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blackboar · 3 years

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Journey to Bosworth: Behind Henry Tudor, the hand of France.

Today we're not talking about a particular figure that was vindicated or wronged at Bosworth field but about a country whose support was important, if not decisive, in the Tudor triumph: France.

France's support for the Tudor cause is a primal example of internal policy shaping the foreign one. During Louis XI's reign (1461-1483), France became more centralized country, destroying many powerful vassal's fiefdoms (Anjou, Burgundy, Armagnac, etc.…). Louis had made plans to incorporate one of the last large feudal demesnes autonomous from royal power: the duchy of Britanny. Britanny had been sometimes an English ally during the Hundred Years War, and it had a very fragile succession as Francis II of Britanny had only two daughters and cousins eager to take their place when he died. The issue was that Louis XI died before and left as ruler thirteen years of Charles VIII under his elder sister, Anne de Beaujeu. Anne wanted to pursue her father's expansionist policy. Still, as a regent, her position was far less secure, and there was a backlash from the nobility against her father's legacy. So France was quite unstable during the beginning of Charles VIII's reign, culminating in the 1485-1488 'Mad War' between the regency and various nobles supported by foreign powers.

The last thing Anne and her councilors wanted was English involvement during the difficult steps of a minority. England had shown itself troublesome in the previous centuries, and their kings still claimed the French crown. They also had an important stronghold in the country with the town of Calais, nearby northern France. Louis XI was very eager to not meddle with England and have it as neutral or as an ally against his enemies. This is why he gave help to the Lancastrians during the 1460s and supported Henry VI's restoration in 1470. He wanted English help against Burgundy, and Lancastrian England did declare war on the duchy prematurely in 1471, before Edward IV's invasion and restoration a few months later.

Failing to make England an ally, Louis XI at least succeeded at buying its neutrality. In 1474, he immediately made his peace with the triumphant Yorkist king in exchange for £10,000 per year and £15,000. He also promised his heir Charles to Elizabeth of York. But their relationship faded soon after. In 1480, England waged war against France's ally Scotland. Louis XI, who finally made his peace with the Burgundian estates in 1482, had no desire to neutralize Edward IV anymore. He stopped paying his pension and broke his son's marriage toward Elizabeth of York in exchange for a much more promising one with Margaret of Burgundy. It was a foreign policy disaster for Edward IV, who lost his Burgundian ally and his compensations for doing so.

1482 was a geopolitical disaster for England, which made Edward IV look like a fool. He made an unpopular peace that looked like he was bribed by England's traditional foe and got fooled by it.

Richard, who was duke of Gloucester by that time, was vindicated. He was the one who argued against peace. When Louis XI made his peace with Edward IV in 1475, he made sure to sustain it by giving pensions to many magnates like Lord Stanley, lord Howard or Lord Hastings. Richard refused to get money from the enemy and returned to the north shortly after, with rumors of tensions between him and his brother. Between 1480 and 1482, he spearheaded the efforts against Scotland, returning Berwick to England after its loss during Henry VI's reign. His prestige was enormous and no doubt played its part in his subsequent usurpation. Richard III had by 1483 the image of the greatest living warrior in England and an uncompromising foe to England's enemies.

When Edward IV died, Louis XI's last days were focused on events across the Channel. No doubt he was happy to see a minority that could neutralize England for many years. But by June, it was clear that his brother Richard would be king and shape his realm's foreign policy. Louis XI saw himself dying in the summer of 1483, and his worst fears were becoming real. It wouldn't be a child king in England closely monitored by the experienced Louis XI, but a bellicist and able king in England facing a frail regency in France.

Thus, Louis XI's last days might have been focused on the English situation. With Burgundy finally cowed and many other French magnates disappeared, London was the biggest threat. And Louis XI himself had broken the Picquigny deal, while Scotland was in no shape to help its French ally (they would have internal strife until James III died in 1488). Louis XI might have died advising his daughter and son-in-law, the future regents, to take care of the English problem first.

Anne would take up the regency and be a dominant figure in French politics. Her first target was Britanny, with an aging duke Francis II with only daughters to succeed. Francis II also had Henry Tudor in his custody. In late 1483, he would support an ill-fated attempt to overthrow Richard III hoping that the Tudor pretender would help Britanny against the regency. Its failure would condemn Francis II's hopes of immediate English help.

Anne de Beaujeu, regent of France, didn't look kindly on those attempts and had no cards to play in this game. She was too busy enforcing the regency and organizing the General Estates (reunion of the representatives of the three orders of France) at Tours in 1484. In short, she was in a fight for the regency against her male cousin and brother-in-law Louis II of Orléans. However, she never lost attention from the English question, as in the Tours General Estates. The chancellor of France, Guillaume de Rochefort, would discuss Edward V's fate compared to their own child-king Charles VIII. French propagandists and servants like Philippe de Commynes or the chancellor of France itself would accuse Richard III of killing his nephews. In short: the French regency was doing everything in its power to slander Richard III in the eyes of the French and continental public. The General Estates of Tours was the first to assemble deputies from the whole kingdom of France and the surest way to make sure those rumors would widely spread.

In September 1484, an opening would create itself for Anne. Henry Tudor would flee the destabilized court of Francis II (one of his councilors tried to sell him to Richard III) and come forward to his cousins of France. There, Anne would welcome him and secure the extradition of his other supporters stuck in Britanny. The Tudor card was now in French hands, and Britanny had now lost control of the English situation.

What did Anne think of the cousin she saw for the first time? They had a common ancestor in Charles VI of France, but familial solidarity was secondary to preserving one's estate and positions. Anne's position as a regent was precarious, and she certainly saw in 1484 the burgeoning of the feudal coalition against her. It was crucial to deter English involvement in the war. Indeed, Henry Tudor might have promised support to Britanny in 1483 in exchange for their help during Buckingham's rebellion. However, Briton's treasurer Pierre Landais did try to sell him to Richard III in exchange for support against France. This might have deterred Henry toward any promises he had made to Britanny in the past, but it was also worrying news for Anne, as it shows that Richard III was more than ready to intervene in France. For Anne de Beaujeu, Henry Tudor was free to ally with France and might be her best pawn against Richard III.

In March 1485, Richard III's wife died. It weakened his position, as rumors were spread accusing Richard III of poisoning his wife to marry his niece, Elizabeth of York. But that was another threat for Anne as Richard III was now free to use his marriage to create an alliance on the international stage. He might have considered Francis II of Brittany's heir, Anne, catastrophic for France. Henry Tudor would finally secure French support indispensable for his expedition.

When he landed at Milford Haven in Wales, Henry Tudor was accompanied by various exiles and opponents of Richard III. Those magnates (Wells, his uncle Jasper, the earl of Oxford) didn't bring many troops with them, and the bulk of the Tudor forces were French (and maybe Scottish) mercenaries led by Philibert de Chandée. Those mercenaries might have been 5,000 but were more probably 2,000 strong. With them, Henry Tudor received from the French king 40,000 Livres tournois for his expenses. Without France, Henry Tudor wouldn't be capable of being a challenge for Richard III. It is not sure if Anne and her allies thought that Henry Tudor would win. However, it would prevent Richard III from interfering in France for a time.

Thus, during 1485, in which Louis of Orleans would try various methods to overthrow the regency, England would not intervene. It was infringed by its internal matters, with Henry Tudor's expedition and ascension to the throne. Anne would succeed at overthrowing a dangerous bellicist king for a king untested in battle. Better, Henry Tudor's hand was promised to Elizabeth of York so that Anne wouldn't fear any dangerous marriage from him.

It's important to note that Henry Tudor wasn't a French puppet. The rumors that Henry VII would surrender Calais to the French in exchange for their help would prove unfounded. Henry VII would also support Britanny's support for independence in 1488, but on a small scale (he sent at best 700 men). His invasion of France in 1492 would be aborted, and Henry VII would resort to Edward IV's policies of getting pensions from France.

What Anne planned to achieve by putting France's weight behind Henry Tudor was, in the short term, to neutralize England. In the long-term, it was to replace Richard III, a dangerous, bellicist king whose anti-french policies were an indication that England might intervene in the continent on a large scale. Contrary to Edward IV or Henry VII, there was every evidence that Richard III wouldn't back down in exchange for cash. Bosworth was, indirectly, a French victory, which is deeply ironic as it marks for some the end of the French era.

If Richard III won at Bosworth, we might have looked at a whole different timeline. Richard might have sought revenge on France and court Anne of Britanny's hand. We could look at an alternative timeline in which Richard III land in Britanny, marry the heiress, and wage war against the regency.

#henry vii of england #richard iii #anne de beaujeu #war of the roses #mad war #French involvment in the war of the roses #ending the french-norman era with french troops #Journey to Bosworth

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panlight · 3 years

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submission

I wish we had more of the human Edward in Midnight Sun, instead there were little flashbacks, which I liked a lot, from the beginning of his vampire life with Carlisle and these I also caught myself wishing they would be more recurring and longer during the narrative. I understand that according to Meyer’s world building, vampires tend to remember very little of human memories, but Edward is built to mourn these losses, his sins, the eternal question “what if…? He is Hades (I’m rolling my eyes with this comparison, but it’s in the book), the god renegade by his brother (in this case his adoptive father, Carlisle) living and reigning over the dead forever, with no choice. Wouldn’t it be a rule that he was one of the most attached to his old life? That he struggled to keep the memory of his mother Elizabeth, to whom he was closest, alive in his mind? That he always took care of his properties? And this I’m just imagining: the house, the law office of his late and distant father, the cars and the furniture. The only mentions we have about her possessions during the saga are about the jewels and these are only used for Bella to live the cliché of having an old engagement ring, a family relic and nothing else. She didn’t even bother to honor her mother-in-law by putting her name on Renesmee, despite wearing her ring. In fact, it is described that Edward came from a wealthy family, it would also be normal for him to keep portraits of his relatives. He must have some picture of his human self with the family somewhere, no? Old newspapers kept that reported about the war, his ambition at the time. And diaries! It was common in those days to keep diaries, his parents certainly did. Stephenie Meyer, are you really denying me the pleasure of having this vampire boy, tortured by his monstrosity and said like mommy’s boy, reading and regretting the blurry pages of ink that his devoted mother used to write her thoughts, emotions and memories of her family life in the Edwardian era? What could she have recorded? The advances on the piano that her little prodigy made over time, her favorite toys, the games they played together, her first words, her recitals, development of reading and hobbies, her religion? By God, mainly, his religion! Where does this fervent idea of Edward’s that he is condemned to hell come from? Was religious interest born alone or was it stimulated by others when human? Was it Elizabeth who instructed him in religious terms? Did she know anything about vampires or did she think they were just scary stories? Anyway, I just wanted more of him as a character.

We only know Edward from two perspectives: the monster he believes to be and the perfection idealized by Bella, two extremes. The narrative leads us to believe that there is no more powerful love than these two teenagers feel for each other, but it also shows us, intentionally, that Isabella Swan doesn’t care to show the slightest interest in human Edward. Until the scene of the conversation with Carlisle in New Moon, a few months after the beginning of her courtship, she didn’t even know what the color of Cullen’s human eyes had been like and didn’t mention any time, if I’m remembering well, when would be his birthday. Her focus of interest is totally on her post-human life. Where are the insignificant questions, but makes us empathize with the character? I mean, Edward will always be stuck at his 17 years. His life as a human has shaped him to be what he is today. Did he have or wish to have any pets? Did he have any allergies? Did he like his tutors? Did he attend a private school, no? What was it like? The human mind is not an encyclopedia like that of vampires, so what subjects did he like and dislike? What moments of his life marked him the most? Did he always compose or did he become more confident with the passing of his vampire life? Where are the imperfections that make us human? Did he have scars, bruises? Was he an athletic boy and well disposed to sporting activities or in poor health? Was he easily ill? He was the fastest vampire. Did he like to run? What did he want to achieve with the war? Just the glory? The pride of his parents? Personal satisfaction for fighting for a cause he believed in? His mother was not so inclined to accept his life as a soldier, but what about his father? Did he encourage it? What about your friends? Did Edward have friends as a human? He is said to be the kindest and brightest of all the Cullens, but what did he do to deserve such a great distinction? Did he show more interest in the afflictions and thoughts of those around him when human? Did it qualify him as a sensitive boy? What kindnesses was he used to do? He always wanted Bella to make the most of human life, but why he didn’t care to show what he was like when vampirism destroyed everything? We could have Bella visiting Chicago, his old house. What a drama that would be! Instead we had long pages of a weird Edward who enters her room without her permission or knowledge. Stephenie can write whatever she wants, but I refuse to believe that the son of Elizabeth Masen, a woman I believe is a lady of high society who values etiquette and old habits above all, would have raised a son who did not respect the privacy of a woman, especially a beloved, because her Edward is a gentleman, after all. I don’t know, but it seems that Meyer, through Bella, is more interested in building him the basis of the epitome of perfection that vampirism has made him than he should really be as a human, with only a few more accentuated characteristics. I just want to know more about Edward before being Edward Cullen. Seven hundred and a few pages and Edward Masen rarely came to the surface of them. What do you think about that? Do you find it interesting that human memories tend to fail and disappear over time for vampires? Because forgetting what makes you what you are must be scary, it reminds a lot of Alzheimer. Or do you think it’s just an excuse to not develop their human part anymore? Because one of the most recurrent criticisms of books is that Meyer sinned in character building, Bella practically didn’t exist before arriving at Forks in Twilight (2005), many pieces of her life and tastes were missing, which she tries to patch up in Midnight Sun. I’m sorry if the text got confused to understand.

