Bedroom Eyes

That's a reeeally good question, Van. I hadn't even thought of it. On the one hand I can imagine Alred feeling duty-bound to write to Yware and tell him, and ask his forgiveness, just as he did the rest of his family. On the other, I can imagine Alred not having the courage or being too ashamed to tell Yware, in particular. We don't know how their last meeting went down, but Alred is still hurting over it. I will have to think about that!

He's going to be the second-tallest of the Sebright men at 5'8" (173 cm): the Old Man is going to be 5'10" or so. (178cm) Yware is already taller than his dad though. If he looks very large in the picture, it's because I haven't changed the height of his sidekick from the default height yet. I think that boy is going to be tall too. (That's King Harold's grandson.)

Sofie, the only thing I changed was his eyes -- to the same new eyes as Gwynn's and Alred's -- and of course his hair. I wouldn't alter his face and risk losing his precious resemblance to his father.

I can't wait to see his relationship with everyone. I can just see Gwynn swooning over her dashing big brother, and Margaret being unimpressed with the poufy hair and the swagger. But most of all I want to see him with Alred. Oh, and Connie. She hasn't been there long, but Alred is so smitten with her, I bet he already has fond wishes that she could marry his son and become My Beauty #4.

Actually Alred gave the castle to Brit.

I expect the issue will come up.

Don't underestimate Gwynn's capacity to meddle in these matters.

I do think they would be super-cute together. And one of those Scottish girls might be just the come-uppance Yware needs... Weren't we longing for a chapter where some playboy ran up against a girl mightier than the powers of his charm?

Eh. I tried to find an official pronunciation for it, but the name only appears once, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle -- and not even in every version of it -- and seems to have disappeared thereafter.

Words starting with Y were quite rare in Old English, and those that existed, if they had alternate spellings, could also start with either E or U, so that gives us a hint of what the Y sounded like. Also, some important Y-words that came from Old English include yfel (evil), ynche (inch), and yfes (eaves).

So I think we would be justified in saying it something like ee-WAR-uh. That's sort of like how I pronounce it, except I say it more like ee-WARE and don't pronounce the final E. But I still say Egelric all wrong, so what do I know?

How do YOU say Lothere? That's practically a poll in and of itself.

While reading something entirely different I just stumbled onto the interesting tidbit that "Ywar" was a way of spelling the Old Norse name "Ívarr", which would have been pronounced EE-varrrrr (say like a pirate). So in summary, I have no idea how an 8th century Viking name would have been pronounced by an 11th century Englishman.

PHEE-WOAR!

So, Cassie, you are in the same pronunciation camp as The Other Lothere. I pronounce it to rhyme with Moth-Ear, but I am well aware that it's wrong. In my imaginary conversations with Alred (where we try to make sense of each other's Englishes) I would probably not even figure out what he was talking about when he told me where he was from. Low-there sounds much sexier and exciting, maybe I should switch. Especially if said softly in one's ear by Alred's voice.

Out of the blue, for a period of a few days I had imaginary conversations with Egelric. It was rather depressing. He did not want to talk, he did not want to be with me, but he was polite enough to put up with me. It was very strange. Even an imaginary Egelric has quite the presence though. *still fanning self*

Mostly I just imagine Alred stuck in the modern day like in some cheesy Hollywood movie, with me as his guide to modern English and modern technology. And taking him shopping to get some clothes. Oh my God. Explaining buttons and zippers and the ways and means of jeans. Lots of fun to be had when I let my mind wander.

Why yes it is. Until tomorrow.

Oh darnit, they've already changed. Beaming Matilda? Ogive? Ah, Imin? That is not my most favoritest picture of Imin. I like him better when he is looking wicked.

So! I am finally catching up with Verso. I feel like my whole life is spent behind the times these days running frantically along on stumpy legs saying "wait for meeeee". But anyway, I am totally excited about potential Yware returnage (as might have been clear from my comments lately). He was such a fun little guy back when he was playing hide the ferret (oh my... that sounded so much ruder than I meant it to... but maybe I am not too far off the mark on current day Yware). And he looks so pwetty with his floaty hair.

Hide the ferret! That is so hilarious. I may use that one when Yware actually returns.

"But most of all I want to see him with Alred. Oh, and Connie. She hasn't been there long, but Alred is so smitten with her, I bet he already has fond wishes that she could marry his son and become My Beauty #4." DO IT... Alred might cheer up.