#overdramatic ophelias over here

[marshbevvie]

detective losers

Ah yes, the floor here is made out of floor.

[angellissy]

Chapter Two: Welcome Back

A/N: FINALLY, i am so sorry this took so long but I have been so busy with work but here is chapter two. Also do you guys want a taglist, i have gotten some questions about it? Thanks to my hype girl and bestie cortney for reading this and just being amazing  @pogue-writings​

The silver fork in her hand had become something more similar to a toy as she used it to poke around the remnants of food. In a matter of minutes after they arrived in the Great Hall, Ophelia had managed to fill her stomach with all different kinds of foods. Around her sat people in the same robes as her, tints of green all over the fabric, most of them were still devouring the pastries that floated above the wooden table. One of her cheeks rested in her hand as she watched headmistress Mcgonagall make her way onto the podium, she drew breath, and it was almost like she blew out a candle because suddenly the fiery conversations were silenced. 

“Welcome back to all of you who have previously wandered these corridors, and to those of you who are here for the first time, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here you will learn valuable skills, but most importantly, you will make great friends and these people might even become your family.” The headmistress did not pause, but these words, they brought Ophelia back to the time when she first set foot in the Great Hall. 

Her bottom lip was stuck between her teeth, and she tugged it whenever they announced another name to go up to the sorting hat. On her right side stood the Cameron siblings, Sarah and Rafe. Ophelia had known them since before she learned how to walk, but lately, things seemed to be changing. Sarah and Rafe were drifting apart, he was becoming angrier and she was becoming more rebellious. It seemed as though those feelings would match and build their bond, but they did not. So when it was Rafe’s turn to go up on the podium, he didn’t spare Sarah a second glance, but when he sat on the chair with the hat on his head, his eyes watched Ophelia. 

Later that evening she sat beside him, at the Slytherin table, and from afar she watched how Sarah made new friends, wizards, and witches who proudly wore the Hufflepuff badge. Rafe was indulged in a conversation with two other first-year Slytherins that had joined them, Topper and Kelce. And even if though they had just met, the two of them looked upon Rafe with a sort of admiration. Something that would turn dangerous in the long run, but for now they were just four kids sitting at a table, sharing nervous laughs and experiences from Ollivanders. 

Four had turned into three and now Rafe, Topper, and Kelce were a trio of teenagers that laughed too loudly and mocked the first years. While Ophelia sat on the other side of the table, desperate to avoid them even if it meant sitting beside exciting first-year students who bugged her with hundreds of questions about life at Hogwarts. She didn’t want to answer their curiosity because she doubted her experience would be something to look up to, did they not understand that her sitting with them showcased enough about her life here? 

She missed the ending of the headmistress speech, meaning she also missed the fact that they were supposed to make their way onto the dorms. 

“Lia, we have to go.” Standing in front of her was Topper, his prefect badge shone in the light from the candles hovering over them, just as hers did. A small sigh escaped her lips as she followed him to the front of the masses of Slytherin students, as prefects it was their duty to show them to the rooms. The responsibility of having to do this along with one of her former friends had been a weight on her shoulders since last year when she excitedly went to the prefect meeting expecting one of the preppy Slytherin boys but instead saw Topper leaning against the wall. 

“Listen up!” He yelled, gathering the attention of kids with clueless and curious eyes, he looked over at his companion, gesturing for her to continue. 

“Yeah, so we are your prefects, we are here to keep you in check and occasionally help you if you don’t get on our bad side. Follow along and we will take you to the common room, be aware of your surroundings, shit moves around here.” Heads bobbed up and down as the kids nodded in understanding of what she was saying, Topper just shook his head at her.

“You seem to have grown more hostile during the summer.” He said as they started walking, causing her to roll her eyes at him. She did not want to have a conversation with him, not now and not ever. Sometimes she wished people were like chalk if they were she would be able to just wipe them away. Perhaps there would still be small remnants of them left, but she could live with that. But people were not like chalk, so she had to walk beside them and force herself to make conversation. 

“Happens when you spend the year around snakes.” He stifled a laugh at her comment and shook his head once again. “So I assume you still don’t wanna start hanging out with us again?”

She said the password and let at all the first years inside the common room, urging them to remember the password if they did not want to sleep on the cold floor. Some of them ran inside, while some of them wore cautious expressions as they examined the room. It also seemed like a few of them had already made friends, which brought Ophelia back to the day she had lost hers. 

As always these last three years she was sitting on the damp grass alongside her small group of friends. Kelce and Topper were laughing at something Rafe had said, they always did. The admiration they held for the blonde boy with the sometimes vicious smile had not faltered even though it had been three years. She, however, had stopped being impressed a long time ago. Summer was near, and she almost wishes she could pull the break closer to her. Things were not the same anymore, the comfort she had found in intertwining her fingers with Rafe’s was long gone. Instead, she found herself flinching away whenever his hands brushed past hers. 

“Look at him, pathetic if you ask me.” She looked up from the torn pages of her book and watched as Rafe scrunched his face up in disgust. 

“Stop it.” She muttered, trying to avert his attention from the poor boy walking a couple of meters away from them. Rafe did look at her, he watched her for a long time, taking notice in how she bit her lower lip whenever something interesting occurred in her book. He noticed the contrast when her bright red nails brushed her dark hair from her face. 

Rafe Cameron was fully aware that Ophelia no longer watched him the same way, and maybe it was just that that urged him to hex that poor second-year, making him stumble and lose all his stuff. Rafe did not stop there, he could never just leave it, he continued and continued until there was almost no way back.  His black-haired friend tried to stop him as he whispered spells that sent the boy flying into the lake, but he continued.

“Stop, you are drowning him!” She screamed, kicking and scratching at the arms that held her back. They were Topper and Kelce’s of course, restraining her so that Rafe could have his fun. He let go of the boy who came out of the water gasping for breath, his eyes were red and tears were mixing with the water he had almost lost his life in.

“See he is fine, stop being so overdramatic Li.” The boys let go of her as he said this, seeing that her anger must have washed away, Rafe was done after all. But she was not, Ophelia grabbed her wand, marched over to the boy who used to make her heart skip an extra beat, and pointed the wand directly at his face. He was still smiling, he was yet to understand that he had just lost her. He had let her slip through his fingers, like sand she had escaped his vicious grip.

“You are foul and evil, and I will no longer tolerate it by being in your presence. I hate you, I hate you, I hate.-” She pushed at his chest with her palms, pushing him further away from her. But she paused to turn around to look at the two other. 

“I hate all of you.” She screamed, anger laced her voice as she whispered spells that made their textbooks burn into ashes. The only thing she felt comfortable doing before she gave them one last glance, and left her friends. 

As that memory resurfaced, she looked at Topper, she was still disgusted by him but she had learnt to tolerate him. He was easier than Rafe, but thankfully he had stopping pestering her last year. They were sixth years now, and she would not let herself dwell over them anymore. She had swore to herself that this year was gonna be different, and maybe it would, if she just let it be.

