#spooky week 2019

[sunshinereddie]

i think it would be very funny to imagine a losers sitcom of sorts where the events of ch2 proceed as canon (but imagine that stan didn't die and joined them for the fight), except afterwards the losers decide to fuck it and perform some kind of ritual to try and bring eddie back to life. it works, except he is a zombie. a literal zombie, except he still has his old personality and memories and everything. he's the same old eddie kaspbrak, except now he always looks like he just crawled out of his grave (he did) and now he has acquired the taste of human brains- but he's the same old eddie!

so then, in sitcom style, the losers decide to just carry on with their lives.... while also trying to help eddie adjust to his new life as a zombie, while also not even trying to hide the fact that he's a zombie. he goes out with grey and rotting skin and richie tells people that eddie's just really into halloween. imagine the losers all having a nice dinner together, everyone sharing a meal, and then it pans over to eddie's plate, which has a single brain on it. jump to zombie eddie back at work, wearing a suit and sitting at his desk while he types away on his computer.

i just think...... zombie eddie sitcom. yeah.

[sserpente]

A Haunted Read (Kinktober #1)

You are certain the library you work in his haunted. However, you are not certain ghosts can cast green magic and tease you like that...

A/N: Request by @blackwidownat2814. This request is so old, I’ll go stand in a corner and be ashamed of myself. *clears throat* On another note… Happy Kinktober! It’s my favourite time of the year and I’ve got a bunch of spooky and/or kinky Imagines ready to go this year! Starting off strong with Loki, have fun reading! ;)

Words: 2019 Warnings:  ghost!Loki (sort of), smut

You were certain the library was haunted. You were not imagining things. You could hear it. Every single night. A mischievous chuckle, a dark giggle, right after whatever spirit had made itself comfortable in your workplace wreaked some havoc when you were trying to get through your shift.

The concept of a library that was open twenty-four hours a day wasn’t so unusual but it could have done with some more marketing. You were alone most of the time, sorting through books, listening to music, and handling returns left over by the day shift.

Working at night was refreshing. Regardless of the ghost haunting you, you already had the story of a lifetime to tell to your future children (or well, pets). Your boss didn’t want to believe you when you claimed that Thor, the Thor, and his brother Loki had visited the library two weeks ago, searching for a rare tome for a super-secret Asgardian mission.

A selfie with Thor (and Loki rolling his eyes in the background) was now your new profile picture on all of the social media platforms you were on.

Thor was just as righteous and warm as the media portrayed him. Loki was…something else. Cautious, quiet, snarky and to be frank, condescending. Not to mention he’d been the one to show up first, catching you reading a very steamy romance novel. Damn those gods and their quiet footsteps.

You bit your lower lip and rolled a trolley filled with books to your desk. At the end of the day, strangely enough, Loki had fascinated you even more than Thor had. After everything that happened in New York all those years ago, vigilance around his person was a given. But there was more to him than that, you were certain of that. After all, Thor kept him around for a reason, right?

In all honesty, he reminded you a little of those brooding and morally grey men in the books you liked to read. Cold on the outside but a good heart hidden beneath…right? His blue gaze had lingered on you just a little too long. It was captivating, mesmerising, stunning, breath-taking…it was hard to believe it was Thor who captured all the women’s hearts. Loki was not only handsome but also mysterious. He was your perfect book boyfriend and you had not just once caught yourself imagining him as the male protagonist in your latest erotic adventure.

A chuckle. You rolled your eyes. “Who is there? Show yourself!”

Silence. Of course. You hadn’t expected anything else. Except—

You flinched when the neatly stacked books on your desk scattered to the carpeted floor. You groaned. “Seriously? I just sorted through these!”

Perhaps you should have been worried about a poltergeist keeping you company at this time of day, alone and surrounded only by rows and rows of books, especially this close to Halloween. But then again, you had nothing to fear from the dead. The living were much scarier than anything a poltergeist could come up with.

Another chuckle.

“Really funny… You know if you’ve got something to say, say it. Maybe I can help you move on to the afterlife or something like that…” You bent over to pick up the books when you spotted a green hue flickering across the edges of some of the books, almost as if whatever had moved them still lingered on the covers.

Great. Ghost goo. Time to call the Ghostbusters.

Hopefully, the rest of your shift was going to be peaceful. You sighed, stacking the books yet again. They had to be re-labelled and some of them needed a new protective cover. If you got this done now…and the library remained this empty…you’d have enough time to finish that sexy Halloween novel you’d been reading.

After all, that was the best part of your job. It was heaven to get paid for reading. So you got to work, listening to some music to drown out the repeated chuckles. At least nothing else went flying for now. Although you couldn’t quite shake the constant shivers running up and down your spine. It was as if your body sensed another presence.

You didn’t hate it—but you didn’t like it, either.

Three long hours later, as you rolled your neck to ease some of the tension, you were done. The trolley was empty, the returns list was updated, all the books were re-labelled…and you finally had time for the steamy romance novel waiting for you on the desk.

After making some tea in the staff room, you made yourself comfortable in the surprisingly cosy desk chair and got lost in your story.

Your protagonist was about to be seduced by a handsome demon looking to devour her soul—of course, they’d eventually fall in love in the process. She was dreaming, half-awake, and then…experiencing sleep paralysis. The girl had gone to bed naked, making it even easier for the demon to tease her into oblivion.

Damn, this was hot. You could feel yourself growing wet, arousal rippling through you.

You flinched when something tugged at your hair. You flipped around. There was no one there.

The demon in the book pulled back the covers, revealing the girl’s glistening pussy to its greedy gaze.

Something tugged at your clothes. “What the…” Flailing, your eyes scanned your surroundings. Nothing. This was the first time this ghost was touching you. This…shit. “Stop it! Let go of me!”

Perhaps if you ignored it…you bit your lower lip, lowered your gaze, and kept on reading in an attempt to block the spirit out. No one liked to be ignored, right? Maybe it just wanted attention like a toddler. Or a pet.

The demon stuck out his long tongue and licked over the girl’s cunt, lapping at her juices.

It was just then you noticed that green hue of energy again, disappearing…underneath your skirt. Your eyes widened.

“W-Wait, no, what…what is…” Trying to press your legs together did nothing. The energy remained, forcing itself…you gasped.

“What are you doing? What’s happening, what are you…oh.” It did not wait for you to finish. The energy pressed up directly against your clit. A moan escaped your lips. No…no, this wasn’t supposed to feel good, what was it doing?

I-ignore it…just ignore it…just…ignore it…

The girl in the book whimpered, her legs falling open wider against her will. And then…so did yours. Fuck… You should be scared. Terrified. Instead…instead all you could sense was excitement.

You stopped reading, desperate to catch a glimpse of that green hue again…only for it to disappear. Damn it. Disappointment should be the last thing you’re feeling. And then, as soon as you brought your gaze back to the pages of your book, the pressure returned.

