#I know. I do. I’ve played at my fair share of tiny gigs let alone attended them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kirishwima · 4 years

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Hi! I adore your writings! Are you still taking requests? May I ask you to write some headcannons for RFA (including V and Saeran) reacting to MC looking like a sweet cinnamon roll but in fact being a lead of rock band that perfectly practices extreme vocal techniques. Sorry if I made some mistakes (I am not a native speaker and, unfortunately, was out of English practice for a long period of time) and huge thank you!

heyo! Don’t worry, your english is fine ^^

I hope you like this, I wrote for MC using she/her pronouns, but I can absoloutely change that if you’d like!

I unfortunately don’t have the time to write for V and Saeran too right now, but I promise I’ll come back to this headcanon and write their parts too once I have the time to! Sorry ;;

YOOSUNG:

He felt like the luckiest man in the world, having such a cute loving girlfriend!! The two make the cutest freaking couple, people cooing at them when they walk down the street

So when MC told him she's in a band, he found it really cool, but didn't question it further-he assumer she may sing some cute acoustic songs or pop bops.

When MC invited him to a show at a bar he was a little curious about the location choice but hey, of course he'll be there to support his girl!

When they arrived MC kissed him, promising she'll see him after the show; he invited a few of his classmates along to see his MC's talent uplose

He already started wondering what kind of band MC's was when the opening act started with punk rock covers of pop songs, one particularly sticking in Yoosung's mind as it was a rendition of Taylor Swift's 'Love story', taking note of their extreme fashion, all spikes and dyed bright hair...

And them MC's band came on stage and hoo boy she was unrecognisable! Thick smudged eyeliner, a bold black lipstick, her leather jacket adorned with patches and spikes all over, her jeans so ripped you could see her thighs, and thos massive combat boots...

Yoosung didn't have the time to pass out as MC greeted the crowd with a cheer and the drummer started up the beat, the guitsrist following suit, and MC's voice...

Sure he heard her hum at home but this was NUTS. Her voice was so thick, deep, yet she managed to pull out some screams from her little frame that Yoosung couldn't believe

After the show he would NEVER shut up about how much of a cool badass his girl is. And if someone said sure, she's cute but not a badass...Yoosung would simply invite them to MC's next preformance

ZEN:

When MC had casually mentioned she's a singer in the RFA chatroom, Zen was thrilled!!! How did he end up flirting-dating a fellow colleague??

When he kept asking what kind of singing she did, MC cryptically replied 'oh, it might not be the type of gig you're used to' and left it at that, much to Zen's dismay.

After the two started dating, MC invited him along to a show, which Zen excitedly prepared for, tagging along as MC drove him to the location.

He took note of the underground bar-turned-coner-hall, the exposed cement walls and dingy barstand in the further corner, how there were posters and graffiti covering parts of the walls, the floor...

He raised a brow; Zen was no stranger to the punk rock scene, and definitely not to these underground bars; let's not forget he was in a motorcycle gang thank u very much

MC took him along backstage to meet her bandmates, whose styles ranged from completely average everyday style to punk spikey badass. He didn't question that either, but started to understand what MC's gig was, smirking as he realized; MC was testing him, pushing to see just how comfortable he'd be with her scene.

As the opening act started up on the stage, MC had been putting the finishing touches to her makeup, Zen sitting besides her smirking up at her reflection in the mirror.

"What?" she asked with a laugh, adjusting her spikey necklace.

"Not my kind of gig, you'd called it? Baby, I've been in this scenes long long ago. And knowing you're about to go out there and sing your lungs off..." he bit his lip, having the nerve to look bashful for a moment.

She rolled her eyes as he stood up, tugging her into an embrace.

"Give them hell out there" he whispered in her ear.

And she did. Hoo boy she did.

What she also did was bring out Zen to the stage...and boy, this man was born for the punk rock scene!!

JAEHEE:

To be fair...Jehee respected MC's profession, but she didn't really understand at first.

"So...it's not like Zen's musicals?" "No Jaehee, it's not." "But...you sing and have a distinctive style when on stage?" "Yes!" "I see...just like Zen! :D" "Jaehee...no baby"

Instead of trying to explain, MC sat Jaehee on the couch, connecting her phone to the TV to find one of her band's videoclips to play.

She settled on one of her favorite songs of theirs, and with a glance Jaehee's way, she hit play.

Jaehee was mesmerised; she stared at the screen, barely blinking as she took in this brand new side of MC she was witnessing, blushing as MC sang and winked at the camera, her lipstick smudged on purpose, her black ripped shirt falling off of one shoulder as if she'd been in a scuffle, her voice-how could a girl as sweet as her MC let out such a grovely voice?!

As the video ended, Jaehee remained quiet, her eyes still focused on the screen.

"So.." MC started, "What did you think?"

With an unfathomable intensity, Jaehee turned her head towards MC, pushing her glasses that'd fallen low.

"MC, I need you to show me every videoclip and concert you've got videotaped. NOW!"

She's from now on MC's number 1 fan UwU

JUMIN:

MC actually didn't tell him much about her occupation, worried how someone serious like Jumin would take it.

