#with many special ghostly guest stars
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A Kinley Christmas Carol (Chapter Two)
buck/tommy | rated: T | chapter two of five | work in progress | ao3
The long-forgotten scent of spiced hot chocolate pulled him out of a deep, dreamless sleep.
“Tommy,” a voice called. One he never thought he’d get to hear again. “Time to wake up, cucciolino.”
It was the nickname that yanked him the rest of the way into fully-conscious. Tommy’s eyes flew open as he sat up and blinked at the person sitting at the end of his bed.
“Nonna Sofia?” His breath caught as he stared at her, drinking in all of the details that time had worn away in his memories. “You’re—how are you—”
“I know that interesting gentleman in the nice hat told you I was coming,” she said, patting his leg with a smile. “Look at you. So grown up. So handsome.”
“Is this real?” Tommy scrambled to move closer because even if this was a dream or another hallucination, he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to hug her one more time.
Choked back a little sob when he was actually able to do so.
“It’s real enough,” Nonna Sofia said, squeezing him tight. “Oh, my Tommy. You lost your way a bit, hm?”
“No, I—” Tommy sniffed as he pulled away, wiping at his eyes. “I know what I’m doing and it’s for the best, trust me.”
“So grown up, so handsome, and so stubborn.” She tweaked his chin. “I guess some things never change. Except—” She braced a hand on his shoulder as she stood up from the bed. “Tonight, everything must change and we have so little time to do it. Come, come, come.” Nonna Sofia motioned for him to follow as she shuffled forward…to the bathroom?
“Is this really something you need two people for or—”
She wrapped a hand around his wrist with an iron grip, cutting off his protests and yanking him forward as she stepped through the doorway—
And out onto a sunny, quiet street.
Tommy looked around at the run down, but tidy houses lining the block and knew, with a sinking heart, exactly where they were. “Why?” he whispered to Nonna Sofia.
She slipped her hand into his and started down the sidewalk. “You know why,” she said. “You have to see. Look!” She pointed at a house with a cheery wreath hanging on a faded yellow door, eyes crinkling up as she burst into a pleased grin. “It’s the day we met.”
[continue reading on ao3]
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theglamorousferal · 10 months ago
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Amity Parkers moving to Gotham for college. Sam and Paulina pooling their trust funds together to buy an abandoned hotel and fitting it as apartments for everybody. They all train together in the courtyard to keep their skills up and just because it's fun. Suddenly an influx of super competent self-trained (or maybe ghost-trained) young adults.
Everybody having their little niches and suddenly they all have more free time that's not being taken up by ghost attacks so many of them started different YouTube channels with info they found out from the ghostly residents of Amity. Star and Paulina running a history of beauty channel going over makeup, hair styles and fashion, special guest Sam when going over alt fashions. Dash and Kwan running one on the history of sports. Wes and Mikey running a conspiracy theory podcast. Valerie running a martial arts channel. Danny just info-dumping about space and spacecraft in videos that range from 45 minutes to four hours. Tucker running a how-to channel for fixing tech and coding. Sam running a combination true crime and witchy channel. The Trio running a Let's Play channel.
Ghostly things happening in all of the videos and everybody guesting on everybody else's channels leads to everybody thinking it's all an elaborate ARG. Danny just floating through the walls half-asleep with a glowing shaker bottle in the background. Some of them when they're in the middle of a rant seem to forget to take a breath or their eyes or freckles start glowing. On a livestream Paulina snaps at somebody off screen and her eyes are suddenly glowing green. Danielle pops in during a charity livestream that the Trio are running and calls Danny-Daddy, Sam-Mom, and Tucker-Dad and is just floating on the back of the couch. Danny doing a stream to watch a rocket take off and suddenly a robe and crown flash and he disappears in a flash of green and the stream is just dead space until the rocket's about to take off and Danny comes running in and jumps over the back of his chair to watch it and cheer.
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jiangwanyinscatmom · 4 years ago
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Jin Guangyao isn't cruel because he is nice sometimes! No... no... just no. He pretends to be a nice, sweet person to get what he wants, it is exactly why he got away with the killings and plannings for the Yin Hu Fu, YEARS AFTER JIN GUANGSHAN IS OUT OF THE PICTURE. He's the only legitimate Jin left old enough to take over the Sect, who the hell was gonna argue that when all relevant Jins were dead and Nie Mingjue was killed by the happy smiling pretty boy?
First example, he was actively friends with Xue Yang, there is no saying he was coerced into that one since he recommended him as a guest disciple and made creepy little jokes with him.
Jin GuangYao sighed, “I only turned around for a second and you stirred up so much trouble for me. I only had to pay for a bowl of dumplings in the beginning, and now I have to pay for his table, chairs, pots and pans, and even bowls.”
Xue Yang, “You’ll miss the couple of coins?”
Jin GuangYao, “No.”
Xue Yang, “Then why are you sighing?”
Jin GuangYao, “I don’t think you’ll miss the couple of coins either. Why can’t you try being a normal customer once in a while?”
Xue Yang, “Back in Kuizhou I never paid for anything I wanted. Just like this.” As he spoke, he casually plucked off a stick of sugared haws off a vendor’s pole. It might be the first time the vendor saw such a shameless person. As he stared open-mouthed, Xue Yang took a bite, “Besides, you can deal with the trouble of me wrecking a tiny stall, can’t you?”
Jin GuangYao smiled, “You little delinquent. Wreck stalls however you want. I wouldn’t even care if you burned down the entire street. Just one thing—don’t wear the Stars Amidst Snow robes and cover up your face. Don’t let anyone know who did it, or it’d be trouble for me.”
He tossed the money to the vendor
A.K.A: haha you're funny and I don't care who you fuck over but be sly and
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Next example:
And so, Jin GuangShan sought after all those who imitated Wei WuXian in cultivating the ghostly path and gathered them under his rule. He spent a great amount of money and resources on these people, ordering them to study and analyze the structure of the Tiger Seal in secrecy so that they could replicate and restore it. Among them, not many achieved anything, while the one who walked the furthest was the youngest Xue Yang, recommended by Jin GuangYao alone.
Jin GuangYao was overjoyed. He accepted him as a guest cultivator and gave him high rights and freedom. The corpse training ground was an area of land Jin GuangYao specially requested for Xue Yang for him to research in secrecy, which meant for him to fool around however he wanted to.
He gave a whole torture playground for Xue Yang to use, he specifically asked for this from his own mouth, for Xue Yang to use and he would check in on progress. As for his morals:
Jin GuangYao’s tone was somewhat reproachful, “He Su gongzi is a respected cultivator, after all. How could you refer to him in such a disrespectful way?”
The cultivator laughed coldly, “I’ve already fallen in your hands. What are you keeping up the pretense for?”
Jin GuangYao responded with a kind expression, “You don’t have to look at me like that. I also had no choice. To elect a chief cultivator is an irresistible trend. What was the use of stirring up trouble and seeking arguments everywhere? I’ve already warned you again and again, yet you were determined not to listen to me. Under these circumstances, things are already beyond redemption. From the bottom of my heart, I, too, feel utmost pain and regret.”
He Su, “What was the irresistible trend? What was stirring up trouble? Jin GuangShan wanted to establish the position of chief cultivator only to imitate the QishanWen Sect in being the only one at the top. Do you think all the world is ignorant? You frame me like this only because I spoke the truth!”
Jin GuangYao smiled, saying nothing. He Su continued, “When you really succeed, all of the world of cultivation would see the true face of the LanlingJin Sect. Do you think killing me alone would put you eternally at ease? How wrong you are! We, the TingshanHe Sect, teem with talent. From now on, we’ll unite and never surrender to you Wen-dogs of another skin!”
Hearing this, Jin GuangYao squinted slightly, the corners of his lips curving up. It was the usual kind, gentle expression. Seeing this, He Su felt his heart skip a beat. At the same time, commotion sounded outside the corpse training ground, among it the cries of women and children.
He Su spun around, only to see a group of LanlingJin Sect cultivators drag inside sixty or seventy people all wearing the same uniform. There were men and women, old and young. Every one of them was a cross between shock and fear, while some were already crying. Both tied up, a girl and a boy kneeled on the ground as they wailed at He Su, “Ge!”
He Su was shocked speechless, his face instantly as white as paper, “Jin GuangYao! What are you doing?! It’s enough if you kill me—why drag my entire sect along?!”
Jin GuangYao looked down and fixed his sleeves, still grinning, “Weren’t you yourself the one who reminded me just now? Even if I killed you, I wouldn’t be put eternally at ease. The TingshanHe Sect teems with talent, and from now on, you’d unite and never surrender—I was quite frightened. After much thought, this was the only thing I could come up with.”
Among the group are children. That he did see and stare at gleefully as he lets Xue Yang decide to use all of them for corpse experiments. What does that mean??? Maybe that Jin Guangyao is also not in fact best uncle as he similarly was willing to kill Jin Ling who he "loved" as bait to try running away and is more than willing to use his "friends" for his own rise to power or to run away.
Examples of him enjoying emotionally torturing others as much as Xue Yang as a tactic:
Example 1:
“That’s not the way to go about things, is it? The TingshanHe Sect rebelled and schemed to assassinate Sect Leader Jin with all its forces before it was caught red-handed. How could that be called without a reason?”
The ones overhead cried, “Ge! He’s lying! We didn’t, we didn’t!”
He Su, “Utter nonsense! Open your eyes and fucking look! There are nine-year-old children here! Old men who can’t even walk! How could they rebel against anything?! Why would they assassinate your dad out of nowhere?!”
Jin GuangYao, “Because you made a mistake and committed murder, Young Master He Su, while they refused to accept Koi Tower’s conviction of you, of course.”
He Su finally remembered the accusation for which he was transferred to such a creepy place, “It’s all made up! I never killed a cultivator of the LanlingJin Sect! I’ve never even seen the person who died! I don’t even know if he was really a cultivator from your sect! I… I…”
He stammered for a while before eventually caving in, “I… I don’t even know what happened, I don’t even know!”
Yet, at such a place, nobody would listen to his protests.
Example 2:
Just as he was about to move, Jin GuangYao smiled, “HanGuang-Jun, it’s best if you take five steps back.”
Wei WuXian suddenly felt a small, sharp sting come from his neck. Lan XiChen lowered his voice, “Be careful. Do not move!”
Lan WangJi’s gaze landed on Wei WuXian’s neck. His face paled slightly.
An almost invisible guqin string, light and golden, was tied around Wei WuXian’s neck.
The guqin string was extremely thin. It was covered in special paint as well, making it almost invisible to the eye. Along with how disoriented Wei WuXian was, unable to pay attention to anything else, he didn’t notice it when it wrapped around his throat.
“Lan Zhan, don’t! Don’t back away!”
But Lan WangJi immediately walked five steps back without any hesitation.
Jin GuangYao, “Wonderful. Now, please sheathe Bichen.”
With a clank, Lan WangJi obeyed again. Wei WuXian raged, “Don’t ask for too much!”
Jin GuangYao quipped, “This is already asking for too much? Next, I��m even going to ask HanGuang-Jun to seal away his spiritual powers. What would that be called?”
Wei WuXian seethed, “You…”
Before he could finish, the sharp pain of flesh being lacerated came from his throat. Something dripped down his neck. Lan WangJi’s face was pale. Jin GuangYao said, “How could he not listen to me? Just think about it, Wei gongzi, his life is in my hands.”
Lan WangJi spoke one word at a time, “Do. Not. Touch. Him.”
“Then you know what to do, HanGuang-Jun.”
A moment later, Lan WangJi responded, “Yes.”
Lan XiChen sighed. Lan WangJi raised his hands. With two strong taps, he locked his own spiritual powers.
Jin GuangYao smiled, his voice soft, “This really is…”
Lan WangJi’s eyes were locked on them, “Let him go.”
Example 3:
Wei WuXian wouldn’t have had to be responsible for a life as heavy as Jin ZiXuan’s, and the things that happened later wouldn’t have had to happen.
Yet now, he finally realized even the reason behind culprit’s curse wasn’t to frame him. Even the cause didn’t have anything to do with him!
Such a fact was truly difficult to accept.
As he laughed, Wei WuXian’s eyes reddened. He mocked, whether at himself or otherwise, “I can’t believe it’s because of someone like you… because of such a ridiculous reason!”
But Jin GuangYao seemed like he knew what he thought, “Wei gongzi, you really shouldn’t think like this.”
Wei WuXian, “Oh? You know what I think?”
Jin GuangYao, “Of course. It’s quite easy. You’re definitely thinking about how unfortunate you are. In reality, you’re not. Even if Su She didn’t curse Jin ZiXun, Mr. Wei, you’d receive a siege sooner or later, because of some other reason.” He smiled, “Because that’s what kind of a person you are. At best, you’re the untamed hero; at worst, you offend people wherever you go. Unless all those whom you’ve offended lived their lives safely, as soon as something happened to them or someone did something to them, the first person they suspect would be you and the first person they seek revenge on would also you. And this is something you have no control over.”
Somehow, Wei WuXian smiled, “What should I do? For some reason, I think you make a lot of sense.”
Jin GuangYao, “And even if you didn’t lose control at the Qiongqi Path, could you guarantee you didn’t lose control sometime in the rest of your life? Thus, someone like you is destined to have a short life. You see? Doesn’t it feel a lot better if you think about it this way?”
He takes little time in using others hurt or their protective instincts against them, and is just as gleeful to see others in powerless situations in comparison to him as it still gives him a form of control to worm his way out of everything that has caught up to him.
Jin GuangYao, “Ge, every word of what I say is true.”
