#rathbone place

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone singing a tune behind the scenes of The Comedy of Terrors (1963)

#vincent price #peter lorre #basil rathbone #boris karloff #the comedy of terrors #halloween aesthetic #halloween #spooky boys #photo #photo edit by me #bts #behind the scenes #i fucking love this #and i love vinnys cute little mouth.... ahahajsjakajakwkw #i got a place for his mouth alright... #horror #old horror movies #vintage #movie #actor #handsome

[aangarchy]

Alright. I've rewatched the trailer like 20 times by now and i've been processing it.

First things first: anyone that's gonna talk shit about Gordon Cormier is gonna have to go through me first. I've only had Gordon!Aang for a day and a half and if anything happens to him i'll kill everyone here and then myself got it?

Just look at him! This is the exact big eared cute little kid i wanted them to cast for Aang. He looks adorable and honestly his outfit is growing on me.

The glowing arrow looked cool as hell. I like that the light spread through his tattoo almost like veins. I'm still curious on how the full avatar state is gonna look, how they're gonna get the glowing eye effect. Please don't let it look goofy.

Y'know what does look goofy?

Is it better than the m night shyamalan appa? I guess. Does that mean it looks good? Well.... at least momo sort of looks cute instead of some folklore nightmare like in shyamalan's version. But also you can tell in this shot in particular that it's very green screen-y

Then we go over to the bending, the limited shots we have of it. Mainly firebending was shown (a little airbending too but kinda hard to get a stillframe for that one)

Idk how to feel about it. In screenshots it looks alright but the shots while they were moving looked a bit off, especially the one where zuko's kicking. We only got very limited shots and that's intentional. I feel like the bigger cgi fails are gonna show up once we get the full show. If the bending looked good all the time i feel like they'd be showing it off by now.

What i don't like, is how apparently they're gonna SHOW Zuko getting burned. Like sure in atla they didn't bc kids show and Nickelodeon wouldn't allow it, and netflix can take darker turns if they so please. But i personally always felt that scene made so much impact because we didn't see it. Iroh is telling it from his memory and he didn't look when it happened, so we don't see it either. It's like a courtesy the show extends to both Zuko and the audience. We just hear the harrowing scream, and that's enough to know how devastating it is. I don't need a dramatic overlook so we can see the whole thing in detail, netflix.

Another thing is the hair in some scenes.

Daniel dae kim looked better in that promo photo, bc here you can just see how the bulky goatie was glued on. And then Sokka's hair..... where's the ponytail? It's laying completely flat against his head... why? Is it bc that's Ian's hair and they didn't know what to do with it? Literally get a comb and tease that bitch. This is like the complete opposite of Jackson Rathbone's hair in the shyamalan version, and somehow that full maybelline ponytail makes more sense than this sad excuse of a tail. Either way at least Suki looked dope.

Another thing i found weird about the trailer is the narration. I think it's either Iroh's voice or maybe Gyatso's? (I haven't heard Iroh's actor talk yet so idk, but it felt like it was being said TO either Aang or Zuko) but the lines they gave him... it felt like some weird mumbo jumbo tbh. Something something about the past and present being the same and it's up to us to know the difference and be the difference? It's saying everything and nothing at the same time and it felt kind of out of place. They're probably saving the iconic opening narration done by Katara for the full trailer (i hope???) but still they could have just gone with music, or maybe just a few iconic existing lines?

The music? Fire. Nothing needs to be added there. Was i kind of hoping for a different soundtrack? Maybe a bit. But am i mad? Not at all. They clearly took the nostalgia route with the more epic version of the avatar theme, and i can only respect them for that.

So far, very mixed reviews for me. I'm morbidly curious and very nosy by nature though, so i'm absolutely watching.

#avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar #atla netflix #netflix atla #atla live action #netflix

[hotvintagepoll]

Welcome to the HOT AND VINTAGE MOVIE STARS bracket! we are currently voting on the HOTTEST and VINTAGEST male movie stars from 1910-1970. (we will do the ladies next.) Submissions for hot vintage men are now closed, but we are accepting propaganda for those already in the bracket.

Round 3 of the Hot & Vintage Men Tournament will be posted Saturday, January 20th, with some spillover to Sunday, and will last a week. All the round 3 polls can be found and voted on under the tag #round 3. All polls—including previous rounds, the now-finished shadow bracket of hot men who didn’t pass round 1, plus fun mini polls—can be found in the #hotvintagepoll tag. Every poll in the Hot & Vintage Men Tournament is tagged with the hot man in it if you need to search for a hot man in particular.

Between rounds—so any point up to the night of Thursday the 18th—any propaganda for a round 3 contestant sent to my asks may be added to the poll descriptions. I accept video links, photos, and text propaganda, but not gifs at this stage (I can’t copy them into the posts without problems). Once rounds start, any propaganda sent in is posted as its own separate post, searchable under the hot man's tag.

FAQs:

"Where is [my favorite hot man]?" It depends. Have you checked all the polls in the tag? Have you done a tag search for him? If you still haven't found him, either nobody submitted him or he did not fit the criteria of being a movie man from 1910-1970.

"Can I still submit hot men?" No, the submission window has closed. Please do not send in men you wish had made it into the bracket. I can't do anything with those asks and they just make me sad.

"I have hot women to submit!" Amazing! I've posted the submission form for that bracket. Asks submitting ladies don't count—you need to wait until the submission form. DO NOT tag me in hot lady propaganda yet! Do not send any to my asks! Anything that's not put in the submission form doesn't count at this stage.

"I have additional propaganda for the hot men!" Great! Send me an ask or reblog the poll and add your propaganda to it. I don't boost all the propaganda I see or receive, but I try to boost the best of the best.

If you're submitting propaganda for your hot man, I don't accept propaganda that's from beyond the end of this tournament's era (ie don't send me pics of them in the 70s onwards). I also don't accept them performing in TV shows unless it's clearly a cameo where they're playing themselves.

I don't post or boost negative propaganda about any hot man. If you really hate that a certain hot man is winning, send me positive propaganda for their hot opponent. If you think a hot man shouldn't even be included in the bracket because of scummy things they did in their lifetime, please read my take on it here.

If I see repetitive, trolling, and/or bigoted remarks in the comments, I may block you from this bracket. If you want to point out a hot man's flaws or misdemeanors, that's fine, but if I see consistent bad-faith trolling, you will be blocked.

"My FAQ isn't on here :(" send me an ask! I love hearing from you guys—just please check these basics first.

"WHERE ARE THE HOT MEN. I want to see all the hot men competing in one place!!" You can find all the round 1 matchups here (thank you @markwatnae!), and everyone who made it to round 3 below the cut. Thank you for being here! Enjoy the tournament.

Round 3 Hot Vintage Men:

Marlon Brando

Anthony Perkins

James Dean

Omar Sharif

James Shigeta

Sidney Poitier

Jeremy Brett

Cary Grant

Buster Keaton

Gregory Peck

Paul Robeson

Sessue Hayakawa

Michael Redgrave

Vincent Price

Gary Cooper

Conrad Veidt

Ronald Colman

Rock Hudson

Basil Rathbone

Laurence Olivier

Toshiro Mifune

Christopher Plummer

Harry Belafonte

Johnny Weismuller

James Stewart

Gene Kelly

Peter Falk

Clark Gable

Fernando Lamas

Errol Flynn

Tyrone Power

Humphrey Bogart

#round 3 #new masterpost! #housekeeping #hotvintagepoll #fuck that old man

[firelxdykatara]

idk i just feel like the more pressing matter with sokka is the fact he’s been played by a white dude than whether or not he still hates women or whatever. and it’s so weird too because the casting for everyone is pretty spot on at least broadly speaking and then you get to sokka and it’s just (karen smith voice) if you’re from the water tribe, why are you white?

Well, for starters, we don't actually know that he is white.

