#Devon Baldwin | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kiachiako · 2 years

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carpe diem | l.hc

pairing | gamer!haechan x female!reader

synopsis | You know you’re in trouble when your heart starts beating a little faster around Lee Haechan, professional flirt and someone any of your friends would advise against falling for. Then why are you standing in front of his door at the dead of night, lured by his offer of games, marijuana, and quality time with the man himself?

content | gamer!haechan, coder!reader, fluff, angst, language warning, drug usage, suggestive

wc | 5.1k

song | let’s get lost — g-eazy ft. devon baldwin

a/n | wish i could put into words how much i adore the vibe in this fic :(( hope you enjoy it just as much and leave any and all feedback at the end, i love reading your thoughts <3 ly

[h__chan06, 11:23PM] come over

You glance over at your phone as it lights up next to you, letting your eyes adjust to the darkness as your attention is stolen from the code on your monitors. With a snap of your gum and a knowing smile, you return back to the task at hand after scanning the chat notification that disappears just as quickly as it came.

It’s 11pm, and you know your night has only just started; as a compsci uni student by day and someone’s whose late hours are reserved by more… underground jobs, you’re used to the twilight that accompanies you as you work. Seoul’s neon city lights illuminate your apartment on their own as your fingers fly across the keyboard in your lap, lips pursed as your gaze races over each line of code in concentration.

You sigh when your clean slate of java is interrupted by a call pop-up that inconveniently takes up the entirety of your main screen. You’re about to click the red decline button when another text pops up, h__chan06’s < u better pick up > pressuring you into accepting.

“Y/N,” Haechan’s voice echoes throughout your room, filling the previous silence with his raspy tone. It sounds like he just woke up, and frankly, you think it’s the most attractive thing you’ve heard all week.

You hum softly in response.

“I’m bored,” he complains lowly, the sound of rubbing fabric transmitting over your speaker letting you know that he’s probably swathed in blankets in true Haechan fashion. “Want you to come game with me.”

You look up through your eyelashes at the digital blue light time on your wall, groaning when you remember that you have a 2am shift in a few hours at the 24-hour PC Bang that you completely forgot about.

“You know I can’t game for shit, Haechan.”

You hear him scoff at that, his mumbled, “says the literal game hacker,” making you giggle. You swivel around in your comfy desk chair, pushing your way to one of the glass walls of your apartment.

“It’s just,” you continue, staring out into the night cityscape, “I’ve got code due tomorrow for Prof Jung and I really wanna finish it before my part-time at the internet cafe.”

And you might be a little scared of spending alone time with the boy that makes your heart flutter a bit too much, but you would never admit that out loud.

“Please, Y/N,” the boy pleads with you. “Umm, I also just rolled if you want some.”

Your ears definitely perk up at that. Even though your assignment isn’t finished and it’s never the best idea to show up high to your job, you find yourself shrugging on a zip-up and grabbing your keys before you can even register your own actions.

Only a few hours can’t hurt, right?

…

Wrong.

It’s been five minutes of standing in front of Haechan’s apartment door — which just happens to reside in the same complex as yours — and you’re starting to think this is a bad idea.

Actually, this was a bad idea starting from the very first time you were introduced to Lee Haechan.

You still remember that day so clearly in your head; Mark had texted you and your friend group to meet up at his new apartment just days before sophomore year of uni started a year ago, his title as your best friend winning your free time over immediately as you headed a few floors down from your own home with Jaehyun and Karina. You were elated to be in the same building with Mark Lee, because that meant free rides to your classes in his classy Mustang and not having to jog a few blocks down the campus residences for weekly rom com reruns anymore.

However, what you had not expected to see was a brand new face as the three of you entered the spacious apartment, an unfamiliar boy’s laugh ringing throughout the foyer as if he had known your friends for an entire lifetime.

You were introduced to Lee Haechan a few moments later, his relaxed nature and confident smile drawing everyone to him immediately. The integration of his presence into your circle of friends was almost instantaneous.

It turned out that Haechan was Mark’s new roommate (and new competition for the title of his best friend, unfortunately), and somehow had every girl on campus hanging on to the sweet words that dripped out of his pretty mouth; it was just too easy to get hooked on his saccharin voice. He was truthfully too attractive for his own good with his sharp wit and dazzling smile, his model-like dimensions and the headphones/hoodie duo that drove female classmates to their graves with his gamer boyfriend appeal.

