#anne boleyn on stage and screen

[isabelleneville]

𓅃 ANNE BOLEYN WEEK 2024 𓅃

day one | favourite fictional portrayal of Anne (screen, stage, novel, etc)

"He can do whatever he wills now. He has absolute power. You know that. And what he has given, he can take away. And what taken away, he can give back." - Anne Boleyn

NATALIE DORMER, THE TUDORS (2007 - 2010)

[bforbetterthanyou]

Anne Boleyn Week 2024

Okay I really enjoyed doing this last year so I thought we could do it again.

So if you want to participate, please use the tag #anneboleynweek2024 so that I can reblog your creations!

Most of the days are going to be the same as last year with a few small changes just to switch things up a little!

Day 1: Sunday, 5th May — favorite fictional portrayal of Anne (screen, stage, novel, etc)

Day 2: Monday, 6th May — favorite historical Anne quote (either by Anne herself or about Anne)

Day 3: Tuesday, 7th May — favorite historical fact about Anne

Day 4: Wednesday, 8th May — favorite Anne motto

Day 5: Thursday, 9th May — most underrated fictional portrayal of Anne (can be the same as favorite if you want)

Day 6: Friday, 10th May — favorite family dynamic (Anne & George, Anne & Elizabeth, etc)

Day 7: Saturday, 11th May — free day!

[yvisoul]

Day 1 — favorite fictional portrayal of Anne (screen, stage, novel, etc)

Claire Cooper as Anne Boleyn in Six Wives with Lucy Worsley.

[fireworkss-exe]

things in our production of six

backup dancers for each of the queens! one of the dancers/understudt for anne b was the main actress's sister, so we joked that her sister was playing mary boleyn

everyone had color-coded rhinestone-covered picture frames to dance with during haus of holbein

we had one guy in the anne b dance group so he stood in for henry (i.e. saying the "off with her head!" line in don't lose your head and physically swiping right and left on his phone during the post-holbein scene

he also had a vest with the tudor rose crest embroidered on it. it was cool

OUTDOOR VENUE.

the main actress for parr actually choreographed a lot of the show

cleves had a HUGE fur jacket that she took off during get down

cleves started coughing on everyone after her plague line

when the queens heckled parr, they yelled stuff like "pick me" and "mid"

aragon (who I played one night) actually tried to tackle anne b after the "he doesn't wanna bang you, somebody hang you" line (but it was changed to "he thinks I'm cuter, someone execute her" since this was a school show)

our understudy for parr wore a skirt when she played her! it was layered blue and black and it was sooo pretty

I wore a shit ton of body glitter every night and our costume designer said it looked like a disco ball sneezed on me

we had a projector screen above the stage that showed the real portraits of each queen during their respective songs

cleves had a giant red picture frame that she stepped out of at the start of get down

on the night I played aragon, the audio completely cut halfway through six, so we had to get the audience to keep the beat AND IT WORKED (we got the audio back for megasix though)

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones

Natalie Dormer is an English actress who has worked on both stage and screen. She was born in Reading, Berkshire, and is of English, Norwegian, Welsh and Irish descent. She first studied dancing before studying drama. She was in a relationship with director Anthony Byrne in 2007 and broke up in 2018. Since 2018, she’s been in a relationship with David Oakes and the couple has a child. Dormer is involved in numerous charities, including charities for children, Barnardos, World Humanitarian Day, the plight of refugees, violence against women and children, and child marriage.

Dormer has also appeared in Casanova (2005), W.E. (2011, Queen Elizabeth), The Hunger Games (2014, Cressida), Patient Zero (2018), The Tudors (2010, Anne Boleyn), Agatha Christie’s Marple (2009), Game of Thrones (2012-2016, Margaery Tyrell), The Scandalous Lady W (2015), Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018, Mrs. Appleyard), and The Dark Crystal (2019).

#nataliedormer#margaerytyrell#gameofthrones

[fideidefenswhore]

Which is why I feel rather humbled having had the pleasure to play her both on –screen and on-stage within the very walls of the Tower of London where she spent her final days. I still carry a part of her with me, certainly the details of her remarkable story remain fresh in mind: a story of devotion, heroism and unfailing loyalty to what she believed in as a human being. For these reasons mentioned and many more she has become an unshakeable figure of strength to women across the ages.

Emma Connell on Anne Boleyn

[kathrynhoward]

Sorry if you’ve already answered this question before but do you have any recs for where to learn more about Tudor clothing?

I went into general fashion history sources here but some specific Tudor ones are going to be linked below- I do suggest checking out the other post as well though.

The Tudor Tailor website and their etsy

The School of Historic Dress (they own the rights to Patterns of Fashion, which only really start in the 1540s but still, amazing and still technically Tudor. Several other publications about the 16th Century as well)

Knitting in Early Modern Europe Database

Elizabethan Costume (a lot interesting pieces on this site, however

Period Costume for Stage and Screen (Jean Hunnisett) - out of print and aimed towards theatrical design but if you can find it, it’s a great resource

Tudor Costume and Fashion- Herbert Norris

Tudor Fashion- Eleri Lynn

Some articles/blogposts: 

Renaissance Clothing and Sumptuary Laws

Royal Museums Greenwich 

The Anne Boleyn Files

Some fun videos bc if you’re like me, it’s fun to switch it up!

The Tudor Travel Guide-  Dressing A Tudor Lady from the Court of Henry VIII

Prior Attire- Dressing up a Tudor Lady

Prior Attire-  Dressing up a Tudor woman, middle class

A lot of what we know about Tudor Fashion comes from portraits and sketches of the era, so I also recommend browsing portraits and looking at details in them. Also going through online museum collections- there aren’t many extant items, but there is a couple things like chemises, hats, etc.

Depending on your location, you might be able to join a group that does historical recreation- I know SCA goes up to the Tudor era, and there are other ones as well.

[nellygwyn]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply to my unasked-for-ask re casting. I had a good long think about why I feel the way I do after I sent my ask. I’m not white myself, and in the course of writing my ask I was tempted to say where I’m from, and that impulse got me thinking, too.

You’re entirely right re Anne Boleyn we see on camera isn’t real. I can’t access the telegraph article, so thank you for the picture.

I’m a bit uncomfortable now because I’ve realised that putting so much pressure on the actors skin colour over *every* other metric in their casting is...ridiculous. I wouldn’t want my opinion to have any more or less weight based on the colour of my skin, because there is so much else to me beside that. And in acting, particularly, skin colour is no signifier of talent or, indeed, suitability to the role.

There is also something to the idea of exporting culture. Of being at the forefront of a kind of global culture. And potentially a responsibility inherent in that? Something about that idea bothers me, as an expat from a colonised country — I wonder at how much we expect countries like the US and UK to ‘show us the way’ or, maybe more accurately, show us that they’ve learned How Not to be A Dick. Hm. I’m not sure where I’m going with this, these are all very unformed and not properly connected thoughts.

My argument lacked, amongst other things, nuance. I suspect my biggest problem is that I’m looking the issue as if we’re at the Racism is Cured stage, instead of taking into account that we are currently in the uncomfortable (Some of us are) Trying to Fix Shit stage.

Well, that’s enough rambling at you! Thanks once again! And I’m looking forward to the gifs already xx

Thank you for your considered reply! I'm glad that some of my thoughts were interesting to you!

For what it's worth, I don't think anything you are saying is dumb or wrong, I think it's entirely valid to be on your guard initially re: things like this when you are a person of colour because there are definitely times where colourblind casting goes awry (I have lots of thoughts on the way Bridgerton did it, for example)...but the way I see it is like...I just don't think not letting actors of colour play white historical figures is right, especially in a country like the UK, where we're both multicultural and backwards re: racial equality, and I can only see representation as a good thing - not necessarily the answer to racism, but a step in the right direction. And that doesn't mean that we should abandon portraying the life of actual people of colour from history on screen, but I think we should strive for both. I liked what Olivette Otele said in her article about how history doesn't just teach us about the past, but how we can live with each other in the present and future, and as cheesy as it sounds, I think a diverse period drama does have the power to contribute to that.

[dreamcatcherfication]

Caught in a Lie

I know this fic was meant to be angsty, but I didn’t mean for it to get this angsty.

Hello and welcome! Today’s fic is based off a request you can find here, or you can just read on and be surprised. I realized that I write most of my Cathy/Kat interactions as them fighting or being really emotional, so please ignore me reusing that dynamic. I didn’t really get to edit this, so please ignore any incoherency, I’ll try to go back soon and fix everything. I don’t have much else to say except watch out for the trigger warnings this time around and please enjoy the fic! Sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors, my nuerological processing unit is broken. 

Writing Masterpost

If you want to send a request or a prompt, my inbox is always open! I publish a story at 8:00 AM PST everyday, so I’m always in need of new ideas. If you want to be tagged in my works, just let me know and I’ll be sure to tag you!

Prompts | More Prompts | The Trifecta of Prompts | Original Prompts

Trigger Warnings: Blunt talk of sexual abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, mentions of assisting sexual abuse, just a lot of talk about sexual abuse

Ever since starting their show and appearing in public, the queens had become used to historians’ obsessions with them. Most wanted to know how they came back and if there would be others. A good amount were more interested in the truth of what happened during their first lives. But a few of them were intent on tearing the queens apart. Many historians were confused as to why the queens got along, and they didn’t like it. How could it make sense that the six widows of the same man would become their own family?

For almost a year now, Cathy Parr had been keeping a secret from her predecessor. It wasn’t meant to be anything notable, simply an action she was taking to ensure Kat’s safety. The same historians who picked and prodded for any piece of information they could get would come after the survivor for her knowledge. How did she get along so well with Kat when she allowed Elizabeth to be sexually abused? How did the queens think so highly of her when she was anything but perfect? Why did Kat act the way she did around the other queens?

They weren’t questions Cathy should be answering, but she also didn’t want the historians to move on and start asking Kat. So she answered the questions as vaguely as possible while also making sure Kat learned nothing about what was going on. The teen wouldn’t be able to handle it, Cathy knew, so she made her decision to keep things a secret. 

That’s how things went for a long time, and there was nothing remarkable about it. Cathy lied to Kat to keep her safe, and Kat went about living her life. The world was in a perfect balance, and each queen was living her life the best she could.

But these things were not built to last, and it was Kat who would learn that the hard way. She hadn’t been expecting it, much less prepared for it, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. It started with a message on her social media that attracted her attention. Kat should’ve known to ignore it, but she couldn’t help her curiosity as to why someone was messaging her what looked like an entire essay.

Skimming the essay, Kat missed some of the padding from the person who wrote it - a historian, Kat deduced - and skipped right to the point of their message. We’ve been talking with Katheryn Parr, Kat noticed how they used the old spelling of her name, about your past with sexual abusers. Kat’s breath hitched, but she moved forward, ignoring the pit of dread settling in her stomach. 

It seemed so implausible that you two could hold a strong relationship after her marriage with Thomas Seymour and assistance with his abuse of Queen Elizabeth. It’s even stranger her friendship with Anne Boleyn, but both of them have confirmed that the past has been resolved. Kat adjusted her grip on her phone and kept scrolling. Miss Parr has told us multiple times that you know about the questions we ask her, but you do not wish to speak with us. I don’t quite believe a woman like her, so I’m reaching out to you directly so that you, Miss Howard, are fully informed on the events going down. Katheryn Parr is claiming that you are uncomfortable speaking to us about your past, but I would like to fact check that with you Miss Howard. Please respond to me -

The message went on, but Kat had lost interest in what the historian had to say. Cathy had been talking to historians about her? Kat hadn’t heard anything from Cathy… “It’s probably just a misunderstanding,” Kat mumbled to herself, tucking her phone in her pocket. She’d go clear it up right then with Cathy, who was in the room next to hers.

