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rein-ette · 3 years

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Prompt: mid-day sun and/or fresh bread

Any character or pairing you want

Hanover reminds me of the mid-day sun, so that's what this is.

---

England lands at Hanover at 2 PM on the dot, though it takes him another good thirty minutes to find his way through bag check and customs. When he finally emerges, blinking, into the sunlight, he already feels a little worst for wear. His mask keeps getting caught on his Airpods and the backings of his silver studs — he would take them off, but he's meeting her today and thought it'd be a nice touch—

I love it when you wear earrings, Arthur. They suit you.

He cannot help but smile at the memory. The warmth of her voice touches him so easily even after all these years, and as he searches the rows of cars lined up outside the airport he cannot help his growing nervousness. Will she be the same? Are any of them the same? They first met here in the marketplace of some dirt and wood village, on the banks of a muddy stream — and now he is watching thousands bustle through this international airport as he asks Siri to check for missed messages. Their paths have led them both further away and closer to each other than ever before, and for a moment his fears that his friends believe he neglects them because he looks down on them wells up again in his throat.

He spots the car before Hesse gets out of it, a large black BMW idling beside the baggage cart drop-off. He's in slacks and a simple white dress shirt, looking for all the world like some middle-aged pencil pusher. But his eyes are the same — stormy grey-blue like the surface of the North Sea — and so is his hair, tied back in a neat ponytail, and his scar, the same familiar crescent England had once mapped with his own fingertips. He raises two fingers in greeting as he makes his way towards him.

Then the passenger door opens, and Hanover steps onto the sidewalk in a flurry of long almond hair. She, too, is both different and the same — different clothes, different shoes, a different ring on her finger — but when she flicks her hair over her shoulder and opens her arms to England for a hug, the affection that warms his heart could not have been more dear.

When she calls him "Herr Kirkland!" he laughs, and hugs her close.

---

And now, lots and lots more historical notes and hcs cuz i went too deep into this

In my mind Hanover and England go way back, even before they were married. The Free City of Hanover was part of the Hanseatic League, a group of cities/duchies/whatnot that dominated North Sea trade in the 13th to 15th centuries. London was a major port and England was an involved player as well, so they probably met when they were both quite young! My idea of their relationship is that she kinda looked up to him in that older boy next door, my family knows his family way.

So when they were married, it was def kinda romantic in the "boy becomes famous rich person but comes back and marries his childhood sweetheart" kinda way. I don't see their marriage as being loving though -- it was a union that had political and personal benefits for both of them, including not being harrassed by humans to "marry" anymore, and hey, if the other party was someone they already knew and liked, all the better. Her older siblings def saw Hanover as the one who "made it", though -- cuz I mean, for small German states like Hanover, there are certainly worse fates than being the wife of an empire, that's for sure.

I really think these two are connected somehow through fate though, because during the Allied occupation of Germany Hanover was once again in British quarter. Eventually, it was consolidated with some other territories into the modern German state of Lower Saxony (not to be confused with Saxony, which is a different state and actually more south :|).

Hesse actually appears in canon, and I. Just. Fell in love? He's soooo pretty, and I immediately needed England to fuck him because own of my hcs for Arthur from Day 1 was that he's super into twunks with long hair (ahem). So you can imagine my utter joy that Hesse and England actually do interact in the manga, because allegedly the English used Hessian mercenaries a lot in their wars (it was actually Germans from many different areas, but the Americans called them all Hessians). Besides this mercenary link I couldn't find much in the ways of historical ties between England and Hesse, but since the Duchy of Saxony (medieval duchy roughly covering the same area as modern Lower Saxony, not to be confused with the electorate or kingdom or god knows what else of saxony) contained areas of modern Hesse, I figured Hanover and Hesse probably would be close. Plus, you don't need ten billion years of shared history to make friends, you just need to be nice and talk to them :)

Personality-wise I think Arthur and Hesse fit well, too. Despite being a career military man, I think Hesse is the type of guy who's actually quite relaxed. He likes literature and listening to Bach fugues, and going for long drives at night. He's gotten so many random medals of valour and other military knickknacks that he's developed a habit of trading them with soldiers he meets, so he has a collection of badges, medals, epaulettes, pins etc. from many different countries. His scar seems cool but it was actually just a regular sword injury from some campaign long ago, nothin too special though everyone asks him about it. Nowadays he still pays his bills with his army commissions as a reserve officer, and goes in to help out with his state gov or Ludwig when they need him. Otherwise he generally minds his own business and lives his best life :D

#hws england #oc: aph hanover #aph hesse #drabble #ask #ask game #for someone who spent so much time studying german history i dont nearly write enough about the germans #need to fix that #dw needcake imma answer the other one too

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artemishphm · 3 years

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ARTEMIS LUNA GREY

IDENTITY

Name: Artemis Luna Grey

Nicknames: Temis, Art, Artie, Mis, Moonie, Pip, Honey, Lunetta

Gender: Female

Age: 11 - 17 (in-game, 1984-1991); 47 (present day 2020)

Birth Date: 31st August 1973

Species: Human

Blood Status: Half-blood

Sexuality: Bisexual

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Ethnicity: Caucasian/White

Nationality: Half Italian, Half British

Residence: London, England

Myer Briggs Personality Type: ENFJ-A

THE MAGE

1st Wand: Acacia, Unicorn Hair, 12 inches, pliable

Garrick Ollivander found that wands made from Acacia were difficult to match with a wizard. Acacia wands generally refused to produce magic for anyone but their owners, but conversely, seemed to withhold their full power from all but the most gifted wizards.Owners of Acacia wands were generally subtle wizards, as wands made from this wood were generally unsuitable for what Ollivander termed "bangs-and-smells magic".

Wands with unicorn hair cores produced the most consistent magic, were least subject to fluctuations and blockages, were most difficult to turn to the Dark Arts, and were the most faithful of wands. However, they do not make the most powerful of wands (unless the wand wood compensates) and are prone to melancholy if mishandled.

2nd Wand: Laurel, Phoenix feather, 12 inches

A laurel wand cannot perform a dishonourable act, although in the quest for glory (a not uncommon goal for those best suited to these wands), laurel wands have been known to perform powerful and sometimes lethal magic. Laurel wands are sometimes called fickle, but this is unfair; the laurel wand is unable to tolerate laziness in a possessor, and it is in such conditions that it is most easily and willingly won away. Otherwise, it will cleave happily to its first match forever, and indeed has the unusual and engaging attribute of issuing a spontaneous lightning strike if another witch or wizard attempts to steal it.

The Phoenix feather his is one of the rarest core types. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn hair or dragon heartstring cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalise, and their allegiance is usually hard won.

Animagus: American Staffordshire Terrier

(Real footage of Barnaby playing with Artemis, Rowan rec)

Misc Magical Abilities:

Parselmouth

Just like her brother Jacob, Artemis is a Parselmouth. She realized she was one when learning about Vipera Evanesca in her fifth year, a snake told her all about his life and she talked with him about her friends.

Seer

Artemis can see the future with her inner eye. She rembers giving prophecies since she was born and how she cried when she couldn’t see her brother’s future anymore, she can’t also see her own future. Artemis hates having prophecies at the most random times (example: when Barnaby was about to kiss her for the first time).

Animagus

Artemis can switch to a dog. She learned to do it with Talbott, even though they aren’t really close. She is not registered in the ministry.

Legilimency

Artemis was born with the ability to read other people’s minds.

Wandless and nonverbal magic

Artemis learned to cast nonverbal and windless magic with Rowan during their second year while they got bored during one of their sleepovers.

Boggart Form: Rowan’s dead body waking up and telling Artemis that it was her fault that she was dead.

Riddikulus Form: Rowan laughing with the fun that she bought with with Artemis

Amortentia: (What do they smell like?) Rain, Cookies, Vanilla and Fire

Amortentia: (What do they smell?) Snow, Shepherd’s pie, Fresh Laundry and a hint of sandalwood

Patronus: Unicorn

Patronus Memory:

Dancing her heart out at the end of the fourth year with all of her friends in the courtyard thanks to a muggle stereo Jae had managed to smuggle in the castle

Mirror of Erised:

She sees her whole family just being there with her smiling, telling her how much they love her.

Specialized/Favourite Spells:

Flipendo

Episkey

Riddikulus

Depulso

Protego

Colovaria

Arresto Momentum

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Amanda Arcuri

Game Appearance:

Height: 5′5 (169 cm)

Weight: 110 lbs

Physique: Slim

Eye Colour: Green

Hair Colour: Natural: brown, but she changes it every two weeks

Skin Tone: Ivory

Body Modifications:

Her mother pierced her ears when she was born. During her years at Hogwarts she got a lot of other piercings on her ears.

She got a septum when she was 15

She also has a small sun stick & poke on her wrist. She got it with Rowan when they were 13 & bored. Rowan has a moon in the same place.

Scarring:

She has small scars on her fingers due to failed spells

She also had a scar on her lower belly but she doesn’t remember how she got it.

Inventory: (what do they carry on them?)

Popcorn (”you always have to be ready to watch Merula fail at duels”), her mother’s necklace, candy, eye-liner, one of Barnaby’s rings and a dugbomb (”just in case”)

Fashion:

Converse are a must, she’s always wearing them (even when she shouldn’t). During the weekdays when she is not wearing her uniform you can find her sporting an old hoodie and some sweats around the castle. When she’s outside or on special occasion she has a 90s style,

I’ll link her Pinterest style board here once I do it.

ALLEGIANCES

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Affiliations/Organizations: The Grey family, The circle of Khanna, House of Gryffindor, British Ministry of Magic, Order of the Phoenix

Professions:

Gryffindor prefect (1988-1991)

Auror (1992-present day)

HOGWARTS INFORMATION

Class Proficiencies:

Astronomy: Outstanding

Charms: Outstanding

DADA: Outstanding

Flying: Exceeds Expectations

Herbology: Outstanding

History of Magic: Outstanding

Potions: Outstanding

Transfiguration: Outstanding

Electives:

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding

Divination: Outstanding

Muggle Studies: Acceptable

Quidditch: TBD

Extra Curricular:

-Duelling Club

Favourite Professors:

Minerva McGonagall

Severus Snape

Sybilla Trelawney

Silwanus Kettleburn

Least Favourite Professors:

Patricia Rakepick

RELATIONSHIPS

Brother:

Jacob Apollo Grey

He used to be Artemis’ best friend, but after his disappearance she couldn’t help but think that their bond would never be the same

Father:

Xavier Grey

Xavier left when Artemis was 3. He never came back.

Mother:

Jennifer Bane

A very cold woman, she never know how to show her love to Artemis. After Jacob left she became verbally abusive towards her daughter.

Love Interest:

Barnaby Lee

Penny Haywood (one-sided love, 1985)

Best Friends:

Rowan Khanna

Jae Kim

Nymphadora Tonks

Tulip Karasu

Penny Haywood

Rival:

Merula Snyde

Ismelda Murk

Andre Egwu (friendly bc of quidditch)

Enemy:

Patricia Rakepick

Acromantula

Dormmates: (Who’s in your MC’s dorm with them?)

Rowan Khanna

Skye Parkin

Barnaby Lee (when he doesn’t get caught, sneaked in)

Pets:

Niffler named Plato

Abraxan named Achilles

Fairy named Roger

Closest Canon Friends:

Badeea Ali

Charlie Weasley

Bill Weasley

Liz Tuttle

Skye Parkin

Murphy McNully

Closest MC Friends:

Lizzie Parker ( @lizzieparkerhphm)

Luna Powell (currently 2nd year, one of my MCs)

If u wanna be friends with Artemis just dm me! I’d love to!

