#I see jacko boy having made a name for himself as a stage magician when he was still under his father's thumb

[carewyncromwell]

“You took a great risk, coming here.”

“Well, what’s life without a little risk, my brilliant Frenchman? ...Forgive me -- your Highness.”

“No. ...Forgive me, but...I never want to hear that phrase out of your mouth again, Mr. Knightly.”

“...Then I shall simply have to come up with others, my prince.”

In England at the start of the 20th century, a soft-spoken, intellectual prince with a love of academics and learning and a flashy, charming vaudeville entertainer with a tragic past carry on a secret whirlwind romance that comes to a head at a fateful royal ball, where the prince is expected to announce his engagement to a foreign princess and the young actor plays his part so well that no one would suspect his humble origins. 

xxx featuring James McAvoy as Jackson Knightly @carewyncromwell and Luke Treadaway as Montelimar “Monty” Bloom @cursebreakerfarrier 

#gaaaaaah this idea wouldn't leave me alone I just had to do something with it #but yeah vaudeville theaters would've been considered rather low-brow compared to more upscale theaters #so this fits for a cinderella-esque story #not to mention we have our two wonderful perfect gay men in a time period when homosexuality was er...yeah a bit frowned upon #I see jacko boy having made a name for himself as a stage magician when he was still under his father's thumb #and then becoming more of a traditional vaudeville entertainer -- magician actor singer dancer -- after running away and growing up #I also see these two having met while monty was visiting the local university #dressing super casual bc plz don't bow and act all weird with me I just wanna read lots of books >//< #so jacko boy originally has NO idea who he's even talking to even though he can kind of suss out he's upper crust pretty easily #and because jackson also is kind of putting on his best face monty at first thinks he's part of -- like -- the royal theater company #partially because of how well-spoken and gentlemanly he acts hahahaha #not that either of them are disappointed when they figure out the truth #aside from the slight 'oh...wow yeah we're from two different worlds' thing #if I wanted to lean into the time period part of this AU I could always reference wwi as a plot point #but not too much -- no tragic ending for these boys no way :I #anyway these two own my heart and I need to do more with them I love them so ;~; #jackson knightly #montelimar bloom #au #moodboard #...I can't even label this as cinderella au because I already did one for carewyn LMAO #would you even believe that cinderella isn't my favorite fairy tale?!? #it just fits these two so well though