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eclecticchick · 4 months
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Beach House Series
What book are you reading right now? Right now, it’s Beach House for Rent by Mary Alice Monroe. It is part of the Beach House series that is based on the Isle of Palms, S.C. What book or books are you reading? Or even listening to?
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afeelgoodblog · 1 year
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The Best News of Last Week - December 12, 2022
1. Big cats: US Senate unanimously passes bill to curb private ownership
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A bill to restrict the private ownership of big cats like lions and tigers in the US has passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. The Big Cat Public Safety Act would stop people from keeping the animals as pets and from them being exposed to public petting and photo opportunities.
Efforts to curb private ownership have increased in the wake of the Netflix documentary series Tiger King.
The bill now needs to be signed into law by President Joe Biden.
2. New Mexico voted a child care guarantee into its constitution.
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New Mexico in May became the first state to offer free child care to most of its residents. Now, after a November referendum, it’s also the first state to enshrine child care funding in its constitution, effectively making the service a universal right – and perhaps offering a model for how other states could serve their youngest residents and working parents.
3. Rare good news from the Amazon: Gigantic fish are thriving again
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Thanks to sustainable fishing programs that combine education with strict rules and quotas, the pirarucu, one of the world's largest freshwater fish it's now making a comeback.
"The pirarucu population has recovered," says Ana Claudia Torres, who runs the sustainable fishing program for the Mamirauá Institute, which manages a vast nature reserve covering 4,300 square miles of jungle in northern Brazil.
4. Dog reunited with family 7 days after falling from cliff on Vancouver Island
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A beloved pet that went missing in the Highlands area of Vancouver Island was found seven days later by an army of volunteers. Luna, was found desperately clinging to a narrow ledge on a cliff, and was reunited with her owner after a heroic rescue last month.
It's believed that Luna had chased an animal out of her yard and got lost, somehow falling off a cliff and landing on a two-foot wide ledge. She remained there, alone, as her owner and searchers frantically looked for her.
5. Iran Shutting Down Morality Police, Official Says, After Months of Protests
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Iran has scrapped its morality police after more than two months of protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code, local media said Sunday, citing a single Iranian official.
"Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary and have been abolished," Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
6. Condoms to be free for young people in France, Macron says
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Young people in France will be able to get condoms free of charge from next year in an effort to reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"In pharmacies, condoms will be free for those aged 18 to 25 from January 1," Macron told reporters during an event about young people's health.
7. One-eared rescue dog Van Gogh paints his way into adoption
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A former bait dog in a North Carolina dogfighting ring "paints" artwork for charity and is living his best life in Connecticut.
. . .
That’s it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:
Buy me a coffee ❤️
Have a great week ahead :)
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bat-cat-reader · 10 months
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‘Outlander’ Season 7 Review: The Starz Hit Prepares for the Endgame
It’s impossible at this point to compare Outlander to any other show on television. The Starz hit combines historic drama, magical time travel, and romance novel-esque bodice ripping to tell the intoxicating love story of 18th century Scottish highlander James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and 20th century English nurse-turned-doctor Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser (Caitriona Balfe). The series is soapy, sexy, and at times, confounding thanks to its insane storyline and penchant for using sexual assault as character development. But if you like it, you love it, and if you hate it, well, you’re probably not even bothering to read this Outlander Season 7 review.
Outlander Season 7 isn’t going to charm the TV nerds who demand high brow polish in their entertainment, but it should please the Starz show’s massively loyal fan base just fine. Outlander finally feels like it’s embracing the idea of an endgame. With the knowledge that Season 8 will be its final run, the writers are free to push the characters towards their ultimate fates. The Revolutionary War is finally starting, mysteries from past seasons are being teased out, and quietly pivotal characters, like Jamie’s secret love child William Ransome (Charles Vandervaart), are returning to the overall story. The first four episodes of Outlander Season 7 might lack the steam that defined the show’s early seasons, but there’s definitely no shortage of action, romance, or bloodshed.
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Elsewhere, Claire and Jamie’s daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) is navigating some mild marital woes with husband Roger (Richard Rankin). The two twentieth century natives have been doing their best to raise their son Jeremiah (Andrew and Matthew Adair) in colonial North Carolina and now have baby number two on the way. As if that’s not enough stress for a young couple, Roger stumbles upon a blast from the past while kicking off his new gig as a minister that causes friction between the spouses. However, nothing can compare to the spoiler-y — and I thought delicious — adventure they soon find themselves embarking on in Season 7.
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Besides that, Outlander remains as wonderfully ludicrous as ever. At one point, children can telepathically hear a gemstone sing. Jamie’s has a vivid dream about a telephone and then describes it in old time-y words. Little Jemmy is still running around Fraser’s Ridge with his wooden airplane toy. There’s good incest — in the case of a maid in a happy throuple with handsome twins — and bad incest, which is a spoiler. A building explodes like in a Michael Bay movie. It’s all so much and yet exactly what Outlander fans have come to expect from their favorite Starz show.
Outlander Season 7 isn’t what I would call good TV, but it is a good season of Outlander. Claire and Jamie get to repeatedly snuggle up in bed after defying death once again, Bri gets to be outlandishly well-adjusted in almost any given situation, and Roger gets to be a sweet nerd, as always, happily along for the ride. What’s exciting about Outlander Season 7 may be what makes some fans upset: it truly does feel like the beginning of the end. The board is being set for the show’s ultimate conclusion. While that means there’s a bittersweet tang to every squee-inducing moment, it also means that Outlander Season 7 is committed to bringing it all home for Claire, Jamie, and the fans who love them.
Outlander Season 7 premieres on Starz on Friday, June 16 at 8 PM ET/PT. Outlander Season 7 Episode 1 “A Life Well Lost” will also be streaming on the Starz app on Friday, June 16 at midnight ET.
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dragonstepp · 1 month
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Gold for the Jacobite battles
I have been a fan of the Jacobite Rebiions. However, I have seen another comment.
I love the music about the Jabodite revesions of the early 1700s. However, as a DJ in the mid-90s, I interviewed Dick Daughan, a muscian, an identifier of Communismn. I have been watching a documentary of Scottish history.
I love the music, and I am aware of how Bonnie Charles Stuart was a hero, and still is, of Scottish history. I am also a follower of Scottish history of the history of what happened to the Scots after they lost the battles brought about for the Bonnie Prince.
OK, my question to Scots, or lovers of Scottish and the Highlanders.
The music is beautiful. But here is my question. The series I am watching says the gold that the Bonnie got was lost somewhere in the Western Isles. Yet Diana Gabaldons story about OUtlander claims is was found in the Eastern Isles, as was shown in one episode of Outlander. Where do most Scots believe it was found.
Do most Scots believer it is hidden somewhere in the Western Isles? Or as Diana says, in the Eastern Isles (one episode of Oulander had Jamie going to an Easter Isle where he thought he heard Claire calling to him.
I personally believe that the result of the loss of the Jocobites might have been lost in the Western Isles. Thus the islanders being a result of the Highlanders being exiled to Amerida, and the rise of the Highlanders being found in North Carolina. But that the Highlanders knew the gold was in the Eastern Isles, perhaps even Graham charercrers knowing where the gold is.
I am a fan of the Highlanders being exiled to America being deported because the English thought the Highands were better used for sheep than people. This is what Dick Gaughan thought when I interviewed him for my radio show. It destroyed my belief in the Over the Sea to Skye music, as sung by the Corries.
I would really like to know what the Scots, or the lovers of the true Scots, believe, and not what the beautiful music portrays.
Any Scots here, or lovers of Scots, believe?
Carol in Austin
Bonnie Charles Charlie
the clearances of the Highlands
Scotland as an imperial Country
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If Outlander is Starz's historical drama series, can explain what’s means the flag behind Jamie Fraser, in this scene 🎬 season 7 back in time to the 18th Century in North Carolina, during the Revolutionary War? Who fought it: Rebels and redcoats (Loyalists and Patriots) or Highlands Scot’s Regiment 🤔
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Refers to this flag?
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bookboleynreads · 3 years
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Release Blitz! Southern Sinner by Jessica Peterson
Release Blitz! Southern Sinner by Jessica Peterson
Southern Sinner by Jessica Peterson is now live! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Until I brought my fake girlfriend home. When I took a seat next to the gorgeous brunette at the blackjack table, I had no idea it would be the start of the hottest weekend of my life. By day, Stevie and I dominate the casinos of Sin City. By night, I dominate her in my penthouse suite. Then my brother…
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gucciwins · 2 years
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a bit of home
date night in a new city and a surprise from home
Word count: 5982
A/N: hi friends, it's almost been a month since bel joined harry on tour and well things can't always be perfect so you've been warned. i appreciate all the comments, tags, and messages so please keep them coming. sending you all my love
please remember to reblog and let me know what you thought
warnings: sexual content
love on tour series // previous part
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Raleigh, North Carolina
Be ready by eight. Taking you on a date.
H xx
The note is sitting on your bed as you come out from a shower; Harry is smooth; you'll give him that. A date with your boyfriend. It's been dinners in hotel after hotel, so this will be your first date outside of a room, and you're looking forward to it.
Harry had been off golfing with a few men that Luis told you were NHL players. It meant very little to you as in your small community growing up, hockey was not a known sport. If anything, it was only futbol. You learned all the other sports in school and the Olympics when you were old enough to understand what it was.
His note was vague and not at all helpful to how you should dress up. You assumed it would be a restaurant, and seeing as you came to North Carolina once in your life for a wedding oh so many years ago was in Highlands, not in the city you were currently in.
Y/N
i've tried to look for an outfit and nothing. HELP xx
Harry
I'd say no clothes, but not keen on sharing. Xxx
Y/N
you're useless. i'm not going xx
Harry
Do I need to go over and dress you? xxx
Y/N
no, need a general idea of where we are going xxx
Harry
Go with a dress. Nothing too fancy, but dying to see those legs in some heels xxx
Y/N
as you wish xx
A dress, you can do a dress. You shuffle through the few options of clothing you have hanging in the closet. You pull out a dark green satin puff sleeve dress with a plunging front, a bow tied on the center, right under your cleavage. You paired it with your black M. Gemi lustro heels, best for walking and lasting all night with no pain.
You got ready quickly, and you felt beautiful. Maybe it was the dress, or perhaps it was because of who you were spending the evening with. Either way, you knew you looked good. There was no need for makeup as you didn't want to deal with wiping it off at night. You left your hair natural as it air dyed nicely after your shower earlier. You added a claw clip to your bag, slipping in inside as well as your wallet.
