#judge of course is vincent price

[soapkaars]

So @faustiandevil showed me the chaotic madness that is The Try Guys' Without a Recipe, and naturally we wondered what this show would be with Old Hollywood stars. So featuring: Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Bela Lugosi, and Boris Karloff.

[natk2002]

Febuwhump 2024 - Day 10

Link to AO3 here, or read down below!

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Lincoln Lawyer (TV 2022) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Mickey Haller, Hayley Haller, Original Male Character(s), Izzy Letts Additional Tags: Febuwhump, Febuwhump 2024, Whump, Hurt Mickey Haller, Mickey Haller's mortal enemy is every parking garage, What is with Haller and Parking Garages?, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death Series: Part 10 of NatK - Febuwhump 2024 Summary: Febuwhump 2024, Day 10 - Killing in Self-Defense, A rare loss for Haller makes for a vengeful, and stupid, client.

@febuwhump

Guilty.

Haller knew that no lawyer was infallible, that a 100% success rate was not a plausible possibility as a lawyer.

“Haller, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Judge ruled a guilty verdict, Vincent. Now listen to me – you may feel this is the end of the road, but it’s not. This is only the court of first instance. So pay the bail, keep your mouth shut, and see me in my office tomorrow. Understood?”

Vincent nodded as he was led out of the courtroom, and Mickey shuffled his papers into his briefcase, the Prosecutor walking across to him.

“Tough one, eh, Haller? I would apologise for ruining your streak of success…”

“I wouldn’t be too quick, Counsellor. The case is going straight to appeal in the morning.”

“And I’ll beat you there too, Haller. Until the next ass whooping.”

Jerk.

“Hey, everything okay?” Izzy asked, catching up with Haller outside the courtroom.

“Yeah, yeah. Listen, Izzy. I need to clear my head. Mind if I grab the car off you? I’ll call you an Uber.”

“No worries Boss, I thought you might be wanting some one-on-one with the Lincoln, so Cisco and Lorna are picking me up.”

“Ah, great. Tomorrow at 10?”

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

*

Haller finished up his dinner at the café across the street from the courtyard, his mind unable to stray away from the case. There was more – there had to be.

A phone call from Hayley dragged him out of his mind.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing much. Just wanted to ask if we were still on for dinner tomorrow Dad?”

“Yes, of course. It’s on my calendar, and Izzy is going to give me a lift.”

“Fab, see you soon Dad!” She ended the call and Haller settled the bill, making his way back to the car.

Tomorrow would be a new day, and he was determined to leave the case to rest until he could get some sleep.

Except, evidently, the case didn’t want to leave him.

“Haller.” The Lawyer turned around to face Vincent in time for him to be thrown onto the hood of his own car, keys clattering to the ground.

“Vincent…” Mickey began, but Vincent threw a mean right hook, the force reverberating through his face.

“You assured me I’d be free to walk.”

What are you doing right now? Haller wanted to quip, but it was certainly not to be making jokes.

“Vincent, I told you that your case is complicated. I managed to get you out on bail. Assaulting your lawyer is not the way to get an appeal in your favour.”

“You mean wait months for the appeal? Stuck under curfew. I have a business to run, Mickey Haller.” Vincent pulled something out of his pocket, but before Haller could see what it was, he felt it.

The air quite literally ripped out of his lungs as the knife plunged into his chest. Vincent pulled it out, and was evidently gearing for another stab, but Haller ducked, the knife instead plunging into his priced Lincoln.

Not as priced as your own life, he reminded himself as he witnessed Vincent slide the knife down the bonnet to free it from the metal.

“Vincent, you’re not too far gone. Leave now, and we can call this a misunderstanding.”

“No, Counsellor, what was a misunderstanding was whatever happened in court. I didn’t get out on bail, actually. I have 24 hours to surrender myself to the penitentiary. What better way to spend it than making sure no one else is fooled by your false promises.” Vincent said as he lunged again, Mickey barely rolling out of the way.

For someone who looked so scrawny, he sure was fast.

His phone rang again, and Mickey realised that if he carried on bleeding out like a gutted rat on the parking garage floor, Vincent would surely kill him there and then. Haller swiped Vincent’s legs from under him, the knife clattering to the ground.

They both reached for it almost simultaneously, eyes locked as they fought for the instrument that would decide who would walk away victorious that evening.

Haller’s phone rang again, and Vincent’s momentary surprise gave Haller the opportunity to dash the knife away from his client, who still decided to lunge at the lawyer.

But before Mickey could make a move, Vincent stumbled. In the space of a blink, the knife was now stuck in Vincent’s neck. Vincent pulled it out, stupidly slashing in Haller’s direction, not realising, or not caring, about his own impending death.

Death.

The surge of adrenaline coursing through Haller’s veins had worn off, and the sharp pain washed over him.

He couldn’t help Vincent, nobody could. But he could help himself. Trying to keep his breathing as even as he could, he dialled 911, somehow communicating his location, his name, and his demand for an ambulance.

He looked over at his now-deceased client, praying that he wouldn’t complete the collection by becoming the dead lawyer beside him.

[trickster-whim]

For my birthday this year, we went thrifting! Of course, Saturday is the worst day to go thrifting, but that's fine. It was also Machop community day, so I also was catching machops.

Our first stop was the Boba place, to get one more Neopets collab drink before they're gone. They've been out of pins for a while, but we got extra stickers (Aisha this time!). I got a guava black tea with mango popping bubbles, and it was really good. I love tea that someone else makes ❤️

Anyway, we went to Bookmans and a couple goodwills. I didn't take a lot of photos because my sister was there so I wasn't just browsing, but I did a little.

Did I almost buy this Bumblebee mask? Maybe. You can't judge me.

(Like any normal person, I have long thrifting memories, so it reminded me of finding a Yami mask of similar quality years ago when I also found an Ultra Magnus doll, which hangs out on a shelf over my desk now. I can't remember what I walked into a room for or where I left any given tool I need, but I remember a random thrift trip from literal years ago. Thanks, brain.)

Um, anyway.

Ein Optimus.... wait...

Oh no, oh god, he got runned over :((( RIP....

One theme of thrifting this weekend was that anything I was interested in didn't have a price listed, basically. So, I collect dolls obviously, and I watch a lot of ex-fundy type stuff, so when I spotted an A Life of Faith doll in box at goodwill, uh that was a yes from me. But of course the price was ripped off!! It was also taped, so I couldn't even see if the doll was in there and if she had everything etc etc, and I didn't feel like bothering for something that was more or less an ironic purchase. So oh well, no doll for me.

I guess I only took those pictures while I was out?? Wild?? So here's the stuff I got! Out of order!

I forgot my sister actually got me this Twyla doll months ago, so she's not a thrift find, but I love the dice and character sheets and stuff she comes with. She's adorable, and I haven't really been buying new Monster High dolls, so she's nice to have in my collection.

I also got a Build-a-Bear frog (its name is now Grog, which I call all frogs because of consonant reduplication or harmony or some such), with a doctor's outfit. The outfit still has tags, and it was originally $15.50, so I'm not complaining about the price. Also I was just looking for a BaB frog to add to my collection. Probably the only other one I'm actively seeking is an alien (or a couple, since they have difference colorways I think), and maybe one of the licensed characters that I haven't seen before. Because right now I have a Curly bear, Darth Maul, Dragonite, and Frog on my bed (and a mini alien on my chair, and a coo on my desk), so I'm not really actively looking... though I won't say no per se. They are cute plushies.

(There was an Isabelle BaB doll at one Goodwill also, but I didn't really want to buy two. Tempting tho.)

Onto books! We found a couple World of Darkness books, both Wolf's Rain books (I bought my sister one volume beforehand, but we couldn't remember if it was 1 or 2, and we didn't want to buy the wrong one, so I guess now we have an extra number 2, which isn't the end of the world lol). I also got:

On of Off, auf Deutsch. Can't resist German language comics, especially m/m. Dunno if it's any good, but I'll read it.

This cover was designed to appeal to me specifically, so I couldn't resist this copy of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy magazine. I haven't had the chance to read it yet, but I also just love fantasy, and this is such a Forever Knight cover. (I also love that the artist is listed right there on the cover. Thanks, Vincent Di Fate; I love this painting and I don't have to search for where you're credited!)

Also at Bookmans, we got some pins, so Roddy's showing them off.

Lastly, I got this Ugg lap desk thing? It was another thing with no price, but I was just thinking that I wanted a lap desk, and this one is soooo soft. There was something next to it that had a $3.49 tag, and that seemed like a fair enough price, so I put that tag on this pouf. Probably illicit, but there was no price!! What else was I supposed to do? Ask an attendant? Have them make me a new price that probably would be more than that? On my birthday? No, sir.

Anyway, I got some cool stuff but mostly the present was just going out and looking at stuff, and then picking up dinner and a cake to go, coming home, and reading fanfictions until bed. Coulda been worse, especially since I caught like ten shiny machops.

[stardewremixed]

In defense of Sam... pt. 3

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

SAM’S HEART EVENTS

Let’s take a look at Sam’s heart events and see how he struggles with insecurity, and has possibly been hurt because of his mom’s treatment of him. SPOILER ALERTS! See my other 2 posts prior to this one here and here to follow this train of thought... 

❤️❤️ 2 hearts

Sam has trouble deciding what kind of music to play. This might seem small but it is a big deal to a person who may have been judged or even berated for his choices before. Sam is seeking approval from someone he cares about, someone who's opinion he values. I'm sure he wishes for this kind of approval from his parents. Then he conveniently selects what he thinks you want to hear.

❤️❤️❤️ 3 hearts

Sam does mention that his dad used to take them to the beach on days like this. His relationship with his dad is better, especially as he mentions their dad's strength as evidence that he won't go down easily. Notice Jodi is not with them.

While Sam does mention that Mom is around to play with him if Vincent gets lonely, I think Jodi has a different kind of relationship with her youngest son. She is less harsh and more forgiving with Vincent. Something Sam desperately wants.

Vincent is upset about overhearing adults saying the soldiers are getting "shot to pieces." Most likely one of these adults was their mom complaining and worrying with a friend. Sam kindly drops to one knee at eye level to reassure his little brother. He puts on a brave front and again, asks for your opinion.

If you pick the opinion "kids should have hope," Sam replies that kids should hold onto their childhood as long as possible. This is a sad reflection of how Sam feels. With his dad gone frequently and his mom's unrealistic expectations of him, Sam had to grow up much faster than he wished.

❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4 hearts

I’m going to spend the most time here because this event is what sparked my initial theory. Sam breaks the egg. He looks so dejected when he sees the mess. Jodi comes running. Notice how she was just hovering in the hallway right before. Almost as if she doesn't trust Sam. She was staring at a door before - a real productive activity. If you notice she stands around and does stuff like this a lot (more on that later). I know... I know... most of the villagers “stand around” but Jodi bothers me in particular.

Jodi says "this is absolutely terrible!" She looks absolutely pissed off in her portrait. Okay, it's one little egg. Sure it's a little messy but it's not like a whole carton. Are they that desperate financially that they can't afford the loss of one tiny egg?

(In game, if you chat with her at different times, she does make a little comment about the “low prices” at Joja, which might indicate a financial struggle. And she laments Joja prices after their doors close if you complete the Community Center. Cheaper does not equal better, Jodi! To me, dropping an egg is still not that big of a deal. It's an annoyance. It's inconvenient. It's not a reason for Sam to feel ashamed.)

Jodi asks what happened. First of all, he can't tell her and asks you to instead. He can't look his mom in the eye. You can tell. This has happened before, and he's so apologetic. Too apologetic. Maybe it wasn't an egg, but she has yelled at him before for dropping/breaking things. Accidents happen.

Second of all, he backs up whatever you say, with one exception. Jodi thanks you for your honesty even if you aren't honest. Notice how she softens if she thinks it was you. Of course, she’s not going to blow up at you... the guest in her home.

If you select "Sam dropped it on purpose. He thought it would be funny," Sam does defensively say that you're lying. Jodi immediately believes you and roasts Sam. We know this from the all caps - "You did WHAT?" It is one tiny egg, Jodi. Not the end of the world. It'll take 10-20 seconds to clean up.