“No Topper, I will not start hanging out with you again.” She finally answered, and he nodded, clearly not surprised by her answer. “But I’ll still see you at the prefect meeting later I guess?” 

Ophelia sighed and rubbed her forehead, of course, the annual prefect meeting. “Yeah, see you there.” She mumbled before walking up to her dorm, Topper said something she did not hear nor did she care enough to go back and ask him. She disliked the prefect meetings, mostly because they always took place right after arrival and that was when she felt like being in bed for the rest of the week. At least she had about an hour to unwind before she had to be in a room filled with preppy and stuck up witches and wizards who took their responsibility way to serious. Oh well, she would just have to wait and see how it went this time. 

[who-is-reign]

Hello, hi, hey

Hi I did a short writing thing- here it is!!

Everything starts with a hello, a hi, a hey. A greeting of some kind. Ours started with something else. It started with a trip, a lot of apologies, and crying. Though I feel like I should probably start at the beginning. That makes more sense anyway.

It all started on what I knew was not going to be a normal day. The day started with two pieces of toast, 3 slices of peaches, and a mug of earl grey tea. Or what I was hoping to be a mug of earl grey tea. I poured the rest of what was left of my mug into a thermos and walked out the door. 

3 stairs, take a left, 5 steps forward to the next stairwell. 10 steps down, 5 breathes, 2 stops I could have taken, 7 doors I could see. I ran to my car, even if it was only 5 feet away. 

30 minutes and a coffee stop later, I was at work. I work at a publishing firm as the executive editor. I have been there since the start of this company, Indigo Query. I helped with the name of course. Most of the books that I edited are Best Sellers right now. I can’t say I’m not proud of that. 

Today is the release date of the first book I wrote. I have babied this book for 4 years. All of the characters are complex and have their own stories. I tried to make it to where there weren’t any background characters. To where there were stories going on behind the scenes, or the main focus of the chapter. It is 1563 pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 468900 words. This book is my literal child. I have had these characters since I was in 6th grade. I only started seriously writing out their story in the last 4 years. 

I just realized that you know nothing about me. Maybe that’s for the best. You’ll find out later anyway.

I walked in, went through the cafe, up the elevator, through the small library. I was there, and my book was there. On my desk, I saw a hardcover copy of my book. I almost started crying. Okay, I did start crying. That art was my choice, it was made by one of my oldest friends. I carefully picked up the book, letting my hands run over the almost woven texture of the cover, the embellished sides, and the title. Lastly, my name, small in white coloring. I turned to the copyright page and breathed in. My name is listed as the author and editor. My best friend’s listed as the cover artist. This is what I was meant to do. Write books, edit books, publish books.

I put the book down, I couldn’t read it. Not yet. I needed to meet with Leo Adams, president of the company. He is not the original president, he took over after the old president passed. I personally am not a fan of his. I think he is corrupt and doesn’t deserve the company. The only thing I can hope is that one day this company, my home, will get a better president. The only reason I stayed with this company, is because of my book. I could leave if I wanted to, other publishing companies have asked if I wanted to sign for them. 

But I have something in my eyes, something I can’t give up. I want to own Indigo Query. I want to own the thing I love more than anything. This company is my life, my livelihood. I hate seeing a man who doesn’t care about books be in charge of it. I need to save the company I have over a decade of time into. But right now, it is my time. My book is getting released.

I need to focus on that and nothing else. I need to work, that’s what I need to do. What I want doesn’t matter right now, and it won’t matter for a while. 

I walked as fast as a caffeinated lesbian could without it being considered running to Leo’s office. 

“Ms. Kore, it’s fantastic to see you. And of course congrats on the book release, it looks fantastic already.” Leo’s words drawled on, a slight curve to his phrases. I hated it.

“Of course sir, I couldn’t have had this book released without you,” I replied, trying desperately to keep the ill intent out of my voice. 

What I didn’t say, was that of course, I couldn’t have had this book released without you. Even with you, there were so many issues with getting it released. Including the date getting pushed back 6 months. I could have had this book out, and sold by now. But no, he said it was too problematic. It took all of the editors, our cover designers, the VP of the company, and basically everyone to get him to allow it to be sold. 

“Though Ms. Kore, I must tell you, I really do not think this book will thrive that much. I just do not want to see you getting hurt. Take the day off, you need to.” I almost scoffed once he said that, but I really only muttered thank you and walked out of the office.

I practically ran to one of my coworker’s desks and sighed completely and utterly overdramatically. This coworker has been my friend since high school and they helped found the company. They also know about my aspiration to own  Indigo Query.

“Oliver, I can’t believe him. He literally said that he didn’t think my book would work out and that he just didn’t want me to get hurt.” I groaned and tried to not sound whiny, though I know I did.

“Babe, that is so horrid but also you are so close to literally owning this company. You are so close, and you can’t lose sight of what you have done because our boss is horrible.” I know they’re right, and I am really close, but I need a break. 

“I’m leaving for the day, Adams said I had to.” I sighed.

“Girl you have been here for less than an hour, sit down.” Oliver raised their eyebrows and practically forced me to sit at my desk.

I just rolled my eyes and got to work on a new manuscript that came in today. It wasn’t long before my eyes felt like they were going to burst from my head. 

“I’m taking a coffee and tea run. Want anything?” I closed the manuscript, my question aimed for Oliver who was holding a red pen and had a red pen tied up in their hair.

“Yes, yes, and yes please darling. You know my order anywhere.” And they were right, their order hasn’t changed since freshman year. Unlike everything else. Oliver used to be really shy, with red curly hair, they didn’t have confidence. And now they talk or flirt with everyone, have longer sunset ombre hair, and have more confidence. I’m proud of them.

I walked out of the building and to the nearest cafe. I ordered Oliver’s, which was a matcha latte with added raspberry syrup, apparently, it was amazing. Then I got a London fog earl grey tea with extra vanilla syrup.

 I noticed the cafe had a small bookstore and I walked over there after ordering. I saw something that warmed my heart, my book. I inhaled deeply in shock, already a small bookstore had my book in it. I grabbed a copy and read through some of it. My words, my characters, my world. I get now why it is such a big deal for Oliver every time they see a book they wrote. I only walked away when I heard my name getting called. I grabbed both of the cups and walked away, saying thank you many times.

Close to the door, the not so impossible happened. Someone ran into me, my tea spilled everywhere. Oliver’s drink ended up being safe somehow. 

“I am so sorry, I can’t believe myself, I’m so sorry. Deeply sorry. Let me help.” The person who ran into me sputtered out.

“Don’t be sorry it was an accident, it is okay,” I say looking at them softly.

They had hair a little bit longer than their shoulders, it was a coppery red. Their eyes were a shade of amber. That was when I realized. 

“Laurette?” I asked, stunned that this may be her.

“Yeah? Do I know-- Persephone!” Laurette hugged me and sighed. “It’s fantastic to see you!”

