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claudia1829things · 11 months

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“HOWARDS END” (2017) Review

"HOWARDS END" (2017) Review If there is one production company associated with the works of E.M. Forster it is Merchant-Ivory, the creation of producer Ishmail Merchant and director-producer James Ivory. I find this odd, considering that Merchant-Ivory have only adapted three of Forster's novels. One of those novels is "Howards End", published in 1910. There have been at least three on-screen adaptations of the latter - a 1970 BBC movie, Merchant-Ivory's 1992 Oscar winning film and the ITV's 2017 miniseries. This particular article happens to be about the latter.

"HOWARDS END" is basically an exploration of social and class divisions in Edwardian Great Britain, through the viewpoints of three families - the intellectual and idealistic Schlegels, the Wilcoxes; who are wealthy capitalists; and the working-class Basts. Sisters Margaret and Helen Schlegel become acquainted with the Wilcox family during a trip to Germany. When Helen, the younger Schlegel sister, visits the Wilcoxes at their country house, Howards End. She becomes attracted to the younger Wilcox son, Paul, and they become engaged in haste. However, the pair soon regret their decision and quickly break off their engagement. but soon regret their decision, breaking off the engagement by mutual consent. Months later, the two sisters and their younger brother Theobald "Tibby" Schlegel attend a musical concert, when Helen accidentally takes an umbrella that belongs to the impoverished clerk Leonard Bast. He appears at the Schlegels' home to retrieve it but leaves in a hurried after becoming embarrassed by his umbrella's shabby quality and appearance. Several months more pass before Leonard's common-law wife, Jacky, appear at their home, demanding his whereabouts. Apparently, Leonard had embarked upon a long walk into the countryside upon leaving work. He returns to the Schlegels' home to explain his disappearance and quickly forms a friendship with the two sisters. Meanwhile, the Schlegels renew their acquaintance with the Wilcoxes when the latter move into a London townhouse, across the street from the latter, for oldest son Charles' wedding to a young woman named Dolly. With Helen visiting relatives in Germany, Margaret begins a friendship with Mrs. Ruth Wilcox. But their friendship is cut short by the latter's death. Sometime after Ruth Wilcox's funeral, the Schlegels become acquainted with the Wilcoxes again when Margaret and Helen encounter the recently widowed Henry Wilcox around the same time their friendship with Leonard Bast begins. Between Henry's bad employment advice regarding Leonard, Helen's developing dislike of Henry, and Margaret's growing attraction toward the businessman; a clash between social and political classes spiral toward a startling conclusion. I had first learned about this third adaptation of Forster's novel through a blog that centered around period movie and television productions. The writer, a major fan of the 1992 adaptation, had quickly dismissed this production (without having seen it, I may add) as not worth viewing. Considering my past experience viewing the 2007 television adaptation of "A Room with a View", I had felt inclined to follow the blogger's advice. But in the end, I had decided it would have been fairer to give "HOWARDS END" a chance. I am more than glad I did. Mind you, I had a few quibbles about "HOWARDS END". If I must be honest, I can only think of three quibbles right now. The miniseries featured a scene I believe should have involved a bit more of an emotional impact. This scene featured Margaret Schlegel's response to Henry Wilcox's decision to end their engagement, following the revelation of his past affair with Jacky Bast. I can see Margaret keeping her cool, while facing Henry's emotional decision. But even in the privacy of her room, Margaret had remained calm, almost cold, as he contemplated her next move. I do wish that director Hettie MacDonald and screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan had allowed a small peek into any emotional turmoil on Margaret's part. I also found her reaction to seeing Henry again, at his daughter Evie's wedding, a bit odd. She seemed a bit too . . . controlled, even after Helen had led her and Leonard away. Speaking of Jacky, I consider my third quibble to be a major narrative problem. And it is a problem shared by Forster's original novel and the 1992 film. What in the hell happened to Jacky Bast? Neither this miniseries, the novel or the movie bothered to reveal or hint Jacky Bast's fate, following that final event at the Howards End estate. It seemed clear that once poor Jacky had served her purpose in exposing Henry's past, Foster did not give her another thought. Screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala had decided to be faithful to the novel in her screenplay for the 1992 movie. I had hoped Lonergan would resolve this issue in miniseries' screenplay. Unfortunately, he had merely repeated Forster's mistake. Despite my issues, I really enjoyed "HOWARDS END". Much more than I had fully expected. Thanks to Hettie MacDonald's direction and Kenneth Lonergan's screenplay, I thought the miniseries did an excellent job in exploring the different social classes and political beliefs that permeated the story. I do not know if I would label the Wilcoxes as part of "the upper classes". Before World War II, only members of the aristocracy and landed gentry were regarded as the upper classes. The Wilcoxes are obviously rich capitalists, whose fortune had originated in one or many of the British colonies overseas. Before the war, they would be regarded as "trade", regardless of their wealth. I sometimes found myself wondering if Henry Wilcox's attempt to find a family estate of his own was indicative of his desire for the family to be regarded a lot higher than mere rich capitalists. After all, his first wife Ruth, whose family had owned Howard End for generation, may have come from the landed gentry. Henry and his children did not seem interested in living at Howards End. Yet, they seemed determined that Ruth's desire to pass the estate to Margaret would be prevented. I find it strange that none of this had ever occurred to me, while watching Merchant-Ivory's film or reading Forster's novel. Then again, I should not have been surprised. Watching this miniseries had made me aware of a lot of issues and emotions in the story - more so than the film and novel ever did. In at least two scenes, the miniseries seemed to have further exposed Henry's bullying and hypocritical nature. This was apparent in one scene in which he dismissed some of Helen's progressive views in a friendly, yet arrogant manner during her stay at Howards End in the first episode. Another scene featured Henry's refusal to consider that his advice regarding Leonard's employment had left the latter jobless. I found his reaction to Leonard's situation so arrogant and insensitive that I had to fight the urge to punch my fist through the television screen. I also noticed in some of the scenes featuring Ruth Wilcox that despite her gentle and soft-spoken nature, she seemed to exercise a