theheadlessgroom

[theheadlessgroom]

Sunset aligned over North Bank Lighthouse from the Great South Wall this evening.

📸 by @sryanbruen

[theheadlessgroom]

"There's always that possibility," he admitted with a little shrug of his bony shoulders, understanding her apprehension at the notion: While he'd felt the sting of rejection before, fortunately, he'd never had to live with the person who turned him down. Just the thought of having to do so...it made his ectoplasm crawl, just a little bit.

"But even if Sally turns you down, I think she'd be very kind about it," Randall assured, taking Nola's hand to pat comfortingly: Sally was one of the Mansion's kindest, sweetest residents, inherently friendly and chipper (a quality that had made her such an endearing entertainer in her mortal days), he could scarcely imagine her being upset by any confession made to her about one's feelings, and he liked to think that would help to mitigate any potential awkwardness.

@nola-schuyler

At this remark, Randall couldn't help but smile warmly, pale eyes aglow with fondness as he felt his un-beating heart begin to warm at his familiarity with this feeling Nola was experiencing.

There was no denying that it had felt strange in the moment (especially since he'd never felt so strongly about someone like that before), that it frightened him with its unfamiliarity in some ways, and it was a feeling he'd initially grappled with, unsure of where to go from there, what to do about it...

...but regardless of any uncertainty he may have felt about the future and how he would approach his feelings, any lingering strangeness from a new feeling, he couldn't deny just how right it felt, to feel the way he did about the woman he loved. And it still felt right, several centuries onward.

"That's just how I felt about Emily."

[theheadlessgroom]

The advance of the grey was on such beautiful display here

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"I am," Susannah confessed, feeling a touch embarrassed to say so: What was there to be so anxious about? She'd heard so much about the Reverend growing up that it felt as though she already knew him, shouldn't that make her less nervous, to meet a man she already felt like she'd met before?

Perhaps it had something to do with her parents, particularly her mother...she had so few memories of her, considering how early in her life Wilhelmina Pace had died, and any stories she heard about her second-hand were so often cruel, if they didn't come from her father. Perhaps she was anxious to hear someone have something nice to say about her for a change, from someone other than August Pace.

Or...perhaps she was nervous about hearing these stories would make her feel. Perhaps she was nervous about her heart aching when she heard these fond stories, about it dredging up those painful memories of her father, and breaking down crying-something Susannah hated to do in front of others. Perhaps it was all of these things, or none of them, and she just hadn't landed on the answer yet.

Sans her fears of crying in front of him and the Reverend, Susannah expressed these concerns aloud to Philippe as they walked, capping it off with, "I'm...I'm excited to meet him, don't get me wrong, I just...can't help but feel anxious. I've had butterflies in my stomach all day..."

[theheadlessgroom]

[theheadlessgroom]

"I do," he agreed with a small smile, before acknowledging, "At the very least, I think it has the chance to be so. I know these feelings are all-new, that you're still coming to grips with them, but...I do think there's a potential for something more for you and your lady."

Obviously, he couldn't speak for Nola herself; this was a very fresh and new crush, and there was no telling where it would go from here, but Randall was something of an optimist when it came to romance, and so he liked to hope this was the start of something big for the dear girl.

@nola-schuyler

At this remark, Randall couldn't help but smile warmly, pale eyes aglow with fondness as he felt his un-beating heart begin to warm at his familiarity with this feeling Nola was experiencing.

There was no denying that it had felt strange in the moment (especially since he'd never felt so strongly about someone like that before), that it frightened him with its unfamiliarity in some ways, and it was a feeling he'd initially grappled with, unsure of where to go from there, what to do about it...

...but regardless of any uncertainty he may have felt about the future and how he would approach his feelings, any lingering strangeness from a new feeling, he couldn't deny just how right it felt, to feel the way he did about the woman he loved. And it still felt right, several centuries onward.

"That's just how I felt about Emily."

