#Helen filming him

[sunshineandlyrics]

Louis walking backstage after the concert, FITFWT Austin, 7 July 2023

this little man

[cursemewithyourkiss]

Dr Martin Arrowsmith (Ronald Colman) and Leora Tozer (Helen Hayes) meet for the first time in Arrowsmith (1931). One of my favourite scenes.

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

Pixar did not have to go as hard as they did with the Kronos Unveiled scene in The Incredibles (2004), yet they did anyway and gave us one of the best scenes in modern cinema. Literally cannot stop thinking about how good this scene is, from the animation to the build up to the soundtrack.

I don’t think I truly understood how dark this scene - and this film - was a child: Syndrome is systematically and strategically luring in superheroes and killing them off in order to test and improve his Omnidroid design… these people were not only supers but they also had family and loved ones too, just like Bob, and one day they would have just disappeared because chances are they weren’t telling people where they were going because it was "top secret" and against the law. They thought they were doing something good, like helping the people in the island, while also getting to relive their glory days, perhaps even paving the way for superheroes to make a proper comeback… only for Syndrome to kill them in cold blood.

Most of these people can actually be seen at Bob and Helen’s wedding in the beginning of the film - they weren’t just random supers, they were their friends, people they worked alongside and cared about. It’s even worse when you realise that Bob probably blames himself because, after all, Buddy/Syndrome was his biggest fan and he dismissed him by not letting him help.

The relief on Bob’s face when he realises Syndrome doesn’t know where Helen is - meaning he also doesn’t know where their children are because he didn’t realise they were married at this point - is so realistic and gut wrenching to see. The relief contrasting with the anguish of knowing how much danger they and their entire family could have been in the entire time without even knowing...it's so well-done, you can literally feel it.

It’s also worth noting that originally the next target wasn’t Mr Incredible but Frozone - that was who Mirage was trailing, hence why his location is “known”. Imagine if she/Syndrome hadn’t realised that Mr Incredible was with him and they’d lured Frozone in instead as planned; he would have gone to the island to fight the Omnidroid 8 in a volcano setting. We saw how being in the burning building dehydrated Frozone and made it impossible to use his ice powers - presumably it would have been the same in the middle of a lava filled volcano, and he’d have been slaughtered just like the other superheroes before him.

This scene shows an entire generation of superheroes - Bob, Helen and Lucius’ generation - wiped out all because Syndrome felt slighted by his hero as a child, because he internalised that slight and let it drive him to revenge. And, if we take into account the deleted alternate opening scene, it’s mentioned that superheroes "aren't supposed to breed” - meaning there’s a likelihood that Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack are among the very few supers of the next generation. I know that it's deleted and so not really canon, but it's definitely a concept to consider, I think.

Then there's the fact Syndrome named the project "Kronos" - Kronos was a God who overthrew his own father in order to take over his rule, and then he ate his own children to prevent them doing the same thing to him. It feels like it reflects Syndrome once looking up to Mr Incredible and even saying "I could be your ward!", meaning Mr Incredible adopting or fostering him - the project name is a metaphor for Syndrome destroying the Supers, especially Mr Incredible, who he viewed as a father figure. The Omnidroids he built killed two birds with one stone: not only was he able to acquire the data to upgrade the robot to its final design, but it also eliminated the real super heroes and so left him as the last remaining "superhero", even though his powers are man-made, not something he was born with.

Not only did he want to become the only remaining superhero by killing the real ones in revenge, he also planned to sell his inventions at some point so everyone can be super - because "when everyone is super, nobody is". It's like a final blow to the memory of the superheroes he had killed.

I've talked too much about this scene but God... I love it so much more as an adult because it's just so chilling to think about. I'm sure other people can put it much more articulately than I just tried to, but I just really wanted to appreciate this scene.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Oooh! A great Gavin Finney (Good Omens Director of Photography) interview with Helen Parkinson for the British Cinematographer! :)

HEAVEN SENT

Gifted a vast creative landscape from two of fantasy’s foremost authors to play with, Gavin Finney BSC reveals how he crafted the otherworldly visuals for Good Omens 2.  

It started with a letter from beyond the grave. Following fantasy maestro Sir Terry Pratchett’s untimely death in 2015, Neil Gaiman decided he wouldn’t adapt their co-authored 1990 novel, Good Omens, without his collaborator. That was, until he was presented with a posthumous missive from Pratchett asking him to do just that.  

For Gaiman, it was a request that proved impossible to decline: he brought Good Omens season one to the screen in 2019, a careful homage to its source material. His writing, complemented by some inspired casting – David Tennant plays the irrepressible demon Crowley, alongside Michael Sheen as angel-slash-bookseller Aziraphale – and award-nominated visuals from Gavin Finney BSC, proved a potent combination for Prime Video viewers.  

Aziraphale’s bookshop was a set design triumph.

Season two departs from the faithful literary adaptation of its predecessor, instead imagining what comes next for Crowley and Aziraphale. Its storyline is built off a conversation that Pratchett and Gaiman shared during a jetlagged stay in Seattle for the 1989 World Fantasy Convention. Gaiman remembers: “The idea was always that we would tell the story that Terry and I came up with in 1989 in Seattle, but that we would do that in our own time and in our own way. So, once Good Omens (S1) was done, all I knew was that I really, really wanted to tell the rest of the story.” 

Telling that story visually may sound daunting, but cinematographer Finney is no stranger to the wonderfully idiosyncratic world of Pratchett and co. As well as lensing Good Omens’ first outing, he’s also shot three other Pratchett stories – TV mini series  Hogfather  (2006), and TV mini-series The Colour of Magic (2008) and Going Postal (2010). 

He relishes how the authors provide a vast creative landscape for him to riff off. “The great thing about Pratchett and Gaiman is that there’s no limit to what you can do creatively – everything is up for grabs,” he muses. “When we did the first Pratchett films and the first Good Omens, you couldn’t start by saying, ‘Okay, what should this look like?’, because nothing looks like Pratchett’s world. So, you’re starting from scratch, with no references, and that starting point can be anything you want it to be.”  

Season two saw the introduction of inside-outside sets for key locations including Aziraphale’s bookshop. 

From start to finish 

The sole DP on the six-episode season, Finney was pleased to team up again with returning director Douglas Mackinnon for the “immensely complicated” shoot, and the pair began eight weeks of prep in summer 2021. A big change was the production shifting the main soho set from Bovington airfield, near London, up to Edinburgh’s Pyramids Studio. Much of the action in Good Omens takes place on the Soho street that’s home to Aziraphale’s bookshop, which was built as an exterior set on the former airfield for season one. Season two, however, saw the introduction of inside-outside sets for key locations including the bookshop, record store and pub, to minimise reliance on green screen.  

Finney brought over many elements of his season one lensing, especially Mackinnon’s emphasis on keeping the camera moving, which involved lots of prep and testing. “We had a full-time Scorpio 45’ for the whole shoot (run by key grip Tim Critchell and his team), two Steadicam operators (A camera – Ed Clark and B camera Martin Newstead) all the way through, and in any one day we’d often go from Steadicam, to crane, to dolly and back again,” he says. “The camera is moving all the time, but it’s always driven by the story.” 

One key difference for season two, however, was the move to large-format visuals. Finney tested three large-format cameras and the winner was the Alexa LF (assisted by the Mini LF where conditions required), thanks to its look and flexibility.  

The minisodes were shot on Cooke anamorphics, giving Finney the ideal balance of anamorphic-style glares and characteristics without too much veiling flare.

A more complex decision was finding the right lenses for the job. “You hear about all these whizzy new lenses that are re-barrelled ancient Russian glass, but I needed at least two full sets for the main unit, then another set for the second unit, then maybe another set again for the VFX unit,” Finney explains. “If you only have one set of this exotic glass, it’s no good for the show.” 

He tested a vast array of lenses before settling on Zeiss Supremes, supplied by rental house Media Dog. These ticked all the boxes for the project: “They had a really nice look – they’re a modern design but not over sharp, which can look a bit electronic and a bit much, especially with faces. When you’re dealing with a lot of wigs and prosthetics, we didn’t want to go that sharp. The Supremes had a very nice colour palette and nice roll-off. They’re also much smaller than a lot of large-format glass, so that made it easy for Steadicam and remote cranes. They also provided additional metadata, which was very useful for the VFX department (VFX services were provided by Milk VFX).” 

The Supremes were paired with a selection of filters to characterise the show’s varied locations and characters. For example, Tiffen Bronze Glimmerglass were paired with bookshop scenes; Black Pro-Mist was used for Hell; and Black Diffusion FX for Crowley’s present-day storyline.  

Finney worked closely with the show’s DIT, Donald MacSween, and colourist, Gareth Spensley, to develop the look for the minisode.

Maximising minisodes 

Episodes two, three and four of season two each contain a ‘minisode’ – an extended flashback set in Biblical times, 1820s Edinburgh and wartime London respectively. “Douglas wanted the minisodes to have very strong identities and look as different from the present day as possible, so we’d instantly know we were in a minisode and not the present day,” Finney explains.  

One way to shape their distinctive look was through using Cooke anamorphic lenses. As Finney notes: “The Cookes had the right balance of controllable, anamorphic-style flares and characteristics without having so much veiling flare that they would be hard to use on green screens. They just struck the right balance of aesthetics, VFX requirements and availability.” The show adopted the anamorphic aspect ratio (2:39.1), an unusual move for a comedy, but one which offered them more interesting framing opportunities. 

Good Omens 2 was shot on the Alexa LF, paired with Zeiss Supremes for the present-day scenes.

The minisodes were also given various levels of film grain to set them apart from the present-day scenes. Finney first experimented with this with the show’s DIT Donald MacSween using the DaVinci Resolve plugin FilmConvert. Taking that as a starting point, the show’s colourist, Company 3’s Gareth Spensley, then crafted his own film emulation inspired by two-strip Technicolor. “There was a lot of testing in the grade to find the look for these minisodes, with different amounts of grain and different types of either Technicolor three-strip or two-strip,” Finney recalls. “Then we’d add grain and film weave on that, then on top we added film flares. In the Biblical scenes we added more dust and motes in the air.”  

Establishing the show’s lighting was a key part of Finney’s testing process, working closely with gaffer Scott Napier and drawing upon PKE Lighting’s inventory. Good Omens’ new Scottish location posed an initial challenge: as the studio was in an old warehouse rather than being purpose-built for filming, its ceilings weren’t as high as one would normally expect. This meant Finney and Napier had to work out a low-profile way of putting in a lot of fixtures. 

Inside Crowley’s treasured Bentley.

Their first task was to test various textiles, LED wash lights and different weight loadings, to establish what they were working with for the street exteriors. “We worked out that what was needed were 12 SkyPanels per 20’x20’ silk, so each one was a block of 20’x20’, then we scaled that up,” Finney recalls. “I wanted a very seamless sky, so I used full grid cloth which made it very, very smooth. That was important because we’ve got lots of cars constantly driving around the set and the sloped windscreens reflect the ceiling. So we had to have seamless textiles – PKE had to source around 12,000 feet of textiles so that we could put them together, so the reflections in the windscreens of the cars just showed white gridcloth rather than lots of stage lights. We then drove the car around the set to test it from different angles.”  

On the floor, they mostly worked with LEDs, providing huge energy and cost savings for the production. Astera’s Titan Tubes came in handy for a fun flashback scene with John Hamm’s character Gabriel. The DP remembers: “[Gabriel] was travelling down a 30-foot feather tunnel. We built a feather tunnel on the stage and wrapped it in a ring of Astera tubes, which were then programmed by dimmer op Jon Towler to animate, pulse and change different colours. Each part of Gabriel’s journey through his consciousness has a different colour to it.” 