strong grip on her family - including Henry. One very interesting scene in this miniseries featured Margaret and Helen's discussion about the Wilcoxes and the latter's negative comments on the wealthy family. Also, this version of Leonard Bast seemed not only more timid, but also more insecure. What I found surprising about this adaptation is the less-than-ideal portrayal of the Schlegel sisters. Mind you, MacDonald and Lonergan's portrayal of "Tibby" Schlegel did not hesitate to expose the character's sharp wit, arrogance and self-absorbed nature. One brutal moment featured Tibby refusing to speak to Leonard, when the latter appeared at the Schlegels' current home to learn Helen's whereabouts. And as shown in the 1992 adaptation, the pair also exposed Helen's over-emotional reaction to the Wilcoxes and Margaret's relationship with Henry, along with Margaret's willingness to throw the Basts under the bus, when their very presence (I should say Jacky Bast's presence) proved to be a major inconvenience to her engagement. But I was surprised by MacDonald and Lonergan's willingness to expose Margaret's shallow fascination of Henry Wilcox's "manly" traits and his wealth - something I suspect that may have led her to consider him as a potential husband. Another moment that caught me by surprise was Helen's disregard for Jacky Bast and the dismissive comments she had made about the latter. She only seemed interested in Leonard, who somewhat shared her family's intellectual pursuits. Just about every performance featured in "HOWARDS END" struck me as first-rate. I could not think of one misstep within the cast - at least as performances were concerned. Mind you, I thought casting Matthew MacFadyen and Julia Ormond as Henry and Ruth Wilcox was a bit problematic. Especially since Ormond is nearly a decade older than MacFadyen. But I cannot deny that both gave excellent performances. Ormond did a great job in portraying a soft-spoken and graceful woman who was not only in a state of physical decline, but also managed to exact a strong will over her family. I was really surprised by MacFadyen's portrayal of Henry Wilcox, but I thought he gave a fabulous performance as the domineering, yet short-sighted businessman who reeked of toxic masculinity. Although his appearance in the miniseries was brief, I thought Jonah Hauer-King gave a solid portrayal of the younger Wilcox son, Paul. Bessie Carter and Yolanda Kettle struck me as equally solid as Henry's only daughter, Evie Wilcox and Charles' bride and later wife, Dolly Wilcox. But I was very impressed by Joe Bannister's portrayal of elder son Charles Wilcox. I thought he did an excellent job of conveying the character's conservative and brutish nature without any taint of cartoonish acting. Alex Lawther gave an excellent performance as the eccentric and self-absorbed Tibby Schlegel. Why do people assume that performers known for comedy would have such difficulty in dealing with dramatic roles? I never understood this attitude, considering comedy is known for being more difficult to perform. Tracy Ullman, who portrayed the Schlegels' Aunt Juley Mund had no difficulty in seamlessly utilizing both comedy and drama in her first-rate portrayal of the meddling, conventional, yet well-meaning woman. I thought Rosalind Eleazar gave an exceptional performance as Jacky Bast, a former prostitute who also happened to be Leonard's ill-fated woman. Eleazar managed to infuse a sense of desperation in Jacky, who struggled unsuccessfully to keep her and Leonard from falling into some kind of social and economic abyss. It seemed good to see Hayley Atwell in a properly dramatic role, after spending years appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films and television shows. I thought she gave a first-rate portrayal as Margaret Schlegel, the warm and strong-will sibling of the Schlegel family. Atwell did an excellent job of conveying Margaret's most admirable traits and at the same time, exposing the character's more questionable ones with great subtlety. I especially admire her performance in one scene in which she tried to force Henry to face his hypocritical refusal to forgive Helen's state as an unmarried mother, in comparison to his adulterous past with Jacky Bast. Joseph Quinn recently made a name for himself as an eccentric high school student during Season Four of the Netflix series, "STRANGER THINGS". But I was more than impressed by his portrayal of the intellectual wannabe, Leonard Bast, who found himself befriending the Schlegel sisters. Quinn did a great job in not only portraying Leonard's intelligence and longing for intellectual pursuits, but also his growing insecurities as he found his life being drawn even closer to the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes. But if I had to vote for the best performance in "HOWARDS END", I would select Australian actress, Philippa Coulthard. I thought she gave a superb performance as the younger Schlegel sister, Helen. I really admired how Coulthard conveyed Helen's emotional journey throughout the story; especially in scenes that featured Helen's scathing commentary on the Wilcox family, her growing hostility toward Margaret's romance with Henry Wilcox, her complicated relationship with Leonard and especially her anger at the Basts' destitute situation in the wake of Henry's poor employment advice. One aspect of "HOWARDS END" that really took me by surprise was the excellent qualities of the miniseries' production values. Mind you, Sheena Napier's costume designs never attracted the same kind of acclaim that those from the 1992 movie. If I must be honest, I actually enjoyed her designs (as shown below):

I found them quite colorful and beautiful without being too stylized or glamourous. Considering the characters viewers are dealing with, that seemed sufficient to me. I also enjoyed Wojciech Szepel's beautiful photography, especially in locations in London, Dorset and Buckinghamshire. But what really blew my mind were Luke Hull's production designs. I thought he did a superb job in re-creating Edwardian England, especially those scenes shot and set in London. While watching the miniseries, I felt as if someone had dropped me squarely back into London circa 1905-1906. "HOWARDS END" managed to score a good number of award nominations, but I noticed that most of them came from lesser award organizations. It did win the BAFTA Award for Best Miniseries, but that was about it. No other nominations from BAFTA, no nominations from the Golden Globes or the Emmys. And all I can say is . . . "what the hell?" "HOWARDS END" proved to be one of the best television limited series I have seen in years. It became a critical darling from the media. Yet, it did not earn or win any major nominations, aside from the BAFTA Best Miniseries award? Were people so busy comparing it to the 1992 Merchant-Ivory film that they were blinded by its own merits? Hell, I believe it is just as good as the 90s film in its own way. I thought Hettie MacDonald, screenwriter Kenneth Lonergan had created an exceptionally first-rate miniseries that featured superb performances from a cast led by Hayley Atwell, Matthew MacFadyen and Philippa Coulthard. Perhaps one day, many other than the media, will appreciate it on its own merits.

