#and a will roland mention managed even in his Not Being Here Performing as the basis for this whole thing

[unproduciblesmackdown]

from carl swanson (seymour understudy, performed july 21)

Yesterday I made my Guthrie Debut as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors! The day was such a blur and such a Joy!! So many people to thank!! Thank you to the wonderful cast that lifted me up and pushed/pulled me in the right direction! Thank you to the Crew and Staff at the Guthrie for making my backstage experience so easy and smooth! Couldn’t have done it without you! And last but no least thank you to all the Family and Friends who were able to come out and see the show! Having a little cheer section there meant a lot and I felt so loved from all of you! ❤️ I’m feeling so blessed today… and also so tired! 😴 Thank you everyone! @guthrietheater • #actorlife #understudy #understudylife #theatre #mntheatre #guthrie #twincitiestheatre #actorsequity #aea #equityactor

[i-write-shakespeare-not-disney]

Director’s Commentary- Lovesick Side Effects, Lance recites his poem in public

My commentary is in bold italics!

With each poet who went up, Lance felt his limbs get weaker and weaker. Part of him wondered if he was going to pass out if he even tried to stand. Lol, honestly me projecting what it feels like to me every time I sign up to perform something. 

“Love, are you okay?” Keith whispered in his ear. “Do you want to leave?” 

“No, no I’m okay. I’m just… taking it all in.” 

Keith nodded and wrapped his arm around Lance’s torso to pull him in and rest his head on his shoulder. I just like gentle touches… also it was a struggle to keep Keith oblivious without making him look like a total dumbass for not catching on so I banked heavily on him thinking the poetry readings were just making Lance upset. 

After a few more performers, the host for the night went up to the microphone. “Alright, how’s everybody feeling?” The crowd responded with a cheer. “That’s what I like to hear! Okay, our next poet is new to the Spider House, so I want everyone to please give a big warm welcome to Lance McClain!” so spider house is real!!! It's in austin and I actually went there. Not for a poetry reading but they do those too. But yeah, this wasn't a huge reveal, I mean all the readers know what's happening. Originally I really wanted it to be as much of a surprise for readers as it was for Keith but so many of you guessed what would happen that I just embraced it. I do think it's better that you all got to join Lance on that experience. 

“What?” 

Lance gulped and stood up before he could think about it too much. He walked toward the stage as the host guided him to the stairs with a smile. “All yours,” she said, gesturing to the mic stand. 

“Thanks,” he said nervously. He walked up to the microphone, taking in all the people looking at him. Keith was frozen in the booth, staring at the stage in shock while Hunk and Pidge were both biting their nails. So, yeah, Hunk and Pidge knew. But they're still super nervous FOR Lance! It's a big deal and well Keith is still catching up. He isnt familiar with the version of Lance who goes on stage to read his poetry, especially since he was being so secretive about the poems. Of course. This is Lance, and Lance loves big gestures. “Hi everyone,” he said into the mic. “Uh… It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a stage and… recited anything, so I’m so nervous I think my legs are visibly shaking.” my legs did this once it was awful, so oof He cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. The movement made his cologne waft toward him and he took another deep breath to root himself. The cologne wafting was supposed to be a callback to Allura. To the idea of having her there still, and having that security of knowing he can let them both exist and be loved in his heart without taking it from the other if that makes sense. I really tried adding as many "signs" as I could without making it cheesy or unrealistic aha. “This is new shit-” 

A chorus of people yelling back, “New shit!” interrupted him. This shit happens and it's glorious. It shows how interactive slam poetry or just recited poetry can be. It was familiar and encouraging and it made him smile. 

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a copy of the poem he’d revised time and time again. “I think I’ve got it memorized, but… like I said, it’s been a while, so….” plus anxiety can get the best of you. A cheer from the back made him smile again as he shut his eyes. Poetry crowds are SUPER supportive even when it's a complete stranger. Like the whole room understands and respects what it is to put poetry, this personal thing created by someone, out in the open to everyone and so everyone is super respectful and reactive and that was a big thing here for Lance especially when his poem gets harder to push through. 

“There was a time when, my mouth gave way to words as easily as, my lungs breathed. I imagine this with a certain beat or rhythm. People reciting poetry tend to move and speak a certain way that makes it kind of like a rap, it's hard to explain. I wrote about my aunt’s curly hair callback to the poem veronica mentioned way back! and my first crush, I wrote about the confusing cracks in my voice and the strange way my sister got angry at everything. Puberty. Just to show how the biggest and smallest things gave him a reason to write. Then I wrote about a girl, so beautiful she redefined existing.” okay so this line hit me as I was writing. Because I didnt want to make a typical comparison of beauty. While experiences can be universal, some things require uniqueness and I really needed his affection for Allura to show that. The phrase "redefined existing" just hit me as I was typing and it felt right. It felt perfect. It's not just living that gets affected, shes not beautiful like a rose shes just… so beautiful it made Lance have to redefine what it was to exist. To exist with her as a friend, as a lover. To exist without her. The idea of someone being so beautiful as to redefine existing, i think, lets the beauty remain ambiguous while at the same time pinpointing it to this one person in an emotional sense. Lance paused and took a shaky breath, preparing himself for the next line, for bringing the memory out for everyone else to feel. vulnerability. we know this concept well by now, huh? “The day I lost her I lost, my words- I tried to fit my grief my sorrow into pages, too thin to hold them. Also came up with that line on a whim and I was really proud of it. I liked the imagery of pain and sorrow so heavy that it weighs pages down. The concept of tears soaking through pages and making them fragile. The idea that all of his feeling just couldnt fit into a poem or a page. My words tasted….” Lance gulped and clenched his fist pressing it to his chest. The fist is because when I imagined him talking, I imagine him using his hands. Up to his mouth, spread out as if touching pages, bringing them down to demonstrate the weight I mentioned before. And before he can bring up his fist to pantomime the dirt in the next line, hes overwhelmed and well, he uses his heartbeat as well as the cologne scent on his wrist as a tether by touching his fist to his chest.

A few scattered claps encouraged him. He heard Hunk call out, “You got this, Lance!” at this point everyone knows how vulnerable and sensitive this is. And they know he needs support. Seriously, watch slam poetry videos the way crowds react is beautiful. 

He took a breath again and swallowed. “My words tasted like the dirt that slipped, from my fingers and into her grave.” His words began to shake, and he knew he couldn’t stop it, so he just tried to keep going. “They tasted like the last kiss, I shared with her, they tasted like, the goodbye I-" He broke off and cursed under his breath. He grabbed the microphone with the hand holding the poem and bowed his head. A stronger round of claps filled the break until he was able to pick his head back up and speak into the mic. “Like, the goodbye I never got to give her. They tw-twisted inside of me, clogged my throat until, I suffocated, they turned loss into, my own death. Here I imagined him twisting his hands, pantomiming a claw at his throat, pressing his hands against his chest harshly. I became an unrecognizable, shadow of myself, with a dimmed soul and a muted heart.” callback to his conversation with his mom when he told her about Keith! He opened his eyes, ignoring the tears that managed to slide down his cheeks, a small smile on his face. And here comes the transition. I really wanted to be careful with how much of the poem I gave Allura because she deserved more than a couplet, but I also didnt want the poem to be split in half. In the end this is a love poem to Keith. And they both know, hey Allura is gonna be part of this, and yes her presence may fluctuate, but I know what I feel for you and I'm not guilty and it's not a shadow or an echo. But this is who she was for me and while she taught me what it is to love, you taught me to love again. Kind of parallel to when he tells Keith that Allura made poetry easy but Keith brought it back into his life. I also wanted the transition to be tasteful not just BUT ANYWAY THEN WE FUCKED. Like. It's not that he just got over her it's that he genuinely felt the change and let it happen let that light back. “Then you walked into my life. It wasn’t a fairytale start- with longing gazes, across a cafe, or shoulders brushing, as we rushed to class, love at first sight…. It wasn't conventional, you could say haha. It was the bass beating under my feet,(music) at a stranger’s house, and barley breath (beer) note the repeated "b" sounds heh, literary devices yall.  forming a question that turned, my universe inside out- it was you. Our beginning wasn’t easy, I can’t really tell you when it began- was it that night your lips first touched mine or, was it the night you shared a piece, of the pain that built the walls around your heart?(roland, aka when Keith's attitude changed too) It was you, this new discovery, note the line break here. "This new discovery" while the full phrase is "this new discovery of me" the beauty of written poetry is finding the hidden lines and double meanings in line breaks that might say more or something different than the full phrase. In this case, the new discovery of feeling that way about a boy, the desire he felt, while at the same new discovery of a part of his identity and then it continues to: of me and what my heart could, hold. It was you, brushing the dust from, my heart and breathing life, back into it with every nose-scrunched smile, holding it in leather-clad hands until, it began to beat again, again, the line break here serves to emphasize the important part "it (my heart) began to beat again" When written that would be isolated and a focal point until I became the opposite of a shadow- you made me light both in terms of weight and luminescence the heavy feeling of loss became less, but hes also "not dim anymore"…. You made me warm…. Your kisses brought poetry back, to my tongue, made the words bloom in my chest until, they burst from my mouth, they taste like hot chocolate, dandelions and firsts and prayers. You taught me that, my heart could love two people, and you loved me for it. You showed me the, magic in small moments. You taught me… that, a boy could give a boy flowers, without the world exploding. You showed me a new side of resilience. Keiths resilience is something Lance really fell for and I think he mentions that in the chapter where they stay at Keith's and run in the rain and share a bath and all that fluff  You taught me, not to live in the past not to live for the future, but to exist, now with you… in a universe we’ve created and let that, be enough I hope I can be, again, line break! "Be enough I hope I can be" is kind of Lance's internal dialogue despite the line being half part of the previous phrase and half part of the following. Hes telling himself to be enough and that he hopes he can be but it's also of course part of the whole. enough for you.” He let his eyes fall to the booth where Keith was standing by the table with a hand at his mouth. Keith was absolutely standing for several reasons. He had half a mind to run up to the stage and kiss him. He had a lot of energy from the shock. When lance started to cry, he got up because he wanted to him. Hes anxious to touch him. Hes completely enraptured by Lance. He gets wrapped up in him when he recites poems, now hes performing it and it's meant for him and…. Yeah. Keith is aching to hold Lance. “Our beginning, wasn’t easy- wasn’t a fairytale. But I promise, there won't be an end I promise, you forever after I promise, again. Line breaks. There wont be an end I promise. (It's) You forever after I promise. Small pieces that are whole while also being parts of a whole. Poetryyyyy. Half the work is in the line breaks and it affe ts how one might read it aloud too! poems that will find new ways, to remind you, I love you.” how could I not end with I love you? 

Lance smiled and sniffed, keeping his eyes on Keith. “Surprise, mi vida.” okay. So I had no idea how I was supposed to bring him back from ALL OF THAT and… I mean yeah. Surprise, Keith. That was all for you. Lance did say he needed to find a new way to make it a surprise for you. 

[ayashiki-i-i]

Last Friday, I had the absolute joy and privilege to see Be More Chill in London!

(Yes, last Friday, this has been sitting in my drafts for over a week because I couldn’t figure out how to appropriately convey my delight with this show, and also yes, joy and privilege, call me dramatic but I swear to god nothing on this Earth makes me appreciate my life quite as live theatre.)

I have loved this show for a very long time. Not quite since its first Two Rivers Theatre run, but very early on from when it caught the internet’s attention. I was at the start of what was to become a viral sensation, and I was with the show, rooting for it, hoping for it, ever since. I feel like I walked the journey from crossing million hits on Spotify to the Broadway alongside the cast and creators. I felt immensely happy and proud for these people I never met when they announced their off-Broadway return, and I honest to god cried the day they opened on Broadway. Needless to say, I was overjoyed, literally jumping with happiness, when they announced they will stage a production on West End. Or technically off-West End? I’m still very confused how The Other Palace is not West End and Victoria Palace literally around the corner is West End... Anyway. I have not walked into that theatre on Valentine’s Day with low expectations.

And my Mount Everest high expectations were far, far exceeded and shot somewhere into the stratosphere.

I really can’t with words describe how much I loved this show. Joes Iconis and Tracz managed to hit some very special spot with this musical. It’s truly hard to describe, but this show just makes you happy. It makes you involved and interested. And I gotta tell you, I think we hit the press night, because there was a bunch of people (very respectfully) scribbling on their pads and iPads during the show, so this wasn’t an audience primed and geared for this type of musical. And that’s not even counting all the parents chaperoning their teenagers. And I can guarantee you everyone had a great time. During the intermission I went to get a drink and witnessed several conversations between aforementioned parents that all pretty much amounted to “wow, this is actually good!” It’s honestly such a treat to be in an audience that’s genuinely enjoying themselves.

This show is funny, and heartfelt, and charming. So charming. It has somehow a vibe of a really well done high school production, which could maybe sound like a criticism but i swear it isn’t!

I haven’t seen much of the previous productions, except few clips from the Two Rivers bootleg slime tutorial, but I really tried not to watch too much, hoping against hope there will be a revival one day (I try not to watch shows I have a chance of seeing one day. I’m fortunate to have the chance of having the full experience live so I try not to ruin it for myself lol). I gobbled up all the official promo clips and videos from the NYC revival, being super unlucky and managing to plan my New York trip in that small window when BMC just closed Off-Broadway and before it got on Broadway. I haven’t even listened to the Broadway recording, because by the time it came out I knew they’ll be staging a production over here. So i went in quite blind. With all that previous ado, this is how it was:

The book is so good. So so good. Many times when I fall in love with an album, the actual musical doesn’t hold up because the book doesn’t compare (hi, Dear Evan Hansen). But BMC is as engaging and fun between the songs as during them. Tbh I don’t love the changes to the songs they made, but I don’t really hate them either... Now having listened to the Broadway recording they reverted somewhat back to the original album on West End and I’m happy they did, but still. Especially Pitiful Children did not deserve the cuts. But I mean its still mostly the same album and it’s brilliant and fun, and ok, Looser, Geek or Whatever is a bop.

(Although I always kinda liked that Jeremy didn’t have a typical big “hero song” because he keeps mentioning how he isn’t a hero and it was kinda ironic that his own show refused him the hero treatment, but the song is solid.)

This cast is EVERYTHING. I’m sorry all previous casts, I love you and I respect you but i really think the British cast is (so far) the peak? Obviously as I said I don’t have the full picture to compare, but honestly these guys are all so good and I can’t imagine anyone else in these roles, they set the bar so high. Yes, even Michael. Omg I’m so sorry George Salazar! This role is his in a very special way, and I feel blasphemous saying this! But that’s what makes Blake Patrick Anderson so special, because I didn’t think I will ever be able to accept another Micheal than George Salazar. But from the first moment Anderson appears on stage, you don’t think of George Salazar. This right here is a Micheal and that’s it. I think he’s slightly less... Manic, than Salazar, and more caring, but also more stubborn, and nerdy. My friend said after the first act the character’s problem is that he’s a bit too likeable and it’s almost unbelievable he would be a social outcast and she was right. The dude is so damn likeable! So charming, so positive. And then Micheal in the Bathroom hits and omg does it hit. Also Blake Patrick Anderson has a really long name is very pretty. A+ snack. I’m in love. Scott Folan is, uh, I don’t really love him vocally... Ok I liked him until Loser Geek of Whatever. I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t his day. Or maybe that song is just written for Will Roland and no one will ever measure up? Tbh I haven’t seen Roland sing it live so who knows, maybe it is one of those songs that’s hard to perform without yelling a bit. Praying circle for the West End cast album? However Scott Folan’s acting is a masterclass. He’s so awkward in the first act, so sad, but also sweet. Actually I said i didn’t love his singing but when his voice cracks all over in his first few songs it’s superb and also his “Christiiine~” is really beautiful and lovely, so, dunno *shrugs*. And then in the second half he totally sells his confidence and assholer-y and like... They seem like two different jeremys, the squipped and un-squipped one. But ultimately he just gives such good-kid vibes. He seems like the perfect midpoint between Will Connolly’s shy Bambi and Roland’s geeky recluse. This Christine is absolutely feral. Like, you have no idea. Some people commented on the video of I Love Play Rehersal from the rehearsals that this Christine is not chaotic enough, so I’m seriously worried how chaotic Stephenie Hsu was? :D In any case Miracle Chance I thought was perfect, the ideal mixture of quirky but relatable, sweet but strong. Also she is hilarious. I’m pretty sure she got the most laugh out of the audience, not just because the actress’s absolutely perfect comedic timing but also that role is so well written. Like you really can’t get the full idea of this character until you watch the show, you know? It’s very layered, but each layer is easy to get so she makes a really fun character to watch. The Squip is hot. Like so hot. And his costumes are wonderful. And I know I’m not the only one who didn’t love Jason Tam’s accent as Squip and like... I think I know what he was going for but it just doesn’t work for me. This Squip is a lot more like Eric William Morris, just more hot. Oh yeah I mean the dude is fantastic actor too, and his voice is something impressive, but mostly I was just thinking “hot” whenever he was on stage :D James Hameed’s Rich is vocally stunning. By far the best Squip Song I have ever heard. Also he has Pickle Rick tattoo?? It’s fucking brilliant I HATE IT! :D Millie O’Connel is perfect of course. She has such a presence on stage. It was hilarious when she came out after the show, with her hair down and make-up off and said hi and people mostly kinda ignored her cause... She’s really a hurricane on stage and when she dials it down just a notch I really think people don’t connect her to her stage persona :D

(Also like, massive kudos to The Other Palace’s stage door, cause they allow you to just hang around the bar where the cast has to go through to leave the place, so no dirty alleyways stage dooring in rain and cold and possible pickpockets around.)

I really loved the staging, and it’s very small, very minimal, which isn’t something I normally like, so well done! They definitely dialled back from the Broadway (the bean bags are back!) and honestly the minimal props and simple set really suit this show. It adds to that almost-like-a-really-good-school-play charm. But also they have this massive LED screen as the background so they can change and move and animate their backdrop and it’s honestly so impressive. The artwork is so perfectly in line with the show’s aesthetic. And it’s building up and up towards the show’s climax which I thought was pretty subtle and pretty neat creative decision.

Ugh this is so long I didn’t think it would be so long :D But I have one criticism I cannot not mention. And I kinda always had this, but seeing it live it jumps out on me more - I don’t feel Jeremy and Christine :| I mean don’t get me wrong. The actors have amazing chemistry, their added song is the one that I actually really like and it makes sense, there’s so much more meaningful interaction they have in the show than the songs wold suggest. But. It still doesn’t quite sit well. Besides the fact that I don’t think the show’s narrative is about Jeremy getting the girl - that’s not really his character arc. But also, although they’re not incompatible, he gets the girl he doesn’t even really know, and she definitely doesn’t know him. I think I would prefer if they just stayed friends at the end, but if there had to be romantic conclusion... Well, I mean who doesn’t ship boyf friends, but seriously if Michael was a girl I’m pretty sure he’d be the romantic endgame for Jeremy. You know the type, the old friend who was by the protagonists side and believed in him all along? Yeah. But besides that, i was surprised to find I kinda liked Jeremy with Brooke too? I mean they have the same problem as Jeremy and Christine, with not knowing each other and all that, but at least it’s mutual, and they seemed to have a spark. But maybe it’s just because I unexpectedly really, really loved Brooke (she doesn’t have much space on the album and no one ever really talks about her, why does no one really talk about her???). She defies a lot of her archetype, she seems like such a sweet person. I guess I would just like to see more of her, and more depth to her, which a romance with the protagonist would’ve given her.

But tbh the show devotes a lot more time than I thought it would for Christine and Jeremey’s relationship to develop and it isn’t unrealistic, so it ended up being a pretty minor issue, which i though would be a bigger one.

Tl;dr (oh my god why is this so long????) this show is everything I wanted and more. The West End cast is amazing, charming and delightful and each of them is perfectly cast to really embody their character, while giving some fresh outlook on characters I thought I knew very well and filling very big shoes of the original cast I thought couldn’t be replaced. Also I didn’t talk to any of them but they spend a long time hanging out with the fans after the show and seemed genuinely super nice and pleased with the love the show is getting. The book is more than an equal partner to the music I already was in love with (also Joe Iconis was at the show I saw! I didn’t talk to him because I’m me and I will forever regret it!). The Other Palace’s staging and direction is wonderful, and the choreography is impressive and very on brand with the rest of the show, very modern, very electro and robot. I enjoyed every second and the standing ovation at the end was well deserved.

Just to re-affirm how much I loved this show - just few days after seeing it I booked a ticket to go see it again almost immediately lol. So if anyone is seeing it this Wednesday 26th Feb and you can telepathically pick me in the audience come say hello!

(Or like, drop me a message like a normal person if you’re also going alone and want to meet with someone to seem less like a weirdo! :D)

[mermaidmafia-official]

{PART II: THE BLOODMOTHER}

written by: @bebemoon 

outfit ref: n/a, see the above image .

tag list: @interluxetumbra​ @ayzrules​ @vampirkaninchen​ @blubbingbeautifully​

Soundtrack: AMOR EST MORTIS, susanne sundfør

[THE FAVOURITE]

"MISSING ELDER MYSTERY DEEPENS"

Beneath the headline emblazoned on the front page of the Halacre Herald, there was a photo of a toppled vehicle in a densely wooded area. The caption mentioned that it had been discovered up in a cluster of trees but had fallen through the forest canopy after the authorities were called.

And it was found to have belonged to the Maminots, who had been missing a week over by that time.

Zammurad had taken her "clean-up" duties a little too far.

"What does it say?" Lia asked softly.