I too think it’s sad that Bella didn’t ask more questions about Edward’s human life, or really any of their humans lives. I think SM is also a bit inconsistent with how much it “fades” or not. It’s sort of implied that if you try to hold on to it, you can keep it to some degree. Rosalie, for example, has held on to her human memories so tightly. (It seems to me if vampires never forget anything, if they think about their human memories in their early days, before it fades, then they will have those memories forever, right? They might be imperfect or fuzzy but they’re there).

And I’m really curious about his religious upbringing, too. His obsession with being damned and doomed doesn’t sound like 1918 Chicago theology but something older. I suppose it could be influenced by hearing Carlisle’s thoughts, since he IS from the older, fire-and-brimstone, most-people-are-damned era, but Carlisle himself is more hopeful, hoping (foolishly perhaps) they might get some measure of credit for trying. Sometimes I think Edward would have been more coherent as a character if he came from an older time period. 1918 is not THAT long ago but SM writes him, at times, as if he were hundreds of years old.

#submission

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roseofbaron · 2 years

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Remember when I was playing Final Fantasy II? Well.... I haven’t finished it yet because I got stuck then I got busy. However, I took notes during my play-through (of what I’ve played so far) and they’ve been living in my drafts for ages. If you wanted to read my thoughts and reactions to the events of FFII (again, what I’ve played so far), they’re under the cut. :3 (Spoilers for if you haven’t played FFII yet)

hmmmmmm I like Hilda a lot

Minwu is pretty cool too. Very mysterious. I can see why he’s as esteemed a spell caster as he is.

What’s his name.... Gideon? Yeah, he reminds me a lot of Edward right off the bat. He’s a prince too sooooo.... father?

Also, weird thing about Final Fantasy world in general... So in FFI you have to buy magic and when you buy it, it comes in these orbs that reminds me of the materia in FFVII that lets you cast magic when equipped. However, here in II, you still have to buy it, but you buy it in tomes, meaning they’re learned spells. That makes sense for the games between II and VII as spells are learned naturally with leveling up. This isn’t a theory or anything just a fascinating observation on the nuances of magic.

So, as far as I can tell, there are only two airships in this world. The first was built by Cid, a former captain of the Knights of Fynn (I think they had another name but I can’t remember rn) and the second is the Dreadnought, which the Empire modeled after Cid’s only bigger and used for destruction. When on a quest to stop the completion of the Dreadnought, the party is too late and they encounter the Dark Knight who used to be the general of Empire’s army before the incompetent Boughen replaced him (he betrayed Fynn for that position).

Anyway, the Dark Knight is very mysterious (his pfp is veiled in shadow) and he doesn’t fight the party, instead takes his leave on the Dreadnought and says “we’ll meet again.”

The Dreadnought attacks the towns that previously had not been taken over by the Empire, including Altair where the royalty of Fynn reside as well as the rebel force. (The more I talk about this the more I realize how heavily influenced by Star Wars this story line seems). Anyway, Gordon (not Gideon lol), the cowardly prince from Kashuan, is no longer there. One of the townsfolk tells the party that everyone who was outside had been killed so I’m not sure if he is dead or not. Hilda talks about him as if he simply left town. But I’m not sure.

Also Scott, Gordon’s brother, was injured and in a secret room in Fynn to recover. Well, he dies shortly after the party meets him but not before relaying some valuable information. I will say he tells Firion to tell Hilda he loves her then retracts that saying “a dead man’s confession will only hurt her.” And when Hilda later asks if he said anything Firion tells her “No, nothing.” And moves on. That one got me, it was very tragic.

What happened to GORDON!?!?!?! (Idk why I care so much since all we know of him is as an NPC, but he just seemed like he would join the party at one point and I wanted a redemption arc of him regaining his courage and believing in himself. He gave me Edward vibes and I love Edward ;-; )

Josef doesn’t feel like he belongs in my party. Either he’ll betray me, leave shortly after this tiny quest, or I’ll regret not giving him any equipment. He does remind me a bit of Yang because his punch does just as much damage as Firion’s sword, so I don’t feel too bad not giving him weapons. Only time will tell I suppose.

I’m surprised how long it’s taking to find Leon...

So I was right and wrong about Josef. He didn’t last long in the party but that’s because he sacrificed himself and got crushed by a giant boulder. Reminded me of when Yang stopped the cannons in the Tower of Zot. Parallels on parallels.

Also Borghen is a joke and Firion straight up murdered that guy in like one hit. Guess the Dark Knight is back at the reigns. I’m very interested in him, can’t you tell?

GORDON IS ALIVE!!

The princess gets captured along with Cid’s airship. I thought it was sweet how she planned to meet the party at Kashuan because she felt bad for sending them on all these errands. Reckless, but sweet.

Maria recognizes the Dark Knight’s voice..... Is Leon the Dark Knight? Why don’t that others recognize it?? Ahhhhhhhh

So Deist is the land of the dragoons. According to talk, the dragoons were all wiped out in the invasion of the Empire, however the King of Fynn believes otherwise. The way the people in Altair talk of the dragoons, they are a fearless bunch who posses the power to train Wyverns. It seems, based on Gordon’s information, that the Wyverns are few and far between, but not yet believed to be extinct.

Also the king speaks to Minwu of an ultimate magic that can only be unsealed when the world is near destroyed. This Ultimate Tome.... perhaps could it be Meteor? Or something greater?

I immediately love Leila, whether she’s about to steal all my gil or not. Pirates are neat...

OH MAN LEILA JOINED THE PARTY!!!!

Hilda acting strange is really disturbing me for some reason... OH SHE’S A MONSTER WHAAAAAT?!?!

Also... Firion.... Really? You were going to sleep with the princess? Now’s not the time my guy. Good thing Leila’s nosey.

I always forget about Paul and then he shows up and I’m like “wow he’s so COOOL!”

Mysidia is actually a land in II, a kingdom of mages much like it is in IV. The connections are clear, Minwu is even the name of the elder in IV’s Mysidia (though his name is never mentioned in game).

Gordon and Hilda sitting on the thrones together in Fynn had me strangely emotional.

Mysidia feels exactly the same as it does in IV. I’m very excited to explore the tower

Also the statue of a goddess under the town has me thinking. I don’t know about what, but I’m thinking

Inside Leviathan.... gross (he never fails to make sailing difficult)

I found Ricard!! That’s right... inside Leviathan. There seems to be a village down here which... ok. But he just says “new arrivals, eh?”

Also, he didn’t know the dragoons were wiped out... How tragic.

So, Minwu died using all his power to break the seal on the Ultima Tome. He was cool, wished I had more time to travel with him.

Altair, Paloom, Gatrea, and Poft were leveled by the cyclone. Unless they get rebuilt later, they are cities/towns that no longer exist (which would make sense for IV geography).

Seeing the Wyvern come to Fynn made me incredibly happy. “Wyvern and Dragoon are together once more!”

Random thoughts about the game: There’s some confusion about the numbering of the first four games in the series, but as they are numbered now is the correct order of games. II and III, initially, were never brought over to the US from Japan so, as not to confuse American players, in it’s SNES release IV was renamed Final Fantasy II. However, the II as we know it now did come before IV, which makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of the same beats in the story, though they do hit a little weird. You don’t get much development for the three characters that are with you the whole time except for some snippets here and there, the characters that travel with you don’t spend much time with you and once they leave, with the exception of Leila and Gordon, they don’t return to the party again. The death of Joseph felt sudden, especially since his character felt like an NPC from the start before suddenly joining the party. It’s tragic after the fact once you speak to the townsfolk, but in the moment it has little impact. Minwu’s death also doesn’t hit as I feel it should because the party only got a short amount of time with him at the very beginning. All this to say, the beats are there that we see in Final Fantasy IV, but as a story II can be a bit clunky. It feels like a first draft of IV and honestly, it’s kind of great. There’s a lot of improvement in the pacing of events between II and IV and that’s something to celebrate. I would like to play III as well since I haven’t and see how it compares to the others.

Interesting thing about the story line: the dragoons and the wyverns are supposedly all wiped out. However, one Wyvern remains because of a quest the party did (and Ricard is later found in Leviathan), but in some dungeons, when you open a box you get a monster, and so far I have fought two dragons. Different from wyverns, yes, but still... So there’s at least one wyvern and at least on Dragoon (maybe two because Kain is the name of the kid found in Deist.... and we all know of a certain Dragoon named Kain). I wonder if the Dragoons would train dragons if the wyverns all went extinct??

I don’t believe the Emperor is actually dead.

Yep, Dark Knight is Leon. Knew it. Also, ok, so maybe the Emperor is dead but now Leon will finish what he started? Is Leon truly the enemy??? I thought this was like a Kain being brainwashed situation.

And now Cid is dead. He said “I’ll LEND you my airship, I’ll be wanting her back...” and then he died. My goodness that cyclone wiped everything out and I’m emotional...

I knew the emperor wasn’t dead. Still don’t know what Leon’s deal is.

And Ricard sacrificed himself so the party could escape the emperor and his newly formed fortress. But is he dead....? Probably tbh

Also Maria’s reaction to all the deaths that have happened so far is exactly how Rosa deals with all the sacrifices made in IV.

I.... don’t know how I feel about Leon suddenly joining the party. One second he’s all “The weak need the strong to rule them” then the next he’s all somber like “more will die with the emperor in power.” Like yeah.... folks were gonna die with you in power too, what has changed Leon????

I don’t trust Leon.... but at least I still have my airship.

And alright.... The party’s in Hell now. I will say I forgot to stock up on supplies before going through the Jade Passage and now I’m in Pandaemonium and yeah... It really is hell.

And now I’m stuck on the Emperor’s boss fight in Pandaemonium. Turns out the Blood Sword would have helped a ton but I didn’t get it when I had the chance to so.... Fun.

#❀You may find me at the archery range ▻ (OOC)#Mia plays FFII #and gets stuck because she didn't grab the freakin BLOODSWORD #FFIV is a sequel to FFII change my mind

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tcnks · 3 years

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THE ROOM IS ON FIRE AND SHE’S FIXING HER HAIR—

𝖖 𝖚 𝖔 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

“Sometimes he looked at her and thought, Gosh, I wonder what’s underneath all that anger, all that hard glossy armor? Maybe there’s just an innocent, wounded little girl in there who wants to come out and play and be loved and get happy. But now he wondered if maybe that little girl was long gone, or if she’d ever been there at all. What was under all that armor, all that anger? More anger, and more armor. Anger and armor, all the way down.” — The Magician’s Land, Lev Grossman.

𝖇 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈

NAME: Nymphadora Patagonia Teodora “Fabiola” Black Tonks. Or, understandably, just Tonks. One of the most excruciating moments of a young Tonks’s life was the dissociative experience that came from hearing Professor McGonagall read her entire name aloud (Baptismal name included, as if they didn’t have enough to deal with, though her dearly departed Godfather’s addition had thankfully not made the cut) stony-faced and with suspicious volume, at the Sorting Ceremony. It was a humiliation that took years to live down, which is probably why a repeat offense at her Auror Academy graduation ceremony broke down her last, tired, moments of resolve. Only her nearest and dearest can get away with anything other than just Tonks these days. NICKNAMES: Dora. Peuchen. Dorita. Estrellita. (An increasing array of absurd petnames that she bears with varying levels of grace.) AGE: 29 BIRTHDAY: April 6, 1973 GENDER: Demigirl. PRONOUNS: She/They BLOOD STATUS: Half-blood. SPECIES: Metamorphmagus (Wixen).

𝖋 𝖆 𝖒 𝖎 𝖑 𝖞

MOTHER: Andromeda Dorea Tonks nee Black. FATHER: Edward “Ted” Álvaro Sepulveda Tonks

𝖕 𝖍 𝖞 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈 𝖆 𝖑 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘

FACE CLAIM: Daniella Pineda BUILD: Small but athletic. HAIR: Variable. HAIR COLOR: Variable. EYE COLOR: Variable. SKIN COLOR: Variable. DOMINANT HAND: Left. ANOMALIES: (Everything) Tattoos; a mish mash of stick’n’poke, magical and non-magical tattoos that have been amassing over the years. SCENT: Roasting coffee beans, oranges, cinnamon, honey. ALLERGIES: Unemployment. Children under the age of four. FASHION: Eclectic. Entirely dependent on her moods. NERVOUS TICS: While she’s gotten much better at controlling her Metamorphmagus abilities over the years, it still takes a tremendous amount of effort to prevent her emotions from influencing them. This means that there are definite tells to be found in her appearance as to what her mood is, particularly in times of high emotional stress. The rule of thumb has always been that the darker her hair is, the moodier she is.