It was mostly wariness that kept you from growing close with Haechan, not really sure of what to think of him and his flirty tendencies although he had been nothing but friendly with you in the presence of your now shared friends.

One particular night after exams, the lot of you were over at their place to unwind after such a mentally demanding past few months. A few of the boys were busy trying to concoct something edible in the kitchen (it was most definitely not edible, as you had the “pleasure” of experiencing a few hours later), while Karina and Taeyong were hooked up in the most intense match of Mario Kart you had ever seen in your life.

“Shit,” Mark had mumbled, groaning as his eyes raked over the contents of their empty fridge. “Y/N,” you lifted your head to glance at him as you snuggled up against Karina’s side on the couch, skirt splayed on the cushions while watching the game intently. “I told Haechan to buy the soju today, but this fucker can’t even remember his own address,” he stared pointedly at said boy, Haechan’s innocent expression throwing you off guard, “so I’m not surprised that he forgot the drinks. Can you run to the convenience store down the street real quick and get some?”

You reluctantly got up from your comfy spot on the couch and made your way over to Mark, pulling his free hoodie over your form and tracing a frowny face on his fore-arm as your best friend pulled you into an apology hug.

“He’ll go with you and pay,” Mark nodded to Haechan, who shrugged and grabbed his card before holding the front door open for you with a wicked grin. “Play nice, Hyuck.”

You shuffled a few steps behind him as the two of you made your way out of the apartment complex and through the city night’s light drizzle, hair dampening when you neglected to pull up your hood.

You remember glancing up to him in surprise when Haechan suddenly turned around and tugged you forward by the sleeve, rivulets of raindrops tipping his lashes and glistening down his neck as he pulled you into a run with a wide smile.

“Let’s race.”

It had come as a surprise to you how easily you complied, eyes creased in elation as the rain poured down on your sprinting forms. The two of you weaved through umbrella clad people hurrying to escape the oncoming storm, a boy you barely knew leading you through shallow puddles and blinking crosswalks.

You were soaked by the time you got to the 24-hour convenience store, expressions painted with pure giddiness as you stepped into its artificial lights. The cashier had eyed the two of you with the greatest disdain, his gaze burning into the small spot of growing water pooling at the entrance under your figures.

Following Haechan into the alcohol aisle, you startled when a soft ding of your phone interrupted your euphoric haze. An immediate grimace graced your face.

“What is it? A new assignment?” He leaned closer to peer at your phone, warm breath reaching your cheek as his shoulder brushed against yours. Noticing the shaky inhale you had taken, he leaned back, amused. “I make you nervous, don’t I.”

You looked at him, incredulous.

“Never,” you answered, mentally kicking yourself at how unsure you sounded. The butterflies that you felt like vomiting gave yourself away nonetheless. “I don’t even know you.”

Haechan raised an eyebrow at you before dragging a chair out at the little window table in the corner of the store. Patting the seat across from him, he poured you a shot of soju and brushed a wet strand of hair out of your eyes.

“Then let me.”

You had sat there with Haechan for far too long that night, discovering every little thing he was willing to give up: from his area of study (“I’ll give you my old Python notes for Prof Cho’s lectures,” he had offered. “As your resident game development major and a survivor of the infamous Cho experience, I hereby grant you the right to all of my past cheat sheets and tests) to his unwavering loyalty to grape juice of all things (“You monster.” You had simply taken one sip of your apple drink before pausing with your lips hovering over the straw, feeling absolutely violated with the kicked puppy look he was giving you. “Apple over grape? Monster.)

The two of you had returned to Mark and Haechan’s flat hours later than you were supposed to, the former blaming his roommate for distracting you because he knew Haechan and his tendencies much better than anyone else did. Jaehyun had immediately swept you away in a game of Jenga (you thought it was a mystery why he enjoys a children’s game so much, but is it really?), so you were left with no other chance to speak with Haechan that night, even though he would shoot you a secret smile every chance he got.

It never escalated further.

School resumed like normal and suddenly everyone was busy again. Sure, you and Haechan were still friendly, but you hung out with the other guys much more than you did with him. A part of you was just so unsure about the type of guy he really was; you heard of his midnight escapades far too often to think that he was ever sincere in any interaction with a girl, nonetheless with you. It seemed like the boy that had run with you in the thundering rain and shared his stance on grape juice with passion was simply a figment of your imagination, a fleeting moment among thousands for him. You weren’t hurt nor surprised, already warned of his flowery words that you assumed were customized for each pretty girl that had the fatal luck of meeting Lee Haechan.