“Good to see you too. What are you doing these days?” 

“Oh! I’m living with Ophelia with our kid. I’m a fashion designer and she is a daycare owner. So she gets her share of kids every day. What about you?” as Ophelia spoke I could practically feel her love for her wife. 

“That is fantastic! I’m the chief editor and now an author for a publishing company called Indigo Query. My first book got released today actually. I work with Oliver Evanora.” I was filled to the brim with pride. 

“Really? Congrats! I bet the book is amazing! I’ll have to check it out sometime. Tell Oliver I said hi. ” Laurette sighed happily, “Well, it’s been great seeing you, I’m so sorry about the tea. I hope to bump into each other again.” 

I smiled and went back up to the counter to grab the tea they remade, gave them a 10 dollar tip, and left. A newfound pleasure seeped through me. I walked back to the office, careful not to spill anything. I gave Oliver their drink and went straight back to work.

4 hours later and the clock showed 5 pm, the day that I had been waiting for years to happen was over. Since I needed desperately to get home, I made Oliver give me a ride home.

“Why didn’t you drive to work? You have a car.” Oliver asked when they were in their car.

“Because I wanted to walk.” 

“It’s winter, it is dark at like 4. You can’t walk home when it’s dark. We live in a city, girl.”

I just sighed, they were right anyway. I didn’t think it through.

“Want to get food?” They asked, “Cause I am starving!”

“Nah, I’ve got to get home.”

“Ok girl, whatever you deem useful,” Oliver said, already pulling down my street.

“Thank you so much! Oh and by the way Laurette said hi.” I said as I shut the door.

  I went inside and set water on to boil. I started stirring the water clockwise and humming a distant melody. It was almost time. The water started to bubble like an ancient potion that had just been given the final ingredient. I poured the water over a mug, grabbed a tea bag, and let it seep. At this point, the stars were already out and thriving. 

After a quick 5 minutes, I grabbed my mug and walked outside into my backyard. I went directly to my shed. My shed was more of my office than a shed. It had a typewriter, my laptop, a shelf filled with different types of teas or coffee. Plants were scattered about, my desk had a big fluffy white chair pushed up to it. Everything was a pastel blue, pink, or white. It didn’t really seem like it was mine, but it was. And it’s more of a home to me than my room is. 

I sighed as I sat down on my mug, put on gardening gloves, and grabbed my spade. I went outside and started to get to work. I planted a new rose bush, I replanted my lemon tree that's growing out of their pot. I moved my ever-growing cherry tree to where they’ll get better sun. 

All of this I did while humming, or singing in some parts. I am the type of person to sing and talk to my plants. I am also the type of person to own 3 trees and more plants than I can count.

I heard a bang and I flinched, my entire body froze in place, as if any movement would cost me my life.

“Is anyone there?” I whispered, barely to where anyone could hear it.

“Hello, darling” When I heard Oliver’s voice I calmed down, “sorry to scare you babe, but you seem stressed. Thought I’d help.”

“It’s okay, Oli.” I sighed, already putting my spade and gloves away. “So, how did you plan to calm me down?”

“Stargazing with some people from high school,” Oliver replied, smiling.

“Like who?”

“Kira, Raven, Laurette, Ophelia, Lilith--” Oliver was about to continue but I cut them off.

“Okay, I get it, almost everyone. Let’s go.” I said, laughing, “Let me change first.”

Five minutes later I was in Oliver’s car wearing a star printed black layered lace dress and 4-inch heeled black boots.

“Let’s go! I wonder if they all brought their kids! Oh, I can’t wait to see Sabrina or even Litha! I miss my coven friends.” Oliver used to be in a coven at school, it broke up after our senior year.

“Where is the place we’re going anyway?” I asked, playing with my acrylics. 

“It’s only 30 minutes away, a small little cabin. Though, we are staying for a week. I took all the clothes that are yours at my house, it’s enough for 7 days. Plus they all look great.” 

“What about work?!”My yells could probably be heard by our high school friends.

“I got it covered babe, don’t worry,” Oliver said in a sing-song tone. 

“Got it covered? Um, no. My book just got released, I need to be in town.”

“Honey, your book is already almost sold out at 3 stores. I only bought one copy. Your child will be fine.” Oliver sighed as he looked at me, “You need this. More than any of us do. So, I dragged you into the countryside to look at stars and hang out with people from our high school. Don’t you want to see everyone’s kids? I’m pretty sure Ophelia and Laurette are bringing theirs.”

“Okay, fine. I do need this, don’t I?” I pulled out my phone and breathed in.

‘I need this, I need a break. 7 days hanging out with old friends will give that to me.’ I thought as I mindlessly scrolled through twitter.

Then I came across this,

‘Jdjisddsj this book came out today! I already love it! #ScarletDreams #Persephonekore’

“Holy bees, Scarlet Dreams is trending in the literature section on twitter.”

“That’s fantastic, but we’re here.” I looked up and saw a cottage with wildflowers surrounding it, two beehives sitting among the flowers, a few kids running through fields. 

We parked next to where a collection of other cars were. Immediately I was pulled into a hug by Ophelia and Laurette.  

“I missed you!” Ophelia exclaimed as she pulled away, her child pulling at her sleeve.

“I missed you guys too, it’s fantastic to see you.” 

Oliver looked at me, then to everyone and said: “Was I right? Did you need this?”.

I could practically see his fear of him making a mistake, a dark sludge crawling through him, pulling him down and towards his own Tartarus. 

“Yeah Oli, I really did. Work was starting to hurt a little.”

A group of three people left the cabin, they were all holding hands and walking right next to each other.

“Oh, hello. I’m Cassandra. I don’t remember you from high school” She said her last sentence more like an inviting question than a statement.

“Hi, I’m Persephone, I didn’t really talk to many people other than who I knew so I can’t expect you to remember me.” I ended my statement with a small laugh, trying to match her tranquillity.

“Babe, you said there wouldn’t be that many people” The person who spoke was as far behind Cassandra and they could be while still holding her hand.

“I wanted you to come, plus I didn’t that many people would show up, darling.” Cassandra's voice was somehow softer than it was before, it seemed as soft as flower petals blooming out to show a beautiful rose. 

Or rather the sun urging a rose to show it’s own beauty. Cassandra’s red hair had so much volume it seemed to live on its own, like a red fox laid over her shoulder. She was wearing a vintage lace dress that was white with roses on it, you could tell a petticoat was hiding beneath the layers of the dress from how it poofed out. Her cheeks were a rosy red, and her eyes had pink eyeshadow flowing out from them. Her eyeliner wings were sharp enough to stab, and honestly, I wanted her to stab me with them.

As soon as I realized what I was thinking I felt guilty, though I wasn’t sure why.

A voice snapped me out of my thoughts, “Hi, I’m Jade!” said the other person next to Cassandra.

