#mr darcy in egypt

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: For Fans of… Knives Out 

Did you enjoy the newest Knives Out mystery, Glass Onion? Here are some read-alikes you may enjoy!

Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander 

Lord Bertram Deeley, a renowned amateur British collector of antiquities is entertaining his closest friends at a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor when he suddenly collapses after offering a welcome toast, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. Who amongst this group of his nearest and dearest would want to kill their generous host: an archeologist whose dig Deeley was funding until he suddenly withdrew support? A powerful politician whose career Deeley had secretly destroyed? A dyspeptic aristocratic English spinster whose hired travelling companion seems determined to protect her employer? Or even the formidable Mrs. Hargreaves, Lady Emily’s mother-in-law, who may have spurned the advances of Lord Deeley when they were both younger? A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three-thousand-year-old sculptures that played a role in yet another murder in Ancient Egypt, a crime with a very real link to Lord Deeley’s death. Lady Emily and Colin gather their suspects together to reveal the identity of a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant.

This is the 16th volume in the “Lady Emily Ashton Mysteries” series. 

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith 

In the Swedish criminal justice system, certain cases are considered especially strange and difficult - the dedicated detectives who investigate these crimes are members of an elite squad known as the Sensitive Crimes Division. These are their stories.

The first case: the small matter of a man stabbed in the back of the knee. Who would perpetrate such a crime and why? Next: a young woman's imaginary boyfriend goes missing. But how on earth do you search for someone who doesn't exist? And in the final investigation: eerie secrets that are revealed under a full moon may not seem so supernatural in the light of day. No case is too unusual, too complicated, or too, well insignificant for this squad to solve.

The team: Ulf “the Wolf” Varg, the top dog, thoughtful and diligent; Anna Bengsdotter, who's in love with Varg's car (and possibly Varg too); Carl Holgersson, who likes nothing more than filling out paperwork; and Erik Nykvist, who is deeply committed to fly fishing.

This is the first volume in the “Detective Varg” series.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray 

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances - characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered - except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys’ eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party - before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 

Alan Conway is a bestselling crime writer. His editor, Susan Ryeland, has worked with him for years, and she's intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. Alan's traditional formula pays homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. It's proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job.

When Susan receives Alan's latest manuscript, in which Atticus Pünd investigates a murder at Pye Hall, an English manor house, she has no reason to think it will be any different from the others. There will be dead bodies, a cast of intriguing suspects, and plenty of red herrings and clues. But the more Susan reads, the more she’s realizes that there's another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript - one of ambition, jealousy, and greed - and that soon it will lead to murder.

This is the first volume in the “Susan Ryeland” series. 

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands - the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps. Now one of them is dead... and another of them did it. Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?

[nose-bl]

things i think really need to happen in s2:

charlie rejoining rugby, it's actually… important and relevant the story that he's there. the story wouldn't be ruined if he didn't come back but it's still an important detail

charlie and nick not being able to sleep on the same bed at paris, also important, it brings up conversations and situations that are important. in the comic tao shared with charlie on purpose bc he still didn't know nick and charlie were dating and he thought charlie would be uncomfortable sharing with nick lol. but in the show tao already knows so we'll see what happens

the love bite. it's important too and i really hope they add that bc that's why ppl start bothering charlie and then ask who gave it to him and that's how nick comes out to a bunch of ppl. also it's really funny how it didn't occur to them that they could cover it with some makeup akslsllsls. the whole thing is just great

all those little scenes with mr ajayi and mr farouk. ms singh talking about her wife. gay teachers are essential

elle talking about her family, and her issues with being trans in egypt. darcy talking about her family who are really shitty and homophobic. tara talking to charlie about how she and darcy dealt with being out as a couple

there's a lot more, these are just things that i'm not sure will be adapted but it's really important that they are

[shy-forceghost]

Things that could probably make me sob on the next Heartstopper seasons (apart from the you-know scenes on volumes 3 and 4):

Obvs. spoilers from Heartstopper 3-4, Solitaire, This Winter and Nick and Charlie:

Scenes showing how lonely it was for Tori to not have her brother, ex. her sitting next to an empty seat on the bus or being by herself at home.

The birthday card!!

The Springs + Nick visiting Charlie at the pysc guard

Charlie finding it difficult to play rugby again (and Mrs. Singh being the amazing coach she is)

If we get to some some hints to This Winter

Tara explaining Darcy's family life and the scene of the first day of Sixth Form when she just wants to get out of the house

Elle talking about her family back in Egypt

Nick getting sad because his dad didn't go to his birthday party

Did I already mention Tori missing Charlie? WELL THAT AGAIN

Nick having the support of the Paris squad (those would be happy sobs though)

Feel free to comment/share your own!!

[god-ridden]

I posted 1,349 times in 2022

That's 1,325 more posts than 2021!

168 posts created (12%)

1,181 posts reblogged (88%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@twilightdark

@teabox

@thecollectibles

@kaatiba

I tagged 1,068 of my posts in 2022

Only 21% of my posts had no tags

#art - 295 posts

#faven.script - 151 posts

#bromide - 108 posts

#beneath wild starlight - 61 posts

#three rivers down - 27 posts

#eoe - 26 posts

#& she writes! - 23 posts

#rilke my beloved - 22 posts

#to the trees my darling - 20 posts

#wind and roses - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i have a dialogue but it needs a situation and to have a situation you need a problem and to have a problem you need characters who need to

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Orpheus trope my beloved!!!!! I love it more than enemies to lovers. When a character follows their love down into moral hell or a bad situation, so that they can ensure that their love returns alive. The devotion!!! The love!!! The Consequences!!!

4 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

#4

As tagged by @icemaiden, my blurbo list consists of the following:

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (2005) and his ability to feel So Much but unable to express himself in a way that is true to what he is feeling. The way he is always so thoughtful but constantly misunderstood.... And Elizabeth, the way she loves her family despite their shortcomings and is willing to bat for them.

Katherine Barlow from Holes and the immense guilt she felt after Sam was murdered. The way she buried her treasure in the place he died and returned there to die as well. The way he was the last man she kissed who was alive, and after that every man she kissed was a corpse.

Ramses from the Prince of Egypt. Specifically the responsibilities placed in him as the eldest to do good be good be strong always.

Roman from One for My Enemy and his parallels to Judas from the Bible. The betrayal he commits in an effort to prove himself and has to suffer for. The way he tries to protect his brothers and make it all better but only succeeds in making it all worse. The unloved one despite being just like his father.

Harold Finch from Person of Interest my pathetic little man but the smartest of them all. The way he took on strays, gave them a purpose, and did not boast of his wealth. The way he taught a machine compassion and when the machine became sentient, it decided to be shaped in his image.

Takehito Kumagami from the Charlotte anime. His selfless nobility always makes me tear up a little.

Eiji Kashii and his speech about righteousness and doing good in Juuni Taisen really stuck with me. His determination to be noble at all times and use his powers for right rather than gain really endeared him to me.

Hector from Castlevania my pathetic and far too trusting man. He's so lame and too tender and I just want him to be happy.

Celty from Durarara my beloved. She's so normal despite being one of the most abnormal individuals in the city and I love her for that. For being the one who remains normal and okay even when everyone else is not.

Hodor from GoT and his simple loyalty to Bran (despite Bran having been the cause of every ill that ever happened to him), the way his name was a foretelling of the sacrifice he would pay.

Dagonet from King Arthur (2004) and his quiet kindness... His gentle strength.

