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- O U T F I T -
Babydoll and Panties {Le Fil Casse} Millie Set
Slippers - #Empire - Slippers Flat - Chain
- A C C E S S O R I E S -
Rings - **RE** Luxy Rings Set
Necklace - [ kunst ] Valeria Set
Nails - Spark - Peppermint **Coming 12/12/18** {Thank You}
Leg Chain - Phedora ~ Molly Leg Chains
Wrist Bow - *MUKA* Burlesque Bow
Wine glass - [Cosmic Dust] - Silver Glittered Wine Glass
- B O D Y -
Head - Catwa
Brows - IDTTY Faces - CUT Bold Eyebrows
Ears - Swallow Princess Ears
Body - Maitreya Lara
Skin - Go&See
Hair - Stealthic - Lithe
Lipstick - IDTTY Faces - Angelique Lipstick (Seduction Fair)
Eyes - s0ng - Kiki eyes
Body Bruises - TWC - Silky Kisses
Rhinhorn Riders:
Throughout the vast and desolate plains that the Brayherd roams, in search of carnage and bloodshed, there are many types of feral and monstrous beasts. Some are lithe and savage, while others are massive and brutish. These bestial herds constantly roam the plains in search of food and prey. They are molded over time into vicious and ferocious beasts, qualities needed to survive the inhospitable wilderness of the plains.
As these different types of beasts are discovered by the Brayherd, some brave individuals attempt to capture these animals for their cruel pleasure and use in warfare. From the feral Plain Tusks to the quick and vicious Bray Hounds, the Brayherd have many types of savage animals bent to their will. Such is the case with the brutish and stubborn Rhinhorns.
The Rhinhorns are heavyset, wooly and brutish beasts that plod along the sparse plains, constantly roaming in packs in search of food. Their strength lies in their numbers, and also in their immense and dangerous horns that sit atop their broad heads. When pursued by prey in the wild plains, the Rhinhorn herds will form a defensive circle around their young, with the brutish adults swinging their horned heads at they would be predators. With their dangerous horns and thick, shaggy hides acting as an armor, these protective rings are a stalwart defense.
The Brayherd used to hunt the Rhinhorns as a source of meat to sustain the herd, picking off the smallest and weakest members. They would use the horns for weapons, the hides for armor, and the bones for their war beast structures. It wasn’t until the knights from the north brought their immense, noble war horses into the plains and mercilessly rode down the Brayherds with heavy cavalry that the Fauncors sought a heavy cavalry of their own. Mounting young Rhinhorns and clubbing them into submission, the Fauncors were able to train and command the large, brutish creatures, forming one of the most effective shock cavalries in the Warscape world.
A Rhinhorn is captured and beaten into submission by a Fauncor Warhorn; they are immense Fauncors that bulge with sinewy muscle, long horns protruding from their heads in the shape of antlers and tusks. These Fauncor have a ferocious and primal rage unseen in any other of their race, save the chieftain. They carry crude weapons atop their Rhinhorn mounts, sharp stakes, crude pikes, and blunt hammers. The Fauncor Warhorns are among the first to loot the battlefield, often times stealing plate metal and adorning it on themselves in a hideous manner.
Charging into battle in an impenetrable line of horn, muscle, and hide, the Rhinhorns and their riders devastate infantry on the field. Crashing through shield walls and brushing aside spears, these brutes are a truly terrifying cavalry as they thunder through battle with their hooves and hard as stone and their legs as large as trees. Few lines of defense can withstand the initial shock of the Rhinhorn charge, and those that do are quickly crushed or brutally mauled as the beasts swings its massive head as the Fauncor Warhorn dismembers the foes with crude spears and pikes.
Hubbylovey Thad just sent me this blackberry photo of PAM waiting for me! What a wonderful Friday! She came just in time for Easter!!! *faints*
Marzipanne Lithe Currant (MLC) and Gamine Rio (GR) not sure how to welcome a "princess"
Great Bray:
The Plains are home to countless numbers of unnerving and unnatural beasts, creatures, and monsters. Great lumbering mammoths plod along in a barely concealed rage while the lithe and savage Plain Tusks hunt with a relentless pursuit. The way of crude life on The Plains is a constant struggle between life and death. The weak are left behind and the strong ravage all before them.
In this land of ferocious cruelty and utter savagery, the apex predators traverse the wide range of the plainland, dominating all below them. The monstrous and brutal Taurocaur crush their prey with muscled limbs and fists. The large and barbarous herds of the Centecaur thunder across the open ground, riding down all who flee from their wrath. The feral Warbull Mammoths trample those who threaten their herd and impale them in tusks and horns. To be the apex predator in this savaged land is to rule supreme.
There is, however, a beast that stands above the rest. A creature of such ancient and cruel savagery that they are considered not but horrid tales to scare the children of the villages. But these rare beasts do exist, and when the Brayherd sounds the horn of the hunt and the many beasts gather for the bloodletting, this monster emerges to be the first in the carnage.
Known as Great Brays by the ritualistic shamans of the many herds that roam The Plains, these creatures are feared and respected by all of the herd. None know where these beasts roam their paths, only that they emerge when only the largest and most savage of Brayherds are formed. They answer to none, not even to Gourocaur the Great Beast, for their are more ancient and primordial than all they look down upon. They do not lead the herd, but live a solitary life, deeming all those below them to not be fit for the bloodletting that inevitably occurs when they emerge.
Standing taller than even the largest of mammoths, these great creatures of cloven hooves are a terror on the battlefield. Possessed with the insatiable bloodlust of the Taurocaur, but expressing the vile cunning of the Plain Tusks, the Great Brays are blessed with both unparalleled martial prowess and a savage intellect.
Thick muscles rippling beneath a hairy hide, the Grear Brays charge across the battlefield with a speed that should not naturally be found in a creature so large. They are anything but natural. Commonly wielding a pair massive axes that can sever the head of even the great fire drakes of the south, the Great Brays cleave through any and all battle lines. They grow sets of immense and crude horns that sprout and twist from their thick skulls, and these horns are no less deadly upon the field of battle.
Almost revered as beast-gods by others of the Brayherd, the Great Brays are all that it means to be part of the herd: insatiable bloodlust, a sense of savage cunning, and pure devotion to vicious carnage.
elprobadordesl.blogspot.nl/2017/12/freckled-fox.html
LOCATION: Temple5, at Sweetflower :
We appreciate the courtesy of Chatwick University Archives for letting us use the journals in our research, and for permission to use parts for the genesis of “Dare’s Game”.
Dare’s Game
Beth, eagerly looking for Dare, walked straight into Seth’s cunning snare…..
Suffix, circa 1910?. It was during this time a fanciful young lady, whom we will call Beth, started a journal which she would faithfully keep over the course of almost 50 years. She led quite an adventuresome life for a lady of that time, and her journals were filled with many tales and observations of her exploits. The following story is derived from events that she penned down in the early years in her journal.
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Beth had known Dare since their childhood. Dare was a handsome free spirited youth only two years her senior, who lived for the games his life had to offer. As his cherished nickname inferred, Dare was always trying to find the thrill out of anything he could think up, relishing to go beyond the pale in anything he attempted. Dare always a little different, harboring feelings and ideas way beyond his years, almost as if he had lived a previous life and retained something from it in his being.
Beth would remember times playing dress up with Dare’s sister Diana in some old gowns of their mothers. It was always then that Dare and his friends seemed to appear and talk them into playing hide n seek, tag or cops n robbers. Dare seemed to take pleasure in cajoling the girls into playing with them in this manner. Eyeing them as they played with a far off look that suggested the game they were playing had more meaning to him than he could ever venture to say. It was hard for Beth to explain it, but she did find it pleasurable (almost erotic using a word whose term she would learn much later) to be observed by him in this way.
One warm fall day Diana and Beth headed down to an old shack located near some railroad tracks at the back of a cornfield. Diana was dressed in a long satin play gown with her mother’s jewelry, which Dare had called rhinestones. Beth, herself dressed in a long flowing dress, loved the way Diana’s jewels twinkled and sparkled as she walked. They were going to pretend the shack was a ballroom and they were one their way to a fancy dance, like Beth’s and Diana’s parents had recently attended. Diana wasn’t supposed to be wearing her mother’s jewelry outside the house, but as a result of Dare’s teasing, had done so anyway.
They had reached the shack, an old white brick building with a wooden roof half fallen in, when a man’s voice suddenly said behind them, what are you two ladies up to? Turning they were confronted by a happily sneering drifter. The grubby man looked around, alone is we, and advanced towards them. The two girls stood petrified, he reached out and probed Diana along her side, pretty dress missy, he said, sparsely toothed mouth grinning like a pumpkin. He suddenly reached up and tore the necklace away from Diana’s throat, sending her falling backwards. Beth screamed bloody murder, as the vagrant turned heel, running off towards the tracks. Suddenly Dare appeared, and Beth, meaning to yell for help, exclaimed instead “help honey” to Dare. Dares eyes took on a very different look, almost of a burning yearning. Beth told him what had happened and he took off down towards the tracks in hot pursuit. For Beth, the look he had given her and the way he had dashed off excited her beyond measure. Even for someone that young, Beth now knew what Dare meant to her. From then on, playing games with Dare took on a heightened meaning for Beth.
But, nothing really changed in their relationship until Beth’s sophomore year of high school. Beth was sixteen at the time, a whimsical being, passionate, innocent, not particularly attractive, but radiating with a love of life. A living free spirit, developing into a very sexual being by the time her and Diana decided to attend their schools prom in their sophomore year. Beth dressed in a fuchsia coloured satin dress with dangling rhinestone earrings that had been” borrowed” from Diana’s Mother, the same ones Diana had been wearing when they had run into the drifter at the shack. Diana slipped into the slinky blue spaghetti strap gown and matching cover-all that she had worn as her cousin’s bridesmaid. She was wearing sapphire costume jewels patterned after the hope diamond. Their parents had given them a hard time when they saw their made up girls in their gowns and finery , admonishing them for looking way too mature. They smiled, consoling their parents fears, and went off on their adventure.
Their eyes were dazzled by the display of lights, the cheerfully student filled room, the band. They had stopped and were letting it all sink in, when Beth felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and came face to face with Dare, who once again had the same yearning fire in his eyes as on that fateful day at the old shack. A veil was lifted from between the two, and Beth spent the whole evening encompassed in Dare’s arms. Soon after that the two had begun seeing much more of one another. Their relationship was still going strong eight years later.
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8 Years Later
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Come on Dare, let’s go to the Riverside, it will be fun she urged. She had been trying to get her fiancé’ to take her to the exclusive five star resorts for some time. And now she had a free overnight room card she had won at work! Dare looked into Beth’s wide, hope filled eyes, knowing her passion for attending these types of affairs. Ever hopeful she would see someone rich. Dare knew how to use this to his advantage. Finally he buckled, all right, only if we play the game afterwards he bargained. She squirmed inwardly with passion, nodding her agreement. Beth found the game exciting, though she would never let on to Dare. And, you must wear the gold bridesmaid gown and jewels you wore to your friend’s wedding last week , he added, a wistful smile lighting up his thin face.. Okay she agreed, trying to sound reluctant, but truthfully feeling multiple tingles of delight.
Dare was handsome, in a scrawny, thin bearded, sort of way ( From an old photo that survives he resembled a young Johnny Depp… the eds), with a witty writers imagination and a playful disposition. He could always make Beth laugh, feeling his excitement as he drew her into his stories and games. She would never admit to it, but found the game delightfully erogenous. She smiled to herself, so Dare had liked the satin gown after all, he had not shown any interest in her wearing it since the wedding. And the jewelry, the small rhinestone pendent and earrings had been pretty, but Beth soon came up with another idea. She would knock his socks off by wearing the glittering diamonds and emeralds that had been inherited from her grandmother. The set had laid collecting dust in a safety deposit box all these years, unworn. She had never told Dare about them, waiting for the perfect occasion. She could just imagine the look in his eyes when he saw her wearing them. Okay then, game on, Beth thought, wickedly sending shivers up and down her spine.
Dare’s Game was based on role playing:
Dare would give Beth money to purchase a new outfit, something rich and shiny, like silk or satin. With the new outfit, Beth would wear the good gold jewelry she had received from Dare on her birthdays. The idea was to acting like a bored rich girl out for a good time, alone and vulnerable.
Dare would be at the hotel bar, waiting for Beth to make her entrance, then make her acquaintance , playing a debonair, suited gentleman with a mysterious past and a hidden agenda. They would make a date later, usually to dance and have drinks.
Then that evening, she would go down to the bar. Dressed in one of the long gowns Dare favored, fitting in with the usual spillover from a wedding reception that had been held in one of the Ballrooms. Sometimes she would wear the rhinestone jewelry they had purchased together at various antique stores. Then Beth would wait for Dare to make his entrance, signaling the time for Dare’s game. He would assume one of several roles, or possibly a new one that Beth had never seen. In the past Dare had played:
A spy who would dance with Beth, then disappear. Sending a note to Beth via a third person that would have her meet him clandestinely in a remote location…
A highwayman who would come across Beth on the castle grounds , usually the resorts empty gardens at night….
A rich millionaire looking for romance…
A kidnapper hired by an evil uncle, who after tying up Beth and removing her valuables would have a change of heart….
A Jewel thief who would be cunningly after her valuables…
A handsome prince rescuing Beth’s damsel in distress ….
Or Dare’s favorite, centered on their old childhood game of cops and robbers. Dare would play the thief, and steal something from Beth, usually while dancing. He would then leave preset clues around the grounds that she would have to follow to catch him.
All of the games usually led to some playful groping and then escalating into the upper echelons of erotic pleasure. Sometimes they never made out of the woods, or barely out of the ballroom. Beth shivered at these thoughts, wishing she didn’t have to wait….
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Three weeks later at the Riverside Resort.
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In the Bar:
At the bar, Dare smiled to himself, pleased. He had dropped Beth off to check in by herself. She would change into her new outfit and wear it down to the bar for lunch. She would come in acting like a complete stranger to the area. Dare would make her acquaintance, invite her to lunch, and make plans to see her that evening at the resorts dance room. There were two wedding receptions going on, and that dance room should be filled with well-dressed patrons. Beth would fit right in; clad that pretty gown she had promised to wear.
Dare had been sitting at the bar, thinking about ways to play out the game that evening, when the answer came to him, in the form of a stranger who had come with his drink and sat next to him. The stranger introduced himself as Seth, and shaking Dare’s hand sat on the stool next to him. After they had had couple of drinks, they had become quite chummy. Seth explaining he had come up for one of the weddings, and assumed Dare was doing the same. Seth did not fail to observe Dare’s secretive smile, but did not question it. Their conversation was distracted only when a newcomer appeared at the entrance. Beth walked in, a long flowing silky skirt swishing down to her leather sandals. A shiny, long sleeved satin top fitting tightly along her perky figure, with bright gold jewelry complementing the ensemble. Real gold, Seth observed silently to himself.
Beth went to a table, both men going silent as they watched her move through the room. Good-looking one, that, Seth commented, looking at Dare who was deep in thought as his eyes were fixed on the sexy newcomer. Seth teasingly offered Dare a penny for his thoughts. Dare smiled mischievously, letting lose his plans. Seth listened to the young man, smiling as a light went on in his steal grey eyes. When Dare finished he offered up a suggestion as to how Dare could make it really interesting for Beth. The two co-conspirators worked it out: Seth told Dare about a stone hut and wall that was located on the back nine of the resorts golf course. He suggested that he, Seth, would meet Beth that evening and pass a note onto her from Dare saying that he was in trouble and needed her help, with directions to the spot. Dare liked the idea, and wrote the note on a cocktail napkin, cementing the plan by handing it to Seth.