Darling Amaelia was beside Ysabelle as she read the newspaper at her vanity. She had taken up a silver-handled brush to run through Ysa's long, dark hair, and until she spoke, she had been humming something under her blood-sweetened breath.

Ysabelle folded the paper and placed it on the vanity table. She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "The authorities are wonderfully dim," she replied flatly. "Zammurad has managed a confusing scenario- I doubt they'll be able to suss anything further."

The authorities had, of course, shown up to Bilitis House asking questions since it was the last known location of the missing Historical Society elders, but Ysabelle was able to successfully divert the police- bending their senses in a different direction. Well, several different directions.

Still, the mortals weren't the only ones to be dealt with.

Poppy was still confined and under heavy guard. Last Ysa spoke with her, the girl had revealed her utter unrepentantness regarding the knotty situation she had created.  

"I need to send Poppy away," Ysabelle said to her own dark-eyed reflection. "She is a threat to this coven's survival as long as she remains here. The Wolves are circling as it is."

Lia paused momentarily in her brushing. "I think Poppy's awful for having placed you under so much stress," she said, her tone strangely tender. Her bronze brows furrowed then. "And you've been so forgiving... . She deserves much worse, in my opinion."

Ysa's eyes drifted upwards of her own reflection to regard the ghostly-pale woman standing over her bare shoulder. The flesh of a white rose, the intense jade-stone eyes wreathed in gold-

Amaelia was still overcoming her bloodlust, but there had been much improvement in her over the past days. She was no longer in constant, blood-curdling agony (though, it still came and went, contorting her body disturbingly when it did come). The whites of her eyes had returned, her fangs were finally retracted. And, strangely, her hair was becoming steadily more pink. It was subtle against the fawn-colour, but nonetheless, she seemed to be pinkening- even her brows and eye-lashes were changing.

It was a pleasure to have her Amaelia back in lucidity, her gentleness and devotion returned. The awful gutting Ysabelle felt while watching Lia become delirious and wretched with pain caused her a sort of anguish she could hardly name- could not recall enduring, not even when Amare had clung to her like a petrified child ages ago.

Ysabelle leaned forward to prop her elbow on the vanity table. She rested her chin in her palm and continued to watch Lia as she brushed her hair and slipped her fingers through the dark, silky tresses with each stroke.

Little by little, the pair started to grin, and their grins deepened through the mirror. Knowing one another's thoughts precisely.

"The house is so still with everyone away," said Lia, a suggestion in her tone. Her voice was soft and her reflected eyes half-lidded as she slid her fingers about The Bloodmother's throat. She leaned closer to place a kiss on Ysabelle's shoulder...

And when she did, something heavy and cold thumped into Ysa's back.

Ysa reached over her shoulder to grasp whatever it was- a familiar pendant on a necklace that Lia was wearing.

She turned fully in her chair to face the consort, never releasing the pendant. "What are you doing with this?" she asked firmly.

"I...found it among your things, in a dusty little chest," Lia replied innocently. She gestured vaguely to the armoire. "I thought you wouldn't mind since it was so buried-"

"Mistress?"

Lia started at the sudden appearance of the cherub Weep-not, who, unlike his bald brother, had been blessed with a mop of golden curls. The angelic feature was greatly juxtaposed with his wretched little visage.

Ysabelle exhaled impatiently. "Yes, what is it?"

Weep-not waddled closer, his eyes cast downward. He would have possessed more confidence with his faithful porcelain doll companion, Marguerite. However, the word was that she was indisposed, of late- whatever that meant.

"Mistress," he began again, "I do not wish to disturb you, but Mr. Durwin is back. I s-spied him through the drawing room window."

Bothersome man.

Roland Durwin was Paulette Maminot's older brother and the man that sold Bilitis House to Ysabelle in the first place. Dutifully, he had shown up on the house's doorstep each night since the police informed him that they had cleared its inhabitants of any culpability in his sister's disappearance. Durwin, it appeared, was not convinced. He wanted an audience.

"Persistent, isn't he?" Ysa muttered, casting a glance to the draped windows. "Go. Leave him to me."

"Yes, Mistress," Weep-not mumbled. He executed something resembling a bow before backing out of the room through the heavy drapes.

Ysabelle, not overly concerned with the mortal on her doorstep, then returned her attention to Lia, whose fair features had fallen into worried lines.

"I would prefer it if you did not look through my belongings," said Ysa, her tone mild. She reached out to retake the ancient rock crystal pendant into the palm of her hand. It was in the shape of a scarab beetle.

Immortality, resurrection, transformation-

Unbidden, Amare's voice swept in an echo through Ysa's mind. It has the hue of clear moonlight.

The Bloodmother cleared her throat of emotion before continuing. "I was going to give this necklace to Amare," she explained. "She admired it, and I wanted to pass it on to someone who would care for it as I have. Before I could gift it to her on the anniversary of her death, I was forced to put her to sleep... . Since then, I've kept it safe and tucked away... . Not unlike Amare."

Lia, lips apart, pressed a hand over her still chest. "I’m sorry, I didn't realise-"

Ysa quelled her with a wave. "It is a beautiful necklace," she said gently, a smile playing in the corner of her mouth. "Someone ought to wear it."  

Lia beamed, her green eyes alight. She clutched the delicate, braided gold chain to her chest and half-spun herself on the balls of her feet. In the midst of her thrill, she seemed to have a sudden revelation and paused, sweeping blushing hair out of her speckled face.

"Could I see her?" Lia wondered. "Amare, I mean."

"What for?" Ysa asked.

Lia dropped herself into Ysabelle's lap. "Almost everyone's in Bay Haven tonight," she said, low. "So there's no one out and about in the house to threaten to 'make my bone dust into baubles'-"

"Zhang," Ysa guessed.

"-which means you can let me out just this once to look around, right?"

"And you want to start with Amare? I doubt Sabine will allow it," the Bloodmother replied.

Lia's brows lifted. "Can a servant like Sabine disallow you from anything?"

Ysabelle emitted a small noise of disgust and pressed the other woman out of her lap. "You do not need to manipulate me," she chided but only half-heartedly. "You had to know I would take you."

-

(Soundtrack: LE CYGNE, camille saint-saëns)

[SLEEPING EVIL]

Amare's chambers were strung in sheer drapes, gathered and hanging over every corner of the room, obscuring everything like an ethereal, ebbing mist. It would have been dark within, save the flickering candlelight, but the gossamer brightness of the drapings caught the moonlight pouring in through the uncovered windows, lending the space a great deal of soft light.

Sabine did allow Ysabelle to enter Amare's chambers, and Lia along with her, but only after assurances that the newest coven member would not touch her sleeping mistress.

The servant walked briskly ahead of the pair and moved one of the veils of gossamer aside, revealing the bier and bed of Amare wreathed in golden candlelight. Amare, too, was covered completely in a sheer shroud, her form and features just visible beneath the white film.

Lia wasted no time. She gathered the skirt of her nightdress and stepped up onto the dais to lean over the sleeping form bedded in dahlias and orchids.

Sabine stood in rigid silence just behind Ysabelle. The woman was noticeably tense, but Ysa assumed she was anxious due to Lia, a virtual stranger, being so near Amare.

"You needn't be so alarmed, Sabine," Ysa said without turning to face the woman.

She kept her eyes on Lia, who, even as a mortal, seemed to possess the curiosity of a child. She could be almost alien-like in her fascination with beauty, with finery...with blood. Her eyes would become large and her lips would part with a soft gasp...

Ysabelle pressed the image down. Cleared her throat.

When Lia flicked the shroud back from Amare's face, Sabine started forward with a scolding behind her teeth, but Ysa held her arm out to prevent the servant from performing any violence.

"Be still," said the Bloodmother. She was not curt, only good-natured. After all, protectiveness—particularly over someone she loved as her own child—was not a sin in her book.

"She's beautiful,” Lia breathed and laughed. “Like a doll.”

She sounded like a little girl in a toy shop.

Silence reigned for several moments following. Outside, the moon disappeared behind the clouds and plunged the chambers into near-darkness. The candles haloed the scene on the dais. Everyone was still.

Finally, the moon reappeared and Lia turned away from Amare’s sleeping form. The crystal scarab gleamed at her sternum in the moonlight.

“Could you put Poppy to sleep like this?” she asked, stepping down from the dais. “Actually, why haven’t you put Poppy to sleep?”

Ysa folded her arms. “Putting Amare under nearly killed me. She fought it—it was weeks before she finally succumbed and the spell took hold,” she said. “And then it took months to recover from the effort. That was years ago. Aged as I am, I do not think I have it in me to do it again- in particular with Poppy, who once assured me that she would have the Devil himself devour me ‘from the toes up’ if I ever tried to do the same to her.”

Lia lifted her eyes to the ceiling pensively. “Couldn’t Zammurad assist you? Maybe if you both tried-?”

“Lord Greggor is searching out a new bride,” Sabine quietly put in.

Ysa looked back at the woman. “Really? What happened to the last one?”

“The Lord said that she’s missing,” replied the servant.

Given Greggor’s portliness and inability to stand on his own two feet (indeed, his servants carried him around on a covered palanquin), the usual underworld gossip was that he devoured his brides on their “wedding” night.

Ysa was certainly angry with Poppy, however, she did not want to see the girl sold into marriage and eaten.  

The Bloodmother released a sigh. “It’s a discussion for another time, then,” she told the two women. “Sabine, thank you. We will let you return to your duties. Ah- actually, if I could make one more request of you-?”

Sabine bowed her head. “Anything, my lady.”

“Has your mistress been fed yet?” Ysa wondered.

The servant shook her head without raising it.

Ysabelle smiled. “Fantastic. I have a loose end that needs tying off,” she said. “There is a man outside the front door- tend to him, won’t you?”

-

Soundtrack: WHEN THE LORD, susanne sundfør

[AWAY FROM THE DARK. SOFTLY...] 

The Bloodmother dreamt as the sun rose: 

Ysabelle could see them standing together by the window,

but she could not make sense of it.

Why would they two be together? How did they come to be acquainted?

The shorter of the two figures was livid with bloodstains, her face was slick and glistening with blood, her hands were gloved in it. She wore the crystal scarab,

but she was not Amaelia.

The taller figure, a broad-shouldered man, naked to the waist, was concealed in shadow,

Nonetheless Ysabelle knew him. She knew his stench, she knew the way he carried himself. She could hear his heart thrumming, almost humming with the hunt.

They were together, but it was impossible. Impossible.

“Mother,” they said.

Impossible.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: Strange Magic

There are a lot of films that deserve better than what they got, films that didn’t get the respect they deserved from critics and audiences. In all my years of reviewing movies and watching movies, there’s one thing I know for sure: Strange Magic is at the top of that particular pile. Critics eviscerated the film, most of them just using it as an excuse to attack George Lucas, because mainstream critics are still mad about the Star Wars prequels, I guess. And as far as I know, very few animation reviewers even talked about it, and the ones that did mocked it as well. It doesn’t help that Disney barely advertised this film and kind of just ignored its existence, not even slapping their own name on it and instead releasing it under Touchstone. But despite all of that, the film earned a loyal, devoted cult following that to this day sings the movie’s praises… and if you keep an open mind, it’s not hard to see why.

This is a simple tale, a fantasy jukebox musical with contemporary songs and classics (the title track is an ELO song from the 70s, so there’s no way the film was trying to pander). Some might even call the story cliché, what with its hurricane of tropes and its rather standard story structure – even I called it cliché in my original review of the film – but I feel as though when it comes to a jukebox musical, you’re really here for the songs more than the story. But even with that said, the story here isn’t so bad; it’s more just a cozy little fairy tale you’ve heard before, just with a lot more pop songs in it.

Obviously the greatest strength of the film is its songs. When you’ve got the vocal talents of people like Evan Rachel Wood, Alan Cumming, and Kristin Chenoweth, you want to use them to their fullest, and boy do they ever utilize the voices of these people well. Chenoweth gets the awesome “Love is Strange” number, complete with trippy visuals, while Wood and Cumming duet and duel to “Straight On” and fall in love to the song that gives the film its name. And honestly, pretty much every time Alan Cumming sings in this is fantastic, so it’s hard to single any one song out.

I think one of the less appreciated aspects of this film, outside the fandom at least, is the animation. The animation style is pretty unique, with the fairies in particular having a design that straddles the line of being uncomfortably realistic and rather charming; they’re pretty nice for the most part, don’t get me wrong, but far more impressive are the designs of Bog King and all his minions, all of which have incredibly unique and creative designs. Special mention needs to go to Bog King himself, who is a really impressive fantasy being, visually speaking. Aside from the music, the visuals really are one of the absolute strongest aspects.

The characters, too, are rather charming. Marianne and her sister Dawn are both incredibly likable and fun characters, with Dawn being the sort of character who would easily be annoying in any other film, but who somehow manages to work really well here; it’s most likely because her antics when under the effects of the potion are shown to be irritating to everyone around her, and despite her being a flirt normally she’s extremely sweet and supportive of her sister and is good friends with Sunny. Bog King is easily the best character in the movie, in no small part due to Cumming’s fantastic performance and his design, but also due to his character development and how he plays off his overbearing mother and his two henchmen, Stuff and Thang. And then there’s the film’s villain, Roland. Roland is basically what Gaston would be like as a fairy, and he is just a blast. He’s egotistical, he’s arrogant, he’s absolutely clueless, and he’s a surprisingly good dancer as well. Overall it’s just a really solid cast, though I’ll admit that some characters could have been done a bit better, particularly the imp, who really only serves as a roadblock at a few points ad plays very little role in the finale.

Really though, most of my complaints about the film are minor nitpicks. This is easily one of my favorite films of all time, and one I will champion for all my life as one of the underrated gems of modern animation. I don’t think this is a film for everyone; if you’re looking for some groundbreaking masterpiece that redefines the medium, look elsewhere. But if you just want a fun time with some unique style and great songs, this movie is definitely going to hit the spot.

Part of my affection for this comes from personal experience; corny as it may seem, this movie helped me get over some of my hangups about relationships and fully be able to embrace love again without being afraid. Yeah, yeah, that’s sappy as hell, but that’s the sort of sappy, corny charm this movie fills you with. It’s the sort of thing that makes me unable to comprehend why anyone would hate this movie to such a degree as critics did. Like, at the very worst this film is just an inoffensive and cliché musical. There really is nothing here egregiously offensive or bad even if you are a real hardass; this isn’t some sort of Norm of the North or Delgo­-level fiasco. Honestly? I really do think people just wanted to dump on George Lucas, and that’s just sad. They let their petty hatred of a man squander the potential a beautiful, fun, romantic musical could have had otherwise.

I can at least take solace that it did eventually find its audience, and it’s honestly getting better with age. Maybe someday soon even more people will look back fondly on this underrated gem. Just remember who told you about it first.

Oh, and seriously fuck everyone who said this movie ripped off Epic. As if anyone would want to rip off that lifeless turd of a film.

[battingonjakku]

A guide to the 18 counties and why you should/shouldn’t support each one (version 2.0)

Hello! It’s been a couple of years since I did this original guide, so I thought it was time for an updated version as after all, a lot has happened since then. 

All the confirmed overseas players I’ve found have been included, the most significant Kolpaks (not all though, because there are many), and the most recent England/Ireland/Scotland players as well…and then some just to look out for.

Without further ado then, here is a relatively comprehensive guide to choosing your county for the year ahead…

Derbyshire

Overseas & Kolpak: Logan van Beek, Kane Richardson (T20), Ravi Rampaul

England/Ireland/Scotland: Mark Watt

England prospects: Matt Critchley, Hamidullah Qadri

Why you should support them: Who doesn’t love an underdog? Quite a bit of young talent around, including in Hamidullah Qadri the first county cricketer born in the 21st century (welp)

Why you shouldn’t support them: They always seem to fly under the radar, and I still haven’t met a Derbyshire supporter (please reveal yourselves if you are out there!)

Durham

Overseas & Kolpak: Cameron Bancroft, D’Arcy Short (T20)

England/Ireland/Scotland: Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Stuart Poynter

England prospects: Josh Coughlin, Matty Potts

Why you should support them: One of the leading producers of England players over the years, and who have suffered a lot at the hands of the ECB. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for Durham?

Why you shouldn’t support them: It’s been a tough few years due to off-field circumstances, and a lot of their top players have left in the process. Likely to struggle again.

Essex

Overseas & Kolpak: Peter Siddle, Adam Zampa (T20), Mohammad Amir (T20), Simon Harmer, Cameron Delport, Matt Quinn

England/Ireland/Scotland: Alastair Cook, Tom Westley, Ravi Bopara

England prospects: Jamie Porter, Daniel Lawrence, Nick Browne, Sam Cook

Why you should support them:  The place to get your Alastair Cook fix post-England retirement. They’re also a lovely bunch of lads, and with their unexpected 2017 CC win have become one of the division’s leading teams.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Have a notable Kolpak contingent, and are just one of those teams for whom when things go wrong, it happens spectacularly.

Glamorgan

Overseas & Kolpak: Shaun Marsh, Marnus Labuschagne, Colin Ingram, Marchant de Lange

England/Ireland/Scotland: Ruaidhri Smith, Timm van der Gugten (well, Netherlands)

England prospects: Prem Sisodiya

Why you should support them: Flying the flag for Wales as the only county not based in England, and another underdog to root for as well. A decent pace bowling attack that should see them improve on last year.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Continually struggling, last year coming bottom of the County Championship and with no trophies in a long time.

Gloucestershire

Overseas & Kolpak: Michael Klinger (T20), Dan Worrall  

England/Ireland/Scotland:  Adrian Neill

England prospects: Ryan Higgins, Ben Charlesworth

Why you should support them: A team with an exceptional history in short-form cricket, and though they tend to be underdogs nowadays, can still prove themselves worth more than the sum of their parts.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Have tended to stay mid-table in Division Two over the past few years without making huge strides forward. Though known for limited overs success, form can be variable.     

Hampshire

Overseas & Kolpak: Aiden Markram, Kyle Abbott, Fidel Edwards, Rilee Rossouw

England/Ireland/Scotland: Liam Dawson, Mason Crane, James Vince

England prospects: Sam Northeast, James Fuller, Aneurin Donald

Why you should support them: Often strong performers in the shortest forms, winning the one day cup last year and having been regulars at T20 finals day in the last decade.

Why you shouldn’t support them:  Tend to scrape their Division One safety in the CC every year, so prepare for the stress. Also one of the counties people love to hate, thanks in part to high profile Kolpak signings and the attitude of their chairman.

Kent

Overseas & Kolpak: Matt Renshaw, Adam Milne (T20), Mohammed Nabi (T20), Heino Kuhn

England/Ireland/Scotland: Joe Denly, Sam Billings

England prospects: Daniel Bell-Drummond, Zak Crawley  

Why you should support them: A steadily improving county in all formats, reaching the one day final and being promoted from the CC last year. Soon to be 43, the evergreen Darren Stevens is also worthy of a mention here too.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Another team with a notable Kolpak contingent in addition to those above. A team with little experience of the first division as well, so who will be facing a challenge.

Lancashire

Overseas & Kolpak: Joe Burns, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner (T20), Dane Vilas

England/Ireland/Scotland: James Anderson, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed, Keaton Jennings, Liam Livingstone

England prospects: Saqib Mahmood, Alex Davies, Matthew Parkinson

Why you should support them:  With a strong squad it would be a surprise not to see them promoted this year, especially with the bowling attack that managed to pick up the most bonus points last year. It also looks like they’ve final gotten rid of that god-awful green kit, too.

Why you shouldn’t support them: It’s Lancashire, what more is there to say? (I had to get a dig in here somewhere, didn’t I?)

Leicestershire:

Overseas & Kolpak: Mohammed Abbas, Colin Ackermann, Mark Cosgrove

England prospects: Will Davis

Why you should support them:  Just lovely, and definitely improving as a team after many years at the bottom of the pack. Always developing young, talented players. The only ground I’ve been to where I’ve been offered a bag of Sweets Or Weed. 

Why you shouldn’t support them: Well known for their top players leaving, and another big exodus took place at the end of the season. Supporting them can be painful, too.

Middlesex

Overseas & Kolpak: Mujeeb Ur Rahman (T20), AB de Villiers (T20), Ross Taylor

England/Ireland/Scotland: Eoin Morgan, Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones, Tim Murtagh, Paul Stirling, Sam Robson

England prospects: Nick Gubbins, Ethan Bamber, Tom Barber, Tom Helm, Max Holden

Why you should support them: A squad with a lot of English and Irish talent and hot prospects who will be striving for promotion this year. And there’s the Lord’s factor, because where better to watch cricket?

Why you shouldn’t support them: Have underperformed in the two years following their CC win, and it’s best not to even mention the shorter forms. 

Northamptonshire

Overseas & Kolpak: Temba Bavuma, Faheem Ashraf (T20), Jason Holder, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Levi

England/Ireland/Scotland: Kyle Coetzer

England prospects: Ben Curran

Why you should support them: A team without big resources who have become one of the more successful T20 teams in the country. Also, I love Temba Bavuma in general and just want that stated here.

Why you shouldn’t support them: That T20 success that made them famous went spectacularly downhill last year, finishing well adrift at the bottom of the group. Have lost important players since, too.

Nottinghamshire

Overseas & Kolpak: Dan Christian (T20), James Pattinson

England/Ireland/Scotland: Stuart Broad, Jake Ball, Alex Hales, Ben Duckett

England prospects: Joe Clarke, Zak Chappell, Matthew Carter, Tom Moores, Ben Slater

Why you should support them: A team with a lot of England talent from the past, present, and likely the future. Have strengthened their squad a lot over the winter and will be looking to challenge on all fronts.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Not too popular for buying a lot of their talent, particularly with their winter recruitment. Have also underperformed in the longer format despite a strong squad.

