42/∞ gifs of eleanor tomlinson being positively ethereal

There was something like a fall in Madeline’s stomach when she opened her slip of paper and saw written there a name that was familiar but nonetheless not the one she had been praying for. Blue eyes flickered to the High Inquisitor in his beautiful uniform trying to avoid her gaze. To the marquess standing cold and distant as ever and clearly uncomfortable. To the wandering eye and nonchalant grin of one of her dearest friends.

It was to the third that Madeline made her way, taking in a deep and steeling breath, reminding herself that it certainly could have been worse, and pulling her own sly smile to her lips. “Mister Marks...” She replied as she dipped into a small curtsy. “I will say I am quite shocked and appalled at such an accusation. If I were to do anything by trickery I certainly would have first enlisted your assistance, as I am sure you well know.” Madeline slipped her hand gently upon the crook of Roland’s elbow and brushed a hand across her fiery locks. “Though, it is true that we are perhaps best suited to each other if we intend to be crowned King and Queen. And, knowing you almost as well as I know myself, I am certain neither of us will settle for less.” She grinned up at the young man, barely holding back her laughter. “In all truthfulness, Roland, I am more than glad that we are together once more this Yuletide. If I had to spend yet another year tied to that bore Mister Persimmons or perhaps even worse -- your lesser, Horatio -- I would simply perish upon the spot!” She glanced the way of the young Cassandra Astley as she made a grimace of a smile at the aforementioned Persimmons.  “Though I wonder if perhaps you had hoped another would have wandered your way? I know this is often an event by which many serendipitous hearts find themselves perhaps a bit more permanently entwined. Could be a lark for us to try and weasel a certain young lady away from her escort.” Madeline turned to face Roland, lit up by the torchlight and stark against a sky full of stars. “I would wish for you the things I cannot, my dearest friend. Let me help you. I know our friendship has, at times, been one which may make others blush and exclaim, but truly I desire for your heart to be returned to you by the one who holds it closest.” After all, perhaps if she continued to have such terrible luck in love, at least she could turn it to the advantage of a friend 

Shall We Have Some Fun? | Roland & Madeline

Roland raised an eyebrow when he saw Madeline North approaching him with her scrap of paper in her hands. He wondered, for a brief moment, if she meant to tease him and suddenly turn towards another gentlemen at the last moment, but when she finally approached, she showed him his own name written there.

“Miss North,” He said, bowing politely, “It seems you should be congratulated on receiving the very best partner. We may not solve the most riddles on the Day of the Wolf, but I promise you, we shall certainly have the most fun.”

He winked at her, offering her his arm, “I hope you did not obtain my name through any underhanded means. That’s not being fair to the other girls, you know.” He added, teasingly, “Besides, we’ve already been partners once before four years ago. And I know you’d be lying if you said I haven’t been your favorite Yuletide partner. You, my dear, have certainly been mine!” And that he genuinely meant. He often had bad luck with this sort of thing and had been paired with someone insufferable.

Madeline North certainly had outranked all of them by miles.

But maybe, possibly, finally.... I am going to try and return to all these things, and our babies have been matched up for Yuletide!!!

I'm sure Maddie is super relieved it's Roland, since they're flirt buddies!

tfwmadeline​:

LOL omg, yeah. I mean, same, honestly, for Maddie. She really just likes to flirt and it kinda keeps her mind off the people she’s actually really interested in who she can’t talk to because she gets too nervous and scared so instead she goes and finds Roland and is like “TELL ME I’M PRETTY SO I STOP FREAKING OUT!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!”

Though do you think she knows he’s a doppleganger, or do you think she’s *also* doing this to Horatio occasionally because she just…. thinks they’re the same person just like everyone else. I mean, her being a shapeshifter, I think it’s possible she has an inkling, but idk if she’d 100% know unless he told her, you know?