But he never made a true advance on you. Whenever your friend group got together, it was just meaningless flirting: the kind that caused your heart to flare up that you desperately pleaded with it to not react to someone like that. It was a sort of game almost, the type where you joked around with him when the time came, but never enough that you would be left with him for more than ten minutes. He still scolded Mark for making fun of you and offered you to smoke with him on more occasions than you’d like to admit, but that was it. A few weak moments in your judgment when you would give in to his offer for help on coding assignments and a free blunt.

As those memories play in your head, you bring your fingers up to your temples in frustration with yourself. You’re always careful with your heart, and you know that his words do affect you in a way they really shouldn't. You’ve been trying to avoid Haechan lately because you think the flirting might have actually gotten to your head. And yeah, you’re probably hyper aware of the scent of his cologne and the mere way he carries himself, but you’re determined to never fall in the traps of your own rapid heartbeat and warming cheeks.

“So then why am I here-” your mumbles stop when the door to the apartment you’ve been standing in front of swings open, the culprit leaning against its frame as his eyes flick over to you.

“Because you get swayed too easily, angel,” Haechan grins at you, his sweatpants and oversized hoodie hanging off his figure so well that you actually think it’s unfair. “And c’mon. We all know that you’ve just been dying to see me.”

You just gape at him before he laughs and tugs you inside, hand reaching up to squish your cheeks together.

“Don’t do that,” you pout after a few moments, pushing his hands away as you feel your face warm.

“I couldn’t resist, love,” he drawls, a Cheshire like smile overtaking his visage as he gestures for you to follow him into the living room. You take a seat on the floor with your back against the couch as you watch him move around, picking up two game controllers from the console before flicking the TV on and returning to sit next to you. The glittering lights of Seoul’s nightlife casts an eerie glow on Haechan’s side profile, all the sharp lines and curves of his face highlighted as you observe him.

Curious, you pick up one of the controllers and fiddle with it before shifting your body towards him.

“Why’d you text me though? You have so many other friends that probably game better than I do.”

Haechan doesn’t take his eyes off the screen as he replies to your valid inquiry, patting the space next to him so you’d move closer.

“You’re the only one that lives near here besides Mark, who decided that late-night practicing for his drivers license test is more important than playing games with me,” he jokes, shooting you a small grin before booting up the game home screen.

Oh.

Wait, no. That’s perfectly logical, you think to yourself.

…then why am I disappointed?

You hum in understanding before looking back up at the loading game.

“Want a hit?” the boy next to you offers, holding out a rolled joint between his index finger and thumb that wasn’t there before. You nod slowly and he takes the initiative to slot it between your lips, fingers grazing your chin in the slightest as he lights the end for you. You take a long pull, closing your eyes and sitting back as your insides fill with warmth with an exhale. Handing the joint back to him, he brings it to his lips and lets the smoke snake out his mouth before dissipating throughout the living room. “You needed that, hmm?”

Your glazed eyes tell him all he needs to know as he starts the video game on his TV, fingers busy setting up your characters and controls on the home screen. You watch his hands in a trance, not realizing that you’ve spaced out until he snaps his fingers in front of your face.

“Thinking about me already, angel,” he teases, hiding his hands behind his back. You hit him lightly and reach for the joint again.

“Shush, Haechan.” He simply blows a smoke ring towards your face in retaliation before reaching over to click a button on your own controller as your vision clears.

“Look here,” he instructs, positioning his fingers over yours so that he can guide you through each symbol and its uses. His cold skin leaves goosebumps as he leaves his palms resting against the back of your own hand. “This red one means shoot, and this one will allow you to pick up things. You press the back of the controller here,” Haechan maneuvers your fingers with his slowly as he talks, “to move forward. Makes sense?”

You nod with wide eyes, still shivering at the contact of his hands on yours. Haechan takes notice of the little bumps against your wrist as his pointer finger rubs against the back of yours.

“Aww, Y/N,” he coos, scrunching his nose at you, “you're nervous.” You protest and pull your hands away from his grasp, failing to come up with a coherent response. He chuckles under his breath at your attempt to escape him, instead grasping your arm and making you sit impossibly close to him so that you can feel the warmth radiating off his body.