4 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

#3

Really tempted to add EoE to the Faven!verse. I'm already planning to have Blood of Cain as part of the Faven!verse, but as a prequel.

5 notes - Posted November 8, 2022

#2

url change: from womansaints to holykings. cannot believe it wasn't taken.

6 notes - Posted January 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

jaime and brienne, my beloved battle couple, you will ALWAYS be famous.

6 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[peabodyandemerson]

Pride and Prejudice meets Amelia Peabody

[strangenoquestion]

'Do not you feel a great inclination, Miss Bennet, to seize such an opportunity of dancing a reel?”' She smiled, but made no answer. He repeated the question, with some surprise at her silence. 'Oh!' said she, 'I heard you before, but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say "Yes," that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore, made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all—and now despise me if you dare.' 'Indeed I do not dare.' Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

[freckled-words]

Modern Day Cleric - I Pledge Allegiance To A God?

Summary: What if Darcy was Loki's cleric? AKA This is a love letter to D&D, particularly Jester and The Traveller from 'Critical Role' C2. This series will be a re-imagining of the movies with Darcy being able to use magic granted to her by Loki.

A/N: Consider this the prologue. Also do note that I am in no way bashing on Catholicism, I am merely using what I have personal experience with (Catholic school) as a grounds of exposition. THIRD NOTE: This has not been edited. Expect errors.

If not for World Religion Studies, Darcy thought she might just rip her hair out and claim insanity to avoid coming to school.

She hated the uniform (grey shirt, black pants or black and silver pleated skirt.)

She hated that she was required to take, what was essentially, Bible Class at least once per each academic year.

She hated that there was more Catholic iconography on the walls than anything else. (How many pictures of Jesus hanging bloody on a cross does a single hallway need?!)

In a nutshell, she hated that she was being forced to attend a private Catholic high school. It was her parents' final requirement if they were going to pay for her college education.

If Darcy didn't so desperately want to attend Culver, she would have told them to shove it and let her attend public school with the rest of her friends.

Other than her lunch periods, World Religion Studies was the only redeemable part of the school.

Their cafeteria was top notch, with top tier lunch options, and vending machines with a ton more options than what you would find on the street.

World Religion Studies was, for lack of a better word, fascinating. Just like science classes, they acknowledged that there was more established in the world than just "God went BOOM, and then there was a man and he used his ribs to make a woman."

With the semester nearing the halfway point, they'd already covered Hebrew and Islam. Now they were branching over to historical religion, and touching on the gods that were now considered mythological. Greek, Rome, Egypt, Mayan and Norse Gods. There were multiple chapters in their textbooks about all of them, and Darcy had found them really engrossing.

"I'm going to come around with this viking helmet, and I want you to pick a name out. That name will be your God assignment. I want you to learn everything about them, build them a shrine, and on Oct 31st, I want you to sell me your god. Tell me everything about them, and make me a believer, a worshipper!" Mr. Hank was working himself into an excited fervor as he stepped up to the front row of desks with his viking helmet.

The class picked up on the excitement, and began whispering amongst each other about which god they wanted. Darcy heard some of the boys talk about getting Ares, or Apollo. A couple of the girls that sat in front of Darcy giggled about getting Aphrodite, and praying to the goddess for their crushes to notice them.

Darcy didn't care which god she got, because all the options would be equally fun to explore.

Since she'd taken possession of the desk in the back left hand corner, she wasn't surprised when Mr. Hank got to her last. Rather than have her reach inside the helmet for the last piece of paper, he pulled it out and offered it to her. She couldn't be sure, but the glimmer in Mr. Hank's eyes gave her a sense of something being slightly off-kilter. Not in the sense that he needed medication, but more like he knew a secret and really wanted to tell her.

She plucked the paper from him, and read the name aloud, "Loki?...Didn't he have sex with a horse?"

Mr. Hank guffawed, and the girls in front of her looked mortified.

"The myth states he gave birth to Sleipner, the fastest horse in all the realms, which Odin rides upon. But I'm sure you'll find more details about that as you do your research." Mr. Hank left it at that, and went back to the front of the class, to expand on the assignment.

Darcy tuned him out, and opened her textbook to the section dedicated to Loki.

There was a painting on the first page, showing a red haired, wickedly grinning man with a wolf at his feet and a falcon perched on his shoulder. The chapter title read "Loki: Norse God of Trickery and Lies."