He knew she sings, and that she has a band, but that's pretty much it.

Not wanting to push her, Jumin simply left it at that, allowing MC to share what she felt comfortable sharing at her own pace.

He did hear her hum songs to herself sometimes, sometimes finding her on the couch surrounded by pages and music chords as she figured out new songs and lyrics.

He did sneak a peak at one of her music sheets once, reading through the lyrics with a confused frown.

"Lips like blades cut words through blood...?" he read the words aloud, looking to the paper with furrowed brows. "I see..what a wonderful metaphor MC has thought of" he smiled, setting the paper back down. He was so proud of his beloved's talent!

Once at a buisness party, he saw an associate of his approach him and MC with his daughter in tow, a girl seemingly no older than 16.

"Mr. Han, greetings" the man started, "I'm sorry to interrupt your discussion this suddenly, but you see, my daughter saw your fiancee from across the room and insisted we come over and say hi."

The girl looked up to MC with a wide grin. "I'm sorry I-I'm a big fan! I love your music and your latest song-'Bloody Sins', I loved it so much!"

Jumin watched the situation unfold as MC chatted with the girl, even taking a 'selfie' with her that the girl squealed with joy at, and in a flurry she was gone, leaving Jumin alone with MC again.

Jumin glanced at MC, a small smile on his lips. "Bloody Sins, was it?"

MC blushed, looking away with a flustered grin. "Ah yeah um-I never told you the genre of my music, I don't think it'd be something you'll be into-"

"Metal, I assume? Or rather, judging by the glance I've happened to take at your music sheets, the chords seem more befitting of some modern form of rock. Punk rock, prehaps?"

MC stared at Jumin flabbergasted. "You...how do you even know what punk rock is?!" she couldn't help her voice raising with shock.

Jumin smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "You'll find I'm not as dull of a buisnessman as you might've thought me to be my love. If you'd do me the honor of inviting me to your next show, I'd be happy to listen to your wonderful voice live."

Jumin wearing ripped skinny jeans and leather jackets? Sign me tf UP

LUCIEL/SEVEN/SAEYOUNG:

Not only did he know who MC was from his background search on her, he was actually a fun!

He loves punk rock, its the type of music he listens to whenever he works lol, and there was something about MC's voice that he just loved

He knew MC only as she was in her videoclips and as an online persona; a strong voice, tiny and soft-spoken in a couple interviews he stumbled upon online but with heavy makeup and rocking outfits.

The MC he met in the RFA though was much different; she was soft and cute, funny but so insufferably sweet, how could an innocent girl like her belch out such badass lyrics about death and destruction?!

Not that Saeran minded it-on the contrary lol, he loved to point out the difference in online punk rock MC and his now-girlfriend MC, throwing some of her more intense lyrics her way whenever she’d try teasing him over something herself.

Still, he was her biggest supporter, talking about her online to the point of getting a hector of traction towards her band; he rarely attended her shows given his job, but when he did he’d watch her from backstage with the proudest of smiles, and sometimes…well, he’d be a bit of a prick and mess with the lighting and audios backstage lmao

Im sorry MC you’re the one that decided to date a prankster OwO

#asks #mystic messenger #mysme #mysme prompts #mystic messenger prompts #mysme headcanons #hangora

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stevebillyrecs · 5 years

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Halloween Fic Recs

+ 1k Followers! Thank you guys so much. I love sharing my fave fics with you here, so I’m really happy that you’re having as much fun as i do!

Now, this is a bit last minute, but it’s definitely still October in some parts of the world, so let’s go! Here’s an incomplete collection of Halloween-themed fics full of parties, costumes, magic, creatures, horror, gore, and pumpkins.

Included: Halloween, horror, or monster themed fics. Not included: The usual canon-typical Upside Down shenanigans, unless there’s a special spooky twist to it, or that one very particular Halloween ‘84.

31 fics under the cut – Happy Halloween!

Heaven is a Place on Earth by CeruleanHeart / @highon85 (3k, T, Winged!Billy)

One late summer night Steve finds an angel crash-landed in a dirty alleyway. Or so Steve thinks, until the guy opens his mouth. Billy is a mess, drunk and mean and not angelic in the least. But he’s also hurt and beautiful so Steve stays to help despite better judgement.

taste you on my tongue by callunavulgari / @callunavulgari (2k, E, Vampire!Billy)

“You’ve never felt pleasure like it, Steve,” an old girlfriend had told him once, her eyes bright with memory. She’d been from the big city, where the vampires had their pick of willing donors, where all they had to do to get a meal was walk into a club. Some of them, the older, better known vamps wouldn’t even have to do that. They could pull someone straight off the street, roll down their windows and beckon. Steve shrugged. “No vampires here, though.” They’d broken up a few days later, and he hadn’t given it much thought. After all, what were the chances that a vampire would end up in boring, small town Hawkins, Indiana?

Gee My Life’s a Funny Thing by moonflowers / @eatingmoonflowers (7k, T, Mermaid!Billy)

Steve finds a boy in the water.