Oh. Oh my. Did…did the spirit want you to keep reading? And only then would it…

No. Oh no. You should not be playing this game. This was bad. Wrong. Maybe it wasn’t even a spirit after all. What if it was an incubus? What if it’d feast on your pleasure and steal your energy, your soul even in the worst-case scenario?

You bit your lower lip when the pressure intensified, sneaking its way past your drenched lips and…inside you as if to distract you from your worrying thoughts. Fuck…you’d never felt so…so full. How was this even possible?

Finally, the girl in the book opened her eyes only to find the handsome demon hovering directly above her the very moment he thrust up into her, claiming every single inch of her. And with every line you read…the invisible force working your own arousal kept stroking and teasing your pussy as if it’d done so a million times before. You couldn’t help it. You pictured Loki to be the demon seducing this girl.

Fuck it. Whatever this experience was, now was not the time for fear. You could be scared later and be horny now.

Growing hotter with every minute, it got harder and harder to focus on the text. You climbed the ladder fast, the mysterious energy pleasuring you better than any of your toys could. If it kept going, you would…you would…oh…

“I’m coming!” you yelled out, grateful that you were alone—save for the naughty ghost having its fun with you. You clenched around the energy force as you hit your climax, bliss unlike any other rippling through you. You dropped your book, your nails digging into the armrests, your head thrown back.

Your little poltergeist took its time. It did not let up until you’d come down from your high, your senses and dreadful realisation at what you had just let a ghostly appearance do to you washing away the last waves of pleasure.

And yet…you had never come this hard. If anything…this had been the most mind-bending orgasm of your life. You wanted to experience that again. You wanted to experience it again.

But, as the force slowly retreated and the green hue evaporated into nothingness, you figured it would be stupid to beg it to come back and give you more.

One thing was for certain, however. You could not, under any circumstances, let anyone ever know what had just happened to you.

The next evening remained uneventful. At first. No ghosts, no flying objects, no invisible hands forcing you to come for them. You were about to continue reading that faithful book from last night when all of a sudden, the main doors of the library opened and two now all too familiar figures walked inside.

Thor and Loki.

“Hey, you two! Any progress on your ancient Asgardian tome?”

You were quite flattered when Thor remembered your name and they both greeted you. Thor with a friendly “Hello”, and Loki with a curt nod. “No luck so far. But we have a new lead. Would you mind if we took another little browse?”

“Not at all, take your time. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

Thor smiled and nodded before he walked off, straight toward the history and mythology section. Loki, on the other hand…lingered a little longer in place than he probably should have. God, even how he was standing there, lurking, observing you with those scrutinising blue eyes…he was grace personified.

“C-Can…can I help you?” you asked.

Loki smirked. “I was hoping you might be able to help me find some…lighter literature. To pass the time so to speak.”

“Uh…sure. W-what…” Oh, get it together! “What kind of literature were you thinking about?”

“I have an affinity for romance. Perhaps something along the lines of…what you read last night.”

Your face fell when he flicked his wrist and steamy erotica resting on your desk chair practically flew into his hands—enveloped in green mist.

Oh. My. God.

You didn’t get to respond. Not that you knew what to say anyway. Thor came rushing back to the front desk with an odd-looking compass in one hand and another really old book on settlements in Norway in the other.

“Loki! Loki, I think I found what we’re looking for. That thing Strange gave us is spinning like crazy, look!”

Loki didn’t look. His eyes were locked with yours still, his smirk never letting up. Fuck. Me.

“Are you quite alright, dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he mused.

You gnashed your teeth, resisting the urge to growl.

Thor gave you a puzzled look. Shit.

“N-no. I’m okay. I’m fine.”

“Right…” Thor began, “…we’d like to borrow this one.”

“S-sure…” Snapping yourself out of it, you took the book from Thor’s hands and scanned it before handing it back to him.

“Thank you! That will be all. Come on, Loki, stop terrifying the poor girl.” Thor gave you one last friendly smile before he made his way towards the exit.

“It was lovely to see you again, pet. I can’t wait to see what book you are going to read next,” Loki said before he turned on his heel and followed his brother, leaving you behind dumbfounded.

So he had intentions to return. Fuck…you’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t want him to.

[tolkienhorrorweek]

Welcome to Tolkien Horror Week! This is a new event, following in the footsteps of Terrifying Tolkien Week, last run in 2019. This event celebrates all things spooky and creepy in Tolkien's work—both the things he tells us explicitly and the things he leaves up to our imaginations.

The event will run from October 27th to November 2nd and accepts all types of fanworks. There is an AO3 collection for the event here.

Below are some suggested prompts for each day of the week. They are not mandatory; feel free to combine them or disregard them entirely.

Day 1: Angband & Utumno | seeth all things crooked | captivity Day 2: Angmar, Rhudaur, & Minas Morgul | of such dread and dark enchantment | sorcery Day 3: Mordor & the Dead Marshes | the pitiless land | control Day 4: The Barrow-downs & the Old Forest | the clinging mists | corruption Day 5: Mirkwood, Nan Elmoth, & Taur-nu-Fuin | the shadows grew long in the forest | hunting Day 6: Nan Dungortheb & the Paths of the Dead | by perilous paths | terror Day 7: Isengard, Moria, & Númenor | we cannot get out | trapped

Please mention @tolkienhorrorweek in the body of your post and tag #tolkienhorrorweek and #tolkienhorrorweek2024 in the first 10 tags. You may also submit a post.

Given the nature of the event, please also tag for any potential triggers or content warnings and place any NSFW content beneath a read more/link to AO3.

For more information, please see the FAQ. If you have any questions, drop them in the ask box.

Art is by Alan Lee.

[salvadorbonaparte]

2024 in Films - Part III

I watched a lot of stuff again, some even for grad school.

August

Lola Rennt (1998) - banger soundtrack and editing

Vertigo (1958) - the most boring of the Hitchcock films I've seen so far

A League of Their Own (1992) - makes me want to watch baseball

White Men Can't Jump (1992) - did not expect jeopardy to be so important in this film, also loved the fashion

The Fall Guy (2024) - my mum loves the original series so we had to watch this and I had an amazing time

Blinded by the Light (2019) - the dialogue is strange at times but a banger soundtrack (obviously) and some amazing editing, very uplifting and I watched this on my flight to the US btw

Good Will Hunting (1997) - I watched this during my first week in Massachusetts before starting grad school here

Alien3 (1992) - this film says so much about gender, actually

Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears (1973) - taking lots of liberties with Texan history and also surprising homoerotic subtext

September

Causeway (2022) - a film that I originally only found meh but then kept thinking about all the time

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) - equally blood libel as the og with an added bonus of cycle of violence, might write an essay about this

Sleepaway Camp (1983) - another horror film that says so much about gender and I could write an entire essay about it

My Best Fiend (1999) - Werner Herzog must be studied under a microscope

We're All Going to the World's Fair (2021) - not as good as I saw the tv glow imo but asking some important questions about online communities and reality

Jacob the Liar (1974) - the film felt a little too empty but I also don't want to say something negative because I am still angry about a bad review I saw

Chris Grace: As Scarlett Johansson (2024) - absolutely transformed the way I think about stand up comedy

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - the old lie dulce et decorum est pro patria mori

The Shock (1923) - as ableist and racist as you expect from the 20s but with a great performance from Lon Chaney

Trap (2024) - I actually really enjoyed this, even though I was waiting for an even crazier plot twist

Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll (2014) - a documentary that nearly made me cry

Hudson Hawk (1991) - technically a rewatch but I need to speak my truth and it's that I like this film

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - I have so many issues that this would take an entire post or even conference paper

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (1966) - had me in stitches half the time, I love a good cold war comedy

The Bone Collector (1999) - spooky!

