#House Removals Wiltshire
Text
House Removals Wiltshire Made Effortless: Williams & White Leading the Way in Seamless Transitions
Moving to a new home is undoubtedly an exciting chapter, but the process of house removals can often be overwhelming. In the heart of Wiltshire, Williams & White is your trusted partner in transforming the daunting task of house removals into a seamless and stress-free experience. With a commitment to excellence and a client-centric approach, we take pride in being the go-to choice for individuals and families embarking on the journey of relocating in Wiltshire.
Personalized Approach to House Removals
At Williams & White, we understand that every move is unique, and so are the needs of our clients. Our personalized approach to house removals ensures that your specific requirements are at the forefront of our services. Whether you are moving locally within Wiltshire or across the region, our dedicated team works closely with you to tailor a removal plan that aligns with your timeline, budget, and preferences.
Professional Packing Services
Packing is often the most time-consuming aspect of any house removal. Williams & White alleviates this burden by offering professional packing services that ensure your belongings are packed securely and efficiently. Our trained packers use high-quality materials to protect fragile items, and we label each box systematically for easy unpacking at your new home. With our packing services, you can focus on the excitement of your new chapter while we handle the details.
Modern Fleet for Efficient Transportation
Williams & White takes pride in its modern fleet of vehicles equipped to handle all sizes of house removals in Wiltshire. Our well-maintained vans are designed to transport your belongings safely and efficiently to your new destination. From furniture to fragile items, we employ the latest technology to secure your possessions during transit, providing peace of mind throughout the moving process.
Local Knowledge, Global Standards
As a Wiltshire-based company, Williams & White brings the advantage of local knowledge to house removals in the region. Our team is familiar with the intricacies of navigating Wiltshire neighborhoods, ensuring that your move is conducted with efficiency and precision. While we prioritize local expertise, our commitment to global standards guarantees that every aspect of your house removal meets the highest industry benchmarks.
Storage Solutions for Seamless Transitions
In some cases, a seamless transition between homes may require temporary storage solutions. Williams & White offers secure and accessible storage facilities in Wiltshire, allowing you to store your belongings safely during the interim period. Our flexible storage options cater to the diverse needs of our clients, providing an additional layer of convenience to our comprehensive house removal services.
Transparent Communication and Cost
At Williams & White, transparency is a cornerstone of our approach to house removals. We understand the importance of clear communication and upfront pricing. Our team provides detailed quotes, ensuring that you are aware of all costs associated with your house removal. No hidden fees, no surprises – just a straightforward and transparent process that puts you in control of your moving budget.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Williams & White stands as your trusted partner for stress-free house removals in Wiltshire. With a personalized approach, professional packing services, a modern fleet, local knowledge, and transparent communication, we aim to redefine your moving experience. Whether you're moving locally or across Wiltshire, our team is dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition to your new home.Please visit our official website at: https://www.williamsandwhite.co.uk/
0 notes
Text
and here's the long awaited match-ups! for the sake of readability, here it is in text form:
Left Side:
1: The Narrator (Fight Club) VS Richard Papen (The Secret History)
2: Belgarath the Sorcerer (The Belgariad) VS Lain Iwakura (Serial Experiments Lain)
3: Kim Dokja (Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint) VS Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
4: Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) VS Drosselmeyer (Princess Tutu)
5: Kuruto Ryuki (AI: The Somnium Files – Nirvana Initiative) VS Ishmael (Moby Dick)
6: Amy Elliot-Dunne (Gone Girl) VS Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein)
7: Mary Katherine Blackwood (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) VS Odysseus (The Odysseus)
8: Pi Patel (Life of Pi) VS Alice Liddel (Alice: Madness Returns)
9: Jamie Taylor (The Haunting of Bly Manor) VS Jonny d'Ville (The Mechanisms)
10: Harrowhark Nonagesimus (The Locked Tomb) VS Elena Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries)
11: Wei Wuxian (Mo Dao Zu Shi/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) VS The Batter (OFF)
12: Charlotte Wiltshire (Hello Charlotte) VS Yuki Takeya (School-Live!)
13: Eleanor Vance (The Haunting of Hill House) VS Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)
14: Louis de Point du Lac (Interview With The Vampire) VS Harrier Du Bois (Disco Elysium)
15: Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) VS Will Navidson (House of Leaves)
16: Maebara Keiichi (Higurashi: When They Cry) VS Emperor Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)
Right Side:
17: Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye) VS Ethan Frome (Ethan Frome)
18: Kayleigh (We Had To Remove This Post) VS Attolis Eugenides (Queen's Thief)
19: Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) VS Mapleshade (Warriors)
20: The Narrator (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo) VS Offred (The Handmaid's Tale)
21: Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby) VS Zampanò (House of Leaves)
22: Steven Crain (The Haunting of Hill House) vs David Wong (John Dies At The End)
23: Renata Ghali (Planetfall) VS Johnny Truant (House of Leaves)
24: Mfer From Telltale Heart (The Tell-Tale Heart) VS Meursault (The Stranger)
25: Ted (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream) VS The Narrator (The Stanley Parable)
26: Genly Ai (The Left Hand of Darkness) VS Hiroshi Odokawa (Odd Taxi)
27: Frankenstein's Monster (Frankenstein) VS Varric Tethras (Dragon Age 2)
28: Cadi My Friend Cadi (Real Life) VS John The Apostle (The Bible)
29: Pelafina Heather Lièvre (House of Leaves) VS Johnny Silverhand (Cyberpunk 2077)
30: Rodion Raskolnikov (Crime and Punishment) VS Marco (Animorphs)
31: Flannery Culp (The Basic Eight) VS Daniil Dankovsky (Pathologic)
32: Cecil Palmer (Welcome To Night Vale) VS Mr. Stevens (The Remains of the Day)
#unreliable narrator poll#thanks for your patience etc etc ... this was a lot of typing it hurt my stupid wrists. but still i endure
226 notes
·
View notes
Text
The hottest tea from Lady C in 2023
God knows why and I'm clearly a masochist, but I had a whim to watch all her 2023 videos and have transcribed the juiciest bits. (Watching them at 1.5 speed helps...a little.)
1/19/23:
“I am telling you everybody is sitting on a massive secret. . . Massive! They have been doing so for awhile. The family didn’t know about it! For quite awhile! They were actually enlightened by the public in dribs and drabs. More than that i do not wish to say at this juncture. There is nothing the RF have to apologize for.”
"I know what each side has on the other and let me tell you something - Harry and Meghan have nothing compared to what is had against them."
1/10/2023
"Harry seems to have never understood in his 38 years on this Earth that there's a reason why the Buckingham Palace press office exists. He ought to know it only too well.
"They were busy putting out fires to preserve his reputation and presenting it from being scorched. Until he left the royal family and then started to attack them, at which point they've let him speak for himself.
"I'm telling you, I know as a fact of one huge (when I tell you 'huge', I mean HUGE! Bigger than his ego or Megan's ego) story that Buckingham Palace has been, behind the scenes desperately trying to douse.
"One. At least one."
1/7/2023
Diana had an affair with the Earl of Pembroke after William's birth but before Harry was born. "The 17th Earl of Pembroke was a tall, slim, dashingly handsome movie producer, with the ideal looks for a romantic hero. According to Barbara Cartland, his ancestral home Wilton House, in Wiltshire near Salisbury, was one of the most beautiful homes in Britain. Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, was top drawer.
"He and the rest of his family had always mixed in royal circles as I can personally attest, having met him in 1975 at a party given by Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. He was also the producer of the movie that destroyed Koo Stark's chances of becoming the Duchess of York. He didn't flip my light switch, but he flipped Diana's."
1/5/2023
Viewer Question "I want to know whether you can assure us that Harry and Megs will get their comeuppance this year."
Lady C: "You don't have to wait that long. Sometime this year, on more than one location, Harry and Megan are going to discover that what goes around, comes around and if you prod the bear long and hard enough, he will not only get up and growl, but he will swipe at you and he might even tear your raiments and remove your masks, and you will be revealed in all of your ingloriousness for what you truly are.
"Take it from me, you don't have that long to wait. A few months - there's a lot in the pipeline. "
"Oh, people are going to get their just desserts. They're going to discover that attack was not the best form of defense. Sometimes coming clean is a far better policy.
"(The Royal Family) came to the conclusion, quite justified it has to be said, that Harry wanted them to breach the rules governing the press and the royal family for his and Megan's convenience. It wasn't only for their convenience, to the best of my information. It was more than for their convenience. More than that, I do not wish to say on that particular point." (Implying that Harry wanted them to cover something up?)
1/3/2023
"I'm choosing my words very carefully. There are persistent reports from extremely well-placed people, some of whom are long-standing friends of Harry's, that Harry and Megan lead entirely separate lives. They are de facto separated, although they are living supposedly and ostensibly and superficially and very occasionally under the same roof.
"Harry is trying to make tracks back with friends, many of whom have spurned his attempts but he's not trying to make tracks back with the family because he is insistent that he is in the right, he's always been in the right. incidentally Harry's always had a massive ego, and has always been pretty uncontrollable.Tthat was one of the virtues of Meghan: she was able to control him, as we've seen, but that allure seems to have become water to a large extent under the bridge. I think William has a far more realistic attitude of what the outcome of all of this is going to be: very sad."
"Remember, Meghan she told the queen, 'Use me as you will, as if the queen was a John. Very interesting, that comment that she made."
Bonus: 12/31/2022 - New Year's Eve
"I don't think Harry's book is going to stay on the best sellers list for any length of time, unless of course Harry and Megan start to come clean." (raises her eyebrow.)
"Meghan's like an egg beater in one's brain, but I'm going to leave you with a sword. You're going to see Megan in all her shorn glory. That's right -depend on it. Megan is going to be revealed to the world as she truly is. That's gonna be something worth seeing."
12/20/2022 - (This is the one that intrigues me most.)
"Harry and Meghan were absolutely right to be terrified (in Liverpool), and I have no doubt she was playing every card in the book in case what had gone down, came out. Let me put it that way. But he didn’t, and they are really dumb to be belaboring the point. Because now, it’s only a matter of time before what went down, it does come out. Let’s see if she commits suicide then, because what went down is definitely not going to be something he or she wants to come out. I make that point for what it’s worth.