HAHAH if Maddie needs someone to tell her that she’s pretty, Roland is her guy!!! <333 He probably just says that everytime he sees her because that’s just what he says to beautiful girls haha 

Anyway, I definitely think that she knows that he’s a doppelganger, since they are both fellow rebels. I also think they probably met before that since I decided that Roland is like the Laurie to the Turners gals, and Maddie is an honorary Turner, so!!!! I’m sure they kind of half grew up together, too, if she’s been friends with them for a long time (I can’t remember if I read anywhere how long Maddie has been friends with them, but I feel like it has been since she was a little girl, is that right??)

The crisp chill of a spring morning was nothing to a creature of the sea. It had been quite some time since Madeline had stolen a moment alone, cradling her seal coat under her arm, whisking herself away from her lady's side before the first light of dawn to finally breathe easy. A creek was not quite the same as the sea, of course, but the feeling of water rushing over her fur was the same. The smell of fish and wet rocks. She took in a deep breath of the cool air and revelled in the feeling of it filling her lungs. While perhaps she should have brought something to wrap her still-drying curls in for the trek home, Maddie was certain it would be of no issue. Who would she even meet upon her walk that would find it odd? Maddie wrapped her seal coat tighter about her arms in any case, hoping beyond hope that it would continue to look simply like a stole that perhaps she had picked up for her lady in town on an errand. She was so concerned with this task that the young woman had no longer than the merest moments before realizing that the regimental soldier walking towards her was the one person Madeleine North had been certain she would never see again. “Nichol--Lieutenant Griffiths... I... I had not heard that you... you would be coming with the King...” She could feel a fist clenching around her heart. Squeezing it tighter and tighter. She was not safe here. He was not safe here. If he was here... If his regiment was here... Than whomever it was that took him from her all those years ago, surely they had returned as well. “I... I meant to write...” Maddie’s voice was quiet. “I hope... I hope you are well? You look well. I am... I am happy you look well. At least I would like to believe that you look well. Not that I am attempting to say that I would know after... well, everything, that I would still know how you would look if you are well, but I suppose...”

The One that Got Away | Nicholas & Madeline

His sister needed a house.  Oh, there were a few on offer in Valenmouth that might suit, but Nicholas suspected the pace of nearby Elsbridge might better suit and, as it happened, it was a place which Nicholas knew well.  Carefully, he avoided the swaths that belonged to the Astleys, the ultra-distinct memories a lash of memory.  Too clearly did he recall the glimpse of her running through the high grass, her laughter and the glow of the sunset rushing back to him; too well did he recall the sound of her voice, her brilliant vermillion tresses glowing like the firelight in the grate…

No, the Astley estate was not the place.  But surely he could settle somewhere in the county, notwithstanding?  Surely, he would not see the image of her everywhere he went…surely, not after all this time.

At his left, the creek which ran through the town gurgled happily, its abundance of foot bridges a cheerful sight particularly alongside the bright-painted shops and stone-built houses to his right.  The familiar tingling at the back of his head told him that, indeed, fae were here or had been sometime recently and he swallowed, gaze sharpening as he began more warily to study the faces around him.  As his glance alit upon a particular face, his heart gaze a strange squeeze.  Nicholas stopped dead.

It seemed to him that he saw her.  It seemed to him that she was walking towards him, large as life, her face just as it had been when last he’d seen her, her bright hair teased loose by the current of the breeze…she neared and neared and something tugged at his heart…and at his brain.

Was she…real?

He swallowed hard, clasping his hands behindhis back and one, one into a fist. Steeling himself, he strode forward.  “Miss North?”

JAMES MALLERTON: "Do they play an instrument? If not, have the ever wanted to learn?"

I think Madeleine definitely learned to play piano like a proper lady should at one point. While she was certain she would never make a match with a gentleman, she knew it would be helpful to the Turner and Astley girls who she was so close with to be able to play duets with them in a way that would make them appear to be maestros. Plus, I think it’s something she enjoys as like a quiet secret little joy of her own. She gets very embarrassed if someone catches her playing for herself, and doesn’t like to talk about it much, but she does love to play whenever she can.

