#neil thought he could do better too but he didn't say anything

[exyissexyaskkevin]

I think Aaron is the type of person to say he could do better when he sees abstract art at the art gallery. At least at the beginning of his and Kate's relationship. She makes him paint one and then posts it on the Internet so people can drag him to hell and back. It gets sold at a charity auction and the foxes never let him live it down.

[joejhang]

why kevjean doesn't work.

i'm sad about it too but hear me out. spoilers ahead continue at ur own risk.

look it makes me so sad to say it but kevjean does not work in this universe (i know, this also means it doesn't work, by extension, in any universe, considering jean is dead.) and i need y'all to hear me out on this. everyone theorising that kevjean will be the endgame ship in tsc i hate to break it to u all: not only does that not at all align with anything in canon, but it also would just be a really bad writing decision on nora's part.

LET ME EXPLAIN. jean's arc in tsc is first and foremost about healing. i think everything and every relationship jean has throughout the tsc trilogy has to lend itself towards that in some way, and ultimately has to resolve in jean being in a better place than he was at the beginning, and if not done healing, then being certain that one day he will be. (this is how jean is when he graduates from usc in the current canon ec).

following this line of thought, jean logically can't end up with kevin. and not just because it contradicts canon, because i fully believe nora is free to contradict any of the ec she wants in tsc, but because fundamentally, it would not aid in jean's healing arc.

i see the appeal, i really do. kevin and jean have insane lore, off the charts chemistry and tension and are actually extremely compatible. but that isn't enough in this case to justify an established relationship between the two of them that isn't in the past. (don't get me wrong i am a WHORE for past kevjean/kevjean situationship/unrequited kevjean it's all very yum).

i genuinely think getting into a relationship w kevin at this point in the story would hurt and hinder jean's healing arc. kevin, through no fault of his own, is so deeply entwined with jean's trauma and memories in evermore that he literally cannot be anything but a trigger and catalyst for bad memories and grief/anger in jean. y'all forget just how deep kevin's departure cut jean (not just physically), and jean hasn't even entirely worked things out with kevin yet. they have a lot of dirty laundry to air out, both between the two of them and their relationship as well as about neil and r*ko. people also forget that kevin and jean both played a role in each other's abuse. jean said himself that it destroyed him, how easy it was to fall into kevin's bystander role. they both were witnesses and bystanders to each other's abuse by r*ko or tetsuji. that doesn't mean it was their fault, and they literally could not have done anything to help or stop anything, but it doesn't mean it didn't have an affect on the other nonetheless. i feel like ppl r missing a lot of nuance in this context: kevin and jean's relationship has always been inherently tragic, even if it doesn't end with a fall out. they've always been each other's greatest friend in the worst places, and they've always been forced to witness the trauma done to both of them. their bond is complicated, even if the love is there (which i think it is). i won't call it a trauma bond but i do think their bond is deeply influenced and intertwined with their shared trauma.

even if they did work thru everything, i honestly think jerejean is the only way to go here. nora has laid the groundwork for that mutual attraction and trust there in book one, and now we're just gonna have to see how it plays out. they may not be together properly until jean graduates, but i don't see a problem with that. i think, at the end of the day, it's not a matter of if it'll happen but when. jean needs jeremy (and cat + laila) right now, and there's a reason kevin chooses to send him to the sunshine court, and it's not just cos they're the only team worthy of jean's skill. "their kindness matters." kevin says, and it does. jeremy + the trojans innate kindness and care towards jean are what he needs to heal and grow out of the ravens' shadow. being with kevin i fear would jeopardise that. at the end of the day, kevin is too deeply rooted in jean's past, which is a veritable goldmine of trauma that, while does need to be acknowledged and talked about, does not need to be dug up again. this isn't jean or kevin's fault, just a fact.

i think nora's also made it pretty clear that kevjean (whether requited or not) is a thing of the past. the love was there, and it might've changed everything and it might've changed nothing, but the love was there. and maybe it still is. but things have changed, and they're both going their own way and i think it's really important to understand that.

side note: this is also part of the reason i'm not the biggest fan of thea and kevin's relationship. i'm not actually sure if they're all that good for each other, given how/where their relationship began and developed. i don't doubt they care for and love each other, but i just don't know if they're the best people for each other in terms of like...wellbeing. anyway does anyone have any good kevaaron fic recs???

[oldmovieslover]

about neil gaiman

earlier this year, prior to the allegations, I sent neil gaiman a message here on tumblr regarding the death of a friend. I did it because said friend used to be a fellow writer companion and collaborator to me as much as Sir Terry had been to him. I thought he would understand my pain; and maybe offer me an answer as to how did he manage to go back to the world of good omens without his dear friend by his side, as I've been unable to go back to the one me and my friend carved together. He never answered back.

Now, I'm glad he didn't. I'm even ashamed that I allowed the idea I had of him, this parassocial relationship I nurtured for so long, convince myself that it was a good idea in the first place. To give away such precious details to a, now more than ever, stranger.

As a brazilian, I suppose I could say we are particularly generous with the word "love". I can say I loved Neil Gaiman. I wouldn't say it was mostly for his writing, altought I do love Coraline and Ocean at the end of the lane, and Stardust (though I prefer some text from the movie script), but because whenever he would talk about stories in general, specially fairytales, that was how I felt too.

Someone on twitter already talked about this in a way, but... It really saddens me... it's the truth, isn't it? you have a man who writes about all that it's good and righteous. Who talks about stories and fairytales with such reverence, he knows... and yet, he acts in complete oposition. Does he even believe anything he says, or has it all become so intrinsically performative he just doesn't care...?

Personally, I'm inclined to believe he does believe in what he says about stories, which only makes his choices of action worst, as the tweet said. He knows how to be better, how it should be, but chooses not to. It's so damn painful. I do so hope he gets to pay for all of this. For abusing our faith, for using his power in such ways... just for having the nerve to sit here with that damn "quite nice, really"...

[pinguwrites]

could u write a tommy or maybe neil x sister reader? i just saw that c.ai bot and it got me thinking

i got you

Drabble: Tommy wishes you were his

Pairing -> thomas shelby x sister!reader

Warnings: kinda dark, age-gap (not specified, but reader's in her early twenties and tommy late twenties/early thirties), incest (half siblings/stepcest, whatever you want), possessive!tommy, mention of arranged marriage, reader's lowkey insecure

Disclaimer: Peaky Blinders characters, plots, quotes, etc. do not belong to me and belong to the rightful owner(s). This is only fanfiction and this is just for fun.

Tommy thought he could do this. Arrange a marriage for you to some perfumed ass looking to have an exotic wife as a possession, all while getting connections to the Shelby Company Limited, and Tommy himself a pathway into the world of luxury and all things fine. But after seeing the way you frowned upon hearing the news, the way he heard you cry in your room late at night when you thought no one could hear, it broke his heart.

He didn't want to see you get married to someone else. You were always so innocent and sweet and kind, you deserved to find true love, but in a world like this, he couldn't risk the chance of someone taking advantage of you. The best thing for you was to marry you off to a rich man, one Tommy knew would treat you good. It was no fairytale, but it was enough to keep him satisfied. Enough to help him push down that aching feeling in his heart that told him it was he who should marry you, he who should fill your belly with his children, he who should be your man.

He rapped on your bedroom door lightly. He knew you were in there. He had just heard you sneak down into the kitchen to get a snack, and was carefully listening to your movements to find the right time to approach you.

You opened the door. You were wearing a nightgown, your nipples perked through them. When you noticed Tommy staring at your breasts, licking his lips, you covered them with your hands.

"What do you want?" you asked, your voice quiet, but he could detect the underlying sadness.

Tommy made his way inside, closing the door and locking it shut. He looked at your body again — oh, how he loved looking at you.

He gestured to your chest, "Remove your hands. It's only me in the room."

Reluctantly, you did as he said, noticing his eyes glance down there again.

You both sat down on your bed. You played with the hem of your dress, waiting for Tommy to say something, when he finally spoke.

"It isn't official," he said. "I'm not forcing you to get married. I only want what's best for you, sweetheart."

He wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you close to his body, his warmth passing over to you.

“I know, I just . . .” You hesitated before continuing. "I don't want to disappoint you, Tommy. Everyone else already has a life, a partner. And you're going to find one, too. It's just a matter of time. I don't want to be alone," you admitted.

"No," he cooed, running his hand up and down your back in a soothing manner. He couldn’t believe what you were saying. "You're never going to be alone. Not while your big brother is here."

You nodded and leaned into his touch. You were feeling better already. Tommy always knew how to lift your mood. "Can I sit on your lap?" you asked tentatively.

He couldn't say no. "Of course."

He guided you onto him. You moved up, right where his bulge was. Tommy let out an involuntary groan as you settled yourself on that part, wondering if you were doing that on purpose. You couldn't be that naive.

"Can you give me a kiss?" you begged. "Just one? Like you used to?"

Tommy's cheeks dusted a light pink, barely visible.

He kissed your forehead, soft and tender, a kiss he poured of all of his forbidden love and affection into. He wished it could be your lips, but he didn't dare make a move. It was agonizing for him to just sit there, not able to do anything about his yearning for you. Sometimes, he wished you would make a move first, to actually like him back in that way, but he knew he was reaching too high into the stars.

"I'll stay here until you fall asleep, alright?" Tommy said, looking deep into your eyes.

You tried to hide your smile, but couldn't.

"Okay, Tommy. And you promise — I'll always be your first girl? Even after you marry? You won't leave me?"

"I'll never leave you," he said sternly. "And yes, you'll always be my girl, my one and only."

Taglist:

@henrywintersdearestgirl

@shroombloom-rry

@meetmeatyourworst

@mrkdvidal1989

[mypoisonedvine]

Kinda dark!Neil gets jealous and very possessive over his best friend (reader) when she's dating someone. They end up arguing, he calls her something bad, she slaps him and he kisses her, eventually confessing his feelings.

I got so many requests for various versions of dark neil like yall are FERAL for him and honestly? yeah. mood.

warnings: dark (obviously), manipulation, basically neil is just an asshole lmao

"I just think you can do better," he shrugged, glancing away from you. And even though you'd probably heard it a thousand times, for some reason that one was the last straw.

"I wish you'd just say it, Neil," you spat at him, getting his attention again with a raised eyebrow. "I wish you'd just say what you're obviously getting at."

"What?" he denied, scoffing.

"You know, Craig thinks that you're--"

"Oh, fucking Craig," he rolled his eyes, "god forbid we forget for one second what Craig think-- cause Craig is sooo smart, right?"

"Shut up," you frowned. "You know, if you were really my friend, you'd just be supportive."

"If I was really your friend?" Neil repeated. "What's that mean? What am I if not your friend?"

"I-I-- well--" you stammered, trying again to say it but losing your nerve.

Neil scoffed, crossing his arms as he gave you this nasty, smug kind of smile. "You tell me to just say it, but you can't even say it yourself," he noticed. "You're not that tough, you know."

You pouted a little, looking down at the floor.

"I am your friend," he promised, "but I don't wanna be."

You nervously looked up at him, not sure what that meant, and found him stepping closer.

"I'm guessing Craig told you that-- he's an idiot, but I guess he's not completely oblivious..." Neil sighed, stepping closer to you again-- making you start to step back a little. "I don't wanna just be your friend. There, I said it."

"Wh-what do you want?" you asked, even though the answer was pretty obvious now-- you were still hoping he might give a different answer.

"I want you," he said, and your heart jumped as he stepped closer. "I always wanted you."

"N-Neil, you don't mean that," you breathed.

"I've never meant anything like I mean that," he assured. "And you can lie to yourself or to fucking Craig all you want-- but I know you want me, too."

"God, I defended you," you remembered with wide eyes, "Craig said you were just trying to get into my pants, and I defended you. I can't believe he was right..."

"Did you really not know?" Neil laughed a little. "Sometimes I thought it was obvious."

"No, I didn't know! I trusted you!" you yelped.

"Well, Jesus-- you make it sound like I did something awful," he laughed thinly, "it's not a crime to fall for your best friend."

"But all this time, and you never told me," you sighed, "were you just... waiting? Thinking I'd eventually fall into bed with you?"

"I mean..." Neil stalled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, and you groaned as you rolled your eyes.

"God, you're such a creep!"

He frowned, glaring at you a bit. "Listen, I'm sorry you're so goddamn disappointed, but you don't have to be such a bitch--"

Instantly you put your hand up-- it was pure instinct at that point-- but before you could hit him across the face, he grabbed your wrist and clicked his tongue at you disapprovingly.

"Don't do that," he warned you. "Don't be like that."

"Neil, let go," you whimpered, trying to tug your hand away, but he just grabbed your hip and pulled you into him. His eyes met yours before trailing down to your lips, his own sighing for a moment.

"I wanted you so bad," he said again, softer, "for so long. Enough to drive a guy crazy, you know-- being around you all the time and never having you."

"Neil, please," you whispered back, eyes welling with tears. "Just let me go, please."

