#brenton hamilton

[guy60660]

©Brenton Hamilton

[morhath]

Oh I’m very very interested in your nonfiction book recs 👀

EDIT: ykw I'm gonna make this a little more organized

I listed a bunch in this post (the last question) but lemme see if I have any additions because I know I was kinda trying to keep it short when I wrote that. (But that being said, that post is the Top Faves Of All Time, so go for those first.)

Freaky medical shit I also liked:

The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years by Sonia Shah

The Barbary Plague: The Black Death in Victorian San Francisco by Marilyn Chase (I just read this a few weeks ago and OOUUUGGHHHHHH IT'S LITERALLY JUST. LIKE THE RESPONSE TO COVID.)

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic—and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

Political shit I also liked:

Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century edited by Alice Wong

The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven W. Thrasher

Immigrants, Evangelicals, and Politics in an Era of Demographic Change by Janelle S. Wong

History I also liked:

Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David Von Drehle

The Hamlet Fire: A Tragic Story of Cheap Food, Cheap Government, and Cheap Lives by Bryant Simon (between those two you can tell I was on a bit of a "workplace tragedies caused by lax regulations and bad management" kick)

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (I think everyone knows about this book, including it for completeness)

Promised the Moon: The Untold Story Of The First Women In The Space Race by Stephanie Nolen

The Women's House of Detention: A Queer History of a Forgotten Prison by Hugh Ryan

Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke (this is nowhere near as fun and cute as you'd assume from the title)

Memoirs I also liked:

The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton (I read this before I really got into nonfiction and it was WILD, I tell people about it all the time)

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (this one is a graphic not-novel-I-guess-memoir)

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Other:

Playing Dead: A Journey Through the World of Death Fraud by Elizabeth Greenwood

A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by Ken Armstrong, T. Christian Miller

Lost Feast: Culinary Extinction and the Future of Food by Lenore Newman

It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror by Joe Vallese

AND here are a few on my TBR that I'm really excited for! I decided not to categorize them because they're almost all history:

Silk and Potatoes: Contemporary Arthurian Fantasy by Adam Roberts

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown

All the Young Men by Ruth Coker Burks

The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara by David I. Kertzer (I am actually partway through this right now but in a bit of a dry/confusing section)

The Broadcast 41: Women and the Anti-Communist Blacklist by Carol A. Stabile

The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History by Kassia St Clair

A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell (have just barely started this)

Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 by John Waller

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth-Century Korea by Lady Hyegyeong

Miss Major Speaks: The Life and Times of a Black Trans Revolutionary by Miss Major Griffin-Gracy

Too Hot to Touch: The Problem of High-Level Nuclear Waste by William M. Alley, Rosemarie Alley (I'm in the middle of this but it's surprisingly, um. not exciting.)

Going Postal: Rage, Murder, and Rebellion: From Reagan's Workplaces to Clinton's Columbine and Beyond by Mark Ames

Pressure Cooker: Why Home Cooking Won't Solve Our Problems and What We Can Do About It by Joslyn Brenton, Sinikka Elliott, Sarah Bowen

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel

Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

Medieval Gentlewoman: Life in a Gentry Household in the Later Middle Ages by Ffiona Swabey

Hitler's First Victims: The Beginning of the Holocaust and One Man's Fight to End It by Timothy W. Ryback

I am soso normal and have very normal interests that are not at all grim :)

[low-budget-korra]

Resident Evil Fancast #2

So, I've already did a Fancast before but it was like...I don't know, years ago? I still like it but now I'm taking more of a "realistic approach" choosing actors that could actually play the characters based on their Hollywood Status and age. I will also be remembering the Remakes when choosing the actors

Ps: I really like the cast of Welcome to Raccoon City and would totally watch them again in a sequel. I just choose not to put any of them here

Chris Redfield

So, for Chris my first choice was Gabriel Basso who stars in The Night Agent, I haven't watched the show but I think he matches the look with the character. He also have that aura of being serious but chill and trustworthy, he is in his late 20's so basically around the same age Chris is in Re1. The second actor is Marco Pigossi, a talented Brazilian actor that stared in Tidelands and will be in the spin-off of The Boys. He also matches the physical description of the character, and also have that aura that Gabriel also have plus those gorgeous charming and kind eyes. And Lastly I picked Dj Cotrona, he is the older of all, being in his 40's, I like his role in the From dusk till dawn tv series and doesn't hurt that he also matches the physical appearance of the character plus he really looks like a military man I don't know.

Jill Valentine

Just by looking at Daniela Melchior you understand why I pick her, he is also in her 20's and have all the talent and charisma necessary to play the character . The second is Adria Arjona cuz I really love the idea of a Latina playing Jill, she in her 30's and has those damn eyes that just get you. Lauren Cohan is a bit older for the role, but she would be the perfect Jill to DJ Cotrona, if the movie wanted to portray them as older characters. Btw, the four protagonists I choose people around the same age to play the characters because I think it would be weird to have a 40'old Chris with a 20'something.

Claire Redfield

Annalise Basso look more like the og Claire Redfield, she is also the youngest of the 3 actresses here and have very kind and loving eyes and features, and she is the youngest sister of Gabriel Basso and I think it would be pretty dope to see two siblings play the Redfield Siblings. Nell Tiger Free looks more like remake Claire, she have that "insta model" look and a "cool girl" vibe, she stars in Servant and is a very promising actress, and for all the Game of Thrones fans, she also played Myrcella Baratheon on the show. And Lastly, Sophie Skelton is the oldest on them, a talented actress that starts in Outlander , her looks is kind of a mix between old and new Claire, she is also have a more mature posture and would be the Claire to Lauren Cohan and DJ Cotrona Jill and Chris

Leon Kennedy

Nicholas Hamilton, the bully in It would be a nice Leon to Annalise's Claire, since they both worked together before in Captain Fantastic. Second we have Nicholas Galatzine , who stars in Red, white and royal blue...I mean look at him, he really looks like remake Leon. Brenton Thwaites is the oldest of them and just have that friendly nice guy face. I think Leon needs someone who could appear/convey adorableness and capable inexperience and bravery. And I think these three fit this.

Albert Wesker

Anthony Starr is the Wesker we always dream of seeing in the big screen and I will die on that hill. Warren Cole is good second choice, I mean he is a himbo in Yellowjackets but he also appeared in The Wilds and damn, he was intimidating there as the homophobic father. Lastly we have Kevin Janssen, I mean, look at him, he just have a villain face c'mon. Also he did portray a real, terrifying bad guy in Revenge (the good revenge corn movie)

For RE1 I think of Kiernan Shipka, Nick Offerman and Jack Quaid as Rebecca, Barry and Brad.

Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2 we have Jung Ho-yeon as Ada but I also think that Gemma Chan would rock that role. Sterling K Brown is Marvin c'mon. Violet McGraw as Sherry. Andy Garcia would be terrify good was Chef Bryan Iron. And Teddy Sears and Tricia Helder as William and Annette Birkin

Resident Evil 3

Diego Boneta as Carlos Oliveira, just look at the gorgeous hair and beard. Stephen Lang as Mikhail Victor. Igor Jijikine would make Nikolai look even more intimidating. And Trevante Rhodes as Tyrell Patrick

Resident Evil Code Veronica

Ewan Mitchell and Phia Saban from House of the Dragon would be so good as Alfred and Alexia Ashford. Jaeden Martell is basically at the same age of Steve and I think his character needs to be played by a young actor anyway. Tenoch Huerta would be a interesting Rodrigo Juan Raval

Resident Evil 4

Diego Luna would be the perfect cast for Luis Será, not only he looks the part but also has that riz. Sophie Thatcher is a extremely talented young actress who would be able to portray a more develop and cool Ashley, like the one we saw in the Remake. Paula Patton was a nice voice, is elegant and would be a nice choice for Hunnigan, another actress that I think could play the role is Jennifer Connelly. Alan Ritchson as Krauser, I don't think I need to sell this one. Mads Mikkelsen is such an imposing presence on scene, he would be amazing as Osmund Sadler. And Lastly, Jack Gleeson, our beloved Jeffrey Baratheon, would be a perfect Ramon Salazar

[ya-world-challenge]

YA Books from 🇦🇺 Australia (mostly indigenous)

Continuing the country lists for the YA World Challenge! Firstly, there is no way I can list all the YA books from Australia - there's too many! For that reason, I'm sticking to indigenous books only for the individual books list.