𝖑 𝖎 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖙 𝖞 𝖑 𝖊

RESIDES: A flat located above Dogweed & Death Cap, Diagon Alley. BORN: Porthmeor, Cornwall. RAISED: A cottage right on the waterfront, Porthmeor, Cornwall. PETS: None that are hers, specifically. She recently gave a dog to her parents in the hopes it might absorb some of their attention. CAREER: Former-Auror. Current Head of Security for Club Raven. EXPERIENCE: Auror’s Academy Graduate, 1994. Eight and a half years as an active duty Auror before suspension. EMPLOYER: Cavalier Avery. POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Light. BELIEFS: Alastor Moody was (and still is) the greatest auror of their time. That blame falls as much on the shoulders of those who fail to take action as those who commit the crime. That neutrality really isn’t an option when there is a choice to be made about human rights. MISDEMEANORS: She is an officer of the law. FELONIES: .. In the name of the law? (No.) DRUGS: She really does care about her career. SMOKES: Has never once made it through an entire cigarette. ALCOHOL: Yes. DIET: A steady diet of leftovers that her father’s filled her freezer with. LANGUAGES: Spanish, English. A creative combination of both. PHOBIAS: She is terrified of losing her abilities or the prospect of failure. HOBBIES: Finding trouble wherever she goes. Fixating on work. Annoying Moody. Terrorising her cousins. TRAITS: + Vibrant / - Tactless: Loud. Energetic. Brash. Annoying. There were many ways in which Tonks’ existence could be quantified, but subtle was not one of them. Over time Tonks has taken to wearing her loud reputation like her own coat of arms; her very best and worst attributes flaunted with a deliberateness that seems almost too knowing, too on the nose, to not be covering for something. Arrogance and recklessness, hot-headed impulsiveness and a particularly caustic brand of wit wielded with a blunt charm that she’s grown increasingly fond of throwing in the face of the people who would whisper behind her back about just where here loyalties lie these days. The flippancy with which she greets the world, like she’s in on the joke that the rest of the world hasn’t quite caught the punchline of, only seems to grate on those who wish she’d treat the importance of her position with a little more respect. Tonks lives her life at full volume, with little regard for the opinions or delicate feelings of others who would ask her to reign it in, just a little, for their own comfort. + Driven / - Reckless: Nobody could ever say that Tonks did not possess an iron will, when it came to the things she wanted in life. Underneath all that vibrant glossy armour she wears like a warning sign, Tonks’ honourable qualities lurk: she may not always enjoy the banal, everyday routine of being an Auror, just as she may not think much of the people in charge, but Tonks is dedicated and steadfast in her job and worked tirelessly to get there. She has proven, time and again, a willingness to make the hard choice and put the greater good over her own reputation or honour. It takes a certain kind of steel to say precisely what is on your mind, to act even when duty and honour and all those boring noble virtues they try to instil in young Aurors tell you not to. She has never lacked for that sort of courage: the kind that requires a certain amount of defiance and a whole lot of audacity (and the willingness to circumvent every rule of authority, when your real loyalties and values are tested). Tonks has been forging the steel in her spine since she was old enough to frustrate her parents with her own headstrong opinions on what she wanted from life and how that differed from their hopes for her, and if she did not flinch (often) beneath her father’s gentle disappointment than there was certainly no one in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who could make her cringe. And that was the truth of it: what people called boldness was only a matter of knowing what you wanted and being unafraid of what it would take to get it — and there was no length that Tonks was not willing to go to in order to do what’s right. + Insightful / - Nosy: If there was one thing that Alastor Moody taught her during those long years in the Academy, it was the value of deeds over words. The department may have been overrun, of late, with those too preoccupied by political ambitions to see the bigger picture and be willing to ruffle feathers, but Tonks has always been more insightful than she’s given credit for. Her knack for reading a room and the intentions of the people in it had been honed by her naturally suspicious mentor and years spent studying faces intently, all their little quirks and shapes, in order to recreate them in the mirror. For better or for worse, when put into a tight corner Tonks does not falter and she does not hesitate. Those who would call her impulsive would probably be correct, but she vastly prefers decisive and while her approach doesn’t always end well, she’s resourceful enough to almost always land on her feet running. The talents of a fighter, however, are not the talents required of a diplomat and lately her propensity for digging her nose into things that the higher ups have deemed off limits have landed her in hot water within the department. While Tonks has always considered her talent for thinking on her feet, acting decisively without wasting time on the buffering, to be her strongest asset, she fears that in order to return to the job she worked so hard to get, it will be inaction that is required of her this time around. Trading her autonomy for one man’s whims again is not something Tonks relishes the idea of, especially when there are dire consequences for turning a blind eye to what might be coming.

𝖋 𝖆 𝖛 𝖔 𝖗 𝖎 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

LOCATION: Porthmeor Cove, Cornwall. SPORTS TEAM: The Holyhead Harpies / La Rojas. GAME: Quidditch. Football if her dad is the one asking. MUSIC: Smashing Pumpkins. MOVIES: Jurassic Park (for sentimental reasons obviously.) FOOD: The free kind. BEVERAGE: Coffee. COLOR: Varying shades of pink, magenta and red.

𝖒 𝖆 𝖌 𝖎 𝖈

ALUMNI HOUSE: Hufflepuff. WAND (LENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, WOOD, & CORE): Red Oak, 13 3/4″, Bendy, Dragon Heartstring. AMORTENTIA: Woodsmoke, Jasmine, Bourbon, Honeysuckle. PATRONUS: Jackrabbit. BOGGART: Herself, without her abilities. Barty Crouch Jr.

𝖈 𝖍 𝖆 𝖗 𝖆 𝖈 𝖙 𝖊 𝖗

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good. MBTI: ESTP-A MBTI ROLE: The Entrepreneur ENNEAGRAM: Seven ENNEAGRAM ROLE: The Enthusiast TEMPERAMENT: Choleric. WESTERN ZODIAC: Aries. CHINESE ZODIAC: Ox. PRIMAL SIGN: Hippopotamus. TAROT CARD: The Chariot, The Hierophant. TV TROPES: Blue Collar Warlock, Revisiting the Cold Case, Boisterous Bruiser, Allergic to Routine, Heroic Resolve, Old Cop/Young Cop. SONGS: Sabotage - The Beastie Boys / Reptilia - The Strokes / Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins / I Am The Highway - Audioslave / Time to Pretend - MGMT.

#&. DEVELOPMENT

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shandycandy278 · 5 years

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A Dream Swap IBVS of Sorts...?

I know that it wasn’t what @onebizarrekai was thinking about for his version of a Swapped/Dream Swapped version of “Issac Versus the Supernatural’, (which can be found here- https://onebizarrekai.tumblr.com/post/165424955084/oh-my-gosh-i-forgot-i-wrote-this-stuff ) but I really REALLY wanted to write a version of it.

I kinda want to write some more for this, but we’ll see. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! :3

-------

Chris, honestly, Just wanted to survive.

Was that too much to ask?

But no, there just had to be a ghost named Charlie attempting to possess him to kill his father in an attempt to get the other half of a power called ‘Overwrite’.

Did he believe any of this?

Of course, he did- Charlie had proved its existence by traumatizing him. But that didn’t mean that he believed every little thing Charlie told him.

His father, evil? That he could believe if it wasn’t for the fact that his mother had left them and that Xavier was always doing his best to try and make things okay. Maybe he had anger issues and was distant, and maybe he was biiit bipolar, but he was trying, and that’s all that Chris needed.

He had managed to, somehow, (Miraculously) ignore Charlie to the point that he couldn’t hear anything from the other.

Which was an amazing feat, in his opinion. Charlie was literally one of the most annoying people he had ever met.

Well, second to Isaac, anyway.

Isaac had used to be his friend- the two being ‘loners’ and ‘outcasts’ of sorts. But then Drew Jovel arrived, and ever since Isaac had never left Drew’s side. Chris wasn’t even sure if they were even acquaintances anymore, which really hurt.

A lot.

Almost to the point that Charlie was able to partially take over him until he pushed them back down and regained control.

Unfortunately, it left some… undesired results.

And now Isaac and Drew had come up with this ‘Justice Reigns’ Club that was basically made up of all of the teacher's pets. Their goal was to make their school the safest and happiest by locating the major trouble makers and collecting evidence so that they would get the troublemakers punished in some way.

Pushing the sunglasses further up his nose, Chris resorted himself to looking down at the ground until he arrived at the classroom. You could get on their watch list for even looking the slightest bit ‘suspicious’, and if anyone saw his eye then he’d probably be cornered and asked about it. There was no way he was going to allow himself to be sent to a psychologist or something.

Thankfully, It wouldn’t be that long of a trip anywa-

Thud!

Chris ‘oof’ed as he fell on his bottom.

“Oh, I’m so sorry- are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine-“ Chris looked up and froze when he saw just who he had bumped into.

Nevin Jovel, Drew’s twin brother.

The twins were constantly fighting about nearly everything- Drew was one of the most popular students and Nevin somehow hanging on around the bottom of the social chain, despite his good looks. Chris had heard many rumors about how Nevin constantly pranked not just Drew, but other students and teachers- even openly admitting to planning some, and yet the ‘Justice Reigns’ club still couldn’t get any evidence against him being the one to pull the slime prank on them.

“Here,” Nevin offered him an apologetic smile, holding out his hand. “Let me help you up.”

Chris was slow to respond, but he did eventually allow Nevin to help him up.

“I’m really sorry about that.” Nevin apologized again. “I honestly didn’t see you there- I was trying to think of ideas to prank my brother.”

The blunt honesty caught Chris off guard, and he blinked at Nevin owlishly.

“...You plan on pranking your brother?”

“Yeah, I need to get him back for that last prank he pulled.” The smaller boy made a face of discomfort. “Why do you ask? Are you going to stop me?”

“No.” Chris shook his head, the words spilling out before he could process. “It’s just- I wasn’t expecting you to be so blunt, and I wouldn’t stop you because your brother Drew totally stole away my only friend when you guys came here and in my opinion he probably deserves whatever’s coming to him-“

“Wait a sec.” Nevin held up a hand, silencing Chris. “You used to be a friend of Isaac?”

“Until your brother stole him away.”

“Ouch, sorry about that.”

“Why?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “Just because your brothers doesn’t mean that I blame you.”

“Oh, no-“ Nevin waved his hand. “I’m sorry that you were ever friends with such an emotionless jerk.”

“He wasn’t THAT much of a jerk when we hung out…” Chris muttered, pushing his glasses up a little further on his nose.

“It sounds like you could use some new friends,” Nevin admitted.

“Tch, like anyone would be friends with me.”

“I’d be friends with you.”

They both paused, staring at each other for a few seconds. Then, a smirk grew on Nevin’s face as he spoke.

“Wanna help me prank my brother?”

“Oh, heck yeah, sign me up!”

Unfortunately, the warning bell rang. They both winced, looking up at the bell that was up on the wall right next to him.

“We’ll have to talk about this later,” Nevin admitted. “I have to lay low for a bit- you should too. Meet you later?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you later!” Chris replied, waving goodbye to his new friend. It certainly sounded like they would be having lots of fun.

It wasn’t even a minute after Nevin had left Chris to go to class that someone suddenly grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him into an empty classroom.

“Ow, hey what the frick- Oh. It’s you.” Chris’ expression turned into a grimace once he realized just who had dragged him in there- one of the other most popular boys of the school (and the one who could basically blackmail whoever he wanted flawlessly if he cared enough for it): Barry Price. “What do you want? I already know that you know everything about everyone.”

“Ah, Cross, you and your observational skills have never failed me.” Barry sighed, his eyepatch forever hiding his left eye. The girls found it extremely attractive, but he just found it annoying. Chris rolled his eyes at the nickname. “Anyway- I need you to do a favor for me.”

“This isn’t one of your stupid manipulation games, is it?”

“No, actually.” Barry huffed. “I recently confessed something to Error and suddenly he thinks that everything that I’ve ever told him is a lie.”

“You mean you and your anti-social, paranoid, walking-explosion BFF Edward actually had a fight? I’m surprised.” Barry groaned in annoyance, dragging a hand down his face.

“Look, he’s not talking to me ever since I revealed that I knew a very secret secret of his before he could tell me and just needs a friend to talk to and hang out with. I’m genuinely concerned about him, and if you could please just… I don’t know, connect with him somehow and be there for him?”

“What do I get in return?” Chris asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

“Someone else who hates Ink to pull pranks on him and Drew with you and Nevin?” Barry offered. “Someone else who knows how to fight and can actually scare bullies away? Information about just about anyone in school at a single request without having to pay for it?”

“How about you keeping your distance from me and him until he’s ready to talk to you and not bothering us anymore? Or peeking into our personal lives?”

“Ha!” Barry laughed, like it was some kind of joke, before patting Chris’ shoulder. “I’ll try, but all of those other options are still up for grabs. I don’t think that I can keep that last one. Sayonara, Cross.”

“For the last time, it’s Chris!” He shouted after him. However, Barry was gone, and so was anyone else who could have been in the hall.

“Great,” Chris muttered to himself. “Now I’m late for class.”

———

It wasn’t hard to find Edward- you just had to go straight to the most common bullying spot in the school.

Whether he was the victim or the bully this time was up for grabs.

As Chris turned the corner, he quickly figured that he was playing the role of the bully.

“And if I hear anything about this, I swear to the heavens above that I-“

“Edward Quinton?” He called out, and the other froze. “Can you stop taking your bully problems out on the other students and come here for a sec? I need to talk to you.”

The taller boy growled, shoving the student further against the wall. “I’m in the middle of something, can’t it wait, sunglasses?”

“No, it can’t. Besides, I think you’ll like what I have planned.” Edward paused, allowing the student to drop to the floor, his eyes narrowed in thought as he stared curiously at Chris from under his hoodie.

“...I’m listening.” He admitted as the random student promptly, and smartly, ran away from the scene.

“First, we need to find Nevin. Then we talk.”

————-

Apparently, being a friend of Barry’s had its quirks, because Edward had a supply of ‘excused from class’ cards with any and all necessary details on them.