His tone was more than earnest. Ever since he captured Lan XiChen, he’d indeed been treating him with respect. At this point, Lan XiChen wasn’t able to turn against him yet. He could only sigh, “Sect Leader Jin, I have already said, when you went your own way to scheme such havoc at Burial Mound, that there was no longer any need to call me ‘Brother.’”
Jin GuangYao, “What happened at Burial Mound was an accident, a mistake. But, I can’t go back anymore.”
Lan XiChen, “What do you mean you cannot go back?”
Lan WangJi frowned slightly, his voice cold, “Xiongzhang, do not engage in excessive conversation with him.”
Wei WuXian reminded him as well, “Sect Leader Lan, do you remember what you said to Sect Leader Jiang? Don’t spend too long talking to him.”
Jin GuangYao, “Ge, listen to me. I don’t deny that I did those things…”
Lan XiChen, “How could you deny them? There are both witnesses and proof!”
Jin GuangYao, “And so I said I don’t deny them! But to have killed my father, my wife, my son, ge—if not because I had no other choice, why would I have done those things? Could it be that I’m really so out of my mind in your eyes?!”
"Your… wife…” As though he couldn’t say it, he immediately changed his phrasing, "Your sister, Qin Su, did you really marry her while knowing what blood relationship you had with her?”
Jin GuangYao stared blankly at him. Suddenly, tears rolled down his eyes. He answered with pain, “… Yes.” Lan XiChen took in a deep breath. His face was almost ashen. Jin GuangYao whispered, "But I really had no choice.”
With a sigh, Lan XiChen continued, “Third, do not try to avoid it and answer me—did you plan the death of Jin ZiXuan on purpose?!”
Hearing his father’s name, Jin Ling, who’d been holding Jiang Cheng, widened his eyes.
Lan WangJi raised his voice somewhat, “Xiongzhang, you believe him?”
Lan XiChen’s expression was complicated, “Of course I do not believe that Jin ZiXuan ran into the attack at Qiongqi Path by accident, but… let him speak first.”
Jin GuangYao knew he wouldn’t be believed if he denied it no matter what. He clenched his teeth, “… I indeed didn’t run into Jin ZiXuan by accident.”
Jin Ling immediately clenched his fists.
Jin GuangYao continued, “But I’ve never thought of planning everything that happened afterward either. You don’t have to think of me as so clever and faultless. Many things can’t be controlled at all. How could I have known that he’d definitely die by Wei WuXian’s hands together with Jin ZiXun? How could I have predicted that Wei WuXian would definitely lose control and the Ghost General would definitely run a riot?”
Wei WuXian’s voice was harsh, “And you said you didn’t run into him by accident? Isn’t that self-contradiction?!”
Jin GuangYao, “I don’t deny that I told him about the attack at Qiongqi Path on purpose, but I only thought that he’d encounter some difficulties if he ran into you when you were being troubled by his cousin since he’d never been on good terms with you. How could I have known that you would simply kill everyone present, Wei gongzi?”
“Why was a sect leader who spent money like water unwilling to do the smallest favor and buy my mother’s freedom? Simple—it was too much trouble. My mother waited for so many years, weaving together so many difficult circumstances when she talked to me, imagining for his sake so many hardships. And the real reason was only a single word: trouble.
“This is what he said, ‘It’s especially women who’ve read some books who think they’re a level higher than other women. They’re the most troublesome, with so many demands and unrealistic thoughts. If I bought her freedom and took her back to Lanling, who knows how much fuss she’d make. It was best that I let her stay where she was just like that. With her conditions, she’d probably be popular for a few more years. She wouldn’t have to worry about her spendings for the rest of her life.’
“‘Son? Oh, forget it.’”
Jin GuangYao’s memory was extraordinary. With such a word-by-word repetition, one could even imagine that drunk expression of Jin GuangShan’s when he said these words, “Ge, look, those three words were all that I was worth to my father, ‘Oh, forget it.’ Hahahaha…”
Pain flashed before Lan XiChen’s face, “Even if your father… you…” He still couldn’t find an appropriate comment and gave up, sighing instead, “What is the use of saying all this now?”
Jin GuangYao shrugged as he smiled, “I can’t help it. To seek pity even after doing all these terrible things—that’s the kind of person I am.”
At the word ‘pity’, he suddenly flipped his wrist. A red guqin string wrapped around Jin Ling’s neck.
Tears still hung at the corners of Jin GuangYao’s eyes as he spoke, voice low, “Don’t move!”
"I had no choice", "I couldn't predict anyone would be killed" "He mocked and forgot my mother and I". He uses all of this as a try to convince a kind Lan Xichen to let him go. However,he contradicts his own defenses as he had said Wei Wuxian was always fated to die for his actions and lack of being to keep things under control. This empathy is faked on his end while he makes excuses all while he never extended the same courtesy to those he killed, innocent or not, and underhandedly still tries to get those sympathetic under his manipulations. When they are not working he resorts again to threatening lives. He uses his mother also as a reason for revenge, however his grab for power alone after Jin Guangshan and Nie Mingjue are killed was solely based on his own obsession of status at that point. His mother was no longer a goal to accomplish anything and his continued lies dragged in more than one innocent party to get what he wanted.
He never saw Jin Ling, Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji, or Wei Wuxian as anything but pawns despite his soft words to them that are really just a mockery within Guanyin Temple at that point. He has placed none of them before himself in terms of what he cares for and never had.
TL:DR: Jin Guangyao's "kindness" was always a mask and Nie Mingjue was right that he was irredeemable, genuinely unkind and cruel as a person.
(Edit: Jin Guangyao stans don't even try, I will block you if you dare to reply to this)
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joethetoonfanandoutcast · 2 years ago
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Sing Halloween special segment idea
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Sing is one of those franchises with so many characters to use and give stories to, that it should have a three-segment Halloween special following in the footsteps of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horrors, where there are three non-canon scary stories told featuring the characters.
One idea for a story could be done like one of the segments of the Regular Show Halloween special using the Treehouse of Horrors formula. The segment I mean is "Death Metal Crash Pit", it wouldn't be exactly like it but I imagine it involving Johnny, Ash, and Nooshy encountering a ghostly heavy metal band (with KISS's Gene Simmons guest starring as the lead ghost) who were one of Ash's favorites but they quickly become the trio's enemies and some scary thrilling stuff happens.
I'd like to say there would be an ending in Johnny, Ash and Nooshy becoming ghosts themselves upon defeating the ghoulish group, but fans would be unhappy about the idea, except Halloween specials are supposed to have stuff that wouldn't make everybody happy and even so, it wouldn't be canon deaths.
Anyway, what do you think? Could this work as one of the stories of a Sing Halloween special?
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voughtcorsair · 5 years ago
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party poisons asmr-ish youtube channel titles. thanks
written w/ pink @hyperthrust in a fit of hilarity & posted at the request of a friend 😔 some references may not make cents that's just cuz u do not get to see inside our brains sorry
drinking bubble solution asmr
coughing up bubbles
growling 4 10 hours
three-hour long whispered rant about how much i hate tiny bugs
purring mix (+ NEW BOYFRIEND????)
i go on a walk and gently jump off cliffs (+ my friends scream at me to stop doing that but they can't stop me) 50 hour long playlist
near-death experience compilation (thanks for 10k) (set to mr blue sky)
satisfying crunching of scarecrow corpses when kicked (1 hour)
mousekat tells you arcane rituals and summons bloody mary (ending will surprise you!)
TOP FIVE APOLOGIES (the ending will surprise you!)
TOP 10 ANIME DEATHS! YOUR ASS RIGHT NOW!!!
making other people angry for stealing their hot goth love interest (PLEASE DON'T SUE ME)
GOTH VS GLAM (my crush does my makeup)
critiquing the finer points of zone psychadelia (SPECIAL GUEST!)
WHY MOUSEKAT IS NOT EVIL (a response to cherri cola) (fuck you)
FUCK YOU CHERRI COLA I HATE YOU (5 hour playlist)
I Adopted Three Teenagers, Please Send Help (blood spilled on camera!)
homoerotic actions with my best friend (complete compilation)
kidnapping feral animals!!! (please help identify!)
following coyotes for 1 WEEK!!! (RABIES SHOT FUNDRAISER IN DESCRIPTION) (time sensitive)
Gone Fucking Mad (NOT POISON POSTING PLEASE HELP THEM)
how many objects can i balance on a sleeping ghoul before he kills me
jet star piggyback ride (i love tall people) (10 hours)
custom mod rayguns (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. CONTENT WARNINGS FOR BLOOD, BURNS, FLASHING LIGHTS, LOUD AND SUDDEN NOISES, GHOSTLY POSSESSION)
pegging dracs with a crossbow without getting noticed (FOR 4 HOURS)
Teaching My Adopted Brother Hand-to-Hand Combat (HE CRIES)
ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: dropping the V’s in a random location - can they find their way home???
BATTLE ROYALE: Locking Val in a room with a Small Lizard
Val Stole My Car (NEW RECORD)
Teaching Val To Drive (Part 1 of 30)
Teaching Val To Drive (DISCONTINUED)
URBAN EXPLORATION: BLI WEAPONS PLANT (we got caught!!!)
Pro Killjoys Improve 18 Kitchen Gadgets (into explosives!!!)
RAW MEAT EATING CHALLENGE (did not get sick) (GHOUL IS LYING)
36 HOURS LIVING IN THE CAR (pissed jet off)
Helping My Goth Boyfriend Plan A Mutiny
WE HAVE POWER (radioactive baby???)
taping over kobra's favorite kung fu movie (HOSPITAL BILL FUNDRAISER PLEASE HELP)
I Gave Our Kid Radium Water And Now She's Levitating
HAUNTED MASK??? (likes pets)
Living with Rabies: My Story
Harassing Cherri Cola With My Mask: Part 1/??? (i hate this bitch)
The Truth About The Fabulous Four (thumbnail has rly badly edited bli stuff all over)
Harassing Cherri Cola With My Mask: part 728/??? (how is he still scared?)
BLI PROPAGANDA DRINKING GAME (I CANT FEEL MY FACE)
mousekat eats 5000 calories in one sitting!!! (RIP COLA: memorial fund in desc)
Letting My Pet Mousekat Possess A Neutral (NOT CLICKBAIT!!! JUMPSCARE WARNING)
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moon--vixen · 4 years ago
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Glimwood diaries
December 13th, 2020
I found a most interesting letter in my mailbox today. what interesting timing that I finally get that card just before the inspection.
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they sent me a cute little gold house trophy. it’s really cute so I decided to set it out in place of my bug trophy.
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but I’ve got a day to start, so I can’t just sit in my room staring at my shiny new dust collector lol
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as I wandered around my usual path, I found...my neighbors being weird lol
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I don’t know how their butts don’t freeze sitting in the snow like that, especially without any pants!
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the day passed quickly, especially as I spent forever trying to make sure my snowballs were the right size.
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it was all for naught apparently though....
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but at least I did get something nice after all that work..
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I also decided that little fire I had out before just wasn’t cutting it anymore, and I wanted another warm spot out in the brisk outdoors, so I replaced it with another bonfire. hopefully the rest of the island appreciates it despite apparently not feeling the cold as much as I do..
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I decided to chat with some of them to pass the time, and something they were saying caught my attention.
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I’ve never seen an aurora myself ether, but I didn’t think we were high enough to see it from here!
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but a few of my neighbors all mentioned it, so...maybe?
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and the way they describe it...I sure hope they’re right.
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I decided to make sure I stayed outside just in case one appeared, which of course meant popping every balloon that passed, but apparently Julian was having none of it lol
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thankfully I managed to still pop the balloon he interrupted me for and his little surprise wasn’t hard to find lol
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and I still got some great stuff out of ‘em too!
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I got bored of waiting after a while and decided to head to mom’s, as she’s got shooting stars tonight! she’s also still in October, so tomorrow will be even more of a surprise when I see what fragments I get!
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it’s been a long time since I last visited. she’s been hard at work on her island, and it really shows.
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oh how I’ve missed the Halloween air...
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I explored just a little, to see how everything’s been coming along. her little Alice In Wonderland set up is looking very cute. very colorful.
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and I especially love the front of the Tailors’, where she had Celeste waiting for me.
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I found mom up on the hill overlooking her flower spiral, looking ghostly and amazing.
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we stood on the top of the world and wished on the stars for a while.
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I didn’t want to stay for too long though, as I was still hoping for that aurora everyone kept mentioning. when I did finally get back, I found my mailbox FULL of letters!
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my friend had catalogued all the toys and she sent me a bunch of tents and dogs! this friend I swear...
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with everything opened and carefully packed in my bag, I went back outside to decide where I wanted to put these items, and....I noticed something...it was faint, but...
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it was! as soon as I tilted my vision there it was! the aurora!!
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I quickly ran to the back of the island to get a better look and ran face first into another surprise!
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I didn’t have time to deal with that just yet though, I had to see the sky, and by the goddess....it was breathtaking.
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honestly, everywhere I went it was amazing. it really is like a dream.
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and I wasn’t the only one to notice!
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everyone had such interesting opinions on it, but we were all in awe.
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I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day ether, but for different reasons than Julian’s lol
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he is right though, in his own way.
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I finally got our little ghostly guest taken care of,
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and decided to take a few more pictures while I could.
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and then I spent the rest of the evening by my house, sitting with my boy. I really wish I could have spent a night like this with him...
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it’s nights like this that I really feel at home here. I was born in a place named Aurora, so it feels particularly special to me.
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I wonder how many more of these beautiful shows we’ll get to see...only time will tell.
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phantomphangphucker · 5 years ago
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Ectober Day 16: Locks - This Is A Little Bit Much Chap. 1 - My Ghost Just Got Squared
What does the ghost of a half-ghost look like?