"Not until you admit that you wanted this, too," he replied, and you shook your head as you bit your shaking lip.

He frowned again, finally letting go of your wrist and holding your cheek instead.

"We're so much better for each other," he insisted, "I'll take such good care of you, angel. Why won't you just let me do that, huh?"

Instead of giving you time to respond, he suddenly pressed his lips to yours; he held your head when you tried to pull back, forcing you to stay close against him as he hummed quietly against you. You tried to push harder on his shoulders, but he only tilted his head and deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into the opening created by your gasp of protest.

He seemed to think if he just forced it on you long enough, you'd succumb to it, and he got frustrated when he didn't work. He slipped his hand around your neck, tightening it just enough to threaten you with something worse. "Kiss me," he ordered you under his breath, and you felt like you had to at this point for your safety. Struggling to put any real passion into it as your heart raced with fear, you shut your eyes and finally kissed him back; he moaned a little, you even felt him smile and hold you tighter.

You broke away enough to speak again. "We can't-- Neil, this isn't okay," you stammered out.

"It's fine," he promised dismissively as he leaned in again, "I won't tell him."

"N-no, fuck, I don't mean--" you groaned, but you were interrupted when Neil pressed his hips to yours and you felt the bulge in his jeans. "F-fuck, Neil--"

"See what you do to me?" he grinned. "Sorry, I just can't help it-- I swear I'm hard half the time that I'm with you, you're just so cute."

"Are you fucking serious?" you sneered at him.

"You're even cuter when you're angry with me," he laughed, easily pushing your hand away when you tried to hit him again. "C'mon, don't fight me, angel-- please don't fight me."

You were about to ask what the fuck else you were supposed to do when he was acting like this, but you were interrupted as he shoved you down onto the couch, climbing on top of you. "What the fuck are you--?!"

"Shh," he offered, kissing your neck as he started to reach up under your shirt. "Shh, hey, it's gonna be good, okay? You're gonna realize how good we are together."

"Neil, I swear, if you don't get the fuck off of me," you began, gasping as he pinned you down by your wrists.

"Please, baby," he sighed, "I just need you so bad. Okay? I need you so fucking bad I can't stand it-- you're so funny, and sweet, and sexy, and honestly I don't even deserve you, but let me try, you know?"

He really seemed to think this was some grand romantic gesture, and not the most terrifying thing you'd ever seen so up close.

"I'll give you anything you want," he promised, "I'll do anything you want--"

"Get off me."

"Other than that," he added with a little laugh. "I need to show you how much you mean to me... so please don't put up too much of a fight, okay? Because I really don't want to hurt you."

He leaned down and kissed your lips again, softer and sweeter, before kissing your cheek instead and then whispering beside your ear.

"But I will if I have to."

[73lesbiansinfandoms]

Ok, but imagine the dead poets at Hogwarts, and even tho they are all in different houses, they still have their study sessions in Meeks' room because out of the 7 of them they are all doing one or more subjects the same as someone else.

Meeks aced runes and let's Charlie cheat off of him because he thought it would be an easy A, but turns out he had to actually put effort that he didn't want to use into it.

Cameron is always helping an incredibly confused Neil, Knox, and Charlie with divination.

Pitts and Meeks are always fiddling with muggle tech that only Neil and Todd know what the other two are working on, and no, they aren't going to blow anything up. At least they don't think so.

Todd always has to give Neil his notes from care of magical creatures because Neil is always figuring out a way to try and hug the creatures, that or figuring out how to give Todd a hug. It's not his fault they all look cuddly.

Charlie isn't half bad at potions, but only because he sneeks in to watch the teacher make the potion. Otherwise, he would be rubbish, Knox is incredibly grateful for having Charlie as his partner.

Pitts and Perry try their best in herbology, but again, Neil wants to hug everything, and Pitts is very worried watching him get emotionally attached to a plant, so they usually have to ask Stick for the course work after class. Pitts is pretty sure Neil has managed to smuggle in and domesticate a baby womping willow, who he's pretty sure Neil named Puck.

Charlie always says that Knox was a cheater when it came to how good he was at charms, Knox always replied with something cheesy about his looks or something even more cheesy about his name. Cameron was quick to wack him over the head.

It was always a competition between Cameron and Neil for who was better at transfiguration, Neil accidentally transfigured him into a textbook once and spent three days figuring out how to turn him back. He was too embarrassed to get a teachers help.

Probably the most surprising was how incredible Todd is at defence against the dark arts.

He was also the only one who could stay awake and pay attention during history of magic. So it was the only time Meeks and Cameron would allow themselves to sleep during class, knowing Todd had their back.

And the guys who aren't in Meeks' house always get caught by prefects on their way back to their dorm, so much so that a prefect has started knocking on the door when there's 10 minutes till curfew.

Pitts is also really good at getting lost, but he is also really good at getting to his classes on time. He just goes with the flow.

[desiresloki]

soft!billy hargrove because I got nothing better to do and I know we all need some fluffy, yucky stuff. ( I'm a sucker for those. zzz ) This is also for mi plus size girlies out there ( if you squint), me being one <3 slight enemies to lovers because WHY NOT. This is heavily inspired by robbers by the 1975. English is not my native language but I'm willing to learn, so give it to me. give me criticism and a lil mental stability. Thank you for reading !! ( Am I the only one that thinks the 1975 suits soft!billy so well? ) THIS IS A DRABBLE BTW <333 ( part two )

trigger warnings : uhh... mentioned Neil. I think that's all. Also!! this wasn't proof read, I just trust google docs.

Robbers

She had a pretty face. Billy thought when he rolled his hips into her, thrusting with such vigour. He studied her face at that moment, he listened to her gasps, he saw how glossy her eyes had gotten. At times like this, Billy would chase his own pleasure, but he didn’t. He caressed her body, the curves she hated, he touched with love seeping from his fingertips that made her look up at him with the same gentleness. The kisses he gave upon her face and lips, fierce with need and an unspoken confession, leaving her breathless. She understood them, from his eyes, from the way he held her as his thrusts were painfully slow, suffocating, yet deeply nectarous. She looked pretty like this, beneath him with her hair splayed out messily on the pillow. Her nails dug into his forearm, and her melodic moans filled his ears. He wanted - needed more, thus he re-positioned his hip to hit her sweet spot. The gasp she let out made him groan, burying his face into her neck.

“Is this how much you hate me, doll?” he sighed delightfully, kissing her neck softly which was the opposite of his brutal thrusts. His thrust, rough and deep. It was agonisingly pleasurable. She begged him, unsure for what. He filled her perfectly, up to the point that his tip was bruising her cervix deliciously. She couldn't speak. She was a mess, the strong headed girl he first met was gone. Replaced by a teary - eyed girl that had a light in her eyes, one he has never seen before nor understood. “So much, bee. You ruin me,” She cried, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, pulling him impossibly closer. He did, he did ruin her. A selfish part of him wants to keep it that way, to keep her. He was too damaged to be loved by a pretty thing like her, but he wanted it. He wanted all of it. 

“But you don’t want me to stop,” He grunted, nearing his climax and so was she. She shut her eyes, shaking her head. Before she could say anything, he pressed his lips against her with brutal passion then he felt all of it. The hatred from the first day they met at the canteen and to the day he found her crying at her porch in the early morning. “No… don’t want you to stop,” she mumbled against his tears stained lips, her toes curled and her back arch, pressing her body against his and her eyes shut tight as her orgasm washed over her. He groaned and rested his forehead against her, his necklace dangling above her neck, it took him two more thrust before spilling his seed into her. 

A whimper escaped her mouth when she felt full of him, sweats collected on their forehead and his hair was a mess of blond curls that fell to her temple. This felt ordinary, like two people who disliked each other were supposed to be in this mess. Tangled in motel sheets, covered in sweat and breathless. It was complete silence at first, they were kissing each other as though it was their last. It might be their last. That's what she thought.

He didn't leave. He spent the night listening to her god awful snoring, he wished to silence them but at the same time he basked in them for he didn't know how long he has before she puts up that frustrating wall again. Where she hides behind a façade. He sees her now, and she's got a face that was rare to see. Peaceful, pretty and terrifying. Terrified because of how it made him feel deep down. She was like the beach back in California, warm, bright, and ataractic. Surprisingly, she smelt like the ocean. Salty, soft and a tinge of sweetness, but that was from her hair. The more he admired her, the more he knew he should leave. Go back to Neil, and leave her be. 

He didn't listen to his head. He had always been a stubborn fella after all. So he pulled her closer, legs tangled, and slumber took over him, unbeknownst to him that she was woken up the moment his cold hand pulled her waist. Her breath shuddered, but she didn't retaliate against him this time. She let it be. Perhaps, things would be different.

[bluemirrorangel]

the DPS book & characterisation

so I'm reading the Dead Poets Society book and while I don't particularly like it all that much it has made some bold choices when it comes to the characters, some I really dislike and others I really love. I'm going to go over that in this post :)

Todd Anderson:

Todd is so much angrier than he is in the movie and honestly he’s so real for that. He and Neil actually don’t get along as much as they do in the movie, they don’t really get each other because they are in opposite situations, Neil’s father has too many expectations for him and controls his every move giving his son little to no agency whereas Todd's parents actively neglect him, they both want what the other one has to a certain degree; Todd wants someone to care about him and Neil wants freedom. 

The book also gets rid of the flying desk set scene and we instead get a more sombre scene 

“Todd?” He called, walking over to get a better look. Todd sat shivering in the dark about a coat. “What's going on there?”  Neil asked his roommate, Todd didn't answer. “Todd, what's the matter?” Neil sat next to him on the wall. “It's freezing out here.” “It's my birthday.” Todd said flatly. “It is?” Neil said. “Why didn't you tell me? happy birthday, You get anything?” Except for his chattering teeth Todd was silent and still. He pointed to a box. Neil opened it to find the same monogram desk set Todd had.In their room.”This is your desk set.”  Neil  said. “I don't get it.”  “They gave me the exact same thing as last year” Todd cried. “They didn't even remember.” “Oh” Neil said in a hushed tone. “Oh.” Todd mocked. “Well, maybe they thought you needed another one, a new one” Neil suggested after a long, awkward pause. “maybe they don't think at all. Unless it's about my brother” Todd said angrily. “His birthday is always a big to do”  He looked at the deskset and laughed. The stupid  thing is, I didn't even like it the first time.” “Look Todd you’re  obviously underestimating the value of this desk set”  Neil said flippantly trying to change the mood. “What?”  “I mean” Neil said and tried to smile. “This is one special gift. Who would want a football or a baseball bat or a car when they could have a desk set as  Wonderful as this one?” “Yeah.” Todd laughed, infected by nose humour.”And just look at this ruler” they both laughed. They both looked at the desk set. By now it was pitch dark and cold Neil  shivered.“You know what my dad would call me when i was growing up? Five ninety-eight. That’s what all the chemicals in the human body will be worth if you bottled them raw and sold them, he told me. That was all I'd ever be worth unless I worked every day to improve myself. Five ninety-eight.” Neil sighed and shook his head in disbelief. No wonder Todd was so screwed up, he thought. “When I was little” todd continued, “I thought all parents automatically love their kids. That's what my teachers told me. That's what I read in the books they gave me. That's what I believed, well, my parents rather have my brother, but they did not love me.Todd took a deep anguished breath and walked into the dorm. Neil sat motionless on the freezing Stonewall, groping for something to say. “Todd,” he called lamely. As he ran after his roommate. 

Todd is less shy and nervous in the book and more quiet and brooding which changes his dynamic with most of the characters specifically Neil.

Neil Perry:

 Neil is meaner in the book, not flat-out mean just meaner, this makes him feel more like a real teenager. His dynamic with Todd is still a friendship and they still mean a lot to each other but there’s more depth.

“So what do you think of my father?”  He asked blankly. “I'll take him over mine,” Todd said softly, almost to himself. “What?” Neil asked “Nothing” “Todd, If you're gonna make it around here, you've gotta speak up. The meek might inherit the earth but they don't get into Harvard know what I mean?” Todd nodded, holding a white button-down Oxford cloth shirt. Neil held the achievement pin in his hand as he spoke. “ The Bastard!” He shouted suddenly, jabbing his thumb with the metal pointed pin and drawing blood. Todd winced, but Neil just stared at the blood intently. He pulled the pin out. And hurled it against the wall. 

He also calls Cameron a jerk to Todd instead of saying ‘he was born with his foot in his mouth.’ like he does in the movie this paired with his comment about Todd being ‘messed up’ shows that Neil can be judgmental of his friends and peers, this being said Neil still cares deeply for his friends especially Todd; talking to him gently and trying to figure him out.

