#vampirism being a triumphant happy ending feels strange

[panlight]

Twilight: Edward sucking the venom out was a NOBLE, HEROIC ACT that SAVED Bella form vampirism!! New Moon: Edward leaving was a NOBLE, HEROIC ATTEMPT to SAVE Bella from vampirism!

Eclipse: Jacob is acting Like That to TRY and SAVE Bella from vampirism! Breaking Dawn: Vampirism is great, actually.

[grigori77]

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 3)

10.  WOLFWALKERS – eleven years ago, Irish director Tomm Moore exploded onto the animated cinema scene with The Secret of Kells, a spellbinding feature debut which captivated audiences the world over and even garnered an Oscar nomination.  Admittedly I didn’t actually even know about it until I discovered his work through his astonishing follow-up, Song of the Sea (another Academy Award nominee), in 2015, so when I finally caught it I was already a fan of Moore’s work.  It’s been a similarly long wait for his third feature, but he’s genuinely pulled off a hat-trick, delivering a third flawless film in a row which OF COURSE means that his latest feature is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my top animated feature of 2020.  I could even be tempted to say it’s his best work to date … this is an ASTONISHING film, a work of such breath-taking, spell-binding beauty that I spent its entire hour and three-quarters glued to the screen, simple mesmerised by the wonder and majesty of this latest iteration of the characteristically stylised “Cartoon Saloon” look.  It’s also liberally steeped in Moore’s trademark Celtic vibe and atmosphere, once again delving deep into his homeland’s rich and evocative cultural history and mythology while also bringing us something far more original and personal – this time the titular supernatural beings are magical near-human beings whose own subconscious can assume the form of very real wolves.  Set in a particularly dark time in Irish history – namely 1650, when Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector – the story follows Robyn (Honor Kneafsey, probably best known for the Christmas Prince films), the impetuous and spirited young daughter of English hunter Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean), brought in by the Protectorate to rid the city of Kilkenny of the wolves plaguing the area.  One day fate intervenes and Robyn meets Mebh Og MacTire (The Girl at the End of the Garden‘s Eve Whittaker), a wild girl living in the woods, whose accidental bite gives her strange dreams in which she becomes a wolf – turns out Mebh is a wolfwalker, and now so is Robyn … every aspect of this film is an utter triumph for Moore and co, who have crafted a work of living, breathing cinematic art that’s easily the equal to (if not even better than) the best that Disney, Dreamworks or any of the other animation studios could create.  Then there’s the excellent voice cast – Bean brings fatherly warmth and compassion to the role that belies his character’s intimidating size, while Kneafsey and Whittaker make for a sweet and sassy pair as they bond in spite of powerful cultural differences, and the masterful Simon McBurney (Harry Potter, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) brings cool, understated menace to the role of Cromwell himself.  This is a film with plenty of emotional heft to go with its marvels, and once again displays the welcome dark side which added particular spice to Moore’s previous films, but ultimately this is still a gentle and heartfelt work of wonder that makes for equally suitable viewing for children as for those who are still kids at heart – ultimately, then, this is another triumph for one of the most singularly original filmmakers working in animation today, and if Wolfwalkers doesn’t make it third time lucky come Oscars-time then there’s no justice in the world …

9.  WONDER WOMAN 1984 – probably the biggest change for 2020 compared to pretty much all of the past decade is how different the fortunes of superhero cinema turned out to be.  A year earlier the Marvel Cinematic Universe had dominated all, but the DC Extended Universe still got a good hit in with big surprise hit Shazam!  Fast-forward to now and things are VERY different – DC suddenly came out in the lead, but only because Marvel’s intended heavy-hitters (two MCU movies, the first Venom sequel and potential hot-shit new franchise starter Morbius: the Living Vampire) found themselves continuously pushed back thanks to (back then) unforeseen circumstances which continue to shit all over our theatre-going slate for the immediate future.  In the end DC’s only SERIOUS competition turned out to be NETFLIX … never mind, at least we got ONE big established superhero blockbuster into the cinemas before the end of the year that the whole family could enjoy, and who better to headline it than DC’s “newest” big screen megastar, Diana Prince? Back in 2017 Monster’s Ball director Patty Jenkins’ monumental DCEU standalone spectacularly realigned the trajectory of a cinematic franchise that was visibly flagging, redesigning the template for the series’ future which has since led to some (mostly) consistently impressive subsequent offerings.  Needless to say it was a damn tough act to follow, but Jenkins and co-writers Geoff Johns (Arrow and The Flash) and David Callaham (The Expendables, Zombieland: Double Tap, future MCU entry Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings) have risen to the challenge in fine style, delivering something which pretty much equals that spectacular franchise debut … as has Gal Gadot, who’s now OFFICIALLY made the role her own thanks to yet another showstopping and definitive performance as the unstoppable Amazonian goddess living amongst us.  She’s older and wiser than in the first film, but still hasn’t lost that forthright honesty and wonderfully pure heart we’ve come to love ever since her introduction in Zack Snyder’s troublesome but ultimately underrated Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (yes, that’s right, I said it!), and Gadot’s clear, overwhelming commitment to the role continues to pay off magnificently as she once again proves that Diana is THE VERY BEST superhero in the DCEU cinematic pantheon.  Although it takes place several decades after its predecessor, WW84 is, obviously, still very much a period piece, Jenkins and co this time perfectly capturing the sheer opulent and over-the-top tastelessness of the 1980s in all its big-haired, bad-suited, oversized shoulder-padded glory while telling a story that encapsulates the greedy excessiveness of the Reagan era, perfectly embodied in the film’s nominal villain, Max Lord (The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal), a wishy-washy wannabe oil tycoon conman who chances upon a supercharged wish-rock and unleashes a devastating supernatural “monkey’s paw” upon the world. To say any more would give away a whole raft of spectacular twists and turns that deserve to be enjoyed good and cold, although they did spoil one major surprise in the trailer when they teased the return of Diana’s first love, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) … needless to say this is another big blockbuster bursting with big characters, big action and BIG IDEAS, just what we’ve come to expect after Wonder Woman’s first triumphant big screen adventure.  Interestingly, the film starts out feeling like it’s going to be a bubbly, light, frothy affair – after a particularly stunning all-action opening flashback to Diana’s childhood on Themyscira, the film proper kicks off with a bright and breezy atmosphere that feels a bit like the kind of Saturday morning cartoon action the consistently impressive set-pieces take such unfettered joy in parodying, but as the stakes are raised the tone grows darker and more emotionally potent, the storm clouds gathering for a spectacularly epic climax that, for once, doesn’t feel too overblown or weighed down by its visual effects, while the intelligent script has unfathomable hidden depths to it, making us think far more than these kinds of blockbusters usually do.  It’s really great to see Chris Pine return since he was one of the best things about the first movie, and his lovably childlike wide-eyed wonder at this brave new world perfectly echoes Diana’s own last time round; Kristen Wiig, meanwhile, is pretty phenomenal throughout as Dr Barbara Minerva, the initially geeky and timid nerd who discovers an impressive inner strength but ultimately turns into a superpowered apex predator as she becomes one of Wonder Woman’s most infamous foes, the Cheetah; Pascal, of course, is clearly having the time of his life hamming it up to the hilt as Lord, playing gloriously against his effortlessly cool, charismatic action hero image to deliver a compellingly troubling examination of the monstrous corrupting influence of absolute power.  Once again, though, the film truly belongs to Gadot – she looks amazing, acts her socks off magnificently, and totally rules the movie.  After this, a second sequel is a no-brainer, because Wonder Woman remains the one DC superhero who’s truly capable of bearing the weight of this particular cinematic franchise on her powerful shoulders – needless to say, it’s already been greenlit, and with both Jenkins and Gadot onboard, I’m happy to sign up for more too …

8.  LOVE & MONSTERS – with the cinemas continuing their frustrating habit of opening for a little while and then closing while the pandemic ebbed and flowed in the months after the summer season, it was starting to look like there might not have been ANY big budget blockbusters to enjoy before year’s end as heavyweights like Black Widow, No Time To Die and Dune pulled back to potentially more certain release slots into 2021 (with only WW84 remaining stubbornly in place for Christmas).  Then Paramount decided to throw us a bone, opting to release this post-apocalyptic horror comedy on-demand in October instead, thus giving me the perfect little present to tie me over during the darkening days of autumn. The end result was a stone-cold gem that came out of nowhere to completely blow critics away, a spectacular sleeper hit that ultimately proved one of the year’s biggest and most brilliant surprises.  Director Michael Matthews may only have had South African indie thriller Five Fingers for Marseilles under his belt prior to this, but he proves he’s definitely a solid talent to watch in the future, crafting a fun and effective thrill-ride that, like all the best horror comedies, is consistently as funny as it is scary, sharing much of the same DNA as this particular mash-up genre’s classics like Tremors and Zombieland and standing up impressively well to such comparisons.  The story, penned by rising star Brian Duffield (who has TWO other entries on this list, Underwater and Spontaneous) and Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying, Dora & the Lost City of Gold), is also pretty ingenious and surprisingly original – a meteorite strike has unleashed weird mutagenic pathogens that warp various creepy crawly critters into gigantic monstrosities that have slaughter most of the world’s human population, leaving only a beleaguered, dwindling few to eke out a precarious living in underground colonies. Living in one such makeshift community is Joel Dawson (The Maze Runner’s Dylan O’Brien), a smart and likeable geek who really isn’t very adventurous, is extremely awkward and uncoordinated, and has a problem with freezing if threatened … which makes it all the more inexplicable when he decides, entirely against the advice of everyone he knows, to venture onto the surface so he can make the incredibly dangerous week-long trek to the neighbouring colony where his girlfriend Aimee (Iron Fist’s Jessica Henwick) has ended up.  Joel is, without a doubt, the best role that O’Brien has EVER had, a total dork who’s completely unsuited to this kind of adventure and, in the real world, sure to be eaten alive in the first five minutes, but he’s also such a fantastically believable, fallible everyman that every one of us desperate, pathetic omega-males and females can instantly put ourselves in his place, making it elementarily easy to root for him.  He’s also hilariously funny, his winningly self-deprecating sass and pitch perfect talent for physical comedy making it all the more rewarding watching each gloriously anarchic life-and-death encounter mould him into the year’s most unlikely action hero.  Henwick, meanwhile, once again impresses in a well-written role where she’s able to make a big impression despite her decidedly short screen time, as do the legendary Michael Rooker and brilliant newcomer Ariana Greenblatt as Clyde and Minnow, the adorably jaded, seen-it-all-before pair of “professional survivors” Joel meets en-route, who teach him to survive on the surface.  The action is fast, frenetic and potently visceral, the impressively realistic digital creature effects bringing a motley crew of bloodthirsty beasties to suitably blood-curdling life for the film’s consistently terrifying set-pieces, while the world-building is intricately thought-out and skilfully executed.  Altogether, this was an absolute joy from start to finish, and a film I enthusiastically endorsed to everyone I knew was looking for something fun to enjoy during the frustrating lockdown nights-in.  One of the cinematic year’s best kept secrets then, and a compelling sign of things to come for its up-and-coming director.