Among the rigs built was a 20-strong Creamsource Vortex setup for the graveyard scene in the “Body Snatchers” minisode, shot in Stirling. “We took all the yokes off each light then put them on a custom-made aluminium rig so we could have them very close. We put them up on a big telehandler on a hill that gave me a soft mood light, which was very adjustable, windproof and rainproof.” 

Shooting on the VP stage for the birth of the universe scenes in episode one.

Sky’s the limit 

A lot of weather effects were done in camera – including lightning effects pulsed in that allowed both direct fork lightning and sheet lightning to spread down the streets. In the grade, colourist Spensley was also able to work his creative magic on the show’s skies. “Gareth is a very artistic colourist – he’s a genius at changing skies,” Finney says. “Often in the UK you get these very boring, flat skies, but he’s got a library of dramatic skies that you can drop in. That would usually be done by VFX, but he’s got the ability to do it in Baselight, so a flat sky suddenly becomes a glorious sunset.” 

Finney emphasises that the grade is a very involved process for a series like Good Omens, especially with its VFX-heavy nature. “This means VFX sequences often need extra work when it comes back into the timeline,” says the DP. “So, we often add camera movement or camera shake to crank the image up a bit. Having a colourist like Gareth is central to a big show like Good Omens, to bring all the different visual elements together and to make it seamless. It’s quite a long grade process but it’s worth its weight in gold.” 

Shooting in the VR cube for the blitz scenes .

Finney took advantage of virtual production (VP) technology for the driving scenes in Crowley’s classic Bentley. The volume was built on their Scottish set: a 4x7m cube with a roof that could go up and down on motorised winches as needed. “We pulled the cars in and out on skates – they went up on little jacks, which you could then rotate and move the car around within the volume,” he explains. “We had two floating screens that we could move around to fill in and use as additional source lighting. Then we had generated plates – either CGI or real location plates –projected 360º around the car. Sometimes we used the volume in-camera but if we needed to do more work downstream; we’d use a green screen frustum.” Universal Pixels collaborated with Finney to supply in-camera VFX expertise, crew and technical equipment for the in-vehicle driving sequences and rear projection for the crucial car shots. 

John Hamm was suspended in the middle of this lighting rig and superimposed into the feather tunnel.

Interestingly, while shooting at a VP stage in Leith, the team also used the volume as a huge, animated light source in its own right – a new technique for Finney. “We had the camera pointing away from [the volume] so the screen provided this massive, IMAX-sized light effect for the actors. We had a simple animation of the expanding universe projected onto the screen so the actors could actually see it, and it gave me the animated light back on the actors.”  

Bringing such esteemed authors’ imaginations to the screen is no small task, but Finney was proud to helped bring Crowley and Aziraphale’s adventures to life once again. He adds: “What’s nice about Good Omens, especially when there’s so much bad news in the world, is that it’s a good news show. It’s a very funny show. It’s also about good and evil, love and doing the right thing, people getting together irrespective of backgrounds. It’s a hopeful message, and I think that that’s what we all need.” 

Finney is no stranger to the idiosyncratic world of Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

[nixmori]

Ever since Emmrich’s writer named Peter Cushing as his primary influence, I haven’t been able to get this image of them together with this quote out of my head.

The quote is from Hound of the Baskervilles ‘59, which starred Cushing in the role of Sherlock Holmes. But I chose to draw Cushing in his outfit from the Horror of Dracula where he played Van Helsing.

I absolutely adore Peter Cushing and I have so many thoughts on the implications of his influence on Emmrich.

Cushing was, himself, a gentle man and a gentleman of big emotions. His wife was the love of his life, and in his autobiography, he stated that his life as he loved it ended with her passing. He didn’t believe in ending one’s life intentionally, and lived out his remaining decades waiting to see her again in the afterlife.

He also had a deep-seated fear of death, instilled in him by his mother, who would feign her own death when he’d been naughty as a child.

His friendships were also deep and lasting, with Christopher Lee (Dracula in he Hammer films, Saruman) saying upon his passing “At some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again”

I think of these things and how they influence the lens through which I see Emmrich. His desire for that “one true love,” as Cushing had with Helen. How deeply he cares for his friends. How kind and compassionate he is.

I have many more thoughts and could likely write essays on this. But I shall restrain myself.

Also… the font is in Baskerville because I couldn’t help myself.

[just-a-creep-babe]

Caught (NSFW)

(Creeps x Male! Reader)

Commissioned by @taboo-delusion tysm!! I really hope you enjoy 💖💞✨💖💓

Requests are closed but commissions are open!

Masterlist: x

BEN Drowned

When he first agrees to go for a snack run at the old abandoned gas station, he doesn’t expect it to be eventful

Despite being abandoned, the place is semi-regularly stocked by the proxies to use as a last-resort shelter and supply hoard in case anyone needs it

So it’s not like the building is used to seeing a lot of traffic, much less any kind of excitement

Which is why he never, ever in his undead life would have expected to walk in on what he does

Just barely half-concealed near the back of the store, BEN does a full-on double-take as he sees the newest member of the mansion naked, his legs spread and his cock hard and twitching as he pumps a gun in and out of his ass

It completely stuns BEN in place

He can't tear his eyes away from the shiny barrel rhythmically pounding in and out of the new guy's slick hole

With a low, whiny moan, he screws his eyes shut and throws his head back in sheer bliss, and it's like that's just enough to snap BEN out of it

He ducks behind a nearby shelf, the ghost of his heart pounding in his chest, and he prays he didn’t get noticed

When the faint moaning doesn’t subside, he realizes he’s probably in the clear

BEN counts down from ten to catch his breath, and then, with the adrenaline coursing through his system, he sneaks another peek

It’s filthy, perverted—a complete lack of respect and total breach of trust—but how could he not?

Acting on instinct, he whips out his phone, aims it at the pornographic scene unfolding just inches away from him, and hits record

Bloody Painter

It isn’t a particularly eventful night for Helen at first

Alone in the studio, inspiration just isn’t coming to him, and he finds himself zoning out in front of an empty canvas, hoping to get blessed with the miracle of motivation

When his phone buzzes, he initially doesn’t think much of it

It’s only when he opens it to a particularly interesting video that his lackluster night suddenly takes a turn

In a shoddy, poorly-lit building, the video cuts straight to the point with a guy squirming and whimpering, fully naked on the ground

He's fisting at his dick, whining under his breath, and at the same time, he's bouncing his ass against something dark and metallic

Squinting, Helen zooms in to confirm his suspicion; he’s fucking himself on a gun

If he wasn't so entranced by the sight, Helen might’ve wondered why the fuck this was sent to him

But his mind is suddenly blank, and the one thought he has left is who the fuck is that guy?

He racks his brain trying to think of anyone who might fit the description

And, suddenly, he realizes—that’s the new guy

The faintest hints of a smile ghost over the artist’s lips

He finishes watching the video, picks up a paintbrush, and brings it to the canvas

He gets the feeling that his next piece is going to be very inspired~

CandyPop

Candy generally doesn’t get too involved in whatever happens at the mansion

He gets along decently with some creeps, but he either doesn’t care about the others, or he’s grown to fully hate them over the years

Despite that, however, he adores meddling in other people's business

So when word starts spreading that the newest creep got caught and filmed jerking off with a gun, Candy just knows things are about to get exciting~

He asks around for a copy of the video, and right from the first watch, he's fascinated by the newest member

He can’t help but think what a good pet this creep would be to have around

Like, he seems kind of masochistic, a possible exhibitionist, and he likes receiving?

Sounds like way too much fun~

He watches the video an unhealthy amount of times, and although he isn’t welcomed at the mansion, he makes it a point to somehow meet this guy

The video gives Candy way too many ideas—which, for a demonic clown, is most certainly not a good thing

Unknowingly, it seems like the new guy's sexual habits are already garnering attention from some pretty dangerous entities

Whoopsies!

Clockwork

Clockwork regularly goes to that gas station

She likes the quiet solitude it offers, not to mention the weirdly cozy vibes and decent array of snack foods

So, naturally, when Toby suggests the snack run, Nat is one of the first to agree to join

She beelines it to her favorite spot in the building, the employee break room near the back, and as she approaches, she actually hears the new guy before seeing him

Is that… moaning?

Curiosity getting the better of her, she follows the sound

And right as she's about to stumble in on the big reveal, she's grabbed and yanked behind one of the nearby shelves

Instincts kicking in, she nearly punches BEN right in the face, but something stops her before she does

That look on his face

She pauses, notices the phone in his hand, and, combined with the sounds she's hearing, everything makes sense

Her face immediately flushes

Before she can stop herself, her eyes shift to the spot at the back corner, and, surely enough, she sees what’s happening

The new guy throws his head back, his body convulsing as he shudders and his cock twitches and throbs

He pumps the gun in and out faster, harder, like he’s approaching his climax

Before she can see anything more, before she violates his privacy any further, Nat spins on her heels and gets the hell out of there, too flustered to say or even do anything else

Dark Link

Like Candy, Dark doesn’t typically keep up with whatever the hell kind of nonsense happens at the mansion

So he only discovers the video when he's snooping through BEN’s files in an attempt to get the upper hand in their rivalry

As soon as he sees that video file, he knows he's in for a treat~

The guy, who he assumes must be a new member, isn’t too bad on the eyes to begin with

And when the video pans down to get a better view of just what he's using to jerk himself off, Dark needs to know more about him

He rummages through a few more files to find out more information on him, just for the fun of it

He honestly doesn't expect to do anything with the intel, but the deeper he looks into it, the more he wants to meet him

The more he wants to torment him

Technically, however, being on neutral terms with Slender means that he isn't allowed to do such things to members of the safehouse

So Dark realizes that he, unfortunately, will just have to wait for him to step out of the mansion's boundaries before trying anything a bit more... risky

If they do end up meeting, he plans on using the... intimate knowledge he has of him to embarrass him

And if they don’t meet anytime soon, he’ll simply have to content himself with replaying that video over and over and over again~

Eyeless Jack

Being more of an introvert, Jack doesn’t join the outing at the abandoned station

But as soon as everyone comes back, he can tell something is a bit… off

After cautiously asking around to find out what happened, he finally gets BEN to show him the video

And, let’s just say, Jack’s never been happier to have a mask concealing his face

He only lasts a few seconds in before telling BEN to turn that thing off

From an outside perspective, it probably looks like he disapproves of the creeps violating the newest member’s privacy

Which, to be fair, he does

But, more than that, he’s just really flustered about the whole thing

He doesn’t know how he’ll manage to face the new guy again

The next time they meet, Jack tries to act cool and natural, but he completely fumbles the bag and gets visibly flustered

If anything might tip the new guy off that something funky's going on, it's probably the way Jack acts around him from that point on

Homicidal Liu

Since Liu rarely uses the shelter of the mansion, it also takes him a while to find out about the incident

By the time he discovers it, chances are, the new guy knows he got busted, so most creeps are already in on his dirty little secret

It’s therefore a huge relief when the new guy initially meets Liu, and Liu doesn't seem to know about it

Their first meeting goes well, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Liu to find out about the video anyway

The difference between meeting the newbie normally and seeing how depraved he is when he's turned on is shocking

Next time he runs into him, it's almost hard not to gawk

Poor Liu gets too flustered trying to talk to him after seeing that side of him, so he inevitably ends up retreating into himself

Which gives just enough space for Sully to show face

And whew boy is Sully ever ruthless with the intel he has

They probably give the new guy whiplash if he wasn't previously warned about Liu's alter

As much as Liu was sweet and accommodating, Sully, on the other hand, takes pleasure in embarrassing the new guy until he’s squirming

He borderline starts degrading and dirty-mouthing him right then and there

And, unfortunately for the newbie, he very quickly becomes Sully’s new favorite plaything~

Hoodie

Also part of the gang going for the snack run, Hoodie has a sneaking suspicion it's going to be an eventful outing

Not necessarily because of anything, mind you—it's just a sort of premonition, if you will

And yet, even despite his intuition, it still catches him off guard when he hears that faint moaning coming from the back of the store

The sound leads him to BEN and Nat acting strange behind a shelf hidden off to the side

They don't notice him, so he stays just out of their line of sight as he peeks around the corner to the source of the quiet, shuddering breaths

And he absolutely can't contain that shit-eating grin on his face as he finds the newest member of the mansion unknowingly responsible for all of the agitation in the store

Fisting his cock, he quietly mewls and whimpers as he grinds his ass down against something long and hard that looks kind of familiar

Leaning in as much as he can without jeopardizing his hiding spot, Hoodie finally realizes what he's masturbating with

He’s about to pull out his phone, when Nat briskly turns and leaves

Right at the last second, he ducks out of sight, and when the coast is clear, he starts his own recording of the action

He doesn't know if he'll use it for blackmail, or just for his own... personal fun, but he figures it'll be useful to have, either way~

Jane the Killer

She originally hears the gossip about the new guy being an exhibitionist when she's out of town

When she returns to the mansion, Nat explains what happened, and Jane just doesn’t know how to react

He got caught doing what where??