After getting Nevin out of class and meeting up in an abandoned Janitors closet that Cross often used to meditate, he clapped his hands together.

“So, Nevin invited me to participate in pranking Drew and Isaac-“

“You mean Dream and Ink?” Error asked. Chris groaned.

“You’re In on the nicknames?”

“Dude. I made them. Blueberry just adopted them.”

“You are so annoying.”

“I know.”

“ANYWAY-“ Chris clapped his hands again, turning to look at Nevin. “I was wondering if we could add a certain Barry Price to that list? He’s annoying and literally knows everything about everyone.”

“Ooooooo~” Edward smirked, rubbing his hands together. “You’re right, I would like this idea.”

“Hmmm…” Nevin paused, holding a hand up to his chin in thought. “Well, in my opinion, all of the jerks need to be brought down a peg or two… but what exactly did he do?”

“Be a jerk and invade others privacy?” Edward offered, a little too happy.

“Good reasons.” Nevin nodded. “But there will be some rules if you’re going to work with me and be friends and stuff.”

“Woah- who said anything about friendship?” Edward asked.

“We’re basically forming a club, Edward.” Chris sighed. “We’re going to kinda have to be friends if we’re going to pull this off.” The taller boy groaned but made no comment.

“Rule #1-“ Nevin began, holding up a finger. “No bullying.”

“Okay, now you’re just targeting me.”

“Rule #2-“ Nevin rolled his eyes. “Don’t draw attention to yourself.”

“Obviously,” Chris commented as the shorter held up a third finger.

“Rule #3- No questioning me while we are in the middle of performing a prank. If things change last-second, you have to listen to me. I’m not about to get you guys suspended or something. And finally-“ He held up the fourth finger. “There will be no outing each other, no matter what. Kapeesh?”

“Kapeesh.”

“Understood.”

“Great!” Nevin clapped and rubbed his hands. “Now, I’ll have to alter my plans a little, but I can tell you the basics now if you want.”

“Oh, yes PLEASE!” Edward hopper from foot to foot excitedly, and Chris and Nevin laughed.

“Alright, the Prank starts when Drew enters the Principal’s office for the weekly report…”

———-

Other Ideal Scenes-

*just after the plan is discussed, during lunch*

Chris: So, did we form our own club to directly contradict ‘Justice Reigns’...?

Edward: Since When was this a club?

Nevin: A few minutes ago. We’re the Meme Squad.

Edward: What?! Ew, no!

Chris: … Actually, I kinda like it.

Nevin: Meme Squad it is!

Edward: Nooooooooo~!

———-

*in Drew’s office (the room under the stage)*

Chris: *sighs* You called me here?

Drew: Yes. I’ve noticed that you and that Edward fellow have become… accomplices of sorts with my brother.

Chris: What about it?

Drew: I am also aware that you in particular have… supernatural abilities.

Chris: Oh, so you’re a stalker now?

Drew: Let me give you one word of advice- *glares at Drew and does eye intimidation* If you reveal to Nevin that he has powers, you’re dead.

Chris: *holds up arms* wOah, okay, chill, I won’t tell Nevin about anything.

Drew: Good. You may go.

——-

*walking over to Edward’s quiet place in the park*

Chris: Hey, Edward, I wanted to- *stops*

Edward: *knitting with his string*

Chris: … What are you doing?

Edward: *jumps and hastily hides his strings away* *coughs* Nothing.

Chris: *raises an eyebrow* You do realize that I have a ghost inhabiting part of my soul, right? I can tell there’s something supernatural when I see it.

Edward: *stares*

Chris: I won’t tell if you don’t.

Edward: Deal.

————

*in the Jovel house*

Nevin: No! I won’t stand for this anymore!

Chris: Nev-

Nevin: I don’t care if I’m the younger twin or not, you WILL tell me what you’re hiding and stop babying me!

Drew: No! I refuse to ruin your life- you already get bullied enough as it is! I don’t-

Nevin: *slams hands on the table* iF IT’S ABOUT MY SUPERNATURAL POWERS, I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT IT YA IDIOT!

Drew: *speechless*

Chris: …

Edward: …

Barry: …

Isaac: Well, this is interesting.

Barry: *slaps him upside the head*

Isaac: oW! What was that for?!

Barry: You’re messing up the dramatic tension. Shut it.

Everyone: *glaring at them*

#Fanfiction #IBVS #DreamSwap #dsibvs #OneBizarreKai #SwappedCharacters #fanfictionofafanfiction #this is my life now

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247reader · 5 years

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Can you please elaborate on the Margaret Beaufort/Sansa parallels? Thanks!!

(Sorry for the super-late reply)

Okay. So.

I don’t really go in for most of the popular one-on-one historical parallels in ASoIaF - it may have started as the Wars of the Roses, but it sprinted off in its own direction before A Game of Thrones was published, at least imo - I’m obviously not inside GRRM’s head. But there are parallels, partial parallels, and I think a lot of them are deliberate, even beyond the obvious Dance of the Dragons/The Anarchy kinds of thing. (If anyone wants ask me a follow up question, I can ramble about Egg and Edward III and their various family and dynastic issues for some time)

A quick summary of Margaret Beaufort, for anyone interested: she was the only surviving child of her father, the first Duke of Somerset; she was thus heiress to his wealth and lands but not his ducal title, which was recreated for his brother, whose ill-starred sons would bear it in succession. The Beauforts, unlike the Starks, were a new power in England; they were the descendants of John of Gaunt and his third wife, Katherine Sywnford, whose children, born bastards, were retroactively legitimized by both Richard II and the Pope.

Margaret was betrothed (some sources say married) as a very small child, then had that annulled/broken and was married at 12 to Edmund Tudor, Henry VII’s maternal half-brother. Edmund died, leaving Margaret a pregnant, 13 year old widow. Her son Henry would, eventually, be King of England, but only after pretty much every other Lancastrian claimant, including the rest of his mother’s family, were dead. Margaret married twice more, had no more children, and gained a reputation as a careful, savvy schemer utterly devoted to her exiled-then-royal son.

So, that out of the way, where is Sansa? The parallels I see are a young noblewoman, thrown into a dangerous situation, watching her entire world fall apart - Margaret eventually the last of the House of Beaufort (interesting note: the modern Beaufort Dukes are descended from the illegitimate son of one of her cousins, and were granted the ducal title by Charles II), as Sansa thinks she’s last of House Stark - and then, how they handle it.

I guess some of it goes into my hopes for Sansa, if she makes it alive past the “bittersweet ending.” Margaret Beaufort is one of the shining examples, imho, of late medieval “soft power,” influencing her third husband to support her son’s claim to the throne, potentially (depending on which historian you read) being in contact with Elizabeth Woodville or even Elizabeth of York herself to plan the betrothal that would solidify Henry on that throne once he won it; eventually, as “My Lady the King’s Mother,” wielding authority more like an early medieval or even preconquest queen than the neutered figures queens were becoming. That’s what I see Sansa growing towards.

(I mean, I’d love to see her as a reigning Queen in the North, too, but that’s a topic for another day)

Anyway, as is clear, it’s not in any way an exact parallel. But there are some there, and I do enjoy them.

Thank you so much for asking, and sorry again for the late response!

#sansa stark #margaret beaufort #a Song of Ice and Fire #long post #meta #awesome ladies of history #anon #asks #lou rambles

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harchester-united-football--blog · 5 years

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Harchester United Football Club

History

In April 1895 at the Dragon Leather Tannery in Harchester, a group of men, led by tannery owner Sean Creamer, got together to form a football club in the hope of rivalling the other local club, Harchester St. Augustine. The club was named Harchester United. There may have been friendly rivalry between United and St. Augustine, but good sportsmanship remained throughout as St. Augustine offered United the chance to play their home matches at their own Palmerston Road sports ground. United gratefully accepted. Between 1895 and 1898, the club had such a fantastic record in the FA Cup for an amateur side that they managed to get together funds to turn professional. The record was so great that upon an application to join the football league, they were instantly elected to do so by the other clubs. The first season in the football league division two saw Harchester United win it by a fair distance and they were promoted to the the first division. After a brief yoyo period of several ups and downs in the next few years, they won promotion back to the First Division in 1907. However, at the end of the 1907–08 season, Palmerston Road owners Harchester St. Augustine were suffering badly and ordered United to find a new place to play so that they could sell off their ground. United moved into the new Addison Road Stadium and obtained a 100-year lease for the ground. In 1908, London businessman Ian Mayes brought the club from owner Robert Ball, who by this time had closed down the Tannery. Mayes decided to follow the example of other football clubs and bring in a new manager who had not been involved with the club before. That man was Joseph Peterson.

Peterson's involvement never went down well with local supporters and in 1920 he resigned from the club following back to back relegations. This is where David Cooper came in to repair damage and finally won promotion from the division three north in 1926–27. In 1932–33, Harchester United regained top flight status under the reins of new manager Edward Evans. Evans left the club in 1939 following the abandonment of the league due to the Second World War and was never contacted again. After the War came new changes. First, Trevor Chamberlain became the new owner of the club in 1945 and appointed his friend Arthur Charlton as manager. Charlton had previously played for Portsmouth before the war and was a part of their FA Cup winning team. Charlton's reign got off to the worst possible of starts with relegation in 1947. However, in a very successful 1957–58 campaign, a Division Two title was in the bag and Harchester United were promoted again. Tragedy would end Charlton's era as boss in March 1965 as the longest serving manager in Dragons history died following a heart attack during a league game with Blackburn at Addison Road. Arthur Charlton's assistant Jim Stephenson instantly became the manager following the tragedy but disasters on the pitch were to follow with relegation in 1966–67.

By 1970, Harchester United were back in the top flight under the managerial guidance of the first non-English manager – the Scotsman, Robert McClaren. He won the side promotion in 1968–69 and in 1973–74 the club finished 4th – their highest ever! McClaren left at the end of that season to join German club Hamburg. Former West Ham manager Harry Sidwell then took over as manager and had nearly 11 years in charge of the Dragons. There were a couple of decent Cup runs during his time, but nothing really materialised than mid-table positions and he left the club by mutual consent in May 1985. In June 1985, Kenny Bruce became the new manager and really revolutionised the club. He made young talent Terry Glover captain and built a team around young sensation Kevin Nelson. The revolution was a success and following a home win over Man City in May 1986, Harchester United were crowned Champions for the first time in the club's history. More good news followed the next month with Kevin Nelson becoming the first Dragon to play for England in the World Cup.

Steve Tomkins took over as boss and was responsible for the club's relegation at the end of 1989–90. In November 1992, former Youth Team player and die-hard Dragon Michael Jacobs took over control of the club. In December 1992, he decided to replace Tomkins as boss with the more experienced Ron Atkinson who'd left Aston Villa to take over. Big Ron made big changes, so much so that the reward paid off with promotion to the Premiership for the first time in 1993–94. Survival was then they key for the Dragons, and after doing so in their first season, they were relegated following a defeat to QPR at the end of the 1995–96 season. The following year, Harchester United reached the Semi Finals of the FA Cup and were also promoted back to the Premiership thanks to the fantastic goalscoring abilities of Karl Fletcher. Due to a lack of numbers in the squad Big Ron promotes youth team captain and son of Harchester United legend Ken Hocknell to the first team which pays off considerably. Big Ron wanted to improve the squad this time, but wasn't allowed funds by chairman Michael Jacobs, so he resigned from his job. Atkinson was replaced by former PSV Eindhoven boss Ian Coates who helped keep the club in the Premiership at the end of 1997–98 buying Dean Sturridge from Derby County helped save the club from the drop. Tragedy struck during that season however as chairman Michael Jacobs died of a heart attack during a training session in which he joined in with the squad. At the end of the season Dean Hocknell is sold to Galatasaray for 5 million and Dean Sturridge makes his way back to Derby for 500k.

In 1998–99 saw new changes to the club. Millionaire building supplies tycoon Jerry Block became the new chairman and was prepared to plough millions into the club. He signed Argentine sensation Luis Amor Rodriguez and together they'd bring the FA Cup to Harchester. However, in May 1999, following an FA Cup Final victory over Man Utd at Wembley stadium, an unknown hitman attempted to shoot Jerry Block's wife Lynda Block but shot club captain John Black dead instead. That summer seen the departure of Karl Fletcher after 7 years of service to Real Mallorca for 3.5 million. Tragedy followed that September too following the club's first European adventure. After knocking Ajax Amsterdam out of the UEFA Cup, four first team members were killed, Sean Hocknell, Gary Blackburn, Leon Richards and Vicktor Tankiev in a plane crash just off the coast of Dover on the way home from the game. Luis Amor Rodriguez quit as player/manager of Harchester United in March 2000 but stuck around as a player long enough to ensure the club fought off relegation before leaving for Boca Juniors. In Harchester United's first European adventure, they went out at the Quarter Final stage to Spanish side Real Mallorca where former hero Karl Fletcher was playing. He returned as a Dragon less than 24 hours after that match!

In 2000–01, Ray Wyatt brought in Nigerian striking sensation Monday Bandele from French side Paris St. Germain, just after Christmas in a massive coup for the club. The deal paid off as the signing turned the club around and a 3rd Place finish was enough to ensure UEFA Champions league football next term. The Champions League dream was short lived with defeat to the old adversary RCD Mallorca in the 3rd Qualifying Round. Under the later guidance of Patrick Doyle, European dreams were made with the Dragons first ever appearance in a European final. It was a 1–0 defeat to AC Milan in the UEFA Cup Final.

