#particularly that one with alan rickman

[hella1975]

i used to have such a romanticised idea of nottingham like my dad used to go there to work back when he was in his 'not see my family for six days of the week' grind and id be DEAD CERTAIN in my child's mind that he was like. hanging out with robin hood and shit like i genuinely just assumed nottingham was still all fields and castles. and now im like oh. yeah no that's notts. yeah someone tested the floor of one of the clubs there and it came back positive for chlamydia. yeah

#like robin hood is one of my mum's fave folktales for some reason like she's watched every single movie adaptation #particularly that one with alan rickman #so growing up i think i assumed nottingham like. wasn't real? like it was part of the myth? #and when my dad very casually was like 'yeah im going to nottingham' i was like YOU FUCKING WHAT?!?!?! #the fact i still remember that single conversation rn so viscerally is a testament to how baffled i was bc i was like. six #AND NOW MY UNI CITY IS NEXT DOOR AND NOTTS IS THE BEST NIGHT OUT IN THE UK #SO A LOT OF MY MATES GO QUITE REGULARLY (IVE ACTUALLY STILL NEVER BEEN BUT WEVE BEEN MEANING TO) #AND THE STORIES I HAVE HEARD JESUS CHRIST 😭😭😭 SQUALOR I TELL YOU #sorry to anyone from notts reading this my flatmate from last year was from notts and he's actually a decent guy even if he's ginger #im sure you're lovely people #hella goes to uni

[oldshrewsburyian]

Greetings, Respected Tumblr Elder. I am curious to hear your thoughts on Colonel Brandon's character in Sense and Sensibility (all hail Alan Rickman, first of his name, etc). I recently read some Hot Takes(TM) that described him as "creepy" due to the age gap between himself and Marianne. The Hot Takes(TM) also criticized Brandon for what they perceived as his projection of his past love onto Marianne, rather than acknowledging her actual personality. I don't find the age gap argument convincing--seems like a matter of personal taste and cultural context--but I have not reached conclusions about the "projecting your obsession onto this girl" accusation. I'm inclined to say that Brandon recognizes Marianne's naivete and her vulnerability to Willoughby's manipulation precisely because he's watched his former love go through something so similar. But I'm not sure. Thoughts?

Greetings! Being greeted as a respected elder makes me feel as though I should live up to this more strenuously, but thank you. Also, yes, all hail the late lamented Mr. Rickman; as a prolegomenon to this reply, let us contemplate:

These appropriate ceremonies concluded, I shall continue, disavowing (as usual) any special knowledge. My qualifications consist entirely of 1) non-zero grad coursework in modern British history 2) a habit of overthinking things.

At the risk of digressing too much from the point at hand (!), I do think that Colonel Brandon suffers particularly from Jane Austen's reputation for writing romance novels. Austen is writing in/about a context where the marriage market as such is a thing and romance -- to say nothing of Romanticism -- can be actively dangerous. Outside the working class (obviously a caveat that leaves out the majority), marriage is simultaneously the only way for many women to achieve economic stability, and something that renders them acutely, terrifyingly vulnerable. And personally, I think Sense and Sensibility may be Austen's most pessimistic novel. In absolute terms, for this cultural context, I would say that Colonel Brandon's age is neutral. It renders Marianne less likely to view him as a prospect, and this is treated as natural. Also, it makes Colonel Brandon view himself as a less likely prospect for her! No one in this novel views a 20-year age gap as normal. But simultaneously, Elinor views him as a Nice Steady Option for her very sweet younger sister, someone who would not only look on Marianne's enthusiasms with tolerance, but for whom they would be a welcome source of joy and pleasure... of both of which he has had very little in his life. (This is where it becomes obvious that I love the Marianne/Brandon pairing because it gives both halves of a somewhat unlikely pair everything they most need and deserve in the other. I'm emotional about it.)

For comparative evidence of a Creepy Older Man in the Austen corpus, we need look no further than General Tilney. And I mention this because it is evidence that the potential for middle-aged men to be gross and predatory towards young women is not something which Austen overlooked. The fact that Willoughby is the unsuitable suitor is something of a narrative subversion: he is young and gallant and well-read and extremely hot. But whereas readers, especially those with romantic sensibilities, might expect Brandon to be the one with too close an eye on the financial dimensions of the marriage market, using his estate to make a bid for the beautiful but impoverished Marianne, it is Willoughby (ugh) who makes a mercenary upward marriage, and who comes very close to ruining Marianne's reputation in the process. Brandon, meanwhile, has very profound romantic feelings. We just don't see them very much because he acts "whatever he might feel... with all the firmness of a collected mind."

As for the projection thing... no, I don't think so. Brandon is, certainly, influenced -- I don't think traumatized is too strong a word -- by Eliza's experiences, and thus particularly sensitive to the dangers Marianne faces. Also, arguably, we see in Eliza's marriage to Brandon's brother a sort of alternate version of Marianne's future: would marriage to an older man doom her to boredom and thence to scandal and thence to ruin? But I think Colonel Brandon's backstory can be read part of an Austenian jest... or if not a jest, at least a narrative subversion. Because Marianne is looking for a Romantic hero! She gravitates towards Willoughby: tall, dark, handsome, unjustly kept from an inheritance, given to riding around in thunderstorms. Full marks. But meanwhile, we have Colonel Brandon! He had an early, passionate attachment which was disapproved of by society! He has a backstory of pining and loss! He swoops in to rescue tragically abandoned women! He even fights a duel! When Marianne learns of this, she is sufficiently softened to speak to Colonel Brandon "with a kind of compassionate respect." It just so happens that all these characteristics of a Romantic Protagonist™ are found in the person of a slightly sad, very steady, unshowy man on the threshold of middle age. And then there is the fact that he does not press his suit. He is friendly and kind to all the Dashwoods, so neutral that people presume he is interested in sensible Elinor. He could swoop in with a Heroic Offer Of Marriage because Marianne's beauty and health have been spoiled, but no, he just sits around assorted drawing rooms, yearning. Well, yearning and finding outlets for his feelings in enabling for others (Edward and Elinor) the happiness he believes he will never have. I love him.

#jane austen #sense and sensibility #asks and answers #colonel brandon

[roses-red-and-pink]

I just finished rewatching the order of the phoenix with my aunt and uncle and here are some thoughts

Ron.Weasley.Supremacy. I know the movies really water him down and take away some of his core traits and give them to hermione, but I think this movie is the best for showing his true character. He stands up to everyone for Harry, he attacks grawp for hermione, he’s always looking out for Harry. when Harry says they need to go get Sirius, hermione tells him it might be a trap and Harry’s like “idc! I can’t let him die!” And Ron just immediately says “ok what do we need to do.” Gets them away from the inquisitorial squad, and Insists that Harry doesn’t need to go to the ministry alone. I love him with my whole heart! I think this movie is the best at doing him justice.

On a related note: Ron and hermione as tired parents. Harry is being angsty and angry and sad and Ron and hermione share sooo many little concerned eye glances with each other. Making sure he’s ok, setting him up with his crush, getting him to bed. They really are Mom and dad.

Romione moments in this film are subtle, but there. Hermione telling Ron he’s clever, Ron trying to save her from grawp, their mutual concern over Harry, the way she stands closer to him than Harry.

My shipper heart noticed all the subtle Hinny moments. Harry’s overjoyed and proud face when ginny used the reducto curse, the way her face fell whenever cho was mentioned. How she hung back and looked at Harry when he went to go talk to cho before their kiss. My pining girl, pretending she isn’t pining. Also hi Michael corner! He was there lol.

Big thing for me was HUGE appreciation for Harry as a character. This boy, this 15 year old boy is going through SO much. His anger and fear that it is all his fault and he is a bad person is so relatable to me right now. But when Voldemort possesses him, he can’t stay because Harry has friendship and love, and can even find it in himself to feel sorry for Voldemort. Yes Harry has deep trauma and wounds, but he also has light, and joy! He is so GOOD. He’s not perfect as we see many times. But he is at his core a good good person. And that goodness and that light carry him through these amazingly difficult things. I am just so proud of him :,)

Cho and Harry… it was so awkward hahaha. That kiss was just so stilted, the way they stayed like 10 inches apart while they kissed, I love it. It really speaks to how awkward their relationship was. Also how when hagrid came back he immediately left her to go see him. I can’t help but compare to (book, obviously) ginny and Harry’s relationship where their first kiss was 100%- no half hearted stilted kissing here! Although maybe David Yates just hates Harry having fun kisses because in HBP movie his kiss with ginny is pretty subpar too…

Umbridge was terrible as always. Also I loved Alan Rickman as snape particularly in the occulmency lessons.

Ok one more thing about Harry: he is really good at magic. In the hogs head when they keep bringing up stuff he’s done and he’s like “but I had help! It wasn’t me!” But my boy, you DID cast a patronus at 13, and you DID kill a basilisk, and you DID survive Voldemort. Sure you had help, but you’re also a pretty darn powerful wizard.

In conclusion, I love Harry. He’s amazing. Also Ron is the best friend ever.

#Harry Potter #Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix #the order of the phoenix #harry potter ootp #hermione granger #romione #hinny #ron weasley

[saintsenara]

10, 16, 21? :)

Not on the list, but I’m curious if there’s any ship or character that you liked at one time, but no longer like, or at least now avoid, due to their fandom characterization?

thank you very much for the ask, anon!

the answer to the final question is that i'll try most things, and that while i dislike a lot of popular fanon characterisation - especially of sirus - it doesn't put me off reading e.g. wolfstar if it's recommended to me by someone whose opinion i trust.

but. it's fair to say that i avoid most things which feature hermione prominently. she's by far my least favourite main character in canon, but i can at least value that she's an extremely morally complicated person. but fanon hermione, who has never done anything wrong in her life, sends me running in the opposite direction.

