#nigel the plague victim

[larryrickard]

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Fandom: Ghosts (TV 2019) Relationship: Nigel the Plague Victim/Thomas Thorne (Ghosts TV 2019) Characters: Nigel the Plague Victim (Ghosts TV 2019), Thomas Thorne (Ghosts TV 2019) Additional Tags: Pre-Relationship, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Miscommunication Part 3 of By the Fire

Summary: Thomas finds Nigel asleep by the lake.

[note: parts 4 & 5 (chaptered) will be up very soon.]

[captains-swaggerstick]

Alright, I've now successfully binged through s1 to 4 (Thanks again so much for the link) and I feel the following way:

[witchofthemidlands]

HEADCANONS for if the button ghosts met the woodstone ghosts (cbs ghosts have taught me that the ghost lore is unpredictable & interchangeable so i'm not even going to try & sacrifice what few braincells i have to explain how these two households meet) haven't slept in 24hrs. i apologise in advance.

all the button!ghosts are really welcoming to the cholera victims, they’re a bit dirty, but as long as they avoid the furniture they’re good! they find them amusing. the respective plague ghost & cholera victim ghost that started the sicknesses & caused the deaths of others have an immediate romeo & juliet like connection. the woodstone!ghosts run screaming from the plague ghosts. they haunt their dreams, have scarred them for the rest of their afterlife, they are terrified of them & come to realise that perhaps the chlorea victims aren’t too bad after all.

alberta & humphrey being best friends, they have the most interesting & intellectual conversations & get on so well. she was a little grossed out by it at first, but she carries his head around whilst they chat. they have the best time.

sass & julian not being friends but not hating each other completely either, their conversations are mostly sarcasm & mostly sass judging julian for his life choices & roasting him at every available opportunity. he also beats him at chess frequently & julian can’t stand it. they have three way chess matches with robin. it's eventful.

robin & alberta being the biggest conspiracy theorists amongst the all ghosts. they have conspiracies that go way too deep. so deep it can get mildly concerning.

hetty adopting kitty as her own, they are close, she is very motherly towards her. she adores kitty & insists on calling her ‘katherine’.

sass & thomas getting on at first as fellow storytellers/writers but sass soon gets annoyed by him & they can often be heard absolutely tearing each other's creativity to bits.

the body half of humphrey & the body half of crash probably getting on the best because they soon figure out their own way of communicating with one another. they bond fast. their heads end up on each other's bodies by accident. they alternate. it terrifies the others.

the captain & captain isaac mainly making weird awkward noises at each other as a means of communicating & have short, but often meaningfully conversations. the captain does not comment on isaac’s relationship with nigel but often looks on at the pair with a rather mournful look in his eyes as he is well aware that he will probably never be have anything like that & deep down, he would love nothing more than to have find the same courage isaac was able to find.

sass & humphrey's head getting on well, they tell each other stories & sass will try & succeed in bulling humprey's body into talking back humprey's head. he has chased after it, holding the head outstretched. both sass & humphrey have mutual connection with the pigeon.

pat & pete: it's all out war. they end up annoying each other & they fight, it’s near animalistic. sometimes they can begin a civil conversation but it will end in either a screaming match or a violent physical fight.

robin & thorfinn enjoy sitting outside & exchanging stories as they’re the oldest ghosts & have seen the most. robin tells thorfinn about his sucked off star system. they have deep conversations about how they’ve seen so many people die & move on & how they cope with the cycle of birth-death-blessed sucking’s off.

trevor tries to take thomas out.

fanny & hetty are so happy to have met each other, it is immediate connection, they gossip, complain about their fellow ghosts, have a mutual fondness for taxidermy, read books together, embark on a wild & rather passionate love affair, they go on walks, talk about how they’ve learned so much about the way attitudes towards women have changed as time went on & how glad they are that they are free from their husbands.

mary has accused nearly all the woodstone!ghosts of witchcraft on several occasions for multiple reasons. trevor did (1) t money sign & she thought it was a sign of the devil. has hilarious conversations & finds an unlikely friend in cholera victim nancy. they insult people in the strangest ways like she used to with annie.

kitty LOVES flower. they get on so well, they have sleepovers, share plenty of hugs & have the most wonderfully odd conversations. they get pat & alison to dance with them, they’re always getting alberta to tell the alexa to play music for them, they go outside & lie on the grass to look at clouds (sometimes they convince the captain to join in & he secretly enjoys the serenity, even if he can’t always see the shape that flower & kitty believe they can see in the clouds they look at) kitty does open up more about how her sister treated her with flower & they actually have incredibly sad conversations at times but are often quick to be distracted by something else.

julian & trevor. it's smooth sailing at first, they enjoy sharing crude remarks for a short while then trevor makes a t money sign & julian decides that he will be the first ghost in history to kill another ghost. they hate each other. julian loathes this guy. they fight, it’s terrifying & traumatising to all ghosts & lady livings alike to see the two ghosts with no pants brawling and it can last for hours. their fights are brutal & everyone wishes to be mike & jay whenever they see them fighting as all dignity & self preservation has gone out of the window, much like how julian ends up throwing trevor out of a window, because julian & trevor have decided that there can only be (1) bastard with no pants.

[reddeadreference]

Saint Denis Times No. 56

-Click here to return to the index for Newspapers-

This issue is available after completion of the mission: American Venom

(All article transcripts below the cut)

Articles marked with * are exclusive to this region’s issue.

Articles marked with ** are only there upon completion of the related mission.

Micah Bell Killed

FAMED GUNSLINGER. BETRAYAL ENDS HIS MURDERS. WANTED FOR BLACKWATER ROBBERY.

He was believed to be hiding in The Grizzlies for many years, emerging to sow mayhem and murder to fuel a life on the run. Micah Bell, one of the most notorious outlaws of the region and a former member of the infamous Dutch van der Linde's gang, was slain at his hideout. The train robber and desperado evaded authorities for years, during which time he killed two dozen men. He had sworn an oath to compatriots that he would never be taken alive.

Yet despite a concentrated effort by Rangers, Pinkertons and local law enforcement to bring Bell to heel, it appears as if he was completely taken by surprise by former gang members who have long accused him of treachery and theft of the ill-gotten gains from the Blackwater Robbery in 1899. Bell was without a doubt the most desperate outlaw at large in the area, striking terror into the hearts of carriage and stagecoach riders who have long feared his murderous reputation.

Several sheriffs had been elected in the country and each had vowed to bring Bell to justice. One, Sheriff Braxton Hefner, finally landed Bell in jail, where he was tried and sentenced to be hanged. Two days before paying the price for his crimes he broke jail and had been at large.

President Signs 1907 Immigration Act

RESTRICTS "IDIOTS, FEEBLEMINDED".

President Waxman signed an immigration act in order to prevent unsavory persons from entering the United States.

The new law, which went into effect immediately, excludes "All idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons, and persons who have been insane within five years previous; persons who have had two or more attacks of insanity at any time previously; paupers; persons likely to become a public charge; professional beggars; persons afflicted with tuberculosis or with a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease; persons not comprehended within any of the foregoing excluded classes who are found to be and are certified by the examining surgeon as being mentally or physically defective, such mental or physical defect being of a nature which may affect the ability of such alien to earn a living; persons who have been convicted of or admit having committed a felony or other crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; polygamists, or persons who admit their belief in the practice of polygamy, anarchists," from entering the United States.

Man Exposes Medical Frauds

AS CHARLATANS PEDDLE MARVELOUS CLAIMS. HIPPOCRATIC FAKERS PLAGUING SMALL CITIES.