Monkey Shines (1988) - also horror and gender but also silly

Death in Venice (1971) - boring :/

October

UPSIDEdown (2013) - I watched this one twice, once with the director, also had lunch and coffee with him, I had an issue at first with how child protection service is portrayed but that part is apparently real, also he cast a neurodivergent kid, which is awesome

The Master (2012) - I love when men are also poorly trained attack dogs, also can you imagine sending that guy to the cult from Midsommar? Also still haunted by Philip Seymour Hoffman

Like Stars on Earth (2007) - neurodivergent kids need neurodivergent role models!!!

The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975) - I have so much to say about this tbh

Farewell Disco (1990) - at first I found this kinda boring but then I was also enchanted by the inclusion of Sorbian culture

The Kangaroo Conspiracy (2022) - just read the books

November

Srikanth (2024) - fairly standard biopic, meanders a bit but solid soundtrack and performance

Innocent Witness (2019) - this one impressed me so much I recommended it to multiple people, also I'm an autistic person who is besties with my lawyer so bonus points for that, I could talk a lot about this too

Hunt (2022) - Probably less confusing if you know more about Korean history, fun plot twist and imo some homoerotic tension

Scarlett Innocence (2014) - tbh I didn't even watch the whole thing because I don't go for erotic thrillers, I just watched the scenes where Jung Woo Sung is a poor little meow meow

Inseperable Bros (2019) - some dialogue was a bit awkward but that might have been the translation, I like that this was about interabled platonic relationships

Remember You (2016) - the first plot twist is predictable as hell but the second one hit me in the face like a brick

The Childe (2023) - Kim Seon-ho has the range (creepy and babygirl) (covered in blood and coughing up blood)

The Good The Bad The Weird (2008) - not only the best western I've ever seen but also one of the best films I've seen this year at all

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (2002) - very unsatisfying, but in a good way

As We Were Dreaming (2015) - the German answer to banlieu films, a film about the reunification of Germany from a different perspective than you're used to, despite living decades later and in the west I feel like I know these characters

Transit (2018) - the anti Casablanca, a double exposed picture of past and present, a Kafkaesque limbo of bureaucracy and loss of identity

Berlin Alexanderplatz (2020) - long, confusing, too smart for me and I still couldn't stop watching it. There's something very queer about this film too.

Wicked (2024) - I haven't seen the musical but went to see the film with my friend (and her family) and physically went 👀 to her every time something gay happened. I'm sorry I doubted you Ariana Grande.

December

Fly Me to the Moon (2024) - I watched this on a terrible transatlantic red eye flight and it entertained me. Unique concept but predictable execution

Debbie Macomber's Dashing Through the Snow (2015) - shout out to the Jewish biker guy handing out free puppies

Round and Round (2023) - Actually a really fun Hallmark holiday film?? And a nice twist on the time loop genre??

Wicked Little Letters (2023) - Very fun to watch on new years eve while tipsy

[theinquisitxor]

October Reading Wrap Up

October was a great reading month and I got through ten(!) books in the month. That's more than I've read in a while, so it felt good to be able to know I can still read that many. I read some spooky/halloweenish books, as well as continued a few series, and finished a series.

1.Son of the Shadows (Sevenwaters 2) by Juliet Marillier, 5/5 stars. I started the month with reading the second Sevenwaters book. Just like with book 1, I enjoyed this immensely, and I found the characters and storyline to be strong and engaging. This one is even more romance heavy than the first books. Adult historical fantasy

2.Paladin's Hope (Saint of Steel 3) by T. Kingfisher, 4.5/5 stars. Another good installment in this series and new mystery that our characters are faced with. This one was a bit shorter than the first two books, and I wish this was a little longer, but otherwise it was great as always! Adult fantasy romance

3.The Mother Tongue: English and How it Got That Way by Bill Bryson This was my nonfiction book for the month, and I read this on audio. Enjoyable, but I felt like it was a little dated. I've read other more recent books on linguistics, and enjoyed them more. Nonfiction.

4.Echo North by Joanna Ruth Mayer, 4/5 stars. This was an enjoyable YA fantasy, and a good blend of fairytales I really enjoy. I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but this reminded me of some of the 'older' YA that is really good. East of the Sun West of the Moon, batb, cupid & psyche retellings all blended together. The author also credits Robin McKinley, DWJ, and Edith Pattou as big inspirations, and I could tell. YA fantasy

5.Last Argument of Kings (First Law 3) by Joe Abercrombie, ?/5 stars. I honestly was so done reading this trilogy, and just wanted to know how it ended so I could just finish it. I skimmed most of it, and only read the Glokta chapters and the ending. This type of fantasy is 100% not for me. I only finished the series because my brother gifted me the boxed set (and he read them). Adult fantasy

6.I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacquline Harpman, 5/5 stars. This is a lesser known classic that's gotten some popularity recently. It's part dystopian, part science fiction, and reminded me a little of The Wall which I read earlier this year. Very poignant, dark, but an exploration of self and a woman on her own. This is translated from French!

7.A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher, 4/5 stars. Another good T Kingfisher fairy tale retelling (however this was quite loose on the retelling), but also dark, featuring child abuse and animal horror. But there is humor, and a good cast of adult characters trying to fix the situation, and I like how T Kingfisher writes competent adults.

8.Witch Week (Chrestomanci 3) by Diana Wynne Jones, 3/5 stars. I started this on audio, but finished with the physical book. Can't say I enjoyed this one as much as the first two. This just reminded me of how horrible middle school was! A good halloween time read though. Middle grade fantasy.

9.The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky, 4/5 stars. This is a historical fantasy that has been on my tbr since 2019. This is light on the fantasy elements, and about first contact between Inuit and Vikings in present-day Canada about 1000 years ago. Our main character is an Inuit shaman, and they and a viking have to team up to save the land and their peoples. Super detail rich and well written.