10. what is the worst part of fanon?

weasley bashing, especially in relation to ron.

so often ron is turned into either a sentient potato who can do nothing but eat or a violent boor who can’t wait to say mudblood and beat hermione up for wanting to be something than a housewife (or sometimes, if the author’s feeling indecisive, both).

but ron is a legend. he’s emotionally mature, kind, funny, loyal, rational, an excellent strategist, and a fully-realised human being who fucks up and then tries to make amends. his love for harry and hermione is astonishing, neither of them would be alive without him, and he deserves more respect.

the same is true of his family - especially molly, who gets a really bad showing in so much fan-fiction [my unpopular opinion? she’s right to tell sirius off! good for her for being the only adult in the series who doesn’t automatically accept the idea that children eventually having to fight is a good or inevitable thing!]. the weasleys are iconic and harry would be nowhere without them, and fics which jettison them as soon as possible so harry can become friends with someone richer need to tighten up.

16. what is a trope, characterisation, headcanon etc. that you can’t understand why people like?

preternaturally suave fanon snape.

in the grand scheme of things, i blame the films for this [my other unpopular opinion? alan rickman had no idea how to play snape! sue me!], but it’s something which has really found its way into snape-centric romance stuff in fan-fic. i’m sure some people must really like the idea of snape being brooding and hot and an attentive, chivalrous partner who sends flowers daily just because - to each their own - but i prefer my snape feral and grimy.

[i also really don’t like the fact that suave snape is usually presented with a caveat that he’s actually hot and harry was just being a dick - i’m sure harry’s description of snape isn’t particularly kind, but also unattractive, weird men are just as deserving of love as gorgeous ones. let snape be ugly and fuck.]

21. what part of canon do you think is overhyped?

i literally don't give a shit about hedwig dying. oops.

#choose violence ask game #asks answered

[lizabethstucker]

Madly, Deeply ~ the diaries of Alan Rickman

3.5 out of 5.

A selection of edited diary entries from 1993 through 2015, along with some from earlier years. Entries range from the personal (doctor appointments, dinners, films and plays attended) to the professional (interviews, theater and films, press junkets).

This honestly wasn't what I expected when I first put it on my reading list. I've always adored Rickman's work, limited as I was to film living in America. Like many, I first saw him in Die Hard and was captivated by the voice and the acting. I then followed his work as much as I could, even seeing that, frankly, atrocious Robin Hood film simply because he played the Sheriff of Nottingham. I was gutted upon hearing Alan Rickman left us so incredibly early.

I will warn those who are looking for Harry Potter references that, for the most part, they will be vastly disappointed. Ditto for those hoping for more in-depth commentary regarding his work. It's there, but sometimes with just a couple of words. I won't say that I didn't like this, but I sadly didn't love it. It is what most people write in their diaries just as reminders, not as entries expected to be shared with the world.

Would I recommend the book to others? Only if the reader goes in knowing what they will receive, a bare glimpse of the man. There are nuggets, particularly the personal ones as Rickman is brutally honest at times regarding his friends and acquaintances, but in quick entries. However the norm is simply a word or two, perhaps a partial line. If that will satisfy you, read on.

#book review #memoir #Madly Deeply #Alan Rickman #Alan Taylor #diary entries

[lily-orchard]

For the Harry Potter workshop thing, how would you deal with Snape and Dumbledore as characters?

Snape: I would eliminate his abusive tendencies. They're not fun, they're not compelling, and the excuse in Book 7 should have come 6 books prior. Even Alan Rickman didn't like the character and had to be told Snape's motivation years prior to the 7th book in order to agree to it.

So what I would do is just make him terse, but not cruel. He's bitter about James, but isn't going to take that out on his kid. And about the only major difference is that he's not going to give him the same leeway that most other people do. And if you know anything about Harry from the books and films, he doesn't like fame or special treatment, and would probably appreciate that.

Dumbledore: I think Film!Dumbledore is perfect, particularly in the Goblet of Fire. He's a little arrogant and sometimes caught off guard and eccentric. He has a good head on his shoulders, but he gets so wrapped up in his 4D chess with Voldemort that he often misses the big picture. The films have others (Snape and Minerva) objecting to his decisions quite frequently, and one rewrite I read a while had him failing at times and alienating the main character because when you play chess with people's lives, they end up not liking you.

So I would go with that. Keep Dumbledore as-is, but have other characters question him and object to him.

#potential hp rewrite

[avrelia]

Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born

I finished the book Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born by Evan Ross Katz. A month ago, and I did a twitter thread review of it, since a lot of my Buffy friends are over there and not here, and now I collected it all here for myself and people of DW. :)

It is an easy read that covered a lot of ground fast but not particularly deep. I got in for the new interviews with the cast and crew, and the interviews were delivered. I could do without opinions on quality of the last seasons and continuous sniping at Marty Noxon, but well… The time for the perfect book shall come one day.

1) Best new tidbit of information: Antony Stewart Head played Giles as a mix of Prince Charles and Alan Rickman’s Sheriff of Nottingham. This already is worth the price of the book.

2) Best duh moment – Cynthia Erivo telling her understanding of Anya reflecting an experience of an immigrant. The most surprising part was why didn’t I pick up on it before, as I was watching and connecting with Anya twenty years ago.

3) the best interview was with SMG. The author is her biggest fan, and she comes off really great there. Of course she is also frank, respectful, sweet and supportive of all the people she worked with, and very appreciative and proud of Buffy’s legacy.

4) the weirdest interview was with Nicholas Brendon. It is understandable, given his unhappy trajectory over the years. And I was glad to read his warm words about CC and SMG, but I also didn’t really care about his latest feud with DB. Overall, it was really sad to read, the whole story of NB, but it definitely added to the whole perspective.

5) the most emotional interview turned out to be with Cynthia Bergstorm, the costume designer for seasons 2-6. Reading her account on the atmosphere on set before she left I almost cried. No, not tears of joy. More like tears of anger

6) the most notable interviews we didn’t get were with AH and Michele Trachtenberg, as they were planned then canceled after February 2021, following the newest wave of conversation about Joss. I understand their reluctance to discuss it at the time.

7) Out of the writers we saw Doug Petrie, Jane Espenson and Drew Z. Greenberg. Marty Noxon didn’t answer the requests and for some reason the author was really mean about it several times and it was really annoying to read.

I was quite happy to see also interviews with Amber Benson, Emma Caulfield, CC, Julie Benz, Mark Blucas, Danny Strong, Seth Green, Tom Lenk, JM, ASH, Bianca Lawson, . Am I forgetting anyone of the cast?

There were no any profound revelations, after all I’ve been a fan for twenty years (soon – yay!) and generally had an idea how it came to be, but the picture became clearer and more detailed. From the history, to the process, and the behind the scene stuff

The interviewees rarely got into any details, and never shared anything lurid or scandalous, but I got the following picture: it started with them being very young and mostly inexperienced. JW was a writer, but had no idea how to run a tv show or direct episodes. And if he successfully managed to do later, the former proved to be problematic.

One of the details everybody talks about is their insane working hours: an average workday during the filming season was 18-20 hours, which is genuinely crazy even if you don’t take into account all the makeup, fight rehearsals, and expected precision in delivering dialogue.

The Beloved Buffy-speak is literally Joss speak. Joss speaks more or less like this and all his characters speak like this, and all his writers write like this and if not he changed the lines to be more like this and the actors had to say lines precisely, re-doing the takes until they manage.

They started a one small happy family, then as the show’s popularity grew, as they had more money, fame and pressure, they become “middle school with more money” according to Mark Blucas, then really, really tired group by the end of the series.

The blame for growing toxic atmosphere on set all the interviewee put on being young, overworked and “someone” on top constantly stirring s*** up and pitting the actresses against each other. (some interviews were done before Feb.2021 and the latest round of allegations)

This story, told by Emma Caulfield is very representative. I'll just add it all here

Mark Blucas, btw, gave a very sweet interview, where he several times apologized for having caused problems for cast and crew due to be totally new to acting and having no clue what he was doing and, of course, praised SMG for being very patient and very helpful

I need to finish the write-up, I guess. So, a month after finishing the book I have to say that it was a fun read, fast, not very engaging. It confirmed what I, as an old fan new or guessed, or explained details that made me go “Duh!” - of course, they were young, mostly inexperienced and over-tired.

Of course, JW was messing up. I mean, I wasn’t even very deep into details, but I always knew that the cast was divided into “favorites” and “not favorites”. I didn’t really think that it was an intentional division, that JW created and exploited, but apparently it was. Oh, well. I was happy to know that the actresses mostly reconciled by now.

And the most pleasant part of the book was SMG – both her own interview with an author, and what everyone said about her. I remember, in my early days in the fandom there was a strong anti-SMG streak, where by calling her “professional” people meant she was cold, unfeeling and un-fun.

Whereas it actually meant she cared about cast and crew and doing her job without wasting everyone’s time (remember those crazy hours!) and without creating extra problems for her colleges. She helped her cast-mates, she helped the crew, she worked a lot, she wasn’t always right, but who was?

So, anyway. That was not a definitive book by all means, but an ok one. There are more books to be written, about Buffy, and the fandom, and all the ways it is still changing our lives. I personally want more books on Buffy fandom.

#evan ross katz #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy history #joss whedon #sarah michelle gellar #emma caulfield #mark blucas #Cynthia Bergstorm #cynthia erivo #nicholas brendon #anthony stewart head #book review

[zydrateacademy]

Hogwarts Legacy: First Impressions

I said my piece. My reasons haven’t changed. So let’s talk about the game.

I’ve never played a Harry Potter game before this, because they all seemed to just play through the book and movie plot lines over and over again. Sometimes as Lego people. I read the books, watched the movies, and therefore held no interest in the franchises foray into my favored hobby. Until now, because this is literally the game I’ve been waiting for. My own character, their own stories. Right out of the gate I will say the plotline is a little reminiscent of the original plot. However it still twists and turns the original stuff to keep it at least moderately fresh while still being familiar.