7.  PARASITE – I’ve been a fan of master Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho ever since I stumbled across his deeply weird but also thoroughly brilliant breakthrough feature The Host, and it’s a love that’s deepened since thanks to truly magnificent sci-fi actioner Snowpiercer, so I was looking forward to his latest feature as much as any movie geek, but even I wasn’t prepared for just what a runaway juggernaut of a hit this one turned out to be, from the insane box office to all that award-season glory (especially that undeniable clean-sweep at the Oscars). I’ll just come out and say it, this film deserves it all.  It’s EASILY Bong’s best film to date (which is really saying something), a masterful social satire and jet black comedy that raises some genuinely intriguing questions before delivering deeply troubling answers.  Straddling the ever-widening gulf between a disaffected idle rich upper class and impoverished, struggling lower class in modern-day Seoul, it tells the story of the Kim family – father Ki-taek (Bong’s good luck charm, Song Kang-ho), mother Chung-sook (Jang Hye-jin), son Ki-woo (Train to Busan’s Choi Woo-shik) and daughter Ki-jung (The Silenced’s Park So-dam) – a poor family living in a run-down basement apartment who live hand-to-mouth in minimum wage jobs and can barely rub two pennies together, until they’re presented with an intriguing opportunity.  Through happy chance, Ki-woon is hired as an English tutor for Park Da-hye (Jung Ji-so), the daughter of a wealthy family, which offers him the chance to recommend Ki-jung as an art tutor to the Parks’ troubled young son, Da-song (Jung Hyeon-jun). Soon the rest of the Kims are getting in on the act, the kids contriving opportunities for their father to replace Mr Park’s chauffeur and their mother to oust the family’s long-serving housekeeper, Gook Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun), and before long their situation has improved dramatically.  But as they two families become more deeply entwined, cracks begin to show in their supposed blissful harmony as the natural prejudices of their respective classes start to take hold, and as events spiral out of control a terrible confrontation looms on the horizon.  This is social commentary at its most scathing, Bong drawing on personal experiences from his youth to inform the razor-sharp script (co-written by his production assistant Han Jin-won), while he weaves a palpable atmosphere of knife-edged tension throughout to add spice to the perfectly observed dark humour of the situation, all the while throwing intriguing twists and turns at us before suddenly dropping such a massive jaw-dropper of a gear-change that the film completely turns on its head to stunning effect.  The cast are all thoroughly astounding, Song once again dominating the film with a turn at once sloppy and dishevelled but also poignant and heartfelt, while there are particularly noteworthy turns from Lee Sun-kyun as the Parks’ self-absorbed patriarch Dong-ik and Choi Yeo-jeong (The Concubine) as his flighty, easily-led wife Choi Yeon-gyo, as well as a fantastically weird appearance in the latter half from Park Myung-hoon.  This is heady stuff, dangerously seductive even as it becomes increasingly uncomfortable viewing, so that even as the screws tighten and everything goes to hell it’s simply impossible to look away.  Bong Joon-ho really has surpassed himself this time, delivering an existential mind-scrambler that lingers long after the credits have rolled and might even have you questioning your place in society once you’ve thought about it some. It deserves every single award and every ounce of praise it’s been lavished with, and looks set to go down as one of the true cinematic greats of this new decade.  Trust me, if this was a purely critical best-of list it’d be RIGHT AT THE TOP …

6.  THE OLD GUARD – Netflix’ undisputable TOP OFFERING of the summer came damn close to bagging the whole season, and I can’t help thinking that even if some of the stiffer competition had still been present it may well have still finished this high. Gina Prince-Blythewood (Love & Basketball, the Secret Life of Bees) directs comics legend Greg Rucka’s adaptation of his own popular series with uncanny skill and laser-focused visual flair considering there’s nothing on her previous CV to suggest she’d be THIS good at mounting a stomping great ultraviolent action thriller, ushering in a thoroughly engrossing tale of four ancient, invulnerable immortal warriors – Andy AKA Andromache of Scythia (Charlize Theron), Booker AKA Sebastian de Livre (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe AKA Yusuf Al-Kaysani (Wolf’s Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky AKA Niccolo di Ginova (Trust’s Luca Marinelli) – who’ve been around forever, hiring out their services as mercenaries for righteous causes while jealously guarding their identities for fear of horrific experimentation and exploitation should their true natures ever be discovered.  Their anonymity is threatened, however, when they’re uncovered by former CIA operative James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who’s working for the decidedly dodgy pharmaceutical conglomerate run by sociopathic billionaire Steven Merrick (Harry Melling, formerly Dudley in the Harry Potter movies), who want to capture these immortals so they can patent whatever it is that makes them keep on ticking … just as a fifth immortal, US Marine Nile Freeman (If Beale Street Could Talk’s KiKi Layne), awakens after being “killed” on deployment in Afghanistan.  The supporting players are excellent, particularly Ejiofor, smart and driven but ultimately principled and deeply conflicted about what he’s doing, even if he does have the best of intentions, and Melling, the kind of loathsome, reptilian scumbag you just love to hate, but the film REALLY DOES belong to the Old Guard themselves – Schoenaerts is a master brooder, spot-on casting as the group’s relative newcomer, only immortal since the Napoleonic Wars but clearly one seriously old soul who’s already VERY tired of the lifestyle, while Joe and Nicky (who met on opposing sides of the Crusades) are simply ADORABLE, an unapologetically matter-of-fact gay couple who are sweet, sassy and incredibly kind, the absolute emotional heart of the film; it’s the ladies, however, that are most memorable here.  Layne is exceptional, investing Nile with a steely intensity that puts her in good stead as her new existence threatens to overwhelm her and MORE THAN qualified to bust heads alongside her elders … but it’s ancient Greek warrior Andy who steals the film, Theron building on the astounding work she did in Atomic Blonde to prove, once and for all, that there’s no woman on Earth who looks better kicking arse than her (as Booker puts it, “that woman has forgotten more ways to kill than entire armies will ever learn”); in her hands, Andy truly is a goddess of death, tough as tungsten alloy and unflappable even in the face of hell itself, but underneath it all she hides a heart as big as any of her friends’.  They’re an impossibly lovable bunch and you feel you could follow them on another TEN adventures like this one, which is just as well, because Prince-Blythewood and Rucka certainly put them through their paces here – the drama is high (but frequently laced with a gentle, knowing sense of humour, particularly whenever Joe and Nicky are onscreen), as are the stakes, and the frequent action sequences are top-notch, executed with rare skill and bone-crunching zest, but also ALWAYS in service to the story.  Altogether this is an astounding film, a genuine victory for its makers and, it seems, for Netflix themselves – it’s become one of the platform’s biggest hits to date, earning well-deserved critical acclaim and great respect and genuine geek love from the fanbase at large.  After this, a sequel is not only inevitable, it’s ESSENTIAL …