Running her finger over his red hair Darcy muttered to the printed image, "Trickery and Lies huh? You sir, sound like my kind of God."

~~~~~~

Darcy decided to take the literal route with the assignment, and make an honest to goodness shrine to her assigned God.

It was a slow and expensive process, but thanks to her 'school purposes only' credit card, she was able to get what she needed. Which turned out to be mistletoe (it was early October, so it was harder to find,) lavender (she went a bit nuts and bought in bulk) cinnamon heart candy (again, wrong time of year, but this one kid in her school had hoards of it and was convinced to sell.) Her favorite shopping she did was for the toy boats. Loki had a thing for boats, and since she wasn't going to spend her entire time slot making a single model boat, she went to the toy store and bought as many toy boats as possible. He also had a symbolism thing with spiders, so she picked up some rubber ones.

In the end her shrine was a pyramid of toy boats built around a large lavender candle. She'd broken the mistletoe into pieces and glued them around the outside of the candle's jar. All the boats had the candy hearts, dried lavender, and spiders sprinkled or glued to their decks.

The only reason her parents weren't throwing a fit about her doing "devil worship" in their house, was that this looked so ridiculous, they couldn't believe it was for actual worship. (Darcy had also requested a write up of the assignment from Mr. Hank to give to her parents.)

Sitting back on her bed, Darcy admired her handiwork, "If I were a god, and someone made me a shrine like this, I'd be hella happy."

She recalled her classmates giggling about sending prayers to Aphrodite.

She'd always gone through the motions of praying when her family, and the school demanded it of her, but she'd never meant it. Why put your heart into something you didn't believe in?

But with her shrine, and all the things she'd learned about Loki in her mind, she didn't see any harm in it. She snorted to herself, "Nothing ever bad happened from reading a book...I need to watch that movie again."

Refocusing, she looked over to her bedside clock. Her shrine crafting had taken her to 11:30pm. Her parents would be asleep, and unless they'd planted a recording device in her room, she felt pretty secure in giving it a whirl.

She lit the lavender candle and let it burn just long enough to melt some wax, putting out the aroma of lavender and smoke from the extinguished candle wick. Closing her eyes and breathing it in, she did as she normally did, and spoke the first thing that came to mind, "I dedicate this piece of beautiful shrine work to you Loki. I hope you enjoy the boats, and the spiders. I've never been on a boat, and spiders have learned to leave me the fuck alone. Regardless if you can hear me or not, I'll try and keep this shrine in one piece for you as long as possible....Ok that's all."

'A little rough, and far too loud, but I do commend you mortal.'

Darcy sprang to her feet, whacking her knee on the edge of her desk and sending her nearly sprawling to the floor. She had to grab onto her desk to keep balanced. Her knee stung bad enough that her eyes began to water.

She blinked hard against the moisture blurring her vision and tried to scan the expanse of her room, "Who's there?"

'You're the one that invited me, surely you do not need me to name myself.'

Whoever was talking to her, they were male, and rather...posh.

Without looking, she grabbed hold of the first thing her hand came into contact with on her desk. Holding it in front of her (and internally groaning at seeing it was her ruler) Darcy shuffled towards the nearest wall and put it to her back.

There was no one in the room, no shadows she couldn’t explain, and her windows were are all locked down.

‘Please tell me your species has evolved to the point where you can put two and two together.’

The amount of impatience and exasperation in the voice made Darcy want to slap the owner.

She had a guess as to who was speaking, but she was uncertain if she wanted it to be the correct guess, “First off: Rude. Secondly, last time I checked, Loki was a MYTHICAL god!”

‘Given that we’ve pulled away from Midgard for so long, I’m not surprised that we’ve fallen into that category. But lucky little you, I always keep an ear out for worship.’

Dary wasn’t 100% convinced she was talking to a legit god. Shuffling over to her bed, she used the ruler to lift the edge of her comforter so she could peer under the bed. She noted some dust bunnies, some socks, and her shoebox of old photos. There was no hidden speaker, or other type of whacky audio device that she could spot.

She didn’t know what Midgard was, maybe their term for the mortal realm? “Yea, lucky me, I get to have a nervous breakdown and hear voices in my head. I’m either going to be sent to the psych ward, or my parents will call in a priest to perform an exorcism.”

‘I can assure you, you are not losing your sanity. Here, a token of proof.’

Something akin to a wave of golden, green ripple appeared on the top boat on her shrine. When it faded, she could see the edge of something gold was left behind. She inched closer and craned her neck to get a better look.

It looked to be a necklace of some sort. The gold she’d seen was part of the necklace’s main piece. The side profile of a snake baring its fangs, as the rest of its body was coiled around an emerald the size of Darcy’s thumbnail.

Darcy didn’t know anything about jewelry, gold, or precious gems, but she had a sinking feeling that she was looking at real gold and a legit emerald.

She reached with the ruler, and to her growing concern, felt it connect with the necklace.

It was real. The real gold, real emerald necklace, was real real. As in, it had just been teleported magically into the toy boat, into her room.

Darcy dropped the ruler and sat down hard on the side of her bed, “I’m gonna need a minute.”

‘Don’t make me wait too long. I’m rather bored at the moment, and you’ve provided me with the perfect distraction.’

Darcy took off her glasses and rubbed at her face. She put her glasses back on, and...yup. Gold snake necklace was still there.

Well, she’d summoned him (somehow?!), she may as well make the most of it, “Okay...You’re real, I’ll roll with that. Hard to argue with a piece of bling like that. I’m not sure how much distraction I’m going to be for you though. I really just did that little prayer out of curiosity.”

‘I had assumed as much given your reaction. And I can reassure you, you are far more entertaining than my current company.’

Darcy got up from the bed and went to the shrine. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched the gold snake. Worry and curiosity had a brief battle in her head when she felt a gentle warmth against her fingertips.

“Your current company is probably more gods right? Thor, Sif, Odin, the whole Brady Bunch of Norse mythology?”

‘You’re going to have to accept that we are not myths. Annoying as they presently are, they are just as real as myself.’

Curiosity winning out, she picked up the snake and noticed the snake’s eye was a hole which had a length of soft, brown cord pulled through. Darcy estimated the length would allow the snake to hang low enough to let the snake land on, or in between, her boobs.

“So if I put together a shrine for Thor, and did a little prayer, he’d hear me too?”

‘I don’t recommend doing such a thing. Other than wasting your money, you’ll also be wasting your time. My brother has become so full of himself, he sees no point in allowing the connections.’

At the word ‘connections’ Darcy swore she saw the emerald in the snake glow in its center. If she weren’t so absorbed in rubbing her thumb over the snake’s scale pattern, and enjoying the soft warmth in her hands, she might have dropped it.

She definitely didn’t miss the familiar tinge of spite to the god’s words when saying ‘brother.’ She didn’t have any siblings of her own, but a couple of her friends had sisters that brought out the same level of bitterness.

“Well you’re in luck. I was assigned to do my class project on you, not him. And building this shrine has already got my parents’ Catholic hackles raised as it is.” She went back to her bed and laid down, her eyes glued to the snake in her hands.

‘You’re doing an academic paper on me? It warms the heart to know my name has spread, despite my absence.’

She snorted a laugh, “Dude, you’re considered a myth now, remember? Myths and legends get passed around a lot more these days. And as much as I’d love to just use an interview with you as my paper, I have to do it based on all the information in my textbook, plus the shrine. Which my teacher might keep.”

Darcy thought she felt the snake grow a bit colder in her hands, then suddenly much warmer. ‘Is this thing connected to him?’

‘I loathe to think of the lies and twisted truths your text contains. Well, regardless if your instructor keeps my shrine, so long as you have that token, you’re welcome to continue worshipping me.’

