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the-star-the-idiot · 5 years

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Marbles

It was a hot summer day, when a particular man found himself driving down a quiet country road. He was on his way to a town far away to visit some family members. It had been ages since he met with them and he was thrilled to get to see them again. He thought about how big his niece and two nephews must have grown in the time he’d been gone. While driving, he listened to his favourite cassette tape, featuring multiple songs excellent for road trip entertainment.

The cassette was old and would glitch out every now and then, skipping and distorting audio, but it didn’t happen often enough to bother the man, so he had never seriously considered fixing or replacing it. Instead, he found a certain charm to his old, extensively used cassette.

Lately, the summer heat had been unbearable, and this day boasted a heatwave among heatwaves. Even with his window rolled down, driving at high speeds, he could feel his dress shirt stick to his skin and caught himself breathing as though he weighed tens of kilos more than he truly did. He was not an old man, nor a heavy man, but he was quite sensitive to the scorching sun.

“I need to find a place to stop,” he thought to himself. He feared he was close to passing out from heatstroke, and his water bottles had been running dry for the past couple hours, not to mention they had gotten warm long before he had finished drinking them, so he had not particularly enjoyed his moments of rehydration.

As if an act of mercy from above, he passed by a Bed & Breakfast sign. The next turn would lead him somewhere he could get some rest, water and food. The man was eager for the opportunity to freshen up with a shower and a change of clothes. He cursed himself for sporting a suit during one of the country’s worst heatwaves in modern history. Barely a kilometre after the sign, he found another, identical to the first, accompanied by the awaited turn off the main road. After a while of driving through a somewhat dense forest on a thin gravel road, he found the place he had been looking for.

Yet another sign, identical to the other two, stood before the yard of a humble, well-kept, red, wooden house. The man quickly found a place to park his car, next to another car which he could only assume belonged to the owner of the house. Upon exiting the car, he was met with the sight of a young girl past the corner of the house, in the backyard. She seemed to be playing, dancing while observing something he couldn’t see, too far past the corner. “Can I help you, Sir?” a woman’s voice was heard asking. The man quickly fell back down to reality and turned towards the person talking to him. There stood a beautiful woman who looked to be in her early 30’s, sporting a dark red sweater and khaki jeans. Her long, straight hair glowed red in the sunlight. He cleared his throat and enquired about a room for him to stay the night. “Why yes, there’s plenty of room,” she said and smiled sweetly at the man. “We currently don’t have any guests, so you’ll be free to choose whichever room you’d like.” The woman continued, explaining that there were three rooms available, two of identical size and price, and one larger, albeit more expensive room. The man was surprised as to how deceptively spacey the house was, given its rather small façade. Nevertheless, he chose the larger room; he enjoyed having a lot of space, especially regarding the bed. Having chosen the large room, he would be finding himself in a comfortable double bed. “Well, come on in and scope your room out,” said the woman. “I’ll be happy to help with any luggage you’d like to bring inside.”

Inside, the man found himself in a tidy, clean house. The floor looked newly-waxed and all the wooden furniture boasted a neat, white colour. “You’ve got quite the impressive home, Miss,” the man said. “Why, thank you!” the woman replied and laughed lightly, in an almost embarrassed manner. “I don’t have much to do when there aren’t any guests over, so I often find myself trying to keep everything in check.”

Once the two were done moving some of the man’s luggage to his room, the woman invited him down to the kitchen for coffee. The kitchen smelled as though he had walked into a rustic, Italian restaurant, and he saw two large pots on the stovetop, one with a lid on top and the other without, letting a gentle steam rise from it. The two sat down at each end of the kitchen table once the man had received his cup of coffee. “So what brings you past this area?” she asked, gently stirring her cup, to which she had added a sugar cube and a little milk. “I’m on my way to meet some relatives,” he responded, needlessly stirring his cup as well, to which he had added nothing. He enjoyed his coffee black. “I haven’t seen them in quite some time, seeing as I live pretty far away, and I’ve never been particularly good at staying in touch.” The two talked briefly about family and the importance of talking to even the more distant relatives every now and then. “So you’re going alone?” the woman asked after a short while. “You’re not bringing anyone with you? Your wife?” The man cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly. “I’m pretty much all I’ve got back where I live,” he said. “Practically all my family lives where I’m headed and uh, I’ve never been particularly lucky in my romantic endeavours. A couple girlfriends here and there, but nothing too serious. Never married.” “What a shame,” she responded, smiling sweetly at him once again. “I’d imagine a handsome man like yourself would have been quick to get tied down by some lucky girl. Either something’s wrong with you, or something’s wrong with the girls you’re seeing,” she continued and laughed, to which the man responded with a hearty laugh. “So, how about yourself?” the man asked. “I assume the girl in the back is your daughter, so surely…” “Legally, yes, not biologically,” she said. “I adopted her from a close friend of mine who grew too sick to take care of her. It would be nice to find a man to alleviate the situation of raising a child, but…” she stopped to smile once more at the man. “I suppose whatever’s plaguing your endeavours are plaguing mine as well.” “C’est la vie,” he said slowly, gently sipping his still warm coffee, trying not to burn his mouth.

A moment of silence coated the kitchen, an awkward tone. The man didn’t quite know how to continue the conversation, but to their rescue came the little girl from the backyard. “Mommy!” she said excitedly. She looked to be around the age of six or seven. Her hair was a bright blonde and her eyes were the strongest shade of green the man had ever seen. She wore a white summer dress and looked as happy as any child would on a summer day. “Hi, sweetie!” the woman said in an equally excited voice. “Did you have fun outside?” “Uh huh! I played with the marbles again!” the little girl responded. The woman smiled sincerely at her before quickly realising she still had a guest at the other side of the table. “Oh, right,” she said and laughed. “As you can see, pumpkin, we have a guest over. Would you like to greet Mister, um–” she stopped herself, realising she had forgotten to ask the man his name. “Florence,” the man butted in. “You can call me Mister Florence. Pleased to meet you, little lady.” “Hi, Mister Florence!” the little girl said, just as excited as when she came in. She certainly didn’t seem shy around new faces. “My name is Eden, and mum’s name is Scarlett!” The three of them shared the pleasantries of a proper greeting, and shortly after that the little girl scurried away to wash up and change clothes before supper. Scarlett had been preparing Pasta Bolognese, which would soon be ready.

“It’s a simple, not very presentational meal,” Scarlett said once all three were sitting by the table, acting as though the food she’d made was nothing impressive. “But I hope it tastes good all the same,” she continued. Eden didn’t skip a beat and immediately began eating. She looked as though she enjoyed it very much. Her mum smiled at her, eating from her own plate quite slowly. The man took a bite and was met with a plethora of flavours dancing in perfect harmony in his mouth. A hint of garlic, a mild acidity from the tomatoes, and a prominent taste of fresh herbs, not to mention a perfect balance of salt and lemon pepper. “Wow,” he uttered after swallowing his first bite. The woman waited patiently and with eager curiosity for him to continue. “This might be the best Pasta Bolognese I’ve ever had,” he then said, to which Scarlett replied by smiling proudly. “I’m glad you like it, Mister Florence,” she responded. They all ate mostly in silence, as they were too busy enjoying the food to make proper conversation. As much as the man relished the food, however, he couldn’t help but enjoy the ice-cold water he drank beside it even more. He had almost forgotten how dehydrated he had felt ever since arriving. Each sip came with a pleasant, refreshing rush throughout his body.