Danny sighs at the board, philosophy mixed with ghosts and his parents' tech was honestly more concerning than it had any right to be. Watching as his teacher slaps a hand on the whiteboard, “everyone's ghost is locked away inside them. Existing in its base undefined state. Waiting for deaths key to imprint on it it’s true form”. Before pointing at the guest, who’s wearing a white lab doctor's coat, “Dr. Lewis here, lovingly provided to us by the Fenton’s, will be demonstrating this in a way I’m sure you’ll find riveting”.
Anyone who wasn’t paying attention, which wasn’t very many since nearly everyone always did when something was about ghosts, is acutely interested now. As Dr. Lewis stands up, waving around what looked like a neon green mirror on a red sliver handle, “this device, the Ghost Mirroring Key, will allow us to glimpse inside the keyhole. See what your ghosts look like at their base form at your current age”, Danny groans internally as the guy keeps talking, “now because ghosts often retain the clothing they died in, none of your clothing will change or glow. All we’ll see here is your basic ghosts ghostly attributes. Skin colour, hair colour, ear shape, if you have claws, if you have fangs, eye colour, and any other more unique traits. Such as equipment, flames, permanent ghostly tail, or even a cape or cloak”.
Needless to say, Danny’s a bit freaked out by this. Just how much like Phantom will he look? What about Dan? It’s always haunted him wondering just how much of Dan was Danny and how much was Vlad. Because physically? The only Vlad attributes he had was the cape and red eyes. The rest was all stuff either both of them had or just Danny.
Watching his parents' doctor friend, Dr. Lewis, pass around the little mirror-like palm-sized plates; and tentatively taking his own. Danny’s not exactly surprised that everyone else is eager, they really don’t have any reason not to be. And honestly? Danny was curious too. Just way less curious and far more nervous. If anything Danny’s more curious about what his friends will look like. Man he wishes they were in the same class. But pretty well everyone in grade twelve was doing this, okay, it was probably everyone. Something tells Danny that this was going to become something of a senior year tradition. Getting to glimpse your ghost for a day.
Dr. Lewis clears his throat, sitting on the corner of the desk, “now that that’s all sorted, simply place your hand on the device for ten seconds. You’ll turn invisible for a few seconds before gracing us all with your ghostly selves”.
Danny only stares down at it, watching his reflection and mentally making black hair white and blue eyes green; while the rest of his class instantly uses it. Glancing his eyes around, Danny can’t help but snort at Dash looking like a green wingless gargoyle. Expected, but still funny. Kwan literally looks the same but purple-skinned and red-eyed. Paulina, who’s fingers are just a little too long with pink skin and long lazily flaming red hair, is fawning over Star's white hair and green eyes. While Star goes on about how every ghost and human wouldn’t be able to look away from Paulina’s hair. Which just descends into them complimenting each other back and forth.
Looking around the rest of the room, no one really looks scary. Dale’s fangs stick over his lips, Todd’s claws are closer to blades, and Mikey didn’t have lips at all; but no one really looked non-human. Well okay, Lily has a second set of arms.
Danny bites his lip and looks back down to his ‘mirror’ before getting slightly started by Dash, “what? You afraid of your own ghost Fentit? Or are you just afraid it’ll be as weak and loserish as you”.
Dale laughs, “of course! Poor little freak won’t be able to look at himself without screaming!”.
Jasper sighs and shakes his head, “guys be nice, this is probably horrifying for the guy. Today will be like an exercise in not running away for him”.
Danny grumbles as he side-eyes the jocks, “that’s honestly more insulting than helpful”, before looking back to the mirror. Getting startled again by someone kicking his foot.
Turning around to see Valerie, he’d honestly forgotten she was in this class too, seeing as neither often showed up or showed up on the same days. Danny has to restrain a smirk at her red skin as she points a clawed hand at Danny’s mirror. Speaking while rolling her purple eyes, “just do it. I mean I can deal and you know how I hate ghosts”.
Danny grunts but turns back around, biting his lip again before tentatively putting his hand on the ‘glass’. Of course, putting this off meant everyone was staring at him.
Danny flips over his clawed whitish-green hand a few times, it also glowed far more vibrantly than was normal. While Paulina cries out, “what?! Why’d that loser freak have to get white hair too!”. While Dash huffs, “yeah, Fentina is nowhere near cool enough to share colours with Phantom”.
Danny looks down into the mirrored surface in time to spot Valerie’s red hand pat at Danny’s flaming hair. How funny that looked is the only thing really stopping Danny from cringing at his reflection. White flaming hair was very very Dan. Least he still had his green eyes, which like everything else, were glowing strangely bright. Danny’s just chalking that up to him already being partway ghost. He’s got no clue why there’s a tip of green flames to his hair though.
Most of the class goes back to talking in their little groups while Danny checks out his, fuck those are bigger than Dan’s what the fuck?, fangs; and sticking out his, pointed and elongated but thankfully not forked, tongue.
Danny tilts his head back as Valerie taps on his shoulder, resulting in her snorting at his face, “green eyes too? You better make sure you don’t get offed wearing monochromes”, squinting at him, “what’s up with your glow though?”.
Danny shrugs, he had no damn clue, “well I am around my folks' stuff and frequently get accidentally shot by it. Probably been accidentally consuming ectoplasm for years”. Valerie hums in agreement.
Dr. Lewis claps his hands, “remember this only lasts for a few hours. So enjoy your unlocked states while you can. And please, try not to get unlocked permanently through natural means anytime soon. Ghosts may have powers and you may all look very cool, but they’re still dead”.
Danny can’t help but chuckle, he was never going to see this look again. Since he couldn’t actually fully die anymore.
Putting his chin in his palm as Dr. Lewis walks around to look people over, causing Danny to notice there are white flames where they logically shouldn’t be if it was his hair. Looking down at his chest and going wide-eyed at the white and not weirdly brightly glowing flames of what he damn well recognises as his cape. The sides pinned together via two green skulls and a smoking shadowy black chain. Sticking his left hand behind him to scrunch up the familiar plush-lined velvet fabric, with a mental groan. Of course, that was here! Before near panickedly groping through his hair flames for the crown. His hand stilling as his fingers push against the flaming metal, that’s why there’s green tipping! His crown is literally hiding inside his hair, since it wasn’t actually meant for someone with fucking flaming hair. Danny can’t help but laugh over the image of the crown just floating above the flames, like two feet above his head. Like a damn sims icon. Ancients that would look silly!
Danny leans back in his chair and stares down at his Ring Of Suffering, of course, something like this would be imprinted on the very base of his ghost.
Overhearing Dr. Lewis speaking to Valerie, “I’m not surprised at least one of you has a cape”, making Danny look behind him, this time actually noticing that Valerie’s got a cape. Red and thin with black lining. From the looks of it, Danny guesses it’s about knee length, unlike his which drags across the ground for about a foot. Dr. Lewis continues but is addressing the whole class this time, “having things like artifacts or tools. Such as a guitar or maybe a ring. Means that something is a source of power for your ghost, that other ghosts don’t naturally have”.
Todd laughs as he smacks the whip on his hip, “so we’re basically better ghosts”.
Dr. Lewis tilts his hand in the air, “you could put it that way, yes, but it’s more so that you have a niche and special skill. This could be a bad thing in some situations”, while Danny mentally grumbles about how being High Ghost King did indeed suck sometimes, Dr. Lewis clears his throat, “as for capes or cloaks. They’re simply signs of power, skill and leadership in some form. Ghosts with capes or cloaks are always a cut above the rest. The apex ghosts so to speak. More fanciful capes and cloaks, means more powerful or important. Things like length, number of colours, accessories, details, etcetera. A ghost with a simple brown cloak would be below, so to speak, a ghost with a simple brown cloak that had clasps”.
Danny easily hears Valerie mutter, “damn fucking right. Even my ghost is better than ghosts”. Making Danny chuckle, before tensing up over Dr. Lewis looking him over. Mentally chanting, ‘don’t notice the crown, don’t notice the crown, don’t notice the crown’. While the rest of the class comment about how ‘of course little miss gymnastics would be a powerful ghost’.
Dr. Lewis pokes at one of the large green skull clasps with a raised eyebrow, chucking, “I’m not sure if Maddie and Jack would be proud or bothered. You’re going to be something impressive”, he laughs, “well here’s hoping you don’t retain you skittishness of ghosts in the afterlife”.
Danny’s about to thank his lucky stars before Dr. Lewis parts away some of Danny’s hair flames and raises both eyebrows at Danny, “well then. I’m not going to claim to understand how or even why. Just do me a favour and don’t be a human-hating ghost”.
Danny gives the guy an awkward nod and just decides to be glad that Dr. Lewis’s body blocked him from the rest of his classmates' sight. Valerie of course, heard everything, being the only person sitting near Danny. Whispering at him, “so that green isn’t part of your hair”. Danny just shrugs awkwardly.
When the bell rings, Danny doesn’t really want to stand up but he’s also brutally curious about his other friends now. He already knows they’ll look at Valerie and smirk. Then look at him and cringe. Well, it’ll probably be in reverse order but still.
Valerie whacks him on the arm, “well get up you lucky, or unlucky I don’t really know, asshole. Also fuck that cape’s soft”. Danny chuckles and rubs his neck, “tell me about it. Pretty sure the inside is damn plush, I could sleep in it”.
Valerie snorts as she gets up and starts walking, looking back at him, “you got a damn napping cape. Figures”. Danny can’t help but blink and start laughing, before shaking his head and getting up; cape tail flopping onto the ground.
Resulting in whom ever’s still in the classroom to stop talking, as now that Danny’s not slouching or hidden by the chair the capes collar flames are extremely noticeable. Danny walking out to whispers over the cape and how it’s ‘highly decorated’ and ‘really fancy’.
Shouldering his way past Dash and his merry band of pricks, while Dash sneers, green fangs on full display, “wow I’m surprised Fentaco hasn’t run screaming yet. What? Am I not scary enough?”, making a point to attempt at snarling.
Danny, kind of done with Dash’s shit and having the confidence and pride boost of his kings wear, rolls his eyes, “hardly”, smirking and baring his own fangs a little, “and Dash, this is how you snarl”, before giving Dash a more proper and threatening snarl. Starting the jocks.
Valerie bumps shoulders with Danny as they walk past, “the hell Danny?”.
Danny rubs his neck before pointing at her, “oh don’t tell me your cape isn’t a bit of a confidence booster. And Dash looks like a knock off gargoyle. A one in a million ghost. And it’s Dash, still human. No powers. Working heartbeat”.
“Point”.
Both turning their heads as Dash shouts at them, seeing him pointing at Danny, “hey! What are you doing with a cape!?!”.
Danny rolls his eyes, “doing better than you apparently”, before running his hand through his hair, easily revealing the flaming crown, and speed walking away. Danny
Valerie pokes him as they’re approaching Sam and Tucker, pretty well everyone staring at them, “you are going to trip someone with that thing. And I know you’re used to getting odd looks but this is a bit much”. Danny shrugs, looking around a little, he hardly noticed. Basically everyone stared at him as Phantom. Fenton got it less often and it was usually more mocking.
Danny smiles seeing his two other friends also with capes. Was it surprising? Not to any of them. Tucker’s got nearly black skin tinted green, with a near floor-length off white cape lined with gold and etched with hieroglyphs.
Danny pats him on the shoulder while his two friends stare at his hair, “how very Egyptian Tuck. Red eyes kinda suck though”.
Sam pokes his hair with a pale nearly white green clawed hand, “says Mr. Fire hair”.
Danny pokes her horned helmet right back, “least I have hair”. Her green eyes and purple cape covered in green vines, was one hell of a reminder of Overgrowth. It honestly made sense that the ghostly bullshit they’ve all gone through has affected their base ghosts.
Sam and Tucker look Valerie over then, both chuckling slightly. Tucker stretching out some, “wow, the whole quartet got capes. Nice”.
Danny nods and looks around, “not the only ones”, jerking his head at Mia in a black cape with a red grid pattern and Hanna in a purple cloak. Danny couldn’t really help looking to see if she had some kind of time-related clasp or something. She didn’t, but it would honestly be weird if she did.
Valerie shoulders him, “well yours is still the most excessive thing I’ve ever seen”. Danny just rubs his neck and shrugs.
Eventually, the bell goes off and they’re stuck going their separate ways, largely because Danny’s stuck running off outside. Ghost sense making him groan. Though blinking and wondering just what the hell going ghost is going to look like right now. So he zips into a bathroom instead of out in the open. He transforms and stares in mild shock. The whites of his jumpsuit glowed slightly green, same with his hair; which was oddly not flaming. His skin was black and all the black on him seemed to suck in the light. His glow, normally white, was green. To say Danny was confused would be an understatement. Muttering down at his hands, “what the fuck? How the heck is my ghosts base ghost different from my humans base ghost. My ghost from and human form have different base ghosts...What the absolute fresh hell?”. Well, at least his Kings get up was easy enough to turn invisible.
Shaking his head and phasing through the ceiling and promptly kicking Technus in the face.
“You look strange ghost child! Perhaps you are trying out some new styles yourself!”.
Danny laughs, “I unlocked Phantom 2.0, and I must say, it’s made me one hell of a glow bug!”, before blasting Technus in the face. Blinking at his hand over how absurdly bright the blast had been.
Technus springs up, “you are stronger whelp! 2.0 indeed!”.
Danny shrugs, “don’t know what to tell ya dude. Wait! Hey! Get back here!”, rushing off to fly after the fleeing villain. Who cries, “I must regroup!”.
“Oh I don’t think so!”, Danny slams him over the head with the thermos and sucks him in. Wiping his forehead and looking around. Shaking his head at some people taking photos. His weird look was going to be the talk of the town for days.