5.  MANK – it’s always nice when David Fincher, one of my TOP FIVE ALL TIME FAVOURITE DIRECTORS, drops a new movie, because it can be GUARANTEED to place good and high in my rundown for that year.  The man is a frickin’ GENIUS, a true master of the craft, genuinely one of the auteur’s auteurs.  I’ve NEVER seen him deliver a bad film – even a misfiring Fincher (see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Alien 3) is still capable of creating GREAT CINEMA.  How? Why?  It’s because he genuinely LOVES the art form, it’s been his obsession all his life, and he’s spent every day of it becoming the best possible filmmaker he can be.  Who better to tell the story of the creation of one of the ULTIMATE cinematic masterpieces, then?  Benjamin Ross’ acclaimed biopic RKO 281 covered similar ground, presenting a compelling look into the making Citizen Kane, the timeless masterpiece of Hollywood’s ULTIMATE auteur, Orson Welles, but Fincher’s film is more interested in the original inspiration for the story, how it was written and, most importantly, the man who wrote it – Herman J. Mankiewicz, known to his friends as Mank. One of my favourite actors of all time, Gary Oldman, delivers yet another of his career best performances in the lead role, once a man of vision and incredible storytelling skill whose talents have largely been squandered through professional difficulties and personal vices, a burned out one-time great fallen on hard times whom Welles picks up out of the trash, dusts off and offers a chance to create something truly great again.  The only catch?  The subject of their film (albeit dressed up in the guise of fictional newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane) is to be real-life publisher, politico and tycoon William Randolph Hurst (Charles Dance), once Mank’s friend and patron before they had a very public and messy falling out which partly led to his current circumstances.  As he toils away in seclusion on what is destined to become his true masterwork, flashbacks reveal to us the fascinating, moving and ultimately tragic tale of his rise and fall from grace in the movie business, set against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.  Shooting a script that his own journalist and screenwriter father, Jack, crafted and then failed to bring to the screen himself before his death in 2003, Fincher has been working for almost a quarter century to make this film, and all that passion and drive is writ large on the screen – this is a glorious film ABOUT film, the art of it, the creation of it, and all the dirty little secrets of what the industry itself has always really been like, especially in that most glamorous and illusory of times.  The fact that Fincher shot in black and white and intentionally made it look like it was made in the early 1940s (the “golden age of the Silver Screen”, if you will) may seem like a gimmick, but instead it’s a very shrewd choice that expertly captures the gloss and moodiness of the age, almost looking like a contemporary companion piece to Kane itself, and it’s the perfect way to frame all the sharp-witted observation, subtly subversive character development and murky behind-the-scenes machinations that tell the story.  Oldman is in every way the star here, holding the screen with all the consummate skill and flair we’ve come to expect from him, but there’s no denying the uniformly excellent supporting cast are equal to the task here – Dance is at his regal, charismatic best as Hearst, while Amanda Seyfried is icily classy on the surface but mischievous and lovably grounded underneath as Hearst’s mistress, Marion Davies, who formed the basis for Kane’s most controversial character, Arliss Howard (Full Metal Jacket, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Moneyball) brings nuance and complexity to the role of MGM founder Louis B. Mayer, Tom Pelphrey (Banshee, Ozark) is understated but compelling as Mank’s younger screenwriter brother Joseph, and Lily Collins and Tuppence Middleton exude class and long-suffering stubbornness as the two main women in Mank’s life (his secretary and platonic muse, Rita Alexander, and his wife, Sara), while The Musketeers’ Tom Burke’s periodic but potent appearances as Orson Welles help to drive the story in the “present”.  Another Netflix release which I was (thankfully) able to catch on the big screen during one of the brief lulls between British lockdowns, this was a decidedly meta cinematic experience that perfectly encapsulated not only what is truly required for the creation of a screen epic, but also the latest pinnacle in the career of one of the greatest filmmakers working in the business today, powerful, stirring, intriguing and surprising in equal measure. Certainly it’s one of the most important films ABOUT so far film this century, but is it as good as Citizen Kane?  Boy, that’s a tough one …

4.  ENOLA HOLMES – ultimately, my top film for the autumn/winter movie season was also the film which finally topped my Netflix Original features list, as well as beating all other streaming offerings for the entire year (which is saying something, as you should know by now).  Had things been different, this would have been one of Warner Bros’ BIGGEST releases for the year in the cinema, of that I have no doubt, a surprise sleeper hit which would have taken the world by storm – as it is it’s STILL become a sensation, albeit in a much more mid-pandemic, lockdown home-viewing kind of way.  Before you start crying oh God no, not another Sherlock Holmes adaptation, this is a very different beast from either the Guy Ritchie take or the modernized BBC show, instead side-lining the great literary sleuth in favour of a delicious new AU version, based on The Case of the Missing Marquess, the first novel in the Enola Holmes Mysteries literary series from American YA author Nancy Springer.  Positing that Sherlock Holmes (Henry Cavill) and his elder brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin) had an equally ingenious and precocious baby sister, the film introduces us to Enola (Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown), who’s been raised at home by their strong-willed mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) to be just as intelligent, well-read and intellectually skilled as her far more advantageously masculine elder siblings.  Then, on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Enola awakens to find her mother has vanished, putting her in a pretty pickle since this leaves her a ward of Mycroft, a self-absorbed social peacock who finds her to be wilfully free-spirited and completely ill equipped to face the world, concluding that the only solution is sending her to boarding school where she’ll learn to become a proper lady.  Needless to say she’s horrified by the prospect, deciding to run away and search for her mother instead … this is about as perfect a family adventure film as you could wish for, following a vital, capable and compelling teen detective-in-the-making as she embarks on her very first investigation, as well as winding up tangled in a second to boot involving a young runaway noble, Viscount Tewkesbury, the Marquess of Basilwether (Medici’s Louis Partridge), and the film is a breezy, swift-paced and rewardingly entertaining romp that feels like a welcome breath of fresh air for a literary property which, beloved as it may be, has been adapted to death over the years.  Enola Holmes a brilliant young hero who’s perfectly crafted to carry the franchise forward in fresh new directions, and Brown brings her to life with effervescent charm, boisterous energy and mischievous irreverence that are entirely irresistible; Cavill and Claflin, meanwhile, are perfectly cast as the two very different brothers – this Sherlock is much less louche and world-weary than most previous versions, still razor sharp and intellectually restless but with a comfortable ease and a youthful spring in his step that perfectly suits the actor, while Mycroft is as superior and arrogant as ever, a preening arse we derive huge enjoyment watching Enola consistently get the best of; Bonham Carter doesn’t get a lot of screen-time but as we’d expect she does a lot with what she has to make the practical, eccentric and unapologetically modern Eudoria thoroughly memorable, while Partridge is carefree and likeable as the naïve but irresistible Tewkesbury, and there are strong supporting turns from Frances de la Tour as his stately grandmother, the Dowager, Susie Wokoma (Crazyhead, Truth Seekers) as Emily, a feisty suffragette who runs a jujitsu studio, Burn Gorman as dastardly thug-for-hire Linthorn, and Four Lions’ Adeel Akhtar as a particularly scuzzy Inspector Lestrade.  Seasoned TV director Harry Bradbeer (Fleabag, Killing Eve) makes his feature debut with an impressive splash, unfolding the action at a brisk pace while keeping the narrative firmly focused on an intricate mystery plot that throws in plenty of ingenious twists and turns before a suitably atmospheric climax and pleasing denouement which nonetheless artfully sets up more to come in the future, while screenwriter Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials, The Scouting Book for Boys, Wonder) delivers strong character work and liberally peppers the dialogue with a veritable cavalcade of witty zingers.  Boisterous, compelling, amusing, affecting and exciting in equal measure, this is a spirited and appealing slice of cinematic escapism that flatters its viewers and never talks down to them, a perfect little period adventure for a cosy Sunday afternoon.  Obviously there’s plenty of potential for more, and with further books to adapt there’s more than enough material for a pile of sequels – Neflix would be barmy indeed to turn their nose up at this opportunity …

3.  1917 – it’s a rare thing for a film to leave me truly shell-shocked by its sheer awesomeness, for me to walk out of a cinema in a genuine daze, unable to talk or even really think about much of anything for a few hours because I’m simply marvelling at what I’ve just witnessed.  Needless to say, when I do find a film like that (Fight Club, Inception, Mad Max: Fury Road) it usually earns a place very close to my heart indeed.  The latest tour-de-force from Sam Mendes is one of those films – an epic World War I thriller that plays out ENTIRELY in one shot, which doesn’t simply feel like a glorified gimmick or stunt but instead is a genuine MASTERPIECE of film, a mesmerising journey of emotion and imagination in a shockingly real environment that’s impossible to tear your eyes away from.  Sure, Mendes has impressed us before – his first film, American Beauty, is a GREAT movie, one of the most impressive feature debuts of the 2000s, while Skyfall is, in my opinion, quite simply THE BEST BOND FILM EVER MADE – but this is in a whole other league.  It’s an astounding achievement, made all the more impressive when you realise that there’s very little trickery at play here, no clever digital magic (just some augmentation here and there), it’s all real locations and sets, filmed in long, elaborately choreographed takes blended together with clever edits to make it as seamless as possible – it’s not the first film to try to do this (remember Birdman? Bushwick?), but I’ve never seen it done better, or with greater skill. But it’s not just a clever cinematic exercise, there’s a genuine story here, told with guts and urgency, and populated by real flesh and blood characters – the heart of the film is True History of the Kelly Gang’s George MacKay and Dean Chapman (probably best known as Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones) as Lance Corporals Will Schofield and Tom Blake, the two young tommies sent out across enemy territory on a desperate mission to stop a British regiment from rushing headlong into a German trap (Tom himself has a personal stake in this because his brother is an officer in the attack).  They’re a likeable pair, very human and relatable throughout, brave and true but never so overtly heroic that they stretch credibility, so when tragedy strikes along the way it’s particularly devastating; both deliver exceptional performances that effortlessly carry us through the film, and they’re given sterling support from a selection of top-drawer British talent, from Sherlock stars Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch to Mark Strong and Colin Firth, each delivering magnificently in small but potent cameos.  That said, the cinematography and art department are the BIGGEST stars here, masterful veteran DOP Roger Deakins (The Shawshank Redemption, Blade Runner 2049 and pretty much the Coen Brothers’ entire back catalogue among MANY others) making every frame sing with beauty, horror, tension or tragedy as the need arises, and the environments are SO REAL it feels less like production design than that someone simply sent the cast and crew back in time to film in the real Northern France circa 1917 – from a nightmarish trek across No Man’s Land to a desperate chase through a ruined French village lit only by dancing flare-light in the darkness before dawn, every scene is utterly immersive and simply STUNNING.  I don’t think it’s possible for Mendes to make a film better than this, but I sure hope he gives it a go all the same.  Either way, this was the most incredible, exhausting, truly AWESOME experience I had at the cinema all year – it’s a film that DESERVES to be seen on the big screen, and I feel truly sorry for those who missed the chance …