After the meal, the sun seemed to have evaded them. Florence took notice to how dark it could get despite it being summer and made an off-hand comment about it. Scarlett explained to him that even though the forest around them wasn’t particularly dense, it was just enough to block out the sun once it lay low enough. It was particularly dark indoors, in the rooms where the lights weren’t on. Scarlett and her daughter seemed like they were fans of preserving electricity. “Well, I suppose it’s best this way, I am quite tired after the long drive,” Florence said. “Would it be alright to use the bathroom to freshen up before I go to bed?” he then asked. “Yes, of course, you’re more than welcome to,” Scarlett responded. She showed him where the bathroom was, and requested he’d turn the shower off while soaping up. It was a rather spacious bathroom, and the shower had plenty of elbow room. There was no bathtub. Once again, the man thought about how deceptively large this house seemed to be. Having been given a towel, he locked the door and went about his business, relieving himself before stepping into the shower. The water was cold and pleasant, though slightly shocking, like taking the first step into the fresh water of a river. He let out a heavy sigh of relief and went about his shower routine, turning off the water in between to soap up per Scarlett’s request.

Once finished, he stepped out and began drying himself. He felt extremely tired, and this feeling seemed to grow heavier by the second. He took his time drying up, unable to go any faster. The whole house was quiet, save for the occasional creaking of floorboards. All the man could hear were the soft sounds of the towel slowly moving against his hair and skin. He placed the towel around his waist, opened the door, and was just about to step out when he noticed a figure standing outside the bathroom. It was Scarlett, with her arm extended toward the door handle. The both of them expressed shock. “Goodness,” she exclaimed, jolting her hand back. “I’m sorry, I thought you had already gone to your room.” “No, I’m sorry,” he responded. “I didn’t expect–” Florence interrupted himself. With the light from the bathroom hitting her, Florence couldn’t help but take notice to her clothes, or rather lack thereof. She was wearing purple lingerie, a sort of see-through nightgown. Her breasts were in full view, covered only by what was essentially a violet-hued filter. Realising he was ogling her, Florence quickly averted his eyes and began nervously stammering, trying to apologise for looking at her in such a manner, but unable to form a coherent sentence. He then closed the door and closed his eyes in a panic. “I’m sorry,” he finally said after collecting himself. “I, uh, didn’t mean to stare. I’ll just wait a moment for you to go, and then I’ll go to my room and we can pretend this never happened, okay?” Scarlett didn’t answer, and the man made the assumption she had agreed. After waiting for a few seconds, certainly enough for the woman to have made herself scarce, he carefully opened the door, sighing in relief when he didn’t find her standing there. He shut off the light and exited the bathroom, turning toward his room, but was met with a silhouette before taking even a few steps. There she stood, in the dark corridor. The man couldn’t make out any details, but averted his eyes once again anyway. “If you’re sorry about looking, then at least now you can’t,” she said. “I don’t think I mind, though. Besides, this was my fault. I’m sorry for startling you.” “No, no,” he retorted. “It’s not your fault at all. I shouldn’t have taken so long. I didn’t realise I was being so quiet.” Scarlett giggled quietly in response. “Well, this house is rather quiet,” she said light-heartedly. “Really, though, it’s fine. It was just a little mishap, right?” “Right,” he answered quietly. “A slight, misfortunate coincidence, stumbled upon by chance,” he thought to himself, and that’s all it was. She slipped past him and opened the bathroom door, and he looked back at her. She turned on the light before closing the door, peeked her head out and looked back at him as well, giving him a sincere and reassuring smile. She then closed the door behind her, leaving the man to go back to his room. His thoughts were all over the place as he went to his room, but once he lay down in the soft, cosy bed he quickly lost track of his mind and fell into a deep slumber.

The flip clock rang loudly in his ear. It was precisely 8 o’clock in the morning. The man felt as though he was boiling in the heat. “Another scorcher,” he grumbled to himself. He flailed around as he got dressed, and stumbled his way to the kitchen with the luggage he had brought indoors, where he was met with the fresh smell of coffee. “Good morning!” said Scarlett with a happy tone. The man awkwardly cleared his throat before he could bring himself to respond. “Good morning,” he said. He felt a bit embarrassed about last night’s mishap, but looking at her it seemed as though she had completely forgotten about it. “Sleep well?” he asked, anxious to not let silence fill the room. “Like a log,” she responded. “How about yourself?” she asked as she presented him a cup of coffee. “Same here, seems being in a car for hours on end knocks me right out,” he said and laughed a little to himself. “I’m afraid I can’t stay for breakfast, I ought to get going immediately,” he continued. Scarlett looked slightly disappointed for a fraction of a second, then quickly smiled and said she understood. They briefly talked about the price for a one night’s stay, and after the man finished his coffee and paid for his room, he made his way out the door and to his car. Scarlett stood by the door of the house, watching him prepare for his drive. “Goodbye, Mister Florence, have a safe trip,” she said, smiling sincerely at the man. “If you happen to pass by on your way home, you’re free to stay another night should you feel the need,” she added. “Thank you very much,” he replied before climbing into his car. “I might take you up on that offer,” he continued right before he closed his car door. He thought about his family, his niece and two nephews, and smiled to himself as he turned the key. The car cranked, but it didn’t start. He turned his key again, same result. A third try, but it wouldn’t start. “Shit, what now?” he muttered as he exited his vehicle. “Something the matter?” Scarlett asked, still standing by the door. “It sounds like my battery’s dead,” he said. “You don’t happen to have any jumper cables you could lend me, do you?” Scarlett shook her head, but offered to call for help. The man thanked her and went back indoors with her. He waited by the kitchen table, listening to the woman’s call with the mechanic in the other room. He could hear her stating the suspected problem, as well as a couple other possible issues which the man hadn’t even considered. It seemed she knew a thing or two about cars. She gave her name, the man’s name, and the address before thanking the mechanic in advance for his time and efforts. After hanging up, she relayed the message that there would be someone to fix the problem in an hour or so, two at most. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” she said. “Feel free to have some breakfast, this one’s on the house.” “That’s very kind of you, thank you,” he responded, grabbing himself a small stack of freshly made pancakes. “Say, I haven’t seen your daughter around this morning. Does she tend to sleep in?” he asked while coating his breakfast is syrup. “Oh, no, she’s been awake a while,” Scarlett answered. “She’s most likely outside, playing with the marbles again. She treats them like they’re her best friends.”

Marbles. He hadn’t thought much of it the evening prior, most likely because he was focused on other things, but now it had caught his full attention. “She seems quite enthusiastic about some small glass toys,” he said with a slightly puzzled look. “They’re not toys, Mister Florence,” Scarlett said. “It’s quite the interesting phenomenon, actually, and as far as I’m aware it only occurs in this area, in these woods,” she continued and offered to show him what she meant after breakfast. He had some time to kill before the mechanic would show up, so he finished his pancakes quickly and followed her to the backdoor, where he was met with an unbelievable view. Eden was dancing in front of possibly hundreds of glass marbles, all of them floating in the air as though they weighed nothing. As the light of the morning sun hit them, they refracted it onto the grass, splitting it into different colours. “They’re natural,” Scarlett said and pointed to a bed of flowers near the corner of the backyard. “Sprout from those flowers there, during spring and summer. They stick around for months, just floating in the air in the middle of my backyard, disappearing without a trace when autumn rolls around.” “Incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Florence said. “I can see why your daughter likes them so much,” he continued, clearly mesmerised by the scene in front of him. He asked if he could get a closer look, to which Eden turned around, having heard them talking, and gestured excitedly for him to come near. He looked at Scarlett for approval, and she nodded at him, smiling as sincerely as always. Up close, the view was even more fascinating. The marbles were colourless, save for a fraction of the light passing through them being reflected and dispersing into a well-known spectrum of colours inside them. Upon close inspection, they were without question made out of glass. “What kind of flower sprouts glass marbles?” he thought to himself. Eden continued to dance next to him, but when he lifted his hand, reaching for one of them, she stopped, although he didn’t notice. She looked intently at his hand. Scarlett noticed Eden’s sudden shift in behaviour, and realised quickly what was happening. “I wouldn’t–” She spoke too late, and he made contact with one of the little orbs.

