#( interaction. elliot vanity )

[briamichellewrites]

83

2022. Elliot had what she had always dreamed of: a farm in the middle of nowhere Montana at the foot of the mountains. She had moved to Whitefish, Montana, a small town two hundred and fifty-two miles from Spokane, Washington. It had a population of seventy-eight hundred people, so just about everyone knew everyone. She had purchased a farmhouse with a barn and stables for around three million dollars. At thirty-five years old, she could pick and choose projects.

Brad had a hard time saying goodbye and letting her move out of LA, as did Mike and Phoenix. But, she was an adult and they had to let her chase her dream. She had purchased a second-hand truck, along with two six-month-old fillies, or female baby horses, and everything they needed. For months, she had done research into taking care of horses, so she wasn’t unprepared.

The horses were given the names of Lady and Duchess. They loved grazing around the fenced-in corral. She checked on their food and water every morning after she ate breakfast. Her other animals included two German shepherds, Rocky and Bear; two Siamese cats, Milo and Lily; along with an aquarium of ten koi fish in the living room. She had taped the cover of the tank closed to prevent them from being eaten by the cats. Would she get more animals? Of course!

She had a big four-bedroom, three-bathroom two-level house with a gorgeous view of the mountains at nine thousand, eight hundred thirteen square feet. The house included an open living room with a fireplace, a tv with a DVD player and floor-to-ceiling windows, a kitchen, a dining room, a bedroom with a private bathroom, and a door leading outside.

Upstairs had a balcony looking over the living room, two bedrooms, and the master bedroom. The master bedroom was open with a sitting area that could be closed off by a curtain, windows, a fireplace, a mounted tv with a DVD player, and an outdoor balcony. Her master bathroom had a whirlpool bathtub with tv, two separate vanities, two walk-in closets, a detached shower, and another fireplace. Her bathtub was her favorite place to be after a long day outside, especially during the winter.

During the pandemic of 2019, she packed everything up, rented a u-haul, and drove almost twenty-four hours to Whitefish. She stopped along the way to eat, use the bathroom, and sleep in a hotel. Mike and Brad were updated whenever she stopped to keep them from getting anxious.

I made it to Whitefish! I got a little behind because I accidentally slept in later than I wanted to. It’s at least better to be rested than be tired lol. I’ll video chat with you guys when I get to the house. – Ellie

Because she was new, she introduced herself to the locals. She had moved from Los Angeles. They wanted to know why she had left California for their little town in the Rocky Mountains. She told them of her dream and how she was taking a chance to do something she had never done before. After she went into remission in 2005, she started dreaming about her future. The thing she always came back to was having a farm filled with animals at the foot of the mountains.

Mike and Phoenix, who had gotten married in 2010 after being engaged for two years, visited her. The band was at a standstill after the death of Chester. He lost his battle with mental illness and addiction in 2017 at the age of forty-one years old. His housekeeper had found his body. Their fans were in shock, as was everyone who knew him. They mourned him as their hero.

Mike had the hardest time with his death because he was his best friend. Chester’s sister had launched a campaign blaming him for his death. With help from Phoenix, his family, and friends, he was slowly able to heal. In 2018, he released his solo album, Post Traumatic, which was his way of expressing himself and his grief. He also started interacting with fans through the app, Discord, and his social media. Joe took on personal projects while the other guys stayed away from social media.

Phoenix was the only other person active on Instagram. In 2011, they hired a surrogate who used Mike’s sperm. Nine months later they met their son, Otis Akio Shinoda. They were talking about either adoption or hiring another surrogate for their next child.

itsthepitts: Lady and Duchess giving me attitude.

When they arrived on her farm, they were taken by how beautiful it was! She helped them bring their luggage into the guest room downstairs. They then went around and met all of her animals. The dogs were warming themselves up by the fireplace in the living room, while the cats were asleep on the couch. The fish were anticipating dinner, so they swam around opening and closing their mouths. Food, human! We want food!

After feeding them, they watched them eat. Yum! She brought them upstairs where they were in awe of her master bedroom and bathroom. How many fireplaces were there? There were three. One in the living room, one in her bedroom, and one in the bathroom. Phoenix joked he could swim in her bathtub! Mike laughed. Yeah, it was big!

“Taking a hot bath feels amazing after working outside all day, especially when it’s cold outside!”

“Oh, I bet! That sounds so relaxing!”

Outside, they were introduced to Duchess and Lady in the temperature-controlled barn. They both got up and walked over to the humans. How old were they? They were both twelve months old. Lady was a little more stubborn than her sister. She also had a white spot on her nose. Were they twins? Yes, they were born at the same time. What breed were they? They were American Quarter Horses. She had given them fresh hay and water that morning, so they were happy as clams.

They could pet them if they wanted. The horses bowed their heads. Their coat felt like velvet. Their hair felt like the hay that they ate. She had braided it, so it was out of their eyes. The horses’ ears were forward and their bodies were calm because they trusted the humans and their owner. Lady nuzzled her face against Mike. He laughed.

“That’s her way of getting attention. It also means she likes you.”

“I know he’s attractive but it’s not going to work out”, Phoenix joked.

He laughed again. Back inside, she had hungry and impatient animals waiting for dinner. She fed the cats and dogs. They were starving to death! The cats had nine lives, but the dogs only had one and they could feel it slowly slipping away. Finally, they felt their energy being restored! Did she ever take them hiking? Yeah, she did that a lot during the summer and spring when the weather was nice.

Winter was from November until March and the temperatures could go down to negative fifty degrees. She took the dogs out for up to ten minutes at a time because it was just too cold for them. It made her miss California. They would have to visit in the summer! She could take them out hiking. Yeah, they could do that. That sounded fun. What kind of chores did she do?

She fed the animals, bought bales of hay in town, brought the horses outside for exercise, cleaned the barn, cleaned the equipment, and cleaned their hooves. It was a job that took all afternoon. She liked to play music to give her motivation to keep going.

Cleaning the barn usually was sweeping, taking out manure, and not getting kicked in the face. She also had to clean water and food bowls, scoop kitty litter, changed the water for the fish, and cleaned up dead cat toys.

Wow! That was a lot! Did she do that every day? Yeah. There were other things she did around the farm once a month, like checking to make sure the gates weren’t damaged. She would show them the next day, though she planned on sleeping in for as long as the cats would let her. Yeah, they could do that! Speaking of cats, Milo came over to inspect the new humans. He thought he was the man of the house. They laughed and petted him.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon

[scarletslippers]

“However, at any rate, as I have a great deal more at stake on this point than any body else can have, I think it rather unnecessary in you to be advising me.”

Anne had done—glad that it was over, and not absolutely hopeless of doing good. Elizabeth, though resenting the suspicion, might yet be made observant by it. —Jane Austen, Persuasion, Volume 1, Chapter 5

Reasons I love Anne Elliot 2/?

First of all, props to my girl for calling out this Mrs. Clay plot point this early on. Oh, what could be avoided if people just listened to Anne. I also adore the relatability of “should never, she thought, have reason to reproach her for giving no warning”. This whole interaction with Elizabeth is so telling of Anne’s relationship with her family. She loves them, and wills their good, even when they disregard her, but you still see this sisterly edge of ‘don’t say I didn’t warn you’.

And this is what makes Anne brilliant. She’s observant and smart, and clearly sees things that others often overlook or choose to overlook. But for all her holding her tongue she doesn’t keep this information to herself. The prevailing attitude, and the one that’s certainly celebrated today, would be to keep that information to yourself. Especially in light of how poorly these people have treated her. The idea that ‘you don’t owe them anything’. But Anne is kind. And even though she is hurt by Elizabeth and clearly sees her sister’s vanity, and could easily turn a blind eye and say ‘on your own head be it’, she doesn’t. Because caring for other people is important, even when, and perhaps especially, when they don’t deserve it.

[geekgirles]

Your Heart

Chapter 2 -- The Invitation

Word Count: 8,903 

READ ON AO3

Hours could have passed since Sam received the letter and she wouldn’t have noticed, the events were so unreal her mind still hadn’t been able to fully register them. What was supposed to be a day like any other suddenly passed by in a blur. And no matter what she did, she just couldn’t make sense of it all. 

The moment Star gave her the letter, the queen recognised the logo engraved on the seal closing the envelope. That forsaken logo had made daily appearances on the news for the last three years, when he started using and associating it to his person. 

Danny Phantom.

The current Ghost King. 

Nothing could’ve prepared her for the feeling of astonishment that came with that simple realisation. Such was her stupor that, once her back collided against her black mahogany vanity, her legs lost all strength to support her weight, slowly sliding down until Sam was seated on the floor of her chambers. Eyes wide and mouth hanging open. 

Terror gripping at them at the sight of their, otherwise collected, queen, the handmaidens immediately scurried over her, checking for any sign that would imply their leader needed any sort of assistance. 

A million thoughts materialised inside Sam’s head. How did the Ghost King know there were witches in Amity Park? Did all ghosts know they weren’t the only otherworldly creatures blending in with humans? How did the Ghost King know where to find them? Were her people in danger?

But most importantly, why did the infamous Danny Phantom write her for?

Grimacing, Sam figured there was only one way to find out. With a shaking hand, she gestured for Star to bring her the envelope. Concern still apparent on the blonde’s features, for her queen must have truly been too stunned to perform magic herself, she nonetheless did as she was instructed. “Fluito,” she whispered, and immediately afterwards an orange, fire-like aura surrounded the envelope, until the object came to them. 