Netflix is laying the ground for assisting in what is the most flagrant sleight of hand and manipulation ever perpetrated upon the public."
What is Harry looking down at? This was their visit to the Wirral, near Liverpool. Is this what Lady C is referring to?
164 notes
·
View notes
Text
Chapter 25
Celebrating my 50th entry, posting chapter 25 today... what a journey it's been so far! Thank you all so,very much for (still) reading, liking and commenting my little story - your feedback always means so much to me and I hope you're going to enjoy this little "happy chapter" in between all the drama... please do let me know what you think / wish for!
04th August 1995
Raymill House, Wiltshire
"Can I finally open my eyes now?", Thea asked, more excited than annoyed, as she was guided through an obviously long corridor at a house or place she didn't think she'd been before. It was her 8th birthday today, she was on summer school break, and Mummy had taken her on a very special surprise trip to a secret destination. The car ride from Middlewick House, where they were still living after Andrew had moved out right after New Year's, had only taken a few minutes so, wherever they were, it couldn't be far away, but she had no orientation left with the blindfold Mummy had put on her. "Just a few more steps, darling, we're almost there!", Camilla promised and carefully guided her birthday girl around the last corner and into the beautiful, bright room in their soon-to-be home that would soon be her's. She hadn't shown her the house with which she had fallen in love the moment she had first set a foot in yet; a beautiful, stone manor country house with a huge garden, acres, stables and a swimming pool, it was simply perfect for them, perfectly located at the end of a long driveway, hard to reach for uninvited guests and only just a short 15-minutes drive away from Highgrove. The only catch had been the price. 850,000£ was much more than she could actually effort, but thanks to the help of her father and some good friends she had eventually been able to purchase the six-bedroom house as a new home for her children and herself and she had no doubt that they'd be happy here. The room she had chosen to be Theodora's had a huge window front which offered a breathtaking view over the garden; just what her sweet little angel would love and make her feel comfortable. "Okay, darling, are you ready for your birthday surprise?", Camilla asked, feeling just as excited as the birthday girl herself. Thea nodded impatiently and Camilla solemnly removed the blindfold from her eyes. "Well, my darling… welcome to our new home!", she announced and after a few insecure blinks, Thea's eyes widened in astonishment, enchantedly wandering around the room, along the walls, up and down the ceiling and finally out of the window. "Wooow!", she exclaimed, looking at her mother in complete disbelief. "Is that true?", she asked and Camilla, wiping a few tears of joy away as she was so relieved and moved by her daughter's reaction, nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, darling, it is!", she confirmed. "And if you like it, this could soon be your room." "Oh Mummy!", Thea cheered, falling into her mother's arms. "Of course I like it! It's beautiful! Just look at the view over the garden… can we go down and have a look?"
"Yes sure, come on, I'll show you around!", Camilla said, took her daughter's hand nad happily showed her around their new home; there were six bedrooms on the first floor, one for Camilla, one for Tom, Laura and Theodora respectively, one for a guest and one which Camilla had decided to become the painting room; an entire room where she, and Thea too, if she liked as she was already a much better painter than she herself anyway and Camilla had no doubt that she had inherited that talent from Charles, could store all of their painting equipment and work on their pictures whenever they fancied and wouldn't ever have to worry about tidying it up afterwards, getting the easels out of the way or not to accidentally ruin a precious piece of furniture with a paint brush; an entire room where they could be creative, relax, dream and just do what they enjoyed most. She couldn't wait to get started! Downstairs, on the ground floor, the heart of the house was a huge kitchen which naturally invited to some cosy cooking or baking events and though it would most certainly end in a disaster, like most of her cooking or baking attempts, Camilla was still looking forward to officially inaugurating it with her children. Apart from the kitchen, the ground floor had a huge dining room where they could host the most fabulous luncheons or dinner parties with all of their friends and family, as well as two sitting rooms, one bigger and one smaller one, each with a fireplace, offering maximum cosiness, and wonderfully wide, floor-to-ceiling windows with the same, fantastic view over the garden as the ones in Thea's room. "Do you think we will be happy here, little darling?", Camilla asked as they had finished the little house tour and Thea nodded excitedly. "Yes, Mummy, very much so.", she assured her with sparkling eyes, and Camilla pulled her into her arms. "Wonderful. That makes me really, really happy.", she sighed, before enthusiastically adding: "Oh, by the way, sweetie, you haven't seen the garden yet! Come on!" With that, she took her daughter by the hand again and led her outside, where they toured the huge garden with the beautiful, mediterranean terrace, the pool area and all its wonderful trees and bushes which were all so nicely grown and surely already a home to all different sorts of local wildlife.
"And now let's go and see the stables.", Camilla said, pointing right over there. As if by command, in that very moment a horse neighed passionately, undoubtedly from the stables they were just about to view and Thea looked at Camilla irritatedly. "Mummy…? Did the former owners leave a horse here?" Camilla shrugged her shoulders in innocent unawareness. "Not to my knowledge. Let's just go and have a look!", she suggested and Thea immediately ran off to the stables. Camilla smiled as she knew exactly what was going on and she couldn't wait for her darling to discover the very special birthday present that was already waiting for her at their new home: being just as much of a pony-mad girl as her mother, Thea had been wishing to have her own horse for years and, of course, they had ponies at Middlewick House and she had been allowed to ride on some of Andrew and Camilla's horses but now that she was eight, she was old enough to have her own horse, not only for the fun things, but also to take on the less fun responsibilities that came about with owning a horse, properly looking after an animal, feeding and grooming it, mucking out its stable and all that sort of stuff, of course not on her own, but Camilla thought it'd be good for her, especially after the divorce and now with the relocation, to have something, or rather someone, she could care for and who could care for her, and unsurprisingly, both her men, Charles and Andrew had wholeheartedly agreed. What had taken her by surprise though, was Charles' suggestion to gift her one of the retired Cavalry Blacks who had been helping to guide the Royal Family taking part in huge ceremonial occasions like Trooping the Colour - an incredibly patient, strong, resilient and calm, very special breed that not even Andrew, despite all of his years served in the Household Cavalry, had ever been able to call his own yet. Of course, it was all different for Charles, who had insisted that his daughter should have the very horse that had served himself over several years, before it got too old for all the pomp and circumstances, especially the loud noises and huge crowds, but aged 18, the good-natured gelding was just perfect as a first horse for a little girl like Thea. He had arrived a few days ago and Charles had temporarily sent over someone from Highgrove to look after him for as long as Camilla and the children hadn't moved it yet. His name was Albert and Charles had even commissioned an incredibly noble, royal blue saddle pad with his name embroidered, as well a as very special blanket, also in royal blue, saying "Happy 8th birthday Theodora", which he himself had carefully put on Albert's back once he had heard Camilla’s car rolling up the driveway. "See, old boy, here comes your new owner.", he whispered as he noticed Thea running over. Hopefully it was going to be a success…
Of course it was a success. Thea was absolutely over the moon with both, her birthday present as such, and the fact that it came from Sir and that he was there. She excitedly ran into his arms and Charles picked her up, twirling her around, both of them happily giggling and laughing. Once more, Camilla had to turn around and wipe a few tears away. It was such a relief to see her little girl, who'd been through quite a lot recently, so happy again, and of course it always made her particularly emotional to see Charles and Thea together like that. If only… - "no, stop it!", she admonished herself, before straightening her shoulders, putting on a brave face, smilingly greeting the love of her life with a firm kiss, while Thea was already bonding with Albert, friendly introducing herself, speaking to him and patting him carefully. "Perhaps he'd like some polos.", Camilla suggested and handed her daughter a box of polo mints, which gave them a few private seconds. "Hello darling.", she whispered, looking at him in pure love and adoration. Sometimes, her feelings for him still overwhelmed her. "It's so nice to see you." Of course, Charles noticed the tears in her eyes immediately, pulled her in his right arm and tenderly stroked her back. "You're alright, darling?", he asked concernedly, looking at her in sorrow. "Yes, yes, darling. It's just that days like this always make me a bit… melancholic.", she said. He didn't reply but instead pulled her even closer and gently kissed her forehead. He understood. And he felt the same. But for him this birthday was an enormous improvement compared to the years before. He still wasn't in her life as her father and probably would never be, but at least he was there as her mother's partner, he could be with his ladies at all, and express his endless love for them both and it almost felt like they were a really, normal, happy family. "Wanna go for a little walk?", he asked, offering her an arm to link and she agreed only too happily.
26 notes
·
View notes
Text
Castle Combe; often named as the ‘Prettiest Village in England.'
Castle Combe, a medieval village and civil parish within Cotswolds area of outstanding natural beauty in Wiltshire, England.
The village has a rich history and the houses are made up of the honey coloured Cotswold stone, typical for a village of this area.
The village takes its name from a castle built on the hill to the north of the village in the 12th century AD, of which little now remains except earthworks.
No new homes have been built in the historic area since 1600s AD.
During the Middle Ages, the village, along with much of the Cotswolds, enjoyed prosperity due to the growth of a thriving wool industry.
Within Castle Combe, you’ll find a Market Cross and St Andrew’s Church, which dates from the 13th century AD.
The church houses a faceless clock, which is reputed to be one of oldest working clocks in the country.
Numerous weavers’ cottages were erected from local stone, and these ancient honey-hued buildings remain one of the village’s standout features today.
The village was known in particular for manufacturing a red and white cloth known as ‘Castlecombe,’ which was renowned in the markets of Bristol, Cirencester, as well as London and abroad.
In 1440 AD, King Henry VI granted Castle Combe the right to hold a weekly market, with unmistakable Market Cross monument still standing proudly today.
Castle Combe strictly banned all modern attachments such as TV dishes and external wires to the exterior of its houses, restrictions that have been instrumental in helping the historic village to maintain its authentic appearance.
As a result, the village has become a popular location for film crews, with productions including the 1967 filmed musical Doctor Dolittle, Stardust, and The Wolf Man were all shot within the village.