I'm reluctant to relitigate this at this juncture, since there's been a lot of speculation with very little evidence, and frankly, even if he is white, the cast is still a damn sight more diverse than any installment we've ever had. The original main cast of the show was white--with the exception of Zuko and Iroh--as was the main cast of the movie adaptation (again with the exception of Zuko and Iroh, funnily enough), AND the creators were white AND all of the writers were white (and almost all of them were men), which means that there were approximately zero poc with storytelling authority involved with the show. Even if Ian Ousley is white (which is still an if! and I'm not gonna be out here demanding his 23andme results), that's one flub against an entire cast of Asian&indigenous actors, showrunners, writers, and directors (of which there are also considerably more women than the original could boast).

I'm not willing to throw that baby out with the bathwater, so to speak, and I'm going to err on the side of if the rest of the cast is ok with his presence, then it shouldn't bother me too badly. They have excellent chemistry in interviews and on screen, and, from what I've seen, seem to be friends, and that's good enough for me.

Also, I just want to take this moment to point out that trying to rely on looks to determine who is or isn't a poc is problematic at best--and I think that, without bias, Ian doesn't look out of place next to Kia, Dallas, and Gordon. It's not like he's Jackson Rathbone, guys.

#atla #atla la #The Sokka Thing #sokka #ian ousley #even if it is true that he's white it's not necessarily true that he lied to get the role #him believing what he was told growing up about his ancestry does not make him a villain trying to steal roles from actors of color #and i shouldn't have to explain why relying on US validation of a tribe to determine who is and isn't native is. a problem. #but all of that just can't compare to the opportunities that have been given to the other actors&writers&directors who ARE poc #and are getting a chance to tell this story #me: i'm reluctant to relitigate this #also me: AND ONE MORE THING #anyway

[abybweisse]

Why is Rachel considered a masculin charecter?

Rachel's "masculine" character

That seems to be a common misunderstanding within the fandom, which I also fell victim to for a while. I think it stems from the English fan translation (perhaps even the French licensed translation?) about her in the Character Guide.

Yana-san tried to clear that up a while later, like in tweets or something, but it's still a pervasive misconception.

What Yana-san was trying to say is that Rachel is a strong-willed woman, much like Vincent says of the Phantomhive women. In "With Father" he was mostly talking about his sister and mother, but he probably chose to marry a woman who shares many of the same characteristics.

Rachel doesn't have the strongest physical health, given her severe asthma, but she's clearly (per the Character Guide and Vincent) the disciplinarian in the family, not Vincent. And we've seen her take charge of a situation when Vincent didn't know what to do or say (when real Ciel says he doesn't want to become earl anymore). She's also canonically the one who names the boys, since Vincent says so, explaining to the real Vicar Rathbone that he's no good with choosing names and that Rachel named their own sons.

She's also got a rather raunchy sense of humor (grabbing her little sister's boobs and being openly envious of her for her endowments). Madam Red might have developed her own naughty sense of humor partly influenced by Rachel's.

Idk exactly how the original Japanese words it in the Character Guide, but at least one translation came up with "masculine" to describe her personality. Like I said above, the fandom -- including me -- ran with it. I haven't deleted the old posts I made about it, but there should be reblogs or comments or both on some of the old posts, where I try to clear up the confusion. And there should be some newer posts, like this one, where I explain the misunderstanding.

Rachel's strong-willed and not particularly demure, with her occasionally raunchy and scathing wit. She takes charge of situations when her husband isn't sure what to do. She's the one who spanks the children when they misbehave, and so they fear her more than their father. Some would call this "masculine" of her... and that's possibly how the misunderstanding came about in the first place. She doesn't 100% fit gender norms of the Victorian era. But then again, who truly did?

Personally, I find characters who fit 100% to some stereotype to be one-sided and boring. Rachel strikes me as an interesting, multifaceted character. And we still hardly even know her....

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #rachel phantomhive #personality #clarification #anon asks #i answer #answered asks #aug 27 2023 #with father #character guide #vincent phantomhive #madam red #angelina dalles #angelina durless #francis midford #frances midford #claudia phantomhive #cloudia phantomhive

[zapreportsblog]

Jasper Hale req:

His niece is getting married to Caius from the Volturi.

-Literally one of the if not the only time the "whole" vampire world has come together

Why?

her

She's alike Carlisle in she has many friends(allies).

But: she's cruel, which is why Caius asked to marry her.

Gift- She can influence people to be loyal to her.

He realizes that she's being influenced by Chelsea to marry Caius. So he has to stop it before she married Caius and officially becomes a part of the coven... IDK I tried to be diffrent(creative)

I like the idea of him not having a gift as developed as Chelsea as he is quite many years younger...😮

Chelsea | Twilight Saga Wiki | Fandom

Jasper Hale | Twilight Saga Wiki | Fandom

Idk if that was specific enough...But that's all I have...I literally brain melted then this spawned as a thought.

Here's menacing Jackson Rathbone as a treat? Idk thx <3

You tired and you delivered, it was indeed very creative

❝an unconventional union❞

✭ pairing : caius volturi x reader x jasper hale

✭ fandom : twilight

✭ summary : jasper learns that his niece is getting married off to Caius volturi at first he pays it no mind but upon learning she’s being manipulated by Chelsea he goes to stop the wedding only for things to come to light in the process

✭ authors note : this will angst with some fluff even a little joke here and there

✭ twilight masterlist

Jasper Hale, a member of the Cullen coven, stood in the grand hall of the Volturi castle, observing the preparations for his niece (Y/n)'s wedding to Caius, one of the Volturi leaders. As he watched, he couldn't help but feel a mix of conflicting emotions.

(Y/n) possessed a cruel and manipulative nature, much like her soon-to-be husband, Caius. They shared a bond built upon their shared darkness, a match made in the depths of their unrelenting personalities. Jasper understood that, in their world, such alliances were not uncommon.

Despite his reservations about their personalities, Jasper loved his niece unconditionally. He had seen her grow up, witnessed the choices she made, and understood that her nature was a product of her environment and upbringing. He did not condone her cruelties, but he also did not judge her for them.

Jasper's golden eyes scanned the room as (Y/n) descended the grand staircase, her dark eyes gleaming with a sense of power and confidence. She wore a regal black and red gown that accentuated her commanding presence, a true reflection of her strong personality.

As she approached the altar where Caius stood, a smile played on Jasper's lips. He could see the undeniable connection between them, the understanding and acceptance of each other's darkness. It was a bond that few could comprehend, but one that resonated with (Y/n) and Caius.

Jasper knew that this union would not be conventional or easy. It would be a partnership forged in the fires of their shared cruelties, a relationship that would test the boundaries of their own natures. But he also knew that it was not his place to interfere or judge.

As the ceremony began, the room filled with an atmosphere of intrigue and power. (Y/n) and Caius exchanged vows that reflected their shared desires for control and dominance. It was a ceremony unlike any other, one that celebrated their unconventional love.

That’s when he heard it, the whispers of some lowly guards in the back “Seems Chelsea did a good job on altering the brides feelings.”

“Heh, you’re telling me. It’s like she never even disagreed to the marriage to begin with.”

The priest stood at the altar, his voice resonating through the hall as he asked the fateful question, "Does anyone object to this union?" In that moment, Jasper's heart skipped a beat. His instincts, honed by years of battle and a deep understanding of emotions, screamed at him to speak up.

He couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was amiss, that (Y/N) was being manipulated into this marriage. His mind raced, searching for a way to intervene and protect his niece from potential harm.

With a surge of determination, Jasper stepped forward, his voice echoing through the hall. "I object!" he exclaimed, his eyes filled with concern. The room fell silent, all eyes turning to him, awaiting an explanation.

Jasper took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on (Y/N). "I overheard some guards talking about Chelsea altering your feelings for Caius," he explained, his voice filled with urgency.

“I couldn't stand by and let you be manipulated into a marriage that may not be of your own free will." A flicker of surprise crossed (Y/N)'s face, but it quickly transformed into a gentle smile. She walked towards Jasper, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding.

