#Queen of queue york

[grandmaster-anne]

1972 Queen Elizabeth II opens the 'Story of the Earth' exhibition at the Geological Museum, London. The Queen holds the oldest known piece of rock in the world, whilst Prince Edward holds a magnifying glass, watched by Prince Philip and Prince Andrew.

#queen elizabeth ii #prince philip #duke of edinburgh #prince edward duke of edinburgh #prince andrew duke of york #queue

[wonder-worker]

"At least one of the sources of this account clearly felt that a queen's funeral should have been more splendid, regardless of the fact that she had retired from court and was not the mother of the king. However, there is no real evidence that the desire expressed in Elizabeth Woodville's will for a humble ceremony was not genuine. Despite her status she was still a prize for the religious house in which she was buried. In earlier centuries there had been bitter competition between houses for the bodies of men of such dubious reputation as Henry II's heir (the young king Henry) and King John. Had Elizabeth omitted the request for a humble burial, the clergy at Windsor would probably have permitted the heralds to organize the grander funeral they expected. The consequence of that stipulation was that, in stark contrast to her daughter's funeral, the mourners were all people who had actually known her. Elizabeth Woodville's status as a widow meant that she could choose a funeral which was a ritual for a woman, not a queen."

-J.L. Laynesmith, "The Last Medieval Queens: English Queenship 1445-1503"

#historicwomendaily #elizabeth woodville #and honestly the fact remains that all her attending children also went along with a more humble funeral for her #when they would've easily been able to order and/or organize a more elaborate ceremony #this EVIDENTLY indicates that they knew a more modest funeral is what their mother really wanted #people also tend to think that she was estranged from her daughter Cecily and from Margaret Beaufort because they didn't attend the funeral #except...Elizabeth of York was in confinement because of her pregnancy they were almost definitely attending to her #and we KNOW that John Welles - Cecily's husband and Margaret's brother - attended. As did the governess of EoY's children I think #honestly I think Elizabeth's retirement to Bermondsey Abbey and her subsequent request for a simple funeral #can - if taken together - indicate a specific mindset that she may have had after the trauma of 1483-85 (a wish for a quieter life) #(tho I think she would've probably taken a different decision had her son been King) #and even regarding the transfer of lands - people forget that they were going to her own daughter. It's quite reasonable to assume that #she'd be willing to part with them to ensure that Elizabeth of York was well-endowed as queen #if the new queen had been a stranger it would've been a different story #(admittedly we don't know when she retired to the Abbey. It may be closer to her death date than what's generally assumed) #my post #15th century #english history #queue

[edwardslovelyelizabeth]

Did Elizabeth Woodwell leave anything for her children when she died?

Hi! Yes, fortunately we do have Elizabeth's will in full preserved so we can talk about it. Elizabeth retired from court life around 1487 (she did occasionally appeared at court, most notable she was present when her daughter Elizabeth of York was giving birth to her granddaughter Margaret in 1489) and lived the rest of her life in Bermondsey Abbey. The cause of Elizabeth's death is unknown, she made her will in on the 10th of April 1492 and died on the 8th of June 1492 which can be indicative of the fact that her health was declining for some time. The current abbot, John de Marlow, who had officiated as a Deacon at the funeral of Edward IV witnessed Elizabeth’s will. The will is very simple but in my opinion very touching.

The will begins, ‘I Elsabeth by the grace of god Quene of England late wif to the most victoriouse prince of blessed memorie Edward the fourth’. It shows that Elizabeth still very much considered herself a queen, and wife to the most victorious prince ""the blessed memory" Edward IV - seems that she still had deep feelings for her late husband (Edward was dead for 9 years by then).

Elizabeth requested that she was to be buried alongside Edward at the chapel in Windsor Castle "according to the will of my saide Lorde and myne". She specified that she did not want the funeral performed with any pomp or under any great expense. As she had no worldly goods to bequeath to any of her remaining children ("I have no wordely goodes to do the Quene’s Grace, my derest doughter, a pleaser with, nether to reward any of my children, according to my hart and mynde"), she asked God to bless them, and with ‘as good hart and mynde as is to me posible’, she gave her children her own blessing. She then asked that ‘such smale stufe and goodes that I have’ be given away as seen fit, giving preference to any of her blood who wished to have them. I find it exceptionally touching that she send her blessing specifically to Elizabeth of York with all her children definitely knowing Elizabeth of York was excepting at the moment and was in confinement when her mother died so couldn't attend her funeral ("I besech Almyghty Gode to blisse here Grace, with all her noble issue").

Here is the will in full:

“ IN Dei nomine, Amen. The xth daie of Aprill, the yere of our Lord Gode Mcccclxxxxii. I Elisabeth by the grace of God Quene of England, late wif to the most victoroiuse Prince of blessed memorie Edward the Fourth, being of hole mynde, seying the worlde so traunsitorie, and no creature certayne whanne they shall departe frome hence, havyng Almyghty Gode fressh in mynde, in whome is all mercy and grace, bequeath my sowle into his handes, beseechyng him, of the same mercy, to accept it graciously, and oure blessed Lady Quene of comforte, and all the holy company of hevyn, to be good meanes for me. It’m, I bequeith my body to be buried with the bodie of my Lord at Windessore, according to the will of my saide Lorde and myne, without pompes entreing or costlie expensis donne thereabought. It’m, where I have no wordely goodes to do the Quene’s Grace, my derest doughter, a pleaser with, nether to reward any of my children, according to my hart and mynde, I besech Almyghty Gode to blisse here Grace, with all her noble issue, and with as good hart and mynde as is to me possible, I geve her Grace my blessing, and all the forsaide my children. It’m, I will that suche smale stufe and goodes that I have be disposed truly in the contentac’on of my dettes and for the helth of my sowle, as farre as they will extende. It’m, yf any of my bloode wille any of my saide stufe or goodes to me perteyning, I will that they have the prefermente before any other. And of this my present testament I make and ordeyne myne Executores, that is to sey, John Ingilby, Priour of the Chartour-house of Shene, William Sutton and Thomas Brente, Doctors. And I besech my said derest doughter, the Queue’s grace, and my sone Thomas, Marques Dorsett, to putte there good willes and help for the performans of this my testamente. In witnesse wherof, to this my present testament I have sett my seale, these witnesses, John Abbot of the monastry of Sainte Saviour of Bermondefley, and Benedictus Cun, Doctor of Fyfyk. Yeven the day and yere above said.”

#history #elizabeth woodville #edward iv #elizabeth of york #15th century #kings and queens

[karahalloway]

WIP Game

Thanks for the tags @angelasscribbles @peonierose and @persephone13!

As usual, I am not a super great candidate for this game, because I don't have a lot of WIPs on the go at any one time (as I prefer to concenrate on whatever fic I have next in my queue to work on).

