#Britain's Favourite tree

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - June 13, 2023

1. U.S. judge blocks Florida ban on care for trans minors in narrow ruling, says ‘gender identity is real’

A federal judge temporarily blocked portions of a new Florida law that bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, ruling Tuesday that the state has no rational basis for denying patients treatment.

Transgender medical treatment for minors is increasingly under attack in many states and has been subject to restrictions or outright bans. But it has been available in the United States for more than a decade and is endorsed by major medical associations.

2. Eagle Who Thought Rock Was an Egg Finally Gets to Be a Dad

A week after their introduction the cage where the little eaglet was put, was removed so the two could interact more closely. When they were given food, a whole fish for Murphy and bite-sized pieces for his young charge, rather than each eating their separate dish, Murphy took his portion and ripped it up to feed to the baby.

3. Little penguins to reclaim Tasmanian car park as city-based population thrives

Not far from the centre of Tasmania's fourth largest city, a colony of the world's smallest penguins has been thriving, and their habitat is about to expand into an existing car park.

The bright lights and loud noises of Burnie have not been a deterrent for hundreds of penguins who set up home on the foreshore in the north-west Tasmanian city.

4. Latest population survey yields good news for endangered vaquita porpoise

The resilient little vaquita marina appears determined to survive the illegal fishing that has brought it dangerously close to extinction, according to the latest population survey. Despite an estimated annual decline of 45% in 2018, the endangered porpoise appears to be holding steady over the last five years, according to a report published Wednesday by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

5. 'Extinct' butterfly species reappears in UK

The species, previously described as extinct in Britain for nearly 100 years, has suddenly appeared in countryside on the edge of London. Small numbers of black-veined whites have been spotted flying in fields and hedgerows in south-east London. First listed as a British species during the reign of King Charles II, they officially became extinct in Britain in 1925.

This month they have mysteriously appeared among their favourite habitat: hawthorn and blackthorn trees on the edge of London, where I and other naturalists watched them flitting between hedgerows.

6. Colombian is a hero in Peru: he rescued 25 puppies that were about to die in a fire

During a structural fire that occurred in a residential area of ​​Lima in Peru, a young Colombian became a hero. The Colombian, identified as Sebastián Arias, climbed onto the roof where the puppies were and threw them towards the community, that was waiting for them with sheets and mattresses. "I love them, dogs fascinate me," said the young man.

7. World-first trial for pediatric brain cancer

Researchers in Australia are conducting a world-first clinical trial for children diagnosed with ependymoma, a rare and devastating brain cancer. The trial aims to test a new drug called Deflexifol, which combines chemotherapy drugs 5-FU and leucovorin, offering potentially less toxic and more effective treatment compared to current options.

Ependymoma is the third most common brain tumor in children, and current treatments often lead to relapses, with a high fatality rate for those affected. The trial, led by researcher David Ziegler at the Kids Cancer Centre, has received support from the Kids with Cancer Foundation and the Cancer Institute NSW. The goal is to find a cure for every child diagnosed with ependymoma.

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That's it for this week :)

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#best news of last week

[theemporium]

looooving this mauraders content you’ve been feeding us it’s delicious 🫶🏻

i’m in a summer mood, could you maybe write something about going on holiday with remus? maybe out on the boat, relaxing in a hammock, or something spicy poolside? thank you, cece! 🥰

thank you!! and thank you for requesting!🖤

.

You never thought summer getaways would be your thing.

Summer was never your favourite season of the year. The weather was too hot and just left you feeling gross and sweaty. Your wardrobe mostly consisted of winter clothes so you were left feeling stuffy whenever you did get dressed. And you usually found yourself too fatigued by the heat to even do much during the day, leaving you feeling lazy and unproductive which only just unsettled you further.

So when your boyfriends suggested a summer trip getaway to a country that would only be hotter than Britain was, you had your doubts. But it was a family friend’s villa in the south of France and he looked so excited to spend some time with you and…you couldn’t say no.

Nobody could say no to Remus Lupin.

However, you underestimated just how well your boyfriend knew you. He knew how grouchy you could get in the heat and he went out of his way to make this trip worth it for you. From cute, planned dates cycling around the nearby town to peaceful picnics under massive trees that provided loads of shade, Remus had gone out of his way to make it the most perfect trip ever and you never wanted to leave.

“You’re really testing me, love.”

But your favourite part had been the outdoor private pool that you found yourself swimming in more often after the sun had set. Remus knew he would find you out here an hour or so after dinner, but the little black number you were wearing wasn’t something he was expecting.

“Whatever could you mean,” you smiled up at him, your hands moving back and forth in the water as your boyfriend stood on the edge, staring down at you with narrowed eyes.

“I didn’t even know you packed that,” he muttered, his head tilting in question. “I didn’t even know you owned something like that.”

“I bought it just before we left,” you answered innocently enough. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

Remus raised his brows. “You gonna come out and show me, pretty girl?”

“Maybe you should get in and see for yourself,” you retorted, something quite like mischief glimmering in your eyes and he could already feel his cock hardening in his trousers.

It didn’t take much for Remus to shed the clothes he was wearing—which albeit, was not much due to the warm weather even at night—before he was joining you in the pool.

You teased him, swimming away from him and giggling at the noise of frustration that left his mouth until his hand caught hold of your ankle and he pulled you towards him. In seconds your bodies were tangled together with ease, like a dance you both knew by heart.

“Fuck, darling,” he groaned as his large hands palmed the cheeks of your ass that were barely covered by the material of your bikini. “You should’ve given me a twirl before you jumped in.”

“I wouldn’t have left the bedroom then,” you snorted.

Remus just grinned, unashamed. “Damn fucking right I wouldn’t have,” he grumbled under his breath as you wrapped your legs around him. “I’d be a bloody idiot if I did.”

“And what would you have done to me?” you asked in a sweet voice, your finger trailing down his neck and along his collarbone, random swirls traced along his chest that made his heart thunder.

“Oh baby,” he groaned as he leaned in, his head dipping down to press a soft kiss just below your ear, his warm breath fanning your skin as he spoke. “I would’ve ripped this fucking number off you, maybe had you sit on my face—”

“Remus!” you hissed but he grinned at the way your thighs clenched around him.

“You’d like it, baby, don’t lie,” he teased, his fingers toying with the waistband of your bikini bottoms. “But you’d have to sit properly.”

“Properly?” you asked.

“None of that hovering bullshit,” Remus muttered, lightly nipping just below your jaw. “I want those pretty thighs of yours suffocating me.”

Your cheeks burned and your body felt warm for reasons other than the weather. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he groaned, lifting his head so his dark eyes could meet yours. “You wanna go inside and show me you can listen to instructions?”

You nodded dumbly.

“Atta girl, love,” he grinned as he tapped your ass. “Not gonna stop until the neighbours complain, c’mon.”

.

#remus lupin #marauders #harry potter #hp #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin x y/n #remus lupin fic #remus lupin one shot #marauders x reader #marauders x you #marauders x y/n #marauders fic #marauders oneshot #harry potter x reader #harry potter x you #harry potter x y/n #harry potter fic #harry potter oneshot #hp x reader #hp x you #hp x y/n #hp fic #hp one shot

[goldenrubygirl9]

Trying to figure out the exact species of the JATGP bugs (and also cool bug facts!)

(Warning: pictures of bugs)

I’m gonna start with ya boi:

Mr. Grasshopper:

First of all, I love him and I wanna be him

Grasshoppers are the only herbivores of the 6 bugs. Uh. Yeah.

Grasshoppers have camouflage! And they can fly just a little bit, but their strong hind legs do most of the work.

Since Mr. Grasshopper is green and British I’m going to infer that he is a Omocestus viridulus, AKA the common green grasshopper

Literally the same guy.

The common green grasshopper is from Britain, and, like the name suggests, common. Very common, in fact. I think they’re like the second most common grasshopper in Britain (most common one isn’t green)

Mrs. Ladybug!

She’s so sweet msmfjrjgjggjjgfjf

FIRST OF ALL, IN BRITAIN LADYBUGS ARE CALLED “LADYBIRDS”

WHICH IS STUPID BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FUCKING BIRDS

In related news, ladybugs are actually a type of beetle. Sorry for ruining your life.