If you want to find more Aussie authors, look for the #LoveOZYA tag, google some lists, browse some goodreads lists, and follow @thereadingchallengechallenge. Also check out the following anthologies to find your new favorite Aussie author:

Kindred: 12 Queer #LoveOzYA Stories Hometown Haunts: #LoveOzYA Horror Tales Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology Underdog: #LoveOzYA Short Stories Meet Me at the Intersection

Indigenous YA The Things She's Seen, Amebelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (alt. Catching Teller Crow) 💚🦋 The Boy From the Mish, Gary Lonesborough (alt. Ready When You Are) 💚🌈 The Upwelling, Lystra Rose 💚🦋 Tracks of the Missing, Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler 💚🦋 Swallow the Air, Tara June Winch 💚 Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller 💚🦋 Songs That Sound Like Blood, Jared Thomas 💚🌈 Calypso Summer, Jared Thomas 💚 Sweet Guy, Jared Thomas 💚 My Spare Heart, Jared Thomas 💚 The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf, Amebelin Kwaymullina (series) 💚🦋 Secrets from the Dust, George Hamilton ⌛ My Father's Shadow, Jannali Jones 💚 Too Flash, Melissa Lucashenko 💚 Killing Darcy, Melissa Lucashenko 💚 Grace Beside Me, Sue McPherson 💚 Brontide, Sue McPherson 💚 Wraith, Shane Smithers & Alex Smithers 💚🦋 Fog a Dox, Bruce Pascoe 💚 Njunjul The Sun, Meme McDonald Shauna's Great Expectations, Kathleen Loughnan

Middle Grade Bindi, Kirli Saunders 💚 Sister Heart, Sally Morgan 💚 Black Cockatoo, Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler 💚 Ubby's Underdogs, Brenton E. McKenna (GN) 💚 Wombat, mudlark and other stories, Helen Milroy 💚 Wylah the Koorie Warrior, Jordan Gould, Richard Pritchard

Memoir & Nonfiction Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia, Various Authors 💚 Remembered By Heart: An Anthology of Indigenous Writing, Various Authors 💚 Blakwork, Alison Whittaker 💚 Jandamarra & the Bunuba Resistance: A True Australian Hero, Howard Pedersen⌛

Coming of Age Becoming Kirrali Lewis, Jane Harrison 💚⌛

💚 First Nations Author (based on author's bios, may be missing data) 🛩️ Immigrant or diaspora 🏖️ non-native characters in or about the country (ex. vacation/adventure) ⌛ Historical 🦋 Fantasy or Paranormal 🌈 LGBT

If you know of more titles I could add, just leave a comment! (I hope my sources weren't too outdated)

[philipcharmont]

𝚃𝙰𝚂𝙺 𝟸𝟻; 𝙽𝙴𝚇𝚃 𝙶𝙴𝙽.

              liam charmont.

despite being only twenty-six liam’s so damn tired. he’s considered golden. the perfect child but even perfect has it’s cracks. he’s known to put the weight of the world on his shoulders, taking his job as future king all too seriously. most would look at liam and think he’s a stick in the mud but underneath his regal and calm exterior he is philip and aurora’s son. he’s a hopeless romantic, albeit he’s a realist which separates him from his family. while they all seem to live in a fantasy where nothing can go wrong, liam is stuck in reality. he may be easy-going and kind but liam has a terrible temper. it’s hard to get liam to a point where he’s vicious but it’s not uncommon. he’s gotten into fights because of his temper. in recent months he’s chosen his own happiness and freedom. whether that makes him the villain in certain people’s eyes he doesn’t care anymore. liam’s allowed the institution to take so much from him and he won’t allow it anymore. 

inspired  by  :   anthony bridgerton ( bridgerton ) , gold rush by taylor swift , meg march (  little women  ) , pippin (  pippin  )  champagne problems by taylor swift ,  prince ben (  descendants  )  , satisfied from hamilton , finale from pippin , prince harry

𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚁𝙰𝙻

birth name. william phebus alexander adel charmont nicknames.  liam date of birth.   september 15 age.    twenty-six gender.   cis male. pronouns.  he/him. species.   human powers.   n/a sexuality.  pansexual. place of birth.    ylisse, france. current residence.   ylisse, france. occupation.    future king of ylisse.

𝙰𝙿𝙿𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴

height. 5'11" build. athletic hair colour/style. brunette //  ( X ) eye colour.  brown. piercings.  n/a tattoos. n/a notable markings.   a scar in his left elbow from a sparring match gone wrong with seth. glasses/contacts ?  he wears his glasses when doing paperwork faceclaim.  brenton thwaites voiceclaim. brenton thwaites american accent. ( X )

𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙻𝚃𝙷

physical ailments.   none. allergies.   peaches. sleeping habits. tries his best to get eight hours of sleep exercise habits.  he keeps in shape with sports such as fencing, lacrosse, and archery emotional stability. 8/10. body temperature.  even temperature dominant hand.    left. drugs / smoke / alcohol ?  no / no / yes

𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈

tropes.   anger born of worry, big brother instinct, the chains of commanding, the dutiful son, morality phobia, not so stoic positive traits. sensible, charming, truehearted, devoted negative traits.  easily angered, over protective, perfectionist, stubborn usual mood.  stressed. likes.  classic literature, riding horses, winning, meadows, his mother’s tea dislikes.  the duty of being the future king, when his siblings make life harder, having his emotions invalidated bad habits.  his temper

���𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿𝚂

mother.    aurora capulet. father.      philip charmont. siblings.   seth and rosalie charmont. children.   none. birth order.   oldest of three. significant other. dixie reyes. closest friends. matteo hamato-seara, flynn fitzherbert

𝚃𝙴𝚂𝚃𝚂

zodiac sign. virgo. mbti. estj. temperament.   melancholic-choleric. hogwarts house.    gryffindor. moral alignment.  lawful neutral.

𝚂𝙺𝙸𝙻𝙻𝚂 & 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚂

languages spoken.   english, latin, german & french drive ?        yes. jump start a car ?        no. change a flat tire ?        no. ride a bicycle ?        yes. swim ?       yes. play an instrument ?       yes. play chess ?       yes. braid hair ?      yes. tie a tie ?          yes. pick a lock ?          no. sew ?        yes.

compassion.          8/10.

empathy.         8/10.

creativity.          8/10.

mental flexibility.          9/10.

passion.         7/10.

luck.         8/10.

motivation.  9/10.

education.          10/10.

intelligence.          9/10.

charisma.       10/10.

reflexes.          9/10.

willpower.          8/10.

stamina.          9/10.

physical strength.          10/10.

battle skill.          20/10.

initiative.     8/10.

restraint.          6/10.

strategy.       9/10.

team work.         5/10.

(  pinterest, his tag, playlist. )

[gacougnol]

Brenton Hamilton

A Blue Idyll

[stuffaboutontario]

Hamilton, Ontario by Kelli Brenton

[inneroptics]

Brenton Hamilton

[themattress]

Batman Characters in Live-Action

Here I list various core Batman characters and their live-action actors, and then determine who I think is objectively the best at embodying the essence of the character from the comics.

Bruce Wayne / Batman: Adam West Michael Keaton Val Kilmer George Clooney Christian Bale Ben Affleck Warren Christie David Mazouz Iain Glen Robert Pattinson

And the winner is....