Castle Combe was a key filming location for Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse.
To recreate a 1914 setting, the village’s tarmac through-road was closed and covered with a temporary muddy surface.
Its modern street lamps, signage, and post boxes were either covered or removed altogether. Its white window frames were repainted with more muted colours.
📷 : Credit to the Owner
#Castle Combe#Cotswolds#Wiltshire#England#medieval village#Middle Ages#Market Cross#St Andrew’s Church#Castlecombe#King Henry VI#filming location#weekly market#market town#12th century#1100s#medieval history#medieval architecture#stone buildings#English village
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
[ cis woman | she&her ] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [CLAIRE LOVETTE]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [ELLE FANNING]. You must be the [TWENTY-THREE] year old [BALLERINA]. Word is your [COMPASSIONATE] but can also be a bit [FERVENT] and your favorite song is [WHITE HOUSES BY VANESSA CARLTON]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [OCEAN CREST APARTMENTS]. I’m sure you’ll love it!
NAME: Claire Artemisia Lovette
GENDER & PREFERRED PRONOUNS: Cis Woman (She/Her)
AGE: 23
BIRTHDAY: February 19, 2000
ZODIAC: Pisces Sun (Aquarius Cusp), Virgo Rising, Cancer Moon
SEXUALITY & ROMANCE: Bisexual / Biromantic
FACE CLAIM: Elle Fanning
OCCUPATION: Ballerina
HOMETOWN: Wiltshire, UK
CURRENT RESIDENCE: Ocean Crest Apartments @ Aurora Bay
CHARACTER PLAYLIST: HERE.
" AND SHE'S SO PRETTY AND SHE'S SO SURE - MAYBE I'M MORE CLEVER THAN A GIRL LIKE HER "
Claire was born to William and Claudette Lovette on a rainy morning. Her parents, to this day, swear that she was the reason the rain stopped. She understood the sentiment, but she loves the rain and could never see herself willing it to stop.
Her father was a philosophy professor in Cambridge. As she grew up, she was always taught to take a step back from a situation and look at it from all the possible perspectives. Her mother claims her curiosity for the world and deeper understandings stem from her father. That is, when he wasn't filling her head with fairytales.
Her mother was a model who retired in order to take of Claire. Though she loved the girl, she wound up going back into fashion as a marketing executive. Because of this, Claire spent her life from the ages of 5 until 14 traveling around Europe. The only constant being dance classes that she always was sure her mother signed her up for.
It was when she was 14, that she moved to Aurora Bay. It was extended family matters that pulled the Lovette family from their dreamy bubble across the pond, to the coastal town in America. Claire hasn't left, ever since. She's grown deep connections here, and actually works as a professional ballerina for The Southern California Ballet; but she also does travel for her work as well, and one can see her on TikTok teaching others specific ballet moves or logging her daily thoughts.
" IT'S ALRIGHT AND IT'S NICE NOT TO FEEL SO ALONE. BUT I HOLD ONTO YOUR SECRETS "
Claire is compassionate, kind and looks at the world through a pink lens. She likes to see the best in people, even if they don't deserve it. Prone to dramatics, the blonde feels things at such an intensity that at times she needs to step away. One can often find her reading the classics, cuddled up with a cappuccino. Though raised wealthy, she does enjoy the finer things in life but Claire could go without any of it. She never truly fit into her family's high-society, and it may not show in her delicate nature but it will when someone catches her climbing a tree or dancing in the rain. She's a true girls'-girl; always supportive, and has been even with competition in her dancing world. Though she loves ballet, it has effected her self worth; the young woman always thinking she can be thinner, prettier, ect. Sometimes the worth of her beauty was always deemed more important than her brain, and this sort of trauma pops up every now and again. This makes her prone to fits of existential crises and she retreats into herself or acts out in huge displays of grandeur. She falls in love at the drop of a hat and partly blames her parents for this, but also loves very intensely. This can make her blind to red flags and come off as naive, hoenstly. She likes rom-coms, strawberries, bonfires at the beach and champagne. She's happiest when she's in an art museum, on stage dancing, or playing the piano. Claire, due to being able to remove herself from her friends' situations, tends to give great advice but can't follow it herself. She loves pink, okay? Soft. Delicate. Pink. High-femme energy. Has watched Marie Antoinette on repeat and definitely has seen Barbie over 5 times in one week. She does love to analyze film and art, and often times than not her intellect is overlooked due to her outside appearance. She's honestly just that light in the dark; little doses of sunshine when the world seems doom and gloom.
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Long Ago (and far away)
Part 5
Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire
Narcissa stared down at the unfolded letter before her. Such an innocent thing - just parchment and ink - but she barely dared touch it. She tapped a finger on the polished cherry wood top of her escritoire and made a decision. Standing, she picked it up and folded it, slipping it into the generous pocket of her skirt. And wasn't it true that any skirt wishing to be called well-made must include large pockets? She smoothed down the fine pale silver wool and straightened the matching waistcoat.
Glancing down at the delicate watch suspended from the Malfoy crest pinned to the breast pocket of her waistcoat, she strode from the morning room. This matter required not the soft and gentle surroundings of pale gray watered silk walls and pale blue velvet furnishings, but the definite and purposeful Study. And it earned that capitalization, even in her own mind. It was her demesne, even through that cursed decade of illness. She reached the tall, paneled doors, boot heels clicking on marble tiles, and pressed her palm flat against the brass door guard.
The family magic surged to her, and the door clicked open. She let out the breath she would never admit to holding. What if...well, given the contents of the letter, she'd worried the Malfoy Magics would reject her claim.
She had failed in her duty, brought low by duplicity. As weak as the aspidistra now laying limp in its pot on her windowsill. Well, she would rise to the occasion. It was all she could do.
Narcissa entered the Study, bolstered by the hush of the space. To her, it gave welcome respite. She crossed, skirt swishing over the expensive carpet as she walked straight for the Malfoy Desk. Each Family Head had used the Desk, back to before recorded Malfoy history began, presiding over family meetings and working out accounts and plans. Only the inlay on the current Desk's top remained of the original, but it imbued the whole piece with the solid steadiness of generations. She trailed her fingers over the dark wood and felt the soft thrum of centuries of accumulated magic. Grounded by the welcome, she turned to the wall behind the Desk.
A wall safe shimmered into existence, popping open when she pressed her palm against the door. The Malfoy wand and signet lay inside, the symbols of the office she'd deserted in her weakness. That she could still reach in and remove both, that the Family Magics still swirled about her in warm welcome, spoke more to her as victim than as one derelict in her duty. She slid the signet onto her left ring finger and secreted the wand in her wrist holster.
Before making another move, she reached back into the safe and brushed fingertips over two of the runes etched there. They glowed briefly and a short blade popped out of the wall. Smiling at the accommodation, Narcissa nicked her fingertip and pressed the welling blood into the runes. As she removed her hand from the safe, her fingertip healed and a pile of wands appeared in a clatter.
Smiling glacially, she closed the safe. Once she had Lucius secure, she'd return the spares to their hiding spots about the Manor. Narcissa schooled her features into something hopefully less terrifying. She'd learned in girlhood to present a calm and smooth face always (the one the Prophet likened to 'the remote and disquieting beauty of a glacial field'), but the sheer unquenchable well of cold rage freezing her veins left her looking less than composed.
"Malfoy elves, attend!" She commanded.
All fifteen of the House Elves bound to the family popped into the Study. They stood, quiet but alert, and waited.
"Before I say anything else, I wish to thank each one of you for continuing your work in our family whilst I was so ill. Without your dedicated service, the Malfoy family would have fallen into complete disarray." Narcissa spoke quietly, but each elf straightened proudly at her words.
"We have, however, been cruelly misused this last ten years. Mifrit?" She named the Head Elf.
"Yes, Mistress?" And elderly elf stepped forward.
"Is Consort Malfoy in?"
"He is being in the Library, Mistress."
"Good. I have recalled all wands in the house to the safe. Kerrik, please remove Consort Malfoy to the Consort's Chamber. He will have no contact with the world outside those four walls. From this day, Malfoy elves will answer only my summons and orders. No other shall command you." She felt the shift in the bonds immediately, and by the murmur, the Elves felt it as well.
"I is seeing him in the Chamber, Mistress." Kerrik disappeared with a pop.
"There will be changes in this House, starting today. For now, you are dismissed."
The elves disappeared as one. Narcissa sank slowly into the Desk's chair, swallowing hard. She set her hand flat on the desktop, hoping to dispel the shaking. One did not recover from a decade of near complete inactivity and illness overnight.
Even if one made a near miraculous recovery by not drinking the tea one's beautifully solicitous husband brought every morning.
Oh, Lucius Malfoy would pay for his deceit, and dearly.
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
Faustina's Marble Origins (supposedly...)
"Eccme... Salve... sum problema! Eccme!
Title:
Portrait of Faustina the Elder
Artist/Maker:
Unknown
Date:
A.D. 140–160
Medium:
Marble
Dimensions:
209 × 78 × 55 cm (82 5/16 × 30 11/16 × 21 5/8 in.)
Place:
Roman Empire (Place Created)
Culture:
Roman
Object Number:
70.AA.113
Credit Line:
Gift of J. Paul Getty
Inscription(s):
Inscription (modern): FAUSTINA SENIOR ("Faustina the Elder")
Alternate Titles:
Faustina the Elder (Alternate Title)
Department:
Antiquities
Classification:
Sculpture
Object Type:
Female portrait
Since there is no description of Faustina’s appearance, we have no idea if her portraits bear any close relationship to the way she really looked. There must have been an attempt to prompt an immediate identification between her actual appearances in public (if only for a few years, and later as effigies seen from a distance) and her artistic representations. However, the mechanical reproduction of imperial portraits warns against seeing them as direct imitations.
The administration in Rome sent out miniature templates of her profile for the die-cutters of coins and medals and models for sculptors and painters. The copying of these models in the provinces produced series of nearly identical Faustina portraits on conventional body types established by the first augusta, Livia, a century and a half before. Although the carved body is now lost and the original placement of the sculpture is unknown, the commanding presence of the princeps femina (first among women) persists, just as it was meant to, “in eternity.”