You are still “the special” as someone who can see and use traces of “ancient magic” which never goes named, just repeated as “ancient” through the course of the game. Effectively decided to be the only one to deal with the local problem, a sort of goblin rebellion leader who’s tapping into that same magic as a way to brute-force it, notable by the usual coded Red Equals Evil media coding that we’ve seen before (read: Dark Side, or the red lyrium from Dragon Age, countless examples). Some of the plot involves you circumnavigating those machinations while still focusing on school work, much in the same way the original plot lines did. We get the same scene of sneaking into the forbidden library, the room of requirement, and other things. While you have some assistance from other students, they are mercifully not joined at the hip throughout every single adventure. You solo your way through caves and dungeons, the few other students just help grease the wheels a bit as they teach you new spells or introduce hidden areas. I’m particularly fond of Sebastian, your local Slytherin teammate who seems to lead you into all things forbidden and I’m here for it. Still, there are moments that make you think “oh, come on”. The potions professor basically just looks like Alan Rickman but with some facial hair. Perhaps a more agreeable attitude but is still gruff with the students.There’s even a couple of Dumbledore-likes with outfits highly reminiscent of what we’ve seen him wear in the movies.

The pacing of the game, eight hours in, is wonderful. I’ve only had two run-ins with the goblins in the main story (and two other bandit camp encounters), but as far a the main bad guy goes, just the once post-prologue. The game is paced excellently, as it gives you the main plot in bite sized chunks while so far the meat of the game is doing what your character came here for; learning magic. Part of what enchanted those of my age bracket back when we were young; yearning for school work that was more interesting that bored, underpaid teachers droning on about math. Every time a class mission comes up I get overjoyed not because the experience I’ve craved for some years, but also it usually means it has a practical reward by way of new spells and tools to help you traverse the world. It takes a few hours for you to get the broom but after getting there I understand why. By that point you’ve run on-foot to a couple of towns by necessity to finally earning it through a class mission was a joy; and probably one of my favorite moments in the game so far as you tour the skies of Hogwarts with some of the best music to fit the mood. Within all this is the combat, which reminds me of the original Fable but more modernized. There’s both a quick-shield to deflect certain spells as well as a dodge to just roll out of the way from things your shield wouldn’t do much against (like giant troll hammers). I play on normal (the difficulty affects the response time you get for dodging/deflecting) and battles can be quite frantic as you only have so much time to decide whether to deflect-stun or go the easier route of just dodging away while leaving your opponents unaffected by anything so you have to decide what to do after a roll. Combat is all about those split-second decisions and I rather enjoy it, and I haven’t felt overwhelmed quite yet except during on bandit camp encounter that I almost lost because it just threw more enemies at me than I was used to at the time. Learning curve ahoy.

It is perhaps not as much of an open world as one might think. There’s plenty to explore to find chests and loot, sometimes blocked by ways you don’t have access to quite yet. The game doesn’t throw every tool at you immediately to let you loose upon the world and for good reason; because there’s not a whole hell of a lot to do town by town. This is not a “pick a direction and go” kind of world, as early on you get a tutorial notation saying that some activities are straight up locked until you get certain spells. Remember I said it takes about five hours just to get open world flight, that kind of thing.

Side quests seem to be the usual “go to this location, get thing” but the writing and characterization of the quest givers are usually charming enough to see it through, and the objectives are rarely far enough away to be inconvenient and fast travel can be done from nearly anywhere.

I will say as one of my only points of contention is that some of the activities can feel a bit like busywork. I am particularly irritated at Merlin trials, which usually hides its solutions in the immediate area but are not always terribly obvious. If you go to far away from the trial it resets itself, which can also include hopping into your broom to get a vantage point of the area. Even when it’s simple they’re very tedious, and they’re the only way to increase your inventory space (which fills up quickly because loot is absolutely everywhere). I’m okay with the various bandit camps and animal lairs but it does reek of that Ubisoft-ness that has tired gaming in the last few years.

There’s probably plenty more I can say, but that’s almost all I have to say about the game and gameplay. It’s great, I’m quite enjoying it. Obviously there’s still plenty left I need to do but I’m having a great time.  I feel like this game brings to the table that HP fans have wanted. If you wanted the school experience, it’s here in in bite sized chunks, a class or two at a time for you to navigate the wonderfully designed school with all kinds of bits and bobs to discover. If you’re one of those HP fans who thought the combative implications of the world went under explored, then there’s plenty of it to be had here as well between shooting at wolves, spiders, bandits, rebels, and other creatures with fake made-up names.

There’s some buzz about performance. My computer is a few years old but with a decent amount of VRAM. I play on high settings and while I have noticed a couple frame drops during a couple of cutscenes, I have not experienced any crashing or other issues. I’ve also run into a big where my girl would remain targeting a downed enemy which made the dueling tournament a bit complicated to finish but saving and reloading cleared it up.

So yeah, there we have it. I like the game and don’t regret getting it.

#Hogwarts Legacy #Harry Potter

[bunny-bopper]

Thank you for tagging me @marshmallowmcgonagall <3

Favourite Colour: Teal

Currently Reading: Because I have no attention span right now, I have 4 books on the go at once!

Our Wives Under The Sea by Juila Armfield - Wow what a book. We've got eldritch nightmares under the sea, body horror, claustrophobia, flawed yet relatable characters, a lesbian relationship at the center, 'my god why don't you just go to the hospital', but the scariest thing is how accurately the author nails the microaggressions faced when you're a woman married to a woman (at least in my experience).

How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie - Only just started this one and if I can get over how unlikeable the main character is I'm sure I'll get into it. I do love a revenge quest after all.

Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata - Wow wow wow wow wow! How does everything this woman writes make me question the very foundations of society every time?? This is her book of short stories which I believe she wrote before Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings. I read the first two last night and just had to stare into space for a bit after each one. 'A First Rate Material' - about a bride-to-be who struggles with her husband's dislike of objects made from human remains - was particularly mind-blowing.

Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries - I don't usually read diaries/autobiographies but had to make an exception for this. The entries are short but say so much at the same time. Wonderful insight into who he was and easy to dip in an out of.

Last Song: Girl is a Gun by Halsey

Last Movie: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - watched the original 1974 version for the first time. It was very different to what I expected. I did not realise it had a pro-vegetarian message for one thing! It was really interesting to see how influential it's been on so many horror films as well.

Sweet/Savory/Spicy?: Savoury is my favourite but where would we be without all three? 

Currently working on?: A oneshot I tried to get out for the hp flowers fest which did not happen for reasons. I also worked on the next chapter of The Truth Will Out yesterday. I'm not happy with it but at least I'm writing it again.

tagging @celta-diabolica @scattermeamongthestars and @puuvillaa if you want to!

#tag games

[incorrectoverthehedge]

HEADCANONS PART 2

These were well liked so here's more:

One of RJ's favorite shows to binge is Brooklyn Nine-Nine, solely because he can imagine everyone in it fitting the group perfectly.

Verne doesn't game, but more often than not he'll secretly watch someone if they play The Sims.

Hammy's second favorite food is peanut butter.

Stella's go to weapon whenever she feels particularly annoyed is just one of the porcupine's quills.

Whenever Heather hangs upside down, she likes to do a few tricks. Whether or not she can pull them off varies.

Ozzie's favorite actor is Alan Rickman.

Lou tends to doubt himself, but never lets anyone see it because he feels like he needs to be there for everyone else.

Penny is unironically a fan of rodeo music.

The kids are not allowed to have bubblegum.

#over the hedge #headcanon

[charming-gremlin]

do you ever read a fic that’s just. SO good and it’s  quickly become your favorite fic and you just are always super excited for updates and then. And Then. In one of the end of chapter notes. The author talks about their fancast. And the people they have as these characters are just SO WRONG and you just feel SO betrayed. 

#this author is a fantastic writer but i guess no one's perfect lmao #seriously it's like #this fic is a hp time travel tomarry fic #where harry is MoD (my absolute favorite characterization of Death I've ever read from the hp fandom #and. FUCKING. BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. IS HOW THEY PICTURE TOM RIDDLE #and ADAM DRIVER for snape #ben barnes for harry??? a) who the fuck is that b) i always forget not everyone agrees that harry potter is definitely Not White #and being reminded of that always throws me for a fuckin loop #like i doubt he'd be particularly dark skinned because lily evans was a pale ass redhead but personally i am all aboard the desi harry train #all these fucking mediocre ass white guys #and ALSO? alan rickman?? replaced by ADAM DRIVER??? hard pass #adam driver could never #(i mean yeah ok rickman was in his 50's playing a snape in his early 30's and driver is i guess more age appropriate but STILL) #but like. a young rickman? 1000% #i'm most offended by the cumberbatch one. tom riddle was always described as being extremely attractive. cumberbatch is fucking NOT #the only one the author mentioned that i agree with is the guy from Lucifer as Death #because that is exactly who the characterization of Death reminded me of #idk if i'll ever get over this terrible fancast

[copperbadge]

With your recent response to the ask about Christmas movies, I'd love to hear your take on Love Actually. It's supposedly a classic, but when my friends and I tried to watch it, we ended up liking none of the characters or the narrative they were telling. Except Alan Rickman. Because. Well. Alan Rickman.

I never particularly liked Love Actually, though when I was younger I found it difficult to vocalize why. I loved the structure of it, all the interlocking stories, but most of them fell somewhere between baffling and irrelevant to me. I do think it's interesting that Love Actually wasn't a thing for years -- it was a hit when it came out but then for a long time it wasn't in the public consciousness the way it is now. Probably because it's been on various streaming services? I've certainly seen it again at some point in the last few years.

At least for me, it's that the movie plays with a lot of romcom tropes but can’t step outside of them. You have a series of romantic comedies compressed into a single film, which doesn't let you either explore or excuse any of the creepiness they engender. If you get an entire movie for, say, the Colin Firth storyline, where it's a man and his paid domestic worker falling in love despite not speaking the same language, okay, that could be a fun examination of how we define love, how we love people if we can't truly know part of them. I know a lot of people dump on this plotline but the plotline itself is fine, it's the execution that's fucked up. We never get to the meat of the matter because there's no time to convincingly build the story. 