Off you go old chap, let Uncle Seth take care of his end, he said grinning, giving Dare a sporting clap on the back. With a wink, Dare left his fellow collaborator, and went over to Beth, who had since been seated by a male waiter, now standing drooling over her shoulder as she looked at the menu.
Later that same evening, inside the crowded club:
Seth had stopped by the bar for a last drink. His business venture had been concluded earlier than he had expected. With the change in his plans, he had checked out early, his kit packed, boot loaded and the car ready. He now sat at the bar Causley watching young lass of about seventeen who had literally ran into him at one of the receptions. He watched her flirting about the club, weaving in and out of the guests. With a long swishing gown flowing provocatively along her lithe figure, abundant, solid white gold chains swinging out in an alluringly eye catching manner as she scurried about. A diminutive gold ring its half caret diamond flickered playfully from the petite pinky it loosely surrounded once again welcomed his contemplation. The lass presented quite an intriguing gold feathered fledgling, just begging to be plucked. He looked around, spying her parents on the dance floor. The father/husband, despite being an excellent dancer, gave him no interest. It was his partner, the wife/ mother, decked out in a iridescent suit and long swishing satin skirt upon which he now was reexamining. He again studied under the bright dance floor lights her fine pearls dangling from her ears, throat, and wrists. But it was the Ladies’ two rings that stole the show for him; an engagement ring with a rock of at least 2 carets surrounded by numerous shimmering half caret stones and a pinky ring similar to her daughters, that proudly displayed a single white solitaire diamond of at least one caret that had garnered his consideration. He also reconsidered the facts that he had been able to garnish about the lady who wore them, and her husband. The wife/mother was a heavy drinker who would not be expected to make any kind of appearance before noon. Hubby was a golfer, who would be out for breakfast at five am before being on the links at 6 am the next morning . At 5 :15 Seth was planning to pay a visit to his suite, and relieve his two ladies of their expensive trinkets. It should be an easy straight forward caper, that had Seth bristling with anticipation at the prospect.
As he was tossing down the last of his drink he remembered about Dare and the note he still had in his pocket. Setting down the empty glass, he pulled the note out and looked at it, kids he smirked, and was preparing to crinkle toss it on the bar and leave, when his eyes caught sight of Beth. He had felt his breath taken away when he saw her. Not at all what he had expected, he would say to Beth much later in the evening. He looked over the note, stirrings of a plan began formulating. All thoughts of the dancing couple and his plans fled his mind, as He rose, throwing a fiver on the bar and went off to intercept Beth.
Seth held Beth in his arms, she was a vivacious little thing he thought, while smiling charmingly into her eyes. She seemed a little apprehensive at first, but had settled right in when he had told her this had been set up by Dare, remember me at the bar with him this afternoon he had consoled her, she had smile brightly into his eyes in answer. He relished in the feel of her warm satin gown, and allowed himself to be mesmerized by the shimmer of her diamonds.
It reminded him of the diamonds that had been worn by one of his dance partners earlier that evening at a reception. He had forgotten her name, but not her diamonds, one of which now resided in a hidden compartment of his roadsters boot, along with the diamond pin he had slipped off the satin cape he had cordially help a well-dressed lady put on. He had also shelved his plans for his 5:15 am “meeting” at the golf playing husbands hotel room, Beth’s jewels were a much more lucrative prospect.
When the dance had ended he took her to the bar and sat her down, ordering her a drink. She seemed a little perplexed, Seth kissed her gloved hand; wait for it he told her mysteriously, winking into her eyes. Beth had winked back, the fire in her heart reflecting deep in her eyes. Seth left, smiling cleverly to himself as he took in his surroundings. He looked around as he walked away, now where had the little imp gotten off too?
He had decided that the seventeen year old in the long flirting gown would play a very different role in his plans. He approached her, with Dares note and a twenty. Thought for a moment about the pair of thick platinum gold chains dangling from her throat down the open neckline of the girl’s glossy gown, then banished the though, he had bigger fish to filet. The twenty caught her attention and she eagerly listened as he explained to her what to do, pointing out Beth sitting, waiting in earnest at the bar. Wait until she finishes her drink, Seth told her as she listened eagerly. She took the twenty into her hand, the half caret diamond on her pinky ring flashing, and her gold chain bracelets jangled as she grasped it. Seth left, figuring he had about twenty minutes to stop at his car, get a few items from the boot, and put his plan in motion.
Beth had curiously received the note from the attractively shy young lady, clad a slinky gown that made her appear years older. Reading it she folded it and was just getting up when a man wearing a suit came up to her and offered to let her dance with him. It took her some time, before she was finally able to ward him off and leave the brilliantly lit clubroom for the dark, forbidding grounds outside.
Now, a thoroughly excited Beth walked up the hill. Her senses becoming more prickling alert with each step. Innocently unaware that she was no longer playing a role in Dare’s game!
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Epilogue:
As Seth walked away admiring the shimmery necklace, his thoughts travelled back to the gold burdened impish youngster in the swirling gown, and her pearl and diamond laden mother. Revisiting his original plans he decided that he liked the odds, especially since they would be against him. With the father leaving early to meet his cronies for breakfast the Mother should be still sleeping off her drink induced stupor, the hyperactive girl should still be out cold, but presented no risk if she awoke, he had more rope. The ladies jewels should be lying about in the apartment, or handedly on their persons( the pairs of diamond pinky rings, as well as the multi-diamond engagement ring flashed once again across his memory with all their brilliant glory),as he caught fire with the vision. There could be a safe he reasoned, but with a tied up daughter and a knife in his hand, the mother should have no issue opening it for him, or disclosing anywhere else her jewels may have been hidden . But if there was no safe, and the rings, pearls and solid white gold chains were somewhere in the room, he knew he would be able to noiselessly break in, find and slip the jewels from wherever they were perched, and be safely on his way without even causing the slightest stir from the sleeping woman and her daughter. It was a road Seth had travelled down many times. He prickled at the thought, as he foresightedly tallied up the potential haul while making his way to the car. The Mother/wife’s diamond rings, would easily fetch him at least three grand, probably close five with her pearls and the whelp’s jewelry added in. About a quarter of what he probably would get for the jewels now in his procession, so he mused inquisitively to himself, so ,was it worth the risk of his 20,000 bird in hand? Yes he answered himself, as all too familiar and welcome tingling sensation overwhelmed Seths muscular body. Like Dare, Seth like to play risky games, especially those which promised to be somewhat profitable. It would be a tantalizingly chancy gamble of his own; to wait a safe distance away while things cooled down and then return to break into the un protected sleeping ladies chamber.. He knew just the place to hide , and it would be a perfect spot to watch events unfold around Beth and Dare, while making his plans! It also afforded a nicely secret hiding nook for the ill-gotten gains collected so far that evening in case something went wrong, which it wouldn’t..
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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There is no hiding. A succubus walks. Lilitu. Sexually charged, violently destructive. A Sumerian myth, a demon to be feared.
Two hikers stand on the edge of a sea cliff at Ponta do Mistério which is located between the villages of Agualava and Quarto Ribeiras on the Island of Terceira in the Azores. They stand on a volcanic rock call ignimbrite. These rocks are deposited by very hot clouds of ash; pumice, lithic blocks/fragment and gases. Called pyroclastic flow by geologists, these flow are dense and because of their density, hug the ground at high speeds. At Ponta do Mistério the ignimbrite is underlain by basalt lava flows. These rocks are part of the volcanic complex associated with the Pico Alto volcano.
... She was magnificent. She might have been bred from pleasure slaves and she-panthers. She was sinuous and arrogant, desirable, dangerous, feline. I had little doubt that she was swift of mind. She was surely proud and haughty. She was lithe. She was perhaps two inched taller than the average Gorean woman, and yet, due to the perfections of her proportions, as vigorous and stunning as a girl bred deliberately in the slave pens for such qualities. She looked down upon me....
I had little doubt but what this was Verna who now examined me. None but the acknowledged leader of the band, whose authority was undisputed, could have so looked upon a prisoner, dispassionately, objectively, serene in her power over his life and body. It was up to her, what was to be done with me. It was she, more than the others, to whom I belonged. I, and my men, were hers.
...She looked up. The moons were now over the trees. She looked down upon me, in her gold and brief skins.
"Long ago," she said, "I determined that it would be I who would rule." She laughed, and thrust her foot against the side of my waist.
"And it will be such as you," she smiled, "who will serve."
(Book 8 - Hunters of Gor - by John Norman)
Je rends ici hommage à ma tribu Jan'Tiri Talunas qui est décimée par la volonté des Prêtes-Rois et engloutie dans le désert de Tahari et aux chasseresses "Sa-Sa'ng Fori"and «kh'rees Ikerei » and « Gorean Panther Avenger » qui écrivent en ce moment l'Histoire de Gor..si....sourires ….bises à Atiya (Lydie), Ran,Pri, Meriem, Sky, Erika, Shania, Murielle, Elisabeth, Eva, Ellia, Mimi, Micheller, Faby, Nikky, Agathe, Cosi, Luquara, Ethil, Ambre, Perle, Nalia,Amélie, Medusa, Sha, Taa, Smig, Olivia, Lorene, Caly, Juliette, Melina, Wendy, Shey, Mélanie, Len, Noor, Mary, Natoh, Emy, Hel, Eli, Noor, luna, Mary, Verra, Ban, Rox, Khalimee, Verna et bien d'autres ).Je rajoute une taluna qui se nomme Ran, elle habite à Port Kar et elle me stupéfie par sa stratégie des armes, j'immortalise à toutes votre nom et je vous rend hommage.
Que nous soyons toujours entourés d’ennemis ! Ce qui est le cas dans le port où nous jouons et qui s'appelle "Melicerus".
J’ai dit !
I scanned another slide from the series I took of Flora some years ago on a beach in Cornwal, showing her wonderfully lithe figure. I's nice to be reminded of the sun when it's cold, windy and raining outside.
See more photos of Flora...
A Curious Vigilance p1
Grammarly another role play story idea
A Curious Vigilance
Part One of Two
A Watchman Cometh
“If you can’t take the heat, don’t be tickling dragons !”
Acte 1
Ginny and I had, several weeks ago, received invitations to a fellow student's upscale, formal evening wedding.
Since we both love to get dressed up, it was a no-brainer to accept. Even though we really weren’t players in her circle.
Probably just wanted the gifts. The git.
So I borrowed my twin brothers antique roadster, drove up the road a short way, and picked up Ginny.
As she walked up to the car I couldn’t help but think how we both were dressed for the kill.
I had on my smart purple silk dress with the long pleated slinky knee-length skirt and spaghetti straps. The dress came with a cuffed long-sleeved, waist-length, black satin jacket with rhinestone buttons.
I had put in a diamond pin on one side of the jacket. It was in the shape of a bursting star, giving off a pleasing shimmer.
My other jewels consisted of my silver v shaped necklace. The v was set with small round rhinestones with 3 kite shaped sapphires set hanging down the center of the V. I also had in the necklaces’s matching semi-long earrings. Also worn was my diamond tennis bracelet on my right wrist, while gracing my left was a wide rhinestone bracelet. One ring, diamonds surrounding a gold rose(my best ring) gracing the ring finger on my left hand, completed the look.
Ginny?
Well, our Ginny girl was smashing.
She had poured her lithe figure into the sleek satin high shoulder sleeve sheath dress she had bought to wear in a play she acted in last spring. It was midnight black with a brite lime green inner lining and tight lime green Lycra pants. The only decoration on the elegant dress was a glittery silver rhinestone Dragon, with green slanted eyes and a red fiery tongue. It was embroidered crawling up one side of the dress, grasping claws reaching around up towards her bosom.
“Naughty Dragon.”
Ginny had green mascara above her eyes, around which she drew lines of black mascara to give them a slanted look. The whole effect looked a lot like Shirley Jackson did in the Michael Caine movie Gambit. Right up to the solid gold headpiece in Gunny’s reddish hair.
Ginny also had in her emerald drop earrings, along with her wide emerald bracelet loosely dangling along an otherwise bare left wrist, and a fancy emerald cocktail ring flashing from the pinkie on her left hand.
But it was her necklace that stole the show.
The opulently handsome necklace was the estate auction won, long pendant that had neatly set her back a month's wages. We both had opened bids on it at the same time, with me immediately backing off so she would win it.
It was a very shimmery piece of jewellery, with its long rhinestone encrusted chain hanging past her breasts, ending with a dangling pendant which held a birds egg size synthetic oval-shaped emerald, surrounded by long rhinestone fringes that resembled the silver beard of the dragon on her dress.
It was a very striking effect, especially when it stopped swaying and hung straight down, appearing just out of reach from the grasping front rhinestone claw of the gem greedy dragon.
^^^^^^^^
The church and reception hall was only about a 60-minute drive away green m our village.
We arrived in the city where it was located early and stopped at a pub for a glass of wine, which we drank outside at a garden table.
We then left, arriving at the church with plenty of time to walk around and soak in the surroundings.
Acte 2
The wedding Proper was pretty normal, with the usual pomp, circumstance, and rigid schedule only the upper class seem to achieve with nothing atoll coming close to being original and new.
The reception was more of the same. Ginny, per normal, snagged more time on the dance floor than me. Though I was
by no means being ignored. The bar was free, so we made good use of that.
By around 7:30 we were a pair of happily well-fed, well-partied, and well-liquored-up young ladies.
The reception for the most part was the usual fun and the usual routine flow that goes on at such affairs.
There was only one incident of note, well actually I guess, two, that have a bearing on my story.
The first was this:
A young girl was wearing what must have been a previously worn, hideously yellow, satin bridesmaid gown. She also was wearing a nice set of real diamonds. Ginny was really impressed with the jewelry she was wearing. As the party went, and the more we drank, the more Ginny prattled on over different ways someone could try lifting some of those diamonds from the lady.
Sensing there may be trouble soon brewing, I was getting tired of holding Ginny back from her obsession, that I suggested we should be heading out.
Then I was asked to dance, and lost track of her. When I found her, she was chatting up the lady in yellow satin and diamonds. The lady was holding up Ginny’s shimmery pendant, and I saw that Ginny had a hand placed lightly on the lady’s wrist, next to her diamond bracelet
Telling myself:
“Enough of that missy!”
I went up and pried Ginny away.
“Don’t be tickling that Dragon, even if you were thinking of doing it as a prank.”
I scolded.
My twin brother is always saying “If you are not prepared to take the heat, don’t tickle a dragon!” In other words, don’t invite trouble if you are not sure you would welcome the outcome.
I started suggesting to her we might be heading home soon.
“Stop at our pub(The Poet & Peasant),” I suggested.
Ginny said we should do one better…
We could stop at the old cemetery where we liked to role-play various games of both pickpockets, and jewel thievery. Sometimes combining the two. There she could nick my jewels to her heart’s content.
I admitted that sounded promising.
Then came the second incident on the heels of her suggestion.
Ginny said pleasantly, if we’re not doing the pub, then we should take something to drink with us. That way we don’t need a pub.
Suspiciously, I asked my grinning childhood friend.
“What’s you on about? “
“I mean Cade, nick a bottle while I distract the bartender. He’s working over there alone for a few minutes.”
I sighed, but it may be fun, so game on….
We pulled it off. It was far easier than it should have been.