Suddenly, there was no Mister Florence to be found. He, along with the marble he had touched, had vanished without a trace. Eden looked back at her mother, and the two looked at each other for a short moment. Then, Eden smiled, giggled and quickly returned to dancing with her floating friends. Scarlett smiled back at her, and shortly after she stepped back indoors, closing the door behind her and making her way to the phone. It was a beige push-button phone attached to the wall separating the hall and the living room. She dialled a familiar number. “Franx Mekanix, Frank speaking,” said the man on the other end. “Hey, Frank, it’s Scarlett,” she said. “Listen, I have an empty car in front of my house that needs towing.” “Again?” Frank asked. “Again,” she replied. “One of these days you’ll have to tell me how–” Frank was interrupted by Scarlett giving him a stern tone. “No. I won’t. I don’t pay you to ask questions,” she said. “Do what you want with the car, just make sure there’s no trace of it. Pick it up as soon as you can.” Frank sighed, but agreed and said he’d be on his way immediately, on the condition that he’d be paid in cash this time. Scarlett agreed, and hung up.

Next thing she knew she was emptying the trunk of the car standing next to hers, moving practically anything she found that wasn’t bolted down to a fire pit in the woods, about two hundred metres behind her house. She and her daughter would spend several summer evenings barbecuing at that spot every year. Once she was done piling the luggage and other things as neatly as she could in the fire pit, she made her way back to the car, making a detour through the house to grab a screwdriver, and removed the license plates. She brought both of them into the house, cleaning them in the kitchen sink the best she could, then after letting them dry they were brought up to her bedroom.

An hour later, Frank arrived with his tow truck. He got right to work, with Scarlett sitting by the front door, watching him. Once he got done with that, he approached Scarlett. “Another mysterious car missing both its license plates and its owner,” he said, faking a smile at her, to which Scarlett seemed unfazed. “Anyway, I’m all set and ready to go,” he continued. “What do I owe you this time?” she asked. “Seeing as this gets riskier every time,” he responded, followed by him briefly muttering to himself as he tried deciding on a price he deemed fair. “How’s a hundred bucks sound?” he then proposed. Scarlett sighed quietly under her breath, but agreed and handed him the cash. They didn’t say goodbye, instead awkwardly nodding at one another as Frank began driving away.

A few hours passed, and evening had come. It was about 9 o’clock, with the sun hanging low and the forest blocking out its faint, red light, leaving the house in the dark. Scarlett had just finished tucking in Eden for the night. She made her way to her bedroom, where she changed clothes, from a casual outfit she had picked out for the day to a black dress that fell below her knees. She applied some make-up to her face and picked out a dark red lipstick – her favourite colour. Afterwards, she picked up the license plates that had been resting on her vanity desk, and kissed each one, living a dark red kiss mark on both of them. She placed one of them in the bottom drawer on the right side, with the numerous others she had collected over the years. She took the other one with her as she left the house, bringing a matchbox, a cannister of lighter fluid and a bottle of red wine with her as well, and made her way to the fire pit. She placed the license plate atop the pile and generously sprayed the lighter fluid over everything that lay in the fire pit. She lit two matches tightly held together, and gently threw them at the fire pit, stepping away as the fire quickly rose and engulfed the mound of luggage and other things. The wind was still, allowing the flame to dance gently, as she opened her bottle of wine. With each sip from the neck of the bottle, a tear slowly grew larger and larger in the corner of her eye. As sips turned to chugs, the first tear fell, followed by many others, and when the bottle eventually ran dry, she let out a pained cry into the empty night, throwing the empty bottle at the side of the fire pit, causing it to shatter against the stones. She fell to her knees with her head in her hands, sobbing loudly, with the crackles of the fire being the only other noise accompanying her.

#Marbles #Story #Horror #Short story #Horror story

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brokehorrorfan · 7 years

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Best New Horror Movies on Netflix: Winter 2018

There's an overwhelming amount of horror movies to sift through on Netflix, so I've decided to take out some of the legwork by compiling a list of the season’s best new genre titles available on Netflix’s instant streaming service.

Please feel free to leave a comment with any I may have missed and share your thoughts on any of the films you watch. You can also peruse past installments of Best New Horror Moves on Netflix for more suggestions.

1. Gerald's Game

IT was undoubtedly the most entertaining Stephen King adaptation in recent memory, but Gerald's Game may be the most tense. The novel - which revolves around a middle-aged married couple's attempt to spice up their love life - was seemingly un-filmable, but director Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Ouija: Origin of Evil) takes a creative yet logical approach to successfully translate the story from the page to the screen. The direction is stylish, despite largely involving only two actors in a single bedroom. Carla Gugino (Watchmen) and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) star, both delivering brilliant performances, with Henry Thomas (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) and Carel Struycken (The Addams Family) in chilling supporting roles. Its left-field epilogue won't work for some, but the film remains a suspenseful, dead-filled experience that includes perhaps the most cringe-inducing sequence of the year.

2. 1922

1922 is an adaptation of a little-known Stephen King novella, published in his 2010 collection, Full Dark, No Stars. Like much of King's work, it doesn't shy away from the supernatural, yet it's firmly grounded in reality. The always-reliable Thomas Jane delivers a transformative performance in his third King film (following Dreamcatcher and The Mist). He stars as Wilfred James, a conflicted man who confesses to murdering his wife (Molly Parker. Deadwood) with the aid of his son (Dylan Schmid, Once Upon a Time) in 1922. Akin to Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," Wilfred's unbearable guilt manifests itself. Cinematographer Ben Richardson (The Fault in Our Stars) utilizes a lot of natural light, while Faith No More's Mike Patton composes an atonal score. Writer-director Zak Hilditch (whose previous film, These Final Hours, is also worth seeking out) delivers a brooding, character-driven slow burner.

3. Raw

Raw made waves on the festival circuit when it caused multiple viewers to faint. It is indeed a uniquely repulsive film in more ways than one might expect - depicting everything from animal dissecting to bikini waxing to eye licking in graphic detail - but it's much more than a mindless gorefest. The French film is a compelling, darkly humorous coming-of-age story... with cannibalism. The plot revolves around Justine (Garance Marillier), a young vegetarian, as she enters her first semester at veterinary school. She receives the full college experience: hazing, coed living, experimentation, partying, flesh eating. Marillier's fearless performance is matched by a strong vision from writer-director Julia Ducournau.

4. Super Dark Times

From the first act of Super Dark Times, you might expect it to be a coming-of-age genre tale in the vein of Stranger Things and IT, but by the end you will find a film that shares more in common with River's Edge and Stand By Me. It's set in the '90s, complete with scrambled "adult" channels, but it doesn't beat the viewer over the head with nostalgia. Owen Campbell (The Americans) and Charlie Tahan (Ozark) star as best friends with a secret that drives a wedge between them. Co-writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski (Siren) capture the adolescent banter better than most films, while director Kevin Phillips makes an impressive feature debut. Living up to its title, Super Dark Times is a dark, tense experience.

5. Cult of Chucky

Child’s Play is a rare horror franchise that has maintained its original continuity, thanks to having Don Mancini - who has written every installment and directed the latter three - as the driving creative force. Cult of Chucky, the seventh entry in the series, brings together the franchise’s three distinct story lines - Nica (Fiona Dourif) from Curse of Chucky, Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) from Child’s Play 1-3, and Tiffany (Jennifer Tilly) from Bride/Seed of Chucky. Taking cues from A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warrior, the film takes place in a mental institution, where Nica bonds with the members of her therapy group. When they start dying one by one, Nica struggles to convince anyone that a possessed doll named Chucky (voiced, as always, by Brad Dourif) is responsible. Mancini’s well-paced script is fearless in its exploration of delightfully weird ideas, in addition to balancing the more serious tone with lighthearted fun. The result is as close as you can get to pleasing fans of all eras of Chucky. Read my full review of the film here.