2.  BIRDS OF PREY & THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN – the only reason 1917 isn’t at number two is because Warner Bros.’ cinematic DC Extended Universe project FINALLY got round to bringing my favourite DC Comics title to the big screen.  It was been the biggest pleasure of my cinematic year getting to see my top DC superheroines brought to life on the big screen, and it was done in high style, in my opinion THE BEST of the DCEU films to date (yup, I loved it EVEN MORE than the Wonder Woman movies).  It was also great seeing Harley Quinn return after her show-stealing turn in David Ayer’s clunky but ultimately still hugely enjoyable Suicide Squad, better still that they got her SPOT ON this time – this is the Harley I’ve always loved in the comics, unpredictable, irreverent and entirely without regard for what anyone else thinks of her, as well as one talented psychiatrist.  Margot Robbie once more excels in the role she was basically BORN to play, clearly relishing the chance to finally do Harley TRUE justice, and she’s a total riot from start to finish, infectiously lovable no matter what crazy, sometimes downright REPRIHENSIBLE antics she gets up to.  Needless to say she’s the nominal star here, her latest ill-advised adventure driving the story – finally done with the Joker and itching to make her emancipation official, Harley publicly announces their breakup by blowing up Ace Chemicals (their love spot, basically), inadvertently painting a target on her back in the process since she’s no longer under the assumed protection of Gotham’s feared Clown Prince of Crime – but that doesn’t mean she eclipses the other main players the movie’s REALLY supposed to be about.  Each member of the Birds of Prey is beautifully written and brought to vivid, arse-kicking life by what had to be 2020’s most exciting cast – Helena Bertinelli, the Huntress, is the perfect character for Mary Elizabeth Winstead to finally pay off on that action hero potential she showed in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, but this is a MUCH more enjoyable role outside of the fight choreography because while Helena may be a world-class dark avenger, socially she’s a total dork, which just makes her thoroughly adorable; Rosie Perez is similarly perfect casting as Renee Montoya, the uncompromising pint-sized Gotham PD detective who kicks against the corrupt system no matter what kind of trouble it gets her into, and just gets angrier all the time, paradoxically making us like her even more; and then there’s the film’s major controversy, at least as far as the fans are concerned, namely one Cassandra Cain.  Sure, this take is VERY different from the comics’ version (a nearly mute master assassin who went on to become the second woman to wear the mask of Batgirl before assuming her own crime-fighting mantle as Black Bat and now Orphan), but personally I like to think this is simply Cass at THE VERY START of her origin story, leaving plenty of time for her to discover her warrior origins when the DCEU finally gets around to introducing her mum, Lady Shiva (personally I want Michelle Yeoh to play her, but that’s just me) – anyways, here she’s a skilled child pickpocket whose latest theft inadvertently sets off the larger central plot, and newcomer Ella Jay Basco brings a fantastic pre-teen irreverence and spiky charm to the role, beautifully playing against Robbie’s mercurial energy.  My favourite here BY FAR, however, is Dinah Lance, aka the Black Canary (not only my favourite Bird of Prey but my very favourite DC superheroine PERIOD), the choice of up-and-comer Jurnee Smollet-Bell (Friday Night Lights, Underground) proving to be the film’s most inspired casting – a club singer with the metahuman ability to emit piercing supersonic screams, she’s also a ferocious martial artist (in the comics she’s one of the very best fighters IN THE WORLD), as well as a wonderfully pure soul you just can’t help loving, and it made me SO UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY that they got my Canary EXACTLY RIGHT.  Altogether they’re a fantastic bunch of badass ladies, basically my perfect superhero team, and the way they’re all brought together (along with Harley, of course) is beautifully thought out and perfectly executed … they’ve also got one hell of a threat to overcome, namely Gotham crime boss Roman Sionis, the Black Mask, one of the Joker’s chief rivals – Ewan McGregor brings his A-game in a frustratingly rare villainous turn (my number one bad guy for the movie year), a monstrously narcissistic, woman-hating control freak with a penchant for peeling off the faces of those who displease him, sharing some exquisitely creepy chemistry with Chris Messina (The Mindy Project) as Sionis’ nihilistic lieutenant Victor Zsasz.  This is about as good as superhero cinema gets, a perfect example of the sheer brilliance you get when you switch up the formula to create something new, an ultra-violent, unapologetically R-rated middle finger to the classic tropes, a fantastic black comedy thrill ride that’s got to be the most full-on feminist blockbuster ever made – it’s helmed by a woman (Dead Pigs director Cathy Yan), written by a woman (Bumblebee’s Christina Hodson), produced by more women and ABOUT a bunch of badass women magnificently triumphing over toxic masculinity in all its forms.  It’s also simply BRILLIANT – the cast are all clearly having a blast, the action sequences are first rate (the spectacular GCPD evidence room fight in which Harley gets to REALLY cut loose is the undisputable highlight), it has a gleefully anarchic sense of humour and is simply BURSTING with phenomenal homages, references and in-jokes for the fans (Bruce the hyena! Stuffed beaver! Roller derby!).  It’s also got a killer soundtrack, populated almost exclusively by numbers from female artists.  Altogether, then, this is the VERY BEST the DCEU has to offer to date, and VERY NEARLY my absolute FAVOURITE film of 2020.  Give it all the love you can, it sure as hell deserves it.

1.  TENET – granted, the streaming platforms (particularly Netflix and Amazon) certainly saved our cinematic summer, but I’m still IMMEASURABLY glad that my ultimate top-spot winner FOR THE WHOLE YEAR was one I got to experience on THE BIG SCREEN. You gotta hand it to Christopher Nolan, he sure hung in there, stubbornly determined that his latest cinematic masterpiece WOULD be released in cinemas in the summer (albeit ultimately landing JUST inside the line in the final week of August and ultimately taking the bite at the box office because of the still shaky atmosphere), and it was worth all the fuss because, for me, this was THE PERFECT MOVIE for me to get return to cinemas with.  I mean, okay, in the end it WASN’T the FIRST new movie I saw after the first reopening, that honour went to Unhinged, but THIS was my first real Saturday night-out big screen EXPERIENCE since March.  Needless to say, Nolan didn’t disappoint this time any more than he has on any of his consistently spectacular previous releases, delivering another twisted, mind-boggling headfuck of a full-blooded experiential sensory overload that comes perilously close to toppling his long-standing auteur-peak, Inception (itself second only by fractions to The Dark Knight as far as I’m concerned). To say much at all about the plot would give away major spoilers – personally I’d recommend just going in as cold as possible, indeed you really should just stop reading this right now and just GO SEE IT.  Still with us?  Okay … the VERY abridged version is that it’s about a secret war being waged between the present and the future by people capable of “inverting” time in substances, objects, people, whatever, into which the Protagonist (BlacKkKlansman’s John David Washington), an unnamed CIA agent, has been dispatched in order to prevent a potential coming apocalypse. Washington is once again on top form, crafting a robust and compelling morally complex heroic lead who’s just as comfortable negotiating the minefields of black market intrigue as he is breaking into places or dispatching heavies, Kenneth Branagh delivers one of his most interesting and memorable performances in years as brutal Russian oligarch Andrei Sator, a genuinely nasty piece of work who was ALMOST the year’s very best screen villain, Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Widows) brings strength, poise and wounded integrity to the role of Sator’s estranged wife, Kat, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson gets to use his own accent for once as tough-as-nails British Intelligence officer Ives, while there are brief but consistently notable supporting turns and cameos from Martin Donovan, Yesterday’s Himesh Patel, Dirk Gently’s Fiona Dourif and, of course, Nolan’s good luck charm, Michael Caine.  The cast’s biggest surprise, however, is Robert Pattinson, truly a revelation in what has to be, HANDS DOWN, his best role to date, Neil, the Protagonist’s mysterious handler – he’s by turns cheeky, slick, duplicitous and thoroughly badass, delivering an enjoyably multi-layered, chameleonic performance which proves what I’ve long maintained, that the former Twilight star is actually a fucking amazing actor, and on the basis of this, even if that amazing new teaser trailer wasn’t making the rounds, I think the debate about whether or not he’s the right choice for the new Batman is now academic.  As we’ve come to expect from Nolan, this is a TRUE tour-de-force experience, a visual triumph and an endlessly engrossing head-scratcher, Nolan’s screenplay bringing in seriously big ideas and throwing us some major narrative knots and loopholes, constantly wrong-footing the viewer while also setting up truly revelatory payoffs from seemingly low-key, unimportant beginnings – this is a film you need to be awake and attentive for or you could miss something pretty vital. The action sequences are, as ever, second to none, some of the year’s very best set-pieces coming thick and fast and executed with some of the most accomplished skill in the business, while Nolan-regular cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar and Dunkirk, as well as the heady likes of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, SPECTRE and Ad Astra) once again shows he’s one of the best camera-wizards in the business today by delivering some absolutely mesmerising visuals.  Notably, Nolan’s other regular collaborator, composer Hans Zimmer, is absent here (although he had good reason, since he was working on his dream project at the time, the fast-approaching screen adaptation of Dune), but Ludwig Göransson (best known for his collaborations with Ryan Coogler Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther, as well as career-best work on The Mandalorian) is a fine replacement, crafting an intriguingly internalised, post-modern musical landscape that thrums and pulses in time with the story and emotions of the characters rather than the action itself. Interestingly it’s on the subject of sound that some of the film’s rare detractions have been levelled, and I can see some of the points – the soundtrack mix is an all-encompassing thing, and there are times when the dialogue can be overwhelmed, but in Nolan’s defence this film is a heady, immersive experience, something you really need to concentrate on, so these potential flaws are easily forgiven.  As a work of filmmaking art, this is another flawless wonder from one of the true masters of the craft working in cinema today, but it’s art with palpable substance, a rewarding whole that proved truly unbeatable in 2020 …

[kieraswriting]

Coffin Chapter Thirteen

Masterpost

From outside the bedroom, things started getting louder. There was the noise of people shuffling around, waking up, clanging of pans from the kitchen, running water.

“Listen, I don’t care! I don’t trust any one of you!”

