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johns-prince · 4 months

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I Don't Know (Oh Johnny Johnny)

After listening to this "forgotten" song by John and Paul on repeat, with excruciating scrutiny of trying my darndest to make out the lyrics.

This song is approximately recorded around 1960, could have even been 1959, and I've read it was apparently recorded when the group was going by the Silver Beatles. Also, apparently recorded at Paul's house? I'm not sure.

Whether you think it's just them fooling about, simple improvising and nothing at all, I think if they were going to take the effort to record it, it had to mean something.

Even if some or half of it is "improv," it still sounds like a conversation between the two.

It's not unlike them to use music to communicate and express personal thoughts and feelings, wants. There's also nobody else there... it's just them.

Just a couple of the clearer lyrics from Paul at the start:

"Hey now Johnny Johnny, oh Johnny Johnny, oh Johnny Johnny, oh Johnny Johnny, Oh God, Johnny boy, how are we gonna tell them?"

"Oh Johnny boy you wore me out"

It also sounds in one line Paul is singing, "Well you got me!"

Then John starts up.

And I know some people claim the start for John here is him saying "Well little boy" but I have to say that doesn't match up with what I've heard.

Doesn't sound anything like boy, but it does sound like John is saying, "Oh little darling, packing my shoes.. " can't make the following bit before, "cuz I'm losin' you"

"I'm going to see my sister soon. She don't want to see me I don't know really what I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do."

Now you've got Paul again:

"Well Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, when I call you Johnny, well Johnny Johnny oh Johnny, when I'm calling you..."

"Well I don't know what I'm going to tell them..." okay, these lyrics are really difficult to decipher. Maybe it's just my brains attempt at conjuring coherent words from the incoherent sounds, but, what follows this sounds ALMOST sounds as if Paul is telling him what he'll tell the fellas, about thoughts regarding John (I've still got thoughts of you/I'll still have thoughts of you/or, I'll still vouch for you)

Then the closest thing to ever getting to hear what Paul McCartney sounds like when pleading:

"Please Johnny, please Johnny"

John's response is:

"Well I'll tell the fellas I'm traveling with you"

And funnily enough, it's John saying, "I don't know what I'm gonna to do when I tell my mother we're gonna leave town." Of course if this is recorded in 1958/1960, Julia is no longer around...

Paul reiterates this though, confirming it, "Yeah we're gonna leave town."

Paul continues with this dogged line, I can catch a couple of "we gotta leave, we just gotta leave, we gotta leave right now."

Then—

"Take the next bus out of town, then we won't let nobody down!"

It's a conversation about getting out, breaking out, starting over just the two of them... With some interesting mentions of family and friends finding out, about something, with them, between them? And disappointing everyone, causes family to turn them away.

The reason couldn't have just been that they were wanting to become famous musicians together, right? I don't think that alone could be it considering Mimi nor Jim, or Julia or John's sisters, ever turned them away or shunned them because of this dream they were already chasing by this time.

The song progresses to where it sounds as if John has reservations about leaving, he's not as confident about the plan as originally thought.

Paul keeps singing the "we gotta leave, get outta town." I caught a "don't hold me down."

John starts repeating "I don't know" which results in Paul repeatedly calling out, "Oh Johnny Johnny Johnny oh Johnny Johnny Johnny Johnny..." Again, it's almost like pleading, "How could you not know? We have to go, we have to leave town, you can't tell me “I don't know” now. Don't do this now."

Now, I will say this, the full lyrical interpretations of this song, while I commend others for trying too, hold too many issues for me to agree upon their validity. I don't catch any "I love yous" and the such, but I think what I have caught, and how John and Paul are singing to each other and with each other here, alone, as teenage boys chasing their dream, is enough to convince me still that this song is so intimately about them, their relationship, and what they dreamed of doing together.

Running off, getting out and creating music together. Running away together. The song technically foreshadowing this honeymoon-esque trip of John and Paul doing just that when John turned 21, and with 100 quid took Paul on a trip.

Two teenage boys not knowing what to do, lamenting over something, something getting out to their family that would cause them to be turned away and to cause disappointment. I don't necessarily attribute that to them chasing the dream of becoming famous musicians together, but it could be. It could be many different things. Could just be me overanalyzing...

The end of the song is a lot more scrambled, difficult to make out, but it sounds like both John and Paul are back to both agreeing to the fact they need to get out, leave town, together.

Also imagining the fact they probably looked something close to this while thumping around and singing this song in Paul's house, alone together, gives me feelings.

#mclennon #john lennon #paul mccartney

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goryhorroor · 6 months

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horror movies in horror movies (part 3)

the golem (1920) in ti piace hitchcock? (2005) the toxic avenger (1984) in slither (2006) black sabbath (1963) in the babadook (2014) the house on haunted hill (1959) in terrifier 2 (2022) the brain that wouldn't die (1962) in the unheard (2022) night of the living dead (1968) in all hallow's eve (2013) the tingler (1959) in the black phone (2022) the forgotten (1973) in house (1985) nosferatu (1922) in scream 2 (1997) frankenstein (1931) in scream (1996) the beast from 20,000 fathoms (1953) in gremlins 2 (1990) the birds (1963) in my soul to take (2010) the funhouse (1981) in halloween kills (2021) attack of the crab monsters (1957) in chopping mall (1986)

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thenewgothictwice · 14 days

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Tayseer Barakat (B. 1959, Jabaliya, Gaza, Palestine) - Not Everything Is Forgotten, 2023.

#tayseer barakat #palestinian art #gaza genocide #palestine #gaza #free palestine #from the river to the sea palestine will be free

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derangedrhythms · 11 months

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I have forgotten your bodily self. It is too long ago. Only the soul remains.

Anne Sexton, from ‘A Self-Portrait in Letters’ ⁠— W. D. Snodgrass, 9th June 1959

#anne sexton #a self portrait in letters #letters #o

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sissylittlefeather · 6 months

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In honor of Halloween...

"Devil in Disguise"

I wrote a vampire fic but PLOT TWIST Elvis isn't the vampire.

YOU ARE!

Warnings: 18+ SMUT MDNI!!!! Kissing, cussing, fingering, oral sex (f receiving), a little girl on girl action, threesome (MFF), p in v sex, unprotected sex, creampie, also vampire bites and blood drinking

A/N: this was a fun stretch for me. Please let me know what you think!

Inspired by these pics:

You've honestly forgotten how many years you've been a vampire. You know you were turned at the end of the American Civil War as a means of survival for your children, who are all dead now anyway. After your youngest passed, you moved to France. You followed the American soldiers here in 1944, since they had literally been your bread and butter since you were turned. Now, the war was over, but your job as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge was too good to leave and there was still a steady stream of young men, and even soldiers at times, to keep you well-fed and young(ish)-looking. You had been 33 when you were turned, so that was your permanent age, but when you were well-fed the men assumed you were younger and never bothered to ask if you weren't.

None of the other dancers knew what you were except for Anya, who was also like you and had been a refugee after the Russian revolution. While she was younger, she had become your closest friend in the years since you'd come to Paris.

She was the one who alerted you to the presence of one Elvis Presley in the spring of 1959. You'd seen him on television and knew he was in Germany with the Army, but you hadn't expected him to show up here.