867-5309 (billy) by reject_mikeyy / @reject-mikeyy (14k, NR, Halloween)

Once he is done vomiting, Steve takes a second to rest his head on the cool toilet seat before realizing that. Wow. Ew. Not in the boys’ bathroom, thanks. Not in a homophobic way, don’t get him wrong, he’s eaten his fair share of ass but just. Germs and shit. Anyway. When he looks up from the bowl for the first time, he notices something scrawled on the wall at eye level. For a good time, text: 221-867-5309 Eyeroll. Or: In which Billy is the unlucky sucker with his number written on a bathroom stall, and Steve is the oblivious fool who actually texts him.

the wild hunt by celoica / @celoica (3k, E, Witch!Steve, Werewolf!Billy)

It had been his idea. Everything had been his idea. From the day Billy Hargrove had rolled up in his vintage car to the day Steve had walked into school with a fresh bite on his neck, proudly scabbed over and on display for his entire class to see, it had been all Steve’s idea. Billy did something witchy to his blood, thickening it under his skin and making it hard for him to think about anything else. At first, he’d thought maybe an incubus, something demonic and lust-driven and so out of place in tiny Hawkins, Indiana, until Laurie had leaned over and whispered about the new kid being a werewolf. The last time they’d had one of those in Roane County had been before Steve had been born. Even without the full moon to influence him, Billy was everything Steve had imagined a werewolf to be; aggressive and larger than life, in tune with the people who watched him with curious eyes, charming until it made Steve’s stomach clench in jealousy when his attention was on anyone but him. Witchy. To him. The witch.

bury a friend (try to wake up) by callunavulgari / @callunavulgari (1k, M, Witch!Steve)

Steve digs up Billy’s body on a Tuesday.

been crawling by kate_button / @un-buttoned (3k, E, Halloween)

The crop top was right there on the main aisle in the women’s section. Steve’s not entirely sure, like, why it exists, but he’s not disappointed about it. The rest of it came together pretty quickly (and cheaply) after that. So anyway, that’s how he finds himself drinking jungle juice out of a red solo cup looking like the twenty-two-year-old-man version of Karen Smith, animal ears and too much skin, bada boom, costume. I’m a dog. Duh.

journeys end by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald (11k, M, Ghosts)

When Billy convinces Steve to spend Halloween at the Vance house—an abandoned house on the outskirts of Hawkins rumoured to be haunted—they discover that the Upside Down doesn’t have the monopoly on otherworldly.

Tell Me, What Did You Expect? by trashcangimmick / @trashcangimmick (2k, E, Tentacles!Billy)

After the battle of Starcourt, Steve wakes up on his living room couch with Billy Hargrove standing over him. There’s something a little different about Billy.

i shot the sheriff by ToAStranger / @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger (800, T, Halloween)

Drunk shenanigans.

tides will bring me back to you by eternalgoldfish / @eternalgoldfish (32k, M, Ghost!Billy)

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. Billy sat in the dark, eyes closed, listening to the clock on the mantle tick and the refrigerator hum. Steve Harrington was nothing to him, a regret, maybe, a bitter taste in his mouth, but not a friend. If Billy was resentful, he thought maybe he’d see the logic in the afterlife pinning them together, but he didn’t feel a sense of longing or torment, didn’t feel like he was being pulled between life and death, or between realms. He just was, painless, lead in his belly as he sat on the floor by Steve’s feet. If he was meant to be trying to get somewhere, he didn’t know where. Was he supposed to pass on? He curled his knees up to his chest and watched Steve sleep, Steve’s lips shiny with spit and hair hanging over his forehead. Or, how to find love as a ghost.

Haunted House Workers by prettyboiiharringrove / @prettyboiiharringrove (1k, T, Costumes)

It’s far from the easiest job in the world, but Billy met the love of his life through this gig and he gets to scare people on a daily basis, so most of the time it’s a fucking dream, but tonight, well tonight Billy is feeling a little concerned and a lot murderous.

teeth only for you by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald (2k, M, Vampire!Steve)

Steve has a secret. Billy thinks he knows what it is, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross by Your_Iron_Lung / @godshattered(WIP, 66k, T, Werewolf!Billy)

A strange string of parties held out in the deep woods of Hawkins, Indiana, plays host to Steve Harrington and his doubts about his future. Every weekend the party is relocated, and somehow Steve is always privy to the knowledge of where it’s going to be. What he doesn’t know is who’s hosting them, or why. There’s something weird about them that he can’t quite place, but he still finds himself drawn to them week after week, if only to use them as an escape from his stressful post-Upside Down reality. The weirdest part of all, however, is the fact that Billy Hargrove seems to be invited to them as well, and- There’s something in the woods.

a whisper in my bones (keeps me restless, whole) by tol_sirion / @etterklang (3k, E, Demon!Billy)

Steve knows not to wander off alone in the woods, has been told not to so many times. He’s never been very good at listening. It pays off.

Never Seen That Color Blue by Kerasines / @kerasines (WIP, 4k, E, Tentacles!Billy)

Billy doesn’t want to think it, but Steve goes ahead and says it anyway. “A tentacle.” He looks as apprehensive as Billy feels at the thought of a fucking tentacle being attached to Billy’s body in any way, let alone spontaneously growing out of his back. Jesus, what the fuck. But it’s undeniable that that’s what it looked like. What it felt like. “Fuck you. Christ. What the fuck.” Billy rubs his eyes until he sees stars.