6. The Bar

The Bar is the latest effort from reliable Spanish filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia (The Oxford Murders). It finds a group of strangers trapped in a seedy bar in downtown Madrid. Anyone that tries to leave is killed by an unseen assailant, with their bodies disappearing - blood and all - when no one is looking. Reminiscent of an episode of The Twilight Zone, suspicion grows and intrigue builds as the group must come together to solve the mystery. Iglesia does a fine job establishing an ensemble of quirky characters in a short time and then maintaining that momentum throughout the duration. He also injects his signature dark humor into the plot, helping to further set it apart from other contained thrillers.

7. Creep 2

2014's Creep (which is also streaming on Netflix and should be viewed first) was perhaps the last good, original found footage movie, made on a shoestring budget with copious improvisation. Star/co-writer Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed), whose eerie performance as an idiosyncratic murderer anchored Creep, and director/co-writer Patrick Brice return for Creep 2, which slightly expands the mythology without sacrificing the intimacy that made the first film so effective. Duplass' character now goes by Aaron, assuming not only the name of Brice's character from the first Creep but also his interest in filmmaking. Sara (Desiree Akhavan) responds to Aaron's Craigslist ad looking for a videographer, and it’s not long after their meeting that he admits to being a serial killer. But Aaron is going through a bit of a midlife crisis, so he employs Sara to film a documentary about him. Much like the first Creep, not a whole lot happens before the climax, but Duplass' eccentric character and vulnerable performance keep you watching with bated breath.

8. Killing Ground

Killing Ground is an unapologetic Australian thriller in the vein of Eden Lake, Wolf Creek, Deliverance, and The Hills Have Eyes. In other words, it's an intense punch in the gut. In the film, a couple's romantic camping trip is interrupted by unhinged locals against whom they must fight for survival. The familiar set-up is elevated by intriguing flashbacks to events a few days prior to the main story, the context of which adds even more weight to the harrowing situation. Although not the most original story ever told, Killing Ground is an effective, realistic debut for writer-director Damien Power.

9. Veronica

Verónica is a Spanish-language psychological thriller from Mexico. Co-directors Carlos Algara and Alejandro Martinez-Beltran opted to shoot the film in black and white with gorgeous, precise cinematography, bringing to mind the recent The Eyes of My Mother. A psychologist (Arcelia Ramírez) is offered a substantial sum of money to take on the evasive yet intelligent Veronica de la Serna (Olga Segura) as a patient. It's a simple set-up, consisting of little more than dialogue between the two characters, but the intriguing therapy sessions slowly reveal Veronica's deep-seated issues. The plot takes an unexpected, exciting turn for the final act, but it ultimately leads to a twist that is trite and, frankly, unnecessary. But don't let that deter you; the rest of the film is positively riveting.

10. Red Christmas

Red Christmas is a holiday horror film that - despite hailing from Australia - captures the typical Christmas season quite well, complete with the family drama it often entails. It also addresses the topical subject of reproductive rights, employs both a genre legend (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial's Dee Wallace, in one of her strongest performances in years) and an actor with Down syndrome (Gerard O'dwyer), and tells a decent horror story in the process. Similar to You're Next, the film features a killer interrupting a strained family gathering, blending home invasion and slasher influences. It won’t replace any of the classics, but Red Christmas is a fine addition to the Christmas horror pantheon. Read my full review of the film here.

11. Don't Kill It

Don't Kill It is a fun amalgam of horror, action, comedy, and western from director Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider). A rash of homicides - in which each killer murders the previous killer - lead FBI agent Evelyn Pierce (Kristina Klebe, Halloween) back to the podunk Mississippi town she once called home in order to investigate the case. She reluctantly teams with Jebediah Woodley (Dolph Lundgren, Rocky IV), a self-described demon hunter, to stop the body-hopping demon on the loose. There are a couple of big, bloody set pieces that make the abundance of exposition worthwhile. Clocking in at a lean 83 minutes, the film plays like a more charming and entertaining version of a Syfy original movie.

Bonus: Dark

Comparisons between Dark and Stranger Things are inevitable - both Netflix original series concern a mystery of a missing child in a small town in which supernatural elements are at play - but Dark approaches the material in am much more subtle, subversive manner. In addition to Stranger Things' coming-of-age through a genre lens, the German show has the mind-bending rhetoric of Donnie Darko and the mystique of Twin Peaks, with a touch of Back to the Future for good measure. There may be a few too many characters for its own good, but the story - in which a disappearance in the present is somehow tied to similar events that occurred in 1986 - is undeniably well told and well shot. I'm already eager to binge a second season.

Bonus: Mindhunter

Mindhunter is an original series from executive producer David Fincher (Gone Girl, Seven), who also directs several episodes, with Joe Penhall (The Road) serving as showrunner. Based on the true crime book Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, it follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff. Glee) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany, Alien 3) as they conduct interviews with convicted murderers in the late '70s for their groundbreaking work in behavioral science. After an attention-grabbing opening scene, the show takes a couple of episodes to gain momentum, but it's virtually impossible to look away after that. There's an abundance of heady dialogue, in typical Fincher fashion, though it's never short of enthralling.

#netflix #gerald's game #creep 2 #super dark times #cult of chucky #mindhunter #1922 #best of netflix #article #list

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hyrulehearts1123 · 7 years

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Tag thing

I was tagged to do this by @fucktional-slytherpuff. It took a little but to do, but here it is. Questions, answers, and tags are under the cut. Enjoy!

Rules: Answer all questions and tag 20 people.

1. What is your nickname?

I've got a lot of nicknames from various people. The most common ones are Hyrule and Buggs though.

2. What is your zodiac sign?

Tarus

3. What is your favorite book series?

There's more than one, but if I had to choose, The Belgariad by David Eddings. Top notch writing there.

4. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts?

Yeah, I'm open to the possibility.

5. Who is your favorite author?

Tolkien, Eddings, Brooks, Rowling, the list is endless at this point.

6. What is your current favorite song?

It's a close tie between Second Chance by Shinedown, and Ashes of Eden by Breaking Benjamin.

7. What is your favorite word?

Potato!!

8. What was the last song you listened to?

Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide by Shinedown.

9. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch?

Cutthroat Kitchen. Kickass food, crazy pranks.

10. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down?

Phantom of the Opera.

11. Do you play video games?

I'm waiting for my mom to finally stop playing so I can have my memory card back and finish Tales of the Abyss again. I may have created a monster.

12. What is your biggest fear?

At this point, things that I can't stop.

13. What is your best quality, in your opinion?

I've been told I'm very good at writing, so I'll go with that.

14. What is your worst quality, in your opinion?

I'm seriously stubborn. I have to try even when I know I'll fail.

15. What is your favorite season?

The three days of Autumn we get in the south.

16. Are you in a relationship?

Nope.

17. What is something you miss from your childhood?

Not having to worry about a million different things.

18. Who is your best friend?

I've got 4 of them, but only one of them's on here. Hi @ofthewind01!

19. What is your eye color?

Hazel.

20. What is your hair color?

A vague brownish blonde

21. Who is someone you love?

All the book, movie, and video game characters that I adopted.

22. Who is someone you trust?

My friends.

23. Who is someone you think about often?

My sweet fictional children. They deserve so much better.

24. Are you currently excited about/for something?

I'm writing a book. Does that count?

25. What is your biggest obsession?

My writing, Tales of the Abyss, Marvel, the list goes on for a while.

26. What was your favorite TV show as a child?

House of Mouse. That show was awesome.

27. Do you have any unusual phobias?

Can't remember the name, but I hate fireworks if I can't see them.

28. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?

Behind. I take good photos on occasion.

29. What is your favorite hobby?

Writing, playing guitar, painting.

30. What was the last book you read?

Enchanter's End Game by David Eddings.