Her hair was a really big fluffy black braid, purple threaded itself through the braid, and blue and green followed. The braid went to her lower back and was tied with what I thought was a gold string. A black mini dress hugged her sides. A light pink fluffy jacket was partially zipped and fell off her shoulders.  The dress went to her lower thighs, then a few inches down my eyes trailed down to her light pink knee-high boots. 

“Take a picture and it will last longer darling,” Jade said, the tone of her voice playful yet held enough flirtiness to send shivers up my spine and turn my face red. 

“Darling, let's not immediately start to flirt with the new girl. Let’s not kill her on the first day here.” Cassandra spoke, her tone matching Jade’s.

The one who has stayed behind Cassandra the entire time stepped forward, appearing to gain confidence from my embarrassment. 

“Why not? She may hold up longer than I did.” They said, their voice was soft yet firm. It held together like a cactus in heavy wind, trying to keep its grip. I felt like that’s the type of person they were, a cactus. Harsh on the outside with spikes and a few flowers to lure you in, but held water and healing on the inside.

I knew my face was painted a shade that countered everything around me and the dress that now seemed to hug me instead of flow around me. Like the petals of a tulip instead of an orchid. My heart sped up and I felt frail, yet held stable by these people who I had only met what seemed hours ago but what I knew was minutes, or even seconds that had just been drawn out to a century. 

Then coughing erupted into my thoughts as Oliver shimmed their way in between me and the group, “Let’s go inside, I need warmth.”

“It’s not even cold” I sighed.

“Whatever,” They said as they already started towards the cottage.

As soon as people realized that Oliver had started to walk away, people hurried to follow them. That was Oliver for ya, they could sure direct a crowd.

[aubrey-jenkins-blog]

The Principal’s Office

LOCATION: Wardwell Shoppe

CHARACTERS: Aubrey Jenkins, Evanora, Ophelia (mentioned)

Evanora was the type of woman you made an appointment with. She was also usually the type of figurehead you made sure to see the second you rolled back into town, but Aubrey had been dragging her feet. What had been a mild case of procrastination had become full fledged avoidance after the party and her fight with Ophelia. She was no mind reader, that was true. But Aubrey new power, the kind of power it would take to wipe Zack's memory from an entire town. Magic like that wouldn't have been done in West Hollow without the supreme's permission at the very least, but it was likely she'd been the one to actually weave the magic for Ophelia. She tried to reign her disgust and anger in as she approached the shop. It wasn't luck that Ophelia was nowhere to be seen, Evanora had probably sensed the impending visit and prepared accordingly. She could only imagine that the other witch had filled in the supreme on what had happened at the party. Arms forever making their way to a defense position across her chest, Aubrey waited in the entryway till the shadows split apart and Evanora made herself known. Biting down on her temper, the young witch managed a curt nod. "Shop is looking pretty snazzy Evanora.  You've gotten a lot done in a year."

In the chaos of the party and then the drama afterwards with Ophelia, Evanora had been busy a busy woman. Preparing for the holiday season and winter solstice coven ritual was not short task, along with the multitude of gift orders that passed through the shop made her nearly lose her head sometimes. However, she had not at all forgotten about the pain she had seen the young witch in after the event. At first, she had thought it was because her night had been ruined due to the magicians (a clumsy feat on Magnolia and Luke's part, she thought; witches always did it better and Nadia nor Paio ever seemed that interested in the fine details of controlling the merfolk magic like Evanora was), but soon been filled in on the event with Aubrey and Zack. Evanora had never been aware of Aubrey's affair with Ophelia's boyfriend, nor did she realize that the memory wipe hadn't taken effect on her. Well, that was egg on her face, for sure. And finally, it made sense why Aubrey had been actively avoiding the coven. She was trying to avoid confrontation about it. Putting a tracking spell on Aubrey, Evanora waited and watched the gemstone she had connected the girl with glow and fade as she grew closer, then shooing Ophelia away from the shoppe when she saw she was coming to it. She didn't want another cat fight to break out, and really, this needed to be dealt with swiftly. At the sign that she was inside the building, Evanora swept into the main area of the shoppe, turning to face her once she was in view. At her already hostile tone, Evanora sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as well and perking an eyebrow up, "You can cut your bullshit, I know what happened. We need to have a chat, Aubrey -- which is probably why I think you came here."

Aubrey loathed nothing more than being sighed at, like she was still a teen and every thought and emotion she had was absurd and overdramatic by default. It was clear that Evanora was read in on the situation, and that she was on Ophelia's side . . . whatever that meant.  She didn't matter in this moment, she was but a thorn in the supreme's side she was certain, but then Aubrey was always happy to play the part people doled out for her. So she narrowed her eyes, let her arms fall to her side, let challenge color her voice.  "You telling me to cut my bullshit? Bit like the pot calling the kettle black isn't it?  Then again I guess it's easy for you to pretend your bullshit doesn't exist since people are either too scared or too spelled to call you out on it." The part slipped away from her, disappointment and distrust real. When she'd first moved to West Hollow she'd idolized Evanora, the keypiece to a side of Aubrey's self previously locked away.  She hadn't let many in but the Supreme, and even then it had been cautious. Only Evanora had been given explanation when she left, only Evanora had been given the details behind her return. And that made Aubrey angrier. She didn't want to have to chat, she didn't want to have to let ugly hurt slip passed her lips. Couldn't the supreme just automatically piece together the reasoning behind the younger witch's emotional state? "You mess with people minds now, Evanora? Is that what this coven is about? Someone dies and you erase them like they never existed? You taught me that the dead were to be respected. Is it so eyebrow raising that I'm standing her confused as hell?"

Evanora scoffed at, half of it a chuckle at the quick wit displayed by the witch. Perhaps that had been that pathetic's humans type after all, clever witches. It had only given Evanora the headache of a lifetime. "Honey," she started, the endearment clearly sarcastic, "There are demons in this town along with vampires who could both kill me at any moment, so, I don't know if your commentary really holds up. Might want to think a little harder before coming after your Supreme, hmm?" she offered, expression flat with annoyance. It wasn't the worst thing she could have said -- in fact, it was a lot nicer than what Evanora had wanted to say. She, despite what Aubrey probably thought, valued her witches and warlocks and wanted them to stick around as long as possible. They all held a special place in her heart, and although it was testing at times, she found it still a worthwhile cause. So, she let Aubrey go on, letting out a frustrated breath mid-speech at how she was framing it all. Once the younger witch was done, Evanora shook her head. A pinch of guilt had come into her heart at Aubrey's wording, at the thought that what she had done was not on the most moral high ground. But, it was all preferable to the alternative: a promising young witch in prison for a simple mistake and a domestic abuser (and apparently cheater) martyred in the media. She shook her head, softening a little, "Aubrey, you just cannot understand what happened, why it happened-- you barely knew him, let alone Ophelia at all. You're marching in here as if you have all the facts!" Evanora pointed out, gesturing around them exasperated. She moved closer, "What I did for Ophelia, for this coven, had to be done. I would have done the same for you, had the circumstances been the same. Do you want the real story on why or do you just want to yell at me until you feel as though you're righteous enough?"