As you were about to sit on the couch to wait for Harry, there was a knock on the door. There was standing, looking as handsome as ever. He was wearing what you assume to be Gucci high-rise cotton trousers, a plain back shirt, and to keep the cold away, his famous green Bode wool-twill jacket that you now wanted to claim as your own.
"Don't you look dashing, H."
"You look breathtaking. I don't want to leave having you dressed this beautiful for all to see."
"Well, too bad, I was promised on the date. Got to show off the girl on your arm, don't you think?" You tease, stepping close to press a kiss on his cheek.
"Don't tease, darling."
You pout, "just friends, sorry."
He backs you up against the wall letting the door shut behind him, his hands on your waist to keep you in place, "not friends, not in here. Not when I know you're dying for my touch."
"Amor, por favor."
Harry smirks, leaning in close, nipping a kiss at your jaw, holding your breath as you feel his mouth next to your ear, "know how I know I make you lose your mind because you start speaking Spanish. Don't let you think straight." You huff out a breath, knowing he's right. You push him back and connect your lips in a rough kiss, letting him know everything you want to do to him.
"Take me to dinner, and we'll see if you get dessert."
Harry straightens up, flattening down your dress from where he had snaked up one of his hands to rest on your ass. "Right, after you, baby."
He walks you down to a black Range Rover, the windows tinted, and you smirk, knowing he ensured everything to get you privacy. Harry opens the passenger door for you, offering a helping hand up. His touch is gentle; each movement of his is done with precision and care. He runs over to the driver's seat, and you're left wondering if he's actually a good driver.
"Can you drive?"
Harry scoffs, "Of course I can. I've got a California driver's license."
"Hmmm...if I don't like you're driving, I'm driving back with no arguments from you."
"Baby, promise you're in safe hands."
"Okay," you mutter, relaxing in the seat as you put your seatbelt on.
Harry pulls onto the road looking at his mirrors, and so far, he's fine. He seems to know where he's heading as he doesn't have a GPS out. It's five minutes in when he sets his hand on your thigh, making you jump due to his rings.
"Sorry, baby," he laughs as you pout at him. You don't say anything, just resting your hand on top of his. It's comforting having a hand to hold when you want.
Harry has his phone connected, his music playing through the speakers; there are some you recognize and some you never even heard of. You hear a familiar guitar intro and sit up in your seat, reaching your right hand over to raise the volume; Cam's voice fills the car.
There is a town
Somewhere down a country road
I see it now
I take it everywhere I go
"I love this song. Favorite song off her album."
Harry chuckles quietly, "really?"
You nod, "yes, it reminds me of home. Of all the friends, some close and some not that I left behind in that small town growing up."
"I wrote it," Harry tells you at a red light so that he can take in your reaction.
"No."
"Yes, I did."
"Sure, Jan."
"I wrote it and gave it to Cam. She's a good friend."
Harry keeps on driving, and you whip your phone out from your bag, going into Apple music and searching up the song. At the bottom, where writers are displayed: Harry Styles is the first name looking back at you.
"Holy shit," you mumble. "You wrote the song."
Harry is now laughing harder, "had to look it up, don't trust me?"
"Wow, I've been obsessed with it. I like that it reminds me of home. It gives me a melancholy feeling."
He nods, "yeah, I wrote it about home and how when I visit, everyone's lives are so different. So is mine, but it seems more noticeable for them in a way."
"Damn, you're a great songwriter."
Harry blushes, tapping at the steering wheel with his free hand, "thank you."
You're about to go on when he pulls into an open parking space, taking his hand back from you gently to put the car in park.
"How was the ride?"
"passable."
Harry shakes his head, a large smile on his face, "ready to head inside."
"Wine and dine me, boyfriend."
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Harry brought you to an Italian restaurant that a good friend showed him a few years ago, and it did not disappoint. You went with the chef's choice, as did Harry. You both had passed on the wine for the night, and you assured Harry it was okay, but he promised you it was fine.
The food was divine, and as much as you wanted dessert, you had to pass it up, knowing there was something much better waiting for you in your hotel room.
Harry had been teasing you all night, but you hadn't been any better. You leaned over the table to clean his face, only giving him a better view of your cleavage. He would run his fingers over your arm until you got goosebumps. The teasing was getting to both of you, and you knew if you didn't call it a night, the rental car would be seeing a lot more than you wanted it to.
You walk out, Harry swiping your bag from your hand before you could even think about getting out your wallet. He paid, leaving a generous tip and escorting you out as you both bid the workers a good night. Once, again like a true gentleman helped you into the car. You were buzzing with anticipation as you neared closer to the hotel.
"How was tonight, baby?"
You look over at Harry, a smile resting on his lips as he focuses on the road. "It was wonderful, amor. Thank you."
He lifts your hand that you rested on his lap to his lip for a gentle kiss, "anything for you, querida."
"You coming back to mine?"
"Got to end a date at your door, my mum raised a gentleman."
"I'll be sure to let her know she raised a fine man."
Harry grins at the mention of his family, "would you want to meet them?"
"Who? Your family?" He nods, and you feel your heartbeat increase at the thought, "I'd like that. Just as amazing as you, I'm sure."
"Maybe a little less," he teases.
Harry parked the car, relaxing back in the seat as you both slowly took off your seatbelts. "The night can end here, Bel."
He never fails to surprise you, and you smile, "I don't want that. I want you to come up with me, kiss me at my door, and then do as you please with me. That's what I want."
"I'll give you anything you want," he promises.
The ride up to the room is tense as you both feel the tension rising, and you know as soon as you're both behind the safety of your hotel room, you'll both snap.
Harry opens up your bag and slips out your room key, opening the door with no struggle. You both slip off your shoes, and you turn to look at Harry who's eyes have darkened. You must have the same look of desire on your face; you want him, you'll always want him.
Harry is done waiting; he pushed you against the wall as he had done earlier. His hands trailing up slowly from your thighs, bringing up your dress to rest on your hips. You felt your breathing pick up, not sure what his next move would be but eager for him to give you anything and everything.
"Going to let me take this dress off, baby?" He whispers, pressing himself against you allowing you to feel the growing erection in his pants.
You nod, breathless from his touch. He raises your hands up and pulls the dress over your head, leaving you standing in your matching black lace bra and panties. He smirks, knowing you picked this just for him.
After discarding your dress on the floor, he slips his fingers over your panties to feel how ready you are for him. You moan at the touch, desperate for more. Harry is done with the teasing pushing the fabric aside, and buried his fingers inside of you. You leaned back against the door, eyes closed, biting your lip and bucking your hips against his hand.
"You are a sight to behold," he says, his voice a throaty growl. He gazes over your body, taking it all in that he's the only person who gets to see you like this. Harry was two fingers deep, desperate to bring her to a release before he even thought about doing anything else.
"Mhmm," you hummed as Harry increased his speed, feeling you clenching tightly around his fingers. You were lost in the feeling of pleasure that Harry was bringing you. He was such a giving lover that you knew he would not stop until you came, and at this rate, it would be soon.
Harry moves his hand to have his thumb rub your clit, making you let out a deep moan, the feeling only getting more intense; he knew what you needed at this point, letting him give you what you needed. You had your hand on his shoulders, nails digging in deep, not that he minded.
"Harry," you moaned, feeling yourself right on the brink.
"Come for me, darling. Show me how good I made you feel." That was your final push as you felt a rush of pleasure explode, allowing your body to relax against the wall. Harry slowed his fingers, riding out your orgasm with you; once he saw you were settled, he pulled his hand away. You bit your lip to hold on to the whine that was dying to escape at the loss of content. Harry locked eyes with you as he brought the two fingers to his mouth, having a taste of you, and fuck, you were ready for him to take you.
"You're filthy, amor."
He smirks, "only for you, baby."
You grabbed his hand, pushing away from the wall and making sure you wouldn't fall after your first step. You guided Harry to the bed, where he allowed you to settle in the middle. Harry begins to take off each piece of clothing he has on. He starts with the jacket, then his shirt, until he's down to just his trousers. He nods his head toward you, and you know he means it is your turn to take something off. You reach behind you and effortlessly remove your bra, making sure to throw it in his direction for him to catch.
Harry smiles at you, not at all surprised at your antics. He slowly turns around, slipping his pants down, shaking his ass for you as you let a loud laugh ring out through the room.
"Dork."
"Yours."
"It appears so."
Harry turns around, now fully nude, a look of offense on his face, "don't sound so disappointed."
You grin as you not so gracefully take your panties off that got wrapped around your ankles before kicking them off the bed, "come here, amor." That name is enough for him to forget your previous statement, a sincere look on his face as he comes to hover over you.
Harry gets off you quickly, rushing into the restroom, leaving you confused and a bit vulnerable. You waited for him to come back, and he did so promptly with a condom in hand, waving it around, "safety, baby."
You pulled his face towards you and kissed him. Passionately. Harry let out a groan into your mouth, and you smiled against his lips loving the effect you have on him. You let your hands roam his body from his chest to his broad shoulders and stop on his ass to give it a good squeeze. "Baby," he moaned against your mouth.
"I know, amor. Like feeling every part of you against me, like knowing you're mine."
"Yours," he breathes out, pressing kiss after kiss to your neck.
Harry slipped on the condom, needing you and fuck you were ready for him. You always would be.
He entered you slowly, filling you, pushing deep until you'd taken him to the hilt. You moaned softly. Harry pushed your hair from your face. Then pressed a kiss on your shoulder. "You ready to give me another." You nod, knowing he'd be able to help you get there. He rocked into you, bringing another wave of pleasure.
"Harry…"
He rocked into you again, taking his time, easy strokes that brought gentle waves of pleasure to your body. "I love that you can only say my name."
"I-"
He thrust deep, your hips pushing up to meet him.
"Harry!" you cried out.
And then he was rocking you, stroking you on the inside, making you feverish, shaking with need. He kept you there, playing with you until you began begging for your release. He grunted and thrust hard over and over, pushing you to the peak that seemed just out of reach. Your world narrowed down to the tush of sensation centered deep inside, the thudding of your heart, your ragged breath. And then your world went dark as a surge of pleasure ripped through you, leaving you panting and shaking under him. He thrust deep and held your hips tight as he climaxed with a long, low groan.
Your mind was a haze of bliss. You could think of nothing but the man who brought you such incredible pleasure. "Harry," you whispered.
"Yeah, baby," he responds, slipping slowly out of you a bit out of breath tying the condom.
"I care about you a lot."
"I care about you too, querida."
Harry cleaned you up and tucked you in close to his chest. The happiness you both felt close to exploding from your chest. This year of your life might just be the best ever. You both let sleep take you, knowing that your relationship was blooming and there was only more good to come.