She rolled her eyes, just picturing a red haired man preening out of sight of the others in his vicinity.

“As cool as talking to a god is, I can’t be doing this too often. I wasn’t kidding when I said my parents would perform an exorcism. Even in this day and age, someone talking to a voice in their head is not seen as a good thing.” It was the thought of her parents that tore her attention free of the snake.

Putting it down on the bed next to her she checked the time, “Shiiiiit, how is it this late?” Late was an understatement. Her clock read 2am, which was practically morning!

‘So you’re saying the blessing of my attention is not worth the risk?’

His voice was light and teasing, which somehow eased Darcy’s panic, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m living for this. If you’d been my parents’ God, I would sign myself into the psych ward. The fact that you’re a Norse god, which my parents would consider to be Satanic worship, means I get to hold the ultimate middle finger over their heads.”

She didn’t know if he was able to see her while he was talking to her, and didn’t feel inclined to flash her growing goods around. Rather than change out of her clothes and into her PJs, she got under the covers, and resigned herself to sleeping in jeans.

‘Ah, a kindred spirit of rebellion…’

Darcy rolled onto her side and touched her finger to the emerald. It didn’t hold any warmth, but at her touch, she saw that same flicker of a glow. ‘There’s definitely magic in this.’

‘I’ve had a fun thought. One you don’t need to agree to right away. Does your realm still employ clerics?’

Darcy frowned, trying to remember what a cleric was. “Do you mean priests?”

‘Yes and no. They’re the same in their main purpose, but Clerics get to have far more fun.’

“Sorry dude, no clerics here that I can think of. Only priests...I’m not fond of priests.” She tapped the emerald, trying to get it to glow again.

‘Good. Because I don’t want you to be a priest, I want you to be a cleric. MY cleric.’

Her finger froze over the emerald, and slowly withdrew, “Uhhhhh…”

‘Calm yourself, I did say you could think about it. As previously stated, I’m often bored...or annoyed, with my present and persistent company. Speaking with you has been...refreshing, to say the least. It would be a shame to lose this connection so quickly.’

“I don’t know if you’re able to see me, with this whole, mortal-prays-to-god connection, but I’m a teenager. A teenager that has no intention of joining a convent or some shit.” It was bad enough having her parents shoving their religious propaganda down her throat, she wasn’t going to take it from a god that hasn’t been worshipped in centuries.

Somehow she felt Loki roll his eyes before he spoke, ‘I am aware of your youth. I can’t see you in earnest, but I have a vague sense of you. I am not asking you to swear into a life of celibacy or such nonsense. As my cleric you will have only three responsibilities. One: Commit the occasional prank in my name, I do so love to see some creativity. Two: Marks your conquests in my name. Since you’re no longer in an era of savage wars, I’ll leave it to your imagination on the term of ‘conquest.’ I’m flexible that way. Three: I expect you to learn a means of self defense.’

Darcy didn’t see anything wrong with the first two conditions, they made plenty of sense given everything she’d learned about him. That last one though, “Why do I need to learn how to fight?”

‘All proper clerics learn self-defense, as they would travel the world to spread the name of their god and were expected to protect themselves. I’ve no expectation of you to do the same, but I will not have my first cleric in centuries be killed by any idiot with a dull blade.’

Darcy already had a story to tell her parents to sell them on the idea, then she caught herself. She was already planning things as if she’d accepted this deal.

That’s what this was, a deal. Deals were meant to benefit both sides, and so far all she’d heard was what she would be doing for him.

“And what exactly do I get out of being a cleric for the god of trickery and lies?” She squinted up at her ceiling, since that seemed to make the most sense.

She heard him laugh, ‘Good girl. I would have cut this connection if you hadn’t caught that. If you agree to be my cleric, then I’ll be able to grant you a fraction of my power and abilities. In your ancient times, clerics would use such gifts to save villages from monsters and raiders.’

Darcy’s pulse skipped. Power? As in magic? (She also made a mental note that MONSTERS WERE APPARENTLY ALSO A THING?!)

She’d been like most other kids and had dreamed of having magic abilities. Flying, smashing through walls, laser beam eyes. All the works that her superheroes in the comics had.

Biting her bottom lip, she asked, “How do I know you’re not trying to trick me? Where I agree to this, and do everything you want, and you turn around and say ‘I never said WHEN I would grant you magic, mwahahha!’ “

He scoffed, ‘The day I do such a ridiculous laugh, I will put my own head under Thor’s hammer. And you need not worry about being deceived on this. Yggdrasil enforces these contracts. Should I attempt to withhold my power, it would sever the connection and render me powerless all together.’

She could hear the respect and slight fear he held for the world tree (she did her Norse research, thank you very much.) She took that as evidence of truth to what he was saying. It also meant she needed to add Yggdrasil to her growing list of research topics.

‘Pranks in his name, conquests in his name, and self defense. I guess he’s not really asking for too much.’

She picked up the amulet and held it over her face by the cord. The emerald had a little glowing ball flickering at its center. 100%, definitely magic.

“One quick question, and then I’ll give you my answer. And no the answer doesn’t determine my decision.”

‘Ask your question.’

“Do you really have red hair?”

He laughed again, ‘That portrait is still around I take it? No mortal girl, I do not have red hair. That is in fact, an image of Thor after my handiwork. The depiction was such a contrast to my brother’s usual appearance, that I couldn’t resist telling the artist it was me. I will show who I am one day, should you choose to serve me.’

She found herself smiling, cause that sounded like a legendary level prank.

Darcy ran her thumb over the snake’s scales, “Alright. I’ll do it. You’ve got yourself a cleric.”

She didn’t hear a response, which she found more concerning than if he’d made a big jovial announcement.

The flickering glow in the emerald became steady, then brighter, and brighter. When it shone as strong as a flashlight Darcy dropped it, and covered her eyes.

The lingering smell of lavender in the air became thicker, and a brisk breeze flowed down her spine.

In the darkness behind her eyelids she could almost see him. Lithe, dressed in emerald green armour with gold and coal black accents. His face was shadowed, save for his pleased smile.

He snapped his fingers, and his image was gone. Sleep fell onto her heavy and sudden, forcing her down into bed and into dreams of a new voyage upon a Viking ship.

[mugglemirror]

I was tagged by @theleavesoflorien @brightgolden @mercurial-madhouse and @theisolatedlily to do some ask games, thank you for tagging me 💖

Compiled them all and here we are!

—four catch-up questions

Last song: Champagne Problems THE BRIDGE HSJSK

Last movie: Winchester (feel free to rec some horror movies that are actually scary 🙏)

Currently watching: might start Go Ahead, a c-drama my friend recced me and also freak show of ahs. I left halfway through because it was getting boring 🙈

Currently reading: soc audiobook, I want to finish the grisha verse before shadow and bone drops. Also secret history because murder and aesthetic is fun

—writing snippet

I posted one here already 🤗

—favourite fic line (s)

Writing The Blood of Love was a process I enjoyed thoroughly, obviously my favourite line is from it. Italicized the sentence that made me go holy shit at myself lmaoo

While the Thorne Hills manor lived up to its name from the outside, on the inside it was in pristine condition. Everything was where it should be, perfect in every sense. Except it was not. Something was wrong here, the pungent smell of evil was thick in the air. Only a fool would deny its presence.

—this or that

Apologies, this was very indecisive of me 😭

sage green or baby blue || moon or stars || paperback or hardback || piercings or tattoos (can't get them though 😔) || drawing or writing || saturn or jupiter || line without a hook or mr. loverman (I don't listen to the artist 🙈) || ancient greece or ancient egypt || prague or amsterdam || dark academia or light academia || indie aesthetic or cottagecore || stargazing or late night drives || strawberries or watermelons || rings or necklaces || extrovert or introvert || dragons or griffins || ocean or mountain || silver or gold || dawn or dusk || creative or free spirit || early bird or night owl || cook or bake (not a sweet tooth lol) || dagger or sword (Sword only if Excalibur is the one I'm yielding)