Sam gripped the envelope like a life line and, with trembling hands, broke the wax seal to get to the letter inside. What she found only made matters worse: 

“Dear Madam, 

I hope this message finds you well. I would not be able to reprimand you if my sudden writing to you took you by surprise; I found myself disbelieving of my own actions, after all. 

I wish to inform you on an important occurrence I believe deserves your attention. However, I will not be able to describe said occurrence through this letter, unfortunately. I fear it might be intercepted by those who would give anything to see me fall, or perhaps by your own enemies if you were to have them. 

It is because of such circumstances that I formally invite you and whoever you decide as members of your entourage to my lair in the Ghost Zone, in hopes that we will be able to discuss these matters without fear of our respective domains being put in jeopardy. 

In order to save ourselves some time, if you were to accept my proposal, you and your entourage shall go to the outskirts of Amity Park in a week’s time, where one of my subjects will be waiting for you. 

I eagerly await your answer, 

King Phantom.”

Once she was done reading the letter, Sam could only gape at it. That had been an eternity ago, and now she was pacing up and down her room, massaging her temples as she tried making sense of it all. 

When the initial shock from the Ghost King’s message had finally worn off, Sam proceeded to re-read the letter, in case she misunderstood the spectre’s motives and he was actually requesting something far more reasonable than her company. Like declaring war on them. Ghosts and witches going to war with each other made much more sense than members of both species ーthe leaders of both species, as a matter of factー willingly being near the other for the first time in 328 years. 

But she came back empty-handed. And that could only mean one thing; she had to read the letter again because, clearly, her reading comprehension wasn’t as good as she thought. And so, Sam read the letter for the third time...and the fourth time...and the fifth time...

By the time she had already read the accusing piece of paper for the eleventh time, she finally understood her company was exactly what Phantom was requesting of her. But why?

“If you keep going in circles like that, you’re gonna get dizzy,” Paulina chimed in, watching as her queen paced around the room, muttering nonsense under her breath. “Or what’s worse, you’re going to make me dizzy.”

“Pauli’s right, Sam. Drawing a hole on the floor will get you nowhere.” Star agreed, her own eyes following the raven-haired girl’s every move. In any other circumstances, say, if Pamela were around, the two girls would get in trouble for addressing the Witch Queen so casually. However, once they were assigned to her and Sam discovered the usefulness of their talents, the three young women had soon agreed to treat each other informally whenever they were away from prying eyes. 

Sam wholeheartedly believed familiarity was the key to winning someone’s trust. Because of that, she allowed for witches as loyal as her ladies-in-waiting to get close to her, while keeping anyone she suspected of being troublesome at a respectful distance. 

Nibbling on her thumb, a clear sign of her distress, Sam shook her head. “Girls, you don’t understand. This simple letter could lead to disastrous consequences! And I’m not talking about whatever it is that that forsaken Phantom wants from me, which is a whole new level of worrying; I’m talking about the possibility of our clan being compromised!” The Latina and the blonde started when Sam abruptly stopped pacing, stomping her foot against the floor to get their attention. “If the ruler of a race we haven’t had any contact with in more than three centuries knows where to find us, who’s to say the rest of Amity Park remains blissfully unaware of our very existence? This is The Great Burning all over again!” She bellowed in anguish.

This was bad. This was very bad. Unlike ghosts, who revelled in wreaking havoc amongst mortals and drawing attention from it, witches had long decided to remain off the humans’ radar. For centuries, they blended in with normal men and women, pretending to be just like them, while they carried out their spells, rites, and  ceremonies away from the public eye in the safety of their manor.

The existence of their society was their best-kept secret, and they’d be damned if such information got leaked. For starters, that pesky witch hunter they often brushed off could very well turn into a real threat. 

The fact that their secret depended on a ghost of all things made Sam’s insides churn in fright and rightful outrage. 

“Alright, you have a point,” Paulina conceded, but to her companions’ shock her worried gaze soon morphed itself into a swoon, “But you can’t deny that the Ghost King is a total hunk. I’m so jealous of you right now.” She sighed, her mind clearly elsewhere. 

Scowling darkly at the Latina, Sam turned to her other lady-in-waiting, “Star, please, do me a favour and smack her. Hard.”

The blonde did as she was told and hit her friend on the back of her neck, eliciting a complaint from her. 

Sending a glare to her fellow witch, Paulina began to gently rub the area. “You don’t have to do everything she tells you, you know?”

��Um, Pauli? She’s the Queen...You know, as in our boss? I literally have to do everything she tells me.” She reminded her, earning herself a huff from the aggravated girl. She then turned to her queen, her own eyes sparkling with excitement. “Paulina’s got a point, though. For a dead guy with ice powers, he sure is hawt. Watching him save the day is the highlight of my week!”

Sensing an aura filled with murderous intent, Star flinched slightly under Sam’s withering glare. “He’sーstillーaーghost.” Her queen said through gritted teeth. 

Watching the interaction, the Latina beauty sniffed in displeasure, “Hey, no fair! You haven’t told me to hit her for drooling over the Ghost King!”, she whined.

“Girls, focus! This is serious!” Sam snapped. 

Her fellow witches actually had the decency to look down in shame at her outburst. “Uh...right, sorry.” Paulina apologised sheepishly.

Somehow, something about the girl’s apology didn’t sit well with Sam. Their knowing smirks, staring down at her as if they knew a secret she didn’t, sent goosebumps down her spine. “What?”

Paulina raised her palms up in surrender. “Nothing. It’s just that I thought you’d be more appreciative of Phantom’s physique given your...preferences.” She finished with a coy smile. 

That comment sent the Witch Queen reeling, which wasn’t helped in the least by Paulina’s smug look and Star’s snickering by her side. Her preferences? Was she serious? “Excuse me? Just because I’m a Goth doesn’t mean I’m necrophiliac! I’m not that hardcore, andー! ...why are you laughing?”

Sam’s indignant defence of her lifestyle was met with her two informants doubled over in laughter. Sam could do nothing but stare on, dumbfounded. After a few minutes, they seemed to finally calm down. Star, resting her weight over Paulina’s hunched over form, wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye as her laughter died down. “Sam,” she panted, “what Pauli means is that Phantom looks a lot like your ex. White hair, green eyes...Ring a bell?”

The young witch spluttered at that. Now that she thought about it, Danny Phantom was remarkably similar to her ex-boyfriend, Gregor...or Elliot, or whatever he called himself now. All the more reason to distrust the so-called ‘hero of Amity Park’.

“Whatever”, she huffed, before her expression turned downcast. Plopping down on the starry covers of her bed, she raised her hands to her head as she leaned forward. DeMilo came hopping to her, nuzzling her leg with its stem. 

No matter how the Ghost King looked, he had still addressed her by personally sending her a letter. The location of her clan’s headquarters was a secret almost as well-kept as the very existence of her sisters. Whatever she chose to do could endanger hers and their fellow covens! 

On the one hand, ghosts were treacherous and conniving. If she went to the Ghost Zone as per requested of her, she could be falling into a trap, bringing chaos and anarchy upon her own coven with her, for she was still too young to have an heiress of her own. And since there were no other purple-eyed witches, her demise would bring forth internal battles for control. 

She couldn’t afford that to happen.

But, on the other hand, ghosts were also malicious and resentful. There was a reason why they remained stuck in their realm instead of moving on! If she were to refuse the invitation, they could either attack or reveal their existence to the humans in retaliation. Either way, it would have disastrous consequences for her coven...if they even survived the onslaught. 

She certainly couldn’t afford that to happen either. 

Sighing through her nose, in an effort to keep her head clear of any doubt, her gaze steeled. Turning to look at her handmaidens straight in the eye, all sense of familiarity gone, she gave but one simple order. “Arrange a Council meeting. Immediately.”

Understanding the gravity of the situation, her companions bowed down to her before hastily making their exit. 

....................

Council meetings took place in the attic of the manor. What in any other house would be a dusty, dark place clattered to the ceiling with old furniture, boxes whose descriptions didn’t match their contents, and the stuff of nightmares of any five-year-old, the attic where the Amity Park Coven gathered was closer in size to a ballroom. 

The rows of seats formed a “u” shape, being close to the walls and leaving the middle of the room, which was dedicated to witches making their cases or taking the floor, empty. On the far corner of the room, between the rest of the witches acting as witnesses to the meetings, was the podium where the Council sat down and presided over the room. 

The Council consisted of four witches. The leader was the Queen, who oversaw the process and spoke for her and her fellow members once they’d reached a decision. Her second-in-command, and therefore the one who was in charge whenever it was the Queen herself that brought up a case or proposal to deliberate about, was the witch with the most proficiency at spellcasting after the clan’s head. The coven’s “Minister of War” was the best potion-maker in the clan. And, finally, the sorceress in charge of maintaining their anonymity amongst humans was she who was the most proficient shapeshifter. 

Her interlaced hands resting on the wooden table from where she’d make her proposal in the middle of the room, Sam met her colleagues’ curious eyes with a determined gaze of her own. She could feel her mother’s disapproving glare on herーPamela never liked it when her daughter brought attention to herself, because it would mean that, if things went awry, all eyes would turn on herー, she could hear her people’s hushed voices, whispering among themselves, wondering what could possibly be so important to deserve an impromptu Council meeting summoned by the Queen herself. 