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inevitablemoment · 2 years

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WANTED: Artists Willing To Take Commissions For Obscure and Small Fandoms/Ships

Okay... so, am I doing this?

I guess we’re doing this.

As I’ve mentioned before on my Tumblr, I can’t draw to save my life. I’m the living embodiment of “Hermione Can’t Draw” from A Very Potter Sequel.

But, I do love seeing other people’s fan art-- it just sucks that most of the fandoms I’m in are very small and/or obscure.

So, I’m looking for artists who would like to take commissions from me and indulge my ridiculousness.

Fandoms and ships that I’ll probably ask for pieces of:

The Frighteners (Frank/Lucy)

Family Ties (Alex/Ellen, Nick/Mallory, Steven/Elyse)

Back to the Future trilogy (Marty/Jennifer, Doc/Clara, George/Lorraine)

Newsies [musical ‘verse] (Jack/Katherine)

Who’s The Boss? (Tony/Angela)

Bright Lights, Big City (Jamie/Vicky)

Law & Order franchise (Nolan/Sam, Rollins/Carisi)

Spin City (Mike/Nikki)

The X-Files (Mulder/Scully)

Taxi (Alex/Elaine)

Danielle Steele’s Fine Things (Bernie/Liz)

Netherbeast Incorporated (Otto/Pearl)

Days of our Lives (Chad/Abigail, Bo/Hope, Ben/Ciara, John/Marlena, Jack/Jennifer, Steve/Kayla, Eli/Lani, Will/Sonny, E.J./Sami, Eric/Nicole)

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (Sully/Michaela)

Eloise at Christmastime (Bill/Rachel)

The Count of Monte Cristo [2002 ‘verse] (Edmond/Mercedes)

The Music Man [1962] (Harold/Marian, Tommy/Zaneeta)

Blue’s Clues (Steve/Miranda)

Here are a few examples of the kind of style(s) that I’m looking for (I can’t remember where I found these, but I loved them so much I downloaded them. All I remember is that they’re fan art of The Lizzie Bennett Chronicles):

Please DM me so we can work things out, and I can give you my first request. But please keep in mind... I don’t want it to get too expensive. I’m not being a cheapskate, it’s just that my family and I are trying to watch our money right now.

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mantaypeli · 1 year

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

★★★☆☆ Un poderoso retrato del dolor y el duelo arruinado por la necesidad de encajar en las películas de superhéroes. Wakanda Forever es una buena película y podríamos llegar a decir que vuelve a ser magistral —por momentos— si nos olvidásemos de su última media hora. Esa es la parte del metraje en la que más flojea y lo hace, precisamente, por la obligación de seguir ligada a un universo…

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pfhwrittes · 3 months

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"you love him. you've loved him since you were 9 and you love him now 20 years later." TW: references to transphobic bullying, angst, fluff, allusions to offscreen smut, alcohol mention, menstruation mention. pairing: kyle x ftm!reader

1.5k words of childhood friends to strangers to friends to lovers. as always i've barely edited it so typos and errors may remain. edit to add: a massive thank you and shout out to @gemmahale for cheerleading me with this one and reminding me to trust my instincts. i love you a lot.

-- you love him. you’ve loved him since he first shared his curly-wurly during break time at primary school. head over heels puppy love. your mum teasing you with a “my little girl with her first boyfriend!” despite the way it makes your cheeks burn (and something twist inside your chest) when you both stand shyly together at 3.15 hand in hand waiting to go home.

you love kyle when he’s the joseph to your mary in the nativity. you love the way the teatowel your mum leant his mum slips into his eyes and causes him to laugh and forget his next line about needing to find an inn. you love him when he wraps you up in a big hug when missus king takes a photo of you both as your mum cheers the loudest from the back of the little crowd in the assembly hall.

you love kyle even when you both grow up and go to secondary school at 11, split up into different form groups and different timetables. you love him even more when he folds you into his little band of miscreants, “one of the boys” he says with a cheeky grin that warms you all the way through.

you love kyle when he chooses you first for the biology practical lesson, flicking little slithers of onion at you to make you laugh, despite the way anna-marie looks you up and down and whispers something cruel about how “he just pities the he-she” loud enough for you to hear.

you love kyle when he skives off school with you the day your period takes you unaware. he sneaks in through the kitchen door 15 minutes after your mum leaves for work, a battered curly-wurly and bottle of oasis clutched in one hand and his rucksack in the other. you love him when he settles onto the sofa, dragging your duvet over the two of you, flicking the telly on so you can both watch bargain hunt together.

you love kyle the day he cuddles you into his chest, completely uncaring about the way your snot and tears mark his t-shirt as you sob, both of you curled up on your bed. you love him so completely when he listens to you stutter out that you think you’re not really a girl. you still love him when he pulls away for the first time, a tiny frown on his face. you still love him when he doesn’t reply to your text asking him if he got home alright later that night.