But, here is a list of what I have at the moment, with some snippets:

Chapter 11: Hungover on You

Scrunching the cotton up, I wipe my hand before reaching down to begin cleaning myself up...

...and nearly jump out of my skin at the sound of the loud rap on the door.

"Room service...!"

"Shit!" I cuss under my breath, tossing the ruined t-shirt onto the other side of the room while grabbing for my jeans as I roll of the bed.

Yanking the denim up as my bare feet hit the floor, I quickly secure the fly and top button with one hand while scrambling for my wallet with the other. "Two secs!"

Chapter 15 - Title TBD*

I blow a wayward lock of hair out of my face as I trudge back down the corridor towards my room.

So much for yesterday's heart-to-hea—

The door to my left latches abruptly shut as I draw level with it.

I frown. But continue walking.

It's probably just the Beaumonts—

Two more doors click closed in quick succession...

...and whatever doubt I may have initially had becomes subsumed by all-consuming certainty.

I was being spied upon.

*This is very, very WIP - I have no idea whether this will even make the final cut for this chapter, but this is where I am at at the moment. However, do not expect any movement here until the end of the year at the earliest - my plan for 2023 is to finish up Sleepless in New York, Extraction and Thanksgiving before picking up Intentions again.

Thanksgiving - Part 3*

"Whoo! That's how you sack!"

"What the hell, ref! He was over first down!"

"No, he wasn't! He got pushed off before he made it."

"Who's side are you on?!"

*Again, very, very WIP - all I have at the moment are transcribed reactions from my husband watching a Pats game from last season and random convos that came into my head as I watched with him 🤣

Tagging my permas in case anyone is interested to see what's coming down the pipeline... No, I haven't written anything for Part 3 of Extraction yet... but that is probably what I will dive into as soon as I get Sleepless across the line. Also, tagging anyone else who wants to share their WIPs!

Permatags

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019 @petiteboheme @angelasscribbles @aussiegurl1234 @nestledonthaveone @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @twinkle-320 @knaussal @nikkis1983 @lunaseasblog @ficloverevie @indiana-jr @differenttyphoonwerewolf @kristinamae093 @eversoaringqueen12 @peonierose @3pawandme @alexabeta @veebug8 @fangirling12566 @queenmiarys @lancelotsimp @coco-lina-s @lolablackwrites @ivyflowers13 @persephone13 @hollygirl1269 @adri-ja-96 @harleybeaumont @katedrakeohd @uneravine @choices-myworld

Sleepless in New York only

@bebepac

(Less Than) Noble Intentions only (let me know if you want to be added!)

@thetruthisthatiloveyou @anakjaybon-blog

#wip game #kara halloway

[sunburnacoustic]

The First Great British Guitar Band of the 21st Century

(NME, October 1999 after the release of Showbiz)

Oh the angst! The Pain! Searching for truth in a meaning less world.. Such is life in Teignmouth. Just ask Muse, three lads who've escaped small-town hell to be the toast of America. This just looks silly.

Three 21-year-olds from the sleepy fringes of Devon, lording it up in a glitzy Manhattan hotel lounge, chomping gleefully on tree-trunk cigars like they've just shagged New York senseless and eaten the entire music business for dessert. Any minute now these straggly indie-kid interlopers are sure to be turfed out on to the sidewalk with all the other guitar toting losers, back to their Transit van world. See ya. Keep dreaming, suckers. Except this never happens. Because even if they remain just above toilet-gig level at home. Muse are trainee rock royalty in America right now. Madonna herself beat half-a-dozen bidders to sign the youngsters to her Maverick label last November. Which is why the Teignmouth trio are billeted in New York for three weeks of back-to-back promotion for an album that hasn't even been released yet.

When British record companies sniffed around Muse, they declared them 'the new Radiohead' and shuffled away. When American labels saw them in New York's CMJ in November, they declared them 'The new Radiohead!' and formed a queue to sign their asses on the spot - cultural differences or Brit snobbery? Probably a bit of both, as Muse are more than the new Radiohead - they're the new Pixies, Nirvana, Mansun, Queen and Guns N' Roses too. And in their own broody intense way, they are about to explode.

Matthew Bellamy (singer/guitarist), Chris Wolstenholme (bass) and Dominic Howard (drums) were thrown together in a dark place of stagnation and decay, despair and degradation. It's called Teignmouth. Just below Torquay on the English Riviera, Teignmouth is a black hearted realm of eternal torment from which few souls emerge unscathed. Beneath its sleepy surface of genteel retirement homes and crazy-golf ranges, something deeply wicked festers in the remorseless south Devon sun. Possibly. "It's sort of like Torquay without the nightclubs" shudders Dom. Sounds pretty sinister. Like one of those elegantly shabby red-brick English towns where it's forever 1952 apart from the raging crack problem... "I think the best way to describe Teignmouth would be if we sent you the article that was printed on the front page of the local paper," sneers Matthew. There's a picture of the mayor of Teignmouth putting our CD in the bin because apparently we said in some interview that Teignmouth is a boring place, full of drug-takers. He said "I don't know who these drug-takers are, no-one takes drugs here...' Hahaha! That gives you an idea of what the town is like." Naturally, growing up in a stifling backwater run by rock-hating killjoys straight out of Footloose, the Muse boys were sometimes suicidally bored. They even resorted to doing 'dodgy stuff' on occasion.

There was a whole lot of nights when there was nothing to do and the only stuff that was fun to do was music," recalls Matthew. "You ended up doing dodgy stuff like breaking in to swimming pools, just because that was something to do. Most of the friends we had have either gone to University or become drug dealers." Ooh, the mayor will love that. Picture a bonfire of NME's outside the town hall. But at least the nascent Muse had something to kick against. And kick they did, starting with their debut sixth form gig five years ago. "The first gig we ever played together was a Battle of the Bands contest," says Matthew. "We wore loads of make-up, played loads of trashy punk stuff and got the crowd to invade the stage and smash all our gear. And we won! That's the weird thing. Because we beat all these bands that were really technically proficient, bands that sounded like Jamiroquai. People were shouting, you fucking cunts!' That totally affected our view of what music's about - it's not necessarily about music, it's about really believing in what you're doing."

So Muse kept plugging away, ignoring their critics, trashing their gear, dreaming of the big league. They eventually signed with a West Country management company and won a UK record deal with Mushroom, home of Garbage. And now, five years later, Madonna owns their souls. Sweet revenge on snobby old Britain and tight-arsed little Teignmouth, right? "That's what started us but I don't think that's what we're doing now," says Matthew. "The stuff we write now is more of a realisation of what the world's like. It's easy to blame stuff on a small town but then you go out there and you realise that some of the attitudes that you thought were just in your small town are actually all over." Muse's debut album is called 'Showbiz'. Oh yes. Most first albums contain two or three half-great peaks padded out with fillers. 'Showbiz' has a dozen tracks. ALL of which are heart-wrenching Wagnerian uber-anthems with fiery Spanish rhythms seismic meta-choruses and bile-spewing ultra-lyrics from the scabrous depths of Matthew Bellamy's charred-black heart. In other words, it's fucking great. But, bloody hell, is it miserable. Not trouser-fumbling hey-nonny-no Belle and Sebastian wistful nor chest thumping Daddy-never-loved-me Pearl Jam feel-my-pain self pity. Not even beautifully desolate and fragile like Thom Yorke, but aaaargh! post-apocalyptic heart-on-skewer Nick Cave tormented and urrrgggh! self-lacerating edge-of-darkness Ian Curtis fucked-up desperate. Heroically, bracingly, cathartically tragic. Hooray!