It was hoped that with the spread of scientific knowledge, the scourge of medical quacks selling health and salvation from suffering would abate eventually. However, in towns and hamlets across the nation, the evolution of reputable physicians into swindles continues at rapid speed as each new break in scientific progress is announced.

A so-called doctor needs little more than a shingle to hang above his door and various potions and concoctions to peddle the ill, maimed and infirm, who are willing to part with their hard-earned money in hopes of prolonged health. Such is the crusade led by one man who has vowed to uncover the Hippocratic frauds who are preying on victims across the country. His name is Nigel West Dickens, a studied man of letters, botany, ornithology and the history of home medicine practiced throughout the ages.

He has begun demonstrations showing that sufferers of rheumatism, neuralgia, rickets, dysentery and scarlet fever can be cured of their maladies by use of a simple medicinal tonic. The response has been enthusiastic, and in more than one town the local doctor taken to task for peddling fraud cures. Mr. Dickens plans in the coming years to take his message on the road and root out charlatans and purveyors of false science.

Valentine Hotel Quarantine

MAN FEARED CONTAGIOUS. DISEASE OF THE BOWELS.

More death and discomfort comes as a result of disease of the bowels, from constipation, to diarrhea to dysentery than from almost any other cause. It can reflect a disorder of the liver, kidney derangements, a dyspeptic condition of the stomach, piles, or bad blood. No person knows the discomfort and agony of bowel disease more than Harville Presley, a resident at the Valentine Hotel for more than nine years.

Visited by numerous physicians and specialists, Mr. Presley scarcely leaves his residence at the hotel, one that he made permanent years ago once the onset of the disease began. The son of a wealthy mining family, Mr. Presley took refuge at the Valentine Hotel, feeling pain after eating at a church potluck supper.

The daily plague of sharp, spasmodic gripes of the bowels soon resulted in Mr. Presley living very much like a hermit, summoning doctors and literature and trying to diagnose the cause of his maladies. For reasons of safety, his room is under quarantine and other guests are placed in lodging in other areas of the hotel, so as not to be subjected to the auditory distress of his complaints.

A Gentleman's Sport

GOLFING SOARS IN POPULARITY. GENERATES A TIDY PROFIT.

Even before Columbus sailed for America, golf was soaring in popularity in the United Kingdom, so much so that archery and other sports that could defend the realm were falling out of favor. Concerned over national security, in 1491 Scotland decreed the sport unlawful for a period of time. In the United States, the lovely pastime could not be more popular, especially in California, a state devoted to entertainment and leisure.

Indeed this publication received a sunny dispatch from the 31st state that New Hanover's very own Edith Downes has developed and opened a brand new golf course to much acclaim and fanfare. She and her son Archie have, of late, ventured into several businesses out west, which is a very distant lifestyle from her past as a rancher's wife.

Cocaine Use to Require Prescription

The Governor of California has amended the Pharmacy and Poison Act making it a crime to sell opiates of cocaine without a prescription. The new ruling was protested by several vocal advocates and users of cocaine.

World's Fastest Steam Powered Car

SPEED RECORD BROKEN.

Steam powered automobiles are all the rage these days. Shovel in some coal, light the pilot, fill up the boiler with water, and in 20-30 minutes you are able to motor on out to your destination.

Mechanic Hershel E. Bennett has broken the land speed record in his amazing marvel of modern engineering, the Stratton Steamer. Modified from the consumer model from the Stratton Motor Carriage Company, he took it to a beach in Florida where a crowd cheered as he reach 127.66 mph, the fastest any human has traveled.

The Art of Angling by Jeremy Gill  

STEELHEAD TROUT.

No fish ignites the flame of angling in any true fisherman like the trout. A man must study the water and insects like a hawk, for trout are moody and will just as soon sit and watch an ill-picked fly float overhead. Once, while fishing with a senator, I stood with a sulky trout in my hands and informed it I intended to rip his brother and entire family from the water and watch them gasp for a breath.

The senator laughed and said he intended to use the same sentiment towards immigrants. What a leader he is. One day, I hope he runs for president. Fish for steelhead trout in lakes in the south. Try crickets.

Best of luck!

[bison-appreciation-club]

The fact that I just knew instantly who they were shows that I definitely watch this show too much

but anyway, here's Nigel the plague victim

fuck it, bbc ghosts picrew edition!!!

[oochilka]

@historicalsnail you’re right Nigel is fabulous

[dyns33]

My beloved sweet heart 1

So, I messed up, it's way too long, and it's not great, but I'll do a second part anyway. 

Nigel Colbie x female reader (sorry Jack) 

Everything was written in advance.

Nigel knew it.

He had known it for a very long time, probably since his birth. He had felt it, but before meeting his sweet heart for the first time, he had never really glimpsed his destiny, he had not accepted his potential, nor understood his mission.

Then Y/N came into his life. He had noticed her as soon as he arrived at his new school. The mixed boarding school was filled with supposedly smart kids, the nation's elite, but Nigel knew the truth. They were mostly wealthy. The only exceptions were those who had graciously obtained a scholarship, in order to fill a certain quota, while checking the capacities of the chosen ones, of course.

Y/N was one of those. She was not here by chance, but because she had earned it. A chosen one. This set her apart from the others, in addition to her beauty. In any case, Nigel found her beautiful.

But that kind of things wasn't that important to him, so even though he noticed her on the first day, he didn't pay much attention to it.

He should have.

Because everything was written in advance and he should have known that she was not just anyone. He had felt it, he had seen her for a good reason.

Even though she was smart, Y/N had some strange associations. For example, she was friend with his new roommate, Alex. Nigel didn't like him very much. He was an arrogant, self-centered boy. A jackal. There was something in him, he could have become a bigger, more important being.

Instead, he decided to prank Nigel. After drugging him, he had taken him on a train, and had fun holding him outside. Y/N was there. She didn't seem very comfortable. Later, she would confess to Nigel that she came because she wanted out of school, and couldn't without Alex's help.

She also knew he was a fool and she had wanted to prevent him from doing something stupid.

But everything was written.

The words whispered in his ear, with that breath and smell of sweat, finally bored Nigel. He spat at his roommate, who punched him in the face, screaming and pushing him out the door. This panicked Y/N, who begged him to stop.

Seeing that he wasn't listening, she tried to separate them. An unfortunate gesture, an accident, and it sent Alex towards the void.

For a moment, Nigel's fingers brushed his, he could have caught him, but he let him fall. In a second, Alex was gone.

When he turned to Y/N, he found her frozen, watching the passing landscape. Again, he thought she was beautiful. He thought a normal person would have cried, broken down, reacted. But she hadn't moved, and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing as him.

He convinced himself that she was. That they were now linked by fate, meant to be together.

Obviously, Y/N was not ready to accept this.

For the next few days, she avoided him like the plague. She only left her room to go to class, she walked faster if they passed each other in the hallways and she didn't go to the funeral of her first victim.

           "Alex is not my victim. He was my friend, I didn't want him to die, and now get out of my room."

           "Please, my heart, we both know it was heinous. Jack deserved to die. And if it was an accident, why didn't you tell the police ?"

           "They wouldn't understand. I don't want to go to jail."

           "You could say I killed him."

           "That wouldn't be true. Not totally. You didn't catch him, but I pushed him."

           "I won't turn you in, my sweet heart. If you're going to tell them I killed Jack, I won't deny it."

           "Why do you call him Jack ? And don't call me 'sweetheart', I'm not your sweetheart."

           "But you are. I only love you. I wasn't whole before I met you."

           "Get out, now."

Nigel couldn't blame her. He understood that she was scared, it was a big change. It was a real evidence when it was his turn to kill someone for the first time.

