURI (Doki Doki Literature Club) versus HOWL JENKINS PENDRAGON (Howl’s Moving Castle)

KATSUKI BAKUGOU (My Hero Academia) versus DAVE MILLERS (Dayshift at Freddy’s)

MONDO OOWADA (Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc) versus JULIAN DEVORAK (The Arcana)

BASIL (Omori) versus SASHA WAYBRIGHT (Amphibia)

AME / KANGEL (Needy Streamer Overload) versus JASON TODD (DC comics)

❤️ RIGHT SIDE: ❤️

HARUKA SAKURAI (MILGRAM) versus SIX-EARED MACAQUE (LEGO Monkie Kid)

SPINEL (Steven Universe) versus AZULA (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

JESSIE (Pokemon) versus QUEEN VANESSA (A Hat in Time)

IAN GALLAGHER (Shameless) versus EMILY PRENTISS (Criminal Minds)

ALOIS TRANCY / JIM MACKEN (Black Butler II) versus FOUR (Battle for Dream Island)

ANAKIN SKYWALKER (Star Wars) versus RIKA KIM (Mystic Messenger)

MISA AMANE (Death Note) versus ASUKA LANGLEY SORYU (Evangelion)

HOMURA AKEMI (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) versus BOJACK HORSEMAN (Bojack Horseman)

[the-paintrist]

Thomas Hudson - Portrait of Admiral Sir Peter Warren - 1748-52

Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Warren, KB (10 March 1703 – 29 July 1752) was an Anglo-Irish naval officer and politician who sat in the British House of Commons representing the constituency of Westminster from 1747 to 1752. Warren is best known for his career in the Royal Navy, which he served in for thirty-six years and participated in numerous naval engagements, including most notably the capture of the French fortress of Louisbourg in 1745.

Born in Ireland c. 1703 to an Irish Catholic family, Warren's parents raised him as a Protestant in order to allow him to pursue a career at sea. In 1716, Warren enlisted in the Royal Navy, largely spending the next decade serving off the West African coast or in the Caribbean, participating in anti-piracy operations and confrontations with Spanish coast guard vessels. Eleven years later in 1727, Warren was promoted to the rank of post-captain.

From 1728 to 1745, Warren served almost continuously in the Americas. He commanded the Solebay off New York, where he married Susannah Delancey in 1731; they had six children together. During the War of Jenkins' Ear, he participated in failed attacks on St. Augustine and Cartagena. In 1745, Warren joined an expeditionary force to attack the fortress of Louisbourg, leading a blockade which led to the garrison capitulating on 28 June.

Warren participated in the First Battle of Cape Finisterre in May 1747, being made a Knight Companion, before returning to England to pursue a political career. He was elected to Parliament in the 1747 general election, attending several parliamentary committees in addition to opposing a clause in the 1749 Consolidation Act. Warren died in Dublin on 29 July 1752. The towns of Warren, Rhode Island and Warren, New Hampshire were named for him.

Thomas Hudson (1701 – 1779) was an English painter, almost exclusively of portraits.

[noisyquokka]

Little Oasis

pairing: Hyunjin x Reader

genre: Howl’s Moving Castle AU, Fantasy, Fluff

length: 2.2k

warnings: None that I could think of but please let me know if I missed anything 💛

Anonymous asked: hiii!! could I request a fanfic with hyunjin but he's howl (from howls moving castle). idk 🥲 I just really like that film and hyunjin reminds me so much of howl!!

A/N: Oh boy, was I excited to see this in my inbox! I feel like this request popped up at the perfect time since I spent the weekend at my aunt’s cottage. My imagination may have gotten the better of me but I’m fairly certain that this is my most detailed piece to date, so I hope you enjoy! Also, I might have sprinkled some of my personal “Hyunjin as Howl” headcanons in here, I couldn’t help myself 🥰 Enjoyy!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧  

Your heartbeat thumped in your chest, keeping rhythm with your weathered boots as Hyunjin pulled you along behind him. His coat draped over your shoulders, swaying every which way as he swung the both of you around the corner and through the empty alley.

You should have seen this coming, really. It seemed as if you found yourself in this predicament more often than not, racing behind the tall raven-haired man down various alleyways of the village. From what? Well, whoever or whatever may be looking for him. The war may have ended but Howl Jenkins Pendragon was still a very sought-after wizard. Of course, it wasn't always for the right reasons. Hence, your current situation.