"He's on furlough. The girls are fighting over who will get to be with him first." Anya whispers to you as you get dressed. Luckily you've learned to understand her thick accent. She knew you were always looking for a new challenge and she preferred rich, older gentlemen, so she wasn't interested in this boy, as she thought of him.

"Oh, Anya, I don't know. I'm exhausted and he's sure to be surrounded by photographers and fans. It'll be hard to get him alone."

"You're tired because..." she leans in and speaks softly, "you need to feed. And how fun would he be?"

"Maybe. I don't want to compel him, though. That's too easy."

"Then don't. Go out there and show these little girls how a woman works." She slaps your ass and gives you a wink before walking to line up for the opening dance.

******

After your dances are finished, you're sent to mingle with the men in the club and see if you can't score a few extra tips. You see the throng of people and assume that must be where he is. Swinging your hips as you walk, you move to a spot in his eye line, but far enough away to not draw the attention of the crowd. He's got dancers all around him and he must've kissed a half dozen of them already, but you recognize the look in his eye. It's the same look you have on most nights. He's hungry for a challenge, something new and exciting and not the same girls falling at his feet.

That's when his eyes meet yours. They lock for a good thirty second before his gaze moves down your body. He takes in your black and red bodice and fishnet hose, all the way down to the black heels on your feet and back up again to the feathers stuck in your hair. But you know what he wants, so you pull your eyes away from his magnetic stare and start to walk away, a look of disinterest on your face.

You move slowly across the room, talking and flirting with patrons as you do. Still, you can feel his eyes on you, tracking you like a predator with prey. Little does he know, he's the prey in this scenario and he's falling perfectly into your snare.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch him dismissing the girls around him and trying to shake the crowd that follows him, assuring them he'll be right back. But you know better. Once he's yours, he'll be yours for the night.

You keep making your way around the room until you feel a soft hand on your shoulder and a voice in your ear.

"You runnin' away from me, mama?" You turn to face him with a bored smile.

"Should I be?" The hunger in his eyes intensifies with your apathy towards him.

"I'm told I'm a pretty good time. You might not want to run away just yet." He's laying it on thick for you, smiling devilishly, with his lip curled just so. You have to admit, he is very good looking, and you smile in spite of yourself. He leans his head back a little, confident he's got you now.

"Come on, mama. Let's go somewhere we can talk."

That didn't take long. He's less of a challenge than you thought he'd be. Turns out his hunger is your best weapon.

"Follow me." You smile up at him through your lashes and make your way to the door that leads backstage. Once you're back there with a little privacy, you push him up against the wall and kiss him deeply, running your hands down his front to the top of his pants and then back up. At first, he's caught off guard, but it doesn't take him long to wrap his arms around you and pull your body in close to his. He has some skill with his tongue and you realize that you're hungrier than you thought you were. You feel your fangs start to extend, so you pull away quickly and grab his hand, practically dragging him to one of the rooms you use for this sort of thing. He doesn't complain about your speed, though.

When you get inside, you turn and lock the door behind you.

"Damn, baby. Somebody knows what she wants."

"You have no idea." You round on him, trying to keep your fangs hidden until the right moment. You don't want to scare him away too quickly. It takes everything inside you not to just pounce on him, but you take a deep breath and feel your fangs retract.

You push him backwards to the edge of the couch.

"Sit down."

"Yes ma'am." His eyes sparkle with the excitement of being told what to do. You can tell he's used to being in charge, but he's not opposed to letting you take control. You walk over to the record player and put on something jazzy and sensual. The more aroused he is, the more vitality you can derive from his blood. When you get back in front of him he reaches out and puts both hands on your hips.

"Nuh uh." You move his hands back to his lap. "Just look. Don't touch."

"Mmm." He grunts and bites his bottom lip as you begin to move in front of him. You sway your hips seductively and touch your body as you dance. Slowly, you reach behind you and unzip your bodice, letting it fall to the floor. The only thing you have on underneath is your fishnet hose and his mouth drops at the sight in front of him. He adjusts his pants and you know he's well on his way to where you need him. You slide the hose down and kick off your shoes until you're standing in front of him completely naked. He still hasn't closed his mouth or been able to make a sound. You straddle him on the couch and reach for his tie. His hands go to your breasts and again you stop him.

"Did I say you could touch?" He whimpers.

"Honey, please..."

"I will tell you when you can touch me." He whines and flexes his hands before he puts them back at his sides. You begin to undress him slowly, first his tie, then his jacket, and finally his shirt, running your fingers across his chest lightly. He barely even has hair there.

"I need to touch you. Please." He looks at you with puppy dog eyes and bucks his hips up into you. You feel his hardness pushing against his pants. Then, you stand up again and he moans.

"No, honey, I'm sorry..."

"Take off your pants." He does as he's told and frantically removes his pants and shoes and then sits back down on the couch. His cock bounces in his lap and you can't help but be a little impressed by the size of it.

"You want to touch me?"

"Yes, please, mama." He looks at you with his eyes wide, dick twitching. You walk toward him and he reaches out, first cautiously and then hungrily, his hands exploring your body feverishly. He pulls you down into his lap and kisses you passionately. He lays you on your back on the couch and kisses down your neck. You put your hand on the top of his head and gently push him down toward your center.

He smiles. He can do this part well and he knows it. When his mouth makes contact with your clit, you yelp a little because it feels so good. He really is talented with his tongue and it's obvious as he licks and laps at you. Then, he slides two of his long fingers inside you and starts to move them in and out. The sensation is almost overwhelming and you feel your orgasm building deep in your core. He knows he's almost got you there too, so he picks up the pace of his hand and tightens his tongue to a point as he licks over and around your clit. Finally, the waves crash over you, sending heat and electricity to your fingertips and back again. You shudder and pulse around his hand and he does that boyish grin again.

"How badly do you want to fuck me?" You ask as he makes his way back up your body.

"Honey, I don't think I've ever wanted anything more in my life." You push him up into a sitting position and straddle him again, slowly sinking onto his cock until you're stuffed to the hilt with him. He groans and leans his head back on the couch. You feel your fangs extend again with the pleasure and do your best to keep your mouth closed, but his neck is exposed and you're so hungry...

"Honey? You okay?" You realize that you've stopped moving and snap back to reality.

"Mhmm!" You go back to grinding on his lap, pushing him deeper and deeper. That was too close. You have to keep yourself under control better until he's lost in a post-sex drunken haze. Why is he getting to you like this? You need to not let yourself get this hungry.

"Fuck, mama. This feels so good. I'm getting close." You stop and stand up off of him. "What? Why?"

"Not yet." He breathes deeply and leans his head back on the couch again. You grab a robe off the back of the door.

"I'll be right back."

You step out into the hallway and almost run smack into Anya.

"Oh thank God. I need your help. I'm having a hard time controlling myself. Help me finish him off." Anya looks at you concerned.

"Okay. I will help you." This isn't the first time this has happened. You've helped her and she's helped you before. Balancing the desires and hunger as a vampire is a delicate business. Sometimes it takes two of you to keep each other in line.