As for Faustina the Elder’s character, very little was written about her life, but like queens and empresses before her and leading ladies long after, suspicions were raised about her. As Antoninus’s image-makers would have it, Faustina was the ideal Roman woman—dignified, cultivated, and virtuous—eminently worthy of emulation.This particular statue is probably supposed to emulate the goddess, Ceres. There would have been wheat in her right hand.
Since this statue is likely a later copy or reproduction and modeled after Livia and Ceres, this would have been a fairly common body to reproduce. The hood suggests that the head is not removable - it would not have been interchanged for a different lady. There is no specific identification of the marble or where it was found. I am going to imagine that the statue was commissioned by her husband for members of her cult and the marble is from close to Rome, likely Carrara. It would have had to be transported on a cart across land.
1730 - first identification of statue
Thomas Herbert, 8th earl of Pembroke, 5th earl of MontgomeryEnglish, 1656 - 1733 (Wilton House, Wiltshire, England)
by inheritance to his son, Henry Herbert, 1733.
0 notes
Text
Are You Searching For Removals Company in Swindon
Superb Moves Ltd Removals Swindon is a fully insured professional registered family-run removal company. Further we always get a five-star rating, and we cover Swindon and surrounding areas. Our employees are properly trained, so you can have the confidence of quality professional service. In other words your products are safe.
Here some areas and services:
Welcome to Swindon movers. We are an established home Removal company with many years of experience in Swindon. We provide a local and Nationwide house removal service, man & van hire, house clearance services. Further, We always get a five-star rating, and we cover Swindon and surrounding areas. We facilitate the transport of products in Swindon, all of Great Britain, and internationally. We have a tendency to cope with domestic moves. Further as moving offices for your business. We will transport all of your products to any destination you specify.
Our packings
Firstly We can provide you with an array of packaging supplies such as boxes and tape for your move. And also we have the knowledge of just what you will need for your special move. Above all Our boxes and supplies will guarantee the safe transport of your goods.
Secondly, with our expertise, you’ll be able to admit the U.S.A. to supply you with the most effective removal in Swindon. We are the best removal company in Swindon, and also with a prime quality service. Moreover, we provide value-effective removal solutions to you right here in Wiltshire. Local, national, and even international, we tend to cowl all doable Swindon removal variations. Further with a whole piece of mind that your move is going to be secure, quick, and trouble-free. We pride ourselves on our individual approach to each move. So contact us today to get a quote for your move.
OUR REMOVALS IN SWINDON AND AROUND AREAS:
removals in Reading | removals in Oxford | removals in Gloucester | removals in Bath | removals in Faringdon
| removals in Marlborough | removals in Royal Wootton Bassett | removals in Cirencester | removals in Cheltenham
And | removals in Birmingham | removals in London | removals in Bristol | man and Van in Reading
| man and Van in Oxford
| man and Van in Gloucester | man and Van in Bath | man and Van in
Faringdon | man and Van in Marlborough
| man and Van in Royal Wootton Bassett | man and Van in Cirencester | man and Van in Cheltenham
| man and Van in Birmingham | man and Van in London | man and Van in Bristol
#man and Van swindon#removal companies swindon#removals Wiltshire#removal swindon#Swindon removal#Swindon removal companies#REMOVALS IN SWINDON#removals company swindon
0 notes
Link
We pride ourselves on offering prompt and professional removal, packaging and delivery services throughout Trowbridge, Wiltshire and the South.
1 note
·
View note
Text
A Career in Clay
Meet Hamilton Wiltshire, Master Potter of Barbados
Written By Richard Perry
“I thought clay must feel happy in the good potter’s hand.” — Janet Fitch, White Oleander
On our third trip to Barbados, my wife decided that to celebrate her birthday she would like to meet the man behind the popular Hamilton’s Pottery brand. The trouble was, no one, including our cab driver (and his dispatcher), had any idea where to find the shop.
The glossy tourist brochures make no mention. All we knew was that it was somewhere in the St. Thomas parish, far removed from the commercial districts in Bridgetown or Holetown. A Google search advised that we were to ‘turn at Little Jerusalem junction.’
So, we headed inland toward Welchman Hall Gully and Misery Hill until a blue roundabout sign confirmed we were on the right track. Up we climbed, past rickety farm houses, past a lone foraging goat, past a tall sugar cane crop until a bumpy Allan View Road – more a pathway than a road – took us to a non-descript grey building with a sign confirming that we’d arrived.
“You’re a hard man to find,” said my wife as we entered the shaded workspace. “I’m the Shelley who sent you the email from Canada.”
“Oh yes, I remember,” said Mr. Hamilton Wiltshire, greeting us with a wide smile as he placed a handle on another clay mug being readied for the kiln. “Hello Ms. Shelley. Pleased to meet you and welcome to Barbados!”
Shelley told him how we had received gifts of his pottery in recent years. She began her shopping while I chatted with this amiable Bajan craftsman. Turns out he has been turning Barbadian clay into pottery now for more than four decades.
“I began when I was a teenager and heard a radio spot promoting government pottery training right out of high school,” he said. “From there I took further training, including study in Italy, and started my business selling Indigenous pottery.”
In fact, Wiltshire used Indigenous Potteries as a business name, until a customer wandered into the shop one day and asked if this was ‘Hamilton’s Pottery’. After another visitor asked the same question, he decided to personalize his brand. A wise decision.
Today, Hamilton runs the countryside business with the help of his wife, sister and cousin. Their son lives abroad in the UK.
“I hope that maybe someday he will come home and work with us,” he said. “I am hoping to find a younger person, someone with the right attitude, to be trained to work with me.”
Wiltshire produces a range of stunning ceramic products, many of which are sold through retail outlets such as the popular Cave Shepherd chain of eight stores and the Best of Barbados shops. He also sells from a tent during the popular Holetown Festival in mid- February each year.
“The festival keeps me up until 2 a.m., but I love it,” he adds, while setting the latest mug onto a shelf to dry before being baked in the kiln.
His pottery is made with red clay sourced in nearby St. Andrews. The end products include functional and traditional pots – monkey jars, table ware and vases – along with decorative candle shades, flying fish wall art, chimes and spoon ladles.
During our brief visit, his cousin was inserting individual plugs of clay onto a mould press, which produced a ready-to-bake spoon ladle. As each item was retrieved from the mould, he trimmed the excess clay by hand. All of the colourful glazes that are baked onto Wiltshire’s creations are environmentally safe.
Earlier in his career Wiltshire was encouraged to ship products to overseas markets, but the huge demand on his time took away from what he loved most – the craft itself.
“I had to ask myself the question: Am I a potter or a packer?” He eventually cut back from ten staff to three. He will, however, still produce some custom orders.
Hamilton rung up our purchases and helped wrap them, offering a generous discount on top of the already reasonable wholesale price. It was a huge saving over the retail markups found elsewhere.
On our return to Holetown, our cab driver Dwight tells us his real passion is cooking. He has studied in the US and UK and is considering taking a course in fine cuisine in Montreal, Canada. So, it was no surprise to me that my kind wife added something special as we paid our fare – one of Wiltshire’s specialty kitchen items – a ceramic spoon ladle glazed in beautiful Caribbean blues and greens.
“Something to remember our trip by,” she said. “And now you’ll always know where to bring your passengers if they’re looking for Hamilton’s shop.”
Weeks later back in Canada, it is a chilly winter’s morning, a far cry from the 28-degree Celsius climate in Barbados. We reach for our coffee mugs. Smiling, we remember our search for the happy Bajan potter who has pleased thousands of customers throughout the Caribbean and overseas.
Turning the mug over, we read the inscription on the bottom: Hamilton’s Pottery, Barbados. A pleasant reminder of the day we met this extraordinary craftsman and gentleman.
-30-
To find Hamilton’s Pottery of Barbados:
By car: From Holetown, drive 9.7 km east for 13-15 minutes via Highways 1A and 1. Turn at Little Jerusalem Junction, following the blue arrow sign for Hamilton’s Pottery.
Address: Lot 4 (Allan View Road), Sturges, St. Thomas, Barbados.
Tel: +1 246-242-7176
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Mon to Fri – 9am to 5pm and Saturday – 9am to 1pm
Closed Sunday.
0 notes
Text
Trust Williams And White for Seamless House Removals in Wiltshire
Williams And White: Your Partner for Successful House Removals in Wiltshire
When it comes to House Removals Wiltshire, one name stands out as a beacon of trust and reliability: Williams And White. With years of experience and a commitment to excellence, Williams And White has become synonymous with seamless and stress-free moves in the region. In this blog, we will explore why choosing Williams And White for your house removal needs in Wiltshire is a decision that guarantees peace of mind.
The Importance of a Seamless Move
Moving to a new home can be a daunting task, filled with challenges and uncertainties. The importance of a seamless move cannot be overstated. A well-executed removal process ensures that your cherished belongings arrive at your new destination intact and on time. It also means less stress for you and your family during a period that can otherwise be overwhelming.
Williams And White's Expertise
What sets Williams And White apart is their unmatched expertise in the industry. With a team of professionals who are well-versed in the intricacies of House Removals Wiltshire, they bring a wealth of knowledge to every project. Their years of experience have honed their skills, allowing them to handle every aspect of your move with precision and care.
Comprehensive Removal Services
Williams And White offers a comprehensive range of removal services tailored to meet your unique needs. From packing and loading to transportation and unpacking, they take care of it all. Their fleet of well-maintained vehicles ensures the safe transport of your belongings, no matter the distance.
Whether you are moving within Wiltshire or relocating to another part of the country, Williams And White's services are designed to accommodate your specific requirements. They understand that every move is different, and they adapt their approach to suit your situation.
Customer-Centric Approach
What truly sets Williams And White apart is their unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. They understand that a move can be a significant life event, and they go above and beyond to make it as smooth as possible for you. From the moment you reach out to them to the final placement of your possessions in your new home, they prioritize your needs and preferences.