Somerset

Overseas & Kolpak: Azhar Ali, Jerome Taylor (T20)

England/Ireland/Scotland: Jack Leach, Dom Bess, Craig Overton, Josh Davey

England prospects: Jamie Overton, George Bartlett

Why you should support them: A well-liked county, by everyone really apart from the ECB. Also the home of Marcus Trescothick, making centuries into his forties, and probably the best place in the country for spin bowling.

Why you shouldn’t support them: It always ends in pain, doesn’t it? A great track record for finishing high among the runners up, but not getting over the line, which has also returned among the last couple of seasons.

Surrey

Overseas & Kolpak: Aaron Finch, Dean Elgar, Morne Morkel

England/Ireland/Scotland: Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Ollie Pope, Rory Burns, Liam Plunkett, Ben Foakes, Jason Roy, Mark Stoneman 

England prospects: Amar Virdi, Will Jacks, Conor McKerr

Why you should support them: England players a plenty, with many coming through the academy system at the moment. The reigning champions of the CC and the favourites to win again, and should compete in the other formats.

Why you shouldn’t support them: One of the definitive love-to-hate counties among the 18, and another who like Notts are regularly called out on their spending.

Sussex

Overseas & Kolpak: Rashid Khan (T20), Mir Hamza, David Wiese, Stiaan van Zyl

England/Ireland/Scotland: Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills

England prospects: Jofra Archer, George Garton, Delray Rawlins

Why you should support them: An up-and-coming team, coached by the wonderful Jason Gillespie. Particularly exciting fast-bowling stocks, and last year’s T20 runners up who will want to go one better. Also, Luke Wright.  

Why you shouldn’t support them: For whatever reason, they tend to be bad at 50 over cricket, so probably not the team to root for if you’re after that Lord’s final.

Warwickshire

Overseas & Kolpak: Jeetan Patel, Ashton Agar (T20)

England/Ireland/Scotland: Chris Woakes, Olly Stone, Ian Bell

England prospects: Will Rhodes, Ed Pollock, Sam Hain, Henry Brookes, Dom Sibley     

Why you should support them: A likeable team, as they would be with Chris Woakes and Ian Bell. After a few years with an aging squad, now have quite a few young players who have either come through or been given a second chance from elsewhere.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Though they’ve bounced straight back from division two, they really crashed out during their relegation season so their return to the top flight might be a learning curve.

Worcestershire

Overseas & Kolpak: Callum Ferguson, Martin Guptil (T20), Wayne Parnell

England/Ireland/Scotland: Moeen Ali

England prospects: Pat Brown, Josh Tongue, Dillon Pennington

Why you should support them: A team with a lot of strong homegrown young talent, who won the nation’s hearts on their way to their T20 Blast win in 2018. Led by Moeen Ali, and if you don’t appreciate them for that then what’s up with you mate?

Why you shouldn’t support them: The ultimate yo-yo team, constantly being promoted or relegated whilst rarely staying in one place, so not one to support if you don’t want the sadness every other year.

Yorkshire

Overseas & Kolpak: Duanne Olivier

England/Ireland/Scotland: Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Gary Ballance

England prospects: Ben Coad, Matthew Fisher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Harry Brook

Why you should support them: They’re my team and I would die for them, the best team you can support. In seriousness though, they feature a lot of England players from past and present and tend to challenge across all competitions in some degree. Look strongest in the shorter forms.

Why you shouldn’t support them: Another love-to-hate county, as us Yorkshire fans do tend to go on about our successes. It has been a tricky couple of years as well, with a struggling batting line-up and no major reinforcements on that front.

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 39

I dumped my bag and the baked goods on the counter, then leaned back against it.

“He never joins your family for the holidays? But this year…he IS? Did someone tell him that you all know what he did? What the actual fuck, man?”

He shook his head. “Em and Sarah insist they haven’t said a word, and I sure as hell haven’t, and I don’t think Mum has…so we’re all completely blown out of the water by this. He called Mum earlier and essentially said ‘I’ve decided to join you Thursday and Friday’ and that was that. After the divorce, he showed up two years running, but once Em was ten he decided that his presence was no longer necessary because Christmas was for children and surely she’d grown past such foolishness by then. He never even bothered to show up last year, when Sarah and Ansh were finally able to join us at Christmas for the first time since having Saachi.”

I crossed my arms. “So, he doesn’t turn up for a first Christmas with his only grandchild but this year, he does? Is it because she’s a little older, maybe? Eh, that sounds ridiculous so I’ll say that is totally not the reason. What’s your take on this? Any ideas?”

His gaze fell to the floor, then returned to my face. I didn’t wait for him to speak.

“Oh for fuck’s sake you think it’s me, don’t you?” My arms uncrossed, one hand rising to my forehead and resting there, palm down. “But WHY? Why does he give even the remotest shit about you and I, if he hasn’t cared about anything else…OH MY FUCKING GOD, IT IS ME, isn’t it? Jesus…listen, babe, if you want me to sit this one out…”

Closing the distance between us, he took me in his arms, resting his chin on the top of my head. “Not. A. Chance. If you don’t feel comfortable going, I’m staying right here with you.” He leaned back, staring into my eyes. “And yes, I do think it’s related to you in some way. I just can’t quite figure out how or why.”

“Is that what your mother thinks? Is that who you were talking to?”

His head shook again. “No, that’s not what she thinks…I was talking to her and my sisters on a conference call. None of them know what to think. They’re just trying to figure out how to flow with it and not let it ruin the holiday. Which is a challenge and a half, after this past summer.”

I released him and grabbed the bakery bag from behind me. “Let’s have some cookies and put on our thinking caps and try and puzzle this out.”

A dozen over-sized chocolate chip delights and an hour later, we were no closer to solving the equation, likely because, as Tony Stark explained in the Avengers, we didn’t have all the variables.

Tom’s head was in his hands, elbows on the dining table amongst the crumby mess we’d made, and he spoke without looking up. “Bottom line is no matter what the man throws at you, IF he throws anything at you, that is…I know you can handle it, Maude. You on your weakest day is a thousand times more powerful than him on his strongest.”

As he glanced through his fingers at me, across the table, I raised a brow. “Uh, a thousand? Hyperbolize much, Tom?”

He sat up, smiling. “I do not. You simply underestimate your strength, my love.”

I rolled my eyes. “Puh-leaze. Stop it. Honestly, it’s all totally confusing and makes no sense and I’m slamming myself up against a logic wall at this point. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Which, as you know, fucking drives me bat crap crazy so…feel like going out for some burgers and wrapping supplies?”

Standing, he stretched, arms up toward the ceiling, his lower belly and happy trail peeking at me yet again. It was a view I would never tire of, for sure. When my eyes made their way up to his face, he was grinning. Caught, I was…red handed. Eyed? Something.

“That sounds perfect, actually. I’ll go put some pants on.”

I bit my lip. “Good. You do that. I’m going to use the facilities.” His mouth opened, but I cut him off. “I’m PEEING. Nothing else, you bastard. I am capable of restraint, you know.” A chuckle. “Oh, MAN…”

He jogged up the stairs, and shortly thereafter we were out the door and on our way.

****************************************

My alarm went off at six AM on Wednesday, and I left Tom all warm and naked in our bed to grab a cheese danish and a cup of tea before heading downstairs. I’d wrapped my gifts for him last night, having locked myself in the over-crowded spare room. At points I could hear him breathing heavily outside the door, and knew he was doing it on purpose to distract me in hopes of getting a look at what I’d gotten for him. He gave up after three attempts, and I was able to continue in peace. Diana had come to my aid, providing me with a list of all she could recall of the Jurassic Park toys Tom had played with as a child. One by one I’d tracked them down on eBay and had them sent to the office, and Simon had hidden them for me in our flat while we’d been gone. I’d even managed to score the rare Electronic T-Rex, Jungle Explorer Vehicle and the Command Compound, new and sealed in their boxes. The action figures weren’t quite as hard to find, and I’d gotten a set that included five of the main characters still in their original packaging. In addition to those, as a sort of gag-but-not-really gift, I’d found a very cool strap-on set that included six dildos, sized from kinda small to bigger than Tom’s own cock. THAT one I put off to the side so I wouldn’t accidentally bring it with us to Diana’s house…plus, I was hoping he would want to try it out, like, immediately after opening it. Part of me wanted to save it for Loki’s next visit, but I’d been thinking about it for months, and he’d mentioned it several times, so, no time like the present, right? The pièce de résistance was obtained via the most convoluted network of human beings I’d ever had to wrangle, a daisy chain that included Stephen Spielberg which had started with me and ended with Harrison Ford writing a letter and signing one of the fedoras he’d worn in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The only downside was that I was aware that it was likely a feat I would never, ever be able to top.

The shipment arrived as scheduled, eight AM on the dot, and the driver even schlepped it all downstairs for us. Everything had been prepped and ready to go, so Trudy and I set about getting all the servers in place so they’d be ready to connect once the utility company was done installing the T1 line…they’d turned up just after we’d opened the cartons. Everyone else was off for the day, so we cranked some tunes while we set up the network itself and installed all the software. As soon as our internet was accessible, we updated the newly-installed software, then began adding our own. Trudy and I had written the client management program together, though the base code was hers alone. It had functioned perfectly during previous testing, so we focused mainly on it running cross network and left it at that. Tom brought us lunch at around two, and after our break we dove into external DNS access, connectivity and security protocols. It was the most time-consuming and intricate part of the process, but by midnight we had a functional, locked down system that was ready for intensive testing, which was set to begin first thing Monday morning. From the look on Trudy’s face, though, I was reasonably sure that she’d be at it over the weekend if she got the chance. The only other remaining obstacle, other than testing, was the installation of security devices and alarms, and the company providing us with those was scheduled to come in on Tuesday. We celebrated our victory by inhaling an entire bag of truffles, high fiving each other and bragging about how we’d accomplished in a single day what Mark hadn’t been able to achieve in months. It was just after one AM when I dragged myself upstairs, then up the flat’s steps, stripped, and crawled in next to a slumbering Tom…and I would have thought he’d remained there for the entire day if it weren’t for the fact that he’d brought Trudy and I lunch.

Thursday afternoon found us on the road, quickly nearing Oxford, gifts tucked into the trunk of the Jaguar, our season’s greetings having been exchanged with Luke and Simon right before we’d left. They were spending the holiday with Luke’s parents, and Roland would be joining them for Boxing Day. U2 performing Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) was on the radio, and I was watching Tom’s hands as he manipulated the steering wheel. An elegant man guiding an elegant machine. The brief feeling of positivity about the holiday I’d experienced on Tuesday had faded after the whole ‘dad’s coming’ thing, and I really, really felt like asking him to turn around so we could go back home and have our own private, peaceful Christmas….but I knew he’d say yes, and I didn’t want to be the one responsible for him missing out on time with his family, which, in spite of all the insanity, had always been precious to him, even more so since he’d started travelling for his career.

He turned to me, smiling. “All set for your first holiday with the future in-laws?”

“Sure. Yep. You betcha.”

His right hand left the wheel and pressed gently into my thigh. “I’m sorry it’s gone a bit off the rails, my love.”

I snorted. “When we write our joint biography, that’s SO going to be the title.”

“Oh, I like that. Fitting.”

“Unlike this damn bra.” I reached down the V-neck of my blood-red sweater and shifted my boobs back into place. The color was the closest I could force myself to come to being festively dressed, whereas Tom was wearing a bright green monstrosity that his mother had given him last Christmas. Apparently, that was her thing…new holiday sweaters for everyone each year. Shaking my head, I reminded myself to be grateful that it wasn’t one of the infamous UGLY Christmas style sweaters, and also that I needed to say a hearty thank you and pretend to like the one that was surely lying in wait for me to open tomorrow. I heard a car horn honk, and realized that Tom had drifted off to the side of the road because he was staring at my tits. “Dude. Eyes on the road. EYES ON THE ROAD.”

“I know, I know. Sorry. But surely you can’t expect me to look away when you’re fiddling with them so artistically and they’re shifting around with such buoyance like…like…”

“Like, boobs?”

He nodded. “Yes. Boobs. Do shut up now, Maude. Safety first, you know.”

“Oh, safety…speaking of, you know this seat belt really rubs against them something fierce…”

“Behave, lest Father Christmas decides you belong on the naughty list after all.”

I sighed in mock exasperation. “You are really, really mean, you know? But let’s be real, I’ve GOT to be on that naughty list already because what I bought YOU is…”

“NO SPOILERS. WE AGREED NO SPOILERS.”

“But it’s…”

“My lord, woman, NO. NO NO NO NO NO.”

I chuckled, then reached over to rest my hand on the nape of his neck, rubbing gently with my thumb. “No spoilers, babe. I promise.” He moaned quietly as I pressed harder. “How are you coping with this? It’s all strange and new for me, but you’re used to it being a certain way. You okay?”

His right hand returned to my thigh as he turned onto the street that would take us to his childhood home. “You’re right, I am accustomed to the holidays being as they’ve always been since he stopped coming, and if I’m honest, it’s been vastly better that way. But it is what it is, and I’m just going to focus on the fact that it’s our first Christmas together and…well…fuck everything else.”

“Fuck everything else. Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

He grinned, rotating the wheel to the right as he pulled into the driveway, two other cars already neatly parked in front of the garage. “No, you couldn’t have…because it’s essentially the exact phrasing you would have chosen, is it not?”

“You are correct, sir. Did you perchance buy me a thesaurus for Christmas so I can expand my vocabulary?”

He put the car in park, leaned over and bit my neck. “I did no such thing. I happen to both admire and adore your vocabulary. Especially your habitual overuse of things like ‘oh yes’ and ‘oh god’ and ‘fuck me’.”

I bit my bottom lip and smiled, left brow raised. “I love you, you ridiculously horny dork.”

He laughed and pinched my cheek. “Lobbing that right back at you.”

We were grabbing our first load of stuff from the trunk when the yelling started. It was faint at first, and high pitched, and then I saw an adorable tiny human running towards us.

“Uncle Tommy! Happy Christmas! Happy Christmas!”

She was gorgeous, big dark eyes, dark brown hair, two shoulder-length braids bouncing and flying out behind her as she drew closer. I knew she was four, and thought she was probably of average height for that age, but in truth I had no fucking idea because children were like creatures from another planet to me. The way Tom squatted down to catch her in his arms then lifted her up, first spinning her, then popping her onto his shoulders and running a few laps around the driveway as he screamed ‘yay’ right along with her made my heart melt, and when I imagined him doing the same thing with our own child, I found it hard to breathe. Tom ran back to me, Saachi still on his shoulders, both of them grinning like fools. An unfamiliar voice caused me to inhale sharply, and I saw a woman approaching us quickly. She was about my height, though I was wearing my Diva Darcies so that stacked the deck a bit, slender, bearing a strong resemblance to Tom but with a different nose, a good amount of visible freckles across her cheeks and strawberry-blonde hair. I’d only seen her in pictures until this moment, and her hair had been much longer, down to her waist, as opposed to the chin-length bob she was sporting was now…but there was no doubt it was Sarah.

“Saachi, what did we decide? We decided that we’d wait for Uncle Tom and Aunt Maude to come INSIDE before throwing ourselves at them, did we not?”

Aunt Maude. Not helping with the breathing difficulties. Sarah strode toward me first, arms wide open, wrapping me in a snug embrace that I was barely able to return. She pulled back, hands grasping my forearms as she looked me up and down, smiling beatifically.

“Maude, it’s so nice to finally meet you. I’d like to formally welcome you to the insanity that is every single Hiddleston holiday. And pretty much every Hiddleston gathering, come to think of it.” Her hands slid down to hold mine, lifting the left one up to examine my ring. “My word, this is so unique and stunningly elegant.” She released me as she turned to Tom. “Well done, little brother. Saachi, have you said hello to Aunt Maude yet?”

Saachi shook her head, and Tom lifted her off his shoulders and placed her gently on the ground. She held out one tiny hand, looking up at my shyly. “Hello, Auntie Maude. ‘S nice to meet you.”

I leaned down and took her hand in mine, shaking very gently, terrified that I’d somehow break her. “Hi Saachi. It’s nice to meet you too.”

She paused, glancing down at my feet then back up at my face, nodding, still holding my hand. “I like your shoes. Come inside and help us decorate the tree. Grandma has lots of pretty things we have to hang today so Father Christmas will come tonight.”

And with that, I was led up the driveway by the adorable tiny human, her mother and uncle following behind me, both giggling, their arms around each other’s waists.

An incredibly handsome man with dark hair to his shoulders and nearly-black eyes was waiting in the doorway. He squatted down, hands on the knees of his jeans. “Well, my Saachi, I see you’ve brought us a new friend. Thank you.” He ruffled her hair as he stood, then extended his hand toward me. “Hello, Maude. I’m Ansh, but you likely knew that already. Lovely to meet you.”

We shook briefly, as Saachi was tugging on my other hand. “Good to meet you as well, Ansh. I’d stay and chat but I think someone has other plans…”

He laughed. “She always has some sort of plan. Gets that from her mother.”

Sarah and Tom had caught up to us, and she reached out and slugged Ansh in the shoulder. “If I didn’t always have a plan, where would you be, Ansh? Back home, that’s where. At the airport, eight hours late.”

He kissed her cheek. “You speak the truth, my love. I am grateful for your plans. Unquestionably.”

She chuckled, and they led the way into the living room. Saachi pulled me forward, and Tom took hold of my other hand. The staircase had been done up with fresh pine garland and white lights, and the tree was directly ahead, at the front-facing portion of the living/drawing room. It had white lights as well, and plastic tubs full of decorations were scattered around it, and on the closest couch as well. Diana was bent over one of the tubs, Emma was holding another and rummaging through it, and behind her was David, her fiancé. She’d shown me pictures of him on her phone, and I hadn’t thought he’d be so tall…same height as Tom, stockier build, and an honest-to-goodness genuine ginger with green eyes. He’d taken a single step toward me when Diana and Em noticed we’d arrived, both rushing ahead of David to dole out hugs. Diana reached me first, and Saachi let go of my hand in order to move out of the way, skipping over to stand at her mother’s side.

“Maude! Welcome, welcome! I’m so glad you came.” She squeezed me, then kissed my cheeks. “You look beautiful in that color. How are you? How’s your new project coming along?” Laughing and shaking her head, she released me. “You can answer over dinner…I’m sure you and Tom want to finish unloading the car and getting everything up to your room. Same as last time for you both so you have your own bath. Sarah and Ansh are in my room, Em and Dave are in Sarah’s old room, James will be in Em’s old room, and I’m in Tom’s.”

I could feel my eyes widen, remembering what havoc we’d wreaked on Tom’s bed during our last visit. “You know, we’d be just fine in Tom’s room…”

Diana grinned slyly. “No, no, it’s all right. I’ll be perfectly comfortable in the new double I had put in last week. Long overdue, truthfully. That old single had seen far better days.” She winked at me, and I tried to not die on the spot as she switched places with Em, who stared at my rapidly reddening cheeks, then giggled as she embraced me, whispering in my ear.

“Never underestimate Mum’s ability to find things out, Maude. She’s like Sherlock, but…worse.”

We released each other, my neck and chest now flushed as well. “Oh. My. God. Sooo…does EVERYONE know we broke the bed? Distant relatives? Friends from work? Random strangers? Should I start wearing a ski mask when I’m out in public?”

Em doubled over, laughing. “Oh, Maude…you are hilarious.”

Tom and Diana had separated, her attention diverted to Saachi, who was peeking out from behind Diana’s legs and waving at me. I waved back, feeling Tom’s hand come to rest on my lower back.

“What’s hilarious, Em?”

She pointed at me, trying to compose herself and failing. “Her. Ask her. I can’t.”

And with that I grabbed Tom, pulling him back toward the door. “Let’s get the rest of the stuff now, m’kay?”

As soon as we were outside he turned his head in my direction, in step with me as we headed for the car. “So, does our hasty exit have something to do with what was hilarious?”

I nodded. “Yup.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“And I thought this was the part where you tell me what was…”

“Your mother knows we broke your bed.”

We’d reached the car, and he had the keys in his hand, ready to open the trunk, but promptly dropped them onto the pavement upon hearing my words. His mouth hung open, then snapped shut before he reached down to pick them up, then spoke.

“I’m sorry…what was that again?”

“Your mother. She knows. That we broke your childhood bed. While having sex.”

He leaned on the car for support. “Well fuck ME.”

I snorted. “Exactly the root of the problem.”

He shook his head, eyes wide, now standing erect, hands out to the side at shoulder level. “And to think I spent all those years managing to not get caught tossing off, yet a single visit home with you…”

“Mmm hmm. Sorry, sunshine...joke all you like, but I have no idea how I’m going to go back in there.”

He reached out a hand, which I grudgingly accepted, then pulled me into his arms. “I’ll be right there with you, by your side, your eternal partner in familial mortification. We’ll take the mickey together.”

I sighed, gazing up at him. “This isn’t ever going to go away, is it?”

“Oh, no. Never. We’ll be a hundred and fifty and they’ll still be going on about it.” His eyes closed briefly. “My mother knows I had vigorous sex in my childhood bedroom with my wife-to-be. That’s not so awful, is it? I mean, it’s obvious that we HAVE sex, is it not? We’re adults, in our thirties, we live together…one should assume…”

“And your sister. Don’t forget about your sister. And probably your other sister. And…”

“Good lord, my sisters. Get in the Jag, my love…next stop, home.”

I pulled him down to me, kissing him gently at first, then sucking his bottom lip into my mouth. He groaned when I released him.

“Maude.”

“What?”