You open the door again and step in with Anya. He sits up and attempts to cover himself with his hand.

You unzip Anya's bodice and let it fall to the floor, pulling her into a deep kiss, your breasts pressed up against each other. Elvis sits on the couch with his mouth open again, unsure of what to do next. When you both turn to him, he sits up straight and swallows hard. His cock bounces in his hand as he looks at you both there naked in front of him. You sit on either side of him on the couch. Anya's hand goes to his dick and you pull him into a kiss. You add your hand to hers and he groans, watching you both work with his eyes wide.

"Holy fuck." He whispers as you lean in and kiss each other again over him as you touch him. Together, you lay him down on the couch. Anya climbs onto his face and he goes to work. But when you slide his cock into you, you hear him moan audibly. You begin to bounce up and down on him quickly and he grabs your hips. He has a hard time deciding what to do with his hands as Anya sits on his face and you sit on his dick. He gets her to an orgasm pretty quickly, being as skilled as he is and she stands up off of him. He's surprised when you lean in and kiss him, even with Anya's desire on his lips. He thrusts into you from underneath and you feel another orgasm forming, your fangs starting to descend. She can tell you're struggling, so Anya leans in and kisses you hard.

"I think he's almost ready." She whispers with her thick accent. She grabs his hands and holds them above his head while you fuck him.

"'M gonna come, mama." He groans. You don't stop. Instead, you move faster, your own orgasm just a couple of thrusts away. You slam into each other faster and faster, harder and harder, all while Anya holds his hands. Finally, you scream and he cusses loudly.

"Yes, fuck, oh my god!" He pumps into you weakly as he shudders and fills you with warmth. You come too, hard, and your fangs come out one last time. You can no longer hide them and you lean forward to the soft supple skin of his neck.

"What?!" He begs, but doesn't fight back. You gently pierce him with your teeth and suck as the blood comes quickly. It's sweetened with the energy of his desire and his release and it fills you in a way you didn't think was possible.

As you finish, Anya releases his arms and you lick the tiny marks on his neck, knowing your saliva will heal it quickly.

"Did you just bite me?" He asks drunkenly.

"I did."

"I liked it."

"Most of you do, you just don't know it until it happens."

Anya kisses your forehead and grabs her things, wrapping the robe around herself and disappearing through the door.

He sits up and wraps his arms around you.

"Did you get younger?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"Make me like you."

"Oh, no, honey, I would never."

"Why not? Please?" He looks at you with his round blue eyes and you see the pain there. You kiss his hair and hold him close to your chest.

"You don't really want this. I promise."

"What if I really do?"

"I'm not turning Elvis Presley into a vampire."

"Then I'll find someone who will." You look deeply into his sex-drunk eyes.

"We'll talk about this in the morning." You curl up next to him on the couch as sleep approaches both of you.

"I'm not changing my mind."

You drift off in his arms, thinking about what it would mean to release him into the world as a new vampire. Is that a responsibility you're willing to accept? Is it really what he wants? Can you be the vampire that makes the most famous man on the planet immortal?

You don't know. But tonight, you were the vampire that fucked and drank Elvis Presley. And who else can say that?

******

Hope that was a fun treat!

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Taglist:

@ccab @elvisfatass @elvisalltheway101 @aliypop @18lkpeters @dkayfixates @ashtag6887 @your-nanas-house @joshuntildawn13 @lookingforrainbows

Sorry if you didn't want a tag in this one! Either way, I hope some of you enjoy this little Halloween treat!

#elvis presley fanfiction #elvis presley #elvis fanfic #elvis smut #elvis presley x reader #elvis x reader #elvis presley fic #elvis presley x y/n #elvis fic #elvis fanfiction #elvis presley smut #elvis presley x you #elvis presley fanfic #elvis x y/n #elvis x you #halloween #halloween smut

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rwby-encrusted-blog · 5 months

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Transformers aren't cars, They are Alien-Robot-People that can Turn into cars (And other Vehicles,) and are thus exempt from this list.

#I just thought it would be funny to have kirby on this list TBH. Even if I could've added the mystery machine or something. Kit maybe?#The gadget mobile?#poll #polls #cars #movie cars #mad max #back to the future #chitty chitty bang bang #stephen king's christine #christine 1983 #mad max fury road #smokey and the bandit #herbie the love bug #ghostbusters #ghostbusters 1984 #ghostbusters afterlife #Kirby #kirby and the forgotten land

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reikunrei · 19 days

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"More than just an ordinary human."

It's that time again! Another Doctor Who episode wahoo!! Let's check out season 3, episode 6:

"The Lazarus Experiment"

So, Lazarus is, obviously, taken from the biblical figure of Lazarus who was brought back from the dead by Jesus. The story of his revival is meant to exemplify the power Jesus has over death itself, but I won't be talking about that in-depth here; the Bible-talk is more James's wheelhouse lol.

As it applies to this Doctor Who episode, it's not so much about coming back from the dead, but rather about cheating death. Professor Richard Lazarus has created an invention, which he calls a "miracle" (the same word used by Patty in reference to "Henry's" powers in tfs), that will essentially de-age anyone who steps inside.

(Peeping the fact that he specifically mentions the moon landing like Mr. Clarke mentions it in st3)

However, there's a catch! He didn't do his proper research! He didn't account for all possible variables! And something in his DNA is trying to change him! (Another tfs word! We love to see it!)

Rejuvenating, you say? Even after the Doctor blows up Lazarus in his monster form and he comes out entirely unscathed? Golly, I wonder who that reminds me of! Anyway.

So basically what happened is Lazarus "changed his own molecular patterns" by "hack[ing] into his own genes" which is SUCH a NINA-ass word to use. Don't even remind me of all the computer stuff that's being pushed in the st5 leaks and updates. This has seemingly activated something in his DNA that's trying to make him change, and that "change" is a giant scorpion-like monster that is absolutely ravenous. Before the Doctor and Martha are looking at his DNA, we see a scene of Dr. Lazarus grabbing a finger-food platter from one of the waitstaff at his invention's unveiling and scarfs it down, saying he's famished, which the Doctor isn't surprised by (it's insinuated that he understands, at least loosely, what's happening because of the Time Lord's ability to regenerate, which always wears them out and makes them very energy-hungry).

In his monster form, Dr. Lazarus drains all the "life-energy" out of several human victims in order to sate his hunger, leaving an empty shell. (Insert Vecna consuming his victims to get stronger, insert "Henry" killing animals in tfs to sate the Shadow and it being much more powerful when "he" finally kills Virginia, insert Max being left an empty body without a soul/life, etc. etc., you get the picture. Not to mention that the Doctor equates it to "squeezing the juice out of an orange" ... I wasn't expecting a little st vr connection, but I'll take it!). He has little to no control over his transformation, and while he can feel it coming on, he can't just snap in and out of it; it simply takes over and he changes. The first time we see him transform, he writhes on the ground in agony and his wife asks if it's "some kind of seizure" (smash cut to "Henry" in tfs seizing).