But her mind was made up. Informing the Council in hopes of approval was a mere formality she simply could not avoid. 

Clearing her throat, Margaret, the clan’s best spellcaster, stood up from her seat, silencing the room by drawing attention to herself with that simple action.

Margaret was a woman in her fifties. Her Grandma Ida used to tell her that when she was Sam’s age, she used to be quite the lookerーher mother often had to use a spell or two to send her suitors running. Even now, the woman still retained some of her youthful beauty. A woman of average height, Margaret’s sharp features hinted at an equally sharp mind. With chocolate skin, her green eyes hid an intellect and common sense that had often saved the clan from ruin, even during her Grandma’s reign. Her salt-and-pepper hair was cut short, with slightly longer strands framing her diamond-shaped face. The woman’s fashion sense was a reflection of her responsible and professional nature, wearing a business suit consisting of a forest green jacket and skirt over a white shirt. Adorning her neck was a mustard kerchief and, Sam was willing to bet, she was wearing her favourite black heels. 

“Your Majesty,” Margaret addressed her, “as you will understand, your sudden wish for a Council meeting has rendered us rather perplexed. We can only assume that whichever matters you wish to discuss must be of importance.”

It was Sam’s turn to stand up from her chair, “Of utmost importance.”

“Then, by all means, proceed.” The Council member nodded, gesturing at Sam. 

“My dear subjects, just like your day has been disrupted by this sudden meeting, mine has been disrupted by a most unusual, and might I add disturbing, occurrence. As I was getting dressed in my quarters, readying myself to fulfill my duties of the day, one of my handmaidens came rushing in, a letter in her hand.” Sam braced herself for what came next, “The author of the letter is no other than Danny Phantom, the current Ghost King.”

Everyone gasped at the revelation. Soon after the surprise had worn off, chaos ensued. Indignant cries, questions asked aloud, and general confusion reigned. And who could blame them? Witches and ghosts had cut all ties that bound them centuries before. 

“Order, order!” Wilhelmina, the coven’s greatest potion-maker and Minister of War, demanded as she repeatedly slammed the podium with her bare hands.

Once the commotion had died down, Margaret refocused her steely gaze on their Queen. “Your Majesty, please, do explain the contents of this letter.”

“Due to the Ghost King’s fear of the letter being intercepted by his enemies, the message was short yet direct. He wishes to discuss a matter of urgency with me, for which he has officially invited me and whoever I choose as members of my court to his lair in the Ghost Zone.”

Again, the room broke out in gasps and hushed questions Sam didn’t have the answer to. Then came the question Sam simultaneously dreaded and anticipated the most, “And what do you wish to do, your Majesty?” 

“I wish to accept his proposal,” was her answer. 

All Hell broke loose at her words, only this time, Wilhelmina herself was participating in it. Wilhelmina was a pudgy woman with a round face and a strong will. A woman in her late thirties to early forties, her fair complexion was spotted by countless freckles. She was relatively plain-looking, with auburn hair that she often wore in a tight bun and dark eyes, but judging from the rumours going around, her fiery personality landed her several conquests. Despite what her strong personality might imply, Wilhelmina favoured loose-fitting dresses, such as the dark blue and white polak-dotted one she was currently wearing, and sandals. 

The potion-maker was one of the most outspoken in her hatred of ghosts, which in itself was common among witches. The resentment from all those years ago had never really faded, and ever since those damned spectres mysteriously reappeared, old wounds had reopened. 

While both Grandma Ida and Sam advocated for steering clear from them unless provoked, Wilhelmina was a firm believer that they should have got rid of the spirits as soon as they first appeared, starting with Danny Phantom. A conviction that was only intensified the moment he was named King of the Ghosts. 

“All in all”, Sam mused to herself, “she’s taking it way better than I expected.” The raven haired girl patiently waited until Margaret had, once again, everything under control. Due to her stick-by-the-book nature, the African American woman did not appreciate when one of her fellow Council members encouraged unruly behaviour. 

“Your Majesty, this is preposterous!” Wilhelmina bellowed, slamming her hands down on her desk as she hastily stood up. “That husk of a person dares request your presence and you accept the invitation?! Forgive me, my Lady, but nothing good can come out of it.” A murmur of agreement could be heard throughout the room. Their Minister of War was right; what was their Queen thinking?

Then, she added, “Then again, what can we expect from a naive twenty-one-year-old girl.” Her words elicited a gasp from the crowd. On her part, although Sam was dying to tell her off, she masterfully remained impassive, only raising a questioning eyebrow at her direction. Her Grandma would’ve been so proud of her. 

Margaret cleared her throat. “Although that last comment was uncalled for,” she admitted, shooting a glare at her colleague for her callous words, “Wilhelmina is right when she says attending this meeting would be...unorthodox,” ーSam had to admit, Margaret was almost as good as her mother at carefully choosing her words to appear as socially acceptable as possible. Almostー, “there is also great danger. We all know what happened the last time our people trusted ghosts; are we really willing to let them make fools out of us again?”

“I say this is ground for war!” Wilhelmina roared. “Your Majesty, you and your grandmother, may she rest in peace, gave orders to avoid confrontation unless provoked. Well, now we are being provoked, by being set up! We cannot let this...this...third rate ‘hero’”, she air-quoted with a scoff, “insult us like that and go scott free!”

“Wilhelmina, let her Majesty explain her reasoning. I’m sure she has thought this through.” Delilah, the clan’s expert shapeshifter, tried placating her fellow witch. Sam could only smile in gratitude. 

At 28, Delilah was the youngest Council member, second only to Sam. Despite the usual naiveté and unrealistic optimism attributed to her youth, Delilah was also the one most willing to listen to the other side of the story. She preferred broadening her horizons before making a verdict, trying to understand where the witch in question was trying to get at. And this time, she was trying to understand why Sam would want to go to the lion’s den. 

The shapeshifter’s natural beauty was also unmatched. Paulina would sometimes seethe in jealousy at the attention she would get or how effortlessly she pulled any look the Latina herself had trouble with. Narrow shoulders and hips, a well-defined burst, legs for miles… Delilah was any man’s fantasy! With her smooth, caramel skin. Her strikingly blue eyes and long lashes. And her silky, ebony hair she often styled in a long braid. Her fashion sense was so on point it could put any haute couture designer to shame. For instance, to that meeting she wore an off-shoulder, long-sleeved red mini dress, a black belt with a golden buckle tightened around her waist, and knee-high black leather boots. 

Wilhelmina nodded reluctantly, crossing her arms. Smiling at that, Delilah turned to Sam. “Your Majesty, please, proceed.”

Sam breathed in deeply. Phantom’s request had piqued her interest; what could the ruler of the Ghost Zone possibly want from her and her people now that his kind roamed freely around the city? The last seven years both species had avoided each other like the plague, and even if they hadn't, nothing they could’ve done would warrant meeting up after centuries apart. Despite all her doubts and questions she wasn’t sure she wanted the answers to, Sam needed to know, above all else, if her people were safe. Determination coursing through her veins, she spoke up: 

“As you all know, when I ascended to the throne, taking the mantle from my grandmother, I swore on my life and honour that everything I would do, every single decision I would take, would be with our safety in mind.

“When I read the Ghost King’s letter, I was as stunned as you are now. A thousand questions running freely through my mind. I have thought about this long and hard, until I reached my decision.” She lay her eyes on the potion-maker, “Wilhelmina, you are in your right to be suspicious of his intentions, for so am I, but just like this could be a trap, not answering their call could also very well be our downfall.

“Ghosts are mischievous, resentful, and self-centred. Everything they do is based on what gives them even the smallest amount of satisfaction, which often means that the only way to appease them is doing as they say.” When Margaret opened her mouth to intervene, Sam silenced her with a raised palm. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way,  but it is. And that is not all. You might think I am making this choice lightly, but nothing further from the truth. In accepting Phantom’s proposal, I am trying to prevent the ghosts from retaliating, for they could endanger us if I were to refuse in revenge.”

Her violet eyes shone with fiery determination and unwavering confidence as she spoke her last words, “My decision is made. I shall go to the Ghost Zone, even if I must do so on my own. But I will protect our clan if it’s the last thing I do.”

A deafening silence hung in the air. Nobody even moved. Finally, Margaret intertwined her fingers, her shoulders resting atop her desk, her body moving forward. Her green eyes betrayed none of her feelings on the matter. “Very well. Feel free to request anything you might need from us. Have a safe journey, my Queen.”

And with that, every single witch present rose from her seat, bowing their heads to their leader as a sign of respect and submission. 

She’d done it. She was going to go to the Ghost Zone.

......................

Once the meeting was over, Sam got ready to leave the room to start preparing as soon as possible when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Delilah smiling at her. She smiled back. 

“Is everything alright, Delilah?” Since the shapeshifter and her were close in age, she was one of the few witches Sam acted casually to, seeing her as some sort of older sister. 

Delilah shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. “I just wanted to wish you luck, Sam. You’re not just our queen, you’re also the first witch to visit the Ghost Zone in centuries!”

“I know.” Sam looked down on the floor, feeling slightly uneasy. 