“Now I’m sporting a raging hard-on. Lovely accompaniment to my other problem, that.”

Grinning, I took the keys from him and opened the trunk, loading myself up with bags. “Figured maybe that would give them something else to discuss besides the bed, you know?”

“Fantastic.”

“I thought so, anyway.”

He rested one hand on my shoulder and I turned to find his face an inch from mine. “My mother knows I have sex.”

I nodded. “Your mother knows you have sex with ME. We’re just going to pretend this never happened and if anyone mentions it I’m going to feign a fainting spell and you can carry me out to the car and we’ll escape. Sound like a plan?”

“Yes, but then they’re likely to think you’re pregnant…”

“Shut the fuck up, Tom.”

Laughing, he kissed my cheek and grabbed the remainder of our luggage. “Yes, ma’am. Will do."

****************************************

We shot right upstairs to our room upon re-entry, sat on the bed for a few minutes, then walked down the stairs to meet our fate. Everyone was busy decorating, and we helped hang ornaments, Saachi picking them out and instructing me where to place them. Just when I thought we were in the clear, Tom pressed against me from behind to put a fragile bauble higher up and I lost my balance, falling forward and almost taking out the eight foot spruce. He caught me by quickly wrapping one arm around my waist, but the tree was left shaking like mad.

Sarah broke the brief silence that followed in my clumsy dork wake. “Easy there, you two. Beds we’ve aplenty, but there’s only one tree.”

Everyone burst out laughing, including the man holding my sorry ass up…though he tried to disguise it, I could feel his chest vibrating against my back. I was in the middle of turning around to take a bow when the doorbell rang and the room fell silent yet again.

Diana cleared her throat and spoke, her voice bright and cheery. “Well, that’s Dad, then. I’ll see him in.”

My eyes met Tom’s, then noted him swallowing repeatedly before smiling at me. I stood at his side, our arms around each other’s waists, waiting, listening to distant voices that drew ever closer until their source came into full view. Tom’s father was around his height, strikingly handsome, hair gone completely white. I could see bits of Tom in his face, and similarities in the way he held himself. Elegant, just shy of regal. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt under a navy blazer, paired with khaki slacks and toffee brown deck shoes. His accent, though not as strong as it likely was before relocating to England, was still present, and the melodic Scottish lilt combined with the pitch of Tom’s voice reminded me of Sean Connery.

“Hello, all. Happy Christmas.”

His greeting seemed to hang in the air, creating an undercurrent of tension, awkwardness and uncertainty. No one replied, except for Saachi.

“Happy Christmas, Granddad. Your hair is very white. Mummy says we’ve met before but I don’t remember because I was a baby then and babies aren’t good at remembering.”

He went to her instantly, squatting down before her and taking her hand, then planting a kiss on the top of it.

“My, you’ve grown into a beautiful young lass, Saachi. I’m very glad to see you.”

She giggled and pulled her hand away, eyes narrowing. “Have you brought me a present?”

Sarah groaned. “Saachi, remember your manners, please.” James stood, and Sarah embraced him tentatively. “Hello, Dad. Good to see you.”

Ansh garnered a handshake, as did Dave, and Em was the recipient of a hug, which she returned with visibly shaking hands. That left Tom. And me. James closed the distance between himself and us in four striding steps. He reached out and patted Tom’s upper arm.

“Thomas. How are you, son?”

Tom returned the gesture. “Fantastic, Dad. You?”

James nodded. “Quite well, quite well.” He turned to me. “And you must be Maude.”

I faked a smile. “Lovely to meet you, Mr. Hiddleston.” When I extended my hand, he accepted and shook vigorously.

“The feeling’s mutual. And please, call me James.”

I nodded as he released me and turned to Diana. “I believe I was promised some of your famous fish and chips, Di. It’s been far too long…”

She rolled her eyes. “All battered, the fryer’s been ready for an hour, waiting on you.”

He laughed, she laughed, and the rest of just stared at each other, heads tilted like a pack of confused puppies.

Dinner was delicious, but the undercurrent of strangeness permeated the atmosphere. Desert was assorted puddings served with coffee and tea, as well as the sugar cookies Diana had baked and decorated to make me feel more at home, as it wasn’t part of their tradition. Saachi decided that from that point on, they would be. She began to doze off at nine-thirty or so as we all sat in the living room after a round of caroling, her head bobbing and finally coming to rest on Sarah’s upper arm. Ansh scooped her up, and when she woke briefly she mumbled something about presents then was out cold again. When he and Sarah came back downstairs after tucking her in, James cleared his throat and stood, moving to the center of the horseshoe of couches, hands extended, palms up as he addressed the room.

“Well then. I’d imagine you’re all wondering what in heaven’s name I’m doing here, and I aim to explain as best I can, but wanted to wait until the little one was off to bed first.” No one moved, no one spoke, and after he was certain things would remain as such, he continued. “Simply put, your mother invited me to join the family for Christmas.”

Sarah, who was seated closest to Diana, turned to her, eyes wide. “Mum. You invited him? Is he serious?”

Diana nodded. “Yes. I did. He is.” She glanced pointedly at each of her progeny in turn. “And as a favor to your Mum, I’m requesting that you please allow him to continue.” Sarah returned her gaze to James, nodding curtly along with Tom and Emma.

James cleared his throat again. “Back in August, she reached out to me and asked me over for dinner so we could discuss a few…things. She advised me of what you all had spoken about, making it clear that the reason for our divorce was no longer a matter just between the two of us. Since then, we’ve been talking frequently. About the past, mainly, but also about the future. And we’ve…well, we’ve become rather decent friends.”

It was Emma’s turn for an outburst. “Friends? Surely you’re joking. Or I’m dreaming, or I’m in some parallel universe. Friends? Mum? Have you both lost your minds?”

Diana laughed. “Sometimes I wonder, love. But yes. We’ve spent a good bit of time going over everything, from the moment we met until we divorced, trying to figure it all out, what went wrong, the why of it, and…it just seemed it was something we needed to do, once and for all, I suppose.”

Sarah shook her head, eyes on Diana, left index finger pointing at James. “After everything he’s done…you’ve FORGIVEN him?” Her voice was raw, full of emotion she was struggling to contain.

Diana shook her head as well. “Sarah, it isn’t always about forgiveness. Sometimes it’s about closure. And acceptance.”

James nodded, his expression grim. “I would never, ever expect your mother to forgive me for my actions. They were unconscionable. Indefensible. Deplorable. Nor would I expect any of you to forgive them. That’s not why I’m standing before you. I’m here to apologize, though I understand that such a thing is likely too little and too late. But I’m doing it anyway. Sarah and Emily, I’m sorry you lived your lives without me when you needed a father most, though perhaps you were better off, and I’m sorry you were left wondering what went wrong between your mother and me. It was wrong, of both of us, to deny you your own closure, to not tell you the truth. And Tom…the way you found out what I’d been doing, that you carried that with you for so long, a burden so heavy, all on your own…and that you thought at some point you were to blame for the divorce…I…” He cleared his throat, overcome with emotion he likely didn’t want to display. “The three of you deserved better. Your mother deserved better. Over the past few years, as I’ve begun to not recognize the old man I see in the mirror every morning because he can’t possibly be ME…I started to view the past with new eyes. I can see my selfishness, the pain I’ve caused, the destruction I’ve wrought. I’ve lain awake many a night wishing I could go back and change it. But I can’t. And that’s the worst of it. I can’t take it back, I can’t make it disappear. And I’m not going to make excuses for myself, but I feel that I need to be honest, for a change…my first marriage ended, but the hurt…didn’t. And that was not something a man like me admits, especially to himself. So I told myself that love was useless, that it was pointless frivolity. And I believed it, like a religion. From that point forward, that’s how I lived my life. I liked, respected and enjoyed your mother, but I wouldn’t allow myself to become emotionally attached. Same thing with all of you. I focused on my career, and I permitted myself to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh, but love…that had left me betrayed and broken, and I maintained a firm, albeit foolish, resolve that I was never going to let that happen again.”

Again, silence fell over the room.

“So. Here we are. I suppose the point of what I said there is that what I’ve learned is that allowing your past to walk with you in the present does irreparable harm to the future, and not only yours, but that of those around you. As I said, I expect no forgiveness from you. I’m unworthy of it. But I came, because…because I wanted to tell you, in person, that you three, my children, you are all intelligent, talented, loving, caring people. And I am grateful for that now, each and every day. And I thank your mother for doing all the work of raising you, for being there for you, and teaching you how life should properly be lived. It’s not about money, it’s not about success, it’s not about power…it’s about the connections you form with the people around you. It doesn’t matter so much when you’re young and you have, seemingly, nothing but time…but when you get to be my age, time is short, and you look back and see all you missed, all you wasted…” He paused, inhaling deeply before continuing. “And now, all of you have your own connections, love in your lives. I’m grateful for that too. And I know it’s far too much to ask of you, after everything, but I shall do so anyway as your mother said I should, but if you would allow me to participate in events such as this, and, perhaps, eventually, to get to know you again, to learn all the things I should already know…well, I would welcome the opportunity. Very much so.”

And with that, he sat back down, arms crossed in front of him. What he’d said about the past walking with you in the present struck a chord with me, and I focused on that for the moment. It was still completely quiet, Tom’s hand now in mine, his eyes fixed on the floor, jaw clenched. Diana rose from her spot.

“Well, what say we put presents under the tree?”

Sarah got up so quickly that Ansh jumped, startled. “Great idea, Mum.”

And then, as so many families do, we simply carried on as if none of it had ever happened.

****************************************

Sarah and Ansh said goodnight first, reminding us that Sacchi would likely be up at a ridiculously early hour, which led to a mass exodus toward the second floor. There were hugs all around, but for James hanging back, and good tidings shared. After closing the door behind us, Tom half-jogged to the bed, sat down and rested his head in his hands. I walked to sit at his side, placing one hand on his lower back, then slowly circling, hoping to soothe.

“Maude. Did…I just…I really don’t know what to DO with all of this. I’m not even sure what I heard. This is…it’s…”

“Don’t put any pressure on yourself to do something right now. Take your time. Process it.” I snorted. “Said the woman who took an eternity to come to terms with her own familial bullshit.”

He lifted his head, a tiny smile upon his lips. “I adore you.”

“Of course you do.” I reached out with my free hand and cupped his chin, thumb gently stroking his stubbly cheek. “In all seriousness, though…how can I help? Do you need to vent? Rant?”

His head shook back and forth. “Not sure what I’d rant or vent about…too confused, because I just received an apology that I never saw coming nor ever imagined getting. I truly believed it would be about you, his reason for being here. But I think that might have been because of my own fear, that my father wouldn’t like you, that he wouldn’t approve of you, and it makes me sick to think that after all he’s done and all this time, that deep down, his opinion matters to me and I still crave his approval and his respect and his blessing and…and…” His voice broke as he began to sob. “And…and…his…lo…love.”

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him to my chest, and he wept upon my shoulder, uncontrollably, struggling to silence himself but unable to do so completely. Every time a gasp or muted wail escaped him I had to rein in a wince, as it reminded me of how both he had broken down in our hotel room in New Orleans and how I’d done the same at my mother’s house. This time, at least, I was fully present and able to offer him comfort. He clung to me as I stroked the back of his head and rocked him, and as he began to calm I whispered in his ear.

“I’m here. It’s okay, baby. I know. I know how it hurts. I understand. I love you.”

My sentiments were repeated until he spoke, his face buried in the crook of my neck. His voice was ragged, but soft. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I love you too.”

Just as I opened my mouth to say for what seemed like the millionth time that he need not apologize I felt his own mouth open, teeth sinking into my flesh, lips pressing, followed by suction so powerful it made my toes curl.

“Well hello there, Hiddleston. Damn. This is…unexpected. But please, do continue.”

He growled, fumbling with the hem of my sweater, working his hand inside to caress my left breast through the satin of my bra. Right after he began to pinch my hardened nipple, he pulled away from me, yanking his own sweater off over his head and blowing his nose in it. The snarky comment on my lips was suppressed by his tongue thrusting into my mouth as he guided me into a standing position. I bit down on it and he moaned, hips jutting forward and grinding against me. The kissing continued, sloppy and wet, a long string of saliva still connecting us when we finally came up for air and attempted to separate. Neither of us said a word, the only sound in the room the discordant noise of us removing our shoes and stripping off our clothes as quickly as humanly possible, flinging them everywhere. I looked away from my bra hooks for a moment to find him watching me, pupils blown, jaw clenched. My nether region did some clenching of its own as I completed the task at hand, spun the bra around on my index finger, then let it fly through the air to land on the dresser top. He remained where he was, and I strode toward him, biting my lip as I noticed his cock twitch. Leaning forward when I reached him, I blew on his chest hairs, the initial shiver intensifying as my tongue snaked out and circled his right nipple, then his left. When I added teeth, he pushed me up and off him, then walked me backwards to the bed. His voice was dripping with desire when he spoke, as was his cock.

“Hands and knees for me? On the bed?”

I nodded, mouth agape, panting at the thought of him taking me from behind. While there wasn’t a single position I didn’t like, doggy style was one of my favorites. Just a flash of what it always felt like, his hips slapping against my ass, was enough to cause a rush of wetness that began to trickle down my thighs. I turned and clambered onto the bed, scooting up far enough so he had room to join me, wiggling my own hips suggestively and peeking over my shoulder back at him. He was on me in a heartbeat, pulling my cheeks apart, one nimble finger dipping into me, then pulling out to circle my clit.

“The view from back here, woman. I wish you could see it, see yourself spread wide…open and ready. Ready for me. For my cock. Are you ready for my cock, Maude?”

I whimpered, quietly, I thought, but he heard me anyway.

“Oh, I’m of a mind that you’re MORE than ready.” The head nudged my entrance. “Are you? More than ready? Have you reached the point of desperation? Is it driving you mad, feeling me so close but not where you need me to be most?”

With that I slammed backwards, taking him all in, and the sound he made was half scream, half moan and entirely too loud. He grabbed my hips and began thrusting, hard, fast, and grunting with every single re-entry. I felt his fingers intertwine with my hair, then tugging on it gently but firmly and holding my head in place. He slowed, regaining some semblance of control, which I snatched away by rolling my pelvis and pushing back against him, parrying his thrusts. The hand that had been in my hair disappeared and his arm wrapped around my chest, pulling me up and back, until my ass was resting on his thighs, my knees bent and spread wide, feet resting on either side of him. He ran his tongue up and down the back of my neck as he began to massage my clit, and I squealed. His response was a whisper, and his hot breath on my ear making me clench around him.

“Ride. Me.”

“Yep. Sounds good. Will do.”

I lifted myself off his cock slowly, then sank back down, then again, and again and again, my tempo increasing with each instance as I drew closer to orgasm. As it began he propelled us both forward again, me coming to rest on my elbows with my cheek pressed to the bed, him on top of me, body covering me like a blanket, holding himself up with one arm at first so he could continue playing with my clit, then shifting as the need for additional support arose when he came, hips jerking erratically, mouth open and lips on my shoulder, moaning and whimpering as he spent himself inside me, my walls squeezing and pulsing, leaving me without words, or thoughts, feeling nothing but the pleasure in that moment.

We remained as we were until our panting returned to simply breathing, his chin resting on my shoulder. Tom regained the power of speech first, which was not a single bit surprising.

“Sorry if the timing of that appears questionable. I just…I…”

I pushed myself up on my hands, and he lifted himself off me and rolled us over. I pulled away from him, his cock slipping out of me as I did so, then rolled again to face him, index finger tracing the line of his jaw.

“No need to say it. I understand what you ‘just’.” And I did, absolutely. Receiving comfort, wanting to lose your pain in pleasure, the desire for closeness, fulfilling that desire via the act that brings you as physically close to another human as you can possibly be, reminding yourself of what’s good, affirming that you love and are loved.

He reached out to bring me closer, and I buried my face in his neck, and he buried his in my hair, stroking my back as he murmured how much he loved me and I did the same. It seemed like we’d just fallen asleep when we heard Saachi screaming excitedly out in the hallway.

“It’s morning! It’s morning! Father Christmas came! And he left presents! PRESENTS FOR ME!”

Tom and I donned our pajamas and robes, which I’d made sure to bring when he informed me that no one in the Hiddleston house dressed on Christmas day until it was time for dinner, which was actually lunch. No official breakfast, either, just chocolates and sweets and fruit and caffeinated beverages, which sounded acceptable to me. As we descended the stairs the smell of roasting turkey hit my nostrils and my stomach growled loudly. Tom snickered, and I punched him in the arm.

“It’s like, not even 6 AM yet, dude. How long has your mother been up?”

Diana’s voice sounded from below. “Birds went in the oven at 4:30.” She came into view as we reached the bottom few steps, standing in the living room doorway, wearing a Christmas apron over a fluffy green robe. “This lot is not exactly patient when it comes to food, sad to say. Happy Christmas, Maude. And you too, son of mine. Treats are all laid out…grab a handful and come on in and see what Father Christmas brought for our darling girl. Or our tiny whirling dervish, which is more fitting for today.”

We were the last ones down, everyone else seated either on one of the couches or on the floor, all pajama-clad. A group shout of ‘Happy Christmas’ ensued, and I felt like I was starring in the British version of A Christmas Story, which was amusing until I realized that I was the prime candidate for pulling a Ralphie and saying fuck. Tom and I sat on the couch facing the fireplace, next to Dave and Emma. Sarah and Ansh were on the floor, helping Saachi with her gifts, among which were puzzles, books, various stuffed creatures, and an iPad. Sarah noticed me staring at it, not realizing it was with awe.

“I know, I know…we’re going to limit screen time, but we just think there’s so much for her to learn…”

I blinked, slowly comprehending what her comment meant. “Oh, sorry, Sarah…not why I was gawking. I just really, really love the design of Apple stuff. It’s like high art…flawless, seamless, feels as if it’s an extension of you when you hold it.” Tom chuckled, and I elbowed him in the ribs. “The kid stuff…no clue. But I guess I need to GET a clue.”

Emma shrieked. “OH MY GOD, MAUDE, ARE YOU PREGNANT?”

My brain short-circuited, and I realized Tom hadn’t been kidding about them thinking that if I fainted, and he graciously jumped in to do damage control.

“Christ, Em. It’s too early for that decibel level. No, she’s not.” He turned to me, silently asking if I thought it acceptable to discuss our plans. Though it made me incredibly nervous, it being said out loud, and the fact that it would now be obvious if we weren’t successful, it was my own carelessness that had opened this particular can of worms, so I nodded for him to continue. “Or I should say, not yet. We’re going to start trying soon, once I’m done filming, most likely.”

Within seconds I found myself being hugged and kissed by all of them in succession, with the exception of James, who simply said ‘jolly news’ but remained seated, drinking a glass of milk. Saachi rescued me by stating that all her Father Christmas gifts had been opened and now it was time to see what we’d all gotten for her. Tom went to the tree to retrieve our gifts, and she followed him back to the couch and climbed into his lap, tearing open the first one before she was fully seated. It was a giraffe-printed T-shirt with a cartoon giraffe on the front, munching on some leaves.

“Oh, a giraffe! Look, Mummy!” She held the shirt up. “It’s beautiful!”

Next came matching pants, sweatshirt, and sneakers. Tom saved the best for last, and when she removed the paper and saw a plain cardboard box she gazed up at him. “I do like boxes very much, Uncle Tommy. Thank you.”

The room erupted in laughter, and I reached out to help her open it. When she saw what was inside she gasped, reached inside and pulled out the eighteen-inch high plush giraffe I’d found for her. Unlike most, its proportions were correct, which she noticed immediately. “Oh, he’s just like a REAL giraffe.” She turned to her parents. “I have my very own real-like giraffe. His name is Charlie, and we’re going to be best friends.” Snuggling him to her chest, which was adorable because he was so giant, she turned back to me. “Thank you, Auntie Maude. I love you now.” And with that, she hopped off Tom’s lap and onto mine, hugging me tightly, Charlie between us. As I returned the embrace, the fragility of her, the smallness, this little person, putting her trust in me was incredibly overwhelming and I found myself both struggling not to cry and beaming like an idiot.

She left me soon after when Ansh said her iPad was ready to use, and the rest of us began to open our presents. There was no rhyme or reason to it, other than Diana matching gifts with each individual and piling them nearby. Tom and I were lost in our own little world, choosing to open our presents to each other before ones from family. He insisted that I go first, and I argued, but he smiled that smile and I had no choice but to give in.

The first was a team Jersey, navy blue, and I wondered if he’d lost his fucking mind until I unfolded it and saw my name on the front left breast in white, with the number 31 smack in the center. The back was the same, but across the top over the number was ‘TEAM HIDDLESTON’. I stared at him, and he grinned.

“That’s your team jersey. We’ve all got one. The number is…”

“My birthday.”

He nodded. “Yes. Your birthday.”

“All the swear words.”

His head tilted. “What?”

I raised my left hand, palm towards him. “That’s me using profanity without using profanity.”

“Oh, I like that. Here, do this one next.” He handed me large, flat object, heavier than I expected. I removed the wrapping, and realized it was a frame. Inside was a poster. A movie poster. The Matrix. One of my very favorite films. And when I finally really LOOKED at it, I noticed that there were signatures. Three of them. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne.

“Thomas. Are these real? They can’t be real. Are they REAL?”

He nodded again, chuckling and licking his lips.

“ALL THE SWEAR WORDS TIMES A MILLION. How did you…my god, this is AMAZING. You are amazing. Thank you. Wow. I cannot EVEN.”

There was one more for me, a small item, the size and shape of a CD case. I peeled back the paper, and there I was, mid-song, from Hawaii karaoke. Down at the bottom was my name, with the words ‘Back to Black’ under it, and a logo. Skrillex. My mouth dropped open. “Dude. What. Is. This.”