That woke up Patton, and both he and Virgil went out to see what was going on.

Remy was in the living room, holding up Emile, who looked considerably less worried, and considerably more patiently exasperated.

“What’s going on?” Patton asked.

Instead of properly answering Patton, Remy fixed his eyes on Virgil. “You!”

Virgil took a step back, “I didn’t— I only just got up!”

“Exactly. You wouldn’t hurt a fly if it bit you first. Take Emile.”

Virgil found Emile dumped in his arms. “Eh-wha?”

“Thank you, Virgil, you can set me down now.”

Virgil set Emile down. “What’s going on?”

Remy rolled his eyes. “I’ve gotta leave with Logan, and I’m not about to leave Emile alone with these bi-“

“Language,” Patton interrupted.

Remy grumbled. He turned halfway, to see Logan waiting by the door.

“You keep him safe!” Remy said firmly. “Or so help me it’ll be your head rolling tonight.”

Remy stalked away, slamming the door on his way out.

Virgil gulped. There was no way he could protect himself, let alone a human, against all these vampires if they decided to attack.

“Ok, party’s over,” Emile said, his voice cheery despite all that had just happened. “If you need something to do I’m sure I can find you something.”

At that, the majority of the vampires crowding the living room dissipated.

Virgil let out a breath. That made things easier, but the sudden and unexpected responsibility still weighed heavy on his shoulders.

“You’ll be fine,” Emile said, hunkering down a bit so he could look into Virgil’s eyes even though Virgil had his head tipped toward the ground. “I’m pretty certain I can handle myself, and even if I can’t, I won’t let Remy do anything to you.”

“So are you and Virgil gonna hang out today?” Patton asked, coming back from the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

“If Virgil doesn’t mind,” Emile said.

Virgil just blinked. His mind was all fuzzy, and he wanted to sit down. He just nodded.

•^*^••

“I just… don’t quite trust it.” Roman said, driving the four wheeler.

Dee was riding behind him, and very pointedly not holding on to him, despite the jerking as they drove around the pasture. “I don’t either. We don’t know anything about him.”

They were looking for Remus, but so far had seen no signs of any vampires at all.

“Do you think he just took them all and left?”

“It’s definitely impossible,” Dee said flatly. There was not a hint of sarcasm in his tone, yet Roman had the distinct impression that he was being made fun of.

It was a while later that they went over a hill, and found the vampires at the bottom. They were… skinny dipping? It wasn’t even summer, or very warm at all.

“Bro! Snakey! Come on in!”

“That water is filled with cow pee,” Dee said. “You’d have to drag me in.”

“Oh, I can do that!”

“No!” Roman interrupted. “Please, just, get back in the water. Or at least put your clothes on.”

Remus sank down in the muddy water, blowing bubbles.

Roman cringed at the thought of having his mouth anywhere near the water.

“Is this just a visit?” One of the other vampires asked.

“Uh, more or less,” Roman said.

“Damn!” The vampire said, and was echoed by several disappointed groans.

Remus broke into a triumphant laugh.

“Let me guess, you’ll never tell us what that’s all about,” Dee said.

“I said we could only kill people that didn’t come for a visit,” Remus said. “And my bro looks tasty, even if he does smell bad.”

“I do not!” Roman blustered. “And I’m an only child.”

Remus shrugged.

“You intend to stay here then?” Dee asked.

Remus shrugged again. “Until it gets boring.”

“Let’s head back,” Dee said.

“What? Now? We didn’t even—“

“Go home, Hunter,” one of the other vampires said, and soon, encouraged by Remus himself, they were all chanting at Roman to go home.

Roman didn’t like it. But he left.

“What was that all about?!” He said, once they were probably out of earshot of the vampires.

“I can force people to tell me the truth. He wasn’t lying. And if we leave him to it he’ll stop the rest of them from attacking people for no reason.”

•^*^••

“I may be amazing, but I can’t just pull it out of nowhere,” Remy said. “I’m done.”

“We’ve only gone to two locations!” Logan said, already beyond exasperated.

Remy shrugged. “I’m done.” He walked away.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

“Where?!”

“Does it matter? I’ll find my own way home.”

“We haven’t accomplished any of the tasks we set out to do!”

Remy shrugged. “Look, tough luck, gurl. Chill. We’ll try again next week.”

“What about Emile?”

Remy looked at Logan over the top of his sunglasses, his eyes narrowed dangerously. “Is that a threat?”

“No. But you’d just leave him without warning?”

Remy shrugged again, his whole body relaxing into a casual posture. “He’s got a little baby vampire to take care of, he won’t get in trouble.”

“And he won’t worry about you?”

“Not with Virgil to worry about. And chill, I’ll call him if I wanna stay out more than a day or two. Not like you actually care.”

And then Remy zipped away, faster by far than a human could, and yet still managing to make his movements look casual.

•^*^••

Things had been far easier than Virgil had assumed. He’d spent a large portion of the day sitting watching cartoons with Emile. Mostly one called Avatar, the Last Airbender.

Emile stretched and got up. “Well, I guess I’ll make dinner tonight.”

Virgil followed and sat on the counter, swinging his legs and watching as Emile pulled out ingredients.

“Does…” his voice, already quiet, trailed off.

“Does what?” Emile asked.

“Does Zuko ever go back to his dad? After—after what happened?”

“Well, that would be a spoiler! I could tell you if you really want, but I’d be happy to keep watching with you, and let you see yourself.”

Virgil nodded.

“Why do you ask?”

Virgil’s mouth went dry. “Well… um.. just— it’s a long story.”

“I’d be happy to hear it, if you don’t mind telling me.”

Virgil was silent for several minutes.

“My um, my dad was a vampire.”

Emile nodded, flashing Virgil just enough eye contact to show that he was listening without being overwhelming. Virgil felt more comfortable talking to Emile’s back anyway.

“And he, he hurt my mom. And me sometimes, I guess.”

Emile just nodded.

“He— when I was turned it was cause he…” Virgil trailed off again.

“Was he the one that turned you?”

“No. But, after I got turned, I haven’t— I haven’t seen him again.”

“And you see a parallel between yourself and Zuko, since you both have abusive fathers.”

Virgil winced slightly. “I guess.”

“Virgil, if it’s not something you want to do, you do not owe it to your father to go back to him.” Emile set a hand on Virgil’s knee. “But if he hurt you badly enough that you could be turned, I wouldn’t suggest you going back at all.”

Virgil froze, chewing on his lip.

“Even though it’s still a spoiler, I’ll tell you. Zuko never got back the relationship he had with his dad, much less the relationship he wanted to have.”

Virgil’s face grew tight, and he blinked several times. He didn’t know why he was reacting like this. He’d barely even thought about his dad in months.

“Can I give you a hug?”

Virgil nodded, scrubbing at his eyes.

It was an awkward hug, with Virgil being up on the counter, but it didn’t make the kindness shine through any less. Virgil waffled between feeling like he was about to cry, and feeling strangely numb.

“Thanks,” he mumbled as Emile pulled away.

“Anytime. If you want a hug, you just have to ask.” Emile gave him a bright smile, and Virgil tried to return it, but his ended out rather weak and watery.

Emile stirred the food he was cooking so that it wouldn’t burn. “You know, Remy has a hard time with eating, but since you were turned, rather than born, I wonder if you can eat?”

The abrupt change in subject pulled Virgil out of his confused, rather yucky-feeling, spiral.

“I-I don’t know. I haven’t really tried. I was, I lived with my sire, and she didn’t keep food in the house.”

“Well, do you want to try?”

Virgil shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind. What are you making?”

“I’ve made it up. It’s sort of Italian-y.”

Emile held out a spoonful of the sauce. “Here.”

Virgil accepted the spoon, and ate the sauce. It tasted good. Not— not like he would have guessed. It didn’t taste like food anymore. But he wouldn’t mind eating more.

“Yeah, it’s good.”

Emile gave him a plateful, and Virgil ate it. Emile dished up the other plates, and covered them in foil for the other humans to eat as they were ready.

Another vampire happened by, saw Virgil eating, and just clicked his tongue before turning away. That was when Virgil started to get concerned.

It was not long at all after he’d finished eating that he stomach started to pain him.

“Emile.” Virgil clutched at his stomach as a wave of nausea swept over him.

“Oh, no. Come on, let’s get to the bathroom.”

Emile helped Virgil to the bathroom. The pain and nausea increased with every minute, until Virgil was heaving every bit of the food into the toilet.

“I’m sorry,” Emile said, rubbing Virgil’s back. “I should’ve told you what happens to Remy when he eats.”

“Not your fault,” Virgil said, letting out a groan as another wave ran over him. “I’m the one that ate it.”

“But if I’d told you you might not have eaten it.”

Virgil shrugged, unable at that moment to speak. It was true, if he’d known that this was a possible consequence he would have just left it alone.

There was a knock on the door. “Is everything ok in there?” Patton asked.

“It will be in a bit. Thank you.” Emile said, rubbing at Virgil’s back again as he hunched further over the toilet.

Virgil sat down on the bathroom floor. “Is it over?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Emile said. “Do you think it’s all out?”

Virgil wrapped his arms around his stomach. “Dunno.”

“If you want, we can sit on the couch. I’ll get you a bucket in case, and we can watch some more Avatar.”

“Sounds better than sitting here.”

Patton was very sympathetic about the situation, and sat next to Virgil, offering almost constant hugs while they watched.

[fairyscribbles]

I don’t care. (What the hell happened? Vampire!Xiumin)

Hi guys! I saw that Witness was well received, and now I’m happy to give you another part to read, this time from the side of Minseok! I hope you enjoy this, darlings! <3

-

Everything was a painful blur from when the pair of hands shook you awake and took you from your haven with the promise of safety. Too groggy to fight them, you went willingly, letting yourself be wrapped in blankets and ushered into a car, into a building, into a small, white room with one table and three chairs.