As Ginny flirted with the young man tending the open bar, so I kept moving till his back was to me, and I ended up sitting on the far end.
I took a deep breath, scurried around and grabbed a bottle from the supply bin on the floor, and walked straight out the nearest exit.
I circled around the building to the lot and found Ginny at the roadster waiting.
She had placed her black beaded purse, opened, on the bonnet of the car and was bending over to put lipstick on using the car's outside mirror.
“What did you snag luv?”
Breathless, I looked at the bottle for the first time. It was a bottle of Penderyn.
Slightly disappointed, I would have preferred wine over a single malt. But it would do.
Meanwhile, I was standing between Ginny and the roadsters’ bonnet.
I handed the bottle to her, and as she looked I reached out behind me and dipping my fingers into her purse pulled out her wallet.
Holding it behind, suppressing a desire to laugh, I circled around to the right side and got into the driver's seat.
Ginny put her lipstick inside her purse and snapped it close with one hand still holding the bottle. Then picking up the purse and got inside the passenger’s seat.
She never noticed her wallet was gone, and by then I had it inside my own purse.
Still totally clueless, Ginny asked as we drove away :
“Do you think we should include your brother in with us?”
I said he was practicing darts with Brian(my boyfriend) and their friend, teammate, and one of our fellow players, Derrick.
Ginny giggled, hoisting up the bottle.
“More for us then.”
Acte 3
We arrived at the cemetery with plenty of light left in the evening. Parking in the open lot, we made our way past the open wrought iron gates.
The almost 40 Hectares square-shaped cemetery is no longer in use, its main gates are permanently opened to the public, but besides us, only very few ever visit it. Judging by the dates on the gravestones, the last burial was not too long after the Victorian age officially ended. No way of truly establishing when its first burial was.
It lays along a lane called Abbots Chase.
Where a highwayman by the name of Craig Abbot used to roam several hundred years ago. It is said he is buried here in this very cemetery. Though most of the old stones are so blackened the names are not legible.
My dad is a direct descendant of Craig Abbot, and much to the chagrin of my mum’s Irish catholic family, my twin brother was named after him. Destiny?
The other end off Abbots Chase lane, west of the cemetery goes past the large old manor house some 5 kilometers away from the cemetery. The manor is now a private men’s seminary college.
^^^^^^^^^^^
We hung out at the cemetery and its interior, and surrounding woods, as kids, walking the 2 Kilometers along from the east end of the lane, where the local village was.
Both Ginny and I grew up in houses located on the opposite side of the village.
We use this private cemetery for our role-playing game adventures. We had the run of the area. Not only because of its solitude, and lack of visitors, but also because there were no roads in it. Only narrow overgrown horse-drawn cart paths. And a few cobblestone footpaths. Both of which are blocked by fallen gravestones.
The games have evolved. But they mostly are based on pickpocketing and other forms of thievery. Mainly related to lifting or the nicking of jewels that the one portraying the victim is wearing. We take turns being one or the other.
Originally there were just the 3 of us, Ginny, my twin brother, and myself. We would bring various costumes, play jewelry, and other various items. Backpacking them in from our homes.
We have since added four more “players” to our group, though only a few times have we all met here in force.
There are also times as we grew older that we have stopped to play after being somewhere dressed up. The motivation can be anything from too much to drink, or something that evening triggered the idea.
Like tonight, with Ginny taking a fancy to a young lady’s diamonds.
Acte 4
Ginny and I entered through the main gate and walked the 75 meters up to the marble pagoda sitting on a small hill.
In years long past, this pagoda would have served as the last service area for the deceased being buried here.
There is a set of steps leading up to the platform which is eye level. On the ground, flanking the steps are a pair of long marble benches. With old wrought iron ones scattered about surrounding the octagonal platform.
As per normal, no sign that anyone had been here in a while. Though we did have a bit of a jump when a fox ran out from underneath the pagoda, giving us the evil green eye before slipping off into some tall grass.
I had brought a blanket which we laid on the stairs. We put down our purses on one of the marble benches.
Sitting on the stairs, Ginny opened the bottle and took a small sip. Followed by a bigger one.
“Whew, that burns going down.”
She exclaimed passing it to me.
It smelled strong.
“Should have brought some water to cut it.”
I said taking a hit, feeling it burn warmly.
We each took several more sips before getting down to business.
I place a hand on Ginny’s arm, looking her in the eyes.
She starts to giggle. As do I also, both of us falling into each other’s arms, hugging as our figures are being racked by our uncontrollable laughter.
Meanwhile, I was busy. My hand running down her arm, I reached her her emerald bracelet and nimbly opened the clasp, easily pulling it off and cuffing it in my fist, moving that hand to her backside, using it to hold her quivering figure close.
Finally, we broke away, settling down. As I stroked her sleek backside with my hand, I say:
“Ok lass, are you ready to lift some of my diamonds?”
Taking a belt from the bottle ( it was not a sip, nor a gulp, somewhere in between)
Ginny nodded her head, earrings sparkling with intensity, like the look in her eyes just before she said:
“Let’s dance.”
Acte 5
I went over and pulled the cell from my purse, seeing a text from my brother asking if:
“Us girls were having fun?”
I sent one back:
“Smashing fun, wish you could be here, now I have to go and see a lady about doing a lift on some jewels she is wearing…”
That should make him stop in his tracks and ponder. I would imagine his own game now being off all of a sudden.
Giggling mischievously, I laid the cell in front of my purse on the marble seat, I selected “And we danced” by the Hooters.
Ginny was already on the platform, strutting her stuff. I went to the stairs, grabbed the bottle, took a swig, and ran up to join her.
She bumped into me with her hip, then went behind me, her hands running along my figure, then pulling me against her she ran her hands down along the satin sleeve of my jacket. I only felt it because I knew it was coming. After all, as her hand slipped along my wrist, she expertly whisked off my diamond bracelet.
I pushed her away using my hinney, then turned and began dancing close to her, wriggling up against and away from her figure. Her eyes had been opened quite wide, from the thrill of the bracelet lift, but she closed them as I rubbed my figure up along hers.
I had been eyeing her dazzling dripping jeweled pendant. My arms went up behind her back. Pulling down the clasp I unhooked it and reaching my hands up, pulled it away from her gown’s rhinestone dragon’s clutches
I had it pocketed before she reopened her eyes.
The music ended, and arm in arm we went back to the stairs, passing the bottle to each other.
We were becoming quite happily intoxicated by now, giggling at everything.
Acte 6
Ginny sets down the bottle, then stares at her bare wrist.
“I don’t suppose this bracelet fell off on its own?”
I chuckled, looking at where her necklace should have been dangling, picking up the bottle.
“No, it had a bit of help, I felt inside my pocket and pulled it out, replacing it as Ginny held up the bottle and asked:
“Another round?”
We both took several swigs before I decided it was time to have a bit more role play.
I place a hand on Ginny’s chest...
“Give me a lead luv…”
Ginny thinks a minute, long enough for us to take another swig each from the fast becoming 3/4 full bottle.
Looking me over, she tells me.
“Take a walk..”
I stand (maybe a little wobbly), and manage to do so, taking the path around the pagoda.
She comes up behind me, putting her hands over my eyes.
“Guess who Abigail?”
I answered...
I’m not Abigail?”
The voice behind me, as the hands are lifted from my eyes and reach down to my chest..”
“I’m so sorry, of course, your not, my bad.”
I turn around to face Ginny…
Placing a hand on my chest( lifting off my broach from the lapel of the jacket) Ginny says:
“I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I made a mistake like that. “
I feel her placing the broach in my pocket, as I say(thinking that counted as two lifts)
“That’s ok luv, we all make mistakes.’
Quite pleased with herself Ginny went back to the steps.
She thought I was following as she talked to me.
I did not, rather I hid in the bushes and watched her.
Ginny picked up the bottle and took a swig, handing it to me…
It was then she realized I wasn’t there.
“Where are you, you silly ninny?”
She called out, then began to walk back the way she had come.
I jump out of the bushes behind her my hand in the satin jacket's pocket( I can feel the cold necklace inside. I point my fingers In the pocket like I am ‘ packing heat’.
Prodding my finger in her back I say
“Stick 'em up, pretty lady!”
Ginny giggles,
“Speaking of sticks. Is that one or are you just happy to see me?
“Funny lady, now turn around. “
She did and gave a fake gasp, hand to her mouth, ring sparkly.
“There you go, now be a good Lass and hand over those jewels around your wrist and finger. ”
She lifted her wrist and undid the bracelet, then slips off her ring. As she hands them to me:
“My this bracelet is popular with thieves this evening.”
She then pulls out her gold hairpiece, shaking down her hair as I take it:
“Here thief. The thing was starting to pull on my hair and bothering me anyways.”
I smirk:
“Thanks, lady !”
We both have a laugh over this latest sequence of events, while I give her back the bracelet and ring.
I lead her, as her laughing satin clad figure leans into me, over to the steps.
But as we approach, Ginny stops and grabs my arm, her, heavily mascara’d eyes suddenly bugging out, placing a hand to her mouth, she really Gasped.
“Cade,Look, over by the gate!”
I did, feeling the hairs on my scalp rise by what I saw!
To be Continued…
To be Continued…
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A Tea for the Tillerman
Acte 2
Tea Party Misadventure
One would never have guessed anything out of the ordinary would be occurring at Mum’s soiree that early summer afternoon as we all gathered on the back lawn, surrounded by our gardens.
It was a beautiful sunny day, not too warm, with a cooling breeze that hinted, but not yet threatened, rain.
The yard and garden look beautiful, trimmed and cleaned up by my father and my twin brother the days before. Neither one would be in attendance, having fled well before the guests' arrival to the sanctuary of our local, the Poet and Peasant Pub.
The “boys” were usually pressed into service to help out at Mum’s larger afternoon teas. But this time she was helping out a friend by hiring her cousin’s budding catering service.
The story actually began for Ginny and me at the pub when we nipped in for a quick pre-tea drink, catching up with my father and brother.
We wanted to show off the outfits that we were wearing to the two of them. There also was an ulterior motive. I was sweet on a lad named Bryon, who was one of the 2nd year Detective Constables under my Father’s command.
To my silent congratulations, I had guessed correctly that he would be there
Ginny was besotted over my brother, and the pair of lovebirds had already been a couple for some time, she just liked to keep him reminding him as to why.
Since Ginny and I were already going out to an evening wedding reception formal do the next evening, we decided on wearing the same outfits to the tea as sort of a trial run.
I had on a smart teal-coloured silk dress with the pleated knee-length skirt and a slick solid top with a mock turtleneck collar. The long sleeves flared out just before reaching my wrists. I was wearing my gold mesh necklace with matching semi-long earrings. Also being worn was my rhinestone cuff bracelet. The same one my brother once nicked from me at the very pub we were heading to. And that is another story I promise to tell. I also added two of my real gemstone cocktail rings to complete the glittery effect.
Ginny?
Well, our Ginny girl was smashing.
She had poured her lithe figure into the sleek satin Japanese style Qipao sheath dress she had bought to wear in a play she acted in last spring. It was midnight black with a brite lime green inner lining and tight lime green Lycra pants. The only decoration on the elegant dress was a glittery silver rhinestone Dragon, with green slanted eyes and a red fiery tongue. It was embroidered crawling up one side of the dress, reaching around up towards her bosom.
“Naughty Dragon.”
Ginny had green mascara above her eyes, around which she drew lines of black mascara to give them a slanted look. The whole effect looked a lot like Shirley Jackson did in the Michael Caine movie Gambit. Right up to the solid gold headpiece in Gunny’s reddish hair.
Ginny also had in her emerald drop earrings, along with her emerald bracelet and a fancy emerald cocktail ring.
But it was her necklace that stole the show.
The opulently handsome necklace was the estate auction-won long pendant that had neatly set her back a month's wages. We both had opened bids on it at the same time, with me immediately backing off so she would win it.
It was a very shimmery piece of jewellery, with its long rhinestone encrusted chain hanging past her breasts, ending with a dangling pendant which held a birds egg size synthetic oval-shaped emerald, surrounded by long rhinestone fringes that resembled the silver beard of the dragon on her dress.
It was a very striking effect, especially when it stopped swaying and hung straight down, appearing just out of reach from the grasping front rhinestone claw of the gem greedy dragon.
So dressed, the pair of us caused quite a stir as we causally entered the pub that late morning. With a lot of compliments and bugging out eyeballs sent our way.
After hanging out at the pub for a bit, my plan was accomplished(judging by the look on Bryon's face). I pried my brother off of Ginny(or was it the other way round?) and we took our leave and headed over to my parent’s house to help mum with any last-minute details for her tea.
We located my mum in the kitchen showing the head caterer the location of various items they would be using.
Ginny and I politely waited till she was through.
Mum then came over, fawning over the way we looked.
But my Mum was also looking exceptionally pretty that afternoon.
Her long red hair was up in an elegant bun, held by a deep blue rhinestone trimmed satin ribbon.
She wore the solid sky blue taffeta dress that shone with a tight sleekness along her still svelte figure. It was the same dress she had worn out earlier that week for my parent's anniversary” Date Night” dinner and show.
I loved that dress and relished in its feel as I had tried it on while we were out shopping for dresses. Mum is short and petite, like me so we are nearly the same size. I rather thought it looked good on me and was already planning on borrowing it.
The skirt was higher in front(below knees) than in the back where it was just above her ankles. The neckline of the dress was an open low scoop and had wavy ruffles running along its opening, the sleeves went to her elbows, ending in ruffles.
Missing were the 3/4 length satin gloves of deep blue she had also worn that anniversary evening.
Not missing, however, were the glittery diamonds she had worn out for that evening. Her really good jewels, the ones that everyone always asked for...
“They’re not real, right?”
But they were, the only real gemstones she owned, given to her by papa over several wedding anniversaries. My parent’s kept them in a safety deposit box in a city bank. Mum had cajoled Papa not to return them until after her tea, yearning to wear them to “show-off,” Just this once Honey” she had winningly purred.
The silver diamond set consisted of pierced earrings, set with 1 1/4 carat round stones with a full 2 carat pear-shaped larger stone dangling. The necklace was a silver chain with 5 round 1 1/4 caret diamonds in a v pattern. Hanging from the two end and middle round stones were three 3-carat pear-shaped diamonds, the same size as the ones swinging from her earrings. There was also a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond pinky ring(10 Anniversary gift) which mum was wearing on her right pinky. She also was wearing her diamond engagement and wedding bands.
Mum had cheerfully introduced us to the caterers. a small rag-tag crew of six, all girls. The owner, her black-dressed goth daughter, and four of the daughter’s similarly clad school chums.
They appeared very wet behind the ears as far as experience, but it was better than Ginny and I being pressed into helping serve, which had sometimes been the case previously.
When I was much younger mum actually had me wearing a black satin maids outfit with white frills to serve her guests tea and biscuits.
We were there in plenty of enough time to help greet the first arriving guests.
Soon Ginny and I were in the thicke of it, mingling in as more and more arrived. I don't think we had been there more than an hour before the tea was in full swing.
Now amongst the usual caste of characters, there was a lady(Sharie) from church who had her sister(Clarice) visiting up from London. She had asked if the sister could come, which of course she was more than welcome to attend.
Clarice had brought along her daughter, a lovely shy toddler named Claire, all 3 years old. An adorable, precocious blue-eyed imp with long gold tresses of gold hair.
Claire’s mum must have been told about how all the guests were dressing.
