#dead boyfriend from over a decade ago. isn’t that sad. HER BROTHER JUST DIED????

[fruitsaladc0wboy]

the thing that makes me the craziest abt s15 of rvb is that they wrote the worlds most traumatizing scenario for carolina and then completely disregarded it. like s13 makes it EXTREMELY clear that one of her worst fears is losing her brother and then IT HAPPENS and then like six months later a guy who looks just a little bit too much like him tries to fucking murder Her Specifically. but nooooo s15 is about her overcoming her freelancer trauma for some reason like ???? that woman is in MOURNING why would she be tackling her decades old trauma now. while a guy with her dead brothers face is trying to kill her. can anybody hear me.

[elsb-hrngtons]

The Seaside Blues Cafe

Hello Lovelies so this was an absolutely gorgeous prompt form Rhythm_Smith 

so i received this absolutely gorgeous prompt from Rhythm_Smith for HfBLM:

Several years after cannon (with a s3 divergence where Neil is the one possessed by the mind flayer ) Steve and Billy own a cafe by the beach called The Sea Side Blues Cafe and Billy proposes.

i really hope you like it, its given me all the warm fuzzies writing it!

please call see this wonderful moodboard @gideongrace made for it <3 

links to Ao3 in the notes.

June 1995

Somewhere just off of the broadwalk near Santa Monica Pier is a little cafe, inside there are a mismatch of tables and chairs, bean bags and bookshelves that line nearly every wall, fairy lights strung across the ceiling casting the cosy interior in dazzling colour. Chalkboards take up the wall behind the counter, with the daily specials scribbled on in a  multi-coloured scrawl, where there are not bookshelves there are posters with sayings like ‘Love is Love” and “respect the rainbow”. Outside under where the awning casts much needed shade from the relentless Californian sun are two sets of tables and chairs, each complete with an ashtray and menus, between them is a black A-board that reads with big fancy letters “ALL ARE WELCOME” “Live Music Every Saturday”. Business was booming.

Billy and Steve have worked hard to get where they are, it hasn’t always been easy, but then they both know more than anyone else things worth having rarely ever are. They’ve been together since Starcourt, when Neil possessed by the mindflayer almost killed them all, and Billy in a blaze of glory risked everything to take him down. When the dust had settled and Billy was left lying on the cold tile floor of the food court, impressive wounds to his sides and chest, miraculously having missed any vital organs, blood pooling around him, Steve couldn’t help but chastise him for risking himself like that.

“I couldn’t let him win pretty boy”

“You’re so stupid Billy, you could have died”

“Not dead, Just hurt, how about you kiss it better?”

And Steve did.

The rest so they say is history, once Billy was released from hospital, with a large pile of NDA’s to sign and an impressive payout of hush money/compensation from the good old US government, he wasted no time in telling Steve exactly how he felt, and for the first time in his godforsaken life, something went his way, because Steve as it happens felt the same way. It’s not long after that they pack up their belongings and drive west, drive home.

The years to follow are filled with so much joy, love and laughter, two boys who’s orbits crashed into each other, inseparable now, unable to live without the other even in the midst of petty arguments.

It was with Billy’s government money they were able to send Steve to culinary school, where he excelled at Pastry, and with Steve’s baking prowess and Billy’s creativity they opened their own business, a little cafe called the Seashore Blues Cafe,  just off the broadwalk near Santa Monica Pier.

It’s just another morning in the small corner of the world they’ve built for themselves, the sun is shining high in the sky, breeze rolling off the sea as Billy wanders down from their apartment above the cafe to help Steve open up shop. Steve’s already been up and working for a few hours, lovingly creating all his delicious treats to sell to their customers that day. The cafe smells like freshly brewed coffee with hints of vanilla and cinnamon, and as Billy walks out from their little kitchen out back and through to the front of house he’s struck in awe at just how beautiful Steve really is. He’s sat at table by the window, mid morning sun streaming through shrouding Steve in a halo of light, his soft brown hair flops over his face which has specks of flour dusted on his cheeks, silver wired glasses balance precariously on the bride of his nose, he’s got a pile of their mail on the table and he’s reading something, cute little crease between his brow as he studies the words in front of his face. As Billy approaches closer he notices the letter in question is embossed with gold leaf calligraphy, fancy. Whatever he’s reading it looks to be something important, and Steve doesn’t seem too pleased to be reading it at all.

“What  you got there pretty boy?” Billy asks which startles Steve who clearly didn’t hear Billy walk in, he looks up and gives Billy a tight lipped smile as he hands over the offending piece of paper. Billy glances over it and sure enough in big shimmery cursive it reads ‘ Together with their parents Nancy Elizabeth Wheeler and Jonathan Christopher Byers invite you to join them in celebrating their marriage’ so its a wedding invitation that has Steve looking so glum.

“Mazel Tov” Billy deadpans

“Yeah” Steve sighs

“I mean it’s good news right? Wheeler finally making an honest man out of Byers and all” Billy questions as he slides onto the chair next to his boyfriend and gives him a chaste good morning kiss.

“I mean yeah it great, it’s really great, fantastic really” Steve begins to ramble “but..”

“But you’re still sore about Wheeler ditching you for Johnny boy?” Billy asks, it’s not at all mean and Billy is long past being outwardly insecure about Steve’s past relationships, but he can’t help but feel that old familiar pang of jealousy and suspicion make a home in his chest, always worried that this little slice of heaven they’ve carved out of near on a decade of hard work and prejudice will never be enough for Steve, that he will never be enough for Steve.