She meets the newbie not too long after, and all she can think about while trying to make casual chit-chat is that she knows

She, for obvious reasons, doesn’t want to let on that she knows, and thankfully, her mask does a great job of concealing her expression

He doesn’t seem to notice what she’s thinking, and their interaction goes over pretty smoothly, all things considered

She gets the impression that he isn't a bad person, despite whatever kind of sexual habits he has, so she actually doesn't mind him

She's really not the type to kink shame, anyways

And so, after their meeting, Jane makes it a point to shut people down when they try to make rude or disrespectful comments about him

She hates bullying, and she's not afraid to stand up against assholes, even if she's alone in doing so, so she grows to become really protective of the newbie

She absolutely doesn’t let anyone tease him or make any kind of jokes at his expense

Whether he knows it or not, the new guy owes her big time for defending him so much

Jason the Toymaker

He’s one of the first “outsiders” to originally hear about it

He actually even gets his hands on a copy of the video

At first, he plans on using it for blackmail material as well

But as he watches through it, he can’t help but think how the new guy would make such a good addition to his collection of dolls

He could probably make him so nice and malleable, so deliciously obedient oh so easily~

And, really, he thinks, the mansion is already so full of creeps as is—would they really miss one measly little member?

Something about it—something about how pure and innocent, yet filthy and depraved the new guy looks as he fucks himself with a weapon in an abandoned gas station—it just kind of riles Jason up

And, being a very obsessive demon, it isn’t long before he realizes how badly he'd love to abduct the new guy and claim him

He thinks about all of the weapons he could use on him, all of the places he could test and push his limits to

It gives him way too many ideas

He makes it his goal to add him to his collection of dolls, and he’ll wait as long as it takes to get what he wants

Jeff the Killer

Jeff is minding his own business, for once, at the gas station during the snack run when he gets a text from BEN telling him to come to the back of the store

When he hears the faint moans and whimpers, he thinks BEN is playing some kind of prank

But boy is he ever wrong

He walks in on BEN sneakily filming the new guy, who’s bouncing up and down on a gun and panting like a depraved whore while he does so

Like most of the others, it takes him a second to process what he’s seeing

There’s no way he just walked in on that

He's too surprised to pull himself away at first, and when he snaps out of it, he realizes he's enjoying it too much to leave

He watches the whole show, even as the new guy starts moaning louder, even until his body starts shaking and his cock starts tensing and twitching as he approaches his peak

He can’t look away as the newbie throws his head back, plunges the gun as deep as it’ll go inside him, then cums all over himself in a sticky white mess

As he starts coming down from his high, both Jeff and BEN quickly sneak away to avoid being seen

And although Jeff doesn’t usually like newbies, he figures he might make an exception for this guy

Unfortunately for the new guy, however, Jeff's love language is bullying

And what he saw at that gas station is just perfect bullying material

And he doesn't plan on going easy on him just because he's new

Kate the Chaser

Since she’s antisocial, she’s hardly ever at the mansion, even despite being a proxy

She mostly just hangs around abandoned buildings, caves, half-decrepit huts in the woods—that kind of thing; and she feels very protective of those places

So when she senses a group of people wandering through what she’d consider her abandoned gas station, she makes sure to keep a close watch on everyone

She doesn’t actively see what happens with the new guy, but she definitely hears about it when everyone’s leaving the place

By overhearing bits of conversations, she's able to piece together what happened, and she develops a certain curiosity about the new guy

Kate teeters between states of consciousness, where, most of the time, she’s almost basically feral

But every now and then, remnants of her old humanity peek through

And hearing about this new guy somehow brings bits of her old self out, which piques her interest

It’s like a mix of curiosity and sexual fascination that has her sticking around to watch the new guy stumble his way back to the mansion

And even though she’d likely never confront him on her own, she secretly hopes that she’ll stumble in on him doing something like that again

Alas, until that day comes, maybe she’ll content herself with merely stalking him for now

Masky

Even though he and Hoodie are almost always together, he doesn’t join the group at the gas station

He needs to rest and recover, so he hangs back, but he immediately knows he missed out on something big when Hoodie comes back

And when Hoodie shows him the video, Masky's furious he missed out on it

Honestly, he gains some respect for the newbie for being so ballsy to pull something off like that

Unlike a lot of others, it doesn’t really affect the way he interacts with him afterward

He doesn’t get flustered, doesn’t tease or bully the guy about it, he doesn’t even mention it because, in Masky's opinion, it’s not that big of a deal

Really, all it does is make him more interested in seeing what other tricks the new guy has up his sleeve

He wouldn’t mind personally finding out about them~

Other than that, if he sees other creeps being excessive about their commentary towards the newbie, he’ll also shut them down alongside Jane

He figures it must suck for the poor guy, so he tries to minimize the damage however he can

Jane and Masky honestly kind of become the new guy’s lifeline after that incident

Nurse Ann

She also only hears about it much, much later since she usually stays off the grid

She’s masochistic, sadistic, and hypersexual, so she definitely gets having more… deviant sexual urges

Not to mention, with the sheer amount of strange people in that house, it really isn’t surprising that at least one of them would pull that kind of stunt

She doesn’t think too much of it as she goes about her work, but every now and then, she’s suddenly reminded of it out of nowhere

And she can’t help but think how fun it would be to use someone like that in her experiments~

So she keeps an eye out, and, similarly to Kate, she also hopes to have a random run-in with the new recruit

Honestly, she doesn’t even know who the new creep is or what he looks like—even if she did run into him—because they all look the same to her

But she knows that if she did get the chance to run into him, she also wouldn’t go easy on him

Honestly, Nurse Ann is definitely one of the more dangerous creeps, so garnering her attention is almost never a good thing

The new guy's unknowingly put himself in a lot of danger by attracting so many outsiders' attention

Offenderman

Oh, he absolutely adores hearing about this new creep~

He’s not technically banned from the mansion, but he’s on thin fucking ice, so he knows to be careful when he visits to meet him

Preying on people’s sexual urges is what he does best—it makes it all the easier to mold his victims into perfectly obedient little slaves~

So this new guy has him salivating at the thought of kidnapping him

Try as he might to be subtle about his intentions to whisk him away, Slender is, for obvious reasons, fully aware of what he’s trying to do

So new security measures are reinstated at the house, and the new guy is placed under extra protection

Which might be confusing to the new guy, since he doesn’t exactly know why he’s being so carefully protected

Why would anyone even care about a random newbie like him?

Even if he tries to ask Slender what the reasoning behind all the fuss is, Slender won't tell him because just knowing what Offender does can be risky

To counter the new safety precautions, Offender might try to bribe and manipulate creeps from the inside

And who knows; maybe one day, Offender will finally slip through Slender’s cracks and snatch up his prize~

Ticci Toby

Oh god oh god oh fuck

Initially the first one to suggest going for a snack run, he somehow blames himself for stumbling in on the new guy doing the dirty

He’s the first one to discover the scene, even before BEN walks in on it

And as soon as he sees it, as soon as he sees the new guy naked with his legs spread, squirming and whining with the barrel deep inside of him, Toby’s face goes red

He’s so close he can practically hear the slick sounds as he humps the weapon like a depraved little puppy

He’s frozen for a few seconds, too stunned to react, but once he comes to his senses, he immediately gets the hell out of dodge

But he doesn’t even make it all that far before he realizes—shit

There’s at least, like, five other creeps in here that might stumble in on him

He’s paralyzed in place as his mind races to figure out how to get everyone out without raising suspicion

But before he can think of a plan, BEN stumbles in on it and it’s all over

Not knowing what else to do, Toby practically makes a run for it because the secondhand embarrassment is too real

He comes face-to-face with Cody as he’s leaving, and when Cody asks what’s wrong, Toby blurts everything out before thinking twice

Needless to say, he’s insanely embarrassed about the whole thing, even though he’s not even the one who got caught

Poor guy can’t look the newbie in the eyes for a good few months after that incident

X-Virus

When Toby mentions a hideout off the side of an old highway, of course Cody wants to check it out

He thought it would be a nice, chill way to spend his evening, so you can just imagine his confusion when he runs into Toby, who looks like he just saw a ghost and is on the verge of crapping himself about it

Before he can even open his mouth to ask, Toby blurts everything out, and Cody is thoroughly stunned

The new guy is doing what? Here? Right now??

He can see that Toby is visibly shaken, so he does his best to calm him down

But the whole time he’s talking Toby down, all he can think about is how he wants this damn conversation to end so that he can go off and have a quick peek of his own

Like—it’s not his fault the new guy’s cute

And, surely, one quick little peek wouldn’t do anyone any harm, right?

Once Toby bails, Cody doesn’t think twice before going to the back of the store

A few creeps are huddled behind a shelf, watching the scene intently, and Cody gets his own spot to watch the show

He was already interested in the newbie before this, but now?

Oh, now he definitely wants more

Zalgo

The fact that he’s essentially the lord of the underworld, it’s nothing short of a miracle that news reaches him about a new sexually deviant creep

And at first, when the news does reach him, he honestly doesn’t care too much about it

Like, he’s basically the lord of sin—it takes a lot to impress him, even regarding sexual tendencies

It’s only one day, when nothing seems to be exciting him in the underworld, that he finally decides to investigate the new guy

What he discovers is actually fairly interesting, especially when he notices that other creeps and demons have developed an interest in him too

It means that the newbie might actually be more valuable than Zalgo initially realized

He gathers more intel on him, sending a few demons here and there to stalk him, all while remaining under Slender’s radar

And it, admittedly, is a long shot, but there’s a chance that this new guy might play a role in freeing the lord of the underworld from his imprisonment

He lays low for the most part, so it's not like the new guy is ever made aware of his presence, or even his existence as a whole

But the beginnings of a plan slowly yet surely start taking shape

Who knew such a small little mishap could cause such a stir?~

[streets-in-paradise]

Matured Desire - Achilles x (Fem) Reader

Troy (2004) Oneshot

Requested by Anon

" hiya! I have an Achilles request, what if they’ve both been sort of enemies for the longest time ever since they were kids, and at one point he gets fed up, and kisses her roughly ending up in the roughest kinkiest sex people could think of (tying up, choking, spanking, dirty talk, dom x sub, sort of a hate fuck.) please! "

Hi! I'm a bit nervous because this is my first time writing a full piece of smut, but I did my best and i hope you will enjoy it. The plot for the childhood rivalry is inspired in greek mythology, but adapted to how the story of the film plays out regarding characterzations.