PERSONALITY

Artemis is kind, loyal and funny. She’s a bit bossy sometimes but she always everyone’s best interests at heart. She would literally do anything for her friends. She’s really impulsive and that often puts her in very dangerous situations. She’s also really smart.

MISC

Artemis started dying her hair during her second year, after Tonks pulled prank on her and put dye in her shampoo. She loved so much her green hair that she decided to always change her hair color (Colovaria helped, a lot too)

None’s ever seen Artemis with the same hair color for more that three weeks. Her friends often don’t recognize her from behind when she has a new dye

Artemis and Tulip throw the best parties. They got caught only once.

There’s an unwritten rule at Hogwarts, what happens at their parties stays in their parties.

Artemis loves muggle music, especially Queen and David Bowie.

Even though Snape is always pretty harsh, he’s one of her favorite professors (and deep down he has a soft spot for her).

Rowan and Skye found her during OWLs week at three am crying her heart while singing “love of my life” to a piece of paper where she had written “outstanding OWLs” and a bowl of ice-cream, probably stolen from the kitchen. They never talked about it.

Artemis is in love with the moon. She doesn’t know why, but she’s always felt connected to it. That’s why you can often find her in the astronomy tower just staring at the moon.

She ofter sneaks Barnaby in her room because the feeling of his arms around her helps her ease her nightmares and, when she has her visions, he’s able to calm her down almost instantly.

When Rowan died, he slept with her for two months. None of the professors said nothing.

Thanks to @hogwartsmystoryfor the template <3

#hphm #Harry Potter Hogwarts mystery #hogwats mystery #mc #hphm mc #character template #finally #jacob’s sibling #hphm jacob

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wolfliving · 5 years

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EternalBlue, the cyberwar equivalent of mustard gas

*That’s a lot of damage. Hospitals, airports, rail and shipping operators, ATM's, factories and especially local governments. l

------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 May 2019 17:15:12 -0700 From: Henry Baker <[email protected]> Subject: NSA's EternalBlue: Mustard Gas for the 21st Century (NYTimes) The ancient Lydian king Croesus -- yes, THAT rich king Croesus -- "turned to the Delphic oracle and the oracle of Amphiaraus to inquire whether he should pursue this campaign [against Persia] and whether he should also seek an alliance. The oracles answered, with typical ambiguity, that if Croesus attacked the Persians, he would destroy a great empire -- this would become one of the most famous oracular statements from Delphi [after Croesus was defeated."[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croesus Mustard gas and other poisonous gasses were used to devastating effect in WWI, although outlawed by multiple conventions both before and since. The subsequent use of poisonous gasses has since been vastly reduced -- not due so much to the effectiveness of these international treaties, but to the fact that the gasses are indiscriminate, and have a tendency to "blow back" on those using them as weapons. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_weapons_in_World_War_I Computer scientists have been warning for quite a while about "blowback" ("CIA internal coinage denoting the unintended, harmful consequences -- to friendly populations and military forces -- when a given weapon is used beyond its purpose as intended by the party supplying it" [3]) from cyberweapons such as STUXNET. Unlike most "kinetic" weapons, which leave little trace after their use, the core problem with cyberweapons is that in the overwhelming percentage of uses, the digital pieces of the cyberweapon continue to exist after the attack, and can be repurposed for counter-attacks. In this way, cyberweapons are like poison gas, which isn't instantly neutered after achieving its killing purpose, but remains toxic to non-combatants as well as to the original users. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowback_(intelligence The billion-dollar blowback from EternalBlue continues [3] without any apologies from the NSA, which developed it ("Adm. Michael S. Rogers, who was director of the NSA during the Shadow Brokers leak [including EternalBlue], suggested in unusually candid remarks that the agency should not be blamed for the long trail of damage." [4]). Yet the FBI and the Five Eyes around the world continue their push for "back doors" in encryption, completely clueless about the even greater repercussions possible in the form of blowback from the compromise of such encryption backdoors. Dona NOBUS Pacem, indeed! [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html In Baltimore and Beyond, a Stolen NSA Tool Wreaks Havoc Nicole Perlroth and Scott Shane, The New York Times, 25 May 2019 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html For nearly three weeks, Baltimore has struggled with a cyberattack by digital extortionists that has frozen thousands of computers, shut down email and disrupted real estate sales, water bills, health alerts and many other services. But here is what frustrated city employees and residents do not know: A key component of the malware that cybercriminals used in the attack was developed at taxpayer expense a short drive down the Baltimore- Washington Parkway at the National Security Agency, according to security experts briefed on the case. Since 2017, when the NSA lost control of the tool, EternalBlue, it has been picked up by state hackers in North Korea, Russia and, more recently, China, to cut a path of destruction around the world, leaving billions of dollars in damage. But over the past year, the cyberweapon has boomeranged back and is now showing up in the NSA's own backyard. It is not just in Baltimore. Security experts say EternalBlue attacks have reached a high, and cybercriminals are zeroing in on vulnerable American towns and cities, from Pennsylvania to Texas, paralyzing local governments and driving up costs. The NSA connection to the attacks on American cities has not been previously reported, in part because the agency has refused to discuss or even acknowledge the loss of its cyberweapon, dumped online in April 2017 by a still-unidentified group calling itself the Shadow Brokers. Years later, the agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation still do not know whether the Shadow Brokers are foreign spies or disgruntled insiders. Thomas Rid, a cybersecurity expert at Johns Hopkins University, called the Shadow Brokers episode "the most destructive and costly NSA breach in history," more damaging than the better-known leak in 2013 from Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor. "The government has refused to take responsibility, or even to answer the most basic questions," Mr. Rid said. "Congressional oversight appears to be failing. The American people deserve an answer." The NSA and FBI declined to comment. Since that leak, foreign intelligence agencies and rogue actors have used EternalBlue to spread malware that has paralyzed hospitals, airports, rail and shipping operators, ATM's and factories that produce critical vaccines. Now the tool is hitting the United States where it is most vulnerable, in local governments with aging digital infrastructure and fewer resources to defend themselves. Before it leaked, EternalBlue was one of the most useful exploits in the NSA's cyberarsenal. According to three former NSA operators who spoke on the condition of anonymity, analysts spent almost a year finding a flaw in Microsoft's software and writing the code to target it. Initially, they referred to it as EternalBluescreen because it often crashed computers -- a risk that could tip off their targets. But it went on to become a reliable tool used in countless intelligence-gathering and counterterrorism missions. EternalBlue was so valuable, former NSA employees said, that the agency never seriously considered alerting Microsoft about the vulnerabilities, and held on to it for more than five years before the breach forced its hand. The Baltimore attack, on 7 May, was a classic ransomware assault. City workers' screens suddenly locked, and a message in flawed English demanded about $100,000 in Bitcoin to free their files: "We've watching you for days," said the message, obtained by The Baltimore Sun. "We won't talk more, all we know is MONEY! Hurry up!" Today, Baltimore remains handicapped as city officials refuse to pay, though workarounds have restored some services. Without EternalBlue, the damage would not have been so vast, experts said. The tool exploits a vulnerability in unpatched software that allows hackers to spread their malware faster and farther than they otherwise could. North Korea was the first nation to co-opt the tool, for an attack in 2017 -- called WannaCry -- that paralyzed the British health care system, German railroads and some 200,000 organizations around the world. Next was Russia, which used the weapon in an attack -- called NotPetya -- that was aimed at Ukraine but spread across major companies doing business in the country. The assault cost FedEx more than $400 million and Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, $670 million. The damage didn't stop there. In the past year, the same Russian hackers who targeted the 2016 American presidential election used EternalBlue to compromise hotel Wi-Fi networks. Iranian hackers have used it to spread ransomware and hack airlines in the Middle East, according to researchers at the security firms Symantec and FireEye. "It's incredible that a tool which was used by intelligence services is now publicly available and so widely used," said Vikram Thakur, Symantec's director of security response. (((I wonder if he’s ever heard of LSD.)))

One month before the Shadow Brokers began dumping the agency's tools online in 2017, the NSA -- aware of the breach -- reached out to Microsoft and other tech companies to inform them of their software flaws. Microsoft released a patch, but hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide remain unprotected. Hackers seem to have found a sweet spot in Baltimore, Allentown, Pa., San Antonio and other local, American governments, where public employees oversee tangled networks that often use out-of-date software. Last July, the Department of Homeland Security issued a dire warning that state and local governments were getting hit by particularly destructive malware that now, security researchers say, has started relying on EternalBlue to spread. Microsoft, which tracks the use of EternalBlue, would not name the cities and towns affected, citing customer privacy. But other experts briefed on the attacks in Baltimore, Allentown and San Antonio confirmed the hackers used EternalBlue. Security responders said they were seeing EternalBlue pop up in attacks almost every day. Amit Serper, head of security research at Cybereason, said his firm had responded to EternalBlue attacks at three different American universities, and found vulnerable servers in major cities like Dallas, Los Angeles and New York. The costs can be hard for local governments to bear. The Allentown attack, in February last year, disrupted city services for weeks and cost about $1 million to remedy -- plus another $420,000 a year for new defenses, said Matthew Leibert, the city's chief information officer. He described the package of dangerous computer code that hit Allentown as "commodity malware," sold on the dark web and used by criminals who don't have specific targets in mind. "There are warehouses of kids overseas firing off phishing emails," Mr. Leibert said, like thugs shooting military-grade weapons at random targets. The malware that hit San Antonio last September infected a computer inside Bexar County sheriff's office and tried to spread across the network using EternalBlue, according to two people briefed on the attack. This past week, researchers at the security firm Palo Alto Networks discovered that a Chinese state group, Emissary Panda, had hacked into Middle Eastern governments using EternalBlue. "You can't hope that once the initial wave of attacks is over, it will go away," said Jen Miller-Osborn, a deputy director of threat intelligence at Palo Alto Networks. "We expect EternalBlue will be used almost forever, because if attackers find a system that isn't patched, it is so useful." (((Has a half-life to rival plutonium.))) Until a decade or so ago, the most powerful cyberweapons belonged almost exclusively to intelligence agencies -- NSA officials used the term "NOBUS," for "nobody but us," for vulnerabilities only the agency had the sophistication to exploit. But that advantage has hugely eroded, not only because of the leaks, but because anyone can grab a cyberweapon's code once it's used in the wild. Some FBI and Homeland Security officials, speaking privately, said more accountability at the NSA was needed. A former FBI official likened the situation to a government failing to lock up a warehouse of automatic weapons. In an interview in March, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, who was director of the NSA during the Shadow Brokers leak, suggested in unusually candid remarks that the agency should not be blamed for the long trail of damage. "If Toyota makes pickup trucks and someone takes a pickup truck, welds an explosive device onto the front, crashes it through a perimeter and into a crowd of people, is that Toyota's responsibility?" he asked. "The NSA wrote an exploit that was never designed to do what was done." (((He’s got a point, except that pickup trucks have constructive uses and spooky vulnerabilities don’t.))) At Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash., where thousands of security engineers have found themselves on the front lines of these attacks, executives reject that analogy. "I disagree completely," said Tom Burt, the corporate vice president of consumer trust, insisting that cyberweapons could not be compared to pickup trucks. "These exploits are developed and kept secret by governments for the express purpose of using them as weapons or espionage tools. ��They're inherently dangerous. When someone takes that, they're not strapping a bomb to it. It's already a bomb." Brad Smith, Microsoft's president, has called for a "Digital Geneva Convention" to govern cyberspace, including a pledge by governments to report vulnerabilities to vendors, rather than keeping them secret to exploit for espionage or attacks. Last year, Microsoft, along with Google and Facebook, joined 50 countries in signing on to a similar call by French President Emmanuel Macron -- the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace -- to end "malicious cyber-activities in peacetime." Notably absent from the signatories were the world's most aggressive cyberactors: China, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Russia -- and the United States. A version of this article appears in print on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Cities Hijacked By Tool Stolen From the NSA. ------------------------------

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elizabethrobertajones · 6 years

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13x17 watching notes

*vague muffled noises*

Expectations: got to come down from an all-time great episode but it's Davy so I'm not worried about a huge drop off, and I'm legitimately intrigued, of all things, to meet Asmodeus written by someone other than Buckleming. Davy in season 12 briefly fooled me with 12x15 that the Crowley and Lucifer subplot might be worth watching, alas to no greater end as no one else wrote it for the rest of the year really. But in any case, he gets the honour of writing Gabriel so much better him to sell me on it than Buckleming :P I am therefore far more prepared to have Gabriel back on these terms and conditions...