You’re Dead and Out of this World by shocked_into_shame (2k, E, Vampire!Billy)

Billy’s a vampire and Steve is his familiar, toiling after him with the promise that one day he’ll become immortal too. You’d think that Steve would have a certain amount of reverence for the dead - but all he can muster is annoyance these days.

Through The Forest, Through The Trees by trashcangimmick / @trashcangimmick (WIP, 24k, E, Were-demogorgon!Billy)

Billy gets bitten by something strange in the woods. After that, life becomes even stranger.

Hawkins Hunting Ground by lonelytarot / @lonelytarot (1k, NR, Vampire!Steve, Vampire!Billy)

Hawkins is a mess, that’s normal. But Steve isn’t the only vampire in Hawkins? That’s a surprise.

like real people do by callunavulgari / @callunavulgari (2k, M, Ghost!Billy)

“No one told me that you molest people in their sleep,” he mutters, trying to keep his voice quiet. Above him, Johnny grunts and turns over. The hand goes still. “You can see me,” a voice murmurs. “Yeah.” Steve sighs. “I can see you.” “How?” Steve’s been able to see dead people since he was four years old. But people don’t tend to respond well when children tell them that the old man across the street watering his lawn had a bullet through his head, so after the fourth therapist, Steve had learned that it was something best kept secret. “I’ve got the sight, man,” he says with a small shrug. “And look, I feel for you. You’re dead and I’m not, and that sucks, but unless you’re planning on doing something about it, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop feeling me up and let me get back to sleep.”

A love of violence by gideongrace / @gideongrace (6k, E, Serial killer!Billy)

Billy and Neil are serial killers. One night, Neil brings Billy a present. The boy he’s been lusting after - Steve Harrington - blindfolded and tied to a bed in a motel room. Neil clearly thinks this is a good idea. He almost certainly wouldn’t think it would end in his death. (He’s wrong.)

this sweet plague by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald (1k, M, Zombie!Steve, Zombie!Billy)

In 1985 Steve Harrington dies. His parents and the people of Hawkins all believe it was a tragic accident. Only a small group of people know he died valiantly protecting his friends from monsters. Six months later, he is one of the dead who rise again.

unbutton my shirt, i’ve a hard day (i hate my work) by asphaltworld / @asphaltworld (WIP, 2k, M, Halloween)

Billy’s stuck working for a food delivery app on Halloween night to pay off a traffic ticket. Somebody in the rich part of town places a weird, annoying order. But he hoofs it over anyway, because he needs the cash.

a tent(acle)ative understanding by ToAStranger / @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger(WIP, 3k, E, Tentacles!Billy)

“Are you going to eat me?” Billy pauses, tongue out, halfway across the wound. He withdraws. Curiosity. Trouble. “Would you like me to?”

teething vampire Billy, okay? that’s what this is by womenseemwicked / @women-seem-wicked (1k, T, Vampire!Steve, Vampire!Billy)

Billy’s a recently turned vampire. Steve is his comforting vampire boyfriend. I don’t even know, guys. this just happened.

getting better at becoming a ghost by thecopperkid / @the-copperkid (4k, E, Halloween, Serial killer)

“What? You’re not scared, are you?” “No,” he answers, indignant, but he doesn’t even convince himself. “No, I just --” “You know what they say about fear, right?” the voice asks. “That it’s almost indistinguishable from arousal. That your body can’t tell the difference.” “They don’t say that,” Steve says, poking his head out the door and looking left to right. He’s just fucking exasperated. “Nobody says that.” “I say that.” Or: Steve gets a Scream-style call while he's babysitting the kids on Halloween night, and right now would be a really good fucking time for Billy to get home from work. Billy likes masks.

The Seventh Life by Klayr_de_Gall / @klayr-de-gall (WIP, 7k, M, Witch!Steve, Familiar!Billy)

With Allhallowtide looming two nights over, Steve feels restless and irritated, a bit on edge. The pull of that powerful event makes his bones arch stronger every year. The last thing he needs is some Californian Hotshot swaggering into his life, carrying the smell of trouble and a curse.

If You Need It (Do It For Me) by youcallherhephanie / @harring-rove (2k, T, Vampire!Steve)

Suffice to say, Billy’s neighbour was weird. Not the usual type of weird; you didn’t catch him smelling someone’s hair or lingering in an alleyway like a creep. No, he wasn’t weird weird, but there was something off about the guy. Whenever he was coming back from his morning runs, up in the early morning when the sun just barely peaked over the city, Billy’d see the guy walking through the apartment building. Sometimes, they’d bump into each other when collecting their mail, when using the elevator. It was always a nod, a hello from Billy and a terse smile from the guy - Harrington, he’d found out from the group of grannies who lived in the building. That was where their interactions left. But maybe things were in for a change.

It Happened at the Halloween Fair by gothyringwald / @gothyringwald & socknonny / @socknonny (9k, T, Halloween, Monsters)

All Steve wants is to enter his mom’s pie at the Halloween Fair… what he doesn’t expect is Billy Hargrove, sentient teddy bears, and a giant, pink monstrosity. Seems like Halloween is about to get a whole lot weirder.