you still love kyle when he starts ignoring you in school, no longer coming to find you during lunchtime. you still love him when he doesn’t laugh along with harry when you trip during design tech but he doesn’t stop james hissing “freak show” as you rub at your hip from where you banged into their table.

you still love kyle even when your mum sits you down at the kitchen and asks you how you feel about moving schools at 16. you still love kyle when you ask her “but what about kyle?” and her voice catches when she offers you a gentle “oh love” with wet eyes.

you still love kyle when he stumbles into you at mattie’s house party when you’re both 18, a shocked look on his face when he takes in your close cropped hair and wispy facial hair on your cheeks, despite the fact you haven’t spoken in years. you still love kyle even when he calls you the wrong name and your mumble gets swallowed up by cheers from the kitchen as someone spots kyle in the hallway. you still love kyle when you spot him crowd mattie’s older sister georgia up against the bannister and kiss her breathless before leading her up the stairs with his hand on her waist. you still love kyle when you end up sobbing into alex’s neck, their hand rubbing your back gently as the dew from the front lawn soaks the knees of your jeans. you still love kyle even as alex murmurs that “you should just forget him babe” into your hair as you sob anew.

you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle the next time you run into him, many years later when you pop into the pub under oath from mattie to meet her for a quick pint to catch up. you recognise the shape of kyle’s smile even if he is partially turned away to grin at a man with broad shoulders and a slightly flattened mohawk standing next to him at the bar. you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle when he catches you looking and his smile slips momentarily as he offers you a tiny nod of acknowledgement before turning back to his friend. you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle even when your eyes keep drifting over to him and the other three men in the corner booth as mattie fills you in on everything you missed during your years travelling around australia.

you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle when you bump into him again in the same pub the following week. literally bumping into him as you turn away from the bar with a pint in your hand. kyle steadies you with a hand on your forearm and you feel your heart soar before plummeting into the sticky carpet at your feet. you pull your arm away from him and your drink sloshes over the rim of your glass as you offer him a tight smile before stepping to the side. you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle, but you can’t help but feel the warmth of his hand long after you’ve rejoined mattie and alex at your table.

you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle but a thrill goes up your spine when he asks you if he could “have a word with you, mate” as he joins you in the beer garden the week after that. you’ve forgotten how much you loved kyle but your heart aches as he stumbles his way through an apology. you’ve forgotten how much you missed your friend kyle when he makes you stutter out a surprised laugh when he talks about his friend soap knocking some sense into him.

you’ve forgotten how much you missed your friend kyle when he texts you asking if you want to join him and his sisters for a chinese. you’ve forgotten how much you’ve missed your friend kyle when he hands you his vegetable spring rolls without asking. you’ve forgotten how much you’ve missed your friend kyle when after dinner he leads you up to his childhood bedroom and he kicks his dirty socks under his bed like you’ve seen him do many times before. you’ve forgotten how much you’ve missed your friend kyle when your ribs ache from laughing and he’s wearing that beautiful grin.

you’ve forgotten how much you’ve missed your friend kyle when he slips into the open seat next to you at the pub, his arm slung over the back of your chair, much to the matching shocked expressions of mattie and alex. you’ve forgotten how much you’ve missed your friend kyle when he takes alex’s frosty demeanour on the chin. you fall in love with your friend kyle again when he responds to mattie’s pointed rhetorical “you know you broke his heart, yeah?” with a small squeeze to your shoulder and serious “i know, i was a fucking idiot.”.

you fall in love with kyle again when his hands shake on your waist as he leans in to kiss you outside your house under the flickering glow of a streetlight. just like you hoped he would so many years ago when you were both teenagers. you fall in love with kyle again when he pulls away to take in your stupefied expression and he asks if you’re okay, if he can kiss you again. you fall in love with kyle again when he gently turns you around so he can push you up against the front door to trail sucking kisses down your neck as your keys hit the doormat with a tinkling sound. you fall in love with kyle again when you ask him to slow down - wait - please - as he’s reaching for the top button of your jeans. you fall in love with kyle again when he traces gentle fingers over the scars on your chest, adoration in his eyes.

you love kyle when you trip over your boxers and his shirt the following morning as you stumble to the bathroom. you love kyle when you slip back into bed and he sleepily nuzzles into your neck. you love kyle when his phone blares his alarm from the back pocket of his trousers near the door to your bedroom 30 minutes later.

you love him. you’ve loved him since you were 9 and you love him now 20 years later as he presses a kiss to your hair. you love him. -- taglist: @kaadaaan

#binders and boyfriends #kyle garrick x reader #kyle garrick x you #transgender reader #ftm!reader #tw references to transphobic bullying #tw menstruation mention #tw alcohol mention #angst #fluff #allusions to offscreen smut #kg #i hurt my feelings (and healed them again) writing this #also a MASSIVE shout out to gemma for cheerleading this

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nancydrewcentral · 10 months

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THE CROOKED BANNISTER

SWITCHED – Nancy (Kennedy McMann) sends a group text to the Drew Crew asking them to meet her at The Claw ASAP. Meanwhile, Ace’s (Alex Saxon) dad tries to get him to open up about Nancy. Lastly, Carson (Scott Wolf) makes plans with Nancy to mark the one-year anniversary of losing her mom. Larry Teng directed the episode Teleplay by Jen Vestuto & Melissa Marlette and Story by Sara Pearce (#408). Original airdate 7/19/2023.

#nancy drew spoilers #cw nancy drew #nancy drew cw #nancy drew #nancy drew stills #4x08

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grcntbcnnister · 2 years

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( alex fitzalan, cis male, he/him ) i just saw grant bannister walking down the cobbled roads of skopelos the other day playing modern loneliness by lauv out loud. aren’t they supposed to be in brisbane, australia ? rumor has it that the twenty seven year old is + loyal, but can also be - protective — overall they’re the misunderstood. they remind me of bright flashes of blue lightning, not being afraid to ask for a little help, pencil sketches in a notebook no one gets to see, & running to try and escape your problems.