“By the way, there's a meeting this afternoon.”  Neil said, “Are you coming?” I guess, Todd said as he grimaced. Neil put down the play and looked over at his roommate. “None of what Mr Keating Has to say means anything to you, does it?” He asked, incredulous. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Todd was defensive “Being in the club means being stirred up by things. You look about as turn up as a cesspool” “You want me out? Is that what you're saying?” Todd said angrily. “No,” Neil, said softly. “I want you in, but it means you gotta do something. Not just say you're in.” Todd said angrily “Listen, Neil, I appreciate your interest in me, but I'm not like you,”  he insisted. “ “When you say things people pay attention, people follow you. I'm not like that.”  “Why not? Do you think you could be?” Neil Pressed. “No!” Todd shouted. “Oh, I don't know. I'll probably never know. The point is, there's nothing you can do about it. So, butt out, all right?  I can take care of myself just fine, alright” “No” Neil said “No?” Todd asked astonished. “What do you mean no,”  Neil shrugged matter of factly and repeated “No, I'm not going to butt out” Neil opened his play and began to read again. Todd just sat and stared at him. “OK”, todd said defeated “I’ll go.”  “Good” Neil smiled and continued reading the play.

Charlie Dalton:

 Charlie is more emotionally open in the book, he’s also a lot more annoyed by Knox’s Infatuation (obsession) on Chris.

“I feel like I've never been alive,” Charlie said sadly as he watched Neil  go. “For years I've been risking nothing. I have no idea what I am.Or what I want to do. Neil knows he wants to act. Knox knows he wants Chris” “Needs Chris?  must have Chris”  Knox groaned “Meeks,” Charlie said, “you're the brain here or did the dead poets say about somebody like me?” “The romantics were passionate experiment as Charles. They dabbled in many things before settling. If ever,” Meeks said. Cameron made a face. “There aren't too many places to be an experimenter at, Welton Meeks.” Charlie paces as the boys considered Cameron’s observation. He stopped and his face lit up. “I hereby declare this the Charles Dalton cave for passion experimentation.” He smiled. “In the future, anyone wishing entry must have permission from me.”  “Wait a minute, Charlie” Pitts objected. “This should belong to The club” “it should, but I found it now I claim it. Carpe cavem boys seize The Cave.”  Charlie

countered with a grin. “Good thing there’s only one of you around here Charles” Meeks said philosophically. 

Meeks & Pitts: they mainly stayed the same, however they gave Meeks’ poem about the Congo to Pitts and cut out Pitts’ poem about the man that killed his wife, they also have Meeks call Charlie Charles and I think that’s kind of cute.

Knox Overstreet:

Knox has no personality outside of his infatuation (obsession) with Chris, which is disappointing because they could have done more with his storyline, he’s the most athletic of the poets and has an awkward friendship with Ginny Danburry, his reason for not joining the society was that he didn’t really get it and I think they could have made him into a more interesting character by giving him more moments with Ginny and having him do more at the party than assault Chris, he could have brought all the poets and that would have been such an interesting plot point, having all the boys interact with public school students.

“Might as well sit down until dinner,” Ginny suggested in an awkward moment of silence followed. “Chet only Wanted the Buick so they can go parking.” She confided with a blush, not being able to think about anything to say. 

Richard Cameron:

Cameron’s betrayal in the book hits so much harder than in the film because he’s a real friend to the other poets, he’s the first and only one to ask where Todd is at their first study meeting, he calls a club meeting when Charlie asks him too, and he’s the most invested in Knox and Chris. Book Cameron also takes more indicative with the club, he reads from the poetry book something he doesn’t do in the movie. 

“Say what happened to Todd?” Cameron asked as they gathered up their books.” Said he wanted to do history,” Neil said. “Come on, Knox”, Cameron said.  “You’ll survive this chick. Maybe you'll think of something to win her love. Remember, seize the day,” Knox smiled. Got up from the couch and followed the boys to their rooms. 

Cameron took the book. “This is serious,” he said and began to read.

“You know what the dead poets would say” Cameron laughed, “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may…”

Cameron was still well-behaved and overly nervous but he felt like he genuinely cared about the others, kind of like Claire from Derry Girls. 

leave a ship or fandom suggestions for headcanons, fics or just questions in general and I'll do them if you want :)

[otdiaftg]

The King's Men - Chapter Three

Day: Thursday, January 4th Time: 7:40 PM EST

Wymack pounded on the wall, calling a pause to the scrimmage, as Neil headed for the door. Neil let himself onto the court and headed for the goal. Andrew slung his racquet across his shoulders at Neil's approach. Neil knew better than to call Andrew out with an audience, so he stopped as close to Andrew as he could and kept his voice down. "Coach wants to know what you have against the offense line." Andrew slid a look past Neil to the court wall. "He can ask me himself." "Or you can answer me since I'm already here," Neil said. "There are only nine of us left. If we lose anyone else we're out of spring championships. You know that." Neil waited a beat, but of course that wasn't enough to get a reaction. Andrew looked bored of this conversation already. Neil put a hand up in front of Andrew's face, neatly blocking his view of Wymack, and waited until Andrew looked at him again. "I want us to get to finals. I want us to be the ones who finally bring the Ravens down. After everything Riko's done to us, don't you want that, too?" "You say 'want' so freely," Andrew said, "when I have told you a thousand times before I want nothing." "Probably because you're spending all your energy on not wanting anything," Neil shot back. "But if you can't grasp that simple concept, I'll put this in terms you do understand: this is a game we can't afford to lose. This is how we get to Riko. This is the only thing we can take from him that will actually hurt. Let's rip his rank out of his fingers and show him he had a reason to fear us all along." "Do your teammates still think you're the quiet one?" Andrew asked. "Our teammates," Neil said, with emphasis, "want this as much as I do. Stop cutting them off at the knees before they have the chance to try." "I don't believe in giving people chances." "I didn't until I came here," Neil said. "I took a chance on you when I decided to stay. You took a chance on me when you trusted me with Kevin. Is it really that hard to support them when they've been with you every step of the way?" "What will you give me in exchange for my cooperation?" Andrew asked. "Because revenge isn't good enough?" Neil asked. "What would it take?" Andrew didn't have to think about it. "Show me your scars." It was not what Neil was expecting, which was probably why Andrew asked for it. Neil opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat. Wymack and Abby had already seen them, and the Foxes knew they were there. He'd put Andrew's hand to his ruined skin back in November to earn Andrew's trust. Neil had promised Andrew the missing parts of his truth if they survived the year. He hadn't thought Andrew would settle for a visual. "When?" he said at last. "We are going to Columbia tomorrow," Andrew said. "Now walk away and tell Coach to mind his pay grade. I will not let him get away with this a second time." Neil didn't understand, but he nodded and left.

Art used with permission by llstarvasterll. Thank you @llstarcasterll !

[charles-simmons-fanfiction]

Rehearsing - Todd Anderson / Neil Perry

Description: It's raining, Todd is almost falling asleep, and Neil is reading his lines for his next play for the millionth time. [Fluff, 600 words]

It's canon that Todd helps Neil with practicing for his plays, so I wanted to write one these times in a warm/soft vibe. Wrote this one purely for comfort. Might write more fics like this. Just small moments of their lifes y'know. Feel free to make requests if you have any idea. Anyway, hope you enjoy it <3

Neil was rehearsing lines for his next play, again.

Todd could swear he knew all those lines back and forth by now. He didn't complain though, it was always nice to help with rehearsing. There was something special in seeing Neil this genuinely happy and excited with something. His happiness was contagious in a way.

"Parting is such a sweet sorrow..." He stamped his feet on the floor as he read the lines, something he always did whenever he was too excited or anxious.

"...that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow" Todd completed in his head, without saying anything. Sometimes, he would help by saying another's character's lines, so Neil could practice dialogues how they are. But for the most part, his "helping" was pretty much just keeping him company, listening to the lines and correcting him if needed.

If it wasn't raining, they would've done this outside. Next to the lake, probably. It's where they usually go. Not that it was all that bad staying inside for once. Todd was tired and their room could be small, but it could also be very cozy. The sound of the rain, slightly muffled by the window, just added to the feeling.

The clock showed 11:02. "It's not that late" Todd thought as he yawned, "There's still time to rehearse this scene at least five more times".

Outside it was already very dark, and the rain made it even harder to see anything. Todd watched as the drops of water on the window fell. Hugging his knees and leaned against the wall as he listened to Romeo and Juliet attentively, as if he hadn't already millions of times.

"Todd?"

"Hm?" He looked at his friend. His eyes obviously sleepy, while Neil's were wide awake.

"We can do this tomorrow if you're too tired," He suggested.

"No, there's no need to"

"You look like you'll fall asleep any second now" That was probably true. "I'm sure I can manage on my own"

"I know you can," Todd laid down, keeping his eyes open. He wasn't quite sure why he cared so much. He could simply go to sleep and let Neil keep practicing on his own, but for some reason he wanted to be awake with him. Everything felt so nice to just sleep it through.

Neil looked at him for a few moments, then got up from the desk he was sitting at. "Move over"

Todd sat up with a groan, giving space for Neil to sit next to him. After that, Neil lightly pulled him down, so Todd's head was laying on his lap.

"Hm?" His tone could be interpreted as either confusion or exhaustion. Or both of them.

"Sleep. I'll keep rehearsing" Neil said softly. And he did go back to what he was doing, repeating the lines quieter this time.

Todd took a few moments to process what he said and how comfortable he was. He let out a content sigh as he gave in to the tiredness.

He took one last glance at the actor close to him before closing his eyes. Neil's smile was so bright and Todd couldn't help but smile too as he tried to focus on Romeo and Juliet coming from the sweetest voice he had ever heard. The warm atmosphere making him even more comfortable and everything simply felt a bit better.

And as Neil's hands gently stroked his hair, soothing him, Todd started to fall asleep.

[nyxiannas]

Hello! Here’s my writing request:

Camp Camp Max x gn!reader who is a perfectionist + extroverted + fluff

Prompt: This could be aged up or not, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea, but imagine if Max was trying to ask out reader after being friends/having a crush on them for a while originally trying to be low-key about it cus. It’s Max. But because the camp full of nosy people everyone finds out and wants to “help” him get the girl/guy! (Their words) Unfortunately it ends with the Mess Hall caught on fire, Wolves all around the area, Robots butlers attacking the camp and everyone screamed and running for cover. With Max now being more done/embarrassed than ever about to call it quits trying to forget this day even happened before the reader having now just figuring out what the whole plan blurts out the question ”Do you want to go out with me?!” Leaving Max speechless, happy, momentarily confused, flustered, and only slightly pissed cause he wanted to say ask first

I wanted to say it first. || Max (CC) [♡]

Genre, writing style; fluff, perfectionist/extroverted! Reader

Reader pronouns; gender neutral

Tws; none

Overall thoughts; if the camp camp fandom won't revive itself, I WILL!!🔥

Might be a little ooc cuz I haven't watched camp camp in quite a bit and the series isn't free on YouTube anymore so I'm just going by how they all acted in the first episode and the specials....💔💔

You came to Camp Campbell later than all the others, but David still welcomed you in open arms.

Hot outside, and figuring out where to sit in the mess hall with slop on your tray. You went to the table where Nikki, Neil, and Max sat.

Nikki and Neil took quite a liking to you. Although Neil isn't too fond of new places and people, he thought you'd be fine to hang out around. Nikki likes almost anyone who's nice to her, despite acting like a wild animal at times.

Max, not so much. It took quite a while for him to get used to you, having a sudden new member of the camp and not even having a real introduction or a way to make a position for yourself.

But, after a while of hanging out, Max realized that even though he acted like he wasn't fond of you, his thoughts were different.

-and slowly, he accepted that he liked you, and wasn't in denial about it anymore.

Fighting the need to tell you how he felt whenever you two hung out without the other two, he really had no idea what to do or how to tell you.

But, his behavior around you was noticed by the other kids' people at camp, how he was relatively nicer to you than the rest, that wasn't normal.

Slowly, they connected the peices together, and most of them realized that he had taken a liking to you in a different approach, and they really wanted to play a part in helping him.

"WHAT!"

Max thought he was being subtle about his 'slight' crush on [name], or he thought he was being subtle about it.

"You do!!" Nikki gasped. She didn't think it was all that true, considering that it was Max, and he hated anything and everything.

Sitting on the Camp Dock, with Neil and Preston nearby, trying to work on a new sciency thing and Preston was the test subject.

"You like [name]?" Neil asked. He had a feeling that it was true after observing how Max acted around [name], noticing that his demeanor was quite different from how he acted around the camps counselors and everyone else who attended.

"Oh, is it true? THE Max doesn't find someone a nuisance?" Preston dramatically accompanied Neil, astonished that Max could even learn how to love.

"I DO NOT." Max retorted. He didn't want anyone to actually know about his feelings, but it was a good chance to establish a way to finally tell [name] how he really felt.

"It is alright, Max, we shall help you on your quest to get the person of your dreams!" Preston said, supporting the idea of trying to help Max with his crush. Maybe it would make him a decent-enough person.

"Alright, operation 'Help Max try to get a partner and maybe he'll be a better person to everyone' is a go!" Nikki said enthusiastically.

