#derring-do

[supercantaloupe]

i like when he's so big you have to hold him like a burger

[paranatellonta]

Derring-do

“I went through the most terrible ordeal,” the lion cub whispered. “I ventured into a different continent, and there were dragons out there that stared at me as if I were prey!”

“Do you remember when you thought the spiky piece of wood in our enclosure was a dragon, too?” his mother asked mildly.

The cub shivered and burrowed deeper into the safety of the den. “I’m never going on another adventure. In fact, I’m never setting foot outside again!”

“Not until the next time the zookeeper takes you on a field trip,” his mother agreed. “Wasn’t that little backpack he made for you the most precious thing you’ve ever seen?”

“Mum,” the cub complained, “you know all our visitors call me the king of the jungle because I’m so brave and strong—I don’t need anything precious.”

“Of course, and I’m happy to have you back home,” his mother said, placing a long, wide lick over the top of his head.

—

[Image description: Photo of three lions sheltered in a cave built out of grey stone and overgrown with green plants. A spiky piece of wood lies before them in the grass of the enclosure.]

[marzipanandminutiae]

You are SO CORRECT about Auntie Mame's One True Adaptation. I will die on this hill/mountain much like Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside

EYYYY best niche joke I've heard all week

RIP Beau. You were a bit more morally iffy in the book, but we love you anyway.

[marzipanandminutiae]

Corset detractors never account for opera! People sang opera in stays and corsets for hundreds of years, and often still do. Nobody would have be able to sing the Queen of the Night's aria when it premiered if corsets were torture devices that left you breathless.

That is also a good point!

Breath control for singing while corseted is a fascinating topic that I've only barely dipped my toe into. I have some vocal training, but Victorian caroling with my costumer friends had me a bit frustrated a few years back. It's not that I couldn't sing and walk at the same time in a corset, and I certainly never even approached passing out. But it was a whole new situation to get used to vis a vis my diaphragm. When standing still, I've found that it helps to have something around my torso to push out against and keep that muscle engaged. Walking, however, presented a whole new factor to get used to. And I still haven't fully mastered it.

So yeah. Certainly not impossible- as you say, people did it for centuries, and many still do. But the technique involved is different, and that's fascinating to me.

(I have a bit more space and authority to talk about dancing in a corset. While I've never done ballet or any historical performance dance styles corseted, very energetic ballroom dance is not an issue. Case in point: I was once dancing a gallop with a friend in a suit, and she got winded long before I did.)

[marzipanandminutiae]

For ring anon: the closest info that I found to the asker's era and region of interest is a reference to German Jewish brides in the later 19th century who advocated for the concept of groom's rings for reasons of equality. That info comes from the article "A 'Real Man's Ring': Gender and the Invention of Tradition" by Vicki Howard in the Journal of Social History. Frustratingly, I don't have access to the book she references for this info.

Oh interesting! Thanks for the info; hopefully the book can be located.

[malinaa]

I fear I have wrecked your notifications and can only apologise

you did but i'm true to this (muted notifs for the post) 🫡 ty for ur service w the link tho

[supercantaloupe]

Is the train nice are you enjoying the train

the train was nice i enjoyed the train