** ooc note: (like grant) i am also dyslexic, so if you could refrain from using strikeout text with me on replies because that’s very very hard for me to read, i’ll love you forever.

he was born on october 25, 1994 at 3:58am and raised in providence, rhode island. he is a scorpio sun, cancer moon, & virgo rising.

his parents are super religious, and he was raised christian. he strayed from religion for a while because of trauma, but decided that he didn’t want anyone’s hate to hurt his views on it, so he’s now just trying to figure out where he stands with it.

he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 14.

he was held back his sophomore year of high school.

( tw: homophobia ) he came out to his family as bisexual when he was 18 in the middle of his senior year of school and he parents kicked him out. he hasn’t spoken to them since, and has barely spoken to his younger sister since.

he misses his younger sister greatly and wishes he spoke to her more. he keeps track of her life sometimes, but they barely speak.

he is fluent in english and italian.

he has an allergy to cinnamon.

he is a runner and runs every morning, sometimes even more if he’s stressed out. he started this habit after getting sober.

he has a phobia of clowns, he denies this, but most of the friends probably know because there was probably an incident over a movie or the fair or something.

( tw alcohol problem ) he began having an apparent problem with alcohol in university, especially toward the last couple years & a friend (wanted connection) helped him recognize that he needed help.

he has been sober since he was 22, aside from a small slip up when he was 26.

he started going to therapy at the end of his last year in school. since therapy and working on healing himself, he decided to get more involved in activism. he goes to rallies and protests, and is very involved in making change to help other queer folks and other communities.

he has a habit of chewing on his nails, especially when he’s anxious and he knows it. he tried to break this habit, but has always been unsuccessful.

he is a pretty decent cook, italian food being his specialty. his friend’s, leslie’s, family owned a diner and her family taught him a lot about it and cooking when he stayed with them. he even worked for them at one point to help pay for them taking him in until high school graduation.

through his years at university in london, he worked various jobs to help pay for tuition and earned a few scholarships to get him through.

he looks like he would be an asshole and rough around the edges, but once you get to know him and he trusts you, he is found to be a very deeply caring person and kind. he is intensely loyal and would do anything for the people he loves.

he is left-handed.

he has a shiba inu named callie.

he loves to draw even outside of his job. he has a book full of drawings and paintings, but usually doesn’t show it to anyone.

bio & about page here ( x )

pinterest here ( x )

playlist here ( x )

lastly, here’s some wanted connection I wrote up here ( x )

#skopelosintro

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thatwouldbee-enough · 1 year

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Another December Prompt

@til-true sent this one as a reply <3

lams x family

Went with some bendies for this one <333

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“Merry Christmas!”

His family’s house is decorated more than it ever was growing up, and John can only attribute that to Jemmy and Polly, the last of his siblings to still be living at home. Both of his youngest siblings had never lacked in holiday spirit, and it shows now in the garland wrapped all the way down the bannister of the grand staircase in the entry way, the wreaths covering not only the front door, but also the windows, the way the outside of the house is perfectly lined in soft yellow Christmas lights.

Speak of the devils, both of them appear not a minute after he calls out into the house, along with several of his nieces scampering in close behind. Eli and Ellie immediately make a break for it, chasing after their cousins as they disappear into another room before John or Alex have a chance to take off their coats.

Frances huffs a sigh, shrugging off her own new coat. She’s been growing like a weed over the last year. John is just glad that with the whole crop of children his sister seems to be creating, he at least has someone to pawn off all the clothes she’s outgrown onto.

Martha herself hurries into the entryway a moment later, looking decidedly stressed as she calls back into the kitchen at another one of her kids, warning them not to eat any of just-out-of-the-oven cookies.

They all hug and say hello, even Alex, though he hangs back a little and waits until John’s family comes to him. It’s certainly an improvement from the first years they did this at least.

Martha wraps their daughter in a big hug, earning a grumble from Frances, but she smiles and hugs her aunt back.

“Hey kiddo. How’s it going?”

“You just saw me two weeks ago,” she mutters, squirming out of the hug.

“That’s the Christmas spirit.” Martha beams as Francis rolls her eyes and allows Polly to pull her aside to catch up, the two girls being, somewhat ridiculously, closer in age that most of Frances’s cousins are to her. “She’s getting so big,” she says to John, once Frances and Polly have retreated into some other room.

“I know. She’s already competing at level 10.”

“...not everything needs to be measured in gymnastics standards, you know.”

Alex laughs while John throws his sister an unamused look. “Well excuse me, but you would too if you were in the gym with her every day of the week.”

“When your newborn pops out,” Alex interjects, “I’m going to start referring to it as a level 0.”

Martha laughs, shaking her head good naturedly.

Henry finally rounds the corner a moment later, a new cane steadying his steps. “Sorry,” he says, “Davie was showing me the new remote control car that Santa brought him.”

“Santa spent way too much on things that will probably be broken in a couple of weeks,” Martha muttered under her breath.

“Dad,” John greeted, pulling him into an awkward hug, ovelry careful not to upset his balance, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Henry,” Alex echoed, opting for a polite nod and a smile.

“Merry Christmas, boys.” He craned his neck, looking about the entryway. “Where are my grandkids?”

“You’re getting too slow for them,” Martha chuckled. “God knows where they all got off to. Probably tearing your house apart as we speak.”

“They certainly better not be,” Henry said sternly, though he couldn’t help but smile. “Well, come on in, then. We have some appetizers set out. Drinks in the fridge.”

“I picked up some IPAs on the way back from school.”