With a dreamy look in his eyes and another long, hooded gaze in your direction, he takes another puff before grabbing his own controller. Silver bracelets clinking on his wrist, he shoots you a small smirk before starting the game with one click and settling forward so he can concentrate.

“I’m gonna lose so badly,” you grumble, watching the screen as the world spawns around your two avatars. Your character already seems like it’s suffering, taking hit after hit from the boy next to yours as she crumbles in ten seconds flat. “Kinda hate you right now, Haechan. And you too,” you squint at your girl’s name, “Widowmaker. What kind of person would call their character Widowmaker…” you add on with a mutter, frowning at her. You miss Haechan glancing at you with a small smile and a look of adoration in his eyes.

“I’m betting on it, angel,” he replies to your first words with a snicker after a few seconds, entirely shameless as he completely destroys whatever’s occurring on the TV. He sticks his tongue out to wet his lips as he immerses himself completely in the game. “You’re gonna give me something if I win, no?”

“I- what? When did I ever…?” you mutter with confusion as Haechan jumps to his knees with a shout. You watch with dread as blood splotches appear in your vision and the hearts that indicate your number of lives blink to a null gray, the girl that was supposed to help you win getting hit straight in the chest with her multitude of weapons and abnormally short crop top — you don’t know how her outfit was supposed to be of use, but you assumed that maybe Haechan’s character would have a moment of unclarity and propose or something.

“I won! And I even went easy on you, angel.”

And there it is in all its glory. A bright, green “You Win!” mocking you on his side of the screen while yours just flashes red as your character sinks to the ground in despair.

“Uh uh, Haechan,” you protest, turning towards him with your hands reaching for his controller. “We did not have a win-lose system set up and you know that I’m bad at this.” The said boy merely leans forward and taps his head with his finger pretending to think.

“I’ll give you my car for a week if you win,” he proposes, reaching for the controllers again. Your eyes widen.

“No fucking way,” you say, grinning as you lean forwards. “A month.”

“Two weeks, angel. Don’t push it.”

“A month.”

Haechan slumps against the couch, refusing to look at your pleading face and adorable expression.

“Fine,” he grumbles, defeated. “A month.”

“Yes!” you exclaim, shuffling in your spot with glee and crossing your legs to get ready for the next round. You are desperate for that car; having it would mean no more running to catch the train at 9pm after a botched lecture from your professors who seem to not know what a clock is. And, of course, midnight garlic bread runs without being scared shitless of what could be following you in the dark. “Need to focus…”

Haechan’s gaze zeros in on you, your tongue poking out of your tongue in concentration and your eyes enlarged with a newfound eagerness.

“Haa…” he breathes out, “cute.” You ignore your warming cheeks after hearing his words and nudge him to start the game, the soft look on his face catching you off guard to the point where you have to look away.

With a beeping countdown, another match of Overwatch starts and you’re left in the most concentrated state you’ve been since your last phase of, “I’m-going-to-get-all-perfect-marks-in-school-this-semester” (which isn’t actually saying much because you did not in fact get perfect marks that semester). With your gaze locked on your character and hands poised on your controller, you maneuver yourself carefully through the rotted terrain and hide from Haechan’s lingering avatar.

“I’m not letting you win,” you warn him with your most menacing tone, making your on-screen character do a 360 before shooting a warning shot into the far distance.

“Mm?” he hums, clicking rapidly on his own controller before turning to you, “you can’t win with me, angel.” You still at his words, scared to say something that will give away how truly nervous Haechan makes you. There’s something more in that sentence that you just can’t pinpoint.

After a moment of staring off into space, you regain consciousness and shake your head to clear your mind. “Focus…”

And that’s when you see it; Haechan’s avatar is crouched on top of a crumbling building at the corner of your vision, waiting for the perfect moment to shoot you down from above. He’s got his weapon aimed directly at you and the mere size of the thing scares you — and you’re not even the one being shot.

With dozens of quick solutions and methods running through your head to get out of your impending death, the worst possible thing you could do crosses your mind as you spy Haechan’s finger press down on the shoot button.

Just do it. You want to win? Just do it.

“Fuck it,” you whisper, pushing his controller out of his hands.

“Why would you-” he starts before stilling, the feeling of your fingers clutched around the fabric of his sweatshirt and being pulled in close to you shocking him into silence.