“No no that’s not it.. It’s just” Steve seems to falter, can’t find the words to say can’t do his feelings justice with the spoken word.

“It’s just what baby?”

“Doesn’t it make you sad?”

“Does what make me sad?”

“You know.. That we can’t have that” Steve snatches the invitation out of Billy’s hand and throws it across the table, Billy watches as it slides straight off and floats gracefully to the floor, gold lettering catching the light, glinting and shining mocking Steve as he begins to wine and tug at his hair, something he started doing whenever he got stressed of worked up. Billy takes hold of Steve’s wrists, makes sure his grip is loose and gentle so Steve can pull away if he wishes to do so, he doesn’t, Billy brings his hands down in front of them both on the table and places both his over Steve’s holding them, rubbing soothing circles onto the backs of Steve’s hands with his thumbs.

“I mean it sucks for sure, but there’s not much we can do about it, no point dwelling on it” Billy tries his best to be gentle to be soft, its what Steve needs in this moment, Steve huffs out a sigh and stands up, brushing the creases out of his apron as he goes.

“Yeah i guess you’re right, c’mon let’s get this place open” Billy watches as Steve disappears into the kitchen, when he’s out of sight he gathers the rest of the mail, stoops down to pick up the discarded invitation, assesses it once more and as he reads the RSVP details he’s struck by inspiration. He places the invitation to the back of the pile and can’t help the smirk on his face as he wanders around the counter to switch on all their lights.

---

“So let me get this straight” Max says down the phone her tone incredulous and honestly Billy can’t blame her, what he’s asked of her is a pretty mean feat “ you want me to somehow gather the party and drag them all the way to California and not tell them why?”

“Exactly” Billy is standing behind the counter of the cafe, his side turned to the hustle and bustle of the dining area, where their patrons sit chatting happily, while Lucy, their waitress goes between tables taking orders and checking in. Billy curls the cord of the wall mounted phone around his finger, he’s antsy Steve’s due back from running errands and could walk through the front door any minute now, he keeps one eye on the door and jumps slightly every time the bell above it jingles.

“And you want me to make sure no one tells Steve we’re coming?”

“Yep.”

“And how please tell me dear brother, do you expect me to do that?” Billy used to flinch whenever anyone referred to him as Max’s brother, but after years of rebuilding a bond that was tinted so long ago by pain and bitterness, all he feels is a warm fondness at the title.

“I dunno! Can’t you get El to do her mind shit or whatever it is she does”

“It doesn’t work like that Billy!” Max all but yells down the phone

“Okay okay, well maybe you can tell the rat pack why.. Actually no. You can tell everyone but Henderson” Billy corrects himself, knows full well if Dustin got wind of his plans, not only would he receive yet another shovel talk from the little gremlin, but there’s a strong chance he could actually blow his big scheme altogether.

“Why not Dustin?”

“Because shitbird. Curls is physically incapable of keeping a secret and I don't want him to spoil it, you hear me?”

“Loud and clear”

“Thank you” Billy breathes a sigh of relief but its short lived as he hears the familiar jingle of the bell above the door and catches sight of a dishevelled and winded Steve come strolling through the door “Shit i gotta go, talk later”

“Yeah okay.. Oh Billy?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m really proud of you, and happy” She hesitates as she says the next part “i love you”

It still takes Billy’s breath away when she says it, it's not something they say very often to each other, but each time they do he knows it’s genuine and that though alone is enough to make his heart rabbit in his chest, he still feels guilt at the way he treated her in the early years, feels her love isn’t deserved at all, nonetheless he has it and he loves her too.

“Yeah Yeah, you too Mad Max” he tries to sound unaffected but his voice wavers at the end, has no time to compose himself though because Steve is right next to him, he slams the phone back into the receiver with a little more force than was strictly necessary and spins round to greet his lover with a toothy grin.

Steve leans in to peck Billy on the cheek, soft lips lips contrasting with rough stubble, he pulls back with a dopey smile.

“Was that Max?”

“Yeah she says Hi by the way”

“Sorry I missed her, what was she calling about?” Steve asks

“Oh you know just checking in” Billy tries for nonchalant, shoves his hands in his pockets to help with his casual facade, Steve isn’t buying it, he raises one eyebrow and fold his arms across his chest, he’s got a dumb smug smirk plastered on his face as he leans his back against the counter.

“Max never calls just to check in”

“Well she was today pretty boy” Billy’s defensive, hates lying to Steve, hates being caught in a lie, but needs must and all. “Anyway shouldn’t you get back in the kitchen? I’m sure Ricky’s dying for a smoke break”

“Fine” Steve huffs, pushes off the counter and makes his way back to the counter, just as he disappears through the door he calls over his shoulder “this conversation isn’t over by the way. I’ll find out why Max called”

Billy can’t help but roll his eyes but it’s all in good humour.

“Sure thing Beautiful”

---

It’s taken a monumental amount of planning and tantrums and narrowly avoiding being the number one suspect in the double homicide of MIke Wheeler and Dustin Henderson, but here he is, it's the big day and he feels like he’s about to throw up.