Sam folds like a wet napkin and says he will clean it up and he's sorry. If you chose this option, in his mind, it’s probably further proof of his screw-up nature. He can’t do anything right, even if it’s something as simple as getting a snack from the refrigerator. Jodi says a much too cheerful "thanks honey" after he offers to clean up. Her thanks feel so forced. And she giggles at him. Not very kind, Mom.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 6 hearts

This event isn't about Jodi but we witness an overly apologetic Sam again when confronted by Mayor Lewis for skateboarding on private property. How do we know Emily and Haley didn't give permission to do so? Ok, that's beside the point.

The Mayor is overly dramatic saying he wonders about the town being "doomed" because of "the youth these days." Alright, Mayor. Don't you think that's uncharitable and unfair? Sure Sam is a lot younger than the Mayor but he is an adult. He's a man who enjoys skateboarding (and in my headcanon, his skateboard was a gift from his dad). It's a way of connecting with his dad, letting out frustration, releasing energy in a positive way, and exercising. Sure, he shouldn't skate on his neighbor's flower pots but he's not the irresponsible kid the Mayor (and Jodi) make him out to be.

If you select the option where he has no where else to skate, the Mayor even berates you and implies you are immature. Don't knock things you don't understand, Lewis. Maybe instead of building gold statues of yourself, you could invest in...oh I don't know...a skate park...

I could see Sam teaching Vincent, and maybe even Jas. For some reason, I could also see Wizard trying wicked bike tricks. 😁 At least the Mayor apologizes for yelling. Sam sweats (as indicated by the sweat drop) and says a meek "yes sir." You know I feel like Emily and Haley should be the ones to chew Sam out not Lewis... if they care (the flower bin is empty). And while Sam is respectful toward his elders (a respect that is not returned by his mom or the mayor), he is too apologetic in my opinion.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 8 hearts

Sam invites you to see his band play. We see Jodi and Vincent standing off to the side at the bus stop. I think it's an act. Small town. Gotta keep up appearances.

At the show, Jodi and Vincent stand off the side again. Jodi is the furthest from the stage (save Linus by dumpster). I don't know. I'm probably reading way too much into this, but if Jodi was a supportive mom, shouldn't she be closer to the stage? While Vincent is bobbing around, Jodi is standing perfectly still. To be fair,  there are others who aren't moving either, but a disengaged Jodi just doesn't feel right.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 10 hearts

Sam wants to talk to you in private. You could go back to the Farm or some other place in the Valley, but instead he sneaks you into his room. Sure, maybe the "sneaking" part feels a little juvenile but if he has an overbearing judgmental mom, I don't blame him. He feels as if he has to hide his love interest because he's afraid of what his mom will say and think, and how she will react. Because a successful farmer who is helping to invest in the town and rebuild the community center is such a horrible choice! <<< Note the sarcasm. 🙄

Let’s suppose... If Jodi "caught" them, which she doesn't, she could say something about setting a bad example for his little brother (although Sam is a man and sex between two consenting and loving adults is a beautiful thing ❤️). Or maybe she might say a firm "not under my roof." Again, Sam is a man and why are you all bursting into his room late at night and questioning him? I mean her actual words are

"What's wrong, honey? Were you doing something bad?"

She automatically assumes he is up to no good. She heard "weird sounds" and thought to investigate. Overbearing much? Seriously, he was having a conversation with the Farmer. They weren't even kissing yet. Sam lies and says he was doing push-ups. That isn't exactly affirming of your budding relationship, and I would be upset, but you are already hiding and again, that’s not the focus of this post.

I don't blame him though because of the awkwardness of his mom just bursting into his room with little warning because she heard noise. Um... Sam could be playing music, or the TV or radio, or talking on the phone, or actually working out, or I dunno.. actually having a friend or love interest over! Would it be so bad? He specifically mentions he hopes to keep up/beat his dad at a workout, and Jodi just laughs/giggles at him. As if again reinforcing how incapable Sam actually is, and how funny it is that he is red and sweaty. Woman! Do you work out at the Tuesday group and never break a sweat?

[doctorofmagic]

What are your thoughts on Stephens sexuality?

Greetings, anon!

Do you mean in canon or according to my headcanons?

When it comes to canon, there are many hints that Stephen is poly-coded and transcends notions of gender. Of course, Marvel can’t allow classic heroes to be LGBTQIA+ so they have to add the fact he falls in love with a woman’s aura. Not a person’s aura, you know what I mean? Canonically speaking, when we go back to 60′s, 70′s and 80′s, we can read Stephen as a very respectful man who is mainly attracted to the notion of love. If, and only if, we consider him a cishet man, then I’d say he’s at least demi. Because he really needs to feel a certain connection before starting a relationship. Clea is always the one who suggests sex. And she isn’t embarrassed AT ALL when it comes to this matter. Besides, Stephen is very loyal to his love for Clea.

This is pretty much clear when we analyze his relationship with Victoria Bentley. Stephen’s heart was Clea’s all along, even though he is poly. It also took him several weeks to at least hang out with, ugh, Morgana Blessing. It was clearly one-sided, Stephen never loved her, so he never had anything with her (maybe a forced kiss from her past life incarnation but meh). He also destroys the concept of toxic masculinity. People keep telling me I should disregard sexism in Silver Age because all male characters were built under this concept. EXCUSE ME. EXCUUUUSE ME???? Stephen has never ever been sexist????????????? EVER? Especially in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s? (we do not talk about Fearless Defenders in this house).

And yet, Stephen’s sexuality changed in recent comics (I’d say for the worse because I don’t really like how he’s portrayed as a dog). Nowadays, Stephen can hook up with pretty much any female character as long as the writer wants him to do so. Personally, I’d rather read an emotional connection when he’s trying to be with someone’s else who is not Clea. This is why his thing with Elektra was aesthetically really hot, but it didn’t ignite my heart. Carol, on the other hand? 100% invested in this shipwreck because it was built on angst. And do I love angst???

So, basically, I’d say he was once portrayed as a cishet demi-boy, and now he’s just a cishet man. This is pretty much everything I have to offer when it comes to canon...

Concerning headcanons, though? We go apeshit. First of all, in my humble opinion, Stephen is not cis. He has magic at his side, and even in canon, he changed his apperance/gender once (Dr. Strange v2 - Master of the Mystic Arts #14, for those interested in this matter). Whether he’s trans, non-binary, genderfluid? All is valid. Sometimes I shift between his alosexuality and his demisexuality, I believe both are good ways to read the character, even though I prefer the latter. Lastly, I believe Stephen is pan.

It really kills me, the fact that Stephen can use magic as he pleases to explore human sexuality (and alien, as seen in v4 and v5) and people still think he’s a modern version of Vincent Price. I really don’t like to judge people’s sexuality based on clothes or behavior but... Have you seen his v5 suit???? Anyone, hello??? The way he majestically levitates? It’s something that you just... know. It’s there. It’s certainly there.

I hardly think we’ll ever get this version of Stephen, even though the potential is all over the place. People in the community, and by that I mean readers AND writers, are really open to read Stephen as an LGBT character. Leah did it twice (when Stephen’s blushing to see Tony in trunks in Gwenpool Strikes Back #3 and when Stephen says he loves Wong in Doctor Strange - The End). But that’s all. We live for the hints. It’s depressing, really. But it is what it is.

Of course, this is my very personal headcanon. Feel free to disagree or imagine your own headcanons (or even stick to the canon). This is the beauty of being a fan. People have different perspectives and I believe all is valid as long as it stays respectful. In the end, I just want Stephen to be loved haha

Thank you for dropping an ask!

[chayacat]

Devil’s Sweet Star (20)

Fandom: Dead by Daylight

Ghostface x Female Reader  

Rated M for Violence, Language and Smut  

***

All artists have a muse. An inspiration. Motivation, unwavering will. A signature of their own. It’s impossible to copy the work of an artist, because he always leaves a part of himself, a small detail, whether in the choice of shapes, lines, colors, etc., which allows us, little observers to recognize his work. We could take the example of Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo, Andy Warhol and finally Salvador Dali. All these artists had a particular signature, a little something that made their works unique, inimitable. Yet many have tried to reproduce them in order to make money. And even if some of them succeeded, they quickly found themselves behind bars.

But Danny is an... Particular artist. His works are particularly... Bloody. Certainly, he’s an assassin, but an assassin who wants to leave behind a trace of his passage, a piece of him in this vast world. Something that will remind everyone that he existed. At least Ghostface existed. But if every artist has a muse... What's Danny's muse? To tell the truth... He's got two. The first is simply envy. His insatiable urge for blood, to hear the gentle howls of his victims and to see the authorities tearing their hair out in the face of the lack of clues, is the reason he does this. As for his second muse...

Well, his second muse is you. For him, you are a precious jewel that he must protect at any price. No one should approach you and he won't let anyone near you. Of course, you will have the right to have friends, but don't plan to spend too much time without him. Besides, he feels frustrated that you prefer Jed to him. His alter ego is so boring compared to him! And yet how many times did he tell you? How many times did he tell you to think carefully?

And yet you chose Jed. But what happened that night ... He will remember it forever. Those little chills he felt on your skin when his tongue ran through your belly, your chest. And your little moans...A twisted smile appeared on his face just thinking about it. He's going to make you languish, but he's going to enjoy himself. And if you change your mind... it is beyond the seventh heaven that he will take you.

But for now, he has a more urgent matter to deal with. Because tonight is the big night. Everything was ready. Hoggins had brought charges to McKellan, who of course had retaliated strongly. How does Danny know? It's a journalist don't forget it. During one of his nightly visits, he had spied on a conversation between the two men and judging by McKellan's tone, the exchange was muscular.

“it's been so long that I've been waiting for this moment ... You dared to attack my angel in front of me. It's time for you to pay. I'm going to make you the best masterpiece ever created." He said, looking at McKellan house.

He had checked everything. He knew everything by heart. The round of the guards, the presence of the camera, McKellan's habits... absolutely everything. No surveillance camera.... humph, he thinks he's so untouchable that he doesn't feel the need to have security cameras. Poor fool. You're going to bitterly regret your arrogance. And Hoggins is going to pay the price.

It does not enchant Danny to attribute this murder to another, but if it is to see Wilhelm go round in circles, the game is worth it. He had parked his van in a place well out of sight. McKellan's villa is a staple, isolated from the city. No neighbourhood, no one to see or hear anything except the guards. Danny will never understand the rich and their desire to get away from people. Even if in a way, it feels good to have nothing around you, except the birdsong and the rustling of the leaves. But for these people, it's mostly a way not to mix with the "plebe".

He put on his mask and proceeded to the villa discreetly. It's time for the show. It's time for the massacre. From the bushes of the rear terrace, he watched the guards stationed. He knows that in a few minutes they will move to the sides and go around up to him. He must therefore move forward without being spotted to the building. And indeed after a few minutes, the guards moved. They always start at the inside of the terrace before returning from the outer sides. It was therefore cautiously but without concern that Danny advanced, not without paying attention to the flashlight that often came in his direction. Once near the walls, he glanced inside.  

As expected, it was impossible to get in from the back as the number of guards was too large. But he knows where McKellan's office is, and he knows that in exactly 20 minutes, he's going to go to his office and lock himself in and listen to music. He always puts the volume to the fullest, a significant advantage since so no one will hear him scream. He will be the only one who has the privilege of hearing it. Perfect. Once he's dead, Danny will have exactly 1 hour to make his masterpiece and leave because the guards will start suspecting a problem because of the music. Obviously, their boss listens to it every day for the same time. So, if it goes beyond the usual time slot, it's not normal.

Danny passed on the right side of the villa, on the side of which McKellan's office should be. And indeed, the second window of the office is open, surely to ventilate the room. He climbed to the gutter and clung to the balcony to enter the room. And the least we can say, is that this was to be the richest room in the house. He had something in common with Hoggins.

The walls were white marble making the room brighter. The many decorations in gold and red, as well as carpet flooring of the same color, recalled the time of ancient Rome. The few sculptures also for that matter.

“A passionate man of Ancient Rome... that will make my pleasure even more... Living. He will not only be my best masterpiece... but also the masterpiece of this room. It would almost bother me to soil this place of his filthy carcass and pig's blood. But he has to pay for touching and insulting my little angel...my precious love.” He said looking all around the room.  