10. Graveyard Shift by ML Rio, 4/5 stars. A good read for Halloween, and excited to see that ML Rio is publishing again! A thriller about 5 people trying to discover who made a new grave in an abandoned graveyard. As someone who works in academia, I liked the academia element in this story, I only wish it was longer!

I'm on track to finish my Goodreads Reading Challenge this year, which is 80 books. Usually I get somewhere in the 90s, but not this year I guess. For Nov and December, I'm planning on finishing the Sevenwaters series, and Chrestomanci, so I'll be prioritizing those books.

November tbr:

The Scorpio Races (reread on audio)

Child of the Prophecy (Sevenwaters 3)

Heir to Sevenwaters (Sevenwaters 4)

Chrestomanci: The Magicians of Caprona (book 4)

Paladin's Fate (Saint of Steel 4)

Nonfiction

The Word for Woman is Wilderness

Cape Cod (on audio?)

The Virgin in the Garden

[azuphere]

Glitch theory???? 😱 hit me!

(x) sjfds putting on my conspiracy theory brain for this, my rambles are under the cut !

no cause like it’s the way that most songs on the ‘all or nothing’ album are a direct reference to dnp (ie moon chair) or to video games in general (ie options menu), but one of the songs that are hard to immediately pin a reference to is ‘static’. and unless it’s a reference to dnp being all *head empty* or like the type of static in some video games (esp during spooky week), there’s also the ALTERNATIVE clown theory which is that static = similar to glitches = glitch theory

and like another song that seems out-of-place is ‘cosmic window’ cause unless i’m just forgetting something, or unless they used that as a general space-themed name (bc they like space or cause of dalien), or unless the producer titled some songs too, my personal headcanon about glitch theory was always that it includes some sort of rift in time between the future and the past, as inspired by phil’s ‘spring 2121’ merch. so cosmic window = glitches in time = glitch theory

and i always believed that the spring 2121 merch is connected to glitch somehow, so phil wearing a death and milk shirt in a tiktok last year is also. connecting the dots.

and as mentioned in my original tags, the way that track 1 appeared as ‘cheeky banter’ on some websites, but it was either an error or a glitch(!!), and the real title is supposed to be ‘project x’ which WAS the original codename for dapg, but also project x = secret projects. and that song being the one to glitch out is furthering the glitch-spiracy

AND based on this recent dapg community post, funny how ‘static’ or ‘cosmic window’ or ‘project x / cheeky banter’ aren’t mentioned at all 🧐

and THEN last year in june 2023 when the amazingphilshop had a huge sale that included some merch that was originally thought to be gone (like the glitch hoodie!!), phil tweeted this video saying that there was a glitch(!!) on the website that caused a mistake for the poster weight. and at that time i also said smth along the lines of:

phil saying the word glitch -> the glitch hoodie being part of the sale -> that tv static/glitch effect in his vid when he talked about the sale -> ppl saying his hair is brown* in this vid and his hair was brown in 2019 when the glitch hoodie was created -> here’s how glitch theory is alive and real 

*and now in hindsight, phil’s hair wasn’t fully brown in june 2023 but now it IS brown like how it was when he announced the glitch hoodie so that point is relevant again

so in conclusion: all signs point to glitch and im like this

[conradscrime]

3 Halloween Murders

October 31, 2024

Karl Jackson

On October 31, 1998, Karl Jackson who was 21, got out of his car in the Bronx, New York, to tell a group of teenagers to stop throwing eggs. Once Karl finished, he returned to his car and got inside of it. It was then that one of the teenagers he had confronted pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

Karl's father, Karl Jackson Sr., had reported that his son actually never went out on Halloween, claiming that it was too dangerous. However, Karl had made an exception that night to take his girlfriend, Darlene's 9 year old son Clyde to a Halloween party.

When the party had ended, Karl had plans to drop off Clyde to a babysitter and go out to another party with Darlene.

It was then that their car got egged and Karl stepped out. Between 1984 and 2010, The New York Times reported that 24 people had been killed or seriously injured over egg throwing confrontations.

Curtis Sterling was the person who shot and murdered Karl Jackson, being only 17 at the time. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Every year on Halloween, Karl's mother sends Curtis a Halloween card to tell him that she's happy he is behind bars.

2. Laura Ann Aime

On October 31, 1974, Laura Ann Aime who was 17, left a Halloween party in Utah. Unfortunately she would shortly run into one of the world's most known serial killers - Ted Bundy.

While the details of Laura's murder are unknown, it is known that Laura had left the party to go buy cigarettes. Almost a month later, her body was found halfway down an embankment in American Fork Canyon. She had been raped, bludgeoned and strangled.

Her family chose to put November 1974 as her death date on her grave as there were reports that Laura had been kept alive for a few weeks, and died only one week before her body had been found.

Laura's murder was quickly tied to 17 year old Melissa Smith, who was the daughter of a local police chief, and the disappearance of 17 year old Debra Kent, whose remains have never been found besides one of her kneecaps found in 2019.

Ted Bundy never necessarily confessed to murdering Laura, but investigators believe she was one of his victims as her death matched his M.O., as well as the timeframe and location adding up.

3. Lisa Ann French

On October 31, 1973, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a 9 year old girl named Lisa Ann French went trick or treating. Lisa was dressed as a hobo that year and had already gone to two houses before visiting her neighbour, 25 year old Gerald Turner.

According to reports, Lisa actually knew Gerald as he had once rented the other half of her family's duplex. She often visited him to say hello or show him things that she'd found.

That night, Gerald invited Lisa into his home. Gerald later said that he remembered Lisa looking happy as she recognized her, but then her smile turned to fear in her eyes when he closed the door behind her.

Gerald took Lisa to his bedroom where he brutally sexually assaulted her until she stopped breathing. Lisa died from asphyxiation and shock.

Gerald attempted to cover his crime by wrapping Lisa in a garbage bag and dumping her body. Police soon came to his door where he admitted to killing the little girl. He later recanted his confession but was sentenced to 38 years and 6 months in jail.

After Lisa's murder, the area did trick or treating differently. There was set hours for it and it never occurred after dark.

Here were three horrific Halloween stories where 3 individuals lost their lives young. Karl, Laura, and Lisa all had families, friends, hopes and dreams. The monsters who took their lives are scarier than any spooky Halloween movie fictional killer. May their killers never know peace. I hope everyone had a great October and a safe Halloween tonight!