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It's the day of Harry's show in Raleigh, and he had a bright idea that you should all go together to a local studio and work out, and like fools, you all agreed. Even Jeff joined in, and at then of the class, he would not speak to Harry stating every part of his body hurt.
It felt great to work out, something you've been neglecting while on tour. You welcomed the soreness, but Harry thrived on pain walking out without a single complaint.
Everything thanked Harry for the workout. Of course, knowing how important working out and staying healthy, he believed it was for the band mainly because what they did for ninety minutes each night was not easy. Especially when he spent most of the time running around as if he had all of the energy on earth.
After showers and packing up, you all headed to the area to prepare for another sold-out show. Harry was high on energy, something you could not match today. He was bouncing from wall to wall, and you had no idea why, but you noticed that everyone was benefiting from it. There was not a single person not smiling or laughing today. There is nothing but love and kindness being spread, all thanks to the lanky green-eyed rockstar you call your boyfriend.
It is technically Harry's twentieth show, not counting Housten that he had yet to announce the rescheduled date for, and well, you had a small surprise for him.
In the UK, it is 7pm, and for you, it is 2pm meaning its lunchtime, and your surprise is ahead to go as planned. You had told Harry you'd be eating in his dressing room together because you had a surprise. He let you take care of everything because he secretly loved surprises despite denying it time after time. You would not have pulled this off without the help of Luis and Jeff, who would do anything for Harry as you have come to learn from seeing him as a friend and not only their employee or boss.
Jeff had set up all of Harry's food inside, as well as some UK treats that you had a hard time tracking as a package from there would not have made it in time. There was a screen set up that would soon be set up with most of Harry's family. His mother and sister included.
"Right, you remember how you were feeling a little homesick."
Harry chuckles, "I do."
"Well, I've set up something nice and also to congratulate you on making it halfway through Love on Tour." You tell him full of pride.
"Thank you, love."
"Okay, eyes closed."
You open the door, Jeff inside giving you a thumbs up, having the screen dark. You lead Harry to sit down on the chair before slowly having him move his hand from his face. You and Jeff have now backed up to not be in the camera's view, and there staring at Harry are his family.
Truthfully, you sent a group email introducing yourself as Bel, a friend/assistant of Harry and Jeff, about wanting to surprise him and got back lots of yes's. It led to exchanging phone numbers with Anne as she helped get everyone set up. Everyone has been so kind, and you're just glad to see it play out so well.
"Hi darling," Anne, Harry's mother, is the first to speak as she smiles at her son's surprised face.
Harry looks over to you and Jeff before turning back seeing so many frames of loved one's all waving laughter pouring in as they give him a moment to take it in.
"Mum, what are you doing?"
"We're going to have dinner and you lunch, I presume."
He looks down to his table, seeing the display of food, "yes, it appears so."
"Great, I'm starving. Mum didn't let me eat a thing," Gemma teases as she hugs her mum in the frame so Harry can see.
"Who set this up? How are so many of you here?"
"Luis and Jeff, oh but mainly the new assistant, Bel," Anne tells him with a fond smile on her face. Harry whips his head to look at you, making you look bashful. "She's wonderful. Keep her around, will ya."
Harry chuckles, rolling his eyes, "she's not an assistant," is all he says.
"Is Bel there? Let us meet her." Gemma states, noticing her brother look off-camera a lot.
Harry looks at you, gesturing forward, but it's as if you're frozen in place. Jeff nudges you causing your feet to move forward,
"You sure," you mouth to Harry.
"If you're comfortable."
The odds of all of Harry knowing you are low, so with that in mind, you step forward, kneeling down a bit to get in the frame next to Harry.
"Hello, I'm Bel. It's a pleasure to meet you all. It was nice speaking with you, Mrs. Twist." You say with a smile remembering the manners your grandparents raised you with.
Harry quirks an eyebrow at the name, not used to you being formal, but you are meeting his mother, and she deserves all your respect. You expect a greeting from her or anyone, but no, nothing.
Silence is all you get. There are looks of shock written on all their faces, and that surprised you. Clearly not Harry, who has a smirk as he takes in all their reactions.
Harry's cousin holding a sleeping baby, "are you?" No."
Gemma laughs, "holy shit, why is your girl crush standing next to you."
"Gem," Harry shouts, a blush rising over his face even though you all know Gemma spoke nothing but the truth.
"Shit, I thought it was coincidental those few shows she attended." One of Harry's cousin's replies.
"Y/N Belmonte is standing next to my brother. Unreal. I introduced him to you," She shouts, needing you to know.
Harry frowns, "no, I knew her. Just didn't know a lot."
"Enough to have a crush for a long time."
Gemma and Harry's banter goes on for a few minutes, and everyone is enjoying it. You look over to Jeff and send him a grin knowing it's time you made your exit.
"Sorry to interrupt. But it was lovely to meet you all, even if virtually. I should stop monopolizing your time and let you enjoy Harry for the next bit until soundcheck." Harry frowns, grabbing your wrist lightly, causing you to turn to him.
"Stay," he mouths.
You shake your head no, "this is for you. A bit of home, remember." You whisper, and he lets you go.
"Soundcheck, Bel, okay?"
"Yes, H. I'll meet you there." You promise, looking back at the camera once more, giving them a more confident smile, and walking over to Jeff.
"They didn't even ask for me," Jeff fakes whimpers into your arms.
"There, there, Jeff. You'll always be Glenne's favorite." You both walk out as you hear all of Harry's family bombard him with questions about you being his friend, and you know he won't tell them about you because you didn't say it, but you don't want him to keep it from them.
Y/N
i know you're questioning if you should tell them, i'm more than okay with it. xx
Harry
Bel, this is a big step xxx
Y/N
i know, but they are your family. i trust them. xx
if not all your family, then your mum and your sister xx
Harry
I hope you know I adore you. I'll let Mum and Gem know xxx.
Thank you xxx
The following two hours go quickly as you spend it with the band having lunch with them going with a soup needing something warm to comfort you for what Harry might let you know his family's thoughts as well as his true thoughts on the surprise. Sarah allowed you to put baby Jones to sleep as she called you a baby whisperer. You didn't believe her knowing she did a better job than you ever would but loved that she trusted you to help with her child.
Jeff came in, rounding everyone up to get to the stage, letting Sarah set the angel down Ayae promising to watch over him for the next hour until they were back. Niji was telling you a story about how he once thought he would trip on stage walking the catwalk when you hear your name being yelled. You keep walking, letting it get closer. Niji laughs, telling you he'll see you soon.
Luis shoots you a look telling you to get him on stage as quickly as possible and try you would, but he was a stubborn man.
"Bel," he's right behind you now.
"Harry, how did--" he cuts you off, leaning in, pressing your lips together. The kiss is fast and passionate. You can feel everything he's feeling, gratitude, happiness, a bit of sadness, but overall love. Neither of you is nowhere ready to say those three words, but it doesn't mean the feeling isn't there.
"Thank you, that was everything to me. It's not seeing them in person, but it was a bit of home."
"Glad you liked it. I was a bit worried, thought it might be a bit invasive."
Harry shakes his head, "no, you knew exactly what I needed and worked a way to get it."
"Well, I was not ready to meet them. So hopefully, there's a redo in our future."
The smile on his face only seems to grow, "thinking of our future, huh."
"I'm not going anywhere; remember that."
"I will."
"We've got to get you to stage," you pull his wrist to walk him, but he's planted in his spot,
"You didn't ask about mum and Gemma."
You roll your eyes, hating that he knew you so well already, "what did your mum and sister think when you told them we were dating?"
"That I should wake up because I was dreaming." You burst out laughing, not expecting that as he continues on, "Gem said that mum was thrilled saying you were so lovely and that she hopes to meet you when she comes out for a show."
"That makes me want to barf." You tell him honestly.
"Why,"
"Well, they're your favorite people, and I'd hate it if they didn't like me."
"Listen, Bel. They'll love you, you'll charm them as you've done with everyone on the crew, and we'll live happily ever after."
You nod, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. "Let's get going. They'll have my head if we're any later."
"Oh, Bel, they could never blame you. They all adore you too much."
"Including you,"
Harry smiles, wrapping his arm over your shoulder, holding you close. He presses a kiss on your hair, "including me."
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Harry looked good, and he knew it. He was flaunting himself more than usual, not that you minded. The custom Gucci tonight was different, but you didn't mind. Lambert has dressed him in a pink silk shirt, red wide-leg trousers, matching suspenders, and red leather boots. Due to the lights, it reflected a new color each time, but you liked that. You knew the fans expected more of the suspenders feeling repetitive, but Harry was enjoying it, and who were you to tell him how to dress for his sold-out tour.
"I never know when he's going to play it." Tommy whispers(yells) as Harry goes straight into 'woman,' referring to the song he did not play consistently from the album.
"I'm not sure either, but I'll go with it. He might evaluate the crowd first few songs, not to his liking, then it's cut."
"My favorite diva." You laugh with him knowing Harry brings all the diva and flare for when he's on stage, letting it feed into his ever-growing ego.
Watching Harry on stage is becoming one of your favorite things. You're not sure what you're going to do when this ends in November, and you'll be off filming, and he'll most likely be touring Europe and Australia in the new year.
You'll just have to work it out, communicate through it, or you fear you won't make it through. Although, you doubt Harry would let you go without a fight. He's proven again and again that he cares for you and this relationship you're building. You hope the foundation you're building together is strong enough to withhold each hit that the distance will be sure to bring. Enough of that for now, you'll enjoy the moment, and each moment you get.
'Treat people' is something else entirely. The pit is dancing, singing, boas in the air. There's a conga line on one side that is being led by a banana, the other side is doing the cotton eye joe dance that reminds you of your own dance el caballo dorado that you danced at every party no matter if you knew the people or not. It was similar, but you wouldn't dare dance it in fear of getting it wrong; maybe you'd have to teach the crew around you your moves and dance it through this song.
The ending tonight takes your breath away. It seems as if 'kiwi' brings everyone back to life as you feel the shouts and cheers get louder. As if Harry nor the fans want the song to come to an end, but it's a beautiful closing. It's three minutes of hard dancing and singing as he does his final goodbyes. Harry blows kisses as he walks down the steps and hurries backstage where you'll meet him soon.
You see the band all turn and gather around Sarah, all ready for that final closing to officially end the night. It's loud and powerful, and you swear every single person in this room is cheering. You're left with Jeff as the others have gone to check on Harry or begin backing up for the night, seeing as everything is going to be taken down as you've got to head to the next city.
Jeff guides you back past the security guards and black curtains when your phone buzzes, signaling a message. You stop moving to the side to read it, hoping you won't be in anyone's way.