After Nikki tried to gather everyone who would help with it, besides the counselors. She got Dolph, Harrison, Nerris, and Ered to play a part in the 'operation'.

"Could've had a shorter name, but.." Neil trailed, sitting in the Mess Hall, before lunch started. Trying to figure out an approving plan and scenario to have Max confess.

"Whatever, we need a plan first, then we can work on the stupid name." Max said bluntly, wanting to get it over with and have the future plan go smoothly, and hopefully, by the end of it, he would have a partner.

"Oh! We could have Ered try to help the Quartermaster with the food in the kitchen!" Nikki practically set her idea on the table. Everyone went with it.

"I can make a picnic area on top of my tower, so you both can have a good view!" Nerris added, wanting a part.

"No, they'll eat while watching my amazing magic show!" Harrison argued, starting a debate where Max and [Name] would bring their food to.

"Nobody cares about your dumb magic show, Harrison!" Nerris argued back

"My towers way better, and more magical than your magic show ever could!"

"How about they watch me paint, my paintings are quite exquisite." Dolph interrupted.

"NO!" Nerris and Harrison yelled at the same time.

"How about the two get their food from Ered, then go to Nerris's tower to eat, then watch or try to help Dolph with a painting, and then watch Harrisons magic show." Neil stopped the three of them from arguing about something stupid. Elaborating in a way the three of them would understand.

"Fine." The three of them said in usion, agreeing on the idea.

Soon after the plan was set, lunch started, and everyone was set into place, Ered ran to the kitchen, trying to figure out what to help the Quartermaster with. Nerris quickly drew a little picnic blanket on the top of her tower, where [Name] and Max would sit, watching everything from above. Dolph, with his little legs, went to his painting set up and got everything into place, and Harrison set up his magic tricks he would show off.

Nobody knows what went wrong with the mess hall besides Ered and the Quartermaster, Ered got permission from the Quartermaster. Originally, the food was going to be the signature slop that they got almost every single day.

Until Ered wanted to 'make it cool' and added something she found in the back of the kitchen pantry, added it into the food without the Quartermaster looking, and after a bit, mixed into the food, and blew up the kitchen, setting the Mess Hall ablaze.

Everyone evacuated, the explosion was so loud, it led wolves to the camp, feeding on the extra food that flew out from the explosion. Some were eating the slop, and one was biting on Space Kid's weird helmet, dragging him around.

Max quickly grabbed [name] and ran from the camp, trying to take cover from everything happening back at the Mess Hall.

Embarrassed from how the plan failed miserably, dragging [name] into the forest to try and confess at the last minute.

"Max- I think we should get back. We're going too far away!" [Name] suggested, stopping in their tracks and almost making Max fall backward from the sudden stop.

Wiping off the dirt from their outfit, quickly piecing everything together. Suddenly, everyone wanted to help in everything, Ered never wanted to participate unless she had to, Nerris wanting them and Max to quickly come into her tower to do something, Max's behavior from the passed few weeks.

They had a slight crush on Max, too, after around a month of being friends, the feelings developed, and putting the peices together only made the crush grow.

Catching their breath from the running and stopping behind a tree, they had to get their feelings out now that they were sure that Max felt the same way.

"Max!- wait-" They panted, leaning against the tree,

"Was everyone acting strange, and being productive around the camp.. all for me?-"

"A setup, I mean.." They had to make sure, whenever they came into the Mess Hall or tried to go near almost anyone's main place to hang out, they were quickly escorted out.

"And- you were acting strange.. too," confronting Max of everything that happened, noticing the slight redness on his cheeks.

"Well, I-" Max was soon interrupted.

"No! Wait- what I'm trying to ask is- do you like me?" They asked, impatiently, not waiting to hear whatever excuse Max had in store.

"Uhm- yeah?-" Max muttered, slightly pissed off that he wasn't able to start it off like he wanted.

"Do you want to go out with me?!-" They blurted out, cutting him off. Very happy that now they knew it was for real, heart racing.

Silence, Max was thinking about it, confused, flustered, and angry.

"..."

".. Yes." He agreed, he wanted to ask it first, but they beat him to it.

"But, I wanted to ask fir-"

"YIPPIE!!"

After thoughts; Hi

I took like 2 hours writing this and half of it was trying to figure out what font it would be in

and I found all the rest of the camp camp episodes while writing this so I had more to go off of

I didn't add in the robots part even tho it was a good idea I just couldn't figure out how to add them in😭😭

Thank you for requesting, and hopefully, this was good enough (this work will go into editing later cuz I left out some ideas I had but realized that this was long as BALLS but the more the merrier right🤫🤫)

[xsoulxsilencex]

I feel like we have to talk about Yuna especially after the episode 136 spoiler dropped.

But first of: Whatever I say here is NOT character hate. If anything, I'm criticizing the way Yuna's written. I feel like her character could've worked but the way it's executed is just meh. (also I don't think it's too early to judge her writing when we're like 4 months away of Go Rush's ending)

(post might get updated when we get the subs for the rest of the episodes of this arc)

Yuna started off as a girl Yudias and the Ohdo twins had to find in arc 2. Someone who was very into Rovian (the main antag of arc 2), basically her right-hand woman and getting angry (and sometimes violent) at anyone who didn't appreciate Rovian and her space poems.

But there were also signs that she cared about someone else a lot too considering how pissed she was about Yudias having a duel disk she somehow seemed to recognize that it didn't belong to him. After Yuga properly showed up at the end of arc 3 and Yudias explained that it was him helping him out with cards and a duel disk, it's clear that he's the one Yuna cares about.

In Season 2, we get to know that Yuna doesn't just care for Yuga but is in love with him. Up to the point she's also ready to leave Rovian behind, the one she used to be so crazy about. Ngl, I found her pretty annoying in that season since she randomly yelled at (and assaulted) Manabu for not letting her see Yuga despite Manabu told her she can do that after Yuga helped them. And there was also her accusing Asaka for not helping her because of her own crush on Yuga. It kinda sucks that this is how they went with Yuna considering at the start of arc 8, she was also worried about the Velgearians but one episode later, she was already thinking more about Yuga (while being aware that she should help her friends instead) and another episode later, she was just all about Yuga. Like why? From arc 8 on, she was really like "screw the Velgearians, Yuga is all that matters".

With season 3, Yuna takes a turn that's kinda hard to watch for me. So she sides with Dark Meister aka Yuamu, takes over Mutsuba Town and then it turns out she just pretended to be on Yuamu's side so she can reach her own goal - which is to see Yuga again. She even made Time Machine to make her dream come true. There's also her being heavily delusional about a married life with Yuga (?) in the episode where the writers tried to bait us with random af Zwijo/Yuamu which eventually was just Zeyet pushing Yuamu into this idea. I really thought after the stupid episode about Yuna being married to Yuga and having Yudias and co. as babies during Kuaidul Spacetime, we wouldn't have to deal with this kind of delulu again but here we are now and Yuna doesn't have an excuse like back in arc 7...

I've said at the beginning that a character like Yuna could've worked but Go Rush does a bad job with her. Why? Because we barely know Yuna. All we know from her is that she runs Goha Company (now Goha Corporation) and she probably didn't do an amazing job at it since it was about to get bankrupt if Yuga hadn't showed up and helped her out. (which was likely one of the reasons she fell for him) But that's it? We don't know anything about Yuna's family. Does she have parents? Grandparents? Anyone else who could be her guardian since she's a minor? Like sure, we already had kids in Sevens running business but Asana had her grandfather and the Goha Siblings had at least Proprietress? A drone grandma is better than nobody. (same with Sebastian being there for Neil) Meanwhile Yuna's never shown with someone who checks on her.

Us not knowing anything about Yuna's (family) background makes it hard for me to understand why exactly she's willing to throw everything away for Yuga. I'm sorry but a simple "she's 13 so just a teenager who can be selfish when in love" isn't a good enough reason for me for her actions and I've seen that excuse too many times. You can have a big crush without taking over your town and likely messing with time. Antagonists doing bad things for love do exist but they get explanations for their (wrong) doings. Yuna has nothing but her crush on Yuga - a guy with whom she wasn't seen spending time together outside of flashbacks or a delusion; a guy we don't even know about how he feels about Yuna. (probably nothing but friendship since I can't see Yuga actually admitting to love someone romantically rn)

And I have to mention that too but it's honestly weird to see some people saying that you must be a misogynist if you dislike/criticize Yuna? I've never seen anyone saying you must hate guys if you criticize male characters. (and the amount of shit Yuhi got for simply getting more focus than Yuamu in s2 was already insane like dude wasn't even an antag there but people shittalked him worse than actual GR antags)

So yeah, that's all I have to say for Yuna rn. I'm pretty sad about her "development" since starting off as annoying/mean can be fine if you get better later but she doesn't in my opinion. She goes from obsessed with Rovian to obsessed with Yuga. Rovian saying in ep 128 that Yuna is now following nobody and basically doing her own thing (which is treated as positive development) feels like a bad joke when her own actions lead to some big problems and that's all just for Yuga.

My wish for Yuna was to eventually grow out of revolving her life around a specific person but Idk if I will get that before GR ends. And no, her having a crush on Yuga isn't the problem - the real problem is what this crush causes her to do now. And I wished more people would understand that instead of just defending her with flimsy reasons. I don't hate Yuna or any other GR character but dang, I really wished she got better writing.

[mercurygray]

Seashells from the March prompts for Marion, please?

George, I hope you don't mind I went in a slightly different direction for this. It's Marion, but it's...not. This is also for the Kind Anonymous Friend who asked for Harding's departure.

He still couldn't believe he'd left them.

His bedroom at Walter Reed was terribly empty - white walls, an iron bedstead also enameled in white, a bedside table, a small chair, a tray on wheels they could place over his bed if he wanted to get work done - if he'd had any work to do, that is. But Neil Harding hadn't been allowed to take any work with him. The 100th doesn't go off ops, and neither do I. He'd been saying it for weeks, even as he was doubled over in pain at his desk and Doc Stover was begging him to tell him what was wrong.

Well. They knew now. Gallstones - a whole lot of them. Easy enough to treat if you got to them early, but he hadn't done that, had he, and now he was back stateside, and his boys were still in it.

They needed me, and I left them.

His boys - and Marion.

There hadn't been a lot of time for good-byes, as they'd been rushing him to the hospital in London, and then straight onto an air evac flight back to the States to recover. He could do a month of bedrest just as easily in DC as he could in England, and there were boys who needed the space close to the war. The Army Medical Department seemed to think he was a total loss, as far as combat readiness was concerned, but he had things to do in England - people who needed him!

Who's going to take care of you, now? Who's looking out for my best girl?

They weren't the kind of instructions you could commit to paper. Red - please look after Marion. Look after, like she needed someone to check on her health. What she needed was someone to kiss her good night - to rub her shoulders and rub her out and fill her hot water bottle and cradle her, very gently, after having sex, at least once a night but perhaps twice. And the particular someone who should have been doing it was presently across an ocean, eating milk porridge and having a full shift of nurses fuss over his stitches and his wound dressing and his bowel movements, like he was some old fogey who would forget things if he wasn't asked.

It wasn't prison, but damn if it didn't feel close. There was a hospital library, and they delivered the papers every day. He was allowed his cigars, and if they liked the progress of his stitches they'd put him back on solid food soon. And they tried for some comforts, where discipline and order could fit them in. One of the nurses had set up his framed picture of Doris and the girls right where he could see it, on the dresser across from his bed. "That's better, now, isn't it, sir?" she'd asked with a sunny smile. "Can I get you anything else, while I'm here?"

He wanted her to take the picture down, but that would look bad. The woman herself would be here in a few days, but until then, he wanted to remain in the war, with the comforts he'd found here. "Lieutenant, there's a…a seashell, in my footlocker, in the top tray." It should have still been there, wrapped in a handkerchief. "Could you - could you put that out, too?" She nodded, and went to check his trunk, before pulling it out - a small, soft, pink spiral of a shell, the kind that you could hear the ocean in, if you held it to your ear. She set it down near the photograph like the two belonged together. "On the - the other side of the dresser, please."

She moved it, as instructed. "A good memory, I hope?"

Neil looked at it and thought of the ocean, and a walk along a barbed-wire edged breakwater in Southwold, a rare private weekend away. She'd found the shell in between the stones, tossed up by a storm. Your favorite color, he'd joked, stroking the pink with his thumb. Your favorite shape, she tossed back, and he realized how the swirl of the shell echoed the curve of a breast, peaking into a pink tip. He'd slipped it into his pocket like a talisman, careful not to break it, and that night he'd kissed those breasts over and over again like he might somehow commit them to memory.

Was it just one memory? No, more than that. But the nurse didn't need to know that. He had left - but she had stayed, and would remain until the stars went out. At least they could depend on her. Neil smiled and nodded, thinking of a woman in a pristine army uniform, laughing in his room's single chair. "The best."