Clarice was wearing a short shiny floral patterned dress, an unadorned scooped neck with layered scalloped sleeves hanging just over her shoulders. Her jewels were a pair of silver chains hanging down from her neck, diamond stud earrings, and a diamond tennis bracelet, along with her pricey-looking engagement and wedding rings.
She had her daughter Clair dolled up in a long yellow lacy silk number with a black satin sash that held a round rhinestone pin. Along with a neat black velvet jacket. She wore what appeared to be genuine pearls, consisting of earrings along with a long dainty necklace.
The little darling was soon running around unheeded, tripping over herself in excitement to be on the loose.
I had always heard first-time mums were always ultra protective of their first born.
But not Clarice. She let her young daughter have the run of the place and figured others would keep an eye on the tyke.
And there were plenty of mothers in that group who did, at first, before it got old later on.
Ginny and I had been talking to Mum, Sharie, and Clarice when little Claire troll-loped back over to her mum.
Ginny happily picked up Claire, who was soon playing with my friend’s diamond pendant.
“Should ‘ave brought my nieces over to play with you..” Ginny chirped to the happy Lass, who answered by cooing out some words in an unknown toddler language.
The older three ladies moved off, leaving us alone, with Ginny still holding the huggy Claire.
It was soon after, that this grandmotherly-looking lady wearing glasses with big rose-coloured lenses, approached us.
Neither Ginny nor I recognized her.
She was wearing this long raw silk muddled brown garment, a long canvas purse over one hooded arm, with wood beads looking like miniature croquet balls, hanging from her neck, and perched on her head, a turban.
She seemed out of place with Mum’s crowd. I mean who wears a turban and wood beards to a dress-up tea?
She had come up to Ginny and admired our “just darlhing” outfits. Treating us like we were 14-year-olds instead of the twenty-something Ginny and I both were at the time.
Very annoying.
Stroking and caressing along my dress with clammy dime store ringed fingers, which she also used to finger my hair, as she bombarded us with questions.
Ginny had put down the wriggling Claire and was now politely listening.
As she reached up to admire Ginny’s necklace, I saw her beady fox-like eyes darting around.
She gushingly told us that we were the prettiest thing ever, and she would not be surprised to find the mother of ones so cute would also be pretty. She looked around.
“So which of these lovelies is are your mother’s, my sweethearts?”
She drew out her words while asking this in a silky, but still oddly demanding tone of voice.
Ginny shook her head, admitting her mum was out of town with her father on a re-election jaunt (Ginny’s mum is a local politician)
I obediently began to look around for mum, the whole while explaining she was the hostess. Finally, I saw her and pointed her out.
She laughed with a snort, attempting, but failing to produce, a friendly smile.
“I would have thought it was that fetching lady over there luv, wearing those pretty rubies...”
She said this while digging her fingers into my soft sleeve while pointing out a lady wearing a silvery slinking gown similar to the one I saw worn by the character Ana Steele in the movie Fifty Shades Darker.
“That is Mrs. Shannon,” Ginny said, correcting the lady for me, as all three of us looked over in that direction.
I noticed that Claire had made her way over to them, so much for us keeping an eye on the child.
Next to Mrs. Shannon was her 12-year-old daughter, a shy lass named Gabrielle. She was very pretty wearing a long silky cream dress that looked like a slip. A black velvet bolero jacket completed her look. She was also wearing real rubies like her mom. Though hers were a smaller version.
I figured that Claire had recognized a fellow child in Gabrielle and had gone over to play with her.
Indeed, Gabrielle had now captured Claire and was holding the toddler.
A girl named Estella, Gabrielle’s school chum, stood next to her, teasing Claire.
I shuddered.
If I had a daughter, Estella would be my last choice of a friend for her.
There was just something about that cheekily sly little imp that I just found to be unsettling.
But poor awkward Gabrielle had a hard time making friends. And I'm sure that Estella was only pretending to be one to take advantages of her rich classmate. Like being invited to parties like this
Gabrielle’s mum was totally clueless about this fact. And I’m sure encouraged the two to be friends.
But I do harbor a case in point.
Estella had a birthday party last summer. Inviting her like-minded friends, as well as Gabrielle. Gabrielle wore an expensive ring to the affair to compliment her party dress.
I was not surprised to hear the ring had been lost at the playground Estella had led them all off to during the party…
“Lost my eye.” I thought. “Probably was nicked right off her finger. Stolen during a game that had been specially chosen by the conniving Estella just to provide her with just that opportunity while playing it.
Anyway, With her long black hair straight Estella was wearing a black taffeta dress with verticle white stripes. She was wearing an eye-catching wide rhinestone dangling necklace and matching clip earrings. I recognized them as being borrowed from Gabrielle, who had worn them to Mum's tea party last year with her gold taffeta dress.
As I watched, Estella coached Claire to leave Gabrielle and come to her.
Gabrielle giggled nervously
Taking my eyes off them, I finally answered the wood bead lady
“Mrs. Shannon? No that’s not my mum. “
I assured her.
Mrs. Shannon was wearing some rather nice rubies, which wasn’t surprising seeing her husband is a snobby jeweler. But Mrs. Shannon was raven-haired, whereas I’m a natural redhead, like my mum. So I’m not sure where this wood bead-wearing lady was making a connection. “Wood Bead Lady,” I thought, giving her that name in my mind.
Then the lady, looking directly into my eyes, asked a most peculiar question as she massaged my side.
“Perhaps you could introduce me?” she asked indicating the group that was fawning over wee Claire…
(I will not be using the name given to us by the “Wood Bread Lady” for legal reasons)
Seeing we had no choice, we lead the “Wood Bead Lady” over to greet them and make the requested introductions.
As the “Wood Bead Lady” began fawning over Mrs. Shannon and the girls, I made an excuse for Ginny and me to leave them and greet newer guests.
Neither Ginny nor I gave that experience any more thought as we began to meet, greet and mingle in amongst the other gaily dressed and jewel bedecked females who were now arriving in force.
Next up the Acte 3
Tea Party Shenanigans
The World's Coolest Bear checks for salmon that may be trying to sneak past her to spawn upstream. Can they smell these fish through the water barrier? No doubt they can; their noses are amazing. And despite rumours to the contrary, their eyesight is not bad, they can spot salmon swimming upstream, especially in shallow water.
Given the popular view of Black Bears as roly-poly and lazy, to watch one in the wild is an education. Look at the musculature - muscles like water rippling beneath the fur. All lithe and agile and alert. If the salmon takes a wrong turn and comes anywhere near this predator, it's game over!
Photographed along coastal British Columbia (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
We appreciate the courtesy of Chatwick University Archives for letting us use the journals in our research, and for permission to use parts for the genesis of “Dare’s Game”.
Dare’s Game
Beth, eagerly looking for Dare, walked straight into Seth’s cunning snare…..
Suffix, circa 1910?. It was during this time a fanciful young lady, whom we will call Beth, started a journal which she would faithfully keep over the course of almost 50 years. She led quite an adventuresome life for a lady of that time, and her journals were filled with many tales and observations of her exploits. The following story is derived from events that she penned down in the early years in her journal.
******************************************************************************
Beth had known Dare since their childhood. Dare was a handsome free spirited youth only two years her senior, who lived for the games his life had to offer. As his cherished nickname inferred, Dare was always trying to find the thrill out of anything he could think up, relishing to go beyond the pale in anything he attempted. Dare always a little different, harboring feelings and ideas way beyond his years, almost as if he had lived a previous life and retained something from it in his being.
Beth would remember times playing dress up with Dare’s sister Diana in some old gowns of their mothers. It was always then that Dare and his friends seemed to appear and talk them into playing hide n seek, tag or cops n robbers. Dare seemed to take pleasure in cajoling the girls into playing with them in this manner. Eyeing them as they played with a far off look that suggested the game they were playing had more meaning to him than he could ever venture to say. It was hard for Beth to explain it, but she did find it pleasurable (almost erotic using a word whose term she would learn much later) to be observed by him in this way.
One warm fall day Diana and Beth headed down to an old shack located near some railroad tracks at the back of a cornfield. Diana was dressed in a long satin play gown with her mother’s jewelry, which Dare had called rhinestones. Beth, herself dressed in a long flowing dress, loved the way Diana’s jewels twinkled and sparkled as she walked. They were going to pretend the shack was a ballroom and they were one their way to a fancy dance, like Beth’s and Diana’s parents had recently attended. Diana wasn’t supposed to be wearing her mother’s jewelry outside the house, but as a result of Dare’s teasing, had done so anyway.
They had reached the shack, an old white brick building with a wooden roof half fallen in, when a man’s voice suddenly said behind them, what are you two ladies up to? Turning they were confronted by a happily sneering drifter. The grubby man looked around, alone is we, and advanced towards them. The two girls stood petrified, he reached out and probed Diana along her side, pretty dress missy, he said, sparsely toothed mouth grinning like a pumpkin. He suddenly reached up and tore the necklace away from Diana’s throat, sending her falling backwards. Beth screamed bloody murder, as the vagrant turned heel, running off towards the tracks. Suddenly Dare appeared, and Beth, meaning to yell for help, exclaimed instead “help honey” to Dare. Dares eyes took on a very different look, almost of a burning yearning. Beth told him what had happened and he took off down towards the tracks in hot pursuit. For Beth, the look he had given her and the way he had dashed off excited her beyond measure. Even for someone that young, Beth now knew what Dare meant to her. From then on, playing games with Dare took on a heightened meaning for Beth.
But, nothing really changed in their relationship until Beth’s sophomore year of high school. Beth was sixteen at the time, a whimsical being, passionate, innocent, not particularly attractive, but radiating with a love of life. A living free spirit, developing into a very sexual being by the time her and Diana decided to attend their schools prom in their sophomore year. Beth dressed in a fuchsia coloured satin dress with dangling rhinestone earrings that had been” borrowed” from Diana’s Mother, the same ones Diana had been wearing when they had run into the drifter at the shack. Diana slipped into the slinky blue spaghetti strap gown and matching cover-all that she had worn as her cousin’s bridesmaid. She was wearing sapphire costume jewels patterned after the hope diamond. Their parents had given them a hard time when they saw their made up girls in their gowns and finery , admonishing them for looking way too mature. They smiled, consoling their parents fears, and went off on their adventure.
Their eyes were dazzled by the display of lights, the cheerfully student filled room, the band. They had stopped and were letting it all sink in, when Beth felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and came face to face with Dare, who once again had the same yearning fire in his eyes as on that fateful day at the old shack. A veil was lifted from between the two, and Beth spent the whole evening encompassed in Dare’s arms. Soon after that the two had begun seeing much more of one another. Their relationship was still going strong eight years later.
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8 Years Later
*****************************
Come on Dare, let’s go to the Riverside, it will be fun she urged. She had been trying to get her fiancé’ to take her to the exclusive five star resorts for some time. And now she had a free overnight room card she had won at work! Dare looked into Beth’s wide, hope filled eyes, knowing her passion for attending these types of affairs. Ever hopeful she would see someone rich. Dare knew how to use this to his advantage. Finally he buckled, all right, only if we play the game afterwards he bargained. She squirmed inwardly with passion, nodding her agreement. Beth found the game exciting, though she would never let on to Dare. And, you must wear the gold bridesmaid gown and jewels you wore to your friend’s wedding last week , he added, a wistful smile lighting up his thin face.. Okay she agreed, trying to sound reluctant, but truthfully feeling multiple tingles of delight.
Dare was handsome, in a scrawny, thin bearded, sort of way ( From an old photo that survives he resembled a young Johnny Depp… the eds), with a witty writers imagination and a playful disposition. He could always make Beth laugh, feeling his excitement as he drew her into his stories and games. She would never admit to it, but found the game delightfully erogenous. She smiled to herself, so Dare had liked the satin gown after all, he had not shown any interest in her wearing it since the wedding. And the jewelry, the small rhinestone pendent and earrings had been pretty, but Beth soon came up with another idea. She would knock his socks off by wearing the glittering diamonds and emeralds that had been inherited from her grandmother. The set had laid collecting dust in a safety deposit box all these years, unworn. She had never told Dare about them, waiting for the perfect occasion. She could just imagine the look in his eyes when he saw her wearing them. Okay then, game on, Beth thought, wickedly sending shivers up and down her spine.
Dare’s Game was based on role playing:
Dare would give Beth money to purchase a new outfit, something rich and shiny, like silk or satin. With the new outfit, Beth would wear the good gold jewelry she had received from Dare on her birthdays. The idea was to acting like a bored rich girl out for a good time, alone and vulnerable.
Dare would be at the hotel bar, waiting for Beth to make her entrance, then make her acquaintance , playing a debonair, suited gentleman with a mysterious past and a hidden agenda. They would make a date later, usually to dance and have drinks.
Then that evening, she would go down to the bar. Dressed in one of the long gowns Dare favored, fitting in with the usual spillover from a wedding reception that had been held in one of the Ballrooms. Sometimes she would wear the rhinestone jewelry they had purchased together at various antique stores. Then Beth would wait for Dare to make his entrance, signaling the time for Dare’s game. He would assume one of several roles, or possibly a new one that Beth had never seen. In the past Dare had played:
A spy who would dance with Beth, then disappear. Sending a note to Beth via a third person that would have her meet him clandestinely in a remote location…
A highwayman who would come across Beth on the castle grounds , usually the resorts empty gardens at night….
A rich millionaire looking for romance…
A kidnapper hired by an evil uncle, who after tying up Beth and removing her valuables would have a change of heart….
A Jewel thief who would be cunningly after her valuables…
A handsome prince rescuing Beth’s damsel in distress ….
Or Dare’s favorite, centered on their old childhood game of cops and robbers. Dare would play the thief, and steal something from Beth, usually while dancing. He would then leave preset clues around the grounds that she would have to follow to catch him.
All of the games usually led to some playful groping and then escalating into the upper echelons of erotic pleasure. Sometimes they never made out of the woods, or barely out of the ballroom. Beth shivered at these thoughts, wishing she didn’t have to wait….
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Three weeks later at the Riverside Resort.
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In the Bar:
At the bar, Dare smiled to himself, pleased. He had dropped Beth off to check in by herself. She would change into her new outfit and wear it down to the bar for lunch. She would come in acting like a complete stranger to the area. Dare would make her acquaintance, invite her to lunch, and make plans to see her that evening at the resorts dance room. There were two wedding receptions going on, and that dance room should be filled with well-dressed patrons. Beth would fit right in; clad that pretty gown she had promised to wear.
Dare had been sitting at the bar, thinking about ways to play out the game that evening, when the answer came to him, in the form of a stranger who had come with his drink and sat next to him. The stranger introduced himself as Seth, and shaking Dare’s hand sat on the stool next to him. After they had had couple of drinks, they had become quite chummy. Seth explaining he had come up for one of the weddings, and assumed Dare was doing the same. Seth did not fail to observe Dare’s secretive smile, but did not question it. Their conversation was distracted only when a newcomer appeared at the entrance. Beth walked in, a long flowing silky skirt swishing down to her leather sandals. A shiny, long sleeved satin top fitting tightly along her perky figure, with bright gold jewelry complementing the ensemble. Real gold, Seth observed silently to himself.