Naomi
Look
[attachment]
You open it up to reveal an article from E! News. The headline reads: Harry and Bel? Could it be code for Miss Belmonte?
Scrolling down, you see it's a video of what looks to be Gemma's private story with a photo of Harry and the family on their individual screens with a small caption: Thanks to Bel for helping with the surprise.
Y/N
hmm... that's sweet of her. xx
don't like that someone invaded her privacy like that.
Naomi
Do you follow her?
Y/N
no xx
Naomi
Are you worried?
Y/N
no, harry let his family know we're dating, and i did help plan the surprise xx
Naomi
What's your story? No way it won't come up on Thursday's interview.
You frown because she's right.
Y/N
well, i will be saying im in new york for work, and i'll just reiterate that harry and i are good friends. xx
Naomi
But you aren't
Y/N
they don't know xx
Naomi
You're going to say, friends.
Y/N
this is mine, and i don't want to share it. it's still new, and it's going well. xx
Naomi
Okay, here if you need me. Love you
Y/N
i appreciate it, i love you xx
"Bel, you alright?" Jeff asks, concerned as he sees you looking upset. You hand him your phone, letting him read the article.
"Shit, I'll handle it. I'll speak with Gemma not to post again."
You stop him. "Hey, relax. Gemma didn't do anything wrong. I hate that someone she considered a close friend chose to share that online."
Jeff signs, "I'll let Harry know." He hurries off in the direction to Harry's dressing room, but you don't follow.
Being in the public eye for so long, you'd learn when to stop giving them a part of you, but now it feels as if all they are doing is taking and taking.
You don't like that you can't control it, which is why you won't give them what they want. They want romance and a story well, all the media will get is the same one you've said before: you and Harry are friends.
You'll confirm that you're Bel, that Harry is a good friend you support and know his family. You've befriended a lot of friends and family, you love learning about families, it's a known fact.
You're not sure how much time has passed but have decided it's time to let it go and go see Harry. He deserves some praise after a fantastic night.
Walking in, you're met with lots of chatter; no one turns a head as you walk in searching for Harry, who's sitting on the couch on his phone composing what looks like to be an email.
"Harry," you call out softly, standing right in front of him.
He looks up quickly, hearing your voice, abandoning his phone next to him and shooting up to take you in a hug. You let him squeeze you tightly and reveal in the level of comfort he brings you. It's as his arms were made to hold you.
"You alright?" He pulls back to look at you scanning your eyes.
"I'm good, are you? Are you telling Gemma, can you assure her it's okay. I'd hate for her to feel bad." You rush out quickly.
"I will speak with her tomorrow, but I've shot her a text in case she's up."
"Harry, why would someone do that to her? Invade her privacy for something so trivial."
Harry shakes his head, guiding you to sit on the couch. "Don't know, it's fucked that people think everything about me needs to be shared."
"We'll be fine, I've got an interview lined up, and I'll address it if needed." He looks upset at the thought of you speaking on another topic of you both, "what's with the face, mi estrella?"
"Hate that you're the one being bombarded with questions, no longer focusing on your projects just on who you're connected with."
"It's Hollywood, all they want is juicy gossip, but I promise I'll give them very little and move on."
"Just friends."
You giggle, leaning back resting your head on his shoulder, "just friends."
The room may be filled with lots of talk, everyone speaking with someone higher up to get a name on who sold the video or shared online. You know there'd be an answer soon enough, but you let it go.
Instead, focus on Harry and how you both allow yourself to drown out everything going around you, allowing the comfort of being together to unwind you.
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thank you so much for reading <3 i adore you
feedback is welcomed and appreciated
taglist: @alienorknight @harry-is-my-sunflower @myfavfanficsever @4hazza @springholland @michelleficrecs @harryismyfwend @evanjh
pittsburgh part nine
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themusicsweetly · 4 years
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Outlander Season 5 | TV Guide Cover Story
On the Scotland set of the Starz romance Outlander, Caitriona Balfe, as smart, outspoken surgeon Claire Fraser sits on the bed in an 18th-century cabin, lovingly tracing her finger across sketches of her family. When her strapping husband, Jamie (Sam Heughan), enters the room, she tries to hide a sentimental tear. He gently touches her hair and whispers, “Sassenach,” his nickname for the English woman, a former World War II nurse who fell through time to the Scottish Highlands and into his arms in the series’ 2014 premiere. They embrace and... sorry, fans, you will have to wait until Episode 9 of the new season for this tender scene — and what happens next. The good news for those missing that famous Fraser sexual chemistry: Exactly 10 minutes and 8 seconds into the drama’s February 16 return, they kiss.
“They might be the grandparents of the show now, but Claire and Jamie are still the sexiest couple — not Bree and Roger,” Heughan says with a laugh. The younger pair, Claire and Jamie’s daughter (Sophie Skelton) and her husband (Richard Rankin) — a 20th century engineer and academic, respectively — traveled back in time separately last season: she to to warn her parents that an archived obituary reports their impending death in a fire; he to find his love.
That friendly offscreen rivalry aside, the 12-episode fifth season, which picks up five months after we last saw everyone reunited in the colony of North Carolina, is all about family togetherness. Drawing from The Fiery Cross, the fifth book in Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling series of Outlander novels, it’s set mostly in the early 1770s against the simmering American Revolution. (As a treat for print fans, previously undramatized scenes from earlier books will be peppered in, returning us to the land of tartan and to 1960s Boston.)
We’ve tried to get back to the basics: emotional stories [that bring] great highs and gut-wrenching lows,” teases executive producer Matthew B. Roberts, “[Fans will have] both good cries and bad cries.”
The good cries begin straightaway with Brianna and Roger’s magical wedding at Fraser’s Ridge, Jamie’s 10,000-acre land grant in the backcountry courtesy of England’s King George III. Amid trees draped with Spanish moss and surrounded by the settlers who have joined them on the Ridge, the proud parents remember taking their own vows as the youngsters recite theirs. For the cast and crew, the cold three-day shoot, sometimes stretching till 4am, wasn’t always as blissful as it looks. “We must have said the vows about a hundred times,” Skelton recalls. “By the end, I was like, ‘Richard, I don’t want to marry Roger anymore. The romance is gone!’“
As the party continues, we see how all the show’s major couples spend the wedding night. Bree has a flash of PTSD remembering Stephen Bonnet (Ed Speleers), the psychopathic criminal who terrorized the family, raped her and may be the father of her infant. (Presumed dead after a jail explosion in Season 4, he actually survived.) “She’s trying to get through that trauma, be there for her baby and not let her past define her,” Skelton says. Roger, who has decided to raise the child as his own no matter what, comforts her — and their passion ignites.
Claire and Jamie, meanwhile, hump into bed too, although babysitting their grandson causes some interruptions. Jamie’s wealthy aunt Jocasta (Marie Doyle Kennedy) sneaks off for a roll in the hay with his godfather, Murtagh (Duncan Lacroix), a fugitive because of his involvement with early revolutionaries the Regulators who oppose Britain’s exorbitant taxes. And Jamie’s grown stepdaughter Marsali (Lauren Lyle) gives her husband, onetime Fraser ward Fergus (Cesar Domboy), the news that she’s pregnant again.
The Clan’s revelry is short-lived. Governor Tryon (Tim Downie) is still intent on catching Murtagh — and reminds Jamie that it’s his task to hunt and kill the wanted man. Tryon tells Jamie he must gather a militia and get the job done or risk the land he’s been granted by the crown. Mindful of both his loyalty to Murtagh and his responsibility to his tenants, Jamie is soon on the “search” with his men.
“For me, it’s the most fun and interesting storyline to see Jamie pitched against his godfather,” Heughan says. “Inside Jamie is still the Highland warrior — you see flashes of that — but he’s a military man now, so it’s a new style of fighting. There’s a cannon and muskets and pistols.”
By Jamie’s side is son-in-law Roger, undeniably out of his element as the action ramps up to combat the Regulators’ guerrilla warfare. “Roger is a captain of Jamie’s militia, a huge role, one he’s honored by but knows is beyond him,” explains Rankin, adding that Roger will receive marksmanship lessons from Bree. “He goes on an incredible journey, and in later episodes, he can handle himself.”
This being the 18th century, the women remain at home — at least initially. Claire keeps busy with her medical practice. Her new space is modeled after a modern hospital and includes an operating table, hand-blown glass beakers and tools like an amputation saw (eek!). She quickly has more patients than she can handle and trains seamstress Marsali to assist her.
The lengths Claire goes to in order to protect the health of her family and the community she loves will come back to haunt her, hints Balfe: “Claire sometimes forgets how superstitious and threatened certain people can be by a woman being so powerful or so assertive.”
Expect consequences of decisions Jamie has made to bring about another big turn of events by midseason. “Claire and Jamie have a lot of very scary moments,” Balfe says. “Their mortality, that notion of being separated by death, is very present and informs a lot of what they do. We’re going to see some really vulnerable moments.”
You never know when danger will arise. On set the next day, Bree and Roger are walking with Marsali and Fergus through thick woods when Skelton bumps her head on a branch and filming comes to an abrupt halt. The men gallantly pull out their knives and threaten the offending pine. “We were getting revenge on the tree for her,” Rankin jokes later. Her parents would approve.
(📷: SharonAcord on Twitter)
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There are great reasons to watch Starz’s period romance drama “Outlander,” starting with the sex and sometimes ending with the sex. But for now, I’d like to praise what happens between the show’s main characters when they are clothed.
Okay, that’s only a small lie. Even the most serious-minded “Outlander” fan is at least partly tuned in/turned on every Sunday night in hopes of seeing more of the enthusiastic lovemaking (glowingly demonstrated by stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan) that propels this epic. It’s difficult to think of another cable series that wields its adult content — and the chemistry between its co-stars — so maturely.
Anyway, this is meant to be a piece about how “Outlander,” now in the middle of a satisfyingly strong fourth season, is the only show around in which a man and a woman — an 18th-century Scottish Highlander named Jamie Fraser (Heughan) and his time-traveling wife, a 20th-century English doctor named Claire Randall Fraser (Balfe, who just got a Golden Globe nomination for her work on the show) — have found a way to truly communicate. What more could we need from a TV series in 2018 than to see two adults persist against all odds by listening to one another?
For the record, other discerning viewers find plenty to dislike about “Outlander,” particularly around its handling of sexual violence — or the constant, close-call threats of it. For such a dumb-looking show, “Outlander” manages to start a lot of conversations and arguments.