Ladybugs eat aphids and scale insects (little tiny insects idk) and also pollen and nectar. Not peaches though.

Anyways considering the fact that she is red and has black spots, I’m gonna say she’s probably a Coccinella septempunctata AKA the Seven-Spotted Ladybug. They are just THE ladybugs of all time.

Very cool. Also easy asf. These ladybugs can play dead when threatened and also they are real pretty.

Mr. Centipede:

Silly billy he’s always been my favourite especially in the book he has a goofy little smile

Centipedes are venomous and carnivores. They eat anything they can overpower with their venom. Centipedes are nocturnal, because they dry out VERY easily in the daytime. They usually either don’t have eyes or have shit eyesight. They also have no ears. They “hear” by sensing vibrations in the ground.

This one was a little bit difficult because centipedes don’t vary all that much, but I’m thinking Lithobius forficatus, AKA the garden/brown/stone centipede.

They have many names. They are also very common, especially in North America and the UK. Garden centipedes are born with 7 pairs of legs, and grow legs throughout their life, maxing out at 15 pairs of legs (they always have an odd number of leg pairs) They live under rocks, and if someone lifts those rocks, these centipedes are in luck, because they’re also very good at running. I THINK they have eyes, but if they do, their eyes can only discern light from dark.

Stone centipedes mostly eat flies, springtails, and, uh. Earthworms. But us JATGP Musical fans knew that

Mrs. Spider:

Y’all know spiders I will not explain them. Also I’m scared of spiders so I will NOT show many pictures of them *shudder*

Mrs. Spider could be literally any spider in France. The only spider that’s black with white stripes like this is a zebra spider (Salticus scenicus) and they don’t actually look like her that much. But they’re cute as fuck❤️

I wish I could show you a picture but mobile Tumblr has a maximum of 10 photos per post, but they’re really cute and fluffy.

Anyways, I feel like she’s more likely to be a Steatoda grossa, AKA Cupboard Spider, but they look more scary so I’m not gonna show photos.

But only the males are black and white.

Fuck uhh

Okayy she’s possibly an Araneus nordmanni, AKA Nordmann’s Orbweaver. They’re really scary and I wanna cry but I’ll try to describe them. Black with brown legs, weird white pattern, giant ass. These spiders do exist in France, but they are very rare. (Not just in France, but in general.) They are VERY GOOD at climbing and tend to build webs high on trees (like in a dead peach tree. Maybe with their mate.) They eat insects like gnats, flies, and wasps. Good for them. I’m still terrified.

Also female Araneus nordmanni are apparently the dominant party in the relationship so…

…yeah she’s definitely a Nordman’s Weaver.

Mr. Earthworm:

OH THANK GOD I CAN STOP LOOKING AT SPIDERS AND LOOK AT THESE CUTIE PIE WORMS!!!!

Earthworms are boneless, muscleless, eyeless silly billies. They’re also hermaphrodites (male AND female at the same time) and they can regenerate parts of their bodies (not always so please don’t go around cutting worms in half) They eat fruit, fungi, and anything decaying.

So, I don’t remember the whole movie or the book, but in the musical, Earthworm speaks Spanish sometimes, and his song is vaguely Latin-esque (our director gave him a mariachi jacket for Plump & Juicy. It might not actually be Latin-esque that’s just what I’ve been told if it isn’t then oopsies) so I always thought he was from like Central America, maybe Mexico?

How did a worm get from Mexico to Britain? Guess what: Most earthworms in Mexico are invasive and from other places! Which means it could happen the other way around, but also it means that doesn’t narrow down what species of worm Earthworm is! Fuck!

He’s probably supposed to be a Lumbricus terrestris (The common European Earthworm.)

They are the most common worms. Everywhere. But other than species and location, nothing connects this earthworm to THE Earthworm.

So I propose a much funnier idea: That he is some species of Amynthas.

There isn’t enough info about the Amynthas for me to figure out exactly which species of Amynthas he probably is, but look it has a smooth white clitellum like Earthworm!!

So there are 3 reasons why I feel like Earthworm is an Amynthas. 1. Appearance. 2. They are part of the family Megascolecidae, which are the largest family of earthworms (They do say he is a big worm, although that’s probably because he’s literally human-sized)

And 3. These worms are also called Jumping worms. Because they. Uh.

They jump. When they are scared. It’s REALLY funny.

Most Amynthas are from Asia, but somehow a bunch ended up in Mexico. And now I guess one ended up in Britain. And then New York. Invasive species behaviour. (Actually a lot of the JATGP insects are invasive)

Take your pick of worm!

(Also Glowworm is a Lampyris noctiluca, AKA common glow-worm. If you even care. Nobody cares abt Glowworm. How dare you. And James is probably a human boy.)

And that is all thanks guys heart emoji

#james and the giant peach musical #james and the giant peach #insects #cool insects #grasshopper #ladybugs #centipedes #spiders #worms #glowworms #beetles

[camlannpod]

Character Playlist: Peredur Green

Happy off-week! We'll all pretend this one was on time. If you're new, hi! Since Camlann releases every two weeks, on the off weeks I'm posting these breakdowns of the character playlists. You can find Morgan's here and Dai's here.

This week it's time for our favourite knight, Peredur!

Brother by The Brilliance

When I look into the face Of my enemy I see my brother I see my brother

Perry's big problem is that they're a knight. And they love the other knights. They feel a siblinghood with them which is incredibly hard for them to ignore. The knights are their family, their home, their story - the place they're meant to be. But it's a family that won't accept them as they are. Perry so badly wants the knights to change their mind.

2. Battle Cry by The Family Crest

Oh, my love, my heart don't cry We were born to die But for this moment, for all time Oh, I will fight for you I will die for you

Perry's a knight! They very much see it as their duty to fight and die to protect the people they love. Right now, that especially means Morgan and Dai, who they've been travelling with since their escape from the Knights. Perry will risk life and limb to keep them safe. (This song is also about Dai. A lot of these songs are about how Perry feels about Dai)

3. Cypress Queen by The Last Bison

On and over the northwest river We go trusting in the Cypress Queen She'll keep us afloat We retreat into our fortress gold To a sanctuary in the trees That i call home

I'm 90% sure this song is about a boat? But I took it literally - this is Perry's feelings about Guinevere, or Shújūn - a woman who they certainly do not trust for us, but to whom they are drawn by their story and with whom they, deep down, have a lot of sympathy. Perry knows exactly what it's like to have a major role in someone else's narrative.

4. See You Through My Eyes by The Head and The Heart

Until you learn to love yourself The door is locked to someone else I'm just as damaged as you are

Perry is just as traumatised by the apocalypse as everyone else, they're just better at hiding it. In general their approach toward their emotions is to pack them up tightly in a box and pretend they're not happening, which is obviously wildly unhealthy. Perry spends so much of their time inspired by and loving their friends, especially Morgan and Dai, but they never open up when they need to and trust them with the more 'difficult' parts of themself.

5. Carry by Branches

I'm feeling like Moses and my arms are getting heavy Brother, would you come and lift them up for me?

Perry has been single handedly carrying Morgan and Dai through the apocalypse. They would never admit it, but this is exhausting, and they desperately need a break. Unfortunately for them, they live in a riddle-twisted landscape full of magic and monsters, so they can never truly relax. They need to stop and they can't, and sometimes they think hey, if they lost the next battle at least they wouldn't have to get up and fight another one.

6. House a Habit by We Are The Guests

Let's make this house a habit Let's make the sun shine

Partly because Perry is Permanently Exhausted, they very badly want to turn the cottage into a real, meaningful home base that feels safe. Perry has always been the kind of person to put down roots, and the last six months of trekking back and forth across Britain has really worn them down. They desperately want this place to be a real home.

7. Selkie-Boy by Spell Songs, Julie Fowlis

Go now, Selkie-Boy, swim from the shore Rinse your ears clean of human chatter And empty your bones of heather and moor And your mind of human matter

Honestly, Dai fascinates Perry. He is completely unlike them in almost every way and they find that beautiful and addictive. They've always felt that there was something ethereal about him and his ability to find hope and love in even the darkest places. Perry would follow Dai anywhere.