[rottenbabyfawn]

hii! what documentaries do you like? I've just been binging vsauce lol, I love psychology and the science of it :) do you have any favorite shows or movies that you think people need to watch?

i LOVE psychological documentaries!! but my most favorite is true crime, especially cases about cultists and serial killers, spooky but i find it very interesting, the most recent one 've seen is 'Jonsetown: Paradise Lost', it's about the infamous cult leader Jim Jones, if it interests you you should defo check it out! i also love nature documentaries when I'm in the mood for something light, I'd turn on national geographic and follow whatever wildlife documentary i see there ^^!! i also LOVE video essayist on YouTube, on literally every topic, I'd eat it up, since we're talking about true crime/horror Nick Crowly and Nexpo come to mind, but on lighter topics i follow many many essayists i lost track, i recently have been re-introduced to FunyFrogBait as she got viral again, i watched a video of hers long ago but never seen more, I'm currently binging her essays and i love it!!

and for my fav movies i honestly thought about sitting down and writing them all up to update them on my intro since it's still a messy draft T-T i have LOTS of movies and shows i love i just forget them whenever i need to remember lol, i like to classify my favs by genre, but if i was to recommend you some random movies i think they're cinematic masterpieces, 'd say: the grand budapest hotel (2014), moonrise kingdom (2012), blade runner (both Blade Runner 1982 and Blade Runner 2049), jojo rabbit (2019), the fall (2006), everything everywhere all at once (2022), jacques tati's playtime (1967), perfect blue (1997), the cell (2000), the witch (2015), paprika (2006), valerie and her week of wonders (1970), life of pi (2012), edward scissorhands (1990), memoirs of a geisha (2005), amelie (2001), cloud atlas (2012), the great gatsby (2013)

these are the ones that comes to mind :) they're different genres but overall they're very aesthetically pleasing to look at.

[wildglitch]

Timeline for the Wiz!Au (Because I can)

Ok so recently I started ploting and writing the next instalment for the Wiz!Au and Have been looking back at the timeline I made for myself. I also realize that If you dont read every post for this au you might not get it

Which is fine, Its not really that important to understand the story, But I also put a lot of effort into in and more reaserch then I should have to get the results I got. So anyways here is the Comprehensive Timeline for the WIZ! X DC au.

Oct. 29th 2018: Hank Pym goes into the quantam realm and brings back the Zombie apocolyps

Oct. 30th 2018: The Avengers are called in to deal with the Zombie infestation. Since its spooky season, the U.S goverment has managed to keep the outbreak on the downlow, with only a few people (Like the Avengers) know about this.

They end up dying

Oct. 31st 2018 (Halloween): The whole day was weird in it of itself but everyone brushed it off as part of the holiday. The is when the breakout reaches New York.

Nov. 6th 2018: Exacally one week after the outbreak leaves 99.9% of New York undead. Peter is one of the Survivors and the few others are too hidden for him to find, leaving him all alone.

Dec. 1st 2018: Bucky Barnes arrives in New York and finds Peter.

Dec. 14th 2018: The rest of the surviving group find Peter and Bucky. With their arival, they are able to locate more survivors in the city that Peter was unable to find due to him not leaving Queens that much. They end up finding other Vigilantees (Other heros au)

May. 26th 2019: Bruce Banner arives on Earth and the events of the Episode happen. (Over a longer period of time)

May. 31st 2019: Peter and possible Co. Are sent to the DCU.

Jun. 1st 2006: Thrown into a diffrent universe Peter makes a deal with Loki to help him find his friends.

The timeline of this universe will be 2006 because of when I want the DCU timeline to sort of take place. The story takes place around a year after the events of UTRH give or take a few months (more take then give honestly). Jason (the character) was revived in 2005. Thats when the story happend so its the year the events of UTRH will take place. So the fic with take place one year later.

Jun. 4th 2006: Peter arrives in Gotham and finds a place to live

Jun. 18th 2006: Peter Meets his neighbor (Start of the fic Im currently working on)

Aug. 9th 2006 (Peters birthday) : turning point in the story and end of the first chunk of the story.

And thats all for now. Thats all that matters at least. It dosent really tell you everything but it dose sort of lays out dates and important events for anyone that was intrested.

Im probably going to make a few more posts for this au during this week so keep an eye out for that If you're intrested

[droewyn]

I DID AN OOPSIE

Okay, so context is important here.

This is Spriggan.

This is Spriggan’s not-so-smol son, Captain Toebeans T. McGillicuddy Wildboi I.

Yes, their names are immaculate.  Yes, Cap has thumbs.  Also yes, if you look into one ear, you can see clear through to the other side.

Spriggan was a roughly one-year-old adult feral cat when we trapped her in our backyard on Halloween night, 2019.  We’d caught Cap about a week prior, and he was about 16 weeks old.

Cap assimilated pretty well for a kitten who was too old to be adoptable.  He loves my husband, his mother, and Alisaie beyond life.  He likes me okay.  He’s terrified of my father-in-law.  Very few other humans have ever seen him.

Alisaie isn’t relevant to this story, but here she is anyway.  You know that meme that was going around that was like “which cat is the bby and which is the criminal”?  Yeah, we got one who can do both.

So, socializing an adult feral cat is hard.  I’m not going to go into it here, because I have this handy link where I did go into it.  It includes more pictures, and also the most important video in human history.

https://www.tumblr.com/droewyn/710812951143219200/you-guys-you-guys-you-guys-you-guys-you-guys-my

The big takeaway that you need to know is that while Spriggan is part of the family, and likes being part of the family as far as we can tell, she Cannot Be Petted.  Also, that our cats look Very Similar In The Dark, particularly Cap and Spriggs.  He’s enormous but she’s very floofy, and they both can look solid black if they’re curled up or viewed from the wrong angle.

Here’s the oopsie.

It’s 1AM.  I need to use the bathroom.  I must pass through the living room to get to the bathroom, and Cap is on the loveseat.  I pet him and rub his ears.

I go to the bathroom.  I’m in there for like two minutes, max.

I come back out, and reach down to pet Cap again.

IT IS NOT CAPTAIN.

The good news is, I still have all my fingers and all my blood.  Spriggan didn’t even hiss; she just teleported across the room and GLARED at me.

She’s still glaring at me today.  I am In Trouble.

But this time last year she would have shredded my hand so yay progress.

The Inky Kitty Committee having a rare meeting, feat. the baby looking spooky af.

[typicalopposite]

BuckTommy | G | 4,903 words | AO3 Link

Summary: “What would it take…” Evan asks, keeping his back towards Tommy.

“What would it take?”

Evan turns, brows furrowed very seriously. “What would it take for you to actually believe?”

or...

The tumblr fic idea I got about Evan getting Tommy and Eddie to go into a haunted abandoned school... and spooky shenanigans ensue! <3

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Tommy and Eddie manage to groan in perfect unison as Evan’s jeep turns off the road into a dirt lot filled with dozens of other cars. The extensive— and so far over the top it’s actually kind of comical— decor all around the lot tells what exactly they are in for, before either of them can even ask.

Evan is overly giddy as he hops out of the driver’s seat, and Tommy exchanges an exhaustive glance into the back at Eddie before getting out as well. He has heard his boyfriend going on and on about this place for weeks— hell months even— and he knows for a fact he made it a point, each time it was brought up, that he didn’t do “haunted attractions”; so he knows he did not give his consent to this. (However… he would not be surprised if Evan had slipped in the request to tag along during a time Tommy was not focusing on what Evan was saying as much as he was on what Evan was doing… the sneaky devil.)