Warnings: Rough hate fuck against a wall - hair pulling -chocking - spanking - lots of dirty talk.

Summary: Your eternal rivalry with Achilles gets you the attention of the mycenaean king In the context of his country wide search for a queen. Bringing up your troubled past together, the myrmidon believes you are seeking an union with Agamemnon to get the power to destroy his life.

As he confronts you about it, your tensions get to a critical point when the warrior concludes he will have to do something out of it. Your hatred remains too close to passion and he can only ruin you for any other man before you could ruin his lifetime's ambitions.

Tags: @thorsslxve

There was nothing Achilles despised more than the cheerfullness of Agamemnon. Not only because it usually meant bad news, but also due to how insufferable he tended to become on a good mood. His arrogance was high up to the sky contesting with his. Since the king felt in constant need to compete with his best warrior, it was important for him to brag on his every achievement.

On that particular moment, it was about the bride he would get for himself. After his brother married the most beautifull woman in the world he started to reconsider the lack of a queen in his palace and commanded every king of Greece to pick one of their unwed daughters so he could pick a wife among the princesses of the region. All the generals of his army were invited to witness the contest, and a handfull of kings he considered friends were there as well.

It was a power display to cause envy. A parade of the most ravishing girls of Greece after Helen circling the King in some sort of reverse parody of what happened when the spartan queen was still a maiden wanted by a multitude of suitors. The myrmidon found it hilarious, but that entertainment came with the price of standing the triumphal bliss of his rival.

In order to avoid an early scandall making fun of him, Achilles tried to distract himself watching the girls. They were all veiled for the future groom, only showing their faces when he commanded each one to introduce themselves. Beauty from all over the country was gathered there and while their faces remained covered he could still have a fun cassually checking their bodies.

He found a personal favorite quite soon. The light clothes of her fancy purple dress allowed him to perfectly picture her shape underneath, occupying his imagination in more pleasant thoughts. One by one her contestants did their thing, but he followed her with expectancy for the big reveal.

All traces of amusement abandoned the warrior's face when he recognized you. From all his many daughters, King Lycomedes had to pick you in representation of Scyros. It was unfortunately true for him that you had become a very desirable woman, so the choice was understandable, but you were one his enemies of longest date. Since he was a kid hidding in your father's court, and when you were teenagers you almost got him kicked out of there.

Everytime you crossed ways, disaster happened.

It was an unspoken theory, but he believed it all started because you were jealous of your sister. She was his first crush, and you told your father about it after you discovered them making out. Lycomedes would have kicked him out if Odysseus wouldn't have discovered his disguise in the first place, but your hatred didn't end with that.

Only a heartbroken girl would react so viscerally, the hate you hoarded for years didn't make sense otherwise. He believed you still despised him because you couldn't have him and once that childhood crush matured into desire things could only escalate. You would never forgive him for being your first love, but the passion of your hate showed your flame never got extinguished.

As soon as circunstancies allowed it, you were mesmerizing the mycenaean king with your disdain for his soldier.

" Achilles! Long time no seen. " You saluted him, with poisonous cordiality. " How are things going in your kingdom of savages? Well, only if that can be called a kingdom. Nowadays it's a military reserve of Mycenae you don't even rule as king. "

The myrmidon was visibly calm, calculating his strike before delivering it.

" How is Deidamia? I remember her with such strong affection."

" She is married. " You responded, with false propriety. " Happyly married, thanks to our protectiveness of her keeping scum away."

The wedding of his teenage crush didn't bother him at all, but he still manage to utilize it against you.

" I always knew she was going to make it before you. Look now where you ended: pleasing an old man that could be your father. "

You showed a tranquilzing smile to the king, mere witness of your altercate that was untill then very amused.

" Don't worry, your majesty. Achilles tends to act like this arround me because my presence reminds him of details that ruin the appeal of his legend. He wants no one to remember he spent his younger years hidding in my palace dressing on girl's clothes so your emisaries wouldn't find him. Have you seen the baby face of his little cousin? He has the same girly features he used to have back then."

Agamemnon was in awe with the slander. Even if it was just for that, you were becoming a strong favorite.

" Well, my dear. I hope you have some good stories for me. "

" She is the only person in the country who is more obsessed with me than you. " Achilles recalled, determined to ruin your plans. " She went as far as turning her father against me saying i was going to sleep with her sister. "

The way in which he twisted the facts to make it sound like a conspiracy against him got out the worst of you.

" I was the onlyone seeing past your charm, and time proved I was ríght now that we all know of your amatory adventures. " You fiercely defended yourself. " You were a reckless boy that had just discovered the thing hanging between his legs and was eager to try it on the first foolish girl available. Deidamia was too naive, but I knew better. By warning my father I protected her and saved our royal house from the shame of being stucked with a fatherless mess like the one you were when we received you. "

It crossed límits, but he wasn't afraid of returning the hatefull gesture.

" I think your boyfriend deserves to know where all that hate for me comes from before taking his choice. " He teased you ríght away. " You are my Phaedra … "

He had just compared you to the most sexually frustrated queen in greek history, whose vengefull spite was rooted on being ignored by the object of her desires.

" You insolent BASTARD!!! " You called him out before you could loose your temper and try to smack him. " Better start praying I won't be crowned queen. "

The warning left a bad taste in his mouth that was stronger than the altercate. Imagining you as Agamemnon's bride was a nightmare on itself because of the implications of a teaming up against him, but there was more that he couldn't simply admit.

He hated you, but couldn't stand the thought of seeing you with him. He still attempted to understand why you were so Interested on giving yourself to that pig of a king. Could your thirst for vengeance have gone that far? Where you capable of tolerating Agamemnon as your husband just so you could get some control over him? It was most likely that you had no idea of where you were stepping in, since your island once sheltered him safely because they didn't have much contact with the mycenaeans.

Figuring out what you were all about was his most inmediate need but, for that, he needed to talk to you in private. All day he awaited untill the oportunity to get lost with you presented itself during a lousy banquet. Following you closely as you intended to leave, he catched you off guard in a hallway.

" You knew this was coming, now follow me. "

Your playfull smirk spoke for you before you did.

" What If I don't? "

He grabbed you harshly, keeping your wrist still.

" We will do it the hard way. "

There was no choice, so you let him guide you through the foreign palace searching for the nearest room he could lock you in. Achilles secured the door behind him, knowing from then you were going to be completely alone.

" After comparing me to the thirsty wife of Theseus, you drag me away like this? " You mocked him ríght away. " Have you no shame? "

The tension was escalating slowly, but consistently.

" I have no time for your games, so you better tell me what I want to know. "

You chuckled lightly, enjoying yourself in this curiosity.

" Go ahead, i'm feeling generous. "

He groaned out of angered frustration, clearly fed up with you already.

" What do you want from Agamemnon? Do you expect me to believe you really are excited to the chance of being his wife? "

You response was calm and you were aware that would provoke him.

" He is the wealthiest, most powerfull man in Greece, and he hates you … Two qualities I find irresistible. "

He pushed you against a wall, barely able to control his rage to continue the interrogation.

" Do you think i'm a fool? You can't possibly wish for anything but the power to destroy me through that marriage. "

His strong hand grabbed your neck and squeezed, cutting off your air with ease. Achilles wanted to force a truth out of you, but couldn't help noticing you were peraphs too on board with that before releasing you so you could speak.

" I want an empty palace where i can sit on a throne. " You began to explain once you catched your breath. " While he will be away with you doing his wars, i can do what I want here. "

It wasn't enough for him.

" … And when he will want to touch you? Are you going to spread your legs for him like a good little wife ? "

His hand was once more arround your neck, quietly threatening with more choking depending of your answer.

" Are you trying to scare me? That's not going to work with me. " You mischievously warned him. " I'll do what it takes, my duty of queen. Agamemnon can have me, I will even fake my moans if i have to just to keep him satisfied. I'm fine with that, he has to get something out of the deal. I will take care of his throne and meet his sexual needs "

The answer awakened something primal on him.

" Not if I ruin you first … "

Sick of pretending to ignore the frustrating tension, he pulled you in for a rough kiss and you responded taking one of your hands to the back of his neck to pull his hair.

There was no way out for you from then.

Achilles ripped off the safety pins of your dress so it would fall on the floor. Once you were naked against him he began to tease you again.

" Look at how easily I destroyed your pride … Yet you dare to deny you are a needy whore. "

You didn't stay behind, iniciating another passionately hatefull kiss while your hands worked in undressing him. The godly shaped hero allowed you to roam his perfectly sculped body and you sank your nails in his hips before replying.

" You are only good at killing or fucking and you loathe me enough for either, so unless you want to spear me … "

The recklessness was paid at high cost when he turned you over so you will be facing the wall, head posicioned firmly to the side.

" I'm going to make you feel as if I was killing you. " He whispered against your ear in a husky tone. " But first, you will learn to respect me. "

You flinched with anticipation, incapable of predicting what he would do. Then, his hand started following the trace of your back all the way down and stopped in the curve of your ass.

A soft squeeze was followed by a hard spank that sounded as strongly as it felt. It send a wave of confusing, pain-stained pleasure all the way to your core, but you tried to keep still. He persisted, untill it became so intense that your knees were failing and you were about to cry.

" Who are you going to spread your legs for now? " He asked in a mock. " Are you going to be my obedient little whore? "

You lost the few shame you had left with one more slap on the mistreated surface of your asscheck.

" YES, YES! " You practically cried out. " I'll be, … I'll be your whore. I want it so badly, please! "

Achilles released a dark chuckle.

" Let's see how bad you really want it. "

He had barely reached the surface of your soaked cunt with his fingertips and you were already buckling your hips in desperation to find friction.

" Dripping wet, you nasty whore. " He commented and removed the hand to watch you fall apart. " Stop whimpering, i'm not going to keep touching you. Caresses are not what you deserve."

Suddenly, you felt the tip of his hard cock teasing your folds. Arrousal had reduced you to a pathetic mess and he got to hear you sobbing from that contact.

" No mercy, I will be rammering you. " He warned you. " … and you are going to take it. "

With that, he pushed himself inside you. Absolutely careless for your needed time adjusting to his size, he began his mercieless thrusting using you for his pleasure. The animalistic grunts he was making and the exquisite painfull pleasure of being fucked like that were soon going to become to much for you.

Achilles had completed his vengeance to control you before you could control him: you were ruined for any other man.

[oneinathousand]

I recently got the 1995 book Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and Horror Cinema by Mark A. Miller and decided to put together some of my favorite quotes. I bought the first edition because it was cheaper, but the second edition had some revisions and expansions, what exactly was different I don't know (I'm sure it addressed Lee's big explosion in popularity in the early 2000's among other things), but there's still lots and lots of interesting material in here; plus, to my surprise the copy I got was signed by the author himself back in 1995, so that's pretty cool.