And yet Matthew seems like a pleasant well-balanced chap in person. Why the long face Sadboy-Slim? "Erm.... is this the time or the place?" Matthew wonders nervously "I don't think it is. Aren't we all tormented in some way? I've always had trouble.... I think it's like existentialism or something. The problems I'm having, if everyone else is having them the world's a scary place." Is miserable music some kind of perverse comfort in a cruel world? "All I can say is some of the music I listened to when I was young was like how we sound," shrugs Matthew. "That emotional deep stuff was what made me feel good because someone else out there is saying things the same as me. I used to listen to a lot of blues - Robert Johnson, Ray Charles I think that music was way deeper than I could have understood but for some reason it spoke to me."

Of course, Muse will be roundly mocked for taking themselves so seriously. But cynics said the same thing about Nirvana at the end of the '80s. Remember these boys are only 21, hurtling into a new millennium with their emotional wounds wide open. "I think things pick up generally towards the start of every decade." nods Matthew, spotting light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel. "In 2000 or 2001, people will start getting more positive. There's a lot of fear hanging around which people are trying to deny but there is. And when that's over hopefully there will be a positive thing. Either that or extremely negative, hahaha! And it will all be over..." The first great British guitar band of the 21st century has arrived. Enjoy them while there's still time.

#Muse band #Muse interviews #1999 #NME #Matt Bellamy #Dom Howard #from the archives - rocketbabydolls.com #where would we be without the internet archive #the websites are all gone #muse band #matt bellamy #dom howard #muse #muse interviews #Showbiz Muse #Showbiz era

[elsanna-shenanigans]

November/October 2023 Contest Submission #3: The Best of Luck Club

Words: 3,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no Content: Alcohol consumption, cheating mention  

Note: this story is disqualified from voting due to not meeting the theme of the prompt. It can still be reviewed by the MRC.

xxxx

Anna stared down at the last text she’d sent. It needed a response. She hadn’t gotten one.

Hey, so my flight gets in at 2pm your time. I can’t wait to meet you! xx

Sure, she hadn’t expected anything really over the top. Not like those videos she’d seen, with people waiting with a full band and flowers and shit. But someone.

After all, she’d flown here for one specific purpose: to meet her boyfriend. Properly, in person. Take the relationship from the digital world and into the physical.

But there was no one waiting for her.

Just landed, she typed out, sitting on a bench outside the airport with her bag. It was absolutely sweltering, which was a novel concept: sweating in December. Apparently it could get even worse.

Maybe she should have… booked a hotel or something. Hans had said it wouldn’t be necessary but… did he forget when her flight was arriving?

Sucking in a breath, she looked around. Then she looked back at her phone. The message hadn’t been sent yet, and she’d need to get a new SIM card, but she could afford one little message.

Just arrived. I can’t hang at the airport all day. You mentioned you live in the city so I’m going to head there. Please let me know when you get this! xx

Pressing ‘send’, Anna let out a breath. He was probably just driving or something. Maybe he had work?

Standing up, she began heading towards the taxi rank. There were dozens of people and not many cabs: it seemed they used Uber here, too. Towards the back of the queue she spotted an empty taxi that no one else seemed to have noticed yet. Perfect.

Moving forward, she was just reaching for the car door when another hand came into view. It belonged to a young woman, probably about her age. She was dressed in business-casual, and when she spoke, it was with a distinctive Australian accent. Very unlike Anna’s New York lilt.

“Oh! Sorry!” she said, before Anna could offer her own apologies.

“No-no, it’s fine! You take it.”

The woman smiled. “Where are you going? We could split the fare if you like?”

Honestly, that sounded really nice. “I’m- honestly I’m not really sure. My boyfriend was supposed to pick me up but he’s not answering… Probably just head to um…” she wracked her head for the name of a street he’d told her about. “King Street?”

The woman levelled a sympathetic smile. “Oh, you mean Queen Street? I’m heading that direction, too. I’m not a murderer or anything, I swear! It’s just right in the middle of town.”

Anna laughed, though it was a lot more earnest than the woman’s. “No, you certainly don’t look like a murderer,” she conceded.

“Oh? And why’s that?”

Anna looked away, cheeks still bunched up in a smile. “Well, a murderer wants to be unnoticed, right? Whereas you definitely draw the eye…”

And she did. A sharp nose that was small enough to still be petite, centred on a heart-shaped face. Her hair was a pale blonde that seemed natural, fashioned into a casual version of the classic corporate bun. She dressed like a lawyer, but her blue eyes held too much light, and there were subtle laugh lines around her lips. The woman’s eyes widened, mouth dropping to form an ‘o’ of surprise before it slipped into a much more natural smile. She held out her hand. “I’m Elsa.”

Anna took it gladly, shaking gently. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elsa. I’m Anna. And I’d love to take you up on your offer.”

In the back of her mind, she was still rather upset with Hans, with him not showing. But the day had turned around, just a little bit.

xxxx

It was so different from the States. So different. Elsa didn’t say much at first; she just let Anna look out the car window. Driving on the wrong side was novel, and the long stretch of road from the airport was so uninhabited it made it hard to believe that she was so close to the hub of a city. Of course it came into view before long, and yet it was still so strange! Very clearly segregated in a way that her own country wasn’t; only the rich, it seemed, lived in the city. And how quickly it changed from city to suburb! Anna was never one to be seen and not heard, and soon she was sharing every inane thought that popped into her head. Elsa didn’t seem to mind, though. She just smiled and nodded along and responded to all the banal little musings. In the back of her mind, Anna registered that Hans rarely entertained her like this. He thought she was dull sometimes. Swallowing, she pushed that thought away.

Elsa lived in a little suburb called ‘Teneriffe’, which was an absurd name (though not so strange as some of the other names she rattled off), and only a few kilometres (not miles, not here) from the inner city.

“You should definitely visit Southbank if you get a chance. And the botanical gardens are amazing. And it’s all within walking distance so you can see the whole city.”

“The whole city is in walking distance?” Anna asked. Elsa shrugged.

“Brisbane’s small. Not like Sydney or Melbourne. Although we do have better traffic. And also the Gold Coast. How long are you here for?”

“A couple of days, maybe longer. It kind of… depended on how everything went.” Anna sighed, looking at her phone again. Still nothing.