He’s been pacing the cafe floor, burning a hole in the wood flooring with his anxious back and forth, religiously checking his back pocket to assure himself of the safety of the ring he has stashed away in there, and it hasn’t magically disappeared in the last 10 seconds. The ring he almost had a breakdown over finding, almost threw the towel in and called whole thing off because he needed it to be perfect,needed it to be right, and had it not been for Robin’s intervention and her dragging him to some of the more alternative jewelry stores LA had to offer, he might not have found one at all. He hopes Steve likes it, hopes above all else Steve says yes, because if he doesn’t Billy’s not sure he’ll survive that kind of heartbreak, might have to take a long walk off Santa Monica pier and let the ocean wash him out of existence.

The party have all been helping set up and decorate the cafe which has been closed for the day, as far as Steve is aware the space has been hired for a ‘Private Event’ which are supplying their own catering, giving him the opportunity the spend the day with Robin, who is spending the month in California on a ‘whim’, of course she’s really here for Billy’s big plan, to help distract and misdirect Steve so he’s none the wiser and it truly does remain a surprise.

The place looks beautiful, more so than it usually does, The daily specials board has been wiped clean and in its place are messages of congratulations, love and support for Billy and Steve, somehow Max and El managed to source fresh garlands of various white flowers, all with names Billy doesn’t care to learn, all he knows is they look stunning strung up along the ceiling and across the walls interwoven with the fairy lights that are a permanent fixture of the interior design. Every table is adorned with white table clothes and on each table are vases with the same flowers hung up on the walls, there’s different photos of Billy and Steve throughout the years hung up all over the place, snapshots of the life they built together smiling down on Billy as he impatiently waits for Steve’s arrival. He’s lined the kitchen with hundreds of candles and rose petals carpet every inch of the floor,  and he knows once Steve is over the initial shock of it all he might bitch about fire hazards and safety bullshit, but Billy couldn’t care less, it’s romantic and Steve really should appreciate the effort.

The plan is simple, Robin will drop Steve off at the back door, then she’ll sneak round the front and join the rest of their guests in the cafe where they’ll wait silently for the signal, The signal hopefully being a loud and celebratory ‘he said yes’, then the party begins.

Billy’s still pacing, he can’t help it, couldn’t possibly stay still in this moment, he’s supposed to receive a page from Robin any minute now to tell him her and Steve are 5 minutes away, his mouth is dry and his stomach is doing somersaults, he feels like he might forget how to breath.  

“Will you stop pacing, you’re making me dizzy!” Max complains from where she's sat sideways on one of the chairs.

“What if he says no Max?”

“He’s not going to say no” she says rolling her eyes

“Yeah as much as I hate to admit it, Steve’s crazy for you, there’s no way he’s gonna say no” Dustin chimes in.

Billy doesn’t get a chance to respond because his beeper sounds from where it’s been left on the front counter by the till, the whole room holds their breath as he rushes over to check and sure enough Robin and Steve are less than 5 minutes away and it’s finally happening. Within seconds the whole room devolves into a frenzy, all the guests rushing to take their place in the crowd, all party members elbowing each other to push their way to the front, Lucas and Will holding up a side of  a just engaged banner. It's chaos, but Billy can’t think about that right now, tunes the rest of the world out, knows they’ll be quiet when they need to be.

His heart is in his throat as he walks the small distance between the front of house to the kitchen, double checks all the candles are lit and the rose petals that didn’t make the floor, instead are strategically placed on the counter top to spell out ‘Marry Me’ are all in their right home. He combs through his blonde curls and straightens out his shirt, checks his back pocket one last time just as he hears the sound of Steve’s keys turn the lock, he doesn’t know what to do with himself where to place himself, so instead he just stands there arms to his sides, eyes wide, expression hopeful.

Steve walks in fumbling with the lock, shopping bags in each hand from a day spent getting some well earned retail therapy, he’s in a cheery mood Billy notices, half singing,half mumbling some pop song, bobbing his head with his back turned to the kitchen. He hasn’t noticed Billy’s presence yet, or all the evidence around him of Billy’s devotion to him, but as he turns around he’s struck dumb. Eyes wide, shopping bags fall to the floor as he gasps and clasps one hand over his mouth. He’s tearing up as he tries to find the words to ask what’s going on, but there’s no need as Billy drops down to one knee, the ring he spent painstaking hours choosing, presented in front of him as an offering to the only thing in this universe or any universe he’s ever worshiped. There are tears in his own eyes, but he can’t help the smile as he gazes lovingly at the man he’s loved since he was 18, hope bubbling in his chest threatening to spill over.

“Billy, what’s all this?” Steve asks, still stuck in his place at the door, his voice is wavering and he’s shaking, his legs look about 5 seconds away from buckling from underneath him.

“It’s for you Bambi” Billy says, it's barely a whisper and his voice is breaking from all the emotions he’s been storing in his chest all day, betraying him as they claw up his throat at the most vital moment of his entire life.

“Billy--” Steve begins but Billy cuts him off.

“Will you just shut up for a minute… please”

Billy takes a deep steadying breath as he tries to calm his pounding heart and find the right words to say, he tried beyond hope to write some kind of speech for the occasion, but none of the words he scribbled down felt right, felt like they did the love he had for Steve any justice, it was Max’s suggestion to improvise, to speak from the heart, it’s more authentic that way, and Billy couldn’t help but agree at the time, but now all he wants to do is curse himself, curse Max for ever thinking that going without at least some idea was a good idea.

“From the very moment I laid eyes on you I knew I was in trouble” Billy begins, it’s a strong start but now he’s faced with the dilemma of what goes next.