Sensing her discomfort, Delilah soon changed the topic. “Also, I just wanted to tell you that your Grandmother would have been incredibly proud.” 

Sam gasped. Family was taboo around Delilah, for her family had the misfortune of dying young. Delilah’s own mother had died when her daughter was just fifteen. For her to bring up Grandma Ida...she must have meant every single word she said. 

“Thank you, Delilah. That means a lot.”

With one squeeze of her hands, the blue-eyed beauty left her alone. 

......................

That night, after a long, nerve-wracking day waiting for the Witch Queen’s reply, Danny was startled out of his musings by a ring of his doorbell. Taking off and changing his legs for a ghostly tail, the white-haired young man sprinted down his lair’s corridors until he was face to face with his door. 

When he opened it, to his immense relief, he found the same ghostly postman he had sent to deliver his letter, only this time he was handing an envelope to him. Snatching the piece of paper with a quick, “Thanks”, Danny went back to his quarters in a blur. 

Now that he had the envelope in his hands, he couldn’t help but eye it curiously. The envelope was of a rich, royal purple in colour, sealed with a black wax stamp, the relief of it drawing a rose. 

This is it, he thought. Depending on her answer, we’ll either have to look for another solution, or for ways to protect ourselves the moment they turn their backs on us. 

With shaking hands, he ripped open the envelope, taking the letter from inside. An immense relief coupled by a healthy dose of anxiety rolled off of him in waves when his eyes scanned over the words: 

“Dear Sir, 

I accept your proposal. 

We shall meet in a week’s time. 

Cordially, 

Lady Arcana.”

Preparing themselves for a possible betrayal, it was.

..................

Making it to the outskirts of Amity Park was a hassle Danny hadn’t anticipated. If it weren’t because a group of mysterious women and a ghost suddenly appearing in their lab, in front of the Fenton Ghost Portal, wouldn’t fly with his parents, Danny would’ve actually sent the witches there.

Then again, guiding Skulker out of his family’s ghost portal and around town until they made it to their destination was no picnic, either. Especially since the hunter kept giving him the stink-eye and challenging his authority; questioning his motives for choosing him, of all people, as the sorceresses’ escort. 

On top of that, the hills surrounding Amity Park really were the perfect place to meet up with the magic users while keeping the secretive nature of their encounter. Not only were the hills a good forty minutes away from the closest highway, a dense forest grew there, protecting its visitors from curious, unwanted eyes. 

“For the last time, Skulker, I am not throwing you to the wolves!” It was the tenth time since they left the Ghost Zone that the ghost had accused him of using him as a decoy. “Seriously, will you drop it already?”

The hunter crossed his arms in a disbelieving huff, “Well, forgive me, your Majesty,” he mocked, “for suspecting you of using this as an opportunity to get rid of one of your detractors.” His glowing green eyes narrowed in distrust. 

It was only 11AM and Danny was already exhausted. Technically, Skulker wasn’t exactly a detractor of his rule. When push came to shove, he was always easy to convince to lend a hand in times of needーsuch as now. Having said that, their mutual respect and the halfa’s position didn’t stop Skulker from hunting him for sport now and then. “Listen, me choosing you has nothing to do with your personal feelings about me. You’re really the only one I could send to guide the witches through the Ghost Zone.” 

“Nice to know I’m so easily disposable…” Skulker quipped sarcastically. “Why not ask your canine companion for help?”

“Come on, you really think I could send Cujo to do this job?” Danny asked, unamused. 

“I was actually talking about Wulf, given he’s the only ghost capable of creating portals.” Skulker met his expression with a raised eyebrow of his own. “I can’t believe you’d actually mix them up.”

Danny actually flushed at that, “W-well…Some ghosts have so many things in common, i-it’s a little bit hard to follow without enough...details…”

The hunter took offence to that. Huffing, he shot the halfa a glare. “Well, excuse us for ‘having so many things in common’”, he air-quoted for emphasis, “not all of us can manifest into the body of a human youth, whelp!”

Exasperated, Danny ran a hand through his hair, sighing through his nose. “I still can’t believe Ember hasn’t dumped you yet…” he muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, Skulker heard him just fine. “Says the boy who hasn’t had a girlfriend since he was fourteen.” Seeing the ghost boy’s offended expression plastered a smirk on his face.

“Why you littleー!” Danny stopped himself before he’d lose his cool. If dealing with Skulker, a ghost he’d known since he was fourteen, was proving to be frustrating, he didn’t want to think how meeting up with the queen of a feuding tribe would be like. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he gave it one last try. “Look, Skulker. As much as I’d love to bicker with you like an old married couple all day, we really don’t have time for this. You’re here because you’re one of the most versatile ghosts I know. If there’s anyone capable of handling a group of spellcasting, broom-riding, black-cat-owning ladies, that’s you.”

Before the metallic spectre could so much as get a word in, the young Ghost King leapt into the air after making a show of looking at his ーinexistentー watch. “Oh, look at the time! The witches will be here any minute now. Better hurry back into the Ghost Zone. See ya!” With a mock salute thrown at Sulker’s general direction, he was gone in a blur of black and white. 

The hunter was about to take off after him when, from  the corner of his eyes, he noticed three cloaked figures approaching. Well, he sighed in defeat, it’s showtime.

Sam arched a questioning eyebrow at the ghost standing on the appointed place. He looked like the lovechild of Terminatra, one her favourite monsters of all time, and a G.I. Joe. With a flaming mohawk worthy of the Ghost Rider himself. In a way, she guessed it was fitting. Her lip curled in disgust when she eyed the arrangement of weapons strapped to his person; a hunter, no doubt. 

If the Ghost King expected to scare her and her guards with such a pathetic display, he had another thing coming. Any other would be at the very least intimidated by the ghost’s burly figure and his imposing aura, but to women who battled grotesque creatures resulting from spells gone wrong on a daily basis, that was nothing.

After getting the approval of the Council for her “little expedition”, Sam recruited two witches: Susan Zhou and Stephanie Baker. To an outsider, taking only two other people with her to face such a powerful entity as Danny Phantom, in unknown territory, no less, would seem foolish, even suicidal. But Sam was no outsider; she knew exactly what she was doing. 

Susan was Wilhelmina’s apprentice, and therefore, the clan’s next Ministre of War and master potion-maker once her mentor passed down the mantle to her. Short in height, tall in ambition, the Asian girl’s brown eyes were calculating and, if you were foolish enough to cross her, unforgiving; but full of warmth and mischief if she considered you a friend. She held her black and red-dyed hair in a pair of identical buns, one on each side of her head. Susan always favoured comfortable clothing most people would dedicate solely for doing exercise; you never knew when you’d have to exert yourself, she always said. 

Despite being only seventeen years old, she already displayed great proficiency in the art of combat, her dexterous fingers useful both for brewing concoctions and sporting weapons. Susan’s family emigrated from China in the early 19th century. After much traveling, they stumbled upon the origins of what would become Amity Park, where the first members of the clan had already settled. Upon finding out the Zhou family weren’t just witches but also warriors, the coven welcomed them with open arms. 

Warrior blood ran through her veins. It was no wonder their war-oriented council member had personally chosen her as her protegée. 

Stephanie, however, was more of an intellectual. The 21-year-old woman was an avid reader who spent most of her time holed up inside the manor’s archives, where the spell books and records on their clan’s history were stored. The only other person who knew the place better than Stephanie herself was Delilah, who was actually its guardian. But since Sam couldn’t risk leaving her people without a member of the Council, due to her departure being risky enough, she asked Stephanie for help instead. 

In truth, everything about the young woman screamed bookworm. Stephanie was a rather plain-looking girl, with a lanky figure and a long face, whose pale blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of oval-shaped glasses. Her straight, strawberry blond hair reached a little past her shoulders, and she was wearing a purple and white striped t-shirt with an equally purple pencil skirt and white sneakers. 

As soon as they neared the place where the ghost was standing, Sam nodded at him in acknowledgement; a mere formality given her low opinion on the spectre, which, she was sure, was mutual on his behalf. 

Eyes narrowed in suspicion, Skulker warned the witches in his care, “No funny business, ladies. Or I might consider reforming my island so I can have more pelts hung on my walls.” He sent them a malicious grin.

While Sam rolled her eyes at the unnecessary threat and Stephanie flinched away from him in fright, Susan bore her teeth in aggravation. “I’d like to see you try, ghost.”

Both teenager and hunter stared the other down, but before they had the chance to jump at each other’s throats and brawl, the Witch Queen raised a placating hand, effectively telling her subject to stand down. Still, Susan would’ve given anything to wipe that smug look from the ghost’s face. 

But Sam really hadn’t the time to keep those two in check. Focusing on the energy within her, she blocked everything around her, every possible distraction, out of her mind. All that mattered was her connection to her anima. Once she felt the familiar tingling of power, she extended a hand: Stephanie’s signal to take the magic  grimoire out of the duffel bag she carried and hand it to her queen with a bow of her head.

Skimming through the pages, Sam stopped when she found what she was looking for. A section of the spell book portraying the silhouette of a person in front of a swirling opal, several runes surrounding it. 

The spell to open up portals.

Once upon a time, any witch would have been able to conjure the spell without the need to check it out in a book, but ever since witches and spectres parted ways, her people no longer had the same use for it anymore. Nowadays, it was an almost forgotten practice. 