“If… if you’d like, I’d be happy to show you around the city a bit. Maybe we can get something to eat. To… make up for your boyfriend missing you. I promise not all Australians are like that.”

The suggestion made Anna laugh. She seemed trustworthy. But she didn’t say yes, and maybe it was a cultural thing but Anna had a feeling it was a gender thing. Elsa reached down to her wallet and pulled out her ID card. God even it looked silly – it was bright yellow! She passed it to Anna.

“Here. To take a picture of to send to your friends or something. Like I said, I’m not a murderer.”

“Oh, that’s – I’m sure you’re not—” Anna started. Elsa put the plastic card on Anna’s knee.

“Then for my peace of mind, and your friends. It’s fine, really.”

Pursing her lips, Anna lifted the card. There was even a little chip in it, like a debit card. She wondered what it was used for.

“Elsa Aren, huh?” she asked instead. Then she leaned forward and pulled out her own ID. “It’s only fair, after all,” she said, before grabbing her phone and opening the camera app.

“Anna Sommers,” Elsa read. “Your hair is different…”

Anna gave a little laugh that was more self-deprecating than it meant to be. “Yeah. The red is natural – the bleach blonde was not. I always wanted to be blonde because all the pretty girls were. It’s only since starting university that I’ve realised how little I care about that now.”

“Red hair suits you,” Elsa said lightly, handing back the card. “And now I know you’re definitely old enough to drink here. There’s some cool clubs not far from the CBD. You should try and get around to it while you’re here.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m a bit jet-lagged, and I’ve never been out drinking before…”

Elsa laughed. “Very fair. Well, I’m sure your boyfriend has just lost track of time. He’s probably planned out a whole week of adventures for you.”

Swallowing, Anna pushed a wan smile. “Yeah. Probably.” Her phone sat, obstinate and silent, in her hands. “I’ll send him another message when I get some Wi-Fi.”

Her first text had gone through, she was sure of it, but perhaps she got his number wrong. They’d mostly talked through Discord or Messenger. Saucy Snapchats.

It didn’t take long to sort out a Sim card once they arrived. Elsa was able to help, which was nice of her because she didn’t have to. She spoke slower, enunciated her words a little more so the accent wasn’t quite as thick. It was actually a really nice accent. Bright and relaxed.

There were a few messages from different people, mostly wishing her a safe flight; one from her dad, asking her where the extra cat food was and which plants were real and needed watering, and which ones were fake. It brought a grin to her face, which remained as she opened up Hans’ profile. The moment she messaged him, it vanished.

Heya, just got in. Where should I meet you?

This person is unavailable on messenger.

Her own message had vanished, as had the typing box. Anna stared at Hans’ picture as slowly, her legs turned leaden and her chest swelled, making every breath tight and hot. She knew what had happened, but refused to believe it.

Opening up discord, she typed the same thing; once again, it bounced back. There was no way to tell if he’d blocked her here, too – not that it really mattered. His Snapchat had completely vanished. No trace of his account at all.

Sucking in a breath and holding it, she willed herself not to cry. Elsa was standing off to the side, looking at her own phone and typing furiously; she must have felt Anna looking at her, though, because she glanced up. Immediately, her face fell at the sight of Anna’s.

“Hey, do you wanna grab a drink?” she asked. “There’s a bar around here that makes a mean margarita.”

Anna just wanted to be alone, but she recognised – even in her current state – that it would just make her feel crummier. Unable to find her voice, she just offered a little nod.

xxxx

Fortunately, Anna had packed light. It certainly made it easier to wander around the city; when Elsa had said there was a bar ‘nearby’, she’d sort of expected a fifteen-minute walk. It was actually only five, and she would never have seen it if she’d been looking on her own.

It was down an alley, which had been arbitrarily decorated with tiny little doors. The actual bar itself was called Death and Taxes, and Elsa seemed to be very familiar with it. The door guard pretty much just waved her through with only a cursory glance at her ID, though he paused a lot longer with Anna’s. Eventually, she too was waved through.

The bar was dark, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Elsa had already found a spot in one corner, and was browsing through a menu. A fancy as fuck menu. The whole place seemed fancy, actually, and Anna felt very out of place in her comfy travelling clothes: jeans and a button-up blouse. She was wearing nice undies, though, just in case.

Even that thought made her face burn in shame and disappointment, and she was grateful for the low-light as she sat down opposite Elsa.

Her new friend’s eyes were a dark green from the naked fluorescent bulb hanging above them, and the disappointment Anna was feeling only magnified. How could it be that a complete stranger was so much kinder than Hans had been? If only she’d travelled here, all the way across the Pacific Ocean, for her.

“Hmm, I know I suggested a margarita, but I sort of want something a little fruity today,” Elsa commented lightly, glancing up at Anna with a smile.

“Just like me, hey,” Anna responded, reaching for a menu. Her jaw fell at the prices. “Holy shit, these are some exxie cocktails.”

“Hmm? Oh, they’re about standard,” Elsa said. Then she blinked. “First one is on me, though. I’m the one who dragged you here, and there are definitely cheaper places we could have gone.”

Something twisted and bitter crawled up Anna’s throat, and around the lump it formed, she muttered a low, “Well, I’m glad I’m not a cheap date.”

As soon as she’d said the words, Anna felt terrible for being so negative. She didn’t know how to recover, though, and fortunately didn’t have to as a waiter came with a carafe of water and two glasses, ready to take their drink order.

Anna sat in silence as Elsa chose two drinks. They sounded like fun, but any good cheer in Anna had leaked out of her completely. That was mean to say; all Elsa was trying to do was cheer her up and she was moping. Focussed on the stupid painful actions of another person, completely out of her control.

But then Elsa surprised her, once the waiter had left, by pouring out the water and offering one to Anna.

“Wanna talk about it?” she asked, delicate eyebrows furrowed in concern. With a frown so potent her bottom lip trembled, Anna offered a pathetic shake of her head, just before the dam burst.

“We met online. On Reddit, how gross. And he was just so easy to talk to and we had a lot of common interests. We shared our, y'know, traumas and shit. And he said he’d never just leave me, but then he did and I don’t know what I did wrong.”

Elsa listened silently, holding her water but not drinking it. Anna, once she was done, sipped hers so she wouldn’t say anything more. What more was there to say? He was gone; or, he wanted her gone from his life. And that was a shitty fucking feeling.

“He sounds like an asshole,” Elsa said. “That’s such a terrible thing to do. Can I ask, did he pay for this trip for you?” Anna snorted and gave Elsa a look; Elsa nodded, glancing down at her glass. “Men are trash, hey,” she said instead. Anna snorted again, but a smile tugged at one corner of her mouth.

“You said it, sister,” she said, just as their drinks arrived. She took hers and held it aloft. “Good riddance.”

“Cheers to that.”