“Here was this guy, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and.. And you had this fierceness to you, never backing down, always looking out for others, even if that meant risking yourself.”  His knee is hurting from putting his weight onto it or too long, but in this moment he finds he couldn’t care less, bites through the pain so he can continue his declaration.

“And I wanted to be like that, I wanted to be the kind of person those big Bambi eyes would look at and be proud to call a friend.” He lets out a shaky breath as he recounts their love story, he’s never been a poet but his words are raw and genuine.

“So I built myself, modelled myself after you and sure enough you became my friend, you forgave me, gave me a chance and that made me so happy” The tears are really beginning to fall now, his vision blurs and his eyes sting, still he powers through.

“Then I fell in love and I fell hard, and everyday I’d hate myself because I convinced myself you’d never love me back, and some days it was just too painful, but I knew it would hurt more if you were never in my life at all, that it would tear me apart” Steve still hasn’t moved from his place at the door, he just stands there a full river of tears flowing from his eyes, making them shine and twinkle in the candle light, he;s silent as he listens and if Billy couldn’t see the ride and fall of Steve’s chest he’d swear the man had stopped breathing altogether.

“That’s why I didn’t leave Hawkins straight after graduation, even though I promised myself I would. I just couldn’t stand the thought of leaving you behind.” He has to pause as he gathers up the strength to move onto the next part, as he has to acknowledge a time of his life, he’s torn between never wanting to forget and never wanting to remember.

“And now more than ever I’m so glad I didn’t, because if I did, who the hell knows what would have happened at that mall, all i know is I never would have gotten the chance to say I love you, or have the chance to hear you say it back” They’re both full on sobbing now, he has to continue even between hiccups, he has to finish, has to get to the park where he asks the question.

“And even after all these years, I have to remind myself that this is all real, this life we’ve built together is real, and I thank my lucky stars because you made me the man I am today, you made me the happiest man on earth that day, and have done everyday since, and if I can make you even half as happy as you make me, then I know i’m doing something right for once” Billy composes himself, its now or never, time to ask the most important question of his life.

“So Steve Harrington, will you marry me?”

It’s at that moment Steve’s legs finally give way and he crashes to the ground on his knees, still speechless and sobbing his heart out. The seconds that follow time seems to stand still for Billy, moments passing by excruciatingly slow, and the longer they both kneel there a mess of emotions on the kitchen floor Billy’s heart crawls further and further up his throat preparing itself for a steep and swooping descent of agony or a jubilant explosion of incomparable joy.

Just when Billy thinks there's an actual possibility he’s going to die from the anticipation, Steve finally speaks up.

“Yes. Billy I’ll marry you” his voice is barely audible, its hoarse from all the crying, but it's the answer Billy was hoping for and he’s overcome with an overwhelming sense of relief he feels almost faint from it, luckily Steve is crawling on his hands and knees until Billy collapses forward into him, burying his face into Steve’s neck and holding him tighter than Billy ever remembers doing before.

“Really you mean it?” he has to ask, as to make sure.

“Billy i want nothing more than to marry you” Billy can’t help but laugh with unrestrained joy, he feels his heart soar and his cheeks flush, he feels fit to burst, can’t contain it much longer, needs to shout from the rooftops just how happy he is. Steve lifts them both back to their feet and he holds Billy at arms length so he can look into Billy’s eyes. Honey brown meets ocean blue and there’s so much feeling in both their gazes, a storm of emotion ready to let loose any minute. “I love you Billy Hargrove” he declares a triumphant smile on his face as he leans in to give Billy a chaste kiss.

“I love you too Steve Harrington” Billy can’t help himself, he leans in a kisses Steve with all the passion and all the adoration he possess, its bruising, its fiery and it's oh so sweet as he forces his tongue to part Steve’s lips and licks into his mouth, but before he gets much of a chance to deepen it there’s a shout from out front.

“Has he said yes yet?” It’s the unmistakable and irritating voice of an impatient Mike. Both Billy and Steve break from the kiss and chuckle as they lean in and rest their foreheads against each other’s for a moment, soaking in the quiet glory of their love. Billy leans back and hollers towards the front of the cafe.

“Yeah he said yes!” It's met with a resounding cheer from the group of people gathered to witness this, and now the hard parts over the best part of Billy’s plan can begin.

“C’mon pretty boy, our guests await” he holds out the ring from Steve to slip onto his finger and takes him by the arm so he can guide Steve out to the front. Steve’s breathless for the second time in less than 20 minutes as they open the kitchen door and are greeted by all the faces of the people they love the most, all grinning from ear to ear and celebrating for them.

“You did all this?” Steve asks, awestruck.

“Well I had some help, I couldn’t have done it without these losers that's for sure” Billy laughs as he gestures towards the party, feeling victorious when Mike and Dustin look scandalised by Billy’s comment. “And you can thank Robin for helping pick out the ring,” He continues.

“Billy I don’t know what to say, this is incredible” Steve marvels as his eyes wander around the room, taking in all the decorations and photos and messages of good will.

“You don’t need to say anything at all.” Billy says “Listen baby, I know you’re upset that we can’t legally get married, but y’know fuck the law. Let's have our own wedding, right here right now. We don’t need a piece of paper to say we love each other” Billy turns to face Steve takes both his hands in his and stares searchingly into his eyes, looking for signs he may have messed up. “And if they do ever make it legal, and you still want to we can do it proper, just as soon as the laws passed” He rambles on “and there’s no pressure if you don’t like it, we can do something where we plan it together, it doesn’t have to be here and now--”

Steve interrupts Billy mid sentence to peck him quickly on the lips,

“Billy it's perfect.”