John turned towards his little brother, eying the can in his hand. “There’s no way you’re old enough to drink.”

“I turned twenty-one last month! You knew that!”

John raised his brows. “I knew you had a birthday. No way it was your twenty-first.”

“Swear to God.”

“You are making me feel ridiculously old right now.”

“You feel old?” Henry chuckled.

“Okay, fair point.”

They all followed Henry into the living room where an array of appetizer trays had been set out on the coffee table, John taking a the loveseat with Alex as they all gathered around, the television set to one of those fake fireplace streams.

“So, how are the kids?”

“They’re good. Ellie and Eli are doing well in kindergarten, according to their teacher.”

“If you ignore the fact that Eli is apparently biting the other kids,” Alex added, “and Ellie has picked up some not so nice words from one of the other little heathens at school and won’t stop repeating them.”

John rubs a tired hand over his face, and Henry laughs. “They sound more like they could be your sister’s children than yours.”

Martha scoffs, picking a carrot from one of the trays. “Rude.”

Ignoring her, Henry continues, “And Frances?”

“She’s doing great. I was worried with all of the time she spends on gymnastics we’d have to worry more about her grades but–”

“She’s a perfectionist,” Alex finished for him, hint of exasperation in his voice. Ironic, all things considered. “She stresses herself out over her grades before we ever get the chance.”

“Well I’m glad she’s doing well,” Henry told them with a fond smile. “When’s the next meet?”

“Not until after the holidays. Second week of January.” John taps the screen of his phone, already pulling the information up. “I’ll send you the event info.”

“Thank you.”

—

Later, once the Christmas ham is out of the oven and everyone’s plates are piled with deliciously fattening foods, John glances down the table, then over to the kids table, tacked on at the end. It’s hard to believe how much their family has grown, how much things have changed, over the last several years. If someone had asked him all those years ago, he would have never imagined the holidays could feel like this. Would never have thought Alex would be welcomed in so completely. Never could have imagined having kids of their own, never mind all of the nieces and nephews running around. Seeing Martha’s kids playing with their own always felt a little strange. Like, how did they get here? John and his sister were just kids themselves not too long ago.

And the biggest surprise, all these years later, was the change the years seemed to instill in his father. With each new grandchild, he seemed to grow more and more indulgent. John almost wants to laugh, watching him now. Part of him thinks it’s not fair. It would almost be easier, knowing Henry’s stubborn discipline was some immutable trait rather than something that would fade with time and growing sentimentality.

But that hardly mattered when he watched him with the kids after dinner, passing out presents to every single one of them and glowing with pride.

Perhaps it wasn’t fair, but that didn’t stop it from being good now.

And as he leaned against Alex’s shoulder, watching Frances open up a brand new journal with a big smile on her face, he couldn’t help but be perfectly content with the world and the family they had grown into.

---

On AO3 here :)

#lams #bendy boys #bendies 💜#john laurens #alexander hamilton #john laurens/alexander hamilton #fanfiction #gymnastics au #christmas fic #my writing

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judgementdaysunshine · 2 years

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Halloween movie masterlist 🧡🍂

Scream

Sidney Prescott

Stu Macher

Tatum Riley

Randy Meeks

Gale Weathers

Dewey Riley

Kirby Reed

Mark Kincaid

Sam Carpenter

Wes Hicks

Tara Carpenter

Hocus Pocus

Max Dennison

Allison

Dani Dennison

Thackery Binx

Cassie

Mike

Becca

Gilbert

Izzy

Eddie Kasprak

Richie Tozier

Bill Denbrough

Stanly Uris

Ben Hanscom

Mike Hanlon

Beverley Marsh

28 Days/Weeks Later

Selena

Jim

Sergeant Doyle

Hannah

Flynn

Scarlet

Tammy

Bodies Bodies Bodies

David

Alice

Greg

Bee

Emma

Max

Jordan

Sophie

Ghostbusters

Dana Barrett

Egon Spengler

Phoebe

Peter Venkman

Lucky Domingo

Ray Stantz

Callie

Winston Zeddemore

Janine Melnitz

Trevor

Nightmare on elm street

Glen Lantz

Nancy Thompson

Max

Kristen Parker

Spencer

Lori Campbell

Will Rollins

Kia Waterson

Gibb Smith

Wrong Turn

Jessie Burlingame

Scott

Carly

Jake Washington

Amber

Brandon

Nina Papas

Walter

Alex

Misc

Dan Torrance

Carrie White

Billy Peltzer

Grace Le Domas

Eric Draven

Clarice Starling

Kane

Lucy Lynskey

Ray Bronson

Eliza Esposito

Frank Bannister

Lydia Deetz

Rick O'connell

Emily corpse bride

Duncan Idaho

Regan Abbott

Duke Leto Atreides

Julie James

Seth Gecko

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ellavorer · 2 years

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I figured since @thefanciestborrower revealed their vore crushes, it’s only fair that I do the same, in the name of friendship and solidarity.

Don’t reblog, please, and don’t make fun of me.

Alex P. Keaton

Frank Bannister

Lucy Lynskey

Jamie Conway

Vicky Allagash

Nick Moore

Fox Mulder

Jack Kelly

Davey Jacobs

Crutchie Morris

Gilbert Blythe

Paul Matthews

Ethan Greene

Duke Keane

Nolan Price

Sonny Carisi

Rafael Barba

Clyde Barrow

Ned the Piemaker

Tony Banta

#safe vore #soft vore #g/t vore #vore crushes

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scorchedthesnake · 16 days

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May 24, 2012

May Fair was a date that changed everything. We turned up to the show, dressed in virginal white, and chased our favorites through the halls of the hotel as usual, unaware of what had been planned. First, we exited to Manderley and the Lobby, where cast members (and additional hired performers) began to circulate in gold body paint and floral costume. Jeffery Lyons and Zach McNally beckoned us to eat grapes off their bodies. The libations, as the place still insists on calling them, flowed profusely. Probably too profusely. By the time we were invited back down to the ballroom, the atmosphere was already charged, horny and aggressive. To be clear, those weren’t and aren’t complaints, but I am trying to take a fair and accurate stock of the impact this party had.