Effective Immediately by lololaufeyson / @lokibi (WIP, 22k, E, Vampire!Billy)

A what-if alternate ending and continuation of the season three finale where Billy tries to get out of dodge, but finds a few too many strings tethering him in Hawkins. Now if only he can find some damn scissors....

Where the wolf bane blooms by Confettibites / @confettibites (2k, E, Werewolf!Billy)

Steve Harrington stays behind in the school gym and something very odd happens when Billy shows up.

#harringrove #harringrove fics #stranger things #reclist #harringrove rec #halloween

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martinfreemangossip · 5 years

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A friend just sent me the full Amanda Abbington article for those who wanted to read it (I don’t) and don’t have a subscription.

Amanda Abbington: ‘The split shook me. I had no self-esteem’

The actress talks about finding love after breaking up with Martin Freeman

Back in early 2014, when I last interviewed Amanda Abbington, she was taking a bashing on social media over her role as Dr Watson’s bride in the BBC series Sherlock. What I could not know was that she was about to go through a far worse time with the man who played him, Martin Freeman, her partner and the father of her son and daughter. Two years after that interview, they separated. Today, encased against the winter in a hat with long earflaps that conceals her newly darkened hair, she tells me about the break-up, how it destroyed her self-esteem and threatened her children’s wellbeing but also, crucially, why it didn’t dent her faith in romance.

The online abuse flung at Abbington five years ago came from Sherlock obsessives who wanted Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and Watson to have eyes only for each other. Obviously, the trolls added nepotism to their charge sheet against her, to which her defence to me was that, after 13 years together, it was about time her association with Freeman got her a gig.

It was all nonsense — she was outstanding as Mary Watson. Her performance took an actress well enough known from ITV’s Mr Selfridge to international fame, a starring role in Netflix’s crime serial Safe and now, on stage, to the part of Anne, a wronged woman already portrayed by Gina McKee and Lia Williams in the first two parts of the French writer Florian Zeller’s acclaimed domestic trilogy. The Son, the sequence’s conclusion, centres on Anne’s clinically depressed teenage son Nicolas, laden with suppressed rage at his parents’ break-up.

Zeller described The Mother and The Father as “dark” or “tragic” farces, but reading The Son it is hard to find the laughs, although Abbington insists that the cast at the Kiln Theatre in northwest London are locating some in rehearsal. “I think it will upset a lot of people. It is melancholic and it is sad,” she says, but adds: “I like going to the theatre sometimes and feeling uncomfortable, and not because the performances are bad, but just because it’s nice to sit there and question stuff and think: ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ ”

Except, of course, to an extent at least, she has gone there. I ask if she was reluctant to be in a play about a divorce. “No, I don’t think so, because with mine and Martin’s break-up we were kind and we made sure that [their children] Joe and Grace came first, and that their needs and their feelings were taken into account more than ours,” she says. “And, actually, we’re all right. We get on and we talk and we’re still in touch. There were flashpoints where it was very accusatory and angry, but generally we’re in an OK place and we are there for our children, which is the important thing.”

She will not go into detail about what derailed them three years ago, but there is no doubt that the 18 months during which Freeman spent up to four months at a stretch in New Zealand filming The Hobbit contributed to it. Freeman, she says, does not have a new partner, but a newspaper did report rumours of friendships that maddened Abbington at their home in Hertfordshire.

“A few things happened during the last couple of years of our relationship that were the straw that broke the camel’s back,” she says. “I thought: ‘We can’t do this anymore. We aren’t happy. It’s time to be strong and say let’s not do this because we’re just not making each other happy. We’re not making the kids happy. The best thing to do is just be happy apart.’ And, actually, I’m much happier now.

“I wasn’t depressed, but I was very low, low for months, and very tearful and it shook my confidence. I still have no self-esteem. None at all.”

Because of that? “Because of the fallout of that.”

She felt rejected? “Yes, and I felt really old and stupid and unattractive, and you can’t recover from that overnight. He hadn’t left me for anyone, but things were happening within the relationship that made me feel like that. You know, I’m getting older. I’m in my forties — all these things help make you feel less of a woman, less feminine, less female.”

She will be 45 this month, but she has always lacked confidence in her looks. “Since I was a little girl. I never, ever think I’m attractive enough or good enough to be, you know, at the party.”

She conceals these feelings from her children, especially from Grace, who is ten and, like her mother at that age, tiny. “I was bullied for being small and insignificant, but she’s like a little powerhouse, whereas my son, who is 13, is heartbreakingly sensitive.”

She regularly checks on how the pair are doing emotionally. “It was a big thing that happened to them and it shook them a lot. Martin and I get on 95 per cent of the time, but if they feel a small imbalance in our little unit they get very scared. They pick up on everything. Because they’re so young and not cynical and much more open, they sense things in people, but we’re very careful. It’s all about being careful.”

Which is the problem with the divorced parents in The Son. They haven’t been careful. “No, they haven’t.”