8. Church Key by Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Have you gone farther looking in the dark For a fire that can keep you warm Wander off the trail, lose track of all the details Till we make it to our door, where we can sleep

Oh Perry wants answers. The Cataclysm is an apocalypse of contradictions and mysteries and Perry so very badly wants to untangle the cat's cradle of stories in which they are caught. They are also exactly the kind of obsessive academic who will wear themself thin looking for the information they seek. Eventually, they just need to rest.

9. We Will All Be Changed by Seryn

We can write with ink and pen But we will sew with seeds instead Starting with words we've said And we will all be changed

The song on every main character playlist! For Perry, the apocalypse is a lesson in moving from theory to applied learning - from writing about flowers to planting seeds in the soil. It's fieldwork! In more ways than one, and in more ways than one, it's good for them, despite everything.

#peredur green #camlann #camlann podcast #peredur #Spotify

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

The announcement of John Oliver inexplicably doing the Horne Section TV show, despite having spent years trying not to have anything to do with British comedy, has reminded me of my hobby: collecting anything that ties John Oliver to British comedy. Why am I so invested in this hobby? I don't know, it's clearly displacement of some psychological issue or other, something about finding satisfaction in histories that connect things that seem disparate, I don't have time to figure it all out now. Don’t worry about it, just enjoy my collection, which I have decided to collate into one post and put it below the “keep reading” link.

Obviously, there are the actual shows he did before he left Britain, and things he did after he left Britain that continued what he'd started to do while he was in Britain, which was to talk shit about politics with Andy Zaltzman. Here’s a folder I have with recordings of things Zaltzman and Oliver have done together, before and after one of the two abandoned their country for America.

My favourite pictures of John Oliver + British comedians:

This one I first saw a couple of years ago when I read David Mitchell’s autobiography, and I’ve seen it floating around the internet a fair bit since. Based on my research, which consists of spending over two years being on Britcom social media a lot, it may be the most widely shared of all photos in this post. That makes me feel a bit bad for the one guy in this picture who didn’t get famous, since every time it gets shared, he gets described as “that other guy”. I will do him the courtesy of referring to him by his name, which is Desmond O’Connor. Wikipedia says he’s a “ukulele-playing cabaret host and musical comedy performer”, so that’s fine.

The other people in the picture are, of course, John Oliver, David Mitchell, and Richard Ayoade. It’s from an unspecified time during their Cambridge days, probably around 1996:

The exact year of this one is also unspecified, as is the reason why they’re sitting in a tree. Oliver and Ayoade at Cambridge, mid-nineties sometime:

Cambridge Footlights group picture from 1996, featuring, among other people, John Oliver, Richard Ayoade, Matthew Holness, David Mitchell, and Lucy Montgomery. The man who is now a cabaret host is noted as absent that day:

I don’t know what’s going on in this next picture. I’ve seen it labeled as a Cambridge picture, and they all look like students and appear to be on a campus. But neither Noel nor Julian ever went to Cambridge. Was it a Tim Key situation where they just hung around Footlights despite not being students because fuck the class system? We’ll never know, because I’ve never found any context for this picture. But it does feature John Oliver, Julian Barrett, Noel Fielding, and Richard Ayoade, looking young and confused.

We now move into the post-university years. Here is a picture from 2004 of two men who both have their original teeth because no one has yet had cause to try to make them more telegenic:

And here is a poster for a 2004 double bill comedy show, in which Russell Howard and John Oliver have specifically posed for promo shots, but both look worse than they did in the nice picture above this paragraph, where they were just sitting around being normal:

We now move to 2005, when John Oliver took this promotional picture for The Department, a radio show he made with Chris Addison and Andy Zaltzman (the radio show also featured Matthew Holness and Lucy Montgomery, who appeared in the previous Cambridge picture), which can be found in the Google Drive folder I linked early in this post and should be listened to by everyone because it’s really good, not just good as a nostalgic “look at the quirky BBC Radio Four show where these now-famous people started out” thing, it’s legitimately good:

Here is John Oliver with his double act partner and soulmate Andy Zaltzman, performing a joint show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2005:

I’m not sure exactly when or why the next picture was taken, so I’m adding it in here. Trying to decide what to write about it, I almost said it gives me nightmares, but that wouldn’t be true. This picture doesn’t give me nightmares, it just keeps me awake at night, wondering what on Earth the photographer told them to do while they were posing, and what was the thought process behind those instructions:

We now move to 2007, and this one almost doesn’t qualify for a collection of “John Oliver + British comedians” pictures because he’s with an American and a Kiwi, but Kitson’s British so it counts. Daniel Kitson, Kristen Schaal, Jermaine Clement, and a John Oliver who looks even more uncomfortable than usual, presumably because he’s realized the taking of this picture means he’ll be forever immortalized with a weird skull on his shirt:

One more Oliver and Zaltzman picture because they’re lovely people who make incredible things together and I want a nice one to make up for that insomnia-inducing one - this is a promotional picture for The Bugle, probably taken around 2009:

And finally, I will jump forward a bunch of years to this picture at a baseball game with Daniel Kitson in 2015:

Some videos of John Oliver + British comedians:

This one was recently taken off YouTube, I think, but luckily I never trust things to stay on YouTube so I have this downloaded, and have re-uploaded it to my Google Drive so I can still share it: Backstage at Cambridge Footlights, 1997 (featuring, among other people, John Oliver, Richard Ayoade, Matthew Holness, and that woman who played April in Peep Show and was in an episode of The IT Crowd)

A game from the infamous Tuesday comedians’ football league (”league” might be the wrong word... would “syndicate” be better?), I think this one’s from 2001. It features four people I know well: John Oliver, Andy Zaltzman, Lee Mack, and Russell Howard. It also has a few people I sort of know, like Alun Cochrane and Gavin Osborn. I think there’s a guy named Steve Williams, who’s written on Russell Howard’s TV shows. Narrated by a comedian named Ben Norris. John Oliver is easy to pick out despite the terrible quality video because he's the only one in track pants instead of shorts:

Some shit that went down at the Gilded Balloon on August 26, 2003, the last night of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Featuring Adam Hills, Daniel Kitson, John Oliver, David O’Doherty, and Demitri Martin. No more needs to be said about that night. I assume the Chocolate Milk Gang has a pact called We Don’t Talk About the Night of August 26, 2003, when they sacrificed the animal that provided their sustenance throughout the festival (again, terrible quality video, but to pick out John Oliver he's the one in the red shirt):

A compilation of John Oliver’s best bits from Mock the Week (a show on which he appeared seven times from June 2005 to February 2006), though to really appreciate John on there, you should watch the full episodes. You need to see the moments that didn’t make his list of “best bits” to fully understand how visibly and obviously he hated every second of being there:

From The Russell Howard Hour in December 2017, this is one of my favourite interviews that I’ve ever seen:

Here he is being interviewed on The Russell Howard Hour again, this time in September 2020 and under COVID-safe circumstances (conducting interviews with Russell Howard under physical distancing is probably safer for John anyway, based on the end of the previous interview):

Miscellany of John Oliver + British comedians:

Here's a quote from Russell Howard on his BBC 6 Music radio show from March 2007:

"A few years ago, I remember saying to my friend John Oliver, who is now on The Daily Show and is very funny, ‘Oh I’ve read this new book, it’s really good.’ And this was a few years ago, and he’s like, ‘What is it?’ And I go, ‘Oh, it’s called the Da Vinci Code. It’s a real page turner.’ And I was kind of into it. And I really enjoyed it, it was before it got really [popular]. And you feel like an absolute oaf for kind of going, ‘Yeah I read it on holiday, I quite enjoyed it, I did it in about two days, it was all right.’ And like two days after I said that, John went, ‘You know that book you quite enjoyed?’ And he showed me, and there was an article in the paper, the Chelsea football team had set up a book club, and they were all reading the Da Vinci Code, and Frank Lampard was there reading it, and you go, ‘Hm. Yeah. Well.’ And it’s just so awkward when you think, ‘I’m reading the same stuff as Frank Lampard.’ How awkward’s that?”