“Did you know?” Tommy whispers to Eddie, the two falling back behind Evan who is practically skipping towards the line.

“Do you think I would have willingly come if I had?” Eddie whispers back. “He said we were meeting Hen and Chim for drinks!”

“Yeah… same,” Tommy sighs. “He’s damn lucky I love him…” It slips out before Tommy can contain the words to a thought to keep inside his head. Eddie’s brows shoot up, and a smirk teases his lips. “Shut up,” Tommy says, rolling his eyes; he shoves Eddie up towards Evan so he can control his own smile.

They near the line— the dreadfully long line— and find Hen and Howie waving them over, huge excited smiles and arms loaded with popcorn bags and drinks. “To tide us over during the wait,” Howie explains, handing a bag to Tommy and gesturing back towards the line.

“I can’t believe Buck actually managed to get the skeptics to join,” Hen says, impressed— the impression quickly fades when she sees Tommy and Eddie’s unenthused faces however. “Or maybe not…”

“I have my ways,” Evan says with a smirk.

“We were tricked,” Eddie counters, crossing his arms over his chest and Tommy quickly follows suit.

“Come on guys, it— it’ll be fun!” Evan pouts, looking between them both. Tommy sighs giving Eddie a look of defeat; Eddie sighs, likely because Evan is his ride so he is backed into a corner. Evan grins triumphantly.