The choice was obvious, when he saw the boy put his hand on Y/N's shoulder. Of course, he didn't like it. He had no right to touch her, he was nothing. She didn't like it either, moving away and looking at him with disgust in her eyes, before leaving without saying anything, because he didn't even deserve her talking to him.

On the other hand, he deserved a punishment. Like the avenging arm of justice sent by Fate, Nigel gave him what he deserved.

This did not please his heart at all, still too fragile.

           "Tell me it wasn't you who killed Raj ?"

           "You were also 'friends' with him ?" he asked, continuing to read his book on anatomy.

           "He was friends with Alex. That's not the point. Did you kill him ? Why ?"

           "You know why."

She didn't answer, going back to her room. Modest, pure Y/N. She pretended not to like his attentions, his gifts. But she didn't go to the police, and Nigel knew how to read the signs. He continued to present his offerings to her, be they books, exam answers, or corpses.

Y/N was lucky not to have a roommate. Nigel didn't have any either, thanks to her, so he could go out during the night whenever he wanted to, to visit her.

The first few times, she was asleep. She was beautiful, lit by the moonlight. Nigel could watch her for hours. Then one evening he came in while she was awake.

She stared at him for a long time, her eyes wide, until he closed the door to go back to his own room. Without needing to speak, they had communicated. He had understood that she was furious that he was there. He liked this, these silent conversations.

Afterwards, if she blocked the door with a chair, he didn't insist. If she didn't, he stayed to admire her.

One night he did not find her in her bed. Yet he knew she was here, the window was closed. Without turning to the closet, he touched the books on the desk, he licked a pen, and he lay down in bed, hugging and sniffing her pillow.

           "You should get some sleep, sweetheart." he said simply when he was done.

As he was down the hall, he was sure he heard the closet door open.

Then came the best day of his life. Their common murder. The murder of his parents. A necessary step, which he had been thinking about for a long time.

Oh, sweet heart. Beloved Maraclea.

Using his father's hand to kill his mother was easy. Getting Y/N to come was more complicated. For a moment, Nigel thought she wouldn't get his message in time, that she would be afraid to come. But when he was her face, her eyes on his mother's body, as cold and piercing as when she had watched Jack fall, he had smiled.

It was written. It was fate.

           "You came." he sighed happily.

           "You are insane." she replied, taking the weapon his father had dropped.

If she had killed him, Nigel wouldn't have been mad at her. Murder was a very intimate act. To be killed by her would have been an honour. He would also have been very happy to kill her. Of course, he would have missed her. He would have wanted to keep her body forever.

But it was all written, they were meant to be together, to be one, united in a mission, and when his father stirred, Y/N shot him.

She had never looked so beautiful. Red suited her well. While Nigel cleaned the house, she sat near the entrance, staring at the wall.

She didn't move when he sat across from her.

           "You were gorgeous tonight."

           "I will kill you one day."

           "But not tonight, my sweet heart."

           "I am not your heart." she said. She often said that, whenever he called her that, as if it weren't true. Maybe she didn't realize it was true, not yet.

She still didn't move when he kissed her, before gently wiping the blood from her face.

If he could, Nigel would have taken a picture of her at that moment. He had hundreds of pictures of her. He would have shown them to her, if he hadn't sensed that she was going to take it badly. Yet it was a way to show her that he really loved her. That she was the only thing he thought about, the air in his lungs, the beating heart in his chest.

To prove it to her, Nigel approached a girl from school the very next day. An insignificant girl he had never noticed before. He thought that would make his sweet Y/N react, that she would be furious. Like when he saw Raj touching her.

She was furious. But she didn't try to kill the girl, or to kill him. No, she left the school, returned to her parents, saying she needed a rest.

People thought it was because of Jack and Raj. Everyone thought they were friends after all, and it was normal for her to feel bad after they died.

Nigel realized right away that he had made a mistake. Not because he made her an accomplice to murder. He had planned everything, there were no fingerprints, no motive, they had alibis and no one would find his parents for several days.

Maybe he had been in too much of a hurry. He had rushed her a bit, forcing her to act before she was ready. But she was smart, like him she had certainly sensed there was more.

His mistake was that he hurt her. Instead of showing her all his affection, by offering her this stupid girl as a sacrifice, he had let her believe that after all that they had been through, he was interested in someone else.

To reassure her, he killed the girl himself. The winter holidays arrived, so Y/N didn't come back right away, to forgive him for his mistake.

When the holidays were over, she didn't come back either.

Nigel was going crazy without her. It was worse when the principal announced that there had been an accident at her house, a fire, and that she had not survived.

He fainted. He couldn't believe his heart was dead. He hadn't seen her again, not since that magical night, when she was covered in his father's blood, and he had been able to kiss her.

Without her, his life had no meaning. He was empty again, incomplete. They were supposed to do this together.

For a while, Nigel thought about suicide. He wanted to join her. He went to her grave, where he wept as he hugged the headstone.

He hadn't cried for years. In fact, he couldn't remember if he had ever cried.

He also thought of finding someone else. But he couldn't. He only had one heart, and she was gone.

Everything was written. So maybe things were meant to be like this. He must have known love, happiness. To have met his other half, who had shown him the way. Who had killed for him, allowing him to kill in turn.

Now orphaned, rich, and his heart buried, nothing could stop him.

[a-m-w-harris]

Ghosts in Encanto AU

Ok, so a little while back I came across a post about the BBC ghosts being in the Encanto universe. I really liked the idea and wanted to expand upon it.

I included both the BBC ghosts and the CBS Ghosts because I like both versions a lot. Some of the minor ghosts don't have powers yet because they are kinda hard to write for. We don't really know much about them.

First off, instead of Casita and being set in Columbia, these folks are given their miracle by The Valley of Ages, located in the countryside of England. The Encanto and the Madrigals still do exist, and it is possible that there is a connection between the miracle of the Encanto and the miracle of the Valley.

The Valley of Ages is an ancient valley that is sentient and has deep ties to nature. It has the power to call out to those it deems worthy in order to become Guardians. Eventually, it created Button House, after creating several cottages and such for several people. Button House was made at the request of Lady Button in order to house all of the Guardians in the Valley. 

All who become Guardians gain a unique gift and immortality. Some possess gifts meant to educate or help the valley flourish. Others have gifts intended to ward off threats to the valley. The main thing about their immortality is that it only works while they are in the Valley, something they found out the hard way, unfortunately.

The Guardians of the Valley (in order of arrival)

Robin 

Has powerful electrokinetic abilities

The first to be called by the Valley, having been alone there for millions of years. He was a Cromagnin caveman who worshiped the moon. He was called to the Valley to be its first protector. 

Thorfinn

He can bring about powerful storms. 

Was a Viking who was struck by lightning while in the Valley. Was nursed back to health by Robin. 

Sasappis

Can project images and illusions via storytelling. 

Was a member of the Lenape Tribe who fled his lands in embarrassment after being unable to go to his first storytelling session. Was called by the Valley and sailed across the sea to ancient Europe. 

Jemima

She can cause a magical fear in others when she sings.

Plague Victim escaping certain death. She was twelve years old when she arrived at the valley.

Mick

Has the ability to teleport great distances. 

Plague Victim escaping certain death

The Other Plague Victims (No clue what their gifts would be)

Nicholas, Jeff, John, Walter, Molly, & Lucy

Mary

Has pyrokinetic abilities but cannot control them properly.

Was accused of witchcraft and had to flee. 

Annie

Possessed the ability to produce a powerful scream many times louder than any natural sound. 