“Yeah, you sure?”

“Never been surer of anything in my life”

“Well then pretty boy, let's do this.”

---

Billy’s floating on cloud nine and there’s not a chance in hell he’ll be bought back down any time soon, the day was perfect everything he could ever wish for, a day spent celebrating his love for Steve and Steve’s love for him, a day spent surrounded to the most important people in their lives and nothing in this world could ever beat it.

He’s never seen Steve so happy either, even as he fusses trying to clear away the scattered rose petals and burnt out candles from the kitchen, their guests long gone all retired to their respective hotels giving Billy and Steve all the privacy a newly wed couple deserves.

“Hey Bambi, leave all that we can get in the morning, let’s go to bed” Billy says as he slides up behind Steve and hooks his arms around his waist, kissing and nibbling at his neck.

“Can’t do it tomorrow there’ll be no time to clean and get everything ready to open” Steve mumbles as he brushes more of the rose petals into the trash, Billy places his hand onto Steve’s shoulder so he has more leverage to spin him around so they can face each other.

“What if we just didn’t open tomorrow?” Billy says as he nips at Steve’s jaw and presses against him.

“We can’t not open tomorrow Billy” Steve says riding a moan

“Why not we’re the owners right?” Billy snakes his hand between them and presses his palm against the growing bulge in Steve’s pants.

“Yeah but--”

“Yeah but what? Don’t we get to decide if we open or not? Haven’t we earned a few days off?”

“I guess..”

“So what are you waiting for, let's go to bed” Billy says between kisses. At that Steve sighs and slips out to move away from Billy.

“Fine lets go Tiger” He says over his shoulder as he saunters towards the stairs to their apartment, Billy licks his lips in anticipation, can’t help the extra pep in his step as he follows, flicks the lights off with a flourish and kicks the door closed behind him, feeling lighter than air as he takes the stairs two at a time.

June 30th 2015

20 years to the day Billy proposed to Steve, when he laid his soul bare and proclaimed his undying love. 20 years to the day, that with the only family that ever counted to either of them, playing witness to their mutual promises of forever, they stand with the shore at their feet, the surf lapping at their ankles, brilliant hues of orange and pink as the sunset acts as the backdrop to their declaration of love.

They’re finally here, surrounded by the same family as 20 years prior and a few new, yet fond faces, keeping a promise they made all those years ago to make their marriage ‘official’ to join together legally.

Wicca chairs stand in rows up the sand, filled by guests with joyous expressions watching as Billy and Steve utter their vows to one another, as they pledge a lifetime to one another, Robin stands between them officiating the ceremony, while Dustin stands proudly to Steve's side and Max to Billy’s. The breeze tickles through the congregation, whipping gently at Steve’s salt and pepper mop, as he gazes adoringly into Billy’s eyes, tears threatening to spill despite the dazzling grin on his face.

Robin announces them as Husband and Husband and they receive their standing ovation, Billy grabs Steve and dips him backwards to press a passionate kiss to his soft lips, a kiss filled with all the devotion he’s built up over the last 30 years and promise to continue that devotion for the next 30 and god willing more. The cheers and hollers from the crowd fizzle away into white noise, the sounds of the ocean, the crash of waves, the whistle of the breeze and the call of gulls acts as the song to their first kiss as a proper married couple and just as he did 20 years ago today, Billy feels his heart swell ready to burst straight out of his chest, feels his stomach dip because he’s never been so happy, because even after 30 years kissing Steve still gives him butterflies, because despite all the injustices he faced in his younger years, he stands here with the only person he’s ever loved, his soulmate in his arms and nothing, not the upside down, not the monsters that walk among them, not his dad, could ever compel him to ever let Steve go.

[aion-rsa]

Lake Mungo: the Lingering Mystery Behind One of Australia’s Scariest Horror Films

https://ift.tt/33X4CPz

Contains spoilers for the movie Lake Mungo.

“We were thinking it’d be nice if we could make a film that was kind of a curiosity, but if you saw it years from now you wouldn’t know anything about where it came from.”

This quote from a 2009 interview with Lake Mungo director Joel Anderson proved to be strangely prescient. Anderson was speaking ahead of the film’s screening at the Brisbane Film Festival – the movie had already premiered at the Sydney Film Festival, played South by Southwest in the US, and would go on to tour several more festivals before eventually finding its way onto DVD.

Anderson conducted a few interviews. He talked about how the film had in part come about because he wanted to make something cheap and manageable that could be shot in sections because he’d had trouble getting financing for a different, bigger, more expensive movie he’d written a script for. And then he effectively disappeared from the film world altogether, with the only credit listed on his IMDb page after Lake Mungo (his feature debut) being a short called Gravity (with Paperclip) from 2013. It’s a mildly amusing riff on Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, imagining Sandra Bullock talking to ‘Clippy’ the paperclip, Microsoft’s notoriously irritating animated Office Assistant. It’s a wilfully outdated reference point even in 2013 – the short refers specifically to Windows 98 and the Clippy feature was completely removed by 2008.

IMDb says Anderson co-wrote the short with eight other people. The short itself credits “Mr Worm.” Is this Anderson’s work? Impossible to know, and if it is, it’s just another weird punchline in the story of a haunting movie shrouded in mystery.