OK, Michael Keaton had the best costume, and Christian Bale was excellent at embodying Bruce Wayne as he traditionally has been throughout the comics’ run while also being the biggest, most badass physical powerhouse of all the live-action Batmans. But Robert Pattinson’s Batman not only acts the closest to how I feel Batman is best suited toward acting in all regards (as a crime-fighter, as a detective, as an ally, as a hero, etc.) but it’s important to keep in mind that his Bruce is still young and still growing. Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson have both gone on the record to say the lack of Bruce Wayne as a public businessman / philanthropist / playboy figure is fully intentional, as this version of the character is still figuring himself out as both Bruce and Batman, and he makes significant progress in both identities by the end of his debut movie. Which means he will grow further into the Bruce / Batman we all know and love from the comics, and for that reason, he is the best live-action depiction.

Alfred Pennyworth: Alan Napier Michael Gough Ian Abercrombie Michael Caine Jeremy Irons Sean Pertwee Jack Bannon Douglas Hodge Andy Serkis

And the winner is...

I like most of the live-action Alfreds, but when I have to distill the essence of the character it all comes down to loyal, faithful service, practiced without hesitation or second thoughts. Alfred may not always agree with what Bruce is doing, but he will always stand by him regardless and be the best caretaker and father figure to him that he can be. And honestly, when the same actor sticks in the role even when “Master Bruce” goes through three different actors, and when his unflappable gentlemanly persona endures even as the tone of each movie he’s in changes wildly, it’s hard not to call that as anything but the ideal Alfred.

James Gordon: Neil Hamilton Pat Hingle Gary Oldman J.K. Simmons Ben McKenzie Jeffrey Wright

And the winner is...

While Jeffrey Wright clocks in at a close second, I still think Gary Oldman nailed Gordon in a way that’s almost impossible to measure up to. Every facet of his personality, the strengths and the weaknesses, as portrayed in the comics is on display in Oldman’s version, and he bears the most striking physical resemblance to the comic character out of all the actors.

Dick Grayson / Robin / Nightwing: Burt Ward Chris O'Donnell Joseph Gordon-Levitt Brenton Thwaites

And the winner is...

Holy obvious choice, Batman! But seriously, this remains the only live-action version of Robin we have that makes a convincing BOY Wonder, and not some guy in his late 20s or early 30s playing a “boy”. Also, I objectively kind of love his voice. It makes him really fun and likable. 

Barbara Gordon / Batgirl / Oracle: Yvonne Craig Alicia Silverstone Dina Meyer Savannah Welch Leslie Grace

And the winner is...

Birds of Prey was not a good series, at all. However, it struck gold with its casting of Barbara Gordon, since Dina Meyer perfectly embodies the journey her comic counterpart underwent - as a civilian, as Batgirl, and as Oracle. Small wonder she’s considered a sacred cow by fans.

Lucius Fox: Morgan Freeman Chris Chalk Domonique Adam Simon Manyonda

And the winner is...

It’s fucking Morgan Freeman, guys. Perfect casting is perfect.

The Joker: Cesar Romero Jack Nicholson Roger Stoneburner Heath Ledger Jared Leto Cameron Monaghan Joaquin Phoenix Nathan Dashwood Barry Keoghan

And the winner is...

The Joker is such a chaotic character who has undergone so many changes throughout the comics’ run that it’s incredibly hard to pin down the essence of the character. But this is exactly what Heath Ledger’s depiction managed to do. He’s funny yet terrifying, brilliant yet insane, loud and colorful yet sneaky and subtle, arrogant yet self-deprecating, being motivated solely to spread chaos yet also feeling the need to justify that chaos to the rest of the world, doesn’t like to fail yet also finds it hilarious if he does, hates Batman yet loves him, and has an unlimited amount of origin stories in his own head that he’ll always sincerely believe to be true whenever he recalls them. He’s simply....the Joker, plain and simple.

Selina Kyle / Catwoman: Julie Newmar Lee Meriwether Eartha Kitt Michelle Pfeiffer Anne Hathaway Camren Bicondova Lili Simmons Zoë Kravitz

And the winner is...

She may never be called “Catwoman” in the film, but Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle best represents her traditional depiction from the comics - a smart, skilled and seductive thief with a heart of...bronze, I guess, who provides a challenge, temptation and reflection to Batman. Many adaptations struggle at making Catwoman either just a villain or just an anti-hero, but this one managed to get both roles down over the course of just two and a half hours.

Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin: Burgess Meredith Danny DeVito Robin Lord Taylor Colin Farrell

And the winner is...

When you get down to it, the Penguin is a social outcast turned master criminal who reflects both the bitterness of being a social outcast and the desire to still be accepted into society. DeVito’s monstrous version of the character reflected no sincere desire to be part of society, and unless we learn more about him and his backstory in his spin-off series Farrell’s mafioso appears to be doing quite well for himself. This leaves Meredith and Taylor as the more faithful renditions of the character, and I feel Meredith is basically the same as where Taylor ends his run - the full-fledged Penguin - so he gets the nod. Plus, that amazing voice of his!

Edward Nygma / The Riddler: Frank Gorshin John Astin Jim Carrey Cory Michael Smith Paul Dano

And the winner is...

This is one winner that has no chance of being supplanted, ever. Why? Because Frank Gorshin virtually created the Riddler. Before he was cast in the role, the character was just a D-List foe who had appeared twice early in the comics’ run before vanishing and then ended up having the good luck of making a return appearance at the same time the TV show entered production. Gorshin is the one who elevated the Riddler to superstar status, and it’s not hard to see why - he might be the only villain on the show to be genuinely intimidating in addition to gleefully over-the-top campy; he sells being a mad genius like nobody’s business.

Harvey Dent / Two-Face: Billy Dee Williams Tommy Lee Jones Aaron Eckhart Nicholas D'Agosto

And the winner is...

Williams and D’Agosto never got to be Two-Face so there was a sense of pointlessness to their Harvey Dents. Tommy Lee Jones never got to be Harvey Dent and.....actually, come to think of it, he never got to be Two-Face either, I have no idea what the fuck that was but it certainly wasn’t Two-Face. And this, of course, means that Aaron Eckhart wins by default.

Jonathan Crane / The Scarecrow: Cillian Murphy Charlie Tahan David W. Thompson Vincent Kartheiser

And the winner is...

Sadly, we have yet to get a satisfactory Scarecrow in live-action, so Jonathan Crane is the only standard we have to go by. And in that regard, Cillian Murphy did the best job at portraying the smarmy psychopath who uses fear as a cover for his own inner cowardice.

Victor Fries / Mr. Freeze: George Sanders Otto Preminger Eli Wallach Arnold Schwarzenegger Nathan Darrow

And the winner is...

We also have yet to get a satisfactory live-action Mr. Freeze that lives up to the definitive redefining the character underwent in Batman the Animated Series, so George Sanders it is.

Pamela Isley / Poison Ivy: Uma Thurman Claire Foley Maggie Geha Peyton List Bridget Regan

And the winner is...

I’m disappointed we never got to see Peyton List get a full wardrobe change solidifying her transformation into Poison Ivy, because in terms of looks, writing and performance her take nails the essence of the comics character the most: a mentally ill environmental extremist who has lost most of her humanity to plants, and yet that humanity is never fully extinguished thus the hope it can be reclaimed remains. None of the other versions really come close.

Jervis Tetch / The Mad Hatter: David Wayne Benedict Samuel

And the winner is...

David Wayne was fun but not an accurate depiction of the Mad Hatter, who at his core is a small man who wants to feel big through controlling other people by force. Benedict Samuel’s version showed that perfectly with his disturbing sister complex, and how much further he spiraled out of control after losing her. I especially love how he starts out unshaven and with long hair, but by the end has shaved and cut his hair to look like the traditional Mad Hatter.

Lazlo Valentin / Professor Pyg: Michael Cerveris Rob Nagel

And the winner is...

No contest. Nagel’s take is forgettable, whereas Cerveris is both humorous and horrifying. That fleshy rubber mask of his is also much more appropriate than Nagel’s generic one.