Evanora was such an unpredictable mixture of business and personal affection. Some inflections made Aubrey feel as if she were in the principal's office being chastised by someone she didn't know. Other dips of the older woman's voice were warmer, making the younger feel like she was being lovingly reprimanded by a family member.  Family . . . that's where her anger came from, and it made her lower lip tremble. "Why does everyone think this is about Zack? I wasn't in love with him, I'm not rightously angry for him . . . I'm angry for his family, for the people who did know him and have an emptiness in their hearts where there should be mourning. Have you thought about the long term effects of a memory wipe like that Evanora? What it'll do to them? What it could do to them? You say there was a desperate situation you had to fix, but jesus you're our Supreme. You're trying to tell me this was the only solution to whatever fucked up situation Zack got himself into? What did Ophelia do? What kind of person are you going to allow her to be by magicking away the consequences for her and laying them down ontop of other innocent people?" Facts, facts mattered sometimes, to a degree. If there were some pure, cinnamon roll facts Evanora could give her to stifle the twisting of her stomach, then Aubrey supposed she could listen. She fought back the tears that had tried to gather in her eyes, arms crossed again. "Go on then, give me the real story. At least then if I still disagree I'll know why you did it. Maybe that'll make me feel less disgusting when I pass Zack's mom on the street."

As Evanora was chastised for what she had done, her brows furrowed in deep confusion at the witch's assumptions, and then all together, her expression went blank and dismissive as she tuned the rest of it out, eyes drifting away as she began to think back on her past with the younger witch. Yes, Aubrey was young and inexperienced, and so Evanora supposed it was only natural she assumed the worst. Once she was done talking, Evanora turned back to look at her, blinked bored, "You're done, now, right? Because like I said, I can chat, but insult? I don't do, Aubrey." At her next comment about Zack's mother, coupled with Aubrey's apparent, upset, she softened. She'd have to start with the magic first and work back to the night of Zack's death. "You'll be happy to know that memory wiping magic works a bit different for family members than regular strangers. While friends and acquaintances won't remember Zack at all, Zack's family members, including his mother, father, and sister, all remember they had a child. I wiped their memories of Zack, but replaced them all with Ryan Williams. Ryan was their son and he tragically died in a house fire a little over a year ago in their minds. There's a gravestone over at Gates you can look at, and Zack's, or rather Ryan's, real ashes sit comfortably in an urn for them to grieve over, wherever that may be. Ryan never knew or dated Ophelia in their minds, and they have no idea she even exists." she explained softly, "So, they get to mourn and have their peace, Aubrey. I am not the cruel, thoughtless monster you've propped me up to be, despite your ignorant assumptions of how my magic works." Evanora informed her, tongue icy at the last part. (1/2)(edited)When it came to Ophelia that was a harder part, one that kept Evanora hesitating for a moment, eyes diverting away to look out one of Wardwell's windows and gaze into the plush, white snowfall of winter as she thought back on it all. How to phrase such a tragic event would be tough, and finally, she looked back to Aubrey, weary. "Ophelia is a powerful witch. Her fire magic has always been so strong, and neither of her parents have it. They panicked and moved out of town after they discovered what she was, isolating her in a vineyard mansion and running through bumbling magic tutors trying to control her abilities. Ophelia had no friends beyond her family members until she came here at 16 after her parents divorce, and on top of that, barely had a handle on some of the most dangerous powers you can have as a witch. She met Zack and they began dating, and she ran away to live with him at 18. When he found out about her powers, he isolated and emotionally abused her. The things she told me, Aubrey…” Evanora trailed off, clearly disturbed thinking about it, “He was an awful human being who used Ophelia for sex and ego boosting. And that’s just the tip of it all. Imagine all of this happening to you, with no support system, and having to also deal with our powers.”

Aubrey didn't think it was the same, a fabricated Ryan instead of their son.  Messing with the human mind was her least favorite kind of magic and she responded to any form of it as practically sinful on a moral level. But she sobered listening to Evanora speak. It still didnt' feel right, it still felt like lead clinging to her ribcages, but she could at least feel Evanora's best intentions now, she could see how she'd tried to take care of all parties involved, and it softened her anger at least. The sick sorrow, that was as strong as ever, though and weighed down her whole body, shoulders slumping, her gaze averting to the floor. She felt empathy for other people, but actively fought it.  There were parts of Ophelia's story though that she felt uncontrollably drawn to, that were parallels to her own story. Her mother lived but had practically abandoned her. She'd grown up without a father only to hold and lose him in the course of a year. What she'd learned of magic in West Hollow she'd done on her own with loneliness clinging to the walls of her heart. It was luck . . . that her powers just so happened to be more passive, easier to move around, less volatile if she made a mistake or get emotional. She'd seen firsthand what happened to Ophelia, how the powers merged with her emotions and practically took over her.  Aubrey couldn't even begin to imagine what that was like, feeling helpless and alone, attaching yourself to one trusted source who abused you.  Zack had . . . he'd been obsessive with their relationship, he'd been pushy, but Aubrey's personality had dominated his. Had that been the only thing that had kept her from a fate like Ophelia's?  "I'm still listening," she whispered softly, eyes rising to meet Evanora's. She was less the soapbox moral police now and more the cut wide open youth that had first tumbled into Evanora's company years ago.

When Aubrey barely responded she knew, that some part of her had gotten through to the core of Aubrey. And how could it have not? The whole thing read out like a Shakespearian play, complete with melodramatic lighting and foreshadowing. When she spoke again, Evanora nodded, continuing, "So, you see, Ophelia went from one abuser to another. The night Ophelia came to me, she was in hysterics, sobbing uncontrollably and a nerous wreck. She only had her purse with her and had refused to take anything else from her home because she was so frightened." Evanora took a large breath into her nose, bracing herself for the next part, eyes closing for a moment. Finally, she breathed out, looking back down to Aubrey, features heavy, "Zack had hit her, Aubrey. Right across the face. When I saw her, she had a mark on her cheek. In her rage, betrayal, and confusion, she...she burned him alive. He died within a minute, and all that were left were his ashes." She paused, letting Aubrey take it all in. After a minute or two of tense silence, she pursed her lips, words become stronger and harsher, "Now, you say that I magicked away her consequences, but her consequences would have been prison for life, perhaps even the death penalty, and the exposure of this coven. Autopsy reports would have figured out that human bodies can't burn that fast or at that high of temperature in a normal setting, and then what? What do I do then? Magic away attorneys, international media, state officials, witch hunters? If I didn't do what I did, we would all have burned just like Zack, but tied to stakes by angry mobs, and Ophelia would be rotting in a maximum security prison cell, isolated for the rest of her life for defending herself. You tell me now if you think I made the right call or not." Evanora looked her dead in the eyes, seriously waiting for her answer.(edited)