He saw multiple objects that could be used for him, including multiples knife that look much sharper than his own. He could steal them but Ghostface is not a thief. He had taken a rope that he had found in the garden shed a few nights earlier. Like all the strings he took... this one will help him keep his "work" still.

He had the diagram of his artistic project in mind, with every little detail, of what he was going to cut to what he was going to leave whole ... Nothing much. He looked where he could hide and wait to strike. The cabinet in front of the desk will be the ideal hiding place. As soon as he will be close enough... he will catch him. Suddenly he heard footsteps. McKellan is on his way. Danny hides in the cupboard and waited. McKellan entered, furious as ever.

“Hoggins asshole... after all the services I have rendered to you to enrich yourself like a fat pig, you dare to accuse me?? I should cut your balls off... And this little whore and her damn coffee... not only has it not closed but it also gains in reputation! I'm surrounded by fools.” He said heading to the CD player. “Maybe I should kidnap her and torture her...or sell her as a prostitute...I’m sure that she can make a lot of money...”

Danny's blood was boiling. How dare he imagine for a second making you a toy for filthy fat pigs???  For a bonus profit??? He wanted to jump on him now, he wanted to slit his throat, butcher him, tear him to pieces... But if he goes out now, the guards will hear him and his whole plan will fall apart. He's got to stay calm. He's got to stick to the plan. As soon as he's at the cabinet level... he can attack. McKellan set the music on and turned the sound loud enough for the guards outside the room to hear it. Either he's deaf or he's crazy. Or both.

He stood for a few minutes in front of the reader before starting to "waltz" with his eyes closed. He reached the level of the cabinet and once in his line of sight, Danny went out to knock him out with a blow. He used the rope to tie him to the chair. He knows that from now on, he has 1 hour to do what he has to do. And he intends to take advantage of it. McKellan awoke after five minutes, trying to get away. The music was too loud for anyone to hear, so he looked at the knives but was quickly attract by a sinister sneer.

“Well, well... You finally woke up. You have a beautiful office. In fact, you have a very nice house, I would almost be jealous if it were not yours. Such a beautiful home for a rotten man like you... It's a shame.” said Danny, playing with his knife.

“You...I should be honoured by your presence... but unfortunately, I'm not very friendly with psycho like you. Hoggins sent you, didn't he? he's just a bastard.” Said McKellan with disgust.

“Sorry to tell you, but I'm not a man you can hire... I am acting and I will always act on my own. See if I'm here... it's because you and I have to settle.” Replied Danny before sticking his knife in McKellan's leg, making him scream.  

“YOU LITTLE SHIT!!! I’M GONNA CUT YOU HEAD OUT!!!!

“You see... You attacked someone very precious to me... and if there is one thing, I hate more than anything in this world... is that a rotten man like you, touch on what belongs to me. I'm sure you're wondering who I'm talking about. The "whore" as you like to call her, the boss of the Nebula... No luck for you... She's mine. And I'm going to make you regret every word you say. I hope you enjoyed your last musical moments... But don't worry... I intend to make you the masterpiece of your collection. And my best signing. Let the show begin.  

He cut off the leg where he had planted the knife, with a dry blow, recovering it before it fell to the ground. He did the same with the second and put it all on the desk. He stopped for a few seconds to listen to McKellan's delicious screams about the "tragic" loss of both legs. What sweet music to his ears... But unfortunately, he can't enjoy it very long, he has a countdown to respect.

“Oh... It hurts? I'm really sorry... I should have gone more slowly to lengthen the pleasure. But don't worry... I still have material. And limbs to cut you up. It's too bad you can't see that.”

“Please please ! I... I will give much more If you kill Hoggins for me!  I can make you the richest and the happiest man in this pathetic city! All the women will fall at your feet! You don't need that little slut! She's good for nothing! Just a little whore who thinks she's going to make a career!”

" I don't think you understood. I'm going to tell you one last time. One...” Danny started, planting his knife in one of McKellan’s arms. “I don't work for ANYBODY. If you think I'm just a puppet, I want you to know that I'm just for myself. I'm only doing this for my one and only pleasure. Never, and I say NEVER, would I work for anyone, even less for a rotten man of your kind. But if it makes you feel any better, Hoggins is going to come and keep you company in hell. Two...”

He thrust his knife deep into MacKellan’s arm to keep him awake until he finished talking to him. He drew his face closer to his.

“I only need one woman and that's her. I won't let anyone.... ANYONE, treat her like a good-for-nothing. You threatened her, assaulted her, you even sent someone several times to kill her. She is mine and only MINE and I will not let anyone near my angel, you fat pig!”

Danny pulled his knife out of Mackellan’s arm before repeatedly stabbing McKellan's skull. He recoiled inwardly at the sight of this bloodied, lifeless skull. He cut off his arms, then cut off his tongue and cut off his belly like a pig. He took out all these innards, cut them to a certain length and used them to tie his victim once again, one end ending deep in the throat, like a snake coming out of his mouth. He made sure to hold his arms and legs on the top of the skull, like deer antlers. How can he do that? A magician never reveals his secrets. Once his work was finished, Danny took out his camera.

“Look at you, you’re a masterpiece....MY masterpiece! You get exactly what you deserve you Motherf*cker. Now my little angel is safe...Almost if we count me in the lot. Well! Smile for the camera!”  Danny said before taking a picture. “Oh, I almost forgot the message! It’s necessary to give a lead to this dear Wilhelm ... even a fake one. Hoggins... You might not like the next few days.”

He wrote a bloody message on one of the walls of the office, leaving the policeman and the guard thinking that Hoggins was the author. One way or another. Then he quickly but discreetly left the premises before the guards were alerted by the unusual extension of the music. He returned to his van, changed, put his Ghostface outfit and mask back in the bag before heading home. On the road, he couldn't help but stop and burst out laughing, a laugh as he thought about what he had just done. The adrenaline was still running through his veins, he could not calm down.

He took a few minutes to calm down, then take the road again and went home. He parked and looked at your window. Everything was off and given the time, it was normal. Everyone was asleep, no one to testify anything to the police. Everything is always perfect. He went up to his apartment, entered, closed the door and walked to his office with his bag in his hand. He put it all down on the couch and looked at his hunting board, a satisfied smile on his lips.

He took his red felt, which was still working despite the rage of the last time, and bared McKellan's face with a long cross. That's it. He's finally dead. And there's more to kill. Hoggins is next on the list. But Danny will let time pass before attacking him. For now, he's going to focus on you. His sweet little star, his precious love, his angel. He looked at his bag, perhaps a little visit is necessary? Anyway, you sleep then ... you're not likely to say much.

A light cool wind entered your room, but it didn't seem to bother you. You were warm in your duvet with a radiant smile on your lip. Danny, or rather Ghostface was above you, a big smile behind his mask. He stayed for a few minutes without moving before lifting his mask slightly to kiss your cheek delicately.

“You can finally sleep easy, my angel. That fat pig won't do anything to you anymore. But never forget that you belong to me. Sleep well my love, hoping I'll be in your dreams.” he whispered so you don't wake up.

He put a small piece of paper on your nightstand to warn you of McKellan's death. The word is simple: "He's dead." He knows you will understand who it is. He left as discreetly as he had come, to go to bed as well, despite the little adrenaline he had left. It's going to be a long night.

But Damn it was so delicious.

***

(I'm practically about to pass my code exam! I'm so happy! hoping we won't be confined to the date where I'll pass it. I want to thank you all as much as you are, you are almost 40 to follow the poor little French potato that I am! In the meantime, I hope you will love this chapter as much as the others! they all deserve to be appreciated so much! Have a great weekend to you all! See ya!)

[tsuki-chibi]

Blueberry Peach (Adrien AUGreste) Part 10: Lazy day

Or read it on AO3: Blueberry Peach

Also find the other parts of the series AO3: Fruitful verse

-------

At first, Chloé stuck close enough to the photography session that Adrien and Marinette could see her at all times. She didn’t know Marinette well, but she knew Adrien well enough to know that he was very apprehensive about taking off his miraculous. It stood to reason that Marinette would feel the same way. And, considering that both of them had only just got their miraculous back, that made sense.

“Alright!” Vincent called out. “Adrien, Marinette, I need something more playful. You’re young, you’re in love – make the camera ache for you!”

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other in that way that meant they were communicating telepathically. Chloé didn’t know if they were aware of just how often they did that, but they did it a lot. So much so that sometimes she was genuinely astonished that no one had caught on to them yet.

It just proved how oblivious people could be if you asked Chloé.

Finally, the two of them seemed to come to a consensus. Adrien took Marinette’s right hand and then gently laid his free hand on her hip. He pulled her closer, and for a moment the two of them just stood there gazing into each other’s eyes.

Vincent practically rubbed his hands in glee and attacked his camera, clicking away.

Chloé swallowed the lump in her throat and tightened her grip on the miraculous until her fingers turned white.

She had always known that she and Adrien weren’t soulmates, of course. But a little part of her had hoped that maybe, in the end, that wouldn’t matter. There were plenty of couples out there who weren’t soulmated pairs. It wasn’t uncommon.

Adrien was sweet, and kind, and loyal. She might not really love him that way, but he had never once turned away from Chloé, not really. Not like everyone else. So she’d hoped –

But now there was Marinette, and they were more than just soulmates. They were partners. Ladybug and Chat Noir. Nothing would ever come between those two.

The realization was a bitter one no matter how many times it crossed Chloé’s mind. Yet she knew she had to come to terms with it. There was no sense in being jealous over Marinette. All that would do was drive Adrien away, and even now that was the last thing that Chloé wanted to do. More than anything, she did not want to lose Adrien’s love and friendship.

That was why she’d been trying, sort of, to make friends with Marinette. It was hard. Chloé wasn’t very good at being nice, and she knew that Marinette didn’t really like her. But for some reason, Marinette seemed to be trying too. So that made it a little bit easier.

But seeming them together, looking so cozy and happy…

It was a jab right to the part of Chloé’s heart that knew no one would ever look at her the way that Adrien was looking at Marinette.

No one wanted her like that. No one wanted her at all.

“Yes! Yes!” Vincent cried out enthusiastically. “Now… you’re having a lazy day. Just the two of you. No one is watching!”

Her stomach flipped as Marinette reached up and lightly ran her fingers down Adrien’s cheek. Her index finger lingered on the curve of his jaw, then she tapped him playfully on the nose.

Adrien laughed and, in retaliation, pulled her forward; he dipped her backwards over his arm, and it was Marinette’s turn to laugh.

Vincent was practically crying with joy.

Chloé couldn’t watch them anymore. Her chest was painfully tight as she looked away. For the first time, she realized that her mother was standing alone a short distance away. Audrey had one hand propped on her hip and was talking angrily into her cell phone in rapid-fire English. Judging by the wide birth that everyone was giving her, Audrey was probably in the middle of firing someone else.

She hesitated, glancing over at Adrien and Marinette. Vincent was calling for a wardrobe change now, and over-eager interns were swarming the two of them and ushering them into the backroom. From previous experience, Chloé knew that a wardrobe change usually involved a hairstyle change too. So it might be as much as fifteen minutes before they came out.

Rather than follow and hang around making a nuisance of herself in an already cramped space, she drifted closer to her mother.

Audrey didn’t even notice.

“ – I’m telling you how I want it! You’re fired!” she spat into the phone in French before hanging up.

“Mom?” Chloé ventured cautiously.

Audrey ignored her, huffing under her breath and dialing another number. She barked, “You better figure out how to get me a new personal assistant within the hour!” into the phone before hanging up again.

“Mom,” Chloé said again, a little louder this time. Her heart was thudding against her ribs. Maybe this was a mistake.

No, no ‘maybe’ about it. This was a mistake. Last night, Audrey had been in a ferociously bad mood. She’d been ranting about Gabriel Agreste – apparently he had slighted her in some way. It didn’t look like her mood had improved as she finally turned to look at Chloé, because it took a few seconds for her to even register that Chloé was standing there.

“What? Oh, Clara,” Audrey said, eyes skating dismissively over Chloé.

“It’s Chloé,” Chloé corrected automatically.

“Right, whatever,” Audrey muttered, attention already drifting back to her phone.