Turning invisible and flying off into the bathroom. Locking the bathroom door to really stare at himself in the mirror. Waving his hand around to see he’s leaving light tracers, pale green ones. “Sam and Tuck are going to lose their shit”.
Shaking his head as he transforms back, before leaving the bathroom. Only to bump into a red-skinned Wes. The bathroom door getting stuck slightly open when it caught on the end of Danny’s cape.
Wes looks him up and down with Halloween orange eyes, “why the hell don’t you look just like Phantom. How do you always manage to pull something off? And what’s with the cape?”.
Danny smirks, “oh? I thought everyone knew Phantom was a King. Since you seem to think he’s me, then, of course, you’d see me with a cape”.
Wes glares down at the ajar door, “I ain’t seeing shit Phantom”.
“But I thought you just said you could see a cape?”.
“I hate you”, crossing his arms and looking around, seeing they’re alone, speaking more seriously, “seriously though. What’s up with the look?”.
Danny shrugs, “dude you know I’m a weirdo. And everyone knows Phantom’s fucking weird. Wouldn’t surprise me if he wasn’t entirely dead or some shit”, shrugging and pulling out his phone, “oh and apparently Phantom looks weird today too”.
Wes deadpans, “yeah, I bet you do”.
Danny holds up his phone, showing a pretty decent photo of Phantom 2.0 he’d already found on twitter. Wes snatches the phone and stares before gesturing wildly at the screen, “what the hell is this!”, looking up at Danny, “how?!? HOW!?!”.
Danny shrugs and takes back his phone, “for once, your guess is as good as mine. I don’t even think ghosts are supposed to glow that brightly. Wish I was there”, smirking and looking back at the bathroom, “an up-close look would be really neat”.
Wes just glares and kicks in the door, nearly tripping over Danny’s cape as he goes.
Danny throws his arms over Sam and Tucker as the wave bye to Valerie. Tucker chuckling, “so are you actually going to go home like this?”. Danny shrugs, “folks know what’s happening today and literally insisted on seeing my ‘ghost unlocked’. Not surprised but first...”. Danny looks around and points to an alleyway, “have y’all checked out Phantom on twitter lately?”.
Sam rolls her eyes, “giant tech companies are slowly crushing the middle class and destroying the youth through mindless distractions”.
Tucker shakes his head as Danny steers them into the alley, “so that’s a no then. And Danny dude, I don’t think anyone has. Too interested in being ghosts, sorta, for a day”, poking him, “you’re the only one that this isn’t a novelty for”.
Danny lets go of his friends and spins around to be in front of them, looking excited, “oh that’s where you’re wrong. I’m about to slightly blind you”. Before transforming, rings brighter than usual, and floating in the air. His green glow making the alleyway look eerie, like it was part of the Ghost Zone. Tucker and Sam both gaping at him.
Tucker eventually snorting, “dude, when you’re literally a half living paradox I thought I’d seen the most impossible thing ever. But now you’ve literally got two base ghost selves”.  
Sam nods, “that seems more impossible actually”.
Danny sticks his hands out to the side, “I know right! I know I like to joke about being a glow bug but this is excessive”, dropping one arm and charging a painfully bright ecto-blast, “and I’m stronger. I think I may have actually startled Techy”.
Both Sam and Tucker are shielding their eyes, Tucker giving him a thumbs up anyway, “dude you could actually blind someone with that”.
Sam shakes her head and pats Danny’s arm as he extinguishes the blast, “so a ten-second mirror-touch gives you a multi-hour power boost”.
Danny smirks, “video game power-up mode unlocked”.
Tucker snorts, “what bonus achievements do you think this unlocked?”.
“Mass confusion, pissing off Wes level three, one confused call from Vlad, and at least twenty new FentonWorks inventions”, Danny taps his chin, “oh and one mild existential crisis because I have TWO BASE GHOSTS JUST WHAT THE HELL?”.
Tucker snaps his fingers, “Pokemon dude”.
Both Sam and Danny look at him, “what?”.
Tucker rolls his eyes, “come on dude. All the best Pokemon have three evolutions, and a mega-evolution”, Tucker counts off his fingers, “there’s your first, human. Second, ghost. Third, halfa. ‘Cause let’s be honest, halfas are stronger than y’all would be if you had just skipped straight to death. Besides, you were probably full ghost for a bit before getting half your life back. And now this”, gesturing at Danny, “your stronger, got a flashy appearance upgrade, and it has a time limit. It’s fucking megaPhantom. Your mega-evolution, the Ghost Mirroring Key your Phantomite”.
Danny borderline squeals like a little girl and Sam sighs but smiles, “you two are dorks”.
Danny waves goodbye to his friends with a little amused pep in his step, pushing open his houses front door only a little while later.
Speaking with mirth, “I’m home! Please come and check me out so I can escape the poking to flee into my humble lair”.
Jack laughs at his sons' humour as the two parents indeed come to look Danny over in the living room. Danny’s not even surprised they start poking at him and lifting up the cape. His dad running his hands through both sets of flames before pointing at his hair, “that one’s colder, and flames are pretty fearsome”.
Danny tilts his head at the approving tone his dad used, “you seem... happy? about that?”.
While Maddie brushes imaginary dirt off his capes shoulders, “the capes impressive too. You’ll be strong”.
Now Danny’s really confused, because that sounded approving too; even a bit proud. But promptly internally cringes as his mom goes to ruffle his hair, nearly stabbing herself with his crown. Jerking her hand away only to motion for him to bend forward for her to get a better look.
Danny’s practically holding his breath waiting form them to say something. His dad speaking up, “of course a Fenton would wind up ruling ghosts! Teach them how to behave and keep them in line!”.
Standing back upright, “okay seriously, why are you guys happy about this? I figured you’d be, you know, not. ‘Cause ghosts”.
Maddie successful ruffles his flaming hair around this time, “think nothing of that sweetie. We fully expect you’ll be a ghost someday. You’re already so ghostly as a living human”.
Jack nods, “and with you being obviously destined for strength those other filthy ghosts won’t be able to bother you over being a Fenton! Not that any Fenton would ever let a ghost harass them freely!”.
Danny’s flat out stunned and gapes a little, before shaking his head, “so wait, you guys want me to become a powerful leader ghost? That could potentially be a threat?”.
Jack grabs both of Danny’s shoulders, “better you to be a strong ghost than a weak one, when around them. And Danny-boy, you could never be a threat. If any ghost could resist a ghosts nature to be evil, it would be a Fenton’s ghost! Besides! If we needed to catch you I’m sure I could just coax you to join me for some fudge!”.
Maddie nods and smiles at Jack, before turning to look at Danny, smiling softly, “now, of course, we don’t want you to become a ghost. To die but not rest”, shaking her head, “but you’re already so much like one that it’s obvious you’ll become one. Setting off detectors, being affected by anti-ghost weapons, bloodblossom allergy, you snarl and purr, baring your teeth and curling your hands like claws”, while Danny’s realising he acts way more ghost than he though, Maddie shakes her head again, before continuing to speak, “with all of that how could you not become a ghost”, glancing at Jack, “and though it would be funny watching your father coax you with food, I’d rather us be long gone by the time you join the Ghost Zone”.
Danny rubs his neck, cape bunching up a bit and still feeling a bit thrown, “uh, thanks”.
Jack nods with a smirk and puts his fists on his hips, “of course Danny-boy! And this way we’ll now know what you look like as a ghost! So will your friends!”.
Maddie smiles and motions for her two boys to follow her into the kitchen, “and when things eventually come to pass, everyone will know not to shoot at you or hurt you”.
It takes a beat for Danny to follow, far too stunned. His folks wanted to see him, not to examine him, but to be able to recognise him as a ghost? So they wouldn’t harm him? By the time he gets into the kitchen, he’s barely keeping tears from flowing down his face. Promptly hugging his mom from behind and nearly whispering, “thank you. You-you don’t know how much that means to me”.
Maddie grabs and rubs her thumb over one of Danny’s green arms. Leaning her head against his head resting on her shoulder, “always sweetie. Ghost or human, and regardless how tall, you’ll always be my little boy”.
Danny squeezes her a little tighter before promptly hugging his dad, who was somewhat awkwardly standing behind them. “Thanks too, dad. I promise I’ll always come for family fudge. Maybe when things happen, and if you guys wind up ghosts too, I’ll come find you. Bring you some”.
Jack squeezes back hard, “I could think of no better thing you could do”, patting Danny on the back firmly, “who knows! Maybe you’ll have to keep us in line!”. Making both of them laugh and Danny wipes his eyes quickly before sitting down.
Danny can’t help but smile throughout dinner, which doesn’t go unnoticed by his parents.
Maddie asking, “you really were worried how we’d react to you as a ghost, huh?”.
Danny rubs his neck and looks around, “how could I not? You guys hate ghosts and chased after Phantom even though he was pretty good”. Not to mention the fact that Danny was Phantom and his third biggest fear was that they’d still shoot at him even if they knew. The second being anyone dying and the first being becoming Dan.
Jack chuckles a bit awkwardly, “yeah we were a bit quick to the trigger back then. But everyone learns! You’ll have to learn to be a leader even! Judging by the crown”.
Maddie smiles and giggles slightly, “though I don’t think you’ll be doing much learning”.
Danny tilts his head, “what do you mean by that?”, before eating some more of his mash potatoes.
Maddie points at his spoon, “that. Your eating around your fangs-”.
Jack cuts in, “which are really impressive!”.
“-with ease. Like you just know how. And I don’t think you’re even noticing when your ears swivel, like you’re used to it. You easily move around your cape to keep it out of your way and you’re not fiddling with the ring. Like it’s always been there”.
While Danny’s internally freaking out a little bit about that all being apparently a little too obvious. Maddie continues, “so even your body knows what’ll be. All you’ll have to learn, I think, is how to go about being a leader. I’m sure you’ll do well though”.
Jack nods and pushes away his cleaned off plate, “you’ll be respected and looked up to! Good! Like, well, like Phantom!”.
Danny blinks, he knew his parents' opinion of Phantom had changed some. But to hear that so bluntly was stunning. Threatened to make him tear up again. Clearing his throat to distract himself, “I guess my bodies already got things figured out”, rubbing his neck before blinking and going wide-eyed at his parents, “wait, are you guys thinking of calling a truce? With Phantom?”.
Maddie nods, “we’ve been thinking it over for a while now. And we really have heard everything you kids have said about him”, ruffling Danny’s flames, “and you look a lot like him. And thinking of that, you as a ghost. You’d probably be a lot like him. Quick wit and...and defending others. Being helpful”.
Jack laughs, “honestly! You look more ghostly than he does!”.
Danny can’t help but chuckle, that’s because Phantom was only half-ghost and Danny currently looked full ghost. “I bet he’d get a good laugh out of that. And I’m glad, for the truce thing. He’s a good ghost”.
Maddie nods with a smile while Jack speaks up, “I imagine he’s pretty confused today! A bunch of teens running around looking like ghosts!”.
Danny snorts and pulls out his phone, looking down at the picture of, snort, megaPhantom, before looking back to his parents, “yeah about that. You know how he frequents the school?”.
Maddie raises an eyebrow, “yeah?”.
“Well, what’s supposed to happen if a ghost uses the Ghost Mirroring Key?”.
The two parents exchange a glance.
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chipcoffeyblog · 5 years ago
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Looking for something fun and totally outside the (candy) box for you and your special someone to do for Valentine's Day? Something totally different and a little bit off-the-wall? Then keep reading! Most of us enjoy spooky TV shows and movies, right? We love that delicious adrenaline rush of being creeped out just a bit by thoughts of ghosts and the paranormal! If that sounds like you - and/or your special Valentine - then keep reading! Wouldn't it be big fun for you and your Valentine to spend a night (or weekend) at a haunted hotel? Just imagine what you might experience! And think of the bragging rights you'll have when recounting your ghostly adventures to family and friends! As part of my work as a psychic and medium, I have traveled extensively and stayed at some of the most interesting - and haunted - hotels in the United States. I like to stay at places that have a rich history, combined with stories about the spirits that reportedly roam throughout the properties. I have seen and heard otherworldly things that would send delicious little goose bumps up and down the spines of most people! Below is a list of some of the haunted hotels that I have enjoyed visiting and predict that you will enjoy visiting, too. New York City: The Jane Hotel - Some of the survivors of the sinking of the Titanic stayed in the building that is now the Jane Hotel in NYC's Greenwich Village. Guests report seeing ghostly apparitions and hearing the sound of sobbing . And the elevator often appears to have a mind of its own, traveling up at down between floors randomly. Guest rooms are inspired by luxury ship and train cabins and tend to be on the small side, many with shared baths. If you desire an en suite bathroom, choose to stay in one of the Captain's Cabins. Added bonus: You're in NYC! There is so much to see and do! Visit all the sites and see a Broadway show!