“Uncle, thank you for your concern," she said, her voice laced with affection. "But there's no need to worry. I asked Chelsea to alter my feelings because I couldn't bear the thought of a red and black wedding. However, since it's the Volturi's theme colors and I am being welcomed into their clan, I felt it was important to follow through with it."

Jasper's eyes widened in realization, a tinge of embarrassment coloring his cheeks. He had misunderstood the situation, jumping to conclusions without fully understanding (Y/N)'s intentions.

But (Y/N)'s laughter filled the air, washing away any sense of discomfort. "You were just looking out for me, Uncle Jasper," (Y/N) said, her voice filled with gratitude. "And for that, I am grateful. But rest assured, this is my choice, and I am willingly entering into this marriage."

Jasper's shoulders relaxed, a sense of relief washing over him. He had acted out of love and concern, and while his intentions were noble, he had misjudged the situation. But (Y/N)'s forgiveness and understanding reminded him of the strength of their bond.

With a nod of gratitude, Jasper stepped back, allowing (Y/N) to return to the altar. The priest, resuming his duties, continued with the wedding ceremony, the words of commitment and love filling the hall once more.

Jasper watched as (Y/n) and Caius sealed their union with a passionate kiss, their eyes filled with an understanding that surpassed conventional love. It was a moment that confirmed their commitment to each other, and Jasper couldn't help but feel a sense of acceptance.

As the festivities continued, Jasper approached (Y/n) and Caius, his expression filled with a mixture of caution and support. "Congratulations to both of you," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "May your union bring you the strength and power you seek."

(Y/n) smirked, her eyes glittering with a mix of mischief and gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Jasper. Your acceptance means a lot to us."

Jasper nodded, his eyes meeting Caius', silently conveying his trust and vigilance. He may not fully understand or condone their darkness, but he would always be there for his niece, supporting her choices and protecting her when needed.

In that moment, Jasper realized that love came in many forms, and family bonds could transcend conventional norms. He would continue to love (Y/n) fiercely, even if he didn't always agree with her choices. After all, she was his niece, and he would always be there for her, no matter the darkness that surrounded their world.

#x reader #x reader oneshot #x reader one shot #x reader requests #jasper hale x y/n #jasper hale x reader #jasper hale #jasper hale imagine #jasper hale imagines #jasper hale x you #caius volturi x reader #caius volturi imagine #caius volturi imagines #caius x reader #caius volturi x y/n #caius volturi x you #the volturi #the volturi x reader #volturi imagine #volturi imagines #volturi x reader #volturi x you #volturi x y/n #twilight scenario #twilight masterlist #twilight imagines #twilight imagine #twilight x y/n #twilight x you

[ikeyniofthetayrangi]

Ummm guys... to have the man himself like my comment on Instagram is the best feeling in the world! I've only been noticed by a few other celebrities on social media a few times and each time makes me feel like I matter. They see and care about their fans. Like that one time Jackson Rathbone asked me what pizza place was the best while he was in Chicago a few years ago. It makes me feel like I'm a part of something great and making a difference in the world. When celebrities acknowledge their fan base, it makes us feel like we've done the greatest thing on the whole planet just by being their supporters. So thank you Laz for making your fans happy and a part of your life.

#avatar #avatar the way of water #tsu'tey avatar #laz alonso #tsu'tey actor #stories of Instagram #avatar fandom #celebrity fanbase #fans of Avatar #avatar pandora #avatar na'vi #avatar frontiers of pandora #avatar 2009

[blistering-typhoons]

Okay, so I watched one or two Rathbone Holmes stories back in high school and decided I didn't like Nigel Bruce, but I've also seen you talking positively about the Rathbone Holmes movies/ episodes. If you're willing, can you say why you like them and/ or which you would recommend starting on? Is it a series to watch in broadcast order, or are they more stand-alone? Which ones are your favorite? I want to give it a second chance.

hiya, thanks for the ask :D adding a cut here cuz this post got realllyyy outta hand- so so sorry xD

I wanna preface by saying that I totally get the frustration of Nigel Bruce Watson- as much as I've come to care for this portrayal, there are still moments of disappointment? I feel? Mostly once you see all the potential in him before it gets unceremoniously dumbed down for the sake of comedy, and it can be trying sometimes, but I've learned to breeze past those moments and! There are definitely movies where he shines brighter than others! In the end, you may warm up to him or you may not, but I fully commend you on taking another chance :D

I did not really start off in broadcast order (my ass still hasn't seen rathbone and bruce's HOUN- bloody disgraceful lmao) and mostly watched in order of vibes, which seems to have worked out alright xD

I started off with Scarlet Claw, and after rewatching it this morning, I feel like it's an alright place to start! It's a good sort of mystery and there was enough element of equal partnership to get me invested in Holmes and Watson. But, I'd say it's still pretty lukewarm, enjoy it as I do, so to compound this long ass post lemme throw a list at you real quick of rathbone movies i strongly recommend-

The Pearl of Death:

Starting off with Pearl of Death not only for the 'Watson gathers the braincells' quality but because it's one of the genuine classics in the series- a brilliantly crafted movie from start to finish, and in my opinion, one of the better shot ones. This one is a good start, it's a bit slow in some places, but it's a good, neutral film that showcases I think some of the more concrete themes and brilliancy of the movies.

House of Fear:

I honestly dunno if I'm biased about this one, but it is genuinely one of my favourite movies of all time. It's the very second one I watched, and it's still in my nighttime viewing collection- I fall asleep watching this movie, which is a compliment I swear. Watson has a more active role, is genuinely trying his best for most of the runtime and falls more in line with 'genuine failure to succeed' more than just 'bungled it up for a gag'. It's a really, really excellent mystery and I adore Holmes and Watson's dynamic throughout- 10/10, freaking banger movie.

Pursuit to Algiers:

Then, of course, the Big Daddy herself- Pursuit to Algiers. This one falls less in line with a mystery (our baddies become pretty clear at one point) and more suspense, but man is that a good thing. The dang thing takes place on a boat for most of it, Holmes and Watson are attached to eachother like pairbonded shelter dogs and have the most balanced, affectionate of interactions, Watson gets to sing! And not to give away any spoilers (yeah shush, i know the movie's old) but a particular plot point happens in this movie and as a result, Nigel Bruce gets to do a genuinely heartbreaking piece of acting- seriously, there is a shot where he goes out onto the deck, completely silent of music and just looks out into the ocean that still has me unwell even after all this time. Goofy moments still happen in the movie, but they feel more organic, and overall there is a wonderfully grounded approach to Watson here- he's still silly, but it's a fun silly, and a silly that Holmes indulges in with him. The depth of affection between these two is ASTOUNDING in this movie, bloody unhinged behaviour. Great movie, do watch it :D

I'd say those three are, at least in my opinion, the best of the best! I do enjoy the others, but I think it best to venture into those once an affection has been developed, they do strain the patience a bit at times I'm afraid. (And it goes without saying, some of the movies have a definite propaganda vibe to them, which is charming sometimes and sometimes just grating, really depends on the day i think- none of the three movies listed above fall under this category though- and the of course, general warning for all the really poorly aged 1940s stuff, but you know that :>)

Except The Spider Woman. In really the bluntest of terms, fuck that movie, all my homies hate The Spider Woman, do NOT watch it (i'm only half joking, oh god its so bad)

Anyways, uh, sorry lmao-

I really must thank you for letting me put this incredibly useless knowledge to use, I'm so goddamn sorry it came out in this absolute massive scrawl- I wish you all the luck in your rathbone holmes adventure, and I hope you have an illuminating time either way it goes for you :D

#jesus christ the size of this lad #anyways those are my two(hundred) cents i really hope it helps! #if anybody has any other perspective feel free to share #and i know i was kinda hard on my boy watson here #but it is only because i love him so much i must bully him (jokE A JOKE) #number one girlfailure in my heart <3 #sherlock holmes #john watson #rathbone holmes

[bapydemonprincess]

Imagine Grelle briefly popping in at the manor around the Book of Murder arc because of the weird wombo combo of deaths listed for that night and... wait... INCLUDING SEBASTIAN MICHAELIS??