Anyway, here's some quotes for ya:

These first two quotes are Vincent Price talking about Lee and Cushing which I thought were absolutely darling. Here's the one about Lee:

Everybody told me that he was rather stiff and unbending and not very funny. Well, we screamed with laughter from the minute we shook hands until now. We get along just like mad... write each other rude notes and funny letters and telegrams and postcards and, you know, anything we can find that we know will tickle one another. He's one of the few actors in my life that I have stayed in touch with, strangely enough. If you get him on a subject that he likes, he's very warm and vibrant. I think he's got a wonderful sense of humor, but I don't think everybody knows how to get at it. For some reason or other we strike each other as funny, and it's wonderful fun to be with him.

Here's him about Cushing:

He's nothing like Christopher Lee because Peter's a very wiry, little fellow. But Peter is one of the strongest men I ever knew in my life. I had to do several fight scenes with him [in Madhouse]. My God! He can throw you! He doesn't fake it at all. Nobody warned me about this, and I was sort of battered and bruised. He's a very realistic and very serious-minded actor. I like Peter very much, and I hear from him always at Christmas. On our birthdays we send each other the funniest cards we can find too. He's a very gentle, sweet man. I am very, very fond of him.

Cushing was, in fact, not a little man, but of course Price would have seen him as one from his perspective lol... The part about Cushing apparently being incredibly strong is pretty wild considering Price was referring to him during the making of Madhouse, when he had spent the last 2-ish years losing a lot of weight, smoked like a chimney (the book mentions at one point that he could smoke up to 50-60 cigarettes a day before he quit), was a vegetarian, and was in his early 60's. If he was strong enough to toss Price's tall ass around like a rag doll then (which is a very funny mental image), how strong was he during his prime???

Here's a description of the Lee family cheering up Cushing for the holidays during the making of Horror Express:

He faced his first Christmas without Helen and in a country that was not even his own. Luckily he found solace on Christmas Day in the warm family gathering of the Lees in their Madrid hotel. Gitte and Christina had flown over for the holiday, and they invited Peter to spend the day with them. This was the fourteenth film in which they had both acted since The Curse of Frankenstein fifteen years before, and one that offered them many great scenes together. But their best scene together was the one in that Madrid hotel on Christmas in which Peter Cushing received the emotional support he needed so desperately. The next morning Cushing was back at the studio, cheerfully ready for work.

So sweet... For anyone wondering, this book did not mention anything about Lee supposedly comforting Cushing with his presence in case the latter ever had any night terrors while making Horror Express. I'm starting to think that story might be made up! Maybe it was mentioned in the second edition, or maybe it was mentioned in one of the interviews or whatever that Miller used for researching this book. My search for a primary or secondary source continues.

Here's actress Lorna Heilbron about Cushing and Lee during the making of The Creeping Flesh:

Peter Cushing is a brilliant actor I think. I was, of course, playing his daughter, and Peter had quite recently lost his wife Helen and was grieving for her and was very open about this. He related to me as a father and was tremendously caring and supportive, especially as he felt that I resembled Helen, so we had a rather intense relationship where I felt he really "lived" his part in the film. He came the first day on the set with his script covered, literally covered, with notes he had written about what he felt his character would do or be feeling at any particular time. He also knew down to the last detail what props he would require and had obviously chosen his costumes with immense care. Within all this careful forethought he was very flexible so that if an actor gave him something unexpected, he would respond to this and was willing to go with what was happening "now". He was charming, courteous, and clever and was dearly liked and admired by everyone. At that time he was, as I said, feeling very sad and so was clearly very vulnerable. He would take himself on his own to have a bit of a wander and, I suspect, a jolly good cry. I adored him. I didn't get to know Christopher Lee so well, mostly because I didn't actually have many scenes with him and partly because he kept "himself to himself" as we say over here. I remember he had a most wonderful singing voice, of which he was justly proud, and which would go ringing round the corridors of Shepperton. The crew called him "Rabbity Lee" because he loved to talk, which he did very amusingly and at some length. I have often felt he was a much better actor than some of his material. He and Peter seemed close and distant at the same time. They probably didn't have that much in common apart from a very strong symbiotic working relationship.

Rabbity Lee… 🥲

Next is Price, Lee, and Cushing's opinions on House of the Long Shadows, which I feel each perfectly encapsulate their personalities.

Vincent Price spoke bitterly about the film in 1991: "A disaster - because the man, whoever - I can't even remember his name; psychosomatically I've forgotten it - the guy who directed it and the [editor] who cut it... they just cut all the comedy out of it... I hated it. Desi Arnaz, who was very good in it - they just turned it all over to him so that you never had the four people you wanted to see ever doing anything at all. That was that stupid director." When asked in 1992 if he agreed with Price that the film constituted a missed opportunity for the all-star team-up, Christopher Lee quickly responded: "I do, without a doubt. He was absolutely right. It's the old, old story: get it on film, finish it in time and on budget, and if it's in focus, we can sell it." Asked also of his memories of Pete Walker directing him, Lee replied simply, "He didn't." Peter Cushing's only complaint is that he suffered from bronchitis while making the film in a cold, damp, seventeenth-century manor house in Hampshire that had no heat. Because he found working with Lee, Price, and Carradine to be "a joy," Cushing summed up the film as "lovely to do."

Speaking of House of the Long Shadows, I wanted to bring up one particular criticism Mark A. Miller had of the movie to be very ironic if you've been in the fandom for this era of horror whatsoever on Tumblr. Miller absolutely hated the iconic "bitch" line from Price, saying of it:

Instead of the good-natured, funny lines that work so well in horror send-ups like The Raven, A Comedy of Terrors, and Young Frankenstein, in this film we only hear Price's character call Lee's a "bitch" - the embarrassing epitome of the script's nasty, witless spirit. After Price's line, the film seems more like a cruel practical joke on the venerable cast than an amusing parody of their images.

I agree with many of Miller's takes throughout the book, but definitely not all of them, and this is a case of that. That line's the best part of the movie! It's Vincent Price saying "bitch" in cursive, it's so delicious! Did Miller hate fun? I can't ask him because he's dead. What if the line was an ad-lib from Price, huh? If Miller knew how popular that moment is on this website, he'd probably be baffled, lol.

[ridethecyanide]

March 15, 2025 - RSL Meeting Recap

This will be a long post so if you’re interested in my lovely encounter with Robert Sean Leonard, keep reading 🙂

I want to start by saying this: Before the evening took place, I mentioned to @slowburningechoes that this day was going to feel different than my other brief encounters with Robert, that is if it was actually going to happen. It’s never a guarantee that the actors will come out after a show but we were cautiously optimistic! Previously, I was so afraid of sounding like a jackass and embarrass myself that I mumbled a few words to him (the 1st time I barely said anything, the 2nd time I said a little more) and got out as quick as possible, never giving myself the chance to properly engage him. But this time, after reading people’s encounters with him during the run of Betrayal, he seemed very open (not that he wasn’t before, I didn’t give him the chance to engage) so I decided that I was going to roll with whatever was going to happen.

Okay..here we go!

- @slowburningechoes @occultbooks and I were the first people he saw (there were a few others waiting too) so he greeted us with an enthusiastic “Hello” It was @slowburningechoes and mines goal to be the first near the desk.

- I started with the usual, “the show was great, you were great”, etc. and I told him I found Betrayal to be an extraordinary play and was totally hooked and he says “I don’t like Harold Pinter plays but I did it because I love Helen and when she called to say she wanted to do this with me..” and he paused so then I interjected and said “well then you gotta go do it!” And he said “Exactly!” I love how he does not GAF and is honest about how he feels.

- When I met him a 2nd time on March 20, 2016, I briefly mentioned how I skipped my high school senior prom to see him on Broadway (it was 15 years ago then, it’s 24 years ago now!). He gave me a sweet smile at the time. I decided I was going to tell him again because it was long ago when I said it and I highly doubt he remembers. So I tell him and he says “wow, you’re a rare bird for skipping your senior prom for a Tom Stoppard play.” So I said “Oh no, I skipped my senior prom for YOU!” (giving him a famous RSL point 👉🏻) He was taken aback, blushed! and then said “I didn’t go to my senior prom because I dropped out!” And when he said “dropped out”, he moved up close to my face like he was telling me a secret 😆 He briefly talked about how The Invention of Love was a challenging play to get into and how Richard Easton mentored him throughout the run of the show and I said “…and then you went on to win the highest honor in theater!” and he said rather sheepishly and slightly shaking his head, “Yes, that was unexpected and (he paused) wonderful.” 😌

- Then I said, I brought something with me that I would love for you to sign and I told him I’ve been holding on to it for 27 years; I pulled out the VHS Emmy screener for In The Gloaming. So he takes it and inspects it (like you would inspect a new book 😆) and I tell him it’s an Emmy screener and he goes “oh my goodness, yes it is!” So to keep the conversation going, I asked if he had fond memories of working on the movie (he did, we knew that because he’s talked about it before but I wanted to hear it for myself and keep him talking) and he said “oh very much so. We shot it in westchester county which was close to home and working with Chris Reeves was so great”. I got a bit personal and told him that this movie hits close because we had a family member pass away from AIDS and it happened around the same time the movie was released. He offered his condolences on that and said “it was a wonderfully important film and I was happy to be a part of it.”

- So at this point, I felt like I’ve taken up so much of his time (although, I’m pretty sure he would have kept going. Yapper Bob was activated!) so I asked if we can take a photo together and he says “yes of course”. Now, he didn’t realize my Mom was with me (she was standing off to the side documenting this encounter) so we shuffled around a bit to get into better lighting and he went into Dad Mode and asked someone, who turned out to be @slowburningechoes , if she can take our photo and I said “My Mom is right there ready to take it” and I point her out and he says “Hi Mom!” Lol. He pulls me in tight and if you look at the photo, I’m just going with it and leaning into him. I was so close to putting my head on his shoulder but I stopped myself 😆 I thanked him again and he thanks me again for coming and for “sticking by me for so long”. From our chat, he recognized that I was a long time fan (almost 32 years!) so that comment made me 🥹. I believe he was genuinely sincere when he said that.

My Mom happened to take a photo of him leaning on his coffee cup, listening to me speak and it’s my favorite photo. I asked her why she took that photo and she said “you probably weren’t noticing it but when you were speaking to him, I could see his expression appear to soften and was really interested in what you were saying to him. I wanted you to see how the moment looked from my POV”. The cynic in me can say he’s a great actor and he’s just acting interested but after this experience and seeing (and reading) how he’s been interacting with others during the run of this show, he is 100% genuine in his approach to people.

- I hung back to watch @slowburningechoes have her moment with Robert and it was so wonderful to see. I know what that first meeting feels like and to witness it happen to someone as cool as her, it was just fantastic. I was so happy to see Robert appreciate the amazing artwork she gave him and in return @slowburningechoes receiving that amazing hug from our guy!

- I did say Hello to Ian Barford as he was leaving. We crossed paths so I put my hand out, shook hands with him and said the usual pleasantries toward an actor you know nothing about 😆 He thanked me a couple of times and that was it.

The whole moment with Robert lasted about 5 minutes or so. It was more than I could have asked for. It’s the dream scenario encounter that people wish to have with their favorite actor/actress/musician, etc. I will say it again, Robert is the absolute fucking best and the sweetest man. He needs to be protected at all costs. It was an unforgettable evening and a moment in time that I’ll cherish forever ♥️

I wish my Dad were still alive, he used to goof on me so hard about my crush on Robert. He would have gotten a kick out of this encounter.