The Dragons were severely weakened for that game though following a coach crash whilst travelling to that game in which three players were killed. Following the accident, manager Patrick Doyle promised to bring success to the club but it was later revealed that he had another motive of attempting to relegate the club. When all this information came to light, it was revealed that goalkeeper Jamie Parker had been in on the plan and the Dragons were thrown out of the FA Cup which meant they lost their final place. They were allowed to replay their final Premiership game with Everton though which had previously been abandoned at Half Time as a now-mentally-ill Jamie Parker took the team hostage during the interval. He was killed by armed police following that incident. Harchester United did survive relegation after a Clyde Connelly goal and Tommy Moore penalty save but Doyle didn't as he was found dead, allegedly killed by the betting syndicate he had been working for.

In 2003–04, there was an ongoing court case taking place to decide just who should own the club following a raffle by former owner Phil Wallis. Whilst this was going on, it was damaging the club's reputation with sponsors and following a £28million transfer of Luke Davenport at the start of the year, ongoing financial trouble saw Harchester United cease trading in March 2004. This was not the choice of the club, but more the choice of Coopers Bank who were funding Harchester United's loans at the time. Following campaigning from players, staff, fans and other Premiership clubs, Coopers Bank gave Harchester United a reprieve until the end of the season. The signing of Davenport also brought about the second departure of club legend Karl Fletcher, in a move that was unpopular with players and fans alike. At the end of that season, qualification for the Champions league was achieved after a 3–2 win at home to Manchester United on the final day of the season. with goals from Danny Sullivan, Danny Mills and a late Lee Presley header. This was also the first time in their history Harchester had scored from three set pieces in the same match. However, the club were relegated on grounds of match fixing by UEFA following revelations by former Chief Executive Pilar Hernandez and former manager Stuart Naysmith. 2004–05 saw Harchester United in the Champions League and the newly formed Championship. The Dragons were brave in their European adventure reaching the Quarter Finals where they were knocked out by Arsenal. In the league, a Play Off Final victory over West Ham at the Millennium stadium in Cardiff secured promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt.

However, tragedy struck when deranged ex-manager Don Barker, who had killed Harchester icon Karl Fletcher hours earlier, drove his auto into the team coach, with all but four members of the Harchester United party dying in the crash or the ensuing fire. The survivors Danny Sullivan, Darren Tyson and Ryan Naysmith, Viv Wright also survived the blaze but was never found, as for the other three survivors had to deal with the aftermath. This led to new owners, Dragons Corporation. It was later revealed that new striker Casper Rose was actually the owner of that company and ultimately Harchester United. This turn of events was only revealed after Rose had been killed. Before then however, Harchester United reached the League cup final for the first time where they lost out to Chelsea. The Dragons won the FA Cup for the second time in their history later that season with a 2–1 win over Arsenal thanks to a Darren Tyson double.

The 2006–07 season has started interestingly for the Dragons. Last season's success has paved the way for winger Ryan Naysmith to join Villarreal CF for 12 Million pounds and playmaker Hector to move to Bsyern Munich for 10 Million. Eugene Rose also sold his half of the club to Alex Rose and moved to Australia to play for Sydney FC. To replace these departures the club signed Miguel Lopez from Atlètico Madrid for an undisclosed fee and Pavel Kovac from AC Milan on a free transfer. The club also gave 19-year-old midfielder Jason Porter a one-month trial as he impressed Rose during a pre season friendly which he was later offered a professional contract. Despite this promise there was the usual dark cloud over the dragon's lair. The police made Lynda Block their prime suspect in the Casper Rose murder investigation and suspect Alex Rose in assisting in the crime. Because of this Block had fled Harchester leaving Alex Rose to confess to the killing of his half brother. This was done after he ensured that the club was in the right hands as he handed the manager's job to his former teammate Jimmy Craig and the chairman's role to head of the supporters club, Terry Harrison. Jimmy Craig had to deal with the loss of Kovac as he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and could face never playing again, and that the chairman wanted a high-profile manager. Despite these problems Craig has been able to guide the dragons to a (so far) unbeaten season. He has also promoted youth and reserve team stars such as Bradley Summers, Laurent Dioup, Jamie Cheeseman and Jason Porter to the first team who have impressed. He also signed midfielder Sean Campbell from Southend United to form a midfield partnership with new captain Liam MaKay. However the team lost defender Danny Sullivan to injury which forced him to retire. As the club could see how valuable his contribution to the club has been they offered him a coaching role.

Harchester United go on to win the premier league with Jason Porter scoring the winning goal against Chelsea, whilst celebrating the first league title in 21 years the Dragons Lair stadium engulfed in flames luckily nobody was killed and everybody was evacuated in time, Manager Jimmy Craig was found in the stadium and had suffered severe head injuries. Team coach and Dragons legend Danny Sullivan had a breakdown and handed himself into the police admitting the arson and also admitting to being the infamous Dragon slayer who had been terrorising the club staff for the majority of the season, he was later sectioned under the mental health act and took in for psychiatric treatment.

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Evil Season 2 Finally Indulges Creepy Doll Horror

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This Evil review contains spoilers.

Evil Season 2 Episode 12

Pinocchio, your strings are showing. Creepy dolls don’t have to walk, talk, or wet themselves to capture paranoid attention. Chuckie, Annabelle, Talking Tina, and the Killer Krusty Doll from The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror III” all bring solace to some, and torture to others. Eddie graduates from recurring character to monster-of-the-week in Evil season 2 episode 12 “D Is for Doll,” but will he live on in future episodes, or become another loose string in the fabric of the series?

As a favor to Kristen’s (Katja Herbers) therapist, the team is watching a man whose son is being pushed around by what might be a demonic infestation, or it might just be a doll which has seen too many Twilight Zone episodes. After a search of the house, a doll is found wrapped like a mummy, in a box which is secured by chains, which has water damage not caused by weather or pipes. The entire attic where it is found smells “like something died” in it, according to Ben (Aasif Mandvi). The object doesn’t breathe, move, or talk. It appears to be an inanimate, hand-made creation, but it communicates with its owners. The now-deceased mother of the battered fifteen-year-old gave the doll treats, and did whatever it wanted. Until she didn’t, and died.

The little boy who Kristen’s daughter Lynn (Brooklyn Shuck) babysits also follows his doll’s instructions. He doesn’t even want to play hide and seek in his own house, because his Eddie doll doesn’t like to share, and doesn’t play well with others. All this seems to mean the doll communicates, but it can also be something communicating through the doll. During one sequence Sheryl (Christine Lahti) finds herself in possession of more than one of the porcelain-faced figurines she makes financial sacrifices to. They are not the only Eddie dolls on display during the episode, but while Sheryl seems genuinely surprised by the extra toy friend, she knows exactly what to do with it.

Having two dolls present at a ritual appears to add power to the proceedings. The sequence reminded me of the film The Ninth Gate, where the real directions for a true satanic ceremony is spread out among three books, and knowing how to decipher Lucifer’s cipher. Edward (Tim Matheson) is playing a dangerous game with Sheryl. For himself, of course, she gets a little slap-happy towards the end. Edward thinks he can teach a Pavlovian dog new tricks, but Sheryl’s bark has more bite than he can chew. He does leave a nice parting gift – a family heirloom which doubles as its crest on the tablet of sigils. We don’t yet know the significance of the cryptic scroll, but it looks like a pre-digital Ancestry.com for demon spawn.

The generational specimen, kept in a mason jar, interacts very well with the two Eddies.

“D Is for Doll” opens with Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin) pouring the aggression into passive aggressive power plays. T is for trouble when the good sister is doling out the sugar cubes. She and Leland (Michael Emerson) have been performing graceless duets since their first pirouette at knifepoint, and are highlights in any episode. Leland is trying to make headway with Monseigneur Matthew Korecki (Boris McGiver), desperately squeezing his attention between his job as a hellcat and the interloper standing in his way. Leland is pressuring the Monseigneur into giving him a full-time position at the church, overseeing the recently possessed and offering counsel and consolation for their continued contrition. Sister Andrea is such a force in the room, she is basically cast out by the most superior official. It is a perfect beginning, comic, tense, and conspiratorial.

Sister Andrea’s scenes with David Acosta (Mike Colter) are no less spectacular, though far more intimate. The two characters are truly in a world of their own, separated from even their peers by a real calling, and a true mission, and the actors who play them leave emotional restraint at the door. Each has been more vulnerable, but together they are able to examine the root cause and determine personal responsibility. Martin and Colter allow doubts, recriminations and defiance full reign in their immediate consciousness, but never once lose perspective or make a false reach. They say twice as much because they make apparent the ideas they are biting back. In a sense, it’s as much fun as watching Kristen in the wine barrel during “S Is for Silence.”

The other unsung fun moment comes from a very unsuspected character, Kristen’s therapist Dr. Kurt Boggs (Kurt Fuller). He’s decided to follow the team around on their latest investigation. It’s part of his finder’s fee, he brought the case to their attention and is owed bigtime for being bashed by Kristen’s paranoiac outburst. He wants to write a book about it, he tells Ben as the Magnificent one is listening to walls creak. Is he annoying? Yes, but it is all worth it for the way Boggs says “no” after Ben asks if David approved of his kibbitzing.

The countdown to ordination is running down and David is playing the field. But he’s not one for ex-priests who think the Catholic Church is too much like the mafia. David has more of a problem with Gregory Biel, the layman expert called to exterminate the demonic infestation, but who is really there for comic relief. His performance recalls both The Stupendous Yappi (Jaap Broeker) from The X-Files, and Mr. Bookman, the library detective from Seinfeld. If Leland gets any say in the investigative team’s personnel, Gregory is the obvious choice to replace Kristen. It’s written in his book, the “Gospel of Gregory.”

The “D Is for Doll” page in the Pop-Up Book of Terrifying Things MMXXI comes late in the episode, because Evil is toying with us. Eddie may correspond to the sigil or counteract its hierarchy, but it might be in need of a full set. Sheryl should try Etsy.

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Evil airs Sundays on Paramount+.

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your-dietician · 3 years

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Spring sports season was triumphant, therapeutic- Southern edition

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/sports/spring-sports-season-was-triumphant-therapeutic-southern-edition/

Spring sports season was triumphant, therapeutic- Southern edition

Let’s face it.

A full sports season was just what the doctor ordered.

And the 2021 spring campaign delivered in every way.

After being deprived of a season in 2020 due to COVID, spring athletes and coaches were primed to make up for lost time and they certainly did so from start to finish.

For the first time since the winter campaign of 2019-20, we had a full regular season and postseason and plenty of memories were made.

On the diamond, South Portland wasn’t expected to win the Class A state title, but thanks to a postseason surge, that’s exactly what the Red Riots did. Scarborough, the reigning champion, was upset in its first game by Portland. Cape Elizabeth, meanwhile, got to the Class B South quarterfinals before losing a 10-inning marathon to York.

Softball also produced a champion, a perfect champion for that matter, and this time, it wasn’t Scarborough, but the best Cape Elizabeth team in program history, which won Class B for the second time. Scarborough’s three-year reign in Class A ended in shocking fashion with a loss to Falmouth in the Round of 16. South Portland lost in the same round, dropping a weather-delayed, nine-inning, nearly four-hour decision to Thornton Academy.

Boys’ lacrosse saw Cape Elizabeth stake its claim as not just the Class A champion or best team in the state, but arguably the most dominant in program or state annals. Scarborough enjoyed a season of resurgence which saw it get to the Class A South semifinals before losing at Berwick Academy. South Portland won a preliminary round game over Massabesic, then was also eliminated by Berwick Academy, in the quarterfinals.

On the girls’ side, there were no titles this year, but Scarborough had a season to remember, improving from one win in 2019 to 11 this spring. The Red Storm made it all the way to the Class A South Final before losing to eventual champion Kennebunk. South Portland was ousted in the preliminary round by Bonny Eagle. Cape Elizabeth, the two-time reigning Class B champion, won at Cony in the state preliminary round, then lost to Yarmouth in the quarterfinals.

The outdoor track state meet produced plenty of highlights, including Scarborough’s boys capturing their fourth Class A crown since 2016. The Red Storm won four individual events, but they weren’t alone when it came to first-place finishers from the area.

Tennis saw Cape Elizabeth’s girls get to the Class B state final before dropping a 3-2 decision to Waterville. Scarborough dropped a narrow decision to eventual regional champion Falmouth in the Class A South semifinals. South Portland was ousted in the preliminary round by Cheverus.

Cape Elizabeth’s boys lost in the Class B South quarterfinals to Greely. Scarborough’s boys fell in the Class A South quarterfinals to Thornton Academy. South Portland was eliminated in the preliminary round by Windham.

We’re already enjoying summer, but let’s take another look back and pay tribute to some of the best moments of the spring.