Testimonials and Success Stories
One of the best ways to gauge the quality of a removal service is by hearing from those who have experienced it firsthand. Williams And White is proud to share numerous testimonials and success stories from satisfied clients who have entrusted them with their moves. These real-life accounts speak volumes about the company's dedication to excellence.
Conclusion
In the realm of House Removals Wiltshire, Williams And White stands as a trusted and reliable partner. Their expertise, comprehensive services, and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction make them the go-to choice for anyone embarking on a move. When you choose Williams And White, you are choosing peace of mind, knowing that your move will be seamless and stress-free. Make your next move a success by placing your trust in Williams And White, the name synonymous with excellence in house removals in Wiltshire.
0 notes
Text
Teenager who won Dragons Den Investment Arrested for Suspicion of Burglary
A young entrepreneur who landed an investment of a staggering PS80,000 in Dragon's Den was arrested for allegedly burgling his mother's home.
Jordan Daykin, 19, was the youngest person to ever join the Dragons when Deborah Meaden pledged the money in return for 25 percent stake in his company.
A few months later, he was nabbed by his mother after he took over her home and stole a number valuables including Swarovski crystals and four televisions. He also stole jewelry worth more than PS4,000.
Claims: Jordan Daykin, pictured right on Dragons' Den earlier this year, is alleged to have robbed the home of his mother Maria Daykin, right, in Westbury, Kent. He was later detained and released on bail.
Permission: Jordan's spokesperson said that he was allowed into the home due to the fact that his mother had experienced a'sudden upheaval at her home'. Above, is one of the rooms which Ms Daykin claimed was burglarized.
A spokesman for Jordan said that he had permission from his mother to go into the house and that he was helping his brother get out of the house after a row. He also said that the possessions they took belonged to only them.
Mother of two Maria Daykin, 45, said she was "disgusted" at her son's alleged actions, which are believed to be part of a family conflict.
She stated that she had to notify the police because it was a violation of her privacy. My home was completely destroyed including all furniture and TVs. I returned home to find it was completely destroyed.
Career criminal who was Britain's youngest ASBO at the age of 14 steers clear... https://calistomebel.com/ 'My phone was stolen on holiday and Vodafone are making ME...
"He is nominated for all these awards. I believe the sole reason was to go in and see my house destroyed.'
She claims she has lost all furniture in two bedrooms, as well as 100 DVDs and perfume worth nearly PS300.
Jordan's spokesman claimed that Jordan was helping his brother move out of Westbury, Wiltshire after a row. He says they took a few of their possessions.
Ms Daykin claims Jordan, three others as well as Ms Daykin are responsible for the raid she claims was planned. Above, the mess that Ms Daykin claimed was left in her garage (left) after the reported burglary, and an empty bedroom
"Violation": Ms. Daykin claimed that she came back home to find her house damaged. She also claimed that valuables like four televisions, two beds, and jewellery worth PS4,000 were stolen.
Ms Daykin is a Westbury resident of Wiltshire claims that the incident happened on October 9 and her son was swiftly detained by Wiltshire Police later that night.
She claims Jordan along with three other people had planned the raid for her even though she wasn't there.
After extensive questioning, he was detained and detained for the night. He was then released on bail.
Record-breaking: Jordan Daykin was the youngest entrepreneur to secure an Investment on Dragons Den. Deborah Meaden pledged PS80,000 for a share in his company.
The teenager's spokesman said Jordan was just helping his brother leave the house after a dispute.
He said that some belongings belonging to his brother were removed, as were some of Jordan’s.
He explained that his mother had given him permission , and added "She's experienced a sudden shift at home." Jordan is sensitive to her emotional state.
This week Jordan was short-listed as Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the GB Entrepreneur Awards.
In August he was handed PS80,000 from Dragon Deborah Meaden, after she took an interest in his business Grip It Fixings, which provides a universal fixing made to work with all types of plasterboard.
The investment will assist Jordan by covering the cost of new equipment as well as an increase in stock and an investment for their warehouse in Melksham, Somerset.
Jordan quit school at 13 and his first business was a website called RS2Services, in part due to his love of RuneScape the online fantasy role-playing game.
The site offered players the best RuneScape products at a less expensive price.
Then, he created Tutor Magnet, a nationwide tutoring agency. It currently employs more than 400 tutors and generates an average of PS2,000 per month.
Grip It Fixings was developed by Jordan in 2008, as he was installing curtain rails for his grandfather Stan who was 74 years old.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police stated that a 19-year-old man was brought to Melksham Police Station on suspicion of burglary after being arrested at 7:45 pm on October 9.
The man has been released on bail until further investigations.'
0 notes
Text
Teenager who was Crowned Dragons Den Investment was Arrested for Suspicion Of Burglary
A teen entrepreneur who snagged a PS80,000 investment on Dragon's Den has been arrested on suspicion of stealing his mother's house.
Jordan Daykin, 19 years old, was the youngest person to establish a business with the Dragons after Deborah Meaden offered the money in exchange for a 25% stake in his company.
Two months later, he was arrested by his mother after he allegedly attacked her home and snatched a number valuables including Swarovski crystals and four televisions. He also stole jewellery worth PS4,000.
Claims: Jordan Daykin (pictured right on Dragons' Den earlier in the year) is said to have took money from the Westbury, Kent home of his mother Maria Daykin. He was later arrested and released on bail.
Permission: Jordan's spokesperson said that he was admitted to the home because his mother had recently experienced an 'unexpected disruption at her home'. Above, Ms Daykin claimed that one of the rooms was burgled
A spokesman for Jordan claimed that he had permission from his mother to enter the house and that he was helping his brother get out of the house after a row. He claimed that the items they took belonged to only them.
Maria Daykin, mother-of-two, 45, stated that she was "disgusted" by her son’s alleged actions. They could be an element of a family feud.
She said: 'I had to call the police because it's an invasion of my privacy. My house was completely destroyed including the TV and furniture. I came home to find it totally destroyed.
Career criminal who was the youngest ASBO at 14 avoids... "My phone was stolen on holiday and Vodafone are making ME...
"He's been nominated for all these awards. I believe the only motivation was to see my house burnt down.
She claims she has lost all furniture in two bedrooms, as well as 100 DVDs and perfume worth almost PS300.
Family feud A spokesman for the teenager said Jordan was just helping his brother leave the house in Westbury, Wiltshire, pictured, after a row. He claims they took away certain belongings
Ms Daykin claims Jordan as well as three other people as well as Ms Daykin are the ones responsible for the raid that she claimed was planned. Above the statement: Ms Daykin claimed that Jordan and three others had planned the raid for the time she was away from the house.
"Violation: Ms. Daykin claimed that she returned home to find her home in ruins. She also claimed that items like four televisions, two beds, and jewelry worth PS4,000 were taken.
Ms Daykin, from Westbury, Wiltshire, said the incident took place on the 9th of October. She said her son was quickly detained later that night by Wiltshire Police.
She claims Jordan and three other people planned the raid for her even though she was not present.
He was detained overnight and was released on bail after extensive investigation.
Record-breaking: Jordan Daykin was the youngest entrepreneur to secure an Investment on Dragons' Den. Deborah Meaden pledged PS80,000 for a share in his company.
The teenager's spokesman said Jordan was simply helping his brother leave the house after a dispute.
Calistomebel.com
He added: 'Some of his brother's possessions were removed and some of Jordan's.'
He said that his mother had given her permission to go out and said: 'She's been experiencing a sudden change in her home. Jordan is sensitive to her emotional state.
Last week Jordan was short-listed as Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the GB Entrepreneur Awards.
After she expressed an interest in Grip It Fixings' universal fixing that is suitable for all types of plasterboard, Dragon Deborah Meaden gave him PS80,000 in August.
Jordan will benefit from the investment, which will cover new machinery, stock increases and a deposit for their warehouse at Melksham in Somerset.
Jordan quit school at the age of 13 and his first venture was an online site known as RS2Services which was motivated by his love for RuneScape, an online fantasy role-playing game.
The site offered players the top RuneScape products at a lower cost.
Then, he created Tutor Magnet, a nationwide tutoring agency. It currently employs more than 400 tutors and generates more than PS2,000 per month.
Jordan came up with the idea for Grip It Fixings while putting up curtain rails with his grandfather, who was 74 years old Stan.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said: 'We are able to confirm that a male of 19 was arrested on the 9th of October at around 7pm, on suspicion of burglary. He was taken to Melksham Police Station.
"He has been released without further inquiry."
1 note
·
View note
Photo
Hello, Attuned! Thank you for participating in Melodiae’s seventh Activity Check! Listed here are characters that did not pass the check (Seven (7) days of activity in-server) for the period from Friday, July 8th, 2022 to Wednesday, September 7th, 2022.
If you believe your muse(s) are listed here by mistake, you may reach out to the Masterlist on or before Saturday, September 24th, 2022. All characters that do not have activity accounted for by 11:59 PM EST on this date will be removed from the server by the next inbox run (Tuesday, September 27th, 2022).
If you did not pass the check, you also have until Saturday, September 24th, 2022 to reapp your muse(s) by sending an ask to the Masterlist indicating your intent to reapp the character. You DO NOT have to resubmit the whole application; simply provide your name, the character’s name & series, your OOC contact, and the date in an ask. Muses marked with an asterisk (*) have failed two consecutive checks, and are ineligible to be reapped this way unless they are an OC. These muses must wait one full week, and may resubmit their entire application on or after Saturday, October 1st, 2022.
Muses that are not reapped by 11:59pm EST on Saturday, September 24th will be removed from the server by our inbox run on Tuesday, September 27th, 2022.
Thank you for your continued interest in Melodiae!