You were offered coffee, comforting smiles from two burly men and a cooing of "You are safe ma'am, we just need to ask you a few questions."

You were not safe. You were not okay, not in the least, as you felt the brand new wound on your neck throb in pain. Agony surged from the two puncture wounds into your entire body, solidifying into little anchors at the end of your nerves, holding you down in the sludge of pain from which only one person could rescue you.

And the two police officers were talking about him as if he were a criminal.

"Do you know the whereabouts of Kim Minseok?" the questions at first were gentle, and they talked to you as if they were dealing with a wounded doe. But your everlasting confusion and dizziness became tiring for one of them really quickly.

"You know who he is, do you not, miss?" the at first honeyed voice slowly turned rough, and the soft gaze hardened. You shivered, wrapping the coarse blanket around yourself tighter, trying to ward yourself from the cold that was coming from within you.

"I-I do. And...and there is nothing wrong with being a vampire, sir, just like there is nothing wrong with being human." you resolutely stated, trying to hold your ground. The supernatural beings were hunted centuries ago, and it seems that it was hard to let go of stereotyping. Nevertheless, you were ready to fight for your brand new mate.

"And I'm not saying there is, Ms.___." The cooing tone was replaced by one of an exasperated teacher losing patience over a less-than-bright child.

"But there is most definitely something wrong with being a mafia leader." you shook your head at his statement.

"Absolutely not. Minseok is not a gangster. He is a businessman."

"A businessman with blood, miss. We just raided one of his establishments and have taken more than 50 blood donors from the estate."

"You must be mistaken, I believe. Minseok would never do anything like-"

"Are you in business with him, miss?" the less patient policeman cut you off, and you stared at him, shivering, slowly more and more agitated.

"I am in no business with him. I am his mate. Need I remind you that it is against the law to keep a newly bonded couple separated?" it was general knowledge that a couple that has just bonded needed to be in close vicinity while the mating process has been established. You began to feel it yourself, the low burning slowly growing, kindling in your body and leaving you in a strange combination of feeling in an almost hypothermic state while being feverish as well.  

What you thought would be a triumphant way to make the two rough men let you go proved futile. The meaner one grinned, flashing his yellowed teeth at you.

"You don't need to remind us of the laws, miss ___, we know very well what we can and cannot do. And while making sure newly bonded mates are kept in close contact is protected by the law, the capture of a dangerous criminal on the loose is above assuring your comfort during this first week. Especially..." he leaned against the table, entwining his fingers and resting his chin on top of it, "when we can lure your mate over here and capture him."

-

"What the hell happened?" Minseok seethed, flipping over the table. The wood cracked under the force of his fingertips, splinters flying from the furniture. His expression of anger did not phase his right hand, who didn't even flinch as his boss ranged through his luxurious house.

"There was a raid in the main estate, sir. The police somehow found out about your house as well."

"Someone ratted?"

"I'm already working on finding the person, sir."

"Where is ___?" he knew immediately that you were not in the vicinity. He would've felt the constant anxiousness that was plaguing him since he left your side decrease, but at the moment, it just rocketed sky high. What the fuck was this day about.

"They took her, sir." Luhan's words made him stop the rampage, his whole body frozen in disbelief.

"What did you say?" Minseok's voice was no longer filled with fury - that was hiding inside of him, bubbling and boiling and seeping.

"She was taken into custody by the police force, under the belief she was a blood whore."

"Give me the address." Luhan was barely able to finish his sentence when Minseok turned to him, eyes blood red and determined. Knowing that it was his neck on the line this time, Luhan immediately told his boss about the whereabouts of his mate.

Minseok disappeared with the fog, slipping underneath the door and into the darkness.

-

The flimsy blanket that accompanied you into your jail cell wasn’t enough. You tried your best to cocoon yourself into the fabric on the hard mattress, but it still didn’t stop you from shivering. Were you shivering because you were cold? Because you were afraid? Was it both of these reasons at once?

Where was Minseok? Why did they claim he is mafia? Were you that blinded by love that you did not see the snake behind the roses?

Your head ached and your eyes strained against the dimmed lights, making it even worse. The jail was quiet, save for the occasional snort coming from the other occupants, taken into custody because of drunk and disorderly behavior or other offences. Minutes trickled by like they were hours, and you thought that if something, somebody didn’t come and take you from there, you will die in that dinky, small cell.

Suddenly, there anchoring agony faded.

And in front of you stood Minseok, eyes filled with a mess of anger, relief and pain.

You felt like this was all just an illusion, but nevertheless you reached out to your mate, just a tiny flicker of hope in you rooting for him actually being there. And when you heard your name in his chocked voice, his hand grasping yours, the flame spread throughout your body, rushing the tears into your eyes.

“M-Minseok,” you stuttered in a watery voice as you tried to untangle yourself from the blanket as quickly as possible to get to him, but Minseok was quicker; he was on the bed in a flash, arms enveloping your body and hoisting you into his lap. His nose immediately buried into the crook of your neck, lips gently brushing over the mark on your shoulder, the source of immense happiness but also indescribable pain.

“My love,” Minseok rumbled as he held you tight, as if there was someone who could take you away from him. And in the past hours, that someone really came. The realization of where you are and what happened came crashing back down to you and a whine ripped from your throat as you leaned back from his embrace to look into his eyes.

“Minseok, what’s all…what’s all this? Why am I here…” he kept quiet, just staring at you as his hands stroked your hair, thumbed at your tear-stained cheeks, squeezed at your shoulders in reassurance.

“The police… they keep telling me…that…that you’re a gangster…that…that you have blood whores… Minseok, they’re lying, right?” your voice grew desperate, because you felt that his silence only served to prove that the pudgy, sweaty, mean police officer back in that interrogation room was right.

“I will explain everything to you, ___. I promise. When I get you out of here, I’ll tell you everything.”

“You just have to pay them and they will let me go, Minseok. You could just…just walk up to the desk and give them money and I will be free.” Something in his eyes told you he couldn’t do that. In your pained mind, it all started to click into place. His long, unnatural hours. His partners, all thick-necked and tattoo-ridden, eyes as hard as their punches most probably were.

“They were telling the truth.” You finally said after a pause, your hands falling from their perch on Minseok’s shoulders. The retreat of touch made your mate whine, eyebrows pinched and a flurry of emotions in his eyes.

“You’re a gangster.”

“___,”

“You’re…you do run brothels…”

“I can explain everything, I promise. The second I get you out of here I-“

“No.”

It was barely whispered, but the word had the same reaction as a roar would have. Minseok stopped trying to explain, his hands frozen on your cheeks as he tried to make you look at him. Your gaze was still on the floor, away from your partner. From someone you loved.

From a criminal.

“Just go, Minseok. Before I call the guards.”

“Let me stay here for a little more, baby. The mark-“

“I don’t care. Leave me.”

“But you will hurt-“

“It’s nothing compared to the fact that I just mated for life to someone I apparently didn’t know at all.” The chuckle was self-depreciating.

There was commotion down the hall. Your conversation must have alerted somebody.

“___,” his voice was full of pain, pain that the two of you apparently shared. He should’ve been honest with you from the start, and maybe you would’ve prepared better for the possibility of a raid. Of the possibility that somebody would try to use your love to make Minseok pay for his crimes.

“I can’t bare the thought of you being executed, Minseok…just…please just go. I can’t look at you right now.”

“I’ll come back to you.” Minseok swore as he made sure that you looked into his blood-soaked eyes filled with fiery determination.

“I don’t care.” You told him, voice dead. The presence that was calming just a few minutes ago now felt like a burden.

“I’ll be back, baby, I promise. And I’ll explain everything.”

“What’s going on down there?” a new voice barged into your conversation. After the minute glance sent to the cell bars, Minseok turned back to you and pressed a long kiss to your forehead.

“I love you, ___. I’m sorry this had to happen. I’m coming back for you.”

“I don’t care.”

But as you watched your mate disappear in the ventilation, grey fog slipping through the blades, your heart clenched tight at the confusion it felt.

You did care. And it might kill you in the end.

[pearlsartblog2019]

Monster Verse AU: Part three

SPG Monster Verse AU: Part 3

Notes: Notes: Don’t own SPG… all of those lovelies belong to the bennetts and co. I just do strange things in stories with the characters for fun. 

Don’t own Sprocket  Or Dex they be long to the very awesome: https://spg-fanbot-cousins.tumblr.com/

Pearl is my own character and is used in this and several other stories. Time period note : this is set in the early 1980’s on or about 1983…. So rabbit will still be a guy in this. In the stories set in modern times rabbit will of course be a woman. Thanks again On to the show

  Everyone had just been told to give Dex the time he needed to recover from the loss of his friend.  The car wreck that had taken the young human out of this world would forever haunt the younger Walter because for family reasons he had not been there to help his human friend out. 

Everyone at the manor felt awful and Dex had even asked the cadre of wizards around if there were anything that could be done to help his friend. It wasn't impossible he had been told but it would only work if it had NOT been that person's time to die. Sadly it had and no magic in the universe would or could return a soul that didn't wish to stay. 

So the young DJ was left to grieve and everyone try their best to make it as easy on him as possible. 

The girls backed off from tag teaming Dex and went from teasing him to being sweet friendly and loving. Offering snuggles and coil hugs when ever they saw that he was crying to much or when ever he broke down and they were able to be around him. 

His aunts and uncles and parent were doing their best to be supportive of him as possible. Telling him that life ended for everyone some day. Yes even people like them that might last forever.  So take the time he needed to recover from this and they would be there for him. 

That was the situation in the manor the night of the full moon, the week after Dex's human friend had passed. 