Team state champions

Cape Elizabeth Capers softball, Class B Cape Elizabeth Capers boys’ lacrosse, Class A Scarborough Red Storm boys’ outdoor track, Class A South Portland Red Riots baseball, Class A

Regional champions

Cape Elizabeth Capers girls’ tennis, Class B South

Individual state champions

Track Hadley Mahoney, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ mile Hadley Mahoney, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ two-mile Zach Barry, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 800 Nicholas Connolly, Scarborough, Class A boys’ shot put Jayden Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 110 hurdles Jayden Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 300 hurdles Elaina Panagakos, Scarborough, Class A girls’ shot put Geneva Holmes, South Portland, Class A girls’ discus

Michael’s top five stories/moments

5) Scarborough track wins again

Scarborough’s Jayden Flaker won both the 110 and 300 hurdles at last month’s Class A state meet, helping the Red Storm win the team championship. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald

It turns out that about the only thing that can keep Scarborough’s boys’ outdoor track team from winning the Class A state title is a pandemic. After missing out on a chance to win the title in 2020 due to the season being canceled, the Red Storm returned to their familiar perch this spring, tallying 82 points to beat runner-up Edward Little (64.5) and the rest of the field. Scarborough won four individual events at states, as Jayden Flaker took the 110 hurdles and 300 hurdles, Nicholas Connolly won the shot put and Zach Barry was first in the 800.

4) Scarborough girls enjoy bounce-back campaign

Scarborough’s Sawyer McFadden celebrates the Red Storm’s semifinal round playoff win over Massabesic. Brianna Soukup / Portland Press Herald

Scarborough’s girls’ lacrosse team didn’t wind up bringing home a championship, but the Red Storm were undoubtedly the feel-good story of the spring. Coach Emily Field vowed her team was better than its 1-11 record in 2019 showed and that it would show great improvement this season and she was spot-on. Scarborough unleashed a potent offense and a steady defense with standout senior goalie Kathleen Murphy holding down the fort as a last resort. The Red Storm won their first four games, went 9-3 in the regular season, then downed both Gorham and Massabesic to reach the regional final. There, Scarborough met its match in an unbeatable Kennebunk squad, but the Red Storm are back where they belong near the top of the heap and they figure to remain there for the foreseeable future.

“It’s certainly not the ending we’d hoped for, but looking at the entire season, holy smokes I am so proud of my girls,” Field said. “I’d confidently say we accomplished just about everything we set out to do this year. To come from a 2-10 no playoff season, to a 1-11 no playoff season, to no season, and now to finish 11-4 with two of the four losses by only one goal, and runners-up in the Class A South Final. I mean, that’s pretty incredible.”

3) Cape boys crush just about everyone

Cape Elizabeth’s Caden Lee and his teammates had a lot to celebrate this spring, culminating with a stunningly one-sided 19-6 victory over Falmouth in the Class A state final. Brianna Soukup / Portland Press Herald

Words like juggernaut and team for the ages don’t do the 2021 Cape Elizabeth boys’ lacrosse squad justice. The Capers didn’t just win their first Class A title and the 21st overall in the history of the state’s most storied program, they did it by absolutely crushing the opposition, especially teams that thought they might be able to give Cape Elizabeth a game. The Capers out-scored the opposition 199 goals to 47 during the regular season and beat eventual Class B champion Yarmouth by 15 and 14 goals respectively, won by 15 goals at two-time reigning Class A champion Thornton Academy, handled rival Falmouth by nine and closed with an 11-goal romp at Scarborough. Cape Elizabeth had no trouble with Noble or Gorham in its first two playoff games, winning by a composite 40-3 margin, but in the Class A South Final, the Capers would be tested for the first and only time, by Berwick Academy, before holding on for an 11-9 victory. Then, in the state final versus Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth broke it open with four goals in a 47-second span late in the first period, took a stunningly commanding 15-1 halftime lead, then went on to a 19-6 victory. The only remaining question is where this squad ranks all-time.

“Statistically, this is probably the number one group we’ve ever had,” longtime Capers coach Ben Raymond said. “As lacrosse players, they’re pretty darn close. We had some other great teams that would probably argue.”

2) Cape softball simply perfect

Cape Elizabeth’s Julia Torre hoists the state championship trophy after the Capers completed a perfect season by beating Winslow in the Class B state final. Michael G. Seamans / Morning Sentinel

Speaking of all-time powerhouses, Cape Elizabeth’s softball team was equally dominant this spring, the Capers first under coach Kristen Duross, who has yet to experience a loss with the program. Cape Elizabeth out-scored its 16 regular season foes by a jaw-dropping 221 runs to 13. Not only did the Capers punish the softball like no one else, the pitching staff, led by senior ace Anna Cornell, threw 10 shutouts. After beating Freeport and Poland by a combined 35-2 margin in the first two playoff rounds, Cape Elizabeth got pushed to the brink by Medomak Valley in the Class B South semifinals (scoring a seventh inning run for a 1-0 victory) and Fryeburg Academy in the regional final (the Capers scored twice in the seventh to survive and advance, 5-4). The state final saw Cape Elizabeth return to its unstoppable ways, as the Capers scored 19 runs and beat Winslow, 19-6, in five-innings, for the second championship in program history.

“This team dominated on both sides of the field,” said Duross. “We had a deep team this year. One through nine could hit the ball hard and I could put anyone anywhere on defense and they would be able to make a big play. This team is the real deal and deserved nothing less than what they earned. They’re very, very talented.”

1) South Portland baseball parties like it’s 1952

South Portland’s baseball team celebrates after defeating Bangor for the program’s first Class A state title since 1952. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald

Next year finally came to South Portland. The Red Riots had come oh-so-close to winning an elusive title in recent seasons and could have ended its title drought in 2020 had COVID not wiped out the season. This year, many felt South Portland was too inexperienced to go all the way, but after an 11-5 regular season, the Red Riots put it all together when it mattered most. South Portland dispatched Sanford and Bonny Eagle to start the playoffs, then edged Cheverus in the semifinals and blanked top-ranked Thornton Academy in the Class A South Final. That set up a showdown with always-tough Bangor in the state final and sure enough, there was little separation between the teams. The game would go to the bottom of the seventh inning, tied, 2-2. The Red Riots loaded the bases and Richard Gilboy entered his name into program lore, not with a booming hit, but by taking ball four on a 3-2 pitch, bringing home Frank Tierney with the run that gave South Portland its first crown since 1952.

“The last pitch, I saw it going a little outside,” Gilboy said. “I thought it might get called a strike, but I saw it drop down and I knew it was over.”

“I feel like we’ve been so close so many times,” Red Riots coach Mike Owens said. “It feels good to finally kick that door open. This is so special for our community that has supported us all the way through. I’m almost speechless. They’re all special, but when you can get that first one and it’s been so long, it’s extra special.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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sweetsummersansa-blog · 7 years

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Elizabeth of York & Sansa Stark

A Song of Ice and Fire is based on the war of the roses...

Parallels between Elizabeth of York from The War of the Roses, and Sansa Stark in A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones:

Elizabeth of York: Eldest daughter of Edward IV of England Sansa Stark: Eldest daughter of Lord Eddard of House Stark

Both of their fathers died unexpectedly

Both of their brothers ascended the throne

Both had someone conspire towards the downfall of their families

Both had their two younger brothers go missing

Both lived as bastards (all thanks to the schemes of the men mentioned above)

Both had strange romantic relationships with the men who conspired against their families

Elizabeth of York: Married King Henry VII and became Queen of England. Sansa Stark: Will become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms (based on history)

Elizabeth was a very successful queen. She performed her queenly role to perfection, understanding exactly what was required of her, and conforming seemingly effortlessly to the late medieval ideal of queenship, which constrained her to a role that was essentially decorous, symbolic and dynastic. She was beautiful, devout, fertile and kind – the traditional good queen. Despite being a political arrangement at first, her marriage to Henry Tudor proved successful and both partners appear to have grown to love each other. Her goodness shines forth in the records; she was greatly loved, and deservedly so.

Sansa will be the same. Beautiful, cunning, strong and kind - she has proven to be a very capable ruler. She always considers the needs and sentiments of both the high lords and the common people alike. She places importance on acting with honour and kindness - yet she is no honourable fool. She has learned how to play the game of thrones from some of the best players in the game. She likes having power and handles it well - yet does not lust after it madly. Just like Elizabeth of York She embodies the ideals of a good queen and will have a happy marriage and reign. She is the queen Westeros needs and deserves.

#sansa stark #sansa #got #lovesansa #lovesansastark #respectsansastark #theonetruequeen #the queen in the north #queen in the north #queensansa #jonsa #jonxsansa #actuallyjonsa #oursistheendgame

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/chiefs-vs-ravens-live-score-updates-highlights-from-nfls-monday-night-football-game/

Chiefs vs. Ravens live score, updates, highlights from NFL's 'Monday Night Football' game

After a “Sunday Night Football” game between two of the NFL’s oldest quarterbacks, the latest “Monday Night Football” game will feature two of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the league: reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes vs. reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

The prime-time clash between the Chiefs (2-0) and the Ravens (2-0) could be a preview of this season’s AFC championship game. Perhaps still battling the Super Bowl hangover, Kansas City hasn’t looked that dominant this year as it barely got by the Chargers 23-20 in overtime last week. The Ravens, on the other hand, have looked like a team on a mission with a pair of convincing wins to start the season.

These teams also met in Week 3 last season, with the Chiefs staving off a late comeback effort by Jackson to win 33-28. This year, the Ravens are favored by more than a field goal (3.5 points) to win at home.

Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Chiefs vs. Ravens on “Monday Night Football.” Follow below for complete results from the NFL Week 3 game.

MORE: Watch Chiefs vs. Ravens live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Chiefs vs. Ravens score

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Chiefs 6 21 0 7 34 Ravens 3 7 3 7 20

Chiefs vs. Ravens live updates, highlights from ‘Monday Night Football’

10:48 p.m. — BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN. Mahomes finds his left tackle Eric Fisher (an eligible receiver) for a 2-yard TD. Chiefs lead 34-20 with 8:14 remaining.

10:46 p.m. — Chiefs call a timeout with 9:03 to play. They’ve got the ball, second and 7 at Baltimore’s 13-yard line with a 27-20 lead.

10:42 p.m. — Another third down conversion as Mahomes scrambles for 12 yards this time. They’re inside the 30 now, less than 11 minutes remaining.

10:39 p.m. — Chiefs convert a big third down as Mahomes hits Clyde Edwards-Helaire for an 18-yard gain. Kansas City moving the ball near midfield.

10:33 p.m. — Jackson hits Nick Boyle for a 5-yard TD to open up the fourth quarter. It’s now a one-score game, 27-20 Kansas City with 14:55 remaining.

10:30 p.m. — After three quarters, Kansas City still leads 27-13 but Baltimore is knocking on the door, second and goal at the 5-yard line.

10:24 p.m. — Baltimore’s defense has come to play in the second half. They force a turnover on downs and take over at the Kansas City 49, 3:01 to play in the third.

10:17 p.m. — Ravens get a lengthy drive, but a false start on fourth and short forces them to settle for a 42-yard field goal by Tucker. Chiefs lead 27-13, 6:13 left in the third quarter.

10:03 p.m. — The Chiefs are pulling out all of the stops: a reverse-sweep-flea-flicker to the flats gets them all of seven yards. Maybe a little too much fun though; Baltimore recovers a fumble and takes over at its own 21-yard line, 13:03 to go in the third quarter.

Still, look at this play. She’s a beauty.

9:45 p.m. — Mecole Hardman can’t haul in a near-perfect throw from Mahomes to the end zone. Sammy Watkins grabs one over the middle to set up a 42-yard field goal attempt for Butker, who pulls it wide. That’ll do it for the first half: Kansas City leads Baltimore 27-10.

9:41 p.m. — Mahomes hits Hill over the middle and the Chiefs call timeout with 30 seconds on the clock, ball at the Baltimore 35.

9:39 p.m. — Things go from bad to worse for Baltimore: Chris Jones knocks the ball out of Jackson’s hands and Kansas City recovers. Chiefs have it at their own 49, 45 seconds to go in the half.

9:36 p.m. — Mahomes is hit as he delivers a 49-yard TD bomb to Mecole Hardman. Holy smokes. Kansas City leads 27-10 with 1:48 left in the first half.

9:30 p.m. — Two-minute warning. Chiefs have it, second and 9 at the Baltimore 44-yard line.

9:28 p.m. — Jackson nearly gets picked off on back-to-back throws, but instead it’ll be another punt for the Ravens. Chiefs get the ball back at their own 16-yard line, 4:39 remaining in the half.

9:20 p.m. — After forcing their own three-and-out, the Chiefs get back on the scoreboard as Mahomes hits Tyreek Hill over the top for a 20-yard TD pass. Kansas City leads 20-10 with 6:40 remaining in the second quarter. (Analysis: Mahomes is very good at football)

9:06 p.m. — The Ravens force a three-and-out for the first time tonight and take over at their own 27-yard line with 11:06 to go in the first half.

9:01 p.m. — DEVIN DUVERNAY TAKES THE KICKOFF TO THE HOUSE. That’s a 93-yard return and the Kansas City lead is cut to 13-10 with 12:40 to go in the second quarter.

8:57 p.m. — Mahomes hits Anthony Sherman with an underhand shovel pass for a TD. That was slick. Butker hits this time and the Chiefs lead 13-3 with 12:52 remaining in the first half.

8:52 p.m. — After one quarter the Chiefs hold a 6-3 lead and have the ball, third and 9 at Baltimore’s 23-yard line.

8:40 p.m. — A holding penalty and a sack on third and long forces the first punt of the evening. Kansas City takes over at its own 32-yard line with 4:12 in the first quarter, still leading 6-3.

8:31 p.m. — The Chiefs march right down the field and Patrick Mahomes rolls out for an easy rushing TD. Harrison Butker misses the PAT, Kansas City leads 6-3 with 6:43 left in the opening quarter.