And this is the case for most of the storylines: you can see a bigger story, and it's frustrating never to get there. I think one of the exceptions, at least for me, is the Rickman-Thompson storyline, which I have to say I didn't like at all. What is less compelling than a married man lusting after his secretary? I like Alan Rickman but I've never found a character he played so unwatchable.

(Also I can't not say this, the plotline of the guy who decides to go to America because hot chicks like accents -- I spent the entire movie waiting for them to rob him blind and leave him naked in the snow. I genuinely expected that to happen! What a letdown.)

I do see why people love it, because nearly every story ends with a cathartic climax, so you basically get one romcom with a bunch of different Dramatic Declarations of Love, and that's very satisfying. And I love the cast -- Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Alan Rickman? Stuff of legends. Rowan Atkinson's turn in that film is absolutely delightful; I would 100% watch a movie that was just Rowan Atkinson strolling through romantic comedies and casually ruining the hero's day. So I can see how a lot of people would buy into the film and I can't blame them, we like what we like and it's not what I'd consider a terrible film. Clearly it's pretty memorable if I can call all this up from having seen it two, maybe three times.

But for me, it's difficult to love a movie that could have been like, six really great movies and instead took the worst parts and slammed them into one that is only still in the public consciousness because it's set at Christmastime.

On the other hand I'd rather watch Love Actually than ever have to sit through Iron Man III again, so in terms of Christmas films it's not the absolute bottom of the barrel.

#I don't want to tag this Love Actually and harsh anyone's vibe in the tag #I think as movies go it's a lot less troubling than many #but yeah it's not something I'd choose to watch

[monster-energies]

you, me and these neon lights

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

pairing: lionel shabandar/reader

summary:   after finishing your studies, you obtain the role of personal assistant to the greatest businessmen in the world, lionel shabandar. as the months progress, you reveal some truths to him at one of his gala events but perhaps the shabandar man is more kinder and maybe...more romantic than he perceives to be.

warnings: theres none to be aware of but there is obviously lionel shabandar being naked whilst staring at art, but no smut is implied/taken action

rating: teen and up audiences

word count:   6422

author’s note: the title’s namesake is lyrics from the song no control by kennie j.d, i would highly recommend listening to it whilst reading it....for the vibes

i've been on a sporadic alan rickman marathon and so, i watched gambit ( 2012 ),, its a movie...its a comedy and you're getting what you're given. alan rickman was the many saving graces of this movie tbh,,,idk how they managed to get such an iconic cast and remake an iconic movie but make it so boring ??? uhh anyways theres my review,, now lets talk about this oneshot. the moment i watched the movie, i knew i had to make a oneshot for this sugar daddy that is lionel shabandar. i said to one of my close friends that and i quote: "he could pay for my university tuition and i'd give him my entire life." also only two people have written a oneshot for lionel shabandar so i thought,,,hey why not be the third. lionel shabandar supremacy in this house !  

 i've been thinking about writing another part to this oneshot, i feel like there's more to give with this but idk yet,,, let me know what if y'all would like that

this oneshot can be found on archive of our own

i hope you enjoy reading, comments and feedback is much appreciated

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

“come on, you’re killing me with the suspense! just send it already!” your roommate rowan edged you further.

“i just want to make sure it’s perfect and send them this resume and not that die hard fanfiction from 11th grade!” you said, throwing a cushion at rowan.

you were reaching the end of your doctorate’s degree in london. you knew that art was the right place for you, you tried everything in your life but there was nothing more than reaching for that paintbrush and unleashing your thoughts and fantasies onto a canvas.

you studied at oxford for most of your life, having done your undergraduates and masters in fine art it was inevitable that you wanted to release your thoughts on a lot of things. however, oxford university didn’t offer what you desired for the time being so moving to london seemed like the best choice there.

undoubtedly your phd was the most difficult thing you experienced and the debt that you put yourself in was something you couldn’t describe.

perhaps this could be the job that could take away your miseries.

you knew of the shabandar company in passing. they were particularly strict with who they would take on in their company.

it was no doubt that it was a rough business out there, art auctioning would be something you didn’t think about but the moment that you saw how much money an original van gogh would be sold for, you were in absolute dismay.

the company hadn’t opened up any vacancies and left you quite agitated, clearly they weren’t taking any average joes around.

the second that they opened up a vacancy for a personal assistant to the biggest multi-billionaire in the industry… lionel shabandar. you knew his name, it was pretty much everywhere. every waterstones you went past you could always find a copy of his book “me” somewhere on the front shelves. everyone in the world knew his name.

you were quick to write up your resume and answer the questions attached to the application. you were proof reading your work for the last time before sending it off.

you clicked the send button and finally you sighed heavily.

“finally! i was beginning to think that you weren’t going to send it off.” rowan said.

then you heard a notification sound from your laptop.

“i wasn’t expecting a reply that quick!” you said. turning to your emails, you opened the recent one that came right in.

dear y/n l/n,

you have currently emailed during out of office hours.

if you need an immediate response, please contact eleanor meyer at [email protected]

otherwise, your email will be responded to as soon as possible.

thank you for your message

“are we kidding me? you frightened me with an automated email.” rowan groaned out.

“the worst fear there is.” you said whacking her with another cushion as you looked up at the application you had just sent.

you actually took this time to calculate how much you owed to oxford university in those 4 years and to the university college of london for your phd.

£9250 x 3 = £27,750

£27,750 + £14,140 = £41,890

22,040 x 3 = £66,120

£41,890 + £66,120 = £108,010

one hundred and eight thousand and ten pounds.

you looked at the calculations, slumping onto your sofa and screaming into the voids of your cushion. rowan looked over at the calculations and her eyes widened at the sight.

she knew you were very much focussed on your education, but not only to this degree but that number was enough to break your bank account into tiny shreds.

“y/n you’ve got nothing to worry about. besides your debt will go in 35 years.” she said.

“35 years…i’ll be 46 by then and i’ll be stuck behind a waitrose till, scanning overly expensive macaroons by then!” you snapped.

you didn’t realize the look at rowan had, you relaxed your shoulders for a moment and sunk deeper into the sofa.

“sorry, i didn’t mean to snap like that.” you mumbled.

rowan only patted your shoulder, she understood that this phd was make it or break it for you and knowing you’d be in the last hurdle meant that you had to give it every chance you had.

“tell you what, how about we order a pizza and we watch a movie. surely that will ease your mind from your financial state, tonight’s on me alright?” rowan offered, you smiled kindly at your roommate handing her the phone.

“you took the words right out of my mouth.” you said, laughing softly as you put your calculator away and your let yourself unwind from your already hectic week.

this job had better be worth every minute of your life.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

“thank you for handing in your thesis. and thank you for being apart of the art department here at ucl, you can have a look at some of our alumni programmes if you wish to come back. you’ll hear back on your thesis grade and your graduation will be emailed to you in due course. i wish you well on your career.” your personal tutor said to you, your bounded thesis at their grasp.

you clung onto your photocopied version of your thesis as you gave a kind smile to your tutor.

“thank you…i’ll see you around.” you said, kindly smiling at them before walking off. you arrived back home and saw rowan who had just finished a yoga workout.

“how did it go?” she asked.

“the thesis has been handed in. i’m finally done with my education!” you said. rowan hugged you more times than you could count.

“i knew you could do it! i bet that thesis will make headlines.” she said.

“i think the most it will get is at least an honorary mention on the guardian but hey, anything could happen.” you admitted.

you turned to your laptop, picking it up and opening it in front of you. you heard a notification from your email, which made you confused for a moment.

you looked at the first email in front of you. clicking it, you read through and your face instantly changed to a beam, bigger than before.

dear y/n l/n,

we are pleased to inform you that you will be offered an interview for your position as personal assistant.

your interview with lionel shabandar will begin at precisely 4:30pm, should you arrive any later than this and you will not be interviewed. please arrive dressed in formal attire. no trainers, pyjamas unless stated otherwise.

if you’ve been asked to provide a portfolio and/or references of your work please do so before your interview.

we look forward to seeing you.

signed

the shabandar association

you were jumping with joy, knowing that your application was at least successful. rowan was more than happy for you, you both celebrated in usual fashion. rowan grabbed the champagne and treated you to some of her homemade lasagne and you both sat in together.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

the day of the interview had loomed quicker than ever. you looked over to your wardrobe picking out a ruffled shirt, you did did every button and put on a pencil skirt as you looked into the mirror, your hair slicked back into a low bun. it wasn’t foreign of you to dress this formally, you had done so in your oxford days and you never entirely found your sense of style until you reached your doctorates arc of your education.

you looked at the large plastic folder that carried your portfolio and your bag that contained every essay and every dissertation you had done, you also put your thesis inside and grabbed both things before heading to the door.

“you’ll do great y/n. good luck!” rowan said. you thanked your roommate and eventually grabbed your things before leaving to get to the cooperate building.

the london underground’s services had ran very smoothly on your way to the building. when you arrived, you looked up at the building, almost as tall as some of the famous landmarks.

you entered the building, you read that you were to meet in his office which just so happened to be on the top floor.

“hi i’m here for my interview with mister shabandar.” you said, attempting not to stumble on your words.

“you’re miss l/n i assume.” the lady at the front desk asked. sally was her name.

“yes, that’s me.” you answered.

“do you know what time you’re supposed to be here?”

“uhm…yes. 4:30 was the time given to me.”

“you’re 2 hours early.”

“i know, i just hate being late to anything. you should probably see the amount of certificates i’ve gained just for my attendance and punctuality.”

the front desk lady, sally raised her brow and sent out a quick email, notifying of your prescience.