“That’s you. From Kauai, doing Back to Black. Remastered by Skrillex. If you’ll look at the back you’ll see he did a remix for you as well.”

“NO HE DID NOT.”

Tom laughed. “Oh yes he did. Shall we listen to it now?”

I threw my arms around him. “Hiddleston, you are so thoughtful and kind and sweet and I love you, you bastard.” He hugged me back, and I pulled away. “But no, we’ll listen to it later. You have to open your stuff now. Plus I don’t think I want present company to hear me singing about a dude keeping his dick wet.”

“Excellent point. In addition, your voice does things to me…”

“Yes. Duly noted. Later. Anyway. Open the giant box first.”

I’d put all the Jurassic Park toys inside a single box, because I felt if he saw one it would be like he’d seen them all and let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like a box full of toys just waiting for you to love them. He peeled back the paper, popped the tape, lifted the flaps and the expression he wore when he realized what was inside filled me with such joy I thought I’d burst. He turned to me in disbelief.

“How did you…where did you…are these really…” He removed the electronic T-Rex from the box. “IT IS. ORIGINAL.” The rest followed suit quickly, and he placed them gently on the floor after giving them the once-over, alternating between grinning, giggling, and shaking his head. “Maude. It’s like I’m a kid again. On Christmas. This is incredible. Thank you.” With that, he kissed me, and it went on long enough for Sarah to feel the need to tell us to get a room already.

We laughed, blushing, and I decided to fess up. “I can’t take all the credit, you know. Your mom made me a list of what she could remember you having. All I did was find the stuff on eBay.”

He pinched my cheek. “Yes, but you’re the one who thought to do it.” He glanced at Diana. “Thanks, Mum. You’re becoming a regular Sneaky Pete, aren’t you?” She nodded, and I pointed to the other box, smaller than the first.

“Dude, open it. I can’t stand waiting another second.”

Of course he removed the paper at a snail’s pace just to torture me, and then pretended to not know how to get the lid off properly. His face lit up like a thousand suns when he saw the fedora.

“My very own Indiana Jones fedora. I hope you realize I’m going to where this everywhere we go forever and ever from this day forward.” As he lifted it out of the box with the intent of putting it on, I figured I should draw his attention to what he was actually holding. I reached out and grabbed his wrist.

“You might want to take a gander at the inside before you wear it.”

His puzzled gaze met my mildly impatient one, and he flipped it over.

“My god. Oh my god. OH. MY. GOD.” He stood, hat in his hand, his last comment so loud that everyone was staring at him. Emma snorted.

“Tom. It’s a hat. It’s lovely. Pipe down, won’t you?”

Tom shook his head. “It’s not just a hat. It’s a fedora signed by Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones.”

I tugged on his robe but he didn’t notice, so I stood, pausing to pull out a framed letter I’d hidden under extra tissue paper in the bottom of the box. He read it quickly, and when I saw his Adam’s apple bob I knew he was holding back a sob. A deep breath followed, then he spoke.

“It’s a note from Harrison. It says ‘Tom – Steve told me how much Indy means to you, but what really sold me was the story from your fiancée about you cutting off your sister’s braid and using it as a bullwhip. Here’s a hat. Wore it for the Last Crusade. You do good work, kid. Keep it up and you might be able to buy a real, actual bullwhip someday. – Harrison’.”

He sat back down, hat in one hand, frame in the other, staring at them both as his siblings and their significant others came over to get a better look. I sat as well, and as I did so he looked up at me.

“You did this. For me. How? How did you pull this off? I would have never expected this, for him to send one of the fedoras he actually wore. I…my god…my mind. So completely, utterly blown.”

I grinned. “I am tenacious and don’t take no for an answer.” He laughed. “Actually, I had lots of help. Friend here, client there, Steven Spielberg, and here we are. You like it, then?”

“It’s the best present…and it has a deeper meaning than me just being a huge fan, because of how we met, and what I said, and…I love you.”

My grin widened and I patted him on the shoulder. “I know.”

He roared, catching on to my Star Wars reference, and I joined in, Saachi finally looking up from her iPad to comment.

“I want a funny hat next year, please.”

Everyone laughed at that, and once the giddiness wore off it was back to the matter at hand. We’d gotten Diana a set of eight mugs, two tote bags and four T-shirts with her art printed on them, which she marveled at and said she finally felt like she might actually be a genuine artist. For Em and Dave we’d purchased a couples spa weekend, and for Sarah and Ansh we’d arranged for a date night out to see a show and spend the night at a five-star hotel in London, grandma set as the babysitter.

Diana put together a beautiful photo album that included pictures of Tom as a child, as well as other family shots for us, and she’d done a painting on canvas of Tom and I on the red carpet at the Cube gallery. And, as predicted, there was my Christmas sweater, bright blue with snowmen on the front. It was actually kind of cute, and I thought it might even be fun to put it on our first married people Christmas cards next year. Then I shook my head and decided I was going insane and that I needed some more tea immediately. Before I had a chance to get up go grab it, Diana handed me a thick greeting card envelope.

“Here, love. This one’s from me, Emma and Sarah. Technically for you and Tom, but mainly for you.”

I opened it slowly, reading the brochure and the open-ended tickets and where to call to book dates, not quite understanding what I was looking at straight away. It was something I’d never thought of, never would have thought of on my own, but wished I had and was grateful someone else had done it for me. They’d arranged for a week-long vacation for us at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel. Which was in Ireland. In Dalkey, Ireland, to be exact. Where my father had been born and lived until he met my mother and moved to the US. I didn’t speak. I couldn’t speak. The idea of seeing where he’d grown up, walking the streets he’d walked, visiting the bar his family owned…MY family owned? I didn’t know. He’d cut all ties with them, likely at my mother’s insistence, and that’s all I knew. Did he have siblings? Were his parents still alive? He never spoke of family, not once that I could recall. I’d been so angry, so hurt, that it never occurred to me that they could be out there somewhere in the world. And that they were my family, too. Which led me to the next step…what of my mother’s family? They knew there was a child, that I existed, both sides, but did they know it was…me?  Suddenly, and much to my surprise, I felt compelled to find out.

Diana was standing in front of me still, her face full of concern as I looked up at her.

“Maude, if that was too forward of us, I’m terribly sorry…we just thought you might want to, since you’re close by now…”

I passed the papers to Tom, who had been reading them over my shoulder, stood, and wrapped my arms around Diana, a muted ‘thank you’ spilling from my lips before I began to weep. Sarah and Emma made it a group hug, and I realized that while it would be wonderful to have my questions answered, it would be icing on the cake, as they say, because I’d already been blessed with a family, the people right there in that room, who had opened their lives and their hearts to me, because I loved their brother, their son, and he loved me. And what a miracle that was, especially on a day made for such things.

[cedricthedork]

Greylock being King

In the episode Baileywhoops , Greylock is seen as a prankster , someone who thinks his magic is more fun than Cedric’s and enjoys getting the spotlight.

So when Day of the sorcerer’s aired , I’d say most people were a little surprised to see Greylock as someone who wanted to take over his kingdom.  

Throughout the series we get a pretty good idea on why Cedric wants to be King but we don’t get much in sight as to why Greylock would have had the same ambition as I don’t think anyone really thought from watching the episode “Baileywhoops” that taking over the kingdom was Greylock’s dream.

When we see Greylock in the order of the wand , we just had to go along with it and presume that it must be something to do with King Magnus. Now I do think that this is the case, but I can understand why some people might be a tad confused by this due to King Magnus giving him so much praise whereas with Cedric it’s a completely different story compared to his relationship with king Roland.

So what was it about King Magnus that made Greylock want to take over his kingdom. I came up with three ideas that might be why but i don't really know.  

Reason one

Well for starters, I think one of the reasons is because when Magnus brags about Greylock , his not really praising him but is instead praising himself for having a sorcerer better than everyone else.

King Magnus is a character who is known to brag. In the episode Cedric’s apprentice , Roland tells Cedric that Magnus is always bragging about how great his kingdom is.

“We have a very special visitor coming to stay with us , King Magnus. His always bragging about how great his kingdom is.” – Roland 

When King Magnus visits he starts bragging about his chef , jester and royal sorcerer, but his not doing this to make them look good but to make himself look good, just so he can brag about how much better he has it than King Roland.

“Hahahahaha , Oh you should have been there Roland. Our Royal chef made the finest food I have ever tasted.”

“And my jester’s were so funny. The guests couldn’t stop laughing hahaha.”

“And our royal sorcerer Greylock , put on the most incredible display of magic I’ve ever seen.” 

And later in the episode when Cedric successfully makes a rabbit ( Clover ) appear , he takes this opportunity to brag about how much better his royal sorcerer is by mentioning how Greylock can make a entire zoo appear.

“You know my sorcerer made an entire zoo appear once”

The only time I think Magnus has actually praised Greylock properly was in Baileywhoops but it was only after Miranda had told the children that Greylock had offered to entertain them with his feet’s of magic that he bragged about him - “Prepare to be astounded be the greatest sorcerer , who ever waved a wand”.

Now he could have actually been praising Greylock here but his choice of words were quite interesting . According to Cedric in the episode Cedric’s apprentice , Goodwin the great was also known for being the greatest sorcerer who ever waved a wand .“You haven’t heard of Goodwin the Great. The greatest sorcerer who ever waved a wand.”- Cedric

Straight after Magnus states this about Greylock , Cedric feels the need to tell Greylock that he is just as great as he is.

Magnus also brags about his steward Slickwell but like Greylock , I think it’s to make himself look better compared to Roland such as during the Royal Croquet match against Roland and after Slickwell offers to step in for Baileywick.

“Masterful shot your Majesty” – Slickwell

“You chose the perfect  mallet for me Slickwell , as always” – Magnus

“Thank you your highness” – Slickwell 

“if it helps, I would be happy to fill in for the rest of the jubilee , i-i-if it’s all right with my King”- Slickwell

“Why I think it’s a fantastic idea. Then King Roland can see what great service is all about.” – Magnus

So If Magnus does praise them both just to make himself look better , then Magnus is only using Greylock and Slickwell to benefit his own agenda of making his kingdom look better than everyone else.

To Greylock , he may feel pretty used by this and that his accomplishments are only there to make Magnus look better and not for himself.  I don’t think Greylock would appreciate this as his someone who didn’t even like the spotlight being taken away from him or having to share the glory with someone else.

I mean just look at Greylock’s reaction when Cedric wants to share credit for the carousel ride.

“Now remember to tell your Royal parents who conjured this fun ride for you , Greylock the Grand !” – Greylock 

“You don’t think I’m going to let you get all the glory do you” - Cedric

But to be fair they were competing with one another and trying to prove who was the more fun.

Reason two

Another reason could be because Magnus doesn’t give Greylock enough freedom to do what he wants with his own magic.

In day of the sorcerer’s , the first thing Grimtrix asks the other sorcerer’s is if they are tired of royals telling them what to do.

“Friends, wizards and sorcerers I ask you. Aren’t you tried of useless Royals always telling us what to do”- Grimtrix

Greylock then nods to the other sorcerer’s in agreement showing that he doesn’t like being told what to do by Royalty. Probably by King Magnus the most.

Grimtrix then asks - “How many times have we been forced to use our magic to entertain at silly banquets?” to which Greylock looks a tad annoyed about.

Keeping these two points in mind and the fact that Magnus likes to brag to make his kingdom look better to everyone else, it could be that Magnus shows Greylock off a lot at his social events/banquets and makes him do magic that will only make the kingdom look better.  Greylock on the other hand might want to do magic that is seen as more silly and fun but does what Magnus wants because his the King.

If this is true then it would explain why he personally volunteered to entertain the children in Baileywhoops as It was probably a chance for him to lighten up and have a bit of fun for once. It also might add more reason to why Greylock couldn’t resist trying out his new palm zapper on Cedric as Cedric is always someone he can always do pranks on. 

Reason three

And now for my final reason. Because King Magus likes to brag so much ,  he probably has high expectations of his staff to be better than everyone else , making them feel more pressured to meet his standards so they don’t displease him.

In Cedric’s apprentice when Cedric started messing up his flying spell , Magnus looked quite annoyed and spoke to Roland in a harsh tone when Cedric didn’t perform his spell correctly– “ That doesn’t look like a flying rabbit to me , King Roland”. To me this hints at him getting easily annoyed if his standards aren’t met but that’s just my personal opinion.

In Balieywhoops , Slickwell stutters a bit when asking Magnus if it would be alright if he stepped in for Baileywick. This might be because he might have been anxious about Magnus approving or not as he didn’t want him to get annoyed by his request.

Later When Slickwell does step in for Baileywick , he tells everyone that their not slacking off when Slickwell is in charge. At first he just seems like a bad version of Baileywick , but because his been under King Magnus’s management , it makes you wonder if slacking off would be something he wouldn’t be willing to do due to Magnus’s high standards.

So I would say , because Magnus’s staff have such high expectations to meet they probably don’t want to risk messing anything up in case of how they might make their King feel. For Greylock , he probably feels like he can’t mess up or joke around with his magic with out displeasing Magnus so he has to be more serious when performing. If this is the case, then Greylock might have sympathised with Slickwell for wanting to be Roland’s steward instead.  

I mean , when you look at Greylock’s expression after seeing Slickwell get fired , he looks kinda sad by the situation.

He even goes to cheek if Slickwell is okay after he trips over :)

So those are just my three reasons as to why i think Greylock might have wanted to dethrone Magnus and be King instead. It would be great if we could see Greylock again or if Craig could go into more detail about why Greylock joined the order or the wand but I guess we can only theorize :) 

[setepenre-set]

Love and War (chapter 3)

Strange Magic

Bog/Marianne, T rating

This is a story about two kingdoms, side by side, but worlds apart. And at war.

When the Bog King finally wins his war against the Fairy Kingdom, he decides that a political marriage with the eldest daughter of the deposed Fairy King will help to promote peace.

Obviously, he’s never met Marianne.

AO3 | FFN 

"This shouldna' be so complicated," Bog grumbles, several months into their campaign to conquer the legal codes. "We were one realm once, it shouldna' be so difficult t' make them one again."

"To be fair," Marianne says dryly, "that was more than two hundred years ago. A lot has changed."

Bog makes a face.

"Aye," he says, "and the mending of anythin' is always harder than the breakin'."

He rubs his hand over his face, then drops it and looks at her and smiles.

The smile feels like a small, painful dart through Marianne's chest. It is hard to remember that she does not trust him, when he smiles at her like that.

"You may be interested to know," she says lightly, "that you actually have a distant relative here in the Fairy Court."

Bog blinks at her.

"Who's tha', then?" he asks.

Marianne gives him a sweet smile.

"Roland," she says.

Bog's mouth falls open and she laughs with gleeful spite.

"You're havin' me on," Bog says, "there's no way tha'—idiotic twit has any goblin blood!"

"Oh, no," Marianne says, "it goes back farther than that."

She rises and stretches her arms over her head, stretches her wings. It's been hours that she's been stuck in that chair, hunched over books.

Her eyes are closed as she stretches, so she does not see the way Bog watches her, the way he swallows and looks away.

Marianne opens her eyes and folds her wings and assumes the pose of pretentious academia that her childhood royal tutors used to hold themselves in as they lectured.

"When Queen Mab I sent Nuada Silverhand to the Dark Forest to rule as her viceroy," Marianne intones, doing her best to imitate the droning way her history tutors had spoken, "Another—rather less illustrious—branch of the family remained in the Fairy Court."

Bog's royal tutors must have been similar to hers, because he gives a snort of laughter at her performance.

" It was to this branch that Nuada's first, divorced wife, Boann, sent their child to be raised by, after she left her husband and returned to the Fairy Court." Marianne continues, still in the same pompous drone. " The Loyalist Silverhands, broke with the Dark Forest Silverhands completely during the War of Separation, though of course there were still rumors questioning their allegiance, and they were never to recover even their former standing."

Marianne stops and swallows. She drops the pose and turns away to run her fingertips over a nearby shelf.

Suddenly it doesn't seem so funny, being able to trace Bog and Roland back to a shared ancestor, no matter that Nuada the Marred died more than a hundred years ago.

Marianne remembers speaking to Roland about this, the way he'd spun the story of his ancestry into a tragic past, the way his eyes had looked so wounded when he lamented that he would always be judged by his blood, that the two of them could never be together because of it.

She'd vowed to marry him, when he'd said that, had sworn it to him, and he'd kissed her.

Her lips twist, now, at the memory.

"Roland," Bog says, spitting the name out like it's a curse. "I'd sooner be related t' a lizard than that idiot."

"At least you didn't plan to marry him," Marianne says, voice flat, looking at the bookshelf. "You're just unlucky enough to be stuck with him. I was stupid enough to actually pick him out."

"…why did you want t' marry him, anyway?" Bog asks.

Marianne makes a face at the bookshelf.

Roland had looked so beautifully vulnerable, that day she became engaged to him, his green eyes filled with artful tears, his golden hair falling just so across his brow.

She feels sick, now, to think of it.

"He was so—good looking," Marianne says

(she is turned away, still, looking at the bookshelf, and so she does not notice the way that Bog flinches when she mentions Sir Roland's beauty)

"Well," Bog says after a moment, "I won't be acknowledgin' the connection in any case, let me tell you."

Marianne gives a snort of derisive laughter and turns towards him with a wry smile. She opens her mouth to tell Bog that acknowledging the relationship would be a thing Roland would hate even more than Bog—

—and then she closes her mouth again and does not say it.

Bog claiming Roland as family would be like salt in a would for Roland, it's true, and Marianne would greatly enjoy the opportunity to watch him writhe, but—

—Marianne knows very well that Roland's offer to help her overthrow her husband springs from self-interest. If she is successful, and if Bog had previously claimed kinship to Roland—

Then she might find herself with a rival for her throne.

Royal blood.

She can picture Roland's smug face as he suggests they marry and share the realm.

Marianne has no intention of trading her current husband for Roland.

"Why don't we go stretch our wings?" she says. "I'm stiff from sitting so long."

"Good idea!" Bog says, and jumps to his feet.

They fly over half of the Fairy Kingdom, that day, and don't return to the law books at all. Late in the day, when the sun is setting, painting everything with ruddy golden light, the two of them engage in a spirited competition of increasingly complex acrobatic arial maneuvers.

Marianne turns one especially complex diving spin, and Bog, attempting to copy her, flies straight into a dandelion that's ready to seed. They both laugh at his unsuccessful struggles to rid himself of the dandelion fluff stuck in the cracks of his carapace.

"Here," she says, snickering, and lightly slaps his hands away, "just let me do it."

Bog is laughing, too, when she says that.

(when she touches him, their laughter dies away into a strangely fraught kind of silence, and neither of them understand why.)

Marianne's fingers move, deft and gentle, over his shoulders, his head, his back.

Their fight in Marianne's chambers that night is especially fierce.

Afterwards, when they're both lying on the floor, panting and exhausted, Bog turns his head to look at Marianne, intending to ask her a question.

Her face is flushed, her eyes sparkling, her skin glistening with perspiration.

(as he gazes at her, one drop of sweat slides down her cheek, over the corner of her jaw, and then slips down her neck and for some reason this is incredibly mesmerizing to him)

She raises her eyebrows, asking without words what he wants to say.

(his mind scrambles for a panicked split second, trying to remember)

"—is there a reason," he asks, "why you dinnae keep your sword here? It's a bit foolish, isn' it, me fetchin' it from the armory every night?"

Marianne, blinks at him.

She had kept her sword in her bedroom, before their marriage, and had only moved it to the armory to lull any suspicions her husband might have of her intention to eventually stage a coup against him.

He doesn't look at all suspicious now.

(his piercing-bright blue eyes are heavy lidded with languor, after the exertion of her fight, and something hot and unexpected twists in the pit of Marianne's stomach)

"—no," she says, "no, there's no reason not to keep it here."

She sits up. The hot thing is still twisting in her stomach as Bog sits up as well, and leans back against her sofa.

(—so odd, the way he's all sharp edges and harsh textures, and yet he moves with such powerful grace and—)

Marianne stands up suddenly, her sword once more in hand. She points it at him, looks down the length of the blade at him.

"Again," she says.

Bog looks up at Marianne in dismay.

She looks entirely unfatigued, in spite of the way her hair is sticking to her brow with sweat.

Bog, by contrast, feels as if the entire populace of their realm has trampled him.

"Do you never get tired?" he asks incredulously.

Marianne grins at him and then snaps out her wings challengingly.

And Bog—

Bog finds himself struck, all of a sudden, by how very beautiful she really is—lean corded muscles and those bright violet wings of hers, power and grace together—

"So disappointing," she says with mock sorrow, "the mighty Bog King."

Bog makes a sound of protest.

Marianne sighs theatrically, inspects the nails on her free hand.

"I guess I was just expecting—"

She looks up at him, one eyebrow raised.

"More," she says.

Bog swallows.

"—you're gonna be th' death of me, tough girl," he manages to say.

He climbs to his feet, staff in hand, and Marianne laughs as they both take up defensive stances again.

The next morning, when she walks into the breakfast room, her sword hangs at her side. Bog looks up as she enters, and he sees her, and—

Oh, Bog thinks.

Marianne sits down at the breakfast table.

—oh no, he thinks, dismay following hard on the heels of understanding.

He's gone and fallen in love with his wife.

...to be continued.

Thank you so much for all of the comments! I really appreciate them so much. And I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!

notes on the cultural background:

In the cultural background I've come up with, the Fairy Kingdom was already a well-established kingdom two hundred years ago when Queen Mab I reigned.