[theheadlessgroom]

RAYMOND MASSEY: AUGUST 30, 1896 - JULY 29, 1983

PERSONAL FAVORITE MOVIES: THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932), ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS (1940), ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944), EAST OF EDEN (1955), HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962), MACKENNA'S GOLD (1969)

PERSONAL FAVORITE TV APPEARANCES: NIGHT GALLERY (1971, 1972....2 EPISODES)

[theheadlessgroom]

"I...I'd like that."

For a number of reasons, Susannah liked the idea of Philippe accompanying her back to the church that night after work-although she hadn't seen her harasser since that night, it still brought her so much comfort to have her beloved by her side, ready to protect her at a moment's notice. She also liked the idea of perhaps echoing her parents, sitting together with the Reverend as they talked about happier, lighter matters; her father recalled with great fondness that the discussion of the wedding eventually shifted to what seemed like everything under the sun, the three happily chatting about life in town, Wilhelmina's travels and upbringing in Ireland, family, and the finer points of gardening.

But most of all, she liked the idea of her husband-to-be getting to know his future in-laws, even in this roundabout way: Although she had many stories to tell about her parents, keepsakes and portraits and heirlooms to share, there was something touching about the notion of someone else having fond memories to share as well. Little ways of keeping her parents alive, so that Philippe could get to know them, in a sense.

Squeezing Philippe's handkerchief as she took a deep breath to calm herself, a little smile crossed Susannah's lips as she leaned over to press a loving kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, my heart."

@beatingheart-bride

"O-Oh..." Abigail mumbled, her face turning bright red in embarrassment as she averted her gaze, all of her previous bravado now having gone completely out the window as she slouched, while her little clique alternated between snickering to themselves and looking genuinely surprised as Susannah stood up from her workstation, looking all smiles as she approached.

There was a confident glow to her that day, the likes of which no one had ever really seen before: Where once stood a timid woman, hunched over her work and trying to remain as quiet and out-of-the-way as possible, now stood a woman standing tall (so to speak) and proud in the warm sunlight, which warmed and illuminated the soft pale green of her skirt, and the stark white of her blouse. She hadn't really thought about it until that moment, but Susannah had been wearing more color lately-like a flower shaking off a winter's dew to bloom bright in the spring sun.

"I'd be very happy to help you, Mr. de Clair," Susannah grinned proudly, absolutely relishing in Abigail's embarrassment, the way she gawked in disbelief at both her and Philippe, having had her efforts shot down so swiftly. It was deeply satisfying, seeing her bully get taken down a peg or two from her high horse, to say nothing of feeling her heart flutter at Philippe's unwavering love for her, refusing to give any other woman the time of day.

If only they knew...! she thought to herself amusedly, as she led Philippe away from the proverbial cackling hens as Abigail begrudgingly sat back down and resumed her work. Susannah could feel the heart necklace against her bare skin beneath her blouse, and although she would never dare flaunt it, she could only imagine what they'd all say and think if they knew the truth about her and "Mr. de Clair"...

"Well?" she asked excitedly, once they were out of earshot. "How'd it go?"

[theheadlessgroom]

Dance, Fools, Dance (Harry Beaumont, 1931)

[theheadlessgroom]

@nola-schuyler

At this remark, Randall couldn't help but smile warmly, pale eyes aglow with fondness as he felt his un-beating heart begin to warm at his familiarity with this feeling Nola was experiencing.

There was no denying that it had felt strange in the moment (especially since he'd never felt so strongly about someone like that before), that it frightened him with its unfamiliarity in some ways, and it was a feeling he'd initially grappled with, unsure of where to go from there, what to do about it...

...but regardless of any uncertainty he may have felt about the future and how he would approach his feelings, any lingering strangeness from a new feeling, he couldn't deny just how right it felt, to feel the way he did about the woman he loved. And it still felt right, several centuries onward.

"That's just how I felt about Emily."