Was drawn to the Valley shortly after Mary. during an excursion to gather supplies from outside the Valley; Annie, Mary, and Thorfinn were attacked by a group of bandits. Annie prepared to unleash her gift on them but was stabbed. She was killed instantly despite the Valley sending Mick to bring them back. 

Sir Humphry Bone

 Has the ability to displace his head and limbs. 

After assisting his wife in her escape, he escaped and was drawn to the valley. 

Thomas Thorne

 Has the ability to breathe underwater. 

Was a poet who after being spurned by his cousin who sabotaged his chances at his love, left to travel the countryside. The valley embraced him. He is the one who found Trevor in the lake. 

Kitty

Can communicate with animals

Was poisoned in an attempt on her life by her sister. The valley sensed it and had Mick teleport to her so she could be nursed back to health in Button House. 

Fanny Button

Has the ability to phase through solid objects. 

Was called to the Valley after leaving her husband after the discovery of his true proclivities. Requested the building of Button House of the valley, so that all of the guardians of the Valley would have a single roof to be under. 

Nigel Chassum

 Can sense when others lie

Escaped the revolutionary war with his two companions and lover Isaac. All four heard the call. 

Baxter

 Possesses the ability to cause small earthquakes on command. 

Escaped the revolutionary war with Nigel, Isaac, and Jenkins. All four heard the call. 

Jenkins

Can cause plant life to grow by playing his flute.

Escaped the revolutionary war with Nigel, Isaac, and Baxter. All four heard the call. 

Isaac Higgintoot

 Has the ability to create a noxious gas that can put others to sleep or make them sick. 

Escaped the revolutionary war with his two companions and lover Nigel. All four heard the call.

The cholera Victims (Again, I don't know what their abilities would be. Sorry.)

Stuart, Dirk, Cody, Nick, Catherine, & Nancy

Hetty Woodstone

Has prophetic visions and will often get visions directly from the valley itself on future residents. 

Heard the call after her abusive husband’s disappearance. Placed all of her money in a savings account which she still has access to. 

Captain

Gained the abilities of a ‘super soldier’. This includes enhanced speed, strength, and endurance. 

Retired to Button House after the war. Has not quite come to terms with being gay. 

Alberta Haynes

 Can heal illnesses and even remedies poisons with her songs.

A jazz singer escaping a racist lynching. Heard the call after being poisoned. Was brought to the valley by Mick similar to Kitty. 

Flower

Can place others in a calming trance

A hippie from the 60s who had a change of heart after a bank robbery. 

Pete Martino

 Has the ability to survive absolutely anywhere. (Can sense North, can always start a fire, is a perfect hunter, etc.)

Was a boy scout troupe leader in Maine when he heard the call. His wife’s cheating was revealed to him and he decided to leave. 

Patrick ‘Pat’ Butcher

 Has the ability to heal any injury given enough time. 

Was a boy scout troupe leader in England when he heard the call. After learning that his wife was in love with his best friend, he simply decided to leave and enter the Valley. 

Stephanie

Can dream walk but generally sleeps for all but a few weeks a year. 

She was sixteen when she was called to the valley. Mick was sent to rescue her from a psychopath who murdered her boyfriend. 

Julian Fawcett

Has a limited form of telekinesis

Drawn to the mansion after having an epiphany about needing to change his life. 

Crash

Has limited technopathic abilities and a mental connection to his bike. 

Was a biker touring the countryside of Europe when the valley called to him. 

Trevor Lefkowitz

Possesses a form of Empathy

Was almost killed by his ‘friends’ after having a drug overdose and being dumped in the lake in the valley. The valley aided him and the others nursed him back to health. 

Alison Cooper

Her gift is unknown.

Was called at the same time as the Arondekars. She and Samantha are said to be the most powerful protectors of the Valley to date. However, they have not discovered their gifts as of yet.

Mike Cooper

His gift is unknown.

Was called at the same time as the Arondekars. He has not discovered his gift yet but thinks it might have something to do with the physical.

Samantha Arondekar

 Her gift is unknown.

Was called at the same time as the Coopers. She and Alison are said to be the most powerful protectors of the Valley to date. However, they have not discovered their gifts as of yet.

Jay Arondekar

Can sense exactly what food would bring comfort to someone and eating his food can soothe anxieties. 

Was called at the same time as the Coopers. He is an accomplished cook and is very invested in renewing Button House. 

Ok! I think that's all of them. Let me know what you think!

[simonfarnabyslegs]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Ghosts (TV 2019) Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death Characters: The Plague Victims (Ghosts TV 2019), Nigel (Ghosts TV 2019), Walter the Plague Victim (Ghosts TV 2019), Walter the Plague Victim's Wife (Ghosts TV 2019), John the Plague Victim (Ghosts TV 2019), Jean the Plague Victim (Ghosts TV 2019), Geoff the Plague Victim (Ghosts TV 2019), Geoff the Plague Victim's Wife (Ghosts TV 2019), Mick the Plague Victim (Ghosts TV 2019), Kitty (Ghosts TV 2019), Alison (Ghosts TV 2019) Additional Tags: Canonical Character Death, Graphic Description, Cats, Nigel Has a Cat, The Plague Ghosts Have a Cat Summary:

Nigel has a cat. I swear I didn't intend for this to get as dark as it did.

---

i really did not mean for this to get as dark as it did. i’m so sorry. but there are some cute bits with nigel and the cat, and it has a happy ending despite all the sad stuff.

[ravens-and-redcarnations]

Has anyone noticed there's three Six Idiots characters named Nigel?

The Oracle- Yonderland

Mat's Historical Paramedic- Horrible Histories

Larry's Plague Victim- Ghosts

(Honestly the best picture I could find)

[larryrickard]

Nigel wanders upstairs and stops to enjoy the fire. Thomas unexpectedly joins him.

[pointnumbersixteen]

Random Notes from a 6AM Rewatch of the First Half of About Last Night (Help! My sleep schedule is out of control.)

1) Glad I didn’t live in the middle ages, where the highlight of my life probably would have been going into the city, eating an orange, and watching a bear (likely a trained dancing bear) kill I a man. (For reasons I’ve stated elsewhere, I don’t think it’s likely Mick actually went fishing with the king.) Then catching the plague and dying. 

2) Interestingly, from his cough-of-doom, it seems like Mick caught the pneumonic version of the plague. While there was a mild-to-moderate chance of surviving the plague in it’s other forms, the pneumonic plague has a 100% mortality rate without modern medicine.

3) I enjoy how the Captain just yells at Alison’s window until she comes to start his run. I wonder what his reaction was when she wasn’t at the door with the stopwatch when he finished. 

4) I’d totally be the person who took the opportunity to try on the suit of armor whilst drunk. Because let’s be honest, if I lived in Button House, I’d have probably tried it on sober. 

5) How in the world does Mike make that noise with his throat? 

6) I enjoy Thomas trying out various ‘sexy’ poses while waiting for Alison to walk into the kitchen. It’s very Thomas. And his little dance is as always adorable whenever it appears. 

7) Alison must have hit the bargain shelves at the second-hand media store, because that’s the only place I can imagine getting a VHS of anything called ‘Guernsey’s Nazi Past.’ Given that tv/VHS/dvd seemed new to all the ghosts but Julian, I imagine Heather Button was rather a Luddite and it doesn’t seem like the sort of thing Mike and Alison would have had in their collection, if they even had a VHS collection. I actually think this is kind of sweet, because it implies Alison went out looking to buy videos that would make the Captain happy.

8) ‘When you give in to gay abandon.’ Captain, one day someone’s going to tell you the modern meaning of that word and you’re going to be mortified. 