Walking to Cathy’s door, Kat prepared her words. She wasn’t going to believe a historian over her friend, but she wouldn’t let herself be surprised by anything. Slowly pushing the door open, Kat peeked her head inside. Cathy was on her bed, sorting through a mess of papers. “Hello Kat,” she greeted amiably and returned to her sorting.

“Can I talk to you about something?” Kat started, making her way inside the room.

“Sure,” Cathy shrugged. She took a break in sorting her papers and looked up. “What’s the problem?”

Sitting down on the bed, Kat made eye contact with Cathy, watching her. “A historian messaged me on Instagram today.”

Cathy groaned, “That’s a tactic they haven’t tried before.”

“Yeah,” Kat muttered. “They were saying a lot of weird stuff. That you were speaking in my place during interviews and saying that I didn’t want to talk about my past. Weird, right?” Kat asked hopefully. She saw the hesitation in Cathy’s eyes and her heart dropped. “Right?”

Opening her mouth, Cathy sat silently for a couple seconds. “Kat - I.” She went silent again. “It was for your own good.” She reached her hand out, but Kat pulled back.

“What do you mean, ‘for my own good?’” Kat scrunched her nose.

Taking the hint, Cathy leaned away from Kat. “They were asking invasive questions. How could you stand being around me after… what happened in your childhood,” the writer explained.

“I was sexually abused,” Kat stated bluntly, “You can say it out loud.”

Cathy awkwardly laughed without humor. “I know, I just thought you would prefer -”

“I don’t,” Kat stood up. “Our show is about telling our stories, if I didn’t want to tell it, I wouldn’t be on stage every night. Please don’t make decisions for me Cathy.”

Looking down, Cathy sighed. “It’s for the best Kat. They weren’t nice people, they would’ve hurt you.”

“Then they would’ve hurt me,” Kat shot back defiantly. “It’s not up to you to decide whether or not I face these people. I’ve been hurt before, and I’m still here.”

Still, there was a cloudiness in Cathy’s eyes that told Kat she simply didn’t believe her. “I know you’re strong, I do Kat, but you have to understand I was only doing it to make things easier for you.”

Holding herself back from stomping her foot, Kat felt her nostrils flair. “Nothing is ever easy for me. But you know what Cathy? I learned to live with it. So don’t control my life just because you think it’s the right thing to do.”

“I’m only -” “No.” Kat turned away from Cathy. “You’ve been lying to me. I believed you over that historian, but it turns out they were right.”

Letting her eyes drop, Cathy murmured, “I wanted to help you.”

Spinning around, Kat glared at Cathy. “You help me by talking to me, not by lying to me.”

Kat waited, her eyes boring into Cathy’s skull until the other queen looked up and their eyes connected. There was hurt in Cathy’s eyes, but she was trying to hide it. Kat couldn’t find any pity in herself for her fellow queen. “I’m sorry Kat. I won’t do it again.”

“You won’t be coming anywhere near my life any time soon,” Kat spit, turning heel.

“What?” Cathy jumped out of her bed and followed Kat to the door.

Stepping into the hallway, Kat faced Cathy one last time. “You’ve been lying to me long enough. I’m not giving you the opportunity to do that again.” She was about to leave before pausing, eyes settling on Cathy’s face, growing more pale by the second. “And for the record, I would have told them it was because I trusted you.” 

With that, Kat was gone, out of the hallway and disappearing to her own room. Frozen in her doorway, Cathy’s hands slowly fell to her side. She wanted to give Kat another apology, but it wouldn’t come out of her mouth. She should’ve seen it from the start. She was just trying to help her friend. And now she had ruined everything.

Pacing in her room, Kat had to dig her fingernails in her palms in order to restrain her urge to lash out. It wasn’t common for her to get angry, but this was an exception. Kat hated being coddled, treated like a little kid. She was more than that, and she could handle herself.

Stopping her pacing, Kat’s gaze drifted to her phone, still lying on her bedside table. Approaching it, Kat picked up the dark screen and turned it on. Going back to her social media, she reread the message. It only made the rage in her chest burn brighter, a reminder that some random historian was more honest with her than one of her closest friends.

In a moment of anger, Kat pulled up a note and started furiously typing.

For years I have had to live with what people have done to be. I was sexually abused as a child and people like to avoid talking about it. They use filler words, thinking it will make me feel better. It doesn’t. It only makes you feel better. I experienced it, I lived it, and a few pretty words aren’t going to protect me.

I learned recently that people have been trying to reach out to me in order to understand my feelings on what happened. Obviously I don’t like talking about my abuse, but it’s still a reality I lived through. Historians had been blocked from reaching me by Catherine Parr, who took it upon herself to protect me.

I have been lied to for longer than I know, and it’s because of Catherine Parr. She thought that she could make decisions for me and that I would be okay with it. Out of the goodness of her heart, she betrayed my trust and completely ignored the point of our show. I tell my story every night on stage. But when someone wants to approach me personally, she believes it’s her duty to make sure I won’t get hurt. Catherine? I’ve already been hurt. You can’t do anything to change that, so stop acting like you’re allowed to be the angel who saved me from everything bad. You’re not. You’re a liar.

Everyone knows about what happened with Thomas Seymour and Elizabeth. You watched on silently as he sexually abused her. And despite all the pain that came with confronting that, Anne and I forgave you. I would think you learned that this isn’t your story to tell. You did nothing then, and you think doing something now will make up for it. It won’t, and I don’t want it to. I wanted to move on from everything, but clearly you aren’t ready.

So fine. If that’s how it’ll be, then fine. Catherine Parr, I don’t want to see you or hear from you. If any interviewer wants to talk to me, they come to me and not Catherine Parr. She holds no say in my life, and I’d like to keep it that way. Because Catherine Parr is a liar. And I’m sick of people lying to me.

Setting her phone down, Kat let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t intend on publishing the rant, but she needed to get it out. Her words were harsh and came from somewhere deep within her, but she didn’t want anyone to see them. She was going to keep playing the role of the charming girl with the bad past, not the young woman who was done with being coddled.

Collapsing onto the bed, Kat closed her eyes. She was about to let the tension leave her body when a short smacking sound caught her attention. Sitting up, Kat looked around until she spotted her phone on the floor. Picking it up, Kat went to turn it off when she noticed a small mark on the corner of her note. Posted, it read in small italics.

Hands starting to shake, Kat dropped her phone on the bed. What had she done? What had she done? The post was online, and people were going to see it. No one was meant to see it, but now it would be online forever. Even if she figured out how to delete the post, people were probably taking screenshots the second it appeared.

Curling into a ball, Kat hid her face. This was a mistake, a big, big mistake that was going to cause so many problems. If Cathy had lost her trust, then all the queens would lose trust in Kat. In one moment, Kat had managed to tear them apart unknowingly.

On cue there was a shout from the queens’ living room. “Katherine Howard, explain this right now!”

Gulping, Kat glanced down at her phone. Kat closed her eyes, and for the first time in 500 years, she prayed.

---------------------------------------------

Tag List:

@radcowboyalmondtree @boleynhowards @annabanana2401 @babeebobo @dont-lose-your-queerhead @everything-insanity @mindless-pidgeon @i-wanna-dance-and-sing-six @thenicestnonbinary @its-totes-gods-will @thatbolxyngirl @thenameisnoone @sixqueendom @frogs-in-clogs @timetoriseabove

[yourdeepestfathoms]

The Crucible (part eight)

[Carrie AU; UK Tour]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 

Word count: 10,126

TW: None, for once lol

---------------------------

-Dreamer In Disguise-

  “Tell us about the night of May 28th. Of the events leading up to the incident.”

Katherine grit her teeth tightly, then exhaled a sharp breath through her nose, releasing her mounting anger. Her eyes were stinging, like fire ants were infested in the sockets and wouldn’t come out no matter how hard she scratched. Her face was still blotchy and washed out from crying, but she held herself as confidently as always, not willing to give into the crime Mulaney so desperately wanted her to be a part of.

  “It was meant to be a celebration.” Katherine said strongly. Her voice held no evidence that she had been crying just a few minutes ago. “It was supposed to be the biggest night of our high school lives. The ending of one chapter and the beginning of the next. If only--” Her words caught for a moment, but she would not break again. “If only--”

  “If only what?” Mulaney urged.

  “If only I hadn’t told Anna to go to prom with Joan!” Katherine exploded, slamming her palms on the table and making even Madeline jump and Mulaney look at her more warily. It pleased her, and she eased back down, steadying her sharpening breath. “Then maybe nobody would have died. But just because I should have done that, doesn’t mean I regret having her go.”

Mulaney’s eyes glinted and he leaned in, hungry for a confession.

  “Anna sent me a picture.” Katherine said. She took out her phone and slid it over the tabletop. The screen showed an image of Anna and Joan, grinning brightly at the camera with two other kids, George Boleyn, Anne’s younger brother, and his girlfriend, Jane Parker. “Look at how happy she is… I’ve never seen her smile like that before. So carefree and peaceful…”

She put her phone back into her pocket and shook her head. She blew out a sigh from her nose.

  “That’s why I don’t wish I didn’t have Anna ask her.” She said. “She was happy for the first time in her life. Truly happy. And who am I to take that away from her?”

Her eyes began to burn again. She fingered her shredded tissue, a whirlwind of emotions storming inside her skull. She wanted to release it on this skeptical detective before her and show him that she was innocent.

  “I hope it was good for her. That prom. Before things went to hell.”

------

It was like a dream. An actual perfect dream.

The prom glimmered in droplets of amber and gold, sapphire and jade, obsidian and pearl. Fragments of gods and goddesses and mythical creatures prowled across the walls in detailed murals, capturing ancient battles in their canvases forever.

The gym had been morphed into a huge, vaulted space that hummed with activity. Intricately carved Greek pillars and spires and arches dotted the space, and green and silver drapes of silk dipped from the ceiling. White fairy lights were lit up everywhere, casting soft glows across various tapestries and weavings decorating the walls and architecture. Miniature recreations of temples acted as buffets for the hundreds of partygoers, bearing chips and cookies and cakes and other treats. There was even a large bowl-like piece that was shaped like the Great Theater of Epidaurus, holding salad condiments around the wide sides and lettuce in the middle. A chocolate fountain burbled on a nearby table, the most modern-looking piece of decor in there.

The food temples encircled a giant white fake-marble tree that the origins of were unknown to mostly everyone. The trunk was carved with intricate designs that looked like they had taken hours to scratch away, and the lush shrubbery it bore was braided with silver lights, making the entire decoration a beacon of sterling radiance. Transparent ice blue globes hung from the many reaching branches, lit up with fake candles inside of their hallowed out interior. They glowed like captured moons within the party.

The stage was set up to look like the Parthenon, with white pillars along the apron and wings, coiled by ivy and flowers. Golden and iridescent fabric braided the top, glistening in the fairy lights. A hired band was set up at the center, along with the DJ booth, which played most of the music. Behind them were the thrones for prom king and queen, all shiny and poised, ready for their royals.

Music catapulted around the high, canvas-covered walls like thread winding around and around the assembled students. The sound seemed to swallow Joan up, reverberating in her bones. Partygoers whirled together on the dance floor, the colors of their suits and dresses sparkling in bright tornadoes. They stomped and jumped and clapped in time to the beat of the music, a kaleidoscope of rainbow rhythm.