Before we continue we should point out that we can’t offer any answers as to why Anderson is off the grid. The latest we know – via another journalist friend – is that Anderson just doesn’t want to be interviewed, and while we reached out to Martin Sharpe who plays Matthew in Lake Mungo, we haven’t heard back. It somehow adds to the mythology of a film that’s had ripple effects well beyond its own sphere. 

Lake Mungo plays like a documentary – talking heads relate the story of what happened to the Palmer family after the death of 16-year-old Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker), who drowned in a dam while swimming with her brother. Her father identifies the body but strange sightings suggest that perhaps Alice’s ghost is haunting the family – or perhaps Alice isn’t dead at all? The movie contains several set ups and reveals – you think you’re watching one kind of story but soon discover you’re watching another.

First and foremost, Lake Mungo is a movie about grief. “The idea of someone in your family or someone you care for dying, and being in a tragedy, is the one thing I think everyone fears most,” said Anderson and it’s the senselessness and lack of control the family feels immediately after the tragedy that starts the story.

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By Rosie Fletcher

What’s incredibly striking about Lake Mungo is how naturalistic it is. The movie was unscripted, relying on the cast to improvise much of the dialogue which is told through to-camera interviews, while Anderson himself played the off screen interviewer. Some cast members found it easier than others, according to Anderson, though in the finished film it doesn’t show. Performances across the board are entirely believable, and while the family members – Alice’s father Russell (David Pledger), mother June (Rosie Traynor) and brother Matthew (Martin Sharpe) do the heavy lifting, along with Ray (Steve Jodrell), the psychic whom Alice, we discover, was also seeing before she died, there are multiple other characters including friends of Alice, neighbors, police and people from the area who may have caught glimpses of Alice after her death. It’s an effective way to build up a picture of the town of Ararat, including its darker side.

It’s surely no coincidence that the family are named the Palmers – Lake Mungo has more than a few things in common with David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Not only does the troubling image of Alice’s body once it’s been fished out of the dam, days after she went missing, recall that of the iconic shot of Laura Palmer’s corpse wrapped in plastic, but the acceptable face of Ararat has a seamy side, just like Twin Peaks.

In Lake Mungo we discover that the sightings of Alice aren’t real, and the images from the house that Matthew had recorded on the cameras he set up to watch for her were faked – by him – in order to convince his mother to exhume Alice’s corpse and prove to her once and for all that Alice is really dead – or at least so he says. But Matthew captures something else – footage of the Palmers’ neighbor Brett in Alice’s bedroom, apparently searching for something.

Alice used to babysit for Brett’s children and what he’s searching for in Alice’s room is a VHS tape of a sex act between Alice, Brett, and his wife. Alice, just like Laura, had secrets. There’s more than a shade of Peaks’ Doctor Jacoby about psychic Ray too, a man to whom Alice revealed her deepest fears and her sense of impending doom.

“I feel like something bad is going to happen to me. I feel like something bad has happened to me, it hasn’t reached me yet but it’s on its way. And it’s getting closer.” These are the ominous words that open the film, spoken by Alice to Ray and this is the path that plays out in Lake Mungo, the terrible, awful inevitable tragedy at the heart of the story. 

While it is a story about grief, Lake Mungo is also deeply terrifying. Alice is troubled by visions of drowning, of feeling cold and wet and alone, of wandering the corridors of her own home with her mother unable to see her, and eventually she’s haunted by an apparition.

Mungo’s money shot occurs on a trip Alice takes with her friends to dry lake and national heritage site Lake Mungo. Footage taken on her boyfriend’s phone one night shows Alice separating from the group and burying something under a tree. When the family take a trip to Lake Mungo to try to find whatever it was Alice buried they discover a package of her belongings – her watch, a favorite bracelet and her phone. And when they watch the final footage on that phone…

An image you can’t unsee. You’re welcome.

So much of Lake Mungo is about foreshadowing, but also wrong footing – we think we know what’s going on, but we don’t – until this moment, when we really do. By the time we get the horrifying reveal of a shambling figure approaching Alice in the dark, getting closer and closer, we know exactly what we are going to see, and it’s unbearable. Alice is haunted by herself, by her own future, the face of her own drowned body coming towards her inexorably.

Yes, Lake Mungo is about grief, the grief experienced by the family and how they eventually come to terms with it, believing Alice only wanted the family to know her true self and has now moved on, but for Alice it’s about something much darker.

The Palmer women are secretive, we learn. June’s mother could never truly connect with June, and she, in turn, was never fully able to give herself to Alice. So Alice kept her secrets and suffered with her premonitions alone, talking only to Ray who ultimately couldn’t – or didn’t – help her.

Alice’s story is incredibly sad. It’s the story of a troubled 16-year-old, with friends who didn’t really know her, in a dubious sexual relationship with an older couple that she hadn’t told anyone about. A girl having horrifying visions of her own death who couldn’t really talk to her family about any of it. And a girl who’s visions came true.

Worse still, after her family finds closure they pack up the house and move on, believing Alice has done the same. But mid credits images show us that, no, Alice’s ghost remains, it’s just that her family can’t see her. Just like the parallel visions that she and her mother had while talking to Ray – June in the house believing that Alice isn’t there, Alice in the house knowing that her mother can’t see her – both see their version of the future, a psychic vision shared between mother and daughter, but ultimately they fail to connect.

