#Not going to neglect Fran

[smokes-and-bullets]

Rebooted an old historical fiction OC a couple months ago though nervous about revealing it.

A take of Vlad the Impaler and Dracula, but with a different story and background that leads to present day and takes place in present day. Though there are historical nods it’s purely fictional, don’t rely on this for historical accuracy.

It is a side blog connected to this one.

@moon-lit-sonata

[loomiskiller]

nancy left billy and vicki when billy was eight and vicki was six. billy was eight when he had to step up in taking care of himself and his sister when their father neglected them. this was when he was not being abusive towards them. BILLY WAS EIGHT! A CHILD STILL. literally had to cook for himself and his sister.

[calltocupid]

some of my tim laughlin headcanons

he is incredibly good at art. (i know this is touched on in the book, but let me be.) he has cheap little journals that he can afford filled with various sketches of hawk. the tips of his ears and his cheeks always turn a dark crimson color when hawk catches him.

after meeting hawk, he has difficulty sleeping alone. he has to be at the brink of exhaustion in order for him to fall asleep without hawk curled around him.

he’s been wearing glasses since he was 6 years old. at first, he was embarrassed about it, especially with how mean kids can be. sometimes he still gets self-conscious about it, even in his older years.

he’s a morning person!! he wakes up every morning and either goes on runs or walks, especially in the summer time. he’s also a bit of an earth worm granola boy. in the nicer weather, he’s always finding little places to explore: hiking/biking trails, new parts of d.c./san fran that he hasn’t seen yet, etc,.

adhd tim!! it’s something he’s struggled with all of his life.

he loves to collect things. trinkets, pins, magnets, mugs. whatever it may be, he tends to keep it, as he’s hard time letting go of things that perhaps have a story to them.

he keeps every single card and letter he’s ever received from loved ones. it gets increasingly worse as he meets hawk, though. he holds onto everything hawk has given him.

all of the scrapbooks he has of his family are ones he’s made himself. one afternoon at fordham, he got really overwhelmed with studying, so he took a break to make some out of the pictures he’d kept in a box in his closet.

he was incredibly shy all throughout college. it was easy for him to make friends, but he was typically the one who had to be approached, otherwise he’d tend to keep to himself.

he loves the fall time. growing up in new york, him and his family would always do an immense amount of activities together as soon as september rolled around and the leaves changed. apple picking, hayrides, trips to salem, visits to the pumpkin patch where he’d always pick the most neglected pumpkin because he felt bad for it.

he’s been sensitive his entire life. he’s very in tune with other peoples emotions too, and he can very easily pick up on shifts in people’s behavior/moods.

he’d always tried to play sports growing up—baseball, soccer, even swimming—but he’s always been more creative than athletic. once his parents quit hounding him about it, most of his time was consumed with writing, reading, and art of various kinds.

he began to grow fascinated with history and government work when he was in 7th grade. he’d spend afternoons after classes in the town library reading anything and everything he could get his hands on if it was about those subjects.

the cross necklace he wears was a birthday gift when he turned 16. it holds immense sentimental value.

his first crush on a boy was when he was in kindergarten, back before anyone really realizes it’s a crush. but the one he really remembers was high school. it was a boy on the football team, about a year older than him, and tim can remember growing distracted in class from doodling him in the margins of his notes.

okay. i have so many more, but i don’t want this to be ridiculous. let me know if i should share more.

[cringefailvox]

while we’re talking about featherstone (when am i never not talking about featherstone?), @nyxistyxi just compared Fran Fine from The Nanny to Val in terms of both fashion and personality. after yelling at me for being unfamilar, they described her as “the biggest, sassiest, loudest, sluttiest sugar baby to ever sugar baby but she had standards. She set her sights on her CEO Daddy and fucking seduced him. She was the star of a show called the nanny where she just tormented this poor man strutting around his mansion in these outfits.”

and so now i have to ask. Val babysitter AU? My Deer Nanny but make it even cuntier, if that’s at all possible

genius. omg. i'm also not familiar with fran fine but that description is amazing and i'm utterly sold. vox hires val to watch the kids he neglects & never wanted and val inadvertently turns him into an active father by being too sexy to resist. suddenly vox wants to go to soccer games and parent-teacher conferences and shit just because val is there, even though he hired val to better enable his neglect in the first place

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Dr. Frankenstein

“What makes a monster, and what makes a man?” This quote from a Disney movie, of all things, weirdly sums up one of the central themes of Mary Shelley’s masterwork, “Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus.” In my previous countdown - where I discussed my favorite versions of the Frankenstein Monster - I said that Shelley’s novel is widely considered the first piece of sci-fi horror, not only because its title character is a scientist who attempts to use science to create life, but because the themes and ideas present in the novel are ones most common in science fiction, and especially “science horror,” to this day. In Shelley’s original novel, Victor Frankenstein is NOT a doctor. (Although I will be calling him “doctor” throughout this list, for various reasons. Deal with it.) Instead, he is a medical student studying to BE a doctor, who becomes so obsessed with the idea of not simply saving but CREATING life it drives him practically to madness. While Victor in the book is NOT the villain, you’d be hard-pressed to call him a hero, either…and that is the point. The book is filled with a lot of morally gray elements and ethical questionability, especially on the part of Frankenstein himself; while the Creature he constructs ultimately does turn out to do terrible things, it is largely because it has known nothing but scorn and neglect. This all begins when his “father” - after driving himself to bedlam creating the fellow in the first place - outright abandons him for, to be blunt, really petty reasons. Victor, in the novel, isn’t necessarily evil, but he IS extremely irresponsible and…well…frankly a bit of a drama queen. (I can relate, sadly.) His personal flaws and bad decisions lead to his own self-destruction, and the ruination of everything he holds dear. It is largely through him that a lot of the questions of the story we now associate with science horror come through: what happens when someone seeks knowledge too fervently? Do the means of gaining greater understanding of the world justify the ends? If we explore in certain directions, and don’t know when to hold back, will we find things out we really aren’t prepared to know? Are there, frankly, just some things man shouldn’t tamper with…and if we DO tamper with them, will we be capable of dealing with the consequences of our actions? That’s essentially the basic point of nearly every work of science fiction, especially of the darker variety: whether the “Monster” being faced comes in the form of advanced technology, extraterrestrial entities, unknowable cosmic forces, or biological scourges…it all seemingly begins with Frankenstein and his poorly-handled Monster. It’s for this reason you’ll sometimes find memes and posts that say, “Frankenstein IS the monster,” referring to Victor: the line between good and evil in the story is an extremely thin one, and while Victor never INTENDED to do any real harm, that does not excuse the harm that IS caused by his actions and inactions alike. Throughout different adaptations and reimaginings, Frankenstein has, as a result, been depicted in varying states of moral standing. Some versions take the flaws inherent in Shelley’s novel and go all the way with them, making the mad scientist into a villainous cad who will stop at nothing in his self-centered, arrogant attempts to basically play God. Other versions actually soften the character, giving him more redeeming qualities as he actually tries to do genuine good with his work, only for things to inevitably and unfortunately go awry all the same. Victor is neither of these in the novel, but both directions - and many more - can be fascinating in different ways. Keeping this in mind, it’s time to delve into the heart of darkness: these are My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of Dr. Frankenstein!