—twenty questions

1. Name: Bee (pretend this is my real name)

2. Nickname: Bee

3. Zodiac sign: Gemini ♊

4. Height: 5"1

5. Languages: Hindi, Urdu, English, Telugu.

6. Nationality: Indian (what do I do to find a fellow Hyderabadi here😩)

7. Favourite season: Fall and Winter

8. Favourite flower: Rose, Hibiscus, Jasmine and peonies.

9. Favourite scent: coffee, vanilla, also the delicious smell of Biryani

10. Favourite colour: I don't think I have one??? I have a special place in my heart for earthy tones but, tbh all colours are beautiful. I go through phases where I'm obsessed with a certain colour so that's that

11. Favourite animal: cats, foxes why're they so fluffy 😩😩

12. Favourite fictional character(s): Jane Eyre, Kyo Sohma, Damon Salvatore (the books as well as the show), Francis Abernathy and Henry Winters, Jake Peralta, Raymond Holt, Darcy, Emma Woodhouse, HATSUHARU!!! , the monster and Frankenstein. Adding Lilith as well (fictional because she doesn't exist in Islam)

13. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate: coffee mostly, sometimes tea

14. Average hours of sleep: 6-7

15. Dog or cat person: kitties 🥺

16. Number of blankets you sleep with: a large fluffy one folded twice 'cause I get cold

17. Dream trip: is it cliché of me to say everywhere? Even so, I want to go everywhere and visit as many cities as I can, mostly historical architecture and ruins. Don't fancy a trip to Disneyland though...

18. Blog established: 2019

19. Number of followers: 132✨

20. Random fact: uh idk but I can't seem to remember things, just vague memories, most of them blurred. Also I don't dream much, and when I do it's always nightmares so fun night haha

—my aesthetic

Rules: google/search your name + your favourite colour + the word ‘aesthetic’. take the first four (non collage) photos and voila you have your aesthetic moodboard!

Okay I cheated on this one because Google couldn't find shit so I went to Pinterest instead. I've been feeling blue (it's just so royal!!?!) lately so chosed that.

If you've reached this far, feel free to do them. Also tagging @ashleyjohnsonfanaccount @theleavesoflorien @cupcakentea @falsegoodnight @princelouisau @youreyesonlarry @thepolourryexpress @soldouthaz @brightgolden @raspberryoatss @mercurial-madhouse

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

book blogging #6: I Choosing My Own Romantic Adventure

a humble recap of my journey through My Lady’s Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel, by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris.

in case anyone isn’t familiar with the premise of a choose your own adventure book, it fucking slaps: at each critical crossroad in the story you’ll be offered a handful of actions to take, each of which will direct you to a different page where you’ll see how your fate plays out. 

I did a lot of the Goosebumps choose your owns as a kid and those usually ended with me either dying or transformed into a horrifying monster no matter how much I frantically flipped back and forth trying to cheat the system, so I felt like an absolute genius playing through this book purely on the basis that I never managed to die.

what did I accomplish? well, in order for that explanation to make any sense, first I have to talk about our romantic options. 

as depicted on the cover, starting in the top left and working clockwise, we have Garraway Craven, who seems to be a bit of a mishmash between Heathcliff (ew) and that bitch that Jane Eyre gets involved with (double ew). spoiler alert, I don’t know a ton about Garraway or his storyline because I never got anywhere near it. I’m not nearly dedicated enough to book blogging to run off to some godforsaken moor and flirt it up with a maniac just for the #content.

next we have Sir Benedict Granville, our obligatory Mr. Darcy stand in. if you know anything about me and the normal amount that I like Pride and Prejudice you’ll be unsurprised to learn that he was a priority on my romancing to-do list, but reader beware: he’s not fucking worth it. more on this in a moment.

the dashing kilt-wearing man on the horse is Captain Mac; that’s a nickname, but I’ve forgotten what his full name was. he seems to be more a parody of the entire “rugged yet sensitive Scotsman” trope so popular among romance novelists. in case it’s not obvious yet, Curran and Zageris are extremely aware of the tropes of the genre, and have an absolutely delightful time tossing them around like birdies in a spirited game of badminton.

lastly we have Lady Evangeline, a scandalous lady of adventure and academia. she parties, she knows her way around London’s dens of iniquity, she can translate Egyptian hieroglyphs. if you read that and thought “wow, gay,” you are extremely correct.

those are the four big names, but it’s also more than possible to wander off on a sidequest and find love with a secondary character. Curran and Zageris really do manage to cram an impressive amount of story and options into a relatively small book, and while the story sometimes feels a bit rushed or lacking in detail, it’s entirely excusable given the constraints of the medium. 

so, the all important question: whomst did I romance?

first, of course, I did my queer due diligence and and went after Evangeline. it’s a bit of a slow build to get to her, but once you allow her to whisk you away from England for an adventure in Egypt things really take off. there’s action, revenge, kidnapping, chase scenes, an ancient love temple that can only be discovered through the power of orgasms, you name it.

(a note about sex in this book, since I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea: while you can certainly find yourself in some saucy situations, it never gets much more explicit than some vague descriptions and double entendres so obvious that they’re really just single entendres.)

after Evangeline I set my sights on Benedict, but ultimately determined him a lost cause. there is a fairly intriguing mystery of familial drama to unravel around Benedict, which is fun, but the man himself is insufferable. using banter to conceal romantic tension is one thing, but there comes a point where a dude is rude enough that you have to bail - which I did, in order to help Mac out with the orphanage he runs for children who have lost their parents in the war.

(what war? you know. The War.)

Mac’s a fun one, even if his phonetic accent is painful to read, and according to the narration the two of you can possibly invent the concept of having sex in a shower. his plotline gets a little convoluted once the orphanage burns down and you have to move all the orphans to a falling-down castle in the Highlands (I know) and at risk of spoiling a chose your own adventure novel I ended up absconding with my childhood sweetheart to work as a British spy. wild!

as I said, I wasn’t nearly curious enough to find out what happens if you go to the moors, but I did circle back to Evangeline’s Egypt storyline to go after a minor character who seemed like prime romance material. his name is Kamal, he curates a museum, and the narrative really goes out of its way to mention how bookish and boyishly handsome he is before giving you a chance to go on a date tour of the market with him. I went after Kamal, a bit of action ensued, and the two of us ended up happily married with a kickass museum and several children to whom Evangeline is a doting godmother, which isn’t a bad ending at all.

overall? it’s silly, it’s fun, I’d absolutely nab another book of this nature. I appreciate how far out of its way the book goes to avoid giving defining physical characteristics to the POV character, meaning she could plausibly look like almost anything, although there’s a definite assumption of her being able-bodied and cisgender. 

there are a few less than perfect slip ups: the book often wobbles on that line between parodying how other books exoticize Egypt and also shamelessly exoticizing Egypt, and while including a f/f romance is cool it does feel a little token-y when Evangeline is the only female love interest among at least half a dozen men. if there were any other female options they must have been out on the moors with Craven, because I certainly never found them (and believe me, I wanted to find them). 

overall? sure, pick it up. the worst thing that could happen is marrying an abysmally old man who dies on your wedding day and leaves you an impressive fortune. 

[abreathofthewild]

3 random numbers for the ask: 7, 42, 91

From this ✨ tv and film ask game ✨

7. If you could watch one t.v. show for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Okay I know it says one but I can’t do it, I just can’t it’s impossible.  So I’m going to give you my top two: Yellowstone and This Is Us.

42. What’s your favourite animated movie?

Again, not possible.  This is even worse than the tv show question lmao.  Top 10 favorite animated movies in no particular order:

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron

Balto

Prince of Egypt

Whisper of the Heart

When Marnie Was There

Howl’s Moving Castle

Brave

Polar Express

The Lion King

Beauty and the Beast

Bonus points for Rise of the Guardians

91. Pick a movie, any movie. Now tell us your favourite scene?

Pride and Prejudice (2005): The HAND FLEX; when Liz is standing on the cliffs and there’s that huge swell of orchestral music; “You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love...  I love...  I love you and never wish to be parted from you”;  “And how are you feeling this evening...  Mrs. Darcy?”

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Brad Pitt on a motorcycle in a black leather jacket bathed in late afternoon light.  Enough said.

Legends of The Fall (1993): When Tristan Ludlow (also played by Brad Pitt) returns and he crests that hill with a herd of wild horses.  Also, Tristan Ludlow crying.  Also Tristan Ludlow taking revenge for his brother.  God damn.

Prince of Egypt (1998): Moses kissing Tzipporah before he goes to shepherd the sheep; the whole burning bush scene.  “Playing With The Big Boys Now”.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron (2002): Spirit jumping the canyon; Sprit reunites with Rain.  Cry every god damn time.

Balto (1998): the white wolf scene; “Balto, I’d be lost without you.”

[youspeakshit]

know more about me tag!

thank you @kateyboosh for tagging me! this is a fun one. :D

Name: bianca

Nicknames: honestly so many... bi, bibi, bia, biba, bibs, b, bonka... anything you feel like calling me I’ll probably be like ‘oh ok! that can be a thing!’ 😂

Gender: female

Sexuality: bisexual

Height: 1.73m or 5'8'' (literally googled ‘173cm in american’)

Language: portuguese and english (and a bit of spanish if I really try)

Nationality: brazilian

Current time: 18:38 or 6:38pm 

Favorite season: spring! a t-shirt and a light coat over it, that’s the perfect weather. 

Favorite scent: old books, new books, all the books. get a book open it and give it the good sniff. appreciate the paper. celebrate the tree that gave it life!!! also lavender and this thing called ylang-ylang which I just recently discovered and it smells incredible.

Favorite color: I wanna say black and yellow but idk I love so many colors. 

Favorite animals: I always had a thing for white tigers.

Favorite fictional characters: hawkeye pierce, howard moon, vince noir, mr darcy, lizzie bennet, trapper mcintyre, the whole main gang from will & grace. I feel like there’s more but my mind has gone blank...

Normal amount of sleep: my body usually wakes up after 5 or 6 hours but just this week I had anything from 0 to 2 to 8 😂

Number of blankets you sleep with: usually two but right now four because of winter.

Dogs or cats: dogs!

Dream trip: Japan and Egypt!!! sadly both quite expensive

Dream job: graphic designer at a magazine (paper isn’t dying!! go away!!!). right now I work at a newspaper which is fairly close to a mag and I do really like my job, but it has a lot of limitations creatively bc of the format. I still can do fun/cool things from time to time, just not as much as I would in a magazine. also newsprint’s grey tone kills all the beauty of colors lol

Followers: 577

Blog established: I actually went back to find my first post: may 27th 2010, woo!

Reason for my url: I was part of a snowboarding community on LJ back then lmao so it’s from a video with Mikkel Bang (norwegian snowboarder) saying to a french guy: "you speak french and I don't understand shit". and I just shortened it. I have changed it a few times but always change back.

Random fact: inspired by Katey’s answer, I can’t whistle. 😂 but I can wiggle/move my ears! independently, even!!

I feel like everyone on my dash has done this one, so tagging anyone that hasn’t and feels like doing it. :D

[reel-hannibal]

Reel Hannibal 2019 Masterlist

Happy Hanniween, Fannibals! Thanks so much to everyone who participated despite the unexpected hiccups - we really appreciated your patience <3

And now, on this perfect Hannibal holiday, here is the masterlist of all the wonderful entries for Reel Hannibal 2019!

Title: all fools in love Creator: @slowestdive​ Inspired by: Pride and Prejudice Summary: A Pride & Prejudice AU featuring Will as Elizabeth, Hannibal as Mr. Darcy, and really just an excuse to draw these two being utterly in love with each other in period outfits Art: HERE

Title: The Real Husbands of Sarmatia Creator: Tigerprawn Inspired by: The Real Housewives of [...] Summary:  Previously on The Real Husbands of Sarmartia:  Galahad, 29 “Tristan?” Galahad makes a point of rolling his eyes for the camera. “I mean, okay, he’s good at his job. I’ll give him that. But why does he spend the whole day in those short shorts? Okay, so it gets hot around here. But then why doesn’t he get a haircut if it’s so hot? Well, I guess it is hot and he’s out by the pool… getting wet. With the pool water.”Galahad’s phone bleeps. “Wait…” He frowns at his phone. “What the fuck is goat yoga?”::Close up of goats bleating:: Fic and Banner: HERE

Title: Spacedust Creator: @victorineb​ Inspired by: Stardust Summary: Adam has wished for two things in his entire life: to marry Beth, and to visit the stars. When he and Beth see a falling star one night, he sees a chance to have both at once, and promises to find the star and bring it back to his beloved so that she will see that he's worthy of her hand. The star, though, has different plans... A Spacedogs/Stardust AU, in which stars can talk, men can fly, and true love can be found in the strangest of places. Fic and Banner: HERE

Title: Underground Lights Creator: @fhimechan​ Inspired by: Hercules Summary: Once upon a time, Will traded his soul for Alana's life. Luckily, Chilton wants to save (and marry) him. An Hercules AU where Will is Meg, Hannibal is Hades, Chilton is Hercules and True Love always wins. Fic: HERE

Title: Sweet dreams Creator: @acheforhim-fic​ Inspired by: Black Mirror Summary: Tortured by nightmares, Will Graham gets a Nocturnal Companion – an AI who will share and moderate his dreams, and hopefully grant him some relief. (You already know whose digital clone the AI matches him with.) Fic: HERE

Title: Cannibal’s Labyrinth Creator: @whispers-in-the-chrysalis​ Inspired by: Pan’s Labyrinth Art: HERE

Title: Unsinkable Creator: @cinnamaldeide​ Inspired by: Titanic Summary: Detective Graham is tasked to shed some light on a serie of suspicious disappearances of both first and second class passengers happening aboard the Titanic. When Will finds out that head chef Hannibal Lecter is the culprit, the ocean liner proves to be not unsinkable after all. Aesthetic Moodboard: HERE

Title: Ultimate EliasChicken and HanniHorse Creator: @insanelyartful​ Inspired by: Ultimate Chicken Horse Summary: Featuring Grigg as Bunny, Elias as Chicken, Cliff as Elephant, d’Artagnan as Squirrel, Adam Raki as Raccoon, Hannibal as Horse, Will as Sheep, Nigel as Iguana, and Aiden Galvin as Monkey. Art: HERE

Title: Once Upon A Cannibal Creator: @thesilverqueenlady​ Inspired by: Once Upon A Time Summary: Will Graham is settling down to have a nice, quiet little birthday to himself when a girl knocks on his front door. "Hi!" she says. "My name is Abigail, and I'm your daughter." Fic: HERE

Title: Will Graham And The Seven Dogs Creator: @stratumgermanitivum​ Inspired by: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Summary:  Once upon a time, there had been a prince. Of course, that was quite a few years back, now, and very few people remembered him. As the years passed, King Chilton grew more and more frustrated with the boy, and the boy with him. And so it was that on the eve of the boy’s eighteenth birthday, Chilton drew up an order to have him committed - for his own good, of course - trapped in the dungeon under Chilton’s exclusive care until his mind was healed. Or until Chilton had no more use for his talents. However, when the castle guards came for the boy, they found the room empty, the window open. Long live King Chilton. Fic: HERE

Title: The Mummy Creator: @ishxallxgood​ Inspired by: The Mummy Summary: Adam Raki is a librarian, and he's damn proud. He has been obsessed with Ancient Egypt and the Legend of Imhannitep and his consort Anck-Will-Namun since he was a child. When his sister comes across a priceless artifact, Adam cannot resist the pull of Hamunaptra to uncover the secrets plaguing his dreams since he was a child. Fic: HERE

Title: Nakama Creators: @fragile-teacup​ and @beatricenius​ Inspired by: Emma Summary: Hannibal Lecter is handsome, clever, rich, Omegan... and quite oblivious to the fact that he is hopelessly in love with his brusque Alpha mentor, Will. Will Graham has always looked out for Hannibal, occasionally despairing of his young protégé's spoiled nature but valuing his companionship just the same.    They are the best of friends. But when Hannibal finds himself in the grip of a late first heat, both men are forced to confront feelings which neither are prepared for... Nakama, a Regency A/B/O romance based on Emma by Jane Austen.  Fic and Art: HERE