Mab I, with the help of her head general, Nuada, expanded the Fairy Kingdom into the Dark Forest, which had not previously had any centralized government of its own. This invasion is known as the War of Conquest. Nuada lost a hand during this campaign, and replaced it with a prosthetic silver one, leading to him becoming known as Nuada Silverhand.

Following the conquest of the Dark Forest, Mab I sent Nuada Silverhand into the Dark Forest to rule as her viceroy. Nuada became steadily more discontented with Mab I's governing, and steadily more sympathetic to the denizens of the Dark Forest, and eventually broke with Mab I and the Fairy Kingdom, leading to the War of Separation, which Nuada and the Dark Forest won.

Nuada's first wife, Boann, a fairy, left him and returned to the Fairy Kingdom where she gave birth to a child by Nuada. Boann later became the lover of Mab's youngest son, Dagda II, and stayed in the palace of the Fairy Kingdom, sending her child by Nuada away to be raised by the branch of her former husband's family that remained in the Fairy Kingdom.

(Marianne and Dawn's father is actually Dagda III.)

Nuada Silverhand then married a goblin, and his descendants, who rule the Dark Forest, have continued to do so as well, until Bog.

Bitter at losing the War of Separation, the Fairy Kingdom began referring to Nuada Silverhand as 'Nuada the Traitor', 'Nuada the Marred', and various other insulting names.

Roland is a descendant of Nuada and Boann. His family name actually is Silverhand; but he doesn't use it very often because he hates his family history. After the War of Separation was lost, his family still in the Fairy Kingdom was pushed out of the main court to the unfashionable southern part of the Kingdom. (Notice how Roland's accent is different from everyone else's in the movie? That's why.)

Physical beauty and perfection is desperately important to Roland because he is haunted by the fact that he's related to 'Nuada the Marred'. And this is why he was so determined, in canon, to be given command of the army—he says, remember, that he wishes to 'clear' the Dark Forest—he wants to undo the work of Nuada and the War of Separation, to clear it away, clear the slate.

The Nuada lineage also explains why Bog, in canon, superficially resembles the fairies more than any of the other goblins do. And why Bog is king even though Griselda is still alive: the royal blood is on Bog's father's side. After Bog's father's death, Griselda ruled as regent until Bog's majority, when she stepped aside. Her titles are now Dowager Queen and Queen Mother, although it's really only the fairy court that calls her by those. The Dark Forest is much less formal, and she's usually just called "the king's mother" or simply "Griselda".

The Dark Forest monarchs descending from Nuada Silverhand choose royal names that reference their non-royal parent, strengthening their connection with the populace of the Dark Forest. Griselda's family originates from an actual bog in the Dark Forest.

Bog introduces himself to Dawn, in canon, as The Bog King—as in, 'King-whose-family-is-from-the-bog', not just 'my name is Bog'.

His name is Bog, too—the name and the title are one. Before he reached majority and assumed the crown, he was just called 'the prince'—the heirs to the Dark Forest are not named at birth, but choose their own names when they reach majority.

Another note on accents—Nuada and Mab I's accents would have been approximately the same as a true 'shakespeare-era' accent. When Nuada removed to the Dark Forest, the accent of the Dark Forest royalty developed into Bog's scottish twang. The accent of the Fairy Kingdom's royal family and court developed into a modern british accent. The common people of the Fairy Kingdom have an american accent. Recently, the royalty of the Fairy Kingdom has been picking up the accent of the common people; Dagda's 'royal' accent is slight and Marianne and Dawn's is nonexistent.

notes on inspiration for the cultural background:

Nuada is a figure from Irish mythology. He was the king of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, but he lost one hand in battle. Since he was no longer "physically perfect" after the loss of his hand, he was replaced by another king, who proved to be so awful that the Tuatha Dé Dannan decided that maybe they didn't want to be quite so ableist after all, and reappointed Nuada, who had, in the meantime, replaced his lost hand with a working silver prosthetic one, as their king again.

Boann was Nuada's wife in the mythology, and she did have an affair with Dagda, another member of the Tuatha Dé Dannan.

The Tuatha Dé Dannan were originally gods and goddesses; later they were driven underground into fairy mounds, and became known as the aes sídhe, or the fairies.

Queen Mab is a traditional name for a fairy queen; she's the fairy that Mercurio talks about in Romeo and Juliet.

[theteenagetrickster]

Producing Live House & Techno with Hazmat | Waves

Performer, talk carton fanatic, songwriter and also manufacturer Walter Howard-- a.k.a Hazmat Live (Charlie Wilson, 4 Leadings, Amp Fiddler, Spirit Clap)-- speaks digital improv, producing live techno/house and exactly how he remixes traditional songs, taking them to yet another sonic size.

By David Ampong, Waves Audio

Where carries out the title Hazmat arise from?

The label Hazmat originates from an area where I believe the popular music I make is actually harmful material that interrupts mainstream complacency. I do not count on cookie-cutter labels or keeping in my street. I desire to push limits as well as produce eternities. The tag "Hazmat Live" gives me the cover-up to operate with.

Being coming from Detroit "Electric Motor Metropolitan area," native home of Techno as well as Motown-- as well as all the various other changes in scripture, rut, jazz and deeper home that were actually generated in this wonderful city-- I have actually been honored to operate in each of these categories and it has actually assisted me promote a definitely special noise. The influence Detroit carries the planet is actually crystal clear and also found. I am actually very blessed to become an aspect of the popular music textile of Detroit. It is actually incredibly necessary that I exemplify my people.

What plugins do you make use of throughout the creative procedure in the studio?

I am actually a large supporter of the Bass Fingers. When I initially heard this VST, it streamed my mind! I could not feel what I was actually listening to-- The fatness, fret sound, the strand rattle, etc.-- Everything merely matched up for me. It matches all my bass production necessities as well as is really easy to use.

I also can't reside without the Friary Road Selection (specifically, Abbey Street Plastic as well as the J37 Strip). It strikes my thoughts just how hot and textural you can obtain with the entire collection. Awakening Vox is actually a standard in my audio chain; coupled with the H-Delay, you can't lose. The Element Digital Analog Synth is just one of the only software application synths I as if to make use of. It possesses a really uncooked and analog feel, plus the sequencer spares the time for me. Truly fantastic tools for my innovative process.

How perform you make and play online techno & & home? Just how do you specify 'Digital Improv'?

Well, my current scenic tour rig is a light one, but quite strong! I possess the Roland TR8-S, MC-707 and a JD-Xi together with an Akai MPC Live. I possess an external clock that I deliver to a MIDI center which manages the entire gear. And depending on the space and also what kind of efficiency I am actually performing, I may deliver the chat box out with me also.

Playing online house/techno for me is a lot like the post-bop, complimentary jazz-era. I am actually a jazz performer through profession as well as "electric improv" is merely me being applicable the policies of jazz music to a dance flooring. I could transform the drum gouge totally or remix the bass line by adding and also subtracting keep in minds. I might get on a synth lead as well as produce a haunting melody and loop, then generate a totally various monitor altogether. There is actually something about playing along with musical instruments that gives me a different feeling of spontaneity.

I opt for to create 90% of right stuff I perform coming from blemish, merely because I really want the dance flooring and also audiences to feel me in that second. Eventually, I want folks to experience the tough work as well as musicality I put into each collection. Making the popular music in the house just gets you until now; it's the live electricity of the people that helps spark originalities and also boosts the audience or even dance flooring to one more amount. My target is actually to embody who I am actually though house/techno and also as a Detroit artist. My hope is to motivate additional entertainers to produce house and techno as well as give the terms "live collection" their appropriate dental crown.

You lately did a remix cover of Sade's timeless song: 'No Ordinary Passion'. Exactly how did you create it unordinary?

Sade's songs has actually always interested me! I like every gouge as well as by chance, I feel an exotic wind on my face when I pay attention to their music. For eight moments I failed to wish you to become on the dancing flooring; I desired you to be drifting over it. I wanted people to be actually moved in to a vibrant sonic size where they may experience wind on their faces, as if they were actually piloting over a lovely sky line.

I am actually a massive synth nerd as well as I would like to make all my textures with the old equipment and also drum machines I invite my compilation. I feel this really provided me a way to arid my soul and also to possess a limitless combination to coat with. The groove of Sade's "No Ordinary Love" is super-sexy, and I desired to honor among the dopest bass pipes ever through merely maintaining it the same and property electronic feelings around it. Hopefully I did right through it and the globe dancings along with my analysis of this particular wonderful tune.

The mix on this monitor is actually very fat deposits and also I can not take any type of credit rating for that. Grammy-award winning designer Khaliq Glover (a.k.a Khaliq-O-Vision) placed his stamp on this tune as well as made it stand out. I will mention that I am actually a budding mix developer and also I possess a lot to discover the sonic world. Waves plugins have entirely given me fantastic devices for finding my noise. However I enjoy to work off the mixing parts to the sonic artist or mix developer to accomplish their point and also bring all of it to lifestyle.

Vocoders as well as talk packages are actually nothing at all new, yet what is it regarding all of them that can create something audio new again?

The talk container may turn minds immediately! It's a tool I utilize to be actually lively vocally and also to grab the audience's curiosity. It can easily bring brand new life to a dated item and add an indisputable twist to the right song. I utilized it on my remake of "No Ordinary Affection" and additionally to enrich my remake of "Songs & & A glass of wine" in 2018. I believed the talk box would be actually a wonderful treatment for this classic jam. I made an effort very challenging to layer the components and also give the track an emotional shipment.

Some people still possess no tip what a speak box is actually, however they have actually heard it their entire lives. The talk carton includes many hrs of intense test and also inaccuracy, ear training, exercising scales and learning just how to sing along with a cylinder in your mouth! It absolutely is an art type and also a 10,000-hour task. My goal is to carry even more understanding to a currently worldwide popular music fighting style. Talk boxers like Byron 'Mr. Talkbox' Chambers have actually made substantial strides in maintaining the talk trap the mainstream radio as well as present day songs. Our experts get on the sonic battlefield, preserving the art and also legacy of Mr. Roger Troutman, the master of speak container. Hopefully even more people will definitely help us maintain this craft constitute a component of the future as well as recover its own due area as the forerunner of voice modulation.

Stay in the loop along with the current material as well as jobs from Hazmat Live.

This content was originally published here.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

here’s some more extensive Linking To Vids

another performance of amphibian with some more really fun riffing there

just mentioned how this Stand Alone song is also a lot of fun........everyone’s Energy

speaking of energy love 2 watch him singing It Wasn’t Me here getting all worked up with it.......classic for him to just bring it to whatever performance like that. love it

another retro vid here of little guy wrol performing at a jen ash tep If It Even Only Runs A Minute event singing floozies, bringing the energy, getting the Acting in at every moment.....beautiful

this number from academia nuts is insane but they do a great job with it lmfaoo

flesh and bone is an extra great joe iconis song and of course wrol performing it is *mwah*

another hell of an iconis song is Helen......transcends description. lot of fun here

i’m not falling for that is a real Different one like, wrol can and will kill a bunch of self-contained character songs, and can validate a love song via his performance of it, but this is like, a character song for a [relationship status Vibe] sort of lol

another “well fuck it here’s a bmc-related thing” but really 8-bit big band two-player game is So enjoyable 

speaking of will roland making love songs legitimate......fuckin love him singing nightingale sang in berkley square it’s so sweet 

speaking of him singing more dialed back love songs and it’s so lovely, i was already familiar with Something So Right and was like “yea this is a fine song” lmao but, in another edition of This Is Better Than The Official Version, wrol does it again, :’|

and another losersongs number here dialed back love(-related lol) song here with Not In The Room posted recently, once again it is just like ;__; 

on a completely different note, love this vid of him being cyril von miserthorpe at last year’s joe iconis christmas extravaganza, a vital time.......i just Think of this particular delivery of “and really i’d better scurry” and laugh about it. love him and lauren performing together whenevs

speaking of his iconis xmas performances, i also cherish this vid of him doing the uncle peenie bit, which Also ft. “me laughing whenever i think about / experience his delivery of ‘here we go’ like 3 min in” and it’s also just a delight that his mom is the first Audience Participant.

and as another iconis xmas installment it’d be remiss not to link 2 his mister chestnut christmas medley. More classic “wrol bringing a lot of energy and he’ll do these self-contained performances that manage to give you this real individual sense of character” we love that

and really how can i not promo All the billions content. here’s a handy compilation of his s3-s4 material (his character having first appeared in s3) and here’s me with a Compilation Of The Links to the vids of his s5 appearances up to Now

what would you consider some must have wrol content?

boy what Wouldn’t i.......

but really lol okay gonna just skip over deh and bmc since they’re Most Known and have a lot of readily available content (emphasis on A Lot lol like if i get too much into detail that’ll be its own whole thing. but like, if everyone hasn’t already listened to the specifically acoustic version of loser geek whatever or partaken in this moment in the tiny desk vimh.....)

lbr will’s right about how “comfort and joy” might be the best Act 1 Closer and the person in the comments of this video is right that this performance is the best version of comfort and joy available online

speaking of particular performances, this “amphibian” is 100% Required Viewing

and speaking of best versions: best teenage dirtbag everyone else give it up.

speaking of everything and also more recently, he really brought all these Classic Elements to his performance of jeff at the lincoln center.......the fact that he gives So Much effort and energy to any performance of whatever; being able to be both funny and heartbreaking and a) at any given moment i’ll drop a short essay about how it’s more impressive to Know How To Be Funny than not and it means you can probably also out-drama ~dramatic~ performers who Don’t Know How To Be Funny and b) thank you to this [will roland performing “jeff”] for making me cry many times; the Singing; the Acting; the not-cishet energy; great visuals to appreciate here as well with his tie clip dishevelment Choice and the pyramid of traffic bokeh behind him and the wrolstache and also his bosom. 

there’s a lot of good stuff out there but for now let’s leave it at that lil handful and this one more Required Viewing which is that like, if anyone’s been following me in the last year+ you probably know You Gotta Watch The Kompenso Clips. winnie n tay babey

[katmtan]

BWW Interview: CONSTELLATIONS' Ginnifer Goodwin & Allen Leech - Shining Stars Converging To Be Terrified - Live!

Two well-recognizable and popular television actors Ginnifer Goodwin and Allen Leech will be making their respective Los Angeles and United States theatre debuts in playwright Nick Payne’s award-winning CONSTELLATIONS at The Geffen Playhouse beginning June 6, 2017. CONSTELLATIONS imparts the “What if?” query for a beekeeper and a quantum physicist in their quests to find love.

I had the chance to shoot Ginnifer and Allen a few questions into the ethers just before they settled in and alighted on The Geffen stage.

Thank you, Ginnifer and Allen for making the time for this interview.

Have either of you seen any previous productions of CONSTELLATIONS before?

Allen Leech: I saw the original production in the Royal Court. We have a lot to live up too!

Ginnifer Goodwin: I haven’t. I doubt I’d have had the guts to pursue this role if I’d seen, say, impeccable Sally Hawkins or GENIUS Ruth Wilson play her as they did at the Royal Court and MTC, respectively.

Ginnifer, how would you contrast and compare your character of Marianne in CONSTELLATIONS with those of Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard you play in Once Upon a Time?

GG: I don’t know where to begin! These characters couldn’t differ more. I think they only have in common that I play them. So they’ll seem similar because it’s not like I can actually get away from myself. The amalgamated Snow White/Mary Margaret is hopeful, impulsive, terribly selfish and utterly selfless. Marianne hides behind her intellect and uses it as a shield. She embarrasses herself constantly and brazenly, which does make her brave in my book. I suppose that makes both characters brave. Marianne comes to the table fairly complete. She’s also witty and prideful and isolating. I’d like to be friends with Marianne. Though I can’t imagine she’s a Disneyphile.

And, Allen, how would you contrast and compare your character of Roland in CONSTELLATIONS with Tom Branson on Downton Abbey?

AL: I think there is a strong similarity in their warmth and their heart. But Roland is funnier and has a much darker side to him.

Ginnifer, this will be your Los Angeles stage debut after how many years living in LA?

GG: I lived in LA for exactly the years that I worked on Big Love. I then moved to Vancouver for Once. I have only just returned after six seasons.

What made you pick CONSTELLATIONS as your first cross on your Los Angeles boards?

GG: I truly stalked everyone at The Geffen Playhouse for this job. I had been starving for theatre. I mentioned this to a director friend who asked, “In what plays are you interested? Are there characters you are itching to play-stories you are dying to tell?” I was stumped. I also realized I was completely out of touch. I called The Drama Book Shop in NYC and ordered boxes of contemporary plays and classic pieces I had missed along the way. I fell hard for CONSTELLATIONS. Then the LA Times suddenly published an announcement about The Geffen’s upcoming production. That was last summer or fall, some time. I immediately called my manager and agents and asked, “Can you please get me into a room with the director?” I hopped a plane to LA, I wrote letters, and here we are!

Allen, this will mark your United States stage debut. What made you pick CONSTELLATIONS to make your first U.S. stage appearance?

AL: A combination of so many things. I love the work The Geffen Playhouse has put on in the past. I’m a huge fan of Ginnifer’s work. And I love this play. So I feel very lucky.

So you’re familiar with Ginnifer’s work?

AL: I am. She’s a phenomenal actress.

GG: I was a Downton Abbey junkie. I also loved The Imitation Game. I am a huge fan. I have to work not to call him “Branson.”

Ginnifer, you received your BFA from Boston University after studying in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and training with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Did your paths cross, by any chance?

AL: They have not, she has clearly been avoiding me.

GG: I never met Allen until we recently went on a double date. We, then discovered that we have an uncanny number of social circle overlaps. Now that we are both Angelenos, I suppose we will run into each other, extra-curricularly, more often.

Ginnifer, what do you miss about living in London?

GG: West End theatre; Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery; curry; omnipresent history (being from a country that’s a relative baby); Sunday roast and around-the-clock tea, both traditions we honor in our California home; leaving London for the countryside; my English friends; walking. I’m half-English and like to think I’m entitled to London somehow. My English friends tease me about this.

Are both of you familiar with any of Nick Payne’s work?

AL: Yes, I am. He has a beautiful style of writing. ELEGY at the Donmar Warehouse was fantastic. I love the questions he asks. No more so than in CONSTELLATIONS.

GG: I have only read CONSTELLATIONS and IF THERE IS, I HAVEN’T FOUND IT YET. I will next read his ELECTRA. He is a favorite playwright.

Allen, by any chance did you ever go to the National Theatre bookshop in 2008 or 2009? You might have been waited on by your playwright working as sales clerk then.

AL: I did all the time! Wow! I would love to think that I did meet him.

You both have worked with some TV and screen legends, (and, at least, one Dame). Tell us a wonderful piece of advice from one or more of them.

AL: Dame Maggie says, “Say it faster, say it better!”

GG: My co-stars have taught me mostly by example. Julia Roberts starred in my first movie. She was always on time and the first person to set. She always made everyone feel like a million bucks. Even when she had the flu and had been shooting all day, she gave a full off-camera performance for the extras. I strive for such professionalism and cannot abide less from others. I suppose Julia did give me verbal advice, too. She encouraged me to keep my private life private and to remain, as I mature in this business, as “me” as possible.

How does the schedule of working on this play compare with your other ‘regular’ jobs on Downton Abbey and Once Upon a Time?

AL: We work shorter hours on CONSTELLATIONS than we did on Downton Abbey. But because it’s a two-hander, the work is a lot more intense.

GG: For Once, if I am in every scene over the course of a week, I will work for 80 hours and won’t rehearse before that day’s blocking call. A season is nine months long. CONSTELLATIONS will be less grueling, time-wise, at 36 rehearsal hours, and then eight performances a week. The whole experience will only last from May until mid-July. That being said, I expect the stage process to seriously kick my butt in all other ways.

Does the danger of performing live with no retakes entice you?

AL: Theater is where I started acting, so it’s nice to come back to that fear and excitement. It never goes away.

GG: Yes, I am terrified. But I was looking to be terrified.

Aside from the obvious economic benefits from larger television and film budgets, which would you like to spend more time acting in: theatre, TV or film?

GG: I love the TV series life. When a movie is fulfilling, I believe in magic again. But theatre is home.

AL: I would like to be greedy and do all three all at the same time, if possible.

What message would you like The Geffen audiences to leave with after your CONSTELLATIONS’ curtain call?

GG: I want them to find their own messages after asking themselves lots and lots and lots of questions.

AL: If they leave asking questions about love, the chances in life that you’ve missed and the ones you’ve taken, I’ll be happy!

Thank you Both again! I look forward to seeing your shining stars converging in your CONSTELLATIONS.

For ticket availability and show schedule through July 16, log onto www.geffenplayhouse.org

http://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Interview-CONSTELLATIONS-Ginnifer-Goodwin-Allen-Leech-Shining-Stars-Converging-To-Be-Terrified-Live-20170606

[emmakillianfan]

Music of the Heart Chapter 48 of ?

Previous Chapters: FF.net and AO3

The work room on the back hallway of Storybrooke Academy was relatively quiet as Killian crunched into his apple and waited for the copy machine to whir its way through the stack of musical theory sheets he was trying to disseminate before next week’s test. Letting his mind wander, he did thought of Emma and the future they were planning together. While he certainly could not wait to marry her, he had very few qualms about any sort of wedding she might enjoy. Instead his focus was on the life afterward, appreciating her honesty about wanting to adopt.