15. Tim Curry, from Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster.

I’m going to presume most of you know about Tim Curry’s star-making performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical “Rocky Horror Show,” and its film adaptation “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” This cult classic musical was effectively a parody of Frankenstein…but, just like with the previous countdown, I didn’t think it was fair to include it, since I feel it’s really a bit more of its own thing, even if the parallels are obvious. HOWEVER, that doesn’t discount the time Curry played the ACTUAL Dr. Frankenstein, in this point-and-click adventure game. “Through the Eyes of the Monster,” as the title implies, puts the player in the role of Frankenstein’s Creation, as you have to explore the mad scientist’s castle and escape to the outside world. Based on that premise, and the casting of Curry, the version of Frankenstein here is one of the more villainous ones, and it really is Curry’s performance that makes the game: I’ve never actually played this title (it’s EXTREMELY rare and hard to get ahold of, by all accounts), but I have watched a couple of walkthroughs/Let’s Plays of it, and…well, let’s just say they don’t say much to its quality. It’s typically considered a bad game. Curry’s wry, morbid, delightfully wicked and predictably over-the-top Frankenstein, however, is very, VERY fun to see in action. If he’d been in a better game, this entry would have been a lot higher.

14. Grant Moninger, from TMNT (2012).

In the 2012 version of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” there was a four-part story arc where the Turtles - alongside a time traveler named Renet - had to face the Universal Monsters, who were being led by a demon called Savanti Romero. In the third part of the story, Romero and his monster army traveled to Castle Frankenstein, where they manipulated Dr. Frankenstein with plans to use his Monster as part of their team. Both the doctor and his creation were voiced by Grant Moninger; a casting choice that does not appear to be mere coincidence. There was a lot of promise to this version of the scientist, but I don’t think it really reached full maximum: as much as I loved this story arc, the stuff with Frankenstein, in particular, seemed a bit rushed. This version actually makes the good doctor…well…a GOOD doctor, as he befriends the Turtles and actually comes to genuinely care for his Creation, despite his initial disgust. Unfortunately, we never really got any closure for the “Frankenstein Family,” and the shift from horror to acceptance seemed rather quick, as all of the doctor’s stuff was shoved into this one chapter of the four-part tale. I liked seeing a more sympathetic take on Frankenstein, and the interactions he had with Donatello and his Monster (nicknamed “Frank” by Mikey) were really nice, but I wish they’d just done more and given him more time.

13. Donald Duck, from Disney’s Frankenstein Starring Donald Duck.

I’m hoping a lot of you will remember, from my past Dracula-related lists, the time Disney made a graphic novel version of “Dracula,” starring Mickey Mouse as Jonathan Harker and the Phantom Blot as the Count. Well, in that comic adaptation, none of the characters from the Donald Duck universe appear. This is because they were all saved for another graphic novel that was made concurrently: Disney’s Frankenstein. (Also, no, I’m not counting Runaway Brain here, just as I didn’t count it on the previous list. Sorry.) Just like the “Dracula” comic, this book actually sticks pretty darn close to Shelley’s story and text (though it naturally softens up some of the nastier bits), and there’s a lot of little in-jokes throughout the story that you’ll really only understand if you’ve actually read the book. In this version, Donald plays the role of the mad scientist, except instead of stitching together a monster created from cadavers out of rifled graves (bravo if you got that reference, by the way), he makes his Creature out of cardboard. While this was a very fun and funny entry, I personally prefer the work on “Dracula” a bit more: I just think it’s funnier (as well as even weirder, to be honest), and the casting there is even more enjoyable. Still, this is definitely a charming companion piece.

12. Boris Karloff, from Mad Monster Party.

This Halloweentime film was a rare cinematic release by Rankin/Bass: the company best known for their holiday TV specials, such as “The Year Without a Santa Claus” and “Here Comes Peter Cottontail!” This is essentially a Rankin/Bass Halloween special, but expanded to feature length and released on the big screen. In it, Boris Karloff (whose animated puppet is a caricature of himself) plays the role of Dr. Frankenstein, rather than his Creation. It’s revealed that Frankenstein is actually the leader of an organization of famous horror icons, including Dracula, the Invisible Man, and his own Monster, just to name a few. However, the old doctor is getting on in years, and decides it’s time to step down and choose a successor in the form of his nephew: a wimpy, shrimpy clutz named Felix. The Monsters, appalled at this suggestion, plot to steal Frankenstein’s newest experiment - a special explosive - and assassinate Felix, so they can have the league to themselves. Then, without the good doctor to keep them all in check, they shall - what else? - take over the world. Karloff essentially plays a sort of exaggerated version of himself in this movie, which is, on its own, very fun to watch. His Dr. Frankenstein is a morbid and spooky soul, but he’s not really evil, unlike the Monsters he apparently controls. SPOILER ALERT: he even ends up sacrificing himself at the end of the film, to stop the villains from enacting their wicked schemes. The moment where he does so, for the record, is pure awesome: a word to the wise, DO NOT MESS WITH BORIS KARLOFF.

11. Robert Foxworth, from Dan Curtis’ Frankenstein.

Dan Curtis - famous for his work on the Gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows” - did a whole bunch of TV film and miniseries adaptations of famous works of classic horror, throughout the late 60s and early 70s. Among these were “Dracula,” “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,” and, of course, “Frankenstein.” At the time, Curtis’ adaptation of the lattermost story was probably the most accurate that had been put to the screen, taking significantly fewer liberties with the source material of Mary Shelley than any other. Foxworth’s Victor Frankenstein, appropriately, sticks mostly true to the source as well, though the movie seems to paint him more as an idealistic scientific dreamer who gets in over his head than anything else. This carries over into one of the biggest changes to the film, the ending. SPOILER ALERT: instead of vowing to hunt down his creature to the ends of the Earth, a mortally wounded Frankenstein instead realizes his many mistakes, and apologizes to his “son,” telling him to learn to forgive both himself and others with his dying breath. Of course, we can’t give the Monster a happy ending, - we’ll have no joy and justice here, thank you - so the poor Creature, still in a state of mourning, ends up shot and killed anyway before he can put this into practice. Scientist and creation thus die in each other’s arms. Poetic in its own way, I suppose.

10. Barret Oliver & Charlie Tahan, from Frankenweenie.

A sentimental parody of the 1931 Universal classic, the original “Frankenweenie” was a live-action short subject, created by Tim Burton while he was working at Disney. The story featured Victor Frankenstein (played then by Barret Oliver) as a young boy living in contemporary America. The boy is heartbroken when his beloved pet dog, Sparky, sadly dies. Inspired by a science demonstration at his school, Victor decides to try and bring his petn back to life. The short subject was released in 1984. It was honestly a very sweet story, albeit obviously one with a dark sense of humor, but Disney was dissatisfied with the results, and claimed that Burton had wasted company resources on the project. This led to Burton being fired from the company, which only gave him the chance to strike out on his own. Burton had supposedly always wanted the story to become a feature-length film; many years later, he came to Disney with a proposition to try and remake the short as an animated movie. By now, of course, Burton was a household name, and Disney agreed to give the project the go-ahead, provided he also made a couple of other movies for them at their stipulation. Burton agreed, and in 2012, a stop-motion animated feature of “Frankenweenie” was released. This time, Victor was voiced by Gotham’s Scarecrow himself, Charlie Tahan. It followed the same basic beats as the short, but - by virtue of being longer, as well as animated and having the benefits of modern technology - it was able to go much further with its subject matter. Without going into too much detail, in the film version, Victor’s experiments get even more out of hand than anybody could have anticipated. Both versions are very fun and very cute, while also having a delightfully decadent style to them only Burton could bring. I highly recommend you check both out, and pick a favorite for yourself.