You let yourself lose all rational sense as you give him a tiny kiss, your body shuddering slightly at the simple feeling of his lips on yours. Only meaning to stall him for a few seconds, you reluctantly pull back and turn back to the screen to finish off the game. With one small click and a few splatters of blood on your display, you jump up with excitement as the “You Win!” finally appears for your victorious all-kill.

Before you can even turn to Haechan and taunt him with your victory, he twists his body so he can hover over you, pinning your wrists in one hand and bringing the other up to your face. You stare up at him with wide eyes with your noses just centimeters from each other, and you’re so close that you could connect your lips once again if you really wanted to. And you really want to.

Before you can fully process the position the two of you are in however, Haechan brushes his thumb against your cheekbone and switches his gaze between your eyes.

“You think you can just do that and not face the consequences? Hmm?” he whispers just next to your ear, his warmth breath reaching your neck as you shiver slightly under his touch. “Use your words.”

“The game?” you mumble dumbly, unable to pull anything coherent from your brain at the moment.

“I don’t care about the fucking game, Y/N,” Haechan replies, one of his hands smoothly moving up to hold the back of your neck. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment… you’re going to make it up to me, angel.”

With that, he fastens his lips to yours once again, letting out a small groan when he pulls you into his lap and presses your body into his. His kisses are deep and hard as he pulls you in by the waist and slips your zip up off your shoulders, the feeling of his tongue slipping into your mouth making your head dizzy.

The taste of marijuana and raspberry lingers in your mouth when he pulls away briefly to take a breath, soon after tilting his head so he can deepen the kiss even more. His little sounds go straight to your core, the moans he lets out increasing when you lean into him to slide your hands down the skin of his neck and shoulders. The way he moves is mesmerizing under your touch.

You throw your head back when one of his hands finds its way up to your throat, his fingers lightly wrapping around the base as you swallow in pleasure. He’s such a good kisser that you can feel yourself drown in his movements, delicate and sensual. His teeth nip little bites on your jawline, and you already know that the red blooming all over your skin will stay there for weeks with how much pressure he’s applying on your skin.

Making his way back to your mouth, he graces the flesh of your lips with his tongue before tugging gently. The little sound you make in reaction has him reeling, pulling away to put his forehead against yours.

“Want more?” Haechan inquires with his infamous smirk, nuzzling his nose against your skin as you sit straddling his lap.

Barely able to respond, you mumble, “more,” before chasing after his sweet kisses once again. You could do this all day.

“Ah ah,” he shushes you with his finger, letting the tip sneak between your lips just a smidge before wrapping his arms around you and hugging your body to his. “Didn’t mean to get you addicted, baby.” And with a sweet kiss on the corner of your mouth, he holds you in his warm embrace and rocks you back and forth, refusing to let you taste him. “Wanna keep you like this.”

You comply, relaxing as you sink into his lap in utmost comfort with your arms around his neck and face tucked in the crook of his neck.

You don’t even notice when your eyes start to flutter close, a sudden tiredness taking over your figure. You’ve always struggled with insomnia, but you fade into dreamland as soon as Haechan lays you down with him, hand rubbing soothing circles across your back.

Even you can’t deny it as much as your heart wants to; you feel at home in his embrace.

…

You wake up groggy to a blaring in your left ear, the piercing sound of your ringtone forcing you to consciousness. Rolling over to reach for your phone, you don’t even look at the caller ID before sliding the green accept button and holding the device against your ear.

You can’t get a single word out before a familiar voice blares out of the speaker, making you flinch away from the sound immediately.

“Sunshine! Did you finally get with Haechan?” Mark talks excitedly from the other side of the line, his hyper tone evident without seeing his expression.

“Good morning to you too- Wait, how did you know I was with Haechan last night?” you say incredulously, suddenly very awake. “How’d your permit test go anyway?” You hear Mark scoff at your question in response.

“Y/N. Did you think I really didn’t have my license already,” he says with exasperation. “Do you not exploit my driving skills every other day or am I going insane?”

“I mean kind of, yeah. With the way you drive…”

“Oh, fuck both of you,” Mark laughs out. “Haechan’s lies never make any sense.”

“Lies?” you mumble, confused. Why did Haechan lie to you about Mark anyway? You’re not sure where you lie in Haechan’s spectrum of feelings, but you hope your heart won’t get crushed with how hard you fell just a few hours ago.