The husband certainly hasn’t. “No, he hasn’t, and Anne has been very vocal about her anger towards him and [his girlfriend] in front of Nicolas.”

She shared her own anger with four close friends, who were able to provide some perspective. Her parents, who live down the road from her in Potters Bar, remain hugely supportive and look after the children when she is working during the day. Freeman, who lives in north London, takes them at weekends. She has buckets of respect for single mums. Mothers remain children’s first call, she says.

Equally, while she has had to turn down four months’ work filming in Romania, Freeman would not. “From time immemorial that’s been the case. That’s fair enough. I’m the mother and I suppose that’s what people expect. It’s ingrained, but I think it’s a shame because women’s work is equally as important as men’s.”

Did she fear that she would be alone for ever? “No. No. I’m a firm believer in love. I love love. I’ve seen people get really untrusting and cynical and angry when they were hurt, and I was hurt. I was really hurt. It really shook me, but you can’t carry that on into the next part of your life.”

She noticed the Northern Irish actor Jonjo O’Neill when they performed in a gala night at the Royal Court theatre in November 2016 (I noticed the 40-year-old in BBC Two’s The Fall). On the night, she was watching him from the audience with the actresses Jessica Hynes and Lesley Sharp on either side. They said that if she did not ask him out, they would do so for her. “So at the end of the night, after the gala, I went up to him and said: ‘I think we should go for a drink.’ He was: ‘Yeah, OK.’ We were following each other on Twitter and it was really nice, but then I met him and it was like: ‘Oh, you’re lovely. I’ll be brazen.’ ”

He has met her children, but not moved in — not yet at least. If he does, he will share a home with three rescue dogs, an abandoned cat and a tarantula. He will be spared two pet rats, recently deceased. “Proper grey rats. I loved them. They used to sit up and eat cheese.”

It is almost a definition of Abbington’s low self-esteem that she fails to realise how attractive she is. I don’t think she misses how funny she is. We agree she should do more comedy.

I assume that the Sherlock trolls evaporated. “Oh yes. I don’t think they were very happy with the last series. I think it got very complicated. I love Steven Moffat [the co-creator], but I think they started to pander to the fans, involving a lot of fandom stuff. I thought: ‘You should just stick to the stories, because they’re much more interesting.’ ”

Such blasphemy does not stop her from campaigning for a part in Moffat and Mark Gatiss’s next project, Dracula. “I’d be a good vampire,” she says, modesty going to hell. She is so talented and such fun that I’d put money on her getting the job, whatever heresies she risks against Sherlock.

AMANDA ABBINGTON’S PERFECT WEEKEND

Ski holiday or beach break? Beach break

Mindfulness or mindlessness? Mindfulness. Always. Always practising mindfulness

Tiger mum or free-range parent? Free-range. I’m protective, but they need to go off and do their own stuff. I have an app on my phone called Life 360 so I always know where they are

Barry’s Bootcamp or Yin Yoga? I’ve never done yoga, but I do go to the gym a lot

I couldn’t get through the weekend without . . . A roast dinner. My grandmother taught me how to make a really good one

#aa #gossip #martin freeman

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themousai · 5 years

Text

Gig Review: Death Cab For Cutie - The Civic, Auckland [14/03/2019]

It’s been a while since i’ve been to a seated show - instead favouring being able to tuck myself into a hefty crowd. But there’s absolutely no complaints from me as I find myself seated in the middle of the circle at The Civic. The theatre is abuzz with conversation, as people around me share tales of other events they’ve witnessed during the Auckland Arts Festival. Though the moment that the starscape above us dims, and the lights fade to darkness - the whole theatre is a hush.

Death Cab For Cutie take to the stage, opening with ‘I Dreamt We Spoke Again’ and bringing the room instantly under their spell. Behind me someone calls out, “I love you Ben!” as they move into ‘Summer Years’.

“How’s it going?” frontman Ben Gibbard asks the crowd, “This band’s called Death Cab For Cutie!” Which the crowd chuckle along at - thanks for letting us know! Ben encourages us to move out of our seats, and come up to the front, adding that “if you feel like dancing, please do!”

With a discography spanning 9 albums and 5 EP’s, and a fair few singles in between - there’s an abundance of songs for the band to bless us with - and as they make their way through ‘The Ghosts of Beverly Drive’, ‘Long Division’, and ‘Title and Registration’ my mind starts to wander, as I reminisce on what I was doing, and who I was, when I first heard each of those songs.

“We’ve been away for a while - what did we miss?” Ben asks, telling us about their latest record ‘Thank You For Today’ - before introducing the first single they released from that album ‘Gold Rush’. By now the band has warmed up well and truly, and Ben takes any and every chance that he can to dash around the stage - flicking his microphone cord behind him like a dancer with a ribbon. Guitarist Dave Depper throws in a few cheeky punk jumps for good measure.

“Thanks a lot! Alright, this next song is from our very first tape!” Ben calls out, introducing ‘Pictures in an Exhibition’. Next up is ‘No Sunlight’ and as the song draws to an end, he slings his guitar over his shoulder - and for a moment I think that just maybe, he’s gonna pull a real rockstar move and smash it - but instead, the guitar goes on the ground (nicely!) and he takes a seat behind the keyboard at the back of the stage for ‘What Sarah Said’.