9. David Anders, from Once Upon a Time.

“Frankenstein” was a bizarre choice of story to reimagine in this Disney-based show of family, love, and fairy-tales. However, the series found a way to make things interesting, and while I don’t think the Frankenstein story elements are perfect, David Anders in the role of the obsessed scientist is definitely a winning interpretation. In the series, it’s revealed that Victor Frankenstein comes from a world called “The Land Without Color,” where everything is in monochrome (a reference to the classic Universal movies). His experiments with creating life take on a new dimension, when he decides to try and use his theories to bring back his brother, Gerhardt, blaming himself for his sibling’s demise. However, no ordinary heart can withstand the intense electric energy needed to give his brother life…which is where things start to get particularly unusual. Frankenstein gets roped into a deal involving Rumpelstiltskin, the Evil Queen, and the Mad Hatter (wow, what a trio of characters) to gain a special heart from their own world in the Enchanted Forest. Only the “magic” of that heart is able to function properly and serve Victor’s purpose. The series blends science and magic together in a fun way, seemingly taking on the old idea of Clarke’s Third Law: “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Anders’ portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein was extremely fun, giving the character a more sympathetic bend but also injecting a sort of eerie, icy, creepy composure to him. In the modern day scenes, Frankenstein goes by the alias of “Dr. Whale.” (Another reference to the Universal pictures, referring to James Whale, the director of the first two movies.) By both names, he was a recurring character throughout the series; I only wish we’d gotten more closure on how his experiments really went, or else he could have ranked much higher.

8. Kenneth Branagh, from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Released in 1994, this big-budget feature film was a direct response to the success of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” released earlier in the same decade. While both films have a lot of similarities - generally staying true to the source, but also inventing a few new twists and really hyping up the sensuality of some characters (which I think works much better with Dracula than Frankenstein, for the record) - most agree that Coppola’s movie is the more successful one, and critics and box office records of the time seemed to agree. However, it does have its fair share of fans, and I suppose I’m among them. It’s not perfect, but to be blunt, neither is its “sister film.” Kenneth Branagh both directed the film and plays Victor Frankenstein - not uncommon with this Shakespearean-acclaimed performer. Branagh’s version of Victor has a raw, somewhat manic intensity in his passions, contrasted by the moments where he has to keep it all together and in-check for polite society. The most significant change to the plot is that, unlike in the novel - where Frankenstein never completes work on the Bride for his Monster - Victor actually goes through with the experiment, albeit for his own unique reasons. I won’t go into further detail for reasons of spoilers, but suffice to say, this version focused a great deal on Victor’s tragedy, while still making him the morally and ethically questionable obsessive of the novel. Never has the question of who is the real monster been more shrouded in gray area.

7. Benedict Cumberbatch & Jonny Lee Miller, from the National Theatre Production.

In 2011, a stage adaptation of Frankenstein was produced by the prestigious National Theatre in the UK. The play is a sort of semi-accurate retelling of the Shelley novel (it follows most of the major story beats, but cuts or slightly alters various elements), and has a lot of merits to it…but by far the most interesting part was the casting of Victor Frankenstein and his Creation. Throughout the run of the show, both roles were tackled by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller. (Both actors were popular for playing Sherlock Holmes at the time. Probably not a coincidence, though it’s an odd leap to make.) The two performers alternated parts over the course of the show’s time onstage, with Cumberbatch playing Frankenstein some nights, while Miller played the Creature, and then swapping roles the next round, over and over. Two nights of the show - each featuring different revolutions of the two leads - were filmed and shown on various screens around the world. As a stage actor, I can safely say no recording can PERFECTLY capture the beauty of any live theatre show, but at least it allowed folks who never got the chance to see it live a chance to take a peek for posterity. While both actors do an amazing job in both roles, I personally most enjoyed seeing Miller in the role of Frankenstein, with Cumberbatch in the role of the Monster. There was a brusqueness to the way he handled the part that Cumberbatch didn’t quite have; given how the stage version here ends, and what we learn about Victor (I’m not giving it away here), I feel that’s more appropriate to the character. Again, though, both performers are to be commended: if you get the chance, try to watch both versions and judge the performances for yourself.

6. Ian Holm, from “Mystery & Imagination: Frankenstein.”

In 1968, the UK-produced horror series, “Mystery & Imagination,” made their own adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. It’s actually one of the few episodes of this show I’ve seen, and of the few I’ve witnessed, it’s definitely my favorite. A big part of the reason why goes to the gimmick the episode used: casting both the Monster and the Doctor as the same person. That person, of course, was future Bilbo Baggins himself, Ian Holm. Before he ever ventured into the Shire, Holm had a long and storied career, playing everything from Richard III and other Shakespearean roles, to a couple of the most famous writers in history, such as J.M. Barrie and Lewis Carroll. It’s perhaps only natural that he would get to play not only Frankenstein’s creation, but Victor Frankenstein himself. Holm does a brilliant job in both parts, and it’s a worthy adaptation overall, mostly following Shelley but with a few unique twists. Holm would not be finished with Frankenstein once this production ended, either; he later played a supporting part in the 1994 film adaptation. I highly doubt this bit of casting was coincidental.

5. Alec Newman, from Frankenstein (2004 Miniseries).

Alec Newman is a name some fans of dark video games may recognize; among his body of work, he was the voice of Simon Belmont for the “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow” reboot trilogy, and also Jack the Ripper for “Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate.” It’s therefore somewhat unsurprising to learn that, before either of those came to be, Newman played one of Gothic horror’s most famous figures. This two-part miniseries is a highly underrated adaptation. It’s arguably the closest to the book ever made, at least that I’ve seen, as the longer running time and two-part structure allows for not only virtually everything in the novel to be given space, but allows for a few innovations and changes unique to this interpretation. Newman’s Victor Frankenstein, however, sticks more or less true to the source all the way through to the end, in terms of writing and general portrayal. If “definitive” can be taken to mean “truest to the original material,” then he is arguably the definitive version of Victor Frankenstein: starting off as an idealistic and romantic youth, whose passions become twisted as his naivete and rebellious obsessions ultimately lead to his downfall. His health declines, his fortunes decline, but perhaps most importantly, his very soul is effectively despoiled by his own negligence and imprudence. While he’s not the first person most people will think of when they think of the character, he’s definitely one of the most interesting portrayals to date.

4. Gene Wilder, from Young Frankenstein.

There have been several characters over the years who were not meant to be the actual Dr. Frankenstein himself, but rather his successors or descendants. Examples include Wolf von Frankenstein, the titular character of “Son of Frankenstein,” and Victoria Frankenstein, an upcoming female take on the mad scientist made for Universal’s “Dark Universe” attractions. (Look into that, by the way, seems like it could be interesting…unlike the last time Universal attempted a “Dark Universe” rebranding, but I digress.) However, I left such characters out of the running because…well…they’re not Victor Frankenstein. They’re his sons or daughters or general followers. I made an exception with Gene Wilder’s delightfully daffy Frederick Frankenstein, the title character of the Mel Brooks dark comedy classic “Young Frankenstein,” for one simple reason: it felt like a crime to leave him out of the running. This is mostly because, while the film does state that Frederick is the original Frankenstein’s grandson, the movie more or less follows, beat-for-beat, the familiar Frankenstein story: it takes the story beats we recognize from both the novel and the first two Universal movies and transforms the tragedy and horror into zany, satirical humor. The result is probably one of the greatest horror comedies in the history of movies, with Wilder’s Willy Wonka - I mean, Dr. Frankenstein at the very center of it all. He is HILARIOUS in this movie; I would argue quite possibly the funniest performance of his whole career, which is saying quite a lot. There was no way I could have forgiven myself if I didn’t include him in the Top 5.