Later, after some running around, being chased, and doing some thinking, the Doctor explains to Martha that this "thing" (Lazarus) isn't alien, it's "strictly human in origin." This form was becoming "dominant" because the process of de-aging himself likely awoke some dormant genes that "evolution rejected...millions of years ago...forgotten until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

A big part of this episode is about hubris. Dr. Lazarus is overconfident in his invention, and he spends ample part of the start of the episode dismissing the Doctor and Martha when they both warn him that something may be wrong/this may be more dangerous than he realizes. On top of Dr. Lazarus seeking out youth/prolonged life, much like the idea that Brenner is looking for some sort of power/immortality of some kind in st (barely even touching on the other weird stuff like Brenner not aging in tfs between 1959-1979), a lot of it made me think of El tearing into Brenner in 4.08, especially her emphasis on him being the monster, on all of this being his fault, all because he couldn't let Henry go. Brenner has constantly been presented to us, throughout all mediums, to be fairly stubborn and determined to get what he wants, even if the results are catastrophic (ie. the number of guards and orderlies who have died helping him with his child dungeon project, all of the children themselves dying in one way or another, even his own ass getting jumped by a demogorgon and then shot to bleed out and "die" in the desert).

Which leads into the other core aspect of this episode: humanity.

Throughout all of Doctor Who, the Doctor makes it clear that he finds humans utterly fascinating, especially in their mundanity. He emphasizes the importance of everyone's individuality and tells everyone they're special and important, even if they don't really "do" anything. Simply being who they are is what makes them matter; they don't need to be useful or supply anything groundbreaking in order to be amazing in his eyes. They exist as humans, and that's all that matters.

In this episode, we see Lazarus talk about how humans, as they are now, are basically inferior. While a large part of his motivations are about the money he'll make off of such an invention, we learn later that he has a distinct and deep fear of death and being defenseless against it. He wants to "change what it means to be human," to give them "a chance...to evolve, to improve" and to make sure he never has to face death like he did as a child: terrified and vulnerable.

We get the two following conversations between the Doctor and Lazarus, one at about the midway point of the episode before shit really hits the fan, and the other is near the very end of the episode after shit has really hit the fan.

This next one is split into several pieces to get in all the lines because they say a lot that jumps out as very important and distinctly Brenner, with some smatterings of One's monologue and some Henry-isms, especially from tfs, and the general presence of many of The Words.

I wanna point out that the Doctor being at the London Blitz is a direct reference to the episodes I talked about in my last dw post. And I find it incredibly interesting that a lot of the original tfs promo was heavily centered around church, like how this final standoff is in a cathedral, even so far as having Mr. Newby originally be listed as Father Newby, etc., despite the final play not being as heavy-handed with the religious imagery. Idk it's just itching something in my brain! I also wanna note that, since it's kinda hard to see here, the camera pans around Lazarus in a counterclockwise circle, following the path of the Doctor as he circles him, and we aaall know how st loves to use circling camera shots like that.

I especially want to touch on the second conversation the Doctor and Lazarus have in the church. The Doctor speaks to him calmly, trying to get him to understand and have compassion for the experience that is being human rather than trying to cheat it, and that living an exceptionally long life really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Even though Lazarus is now a "monster," he's still intensely humanized. He's killed at least four people at this point, but the Doctor doesn't go about simply trying to belittle, dehumanize, or kill him.

When it comes to Brenner, unfortunately, we still don't know much about his past, but we have a lot we can assume or extrapolate, at least based off what tfs has told us and the gaps we can fill in from st itself. We know, at least vaguely, that he and his father had a strained relationship. During the opening sequence of tfs on the USS Eldridge, we hear Captain Brenner talking to his other shipmates about how "it's my kid's birthday today, he told me he hates me."

However, later in the show, Brenner tells "Henry" that his father's return from Dimension X and subsequent death because of it compelled him to join Project Rainbow and devote his life to the cause and figure out what happened. With "Henry's" seeming ability to survive being infected by the Shadow, Brenner tries to tap into that. His main goal in tfs is to make contact with the Shadow and figure out what happened to his father, and since it's then explained that he made more children like "Henry" (specifically the immunity to the Shadow/the shared blood that supposedly gives them that immunity), it's clear he's trying to avoid is father's fate in that way. In short, it very much comes off as an attempt to try and cheat death.

Brenner, throughout the show, often presents what he does as good, both for the children in the lab and for humanity as a whole (though specifically for the US, focused on beating back those nasty commies). Even if he does bad things, it's for the greater good! He has good intentions! That's gotta count for something, right? /s

Both Lazarus and Brenner went into their respective experiments because they thought they could become better than human. Or in Brenner's case, at the very least he could live vicariously through his experiments to feel better than human, which was explicitly touched on in the vr game in clips like this one. As we also see in st4, El tries to call Brenner a monster, but when she relays this thinking to Vecna, he rejects it, and calls Brenner "an ordinary, mediocre man."

Shortly after that first conversation I showed between Lazarus and the Doctor on the rooftop, after Lazarus transforms, there's a sequence where, from inside Lazarus's machine, the Doctor is able to reverse the polarity of the capsule so it reflects energy rather than receive it, and it blasts Lazarus away, turning him back into human form and supposedly killing him.

Right away, with this comment from Martha, Lazarus is equated back to an ordinary human. He's not made to be the "big bad villain" where everyone is glad he's dead, nor is he made out to be this reverent being. He's someone to be pitied. It's decidedly solemn. He was just a man out of his depth who bit off more than he could chew... much like how Brenner is a man out of his depth who bit off more than he could chew.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we learned that Brenner was actively harming himself in his attempt to do… whatever. Much like how Lazarus was harming himself (and others) in order to maintain his new youth, Brenner may be harming himself with his experiments. Whether that be via blood transfusions/consuming blood (see the post I linked from Stav above), or by doing something as drastic as physically combining himself with one of the Henwards, I doubt anything 100% good and rewarding could come from it. Even if he's looking for something like regenerative healing, as we see in Vecna and as hinted by Brenner not being dead despite getting jumped by a demogorgon, what does he have to do to reach that point? What risks are there involved that he may not have accounted for, simply because he would have no idea that they exist in the first place? Just looking at the circumstances of the weird Brenward face combo we get in 4.07… he didn’t exactly wind up in a great spot after combining himself, did he? Plus, while I'm of the mind that Vecna and the guy we see shape the Mind Flayer are two different dudes (James and Em have other posts about this as well), the way it's presented to us implies that Vecna evolved from the MF guy, so there's a sort of compounding that changes in his appearance from mostly-human to mostly-infected-by-the-UD, which... also doesn't seem great.

We can already see how being infected by the Shadow affects people, which is highlighted in Henry not sleeping and barely eating when he's flayed. Hell, Brenner saw what happened to his father after he returned from Dimension X, and he took the lives of several test subjects (many of them children) in his own experiments. He already knows that there are risks and detractions in this work.

At the very end of this dw episode, Lazarus is finally actually killed. Using the organ in the church, the Doctor amplifies its sound using his Sonic Screwdriver to create "hypersonic sound waves" in order to interfere with Lazarus on a molecular level, which is more or less the same thing he did with his machine. Lazarus falls from a high balcony within the church, disoriented by the noise, and turns back into a human upon death. He even reverts back to his "correct" elderly appearance as the Doctor kneels over him and gently shuts his eyes.