And when she arrives she comes face to face with some charming older man named Jeremy who meets her in the rain as if he heard she was coming, and he smiles amiably with a twinkle in those eyes and tells her.

"Fear not, madam. I have it on good authority that the tangles and twists going on under this mansion roof will work themselves out post haste."

And Grelle tries to come off as unbothered, waving him off.

"Ooh, I'm sure they will, good sir. I'm sure they will. This isn't my first dive into the doom and gloom of Phantomhive Manor.."

"Then whatever could have brought you out here, then, might I ask. Surely with that fine lovely suit you're wearing, you are a busy lady, I imagine."

"W-Well, yes, normally.." Grelle cannot believe this. This classy gent is taking her for a turn! Even if... unintentionally. Almost as if it comes naturally...

"However there's a man that works in the service under the Earl here, and I... erm.. fancy him you could say, hehee.."

DID YOU JUST GIGGLE GRELLE, LIKE A LITTLE GIRL???

"Ahh," Mr. Rathbone responds... Pauses as if in thought; as if caught off guard, and then.. his visage seems to turn solemn, eyes closing, head bowing.

"This man wouldn't happen to possibly be the head butler, would he?"

Grelle flounders and merely hums her ascent, nodding. She cannot, for the death of her, get over her own current state!

"Hmph, well, I'm afraid I must inform you that.. that very man has perished this evening. After a surprise attack last night on his evening patrol, while he was stoking one of the fireplaces."

"THAT-" Grelle shouts outright at first, looking absolutely scandalized by this news, finger pointing accusingly at the Vicar.

"That... that isn't true." She goes on, voice lower, shakier, but still firm.

The man still has his eyes closed. Not budging nor flinching an inch.

"I'm afraid it is, my dear. I've seen his lifeless form with my own eyes, by now. Though I was not present at the time of his death's discovery, everyone else in this manor was, and if you wish, you yourself can slip in to ask.."

He does then open one eye, that pins the reaper in place with it's stern and serious look.

"Might I suggest in particular the other servants that served under him, for they will most definitely will have something to say, I believe, to anyone who'd object to this wretched truth they must now live with."

His other eye opens then too, and his stern look appears even sterner.. If that is possible.

"Or perhaps the boy Earl himself who now appears even younger, weaker, without that butler by his side."

Grelle still frowned, having crossed her arms tightly during his spiel, and merely stared him down.

Gone was the floundering brief glimpse of a debutante-like version of herself.

And here stood a woman with even more questions than before.

"I'll have you know, Mister Jeremy, this butler in particular that I speak of, and I know is much more formidable than you've likely imagined possible. He. Can't. Be. Dead. It's.... IT'S. JUST. NOT. POSSIBLE, do you hear me??"

And again, the man still stood perfectly in place, not even blinking before the enraged woman as she snarled her insistences through sharp gritted teeth.

"Oh yes, I can hear you quite well, my dear. But it appears to me as if there's a clear barrier between what I'm telling you and what you are hearing. And perhaps it could be the wretched weather we are currently prithee to, or perhaps it's something possibly.. unseen at work. Like a certain foolish human device in ones chest cavity shouting above my words, drowning them out. But there's unfortunately nothing I can do about that. And alas,"

He swiftly took out a pocket watch, and checked the time.

"I must leave you to return to the others. As I explained earlier I've put it upon myself to help the Earl and his remaining guests solve this case, so,"

He clapped it shut, and looked up at the reaper again.

"I wish you well, madam, and pray that if perhaps we next meet it'll be on better terms. For both our sakes."

And his smile then at her was as smooth as a pearl, eyes closed and cheery wrinkles presenting themselves even more so.

He means only the best.. A voice insisted to Grelle, and she found her muscles relaxing.

Her eyebrows remained firmly pressed down, though, her mouth a single line.

"Yes," she heard her own voice murmur over the rumble of thunder, "for both our sakes, indeed."

And she automatically turned away as the man himself turned too.

Both parties quietly trudging away from the scene.

And yet Grelle's mind spun round and round at break-neck speed.

Something was definitely up here. For there was too many peculiar things going on in this one moment alone!

This Jeremy himself. A Vicar?? At Ciel Phantomhive's place?? In the middle of this storm that had likely been going on since earlier that day.. No, even since yesterday Grelle was certain the rain had been falling.

And his stance. How he was the one to come to her in this moment. Not any other servants! He was merely visiting wasn't he?? He surely wasn't planning on staying much longer after this event!

And and and..

Grelle wanted to hold her head and curl up.

He... He was either ACTUALLY the one somehow to KILL SEBASTIAN or.... or... OR....

...........

....

.

The pocket watch.

#kuroshitsuji #sebastian michaelis #grelle sutcliff #grell sutcliff #sebagrelle #sebagrell #jeremy rathbone #book of murder #my writing #ANYWAY there was more and the jeremy grelle interactions was gonna get saucy but idk....

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

1935 and 1939 :)

1935: A battle between Captain Blood and the original Mutiny on the Bounty, two films that I'm actually not that fond of overall but which I respect for their place in the Boat Œuvre. I think Captain Blood wins out by virtue of the iconic costumes and Basil Rathbone being there. Every day I wish that Captain Blood was good [gets beaten to death by my pirate mutuals]

1939: The Wizard of Oz !!

#years ago i saw and liked the ’62 mutiny on the bounty much more but i haven't rewatched it in like a decade so idk how it holds up #cursemewithyourkiss #asks #movie year ask game

[fitzrovianews]

Licensing application: 23 Rathbone Place

23 Rathbone Place. Photo: Fitzrovia News. Lothbury Property Trust Company Limited has applied to Camden Council for a new premises licence for the ground floor and basement at 23 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia. Permission is sought for the sale of alcohol for consumption both on and off the premises from 10am to 11.30pm, Monday to Thursday; 10am to midnight on Friday and Saturday; and from 12noon…

View On WordPress

#Camden Council #licensing #public consultations #Rathbone Place

[mshexley]

"They would kill you for being queer in Palestine" or "you can't be queer and support Palestine, they wouldn't like you over there"

Nex Benedict wasn't in Palestine.

Brianna Ghey wasn't in Palestine.

Sonia Rescalvo Zafra wasn't in Palestine.

Nireah Johnson wasn't in Palestine.

Ariyanna Mitchell wasn't in Palestine.

Amanda Milan wasn't in Palestine.

Shelby Tracy Tom wasn't in Palestine.

Janice Robets wasn't in Palestine.

*Damilola Taylor wasn't in Palestine.

Barry Rathbone wasn't in Palestine.

Steven Simpson wasn't in Palestine.

Melania Geymonat and Christine Hannigan weren't in Palestine.

These are just a SMALL handful of people (alive and dead) who were the victims of queerphobic violence. And they were NOT in Palestine. And yet, if anyone said we need to bomb these places for stuff like this, they would be regarded as extremists because that's NOT how you help people.

Using the violence that queer people face as a "get out of jail free" card for genocide is evil as hell and it's not something that people who claim to care about queer people should be engaging in.

Especially considering the queer people who live in Palestine. You're not helping them by murdering their family and friends and the home that they love while spitting on their culture and history.

You don't help people by committing genocides.

(Should be noted that Damilola Taylor never claimed to be gay because he was 10 and he didn't even know what being gay was but his bullies/murderers often hurled homophobic slurs at him while they harassed him regardless. He was a victim of homophobic violence without even knowing if he himself was actually gay or not. He was just a sensitive boy and that made him a target for hate.)

If you think Palestine deserves bombs and violence for queerphobia then so does Israel and the governments that support it. It's a dangerous and fucking ridiculous line of logic all in the name of trying to justify a genocide and convince people they should look away.

Killing Palestinians will do NOTHING for me or my rights as a queer person. Especially one that lives in the UNITED STATES of all places.