3. Colin Clive, from the Universal Monsters Series.

While the iconography of the original Universal version of Frankenstein’s Monster (and the work of Boris Karloff in the role) cannot be denied, I often feel that Colin Clive’s work in the role of Dr. Frankenstein gets somewhat overlooked. In the first film, 1931’s “Frankenstein,” Clive is really the main character, and gives us a really strong intense performance that actually still really holds up to this day. The Universal Frankenstein is just as obsessive and ethically questionable as the one in the novel, but he’s a BIT less morally problematic. Unlike Victor Frankenstein in the book, HENRY Frankenstein (as the film strangely decides to rename him; the name of Victor is given to another character, for some reason) actually DOES try to care for his Creation and teach him. Henry even defends the Monster for a while, against his own skeptical mentor figure, Dr. Waldman. However, after the Monster commits his first bit of homicide - which was ENTIRELY justified as self-defense, I should add - Frankenstein is led to believe his experiment has been a failure, and feels he has no choice but to destroy his creation. I really, REALLY love Clive’s Frankenstein: he has lines and moments that are just as memorable and masterfully handled as any of Karloff’s pantomime in the first movie. It was also nice to see him return in the second film, “Bride of Frankenstein,” although his role in the sequel is strangely much smaller. You can tell they really wanted to focus on the Monster, realizing he was the moneymaking character; by the time the third film comes around, Frankenstein has died offscreen, and his adult son (played by Basil Rathbone) is in the process of…ahem…inheriting the family business, shall we say? As the man who made “IT’S ALIIIIIIIVE!” such a well-known bit of dialogue, Clive more than earns his place in my top three.

2. Peter Cushing, from the Hammer Horror Series.

While the ethics and moral standing of both Colin Clive’s Frankenstein in the Universal films, and Mary Shelley’s Victor in the original novel, are certainly up to discourse…there is no such debate with Peter Cushing’s take on the mad doctor. This is the second (and last) Frankenstein on this list, after Tim Curry’s version, who is just straight up EVIL. In fact, I may be wrong here, but I THINK this was the first time anyone depicted the character as an out-and-out villain before, at least in movies. Cushing’s Frankenstein is almost a Richard III sort of character, at least in his first outing of “Curse of Frankenstein.” We actually sympathize with him at the start of the movie, but as the film goes on, he becomes more and more of a dastardly scoundrel. By the end of the movie, even though his Creation certainly does their fair share of murder and mayhem, there is no doubt that Frankenstein himself is the REAL monster. And, like any great monster, Frankenstein seemed almost indestructible: in every single film, he would narrowly escape his own demise, and come back in another ready to try his experiments again. As the films go on, we see Frankenstein’s character change and shift, as he bobs in and out between a sort of sympathetic villainy and just being a cruel, callous, coldhearted cad. By the end of the series run, we realize there really is no hope for the mad doctor: he is lost in own obsession, unable to escape from it, even if he secretly sort of wants to. Never had the warnings of Shelley’s novel been so explicitly elaborated on, and - through good scripts and bad - Cushing carries the role with incredible power, dignity, and precision, his work just as meticulous as the character’s onscreen. While I personally will always think of him as Van Helsing from Hammer’s equally popular Dracula franchise, first and foremost, his Frankenstein is certainly nothing to scoff at, and is still widely considered one of the greatest.

1. Harry Treadaway, from Penny Dreadful.

On the previous list, I mentioned how Rory Kinnear’s take on the Creature (whom I shall henceforth refer to as “Caliban” for this description) was somehow one of the most faithful to Shelley’s version, despite the story of Penny Dreadful being obviously different from the original novel. I also mentioned that the Frankenstein characters of the series were probably my favorites of the whole show. (This is saying quite a lot, with icons like Dorian Gray, Count Dracula, and - most terrifying of all - Simon Russell Beale in the ranks.) Harry Treadaway’s Victor Frankenstein is not only no exception, he is the epitome: this was my favorite character in the show. Treadaway’s Frankenstein captures the spirit of Shelley’s original version, and mingles it with a number of new ideas and concepts, in a way that is absolutely spellbinding. This version of Frankenstein didn’t give up after his first “failed” experiment, and continues to look into creating life, for various reasons. The relationship between himself and Caliban is one of the most intriguingly twisted in the entire show (which, again, is saying quite a lot), as are his relationships with several other characters. Most notably, this one has Victor not only coming to grips with his own faults and actions, as he is lost in a cycle of poor-decision-making throughout the show, but also has him facing the idea that there are some things science just cannot explain or overcome. It was a great way of bringing the philosophies of a character and their story into a new medium, and it made Victor easily the most fascinating figure in a show filled with so many other interesting, dark, disturbed characters. I have no problems or hesitation whatsoever naming Penny Dreadful’s Dr. Frankenstein as my favorite take on the character. Case closed.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Samuel West, from Van Helsing.

As I’ve said in the past, I do have a soft spot for this very, VERY crazy “monster mash” movie. The opening sequence where we see Dr. Frankenstein’s deal with Dracula, and the creation of his Monster, is arguably one of the best parts, but West’s Frankenstein is killed before the 10 minute mark.

Dr. Henry Blackbrew, from V-Rising.

Just like with Adam the Firstborn, this game’s version of the Frankenstein Monster, “V Rising” created their own version of Dr. Frankenstein, and you’re even able to face him as a boss. Very fun, but I just didn’t think there was enough here to give him a slot.

Robert Powell, from Frankenstein (1984).

I mentioned this one on the previous list. This made-for-TV adaptation tries to follow Shelley’s novel in a truncated format, and has a very good cast. Powell does a decent job as the doctor, but the low-budget and untidy script don’t do his Frankenstein any favors.

Augustus Phillips, from Frankenstein (1910).

The very first film version of the mad scientist and his story…though, as I said on the past list, the film seems to misunderstand the entire crux of Shelley’s novel, reinterpreting Frankenstein’s quest for knowledge as more of a Faustian bit of black magic than actual science. Still, credit for kicking things off.

[winnieiscalmeth]

Notes: I've neglected Ace Attorney too long for my own comfort (sorry!), so here goes Franziska with a reader who bites their nails a lot.

Proofread?: Ye

Every time you raise your hand towards your mouth, Franziska slowly puts it right back down. She knows you can't help it, but she's been listening to you chewing and she had enough.

She doesn't know exactly how to make you stop, but if trying to prevent you from biting help, then she would do so every time.

When you bite down too deep she puts bandaids on your fingers and lightly scolds you.

"You really need to stop this; I mean, look at your fingers!"

"Yeah, I know, but I can't help it...can I get a blue one?"

"Of course darling, but if it starts to hurt you should stop"

She takes mental notes whenever you start. When you are anxious, thinking, or simply subconsciously.