“please take a seat, mister shabandar will see you soon. please take a seat.” sally said.

you nodded, approaching the leather sofa and placing your things onto the ground. you crossed your legs as you looked at the view that bestowed upon you.

london during the in-between period of spring and summer was quite satisfying to you. it wasn’t freezing and it wasn’t boiling. it was almost like room temperature, and that seemed fine enough for you.

you looked down at the coffee table and picked up a copy of a book nearby. it was obviously his autobiography, “me.”

at first you thought reading this would be nothing short of a joke 10 pages in but you ended up flicking another page, and another, and another…and another.

by the time it reached 4:15 you were almost halfway finished. you looked up at the time and panicked slightly. adjusting your hair, and making sure everything was in place.

you brought your bag to your back and clung onto your portfolio, you were unaware that by your portfolio was also a copy of his book in your grasp.

“mister shabandar will be seeing you now.” sally said. you gave a kind smile to the front desk lady as you were greeted by the multi-billionaire.

“miss l/n, how lovely of you to make it.” lionel looked up, he got up from his seat and stood in front of you.

“thank you, it was a swift journey here. no doubt its really easy to make it around london.” you said.

“may i take your things, i wouldn’t want anything weighing you down during this interview.” he offered.

“oh uh of course.” you said, handing him your portfolio as you took of your bag and placing it to one side.

lionel gestured you to the chair opposite his desk and you shyly smiled at him before taking a seat.

“you’ve read my book?” he asked.

“oh, yes…i got here quite early so i at least did a spot of light reading before this interview.” you answered.

“are you enjoying it?” lionel asked

“in all honesty it’s a good read.” you answered, you couldn’t lie. reading his autobiography was quite interesting, you couldn’t help but think of how much his life was like a tv show.

he had flicked a few pages of his notebook and turned to his questions.

“so…miss l/n, you know me as you have read…why don’t you tell me about yourself.” he said.

“alright…uh where do i begin, well i’ve recently finished education.” you began.

“at your age?” lionel asked.

“yes, i studied fine arts at the university of oxford for my undergraduate and masters degree, i moved to london 3 years ago to do my phd at ucl, i actually finished my phd a few days ago.” you answered.

“oxford, a difficult place to get in.”

“well, the arts are in desparate need, much to my surprise it had a high acceptance rate. or rather what’s a high acceptance rate to them.” you said.

“have you always loved art?” he asked.

“yes, its just been a massive part of me. i’ve tried everything since i was a kid, but nothing thrills me more than picking up a paint palette and putting everything you worked for on a blank canvas.” you answered.

“there isn’t anything wrong with a blank canvas is there…miss l/n?” lionel asked.

“uh, i don’t think there’s anything wrong with a blank canvas. i think a blank canvas can also say a lot too.” you answered.

you peered over and you noticed that he was taking notes from this interview. you quickly turned back to him when both of your eyes met one another.

“do you parents enjoy your artwork?” lionel asked.

“oh…they’re not really in my life as such, i don’t really want to speak of it.” you replied. your eyes laying on the hem of your sleeves, fiddling around with the threading of the blazer.

lionel easily could sense your discomfort upon mentioning your family, he put the pen down and didn’t keep his eyes off you.

“you have my apologies for mentioning such a distasteful topic.”

“it’s okay, i was better off without them.” you admitted.

you took a deep breath to yourself and looked up at the multi-billionaire. his look of concern instantly going away as he continued with his interview.

“what’s your home life like?” lionel asked.

“i don’t live too far from here. i live near warren street, with a roommate from university.” you asked.

lionel nodded.

“not many people would apply for the role as a personal assistant, i’m shocked that a meek graduate  such as yourself would apply to not only work for me but to work alongside me…besides the point, why do you want to work for me?” lionel asked.

you knew that you couldn’t tell him the entire truth but it would eventually come out anyways.

the truth being that you were dangerously in debt. you thought about how you owed one hundred and eight thousand pounds to both oxford and ucl again, made your bank account sob out in turmoil.

you simply answered that you wanted to take a risk. you knew that they didn’t offer vacancies and they definitely didn’t offer anything for graduate students, you wanted something out of your comfort zone and whilst the shabandar company had dealt with pieces of art and you wanted to enhance your skills.

when asked about your strengths and weaknesses you responded with that you were a very dedicated and committed person, you always put your efforts into the things that mattered and you were a very creative thinker, that answer seemed to get an eyebrow raise from him. whether he approved of it or not was beyond you.

when asked about your weaknesses, you admitted that you were very easily stressed and didn’t fare well under pressure. you admitted that you would often overwork yourself to which, it would cause mild and (if push came to shove) intense burnout.

lionel had been quick to assure you that all staff are given a lot of resources in the case they needed any support for any given circumstance. lionel was well aware he had this narcissistic and foreboding reputation, but anyone that was taken into his company would be taken care of with whatever they needed.

“what has been your greatest achievement?” he asked.

“i couldn’t choose only one achievement, so i accumulated a portfolio and i have a collection of dissertations and theses over the course of my education. if you would like to see it of course.” you said.

“lead the way miss l/n.” lionel answered.

you got up and grabbed your portfolio and took out your papers from your bag. you went to the table before you and put out your papers in front, your hands trembling before you but you quickly finished and looked to the billionaire with a hint of eagerness.

“as you can see, this is all the practical work i had done for all my education, and down here i have all of my notable dissertations from each final year…you don’t have to read them if it will take up too much of your time-”

“i do know how to do my job miss l/n and if it takes me all day to go through your portfolio then i shall.” lionel cut you off, rolling his eyes slightly at how scared you were.

he had seen a lot of you in other eager workers but all of them seemed to quit their job in tears, but you stood your ground which was what took him back a little.

lionel took a good look at your portfolio, but his eyes couldn’t help but shift to one of your photos in particular.

“i have this piece.” lionel said.

“you do? oh you have pieces of battersea.” you quipped up with surprise.

“its good to see the artist.” he said, which made you smile to yourself.

“do you know how much that piece of work was auctioned off?” lionel asked.

you shook your head.

“twenty five million dollars.”

you were in disbelief, how could a student piece like yours garner so much worth and value? you never saw your pieces to be of any worth but knowing that your work had been auctioned off to the richest people known to man was information you wouldn’t forget.

“pretty valuable don’t you think?”

you only nodded, a sheepish smile wavered across your face.

his attention slowly shifted to the many dissertations that were presented before him. his brows slowly raised, if that was how much work you produced for your education, just think of how much you could for his company.

lionel flicked through every page of your work, a sense of eagerness rushed to him but there a subtlety to it. you couldn’t make out what or how he was feeling and it made you more unsure than ever.

“interesting…so your interests lie in its history but yet you’d be willing to take a risk in auctioning off some of the finest of works?” he said.

“yes sir.” you answered.

lionel looked up and flashed one of his famous smiles, you smiled back of course as a symbol of kindness.

“come, have a seat.” lionel said gesturing you to the sofa behind you, you followed him and sat beside him.

“now, you are aware that you’ve applied for the role of my personal assistant yes?” he asked.

“i am very aware, i did read your policies.” you answered.

“judging by your experience and this interview, you have potential…well, a little naïve but i’m sure you’ll see through that.” lionel said.

you perked a small smile at his remarks, “thank you…i appreciate that.” you admit.

“you’re only…what the kids say, fresh off the boat. you have your work cut out.” lionel said.

you turned away from him, ready to embrace rejection in all its forms.

“however…i don’t think i’ve seen anything like you, so...i will be offering you the position as my personal assistant.” lionel announced.

you looked to him in disbelief, then the smile that was on your face grew large. “thank you sir! i really look forward to working with you.” you beamed, as he extended his arm you then took it and shook his hand, his touch was firm as you shook it.

he got up and opened his filing cabinet, reaching for some papers. placing it between the two of you, you were handed a pen and what seemed to be some contracts. you were quick to read through each and every paper and signing it in the places where necessary.

once the formalities were over and done with, lionel helped you pack your things away, he also handed you a copy of his schedule. you placed it neatly in your bag, and found yourself exiting with your things in your hand.

“take a good look at the papers i’ve sent, you’ll need them.” he said, opening the door for you as he walked you to the entrance of the lift.

“thank you, so when do i start?” you asked.

“tomorrow.” he put it bluntly, it was like you expected him to say that but also not to at the same time.

either way, you had to get ready for whatever this man threw at you.

“right, i look forward to working with you then mister shabandar.” you said giving a kind smile.

“call me lionel. it should be a privilege that we be on first name basis, now that we’re working together.” he said.

“call me y/n.”

“a beautiful name.”

“thank you, i’ll see you tomorrow.” you said, entering the lift.

the doors closing on you both as the lift went down.

you couldn’t help but have a skip in your step, knowing this job could possibly change your life was something that made you beam.

when you told your roommate that you got the job, she was jumping from sofa to sofa. she couldn’t have been more proud of you and was looking forward to you talking about your new job.

you feared that the demands of being the lionel shabandar’s personal assistant would take away from their friendship, but rowan comforted you and assured that you deserve this job. even if it meant you were whisked away in a jet almost every day, she would still be here.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

4:32 in the morning.

you were no doubt a morning person, always wanting to get a glimpse of the sunrising and being able to do a lot of the things you couldn’t do in the morning.

you were expected to arrive at the building at 5:30am.

you did your morning routine and had your breakfast, before leaving rowan a note saying you’d be leaving for work and that everything should be there for her.

you hopped on the underground train and made your way to the shabandar building, it would seem like any regular day but this was lionel shabandar you’re talking about. you were asked to meet him on the 34th floor, you made a few pitstops on the way, you brought breakfast from a café nearby and you bought a new book to keep you company. you entered the lift and pressed the button for number 34. you exited the lift and turned to your left to the building’s gallery.

you opened the door and there you saw him, completely naked in front of you which frankly took you off guard.