However, the highlight of the ball were the sculptures. There were at least ten different elaborate carvings sparkling importantly in the party space. Twisting spirals, weaving tendrils, and delicate beads mingled with glorious bells and vast shipwrecks, towering trees and clusters of griffon feathers. Joan wanted to run her hands over all of their smooth, bubbly surfaces.

  “Anna.” Joan squeezed Anna’s arm tightly. “Anna, Anna, Anna, Anna--”

  “Yeah?” Anna looked down at her.

  “Look.” Joan pointed to the sculpture garden with her free hand. 

  “Wanna go look at them?”

Joan nodded vigorously. Anna chuckled. They both began to walk over, and Joan nearly dragged Anna when she leapt forward to look at the closest sculpture, a beautiful, branching ice tree with fat orbs of sugary fruit. 

  “It’s so pretty…” Joan murmured, her eyes sparkling. 

  “No wonder it’s so cold in here,” Anna observed. “They have to keep these from melting. Damn, this must have taken forever.”

  “Yeah…” Joan nodded slowly, like she was taking in the secrets of the universe. “Ooh, look at that one!”

The two of them went over to a sculpture of roaring waves with captured pieces of poetry within their depths. Joan ogled at the ice with great interest, taking the time to read every piece of paper inside. Anna patiently let her, smiling at her look of awestruck wonderment. She was glad she was distracted so she didn’t notice all the stares they were getting.

But Joan did. She had picked up on it from the moment they stepped inside. It seemed like everyone in the entire gym was staring at her like she was an alien from outer space. She did her best to ignore all of them, but she could feel their eyes burning holes into her skin.

She’s never felt so exposed before, not even in the showers last Friday.

  “Why, Anna von Cleves!”

A voice cut through the music and talking and laughter rebounding throughout the gym. Joan spun around and saw two people approaching them- a brunette boy with amber eyes, wearing a black tux, a silvery grey undershirt peeking out around the collar, and a blood red rose boutonniere, and a girl she didn’t recognize. She was taller than her date and had curled dirty blonde hair and grey-green eyes. Her dress was long and flowing, ebony black like the boy’s but dappled with silver specks like stars. The straps were thin and the bodice was gathered and fitted snugly against her bust.

  “George!” Anna embraced the boy tightly in one of those “man hugs” men always seem to do, rapping his back so hard it sounded a little painful.

  “You look good enough to eat, honey!” George whistled, looking Anna up and down.

  “Some would say I am delicious.” Anna said.

  “Okay, if you two knew how many people thought you were dating, you wouldn’t be joking about it.” The girl piped up, looking amused.

  “Tell Anna to stop looking so goddamn queer!” George chortled.

  “You know I always gotta look a little lesbo.” Anna said.

Then, George raised his fists and Joan flinched back a little. She flexed her powers, prepared to save Anna, but then Anna raised her fists, too, and began throwing playful jabs and poked at George’s stomach and chest. George did the same, and they began circling each other like two tuxedo-clad cats standing off against each other for a dead mouse. Joan realized that it was a game of sorts.

  “Don’t let it bother you,” The girl said to Joan. “If they kill each other, I’ll dance with you.”

Joan couldn’t smother the smile that came to her lips. She looked down shyly for a moment, then lifted her head again to watch George’s and Anna’s sparring match. Anna tagged George twice, then got jabbed in the waist. They kept grunting and gobbling playful threats to each other.

  “They’re too silly to kill,” Joan observed, tilting her head at them. “Like dinosaurs.”

The girl laughed and smiled, and Joan felt something warm flood through her.

Was this what delight felt like?

  “Joan,” Anna said. She and George had stopped fighting and she now had an arm around his shoulders. “This is my best buddy, George Boleyn! And this is his girlfriend, Jane Parker. She goes to Chamberlain.”

She didn’t go to Kingston. So maybe that’s why she was being so friendly.

Joan liked it.

  “George, Jane, this is Joan.” Anna continued.

  “Joan, hi,” Jane smiled down at the girl.

  “Joan!” George exclaimed. “Oh shit. Hey, can I just personally apologize for all my sister’s bullshit? I wish I could say she isn’t always like that, but…” He trailed off with a dry laugh.

  “Wait…” Joan began to put the pieces together. “George Boleyn… You’re Anne’s brother?”

George laughed. “Yup. The youngest of the bunch. We have an older sister in college named Mary. She turned out pretty okay.”

  “...I’m sorry.”

George burst out into even louder laughter. He shook Anna’s side, wiping a tear from his eyes.

  “Oh, Anna, I love this girl!” He said.

Joan blushed dark red, ducking her head. Anna grinned at her.

  “She’s great, isn’t she?” She said.

There was a light touch on Joan’s shoulder, warm and soft, easy for her to shrug off if she wanted. She turned her head to see that it was Jane’s hand.

  “I love your dress,” Jane said. “Where did you get it?”

  “I made it.” Joan told her.

  “Made it?” Jane gaped, looking the length of the sparkling silk gown up and down. “No shit!”

Joan blinked a few times, then echoed, “No shit.”

Jane laughed. Anna grinned even more. Joan felt like a sinful little rebel.

  “You really made that?” George asked.

  “Oh, now who’s queer?” Anna said, earning her a smack on the arm.

  “I did.” Joan answered George. “I like to sew.”

  “You have got to teach me sometime!” Anna said. “I tried before but it didn’t turn out so well. A sweater somehow became a snake warmer.”

They all laughed. Joan felt glee bubbling up inside of her the longer and longer she talked to Anna and her friends. It was so nice to be a part of conversations and share her talents with other people.

  “Yeah, of course,” Joan said to Anna. 

  “Hey, ladies,” Said a heavily sneering voice. “And Anne’s brother.”

Maggie, Maria, and a boy came gliding over. Maggie was wearing a pure white toga with gold lace to fit the Greek theme, while the boy, tall and tired-looking, was in a maroon tux. Maria wore a bright tangerine orange dress that had no sleeves and was loaded with fake jewels to make her gown sparkle.

  “Hello,” Anna said. There was a sort of warning in her voice, like she was daring the three of them to try something and see what happened.

  “Joan!” Maggie exclaimed in a very forced friendly voice. “Wow. You look so...different!”

Joan struggled not to squirm. She didn’t like the way Maggie was looking at her, like she was being sized up. Jane stood tall beside her, a protector of sorts, narrowing her eyes at Maggie.

  “Thanks,” Joan mumbled. The bedazzled gems encrusted on Maria’s dress caught her attention and she looked at her in wonder. “Wow… You’re so shiny.”

Maggie snorted. “Shiny?” She said. “Joan, what are you talking about?”

  “You made The Human Tide,” Joan went on, ignoring her. She lifted one of Maria’s hands in her own, tracing the lines on her palms. “Passion and lust, envy and yearning, wrath and guilt…” She looked up at her, eyes shining. “Did you put some Sylvia Plath in there?”

  “What?” Maggie said uneasily.

  “I-I did,” Maria stammered in an oddly rapt way. “I didn’t think anyone would have noticed… Nobody ever understands my pieces.”

  “I’m very observant,” Joan stated. “Charles Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe and lines from the Odyssey…”

  “Okay, not you’re literally just saying random names.” Maggie said. She looked at the others. “What is going on?”

  “Shh.” George shushed her, earning him an evil glare that he deftly dodged around Anna.

  “It was very beautiful.” Joan said, releasing Maria’s hand.

  “Thank you,” Maria said, wide-eyed. “That--that means a lot. Thank you.”

Joan smiled at her. She looked at Anna in a sort of glance of approval and Anna grinned back at her.

  “This is so fucking weird,” Maggie hissed under her breath, the swept away into the crowd. Maria and her date lingered around.

  “Oh, hey,” George suddenly said to the boy in the maroon tux. “I know you from...Trigonometry? You’re William, right?”

  “Yeah,” The boy, William, nodded.

  “Where’d you get your dress?” Maria asked Joan at the same time.

  “She made it.” Jane said.

  “I made it.”

Maria looked Joan up and down, sort of like Jane did, then said, “Shut up!”

Joan flinched slightly and bristled. “You shut up!”

Maria laughed. Anna set a hand on Joan’s shoulder to relax her, chuckling slightly.

  “Really, you made that?” Maria asked.

Joan nodded. “It’s a really simple pattern. I also got the fabric really cheap.”

  “Wow.” Maria said. “Give it a twirl!”

  “What?”

  “Twirl your dress!” Maria specified, then demonstrated, spinning in a shimmering circle of orange and silver. “Like that!”

  “Oh--” Joan blinked. “Okay.” She twirled for them.

Maria gasped loudly. “LOOK AT YOUR ASS!!!”

Joan yelped and leapt backwards against Anna, eyes bulging. George burst into laughter. William leaned to the side slightly to get a look and nodded in approval. 

  “Now THAT’S queer!” George chortled.

  “Okay, after seeing your ass, the whole ‘nun in street clothes’ thing is no longer acceptable.” Maria said to Joan.

Joan’s bewildered expression does not lessen. In fact, she looked even more confused and startled after hearing that. Jane leaned down to her and whispered, “It was a compliment.”

  “You’re glowing,” Maria said. “You really do look great, Joan. So different!”

Joan blushed shyly. “Thank you.”

Someone gently took Joan’s arm. “Let’s go find our table.” Jane said, and began guiding Joan through the crowd. “Yikes. Why is everyone acting so weird around you?”

  “I’m not--usually like this.” Joan said. “All nice and pretty and dressed up. I’m kinda weird…”

  “I like weird.” Jane said. “It makes you special.”

Joan ducked her head to hide her bashful expression. Jane chuckled.

  “Here we are!” They stop at an empty table that was coiled with ivy and violets. Three candles flickered on the tabletop. Anna and George caught up to them.

  “They’re really trusting us with real candles?” George said, peering at the small flames. “Not the best decision they could have made.”

  “How are you doing?” Anna asked, sitting down next to Joan. “Feeling alright? Need to go out and get some fresh air? I know parties like this can be a little much. With everyone packed together and whatnot.”

Joan’s heart fluttered in her chest. She’s never had someone be so worried about her before. Anna genuinely cared about how she was feeling.

  “I’m okay,” She answered. “It’s a lot, though. I’ve never been to a place like this before. It’s amazing.”

  “It’s not so bad once you get used to it,” Jane put in. 

Joan nodded. “I hope I’m doing okay. Again, this isn’t really my crowd, you know?”

  “You’re doing great.” Anna told her. “Trust me.”

  “Joan?” A voice called.

George leapt to his feet instantly and dragged Jane with him to go visit with another table, saluting Anna and Joan as he careened away. The remaining duo blinked, then realized what he was fleeing from.

It was Miss Aragon.

The gym coach appeared from the crowd in glistening swathes of gold, like an angel descending from heaven. Her dark brown hair was elegantly curled, framing her makeup-covered face perfectly. The dress she wore was smooth, with no wrinkles or frills, and had short sleeves so her muscles could be revealed to wandering eyes. A black pendant hung around her strong neck, glinting like polished onyx in the light.

  “Oh, Miss Aragon!” A smile came to Joan’s face the moment she saw her favorite teacher. “You look incredible!”

  “Thank you.” Miss Aragon said. “You look beautiful.”

Joan ducked her head humbly. “That’s very nice of you,” She said. “I know it isn’t true, but thank you anyway.”

Miss Aragon and Anna both ruffled slightly at that.

  “Don’t be modest,” Miss Aragon said. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.”

Joan blushed. “Thank you… Really, thank you.”

  “Hey, Miss Aragon!” Anna said to the coach.

  “Anna.”

Joan blinked and glanced back and forth between the two of them. Why did Miss Aragon look so threatening? Why did Anna look slightly nervous? Was there something going on that she didn’t know?