Their glasses clinked delicately, and Elsa smiled at her before taking a sip. It was definitely fruity; very sweet, and she could barely taste the alcohol.

“I’m glad I met you. Thanks for making the start of my holiday not shit.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. I’d probably be at home drinking alone if I wasn’t here, and drinking with company is always far better – if a little more expensive.”

At Anna’s questioning eyebrow, she gave a sigh. “I just came back from Sydney uh. Finalising my divorce.” Anna winced and Elsa nodded, taking another sip; Anna copied her, taking a much larger gulp. “Yeah, it sucks. My wife – well, ex-wife now, I suppose – decided that she was not exactly monogamous, and not as gay as she’d thought.”

Anna gasped. “She cheated on you with a guy.”

Scrunching up her mouth, Elsa nodded. “Well. Two guys. In a gay relationship. At the same time.”

There was no hiding the gobsmacked look beneath her freckles. “Wow. That’s shit.”

“Look, it actually happened months ago – almost a whole year, actually. The process just took a long time.”

Taking another drink – wow her glass was very light now. So was her head – Anna nodded, then shook her head. “I don’t understand cheaters. Just. You’re with someone and you love them, right? And I mean, you’re gorgeous and kind and she was lucky to have you before she threw it away.” Anna paused there, then added with a laugh, “I have really strong opinions.”

“Oh, really? I couldn’t tell!“

The conversation moved to lighter topics after that, which was for the best as Anna had another drink, and then another. Elsa bought the drinks, but Anna bought an expensive truffle pizza to share. She was having such a nice time that it wasn’t until they exited the bar that Anna realised she had never organised alternate accommodation. That sobered her up pretty fast, at least until Elsa spoke up.

“Why don’t you stay in my spare room? I have the space.”

Anna was just grateful that someone was looking out for her. After each drink, Elsa had made sure she had a glass of water; they’d traded stories and phone numbers and pictures of their ID. And though it was barely past eight, Anna was completely exhausted – from the travel and emotional toil the day had wrung from her.

Of course, as soon as they arrived, she got her second wind. Elsa gave a tour, and the Wi-Fi password. She also went to the kitchen, Anna following, for another glass of water.

“You’ll thank me tomorrow,” she said, passing it over.

“I thank you now,” came the response. “You’ve been so nice to me. Today could have been so terrible, but it wasn’t.”

Elsa flushed red and smiled. “Do I sound like a bitch to say that I’m kinda… not upset you had to spend the day with me coz your other plans fell through?” she asked. Anna felt her own cheeks heat up and she stepped forward. “I haven’t had such a nice time since before I was married.”

“Hey, so… just checking… but you’re not married anymore, right?”

Somehow, Elsa’s blush deepened, and though her eyes widened, there was the beginning of a smile tugging at her lips. She took a step so she could lean against the counter. “Correct. And, just for my own knowledge, you’re… not seeing anybody at the moment?”

Anna could feel her heart pick up, in a way it never had when talking to Hans. Or even fucking. Sexting him. Her whole body felt warm. She took a step closer to Elsa, whose relaxed position never changed.

“No, but I could be.”

She had just a moment to process the grin on Elsa’s face before the distance closed and Anna couldn’t see much of anything. God, she could feel it, though.

The whole day had brought nothing but luck, she decided: lingerie included.

#elsanna #October 2023 contest #prompt: water #submission #cw: alcohol consumption #cw: cheating

[nnicholasyuen]

Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland: The Ultimate Guide

why does mystic manor have no ghosts?

- in chinese culture, people typically see ghosts as their ancestors so it would be considered quite disrespectful and weird if disney decided to place a haunted mansion with ghosts there

what year is mystic manor canonically set in?

- the actual manor was built in 1896 but the museum was not completed until 1909 or 1910. this is the same time when lord henry acquired the balinese music box

if there are no ghosts in mystic manor, what drives the storyline?

- part of mystic manor’s story heavily relies on both historical and mythological allusions including references to key historical and mythological figures throughout the attraction including hercules (in the form of a greek amphora), medusa (in the form of a mosaic) , striborg, the slavic god of winter (in the form of a painting), the tragedy of ragnarok (in the form of a vanity mirror), ra and ihy, the egyptian gods of the sun and music (in the form of clay tablets), and the monkey king from chinese mythology (in the form of a carved statue)

- references to 18th, 19th and 20th century royalty can also be found through both objects and names. both lord henry and albert’s names are references to two sons of king george v; prince henry, duke of gloucester and prince albert, duke of york (later king george vi) to which their father ascended the throne at the same time lord henry found the balinese music box (circa 1910)

- additionally, there are also references to the french and russian royal families in the form of a vanity fan depicting king louis xvi and marie antoinette within the queue’s display case and a violin belonging to tsar alexander i inside the russian room of the explorers club restaurant

what architectural style is the manor?

- creatively dubbed, “tropical victorian eclectic”, the manor’s architectural style is based on traditional victorian queen anne architecture, as well as gothic revival and second empire but also includes other architectural elements from different countries such as traditional chinese and muscovite russian

#haunted mansion #mystic manor #society of explorers and adventures #hong kong disneyland #disney parks #s.e.a

[anthonybialy]

Running Out of Character on Twitter

Elon Musk shows how perception changes without doing anything.  Now, that’s a timeline change.  The CEO of tweeting didn’t set out to teach that lesson, which sums up his legacy.  You’re free to tweet your thoughts about it, or X about it if you’re really into believing branding.

Prince’s name change caught on more naturally.  Malibu Stacy’s new hat hasn’t changed the product.  The only difference beside the ‘90s-style sobriquet for the site I bet even Elon privately calls Twitter is how few erstwhile users have stuck around to see the aftermath.

Elbow room isn’t necessarily a virtue.  Holdout diehards enjoy impression rates that rival what used to be retweet counts.  It’s much easier to keep up with one’s feed now in the same sense there aren’t long lines in North Korean fast food restaurants. 

One of the richest humans ever presently toils as caretaker of a yip-yap app.  Tweeters voluntarily fritter away their precious hours on this plane of existence rattling off a queue of grievances.  All he needs to do is enable personal publishing of bitching.

Overseeing arguing about reality television is far more respectable than his previous career as a welfare queen.  Private spending is a nice change of pace from someone with an established pattern of pimping projects that get involuntary investors.  Taxpayer funding is ideal for someone who’s about 85 percent shyster.

Big ideas that don’t translate are perfect for the Twitter owner.  The difference between most people with unworkable thoughts is finding funding.

Seducing investors of funds seized from others allowed him to buy a time-wasting app that many use for journalism.  That doesn’t mean actual journalists, who resent social media for showing how easy the job is.  Amateur sleuths can and do fact-check every claim, including those by allegedly professional fact-checkers.  Granting themselves the title doesn’t make it true, so that’s another one to verify easily.