#free palestine

[kierrasreads]

A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes #1) by Arthur Conan Doyle Review

Plot

Our first meeting with Sherlock Holmes. And John Watson's too! The young doctor is astonished by Holmes' many idiosyncrasies, including his talents on the violin.

But it's not long before Sherlock Holmes, with Watson in tow, is working with Scotland Yard investigating the murder of two Americans whose deaths have some mysterious connection to sinister groups gathering power in both Britain and America.

Here's where it all began, 'A Study in Scarlet.' Meet Sherlock Holmes, one of the world's leading consulting detectives - fictional of course!

Discussion

We meet again, Mr. Holmes! Like many fans of this iconic detective, my first introduction to him was through the BBC adaptation of the series, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I was obsessed with this show! Then, my interests shifted and I left this British character in the past. My interest in the series got ignited again fairly recently. One day after work, I was browsing the Roku channel and saw that the platform had many Sherlock Holmes films from 1939, with Basil Rathbone portraying Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce portraying Dr. John Watson (I believe all 14 films from this series are available on Roku). Anyway, the point is that I decided to read the Sherlock Holmes novels again and stick to them this time. This first Sherlock Holmes story totally captured my interest. The first part of this novel (Dr. Watson's reminiscences) proved to be fairly interesting and I was surprised at how fast Sherlock Holmes was able to solve the case.

The second part of the book focused on Jefferson Hope's past and took place in Utah (I'm sure some of you can see where this is going). I was utterly shocked at the portrayal of the Mormons, especially Brigham Young. I'll admit, I know next to nothing about Mormonism, its history, etc., but the whole second part of the novel read as..well..anti-Mormon. I couldn't help but wonder if Doyle had a grudge against the religion/group in general, or used this as an opportunity to let his grievances be known, but let's just say that I was relieved when Jefferson Hope finished his story and the focus shifted to the trail/conclusion. I'll have to research to see why he chose this particular lighting to portray the Mormons (of course, I realize that every story with revenge and murder must have a villain, otherwise it would be a completely different type of novel).

That's all I have to say about that! It was a good, brief read that got me back into the Sherlock Holmes fandom.

Rating

5/5

#kierra's reads #bookblr #sherlock holmes #john watson #a study in scarlet #dr john watson #arthur conan doyle

[hotvintagepoll]

Welcome to the HOT AND VINTAGE MOVIE STARS bracket! we are currently voting on the HOTTEST and VINTAGEST male movie stars from 1910-1970. (we will do the ladies next.) Submissions for hot vintage men are now closed, but we are accepting propaganda for those already in the bracket.

Round 2 of the Hot & Vintage Men Tournament will be posted Saturday, January 6th, with some spillover to Sunday if needed, and will last a week. All the round 2 polls can be found and voted on under the tag #round 2. All polls—including the shadow bracket of men already removed from the main tournament, as well as additional fun mini polls—can be found in the #hotvintagepoll tag. Every poll in the Hot & Vintage Men Tournament is tagged with the hot man in it if you need to search for a hot man in particular.

Between rounds, any propaganda (photos, videos, gifs, or text) submitted for your favorite Hot Vintage Man who is in the next round may be added to the official propaganda field in the polls, giving your fave an advantage in the next round. Once rounds start, any propaganda sent in is posted as its own separate post, searchable under the hot man's tag.

FAQs:

"Where is [my favorite hot man]?" It depends. Have you checked all the polls in the tag? Have you done a tag search for him? If you still haven't found him, either nobody submitted him or he did not fit the criteria of being a movie man from 1910-1970.

"Can I still submit hot men?" No, the submission window has closed. Please do not send in men you wish had made it into the bracket. I can't do anything with those asks and they just make me sad.

"I have hot women to submit!" Amazing! Please wait to send me your ladies until I post the submission form for that bracket. Asks submitting ladies don't count—you need to wait until the submission form.

"I have additional propaganda for the hot men!" Great! Send me an ask or reblog the poll and add your propaganda to it. I don't have time to read all the propaganda but I boost what I can.

If you're submitting propaganda for your hot man, I don't accept propaganda that's from beyond the end of this tournament's era (ie don't send me pics of them in the 70s onwards).

I don't post or boost negative propaganda about any hot man. If you really hate that a certain hot man is winning, send me positive propaganda for their hot opponent. If you think a hot man shouldn't even be included in the bracket because of scummy things they did in their lifetime, please read my take on it here.

If I see repetitive, trolling, and/or bigoted remarks in the comments, I may block you from this bracket. If you want to point out a hot man's flaws or misdemeanors, that's fine, but if I see consistent bad-faith trolling, you will be blocked.

"My FAQ isn't on here :(" send me an ask! I love hearing from you guys—just please check these basics first.

"WHERE ARE THE HOT MEN. I want to see all the hot men competing in one place!!" You can find all the round 1 matchups here (thank you @markwatnae!), and everyone who made it to round 2 below the cut. Thank you for being here! Enjoy the tournament.

Hot Men of Round 2, in no particular order (I will post matchup links once round 2 begins)

Omar Sharif vs Alain Delon

Sammy Davis Jr. vs James Dean

Gregory Peck vs Lex Barker

Robert Redford vs Sidney Poitier

Charlton Heston vs Jeremy Brett

Dick Van Dyke vs Marlon Brando

Cesar Romero vs Cary Grant

Rock Hudson

Peter Cushing

Jimmy Stewart

Conrad Veidt

Bela Lugosi

Vincent Price

Gene Kelly

Harry Belafonte

Christopher Plummer

Errol Flynn

Burt Lancaster

Oscar Michaux

Paul Newman

Clint Eastwood

Sessue Hayakawa

Carman Newsome

Robert Earl Jones

Gary Cooper

Paul Robeson vs David Niven

Clark Gable

Humphrey Bogart

Toshiro Mifune

Ronald Colman

Harold Nicholas

Danny Kaye

John Carradine

Gilbert Roland

Benson Fong

Guy Madison

Buster Keaton vs Noble Johnson

James Shigeta vs Peter O'Toole

Montgomery Clift

Frank Sinatra

Fred Astaire

Basil Rathbone

Turhan Bey

Boris Karloff

Peter Falk

Laurence Olivier

Tyrone Power

Donald O’Connor

Michael Redgrave

James Edwards vs Anthony Perkins

Fernando Lamas

Johnny Weismuller

Sabu Dastagir

Rex Ingram

Bing Crosby

If you have any additional questions, or propaganda to submit for the men above, send me an ask here.

#new masterpost! #round 2 #hotvintagepoll #housekeeping #fuck that old man

[whatwewrotepodcast]

Pride and Prejudice in Space

Chapter 4 - Theo

I've started to add links to the PPiS chapters in our writeblr intro pinned on the page so if you'd like to catch up, you can find the other chapters there!

--

Theo managed to find a mechanic for the Idalia. He pulled in the last of his favours with some of the Alliance workshops he’d dealt with in the past. It was under the table, and it wasn’t a long term arrangement, but hopefully it would at least get him to another station that might have what he needed. They didn’t seem as confident with the M class as Onyx had been. But as they had so astutely pointed out, that wasn’t surprising.

He held onto his anger for a number of days. He’d feel the hairs on the back of his neck bristle every time he thought of them and their tax. The insults they slung at him time after time made him grit his teeth so hard he could feel his ear drums rumble. But there was something else they’d said that stuck in his head, too. They’d blamed him. Not the Alliance. Theo.

Onyx was many things. Rash, vulgar and rude. But the way they held him personally accountable for their demise seemed out of place. What had he done, other than dictate the investigation and present the reports to the court? Onyx seemed to think they had been unfairly prosecuted, that they had done nothing to deserve the charges that were laid against them. But the damage to the ship was undeniable. The lives lost were irrefutable. So what were they implying? That it hadn’t been their fault? That they hadn’t made a fatal mistake that caused one of the largest internal disasters in the history of the Alliance?

Onyx was many things. But they weren’t a liar.