[newsatsix1986]

News At Six 1986 Meets Sam Reid! ❤️🌟🤴🏼📺

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One of the many incredible people we met on our set day was Sam Reid - Mr Dale Jennings himself! ❤️🤴🏼

As he is the male lead of The Newsreader, I must admit that some nerves bubbled inside when I first stepped into the newsroom and he waved my way down the hallway. In full costume as Dale, it was a very heady experience; like he had leapt out of the telly. The second he was finished talking to the camera crew, he came into Helen’s old office (where Michael Lucas and Michelle Lim Davidson has taken us) and shook hands with Mum and I, warmly welcoming us into the space. My nerves disappeared from there on, he was just lovely!

In our first exploration of the newsroom, Sam helped Michael and Michelle show us around. It was just us, Emma Freeman and a few camera people; a surreal yet beautifully close moment. He has such a huge fan base, so I knew how truly lucky I was to have this individual moment with him. Sam is a brilliant holder of knowledge, and was excited to explain the process of how the old computer monitors worked, through iPads being placed inside the screen. He also searched his brain for any history he could remember of the building itself, and the thrill of having his expertise called upon lit up in his eyes.

When we were filming our scene (Cheryl’s hens night, S03E05), he checked on how we were going, and even got a special job! You all might have seen Emma Freeman post a video of the cast and crew doing The Nutbush in the newsroom last year. With so much delight, I can say that this was on my set day! Mum and I are in the video in the back row! As for Sam, he was perched on a chair, holding Emma’s phone to record the dance. Dale’s actor got to be a cameraman!

I feel so privileged to have met Sam twice now; first on set, the second at the Season Three ACMI premiere. He played a significant role in making both of these days so special and memorable. I even share a unit still with him too; funnily enough, mirroring his actions in the background! Thank you to Sam for being such a wonderful and intelligent human! I’m so grateful for him for the magic he helped create that day! 🌟

📸: Michael Lucas (Image One), Jane Zhang (Image Two)

[uncannydevotion]

If you're currently taking requests is it alright If you do x-virus, bloody painter, clockwork, and nurse ann with a s/o who loves being physically affectionate with them and is like clingy but kinda hesitates at times because they are worried to annoy them?

It's okay if you can't take my request!!

a/n: i dont think i've ever actually written for natalie before... first time for everything, let's hope i do her some justice <3 thank u for the request!! i hope u enjoy it bc i had fun writing it honestly

includes: x-virus, the bloody painter, clockwork, nurse ann, kagekao, and laughing jack.

warnings: gn!reader, really short so i added two extra creeps, many mentions of physical affection, brief mentions of blood in helen's part, mentions of angry outbursts and panic attacks in natalie's part, kagekao himself could be a warning, very brief mention of threats of murder against the reader in lj's part bc it's lj, honestly pretty light-hearted all things considered.

X-VIRUS

He thrives on your affection. Even if you're hesitant, chances are he's gonna be the one initiating it in the first place. Cody has this need to constantly be touching you in some way when you're around, so he's always holding your hand or just hovering really close to you until you get the hint and touch him in some way.

He makes it very clear early on in your relationship that you don't need to hesitate to touch him, because he'll accept any ounce of affection you give him. Be as clingy as you want, and he'll be just as clingy back.

All he asks is that you don't touch him when he's dealing with his chemicals in any sort of way. Even if they aren't on him, he doesn't want you touching him until he's taken a thorough shower and changed his clothes because he doesn't want to risk you getting injured in any ways possible.

THE BLOODY PAINTER

Helen isn't used to physical affection, so he's not sure what to make of you. He doesn't dislike your touch, but there are times where it feels overwhelming, and he finds himself pushing you away when that happens. It's not your fault, it's never your fault. He loves you deeply, and if he could, he'd let you touch him whenever you wanted.

When he doesn't feel that way, though, you're free to touch him all you like! And if you hesitate to do so, he'll be the one to initiate the affection, guiding you onto his lap while he sketches or gently taking your hand in his own while you two watch some cheap horror film.

He has no preference when it comes to affection, but he finds himself gravitating to you a bit more than usual when he's fresh off a kill. There might still be some blood on him, staining his skin as he presses himself against you, his fingers digging into your flesh as you wrap your arms around him. That's okay. Red looks good on you.

CLOCKWORK

Chances are, Natalie will recoil from your touch. Physical affection is something she shies away from, something she absolutely cannot stand unless she herself is initiating it. You've seen first hand how she reacts when someone touches her without her consent, the way she freaks out and ends up breaking everything in sight.

The way she bursts into tears after the anger fades, instead finding it hard to breathe as you try to coax her through a panic attack without making things worse. She doesn't mind the fact that you're clingy, she just doesn't want you touching her unless she tells you to. And it's very rare that she wants you to touch her.

And on the rare occasions that she does find herself craving your touch, she won't outright say it. It's something she struggles to admit to. Instead, she always finds herself being as close to you as she can until you end up accidentally brushing your hand against hers. And when you pull away, muttering an apology, she's quick to snatch your hand back, holding it tightly in her own.

NURSE ANN

She won't even realize you're trying to be affectionate. Truth be told, Ann is oblivious when it comes to these sorts of things. Unless you communicate things to her, she won't take notice. It's something she's trying to work on, especially when it comes to you, but she still needs you to be direct with your wants.

If she sees you reaching to grab her hand only to stop yourself, she'll just assume that you changed your mind about wanting to touch her and won't even comment on it. She hardly ever initiates any form of affection if it's physical, so it's up to you to supply.

But once you explain that you want to touch her, you just don't want to come off as clingy or annoying, Ann will do her best to reassure you that you could never annoy her. You are one of the very, very few people she enjoys being around. She loves you. If you want to hold her hand or cuddle her then don't hesitate. She won't push you away.

KAGEKAO

He will tease you mercilessly. Kagekao is a bastard, honestly, so whenever you try showing him an ounce of affection, he'll have this smug grin and he'll make a teasing comment about how you just can't get enough of him. He never pushes you away though, not unless he's in a bad mood. Which is rare when you're around.

Kagekao does have a habit to take his teasing too far though, and it probably contributes to you hesitating to show him affection, thinking that his playful eyeroll or exasperated sigh was his genuine reaction to your clingy behavior. It might take him a while to realize that you didn't think he was teasing.

The only way he'll dial back on the teasing is if you actually start to withdraw your affection from him. The moment you start shying away from him, he's dropping his playful remarks and is pulling you to him, his grip so tight that it was borderline painful. Don't be stupid, he'll murmur against your skin, I'm always craving your touch.

LAUGHING JACK

He's somehow clingier than you. You suppose you can't be surprised, given this man's abandonment issues were larger than the damn ocean at this point. It's not something he wants to acknowledge, and he'll probably get angry if you even point it out to him. But just know that whenever you two are together, one of his hands is on you at all times.

Honestly, he expects you to be as clingy as him. Because if you are, then it reassures him that you won't try leaving him, and that you want him just as much as he wants you. It's a bit suffocating, but it did make you feel better about your own clinginess. He makes it hard for you to hesitate to touch him when he's always got a hand on you.

But let's say you do start hesitating to show him your affection, awkwardly restraining yourself from touching him because of your own insecurities. Jack will... he won't panic outwardly, but just know that he's already thinking of killing you if you try distancing yourself from him. He thinks you're dumb when you tell him that you're just worried all your affection is annoying him in someway, and he says as much while he's pulling you to his side, secretly relieved that you weren't trying to leave.

[jackactuallywrites]

All Seeing, All Knowing, All Loving Part 21

Warnings: Smut

Summary: Being wine drunk makes you horny. Also you make Ghost watch twilight

Notes: Yes it took forever no there isn’t an excuse I’m just lazy xx

Word Count: 3,221

ao3 link

“You haven’t fucked yet?”

How you’d missed hosting girls' night. There was nothing like being interrogated and scrutinised by Kate.

You sighed, shifting on the sofa and swirling the wine around in your glass, trying to think of a good answer for her that wouldn’t make you seem like a pussy. “There’s just not been a good opportunity.”

“Pussy. Just take him into the bedroom next time he turns up and ride him until you forget your names. Easy.”

“I’m not sure that’s quite my style, Kate.”

“News to me.”

You shot her a look, and she gave you a shrug in response, unbothered by your glare. You were quite far from being a virgin, but damn. Helen returned from your kitchen carrying a plate filled with toast sticks, as well as a melted Camembert in the middle. God, you loved that woman. She set the plate down on the coffee table, and then took her place on the floor, grabbing her wine as she looked at you, “What we yapping about?”

Kate answered for you, “Simon.”

Helen hummed, “She still hasn’t fucked him yet?”

“Nope.”

“Can we please talk about something other than my love life?”

“Alright,” Helen said, “We going for Twilight or Bridget Jones?”

Both you and Kate answered at the same time. “Twilight.”

Your discourse around the film hasn’t changed since the very first time you’d watched it in the cinemas; you liked Edward, Kate believed that Bella should have a threeway with Edward and Jacob, and Helen couldn’t understand why Bella would go for either man when Alice was right there. The years that had passed since that first viewing had only made you all further entrenched in your positions, although you had always seen the reason in Helen’s argument. She was arguing just as passionately now as she did then, though she was wearing significantly less eyeliner this time, “And I mean, Edward is a full-on stalker! Like, he broke into Bella’s room multiple times. She should have staked him the first chance she got.”

You weren’t sure how much of a pedestal you had to stand on, considering the Ghost of it all. Thankfully, Kate was arguing for you, allowing you to be quiet.

“It’s hot in fiction, Helena. If we apply real-world logic to vampire fiction, then the whole thing falls apart.”

Helen didn’t have a good answer for that; her argument dismantled before you’d even started the film, wanting to get the debate out of the way first.

Before you’d even seen Edward murder a sweet little deer, there was a bang at the door, which reminded you that, given the right pacing and a different soundtrack, Twilight would make a great horror film. What was more horrifying though, was the fact that you were pretty sure you knew what that bang was. Your own stalker. For all you knew, he very well could be an ageless vampire; you didn’t really know much about his personal life, never mind his age. You should really find that out before shagging the man.

“You gonna answer the door?” Helen asked, an amused look in her eyes. She knew, and she communicated this knowledge to Kate with a single look. It wasn’t like you could ignore Ghost; if you did, he was likely to just break in.

Very reluctantly, you pushed yourself up from the sofa and walked over to the door. You weren’t quite over the last time you’d seen him; you’d kissed, and he’d been insufferably smug about it all night, to the point where you considered smothering him to death with a pillow. Ugh. This wasn’t how you’d wanted him to meet Kate, and sober Helen. You’d wanted to put that off for as long as possible, and continue existing in your little bubble.

“Baby, you gonna make me huff ‘n puff?” Ghost purred through the door, and you groaned, dragging your hand over your face. You had to steel yourself for this one.

Carefully, you opened the door, not wanting him to fall through the doorway again. He was in his usual civvies, dark blue jeans, and a black waterproof, the bruises on his face almost completely faded, though the scabs across his cheek hadn’t entirely healed just yet, and the new scar across his head was still visible in the shorter hair. Rather than flowers, this time he held a giant portion of chips in his hand, still tightly wrapped up in paper, still fresh. You knew this, because Ghost had immediately brought you in for a tight squeeze, and you could feel the warmth of the chips radiating through the fabric of your top, which just so happened to be the T-shirt he’d left behind.

You cleared your throat, gently trying to put some space between you, “Simon, you remember Helen? And I don’t think you’ve met Katie.”

Ghost’s eyes finally shifted away from you to the other two women in the room, his back straightening. He looked at them, then back to his chips. “Fuck. I don’t have enough for the four of us. Want us to go back out and get more?”