Chloé pointedly cleared her throat. “Mom, I have a gift for you,” she said. “Maybe after this is over, you could come back with me to the hotel and I could give it to you?” She had spent some time this morning debating on bringing the gift along, before finally deciding that giving it to Audrey in a public setting probably wasn’t the best idea.

“A gift? What is it?” Audrey said sharply.

“Earrings,” Chloé said. There was no surprising Audrey Bourgeois. You had to tell her straight up what you were doing so she could decide if it was worth her time. Chloé’s chest tightened further as Audrey gave a derisive laugh.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Claire. Your fashion is terrible. What makes you think I would want anything you bought me?”

Chloé opened and closed her mouth, speechless.

“I mean – just look at how you’re dressed. Yellow, black, and white? Yellow is so out this year.” Audrey exhaled noisily and shook her head. “Absolutely ridiculous.”

“I – I got them just for you,” Chloé said weakly. “They’re not – I –” They were delicate sapphires strung up in silver cords, soft and dainty and expensive. Even Chloé’s father had balked at the price, but Chloé had insisted. She’d thought they were exactly Audrey’s style. But she couldn’t seem to find the words to explain that.

“I don’t want anything from you. Just get away from me; I don’t have the time to waste,” Audrey snapped at her before raising her voice. “Carlos! Get over here!”

Numbly, Chloé stood there in silence as Audrey stalked away. The pain in her chest was such that she could hardly breathe around it.

“What?!” Audrey’s voice was a shrill shriek. “He did what?!”

“Audrey, please,” a man was begging. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that –”

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught Chloé’s attention.

For there, over the far side of the building, came a purple butterfly.

[cottontail20]

In Happy Times, Our Love Does Grow, Chapter 6: It Takes A Village

Summary: Sharing breakfast with Vision and Viv, Wanda finds herself sharing her grief.

Ao3 link:https://archiveofourown.org/works/20601530/chapters/49294376

Once inside, Vision chose a booth near the play area. They had to walk through most of the restaurant to get to said booth, and swore she could feel every eye in the place glaring daggers at her. In her mind, their message was clear.

You don't belong here. We don't want you here.

Wanda wanted to turn around and run right back out, but before she could, Vision had taken her hand in his. Wanda's hand was quite cold from walking so long through the cool morning air, but Vision's was wonderfully warm.

"Don't worry about what anyone else thinks" He whispered. "You're here with me, and you are welcome.."

"Okay.." Wanda was only slightly comforted by his words.

Vision set Vivian down, smoothing a hand over her soft blonde hair.

"You wanted the blueberry pancakes, didn't you sweetheart?"

"Yes Daddy" Viv nodded.

"I'll order them for you. You go play for a bit, okay? Daddy wants to talk to Wanda."

"Okay" The little girl happily rushed off to the play area.

Vision took his seat in the booth. Wanda, quite reluctantly, sat across from him, grabbing a menu and pretending to peruse it so she did not have to meet Vision's eyes. Vision watched her for awhile, glancing at his own menu once or twice, before he finally spoke.

"Wanda.."

"Mhhm?" Her eyes remained fixed on the menu.

"Are you going to tell me what's got you so upset?" He asked gently, then frowned. "Did somebody hurt you?"

"What? No.. No, nothing happened that I didn't agree to."

"Good. For a moment I was worried that I might have to beat someone up, and I don't think I am threatening enough for that to go well.."

The tiniest of smiles tugged at Wanda's lips, before she heard Viv giggle from the play area, and the smile faded.

"I shouldn't be near her when I'm like this.." she sighed.

"Like what?" Vision seemed confused.

"Hungover and dressed like a.. Look at me!" Wanda snapped, finally meeting his gaze.

"I am looking at you" Vision replied quietly. "All I see is a friend who is upset, and I would like to know why, in case there is anything I can do to help."

Wanda hesitated for a moment, then sighed, relenting.

"It.. Today is my Birthday."

"Happy Birthday.. Although I am guessing the day is not quite so happy for you."

"No, not really.. I have.. had a twin brother, Pietro" Wanda continued. "Two years ago, just before our Birthday, he was killed in a hit and run accident, saving a little boy from a drunk driver.."

"I am so sorry.."

"Pietro was all I had left in the world, and when I lost him.. I lost a part of myself, and it hurts, so much, and days like our Birthday hurt even worse.. So I go out and drink myself to oblivion and have bad sex, because it helps me forget all that pain, for a little while, and I know I shouldn't, I know it's not.."

"Why shouldn't you?" Vision cut her off.

"What?" Wanda frowned.

"Well, as a man who spends at least three days a week leaping about in a green leotard for the entertainment of children, I feel I am the last person who should judge someone based on how they dress. And I definitely won't judge someone on how they choose to grieve" said Vision. "Grief is a very personal, private thing. Everyone deals with it in their own way, in their own time. Nobody should judge somebody else for how they choose to grieve.. I'm certainly not going to."

"Y-You're not?"

"No, I'm not.."

"Oh.. Well, thank you.."

At that moment, a waitress approached the table.

"May I take your order?"

"Oh, um.." Wanda looked back to the menu trying to find something small, hopefully cheap.

"We'll have a child-size order of the blueberry pancakes, an order of the pancakes with lemon and sugar, and a mixed grill for the lady.." Vision finished, and the Waitress left before Wanda had a chance to object.

"Vizh!" Wanda scolded, the nickname slipping out without her thinking about it.

"I thought it would be good for your hangover.. Wait, are you vegetarian? I'm sorry.." Vision made to call the waitress back, but Wanda stopped him.

"No, I'm not, just.. That mixed grill is the most expensive thing on the menu."

"In a place like this, there's only a few dollars separating most expensive from the least.. And I believe all the discounts you have been giving us just about cover the price."

"You noticed that?" Wanda blushed.

"I did, Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They fell silent for a moment. Not an uncomfortable silence, exactly, but not all together pleasant either. The sound of Viv's playing filtered over from the playground.

Vision's mind seemed to have wandered off, not quite sure whether to say his next words. He didn't want it to seem as if he was trying to overshadow her grief with his own.. But he thought, hoped, that maybe sharing his own past troubles could help.

"Vivian.. She was supposed to be a twin.." He began, his eyes misting up, just a little.

"Was?" Wanda was not sure she was going to like the end of this story.

"She had a brother, Vincent.. Vin.. who died in the womb."

"Does she.."

"Viv knows.." Vision nodded. "It didn't seem fair to keep something like that from her, and I still have one sonogram picture from when there were clearly two, so she would have found out, and sometimes she gets this look on her face, and.. she knows. She releases a balloon for him every Birthday.. When it happened, a few people tried to tell us it was for the best. They weren't exactly a planned pregnancy, I was learning how to change Viv's diapers at the time most most of my friends were having their first legal drinks.. But the loss still hurt. I don't think Virginia, their Mother, ever quite recovered from it.."

"And then she.." Wanda felt a lump in her throat. It seemed like she'd finally found someone who had suffered just as many tragedies as she had.

"She got sick when Vivian was only a few months old, and died just before she turned one.."

"How.. How did you keep it together after all that?"

"Well, I had at least one very compelling reason to keep it together.." Vision gestured towards the little girl on the playground, giggling as she slid down the slide. A soft smile crossed his face. "Without Viv, I don't think I would have coped nearly as well. I also had good people around me.. My Village, so to speak."

"Village?" Wanda's brow furrowed.

"You know the old saying.. 'It takes a village to raise a child'. That is especially true for a single Father... My point though, Wanda, is that while I don't know exactly how it feels to lose a twin, I do have some idea about loss. So, if you ever need someone to talk to.."

"I'll keep that in mind.. Thank you." --

Their food arrived, and Vision called Viv back to the table.

"Can I sit next to Wanda, Daddy?"

"Of course you can" Vision smiled. As Viv slid in beside Wanda, he cut up her pancakes into more manageable pieces, then slid the plate across the table to her.

"Thank you, Daddy."

They all ate in relatively comfortable silence. Vision had been right.. the greasy bacon of the mixed grill did wonders for Wanda's hangover, and she flashed him a smile in thanks.

"Vivian" Vision smiled at his daughter when they were almost finished, "Did you know that it is Wanda's Birthday Today?"

"It is?" Viv cried happily. She immediately jumped into Wanda's lap and, before Wanda could react, the little girl started to sing. "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.."

And then, Vision had joined in.

"Happy Birthday dear Wanda, Happy Birthday to you!"

For so much of her life, Pietro had been the only person to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her, and often, since his death, she had stopped anyone else who tried. But now, here, with Vision and Viv.. it felt okay.

Wanda pressed a kiss into Vivian's hair, then looked up at Vision to find him smiling.

Vision had seen her Today, on her very worst day. He'd seen her, and he hadn't run away, hadn't ordered her away from his daughter.. Instead, he'd encouraged her closer.

He had seen Wanda Maximoff, short skirt and torn stockings and bad decisions.. And he had understood why, and accepted her, just as she was.

For the first time in what felt like a very long time, Wanda smiled on her Birthday.

She was beginning to think that she had found her Village.

[homesoutofhuman]

Bluebeard: John Wick/Reader

Warnings: there will be smut, swearing, hints of violence, more than hints (have you met this guy), things get a bit dark and weird I’m warning you now.

Chapter 1: His stride is wildernesses of freedom

This door you might not open, and you did; So enter now, and see for what slight thing You are betrayed…. Here is no treasure hid, No cauldron, no clear crystal mirroring The sought-for truth, no heads of women slain For greed like yours, no writhings of distress, But only what you see…. Look yet again-- An empty room, cobwebbed and comfortless. Yet this alone out of my life I kept Unto myself, lest any know me quite; And you did so profane me when you crept Unto the threshold of this room to-night That I must never more behold your face. This now is yours. I seek another place.

-Bluebeard by Edna St. Vincent Millay

You knew the day would come, but still, when you are called to your father’s rooms and given the news, it comes as a cold, sharp shock.

Part of you had hoped your father had forgotten you even existed, as he’d let you run wild the past year without much interference. Now you fear that was his way of giving you one last year of freedom.

Of course you’d always been aware that as the daughter of a businessman at your father’s level, your marriage would be part of some deal, some big picture move that needed the extra sweetness of family alliance behind it. You just didn’t know why now, and why - this man.

John Wick

You had the name alone, and would be expected to investigate the rest yourself. You question the cooks in the kitchen, and they mumble something about Baba Yaga, stirring the pots and shooing you away. You ask the housemaid, who whimpers, shakes her head and refuses to speak.

When you ask your old nanny, she goes pale, making the sign of the cross. 

“The Boogeyman” she whispers and you roll your eyes at the childish superstition, but still, you can’t deny you are a little rattled. Surely, if you really don’t like this man, your father won’t make you marry him, will he?

Depends on the deal, your traitorous brain tells you. Depends on the price.

Depends on the man. And the man is coming to visit. The whole house in an uproar, you pace around unseen, making your owns plans. Your father will meet him in the library. You have a hiding place there, far in the back behind the long draped curtains. You slip in, an hour before the meeting is due, keeping your breathing low and quiet, as you have been taught.

You never thought it strange that you were taught as a child how to do this; how to conceal yourself, silence your steps, control your breathing until your pulse was so slow and quiet one might have thought you dead. You never thought it strange, and believed all children learned this, until one of the girls from the village told you, no, her lessons were in reading and multiplying not in...this...surviving.

You didn’t see the girls from the village much after that. And you didn’t much care. You were happy in your own little world. Your father sourced teachers from far and wide to train you in all kinds of things, but you had no strict schedule, and were allowed to roam as you wished with only your dog Perrault for company.

You sit cross legged and count the minutes until the Boogeyman will appear. You have a good view from your hiding place, your father's desk spread with golden implements and papers, two chairs set for visitors, glasses for drinks.

The two men enter, heads bent in conversation. You cannot make out what they are saying, being too far back, but you can see the man that is to be your husband. You are relieved to say he is shaped like a man, not a monster after all. Tall, and broad shouldered, holding himself like a man who knows what his body can do. His dark hair and beard conceals his face, and as you strain from behind the curtain to see him better, he turns his head and looks directly towards your hiding place.

You freeze, like a doe in the forest, and after a while his dark eyes shift and return to your father, who is still droning on like a judge. You hardly dare breathe again until they both leave, the man you must call ‘John’ making no further sign he was aware of your presence.