  “You guys want some punch?” Anna said briskly, standing up. She smoothed out her tux and straightened her flower crown. “I heard Henry and Francis spiked it.” She snickered.

  “Oh no,” Joan said in a woebegone voice. “Isn’t it dangerous to drink spikes? What if someone chokes?”

  “Really?” Miss Aragon said to Anna at the same time.

Anna laughed, then noticed Miss Aragon’s unamused, deadpan expression. She stopped instantly.

  “Uh-- No.” She said. “I’m joking.”

Miss Aragon’s expression did not change. Anna cleared her throat, then sidled off towards the food temples. Miss Aragon rolled her eyes and sat down next to Joan.

  “So,” Miss Aragon smiled at her. “Is it everything you dreamed?”

  “It’s nice.” Joan said.

Miss Aragon laughed. “Just nice?”

  “It’s like being on Mars,” Joan admitted. “Now that I’m here, I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do.”

  “I remember my prom,” Miss Aragon mused. Joan tipped her head in interest. “I went with the captain of the basketball team. She was six foot seven inches tall!” They both laughed. “So, I went out and bought a pair of these Stiletto heels so the kiss goodnight would be less awkward. Anyway, we went in her pickup truck, which of course broke down, so we had to walk the last half mile to the prom.”

  “Oh no!” Joan gasped.

  “By the time we finally got there, my feet were so blistered that all I could do was just sit there. I was sure I ruined the night, I couldn’t dance, but you know what? We just sat there and talked for hours. And it turned out to be one of the best nights of my entire life.”

  “Wow,” Joan said. “I’m so happy for you, Miss Aragon! I’m sorry you couldn’t dance, though.”

  “Could have been worse,” Miss Aragon shrugged. “There was this one girl whose boyfriend brought a toy gun so he could pose like James Bond in the picture.”

  “Oh,” Joan giggled, despite not knowing who James Bond was. “He sounds like fun.”

  “Yeah,” Miss Aragon nodded. “He was arrested.”

Joan stopped giggling instantly. Miss Aragon chuckled.

  “But it’s okay.” Miss Aragon said. “It’s just a dance. Not that special.”

Joan nodded. Her gaze began to slide back to the party around them, to the mass of writhing limbs that was the dance floor. Mostly everyone was dancing or talking, but she spotted a few people staring over at her and whispering to each other. Some glanced away when she noticed, pretending they weren’t gossiping about her, while others didn’t even try to make it seem like they weren’t talking behind her back. She turned her head towards them fully, unable to look away, and felt fear and shame bubbling back up inside of her.

(Mama was right Mama was right Mama was right Mama was right)

Miss Aragon smothered those thoughts for her.

  “Are you excited for summer?” Her coach asked. Joan turned her head back to her, successfully pulling her attention away. “Then you’ll be in Year 12. One grade closer until graduation!”

  “I don’t know,” Joan admitted. “Graduation makes me nervous. I don’t even know what I want to study.”

  “That’s understandable,” Miss Aragon said, nodding. “I couldn’t wait to graduate.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yeah,” Miss Aragon said. “I hated high school.”

  “Oh, god.” Joan leaned in. “I do, too. I know you’re not supposed to say that, but I do. I hate it. I hate it so much.”

  “Preach it to the choir.” Miss Aragon said. “No offense.”

Joan smiled slightly. Miss Aragon took one of her hands and stroked the knuckles with her thumb.

  “Just remember,” She said. “Nothing that has happened will matter after graduation. Nothing. Except, you know, things like good grades and studying. You take what you want and leave the rest behind. You don’t even have to see any of these people again if you don’t want to.”

  “I don’t?”

  “No.” Miss Aragon said. “Oh, but I highly recommend the ten year reunion.”

  “Why?” Joan asked eagerly.

  “Everybody’s different. People will say, ‘Oh my god, so-and-so hasn’t changed a bit,’ but they’re LYING.” Miss Aragon told her, a devilish smirk twitching on her lips. “Everybody changes. And not always for the better.” She scanned the crowd, her smirk curving fully. She leaned into Joan, subtly nodding towards a trio of girls in insanely expensive dresses. “Like, those girls over there? Right now, they’re at their peak. They will never be more pretty or more popular, and in ten years, they’ll be fat.” She snickered. “And the fat girls, some of them will be thin, and the cute boys will be bald. The jocks will have beer bellies-- it’s fantastic!”

Joan dissolved into giggles and had to cover her mouth.

  “And the ones who were miserable?”

Joan stopped giggling. She watched Miss Aragon nervously. Her hand was squeezed comfortingly.

  “They turn out just fine.”

A grin came to Joan’s lips and she didn’t try to stamp it down. 

(i’m okay i’ll be okay)

  “They do,” Miss Aragon said, squeezing Joan’s hand again. “So enjoy yourself, and try not to take it too seriously. Everything is going to be okay.”

Joan vaulted into Miss Aragon’s arms, unable to hold herself back. Miss Aragon chuckled and hugged her back, cupping the back of her head to her chest with one hand and rubbing up and down her spine with the other.

  “Thank you,” Joan whispered.

  “Anything for you, sweetheart.” Miss Aragon told her.

  “Woah,” A voice said. “I better not catch you hugging any other girls like that!”

Joan and Miss Aragon parted as Anna set two cups on the table, grinning.

  “Have a good talk?”

  “Uh huh,” Joan nodded.

  “We did.” Miss Aragon said. “And on that note- Anna. Can I speak with you for a moment?”

  “Sure.” Anna said, sounding slightly guarded.

Miss Aragon smiled at Joan and kissed the top of her head before standing up. She took Anna by the arm and guided her away, far out of earshot from Joan.

  “Having fun?” Miss Aragon asked. Her voice wasn’t nearly as loud as the blasting music, but the biting words still cut smoothly through all the noise.

  “Yeah,” Anna nodded. “Yeah, I am. I think Joan is having fun, too. She’s making a lot of progress!” She looked over her shoulder for a moment, seeing that Joan was pulled over to one of the desert tables by Jane and George. George put some whipped cream on a brownie, then handed it to Joan, who observed the canister seriously for a moment and then promptly sprayed herself in the face. She dropped the can with an alarmed screech and tottered backwards as laughter erupted around her. She was laughing, too.

  “That’s good,” Miss Aragon said, smiling fondly at Joan as she was trying to wipe her face off. “I just thought you should know,” She turned her smile to Anna, “that if you show Joan anything less than the time of her life, I will personally see to it that you are expelled.”

Anna gaped at her, mouth hanging open slightly. All the color drained from her face. Miss Aragon narrowed her eyes dangerously, leaning in.

  “Do you understand the words that just came out of my mouth?”

Anna swallowed hard and nodded. Miss Aragon smiled again.

  “Very good.” The coach said, pleased. “Now go get back to her.” She caught Anna’s arm when she tried to walk away. “Oh, and wait for a slow song to dance with her to. She’ll look stupid dancing to anything fast.”

Anna nodded again and was released. She scampered back over to the table, glancing over her shoulder at the coach as she went.

  “Everything okay?” Joan asked as Anna sat back down.

  “Yeah!” Anna answered. “Yeah, don’t worry.” She looked up as a slower song by Billie Eilish began to play. “You wanna dance?”

  “No.” Joan said instantly.

  “Oh--” Anna blinked. “Alright.”

  “Sorry…” Joan hunched her shoulders in. “Maybe later. But not right now, please? I still wanna get settled in completely.”

  “Yeah, of course,” Anna said. “We can just talk, alright?” 

  “I like that idea.”

  “So…” Anna shifted in her seat slightly. She looked Joan over, then plunged into a question she really hoped wouldn’t upset her date (and make her have to retake Year 13 when Miss Aragon found out), “If I may...how’d you get those scars on your hands?”

  “Ah--” Joan coiled her scarred hands into her cowl, looking embarrassed. “Um-- It’s really stupid…”

  “No, no, no--” Anna caught her before she could tuck herself back into the shell she was just starting to come out of. “Hey, why don’t I tell you one of my dumb scar stories?”

Joan looked up at her in interest.

  “Okay, so--” Anna looked around like she was making sure no one was around, despite there being dozens of people all around them. “I have this little hole in my lower stomach because when I was eight, I put a pencil in my pants and it stabbed me when I went to pee.”

Joan instantly burst out into laughter. It was such a pleasant sound to hear coming out of her, slightly high pitched and adorable.

  “Really?” She sputtered out.

  “I swear to god!” Anna said, laughing with her. “You can’t really see it anymore, but you can feel the indent of where the hole is. I also have this bad boy,” She rolled her left pant leg up enough to reveal a giant, faded burn scar on her inner thigh. Joan ogled it.

  “What happened?” The younger girl gaped.

  “When I was 13, me, my younger sister, and my cousin were riding around in a golf cart. My cousin was driving, and he ended up turning in a cul-de-sac way too fast, flipping the entire golf cart on my side. I hit the asphalt and, since I was sitting next to my cousin in the front, that whole loaf fell onto me, breaking his fall and letting him come out completely unscathed. I, however, got this burn.”

  “Wow…” Joan murmured. “Were you scared?”

  “At the time, oh yeah,” Anna said. “My sister wasn’t moving at all. I thought she was dead. So we got a helicopter air lift to the hospital. That was pretty neat!”

  “You aren’t...ashamed of it?” Joan asked softly. “Your scar?”

  “I used to be,” Anna admitted. “But it’s a part of me, you know? It’ll only look worse if I try to get rid of it. Besides, it looks pretty cool, and it's not like anyone sees it that often anyway. It’s always too cold to wear shorts.”

Joan nodded. She unconsciously traced one of the webs of scar tissue lacing across her left hand. She looked up at Anna with courage in her eyes.

  “I stuck my hands in fire.”

Anna raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

  “Uh huh,” Joan nodded. “I found a picture of my father and my Mama threw it into the fire. I tried to grab it and burned myself pretty badly in the process.” She splayed her hands open, revealing the entire spider web of burns to Anna’s eyes. They were white than her already-porcelain skin, like someone had tried to paint over them. “They used to look really bad. All red and peeling a lot. But they’re gotten better, I think.” She rubbed her rough palms together.

  “Wow.” Anna said. “That’s pretty metal.”

Joan looked at her strangely. “They’re not metal? This is skin.” She looked down at the scars.

Anna laughed.

  “So… Did you know him?”

  “Hm?” Joan looked back up at her.

  “Your father.” Anna clarified. “If I may. Did you know him?”

Joan shook her head. “No. He left when I was just a baby.” She paused for a moment, then added, “I have his eyes.”

  “Oh,” Anna said. “I mean, I’m glad the rumors aren’t true. Not that him leaving is a good thing, it absolutely isn’t, but it’s better than people saying--”

  “My Mama killed him?” Joan finished. She looked up at Anna thoughtfully. “I don’t think she did. But you still never know…” She shook her head and rubbed her palms against her dress. “Can we--go outside?”

  “Need some air?” Anna asked.

  “Yeah,” Beads of sweat were welling up on the crown of Joan’s head. “It’s getting kinda hot in here.”

  “Come on.”

The two of them slipped out of the prom through the door that fed into the rest of the school. It was much cooler in that hallway and much quieter, with only dim storm lights turned on overhead. They walked a few paces down until they got to the entrance hall. They sat down on the huge main staircase.

  “Are you okay?” Anna asked, gently touching Joan’s arm. There was worry in her eyes.

  “Yeah,” Joan answered, nodding. “Trust me. I just need to get away from all that noise for a moment.”

  “Gotcha.” Anna said. “It was getting pretty wild in there.”

Joan nodded again. She was staring forward, looking out the huge windows all along the entrance way of the school. The sky was completely black now, even with the layer of clouds, and sheets of drizzling rain could be seen sparkling in the outside lights.