You could see the amused look in Kate’s eyes, and she smiled at him, “We’re all good on dinner, ta.”

Was that Ghost feeling awkward? There was a certain stiffness in his posture, a vague look of unease on his face. You weren’t sure you’d ever seen the man feel anything other than confident, whether it was in lust or anger. Either way, you couldn’t just leave him hanging.

“We’re watching Twilight. Wanna join?”

Ghost shifted on the spot, running his hand over his head, “Which one’s that?”

Helen answered for you, “Sparkly vampires.”

Katie chimed in, “We have wine!”

Ghost looked down at you, leaning on the doorframe, “If you’re sure I’m not interrupting.”

You glanced between Ghost and your girls, and Kate heard your silent question, patting the sofa next to her, “Come on, the more’s the merrier.”

You’d thought it had been about 30/70 if Ghost would join ladies night, but apparently his dedication went deep enough to spend his night watching a teenage romcom. He followed you into the living room, like an oversized guard dog at your heels, and you sunk into the middle seat of the sofa, letting him take the corner. Kate grabbed the remote, taking a glance at Ghost, “You really never seen Twilight? Was pretty big when it came out back in ‘08.”

He shrugged in response, “Was deployed overseas.”

She grinned, “So we’re taking your Twilight virginity? Special night for us. It’s so rare to find someone who’s not seen even bits of it.”

Oh, you loved Kate. You could already see the slight twitch of Ghost’s lips, and the way he settled back into the sofa, his arm sprawled out across the back behind you as his other hand undid his chips, “Bring on the vampires.”

Two hours and two bottles of wine later, Ghost was the centre of attention, being interrogated on his thoughts on the film. Of course, the most important question had come first, and he’d answered without much thought.

“Jacob. Bella’s a kid, and Edward’s a creep.”

Kate cackled, “Yes, Simon! She should have staked the cunt the second he confessed to stalking her.”

You leant away from Ghost to look at him curiously, “Really? You think Edward’s a creep?”

“He’s a hundred years old, she’s ten.”

Couldn’t argue with that. Well, you could, but you didn’t want to. Ghost didn’t seem keen to drop the subject just yet, “You tellin’ me you like the stalker?”

The bastard.

“It’s romantic. Bite me.”

Ghost grinned widely, and you knew exactly what he was smug about. Thankfully, Helen interrupted before his ego could consume you all, “Enough about the boys; how about the women?”

That, Ghost had to think about, and he stared up at the ceiling as he thought, his head hanging off the edge of the sofa, “What’s the mum’s name?”

Kate answered, “Esme?”

Ghost sat back up, “Only one remotely in my age range.”

You rolled your eyes, “They’re vampires, Simon.”

He shrugged, “They still look like kids.”

You scoffed at him, “Well yeah, if we’re being factual, we’d go for Charlie or Carlisle, but it’s if you were also a teen.”

Ghost thought quietly for a moment, “Teen Simon?” He seemed to be carefully considering the question, “Alice.”

Helen laughed, “Get in! Man of taste right there.”

He actually smiled at her. It wasn’t the same way he smiled at you, smug or slutty; he just looked happy.

Katie yawned suddenly, looking up from her phone, “Uber’s here.”

That was news to you.

“You ordered an Uber?”

She pushed herself up off the floor, “My sister gave me a curfew.”

It wouldn’t be entirely out of character for Jess to give her a curfew; the woman could have finally reached her breaking point with Kate constantly stumbling in drunk. But you didn’t believe her in the slightest. The plan had been for a girly sleepover, not for the girls to go home after one film. The sly bitch was probably plotting again. Oh, this had her stink all over it. She pulled Helen to her feet, “Come on, you’ll sleep at mine. As long as you don’t hit on my sister.”

Helen grinned at that, “No promises.”

There was no time for you to protest; they were out the door the second they’d given you a hug goodbye, leaving you alone with Ghost. Crafty bitches.

With your girls gone, that familiar aura began to creep in again, the unspoken desire, a quiet whisper of excitement and potential. Simon was in the kitchen, tidying up as per usual, leaving you to sprawl yourself out over the sofa as you waited for him to return. What was it about being wine-drunk that made you feel so slutty? Vodka made you stupid and playful, but wine made you want to take your knickers off and grind. It was as though your very skin was alight, desperate to be touched, craving intimacy. Kate knew this, and she’d deliberately made herself scarce, so it was only you and Ghost alone in the flat while you were off your tits on Merlot. How much of this had she planned? She had bought the drinks, after all. Oh, you were too tired to play detective. You needed all of your cognitive faculties to focus on not taking your top off. Already, your fingers had started to play with the hem. Get ahold of yourself!

Ghost came back into the room, sleeves rolled up, and you beckoned him over to you, rolled on your side with your back against the cushions, unable to keep yourself from resisting temptation. He seemed steadier on his feet, but there was a slight glaze to his eyes as he crawled onto the sofa beside you, a certain looseness to his smile as he stretched out opposite you. Already, your hands were reaching out to slide over his chest, desperate for the touch, enjoying the softness of his top, the warmth of his bare chest emanating through the fabric. Oh, you knew what you wanted. You tugged at it insistently, your lips moving of their own accord, “Take it off.”

Clearly, he didn’t need much encouragement. He wasn’t exactly graceful, struggling as he tugged it up over his head, but eventually it was tossed aside, revealing that beautiful body to you once again. Sober, you might have noticed the two large puncture marks, where he told you he’d been hung from, but you were more interested in the simple fact that his skin was bare, fingers already reaching out to touch him. He was beautifully warm, soft, and a little fuzzy, his chest lightly covered by soft blond hairs. As you trailed your hands over his skin, he watched you, one arm propping his head up on his elbow, the other lazily resting on your waist, having found its way under your top to lay against your bare skin. You let your hand shift to his shoulder, gently pulling him closer, and he didn’t resist, leaning in until his forehead was touching yours, his eyes flicking over your face. He was strangely quiet, not that you noticed, as though he was terrified to break the spell, afraid that if he spoke, he’d ruin the moment. His hand shifted from your waist, sliding up over your body until his fingers were cupping your cheek, thumb grazing over your cheekbone. Your hand was on the back of his neck, fingers brushing against the buzzed hair, and it took only the slightest pull for him to come crashing against you, his lips pressed against yours, body caging you in.

This time, he didn’t break away, instead pulling you closer to him, his arms reaching out to embrace you, one curling around your neck, the other around your waist again, his fingers digging into the back of your hipbone as he kissed you, pressing you into the cushions with the desperation of his kisses. You could feel butterflies dancing in your stomach as your arms snaked around his neck and the familiar tingles in your core as you felt Ghost grind against you, bulge straining at his jeans, the denim rough against your soft body. It was torturously pleasurable, and you couldn’t help but roll your hips back against him, earning a guttural growl from his throat and the slightest nip of his teeth on your bottom lip, a warning. His knee pushed in between your legs, his thigh pressed up against you, and you shifted a little so you could press your clit against him through two layers of fabric, angling yourself perfectly to get the maximum amount of pleasure. With the next kiss, he ground you against his thigh, and it was impossible to quiet the moan that left your lips, your fingers digging into the back of his neck.

It seemed as though Ghost hadn’t been entirely aware of what he had been doing to you up until you made that noise, breaking away from your kisses, his breath heavy as he looked at you, his eyes dark, pupils like two black holes. He only paused for a second, renewing his efforts in earnest, though now his lips were at your neck, kissing and sucking the skin, no doubt leaving little marks behind, not that you were in any position to protest, entirely focused on the way he was grinding his thigh up against you, beginning to coax forth your pleasure. It was becoming impossible to stifle your moans now, and the louder you became, the more insistent Ghost was, breaking away from your neck to kiss you properly, his tongue dancing with yours, and you could feel yourself beginning to peak, that familiar tightness building, and your fingers dug into the back of his head, breaking away again, “Simon, fuck, Simon, I-“

He actually looked a little surprised, his face curious, excited, eyes scanning over your face, flicking down to where you were pressed against him, then back up, “Are you gonna-?“

There wasn’t enough time for you to retort, everything released like a burst dam, nails digging into his skin as you finished, teeth sinking into your bottom lip. He rushed in to kiss you again, holding his thigh firmly against you, as he whispered against your lips, “Fuck me, that’s my girl.”

You’d cum from dry humping. Jesus Christ. That was a throwback. Ghost looked utterly delighted with himself, but at least he had the decency not to tease you about it, even if his voice was insufferably smug as he murmured into your ear. “You do wonders for a man’s ego, love. Don’t think I’ll ever be forgetting this.”

Yeah, you couldn’t leave it at that. You moved your hand from his neck, shifting down over his chest and following the trail of hair down to his waistband, immediately fumbling with the button of his jeans. As soon as he clocked what you were doing, Ghost tensed as though he wanted to tell you to stop, to be the gentleman, even if every part of him screamed otherwise. The button came undone in your hands, and you looked up at him, eyes asking permission, “Only fair, isn’t it?”

He answered you with a kiss, his hips bucking up into your hand, and you took that as a yes. Your fingers brushed against him through his boxers; he was hard as a rock, the tip already dampening the cotton, clearly just as desperate for release as you had been. You slipped your hand into the hole in the front of his boxers, pushing aside the fabric so you could wrap your hand around his cock, feeling the girth of it in your fingers, the way it seemed to pulse the second you touched it. He thrust into your hand as you stroked him, breaking the kiss to bury his face in your neck, quiet as the grave but for his breathing, hot and heavy on your skin, and you could feel his fingers tighten on your body as you quickened your pace. Already, you could feel his body tensing, and his voice was a strained whisper in your ear,

“Jesus fuck, love, I can’t-“

The rest of his sentence was lost in a string of muffled curses, his face buried back in your neck as he finished in your hand, his arms tightening on you like a vice, crushing you in his grip.

For a moment, neither of you said a word, basking in each others pleasure.

Simon broke the silence first, letting out a dry chuckle, still tightly embracing you, “Not exactly what a lad wants to show his girl. One minute man.”

You grinned at that, carefully removing your hand from his boxers, having managed to get his come only on himself. He grimaced, pulling away from you, “Need to get cleaned up. Back in a ‘mo.”

You allowed him to extricate himself, stretching out on the sofa. Both of you had cum tonight, and you didn’t even fuck yet. God, if he could drive you crazy with just his thigh, what was the rest of his body capable of? You couldn’t wait to find out. While he cleaned himself up, you headed to bed, stripping down to just his tshirt, quickly replacing your damp knickers with a fresh pair before you climbed in between the sheets. Kate was a fucking genius. You’d have to buy her some flowers.

Ghost returned to you after a few minutes, following your lead and stripping down, then joining you in bed, immediately wrapping his arms around you. He cradled you against his bare chest, his fingers stroking through your hair.

“You are a dirty bird, you know that? Got me fuckin’ addicted already.”

In contrast to his words, he pressed a gentle kiss to your head before he rested his chin atop it, letting out a heavy sigh, “Come on. Sleep before you keep me up all night.”

Tempted as you were, cumming did make you sleepy, so you did as you were told, curling up into him and letting your body wind down, still wonderfully relaxed and loose, resting your cheek on his bicep as you slowly drifted off.

[wishful-thinking-is-dumb]

Can you please write romantic yandere John wick x civilian reader headcanons? Thanks ❤️

Yandere John Wick with Civilian Reader Headcanons

Let’s say this takes place after the events of all four John Wick films, he takes his time to grieve his wife and move on from his rough past. Then he finally starts to date again, he feels a little guilty at first, but he knows that Helen would want him to be happy.