The MoL recap skipped showing Cas with popcorn and I'm automatically deducting an entire out of ten score. This episode may end up being perfect in every other respect but would only get 9/10

They also didn't show Cas booping Ketch to sleep for no reason other than it being funny. 8/10

NOW: "1925"

This is super illuminati. Aka what Dean was worried about in 8x13 when they were first snooping around the Bunker... to this point, they never discovered anything worse than racist old men, or the weird British chapter. No signs of SERIOUS cult activity among the Americans, rather than it being a supernatural book club with a heroic purpose.

Leave that poor flapper alone.

Er are they literally doing the same spell? Terrified flappers make the WORST interdimensional travellers.

Honestly, though, the illuminati MoL aquarian star is super cool in a really spooky way

TENTACLE

Retroactively makes me wonder about 6x21 and if HP Lovecraft's friends were MoL and up to some nonsense. Obviously that was purgatory not an AU but it's all curiosity and who knows anything about all this stuff :P they all probably just want to see monsters, you know. The show's presentation of Lovecraft definitely made home look like the profile of a MoL they use later when these are a thing.

DEAN, LEAVE YOUR BROTHER ALONE. If he's sleeping on the table he's overworked and doesn't need this nonsense :P

Sam... go to bed.

Since their mom is still in an AU I'm taking over

Considering Dean has coffee he probably came in here with coffee, saw Sam like that, and went to get post it notes. If Sam was alert he'd be questioning that Dean's coffee was already on the table when Dean is pretending to just come into the room.

Oh no re: 6x21 - Dean called it Kryptonite.

How are there always more rooms in the Bunker? ... I have like 9 messages from Trisscar I haven't been looking at but suddenly I can guess :P

It appears to be opposite 7d, meaning this may be 7c, and a boring archive room rather than room 7b, which is the smaller archive room with a DUNGEON behind it

Dean is great in the research montage

Also that implies Sam had the post it notes the entire day, which given the half life of post it note glue is stretching credibility :P

Uh... They need to be more careful about just assuming random glowing rocks people dig up in the holy land are definitely the thing they are looking for.

I mean the cold open seems to imply it genuinely IS, but that's no excuse for being like glowing rock + glowing rock = success

Jinkies!

*sexy driving montage*

Okay this place is both spooky AND unlocked. Maybe because Jensen doesn't have another flip over a fence in him, but it's also pretty ominous about the useage of this place.

I love how in the modern age you just put the coordinates of your creepy destination into your phone and follow it and then get out at the first abandoned building dead on the spot and be like welp google told us to go get murdered by cultists here so

"Ask questions get answers" Are you not going to ask about the EYE?

That's a disturbing lack of concern for something essentially thematically "alter the sigil alter the spell" - the MoL vs the weird cultist chapter which clearly has a difference from the one they're used to because of the different symbol. Whatever level the MoL Sam and Dean know about, knew in turn about these guys, whether they disowned or quietly let them get on with it or what... this is not meant to mean the same as just casually finding another home base...

Just dropping in for a cup of tea and a seal of solomon

Uhoh the books all over the floor don't bode well

"Looks familiar, huh?"

*Sam finally spots an eyeball aquarian star* "Except for that"

you don't say

"Great. More books."

"You love books."

Honestly Dean kinda does and half of this goofing off from earlier was performative... He DOES find some types of research super boring but that doesn't mean he doesn't read for fun and also retain information well from books and hit the books when necessary.

Sam's just much more driven right now, meaning that Dean's being played off in contrast as mostly normal. Aka not wildly driven to do the reading himself, which in turn isn't just a usual character trait but shows how desperately Sam's at it.

uhoh those photos look like kidnappable flapper research

Sandy Porter :D

I hope that's supposed to say "age: 23" but I can't unread it as "eyes: 23" and the handwriting is weird.

SOLOMON 1917

I think we have found the thing... now the question is did this weird cult appear BECAUSE of the seal or was it they were already weird and they ended up bagging it for their experiments?

Their letter header already has the aquarian eye...

Sam/Jared casually breaking everything on the shelf

why did they leave that take in

Oh I guess he had to make noises to make Sandy start yelling for help

(I assume it's her or something that LOOKS like her)

I love Dean's photographic memory. And when we get flashes of him remembering stuff on screen like this

Sam's like What the Fuck

Aha it's Ketchmodeus time

Arthmodeus?

I love how Sam n Dean are wearing grey and they plop Dean's bi plaid over Sandy's grey flapper dress.

(She's called Sandy with blonde hair and Mary's middle name is Sandra)

Query: where WAS Dean keeping the plaid, or did he go up first, get a rope and a shirt and then we skipped all the stuff where they get a lil person who can't just hop up and reach the manhole cover again out of the hole in the ground :P

She's also skipped ahead in time from being a flapper and is now a millenial, possibly possessed by an Elder God hence the long life etc :P But she and Mary share the backstory in a way of being transported out of their right time

Is Ketch reading one of Crowley's old books from when he was raising Amara? Pfft. It's not uncle hoppity but it is obviously for a child, and is a way of demeaning him... He's reading it probably out of both boredom and spite... :P

... But the demons are apparently too fussed about cat videos to pay attention to him...

wha t is this episode

I have to admit at some undisclosed point I went to yoga, fell asleep on the floor in a rec hall and have since eaten my weight in chocolate avacado cake and coffee, so I am fairly addled :P

Oh, yep, Asmodeus is beefing himself up with angel juice, who EVER would have guessed it

it also reads like an addiction, and as this was introduced in season 9 around the time of Crowley's demon blood addiction and Dean with the Mark and Cas eating grace, it's almost surprising the needle was only ever implied to be for extraction.

But now we have Lucifer eating grace, and Asmodeus injecting it - the question is if he's addicted to it or not.

I'd assume as well if this was planned from the start, his colonel sanders look might also have been, social commentary aside, because the wanted a demon dressed all in white and looking clean and shiny like an angel

*demon minion comes blundering in a minute late* "I tried to stop him!"

This is absolutely 100%, no, 1000% vagueblogging Buckleming and how idiotic the Hell plot is and I am living for it

Poor squeaky Gabriel

They take Sandy to the most retro diner they can find... Inside, we meet patrons and staff with names immediately, before the Winchesters enter... The apparent owner, Joanne, amused by "Buck and Amy", one of her staff and a teenage boy, then says she'd hit it with Buck if Amy won't, which is SUPER creepy... Her cook apparently doesn't speak English or speak at all, so she feels free to say horrible things in front of him

Buck looks vaguely Jack-like just because he's a teenage boy with floppy hair

They really are easing her in slow with the modern age, this diner is decrepit, but just this many electric lights is enough for now >.>

Plus, they arrived in a car from the 60s

And she's messing with an ancient jukebox

This is adorable

i mean there's some high level creepiness in the diner, which I assume is Still Too Local and they ought to have crossed state lines...

I wonder at this point if their immediate vicinity to Asmodeus's lair is relevant. They'd know from Cas now that he's still using it. I mean, do you detour in your road trip to an ancient MoL bunker because you know the demon currently running Hell is camped out just down the road?

They're getting Sandy the meatloaf... Pretty sure that was what Mary said she got from the Piggly Wiggly in 12x02

Oh great, people who tattoo the aquarian eye on their arms. "Marco"'s name is in quotation marks.

HE CAN SPEAK

"Wait, these men of letters were the ones who... chained you down there?" Sam, you KNOW the MoL aren't perfect... are you really going to struggle with this? :P She was in THEIR secret Bunker chained up in the secret bunker's secret basement, surrounded by corrupted Aquarian stars. It's like 99% likely this was an inside job, especially as it's the longest pay off for a character defamation fraud ever otherwise :P

More tentacles!

Okay, look, you guys need Mary back and on your side because I swear to god if she goes into the bathroom and gets kidnapped because you're an all dude team then I'm going to scream.

you NEED women to support women because sometimes we really do go to the bathroom in a pack to avoid being kidnapped by cultists who want to feed us to tentacle monsters from another dimension

Oh no, they're all just being poisoned so they can be ritually murdered later

Aw "pet angel" again. Gabriel is overhearing this intel, so he knows the Winchesters are alive, doing shit, and Cas is still alive and doing shit with them... All good basic intel you should probably not let the one angel who cared about them in season TWO know. I mean, Azazel and Gabriel are the ONLY players who cared about them back when the status quo of the world was still in balance - from season 3 onwards everyone wanted a piece of Sam, and Dean's soul was rapidly heading towards breaking the first seal so everyone now had a stake in them. But Gabriel? He's a total hipster about bothering the Winchesters when they were wee little babby hunters to see if they were up to the task... and found they were.

Now he's back in canon I'm going to be evaluating him as carefully as I can with such a retconned and fandom beloved and fanon-bedecked character, and I think in our advantage for having him back, he's in a state we've never seen him before... genuinely in trouble :P

And Gabriel peers curiously through the bars as Asmodeus starts explaining their plans

"It's time we talk about us" please stop trying to make Ketchmodeus happen

A shot of them from a million miles away, a million miles between them, sliced off by a pillar. Ketch standing in the light. Asmodeus in the dark with yellow candles around him.

I am pretty sure this room is 10000x more candle-y than before.

When I was doing my rewatch of the early seasons a few summers ago I was so amused by the bajillion candles, a trend which died out with the colour format of the show changing, and any time a character shows up who needs a billion candles (e.g. Abaddon in 9x02) I get disproportionately excited that they *understand* the show :P

In this case, Asmodeus really needs all the links back to the start he can get, because he's a new, weak demon, one specifically called out in 13x12 of being the weakest of Lucifer's creations, and here shown juicing up on poor Gabriel, all a meta commentary on him being a rubbish character inserted as the last of the retconned princes of hell, his literal strength as a character weak and flimsy when it comes to caring about him, because after all the show has been through, retroactively adding ancient powers is a serious problem about "where were they before?" and so many of them need to have been lost, disinterested, locked away, buried and hidden and forgotten. In Asmodeus's case, possibly just looked over and neglected, and he's been having a pissy sulk about not being invited to the apocalypse for the last 10 years, since we know nothing about where he was before, but he's at least seemed to have his liberty and he waited out every single major player more powerful than him, and is appearing as a desescalation of a threat as a big bad so ridiculous the show is mocking him for being comically weedy, petty and out of touch or useless, or plain stupid. Even *Buckleming* seem aware he's an idiot at times.