Bane: Robert Swenson Tom Hardy Shane West

And the winner is...

Bane is supposed to be super smart in addition to being super strong, and to date Tom Hardy’s portrayal is the only one to grasp that. Yes, his voice is ridiculous, but it’s also memorable to the point of iconic status, which is already more than you can say about Swenson’s mindless brute or West’s try-hard edginess. Tom Hardy wins this one easily.

Ra's Al Ghul: Liam Neeson Matthew Nable Alexander Siddig

And the winner is...

Liam Neeson is great, but he has been one-upped hard. Not only is Alexander Siddig the only Ra’s to have remotely the correct nationality, but his appearance, voice and presence is just spot-on to how the immortal Demon’s Head has been depicted in the comics since his creation. He also does a better job at being the Greater Scope Villain than Neeson’s version, and both him and Neeson are leagues ahead of Nable’s lame-ass, inconsequential version. 

Talia Al Ghul: Marion Coitllard Lexa Doig

And the winner is...

Her father may have been a spectacular dud, but Arrow’s rendition of Talia does justice to the ever-conflicted character from the comics, certainly moreso than Marion Coitllard’s take.

Harley Quinn: Mia Sara Margot Robbie

And the winner is...

I dislike that Margot Robbie’s version takes after the modern trend in the comics to make Harley Quinn into DC’s own female version of Deadpool, but nobody can deny the energy, passion and humor that Robbie puts into her portrayal, which still hits closer to the mark compared to whatever the fuck Mia Sara’s “diabolical mastermind” version was doing.

Carmine Falcone: Tom Wilkinson John Doman John Turturro

And the winner is...

Now, I fucking love John Turturro’s version of the character. But in terms of fealty to the comics, then John Doman wins out for his menacing yet dignified and complicated portrayal.

Sal Maroni: Dennis Paladino Eric Roberts David Zayas

And the winner is...

I don’t find any of these Maronis particularly intimidating, but at least Robert’s got charisma.

Victor Zsasz: Tim Booth Anthony Carrigan Alex Morf Chris Messina

And the winner is...

What is going on with Zsasz in live-action adaptations? They’re all mob hitmen rather than deranged serial killers! Is Zsasz somehow too inappropriate to adapt correctly? Why is his villainy where the line is drawn? In any case, Carrigan’s version is the only one to form an actual character in place of what’s been excised, and an entertaining one at that, so he wins.

[perfectdisastcr]

💗 i would like a list of all 3 million potential pairings please 🙈

my god, i would love to take the time out of my day to give that to you, and just know that we can ship literally anybody and everybody because that’s all we ever do in the first place and you know how much i love doing that with you too. my favorite writing partner everybody, bre is hands down the best partner in the whole world, and i’m lucky enough to be able to have her at all. she’s mine and i’m never going to let her go because i love her so much! she’s literally the best thing to ever happen to me and i know i wouldn’t be here through the shitty times and all without her! everybody better go follow her right now and send her all the love i swear to god, because she’s the only person on this hell site that shows me the attention that i deserve! also that list of potential pairings is below the cut, and don’t say i didn’t warn you. 👀

send 💗 if you’re open to the possibility of a romantic ship eventually happening between our muses

all these characters are up for shipping with all your characters:

alex gardiner (paul rudd) alexander hamilton (lin-manuel miranda) alex mullner (brant daughterty) alice liddell (madelyn cline) alisha khara (jameela jamil) annie abel (luna blaise/anya chalotra) antonia moreno (victoria justice) apollonia levine (anastasia karanikolaou) arthur pendragon (niall horan) ashley spinelli (ursula corbero) aspen rhodes (sofia black-d'elia) astrid porter (karlie kloss) audrey ramirez (selena gomez) august khalil (rami malek) axel turner (charlie weber/skeet ulrich) aziz hassan (riz ahmed) bailee rose (jenny boyd) bambi prince (lachlan watson) barbie roberts (kate upton) barley lightfoot (michael clifford) beatriz velasco (camila cabello/diane guerrero)  beau hester (froy gutierrez) beck collins (joe keery) bellatrix lestrange (carmela zumbado) belle dubois (margaret qualley) belle summers (candice king) berliouz bonfamille (alex fitzalan) bernard davenport (gavin leatherwood) billie groves (kiana lede/emmy raver-lampman) billy hargrove (dacre montgomery) bindi culver (meg donnelly/rachel mcadams) bo-peep ‘bo’ patterson (amanda seyfried) brady gardiner (nathaniel buzolic) brielle stewart (alexandra daddario) bronwyn pierson (madelaine petsch) buzz lightyear (paul mescal/chris pine) calliope jung (phillipa soo) camille aguilar (jeanine mason) carl fredricksen (tye sheridan) celeste quintana (rosalia/maite perroni) chandler armstrong (iwan rheon) cinderella tremaine (lily james) clementine ahn (jamie chung) cliff egan (stephen amell) colleen lowell (jodie comer) connor catrell (thomas doherty) copper slade (nick jonas) cordelia goodwin (ryan destiny/candice patton) coriander thompson (dacre montgomery/chris evans) cornelius robinson (simon baker) cruella de vil (melanie martinez) cyrus quinney (owen joyner) daisy vaughn (isabella gomez/aimee carrero) dakota atkins (amber midthunder) dale monks (keiynan lonsdale) dalton davis (harris dickinson) daniela ‘dani’ costello (becky g/eva longoria) dash parr (jaden smith) delilah diaz (camila cabello/diane guerrero) delphine washington (antonia thomas) delta montgomery (manu gavassi) denver koch (thomas elms) devon montgomery (iain de caestecker) diego hargreeves (david castaneda) dorcas meadowes (ariela barer) dory blau (julia louise-dreyfus) duke blaise (ashley graham & matthew daddario — reincarnated)  duncan traeger (zac efron) edmund whittaker (richard madden) edwin orwell (nicholas galitzine) elena flores (jenna ortega) eleonora moretti (benedetta gargari) eleven (millie bobby brown) elio montgomery (noah schnapp/brendon urie) elisabeth ‘elsa’ andersson (candice king) elliott murdoch (kj apa) eloise thompson (taylor hill/zoey deutch) elwood leith (sam claflin) emerson wheaton (beau mirchoff) emily sondheim (eve fraser) emmy silverstein (nat wolff/michiel huisman) ericka ‘ricki’ santos (danna paola) esmeralda guybertaut (priyanka chopra) everest sorenson (adam driver) ezekiel ‘zeke’ bauer (neels visser) fa mulan (awkwafina) felix dawson (lukas gage) ferris rockwell (joshua bassett) five hargreeves (aidan gallagher/rob raco/john mulaney) florence prata (barbie ferreira) flynn rider (jacob elordi/steven r mcqueen) frank castle (jon bernthal) gabrielle dupres (louriza tronco) genevieve rizzo (troian bellisario) gill moorish (harrison ford) godwin vivar (diego boneta) grainger anslow (justin hartley) grant wesley (keanu reeves) griffin price (liam hemsworth) guinevere ‘gwen’ flores (ester exposito/ana de armas) gulliver kennedy (robert sheehan) gunner mccoy (miles heizer) halston krogen (nick robinson) hamish duke (thomas elms) harper graves (sydney sweeney) harry potter (alberto rosende) harvey wolff (joaquin phoenix) hawke bradbury (brenton thwaites) helen parr (megan thee stallion/kerry washington) hendrix palmer (mark fischbach) henley howell (dylan everett/paul wesley) henrik nilsen (herman tommeraas/chris evans) hercules sabri (aubrey joseph) hermione granger (quintessa swindell) holden krogen (jack falahee) holly la stella (olivia holt) honey lemon (irene ferreiro) hudson reid (jaeden lieberher/paul mescal/james mcavoy) irving reid (matty healy) isobel evans (lily cowles) jacoba ‘cobi’ abernathy (geraldine viswanathan) jake bennett (joe jonas) jake breckenridge (landon liboiron) james potter (noah centineo) james ‘sully’ sullivan (hozier) jane porter (zoe sugg) jasmine agrabah (naomi scott) jessica jones (krysten ritter) jim hopper (david harbour) johanna ‘jo’ gardiner (carlson young) josefine olive (lili reinhart/maika monroe) joseph ‘joey’ carnegie (chris o'dowd) juliette russo (camila mendes) juno nicks (gideon adlon/linda cardellini) justin miller (michael b. jordan) keaton green (charlie plummer/austin butler/alexander skarsgard) keifer fry (nathan parsons) kennedy sutherland (florence pugh) khalid farid (mena massoud) kiernan jost (jack barakat) kiki penn (natalie alyn lind)  kim possible (karen gillan) kit dempsey (aaron taylor-johnson/michael sheen) kristoff bjorgman (ben hardy) kuzco inca (tommy martinez) lady alvarez (camila cabello/diane guerrero) lake montgomery (jace norman/casey deidrick/jeff goldblum) lazarus (sean teale/tom ellis) lennox wells (billie piper) leonardo ‘leo’ light (armie hammer) levi wesley (gerard butler) liam wheaton (lucas lynngaard tonnesen/dominic sherwood) lilac montgomery (sophia lillis/deborah ann woll) lila pitts (ritu arya) lilo pelekai (courtney eaton) lola carver (carla gugino) macy merritt (kylie jenner) madeline hawkins (rowan blanchard/kaylee bryant) madison bloomfield (gwyneth paltrow) maggie wheaton (virginia gardner) maria deluca (heather hemmens) mariana de la cruz (victoria justice/salma hayek) marianne darden (elizabeth olsen) marisol torres (alexa demie/salma hayek) marlene phan (brianne tju) matilda franks (brooke markham) matthew murdock (charlie cox) max tian (chloe bennet) mckenzie whitman (danielle rose russell) megara creon (ashley moore) melanie carter (brenna d'amico/zooey deschanel) melody burns-newman (camren bicondova) mercutio bellini (giancarlo commare) merida dunbroch (bree kish) michael ‘goob’ yagoobian (dylan o’brien/andrew scott) mickey hader (shawn mendes) miguel rivera (diego tinoco) mike wheeler (finn wolfhard) mildred ‘millie’ brantwood (stella maeve) milo martinez (itzan escamilla/tyler posey) milo thatch (jason ralph) minerva ‘minnie’ winslett (jenna coleman) mischa locklear (jenny slate) moana motunui (auli'i cravalho) molly wheaton (saoirse monica jackson/kristen bell/kristin chenoweth) monet bugg (annie murphy) mordecai ‘cai’ baird (joseph morgan) murray bauman (brett gelman) nadja (natasia demetriou) naomi phillips (hunter king) natalie fuller (krysten ritter) nate gardiner (tom holland/thomas hayes/joe keery/adam scott) nemo fisher (nick robinson) nick novak (jon bernthal) nick wilde (jake johnson) nina baxter (laura harrier) nolan van ness (louis hynes/benjamin wadsworth) nymphadora tonks (kennedy walsh) odessa barnes (inanna sarkis) osbourne russo (oliver jackson-cohen) otis richardson (finn jones) owen monroe (zachary levi) paloma katz (brittany o'grady) paxton gardiner (douglas booth) pearl turner (maia mitchell/aubrey plaza) penny proud (sarah jeffery) perdita ryan (alisha boe/zoe kravitz) perrie wheaton (ariela barer/jessica alba) peter pan (rudy pankow) peter pettigrew (alex lawther) phil mcdermot (leo howard/dylan o’brien) phineas flynn-fletcher (michael provost) piper donahue (millie bobby brown/katherine langford/felicity jones) pippa mei (amy okuda) pollux isola (camila mendes) portia sadler (hayden panettiere) prairie gallagher (lucy boynton) quaid ‘q’ wright (jake gylenhaal) quinton saunders (jamie dornan) rain montgomery (nick jonas) ramona montgomery-wallis (lana condor/ashley park) reed knightley (arthur darvill) reign fentworth (madison bailey/vanessa morgan) reno thames (joshua bassett) richie tozier (finn wolfhard/bill hader) river montgomery (jack griffo/tyler blackburn) robin buckley (maya hawke) roger holtz (ben platt) roger radcliffe (aaron tveit) romy reyes (carmela zumbado) ronald ‘mac’ mcdonald (rob mcelhenney) roosevelt banks (spence moore II) rowan burke (andy biersack) roxanne sutton (lady gaga) rush mccoy (cody fern) russell montgomery (ian harding/hugh jackman) russell montgomery II (jack dylan grazer/timothee chalamet/adam brody) sable rosales (catherine bascoy) saint fentworth (reece king) sally finklestein (marina ruy barbosa) salvador ‘sal’ mendoza (jorge blanco) samson gardiner (cole sprouse) sandy diamandis (christina hendricks) sawyer bell (penn badgley) seamus kennedy (aria shanghasemi/michael sheen) seb seif (zeeko zaki) selena hada (camila cabello/diane guerrero) severus snape (rob raco) shawn taggart (ben barnes) shay strauss (chris wood) shia zoheir (rami malek) shiloh young (devery jacobs) shiri madani (inbar lavi) simba king (john boyega) sloane shapiro (diana silvers/linda cardellini) sofia ramirez (camila cabello/camila mendes/morena baccarin/fluvia lacerda) stefani vidal (louriza tronco) stella romero (adria arjona) steve harrington (joe keery) stevie wagner (anne hathaway/jennifer garner) sutton reiser (katherine langford/kat dennings) tandy hawthorne (giorgia whigham) tanner cohen (ross lynch) tarrant ‘mad hatter’ hightopp (hale appleman) tarryn fischer (giorgia whigham/perry mattfeld) tatum barton (ben schwartz) teddy flood (james marsden) tex navarro (bad bunny) thad abraham (dylan sprouse/chris evans) the handler (kate walsh) thomas gardiner (felix mallard/paul rudd) tierney kennedy (maisie williams) timothy ‘tigger’ trigger (jeremy allen white) tinker bell (sabrina carpenter) tj lieberman (armie hammer) tommy burns (will poulter) topher larkin (alexander hogh andersen) trey turner (jonathan daviss) ursula celia (normani/lizzo) vaughn abel (max greenfield) veronica lodge (camila mendes) vidia viento (emma dumont) vivica lang (madison pettis/tessa thompson) wanda cowell (brenda song) warren wentz (robert pattinson) wendell langston (link neal) wilbur robinson (david mazouz) winnie knox (sophie turner/jessica chastain) wren green (alexander calvert) wynona winstead (sarah hyland/cristin milioti) xander talbot (g-eazy) york pemberton (heather baron-gracie) yusef barlas (zayn malik) zack abrams (alex fitzalan) ziggy (taron egerton) zoey matthews (olivia munn)

[beautifulfaaces]

Male Australian Masterlist

Australian

2010s

Diesel La Torraca

2000s

Levi Miller

Nicholas Hamilton

90s    

Alex Fitzalan

Ashton Irwin

Blake Davis

Callan McAuliffe

Calum Hood

Deniz Akdeniz

Devon Terrell

Felix Mallard

Harrison Gilbertson

Jacob Elordi

Jamie Carter

Jana McKinnon

Jordan Rodrigues

Julian Cullen

Keiynan Lonsdale

Lachlan Buchanan

Liam Hemsworth

Lincoln Younes

Louis Hunter

Luke Hemmings

Marcus Vanco

Mitchell Hope

Nicholas Coombe

Rahart Adams

Toby Wallace

80s

Aaron Jakubenko

Adam Demos

Andrew James Morley

Ashley Zuckerman

Ben Lawson

Benedict Samuel

Bob Morley

Brenton Thwaites

Chris Hemsworth

Chris Pang

Dan Ewing

David Berry

David Coussins

Desmond Chiam

Dustin Clare

Eka Darville

Giles Matthey

Jai Courtney

Josh Helman

Josh Lawson

Lincoln Lewis

Luke Bracey

Luke Hemsworth

Luke Mitchell

Nathaniel Buzolic

Nic Westaway

Richard Brancatisano

Ryan Corr

Xavier Samuel

70s

Aden Young

Bernard Curry

Brett Tucker

David Lyons

Heath Ledger

Jesse Spencer

Joel Edgerton

Les Hill

Nicholas Bishop

Patrick Brammall

Ryan Phillippe

60s

Anthony Wemyss

Ben Mendelsohn

Eric Bana

Hugh Jackman

Simon Baker

 30s

Julia Blake

Unknown Birthday

Jacob Collin-Levy

[bryresdesignresearch]

cyanotype

[asterythm]