There was another early episode of that radio show when Russell Howard and Jon Richardson made a joke of texting something weird to a random person from their contact list. The random person Russell Howard got was John Oliver, whom they described as a friend of Russell’s who was “now in the States, working on The Daily Show.” Jon got upset because he got a promoter from some comedy club, and said it wasn't fair that he had to text the stupid thing to an important person while Russell only had to text someone who doesn't matter like John Oliver.

Zaltzman and Oliver being quite awkward while filling out a questionnaire for their 2004 Edinburgh show.

Nish Kumar telling the story of how he finally met his esteemed predecessor, when John Oliver was in England at the end of 2017.

There's the saga of the Chocolate Milk Gang, which is told, as far as I can tell, mainly through weird articles like this one, David O'Doherty interviews, and stories in Daniel Kitson’s stand-up. There are also quite a few stories just about John Oliver in Daniel Kitson’s stand-up. There's this shit. Also that time when Marc Maron interviewed John Oliver and spent the whole time being weirdly dismissive and condescending about anything non-American, and was specifically sort of backhanded compliment-y about Daniel Kitson, which I believe to be the reason why John broke from his usual rule of insisting everything he did in England was terrible, and said actually he had an okay career there and he made some cool stuff and some people liked him and Daniel Kitson was his best mate and fuck off, Maron. The last one might have only been said subtextually. In that interview, John also told some cool stories about how at Cambridge, he and Richard Ayoade were comedy writing/performing partners and friends who bonded over both not coming from the same class background as most people at their university.

Not documented in this post: Gash, an Armando Iannucci show from 2003 that featured John Oliver among others and I have not been able to find it anywhere on the fucking internet. I have a video of a soccer game from 2001 and two different angles of the same night at the 2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but I cannot find this actual Channel 4 television show.

Do you know what isn't featured anywhere in this collection? I have become an expert on John Oliver's ties to British comedy, and in all the ties I’ve been able to find, here’s a name I’ve never seen come up: Alex Horne. I do not understand. If I'm going all Beautiful Mind on this, which I am, there is no string connecting John Oliver's name to Alex Horne's. I can get there in a few moves - the more you get into British comedy, the more you learn that you can get anywhere in a few moves. John Oliver to Daniel Kitson who did a play with Tim Key, who's also doing the Horne Section show. I'm sure a number of other Chocolate Milk Gang members have done the Mark Watson marathons. But I can't see any direct connection to Alex Horne, and I have checked (not just because of the announcement of the new Horne Section show's cast or anything, I already knew this stuff but that announcement made me decide to collate it in one post). I'm almost sure they just missed each other at Cambridge, though they could have overlapped by one year.

I do not know why he’s picked The Horne Section’s show as his reason to do British TV in 2022, after spending years insisting that he wants nothing to do with British TV. I am definitely going to watch the show and I hope it will shed light on the situation; this post should capture something of the scale of my interest in that sort of thing.

#Youtube

[sallow-gaunt]

Angrboða Lestrange (OC)

For anyone curious, Angrboða is my Hogwarts Legacy OC for the purpose of this playthrough!

Etymology: Angrboða is the name of a jötunn in Norse mythology. In Norse legend, she is the mate of Loki and the "mother of monsters"; Fenrir the wolf, the Midgard serpent Jörmungandr, and the ruler of the dead Hel. The Old Norse name Angrboða has been translated as 'the one who brings grief', 'she-who-offers-sorrow', or 'harm-bidder'. The first element is related to the English word "anger", but means "sorrow" or "regret" in Old Norse. The second element "boða" is cognate with the English word bode as in "this does not bode well". Angrboða is also the name of one of Saturn's moons.

Nicknames: Bodhi, Boda

Birthdate: 13th January 1875

Blood-Status: Pure-Blood

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Biography

Angrboða was born in 1875 to the wealthy Lestrange family, an ancient and wealthy pure-blood family that originated in France but has branches in Great Britain. Her parents were Corvus (III) and Eglantine Lestrange, and she had an older brother who was eight years older than her who was named after their father, Corvus (IV).

As a child, Angrboða didn’t seem to show any signs of magical power, much to the disgust of her parents who despised the idea that their daughter was a Squib; the only reason they didn’t rid themselves of her is because of the Lestrange family motto, “Corvus oculum corvi non eruit” - “a crow will not pull out the eye of another crow”, representing how members of the family will not turn their backs on each other. Still, the shame of having what they thought was a Squib for a daughter made them try to hide her away, and many people - including many of their own family - didn’t even know that they had a daughter. As a result, Angrboða was not included on the Lestrange family tree that would later be found by her niece, Corvus’ daughter Leta, at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris in 1927.

Growing up, Angrboða tried hard to show her family that she wasn’t useless - that even if she didn’t have magical abilities, she would still worth something to them. It was to no avail, of course; her family despised muggles, muggle-borns and Squibs, and the fact she didn’t appear to have any abilities meant she was completely loathsome to them. Over time, Angrboða developed a love of reading and writing, pastimes that she spent hours doing when locked away in her room or trying to hide from her brother, who quickly developed a penchant for practicing certain spells on her - he never did it in front of their parents, but she knew that they were aware and simply chose to turn a blind eye to it.

Angrboða’s magical abilities only began to show when she was fifteen, and she was both surprised and overjoyed to learn that she was not a Squib after all - she had thought that perhaps her parents might then care for her, that her brother might apologise for bullying and mocking her all those years… but the damage was already done. Of course her parents weren’t going to forbid her from attending Hogwarts, of course she would attend now, but they made it clear that it changed nothing: she would always be a disappointment to them, and nothing she did would ever change that. Still, a small part of her hoped that they might change their minds if she proved herself to them, if she showed them how good a witch she could be.

Other Things

Boggart: Spiders (she's about to have a REALLY bad year)

Wand: Dogwood with Dragon Heartstring, 13 inches and pliant

Favourite Class(es): Care of Magical Creatures, Defence Against the Dark Arts

Least Favourite Class(es): Divination (sorry Professor Onai!), History of Magic (but only because it's delivered in such a dry and dull way - she might like it if it was delivered in a better way)

Favourite Magical Creatures: NIFFLERS. They're little thieves and she adores the absolute fucking shit out of them. She loves all magical creatures except Acromantulas fuck those assholes and if she could, she'd totally try to put a dragon in one of her vivariums.

#will maybe post later about some shippy stuff but for now here’s some info about my MC #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy mc #angrboða lestrange (mc) #slytherin #shadow trio #still haven't decided if she's gonna date seb or ominis or both lol #angrboða lestrange #yes her brother is Leta’s father

[i-am-a-story-goblin]

i got this from two people so thanks for the tag @hermioneismyrealname and @night-minstrel <3

rules: tag ten people you want to get to know better

relationship status: would really love just a Person who is Mine and who i can just Be with but i am introverted and aroace and afraid sooo

favourite colour: depends honestly. currently a shade of warm light purple because of someone looking absolutely gorgeous with their hair dyed that colour. last night it was the colour of the sunset.

song stuck in my head: so far today, 'louder than bombs' by bts

last song i listened to: according to spotify, 'blue & grey' also by bts

three favourite foods: oooh rn chocolate, fruit (which specific fruit depends on the day, currently watermelon), and a good butter chicken, but there are so many more

last thing i googled: well my last entry in the search bar was 'google translate' but if that doesn't count then 'shadow and bone bloopers'

dream trip: ohh so many. on my mind lately has been britain, like a long trip exploring all the castles and cathedrals and countryside and all that. that's home for me, and i've seen some and i wanna go back and see more.

anything i want rn: for my last two essays and my final exam to write themselves. please. i'm so done.

i'm breaking the only rule and tagging less than ten people lmao. and no pressure ofc :) @heythereamigos @i-was--more @camelots-daffodil @constellies @justanothervariant @cookies-and-trees uhh yeah anyone else also :)

[mariaiahmad]

Met Gala: The Art of Costume Design

Charles James (American, born Great Britain, 1906–1978) “Tree” (1955)

As the first Monday of May approaches, I can’t help but reminisce about the year I discovered the Met Gala and the art of Costume Design.

The Met Gala is a charity benefit held by Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, to fundraise for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Held annually, Designers and celebrities come together to create unforgettable looks in the name of the Met Gala’s theme. The event also marks the beginning of the MET’s spring display.