You slip out of the room, heart racing way too much for your lessons and you are angry with yourself for panicking and losing control. Your father calls for you as John is leaving, as their business plans must have gone well. You stand on the flagstones at the front of the house watching as he shakes hand with your father, then moves to you. You look up at him, into impenetrable eyes and he cups your chin with his hand, eyes raking over your features.

You dare not speak, and he remains silent too, simply nodding as he releases your face, letting his hand brush down the side of your neck as he does so. You feel his thumb trace across your collarbone but as you look up he is already striding back towards his car, so you think you must have imagined it.

John drives off in the ugliest vehicle you have ever seen, and you can still feel the ghost of his touch like a noose around your neck.

--------------------

Title from The Jaguar Ted Hughes

[thenightling]

Why Peter Vincent is the most underrated modern vampire hunter

Notice and disclaimer:  Though I like David Tennant as an actor I feel his version of Peter Vincent is sorely lacking.  This is not the fault of the actor but rather the decisions made by the director and writer of the Fright Night remake.  This post is mostly in regard to Roddy McDowall’s version of the character from the original Fright Night, Fright Night: Part 2, and the Fright Night comic books.

11.   He is honest.

Despite being a former actor, Peter Vincent is very, very honest.  He no longer seems to care what people think of him.  He went from has-been horror movie star with a public access TV show to reinventing himself as a real monster hunter.  Once he learned that monsters (particularly vampires) were real he chose to become the man he had always pretended to be in the movies.  Unlike others who took up such a mantle though, Peter Vincent never lied to protect his own image.  He openly admitted monsters are real and what needed to be done, not caring that this might make him look mentally ill.    

This has lead to some wincable moments where it might have been in his own self-interest if Peter Vincent had simply lied to protect himself and how others saw him but he won’t do that.  If he feels there is a terrible, other-worldly threat he will not beat around to bush.  At one point in Fright Night: Part 2 this lead to him being committed to a psychiatric hospital.  Fortunately, with the help of some friends, he escaped.   

Peter Vincent also loves to wear his old costumes from the movies that he used to star in, which were usually set in the nineteenth century.  He has no real fear or concern of how others see him now that he has shed his status as fading celebrity and embraced his role as eccentric protector of the innocent. 

10.   He’s surprisingly down-to-Earth.

At first Peter Vincent comes off as this aloof poseur, a pretentious has-been.  He’s a has-been horror movie actor with a public access TV show.   He seems quick to assume (or hope) people might want his autograph but the reality is he is struggling to make ends meet.  His show is in the verge of cancelation and his rent on his apartment is overdue.  All he really has are relics from his old movie career.    When Peter Vincent learns monsters are real he sheds all trappings of his old, fading, career and all the apparent pretentiousness.  You realize that for all his melodramatic swaggering he’s really very afraid but he still stands against the forces of darkness because he knows he’s needed.  

He’s not superpowered.  He’s not attractive.   He’s not combat-trained.   He’s just someone that used to star in old monster movies and now that he knows monsters are real and preying on the innocent he has become someone who cares...

9.   He learns not to judge people.

Through the course of the original Fright Night movies Peter Vincent undergoes amazing character growth (More on that later).  In the first Fright Night movie Peter Vincent is quick to dismiss Charley as “mad” but by the time you get to Fright Night Part 2 and Peter Vincent has come to terms with learning that the supernatural is real, his outlook has entirely changed.   He has changed so much that all bias he had in dismissing other humans or judging them as all but evaporated.  

There is a scene in Fright Night: Part 2 where Peter Vincent is forced to escape a psychiatric hospital. He was put there after he was caught trying to stake a vampire on live TV.   Here he is nearly thwarted in his escape until an inmate who believes his wild stories helps him to get away.   Peter Vincent is so moved by this gesture that the next scene of him he smiles and comments on how he has friends in the most unlikely of places.   The man is adorable. 

8.  He faces very powerful old-school vampires.

Many modern vampires are super strong and super fast and that’s about it.  They have been stripped of some of their more eerie attributes like being able to summon storms, turn into a wolf, or bat- like Count Dracula in the original Dracula novel.  But Peter Vincent doesn’t face off against the low-budget, modern vampires, that can barely do anything.   No, when he faces Evil Ed, Ed turns into a full sized wolf when he attacks him.  Peter Vincent is not super-strong, nor does he have any combat skill.  He is forced to use his horror-movie knowledge (as he was a B horror movie actor) and his own wits, and makeshift weapons to defeat him.

Honestly, I think this makes him more “badass” than many modern vampire hunters in pop culture.  He’s a frail old man taking on vampires with the full array of classic powers.  They can shapeshift.  They can hypnotize.  They are incredibly strong.  They can conjure fog and lightning.  They can become wolves or bats.  They are a Hell of a lot more intimidating than most TV or movie vampires today who have been stripped of a lot of these powers.

And he manages to face these monsters despite being very, very afraid.   

7.    He’s delightfully hammy.

Because Peter Vincent went from being a has-been actor to real monster hunter there are certain aspects of his old-self that he can’t quite shead.  He’s still very melodramatic and theatrical in nature.  This makes him a bit campy and for better or worse this carries over when he has worked up the courage to stand against various threats.   It adds much needed levity to the gravity of the situation when you remember this man was an old cheesy actor and he delivers a movie-style line to remind you of this.  He wasn’t actually born into monster hunting, it was thrust upon him later and life and he took to it like a duck to water, when he finally accepted it, but in doing so he couldn’t leave behind aspects of his old hammy self.

 6.   He is still influencing pop culture over thirty years later.

Remember the character of Vincent Van Ghoul in The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby Doo cartoon of the 1980s?  Vincent Van Ghoul was originally voiced by Vincent Price and meant to be similar to Doctor Strange from Marvel comics (who likely had been inspired by Vincent Price’s Doctor Craven form the 1963 film The Raven.)  Vincent Van Ghoul was a powerful sorcerer who aided Scooby and Shaggy in the capture of thirteen ghosts that had escaped from a sort of Pandora’s Box.

In 2010 the character of Vincent Van Ghoul was dusted off and reinvented with Maurice LaMarche providing the Vincent Price inspired voice.  The new version, though, is not a sorcerer.  Instead he is a has-been B horror movie actor who dresses flamboyantly in his old movie costumes.  He’s also a little bit of a coward and is melodramatic.  Sound familiar?  

The newer version of Vincent Van Ghoul is based on Peter Vincent (who was partly inspired by Vincent Price the way Doctor Strange was).   This version of Vincent Van Ghoul is still occasionally being used in recent Scooby Doo cartoons.  

There is also the character  Abraham Van Rental in the recent stop motion animated film, Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires, whose outfit, personality, and behavior are modeled after Peter Vincent, particularly in Fright Night: Part 2.

And in the Castlevania video game franchise there is an NPC inspired by Peter Vincent.  An incompetent vampire hunter named Charlie Vincent.  And if he gets turned into a vampire (like the originally planned ending of the first Fright Night) he becomes a threat. 

5.  He is an unlikely hero.

Peter Vincent is no Blade in a leather jacket.  He is not Hugh Jackman with his rapid-fire crossbow.  He’s not Buffy or Vanessa Helsing in tight leather pants.  He has no muscles.  He’s not young and sexy.  He does not have super strength.  He’s very much an unlikely hero.  He’s a washed up old horror movie actor, struggling to make ends meet, and who learns monsters are real.  

His weapons consist of old monster movie props, as well as his knowledge of the occult and supernatural gleaned from decades of starring in cheesy horror movies.  If there is any character he might be compared with it’s Professor Abraham Van Helsing, himself, from Dracula, or perhaps Giles from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  

Peter Vincent not conventionally attractive.  He doesn’t fit a popular demographic.  It would be wrong to try to make him appealing to a specific and young demographic because that is not the character.  He’s actually kind of dorky though he feigns confidence on his TV show and when he is trying to be heroic but that just makes him all the more likable.  

He’s afraid but he does what is right anyway.  He knows the odds are against him.  He cannot physically best the monsters he stands against.  He has to rely on his wits and the fact that he’s easily underestimated for his usual meekness. 

He’s so different from the current trend of muscular, attractive, and physically combative monster hunters that he’s actually a breath of fresh air, for being the odd man out, the meek and frightened old actor who gains courage when he realizes he might not be the ideal hero but he’s all they’ve got and they need him. And that makes him so damn amazing.    

4.   He teaches us that it’s never too late to change who and what you are.

Peter Vincent undergoes an incredible character arc, soul search, and self-reinvention though the course of the original Fright Night movies. 

Peter Vincent is an old, has-been horror movie actor who ended up hosting a public access TV show where he would intro his own old movies and provide commentary about them at commercial breaks.  He thought his career and life was nearing its close but then he was made to realize monsters are real and the world needed the sort of hero he always pretended to be.  Despite his age, despite his fear, despite his physical frailty (he is no muscle bound hero) Peter rose to the occasion and reinvented himself as a protector of the innocent.

He found a faith he didn’t previously have, he gave up a fading celebrity status and abandoned all concerns for how people thought of him just because he felt it was the right thing to do, because he knew he was needed.

He shed his old persona of has-been and skeptic and became the hero and believer he had always pretended to be.  He had become the unlikely hero and it was the role he was born for.  

3.  He was a proud neo-Victorian Goth before the term even existed.   

Peter Vincent was a has-been horror actor who eventually learns that monsters are real and when he takes up the mantle of real monster hunter he puts on his old costume.  The character he played was an 1890s Doctor Abraham Van Helsing style protagonist, similar to the characters Peter Cushing always used to play in the Hammer Horror Dracula movies of the 1950s into the 1970s.  Peter Vincent calls this his “uniform” and makes it a point to wear it when he knows he’s about to face real monsters even if he knows it’s incredibly out of place. 

He had lace cuffs, old Sherlock-style duster jacket with mantle, waistcoat, and cravat.  And he was not ashamed.

We’re talking about a man walking around like it’s London 1891 but in 1985 American suburbia and he was completely unashamed.   You go, you brave, yet strangely meek extrovert!

2.   He is very likely an LGBT hero.

   Though Peter Vincent’s sexuality is never explored in the movies, the character was inspired by Peter Cushing and Vincent Price.  Vincent Price’s daughter confirmed after his death that he was bisexual.   Peter Cushing was likely straight but Vincent Price was most assuredly bisexual.

The actor who played Peter Vincent was the great Roddy McDowall.   Roddy spent his life in the closet but after his death stories emerged from his friends that confirmed he had been bisexual.

(Roddy McDowall with Vincent Price.)

It was Roddy McDowall who told Vincent Price’s daughter “You know, we didn't have any idea what bisexuality meant in that sense, and if we didn't know, then how can we know the answer to that question."

Roddy was very likely bisexual and it’s been confirmed that Vincent Price (whom he was friends with) was bisexual.  This is particularly coincidental since Roddy’s Peter Vincent character hs half-based on Vincent Price (the other half being Peter Cushing, who played Doctor Van Helsing in several Hammer Horror Dracula movies.) 

There is a very high chance that thanks to the character sources, Peter Vincent was bisexual.       

1.  He is kind.  

  Today it’s too easy to be cynical and to deconstruct heroes into cold and cynical avatars for the jaded writers behind them.  The characters either don’t really care about the individuals that are in danger or someone behind the scenes just loves watching their hero pose stoically in a long leather jacket, without showing any emotion.

Peter Vincent, on the other hand, is warm, compassionate, and sympathetic.  He’s kind.  He genuinely cares about people despite once imagining himself a great and aloof actor.  

Ultimately it’s the realization that innocent lives are in danger and witnessing the painful death of the newborn vampire, Evil Ed, that finally pushes Peter Vincent to stand against Jerry Dandridge, despite his own fear.  

 Peter Vincent is terrified.  He’s just has-been horror actor with a public access horror themed TV series. Peter is given the opportunity - the destiny to be the hero he always secretly longed to be, the protector he may have secretly always dreamed of being.  

Peter rises above himself and it’s not for glory.  It’s not for fame.  He does it because he feels it’s the right thing to do and people need him.  And he truly cares about them. 