"This way, darling!" His grip on your hand was firm as he led you down another dimly lit alleyway. "Hurry!"

You followed without hesitation, doing your best to keep up with the man's much longer strides. You didn't know who was chasing after you two, and you knew better than to stop and ask at such a moment. Hyunjin knew what he was doing, and after the numerous times he'd saved you, you trusted him with your life. Even so, when you saw the pathway come to a dead end, you couldn't help the dread that crept into your veins.

He turned back the way you had came, just as the shadows of the pursuers cascaded across the stone walls. They were very much on your tails and Hyunjin was not about to put you in any sort of danger. His grip on you tightened, and before you could say a word, the sapphire pendant that hung around his neck began to glow and you were ascending to the rooftops in the arms of the powerful wizard.

"Hyunjin!!" You screeched, feeling your stomach drop as the ground got farther and farther away and you soared higher into the air. Your hands found his, holding on for dear life.

"I've got you, you know what to do." He murmured in your ear, lacing his fingers with yours as you began the usual waltz across the rooftops. It wasn't like you hadn't experienced this before. Hyunjin would take you on late night rooftop escapades every so often, but that didn't usually involve being chased back home. There was always one unlucky outing though, and it seemed tonight was one of them.

Your anxiety spiked, but as your feet hit the cobblestone streets once again, you felt the adrenaline kick in. The two of you booked it for the familiar abandoned building that would miraculously turn into the inviting place you called home once you breeched the entrance. You didn't care who it was that was chasing the young wizard beside you. Just as long as the two of you found shelter in the safety of the castle.

Once Hyunjin's fingers gripped the door handle, your legs almost gave out. The door slammed shut, that familiar bell chimed, and you took a moment to catch your breath on the stairs. Home sweet home, at last.

Or, it should have been. However, you weren't in the familiar warm and cozy castle that you had called home for the past year. Instead, your hands sunk into rich soil. The sounds of songbirds and insects hummed through... a forest, lush and fragrant.

"H-Hyunjin, what is this place?"

You rose to your feet, taking in the world around you. The sunlight filtered through the low hanging branches of the trees, casting an ethereal pink glow throughout the quiet forest. Birds sang their songs as they fluttered from branch to branch, plucking ripe, juicy berries from the juniper and elderberry bushes not too far away.

Hyunjin cleared his throat, a sheepish expression settled over his features once you turned to him.

"My apologies, I never introduced you to this place. It's my, er... secret oasis." He replied, glancing up to the swaying canopy of the trees. You watched as the wind played with his hair, blowing the raven-colored strands behind him. A few fell into his line of sight as he seemingly reminisced about this beautiful dream-like world he had conjured up. "I kind of forgot I created it, if I'm honest."

"How did we manage to get here, then?" You breathed, completely enamored.

"I'm not exactly sure... I can get us back home without an issue, though. So," He held a hand out in waiting, gaze falling upon you with a soft smile. "Shall I give you the grand tour?"

Your lips upturned into a smile of your own, nodding in excitement as you took his hand. With a gentle squeeze, Hyunjin pulled you along down the mossy path of the heavily wooded area. The paths were surrounded in high grasses and wildflowers, most likely the work of magic as the trees blocked out much of the sunlight. The rattling of antlers resounded somewhere in the deep brush of the forest and you glanced towards the way it had came, catching sight of two young bucks that seemed to be in the midst of a sparring session. They paused in their fight, alert and observing as the two of you passed by.

"Watch your step." Hyunjin's soft voice pulled you from your haze and you glanced down. A large tree trunk protruded from below the forest floor, home to a cluster of glowing fuchsia mushrooms. You blinked at the unusual sight.

"This place is something out of a fairytale." You whispered, stepping over the trunk before you kept on your way through the forest. Hyunjin chuckled, smiling to himself. He adored watching you explore. It didn't matter what it was, the real world or one of his magical ones. You always saw them in a way no one else was able to. With a sort of childlike bewilderment that glimmered in your eyes no matter where you'd look. He wished he would have shown you this one sooner. Even Markl never got that excited.