  “So…” Anna said, hoping to ease back into some small talk. “What do you want to study in college? I know you’re only in Year 11, but I’m curious.”

  “Oh, I dunno,” Joan shrugged. “Is sewing an option?”

Anna laughed slightly. “I’m not sure.”

  “What about you?”

  “Something with agriculture,” Anna told her. “I kinda wanna be a game warden. I like animals. A park ranger would be cool, too. I could get an entire tower all to myself!”

  “That sounds scary.” Joan said. “Being all alone in a tower in the middle of the woods...”

  “Don’t put it like that! You’ll crush my dreams!” Anna teased. “I actually thought about being a singer at one point, too. Can you believe that?” She snorted and shook her head.

  “A singer?” Joan echoed. “Can you sing?”

  “I like to think I can.”

  “Can you show me?”

Anna blinked, slightly shy. “Right now?”

Joan nodded eagerly.

  “What would I sing?”

  “Your poem!” 

  “What?”

  “Your poem, silly.” Joan said again. “It’s basically a song, you know. Just give it a rhythm!”

  “Oh.” Anna blinked. “Right. Okay.” She cleared her throat meaningfully. “Let’s see…

An eagle's just another bird

Until he can spread his wings

A river's just a sheet of ice

Till winter turns to spring,”

Her voice came out husky and smooth, like molten caramel. Each word flicked languidly off of her tongue, dripping easily into open ears. Joan watched her in amazement and great interest and then, shockingly, began to sing the next few stanzas.

  “And though the clouds may block the sun

Don't mean that it's left the sky,”

Joan’s voice was soft and slightly raspy, but higher pitched and easy on the ears. It was light and airy and pronounced each word with silky gentleness. Anna was so startled from hearing it that she faltered for a moment. Joan giggled at her bewildered expression.

  “What?” She asked.

  “You sing beautifully.” Anna blurted.

Joan blushed. “Thank you. I hope you don’t mind. Your poem was just so amazing that I sorta kinda memorized it… Sorry.”

Anna blinked at her in amazement. Nobody had ever been so interested in any of her writing pieces before, not even Katherine.

  “No, no it’s okay!” She said quickly. “That’s so cool. That you like it that much. It means a lot to me.”

Joan smiled. “I’m glad.” She said. “Now, what was the next part?”

  “Umm… Oh!” Anna cleared her throat again, then began singing once more, 

“Just when you think you've seen it all

There's more than meets the eye,”

  “Like, things I dream,”

  “And things I feel,”

  “There’s more to me,”

  “Than I reveal,” The harmony they pulled off together was like nothing Anna had ever heard before. Her deep alto and Joan’s light soprano mixed together beautifully, sounding like liquid sugar in their ears.

  “And cause I shine in quiet ways

I'm someone you don't recognize,” Joan sang, a smile twitching on her lips.

  “I’m a diamond in the rough

A dreamer in disguise…”

They finished in another chilling harmony. Joan beamed at Anna. Anna smiled back at her brightly.

  “That...was incredible.” Anna breathed. 

  “I know!” Joan exclaimed gleefully. “We sounded SO GOOD! I didn’t even know I could sing like that!”

Anna had never seen her so energetic before. Even Joan never felt this way before, so happy and at ease. She must have come out of her shell a lot more than she thought.

  “You’re great, Joan.” Anna said. “We should really hang out more often! Are you free tomorrow by any chance? Katherine, George, Jane, and I were going to have an after party at my house. We have a pool!”

Joan looked absolutely thrilled to be invited. “I would love to go.” She said, eyes glowing. “Do you really mean it, Anna?”

  “Of course!” Anna said. “We were also going to watch a few movies, too. Have you ever seen Star Wars?”

  “No.”

Anna gaped at her in shock. “Really? You’ve never seen a single Star Wars movie before?”

  “We don’t have a TV at my house.” Joan admitted. “What is Star Wars? Is it, like, World War I in outer space?”

Anna burst into laughter. Joan blinked at her in a delighted way.

  “Now I REALLY have to show you!” Anna said, wiping an eye. “It’s a date!”

  “Yeah,” Joan said excitedly.

They hung out on the main staircase for a little bit longer, discussing plans for the next day and Anna giving Joan permission to wear one of her bathing suits (since she didn’t have her own), then ventured back into the prom.

  “I still can’t get over how pretty it is,” Joan said as they walked past a sculpture shaped like temple ruins. “It’s like a dream. A perfect dream.”

The plants were one her favorite parts by far. All around her there were glorious purple exploding star-shaped flowers, delicate pale orange orchids, clusters of petals the color of bananas, odd little orbs in ruby red and sapphire blue. Hanging moss and trailing vines and reaching willow were like curtain doorways to new parts of the prom in all shades of emerald green. And then, there was the tree glowing brightly among all the greenery.

It was so much more beautiful up close. Joan could see all the little details in the pure white trunk, which must have taken forever to get just right. The globes hanging from the branches were the same icy blue as her eyes, she realized, and she blinked at them in wonder. Was the color really that beautiful? 

Looking closer, she noticed something in the hollow of the closest globe. A rolled up piece of paper! In fact, several of the globes had one or more, folded or rolled up to sit inside. There was also a small brown table next to the tree with pens and pieces of paper for anyone who wanted to write something. George was currently doing just that, looking very dutiful as he did so, while Jane waited by his side. She noticed Joan and Anna and perked up.

  “There you guys are!” She said. “I was wondering where you went.”

  “Sorry,” Anna said. “We just went out to get some air. What are you guys doing?”

  “Making wishes,” Jane told her. “That’s what the tree is about. You’re supposed to write a wish or desire on a piece of paper and then put it into one of the fruit things.”

  “So the decoration committee can laugh at you when they read all of them after prom,” George added as he was writing. “So don’t mark your name. And hope your handwriting doesn’t get recognized.”

  “Wanna write one?” Jane asked.

Anna nodded, then nudged Joan questioningly.

  “Sure,” Joan said.

They went over to the table George was hunched over at and each took a pen and piece of paper. Anna thought for just a moment, then began writing something, while Joan hesitated a little bit longer.

She had so many wishes that she thought about all the time. Being adopted into a nicer family, Mama loving her like a normal mother would, having friends, finding her father, getting a kitten… There were so many things to put down, and so little room, so, after a moment of deciding, she wrote, “I wish to always be happy like I am now.”

She rolled her paper up like a scroll and tucked it into an empty globe. Jane did the same, then Anna, and then, finally, George.

  “So, what did you guys wish for?” George asked as they walked back over to their table. “Because I wished for something practical. Money.”

  “I should have known,” Jane chuckled. “I wished for an easy, hopefully painless transition into college after summer is over.”

  “Eternal love,” Anna said.

  “A pet cat,” Joan lied, feeling too sappy to say her actual one.

  “That’s a good wish, that’s a good wish,” George nodded in approval.

The four of them began to chat for several minutes, discussing summer plans and swapping funny stories. Joan didn’t have much to share, seeing as her life wasn’t exactly very easy to bring up in a lighthearted conversation, but Anna, Jane, and George each made sure she was included. She was perfectly happy with just listening quietly, but actually getting to partake in the talk felt like an honor she didn’t deserve.

  “What about you, Joan?” George had been asking. “Got any embarrassing secrets?”

Joan thought for a moment, sifting out several way-too-dark things to share. 

  “I can’t swim,” She finally admitted.

  “Woah, really?” George said. “I thought everyone learned how to swim.”

  “Where? In school?” Anna snorted. She turned her head to Joan, eyebrows furrowed. “I guess that makes tomorrow’s pool party a little unfortunate, huh?”

  “I still wanna come.” Joan said quickly, afraid the opportunity will be taken from her. “I agreed regardless, didn’t I? And I’ll be okay. I just had a bad experience with water one time, that’s all. It’s been years, anyway.”

(the tepid water and her wrinkled fingertips marked the end of her bubble bath. Mama just checked on her, but her patience had doubled since then. she called for Mama to help her out of the tub, but Mama did not respond. she tried twice more but she heard no returning calls. she decided that she did not really need Mama’s help; she was five and a big girl. 

the slippery acrylic tub and her misplaced feet resulted in her arm roughly slicing on the sharp faucet. a metallic and unknown smell engulfed her. all she saw was red, just like candy apples. so much red falling from her arm and coloring the bathwater. unexplainable fear and pain overcame her. she started to cry and within seconds, Mama was standing at the door.

she had always been beautiful, but the flour smeared on her face and the stress lines present on her features did not do much for her. the sheer horror on her expression scared her further and transformed weak cries into wailing screams. Mama appeared white as a sheet as they stared at each other, motionless. the tub water was noticeably darker when she started to feel a painful sensation shooting down her arm. in a flash, Mama was carrying her onto the sink counter, swaddling her in a towel that turned crimson red almost instantly. Mama was wearing her special apron and bore a grim look on her face.

Mama left for just a moment, then returned with something gleaming.

there was no warning given before Mama started putting a needle and thread through her skin. it reminded her of sewing a dress together. she can only feel a light tugging, but it did not quiet her cries. Mama finally cut the thread after what felt like forever. the cuddles she got after that were like angel hugs. she thought she should hurt herself more often.)

  “What happened?” George asked with great interest. Jane lightly whacked his arm.

  “Don’t be pushy.” She chided him, then looked at Joan. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to, hun.”

The pet name sent flickers of pink flames glowing on Joan’s ears. Her heart fluttered wildly inside of her chest, like a butterfly flapping its wings for the first time.

  “Well--”

(the shower. the blood in the water like when she was five. her blood. girls all around her laughing, throwing things, humiliating her.)

  “I was twelve, and I snuck away from home to this Christian summer camp because I wanted to make some friends,” She said. “That, of course, went south, and all the kids participated in a game where they would dunk me in the pool until I started drowning.”

Silence filled the table. Joan instantly felt guilty and lowered her head.

  “Sorry…” She mumbled. “I-I shouldn’t have…”

  “I’m so sorry, Joan.” Jane looked sympathetic and concerned. “That sounds awful.”

  “Those kids are awful.” George corrected her. “I’m sorry, too.”

  “Me too.” Anna nodded. She gently took one of Joan’s hands and squeezed it. “That’ll never happen ever again, I promise.”

Joan smiled at her. “Thank you.” She wanted to dive into Anna’s honey brown eyes and catch the reflected flames in there. She wanted to tell her and George and Jane how much this meant to her.

Suddenly, Anna’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, but kept her other hand holding Joan’s.

  “Oh, it’s Kat!” She said to the other three. “She’s asking how the night is going.”

  “Amazing!” George declared. “Really amazing! Isn’t this prom the GREATEST?”

Jane tipped her head at him and smiled, and Joan realized that THAT was what it looked like when someone was in love.

  “It is amazing,” Jane agreed.

  “Yeah,” Joan nodded.

  “I’m gonna send a picture to her,” Anna said. “Come on, guys! Everyone get in!”

They all huddled together, even Joan, who got snugly sandwiched between Anna and Jane. Anna snapped a picture and then sent it to Katherine, along with a quick text telling her how things were going. By the time she finished, the music had changed into a slow, soothing song, and couples began to group together on the dance floor, including Jane and George.

  “Oh--” Anna looked up with a smile. “It’s a slow song, Joan.”

Joan froze, her eyes widening. She began shaking her head, but Anna was already standing up and gently taking her hands. She pulled them back quickly.

  “No, Anna, I can't--” Joan stammered nervously. She glanced at all the couples dancing, noting how smoothly they moved, and couldn’t possibly imagine herself swaying among them. She would be much too clumsy. “I’ve never danced before.”