If it ever got really bad she would hold both of your hands and talk to you to distract you.

"This man in court tried to run after being found guilty? It was truly annoying and embarrassing for him" She pushed her thumbs into the palm of your hands. "Honestly it was foolish of him- I shouldn't have even taken the case"

"Really? Was it him?" Franziska's face twisted from calm to smug, putting a hand on her cheek.

"Nope!"

"Fran!"

"I'm joking. It was mountains of evidence against him. l would've been surprised if the court let him go free"

Though she is very confused about how you can just bite yourself, she tries her hardest to help you overcome it

[sprinkleonthatcriticism]

I think the way this situation was handled by others (the one w/ damagedcoda6669) was fucking gross... Yippee ended up being bullied off the internet for existing, (I think he mentioned receiving death threats? Idk) and everyone has resorted to retreating Jack's posts w/ "#FreeTheFerret" to antagonize him (along with spreading actual misinfo abt everything going on)

Ppl should criticize Jack, yeah, but ppl should also take into account that Dragy herself isn't all that innocent or well spirited

The only reason a lot of this drama happened was because she followed the same cycle she has for years

>Jack has drastic change in internet activity

>Dragy comes out with allegations

>Death deletes everything

>"I'm done w birdie drama!!!"

I also think that she was influenced into making the allegations due to her involvement with Julian and others who've been known to be weirdos, some callout docs for reference

Callout doc of Julian by Jack with proof of Death being involved with Julian: https://archive.org/details/copy-of-a-general-julian-callout-doc.

Callout doc by someone else of Julian's other gross behaviors: https://archive.org/details/fran-callout/mode/1up

Not to mention a lot of the "evidence" used to claim that Jack is bad is shit from all the way back in 2020, which he already apologized for in his comeback vid and is rlly outdated (Dragy also tries to defend Malachi and Julian throughout her vid which makes me suspicious of her intentions due to Julia's history of starting drama to get off to it)

That's rlly all I have to say, what do u think?

CW// Zoophilla mention, SA mention, COCSA, Grooming mention

I know I said won't talk more about the recent Jack drama after that post but I'll respond to you anon with my thoughts. I do agree with what you said, Draggy isn't innocent either and I do kinda believe that she only brought up the cocsa drama because of Jack being in hot-water because he stolen back his cat (which, i wish people would stop saying that he is in the wrong just because Synnibear03's legal name was signed on the papers to own the cats, neglecting the fact that she given Skqrp to Jack and only took back Skqrp because of ya know being called out of being a predator, and people are also forgetting that ALLEGEDLY [please correct me if i'm wrong and it could be mis-memory] someone on twitter qrt'd Jack and admitted to being the one who encouraged a mentally ill person into the idea of stealing Skqrp back, knowing full well that Jack isn't in the RIGHT state of mind...) Which of course, led to Jack being harassed by everyone online who suddenly decide to take Synni's side because "Oh woe is me, "my" cat has been stolen!11!!! My cat has been stolen by a mentally ill homeless guy that had sexually assaulted a while back!! waah" and people also forget that Jack given the cat to someone else to hold onto until he most likely get a place to stay. Also the '#free the ferret' thing pisses me off considering Jack has already address that he never sexually assaulted his ferret.. he did admit to being close to doing it but didn't went through with it thankfully and people keep leaving out the fact that he was a minor at the time being groomed by Julian? A member of Dice? (i think, my memory is shit).

And yeah it's really gross that people harassed a minor that they claimed to be a "victim" of Jack off the internet all because Yippee says xe isn't a victim of Jack and said that what Jack was doing isn't grooming, so those who claim they care for victims should really shut their mouths and NOT talk over child grooming victims (like myself)....

People also claim to be for mental health until it's an adult having a literal mental breakdown on the internet (Jack posting a photo of a bunch of his pills before taking it down since, obviously) and instead of being concern, they scream "suicide baiting" because he didn't and i quote one of these people "Went through with it".

But anyways yes, I do also think Jack deserves to be criticize and he should address the shit that is happening just as properly apologized to Dragy for grooming her when she was 13 and Jack's 16.

[lizzardwitch]

having too many villain!fran thoughts

thinking about how fran is captured by dai shi and they pull an astronema/tenaya and turn her evil

thinking about the pent-up resentment fran has from being mistreated by the rangers at jkp, having to forsake a lot of her time and body to their effort without anything outside of a measly thank you. going from having to hold things down for them while they fight to now being one of their most dangerous foes from being brainwashed into running on pure rage

thinking about fran having an owl spirit that gets awakened when she becomes a villain, causing her to be even more formidable because she can fly and swoop in on them without warning. even rj isn't safe from this despite mastering the swoop technique

thinking about fran's villain armor being based off of a knight (something something "night owl" pun)

thinking about how fran no longer addresses the rangers by their names, she simply refers to them by their titles (it breaks rj's heart when she only refers to him as 'wolf master' or 'violet ranger')

thinking about fran forming a bond with camille; both of them adore their bosses but feel mistreated by them; however, while rj does it unintentionally, dai shi is intentionally callous, remorseless, and uncaring. the two of them have heart-to-hearts while in the woods together during patrols, and it's fran who lingers in camille's mind once she departs, since fran is the first character to come out and understand what camille's going through

thinking about how rj is absolutely restless until he gets fran back; he's very aware that his and the rangers' neglect facilitated this, and they all feel guilty and want to make it up to her, but he feels exceptionally guilty because he and fran were not only each others' first and best friends since he came to ocean bluff, but he was the boss of the team and he never put in much effort to check on her. he now realizes how terribly they've fucked up and that they can't just get her back, they have to treat her right when she actually comes back.

thinking about how dangerous of a villain fran is, not just because of her animal spirit but due to the sheer amount of intel she has about where the rangers work and live; she could easily have the rin shi swarm them and destroy them by catching them off-guard, but she chooses to put off that plan until later

thinking about fran fighting rj one on one and him absolutely refusing to hurt her; not only would using his wolf spirit be exactly what she wants, he'd rather be put through hell and die than hurt her, and he'd be willing to take a million beatings if it meant he could get her back. at first fran thinks of this as him having a terrible judge of character (no wonder lily got it into her head that she could help camille, she berates him for this), but in reality, he's determined to right his (and the other rangers') wrongs and shower his girlfriend with the affection and appreciation she deserves but was never given

thinking about how camille would feel betrayed and jealous upon seeing how forgiving fran is and how apologetic rj is; betrayed because of how she felt she & fran had bonded and understood one another so well only for her to go back to the one they called "enemy", and jealous of how much rj adored fran to the point where he was willing to acknowledge how terribly he and the team treated her and that it wouldn't happen again, knowing that dai shi would never be that considerate towards her despite having devoted her life to him

thinking about how this entire experience has fran consider the way she bottles up her emotions and doesn't feel like she's able to express herself to the extent that she wishes, especially with her tendency to simply absorb neglect like due to her shyness and low self-worth. she encourages herself to be more open about her emotions because she doesn't wish to let her negative emotions build up and eventually turn her into that same monster again with dai shi's influence

thinking about how, knowing that she has an animal spirit she can utilize in combat, fran could hone her skills and perhaps even join her friends amongst the ranger ranks. for now, they work to treat her as someone just as important to their family, with or without an animal spirit or colored spandex

thinking about fran, all the time. every day. how she deserved so much more and was given so little.