He forsakes his old fading celebrity status to be an anonymous hero that others think is nothing more than an old, washed up actor, who has finally lost his mind.  In Fright Night Part 2 Peter stops caring about his fading movie and TV career and realizes that’s not what he’s meant to be.  He IS Peter Vincent, the Great Vampire Killer!   And he sheds his old identity and even public reputation because he knows... he knows this is what others need him to be.  This is the hero he has to be for the sake of others.

it’s for these reasons and more that Peter Vincent is one of the greatest vampire hunters in contemporary pop culture (within the last forty years).

[thehappyfeminist-22]

Okay, girls, let's talk about marathons. No, not that kind of a marathon – I'm talking about movie marathons! Movie marathons and sleepovers aren't just for kids anymore. People get together for Super Bowl parties and other sporting events, and this is no different. Why? When it boils right down to it, what is a sporting event and why do people have parties just to watch it on TV? Because it's something that they're passionate about and they want to gather with like-minded people to celebrate it. In that respect, movie marathons are no different; they can be opportunities for you and your lady friends to get together, socialize, share movies you love, and of course, eat. You can have an all-day marathon or stretch it out into a sleepover if you can all coordinate your schedules.

Now before we go on, I should point out that this post is aimed at mature teens and adults because most of the movies I recommend below are a little too mature or scary for most kids, except for the Disney movies.

You can have gatherings of friends, have a mom-daughter get-together, or just have moms if you can work out the logistics of all that babysitting and getting dad out of the way. These get-togethers can even be as small as two people (my mom and I do this all the time and it's no less fun than larger groups).

Every good movie marathon or sleepover has three main components: the movies, the activities, and the food. We'll tackle those one by one.

First thing's first: Pick your theme! Below I have a list of movies organized by theme. Of course, you can work out your own list; these are just suggestions pulled from my own movie collection.

Aliens: Paul My Favorite Martian Men in Black The Day the Earth Stood Still Signs War of the Worlds (the original) Dark Skies Independence Day Independence Day: Resurgence Super 8 E.T. Alien

'80s/early '90s: Footloose Dirty Dancing Tremors Pretty Woman Sister Act  Mrs. Doubtfire Robocop Gremlins My Cousin Vinny Ghost To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything The Birdcage

Halloween: Sinister The Nightmare Before Christmas Corpse Bride The Werewolf (from 1956, starring Steven Rich and Don Megowan) The Little Vampire Crimson Peak Only Lovers Left Alive The Haunted Mansion Silent Hill The Grudge Hotel Transylvania Frankenstein (from 1931) The Haunted Palace (starring Vincent Price) Paranormal Activity

Action/Adventure: Jurassic Park Jurassic World Journey to the Center of the Earth (the original) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (the original) King Kong Kong: Skull Island

Fantasy/Medieval: Clash of the Titans (the original) Snow White and the Huntsman The Huntsman: Winter's War The Dark Crystal A Knight's Tale Alice in Wonderland (live action) Jack the Giant Slayer

Disney (I know everyone has a list of their favorites, so here's mine): Tangled Treasure Planet That Darn Cat The Sword in the Stone Monsters, Inc. The Great Mouse Detective Fantasia Fantasia 2000 Sleeping Beauty The Princess Diaries The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement Bedknobs and Broomsticks The Emperor's New Groove Mulan The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Brave Little Toaster Hercules The Black Cauldron Tarzan Robin Hood My Favorite Martian

Marvel: Captain America: The First Avenger Iron Man Iron Man 2 Thor The Avengers Thor: The Dark World Iron Man 3 Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 Deadpool Deadpool 2 The Avengers Age of Ultron Captain America: Civil War Black Panther Thor: Ragnarok

Vintage Horror/Suspense: The Werewolf (the same one mentioned above) The Day the Earth Stood Still War of the Worlds (the original) Dial M for Murder Frankenstein (the same one mentioned above) The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Night of the Living Dead Carnival of Souls House on Haunted Hill The Haunted Palace (the same one mentioned above)

Here's a list of other themes to pick from: Christmas Murder mysteries Sherlock Star Wars Doctor Who Supernatural Indiana Jones Harry Potter Studio Ghibli Jurassic Park Paranormal Activity Gravity Falls The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings Your favorite childhood movies Make a marathon out of your favorite TV show Veg out on your favorite true crime shows

The hostess can supply the movies or have each guest bring one.

Now on to the food! You can obviously have any type of food you want, but finger foods and snacks are typically best for these kinds of gatherings. They're quick and simple to make, they're portable, and they're miniature versions of regular foods that you can eat with your fingers – what's not to love?

I have decided not to include any recipes in this post because there are literally dozens of different ways to make the same thing. For example, you may decide to add additional ingredients to punch up the flavor, or you may need to substitute an ingredient to accommodate dietary needs or allergies. So here's a list of ideas that you can play with however you like:

Sweet potato fries Rice Krispy treats (they're so versatile because you can add food coloring or sprinkles to make them suit any theme) Meatballs, little smokies, or sliced Polish sausages in the crock pot with any sauce you like Pigs in blankets Finger sandwiches (so many types of fillings!) Egg rolls Sliders Pizza rolls Bagel bites Snack mix (again, so versatile because you can make your own and customize however you want) Cheese straws Tortilla roll-ups (also called pinwheels) Taquitos Chicken nuggets Hot chocolate Party punch (you can make a delicious basic punch using Sprite, pineapple juice, and any flavor of Hawaiian punch; you don't even have to freeze any of it if you don't want to – just pour it all in a big bowl!) Brownies (or brownie batter...seriously, no one is judging you) S'mores Cupcakes Buffalo wings And what marathon or sleepover would be complete without COOKIE DOUGH?

Another fun idea would be a chip-and-dip night. Each person brings a different kind of dip, and the hostess supplies the chips!

You can also make foods that are featured or mentioned in your movies. There are tons of Disney and Harry Potter recipes out there, Star Wars literally has its own cookbook, and if you are having a fantasy-medieval-type marathon, I highly recommend the World of Warcraft cookbook. The possibilities are almost endless! Have fried chicken and a chocolate pie if you're watching The Help. Have spinach puffs if you watch The Emperor's New Groove. Have a red velvet armadillo cake if you watch Steel Magnolias. You could even have Tang and Spam if you watch Kong: Skull Island.

If you want to take a break from movie-watching, here is a list of slightly more grown-up activities for you and your ladies to partake in:

Coloring Homemade spa treatments Do each other's nails Make friendship bracelets Crochet/knit (or make a game out of learning how to) Truth or dare Play Twister (it's not just for kids, either) Jewelry making Movie trivia Dance party Wine coolers and gossip (as long as everyone in your group is of age) Planning your next marathon!

[madwomanpro]

New Single from Pretty Frankenstein

{MAD LISTENS}

Music Review by Justine Lucas at Madwoman Productions

In Mirrors

Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes spin fire at the loading docks of Oakland’s bay port. A Luscious Jackson infused bass line meets a Pixies textured guitar line. Loud, extra, and well groomed, In Mirrors is both captivating and danceable. Pretty Frankenstein delivers crisp musicianship, a singable chorus, and a fluid arrangement. A clever linguistic work with effortless flow from singer Grey Starr. Full of pride and wisdom, lyrically compact yet digestible:

“Some of us are queer and work our whole damn lives  Just to keep our lights on and play shows at night”

I’ve followed this band for a while, and this is a totally new avenue for them. Makes me thirst for their new album and all of its delicious surprises (out this summer).

My Spooky Valentine

Iggy Pop and Supergrass put on a DIY production of Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which Jello Biafra plays Frank N. Furter. The New Pornographers and Queen sit in the audience, singing along and throwing blood-kissed roses up on stage. 

This song is like a mini-rock opera. Heads up: there's a nuanced slow-down solo vocal moment two minutes in. This vulnerable voice presents a single somber moment, that is of course until the zombie choir comes in with “for blood and brains”. Laugh my ass off… while still crying (lmao wsc). Lyrics range from comedic and playful to dark and bold. 

“[He] had hair like Ziggy Stardust, and a mind like Vincent Price I never thought that I could ever find a guy so right”

A total dreamboat for all you sapiosexuals out there just waiting to dive into a world of ghoulish intellectual fantasy. 

Later on in the song, singer Grey Starr speaks against prejudices towards the LGBTQ community by stating a rhetorical question laced with reverse psychology and nihilistic sorrow:

“How is life worth living if living is a sin?” 

We’ve all felt this way about something or other at different points in our lives; judged, unheard, out-of-place... The question is: how can we rise above it all and pick each other up in the process? Music is definitely one of the most effective ways.

A poignant message, a bold attitude, a queer Halloween party anthem from Bay Area’s own Pretty Frankenstein.

About the Band & Upcoming Album:

This double single is a sneak-peek at Pretty Frankenstein’s new album, also titled In Mirrors which will be released in June later this year. The album is a celebration of Oakland: of the arts, diversity, and of rock and roll. Singer Grey Starr is a trans woman from Oakland and a celebrated “rainbow goth”, a term her friends invented to describe the way she dresses and presents. Navigating sensitive personhood in a senseless world… Grey expresses her journey and transition through the lyrical storytelling in her new songs. She courageously speaks out against the injustices she sees around her. Gey’s lyrical articulation and theatrical voice paired with the band’s musical flavors of punk, rock, metal, and pop makes this group a powerful machine.

The album In Mirrors comes out June 24th! Go listen to this radical double single now and tell your punk-ass friends about it. The rainbow goth rebellion… has begun.

LISTEN TO THE NEW RELEASE HERE:

In Mirrors (Double Single) | Pretty Frankenstein (bandcamp.com)

Music Review by Justine Lucas 02.22.2022

[cheslock]

Cheslock Headcanons and Theories

The way Cheslock dresses and speaks is enough to suggest that he isn’t of very high birth, but what really sealed the deal for me is when Cheslock and Edward are at Sphere Music Hall and Cheslock has to explain to Edward that music halls are for the common people, and afterwards kindof mutters “What a rich kid” implying that he himself is not rich. 

So, if he’s not a rich kid or of high birth, how on earth could he afford to attend Weston? My theory is that he received a scholarship for his incredible music talents. It’s possible that many students in Violet Wolf may be in a similar situation to Cheslock, talented but perhaps not noble or rich. 

Additionally, I believe Cheslock does not have a very good relationship with his family. When the June 4th events came about and Weston students were exceptionally allowed to invite their families to campus for the cricket tournament and the celebrations, no one came for Cheslock. His family didn’t show. He’s just shown with Violet in both the reception and the match itself while others have their families waiting for them on the sidelines. And when he bowls with the Purple Burnout he immediately turns to Violet for his approval instead of some family member.

I believe Cheslock is an incredibly honest individual. He says what he thinks without holding back. Sometimes his thoughts may come off as pretty rude, but that is the price of total honesty. His honest nature also shows itself in the way he presents his aesthetic. He doesn’t try to conform to the strict expectations of Victorian society at the time, and instead stays true to himself with his style of hair and makeup and dress.

Many people in the fandom believe that Cheslock’s scar isn’t real, but is instead a part of his aesthetic and that he draws it on with makeup every day. Their support for this is that he’s later shown without the scar in certain panels, such as formal events like Sphere Music Hall. I’m personally torn on this one, when I first heard the theory it threw me off because I always believed it to be real myself. My first instinct was to say, well, Yana makes mistakes in panels sometimes, she often forgets Vincent’s mole, and even Undertaker is occasionally shown without his scar. So personally I believe that the scar is real and that it came from an abusive home life. But, if I go with the common theory and say, okay maybe Cheslock’s scar is drawn on... My headcanon in this instance is that it’s only partially fake. Perhaps, he has a small scar from his home life, and then extends it with makeup as both a way to cover up for it, and also a way to kindof reclaim it for himself.

I imagine he doesn’t like talking about his scar much, or gets annoyed with people constantly asking him about it, so he starts making up nonsense to get people to leave him alone. While he’s honest, he’s not the type of person to tell random people about his Tragic Backstory™. He’s friendly but he only opens up to his closest friends, as most people would do. 