As you continued on, the forest soon opened into a clearing. Hyunjin paused in his tracks, nodding his head in a forward gesture. You held his crystalline gaze for a moment before you found yourself entranced once again. The scene before you was something to behold. The path of moss softly transitioned into gray slate, contrasted by the bright purple-pink blooms of creeping thyme. Your grip on Hyunjin's hand loosened, falling away completely as you made your way further into the garden. The woody, citrus scent tickled your nose as you disturbed the aromatic groundcover beneath your feet. A stone birdbath sat in the center of the path just a few meters ahead, watched over by a large stone statue, it's feminine features cascading down to the water as if pondering when the next songbird would offer her a fleeting moment of its company. Around her, various species of flowers bloomed, an invitation for the buzzing bees searching for sweet nectar and, perhaps, to rest among the silky petals. You reached out as you waltzed through the garden, allowing the swaying branches of the willow trees to flow through your fingers.

"This place... It feels like a dream." You said with a smile. "It's so breathtaking!"

You scanned the rest of the clearing, searching for anything else hiding in the over-grown garden. An easel sat by the edge of the river, leaning against one of the massive willow trees. A few feet away was a wooden swing that hung from one of the willow's stronger branches. Hyunjin followed you down to the river's edge, grinning at the sight of you reaching for the thick rope that supported the swing.

"I haven't spent time here in quite a while now." Hyunjin spoke up, leaning against the trunk of the old tree. You sat down on the swing, glancing up toward the sky where the branches danced with the breeze. You turned to the wizard with a furrowed brow.

"Why not? It's so beautiful here, peaceful." It was true. Whatever adrenaline that had taken hold of you before falling into this unknown world had dispersed. Contentedness was what you felt now, your chest fluttering with a sense of calm and peaceful delight.

Hyunjin sighed heavily, his eyes settled on the sun that sat just above the horizon. The jewels that adorned his ears caught the light of the early morning sun, casting rainbows of light along his jawline. You followed his gaze across the river, taking in the vastness of the picturesque valleys in the distance.

"This place used to bring me such unspeakable peace. I'd spend days at a time here practicing spells, painting, daydreaming..." He trailed off, closing his eyes briefly. You took note of his words - that he used to get peace from this world - and wondered what had changed. As if he could read your thoughts, he spoke up.

"Sometimes reality can be more than we bargain for. When it became too much for me, I came here as a means of escape."

Hyunjin traipsed slowly behind you with long, flowing strides. The silk top fluttered along his skin as he moved closer, light and arid. Like the water that bubbled over the rocks in the riverbed. Like the clouds above, awash in the shades of burnt peach and lavender. He may as well have been air personified, you thought.

"Have you noticed the sun hasn't moved on the horizon?"

You hummed an affirmative, swinging lightly as he spoke.

"Mornings have always been sacred to me. The world is just waking, the sun rises to kiss the delicate petals of flowers. The forest sings a symphony to welcome the new day, as if danger is a passing bubble of thought that holds no threat. It's playful, in a way."

You felt the warmth of his hands on your back as he gave you a gentle push, allowing the momentum to propel you forward and back. Hyunjin continued and you listened with fervor.

"The wilds of the forest live on, and the song birds, the foxes, the deer... they don't worry much about anything. I had an epiphany as I would watch them, that they are very much what I aspired to be for a long time. They live life through discovery. And they learn through experiencing."

The young wizard stepped out of the way of the swing, his celestite eyes glimmering at you as your boots began to lightly skim the grass below them. His hands linked behind his back in a boyish manner, glancing about the overgrown garden with the same admiration in his eyes that he would often bless you with. His fingers grasped the ropes of the swing after a moment, bringing you to a halt altogether. You shared a long glance, no words exchanged besides the whispering winds in the trees.

"And then I met you and I... I realized that you, my dear, you live life as the creatures of the forests do. Not only here, but in the real world, too." You tilted your head at his words, curious as to what he meant. He exhaled at the sight, wracking his brain for the right words. As if they didn’t want to flow easily within his head.

"Try as I may, I can't seem to articulate my words without coming off as a fool." He said, a small breath of laughter accompanied by a shake of his head. Your eyes flitted to his tensed shoulders, his cheeks blooming as he distracted himself with the rings that adorned his fingers. You took a chance, raising your hands up to where Hyunjin's gripped the swing, slipping your fingers under his in a comforting manner. Hyunjin visibly relaxed from your touch and you smiled when he gathered his courage, looking you straight in the eye with a newfound confidence as he spoke.