New York State - Catskills area: Burn Brae Mansion in Glen Spey, NY - Spectral apparitions and ghostly sounds are often heard by guests at this lovely bed and breakfast that was once the elaborate Victorian home of the widow of George Ross MacKenzie, third president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Other unexplained occurrences include doors opening and slamming shut; the sound of children playing; the sound of animals when no animals are present; and the sound of an organ playing, although there is no organ in the house. During my visit there, I distinctly smelled cookies baking in the downstairs area, but no one was baking cookies. Added bonus: The surrounding area is beautiful! Go for a hike, horseback riding, rafting, etc. Los Angeles, California: Millennium Biltmore Hotel - The ghost of Elizabeth Short is said to haunt the Biltmore. Ms. Short was last seen alive at the Biltmore shortly before her gruesome demise in 1947 and that still unsolved case has been dubbed "The Black Dahlia Murder." Soldiers who stayed in the building during and after World War II and young children are also said to roam around the hotel. Perhaps iconic stars from bygone Hollywood days pay post mortem visits to The Biltmore? Added bonus: Hollywood, with all its star studded sites, is close by...and so are California beaches! Atlanta, Georgia: Georgian Terrace - In December of 1939, this hotel hosted the "Gone With the Wind" Gala after the movie's premiere in downtown Atlanta. Clark Gable (and wife, Carole Lombard), Vivien Leigh (and future husband, Laurence Olivier) and other stars of the movie were in attendance. Some say that a gangland-style murder and other deaths have occurred here and there are frequent reports of ghostly activity occurring within the hotel. Added bonus: The haunted Fox Theatre is across the street from the hotel...and you're close to downtown ATL.   Austin, Texas Driskill Hotel - This lavish hotel, located in downtown Austin and completed in 1882, was built by Colonel Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his entire fortune to build "the finest hotel south of St. Louis." He is said to haunt the hotel, along with a little girl who fell down the grand staircase while chasing her runaway ball and two brides who allegedly took their own lives in the bathtub of room 525, exactly 20 years apart. Added bonus: There are great places to eat, drink and be merry nearby. Do your part to help "Keep Austin Weird"! Denver, Colorado Brown Palace - One of the spirits that is said to haunt the Brown Palace is a young boy, dressed in Victorian era clothing, who has been seen rifling through the luggage of hotel guests. During one of my stays there, I returned to my room to discover that little intruder looking inside my backpack that was sitting on a chair! When we saw each other, we both gasped and he instantaneously vanished, leaving me startled and wide-eyed! Added bonus: The hella haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado is about an hour drive from downtown Denver. The stately hotel was the inspiration for author Stephen King's best selling novel, "The Shining," which he wrote after he and his wife were guests there. The hotel has been featured on numerous paranormal TV shows. Kansas City, Missouri area Belvoir Winery and Inn - This cozy and comfortable, yet quite elegant, 9 room bed and breakfast, with its 1,500 square feet bridal suite, is located in Liberty, Missouri on the site of a huge former Odd Fellows complex. The inn was once an orphanage, so the sights and sounds of children who once called this building their home are regularly seen and heard by Belvoir guests. Numerous television shows have filmed at the inn and on the property, including Kindred Spirits, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters and American Pickers. Added bonus: Have a glass or two of Belvoir's wines or your favorite cocktail at the inn's lovely bar located on the main level. And visit George, the inn's "mascot," who just happens to be a real skeleton! New Hampshire Omni Mount Washington Hotel - Located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, this property is simply spectacular! The most prominent spirit that is said to haunt the hotel is Princess Carolyn, former owner of the hotel, whose lovely suite is now available for guests to occupy. The hotel's dining room has a permanently set up table for Princess Carolyn in case she happens to stop in for lunch or dinner.  Added bonus: Sightings of the elusive Bigfoot have been reported in the area! Soak up the gorgeous scenery! Take the cog railway to the top of Mt. Washington. Go skiing on the nearby slopes during winter months. Boston, Massachusetts Omni Parker House Hotel - Rich in history and hauntings, the Parker house is the birthplace of Boston Cream Pie and Parker House Rolls! The Kennedy family, arguably America's "royal family," often visited this hotel. It is said that future president John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier at a table in the hotel's restaurant. At one time, civil rights activist Malcolm X, Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse were employees of the hotel. While staying there, I was confused when I encountered the spirit of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. My encounter finally made sense when the hotel's historian told me that Booth had frequently stayed at the hotel and had even practiced firing his gun nearby. Added bonus: Granary Burying Ground (cemetery), final resting place of numerous Revolutionary War patriots, including Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, is nearby    Tampa, Florida area The Don Cesar - Affectionately known as "The Pink Palace" and located in St. Pete Beach, not far from Tampa on Florida's west coast, this hotel, like others on my list, is said to be haunted by its original owner. Wealthy New Englander Thomas Rowe built the hotel in 1925 in remembrance of his unrequited love for a lovely Spanish opera singer. The star crossed lovers are said to haunt "The Don," as are members of the New York Yankees baseball team, including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, due to the fact members of the team once stayed at the hotel during spring training. Other reported spectral guests include gangster Al Capone and World War II era soldiers who may have stayed (and died) there while the building was being used as a convalescent hospital for aviators and pilots. Added bonus: The hotel has a lovely Gulf of Mexico beach.  San Francisco, California Queen Anne Hotel - A charming Victorian era boutique hotel located in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. Both the public areas and guests rooms are furnished in an eclectic style. The hotel was once an exclusive boarding school for young ladies, as well as a brothel that housed "ladies of the night." The headmistress of the girl's school, Miss Mary Lake, reportedly haunts the hotel, sometimes unpacking suitcases, tucking guests in at night and singing to them while they fall asleep. The most haunted room is said to be room 410, which was once Miss Mary Lake's office. Voodoo queen Mary Ellen Pleasant lived across the street from the hotel in the 1800's and it is thought that perhaps her spirit also roams the halls of the Queen Anne. Added bonus: Enjoy all that The Golden Gate City has to offer! Ride a cable car; eat some great seafood at a waterfront restaurant; visit Fisherman's Wharf and the spectacular Palace of Fine Arts, built for the 1915 World's Fair. Portland, Oregon The Benson - A world class luxury hotel that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built by Simon Benson and opening its doors in 1913, it is believed that Mr. Benson is the primary spirit who haunts the hotel. He is frequently seen on the grand staircase, in the hotel bar and dining room, and on the 7th, 9th and 12th floors of the hotel. A small and mischievous little boy, whom people assume is the ghost of one of Benson's sons, often appears and plays pranks on hotel guests. The ghost of a former porter who worked at The Benson is also sometimes seems, as well as the spectral images of a lady in white (doesn't every haunted property have a lady in white? LOL) and a lady in blue. Added bonus: Take a trip to see the nearby and spectacularly beautiful Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls! New Orleans, Louisiana Bourbon Orleans Hotel - Once the location of the Sisters of the Holy Family's convent, girl's school, medical ward and orphanage, the Bourbon Orleans is reportedly haunted by the spirits of those who resided there during that earlier time. A Confederate soldier has also been seen at the hotel, as well as a lonely ghost dancer, seen dancing solo in the hotel's ballroom. The 3rd and 6th floors are said to be some of the most haunted areas. Added bonus: Laissez les bon temps rouler and enjoy all of the delicious and decadent delights that The Big Easy readily serves up! Savannah, Georgia East Bay Inn - This stately old building was built in the mid-1800's and once housed the offices of cotton merchants, as well as warehouses for cotton. In the mid-1980's, the property opened as a charming inn with 28 guest rooms. The rooms are spacious, with wooden floors, exposed brick establishing walls and high ceilings. A friendly ghost named Charley, a former worker in the building, allegedly haunts the inn. It is claimed that he is heard walking the halls late and night and sometimes will jiggle the doorknobs. Witnesses have said that lights flicker and some of their personal belongings mysteriously disappear. Room 325, known as "Charley's Room," is said to be the most haunted. Added bonus: Is there really anyplace in Savannah that isn't haunted? Visit them all! Walk along River Street. Take a ride on the riverboat. Put on your walking shoes and visit Savannah's numerous squares. And don't miss a visit to the magnificently beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery. San Antonio, Texas The Menger Hotel - The land on which the Menger sits is part of the historic site of the Battle of the Alamo. It is said that between 32 and 45 ghosts haunt the Menger. (Who came up with that number?!?) Among those ghosts are Teddy Roosevelt; Sallie White, a former chambermaid at the hotel who was shot nearby by her common law husband and died on the hotel's 2nd floor; and Richard King, a cattle baron who often stayed at the Menger and died in his suite on the 3rd floor. If you are brave enough, you can stay in the King Ranch Suite where Richard King died and sleep in the same bed where he took his last breath! Added bonus: Visit The Alamo. Walk along the River Walk. Dine in some of San Antonio's fabulous eateries. San Diego, California (Coronado Island) Hotel del Coronado - The elegant hotel, located on Coronado Island, has a resident ghost named Kate Morgan. Kate was a guest at the hotel in 1892 and killed herself with a gun a few days after an ugly break-up with her male lover. Guests at the hotel have reported seeing Kate's ghost walking in the hallways and along the hotel's lovely beach. During my visits to the hotel, I always hope to encounter the spirit of Marilyn Monroe, who shot the film, "Some Like It Hot," on the property back in 1958. Added bonus: While in the San Diego area, pay a visit to the haunted Whaley House in Old Town San Diego, where you can also shop at some of the area's charming stores. Washington, DC Hay-Adams Hotel - Washington socialite Marian Adams, known by the nickname Clover, reportedly haunts the Hay-Adams. Clover was an amateur photographer who died after ingesting some of the potassium cyanide that she used while developing her photographs. Her death was ruled a suicide, but some believed that she had been murdered. The ghost of Clover Adams haunts the hotel's 4th floor. Maids have told stories of hearing a woman sobbing, calling out their names and asking "What do you want?" in unoccupied rooms. Some guests say that visits by Clover's spirit are accompanied by the scent of almonds. Potassium cyanide, which caused Clover's death, is extracted from almonds! Added bonus: Visit the many beautiful monuments in DC, as well as The Smithsonian and nearby Arlington Cemetery. 
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myhauntedsalem · 5 years ago
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The Ghosts of Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is located in the Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania. Today Carlisle Barracks is considered one of the best military schools in the world.
Three of its most famous graduates are: John J. Pershing, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar N. Bradley.
Originally, this military post was the spot were early traders and settlers stopped to rest before they made their way across the Allegheny Mountains. In 1757 Carlisle became a permanent military post.
When George Washington visited the area during the Revolutionary War he recommended this site be used for the newly proposed military academy but Carlisle lost out to West Point, NY.
In the late 1830s the post evolved into a school to instruct the U.S. Army’s mounted forces.
During the Civil War Union troops occupied both the post and the town of Carlisle. Major General J.E.B. Stuart a Confederate soldier demanded the post and the town surrender, when they didn’t he shelled both and set fire to the post– several buildings burned down.
In 1879, Carlisle Barracks became the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Its most famous student and the best athlete was Jim Thorpe.
At the onset of World War l the Barracks was returned to the War Department. It became a hospital that specialized in the treatment of mental rehabilitation for those suffering from the newly identified trauma–called “Shell Shock”.
By the 1920s the Medical Field Service took over the Barracks. They remained for 26 years then in 1946 Carlisle was used for a series of six different army schools.
In 1951, the U.S. Army War College relocated to Carlisle and to this day prepares senior officers for high command.
Carlisle’s varied history has left the Barracks haunted by a variety of ghosts. Some of this activity reflects the time when Carlisle was the Indian School. Many confounded witnesses have reported hearing faint band music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This music is heard near Carlisle’s bandstand. When this music is heard it is often played off key so it felt that this was probably a young student band from the school preforming a concert.
The ghost of Jim Thorpe is also seen at Carlisle. People passing the Old Gymnasium at night report hearing the dribbling of a basketball and the shuffle of sneakers. What is unusual is when this is heard there are no lights on in the gym. Most witnesses feel this must be the Indian School’s basketball team continuing to practice — Thorpe was its star athlete.
Jim Thorpe’s apparition has been seen at the Letort View Community Center. Other ghosts seen at this center include a well-dressed female student who is considered to be one of Thorpe’s classmates and a man dressed in farm attire. The cellar of this building is so active it has been dubbed, “purgatory”.
Some of the ghostly activity reflects a much earlier time. At Carlisle there is a building that was originally used as a powder magazine. Today this building is used as a museum that houses a variety of military artifacts.
Many believe the Hessian soldiers who were forced to construct it in 1777 still haunt it.
During the Revolutionary War German soldiers called Hessians were captured at the Battle of Trenton. The American rebels hated these soldiers because they were not fighting on principle but as mercenaries that were paid by the English to fight on their side.
Today strange noises are heard coming from the Powder Magazine Museum as well as witness reports that describe sightings of very tall Hessian soldiers wearing oddly pointed hats. A new resident staying at a nearby barracks in the 1990s reported one encounter. He heard loud noises from the magazine late at night so he went to investigate.
The doors at this time of night are normally locked, but this man discovered the first door was unlocked–so he went in. The second door was shut tight. As he peered through a window he literally fell down in shock at what he saw. He expected to see a museum full of military artifacts but instead he saw several Hessian soldiers standing in a room that was obviously the old 1700 powder magazine.
Yet another ghost seen at Carlisle is a women dressed in old-fashioned green colored clothing. She is always seen entering or existing various homes along the Barracks’ Flower Road. When people have attempted to speak to her she just vanishes into one of the homes. But people inside these homes never see her enter.
In the Washington Hall Guest House people often report hearing the distressed calls of an infant but when they go in search of this baby they discover no children are in the house.
One officer training at Carlisle had a series of unusual events happen in his apartment that is located in one of the barracks that was rebuilt after it was burned down by Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s men during the Civil War. He bought a famous print of of the major general titled, The Last Crusade. He had it framed and hung it on his apartment wall.
Away from Carlisle for a vacation he returned to find this picture had fallen off the wall. The nails were still in place and the frame and wire on the back were intact but the glass was smashed. How this glass was broken is what he found odd. It appeared as if a foot had precisely stomped down over Stuart’s face smashing the glass only in this area.
This officer had the glass replaced and rehung this print. But shortly after returning from another absence he found the print once more on the floor with the glass damaged specifically over the face. He had the glass replaced again. The same thing happened for a third time. Not giving up the officer had the glass replaced yet again and hung the print back in its place.