I believe Cheslock’s love of music comes largely from his bad home life. Of course it’s not uncommon for people to just simply love music because, well, it’s music, but I find that most often the people who are really passionate about music is because it helped them get through difficult times. I believe Cheslock finds escape and catharsis in music, in addition to simply loving the intricacies of the patterns and how creative you can be with it. There would be times even at Weston when he had a rough day so he’d just go off alone to play somewhere away from people to make himself feel better.

So what do you get when you take a kid with a bad home life, an unusual sense of style that would be frowned upon by society, and an incredible talent for music, and put him in a school full of rich kids? For one, I believe Violet Wolf, and especially Gregory Violet himself became somewhat of a pseudo-family for Cheslock. Finally, people who are similar to him and accept him as he is and share his passions! That is an incredibly invaluable thing to find and I believe that’s largely what leads him to become Violet’s fag and eventually prefect himself. His love for this new family is genuine. Why else would a rebellious punk willingly become a Prefect’s fag, or be an upstanding enough student to gain the role of Prefect?

And yet he hates the other dorms so much. This could partially be just because of competitiveness and team loyalty, but also going off of my headcanon about him getting a schollarship and my theory about him not being rich, there would be somewhat of a divide between him and the other students. Where Violet Wolf would have accepted him with open arms, the other students at Weston likely had very different reactions. Students still think Violet Wolf is largely full of weirdos, and then so many of the kids there were likely forced into attending by their wealthy family. I imagine that someone like Cheslock who likely got in through means other than wealth or status, may have initially resented the other kids who seemed ungrateful for something he may have wanted so badly. Of course, after the events at the end of the Weston arc and then working with the other houses so closely in the P5, and especially his closeness with the other Prefects and fags, I imagine his distate for other houses has lessened somewhat. 

Which brings us to Edward Midford, heir to the Midford Estate and future Marquis. Honorable and respectable and always following the rules and his family’s teachings. He and Cheslock probably hated each other at first, but then gradually grew close as both being Prefect’s fags. Now days their bickering is mostly just an example of how close they are. After all, why would they willingly spend so much time together if their fighting was truly genuine? I believe they also can tell the difference between play anger and when the other is legitimately upset, and know when to back off when they notice a change. In fact, I think behind closed doors where no one can judge them, sometimes they can share private things just like any close friends would. That is, before getting embarrassed and turning back to being tsundere again. Of course, with Edward being heir to a marquisate and the expectations that he’d eventually produce heirs of his own, he’d have a real struggle with accepting any kind of homosexual urges, not to mention Victorian views on that at the time and his family reputation at stake. It’s still yet to be seen in the manga what will happen with that, perhaps they stay friends, or perhaps they find a way to be together. But regardless of outcome, Cheslock absolutely is gay for Ed, and their connection is mutually beneficial for the both of them, with Edward grounding Cheslock’s wild nature a bit, and Cheslock helping Ed break out of his shell a bit more and maybe even gain more confidence in himself. 

[dailynewswebsite]

Barbados plans to remove the Queen as head of state without a referendum – is that a wise idea?

The Queen meets her consultant in Barbados, Dame Sandra Mason, at Windsor Fort. Steve Parsons/PA Archive

“If you need a republic, a referendum is a dangerous choice, sir,” I advised Ralph Everard Gonsalves, the prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a small Caribbean state forward of a referendum on whether or not to take away the monarchy as head of state in 2009. He carried on regardless. And misplaced the vote.

Perhaps Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, has taken notes. She has proposed that the small island state turns into a republic earlier than the top of 2021, eradicating Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. However has not introduced plans to carry a referendum.

Republicanism has an extended historical past in Barbados. In 2005, a referendum on the topic was deliberate. On the time, Mottley, then deputy prime minister, stated she was “dedicated” to letting the general public “judge it”. But, attributable to prices, the referendum was postponed. Mottley’s Barbados Labour Celebration was then voted out of workplace. Now it’s again, and so is the problem of a republic, although the lofty assurances about democratic legitimacy are gone.

On the opening of the Barbadian parliament on September 15, the Queen’s official consultant within the nation, the governor-general, Dame Sandra Mason made no point out of a referendum on the choice to grow to be a republic. Nonetheless, she did announce a well-liked vote on same-sex marriage equality, which would be the first referendum ever held in Barbados.

A referendum will not be required to grow to be a republic beneath the island’s structure – which solely wants a two-thirds majority in each homes of parliament. However is Barbados smart to keep away from a well-liked vote on the problem?

Farewell your majesty

Worldwide there have been a number of referendums on whether or not to abolish monarchies. Since Mexico voted on the problem in 1863, there have been 33 referendums on whether or not to abolish monarchies all over the world.

A few of these had been doubtful, if not outright absurd. For instance, when the Diệm’s regime in Vietnam held a plebiscite on the abolition of the monarchy in 1955, 5.7 million out of 5.three million eligible voters supported the republic. A majority of a staggering 107%.

Apartheid South Africa voted to sever the ties with the British monarchy in 1960, although solely white South Africans might vote. There have been additionally profitable plebiscites on the identical problem in Ghana in the identical 12 months, in Rwanda in 1961 and a decade later within the Gambia. (Although within the Gambia a vote for retaining the Queen as head of state had been received by monarchists in 1965). All these plebiscites achieved overwhelming – if manufactured – majorities.

The identical success price was the case in developed democratic nations with aggressive elections and multi-party techniques. In 1944, voters in Iceland voted to ascertain a republic, and two years later a referendum in Italy led to the institution of a republic.

Allow them to keep

However then issues started to vary. In 1950, 57% of Belgians voted for the return of King Leopold III in a extremely divisive referendum that pitted the 2 linguistic communities in opposition to one another.

On the earth’s three most up-to-date referendums, there have been majorities for retaining the system of constitutional monarchy. A majority of Australians voted for monarchy in 1999. Tuvalu in Oceania voted overwhelmingly to retain the monarchy in 2008. And St Vincent and the Grenadines within the Caribbean voted 57% to 43% to maintain the Queen as head of state the next 12 months.

So why have nations lately voted in opposition to establishing republics? A component of conservatism has performed a job. This was the case in Australia in 1999. Whereas opinion polls predicted a majority would have been in favour of creating a republic, ultimately most voters had been in opposition to the choice on the poll, an not directly elected head of state. At a time when politicians had been in low regard, substituting a soft-spoken septuagenarian for a retired profession politician was not a prospect that thrilled the hearts of voters.

Don’t ask

These republicans who actually wish to abolish monarchies are suggested to not ask the voters, simply as I advised Gonsalves. Different nations within the Commonwealth have adopted this route, for instance Trinidad and Tobago (1976) and Fiji (1987). This may not be very democratic. However it was formally in step with their constitutional guidelines, and the abolition of the monarchy in these nations didn’t result in protests, or dissatisfaction with the respective governments.

There are some examples of profitable referendums on establishing a republic – however the context issues. When a 69% majority voted in opposition to the return of King Constantine of Greece in 1974, it mirrored dissatisfaction with the monarch’s considerably ambivalent rule in the course of the previous decade of navy dictatorship, not a deep want for constitutional reform.

However for essentially the most half, voters haven’t rushed to reinstate monarchies when given the prospect. In Brazil, a proposal to this impact was rejected in 1993, and the same proposal suffered the identical destiny in Albania three years later. A curious instance is the tiny nation of the Maldives. There the voters voted to abolish the monarchy in 1952, solely to re-establish it the next 12 months, after which lastly to grow to be a republic in 1968.

There are robust democratic causes for having a republic. In a democracy, having a monarch stays an anachronism – however it may be a well-liked one.

Matt Qvortrup has suggested the governments of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago prior to now on referendums.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/barbados-plans-to-remove-the-queen-as-head-of-state-without-a-referendum-is-that-a-wise-idea/ via https://growthnews.in

[peanutdracolich]

Peanut Dracolich Watches Horror: The Final Reckoning

So over the course of this month I’ve watched a lot of horror. 15 days ago I ranked those I’d watched then, and now I’ve watched a fair bit more. Now some aren’t making it onto the list, and some have had their ordering changed, but I will discuss that later.

Again I am judging these as Horror Movies. If the movie’s value is not as horror primarily it suffers. I really enjoyed Alien Covenant and either it or Dracula Has Risen was my most enjoyed movie of the month, but Alien Covenant is good because it is sci-fi and horror in a 55/45 mix I’d say, and Dracula Has Risen is more about Christopher Lee vampire than horror, I mean yeah vampires are a type of horror but it’s not the same. When I want a horror movie I want... well actually it’s a large genre and I want different things from it at different times. Sometimes I want a Horror Film, a film to cause a visceral fear reaction. Sometimes I want a slasher, which is a type of horror film but with a specific narrative (I rarely want slashers). Sometimes I want a Horror Story and while horror films in theory have horror stories I mean something different with it, something that’s actually more about creep and tone, more about the gothic fantasy elements, or the eldritch terror, and less about the visceral reaction. Sometimes I want a monster movie, or a vampire flick. So I tried to balance it based upon the things I want in a horror movie. And so... the list is below the cut, but before it is those that weren’t included.

Non-included Entries: Chronos (I intend to talk about it), Young Frankenstein, and Captain Kronos all are not included on the list because of them only Chronos really fits Horror Movie and even then only sort of kind of. They were all good movies, but to judge them for horror movie would be misleading. Chronos was more dark supernatural tragedy with elements of horror (in fact the supernatural elements were horror and not fantasy) but still the enjoyment is as a tragedy more than anything I’d think of with Horror. Young Frankenstein is a fairly famous horror parody, a better film than many on the list, but impossible to properly judge as horror. Captain Kronos is the same way, one of the most fun films I watched this month, but although it has vampires it was a heroic adventure film.

Also absent from the list are Alien, The Horror of Dracula, and Evil Dead because they’re all rewatches and Alien/ED not particularly close ones (I’m watching Evil Dead while typing). It would go Evil Dead, Alien, and then the list if I included those anyway as they’re my 1 and 2 of Horror (Dracula would get tied with Has Risen beating it out slightly).

1)     Ju-On the Grudge (02)

2)     The Descent (05)

3)     The Vampyr (32)

4)     Dracula Has Risen from His Grave (68)

5)     Mouth of Madness (93)

6)     Prince of Darkness (87)

7)     The Whisperer in the Darkness (12)

8)     Call of Cthulhu (05)

9)     Dr Terror’s House of Horrors (65)

10)   Alien Covenant (17)

11)   The Omen (76)

12)   The Vampire Lovers (70)

13)   IT (90)

14)   The Mummy - Hammer Horror (59)

15)   The Mummy - Universal (32)

16)   The Oblong Box

17)   The Exorcist (73)

18)   Poltergeist (82)

19)   The Kiss of the Vampire

20)   Friday the 13th Part 2 (81)

21)   Frankenstein (31)

22)   The 7 Golden Vampires (74)

23)   The Return of the Living Dead (85)

24)   Child’s Play  (88)

25)   Saw (04)

26)   Alien 3 (92)

27)   Uzumaki (00)

So like last time some thoughts:

Ju-On: A legitimately good film, even though I have no desire or intent to rewatch it. It is a good horror film, though. While something does bother me about it which kept me from wanting to see more of the universe, it still manages to do what a horror film is supposed to do best of the ones I watched this month.

The Descent: This film moved up! Because I refigured how much emphasis ‘egads this film is actual art’ should be given. Also watching Evil Dead scenes with them driving and then their cabin remind me even more of Evil Dead scenes (the near crash, the stuff coming in through the window, the approach to the cabin). Evil Dead did a better building creep/horror with them, but The Descent was repurposing them and did that well, while taking advantage of the subconscious connections. Well done film.

The Vampyre: While I may have liked this film better than Ju-On or The Descent that’s for the artistry and probably in part because I was dehydrated. Still it’s a good film and it does have its spell. It doesn’t have the terror that really spells horror film for me, but it has the spell of nightmare like a true horror story.

Dracula Has Risen from His Grave: And here we have the best of the vampire films of the year (including Chronos) and possibly the best film of the year for pure enjoyment (though Captain Kronos and Alien Covenant might rival or beat it). But wait didn’t The Vampyre get higher. Yes, because it is better horror, but I don’t want vampire stories primarily for horror and this gave me what I wanted from a vampire story. It’s a good film and quite enjoyable.