"What I wanted to say is..." Deft fingers brushed along the expanse of your cheek, falling to the tip of your chin. "You have a way of making life, mm, enchanting. Wonderous!"

You couldn't help but to laugh at his words. You? Wonderous and enchanting?!

"Enchanting... Isn't that in your job description, Great Wizard?" You teased, ignoring the heat in your cheeks from such a high compliment. Hyunjin chuckled, pulling you up from the swing. You still had questions, though.

"I still don't quite understand. You said you don't find peace in this world like you used to. What changed?"

For the second time that evening, Hyunjin gave your hands a firm squeeze. You took the moment and admired the man in front of you, his smile slowly fading until his earrings caught your attention. The emerald gems shimmered a moment and you felt your chest flutter as those crystalline eyes melted into the familiar rich brown that you knew so well. Only you. Hyunjin blinked softly, humming in contentment at the sight of your upturned lips.

"Perhaps I've found something that brings me the same feeling without my added dose of magic..." He whispered, placing a chaste kiss to the back of your hand.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧  

Psst!! If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my work 💕 I appreciate you!

[sabistarphotos]

February 5, 2023

Fort Frederica, Georgia

[spiritual-activity]

Do you have any Jenkins and Baxter headcanons?

There's not a whole lot since we barely see them, but I do have some!

*Baxter*

Actually has a slight crush on Jenkins. Doesn't want to admit it due to the fact that he knows Jenkins doesn't deserve him. He knows that Jenkins isn't a good person at heart.

Enjoys going on long walks in nature. He grew up in a small town and rarely got the chance to actually appreciate nature. He found that he enjoys bird-watching.

Deaf in his left ear. Got really sick as a child which then led to his hearing loss. It doesn't bother him much, though. Was always doing his job perfectly fine.

First name is James. Was named after an uncle that had passed away just before his birth. Proclaimed, by his father, that he had been his uncle reincarnate.

He makes cat noises when he's alone. Mainly the 'mrrp' noise they make when approached. He does this since he barely speaks. He doesn't speak due to his voice not entirely sounding "right" due to the same illness that took his hearing in the left ear.

*Jenkins*

Homophobic homosexual. How and why is he like this? One guy, with whom he was in a relationship with, left him due to Jenkins being "intolerable" and overall just rude.

He is the Karen™ of the group. Will complain about anything and everything. Will also silently judge you based of appearance. Does not regret it at all.

Purposely degrades Baxter about his deafness. It makes him feel better about his insecurities. While he may be an adult, he truly acts like a child.

Was actually a nice child. The kind that would always be in the dirt but very friendly. His older brother was kind of his childhood bully out of jealousy.

Has a wife. They got married 2 years before the war started. Tried to keep up the loving husband front in public. He was never romantically interested in her, while she was quite the opposite. She was head over heels in love with him.

Once again, there's not a whole lot to go off of, but I worked with what I had. These actually turned out well!

[magicalinfluencernight]

Selection Au Part 2

info 1 2

The boy. Rich, pampered and above all, loved. The youngest of 2 and the most reckless of all, was born on a silver platter - quite literally - on February 18th, 1789 in a grand manor in downtown “prestigious” London.

The baby was born into the noble house of Lockwood, whose names were well known for their male line’s revolutionary contributions over the years to several wars, including the Thirty Years War, the War of Jenkins’ Ear and the First Carnatic War.

He was the heir to the vast wealth his family sat upon. Even though he had an elder sister, and his parents did NOT believe in patriarchy, he was priceless to the olders . So, that was what he was named-Anthony, Anthony Lockwood.

___________________________

As the boy grew from a young toddler crawling up the winding staircase, to a charismatic young man that attracted the eyes of anyone that laid his eyes on him, he grew more lonely and detached from the world.

He did not know what it was like living as the 3s, 4s and 5s did, he didn’t even have a single friend that didn’t try to use him for gods’ sake! Yet, in the eyes of the elders, he was the embodiment of everything they wanted the future heir to be.

___________________________

Anthony, not Ant, not Tony, knew his parents and sisters loved him. They showered him with love and spent as much time as they could with him. He adored his elder sister, who had read to him every night as a child and his parents who regaled him with the various ‘incidents’ during their selections.