31. What was the last movie you watched?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

32. What musical instruments do you play, if any?

I can play piano and flute by ear, and I'm learning guitar.

33. What is your favorite animal?

My cat Cocoa. Such a soft, pretty, silly baby.

34. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow?

I can't think of anyone. God I'm brain dead right now.

35. What superpower do you wish you had?

Flying. Gimme them wiiiiiinggggssssss

36. When and where do you feel most at peace?

When I'm in my woods, or walking in the woods alone.

37. What makes you smile?

My cats, playing music, and reading.

38. What sports do you play, if any?

No sports here.

39. What is your favorite drink?

Tea and Mountain Dew.

40. Are you afraid of heights?

Not unless there isn't a railing of some kind.

41. What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people think they know more than you because they're either older, or did five seconds of research.

42. Have you ever been to a concert?

Several! They were all awesome, except when I got the flu at the last one.

43. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A doctor. Then I learned that blood freaks me out.

44. What fictional world would you like to live in?

Either Percy Jackson (book verse), or Hyrule.

45. What is something you worry about?

That I'll never succeed at anything.

46. Are you scared of the dark?

Nope. It's the only time I'm really left alone.

47. Do you like to sing?

Yeah. I've got a pretty good range, so I can do a lot of parts.

48. Have you ever skipped school?

Yeah, but I still had to do it later. The problems of being homeschooled I guess.

49. What is your favorite place on the planet?

Ireland. I wish I could go back.

50. Where would you like to live?

I don't really care, as long as it's in the middle of nowhere.

51. Do you have any pets?

Two cats. Only one of them likes me though.

52. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?

Night owl. I don't wake up until noon.

53. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better?

Sunsets. Like I said, I hate getting up early.

54. Do you know how to drive?

Yeah. Got my license too.

55. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones?

I like both, but headphones tend to last longer.

56. Have you ever had braces?

Yup. Been there, done that.

57. What is your favorite genre of music?

I guess kinda rock. I just listen to whatever sounds good.

58. Who is your hero?

My mom, and my dad.

59. Do you read comic books?

On occasion.

60. What makes you the most angry?

People being arrogant.

61. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book?

Real book. There's just nothing like a real book.

62. What is your favorite subject in school?

I graduated earlier in the year, but I enjoyed Language Arts.

63. Do you have any siblings?

An older brother and a younger brother.

64. What was the last thing you bought?

A 2-liter of soda for a party.

65. How tall are you?

5″4. I'm kinda short.

66. Can you cook?

I can, but I don't all that often.

67. What are three things that you love?

video games, writing, and reading.

68. What are three things that you hate?

Dumbasses, people interrupting what I'm doing, and assumptions.

69. What is your sexual orientation?

I'm Asexual.

70. Where do you currently live?

The US, in the south.

71. Who was the last person you texted?

@ofthewind01. Have fun with your brother Windy.

72. When was the last time you cried?

Saturday. Wasn't fun.

73. Who is your favorite YouTuber?

LeafyIsHere.

74. Do you like to take selfies?

Not really.

75. What is your favorite app?

The Flow apps.

76. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like?

It's pretty good.

77. What is your favorite foreign accent?

A soft Irish accent.

78. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit?

Not sure. Somewhere in like, Greece would be cool.

79. What is your favorite number?

84.

80. Do you find outer space of the deep ocean to be more interesting?

Spaaaaaaaaceeeeeee……..

81. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil?

When I was younger, yeah, but not so much anymore.

82. Are you allergic to anything?

Ants. It's pretty severe too.

83. Can you wiggle your ears?

Kinda, but not really.

84. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something?

Whenever it happens.

85. Do you prefer the forest or the beach?

The woods.

86. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you?

Just try. It doesn't matter if you succeed or fail, what matters is that you try.

87. Are you a good liar?

I'm pretty good, but I don't do it all that often.

88. What is your Hogwarts House?

Slytherin through and through.

89. Do you talk to yourself?

Yes. I've had three way dialogues with myself before.

90. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Introvert.

91. Do you keep a journal/diary?

Nope.

92. Do you believe in second chances?

To an extent, and depending on what happened.

93. Do you believe that people are capable of change?

Sometimes, but no one can change completely.

94. Are you ticklish?

Not anymore.

95. Have you ever been on a plane?

More times than I can count. I don't actually remember most of the times, because a lot of them happened before I turned 1.

96. Do you have any piercings?

I had my ears pierced, but I don't really wear earrings often.

97. What fictional character do you wish was real?

*Glances towards the hundreds of characters I claimed as my children*

98. Do you have any tattoos?

Nope. Not planning to get any either.

99. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far?

When I decided to start writing.

100. Do you believe in karma?

Yup. What goes around comes around.

101. Do you wear glasses or contacts?

Glasses on occasion. I forget to a lot though.

102. Do you want children?

Yes, a boy and a girl.

103. Who is the smartest person you know?

My mom.

104. What is your most embarrassing memory?

I can't really think of anything right now.

105. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?

Multiple. They never ended very well though. I always had to redo most of whatever I did after I got sleep.

106. What color are most of you clothes?

Just solid colors. Whatever looks good I guess.

107. Do you like adventures?

Sure, as long as I know what all it entails.

108. Have you ever been on TV?

Kinda, I was in the background when the leader of the children's department at my church was interviewed a while back.

109. How old are you?

17.

110. What is your favorite quote?

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

111. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods?

Depends on my mood.

112. Have your friends ever badly disapponted you?

Yeah, one of them did. We're not friends anymore because of it.

113. What is your favorite scent?

Vanilla.

114. Random fact you know?

Cats have a set of meows that are used specifically when around humans.

115. What is your opinion on long distance relationships?

They usually don't work out. It takes a lot of dedication, and I probably wouldn't try it.

Alrighty, I’m just gonna tag @ofthewind01, @trisscar368, @theriverscribe, and @tree-of-blue-squirrel. Do it, or don’t. I really don’t care, it’s up to you. Stay awesome my dudes.

6 notes · View notes

dearpaixao · 8 years

Text

published on: january 6, 2017

requested by: @bunnyyumyum

pairing: shay cormac & reader

prompts:

57. “I’m up to the challenge.” 93. “It’s a real shame nobody asked for your opinion.” 100. “I adore you.”

The usual training began as soon as the sun rose and its heavenly light shone against the waves in front of the Davenport Homestead. (Y/N) stretched her arms over her head with a small sigh and muffled yawn that escaped through her nostrils.

Her eyes observed around her. She could already see some Assassins around, nodding in greeting to some fellow friends and companions. They also had their robes on. Except, some had yellow robes. Stalkers, they called themselves. They would find with the crowd and assassinate the target before they could even know what hit them.

“Good morning,” she heard a voice besides her and she turned her head to see the cheeky Irishman she was familiar with.

Offering him a smile of her own, she nodded, “Good morning, Shay.” The subtle and soft breeze slightly made his lock dance against the wind and he smirked at her before walking a few steps ahead, waiting for her to accompany him.

They walked in silence towards the harbor, where Shay’s ship bobbed up and down in the water. The Morrigan, Shay had told her when she watched in awe the docked ship for the first time. He spoke its-- no, her name with such a proud tone. Like a father’s when speaking of his son or daughter.

The young man stayed besides the woman as they silently stared at the ship and listened to the quiet sound of the waves and the seagulls. In those moments of silence, (Y/N) looked over Shay through the corner of her eye.

Truly, he sometimes doubted the decisions the Assassins had to make to accomplish their goals. Not only did he speak about it with his childhood friend, but also with her. He trusted her, after all.

There was the sound of footsteps approaching them, and the female Assassin quickly turned around, staring at the frown of one of the members of the Brotherhood, “I’ve heard Hope is looking for you, (Y/N). You shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

When she nodded with a thankful smile, the older man turned to Shay who was gazing at both with a curious sparkle in his eyes, “Liam was also looking for you some time ago.”