He had thought she was brave before, but the moment she had admitted that made his eyes shine brightly with pride for her honesty and bluntness. Yes, he wanted children with her, the thought making him feel happy just to consider the idea. If she preferred adoption as a way of accepting what she had been through, then he would go through the process with her. In the not yet a year since they had been dating, he was sure of two things more in his life. First he was sure that he was meant to be at her side and love her for the rest of his life. Second he had found himself feeling immense pride and love for a boy who would at most call him his stepfather. The fact that he and Henry had not biological connection did not seem to limit his ability or desire to be a part of the child’s life.

Setting the apple aside, Killian was refilling the paper tray to finish the job when Mary Margaret entered the room, followed by Belle. The petite teacher looked physically pained at the presence of their boss’s wife. She gave Killian a half smile and told him that she was very thankful for his suggestion of a substitute for her class that morning.

“I trust she did a fine job?” he asked, leaning against the machine.

“Oh yes, and it was wonderful not to have to worry about anything while I was at my appointment. David and I got to see the baby!” Her eyes lit up as she spoke about the baby, describing him or her in terms of the size of a fruit and giving a general run down of what she had read that week. Killian nodded patiently, hoping that whatever she was there to tell him was not time sensitive.

“That’s so exciting!” Belle gushed, hugging the other woman tightly. “I’m so happy for you. I know my husband can be a bit of a stickler for rules, but be sure to get with him about your leave. It’ll be here before you know it.”

All talk of babies and ultrasounds done, Belle turned on her precariously high heels to rummage through a supply cabinet. Like many teachers, the sight of new office supplies delighted the woman to no end. She was practically singing with joy to show Mary Margaret and Killian the brand new pair of scissors she procured, as well as a roll of tape with cat paw prints on it.

“Smashing,” Killian said with a practiced grin. His copies now complete, he had no reason to stay in the work room and looked toward the exit. However, Mary Margaret was already a few steps ahead of him. She stepped toward the machine and started her own job coallating before letting out a little gasp. The picture of innocence with her pink cheeks and peter pan collar on a black and white dress, she smiled sweetly. “I think you forgot this one,” she said, tucking a magazine into his stack of papers that were in his folded arm. “I read it a few weeks ago. Good stuff on classroom management in there. I think you’ll really like the article on creative mind mapping. Page 33 I think.”

He smiled back, dipping his head in the direction of both women. “Good day to you both,” he said, backing his way out of the room. Once back in his classroom he thumbed to the page and found a post it note from the other teacher. On it she explained she had found a place that would be ideal for their campus. A former school had been abandoned three years ago when a newer school was built. It was currently sitting empty and had enough room for their first year and potential growth from there.

He didn’t have time to check out the link she mentioned in the note, as his phone chirped loudly. He halfway expected it to be Emma checking in with him, but found that Robin’s smiling face was staring back from his contacts.

“Do me a favor, mate?” Robin asked, sounding desperate. “Pick up Roland and keep him until a bit later. Something’s come up and I need to deal with a job.”

***AAA***

Graham stared at the copied sheets of paper, occasionally shifting his eyes to the notepad at his side and scribbling down a word or phrase of observation. He seemed unaware of the anxious pair across from him or at least unaffected. Tapping the cap of his pen against his lips, he squinted at the page he was currently reading.

“The guy is wordy enough to be a Jones,” Elsa grumbled, looping her arm through Liam’s. “You and Killian can both expand a sentence like no others.”

Even the jest that Elsa was poking at him made no difference as the elder of the brothers chewed at his bottom lip and occasionally lifted a now empty cup of tea. The third time he made that gesture, she reached out to stop him, smiling reassuringly.

Finally Graham dropped the pages on the counter, running a hand over his face. “Before we get into logistics and my thoughts, I want to know what you both think. Do you feel this was something sent as a threat?”

Appalled, Liam wrenched his arm away from Elsa and pointed incredulously at the letter. “Bloody hell, mate. It says right there that this man child is looking to do me harm. It says point blank that no matter what we do to guard Elsa that we are not safe and should expect the worse. How the bugger am I supposed to take it?”

Graham nodded and made another note on the page. “And you still believe this to be your brother’s doing? Your younger brother, also named…Liam?”

“Aye, it makes sense and would explain why my own name is being used.”

“Elsa, you’ve never met this man, is that correct?”

She shook her head, her face pale and drawn from both the stress of the situation and the lack of makeup. She had been enjoying a quiet bath and listening to some potential new tracks when Liam had called in frantic mode. She had thrown on the first set of clothes she could find, a pair of jeans and his own tshirt that she had covered with a flannel shirt that she usually only wore on lazy Sunday afternoons. “I haven’t met any of Liam’s family but Killian.”

“And when was the last time you saw your brother?” Graham asked, flipping through the pad while he waited to hear the answer.

“I heard from him a few months ago, but I haven’t seen him in…well, I’ve seen pictures. I haven’t ever really met him since he was a lad.” Liam reached back for Elsa, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm. “My father…well, he started life again with his new wife. Killian and I stayed away.”

“Family can be complicated,” Graham mused, his eyes scanning the spiral pad as though looking for something. “And how did you acquire these pictures you’ve seen? Your father?”

Liam shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting over to the overfull bulletin board that contained memos and alerts from at least the last five years. “Online, okay? I was curious. I wanted to see what he looked like. I wanted to see…he’s my half-brother. I was curious.”

The soft squeeze of Elsa’s hand was comforting as Graham wrote down another note but said nothing. “I think that’s pretty natural,” she offered in defense. “I know I have always been curious about family I barely know.”

***AAA***

“I don’t know anything yet,” Emma said without looking up from the text that Elsa had sent about still waiting on Graham to get a location on the younger Liam. She knew that Regina was anxious, as the statement to the media about the previous incidents were creating a stir. One national news magazine show was even calling about doing an interview with Elsa.

“We do have other things going on besides some kid stalking his big brother,” Regina said from the doorway. “Though it does have to do with Elsa and your boyfriend, apparently.”

“What?” Emma asked, raising her head for the first time in hours. “What about Killian?”

“Roark Stevens, the DJ who has launched almost every hit song in the last decade, wants to have Elsa and Killian on to talk about the recording of Intertwined. I know there has not been much made of them going beyond just recording it for radio and internet release, but the buzz is out there. Roark heard the track at a recent industry event. He’s very excited.”

Emma’s jaw dropped, her eyes blinking at her boss. “Have you forgotten that we’re trying to keep Elsa out of the spotlight for a week or two. And Killian is a teacher, not one of our artists. You can’t require him to do this.”

“You’re so dramatic about things. It’s a radio interview about the song they recorded. Unless you finally want to admit that it was just a vanity project to make your boyfriend feel included?”

“I’m just not understanding your plan here. They recorded the song. If we still did records, it would be a b-side, never performed and just a footnote in her career. So let’s say they did the interview. Then what? Are you thinking to release this thing? Would you try to get them booked on talk shows and stuff? Because that’s impossible. Killian is a teacher. He can’t jet off for a six minute performance and interview. No, if he wants a new song from her, she’s got plenty of solo stuff or that duet with Liam. Either of those options is better.” Emma was aware of how much time and energy had gone into convincing Killian to record. He had said while he loved making music, he was uncomfortable with the process of recording. She was pretty sure that some of the awkwardness was singing with someone who was his brother’s girlfriend.

“Run it by him and her. I want their answers, not yours. But I am on the record as saying I want this, Ms. Swan. This is important to this label and our careers. Opportunities like this don’t come around every day.”

***AAA***

Reaching toward the sun visor on the passenger side of the car, Liam jabbed his finger at the garage door opener several times. “Bloody useless thing,” he muttered as it didn’t work for him.

“It’s probably just the batteries,” Elsa told him, glancing in the mirror to see the guard slip his car into a spot across the street. It was a different man that the night before and different even from that morning. She didn’t know his name, though he had introduced himself. Like the others he brandished metallic sunglasses and a humorless disposition.

“Knowing the cause doesn’t make it work any better.” He frowned sourly at the door. “I don’t mean to snap at you, darling. I’m simply frustrated by our situation. I brought this hellish situation upon us. And I can’t understand why you would ever forgive me for that.”

“Liam, you’re not to blame,” she said softly, hoping that her quiet tone would subdue him. “I love you. I loved you before this and will after. You said yourself that your brother doesn’t know you or Killian, not really. He’s only got your father’s words about you to go on. He’s lashing out. Maybe if…” She swallowed, moving her hand over to lace their fingers together. “Maybe if you talk to him. Or your father?”

“I swore I would never see that bastard again. I swore that he would die alone and crying for the sons he gave up. Then he…he replaced us with this son and a wife. He never…he must never have cared for us at all.” Liam wasn’t crying, not letting tears flow over his cheeks. But it was close. His voice broke and eyes glistened as Elsa squeezed his hand turned in her seat.

“Liam, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I’ll go with you. Or Killian will go. We could all go. We’ll see him. We’ll talk to him.”

“I don’t want that bastard to meet you, to touch you, or see the real you, darling. I have done a horrid job caring for you and protecting you, but by God I won’t take you directly to the devil himself.”

***AAA***

Roland gripped Killian’s hand as the trio, including Henry crossed the street in the direction of Granny’s diner. With road work and the busy nature of the dinner rush, parking was at a premium. That left Killian parking a few blocks away and attempting to funnel the attention of the kindergartner toward the diner and not the various shops and window displays between here and there.

“You know what I want?” he chirped, pushing his hair off his forehead. “I want a pony.”

“For dinner?” Killian asked, knowing it would get a rise out of the child. “You are hungry enough to eat a horse?”

Henry’s hands were buried in his pockets, undoubtedly because he had neglected to wear his gloves even after Emma’s reminders. He snickered, kicking a rock out of their path.

“Noooooo,” Roland nearly wailed. “I want to ride a pony. Just like Henry.”

“I rode a horse, not a pony,” the teenager patiently explained, hoping to dissuade the discussion before he was roped into another riding lesson. “It was huge and smelled kind of funny.”

“I bet it smelled like hay,” the kindergartner mused thoughtfully, using his considerable knowledge of farm animals. “They eat hay. Hay, and carrots, and apples, and horse food.”

Killian did not want to know why the boy’s hand was so sticky, but kept his grip to make sure that there were no stragglers. “And what precisely is horse food?” he asked, hoping that taking the route across the street meant that they would not walk past the candy shop that would be too hard for Roland to resist.

The child’s answer droned on and on, his voice carrying over the sounds of cars and other small city sounds. Thankfully they passed by the candy shop with its rich scents of chocolate and sugar that wafted through the air. Henry audibly groaned, but kept himself focused on getting Roland to where they were headed.

The babysitting adventure was a bit rushed, as Robin had asked at the last minute when things with Liam and Elsa had run long. He wasn’t even sure what the timeline was at this point, as Robin had not elaborated and Emma had called to say she would be late too. He was trying not to be too concerned, but even Henry had noticed Liam’s car at the sheriff’s station.

“Hey,” Henry said, his feet shuffling along the sidewalk. “Is that dad?”

Looking ahead, Killian could see the man Henry was referring to, standing at a window to the shop his father owned. There was not much sense in crossing the street to avoid him, as things had been civil between the two despite tension over the wedding and parenting. So swallowing a bit of doubt and a desire to stay loyal to Emma’s desires to co-parent responsibly, he gave a wave with his prosthetic hand and a noncommittal smile as Henry rushed ahead.

“What happened to the window?” Henry asked, stopping short. The window next to the door was shattered, spider web like cracks creating a lacey pattern. “Did you do that?”

Clapping his son on the back, Neal shook his head. “No, someone tried to break in while I had the place shut down for lunch today. Can’t leave it like this tonight so I was going to board it up before I head home. Flipping the hammer in his hand, he looked down at Roland. “Looks like you have one more joining you. This is Locksley’s kid, right? Roland?”

“Aye, the lad is joining us for dinner at Granny’s while his papa finishes a few things.” Roland smiled up at Neal, showing off his missing tooth and dissolving any bit of tension. Pointing proudly at the hammer in Neal’s hand, he smiled.

“My papa has a hammer like that. He uses it for work when he’s not making music.”

“Your papa’s a talented guy.” Squinting back at the street, Neal flipped his hammer again. “Emma’s not with you?”

“Work,” Henry interjected. “She said okay about the camping trip. It’ll be too cold for actual camping. Won’t it?”

“Not to worry, kiddo, we’re staying in my dad’s cabin. We’ll have indoor plumbing, a fireplace, all the creature comforts of home. But it’s a good chance for us to spend a little father son time together. We can cook over the fire pit outside if you want. Or we can order food in, if you’d rather.”

“Pizza, definitely pizza.”

Roland’s already alert ears picked up on Henry’s suggestion, the boy yanking away from Killian to join his friend and mentor. “I like pizza. No, I love pizza.”

“I would have never guessed,” Henry said, shaking his head. “I guess that’s our cue to leave, right Killian?”

Grabbing the smaller child around the waist and throwing him over his shoulder to the sounds of maniacal laughter and the slap of flailing limbs, Killian nodded. “The lad’s not eaten in nearly 20 minutes. He might turn into some sort of creature if his stomach growls. But if you want to…”

“Do you need my help, Dad?” Henry asked, reaching out to tweak Roland’s food as the child continued his wiggling attempts to break free. “I could hammer in some nails or something.”

Neal smiled at his son, shifting his glance to Killian and back again. “Go on. You’re probably starving and I’m sure Killian needs the help with Roland there.”

***AAA***

“Liam, slamming my door is not going to help,” Emma said sternly as her future brother-in-law stormed into the house. “Look, Graham is just trying to do his job. Yes, it looks like your younger brother is doing this, but he’s being thorough.”

Whatever the man muttered was probably not exactly polite or friendly, leaving Emma to ignore him and continue pulling out the ingredients for sandwiches. Perhaps not as dramatic as Liam, Emma threw the meats, cheeses and condiments onto the counter with resounding thuds as Elsa dispensed ice and Anna began to pour soda and juice for the four of them. It seemed an odd assembly, but when Elsa had called and asked Emma to come talk some sense into Liam, Anna had been there in the blonde’s office. She and Kristoff tagged along.

Liam yanked open a drawer to fish out a knife for the mayonnaise, slamming it back shut with such force that Elsa jumped at the crack of it. “Liam,” she said softly but firmly. “Can we just take a moment…”

“He was in our home, Elsa. I didn’t even know it. How the bugger am I supposed to protect you when I can’t manage to keep that man out of our home? He didn’t even break into it. He just sauntered in and dropped of that blasted note.”

Elsa flinched as he stomped around the island and threw back a stool with such force that it rocked precariously. “That’s why we are looking at security options. And why Graham is being so thorough.”

“The man made me feel like the bloody stalker for wanting to know about my own brother. How else should I take that conversation? He’s probably scouring my internet history now rather than out searching for the actual culprit.” He let out a few more four letter curses before Emma slapped a plate in front of him.

“Liam, you’ve got to calm down,” she said, looking him dead in the eyes. “I know you’re upset. I’m upset too. But right now the priority is keeping you and Elsa safe.” She wiped a few crumbs into her cupped hand. “Plus we’ve got Elsa’s guard out there who is probably going to call 911 if you keep stomping around here screaming.”

He scowled angrily as he reached for the sandwich, taking a large bite and wiping the crumbs off with the back of his hand. As he chewed forcefully his eyes softened. “You made me a sandwich?”

“You’re acting like a five year old,” she challenged back. “So yes, I made you a sandwich. You’re lucky I didn’t pour you milk and give you a cookie.”

She turned to the ingredients again after throwing the crumbs away. It was all she could do not to demand more information, to pull from him the reasons that he was so distraught even at the thought of a brother she had assumed they barely knew. Liam was not a man who ran or hid from danger. He was strong and had received medals in the Royal Navy for his service and valor. So she knew it was not fear that had him stalking the room like a caged animal.

Robin and Kristoff clamored through the door with a ladder in their hands. Sharing the task, they began the task of installing the security censors above the windows.

“Go join them,” Elsa said, kissing his cheek. “It’ll do you good.”

His growled response was tempered by her close proximity. “Darling, I never thought that my selfish pride would put you in danger. You must hate me, but I’m going to make things right. I swear it.”

“Liam, you’re not…”

Elsa’s words were cut off by the boundless energy of a young Roland. He scampered into the house with a more subdued Killian and Henry not far behind. His chocolate colored eyes scanned the room happily, finding himself with an audience. However, his first step was to his father, scrambling up the bottom step of the ladder as his father climbed down and throwing his arms around a leg joyfully.

“Papa!”

***AAA***

Henry threw the heavy backpack on his bed, shucking his school jacket and letting it join the lumpy pile there as he pulled out his phone. His message to Violet was quick, just a note to say hello and that he was thinking about her. His mother would probably be in his room soon so homework needed to be started. Yet he still typed out the message.

Violet: Bored. Are you reading that chapter for Mrs. Nolan?

Henry: Not yet. Hiding in my room. Too many people here and mom sent me in here.

Violet sent a question mark and a perplexed emoji in response. He knew that he had not made any sense. So he tried to fill her in the best he could.

Henry: Something’s up. Lots of people here looking worried. Guess I have to read that chapter.

The voices on the other side of the wall were distorted and muted, but he could tell that there was something going on from the intensity. Then he heard a door slam followed by the same sound much softer. He didn’t know what to think, staring back at his phone and the lack of three dots telling him that she was responding. In fact, Violet didn’t type anything back but called instead. Her voice was soft and quiet, obviously trying to avoid detection by her own father who limited her time on the phone and computer.

“Are you and your mom and Mr. Jones okay?” she asked worriedly. “Your text sounded weird.”

“I don’t know. My mom and everyone looked worried. I didn’t get to ask though. She said I had to do my homework.” As if his mother could see him, he dug into the straining bag and pulled out his science text. “Killian said he’d come help me later if I needed it.”

“I like Mr. Jones,” Violet said in response, earning a sigh.

“You and everyone else at school,” Henry said distractedly. He knew that some of the girls in class did whisper about his cute accent and his looks, but he tried to ignore it the best he could. Killian brushed those things aside easily, only getting embarrassed on occasion. Emma found it all to be hilarious with the exception of some of the single mothers who flirted with him.

“I don’t mean like that. I just meant that he’s a nice guy. And he’s always good with your mom when they take us to movies or concerts and stuff.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Look I know you can’t or don’t want to talk about whatever this is but I wanted to make sure you were okay. Message me later if you want. I’ll be up for a while.”

Henry smiled though she couldn’t see it. “Yeah, me too. And Violet?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for checking, okay? I…well…I…”

“I know. Henry, it’s going to be okay.”

***AAA***

Emma stared at the precisely folded note that Liam had thrust into her hands before storming off with Killian following in short order. Blowing off steam, Killian had texted her. It was certainly needed. The typed note was single spaced and three pages, a rambling diatribe that seemed to confirm the brothers’ fears that somehow their father’s youngest son was at the helm of it.

“I don’t understand,” Anna said, sipping her banana and strawberry smoothie through a thick paper straw. “Why would Liam do this to himself?”

Elsa’s head whipped ferociously to stare slack jawed at her sister. “Himself?”

The rust haired woman’s cheeks hollowed as she drank down her smoothie. “You said Liam wrote the note, right? And Liam received the note?” She pursed her lips and shook the foam cup. “So why would he write himself the note?”

“Liam…Elsa’s Liam…didn’t write the note,” Emma explained patiently, the pages of it ruffling. “Killian and Liam have a younger brother – a half-brother. His name is also Liam.”

Anna chewed at the straw, her eyes thoughtful. “So there are three boys in the family? No girls.”

“Right,” Emma and Elsa said in unison. Emma passed the note back to Elsa, who had already read it a few times. She simply folded it again, curling it in her hands and then smoothing it back out again.

“And two of them are named Liam?” Anna asked. “Is Killian’s middle name Liam too? I mean did some guy named Liam save their father’s life? Why would he name two of his son’s Liam and not the middle one? That doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t know,” Elsa bit out a bit more tersely than she meant. “He’s upset about this. Blaming himself.”

Anna was still asking why as Emma sent her on an errand to find something. It wouldn’t take forever, but it would give Emma and Elsa a chance to talk without the incessant questions. Perhaps they could count on Roland, who was trying hard to be an assistant to a busy Kristoff and Robin. Sure enough, the child seemed to sense when he was needed, matching Anna question for question and enjoying the conversation.

“Do you know what Liam is planning to do about this? I know Graham said for you guys not to do anything, but…”

“But Liam has it in his head that he’s the only one capable of solving this mess. I get it. I don’t know. He’s been angry and sullen. I haven’t quite gotten it out of him yet.” Elsa looked toward the oversized windows and the darkness that seemed to envelop the house. “Their father must have been horrible to them. He never said much about him until this.”

“I guess,” Emma agreed, again tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Killian always seems unwilling to say much about the man. I assumed it was because he remembered less or maybe he was trying to protect me and my own lack of family memories.”

“They seem bound and determined to do that, don’t they? Protect us?”

Emma stirred her drink in her mug, watching the whipped cream dissolve amongst the dark chocolate and create a muddy hue that would still taste sweet on her tongue. “We do too. I think that’s part of it, isn’t it? Part of being in love? We want to protect the ones we love? You want to protect Liam and Anna. I want to protect Killian and Henry.”

Elsa looked far away again, running a knuckle over her lower lip. “You know I’m not scared, right? I don’t think he really wants to hurt me. But Liam. I’m scared for Liam. Even if his younger brother is stopped, Liam’s not going to come out of this unhurt.”

“They don’t make our jobs easy, but we’ll handle it. Let’s get you situated first. I know you had a few days clothes with you. Do we need to pick up more? Do laundry? Go shopping? What about Liam’s stuff?”

“We’re fine,” Elsa assured her, stabbing at the crusts on her plate. “Let’s just…”

Emma knew instantly what her friend meant, wanting to ignore the danger for a moment and pretend that everything was normal and mundane. “Got it. So Regina stopped by this afternoon. She had some questions about future interviews and stuff.”