Taking a deep breath, Sam extended her free hand in front of her and chanted, “Alium se orbem terrarum ad ianuam.” Soon, a familiar sparkly, violet mist emanated from her fingertips. The manifestation of energy rose into the air until it was the size of an average person, and then began to spin up and down, until a portal was in front of them. 

Stephanie raised a confused eyebrow at Skulker when she thought she heard him mutter something along the lines of, “Show off”, but squeaked and looked away when the hunter lay his own eyes on her. 

Handing the book back to the bestacled girl, Sam motioned for them to enter the portal. What they saw on the other side left them speechless. 

The Ghost Zone was nothing like they had imagined. Instead of a clear difference between earth and sky, their world’s parallel dimension seemed to consist solely of a never ending abyss composed purely by ectoplasm, the most reminiscent thing to a floor it had being a few beat-up pathways made out of rock. 

Floating in mid-air were all sorts of lairs. Some, like a faraway island in the shape of a skull, far more pretentious than others. Judging by how scarce those were in comparison to the countless doors with no building to be attached to in sight, Sam figured the more powerful a ghost was, the bigger its lair would be. 

Which bore the question: what would Danny Phantom’s lair be like?

Sam was snapped out of her thoughts by the ghost hunter suddenly materialising in front of her. Susan was about to unsheathe a few of her most lethal potions when the apparition simply showed them the way with a motion of his hand. “This way.” He turned around and began walking, after a minute or two, though, he turned his head to them, “Oh, and by the way, if any of you is afraid of heights, you’d better not look down.”

Stephanie gazed down, unbidden, and almost fainted. Below them was nothing but an endless abyss, no land on sight. Feeling queasy, she squeaked, “Dutifully noted.”

They walked along the rocky path for what could’ve been hours or mere minutes, the absence of a sun making it difficult to accurately pinpoint the passage of time. After what felt like an eternity, Skulker abruptly stopped, almost making Sam and her entourage bump on him in the process, pointing somewhere in front of him. 

“Well, this is it, ladies. The Ghost King’s lair.”

Standing proudly on top of a drifting piece of land was a brick three-story building. If Sam hadn’t known any better, she’d think she was looking at an apartment complex, rather than a king’s castle. Then again, Skull Island ーas she lovingly nicknamed the placeーwas very tacky for a powerful’s ghost lair, so for all she knew the building before her could be the latest scream in home decor in the Ghost Zone.

While it was a mostly modest space, the highest floor in particular stood out for its large picture windows, which were at least three times bigger than the rest. “That must be Phantom’s chambers”, the violet-eyed girl guessed. “Overseeing your subjects, eh, your Majesty?”

When they arrived at the door, they were momentarily startled when it opened on its own accord. The Witch Queen scoffed at her own ridiculous behaviour; she’d seen and done way scarier things on Halloween, for fuck’s sake! Once inside, Skulker guided them through several corridors, taking so many turns in so many different directions it was enough to render anyone disoriented. As they strode down the halls, Sam took notice of how...sterile the lair was. Most walls were bare of any decorations, at most they’d have some sort of blue wallpaper on. The few walls with paintings hanging from them were decorated by rather impersonal portraits: a picture of an ectoplasm swirl here, a portrait of a shapeless ghost there… Instead of a castle interior, this looked more like a cheap Halloween haunted house. 

The place was so barren that she noticed the shift immediately. Suddenly, before her were two large, mahogany doors, which, once again, opened without any exterior help, revealing the throne room.

While still impersonal, the space was much grander in every single sense of the word. Granite, Corinthian columns stood proudly on the sidelines. Several tapestries depicting what Sam could only guess was Danny Phantom’s battle against Pariah Dark and a few other adventures she couldn’t recognise hung from the ceiling. Right in front of them a red velvet carpet was rolled down until it reached the throne itself ーa rather modest metal chair with black velvet upholsteryー where the infamous Ghost King was seated on. 

Upon their arrival, the ghostly monarch stood up in respect. “At least he’s not arrogant enough to forsake manners”, Sam quipped internally. Standing at both sides of him were a bipedal, arctic-wolf like creature with an arm encased in ice, and a blue spectre wearing a hooded outfit, a sceptre in hand, whose physical form was constantly fluctuating between child, adult, and old man. 

As the Queen and her companions neared the throne, and hence, the so-called Hero of Amity Park, she took him in. Snow white hair, glowing green eyes that appeared capable of staring right through you, a black and white hazmat suit over a well-built physique… Yep, in front of her was Danny Phantom, alright. 

The only thing making it obvious that she would be addressing the Ghost King instead of the most controversial public figure in town was a very minor, yet significant, change in his appearance. 

Draped over his shoulders was a cape, white on the outside and black on the inside, with two verdigris medallions which had engraved that wretched logo of his keeping the garment in place with the help of a chain. Resting on his shock white hair, reflecting the item’s otherworldly glow, was the Crown of Fire; its green embers burning almost as intensely as the Phantom’s radioactive green eyes. The crown’s partner, the Ring of Wrath, surrounded his white, gloved ring finger. One could feel the raw power emanating from its green material. The mere sight of the engraved skull and its unforgiving, blood red, ruby eyes was enough to send anyone subjected to it running. 

But there was no way Sam would ever run away after making it this far. 

Danny observed patiently as the Witch Queen and her two companionsーonly two?ー arrived before him. Once they were eye-level (or as eye-level as two people could be when someone was standing over an incline) the Queen of the Witches of Amity Park took off her hood. At the sight before him, Danny had to fight very hard to suppress a sharp inhale in surprise. 

He supposed that, in hindsight, expecting the queen to look like an stereotypical wrinkly old lady was a tad narrow-minded of him, but in all fairness, nothing would’ve prepared him for the person standing right in front of him. 

Upon taking off her hood, silky, raven hair came cascading down until it reached a little past her shoulders, the strands and diamond-shaped fringe framing her heart-shaped face. Smooth, ivory skin contrasted greatly with the mop of hair, black as night, resting on her head. Her full, velvety lips were emphasised by her purple lipstick. And her long, mascara-coated lashes surrounded a pair of amethyst orbs. Those had to be the most tantalising eyes he had ever seen; a galaxy of mystery lay hidden behind their depths. 

Lady Arcana was the kind of woman he would’ve tripped himself over for, back in high school. Now a college student...he might’ve signed up to a couple of classes that had absolutely nothing to do with his degree if it meant seeing her again.

Looking down, and praying to all things above him it wasn’t noticeable, he took notice of what the sorceress was wearing. The Queen was wearing an off-shoulder ball gown, of a pale violet in colour, with a sweetheart neckline. The bodice hugged her body until it flared down into the skirt. Adorning its neckline and hem were embroidered black thorns. Resting on her head lay a silver tiara, with diamond-shaped obsidians running alongside the top ornament, and a noticeably bigger amethyst in its centre. A black and glittery cloak, resembling the night sky, rested atop the young witches’ shoulders.

Beautiful, yet deadly. A clear warning against the Queen of the Witches of Amity Park: get too close, and you will regret it. 

Knowing they had much to discuss, the halfa bowed down before her, with a hand behind his back and the other in front of him, making a flourish, as a sign of respect. “Lady Arcana, it is an honour to have you here.”

Sam and her entourage curtsied in response. “King Phantom, the honour is all mine.”

“I will cut to the chase, since the circumstances are unorthodox enough: my people need your assistance.”

Well, at least he was direct… “And what, exactly, is that which you need help with, your Majesty? As much as I would like to aid you, there is not much I can do without knowing the details.”

“And you are in your right to question that, but first…”

With a motion of his hand, a green-skinned, red-eyed maid wearing a blue dress brought a smaller chair close to the king. When his eyes landed on Sam, she understood that was meant for her. If there was one thing experience had told her, that was that being invited to sit down meant it was going to be a lengthy discussion. 

When Lady Arcana had sat down, Danny continued. “Now, that’s better.” Seeing her unresponsive expression, he cleared his throat nonchalantly. “What we need your help with is the Ghost Zone’s portals.”

The violet-eyed  girl raised a confused eyebrow at that. “The portals?”, Phantom nodded. “But, King Phantom, my people have not had anything to do with your world in centuries! Today was the first time in over three-hundred years that anyone used a spell meant to open portals.”

Leaning forward in an attempt to appear closer and not intimidating, trying to get the witches to underestimate him per Frosbite’s suggestion, Danny explained. “My apologies, your Majesty, I did not mean to imply your people were responsible for the problem. No, what I mean is that only your people can help us control them.”

Sam didn’t understand where this was going. Taking her silence as permission, Danny went on, “As you know, the Ghost Zone has been opening up portals to Earth for millenia, however, many more gates have been opened as of late. Many more than any previous date has ever registered.” Understanding dawning on the queen’s face, Danny pressed. “We wish to ask you to help us close and pinpoint the cause for such bizarre occurrences.”

Sam had mixed feelings about the proposal. On the one hand, random portals opening up was never a good sign; the space-continuum fabric was very delicate. But, on the other hand, her people would gain nothing from it. Nothing but endangering themselves by putting their lives in the hands of ghosts. She had to make sure her trip hadn’t been for nothing and that her people were truly safer for it. 

Resting her elbow on the arm of her chair, her legs crossed in boredom, Sam appraised the apparition before her with a pensive frown. “And how exactly, pray tell, would my people benefit from assisting your kind, your Majesty?”