It takes over an hour to get through the line. The bags of popcorn are devoured— almost entirely by Tommy and Eddie out of pure boredom— while Evan, Hen, and Howie go back and forth sharing personal ghost stories, each of their dives into the history of this place, and their excitement to potentially gain two new believers by the end of the night.

~~~

Misty Oaks Junior High was built in 1975 and it was closed indefinitely after receiving extensive damage in the 2019 earthquake.

Even though today the abandoned school is considered one of LA’s most haunted locations, it garnered its spooky reputation long before its doors closed for the final time. This is largely due to the school being built over top of a cemetery.

When the school was open, the students, staff, and visitors would often report seeing or hearing unexplainable things. Night maintenance allegedly experienced the most activity, and the school had much difficulty keeping workers for the third shift— most only lasting around a month before quitting.

After the earthquake the paranormal activity is said to have increased due to the earth splitting open and releasing the spirits of the graves beneath the foundation. In the years following its closure Misty Oaks has become frequented by urban explorers, and paranormal investigators trying to uncover the mysteries that surround the abandoned school.

Then, in 2022 the property was bought and the doors were reopened to the public one week a year for the extremely popular haunted attraction Misty Oaks is today.

The intro has been playing on repeat over the (not so much eerie as it is annoying) staticy speakers, and by the time they were finally at the entrance Tommy could recite it, in full, by heart. Now it is finally their turn to enter the school. The ghoulish greeter gives them a sinister smile and extends his arm out towards the creaky front doors. Tommy and Eddie share a look behind the rest of the gang— who are all three wide eyed and already giggling and on edge as they make their way through the cobwebs and artificial smoke into the school.

It’s so cliche. Tommy and Eddie call the jumpscares before they even happen, and they are all but doubling over in laughter at the cheesy 80s horror flick audio track chosen to set the mood. The costumes aren’t great, the full story given to them on a pamphlet with the receipt to the tickets is not great, and the store bought smell of death and decay is not great either; it’s almost unbearable and probably going to get the owner a Toxic fumes charge.

Evan seems to be having a blast— Hen and Howie too. They are going to be hoarse from screaming, and their knees sore and popping. Evan swears he sees shadows lurking around every corner, Howie says he hears footsteps on a hall where there were definitely no actors, Hen says she just has had a bad feeling since she got out of her car in the parking lot. Tommy and Eddie’s eyes have rolled more times than they care to count. “Come on guys…” Eddie finally groans. “You can’t be serious right now.” Howie had just sworn he heard a disembodied laughter, to which Evan and Hen quickly said they heard it too.

Evan looks to Tommy who had been right beside him at the moment, and if he is being completely honest, yes… he heard it too. “However,” Tommy is quick to clarify before Evan’s face can light up too much. “It was definitely just part of the act. Probably a hidden speaker.”

Howie groans and calls them both party poopers. Hen says they should have never agreed to come if they were going to ruin the fun— to which Eddie reminds her they were tricked into coming. Of course all this sets in motion a deep pout that will last long past them getting back to Evan’s loft; cuddles and any chance of sexy times kissed goodbye.

Continue reading on ao3

[thegreatimpersonator]

Hi everyone! Here’s the newest addition to my Creator Shoutout Series (october 15 - october 22)!  I want to appreciate editors and their creations that i love from the past week. To track this series or look at previous shoutouts, please check out the tag on my blog *creatorshoutouts. Have a great week everyone!

stranger things: robin and steve gifset by @hopemikelson

halloweentown gifset by @phoebesbridgers

taylor swift: midnights + letterboxd reviews gifset by @thatwasthenightthingschanged

holly humberstone: paint my bedroom black gifset by @antoniosvivaldi

marina: bubblegum bitch graphic by @cellphonehippie

twitches gifset by @miriammaisel

scream 1996 gifset by @charmedslayer

fear street trilogy gifset by @eightynines

knives out gifset by @meliorn

yellowjackets: natalie scatorccio gifset by @natscatorrcio

scream 6 gifset by @taiturner

it follows gifset by @losthavenmine

nope 2022 gifset by @buckhelped

heartstopper gifset by @spookys

taylor swift: red anniversary gifset by @lovestory

bottoms 2023 gifset by @julianavalds

taylor swift gifset by @h-f-k

ready or not gifset by @djo

taylor swift: eras tour vinyl design by @deadddswift

barbarian gifset by @thepunkpanther

aftersun gifset by @eldestboy

best horror movie costumes for halloween gifset by @possession

scream: sidney prescott gifset by @finalgirlsidney

succession: shiv and tom gifset by @sdktrs12

heartstopper gifset by @strandtk

scream 1996 gifset by @gresit

taylor swift: midnights anniversary gifset by @mrperfectlyfinetv

us 2019 gifset by @saw-x

scream: antagonists gifset by @taoargents

over the garden wall gifset by @spookys

taylor swift: 1989 graphic by @imkindatheman

gravity falls gifset by @userdanewhitman

us 2019 gifset by @nowadayz

taylor swift: midnights graphic by @thehoax

taylor swift: midnights anniversary gifset by @sweeterthanfictiontaylorsversion

taylor swift: midnights graphic by @sadbeautifutragic

[chocolateteapotsvis]

Halbarry Fic Recommendation Masterpost

Yes, it's a list of lists. Since there's kind of a lot of these now (and I have plans for more when I get off my butt/am procrastinating my Halbarry Week stuff), let's get everything in one place!

Trope/Themed Lists

Domestic/Cozy/Slice of Life

Hurt/Protection

Angst with a Happy Ending

Fun/Quirky/Upbeat

Historical AU <- Longfic for people who already know the characters

Blue Lantern Barry (+1!)

POV Outsider

Mermay (+1!)

Halbarry Calendar

New Year’s

Valentine’s Day

Hal’s Birthday

Barry’s Birthday

Halloween: Horror/Cute/Sexy and Spooky Vibes

Winter/Christmas/Hanukkah

Even More Lists!

Halbarry Week Collections! 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2020

Halbarry Secret Santa Collection! 2023 and 2024

@roboticnebula's WIP Recommendation List! (and more recommendations in the reblogs!)

@briarmoon1015's List!

@ceeloilights' List!

@finalfrontierpioneer’s Lists: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019

@dailygreenlantern Lists: Here and Here and Here 

[tolkienhorrorweek]

One day until Tolkien Horror Week!

Welcome to Tolkien Horror Week! This is a new event, following in the footsteps of Terrifying Tolkien Week, last run in 2019. This event celebrates all things spooky and creepy in Tolkien's work—both the things he tells us explicitly and the things he leaves up to our imaginations.

The event will run from October 27th to November 2nd and accepts all types of fanworks. There is an AO3 collection for the event here.

Below are some suggested prompts for each day of the week. They are not mandatory; feel free to combine them or disregard them entirely.

Day 1: Angband & Utumno | seeth all things crooked | captivity Day 2: Angmar, Rhudaur, & Minas Morgul | of such dread and dark enchantment | sorcery Day 3: Mordor & the Dead Marshes | the pitiless land | control Day 4: The Barrow-downs & the Old Forest | the clinging mists | corruption Day 5: Mirkwood, Nan Elmoth, & Taur-nu-Fuin | the shadows grew long in the forest | hunting Day 6: Nan Dungortheb & the Paths of the Dead | by perilous paths | terror Day 7: Isengard, Moria, & Númenor | we cannot get out | trapped

Please mention @tolkienhorrorweek in the body of your post and tag #tolkienhorrorweek and #tolkienhorrorweek2024 in the first 10 tags. You may also submit a post.

Given the nature of the event, please also tag for any potential triggers or content warnings and place any NSFW content beneath a read more/link to AO3.

For more information, please see the FAQ. If you have any questions, drop them in the ask box.

Art is by Pete Amachree.

[mercerislandbooks]

A Pleasing Terror

Brad is taking over the blog today, sharing his passion for horror and his lovingly crafted Haunted Bookshelf (all his own original artwork!) — Lori

Brad: Each October, as the air turns crisp and the nights grow longer, I share my love of ghost stories with our customers by adorning one of our display tables with spooky artwork and spookier tomes. I call it The Haunted Bookshelf. Cue howling wind and clanking chains!

I can trace my love of horror and Halloween to my years growing up in suburban New Jersey. In the early 1970s New York’s WPIX broadcast a program called Chiller Theatre, a repackaging of 30s, 40s, and 50s horror movies hosted by Zacherley. To this day I can remember the thrill of terror I felt watching a floating skeleton back actress Carol Ohmart into a pool of acid in The House on Haunted Hill. I was so freaked out that I had nightmares for weeks. I couldn’t wait to see more. And, while I loved the Frankenstein monster, the Wolf Man, and the Mummy, it was haunted houses that I looked forward to visiting most.

Unfortunately, the majority of haunted house movies are cheats, with the “ghosts” exposed as conniving relatives, greedy prospectors, or bumbling bank robbers by film’s end. Even my beloved floating skeleton is revealed to be a surprisingly complicated puppet, manipulated and voiced by Vincent Price. Eventually I discovered that the authentic haunted houses I craved were found in books. I’m sure my horror library started with Stephen King, but soon I was adding H.P. Lovecraft, Shirley Jackson, and many more.

Let us begin with arguably the 20th century’s finest ghost story writer, Montague Rhodes James. Between 1904 and 1925, James penned 4 slim books of ghost stories which have been collected in two annotated volumes, Count Magnus and other Ghost Stories and A Haunted Doll’s House and Other Ghost Stories. The first time I read “Oh, Whistle, and I Will Come to You, My Lad”, I got actual goose bumps when the specter made its startling appearance. Unlike the subtle haunts in tales by Henry James and Edith Wharton, M.R. James’ ghostly manifestations manifest! Often horribly. As the author himself remarked, in the essay “Ghosts—Treat Them Gently!”:

...our ghost should make himself felt by gradual stirrings diffusing an atmosphere of uneasiness before the final flash or stab of horror. Must there be horror? You ask. I think so.

Agreed!