- The Melodiae Team
ADORNED BY CHI
Kelechi Okafor (Teacake)
ARKNIGHTS
Dusk (Hika)
Ifrit (Azazel)
BANG DREAM! GIRLS BAND PARTY
Hagumi Kitazawa (Isu)
BUNGOU STRAY DOGS
Edogawa Ranpo (Cezanne)
Kouyou Ozaki* (Azazel)
Oda Sakunosuke* (Azazel)
Oguri Mushitarou (Lin)
Yukichi Fukuzawa (Rosel)
CRASH FEVER
Einstein (Jay/Julian)
CROSSCODE
Lea (Chris)
DETECTIVE CONAN
Kaito Kuroba* (Mae / Will)
DRAGON BALL
Kaki (OC) (Ana)
ELSWORD
Ainen Rosso (Xanthe)
Noah Ebalon (Nyx Pieta) (Xanthe)
FATE/GRAND ORDER
Lancer (Enkidu) (Mint)
Merlin (Caster) (Remi)
FINAL FANTASY
VII
Cloud Strife (Nils)
XIV
Hythlodaeus (Skadi)
J’azim Tia (WOL RPR) (D’mi)
Mikh’a Wolndara (WOL DRG) (Gil)
Titania (Z’attana Kett) (OC)* (Ashley)
XV
Gladiolus Amicitia (Cezanne)
Ignis Scientia (Cyan)
Prompto Argentum (Tom)
FIRE EMBLEM
THREE HOUSES
Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd (Sun)
Edelgard von Hresvelg (Xel)
Khalid ‘Claude’ von Riegan (Seren)
GENSHIN IMPACT
Bennett (Fris)
Venti [ Barbatos ] (Noct)
GUILD WARS 2
Ardaigon “Silas” (OC) (Rennigan)
Kerdemelidis (OC) (D’mi)
Malomedies (D’mi)
Tarehu (Sylvari Pact Commander) (D’mi)
Totara (OC) (D’mi)
GRANBLUE FANTASY
Lucilius (Mint)
HELLO CHARLOTTE
Charlotte Wiltshire (Lisa)
Scarlett Eyler (Freya)
3
Charlotte “Lotte” Wiltshire (Lisa)
HEAVEN'S GATE
Vincent Fennell (Corinthia)
HOUSEKI NO KUNI
Diamond (Azazel)
JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE
VENTO AUREO
Leone Abbacchio (Tom)
Trish Una* (Eris)
JUJUTSU KAISEN
Mahito (Azazel)
KAMEN RIDER
Hitomi Hanamura (OC) (Bedi)
OOO
Hino Eiji * (Ami)
BUILD
Banjou Ryuuga (Lottie)
Sento Kiryu (Jun)
ZERO-ONE
Horobi (Dani)
SABER
Kamiyama Touma (Jun)
Kento Fukamiya (Isu)
REVICE
Daiji Igarashi/Kagerou (Jun)
KATAMARI
King of All Cosmos (Benen)
KATANA ZERO
Leon von Alvensleben (Azazel)
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS
Bel’veth (Xanthe)
LEGEND OF HEROES
Alfin Reise Arnor* (Mikey)
LOST ARK
Armen (D’mi)
Janus (Ilvand) (OC)* (Rennigan)
MEGA MAN
ZERO
Zero (Hikari)
ORIGINAL CHARACTERS
Agate Sinclair (Jaden)
Anaïas Amaervanna (Riparian) (Cricket)
Chariton Argyros (KB)
Daniel Dee (Cezanne)
Eost (Augustus Aurelis Incedens) (Shae)
Estelle VaRossa (Hikari)
Heron (Carnelius Rhiza) (Rosel)
Honeyguide (Snakeroot/Altissima) (Rosel)
Isaris Sirasi (Rennigan)
Kalliden Helios Acanthus (Rosel)
Niko Andros (Isu)
Noah Fontaine* (KB)
Rhyder (Lemegeton) (Bram)
Rovaniemi, Lapland (KB)
Tir ver Lei* (Rennigan)
The Lady in White (Bram)
The Umbral Vices (Cezanne)
Tristana “Titiana” Ulgoras* (Derrick)
Tuesday Sinclair (Teddie)
Wave Roma Aquais (Chris)
Yveri Dalton (Rennigan)
PERSONA
2
Jun Kurosu (Laur)
3
Elizabeth (Mint)
5
Goro Akechi (Flora)
POKEMON
SWORD/SHIELD
Klara (Rey)
PROJECT MOON WORKS
LIBRARY OF RUINA
Binah* (Keizh)
Edelweiss Sturm (OC) (Fris)
Tiphereth A (Lisa)
LOBOTOMY CORPORATION
Malkuth (Tom)
PROJECT SEKAI
Miku Hatsune* (Mikey)
Rui Kamishiro (Fris)
RADIATA STORIES
Lord Lucian Hewitt ( Aphelion )* (Thysto)
RE:ZERO: STARTING LIFE FROM ANOTHER WORLD
Rem (Chris)
RUNE FACTORY
5
Ludmila (Rey)
RWBY
Nora Valkyrie * (Ami)
SENKI ZESSHOU SYMPHOGEAR
Chris Yukine (Chris)
SHUUEN NO SHIORI
E-ki (Shae)
SK8 THE INFINITY
Langa Hasegawa (Mae / Will)
STEVEN UNIVERSE
Cornflower Sapphire (OC) (Tea Cake)
STRAY
The Guardian (Lizard)
SUPER SENTAI
KIKAI SENTAI ZENKAIGER
Stacey (Lottie)
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
Raimu “Rhyme” Bito (Shae)
NEO
Nagi Usui (Ashley)
THE OWL HOUSE
Hunter (Mae)
TRANSISTOR
Red (Freya)
TWISTED WONDERLAND
Cater Diamond* (Freya)
XENOBLADE CHRONICLES
3
Sena (Chris)
YU-GI-OH
ARC-V
Yuuya Sakaki (Isu)
ZEXAL
Yuma Tsukumo (Isu)
0 notes
Text
You Better, You Better, You Bet - Chapter 3
The Wildest Times of the World
Ron Speirs x Juliet Fletcher
Summary: Juliet Fletcher reaches a breaking point in her life. When she is at her absolute lowest, she meets Ron Speirs, and something happens between them that neither of them will ever forget.
Word Count: 4.9k
Tag List: @vintagelavenderskies @how-are-those-nuts-sarge @iilovemusic12us @hesbuckcompton-baby @tvserie-s-world @whovian45810
If you’d like to be added, let me know!
A/N: Sorry this update took so long! But I hope y’all enjoy it :)
Warning(s): none :)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
AO3 link
Chapter 3 let’s go!
Three chilly October days after Ron’s abrupt departure from London - which Juliet was still seething about - she arrived home from the store to a different person she expected to never hear from again. Lottie stood at the front door, muttering to herself about whether or not to knock. Juliet was especially surprised because it was raining, which would have normally kept the editor indoors if she could help it. Juliet watched a moment, not wanting to give away her presence immediately. It satisfied her to watch Lottie fret like this. After a few moments, Juliet caved and cleared her throat.
Lottie gasped as she whipped around, clutching at her chest. “Heaven's sake, Juliet! How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long,” Juliet said, intentionally vague. “Can I help you, Lottie?”
“Well…” Lottie hesitated, shifting her weight and toying with the fingertips of her gloves. “Shall we go in? I really need to speak to you.”
Juliet decided not to comment on Lottie’s self-invite into the house. She figured with no other job openings popping up, this could be her opportunity to try and gain back some favor at the London Pursuit. She couldn’t imagine that Lottie was here for a personal reason. That was not the sort of manager she was.
Once inside, Lottie followed Juliet to the kitchen - again, kindly not saying anything about the state of the house. Juliet set her grocery bags on the table before taking her coat off. Lottie shrugged hers off as well, removed her hat and gloves, and took a seat.
“Cuppa?” Juliet offered.
“Sure,” Lottie replied.
Juliet put the kettle on. Then she started unloading the bags.
“So, what did you want to speak to me about?” she asked, trying to sound as casual as she could.
“It’s the Albourne story,” Lottie said, voice tight, almost like she was spitting the words out. “All the other reporters are too busy to cover it. And if I have to go through the process of hiring someone new, we won’t get it in time.”
“I’ve already told you, I think it’s -”
“You needn’t remind me of your insolent remarks,” she snapped.
Juliet sighed, picked up a can of beans and placed it slowly in the cupboard, forming as polite a response as she could muster. But Lottie beat her to the next word.
“If you agree to cover this story, I’ll let you cover the war down there,” she said.
Juliet almost slammed the cupboard door shut in surprise. “What?”
“You can cover the war news from there,” Lottie repeated.
“Do you know something the rest of us don’t?” Juliet returned. “Because if you know the Germans are in Aldbourne and you haven’t said anything until now, you might be in trouble, Lottie.”
Lottie rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean, Juliet. The Americans are there, you could write about them.”
Juliet bit back the snappy retort she had about that, and dialed it down. “Fascinating as the Yanks are, I reckon they’re not doing much actual fighting in Aldbourne. Unless you mean brawling in pubs.”
The English had almost adjusted to the American presence by now. However, Juliet had slipped out of more than one pub after a fight broke out between some bright-eyed, blue-blooded American who spoke too boldly about their importance in the war effort and an Englishman who naturally took offense to the effort of “our own lads” being minimized. It escalated. Drinks were thrown, followed shortly by fists. Others jumped in to either assist or attempt to separate the combatting parties, only to get swept up in the action either way. It was entertaining, sure, but Juliet thought it made rather a mockery of the term “Allies.”
“They’re doing something there,” Lottie insisted. “And I give you full permission to try and find out what. As long as you cover the story about the girl as well.”
“Observing Americans isn’t really covering the war, and you know it, Lottie,” Juliet said.
“I’m not sending a woman to the front line, there would be a mob at the office door,” Lottie said. “I personally don’t care if you want to go and get yourself shot, but your blood cannot be on my hands.”
Juliet had to concede that point. Other papers had already suffered the ramifications of sending women reporters even within the vicinity of the front. There were boycotts led by counter-feminist groups and concerned mothers about the message it sent about women’s roles. It was one thing for women to work while men fought the war, but to put them in the line of fire? That was just indecent.
“Well, good to know my life isn’t as much of your concern as public opinion,” Juliet joked.
Lottie frowned. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Relax, Lottie, I’m taking the piss,” Juliet returned with a wave of her hand.
She paused, mulling over the offer Lottie was bringing. She wasn’t in much of a position to refuse work, but the idea of covering that gruesome story was almost too much to bear. Even if she was a bit interested in what the Americans were doing. Then, something else crossed her mind.