Title: The Game Begins Creators: @insanelyartful Inspired by: Dead by Daylight Summary: While for everyone else, the world seems to be ending; for four very different beings, everything is only beginning. For Will, well, at least social niceties aren't his top priority anymore. For Hannibal, it has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. And though Nigel wishes it were the end, it's not the end for him quite yet. Then there's Aiden, who sooooo shouldn't be dealing with this during the apocalypse. Fic: HERE

Again, all of our thanks and appreciation to everyone who participated in the 2019 Reel Hannibal! We were thrilled to see so many gorgeous AUs and we hope that everyone had as much fun as we did.

If you haven’t checked out these amazing Reels, please do so and shower these Fannibals in cookies, comments, and kudos, because they really deserve them.

See you next year in April for Reel Hannibal 2020!!! 

You can also check out: Reel Hannibal on AO3 | Reel Hannibal on Twitter | Reel Hannibal 2018 Masterlist

[catalinda04]

Carried Away Chapter 8: Breakfast and Bath

Masterlist

Sorry for the lack of chapter yesterday, I spent most of the day traveling. Let’s see what life has in store for Lucy and Henry today...

When she awoke in the morning, Lucy was alone in the bed. Feeling a bit perturbed, she slipped on the same shirt from the night before and went to find her lover. Her lover! She played the word over and over in her head, liking the way it sounded. She couldn’t stop the grin that crossed her face when she thought about the night before.

Lucy found Henry in the kitchen making breakfast. She felt a sudden shyness in the bright light of the morning. She bit her lip and said good morning. He turned, a smile splitting his handsome face. “You’re awake! I didn’t want to wake you, I thought you could use your sleep after last night.” He pulled her in for a slow deep kiss, which ushered the shyness away. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“I’ll admit, I’m a little tender, and I’m pretty sure my lips are going to be swollen like this for eternity, but I wouldn’t change a thing about last night.” She said curling into his side.

While Henry scraped scrambled eggs onto plates and added two pieces of toast to each, Lucy made her tea in the mug waiting by the kettle.

“So what is on the agenda for today?” Henry inquired as they tucked into their eggs.

“I had planned on going to Bath today. Do you have more fittings?”

“No, I can come with you, if you don’t mind me tagging along.” He smiled.

“Why would I mind? I love having you with me, but I need to go back to my hotel, to get a change of clothes.”

“Well then, we had better get moving. I’ll take Kal for a walk, while you take a shower.”

“Ok, just don’t let him knock over any pretty girls this time!” She called back as she climbed the stairs.

Henry got ready for the day, before escorting Lucy back to her hotel so she could change clothes. As she passed the front desk, the receptionist flagged her down. “Ma’am, I have a couple of messages for you.” she took the pink slips of paper the girl offered. There were three messages: two from Sarah, and one from her mother. “Apparently my public has noticed my lack of blog entries, and they are growing concerned. This might take a bit, do you mind?”

They’re your plans, I’m just along for the ride.” They returned to her room and Lucy changed her clothes for the day before opening FaceTime on her phone. Sarah was the first call to make, as she knew more of the story than her mother. She at least knew about Henry, though Lucy hadn't talked to her since the afternoon she’d met him.

“Why haven’t I heard from you! I’ve been worried about you. Why are you smiling like an idiot? You had sex, didn’t you! Finally! What’s that noise? Is he there with you?” Sarah didn’t let her get a word in edgewise.

“Hi, Sarah. Sorry I didn’t call, or text, or e-mail, or blog,” she grimaced a bit more with each failed communication method she mentioned, and Henry chuckled in the background. She moved the phone to include Henry in the frame “I’ve been busy. Sarah, this is Henry, Henry, my best friend Sarah.”

“How do you do Sarah, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you.”

“So you’re the guy huh?” She gave him an assessing look. “I guess you’ll do. You treat my girl right, or I swear to all things holy, I will come there and cut off the protruding parts of your body.”

“Duly noted,” Henry replied with a look of trepidation on his face.

“Whoa! Sarah! Down girl! But thank you.” She grinned” I have to go, I still have to call mom, then we’re off to Bath for the day.”

“Ok, thanks for checking in. Nice to see you took my advice for once! Henry, remember what I said.”

“Yes I will.”

“Well that was intense, sorry about her, she’s a bit overprotective.”

“What was her advice that you took?”

“Well that first night I called her, she told me to relax, and jump you should the opportunity present itself.”

“Good advice I think.” He smiled, kissing her.

“Ok, I need to call my mother, and you can’t be in the frame. Go into the bathroom and don’t make a sound!”

“Hi mom!, oh sorry did I wake you? I forgot about the time difference. I just wanted to check in and let you know I’m fine. I’ve just been busy, you know lots to see, lots to do. Yes, I’ll try to call more often. Love you too. Bye.”

“She worries. I’m all alone in a big city.” She explained as Henry exited the minuscule bathroom.

“Why didn’t you want to tell your mom about us?”

“I don’t know, I guess it’s too new. I don’t want to share it with her yet. I mean I barely know what this is, and if she knew, she’d be asking all kinds of questions, questions I don’t have the answers to. You understand don’t you?” He eyes pleaded with him to understand.

He contemplated for a moment before answering. “Of course. There’s nothing wrong with keeping this between the two of us for the time being. Let’s get going.”

They spent a beautiful day in Bath. Strolling through the Roman Baths, they learned of their shared love of Ancient Egypt, and their shared backup career as archeologists. “Who knows, if things had been different, maybe we still would have met.” Henry theorized.

At the Jane Austen House Lucy all but swooned over the display for Mr. Darcy. “Fitzwilliam Darcy. Oh.” She sighed. “They don’t make men like that anymore.”

“I am standing right here you know,” Henry said mock indignantly.

“You tried to sleep with me on our first date. Mr. Darcy didn’t even kiss Lizzie until they were engaged.”

“If I recall, he also insulted her and her entire family, several times.”

“Yes, he was a pompous ass at the beginning, but he came around at the end, and so did she.” She conceded. “You’ve read Pride and Prejudice?” She asked incredulously.

“I thought it would help me meet girls in school.” He admitted sheepishly.

“And did it?”

“No,” he admitted, “though that was probably more to do with how I looked than them not being impressed by me reading Austen.”

“What do you mean how you looked? Were you one of those kids that got hit with the good puberty stick, as opposed to the mean puberty stick?”

“Well, my nickname growing up was Fat Cavill.” He said very matter-of-factly.

“Oh, that’s horrible. Kids are so mean.” She said, concern coloring her features.

“Yes, they are, but we’re not kids anymore, and I’m Superman now, so none of that matters anymore.”

“Of course it still matters. Adolescence can leave scars for life, if not tended to properly. And if it makes any difference, I would have talked to you. We could have been fat friends.” She said raising on tip-toe to press her lips to his.

Their final stop for the day was the fashion museum. Henry surprised Lucy when, upon finding the Regency dress-up room, he unabashedly dressed up with her, like they were Lizzie and Darcy. Lucy asked one of the museum workers to take several pictures. Lucy wanted a picture of the two of them that wasn’t a selfie.

On the train back to London Henry looked a bit nervous.

“What’s on your mind?” Lucy finally asked when she couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ve been thinking, and I have a proposition for you. How many more days are you in London?”

“Just three,” she said sadly.

“What would you say to giving up your hotel room and staying with me for the rest of your stay?”

“Oh Henry, I don’t know, can I think about it, and give you an answer when we get back to town? It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just, oh, I don’t know!” He could see the gears of her brain churning.

“Sure, you run it over in your head, I’ll be right here when you decide.” He replied slipping his arm around her.

Lucy weighed the decision in her head all the way back to London, but really it was a one-sided battle. She wanted Henry. She wanted to be with Henry, it didn't make sense for her to pretend otherwise and told him so. They returned to the hotel to cancel the rest of her reservation, and collect her luggage

