AU MEME: Anna, Mary, and Noir(ish) for sam 

make no mistake i don’t do anything for free,
i keep my enemies closer than my mirror ever gets to me,
and if you think that there is shelter in this attitude
wait ‘til you feel the warmth of my gratitude.

AU MEME: Carson revisits his theatre roots in secret, which worries frustrates Mrs. Hughes. Mary happens to find him.

“You’ve worried quite a number of people over the last twenty-four hours, Carson. It may be a record.”
“Miss Crawley - I didn’t - I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“I could say the same to you.”
“It - it’s a complicated story -“
“Good. You know I liked complicated.”

AU MEME: CLASS SWAP, THE LORD AND HIS HEIR

LORD CARSON: At this point, I don’t care who he picks, he just needs to find a lady.
LADY CARSON: Don’t care? You still find faults in my pedigree.
LORD CARSON: I didn’t mean -
LADY CARSON: Oh no, I’m sure you meant to phrase inferiority in the kindest of ways. You always were such a charmer.
LORD CARSON: But you aren’t worried about him?
LADY CARSON: I am worried, Charles, but I’m quite sure that’s what mothers do.

GOTHAM CITY/DOWNTON AU  [ 1 / 2 ]

as casted by flor and vee

AU MEME. the past all too present, Anna and Mary flee to America to wait out the storm → requested by lsaxons

AU MEME: GHOSTS

“Don’t you believe in spirits, then?”
“Well, I don’t believe they play board games.”

elsie-hughes:

AU MEME: JOURNALISTS

“Do you still steal secrets, Miss Swire?”  “Still bitter, Carlisle?” She doesn’t counter like he thinks she will. It’s all sweet - and maybe even genuine - concern with only the faintest bite, a devil smile round its edges. Her kindness is disarming. He thinks, of all her qualities, he hates that most.

They say if you look hard enough, there’s always a story. But a simple story isn’t good enough anymore. Spread out over desks, coffee disappearing and smoke clouds haloing their faces, the four of them are supposedly journalism’s political dream team: the kind Evelyn Napier, specializing in foreign affairs and gentle smiles (“But why can’t we have a ‘good news’ segment?” Richard is the first to snap back: “Because people don’t want to be bored; they want to be entertained.”); upstart Tom Branson, making up for any lack of experience with overwhelming passion; the calculating Richard Carlisle, with incomparable ruthlessness and endless contacts; and Lavinia Swire, sweet Lavinia Swire, all soft voice and patient silence, but who constantly turns in stories with the most exclusive of information (this enrages Carlisle most of all; he rages about her ‘complete speculation’ - “Better than blatant lies,” Branson mutters, teeth grinding - but, speculation or not, Lavinia Swire is always, always right).

They’re supposed to be a team, but collaboration always manages to give way for competition. Carlisle’s penchant for exaggerated scandal clashing with Branson’s firm beliefs in a sort of moral journalism; the quiet rivalry that has built, story by story, between Lavinia and Richard, the need to be first, better.

“I still think,” Evelyn says, “people would appreciate good news.”

(via superficialmycosis)

AU MEME: DETECTIVES/CRIME

“And what about your fortune?”
“My fortune?”
“Your fortune. It’s the reason he married you, isn’t it?”
“You are sailing, Miss O’Brien, precariously close to things that are none of your business.”
“Just doing my job, M’lady.”

In which Sarah O’Brien is a private detective, investigating the murder of Robert Crawley, Cora is his widow and prime suspect, and Thomas is O’Brien’s less-than-legitimate informant. In which Anna Smith is an amateur who has become far too entangled in the murder of Mrs. Vera Bates and can’t seem to stop poking around in O’Brien’s business. In which Charles Carson and Elsie Hughes are police officers because of reasons.