The singer’s well plucked eyebrows knitted together. “I’ve been thinking about the tour dates. I’m sorry, Emma. I know that I said I would try, but I don’t think…”

“I don’t blame you,” Emma agreed before telling her about the opportunity to launch the new single. By the time they were done she was already setting up a plan to ask Killian.

***AAA***

“You brought me to Granny’s?” Liam asked, staring crookedly at the neon sign that glowed from the window. “I said I wanted to forget my troubles and you brought me to the family diner.”

“Oi, the Rabbit Hole was out because you know everyone there and they work for you. I didn’t think they needed to see you wrecked and wasted. There’s that new Italian place but neither of us are dressed for it. So you have a choice. We go to Granny’s and gorge on junk food, to the ice cream place, or we head over to the pharmacy and stock up on warm beer to drink in the jeep. I vote for Granny’s.”

“This town needs some economic development,” Liam grumbled as he jumped down from the passenger seat.

“Take it up with the mayor. Go get us a booth. I need to check in with Emma.”

“You, brother, are whipped,” Liam chuckled tightly as he scooted past three of the tables to a booth he usually shared with Elsa. His brother was already on the phone, clearly talking to Emma by the look on his face. Rubbing his hand over his face, Liam wondered again what had brought him to this spot. Not Granny’s, but the United States even. He had a life in London and then in the Navy. He’d spent years perfecting it. That was until he had made a bad call and let his anger rule over him. He was just starting to feel grounded again, having a family with his brother, friends, a job, music on the side, and of course – Elsa. Now it was as though he was teetering on the edge again, perhaps losing everything because of a rash decision to ignore his father’s needs in favor of his own pride.

“She’s worried about you,” Killian said, sliding into the booth and waving off the attempts to hand him a menu. He’d already eaten there once that evening. Requesting a beer, he waited for his brother to respond.

“I didn’t know Emma cared that much,” Liam answered sullenly. His shoulders drooped and the blue Henley he wore seemed faded in the artificial light of the diner. He shook his head as Killian opened his mouth to correct him. “I know Elsa’s worried. She thinks that perhaps I should see our father.”

“Do you want to?” Killian asked, a single eyebrow arching automatically with the question. The older of them sags at the question, opening his hands palms up to say he doesn’t know. “I can’t imagine that conversation.”

“Neither can I, brother. She suggested coming along or maybe you.” He shook his head the heels of his hands coming to rest at his eyes. “I can’t let her. I can’t let her see how that man looks at me like I’m nothing. I can’t let her know what it was like for us.”

Killian’s tongue darted out over his lips. “You know, he might have changed. He is older now. He raised our brother. Perhaps…”

“You’re forgetting what he was like. He hurt us physically. He left us abandoned. I don’t know about you but I’ve never had an urge to celebrate the man as a father.” He paused long enough to accept the two ice cold bottles from the server, tilting his toward his brother in mock salute. “I don’t know that it would do any good to see him. I would likely say something to make it worse.”

“And I’m the one with the temper and control issues,” Killian mused before a sip. “You always told me as much. Said I never thought things through and acted on impulse.”

“Aye, it appears to be a family trait, along with stubbornness and determination.” He followed that observation with a sigh. “And of course dashing good looks.”

“Of course. You know what Emma said when I mentioned perhaps finding our father after all this time? She said she thought I should. Said she never knew her own parents and always wondered about them. Perhaps we should listen to the lasses and get ourselves a pair of airline tickets. It might be time to face him.” He shrugged. “I would say I’m quite curious if my memories and the truth are even close to similar at this point.”

“She’s a smart one, that Emma. I’ve always thought so.” He swallowed again, his knee bouncing as he considered it. “I know you, Emma, and Elsa all have a point, but no. I can’t do this. I can’t go face him.”

“And if I said I was going to do it alone then?”

“I’d say you were a proper git.”

[placetobenation]

Fantasia

Release Date: November 13th, 1940

Inspiration: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Budget: $2.28 million

Domestic Gross: $76 million

Worldwide Gross: $83 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

IMDB Score: 7.8/10

Storyline (per IMDB): Disney animators set pictures to Western classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. “The Rite of Spring” tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. “Dance of the Hours” is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. “Night on Bald Mountain” and “Ave Maria” set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day.

Pre-Watching Thoughts: We now move onto a very interesting piece in the Disney film canon and that is Fantasia, not so much a film as it is basically a concert with animation. This is a film that I can say that I have never seen in its entirety as I have only seen “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and nothing else. I am curious as to how this film manages to hold up especially after how great Snow White and Pinocchio ended up being, but I have a feeling I might be in for a bit of a letdown though hopefully I’m proven wrong.

Voice Cast: So in a break from tradition, we have no voice acting as the film was mainly music pieces set to animation, but we did have a host for the event which was composer Deems Taylor who does a good job in setting the scene for each piece. We also hear briefly from the conductor of the orchestra Leopold Stokowski who speaks briefly with Mickey Mouse after “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. Finally, we do have history made here as Walt Disney himself makes an appearance as the voice of Mickey Mouse when he congratulates Stokowski for his work. While this would be the least amount of talking in any of the Disney films, it worked out since it was more about the music.

Hero/Prince: N/A

Princess: N/A

Villain: While we don’t have a hero or a princess for this film, we actually do have a villain in the film and that is the evil Chernabog who appears in the final piece “A Night at Bald Mountain”. During the piece, we see the Chernabog summoning the spirits of the dead and they roam throughout the sky until the coming of day and the ringing bells return the spirits to their slumber and the Chernabog to its place in the mountain. As a result, the Chernabog is not one of the major villains in the canon though his presence in the film is enough to cause numerous nightmares. I do want to make an honorable mention as well to the T-Rex in “The Rite of Spring” as he does battle with and ultimately kills a Stegosaurus, but he will not be included in the main list of villains.

Other Characters: This is an interesting category for this film because we have various segments throughout the film and the characters included were confined to their specific segment. We of course have the icon of Disney himself, Mickey Mouse make his official film debut as the apprentice to the sorcerer Yen Sid along with the broom that Mickey brings to life and the numerous brooms that materialize out of the remains of the destroyed brooms. We also have the various creatures that are featured in their respective segments which help the animations keep moving through the pieces, and while the focus of the film was on the music the animations were the perfect compliments to these pieces.

Songs: Now as opposed to other films which have songs that are sung, this film features some classic musical pieces from various ballets and works from some of the most influential composers in history. We kick things off with “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach and segue into “The Nutcracker Suite” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and then we have “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas and “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky before going into the intermission. After a brief jam session and a demonstration of the soundtrack, we continue on with “The Pastoral Symphony” by Ludwig Von Beethoven and “Dance of the Hours” by Amilcare Ponchielli. We then close out the film with “A Night on Bald Mountain” by Modest Mussorgsky and “Ave Marie” by Franz Schubert, and this was a unique collection of music that did well complimenting each other.

Plot: This is pretty interesting as well as there really was no central plot for the film and it was just a collection of musical pieces that were coupled together with animations. Now a funny note is that “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was originally set to be a short in the same vein as the Silly Symphonies as a way to help rebuild Mickey Mouse’s popularity. Ultimately, the budget was growing too big that a simple short would recoup it so the decision was made to make this into a full-length feature film including the other pieces featured in this film. In this short, Mickey is an apprentice to the great sorcerer Yen Sid and after he retires for the night, Mickey decides to put on his hat and bring a broom to life so it can get the buckets of water Mickey is supposed to get. It works briefly until Mickey can no longer control the broom and tries to destroy it with an axe, but multiple brooms spawn out of the remains and continue to fill the room with water until Yen Sid returns and sets everything right. Realizing the error of his ways, Mickey returns the hat to Yen Sid and walks away with the buckets with Yen Sid giving him a push with the broom as punishment. While the short would’ve worked by itself, being in this setting was fine and it would end up being the most memorable segment from the film as the image of Mickey with the hat on would become part of Disney lore in the years to come.

Random Watching Thoughts: I wonder what people were thinking when the film started and the first thing they saw was the orchestra taking their place; First film to not have an opening card or even credits; Did they film this in front of a live audience because we don’t hear a lot of crowd chatter; I also wonder how much this orchestra got paid to do this film; What kind of name is Deems Taylor?; It is interesting that this is considered part of the animated canon since it is a mix of animations and live action; The animation for the first song was really well done even though it was just a random sequence; It is funny that Tchaikovsky detested the Nutcracker Suite and it ended up being his most popular piece; It is weird hearing the Nutcracker Suite and not seeing anything related to the actual Nutcracker ballet or even Christmas; According to one of the animators, the Three Stooges were used as inspiration for the dancing mushrooms; Considering that there was a scene later in the film that caused a lot of controversy, I’m surprised the dancing mushrooms weren’t called out as a potential stereotype against Chinese people; Kudos to the animators for doing a great job matching the choreography to the music perfectly; The goldfish in the Nutcracker Suite looks like it was modeled off of Cleo from Pinocchio; How naïve is Mickey to think that Yen Sid’s powers came completely from his hat and not from years of work?; Of all the things to bring to life to help you, why would you pick a broom?; Mickey got pretty cocky with his ability so it shouldn’t come as a surprise what happens; It is fairly interesting that Mickey’s debut on the big screen in a film involves no dialogue during the short; Mickey learns the important rule about magic in that it’s all about being able to control; How many brooms were able to materialize out of the shards of the broom Mickey destroyed?; Shouldn’t the water be flowing out of the window when it reaches it?; Where did those whirlpools come from if they are in an enclosed room?; Of course, Yen Sid is such a badass that he can cause all the water to disappear in such a short time, but where did all the brooms go?; It was cool to see Mickey appear with the conductor after the short ended; So to fill time, they had the chimes fall apart and cause a scene even though it was pretty humorous to see; The Rite of Spring was apparently supposed to feature the early days of humanity, but reportedly creationists threatened action because of their beliefs; I wonder if the scene where the water overcame the volcano was an inspiration for Roland Emmerich’s “2012” when the water rushed over the mountains; The scene where the dinosaurs are being chased by the T-Rex is a pretty terrifying scene and of course the slow Stegosaurus would be the one he catches; How thick is the T-Rex’s skin because you would think the Stegosaurus’ giant spikes would pierce right through and kill him?; Considering there is only one T-Rex, wouldn’t the other dinosaurs help the Stegosaurus instead of just watching the T-Rex kill him?; It is weird hearing the upbeat music in between the shots of the Stegosaurus dying; It is interesting that they depicted the dinosaurs going extinct due to the lack of resources when the common theory is an asteroid hitting the Earth wiping them out; Did we really need an intermission and I wonder if it really was 15 minutes in the theaters because it wasn’t that long in the Disney+ version; Very rare to see the title card in the middle of the film; It was pretty cool to hear the orchestra do a jam session and to see how sound is rendered through visual film, but it does kind of bring the film’s momentum to a halt; It was pretty risqué for an animated film to have the female centaurs originally be bare chested before having something covering their breasts; Even more controversial was that there were black female centaurs acting as servants to the white female centaurs though that was cut out of future airings including the Disney+ version; I feel bad for that poor unicorn that has to carry Bacchus; Why is Zeus so upset that he crashes the party and has Vulcan throw down lightning bolts, was he not invited to the party?; Only in a Disney film can they bring together ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators to act out a comic ballet; So the 1940s had a bunch of ostriches fighting over a thing of grapes while the 2010s had a group of Minions fight over a banana; Those must be the most light-footed hippos if they are able to keep that sort of balance on their toes; That must’ve been an extremely strong gust of wind to blow all those elephants away; If the T-Rex was terrifying, the Chernabog is the stuff that nightmares are made out of; This last scene is so creepy yet so disturbingly beautiful in terms of the animation coupled with the ominous music; For as powerful as the Chernabog is, it is weird that it simply takes the tolling of bells and the coming of day to put him and the demons to rest; How many monks are there walking through this forest?; It is pretty unsettling to see a film just end without closing credits.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, this ended up being a pretty solid film though unfortunately it was a step down from the previous two films. While the film was not actively bad as the music was really good and the animations were beautifully done, it does seem like this film requires a certain taste since it is not like the rest of the films in the Disney canon. It almost feels like the film is in its own category apart from the rest of the canon since there is no real story and it is just a collection of animations coupled to the music. Considering that this was just supposed to be a simple short that was changed to a full-length film, Disney did a good job in making this film and a lot of credit goes to the animators who worked on the film. These next few years are going to be an interesting time for Disney as we inch closer to World War II, but we do have two films to get too before we get to that period of time. As for Fantasia, it is a pretty solid film though again it is a bit of an acquired taste to enjoy otherwise you might find yourself a bit bored even with the beautiful animations.

Final Grade: 6/10

[gyanpoint]

FILM REVIEW SACHIN CHATTE

Your Songs

Film: Rocketman, Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Directed by: Dexter Fletcher, Duration: 2 hrs, Rating: * * *

Co-produced by Elton John himself, Rocketman is a biopic of the famed singer that leaves you with mixed feelings, mostly positive ones. Since it has come close (well, maybe not that close) on the heels of Bohemian Rhapsody, some comparisons will be inevitable. While the film about Queen moved at a reasonably brisk pace, Rocketman at times gets bogged down. Interestingly, the film is directed by the same gent who took over Bohemian Rhapsody from Brian Singer.

Even if you don’t follow ‘Western music’, Elton John is a person hard to miss – musically and visually. With at least a couple of dozen very popular and catchy songs, and a personality that included an unconventional dressing sense with those trademark glasses, he has made an indelible mark on music for more than half a decade now.  

While there are some great songs in this film, their representation in the traditional ‘musical’ format doesn’t work all that well, even though the choreography is top notch. One of the best (and the best if you ask me) is when his longtime collaborator, lyricist Bernie Taupin hands him a page with the lyrics of Your Song, a young Elton dashes off to the piano and starts playing those recognisable notes and composes the song in no time. I am not sure of the accuracy of the story but then that is the beauty of cinema, it can elevate something ordinary and move you, although I would also like to believe that the story is true.

When the film opens you see Elton John (Taron Egerton of Kingsman fame) at rehab, in an outlandish orange colour suit, telling his tale – as a kid, he was ignored by his father while his mom (Bryce Dallas Howard, with a full-on British accent) is not particularly attentive. Back then, he was Reginald Dwight, a young boy with exceptional talent to play the piano and full support from his grandma (Gemma Jones). In his childhood, we see evidence of Freud’s theory.

The best portions in the film are about him and Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), the song writer with whom Elton collaborated since 1967, on more than 30 albums. As is mentioned in the film and affirmed in the end credits, they’ve never had a single argument all these years. The sexuality of Elton is much in focus here – he discovers that he is gay and it is also suggested that he had more than just platonic feelings for Taupin, who didn’t share his inclinations.

A local music producer helps Elton find his footing and organises tours – after his first performance in the US, the rest as they, is history – that is as far as his fame goes.

But it comes at a price and a rather big one – a self-serving manager John Reid (Richard Madden) who was also his partner for some time and the overindulgence in drugs – it all takes a toll on the singer, bringing us to the rehab centre from where the film started. It ends well before he met his present partner of many years, David Furnish, whom he married in 2005.

A lot has been made about the scenes between Elton John and his manager – the point again that remains is, how much is enough when it comes to conveying anything sexual on screen. But since it was an integral part of him, it needed to be highlighted.

The screenplay at times gets stuck, especially when it came to Elton’s tryst with drugs and coping with other issues. The music helps to break the tempo but again, origin stories of songs would have helped, rather the Bollywood type of breaking into songs. It works when they sing Goodbye Yellow Brickroad but not so much for other songs. In fact, Jamie Bell impresses with his vocal cords while performing that one, while Taron Egerton has the uphill task of emulating Elton John’s voice but does a pretty good job on that count and also of portraying the singer.

The biopic of a musician is primarily about the music unless it is an effort like the Todd Haynes film on Bob Dylan, I’m Not There. On the music front and a little beyond, Rocketman works.  

Quite a Monstrosity

Film: Godzilla: King of Monsters, Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Directed by: Michael Dougherty, Duration: 2 hrs 10 mins, Rating: **

First seen on the big screen in Japan in 1954, Godzilla is one of the longest running franchises in the history of cinema. With over 30 Japanese films and three Hollywood ones, it is still going strong, although in case of Hollywood I would say that they made two films too many – the Roland Emmerich one in 1998 was the best of the lot and that is not raising the standard very high. Gareth Edwards disappointed in 2014 and this film, it appears, was solely made to showcase as much destruction as possible.

Godzilla: King of Monsters has more devastation than I can remember in any recent film – there is only mayhem here and you feel sorry for actors like Kyle Chandler and Vera Farmiga who are caught in the middle of it all – hopefully they got fat pay cheques for this.

Farmiga plays Dr Emma Russell and if there were an award for the most negligent mother of the year, she would win it hands down. Who else, would bring a teenage daughter to a research lab which experiments on monsters and that too when a critical experiment is about to take place. Dr Emma is working the Orca, a kind of bioacoustics where she can control the behaviour of these monster lizards with a tablet-like device. The experiment goes haywire causing the first of the mayhem that will ensue. Mother and daughter also get kidnapped by the bad guys who now want to control the animals. And yes, they also want to restore natural order in the world and like many villains before, they want to do that by eliminating mankind, part of it at least.

Kyle Chandler plays her estranged hubby who also knows a little more about these monster lizards than his wife. Then there is the struggle between governments, military, and just about everyone to take control over the situation, especially when these lizard monsters from around the world are woken up from their slumber only to cause more destruction, especially a three-headed monster. Now, how do you fight this big fella? With a bigger monster aka Godzilla, who has to be put into action by exploding a nuke. It is all weird and incoherent, from start to finish. Also, Godzilla is hardly seen for a long time into the film and not sure if it would have been any better otherwise – the human beings are as much of a problem in the film as are the lizards. In fact, the actions and motivations of the latter are far easier to comprehend than the former.

And just when I thought that we’ll have a break from this franchise for a few years at least, no such luck – there is Godzilla vs Kong scheduled for next year. Hopefully, it won’t be a double whammy.   

from The Navhind Times http://bit.ly/2wwEolB from Blogger http://bit.ly/2KhvuAm

[jamieclawhorn]

Why buying this FTSE 100 growth and income hero could help you achieve financial independence

At the beginning of this year, my Foolish colleague Roland Head picked out defence group Chemring  (LSE: CHG) as one of his favourite dividend growth stocks. Citing the firm’s 131% dividend hike from 1.3p to 3p, Roland claimed that the company’s turnaround was starting to pay off, and over the next few years, investors should be rewarded with growth. 

As it turns out, this forecast was accurate. Since the beginning of 2018, as market sentiment towards the group has improved, shares in Chemring have added 31% excluding dividends, outpacing the FTSE 250 by 30%.

However, I believe the shares will struggle to replicate this performance during the second half of the year. 

Unforeseen disaster

After rising by more than a third during the first half of 2018, shares in Chemring were trading at a premium earnings multiple at the end of last week. Even though the City was expecting a 12% decline in EPS for the full year, shares in Chemring were still trading at a forward P/E of 18. 

Unfortunately, on Friday evening, an incident occurred in a flare manufacturing building at the Chemring Countermeasures facility, near Salisbury, which resulted in the death of one employee and hospitalised another. Following this event, the facility is now out of action and management is, at this stage, unable to forecast how it will impact results. Previously, it was expected that Chemring Countermeasures would contribute £15m to group 2018 underlying operating profit. According to management, operating profit is “now likely to be approximately £10m-£20m lower than previous expectations.” City analysts had been expecting a net profit of £37m for the year ending October 2018. 

This tragic accident is another setback for a company that has struggled to remain profitable for the last six years. Since 2012, Chemring has only generated £47m of operating profit, on total revenues of £3bn, giving an average operating margin of just 2%. Based on these figures, and the group’s relatively high valuation, I’d avoid the stock. 

One company that has a better record of producing returns for investors is FTSE 100 leader Croda (LSE: CRDA). 

A price worth paying 

Croda has gone from strength to strength over the past five years. The speciality chemicals group has seen demand for products surge as the world grows. It manufactures everything from cosmetic products to industrial lubricants, products for the healthcare industry and agriculture business. Over the past five years, as revenues have increased 30%, net profit has surged 57%. Since mid-2013, excluding dividends, the stock has doubled. 

I expect this trend to continue. Even though shares in Croda trade at a hefty 26 times forward earnings, I believe this is a multiple worth paying. Croda is what I would call a wide moat business. The production of chemicals is a highly specialised business with high barriers to entry. It’s not easy to just set up and start producing fertilisers for example. There are whole books of rules and regulations to follow. Croda also has established relationships with customers, who know and trust the group. 

With this being the case, I believe the firm can continue to achieve market-beating growth, and it’s worth paying a high multiple to get your hands on the shares. 

You Really Could Make A Million

Of course, picking the right shares and the strategy to be successful in the stock market isn’t easy. But you can get ahead of the herd by reading the Motley Fool’s FREE guide, “10 Steps To Making A Million In The Market”.

The Motley Fool’s experts show how a seven-figure-sum stock portfolio is within the reach of many ordinary investors in this straightforward step-by-step guide. Simply click here for your free copy.

More reading

One Neil Woodford stock I’d dump and one stock I’d buy today

The gentle charm of equity income investing

Two investment trusts delivering index-trouncing returns

The HSBC share price and 5.5% yield tempts me more than BAE Systems

Is the FTSE 100 or a buy-to-let property the best way to supplement your State Pension?

Rupert Hargreaves does not own any share mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.