As the stage fills with ethereal split complementary hues of purple, blue, and orange, i’m in awe of the lighting designer - and as they slowly fade into purple, orange, and yellow - my heart nearly stops. I’m a sucker for good colours, and great symmetry - and boy this entire show has ticked every single box in that department.

Up next is ‘60 & Punk’ - another treat from their latest album. Ben leaves the guitar behind, and makes the most of his freedom by racing around with his microphone, twirling the cord every chance he can get, and leaning into the front row to connect with the crowd, as the final line “were you happier when you were poor?” echoes throughout the minds of the audience.

As Ben returns to the keys, the band move into ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’ - aptly titled as i’m sure that by now everyone’s hearts were well and truly enamored with Death Cab For Cutie. Bassist Nick Harmer starts us off with a tasty bass line, as the rest of the song builds around it. It’s incredible hearing this live, as i’m a sucker for a hefty intro, and at four minutes - this song definitely doesn’t disappoint. But the energy in hearing it live? Oh boy.

After tugging at the heart strings of the crowd, Ben shares his fear for the future of The Civic, telling us that the last time they played New Zealand they played at The St James Theatre, and well “I hope it doesn’t happen here but… We rocked so hard they had to tear it down!” The band decide that maybe they should cool it down, just for one song, and launch into “Title Track”.

Ben points out the incredible room that we’re in, telling us that “I got my eyes on one of those lions!” - he’s particularly enamored with their glowing eyes, “One of those might go missing tonight!” he apologizes, and the image of a band trying to get through customs with a massive stone lion is definitely one I can’t help but laugh at.

The set closes with ‘Soul Meets Body’ and all too fast it’s over, “Thank you very much! We’ll see you next time!” Ben calls out, as the whole room erupts into applause. But of course, the moment that the band exit the stage, the theatre fills with stomping feet, calling for an encore.

As Ben takes to the stage alone, the crowd cheer, and the opening notes of ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’ begin, I hear someone behind me whisper “shhh!” at their friend, as everyone watches on in awe, phones in the air ready to capture the moment that a lot of people have been waiting for. The rest of the band join Ben on stage, and they continue the Encore with ‘When We Drive’ and ‘Tiny Vessels’.

A three song encore is definitely more than I ever could have expected, and I would have been more than satisfied with that. But the band aren’t ready to stop, and for their final track of the night, they treat us to ‘Transatlanticism’. It’s hard to put into words exactly how those few minutes made me feel, but you know how in Harry Potter they have to think of their happiest memory in order to produce a Patronus? Well let’s just say, if the Wizarding World existed, that would definitely be a Patronus inducing memory for me.

Check out Helena’s full photo gallery here!

Keep up to date with Death Cab For Cutie! Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

SETLIST

I Dreamt We Spoke Again Summer Years The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive Long Division Title And Registration Gold Rush Crooked Teeth Pictures No Sunlight What Sarah Said 60 & Punk I Will Possess Your Heart Title Track Autumn Love Black Sun Expo 86 Northern Lights Cath… We Looked Like Giants Soul Meets Body

[ENCORE] I Will Follow You Into The Dark When We Drive Tiny Vessels Transatlanticism

Photography by Helena Barnett Review written by Mandie Hailwood

#hailtree #reviews #death cab for cutie #the civic #auckland #emo rock #indie rock #i will follow you into the dark #nostalgic as fuck #new zealand

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mrsbenedictbridgerton · 7 years

Text

Cliche

@chasingawaythefoosa asked for a rock star/manager au

*Added ao3/ff.net links*

Also on FF.NET/AO3

Killian Jones was such a cliche.

Black leather, brooding good looks, eyeliner. The works.

Emma Swan teased him about it constantly.

It was what had made him so popular on the Boston circuit. That and the fact that he was a hell of a singer.

Quite how Emma had ended up managing the roguish Brit was a bit of a convoluted tale involving mutual friends, low funds and too much vodka. Turned out though that she was good at it. So good, that every weekend Kilian was booked solid, playing to packed crowds with his small back up band. There were even enquiries coming from further afield, tentative requests from record companies and, yes, groupies.

Which was who she was fighting through at The Rabbit Hole one Friday night after a killer set that had lit up the room and left a small gaggle of ladies lingering by the door that led backstage.

“‘Xcuse me,” she huffed, wriggling through the mass of hairspray and cheap themed cocktails. Tiny, the bouncer, nodded her through the sacred door as the other women pouted and complained.

“More this week,” he observed as she passed by.

“Yep,” she quipped, side-eyeing the one trying to slip Tiny a ten to let her go through. “Same old, just more of.”

Backstage, the band members were packing up their equipment, but Killian was sat alone, his ever present hip-flask dangling between his fingers.

“That was a good show.”

He looked up as she approached, his smile warm and genuine.

“I messed up a few chords in that last song.” There was a frown as he took another drink.

“Like anyone noticed.” She pulled up one of those cheap orange plastic chairs that seemed to congregate in spaces like that, and sat beside him. “You have quite the group waiting for you.”