The way she basically spat the word didn’t go unnoticed by the white-haired half-ghost. He narrowed his eyes on her. “Well, your people,” he snarled in return, “would be safe, of course.”

Sam’s hopes plummeted. He was all talk, just as she feared. ‘Her people would be safe’? Was he threatening her? Please, they were already in danger solely from his knowing of their existence, let alone their headquarters! With a huff, Sam stood up from her chair. The conversation was over. “Thank you for having us, King Phantom. But I am afraid we must depart.”

Although the original plan was to ask them for help and look for alternatives were they to refuse, seeing the queen walking away from him stirred a primal fear in Danny. Somehow, he knew she was the only one who could help him. They were doomed if he let her slip away. “Lady Arcana, wait!”

His frantic call got Sam to stop. Looking over her shoulder, she gave him her full attention. Seeing he had caught her interest, Danny insisted. “When I said your people would be safe, it wasn’t an empty promise: the sudden appearance of portals is a sign that something is amiss. The more portals open, the more unstable our world becomes.” What he said next was chilling enough to elicit goosebumps to run down their spines. “The Ghost Zone is a parallel dimension to Earth, if our realm is destroyed, so is yours.”

Sam’s eyes widened at his words, even Susan couldn’t stifle a startled gasp. If what he was saying was true, then her people were doomed, regardless of how well-kept their secret was. If she refused his proposal, her subjects and the other clans all over the world would pay greatly for her mistake. However…

Her gaze hardened, determination motivating her actions once again. In the off chance that Phantom was only making things up to get her to agree, she needed to ensure her people wouldn’t pay for her mistake. And there was only one way to do it. 

Taking firm steps, she walked resolutely to where the green-eyed spirit stood. Staring deep into his eyes, she made her counterproposal. “Very well, I shall help you with your problem.” 

Before Danny could let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding, Lady Arcana spoke up again. “But in return for my services you must ensure my people’s safety. Under no circumstances will anyone discover our existence or whereabouts. We already have to deal with a witch huntress coming after us.” She could’ve sworn the king choked at that. “If I find out our way of living has been compromised in any way, you and your kingdom are all alone. Now,” she extended her hand for him to shake, “do we have a deal, King Phantom?”

Danny eyed her suspiciously. Her violet eyes simultaneously held a fiery temper and cold determination, even with his powers, he could sense there’d be Hell to pay if he didn’t keep his part of the deal. Then again, everything they’d ever known was in danger, even if the Queen couldn’t care less for the Ghost Zone and its inhabitants, and her request was what any sensible and caring leader would ask for. On paper it looked like the perfect compromise…

He just hoped he didn’t come to regret it.

Holding the witch’s hand in a firm grip, he shook hands with her. “We have a deal, Lady Arcana.”

[thexhostess]

SLEEP NO MORE | Part 1

Follow this story via: #plot:snm405exr

Tagged: @sherlollydramoine

Rating: Fluff, Elliot x Fem. Reader

Words: 1055

Inspiration: In 405 ‘Method Not Allowed’ when Darlene and Elliot go to Virtual Realty they are on West 27th Street. From within the glass doors of Virtual Realty, you can see across to the opposite side of the street. This is the building ‘Sleep No More’ (at the McKittrick Hotel) is situated. So is Gallow Green rooftop bar. If you look closely the Gallow Green sign is visible. In 404 ‘Not Found’, Darlene is also here, standing opposite Virtual Realty at night recording a voicemail for Elliot, screaming at him. I was so happy they used this location, and I thought it would be fun for Darlene and Elliot to attend ‘Sleep No More’. It is essentially an interactive performance, like a theatre show but of a different format. I’ve been thinking of scenarios since I watched the episode, and have other ideas for the surrounding area of Chelsea. I have included a link Search Sleep No More NYC or McKittrick Hotel for the curious. So here is the first part. I hope you like it.

                             Turning left under the High line onto West 27th Street, he walked briskly alongside the expansive red brick building lining the street. His focused pace avoided pedestrians although there were few at this time, just 20:00pm. Darkness mixed with the glow of yellow street lights. The right side of Elliot’s face lit by the warm glow, just enough to catch his sharp jaw peeking from his hoodie. He slowed and stopped as he reached Darlene by the heavy matte black double doors to Gallow Green.

“So what’s this all about? You know I don’t like to go out,” he says.

“Relax, we need this.”

“If it gets too busy I’m bailing.”

“Listen, it’ll be fun. Everyone stays anonymous here, you don’t show your face.”

Looking hesitant he agrees. “Alright, lets see.”

The host doesn’t open doors until later, so they need to wait in line with the other guests. Darlene; twiddling her hair, smacking bubble gum and Elliot; slender frame in black skinny jeans. With folded arms Elliot leans one shoulder against the brick wall. A woman walks past them towards the back of the line. Elliot’s eyes flicker over her, glistening, sidelit by orange glow, defining their shape and brightening the colour from within. ‘Wow, she’s cute...’

The sound of the doors stirring as the host comes out distracts them.

“We’re all set, here’s your ticket. ” she says.

They shuffle towards the weighted doors and through the dimly lit hallway. Coming towards the front desk Darlene teases. “No phones allowed! Haha!”

They are each handed an ominous ghost like mask.

“See, the perfect way to try out an outing with your sis.”

Elliot smiles back and puts on his mask.

The next room is ambient and smoky, a bar lit by plumes of reddish lamps, their playing cards in hand. They don’t wait long until their cards are called. They both go into the lift together, piled with lots of other guests at the McKittrick Hotel, all strangers masked. Doors are opened and Darlene grabs Elliot’s hand pullling him forward.

She whispers “Alright! We split up now and see what we can find, meet you back at the bar later.”

“That’s a plan.”

Adjusting his mask back down he turns to take in the surroundings. It’s dark and lofty in there, a lot of spaces to explore. Elliot walks slowly examining each room contemplating letters, clippings and props.

On the cold cobblestone streets of the town I spot a female character scamper towards a door. Quickly following I move my hand to hold the door before it closes, and step into the room after the woman. It’s a bedroom with a vanity dresser, a loveseat and a wardrobe. Stopping suddenly, I look at the woman watching me as if I have just trespassed. Slowly holding her eyes to mine she gestures to me. ‘Come forward.’ I play along, walk to her, then stand still in wait. She tells me a rhyme and gets out a locket and key. She puts the locket around my neck and turns to unlock the wooden wardrobe doors.

“In here.”

Opening the doors wide she steps in and pulls me in by the arm. She begins to look increasingly panicked, closing the gap between the doors and looking out through the crack in anticipation of someone entering the room. This is her hiding place and she has taken me with her. She whispers to me about going back to Manderly and as the final sliver of light disappears and we are stood in claustrophobic darkness. The woman pushes me out through the back wall of the wardrobe suddenly! Before I know it, the scent of medical disinfectant hits me. I am met by the harsh light of an operating room and through the disorientation I spin out.

CLICK! Clack!

“I’m so sorry! “ Looking up I glimpse his eyes, they’re green from what I can tell. Widening the gap between me and him, I apologise. He’s in plain black jeans and hoodie. He raises his arms up as if to say “it’s fine.” I carry on through, still thinking about his eyes.

He wasn’t sure how he got there but it was a sort of medical room, the smell of chemical disinfectant punctuated the air and an eerie still silence added to the atmosphere. Elliot was glad Darlene brought him here. Something interesting for them both to do and at the same time no need for an evening full of social niceties.

Click! CLACK!

Elliot’s masked face clashes with another. It’s a young woman, in the outfit he recognised from the line. ‘Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...’ raising his arms to mimic his thoughts. She walks on and Elliot is slightly taken aback. He can’t help thinking it’s the woman he noticed outside. Through the small door and into the dim blue green light Elliot makes his way to a new space.

The ballroom is vast and dark, with hidden corners and balconies to nestle in. Elliot is slow and deliberate, he’s talking everything in trying not to miss details. Two characters slow dance together. Some masks wander in and out, and characters dance. Elliot draws closer to watch their next move.

‘Hold on, is that the guy?’ I’m thinking it’s him from earlier, it’s his same posture. ‘Maybe fortune does favour the bold.’ I start to move towards him. He can’t see me as his back is turned, he’s watching the couple dancing.

Elliot feels a brush on the back of his arm. He turns to see the young woman who bumped into him get his attention. He doesn’t say anything. She looks for his green eyes, and once confirmed, reaches out an arm to him holding her palm face up. She keeps her pose, nodding towards the dancing pair then looking back at him as an invitation to dance with her. Elliot slowly raises his arm and takes her hand. She draws closer to him, and looks at his eyes through the mask. It’s a lingering moment as Elliot’s mind is racing. She wisps her other arm over his shoulder and draws even closer up to him. “Your eyes are gorgeous.” She whispers to him, their masks almost touching.

[captain-kit-adventuress]

That’s the difference, though, isn’t it? Amateurs aren’t getting paid for their expertise in costuming or anything else. Dakota Johnson’s wardrobe in the film is literally the costume designer’s job, and it’s their job to get it right. Same goes for the hair designers, set dressers, production design, all of it. They are literally being paid to do this correctly, or at a very minimum with a modicum of competence.