There had often been rumors about the house that Peter V had been more than just a wizard. But of the two people that might know the answer. Salgexicon and Delilah ... neither one was about to let the cat out of the bag. 

The Spine, Vampire Lord of this city, had a sneaking suspicion that something was up that night when the had first gone down. Something was in the air.  Both of the girls  could smell it, the sense of change in the air. His lil vampire and naga daughters were nearly as perceptive as he was when it came to that kind of thing.  So that had him wandering around the manor just checking to see if everything and everyone was in order. 

One kitsune making life interesting for one succubus, one dryad, and one giant. Check.

One Drider hanging upside down from his web working on his mandolin, while helping One kitsune make life interesting for one succubus, one dryad and one giant. Check. 

One other vampire lady making life interesting for a cadre of at least two Wizards at this point. Check. 

Two wizards wishing they could somehow lock the Vampire lady OUT of the library and study in peace. Check.

One Mini Vampire working on a painting in her room. Check

One Sliver, black and red Naga keeping one mini vampire company while she painted. Check.

All that was missing at this point was one silver haired DJ of currently unknown supernatural disposition. 

Spine was about to head in the direction of Dex's room when everyone in the house heard it. 

The 'It' in question started out as a muffled cry of pain that quickly changed in intensity and volume. It morphed into a scream of UTTER AGONY and that kept going for a few moments. Shrieks of someone in literal bone morphing pain. 

Those cries began to change and morph into something less humanoid and finally changed all the way into a deep throaty howl.  A long  howl that could only come from ONE kind of being. 

About one minute later he was at the door to Dex's room and trying to get the thing open as the rest of the family began to appear. 

The girls frist, seeing as their rooms were right down the hall 

"What was that?" Sprocket asked as she slid up closely followed by pearl.

Spine looked at the door, "I think something changed with Dex.  I need to get this open but i don't want to break the door."

"lemme," Pearl told him and produced the skeleton key she had gotten from peter a long time ago. 

One of those that can get any door in an old house like this open. 

By now more of the family had gathered including Dex's father Rabbit ( note: this is set in the 1990s.. rabbit had NOT transitioned yet. When i get to the stories set in modern times Rabbit will of course be a girl. Thank you) 

"W-w-hat's going on?" He demanded, "D-d-d the kid just howl!?"

"I'm fairly certain he just howled Rabbit, " Spine motioned to the door where his youngest still messed around with the key. "Give her a moment. "

There was a triumphant click and the door swung open, " got it." 

Everyone proceeded to attempt to stick their heads in the door at once, until Rabbit shoved everyone but Spine out of the way and went into the room.  EVERYONE STOPPED.

On the bed sat a VERY confused looking silver wolf part of his ruff hanging over one eye just like Dex's hair. 

The wolf was panting softly and looked around the room then at his Father and gave the equivalent of a lupine shrug. He still looked too tired to get up off the bed so Rabbit moved over to him. 

"Holy....HOW?" The copper kitsune looked back at his silvery brother. 

"Peter V I suspect." He rubbed his green eyes with one hand, "He went on an expedition with Salgexicon and Delilah and came back with a bite on his arm. I am sure wizard that he is, found ways to not change.  He never went into detail about what happened but somehow managed to successfully pass it on to Dex."

"Sooo.. He's a werewolf?" Pearl asked. 

"That is the coolest thing I have EVER SEEN!" Sprocket stated. 

Then both of the girls looked at each other and grinned, "PUPPY CUDDLES!!!" in perfect unison. Proceeded to crash dive into the room and tackle their newly wolfed cousin. 

"Easy g-g-girls!" Rabbit stopped them, "He's probably still sore! "

This got a course of "Awwww's" of disappointment from them. 

"You can still hug him, " Spine told them, "just be careful ok?"

They instantly brightened and proceeded to head over for some less tackely hugs. 

Rabbit pulled a lil book out of one of the pockets he had and proceeded to check something off the list. Then stuff it back where it came from. 

"Well ... that adds werewolf to the bunch. Sc-sc-scuese me while I go bite some collective wizard heads off for not telling me this."

Then proceeded to head down the hall where Spine could already see the wizards in question duck back into the office they had been peeking out of. 

Spine smiled and stepped out to tell the rest of the family the news and then head down to see if there was anything a werewolf could eat in the kitchen. 

Time to make the newest "monster" of the family feel as comfortable and happy as possible.

[aegyotrashcan]

SNSD as Werewolves

Taeyeon:

A surprisingly tough leader. Because of her small stature and ethereal beauty, rival packs think she’s weak. But they’re wrong, very wrong. To her pack, she is childish and kind but to enemies, she’s ruthless and brutal. Her pack is one of the longest standing, as most dissolve or end in bloodshed. Not hers though, which stayed strong, thanks to her leadership.

Although she is a natural leader, there are things she’s done, that she’s seen, that have damaged her. So she likes to be alone sometimes, or keeps her feelings to herself.

On one of her times to wander off alone and think, she encounters you. An Omega. And you’re offered a place in her pack, but it takes months before anyone considers you family. They were very close knit so you almost consider leaving yet they were never rude or mean, just reserved around you. So you persevered and eventually earned their trust.

Taeyeon took even longer than the others but eventually she trusted and adored you.

She started talking to you even more than her right hand, Tiffany. And the others could see the romance blossoming.

Her sometimes child-like personality makes you protective of her. So when a foreign pack attacks, you fight to protect her until you can fight no more.

That’s when she realizes she loves you.

“Idiot,, I’m supposed to protect you not the other way around. But thank you,” she smiles, promising to nurse you back to health. Which she does, staying by your side almost constantly. She takes this time to confess and by the time you’re healed, you and her are dating.

((”Damn it,” Hyoyeon hisses, shoving green bills into Yuri’s triumphant hand. “I really thought our Alpha would end up with Tiffany. We made this bet years ago, how was I supposed to know about (Y/N)’s arrival?!” “Don’t be salty, just ‘cause you lost haha!”))

Jessica: 

Was once a part of a pack but decided that in order to continue growing, she had to leave. She became an Omega by choice, an odd decision as it makes her more vulnerable but she feels happy and free so even if her former pack don’t say it, they’re glad she’s doing well.

She travels and survives alone, always moving, never staying in the same place.

She accidentally comes too close to a different pack and that just so happened to be your pack.

Any stranger could mean danger so you confronted her and instead of being a threat, she was warm and beautiful and funny and you found yourself asking “Do you want to join my pack? I won’t give you rules, you can feel free to live your life. But at least as a Beta, you’ll be stronger.”

So she joins your pack and goes off for days at a time sometimes, just exploring, having fun. But she always comes back, with food or clothes or just something for the pack.

Everyone grows to adore her and you more than the rest.

Jessica’s aware of this, and returns your feelings. You both casually date but it’s nothing serious, nothing that has a label. But it doesn’t need a label.

You’re both free to live but your hearts belong to each other.

Sunny: 

She’s such a warm, friendly wolf that she has connections all across the globe, with all kinds of people. While meeting up with her human source, she caught you listening in (And who could blame you when you saw a hot girl in a shady alley with some guy! What if she was in trouble?!) and couldn’t allow you to leave, in case you spilled the beans on shape-shifters.

But she can’t bring herslef to kill you either.

Instead, she brings you back to the pack with her and you’re assigned with small, menial tasks at first. But as the urge to leave lessens and the packs fondness for you grows, they start giving you bigger tasks.

One was to meet up with a vampire informant but it was a trap. She set you up and planned to hold you hostage. Luckily for you, Sunny would trail you secretly, to ensure your safety and she intervened, saving you.

You wanted to pay her pack and the only thing you could think to do was buy her a drink. This was the start of a close bond that turned romantic, the kind that vampire, human or werewolf alike could not break.

Tiffany: 

The second in command. Newbies to the pack all thought her and the Alpha Taeyeon were together until they seen Tiffany with you. That’s when they know the truth.

When you joined the pack, were little and weak.

Tiffany’s caring nature made her tend to you, fuss about you, as if you were a child. She feeds you good food and trains with you, until you build your strength up to become a powerful Beta.

You know you owe her your life, since that strength has kept you alive in battles. And the time together created a strong bond.

Taeyeon wanted you together more than anyone, loving how Tiffany would light up around you, how happier and more brightly she smiled. It was her that ensured you would end up together.

And together you’re the packs parents, always looking out for everyone.

So while, yes, Tiffany is close to Taeyeon and newbies may think they’re together. Everyone can sense the bond she has towards you, the true love that smolders, so it doesn’t take them long to figure it out.

Hyoyeon: 

Plays an active role in the pack, scouting Omega’s to join them and training the weaker wolves into fighting machines, teaching them how to use their wolf senses.

You were new, turned by being bitten, so these heightened senses were especially strange to you. She felt bad, seeing you struggle to fit in with the other born wolves.

She gives you extra attention, spends extra time to help you train, which doesn’t go unnoticed. A rumour spreads that she has a crush which she scoffs at, at first.

She’s got a job to do, no time to waste on romance.

Until you ask her on a date, when you treat her like a Queen and she thinks ‘Maybe a relationship wouldn’t be so bad?’

It’s her that makes the move to make you two official and the rest is history.

Yuri: 

Although she’s not officially a pack leader, she still holds a lot of power in the ranks. She’s one of the longest standing pack members, with natural leader skills and intelligence, strength and kindness.

If Taeyeon is busy and Tiffany can’t do the job, Yuri stands in.

She’s tasked with leading a mission, to attack a neighbouring pack. Which is how she meets you.

You’re the runt, the weakest of the pack and she takes pity. She offers to let you join her pack and with your own one gone, you decided to take up her offer.

She finds herself drawn to you, always checking up on you, asking others how you were getting on, slipping you extra meat or bread if you looked hungry.

And you repay her too, with pretty flowers and trinkets you find while hunting.