In 2014, I had been travelling and being home-schooled. I began spending my free time making short films and fashion illustrating. I’d spend time watching films and recreating costumes from characters I would see on screen. I had been illustrating designs from Funny Face (1957) which happened to introduce one of my favourite actresses, Audrey Hepburn, as well as the famous costume designer, Edith Head. I began watching more of Hepburn’s work and discovered her relationship with the fashion designer, Hubert de Givenchy. I learned of Hepburn and Givenchy’s collaborations and would watch films such as Sabrina (1954) and Charade (1963) with heart eyes in admiration of the beautiful designs.

The month of May came along, my dad had brought me a newspaper (knowing I was illustrating) which featured the headline of that day, the Met Gala. I was immediately stunned and introduced to the event by a picture of Sarah Jessica Parker wearing Oscar de la Renta. It was a dress which I remember analysing and finding beauty in the originality. I immediately needed to know who designed the dress.

Another design which caught my eye – Dita Von Teese wearing Zac Posen, who was also in attendance. The dress’ silhouette was unlike anything I had seen before. The colours were daring and unlike anything I had seen on a dress before. I couldn’t believe that after watching films and adoring designs on screen, there were events which embraced and celebrated expressive fashion designs.

Filmmaking had felt far out of reach, I hadn’t heard of or seen anyone in films or behind films that looked like me. I didn’t even consider it because I figured, it was a dream and not reality. Design, on the other hand, was tangible. I was illustrating my designs and tying stories with them. I began realising very quickly that I enjoyed writing, creating, and finding characters. Fashion design happened to be a medium which can express an individual’s style, circumstances, and personality. Particularly in film, I find that costume design is an excellent introduction to finding out about characters. That also translates into real life. I enjoy creative expression and individuality from myself as well as other characters and people. After all, the world is a stage. Dress for it how you wish. I approach writing starting with character, always. So now when I look back, it is not much of a surprise that I find myself attracted to fashion design when curating stories. Fashion expresses without conversation. It expresses without any explanation.

After reading the newspaper back to front of the various designs, I grabbed hold of a laptop and began investigating and researching the designers I had come across and the theme of that year was “Charles James: Beyond Fashion”. I couldn’t believe it. The Met Gala was raising money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and particularly gave many costume designers in the industry a chance to showcase their talents. I saw pictures of the designs showcased in the museum that year and I began sketching Sarah Jessica Parker and Dita Von Teese’s looks. Then heavily researched and sketched the works of Oscar de la Renta, Zac Posen and Charles James. The silhouettes, colours and originality caught my eye, and I began creating my designs and eventually tying characters, backgrounds and a story to them. It was to my dismay when I found out later that year that Oscar de la Renta had unfortunately passed away. Oscar de la Renta had created an astounding life for himself as a fashion designer and someone who inspired and taught me about design.

Audrey Hepburn and Oscar de la Renta during 1988 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)  

Since then, I have habitually reading Vouge articles, watching fashion documentaries and analyses, watching fashion weeks, noting upcoming designers and learning fashion history. It was a hobby and art form I keep personal. The need and desire to understand a character, an emotion or a period in history from clothes was my understanding of my fascination. That particular summer, after hearing of the Met Gala, I remember beautiful blissful days of illustrating designs of my own, imagining as if I were designing costumes for the Met Gala and eventually films. I began writing short stories with characters I got to know better as I illustrated costumes as a form of research.

It is safe to say that fashion designing, illustrating and textile design have always been a big part of my discovery and love for storytelling. Since then, I have been designing in various forms. I cherish and continue to illustrate design as my passion and devote most of my time always expressing and telling stories in various art forms. The Met Gala is a staple in my discovery for storytelling and developed into my annual invitation to reminisce about creativity and self-expression. I continue to illustrate to spark ideas and pay homage to the beginning of my creative endeavours as well as, most importantly, storytelling.

Maria Ahmad

#met gala #fashion design #fashion #costume #costume design #sarah jessica parker #dita von teese #zac posen #oscar de la renta #audrey hepburn #hubert de givenchy #givenchy #art #vogue #blog post #fashion in film #fashion blogger #sabrina #silver screen #charade 1963 #funny face

[covenofwives]

Eeeeeeeee ik my questions tend to be very detailed so im so glad you like them like that. I'm a world building fanatic and also make aus so i get wayyy too into all the small things hahaha

The languages!!! Omg I freaking LOVE THAT?! That's so freaking interesting and makes so much sense aaaaaa! It's so freaking cooool all the different languages unique to this au, I am specifically looking so hard at the fea language I'm geeking out over it ahfkdbksn. Are there languages in this au that are the same in our world? ie: Spanish, French Japanese, ect.?

Rn I'm slowly catching up on all the lore I've missed while being on hiatus so if I make comments or ask stuff that's already been answered sorryyyy

Each of the gods clearly have their own set of powers (in which i am still trying to catch up on and figure out what's been revealed so far ahfknsjs) so what would you say is each is their favorite? Either to show off, convenience, entertainment, ect. Question 2: are there any powers that the gods share? Or are they all unique?

(bonus question would you consider XD babygirl? I believe they are babygirl 😤)

I sent a whole novel I'm so sorry I should really spread these out more hahahaha

-emmadoodlewrites

Please don't apologise for how long these are. I truly love them!

Definitely there are other languages in the AU since we have characters like Quackity who is very open about his Spanish language. I would say that where the SMP is on the world map would be more english speaking but there are more languages out the world. It is quite hard to grasp though because so many times I've wanted to write c!George being described with his british accent but then remembering that britain wouldn't really exist on the SMP and having to scrap it. Things are still being ironed out, but absolutely there are other languages.

Don't worry about asking questions that might have been answered before or not, I don't mind answering the same questions again and again especially since I don't really have a spot to keep all of the info so it can get confusing. ^^

As for God powers, there are definitely powers shared between Gods and some unique to each one. For instants all Gods have the ability to spawn in items from their realm when they need and most of the Gods can shapeshift to alter their form, either to their "human" form, true form or taking on a new form entirely for one reason or another. While all Gods have the ability for it, it does depend on their skill for it. Some Gods might not shapeshift at all and lose the ability how to, having to relearn. And certain powers can be taught between the Gods. Take for example XD, they are the God of the End but came to the Overworld to live. While they can spawn in what they need from the End Realm, their time living in the Overworld and learning has adapted them to spawn in items from the Overworld too, and can manipulate and terraform the Overworld. These powers obviously got much better after he was blessed by HD (which I did a little comic showing) but they learned the power on their own at first and developed it because it was the environment they were in.

For FAVOURITE powers I think 4K's is definitely his lava manipulation. It can help in combat situations of keeping enemies away and blocking areas as well as him using it for his little harmless lava blob to be a stress reliever (mostly to give out tickles). HD's would definitely be his helper hands powers since it's so convenient for him to use and he can be pampered without moving, but he used to have a power of connecting with everything in the Overworld. Literally EVERYTHING. Every tree, blade of grass, mountain, cave, he could connect and see it all and it was his favourite to use to check up on the Overworld and see everything going on. However the power drained him of energy so much that it's lead to his almost narcolepsy sleep states and since cutting himself off from the Overworld he no longer uses it. XD's favourite power is probably creation/spawning. XD's a very creative soul who loves making things for show off to mortals and Gods and he uses his powers to help enhance that. One of his favourite creations is the tickle dolls which he just loves to show off to mortals and make them play games and bets to get them. Really any power that can be used to play games or make games for mortals is his favourite.

#emmadoodlewrites #godsiblingau

[0witchy-bitch3]

Acer pseudoplatanus, known commonly as the sycamore. Its one of my all time favourite trees due to the winged samaras, and is in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is a large, deciduous, and broad-leaved tree. Tolerant of wind and coastal exposure and native to Central Europe and Western Asia. In Britain however it is a naturalised species, though to be introduced by the Romans, or in the 1500s. In Wales, sycamore trees are used in the traditional craft of making 'love spoons', which are decoratively carved wooden spoons given as a romantic gesture.