[theheadlessgroom]

The Englishwoman’s Bedroom, 1985

[theheadlessgroom]

'The Phantom of the Opera' 1925. Mary Philbin as Christine Daae. Promotional Photos.

[theheadlessgroom]

"Y'know...I've been dead for centuries, and I've never gotten used to that," Randall commented with a soft chuckle. "Haven't had a heartbeat in several hundred years, and yet...being around Emily, even after all this time of being married, she still manages to make my heart race."

Out of curiosity, he once asked Dorian if he ever felt his own pulse begin to pound around Elizabeth, and he'd freely admitted that it did (even if he didn't understand it anymore than his best friend did), so it wasn't just Randall, and it certainly wasn't just Nola.

But there was something sort of sweet about it, wasn't there? Even in death, the ones they loved made them feel alive...perhaps some would call him a hopeless romantic for this very poetic perspective, but he didn't mind that. He quite like that idea-for himself, for Dorian, and most certainly for Nola.

@nola-schuyler

"Love isn't always at first sight," Randall smiled with a little shrug. "Sometimes it takes a little time: From what I know, my pa's parents, my grandparents, knew each other for a long time, saw each other regularly around their town, and were always friendly with one another, but it took a long time before they fell in love and started courting."

Sometimes it took a little nudge in the right direction, it seemed: From what he knew, his grandfather was tired of the butchery business and had been on a walk when he stopped to pet some of his grandmother's family's cows looping around the field. She had been out to feed them, they got to talking, and the rest was history-perhaps it'd been the same for Nola and Sally, with dance being just the thing to bring them together.

[theheadlessgroom]

Mistake I made that I don't recommend.

[theheadlessgroom]

Raymond Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) national portrait by Dorothy Wilding

[theheadlessgroom]

For the sensory ask, 12 and 17 please!

*cough* and 25 *cough*

Thank you!

12. Randall could best be described as "touch-starved": Although his parents were, naturally, very hands-on with him when he was growing up, hugging and kissing him regularly, among other expressions, and June was naturally affectionate with her boy even as he grew, that all changed following June's passing, and Randall was all alone, with no other family or friends to speak of, barely tolerated by his coworkers and customers. Once Emily came into his life, she more than made up for that, with the two proving to be a very physically affectionate couple, always holding hands, hugging, kissing, and otherwise touching at nearly all times, with this not changing once they moved into Gracey Manor, where Randall could also be found hugging and horsing around with Dorian, just as they did as boys. Needless to say, Randall's absence from the Mansion landed him right back at square one, and he deeply missed Emily's touch once he returned home and found her gone.

Fortunately, with Emily home again, Randall hasn't had to go without his beloved bride's affection a single day since her return: They can oftentimes be found holding hands or walking arm-in-arm around the graveyard, dancing romantically in the ballroom, or just either cuddled up in the library, taking turns reading passages from their favorite horror novels to one another.

17. Randall has a rough, somewhat gravelly voice; not terrifically deep (he's freely admitted he doesn't have as impressive a baritone as, say, the Ghost Host), but not high-pitched either. He tends to speak softly (being nowhere near as boisterous as his best friend, Dorian) and have a very casual way of speaking, with a tendency to drop his g's ("what're ya doin'?", for instance) and a penchant for referring to youngsters as "lad" or "lass" (his elders he respectfully tries to address by name or as "sir" or "ma'am"). He never quite picked up a strong Southern accent, but when he's getting angry, his Irish brogue tends to make itself known.

25. As has been mentioned before, Randall's throat scar is extremely sensitive to the touch: Not entirely painful, just...sensitive, and as such, the only person allowed to touch it is Emily, who will sometimes dabble it with kisses when they're intimate, with Randall finding it oddly pleasurable when she does. Similarly, Randall is the only one allowed to touch Emily's throat bruises, which are just as sensitive, and will also kiss them in the privacy of their bedroom, as she too finds it strangely pleasurable.

[theheadlessgroom]

Joan Crawford in Our Blushing Brides (1930)