“oh god! i’m so sorry, i’ll come back when you’re fully clothed. crap, i’m so sorry-”

“nonsense, y/n…come here, leave your things by the door.”

the shocked expression on your face didn’t leave your face any time soon. as you stood by him, you looked at the painting in front of you. “that’s the scream, by edvard munch i assume.” you said.

“you assumed correctly,  one hundred and thirty five million dollars was how much money i put on this thing. it’s a beauty, don’t you think y/n?” he asked.

“of course…it’s one of munch’s notorious pieces of art. he once said: we want more than a mere photograph of nature. we do not want to paint pretty pictures to be hung on drawing-room walls. we want to create, or at least lay the foundations of, an art that gives something to humanity. an art that arrests and engages. an art created of one's innermost heart. i think he did just that with this piece.” you said.

“the shapes in the scream are organic, objects found in nature, but munch has distorted these objects to echos causes by the sunken head.”

lionel was taken aback at how you described this painting. frankly, you had a way with words, and he saw it in your thesis.

as you both stood beside one another, glaring at the painting in front of you gone was the startled look on your face, it seemed like you were slowly getting used to his prescience…even if he was fully naked in front of you.

“now…no time like the present. we’ve got work to do.” lionel said as he eventually grabbed his clothes, you tried so hard to keep your attention on the scream, if there were ever a piece of art that resonated with the situation you were in, it would most certainly be the scream.

“how long?” you asked.

lionel raised a brow, confused at your question. “how long was i gawking?” you asked with a better reiteration.

“10 minutes, most of the personal assistants i’ve had wouldn’t even last 5.” lionel answered.

you only nodded at his answer, once he got changed you were quick to grab your things.

“i thought i’d make a pitstop, so i got us some breakfast…and some coffee, if you’re willing to take up my request of course.” you offered.

another raised brow, lionel looked to his watch for a moment. he couldn’t refuse such a thing from the new personal assistant, you followed him to his office on the top floor and you handed him what looked to be his order.

a long day would be upon you.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

“y/n! you made it out alive!” rowan called as she heard the front door shut, you looked up to your roommate with an exhausted smile.

“thanks for leaving the house all prepared, you’re a legend.” she said.

“i couldn’t have you burning the house down, that would be turmoil.” you joked.

you and rowan both giggled, you were greeted to some lasagne on a plate, a can of your favourite energy drink and between the two of you, played a cheesy sitcom.

“so what was mister shabandar like?” rowan asked.

how could you, his personal assistant describe him? you heard from your new colleagues rumours about him here and there, to which you could only see for yourself. you didn’t want to be the first to judge him too harshly.

“he’s…quite the character.” you answered.

“oh come on y/n, you’re too nice! come on, he’s hot right? you’ve seen the billboards.” rowan prompted.

“be quiet you stupid girl!” you said.

“oooooh you’ve picked up his personality already!” rowan teased.

“shut up!” you rolled your eyes.

“hey, you never know. this job could really change your life, it could bring out the real you.” rowan said.

“i better hope this job does.” you said.

as you both relaxed and continued to watch more of the cheesy sitcom, you couldn’t help but think about your real intentions of this job.

you needed a miracle and if working with one of the best businessmen could help you so be it.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

as the months progressed, you got used to lionel’s work ethic. you picked up on the things he did with a click of his finger, you even got to know one another. you contemplated telling him about your financial state, but you decided against it.

you didn’t want to feel as if you only took this job only to mooch off his money.

if anything, you loved your job.

you loved being around lionel, you loved learning about all the art pieces that were being auctioned off and some being auctioned off to your boss himself.

granted, the paperwork was messy but at the end of the day you a genuine passion for art.

or perhaps, your passions lied with him…

you were invited to the shabandar annual gala, recently your social life had been boosted thanks to being lionel’s personal assistant. you were apprehensive about this gala and frankly so, you hadn’t been to a gala in ages, not since your days at oxford. you were allowed to have a plus one with you during this event. you parents weren’t around, neither did you have a significant other so what better way than to bring your roommate with you.

rowan insisted on taking you dress shopping if you were going to a place as massive and boujee as lionel’s. you adorned a blue gown that complimented every part of you, whilst rowan had gone for a red a-line dress, enough to blind the next 5 people who saw the dress.

you both arrived in style, courtesy of your boss of course. the moment you arrived, you took a moment to analyse the mansion. it looked absolutely stunning, something fresh out of a movie.

“miss l/n, a pleasure to see you’ve made it. mister shabandar is waiting for you.” a host said. you nodded and you and rowan both made it to the front garden.

“mister shabandar…hmmm?” rowan teased.

“not. a. peep.” you joked.

you took a good look around the place to find lionel. he wasn’t around but for a moment, you heard a small growl which startled you, unveiling the mask it was him. you smiled kindly at him as he pulled you into a warm hug.

“i’m glad you could make it y/n, its good to see you again.” lionel said.

“i could say the same to you, you don’t look too bad yourself.” you replied, jokingly adjusting his bowtie.

“oh lionel, this is my best friend and roommate, rowan collins. been through thick and thin she has.” you introduced.

“miss collins, a pleasure to meet you at long last. your best friend has spoken quite well of you.” lionel said, reaching for her hand and pressing it to his lips.

“oh…you’re too kind mister shabandar.” she said, you smirked to yourself knowing that this was the first and only time, you would see your best friend completely flustered over someone as dilf worthy as him.

the three of you made your way inside the mansion, and it was just as stunning as it was on the outside. you couldn’t help but adore being in a place such as this.

as the dances commenced, you felt a sudden wave of anxiety hit you. whilst there was no doubt that lionel wanted you around, you felt small. in this massive world that was the shabandar business, you couldn’t help but feel like a pawn in this game.

“care for a dance y/n?” lionel offered, with his golden lion mask in hand he extended his other. you only smiled meekly and took it.

you arrived in the main hall with him. looking around, everyone belonged here.

you didn’t.

plus the money you spent on appearances alone made you fearful. as you joined lionel for a dance, you tried to make it look as if you were enjoying yourself, but you and your body was filled with dread and worry.

your heart racing at miles that never seemed to end, your shoulders trembling at the wave of coldness that rushed to your body.

“i’m sorry…please excuse me.” you quivered, letting go of his grasp and leaving the hall. you needed air, ironically the whole mansion was filled with it but you needed fresh air.

you rushed up the stairs opening the doors to what seemed like the balcony, and you let out all the emotions you’ve been feeling for quite some time. you cried to yourself, out of fear that you weren’t going to fit in this industry, out of sadness because you felt like you were putting up a façade.

you were a mess.

“y/n?” that deep voice called.

you turned around and saw your boss. you perked a sad smile, instantly turning away to wipe away your tears.

“i haven’t…done anything to upset you have i?” lionel asked.

you shook your head.

“its just me.” you answered.

a confused expression left him.

“i just…i don’t know what i’m doing, i don’t fit in here. i clearly stand out, i don’t know where i’m going or what i’m doing, it just feels like i’m doing a horrendous job. i feel like i’ve lied to you, i didn’t just apply to be your personal assistant for the job description…i need the money. i’m in so much debt, everything just keeps piling on top of each other and i look stupid…i look an absolute mess and i can’t do any of this.” you unleashed all your emotions, walking away from him and bursting into tears.

lionel had seen many of his staff members burst into hysterical tears because of their jobs here in this business but never had they felt like they were out of place.

lionel approached you, taking his hands into your own. “i don’t want you to worry over this sense of belonging, you deserve your position here just as much as anyone else.” lionel said.

you wiped away your tears once more, a sense of comfort was felt knowing that he acknowledged your work.

lionel had his eyes on the computer, that had been open for quite a while he went over at pressed a few keys on his keyboard before pressing the shutdown button.

”what did you do?” you sniffled.

“you’ll have to wait and see y/n.” lionel said. “now…i can’t have my personal assistant so down on an evening such as this hm?” he added.

you perked a small smile as you wiped away your tears, you felt your cheeks heat up in the moment you were with him all by yourself.

you took his hand and he wrapped your arm around his, linking it to yours. the moment of pride washed over lionel as he looked at you, he hadn’t seen anyone like you. so willing to work with him and yet your patience astounded him.

“you’re doing a wonderful job y/n.” lionel said, his comforting words wrapped around you as you slightly beamed at his kind words.

a newfound confidence wavered all over you as you took pride in being in lionel shabandar’s prescience.

you were having more fun than ever before, you let yourself loose and had the time of your life.

the most fun you had in ages.

꒱࿐♡ ˚.*ೃ

“you’re usually up before the sun is, what’s gotten to you?” rowan asked, munching on her porridge oats.

“well…lionel’s asked me to come in a little later, probably after last night’s gala of course.” you assumed.

“oh yeah you looked like you were having the time of your life.” rowan giggled, you only rolled your eyes at the girl.

“don’t have too much fun without me.” you joked, as you put on your blazer and left the house.

another day at work, you arrived at the building as you looked down at your watch. you were asked to come in at 8am, which was quite the shock since you would have usually been in the building by six in the morning.

much to your surprise, you weren’t asked to stare at another painting with lionel whilst he was butt naked.

you greeted him at his office, he was sat on the sofa completing a few papers about the next auction the both of you had planned. lionel had his eyes on the prize on the original starry night, he was very eager to obtain such a painting.

“you hadn’t checked any of your emails recently?” lionel asked.

another confused expression left your face, you sat by him on the sofa as you opened your bag to reach for your laptop and opened your emails.

3 emails appeared before your eyes.

lionel shabandar made a transaction to your account.

previous amount: £73.92

amount sent: £15,500,000

amount: £15,500,073.92

amount deducted: £27,750

amount deducted £14,140

amount deducted: £66,120

overall deduction: £108,010

current amount: £14,892,063.92

if this is the account holder please ignore this email, if this isn’t you please direct yourself to the link provided.

then you read the next emails.

re: tuition payment at oxford university

dear y/n l/n,

we are writing to inform you that your university tuition has been paid off, please keep the statement with you at all costs.

ucas code: w100

duration: 3 years (bfa)

amount: £27,750

_

course code: tf_fr1

duration: 9 months (mfa)

amount: £14,140

overall amount paid: £41,890

regards

financial department of oxford university.