We've already seen something similar to this sort of death with Brenner in st4. While I wouldn't say it was a soft moment for him, since El was still clearly rejecting him, she still leaned into his touch, still listened to him, and clearly was grappling with a lot of messy feelings. She, in that moment, wanted to view him as a monster, but she couldn't. Not entirely. That's her Papa! That's someone who, for most of her life, despite every horrible thing he did, took care of her; who said he loved her and held her best interests at heart.

In my mind, this sort of "soft end" is what we should expect for Brenner and Vecna in st5. It could be even softer than what we see in st4, because as much as Brenner deserves to have his shit absolutely rocked, we've been increasingly shown that he is only human. Human's are not monsters, but humans can do monstrous things. That doesn't make them inhuman. And, as people like James and Em have spoken extensively about lately, Brenner is likely but one cog in the machine that is the Cycles in this show, and not necessarily the source of the cycles to begin with. He didn't pop outta the womb wanting to build a child torture dungeon, but something happened to bring him there and cloud his judgement.

And even if the death is something more intense and dramatic like that of Lazarus, it's not necessarily something to celebrate, yknow? Even if the threat is gone (which is a very good thing), it took many horrible, avoidable things to get there in the first place, and that's what's tragic.

B-B-B-Bonus Round: Just Some Extra Shit

vs "Henry" going missing in Nevada for 12 hours per tfs. Martha has been on several trips with the Doctor thus far, so there's the added bit of "the passage of time is messed up" seeing as, for her, it's been several days, but to everyone else it's only been 12 hours.

All of the above is so... yeah lol. Lazarus is repeatedly very weird to the two young women in this episode, Martha and her sister Tish, and he even rejects his elderly wife in one scene when she kisses him and he tells her to "look at [her]self." The sniffing thing even made me think of the demogorgon being given the trait of "smelling blood" so... I see you, Brennergorgon.

I could've probably fit this bit somewhere above, but I'm too lazy, so it's going here instead. Love a good boiler room setting and talking about sacrifices!

"Always the mothers" just like how Brenner say it was always the mothers who came to him convinced their children had abilities or issues, etc. (plus just a little context for Martha's mom's "dangerous" comment: this season has an overarching hidden plot about the Master, who I touched on in another one of my dw posts, wherein he basically holds political power over the city (hiding the fact that he's a Time Lord) and is trying to sabotage the Doctor).

#st dw #i say things #martin brenner #richard brenner #stranger things #not as involved as the last one but it offers up some interesting thoughts methinks

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henrysglock · 4 months

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Absolutely obsessed with how they made a character so integral to Stranger Things without even introducing him by name until Season 4. If Will’s the zombie, then Henry’s the ghost.

Henry’s the faded picture in a locket you bought for $2 at a thrift store. The only solid information we have about him is his name and photo proof that he once lived. He’s been summarily wiped from existence after 1959, and the only proof of his continued existence is himself. Forgotten, but not gone. Pivotal, central, but largely unseen, almost entirely unknown.

Henry haunts the narrative. Hell, I’d wager he haunts it more than any other character. He’s as close to a literal ghost as anyone in Stranger Things gets.

Absolutely wild to me.

#henry creel

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smokygluvs · 7 months

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Gabin as Maigret

Maybe not at the top, but Gabin is high on my list of Maigret interpretations, not least as he looks stunning smoking a pipe.

Especially as he got older, his face perfectly suited a briar.

I like to imagine here that he's got me helplessly bound and gagged, wondering what perversions he's going to inflict...

He appeared in three Maigret films: Maigret tend un piège (1957), L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959) and Maigret voit rouge (1963), small beer compared to Jean Richard, who made more than 90 (albeit TV) appearances, and Rupert Davies, with more than 50.

Even so, he made his mark. I put him on my third place of favourite Maigrets, after Davies (always the best) and Richard. What commends him, in this order: that wonderful, deep, gravelly voice of his, his pipe-handling technique, that square, solid build.

And, of course, it should not be forgotten: the man knew how to wear a hat.

Finally, a shot with Georges Simenon. Am I alone in finding one pipe smoker lighting another's pipe erotic? Probably not.

#pipe smoker #Maigret #Jean Gabin

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mask131 · 4 months

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There's yet a haunt on the hill...

Here and here I tried to sort out the intricated chain tying up Shirley Jackson' The Haunting of Hill House with the various works inspired by it, confused with it or indirectly linked to it (Hell House, The Turn of the Screw, Rose Red, and more...). But I have one more chain that truly turns this labyrinthine construction into a true web.

As you remember, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House was released in 1959...

But there is another piece of horror about a haunted house that got released in 1959. And it has such a similar name to Jackson's novel, it is often confused with it. It is the movie "House on Haunted Hill".

House on Haunted Hill has nothing to do with Jackson's novel beyond being a haunted house horror movie where a group of people are reunited to experience ghostly activities. And yet, despite not being very well remembered, this movie played a small part in the history of cinema - because upon seeing it, Alfred Hitchock decided to do his own horror movie... And the result was Psycho.

The coincidences pile up, however, when you realize that "House on Haunted Hill" got a remake in 1999... The same year the remake of "The Haunting" got released.

Another coincidence: in 2023, a novel was published to serve as a sequel to the movie. It is Gary J. Rose's "House on Haunted Hill: Resurrection".

Which is NOT to be confused with the 2007 movie sequel of the 1999 movie, "Return to House on Haunted Hill".

But why do I say coincidence? Because in 2023, "The Haunting of Hill House" also got a novel sequel! Well it is rather an official work set in the same universe as Jackson' novel but a long time after the original story, so not a direct sequel... But is still exists: Elizabeth Hand's "A Haunting on the Hill".

I could stop here... But why not push a tiny bit more? "The House on Haunted Hill" was part of the forgotten-but-now cult era of 50s gimmick-horror-movies, born out of the mind of William Castle. For those of you who do not know, "gimmick movies" were so special because there were all sorts of gadgets, "immersive experiences" and other jumpscares INSIDE the theater, to make the audience "feel" the movie. This is what made the success of William Castle's movie... But also their quick outdating, since watching them outside of an equiped theater room robs you of half of the experience and truly lowers the movie's quality... Even though recently an attempt to recreate this experience was made. In 2012, Christopher R. Mihm released "House of Ghosts", a movie not only paying homage/heavily inspired by "House on Haunted Hill", but also using live-screening gimmcks similar to those of Castle's movie.

Of the various gimmick horror pieces of Castle, only two tend to be remembered. "House on Haunted Hill" ; and the 1960's "Thirteen Ghost" movie.

But the latter is only remembered because of its modern remake, much more well-known and talked about: 2001's Thir13en Ghosts.

AND, the production company behind this movie "Dark Castle Entertainment", was also the one behind 1999's House on Haunted Hill - in fact, both movies were supposed to be released together as a double-feature...

And if we push things even further, the same way Mike Flanagan's Haunting of Hill House actually bears a huge influence from another horror classic (The Shining), 1999's "House on Haunted Hill" also bears the strong influence and pays a heavy homage to a cult horror movie: 1990's Jacob's Ladder...