A is for Amour || Prince of Your Dreams (7)

Pairings: Slow burn Logicality, eventual Prinxiety Word Count: 3.9k Chapter Summary: "Once upon a time in a far-off kingdom, there lay a small village at the edge of the woods..." So the story begins, as Roman’s heard repeated hundreds of times before. But every fairy tale must have its villain -- now, who could that possibly be? Chapter Warnings: emotionally abusive/manipulative character originally inspired by Deceit, gaslighting, food mention

<< First Chapter || < Previous Chapter || Read this chapter on AO3

***

Auburn.

That was the colour of Roman Foley’s hair, a lovely kind of cross between red and brown and gold and all the other warm and fiery tones in between. It was already quite a handsome colour during the daytime, but right now it looked positively gorgeous (a fact that certainly hadn’t escaped Roman’s notice). The warm light cascading downwards from the street lamp above Roman’s head gave the impression that there was a fiery halo of sorts framing his face, illuminating his features with an almost otherworldly glow. 

But of course, he wasn’t just standing around for the sake of looking good; he’d just wanted to be able to see his friends’ faces as he talked to them. Though it was biting cold out and Roman knew that he had a limited amount of time before he had to head to rehearsals, it was only a couple of minutes extra that Roman wanted to spend chatting — surely that would be okay. 

Besides, Roman’s best friend Kai Brenton was in the middle of the funniest story, and Roman didn’t want to leave without finding out how it ended.

“…so then I told her, that’s not a weasel, that’s my sister!” finished Kai, a wide grin on his face. Roman laughed again, loudly. 

Not all of them found the punchline quite so amusing, though. On the other side of Roman, another of his friends spoke up between sips of green tea. “Uh, pause, pause, pause — you have a sister? How come you never told us about her?” Remy Somnus asked.

“What? What made you think I had a sister?”

“That was the whole point of the joke, Rem,” said Elliot, elbowing his fraternal twin in the ribs. “Come on, were you even listening at all?”

Remy scoffed as he drained the last dregs of tea from his plastic Starbucks cup. “Okay, whatever, my bad. You know I love you, Brenton babe, but I had more important things on my mind.” He took careful aim before throwing the cup in a graceful arc through the air. It landed in the snow next to the trash can he’d been shooting for. “Dang.”

“Yeah, it’s chill. You know I don’t really care.” Kai gave his sassy friend first a shrug, then a punch on the shoulder.

“Ow! Hey, you just said you don’t care!” protested Remy. Rubbing at his sore shoulder, he looked between Elliot and Kai. “What’s with all the violence today?”

“I meant that I don’t care about you not listening; littering is a whole ‘nother story. Pick up your trash, moron. Mother Nature works hard to protect us. You’d probably have better aim if you weren’t wearing those sunglasses all the time, by the way.”

Remy did as he was told, jogging over to grab the cup… but not without protest. ��Okay, seriously? Is no one gonna, like, ask me about what I was talking about just now?” Roman’s ever-sassy friend loudly complained over his shoulder in a mock-annoyed tone of voice. “Like, with the whole more important things on my mind thing? I’m gonna be honest, I’m feeling a little unappreciated here.” Remy bent down to pick up the plastic cup, tossed it into the bin, and made his way back to the group. “But, you know, any of you could speak up right now. And make me feel not unappreciated. It would be, like super easy to satisfy the curiosity that’s probably… burning inside of you right now. You just have to ask.” 

A pause. 

“Oh my gosh, do I have to spell it out for you guys? Why do I even try? I don’t even know why I try. Seriously, all you’ve gotta do is say —” 

Fondly grinning, Roman interrupted his friend. “Hey, Remy, what were you talking about just now with the whole more important things on your mind thing?”

“Aha — there we go, thank you!” Remy glared at Elliot and Kai. “See, guys, this is why Roman is, like, a hundred times better than all of you combined.”

Out of the corner of his mouth, Roman mumbled, “Sometimes I feel like you’re even more dramatic than I am, Remy.”

“No way anyone could ever be more dramatic than you, hun,” quietly shot back Remy before he cleared his throat to address all three of them. “I’m so glad you asked. See, the thing is, you ladies have all been acting real stressed out lately, about school or work or home stuff or whatever, and TBH it’s really stressing me out too. You know we can’t have that. Stress makes you wrinkle up. So I took it upon myself to head down to my favourite club, the good ol’ Lemon Lime Loophole, and I rented out a private karaoke room for us four.“ As Remy spoke, Roman watched both Kai and Elliot perk up with delight. Remy continued, “Just a fun night out to relax and unwind. Dear Britney Spears knows it’s been too long since our last karaoke night, and you all obviously really need it.”

“Hang on, did you actually?” exclaimed Elliot, eyes gleaming. 

“Remy, that’s perfect!” Next to him, Kai bounced gleefully up and down. “Aah, this is gonna be so much fun!”

“I know, I know, I’m the best. Say thank you, Remy…”

“Thank you, Remy!” Kai and Elliot chorused like little children, almost in perfect unison with each other, before returning to their enthusiastic babbling, faster and louder until they were almost tripping over every word before flying to the next. 

Roman, in the meantime, said nothing at all.

But none of his friends noticed Roman’s uncharacteristic silence: Kai and Elliot were already enthusiastically working out a list of songs they wanted to get through before the end of the evening, and Remy was busy soaking in the praise, obviously pleased with himself and the positive response to his brilliant idea.

After preening for another moment or two, Remy said, “Come on, let’s hurry. We’ve got twenty minutes to get there or they’ll give away our reservation to someone else. I’ll drive, cool?” 

That was when Roman finally spoke up. “Guys…” he began. “I’d love to come along — really, I would. But I have a rehearsal today, remember? For Into the Woods . You didn’t forget, did you?” He was dismayed to see the joy in his three friends’ faces immediately fizzle out.

“…Well, damn,” mumbled an uncharacteristically spiritless Remy at last. “I did forget. Sorry, Roman.”

(Yeah, thought Roman — though of course he didn’t say anything out loud — I kind of figured as much.)

“Maybe — maybe we can reschedule!” It was Kai this time, trying (and failing) to hide his disappointment. “We’ll find another time when we can all go together.”

“Wait, what? No! No, that’s not what I’m saying at all!” Roman spluttered in surprise. “No, you guys can totally go ahead. Don’t let me stop you! I mean, yes, I wish I could be there with you, but just because I’m not coming doesn’t mean you have to give up on this, too.”

“But… I don’t want you to feel bad about missing out.”

“Honestly, it would just make me feel way worse if I knew that you skipped out on your karaoke night just to make me feel better.”

Elliot hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, positive!” Roman said, much more confidently than he felt. He forced a smile. Showing any kind of weakness or doubt was out of the question; he had to convince Remy, Elliot and Kai that it really was okay for them to go ahead without him, and the only way he was sure he could convince them was by convincing himself of the same thing. It was undeniably easy to tell how much his friends wanted to do this. Roman was determined not to let his own scheduling conflict stop them. “Go on, go have fun. Just promise me you’ll do something from Hamilton for me, okay?”

“...Okay,” Kai finally agreed after a long pause. “Thanks, Roman.”

“And Remy has to be Peggy.”

“Hey — what? Hell no!” 