Beth went to a table, both men going silent as they watched her move through the room. Good-looking one, that, Seth commented, looking at Dare who was deep in thought as his eyes were fixed on the sexy newcomer. Seth teasingly offered Dare a penny for his thoughts. Dare smiled mischievously, letting lose his plans. Seth listened to the young man, smiling as a light went on in his steal grey eyes. When Dare finished he offered up a suggestion as to how Dare could make it really interesting for Beth. The two co-conspirators worked it out: Seth told Dare about a stone hut and wall that was located on the back nine of the resorts golf course. He suggested that he, Seth, would meet Beth that evening and pass a note onto her from Dare saying that he was in trouble and needed her help, with directions to the spot. Dare liked the idea, and wrote the note on a cocktail napkin, cementing the plan by handing it to Seth.
Off you go old chap, let Uncle Seth take care of his end, he said grinning, giving Dare a sporting clap on the back. With a wink, Dare left his fellow collaborator, and went over to Beth, who had since been seated by a male waiter, now standing drooling over her shoulder as she looked at the menu.
Later that same evening, inside the crowded club:
Seth had stopped by the bar for a last drink. His business venture had been concluded earlier than he had expected. With the change in his plans, he had checked out early, his kit packed, boot loaded and the car ready. He now sat at the bar Causley watching young lass of about seventeen who had literally ran into him at one of the receptions. He watched her flirting about the club, weaving in and out of the guests. With a long swishing gown flowing provocatively along her lithe figure, abundant, solid white gold chains swinging out in an alluringly eye catching manner as she scurried about. A diminutive gold ring its half caret diamond flickered playfully from the petite pinky it loosely surrounded once again welcomed his contemplation. The lass presented quite an intriguing gold feathered fledgling, just begging to be plucked. He looked around, spying her parents on the dance floor. The father/husband, despite being an excellent dancer, gave him no interest. It was his partner, the wife/ mother, decked out in a iridescent suit and long swishing satin skirt upon which he now was reexamining. He again studied under the bright dance floor lights her fine pearls dangling from her ears, throat, and wrists. But it was the Ladies’ two rings that stole the show for him; an engagement ring with a rock of at least 2 carets surrounded by numerous shimmering half caret stones and a pinky ring similar to her daughters, that proudly displayed a single white solitaire diamond of at least one caret that had garnered his consideration. He also reconsidered the facts that he had been able to garnish about the lady who wore them, and her husband. The wife/mother was a heavy drinker who would not be expected to make any kind of appearance before noon. Hubby was a golfer, who would be out for breakfast at five am before being on the links at 6 am the next morning . At 5 :15 Seth was planning to pay a visit to his suite, and relieve his two ladies of their expensive trinkets. It should be an easy straight forward caper, that had Seth bristling with anticipation at the prospect.
As he was tossing down the last of his drink he remembered about Dare and the note he still had in his pocket. Setting down the empty glass, he pulled the note out and looked at it, kids he smirked, and was preparing to crinkle toss it on the bar and leave, when his eyes caught sight of Beth. He had felt his breath taken away when he saw her. Not at all what he had expected, he would say to Beth much later in the evening. He looked over the note, stirrings of a plan began formulating. All thoughts of the dancing couple and his plans fled his mind, as He rose, throwing a fiver on the bar and went off to intercept Beth.
Seth held Beth in his arms, she was a vivacious little thing he thought, while smiling charmingly into her eyes. She seemed a little apprehensive at first, but had settled right in when he had told her this had been set up by Dare, remember me at the bar with him this afternoon he had consoled her, she had smile brightly into his eyes in answer. He relished in the feel of her warm satin gown, and allowed himself to be mesmerized by the shimmer of her diamonds.
It reminded him of the diamonds that had been worn by one of his dance partners earlier that evening at a reception. He had forgotten her name, but not her diamonds, one of which now resided in a hidden compartment of his roadsters boot, along with the diamond pin he had slipped off the satin cape he had cordially help a well-dressed lady put on. He had also shelved his plans for his 5:15 am “meeting” at the golf playing husbands hotel room, Beth’s jewels were a much more lucrative prospect.
When the dance had ended he took her to the bar and sat her down, ordering her a drink. She seemed a little perplexed, Seth kissed her gloved hand; wait for it he told her mysteriously, winking into her eyes. Beth had winked back, the fire in her heart reflecting deep in her eyes. Seth left, smiling cleverly to himself as he took in his surroundings. He looked around as he walked away, now where had the little imp gotten off too?
He had decided that the seventeen year old in the long flirting gown would play a very different role in his plans. He approached her, with Dares note and a twenty. Thought for a moment about the pair of thick platinum gold chains dangling from her throat down the open neckline of the girl’s glossy gown, then banished the though, he had bigger fish to filet. The twenty caught her attention and she eagerly listened as he explained to her what to do, pointing out Beth sitting, waiting in earnest at the bar. Wait until she finishes her drink, Seth told her as she listened eagerly. She took the twenty into her hand, the half caret diamond on her pinky ring flashing, and her gold chain bracelets jangled as she grasped it. Seth left, figuring he had about twenty minutes to stop at his car, get a few items from the boot, and put his plan in motion.
Beth had curiously received the note from the attractively shy young lady, clad a slinky gown that made her appear years older. Reading it she folded it and was just getting up when a man wearing a suit came up to her and offered to let her dance with him. It took her some time, before she was finally able to ward him off and leave the brilliantly lit clubroom for the dark, forbidding grounds outside.
Now, a thoroughly excited Beth walked up the hill. Her senses becoming more prickling alert with each step. Innocently unaware that she was no longer playing a role in Dare’s game!
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Epilogue:
As Seth walked away admiring the shimmery necklace, his thoughts travelled back to the gold burdened impish youngster in the swirling gown, and her pearl and diamond laden mother. Revisiting his original plans he decided that he liked the odds, especially since they would be against him. With the father leaving early to meet his cronies for breakfast the Mother should be still sleeping off her drink induced stupor, the hyperactive girl should still be out cold, but presented no risk if she awoke, he had more rope. The ladies jewels should be lying about in the apartment, or handedly on their persons( the pairs of diamond pinky rings, as well as the multi-diamond engagement ring flashed once again across his memory with all their brilliant glory),as he caught fire with the vision. There could be a safe he reasoned, but with a tied up daughter and a knife in his hand, the mother should have no issue opening it for him, or disclosing anywhere else her jewels may have been hidden . But if there was no safe, and the rings, pearls and solid white gold chains were somewhere in the room, he knew he would be able to noiselessly break in, find and slip the jewels from wherever they were perched, and be safely on his way without even causing the slightest stir from the sleeping woman and her daughter. It was a road Seth had travelled down many times. He prickled at the thought, as he foresightedly tallied up the potential haul while making his way to the car. The Mother/wife’s diamond rings, would easily fetch him at least three grand, probably close five with her pearls and the whelp’s jewelry added in. About a quarter of what he probably would get for the jewels now in his procession, so he mused inquisitively to himself, so ,was it worth the risk of his 20,000 bird in hand? Yes he answered himself, as all too familiar and welcome tingling sensation overwhelmed Seths muscular body. Like Dare, Seth like to play risky games, especially those which promised to be somewhat profitable. It would be a tantalizingly chancy gamble of his own; to wait a safe distance away while things cooled down and then return to break into the un protected sleeping ladies chamber.. He knew just the place to hide , and it would be a perfect spot to watch events unfold around Beth and Dare, while making his plans! It also afforded a nicely secret hiding nook for the ill-gotten gains collected so far that evening in case something went wrong, which it wouldn’t..
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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Lit with a Calumet 750r, bowens pack, and socked PLM firing straight down.
The Ibizan Hound is a lithe and leggy visitor from the dawn of civilization, bred as a rabbit courser on the rocky shores of Spain's Balearic Islands. World-class sprinters and leapers, Ibizans need ample space to air out their engines.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today however we are at Glynes, the grand Georgian family seat of the Chetwynds in Wiltshire, and the home of Lettice’s parents, the presiding Viscount and Countess of Wrexham and the heir, their eldest son Leslie. Perhaps against her better judgement after recent altercations with her mother, Lettice has returned to her old family home for Bonfire Night*, one of her father’s favourite celebrations throughout the year. Lettice’s old childhood chum and family neighbour, Gerald Bruton, has brought her down from London in his Morris Cowley four-seat tourer**, as he, his older brother and parents are coming to the Bonfire Night celebrations on the well clipped lawns of Glynes later in the evening.
As Lettice steps out of the Morris, she sighs with trepidation as she looks up at the classical columned façade of her beloved childhood home basking in the autumnal sunshine. “At least it appears like we will have good weather for Bonfire Night.” Lettice says to Gerald with a tone of false joviality.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like me to come in for a little bit, Lettice Leaf?” Gerald asks his friend in concern. For once Lettice does not scold him for the use of her abhorred nickname, which shows how distracted she is. “I can help calm the waters with Sadie.” He reaches out and grasps her arm comfortingly as she steps in front of his open driver’s side window.
“No, no, Gerald.” Lettice replies, turning back and giving him a brave smile. “I’m sure you’ll want to get home.”
“To Bruton Hall and all its draughty, ill heated rooms and its leaky roof,” Gerald scoffs. “I think not! Cook’s rock cakes get more like real rocks with every visit! No, I’d find no greater pleasure than in the warm hospitality of your parents’ home and some hot buttered crumpets after our drive down.”
The double doors to her family home open and Bramley, the Chetwynd’s butler, walks out onto the front steps, followed by Marsen, the liveried first footman who walks across the gravel driveway and takes Lettice’s overnight valise and hatbox from the back of Gerald’s Morris.
“I don’t know how warm the reception will be today, darling, after Mater’s and my fierce arguments when I was here the other week. Anyway,” she pats his arm. “I’m sure that Aunt Gwyneth will have tea and cook’s delicious, if inedible, rock cakes waiting for you at Bruton Hall.”
“Mother might be welcoming, but I suspect nothing but cold comfort from Roland,” Gerald shivers. “Not to mention Father.”
She pats his arm again. “Best get it over with then, as should I.” She leans into the car and gives her friend a peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight at seven for the festivities. Don’t be late.” She wags an admonishing finger at him.
Lettice’s figure looks lonely as dwarfed by the grand sandstone façade of her home, she walks away alone from Gerald in his car and up the sweeping steps to where Bramley stands, awaiting her.
“Welcome home, My Lady,” Bramley greets her with an open smile as he always does, assuaging the anxious feeling roiling in her stomach. “What a pleasure it is to see you. Did you have a pleasant drive down with Mr. Bruton?”
“Thank you, Bramley. Yes, I did.” she replies, returning his smile, albeit in a half hearted fashion.
“Is Mr. Bruton not joining us, My Lady?”
Lettice turns back and waves to Gerald, who waves in return before revving up the idling engine of his car and driving off down the carriageway with a cheerful toot from his horn. “No Bramley. Sir and Lady Bruton are expecting him at Bruton Hall.”
She sweeps past the butler and into the lofty hall of Glynes where Marsden stands ready to accept her gloves, her fox fur stole and her grey travelling coat as she shirks them from her shoulders, revealing a smart navy blue frock with a sailor collar in white with a red embroidered trim.
“Emmery will take care of you this evening, My Lady,” Bramley acknowledges as he comes to join Lettice after closing the front doors. “I hope that will be suitable.”
“Oh quite Bramley, although I don’t really need a ladies maid. I’m quite independent in London you know. It is almost 1922 after all.”
“Well her Ladyship…”
“Yes, I know, Bramley.” Lettice holds up her now bare hands to stop the butler from continuing. “Mamma expects every woman in the house to require a maid, even if we are no longer in the pre-war years of needing them. I’ll be happy to accept Emmery if she’ll have me, if only to placate Mamma if it will give me some peace from her harping. I’m sure I can create some superfluous errands for her to run. She’s a capable girl.”
“She is, My Lady.”
“Now, thinking of Mamma, where is she?”
“Out, My Lady,” Bramley smiles conspiratorially at Lettice. “Visiting Lady Edgars at Broxmore House*** in an effort to avoid his Lordship’s Bonfire Night preparations.”
“Splendid!” Lettice enthuses as she feels the knot in her stomach ease at the thought of her mother being gone for most of the day. “And my Father?”
“I believe he is in the library, My Lady. Shall I serve tea there?”
“Thank you Bramley,” she flashes him a beaming smile of thanks. “You are a brick!”
“Very good, My Lady.” Bramley departs, slipping through a discreet doorway off the main hall that is one of many leading to the servants’ quarters of the Georgian mansion.
Lettice turns and walks up to the library’s beautiful walnut double doors and knocks loudly.
“Come!” comes a muffled male voice from inside.
“Pappa, it’s only me!” Lettice calls cheerfully as she pokes her head around the door of her favourite room in the whole of Glynes, the light filled library, with its comforting smell of woodsmoke and old books.
“Ah! Dear girl!” Viscount Wrexham looks up from his Chippendale desk which is cluttered with fireworks destined for the annual Glynes Bonfire Night pyrotechnics display. “So that was young Gerald out on the drive then.” He frowns. “I wasn’t entirely sure you would be coming after that awful ruckus with your mother last visit.”
“Even one of Mamma’s rages wouldn’t stop me from coming for your Bonfire Night display, Pappa.” Lettice walks the length of the room, through the pools of sunlight pouring through the windows, disturbing the dust motes which fly about wildly in her wake. She falls into the welcoming embrace of her father and kisses him lovingly on first his right and then his left cheek. “All the same, I am glad that she’s gone to pay a call on Lady Edgar. It will give me a chance to prepare myself to face her when she finally does come home.”
“You have a few hours to stave off your execution.” The Viscount chuckles as he releases his daughter. “I shouldn’t laugh really.” He looks at his pretty, lithe daughter. “You didn’t really behave like the lady you should be when you were last here. I did ask you to try with her, and…”
“I did try with her Pappa!” Lettice defends. “Really I did.” She steels her jaw. “However, I read a simpering letter she was writing to Lady Hastings…”
“As I said, you weren’t exactly ladylike, Lettice. You ought not to read other people’s correspondence and well you know it.” He shakes an admonishing finger at his youngest daughter.
“Yes, but then she started going on about all the so-called eligible bachelors she has invited to the Hunt Ball and I just…”
“Lost your temper?”
“Well yes.” Lettice admits sheepishly with a downcast gaze.
“You take too much after me in that respect.” the Viscount admits. “It’s distinguished and commanding in an old man like me, but unattractive in a young lady.”
In an effort to further defend her actions she continues, “She dismissed my interior business, Pappa. She said that the only reason why Margot and Dickie wanted me to decorate their home is because we are friends.”
“Well, you are friends, Lettice.”
“You know what I mean, and what Mamma was implying, Pappa.”
“Yes, I know, and even though both she and I hate to admit it, you are applying your mother’s good taste to some evident success if your mother’s magazines are anything to go by.”
Lettice smiles, a blush flushing up her cheeks as she silently delights in her father’s veiled compliment towards her interior design business.
“Anyway, you should find your mother in better spirits today. Jonty Hastings, Sir John Nettleford-Hughes, Selwyn Spencely and Nicholas Ayres have all accepted invitations to the Hunt Ball, not that Ayres is in the running of course. He’s a lost cause. We all know what he’s about.” He cocks his eyebrow at Lettice. “Well, most of us do, your mother excluded. Rather like we do about Bruton’s youngest, your Gerald the frock maker.” He clears his throat awkwardly. “Also, at the Channon wedding last week, your mother ended up chatting with Lady Faversham.”
“Yes, so I noticed.” Lettice replies flatly.
“She apparently has an unmarried nephew around your age who stands to inherit a Baronetcy in Scotland, so he’s coming too. Benedict? Bartholomew? Something like that.” The Viscount starts fiddling with a firework wrapped in brightly printed paper declaring it to be a Raduim Dazzler. “Anyway, I’m sure your mother will tell you all about it when she comes home.” He engages his daughter in a stern gaze. “Which will give you another chance to make an effort. Eh?”