“Why do you want this covered so badly?” she asked.
Lottie’s face flushed and her mouth drew tight, which Juliet understood to mean the reason would not be to her liking. She braced herself.
“A family friend is with the Wiltshire police,” Lottie admitted. “He thinks it would look good for the department to solve a case like this and put the murderer away. And to have the press cover it, especially a London paper with circulation throughout the country.”
Juliet couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. “You’re killing me, Lottie.”
“This is the deal I’m offering,” Lottie sighed. “I know you’re opposed to it, but this is the compromise I’m willing to make.”
Juliet considered her options. She did need the money. But the subject matter and the reasoning were so against her ideals and ethics as a journalist. How could she live with herself if she broke them for money? But there was her mother to consider as well. Which brought up another objection.
“Even if I wanted to,” she said. “I can’t. It leaves no one here to look after Mum.”
“I thought you had a brother,” Lottie returned.
“He lives on Guernsey,” Juliet reminded her, minding her tone so she wouldn’t sound too bitter. “Otherwise, I’m certain he’d be here.”
Lottie shifted uncomfortably. “I apologize. I forgot.”
“S’fine,” Juliet replied.
“Can’t you hire someone to look after your mother?” Lottie asked.
Juliet only raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her - as if to say, “you’ve seen the house, you think we can afford help?” Lottie understood the implication.
“What if…” Lottie trailed off, considering. “What if I hired someone to look after her?”
Juliet blinked. “That’s...generous of you, Lottie, but I’d never be able to pay you back or -”
“Don’t worry about that,” Lottie said. “I want this story and - believe it or not - I want it done well. I know you’ll handle it as tastefully as possible and you could really show that -”
She was cut off by the kettle screeching its completion to boil, so Juliet went to take it off the burner and fetch some tea cups. She poured the tea and served it, and Lottie thanked her quietly, almost abashed by her admission to decency. But there was something more.
“Really show what?” Juliet pressed.
Lottie heaved a defeated sigh. Like admitting this was something that exasperated her. “That women can handle tough topics. It’s not covering the war, but it’s a step in that direction.”
Juliet couldn’t help but agree. If women could handle murder and the investigation surrounding it, surely women could be seen as sensible enough to tackle tragedy on a larger scale. They weren’t going to faint at the sight of blood or burst into tears over sentimentality. She couldn’t help herself. Juliet wanted to be part of that narrative.
“Lottie, I’m surprised at you,” she teased. “I didn’t take you for such a feminist.”
Lottie’s jaw dropped and she gaped at Juliet, totally affronted at the suggestion. “I am no such thing!”
Juliet shrugged, unfazed. “Yeah, I probably wouldn’t be either if I had your tits.”
Lottie could only sputter in response and Juliet snickered before sipping her tea.
“Juliet!” Lottie scolded.
“I’ll do it,” Juliet said suddenly.
Lottie closed her mouth, stunned. “You’ll - you’ll do the story?”
“Yes,” Juliet assured her, smiling. “You’ve given me a real reason to. And if there’s someone here to look after Mum and I can get a bit of war news as well, then what choice do I have but to say yes? You drive a hard bargain, Lottie.”
Lottie’s relief was palpable. “Thank you, Juliet. Really.”
“When do I go?” Juliet asked.
“There’s a train to Aldbourne tomorrow morning at nine,” Lottie said.
“I’ll be on it.”
***
Aldbourne was probably a village that once called itself sleepy. But now it was overrun by Americans - mostly paratroopers - which created an upheaval the likes of which many residents had never seen before. There was life in the town. The Women’s Land Army, or “land girls” as they were called, were taking full advantage of the flirting opportunities that arose with these American men, who lacked British decorum and were therefore prime targets for a fling. As Juliet walked from the station to her lodgings, with all the people mulling through the heart of the village, she found it almost hard to believe she was there to report on a murder.
Lodgings were difficult to come by with the Americans billeted in just about any space they could fit. Even horses were having to share their stables. But Lottie pulled some strings and got Juliet a room above the Blue Boar, a pub. She wasn’t sure how much sleep she’d really be able to get with the noise of a pub below her, but she didn’t dare complain. Not when she was one step closer to getting what she wanted.
The owner was a portly, older gentleman by the name of Jacob Powell. His kind, round face welcomed Juliet warmly, and she was grateful for the reception. She didn’t want to infringe too much on his hospitality, so she refused a cup of tea for the moment, insisting she needed to get unpacked and to the police station as soon as possible.
“Oh, yeah, that's a gruesome business about the little girl,” Jacob said. “Are you really going to write a story about it?”
“I’m no Agatha Christie or anything, but I’m going to do my best,” she returned, keeping her tone light. She wasn’t in the habit of discussing a story with just anyone.
He shook his head. “It’s just a right shame.”
“Concisely put, Mr. Powell,” she replied. “If you’ll excuse me.”
“Right, sorry,” he said bashfully, and he reminded her that the offer for tea still stood if she changed her mind before closing the door behind him.
First, Juliet set down her suitcase with her clothes. Second, she heaved her typewriter onto the desk in the corner of the room. It was beside the one window that looked out onto the street. Juliet approved of the set up since she liked natural light while she wrote. She got her things exactly where she wanted them, but hadn’t bothered to remove her hat and coat since she was going right back out. Securing her notebook, pen, and room key, she left.
The police station was one of the dullest she’d ever seen. Given the nature of the town, it didn’t surprise her. Lottie’s contact was Otis Allen, a lieutenant in the Wiltshire Police, who was still in Aldbourne to lead the investigation. He was a tall, thin man, with kind blue eyes and straw-like blonde hair. Rather unimposing for being in law enforcement. But Juliet observed right away the misshapen mound where his right ear should have been. He mentioned it before she had the opportunity to ask.
“Sorry about the grisly ear,” he said. “My gift from the Germans last time they had a go at us.”
“A bit rude,” she teased. “Flowers would have suited just fine, I think.”
He chuckled at that as he gestured for her to take a seat across from him at his desk. With that, she noticed a gnarled hand - the few fingers he had left were permanently curled under themselves. He disguised it fairly well with a glove, but she saw anyway.
“Those Jerries really overdid it on the gifts,” she remarked. “I bet it wasn’t even your birthday.”
He fully laughed at that and she noticed his expression softened. When they’d met, he’d been a bit rigid, but his muscles relaxed now, put at ease by her gentle humor.
“Thanks for that,” he said.
She cocked her head to the side. “For what?”
“For the jokes,” he answered. “Ever since that war, all I get are pitying looks or fear. Thanks for treating it like it’s...normal.”
“I’ll leave pity to the nurses,” she said with a smile. “Now, what have you got so far on the case?”
He went over the basics with her. In September, a six-year-old girl, Peggy Lee, was drowned in the tub, allegedly by her host, Meredith Fisher. Peggy had been with the Fisher’s since January with no reported issues. When Peggy did not arrive for school the next day, her teacher phoned the Fisher’s home with no answer. They chalked it up to Peggy being ill or some other explainable matter, and moved on. When she was absent the following day as well, they called again, and Meredith told them that yes, Peggy was ill, and could not come to school for a few days. Ashley Fisher, Meredith’s husband, was in London on business at the time, and when he returned at the end of the week, found Peggy’s body and called the police. Meredith claimed initially there was an accident, but evidence from Peggy’s autopsy proved foul play was involved. Juliet took fervent notes as Otis explained it all, trying not to get disgusted by the whole thing.
“Where is Mrs. Fisher being held now?” Juliet asked. “Surely not here in Aldbourne.”
“‘Course not, she’s in Trowbridge,” Otis assured her. “Mr. Fisher is here though, if you’d like to speak to him.”
She blinked. “Is he an expert on the case or something?”
“Well, no -”
“Then what insight could he possibly give me?”
“He’s a witness,” he reminded her.
“Investigators and lawyers question witnesses,” she said. “I need facts from experts to put the story into context. His testimony would only sway readers' emotions, and that’s not what I’m after.”
He smiled. “Well. You’re not like any reporter I’ve ever met.”
“I should hope not,” she returned. “I’m not covering this for the sensation. Why do you think I haven’t asked you where the Lee family is?”
His eyebrows went up a ways on his forehead. “You’re not going to interview them at all?”
She shook her head. “Nope. An interview with them is even less useful than an interview with Mr. Fisher. They weren’t even witnesses.”
His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “Right. Emotional appeal instead of factual.”
“Exactly,” she said. “And besides, I’m sure the last thing they need right now is some reporter sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“I like you, Miss Fletcher,” he said simply. “You’ve got...surprising respect for this. And a good head on your shoulders.”
Juliet forced a smile to swallow her question if he’d be surprised by her if she were a man. She didn’t know where her control came from during interviews, but she was grateful for it.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” she said. “Lottie told me the goal was to get this story widely circulated, and I truly believe that’s possible with the facts alone. I don’t believe in patronizing the audience to get their attention.”
“You’ve got more faith in people than I do,” he scoffed. “But I like your style. I look forward to working with you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she returned. She did like Otis, even if he had briefly underestimated her. “Tomorrow I’ll be able to meet with the doctor who conducted the autopsy, yes?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “The prosecution is having a psychiatrist evaluate Mrs. Fisher this week, so I’ll keep you updated on that as well.”
“I’d love an interview with the prosecutor too, if that’s possible,” she said.
“I’ll speak to him about it,” he told her. “Have a good evening, Miss Fletcher.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
They shook hands before she parted. She made her way back to the Blue Boar, dodging GIs all along the way. They were winding down for the day, it seemed, going for runs, dates, or drinks, depending on their mood. She got a whistle or two, which she ignored, mentally going over her notes. She was also relieved she wasn’t going to have to fight Otis on how to do the story. She really was getting free reign on how to put this all together, and she was excited by the opportunities that meant for her.
Her excitement was sucked away when she reached the Blue Boar and found her things had been hurled onto the street. Her mouth fell open. She had only just arrived, what on earth could she have done?
She marched toward the door, straightening up to her full height, prepared to demand an answer from Jacob. But she didn’t have to go far, he met her at the doorway, blocking her entrance with a glower on his face that could have melted snow.