Mark sighs audibly.

“Mm, he wanted the apartment empty yesterday and he’s talked about you since forever, Y/N-ie, really. Hope you know he’s very serious about getting to know you,” you gape at your phone at Mark’s confession, surprised. No way Lee Haechan, downright playboy and professional flirt is interested in you in the way you’ve been falling for him too — and suppressing it.

But with the way he cared for me last night, you think to yourself. He seemed so sincere.

“He’s stopped seeing other girls for a few months now,” Mark adds on, easing the worries he knows are running laps in your mind. “He’s so serious about you, Y/N, I can tell you that much.”

You let that information sink in as you sit back in your own bedsheets, hands rubbing your arms with the morning chill as you let the thought of Haechan and you marinate.

Just as your doubts begin to surface again, you hear a delicate knock on your apartment door before the door swings open and reveals a familiar boy standing in the hallway.

Haechan grins at you from behind a pile of fluffy winter blankets in his arms, taking your growing smile as an invitation to enter. He goes straight for your bed, settling into the warm spot next to you and letting his body snuggle into your side. Taking the fleece blankets, he wraps you in the fabric before placing a shy kiss on your temple, your cheeks blushing rose at his adoring actions.

“My angel.”

...

xoxo

1K notes · View notes

logi1974 · 1 year

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Südengland 2023 - Tag 17

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Wir müssen noch etwas an unserem Heritage Pass arbeiten, deshalb steht heute wieder ein Ziel auf unserer Agenda, das im Pass inklusive ist. Micha witzelt schon: am Ende kriegen wir noch Geld raus ...

Heute machen wir uns auf den Weg, um das Castle Carisbrooke zu besuchen. Der normale Eintrittspreis schlägt hier mit 14 £ zu Buche.

Ursprünglich gab es eine römische Burg in Carisbrooke, die als Teil der römischen Bemühungen errichtet wurde, die sächsische Küste vor Überfällen zu schützen.

Nach der normannischen Eroberung errichtete William Fitz Osbern, Earl of Hereford, hier eine neue Burg nach dem traditionellen normannischen Motte- und Bailey-Plan, mit zwei Bailey-Einfriedungen, die zu einem hohen Motte führen, der von einem befestigten Bergfried überragt wird.

Das Schloss ging später an die Familie Redvers über. Es war wahrscheinlich Baldwin de Redvers, Earl of Devon, der die starke Ringmauer errichtete, um die früheren normannischen Verteidigungsanlagen zu verstärken.

Carisbrooke verdankt insbesondere Gräfin Isabella de Fortebus viel. Die verwitwete Gräfin war im 13. Jahrhundert eine der reichsten und mächtigsten Landbesitzerinnen in England, mit Ländereien, die sich von Wight bis Yorkshire erstreckten.

1262 beschloss sie, sich in Carisbrooke niederzulassen. Sie verwandelte die kahle Verteidigungsburg und ließ eine ganze Reihe von Räumen errichten, darunter komfortable Suiten, eine große Halle, private Kammern und die Kapelle St. Peter. Die Kapelle ist jetzt in den Museumsbereich integriert.

Die Familie Redvers hielt die Burg, bis die Linie mit Isabellas Tod im Jahr 1293 ausstarb. Die Burg ging dann auf die Krone über und wurde häufig königlichen Günstlingen zugesprochen. 1377 schlug die Burg eine Invasion der Franzosen zurück, aber in der Tudor-Zeit ging die größte Bedrohung von einer spanischen Invasion aus.

Ab 1597 wurde die Burgverteidigung durch eine Reihe von Bastionen und Erdwällen erweitert, die von einem italienischen Ingenieur namens Gianbelli entworfen wurden.

Die Tudor-Erdwälle umschließen die normannischen Vorburgen vollständig und sind mit Stein verstärkt und mit 5 Bastionen in Form von Pfeilspitzen unterbrochen, um der Bedrohung durch Artilleriefeuer entgegenzuwirken.

Das Schloss ist am bekanntesten für seine Verbindung mit Charles I. (Karl I.). Charles wurde 1647 in Carisbrooke inhaftiert, nachdem seine Armeen im Bürgerkrieg vom Parlament besiegt worden waren. Der König war bequem im Constable's Lodging untergebracht, einem Tudor-Gebäude, das an die mittelalterliche Great Hall angrenzt.