Try as he might, he was unable to ignore the feeling. Which is how he came to be hunched at the poor excuse for a desk in the room, with multiple holo screens, pouring over the hundreds of documents in the Alliance vs Rathbone case. He poured over the transcripts of the trial. He hadn’t been present for all of it. Onyx had represented themselves. A bold choice, though given they were a small business owner, perhaps it was all they could do. He found some of the tapes of Onyx on the stand. Early in the trial their replies had been civil and calm. They’d answered the questions confidently, barely getting flustered as the plaintiffs challenged their qualifications, their knowledge, even the memories they recalled. But as the trial went on, and it started to become clear that Onyx wasn’t going to win this fight, their demeanour shifted into one more familiar to Theo. They became more obstinate, becoming deliberately difficult to cross-examine. Their frustration was clear, they were restless on the stand. They became more vocal, even coming close to being held in contempt when they continued to interrupt the lawyer during their statement.

Onyx had maintained their innocence throughout the trial. Pleading not-guilty, despite being offered a plea deal. The plea deal wouldn’t have saved their reputation, but it would have lessened the punitive damages charged to them.

Why hadn’t they taken the plea deal? He wasn’t familiar with Onyx by any means. But he’d met them enough times to imagine them to be stubborn to the point of stupid. If they had truly felt themselves to be innocent of the charges laid against them, there was no way they would stoop to pleading guilty.

So if they truly were innocent, why had the evidence mounted up against them so clearly? He had coroner’s reports, doctor’s testimonies, and eye witness accounts. The after effects of the accident were clearly documenting and there were no denying them. But there was really only one key piece of evidence that proved that it was as a direct result of Onyx’s work on the ship.

He’d asked a third-party mechanic to look go over Onyx’s work orders and examine the Alliance Starship. He searched for a mechanic that had no particular ties to either the Alliance or Rathbone, to ensure there could be no accusations of bias.

Theo pulled up the report, rubbing at his eyes while it loaded, as though he could push the headache away. He blinked his eyes into focus and pulled the holo a little closer as he carefully read through the report. It was straightforward enough, and he had a working knowledge of astro-engineering which meant he could understand more than what most lay-people might.  The report clearly indicated that there was a critical failure in the magnetic bottle containment field, which had led to an explosion that killed two people who were in close proximity to it, and the remainder of the ship had been exposed to acute levels of radiation. The report was thorough and damning to say the least. This alone would have been enough to condemn Onyx. But Onyx had insisted that the report was wrong.

He shook his head with a sign and scrolled back to the top of the report. He’d read it dozens of times already, but maybe once more would highlight an error or a flaw in the mechanics mathematics. Before he could begin to read the report again though, something else caught his eye. The second holo had brought up the file data. What program they had used, the IP address of the processor the program had run on and, most importantly, the date it had been created on.

14:12:02, 23rd October, 2398 ASDT

Theo’s brows furrowed as peered in closer to it. October. That couldn’t have been correct. He had his request file opened on the third holo. He hadn’t even asked for the third party report until 5th November. So how is it that the mechanic had written this report nearly two weeks prior? Theo’s jaw shifted as he ground his teeth together, churning through the different explanations for the anomaly. But there was one the consistently came to the forefront of his mind.

Cover-up.

Theo sat back in his chair, his heart beating uncomfortably loud in his chest. It could have been an error. Perhaps the mechanic had simply overwritten the report on a document they’d started earlier. Maybe the file data was corrupted.

Theo had spent over half his life with the Alliance. Once it had been his lifeline. Now? Now he knew better. Now he knew what the Alliance were capable of. He knew the lengths they would go to in order to keep their power, to preserve appearances. He knew the kinds of things that they could hide so easily. Framing a small, independent mechanic to hide a bigger government play did not surprise Theo in the least. Unlike Theo, Onyx hadn’t seen it coming.

He closed down the holos and tucked the processor back into his pocket. He undid his vest, as though that would ease the tight feeling in his chest as he began to pace through the small room. He should leave it alone. That much was obvious. There was nothing he could do now. He held no power in the Alliance. He couldn’t undo what had been done. And any attempts to try and uncover whatever it was the Alliance were hiding would likely end up with him imprisoned, or worse. He could only be so lucky.

He should leave it alone.

The next morning, when the simulated dawn finally came to light the hallways of the Genesis station, found Theo walking down them with purpose. He was on his way to ISAT, or Ironscape Astro-Technologies, the address to their office he found easily on the letterhead of the third-party report. It was in the business sector, where a bunch of small rooms were rented out so that small businesses could have a reputable office space in the central zone of the station. A place like ISAT no doubt had a large warehouse further out in the industrial sector, but most people disliked travelling to that part of the station. It was loud and dirty and busy. Not to mention slightly risky, what with all the large machinery and haulers moving about.

Theo stepped into the ISAT office, adjusting his vest as he did so. The room was small and brightly lit. An attempt at décor had been made by painting blue patterns on the white walls and the addition of one lonely plastic plant in the corner of the room. There appeared to be no reception or waiting area, but the room instead opened directly to the main office. A young woman sat behind the desk, one finger paused over their touch screen as they looked up to greet him with a pretty smile.

“Morning, Sir. How can I help you today?” she asked, flicking a few strands of dark braids back over her shoulder. Theo came to a halt in front of the desk, his feet automatically coming beneath his hips, and tucked his hands behind his back.

“I’m looking for a Caesi Tameron,” he answered. The woman smile, standing up behind her desk. She was             very small and barely made it past his elbow.

“Well, you’re in luck. I’m Caesi. And you are?” she stretched across the desk to offer him her hand. Theo hesitated only for a moment before taking it, his hand engulfing her tiny fingers.

“Captain Theo Wolfe,” he said. Technically he had retained his title, even though he had retired from the Alliance. And given the circumstances that had brought him here, he thought he would have a higher chance of success if she thought he was still affiliated with them. Caesi was smart though and he watched her dark eyes scan him up and down, noting the fact that he was not in Alliance uniform, but rather dress in what had become his new uniform of black cargo pants, black tech shirt and his vest.

“Oh? Well, what can I do for you Captain Wolfe?” she asked, gesturing for him to take a seat as she sat down once more. Theo took a deep breath as he took his seat, trying to put the excess energy in his legs to good use. He clasped his hand together in front of him, looking over Caesi slowly.

“I understand that you wrote a report some time ago. You were asked to examine the wreckage of an Alliance Starship and provide evidence as to what had happened, yes?” He watched as Caesi’s cheery customer service façade faltered a little, her eyes narrowing and her smile fading just a fraction.

“That’s correct,” she answered. “Ordered by yourself, I believe.” Theo inclined his head a fraction, indicating that her memory had served her well.

“Indeed. I have some questions around the report that you gave. I was hoping you might be able to answer them,” he said, watching her carefully. Caesi swallowed thickly, reaching out to straighten the mat on her desk, buying herself some time while she considered his request. Theo had no intention of giving her any real choice in the matter however.

“Of course. I understand astro-engineering can sometimes be complicated,” she said, renewing her sweet smile. Theo’s eyes narrowed at her passive aggression. Was it a warning? Was she telling him not to go digging around land mines?

“Indeed, it can be. The concept of dates and time however, are quite simple,” he said. Caesi’s eyes narrowed again, and she looked confused.

“Excuse me?” she asked, tilting her head to the side, a couple of her braids swinging free as she did. Theo took out his hand held and flicked out the holo screen, placing it on the desk between them.

“You’ll see here the request I made to have an independent third party take a look at the Alliance starship in question. Note the date here,” he gestured to the date in the bottom of the document, below his own signature. “And here is the report you presented us.” Theo flicked across to the next document, showing the report on the ISAT letterhead. He glanced back at Caesi. Her olive toned skin had paled to a cold yellow as she stared at the screen.

“I thought that trial was done a long time ago,” she said, pulling her composure back together. Theo fixed her with a hard stare, ignoring her comment and instead flicking open the data points of the document.