  “That’s okay,” Anna said dismissively.

  “No, no, Anna--” Joan’s fear was mounting. This was where everything went wrong, this was where things got messed up, this was where her perfect night fell apart--

  “Hey.” Anna knelt down in front of her. “It’s going to be okay. It’s just one little dance, and all we do is hold each other and sway. Just like everyone else is doing.”

Joan glanced at the dancers again. It didn’t look too hard…

  “B-but what if--”

  “Shh,” Anna carefully adjusted Joan’s flower crown so it would be straight again. “Everything is alright, Joan. Nothing bad will happen. Remember: if anyone laughs, I kick their ass.”

That got a tiny smile from Joan. Anna smiled back and lifted Joan to her feet, guiding her onto the dance floor.

  “Okay, so you’re going to grab my hand like this. See?” Their right hands clasped together in the air. “And then set the other one on my shoulder.” Joan’s left hand rested on Anna’s shoulder, while Anna’s gently cupped her waist. “And then we sway…” They swayed. “See? It’s easy. You’re a natural!” 

Joan smiled shyly up at Anna. She glanced around them, and realized mainly everyone was too absorbed in their partners to notice she was dancing with them.

  “And...if you wanna get fancy with it…” Anna smirked. “We can do the Dancing With The Stars move.”

Joan had no idea what that was, but it still sent lightning bolts of anxiety shooting through her.

  “N-no, Anna, no, I can’t--”

  “Shh, shh, shh,” Anna hushed her gently. “Just trust me.” And then she stepped back slightly and spun around slowly so her arm would be draped across her torso and Joan would be pressed against her chest. Joan looked up at her with a mix between an amazed and deer-in-headlights look. “See? Easy! Wasn’t that fun?”

Joan nodded wordlessly, lost in her wonder. Her icy blue eyes were sparkling like starlight twinkling on fresh snow. Anna gently uncoiled her and they got back into position.

  “You’re a good learner.” Anna told her partner.

  “Thank you,” Joan whispered, ducking her head. “Can I spin you?”

Anna laughed. “Sure.”

Joan spun Anna, but ended up twisting their arms quite painfully before the full rotation could be complete, so they had to break away and come back together with unknotted muscles. They both laughed.

  “Good first try!” Anna said.

Joan giggled.

A serene silence fell between the two of them as the music went on. They swayed together like a white and pink boat drifting on the quiet waves of the ocean at night. The rhythm they rocked to was conducted by years worth of longing and desire from Joan’s part, and now it was all blooming before her. Everything she’s ever wanted was happening. Friends, a fun night away from home, people who actually give a damn about her… She could feel tears of joy pricking in her eyes and she quickly blinked them back.

  “Do you really have to be home by eleven?” 

Anna’s voice, smooth and caring and not a bit cruel, cut though the singing playing from the large speakers set up. Joan looked up at her. It felt like she had just woken up from a nap, that the music had lulled her into sleep and she slipped away into a blissful dream. But it wasn’t a dream. This was real. The bodies rocking around her and the beautiful decorations and her perfect dress and Anna’s hand in her own--it was all real. 

  “Yes,” Joan said, processing what Anna had asked her. She frowned. “I’m sorry. I promised.”

  “No, that’s okay!” Anna said quickly. “It’s just that after prom, a few of us were going to go to--”

  “OKAY.” Joan said, pulling away and hugging her hands in close. 

Anna blinked. “Um. What?”

  “No, no, if you want to go off with your friends, I understand. I-I-I don’t want to spoil anything.” Joan sputtered out, feeling her heart sink back into the black abyss it had finally climbed out of for the first time in fifteen years.

  “What I was going to say was,” Anna said, taking Joan’s hands again and pulling her back against her. She began to sway again. “If you’d like to, after prom, we could stop at the Blazer for awhile.”

Joan blinked. She suddenly felt embarrassed about how she had jumped to conclusions so easily, that just goes to show how much she truly trusted Anna, but Anna didn’t seem to mind.

  “I’ve never been there.” She said, unsurprisingly. She didn’t go to many places.

  “They have the BEST fries!” Anna stated, grinning.

  “I’d love to.” Joan said.

  “Then it’s decided!”

A smile was starting to come to Joan’s lips, one that felt like it would stay there for the entire night no matter how hard she tried to smother it. After years of vicious bullying and constant teasing and unfriendly looks, she suddenly found herself wrapped in attention and warmth. Anna or Jane or George didn’t hate her or were afraid of her like Mama had said at all. More than that, they seemed to actually like her. They were talking to her and being nice to her and making her laugh, and none of it seemed forced in even the slightest way. They were making her forget, for all these hours, how miserable she had been and how miserable she truly was. The pain was numbed.

For once in her life, for the first time in fifteen years, she truly felt happy.

  “Thank you.” Joan whispered, breaking another few peaceful seconds of silence between them.

  “What for?” Anna asked, tilting her head slightly.

  “For everything.” Joan clarified. “For taking me to prom. For the limo. For being so nice to me.” The tears were coming back, but she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to blink them back this time. “I know you don’t like me like that, and I know it’s only one night, but…” She looked up at Anna, her eyes sparkling. “I’m glad I got to be your date tonight.”

  “Me too.” Anna said, taking Joan by surprise.

  “R-really?”

For a moment, Anna frowned at her disbelief, but then she shook her head and chuckled slightly. 

  “Of course,” She said. “I’m having the best time with you.”

  “B-but what about Katherine--” Joan stammered, her voice catching in her throat.

  “Katherine isn’t here right now,” Anna said, wiping away the tear that rolled down Joan’s left cheek. “Tonight, you’re all that matters to me. I’m going to make sure this is the best night of your life. And the nights and days and everything else after that. You aren’t alone anymore, Joan.”

That’s what broke Joan.

The girl whimpered, bottom lip quivering, and a cascade of sparkling silver tears began pouring down her face. Anna cupped the back of her head and brought it to press into the crook of her neck for security. Joan cried steadily, thanking her over and over again through squeaking sobs.

  “How about this?” Anna said when Joan began to quiet down and was able to pull her head back. Her makeup was slightly smeared, but Anna still thought she looked amazing. “We dance for a little longer, see what poor fools get elected as prom king and queen, and then head to the Blazers for a bite to eat. And I’ll have you home by eleven.” She smiled warmly. “How does that sound to you?”

Joan nodded.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.” Joan squeaked. “Maybe eleven-thirty…”

  “Whatever you want.”

  “Eleven-thirty.”

Anna smiled even more. “Wonderful.”

They fell into blissful silence as the song began to wrap up. Joan’s eyes were starting to sting, but she didn’t care. She tucked her head underneath Anna’s chin and rested her head on her chest, relaxing. Anna swayed them both gently, acting as a protective barrier that Joan never wanted to be away from.

The song soon ended and the two of them parted. George and Jane bounded over to them, with George grinning his head off and tapping his feet energetically. Jane rolled her eyes at him fondly, then smiled at Joan and Anna.

  “I saw you guys dancing,” She said. “You were really good for your first time! This one,” She jerked her head at George, “tripped on MY FEET and dragged me to the ground when he fell the first time we danced together.”

Anna and Joan laughed. George was not fazed by his girlfriend spilling embarrassing things about him. In fact, he seemed a little proud.

  “It’s going to be funny to tell our kids one day!” He said.

  “Oh, you,” Jane rolled her eyes again and poked his nose. “Oh, Joan. Your makeup smeared.”

Joan blinked and lifted a hand to her face. “Oh dear,” She murmured in dismay.

  “Not to worry!” Jane waved a hand. “I have some makeup in my car. I can help you fix it.”

  “Really?” Joan said. “Thank you.”

  “No problem, lovely!” Jane said. She gently took Joan by the arm. “Anna, I’m going to borrow your girl for a moment. George, don’t do anything dumb.”

  “Yes sir!” George beamed. When Jane and Joan whisked through the crowd and out into the parking lot, he sighed lovingly, “I love her so much…”

Anna laughed and patted his back. “I can tell!”

Meanwhile, in Jane Parker’s blue Hummer, Jane was dutifully applying fresh makeup onto Joan’s youthful face and thinking back to some of the things she overheard Anne Boleyn saying about her when she was over at the Boleyn residence to hang out with George. The young girl before her didn’t look ugly at all, despite what Anne had said, nor did she look like a freak. Her eyes may be a strange color, but they were the most beautiful shade of blue Jane had ever seen before.

Jane suspected that, deep down, Joan actually enjoyed the kind of pampering she was giving her in the car, despite the distrust in her eyes as Jane drew near with a mascara wand. Not that she needed anything more, but still. Little Miss Five Minute Skincare had obviously missed out on a lot of the girly stuff that had saturated Jane’s existence since birth.

It made sense, though. From the rumors she heard and from everything Anne griped about, she didn’t have a normal upbringing like most people should have. Something much darker lurked beneath those silly stories.

Something terrible has happened to this girl.

And, judging by the “hideous” hand-made flannels Joan apparently wore quite often to school, her mother hadn't been much of a fashion mentor either.

Once Jane had achieved the smoky eye effect she wanted, she applied some gloss to Joan’s lips. The girl had quite an amazing tone to her mouth. Pity it was drooped in a sullen pout at that moment.

Jane leaned back to admire her handwork.

  “Well?” She adjusted the rear view mirror down so Joan could see her reflection. “How does it look?”

  “Pretty…” Joan murmured. “But it feels like I have dirt on my face.” She pouted adorably again.

Jane laughed. “Makeup has that effect, unfortunately.” She said. “But you look lovely. Now, come on, let’s get back inside.”

They journeyed back into the prom, chatting idly as they went. Joan was smiling again, but her hands kept twitching like she wanted to rub her eyes. This was probably the first time she’s ever worn mascara, Jane realized.

  “Wow,” Anna murmured breathlessly when Jane and Joan got back to their table. Even George looked a little starstruck at the newer, better makeup applied to Joan’s face.

  “Do I look alright?” Joan asked shyly.

  “Better than alright!” George said.

  “You look beautiful.” Anna added. “Gorgeous.”

Joan blushed bright red. “I’m glad.” She said. “Because this black stuff is making my eyes sticky. And itchy.”

  “That’s mascara, sweetheart.” Jane corrected her.

  “It’s AWFUL.” Joan said. “Do girls wearing makeup always have to feel this? How do they do that? I’d rather pluck all my eyelashes out!”

Jane, Anna, and George laugh. After a moment, Joan joined them, giggling.

  “I’m going to go grab a drink,” Anna said, parting from the group and going over to the bufett temples.

  “Excuse me?”

Anna spun around and found herself facing a young woman, maybe a Year 12 or Year 13, with tassels of red hair and striking smoky grey eyes. Her dress was scarlet, accenting her hair perfectly.

  “Sorry,” She said, smiling slightly, “I just had to ask before I made a fool of myself. Are you two a couple?” She nodded in Joan’s direction.

  “What? No!” Anna barked. The laugh came out more harshly-sounding than she meant, making her instantly guilty. But she was right- she wouldn’t date Joan. She was too young for one, and for another, she was already with Katherine.

The redhead was devouring Joan as the girl giggled over something George was saying, effortlessly adorable.

  “No, we’re not a couple,” Anna found herself repeating as the redhead purred her appreciation. “But Joan” Anna couldn't resist. She really wanted Joan to open up to new people. “…Joan’s a total stud.”

God, that felt a lot weirder to say than she expected. She did NOT like that.

  “Really?” The redhead’s gaze shot to Anna’s face and then back to her object of attraction. “Joan?” She teased the name with her tongue. “God, she's cute. Do you think I have a chance?”