Tom Weston-Jones as Colonel Francis Lennox SANDITON 2.01

MADELINE NORTH (24) Eleanor Tomlinson - TAKEN BY LAUREN Status: Human Fae - Selkie Occupation: de Vere Lady’s Maid Relationship(s): Cassandra Astley, Isabella Turner (best friend/fellow rebels), Christopher Howard (best friend/flirtation), William Abbott (rebel leader/distraction), Edmund Cecil, Rebecca Turner (fellow rebels), Lucy Turner (rebel librarian), Xavier York (former attachment/fellow rebel), Roland Marks (fellow rebel/flirtation/interest), Aurelia Astley, Alistair Turner (saviors/secret keepers), Dorothea de Vere (lady)

lina is a contradiction – all silky abundance and inflexible perserverance

kind to those she meets, lina’s charm is her welcoming yet indomitable spirit

secretly fae, lina has been hunted her whole life – she doesn’t even know if her family is still alive, since they were separated when she was small

she is only alive, now, because ALISTAIR TURNER found her and spared her and helped her conceal herself to survive, sending her to AURELIA

if anyone else had discovered her, instead – but she tries not to dwell on that, instead focusing on the good things in her life

like the fact that this visit with the DE VERE’s is something of a homecoming for her, after a long time away

after alistair brought her to aurelia astley who – as aurelia revealed to lina at the time, to help her feel safe – was also secretly fae

lina was quickly engaged in their service, starting her desperate life over into something new and comfortable and capable

she quickly worked her way up, alongside others such as the YORKS, while balancing involvement in the budding resistance

there, she – like many other ladies – quickly fell for the charms of ROLAND MARKS

however, she was too clever to think that pursuing a relationship with him could ever end well and so she set about distracting herself

with someone else who also needed to be distracted – XAVIER YORK

the two struck up a lovely relationship, half losing themselves in it to the point where xavier proposed – but lina turned him down

she told him that she couldn’t possibly accept him while knowing that his heart wasn’t in it, but she had another reason too which she did not share

the one that had haunted her every step, her whole life long – a fate she did not wish to put to him: she was still, after all, secretly fae

after that, with lady astley’s permission, lina sought a position elsewhere, quickly landing in the household of the de veres

she has not been to county astley since and has not seen xavier

quick to judge and quick to laugh

she’s not returning entirely empty-handed, however

lina fell quickly into old patterns, distracting her lovelorn heart with someone who also required distraction

like herself, WILLIAM ABBOTT had also recently ended a relationship

she knows that she’s right back where she started: william is still as much in love with REBECCA TURNER as ever

but at least she’s not endangering him, because william is fae, as well

and there’s a comfort in that: no one understands the fae like the fae

besides, this isn’t a real relationship like the other one was, she tells herself, so who could possibly get hurt?

and, meanwhile, a little meaningless flirting with ROLAND MARKS – why, who could possibly get hurt there?

the YEARNING in this scene

(also feat. Anthony smelling Kate after she leaves)

I Know That it’s Delicate | Ric x Maddie

A red-haired young woman was moving through the halls of Astley House with a distinct sense of purpose. Her pale gloved hand held up gently the hem of her dress, slippered feet making nary a sound as she wove amongst the carousing, laughing guests of the annual Astley Ball. It was a dance of sorts, if one were to take note of her route and watched long enough. And if they were a poetic sort, perhaps they’d liken her to the waves crashing upon the ivory cliffs just beyond Astley County... Her sharp blue eyes half-obscured by her mask were like sapphires set in the pale ivory of her features, a treasure for sure, but one that seemed set upon one goal and one alone...

Madeleine North had laid her gaze upon Lord Alaric De Vere standing on the side of the dance hall, alone, looking rather perturbed -- even by his standards.

“Are you really going to stand here grimacing all night, my lord?” Maddie teased as she sidled up next to the imposing man, a small smile twirling itself upon her lips. “I do believe I have passed by this hall at least three times now, and each time I have seen you in this exact same spot, wearing that exact same expression. Have you truly not offered a single young woman here a dance?” 