_______

re: tuition payment at the university college of london

dear y/n l/n,

we are writing to inform you that your tuition has been paid off, please keep the statement with you at all costs.

course code: rrdfinsing01

duration: 3 years (phd)

amount: £22,040

overall amount paid: £66,120

regards

financial department of the university college london

you looked to him with a completely dumb founded look on your face. to which lionel only responded with a deep chuckle, this was his doing?

“you actually…paid them off…all one hundred and eight thousand pounds of it?” you stumbled on your words. it looked as if he enjoyed all of your reaction.

“can you pinch me, slap me across the face? anything? i have to be dreaming, if you pinch me then i’ll wake up in my bed at 4am and i’ll be visiting you on the 34th floor asking you to stare at the mona lisa whilst you’re butt naked.” you rambled on.

lionel pinched your upper arm, you feet were still firm on the ground, you were still sitting on the sofa beside your boss.

“okay…not a dream.” you said.

“but why? you didn’t have to do that.” you added.

lionel tugged at his sleeves, adjusting his blazer before inching closer to you.

“you’ve worked so hard, it’s the least i could do and besides, don’t think i didn’t notice.” lionel asked.

you tilted your head at his comment.

“the way you eye my work, the way you analyse ever bank statement that comes in, the way you…look at me.” lionel answered.

his hand made his way to your cheek, which startled you. tensing up at his touch but very slowly, you melted into his grasp.

“you intrigue me y/n…in such…beautiful ways.” lionel said.

suddenly, you found yourself intertwined in a passionate and slow kiss. your mind and heart running at more than a million miles as you found yourself colliding with him.

the moment you pulled away from him, your eyes were screaming out for love. perhaps he was the one, granted your tastes had been very odd but he radiated perfection.

“we shouldn’t be doing this.” you mumbled.

“there was nothing in your contract that you could gain feelings for me.” lionel said, his eyes were always on you, his attention never left you.

“might i remind you who your boss is?” lionel asked.

“you.”

“good girl.” lionel whispered.

another kiss bounded you together, your hesitancy slowly disappeared as you wrapped your arms around him and you edged yourself closer to him.

“reckon i could get a raise?” you murmured in between kisses.

“don’t push it.” lionel answered, a smirk wavered on both your faces as you kissed each other once more.

you found a new confidence whenever you were around him.

everything was so new to you.

and perhaps, being with lionel could change everything.

#alan rickman #rickmaniac #gambit #romance #lionel shabandar #lionel shabandar x reader #lionel shabandar x female reader #shoutouts to the two people who've written for lionel shabandar so far #now i have become the third #monster-energies fics

[yourfinalbow]

hi lol this is totally random but based on a harry potter post you just reblogged and you can completely ignore me if you want, but do you think snape deserved better, or are you a quote unquote "snape apologist"? I'm genuinely curious cuz I've come across a lot of different opinions on severus. Again, feel free to ignore :)

This ended up way longer than it needed to be, and I apologize for that lmao.

Hi! Hmmm I have many mixed opinions on this. First we have to talk about which Snape. Book!Snape is actually kind of an asshole, and not in the fun way. (Way more than I remembered.) But but but Alan Rickman!Snape I like a lot.

And no I'm not mentioning Snape from TCC. That was not Snape and that world was not Harry Potter.

Snape is an interesting character because of how flawed and layered he is.

(Putting a cut because it's so long, and tw for non-detailed mentions/reference to abuse, as well as both trauma and death.)

He wasn't born in a very good household, which I can definitely see as being a reason for why he is who he is. (A reason, not an excuse. Those are two extremely different things.) You look at Sirius, who also came from a horrible household, yet he managed to dig himself out of the mud and make his own path for himself. (Though I have many angsty headcanons for the thoughts he has and being afraid of what he will do and in turn his own mind. WolfStar solidarity. Neither one of them know what they are truly capable of, and both are completely afraid to find out.

Ahem sorry I got a little distracted there.

During the Marauder's era, Snape wasn't a good person in general, but he tried to be nice to Lily. (One of the only exceptions he made.) That being said, (sorry, going on a tangent again), it does not excuse what the Marauders did. As much as they are, in my humble opinion, JK's greatest creation, they should be held accountable for both the prank, and dangling Snape upside down. (Though Remus does make a few good points in their defense later, it's still not an excuse.) Two wrongs never make a right.

Snape doesn't deny Lily's claims at him wanting to join a supremacy group, nor does he say he isn't friends with Death Eaters.

It's clear through the flashbacks we're given that Snape is apathetic in the face of innocent people dying, but once again Lily is the exception.

Dumbledore defends Snape by saying it wasn't his fault that Harry's parents are dead. I actually semi-agree with this. On one hand, he was directly at fault, but on the other hand he had no way of knowing. As a severe Loki apologist, I do not blame Loki for Frigga's death. He may have led the dark elves to her, but he didn't know it was her she was sending them to. That's the comparison I make in my mind, and so I don't completely blame him like other people do. (One could also make the argument that Sirius is to blame. Sirius, who is 100% my favorite character in the entire franchise, gave the secret keeper job to Peter, thinking it would be safer with him. However, he had no ill will or malicious intentions towards Lily, James, and Harry, so I don't blame him.)

All that being said, Snape not only would have been fine with random people dying, he also didn't care whether or not James and Harry lived.

For context:

(Dumbledore is speaking, right after Snape comes to him for help.)

"You do not care, then, about the deaths of her husband and child?" They can die, as long as you have what you want?"

Snape said nothing, but merely looked up at Dumbledore.

He has a strange relationship with Lily. He obviously loves her, but not enough to want to stop Voldemort from killing the two things that bring her the most amount of happiness. It's clear he doesn't care about anyone except for Lily. Which on some level, I can understand why. When people have traumatic childhoods, they tend to hold on to a person that was there for them. Sometimes it can be the hands of the person who caused them pain in the first place, but other times it is another person who was there for him. He holds Lily's opinions of himself higher than anybody else, and he holds Lily above anybody else, and I think this can be attributed to some sort of trauma response, which is why his love for her is so unusual. That doesn't mean I think he should be fine with killing innocent people.

On the topic of trauma, I think joining the Death Eaters was another response to this, as well as a result of what kind of family he had.

Similar to both Harry and Voldemort, Snape much preferred Hogwarts to where he lived, and such the castle became his home more than his house ever was.

The Death Eaters could offer him something he had never been offered before. He belonged to something. In his own, twisted, traumatic mindset, he might have even almost seen the Death Eaters as a family. Not consciously of course, but there was definitely a feeling of belonging they gave him.

And there's something to be said about the fact that many serial killers in real life come from an abusive family. I don't pretend to understand the minds of someone who can do something so vile, but I have watched enough Criminal Minds episodes to know what they long for is control.

So being apart of this supremacy group, even though he was a half-blood himself and undoubtedly didn't entirely share Voldermort's racist beliefs, gave him both control and something he belonged to.

It's not an excuse, but it's a reason.

Alternatively, you can look at it through a quote from the most recent episode of Loki.

"It's part of the illusion. It's a cruel, elaborate trick conjured by the weak to inspire fear."

So it's also possible that when he was a kid, he thought being a villain was the only way to prevent others from being one to him.

Ok sorry, back on the chronological track.

So he agrees to change sides and work with Dumbledore. (Who must see just how distraught Snape was over Lily's death, to trust him immediately.)

Snape spends most of Harry's time at Hogwarts humiliating his own students. He particularly calls out Harry and his friends a lot, but I can definitely see this being a defence mechanism. He assumes Harry is James and reverts back to what we talked about earlier. (Becoming the villain so nobody else has a chance.)

But but but, he does a lot of good throughout the books. Snape mutters the countercurse, saving Harry from Quirrell during the Quidditch match. He then actually referees at the next match, preventing anything from happening altogether.

In retrospective, we see that he spends most of the first book helping Dumbledore by protecting the stone, and helping Lily by protecting Harry.

Now I could go through and list the goods and the bads of Snape throughout the entire series, but I have neither the time nor the patience, and I think you get the point.

(Except I would like the mention that Snape becomes a double agent for Dumbledore in book four, and risks his life every single day by constantly betraying Voldermort, and never once does he use this as a way to double cross Dumbledore. This was actually probably really hard on him. You can assume that having to pretend to be a Death Eater means he had to do some despicable things just so he didn't blow his cover. If he really has changed by this time, which I would like to think he has, is a lot of added guilt to live with.)

(I would also mention that he tried to save Sirius in book five, but... *falls on floor dramatically* I don't want to think about it.)

Severus Snape's time comes to the end in book seven. At the hands of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, his death is a valiant act of sacrifice. Protecting the living and defending the honour of the fallen.

So, he has done a lot of bad in his lifetime, but by the time we as readers get to know him, his fundamental set of beliefs have begun to change. Through the eyes of what started as an eleven year old boy, you can definitely see that even after this he wasn't necessarily a good person.

And that's because his good is behind the scenes. He's good on a larger scale. He's chosen the light over darkness, but in his everyday life he's still the scared, traumatized little kid he's always been.

And him being this way has reasons, but these reasons are not excuses.

Sorry anon, this kind of turned into a long winded review of the entire character. I know that's not really what you asked, so I'll sum it up in a final few sentences sentence.

Yes. I wish Snape had gotten to live. Not because I'm necessarily a "Snape apologist", but because I find his character interesting, and seeing his reaction to his sacrifice could have been a really good read. Also Harry coming up and thanking him would have been really touching, and as a cherry on top maybe we could have gotten to read Harry apologizing for his father. Maybe even Snape sharing memories of Lily?! (Sorry that might have gotten a little to fanfic-y.)