Aubrey flinched as a movie screen played across her mind. She pictured Zack twisted with malice and ill intentions, lashing out against a soft, sweet face with kind eyes. She didn't like it, and something foreign and protective inside of her roared up in response to it. If Zack appeared in the room beside her she might have killed him herself. At Evanora's question, she sucked in a breath and then shook her head, hands in fists at her side. "I want to think you didn't. I want to think that if you'd thought for just a little bit longer . . . another solution would have made itself apparent., that there was some path available. But . . . when is anybody ever sure that they're making the right call? Too little time to act, too many pieces on the chessboard to consider . . . this got you the most assured coverage. I get why you did it now. It still makes me feel sick but . . . I understand. You made the right call for protecting your coven. But honestly Evanora . . . I don't know if you did Ophelia any favors. " Aubrey's voice wasn't angry anymore, she didn't challenge or accuse, instead she reaked of concern. "You didn't see her at that party. She almost killed me. And I don't . . . I don't think it was just about her anger towards me.  She did something horrible, Evanora. She took a life and that leaves scars, and now she has to hold it secretly inside and not deal with it. She needs someone to talk to. She needs some serious help because I am willing to bet my life on the fact that she is frightened and lonely and sick with herself and those feelings are rotting her from the inside out and bound to make her powers even more unstable. That girl may not be behind a jail cell but the pain in her eyes that night . . . she's still looking at a death sentence."

Evanora could not understand how Aubrey didn't see how serious it was for all of them, not just Ophelia. Once more, she squinted, looking over the witch and then finally shaking her head. She spoke softly, putting a hand on Aubrey's forearm gently, "This wasn't just about Ophelia. It was about all of us. All of us would have gone down for him. I know you must have had something you thought was special with him, that he deserved to have a legacy or something similar, but...he tricked many people. There was no other way, I'm sorry, Aubrey. There was never going to be. You may be young now, but once you see how easily this world chews things up..." Evanora sighed, "You will see why Zack's existence is better left in the memories of Ryan." Although it was a cyncial thought, it most embodied the truth. In time, Aubrey would see, she hoped. Her hand dropped down at her next statements about the witch though. Evanora couldn't imagine that Ophelia would have tried to kill another, her powers had progressed so much...but then again, she wasn't there to see it, and couldn't be sure. "I know, I mean--I do talk to her about it. She feels guilty, or, well, after what happened...there is a lot less. It's mostly anger now. I used to try to help her see how little he cared for her, how she was just reacting to an abusive man, but you actually did a better job than me at that." Evanora's shrugged, gesturing towards Aubrey in a dark joke. After a moment, she nodded, "It's not your concern, though, Aubrey. I don't think she would have tried to kill you, she talked to me about it and she simply intended to leave you in the ice so you'd stop harassing her with your head out until someone came along and helped you out, however, I am also working with her. She has a therapist who is a witch and I am handling it. I know you think you can do this all by yourself, but you can't. You've been away from the coven for so long, many things have changed."

"Let's be honest, Evanora," Aubrey answered with a shake of her head. "I was never really a part of this coven even when I was here. I'm not good at being a part of things.  I never have been. The bigger picture is always lost on me, always, and if I could put on a pair of glasses and see the world the way you and others do I would. " Evanora was right though, it wasn't her concern, she shouldn't have let any of this concern her for even a second.  She wanted to argue, to say that the ice was when Ophelia had started to come back to herself, to regain control. When the ice had been water and Aubrey's head was being forced all the way down underneath it, it hadn't felt like Ophelia was even present, just an empty husk of a person and her rage.  But Evanora probably knew her better. Aubrey pulled her forearm from the Supreme's grip, sucking herself back inside her own skin like she'd never let her soul seep out into the air around her.  She didn't think she could do anything by herself, really. She'd somehow managed to fail her mother, she hadn't been able to save her father, it would be setting herself up for failure to let herself get too worked up about Ophelia with the sad, kind eyes and the pretty pouty lips. "I'm sorry for taking up so much of your evening. I'll go now."

The way she dismissed Evanora's softness, her consideration, had Evanora shaken. It represented the same pulling away that she saw right before witches when dark. The look in their eyes as they didn't get their way and turned to the malicious side, the side the threatened to expose them all. Evanora once more felt that same pinch to her heart, although this time, it felt more like a punch. As the brunette turned to go, the door telekinetically slammed shut. "I think you're right about that, Aubrey. You were never a part of this coven, but, now that you know our secrets, you have to be." she explained. Walking towards her, she spoke, "What I said about Ophelia, Zack, this coven -- it never leaves. If I find out you told anyone or let it slip, you will face more than a pittily memory wipe. That's why I'm setting you up with Ophelia as your peer tutor. I think if you two can connect, if you can bond over this magic you share, you'll understand more about both each other, yourselves, and your place in this coven. That's mandatory."

The door shut before she'd even reached out for the knob and Aubrey glared. Was she not done being punished and put in her place? First her eyes narrowed at the thought that Evanora thought a warning like this was even necessary. Aubrey was made of rough edges and solitary wolf impulses but she'd never murdered anyone. She'd never put anyone in West Hollow in jeapordy. Her mother had family in the coven, strangers that Aubrey hadn't even dared to reach out to, but people she shared blood with. The sternness in Evanora's voice made Aubrey feel like she'd been slapped. She could have kept her mouth shut out of respect if there hadn't been more. Eyes widened and her palms went up to erratically wave a bodily  NO in Evanora's direction. "Are you crazy??? My peer tutor? She hates my guts. I'm the soulless bitch that reminds her of the creep she used to date.  I don't . . . " But then it hit her that Evanora had used the word mandatory and that word was irrevocable law in the Supreme's book.  Aubrey's face closed off, but her shoulders slumped in acquiescence. "Fine but if she gives me so much as a whiff of sunburn or an inch of frostbite you're going to have to deal with my very loud, very frequent complaints."

If Aubrey wanted her to play mean cop, she would. Evanora had tried it the soft way, inviting her in and having her understand, but as usual, her efforts at compassion fell short. Evanora shrugged, "Maybe you should have thought of that before you described in detail how her boyfriend cheated on her with you and you knew about it." crossing her arms over her chest once again. She watched the realization smack Aubrey that this was going to happen, when she spoke again, Evanora chuckled out lightly, "Oh, honey. I've been kicked out of this coven before, bullied for being gay, and deal with demons and vampires on a day to day basis. Your cat fighting is nothing I can't handle." she gave her a sarcastic smile, hand flicking and letting the door back open. "Saturday, 2pm."