“I’ll make an effort for your sake, Pappa, not hers. I don’t think she and I have ever seen eye-to-eye on much.”
“No, I don’t suppose you have.” the Viscount muses. “Still, you’re young yet. There is plenty of time yet for you to come around to your mother’s and my way of thinking.”
“Oh, enough about Mamma and the Hunt Ball!” Lettice huffs as she quickly changes the subject. “Gerald and I saw Crane and his new undergardener setting out Chinese lanterns as we came up the drive. Tell me more about the reason I’m here.”
“The Glynes Bonfire Night pyrotechnics extravaganza?” Her father’s eyes light up with excitement. “Well, as you can see, I’ve ordered a Pains five shilling box of outdoor fireworks.”
“Only one?”
“Well no. Harris took receipt of another fourteen boxes from London down in the village last Tuesday.”
“So what are you going to dazzle us with this year, Pappa?”
“A row of twenty Roman Candles and thirty Catherine Wheels down along the ha-ha****, and Harris and I will set off these Radium Dazzlers and,” He chortles with unbridled childish delight. “A few Mines of Fiery Serpents and some Devil’s Fire.”
“Sounds positively ripping, Pappa! I’m so looking forward to it. I always have enjoyed the thrill of Bonfire Night at Glynes.”
“You’re still such a child, my dear girl.” he says with an indulgent smile.
“Me?” Lettice counters with a surprised burst of laughter. “It seems to me that you are the bigger child of the two of us when it comes to pyrotechnics. I enjoy the spectacle, but for you this is a pastime as you plan the spectacle from year to year.”
“Steady on my girl!” Viscount Wrexham blusters. “More of a hobby, really.”
“Same thing.” Lettice retorts. “What time do the gates open?”
Just as she asks, as soft knock at the library door interrupts them.
“Come!” Viscount Wrexham calls commandingly.
Bramley enters carrying a silver tray laden with tea things and some petit fours on a plate. “Tea, My Lord.”
“I made the presumption of ordering tea,” Lettice looks at her father.
“Capital idea, my girl!” the Viscount beams. “Put it on the table by the fire, would you Bramley.”
“My Lord.” The butler does as requested and for a moment the room falls silent, save for the gentle tick of the clock on the mantle, the crackle of the logs in the fireplace and the chink of porcelain, silver and cutlery as he sets out the tea for two.
“Thank you, Bramley.” Lettice acknowledges the butler.
“Bramley, what time do we expect the villagers up for tonight’s Bonfire Night celebrations?” Viscount Wrexham asks his butler.
“The villagers may start coming up to the house from six, My Lord. Mrs. Casterton and the maids are setting up tables in the back courtyard around the bonfire even as we speak.”
“Excellent, well I told Gerald to bring his family over at seven.” Lettice says.
“It will be the best Bonfire Night yet, my girl!” the Viscount remarks with enthusiasm. “You mark my words. The best yet!”
“Bonfire Night, Glynes style is always the best, Pappa.” Lettice replies.
*Guy Fawkes Day, also called Bonfire Night, British observance, celebrated on November the fifth, commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Guy Fawkes and his group members acted in protest to the continued persecution of the English Catholics. Today Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated in the United Kingdom, and in a number of countries that were formerly part of the British Empire, with parades, fireworks, bonfires, and food. Straw effigies of Fawkes are tossed on the bonfire, as are—in more recent years in some places—those of contemporary political figures. Traditionally, children carried these effigies, called “Guys,” through the streets in the days leading up to Guy Fawkes Day and asked passersby for “a penny for the guy,” often reciting rhymes associated with the occasion, the best known of which dates from the Eighteenth Century.
**Morris Motors Limited was a privately owned British motor vehicle manufacturing company established in 1919. With a reputation for producing high-quality cars and a policy of cutting prices, Morris's business continued to grow and increase its share of the British market. By 1926 its production represented forty-two per cent of British car manufacturing. Amongst their more popular range was the Morris Cowley which included a four-seat tourer which was first released in 1920.
***Broxmore House was a grand classical Georgian county house with Victorian editions built in Whiteparish, Wiltshire. It was demolished in 1949.
****A ha-ha is a type of sunken fence that was commonly used in landscaped gardens and parks in the eighteenth century. It involved digging a deep, dry ditch, the inner side of which would be built up to the level of the surrounding turf with either a dry-stone or brick wall. Meanwhile, the outer side was designed to slope steeply upwards, before leveling out again into turf. The point of the ha-ha was to give the viewer of the garden the illusion of an unbroken, continuous rolling lawn, whilst providing boundaries for grazing livestock.
Cluttered with books and art, Viscount Wrexham’s library with its Georgian furnishings is different from what you might think, for it is made up entirely of 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures from my collection.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
The majority of the books that you see lining the shelves of the Viscount’s library are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. Ken Blythe was famous in miniature collectors’ circles mostly for the miniature books that he made: all being authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection. However, he did not make books exclusively. He also made other small pieces like this box of Pain’s Fireworks you see on the desk. What might amaze you, looking at these fireworks is that they are all miniature replicas of real fireworks manufactured by Pain’s Fireworks. Each has a correct label, and they are even correct size in comparison to one another when compared to their real life counterparts. Examples of fireworks here are: Mine of Fiery Serpents, Harbour Light, Radium Dazzler, City Flicker, Firestorm and coloured Roman Candles. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make these miniature artisan pieces. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago and through his estate courtesy of the generosity of his daughter and son-in-law. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.
James Pain and Sons Ltd. fireworks business which was established in Brixton in 1850. The company was a leading manufacturer of fireworks in the United Kingdom. After great success the business expanded to Wiltshire. 1965, James Pain and Sons Ltd merged with the Wessex Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd (known as WAECO) to form Pains Wessex. Pains Wessex is known to be the oldest marine distress signal brand with origins back as far as 1620. In 1873, the company applied for the first patent of a marine distress flare. Today, the quality, technological superiority and innovative design of the Pains Wessex range, combined with worldwide approvals and manufacturing.
Also on the desk to the left stands a stuffed white owl on a branch beneath a glass cloche. A vintage miniature piece, the foliage are real dried flowers and grasses, whilst the owl is cut from white soapstone. The base is stained wood and the cloche is real glass. This I acquired along with two others featuring shells (one of which can be seen in the background) from Kathleen Knight’s Dollhouse Shop in the United Kingdom.
On the desk are some 1:12 artisan miniature ink bottles and a blotter on a silver salver all made by the Little Green Workshop in England who specialise in high end, high quality miniatures. The ink bottles are made from tiny faceted crystal beads and have sterling silver bottoms and lids. The ink blotter is sterling silver too and has a blotter made of real black felt, cut meticulously to size to fit snugly inside the frame.
The Chippendale desk itself is made by Bespaq, and it has a mahogany stain, and the design is taken from a real Chippendale desk. Its surface is covered in red dioxide red dioxide leather with a gilt trim. Bespaq is a high-end miniature furniture maker with high attention to detail and quality.
The beautiful rotating globe in the background features a British Imperial view of the world, with all of Britain’s colonies in pink (as can be seen from Canada), as it would have been in 1921. The globe sits on metal casters in a mahogany stained frame, and it can be rolled effortlessly. It comes from Mick and Marie’s Miniature Collectables in Lancashire. The silver double frame on the desk also comes from Mick and Marie’s Miniature Collectables.
In the background you can see the book lined shelves of Viscount Wrexham’s as well as a Victorian painting of cattle in a gold frame from Amber’s Miniatures in America, and a hand painted ginger jar from Thailand which stands on a Bespaq plant stand.
The library steps which can be seen just to the left of the desk are authentic replicas of Georgian examples. It also comes from Kathleen Knight’s Dollhouse Shop in the United Kingdom.
The gold flocked Edwardian wallpaper is beautiful hand impressed paper given to me by a friend, which inspired the whole “Cavendish Mews – Lettice Chetwynd” series.
Once the common European man-eating snail scents its victim (male, English, going on 50), there is only one route to safety - run as fast as you can! This one was laying in wait for me when I returned home on Wednesday - note the bloodthirsty look in the eyes. These beasts are merciless...
I was trying to focus on the eyes, so everything else is a little unsharp.
Please view in large size for the best and chilling effect.
Designed for speed and style, this supercar defines the phrase “poetry in motion.” With lithe styling, vibrant livery, dual-bore exhaust, and a sweeping glass canopy over driver and engine, it dispenses with pleasantries to offer a lively driving experience.
More photos available in the build album.
©2021 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hong kong)
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.
Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]
Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[36][37][38]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 Imperial China
2.3 British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
2.4 Japanese occupation: 1941–45
2.5 Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
2.6 Handover and Special Administrative Region status
3 Governance
3.1 Structure of government
3.2 Electoral and political reforms
3.3 Legal system and judiciary
3.4 Foreign relations
3.5 Human rights
3.6 Regions and districts
3.7 Military
4 Geography and climate
5 Economy
5.1 Financial centre
5.2 International trading
5.3 Tourism and expatriation
5.4 Policy
5.5 Infrastructure
6 Demographics
6.1 Languages
6.2 Religion
6.3 Personal income
6.4 Education
6.5 Health
7 Culture
7.1 Sports
7.2 Architecture
7.3 Cityscape
7.4 Symbols
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
10.1 Citations
10.2 Sources
11 Further reading
12 External links
Etymology
Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]
The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]
Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]
Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".
History
Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]
Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]
Imperial China
Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]
After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]
From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.
From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.
European discovery
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.
Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]
British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London
Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]
Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.
In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media
Hong Kong filmed in 1937
In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).
Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.
Japanese occupation: 1941–45
Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]
As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]
Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A sky view of Hong Kong Island
An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986
To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]
In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]
The Hong Kong question
In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.
The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.
It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.
Handover and Special Administrative Region status
Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong
Transfer of sovereignty
Golden Bauhinia Square
On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.
Structure of government
Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]
Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.
Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]
The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]
In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.
Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]
Scanned lith print.
Mamiya 645 ProTL w/ M-S 120 mm/f4 macro.
Nov 12, 2023.
Fomapan 100 @ iso 100, developed in Rodinal 1+100, semistand 1 h.
Lith printed on Forte Bromofort BSP 4 FB and developed in Moersch Easy Lith (20A+20B+15D+700H2O).
Toned in Se 1+4, 20 sec.
PS borders.
Night Stilleben Nov 11-12, 2023.
My first lith printing test with this old Forte paper. What gems Forte papers were. Warm tone lithable, despite being a bromide dominant paper.
Otter The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels and salmonids), waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Otters are well suited to a life on the water as they have webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, and can close their ears and nose when underwater. They require clean rivers, with an abundant source of food and plenty of vegetation to hide their secluded holts.
Damn, damn, damn.
Personally, I was blessed to have heard trumpeter Wallace Roney perform on several occasions in the late 1980s/early 1990s, when I worked at the One Step Down in Washington, D.C. He died on 31 March 2020 of complications from COVID-19, at age 59. This hits me hard.
▶ "Our collective spirits are taking some serious blows these days. Saying goodbye to one my beloved big brothers is especially hard. May the great Wallace Roney RIP."
31 March 2020.
*************
▶ "Wallace Roney, Jazz Trumpet Virtuoso, Is Dead at 59
Initially dismissed by many as a clone of Miles Davis, Mr. Roney, who has died of coronavirus complications, emerged as a major musician in his own right."
31 March 2020.
*************
▶ "Wallace Roney, a trumpeter and composer who embodied the pugnacious, harmonically restive side of post-bop throughout an illustrious four-decade career, died this morning [31 March 2020] at St. Joseph's University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. He was 59.
The cause was complications from COVID-19, according to his fiancée, Dawn Felice Jones. She said Roney had been admitted to the hospital last Wednesday.
Roney first rose to prominence as a sharp young steward of the modern jazz tradition, winning national awards in his early 20s and joining several high-profile bands. But it was a public benediction by his idol and mentor, Miles Davis [at the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival], that catapulted him into a rare stratum of jazz celebrity."
— NPR.
**************
▶ "A forward-thinking, post-bop trumpeter, Wallace Roney first emerged in the late-'80s as a gifted soloist with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and Tony Williams. Blessed with a warm, often plaintive tone and lithe improvisational style, Roney is often regarded as the heir to the modal legacy of Miles Davis, though his playing also evinces the influence of trumpeters like Clifford Brown and Woody Shaw. While many of his albums, like 1989's "The Standard Bearer" and 1997's "The Village", display his talent for swinging and harmonically advanced acoustic jazz [I'd call it post-bop], others, like 2000's "No Room for Argument" and 2016's "In an Ambient Way" with the all-star group Powerhouse, reveal his love of genre-bending, electrified funk, and soul."
— AllMusic.
**************
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The majestic Collie, thanks to a hundred years as a pop-culture star, is among the world's most recognizable and beloved dog breeds. The full-coated 'rough' Collie is the more familiar variety, but there is also a sleek 'smooth' Collie. The Collie is a large but lithe herder standing anywhere from 22 to 26 inches tall. The rough variety boasts one of the canine kingdom's most impressively showy coats; the smooth coat's charms are subtler but no less satisfying.
At last, a different bear! Leaving the World's Coolest Bear for today, we take a look at a lithe and limber male in his prime. Having long legs can be useful in many ways, which obviously includes bridging streams that other bears cannot. Btw, Ms Cool Bear hates this guy, as he is bigger than her and also a fish thief. But in the struggle to survive, there is no right and wrong - at least among animals - and he is merely using his physical gifts to best advantage.
Notes: We had names for each of these bears, but my feeling is that Mel has the copyright on those. She has far more experience with these particular bears than I have, and being able to identify individual bears and have some idea of their behaviour was really helpful from both a photographic and safety standpoint. We had to give some of the bears extra space. Some were to be trusted more than others. Every time a new bear arrived on the beach, I would ask her, "Who is this?" If she said, "Georgina", aka Cool Bear, we knew we could relax, but if it was "Brutus", we'd have to remain alert, as he was the alpha bear that would chase all the other bears off the beach and then turn his attention to us. Very interesting to see them as unique individuals, rather than the generic "bear" of brief roadside or back country encounters!
Photographed on the wild coast of British Columbia (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2018 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
A Tea for the Tillerman
Acte 2
Tea Party Misadventure
One would never have guessed anything out of the ordinary would be occurring at Mum’s soiree that early summer afternoon as we all gathered on the back lawn, surrounded by our gardens.
It was a beautiful sunny day, not too warm, with a cooling breeze that hinted, but not yet threatened, rain.
The yard and garden look beautiful, trimmed and cleaned up by my father and my twin brother the days before. Neither one would be in attendance, having fled well before the guests' arrival to the sanctuary of our local, the Poet and Peasant Pub.
The “boys” were usually pressed into service to help out at Mum’s larger afternoon teas. But this time she was helping out a friend by hiring her cousin’s budding catering service.
The story actually began for Ginny and me at the pub when we nipped in for a quick pre-tea drink, catching up with my father and brother.
We wanted to show off the outfits that we were wearing to the two of them. There also was an ulterior motive. I was sweet on a lad named Bryon, who was one of the 2nd year Detective Constables under my Father’s command.
To my silent congratulations, I had guessed correctly that he would be there
Ginny was besotted over my brother, and the pair of lovebirds had already been a couple for some time, she just liked to keep him reminding him as to why.