“Now, I may not be an astro-engineer such as yourself. But tell me. How is it you came to write a report two weeks before I had even thought to request one for my case?” he asked, not letting her escape from his scrutiny. He watched as Caesi lifted her chin and drew up her shoulders, gathering her bravado around her like a safety blanket.

“I don’t know what you’re implying here, Captain Wolfe. But I think it’s time you left,” she said getting to her feet. It only gave her the slightest height advantage, but she used every inch of it to look down at him. Theo sat for a deliberate moment before slowly standing up, watching the shift as she straightened and shifted, having to look up at him instead.

“I think you know exactly what I’m implying here, Ms Tameron,” he said. “Unless you have an uncanny knack for telling the future, which I rather doubt on account of you seeming quite surprised to see me here, I cannot think any explanation where you come off with nothing to hide.” He saw the muscles in her throat tense as she swallowed thickly.

“I told you, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, stepping around the desk and walking towards the door, reaching out to open it. “If you don’t mind, I’ve quite a lot of wo-” Theo strode across the tiny office, clearing it in two strides. One hand snapped out, pushing the door closed, even as Caesi tried to hold onto the handle. She looked up at him, eyes wide in shock and he leaned in, pressing his advantage.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, Ms Tameron. But I recently retired from the Alliance. Do you know what that means?” he asked, tilting his head questioningly. Caesi continued to stare up at him, but remained silent, so he continued. “That means that I have all of the tools of the Alliance, and none of the responsibilities.”

“What do you want from me?” Caesi asked, trying to sound fierce but lacking the gusto behind the question. To her credit, she didn’t step back from him, but lifted her chin to stare right back at him.

“The truth, Ms Tameron. I understand that sometimes that it is a high price to pay, but it is the price I demand none-the-less. And unless you want to end up like Mx. Rathbone and the scraps of their business, I suggest you pay it,” Theo said, his brow furrowing, looking down at Caesi like a panther cornering its prey. Caesi snorted, rolling her eyes at him.

“And what, I tell you the truth and you just walk away? No harm, no foul? I never asked to be involved in any of this. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. A gift I never asked for!” she snarled, her sudden fury surprising Theo. Not altogether unexpected, perhaps. A frightened animal is always at its most unpredictable nature. It did make him wonder if Caesi wasn’t the villain, however, but perhaps another victim.

“Yes,” he said, his dark eyes boring into hers, letting his hand fall away from the door. “Caesi, I’m not your enemy here. This is your chance to come clean.” His voice was pitched low, the words grinding out his throat like gravel. Caesi hesitated, her eyes narrowing as she regarded him, her expression heavy with suspicion. But then she sighed, dropping her head and lifting her hands in surrender, taking a step back from him.

“Alright, fine. What do you want to know?” she asked, looking back at him with an arched brow. Theo shifted considering that question for a moment. What did he want to know? That Onyx had been innocent? That he’d unwittingly aided the Alliance in another cover-up?

“Was the report false?” he asked, unable to dance around it. Caesi regarded him for another moment before letting out a long breath, nodding.

“Some of it, yes. There was a failure in the magnetic bottle containment field. But as far as I could see, it wasn’t due to anything Onyx Rathbone did,” she admitted finally. Theo pressed his lips into a thin line, grinding his teeth. So Onyx had been innocent. No wonder they were so full of bitterness and vitriol. He could hardly blame them. He had, after all, reacted in a similar fashion when he’d left the Alliance.

“What was the cause of the failure?” he asked. Caesi shook her head, folding her arms across her chest.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Seriously, I don’t. I got the feeling that I would fair better not knowing,” she added at the look on Theo’s face. “I gave the ship a bit of a look over, so it appeared like I had made my own assessment. Then I handed in the report that was given to me.” Theo frowned, considering them. She appeared to be truthful enough.

“Who gave you the report?” He asked. Caesi shook her head, too soon. She had been expecting the question and she had no intentions of answering it. She appeared to be less truthful now.

“No idea,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly. The back of Theo’s neck prickled hearing the blatant lie, and he stepped forward, his shoulders square and solid as he looked down at her.

“Who gave you the report?” he repeated himself slowly. Caesi shook her head, taking a hasty step back, holding her hands out in front of her, whether in surrender or to keep him at bay.

“No. No way. I’ve already told you too much,” she objected. “Please, if they find out, my business is as good as dead. As will I be,” she said, looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes. Whoever they were, Caesi was terrified of them. Theo took another step forward, pressing his advantage, seeing the weak spot she’d left open for him.

“I can assure you, they aren’t the only ones capable of killing a business,” he said, meeting their eyes, determined, making it clear that he wasn’t leaving without some kind of answers. “Was it the Alliance?” he pressed. Caesi gave him an odd look at that. Accusing the Alliance no doubt seemed counter-productive when he was supposedly a part of them. Perhaps that was why she finally gave him an answer.

“No, it wasn’t anyone from the Alliance. Not exactly. But they might as well be,” she answered. “Please, don’t make me tell you anything more. This is all I have. I can’t lose it.” Theo didn’t move straight away, leaning on his silent intimidation, just to make a point, before finally stepping back. Caesi let out a breath, her shoulders slumping slightly with relief.

“I know of another mechanic who once thought the same,” he said, looking them over slowly, one last time. Caesi’s expression shifted and he was pleased to see some kind of shame on her face. Without another word, he turned and left.

The following day, Theo received a message from the mechanic asking him to come by the workshop. The message was suspiciously lacking any details as to why his presence was required. So it should have come as no surprise when he arrived at the workshop to find a still not-repaired Idalia and a shiny faced, slightly bashful mechanic.

“What do you mean by the shield generator is fried?” Theo asked through gritted teeth. Tobs, a stout man with a shiny red face, wiped his brow with a dirty rag.

“Well, Cap’n Theo. I was tryna remove the busted capacitors, like. And soons I did, the rest of them went up in smoke,” he said with a shrug. Theo could tell he was trying to play it off as though it weren’t a big deal, but given Tobs had asked him here, he was inclined to think maybe that was the case.

“And the port thruster?” he asked, arching a brow. Tobs blew out his cheeks, wringing the rag in his hands as he feigned deep thought. Stalling, Theo figured.

“Ay, right. Well look, I can take a look, like. But you have to understand this ships an olden. There’s only so much that can be done, sir,” he said with a shrug. Theo’s eyes narrowed, but Tobs looked down, picking grease out from beneath his fingernails. It didn’t make them look any cleaner.

“You assured me that you had the skills to make basic repairs,” Theo said, his hands balling into fists behind his back. He could already see where this was going to end up. Tobs looked up at him, pouting his bottom lip out.

“Ay, I said I thought I could get you going, depending on if she had much wrong with her. Turns out, she’s go’ a lot wrong with her, like,” he answered with another shrug. Theo stared at him for a moment, grappling with his temper. There was no point in bullying Tobs into attempting to do the job. Clearly he wasn’t as capable as he had led Theo to believe. In all honesty, he felt he was better off removing the Idalia from his grasp sooner rather than later.

“Fine,” Theo said, grinding the words past his teeth. “I’ll arrange for a tow.” Tobs nodded, slinging the dirty rag over his shoulder.

“Ay, you do that. I’ll send you the invoice,” he said, making as if to turn around.  Theo shifted though, a subtle movement, but enough to make Tobs stop in his tracks.

“Excuse me?” Theo arched a brow. “You’re handing me my ship back more broken than it was when I left her in your care, and you’re charging me for the honour?” Tobs puffed his chest out a little.

“Labour’s charged by hours worked, regardless of the outcome. Said I’d take a look. I did,” he said, narrowing his eyes up at Theo. “An’ I emptied out your radioactive decay chamber.” Theo took a deep breath, but he couldn’t be bothered to enter into an argument with the man. Tobs still worked for the Alliance predominately, and he’d rather keeping flying under their radar for now.

“Fine,” he said, turning on his heel and leaving the workshop without another glance back, his fury settling uncomfortably in his chest. Was he never going to get the Idalia out of Genesis?