Anna shrugged and sipped her drink to stifle a giggle. To be honest, she didn’t actually know. She had never ever seen Joan with anyone romantically before, making her believe she was a raging asexual or mother-superior-in-training.

The reality was that Joan was left tongue-tied by male and female nudity alike. Two years into high school gym, and Anne would say she STILL averted her eyes when changing out with other girls in the locker room. She was just hopelessly shy when it came to all matters sex-related.

  “She may play hard-to-get.” Anna finally said.

  “Ah,” The redhead nodded slowly. She chuckled. “Thank you.” Then, like that, she glided back off into the mass of writhing limbs that was the prom. Anna respectfully waited ten seconds after she left to snort her laughter.

  “You’ve got some fans, Jo,” She said, walking back over her friends.

  “What?” Joan blinked up at her innocently.

  “I think someone has a crush on you.”

Joan’s face flamed red instantly. She stammered on a reply, but all her words came out squeaking.

  “O-oh.” She choked. “Nice?”

Anna chuckled and patted her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it was nothing. And you can always say no.”

Joan nodded. A second later, the music switched to an upbeat Lady Gaga song. George began to bound excitedly.

  “Oh, I LOVE this song!!” He yelled. “Let’s dance!”

Anna glanced at Joan, who appeared to be a little more confident at dancing. They all moved to an emptier spot on the dance floor and began to dance.

  “Come on, Joan!” Jane encouraged, noticing that Joan was just bobbing her head to the beat of the song. “Shake that bony white ass!”

Joan was flabbergasted at that, but was motivated to get a little more into the song. Anna, Jane, and George all clapped and cheered for her as she did so.

Unbeknownst to them, Maggie watched on with Bessie at her side. Bessie’s amethyst purple dress went with her bleached white hair surprisingly well, but Maggie wasn’t sure if that was intentional or not, seeing as Bessie’s head was filled with quite a few moths. Anthony was somewhere in the crowd near the food temples, lost in the cluster of black tuxedos so much like his own, fetching drinks like Maggie had asked.

  “God, just look at them.” Maggie sneered in disgust, watching Joan dance like an idiot and Anna, Anne’s younger brother, and Anne’s younger brother’s girlfriend actually make it seem like they liked her. “Couldn’t you just vomit?”

  “I can’t believe Anne is missing this.” Bessie said, wide-eyed. Maggie definitely saw flickers of longing and jealousy in her dark brown eyes; she wasn’t exactly very subtle with her big gay crush on Anna von Cleves.

  “Trust me, doll,” Maggie said dismissively. She shot a smirk at the stage. “She isn’t missing a thing.”

[mysticalhearth]

Six

Six - Broadway - February, 2020 (Preview) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: First Preview! Recorded from orchestra. Six - Broadway - February, 2020 (2) (Preview) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Recorded from the left mezzanine. Six - Broadway - February, 2020 (3) (Preview) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Recorded from the right mezzanine. Six - Cambridge University - July 31, 2017 (Preview) (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD)| Gifted: Upon Request CAST: Megan Gilbert (Catherine of Aragon), Ashleigh Weir (Anne Boleyn), Holly Musgrave (Jane Seymour), Tilda Wickham (Anna of Cleves), Annabel Marlow (Katherine Howard), Shimali de Silva (Catherine Parr) NOTES: First and only Cambridge (ADC Theatre) preview. House-Cam video of part of Don't Lose Your Head from an audience reaction video, Bows (MP4 (HD)) and 30 seconds of a Soundboard audio of Ex Wives, also from an audience reaction. (WAV (untracked)). To be gifted upon request. Six - First UK Tour - September, 2018 (Preview) (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Millie O’Connell (Anne Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour), Alexia McIntosh (Anna of Cleves), Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard), Maiya Quansah-Breed (Catherine Parr) NOTES: A safety rail obstructs much of the screen, but the camera is steady and what is seen is fantastic. The master has asked that the date for this video is kept vague, so please stop making the encora admins work so much and just keep this as September, 2018 please. The first six video. Six - Norwegian Bliss - September 4, 2019 (Preview) (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Candace Furbert (Catherine of Aragon), Hazel Karooma-Brooker (Anne Boleyn), Bryony Duncan (s/w Anne Boleyn), Caitlin Tipping (Jane Seymour), Sophie Golden (Anna of Cleves), Alicia Corrales-Connor (Katherine Howard), Viquichele Cross (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Video ends mid-way through "Six". It's a bit grainy and there is minimal spotlight washout but definitely watchable. Audio is perfectly clear. From the first tech run through, with no audience. Hazel had lost her voice, so she did the choreography while the audio was provided by Bryony Duncan backstage. The cast is amazing and at the top of their game. In 2 MP4 files (7.91 GB/1:06:54). Six - Norwegian Breakaway - February 18, 2020 (Highlights) (onlyrowdphotography's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD)|| Gifted: Upon Request CAST: Jasmine Shen (Catherine of Aragon), Kelly Sweeney (Anne Boleyn), Amy Bridges (Jane Seymour), Liv Alexander (s/w Anna of Cleves), Elizabeth Walker (s/w Katherine Howard), Amelia Walker (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Clips of the Breakaway production with Olivia on for Cleves and Elizabeth on for Howard. Some copies include 3 clips of Get Down, but their shaky and the master talks over them. 2 clips of Ex-Wives, 1 clip each of Don't Lose Your Head, Haus of Holbein, I Don't Need Your Love, All You Wanna Do, Six and the Megasix. Originally posted on Instagram and gifted upon request. Six - Pre-Broadway Tour - May 31, 2019 (Highlights) (FetchHappened's master) FORMAT:  MOV (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Highlights include: Ex-Wives, All You Wanna Do, and I Don't Need Your Love Six - Pre-Broadway Tour - August 21, 2019 (Preview) (redladydeath's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Jane Seymour), Brittney Mack (Anna of Cleves), Courtney Mack (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) Six - Pre-Broadway Tour - November 30, 2019 (Opening Night) (myroadofgoodintentions's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Mallory Maedke (t/r Jane Seymour), Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert (s/b Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Shot with a high quality camera; a mix of wides and zooms. There are some minor obstructions to the bottom left of the screen up through Don't Lose Ur Head. Some adjustments to set up were made at this time and the rest of the show was very clear and crisp, some minor jerkiness from following the action. Starts from the beginning of the show and goes through the Mega Six without disruption. Six - Pre-Broadway Tour - December 1, 2019 (myroadofgoodintentions's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Mallory Maedke (t/r Jane Seymour), Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert (s/b Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Video starts in the middle of Ex-Wives (but still includes all their introductions!) due to neglect of hitting the record button. It was shot with a no-fear attitude and it shows--they action is followed for the almost the entirety of the show and there are zooms of each queen during her song. The camera loved this show and there is very little to no washout. There is occasional obstruction from a bar across the bottom that couldn't be shot around, but it doesn't block the action. There was some obstruction from heads during the MegaSix. Six - Pre-Broadway Tour - December, 2019 (musicals-musicals's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrianna Hicks (Catherine of Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Anne Boleyn), Mallory Maedke (t/r Jane Seymour), Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert (s/b Anna of Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Katherine Howard), Anna Uzele (Catherine Parr) NOTES: St. Paul. A mostly unobstructed video taken from left orchestra. Plenty of zooms, and the action is captured well. The quality is a bit grainy, and there is some washout as it was filmed on a phone. There are two videos; the second video includes the Mega-Six. Limited Trade 2:1 Six - Second UK Tour - November 26, 2019 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD)| Gifted: Upon Request CAST: Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Maddison Bulleyment (Anne Boleyn), Lauren Byrne (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Jennifer Caldwell (alt Katherine Howard), Athena Collins (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Highlights originally posted on Youtube including Haus of Holbein, All You Wanna Do, I Don't Need Your Love and Six and the Megasix. To be gifted on request. Six - Second UK Tour - January 11, 2020 (Closing Night) (Highlights) FORMAT:  MOV (HD) CAST: Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Harriet Watson (alt Anne Boleyn), Lauren Byrne (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Jodie Steele (Katherine Howard), Athena Collins (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Closing night in Salford! Highlights of all the songs. Some of the dialogue. Interruption during AYWD making the Queens go off stage Six - Second UK Tour - February, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Cassandra Lee (alt Catherine of Aragon), Jennifer Caldwell (alt Anne Boleyn), Lauren Byrne (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Jodie Steele (Katherine Howard), Athena Collins (Catherine Parr) NOTES: MTS, includes finale Megasix (MOV) Six - Second UK Tour - November, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Highlights CAST: Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Maddison Bulleyment (Anne Boleyn), Lauren Byrne (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Jodie Steele (Katherine Howard), Athena Collins (Catherine Parr) NOTES: Good quality capture overall, shot around heads and circle overhang, includes finale Megasix  

Six - Second UK Tour - November, 2019 (2) (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Maddison Bulleyment (Anne Boleyn), Harriet Watson (alt Jane Seymour), Cassandra Lee (alt Anna of Cleves), Jodie Steele (Katherine Howard), Athena Collins (Catherine Parr) NOTES: The focus and exposure aren’t brilliant and video often wanders upwards but is never obstructed by heads. Maddison forgets some lines in DLYH and delivers the wrong one. Six - West End - April, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Grace Mouat (alt Catherine of Aragon), Millie O’Connell (Anne Boleyn), Courtney Stapleton (alt Jane Seymour), Alexia McIntosh (Anna of Cleves), Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard), Maiya Quansah-Breed (Catherine Parr) NOTES: What is captured is good quality, but it is quite obstructed. The camera aimed high, a few drop outs and there is a safety rail/lighting rail in the way. Includes finale Megasix (MOV). Six - West End - December, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Cherelle Jay (alt Anne Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour), Collette Guitart (u/s Anna of Cleves), Hana Stewart (alt Katherine Howard), Danielle Steers (Catherine Parr) NOTES: MTS, shot around heads, includes finale Megasix (MOV). Six - West End - January, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Courtney Bowman (Anne Boleyn), Hana Stewart (alt Jane Seymour), Cherelle Jay (alt Anna of Cleves), Zara MacIntosh (alt Katherine Howard), Collette Guitart (u/s Catherine Parr) NOTES: MTS, obstructed view, includes finale Megasix (MOV) Six - West End - March, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Millie O’Connell (Anne Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour), Vicki Manser (alt Anna of Cleves), Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard), Courtney Stapleton (alt Catherine Parr) NOTES: Obstructed view, shot around heads. Includes finale Megasix (MOV) Six - West End - March, 2020 (Highlights) (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Courtney Bowman (Anne Boleyn), Collette Guitart (u/s Jane Seymour), Alexia McIntosh (Anna of Cleves), Sophie Isaacs (Katherine Howard), Hana Stewart (alt Catherine Parr) NOTES: MTS, shot around heads, up to All You Wanna Do. Includes full audio (M4A) and finale Megasix (MOV).  

Six - West End - October, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master)

FORMAT:  MTS

CAST: Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon), Cherelle Jay (alt Anne Boleyn),Hana Stewart (alt Jane Seymour), Alexia McIntosh (Anna of Cleves), Vicki Manser (Katherine Howard), Danielle Steers (Catherine Parr)

NOTES: MTS, shot around heads

Six - West End - September, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master)

FORMAT:  MTS

CAST: Collette Guitart (u/s Catherine of Aragon), Millie O’Connell (Anne Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (alt Anna of Cleves), Vicki Manser (alt Katherine Howard), Maiya Quansah-Breed (Catherine Parr)

NOTES: MTS, safety barrier obstructs view, includes finale Megasix (MPG).