Since Ginny and I were already going out to an evening wedding reception formal do the next evening, we decided on wearing the same outfits to the tea as sort of a trial run.
I had on a smart teal-coloured silk dress with the pleated knee-length skirt and a slick solid top with a mock turtleneck collar. The long sleeves flared out just before reaching my wrists. I was wearing my gold mesh necklace with matching semi-long earrings. Also being worn was my rhinestone cuff bracelet. The same one my brother once nicked from me at the very pub we were heading to. And that is another story I promise to tell. I also added two of my real gemstone cocktail rings to complete the glittery effect.
Ginny?
Well, our Ginny girl was smashing.
She had poured her lithe figure into the sleek satin Japanese style Qipao sheath dress she had bought to wear in a play she acted in last spring. It was midnight black with a brite lime green inner lining and tight lime green Lycra pants. The only decoration on the elegant dress was a glittery silver rhinestone Dragon, with green slanted eyes and a red fiery tongue. It was embroidered crawling up one side of the dress, reaching around up towards her bosom.
“Naughty Dragon.”
Ginny had green mascara above her eyes, around which she drew lines of black mascara to give them a slanted look. The whole effect looked a lot like Shirley Jackson did in the Michael Caine movie Gambit. Right up to the solid gold headpiece in Gunny’s reddish hair.
Ginny also had in her emerald drop earrings, along with her emerald bracelet and a fancy emerald cocktail ring.
But it was her necklace that stole the show.
The opulently handsome necklace was the estate auction-won long pendant that had neatly set her back a month's wages. We both had opened bids on it at the same time, with me immediately backing off so she would win it.
It was a very shimmery piece of jewellery, with its long rhinestone encrusted chain hanging past her breasts, ending with a dangling pendant which held a birds egg size synthetic oval-shaped emerald, surrounded by long rhinestone fringes that resembled the silver beard of the dragon on her dress.
It was a very striking effect, especially when it stopped swaying and hung straight down, appearing just out of reach from the grasping front rhinestone claw of the gem greedy dragon.
So dressed, the pair of us caused quite a stir as we causally entered the pub that late morning. With a lot of compliments and bugging out eyeballs sent our way.
After hanging out at the pub for a bit, my plan was accomplished(judging by the look on Bryon's face). I pried my brother off of Ginny(or was it the other way round?) and we took our leave and headed over to my parent’s house to help mum with any last-minute details for her tea.
We located my mum in the kitchen showing the head caterer the location of various items they would be using.
Ginny and I politely waited till she was through.
Mum then came over, fawning over the way we looked.
But my Mum was also looking exceptionally pretty that afternoon.
Her long red hair was up in an elegant bun, held by a deep blue rhinestone trimmed satin ribbon.
She wore the solid sky blue taffeta dress that shone with a tight sleekness along her still svelte figure. It was the same dress she had worn out earlier that week for my parent's anniversary” Date Night” dinner and show.
I loved that dress and relished in its feel as I had tried it on while we were out shopping for dresses. Mum is short and petite, like me so we are nearly the same size. I rather thought it looked good on me and was already planning on borrowing it.
The skirt was higher in front(below knees) than in the back where it was just above her ankles. The neckline of the dress was an open low scoop and had wavy ruffles running along its opening, the sleeves went to her elbows, ending in ruffles.
Missing were the 3/4 length satin gloves of deep blue she had also worn that anniversary evening.
Not missing, however, were the glittery diamonds she had worn out for that evening. Her really good jewels, the ones that everyone always asked for...
“They’re not real, right?”
But they were, the only real gemstones she owned, given to her by papa over several wedding anniversaries. My parent’s kept them in a safety deposit box in a city bank. Mum had cajoled Papa not to return them until after her tea, yearning to wear them to “show-off,” Just this once Honey” she had winningly purred.
The silver diamond set consisted of pierced earrings, set with 1 1/4 carat round stones with a full 2 carat pear-shaped larger stone dangling. The necklace was a silver chain with 5 round 1 1/4 caret diamonds in a v pattern. Hanging from the two end and middle round stones were three 3-carat pear-shaped diamonds, the same size as the ones swinging from her earrings. There was also a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond pinky ring(10 Anniversary gift) which mum was wearing on her right pinky. She also was wearing her diamond engagement and wedding bands.
Mum had cheerfully introduced us to the caterers. a small rag-tag crew of six, all girls. The owner, her black-dressed goth daughter, and four of the daughter’s similarly clad school chums.
They appeared very wet behind the ears as far as experience, but it was better than Ginny and I being pressed into helping serve, which had sometimes been the case previously.
When I was much younger mum actually had me wearing a black satin maids outfit with white frills to serve her guests tea and biscuits.
We were there in plenty of enough time to help greet the first arriving guests.
Soon Ginny and I were in the thicke of it, mingling in as more and more arrived. I don't think we had been there more than an hour before the tea was in full swing.
Now amongst the usual caste of characters, there was a lady(Sharie) from church who had her sister(Clarice) visiting up from London. She had asked if the sister could come, which of course she was more than welcome to attend.
Clarice had brought along her daughter, a lovely shy toddler named Claire, all 3 years old. An adorable, precocious blue-eyed imp with long gold tresses of gold hair.
Claire’s mum must have been told about how all the guests were dressing.
Clarice was wearing a short shiny floral patterned dress, an unadorned scooped neck with layered scalloped sleeves hanging just over her shoulders. Her jewels were a pair of silver chains hanging down from her neck, diamond stud earrings, and a diamond tennis bracelet, along with her pricey-looking engagement and wedding rings.
She had her daughter Clair dolled up in a long yellow lacy silk number with a black satin sash that held a round rhinestone pin. Along with a neat black velvet jacket. She wore what appeared to be genuine pearls, consisting of earrings along with a long dainty necklace.
The little darling was soon running around unheeded, tripping over herself in excitement to be on the loose.
I had always heard first-time mums were always ultra protective of their first born.
But not Clarice. She let her young daughter have the run of the place and figured others would keep an eye on the tyke.
And there were plenty of mothers in that group who did, at first, before it got old later on.
Ginny and I had been talking to Mum, Sharie, and Clarice when little Claire troll-loped back over to her mum.
Ginny happily picked up Claire, who was soon playing with my friend’s diamond pendant.
“Should ‘ave brought my nieces over to play with you..” Ginny chirped to the happy Lass, who answered by cooing out some words in an unknown toddler language.
The older three ladies moved off, leaving us alone, with Ginny still holding the huggy Claire.
It was soon after, that this grandmotherly-looking lady wearing glasses with big rose-coloured lenses, approached us.
Neither Ginny nor I recognized her.
She was wearing this long raw silk muddled brown garment, a long canvas purse over one hooded arm, with wood beads looking like miniature croquet balls, hanging from her neck, and perched on her head, a turban.
She seemed out of place with Mum’s crowd. I mean who wears a turban and wood beards to a dress-up tea?
She had come up to Ginny and admired our “just darlhing” outfits. Treating us like we were 14-year-olds instead of the twenty-something Ginny and I both were at the time.
Very annoying.
Stroking and caressing along my dress with clammy dime store ringed fingers, which she also used to finger my hair, as she bombarded us with questions.
Ginny had put down the wriggling Claire and was now politely listening.
As she reached up to admire Ginny’s necklace, I saw her beady fox-like eyes darting around.
She gushingly told us that we were the prettiest thing ever, and she would not be surprised to find the mother of ones so cute would also be pretty. She looked around.
“So which of these lovelies is are your mother’s, my sweethearts?”
She drew out her words while asking this in a silky, but still oddly demanding tone of voice.
Ginny shook her head, admitting her mum was out of town with her father on a re-election jaunt (Ginny’s mum is a local politician)
I obediently began to look around for mum, the whole while explaining she was the hostess. Finally, I saw her and pointed her out.
She laughed with a snort, attempting, but failing to produce, a friendly smile.
“I would have thought it was that fetching lady over there luv, wearing those pretty rubies...”
She said this while digging her fingers into my soft sleeve while pointing out a lady wearing a silvery slinking gown similar to the one I saw worn by the character Ana Steele in the movie Fifty Shades Darker.
“That is Mrs. Shannon,” Ginny said, correcting the lady for me, as all three of us looked over in that direction.
I noticed that Claire had made her way over to them, so much for us keeping an eye on the child.
Next to Mrs. Shannon was her 12-year-old daughter, a shy lass named Gabrielle. She was very pretty wearing a long silky cream dress that looked like a slip. A black velvet bolero jacket completed her look. She was also wearing real rubies like her mom. Though hers were a smaller version.
I figured that Claire had recognized a fellow child in Gabrielle and had gone over to play with her.
Indeed, Gabrielle had now captured Claire and was holding the toddler.
A girl named Estella, Gabrielle’s school chum, stood next to her, teasing Claire.
I shuddered.
If I had a daughter, Estella would be my last choice of a friend for her.
There was just something about that cheekily sly little imp that I just found to be unsettling.
But poor awkward Gabrielle had a hard time making friends. And I'm sure that Estella was only pretending to be one to take advantages of her rich classmate. Like being invited to parties like this
Gabrielle’s mum was totally clueless about this fact. And I’m sure encouraged the two to be friends.
But I do harbor a case in point.
Estella had a birthday party last summer. Inviting her like-minded friends, as well as Gabrielle. Gabrielle wore an expensive ring to the affair to compliment her party dress.
I was not surprised to hear the ring had been lost at the playground Estella had led them all off to during the party…
“Lost my eye.” I thought. “Probably was nicked right off her finger. Stolen during a game that had been specially chosen by the conniving Estella just to provide her with just that opportunity while playing it.
Anyway, With her long black hair straight Estella was wearing a black taffeta dress with verticle white stripes. She was wearing an eye-catching wide rhinestone dangling necklace and matching clip earrings. I recognized them as being borrowed from Gabrielle, who had worn them to Mum's tea party last year with her gold taffeta dress.
As I watched, Estella coached Claire to leave Gabrielle and come to her.
Gabrielle giggled nervously
Taking my eyes off them, I finally answered the wood bead lady
“Mrs. Shannon? No that’s not my mum. “
I assured her.
Mrs. Shannon was wearing some rather nice rubies, which wasn’t surprising seeing her husband is a snobby jeweler. But Mrs. Shannon was raven-haired, whereas I’m a natural redhead, like my mum. So I’m not sure where this wood bead-wearing lady was making a connection. “Wood Bead Lady,” I thought, giving her that name in my mind.
Then the lady, looking directly into my eyes, asked a most peculiar question as she massaged my side.
“Perhaps you could introduce me?” she asked indicating the group that was fawning over wee Claire…
(I will not be using the name given to us by the “Wood Bread Lady” for legal reasons)
Seeing we had no choice, we lead the “Wood Bead Lady” over to greet them and make the requested introductions.
As the “Wood Bead Lady” began fawning over Mrs. Shannon and the girls, I made an excuse for Ginny and me to leave them and greet newer guests.
Neither Ginny nor I gave that experience any more thought as we began to meet, greet and mingle in amongst the other gaily dressed and jewel bedecked females who were now arriving in force.
Next up the Acte 3
Tea Party Shenanigans
Lifting light vague
-This tale is a fairly reasonably accurate description of a true event that occurred during a Welsh wedding reception some time ago...
-Mention must be made that the expensive looking attire worn by this particular young lady may have helped falsely enhance her jewelry’s appeal as a tempting target.
-Regardless of whether the nicking had been done to tease, or for a hoped for profit !
-Which leads us to the story below: the tone of which is deliberately ambiguous.
It is a retelling: either from the viewpoint of one sibling playing a trick upon another sibling, or the viewpoint of a scoundrel who seeks out profitable opportunities at fancy dress- up affairs.
It is for you, the reader, to guess out....
Title :
Perils of a Living Doll
She was certainly that, a living doll, scurrying about in her fluidly flowing,shiny in the lights, fancy party attire:
An eye catching ensemble made up of a rather glistening emerald green button up back thicke satin blouse with a high ruffled neckline with long sleeves ending in matching ruffles. A long flowing pleated black satin skirt quite nicely completed the darling ensemble.
But very few dolls ever wore jewelry like her’s:
A surprisingly full complement of gleaming white pearls dangle deliciously along her lithe, youthfully curved figure, with her long flowing hair, and a wide eyed doe like curiosity of living life glowing from her pretty face.
Though I had other more pressing business to attend, I kept an eye out on her, relishing each time I caught her in view.
Those baiting pearls kept popping up in my mind when she was out of my sight, making it hard to concentrate fully on anything else!
It was quite in the realm of possibility that those smooth pearls of Her’s were as valuable as they were pretty!
Also knowing the fact that the female in possession of them was quite youthfully gullible, added up to make for an all to tempting target to easily be subtracted from her lustrous possessions !
Being a tad bit assured that somebody else may do the math, and might actually happen to make that subtraction was the reason I waited,with baited breath, to again catch a lingering look to see that she still was in possession of all of them !
Then at the end of another successful work day, as I slipped away, I caught an unexpected final sighting of the girl.
The poor thing had exhausted herself from the busy agendas of her long day looking like a princess,and all that doing so will entail!
Dead Asleep now, peacefully snuggled in on a couch corner, quite isolate, however, not quite alone!
For a girl whom I knew to be her cousin, sat dozing next her.
A girl her age incredibly pretty in a long sleek peach gown, enchantingly wearing what looked like rhinestones, earrings and bracelet, (surprisingly no necklace)! She had now opened her eyes and was looking around incredibly bored.
As I watched she rubbed her eyes, then tugged at the sleeping Lass who did not budge. She rose with a visible sigh and skipping off , her pretty peach colored gown winningly fluttering along her eye catching figure!
Failing to notice me standing nearby in the shadows as she swished past still rubbing her eyes!
Silently I thanked her for being so quite accommodating in leaving her sleeping cousin , and her delectably appealing pearls, quite behind !
It was prime time for that mathematical subtracting I had mentioned earlier!
But then subtracting had always been my best subject, something I was rather keen at doing!
Again on the hunt, I stalked up behind my prey!
I crouched down looked her over from behind.
Her reflection showing up Clearly enough in the polished glass vase on the coffee table in front of her as I silently had treaded in from behind!
Amazingly it appeared, she had made it though the gauntlets of the day with all her pearls in place.
Even when she and her cousin , the girl in peach satin, had startlingly snuck outside to swing on a nearbye schools playground, they had fortunately come back in unscathed!
Untouched by the rather dark lurking elements that sometimes will creep in from societies shadowy outer fringe to feed upon the richly dressed unwary!
Since I won’t deny my desires probably made me a loosely connected part of that rather unconventional brotherhood at times, I still took a personal interest in making sure she came to no distress .
And so I had taken the time to lecture them for taking on such perils , whilst secretly harboring a desire to lift away the very pearls I was scolding her for taking a risk on losing by playing outside!
I now, of course gently sat down on the opposite end of the couch, watching her and the surroundings, planning my strategy.
For this type of subtracting, the distraction for the victim was her sleep.
I only had to make sure my moves along her figure were as nimble as can be and used the lest amount of pressure to work off what I was after!
Also a rule was to keep an eye on any subtle changes in her breathing or movement as I worked!
This would tip me off that it was time to leave with what jewels of hers I had in hand , regrettably leaving the rest perched in place as she was waking!
I saw her cousin quite aways off, she did not appear to be concerned or coming back anytime soon, leaving me a window opened for opportunity!
So I gently, with growing anticipation, slowly inched closer, my earlier desires now sharply reawakening!