Aubrey scoffed. "Thought before action isn't my strong suite," she admitted begrudgingly.  If there was a way for her to fuck up chemistry with another person she did it with flying colors. Zack had been the only one immunue to all the fucked up valleys and peaks of her personality. It hit  the witch with a sick intensity that maybe he'd meant more to her than she realized, and what the fuck did that say about her? That one of the few people she'd connected with had been an abusive piece of shit? That was something she was going to have to take home and ruminate over accompanied with a pint of ice cream and a bottle of wine. "Saturday, 2pm," she repeated softly. Part of her wanted to launch herself backward and wrap her arms around Evanora as an apology for well . . . everything that she was and wasn't. Instead she settled for lingering in the doorway and gesturing around the store. "It really does look nice in here," she offered, before scampering out into the welcoming outside where she could try to ignore the chip on her shoulder and the twist of her stomach.

[thedreamingdinosaur]

Directed By: Robert Icke

Cast:

Francisco, Gravedigger – Barry Aird. Horatio – Elliot Barnes- Worrell. Ophelia – Jessica Brown Findlay. Player Queen – Marty Cruickshank. Rosencrantz – Calum Finlay. Marcellus – Joshua Higgott. Guildenstern – Amaka Okafor. Reynaldo – Daniel Rabin. Ghost, Player King – David Rintoul. Hamlet – Andrew Scott. Gertrude – Juliet Stevenson. Laertes – Luke Thompson. Polonius – Peter Wight. Claudius – Angus Wright. Bernardo, Player 3, Priest – Matthew Wynn Fortinbras – John MacMillan Voltimand – Lorna Brown Newscaster – Sule Rimi Young Hamlet – Samuel Smith Priest – Father Roy Pearson Reporters – Skye Bennett, Tommy Burgess, Andrew Lewis, David Tarkenter, Pippa Winslow

To be, or not to be, that is the question.

It’s time for me to delve into the world of A-Level Drama review/ University level BA (Hons) English Literature critical analysis. Although my work load is excessive, I feel that it was necessary to share my experiences of another fantastic show with you all.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most reenacted plays of all time. With hundreds of renditions being performed all around the UK, each one brings elements of the classical Shakespearean theatre along with new and refreshing ideas.

Robert Icke is the latest member to jump on the band wagon and delve into the world of the Prince of Denmark along with a fabulous cast! With a 8 week run at The Almeida Theatre, Islington, and a newly announced West End transfer from June to September 2017, Icke used the small space of the theatre’s auditorium to his full advantage, adding a 21st century twist to the play.

For those who do not know the story, Hamlet explores the themes of madness, depression, misogyny and death… lots and lots of death. All the death. So. Much. Death.

Synopsis Hamlet is distraught after the death of his father. Two watchmen, and Horatio, witness the ghost of the late king walking through the castle late one night. When Hamlet is informed of this he see’s the apparition for himself and is informed by the spirit that it is indeed his deceased father and that his Uncle Claudius was the one who murdered him. Hamlet is ordered by his father to avenge him and is set on doing so until the very end. Along the way this drives him into deep madness. His mother, Gertrude, and Uncle see this and become increasingly worried about him and consult in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch him. All the while Polonius believes that Hamlet is mad in love with his daughter Ophelia hence his sudden outbursts but this is not the case and is clear when he orders Ophelia to go to a nunnery (dick move Hamlet… dick move…). He soon learns of a group of Actors in town and orders them to perform a scene which closely resembles his image of his fathers death, to draw out a reaction from his uncle. When Claudius runs from the room, Hamlet, along with Horatio, is convinced that he is truly and utterly guilty. Hamlet confronts his mother about this in privacy, or so he thinks. While hearing a noise from behind a curtain he jumps to conclusions and stabs poor Polonius, and instantly setting his own destiny in the form of his dispersal from Denmark to England where Claudius has plans for him to be killed. And so begins the spiral of death…  After Polonius, it is Ophelia who is next to die from grief and drowns in a river. Laertes (her brother) returns from France in pure rage at the death of his father and sister. Claudius convinces Laertes that this is all Hamlet’s doing. Later he soon receives a letter from Hamlet telling him of his immediate return to Denmark due to an incident on his journey to England. Claudius comes up with a plan to put everyones mind at ease and a fencing match out of revenge is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes. The king poisons Laertes blade so when it strikes Hamlet, he will be killed. As a back up plan he also puts poison into his goblet. Hamlet returns at the time of Ophelia’s death and is stuck with even more grief and reveals that he had loved Ophelia all along (awwww) When the match begins between Laertes and Hamlet, the latter scores the first point but refuses to sip from the goblet. Instead his mother does and is quickly dies from the poison. Laertes manages to cut Hamlet with the blade, but he does not die. Laertes is then cut by his own blade (idiot) and while dying, he tells Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for the queens death as well. Hamlet stabs Claudius and then makes him drink the rest of the poison from the goblet (ultimate death!!) and everyone who’s dying finally dies. 

The setting itself was kept very minimalistic with just a ‘L’ shaped sofa, chair, lamp, small coffee table being used as the main set. A set of sliding doors were placed at the back of the stage which allowed us to envisage the layout of the palace. The 4th wall is broken several times throughout the play, with characters using the audience’s seating area for stage entries and also as their own audience when it came to the player’s play. It allowed you to be drawn in and fully included within the play, making you feel as if you were apart of the tragedy. Live action cameras where used to show recordings of certain events including the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes at the end of the play as well as pre-recording of newscasts to show the events in the world at that time. The recordings bought the 21st century through in the classical play.

Leading the show this time, Hamlet was played by the wonderful Andrew Scott, known most famously for his role as Jim Moriarty in BBC Sherlock. He bought to the stage a fresh rendition of the Prince of Denmark and truly channeled the madness that was meant to be. The elements of humour that he incorporated into the scenes broke away from the underlying seriousness that the play gives. Mocking and teasing characters also allowed us to see that Hamlets outlook on life had completely been effected by the death of his father. Andrew was able to incorporate the near psychopathic elements that he portrays in his role as Moriarty to a controlled yet still effective limit and also where needed, as well as showing a character who his grieving and hurting still.

The most famous speech in any Shakespearean play opens with the line ‘To be or not to be’. It has been recited by thousands over the years, including Benedict Cumberbatch in his rendition of Hamlet back in 2015. This time Andrew Scott took a very simplistic and minimalistic approach on the speech. An empty stage, with just him stood downstage, centre. All lights dimmed except the one spot line, illuminating the actor. Silence filled the entire theatre as the speech began. It wasn’t at all how I imagined. I expected something big and grand, overdramatic and nearly insane, similar to that of Benedict’s. But with this simpler tone, I was pleasantly surprised.