And now Perez is writing this fucker and I actually have to character profile him >.>

Anyway Ketch is talking about their relationship, Asmodeus is trying to escalate his control over Ketch to "owning" him and pushing his luck really - Ketch being humiliated with the kid's book is a power play but Asmodeus really sucks at power plays and plans and all round... doing things...

I love watching Ketch get beaten up even if it is Asmodeus

Ah well

Was Asmodeus almost scary?

I mean, I suppose if we were supposed to care about Ketch a bit

After season 12 it's more like... Can we just have everyone beat him up once?

Dean is also stuck on the MoL being tweed wearing and harmless

And Sam avoiding carbohydrates... like... at least he ordered a couple of plates of food but he is a Big Guy, he needs to eat more than this!!

In some ways it reflects their endgame, e.g. Dean is still self-destructing and you could imagine either sticking a middle finger to any higher purpose supposed to affect him, or else bitter that he is never allowed off the ride... away from that, just the belief that it's winning to be killed by food rather than a monster. And he's been killed on the job enough to know the difference.

Sam, keeping himself sharp, suppoesdly (even if he is falling asleep on the table) and keepnig healthy long term, which may or may not be to some eventual endgame, that he plans on winning

I swear if anything skeezy happens to Buck...

Oh good, he's just noticed the cultists first while the professional hunters are busy eating... Maybe we all just get locked in here or something

Aaaand Sam's asleep on the table again. This is why you carb load

I guess no one's sticking post it notes on him this time

ALSO if it's that fast acting and the service is so slow here, you have a problem :P

The cultists' robes are similar colour to the wait staff uniform

I love the new fight coordinator

Cmon Sam, you only had one bite

Whoops he's being kidnapped

where is Sandy???

Nice one, eldritch flapper! :D :D

She has the "i just killed someone" look so I figure that whatever the monster did to her, she's not totally lost to it

Are they just keeping Sam as a hostage exchange? They're still just surrounding the diner...

At least Dean knows how to make a weapon out of anything

oh dear sweet cinnamon roll "we have to call the police!"

... Yep, one of the cultists is part of the local police. At which point me, having written a novel with red-robed cultists running around a town sacrificing girls and secretly being local authority figures is like... welp...

Aw, Dean, don't go charging after Sam. He already was like no don't go to the creepy bunker alone.

At least weigh your options and get a lay of the land first :/

I mean I would assume they want Sandy in exchange which means not happening, but...

Yep, they want the monster/god

Sandy is not very much of either :(

"our family was men of letters" "so was ours..." "kinda"

Okay so they want a clean start with this God, from another dimension, which is exactly what Michael wants, and it's currently in the Mary mirror.

Oh boy

"oh boy" indeed, it ate everyone and they bound it again, but it's still inside Sandy... Glowy purple eyes which is pretty ominous. She's also a Rowena mirror in a sense, including the monster, and there would be an interesting meta after this probably, when it's all said and done, to compare the scale of bound, hungry women

in this case, they accidentally made a devouring mother goddess which is more like... Amara... But it wants a mate

Aaaand the MoL banned all the members who were involved in this nonsense. See, you guys literally have the box of members who were banned... Bit of digging on the history of this chapter house and it would be like, dude, a dozen of these guys were banned for SUMMONING AN ELDRITCH MONSTROSITY

Ow, wow, Asmodeus has 4 vials of archangel grace knocking around... he seems to really have an issue here if he needs that much, constantly

menas stealing Gabriel from him will dry him out quickly, but also motivate him to get him back, unlike how he's just like pfft whatever about losing Cas and Lucifer

He and Ketch are getting deep and philosophical... First of all, I am a little concerned that Asmodeus is OOC for not having the depth of thought of a teaspoon, and very little will get me interested in their inner lives in any case because I refuse to let Ketch be made sympathetic on the grounds that he's a dick and I'm allowed to draw a line.

Anyway they're having a conversation about a MoL code which means these stories sort of metaphorically overlap and that's weird and I'm not certain how to handle thematic balance with them because we're actually exploring what it means to be a legacy here, and all the different toxic threads that each family is upholding etc

Fortunately Asmodeus keeps calling Ketch "boy" so the squicky Ketchmodeus I fear is just enough to keep me on edge through this scene :P

(to be clear, I don't fear it in the show so much as fearing that fandom will Kylux latch onto it and everyone will be shipping the shit out of it to an intolerable level, despite the aforementioned emotional ranges of teaspoons for these boring racist-coded white dudes)

But there's some blah about redeeming Ketch which is making me very nervous they're going to try

The was Asmodeus talks about Ketch belonging to him makes me wonder that whatever deal they struck to get into this partnership, there's some magical connection, more than just this emotional weakness that Asmodeus is talking about exploiting. Mostly because one is nuanced and one will be appropriate for Buckleming to play with, should they choose to acknowledge another writer's continuity.

(And I think half the reason Dabb's banished them to a separate plot is that they disrespect others' attempts to write the story that in leiu of collaboration, he's stuck them over here to do their own thing where they can't mess anything up...)

oh no don't send Buck out there with a kitchen knife

What is Dean doing? Amy and Joanne can't be in control of this situation??

That sounds very un-feminist of me but they did just send Buck out with a tiny weeny knife, like, not even a steak knife

Awhooops, the more the other MoL cultists talk, the more they sound like they're just managing a mistake their grandfather made, and Sam and Dean blundered into it as the bad guys, inadvertently "rescuing" Sandy (WHO I STILL LIKE) in their own quest for personal gain. Aka selfish actions beget consequences

Oh, that's a lot of dead cultists.

Oh, Sandy no don't eat Buck

RIP Buck

Dean is still distracted trying to do whatever to save Sam, and while stockpiling weaponry has missed both Sandy slipping away AND Joanne and Amy sending Buck out to get eaten

AAAH LEAVE DEAN ALONE

Also it's so unsettling having a monster wandering around in one of his most iconic shirts... I'll have to worry about that later but yikes. The imagery is unsettling to say the least. It's a really memorable one.

DRAMATIC EYE CONTACT between Ketch and Gabriel

Trying not to think about how that looked weirdly like the Claire Kaia intro eye contact

To be fair they've looked at each other a bunch and whatever Ketch thinks of Gabriel, they've had time to form their opinions of each other

He presents his undamaged side of his face to Gabriel while realising he has to free him

This is a hilarious rescue. Ketch isn't good at being a convincing good guy and Gabriel is freaked the heck out

Understandably, I wouldn't go with Ketch

Although idk maybe Gabriel is too traumatised to notice that Ketch was having a personal revelation of sorts

I am so disappointed that "if I had half your power" line didn't lead to Ketch being like "... but Asmodeus does" and grabbing the spare vials from the box he was keeping it all in. Maybe he took it with him

should have been a seduce the bad guy to steal the vials while he sleeps thing

... oh shit, they got me

Okay, the archangel blade works on other things... it's clearly potent

Sam nearly got frying panned by creepy Joanne

Meanwhile also in much older women going for young lads (proportionately), Dean has been picked as ideal mate material, in a season where he's already been whammied with a love spell, and just last episode Cas got married.

How comes all this imagery keeps hittnig them?

I ask the void

when today the void is represented by Eldritch Flapper Sandy from the void.

Okay, I don't know how to spell her eldritch name, but "star of madness ravager of galaxies mother of faceless hordes" is hecka cool

I'm sad that Sandy is dead but this eldritch thingy is still sorta badass

Mittens just told me this is set the same place as the open of 6x21, the same place HP Lovecraft is from, so that confirms my musings at the top of this :D I am delighted

She just misses her love from another universe.

"It's like a hallmark movie... with tentacles!"

that is not a deal breaker for Dean, I think

Anyway. Dean being confronted with this sweet love story. Now he will be the host to an epic, galaxy-crushing romance! Awww!!

She's gonna lay eggs in him though

i hope that's a dealbreaker

Also the whole... possession threat... when we've had spoilers jensen's playing something else

I assume not this guy

WHERE DID THE MOL GET THIS ANGEL GRACE BTW?

I feel like this has to be Gabriel again unless Raphael or Michael fucked up at some point and we're gonna find out later, just from the fact only one of them wasn't bound for most of human history or in Heaven, but actually slumming it on earth

We know literally nothing of Gabriel's history except that he dated Kali so there's that

Okay the tentacles are a deal breaker, Dean's grossed out

UHOH SPACE TENTACLES

Bye bye eldritch flapper... you were fun

(RIP Sandy)

Guess they will go back to ravaging stars together in the darkness

ALSO I really hope there's a way to STEER THIS FUCKING SPELL

elizabethrobertajones Huh. Tentacles are the dealbreaker for Dean who knew after 13 years there's something weird and kinky he isn't at least curious about :P

elizabethrobertajones Oh wait never mind "not that there's anything wrong with that" he is a consentacles guy

mittensmorgul BAHAHAHAHA

mittensmorgul He's not gonna kink shame

Also Dean is wondering if there's a way to steer the spell as well

Okay so they actually know how to work it - you can only go to AUs you already have a part of, and a time limit which will be for drama when they finally open this thing...

Do they have to bring this back to them afterwards? I hope so :P

Dean coming down the stairs joking about nearly being an interdimensional booty call after collecting one of the spell ingredients directly mirrors Cas coming down the stairs yelling about how he had to get married to get one of the OTHER ingredients.

I LOVE their Ketch reaction

Okay so Gabriel has said nothing all episode, and I assume Ketch is about to produce him, so the question is... how does Gabriel introduce himself? What's the play? These are the questions I am most curious about because this episode has been defining a lot of characterisation for the previously woefully undercharacterised Asmodeus, fleshing out WTF is Ketch's deal right now, and now Davy has the abilityto set the course (hopefully) for Gabriel.

We have 5 minutes to go

Oh hey he's still bloody and has his mouth sewn

he's just... hauling Gabriel into a chair

Like you do get how this looks suspicious, mate

And Sam and Dean are like uuuuh he's dead so wtf

Which is my reaction too so get to the backstory snap snap

Gabriel's eyes are so panicky I'm worried he's gonna be half-mad

Oh dear, "we need his grace" and Gabriel is like FUCK THAT SHIT YOU'RE NOT EVEN SAVING ME AND IF I'M ACTUAL ME AND NOT AN AU VERSION I FUCKING DIED FOR YOU ASSCLOWNS WHAT THE FUCK. UNSEW MY MOUTH AND LET ME HAVE A BATH

well "HMMM!!! HMM!!!!!!!!! !!!!!"

But I can read subtext

Ketch is just giving them EVERYTHING

they don't even know what that blade IS

Hey, gabriel, just smash your forehead on the grace vial and eat the grace

it's not dignified but who cares :P

Ketch came to the "only safe place he knew" aka a MoL bunker, which, after all, is very very safe. He has to bargain with Sam and Dean, knowing their spell, because "i saved this random archangel I found" isn't probably convincing enough on its own???

LOL "Dibs on the top bunk?"

"no"

"Deal"

Dean... sweetie... you do remember all your subtext with Ketch last year? You know you can't just agree to him taking the top bunk like that?

You're even negotiating either side of the war table again

ALSO WHY IS EVERYONE GETTING KETCH SHIPPING STUFF TODAY? UNSUBSCRIBE

And Dean will let pretty much ANYTHING happen to get Mary and Jack back

the question is, Cas must be at the farmer's market or something all episode because he wasn't there when they were researching and he wasn't there to stop Ketch coming in, so... where is he?