Yet the show’s heart, I’ve found, is almost always in the right place. Despite a rocky and even abusive start to their relationship, Jamie and Claire found the kind of love that benefits from talking, from sharing information as well as their deepest feelings. It’s the one show where two people will actually stop in the middle of the action to check in, emotionally, and bring one another up to speed.
Not that they get a lot of time for that. Each week Claire and Jamie endure every possible calamity that can befall a white, heterosexual, married couple in the 1770s — at least one life-threatening crisis per episode. Together and separately they have so far survived the culture-shock of time travel along with war, torture, imprisonment, attempted sexual assaults, a rape (in a provocative twist, Jamie was the rape victim, not Claire), parenthood, separation, ocean crossings, palace intrigue, disease, grave injury, pirates, bandits, robbers, smugglers, witches, a hurricane and a shipwreck. 
In Season 4, Jamie and Claire establish a small settlement in the mountains of North Carolina, just before the American Revolution. In addition to dealing once more with sneering redcoats and the stirrings of anti-British rebellion, there are other, uniquely American problems to face: angry mobs of aggrieved slave-owners out for a lynching; tentative relations with the Cherokee tribe across the creek; and a neighboring houseful of Lutherans with a deadly case of the measles. The list goes on — sometimes laughably so.
“Outlander’s” best moments are found in those smaller, more insular moments in which Jamie and Claire see the world through one another’s perspectives. TV is full of couples who misconstrue, raise volumes, ignore key issues, assign blame, gossip to outside confidants about spousal shortcomings, disappoint in the bedroom and storm out of the house a lot. The technical term for that is conflict and most writers of relationship stories would be lost without it.
Which is why, the more you watch “Outlander,” the more you see just how intentionally it veers from prestige TV’s frustrating parade of toxic, temperamental couplings — everything from “You’re the Worst” to “The Affair” to “Camping.” Jamie and Claire deal with all sorts of external melodramatic dangers, but together they might as well be gorgeous unicorns. They don’t bicker. They don’t interrupt one another. He doesn’t ramble on about battlefield heroics; she doesn’t start in with monologues about electricity and indoor plumbing.
Their presence within a shared present asks the viewer: When was the last time anyone really heard what you were saying?
"Outlander" is faithfully based on Diana Gabaldon's best-selling novels, an appealingly cerebral commingling of the romance, fantasy and historical fiction genres, with just a touch of sci-fi thrown in and a refreshingly modern take on relationships that rejects the usual Mars/Venus dynamic. r
It’s not surprising that women make up most of the show’s fan base (even though the occasional “Outmander” finds his way in, and the series was developed by a male showrunner, Ronald D. Moore). I’ve seen groups of “Outlander” fans waiting outside news conferences for the show in Los Angeles, sitting quietly but excitedly in the lobby, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cast members or Gabaldon herself. It’s almost as if they are on security detail, making sure nobody mucks up their treasured characters and stories, which is perfectly understandable. Such devotion helped “Outlander” sustain relatively high ratings among cable dramas, with about 1.5 million viewers watching new episodes within the week.
Even with all its twists and turns and screen-steaming love scenes, “Outlander” continues to feel like a worthwhile progression. Jamie’s rebellious streak may tempt him to commit occasional (necessary) crimes, but his devotion to Claire has helped him evolve into a thoughtful gentleman of the Enlightenment.
And Claire is wise about what she tells Jamie about the future. As they take in a jaw-dropping western vista from a Carolina mountaintop, she speaks generally of just how far this new country will push forward — and the immigrant dreamers who will populate it. She helps him see the injustice of the slave trade that thrives all around them. She conveys the long (and correct) view of Native American rights. She asserts her own rights as a spouse and a professional; Jamie is quick to introduce his wife to strangers as an accomplished “healer.”
It’s easy to locate a feminist theme here, as many viewers already have: Jamie is a changed man because he met a smart, open-minded woman from the future who has challenged everything he once knew.
How could he not be improved by the experience — this giant, scarred slab of man-candy in a kilt, who once believed he owned Claire simply because he married her? And how can we not see the show as a lesson in brute reform?
Aye, but here’s the real beauty of “Outlander”: The exchange is mutual. She’s as much changed by him as he is by her. His masculinity is as instructive as her femininity. His wisdom complements hers. Even when their candlelit sex scenes are the main draw, the body parts that are most impressive are their ears.
Ask anyone who has traveled enough time with a significant other: Being heard as an equal partner is just as great — and sometimes better — than another roll in the hay.
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clairebeauchampfan · 4 years
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Outlander Season 5 The F.... C.... (redacted)
.akes
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“Some potential viewers of the next Season of Outlander, The F..y C..s., may be alarmed or triggered by the possibility that you may see a C.... on fire. A number of sensitive people, or s..w fl..... s as unkind people like  Clairebeauchampfan call them, are wondering why the  producers of a TV series based around actual historical events regarding the Jacobite R........g of 1745, the m........re and d..........ion of the Scottish Highlanders by ‘B.....er’  Culloden and the subequent diaspora of the Scots to the E....sh settlements in North Carolina, should include scenes reminiscent of the racist organisation the ...   ....    ...., and I can see why! Outlander has already featured scenes of t......re, r..e (several times), sl....y , so......y, g......de, d..th and de....n.  It’s disgusting that such scenes which purport to be based on historical reality  (and are found in the books) should be put before the general viewing public in this day and age. Do the producers of Outlander not realise that the reason we pay our subscriptions and buy the t-shirts is just to see Sam and Cait, I mean Jamie and Claire? I am not going to watch Season 5 (let alone Season 6, when - spoiler alert!- Claire is g..g  r...d. ). I didn’t watch Season 4 either, or Season 3, or 2, which featured all of the above, for this reason. In fact  I couldn’t bear to watch the last two episodes of Season 1. In my view, Diana Gabaldon, who should be ashamed of herself, should re-write the books and have all the existing copies pulped, or better, burned in the public square in  front of the town library! 
ps. I thought it was disgusting when Bambi’s mother got s..t. Even though this happened off screen, we were left broken hearted. This was pure NRA propaganda! It’s time Bambi was banned. And Dumbo.
pps I was appalled to read Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus. What kind of sadistic monster would write such a story? And made Hamlet into a cold-blooded killer? The character of Caliban in the Tempest is obviously a r....t trope. And as for Othello and the Merchant of Venice reinforcing r.....t stereotypes! Shakespeare should be banned from our children’s schools!
pps I was shocked to see grey uniformed soldiers in the latest Star Wars film, which reminded me of N...s.   It’s time Hollywood woke up to the 21st Century! It’s bad enough having historical romantic fiction debased by depictions of horrid things that happened in the last few centuries, but did they really have to project triggering parallels into the future!
ppps I was disgusted that the writers and producers of ‘Anne with an E’ completely spoiled my viewing experience by writing in whole episodes which did NOT feature in the original book! How dare they suggest that Diana’s Aunt Jo was a l.......n, and purport to show that the inhabitants of Carmody were r......t towards new character Sebastian? Is nothing sacred?”
#safe spaces on TV #reductio ad absurdum
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asweethistory · 4 years
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La Dame Blanche
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Burdock Clotted Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches with  Coffee Chocolate Cookies with Lemon Sea Salt
Season 5 of Outlander, a time-traveling historical drama, premiers today. While we can’t confirm that time travel has ever been possible, the TV show, based upon a soon-to-be nine-part series by Diana Gabaldon, does have many real historic underpinnings. The adventure begins with Claire Randall, who, after serving as a nurse in World War II England, celebrates her honeymoon in the Scottish highlands. While exploring one day, she is magically transported by the standing stones of Craigh Na Dun to 200 years prior. Now stuck in the middle of the 18th century, accused of being a spy for the British redcoats, Claire ends up marrying out of necessity and but then falls in love with her new husband, Jamie Fraser. Claire is valuable because she not only is aware of the tragic Jacobite loss that will take place, but she also is considered a healer since her medical knowledge from the future and her familiarity with botany permits her to greatly assist the sick. Women physicians were unheard of, though, causing Claire to be accused of witchcraft, along with a fellow time-traveling healer. While Scotland had its fair share of witch trials, the one portrayed in Outlander actually happened after Scotland had declared it illegal to accuse someone of being a witch.
Claire’s work as a healer is amplified in the second season when she and Jamie spend time in Paris in an attempt to squash the Jacobite uprising. Here, Claire volunteers her time at local hospital, uses medicine to simulate the symptoms of smallpox for a group of enemy men, and befriends Master Raymond, an apothecary and possible ancestor of Claire.  Here also, Claire is believed to be La Dame Blanche, the white lady, a rumor started by Jamie and perpetuated by Raymond. In European folklore, La Dame Blanche is a witch or healer, often benevolent, yet some believe these healers seek revenge and attract death. Still, this title saves Claire from being attacked by a group of men who beat one of her companions and rape another. Claire is called upon by the King to use her powers to determine if Raymond and the Fraser’s enemy,  The Comte St. Germain, are Sorcerers as they stand accused. Raymond and Claire safely consume poison while the Comte does not make it out alive.
Herbs and other natural remedies including the use of gem stones were still actively used during this period to heal and prevent disease, but France at this time was slowly entering modernity as medical schools were growing and physicians learned new techniques, which in turn made healers, specifically women, suspicious. Claire returns to America at the end of season 2 and while in Boston she trains as a surgeon, which of course comes in handy when she goes back in time and settles as a physician in the new colony of North Carolina with her family.
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bat-cat-reader · 2 years
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New Star ...😊
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Outlander Homepage Originals
From the moment that viewers watched Jamie Fraser stand at the top of a mountain envisaging a new life in North Carolina, they knew that something special would result. That something special was “Fraser’s Ridge”:  a sprawling estate that quickly became a home not just for the Frasers, but also for many other families who came under Jamie’s protection at one time or another.
Among the new residents this season are the McCallums: widow Amy McCallum and her two young children. We were thrilled here at Outlander Homepage when Joanne Thomson (who plays Amy) and young Caleb Reynolds (who plays Amy’s eldest child, Aiden) agreed to talk to us about their time on the Ridge.
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We began by asking the pair a little about themselves and how they came to be involved in Outlander.
“Well, I am Scottish, which definitely helps,” Joanne began. “I’m an actor, writer and director from Glasgow and I trained here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (the same as Sam!)  I’ve been an actor for around 10 years now and I’ve done a lot of theatre - y’know, the old Shakespeare and things - and so I came to TV a little later. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of some great BAFTA-winning and BAFTA-nominated shows, but they were limited series. Outlander is very much the biggest and longest-running thing I’ve been part of so far.
It’s a whole other world being on something this huge with these kind of production values and such an incredible fan base! I genuinely think that it’s everyone in the industry at the absolute top of their game, so I’d always wanted to be a part of it.”