She’s too busy for an official relationship, but she’s happy for now with occasional kisses in corners and sharing meals. Or falling asleep alone only to wake up in your warm embrace.

Sooyoung: 

Yet another member with leadership skills. There’s a reason their pack has been around so long and that’s due to the strength of the individual members.

She had always been impressed by you. You were their informant, spending more time out of the pack than with them, to travel around and gather information.

And you always got the information they wanted.

There’s sexual tension between you, the kind that Hyoyeon jokes she can “cut with a human knife.”

And there’s feelings too. You care for her, more than words can say. And she admits that her thoughts are filled with you, always.

But with you being gone a lot, and her being so busy, a serious relationship isn’t possible.

You’re faithful to each other and spend time together when you can. You know she’ll be your bride someday, when you’re around more, but for now, this is how life will be.

Yoona: 

She immediately caught your eye.

You were the Alpha of a neighbouring pack, that teamed up with Taeyeon to trade information, goods and help one another in battles.

Yoona was often tasked with bringing the trading goods to you, from food to medicine to blankets. She would tell you things too, warn you about a rogue vampire her pack had spotted or war between distant packs.

One day, she spent too much time with you. You were caught up in conversation, drinking tea and laughing, when she realized it was dark.

“Stay here?” you offered. “It’s safer than walking alone.”

She wasn’t stupid. Yoona was another high ranking pack member, with a more subtle leadership style and a warm heart. But sharp intelligence too. As a strong wolf, she would be able to return safely with no issue. She knew you were making a move on her, by asking her to stay.

“Of course,” she agrees, smiling softly. “In your room?”

“Of course,” you smile back.

When she didn’t return that night, none of the girls were worried. They celebrated instead, sharing a bottle of wine; “Our Yoona’s growing up!!!!”

Seohyun: 

Despite being turned young, she had been mature from the very beginning. She learned to control her shifts quicker than any other wolf.

She’s so focused on the pack and on improving her skills and getting tasks done well,, that every other wolf assumed she would die alone.

And she thought so too, because she had no interest in romance. Her attention was always on work.

Until she met you.

You were new to the pack and immediately charmed by her. There was something entrancing about her serious nature, her beautiful smiles and her hard working ethic.

You knew you couldn’t get her out of your mind, you knew she had to be yours.

After weeks of chasing her, she finally gives in to “One date, that’s it! I’m too busy to waste time like this!”

Except the date goes well and as you pamper and adore her, she finds that maybe a romance wouldn’t be so bad .. maybe she can work and have a love life.

[angeleliasx]

I know you have wrote a fic where Mahiru was jealous (which is amazing btw) but what about one with Kuro as the jealous one? If you feel up to it anyways, thank you :)

It’s been forever but here it is. I really enjoy jealous!Kuro ;) 

Warning for un-consensual kissing, un-consensual drug use and sexual assault

To say Kuro was angry was the understatement of the year.Not only did he have to be dragged to this club with Mahiru’s friends and hisbrother All of Love but also did he have to look at this random guy swirling hisEve around on the dance floor. He was gritting his teeth, looking at Mahiru’sbrilliant smile when the young man brought him back to his chest, way too closein Kuro’s opinion. Being in the same club as Mahiru was too close.  

“Are you okay, brother?” Kuro threw a quick look to hisbrother sitting next to him and just gave him a grunt as answer. This wholesituation was just to die for. It would be too much of a bother to solve it.Lily followed Kuro’s look to the dance floor, where the stranger stroked a standof Mahiru’s hair behind his ear when the song ended. The stranger grabbed forMahiru’s hand and let himself be led to the two servamps.

“Guys this is Ryouta,” Mahiru introduced his dance partnerwith a cheery smile. The man next to him was tall and handsome and as angry asit made Kuro, he could understand if Mahiru wanted to go out with him. Ryoutasmiled politely at them.

“I’m Lily and this is Kuro,” the servamps of Lust introducedboth of them because Kuro sure as hell wouldn’t do it.

“Where did Misono go?” Mahiru looked around, trying to spothis friend in the club but to no avail.

“He left half an hour ago,” Lily explained “I will join himsoon as well.”

Mahiru nodded and then turned back to Ryouta with a slightblush on his face. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Ryouta gave him a charming smile and lifted his hand totouch Mahiru’s cheek. He gave it a gentle stroke. “I’ll get you a drink,”Ryouta said and started to lean down to a furiously blushing Mahiru. Thenewcomer got interrupted by a loud noise and a few shrieks behind him. Mahirujumped and looked past Ryouta to Kuro who had managed to break the glass thathe had been drinking from.

“K-Kuro?” Mahiru questioned “Are you okay? What happened?”

“It slipped,” Kuro spat, looking straight into Mahiru’seyes. Mahiru shifted uncomfortably under his servamps glance and then turnedaround into the direction of the bathroom. Ryouta turned around and send atriumphant smile into Kuro’s direction.

“He’s cute,” Ryouta said. He had obviously caught on toKuro’s feelings and was now mocking him. Kuro didn’t find the energy in himselfto play this game with him. Ryouta rolled his eyes and turned to the bar to getthe drinks for him and Mahiru.

“You should clean this up,” Ryouta said, nodding his head tothe mess that Kuro had made without looking away from the drinks. Kuro gruntedangrily, not getting up but bending down to retrieve a big shard of glass. Whenhe leaned back up from his chair, he could smell Ryouta’s funny aftershave andwondered how Mahiru could stand this funny smell. What was so good about himanyways? So he was tall and handsome so what? Did he have super strength? Couldhe transform into a cute cat that no one could possibly withstand? No, Kurodidn’t think so.

“There you go,” Ryouta interrupted Kuro’s train of thoughtsas Mahiru came back. He held the drink towards Mahiru who took a big gulp ofit. Ryouta smiled at him and held his hand out, offering him another dance thatMahiru seemed to be thrilled about. In a matter of seconds, the two were backon the floor, Ryouta’s hands back on the Eve’s hips, bringing their bodiesclose. Kuro wanted to smash his head against the table until he passed out.

“Maybe you should talk about your feelings with him,” Lilysuggested next to him which made Kuro’s face fly up, a blush barely visible.

“W-What are you talking about,” Kuro mumbled, trying to goback to his not caring self. He looked down at the table, not daring to makeeye contact with Lily.

“I’m the servamp of Lust,” Lily teased “Do you really thinkyou could hide it from me?”

Lily leaned forward to tease Kuro some more when he stilled.Kuro looked at his brother when he received no more teasing, wondering what hadmade his younger brother quiet. When he looked at Lily, he could see a look ofconfusion on him.

“What is this smell?” Lily asked, looking up at Kuro andsniffing on various objects to find out where the strange smell could comefrom.

Kuro sniffed the air and caught a familiar smell. He lookedback down annoyed. “That guys aftershave.”

Lily didn’t seem happy with that answer and kept looking forthe source while Kuro went back to moping. The servamp of Lust finally graspeda glass next to Kuro and held it in front of Sloth’s face after he took a smellof it.

“Do you know whose glass this is?” there was urgency inLily’s question which made Kuro peek. He frowned at the glass and then lookedbeside him to where Mahiru’s glass had stood only a minute ago.

“Mahiru’s,” Kuro shrugged his shoulders and looked back atthe table. Why could nobody just leave him be today? All he wanted was to gohome and let this day be over with.

“He slipped him something in his drink,” Lily reached Kuro’sshoulder and shook him wildly to get his attention “That guy he druggedMahiru!”

Kuro was on his feet in less than a second, scanning theroom for his Eve that was nowhere to be found. He yelled at Lily to go find hisEve before he dashed off himself to find the teen. He rushed through the crowdfirst, looking for anyone that looked like Ryouta or Mahiru. The longer he waslooking the more restless he became. Why had he let himself be eaten by hisjealousy? What if Mahiru was in serious trouble now?

Kuro fought his way through the crowd and left the club tohave a look outside. It was dark and only a few lights were flickering but thisdidn’t bother Kuro at all. His vision was better than any humans anyways. Hecould spot a few couples making out and a guy losing his lunch a bit furtherback. He looked away in disgust, resuming his search for Mahiru. He took a lookaround him, not seeing the brunet anywhere. He couldn’t have gotten that far.Maybe he should check the bathroom now. Kuro was about to go back inside whenhe heard a muffled voice.

“D-Don’… No. Stop it…,” the voice sounded tired, notentirely here but Kuro would have recognized it in any state. He sprintedtowards it and turned into an alleyway where he finally saw Mahiru. The sightof his Eve made the vampire’s blood boil. Ryouta had him pressed against thewall, Mahiru’s body slack against his, unable to move due to being drugged.Kuro could see tears in his eyes while Ryouta used one hand to push thebrunette’s shirt up, while the other hand worked on his belt.

“C’mon,” Ryouta kissed the side of Mahiru’s throat “Youshouldn’t have been leading me on if you don’t want this.”

Kuro exploded, when Ryouta grasped his Eve’s face andpressed a rough kiss on his lips. Maybe the first kiss Mahiru had ever gotten.

With an angry cry, Kuro was on that monster, tearing him offthe boy who fell down into a heap on the floor. Whatever else happened afterthat was a mystery to Kuro. His younger brother teared him off Ryouta afterwhat felt like second to the servamp of Sloth but the bruised body underneathhim and the blood on his hands indicated differently. He shot an angry glanceat Lily for interrupting him but his view became a little bit clearer when hesaw Mahiru leaning against the wall, shaken up and close to passing out. Kurohissed one last time at Ryouta before he separated from him and took Mahirugently into his arms.

“We’re going home now,” he said as gently as he could musterin his angry mood and held the boy who was incredibly dear to him close to hischest. Kuro would make sure that his Eve will understand later just how much hemeans to his Servamp.