Anyway Dean is speaking on his behalf re: getting Jack back

Sam seems to want to do this on their own and Dean is making compromises again to get what they need

So, uh, Gabriel?

Aw, the Sastiel shippers will be happy, Sam was the one who ended up freeing his mouth, which is probably symbolic regardless, re: giving the Trickster back his main weapon

Omg Dean is ready to go before Gabriel says a word. Dean. Chill. Cas isn't even HERE.

And that makes me feel like whatever Gabriel has to say to break his long silence is even more important that Dean interrupted it (it's gonna not be, now, isn't it?)

"Shouldn't we wait?"

"Why?"

CAS YOU FUCKHEAD

"We have everything we need, everything else is just burning daylight"

Dean is again trying to leave Sam behind to manage things, and go in and do it alone. Dude, you literally nearly had eggs laid in you by an interdimensional flapper, you need to think about this.

LOL Ketch wants to go with them because it's safer than staying here being hunted by Asmodeus

I mean fair enough, and he's scarily competent

But it's making it look to Sam like Dean would rather have Ketch around than Sam???

Also WHERE IS CAS?

"I don't care if he dies. I'm sort of rooting for it."

Crack episode next where because Dean has interdimensionally travelled before, he ends back up in French Mistake Verse where he's Jensen and Ketch is DHJ (again? see also: 13x07 notes) and they have to get back before they can do the dramatic stuff

Anyway Dean is doing the sacrificial play, Sam watches his cholesterol so he has to stay on earth

I can't believe they're just opening a portal in the library and for 24 hours there's just a glowy back and forth hole there

But of course, as long as Dean finds Jack, the time limit doesn't matter

I can't believe Ketch is his BFF for the rest of the season

I can't believe Gabriel didn't SAY anything

What is he going to SAY next? I WANT TO KNOW

I am unbelievably frustrated, because now it passes it on to Buckleming again, and for all I know Davy thinks the whole Gabriel thing is silly, or is nervous of writing the iconic character so he just shoves it all off on them to break canon as they please and he gets something suitably dramatic and tension building and intentionally frustrating out of it but at the end of the day he doesn't have to directly ENGAGE with the Gabriel is back story, and it's all gonna be Bucklemninged next week

Aurgh.

Auuuurgh.

#13x17 #season 13 spoilers #my stuff

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tauers-go-dutch · 6 years

Text

Africa Part I: Victoria Falls

While I had known for years that swimming with Great Whites was top of Ryan’s bucket list, little ol’ me always thought that really was just a dream for another lifetime. However, following an absolute whirlwind of adventure the past two years, we thought-- why the hell not now?

In an Uber to the airport in Krabi, we took the plunge and bought tickets to Johannesburg from my iPhone. After that, we didn’t do a lot of follow-up planning for a few months, and even considered canceling or changing our destination following the serious drought in Cape Town. Fortunately, someone blessed the rains down in Africa, so off we went!

While we’d bought the tickets on a whim to and from Johannesburg, we ultimately decided to spend the first few days in Zimbabwe, seeing Victoria Falls. We grabbed an airport hotel in Jo-burg in order to immediately hop on another flight to Victoria Falls.

When we arrived in the tiny town that is Victoria Falls, we took a stroll through to the Victoria Falls Hotel. The hotel, built by the British colonizers in 1904, sits on the gorge above the Zambezi River downstream from the falls. That said, of course they have afternoon tea! Fortunately we made it just before they stopped serving tea for the day, and we were able to experience one of my very favorite things in an absolutely incredible location. We enjoyed our tea with the view of a lifetime, including several warthogs grazing on the lawn just next to the hotel patio. When we were through we spent a good amount of time touring the hotel and learning about the history of the area. After tea we walked back into town and hopped into a brewpub/pizza spot for some food and drink before grabbing a cab back to our hotel.

Mist from the falls

Unfortunately, Timon was nowhere to be found...

They have to bend over like that to get to the grass

The following day we went canoeing on the Zambezi. The Zambezi is the river on which Victoria Falls falls, and it also separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. Our tour was very small, with one Brazilian woman as well as an American man from….somewhere back east. Both were in town for the Victorian Falls Marathon, which we had only learned of the previous day. Maybe a good thing, because otherwise we might have been tempted to sign up for it! (The half, anyways…)

While the main point of the tour was to experience the river itself, we hoped to also see some wildlife. Most of what we saw was actually during the drive to the drop-in point. No matter where you are in Africa, keep your eyes peeled. We saw our first giraffe, our first hippo (out of the water!) and some cool birds before hitting the water. As we canoed, we saw a few crocodiles as well as more hippos. Oddly they were all on land -- the guide said it was likely because the temperatures were dropping and they didn’t feel the need to cool off in the water. Whatever the reason, I prefer my crocodiles and hippos a nice distance from my boat, so land it is!

A baobab tree, the ‘tree of life’

Spot the croc!

This guy was just a babe

When we reached our pull-off point, our guides had a nice lunch ready for us, where I was ‘lucky’ enough to try some crocodile kebab. ...It’s only meh. Ryan, the carnivore, agrees. We ate near a tree full of monkeys, so I spent the majority of lunch watching them play. Afterward, our guide admitted to us that we were supposed to have sandwiches rather than the hodgepodge of food we ended up eating (I wouldn’t have known any different…) except the monkeys had stolen the loaf of bread as soon as he arrived! He even showed us the plastic bag stuck in the tree as proof!

Crocodile kebab

Monkey watching

Upon our return to town, we decided to check out the local artisans market, where we bought a few handmade souvenirs for ourselves as well as some friends and family, before hitting up the town’s brewery, the River Brewing Co. The world cup was still going on, so we watched France beat Argentina (sorry, Messi!) while sipping on some local brews. It took a bit of effort to find a dinner spot that evening, as people from all over the world were in town looking to carbo-load before their marathon the next morning. We settled on a small tourist-trap looking place, had a quick bite, and cabbed it back to our hotel. (You don’t dare walk at night, due to aforementioned random giraffes, hippos, monkeys… and their predators… just off the roads.)

While others were running, we were sleeping in. Eventually we got up to walk into town, cheering on the runners nearing the finish line along the way. Today was the day we were finally going to see the falls! On our walk there, however, we were stopped by two guards telling us we should wait, as there were elephants on the path and it wasn’t safe. We hemmed and hawed, before noticing that there were several other people walking around and we’d likely be just fine. We proceeded with caution and were rewarded with an incredibly up-close experience with the largest land animal in the world! We stood in awe for a few minutes, watching them graze in the bushes (there were 4 or 5 of varying distance from us) before grabbing a couple s-Elphies and moving on.

There is a nice restaurant on the edge of the canyon called the Lookout Cafe, where we grabbed a bite to eat with the best view in the house. Finally we made it to the falls themselves. I don’t know what exactly I had been expecting. You can see the billowing mist from them anywhere you stand in town, and you can hear them from a mile away, so I’m not sure why their enormity amazed me as much as it did once I finally stood next to them. I would use our cliche ‘let the pictures speak for themselves’ here, but it’s impossible to take a photo of Victoria Falls that might do it justice. The two nicknames ‘The Smoke that Thunders’ and ‘The Place of the Rainbow’ given to it by the indigenous people of the area, gives more insight into the grandiosity and splendor of the waterfall. There are several viewing points within the Victoria Falls National Park, so we spent as much time taking it all in while doing our best to avoid getting too soaking wet. (Ponchos are for chumps.)

Shameless pull straight from Wikipedia:

While it is neither the highest nor the widest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls is classified as the largest, based on its combined width of 1,708 metres (5,604 ft) and height of 108 metres (354 ft), resulting in the world's largest sheet of falling water. Victoria Falls is roughly twice the height of North America's Niagara Falls and well over twice the width of its Horseshoe Falls. In height and width Victoria Falls is rivalled only by Argentina and Brazil's Iguazu Falls.

A wee bit misty...

After experiencing Victoria Falls, we made the trip across the river into Zambia. We had purchased a double Visa that would allow us in for a daytrip, which was all we had time for anyways. Unfortunately we did not get to experience the waterfall from the national park on the Zambia side, as it was a separate (expensive) entrance fee, and we had entered the country with the intention of visiting the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Because of course I wanted to have afternoon tea in both Victoria Falls and Livingstone!

We went through customs on both sides of the bridge before making the decently long walk out to find the hotel. It was immediately evident that this wasn’t a pedestrian-friendly walk, as there were zero sidewalks and we were the only ones who didn’t hop in a cab upon entering the country. Oh well, it’s only 2 kilometers and still plenty of daylight!

The Zambezi from the bridge

Walking up to the Victoria Falls Hotel two days prior, we were greeted by warthogs grazing on the lawn. As if that wasn’t cool enough, on this side of the river we ran into zebras! As soon as we entered the gate to the hotel grounds, we came across several. This time we stopped for a Z-elfie. Ok, I’ll stop. We were seated for tea just inside, where we still had a view of the lawn and the Zambezi River but could grab some respite from the sun and heat. The tea and cakes were great, with Ryan and I agreeing that the Victoria Falls Hotel had better scones while the tea itself was more enjoyable at the Royal Livingstone. Once we finished up we spent some time exploring the grounds, coming across another herd of zebras and watching the sunset over the river. Before it got too low, however, we made the trek back to the border crossing in order to get back into Zimbabwe before the customs offices closed. We made it through just as it really got dark and had a quick dinner at an Asian restaurant before heading to bed.

I can imagine not much has changed since Livingstone himself sat here. Kidding... Unlike it’s counterpart in Victoria Falls, this hotel was built in 2001.

My happy place! Yum!

One more glimpse of the river as we cross back over the bridge

First thing in the morning, we had a flight back to South Africa, to spend a week in Cape Town! Africa Part II coming soon!

Tot ziens!

#tauersgodutch #tauers go dutch #victoria falls

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easytravelpw-blog · 5 years

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Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/festival-review-sziget-budapest/hotels/

Festival Review: Sziget, Budapest

I was excited to return to Óbuda Island in Budapest for the third year running to attend the Sziget (9-16 August 2017) for seven days of sunshine and spectacle.

As well as more than 10 music stages, Sziget promised a varied programme including theatre, dance, traditional Hungarian craft workshops and even an interactive games area focusing on helping people with disabilities.

Who goes to Sziget Festival?

Diversity is the heart and soul of Sziget Festival, with over 100 countries represented on the island. As well as Hungarians, who tend to purchase day tickets, the festival attracts hoards of ‘Szitizens’ from the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, and beyond. There were more than 1,000 Australians at Sziget this year: quite a journey to make for a festival!

Sziget Szitizens enjoying the festival (c) Andrew Moss

Accommodation

I opted to avoid camping at the festival and instead rented an apartment with a group of friends. This allowed me the opportunity to return home each night for a shower and a decent night’s sleep, and also meant I could catch the Sziget boat to the island each morning: a truly lovely way to start the festival each day.

The simplest way to rent an apartment in Budapest is through Airbnb, and if you book enough in advance you should be able to rent a lovely, air-conditioned apartment for peanuts. Our base was only a 10-minute walk from Sziget boat and housed 14 people, at the cost of £15 a night – bargain!

You can also book an inexpensive hostel in the ‘Pest’ side of the city. If you go down this route, make sure you check there is air conditioning in the bedrooms.

You can, of course, camp at the festival and there are plenty of shady spots to pitch your tent. There is also a VIP camping option, but if you’re willing to spend the extra cash I recommend you book an apartment or hostel in the city instead.