... While also reusing deleted elements from another horror movie released earlier: 1981's "Ghost Story"...

... adapted from the 1979's novel "Ghost Story" by Peter Straub...

... Itself heavily influenced by Henry James' ghost stories (remember, the author of The Turn of the Screw). In fact, Straub was called a "modern-day Henry James" due to this book.

#haunting of hill house #the haunting of hill house #house on haunted hill #horror movies #ghost stories #horror novels #ghost story #haunted house #thirteen ghosts #a haunting on the hill #psycho

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hooked-on-elvis · 4 months

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Halloween party + [BRIEF ROMANCES] Elvis and Joan Bradshaw: Hurt and vengeful EP?

Article: MAY 9TH, 1959 – THE BUFFALO EVENING NEWS – NY | Note: At the time this article was published, Elvis was in Germany on his Army duties... and the newsmen gossiping about his previous long gone [maybe even forgotten] love life! I guess they ran out of topics. | Pictures: Elvis and Joan Bradshaw.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elvis met Joan Bradshaw in early 1957 at Paramount studio, where she had a bit part in his film "Loving You".

It's said EP was really enchanted by Joan's charms, but she played hard to get. Not because she was making a type or anything, as far as I know, but because she knew plenty about Elvis' womanizer fame. "If he want me, he will sweat!" Well, Elvis did date Joan for a short period in 1957, according to reports. It was a brief romance. I don't even know if it was a public thing because, oddly enough, I didn't found any pictures of them together (at least not until now) other than during one single event they attended in 1957.

Anyway... one day, while they were dating, Elvis without a warning went to Joan Bradshaw's apartment. He found her with a new guy friend there, if you know what I mean (no, I don't mean they were doing "it", I just mean Elvis knew he was a date for her, not just a friend). EP was pissed, possibly even hurt. Joan told him the truth, "We weren't going out steady and you didn't asked me out today so..." but Elvis didn't took it in a stride, no, sir.

You must remember Elvis as Vince Everett on "Jailhouse Rock". There's a scene where he went to Peggy Van Alden's (Judy Tyler) apartment to ask her out on a dinner date to celebrate Vince's record newest selling success, "Treat Me Nice". Peggy was already set to a date with another gentleman that evening. Vince says "But I already made reservations..." and she answers, "Vince, you should've made reservations with me. I still have a life of my own, you know? (...) I will not be subject to your beck and call." Well, it turns out sometimes Elvis' characters confuse themselves with the actor's real life persona - or the other way around (maybe they created his characters inspired on Elvis himself?... IDK). EP was indeed that type of guy who wants his lady to commit to him mind, body and soul. His ladies had to drop their lives on the spot and run to him whenever he felt like (better yet if they never left his side, specially in the 70s). Some of them dropped their lives to be accompanying with Elvis Presley 24/7, specially because the times were different - not all the ladies worked outside their homes and this also explains why Elvis felt like his lady should be at his beck and call, considering he was a Southern guy, raised under pretty conservative grounds, but not all of his ladies accepted that "condition" to be his girl, such as Joan Bradshaw clearly didn't. That begins to explain why Elvis didn't see a future dating any Hollywood starlet at all (I straight link this Joan Bradshaw event with what happened between Elvis and Ann Margret in the 60's).

Well, after finding out Joan was dating other guys at the same time she went out with him, EP left her apartment and the things were definitely over between the two, but there was one last thing to do: On his way out, it's reported Elvis destroyed the landlady's garden with his car wheels. Joan had to pay for the damage the day after when she was notified about her visitor's antic.

Was EP a vengeance kinda of boy in the 50's or maybe Joan said something to him that really pissed him off real big? There's ways and ways of breaking delicate news, right? I don't want to blame her at all, saying it was her fault Elvis acted vengeful towards her, this is all on him. They really weren't going out steady, therefore both were free to do as they would. I'm just... imagining why he was SO angry if he was never like that in public (sure, he had his temper tantrums here and there, but out of public eye).

Elvis and Joan Bradshaw: October 31, 1957 - Elvis spent Halloween 1957 in Hollywood. Elvis attended a Halloween party in Hollywood hosted by clothing designer Sy Devore.

As I told previously, Joan had heard plenty about EP's womanizer ways. Like during that Halloween event: As far as I learned, Joan Bradshaw was Elvis’ official date for the evening — although he went there with his Memphis Mafia usual crew (the guys even said Elvis was hating this party and called it a night not later after they arrived there - about just 1 and half hours - just because he didn't like the ''Hollywood types" and their parties. EP preferred having his private parties at his homes and invite just the people he really liked. Fair!). Having been Joan Bradshaw Elvis' official date for this party or not, they were going out around the same time. In spite of that, is reported that Elvis spent most of the night with a Las Vegas showgirl named Jay Wyman. That pretty much explains why Joan didn't gave her heart away to Presley. There were (many) girls EP easily broke hearts (Yvonne Lime, for instance, there's a heartbreaking love story with him but that's another topic).

There you go, another EP story. I found it interesting and liked to share it with you. As a fan, I like to know everything there is to know about our favorite guy, and no, I don't look at it with judging eyes or anything. Things happen for a reason and there's explanation behind every action, so... This is just another piece on the gigantic puzzle it is Elvis Presley's life. Every single piece of this puzzle helps us, fans, to know better who he was as a human being - even tho I don't think there's a single answer. He was a complex fella, our little boy.

Sorry in advance if I may didn't cover the full chain of events concerning Elvis and Joan Bradshaw. If I missed something, I will edit this article.

— Lamar Fike's accounts on that October 31, 1957 Halloween party, as published on "Elvis Aaron Presley: Revelations from the Memphis Mafia" by Alanna Nash [Chapter 10].

Elvis and (I believe) this Las Vegas showgirl, Jay Wyman.

The second picture is the wonderful Dolores Hart (Elvis' leading lady on "Loving You" and "King Creole"). She always had this angel smile, this loving aura, this girl-next-door, little-sister vibe with her, didn't she? She was dressed as Sputnik when the other girls looked so provocative at this party, like... She is the most! Hahaha. Totally "good Cady Heron" from "Mean Girls" vibe. I really love Dolores. ♥

#elvis presley #elvis the king #elvis fans #elvis fandom #elvis #elvis history #50s elvis #50's hollywood #50's starlets #elvis and the memphis mafia #memphis mafia #elvis books #hollywood stars #classic hollywood #old hollywood

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forestdeath1 · 2 months

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Acquainted with the Night

Unsent letters from Sirius Black to James Potter

***

If I were given a chance at a second life, I'd opt for one where you never existed.

Because a life where you were, then suddenly gone, is more unbearable than death.

***

I'm still battling with the reality of your departure. It's like trying to grasp smoke. You left, leaving a part of yourself within me. An echo that never quiets.

I never thought missing someone could hurt this much. It's like a constant song in my head. Always playing.

Perhaps this is how stars yearn for the sun in the night sky. Do you know, when the night has fallen, their light still stretches towards the departed luminary?

***

To all, we were brothers, but to me, you were more than just a brother – you were the one who taught me to be. Dazzling, yet healing.

The simplest act I could do was to die for you and your family.

It was meant to be me.