[threadsdemiseif]

💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon

Levi : They never experienced childhood, having to immediately be mature early on

Ellio : Their parent's neglect causes them to be a little numb to things

Fran : One of their exes was dating them because their real lover was a suspect and they intend to discard anything remotely related to that lover of theirs.

Ziree : They were going to give a promise ring to the MC they had bought through hard work just hours before MC ruined their life

[diana-daphne]

15 questions for 15 friends!

Thank you for the tag @jomarch-wannabe !

Are you named after anyone? I’m technically named after a tv character from a teen drama, because for some reason, my mom let my older sister chose my name, but my mom was unaware of her motives until it was too late lol

When was the last time you cried? Yesterday when an old man yelled at me at an estate sale, apparently asking if cash would be ok was a mistake, and I was already having a rough day lol

Do you have kids? No, and I don’t plan on having them! I really like kids, but not that much and I know I’m just not quite cut out for it.

What sports do you play/have you played? I did ballet for exactly 1 year then decided it was too much work, but I still like watching it lol

Do you use sarcasm? Almost To a fault, yes! I get it from my dad but reading Percy Jackson didn’t help.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? It depends, but it’s usually either eyes or voice, I’ve always found different eye colors interesting and I like to think I’m quite good at deciphering peoples tone. (I’m probably not)

What’s your eye color? Grey.

Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings, I try to be a scary movie girl, and I definitely still enjoy some spooky fun, but once it gets to proper horror movie status I chicken out.

Any talents? Drawing (for the most part), though I’ve been neglecting it for a while.

Where were you born? THE GOOD OLD USA BABY!,!!🇺🇸🏈🦅🥧

What are your hobbies? Drawing/painting, watching movies, reading, listening to music and making pretend movies in my head, thrifting

Do you have any pets? A spoiled fluffy cat named sterling but he only responds to kitty.

How tall are you? 5’5.

Favorite subject in school? History!

Dream job? Living in the plaza like Eloise and or being Fran fine, but on a more realistic note, hopefully something to do with film making/theater/entertainment, if you couldn’t tell I’m quite undecided.

No pressure tags! @suncherrytree @thatsthetea0sis @littlemyinvadeshighbury @allthatglittersisusuallyglitter @mhnmmmn @arrant-knav3 @pinkishreveries @nothingtodotonight @kikispongecake @neolando and that’s not 15 but I’m too tired and my brain isn’t working, so who ever wants to join go ahead lol

[the-s1lly-corner]

I'm back on my silly goofy haha bullshit once more. [This time with itward]

Itward with a reader who likes to make bread and tend to plants, maybe they make flower crowns and gifts for itward like bread and plant related things! [A basket made out of dead grass or handmade paper/books! Paper can be made from a bunch of weeds and just plants in general mixed with baking soda and boiled!]

Make sure to take time to rest, get water and eat something, such as a snack! :D

Itward x reader who bakes and does plant stuff !

LETS GO ITWARD FANS WE EATING TONIGHT!!!!!

God I'm so so sad that fran bow and little misfortune is.. not that popular <\3 or at least doesnt have a huge active fanbase

Which sucks because it deserves the attention! The game is amazing and did a lot for me growing up (comfort media am I right?) And you can tell the creators put so so so much passion into the games

Also itward pretty

Honestly until we are confirmed otherwise, I like to think that everyone returned to ithersta after the end of the game... and until more content comes out (iirc they are working on a DLC bonus chapter! Dont quote me on that !!) And disproves that, I am going to believe that itward raises fran in ithrsta

Anyways

Whether the reader is human or from a different reality, they're here in ithersta, too! Plus I think that's the most fitting place given the prompt :0

You and itward love baking together, often exchanging recipes and sharing tips on how to get the best product!

Imagine you two start a garden in order to be more self sufficient! Berries and veggies (get creative with the bread flavors!!!!) and the like are grown in your garden as well as some herbs and such! As well as other general plants that may be needed for whatever; potions, ointments, ect!

Plus itward just seems to be the type to be as self sufficient as possible, doesn't tend to buy things unless it's something he truly cant produce on his own..

Very friendly but asides from Fran, mr midnight, palontras, ziar, and the great wizard, and even cogwing, I dont think itward speaks to many people, given his introverted nature... at least according to the character sheet KMGs posted a few months ago!

Keeps every single piece of paper you've made for him. Compiling them all into multiple books! Keeps all his books in a little shelf he built in his ship... they're all kept neat, tidy, and dusted!

Ooouuugh he looooves when you make him flower crowns, loves slipping them around his hat and letting them rest on the brim of it

Dries out the crowns so he can preserve them for as long as possible... adds them to the main area of his flying ship, where the little shadow theatre thing is!

No thoughts only you two in the garden and he tucks a flower behind your ear.. looks at you with so so much love

You think his eyes can get all huge? Like cat eyes? Because I think so... his eyes get all round when he looks at you

Full of love

Okay back to the baking portion of this because I'm kind of neglecting it a bit, I feel

Theres nothing sweeter than baking something with your loved one, and enjoying your team work and company

I think you guys would have music softly playing in the background while you both work together

Maybe I want to rewatch fried green tomatoes, but you guys end up having a lighthearted food fight

Completely out of character for itward, but I think you can spark this silliness in him

Plus despite what the suit may imply, I think itward doesnt mind getting dirty... I mean he literally is an engineer! Bro probably gets greasy sometimes! Please help him clean the crevices between his bones

... that's another idea I absolutely adore and have talked about ^^^

Hold his hand and help him clean between his bones, please please he'd be so still and patient

[servantserah]

Hello hello!

I wanted to say that i enjoyed your art all day yesterday instead of studying! Just scrolled through the ggAU and fell in love with the concepts. Still need to go back and put them in my queue.

One thing im curious about. You implied on the grown up art of the fellspawns (Eden and Toni to be exact) that they aren't the only ones. Do you meant that fellspawns are a species (?), or is it a name for Fran and Lilith's kids? And do you include Warlock in the fellspawns category or being an Antichrist is different?

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it! 💜

'Fellspawns' isn't a species, it’s just a nickname I use for Fran and Ash's children! It's a combination of 'hellspawn' and 'Fell', their family name. Their species would be 'cambion', which describes the offspring of a demon and a human.

But yes, Eden and Toni aren't the only children they have! I haven't shown the other ones yet because I'm still working out details about them but they are born when Eden and Toni have already moved out. Perks of being immortal, you can just have children whenever. (Francis is still a human but granted immortality after Armageddon. That's a VERY basic summary of the story lmao)

It's a bit complicated with Warlock. FrAsh practically raised him and he was never that close to his biological parents since they neglected him, so he and FrAsh do consider each other family. But not exactly in a parents/child kind of way. Maybe this is where the godparents aspect from canon comes in? He technially isn't a fellspawn, but no one would object if anyone called him one. Idk if that makes sense,,,, He never got adopted by FrAsh or anything btw, and he has always lived with his biological parents.

Warlock is a cambion, too, though!

[themetaphorgirl]

PSOLC headcanon:

Fran Morgan is so worried when she works out there's no adults really supporting Spencer. (Although there's obvious James's parents.) So when she sends care packets for Derek she keeps slipping in extra things carefully labelled for Spencer.

she is SUCH A GOOD MOM I love her

----------

Fran Morgan was concerned.