Believe it or not, his mother (Celia) actually came from a long line of powerful aristocrats, said to have royal blood in their veins. While it wasn’t confirmed, the rumors’ existence in themselves had boosted Celia’s ancestors to the status of 2s and when Celia and Donald had gotten married, it was the talk of the city for several years.

_____________________________

When Anthony had turned 19, his parents with the assistance of Jessica, his elder sister, were finally able to wear down the elders and had gotten him a permit to explore the city. Though under one condition, to disguise himself and to bring along one guard (disguised as well).

That was the best day of his life. As he travelled the back alleys and the most “inconspicuous” (he was sure that it just made them more suspicious) routes, the duo had past a rather peculiar store and it had intrigued Anthony. As silently as he could, and noting that his guard was a solid 5 feet in front of him, he pulled the Houdini act and disappeared into the aisles of the store. As he wandered aimlessly, he was met with a wash of sandy hair and a pair of round, steely eyes and even rounder spectacles.

After going through a series of hilarious expressions of surprise, the stripling introduced himself as George Cubbins, and seemed to be around his age. Apparently, the man was a Fittes employee but worked at this second-hand store for some extra cash (how much more money this man wanted Anthony wondered, after all, Fittes paid their employees, even the lowest ranks a minimum of £35!)

The two spend the next hour discussing about the latest fashions and the most ridiculous things the two could think of until George broke their amiable bubble and joked, “ What is your name? I can’t keep calling you man, can I ?”. The atmosphere immediately sombered and Anthony murmured, “Name’s Anthony, Anthony Lockwood.”

“Lockwood?!” George yelped “I have been talking to a Lockwood this entire time?! “Shh, George, you might alert the guard I ditched earlier!”, remarked Anthony. “Here, quickly take down my personal address, nobody else knows about its existence and make sure nobody, ever gets it. My guard is sure to find me now!”

__________________________

And right he was, the guard, who had been sweeping all the nearby alleys and roads in a panicked state, had heard George from 3 streets away and had quickly made time to reach the store, just after the address exchange occurred.

The guard, though only slightly older than him had yanked him by the back of his collar, and whisper-yelled, “Are you mad, sire?! The amount of attention that yell from that intern is sure to spread a mountain of rumours and… Drat!!.. now my job’s on the line…. His volume lowered with every word he spoke until all you could hear from the guard were faint mumbles.

________________________________

Suffice to say, once Anthony came back home, he was to be ‘punished’ for his lack of ‘gentleman from rank 1’ behaviour. Thankfully, he had George to rely on for his impending boredom till the elders approved to a meeting and for that, he was forever grateful.

_______________________________

Once the meeting with the elders were scheduled for later that evening, Anthony thought he would be banned from going out anymore, which he would be upset about but would eventually get over. But, what the elders said were much, much, worse and made his already pale face even paler, “ You are to have a Selection ”.

______________________________

A/N : phew 😮‍💨. This was a lot of work. Sorry for the delay in publishing, I broke my right wrist (my dominant hand) and the doctor issued a strict ‘no-using-hand-rule’ which is a real pain considering this is exam week and I have a bunch of deadlines to meet.

anyway, I would love to hear your feedback on my work in the comments considering my usual pieces are informative, journalistic and opinionated. I tried keeping the vocab simple so people won’t have to search the meanings of fancy words.

My next published part will probable take some time since I am really busy now, but until then, its me out!

[datasoong47]

Micronations based on contorted historical claims are an interest of mine. And one that I came across a few years ago that has a personal interest to me is the so-called Dominion of British West Florida, as I once lived in the area they claim. Its claim is based on a rather odd reading of historical events, but they basically claim that the old British colony of West Florida (I’m not sure under what borders as it changed a few times) is rightfully British still, and thus they claim to seek recognition as part of the Commonwealth. Needless to say, their claim has not been acknowledged by any nation, much less the UK itself or the US

A quick synopsis of the real history before going into their claim. Florida began as a Spanish colony, first claimed in the 16th century. The Spanish claims, as was common with colonial claims, initially overlapped with Britain’s claims. Eventually, however, a boundary between British and Spanish colonial claims was agreed to after the amusingly-named War of Jenkins’ Ear, which was similar to the modern US state of Florida, but extending further west to the Mississippi River. The border that was agreed to, on a modern map:

Thus including parts of what are today Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana (that portion of Louisiana is still referred to as the West Florida Parishes). This is one of several places where modern state boundaries reflect old international borders, in this case, between the Spanish and British empires

After the Seven Years’ War, Spain ceded Florida to Britain. The British divided Florida into two colonies, East Florida and West Florida, with the boundary being the Apalachicola River. In addition, West Florida’s northern border was moved significally northward, to a line defined by the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers

Which included a significant portion of modern-day Mississippi and Alabama. By an odd coincidence, that northern border actually passes through those states’ capitals. The capital of West Florida was the city of Pensacola, which is today the westernmost city in Florida, just a few miles from the state’s western border

When the Revolutionary War broke out, the Floridas remained loyalist. The Continental Congress send delegations to try to get them to join the revolution, but they both chose to remain loyalist. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Spain, which had been an ally of the colonists, regained the Floridas (West Florida had actually been captured by Spain, while East Florida had remained in British control, but was traded to Spain in exchange for the return of the Bahamas). This actually created a border dispute between the United States and Spain, as the treaty between the US and the UK explicitly defined the southern border of the new nation, using the old border of Florida, but the treaty between the UK and Spain did not define boundaries, only ceding the Floridas. Spain thus (not unreasonably) interpreted it to mean that Britain was ceded all of the Floridas as they were defined prior to the treaty (thus including that post-1763 expansion), but in 1795, Spain agreed to the old boundary of West Florida in the Treaty of San Lorenzo, AKA Pinckney’s Treaty. Spain retained the division between East and West Florida, although they moved the boundary between the two to the Suwanee River, further east

In 1819, Spain sold the Floridas to the US (which had already seized the westernmost part of West Florida, the portions now in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, under dubious justifications) as part of the Adams-Onís Treaty. The US then merged the two colonies into the Florida Territory, which eventually became the modern state

Now, the so-called Dominion of British West Florida agrees with the real history through the 19th century. They accept the retrocession back to Spain after the Revolutionary War, and presumably they accept that the post-1763 expansion was not included in West Florida. Their claim is that when King Charles IV of Spain abdicated in 1808, West Florida reverted to British control, which would thus mean that it was not ceded to the US in the Adams-Onís Treaty

This is a really peculiar claim. A monarch’s abdication doesn’t void any treaties made in that monarch’s name, and they make no defense of that claim, they simply assert it. And even weirder, even if there were some clause that could be twisted to justify that claim, they don’t claim the same for East Florida. Surely if there were some weird clause in that treaty to that effect, it would’ve affected all of the territories that changed hands in the treaty?

Also, the former British West Florida had been divided up between the US and Spain, but presumably, since the claim relates to Spanish politics, they’re only claiming the portion that was ceded to Spain. And presumably not including the eastern portions added to it under Spanish rule? So presumably like this:

Needless to say, their claims have precisely 0 change of ever being acknowledged by either the US or the British government

[tortoisesshells]

dealer’s pick for J of the OC & Creators Ask!! :)

thank you, kind friend!

J. Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character?

Not to create Nellie Treat (and her world), but I uh. Accidentally fucked the overarching canon timeline - I started Customs intending it to be a silly little four chapter Austen pastiche with very little to do with PotC generally, and was definitely ignoring everything after the credits rolled in Curse of the Black Pearl. So: I somewhat carelessly established that it was two or three years after the first movie. Things ... got out of hand, and I had to weld it onto the back two-thirds of canon, which is supposed to have happened at most a year or so after the first movie. So I'm just jamming an extra two years into the canon timeline, which I suppose changes the terms of Sparrow's bargain with Jones from the poetic and appropriate 13 years to 15. Oopsie.

I suppose I also decided I had to pick a year and stick to it, as opposed to trying to navigate a world/timeline/universe which included a town which had been largely destroyed in an earthquake in 1692, hewed a little closer to the geopolitical situation of the early 18th century, dressed the heroine up as though it were the mid 18th century, included uniforms for the RN which did not exist until 1748, and modeled one of the main ships after a ship whose keel was laid down in 1759. That doesn't wreck canon, but I do feel very much like, by arbitrarily deciding it was 1738, on the eve of the War of Jenkins Ear and the larger War of Austrian Succession - that I have created an alternate universe where the "real world" counts for a lot more than it ought to in what is, after all, a movie series based on a ride in the Disney theme parks!

Uncommon Questions for OCs!