Fate deemed that no one can die for another.

Forgive me, James. That's all I can say. Forgive me.

***

I search for you amidst the faceless nights and days that blend into a kaleidoscope. I've lost count of how many months or years have passed. Everything's merged into a dense fog. I don't know if I'm alive or already dead. If I'm dead, then where are you?

My thoughts are drowned in longing and cold, they condense into a single point, making me feel like I'm going insane. Sometimes I think I've forgotten your face, but then it suddenly appears before me, alive, as though we've just parted.

If I could forget you, perhaps it would be easier to leave.

***

You've started appearing in my dreams again. Sometimes I don't want to wake up, and I hate myself for it.

You're still keeping me afloat. I still don't grasp how you manage it.

Missing you feels like the chill from lost warmth. But loving you means finding refuge even in the deepest void.

***

I always knew that death could be greeted like an old friend. Death doesn't frighten me. I've died once already.

It's odd, but I've lived with memories of you longer than I actually knew you.

You were with me till the end, and I have no clue what's next.

Once, I wished for a world where I wouldn't know you, because a life filled with memories of you seemed worse than death. It's like forever waiting for someone who will never return.

But there is no life and no world where I could exist without you.

See you soon, James.

Sirius Black

3 November 1959 — 18 June 1996

#prongs #padfoot #prongsfoot #james potter #sirius black #james x sirius #marauders #bambibelle #prongsfoot microfic

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italoniponic · 2 years

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Hiii! Congrats on getting 100 followers! Your writing is so good, I enjoyed every one of them. ❤️❤️ If it’s not against the rules, can I request a short story with lots of fluff in which Malleus finds out that the reader is his soulmate please!

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭

| Notes: Hi, anon! Nope, it’s all okay! I do mostly hcs bc it’s easy but a short story from time to time is also good. So, for the soulmate plot, I got the idea of creating this whole folklore about some soulmates connecting because of a special song only they know (and you’ll have to pretend here that Disney didn’t created “Once Upon a Dream” in 1959 lol The first part is the classic one and the second is based on Celestial Bunny’s translation of the Japanese 2º paragraph ver (from that one Malleus video everybody watched, link in the special notes). But the very last part is a little adaptation I made. It might seem rushed in some parts bc I actually lost the original by accident and had to rewrite it again but I tried my best to do something really sweet and funny in some parts. Hope you like it! Thanks for the request <3 |

Malleus Draconia x gender neutral reader / soulmates / song connection / scenario / fluff / 2520 words / use of “you” pronouns

Cherry’s Harvesting event 🍒 Masterlist

Once Upon a Song

Malleus was excited that afternoon to meet you at the Ramshackle. He was humming to himself while walking, not singing the lyrics but producing a serene, good measured melody. For all the long centuries of his existence, this particular song has always been present within him in some way.

Malleus wondered if he himself created the melody and lyrics alone because he had never heard anything like it anywhere else.

It was almost always in the back of his mind, like a protective spell. Malleus hummed it wistfully when he was feeling down and more serene when he was happy. And talking to you always made him happy — in a special, inexplicable way.

He had felt this way since he first met you in the middle of the night among the ruins of that poor dormitory forgotten by Crowley and the world, with the exception of Malleus and the ghosts. From the first glance, something in his heart felt different. More complete. There weren't enough words to describe that feeling.

It was as if he spent his whole life without his horns, essential parts of his nature. However, upon your arrival, he would have felt the horns finally crown his head.

But it was still a very weak metaphor for his feelings. Perhaps, it should be said that it was like realizing that he was missing something that he didn't even know he had missed. Complicated, yes, but a little more truthful and similar.

Not that this was the time to think about those things.

You had promised to walk with Malleus that night to see one of the school towers that had ancient gargoyles reminiscent of guardians from the Valley of Thorns. He was super excited to show you this and you were very interested in finding out more about the history of that world — and spending more time with Malleus, of course.

Not that he realized that last part. Malleus could see that you, unlike the others, didn’t run away from him and enjoyed his company in a very special way, but he wasn’t sure of the depth of your feelings. Which made him strangely sad.

Even though Malleus said to himself that he would be satisfied if you were just friends, he felt a painful twinge every time he said that. It hurted like being pricked by a needle. Small and treacherous poisoned needle of a light lie, leading him into a fatal delusion. A heavy sleep of fleeting dreams.

“I know you, I walked with you once in a dream...!”

Malleus stopped at the door of the Ramshackle, not having noticed that he had walked so automatically down the stone staircase, lost in thought. Your sweet voice awakened him.

“I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam!”

But it wasn't just for your melodious voice and yes, for the lyrics you sang. A song that Malleus knew so well, the very one he had been humming before he arrived. The question was: why did you know the song he created?

“And I know, it's true that visions are seldom all they seem, but if I know you...!”

“I know what you’ll do... you will love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.”

You got scared, letting the broom with whom you danced fall from your hands. While you sang your verse, the door had been quietly opened and Malleus entered uninvited — though he liked to be received by you, his kind and hospitable friend.

But, finally, he finished the song that was accompanying your cleaning of the room.

Malleus's voice was deep and strong, having turned the cheerful melody into something more sober and serious, almost mirroring his expression at that moment. You didn't know why Malleus was staring at you steadily, as if seeking in you the solution of a mystery.

Although it was you who should face him like that because he was the one who sang a song that only you knew! Many thoughts agitated your mind, so many that you ended up shaking your head to pull yourself together and pick up the poor broom again.

“You know that song, Tsunotaro?,” you asked, feeling strange. You tried to smile to ease the tension.

“I've known it for as long as I can remember. Every verse, every note,” Malleus went from serious to apprehensive, starting to walk across the wooden floor that was clean of any dust and cobwebs that had fallen from the ceiling. “How do you know it, child of Man?”

“I don't know... I have also known how to sing it since I was a child. Although I never really heard it anywhere.”

You took another fright when Malleus suddenly approached you, looking directly into your eyes. You might not have the same hesitation as other people about him, but in a way, you didn't blame them for feeling disturbed by Malleus’ intimidating presence. Even more so when he squeezed his eyelids, considering what to do at that moment while watching you.

“We have no choice. We need to search for Lilia.”

“W-weren't we going to see gargoyles?,” you tried to remind him of the original appointment. “What's wrong with us knowing the same song? It's just a coincidence, Tsunotaro. Don't need to be so stressed about it.”

Malleus stopped for a moment to laugh softly, which was a relief because his heart was beating fast like a thunderstorm. In fact, you even heard the faint noise of rain suddenly falling outside. That's what got you worried.

Malleus’s mood always had strange effects on the weather and days before, he had just helped fix the roof leaks. You thought he was angry, which would make the rain heavier and bring your poor house down. But you were worried for nothing — Malleus didn’t realize that he had given you the wrong impression.

He was happy. Partly. It would only depend on you to make his joy last longer. Malleus was really feeling stunned by those emotions. What you thought had been anger and indignation were, in fact, agitation and confusion. He himself didn’t know what to express at that moment.

But when he held out his hand to you — which you accepted promptly, without hesitation — Malleus just said:

“There are no coincidences…”

For the first time, Malleus said your name.