Her chest fluttered at the thought even as she spoke the words. A thrill somehow at the thought that he did not have soft feelings for any he saw here. It was folly to dream the things that floated through her mind, of course. Alaric, dance with her? His sister’s maid? Lord De Vere, think of her kindly? Think of her as someone to--god forbid--court? It was preposterous.... And yet... Here he still stood, alone... “It would disappoint Theo, you know, if you did not at least make an attempt to appear as if you were having a good time.” The words fell in a whisper from her lips as she leaned in close, taking a small liberty with the anonymity the masquerade provided. “If I must be set to the task of cheering you, I shall. You need only say the word.”

Our ruse is not finished.l’m still in need of a husband. Though l am flattered, l’m afraid l must reject your proposal.

LOL omg, yeah. I mean, same, honestly, for Maddie. She really just likes to flirt and it kinda keeps her mind off the people she’s actually really interested in who she can’t talk to because she gets too nervous and scared so instead she goes and finds Roland and is like “TELL ME I’M PRETTY SO I STOP FREAKING OUT!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!”

Though do you think she knows he’s a doppleganger, or do you think she’s *also* doing this to Horatio occasionally because she just.... thinks they’re the same person just like everyone else. I mean, her being a shapeshifter, I think it’s possible she has an inkling, but idk if she’d 100% know unless he told her, you know?

ooc | Roland & Madeline

LAUREN!!! Roland is an Idiot™ and I’m so sorry that Madeline is interested in him b/c he probably has no real idea #facepalm I’m glad that Madeline realizes that he’s not serious but he’s still a dumbass who flirts with every pretty girl the same way - regardless of how much he’s really interested in her and it’s stupid and Roland never sees the harm because he’s having too much fun! 

Surely only the truest of shocks could have sent Madeleine North, lover of jubilation in any of its forms, away from the bustle and noise and light of the main halls of Astley House. After all, she loved nothing more than to flirt and jape and gossip away a night with those she loved most. And yet... And yet...

Her heart was still fluttering in her chest like a fish left too long upon the shore. Her cheeks burnt with the heat of the last rays of sunshine twinkling across the waves...

All because Alaric De Vere had told her she looked lovely this evening.

It was so strange. He was much like a brother to her, honestly. For how dearly she loved Theodosia, and for how close the three of them had become since the death of their parents and her arrival at the De Vere household, it was hard to think of him otherwise. And yet....

A voice knocked the young woman out of her reverie, a small gasp falling from her lips as she moved her gaze from its deep stare into the depths of the fountain, to the young man standing beside her. She dipped into a slight curtsey, inclining her head to the gentleman in greeting. 

“Ah, yes, it... It is all quite lovely. I have no doubt that the Astley family spared no expense nor a moment of thought on anything but the enjoyment of their guests. It is truly a triumph, if I may say.” 

The woman’s eyes flickered over the man before her, wondering if she could perhaps deduce who exactly he was by his attire and demeanor. Alaric she had spotted from the start, along with Sebastian Talbot and Roland Marks. Though according to Bella that had more to do with Maddie’s wandering heart than true insight. It was hard to tell who this man exactly was, but it wasn’t as if Madeleine North knew not what to do with a man before her in the midst of a dark garden.

“Though I wonder at your tone and choice of words, sire.” She continued, with a wry twist of her lips and a raised eyebrow. “Do you find the tasks daunting because of their beauty, or do you find them daunting because you feel as if perhaps you could not ascend to such a height yourself, if you were to take on a task such as the Astley Ball?”

Daughter of the Sea | James & Madeline

Music stirred all across the lawn, shimmering in the tree-outlined alcoves, caressing the roses that climbed the loggias, whispering amongst the grand allées.  Inside it echoed from the marble, the stone, and seemed to crackle from the immense fireplaces, the instruments enhanced by magic.  Absently, James wondered how many familiars had been employed to achieve both this effect that that of the light-stubbed trees and shrubs.  It must all have been a most elaborate thing, indeed, something evidenced by the appearance it maintained of effortlessness.