“How convenient,” she playfully murmured as the man walked away after informing both. The Irishman shook his head with a small chuckle and, soon, silence consumed the air around them. Throwing her head in his direction, she smirked, “Think you can win on a race to the manor?”

Shay blinked before smirking with a mischievous tone, “I’m up for the challenge.” And they were off, running as fast as they could towards the building.

Those moments were innocent, playful. Only shared between the two of them. If only they could have lasted longer, however. That was something she had wished for. And life was not a fairy tale and there were no happy endings.

It could not have been expected from anyone, especially from him. She did not know why he came into the manor with such an angry look on his face as he gritted his teeth and snarled at the mentor.

Liam had taken him outside and (Y/N) knew the Assassins, including the stalkers, were ready to fight the Irishman in case he decided to approach the manor.

As some hid themselves within brushes and haystacks and others climbed up to the trees, one member decided to warn the woman about what had happened.

Shay had, apparently, accused the mentor for the deaths of hundreds of thousands innocents, for whatever had happened in Lisbon. He had also said Achilles knew.

(Y/N) thought, just like Hope did, that Shay had gone mad. Why, else, would he accuse the most respectful man in the Colonial Brotherhood, the Master Assassin who was also mentor, of an incident?

Pieces of Eden were powerful instruments, he said once, and they could easily corrupt and bring one’s mind to chaos and insanity. Would that be the reason the young man had gone mad? Had Hope not stopped him, Achilles would be nothing but a corpse laying on its own blood.

Despite the Assassins watching over the manor, Shay had somehow entered the building and stolen the manuscript, one of the artifacts that allowed the Assassins to discover the location of the Precursor site in Portugal. At the shout of the mentor, everyone chased the young Irishman through the homestead.

With her skills, the (H/C)-haired woman managed to quickly run across the land and tackled the traitor from above. As the man grunted at the strength bringing him to the ground, his eyes looked up and opened wider as they stared directly into the cold eyes of (Y/N).

“Listen to me,” he started, “Achilles must be stopped! He’s mad! Mad for power---”

A bittersweet laugh left through her lips as she glared down at him, “Really? The mentor? You are the one who is mad here.” She twisted her wrist in order to release her hidden blade, making Shay’s eyes shift to it, “Honestly, it’s a real shame nobody asked for your opinion, traitor!”

His knee was harshly brought towards her middle, making her huff, and Shay hurried to push her away, climbing to his feet and running away. The footsteps hitting the floor behind him did not stop, however.

“Stop him!”, the mentor yelled as he followed after his students.

“Traitor!”, another Assassin shouted as he aimed his flintlock pistol, in order to murder the man.

“How could you, Shay?”, that was Hope’s voice as she stared down at him with a sad yet angry frown.

“Kill him!”, and that. . . was his lover.

Years had passed and the Brotherhood’s members were slowly decreasing, because of the Assassin Hunter. The person behind such title was not unknown. After all, (Y/N) had loved him before his “death”.

As the stalkers failed to kill him, since he would easily find wherever they hid and end them without any mercy, the mentor trusted her to hunt the man down. She was one of his best students and Achilles found no reason to not give her that task.

Therefore, she was in New York, searching for Shay -- the one who would, perhaps, not hesitate to take her down as well. The simple thought of it, however, had always made a shiver go down her spine. Even when they were both Assassins, she could see his brutal and deadly strength. Joining the Templars could have made him even more dangerous.

It was almost a nightmare, to imagine how he would take her life. Would he simply cut her throat? Stab her stomach multiple times? Make a huge mark of his blade across her back before throwing her from the rooftops?

All the scenarios happened to the other stalkers. And who was to tell her she was going to be any different? Knowing both were now enemies, they would have to kill one another. Shay might even had moved on and buried his feelings for her. He would have no other choice, would he not?

When she climbed up to the rooftops, (Y/N)’s focused eyes observed the ground below her. She easily detected the familiar face of Shay and her breath sharply came into her lungs. He certainly looked different, with his hair pulled back by a red ribbon and a red and black coat taking the place of his former blue and white robes.

She subtly knelled and took in a deep breath just as she caught the figure of the Grandmaster approaching the Irishman, who politely greeted him. (Y/N) bit her lower lip; it was rare to find Haytham Kenway out in the public. Taking out her pistol, she carefully aimed it on his head. She could deal with Shay later, as she could kill the Grandmaster at the moment--

“Hey!”, a man with a hat standing by Shay’s side shouted as he pointed in her direction. Cursing under her breath, she quickly rose and pulled the trigger. Haytham, however, managed to dodge the bullet and gritted his teeth.

As she ran through the rooftops, she could hear heavy footsteps and slight panting behind her. She regretted doing it and cursed her action, but she could not help but looking over her shoulder to check if her thoughts were true. It was truly Shay who chased after her with an angry scowl on his face.

She quickly threw a smoke bomb at the ground as she silently panicked. The shiver going down her spine was not unnoticed as she jumped to the ground. However, it seemed like the smoke did not stop the man from following after her with a loud yell for her to stop.

Then, there was the sound of a gun firing and the immense pain on her lower back followed. With a cry of pain, she fell to the floor and did not bother with the whimpers that left her mouth.

She heard Shay’s footsteps approaching her and her eyes tiredly watched as he knelled next to her body before reaching for her shoulder. He quickly turned her figure around so that her back was pressed against the ground and his dark eyes widened, “(Y/N). . .--”

“W-what is it, Assassin Hunter?”, she coldly spoke and saw him flinching at her tone and words. They stared into each other’s eyes in silence before her eyes slowly softened and a weak chuckle escaped through her lips, “Funny how my death came sooner than I expected. Well, I shouldn’t have expected nothing else from the Templars, really. But dying by your hand?”

He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing in despair, “I’ll take you to a doctor.” (E/C) eyes turned to him as a small gasp left the woman’s chest. He had to be kidding, had he not? Why would he, a Templar, help her, an Assassin? Sure, they had been lovers before he betrayed the Brotherhood, but that did not mean anything--

It seemed like her thoughts came out loud, and she. . . well, had she not been at her last moments, she would have cursed at it. But now, she would not. She could not. She should not. She did not.

Shay turned his head away and closed his eyes as he deeply sighed. Her hand twitched as she lifted it from the ground and she reached for him. How pathetic, was it not? To still have feelings for someone who had just killed her?

His gloved hand quickly gripped hers and he stared into her tearing up eyes as the pain took over her body, “(Y/N). . .!” He pleaded for her to continue breathing as his hands went to hold her and pick her up.

She quietly shushed him, “No, there’s no need. My time. . . has already come.” The woman reached for his cheek with her other hand, “I adore you, Shay.” Truly, she did not regret having those words as her last. She weakly patted Shay’s cheek with a small sweet smile before dropping her hand to her side as her eyes closed.

#shay cormac #shay cormac x reader #shay prompts

26 notes · View notes

systemprimary · 5 years

Text

System For mobile

LAST UPDATED: 02/12/2020 (GRAMMAR REVISED, ADDED HEADSPACE and SMOKERAFT by ELLE)

UPDATED: 02/03/2020 (ALL PASSAGES UPDATED by ROSWEL)

UPDATED: 07/18/18 (Added ROSWEL by LUKAS)

Active:eden, elle, tom, roswel, luka, magnus, johnny, jay, Smokeraft

EDEN: they/them, age 10, angel, [the innocent]. ACTIVE

A child who calls themselves an angel, they are: high spirited, positive, mindful to others, and are best friends with another great kid named Pit[dormant]. Eden is very supportive and will do what he can to make any situation a positive one by being silly or otherwise cheerful. When they front they sound very awake/bright in the vocals with a small gasp before starting a sentence, they also giggle more. Eden has progressed towards maturity, and calls themselves 10 years old now. They miss Pit quite a bit, and they get sad about this from time to time. Eden fronts fairly regularly now, and is out more when others are not feeling well emotionally.