When it came to the audition process itself, Joanne had a funny story to tell.
"This is actually my fourth time auditioning for the show,” she said. “I’d first auditioned all the way back in Season 1 for the woman that leads Frank down a fake trail to find the Highlander in the 40s timeline. Unfortunately, it also goes down as my worst audition for anything ever.”
Naturally, we were curious and asked her to elaborate.  
“Well, usually you do self tapes for first rounds, but I was in the room with the casting director for that one,” Joanne explained. “In the scene, the character had to get choked up against a wall, which meant I had to choke myself. So I did that, but I stepped back mid-choking and accidentally stepped onto the backdrop - which fell. Then the scaffolding fell. Then the huge pole holding the whole thing up fell - and landed right on my head! The best part is, it’s all on tape somewhere. (So ten points to Gryffindor for whoever finds it!) Yet somehow I was let back into the building several times, which I can only assume is because they forgot that it was indeed me who ruined their studio!
I also auditioned for Morag MacKenzie back in Season 4. That part was also a young mother with a baby who had a connection with Roger, a connection that others assumed to be whatever the 1700s version of flirting was. Bloody Roger eh? He’s forever getting himself in trouble with the maws. Total liability!”
(For those who are curious, “maws” is a Scottish colloquial term for mothers. We looked it up!)
“I first auditioned for Amy around February 2020, right before the world broke,” Joanne continued. “I’d sent in a tape from LA and didn’t hear back for ages, so I just assumed I hadn’t got it. Then in November I was asked to audition again and it seemed that they’d just had to push everything back because of “le ‘vid.” Before I knew it, I was knee deep in mud, donning a corset and had inherited two children.”
One of those children is young Caleb Reynolds, who portrays Amy’s eldest son, Aiden. Just nine years old, Caleb lives with his parents, big sister Molly and dog Oakley. When not donning 18th century garb, he loves Tae Kwon Do and Hip Hop dancing. So how does a young Tae Kwon Do and hip hop enthusiast become involved in Outlander, we wondered?
“Last year, when I was 8, my mum had signed me and my sister up to join a local Performance Academy but due to covid, it was closed,” Caleb said. “My mum was following their page to keep an eye on updates, when she saw a post looking for an 8 year old Scottish boy for a TV show. The show was Outlander.”
So how did the two prepare for their roles?
“Mum sent in my photo and they sent back a short script for us to do a self tape,” Caleb said. “I had never been to an acting class or done a self tape before, but I just did my best and had fun. It was very surprising when I was told that they wanted me to play the part of Aiden!”
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Fun was also high on Joanne’s preparation routine.
“I am a genuine fan of the show, so prepping didn’t feel like work,” she said. “At the time I had a wonderful flatmate, Shanae’a, who’s from Texas (and also an actor) and she was a fan too. In fact, one of the first things she asked me when we met was if I’d ever auditioned for Outlander and I was like, “YES. THREE TIMES OK AND I’M VERY BITTER ABOUT IT.”  But she read in for me on my last tape and she was with me when I got the part, so she was just the best person to freak out about it with! Next, I read book 6 and watched the whole series, this time with her basically sitting there next to me watching me watch it, which was so lovely because she was getting to enjoy it all over again. Reading the book was so helpful and now I definitely want to read the rest of them. I knew things would eventually differ, but before I got the full scripts I wanted to get an idea of what I was dealing with and wanted to try and keep some of what I knew the fans of the books would have been imagining. I’m not surprised there are so many of them too. Diana’s writing is incredible and we all really owe her a lot for creating this beautiful world and what I believe are hands down THE best fictional couple ever.
Plus,” Joanne joked, “the books can also double as weapons if you ever have a home invasion, so win-win! If a redcoat ever storms into your living room looking to take your honour, hit him over the head with one of those bad boys and at the very least it should put him into a long coma!”
Not content with reading the books and watching the show, Joanne took her preparation one step further.
“I’m not method at all, but I am a complete geek, so I even started trying to learn Gaelic!” she said. “I was terrible at it, but I’d always been fascinated by it and it’s something Amy would have known, although she ended up not speaking it in the show. * Spoiler Alert* - It’s really really hard. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to learn it, but I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s pretty counterintuitive. For example, the word “beag” actually means small. And the animal “cù” (pronounced coo)? Obviously that’s cow isn’t it? No no, it’s dog!”
Next, we asked Joanne and Caleb if they could describe their character in three words.
“I'd describe Aiden as hardworking, protective and fun,” Caleb said.
“When we meet Amy in the first episode, I’d say she’s definitely lost, frazzled and homesick,” Joanne replied.
And what was a typical day on set like for the pair?
“Well, depending on where we were shooting, sometimes it’d mean setting an alarm for 3 or 4am,” Joanne said. “Usually I’m going to bed at that time so that definitely messed with the old body clock!  A very lovely driver (who'd had to get up even earlier than me – seriously, the people behind the scenes are the absolute backbone of our industry and we need to look out for them in any way we can) would take me to what is often the middle of nowhere and I’d get popped into my trailer - a phrase which I don’t think will ever stop being cool! Then a nurse would come in and stick a stick up my nose (remember when that wasn’t a sentence we were used to?)  A wonderful runner would grab me some breakfast while a dresser got me into some serious LAYERSSSS: including thermals, because believe me, we need them! Sometimes we’d have heat packs in amongst our corsets too, stuck to various parts of our bodies!
After that, I’d be called into makeup with the incredible hair and makeup team - who, I’m sure you all know, literally do God’s work on this show. They’d pop my bonnet-clad hair up and put a dab of concealer on whatever new zits I happened to be sporting that day. I’d wait for them to add more, but invariably they would tell me that nope, that was me done. Then I’d stare into the mirror in horror, coming to terms with the fact that I’d be displayed in HD into millions of people’s homes with no mascara on, looking like a little bald-eyed bonneted alien!
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While I was waiting to be called to set, I’d take a million trillion behind-the-scenes snaps that mainly consisted of me being a general idiot! But it’s all because I’m still new and a small enough part to be excited about donning that sweet corset/fingerless glove/shawl combo - and so naturally, I want as much evidence as possible that I got to wear it at all!  For the majority of actors, we spend so much time unemployed and endlessly auditioning, that I think it’s important to know how lucky we’ve got it when we are working - especially when this pandemic threatened our entire industry. It felt very special to be working at all.”
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Caleb didn’t mention his alarm time, but his days on set would begin the same way.
“I would get picked up by a driver and my chaperone,” he said. “and we’d drive to either the studio or to a location. First thing was a covid test, then it was off to my trailer to get changed. I would get some time to run my lines or play games on my phone, then I’d go and film. There was often lots of waiting around between filming, when I would eat, play games, make tik toks and drink hot chocolate!”
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And what was it like working with each other? How did they manage to create that mother-son bond?
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“We actually met for the first time over a Zoom call,” said Caleb. “I remember that I wasn't really up for running our lines that day! On set, Joanne always looked after me. She made sure that I was warm enough and that I had enough to eat - just like a "real" Mum would! She was also happy to learn and record a Tik Tok with me, which I loved.”
“I’ll always remember learning that!” Joanne laughed. “Caleb keeps me young!”
(And for those fans wondering what that Tik Tok looked like, wonder no more! instagram.com/reel/CbnWaamIFW1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link )
With early starts, covid tests and lengthy waiting times on set, we wondered what a perfect day off set would entail.
“My idea of a perfect day is a super sunny one,” said Caleb. “I'd get up early and go to the beach with my family. Then I'd come home and go out on my bike with my sister. I'd play the VR Headset and Roblox on my PC. There’d be lots of Irn Bru and snacks too!”
“What a question!” Joanne said.  “Perhaps with friends, eating cake in the sun and laughing so hard that cake comes out our nose? I really don’t know why that was the first thing I jumped to, but one day my friend Shona and I were laughing so hard while eating spaghetti that, no joke, an entire string of spaghetti did come out her nose! It was pretty traumatic, but all in all, a very good day!  So yeah, a day where my sides hurt from laughing. That’d be a perfect day.”
Finally, we asked Joanne and Caleb where they would want to go if they could travel through the stones.
“Well as we’ve learned from Outlander, things just get worse for women the further back you go,” Joanne said. “But if I had to choose anything, it would be the early 1910s probably. Then I could don a Votes for Women sash and give the patriarchal government a right good (and most likely militant) seeing to!
Caleb too, would choose to travel into the past, but a lot further back.
“If I could travel through the stones, I'd like to see what dinosaurs really looked like,” he said. “I've heard people say that they think some of them may have actually had feathers and stuff. I'd also maybe like to see what the very first day on earth was like!”
We’d like to thank Joanne and Caleb for taking the time to answer our questions. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing more of the McCallums on the Ridge. In the meantime, you can also follow Joanne on Instagram and Twitter @joannethomson22
This interview was compiled by Susie Brown, a writer and teacher librarian who lives in Australia. She doesn’t have a Tik Tok account - but is a little tempted now! She has also tried to learn Gaelic and is also terrible at it!
https://blog.outlanderhomepage.com/2022/04/the-mccallums-of-ridge-are-here.
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Aidan McCallum is the son of Amy McCallum Higgins and Orem McCallum, and the stepson of Bobby Higgins.
Personal History
As a young boy, Aidan moved with his family from Thurso, a village in the north of Scotland, to the Royal Colony of North Carolina. They all survived the long voyage, but his father Orem slipped and fell off the side of the mountain where he built their home, breaking his neck and leaving his young family without a man for protection. Aidan's brother, Orrie, is born a week later.[3]
Events of the Novels
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
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A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Aidan and his mother struggle in their new home. Not long after his father's death, a frog gets into the family's milk. A guilty Aidan flees, but is apprehended by Roger MacKenzie. From that point forward, Roger is able to obtain more support for the struggling family and Aidan comes to idolize Roger.[3]
In summer of 1774, Claire diagnoses Aidan with appendicitis and performs a successful appendectomy, finally putting her ether to the test.[4]
Aidan also becomes fast friends with Jemmy MacKenzie and Germain Fraser, who are about his age. Roger makes them toy cars and they become frequent playmates. After learning that Germain must move with his family to New Bern, Aidan, Jem, and Germain decide to run away and live in the woods. They take Germain's brother Henri-Christian Fraser along with them. However, Roger retrieves them and explains that Germain and Henri-Christian must go with their family.[5]
In late 1776, Aidan watches his mother marry his new stepfather, Bobby. He seems to like Bobby, who carves a new spinning top for him as a gift.[3] Later that year, Aidan is forced to say goodbye to Jem and Roger as the MacKenzies, too, leave the Ridge.