9) That is a very average looking naked dude you’re mesmerized by, Captain. I hope one day Julian introduces you to certain sections of the internet. You’ll be amazed by what you can see there. 

10) I’m amazed that the naked man managed to slip by without Fanny seeing him. 

11) I hope Julian’s exaggerating when he says that Fanny told him that she loved Dante more than anything else in the world. Because theoretically, in order to be Heather Button’s great-grand mother, Fanny had at least one actual child. That she never mentions. 

12) Once again Humphrey is only being included when he can be used as a sports implement. Oh well. At least he seems to be enjoying himself. (Although I feel like if he can phase through floors/ceilings what have you, this would have been a good time to do so, rather than being stuck on the roof.)

13) I love that when Alison screams at seeing the plague ghosts out of the basement, Walter (Ben’s ghost) gives a little wave. 

14) I also enjoy that when Julian questions the use of the word ‘people’ when talking about the plague victims, both incarnations of Ben- the Captain and Walter- give a little nod of confirmation that yes, these are people. 

15) Might be fun to brainstorm all the things Julian was subjected to public inquiries for. Embezzling money from the government for home renovations? Arms dealing to the Libyans? Well, honestly, I think he’d end up in jail for those two, so he probably didn’t get caught at them. What do we think he did get caught for, though? 

16) Walter, why do you have to treat Nigel like that? 

17) I enjoy that the Captain calls Pat ‘Patrick’ when he’s angry at him in this episode. Like, nickname basis has been revoked, we are no longer on those terms. 

[reddeadreference]

Blackwater Ledger No. 75

-Click here to return to the index for Newspapers-

This issue is available after completion of the mission: American Venom

(All article transcripts below the cut)

Articles marked with * are exclusive to this region’s issue.

Articles marked with ** are only there upon completion of the related mission.

Micah Bell Killed

FAMED GUNSLINGER. BETRAYAL ENDS HIS MURDERS. WANTED FOR BLACKWATER ROBBERY.

He was believed to be hiding in The Grizzlies for many years, emerging to sow mayhem and murder to fuel a life on the run. Micah Bell, one of the most notorious outlaws of the region and a former member of the infamous Dutch van der Linde's gang, was slain at his hideout. The train robber and desperado evaded authorities for years, during which time he killed two dozen men. He had sworn an oath to compatriots that he would never be taken alive.

Yet despite a concentrated effort by Rangers, Pinkertons and local law enforcement to bring Bell to heel, it appears as if he was completely taken by surprise by former gang members who have long accused him of treachery and theft of the ill-gotten gains from the Blackwater Robbery in 1899. Bell was without a doubt the most desperate outlaw at large in the area, striking terror into the hearts of carriage and stagecoach riders who have long feared his murderous reputation.

Several sheriffs had been elected in the country and each had vowed to bring Bell to justice. One, Sheriff Braxton Hefner, finally landed Bell in jail, where he was tried and sentenced to be hanged. Two days before paying the price for his crimes he broke jail and had been at large.

President Signs 1907 Immigration Act

RESTRICTS "IDIOTS, FEEBLEMINDED".

President Waxman signed an immigration act in order to prevent unsavory persons from entering the United States.

The new law, which went into effect immediately, excludes "All idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons, and persons who have been insane within five years previous; persons who have had two or more attacks of insanity at any time previously; paupers; persons likely to become a public charge; professional beggars; persons afflicted with tuberculosis or with a loathsome or dangerous contagious disease; persons not comprehended within any of the foregoing excluded classes who are found to be and are certified by the examining surgeon as being mentally or physically defective, such mental or physical defect being of a nature which may affect the ability of such alien to earn a living; persons who have been convicted of or admit having committed a felony or other crime or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; polygamists, or persons who admit their belief in the practice of polygamy, anarchists," from entering the United States.

Man Exposes Medical Frauds

AS CHARLATANS PEDDLE MARVELOUS CLAIMS. HIPPOCRATIC FAKERS PLAGUING SMALL CITIES.

It was hoped that with the spread of scientific knowledge, the scourge of medical quacks selling health and salvation from suffering would abate eventually. However, in towns and hamlets across the nation, the evolution of reputable physicians into swindles continues at rapid speed as each new break in scientific progress is announced.

A so-called doctor needs little more than a shingle to hang above his door and various potions and concoctions to peddle the ill, maimed and infirm, who are willing to part with their hard-earned money in hopes of prolonged health. Such is the crusade led by one man who has vowed to uncover the Hippocratic frauds who are preying on victims across the country. His name is Nigel West Dickens, a studied man of letters, botany, ornithology and the history of home medicine practiced throughout the ages.

He has begun demonstrations showing that sufferers of rheumatism, neuralgia, rickets, dysentery and scarlet fever can be cured of their maladies by use of a simple medicinal tonic. The response has been enthusiastic, and in more than one town the local doctor taken to task for peddling fraud cures. Mr. Dickens plans in the coming years to take his message on the road and root out charlatans and purveyors of false science.

Valentine Hotel Quarantine

MAN FEARED CONTAGIOUS. DISEASE OF THE BOWELS.

More death and discomfort comes as a result of disease of the bowels, from constipation, to diarrhea to dysentery than from almost any other cause. It can reflect a disorder of the liver, kidney derangements, a dyspeptic condition of the stomach, piles, or bad blood. No person knows the discomfort and agony of bowel disease more than Harville Presley, a resident at the Valentine Hotel for more than nine years.

Visited by numerous physicians and specialists, Mr. Presley scarcely leaves his residence at the hotel, one that he made permanent years ago once the onset of the disease began. The son of a wealthy mining family, Mr. Presley took refuge at the Valentine Hotel, feeling pain after eating at a church potluck supper.

The daily plague of sharp, spasmodic gripes of the bowels soon resulted in Mr. Presley living very much like a hermit, summoning doctors and literature and trying to diagnose the cause of his maladies. For reasons of safety, his room is under quarantine and other guests are placed in lodging in other areas of the hotel, so as not to be subjected to the auditory distress of his complaints.

A Gentleman's Sport

GOLFING SOARS IN POPULARITY. GENERATES A TIDY PROFIT.

Even before Columbus sailed for America, golf was soaring in popularity in the United Kingdom, so much so that archery and other sports that could defend the realm were falling out of favor. Concerned over national security, in 1491 Scotland decreed the sport unlawful for a period of time. In the United States, the lovely pastime could not be more popular, especially in California, a state devoted to entertainment and leisure.

Indeed this publication received a sunny dispatch from the 31st state that New Hanover's very own Edith Downes has developed and opened a brand new golf course to much acclaim and fanfare. She and her son Archie have, of late, ventured into several businesses out west, which is a very distant lifestyle from her past as a rancher's wife.

Cocaine Use to Require Prescription

The Governor of California has amended the Pharmacy and Poison Act making it a crime to sell opiates of cocaine without a prescription. The new ruling was protested by several vocal advocates and users of cocaine.

World's Fastest Steam Powered Car

SPEED RECORD BROKEN.

Steam powered automobiles are all the rage these days. Shovel in some coal, light the pilot, fill up the boiler with water, and in 20-30 minutes you are able to motor on out to your destination.

Mechanic Hershel E. Bennett has broken the land speed record in his amazing marvel of modern engineering, the Stratton Steamer. Modified from the consumer model from the Stratton Motor Carriage Company, he took it to a beach in Florida where a crowd cheered as he reach 127.66 mph, the fastest any human has traveled.

Del Lobos Gang Finished *

ESTEBAN CORTEZ DEAD.