And so, with a slight swirl of his hand, green fireflies appeared around you and suddenly, you two were no longer there. Grim woke up from his sleep on the couch, only seeing a light green magic in the place where you previously stood facing Malleus. But he just shrugged his shoulders and went back to sleep peacefully.

🌸

Lilia didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the situation. He must have expected something strange when a gentle thunder strike announced Malleus’s arrival in Diasomnia, bringing you by the hand — and your expression as someone who never magically teleported was priceless. But you seemed anxious about something.

Or Malleus was anxious and you were just being infected by that feeling. What happened was that Malleus snatched Lilia from the kitchen — to everybody’s general joy — and led him to his room, where they could talk alone on that important topic.

Once the situation was explained, you didn't have much else to do other than wait for that old fairy to pour a little wisdom and hope into that strange coincidence. But yet Lilia wanted to have a little fun.

“I don't know if I understood it very well. Can you sing that song for me?,” he asked, giving a pointy smile.

You could feel Malleus inflame his nostrils next to you, a bit of smoke escaping. He must have sensed that his mentor wasn't taking any of that seriously. And you just wanted someone to explain what was the big deal in all of that.

Yes, it was strange just the two of you knowing an oddly specific song word for word but, you had seen strange and absurd enough things to be alarmed by something like that.

“Do you want it from the beginning?,” you asked.

“Oh, does it have a second chorus?”

“Yes,” you both answered at the same time, looking at each other shortly after.

Lilia stifled a laugh with his hand.

“Please... lovebirds.”

Those words made your heart miss a beat. You stared at Lilia and his smirk, not knowing how to react. All this time you tried to take your feelings calmly and subtly, living each day with Malleus as if in a fairytale slowly turning page by page.

But, apparently, you weren’t as subtle as you imagined. Malleus also seemed to give Lilia a look, censoring him. Then you took a deep breath, pulling yourselves together. Malleus sang first and out of pure habit, you moved your lips accompanying the verses engraved so firmly in your memory:

“In your transparent eyes, I became my ‘true self’ after we met,” you immediately continued and Malleus recognized your words. “If I love with a free heart, the pain also disappears...”

You turned to each other, more amazed by the way the melody didn’t change and your hearts led you to sing the same thing.

“I must become strong to protect... you…! My precious dream.”

“Like once upon a dream,” you said without taking your eyes off Malleus.

Was it all real? Was it happening right before your eyes? You breathed some air to ask Malleus a question, but Lilia interrupted you.

“How beautiful are soulmates! An old acquaintance told me about it a long time ago but I never thought I would live long enough to witness it with my own eyes,” he got up from his chair, floating around the two of you.

“S-soulmates?,” you repeated, surprise.

“Never heard of it, little human?”

“Oh, we have something like that in our world, but it's just to say that two people seem ‘perfect’ for each other…”

“Well, here it is something much more complex! Malleus, you didn't explain anything to your friend?,” Lilia inquired with another wide grin.

Malleus moved away from you, suddenly losing all his excitement. Worried about him, you followed him to the second window of the room that was right next to a dragon made of stone. The sky was dark, laden with gray rain clouds that grew stronger as the painful minutes passed by.

You gently touched Malleus’s shoulder, which made his gaze pass from the melancholy world outside back to you.

“I feel like you want to tell me something,” you said, having sounded as docile as possible to make him open up comfortably. “Is it... about this soulmate-thing?”

“ If I tell you... you will cease to be my friend and will turn away from me, disgusted with your cruel fate. This curse that fell on you without you even knowing.”

“I'm not leaving, Malleus. I promise.”

You held his hand, your gaze resolute and determined. Malleus was surprised, it was the first time you called him by name. If only you wanted to call him that for the rest of your lives. Even if you pass away someday, Malleus would echo your words in his mind as if spoken for the first time.

Could he dream about it? Maybe he shouldn't. You deserved so much more than the future of stones and thorns he could offer.

“In truth, I really owe you an explanation,” Malleus sighed. Thunder sounded in the distance, but your eyes didn't leave him. “The myth of soulmates was once very famous a millennium ago but, over the centuries, its fame has been diminishing and today many cultures understand it differently or no longer recognize it at all. In the Valley of Thorns, the ancient tale says that two souls are linked by a song. A song that only they know and have never told anyone.”

“Where have I seen this before?,” Lilia playfully muttered.

“These two people can sing either way, but the lyrics will remain the same. If they create more stanzas, nothing will change. In a mystical way, the other soul will have that same inspiration. In some versions of the most popular fairytale in the valley of the fairies, a princess found her prince with a song they knew together.”

You didn’t interrupt Malleus at any time, listening to him attentively and respectfully. Nothing could take away your focus at that moment.

“Which means: we're both soulmates,” Malleus finished.

“You say it like it's something bad…”

It was a loud thought you ended up saying, catching Malleus’s attention immediately. He stared at you, confused.

“But it's not...? For you? What would make you happy to be stuck from the eternity of time to someone like me?,” he asked.

“Just talk to him,” Lilia said, more serious now while softly massaging your shoulders. “I'll leave you two alone.”

And so, Lilia disappeared. You had no choice but to face Malleus and confess your feelings, especially when it was obvious that he had no hope that you would love him back. Which wasn't true.

“Malleus, finding out that you are my soulmate does make me happy,” you said, getting a surprised look from him. “If there is anyone in this vast world who would leave me jumping with joy that we are connected forever... it would be you. Always you. I love you, Malleus, and there are no powerful forces in this world that can tear us apart.”

“It takes a lot of courage to say that... my love,” Malleus couldn't help but smile, holding your face gently. “Even though the future is treacherous, I am happy to know that I have you by my side. I think now I understand what I felt I was missing all this time.”

“I know how you feel. I also know that I may not be able to do anything fantastic, but I hope my simplicity is enough.”

“It is, dear. Always was.”

You smiled, tilting your head to feel Malleus’s hand on the side of your face. His skin was cold but strangely comforting. Perhaps because it is the most concrete version of any dream you have dreamed of you being together.

The song you shared has always been there in your mind, a unique melody like Malleus’s love. And now, you could sing it together. It was a feeling of joy beyond all comprehension.

“Is something going on?”

“THE YOUNG MASTER IS TRAPPED WITH THAT HUMAN!,” Sebek's voice echoed behind the door, scaring both of you.

“They just proposed to each other, Silver... and I would very much like them to finally give a kiss of true love!,” Lilia emphasized the last sentence, trying to feign subtlety.

“Like in fairy tales…”

Silver’s calm comment made you laugh. You just couldn’t help it. You looked at Malleus and he smiled too, a little embarrassed and anxious. He would pick on those three for interrupting your private moment — unless you could improve his mood with that expected sweet, wonderful kiss that only soulmates can exchange.

For the first time, Malleus forgot about the gargoyles he wanted to show you that night.

| Special Notes: Malleus as that one video “male cover” of Once Upon a Dream from the Maleficent movie, jap version. |

#twisted wonderland #malleus draconia #malleus draconia x reader #gender neutral reader #twst x reader #twst imagines #twst scenarios #twst fluff #soulmate connection #cherry's writing #cherry's harvesting

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