That being said, his death being a final sacrifice towards the good of everyone, and a final testimony to his change of heart, was -- and I'll give JK credit just this once -- good storytelling, and a good way to end it.

Also I like movie!Snape because fuck yeah he's just so awesome.

If anyone has anything to add/take away, or they just want to discuss the wonder that was Alan Rickman, let me know! (Ask/Comment/Reblog/Etc.)

#ESPECIALLY you anon #I never get HP asks so this was a treat #Harry Potter #Severus Snape #Character analysis #Maybe?! #Lampswered #*Spongebob Imagination Rainbow

[m34gs]

For the three's ask: 2, 13, 27, 30

Thank you for the ask, Friend! (from this post here) Answers are a little bit emotional for some of the things, but it is what it is :) Hope you enjoy.

2. 3 movies you have rewatched many times

Oh this is a fun one! Ok, here are three movies I watch a lot and why:

Robin Hood: Prince of Theives: I first watched this movie as a six year old child. Which. If you've seen the movie you might wonder why I was watching that at age six. The answer is simple: I was ill, and when I was sick my mother would let me watch just about any movie I wanted to in order to get me to take my medicine (within reason; she tucked away movies she didn't want me watching so I couldn't find them...but yeah. I got to watch many things most six year olds probably wouldn't have chosen to watch). Robin Hood became my absolute favourite movie for a long time. It was my 'sick movie', as in my movie that I watched consistently when I was ill. It may have helped that I had a crush on the character Will Scarlet (played by actor Christian Slater; an actor I really crushed hard on...he is also J.D. in the 1989 movie Heathers). I also love Morgan Freeman and Alan Rickman, both of whom are also in this movie. I found the movie highly comforting and I still find myself turning to it when I'm feeling unwell.

Sweeney Todd: why? because. That's why. LOL. I enjoy musicals, and I really love how this particular musical is a horror-comedy. Very fun. Also, I have a sentimental attachment to this movie since I first watched it with my best friend in the sixth grade (we have been best friends since grade four and are still going strong now at 24 years old, lol). We used to be in a swim club together and I would go over to her house after school before swim club and then we would walk over together. And while we were at her house we would watch Sweeney Todd in between school and swimming. We got to enjoying it so much that even after we were no longer doing that routine before swimclub, we would still find reasons to watch it together and sing along or make jokes. Love that movie so much. Also...surprise, surprise, Alan Rickman is there again. Ahahaha.

Disney's Beauty and The Beast: this is one of my absolute favourite movies. It is definitely my favourite Disney movie. I very much identify with Belle in that I also love books and I used to read and read and read as a child, so I felt a strong connection to her. I also really enjoyed the music, particularly the song "Human Again" which was only included in the Special Edition...ehehehe. I also Highly Enjoyed the sequel they made, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. Out of all the straight-to-video sequels Disney made, and I dare say even out of all the sequels in general, that is my absolute favourite.

13. 3 classes you used to hate in middle school

Math: because, while I can do math and I may enjoy doing certain math things and love math jokes and yes I do sometimes do long-division in my head to fall asleep, I didn't like the way it was presented in school and I got bored a lot. And the amount of times we had to do homework that was lots of the same problems...like, give me two examples that are alike, then move on to the next slightly more complicated step. Plus. There's no imagination in it.

Religion: I don't judge anyone based on what religious practices they choose to follow or what they believe. What I didn't like was how it was presented because I didn't have any interest in the way it was taught. I also received a lot of damage to my mental health from lessons that were hammered into my brain regarding religion as a child. I'm much happier learning things now because I can find sources that present the information in an interesting and informative way that doesn't leave me bored.

P. E.: My Arch Nemesis. I was never a small child, and I am not a small person now. I hated physed because I felt embarrassed. I was teased about my weight from a very young age (I was 7 years old when my bully started calling me 'fat kid') and so I hated being put in situations where I got out of breath faster than others or couldn't jump as high or run as fast. That shit is embarrassing. Funnily enough, people making fun of others for being fat isn't "kind" or "motivation" for someone to lose weight. It can cause eating disorders, and it can also work in the opposite way and make people so embarrassed that they don't want to participate in the "healthy physical activity" and choose to not exercise around others; as it did in my case. I have recently come to realize and fight my own inner fatphobia and have realized that being fat is not bad, and I don't need to lose weight at all if I don't want to. So. It took longer than I wanted but I am finally on the road to loving me (no thanks to P.E. or any of the P.E. teachers; FUCK those people). I also hated anytime some teacher decided to grade students on skill level because someone could be great at volleyball or swimming, but absolute shit at basketball. And we were kids, what the fuck kind of skills were we supposed to have? This was real life, not a damn anime...

27. 3 things you wish you did more often

Make perogies: I really love them and home-made are my favourites, but I just don't have all the time to make them from scratch. And I don't have the freezer space to store a bunch of them. Plus, it's something that is more fun to do with family and friends (that's how we did it at home; with momma making the dough and potato filling and us kids filling and pinching the dumplings).

Singing duets: I miss this so much. Duets. Choral singing. Anything to do with singing in a group with harmonies. Unfortunately, the last choir I was in was cancelled due to covid-19...and then I moved and now I don't have the same values as before because I've gone through a lot of inner work and I don't want to join a church choir, but I would love to maybe join a community one at some point...but I am not sure. I just...miss singing with other young people. I used to go to Summer School for the Solo Vocalist in North Battleford; and that was the best thing ever. There were so many people there and we would all just sing and even on our breaks and in between classes and workshops it wouldn't be hard to find people to sing with. All you had to do was start singing some song, any song, and someone would join in. Sometimes people would pick up other instruments and join in like guitars or pianos and I just...I miss it so much. I haven't been since I graduated highschool even though it's open to all ages above 8 years old...I haven't gone back because I was so busy with school and then work in the summers during university I didn't even have any time to prepare anything to sing or set aside any time to actually make the trip and go. Anyway. I'm sure my neighbours in the apartment building are tired of hearing me sing along to the Death Note musical or Jekyll and Hyde or Sweeney Todd or Les Mis....lol.

Swimming: I haven't been to a pool since this damn pandemic started and I am missing it so much. I'm thinking since I'm vaccinated I might just...go. I want to go and be in the water again.

30. 3 moments you could never forget

1. When I was 15 I was sick for two weeks in the start of the summer. I was so tired and felt so awful and the one thing I will always remember is how my best friend called me and we talked on the phone for two hours and I missed her so so much and I was so happy to hear her voice.

2. When I graduated university. I was so relieved to be done, and so tired and exhausted from the program I was in and all the deaths that happened while I went to school. It was horrible and I won't do it again anytime soon.

3. Meeting you! My friend, our meeting is forever ingrained in my mind:

My mother: "Your father invited your brother's english teacher over because she is new to town and lives alone."

Me, thinking that I would be meeting some much older woman who lived alone and had nothing in common with me and would have to do that awkward polite meeting conversation: "Fine, but don't expect me to be social, I have home work because it's Reading Week and I just had a bad week last week."

You: *exists as this bright and happy person only slightly older than me who also likes Hannibal and anime*

Me: Is this...a new Best Friend?

Lol.

Thanks for the ask again, friend. I hope you enjoyed the answers :)

#asks #three things ask #for fun #mutuals #friends #responses #kimium #love you tons friend #singing #summer school for the solo vocalist #friendships #fatphobia #bullying #movies

[idreamtofmanderleyagain]

@nbmonsterkisser Thanks! I didn’t realise you didn’t know!

Current major fandom/ship is Hellraiser and Pinsty (Pinhead/Kirsty). If you haven’t seen Hellraiser 1 and 2 but you like villain/villain ships/falling in love with monsterous cthonic reflections of yourself, please watch them. Back to back preferable. If you have triggers please PM me and I’ll give you a rundown. If you have already seen them, my fics are here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IDreamtOfManderleyAgain/works . Most of my meta content on here is about Hellraiser.

Generally speaking, I am Old School about villain/heroine and the art that I like. Major favorites include Labyrinth and Legend (1985) The ships are obvious with those. (also love stuff like Company of Wolves, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1993), etc.). For the most part all of the above are the most prominent types of material you’ll see me engaging with, particularly because they are functionally more fairy tale/mythic and are made for deeper analysis.

I used to ship Rumbelle but OUAT kind of ruined it so badly for me that it just doesn’t feel worth it and fanon sucks so it can’t really save it. Also even though I love Robert Carlyle’s performance in season one, I just stopped connecting with the character over time, and Belle was always written terribly.

Also ship Twelfth Doctor/Clara but my DW enthusiasm comes and goes for me so it only pops up occasionally. Technically it’s not villain heroine but it’s always been a bit...gothic romance in space vibe.

Barbossabeth (Barbossa/Elizabeth) from Pirates of the Carribean. Fuck all the pretty dudes, their arc ended up more interesting anyway. Not really involved with POTC fandom.

Favorite dudes (and masculine leaning people) who I don’t have a particular ship for:

Maximillian Strauss from Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Desperately want more content for this dude that isn’t framing him as somebody’s abuser because of his role in the LA by Night tabletop web series. Planning on writing an OFC fic for him.

Loki; I used to ship Tasertricks but I’m annoyed with most of Tasertricks/Loki fandom so I kind of tread my own path with my affection for Loki.

Severus Snape. Don’t even care. Alan Rickman playing the quintissential gothic romance hero. It’s the only Harry Potter thing I ever give a single shit about.

Used to engage in Resident Evil fandom for Wesker/Claire. Caveat: I prefer pre-RE5 characterizations (RE5 is mostly revolting tbh) and I’m not really involved with it anymore. When I see Wesker I just kind of want him to step on me, and that’s pretty much the intellectual extent of it. It’s like how the internet reacted to Lady Ditramescu. Resident Evil is just like that I guess.

I also think Megamind is a cute movie.

There’s plenty more stuff I like but these are just stuff that come to mind at the moment for villain/heroine type content.