It’s not only Scott who embraces the madness and true identity of their character. Jessica Brown Findlay was able to give us a version of Ophelia which was truly something that I had not seen before. At first we see her lovestruck and smitten by Hamlet’s charming nature. But later we are introduced to her fiery ways. After the death of her father, see seems to sink into herself. Depression overtakes the poor girl and sends her into pure madness. We see her weakened physically with the use of a wheelchair showing us that she in need of support. But also her mental state is shown. While Claudius tries to get through to her she sings ‘Saint Valentine’s Day’ possibly with references to her beloved Hamlet. This contradicts the purity of the outfit chosen as a line reads ‘And opened the door to his room. He let in the girl, and when she left, She wasn’t a virgin anymore.’ We see Ophelia dressed in a simple white dress. The use of white here signifies the purity of the young girl although her mind has been tainted.  Eventually her madness drives her to death as she drowns in the river. An important thing to note with Ophelia’s character is the way that flowers are used with her. Violets are common with the character. When she dies, Gertrude wears a Violet, a symbol of faithfulness and modesty. These are also present at the scene of her death too. Jessica managed to not over work Ophelia’s insanity all the while including enough to show her decline.

One person who we see go through very little emotional change is Claudius, played by Angus Wright. The only time we seem some emotion from him is at the end during his poisoning and death, when we see fear strike the king. Throughout the play, he remains neutral to any form of reaction while the rest of the cast show their grief, sadness, love and joy. This is pivotal for Claudius character. Angus managed to show us someone who is suspicious and suspected throughout the entire play, yet ignore the accusations by others, including the ghost of his late brother.

To contrast we the conflicting emotions that Gertrude, Juliet Stevenson, is force to go through. While wanting to protect her son from the conflicts that he battling with, she is also not wanting to disappoint her new husband and king. Eventually it clearly gets too much for the poor queen as she drinks the poison set for her son. While in versions of the play this may seem harder to pick up on, Juliet was able to give a clear perception on where she stood

Each element and scene of the play was bought to life with some truly amazing talent. The connection between all characters and their relationships with each other was entirely believable and mesmerising. The cast fully immersed themselves into the world of Shakespeare, yet at the same time, keeping us still updated in the modern world by the use of their costumes, sets and technology. The fear with a modern adaptation of a classical piece of art, is that of losing the original effect. This, however, was not to case in Ickes representation.

The final scenes of the play left me on the edge of my seat. A live fencing competition will always be tense despite the knowledge of the excessive safety elements that all actors and crew members go through, and that they have rehearsed and performed the scene more times than you know, does not push the fear away from your mind. Ending the play, Icke chose a beautiful send off for all characters who met an untimely death. As each character heads towards the bright light at the end of the tunnel, we end with Horatio cradling a lifeless Hamlet in his arms.

Robert Icke has truly honoured Shakespeare’s name by directing an outstanding piece of dramatical art. It is clear he has thought long and hard, along with his creative team, about what he wanted to achieve and has done so with great success. It has earned it’s 3 month west end transfer allowing more people to witness this iconic play.

To top the night off however, I was able to meet Andrew Scott himself outside the theatre’s main entrance. The poor man was extremely tired but still put on a huge smile for all of his fans that greeted him with so much pride, praise and excitement. Well done Andrew, you deserve it.

But the big question is; is Andrew’s version better than Benedict’s? While I loved both plays, and regard them as some of the best pieces of theatre that I have ever had the pleasure of watching in my life, I find myself at a place where I am unable to answer that question. Truthfully, both plays had elements in which captured the audience in aww and some which might have lacked ever so slightly. But at the end of the day, all plays have their faults and all have their shining moments.

So is this a play in which I would see again? Absolutely! I am planning on, getting more another ticket to see it in the new theatre. To anyone looking for a night out in London during the summer holidays, I would 100% recommend seeing the show.

★★★★★

By Natalie Midwinter.

Review Time!: Hamlet – 06.04.2017 (WARNING CONTAINS ‘SPOILERS’) Directed By: Robert Icke Cast: Francisco, Gravedigger - Barry Aird. Horatio - Elliot Barnes- Worrell. Ophelia - Jessica Brown Findlay.

[ophelia-ascendant]

Tagged by @mihrsuri​ to list 10 favorite female characters! This might be completely random and not at all exhaustive, but here we go. 

Elizabeth I. Can a historical figure count as a “character”? Regardless, I’ve loved her since I was 8. (And gods know I’ve read enough historical fiction starring her.) A queen who ruled on her own and had such a successful reign that history has no choice but to look on her favorably. “A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.”

Phedré no Delaunay. (Kushiel’s Legacy) Literally adopted her surname as mine on a lot of social media. She is everything to me and finding that series was incredibly important. “That which bends is not always weak.”

Sansa Stark. I don’t even watch GoT but I still love Sansa with all my heart. Rising from the ashes of  herr dreams and suffering through abuse after abuse to become Queen in the North. “If I am ever a queen I’ll make them love me.”

Meredith Grey.  My main girl, still going, 14 seasons strong. A character who went through so much development and who continues to grow and change and be flawed and have to come to terms with that, but who loves fiercely and finds her own family. “When we follow our hearts, when we choose not to settle, it’s funny isn’t it? A weight lifts. The sun shines a little brighter and for a brief moment at least, we find a little peace."

Ophelia. From the first time I read Hamlet I was fascinated with her. She’s lost in the text, it’s not hers at all, and yet she might see everything more clearly than anyone. I think I love Ophelia for her potential, more than anything. “Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be.”

Leslie Knope. Who is dorky and awkward and absolutely cringe-worthy at times but is still loving and beloved and a force of nature. She is many things that women are told not to be, and she doesn’t care one bit. Also we’re both a bit overdramatic and we both adore waffles. “We have to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work. Or waffles, friends, work. But work has to come third.”

Narcissa Black. Not afraid to defy the Dark Lord if that is what it takes to get her dumb kid and her dumb husband the hell out of this war. A mother’s love is strong on both sides. “‘He is dead!’ Narcissa Malfoy called to the watchers.... she no longer cared whether Voldemort won.”

Juliette Ferrars. (Shatter Me) A girl who goes from being powerless to embracing her power, internally and externally. “For so many years I lived in constant terror of myself. Doubt had married my fear and moved into my mind, where it built castles and ruled kingdoms and reigned over me, bowing my will to its whispers until I was little more than an acquiescing peon, too terrified to disobey, too terrified to disagree. I had been shackled, a prisoner in my own mind. But finally, finally, I have learned to break free.”

Rose Tyler. The whole arc of “I create myself” still gives me shivers. Rose shows that you don’t have to start out as anyone special to end up doing good in the world, all you need is a kind soul. “You don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say "no"! You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away! “

Princess Addie. (Two Princesses of Bamarre) A book from my childhood that I love dearly that shows a different kind of strength. You don’t need to be able to wield a sword (or even want to) to be a heroine. “She is lovely, very different from you...you are lovely too, but in a quieter way. In temperament I see that you are different as well. She could lead a charge, but you could last a siege.”

I’m tagging (if they’re down to play) @alicehoffmans, @dove29, @phantom-queen, and @rosieweasley. Also anyone else who wants to play!

[marshbevvie]

idiots at a farm

We all explored Mike’s farm. Stan took a brooding picture of Mike to try to edit into a “spooky picture” and Ben insisted on letting me have a dramatic little photoshoot because that kid is immaculate.

Richie was disappointed though. He thought we were going to Bob Evans.