A few weeks after this late one night he and his wife were awakened by the sound of the print being broken. They heard the picture fall from the wall and then they heard a “popping, crushing sound, like a heavy foot twisting on the glass.”
The officer again saw that the glass was smashed over the face of the famous Confederate cavalryman who ordered the burning of the Barracks in 1863. Stuart made a lot of enemies when he made this decision. After this repeated print incident many felt this was a ghost of a Union soldier who took his chance to take revenge.
After the Olympics he played professional baseball, football and basketball. He left sports at the age of 41–this was at the start of the Great Depression. For the rest of his life he struggled to make a living. He became an alcoholic and in his later years he was in poor health and lived in poverty.
After Thorpe’s death his daughter persisted and she succeeded in convincing the Olympic Committee to reverse their decision and restore her father’s Olympic Gold medals.
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A Kinley Christmas Carol (Chapter One)
buck/tommy | rated: T | chapter one of five | work in progress | ao3
Chapter One
The shift was dead, to begin with.
The kind of dead where Tommy was ready to stand in the middle of the hangar and scream the Q-word at the top of his lungs. He needed a call, any call, but preferably one that would take them into overtime.
Anything to stop him from having to pack up and leave when the clock struck eight pm.
He shook his head, giving himself a mental kick in the ass.
How pathetic could he be? Wishing for some stranger’s tragedy just so he could avoid going home? They didn’t deserve that. Neither did the rest of his crew who actually had people waiting for them, wanting to celebrate the festive fucking season.
It wasn’t their fault Tommy had screwed up his life so royally that he couldn’t bear to be alone with himself and yet, alone was all he was ever going to be.
[continue reading on ao3]
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disneytva · 6 years ago
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Plots & Synopsis on October
Mon., Oct. 1 10:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Vampirina“Hauntleyween/Frankenflower” Vampirina and her family invite their Transylvanian friends to celebrate Halloween in Pennsylvania. / Vee comes up with an invention to bring a flower back to life for her school’s inventor fair.
Fri., Oct. 5 9:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Mickey and the Roadster Racers “Goof Mansion/A Doozy Night of Mystery” Goofy and the gang have to spend a night in Uncle Goof’s haunted mansion in order for Goofy to inherit it. / When Mr. Doozy invites everyone to his hotel for a dinner party, a family heirloom goes missing. Fred Willard (Modern Family) guest stars as Mr. Doozy.
10:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Muppet Babies “Happy Hallowocka!/The Teeth Chattering Tale of the Haunted Pancakes” It’s Halloween time and every time Fozzie tries to be spooky he ends up doing something funny that makes the other Muppet Babies laugh instead. / After Kermit refuses to try Miss Nanny’s special “boo-berry” Halloween pancakes, Summer tells a mysterious tale about haunted pancakes in an attempt to get him to try something new.
11 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Fancy Nancy “Nancy’s Costume Clash/Nancy’s Ghostly Halloween” Nancy refuses to go to a Halloween party when she discovers that her costume isn’t original. / On Halloween, Nancy’s imagination runs wild when she mistakes JoJo for a ghost.
Sat., Oct. 6 7 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Big Hero 6 The Series “Obake Yashiki”After Big Hero 6 goes to a haunted house, Hiro keeps seeing his late brother Tadashi around the City. Daniel Henney (Criminal Minds) recurs as Tadashi.
8 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Big City Greens ”Blood Moon” On Halloween, a spooky Blood Moon rises and turns the Greens’ farm animals into a horde of zombie-like creatures. Danny Trejo (Spy Kids) returns as Remy’s bodyguard, Vasquez.
Fri., Oct. 12 10:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Puppy Dog Pals “A New Pup in Town/The Last Pup-icorn” Bingo and Rolly meet a new puppy, Keia, who has accidentally run away from her owner Chloe. / When Chloe wishes she could have a unicorn, Bingo, Rolly and Keia set out to find one.
Sat., Oct. 13 7 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Big Hero 6 The Series “Countdown to Catastrophe” Big Hero 6 face their greatest challenge as Obake unleashes his plan on San Fransokyo.
11:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Junior] Elena of Avalor “The Tides of Change”When Elena attempts to get a Unity Pact signed between the humans and the sirenas, Daria enlists the help of evil shape-shifting dolphins called malandros to disrupt the peace. Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica), Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time), Prince Royce (East Los High) and Rosario Dawson (Luke Cage) return as sirenas Princess Marisa, King Pescoro, Queen Camila, Prince Marzel and Daria, respectively. Steve Buscemi (Monsters, Inc.) and Ralph Garman (Family Guy) guest star as malandros, Saloso and Torpe, respectively.
Fri., Oct. 19 11 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] Fancy Nancy “Grow Up, JoJo! / Nancy’s Supréme Night Out” Nancy tries to prove that she is grown-up enough to spend an evening with adults. Kal Penn (Designated Survivor) guest stars as Mr. Singh. / Nancy’s favorite waitress Brigitte gives JoJo special attention. Madison Pettis (Five Points) guest stars as Brigitte.
Sat., Oct. 20 7:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel]DuckTales “The Most Dangerous Game … Night” A game night is anything but relaxing as the family faces shrink rays, a barbaric civilization and an unhealthy level of competitiveness.
Sat., Oct. 27 7:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Channel] DuckTales “The Depths of Cousin Fethry!” Huey and Dewey are led on an adventure by their distant Uncle Fethry, who takes them to the depths of Scrooge’s deep‐sea laboratory. Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) guest stars as Uncle Fethry.
11:30 a.m. EDT [Disney Junior] Elena of Avalor “The Return of El Capitan” On Día de los Muertos, Elena and her abuelo team up with the spirits of two of his old friends, El Guerrero and El Místico, to complete a mission that they had started many years ago and were not able to complete. Jorge R. Gutiérrez (director, The Book of Life) and Freddy Rodriguez (Bull) guest star as El Guerrero and El Místico, respectively. Prince Royce (East Los High) recurs as Prince Marzel.
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anip-ocs · 7 years ago
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Disillusions Prologue
(Welp. Looks like I’m posting this. Y’all have fun.)
Never before in his life had he ever imagined he’d find himself in this situation.
An unknown world becoming known, meeting so many new people. Finding maybe just a little bit of peace. Fighting monsters and villains alongside friends he would never dream of replacing.
He couldn’t believe it had all started with some dumb rock.
Location: Unknown
Time: Unknown
Just past the forest, there was an empty field. Asides from that field, there was nothing of interest. No one inhabited the space save for perhaps a few field mice and foxes. One of these little mice looked up from its endless search for food, peeking up at the sky.
The starlit sky winked down at it, and the mouse carried on. Seconds later, the meteor shower began. Streaks of light cutting across the sky, descending from the heavens unto the Earth. It was a beautiful sight, and anyone standing within that field would have been captivated by it.
But there was soon to be a very important guest. The tiny mouse was scared off by a slight disturbance in the air before a bright flash lit the clearing before taking shape into a whirlwind of colors. Wind whipped through the grass, bending it back in all directions. An instant later, a dark shape formed within it before stepping out. Behind him, the lightshow stopped.
He brushed dark black hair out of his face, raking down to its ghostly white tips as he took in his surroundings. A tattered black cape billowed behind him a moment in a light breeze before folding back around him. Asides from these special features, he just seemed to be a perfectly normal teenager.
“So… this is my new home. Earth…” he murmured to himself, glancing around once more. The boy suddenly noticed the spectacle in the sky, and his dark eyes widened in awe. “Woah…” for a few moments longer he stood there, relishing the tingling in his skin at the thought of being in this new place. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the air. When he opened them, he saw one of the streaks of light headed right towards him.
In a flash, he ducked, and the tiny meteor soared just above his head before careening into the ground, momentum driving it forward a few feet into the dirt before it finally stopped. The boy turned, curious. What… was that thing?
He picked his way through the grasses, following the furrow it had left in the ground until he found it. The atmosphere had burned the rock into a tiny, glowing little stone. But it didn’t seem… all that hot. Sure, it was certainly warm, but not the kind of warmth that warned anyone nearby to back off or risk being burned. Instead it was inviting, encouraging the boy to come closer. Its purple glow made it all the more enticing. Without much of a second thought, the newcomer picked it up in his hands, peering closely.
It glittered like the stars itself, as if it was made of the galaxies itself. The warmth seemed to course through his body, from the tips of his hair to his toes to his very core. He didn’t want it to end. But it did, far too soon. The stone grew cold to the touch, and then seemed to dissipate into dark smoke. He coughed as it blew into his face, trying to wave it away.
Strange. Rocks, as far as he was aware, usually didn’t do that.
The boy would have continued this most intriguing line of thought had his stomach not rumbled. He recalled that someone was expecting him, and should he not make an appearance soon, they might get worried. He took another look around, ensuring there were no people to witness either his appearance or what he was about to do next. Once he was satisfied, he let go.
He seemed to shake himself, and large back wings sprouted from his back. They were about as big as he was tall--not that the boy was very tall to begin with. The pitch-black feathers faded to white at the tips, some brushing against the grass around him. The boy hummed and flared out his wings to test the winds. Perfect for flying, certainly, as long as he could avoid being hit by more flying rocks.
With a three step running start, the visitor launched himself into the sky. His wings caught the air with ease and he went flying into the clouds above.
The field was silent and empty once more.
Disillusions is a novel series that centers around a group of outcast teenagers who are granted super powers. Facing off against villains, learning secrets about those they trust most, and still trying to survive their horrific social lives–they must either stand together or let their city fall.
My Ko-FI
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aion-rsa · 4 years ago
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Shudder Boasts its Biggest Horror Movie and TV Line-Up Ever in April
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Shudder is pulling out all the shivery stops to commemorate the startling fact that we are exactly halfway to the most beloved date on any horror fan’s calendar, Halloween. Yes, that’s right, this month (April) is the six-month mark and the world’s scariest streaming outlet is celebrating with “Halfway to Halloween,” a massive slate of programming that begins on April 1 and continues throughout the rest of the month.
This is no April Fool’s joke (although we have some if you want). Shudder is rolling out a brand new batch of exclusive and/or original programming, including the second season of its acclaimed Creepshow series, the premiere of a new series of original short films called Deadhouse Dark, the highly anticipated sequel to its In Search of Darkness documentary, the return of The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs, and the 2021 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.
But wait, the channel won’t let the first 30 of the next 180 days until Halloween pass without new movies to watch as well. In addition to thrilling new exclusives like Shudder original film The Banishing, Train to Busan: Peninsula and Boys from County Hell, brand new additions to the outlet’s ever-expanding international library include horror tales of both classic and recent vintage, including The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2, Night of the Lepus, Housebound, Attack of the Demons, Horror Express, The Stepfather and more.
If you’re blown away by all this and want more horror, the “Halfway to Halloween” Hotline is for you. Every Friday in April from 3pm-4pm ET, Shudder subscribers are invited to call director of programming Samuel Zimmerman to discuss all things horror, from their favorite films of all time to which horror releases they’re looking forward to this year. Based on what you tell him, Zimmerman will offer customized viewing recommendations from Shudder’s film collection — a personally curated film festival direct from a foremost expert in the field.
If you’re not a Shudder subscriber yet, the best part is that the streamer is offering a special discounted rate (50% off!) to first-timers who sign up before April 22. So hurry up and subscribe now…before Halloween is here for real.
Here are some of the highlights of Shudder’s original and exclusive programming for April:
Creepshow, Season 2 – Premieres April 1 (Shudder Original Series)
The acclaimed anthology series created by Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), based on the classic 1982 film from writer Stephen King and director George A. Romero, returns for a second season of scary and often hilarious tales of terror — a horror comic come to life. Monsters, murderers and supernatural apparitions will haunt a whole new slew of guest stars including Kevin Dillon, Josh McDermitt, Keith David, Molly Ringwald, Barbara Crampton, Justin Long and more, with new episodes premiering every Thursday.
The Power – Premieres April 8 (Shudder Exclusive Film)
In the tradition of classic British ghost stories comes this tale of terror set in London in the mid ‘70s. With the miners’ strikes resulting in electrical blackouts, a young nurse working a new job in a dilapidated hospital is plunged into darkness, and she’s pretty sure there’s a malevolent presence in there with her. Corinna Faith directs this Shudder exclusive starring Sanditon’s Rose Williams.
The Banishing – Premieres April 15 (Shudder Original Film)
British ghostliness abounds in this period haunted house movie which impressed critics when it screened at London’s FrightFest. Jessica Brown Findlay stars as a formerly “fallen” woman who moves into a sinister manor with her daughter and Vicar husband only to discover there are dark secrets within. John Lynch and Sean Harris provide strong support in this chiller from Triangle and Severance director Chris Smith.  
 The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs – Premieres April 16 (Shudder Original Series)
The world’s foremost expert on drive-in movies will be back for a third season of his wildly popular series, presenting horror double features as only he can pick them. Of course, Joe Bob will also give his thoughts on the films, their histories and their context and placement in horror movie history. Expect guests and other surprises too.
2021 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards – Premieres April 18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT (Exclusive Event)
Oscars: Schmoscars. The only awards horror hounds need are these top accolades from genre bible Fangoria. Shudder has partnered with Fango to stream this exclusive event which celebrates the greatest and goriest. Actor David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and soon to be seen as Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad) hosts the awards. This year’s nominees include The Invisible Man, Freaky, Relic, and Possessor.