History started this morning, which is why so many forget that he has a long history as a plug-in car-pimping liberal superhero.  You may recognize Obama’s erstwhile BFF as the guy who got a rather giant loan from the Energy Department, which means taxpayers since liberals are confused about where money comes from.  That’s surely the only science that flummoxes them.

Former admirers loathe him because he believes in open forums, if not open markets.  The aforementioned name X will never spread like brokenness connected to all-time scam Buffalo Billions.  Vacancy in every sense increased after East German throwback New York threw money at the problem of companies refusing to do business in a people’s republic.

Consistent financial ruin following fantastic political promises should be a sign for everyone who thinks prosperity is just 10 figures taken from the economy away.  Investment takes the form of seizing funds to spend on monorails.

Aside from results, results were good.  Why did nobody think to spend money before?  The trifling bit about how life doesn’t turn out like all-time serial killer Andrew Cuomo promised doesn’t deter voters in certain decrepit states.  Acting like futuristic manufacturing was destined to happen embodies Democratic scheming in a nutshell.  The solution to government spending not helping was more government spending.  That’ll be the next step, too.  Keep wondering why there are so many Bills fans in Florida.

The only consolation is lack of surprise.  Turning on their dreamboats is part of believing in cult leaders instead of sound ideologies.  Betrayed liberals throw out their New Kids on the Block dolls.  Their taste outside of music is similarly sophisticated.  The lates is the most predictable.  Nobody else is surprised by despising anyone who allows dissent.  The Democratic platform features scientific truth, which means opposing it destroys reality.  Luckily for the most malicious, there’s a place where they can post without fear of getting kicked off for sharing their true emotions.

Waiting for algorithm mending is like anticipating good tweets from AOC.  The site not fixing itself as a sign of self-awareness is good news, but it’d still be nice if some human wouldn’t mess up search results.  Seeing content from followed accounts in chronological order is apparently as unreasonable a request as obtaining eggs during Joe Biden’s presidency.  The lack of meddling inherent in an open forum is intolerable for someone smarter than you.  Some parts of Twitter haven’t changed.

You can be your own editor.  At least, you once could.  The couple months between Twitter’s founding and its overlords realizing how much they enjoyed meddling were a fun freewheeling time like when new cable networks show whatever random wonderful programming they can find.  I miss Rawhide on FX.

Please accept things you don’t want in lieu of fixing what you requested.  This is one less-than-super superintendent.  Blocking the option to block would be like like Ronald McDonald announcing you shouldn’t order McNuggets.  Denying dastards the option to see your awesome tweets is a satisfying final sendoff.  Personally curating one’s feed is part of that whole free speech thing.  Shadow-banning remaining is one lousy consolation prize.

Messing up verification embodies big ideas going nowhere.  Sitting at the top of the Twitter caste was one of the ways the site got things correct, as it meant users could be sure the prominent name they saw was not an impostor.  Now, it means giving one of the wealthiest people ever eight bucks per month as if seeing ads weren’t enough of a cost.  One might not think a little blue checkmark could be even less of a status symbol.  One might be wrong.

Ideas on how to fix the wrong things fit a little too perfectly.  All Elon has to do is undo lame woke meddling.  Like coaching the Dream Team, you just roll out the ball.  Instead in reality, warping Twitter alienates both anyone who hates anyone daring to hint at the existence of natural rights and right-leaning people who just want to see tweets from who they choose.  That’s everyone.  Let’s just get back to welcoming all while blocking the annoying.

#Elon Musk #Twitter #social media #free speech #corporate welfare #First Amendment

[grandmaster-anne]

16 July 1969 The Royal family arrive at the Royal Tournament © ITN

#queen elizabeth ii #princess anne #princess royal #prince edward duke of edinburgh #prince andrew duke of york #my gifs #queue

[wonder-worker]

did Elizabeth of York have a personal motto? What was it?

yes, it was 'humble and reverent'

#I wonder if Catherine of Aragon chose her own motto ('humble and loyal') after her mother-in-law #the only queen consort whose example she would have to follow #ask #elizabeth of york #queue

[writer59january13]

Gott, oh mächtig, Trump iz on the warpath again!

Glad for birth write to express views aware cunning linguists

will apply figurative screws in an effort at blatant mud slinging ruse

exercised courtesy mail in ballots, or electorates standing in queues who the previous Sunday possibly fervently prayed within pews a mixture of Republican and Democratic

gentiles (relating to or indicating a nation or clan, especially a gens)

and orthodox or reformed Jews, although dissimilar viewpoint you may choose, perhaps feeling exuberant

crying tears of joy

with red eye to boot

unlike myself (a common Joe) biden his time until 2028 until then experiencing moody blues. The following mostly written November 6th, 2018, nevertheless, I copy and paste bulk of previously crafted poem applicable to 2024 presidential election nearly six years to date from forty fifth elected meddling, scheming, and yawping commander in chief. Das Don Auld (can hardly tank tucker - son of Carl, and leave landscape barren) calling out rigged ken tuckered hoarfrost race, viz demolition derby presaging death to White Anglo Saxon democracy DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) minions decry diplomacy,

crass denunciation of Stacey Abrams

liberally Apple eyeing jingoistic rhetoric declare defamation directly upon disparate grass roots hegemony, hectoring, heckling, and harassing humble hobby (lobby) horse

sense, asper progressive democrats hurrahing, holstering, hitching visa vis disc hovering rays in the sky, no fault in our stars, harnessing healthy,

honesty, humility plowing, sowing, and tilling political terrain at expense tubby execrably, damnably, cruelly, brutally, nagged, branded,

and whipped malevolently, mercilessly, and mischievously lambasted by fourth grade vocabulary level former commander in chief exuding: haughtiness, doughy bully pronouncing

prescriptions provisioning one percent pampered population attending one born at Jamaica Hospital in Queens, New York City hobnobbing, galavanting, fawning...

at ego inflating functions exploiting downtrodden under most class "dirt poor" bilked proletariat segment. Pinnacle (topping Taj Mahal), now owns Birds eye bourgeoisie view, which informs hawkish word smiths, onlookers with powerfully pointed outlook excellent access, sans zealous, vociferous, uxorious, and traitorous tyrannical reigning Rex less lee pugnacious noxious

loose xenophobic, jabberwocky, demagoguery laced jargon surly sucking, quizzically, pugilistic-allied, outrageously punching imaginary nemesis, linkedin with instagram, snapchat twittering skulking arch conservative enemies clandestinely undermining

(bone a fide skulduggery) ambitions to turn back figurative clock, applauding, cobbling, counting crowdsource to elect forty seventh

commander in chief to reboot, remake, and retry to restore American (post world war II) hit parade soundtrack resonating

with ardent blatant bigotry, colored blinders, devilish foo fighting patriotism, nepotism, localism, gerrymandered, jury rigged Russian hijacked pollster precincts, nativism milking titillating conspiracy theorists, denouncing radical ambidextrous righteous leftists, silencing

second amendment agent challenges provocateurs, lake wobegon raconteurs, and saboteurs infiltrating highest echelons with spooky intelligent poseurs, and green lighting one man plutocrat steamrolling aborted blackened

civil disobedience (Thoreau Lee) walled in reproductive rights.