[msookyspooky]

Fours a Franchise

Part 7

wordcount: 8,567

  Your face scrunched up with a groan as a very loud, persistent knocking sounded on the front door. You stretched up, looking around yourself to see daylight pouring into the living room. You rubbed at your eyes as you heard the banging get louder.

"Hey! YN! Randy! Open up!" Gale yelled, banging louder.

You got up, groaning and feeling your limbs stiffen up. "God...OKAY!" You yelled in a raspy voice, sleep heavy in your eyes as you groggily looked through the peephole and then opened the door.

Gale burst in, dressed in an all white feminine suit with dainty gold jewelry, slender high heels, hair flowing in long dark curls and a fresh face of makeup.

She gave you a disgruntled look. "You look like shit. it's 7:30."

You gave her an annoyed look right back, eyes squinting at her. "No shit, it's 7:30!...Why didn't you send a text or just call?"

"Randy didn't answer my call and you didn't answer my text so I decided to just pop in and wake you up instead."

'Yeah. Out of spite.' You thought.

She walked past you. "Sorry but the rest of the world gets up by this time. Not everyone can stay home on Court ordered money."

You rolled your eyes into the back your head. "Considering you've been a bit of a homemaker yourself the last few years; I don't think you get to throw stones." She flipped you off while walking by. "And I travel for book tours, you know! There's a difference between planning on getting up and someone waking you by just barging in!"

"Don't care. Where's Randy?"

You gave her a glare as Randy shuffled out of his room. Rubbing his face and his hair standing almost straight up in a messy heap on his head. "God damn it, Gale. What are you doing in my house this early?..."He looked your way. "YN. Didn't I tell you to not leave the door open too long? The ex journalist might run in under your feet."

Gale gave him a threatening smirk. "Ha. Ha. Ha." Before dropping that smirk and leaning forward. "Should've answered my call, you ingrat. Now get your asses up! I have potential suspects and I'm not running late."

Randy groaned and went to shuffle to the kitchen counter. "Wait, let me get my coffee first-"

"No! I'll buy it for us on the way. Go get freshened up. You'll scare people looking like that." She ordered. Randy went to argue and she snapped. "I can persuade Dewey to issue a ticket for that stop sign and speeding and evading cops. Remember that."

Randy rolled his eyes, arms up before they fell to his sides and he went to the bathroom.

You stretched your neck as you at least grabbed water to drink. "Uh, who says we're even working with you? Last time I checked, me and Randy were trying to get the fuck away from the killer this time; not go towards them."

"Who got you both out of jail?" She gave a cocky look your way.

"Oh sorry! I thought that was just showing your friends a kindness; not blackmail." You leaned against the counter. "We weren't even charged with anything; It's not like we were behind bars. Besides, I thought you were going rogue?"

"Yeaahh, from my husband... Thinking he can cut me off the case. Me!? Even Detective Kincaid wanted my help in Hollywood but my own husband doesn't want it?! OH but that bitch Judy he has no problem-"

You zoned out as she ranted. You hadn't even heard the name in years until the last few days. The mention of his name and the Hollywood case made his image pop up in your mind. It was a fleeting thought but you still wondered if he had lived how much better all this would be? Could have permanently cleared your name, told Randy and Dewey the truth, lived without fear,  possibly had a semi normal life with Billy and Stu behind bars...Maybe even have a husband and or a family one day? Who knows! You never got a chance to know and never would. You may not have 'loved' him but you could have. You certainly had feelings for him that were budding before Neil shot that chance down.

"YN." You could still hear his voice in your mind after so many years and still vividly remember the twinkle in his blue eyes whenever he looked at you. He was one of those people that touched your life no matter how short of a time you knew him.

"YN?...YN!"

You snapped out of it. Looking at Gale staring at you intently.

"YN, are you even fucking listening to me?" She gave with a mocking expression as you stammered at first.

"U-Uh...Sorry. I spaced out."

Gale huffed in annoyance but looked at you a moment. Gale was a lot of things but of all those things you couldn't deny her being observant. It was what got her famous and made her a TV sensation in the 90s. She was definitely more observant than Dewey and probably even more than Randy. Her features softened as she must have realized the exact moment you spaced out.

"...You miss him, don't you?"

"Huh?" You blinked repeatedly.

"Kincaid."

You looked down in silence a moment. "...Sometimes. It feels stupid to miss him. We only knew each other for a few days."

Gale exhaled through her nose with a tight frown. "No, it's not.... Without being too sappy, I knew Dewey just a few days during the first Woodsboro Massacre and...Here we are." She showed her ring on her left hand.

You gave a nod and looked up at her as she settled across from you near the table and gave you a slight smile. "Okay...YN, I might need your help."

"...My help?" You mumbled with a raised brow.

"Yes. Just hear me out, okay." Gale tilted her head. "Because if you're with me; we're going back to Woodsboro High."

You stared at her. "...What am I? 17? You woke me up barging in here yelling at me to get up to go back to School?"

Gale gave you a serious look. "Just hear me out. I think your fanboys at the Cinema Club might have answers to all this."

"...Cinema Club?" Randy came out having his hair more tamed and a green shirt on with a jean jacket and khakis. "Did you say, Cinema Club?... At Woodsboro High?"

"You heard of it?" Gale asked.

Randy huffed with a bewildered grin. "Heard of it? I technically helped get it started! Kind of." He stood by you and you could smell the mint toothpaste and spicy cologne as he leaned next to you on the counter across from Gale.

"So, how did you somehow help invent that stupid little club?" She asked.

"Two boys a few years back came into the video store looking for hard to find horror flicks they couldn't get anywhere else. I helped them pick out the best movies to show their classmates and talked them into a movie club after they heard about how film class was for me in college. I didn't realize they actually did it though! Just the name they came up with if they ever did do it."

Gale tilted her chin upward and asked. "Who were the kids?"

"Uh, Charlie Walker and Robbie...What's his face."

Gale sighed. "Yep. Those are the future basement dwellers I talked to."

"Hey, I was that kid once and look at me now."

She gave an amused look. "Once? You're wearing a jean jacket and khakis combo in 2011." Then she looked at you. "What are you doing still standing around? Go get cleaned up and let's go!"

"God, don't they host it in the evening or something as an after-school activity? It's in the middle of the week!" You exclaimed.

"It's Friday. It's a big day for those little weirdos so they're having it a little earlier than usual. Right before lunch period. "

"Oh...Damn, I thought it was Wednesday. Time flies when a murderer is trying to off you." Before giving Randy an exasperated look. "Why do I feel like you're right and we should just barricade ourselves in here with snacks and movies till the killer is caught?"

Gale answered for Randy. "You know damn well you aren't going to sit around and wait for the killer to come to you or kill more innocent kids. And the killer would just barge in and probably kill you both when you least expect it."

"How convenient would that be..." You rolled your eyes at yourself with a groan as you went to get cleaned up.

✦

You got out of Gale's car. Not a bad car at all but not exactly her new Benz she had a decade prior either. The police car assigned to follow you guys parked right behind you. You stepped out with a brown suede jacket, camisole, jeans and boots. Nothing to fancy or out there as you walked behind Randy and Gale. You got a few stares. Frowning and looking down when a few kids openly took pictures of you on their phones.

"If it isn't the media flashing cameras in my face, it's everyday people now."

Gale smiled as she walked ahead, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "It's legal, Thank god. It makes journalism so much easier. Why hunt down the story when kids just upload it for you?"

Randy huffed. "Marrying your cousin is legal in places; doesn't mean I'm gonna do it. I mean, seriously. Did we take out our cameras and take pictures of random people as teens just because we could??" He imitated having a camera in your face and you shoved his hands away.

You sighed. "Yeah but I'm not a random person...It may be rude but they're kids. Can't blame them for taking snapshots of the local celebrity before she's on the chopping block."

"I can." Randy grumbled. "...My kids will be raised to have at least a little bit of decency."

Gale chuckled in a mocking tone. "Yeah, yeah. You keep thinking that. The second they walk out that door all home training will be out the window. Smoking cigarettes and pot, maybe popping some pills, drinking for sure, sex. And most of all, being rude little shits."

Randy huffed. "Maybe YOU were like that considering your wonderful personality now...We all saw the college photos circulating on the net-"

Gale whipped around with a finger in his face and a glare. "Hey! Those were photoshopped." He raised an unconvinced brow as she turned back around and marched towards the doors. "Devils advocate; So what if I DID possibly go to a few college parties while I was still in Highschool? Just because you were a little nerd as a teen doesn't mean your kids will be."

Randy gave her an offended look to the back of her head. "I drank! I partied, okay?! But I also wasn't a rude asshole either."

He looked at you to see if you agreed. "Eh...True but a few teens being dicks is nothing new, Ray. I'm sure we were too; we just don't remember. " You shrugged. Stu being the first 'asshole' teen you remembered along with a good makority of kids at his party e en if you didn't say it outloud.

"Feels like this generation is exceptional with that. They have zero shame or respect for people or...Oh Jesus, I sound like my freaking Dad." He cringed with a whine and hung his head.

You couldn't help the amused smirk on your face. "Congratulations! In a few years you'll be manicuring your lawn, not knowing how to work technology, watching news and politics for fun and then yelling at kids for stepping on your perfectly trimmed grass."

"Do you want me to have some weird quarter life crisis? I'm 33, okay? Stop." He loudly groaned at that and you just laughed it off. Perkin's followed behind you a couple of yards away.

You all walked in the building and it was like a blast from your past. You stared awestruck that not too much had changed and yet just enough had changed to make you feel out of place...How many times you walked these halls flooded your memory. Images of how teens looked when you were a teen replaced with the modern era. All the teens were like little kids to you now versus your peers. The clothes were throwing you off too compared to the 90's...You knew 15 years was a long time but It was still such a stark contrast from your teen years; you couldn't help staring with a sad feeling in your chest at how much your life had gone by in a blink of an eye...And half of it seemed like you had nothing but people trying to kill you.

"Everything alright, Miss YN?" Perkin's asked behind you.

You were silent a moment.  "...Yeah, just taking it all in." You faltered before smiling and nodded as you saw Gale and Randy walking ahead and forced yourself to follow them. Going to the back of the school and seeing the 'Cinema Club' in a banner overtop of a small classroom. You went in as Perkin's stood guard outside.

It wasn't long before you walked in and took a seat, all eyes on you as Randy sat beside you, marveling at the posters. He whispered. "Look at this place! Teen Randy would be over the fucking moon! Why didn't this exist in school when we went?!"

You couldn't resist smiling as he had his arms on the desk and a huge grin on his face. Not even looking at you as he looked up at all the posters on the wall. Just seeing youths appreciate cinema the way he did made him look 15 years younger.

You leaned towards him and whispered back. "Because you would have been the only member." He gave you a look and you chuckled. "...Kidding! I don't know but isn't it great that so many kids seem to be here?"

"I know! In the 90's those jocks and preppy kids in the back wouldn't be caught dead here. Maybe not even the burn outs or the grungy kids."

"See? At least this generation is a little more inclusive than ours."

Gale stayed standing and leaned down to mumble. "Well, I think It helps when there's murders going around and the people that survived them are at this club today to possibly give advice."

Randy frowned and puffed air past his lips while putting his chin in his hand. "Thanks for raining on my parade, Gale. You gonna go kick a puppy after this? Maybe shove a kid on the sidewalk on your way home?"

You looked around and saw Kirby as she looked up from her phone and waved at you. You smiled and waved back...However, you felt eyes boring into you. That unnerving feeling you were being watched as you looked slightly behind her to see some boy...Straight up staring you down. You stared back, raising your brows slightly as a silent 'Can I help you??' message as he glared but didn't look away. You turned back around with a grimace as he kept staring.

Gale noticed and so did Randy as they both looked at him and he looked away.

Gale raised a brow. "Told you we might find suspects here."

You released a heavy sigh. "...Great."

Soon two teen boys came in. Both were shorter, especially compared to a few teen boys standing up near the back of the classroom, still talking. Both looked like average kids. Except one had a stupid looking camera headset on. Messing with it as the long haired boy addressed the room while walking around.

"Okay Cinema Club, may I have your attention gentleman and...Ladies-" He inclined his head to Kirby as she gave him a mocking smile back. "We are now in session. Welcome...I'll tell you a little bit about ourselves; we are a sanctioned after-school activity one run below Glee Club but two above Nintendo Wii Fit Club." A few chuckles sounded out as he continued. "However, thanks to the recent events and the Principal's anxiety over said recent events; we are hosting a little earlier than usual...And let me just say...To our guest, YN, it's an honor."

He gave with a slight smile as he stood next to his friend with the headset and everyone clapped. You stood up and forced a smile for the room as the kids clapped and gave you a warm welcome. You noticed the boy behind Kirby didn't clap...Just glared at you.

The boy you guessed was Robbie with the headset chimed in. "Beyond Jamie Lee Curtis and forget Linda Blair. I mean, this is the ultimate." He gave with a hand wave and a huge excited smile.