Food and Drink

During my previous trips to Sziget, the food was disappointing. There wasn’t that much variety and what was there was greasy and salty. This year there was a definite improvement, especially in the area near to the Hungarikum Village. I sampled some delicious Goulash Soup as well as a Russian dish called pelmeni: mixed pasta stuffed with beef and pork with sour cream and vinegar. The food options around the main stage were fairly uninspiring so I recommend branching out from the centre of the festival when you get peckish.

You can’t take in your own alcohol to Sziget. A beer or plastic cup of wine costs less than £3 while one of the festival’s signature cocktails is around £5.50. As with previous years, Sziget’s alcohol policy allows for a very jolly atmosphere without creating too many alcohol-related casualties.

Sziget Beer Drinkers (c) Andrew Moss

At Sziget you don’t use cash to buy food and drink. Instead, you pre-load money onto a Festipay card and this can be used to pay for everything at the festival. There are several booths dotted around Sziget where you can top-up, and you can protect your money by downloading the Sziget App and registering your card. If you lose it, you can cancel the card and reimburse the money on a new card. Very nifty.

What’s the music like at the Sziget Festival?

We arrived at the main stage on the first day mid-way through a fun and energetic performance by Bosnian group, Dubioza Kolektiv. Taking inspiration from reggae, ska, alternative rock and Bosnian folklore, the band whipped the crowd into a joyful frenzy. This is what makes Sziget so special: the opportunity to discover bands from across the globe who would otherwise never enter one’s consciousness.

The music line-up was, admittedly, a mixed bag. The seven headliners absorbed over half of the festival’s €20m budget, yet they weren’t the big hitters of rock and pop that I’d become accustomed to.

Sziget Revellers at the main stage (c) Andrew Moss

I really enjoyed P!nk’s fun and fiery performance on the first night, but confess I was less thrilled by the prospect of Kasabian, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Major Lazer. Tamás Kádár, CEO of Sziget Cultural Management, admitted to us that the line-up was weaker than usual, in part because some of the acts are asking for 50-60 per cent more money than the previous year.

This has become a serious issue for festival organisers around the globe. Fortunately there were some excellent performances by lesser known artists on the main stage including a feisty set by The Kills and a beautifully sweet performance by English rose, Birdy. The closing act on the main stage, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, was also a surprising sensation.

British-American indie rock band The Kills (c) Andrew Moss

There was also plenty to see away from the main stage. My personal highlights included DJ Shadow and Crystal Fighters at the indoor OTP Bank Stage by A38. USA born DJ Shadow put on an exceptional show with the best backing video I have ever seen. Striking images of wildlife, landscapes and abstract shapes burst on the screen in perfect timing to the music. The bass was so intense it made my shoes vibrate and my nose tingle. Crystal Fighters put on a jubilant performance inspired by the Basque heritage of one of its members, Laura Stockley. This band really should have had a prime spot on the main stage and I think Sziget missed a trick here.

The World Music Stage hosted a brilliant set by Orkestra Mendoza, who made it totally impossible not to get up and dance. This performance was particularly memorable as the final song coincided with Sziget’s 25th birthday party. Sziget staff members ran around the festival presenting a random selection of Szitizens with birthday cakes and party hats. My friend, Hannah, was one of the lucky recipients and her pure joy at being presented with a cake was one of my happiest memories of the festival.

What else is going on?

My advice for Sziget is to make sure you don’t just stick to the main stage and really make time to explore every area of the festival. There is much to discover, from Sziget beach to the Luminarium: an 800m2 inflatable sculpture with a labyrinth of rooms to explore. There is also the travelling funfair, cardboardia tent, Sziget comedy tent and Magic Mirror which hosts a colourful array of cabaret, drag shows and talks by the LGBT community.

Walkabout performers The Herd of Mechanical Creatures (c) Andrew Moss

One of the most widely talked-about acts this year was Anima Ardens by Belgium Compagnie Thor, which features 11 male dancers who are totally in the nude. I joined the huge queue outside the Fidelio Theatre and Dance Tent and managed to get a seat at the back. While I applaud their grace and boldness, I am afraid this performance was too arty for me. The interpretive dance aspects went completely over my head!

There were some stellar circus performances this year at Cirque du Sziget. The organisers doubled the capacity of the indoor tent this year, which was a savvy move. The outstanding performance for me was Machine de Cirque, where five Canadian blokes performed a mix of comedic sketches and extraordinary feats of acrobatics using a large, wooden seesaw.

Machine de Cirque from Canada (c) Andrew Moss

Another highlight of the festival was the colour party, where festivalgoers throw bags of multi-coloured paint at each other. This year, it was postponed to the final day due to high winds on Saturday. My friends and I made our way into the centre of the action and managed to get hold of few bags of bright pink powder. Then followed an explosion of luminescent dust and we all threw our arms up in pure joy and asphyxiation (thanks to the clouds of powder).

Verdict

Sziget 2017 was for the most part, pretty fantastic. The festival had a carefree and jovial atmosphere and I was in an almost permanent state of euphoria. Yes, the main stage line-up was a little disappointing, but this didn’t really matter when there were so many other things to see and do.

Colour Party Revellers (c) Andrew Moss

TIP: If you are planning to visit Sziget in 2018 allow some time to explore Budapest. It’s a vibrant and beautiful city with a fascinating history. You can purchase a 13-day Sziget Citypass during the festival, which allows you to use almost all forms of public transport around the city, including the boat to the festival.

⇒ Top 10 things to see and do in Budapest

Fact File

How much: Festival tickets are reasonably priced, from around £230 for 7 days. Book early to avoid price increases.

Getting there: if you arrive by car, check the parking options listed on the Sziget website. Parking spots are limited and once you leave your car, you can only return one time unless you are willing to pay for another ticket.

There is a taxi station on the island and you can also catch a taxi to the festival entrance from the city. Sziget’s official taxi partner is Citi Taxi, and they can be reached on +36 12 111 111.

The easiest and cheapest ways to reach the island are by train and by boat. The Sziget boat runs every day between between Jászai Mari square and Sziget Festival Port. Alternatively catch the HÉV suburban rail no. H5 to the Filatorigát stop, leaving from Batthyány square or Margit Bridge every 10-15 minutes.

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fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years

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10 Tie Brands That Will Instantly Improve Your Smart Wardrobe

https://fashion-trendin.com/10-tie-brands-that-will-instantly-improve-your-smart-wardrobe/

10 Tie Brands That Will Instantly Improve Your Smart Wardrobe

Any man worth his sartorial salt knows that the secret to true style lies within the finer details of his outfit. Whether it’s the expertly matched leather watch strap and shoes, the tell-tale line of his selvedge jeans, or merely the absence of a belt – these are the subtle style specifics that are key to taking a look from great to god-like.

However, when it comes to formalwear, there’s significantly less of room for manoeuvre flair-wise, which is why a selection of knock-out ties is an absolute must in any man’s wardrobe arsenal.

What Is A Tie?

Chances are you probably already have a rough idea of what a tie is. But just in case you’ve somehow lived your entire life up to this point without having come across one, allow us to unravel the mystery.

A tie is a length of fabric designed to be worn decoratively around the neck, under the collar of a shirt (never with a T-shirt and waistcoat, despite what early-noughties indie bands told you.)

Though their popularity has dwindled in recent decades as a result of relaxing dress codes — give it a few years, you’ll be invited to an ‘athleisure wedding’ — the tie remains a standard part of formalwear and office attire in many parts of the world and also as a part of the uniform for many people, including the military.

History Of The Tie

Okay, so they look smart. But why did we start wearing bits of fabric around our necks in the first place? Well, it turns out it wasn’t just a random consequence of fashion. Neckties, much like work boots and safari jackets, once served a practical purpose.

It’s generally agreed that the starting point for the necktie explosion was in 17th-century France when King Louis XIII hired Croatian mercenaries to fight in war. These soldiers wore lengths of cloth around their necks as part of their uniforms and to hold their jackets closed at the top.

Edward VIII

This new accessory spawned a fashion craze across Europe (because who wouldn’t want to look like a Croatian mercenary, right?) and soon both men and women were tying bits of decorative cloth around their necks in a frenzied attempt to keep up with the trend.

But it wasn’t just a fleeting fad. The necktie wormed its way into our ancestor’s wardrobes deeper and deeper, and even gave birth to several variations, including bow ties, bolo ties, Ascot ties and cravats.

Why Wear A Tie?

These days formal neckwear is seldom for practical purposes (unless you count proving a judge of your innocence), so why are we still wearing ties nearly 400 years on? It all boils down to style and presentation.

Ties offer men a chance to show some flair in otherwise drab attire, and the addition of one can quite literally tie a look together. Of course, they’re not just for formalwear. Wearing a tie can instantly upgrade a more relaxed outfit too, indicating that you’re a man knows how to truss himself up even when the dress code doesn’t require a lounge suit.

Tom Ford

“Men still love raising the game sartorially, and British men take much more pleasure in the smart-casual look,” says Jermyn Street master shirt and tie maker Emma Willis. “This often includes less structured, plain, textured ties that de-formalise silk with blends of linen or cashmere.”

A tie is also a great way to subtly change up your look day-to-day, particularly if your job requires you to wear a suit. “I always imagine I have a heads up on the day’s current affairs choosing BBC newsreader Huw Edwards’ tie with him depending on the headline story,” adds Willis.

The Best Brands For Ties

This humble piece of neckwear may seem like a relatively simple concept but wearing the right tie relies on a host of factors including the size, colour, fabric, the tie knot used, and the shirt collar it’s worn with.

Drake’s

Since 1977, Drake’s has been helping the world’s best-dressed men add a dash of personality to their wardrobes with its unique eye for colour and pattern. With factories in both London and Somerset, all the label’s ties are carefully made in England, ensuring a certain level of quality and prestige. Expect classic, British elegance that always manages to come off more stylish than stuffy.

Buy Now: £135.00

Marks & Spencer

When it comes to shopping on the high street, few names carry as much significance as longtime staple Marks & Spencer. The well-known retail chain is one of the most reliable spots around when it comes to quality and value for money. And when it comes to ties — be they classic silk options or modern knitted numbers — these guys really know what they’re doing.

Buy Now: £17.50

J.Crew

It would be virtually impossible to pull off the Ivy League look without a striped tie fastened beneath the collar of an Oxford button-down. And for that sort of thing, no brand is quite as well suited as New York’s very own J.Crew. The preppy label has made easy-to-wear, smart but relaxed clothing its calling card, and the ties on offer are no different.

Buy Now: £62.50

T.M. Lewin

Established in 1898, T.M. Lewin is one of the oldest names on Jermyn Street. And unlike many of its neighbours on the historic London street, the prices here won’t leave you scrounging for crumbs to eat. Don’t let the bargain price points put you off, mind, the reason the label has been able to thrive for so long is that it does its job properly, be that well fitting shirts or ties to suit any occasion.

Buy Now: £15.00

Turnbull & Asser

If your aim is to look like James Bond, where better to buy your clobber from than the label that has been sorting him out with shirts and ties for more than 50 years? As well as dressing everyone from Prince Charles to Picasso, London’s Turnbull & Asser has created designs specifically for 007 including the cocktail cuff shirt which, presumably, is best accessories with a martini.

Buy Now: £125.00

Topman

Just because it’s knotted at the neck, a tie doesn’t have to be a noose on your style. Among Topman’s line-up of block-colour neckwear is a sprawling selection of printed styles that will allow you to smarten up while injecting some much-welcomed personality into your formal looks. The fact that you can also pick up modern slim, skinny and muscle-fit shirts and suit jackets while you’re at it is simply a bonus.