Charles konspirierte jedoch weiter. Zwei aufeinanderfolgende Versuche aus seinem „goldenen Käfig“ zu entkommen, veranlassten seine Gefängniswärter, ihn in viel sichereren und weniger komfortablen Quartieren festzusetzen.

Charles wurde schließlich zur Hinrichtung von Carisbrooke nach London gebracht. Das Schlafgemach des Königs ist ebenso erhalten wie das Fenster, durch das er zu fliehen versuchte.

1896 wurde Prinzessin Beatrice, die jüngste Tochter von Königin Victoria, zur Gouverneurin der Isle of Wight ernannt. Die Prinzessin machte das Schloss nach 1914 zu ihrem Sommerdomizil.

Der Titel des Gouverneurs der Isle of Wight wurde im Jahr 1965 an Prinz Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, weiter vergeben. Die Zeremonie zur Ernennung fand ebenfalls im Carisbrooke Castle statt und wurde von der Queen persönlich durchgeführt.

Leider kamen die Queen und Prinz Philip nicht mehr mit der Kutsche, sondern mit dem Auto. Damit der dicke, dunkelrote Bentley der Monarchin überhaupt bis in den Hof vorfahren konnte, mussten leichte Modifizierungen am Torhaus vorgenommen werden: man entfernte schnell einmal Teile des historischen Eingangs.

Die klassische Ansicht für den Besucher von Carisbrooke Castle ist dieser imposante, dominante, zweitürmige Hauptteil des Torhauses. Dieses begann im 13. Jahrhundert als einfaches Tor, aber 1336 erweiterte Edward III. es, um einen zentralen Durchgang zwischen den Toren mit runden Türmen zu schaffen. Innerhalb des Durchgangs des Torhauses befinden sich Rillen für drei Fallgatter.

Das Torhaus bietet Zugang zur westlichen Vorburg, die an der Stelle des ursprünglichen römischen Kastells steht. Das Torhaus bewies fast sofort seinen Wert und half, die Burg vor der französischen Invasion von 1377 zu verteidigen.

Rechter Hand befindet sich die St.-Nikolaus-Kapelle neben dem Wachhaus. Die Kapelle stammt aus dem 13. Jahrhundert, wurde aber 1899 zum Gedenken an den 250. Todestag Karls I. im Jahr 1649 komplett umgebaut.

Später wurde sie zu einem Denkmal für diejenigen, die im 1. Weltkrieg fielen, darunter Prinzessin Beatrices Sohn Maurice, der 1914 in Ypern starb. Das Ende der Kapelle wird von einer großen Büste von König Karl und einem Denkmal für die toten Soldaten dominiert.

Im ehemaligen Wachhaus (Guardhouse) wird heute den Besuchern ein gut gemachte Informationsfilm zur Historie von Carisbrooke gezeigt.

Hinter der Kapelle liegt der Garten “Princess Beatrice Garden”.

Dieser Garten wurde im edwardianischen Stil gestaltet, um an die Zeit zu erinnern, als Carisbrooke das Sommerhaus von Prinzessin Beatrice, der Tochter von Königin Victoria, war.

Geradeaus liegt die Große Halle. Darin befindet sich heute das Museum (und in den Quartieren des Gouverneurs) mit zahlreichen Objekten zur Geschichte des Schlosses sowie zur lokalen Geschichte der Region.

Einer der Höhepunkte ist eine Nachbildung des Schlafzimmers von Charles I. Zu den weiteren Ausstellungsstücken gehören ein Gemälde von Joseph Mallord William Turner von Carisbrooke, ein mittelalterlicher Krug sowie das Schwert und die Nachtmütze von Charles I. Dies sind nur einige von über 27.000 Objekten, von denen nur einige regelmäßig ausgestellt werden.

Einer der Höhepunkte eines Besuchs in Carisbrooke ist ein Besuch im Wellhouse, wo Wasser aus einem 50 Meter tiefen Brunnen mit einem von Eseln betriebenen Rad geschöpft wird. Das Ding sieht aus, wie ein überdimensionales Hamsterrad in dem die Esel laufen. Das Rad ist durch ein System von Zahnrädern und Rollen mit einem Seil verbunden, das an einem Eimer befestigt ist.