She nodded towards the door and he twisted his mouth. “Not tonight Swan.”

Emma raised her brows. He usually liked to spend the last hour or so in the bar, picking up a few numbers, or just women in general.

Come to think of it, it had been some time since she had actually seen him leave with someone.

“Turning over a new leaf?” she teased, snatching his flask and taking a sip.

“You could say that.”

As curious as she was to understand just what was wrong with Killian, she also knew him well enough to understand that questioning him was a road to nowhere. He wasn’t one to play games like some men did. If he wanted to explain, he would.

“Hey- that club in New York is really interested in you playing this summer. How do you feel about a little vacation?”

“Will you be there?”

“Of course,” she laughed. “Part of the job description.”

He frowned, quicking looking over his shoulder. The band were done, they waved their goodbyes as they wheeled their cases out of the back exit to the van that.

“About that. I’m not sure how this is going to work out.”

Her blood ran cold. “What?”

“You and me. I mean, you being my manager.”

Cold dread ran into hot annoyance.

“What? What the hell - Killian, I’ve put in hours of work getting you gigs. Hours spent pleading and begging with stupid bar owners and - damn, do you know how sleazy some of them are - and now you - you-”

The anger and confusion she felt all came pealing out in a sea of jumbled words.

She could see him trying to speak, but she couldn’t stop.

How dare he? How dare he?

It took him taking hold of her hands to end the tirade.

“It’s not you, Emma, it’s me.”

She gave him her most unimpressed glare. “Seriously.”

“That came out wrong.”

He suddenly stood, dropping her hands, picking his flask back up from where she had discarded it in her lap, sipping as started to pace before her.

“See, you are a fantastic manager. Seriously. When David suggested you could do this I didn’t know what to expect but, damn, you’ve blown away any expectations I could have had.” He was talking with his hands. He did that when he was nervous.

“Oh,” she sighed. “I’m confused. Wait - have you had a better offer? I think my cut is more than fair-”

“I haven’t had a better offer.”

“Then are the band breaking up?” she shrieked.

“No, we are very much still together.”

“Or are you just not going to use me any more? Huh, that’s so shitty Killian. I developed all these relationships with bar owners- do you just plant to bypass me or-”

“No, dammit Emma, stop bloody talking!” He sounded exasperated. She watched as he tugged on the hair at his crown. “I’m trying to be honest with you here.”

She looked him square on. Her chin set defiantly.

“Well?”

The little muscles in his jaw flickered as he clenched his teeth together a few times. Emma stuck out her chin further and folded her arms.

“I’m falling for you.”

Of all the things he could have said, this would have came pretty much last on the list of possibilities.

“You’re what now?” she squeaked. Dazed. Confused. Maybe a little numb?

He shrugged weakly. “You heard me. I’m at a total loss for how to navigate these feelings.”

She scrunched her brow as she tried to understand what he was saying.

“So you want me to quit, is that it?” she snapped, tears forming. Confused, angry tears. He liked her? What did that mean? He was so somber it clearly meant bad things. Like that they could no longer work together or he wanted her gone so she wasn’t a distraction-

“Fuck, no. I just want to be able to ask you on a bloody date without some stupid conflict of interest.”

Her lips were making shapes, but no words came. He carefully sat back down. “I’ve wanted to say something for weeks but I didn’t know how. But I can’t pretend anymore that I don’t… care.”

She silently nodded, taking in all this new information.

“Say something, love. Have I totally fucked everything up?”

Emma thought back to those times she’d watched him leave with another woman or take their number, or sing a love song to some girl he’d picked from the crowd. She thought of all those little pin-pricks of jealousy she had so carefully filed away, not to be thought about. She recounted all those times he’d made her see he wasn’t some damn cliche: that he was kind, generous and a gentleman. That he always overtipped. That he always opened doors for women. That when she talked he really listened. That he valued everything she had to say. That he was genuinely one of the best men she knew. Both inside, and out.

“Ask me.”

His pained expression slowly began to transform.

“Ask me,” she repeated.

Now he was really smiling.

“Emma - would you do me the honour of going on a date with me?”

For a second, she pretended to think about it, tapping her chin with her finger. “Hmmm… Well I don’t know, I’m not a huge fan of the guyliner.”

He looked at her like she wasn’t sure if she was joking or being serious.

“Yes,” she laughed, her hand going to punch him in the shoulder until he caught it and brought it to his lips. “Yes,” she said again, much more softly as he kissed her hand and she began to feel a little lightheaded. “I’d love to.”

Then his lips found hers and they shared a brief, searing kiss that confirmed that she had made the right decision.

He kissed her cheek before whispering, “Isn’t a manager dating the talent a little cliche for you?”

Emma slipped her arms around his neck. “So we’re dating now?”

“I’m hopeful,” he drawled, gazing into her eyes.

“Maybe a little cliche isn’t such a bad thing.”

And she kissed him. Again. And again and-

You get the picture.

A/N: I’m trying to avoid cliched turns of phrase when I write. It’s so hard. That’s where part of this idea comes from. Thanks for reading.

@cat-sophia @captainswanismyendgame

#cs ff #captain swan #cs au #cs one shot #jill writes things

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