Charlie then gestured to Randy. "And we can't forget the other Woodsboro survivor, Randy Meeks. Who personally helped Cinema Club become what it is today. He taught me and Robbie everything we know. The OG, everyone." Charlie raised a hand upward towards Randy as everyone clapped too. You nudged Randy to stand up too when you heard his name as he gave a surprised look then a slight smirk as he waved.

Gale gave Charlie a death stare. Clearly miffed she wasn't mentioned but didn't audibly say it. You and Randy sat back down as people stopped clapping. You had to admit being behind a school desk again was strange.

You gave a slight forced chuckle, unsure what to say as Robbie pointed his camera at you. "Thanks. I guess. Um...This-" You gestured to Robbie's headset by pointing at your own head. "You film your entire High School experience and post it on the net or?-"

Robbie nodded. "Everybody will be doing it someday, YN."

"It's kind of the one component the killer is missing." Charlie off handedly commented.

"Wait." Gale interrupted as she went from standing to the side of the class near you and Randy's desk to walking towards both of them a bit as her heels clicked against the floor. "What do you mean?"

Charlie clarified. "Well. If you want to be the 'new' new version; the killer should be filming the murders."

You and Randy gave each other surprised looks before turning back to them.

Robbie added. "I mean, that's like the natural next step slasher psycho innovation." His hands fell in his lap as he shrugged before gesturing to the class. "I mean, you film them all, real time, and then before you get caught; you upload them into cyberspace."

"Like the dark web?" You asked.

Charlie nodded. "Sort of. It will end up there but if you posted it to Twitter or Instagram or Facebook it's bound to circulate around before the site admins can take it down. Getting it out there to average people that save it to their device and reupload it for views before authorities can get it under control...Make your art as immortal as you." He pointed in the direction of Kirby and Trevor.

Both boys answered simultaneously. "Not to implicate him."

You asked slowly. "So...Who do you think is behind the murders?"

Charlie opened his mouth then closed it trying to think of the answer as Robbie got closer to you with his headset. The light blinked as you stared at it.

"Well uh, it's a Stab fanatic. Clearly." Charlie gave. "Working on less of a Screaquel and more Scream-make. Copyrighted terms, by the way."

Randy's eyes lit up before he groaned with a shake of his head. Robbie's camera directed onto him as he ranted. "A remake? No...No, no, no just-" He stood up to address the class. "This is clearly a franchise, people."

Charlie smirked with a slight huff. "Well, with due respect Randy, you've been out of the game for a while."

Randy huffed. "Oh really, new meat? Okay. I can see the confusion of thinking this is a remake IF...YN wasn't here or some awful shit happened to her like she was the opening kill or something like that or she was just a minor cameo character-" He pointed to you and Robbie's camera followed with his sight of vision before going back to Randy. "However...She is here. She is targeted. She's still the main attraction. If the old killer would have killed her but it's still happening to a new set of characters and a new final girl in Woodsboro with the same shtick as the other installments; THEN it's a remake. I'm leaning more towards a franchise here."

Robbie looked back at Randy, giving an almost mocking face. "O-kay but what if the killer is trying to get rid of the main cast to make it a remake with the new characters? Then what?"

Randy gave him a shrug. "Perhaps. A remake keeps the original storyline but revolves around a new cast sometimes with a cameo from an old character or killing that old character off."

"So it's completely new?" Gale mumbled.

"No if it was set in a different town with no previous lore or backstories and different characters; that's a reboot. A remake still has some lore or the same town or a few characters or the killer that is the same. Friday the 13th, My Bloody Valentine 3D, that god awful Nightmare on Elm Street last year-"

Some guy in the back said. "Hey! What's wrong with that movie? It's better than the old one!"

"Of course you think that. It looks like it matches your comprehension skills-" Randy mumbled while looking around and speaking a bit louder. "This is the fourth round. YN and us other Legacy characters are still targets-"

The dark haired boy glaring at you spoke up with a scowl. "Are you? Because I think Jill is the one that almost died 2 nights ago and who the killer called twice. And it was her best friend that died...In fact, none of this happened to her until SHE showed back up."

Robbie whipped his head to him and adjusted his headset. "Trevor trying to pin the blame on YN. Accurate or suspicious?" He seemed to ask his audience.

Chattering sounded throughout the classroom as you looked back at Trevor who gave you a challenging look.

Kirby whipped her head to scoff at Trevor behind her, leaning back her seat. "YN was the one who drove off the killer, Trevor...And how do you know the killer called Jill twice? Last time I checked, she wasn't speaking to you."

He leaned forward with a smug smirk. "Yeah well, looks like Jill is following her heart instead of what her noisy friend thinks. We talked."

Kirby scoffed with a bewildered grin. "When you're stalking her or?-"

Trevor ignored her. "YN here didn't have a single knife wound when she was attacked...How is that? That she didn't get a scratch on her while everyone around her are all being picked off...Angel of Death." He growled out.

Gale waved a dismissive hand. "Let's not divert back to that tired ass storyline, alright? Unlike you kids, us adults are actually working with the police to solve this instead of blaming YN's presence on something some dumbass was gonna do regardless."

Trevor, Robbie and Charlie all looked like they wanted to say something but Randy cut them all off. "Look, kids. There's always a group of people in every movie connected somehow to the main cast because the final girl is running out of friends being slaughtered every installment so movies have to introduce new ones. It's just a fact whether it's right or wrong!...I'm telling you all as someone that lived through this multiple times; we're in a damn Franchise."

He held up a finger to everyone. "Now since we're in a Franchise; There are certain rules for a continuing franchise that we can follow in order to hopefully survive. Because you know why? Because without them, it would just be a shitty run of the mill Sequel to be forgotten with all the others... So without further ado let's discuss the rules to hope to survive this shit. Rule one: everything is bigger than last time." He walked around the room while listing off his fingers. "Bigger budget, bigger cast, bigger body count. Longer chases, shoot outs, beheadings." He excitedly threw his hands out. "You gotta top what came before in order to keep people coming back."

Kirby raised a brow with a bewildered smirk. "...Beheadings?"

Randy gave an almost wildly excited grin down at her. "Beheadings." He walked away and you saw the amused look on Kirby's face as he ranted. If you didn't know Randy, he'd be suspect number one with how excited he was talking about this.

"Rule two: Whatever happened last time; forget it! Expect the opposite. Franchises only survive by subverting expectations." He looked at the class as he stood near Robbie and Charlie. "If the killers last time were grown men out for revenge while competing with each other in some macho alpha male pissing contest; expect the opposite. Because the opposite is always true in a franchise in order to keep the shit going and keep executives' pockets lined."

Robbie and Charlie exchanged looks as Randy circled near to your desk. He put his hand on it to look at you. "Rule Three: ...No one is safe. " He mumbled before standing back up fully to look at Gale who stood at the side of the classroom. "Legacy Characters? Cannon fodder at this point. Once the nostalgia has reached its peak; We're done! Because keeping legacy characters around feels too safe and too safe becomes redundant. Why do you think Stab 3 flopped? Because they preached that it was bigger stakes, then whoops; no one important fucking died. It was a pointless installment except for the killer's backstory."

A girl raised her hand then asked. "Uh...Didn't you die in 3??"

His features sagged into a light scowl. "No, that was in 2."

Gale scrunched her brows. "So a legacy character, huh?"

Charlie answered for Randy. "Oh that's...That's you guys. YN, Randy, You, Dewey. Anyone that was a player in the first movie."

Randy nodded at him like a proud teacher at his students getting it right. "There you go!" He walked back to the front of the class with a shake of his head and slashing his hand through the air. "That's not the worst part! You all have to understand that Franchises are just continuing episodic installments. It means the main characters are completely expendable now. Either they die or the most fucked up shit possible happens to them. Nancy Thompson-"

You interrupted him. "Okay...But you said this shit about her in a trilogy, Randy."

He shook his hand in a teetering motion with a shrug. "Eh, TECHNICALLY Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors was numerologically a trilogy but was more a franchise starter. What can I say? Now that this is happening for a fourth time, it changes the dynamic of the story here. Dream Warriors was the making of a true franchise. It made Freddy Krueger who he is today! Its tone, the lore, and killing off the one person to truly stop him in the past sealed it as a Franchise for years to come... Nancy Thompson, Ellen Ripley, Clear Rivers, even the killer like John Kramer had to die so the franchise could live on and build upon it! No one is safe. No one."

The room was deathly silent as everyone stared at him. Gale smacked her lips and drew out. "As always, your pep talks are so optimistic."

He walked back over to sit beside you, shrugging at her.

Charlie broke the stiff silence in the room with a slight huff of a chuckle. "Normally, I'd never argue with the real deal...However, it's what it is now. No one wants a continuous Franchise anymore. Nothing but remakes." He held up a hand as he spoke. "All horror movies now are remakes. It's the only horror the studios will green light now...I mean, there's still rules-"

Kirby 'psst' at you as Charlie was distracted talking. You looked as she showed you a video on her phone of Trevor glaring at you from a different angle as Trevor looked at Robbie's camera and you looked back.

Charlie continued. "-But the rules have changed and times have changed...It's not the 90's anymore and remakes are the only way to go."

Robbie continued. "Let's face it; nobody wants to see the same final girl becoming 30 and getting old; fighting an even older killer. That's the beauty of Stab! It's always a new killer but the downside is it's always the same final girl with heavy plot armor."

Charlie shrugged. "...Well, except for YN sueing to get her character removed by 3."

Robbie added with a smirk and eyeroll. "I mean, how long is Gale's character going to be 60 running from Ghostface-" Gale tilted her head as Robbie quickly stuttered out. "I-In the movies!"

"Yeah, and my characters gonna be in it for at least 2 more movies. People love a legend. And I'm fucking 47, you fetus." Gale glared at him as a few kids 'ooh'ed' in the background.

Robbie cleared his throat and added. "N-Not that there's not truth to that but...Ghostface changes but the Final Girl doesn't? No one wants to see that forever. Eventually you need a stronger killer, more gruesome deaths, a new fresh face for a new generation."

Randy leaned forward, looking extremely interested in what they were saying. Charlie continued. "Therefore, a remake. The unexpected is the new cliché."

Robbie walked the room and said. "Yeah, yeah. You gotta have an opening sequence that blows the doors off, done with some flashy music video direction and the kills have got to be way more extreme."

Randy tilted his head with a nod. "Of course. Your gore whore horror hounds expect it."

Charlie corrected him. "Right. But the rules have changed even if the expectation has not. Modern audiences got savvy to the rules of the originals. So, the reversal became the new standard."

Robbie added. "I mean, Horror drastically declined once CGI became the standard. It was cheaper for Studios, the jumpscares desensitized viewers from good old fashioned suspense while being able to replace hard to make storylines with cheap thrills and gore through the internet and video games uping the scare standards of an entire generation. We all saw 1 guy 1 jar...If you didn't, you're lucky. We're fucking desensitized too much to be scared of what you Gen X'ers were scared of."

You and Randy gave each other odd looks not knowing what exactly they were talking about as Charlie finished for him. "Things that terrified older audiences are snooze fest to the majority of the new generation. It made gore and jumpscares the main focal point instead of plot and characterization. Remakes that top the original are the only way now."

Randy rolled his tongue to his cheek as they spoke. Listening intently before mumbling.

"This is a first for me to ask but...What rules do you think is the theme here then? Since you're the new generation and all."

Charlie huffed out with a slight smirk at Randy asking him. "Well, pretty much the only sure fire way to survive a modern horror movie is...Well, you pretty much have to be gay."

Randy's face scrunched up. "...Really?" He monotoned as a few kids chuckled and Kirby, you and Gale all gave the same stare.

Charlie threw his hands up. "Hey, I don't make the rules! Just recite them."

Gale tilted her head, eyeing them up and down. "So, why are you so sure Randy's wrong and the killer is working with the rules to create a remake? "

Charlie leaned back on the desk and went to speak but Robbie spoke for him. "Well, the original Stab structure is pretty apparent. Recreating kills that already happened to replicate the original but with a new twist." Charlie added. "Two kids were gutted in a house while their parents were away..."

Robbie said. "And then the schools hot chick ravaged beyond recognition and shoved in a doggy door." You swallowed at that as Robbie muttered. "We all know where it goes from there..."

"A party." You answered.

Charlie pointed at you. "Exactly. A party. A guaranteed third act main cast bloodbath."

Robbie weaved around Gale as he mumbled, adjusting his headset to look down at her outfit a second. "Fingers crossed for some nudity for a change." She just gave him a stare as he moved back to Charlie and all the boys giggled around you...And you just stared at them.

Gale walked up to them, closer this time. "Okay, so do you know what party is happening tonight?"

Charlie blinked and mumbled. "U-Uh well, there's Stab-a-thon."

"Stab-a-thon?" Randy asked as you stood up. You walked to where Gale was and he stayed near the desk you both sat at.

"Uh, it's a movie marathon. All 7 Stab movies back to back. We host it every year." Charlie replied.

Randy huffed with an offended glare. "And I'm just learning about this because?-" You gave him a look and he shrugged. "I mean, because it's so dumb to host right now! We should've known sooner!" He barely saved as a few kids stifled their laughter.