[karahalloway]

Six Sentence Sunday - 11.12.2022

Happy Sunday, everyone!

So... I know most people are probably expecting a snippet of the next chapter of Sleepless in New York, but I am going to surprise you all by throwing a bit of a curve ball out with this Six Sentence Sunday.

The idea of this fic came out of a conversation with @angelasscribbles, @harleybeaumont and @nestledonthaveone whereby we were discussing Drake's extra-curricular activities that involve tight pants (kind of spinning off of Angela's Homerun fic) and I happened to mention jodpurs...

Queue an entire fic idea where Drake gets roped into playing polo (against his will, obviously, because even though I can see him having played this sport, I cannot see him willingly subjecting himself to wearing tight horseriding tights -- even if it's part of the uniform 😅)

So, this the one-shot that I will be working on for the next few weeks (sorry, not sorry -- this fic is hilarious in my head, so hopefully you'll get a kick out of it too!)

Also, there will be a proper moodboard for this later, but for the time being...

Polo!

Series: TRR

Pairings: Drake x Mystery Woman (no, I am not saying anything more at this stage! 😋)

Warnings: M (swearing)

"No. Abso-fuckin'-lutely not."

"But we're short one player!"

I scoff. "It's not my fault Leo's a no-show! Find someone else!"

"There isn't anyone else!" cries Max, grabbing the front of my shirt. "You're literally our last hope, Drake!"

I slap the Beaumont's hands off me with a derisive snort. "We're at an exclusive equestrian event. You seriously tellin' me that none of the aristos out there can ride a horse?"

"None as well as you can..." admits Chris.

I roll my eyes. He had a point.

"...and, as you well know, there is a bit more to it than simple horsemanship."

"Yeah. Whacking an overpriced softball with a crocket mallet into soccer goal," I mutter. "None of which is hard."

Max's face pales. "I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you say that..."

Permatags

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @kingliam2019 @petiteboheme @aussiegurl1234 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @angelasscribbles @nestledonthaveone @tinkie1973 @twinkle-320 @knaussal @nikkis1983 @lunaseasblog @ficloverevie @indiana-jr @differenttyphoonwerewolf @xpandass420x @eversoaringqueen12 @peonierose @3pawandme @alexabeta @veebug8 @fangirling12566 @queenmiarys @berriesandpixels​ @coco-lina-s @lolablackwrites @ivyflowers13 @persephone13 @hollygirl1269 @adri-ja-96 @harleybeaumont @katedrakeohd @uneravine @choicesficwriterscreations

#drake walker #polo! #the royal romance #maxwell beaumont #prince liam #drake's tight pants #cfwc sunday six #choices fic writers creations

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Thursday, 14th September

Welcome, Välkommen, Dzień dobry, नमस्ते 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 14th September through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

14th September 2022 🗓️ : Event - Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II Death of Queen Elizabeth II: The Queen's coffin is taken from Buckingham Palace, placed on a gun carriage of The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and moved in a procession to Westminster Hall for her lying in state over the next four days with the queue of mourners stretching for miles along the River Thames. "Elizabeth II, queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, died on 8 September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. Elizabeth's reign of over 70 years was the longest of any British monarch. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles. Elizabeth's coffin lay at..."

Image licensed under CC0? by Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

14th September 2018 🗓️ : Death - Ethel Johnson (wrestler) Ethel Johnson, American professional wrestler (b. 1935) "Ethel Blanche Hairston (née Wingo; May 14, 1935 – September 14, 2018) was an American professional wrestler whose ring name was Ethel Johnson. She debuted at age 16, becoming the first African-American women's champion. She was a fan favorite, billed as "the biggest attraction to hit girl wrestling..."

14th September 2013 🗓️ : Death - Maksym Bilyi (footballer, born 1989) Maksym Bilyi, Ukrainian footballer (b. 1989) "Maksym Ivanovych Bilyi (Ukrainian: Максим Іванович Білий; 27 April 1989 – 14 September 2013) was a Ukrainian football midfielder...."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Виктория Сидорова

14th September 1973 🗓️ : Birth - Mike Ward (comedian) Mike Ward, Canadian comedian and actor "Michael John Ward (born September 14, 1973) is a Canadian comedian. He performs comedy in both French and English...."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0? by Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA

14th September 1923 🗓️ : Birth - Nicholas Georgiadis Nicholas Georgiadis, Greek painter and costume designer (d. 2001) "Nicholas Georgiadis CBE (Greek: Νίκος Γεωργιάδης; 14 September 1923 – 10 March 2001) was a Greek painter, stage and costume designer, best known for his work in ballet, particularly in collaboration with Sir Kenneth MacMillan...."

14th September 1821 🗓️ : Death - Heinrich Kuhl Heinrich Kuhl, German naturalist and zoologist (b. 1797) "Heinrich Kuhl (17 September 1797 – 14 September 1821) was a German naturalist and zoologist. Kuhl was born in Hanau (Hesse, Germany). Between 1817 and 1820, he was the assistant of professor Th. van Swinderen, docent natural history at the University of Groningen in Groningen (the Netherlands). In..."

Image by Friedrich Fleischmann (1791—1834), German painter and engraver

14th September 🗓️ : Holiday - Engineer's Day (Romania) "Engineer's Day is observed in several countries on various dates of the year...."

#OnThisDayInWikiHistory #WikiUntamed #WhereNext #WikiWonderland

[bending-sickle]

not one week after seeing a post/poll about whether it’s being in line or on line when you are in a physical queue amongst people, and last podcast on the left chimes in*, with marcus saying it’s a us vs. uk thing and henry saying it’s also on line in new york, which marcus rebukes on account of never having heard it in 16 years he’s lived there, prompting ben to suggest it’s a queens thing

* episode 528 at 1 hour 27 minutes

#sometimes i do wonder if j just live in a computer simulation because of random coincidences like these #randomness

[fancyhints]

Two men arrested for allegedly hacking JFK taxi dispatch system Prosecutors allege that the pair enabled up to 1,000 taxi trips to fraudulently bypass the computer-controlled JFK taxi dispatch system a day. | Image: Spencer Platt/Getty Images Two US citizens have been arrested and accused of conspiring with Russian nationals to hack the taxi dispatch system at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), charging cab drivers a $10 fee to access the front of the queue between September 2019 and September 2021. Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman (both 48 and from Queens, New York) first successfully hacked the dispatch system in 2019 with the help of unnamed Russian nationals, according to a DOJ indictment filed in the Southern District of New York. Leyman and Abayev accessed the system to move specific taxis to the front of the line, says the DOJ, charging drivers a $10 fee for the privilege. Members of the hacking scheme also offered to waive the $10 fee in exchange for... https://fancyhints.com/two-men-arrested-for-allegedly-hacking-jfk-taxi-dispatch-system-2/?utm_source=tumblr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