Finally Reaching her sleep warmed figure, I ventured in to gently caress her arm, tingling encased in her emerald satin sleeve with its daintily ruffled end.
The young darling did not stir at my cool fingers touch as I eyeballed her wrists bracelet and ringed fingers!
Normally I would have gone for her necklace first, followed by her earrings, since in that order they are usually the most valuable of the jewels a lady would wear!
A procedure I had observed a thief carry out on two different ladies at the same venue! It was watching his moves that had effectively whetted my appetite for this game!
But , in this one’s case, I had an inkling that her bracelets and rings(especially the diamond one on her left pinky) that as a whole, may be the more advantageous route to proceed in case I had to face an early retreat !
I moved my fingers tingling down the sleeve of her right arm that lay upon her lap, carefully peeling back the ruffles to reach the pearled bracelet.
I then moved that bracelet up over her sleeve before lifting it, than delicately slipping it around until the diamond studded clasp was exposed.
Licking my lips I snapped it open, leaving the ends dangle as I moved my hand away and sat looking at her from the corner of my eye!
She kept on breathing heavily with no tell tale signs of waking up soon!
No one was paying our little corner any heed!
I reached over and taking up the bracelets end used the smoothness of her sleeve and her satin skirt between which it was sandwiched, and easily peeled it away !
I Let it lay on her lap, drooling over the pretty thing !
Then I reached down in again, curling my fingers around hers. Ever so delicately, one by one, slowly slipped off her shimmering rings from along each nuckle, feeling my heart beating with exhlileration, until they each were worked free ,laying them one by one on her black pleated satin clad lap till they all lay in a glittery group together!
Her left arm was at her side, and I gingerly grasped it and lifted it limply onto her lap to join her other.
I sat back for a minute, she wasn’t stirring, the cousin was still a distance away.
I went back to work.
Carefully I slipped off her other bracelet, laying it over my growing take. Then I lifted her pinky, where a glittery ring set with 3 dainty diamonds had been sparkling merrily as she had scurried about!
I easily worked it off , having it join in with the collection I had already neatly slipped off from her.
I took a deep exhale of breath of the air I had been holding, then reaching in, scooped them all up from her downy soft lap inside my cupped hand in one fluid motion.
As I pocketed them I watched her necklace do it’s dangly dance.
A fine double strand of glistening perfection laying their ever so elegantly up against the sheer front of her lush emerald green satin blouse.
Both strands dripping down from beneath her blouses’ elegantly ruffled neckline !
The matched strands dangled together just below her heaving chest. Held together by a round diamond set pin about halfway up on the right side.
The rich material of her form fitted blouse pleasurably outlined her petite young curves, with the enticingly baiting pearls adding a very nice accent to the overall picture.
It almost was a shame to relive her neck of the richly gleaming burden.
Almost....
Before making my move I delicately reached over and slipping my fingers underneath the strands, feeling her chest rise up and down in its gently moving heaves, lifted them up for the second time that day , I again drooled over them a bit before making my move...
I slid in daringly closer, placing my arm so it lay on the couch around behind her back.
As I watched around us from the front my fingers worked hidden from behind, locating the jeweled clasp , then prying it open, looking down at her I let the loose ends slither down along her shoulders. The pearls slipped away with an almost silent swish down the front of her slick blouse where they curled up in a dainty nestling pile upon her sleepy shiny lap.
I froze, ready to exit, but she did not stir from her dreams!
Far too exhausted to be awakened by my practiced subtle extraction of her jewelry !
I studied the piled up pearls for a few satisfying seconds,congratulating me on a job well done, well half done actually!
Then I reached in and neatly plucked the gleaming double strand free from where they lay nestled in to finish it!
As I was doing so I now felt something sharply hard inside her skirt against the back of my hand.
I looked it over as I pocketed her pearls and spied a pocket of her own in the side of her skirt, hidden in the pleats .
Wondering what it held, I eagerly pried it open and reached inside and surprisingly came away with a glittery rhinestone necklace !
“Whats this then luv?” I thought silently questioning her as I admire the pretty sparklers.
A necklace as pretty as this belonged around the throat of a girl dressed up fancy, like the one wearing the luxurious peach gown who had been sitting next to her !
Looking up at her angelic face I wondered what games of her own this pretty miss had been up to as I pondered vexingly whether to keep or return her sparkling trophy?
As I made my decision I saw her earrings peeping out .
That was all that was left to take, her pearled earrings with the diamond clasp ! Fortunately her delicate ears were not pierced, which may have been more of a sticky wicket encumbering their removal!
But still this might be tricky enough, her long silky soft hair held them for the most part safely inside.
I looked around then got up and went behind her and put the mirrored vase to use.
Picking up a strand of her hair I watched as I tickled her nose with it. She stirred, and without really waking, pulled her hair back away from her ears Nicely exposing her beautiful twin pearled earrings for an easy lift.
With a touch as delicate as any surgeon’s I reached around and gently pulled as I slipped off each one in turn.
Amazed at how easily they freely slipped off each slightly sweat glistened earlobe!
I cheerfully pocketed them.
Then spent some time watching her figure in my safe haven behind her, making good use of the mirror to assure myself nothing of value had been missed or overlooked !
Her tightly fitting attire still was glistening shiny, but starkly bear naked now that her gleaming jewels had been all been nicked clean away.
This had been almost too easy, not that I was complaining, for it had been a most enjoyably scintillating , guiltily pleasurable, game of it!
I looked around, planning my exit.
Then I spied something glittering in a far corner!
I recognized it as the diamond bracelet being regally worn by her errant cousin! I decided on following in to capture a better last look at the satin peach clad vixen!
Perhaps I may have to ‘bump’ into her and take the ‘opportunity’ to, with feeling, compliment her on her fetchingly pretty attire!
Toodles I endearingly said in silence to the sleeping doll’s shimmery figure still snuggled into the couch,biding her a fond adieu as I walked away, feeling my pockets nicely weighted down with her still warm purloined pearls!
Still finding amazement over the quantity and apparent quality of the jewelry that my victim had been allowed to wear out daringly alone this particular evening !
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Not much later the girl did stir, stretching and yawning. Then laid her hands back onto her Lap, covered as it was in her midnight black pleated satin skirt.
She flexed her fingers along its luxurious length, relishing in the skirts satiny feel.
She looked around. Something was not quite right. Where was her cousin?
As she thought this she reached up to rub her eyes, than gasped...
She was looking at her hands, shocked , her bracelets were gone, and her rings, including her small one set with diamonds!
In her bewilderment she still was feeling cobwebbed from sleep as she, with a puzzled frown, reached up and ran her fingers through her long hair...
Hold on, where are my bloody earrings. Then she felt at her throat! Her necklace of pearls were no longer there, she felt down the front of her shiny blouse to confirm that the strands we’re no longer dangling down!
With a sinking feeling she realized that her pearls, all of them were gone!
And she had a pretty good idea of who had the Gaul to have spirited them away like this
The wanker she hissed under her breath as she mentally pictured her twin brother who liked to play lifting games and picking off items from her, like her jewelry.
He has been up to no good again, even though he had promised he would be in best behaviors after she caught him earlier!
For he had already lifted the rhinestone necklace of thier similarly aged girl cousin wearing a pretty gown of peach satin.
Taking it as he had danced with her!
She had seen him, and demanded he had hand it back to her!
Sulking over being caught and scolded out, he had given it to his twin and tasked her to be the one to somehow sneak it back to their cousin!
Which she had forgotten to do and her hand darted inside her silky skirts pocket to feel for the rhinestone necklace.
Nope it was still there, so she still had that job to do also!!!
She actually did not mind his games , rather the opposite actually! Just had felt a bit jealous he had danced with their cousin over her first !
And now she believed he had lifted her pearls in retaliation for her scolding him!
Of all the bloody Cheek!
That her brother had his eyes her pearls, and the downy softness of her sleekly pretty party outfit was no mystery!
She knew this because he had kept teasingly prodding her, touching at her pearls, on the long drive here as both had been sitting wedged in the back seat of papa’s small sports car.
Though she had also been an antagonist herself, intentionally giving him reasons to grasp her As she squirmed away, knowing full well it was triggering the desires to lift her jewelry that he was trying so hard to suppress with their parents seated up front!
Mum had only to tell them once to settle down, turning around to scold them, the diamonds in her earrings glittering as madly as she was only pretending to be at her children!
Those earrings were very pretty, too pretty to be kept at home. Papa had to go to a bank to get them, along with my pearls!
Thinking the word “bank” made her jump to her feet, as suddenly a cold realization swept over her!
The razor thin feelings that divided between the delicious chills of guilty pleasure that her pearls had been nicked and the cold stark reality of the punishment she would get for losing them if the parents saw her first before she got them back!
No matter how they had been lost!
Now fully wide awake, with a straightening of her glittering long shiny midnight black pleated skirt, she hurried off to call him out !
Or at least that is what she down deep hoped that was all she had to do to get them from him!
For an unsettling inkling was now forming queasily in her gut that it just conceivably may not have been her brother who had lifted her pearls.
For her mum had not really been happy with her insisting to wear them out this evening.
Thinking she may be a bit too young to be wearing them without her parents presence!
For mum and papa were a part of the bridal party and would not be able to keep close eyes themselves on her and her brother!
And it was only with her brothers suspiciously eager promise to keep an eye on her, that she was given permission!
Her mum also had not known about the small diamond ring she had smuggled out of the house to put her on finger once when her parents were finally not around!
She had been lectured to take great care of her fine jewelry, which of course she hadn’t , playing around like she was back at home and not attending a posh reception!
Then she had snuck off to the playground with their cousin, without her brothers knowledge !
And her brother had lectured her when she had admitted to him where she had disappeared off too. Probably mad because he would have like to have been included in!
And then....
Speaking of being scolded...!
She suddenly remember the icy stern lady in a red silk dress , whom she had not recognized, but apparently had seen the girls sneaking off outside to play!
Chillingly she recalled the penetrating look she her and her girl cousin had receive from that strange lady with severe hair and eyes who had caught them sneaking back in after being outside at the playground!
She had admonished them for going off alone dressed like they were!
As she scolded she pawed at the slick fabrics of the girls fancy dress attire caressing them over with clammy fingers, then had lifted my pearl necklace up like she was going to take it for safe keeping.
She doesn’t of course, but it had been a very unsettling experience for both of the startled doe eyed young girls !
But that lady had so unnervingly acted like my pearls belonged with her, she remembered with unsettling clarity!
But of course she was being silly, only men would have a desire to take a girl’s jewels, right!?
That’s the way it appeared on the telle show they had watched once!
But there had been plenty of men there, strangers who had stopped what they were doing and look them over as she and her cousin darted in and out amongst them
In the crowded ballroom.
Most had commented how pretty the pair looked, others just turned away with thoughtful looks on their smug mugs.
Now with a fast growing bit of nagging anxiety , pensively still feeling her still naked ears and the chillingly bare neckline of her ultra-soft satin blouse for still peskily non existent pearls , she urgently sought out her twin brother.
Needing to be assured that he had been indeed up to his tricks and would reunite her with them.
And in doing so, to be relived of her new concerns over the worrisome idea someone else may actually have been responsible for her missing bank vault worthy pearls!
Some unknown individual whose intentional reasons for nimbly lifting them off as she had slept would probably not involve giving them back to her!!
With these uncomfortable swirling thoughts she looked with suspicion through the crowd of handsomely attired guests!
Spotting the peach satin gown her cousin was wearing, she quickly swished to catch up and enlist her help!
“””””””””””””””””
As she did so, the one who had a small cache of guests jewels hidden away in a deep pocket, was watching , with a secret grin, this recent victim’s shiny green and black attired figure’s worried progress from her couch, while standing a reassuringly safe distance away!
Watching with a wicked smirk as she was reaching the equally prettily attired young girl clad so elegantly in peach satin .
The one who had deserted her cousin from the couch leaving her unguarded as she slept.
The one who had turned away blushing,so winningly as the person had so eloquently complimented her while holding her arm to give added meaning to a false sincerity !
The one who in a matter of minutes was probably about to realize that her cousin was not the only one to have had several of her jewels mysteriously taken from her elegantly clad person!
Smirking at these thoughts, with a rather proud cockiness over this evenings accomplishments, shown in a happily haughty demeanor!
The person standing in the shadows slowly moved in , mulling over that in addition to subtracting, there was nothin like a good old fashion game of cat and mouse!
Fini
Now, not everyone likes an open ending to a story...
So If anyone would like to know what the real life solution was to the mystery of who took her jewelry, and whether she got it back , please ask in the comments section and I will privately email the answer
The Ed’s...
Seeing is Believing? Look Again -
In the middle of May, a timid termite was scuttling across the streets. He lithely avoided the light traffic but the heavy pounce of predators in ambush he could not. A quadruple against one, the perfect crime is rather easy to commit. With jagged jaws, the carnivores clamped tight for their journey. The play-dough in pain, her screams of murder yelped out its echoes through the dark alley.
Enjoying the muse, the queen of the colony buoyed her workers on. “Come on, let’s get home before the sun sink into the sea. Make sure you keep him crying because it means he is alive!”
Even the most tragic event can be beautiful if only seen from a different perspective.
Is this the inside story behind my picture? No friends, of course not. This capture is a matter of however you want to perceive it. Now tap in to my deviating viewpoint: I was a timely hiker with camera who witnessed everything from A to Z.
The truth is after a great deal of climbing, a daredevil reached the top. I watched as he lost balance while admiring the brand-new vista on the tree and succumb to the merciless pull of the underworld. There was no sound after he hit the gritty track loud. By what method he managed to return to breathing, I don’t know. Right away a crowd from nowhere dashed forward to gape at the falling disaster. Not knowing what else to do, they marvel at the colorful pebbles studded into raw wound. Bah… bah… said the first. Chirp… chirp… said the second. The third, and all the others too murmured, “It is better to commit nothing because surely someone else will help.” In the sequel, the invalid was gauze from head to foot in a figure 8 turn by quick hands.
To sum up I’m not the hero who bandaged the hapless fellow, nor was it me who sent him to the doctor ready at hand on the right. The paramedic teamwork of four kind Samaritans did. If anyone asked, my role in the scenario was purely a wide-eyed bystander. Abiding by the rest of the onlookers, I simply blessed the victim to enjoy his final piece of peace.
The elusive otter is one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels and salmonids), waterbirds, amphibians and crustaceans. Otters have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'. Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Otters are well suited to a life on the water as they have webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, and can close their ears and nose when underwater. They require clean rivers, with an abundant source of food and plenty of vegetation to hide their secluded holts.
Some exercises with the old New Oriental adding some grain and structure through Lith E Additive
Oriental New Seagull (G4) in fat Master Lith SE5 + LithD+E
elprobadordesl.blogspot.nl/2017/12/freckled-fox.html
LOCATION: Temple5, at Sweetflower :
Yep, got out the posing guide again and had a go at some of them. This is a bit of a combo actually as I am not lithe enough to do most of them!!! www.flickr.com/photos/julieb85/46441868894/in/pool-314587...
Items will be available at the special price of 35L between 12:00am and 11:59pm on Sunday 13th (SLT)
HOZ item(s) :
::HOuSe of ZION:: Owned COuple Pose
(Copy,Mod,NoTrans)
::HOuSe of ZION:: Lithe COuple Pose
(Copy,Mod,NoTrans)
Available at the Mainstore for 35$L Sunday 13th
Lm- maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Jupiter/163/74/2803
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Follow me on Flickr, I follow back - www.flickr.com/photos/houseofzion/