#green witch #pagan wicca #norse pagan #original photographers #photography #pagen witch #nature #nature walks #sycamore tree #treephotography #tree photos #plant photography #nature aesthetic #plants #plant witch #trees #autumn trees #seed pods

[engineers-curry]

The small Bono/James drabble as promised!! Hope you enjoy it!! 💖

It's a sunny afternoon, a warm breeze gently rustles through the leaves of the trees in their garden, when Bono finally picks up one of his books to read. He finds himself a place in the shadow on their terrace, the glass door open so he can keep an eye on their dog napping in the living room and hears when James finally comes home from his flight.

They took different flights home from Canada, James going to Los Angeles with Toto and a few others while he directly flew back to Britain. It isn't the first time that they took separate flights nor spent a few days apart from each other but not spending James' birthday together made him a bit sad. Even though Bono hadn't been able to admit it out loud, especially not when he had seen James' excited face on their video call, telling him about the spaceships he saw. 

Bono had left his work place earlier today, to prepare James' favourite strawberry cake for a small celebration. George, their Jack Russell Terrier, who they definitely did not name after the driver as a joke, has kept him company the whole time, occasionally trying to steal a strawberry from Bono.

Now the cake sits safely in the fridge, waiting for James to arrive just like Bono does. The book that Shov has recommended him isn’t that interesting but it keeps him from checking his phone every five minutes.

Bono doesn't know how much time passed when there's suddenly a sound coming from their front door being unlocked. George jumps up the next second while barking in excitement, sprinting towards it, telling Bono everything he needs to know. He feels a grin spreading on his face as he gets up and follows their dog. James has barely closed the door and put his bag down while George jumps around him, demanding pets loudly with excited barks.

"Yeah I'm happy to see you too, Geo- achoo!" 

Bono raises an eyebrow at the image of James nearly toppling over from his sneeze before moving forward, gently pushing George aside. "You're not turning sick, aren't you?" 

James shakes his head before pressing a kiss on Bono's cheek and pulling him into his arms. He smells like shampoo and cheap airplane food, a combination that Bono is used to and kind of loves. Only now he notices that James is wearing a thick hoodie, the fabric feeling uncomfortably warm against his skin.

"Are you really sure you're not turning sick?" 

"Yes," James chuckles and Bono decides to ignore how his husband tries to clear his throat quietly. “It was freezing on the plane.”

"Sure." Bono grins and lets go of James, picking up his bag. "Change and then come here, I prepared strawberry cake to celebrate your birthday."

The way James eyes light up remind Bono those of a child but before he can comment on it, James sneezes again, twice in a row.

"I'm not getting sick!"

Bono rolls his eyes, a laugh bubbling up his throat as he picks up James’ bag. They’re both incredibly stubborn sometimes and there’s no success in arguing further. Instead, he carries the bag towards their laundry room as he listens to James making his way upstairs.

When Bono has turned the washing machine on, he can hear the shower running faintly.  Bono decides to busy himself with cutting the cake and turning on their kettle, preparing them two mugs with tea.

It doesn't take long until the shower stops but James doesn't appear downstairs again. Bono waits with the cake and their mugs on the terrace, George dozing next to his feet, yet James is nowhere to be seen. And no sound is to be heard either.

Maybe he's taking longer to change, Bono thinks and gets up. He's not against something quick before the cake, with James following his interest in racing and working out more, Bono is obsessed with how hot his husband has become in the past months. And he's an honest man who can appreciate something beautiful. 

“James?” It stays eerily quiet to his surprise but all of his questions are answered when he finds James, face squished into his pillow, hair still damp from the shower. His husband is sleeping tightly, cheeks flushed adorably while wearing one of Bono's shirts.

With a sigh, Bono closes the door behind him. More tea for him and cake for dinner it is then. He can't be mad at his husband though, it's not the first time they have to move something over a jet lag.

-

Dinner time rolls around and James still doesn't wake up. When Bono makes his way back into the bedroom a few hours later, he can see that James hasn't moved much in his sleep, something very unusual. His skin looks pale but his cheeks are flushed at the same time and Bono can see the sweat making James’ hair cling to his forehead. Worry starts to gnaw at him and he leans forward, putting a hand against James' skin - his husband is burning up.

"James… James, come wake up," He lightly shakes the other's shoulder, cringing at the noise of pain that escapes James. Bono moves to the bathroom and quickly fills him a glass of water, pressing it gently against James' lips when his husband seems to be more awake.

"Bono? How late is it? Did I fall asleep? Ouch, my head hurts," he whines, making Bono sigh quietly.

"You're burning up, I'm going to get you some medicine and some food. You're staying in bed."

"I'm not sick!" James protests but it's not effective at all when he immediately presses his hand against his forehead in pain, a few coughs escaping him. He sounds positively sick, nose stuffed and throat scratchy. Bono makes a mental note to look for more than painkillers in their medicine cabinet.

“Try sitting up,” Bono pushes all their pillows against the headboard and guides James into a sitting position, ignoring his husbands’ protests once more. It is worrisome how easily James complies and how heavy he seems to be in Bono’s arms at the same time. When he’s finally leaning against the pillows, James looks completely worn out, panting lightly.

“Maybe I am sick.”

“Idiot,” Bono replies, but without any malice in his voice. “Where did you even catch that virus?”

His husband shrugs and closes his eyes. “Somewhere at the track maybe - shit, what if it’s Covid?”

It draws onto Bono what that would mean for them, for the team and he swallows loudly. “I’ll get you a test. Stay calm and rest a bit more, I’m sure there’s a simple solution to this.” 

George waits eagerly for him at the bottom of the stairs when he walks down again, tail wagging excitedly and Bono pats his head before sending him up, figuring that James could need some company. He brings James the test first, helping George jump on the bed before he goes on to gather whatever medicine he can find and puts on the kettle once more. When he checks their fridge, he finds enough to make a decent soup but makes himself the mental note to get more groceries after work tomorrow.

When he carries the tray back up to their bedroom a few minutes later, James is sitting against the headboard with a bit more colour in his face now while George has rolled himself up on his lap, napping peacefully.

“It’s negative.” James holds up the small plastic test proudly and Bono lets out a sigh of relief.

“Phew, then it’s just a summer flu.”

James grimaces at that but gladly takes the mug and medicine that Bono presses into his hands. He takes everything wordlessly before lifting the blanket a bit, letting Bono slip next to him.

“You’re staying home tomorrow, you’re still warm,” Bono murmurs when James folds himself against him, softly caressing through his soft hair. “I’m not risking you being sick for Silverstone and then whining non-stop that you can’t go to the track.”

“I would never.”

Bono raises his eyebrows before taking the soup from the tray, holding it to James. “Here, eat it as long as it’s hot.”

He has seen James eyeing the cake already and Bono hopes it’s really a sign of him getting better, his eyes lighting up like those of a child at Christmas.

“I never had any birthday cake in bed, that’s a first.”

 Bono slaps his hand away, holding the bowl with soup up. “This one first, then you can have as much cake as you want.”

James pouts but at least complies, emptying the bowl slowly and drinks the rest of his tea without any further complaining. Bono enjoys the quiet moment of peace, petting George who’s still napping between them.

“We should get another one and name him Lewis,” James says when he’s put the mug down, hands wandering towards the plate with the piece of cake. “Yeah, that would be fair,” Bono chuckles quietly and leans his head against James’ shoulder.

“The cake tastes amazing,” James tells him between his bites and when Bono opens his eyes, the plate is empty, his husband didn’t even leave any crumbs. “You want that other piece or-?”

“I see you’re really getting better,” Bono laughs and presses a kiss to his cheek before handing him the other plate.

“How could I not when I have such a wonderful husband?” James turns to give him a kiss too but Bono’s not having any of that.

“I love you but you’re keeping that virus to yourself. We don’t have to share everything in our marriage!”

James ignores him and slings his arm around Bono’s waist, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Sharing is caring, darling.”

“Be careful or I’m accidentally forgetting you at the factory when you’re healthy again,” Bono argues and steals himself a strawberry from the cake. James scoffs but the lovesick smile on his face tells a different story and Bono can’t say he feels different about it.