[subbyenbywitch]

[theme park review] halloween horror nights 30 (2021)

this year’s halloween horror nights will be my third! it’s turned into a pretty awesome tradition for me and one of my partners. we went to halloween horror nights 29 in 2019 on our first date. 2020’s was, of course, canceled due to the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic when the powers that be were pretending to actually try to prevent its spread. but when halloween horror nights returned to universal the following year, so did we!

our second year we were joined by her husband and my fiancx. my fiancx wasn’t feeling up for many of the haunted houses, and is a bit of a rollercoaster fiend (whereas i’m a huge rollercoaster wuss), so ve rode hollywood rip ride rockit whilst we were having our spooky times. ve ended up joining us for one of the haunted houses later, and for our apparently obligatory non-horror nights activity that year, men in black: alien attack.

really the biggest thing alien attack is missing is a truly pandering gift shop? like, you do absolutely exit through the gift shop, don’t get me wrong. but i wasn’t the slightest bit tempted to buy anything on offer there, and theme park gift shops are definitely a weakness of mine.

i fucking love the queue. it’s probably my favorite part of the ride? you just walk through mib headquarters, and it fucking rules. the ride itself is based on the shooting gallery j faces in his extended job interview in the movie. this makes perfect sense because that’s probably the most theme parky thing in the movie other than the ltd post-little red button depending on what kind of ride they wanted to go for, and i love dark rides so i’m glad this is what they went with. plus the story of the ride is that you’re an mib trainee and i love dorky shit like that.

shortly after the beginning of the ride an alien prison ship crashes in new york! and you get sent immediately into battle with your weapons switched from training mode to full-power mode! the animatronics in this portion of the ride are just fantastic. i had a blast (pun fully intended, though i think i had the lowest score in our ride vehicle). anyway, moving on to our regularly-scheduled spookiness.

since halloween horror nights was celebrating the big 3-0, they largely used the scarezones to pay tribute to past years’ horror nights. i didn’t have context for any of these, obviously, but i thought the overall concept was pretty rad!

there were only two scarezones that i really spent any time in that year or that left a lasting impression. one was seek and destroy, which was located right outside of the tribute store and was this really cool dystopian robot alien invasion thing where there are just these robotic voices demanding that you submit and like yeah wow i wonder if i liked that or not. the other one i remember pretty clearly was gorewood forest, where tree people capture and sacrifice humans. the costumes and sets here were just totally lit, and the queen of the tree people was just super dommy so yeah obviously i was so totally into that?

the haunting of hill house was a pretty easy skip because none of us have seen the netflix show it was based on and it was going to have long lines all night. also an easy skip was hhn icons: captured because it was based on the like literally 30 years worth of halloween horror night lore and again this was our second halloween horror nights so obviously i probably wasn’t gonna get much out of that. i think we also skipped revenge of the tooth fairy because it just didn’t sound that interesting to me. i think we also missed case files unearthed: legendary truth, which in retrospect i’m actually a bit sad about! but i’ve also gotten way more into detective/mystery type stuff in the year since, so it makes sense that i wasn’t nearly as interested in that one at the time.

puppet theatre: captive audience was one of the original concept haunted houses i was super looking forward to, but honestly it was kinda because i was expecting a whole lot more bondage imagery considering the title and the concept being people being turned into puppets? i mean, don’t get me wrong, it was still a pretty great haunted house–all the original concept ones usually are–i’m just whining.

we also checked out welcome to scarey: horror in the heartland, which felt kinda obligatory given that both me and my partner grew up in the midwest. in this one a small town in ohio is just absolutely overrun with all kinds of monsters. there’s a bunch of really cool settings like a house, a school, a local news station, and a butcher’s shop. they did a fantastic job of combining quaint small town settings with a bunch of different kinds of horror.

but pretty easily my favorite of the original concept haunted houses that second year was the wicked growth: realm of the pumpkin. i just really, really like pumpkins and i wish pumpkin monsters were more of a common thing around halloween because that would just kinda make sense right? and anyway as soon as i saw the entrance that was just fucking covered in pumpkins including like a literal arch of pumpkins, i knew i was probably gonna like this one. it did a really great job taking more traditionally “spooky” halloween imagery and making it genuinely scary. just fantastic stuff.

the licensed houses seriously kicked ass that year, though. i mean, okay, texas chain saw massacre is for sure not one of my favorite horror movies and i mostly did it because i was hoping there’d be a ton of bondage imagery since there is in the movies (look i have a bit of a one-track mind, i’m not sorry), but even though it didn’t really have any of that i could still at least appreciate what a good job they did recreating the creepy atmosphere of the movies even if it wasn’t super my cup of tea.

the other two, though… i wasn’t actually super excited for the beetlejuice house? like, i love the movie, it’s definitely one of my favorite tim burton movies, but i just didn’t know how well it would translate into a haunted house? but just… wow, guys, they knocked this one out of the park. like, i wouldn’t say it was scary, exactly, but i was just so damn impressed by how well they brought the movie to life that it kind of didn’t matter? it ended up leaving such an impression on me that i literally ended up suggesting we watch the movie when we got back in for the evening, and we ended up doing just that.

but by far my favorite haunted house from either of the two haunted horror nights i’ve been to so far was universal monsters: the bride of frankenstein lives. i liked it so much i bought a dorky souvenir t-shirt of it to show my loyalty. it was by far the least scary of any of the haunted houses we went to either year, but that just simply didn’t matter.

first of all, this haunted house was actually a direct sequel to the movie bride of frankenstein??? and just… i kind of super want someone to make that movie now???

the story is that after the destruction of the castle the anguished bride realized she actually loved frankenstein’s monster after all. i rather prefer my headcanon that she went off and found countess zaleska from dracula’s daughter and they lived gayly ever after, but in this version we see her recreating dr. frankenstein’s work while wearing his goggles and lab coat and uh yeah, that’ll also work! and she ends up having to capture the brides of dracula as part of her plan to save her monster, and it’s strongly implied that she’s giving them human victims so she can harvest their blood after they feed (at one point someone trapped inside a box yells for help), and just this is metal as fuck, y’all.

and it ends in triumph for the bride and her monster, as she dramatically throws the switch while fighting off dracula’s brides. and it’s just. so. fucking. good.

seriously, make this into a movie right now. and have it be exactly as throwback and amazing as this haunted house was. i was totally blown away. and yeah it was 0% scary, but it was still easily the best haunted house i’ve seen so far. i genuinely hope something tops it in the future, but right now it’s kind of hard to imagine!

#halloween horror nights #halloween horror nights 30 #halloween #universal studios #theme parks #men in black #universal monsters #bride of frankenstein #the bride of frankenstein lives #men in black: alien attack #mib