In Search of Darkness: Part II – Premieres April 26 (Shudder Exclusive Documentary)
Shudder’s epic documentary on 1980s horror cinema, In Search of Darkness, was such a hit that a sequel was deemed necessary. This one — more than four hours in length like its predecessor — dives even deeper into a crucial decade in the history of the genre, featuring interviews with icons like Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill), Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead), and special effects legend Tom Savini (Friday the 13th), along with many new and returning faces.
In addition to all its original and exclusive programming, Shudder is adding a slew of great horror films both vintage and recent to its already impressive library. Among the highlights are:
Night of the Lepus (1972) – April 1
One of those classic cult films so “bad” that it ends up being “good,” this shocker focuses on Arizona ranchers who are trying to curb a population explosion of wild rabbits and end up instead with a swarm of giant, man-eating bunnies. Stuart Whitman, Janet Leigh (Psycho) and DeForest Kelley (Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy) are all on hand to battle the carnivorous cottontails.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) – April 1
Leatherface and his twisted family are back in this delirious sequel that plays things more for laughs than the original, but is still as gloriously insane. Directed again by Tobe Hooper, this one finds the cannibalistic Sawyer family holed up in the grounds of an abandoned amusement park, where they torment anyone who comes within their reach.
The Val Lewton Collection – April 2
Producer Val Lewton was a master of psychological horror — where what was unseen was more frightening than anything else — and Shudder is now showing seven of his classic, highly influential films: Cat People (1942), I Walked With A Zombie (1943), The Leopard Man (1943), The Seventh Victim (1943), Curse of the Cat People (1944), The Body Snatcher (1945) and Isle of the Dead (1945).
Alex de la Iglesia Double Feature – April 12
The twisted Spanish genius behind HBO Max’s recent series 30 Coins brings two of his early classics to Shudder: The Day of the Beast (a.k.a. El día de la Bestia, 1995), in which a priest, TV psychic and death metal record store clerk battle Satan and stave off the Apocalypse, and Dance with the Devil (a.k.a. Perdita Durango, 1997), in which Rosie Perez and Javier Bardem are a degenerate couple who deal in human sacrifices, kidnapping, murder and fetus trafficking.
The Stepfather (1987) – April 19
Directed by Joseph Ruben (The Good Son) and written by famed crime novelist Donald Westlake, this cult classic thriller stars Terry O’Quinn (Lost’s John Locke) as a serial killer who infiltrates himself into families, murders them, then changes his identity before moving on to his next target. Only this time, his new stepdaughter is suspicious of just who “Jerry Blake” really is.
Housebound (2014) – April 19
Imagine being stuck at home for months on end… Ok but imagine being stuck inside at your family home with your mum who is convinced there’s a ghost living there with you. This New Zealand horror comedy sees a young woman on house arrest start to believe her superstitious mother might actually be onto something – it’s the perfect mix of funny and scary and is packed with surprises.
The Similars (2015) – April 26
Eight strangers trapped at a bus depot on a rainy night start experiencing a very odd phenomenon in this excellent Mexican sci-fi horror which plays like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone. It’s weird, existential and black and white and has a wicked sense of humour along with a feeling of mounting dread. A hidden gem and an absolute must-watch.
Horror Express (1972) – April 29
Horror legends Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing star along with Telly Savalas in this fast-moving, eerie sci-fi/horror hybrid in which rival scientists and a crazed Russian captain attempt to defeat an ancient, mind-absorbing alien aboard the Trans-Siberian Express. This Spanish gem is one of the more underrated, underseen classics of 1970s Eurohorror, with an original premise and great work from its iconic stars.
Here’s the full Shudder “Halfway to Halloween” lineup for April:
Exclusive/Originals:
Creepshow, Season 2 – Premieres April 1, new episodes every Thursday (Shudder Original Series)
Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula – Premieres April 1 (Shudder Exclusive Film)
The Power – Premieres April 8 (Shudder Exclusive Film)
The Banishing – Premieres April 15 (Shudder Original Film)
The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs – Premieres April 16, new episodes every Friday (Shudder Original Series)
2021 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards – Premieres April 18 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT (Exclusive Event)
Boys from County Hell – Premieres April 22 (Shudder Exclusive Film)
In Search of Darkness: Part II – Premieres April 26 (Shudder Exclusive Documentary)
Deadhouse Dark – Premieres April 29 (Shudder Original Series)
New film library additions:
Night of the Lepus (1972) – April 1
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) – April 1
The Haunting of Julia (1977) – April 1
The Val Lewton Collection (1942-1945) – April 2
Zombie for Sale (2019) – April 5
Don’t Panic (1988) – April 5
Alex de la Iglesia Double Feature (1995-1997) – April 12
The McPherson Tape (1989) – April 12
The Stepfather (1987) – April 19
The Conspiracy (2012) – April 19
Housebound (2014) – April 19
Thale (2012) – April 19
Attack of the Demons (2019) – April 26
The Similars (2015) – April 26
The Diabolical (2015) – April 26
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Horror Express (1972) – April 29
The post Shudder Boasts its Biggest Horror Movie and TV Line-Up Ever in April appeared first on Den of Geek.
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onceandfuturekiki · 7 years ago
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Classic Movies for Halloween :: Part 1: Silent Film
Halloween is in a few days, and if you’re anything like me you like to immerse yourself in spooky movies and other things that make you feel the Halloween spirit. Movies are a great way to do that, but I’m really not a fan of modern horror movies. I prefer the eeriness and creepiness of films made when directors could create an atmosphere and a genuinely unsettling movie with shadows, lighting, sets, camera angles, and performances, when it was about creating a mounting feeling of dread, rather than relying on jump scares.
Some of the best scary movies ever made were made during the silent era. During the 1920s, silent film was reaching an incredible high point of what could be done with the medium, and the combination of American filmmaking that was perfecting special effects techniques, and German (and other European) filmmakers that were perfecting the expressionism, a style perfect for the horror genre, made for a decade of amazing horror films and thrillers.
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Lionel Barrymore stars in this atmospheric story about an innkeeper who is so badly in debt that he murders one of his guests so he can steal the man's money. For the rest of the film he's haunted by his guilt, which manifests in his own visions, such as objects morphing into nooses and blood covering his hands, and a creepy mersmerist who seems to know his secret. This is a psychological horror film, with the director going deeper and deeper into the mind of a murderer until we're left feeling like we're inside of a nightmare.
Watch on youtube
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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is legendary among film buffs, for its style of German expressionism, to the way it uses every single aspect of filmmaking to explore the human mind, and its twist ending. The sets, some of the most exaggerate you’ll find in films that employ German expressionism, straight away leave you feeling off kilter and like you're watching something that's just outside of reality. In the early 1920s, stage hypnotism had become quite the phenomenon, and while many people were fascinated by it, the element of the unknown that existed there led to a lot of people feeling frightened by and uneasy about hypnosis. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari used those fears, telling a story about a mysterious doctor who, by day, has a sort of sideshow feature Cesare, a somnambulist, and by night sends Cesare out to kill people. By exploiting people's fears of hypnotism, as well as their fears about insanity and mental health, the film manages scares on a very intellectual level.
Watch on youtube
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This is the classic "will reading in a spooky old mansion" story, as well as being an early comedy/horror film. A young woman is set to inherit the estate of a distant relative, but she must prove she's sane before receiving the inheritance, and she has to do that while in a spooky house full of people who want that money. This film makes for a great study of horror tropes. You've got the classic, beautiful leading lady surrounded by a supporting cast of awful, ghoulish, greedy, and frightening characters. The film leans into the absurdity of the story and the genre, and in doing so manages to be a very effective horror movie, while also being self aware in a way that makes the silliness an asset. The combination of scares and silly makes for a movie experience that's just plain FUN.
Watch on youtube
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In the early days of film, John Barrymore was a matinee idol, one of the most handsome actors on the screen. He was also one of the first actors who was willing to ugly himself up for a role when he played one half of the title pairing in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The fact that Barrymore was so well known for his looks made the main character's transformation even more effective for the audience of the time. But even on its own, without any expectations of what kind of roles an attractive actor should take, Barrymore's Mr. Hyde is genuinely frightening. His transformation, what he's able to do with his face and body, is on the level of the legendary Lon Chaney. The entire film has an sort of eerie beauty to it, but the thing that makes it so memorable is Barrymore's performance.
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There's something hypnotic about this French adaptation of the Edgar Allen Poe story. The focus is definitely more on style than on story, but that makes for an incredible, dreamlike experience of a horror movie. Everything is a little off: the cinematography, while gorgeous, always leads to a slightly strange feeling with a lot of strange angles. Fog and smoke are present in a lot of scenes. The house is large and filled with mirrors. It's equal parts intense and surreal, combining German expressionism with gothic styles, both a great deal of negative space in its sets, as well as light and shadow. There is a story here, but what the movie is trying to do is make you feel, both in an emotional sense and a physical sense. The atmosphere is eerie, but it also leaves you feeling cold with how empty the house feels. It will set your nerves on edge, manhandle your emotions, and leave you with a physical reaction you might not expect.
Watch on youtube
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Faust is the classic tale of man facing the temptations of the Devil. FW Murnau, who was known for experimenting with effects and technology, especially in the second half of the 1920s, took this classic tale and used modern technology and filmmaking techniques to tell the story, making this old, classic story into one of the most modern piece of filmmaking in 1926. Murnau constructed a flying sequence using miniature of towns, fields, rivers, waterfalls, and forests with running water, clouds, birds flying through the sky. The director used scale filming to manipulate the appearance of size. Beautiful sets were constructed. But the director also used very simple, traditional techniques to establish and atmosphere and create an eerie feeling. Expressionistic sets combine with the use of shadows and dark lighting to create a feeling of foreboding and doom. It's one of the most modern films of the time, but the things that make it scary are very traditional and classic, showing that so often simplicity can be the scariest thing,
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You know those stories where a person gets a transplant of some kind, but it turns out the person they got the transplant from was evil, and the transplanted body part starts to act out on its own in a murderous, evil way? Those stories come from The Hands of Orlac, which is about a pianist whose hands are destroyed in a train accident. They replace his hands with those of a dead person, and while it initially appears that the transplant is successful, the pianist soon finds the the hands seem to have a mind of their own, having come, unbeknownst to him, from a murderer. This is another German expressionist film, with sets and cinematography that help to create an unnerving atmosphere. Conrad Veidt is the key player here. It's his acting, his body language and facial expressions, that sells the horror of what's happening to him.
Watch on youtube 
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This is early Murnau, one of his earliest surviving films (if not the earliest). Since it's so early in his filmography, and so early in the 1920s, the techniques he would become famous for exploring are missing here, but he still uses some interesting and creative techniques to create an atmospheric horror film. He especially utilizes rain well, with effective shots of fields and roads in a downfall of rain. The structure of the film isn't great. It doesn't flow very well, as it is distinctly separated into three acts. But the atmosphere and visuals more than make up for it and the mystery is intriguing and well handled.
Watch on youtube
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This is a Buster Keaton short, a fun, quick watch that you can pop on to precede your "feature" presentation. It doesn't have the memorable stunts as other Keaton films like The General, but it does experiment with some interesting techniques and effects in ways that lead to some strange, fun moments. There are also some funny gags, like Keaton not being able to "stick em up" during a bank robbery because he glued his hands into his pockets. The final sequence is particularly impressive in terms of effects and scenery.
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For some reason I'm so intrigued and freaked out by the kinds of stories like the one in The Last Warning. The movie is about a play that seems to be cursed. A theater is closed after a stage production leads to the murder of one of the actors. Five years later, the theater is reopened, with plans to put on the same play with the remaining cast. It's a mix of mystery, as the characters try to solve both the original murder and the mystery of the eerie goings on in the newly opened theater, and horror, with ghostly messages, strange accidents, and creepy visuals dressed up in shadowy cinematography. It's a beautifully creepy film, even if most prints you'll find are of a pretty crummy quality.
Download at archive.org
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The Lodger would receive a sound remake in the 1940s (with the delectable George Sanders), but that remake doesn't come close to the spooky mastery of Alfred Hitchcock's original. This is an early display of the director's incredible skill at establishing atmosphere (and it really is a shame that he didn't get to make more silent films, because what he did with the medium was so wonderful and interesting). There aren't a lot of title cards (in large part because the film's producer had a lot of them removed, bothered by the suggestions that Hitchcock inserted of homosexuality and incest), so the story has to work mostly visually, and it manages to be both an easy narrative to follow and an incredibly eerie, surprising one.
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Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson had such an impression left on them by Conrad Veidt in The Man Who Laughs that they created the Batman villain The Joker based on the way he looked. Veidt's character is the son of a noble who suffers the punishment of permanent disfigurement due to his father's pride. It's very much not what you would expect out of a horror movie, especially by modern standards. The content itself isn't traditional horror, but Paul Leni films it with the same dark shadows, eerie negative space, and creepy light and dark contrast as his other horror films, and that's because this is a horror movie about the horror of man, about the purest, realest form of evil and the horror they wreak on others. The title character, who should be the most frightening, is the most sympathetic, the one upon whom so many horrors are committed.
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Horror stories have been sent in asylums and mental institutions for centuries because that setting exploits people's fear of mental illness and the terrifying mystery the mind can be. 1925's The Monster is another in a long line of films set in an asylum. Lon Chaney is billed as the star, but his role is actually relatively small. He plays one of the original "mad doctors" of film, as a man who takes over the asylum, sending out patients to retrieve bodies for his experiments. When word gets out that weird stuff is going down, an amateur detective and his friends want to check it out. This is a strange movie, because while it is very creepy, it's also a comedy, one that seems like it's almost a parody of the kind of film that hadn't even really started to be made yet.