After a long and bloody string of robberies throughout the region and the murders of sheriff’s deputies, notorious outlaw Esteban Cortez was finally killed. Dispatches from the area indicate he was killed near Gaptooth Breach, though at press time this couldn’t be confirmed. Long sought by the Tumbleweed Sheriff’s office, Cortez and his brother Ramón led an infamous gang of killers.

The brothers and their accomplices have evaded law enforcement and sown terror throughout the region. Bounties were issued for Cortez to be brought in dead or alive. Recently his brother was captured and is sentenced to be hung.

The Art of Angling by Jeremy Gill  

STEELHEAD TROUT.

No fish ignites the flame of angling in any true fisherman like the trout. A man must study the water and insects like a hawk, for trout are moody and will just as soon sit and watch an ill-picked fly float overhead. Once, while fishing with a senator, I stood with a sulky trout in my hands and informed it I intended to rip his brother and entire family from the water and watch them gasp for a breath.

The senator laughed and said he intended to use the same sentiment towards immigrants. What a leader he is. One day, I hope he runs for president. Fish for steelhead trout in lakes in the south. Try crickets.

Best of luck!

[heystephwrites]

The Peace Referendum

Originally published on October 13th, 2016 I wrote this blog post to answer questions I received about the peace referendum in Colombia.

The week before last, in the midst of the SENA strike aka the impromptu and undesired holiday, I began to write a blog post titled COLOMBIA SIGNS PEACE DEAL. Well, two weeks after the referendum I can say that someone certainly signed a peace deal but it wasn’t Colombia.

President Juan Manuel Santos, a man of polarised opinion, was seemingly making good on his pre-electoral promise of peace since, three weeks ago, he signed a historic peace deal with the FARC rebels. The FARC, whilst not the only rebel group involved in the 52-year conflict, are by far the largest and most influential. It was assumed that if this deal had been accepted by the Colombian population other groups such as the ELN would follow suit in the coming months and years. Alas, they did not and thus it’s back to the drawing board for the peace talks.

The decision against the peace treaty has left many, Colombian and extranjero alike, scratching their heads in confusion. Why would the people vote no? Are Colombians not interested in resolving the longest-running armed conflict in the Americas? The answer, as always, is it’s complicated. Nothing here is straightforward; not the conflict; not public opinion; not even the referendum itself.

In theory, referendums seem like a wonderful avenue of direct democracy in an otherwise imperfect system, in reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Referendums are extremely rarely used, although 2016 does seem to be the year of the referendum (here’s looking at you Brexit, Thailand, and Italy among others) because alongside other flaws they have the tendency to be incredibly unpredictable. In this case, up until the day of the vote the polls had forecasted solid support for the ‘yes’ camp but it was not to be. To determine why this was, one must look at what drives voters in a referendum. Is it a carefully deliberated conviction based on clearly explained facts? Probably not.

In this and other referendums, the voting public was not sufficiently informed to make decisions on such a complicated and technical issue. This wasn’t merely a vote for peace (to which all would agree) but on a specific peace treaty, one that the details of which were not made abundantly clear. There was a sense of secrecy about it and secrecy always breeds mistrust. What we do know about the peace treaty is that it was particularly lenient towards the FARC. It was extremely lenient in fact, no-jail-time-and-10-seats-in-parliament-to-a-diminishing-and-discredited-rebel-army lenient.

This should really have been foreseen, however. Santos is still in power because of his promise to do what his predecessors could not and secure lasting peace. His second term of presidency was secured by the skin of his teeth, just 50.95% of the vote as opposed to 68.9% in 2010. Many of his supporters that tipped the scales were those among the left that hoped for peaceful negotiation with the FARC. One can assume this is what drove his tactic of peace “at any costs" - a tactic criticized by his old buddy and former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe.

That said, buddy mightn’t be the best word to describe their current relationship as although Uribe helped win the presidency for Santos in 2010, the two later split. Uribe’s campaign against the peace deal is thought to be one of the principal reasons that the no vote prevailed.

The basis of Uribe's campaign was that the FARC should be punished harshly for their crimes.

“Peace is exciting, but the text of the Havana deal is disappointing,” said Uribe

Uribe’s campaign took advantage of the widespread hatred of the FARC. Honestly, the phrase widespread hatred might be an understatement. For many Colombians, there is a special place in hell for members of the FARC as the most recent period of violence was started by the FARC’s insurgency and the violence has been pretty horrific. The numbers reported vary but most agree that it has left; more than 260,000 dead with the large majority being civilian; 6.9 million people internally displaced (which, for reference, is even more than Sudan and Iraq combined), and over 75,000 people have disappeared or been kidnapped. Somewhere in the region of half of all Colombians have lost a family member to violence over the years and many understandably lay the blame at FARC's door. Yet, when looking at the evidence that doesn't come directly from the Colombian government, one can't help but feel the hatred is, in some cases, misplaced. If you read nothing else in this post please read this:

“The United Nations has estimated that 12% of all killings of civilians in Colombian conflict have been committed by the FARC and ELN guerrillas, and the rest, 80%, by government forces and paramilitaries.”

So yes, the FARC have undoubtedly done some atrocious things but the Colombian government also have A LOT to answer for.  

This has obviously never been mentioned. In the same way that many voters in the UK were swayed by xenophobic propaganda, strong personalities such as Nigel Farage, and expensive advertising campaigns during the Brexit movement, the hatred of the FARC was a much more beneficial political tool for Uribe’s campaign. In the UK, voters were lured with falsified promises, all of which have fallen to the wayside, leaving many regretting their decision. Whether this happens in Colombia remains to be seen.

In addition to hatred, many citizens mistrust the FARC. This, as has been mentioned, is not the first attempt at peace or a peace deal. In previous endeavours, the FARC have gone back on their word and this also played a major factor in the outcome.

Interestingly though, the areas in which one would expect people to have the most hatred towards the FARC voted for the peace deal. It seems the area’s most affected by the violence just wanted it to stop. They were not interested in vengeance, just peace.

For this reason, the phrase "tyranny of the majority” is often associated with referendums. This situation is an example of the worst kind because the whims of the majority have superseded the needs of the minority. Although in this case, "the tyranny of whoever bothered to leave their house on that rainy Sunday" would be more apt.

Referendums are only direct democracy if people bother to take part in them. Turnout for this one was a disappointing 37%. Reasons for this low turnout vary from the weather to general indifference. Another thing to remember is that unlike Europe most Latin American countries are new to direct democracy (the exception being Uruguay) and Colombians especially, weary from years of violence and disappointment, are particularly politically apathetic.

Another difficulty that plagued this referendum was a problem with separability. This is the inability to separate the facts before them from other issues. There were a few somewhat direct issues; others were completely unrelated. One less related issue was Santos and his government.

Everywhere except Colombia Santos’ popularity is soaring but here in the country itself, it’s at an all-time low. Colombia’s economy has been struggling of late and unemployment is at 9 percent. He has made some highly questionable moves during his presidency but this isn’t all Santos’ fault; the low prices for oil and trade relations with China have a lot to do with it. Regardless there are many Colombians that believe he has been far too preoccupied with peace negotiations to really deal with the economy. Peace should bring eventual prosperity to the country but for now, the Colombian peso has fallen sharply against the dollar since the talks began in 2012. Although before the referendum a yes appeared certain to anyone paying attention, nationally or internationally, it seemed to many nationals that his interest lay more in international public opinion. This only fortified the perception within Colombia that, now nearing the end of his time in political office he was pursuing other honours and that his haste for a deal was not for the good of the nation, but to secure the Nobel Peace Prize.