“Relax, Rem, I was kidding! Agh! Don’t hurt me!”

***

“I must have her —”

Prince Charming paused dramatically, taking a deep breath before raising his chin and hardening his features into a resolute mask —

“— to wife…“

Holding the ending note (a high one, for sure, but nothing that he couldn’t handle), Prince Charming stood from the painted drama box he’d been sitting on and crossed the stage to meet up with the Other Prince. One strong and rich, the other clear and sweet, their voices together formed a beautiful blend to fill every square inch of previously empty space in the rehearsal room.

Prince Charming made eye contact with his scene partner a beat before the music cut off. He grinned. The Other Prince grinned back.

A second of silence.

And then the scene was over, and Prince Charming was Roman and the Other Prince was Kyle again, and the silence was broken by the sound of sparse applause from a handful of the other cast members who had been watching the duet play out. It wasn’t the first time that they had gone through the song without any mistakes or silly little slip-ups, but it was the first time that the entire scene had gone off without a hitch. Both Princes had followed their blocking to a T and not once had either of them needed to call for line. The scene had come together perfectly, and both of them knew it.

So, apparently, did his director, Adri. Satisfaction was clear to be seen on her glowing face as she joined in on the scattered applause. “Excellent work, Roman, Kyle! You’ve still got to pay attention to your volume and make sure you’re not pushing the tempo of the song too much, but otherwise, that was flawless. Keep up the good work.” She turned to address the rest of the room. “Alright, folks, that’s the last of our scene-by-scene work for the day. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. We’ll take five and then run the show from the top, so you’re all going to want to be well-hydrated.” 

The room leapt to life the second she finished speaking. Roman and Kyle shared a quick high-five before making their way offstage, chatting all the way.

“Awesome job, Roman!” said Kyle encouragingly.

“Oh, thank you so much! Right back at you, of course. This scene is going to turn out marvellously, I can just feel it.”

Kyle nodded, cheerful. “Well, I could go for a cup of coffee. Want anything?”

“Coffee?” Roman raised his eyebrows. "At half past nine? Kyle, it’s been dark out for at least two hours already. How do you expect to get any sleep tonight if you drink coffee now?”

“Ehh… I guess you’re right. Maybe I’ll just get bubble tea or something instead.”

“Boba’s good.” Roman said with a nod. “Just make sure you’re back before break’s over or Adri might bite your head off.”

“Heh, yeah — wait, you’re not coming with?”

“No, I think I’ll hang back. Go over the script a few more times before we start, you know? And maybe get some notes from Adri while I’m at it.”

“Gotcha. No worries. See you soon, man.” Kyle grabbed his coat and stepped out with a wave goodbye. Roman wandered over to his backpack to grab a drink of water. Then, he pulled out a granola bar and, munching on the healthy snack, he began flipping through the pages of his script. He was checking for any issues, anything that might get in the way of a flawless performance (he would settle for nothing less), making sure he hadn’t forgotten any of the blocking or any lines since the last time they’d run the show all the way. As expected, though, Roman’s careful search turned out to be unnecessary. 

Which was great, except now he had nothing to do; he’d realized only after getting to rehearsal that he’d left his laptop at home by accident, meaning he couldn’t spend his break finishing up any schoolwork like he would typically do. Roman reached for his bag, put away his script. Without anything to keep him busy, it wasn’t long before his mind began freely wandering. His imagination took him anywhere and everywhere and nowhere in particular all at once — then suddenly made a crash landing somewhere familiar: a private karaoke room within the walls of the Lemon Lime Loophole night club. 

Roman still couldn’t help but feel guilty for turning down Remy’s kind offer. His three friends had seemed so disappointed when he’d said that he couldn’t go with them, but it couldn’t be helped; he’d made the commitment to attend rehearsals and he had to see it through.

But, well… to be completely honest, Roman may not have agreed to go with the three of them even if he hadn’t had rehearsal that day. Not because he didn’t want to, or because he didn’t think that karaoke with his friends would be a fun time — Roman was sure that if he had gone with his friends to the Lemon Lime tonight, he would have ended up having the time of his life singing crazy show tunes or Disney songs with them.  

There was just one problem: what would Monet think? If the simple act of convincing his boyfriend to let him visit home every other weekend made Roman feel like he was walking on fragile eggshells, then trying to schedule a time and place to hang out with his friends was like — like strapping on ice skates with working chainsaws in place of blades and dancing a complex, fast-paced jig on top of those same eggshells. 

It would often end up taking days or sometimes even weeks of careful negotiations before Monet was willing to let Roman go anywhere without being by his side at all times. And even then, there were still rules that Roman had to follow: no flirting, be home by x o’clock, no more than four drinks, if anyone tries to hit on you then leave immediately, don’t show too much skin when you go out, send me a text and a photo every hour… All reasonable requests, and Roman could certainly understand where his boyfriend was coming from, but the fact remained that they were rules nonetheless. Sometimes it felt like the list never stopped growing.

It didn’t help that the three people who made up Roman’s closest circle of friends were all attractive young men the same age as Roman, either. Though Roman was being completely honest when he told Monet that all of them were only friends, Kai, Elliot, and Remy were undeniably handsome and there was, of course, never a dull moment with them around. 

It was easy to see why Monet, committed as he was to their relationship, might get a little bit distressed over how often Roman was hanging around the three of them. In fact, when Roman looked at the situation from his boyfriend’s point of view, he realized that Monet was already being generous enough, letting Roman spend as much time as he did with his group of friends. It wasn’t fair of Roman to ask for even more. And yet Monet was still willing to give it to him, under the right circumstances. 

Roman sighed. That boy really is incredible.

So though a night of karaoke with his friends was a pleasant thought in theory, Roman had known the second Remy extended the invitation that there was no way he’d be able to go. Really, he was grateful for the schedule conflict between Remy’s reservation and his rehearsal. Explaining that he couldn’t go because of a prior commitment was so much easier than explaining that he couldn’t go because his boyfriend wouldn’t like it; that latter option made Monet sound like a cruelly controlling criminal, which he wasn’t — but though Roman understood Monet’s motives perfectly well on his own, he had found that he always ran into difficulty when he tried to explain them to other people…

Two sharp claps interrupted Roman’s train of thought. A quick glance at the clock on the wall revealed that his break was over. Just as well; Roman’s spirits were starting to sag a little, thinking about the karaoke he was missing out on. But there was plenty of singing to do here at rehearsal, wasn’t there?

Roman rose to his feet, tossed the granola bar wrapper into the trash, and did some quick warm-ups to ensure he was fully prepared; a few brief stretches, a vocal sigh, one or two quiet tongue twisters. He finished up and turned just in time to greet Kyle, who was rushing in with a half-finished plastic cup of bubble tea in his hands. The sight immediately reminded Roman of Remy’s antics with a similar plastic cup earlier that day, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. Stop thinking about them, he ordered himself. It’s rehearsal time. Focus!

“Kyle, just in time,” Roman greeted with a smile.

Kyle put his drink in a safe place where it wouldn’t spill over and made eye contact with Roman. He didn’t smile back this time. “Who’s Kyle?”  

“Oh. Right, my bad.”

Kyle — pardon, the Other Prince — was apparently in character already. Perhaps Roman ought to be doing the same.

Roman breathed in, deeply, drawing as much oxygen into his diaphragm as he could, and let his eyelids flutter gently shut. Then, he slowly released the air from his lungs, and released all the bits and pieces of “Roman” with it.

While the young man melted away, the music began. Light, crystalline, clear, bouncing. Then, gently, came the singing: 

“I wish —”

“More than anything —”

By the time the young man opened his eyes again, Roman had dissolved into the background, no more than a ghost fluttering between steady, rhythmic pulses. 

“More than life —”

“More than jewels —”

And in his place, standing where Roman had once stood: a perfect Prince Charming.