[bforbetterthanyou]

Anne Boleyn Appreciation Week

So I’ve seen a lot of different kinds of these appreciation weeks but I’ve never seen one dedicated to Anne Boleyn specifically (at least not recently) so I decided to make one. I probably should’ve waited to do this during some special anniversary for Anne, butI just had the idea and didn’t want to wait.

So I’d like to do this from 24 September-30 September 2023 and if you’d like to participate, use the hashtag #anneboleynweek

Day 1: Sunday, 24 September — favorite fictional portrayal of Anne (screen, stage, novel, etc)

Day 2: Monday, 25 September — favorite historical Anne quote (either by Anne herself or about Anne)

Day 3: Tuesday, 26 September — favorite historical fact about Anne

Day 4: Wednesday, 27 September — favorite portrait of Anne (either confirmed or speculative)

Day 5: Thursday, 28 September — favorite family dynamic (Anne & George, Anne & Elizabeth, etc)

Day 6: Friday, 29 September — favorite romantic dynamic (Anne/Henry VIII, Anne/Henry Percy, etc)

Day 7: Saturday, 30 September — free day!

[geekofchaos]

Just discovered Six. Great music, maybe I’ll be able to see it live someday. The Megasix phone recording idea is super cool, the costumes are fantastic. 

BUT I will admit that every time this comes up in Don’t Lose Ur Head - 

Politics? Not my thing! 

A part of me wants to burst onto stage/into the song/screen shouting “politics was fucking absolutely Anne Boleyn’s thing!” 

Everything else is pretty great though including the rest of the song. 

[rebirtth]

BASICS.

Name: Marianne Ursula Wagner Bloom Babenberg Nickname: ( only to her most inner circle ) Marie, Annie, Ann, Gender & Pronouns: Female & She/Her Age & DOB: 46 & 12th December 1973 Zodiac sign: Sagittarius Orientation: Bisexual & Biromantic Nationality: German Ethnicity: White Religion: Jewish Neuroses: OCD

HISTORY.

Hometown: Bremen, Germany Father: Wolfgang Wagner, producer (deceased) Mother: Celeste Wagner, socialite (deceased) Siblings, if any: n/a Extended family: Jasper Bloom ( 20 yr old son ), Celeste Bloom ( 16 yr old daughter ), Marlene Dietrich ( godmother ) Educational background: Bremen Private School ( 1779-1985 ), Munchen Acting School (1985-1989) Languages spoken: German (first), English (second, fluent), French (third, fluent) Occupational history: She has never held a proper job, only acts. Her filmography is vast and long. Achievements: Her two Academy Awards, her parts on the silver screen.

THE SOCIETY.

Codename: Medea Meaning: in Greek mythology, an enchantress who helped Jason, leader of the Argonauts, to obtain the Golden Fleece from her father, King Aeëtes of Colchis. She was of divine descent and had the gift of prophecy. She married Jason and used her magic powers and advice to help him. Traditionalist or Reformist?: Traditionalist Goals in the society: To reaffirm her place amongst society, to become bigger and better than before Opinion on the society: A safe space, they helped her disguise the deaths of her husbands, though what do they ask for in return?

PERSONALITY.

MBTI: entj-a (the commander) Enneagram: type 8 Temperament: Choleric Hogwarts House: Slytherin Inspirations/Parallels: Jackie Burkhart, ( that 70s show ), Regina George ( mean girls ), Lindsay Bluth Funke ( arrested development ), Amy March ( little women ), Lisa ( the room ), Rita Skeeter ( harry potter ), Shannon Rutherford ( lost ), Audrey Horne ( twin peaks ), Daisy Buchanan ( the great gatsby ), Cersei Lannister ( game of thrones ), Mal Cobb ( inception ), Mia Wallace ( pulp fiction ), Rachel Green ( friends ), Samantha Jones ( sex and the city ), Lydia Bennet ( pride and prejudice ), Betty Draper ( mad men ), Jezebel ( hebrew bible ), Aphrodite ( greek mythology ), Sekhmet ( egyptian mythology ), Wicked Stepmother ( snow white ), Anne Boleyn ( british history ), Elvira ( scarface ), Scarlett O’Hara ( gone with the wind ), Tropes: the beautiful elite, beauty is bad, lovable sex maniac, motor mouth, proud beauty, scew the rules i’m beautiful, attention whore, hands-off parenting, in with the in-crowd, femme fatale, the sociopath, blackmail, gossipy hens, it’s all about me, womanchild, generation xerox, the vamp, bitch in sheep’s clothing, gold digger, the ingenue, lonely at the top, parental neglect, stepford smiler, the tease, uptown girl, green-eyed monster, ax-crazy, love makes you crazy, ambiguously jewish, berserk button, Bi the way, all take and no give, beauty is never tarnished, ice queen, my beloved smother, women are wise

YOUR MUSE AS ..:

A piece of art: Scylla by Ithell Colquhoun (1938) A song: Maybe This Time by John Kander and Fred Ebb (performed by Kye Ballard) A book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) A movie: Gone Girl (dir. David Fincher, 2014) A TV show: Twin Peaks (1990-1991) A historical era: 1950s A historical figure: Cleopatra A fictional character: Clytemnestra A colour: Emerald green An animal: Black cat

YOUR MUSE’S DREAM ..:

Job: to be an actress Vacation: the french riviera Day: On stage before millions of fans who’s one wish is to see her. As a child: to be the greatest Last night: The moment she plunged the knife into his heart. That they gave up on: Love That they have right now: To return to the stage

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

NATALIE DORMER

NATALIE DORMER

1982

BRITISH ACTRESS

            Natalie Dormer is an English actress who has worked on both stage and screen. She was born in Reading, Berkshire and is of English, Norwegian, Welsh and Irish descent. She first studied dancing before studying drama. She was in a relationship with director Anthony Byrne in 2007 and broke up in 2018. Since 2018, she’s been in a relationship with David Oakes and the couple have a child. Dormer is involved in numerous charities, including charities for children, including Barnardos, World Humanitarian Day, and the plight of refugees, violence against women and children, and child marriage.

            Dormer is best known for her performance as Anne Boleyn in TV series The Tudors (2007-2008). Dormer is interested in British history and initially wanted to study history at Cambridge and was excited to gain the part of Boleyn. Dormer is a natural blond and has blue eyes, Boleyn was a brunette with dark brown eyes - for the role her hair colour changed but she kept her natural eye colour. On Boleyn she said, ‘a woman can be complex, can have ambition, good looks, sexuality, erudition, and common sense.  A woman can have all those facets, and yet men, in literature and in drama, seem to need to simplify women, to polarize us as either the whore or the angel.  That sensibility is prevalent, even to this day’. For Boleyn’s execution scene, Dormer told the writer, ‘I hope you write it the way it should be’, the scene was filmed at Dublin’s Kilmainham Jail, which historically had been the site of real executions. She said when she walked on the scaffold, ‘I hope I did have that phenomenal air of dignity that Anne had.’

            Natalie Dormer has also appeared in: Casanova (2005), W.E. (2011, Queen Elizabeth), The Hunger Games (2014, Cressida), Patient Zero (2018), The Tudors (2010, Anne Boleyn), Agatha Christie’s Marple (2009), Game of Thrones (2012-2016, Margaery Tyrell), The Scandalous Lady W (2015), Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018, Mrs. Appleyard), and The Dark Crystal (2019).

#nataliedormer #anneboleyn #thetudors

[the-quiet-winds]

A Fickle Heart and a Bitterness

[soft angst. mild self-deprecation]

“Nice one, Jane.”

“Nice what?”

“This post,” Anna clarifies, “Picture, caption… it all looks really good.”

“Oh,” Jane says. Then she smiles. “Thanks.”

annavoncleve liked your post

Jane chuckles and scrolls a bit more down her Instagram feed, and it runs dry only a few posts later.

She decides to check the show’s Instagram tag. The fans of the show, Jane never fails to find, are incredibly talented. From art to joke posts to song covers, the “queendom”, as they are called, never fail to impress.

Jane looks up for a moment and over to where Anna is tucked in the corner of the couch, focused strongly on something on her phone, then Jane returns to her own.

For the most part, she scrolls through the posts and finds less about herself than Katherine and Anne - they seem to be the fan favorites, and, honestly, Jane is fine with that. The less attention she gets, she generally finds, the better she feels.

Something catches her eye, finally, and she stops. 

It’s a nine square board, with pictures of the six queens and their three alternates from some of the professional photographers who drop by the show from time to time.

“Elimination Game!” It says at the top, and Jane’s heart sinks as she looks closer at the pictures.

Both she and Anna’s pictures were colored over with black scribbles. “Jane Seymour is out!” The caption reads.

Jane does not read past that. She stares listlessly at the image for another moment before swiping out of Instagram and setting her phone down.

She looks over at Anna again, and Anna is no longer focused as intently. Instead, she looks mildly shocked and slightly disappointed, and Jane feels that she knows exactly why.

“Are you looking at that elimination game?” She asks quietly.

Anna nods, a bit stiffly, not taking her eyes away from her screen.

Jane moves closer along the couch, taking Anna’s phone from her hands and putting it with her’s on the coffee table, out of reach. She curls up her legs to sit sideway on the couch, leaning against the back cushions.

“Do people not like us?” Anna asks in a nearly broken voice.

“I-” Jane cuts herself off.

Do they?

Jane and Anna had what could be considered the least tragic stories, Jane’s song was often considered the most boring and easily skippable, and Anna was forgotten more often than she wasn’t.

So, Jane concludes, it’s highly possible that people don’t like them. 

Jane is so caught up in her own thoughts she doesn’t notice that Anna is- is Anna crying? 

She gathers the German woman in her arms and holds her close and yes, Anna is most definitely crying.

Jane tries to softly hush her like she does with Kat or Anne, but Anna doesn’t calm as easily. Instead, she balls a fist and slams it into one of the cushions next to her, and her mostly silent tears continue to stream into Jane’s shoulder.

“Anna, love,” she murmurs, “let’s talk this out.”

Anna tears back at that. “What’s there to talk about?” She demands, and her words are thick and heavy. She draws in a shuddering breath. “No one likes us,” she is barely able to whimper out.

“That’s not true,” Jane says, although her heart isn’t in it. She can’t bring herself to say more. She just pulls Anna back against her and holds her tighter.

Anna all but melts into the embrace, and Jane finally feels able to release her own emotions.

They’re basically curled into each other, a ying to a yang, holding the other for dear life as they both silently mourn.

“You know that I love you,” Jane finally rasps out, mumbling into Anna’s shoulder, “right?”

Anna nods, just barely. “I love you too,” she whispers.

Jane feels herself smile, just barely. “Then that’s what matters, right?”

“I guess.”

“And besides,” Jane says, very slightly pulling back and letting Anna rest her head on her chest. “All of our queens love us. Kat, Cathy, Caragon, and even old Boleyn.”

Anna nods again, a barely-there, awkward jerk of her head.

But Jane knows this runs deeper than just a cheap Instagram game for likes. This tapped into some of Anna’s deepest insecurities - specifically, her constant fear that people find her to be a fraud, undeserving of sharing a stage with the other queens because ‘she never suffered.’

“You deserve to be here,” Jane promises her, wiping away the last of her own tears. What had happened had hurt, yes, but she’s able to move past it just a little easier, considering her own past with comments and remarks about her story that her dear, darling Katherine were never slow to shoot down. So she would do that for Anna now. “You deserve to be happy and enjoy this life with us.” She bends down to press a soft kiss to Anna’s head. “I promise you, love, we all love having you here.”

Again, Anna’s agreement is soft and nearly non-existent.

But it makes Jane smile, just a little.

Because it’s a start.

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