It can still be done correctly with a certain amount of whimsy, if that’s what they’re going for. The book can be adapted with an eye to comedy, because you know what? Austen spends the first two entire chapters of Persuasion unabashedly roasting Sir Walter and Elizabeth, as an example, and it’s funny. The entire idea of people following around Lady Dalrymple and Miss Carteret like lost puppies is another. The book is humorous, though it’s in more of a wry, irony-focused way, and it is certainly not the focus of the film. Emma works well as a comedy because it is a less serious look at the business of marriage and matchmaking; Persuasion is a more sober look at the same topic. Done well, the inherent humour in it will advance the story and pay off in the end, because it makes everything in Lyme and afterward that much more poignant, but it should never undercut it or be there for the sake of levity and nothing else.

The entirety of the book is about how people’s natures can be enhanced or mitigated depending on the influences around them. Austen straight-up states that if Lady Elliot had lived, her family might never have found themselves in dire circumstances because she could contain most of Sir Walter’s vanity and selfishness. What would have become of Anne, one wonders, without the guiding influence of Lady Russell? Wentworth isn’t exactly wrong to lament that he hadn’t used better judgment in the way he interacted with Lousia, and if he had, her injury might have been prevented entirely.

It’s not an opportunity to say, “Let’s see how snarky we can make Anne Elliot!” That’s not what makes a good modern adaptation, and neither does a bunch of modern parlance sort of vaguely made to sound like it came from the 18th century. It’s all about, “Look how similar we still are despite all of the enormous differences from the era!”

i can feel your pain leeching through the screen as you liveblog about this movie- good luck to you my friend 🫡

thank you. your support is as salve to my mental wounds

(also I've already seen one person being very Upset on behalf of those poor Hollywood filmmakers and designers, because what if they see all the hate and get Hurt Feelings???)

(to which I respond: I think they and their Netflix money will muddle through somehow)

(I would never lay into a similar amateur theatre production of Persuasion this way. those people are doing it all purely out of love and creativity, and while it may not be my cup of tea, I would never want to discourage them from engaging with period fiction, drama, costuming, etc. whatever that means to them. but once you get to the level of Big-Budget Film? you're more than fair game)

[fallafl]

Book Review: Persuasion by Jane Austen

“...when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.”

Author: Jane Austen

Genre: Classic, Fiction

Publisher: Penguin Classic

Year: 2003

My Rating: 4 / 5

Synopsis on Goodreads:

'She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older' At twenty-seven, Anne Elliot is no longer young and has few romantic prospects. Eight years earlier, she had been persuaded by her friend Lady Russell to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a handsome naval captain with neither fortune nor rank. What happens when they encounter each other again is movingly told in Jane Austen’s last completed novel. Set in the fashionable societies of Lyme Regis and Bath, Persuasion is a brilliant satire of vanity and pretension, but, above all, it is a love story tinged with the heartache of missed opportunities. In her introduction, Gillian Beer discusses Austen’s portrayal of the double-edged nature of persuasion and the clash between old and new worlds. This edition also includes a new chronology and full textual notes.

Let me begin my rant with:

I wish I am a Jane Austen’s protagonist. They are such powerful women, graceful, sensible, assertive on what they like, yet caring. Not to mention they received such a heart-melting love letters, so well-written by the one they loved. 

Persuasion follows the story of Anne Elliot, a wonderful heroine with a complicated romance. At first, she broke off her engagement with Frederick Wentworth because she acknowledge everyone else’s opinion. She grew into one fine lady who finally decided her own happiness, that is, after encountering a roller coaster of feelings. 

Her affection towards Captain Wentworth never changed throughout the years they were separated. It became even greater, I think, after they met again. However, she was so considerate of him, thinking about the past how she had hurt him, she chose to conceal her feelings.

As predictable as it is, the story made me crave for more because I was rooting for the two protagonists’ interaction in the story. Austen really did leave me hanging for most part of the book. However, eventually, it turned out very satisfying (yep, especially the love letter part which made me both cry and scream). 

Overall, Persuasion is another great romance I loved by Jane Austen which will make you long for the resolution of the story.

[bigyack-com]

A City Locks Down to Fight Coronavirus, but Robots Come and Go

If any place was prepared for quarantine, it was Milton Keynes. Two years before the pandemic, a start-up called Starship Technologies deployed a fleet of rolling delivery robots in the small city about 50 miles northwest of London.The squat six-wheeled robots shuttled groceries and dinner orders to homes and offices. As the coronavirus spread, Starship shifted the fleet even further into grocery deliveries. Locals like Emma Maslin could buy from the corner store with no human contact.“There’s no social interaction with a robot,” Ms. Maslin said.The sudden usefulness of the robots to people staying in their homes is a tantalizing hint of what the machines could one day accomplish — at least under ideal conditions. Milton Keynes, with a population of 270,000 and a vast network of bicycle paths, is perfectly suited to rolling robots. Demand has been so high in recent weeks, some residents have spent days trying to schedule a delivery.In recent years, companies from Silicon Valley to Somerville, Mass., have poured billions of dollars into the development of everything from self-driving cars to warehouse robots. The technology is rapidly improving. Robots can help with deliveries, transportation, recycling, manufacturing.But even simple tasks like robotic delivery still face myriad technical and logistical hurdles. The robots in Milton Keynes, for example, can carry no more than two bags of groceries.“You can’t do a big shop,” Ms. Maslin said. “They aren’t delivering from the superstores.”A pandemic may add to demand but does not change what you can deploy, said Elliot Katz, who helps run Phantom Auto, a start-up that helps companies remotely control autonomous vehicles when they encounter situations they cannot navigate on their own.“There is a limit to what a delivery bot can bring to a human,” Mr. Katz said. “But you have to start somewhere.”Industry veterans know this well. Gabe Sibley, an engineer and a professor who previously worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, started Zippy for sidewalk deliveries in 2017. But the San Francisco company quickly ran into challenges. The robots could move only at the pace of walking, around 1 mile per hour. That severely limits the delivery area, particularly for hot food, Mr. Sibley said.The company never deployed any robots, selling in 2018.“In this country, where we designed our cities around the car, the solution to sidewalk delivery is to use the roads,” Mr. Sibley said.Founded in 2014 and backed by more than $80 million, Starship Technologies is based in San Francisco, and it has deployed most of its robots on college campuses in the United States. Equipped with cameras, radar and other sensors, the robots navigate by matching their surroundings to digital maps built by the company in each new location.The company chose Milton Keynes for a wider deployment in part because the robots could navigate it with relative ease. Built after World War II, the city was carefully planned, with most streets laid out in a grid and bicycle and pedestrian paths, called “redways,” running beside them.When the Starship robots first arrived in Milton Keynes, one of the fastest-growing cities in Britain, Liss Page thought they were cute but pointless. “The first time I met one, it was stuck on the curb outside my house,” she said.Then, in early April, she opened a letter from the National Health Service advising her not to leave the house because her asthma and other conditions made her particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. In the weeks that followed, the robots provided a much-needed connection to the outside world.Smaller deliveries suit Ms. Page because she lives alone. A longtime vegan, she can order nut milk and margarine straight to her door. But like the grocery vans that deliver larger orders across the city, the Starship robots are ultimately limited by what is on the shelves.“You pad out the order with things you don’t really need to make the delivery charge worthwhile,” Ms. Page said. “With the last delivery, all I got were the things I didn’t really need.”Residents like Ms. Page set deliveries through a smartphone app. They typically pay a British pound (about $1.20) for each delivery, but in Milton Keynes, Starship has raised the price to as much as £2 during the busiest times so more people will shop in off hours.The robots deliver groceries to doctors, nurses and other employees of the N.H.S. for free. They even join the Thursday night tribute to the N.H.S., blinking their headlights as residents clap and cheer from their doorsteps. The fleet of 80 robots will soon expand to 100.Though this may be the most extensive deployment of delivery robots in the world, others have popped up in recent years. In Christiansburg, Va., Paul and Susie Sensmeier can arrange drugstore and bakery deliveries via flying drone. Wing, which is a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has been offering drone deliveries in the area since the fall.They can order penne pasta, marinara sauce and toilet paper. But they can’t order prescription medicines via Wing — the drones are stocked at a Wing warehouse, not at a drugstore — and like the robots in Milton Keynes, the drones can carry only so much.“I can only get two muffins or two croissants,” Susie Sensmeier, 81, said.Companies like Wing and Starship hope they can expand the reach of these services and refine their skills. Now there is new impetus.“Overnight, delivery has gone from a convenience to a vital service,” said Starship’s chief executive, Lex Bayer. “Our fleets are driving nonstop, 14 hours a day.”In Milton Keynes, Starship has gradually expanded the reach of its service, doubling its fleet and teaming up with several new grocery stores. It recently started a service in Chevy Chase, Md., not far from Washington. The company can create digital maps for the robots in days.Ms. Page, a 51-year-old business analyst who has lived in Milton Keynes for more than a quarter-century, believes the service can become a viable business.“It just seemed like a vanity project before,” she said. “The pandemic has given them a platform to launch a real business.”But as much as the pandemic has lifted start-ups like Starship, it has also hurt them. Many of the college campuses where Starship deployed its robots have shut down. Though the company has worked to shift those robots to nearby locations, it has been forced to lay off employees and contractors. Janel Steinberg, a company spokeswoman, said the cuts were “primarily about rebalancing our work force to adapt to the demand in different locations.”Nuro, a start-up in Silicon Valley, has long promised larger robots that can drive on public roads. But it has not yet deployed these robots, and like most self-driving car companies, Nuro has been forced to curtail its testing. Rather than making deliveries, its robots are shuttling supplies across an old basketball stadium in Sacramento that has been converted into a temporary hospital.Sidewalk robots and flying drones also require human help. Starship and similar companies must monitor the progress of each robot from afar, and if anything goes wrong, remote operators take over. With social distancing, that has become more difficult. Remote operators who once worked in call centers have moved into their homes.Mr. Katz’s company, Phantom Auto, is now helping companies make the transition. “This is a very, very difficult problem to solve,” Mr. Katz said. “We are in the autonomy-doesn’t-quite-work-yet business.” Read the full article

[krakowergroup]

VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS TO RELEASE VINYL VERSION OF JOHN CARPENTER'S GHOSTS OF MARS

HEAR THE SOUND OF SPECTORS FROM THE RED PLANET … VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS TO RELEASE VINYL VERSION OF JOHN CARPENTER'S GHOSTS OF MARS

Legendary Filmmaker and Composer John Carpenter once again sets the sound of horror.