“I wish…”

***

Roman was so tired by the time he got back to his and Monet’s house that evening, he ended up collapsing on the couch only seconds after he’d finished hanging up his thick winter coat. Stretching, Roman let out a huge yawn. The rest of his rehearsal had gone just fine, but the single granola bar he had packed for himself hadn’t been completely sufficient to keep his energy levels up. After all of the jumping around and running back and forth and vocal work, the drive home that day had been a long one.

Hearing Monet shuffling up behind him, Roman turned around. He watched Monet take in Roman’s state of being for a brief handful of seconds, then Roman’s boyfriend gave Roman a small smile and sat down next to him on the couch.

“Hey there, Prince Charming. Long day, huh?” 

Roman let another yawn, somehow even bigger than the last, escape. That was answer enough.

“Oh, you poor thing, you must be completely worn out.” Monet shook his head as he wrapped a protective arm around Roman, pulling him close. “I’m so proud of you, Princey. You’ve been working so hard on this show of yours! I’d bet you anything that when show week begins, you’re going to be the best actor on the stage.” 

Roman snuggled up against his boyfriend’s shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. Hot chocolate on a cold winter day. "Heh. You’re just saying that.”

“No, I mean it. You’re crazy good, Ro,” Monet insisted. “You’re definitely going to become a world-famous actor some day, I’m sure of it. And then every time I see that cute face of yours plastered on a billboard or magazine cover or something, I can point and say, ‘You see that guy? Roman Foley, the bright shining superstar? He’s my boyfriend, you know.’ Everyone’s going to be so jealous of me.”

“I, uh…” 

For some reason, Monet’s usually welcome compliments left Roman feeling a little hollow inside today. But I suppose it’s the thought that counts. 

Luckily, though Roman was tired, he wasn’t so out of power that he couldn’t even act out some enthusiasm for Monet’s sake.

“...appreciate that,” he eventually settled for, giving Monet a quick peck on the cheek before returning his head to its resting position. “You’re always too good to me, you know.”

Roman felt his boyfriend’s shoulder shake a little bit as Monet chuckled. “Oh, trust me — I know.”

With that, the two of them were back to cuddling. It was nice, but Roman couldn’t help but feel like he should be saying something.

“You are coming to watch the performance, right?” he eventually settled on.

Roman couldn’t see his face, but he could tell from his tone of voice that Monet was smiling. “Of course I’m coming to watch the performance. I promised I would, didn’t I? Trust me, Ro, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Then, all of a sudden, Roman’s head hit the couch cushions. Monet had stood up without warning and was now watching Roman expectantly. 

With a considerable amount of effort, Roman pushed himself back up to a sitting position, grumbling. “Come baaaack... I was comfortable!” he whined. “Don’t just abandon me here, Monet.”

“It’s getting late, and you’re tired. I wasn’t about to let you fall asleep on top of me. You’d have woken up cramped and sore all over.” Monet reached out and grabbed Roman’s hand. “Come on, sleepy head, let’s get you to up the stairs and into bed.” Ignoring Roman’s further protests, Monet pulled him to his feet. 

Roman swayed in place for a moment before heavily settling back down onto the couch. “Nuh-uh, not moving. Couch soft.”

“The bed’s softer, silly. I already said, you’ll be sore in the morning if you sleep down here. Let’s go.”

Hearing a note of impatience in his boyfriend’s tone, Roman gave a small groan, but got up just like Monet asked. He leaned on Monet all the way over to their staircase, at which point Monet remembered an unfinished assignment and left Roman to fend for himself. So Roman climbed up the stairs and got ready for bed on his own, all the while swearing he could hear scattered notes and lyrics from Into the Woods still bouncing sluggishly from ear to tired ear:

It takes two . I thought one was enough, it’s not true — it takes two of us .

Humming the song’s simple melody, Roman slid with a contented sigh under the soft gold and red covers of the double bed that he and Monet shared. 

(You came through — when the journey was rough, it took you — it took two of us.)

Monet had been totally right, just like he always was. The bed was way softer.

(It takes care — it takes patience and fear and despair — to change.)

But something was distinctly missing: the warmth of another person beside him. 

(Though you swear to change, who can tell if you do?)  

Tired though he was, Roman always felt so small when he lay all alone in their large bed. Even as he drifted off, he found himself wishing for someone to lie there next to him.

(It takes two.)

***

[next chapter]

General: @surleytemple @starryfirefliesbloggo @icecoldparadise @lyditist @fandom-random2405 @beach-fan @ihateitwhenyourejustvague @starryeyedhomicide @unring-this-bell @flix-net @follow-pheonix-inside @thelowlysatsuma @residentanchor

AAmour: @romanticsanders @thatrandomautist @mirror2thespirit @pokii-jonas @basicmillennial @starlitparfait

Let me know if you’d like to be added to or removed from either list!

[willstafford]

Knowing

I KNEW YOU

The Door, Birmingham REP, Tuesday 3rd October, 2017

  This new piece from Birmingham writer Steven Camden aka Polarbear runs for less than an hour but it’s fifty minutes of cracking theatre.  Three characters perform monologues, setting the scene, gradually revealing their history: Patrick walked out on Angela and their 8 year old son twenty years ago.  A chance sighting by one of…

[historicalsp17-blog]

Artist Interview with Brenton Hamilton by Yuka Lou

Yuka: How did you come about working largely with various historical processes? How did you get started? Who taught you these different practices? 

Brenton: I've been doing these processes for 20 years or so. I began as a platinum printer and was very interested in the landscape. My work and interests have evolved dramatically since then. I was a studio assistant and helped Craig Stevens with a platinum project. I was learned a little from George Tice about platinum.

Yuka: Why are you interested in working with these processes such as collodion, embellished cyanotypes, platinum, etc. in this day and age? What do you like about it and how does it relate and/or speak to the content of your work? 

Brenton: I really respond to the object and the materials  - I love the paper, the emulsions. Making things ! We live in a visual culture now that is screen-centric and many, many images will never be an object only a projection on a screen. That doesn't work for me. So, I like the involvement and the time that each image requires of my attention.

Yuka: What challenges have you faced working with these processes? 

Brenton: The challenges are that these processes are finicky - most are made from recipe - and from distant old knowledge. Ive had to teach myself a lot by reading and experimenting.

Yuka: I am particularly drawn to your variations in platinum and gum bichromate work - could you speak a little about what this work is about? What is your work process? What inspires you?

Brenton: The Embellished works are like paintings for me. I'm trying to suggest and imply an eccentric story. Not a literal story - but a possible one. The extensions with gum, paint, gold and silver leaf all point to my own obsession with history and time. Old manuscripts, monks and scribes. Of course all made via light and the sun and photographic material. I feel that all of this materiality helps me make a rare looking - here to fore unseen description of a dream or a distant place far afield from the world we inhabit. To one that: I "conjur up" along the way. A musing about life - and a daydreamer.

A bit of background on Brenton Hamilton:

Brenton Hamilton is a visual artist and historian of photography who lives and works not he coast of Maine. Hamilton, a master of the 1840’s cyanotype process, chooses this antique medium to render his one-of-a-kind dreamlike visions in an equally unique and intense hue, mirroring the ocean outside his studio window and the blue-black depths of the night sky in Maine.

With a palette that finds its corollary in Renaissance painting, Hamilton combines human anatomy astronomy, and botanical imagery to create intriguing and provocative arrangements. Referring to ancient Greece and Rome, as well as 15th and 16th century Netherlandish and Italian paintings, Hamilton appropriates symbols and visual elements from the history of art to arrive at a thoroughly contemporary vision.

Many of the works are further embellished with layers of white gouache, silver leaf of gum arabic washes, adding layers of complexity that blur the boundaries between painting and photography. Hamilton’s work is an astonishing hybrid of media and a bridge between antique and postmodern that may defy classification.

website: http://www.brentonhamilton.com/

[jacklyngradphotography]

Your work is going to be unrecognizable by the end of this program

Brenton Hamilton. He said this to my group on the first night, and it gave me chills! It also gave me butterflies and freaking power to work SO HAR this year.