Derek had told her that his roommate was younger. “He skipped a few grades” had been his exact words. Except her son had neglected to explain that Spencer Reid had skipped all the grades.

When Derek was ten he had been tall for his age, already threatening to tip into a growth spurt. He was a noisy tornado of nonstop energy, trying to play basketball in the house and whining when his older sister beat him at video games and making an absolute mess at the dinner table. And he was still young enough to anticipate being tucked into bed every night with a hug and kiss, to run to his parents to be consoled when he bruised himself for the millionth time after playing too hard and too carelessly, to fall asleep in the car and expect to be carried inside and put to bed. He was a happy-go-lucky kid, bursting with energy and affection and noise.

Fran took one look at Derek’s little roommate and alarm bells went off immediately.

Spencer looked far smaller than ten- seven or eight, maybe. He was small and skinny, his face pinched and his eyes too large. Any energy spilling from him was highstrung and anxious, as if he was perpetually worried that he would be told to be quiet or to go away. It was both a relief and a concern to watch him cling to the Miller girl; he would cling to her skirt or the hem of her sweater, and she would take his little hand or pick him up to hold on her hip. At least he was getting affection and attention somewhere, but where were his actual parents? How could they send their little baby off to school, all by himself? 

Then again, Derek could tell her nothing about the child’s parents. No one seemed to know anything, it seemed. She hadn’t met James Blake or his parents before this family weekend, but when she inquired with Charlie she didn’t know anything either. Maybe the little boy didn’t have any family at all. 

She didn’t know what she could to help, but she couldn’t just ignore the situation either.

—-------

“My mom sent me another care package!” Derek said. He tossed it on his bed and ripped it open eagerly.

Spencer looked up from his book. “What did she send you this time?” he asked.

“I don’t know, let’s see!” he said. His mother and sisters had sent him a care package from home every other week like clockwork since his freshman year, and he always looked forward to it. “Let’s see…she made cookies again, and there’s some candy…”

He pulled out the letter on the top carefully and set it aside. The letters he always saved so he could read them properly, ideally when he was alone in case they made him cry. “A new shirt…a new comic book…oh!” He paused. “There’s something in here for you.”

Spenc er peeked over the edge of his book. “Really?” he said. “For me?”

“Yeah, it’s got your name on it,” Derek said. “Want to open it?”

He held out the paper wrapped parcel and Spencer took it timidly. “Why did she send me something?” he asked as he picked at the tape.

“I don’t know, maybe she just liked you or something,” Derek said. “What’d you get?”

Spencer held up a new shirt and a bag of Reese’s cups, beaming. “I like these!” he said. He surveyed the shirt. “I like both of these! Your mom is so nice!” He hugged the shirt to his chest. “No one ever sends me anything in the mail.”

“I’ll tell her you liked it, she’ll be excited,” Derek said. Spencer was already struggling to open the bag of candy; Derek opened it for him and handed it back. He rarely saw Spencer that happy, and already he was planning to tell his mother to keep adding surprises for him in his care packages. The kid needed it, clearly.  

[junglekarmapippa]

I is for Interdit*

The Jungle Fury Alphabet of Fluff

The JKP employees, minus RJ, were ready to start a new day.

Casey and Theo were finishing the moping of the floors and wiping off the tables while Fran and Lily arranged the condiments and Dom cleaned the bathrooms.

There was a sharp tap on the door glass. They all looked up to see a sickly woman, older than RJ, on the other side of the door.

Theo was about to open when Casey grabbed him by the shoulder. "No," he said, pulling him back. "Don't let her in!"

"Casey, it's almost opening time."

"Casey?" The woman called from the other side of the door. "Baby! Can we talk? I've missed you so much!"

"Go away!" Casey yelled at her. "Go away and never come back!"

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. Please, just let me talk to you so I can apologize properly!"

"GO AWAY!" Casey yelled as loud as he could. The others just stood there.

"Casey, baby, please."

The door to the kitchen almost swung out of its hinges. RJ had pushed it that hard.

"Casey, go upstairs. I'll go get you," he ordered as he moved towards the door.

"I'm here to talk to Casey," the woman said from the other side.

"Casey!" RJ urged over his shoulder, since Casey hadn't moved, his sight glued on the woman. "Casey! Go upstairs!"

Lily grabbed Casey by the arm and pulled him towards the kitchen door. Casey followed her lead, and they went upstairs.

"Fran, go with them," RJ ordered. "Don't let Casey come down until I go get him, clear?"

"Clear," Fran said and ran upstairs too.

"I need you two to block that door like your lives depend on it," RJ told Theo and Dom over his shoulder.

Both nodded and moved to stand in front of the kitchen door.

RJ opened the door, positioning himself squarely across it to keep the woman from entering the building. "Hello, Petra."

"Do we know each other?" she asked, looking at his face.

"No. I'm Casey's legal guardian, Robert James Finnsen."

"Nice to meet you. Thank you for looking after Casey." She tried to grab his hand, and he unceremoniously pulled it away.

"Casey lives with me now, Petra," RJ said with a harsh voice. "Permanently."

"I just wanted to talk to him," she said in a soft voice. "To apologize."

"He doesn't want to talk to you." RJ's voice was inflexible and merciless. It was obvious he had no sympathy for Casey's mother.

"You can supervise me."

"Petra, Casey doesn't want anything to do with you," RJ insisted, putting his hand on her chest and gently pushing her away from the door. "And neither do I. Please, leave."

"He is my son. You can't keep me from seeing him."

"He's more my son than he will ever be yours."

"I gave birth to that boy," Petra said defiantly.

"I feed him," RJ said, his face carved in stone. He didn't seem mad, just so hard he could have been carved in marble. "Every day, Petra."

"That was just a mistake."

"It wasn't. It was neglect. I'm going to ask again, please, leave. Don't make me call the police."

"Robert," she started, trying to put a hand on his shoulders. RJ evaded her hand again. "I have found God. Our Lord Jesus Christ has guided me back to the light."

"Good for you," RJ said, still scowling and cross-armed. "Please, leave. Let Jesus show you how much you hurt your children and give you understanding of the fact that Casey doesn't want to see you, not even for an apology."

"You can sit with us."

"Petra, this isn't about me. Casey doesn't want to see you."

"He is my son."

"He is my son now." His voice boomed over her, his face still hardened. "Please, leave. I won't ask again."

"Just for five minutes..."

"Dom?" RJ called over his shoulder. "Call the police." Dom immediately disappeared into the kitchen.

"Fine, I will leave!" Petra conceded. "I will pray for you, both of you."

"It's appreciated."

RJ closed the door, locked it, and turned away after she left the courtyard. He found Casey looking at him through the glass pane of the kitchen door.

"She's gone," he told the boy.

"Thank you."

RJ walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "She will never touch you again, I promise."

Note: *"forbidden" in French. I'm probably going to change this to another letter.

[senditothemoonn]

obligatory scotfra but also engspa??

Gives nose/forehead kisses: Alasdair (because Fran couldn't reach if he wanted to...okay maybe if Aly is sitting down)

Gets jealous the most: Alasdair. I think it comes from a mix of insecurity and possessiveness. Mostly the latter. He does not like to share ajsjdjs he will maybe give the odd threesome a go because rarely can he say no to Francis (and Fran stops suggesting them once he realises how much it bums Alasdair out) but in general he can't stand the thought of Francis with anyone else and he is not afraid to mark his territory. I think especially when he's drunk he gets real handsy and overzealous with the PDA because he needs everyone to know that Fran belongs to him.