8:29 p.m. — End around for Tyreek Hill on the first play for the Chiefs? Hook it into my veins (yes, he’s on my fantasy team; so what?).

8:23 p.m. — Baltimore gets the running game going early thanks to a big run by Lamar Jackson (and a sweet pitch out play on third down), but the Kansas City defense is able to get the stop and force a 26-yard field goal from Justin Tucker. Ravens lead 3-0 with 9:20 in the first quarter.

8:15 p.m. — That was one hell of an introduction by Samuel L. Jackson. Can we get him to do that more often?

(Updates will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET)

Chiefs vs. Ravens start time

Location: M&T Bank Field, Baltimore

Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET

TV channel: ESPN

Live stream: fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)

With the exception of the season-opening “Monday Night Football” doubleheader in Week 1, all Monday night games are scheduled for the same start time of 8:15 p.m. ET.

This is the second of five prime-time games on the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs’ 2020 schedule. They’ll be back in the national spotlight in Week 6 for a Thursday night game at Buffalo.

The Ravens also have five prime-time games on their 2020 schedule, with Monday night’s Chiefs game being the first. Baltimore will appear in a prime-time slot three weeks in a row from Weeks 12-14 (at Steelers, vs. Cowboys, at Browns).

‘Monday Night Football’ schedule

A total of 17 games are on the “Monday Night Football” schedule in 2020. That includes the two games in the Week 1 doubleheader and no Monday night game in Week 17.

Below is the complete schedule of Monday night games this year.

Week 1 Sept. 14 New York Giants vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week 1 Sept. 14 Denver Broncos vs. Tennessee Titans Week 2 Sept. 21 Las Vegas Raiders vs. New Orleans Saints Week 3 Sept. 28 Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs Week 4 Oct. 5 Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons Week 5 Oct. 12 New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers Week 6 Oct. 19 Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals Week 7 Oct. 26 Los Angeles Rams vs. Chicago Bears Week 8 Nov. 2 New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 9 Nov. 9 New York Jets vs. New England Patriots Week 10 Nov. 16 Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings Week 11 Nov. 23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Rams Week 12 Nov. 30 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks Week 13 Dec. 7 San Francisco 49ers vs. Buffalo Bills Week 14 Dec. 14 Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens Week 15 Dec. 21 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week 16 Dec. 28 New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills

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#chiefs #highlights #monday #night #ravens #score #updates #Sports

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weavingthetapestry · 7 years

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8th October, 1275- The Battle of Ronaldsway

(The area around Ronaldsway, at the south end of the Isle of Man, from the air. Picture from Wikimedia Commons)

Got another battle for you today folks, in keeping with the fact that earlier the Battle of Largs was covered on this blog. That battle, though perhaps not quite so game-changing and pivotal in British history as some sources would have us believe, was still an important moment in the process that saw sovereignty over the islands and western seaboard pass from Norway to the Scottish Crown. With the death of Haakon IV in late 1263, any hopes the Norwegians had of soon resuming their campaign and recouping losses were stymied and King Alexander III quickly capitalised on the situation, sending a force into the Hebrides under the Earl of Buchan and Alan Durward, whose forces simultaneously wreaked devastation and brought home the message of Scottish ascendancy. Hostages were taken for good behaviour and while some of the Hebridean rulers still refused to give into Scottish demands of overlordship, others, including several notable members of the House of Somerled, came into the king of Scotland’s peace more readily.

The story of how the Western Isles were incorporated into the kingdom of Scotland is reasonably well known- or at least the popular, if not wholly accurate and somewhat sanitised, version of the story is more likely to be covered in a Scottish history class than that of the Isle of Man. Nonetheless for a short while this territory also came under the control of the Scottish Crown. At around the same time as Buchan and Durward were sent into the Hebrides, an expedition was also fitted out for the Isle of Man. However, Magnus Olafsson, the King of Man, who was probably quite rightly anxious to avoid a Scottish army being set loose in his own land, pre-empted Alexander’s intervention and met with the king of Scots at Dumfries. There, he did homage and received Alexander’s promise of protection and shelter in Scotland should the king of Norway attempt to take reprisals against him, in return for agreeing to provide military service of ten galleys.

How this new relationship between the kings of Man and Scotland would have panned out in time is impossible to say, as Magnus died at Castle Rushen in late 1265. After this, control of Mann was put in the hands of a succession of royal bailiffs (Lewis and Skye, which were also part of the kingdom of Mann, were put under the control of the Crown and the Earl of Ross respectively) and Alexander’s sovereignty over the island was confirmed by Norway as a result of the Treaty of Perth in 1266. At some point seven hostages were taken for good behaviour as well, and kept by the Sheriff of Dumfries on behalf of the king. To all intents and purposes, Man was to be treated as a possession of the Scottish Crown, whether the Manx liked it or not (this also must have stuck in the throat of the king of England, who lost the opportunity to finally bring Mann under English control as a result of being distracted by domestic strife). However while there was little significant trouble in the Hebrides in the decades after the Treaty of Perth, Man was a different matter and not only were the baillies unpopular, but in general the island’s loss of autonomy and subjugation to the Scottish Crown did not go down well. And thus we are brought to the autumn of 1275, when that simmering discontent came to a head and the Manxmen rose in revolt.

(A seal of Alexander III of Scotland, last king of the House of Dunkeld)

The leader of this movement was Guðrøðr Magnusson (name may also be rendered as Godfrey or Godred), an illegitimate son of the late Magnus, who appears to have been viewed by the majority of the Manx political community as the right man to succeed his father. Quickly gathering support, he soon seized the main castles and strongholds on the island, turfing out the Scots there, and making a bid to reestablish the primacy of the Crovan dynasty. Members of this kindred had ruled in Mann since at least the twelfth century, though at other times their power also extended to the Outer Hebrides, especially Lewis (their main competitors, meanwhile, were the branches of the Mac Somhairle clan in the Inner Hebrides and Argyll- who gave rise to the MacDonalds, MacDougalls, and MacRuaidhris- whose members had occasionally also ruled in Mann). But Godred’s attempts to claim the kingship of Mann that his ancestors once held, naturally aroused the wrath of Alexander III, who immediately acted to prevent the situation getting any further out of hand.

Having raised a force from Galloway and the Hebrides, a fleet was soon on its way south to Mann, landing at Ronaldsway on the south side of the island on the seventh of October. Its leaders were King Alexander’s second cousin John de Vesci, lord of Alnwick; John ‘the Black’ Comyn, lord of Badenoch; Alexander MacDougall lord of Argyll, whose sister had been married to the late Magnus Olafsson; Alan MacRuairi, who twelve years earlier had raided the west coast of Scotland on behalf of Hakon IV of Norway; and Alan, a son of the Earl of Atholl and grandson to Roland/Lachlan of Galloway. Of these the last had already been one of the Crown’s bailiffs of Mann, while two more- MacDougall and MacRuairi- belonged to two of the most prominent septs of the House of Somerled, and their role in the suppression of the Manx revolt says a lot about Alexander’s new power in the Hebrides and on the west coast of the Scottish mainland (nevertheless, Alan MacRuairi’s older brother Dubhgall, the head of the MacRuairis, remained in rebellion and had taken himself off to plunder Ireland a few years before, so not everyone was wholly happy with the situation in the Hebrides, even if it was more accepted than in Mann). Meanwhile the ability to raise men in the Hebrides and Galloway was a testament to the strength of the campaigns of Alexander III and his father respectively in those parts, and the Hebridean galleys were a strong addition to the naval power of the Scottish Crown, which had already shown its ability to exploit the advantages of the galley in its earlier campaigns in the west.

Sources for the Manx side of things are even less informative, though for all his early success Guðrøðr’s force does not seem to have been anywhere near as well-equipped as its enemy. When the Scots landed on the seventh, they sent a peace embassy to offer terms if the Manx surrendered, but Guðrøðr and his counsellors firmly rejected this option. Early the next day- the eighth of October- battle was joined before the sun was even in the sky. It is perhaps rather disappointing, given all the lead-up, that Guðrøðr’s short rebellion ended so swiftly and that the skirmish can be summed up in a few sentences, but the sources, though unfortunately short, make it clear that Ronaldsway was an overwhelming defeat for the Manxmen. Accounts of the battle describe the latter as being ‘naked and unarmed’ and they were almost immediately beaten back by the crossbowmen, archers, and other soldiers of the Scots. Very soon they turned and fled, with the Scots in hot pursuit, cutting down any they could catch and not stopping to spare people on account of sex or rank, to the result that over five hundred are alleged to have died in the battle itself. As Ronaldsway is, even today, very close to the important settlement of Castletown (so named for Castle Rushen, then the main political centre of the island), the flight of the Manx brought the Scots into contact with non-combatants and, both in the chase and after the battle was technically over, the invaders brought destruction to the area. As well as slaying many, they are also supposed to have sacked Rushen Abbey, a significant foundation of the Crovan dynasty and a hugely important religious centre for the Isle of Man.

The Chronicle of Man provided a versified toll of the dead:

‘Ten L’s, three X’s, with five and two to fall,

Manxmen take care lest future evils call.’

Or, in Latin:

‘L decies, X ter et penta, duo cecidere,

Mannica gens de te dampua futura cave.’

(Castle Rushen, in the thirteenth century the main political centre of the Isle of Man, and not far from Ronaldsway. Not my picture.)

Scottish control was quickly- and brutally- reestablished over Mann, while Guðrøðr, is supposed to have fled to Wales with his wife and followers. He was not to be the last of the Crovan dynasty to lay claim to Mann, but for the rest of Alexander III’s reign the island does not appear to have caused any significant trouble. To the Scottish Crown this settled the matter and the young Prince Alexander, son of the Scottish king, was named lord of Man until his early death in 1284, though it is doubtful if he ever played much active role in its governance and the real administration of the island was once again placed in the hands of bailiffs.

However, some historians argue that the aftermath of the Battle of Ronaldsway, since it can hardly have inspired positive feelings towards Scotland, may have promoted the further growth of an anti-Scottish faction in the Manx political community. When Margaret- the infant daughter of Eric II of Norway and granddaughter of Alexander III- inherited the throne of Scotland upon the death of her maternal grandfather in 1286, she also succeeded to the title Lady of Mann. However, when her great-uncle Edward I of England annexed the island a little while before her premature death in September of 1290, nobody on the Isle of Man appears to have complained. After all, the Battle of Ronaldsway- and the destruction that followed- had only occurred fifteen years before, and even prior to that the majority of the Manx had not shown any particular enthusiasm for Scottish sovereignty. The territory was formally restored to King John by Edward I in 1293, though quite some time after the rest of the Scottish realm, and was to pass back and forth between Scotland and England for several more decades, but after the mid-fourteenth century Scottish claims to Mann were largely abandoned and at the end of the century it formally came under English control. The Crovan dynasty, however, would never again hold the title Kings of Mann.

(References below cut)

The Furness continuation of William of Newburgh’s ‘Historia Reru Anglicarum’ in ‘Chronicles of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II and Richard’, ed. Richard Howlett

The Chronicle of Man in ‘Monumenta de Insula Manniae, or a Collection of National Documents Relating to the Isle of Man’, transl. and ed. J. R. Oliver

‘Early Sources of Scottish History’, A.O. Anderson

John of Fordun’s ‘Chronica Gentis Scotorum’, ed. by W. F. Skene

‘Kingship and Unity: Scotland 1000-1306′, G.W.S. Barrow

‘The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland’s Western Seaboard, c. 1100- c.1336′, R. Andrew MacDonald

“The Wars of Scotland, 1214-1371″, by Michael Brown

#Isle of Man #Manx history #Scottish history #Scotland #English history #British Isles #thirteenth century #Magnus Olafsson #Alexander III #Godred Magnusson #Crovan dynasty #House of Somerled #Clann Somhairle #Western Isles #warfare #battles #Norway #Kingdom of Mann and the Isles #House of Dunkeld

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booklivin · 4 years

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March TBR 2020

This month I am in the mood for a retelling; there is no good reason I am in the spirit just what I have a taste for. It started out being just for a fairytale retelling, but I just got the whole trilogy for a Sherlock Holmes retelling, so no, I will be reading all the retelling that I own. While I don't think I will get to all of these by the end of the month, I will try.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (a retelling of H.G. Wells _the Island of Dr. Moreau )

For fans of Libba Bray, this first book in a gothic suspense trilogy is inspired by H. G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau. It has been hailed by New York Times bestseller Carrie Ryan as having "beautiful writing, breakneck pacing, a pulse-pounding mystery, and an irresistible romance."

Following accusations that her scientist father gruesomely experimented on animals, sixteen-year-old Juliet watched as her family and her genteel life in London crumbled around her—and only recently has she managed to piece her world back together. But when Juliet learns her father is still alive and working on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the old accusations are true. Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward, Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's insanity. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Ash & Bramble by Sara Prineas ( a Retelling Of Cinderella )

"A delightful deconstruction of society's fairy tale myth, wrapped in an exquisite, spellbinding adventure. A must-read for teens who yearn to forge their very own story." —Rae Carson, author of the bestselling Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy

The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the real story.

Sarah Prineas's bold fairytale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother's fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.

Pin isn't free for long before she's captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairytale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.

As Pin tries to fight her arranged path, she finds that a sword is a much better fit for her than a glass slipper and that the boy who she escaped with is still searching for her, and won't stop until he rescues her—if Pin doesn't save herself first.