Der Eimer wird in den Brunnen abgesenkt und während der Esel stetig läuft, wird der volle Eimer an die Oberfläche gezogen.

Das heutige Brunnenkopfgebäude wurde in der Tudorzeit errichtet, aber der Brunnen selbst und sein Mechanismus sind bedeutend älter. Es gibt 6 Esel, die, zu Demonstrationszwecken, auf dem Eselsrad abwechselnd eingesetzt werden. Die Vorführungen finden mehrmals täglich, immer zur halben Stunde, statt.

Die Esel sind in einem großen Gebäudekomplex in der westlichen Ecke der Burganlage untergebracht.

Alle Namen der Esel beginnen mit dem Buchstaben „J“, eine Tradition, die bis in die Zeit zurückreicht, als Karl I. hier gefangen war. Charles unterzeichnete Briefe an seine Mitverschwörer mit dem Buchstaben J, und die Tradition begann, die Esel mit demselben Buchstaben zu benennen.

Für die treuen Vierbeiner gibt es sogar einen eigenen Eselsfriedhof.

Daran kommt man auf dem Weg zum Tearoom vorbei.

Der Tearoom bietet kleine Gerichte, Suppen, Kuchen usw. zu erstaunlich moderaten Preisen an.

Dicht an der Nordwestwand des Schlosses befindet sich eine Reihe von Unterkunftsräumen. Dort befindet sich eine Fensterlaibung, die zu Ehren der Gräfin Isabella als “Isabella's Window” bekannt ist.

Dieses Fenster gab einst Licht in die Privatgemächer der Gräfin. Es war mit farbigem Glas verglast – ein seltener Luxus - und in das Fenster waren Steinsitze eingebaut, damit die Gräfin den Blick über ihre Ländereien bis zum Meer genießen konnte.

Hoch oben an der Außenwand befindet sich ein kleines, vergittertes Fenster. 1648 versuchte Karl I., durch dieses Fenster zu entkommen und an einem Seil zu den am Fuß der Burgmauer wartenden Anhängern hinunterzuklettern.

Er hatte zwei Kerkermeister bestochen, damit sie bei seinem Versuch wegschauten. Die Gefängniswärter nahmen sein Geld, benachrichtigten dann aber die Burgbehörden, und der Versuch wurde vereitelt.

Charles hatte zuvor versucht, aus seinem Schlafzimmer zu entkommen, aber dieses Mal hatte er die Lücke zwischen den Fenstergittern falsch eingeschätzt und wurde zwischen ihnen eingekeilt, bis seine Kerkermeister ihn fanden.

Einer der frühesten Teile des Schlosses und immer noch einer der beeindruckendsten: die Muschelfestung. Dieser hohe steinerne Bergfried (oder befestigte Turm) sitzt auf einem hohen konischen Hügel (auch Motte genannt).

Der Bergfried war als letzte, verzweifelte Zuflucht für Verteidiger im Falle eines Angriffs gedacht und wird nur über eine steile Treppe erreicht, die mit dem Wehrgang verbunden ist.

Abgesehen von einer Garderobenkammer gibt es im Bergfried nur sehr wenige intakte Elemente, aber die Belohnung für den Aufstieg auf die Spitze der Motte ist ein wunderbarer Blick über die Burg und das “Bowling Green” im Norden.

Dieses große, ebene Gebiet war Teil der erweiterten Verteidigungsanlagen, die bei der Errichtung der äußeren Bastionen und Erdwälle entstanden. Soldaten nutzten den flachen Platz für Paraden und Exerzitien, aber berühmter wurde er von Karl I. zum Boulespielen, während seiner Gefangenschaft, genutzt.

In dieser Woche finden in allen Burgen und Schlössern des English Heritages spezielle Familientage statt. Anlass dieser Veranstaltungen ist die Coronation, die Krönung, von König Charles.

Es gibt kindgerechte open Air Theateraufführungen bei denen die Kids mitmachen können. Die Eltern sitzen derweil auf der Wiese und picknicken, während die Sprößlinge, ausgestattet mit Krone und Schwert, zusammen mit den Schauspielern historische Ereignisse nachspielen.

Insgesamt waren wir gut 4 Stunden im Castle unterwegs.

Good Night!

Angie, Micha und Mister Bunnybear (Hasenbär)

#Carisbrooke Castle #Carisbrooke #Isle of Wight #Südengland

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