Taking a few of the terrace steps at a time, James climbed them and entered the house, taking in the view from behind his mask: a coordinated dance took up much of the floorspace within, and to the other side of the room an elaborate spread of food coaxed hunger from even the most satisfied of stomachs.  James’ lips quirked upward, enjoying the indulgent feast for the senses the Astleys had provided.

He smiled evenly, eyes flicking about the room as he took everything in.  He skirted the edges of the space, straying towards the wide array of doors which were hurled open to the terrace, such that the house and the garden turned practically to one without boundary.  Feeling this way, he floated back onto the terrace, curiosity guiding his steps.  Impulsively, he moved towards the sound of trickling water.  A massive fountain, he soon found, flowed into a large pond which was, itself, brimming with iris and lilies and papyrus in a jolly array of floral achievement.

Noting another person contemplating the water, he inclined his head to the lady.  “Good evening,” he said, careful to skim over idioms such as miss, madame, my lady, in company such as this where none of these things could be readily known.  “A great many feats have been accomplished here, tonight,” he mused.  “But I daresay the greatest achievement of all may be that of the gardener.  Everywhere I look, a new botanical profusion appears to humble all the rest.  It must be a daunting task.”

Points - Up to March 7th

previous week points: 0

replies (10ea) x 1 (challenge) - 10

starters (15ea) x 0

starter replies (15ea) x 0

edits/graphics (10ea) x 4: 40

memes (5ea) x 0

plotting (5ea) x 7: 35

narratives/drabbles (20ea) x 0

TOTAL POINTS UP TO MARCH 7th: 85

Challenge || Maddie’s Masquerade Ball Costume

Maddie is SO EXCITED for a ball, especially in her hometown with all her friends and loved ones. She’s just a party girl living for a party world, ok?????

She’s wearing the dress I posted below this one, a blue/green/gold thing that looks like the shifting seas. The theme continues on in her mask, a band of sheer blue/green fabric with painted gold waves and stars that goes across her eyes. She has borrowed some jewelry from Theo, so is also decked out in gold and blue bracelets, rings, and necklace. Her hair is pinned up in flowing red ringlets, studded with shiny pearlescent seashell pins, with a few soft curls that have fallen to frame her face.

....basically she looks really hot, okay? That’s basically the jist here, also she’s very much punning on her selkie/shapeshifter roots because it’s a masquerade and everyone will just think it’s a costume, but surPRISE!!!!

looolllll. omg, Jennnn.

They’re both 100% in the DENY DENY I MUST DENY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE stage of their lives, I underSTAND.

Both of them just very stiff and stilted and like “yes, hello, you... are here... we are humans... in a room together... alone... nobody else here... i am totally comfortable with this and in no way am stifling any sort of emotions, everything here is totally normal and fine...” And then they each run to like opposite hallways and like toss water over their heads because they’re blushing too hard and can’t handle it.

Also Theo 100% knows they’re both into each other but refuse to say anything and instead is probably just collecting the tea on both of them until they’re ready to admit what’s happening. lol

Also Also!!!! Do you think Ric is pumped to be going to a ball technically “with” Maddie? They’re staying at Astley House so it’s not like they can take a carriage ride together, but oh boy do I imagine Ric like ~hovering~ outside of Theo’s room, waiting to walk Maddie  uh I mean Theo down to the actual party. And like idk, maybe Maddie comes out first and they’re both like: OH NO OH SHIT, FUCK, IT’S YOU I’M NOT EMOTIONALLY PREPARED YET.

OOC: Ric x Maddie

hello m’love lauren ❤️️ ❤️️ ❤️️ i’ma just leave this here lol

i feel like in the timeline of his feelings for maddie – ric is in the DENY DENY…UNLESS…? stage atm awjfoiwej he noticeably sits straighter, hands clench to his sides, his breathing is stilled whenever she’s around. my boi got it bad and madeline don’t even know it LMAO 

it’s ok tho i like it when my characters suffer (▰˘◡˘▰)

Poldark (2015-2019)