At the time, there were few to no boundaries between some of the cast and crew and the community of fans and regulars that had gotten to know them. We were familiar faces adjacent to the celebrity guests and the increasing throngs of tourist visitors – sometimes that was a comfort, sometimes we were the more awkward ones. All of us had a combination of real relationships to the show and its people and imagined relationships to the same.

youtube

In the ballroom, Pigpen was playing (Careena Melia’s brother was in the band, and the folk-pastoral vibe they had was perfect). A May Pole had been set up in the center of the ballroom and on the ground we found green grass - a sod floor had been put down. This began to explain further the invitation to wear all white. Cast performed a series of (tame) May Pole dances and rituals, cute and with a palpably increasing amount of suggestive thrust and throb. This all went on until culminating in a blood sacrifice (the real reason for wearing white) and the party truly started.

Like I said, we were all really drunk. There’s a photo from the official press packet that shows the ballroom not long after that moment - most cast were done for the evening and reappeared in regular white clothing to join in the revelry.

You can see some of us here: Alex Mandell, Zach McNally, and that’s the side of Paul Zivkovich’s head by the bannister. Me, I’m next to Paul, blocked by the bannister. And I was at that moment making out with some hot random boy. That went on for a while and then he moved on, and Paul leaned over and said, “you know that’s the new Boy Witch, right?” No, I had not known that and would not meet him properly until about a month later, deeply embarrassed for what are by now very obvious reasons.

Elsewhere in the building, other entertaining drama was emerging. The Kissing Booth, which you’ve seen teased at many parties ever since, as “back in 5 minutes,” was a real thing at original May Fair. I didn’t go and I don’t know why it animated so many people but my understanding was that there was some kiss-swapping going on and people were lined up for the possibility of locking lips with William Popp. Again, I wasn’t there, so I only know what people told me second hand. Understandably that felt a little manipulative, which was the point.

May Fair was great. May Fair marked a major vibe shift, however, in the emerging fan community. As I think back on it, up until that point we all had our own individual sense of an intimate relationship to the show. It wasn’t until May Fair came along that everyone had the opportunity to compare the intimacy of their relationship to the show to that of everyone else, and the results were obviously destablizing. There hadn’t been a lot of space for jealousies and envies to grow, but now there was. There hadn’t been many opportunities for fans to gather and pass much judgment on the perceived and real behaviors of other fans, but as of May Fair, it was something everyone could get engaged in. I don’t think there’s a finger to point for it; I think this is a natural process in the formation of any kind of community, when it first sunders into its subgroups and cliques. Lines were drawn, naturally, as different personalities grouped together out of mutual interest or mutual disinterest. No idyll lasts forever, and the virgin peace of our Tumblrverse was spoiled with grass stains and blood, lots of spilled liquor, and a photo booth that showed who was there for whom.

The photo booth has been a pretty regular feature at McKittrick parties ever since, but this one really let people showcase their cast relations. This wasn’t just parasocial attachment: it was real. We had – across our community – built a wide range of real relationships with people in the show. It was genuinely celebratory, but in retrospect, capturing those relations in photography was the first sign that, well, maybe some boundaries would in fact be useful. But we couldn’t have known how bizarre this all was; it was new to everyone. And the entire joy of the show had been in breaking us out of digitally mediated experience and reminding us of the tactile and real. It felt like a part of that journey to revel and celebrate and love, together.

Here are two of my May Fair photo booth favorites. In the first – Sai Somboon and his then-new boyfriend Matt on the far left – they are now married. And there’s me and Chelsea, and Careena, Nick and Elizabeth, Zach, and Kat Freeman.

And the second – one of my very favorite photos in all my life – Careena and Paul, and the sparkling bedazzled mask Jonathan Martin had given me. These images, as I look back at them, are full of easter eggs and portents of things to come. This entire memory of that night is full of those. Nothing was ever the same again after May Fair.

#sleep no more #sleepnomore #mckittrick hotel #punchdrunk #sleepnomorenyc #mckittrick #sleep no more nyc #Youtube

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crystiesong · 4 months

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Birthday Bash

Leaping between bannisters, Aster landed on a pile of wooden crates. She gazed across the room. Despite coming to the abandoned factory for a few months at this point, she hadn't really done much with the place. That changed today.

The first thing she'd decided to do was invite all the stray cats she could find to stay in the factory so they'd have some shelter. The second thing she needed to do was make the factory (or the catory as she'd come to call it) more hospitable for cats (maybe that should've been the first thing). Taking stuff from wherever she could find it (the forest, dumpsters and other abandoned places), Aster had begun to build contraptions and dens for the cats to play and sleep in. One day this place would be a haven for all stray cats.

Aster leapt down from the boxes and began to push a metal crate across the room, a bunch of cats sitting nearby watching her. She pushed the box against the wall and turned around to see a snow white cat walking towards her.

"Oh hi Snowball. Glad you could join us" Aster greeted. Snowball dipped her head in greeting, her emerald green eyes glimmering and her stumpy tail high in the air.

"Greetings. I have a message from Teddy" she said while hopping onto the metal crate.

Aster raised an eyebrow at that "What message did he have that he couldn't deliver in person?"

"He didn't give me many details but he said that you're needed at home"

That confused Aster. Today was her day off from school and she'd decided to not do any hero work to let herself relax. She'd told her family she'd be busy so why was she needed? Standing up, Aster stretched her limbs.