Mouth of Madness: This meta-Lovecraftian film was while not my personal favorite of the John Cameron apocalypse films I watched, the better story and probably the better film, the other merely hit my buttons better. The concept alone makes it so much fun, and I do almost want to rewatch it now... except I know it will be better to do so in several years where I still vaguely remember the twists but don’t remember the film.

Prince of Darkness: As you can see I do still include ‘I personally really liked this one’ rather highly. It actually does the early horror set up better than most of the rest, it’s just that the cheese is too high and not stylistic but earnest enough to feel detrimental because the film is good enough that the joy is not in the cheese.

The Whisperer in the Darkness: A fun film, a good film. This film’s cheese is stylistic and adds to it plain out. It does a good job of the Cold War Alien Film take on the story, and in general is just a good film that I enjoyed.

Call of Cthulhu: This film was hard to place. It’s artistic. It feels it. If it didn’t have some ‘this stylistic suck went to far compared to what it was imitating’ it’d probably be higher because it very much has the spell, but in the end it’s not as fun as Whisperer, not got the spell of The Vampyre, and ends up feeling like it belongs here.

Dr Terror’s House of Horrors: Nothing new to say really.

Alien Covenant: I really liked it, but as sci-fi first and horror 2nd. I mean it was fully functional horror despite that, but it was not how I enjoyed it.

The Omen: This is still my B- film of the year. This and above are good films, below it are lukewarm or something else more than horror. It’s also where ‘listening to Evil Dead while not looking at the screen’ gets ‘better horror’ (note Evil Dead’s visuals are creepy and good horror that enriches it).

The Vampire Lovers: This might should switch with IT, in fact they’ve switched already once. It was not like IT ever considered for the B- film role because it’s close enough to erotica to be hard to place, but it definitely was pretty good and better at being a horror story than part 2 of IT and more enjoyable than IT for its length. So it squeezes past.

IT: If I was judging just part 1 this would be the B- film. Judging both parts, Part 2 is definitely lukewarm. Overall it’s a C+. Good enough, but 3 hours and Evil Dead is scarier just by listening to it.

The Mummy (Hammer): Probably better than Part 2 of IT, worse than Part 1 and closer to the latter in quality. It’s a functional monster movie, but nothing to really write home about. Alright if you want a monster movie, but  I won’t be rewatching it any time soon.

The Mummy (Universal): And here we get to the Frankenstein issue where I’m scared I’m inflating it for the sake of ‘historical place’. Still Boris Karloff was interesting, the story left less of a hollow feeling in my mouth and it was almost good and all the films below here are at best almost good. I think it deserves this place.

The Oblong Box: Is another hard placement. While Vincent Price and second tier relatively non-villain Christopher Lee were fun the film was not great. It might swing up to beat The Mummy (both versions) but I was too tired of the type of horror at the time to really say. On the same note it might swing down to below Poltergeist. It is however in the Lukewarm area.

The Exorcist: Is not my type of movie. I mean I can see its influence; girls crabwalking down stairs, demons talking about your mother being lewd in Hell. It has some very memorable bits... It’s just not a scary movie, not that enjoyable movie, and with the exception of a few very memorable bits sort of forgettable. It was too long, and too slow in that I sort of started getting bored of it faster than I did the Universal Studio’s Mummy which I could understand my nephew leaving after 20-30 minutes because it was sort of boring. Where The Mummy picked up afterwards, The Exorcist waits another hour to pick up. That said the drama to someone who is watching for a drama has its value and art and I have to respect it. I’m probably rating it higher than I would otherwise due to sacred cow status, but at the same time it has some very good elements it just mixes them with stuff that leaves it lukewarm. The music does it too. Never got to me and... Well Evil Dead just went quiet and it got me spooked. The Exorcist goes quiet and I don’t notice because quiet felt like the default. The sound was bad is what I’m saying. Still it does have those classic moments that are better horror if you just watch them alone than some of the films lower down.

Poltergeist: This film was lukewarm. I probably enjoyed it better than the Exorcist, but I’m guessing the last 40 minutes of the Exorcist is a better movie than Poltergeist.

The Kiss of the Vampire: It’s really hard to place this. I was sick of Hammer Horror by the time (though watched the Mummy the next day). It was definitely worse than the Oblong Box, though, and the Mummy, and I enjoyed Poltergeist more and Poltergeist was more horror. So yeah I’m going here. It’s above the ‘must find alternative enjoyment’ line but it’s probably the worst of those that are.

Friday the 13th Part 2: This marks the line of ‘I don’t actually enjoy this as horror if I enjoy it at all. The film was so bad it was good. I will probably watch 3 or 4 at some point (whichever the internet tells me is good).

Frankenstein: More and more I thought where I put it before was really just Sacred Cow. It fails to hit any of my horror buttons, it fails to be a good Frankenstein story. It’s worth watching for its historical place and because it has one or two good scenes, plus is short increasing the relative impact of those. But still I have to work to find some other means of enjoyment from the film.

7 Golden Vampires: This film is not good. It is enjoyable. But it is not good. Still I enjoy Peter Cushing and the bad horror bad kung fu was nice even if there are better films later that mix bad horror with good kung fu and comedy (Mr. Vampire) or good ghost story with good kung fu (Chinese Ghost Story) which are legit pretty good films (watch those over this one, though).

The Return of the Living Dead: First and foremost I didn’t watch it too closely. It’s horror comedy, but it is horror comedy and not just comedy about horror. The comedy, though, was less funny than Friday part 2 and the horror wasn’t that scary. I’d rather watch Peter Cushing fight kung fu vampires (which have trouble with limping old men). Candidate for so bad it’s good I guess.

Child’s Play: Nothing has changed here. If The Omen is my B- this is my D-. It passes... barely and it’s not getting real credit. Still I can see so bad it’s good vibes... still would watch Fright Night instead.

Saw: Nothing has changed. Still contemplate whether this should be below Alien 3. This is still in the ‘I sort of regret watching this.’

Alien 3: This film is worth watching if you like the franchise and want to see it all. This film does not stand on its own, though. Too long. Too confused. Not good enough. Still in fairness it might be up to Ft13-2 level, but I can’t judge it fairly so I’m going with here because trying to judge it from ‘not in love with the Alien franchise’ (I sort of love the franchise) I don’t think I could see a reason to watch it.

Uzumaki: I want the time I spent watching this film back.

Random Observations:

Best and worse films are Japanese horror and the only Japanese horror on the list (I intended to watch more J-horror but).

4 Out of 6 Cosmic Horror films were in a row (5-8).

Only 4 vampire movies got on the list despite watching 7.

[sepiadays]

Nightmare at Noon

STEPHEN VINCENT BENÉT

HERE are no trenches dug in the park, not yet.There are no soldiers falling out of the sky.It's a fine, clear day, in the park. It is bright and hot.The trees are in full, green, summer-heavy leaf.An airplane drones overhead but no one's afraid.There's no reason to be afraid, in a fine, big cityThat was not built for a war. There is time and time.There was time in Norway and time, and the thing fell.When they woke, they saw the planes with the black crosses.When they woke, they heard the guns rolling in the street.They could not believe, at first. It was hard to believe.They had been friendly and thriving and inventive.They had had good arts, decent living, peace for years.Those were not enough, it seems.There were people there who wrote books and painted pictures,Worked, came home tired, liked to be let alone.They made fun of the strut and the stamp and the strained salute,They made fun of the would-be Caesars who howl and foam.That was not enough, it seems. It was not enough.When they woke, they saw the planes with the black crosses.

There is grass in the park. There are children on the long meadowWatched by some hot, peaceful nuns. Where the ducks are fedThere are black children and white and the anxious teachersWho keep counting them like chickens. It's quite a jobTo take so many school-kids out to the park,But when they've eaten their picnic, they'll go home.(And they could have better homes, in a rich city.)But they won't be sent to Kansas or MichiganAt twenty-four hours' notice,Dazed, bewildered, clutching their broken toys,Hundreds on hundreds filling the blacked-out trains.Just to keep them safe, just so they may live not die.Just so there's one chance that they may not die but live.That does not enter our thoughts. There is plenty of time.

IN Holland, one hears, some children were less lucky.It was hard to send them anywhere in Holland.It is a small country, you see. The thing happened quickly.The bombs from the sky are quite indifferent to children.The machine-gunners do not distinguish. In RotterdamOne quarter of the city was blown to bits.That included, naturally, ordinary buildingsWith the usual furnishings, such as cats and children.It was an old, peaceful city, Rotterdam,Clean, tidy, full of flowers.

But that was not enough, it seems.It was not enough to keep all the children safe.It was ended in a week, and the freedom ended.There is no air-raid siren yet, in the park.All the glass still stands, in the windows around the park.The man on the bench is reading a Yiddish paper.He will not be shot because of that, oddly enough.He will not even be beaten or imprisoned.Not yet, not yet.You can be a Finn or a Dane and an American.You can be German or French and an American,Jew, Bohunk, Nigger, Mick—all the dirty namesWe call each other—and yet American.We've stuck to that quite a while.Go into Joe's Diner and try to tell the truckersYou belong to a Master Race and you'll get a laugh.

What's that, brother? Double-talk?

I'm a stranger here myself but it's a free country.

It's a free country . . .

Oh yes, I know the faults and the other side,The lyncher's rope, the bought justice, the wasted land,The scale on the leaf, the borers in the corn,The finks with their clubs, the gray sky of relief,All the long shame of our hearts and the long disunion.I am merely remarking—as a country, we try.As a country, I think we try.They tried in Spain but the tanks and the planes won out.They fought very well and long.They fought to be free but it seems that was not enough.They did not have the equipment. So they lost.They tried in Finland. The resistance was shrewd,

Skillful, intelligent, waged by a free folk.That resistance is now ended.

WE are slow to wake, good-natured as a country.(It is our fault and our virtue.) We like to raiseA man to the highest power and then throw bricks at him.We don't like war and we like to speak our minds.We're used to speaking our minds.There are certain words,Our own and others', we're used to—words we've used,Heard, had to recite, forgotten,Rubbed shiny in the pocket, left home for keepsakes,Inherited, stuck away in the back-drawer,In the locked trunk, at the back of the quiet mind.Liberty, equality, fraternity.To none will we sell, refuse or deny, right or justice.We hold these truths to be self-evident.I am merely saying—what if these words pass?What if they pass and are gone and are no more,Eviscerated, blotted out of the world?We're used to them, so used that we half-forget,The way you forget the looks of your own houseAnd yet you can walk around it, in the darkness.You can't put a price on sunlight or the air,You can't put a price on these, so they must be easy.They were bought with belief and passion, at great cost.They were bought with the bitter and anonymous bloodOf farmers, teachers, shoemakers and fools

Who broke the old rule and the pride of kings.And some never saw the end and many were weary,Some doubtful, many confused.They were bought by the ragged boys at Valmy mill,The yokels at Lexington with the long light gunsAnd the dry, New England faces,The iron barons, writing a charter outFor their own iron advantage, not the people,And yet the people got it into their handsAnd marked it with their own sweat.It took long to buy these words.It took a long time to buy them and much pain.Thenceforward and forever free.Thenceforward and forever free.No man may be bound or fined or slain till he has been judged by his peers.To form a more perfect Union.The others have their words too, and strong words,Strong as the tanks, explosive as the bombs. The State is all, worship the State! The Leader is all, worship the Leader! Strength is all, worship strength! Worship, bow down or die!

I SHALL go back through the park to my safe house, This is not London or Paris. This is the high, bright city, the lucky place, The place that always had time.

The boys in their shirtsleeves here, the big, flowering girls, The bicycle-riders, the kids with the model planes, The lovers who lie on the grass, uncaring of eyes, As if they lay on an island out of time, The tough kids, squirting the water at the fountain, Whistled at by the cop. The dopes who write "Jimmy's a dope" on the tunnel walls. These are all quite safe and nothing will happen to them. Nothing will happen, of course. Go tell Frank the Yanks aren't coming, in Union Square. Go tell the new brokers' story about the President. Whatever it is. That's going to help a lot. There's time to drink your highball—plenty of time. Go tell fire it only burns in another country, Go tell the bombers this is the wrong address, The hurricane to pass on the other side. Go tell the earthquake it must not shake the ground. The bell has rung in the night and the air quakes with it. I shall not sleep tonight when I hear the plane.