“What’s the meaning of this?!” she demanded.
“I don’t want any of your sort staying in my establishment!” he shot back. “Did you think you could fool me?! I read the papers!”
“What the bloody hell are you talking about?” she returned. “What papers?!”
He pulled a rolled up newspaper out of his back pocket and threw it at her. She caught it and opened it with a snap. She recognized it as a society gossip periodical that she usually tried to avoid. On the side of the page, she read the headline “ARTHUR BURNS’ EX-FIANCE TURNS LADY OF THE EVENING?” with a photo of her leaving the hotel she’d met Ron in, looking furious as she absolutely was that day. Her heart dropped as she read the copy beneath.
Desperate times must truly call for desperate measures, it began. Juliet Fletcher, 31, who just earlier this year was scorned by Arthur Burns when he terminated their engagement, was spotted leaving a hotel after a rendezvous with a mysterious American. The receptionist, who wished to remain anonymous, said Fletcher returned the following day, found the Yank gone, and stormed out, seething.
‘It was clearly a dispute over money,’ the receptionist said. ‘They left the hotel together early in the morning, and she came back in the evening after he’d checked out. She was so sneaky about what she needed, I knew it couldn’t be anything respectable. And then to be as furious as she was about his leaving, it was obviously about an unpaid sum.’
Could it be that Miss Fletcher has fallen into disgrace after Mr. Burns left her? Could it be that she needed additional income after becoming accustomed to the Burns lifestyle? What else could possibly drive her to stoop to such lows?
The Burns family refused to comment for this story, and Miss Fletcher herself appears to be out of town at the moment. And who can blame her?
“Oh, this is ridiculous!” she cried. “It isn’t true!”
“Pictures don’t lie, missy,” Jacob practically spat. “Now clear off from my property or I’ll have the police on you!”
A small crowd had gathered to watch the confrontation unfold. Doubtless, the raised voices had drawn attention to them, but Juliet could not bring herself to care. The injustice of it made her blood boil. She squared her shoulders and planted her feet.
“It’s not true, you idiot!” she shouted. “This paper is known for misrepresenting the people they write about!”
“I said - CLEAR OFF, YOU!” he roared.
She scowled at him as fiercely as she could manage, but he slammed the door in her face. Head held high, she went and snatched her things off the ground, slinging them onto her shoulders before facing him again.
“THIS ISN’T OVER!” she hollered back. When she turned on her heel and saw the Aldbourne residents watching with avid interest, she snapped at them too. “Should we have sold tickets?! Mind your business, people!”
Properly scolded, they scattered like roaches. Juliet heaved a sigh, wondering where to point her feet. Fuming, she considered parking herself outside the door and shouting until Jacob had no choice but to hear her out, but she couldn’t risk arrest. Not when she was relying on the police as sources for her story.
Her thoughts were completely interrupted when a platoon of paratroopers jogged across the square from where she stood. Leading them was the man Juliet held solely responsible for all her troubles as of late - Ron Speirs. She told herself not to get distracted by the sweat on his brow or the way his backside looked in the little shorts he had on, and focus on what mattered. He was getting away with what had happened - or rather not happened - while she was publicly shamed. Abandoning her bags, she hurtled after the platoon, catching up with surprising speed in her heels.
“HEY!” she bellowed.
The whole platoon stuttered in their cadence, and the few in the back turned their heads at the sound of her voice. Ron either didn’t hear her, or ignored her, and she wasn’t sure which was more infuriating. She gained on them. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to get louder, absolutely refusing to be ignored.
“RONALD SPEIRS!” she yelled.
He called his men to a halt, stopping alongside them and turning to face her. He blinked in surprise at the sight of her - he had evidently not expected her here - but he didn’t say anything right away. She caught her breath as she marched up to him. This time, she was ready, wallet in her coat pocket. She whipped it out and brandished it like a sword.
“No one pays me a kindness and gets away with it!” she shouted, popping the wallet open and fishing out the bills she owed him. “That,” she slapped the first few onto his chest, and he caught them before they fluttered to the ground. “Is for my half of the hotel room!” She did not acknowledge the snickers that went through the platoon, and then forced a second handful of money into his hand. “And that is for the potatoes and cab fare!”
He looked levelly at her. “I really didn’t expect to be -”
“I don’t care what you expected!” she continued. “You left me to look like a prize idiot!”
He glanced at his platoon, who were murmuring to each other as speculation began about how their lieutenant knew this strange woman.
“I’d rather have this conversation in private if it’s all the same to you,” he said.
“It’s not all the same to me, you punk!” She accentuated this with a shove to his arm. He didn’t move, but it made her feel better. “You humiliated me in front of the stupid hotel girl, which has now resulted in me losing my lodgings, so yeah, I’m going to stand here and embarrass you in front of your little mates!”
“Juliet -”
“How dare you leave before I could pay you back!” she went on fiercely. “You said you’d be there! You lied right to my face! Like a - a - a liar!”
“Eloquently said,” he returned.
“I don’t need your wise-ass remarks!”
“Settle down.”
“I WILL NOT SETTLE DOWN!”
Her face was red with how much yelling she’d been doing, so she took a deep breath to collect herself. She felt a tingle in her throat, so she tried to clear it.
“I’m going to, though,” she said. “Not because you told me to, but because my voice is getting hoarse.”
He stared at her for a beat. “Okay. Why don’t you start from the beginning?”
“The receptionist at the hotel in London spoke to a gossip columnist about seeing us together,” she said. “Now, the owner of the Blue Boar says he won’t have one of ‘my sort’ in his rooms.”
“I see,” he said with a nod. “I’ll sort it out.”
“No, I can’t owe you another favor,” she returned.
“So you just came over here to yell at me?” he asked, to clarify.
“And pay you back!” she insisted. “Now that’s been accomplished, we can part ways and I’ll never speak to you again. Starting now.”
“Juliet -”
“Starting now!”
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away. He watched her go for a moment, enjoying the way her skirt swished around her legs, the shape of which he enjoyed more than he cared to admit. Shaking his head to clear it, he faced his men again. He noticed the stifled laughter behind their hands and smirks on their faces.
“Something funny?” he snapped with a scowl.
They straightened up and muttered quick “no, sir”s under his glare.
“Good, we’ve got a run to finish,” he said.
They continued down the road. But Ron knew just what he was going to do afterward.
***
Night fell over Aldbourne like a frigid shadow. Juliet, with aching feet and chattering teeth, took shelter in a phone booth across from the Blue Boar, having scoured the village for anywhere else to stay to no avail. And she was not a moment too soon in closing the booth door. Just seconds after she did, a soft rain began to patter against it.
She needed to call Lottie and see what her options were. She couldn’t stay in Aldbourne without a room, but that put everything on hold. She pushed the coins into the slot and called Lottie at home, adding guilt to her weariness.
“Hello?” came Lottie’s voice after just two rings, which relieved Juliet a little since it meant she was not in bed already.
“Lottie, it’s Juliet,” Juliet said. “Look, something’s happened and your friend Jacob’s given me the boot.”
“What?” Lottie questioned. “Why?”
“Some stupid fucking article accusing me of being a prostitute,” Juliet snapped.
“There’s no need for that kind of language,” Lottie replied coolly.
Juliet hesitated a beat. “Okay, given the nature of what I said, I’m not sure if you’re referring to ‘fuck’ or ‘prostitute.’”
“Both,” Lottie said, and before Juliet could protest, she went on. “Tell me what you’re talking about.”
Juliet explained everything - that her arrival went fine, but at some point during her interview with Otis, Jacob had read that article about the hotel nonsense, and had refused to let her back inside.
“Now I’m stuck in a phone booth,” she finished.
A beat passed and Juliet feared for a fleeting second that her time had run out. She dug in her pocket for more coins, but Lottie spoke again.
“So...what were you doing in a hotel room with an American?” she asked.
“That’s your takeaway from everything I just said?!” Juliet cried, incredulous. “Lottie, I’m exhausted and freezing, I need a place to stay or a ticket home!”
“Was it something indecent?” Lottie pressed.
“No!” Juliet returned. “Look, I got drunk, I almost got hurt, and he just looked after me for the night, but nothing happened, I swear. Believe me, he’s the last man on Earth I’d ever want to shag, even if he is ridiculously good loo-”
She stopped suddenly and whipped around when she heard a knock on the door. There he stood. Ronald Speirs, looking expectantly at her.
“Son of a BITCH!” she swore, stamping her foot.
“I beg your pardon!” Lottie gasped.
“Must go, Lottie, my mystery American has returned,” Juliet said through clenched teeth. “Aldbourne’s about to have another murder on its hands.”
She hung up harshly, slamming the phone down before Lottie could protest. Then she wrenched the door and faced him, eyes blazing. She opened her mouth, preparing to dismiss him completely, but he beat her to the punch.
“Jacob changed his mind,” he said. “You can have your room back.”
She deflated and blinked at him in surprise. “I said I didn’t want -”
“Do you want a bed for the night or not?” he cut across her.
Her drained muscles screamed at her to agree, but her pride was stronger. She started to refuse him again.
“Buy me a drink, and we’ll call it even,” he said, as if reading her mind.
“That’s not really the same,” she argued.
“I didn’t go out of my way,” he told her. “The Blue Boar is where the officers drink. It came up, I explained, simple as that.”
“Okay, one drink.” She held his gaze. “And then we’ll never speak again.”
He looked into her eyes, so long and so intensely, in any other context she would have thought he might kiss her. But he didn’t. In fact, he didn’t do anything. He just shrugged, turned, and walked back toward the pub. She didn’t totally blame him since the rain was beginning to come down harder. With a defeated sigh, she scrambled to collect her things and followed him.
#band of brothers#ron speirs#juliet fletcher#ron speirs x ofc#hbo war#you better you better you bet series#hbo war fic#band of brothers fic
30 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
marvenhagi
Marven hagi
stackahalic101
Stackahalic-101
chanchisco
chanchisco
kiwibubbles5
I am...c o n f u s e d what am I doing
antivan-beau
gay rogue kissing sim