(July 26, 2018 – Los Angeles, CA) – Varèse Sarabande will release a limited edition (500 units) black vinyl version of JOHN CARPENTER'S GHOSTS OF MARS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on August 3, 2018, available exclusively on VareseSarabande.com. Each copy of this completely remastered LP release will be hand numbered.

The album features John Carpenter’s (HALLOWEEN) original score composed for his 2001 horror masterwork. This album features performances by an all-star band featuring guitar heroes Steve Vai and Buckethead, Anthrax, Robin Finck (Nine Inch Nails, Guns N’ Roses) and Elliot Easton (The Cars) are among the musicians that have sold millions of albums with their previous releases. John Carpenter has had a major resurgence as an artist and composer to accompany his filmmaking with massive global tours and several successful LP, CD and digital releases of his movie music from such classics he composed such as ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.

From John Carpenter, the master of horror behind 1998's hit JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES and classics like THE THING and HALLOWEEN, comes a sci-fi thriller full of explosive action and bone-chilling suspense. Natasha Henstridge (SPECIES) is Melanie Ballard, a headstrong police lieutenant on Mars in the year 2025. Humans have been colonizing and mining on the red planet for some time, but when Ballard and her squad are sent to a remote region to apprehend the dangerous criminal James "Desolation" Williams, played by Ice Cube (THREE KINGS), they discover that he's the least of their worries. The mining operations have unleashed a deadly army of Martian spirits who take over the bodies of humans and won't stop until they destroy all invaders of their planet. With a stellar cast including Pam Grier (JACKIE BROWN), Jason Statham (SNATCH) and Clea Duvall (THE FACULTY), as well as explosive special effects, John Carpenter's GHOSTS OF MARS is an intergalactic terror fest like you've never seen.

Varèse Sarabande will release a limited edition (500 units) black vinyl version of JOHN CARPENTER'S GHOSTS OF MARS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on August 3, 2018, available exclusively on VareseSarabande.com

# # #

www.varesesarabande.com

For more information contact KrakowerGroup[at]gmail.com, or @KrakowerGroup on Twitter

ABOUT JOHN CARPENTER

While attending the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema, John Carpenter began work on DARK STAR, a science fiction comedy short that was later expanded into a feature length film and released theatrically in 1975. His second feature, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976) was partially an homage to his idol, Howard Hawks, and basically reimagined that director’s RIO BRAVO in an urban setting. Carpenter’s breakthrough film was HALLOWEEN (1978), the seminal horror film; made for $300,000, it was the most profitable independent movie of its day, and to date has spawned several sequels.

Following HALLOWEEN, he further established his reputation with such genre hits as THE FOG, THEY LIVE, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, the psychological horror film, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, CHRISTINE and THE WARD. His rank as an action director on a wider scale is also evident in such productions as ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, VAMPIRES, THE THING, GHOSTS OF MARS, ESCAPE FROM L.A. and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

His motion picture credits also include the comedy-thriller, MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN, the sci-fi love story, STARMAN, which earned Jeff Bridges a Best Actor Oscar nomination, and VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, the terrifying remake of the classic 1950s horror story.

For the small screen, Carpenter directed the thriller SOMEONE’S WATCHING ME, the acclaimed biographical mini-series, ELVIS, and the Showtime horror trilogy JOHN CARPENTER PRESENTS BODY BAGS. He also directed two episodes of Showtime’s MASTERS OF HORROR series. He won the Cable Ace Award for writing the HBO movie, EL DIABLO. In the gaming world, he co-wrote the video game FEAR 3 for Warner Bros. Interactive.

In the world of comics, Carpenter is the co-creator of the award-winning bi-monthly series, “John Carpenter’s Asylum” and the acclaimed annual anthology collection, “John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight”.

On Halloween 2014, the director and composer introduced the world to the next phase of his career with “Vortex,” the first single from Lost Themes, his first album of non-soundtrack material. Carpenter’s primacy and lasting influence on genre score work was both rediscovered and reaffirmed. Lost Themes achieved numerous international milestones, including NPR First Listen; features in dozens of press outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Guardian; three magazine covers; and Top 200 chart success in the U.S. and the U.K.

John Carpenter was born in Carthage, New York. His family later moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where his father was the head of the music department at Western Kentucky University. He attended Western Kentucky University followed by the USC School of Cinema in Los Angeles. WKU awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2007. He lives in Hollywood, California with his wife, Sandy King, his frequent collaborator.

ABOUT VARÈSE SARABANDE RECORDS

Founded in 1978, Varèse Sarabande is the most prolific producer of film music in the world, releasing the highest quality soundtracks from the world’s greatest composers. From current box office hits and top television series to the classics of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Varèse Sarabande’s catalog includes albums from practically every composer in every era, covering all of film history; from Bernard Herrmann, Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith to Alexandre Desplat, Michael Giacchino and Brian Tyler.

Varèse Sarabande releases deluxe and expanded editions of special soundtracks for the film music aficionado. The Varèse Vintage imprint specializes in releasing new and re-issued albums by classic pop, jazz and country artists. Varèse Sarabande Records is distributed by Universal Music Group.

Follow:  twitter.com/varesesarabande

Watch: youtube.com/varesesarabande

Listen: open.spotify.com/user/varesesarabanderecords

Like: facebook.com/varesesarabanderecords

Buy: varesesarabande.com

[vanitynumbers]

Unilever threatens online ad cuts to clean up internet

New Post has been published on https://new800numbers.com/business/unilever-threatens-online-ad-cuts-to-clean-up-internet/

Unilever threatens online ad cuts to clean up internet

Local vanity Numbers:

LONDON (Reuters) – Consumer goods giant Unilever (ULVR.L)(UNc.AS), one of the world’s biggest advertisers, has threatened to pull investment from digital platforms such as Facebook and Google that “create division” in society or fail to protect children.

Keith Weed, chief marketing officer at the maker of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Dove soap, will announce the company’s plan in a speech later on Monday at the annual Interactive Advertising Bureau conference in California.

In the speech, Weed will call on the technology industry to improve transparency and consumer trust in an era of fake news and “toxic” online content.

“Unilever, as a trusted advertiser, do not want to advertise on platforms which do not make a positive contribution to society,” Weed plans to say, according to a copy of the speech seen beforehand.

Unilever also said it is committed to tackling gender stereotypes in advertising and will only partner with organizations that are committed to creating better digital infrastructure.

Unilever itself was heavily criticized last year for a Dove advert on Facebook that many saw as racist. Amid a social media backlash and calls for a boycott, the brand apologized, saying it “missed the mark in representing women of color thoughtfully”.

“Consumers don’t care about third party verification. They do care about fraudulent practice, fake news, and Russians influencing the U.S. election,” Weed plans to say. “They don’t care about good value for advertisers. But they do care when they see their brands being placed next to ads funding terror, or exploiting children.”

Unilever has already been slashing its advertising spend, as it seeks to cut costs across the organization. It has cut the number of ads it makes and the number of agencies it works with.

Google, a unit of tech giant Alphabet (GOOGL.O), and Facebook (FB.O) are estimated to have taken half of online ad revenue worldwide in 2017 and more than 60 percent in the United States, according to research firm eMarketer.

Officials at Facebook and Google in Europe were not immediately available to comment.

Weed’s comments echo complaints made a year ago by Procter & Gamble (PG.N) Chief Brand Officer, Mark Pritchard, who has lamented fake ad clicks by automated ‘bots’, the risk an ad can appear on social media next to an ISIS recruitment video and the realization that people don’t watch 30-second video advertisements any more.

Only 25 percent of online ad spending reaches the consumer, with the rest skimmed off by a “murky, non-transparent, even fraudulent supply chain” within the industry, Pritchard told a digital marketing conference last autumn in Cologne, Germany.

Facebook executives visiting Europe last month made a public show of contrition about the social media giant’s slow response to abuses on its platform, seeking to avoid further legislation along the lines of a new hate speech law in Germany it says goes too far.

“We have over-invested in building new experiences and under-invested in preventing abuses,” Facebook’s communications and public policy chief, Elliot Schrage, told a tech conference in Munich.

Reporting by Martinne Geller in London and Douglas Busvine in Frankfurt; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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