You on the other hand just stared at Charlie and Robbie. Both of them gave you bad vibes you couldn't shake.

You replied. "It's tonight? There's a killer patterning their murders after the original movie. A movie based on her book-" You gestured to Gale. "And about us." You pointed between you and Randy.

Trevor called out. "So uh, you being with Billy Loomis and Stu Macher behind your friends backs...Was that based on real life or just put in the movie for views?" As boys and a few girls around him giggled like it was the funniest thing as he gave you a serious stare. "If we're going based off of Stab then I think we all need to be worried about you being involved."

Before you could react, Gale asked him with a glare. "...What's your fucking problem?"

His face dragged down as he drew out. "My problem is YN being here is putting everyone in danger. The killer didn't attack until she showed up..." He looked at you." Jill could've died the other night and the fact you're staying across the street from her is putting her in danger."

You looked at him. "...I understand your concern but I can assure you that I'm not purposely putting anyone in danger. Obviously. I'm actively working with Gale Riley and Sheriff Riley to get this killer before anyone else gets hurt."

"Yeah, I bet." He mumbled while glaring your way.

Kirby glanced at him. "Do you realize how suspicious you look pointing fingers right now? Showing up right after the killer attacked Olivia. And the fact you and Jenny were-"

"Just friends, Kirby." He snapped.

Kirby stared before slightly smirking and muttering. "...Yeah. I bet."

The air was thick as Robbie whispered something to his headset along the lines of. "The plot thickens."

You swallowed and turned to Charlie. "...Anyone can be the killer, Charlie."

Charlie looked away and smirked. "I know, it's pretty wild."

"You have to call it off!"

Robbie and Charlie both gave amused scoffs and chuckles as Robbie drew out. "Pft, um...Okay, um. It's Friday. I'm sure we're not the only party in Woodsboro. Why do you think we had Cinema Club early? So we can prepare."

Gale shifted in place. "Okay, where's this circle jerk gonna take place?"

Charlie quickly asked the class. "So who's ready for this Q&A?"

"No-" Gale put her hand out to stop him from leaving as Randy got up and walked closer to you all. Gale continued. "No, I really want to know this location."

Charlie half cringed and smiled. "You know, it's kind of an underground, Email invite only thing. Pretty secret."

You gave him a dumbfounded look. "One of your friends is fucking dead along with 3 other people."

Robbie grimaced. "I mean, chicks so far. Maybe guys are safe?"

Randy tilted his head with a disarming smirk. "Come on, guys. I get it, you don't want them to cramp your style but we really need that location."

Charlie hissed through his teeth. "Yeeahh no can do. Sorry but...It's not your scene. Underground. Young people scene only, you know."

Randy's face fell. "What? Do you know who you're talking to? WE WERE IN STAB-"

"No, you had actors play you guys. Probably not even accurate dialog." Robbie corrected.

Charlie gave him an awkward smile. "...Sorry Randy, we appreciate your help when we were in like Freshman year but you're in the age of VHS and we're pirating online. We don't even need to visit the video store now. Just have Media Player, blank Dvd's and a good firewall. I mean, You're scream queen was like Jennifer Love Hewitt and ours is Katie Cassidy. Even your rules aren't accurate now...You can sit this one out. I mean, you're probably getting out of  partying anyways. No hard feelings, right?"

"OR-" Randy raised his voice. "You can fuck off-" You put a hand out and lightly shoved him back.

"You're a business owner on camera yelling at minors; stop it." You hissed out through your teeth low enough for hopefully only him to hear. He jerked away from you and scowled at Charlie and Robbie.

Gale gave them a threatening smile. "What?...You're not gonna tell us? Really? We're working together. Remember?"

Charlie nervously chuckled and asked the class. "Uh, so how about that Q&A?"

"Fuck you." Gale dropped the smile and told him as she placed a hand on your back and led you both out. Clearly not caring what teenagers thought even if she was on camera. "Let's go."

Randy followed and you all made your way down the hall. Perkin's following as he asked. "So, how was film class?"

"Awful." You scoffed out. "Can you believe these assholes? I agree with Randy. Fuck these kids."

"Thank you! I dread Mindy and Chad being their age." He drew out as he caught up with both of you. You guys stopped in the middle of the hallway.

Gale looked at Perkin's. "Can you give us a minute?"

"...Okay, Mizz Weathers." He enunciated her old name as he sighed and went to the end of the hall a few yards.

Gale looked between you both. "Suspects?"

"Of course." Randy looked to the ground while thinking aloud. "Two film obsessed kids who love horror movies the most, hosting a party in a secret location during murders. One is obsessed with tech and likes posting things for views while talking about the killer doing the same thing. They're definitely suspects!...However, if they're suspects then I'm a suspect so let's shove them to the side a moment-"

Gale held up a hand. "Suspects are suspects. Besides we already deducted us from the list based on all of us being present or having alibis."

Everyone was quiet a moment, Perkin's eyeing all of you from afar before Randy added. "...Or Trevor. The way he was mean mugging YN was definitely suspicious. "

Gale tilted her head and folded her arms. "I did some snooping and he's Jill's recent ex boyfriend, apparently something to do with cheating with a blonde. Jenny Randall."

"Explains why Kirby is hostile towards him. Kirby's Jill's best friend." Randy mumbled.

Gale nodded. "It's pretty much girl code the guy that cheated on your best friend is the worst creature to ever exist on the face of the Earth." You whispered low. "...But the fact Jenny was one of the first victims and not to mention he showed up so soon to comfort Jill after we were attacked when by the sounds of it he shouldn't have been there in the first place?...Yeah."

Gale added. "And if what they say is true; that means Jill is a new target."

"It's still a franchise. I'm calling it but..." Randy sighed. "If Jill Robert's is the new final girl of this story for whatever reason then the boyfriend or ex boyfriend is the prime suspect."

You shrugged. "Yeah for Billy and Sidney but after that Derek was a red herring and so was Mark. They were both good guys." You reasoned.

"That may be true for you but we still have to consider every trope, YN. And right now, Trevor is looking pretty suspicious."

You all talked a bit longer before leaving with Perkin's following. Going outside before stopping again. "Wait." You told Randy and Gale as they stopped. "...What are we going to do about the party even when we find it?"

"Easy." Gale smirked. "Record the killer, get evidence, send it to the police."

Randy raised a brow. "And you think it'll be that easy?"

"I may go by Gale Riley now but I am Gale fucking Weathers. If there's a story, I'll find it." She went to walk again and you stopped her.

"Hold on!...You aren't doing this for the reason I think you are, are you?" You eyed her. "It's just for police...Right?"

She huffed with a small nonchalant smile. "I don't know what you mean. I'm just using my skills to catch this killer."

"The book, Gale. Are you trying to report this again to turn it into a book?"

Gale stared a moment at you and Randy before huffing and throwing one of her hands up towards you. "What is the big deal if I do? Somebody is going to report it so why not be the first to write about it from first hand experience and save lives while I do it?"

Randy kind of shifted back with his lips tightly rolled back as he watched your demeanor. You gave her an angry scowl as you drew out. "...You've gotta be fucking kidding me with this."

Gale leaned forward with a determined look. "I'm dead serious."

Your face contorted in anger. "You SWORE to me in my kitchen the day Dewey proposed to you that you would never write about these murders ever again."

"Yeah well, maybe things changed? "

"Like what-" You were cut off by someone rushing you from the side. Gale yelled and Randy went to grab you just a second too late. You blinked in shock as a middle aged had woman clocked you hard enough near your shoulder to lose your balance and land on the ground...Broad daylight on school grounds. You didn't expect it.

"Stay the hell away from our children!! Wherever you go, people die! Stay away from our kids!!" She screamed before Hoss grabbed her within seconds. Already running to intercept the second he saw her coming towards you, forcing her hands behind her back as Perkin's got to you before anyone else could. Shielding you as Randy and Gale stared in shock as well. Perkin's helped you up as Hoss detained the woman...Just for you to see a large group of parents that got wind of you at Woodsboro High. Enraged and glaring at you from the sidewalk. A few had followed the woman to confront you but stopped once Hoss apprehended her.

"Stay away from the kids!", "No one wants you here, YN!", "It's your fault they're dead!" Parents shouted from the sidelines.

Randy went to you next to Perkin's asking if you were alright as you nodded. More shocked than anything as you stared with wide eyes at the parents.

Gale stared at you before rolling her lips and telling you with a determined voice. "...This has to stop. These people need a new narrative. I'm no amateur at this and I know what I'm doing. I know it's the right thing to do. I have the info I need and I'll handle this myself...I'm trying to do the right thing here!"

You sucked in a breath and told her in a heavy voice. "The right thing would be to work together with police to catch the killer and then leave it be...Haven't you done enough storytelling, Gale?...If you wanted this to change, you would've agreed to retract your statements in Court years ago. You would have changed this instead of worrying about fame."

Gale frowned with her brows furrowed before turning on her heels and leaving. Randy threw up his arms. "Where the hell are you going? You're our ride!"

She got to her car. "Ride with Perkin's and Hoss!" She shut her door.

He yelled at her. "With this crazy in the back?!" He gestured to the woman crying and making a scene as Hoss put her in the police cruiser. "You don't even know where this party is!"

"I'll figure it out!" She yelled back while starting her car and finally driving off.

Randy and you stood there with dumbfounded looks as Perkin's demanded the parents all go back to their cars for pick up or they'd be charged.

Randy huffed as you ran and hand over your face. "...Why are we still shocked she's a selfish, insecure, opportunistic human being?"

Perkin's walked up with a shrug. "She's definitely...Something. We all might have to wait here while we get another sqaud car and take YN to a hospital." 

You tsked. "I don't need a hospital. I-"

Before you could finish your sentence, someone yelled behind you. "Hey, wait!" Kirby bounded up to you and Randy and Perkin's. "Hey, do you guys still want the address to the party?...Shit...What's the deal there?"

She pointed to your check as you felt it; not even registering the woman's hand made contact with your face when she went to shove you.

"...Nothing."

Randy gave you a look. "Some crazy helicopter mom got arrested and Gale bailed on us so now we gotta wait on another cruiser."

"Oh, you need a ride? I gotta drop Jill off anyways and you're neighbors. Sooo."

Perkin's answered for both of you. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Kirby looked surprised. "Oh...Okay, I was going to suggest you guys-" She pointed to the police car. "Follow us."

You and Randy exchanged lokks before you nodded. "We have limited time. " You mumbled to Randy.

Randy nodded to Perkin's. "I can vouch for the kid. She's safe. She's extremely low on the suspect list."

Perkin's still looked unsure. You patted your leg. "I'm carrying, Perkin's. Responsibly, of course." If not...You would've unloaded on the parents trying to form an angry mob to attack you...

Perkin's ran a hand over his face as Hoss gestured with his hands from the car and the middle aged woman was throwing a fit in the back. A few parents didn't leave, getting angrier and angrier by your presence and one of their own being arrested for something in their eyes that was justified....It could get ugly here. Some parents left with their kids but the few angry ones didn't. In their cars or outside them. Clearly panicking and wanting trouble.

"...Shit. Shit, shit, shit." Perkin's hissed out. "OKAY. But do not let Sheriff Riley get wind of this-"

Randy gave a thumbs up. "You're good! 4 out of 5 stars on protecting."

"5 out of 5." Perkin's drew out.

"Okay, let's not get too unrealistic here." Randy gave with a 'get real' look on his face.

"And Hoss is riding with you."

You were the one to interject. "No. We're fine. Really, you don't need Hoss away from you...." You whispered. "He's new, isn't he?"

Perkin's whispered back. "Rookie. Obvious?"

You nodded with grimace. "Yeah. I just think it's best if you're together in case something does go wrong. I'll be in the back and we'll go straight to the police station and then Kirby can drop us off at Randy's while you guys follow."

Randy nodded furiously and Kirby replied, "Yeah, it's no biggie. I want to talk to Miss. YN and Mr. Meeks anyways about facts and trivia from Stab. So perfect opportunity."

"...Fine. Don't talk their legs off." He looked at Kirby. "And I'm following you, Little Lady. Don't try nothing funny."

"No sir, no funny stuff here!" Kirby gave with a shake of her head and her hands up.

Perkin's eyed her but nodded as he followed you all to her car. The parents glaring but saying nothing with a cop there as you walked by. You all got into Kirby's Toyota and Perkin's eyed you. "Be careful, YN. Straight to the police station and straight home."

You nodded as he shut the door. Randy waited till he was gone before turning to you from the passenger seat with a grin. "Nice save, YN. Now, we get to talk without Dewey's minions on our butts." You smirked slightly before catching a glimpse of your check in the mirror. Red and a slight bruising where that woman made contact with her hand, elbow, shoulder. Hard to say in the heat of it...You were still a bit shaken up she had the audacity to do it in daylight on school grounds...You dreaded the thought of how far they'd go if cops weren't there. You just wanted to get home and as far away from this town as you could.