#james/bono #my drabbles

[fenrirswood-hq]

I'm happy to announce the winner of the FENRIR'S WOOD QUIZ! It was a close call point wise because everyone did extremely well, but I happily announce the winner: KIM! Congrats, your prize is a fan drawing of two characters of your choosing by me. Send your preference to the main [prompt, names, etc.].

I do want to thank everyone for participating! As this is a murder mystery rp, it has been fun to see all the answers and boy was I surprised at the freaking intelligence and wit shown in them, definitely giving me the impression that before the game is over (and the conclusion reached) you'll be able to figure it out together!

I will do another one of these in the future.

The answers to the quiz are below the read more!

QUESTION 1: Name three figures from Norse Mythology used in Fenrir’s Wood lore/locations/etc.

Fenrir's Wood - the Fenrir Wolf, son of Loki Hel Coven - Hel is ruler of the world of the dead, daughter of Loki Saga's Coven - Saga is the goddess associated with the locations of sunken river beds Lukas Thorsun - Thor is the god of Thunder Shrine of Måne - Måne is the moon personified and appears in the Poetic Edda

QUESTION 2: Where did the first murder happen?

In the bike parking lot of the Fenway Pool.

QUESTION 3: What was used to write the messages on the Fenway library and on the trees near the Trail?

Red paint. The police first thought it was blood, but closer inspection revealed it to be paint.

QUESTION 4: What’s Nico’s favourite animal that appears throughout Fenrir’s Wood rather often?

Ducks. : D

QUESTION 5: Why do covens have two leaders?

Division of power.

QUESTION 6: What do spirits like the most?

Gifts! Though I accept the following answer as well: chaos, praise, intense emotions.

QUESTION 7: How many murders have been committed so far?

10 murders have happened so far in relation to the mystery. Four in the summer, six during the winter.

QUESTION 8: What sense do you need to interact with the Wild Hunt?

Hearing. You can not see or smell or feel or taste the Wild Hunt, but you can hear them.

QUESTION 9: Which neighbourhood is the most often targeted?

Fenway. The first five murders all happened in Fenway.

QUESTION 10: What movie has the admin referred to when it comes to cops in Fenrir’s Wood?

Hot Fuzz (aka the best cop film ever). Admin Nico likes to refer to this movie whenever the police of Fenrir's Wood come up.

QUESTION 11: How often has the cloaked figure appeared in the fever dreams?

The Cloaked figure first appeared in the dreams of the SEVEN, later as a ferry man also in the dreams of the SEVEN, and then the same cloaked figure shows up in the dreams of all the Werewolves of Fenrir's Wood, bringing the number to 3.

QUESTION 12: Where did Merrin Rolf die?

In a public bathroom at Fenrir University

QUESTION 13: Which name in Fenrir’s Wood’s lore means Raven?

Brann's Peak is named after Brân (Raven in Celtic) a Celtic deity. Fun fact: I picked Brân for the comparison to a certain other body-less deity in Norse mythology: Mímir. Only Brân is said to bring entertainment in his headless form and Mímir brought knowledge and wisdom. Brân was known in medieval Welsh tales as "crowned king over this island" (meaning Great Britain), and local legend (aka Fenrir lore) says the severed head was moved from London to Fenrir's Wood.

QUESTION 14: Which norse monster of the apocalypse is missing? Which are the other two?

Ragnarok is said to be brought about by the Children of Loki, with three of them playing a central role in some retellings: the Fenrir Wolf; Hel, goddess of the Underworld; and Jormungadr, the Midgard Serpent. Fenrir & Hel are part of Fenrir lore, Jormungadr is missing (for now?). Sleipnir is also accepted as an answer, as is Surtr.

QUESTION 15: Which of the packs is named after a real city in the UK?

Slough is a city in the UK near London.

QUESTION 16: Are there actual ducks in Fenrir’s Wood?

This is the trick question. I've never mentioned there being actual ducks in Fenrir's Wood, aside from once in a the Fever Dreams. But yes, there are actual ducks in Fenrir's Wood, though I accept all jokes that were made on this question.

QUESTION 17: What happens when you get bitten by a Werewolf?

You either die after a long illness, or you become a Werewolf after a long illness. All jokes made on this question were likewise accepted.

QUESTION 18: How many days a year does it rain in Fenrir’s Wood on average?

So, since Fenrir's Wood is based on Oxford, the answer to this question is: 165 days a year on average.

QUESTION 19: What city is Fenrir’s Wood based on?

Good olde Oxford

QUESTION 20: When did Hel Coven come to Fenrir’s Wood?

Around one or two centuries ago, though not all its members came to Fenrir's Wood right away, they've been in the city for a century or two.

#death mention tw #severed head mention tw #fwhqadmin

[greatbritishsimchallenge]

List 5 facts about a favorite sim of yours, and send this to 10 simblrs whose sims you adore ♥♥♥

Thank you so much for this ask, it is a great question!

I know people can have mixed feelings about him, but Maddox is still my favourite. He was my original sim, he was gorgeous and I loved the endless drama I created through him.

Five Facts:

1. It will surprise no followers of his story that his traits were ‘gloomy’, ‘self-absorbed’ and ‘romantic’.

2.  His children were able to live lavish lifestyles with no attempt at making money thanks to the money Maddox made woodworking bathtubs.

3. I created his eldest son Max by quite literally duplicating him and then editing Max to have his mother’s skin tone, hair colour & type, eye colour and eyebrows - that was how I managed to get them to look so alike! I trusted EA on the rest of the children’s genetics.

4. Of all his wives, his longest relationship was Orlagh and his best was Bronwen. I was gutted when the die roll meant their child died at birth.

5. So far (end of Roman Britain era), his family tree spreads to five children, 16 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Most of his children/grandchildren don’t look much like him - except for one grandson who looks SO like him it’s eerie:

[dansnaturepictures]

2/7/2022-Knepp: Blog 2 of 2: Birds, mammals and some more landscape photos 

Birds were such a key part of today too as they have become for our Knepp trips that we first did due to butterflies because of the Purple Emperors, and that’s mostly down to the White Storks. It was so amazing to see these gigantic birds again today, seeing three nests and getting fantastic views of chicks with one seen testing its wings by flapping and they all looked well. They are so mesmerizing to watch. It’s still quite surreal seeing them flying around too and we did so much of that today. There was a large shadow on the floor at one point and there could only be one thing making it and I looked up to see a White Stork. The pleasant collection of flying White Stork views was headlined today by a moment that felt tropical when we looked up and saw five of these in the air, sensational. Britain’s wildlife and landscape feels that bit richer with White Storks back and I am loving them. I took the first, second and fourth pictures in this photoset of them today. 

Brilliant red Bullfinch and a Whitethroat seen well were other key birds to see today. As was a Great Crested Grebe with adorable humbug chicks, smaller than those at Lakeside. It was lovely to watch these for a bit and as we did last year enjoy some Great Crested Grebe chicks outside of Lakeside too where I follow them so much. It’s my first really young Great Crested Grebe photos I took of them outside of Lakeside I believe. I took the final two pictures in this photoset of these birds. Moorhen with young stood out today too an there is an interesting mix of waterbirds here in the pond areas too. I also enjoyed a quadruple of seeing raptors with excitingly another Hobby for me this year I can see why they’d be here with the amount of their prey the dragonfly encountered, Kestrel hovering, Buzzard seen well especially at the car park at the start and one that had been spoken about by others day and in this habitat one I thought was something I just thought we might see today which we did soaring over when back at the car park before leaving at the end the Red Kite with it landing in a tree the other side of the road briefly too which is notable to see.  

It was nice to see Fallow Deers and catch up with the Tamworth pigs key mammals and pioneers of the landscape here today I took the eighth picture in this photoset of one of the latter seen. I took the third, fifth, sixth and seventh pictures in this photoset of more views here today.

It was a fantastic day of flowers with so many species seen. This was headlined as well as all the ragwort by seeing my first centaury and common toadflax of the year the former a bright looking pink one I liked learning last year and the latter also one I have a lot of time for, have really liked seeing over the last few years and saw when we came to Knepp last year. I also saw today; a nice mix of viper’s-bugloss, lady’s bedstraw, possible white campion, knapweed and oxeye daisy all looking great in and around the verge in bloom at the camp site car park always a highlight to see here each year, tiny speedwell and scarlet pimpernel, a yellow one possibly silverweed, possible chickweed type flower a little one, mallow, rose, St. John’s-wort, lots of lovely self-heal one I’ve had a nice few weeks for, lots of hedge woundwort a star of my year, I seem to recall a spotted orchid, foxgloves fitting in well in the views with the distinctive purple way markers of the Purple Emperor trail, lots of white clover with them making a great impression on the area painting it white, marsh bedstraw, bindweed and lots of dock too.