Whilst campaigning overseas Santos made the Secretary of Education, Gina Parody, the face of the yes vote in Colombia. No one is sure why, Parody is even less popular than Santos, but we can be sure that this backfired on him. One of the ideas that Parody tried to push was gender-specific care for victims of sexual violence, however, because Parody is openly gay, right wing activists twisted this when it was reported to the general public. Somehow it ended up being explained to already concerned Christians as a “gender ideology” that sought to promote sexual diversity. Many voted no because they believed the treaty to be a threat to the nuclear family. Sadly after months of having her sexual orientation used to sabotage her work, Parody has since resigned.

Already you can see that the situation is very, very complicated and if I’m honest I’ve barely scratched the surface. The more important question is “so what now Colombia? Where do we go from here?” Back to the drawing board, it looks like. Let’s just hope there are no casualties while we wait.

[marjanefan]

The Riddle of the Sphinx as a Greek Tragedy

Warning – this essay includes spoilers (under the read more link)

It may be set in modern day Cambridge but in its referring to the story of the Sphinx of Thebes (and Oedipus) and its plot involving multiple revelations and betrayals, its exploration of revenge it deliberately calls back to the golden age of Greek tragedy, This is a point Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith have commented on in interview, particularly to explain the episode.

As mentioned, the main story from Greek mythology that the episode references is Oedipus, specifically his banishing the Sphinx from Thebes by answering her riddle. However, it also references elements from Sophocles play ‘Oedipus Tyrannus/Rex’ and other Greek tragedies both in plot elements and how the narrative unfolds.

Firstly it is important to note that there are some major differences between this episode and Greek tragedies. For example there is no chorus commenting on the action and we see all the major action happen in front of us rather than key events happening off stage which then are relayed by a messenger, amongst other things (However it could be argued the crossword itself acts as a Greek chorus commenting on the action and as the messenger as it will tell others what has transpired between Squires and 'Nina')

However, there are a great number of ways in which this episode very accurately reproduces the practices of ancient Greek drama.

In Greek tragedy we usually see dialogues between two characters (Sophocles introduced a third actor, but we usually only see two characters interact in his and Euripides plays). We only see dialogue between Squires and Nina/Charlotte then Squires and Tyler. There are often long passages of exposition and monologues which are also echoed in this episode with Nina, Squires and Tyler all getting opportunities to explain what is happening.

The Riddle of the Sphinx (like many episodes of Inside No.9) conforms to the three Aristotelian unities for drama set out in in The Poetics. It has unity of action (it concerns Squires confrontation with Nina/Charlotte and Tyler with no subplots), unity of time (it occurs in real time over a half hour) and unity of place (Squire’s office). Indeed, almost two third of the episodes of Inside No.9 in the first four series also conform to these three unities.

The plot could be said to conform to three-episode structure of Greek tragedy with Squires and Nina/Charlotte’s initial interactions about crosswords being the first episode, Nina/Charlotte revealing her true motives being the second episode and Tyler’s arrival being the third episode. The Poetics also set out that a discovery should occur within a play and this certainly happens in The Riddle of the Sphinx!

The referencing of the myth of Oedipus in the story must be deliberate with Squires involvement with the death of his two children and sexual assault on a young woman who turns out to be his daughter echoing Oedipus unknowingly killing his father Laius and marrying his mother Jocasta.

Squire’s real crime like most characters in Greek tragedy is his ‘Hubris’ (ὑβρῐ́ς). This goes beyond our concept of pride or arrogance (both of which Squires is more than guilty of). In Greek Tragedy it is almost a form of blasphemy (certainly in the plays of Sophocles and Aeschylus) in that it is a form of disrespect for the gods and fate. Oedipus may be infamous for (unknowingly) killing his father Laius and marrying his mother Jocasta. But in Greek myth, this is not his actual crime. His and his parents were informed separately by oracles that Oedipus is fated to kill his father and marry his mother. They both take action to try and avoid this, but these actions only ensure that they occur. More pertinently it is flaws in all three’s personalities that allow these events to pass. All three act rashly or impulsively when told about the prophecy (Laius and Jocasta command baby Oedipus to be left to die, Oedipus runs away from his adopted parents). In spite of the prophecy Oedipus and Laius get into a violent argument when they encounter each other which leads to Laius’s death. So both had tempers that leads them to have violent arguments with apparently random strangers they encounter. Jocasta marries Oedipus almost immediately when he arrives in Thebes as a hero for having vanquished the sphinx even though she has only recently been widowed and he is quite literally young enough to be her son (despite the prophecy).

The plot of Sophocles’ ‘Oedipus Tyrannus/Oedipus Rex ‘occurs years into Oedipus’ rule of Thebes and concerns the eventual revelation of his actions. Throughout the play Oedipus behaves in high handed and arrogant manner toward all those around him, such as the sear Tiresias, in investigating the cause of the plague that has befallen Thebes and the circumstances of the death of Laius. He refuses to heed warnings of what he might uncover or that he may himself be the cause of the plague. This exacerbates his horror when his actions are eventually revealed. Jocasta kills herself offstage (hanging herself – with her scarf, rather like Simon had done) and Oedipus blinds himself.

It could be argued that Squires has his fate foretold him in Tyler apparently warning him that Nina/Charlotte plans to kill him. In trying to avoid this fate and not exploring why Nina/Charlotte wants him dead or Tyler’s motivation for telling him, he ensures his eventual death and that of his daughter.

Squires thinks he can outwit ‘Nina’ and that he will not be called to account for his behaviour toward others who have less power than him (Simon in the crossword quiz, the other young female undergraduates he presumably sexually assaulted). He refuses to show sympathy for those who have suffered because of his arrogance. In the end one of his victims, Tyler, will call him to account in the most horrendous manner possible.

Jacob Tyler in many ways acts in the role of the avenging god that we see frequently appear at Euripides’ tragedies (such as Dionysus in the Bacchae). These gods often reveal at the end of Euripides plays to the central figure the full consequences of their action and punish them accordingly. Tyler’s actions bring around the downfall of Squires and he exposes Squires hubris in his treatment of others. He could also be said to act as a Deus Ex Machina (a trope especially associated with Euripides) in supplying Squires with the bullet to kill himself with. However, these figures are frequently shown to be petulant and deeply cruel in Euripides’ dramas (particularly in plays such as The Bacchae and Hippolytus). Tyler is shown to be similarly cruel and petulant with no compassion toward Squires or even Nina/Charlotte who he raised as his daughter.

Jacob’s first name may be an allusion to Jacobean tragedy. Many Jacobean tragedies (also known as revenge dramas) were every bit as bloody and revenge driven as many Greek tragedies and undoubtably this was another influence on Pemberton and Shearsmith.

Professor Squires middle name Hector (revealed only at the end of the episode) may be another allusion to Greek myth. In the Iliad Hector was the Trojan warrior who kills Achilles’ companion Patroclus in battle. This evokes the wrath of Achilles (the stated theme of the Iliad) who in turn kills Hector.

One of the main themes of the Iliad and many Greek tragedies is ‘honour’ and its maintenance. Characters such a Medea are shown to go to extreme lengths when they perceive themselves as being dishonoured. Squires is determined to maintain his honour as a Crossword specialist over a young man even if it means cheating and abusing his position of power. Tyler feels he has lost his honour both by Squires cuckolding him and his resulting withdrawal from his promising academic career. Both men have an unhealthy preoccupation with their standing in the eyes of others and with being successful. Honour and excelling is linked to identity and power in Greek myth and is seen as almost conferring a form of immortality. The maintenance of honour becomes a deadly matter. Tyler can only see one way of restoring his lost honour- by avenging himself upon Squires and robbing him of his honour by exposing him to shame.