An Echo in the Bone
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An Echo in the Bone
Aidan and his brothers play with their stepfather while taking a spring bath.[3]
Written in My Own Heart's Blood
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Written in My Own Heart's Blood
Aidan continues to live on the Ridge with his family. His mother gives birth to a third baby, Rob Higgins, named for Aidan's stepfather. Aidan also befriends Lizzie Beardsley's eldest son Rodney Beardsley.[6] Aidan and Orrie are at the Ridge to meet Fanny Pocock, Jamie and Fraser's new foster daughter, and watch as Claire Fraser performs surgery on Fanny.[7]
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
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Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
Aidan continues to live on the Ridge with his family, and is overjoyed at the return of his friend Jem to the Ridge. But in 1779, when Aidan is 12,[1] his mother is tragically mauled by a bear. He and his brothers are nearby during the attack, and sob as she dies a short time later. Aidan is permitted to accompany Jamie and the other men as they hunt and kill the bear. After Jamie shoots the bear, Aidan attacks it at close range and kills it.
Despite his grief, Aidan continues to enjoy being reunited with his friends Germain and Jem, as well as his new friend Fanny. Aidan is later present at the wedding of his stepfather to Silvia Hardman, who has three daughters herself.[8]
https://outlander.fandom.com/wiki/Aidan_McCallum
#spoileroutlander
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teenybeanielinguine · 5 years
Text
Outlander Season 5 - A Girl Can Dream
 It’s been a little over two weeks since the Season 4 finale... and DAMN, the withdrawal is hitting me hard.  I’ve rewatched all my favorite scenes, re-read all my favorite passages, and scoured Tumblr for every piece of fanfiction available.  But nothing seems capable of filling the Outlander-shaped void in my heart.
Since I clearly have nothing better to do (not true; there are A LOT of other things I should be doing), I’ve decided to grace you all with my unsolicited thoughts (no need to thank me).  Season 5 has no announced release date, but I’m not known for my patience, so I’m hopping on the crazy train a little early.  Destination: The Fiery Cross. (Spoilers ahead.)
About The Fiery Cross
I’ve read quite a few posts that label Drums of Autumn as the pivotal point in the series.  I respectfully disagree.
DoA felt like the next step in a gradual evolution.  It’s true that Bree and Roger gained their independence from the J/C plotline in DoA, but DG had been prepping us for this divergence for quite a while.  Claire was our only narrator in Outlander, and while she remains the only 1st person POV, other characters have been quietly adding their voices to hers.  Roger joined her in Dragonfly in Amber, followed by Jamie and John Grey in Voyager, and we finally get Brianna in Drums of Autumn (that’s RIGHT: in the main books, we hear Roger’s POV before we ever hear Jamie’s).  Because of these constantly expanding POVs, DoA just felt like a natural progression, rather than a huge departure from the status quo.
The Fiery Cross, on the other hand, feels like a turning point.  Not only is it the first book to not get a newly added POV, but the story starts to get a little... unpredictable.
All of the books have a fair amount of twistiness and unpredictability, but our characters have pretty clear goals in each installation so far: get back to the stones, save Jamie from Black Jack, prevent the Rising, prevent Culloden, make Brianna believe the truth, find Jamie after 20 years, rescue Young Ian, establish the Ridge, warn Jamie and Claire about the fire, rescue Roger...  I know I’m generalizing here, but you get the point.  Our heroes all have clearly defined end goals, and they’re putting all their energy into achieving them, despite the twists and turns that DG throws their way.  The characters may not always succeed, but you, the reader, always know where the story is headed.
By the start of The Fiery Cross, the goals are a little broader, more nebulous.  There may be unrest in North Carolina, the American Revolution may be looming in the distance, but basically the Fraser family just wants to live in peace on the Ridge.  That’s it.  No daring rescues, no dramatic reunions; they just want some peace and quiet.  Of course, they aren’t going to get it, because this is Outlander-verse, where Murphy’s Law is on steroids.
So the Frasers play it by ear, taking on every new challenge as it comes.  There is no clear path forward, they just have to react as best they can to the events around them.  In consequence, the reader gets a series of smaller meandering stories, with the distinct feeling that something bigger is happening in the background.  I personally love this, because I have no clue what’s going to happen next, so when something big happens, it takes me completely by surprise.  And you get to see the characters just exist in day-to-day life, which is the best.  Some of the characters still have personal goals (spoiler alert: Stephen Bonnet definitely did NOT die in that explosion), but the pursuit of those goals isn’t driving the story nearly as much as in past installments.
This is all to say that, while Season 5 is going to have to hit some major plot points, there is (in my opinion) a fair amount of breathing room for interpretation, and lots of fun to be had.  I’m fascinated to see the show tackle this new challenge.
My Wish List for Season 5
When I say “wish list”, I don’t mean to imply a series of demands.  I have no creative control over the adaptation, and I’m not listing these wishes in the vain hope that someone on the production team will notice.  This is just for fun, and I will be perfectly content if none of these make it into the show.  Also, not all of these are pulled from the book; some of them are just things I would love to see.
So here are my top ten wishes, in no particular order:
Roger the Fangirl.  In the midst of all the Roger-hate this past season, the OL fandom has forgotten one crucial fact: Roger is the ultimate J/C shipper.  This romantic idiot is the whole reason that Claire went back in time to find Jamie!  You’d think Jamie’s fists would have beaten the ship right out of Roger, but if last season proves anything, it’s that Roger doesn’t give up easily.  He’s gonna keep shipping like his life depends on it, and there are some really cute moments in TFC where he fangirls over how adorable Jamie and Claire are together (also, Jamie is going to become his new idol).  I suppose it would be unrealistic to hope that he and Murtagh form a fan club next season...?
Brothers and Sisters.  Am I the only one who wanted to scream when Brianna and Fergus were right next to each other in the Wilmington jail and they didn’t acknowledge each other?  By the end of S4, we don’t even know whether Fergus and Marsali know about Bree’s existence (I mean, Fergus helped capture Bonnet, but he and Marsali didn’t say a word about Bree), and that frustrates me to no end.  The books skipped over the getting-to-know-you stuff too, which is crazy considering that they are siblings (adopted or not)!  I would kill for a scene where Jamie and Claire are struggling to explain why they have a fully-grown daughter, as well as some bonding time between siblings.  Bree and Marsali are definitely going to get along, cause badass women stick together.
The Snake Bite.  The snake bite incident (aftermath included) is one of my favorite sequences in TFC.  It brings Roger and Jamie closer together, it shows the courage of the Fraser women in a crisis, and it rallies the entire Ridge community in their worry for Jamie.  I suppose it’s sadistic of me, but I loved watching everyone freak out when they thought Jamie was going to die or lose a leg.  And then the 20th century women come to the rescue!  An entire episode dedicated to that whole plotline would be amazing.
Grannie and Grand-da.  Claire and Jamie are not only adorable as grandparents, they’re relatable AF.  They might love their new grandson to pieces, but that’s not going to stop them from being honest about the realities of childcare.  Jamie in particular is hilarious; he builds an entire house at top speed to get away from the screeching baby (and his newly reunited parents), and then he compares Bree unflatteringly to the white sow (not to her face, of course; see Chapter 30 for a good laugh).  I’d love to see that side of Jamie and Claire next season.
Wolf’s Brother.  We might have said a tearful goodbye to Young Ian in the S4 finale, but we haven’t seen the last of him.  My guess is that he’s going to make a dramatic reappearance in the S5 finale, but I really hope we see him before then.  Showing Young Ian’s time among the Mohawk would give Outlander a chance to showcase the amazing First Nations actors that appeared in S4 (Braeden Clarke, anyone?) as well as explore how Ian slowly blends his Highland upbringing with Mohawk customs.
Claire the Science Nerd.  So far all of Claire’s medical expertise has been utilized in life-or-death situations, but establishing a medical practice on the Ridge gives her the opportunity to geek out over plants and experiment in reproducing 20th century medicine in the 18th century.  Over the course of TFC, she gives genetics lessons, performs two tonsillectomies, and produces penicillin (among other things).  This passion for her craft is one of the reasons I love Claire so much.  And her nerd moments aren’t always serious: one of my favorite scenes in the book features Claire and her microscope giving Jamie a hilarious lesson in reproductive biology.
Fraser’s Ridge.  We didn’t get to see much of the Ridge community in S4, although Jamie did allude to the farmers who contributed the grain to make whisky.  The community is comprised of a growing array of Scottish immigrants, and the drama they bring to Claire and Jamie’s lives wavers between amusing and disastrous.  I don’t think the show will have time to explore the entire cast of characters, but I’m hoping to see Thomas Christie and his children introduced, at least.  I’ve always found Tom Christie a strangely compelling character; his children, on the other hand, are nothing more than a necessary evil.  I also really hope we meet the twins, Josiah and Keziah Beardsley (Lizzie’s story is about to get really interesting).
The MacKenzie Bloodline.  Despite all the time-traveling she’s been doing, Claire has yet to meet any of her ancestors (that we know of...  DG might be holding out on us).  Roger, on the other hand, is not going to be so lucky (if you’ve read all eight books, you’ll know that Roger runs into his ancestors A LOT).  By the end of S4, I’m not sure Jamie is aware that his daughter is married to Geillis Duncan and Dougal MacKenzie’s descendant, but I wanna be there when he and Murtagh find out (a perfect opportunity for some good dialogue and tension).  And while Roger may be able to explain his ancestry to Jamie and Murtagh (both of whom are fully aware of the existence of time travel), he’s not going to be able to give the same explanation to Jocasta.  In the beginning of TFC, there’s a really great conversation between Jocasta and Roger where Jocasta is kinda fishing around for clues about Roger’s family.  Roger, of course, can’t tell her that he’s actually her great-great-grandnephew (give or take a few ‘great’s).  My hope is that the show includes some version of this conversation and continues to play around with Roger’s MacKenzie heritage (and all its implications).
Future Talk.  With three time-travelers in the family, there’s bound to be some discussion of the future.  Especially with the tension mounting in North Carolina and Murtagh aligning himself with the Regulators.  I am yearning for some deep discussion between Jamie, Murtagh, and the travelers about the events to come.  I have a hunch that either Claire or Bree has already informed Murtagh about the American Revolution, based on a comment he made to Jocasta about a “different ending”, but I want to see it actually played out on screen.  The interplay between the characters who know the future and those who don’t is fascinating to me, and I want more of it.