Theo knew what he had to do before he’d left Tobs. Perhaps that was part of why his anger was active. The truth of the matter was there really was only one mechanic on Genesis that could work on the Idalia. Just as they had both known. But given how they had last parted ways, what were the odds that Onyx would agree to take the Idalia back?

Given the information he had learned yesterday, perhaps he could forgive some of Onyx’s attitude towards him. Perhaps that was the olive branch they needed to get an uneasy truce between them. He could withstand the insults a little longer, no doubt. And truth be told, if parts were hard to source, then he had no issues with a surcharge. Perhaps calling their bluff was enough to encourage a little more decorum out of them.

There was only one way to find out.

Theo entered the cramped shop front of Onyx’s workshop. Unsurprisingly, Onyx was sitting at the desk there. He assumed they didn’t have any other work on, which worked in his favour for the time being. They were sitting cross legged in their chair, hunched over a complicated mess of circuit boards and wires. They were wearing a pair of large goggles, giving them a distinctly bug-like appearance. They didn’t look up as he approached the desk.

“Rathbone,” he greeted them. Their hands froze over the circuit, holding a fine red wire in a pair of forceps, as though debating whether they should simply continue their business, or stop and address him. Eventually though, they slowly lowered their tools, removed the goggles, and looked up at him, one brow arched. Not exactly a warm welcome back, but Theo hadn’t really been expecting one either. At least they hadn’t ordered him from the premises immediately. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the conversation ahead of him.

“You have misplaced your blame for what happened to you and your business,” he said. Onyx’s other brow twitched up to join the first.

“Ay? What’s given you that impression, then? When it was your hand as signed the paperwork condemning me?” they retaliated, their tone dry as their gaze was cold. Theo reached into his pocket and pulled out his processor drawing out the holo screen of the report and dropping it onto the counter between them.

“I was a captain. I signed many documents. Documents that were prepared by orderlies. I had no reason to believe that the reports that had been given to me, through many chains in command, may have been tampered with,” he said. He watched Onyx’s eyes dropped to the holo screen and saw the corners of their mouth tighten. It changed their whole expression, and they suddenly looked worn, tired. He would have said defeated, but he was sure Onyx was far too stubborn for that.

“I seen the fuckin’ paperwork,” they snapped. “Ya think it makes me feel any better to be thinking that the hand that signed my execution order didn’t even know me?” they said, sitting back as they glared up at him. “You’re the tool of a bureaucracy that couldn’t give two shits about justice.”

“Not anymore,” he said, the words coming out clipped. The fact of the matter was that he was no longer associated with the Alliance. At least not officially or in anyway that mattered. However, their accusation of him not caring about ‘justice’ didn’t ring true. If Onyx really had been innocent, then they were right, and the system had failed them. Just like it had failed him. “I’m no longer in the position to investigate what may or may not have happened during that particular event. However. Despite being retired, I still hold certain renown and influence. I cannot undo the past, but perhaps being seen fixing a retired captain’s ship may go some way to repairing your damaged reputation.” They gritted their teeth, the toothpick clamped between them twitching as they ground it.

“I don’t need your charity,” they snapped. Theo was about to point out that it wasn’t charity, but it was business, which they clearly did need, but he saw their expression shift as they looked down. They were thinking it over. “Get that away from me,” they muttered, pushing the holo back at him. Theo obligingly closed the holo and picked up the processor, placing it back into his pocket, waiting patiently.

“You want me to fix your ship, fine. But you bring it here because you want the best, not because you think it’ll absolve your guilt,” they said finally. It took him a second to recognise it, but he noted that they were speaking with a far more educated tongue than they had been previously. In his experience, people reverted to old habits when stressed or distracted. Why would Onyx be making themselves out to sound less educated than they actually were?

“I have many sins to absolve, but I do not believe your business’ demise is one of them,” he said. Why someone had wanted to sabotage Onyx’s business was beyond him. He had merely been a pawn in their game. “And I would not be back here otherwise. There was a reason I came to you first. I’m merely pointing out the benefits of a symbiotic relationship.” Onyx shot him a dirty look, eyes narrowed.

“I wasn’t the one who walked away, pal,” they said. Theo bit back his reply. He felt they were close to a truce and an agreement. There was no point in arguing with them about that. He watched as they leaned back, their chair creaking under their weight as they ran their hand back through the indigo strands of their hair. Finally they seemed to come to a decision.

“You know where the hanger is,” they said. Theo refrained from sighing in pure relief. Maybe he had half a chance of getting the Idalia out into open space after all. He nodded once, and was about to turn to leave when he paused, remembering their last discussion.

“No tax. If you have trouble sourcing parts, use my name,” he said. His name didn’t hold much, if any, sway with the Alliance anymore. But for the most part, the people of genesis still knew him to be a respectable captain, even if he’d retired. Onyx narrowed their eyes at him, seeming to be tempted to argue, but they must have sense the same offer of truce between them as he had.

“Fine,” they said instead. Don’t call me Rathbone anymore. It’s Onyx or nothing,” they shot back. Theo arched a brow, finding the request a little odd, but he figured it was not his place to wonder why they’d dislike the surname they’d named their own business after.

“Very well,” he said.  “I’ll bring the Idalia round presently.” Onyx picked up their goggles once more, pulling them over their eyes once more, grunting at them.

“Assume you haven’t broke anything new since I last saw?” They asked. Theo grunted in return, clenching his teeth tightly for a moment.

“Well, I haven’t,” he answered shortly. “You may need to source some more capacitators,” he added after a moment. Onyx smirked to themselves as the hunched back over their project.

“Rookie error,” they muttered under their breath, clearly already knowing exactly where Tobs had gone wrong. “Bring it in then, ay.” Theo simply nodded and turned to head out, pulling his phone out as he did so, relieved that he finally had a destination to which he could get the Idalia towed.

#ppis #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writing #am writing #writer #write #writers #pride and prejudice in space

[abybweisse]

Ch204, Spoilers (part 1)

I've got the untranslated chapter (part 1) below the cut.

Despite the Halloween cover art, we are still on assignment.

The staff is talking about how Theo is next, as top student in the Pomeranian class.

We have confirmation that Layla/Al is Vega (Collie at the orphanage), while Doll is Canopus (Corgi at the orphanage). I know that was most likely the case, but I was hoping their rooms at Sphere Music Hall had been switched. However, Doll definitely goes with the bare minimum bedroom that's shown for Canopus, and Layla/Al definitely goes with the lavish bedroom shown for Vega. I accept and make peace with this information.

I wish I knew what else the staff was saying. But then they definitely talk about the blood supply, maybe specifically about Canopus, since they have Doll there, who is in need of a blood transfusion.

Now Snake and Finny must know for sure that this is a blood collection facility, too, though they already know they have to shut the place down for killing kids and saving their bodies and organs.

Idk whether they need to use the centrifuge, or if they are simply showing it to us again. About the only reason I can see for them using the centrifuge now is if they need to separate the plasma from the blood cells. If so, and they are actually transfusing just plasma, then it would finally make sense to only use AB/Sirius for real Ciel.

I have no idea what the kids are saying, though Finny might be mentioning his backstory again.

But Theo is really letting it sink in what is about to happen to him... if he can't stop it.

Is he still wallowing in fear, or is he planning something?

Ever since we found out last month that Theo would be next, I've been expecting him to use himself as bait, sort of, and for the others to somehow sneak into the carriage when he's taken away. A bit like how our earl and Sebastian/Rathbone set up for Ran-Mao to dress as our earl and be used as bait when Snake's snake attacked again (murders arc). He could pretend like he has no idea what's about to happen and hope the others can save him. Risky....

Will post part 2 soon.

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #ch204 #black butler spoilers #spoilers #kuro spoilers #kuroshitsuji spoilers #theo #ginny #doll #layla #al #lord vega #lord canopus #finny #finnian #snake #snake's snakes #fol orphanage #orphanage #part 1 #part one #sep 14 2023 #untranslated #halloween