He first notices you when he takes his dog out for exercise in the early morning, and he would catch the little glances you would shoot at him as the two of you pass each other in the park.

You look back at him as he passes by, it’s no secret to him that you have a little crush on him. He smiles to himself as he catches you looking back at him and how quickly you look away. It makes his heart flutter.

It’s his dog that eventually gives him an opening to talk to you. His dog had run over to you as you sit on the park bench that’s on his usually dog walking route. You may or may not do that on purpose so that you can smile at him every morning.

You ask if you can pet his dog, and he nods. He smiles as you give his dog some affection. (why can’t you give him any?)

He asks you if you want to go to the cafe down the street with him, and he almost grins at the way you look up at him. Like you were hearing things. You quickly agree, a bit flustered.

The two of you walk to the cafe together, his dog obediently following right beside him. The two of you introduce yourselves, and exchange contact information. He casually holds your hand the rest of the way to the cafe.

He orders the both of you a coffee, and you sit out on the patio as the two of you talk for what feels like forever. He hasn’t felt this way since Helen.

He will do extensive research on all of your friends, family and coworkers to make sure they aren’t anybody that will hurt you to get to him. He takes his retirement seriously after what happened in Paris.

He puts a tracker on your car and on your phone, and you never find out. He knows how to hide stuff like that due to his past as a high profile hitman. But he won’t tell you that. <33

He gets rid of any grace of his past, all of his weapons are out of his house and kept somewhere only he knows about. He doesn’t want to scare you off.

He spends most of his money on you, and he loves how flustered you get when he gives you an expensive custom piece of jewelry.

He loves to cook for you, he makes you homemade meals as often as he can. He also loves it when you bring over baked goods that you made, just for him. It makes him feel special when you make his favourite pastries from scratch. It makes all the more delicious knowing you made them while thinking of him.

He loves how domestic being with you is, it makes him happy k owing that he is deserving of a normal life after all of the crimes he has committed.

He will kill for you if he has to, and he will cover it up as well. He has the experience to make it look like an accident. All to make you happy <33

[thestarlightforge]

Lady Jessica: *Spurns the Sisterhood’s commands and warnings despite her LIFETIME of training, has Paul, illegally trains him in the Bene Gesserit way, supports his Mentat training, encourages his test by Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohaim, after Leto is killed on Arrakis and Paul awakens his prescience does everything she can to secure them power amongst the Fremen, up to and including drinking the Water of Life while spice addicted and pregnant with Alia knowing full-well what it would do to her, supports Paul when he chooses to do the same (much more actively contriving that in the films than the book but still), rides his victories all the way to Shaddam IV’s throne, cheers when he promises they’ll get their revenge*

Lady Jessica: *Overall does everything possible to be The #1 Fan of Emperor Paul Maud’Dib the Super Ultimate Jihad Kwizats Haderach™️ (then f-cks off to Caladan for an early retirement)*

Alia: Cool, so we support Paul, got it

Paul: *Is the (clinically depressed) Super Ultimate Jihad Emperor™️ as requested*

Paul: *Has babies, loses Chani, peaces out to the desert (presumably dies)*

Alia: Alright, gotta protect Paul’s legacy and government and his kids

Lady Jessica: *Takes one look at Alia’s landing party + Paul’s capital building that she’s been maintaining, her first visit to Arrakis OR Alia/Paul in 20 Ass Years*

Lady Jessica: *Points a Loaded Glock at Alia* So obvs ALL THAT shit must go 🙂

[princess-of-songs]

Tashi’s Jealousy and Possessiveness

*originally posted on Reddit*

I like how Tashi’s jealousy and possessiveness manifests itself in different ways.

Patrick: We see her jealousy and possessiveness in the way we are used to seeing it. At 19, we see her get visibly upset over Art suggesting Patrick may not be loyal and that he may not love her. I think this possessiveness started when they first got together when she asked him not to tell anyone or she’d stop seeing him. It meant something to her because I think Patrick was her first serious relationship. In the original screenplay, Tashi mentions to Patrick in the Atlanta scene, that her dad hated his guts because as far as he was concerned, Patrick was the boy who ruined Tashi’s life. In the film, we see Tashi mention her parents didn’t want her to go to boarding school for a multitude of reasons, one being distracted by boys like Patrick and Art. Tashi’s cross necklace also pointed me in this direction. I would remiss if I didn’t point out the chaotic hypocrisy. Challengers has strong motifs of repeated behaviors coming in cycles of 3 and specifically with Tashi’s relationship with Patrick- cheating together has always been inevitable. Patrick cheated on his girlfriend with Tashi and Art at the Junior US Open, Tashi and Patrick cheated in Atlanta, and Tashi and Patrick cheated in New Rochelle. Each time, Tashi attempts to ignore Patrick’s luring charm and fails spectacularly. Our girl is nothing but consistent and I can’t say I would’ve fared much better. The specific jealousy part of it is fascinating to me. Tashi gets irritated with Art over the simple idea of imagining Patrick being with other girls on tour or being filled with quiet, simmering anger when she sees Patrick with Helen at the hotel bar, and even making a snarky comment when Patrick mentions he’s still staying at Helen’s house. But we never see her jealous when Patrick is with Art. Tashi only smiles and cheers when they’re together, she’s devastated when Art tells her they fell out of touch, and she’s pissed off when Patrick tries to put Art down in the alleyway. Patrick and Art are just as much of each other’s as they are her’s. What pops out at me also in the midst of this, is seeing Patrick both excite and frighten Tashi. Here is someone who can see through her facade she puts on, calls her out on it, still thinks she’s hot, and loves her anyway. I can easily see why that would scare her. It’s not a secret that Tashi loves to be in control in any and all aspects of her life. Patrick disrupts that and gets under her skin like no one else does. It’s not a feeling she’s used to. She’s probably used to getting praise from others like Art (though I think his is so raw and genuine) or ignoring the not so glamorous parts of who Tashi is as a person. Patrick doesn’t allow for that and it drives her (and Art) crazy.

Art: We see her jealousy and possessiveness in a unique way. Tashi is simmering with jealousy over Art being able to heal from his surgery with no issue. The thing really withholding Art in the present, is his emotional and mental exhaustion from a myriad of things. Art still gets to play the sport that Tashi lives and dies for and it drives her crazy that Art’s heart doesn’t seem fully in it. She tries to do everything in her power to help him get his confidence back despite saying she can’t do that for him. Art is her avatar in tennis. His body is her’s and through him, she can still play the sport and accomplish her dreams. The idea of hanging up her racquet is unfathomable. Tennis is so intertwined in her soul. The question rises who is Tashi to the world without tennis? Tashi clearly wants to delay that answer as long as she can. This possessiveness and jealousy unravels when the night before the final match. I honestly think Tashi’s conversation with Patrick opened her heart. As much it hurts to leave tennis, I think she’s finally fully allowing herself to see it from Art’s perspective. He’s tired. I think in the best way an emotionally repressed person can, I do think she does try to reassure and comfort him by saying he doesn’t need her permission. It’s okay and he can retire. What throws Tashi for a loop is when Art questions her being okay with it, he was expecting and hoping for similar argument he had with Patrick, something to fuel him. I think he wanted Tashi to neg him in a similar way. Tashi and Patrick are extremely similar but there are key differences. As much as Tashi can be quite brutal with her words when talking to Patrick about his tennis career, we don’t see her be as harsh with Art. In fact, Tashi highlights his skills and praises him. Tashi doesn’t really neg Art and we can see why. She goes too far with her statement. At first, she looks visibly ill before and after she says it. Topped off by her rubbing Art’s head, asking if that helps him. This makes Tashi spiral into desperation with her feelings all over the place. I think she’s too stubborn to take her words back so she comes up with a last ditch effort plan to get Patrick to throw the match so Art can win. So she doesn’t have to lose Art or tennis. The chaos of this act is logically speaking, Tashi could’ve texted or called Patrick. Getting in the car in the middle of the night with the your ex that you’ve been passively aggressively flirting with and gotten jealous over is setting yourself up for failure. But Tashi’s feelings and intentions are all jumbled up because she’s desperately trying to cling on to tennis and she isn’t ready to leave it or them because she cannot have it without Art or Patrick.

It isn’t that Tashi isn’t herself around Art, she is. How I’ve read it, is that the two of them are deeply repressed in several areas of their lives so there is a wall of passivity between them in addition to the current lack of passion in their marriage and the pedestals they put each other on. They’re both fully aware of each other’s flaws and the issues in their marriage but they dance around it until the bedroom scene. With Patrick specifically, I was thinking about him saying to Tashi “You like precisely one thing about me. It’s the fact that I’m such a piece of shit that I can see you for exactly who you are.” In the original script, Patrick mentions he didn’t treat her like a mystical being who was going to change his life. I believe that he is Tashi’s twin flame/mirror. To me, Tashi is a more raw, unfiltered version of herself when it comes to Patrick. He pushes back and challenges her, which is something I don’t think Tashi is quite used to in her life when she first meets him. I think what’s also notable to me is whenever Tashi and Patrick talk, they’re saying the most raw unhinged things but they aren’t beating around the bush with each other. It’s fun foreplay for them. But unlike with Art (for the both of them), they struggle to surrender to the deeper feeling of love, longing, and surrender. Being vulnerable and soft with each other doesn’t come easy to them. Ultimately looking at it from Tashi’s perspective, she can be herself around both of these men but displays different aspects of her true self.

[cosmicluci]

Another thing I really like about Nosferatu is Orlok’s high-and-mighty attitude. A large part of the film has to do with power structures. How Thomas is distant and even sometimes dismissive of Helen’s feelings because he’s the supposedly rational man. Frederick is even worse. The doctor just gives her ineffective cruel medicine.

And then along comes Orlok. Is he different? Nope! On the contrary. He’s the epitome of uncaring. The epitome of cruel. He can’t love, he’s just a hunger, he brings plague, and threatens to hurt Ellen and everyone she cares about to manipulate her to be with him.

But the thing I like is how it appears right from the start. In most Dracula media, when Jonathan arrives at the castle, the count apologizes to him for the emptiness of the castle, saying it’s because the servants are asleep. He asks him to not leave because he is sick and the journey is perilous. He offers him drink because he seems tired or unwell.

Orlok doesn’t do that. He reprimands Thomas for being so late that the servants are asleep. He commands him not to leave, justifying it simply with his authority. He offers him drink, and then commands him to drink. He even demands Thomas refer to him as Lord, because of his title.

Beyond that, when explaining why he wants to leave for Germany, he justifies it as being because he’s looking to live among better people, less superstitious, throws around some racism against the Romani. And while it’s clear that he’s going because in Germany people don’t know about vampires, don’t know what to do, or how to kill them, he frames it specifically as his superiority to the peoplee who do know. Almost a sort of “how dare they know or act on how to kill me and my kind? I am superior to them, they have no right”.

And in the end, just as the Romani, who Orlok and Thomas see as ridiculous or superstitious, the ones who know how to kill him aren’t the men in prominent places, or the doctor. It’s the outcast and the woman. And of them, only the woman is even capable of doing it. No wonder he wants to control her. And by the end, she makes him think he has, makes him think she wants him, and he believes it, because she’s connected to him, she belongs to him. Except she doesn’t. He underestimates her and she kills him.

In the end, his pomposity, his self-importance, his high-and-mighty attitude, are his destruction. And in a way it parallels Thomas. Thomas thinks he can save her, but she saves herself and everyone while pretending to let him do it. And Orlok thinks he can claim her, and she kills him while pretending to let him do it.