Jamie the Protector.  Jamie’s protective instincts have had some disastrous consequences this past season, but he is going to redeem himself next season.  Early on in TFC, Jamie claims Roger as the “son of his house”, and he proceeds to stand by that claim throughout the book, especially in the aftermath of Roger’s wrongful hanging at the hands of Governor Tryon.  This time, Jamie’s protective feelings aren’t going to result in a beating, though it’s a close call.  I love this shift, from Jamie beating Roger to Jamie protecting/avenging Roger; it’s a very satisfying development.
Bonus: Geese.  Brianna and Roger may have a child together, but they have never lived together as a married couple.  They also don’t have very much experience being in a serious relationship (S4 showed us that they really don’t know how to argue properly).  However, they have both grown up quite a bit since their hand fasting, and you get to see them learning how to coexist in Chapter 33 of TFC.  It’s a great scene, where Roger’s just come back with the militia, and he and Bree have a meaningless fight because she hasn’t had it easy since the militia left.  But they resolve their argument peacefully as Bree vents her frustrations to Roger and gives him a drawing of some geese as a Christmas present.  A really wonderful everyday moment.
There are, of course, more things I’d like to see, but these are my favorites.  I thought I’d list them out now, since this is going to be a LONG Droughtlander, and I am sure to get obsessed with something else eventually (the new A Discovery of Witches show looks promising).  Also, I’m going to temporarily forget about Season 5 if Bees comes out first.
What are your wishes for Season 5?  If you choose to respond, please be kind and respectful.
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14, 37, and 67!
14. if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?
I’ve lived a lot of places all over the US; Michigan (where I was born), Alaska, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona. I really love Arizona! Nine months out of the year the weather is great. No snow (unless you want to find some), monsoon season is spectacular... all I wanted when we moved here was a house with a pool and a view of the mountains so ���🏼😂 I got that and I am happy. Though I am not opposed to a castle in the Scottish highlands either 😉
37. Do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? 
Oh gosh, sadly I haven’t picked up a book in forever. 😬 I really love the Outlander series (duh 😂), ASOIAF, and the Pendergast series by Preston & Child.
67. What are your hobbies?
I love “photoshopping;” making gifs, edits, themes for various websites/blogs, and designing signs for me and my husbands wood working business. I also love photography.
Ask me!
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drunklander · 5 years
Link
Ask someone who hasn’t seen a single episode of Outlander to explain the series, and they may still be able to tell you two details: 1) This is a story that takes place in Scotland, and 2) it’s a romance about two very attractive and charismatic people who are torn apart by the quirks of time travel. But as the beloved book adaptation heads into its fourth season on STARZ next month, both of those main components are going out the window.
As the show returns, the attractive couple in question—Caitriona Balfe’s Claire and Sam Heughan’s Jamie—are together at last, and making a new life for themselves not on the Highlands, but in colonial America. Outlander is not done with Scotland for good, but it’s certainly trading in plaid kilts for buckskin trousers this season. In the new series of photos above and an exclusive behind-the-scenes video below, we get a glimpse of what life will be like for Claire and Jamie as they build a home together in North Carolina. The show’s executive producer, Maril Davis, also shed light on some of the challenges the show faced as Outlander re-shaped its look while maintaining its identity. We’ll all get to see how they did when the new season premieres on Sunday, November 4.
What was the biggest challenge of bringing Claire and Jamie to America?
The biggest challenge by far was trying to figure out how to film North Carolina in Scotland. In Scotland, everything is stone. We certainly debated moving [production] to North Carolina, because I've said all along that one of the amazing things about Outlander is that we were actually able to film where it took place. Usually it’s Los Angeles or Vancouver or Washington. But at the end of the day we realized 1) we love our crew too much to leave Scotland, and 2) we have such a fabulous art department. So I’ve always said the only thing we could not replicate is the weather, because certainly you’re never going to get that heat and humidity of North Carolina in the summer in Scotland. So we just kind of decided from the get-go not to talk about the weather. We just wouldn't try to play that at all.
Claire and Jamie are trying to fit into this new culture, but feel unease around both slavery and the attitudes that the colonists have towards the Cherokee Nation. How did you make sure that perspective came through?
Jamie has such an unique perspective on this because in many ways, he is very similar to the Native Americans in the colonies. He, too, was displaced by the British coming, as the indigenous people are. What an interesting perspective that was for Jamie, coming in kind of like: “How am I about to do to someone else what was done to me?” We’re not a SAG show, so unfortunately, we can’t cast actors from the United States. But it was very important that we cast indigenous actors. So we went to Canada and brought over First Nation performers. It was difficult, because we kind of had to block-shoot everything because we were bringing over a hundred people at a time.
Then Matthew Roberts—who is one of the executive producers and writers—he flew up to North Carolina, and he met with one of the Cherokee leaders and had discussions with him about what we were going to do. Unfortunately, there are many story lines in this book that are not necessarily so flattering to Native Americans. We’re sticking to the source, but we also want to be sensitive to the Native Americans [and] show things from their perspective as well, so it doesn’t seem so one-sided.
The couple get offered this great piece of land called Fraser’s Ridge, which I know fans of the book will be excited to see. But as Caitriona Balfe points out in the video, this puts Jamie and Claire once again on the wrong side of history. What’s the tension there? Side note: I wish I had a Claire Fraser in my life to tell me when I was on the wrong side of history.
Yeah, exactly. Or: “These are the lottery ticket numbers you should use.” Certainly Claire knew the outcome of Culloden, and they tried very hard to stop it and couldn’t. Now, in North Carolina, they’re in a similar situation. They know the American Revolution’s coming, and they know by taking the land that they will be on the wrong side of history. But what they have here is this opportunity to have a home and roots, which is so important to Claire, because they’re kind of nomads. All the time they’ve known each other, they’ve never had a real home.
That’s a very important theme of this year: home. Home is wherever you make it. And I think this particular dilemma puts Jamie at odds with people he loves, and that’s the kind of dilemma we writers love.
After three seasons of separation and conflict, Jamie and Claire are finally together. This season will be so much less about any kind of will they/won’t they. How do you keep the romantic spark alive in this new chapter in their lives?
We’ve always said that this is not Sam and Diane from Cheers. This is never going to be will they/won’t they? Let’s show a new stage or kind of relationship in TV, of a loving couple and them staying together. It’s a mature, loving relationship, and that’s so interesting to us, and something we’ve talked about to the actors quite a bit. In some ways, though, it’s starting over for them again after the 20 years apart—re-learning each other’s ways. This is such a busy season, with Brianna and Roger being in the forefront a little more and their relationship unfolding. But we’re trying to do these small moments with Jamie and Claire.
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genoacedo · 6 years
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Diana Gabaldon is backing Outlander star Sam Heughan to become the next James Bond and says it would not mean quitting her hit TV show.
The star writer, famous for bringing her sweeping Highland romance to bookshelves and television, believes the 38-year old Scot would be perfect as suave spy 007.
Diana, 66, says she is neither shaken or stirred by the news that Sam, who plays Jamie Fraser in the small screen adaptations of her novels, has become a favourite to replace Daniel Craig as Bond.
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And Diana says Outlander producers could work with Eon Productions, who make the Bond films, to allow him time for both roles.
The international best-selling author who advises on the Amazon Prime blockbuster series said: “I have seen that Sam is being tipped for James Bond and I think it would be great.
“Sam would do a fine job of it. There is always a lot of talk every time James Bond changes so it’s anybody’s guess.
“But I don’t think he would have to leave Outlander to be James Bond because the Bond movies are just that, they’re movies.
“Outlander is a television show so it would just be a matter of scheduling.”
With Daniel Craig expected to hang up his Walther PPK after the upcoming Bond 25 movie, Sam is third-favourite to take up the role behind Tom Hardy and McMafia actor James Norton.
Diana said: “I’m sure that Sam would bring something different to the role. He is a fabulous actor. I have seen him do a number of amazing things as an actor. He would handle that role well.”
Bond producers have plenty of time to decide.
The next film may be delayed after it was announced that Danny Boyle will no longer direct the project.
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The Scots director behind Outlaw King and Hell or High Water, David Mackenzie, is among those tipped to replace him.
The next series of Outlander begins filming in 2019.
Diana added: “Sam is doing two movies during this haitus before filming on Outlander resumes next year.
“So things can be arranged. It is not impossible to do movies and television series at the same time.
“I think he could do both.
“It would be a matter of scheduling the show and films for nine months of a year and then their having a much longer haitus between filming to allow the actors to take on other jobs.
“I’ve seen all the Bond movies and I’m a big fan of Daniel Craig. I think he’s great and Sean Connery was fabulous. I actually liked Timothy Dalton a lot.
"I don’t think he’s a fan favourite but I liked him too and you can always rely on Sam to find something new about a character so we’ll see.”
Inspired by Scottish history, Diana began writing the Outlander novels in 1988.
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The eight books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
Along with the television series, which stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire, the stories about time-travelling nurse Claire Randall have helped boost the country’s tourism trade.
“It is very surprising and I’m happy to be able to give something back to Scotland because it has certainly provided me with a great richness of history and background and national character,” Diana said.
“I hadn’t been to Scotland when I wrote Outlander. I wrote the book for practice and I had decided that the historical novel would be the easiest thing for me to write because I was a research professor and could look things up.
“It was a whim of the moment to set the book in Scotland.
“It was set in Scotland in the 18th century but it was just a practice book. I wasn’t intending to show it to anyone.
“It’s astonishing. It’s a book I wrote almost 30 years ago.
“It has just slowly grown and grown and now Outlander is being credited with lifting the entire Scottish tourism interest which is very gratifying to me.”
The books and television series have developed an international dimension with locations in the US, France and the West Indies.
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She also plans to set part of the next saga in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where survivors of the fictional seat of the Clan MacKenzie – Castle Leoch – settle.
But Diana has promised not to turn her back on Scotland completely.
“All of the books have at least one foot in Scotland because you can’t really take Scots permanently out of Scotland,” she said.
“But what I did essentially was follow the tide of history because, you know post-Culloden, there was a considerable diaspora with Scots being forcibly transported, or in some cases just being obliged to move for economic reasons.
“There was no way to make a living in the Highlands and so a great number of them left either voluntarily or not, but where they went was largely to America.
“Some of them ended up in West Indies and those were transported.
“Others went to North Carolina, where a previous Highland clearance had settled a lot of people, or up the coast to Prince Edward Island.
“Most of the books are set between places because people moved around quite a lot in the 18th century.
“It was a time of great upheaval and georgaphical movement as well as war which tends to unsettle people so yes, the characters will return to Scotland periodically and our characters multiply.
“Jamie and Claire do at one point return to Scotland but it won’t be for a couple of books.”
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