Elle/Elliot: they/she/him, age 20, [the mother]. ACTIVE

She/He is GenderFluid, a heartwarming introvert who can get overwhelmed/confused quite easily, and they will do their best to make sure everyone is content just as a caretaker would. They are long term partners with Eve[dormant], Elle/Elliot will get overwhelmed very easily but is such a sweetheart and is too pure for this world. They have lots of sympathy towards others, they’re a huge supporter, and is a worry wart. When he/she fronts they sound very soft in the voice and say “honey” quite often. The vocals they give out are soothing/calm. Their voice is never high or low, it’s just the Elle tone. Elle is always there for their friends, and cares deeply for others. They front more often when we are faced with friends in trouble, especially if someone is sick, or the vessel is not feeling well.

Eve: he/him, age 30, ghost, [the father]. DORMANT

This man is very respectable as well as a parent figure to most of the children. He is known to be: Relaxing, supportive, understanding, tolerant to others, a very genuine person, and easy to get along with. He has a serious type personality that is very soothing to be around, as well as someone who can be quite stern when needed to be. When he fronts he makes the voice as low as possible to express the man in him, has a similar tone as Tom and can be difficult to tell the two apart. The best way to find out who it is: mention anything clean and see if the reaction is total support or just unsatisfied responses that may sound like acceptance or confusion.He loves Elle very deeply, but he shows his love quietly. He is bashful about showing his emotions.

Flicker: they/them, age 15, fae, [manic pixie]. DORMANT

They are full of life and sparkles with similar personality as Lukas, this bundle of fluff is over the top with kindness as well as child like hyper moments despite being an adult.

Imagine a glitter bomb hurricane, that will describe this lovely creature. When they front the voice is all over the place and sounds like Lukas, Johnny, and Eden all mixed in one. They love clowns, neons, and raves, and they are constantly high energy. They are also VERY mischievous towards those around them.

Ghost: she/her, age 20, ghost, [the maiden]. DORMANT

She is very generous with her words and personality, she will always be more than happy to talk to anyone though she can be a little shy with interaction: she still manages to make a splendid impression with communication. Ghost is simply divine to talk too, she’s the best to talk too for casual discussions and such. When they front they sound like a mix of Eve and elle combined in the tone. Professional and light in tone- Ghost may be shy, but she is very straightforward and honest.

Jamie: he/him, age 5, human, [the toddler]. DORMANT

This little guy is a mimic machine, he will copy anything new he sees/reads/hears so be careful what you do/say around this little one, he is a bundle of joy with a bit of sass, and just a hint of spunk in his attitude. He is what a curious child would be if there was no one to tell him what to do. He is related to Sam and will call almost anyone with a hobby “a nerd”.

When they front it sounds like a wide awake kid, they do not sound adult whatsoever.

They cling mostly with Eve[dormant], their main caretaker.

Jammy: he/him, age 7, sheep, [the traumatized innocent]. DORMANT

A child who likes to sleep and is very open about what they like. They are the sweetest bundle of joy who will share a lot of their hobbies and interest quite often. When they front it sounds like a sleepy mumbling murrs that are hard to tell what they’re saying. Jammy is easily triggered, and needs to be focused on in further therapy, as they hold a lot of trauma from early childhood.

Jay: he/him, age 15, human?, [the sad]. ACTIVE

This young man is quite sensitive and is prone to sadness. He has a very loving and gentle personality, easy to get along once he feels comfortable. Currently dating Sam[dormant], he’s very clingy to those he cherishes the most. He sounds sad even when he’s happy so it may be confusing to some, he is an introvert,he is calm and seeks comfort. When he fronts he makes the voice sound shaky, slow, calm soothing tone, and really likes to talk about mothman including other cryptid discussions. They front occasionally, most often when we are sad. He deals well with depression, as he has the worst symptoms out of all of us.

Johnny: he/him, age 20, corpse, [the avenger]. ACTIVE

He is someone that you can rely on with down to earth situations. He likes to joke around, he is mischevous, he is annoying(to me-roswel). If he has a problem with anyone then he will proudly address it or talk very little to the person to at least be polite to some degree if the person is close to someone else in the system, although being polite means very little to him. He is loud, proud, funny, passionate, and angry. He doesn’t deal well with sadness and directs it into anger. He feels VERY vindictive of the traumas we have suffered, and he has stabbed one of our abusers before.

When he fronts he makes the voice sound as high pitch as possible and likes to repeat “hey hey hey hey” multiple times if he wants your attention, kind of sounds like a sassy valley kid only doesn’t say “like” in every half paragraph. He will also say Amigo 50x.

He fronts quite often, especially when we are angry.

Luka: he/him, age 20, human, [the host]. ACTIVE

He’s been in the system longer than anyone else. He’s mostly pretty calm, but prone to nostalgia. He spends practically all his time with Smokeraft. [He’s been absent in the system for a while now. (note circa 2017- Lukas is back as of august 2018.] He loves games and spending time with his mom, who he holds VERY dear. Luka has been feeling much more comfortable fronting and with his friends. He is still a bit emotionally unstable, but he has developed a lot of coping mechanisms to help him now. Lukas has been more outgoing, outspoken, and happy as of late.

Smokeraft: it/he, ageless, ANUBIS, [the Mirror] ACTIVE

(I do not know why Smokeraft didn’t have an addition- he has been in this system for 12 years now.-Elle) Smokeraft does not front. He has fronted 3 times in our life- once when Lukas was in court, once to tell an abuser to leave Lukas alone, and once when someone pointed a gun to our chest. Smokeraft is a protector who serves only Lukas, and he is also a manager. For these reasons, the only two people he speaks to are Lukas and Tom (business only with Tom). He can only be seen in headspace locked in his office. He has the head of a black jackal and the body of a tall, muscular-ish man. He wears only black button-ups, slacks, and a bloody apron. He will not make eye contact with anyone. The only times he can be seen out of his office is in the presence of Lukas, who sees him as his Dad above all else. Smokeraft will not speak in the presence of others while around Lukas. Despite knowing Smokeraft for 8 years now, I(elle) only know about him as much as Lukas tells me. Smokeraft is quite warm to them, and he often reads to Lukas, and tucks him into bed.

Magnus: it/its, age ?, ghost, [the instinctive]. ACTIVE

[ This kid is very good at whispering when he needs too, he speaks of simple words consisting of “yes” and “no”s. ] Magnus has developed more than anyone else through the years. He has learned to speak, he has made friends, and he is learning social cues. He’s a bit of a weirdo to most, but he’s a great kid. He loves anatomy and podcasts. He spends most of his time with Rutta[dormant], who became his best friend. Magnus’s intersts includes animal anatomy (particularly bovine), medicine in general, dolls, and earth sciences.

Pit: they/them, age 10, monster [the child]. DORMANT

They are a pure bundle of joy with a bit of a speech impediment, though they do love to communicate with others, they find it difficult to annunciate most of the time and consists of saying things related to bubbles or that rhyme with bubbles. They are sensitive about not being understood and do try their hardest to speak correctly even if it’s too much sometimes. Patience is a must along with kindness and support. This child is a blessing to have around and will always try their hardest to be able to say words correctly just to have a conversation with you. They are best friends with Eden and both of them are usually never separated except for fronting sometimes.

Rutta: they/them, age 20, human, [the traumatized]

This person is the anxious type who gets startled easily from things that are unexpected, They’re a very sweet nonbinary fellow with little to say. Rutta is an introvert that enjoys podcasts, fashion, and spending time with his best friend Magnus. Rutta carries a good bit of our sexual trauma from ages 12-14, causing them to have many specific triggers.