Chapter 7          Chapter 9

[god-ridden]

As tagged by @icemaiden, my blurbo list consists of the following:

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (2005) and his ability to feel So Much but unable to express himself in a way that is true to what he is feeling. The way he is always so thoughtful but constantly misunderstood.... And Elizabeth, the way she loves her family despite their shortcomings and is willing to bat for them.

Katherine Barlow from Holes and the immense guilt she felt after Sam was murdered. The way she buried her treasure in the place he died and returned there to die as well. The way he was the last man she kissed who was alive, and after that every man she kissed was a corpse.

Ramses from the Prince of Egypt. Specifically the responsibilities placed in him as the eldest to do good be good be strong always.

Roman from One for My Enemy and his parallels to Judas from the Bible. The betrayal he commits in an effort to prove himself and has to suffer for. The way he tries to protect his brothers and make it all better but only succeeds in making it all worse. The unloved one despite being just like his father.

Harold Finch from Person of Interest my pathetic little man but the smartest of them all. The way he took on strays, gave them a purpose, and did not boast of his wealth. The way he taught a machine compassion and when the machine became sentient, it decided to be shaped in his image.

Takehito Kumagami from the Charlotte anime. His selfless nobility always makes me tear up a little.

Eiji Kashii and his speech about righteousness and doing good in Juuni Taisen really stuck with me. His determination to be noble at all times and use his powers for right rather than gain really endeared him to me.

Hector from Castlevania my pathetic and far too trusting man. He's so lame and too tender and I just want him to be happy.

Celty from Durarara my beloved. She's so normal despite being one of the most abnormal individuals in the city and I love her for that. For being the one who remains normal and okay even when everyone else is not.

Hodor from GoT and his simple loyalty to Bran (despite Bran having been the cause of every ill that ever happened to him), the way his name was a foretelling of the sacrifice he would pay.

Dagonet from King Arthur (2004) and his quiet kindness... His gentle strength.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2022 - My Pre-Summer Rundown (Part 1)

*Also ... yeah, for those who, after my previous post, are wonderfing why I haven’t listed Belle on this or the Top Ten list, I have LITERALLY just watched it TODAY.  It’s too late.  It’s pretty much a gruaranteed shoe-in for the Summer Rundown, though ...

The Runners-up:

20.  THE OUTFIT – after making an influential splash when he graduated from novelist to screenwriter on The Intimidation Game, Graham Moore lands another cinematic milestone by making his directorial debut with this corkscrew twisty thriller set in mid-1950s Chicago.  Mark Rylance is as mesmerising as ever as an English cutter (a particularly accomplished kind of tailor) whose shop doubles as a drop for the local Irish Mob, until one night an incident sets off a swiftly snowballing chain of events that threatens everything he’s built.

19.  OPERATION MINCEMEAT – masterful British director John Madden (Shakespeare In Love) brings one of the less well-known Allied victories of World War II to life in this intriguing war movie equivalent of a cosy blanket and a nice cup of tea.  Colin Firth and Matthew Mcfadyen should’ve worked together YEARS ago, because the two Mr Darcys play off each other wonderfully as the endearing odd-couple of SSO officers who conceived and executed a brilliantly bonkers plan to misdirect the Nazis on the eve of the invasion of Sicily.

18.  YAKSHA: RUTHLESS OPERATIONS – once again Netflix have come through in fine form when it comes to alternatives to the still somewhat stripped-back cinematic roster as the Pandemic “winds down”, this surprise smash Korean action thriller proving to be a good deal more escapist fun than I first expected.  So Kyung-gu (Public Enemy) and Park Hae-soo (Squid Game) clash spectacularly as a South Korean intelligence agent and disgraced prosecutor forced to work together to defeat a dastardly international terrorist plot.

17.  VIRUS: 32 – you know me, I can’t resist those sneaky little indie horrors, and Shudder’s latest is an absolute stormer.  Uruguayan writer-director Gustavo Hernandez (the original version of The Silent House) has created a (sort-of) zombie thriller with a killer twist – the victims of this virus go dormant for thirty-two seconds after each outburst of ferocious violence, which is the only edge young Montevideo security guard Iris (In the Quarry’s Paula Silva) has as she fights to rescue her daughter and survive the night.

16.  THE DUKE – finally released well over a year after its initial breakout debut at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, this endearing and frequently very funny film from Notting Hill director Roger Michell chronicles the true life tale of Kempton Bunton (Jim Broadbent), the bumbling amateur thief who led British police on a merry chase in 1961 when he stole Goya’s priceless Portrait of the Duke of Wellington to hold for ransom for free TV licences for the elderly.  Broadbent’s typically spellbinding, as is Helen Mirren as his long-suffering wife, Dorothy.

15.  DEATH ON THE NILE – Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 crack at Agatha Christie’s Murder On the Orient Express was a surprisingly enjoyable period romp with endearingly odd Belgian super-sleuth Hercule Poirot unravelling a devious plot in an impossible setting.  This Egypt-set follow-up doesn’t QUITE stand up in comparison, but it’s still great fun, Brannagh again embodying classic Poirot as he grills an eclectic collection of starry celebrity suspects including Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer and a blissfully reunited Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

14.  THE ADAM PROJECT – more from Netflix, with Ryan Reynolds reteaming with his Free Guy director Shawn Levy as a pilot who travels back in time to save his father’s life in order to prevent a nightmarish dystopian future and winds up enlisting the help of his own 12-year old self in the process.  The jokes fly as thick and fast as the deliriously cool CGI-driven action, while Reynolds delivers another winning goofball turn alongside Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener and the future Percy Jackson, Walker Scobell, as his younger self.

13.  MOONFALL – Roland Emmerich’s films have grown increasingly hit-and-miss over the years, not least with the painfully clunky misfire of Independence Day: Resurgence, so it’s nice to see him return to form with one of the year’s most gleefully ridiculous cinematic guilty pleasures so far.  Patrick Wilson and Halle Berry are among the various surprising big names bringing a touch of class to this bonkers sci-fi rollercoaster about an improbable plan to prevent the Moon crashing into the Earth.  The surprisingly enjoyable result is definitely the movie Resurgence SHOULD have been …

12.  THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT – Nicolas Cage delivers what might be his definitive performance as he sends himself up SPECTACULARLY in this gloriously meta black comedy in which he befriends geeky billionaire superfan Javi (a fantastically game Pedro Pascal) at the behest of the CIA, who believe Javi is the head of an international arms-ring who’ve kidnapped a politician’s daughter in order to influence the outcome of an election.  Everybody involved in this film is clearly having the time of their lives, and you will too.

11.  IN SEARCH OF TOMORROW – my new favourite documentary film series returns with another eagerly-anticipated deep-dive into the undeniable greats of 80s genre cinema as writer-director David A. Weiner does for sci-fi what he did for horror with his breakout hit In Search of Darkness.  An absolute MUST-SEE for fans of the highs AND lows of this great cinematic decade, this film offers up a riveting rundown of many great sci-fi titles from EVERY YEAR of the 80s and a veritable who’s who of their various stars, writers, directors and fans that consistently captivates despite its running time of OVER FIVE HOURS!!!

[strangenoquestion]

Bingley nodded curtly, but Darcy frowned. He knew that if he were in love, even if it were unrequited, he would rather see her again despite any pain than to have her gone forever. He was not in love, of course. The fact that he could not help seeing Elizabeth every time he closed his eyes meant nothing. It was not love. It was merely some strange obsession he had picked up in Hertfordshire, no doubt because the hunting was not particularly good. It was a temporary hobby, and he would soon forget her. He certainly did not wish to see her again, and that was clear proof that he had no special feeling for her.

Sarah Courtney, Beauty and Mr. Darcy