Takes care of on sick days: I think they'd take care of each other in different ways. Fran would be so dramatic when he's ill 'im dying' etc 😭 he just wants someone to pamper him, cue Alasdair who will do anything in his power to make sure Fran is comfortable. Alasdair, on the other hand, is one of those people who can't admit when they're sick and will literally not stop until he drops at which point Francis will coddle and kiss him and nurse him back to health whilst also making sure to tell him off for not taking care of himself.

Drags the other person out into the water on beach day: Francis, I don't think an explanation is needed ajsjdks

Brings the other lunch at work: Francis. Again, no explanation needed, he loves cooking for his man 💖

Tries to start role-playing in bed: *tries* being the keyword here ajsjdjs I think Aly would try anything for Fran at least once and vice versa ofc but Fran is definitely the one to initiate most of their raunchier bedroom explorations.

Embarrassingly drunk dancer: It would take many, MANY drinks but I think if you get enough alcohol in him, Alasdair will crack out some of the most embarrassing dad dance movies you've ever seen.

Firmly believes in couples costumes: at first only Francis but he quickly shows Alasdair the light and disgustingly romantic together every Halloween. They never miss an opportunity to be disgustingly romantic on Halloween or at a costume party.

Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas: Francis. Christmases, birthdays, weddings, baby showers, Tuesday nights ajsjdjs my man will take any given opportunity to shower people with gifts. Much to Alasdair's chagrin, his husband's love language is apparently expensive gift giving.

Makes the other eat breakfast: see, I think Fran obviously loves making and preparing food for other people but then will neglect himself (also food issues asjdkfk) so usually Alasdair will be the one who has to remind Fran to eat something himself.

Remembers anniversaries: Fran is a scatterbrain, actually. I think he is the type of person who buys gifts in advance, like if he sees something that reminds him of someone, and then keeps them all locked away in his wardrobe. So then when Alasdair greets him unexpectedly with a "happy anniversary, mo chridhe" he can whip out the antique kilt pin he saw three months ago or the set of golf clubs that were on sale.

Brings up having kids first: in my mind, it's Alasdair. And if it's omegaverse then definitely Alasdair ajsjdkss. I think he would look back on his childhood with a big family and lots of siblings fondly and want that for his own kids. But I also see Fran as an only child so in some aus as a compromise I can see them having three kids. Unless lil baby Mattie is their lovechild of course then I think he'd be their only child.

Kills the bugs: catches them in a jar and takes them far enough away that Francis stops screaming.

First to define them as a couple: okay this one is so hard because part of me knows that Fran is a lot more open than Alasdair with his romantic side BUTT if you've read the FTF series (my canon) then you will know how turbulent their relationship is and so I think they'd both be slightly reluctant to admit their feelings for each other or define anything but because I love the series so much and honeslty can't see it happening any other way, I think Alasdair is the catalyst that starts the beginning of their relationship. Once it's begun though and they grow comfortable and used to each other's idiosyncrasies, I think that Francis would be the one to define it because he knows Alasdair well enough to realise he's too nervous to do it himself.

Who hides their guilty pleasures longer: Alasdair. Fran doesn't know the meaning of the words guilt and shame ajdjdjsj I dont think he believes in the phrase 'guilty pleasure' if it brings him pleasure, why would he feel guilty about it? Alasdair on the other hand is probably ashamed of like 90% of the things he does (with Francis' help we can get that down to like at least 30%)

Snorts while laughing: Francis.

🌸🌸🌸

I don't have much experience with Engspa but I will try my best 🩷

Gives nose/forehead kisses: I think this definitely seems like a Toni thing 💗

Gets jealous the most: Arthur, probably. Sad insecure, anxious little man - he can't help it :(

Takes care of on sick days: I think Arthur, just like his brother, has a problem with overworking which leaves Toni to look after him.

Drags the other person out into the water on beach day: I think this is just as obvious as with scotfra but Toni. I think it's so easy to imagine RT chan, in his oversized t shirt, being dragged to the beach reluctantly and god forbid he has to take a dip in the sea 😩

Brings the other lunch at work: this also seems like a Toni thing.

Tries to start role-playing in bed: we all know Arthur is a kinky little shit beneath all that and tweed.

Embarrassingly drunk dancer: Arthur, for sure.

Firmly believes in couples costumes: Toni but I think he'd get Arthur into them. Arthur would be all like "this is silly" and then like 5 days after Halloween be like "okay so what are we going as next year?"

Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas: I think if you've made an agreement of any sort with Arthur and then break it, he'd get so flustered. So for his sake, neither of them.

Makes the other eat breakfast: Arthur is absolutely the type of guy to forget to eat, bless him.

Remembers anniversaries: Arthur is also the type of guy to forget anniversaries I think so he makes sure to write everything down meticulously (and still probably ends up forgetting somehow ajsksks)

Brings up having kids first: hmm I'm not sure. I can see either of them doing it but I suppose since Arthur is shy maybe Toni?

Kills the bugs: hmmm Arthur? He'd just straight though eat them though because he's feral.

First to define them as a couple: terminally repressed Englishman like Arthur? Nah i think not, this one is up to Toni.

Who hides their guilty pleasures longer: imma have to give it to Arthur, poor little repressed man.

Snorts while laughing: hmmm... Toni.

[themovieblogonline]

Peter Jackson Back for More Lord of The Rings

Calling all LOTR fanatics! Remember how everyone thought Warner Bros. was done with Middle-earth after The Hobbit trilogy? Think again! Warner Bros. just dropped a major bomb! They're heading back for another adventure, and this time, it's all about a creepy little character we all know and love to hate: Gollum! Get ready for "The Hunt for Gollum," a brand new movie set to hit theaters in 2026. But here's the coolest part: Andy Serkis, the mastermind behind Gollum's motion capture performance, is stepping into the director's chair! Yes, you read that right! Gollum himself is calling the shots! Peter Jackson, the legendary director of the original LOTR trilogy, might not be directing this one. Fear not, Tolkien fans and purists! Jackson, along with his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, will be on board as producers, making sure the magic stays true. This new flick will explore a story before the events of The Lord of the Rings, focusing on the hunt for Gollum by none other than Gandalf and Aragorn. We can expect flashbacks, epic chases, and maybe even a glimpse into what twisted Sméagol into Gollum in the first place. This isn't just a one-off movie either. Warner Bros. signed a deal for two films, hinting at a whole new Middle-earth saga waiting to unfold. So, dust off your old LOTR DVDs, because it looks like we're going on another adventure! This news comes after Warner Bros. announced they felt their big franchises, like LOTR and Harry Potter, were a bit neglected. Looks like they're making amends by giving us more Tolkien goodness! Some folks might be wondering how this fits in with Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV series. Well, rest assured, these are two separate projects. Jackson and his crew weren't involved in the Amazon shows, and they want to make that crystal clear. With Peter Jackson and his team back on board, along with Andy Serkis at the helm, "The Hunt for Gollum" has all the makings of an epic return to Middle-earth. Mark your calendars for 2026, LOTR fans because Gollum's about to take us on a wild ride! (Source: The Hollywood Reporter) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHDgXL5xgJk Read the full article