Watch at Dailymotion
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Perhaps the best known silent horror film, Nosferatu is a loose adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. FW Murnau wanted to make Dracula, but he couldn't get the rights from Stoker's estate, so Murnau changed the character names and made some small changes to the story (like the means of the vampire's death at the end). Despite the attempts of the Stoker estate to erase any evidence of the film's existence, it's one of the most beloved horror films, and is probably more famous and well regarded than any other Dracula adaptation. The combination of Murnau's expertise in atmosphere and lighting and Max Schreck's horrifying Count Orlock make this one of the best and creepiest horror movies ever made.
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While this film is often compared to films from the German expressionist movement, it's far more subtle and understated than something like The Dr. of Caligari. It makes brilliant use of darkness and shadow, yes, but the Scandinavian sense of despair and hopelessness is far much quieter than that of the Germans, making the whole thing far more personal and emotional. It's a claustrophobic, desolate story about a man who dies on New Years Eve and is made to relive his life, witnessing the multiple chances at redemption he refused to take. We know how the character ends up, know what his choices will lead to, so the horror of the hopelessness and sadness is just as palpable as the horror established by the dark, creepy atmosphere and the eeriness of the personification of death that ushers this character through his death.
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Before it was a melodramatic romantic musical, The Phantom of the Opera was one of the most chilling films Lon Chaney made. The Phantom is never romanticized, never treated as a romantic figure. Chaney, whose was willing to risk life and limb to portray his characters, transformed his face through use of some pretty horrifying means, including the use of fishing hooks, made Erik into a figure of horror and terror, an obsessed and murderous madman who, though at times treated as a man and not a monster, is still unmistakably the villain of the piece. His performance is complimented by the amazingly constructed sets, particularly his eerie, creepy lair beneath the opera house and the increasingly unnerving series of ramps that lead down to it.
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This film was thought to be lost for a long time. When a film is considered lost, it usually earns a pretty legendary reputation in terms of its quality. A lot of the time when these films are found, the don't live up to the expectations. Seven Footprints to Satan does. It's so fucking weird. It's an "old dark house" story about a young couple kidnapped and brought to an old house where they're kept by jewel thieves and a strange cult. It sort of detours from the traditional "old dark house" style with both its filming techniques and just the content of the film. It's both scary and bizarre, a sort of balls-to-the-wall-terror-and-weirdness happening, with lots of strange people and creatures parading around the story (dwarves, ape-men, gorillas, and some characters that would certainly be very un-PC and offensive today). It's kind of hard to even explain because it's such a weird and unique experience.
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This is an updated, contemporary retelling of Faust. It has less of a horror vibe than the more direct Faust adaptation, and it's not usually billed as a horror movie. It's modern, stylish, and opulent, in a way that kind of hides the horror of the story. It looks like any of the number of high class dramas, comedies, and love stories studios were making at the time, but beneath all of it, thanks to Adolphe Menjou's quiet menace and Ricardo Cortez's mounting desperation, there's something darker and incredible tense lurking, so when we do get those moments where the horror of the story become clear, they're not coming from nowhere.
Download at archive.org
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The presence of mannequins automatically qualifies this film for any horror movie list. The fact that it stars Lon Chaney bumps it way up on the list. It's story would make it a pretty basic thriller, but the presence of Chaney and some bizarre story choices make this story creepy enough to qualify for a Halloween horror list. Chaney is a ventriloquist who, along with a "little person" and a strongman, decide to leave their sideshow and make their way as robbers. In order to pull of their crime, Chaney poses as an old lady, the caretaker to the dwarf who is pretending to be a baby. There's also a pet gorilla. It's this odd setup that gives the movie its eerie vibes, and the amount of strange twists give the movie a sort of unsettling dream logic.
Watch on Dailymotion
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Tod Browning's The Unknown is considered by many to have Lon Chaney's finest performance. While he doesn't contort his face in the way his did for films like The Phantom of the Opera, he plays a supposedly armless circus performer who throws knives with his feet. He's a fraud and a charlatan, though, and in reality he merely binds his arms down. But when he becomes obsessed with a woman who doesn't want to be touched, he goes to drastic measures to give her what she wants. Chaney's character is pretty evil, and a great deal of the creepiness of this film comes from his performance. Browning used unique camera angles and filters to give the movie a dreamy, otherworldly quality.
Watch on Dailymotion
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Warning Shadows is a fascinating piece of German expressionism. As early as 1923 the use of shadows and extreme contrast had become something of a hallmark of the movement, and the filmmakers behind Warning Shadows decided to embrace that, making a horror movie that's very much structured around shadows. There are new intertitles, making the film entirely visual (but it's still easy to follow). A wealthy man throws a dinner party, inviting the four men who have been making advances on his wife. He's so jealous he looks like he's going to explode over it. A mysterious entertainer presents them with a shadow play, giving the partygoers visions of what might come to be. This is a fascinating, unique film that absolutely rewards the amount of attention you have to pay to it.  
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thatkidwholovesmusic-blog · 7 years ago
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I wrote an article!
I’m back! And better than ever! 
I wrote an article about some of the best albums for Halloween playlists and my school’s newspaper, the Albany Student Press, published it - woohoo! I’m very excited about this and pumped to jump back into this blog. 
To kick it off, I’m including the text of my article in this post, and if you want to see it on the Albany Student Press website, click here! 
Be sure to spread either the link to this post or the original article to your friends and family - thanks for the support! 🎃 💕
Top 4 Albums for Halloween Party Playlists
With Halloween approaching, people are preparing to host their annual parties – stocking up on candy, setting up their ghoulish decorations and planning elaborate costumes that are destined to be better than the year before.
Whether a seasoned host or a newbie for this Halloween season, all party-throwers should be sure to add these top four creepy albums to their party playlist, to guarantee that extra “spook” factor that’ll equally scare and intrigue party guests of all ages.
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“Dead Man’s Bones” is the single, self-titled release by the multi-instrumentalist duo composed of Ryan Gosling (star of 2016’s “La La Land”) and Zach Shields. Dead Man’s Bones was formed after Gosling and Shields met and discovered a mutual fascination with Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride, as well as both having had ghostly encounters as children. The album is a series of love stories about ghosts and monsters, and the track “My Body’s a Zombie for You” perfectly embodies that intention, sounding like an old-school Doo-Wop track filled with ghosts and draped in cobwebs.
The duo partnered with the Los Angeles-based Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir for the entire record, and the children’s eerie, high-pitched and massive sound add layers of depth and complexity to each track. The choir are especially useful and powerful in contributing to the repetitive, alternating verses of “Pa Pa Power.” It’s a creepy yet catchy song, and is just one of the many fantastic tracks of this 2009 release.
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The “Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition” seems like an obvious addition to any Halloween playlist, but it’s certainly worth mentioning for those who may have forgotten the hilarity and exquisiteness of the movie and its accompanying music. This soundtrack from the 1993 Tim Burton film of the same name was composed by Danny Elfman (composer of “The Simpsons” theme, among other notable works) and nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Original Score.
“This Is Halloween” ushers in the film and introduces viewers to the various monsters of Halloweentown, and is the perfect way for party hosts to introduce their guests to their Halloween-themed homes. Another beautifully compiled track is “Oogie Boogie’s Song” – the monster’s anthem of horrid, torturous intentions to be taken out on Santa Claus, who pleads for freedom during the track. Elfman’s composition and vocal abilities (Elfman voiced lead character Jack Skellington) amaze throughout the soundtrack alongside many talented others, and the creepy-crawly lyrics drawn from the film’s subject matter are ideal for this holiday.
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A more classic addition to this list that older party hosts will recognize is Don Hinson and the Rigamorticians’ 1964 release “Monster Dance Party” – a hilarious collection of creatively composed Halloween hits that appeals to young children and adults. The album contains the Halloween party staple “Monster Mash,” as well as plenty of other songs that cleverly instruct the listener on how to do monster and death inspired dances, such as “Do the Rigamortis” and “Werewolf Watusi.”
Every song on the album is voiced by monsters and creeps, but the comedic lyrics are lighthearted enough not to frighten young trick-or-treaters. The best example of how nothing in this album is taken too seriously is perfectly illustrated in the title of the seventh track. “Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood” is truly as funny and catchy as its title suggests along with every other track on this holiday album.
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The final addition to the top four is a recent release that will give guests a fright — King Krule’s “The OOZ” released just two weeks ago on Oct. 13. Krule’s distinct, deep and somewhat frightening vocals and lyrics are well-known, but this release brings with it some impeccable fits for the Halloween season.
“Half Man Half Shark” opens with a mass of people growing slowly louder, screaming the track’s title, eventually cutting to Krule singing on a bouncing, bass-driven rhythm. “Vidual” is an absolute stand-out track: a distinct, repetitive beat created by Krule’s lyrical rhythm and echoed by drums and an electric guitar make this track shocking, exciting, unexpected and best of all – spooky.
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classicfilmfreak · 6 years ago
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New Post has been published on https://www.classicfilmfreak.com/2019/06/20/the-ghosts-of-berkeley-square-1947-starring-robert-morley-felix-aylmer-and-martita-hunt/
The Ghosts of Berkeley Square (1947) starring Robert Morley, Felix Aylmer and Martita Hunt
Two ghosts wait patiently for eternity.
The last time this site was in Mayfair it was for The Notorious Landlady (1962) and the Londonflat occupied there by one Kim Novak, rumored to be a murderess owing to a missing husband.
Also located in Mayfair is Berkeley Square.  Now take some steps back fifteen years in movie years and a few centuries in screen time and it’s The Ghosts of Berkeley Square.  In a house on the square live two quite dead ghosts, waiting, waiting for a long-anticipated eternity, anxious, always despairing, never wholly optimistic; waiting for an English monarch—any monarch—to come to their residence and release them to the Great Beyond.
The film is a compilation of the best and worst of British humor . . . er, humour.  Within the confines of their parts, the portly Robert Morley and his much more slender companion Felix Aylmer do the best they can—droll, understated, easygoing, their characters reluctant to indulge in anything so undignified as ghost-scaring.  Hans May’s score, when it’s not utilizing source music such as Sydney Baynes’ Destiny, James Tate’s Broken Doll and many traditional tunes, is more ghastly than ghostly.
The film was made in the late 1940s.  Considering what, say, Universal had done back in the mid-‘30s, makers of the movie, British National Films, are quite behind the times.  The simplest of special effects are pop-on, pop-off images and the standard double exposures for the ghostly appearances.  Morley and Aylmer are most often seen as themselves, nontransparent, unaltered.
Except for Martita Hunt, many of the better known supporting players—Ernest Thesiger and Wilfrid Hyde-White—are either unrecognizable beneath powdered wigs or lost in a brief pass-through in the course of the haphazard script.
Largely unnecessary is a brief introduction, the thousandth gathering of the one hundred members of the Old Ghosts Association, those who “either are or have been a ghost in regular practice.”   The Morley and Aylmer characters propose to share with their guests a reminiscence of their two hundred years “on active service” as specters.
In this opening scene, the camera, tracking the length of the table over the assembled ghosts, will never again be as mobile in the rest of the film.
So, to begin the story, it’s 1708 and two officers in Queen Anne’s army, General “Jumbo” Burlap (Morley) and Colonel “Bulldog” Kelsoe (Aylmer), want to prevent a war and plan to kidnap the big proponent of that war, the Duke of Marlborough—the first duke of a new peerage created by the Queen herself.  In testing their trap door to the basement where they plan to imprison their victim until war is averted, the two officers are killed and become—well, what else . . . ghosts.
Soon, there is the magical arrival of the document of their court-martial, appearing with a “pop.”  They are found AWOL and sentenced to inhabit the house on Berkeley Square until a British monarch crosses its threshold.  
Although Lady Mary (Hunt) has royal connections and arrives looking for new lodgings, Queen Anne hates her, so “Jumbo” and “Bulldog” set their ghost-scaring into practice—noises, a stuffed bear, slamming doors, bird prints on the carpet and objects crashing to the floor.  After Lady Mary has fled in horror, the two belatedly realize their mistake.  Now no will come to the house if they think it’s haunted.
They fall out as to who is to blame and refuse to speak to one another for sixty-six years, communicating through quill and paper, until the arrival of a gift forces them to speak.  They decide to open the present together.  Inside is a cuckoo clock which announces not the hour but the day and year, as just at that moment: “Christmas Day, 1760.”  A fully decorated tree appears (“pop!”) and, outside, carolers sing “Silent Night,” fifty-eight years before it was written.  But no matter.
Reconciled, they work to attract a royal visit.  Their house, however, is turned into a bordello by Madame Millie (French actress Yvonne Arnaud): “Ghostees!  Ghostees, where are you?  Come here at once!”
After she and her girls have been evicted, there arrive various temporary occupants—an Indian rajah and his harem, a P.T. Barnum theatrical group and American Indians.  As more years pass and it becomes a hospital for Boer War wounded, “Bulldog” somehow magically develops a new drug (unclear as to how in the script) to cure a fatally ill Captain Dodds (James Hayter).  It is a medicine from the future, penicillin, “not to be used until 1943” (actually first used in 1941).
With the arrival of World War I, London is besieged by German zeppelins.  As the two stand on the balcony of the house, a dirigible breaks through the night clouds.  “Silly, really, fighting in a balloon,” “Jumbo” remarks.  “They couldn’t possibly hit anything,” “Bulldog” responds casually.
In the next instant the house is destroyed by a bomb and the two sit among the ruins wondering what will become of them.  Then there’s an arrival.  It’s Queen Mary, come to see the bomb damage!  The two ghosts see themselves disappearing and returning to their 1708 clothes.  “This is it!” shouts “Bulldog.”  “Going up!” the two shout together.  And a final glissando on a toy whistle.  Poof!
Best to enjoy the film for what it is.
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