Carmilla is the classic lesbian vampire story, written by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu in 1871 and responsible for as many imitations as there are stars in the night sky above the heroine’s gothic Austrian schloss. However, the 2019 Lanternfish Press edition is a different beast, with an introduction by novelist Carmen Maria Machado, restoring a disturbing backstory to this often-told tale. Or does it? I am hesitant to ruin the fun here, so I will just say that if the term Borgesian means anything to you then this edition belongs on your bookshelf next to the original text.

Finally, as we move back through literary time, we arrive at The Oceans of Cruelty: Twenty-Five Tales of a Corpse Spirit. In this ancient Hindi story, retold here by Douglas J. Penick, a hapless young king, in thrall to an evil sorcerer, must bear a corpse spirit on his back as the grotesque husk whispers stories into his ear. Not unlike Princess Scheherazade’s stories from The Thousand and One Nights, the corpse spirit’s tales are full of moral lessons, family dramas, and occasional horrors. Not only is this book charmingly weird, but Penick’s introduction, about the stories his mother read to him as a child, is wonderful.

So, thank you for visiting the Haunted Bookshelf, and as Zacherley would say: Goodnight Whatever You Are!

— Brad

[jules-has-notes]

2019 VoicePlay fall travels — projects, plaudits, and parties

A comfortably busy summer for the guys rolled straight into autumn at a similar pace. Between music videos, concerts, educational outreach, and spending time with friends and family, they had plenty to do, but weren't caught up in quite as much of a whirlwind as they had been in previous years. (Well, except J.None. That guy just wouldn't sit still.)

.

Mostly treats

Layne and Tony spent the first day of October in the PattyCake studio filming not one but two new videos. They did a tasty collaboration with Jillian Hopke, baking Hocus Pocus themed cupcakes as a tie-in for their new Halloween video. They also got a solo Maleficent version of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" ready to release on the same day as Disney's sequel film.

Some of the other guys had a more leisurely day, allowing Geoff, Eli, and sound guy Paul to catch up with Chris Rupp over lunch while he was in town.

.

Mysterious and spooky

A few days later, VoicePlay truly kicked off their Halloween season with the release of "Trapped – Billie Eilish in 3 Minutes", a music video that's basically a short horror film set to a medley of the pop star's eerier songs. (And a prequel to their "Panic! in 4 Minutes" piece from the year before.)

.

But wait, there's more

Since YouTube had rolled out channel memberships in order to capture some of the crowdfunding cash that was mostly going to Patreon at the time, VoicePlay added that option for their fans.

They had filmed the announcement video for it at the same time as their new Patreon promo that they'd put out in August, but waited a couple months before letting the public know so that they could ensure everything was ready behind the scenes.

.

That same night, J.None headlined a local showcase show at The Abbey to perform some of his solo music.

.

The next day, YouTuber Malinda Reese released the fairy tale inspired video for her song "Don't Make Me", featuring Thomas Sanders and produced by PattyCake.

.

On Saturday, J.None ran his first 5K in nearby Sanford. He was in good company with a couple friends and his track star nephew, and even managed to place well enough for a medal.

.

Creepy and kooky

The following weekend, the spookiness continued twofold. VoicePlay released their long-requested version of "Oogie Boogie's Song" from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and PattyCake put out their sorcerous "Bad Guy" video.

.

Bits and bobs

A few days later, Geoff hopped online for a brief interview about VoicePlay with the Living 757 news magazine show based in southeastern Virginia.

J.None continued the spoopy theme when his second JamSchooled music video was released. He and Nikita turned "Old Town Road" into a handy guide to the "Bones in the Body", complete with skeleton onesies.

Then on Sunday he ran his second 5K, this time with longtime buddy Antonio Fernandez down in Clermont.

.

That's a lot of eyeballs

Near the end of the month, VoicePlay hit a massive milestone of a hundred million views on YouTube!

.

That night, J.None took part in a showcase show headlined by rapper Bezz Believe at a local venue called Soundbar.

.

One last shiver

On the day before Halloween, Geoff uploaded his first short story narration, a seasonally appropriate recitation of Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven".

.

Noses to the grindstone

The guys seem to have spent most of November preparing for the holiday season. Although their concert schedule was fairly light compared to previous years, they had a number of video projects to complete in the final two months.

They started by announcing one last stop on their Warm Up tour in Tempe, Arizona.

.

J.None had two mid-week shows with different gig bands. First was an annual school supply conference with Paradigm.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paradigm Party Band (@paradigmpartyband)

The next night brought some serious party time with yacht rock group Summer Breeze.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Entertainment Central (@entertaincentral)

.

All of the guys went pretty quiet on social media for about a week and a half in the middle of the month. Judging by the timing of other things, that time was probably dedicated to filming and editing various video projects, and rehearsing for their holiday shows.

.

Can't stop, won't stop

J.None reappeared first, releasing the video for his introspective single, "Back At Home". The day after that, he hit the road with Paradigm for a swanky wedding at a museum down in St. Augustine. He then spent his Sunday running yet another 5K, this time at Lake Nona, and wearing a weighted vest for an extra challenge.

.

Mission accomplished

The next weekend started a little early with some unexpected kudos. VoicePlay's "Mission: Jingle Bells" music video from the year before won a bronze in the home entertainment category at the Clio Awards, the industry accolades for advertising. (It had been commissioned to promote the home video release of Mission: Impossible – Fallout.)

.

Tally ho ho ho!

With that wind at their backs, the boys popped up north for a show just outside Chicago. It wasn't officially part of their holiday tour, but they snuck some jolly tunes into the setlist anyway.

While they were in transit, the next episode of PattyCake's Villains Lair series went live. It was a crossover with their other ongoing series, The Princess Academy, and introduced their version of Megara from Hercules.

Then the guys went home to spend Thanksgiving with their families before Christmas season really revved up. (Keeping on that hustle, J.None also squeezed in one more wedding with his Paradigm pals.)

.

May your hearts be light

December began with the release of VoicePlay's Christmas song for the year, a cozy doo-wop rendition of the Judy Garland classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

.

A couple nights later, Layne and Cyndi met up with a gaggle of pals from the local performance community for their friend Nic's birthday bash. Among the crowd were Cyndi's sister and brother-in-law (both members of the band Soul Funktion, among other things), Jeremy and Shalisa James from Vox Audio, former 4:2:Five tenor Danny Alan, and a couple Villains Lair cast members.

.

Meanwhile, Geoff sat down to answer some of the frequently asked questions he receives about bass singing techniques in a brief overview on his YouTube channel. That first video led to several more over the ensuing months.

A week after that, PattyCake released their Princess Academy holiday special, "Snowed In", featuring a cavalcade of Disney ladies making the best of an unexpected blizzard during their annual celebration.

.

On Dasher, On Dancer(s)

When the middle of the week came around, VoicePlay headed back to the Midwest for the middle leg of their holiday tour. First up, they spent two days in Greenville, Ohio performing workshops for students from all of the local junior high schools.

The travel route to their next gig took them northwest through Chicago, where they happened to cross paths with their buddy Emoni Wilkins and made time for a few hugs.

.

The next day, they graced the western shore of Lake Michigan for a double-billed show in Waukegan, Illinois with the Cimorelli sisters.

.

Then they returned to Greenville for another concert. They'd last performed an all-ages show there in January 2016, and were invited back by popular demand.

.

Home again, home again

The next day they flew back to Florida. While the others unpacked and had some well-deserved rest, Layne was gathered up by his extended family for his annual dinner-and-fun-activity birthday night. This year included an outing to a local driving range so they could practice their golf swings (and poke fun at the man of honor for the temporary mustache he'd decided to sport on a whim).

.

Since his reading of "The Raven" had gone over fairly well, Geoff recorded another short story. In the spirit of the season, he took a crack at "’Twas the Night Before Christmas".

.

On Wednesday, J.None and pal Joey D'Angelo-LaJoie were part of a group of singers from Entertainment Central Productions performing jaunty seasonal tunes with the Mt. Dora Symphony.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Entertainment Central (@entertaincentral)

.

On the road again

Thursday brought the start of VoicePlay's final string of holiday concerts with a show close to home at Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee. The location allowed some of their family and friends to attend.

.

The next day they scooted up to the whimsically named King of Prussia, PA, a town northwest of Philadelphia, for a show at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. Then they closed out their travels with a jump to the other side of the country for one last show in Arizona.

.

To provide a bit of bonus wintery cheer, the guys brought in a new collaborator for a joyful medley of songs from Frozen 2 that they released on Christmas Eve. They had approached Adriana about working together over the summer, and this was the result.

.

On the home front, Layne and Cyndi hosted a holiday party for their family and friends.

.

To make up for not putting out any music videos in November, VoicePlay squeezed a third one into December, an "Aca Top 10 – Hits of 2019" countdown to close out the year.

.

As usual, J.None spent New Year's Eve playing a raucous party with Paradigm, this time at a country club down in Naples.

.

The upcoming year would be full of happy surprises and unexpected challenges, but first the guys had a bit of well deserved rest. Those stories will keep for a while longer.