Buy Now: £10.00

Marwood

Founded in 2010, London’s Marwood is a relative newcomer to the tie party, but what this made-in-England brand lacks in history, it more than compensates for in character. The people behind the label saw that classic ties had been done in and done out, and so decided to carve out a niche crafting artistic options with lots of character; a USP that has seen it snapped up by the likes of Mr Porter, Liberty and Dover Street Market.

Buy Now: £60.00

Emma Willis

Sitting in pride of place on Jermyn Street – the shirtmaking equivalent of Savile Row – Emma Willis is a name synonymous with crafting some of the finest bespoke button-ups known to man. But the master seamstress also turns out an impressive selection of ties with the same exacting standards. Handmade in England from silk and pure plain cashmere, they’ve graced the necks of everyone from Henry Cavill to Samuel L Jackson.

Buy Now: £120.00

Charvet

Nothing short of a style institution, Charvet came into being when Joseph-Christophe Charvet opened the world’s first shirt shop in Paris in 1838. With a heritage most can only dream of, the label is well known to kings, princes, heads of state and countless celebrities. And when you look at its selection of ties, it’s not hard to see why.

Buy Now: £170.00

Brooks Brothers

If heritage is a deciding factor when on the hunt for wardrobe additions, you can’t do much better than Brooks Brothers. The classic all-American outfitter is the country’s oldest clothing retailer, having spent over two centuries kitting out presidents, movie stars and just regular stylish blokes. And if the brand’s line-up of natty textured ties is good enough for them, then it’s certainly good enough for us.

Buy Now: £85.00

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spraklecat · 6 years

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Blackpool Pleasure Beach TR below, it’s pretty long since there’s a lot of interesting stuff there I wanted to talk about. Probably my favorite UK park I did for how unique it is and because it’s a really good value, nearly half the price of the other parks (which are already almost half ths price of comparable US ones) and has a very.. interesting selection of mostly older rides you can’t find much elsewhere, though it’s a shame they’ve killed off a number of them in the last decade or so :(

Also bonus South Pier, because it’s nearby and has an amazing 10-minute Waltzer

BPB TR

I gave myself two days for the park knowing that I’d felt a bit rushed at Thorpe and Alton and this one looked the most attractive in terms of rides and I really wanted to do it all. One day would have probably been fine, but in the end, it’s a whole lot cheaper than the other big parks in England and two days with VIP Plus Speedy Pass was roughly the same as one day at Alton/Thorpe with the equivalent line skipper and I had a great time going at a casual pace and tons of rerides.

The atmosphere of this park is... very interesting. Kind of rusty/run down, but with some nice greenery, random spots of theming, and the train’s animal statues scattered in some of the coaster infields that made me scratch my head at first. I like it, it’s unique and eclectic even if it can be tacky. The whole Blackpool area kind of feels similar with having the vintage trams running around and some older buildings, but also some mysterious art installations by the beach and a random abandoned mini golf course. Food seemed less expensive than other parks I went to, but I mostly just got ice cream. Operatioms weren’t especially great , but not usually too bad either, and according to the Speedy Pass site lines weren’t usually above 20 minutes on Sunday anyways. Though they looked a lot worse on Monday, likely since several rides went down and Infusion was on one train ops. I’ve heard some complaints about the clientele here and yeah, it’s obviously not a very wealthy area, but I never encountered any trouble at the park or walking around the Promenade, even at night. I wasn’t bothered by anyone at Thorpe either, besides people being slow and fussy in the ride stations, so maybe I’m just lucky or oblivious.

Fyi Valhalla was closed all day both days for some reason, which is why I didn’t ride it :( It was also a bummer hearing of Wild Mouse’s sudden demise last year since I had been looking forwards to it as well.

In no particular order, my thoughts on the rides.

Nickelodeon Streak- Not very forceful, but has nice views and isn’t too rough.

Blue Flyer- Adorable little ride, probably the smallest woodie I’ve ridden. Otherwise, similar to Nick Streak in terms of being a gentle ride.

Big Dipper- Decent, but underwhelming given what I’ve heard from others. The layout didn’t flow the best and didn’t have nearly as much air as I had hoped. The laterals on the turn towards the home stretch are great, though. Also, I love the BPB has upholstered couch seats on their wooden coasters, so comfortable even on rough rides like Grand National. I wish padding like that would make a comeback but maintenance is probably a lot higher than standard seats.

Grand National- Probably one of my favorites there, purely for fitting under the old wooden coaster with endless hills, airtime a short line category, which I have a huge soft spot for. Really rough in the back row but again, tolerable due to cushy seats absorbing it a lot, and the air is plentiful and lovely. I mostly rode the left side, which seemed to consistently lose. I rode the right once or twice since it had a slightly longer line, but it felt a little rougher but the air felt a little stronger in spots. The switching stations part at the end definitely feels weird. Easily my favorite wood coaster at the park, I rode this thing so much because I couldn’t get enough of it (similar to how I was with KI racer as a kid).

Revolution- Amazingly smooth for it’s age an being an Arrow. This thing tracks ridiculously well. The drops are a bit janky and absolutely fling your knees up and cracked me up a lot. I also love the feeling of Arrow loops as an element. An enjoyable and pretty hilarious ride overall but all the steps up are pretty annoying. Took advantage of my Speedy Pass to reenter the station and reride without the whole hike. Beautiful truss structure, I thought it was going to look like the other Arrow shuttle loops I’ve seen online that aren’t as attractive but I was very wrong. Guessing they did it so they could fit more rides underneath?

Big One- This thing looks and feels much bigger than its height and has the most stereotypical big scary roller coaster appearance ever. Another beautiful Arrow, and while not the most forceful ride, it’s not too rough, the drop is cool, and there’s a bit of air going into the mcbr. The views are incredible and the ride feels like an adventure with how it goes over and around almost the entire park.

Avalanche- A big surprise. This thing is like a bigger, rougher, and crazier waterslide with some surprising pops of air and I love that, despite the short ride time. Never been on a bobsled coaster before this so can’t compare it to others.

Infusion- Also a big pleasant surprise. SLCs get a lot of crap and I really wanted to try one to see what people mean and this is actually a solid if somewhat janky invert and easily more enjoyable, than some lower tier B&Ms for me, it has some solid forces and pretty good pacing. The roll over is a cool maneuver and it’s a shame it’s not something really done on non-SLC coasters. The sidewinder up the water wall was also great, though I would have preferred an Immelman. Yeah, the corkscrews and transitions could be awkward but I’m good at pushing my neck out to avoid headbanging so they weren’t too bad. I rode in the front, middle, and back and all had good forces, but front is much smoother.

Steeplechase- A weird little ride that can be goofy fun for the novelty factor, but ow, the seatbacks really jab you in the lower back during those turns. It was more comfortable riding in the back seat behind someone else. The minimal restraints are a bit freaky with those sudden turns.

Icon- Definitely a big contrast to the other coasters at the park, being modern and much much smoother. I really enjoyed Maverick and while it’s definitely not as good, the whole short, intense launch coaster genre is one I really enjoy. Front row was pretty weak, but there’s some fantastic air in the back going over the first hill and off the immelman. The immelman is easily the best part, and exemplifies the wonderful variance of pacing and forces this ride has with the slow turnover with a bit of hangtime before being glung over the top. It’s definitely a bit too S-bend heavy though and the restraints got uncomfortably tight, but compared to other hydraulic restraints they’re far more comfortable in that regard since they mainly press on thighs and over a wider area and it’s more just discomfort than pain. I’m team Nemesis for best UK coaster still since that ride’s ridiculous pace and intensity is tough to beat.

Dark Rides:

River Caves- Strange and kinda trippy with the seemingly random changes in setting and time period and I love that. Relaxingand pretty ride with lots of visual variety, with some scenes being more realistic and others stylized.

Ghost Train- A horror-themed ride mostly without cheap jump scares and just full of creepy stuff? Fantastic! Another ride that was wonderfully odd and unexplainable with the seemingly random displays and lack of explanation. Favorite ones were the spoopy skeletons on bikes, the oven, and the train tunnel.

Alice’s Wonderland- A bit hard to read the boards, but a nice ride. I love the cat cars. I liked the others better since the wtf factor of the older ones is great and Wallace and Gromit is technically superior.

Wallace and Gromit- As I’ve said above, the most technically advanced of the dark rides I rode (again, Valhalla was closed the whole time). The order of the scenes seemed a bit scrambled but it was well-done, especially liked the Were-Rabbit animatronic that gave me a good startle.

Misc. Rides

Pleasure Beach Express- Even if they’re just diesel replicas, I like that the engines are shaped like 1920s-30s British ones rather than being the more typical old-timey American-style type with the big chimney and cowcatcher that most other parks have. Anyways, the route takes you under a lot of the coasters for some great photo angles, and through some strange displays of dinos and wild animals and expeditions gone wrong. Like River Caves, it’s so bizarre and I love it.

Sky Force- I love that interactive flats are coming back, even if I could only flip once or twice at best the challenge made it fun and even just wobbling back and forth was enjoyable.

Flying Machines- Pretty relaxing and pleasant, not much else to say.

Derby Racer- I rode the one at CP several years ago and this one feels a lot faster and more thrilling, though the horses don’t race. I like the color scheme and lights of the pavilion, much prettier than CP’s but the horses aren’t painted with much detail.

Grand Prix- Liked the setting, the noise when you didn’t steer the car right stressed me out so I didn’t ride again lol

Bonus: South Pier

Visited because it was close by and I heard the Waltzer was good and it did not disappoint. Almost 10 minute cycle with tons of variation in speed/spin (sometimes gentle rocks, sometimes I couldn’t even keep my neck up from the force) and a very fun and lively op. I rode it twice in a row and somehow didn’t feel remotely nauseous, which was weird, I’m super prone to motion sickness but I usually need a break after several rides and that was much longer in terms of duration. They definitely give you your money’s worth, and I’d say check it out if you’re going to BPB and like spinning flats, it’s easily a favorite of mine. The Breakdance was pretty good and is a Sobema model that’s a bit bigger feels a bit more comfortable when the cars spin than the Fabbri ones I’m used to (never ridden a Huss). Wild Mouse had some wild uncontrolled spinning in the second set of switchbacks, much stronger than the other one I did at a US fair.

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alice-in-every-land-blog · 7 years

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All About Alice

Trigger Warnings: Mentions of hospitals, nose-bleeds, death, bullying, and homophobia. (More in depth mention of psychological disorders and treatment considered to be torture, such as electroshock therapy.)

Basic Information

Full Name: Alice Liddel

Nickname(s): N/A

Age: 23

Date of Birth: March 30th

Hometown: London, England (Alternate Universe)

Current Location: Swynlake, England

Ethnicity: White

Nationality: British

Culture: UK

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She / Her

Orientation: Pan/Polysexual/romantic

Occupation: Creative Expert at Edelweiss Estate

Magick: Portal Manipulation

Living Arrangements: Lives at Edelweiss Estate

Language(s) Spoken: English, French

Accent: “Proper/Posh” British

Religion and Beliefs: Alice is a bit agnostic. She was raised Presbyterian, but never bought into it. It all sounded like a story to her, as do most other religions. Who is she to say who got the story of the literal universe correct?

Political Affiliation: Liberal

Social Issues: Alice believes in equality for all, and will fight for it when any opportunity arises.