Premonitions of one’s own death are not a new thing in fiction. In A Christmas Carol Scrooge is presented with a vision of his own depressing funeral and neglected tombstone, but Scrooge has the chance to change his ways. In Alice’s case there’s a terrible inevitability. Something bad is going to happen. Something bad has happened. It’s getting closer.

The location of Lake Mungo has significance too. It’s a place of archeological importance, where the oldest human remains found in Australia were discovered. It is a place of clear connection between past, present, and future – tangible evidence of deaths that occurred thousands of years ago resonating far into the future. 

Lake Mungo might be a low budget Australian curio from over a decade ago but its legacy in the world stretches wide. The movie retains a Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%. In recent study The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film by Matt Glasby, published this year, Lake Mungo was picked out as one of the scariest movies ever.

The film has some high profile fans too – American horror author Paul Tremblay, who wrote A Head Full Of Ghosts, The Cabin At The End Of The World and this year’s Survivor Song says his 2016 novel Disappearance At Devil’s Rock was partly inspired by the movie.

“In addition to being truly, bone-deep terrifying, it’s a movie about the awe and vastness of grief,” he told us. “One that honestly confronts horror’s ultimate question: what happens to us when we die.”

And more horror fans all over the world discover Lake Mungo every day.

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Anderson might have walked away from the movie world (for now at least?) but his beautiful, chilling movie has a life of its own. That he got his wish and no one really knows much about where it came from or where he went is all part of the enigma. 

The post Lake Mungo: the Lingering Mystery Behind One of Australia’s Scariest Horror Films appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[thran-duils]

Vampire Smile

Title: Vampire Smile Pairing: Reader/Dean Summary: Reader is reunited with a past boyfriend, Dean. Inspired by Kyla La Grange’s song “Vampire Smile”. Words: 1,961 Warnings: Language

Masterpost

I'm a vampire smile, you'll meet a sticky end. I'm here trying not to bite your neck, But it's beautiful

Theo walked ahead of you, his eyes cast on the man who had wandered away from the group and was walking down the street alone now. You hadn’t been in the town long but the two of you had memorized the layout easily.

The man walked underneath a spotlight, his auburn hair shining in the momentary light before disappearing in the darkness in between the streetlights.

You were apprehensive about taking him like this but Theo was always careful. He slunk and was quiet about feeding. You had learned to be quiet too, watching Theo. As much as you despised him deep down, he was all you had.

Before he had turned you, you had had a life far from here. He had insisted you stay away from there, removing temptation about being around friends and family. You were still a newborn compared to other vampires and he wanted to fully assimilate you before trusting you to not go back. You figured that that meant he was waiting out until people you knew grew old and possibly died. That would remove temptation completely. It had already been ten years since you had seen anyone you used to know but the pain of losing them was still raw.

Theo was swiftly advancing on the guy, drawing you from your thoughts, when the man turned on a corner onto a desolate street. You stopped, waiting. There was a small shout before the night slipped into quietness again.

Moving towards where he had pulled the guy behind a fence in some trees, you saw his figure hunched and heard the noise of Theo feeding. Humans wouldn’t be able to pick it up as easily as you but it was still there.

“Come here,” Theo ordered you in a quiet voice.

You did what you were told, your hunger about to be quenched.

<> <> <>

“I trust you found something to eat,” Isaiah greeted you and Theo when you walked back into the nest.

The two of you were visiting another nest for the time being. Your other group was a couple states over. Theo had wanted a break and wanted you to come with him. You had been apprehensive at first but it had turned out to be a good choice. This nest was welcoming and it was nice to speak to others like you.

“We did,” Theo responded, sitting down.

Isaiah opened his mouth to respond but a loud shout from the next room cut him off. He trained his eyes on the door before shooting Theo a look. Theo was off the couch in an instant before grabbing you and throwing you behind him.

The door flew open, having been kicked and a woman was standing there, a large knife in hand.

Hunters.

Isaiah bared his teeth, his fangs emerging.

“Go!” Theo ordered you and you didn’t spare a second before turning around and making a run for the door to the next room.

There was commotion behind you as Theo and Isaiah took on the hunter. From the sound of it, there were more hunters than just the woman. Panic was rushing through you as you tried to find your way out of the place.

Your efforts were futile. You were attacked from behind and whipped around before being slammed up against the wall. You bared your fangs, ready to either tear their throat out or die. But you were shocked into immobility, your defenses falling when you laid eyes on that face.

The hunter stilled too, his eyes widening, recognizing you immediately. He looked shocked and halfway horrified.

Retracting your teeth quickly, realizing you were the thing terrifying him, you asked in disbelief, “Dean?”

(gif)

The ghosts won’t matter cause we’ll hide in sin

“Y/N?” Dean husked out, his grip loosening on you. He lowered his knife slowly, unable to look away from you. Your chest rose and fell quickly, your heart still racing from the adrenaline that had been released moments before. He let go of you completely backing away a little bit.

“Dean?” another man called rushing into the room, looking ready to fight. His eyes landed on Dean before seeing you in front of Dean. Confusion flashed across his face before he asked, “What are you doing?”

Swallowing sharply, Dean got out, “I… uh…”

The woman joined the other man’s side, blood covering her. Your heart clenched, knowing that they were all dead. You were the only one left. You couldn’t feel Theo anymore. The tie that had been between the two of you was dead. You felt abandoned.

Seeing you, the woman started making a beeline towards you but Dean stepped in her way, holding up his hand to stop her.