"Alright. I'm going to see what I'm needed for then I'll come back." she turned to address the crowd of cats around her "please don't make too much of a mess, I just tidied up"

She got a flurry of answers that were a mixture of 'ok' and 'no promises'. Shaking her head with a smile, Aster made her way out of the building.

Making it back home was easy enough. Aster made her way up the stairs but stopped in-front of the door. No noise could be heard from within the apartment which concerned her.

Had something happened on her way over? Had Teddy been mistaken and she actually wasn't needed? Guess there was only one way to find out. Slowly opening the door, Aster crept inside. Suddenly all the lights were flicked on and all her friends and family popped out from behind the furniture.

"SURPRISE"

Aster's heart jumped into her throat and she leapt into the air in shock and surprise, hitting the top of the doorway with her head. Her parents rushed over to the young teen who was now leaning against the doorway.

"Are you alright?" Natalia asked, helping Aster up.

Aster gently nodded "I'm fine, just a bit caught off guard"

Her Papá laughed "Well it is a surprise party, that is kinda the point. Now come on, it's time for your favourite part"

Aster's favourite part about birthdays was the present opening. It was the only time she got to be a little bit spoiled. The first present she got was from her parents; they gave her a bunch of different chocolates as she always had a big sweet tooth and a love for chocolates. The second present was from her dear brothers (who had not woken her up with a bucket of water this year); they'd gotten her a new book series she'd been wanting, she couldn't wait to read it. The third present was from Alex and Andy; they'd gotten her a toy crab, it took a lot of energy not to glare at them as she opened it. The fourth present was a joint one from Robin and Sam (and from Willa too Aster guessed); they got her a simple sketchpad which she appreciated, she'd been wanting to get back to drawing so it would be handy. The final present came from Javari and it was probably her favourite one; it was a hand carved wooden figure of a figure from a video game series she and Javari both liked. She loved everything she got.

The food was also amazing, given that it was her parent's cooking after all; and don't get Aster started on the chocolate birthday cake. Aster was loving the birthday celebrations and didn't want them to stop; but there was one more thing she needed to do before the day was over.

As the sun was starting to set, the young teen left her home and made her way through the city. She arrived at her destination and made her way over to her abuelo's gravestone, sitting in-front of it. She gently brushed against the stone, making sure everything was neat and tidy. Aster let out a small but saddened smile as she sat there. Her abuelo might not be able to spend his time with her, but she'd be able to spend as much of her birthday as she could with him.

#angst #cats #fluff #superhero #original story #original characters #oc #birthday #writing #oneshot

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spoilertv · 10 months

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#SpoilerTV

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webseriesviral · 11 months

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Nancy Drew - Episode 4.08 - The Crooked Banister “The Crooked Bannister” — (8:00-9:00 ... #movie quote #movies #movie line #movie line #movie scenes #cinema #movie stills #film quotes #film edit #vintage #movie scenes #love quotes #life quotes #positive quotes #vintage #retro #quote #quotes #sayings #cinematography

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mitchbeck · 1 year

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SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS MAKE HISTORY

By: Sam Zis, Howlings Springfield, MA – The Springfield Thunderbirds set a franchise record with their seventh straight win after defeating the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 4-2 at the MassMutual Center on Friday night. The T-Birds started quickly. After missing a high-quality scoring opportunity in the first minute, Keean Washkurak found the back of the net just four minutes into the game. The sneaky wrister found its way past the Penguins' starting goaltender, Taylor Gauthier. A recent AHL All-Star selection Matthew Highmore continued the early offense with a power play goal halfway through the first period. Highmore caught a pass from Matthew Peca and threaded the needle with a beautiful between-the-legs play past Gauthier. With 2:45 left in the first, the Penguins cut the lead in half with a power play goal of their own. The Thunderbirds took a controversial Too Many Men penalty, which the Penguins capitalized on off a crazy double-deflection goal that was awarded to Colin Swoyer. At the first intermission, the Penguins were outshooting the Thunderbirds 14-10, despite trailing on the scoreboard 2-1. Springfield came out of the gates hard to start the second period. The Thunderbirds dominated play and peppered Gauthier with quality shots but couldn’t solve him. The Penguins didn't get their first shot on goal in the period until a slapshot into the glove of Thunderbirds goaltender Vadim Zherenko with only 8;42 left in the second period. The Thunderbirds' domination in the second period resulted in a power play goal with 5 minutes to play in the period as American Hockey League veteran Martin Frk buried a slapshot top shelf past Gauthier for his 16th of the season. The Thunderbirds flipped the shot total on the Penguins 25-22 after 40 minutes. The Thunderbirds aimed to defend their lead in the third period; but, the Penguins had different ideas. Only 4 minutes into the period Penguins forward Alex Nylander snipped a blast past Zherenko to cut the lead down to one. With the Penguins pressing, the Thunderbirds found themselves on their heels being forced to fend off a flurry of shots only two minutes after Nylander's goal. The physical game heated up as the period progressed. The Penguins were frustrated by their lack of scoring chances, due to a smothering defensive performance by the Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds sealed the deal with Peca's empty-netter with 44 seconds left in the game. After the game, T-Birds Head Coach Drew Bannister praised his leadership group and the team's hard work. Washkurak's energy and physical play were very impressive throughout the contest. Bannister described him as, “a workhorse from day one.” The Thunderbirds look to extend their streak to eight Saturday night when they face off against the Bridgeport Islanders in the team's highly popular, "Springfield Isotopes game." SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS HOME Read the full article

#AHL #AmericanHockeyLeague #BridgeportIslanders #DrewBannister #MartinFrk #MassMutualCenter #MatthewHighmore #MatthewPeca #SpringfieldThunderbirds #Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonPenguins

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