Wildlife Sightings Summary for Knepp: My first ever Leopard moth, my first of two of my favourite butterflies the Purple Emperor and Purple Hairstreak of the year, my first Gatekeeper of the year, my first of one of my favourite dragonflies the Southern Hawker of the year, my first Scarce Chaser of the year, four more of my favourite butterflies the Large Skipper, Silver-washed Fritillary, Red Admiral and Marbled White, five of my favourite birds the Red Kite, Buzzard, Hobby, Jay and Great Crested Grebes, two more of my favourite dragonflies the Broad-bodied Chaser and Black-tailed Skimmer, one of my favourite mammals the Fallow Deer, lots of Comma on a great run I am on for seeing them, Peacock, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper, possibly another of my favourite butterflies the White Admiral, another white butterfly quickly I couldn’t quite tell which, Kestrel, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Whitethroat, a fair few Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tit, Wren, Swallow seen really well over the water, Swift, White Stork, Herring Gull, Moorhen, Mallard, possibly woodpecker, Rabbits which was nice, Roesel’s bush cricket, another moth, a fish jumping out of the water briefly and I heard Chaffinch and Chiffchaff and Yellowhammer well a highlight today.

There really was so much we saw today. On the journey there and back it was nice to see a Little Egret closely from the car near some water, hollyhock, other flowers and some stunning views of the River Arun and the South Downs passing through especially in the sweet evening sun on the way back when at service station we got some splendid views of a fair few Rooks. I saw a Grey Silverfish and took a photo my first for a while before bed tonight and enjoyed nice sky scenes when home tonight. What a phenomenal day of walking and wildlife watching and enjoying taking photos so much. Leaving me positively worn out, a smashing summer Saturday. I hope you all had a nice day.

Part 1 of today’s posts is here: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/688705790489542656/2722-knepp-blog-1-of-2-landscape-butterflies

#white stork #whitethroat #great crested grebe #grebes #chicks #england #sussex #knepp #uk #world #nature #rewilding #purple emperor #purple hairstreak #roesels bush cricket #bullfinch #hobby #red kite #moorhen #buzzard #kestrel #storks #birds of prey #bird of prey #sunny #summer #common toadflax #centaury #saturday #weekend

[therosecrest]

I had three dreams last night.

The first was about Captain Britain. Or rather, a Captain Britain. This was a man who reminded me of MGS2's Raiden. Blond, lithe, and he wore a suit somewhat reminiscent of Lionheart. He had a mecha. No, a mobile suit. It was pure white but for the frame, and looked like it had been designed by one of my favourites, Ishigaki Junya. One its back were two rails, and weapons attached to them. One was a very large gun. The other was an oversized beam sabar - think ZZ, but bigger - called the beam grinder.

In my next dream, I went out into the back garden at home. For some reason, it seems Dad was in possession of Cronicle Asher's Zolo, my favourite. I wanted to fly it for a bit, but he was out in it already. I heard the sound of beam rotors and looked around, finding Zanscare Zolos chasing Dad. He'd docked improbably on top of a second, inert Zolo, which I presumed to be Mum's.

Shortly, a craft hovering about the house shot lines to the ground, and soldiers began to descend upon us. I ran through the house shouting to warn my family and bolted out the front, out the close, and down the street. After a while, my brother came, trembling as he hid behind a tree. Eventually, my sister came, but my big brother never did. His room is closest to that door.

In my last dream, I had a doctor's appointment. She was very attentive. I felt that she took my concerns seriously, although the examination was rather strange.

#dreams

[rhetoricandlogic]

The Apple-Tree Throne by Premee Mohamed

Published - Out now

It is the turn of the century in an England that never was. Bright new aqua-plants are generating electricity for the streetlights; news can be easily had on the radio-viz; and in Gundisalvus' Land, the war is over and the soldiers are beginning to trickle home. Amongst these is Lt. Benjamin Braddock, survivor of the massacre that ended the war, and begrudgingly ready to return to a world that, well, doesn't seem to need him any more than it did in peacetime. His friends have homes and families to return to, while he's got nothing but his discharge papers and a couple of unwanted medals. Oh, and one new thing: the furious ghost of his commanding officer. Fortunately, since the officer's family is so vehemently adamant that Braddock join their rich and carefree fold, he doesn't have much time to fret about being haunted. But the secrets of the war are about to catch up to them all.

We tend to think of ghost stories as belonging to the world of horror but ghosts appear in everything from Shakespeare to Dickens. Yes they can unnerve us but they equally represent the past and our fears as to what comes in our future. It is also worth remembering that terrible things do not always need a supernatural force behind them. In Premee Mohamed’s excellent novella The Apple-Tree Throne we get a glorious piece of storytelling and giving us a very fresh spin on a haunting tale.

Ben Braddock has returned from war to the Great Republic of Britain. He is the only person willing to speak at the funeral of his commanding officer Wickersley. They both fought in the last great battle of the war; which ended in the death of nearly a thousand soldiers and few now really mourn Wickerlsey. Braddock finds himself adrift in a world he no longer finds familiar; the Wickerlsey family is now keen for Braddock to live with them and be catered for but Braddock has not yet told anyone every night the ghost of Wickersley is haunting him and appears ready to speak.

The idea of soldiers after a battle is a familiar theme in fiction. A huge loss of life and ambivalence over who was in the right are perfect grounds for believing there may be unfinished business for those who get left behind. However Mohamed has found a great approach to this tale. Firstly as you have spotted this feels like a Edwardian England but is not - it’s a republic; the other countries mentioned are not quite of the time; wars are seen back home on vidfilms and it’s a time of steam cars and chapattis are a favourite meal for many. This creates a fascinating dissonance because a lot of the story feels like a WW1 or 19th century we suddenly get these unique out of time references. This is not a story exploring how we are in an alternate timeline but it also makes us as readers sit up - this story is going to do something a bit different. For the reader there is a challenge is working out how this new version of our world works and what has stayed the same. It’s a fascinating approach that means we can also avoid some of the well trodden tropes of the past.

In many ways this becomes a story of what happens to those after the war and the key is how Mohamed creates the story using Braddock’s narration. An unusual character who we see was living in poverty prior to the war and found while war is terrible did offer companionships; pay and now he finds himself a little lost as to his purpose now war is over. For him the grief of Wickerlsey’s death is tinged with anger at how we feels Wickersley is responsible for a huge military error and also his conflicting feelings as to how his commanding officer’s family (and in particular his mother and fiancé) are now asking him to live in old rooms; and live in the life now vacated. In some ways a poor man’s dream to have life sorted out but also an uncomfortable awareness that perhaps he is simply being swapped to replace a dead man. All of which gives us a nagging feeling Braddock’s situation isn’t quite right and won’t end well especially as there is now an angry ghost in the mix.

The haunting aspects of the tale are dual sided. We do indeed get Wickersley appearing initially at windows and silent but (with a few suitable jump scares) becoming a more active and vocal participant explaining why they are angry. But equally Braddock is being doubly haunted because alongside this spectre is the memories of the last battle which we get to experience and his unhappy feeling at his guilt to an officer he was close to and respected and how he appear to now live his life: Mohamed makes us feel survivor’s guilt and the horror of being at war where mistakes mean death. All of which may make you feel this is going to be a horror tale and yet ghosts also can help us look at the past again; process it and decide what we want for the future. This surprisingly has an uncertain but warmer ending than I expected and one that makes you look again at the ways characters interacted.

The Apple-tree Throne is a beautiful melancholic ghost story told by a fascinating narrator in a constantly surprising world. As such it unusually brings new life to its subject and makes it a thoughtful tale of loss and hope. Strongly recommended!

February 22, 2023

#Premee Mohamed #The Apple Tree Throne #mahreviews #long post