“Mom, don’t!”

Mom? His mom was dead you thought to yourself confused.

The man and the woman looked at him in shock and he shook his head.

“The hell are you doing Dean?” the man asked.

Dean looked like he didn’t know how to explain himself, so he just jumped in, “I know her, Sam.”

Sam. This was his little brother he had told you about. He definitely wasn’t little anymore.

Turning his eyes to you, Sam looked you over curiously.

Moving to face you again, Dean looked you up and down again. He asked, sounding sad, “How did this happen?”

<> <> <>

Baby, you have a choice, 'Cause you burn my ears with your magic voice

Dean smiled at you, giving you a light kiss. “You look gorgeous,” he purred.

Placing your hands on his leather jacket, you smiled up at him. “You tryna get something from me?”

Giving you a sheepish smile, Dean inquired, “What could I possibly be trying to get? Can’t you just accept a compliment from me?”

Straightening up his collar, you told him teasingly, “You always have an ulterior motive, Mr. Winchester.”

“I suppose it would be cliché to tell you that Mr. Winchester is my father.”

“You idiot.”

Dean leaned down again, giving you a longer kiss this time. You let him pull you close and you melted into the kiss. You were going to miss this.

Pulling away so just your noses were touching, Dean breathed out, closing his eyes. “I’ll come back soon.”

“Don’t tease me.”

“I’m not. I promise. I just have to go work in some other places.”

“So… months?”

He answered honestly, “Maybe.”

You forced a smile, “Would it be cliché to tell you I’ll wait?”

Chuckling, Dean nuzzled in, his lips landing on yours momentarily before he told you quietly, “You wait then. And I’ll be back and we can pick up right where we left off. Right?”

“Right,” you agreed.

<> <> <>

It felt uncomfortable to have this conversation with him in front of his brother and his – apparent – mother in the room.

“Theo… one of the vampires…” It hurt to talk about him, you having to think about him lying dead on the floor. As much as you had disdain for him, you’d spent the last 10 years with him. What was going to happen to the rest of your group when the two of you didn’t return?

Pressing on, “He found me. He was coming through town with his group. Liked me.”

Dean’s face fell and he asked quietly, “While I was gone.”

You nodded in affirmation. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you came back,” you whispered.

Casting his eyes downward, Dean exhaled loudly. “All this time… I thought…” he trailed off, not being able to finish.

Realization dawned on you and you made a move towards him, causing his mom and Sam to tense up, stopping you in your tracks. Your hand fell and you cleared your throat. “I didn’t leave of my own free will,” you told Dean.

Moving his eyes back up towards you, there was emotion swimming in Dean’s eyes. “You’ve been… like this for a decade?” You nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. Inhaling, he worked up the courage again, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” You paused before adding, “Do what you need to do though.”

Dean jerked his head up, a startled look on his face. Immediately he shook his head, “I’m not gonna do that.”

You had a feeling he wasn’t going to but it was a relief to hear it just the same. Despite the look on his family’s face.

I'm a paper doll, you can tear me up, We'll be the broken lovers with the poison cup

Dean looked over his shoulder and asked gently, “Can you give us a minute?”

They both looked uncomfortable with the request but must have realized it was something Dean needed. Nodding, they both turned, leaving reluctantly, closing the door behind them.

Since they were gone, you moved to Dean quick and threw your arms around him. His arms tightened around you and he pulled you close. You almost teared up at the fact he let you close like this. He still trusted you despite what you were. He still smelled the same… felt the same. God, you had missed him.

“I was hoping I would come across you eventually. Just… I always imagined it as a better meeting,” you told him quietly, still embraced.

He kissed your ear before pulling away to look at you. He had aged and certainly not in a bad way. You loved the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled down at you. You on the other hand… you hadn’t aged since you were 23.

“You look the same,” Dean commented.

“Comes with the curse I suppose,” you responded.

His eyes ran over you before he apologized again, “Really, I’m sorry I wasn’t there. This isn’t fucking fair…”

“I accepted it awhile ago.”

Dean swallowed sharply before adding, “And I’m sorry I killed your friends… family.”

“You didn’t.” Dean furrowed his brow, looking confused. You explained gently, “Well… Theo, yes. But… this isn’t my nest. We were visiting.” You eyed him waiting for a reaction at the news that there was another nest.

Of course he didn’t react the way you expected him to. This was Dean you were talking about. He was always full of surprises.

“That’s a relief.”

You rose your brows and questioned, “Is it?”

Nodding, Dean told you, “I would have… I can’t imagine taking away something like that from you.” You had nothing to say to this, so you remained silent. Your heart melted a little though knowing he still cared and wanted to protect you. Touching your face softly, he relished in feeling your skin. It meant a lot that he didn’t jolt back against the coldness of your skin.

So much was moving in you. There was so much you wanted to say to him. And you could tell he feel the same. How could you put into words that you had thought about him all the time, feeling awful knowing that he would have come back and you wouldn’t have been there for him, wishing that things had turned out different.

Instead, Dean did something simpler and just as profound. It said everything that needed to be said and more.

For the first time in a decade, Dean’s lips met yours. And you fell back into it just like the day he left. For a moment, you pretended nothing had changed. But, you knew it wouldn’t last. You couldn’t stay and the two of you couldn’t be together.

But it was fine to just pretend for a moment.

I want a scar that looks just like you, 'Til then I gotta learn to be a wiser fool