Randy frowned and asked. "Are you sure you're okay? That was crazy."

You sighed but nodded. "I'm fine, Ray. It takes more than that to get to me...People are scared, panicking and getting stupid because of it."

Randy quirked a brow. "It's Woodsboro. You'd think people would be used to this."

"Were you when it came to your kids when they were still here? Parents panic."

He was quiet at that as Kirby buckled up.

and started her car. All of you cringing at how loud her rock music was as she turned it down. "Sorry! Just jamming after school...Jill texted. She'll be here in a minute."

You leaned forward, asking. "So, you said something about the party?"

"Yeah, I can give you the address...You know that old abandon barn on Fort Dillion Road?"

Randy looked surprised. "Yeah, of course. That's where they're having it?"

She nodded. "Yep. Perfect place. In the middle of nowhere. No witnesses to drinking, sex, or murders." She half joked.

Randy tsked. "Damn, it is perfect. Looks like Robbie and Charlie just got a little higher on my suspect list..."

Jill opened the door beside you. Looking surprised before smiling. "Hey."

"I promised them a ride." Kirby told her.

Jill got in, backpack on the floorboard as she shut the door. "Of course, that's cool actually...You okay? I saw the commotion out front but didn't see what happened."

You gave her a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine...Just...Everyday chaos when you're the final girl of a movie you didn't want to be a part of in the first place."

Kirby put the car in drive a pulled off the curb as you looked at the school...Seeing Robbie and Charlie near the building...Charlie watching intently as the car left. You saw him eyeing Kirby and Randy, most likely unable to see you in the backseat. You watched him a moment as Kirby pulled away and drove.

[ingravinoveritas]

Hi Amy, I'm the cursed anon who asked Neil lol (and I guess I'll stay anon for all my life after what happened today). I just wanted to thank you for what you wrote. I was sure my ask would have reached your blog somehow, alas. I don't know what to say, I'm mortified, it's been a rather hard day for me, since I felt completely misunderstood and belittled by someone I looked up to. I'm sorry because I must have phrased my ask in a weird way, an even "creepy" one, it seems.. By the way, I'm so glad you didn't find anything creepy in that, because I don't know for the life of me what I said that was perceived that way. I spent the entire day thinking about it and, at the same time, I tried to distract myself from shame. I don't know how to describe it, but this answer made me question so many things, about my mental health too, and I definitely didn't need that. He could have just said that he didn't quite understand what I meant, instead he only made me feel stupid and fed me to the lions. I mean, of course I know that season 2 is wrapped for example, I just wanted to tell him that maybe this sort of casting might be a future problem for season 3, and that I hope it won't be an issue for season 2, even though I saw many people turning up their nose already. (As I also bloody know that David Tennant and Michael Sheen are actors playing a part, evidently this is not what my concerns were!) I really don't know how to better explain it, English is a hard language to convey things sometimes. Neil doesn't speak any other language than it, and it shows honestly, because he doesn't know how hard it is for someone who is not native; me asking that might have been an impulsive decision, but I really tried to do my best with the language, it was hard, and it's like he pretended he didn't understand nevertheless. I don't know, I'm so disappointed by such a response. I thought it was more likely that he just read and didn't answer, but that condescending response? I didn't expect that. I'm sorry that I made him so sour/sharp/harsh (I don't know which adjective is the more appropriate in this case, and it drives me crazy that it can take so little to be misinterpreted, that's what I was referring to) because evidently I must have offended him or hit a nerve, which was not my intention. I might have been stupid to ask that, but if the ask was so annoying to him, it's not like he was obliged to answer it and being so cruel at the point to completely distort its meaning. Do I regret it? I do, but maybe without all of this, I wouldn't have ever seen this side of him, and I'm for the truth, even if it always tastes bittersweet, so.. Good to know, I guess. 

Sorry for ranting! Oh my god, I didn't realise, it's just that it's still an open wound to me. Coming back to you, I wanted to tell you that even if you might not agree with me (you have all the right not to), your response is actually the kind I expected from a man of power who is twice my age (just saying). Thank you for always being so considerate and tactful, you really did made me feel a little better. I wish there were more people like you in the world, I mean it.

(Sorry for the disappeared ask, I deleted the account after sending it, thinking that it would have stayed in your inbox once it was there.. Well, I was wrong haha. I'm going to delete it after you answer then, I had reactivated it just because you turned the anons off and I wanted to thank you instantly <3)

Hi, Anon. Oh, I am so sorry for what you went through yesterday. I'm also floored to have you reach out to me, as I didn't even realize you were aware of my blog, but I thank you for doing so and sharing your thoughts/feelings with me.

It saddens me so greatly to know how much Neil's response has hurt you, and how it has affected your mental health. If the comments on my post about what happened are indication, however, you are definitely not the only one who felt that his response was not okay. What you said about feeding you to the lions was something one of my followers also mentioned, and whether Neil intended it or not, I would have to agree with that assessment.

The fact is, Neil is a writer. He knows how powerful words can be, and how suggestive. So by calling your question "creepy" in that first sentence, he is creating the lens through which the reader is going to view your question. And so what I would say is that two things can be true here, which is that 1) You have every right to feel the concerns you do, but trying to engage Neil about it was probably not the best idea; and 2) Neil has the right to feel/say what he wants, but deciding to answer your question the way he did instead of simply ignoring it was also probably not the best idea.

I don't know if you've been on his blog at all today, but Neil actually went into a bit more detail about his rationale, re: the use of the word "creepy" in the comments on this post, as part of a back-and-forth exchange with another fan who again brought up the issue of nepotism. I thought I would highlight these two comments in particular:

What I was struck by in the comment on the left was two specific things: 1) Neil's mention of the "undertones" to your question. Going by what you wrote, Anon, as well as the message that you've written here, I do not think there were any undertones to your Ask--with the possible exception of calling Neil's character into question (which, if he was hoping to squash that, it is now beyond ironic that his response to you has achieved the exact opposite); and 2) That someone who has been described as "so Tumblr" and "Neil gets it" would somehow be oblivious to how venomous people can be on social media, especially when encouraged by the creators of their favorite works, and why someone would therefore not want to make themselves a potential target. In just the first sentence of his response to you, however, Neil proved exactly why you were right to use a burner account.

In terms of the comment on the right, we see Neil draw a false equivalence between your question and people criticizing him for casting POC actors in Sandman. This was (in my opinion) Neil doing this fan what he did to you, which is twist around what they were saying as a means of deflection and avoiding answering the question that was actually being asked, which was about nepotism. The other irony for me is him talking about people accusing him of having a secret agenda, while he was the one doing the same thing to you. The only difference is that his assumption ended up having serious consequences, as we are now seeing.

I think you did hit a nerve, Anon, but--as strange as it may sound--I don't think it had anything to do with you. My feeling is that there is something going on with Neil and he is using Tumblr as an outlet--much in the same way that Michael used Twitter as an outlet in 2019/2020. So I do not think you are "cursed" or "made" Neil be salty/harsh--I think he was already this way and took whatever is happening with him out on you. Because if everything was absolutely fine--if what you were mentioning in your question was totally ridiculous and Neil was entirely unbothered by it--I do not think he would have answered it, nor would he still have been engaging this fan about it for hours afterward.

I know this probably won't be of much comfort, and I am sorry. English is not my second language, but I am autistic, and I relate very deeply to what you described about searching so hard for the right words (which is probably why it takes me forever to answer my Anons) because of not wanting to be misunderstood. And I know very well what it's like to have someone you so greatly admired turn out to be not at all what you expected, especially when everyone else's perception of that person is so wildly different.

It is for that reason that I can understand fans on here and Twitter rushing to defend Neil, not wanting to feel that someone they love could possibly do anything wrong. "Neil is a human being" is a comment I've seen frequently...but if we are going to say that Neil is human, then that means he is imperfect. It means he makes mistakes. And it should not be controversial to say this. I've also seen people in the aftermath of this saying how kind Neil is to the fans...but his response to you was unkind. Setting someone up to be a target is not kind. Neil has so many people who write into him who are dealing with mental health issues and concerns, and at best his response to you was thoughtless...but at worst, it sends a message to other fans that they, too, could become targets for absolutely no reason. And while I do not believe that Neil owes the fans anything, having an awareness of the power he wields and a sense of basic human decency does not seem like much to ask.

You do not ever have to apologize for ranting to me, Anon. I'm so glad that what I wrote in my other post helped you to feel better, even if just a little. I am by no means perfect--far from it--but I've been in enough fandoms and had enough heartaches to know that I would want to do anything I could to spare someone else from going through the things I went through. The shame here is not yours for asking a question that yielded a disproportionate overreaction from Neil--the shame belongs to the people who piled onto you because of it.

I want you to know that I was truly touched by your compliments, and that you felt comfortable enough to be so vulnerable with me here. I'm sending you lots of love, as well as the hope that we can continue to have honest discussions about these subjects. A lot of people are with you, and believe me when I again tell you that you are not alone. xx

[kingedmundsroyalmurder]

Extra cw for racism and ableism. It is quite bad in this chapter.

“No, I don’t, Master. I might think it of some men, but never of you. I don’t for a minute think that you would do her or any woman any wilful wrong. But you may do her great harm for all that. I want you to stop and think about it. I guess you haven’t thought. Kilmeny can’t know anything about the world or about men, and she may get to thinking too much of you. That might break her heart, because you couldn’t ever marry a dumb girl like her. So I don’t think you ought to be meeting her so often in this fashion. It isn’t right, Master. Don’t go to the orchard again.”

You know, this speech of Mrs. Williamson started off so well. Because she's right! Even in a world where Eric is a better person and doesn't have any of his issues towards women, he is at risk of harming Kilmeny. If this passage had ended, 'I know you're going to go home and marry an heiress like your father wants you to' it would be fine! But no, we veer hard back into ableism, with the clearly stated belief that Kilmeny's muteness means that of course Eric can't marry her.

And look. This was written in 1910 and possibly set earlier, since it was cobbled together from an earlier short story. Eric meeting Kilmeny alone without her guardians knowing about it could absolutely ruin her if anyone found out. That is the material harm he is doing here. But Mrs. Williamson's concern is not, 'you could lead her on and destroy her' it's 'if you do lead her on there is no way you could marry her because she's disabled.'

And Mrs. Williamson is framing this as a favor to Kilmeny's mother. Once again, Kilmeny exists only as an extension of her mother. Her own desires aren't even discounted, they are not even considered to exist.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Williamson's warning has made Eric realize that he is in love with Kilmeny. Sure. Fine. If you say so. But, unlike Mrs. Williamson, Eric does not think that Kilmeny's muteness is a reason he shouldn't marry her. What he says instead is,“If I can win Kilmeny’s love I shall ask her to be my wife." Which is possibly the most agency anyone has granted this woman to date! It's not, 'I shall ask her immediately,' it's 'if she should love me back then I shall ask her.'

Look, the bar for people granting Kilmeny agency is so low it may as well be a buried sewer pipe.

So Eric agrees to teach school in Lindsay next year so that he can stay close to Kilmeny and woo her. He is weird and gross about it, as is his wont: "It will be my sweet task to teach her what love means, and no man has ever had a lovelier, purer, pupil.”

You know, when most people say they're going to 'teach someone what love means' they generally mean it as a euphemism for sex. Please do not have sex with Kilmeny, Eric. I don't think she knows anything about contraception and how to protect herself.

Anyway, Eric goes back to Mrs. Williamson and says that he intends to marry Kilmeny if she'll have him. She thinks he is committing himself to a great folly. I don't genuinely understand why Kilmeny being mute is such a big deal to everyone. As far as disabilities go, hers is fairly mild. She has no trouble communicating with anyone. Is speech making really so required for a society wife?

He does agree to go speak to Kilmeny's guardians about it, and thank heavens for that. He even admits that he should have done it earlier, and was just so caught up in things he didn't think of it.

Mrs. Williamson then says something interesting, which is that in her opinion Kilmeny has also not told her aunt and uncle about their meetings, because if she had they would have forbidden them. According to Kilmeny her isolation was mostly her mother's doing, but very clearly Thomas and Janet agreed with it and maintained strict control over her after Margaret's death.

I do not think I like Thomas and Janet Gordon very much.

Mrs. Williamson is also racist about Neil, because of course she is. Neil is ~Foreign~, a word which in this context means Not One Of Us rather than its more conventional meaning of Born Elsewhere. Again, remember, Neil Gordon was born in Lindsay and raised by the Gordon family. He's no more Italian than the Williamsons. But his parents were Italian (and Lord knows if they were actually from Italy or if they too were born in Canada) and so he is forever tainted.

And we finish with Mrs. Williamson thinking to herself that Kilmeny must be very beautiful indeed to have so captivated Eric. Never mind if she's nice or funny or clever or anything else. Clearly she is beautiful, because that's the only thing that matters in the end.

Gods the philosophical and thematic underpinnings of this book are gross.