Crimson Bound By Rosamund Hodge ( A Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood)

An exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption inspired by the classic fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood," from the author of Cruel Beauty.

When Rachelle was fifteen, she was right—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village. But she was also reckless—straying from the forest path in pursuit of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in a vain effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her hunt for the legendary sword that might save their world. Together, they navigate the opulent world of the courtly elite, where beauty and power reign, and no one can be trusted. And as they become unexpected allies, they discover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that maybe their undoing. Within a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

** **

Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige ( a Retelling of The Snow Queen by Hans Christan Anderson )

Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life at the Whittaker Institute, a mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she doesn't belong there. When she meets a mysterious new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree, she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.

After Snow breaks free and races into the nearby woods, she stumbles into icy Algid--her true home--with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai, none of whom she's sure she can trust. As secrets are revealed, Snow discovers that she's on the run from a royal lineage she's destined to inherit, a father more ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change everything . . . Including Snow's return to the world, she once knew.

This breathtaking, New York Times bestselling volume begins the story of how Snow becomes a villain, a queen, and a hero.

A Study in Charlotte By Brittany Cavallaro (A retelling of the A Study in Scarlet by Sir Authur Conan Doyle)

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that's not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective's great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock's genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there's tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But the danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes ( a Retelling of the of Life of the Red Queen from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

Only queens with hearts can bleed.

This is not the story of the Wonderland we know. Alice has not fallen down a rabbit hole. There is no all-knowing cat with a taunting smile. This is a Wonderland where beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand, and only prisoners tell the truth.

Dinah is the princess who will one day reign over Wonderland. She has not yet seen the dark depths of her kingdom; she longs only for her father's approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into Wonderland's dangerous political game. Dinah must stay one step ahead of her cunning enemies, or she'll lose not just the crown but her head.

Evil is brewing in Wonderland and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself.

This is not a story of happily ever after.

This is the story of the Queen of Hearts.

WinterSpell By Claire Legrand ( A Retelling on of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann)

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince…but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted—by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets—and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed—if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

A Wicked Thing By Rhiannon Thomas ( a retelling of Sleeping Beauty by the Brothers Grimm)

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of _Sleeping Beauty _and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and _Sleeping Beauty _as she's never been seen before.

#The MadMan's Daughter #megan shepard #Ash & Bramble #sara prineas #Crimson Bound #rosamund hodge #Stealing Snow #danielle hodge #A Study in Charlotte #brittany cavallaro #Queen of Hearts #colleen oakes #Winterspell #claire legrand #A Wicked Thing #rhiannon thomas

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anneboleynresearch · 7 years

Text

Appearance & Likeness

“By the time of her coronation in 1533, one hostile observer would be reporting to the court at Brussels that Anne’s crown did not fit, and she was badly disfigured by a wart, and that she wore a violet velvet mantle with a high ruff to conceal a swelling in the neck, possibly a goitre. Some writers have taken this seriously, although much of it is wilful misrepresentation. The crown was quickly taken off her after the actual crowning, but this was because it weighed seven pounds. For the rest of the ceremonies Anne wore a crown specifically made and weighing only three...As for the high collar, Anne wore the required coronation surcoat with a mantle of ermine, although the material seems to have been purple velvet and not white cloth of gold. If the style was the same as the surcoat and mantle her daughter wore at her coronation in 1559, then the neck was high. The need to conceal a goitre is malevolent embroidery.

“George Wyatt, writing at the end of the century to contradict Sander, and having access to some genuine family traditions of his own about Anne, was compelled not only to accept her ‘beauty not so whitely as clear and fresh, above all we may esteem’, but to admit that

“...there was found, indeed, upon the side of her nail, upon one of her fingers, some little show of a nail, which yet was so small, by the report of those that have seen her, as the work master seemed to leave it on occasion of greater grace to her hand, which, with the tip of one of her other fingers might be, and and was usually hidden without any blemish to it. Likewise there were said to be upon some parts of her body, certain moles incident to the clearest complexions.

“A minor malformation of one fingertip thus seems very probably, and so too one or two moles, possibly on the chin...”

...not that she was ever a ravishing beauty. Lancelot de Carles did call her ‘beautiful and with an elegant figure’, and a Venetian reporting what was known of her in Paris in 1928 described her as ‘very beautiful’. Yet John Barlow, one of her favorite clerics, when asked to compare Anne to Elizabeth Blount...replied that Elizabeth ‘was more beautiful’, although Anne ‘was very eloquent and gracious and reasonably good looking’. Simon Grynee, a professor of Greek at Basle whom Henry VIII employed to canvass Swiss opinion as to the validity of his marriage to Katherine, was similarly cautious (and also not entirely persuaded to her morals): ‘young and good-looking’ was his verdict. The Venetian diplomat, Francesco Sanuto, was even less certain, though he clearly knew of no goitres or ‘large wens’: ‘Not one of the handsomest women in the world; she is of middling stature, swarthy complexion, long neck, wide mouth, a bosom not much raised and eyes which are black and beautiful’. Henry, as we shall see, saw nothing wrong with Anne’s breasts, but the overall evidence of these less prejudiced observers hardly suggests compelling physical attractiveness. All reports agree that Anne was dark...when her daughter Elizabeth was born it was remarked how fair she was, taking after her father rather than her mother. A feature of which Anne herself was clearly proud of was her hair. A good deal of comment was caused by her wearing her hair down for the coronation procession through London, but again this was simply in accordance with established etiquette. Anne, however, had also worn her hair down for the entirely unprecedented ceremony where she was created marchioness of Pembroke.

“Looks only tolerable, but a splendid head of dark hair and fine eyes -- this was the impression Anne Boleyn made on her contemporaries, but it would be good to have some pictorial evidence. Here the past has not been kind. The painter coming into prominence at the English court was, of course, Hans Holbein the younger, but no painting of Anne by Holbein is known to have been made, and certainly none has survived. Two of his drawings are alleged to be of her: one in the set of his drawings in the royal collection at Windsor and the other formerly at Weston Park and now in the British Museum. The Windsor drawing carries the legend ‘Anna Bollein Queen’ in eighteenth-century lettering; the Weston Park drawing, in a hand dating from the first half of the seventeenth century, has the Latin legend: ‘Anne Bullen was beheaded, London 19 May, 1536′. The names on the Holbein drawings at Windsor are said to have derived originally from Sir John Cheke, Edward VI’s tutor, and since Cheke had known Anne, the identification might appear to have authority. However, the Cheke story is suspect -- several of his supposed identifications are demonstrably incorrect -- and there is evidence on the ‘Anna Bollein’ to link it with the Wyatt family. Moreover, the sitter is in evident deshabille, and why should any such likeness of the queen be commissioned? It is also the case that when both Holbeins were in the collection of the earl of Arundel int he late 1630s, the Czech artist, Wenceslaus Hollar, chose to engrave the British Museum drawing in preference to the one now at Windsor. Why Hollar selected that as likeness of Anne it is impossible to say; either he had advice or the Windsor drawing had not yet been claimed as ‘Anne’.

“One firm contemporary likeness of Anne Boleyn is a single specimen of the portrait medal struck in 1534; it carries her motto, ‘The Moost Happi’ and the initials ‘AR’ -- Anna Regina. Such a piece can only have been prepared on royal authority. The common assumption is that the medal was struck to mark Anne’s coronation, but the date makes that improbable. Between Anne’s coronation and a 25 March start to 1534 was ten months. The more likely occasion is the expected birth of Anne’s second child in the Autumn of 1534, and her miscarrying would explain why multiple copies do not survive. Unfortunately the nose has been badly damaged, perhaps deliberately, so that its value as a likeness is impaired. Nevertheless, the shake of the face is clear -- long and oval with high cheekbones, much the sort of face that her daughter Elizabeth was to have, according to some painters. Given the condition of the medal, it is impossible to go further than that, but it cannot be said to inspire confidence in the British Museum likeness endorsed by Holler and still less the Windsor example. Judged by the medal, Anne sat for neither of the Holbein drawings.

“A number of paintings from the later sixteenth century are claimed to be of Anne. They survive from sets of ‘Kings and Queens of England’ which Elizabethan and Jacobean gentry liked to have in their houses to demonstrate loyalty. There are two patterns which clearly represent separate traditions. The one best known at the time...depicts Anne in a gable hood with a single necklace of pearls and a cross decorated with rectangular stones. In a painting in this pattern...Anne wears a brooch in the form of a single drop pearl hanging from the monogram ‘AB’ in gold. The alternative pattern -- and the one commonly reproduced today -- has Anne in a French hood with a gold letter ‘B’ hanging from a pearl necklace. Several examples survive...Neither pattern, however, can be regarded as authoritative since neither is earlier than fifty or sixty years after Anne’s death or linked to the portrait medal, either directly or via a common ancestor.

“There is, however, a resolution of this pictorial game of ‘find the lady’. The key is an Elizabethan ring belonging to the Trustees of Chequers...the ring itself is mother-of-pearl, the shank is set with rubies and the bezel carries the monogram ‘E’ in diamonds. It was previously in the posession of the Home family, having, it is said, been given from the English royal treasures by James I to the then Lord Horne. The head of the ring is hinged and opens to reveal two enamel portraits, one of Elizabeth circa 1575 and one of a woman in the costume of Henry VIII’s reign, wearing a French hood. The portrait is minute...but not only is Anne by far the most likely woman of the previous generation to be thus matched with Elizabeth, the face mask is quite clearly the sitter in the Hever and National Portrait Gallery printings. Two important conclusions follow. First, the late Elizabethan ‘Kings and Queens’ image of Anne is pushed back some twenty years. Even more significant, that image must have been accepted in Elizabeth’s court as a likeness of the queen’s mother. Elizabeth herself could obviously have had no clear recollection of Anne’s face, but others around her had known Henry’s second wife well.

“How does the Chequers enamel compare with the 1534 medal? There is a forty-year interval between them and the head-dresses are different, but the sitter is evidently the same - long, oval face, high cheekbones, strong nose, and a decided chin: a face of character, not beauty. There is thus an authenticated sequence for Anne Boleyn, comprising the medal, the Chequers enamel, and the Hever/NPG pattern.

“With such a tiny ring it is hard to be certain, but between it and particularly the National Portrait Gallery example there seems to have been a prettying up and a loss of spirit. Fortunately, the sequence also has the effect of corroborating a seventeenth-century miniature in the collection of the Duke of Bucceleuch and Queensberry. Charles I had this copied as ‘Anne Boleyn’ by John Hoskins the elder...and it is now endorsed ‘from an ancient original’. How ‘ancient’ it is impossible to say. Although the relationship to the examples in the NPG pattern is evident, these were only thirty years old or perhaps less. It is more likely that Hoskins had access to an earlier image of the kind from which the NPG image originated. A full-length portrait of Anne was owned by Lord Lumley in 1590 and existed as late as 1773. Could it even be that Hoskins’ source was or was derived from a Holbein painting now lost? Speculation apart, the Hoskins is important because it preserves what a highly talented seventeenth-century miniaturist made of the image, and though again further softened, it is the best depiction of Anne we are likely ever to have, failing the discovery of new material. Portrait medal -- Chequers ring -- Hever/NPG pattern -- Hoskins miniature: the chain is complete. We have the real Anne Boleyn.

“...Establishing a reliable image for Anne Boleyn only accentuates the evidence of contemporaries that her attraction was not outstanding natural beauty. What, then, explains her power? In the first place she radiated sex. The heir of Northumberland would try to break a six-year-old engagement for her; Sir Thomas would become passionately involved; and it was the inability of a Flemish musician to stand the heady atmosphere around her that would help bring Anne to destruction. As for Henry, the king’s own letters show how explicit was his desire...”

“That Anne was aware of her attractiveness to men seems obvious. While in France her place beside the retiring queen would have kept her away from most of the notorious licentiousness which flourished in Francis I’s own household. Nevertheless, Anne cannot have been made aware of her power during such visits as Claude did make to a court which was much more explicitly erotic than those at London or Brussels...days after her death de Carles waxed lyrical about her expressive eyes...

“Yet sexuality was only part of Anne Boleyn’s attraction. What made her stand out was sophistication, elegance, and independence, in fact the continental experience and upbringing which we have explored...

“France and Queen Claude, and, one might add, Margaret of Austria: these had made the difference. There were other foreign ladies at the English court. Some, now aging, had come over with Katherine of Aragon, but among the English there was nobody with a tithe of the continental polish of Anne Boleyn. One of Wolsey’s servants who had known her remembered how she stood out among the other women at court for ‘her excellent grace and behavior’. A less than enthusiastic Protestant writer of the next generation told how’ albeit in beauty she was to many inferior, but for behavior, manners, attire, and tongue she excelled them all, for she had been brought up in France.’ A Catholic account of the same period stressed that ‘she was in the prime of her youth’, and as well as her musical abilities ‘had her Latin and French tongue’...Even the recusant tradition remembered her elegance and gave her credit for it, if for nothing else: ‘She was the model and the mirror of those who were at court, for she was always well dressed, and every day made some change in the fashion of her garments. But as to the disposition of her mind...’

“Anne Boleyn had style, and continental style at that. George Wyatt might look back and write of ‘the graces of nature graced by gracious education’, but Carles declared at the time: ‘no one would ever have taken her to be English by her manners, but a native-born Frenchwoman’.”

#anne boleyn #eric ives #ives #anne's appearance #appearance #pictorial #anne's likeness

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