Sam: he/him, age 25, human, [the lover]. DORMANT

He is a genuine child who is occasionally an adult, he mostly fronts with Jay who he is currently dating. Sam is an introvert who assumes people don’t like him despite it usually being the opposite. Sam does not have much experience fronting, and is mostly focused internally at keeping everyone emotionally balanced. He is very close and friendly with everyone in our system, and is one of few that everyone enjoys, making him great at his job of maintaining ourselves internally.

Todd: he/him, age 15, human, [the perfectionist] DORMANT

He is a fabulous stunning man who is well known to be a cheerful dude, he is always on top of looking his best and may surprise you from time to time. Todd is a perfectionist in his work, which often involves maintaining our vessel and living space. He is also a perfectionist when it comes to socialization- he feels the need to have a point in talking to everyone (a definitive list of topics to discuss to avoid pauses, awkwardness, or loss of interest), making him a bit withdrawn. He has few friends in or outside of our system. He is a big fan of anime and k-dramas (mostly Boys over Flowers), and dresses more boldly than most anyone else. He has a love for completing everything he does, making him quite dedicated to our school work. Todd shows extreme dedication yet restraint with his few friends.

Tom: he/they/it, age 25, demon, [the manager]. ACTIVE

[This young gentleman is a huge germaphobe.] Tom has progressed from externally showing his germaphobic tendencies.He is not a fan of humans unless they are decent to talk too. He has the same speech pattern as Eve[dormant. Although he is more closed minded to his feelings towards strangers, to close friends he has simplicity- he is a simple person who does simple things. He likes to keep things neat and organized to keep his mind clear, he can get angry rather quickly if caught at the wrong time or having to be pressured into things he does not want to do. He still feels awkward fronting, as he has only done so for the past 3 years or so, compared to the 7 years he spent never fronting. His speech pattern is very simple, he also chooses his friends very carefully. Once you get to know him he’s a wonderful person to talk too, there is much to learn from him as well as learn about him. Although he doesn’t share this with most, Tom thinks carefully about how his actions affect others. He is morose and shameful of his poorly chosen behaviors, and often chooses to withdraw from people he likes. Tom has had bad experiences with love, being that the only 2 people he chose to pursue romantically abandoned/hurt him. For this and more reasons, Tom keeps people at a distance.

Vallis: he/him, age 15, human, [the substitute]. DORMANT

He used to go by Axton, it is now Vallis. This kid is a very outgoing child who expresses himself with noodle puns, has quite the amount of energy, and tends to bounce from topic to topic. He is very sweet to others, he can be a bit of a handful if you’re not used to hyper personalities. Vallis has calm moments though usually when he’s calm it’s rare from either anger, stress, or he’s happy without being hyper. It’s obvious when he’s happy in the calmest way due to the skill of being able to stay on topic with positive attitude. He gets lost a lot in headspace which causes no one to know where he is and what he is doing which causes him to almost never appear. He needs a leash tied to a poll in order to keep track of him honestly. He is quite fond of Magnus, who interests him due to his instinctive traits. Although Vallis does not have any friends, he is very friendly, debatably too friendly with his headmates.

Wil: they/them, age 25, human, [the creature of habit]. DORMANT

they has a very stern way of handling situations as well as who decides to talk too, they usually don’t hesitate with words. They stay on their guard and refuses to take someone else’s responsibility if that person has created it themselves. They consider themselves as mean/rude though to someone he slightly respects may be a little different. They are not afraid to speak their mind as they will be completely honest with how they feel towards an individual.

They front mostly for School Lunches.

Roswel: they/them, age 20, humanoid, [the knight]. ACTIVE

They are a very relaxed individual who likes helping others. They have little care for personal indulgences, and prefer to spend time helping others. They are fairly new (as on Dec 2018- the newest in the system) They don’t like to tell other people they exist because of their inherent distrust of others. They are highly protective and illusive. Although they’re out often, other people generally don’t know about them. Their favorite color is gray. They love knights and medieval tales. They love TAZ Balance.

THE HEADSPACE: (ACTIVE)

Our system has a complicated history with our headspace, as we have, for a short period of time, integrated. For a while, it had vanished, and fronting was similar to blipping in and out of consciousness. As of November, our headspace is back in order. Although most of our system is currently dormant, their doors still remain, albeit locked. Our headspace appears the same way it always has- as a 4 story apartment/dorm building. We have a living room attached to our fronting room, and the living room is attached to the circular hallway surrounding the courtyard. Off the hallway, there are doors, and on the opposite side of the hallway is a set of stairs leading to the next floor. All the floors share a similar pattern. We have a basement, only accessible to Smokeraft, Tom, and Lukas. We have an office where Tom and Smokeraft conduct their business; the office is on the second floor. On the top floor is the attic, which is full of boxes of photographs containing memories. Despite having a room, Magnus often sleeps in the attic because of its messiness and access to the vents, which he uses to spy on his headmates while they are unaware. Between fronting, we retreat to our headspace to spend time with each other and time to ourselves. Time is distorted, and our memories surface all at once the next time we front. We rarely speak to others about the goings on of our headspace anymore, since more often than not, no one is interested. We cannot summon things to headspace that are not already there, and we may gain objects as our brain determines we need them.I will follow this passage by what each individual’s rooms looks like.

Lukas: Luka’s room is very remnescient of our childhood room (trailer). It has a wooden twin bed in one corner with green ivy bedding, a huge container of stuffed animals, and a small box tv on the opposite wall. He has a small closet with his clothes and pictures of his mom in there. Lukas is rarely in his room.

Eden: Eden shares a room with Pit[dormant]. The room is very childish, full of toys, and is centered with a large bunk bed, housing the sleeping[dormant] Pit on the top bunk. Eden spends most his time at his tea table, playing pretend with his large stuffed bunny.

Elle: Elle has a large yet cozy room. She has a huge king bed covered with several layers of thick blankets, topped with a huge, heavy brown and green blanket. The room is full of incomplete paintings that she and Eve started, stacked against the walls. Tapestries of horses and dogs hang on all walls, making the large room feel more full. Her bedframe has huge wooden posts, with hanging veils covering the sides. Her bed is most often full of others coming to her for emotional aid. Eve sleeps on the left side while dormant. Elle’s room smells like cinnamon cake.

Johnny/Jay: Johnny and Jay share a room, as Jay does not like living alone. Johnny’s side of the room is decrepit, and only has two pieces of furniture on it. He has an upturned milk crate as a night stand, which houses a partially broken alarm clock-radio, and a rusted metal bed frame with a thin blue-stripe mattress with a wool blanket atop it, with a single pillow. Jay’s side of the room is more full. He hangs several posters on the wall (x-files, cryptids, sloths, lizards, and moths), has an elaborate bedframe that includes some shelves and an attached desk, and he has a pet lizard (cannot be removed from terrarium). Jay’s side is humid, comfortable, and dark. He does not like guests in his room, aside from johnny, who often sleeps with him. Due to jay, the room smells like pine needles.

Roswel: Roswel’s room is quite simple.. They have a mattress on the floor, a vase with a single white rose in it, hanging dried flowers from the exposed rafters, and a suit of armor in the corner. Roswel does not deny guests to their room, and their room smells like honeysuckle.

Tom: Tom does not welcome guests into his room, mostly due to his germaphobic nature. He has a line on the floor on the edge of his room, and a stick which he pushes people away with if they step over his comfort line. His room is mostly an office space, with a single bed along one wall. He has a door leading to a second room (no one will tell me what is on the other side) on the back wall. He has a poster of a bunny above his bed.

Magnus: Magnus’s room smells like cleaning products, is white floor to ceiling, and is mostly barren. He has a cot that he rarely sleeps on, and 3 books (Bovine anatomy, doll restoration, and human anatomy), and an exposed steel sink and toilet. He spends more time in the attic or vents than his room. He comes across a bit differently than the rest of us due to his inherent disinterest in the attention of others.

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