Nina/Charlotte has some interesting comparisons with two figures from Greek tragedy in Electra and Antigone. Electra and her brother Orestes’s killing of their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus in revenge for the murder of their father Agamemnon was the theme of plays by both Euripides and Sophocles (and the Oresteia). In Euripides’ play Electra’s desire for vengeance is met but she is then beset by guilt and regret. It is also worth notig that at least in Euripides plays Clytemnestra's killing of Agamemnon was in large part motivated by his apparent sacrifice of their daughter Iphigenia)

But Nina/Charlotte also has some parallels with Antigone, Oedipus’s daughter (who is herself the subject of a play by Sophocles). Antigone ensures her brother Polynices is given a proper burial after her uncle Creon expressly forbids anyone doing this. She is caught and punished by being entombed alive. Like Antigone, Nina/Charlotte is concerned with doing what she perceives as right by her dead brother. Her fate of being left completely paralysed while dying a slow death could be said to echo Antigone’s fate.

Alexandra Roach gives a powerful performance as Nina/Charlotte showing her fierce determination to avenge her brother and later her horror as the extent of Tyler’s betrayal become evident (all the more so as the character is completely paralysed – but her eyes speak volumes). She has been betrayed by both her ‘fathers’ (particularly Tyler) and her life has been lost as collateral in their power game. This echoes both Electra and Antigone having little power as women in their stories, a reflection of the highly patriarchal nature of ancient Athenian society.

There was always a clear moral purpose to Catharsis for the of any Greek tragedy. These were collective experiences whih deliberately explored religious and moral questions for the audience. To this end each play needed an act of ‘Catharsis’ (fear and pity) which Aristotle wrote was so critical to a successful drama. We get this act of catharsis. Squires is confronted with his role in the death of his two children (and the fact he assaulted his own daughter). Steve Pemberton manages to make Squires a pitiable character in the final moments of the episode. We see Squires is genuinely distraught at what he has done to Nina/Charlotte as he cradles her in her final moments. We pity Squires as a man who inadvertently destroyed the family he could have had if he had been more honest, less arrogant and less lecherous. We are also left with feelings of fear that people like Tyler are so ruthless in their quest for revenge and that our own misdeeds. The gunshot at the end resolves the action and ironically both Squires and the audience are released from the tension of the events of the episode.

The Riddle of the Sphinx may at first be nasty fun but as with much of Inside No.9 there is a moral message. Both Squires and Tyler behave in a toxic and entitled way which no one in the audience is supposed to admire. Squires may be physically destroyed by the end of the episode but Tyler is destroyed morally. Nina/Charlotte is so warped by a desire for revenge she is consumed (quite literally!) by it. All this in a story apparently about crosswords

[lushscreamqueen]

Terror Creatures from the Grave – 1965

OPENING-It's another Friday night and I ain't got no body, No Body I'm a Skeleton, Get it, no Body. I don't know why I bother sometimes. Welcome to the Schlocky Horror Picture Show, I am your host Nigel Honeybone here to bring you another Gem from the bowels of TVS. Tonight's celluloid hero is a little 1965 Italian thing called TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE.

BREAK: They rise from dank coffins in the dead of night, murdering their victims in an orgy of slaughter! Oh yes, of course, doesn't everyone? And then after the break more terror than you can poke a pointy stick at.

MIDDLE: Hello and welcome back to the Schlocky Horror Picture show. Tonight's movie Terror-Creatures from the Grave or to use its Italian title Cinque tombe per un medium is a 1965 supernatural horror thriller film set in such a pretty atmospheric location, the movie's plot is based on a novel by late great Edgar Allen Poe. It's a pretty cheesy story about revenge from beyond the grave. Which I understand is the plot of every second Italian movie in the 60's isn't it? This is quite a little, silly, gothic zombie movie with all the right ingredients to keep you hooked. Beautiful Barbara Steele in a bath tub, severed, crawling hands, zombies, murders, guts and beautiful landscape photography. Set in 1913, a lawyer receives a letter to come to a lonely castle to record the will of a dying man. Arriving there he finds out that this guy is already dead and only his beautiful widow and daughter from the first marriage are living there. As this movie actually is a murder mystery and a zombie flick thrown together, the plot twists and turns to keep both lines going. In the end, the movie inevitably becomes quite mixed-up. It was pretty gory for its time and even now can get a bit too much, if you are a woozy girl's blouse. Originally this was for mature audiences. From the opening in which a man with the worst goatee you'll ever lay eyes on leaves his house on the middle of the night, saddles up a horses, climbs on, falls off and gets kicked in the face til he's dead you know it's bad. But never mind all that, okay? We won't need to worry about the Man with the World's Worst Goatee just yet! Why Massimo Pupillo and screenwriters Roman Miglorini and Roberto Natale thought he was sufficiently important to build a pre-credits sequence around him is anybody's guess. Pupillo, who directed this film, and you may remember him from "Bloody Pit of Terror" fame was so unsatisfied with the final result of the entire movie, he allowed the film's producer, Ralph Zucker, to take the director's credit instead. This has led people to confuse Pupillo and Zucker for one another, and so when Zucker died in 1982, some thought that Pupillo had died, which is incorrect. Unfortunately. !!. Meanwhile back to the plot if you can call it that. Attorney Albert Kovac played by Walter Brandi, from The Slaughter of the Vampires and Zorikan the Barbarian, has just driven out from the city to the Villa Hauf, overlooking an adorable little village. He meets with the widow played by Barbara Steele, 35-22-34, I guess it's that long black hair and grown up Wednesday Adams look that gets her cast in these kind of roles. Face it, it was almost impossible to make a Spaghetti Horror film in the 60's without Barbara Steele. Between 1960 and 1970 she made 33 unforgettable films. But her most horrific work will always be as associate producer on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in 2002…Eeewww *shiver* Anyway Naturally enough people start dying horribly and it's up to daughter Corinne played by Mirella Maravidi, who for her part, thinks she knows what this is all about and Attorney Albert to get to the bottom of the mystery. And so without further ramblings. TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE!

CLOSING: So what's the biggest, most incomprehensible blunder you've ever seen a director make in a zombie movie? Well how about never showing the zombies? You heard me. The closest thing we ever get to a look at the living dead comes on two occasions when the camera shows us their hands. When the cripple gets it, we see a pitted and pock-marked hand take hold of his wheelchair, and when the siege of the villa finally commences, its beginning is heralded by a close-up on the preserved severed hands of several executed plague-spreaders, which twitch back to life in their display case in the villa lobby. Otherwise the zombies are represented solely by POV cams and sound effects. It's really an incredibly ill-considered way to handle the climax of a film, and I find myself waffling back and forth between the extreme displeasure that was my initial reaction in the face of it and a sort of bemused humour at the prospect. After all, it isn't often that one sees a director get something so spectacularly wrong. Otherwise, Terror Creatures from the Grave is a fairly routine mid-60's Italian horror film. While it isn't nearly as goofy as Pupillo's contemporary Bloody Pit of Horror had led me to anticipate, it certainly isn't that good either, at least in the sense that normal people use the term. I still found it moderately enjoyable, though. There are a few outbursts of amusingly incontinent overacting and some really choice dialogue not to mention the perversely entertaining spectacle of Barbara Steele gleefully lowering herself to the level of the rest of the film. My enthusiasm for Massimo Papilla may have been blunted by Terror Creatures from the Grave, but only very slightly. So until next week when we play with what I can dig out of the bowels of the TVS vaults, Toodles!

by Lushscreamqueen , Nov 17, 2008