Physical Appearance

Face Claim: Freya Mavor

Complexion: Lots of freckles, with the occasional spot of acne once a month or so

Hair Color: Blonde

Eye Color: Blue

Height: 5′7

Weight: 121 lbs

Build: Slim

Tattoos: None (But wants one- or two- no need to count!)

Piercings: Basic ear piercings

Scars: Alice has some scars on her hands, elbows, and knees from accidents when she was younger and would try to explore. They’re fairly minor and mostly healed. She also has a scar near her right eyebrow from where she hit the pavement after passing out upon coming to Swynlake, and some tiny scars around her wrists from fighting restraints in the hospital.

Common Hairstyle: Mostly Alice just let’s her hair do what it’s going to do. She runs a brush through it and just leaves it however it is, which isn’t exactly crazy, but it’s definitely a natural wavy, full head of hair. Occasionally she’ll straighten or curl it, and might even wear a braid or some ribbons in her hair, but that’s mostly if she’s getting dressed up for an event or something similar.

Clothing Style: Quirky. Alice likes clothes that speak. (I could say that’s metaphorical, but Alice really does feel like she hears things speaking to her sometimes, so.) Anything that’s considered alternative or different or out-of-date calls to Alice. Basically, she has a unique sense of fashion made up from random finds in thrift shops and the like.

Mannerisms: Alice tucks her hair behind her ears a lot. It’s just sort of a quirk, she’s always trying to get her hair out of her face. She’s also restless, so her leg will bounce if she’s sitting still for too long.

Usual Expression: Curious and tentatively optimistic!

Health

Overall (do they get sick easily?): Alice is actually pretty healthy. She only gets really sick maybe once a year. Other than that, she just has pretty bad seasonal allergies that can sometimes develop into colds or sinus infections.

Physical Ailments: Nose-bleeds and loss of consciousness upon excessive use of her abilities

Neurological Conditions: She’s been misdiagnosed with a slew of different mental illnesses due to her claiming she had magic in a world where it didn’t exist. In reality, Alice has Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and it is likely she has NOS (Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) as well.

Allergies: Seasonal weather allergies

Sleeping Habits: Alice can fall asleep literally any time, anywhere. It’s been a problem in the past - falling asleep during lessons or in the car - and can still sometimes cause trouble to this day. Alice loves her sleep, and so she loves to nap. She just has such a hard time waking up. She never feels fully rested. (This is due to nightmares that reek havoc on her when she’s been asleep for more than a few hours, though she can never recall them when she finally wakes.)

Grooming Habits: She takes good care of herself. She loves sleep, she loves bathing, and she enjoys painting her nails when she has the time and patience for it. Alice doesn’t go out of her way to participate in skin-care or go beyond what is necessary to stay clean, though.

Eating Habits: Not only is Alice a picky eater, but she also eats like a bird. She has never had a particularly large appetite, and her mother always yelled at her for “playing with her food.” (Okay, so half of the time in her mother’s defense, Alice was literally playing with her food.)

Exercise Habits: Alice likes to bike! It’s her most frequent form of exercise, since she doesn’t go out of her way to use a gym or anything.

Emotional Stability: Ask, and Alice will tell you very sternly that she is perfectly normal and emotionally stable, thank you very much. The truth is, however, she is anything but. Below any positive emotion, there is always a layer of brimming anxiety, threatening to push her into a polar opposite emotion. She tries to keep level-headed because she hates being labeled as “crazy,” but when she snaps, she snaps big.

Sociability: Alice is naturally curious, so she’s very sociable. She thinks that everyone is interesting in their own light, and everyone has a story to tell. And she wants to hear them all!

Body Temperature: She gets cold easily, and loves to bundle up.

Addictions: Easily addicted to alcohol and other substances once exposed, though she currently has no specific addictions.

Drug Use: Marijuana, the occasional opioid

Alcohol Use: She drinks to excess whenever she has the excuse to.

Personality

Archetype: The Explorer

Positive Traits: Creative, curious, sensitive, unique

Negative Traits: Guarded, stubborn, flighty, distracted

Good Habits: Taking care of things around the house; going to sleep at the same time every night

Bad Habits: Sleeping too much, not eating enough, not cleaning her room or things often enough

Goals/Desires: Alice honestly just wants to live life and see where she ends up, she doesn’t really strive for anything in particular other than to make friends and be happy.

Weakness: Her magic, particularly the fact that it gives her nose-bleeds and can cause her to lose consciousness

Fears/Phobias: People thinking she’s crazy, being thrown into an asylum or mental institution, being experimented on, etc

Secrets: That she has magic, and she is from another world. That she spent time locked up in a mental institution.

Regrets: Alice regrets being so stubborn about the fact that she has magic. She feels like if she had just tried to ignore it or listened when they told her it wasn’t real, or something, she might not have had to endure all of the things that she did.

Proud Of: Her strength to keep trudging on after all she’s been through

Embarrassed By: Her toothy grin and sometimes her freckles, too, though she’s learning to love them

Attitude: Curious and realistic. She hopes for the best, but expects the worst in most situations.

Pet Peeves: Arrogance, mistreatment of others, lying

Inner Conflicts: For her entire life, Alice has been told that her magic is not real, and has had to hide it. Now that she’s in a world where magic exists and is sometimes even celebrated, Alice is very at war with how to feel about her own abilities.

Motivation: To be happy and normal, but an interesting enough person.

Hobbies: Reading, painting, writing, baking, partying, adventure, etc.

Talents/Skills: Alice doesn’t really think she’s a good painter because she just kind of let’s her hands take over, but she is actually pretty good in an alternative sort of way. She is a very skilled and knowledgeable lock-picker.

Intelligence: Alice is book-smart, having grown up with knowledge at her fingertips and a need to learn things beyond school curriculum.

Driving Style: Awful. Don’t let her on the roads, she’ll get you killed.

Favorites, Likes, and Dislikes

Weather: Alice honestly tries to make the most out of any weather, but she does love herself a beautiful, semi-cloudy afternoon.

Color: Yellow

Music: Indie, electropop, edm

Movies: She can’t sit still long enough to watch them, honestly

TV Shows: She really likes cartoons?? Adult and children shows alike; she likes shows like American Dad but also Adventure Time, for example

Books: Action/adventure or fantasy books are her go-tos!

Magazines: She finds magazines cliche and ridiculous, tbh

Sport: She doesn’t play any, though she’ll watch things like Rugby or Roller Derby for entertainment

Beverage: Tea, tea, and more tea

Food: She’s a big fan of sandwiches and pastries

Animals: Cats and rodents (i.e: hamsters, mice, gerbils, etc)

Quote: “One of the biggest lies we are told is that art has to be pretty and that it has to mean something. Sometimes art’s purpose is just being. It is alright if that is your purpose too.”

School Subject: History

Possession: Her father’s pocket-watch, which she was so relieved to find in and pull through a glimmer one day in Edelweiss Manor

Websites: She’s just getting used to instagram

Favorite Toy or Game: Growing up she used to always love to play hide and seek. It was her absolute favorite - especially when no one knew she was playing. She liked it when people found her and seemed worried, even if it was only temporary and they got angry afterwards. Alice has also always been very good at chess as well as card games.

Family

Father: Thomas Liddel (FC: Dennis Quaid) [DECEASED]

Mother: Samantha Liddel (FC: Michelle Pfeiffer)

Father’s Occupation: Owner and CEO of Ascot Trading Industries

Mother’s Occupation: Homemaker

Siblings: None (That she knows of.)

Birth Order: Only

Children: None

Other Close Family: None

Pet: None

Family’s Financial Status: Extremely Wealthy

Relationship With Family: Alice loved her father, and was very much a “Daddy’s Girl.” She missed him when he was away on long trips and always ran into his arms when he returned, sucking up as much time with him as she could before he had to leave again. Her relationship with her mother was far more strained, as her mother was always nit-picking everything about her and coming down on her too harshly. Once her mother sold off her father’s company following his death and started forcing her to seek mental help for what was in actuality Alice’s magical abilities, their relationship was effectively ruined forever.

Home Life During Childhood: As a child, Alice got picked on a lot by her peers. She remembers her parents loving her and finding her stories of another world amusing until she started to get older. Mostly, Alice remembers being alone quite a lot though, and feeling awfully lonely.

Bedroom Through The Years: Alice’s bedroom in her family home has always been the same. Very pristine with elegant furnishings and little personal decor. When she turned ten, however, she got to pick out new bedding, and chose a fluffy white duvet with blue and yellow flowers sprawled all over it, and matching pillows. Her bedroom in Edelweiss Estate is much more personal. Plants and artwork everywhere, lots of books and journals, little trinkets, etc. It’s very light and cozy.

Best Memory: She has a vivid memory of her family taking her on a picnic when she was very, very little. They were in a field of flowers, and her mother read to Alice and her father while they ate and made commentary here and there.

Worst Memory: The death of her father, her mother selling her father’s company, various “treatments” by doctors and psychiatrists. However, by far the worst memory is what she can remember of receiving electroshock therapy.

School

Type of Student: Alice is extremely easily distracted, but with the right teacher (or the most strict) she was very focused and did well.

Extra Curricular Activities: N/A

Best Subject: History

Worst Subject: Math

Popular or Loner: Loner. Even before Alice begun getting home-schooled, she was bullied and harassed a lot by her peers for her looks and her weird stories and claims to have “magic.”

Schooling: She never finished her schooling, really, since her father died during the last year of schooling and everything begun to spiral out of control after that.

Current Details and Relationships:

Town: Swynlake, England

Home: Edelweiss Estate. As an employee, she gets free room and board. Her room is cozy and full of little plants and personal items - much more like Alice than her room back “home.”

Neighborhood: The Woods (Gated Community)

Car: None, but she has a bike!

Love Life: Pining after her exs Kiara and Callie

Best Friends: Eva Grimhelde, Callie, Kiara

Other Friends: Belle, Toulouse, Pascal

Enemies: Zella Tremaine

Past Lovers: Ronald: A boy Alice was foolish enough to snog at a party when she was sixteen and very drunk, and continued to fool around with for about a year and a half. He took her virginity and Alice was very certain she might have loved him. However, he broke up with her when a rumor started circulating that she was a “lesbo,” which grossed him out, and he verbally attacked her. They got into a fight, which ended with her having to be pulled off of him because she was scratching at his face. Elizabeth: Not really a past lover, but Elizabeth is a girl that Alice found herself growing close to at the same parties during which she met Ronald. They would get drunk, dance together, and always found themselves collapsed somewhere laughing by the end of the night if Alice wasn’t with Ron. She could swear she felt sparks with Elizabeth, and that their chemistry was almost tangible. But one night when she was drunk, Alice tried to kiss her, and Elizabeth promptly flipped her lid. She slapped Alice in the face and called her a “freak” and a “lesbo” before running off to tell everyone Alice had tried to force herself on her.

Extra

Zodiac Sign: Aires

MBTI: ENTP

Enneagram: 4w3, The Individualist/Aristocrat

Temperament: Sanguine

Hogwarts House: Slytherdor

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Good

Primary Vice: Lust

Primary Virtue: Humility

Element: Air

Dream Career: Undecided

Dream Life: Happy and healthy, and loved, somewhere cozy and safe.

Important Events: -Alice attempted to free the prisoners in the Underworld’s jail and had to face some unsettling things in Hell. -Kiara breaking her little heart oof -Being a Stylist for The Hunger Games gave her a moral dilemma

#bdrpedit #bdrphc #hc #a #bits #about

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